Top 5 Tuesday | 1/21/25

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, and now being hosted at Meeghan reads.

I haven’t done one of these in awhile but I didn’t want to tackle the Top Ten Tuesday prompt for today because I feel like I’ve done it before. And this topic below seems easier to answer:

This Week’s Topic is:

21 January: Top 5 books I will definitely* read in 2025

Onyx Storm by. Rebecca Yarros

THE STORM IS COMING . . .

Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons.
No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre.
The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves – her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army.
They need power.
They need magic.
And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath

***

Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli

The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.

***

Great Bit Beautiful Life by. Emily Henry

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years–or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.

***

Rose in Chains by. Julie Soto

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

***

The Jasad Crown by. Sara Hashem

In the thrilling conclusion to the Egyptian-inspired Scorched Throne duology, a fugitive queen may be the key to restoring her lost kingdom of Jasad, but it could cost her everything and everyone she loves.

Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe she can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad’s greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the group’s trust while struggling to keep control of both her magic and her mind.

In the rival kingdom, Arin is caught between his father’s desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts he’s sworn to uphold. Arin must find Sylvia before his father’s army, but his search will call into question the very core of Arin’s beliefs about his family and the destruction of Jasad.

War is inevitable and Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she’s fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn’t just want to survive. She wants to win.
The fugitive queen is ready to come home.

What book are you FOR SURE going to read in 2025??

📚 ~ Yolanda

Top 5 Tuesday topics: January 2025

7 January: Top 5 anticipated reads for Q1 2025

14 January: Top 5 bookish resolutions for 2025

~~21 January: Top 5 books I will definitely* read in 2025~~

28 January: Top 5 authors I want to try in 2025

*****

Top 5 Tuesday topics: February 2025

4 February: Top 5 series I will start in 2025

11 February: Top 5 series I will finish in 2025

18 February: Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025

25 February: Top 5 books I want to buy in 2025

*****

Top 5 Tuesday topics: March 2025

4 March: Top 5 books with a pronoun in the title

11 March: Top 5 books with a place in the title

18 March: Top 5 books with an emotion in the title

25 March: *freebie*

Amid Clouds and Bones by. Ella Fields | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Amid Clouds and Bones

Author: Ella Fields

Format: eBook (KU)

Pages: 403

Publication Date: 7/23/24

Categories: Romantasy, Spicy, Fae, Fantasy, Romance

A princess determined to survive an arranged marriage to a heartless faerie prince is saved by a twist of fate that could destroy their world in this all-new standalone fantasy romance.

As the half faerie daughter of a human king, my days were spent tucked out of sight—until the Seelie Fae sought an alliance with our kingdom. In exchange for my father’s help in defeating their Unseelie enemies, I would wed Atakan the heartless.

The Seelie prince loathed everyone, but none more than me. Throughout the years leading to our nuptials, each encounter grew more terrifying than the last as he demonstrated how he’d earned his infamous reputation.

Fear would only doom me faster. So I learned to hide it with games I soon became happy to play. I wasn’t supposed to crave a monster. But just when I’d thought I might tame the untameable, fate intervened.

And delivered me straight to his enemy.

This fast-paced standalone features true enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, high heat, and a cast of morally grey and villainous characters.

Content Warning: violence, grief, dark romance

This book jumps right away into the romance. It’s between Prince Mildred (half fae/human) and Prince Akatan of the Seelie. They positively loathe one another but to survive in his kingdom as his betrothed, she seduces him instead. They seduce each other, and yes it’s spicy.

And though I did enjoy the hate-seduction going on somewhat, it did feel dark. There isn’t a lot of world-building so the seduction/romance was the main focus. Mildred is caught in between this war with the Seelie and Unseelie, but the story focuses on her survival and her choice in how to survive is seducing her soon-to-be husband. But in between the power plays and insults to one another, they eventually fall for one another. But I almost didn’t believe Atakan because he’s a horrible person. 😅 There is also a love-triangle but once again it was Mildred getting caught up in the politics.

Now, Mildred is an interesting character. I loved that she has a close connection to her sister, but this girl was falling for guys pretty easily Atakan was the bad boy, and Vane the Unseelie king, is a supposed bad boy too but he was actually nice? She’s basically a pawn and I get she’s trying to survive her situation, but I kind of wanted more out of her. Sex was her power but I wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

I didn’t feel like this story got deep and that’s fine because once I realized it was more romance heavy then I stayed for the enemies to lovers vibes. It’s got Fae, lots of spice, two characters hate/loving one another, some political intrigue, shifters, and dragon creatures. Overall, it was a quick read and I was entertained.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Monday: The Serpent and the Wolf by. Rebecca Robinson

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: The Serpent and the Wolf

Author: Rebecca Robinson

Pages: 352

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 11/19/25

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 1/19/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

