I've been addicted to books for about thirty plus years! Too bad I didn't track all the books I've read. 😬 Follow me on Twitter: @ylmpastmidnight , Instagram: @ylmpastmidnight and Facebook: ylmpastmidnight
Finally got a haircut – it’s been since February I think!
New Year’s Eve – Hawaii always goes crazy with fireworks. I think there were MORE fireworks this year, it started early and my dog was miserable. We stay home on NYE because of him, keep him comforted. We watched WICKED at home and loved it! Watched the fireworks show outside our windows (there’s a professional fireworks event near us and we had a lovely view) – but since the whole island lights up, we pretty much can see fireworks outside every window upstairs. It’s like a war zone out there.
New Year’s Day – Woke up to news there was a bad fireworks incident in town, 3 people died with 20+ injured, horrible fireworks accident. It was my nephew’s 17th birthday so we went into Waikiki and had lunch with the family at Hard Rock Cafe.
My daughter turned 8 on Friday. She got to open presents from me and her dad in the morning. We also had a passport appointment – theirs only last 4 years because they are kids and it expired in July. So I wanted them to have new ones just in case we go to the Philippines this year. After the appointment we went to eat at Wendy’s because she loves their nuggets. Then we went to Kids City which is like an indoor playground.
My son is back to piano lessons on Saturday – so we did that then picked up her ice cream cake for her party today.
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!
Hi all, I was reading the Spell the Month post on the blog One Book More and my son saw it also and said why don’t I do that the same but instead of only spelling the month – to read all the books I choose to list for Spell the Month. 😅 But I hate lists, I told him, I’m a mood reader! I haven’t done a Spell the Month blog post in 4 years apparently (that can’t be right!).
He said come on mom, try something new LOL. So I said fine…so basically this is a monthly TBR list but using the Spell the Month book tag and actually reading or trying to read the books I use to spell the month. Anyway, the Spell the Month book tag was originally created by Reviews from the Stacks, and the idea is to spell the month using the first letter of book titles.
So I’m going to spell the month but also read the books and do a monthly update at the end of the month to see if I accomplished my goal or not. Ugh, I’m bad at book goals, especially a TBR list – but just for my son I’ll try it out! 😂❤️
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.
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.
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.
The Omen of Ice duology is best enjoyed in order. Reading Order: Book #1 Omen of Ice Book #2 Nature of Frost
A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
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.
Of all the worlds and life they created, the gods favored their children the most. But with that favor came the fear that their Legacy would one day become too powerful and overthrow them. Devram was created. A realm hidden amongst the stars. The gods gave their Legacy the best of all the worlds, and then they left, a sworn agreement to never return and to never interfere. Forced to a life of servitude, the Fae are required to provide for the Legacy in more ways than one. Every five years, the eligible Fae are gathered for the Selection and assigned to serve in one of the six Kingdoms. To be chosen as the personal Source for a Kingdom Heir is the greatest honor, and for the first time in a millennia, all six Kingdoms have heirs choosing a Source. But their selections could tip the power balance a little too far. Tessalyn Asura was as forgotten as the realm. But when she finds herself the personal Source to the Heir of Endings, she winds up serving in the darkest Kingdom of them all . The secrets within the Arius Kingdom are meant to be learned and kept, but this was never the life she wanted. Fighting not only the fate thrust upon her, but the temptation to lose herself to desire, Tessa will do anything to escape her new destiny. Until she starts to realize maybe their world wasn’t as forgotten as they thought, and maybe she’s the reason why.
Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.
Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan Mackey avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways.
Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things.
Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack Graham, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits.
These opposites attract, forging a surprise connection. Boundaries vanish as tension rises between them, and they face emotionally charged choices.
Will Rowan risk her safe life with Dean for a chance with the grumpy playboy next door? And will Jack change everything to find the inspiration he craves with the one woman he shouldn’t?
J – Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen – This is actually a re-read but I read this 20 or so years ago (multiple times) and but I never reviewed it for my blog. So my son gave me a pass and said it was okay to put on my list. 😅 He’s so strict!
I hope I’ll be able to knock every one of these off my list but…we’ll see! I do feel like this will be a nice way to maybe get some backlist books on my TBR on these monthly lists and just finally knock it off my TBR list on Goodreads. Wish me luck!
Title: Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow, #2)
Author: Kate Pearsall
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 1/7/25
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Categories: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A beautifully dark YA set in Appalachia tinged with magic, mystery, murder, and romance. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.
18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.
Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?
Content Warning: violence
I really enjoyed Bittersweet in the Hollow, the first book in this series. I love the James women!
We are back in Caball Hollow which is in the Appalachia mountains of West Virginia. It’s an eerie small town and the James women history with witchcraft, the bone tree, the Moth-Winged man stories and now sightings of the Wampus Cat just adds to it all. I enjoy the lore of the James women and the atmosphere of the setting.
I feel like this book is way more atmospheric than book one and much more creepy. Rowan, one of my favorite of the James sisters, because of her fiery personality, she is restless but she finds her calling when she is forced to volunteer for the Forest Service and she is one brave young lady. She is alone in the forest except for basically a treehouse and a walkie-talkie. For someone young, she’s really responsible and doesn’t complain about things, which I love about her.
The mystery about community members missing items and essentially maybe missing parts of themselves is what brings Rowan and Hadrian (the Moth-Winged Man) together. Between these two and their attraction to one another, we learn more about the forest, the Otherworld, the bone tree, and what would happen if the bone tree died. I also loved the storyline about Zephyrine who is Gran’s lost sister.
I do feel like this book was help transitioning to what’s going to happen with book three and so I feel like we didn’t get to know Rowan as much as I wanted. We were in her head a lot which is great but I wanted to see her interact more with her sisters and Hadrian. I loved her scenes with Hadrian but I love them so much I wanted more.
My Thoughts:
This is a great sequel and I can’t wait to read more about the James sisters and Caball Hollow!
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An empowering, uplifting tale of two women from opposite sides of society, and their extraordinary journey of sisterhood, betrayal, love and triumph.1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or “golden lilies,” are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery. Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower’s escape. But when scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, where Little Flower’s artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life—the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. And if Linjing finds out, will she sabotage Little Flower to reclaim her power, or will she protect her?
The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!
Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.
But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.
As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.
A beautifully dark YA set in Appalachia tinged with magic, mystery, murder, and romance. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.
18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.
Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life? Goodreads | Amazon
A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”
As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.
Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.
But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.
A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows. From USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard comes a scorching new romantasy that will leave you spellbound.
“His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”
When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.
But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.
When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.
A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow
The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.
When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.
But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.
London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.
At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?
An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.
American Royals meets Elite in this contemporary YA set in a glamorous boarding school where four teens compete to inherit a European kingdom.
For fifty years, King Leander Eldana has ruled Ashland without naming an heir to the crown. After sending away his grandchildren to be raised out of the public eye, it’s finally time to secure his nation’s future by appointing one definitive heir. The best way to appraise his successor? In the halls of Almus Terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders—and liars.
Titus Eldana has always known he’d inherit Ashland’s future. Now he must prove he has what it takes. Alaric Eldana was not raised with a silver spoon. His secondhand clothes might not be fit for a king, but he knows how to rule: with his fist. Emmeline Eldana only wants to please her neglectful parents. If that means securing the crown, she won’t hesitate to destroy anyone in her way. Sadie Aurelia has no idea why she’s been given a chance to bring new blood to the throne. With nothing left to lose back home, she’s ready to take it.
Filled with competition, secret alliances, enemies-to-lovers romance, and cunning revenge, Royal Heirs Academy is a breathless, entertaining read set in modern-day. This gossip-filled school for the global elite is inspired by UWC of the Atlantic, which Vanity Fair has described as “Hippie Hogwarts.”
Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.
Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.
Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.
With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?
The King of Yusan may be the greatest liar of them all.
His sister’s ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants. Even manipulating the five blades to steal it…
Bonded by a common enemy, then divided by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon’s pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.
A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another, even though their lives, their families, and the realms depend on it.
They can all agree on one thing: the king can’t win. But can they beat him at his own game?
Because for the blades, this time it’s not just personal, it’s revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but now vengeance will bring them together.
In this riveting historical thriller that’s loosely inspired by true-life events, The Count of Monte Cristo meets Bridgerton as revenge, romance, and twisted secrets take center stage in Victorian England’s royal court when Sally, a kidnapped African princess and goddaughter to Queen Victoria, plots her way to take down the monarchy that stole her from her homeland.