Went to lunch with an ex-coworker. I met her back in 2005 when we both worked at a college library. So we’ve been friends for 19 years? I’m always amazed when I add up the years how long I have been friends with someone ❤️ even though we only worked together for 5 years. And we only see each other once a year but it always feels like we’re back in 2005, chit-chatting about life. I was happy to see her and exchange, birthday and Xmas gifts lol.
Friends I am SAD and stressed about the Tiktok ban. I joined during the pandemic and honestly it got me through those stressful times. I’ve always wanted to post my book reviews there but I never did. Only one of friends are on there with me and we send videos back and forth to one another but it’s my entertainment. It’s so much fun! I love booktok, the pets and animals I see on there, the funny comedic videos, or just seeing how people are living wherever they are. So I am sad. I’m still on Facebook – VERY HARDLY, I don’t scroll much because there is too much ads and I want to delete it but my Mother in law and mom and relatives international are on there). I’m on IG too but again…I found myself mostly posting to Stories (because it disappears) and once again, it’s to show my relatives pics of my kids. But I want to delete that one too lol. Twitter (X) SUCKS now. SO tiktok was my fave. Sigh…😞.
Kids and I had some appointments this week, so yay got that done but my daughter will need braces or aligners. 💸. My son is almost done with his aligners thank goodness so yeah…daughter will be next!

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Nature of Frost by. Jus Accardo | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Bookish Goals for 2025 | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 1/14/24
WWW Wednesday | 1/15/25
Anathema by. Keri Lake | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
The Rival by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

Football

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

Format: eBook (Libby)

Pages: 371

Publication Date: 4/6/2006

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Teen

Last year, Annabel was “the girl who has everything” — at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf’s Department Store.

This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen’s help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Content Warning: sexual assault, eating disorder

So I’m reading this for my read the month (spell the month) challenge and this is for J in January. I read this back in 2006! Yes, I’m old but I was such a big Sarah Dessen back then because it felt like real stories that I related to especially when it came to coming of age as a teen or dealing with complicated family dynamics.

Reading it so many years later 😅 and now as an adult who’s gone through so much – I still appreciate how real this story feels. Annabel is a teen girl, who models for local commercials and ads, she seems to have it all, even two beautiful older sisters who were models too.

But as Annabel tells her story I am immersed in her life. She doesn’t have it all, her sister is dealing with an eating disorder, her best friend hates her, and she’s holding onto a secret and trauma.

I also love that the romance is not the main focus of this book. Owen and Annabel starts out as friends and the more time they spend together it blossoms into something more but it never overtakes the story.

Quotes from the Book:

“I was beginning to see, though, that the unknown wasn’t always the greatest thing to fear. The people who know you best can be riskier, because the words they say and the things they think have the potential to be not only scary but true, as well.”
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen

“So many versions of just one memory, and yet none of them were right or wrong. Instead, they were all pieces. Only when fitted together, edge to edge, could they even begin to tell the whole story.”
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen

“I could pretend to leave the past behind, but it would not leave me.”
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen

“There comes a time in every life when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you’d better learn to know the sound of it. Otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s saying.”
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen

“All you could do was take on as much weight as you can bear. And if you’re lucky, there’s someone close enough by to shoulder the rest.
Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I still enjoyed the story and kind of miss stories like this. I feel like now I read so much fantasy to escape reality but back in 2006 when I was looking for authors writing about relatable teen and young adult stories, this is what I was addicted to reading, even if by then I was in my 20’s! It’s a quick read and Annabel is a quiet character, because that was kind of her role in her family but I liked seeing her grow and learn more about herself and her strength while hanging out with Owen. Also, because this was published in the early 2000’s I loved how it brought me back to burning CDs and making playlists for people, definitely felt the nostalgia of it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Rival by. Emma Lord | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Rival

Author: Emma Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/21/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Rivals to Lovers, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again!

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

Likes:

+ I love a rivals to lovers romance and this offers all the fighting and chemistry between two people who are trying to ignore the attraction between them. I especially love that Sadie and Seb have known one another since they were little! I loved seeing them go from frenemies to lovers.

+ This is a coming of age story as well as a romance. Sadie and Seb both are in their first year of college and though Sadie knows what she wants, she’s not sure what her family would think of her dreams of being a comedic writer. As for Seb, he’s not sure what path is right for himself but though he and Sadie are rivals, they definitely do push one another to be better versions of themselves – usually.

+ I thought the college experience was captured really well in this story – I loved all the antics, campus life, and shenanigans with the clubs. Also, Betty was awesome.

Dislikes:

~ There were times I wished Sadie would let up on the competition with Seb and their little falling out felt a bit overdramatic on Sadie’s part.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one because I loved the college campus life portrayed in the story. The rivals to lovers romance was full of fighting, banter and chemistry. Overall, I thought it was a fun story!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Break-Up Pact by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Getaway List by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Begin Again by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When You Get the Chance by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Anathema by. Keri Lake | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)

Author: Keri Lake

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 688

Publication Date: 9/10/24

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Horror, Romantasy, Gothic, Enemies to Lovers

A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm’s forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods …

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.

Content Warning: grief, trauma, child abuse, sexual abuse, abuse, violence, horror, sexual assault, threat of rape, body horror

I picked this book to read for my Spell the Month tbr challenge because the title starts with an A, so I can fulfill ones of the A’s for the month of January. So I went into this pretty blind!