A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge . . .
The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial ‘humanitarianism,’ which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle—even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.
Loosely inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller perfect for fans of A Dowry of Blood and Grave Mercy.
They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.
Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.
Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.
In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).
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.
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.
Fans of Rachael Lippincott, Elise Bryant, and Dahlia Adler will love this joyful debut novel, a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between a hotheaded hockey player and the ice princess at the figure skating rink next door.
Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she’s suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season–and no chance to play in front of college scouts.
Alexa Goldstein’s pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie–skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team.
It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they’ve found a partner for more than just skating.
Dangerous magic. Fateful choices. Broken promises. The spellbinding series by New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer continues.
The King’s Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray’s life, one false move could end everything.
Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges–and unlikely adversaries.
After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen’s side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can’t trust anyone–including the man she thought she loved.
Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king’s rivals gain strength, time is running out.
War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer. . .
Uprooted meets Children of Blood and Bone in this dark fantasy inspired by a Malian fairy tale about a princess whose suitors are challenged to gruesome trials.
Deep within the imperial palace at Timbuktu, Amie has suffered a devastating loss. Once the daughter of a prosperous salt merchant Amie’s life was cruelly overturned in a matter of months. At sixteen, Amie now finds herself disinherited, framed for a scandalous crime, and forced to serve Princess Mariama of Mali . Her father, Emperor Sulyeman, has created a series of impossible trials for his daughter’s suitors. When they fail, he publicly boils them alive, littering Mariama’s path to marriage with ninety-nine corpses.
At first, Amie’s life at court is drudgery—the chores are difficult, the servants despise her, and Princess Mariama is prone to mood swings—but the more she learns about the princess’s circumstances, the closer the two girls become. Amie and her intended, Kader, plan to escape Timbuktu and make a new life far away from the shadow of death that has fallen upon the emperor’s court, but she finds herself increasingly drawn to the princess in ways she doesn’t understand.
When a mysterious discovery forces her hand, she must choose between fleeing with the boy she loves or helping the princess to end the trials forever. Amie will need to draw on all of her strength and courage to make the perilous journey through the desert to seek the aid of an exiled god in a final, desperate attempt to take charge of her own destiny.
Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Series
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Avon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A bladesmith with the power of the stars in her blood and a prince with a dangerous secret will fight to save their kingdom in this spicy and spellbinding romantasy inspired by Persian and Indian mythology—perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Thea Guanzon.
To save the realm from eternal darkness, she’ll have to choose between the truth and the lie—stand and fight or kneel and die.
“His Imperial Majesty, King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”
When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.
But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starbringer—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.
When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starbringer. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.
Content Warning: death, violence, war, profanity
I was stunned by this book cover and had to request it. Here are my thoughts:
This book was a wild ride. I like the world-building and the mythology about stars and the gods. I think there is more to explore in this world but in this book there is magic, runes, prophecy, and chiromancy. I really enjoyed all the aspects of the world-building.
Suraya is invited with a bunch of girls to the palace in Kaldari because Prince Javen is looking for a wife. So this reminded a bit of the story The Selection, but then the story takes a turn for something different. I found Sura to be a fiesty, headstrong, but funny character. Her relationship with her best-friend Laleh is sweet and funny. And when she meets Roshan, their friendship grows as well, but into something way more.
The romance is spicy and their chemistry is fun but I feel like book two will be taken into a new direction. Suraya and Roshan’s romance is really sweet, not much conflict and they make a good couple except for some trust issues.
This story is filled with politics and Suraya gets caught in the middle of it because the powers that have manifested inside of her. She has to learn to control her powers and figure out what her role is with everything going on around her. There is a lot of action and it especially gets wild at the end!
I did have some issues with the story. I don’t mind profanity, but there were times the characters had modern speech and that threw me off a little. Also, there is a character, who is very mystery and we only get a few scenes of him. I know he will probably appear more in book two, but it was kind of maddening not knowing who he is and how he ties into everything. Also, I felt like Suraya’s talent as a blacksmith wasn’t really a focus of the story and I’d have liked to see her use that talent more. At times I felt like the story was all over the place.
My Thoughts:
I had some issues with this story and thought at some moments too much was going on, but overall I was entertained. I enjoyed the romance, the spice, the world-building and am looking forward to see what will happen in the next book.