I don’t think I’ve read a book this dark in a long while. This story is told between two POVs, Maevyth, who is a mortal and Zevander, who lives in another world. The mortal world Maevyth lives in is pretty horrible. Women have no rights, any girl caught in a scandal is left to the Eating Woods and it happens to her sister, Aleysia but Maevyth will not give her up. Zevander is a cold-hearted assassin and he has a lot on his plate: trying to break the curse upon him, trying to keep his family safe, and carrying out jobs for the king. When these two cross paths, it’s a slow, SLOW, burn filled with desire and challenges. But I did love their interactions when they were together! The romance comes together at the end but it really took a long time to get there.

As characters, I like Maevyth – she loves her sister, fights for her and she’s the sunshine to Zevander’s darkness. As for Zevander, he is a complicated man with such a traumatic past. Some of his trauma was too dark for me that I almost didn’t want to finish the book. The slow burn was so slow and this is not a short book, it’s just under 700 pages!

Also with the 600+ pages and so much going, I felt it was too long. I did find myself invested in Maevyth’s mysterious past and wanting Zevander to break the curse but there were times I did have to skim, like when Maevyth was training and learning all the lore about the Corvikae – there was just a lot of world building. I felt like more action in the middle would have moved the story faster.

But the author did a great job with the dark, horror (the spiders!, and body horror), gothic vibes. The atmosphere of this world is dangerous, brutal and very much not so kind to women. I also felt sick with the sexual and physical abuse that Zevander relives in memories and nightmares – poor guy.

Final Thoughts:

This one was almost too dark for me to read but I did like Maevyth and Zevander’s love story even though it was a very slow burn. I thought the world-building was fascinating even though the story was very long. Will I read book two? I think I will because I want to see how it goes for Maevyth and Zevander, and hello, that cliffhanger? I’m just too curious to see what will happen next but I just hope it isn’t 600+ pages long again.😬

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 1/15/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you currently reading?

Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen (Libby) – 2% – I chose this also for my Spell the Month TBR list and it’s a re-read but I haven’t read it in 10+ years. So I wanted to read it and review for my blog since I was obsessed with Sarah Dessen books back in the day.

Immortal Dark by. Tigest Girma (library) – 33/420 – slow going! This was overdue but my library renewed it for me lol. How considerate of them!

The Grandest Game by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes (library) – pg. 111/372 – hoping to finish this one soon, at least it’s a quick read, very short chapters

Amid Clouds and Bones by. Ella Fields (KU) – 2% – just started

The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith (arc) – 9% working on this one

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Bookish Goals for 2025 | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 1/14/24

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Bookish Goals for 2025

I can’t say I have a lot of new goals for 2025. I’d say it’s almost the same as it was for 2024…this was what I had for 2024:

#1 – read books I actually want to read, and try not to force it if I’m not feeling a book

#2 – take breaks from blogging when needed

#3 -request less arcs 🙃 (actually did request less in 2023 so I know I can do this)

I actually accomplished one of these! LOL…#3! I actually read I think, 50 less books this year than usual.

**********

For 2025:

#1 – read outside of my comfort zone. I read more thrillers and mysteries in 2024. I kind of want to cut down on fantasy and see where my interests take me.

#2 – still request less arcs. Because I requested less, I actually got emailed with a bunch of arcs I wasn’t expecting. But requesting less arcs made me feel less pressure to finish all of them on time so that was really nice.

#3 – borrow more books, and spend less on buying pretty hardcovers.

I think that’s all I got for bookish goals! What are your goals for 2025?

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Nature of Frost by. Jus Accardo | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Nature of Frost (Omen of Ice, #2)

Author: Jus Accardo

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 363

Publication Date: 1/13/25

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Entangled: Teen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A dying kingdom on thin ice…

Not so long ago, druid Keltania Tunne thought she knew the world—and her place in it. Magic was all but dead, and the kingdom torn apart. Then she was sent to the court of the Winter Fae and charged with the protection of Valen, the icily arrogant prince who some believed would bring about the destruction of them all…

Instead, he brought magic.

The greed for magic nearly destroyed their world, and its return could plunge them all back into chaos—or unite the estranged fae courts…if they move quickly.

Now Keltania and Valen must navigate the temperamental fae, their insidious secrets, and an enemy who would cleave the kingdom in two in the name of vengeance—all the while hiding the truth of their connection.

Its magic. Its remarkable power. And its ability to crush their hearts in two.

But no one knows that Valen struck a secret bargain with their enemy…and soon everyone in the land will face the consequences.

Content Warning: Cursing

This is book two in the Omen of Ice series, but unfortunately I never read book one! I didn’t realize when I requested this book that it was the sequel so that’s my fault.

So not having read book one and jumping straight into book two, I was a bit lost. That’s when I realized my mistake. I pushed on anyway, hoping that eventually I would get the gist of what I was reading. From what I could gather, Valen is a reluctant leader, and I found his personality to be humorous, he had a dry humor. Tania, the druid, is someone he has a connection with, they can read each other’s minds and are attracted to one another but can’t be with one another. But they both work together to defeat their enemy.

I couldn’t quite connect to the characters because I didn’t read book one but I found the kelpie, Daroose, pretty funny. I did find the story moved quickly and had lots of action.