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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?
Happy New Year everyone!! How was your New Year’s Eve? Did you party or was like me and stayed home because my dog is miserable with the fireworks?
Well we made it to another new year – 2025 – I’m going into this new year feeling a bit of dread but you know what, we just gotta do what we gotta do. I’ll just escape into my books.
December? I just realized (in January 2025 because I copy and change things before I post things that this DECEMBER post was still in my November post wording. That’s how you know December was just tiring. LOL
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:
Best Books I Read in 2024
The last day of 2024 everyone…and honestly I’m not looking forward to 2025. 😒. So let’s look back on 2024 which was an okay year, not a great one, but at least not a bad one. I did find some gems in 2024 though. And with that I hope EVERYONE has a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
November 5: Covers with [Item] on the Cover (You choose the item! It can be anything at all.) November 12: Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!) (this was a topic Rachel @ Sunny Side came up with for a freebie week last year and has let me steal it!) November 19: Oldest (aka Earliest Published) Books On My TBR (submitted by Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits) November 26: Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie December 3: Freebie December 10: Books to Read During a Storm (these can be cozy/comfy reads, books with storms in them, atmospheric reads for dark and stormy nights, light reads to combat the heavy weather, etc.) (Submitted by Astilbe.) December 17: Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List December 24: Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes (List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone!) December 31: Best Books I Read in 2024
It’s that time again in the year, the end of the year where I look back and see how much I’ve read during the year. The only place I track my reading is on Goodreads so this is what Goodreads says I’ve read:
I read 181 books last year and this year just 134 (3 books were read by my daughter) and I am very happy with that. My goal was to read less, so I don’t burn out and I did a good job! *pats myself on the back**.
Of course a Sarah J. Maas book is going to be the longest one I’ve read this year! lol not a surprise at all. As for the shortest book? Well my daughter read that one and since my kindle app is linked to my Goodreads, it picks up the books she’s read. And a 385 page book sounds like a dream – I’m glad that’s the average length of a book I’ve read this year!
I finally read Verity and I’m excited to see how they adapt it into a movie. My least shelved book is from an indie author who asked me to read and review her book called Spindleheart. My rating average basically stayed the same from 2023 which is interesting.
This was my first review of the year….
And supposedly my last review…this was a good one!
Here are some stats of how I rated books this year. I have a lot of 4 star books only because if I give it a 3.5 rating, I round up since Goodreads doesn’t allow us to do half stars.
I didn’t do many blog tours this year – very, very few:
Christmas is over. We went to a family party Christmas Eve night and had tons of fun. We went home with so many prizes! Gift cards, treats and I won a whole pot and pans set which I shared with my mom since I didn’t need most of it 😅. My kids had a blast but let me tell you we were so tired on Christmas day lol…so we opened only stocking gifts because we had to head out to my mom’s for Christmas lunch. My daughter was overstimulated and had one break down at the lunch but I get it – the party the night before, the anticipation for Christmas and presents and being tired! Lunch was nice and you know with my mom having stage one bladder cancer and my sister’s sis-in-law dealing with stage 3 breast cancer this year, and my hubby being gone and finally home for good…it was nice to be around family and knowing we got through a challenging year.
Kids enjoyed their gifts and I enjoyed my gift (a kindle from my hubby)! We also had Hanukkah to celebrate the night of Christmas and let me tell you, I was struggling to stay awake. I was done and didn’t even have caffeine the whole day. But I ate so much all day (I have left overs for days in my fridge) that I decided to go on youtube and do a Just Dance workout before bedtime. My son got up and joined me and we had so much fun, so it was a long day but a lovely day.
Then we went to a Shabbat service on Friday night to celebrate my father-in-law’s anniversary, he passed 2 years ago. Thing is the service was a potluck Shabbat/Hanukkah party. So there was a lot of people and it was festive so the kids had fun and we got to honor their grandpa which is where their Jewish side comes from.
Now onto the New Year – and planning my daughter’s birthday!
Beyonce Bowl Halftime NFL Show – she was gorgeous and ethereal all in white! What a performance. I need to get myself to a Beyonce concert.
The Polar Express – my daughter mentioned this was her classmate’s favorite movie and I said okay let’s watch it. She lasted 20 minutes and left the room. I never watched it because I always thought the animation looked creepy and I stick to my opinion after sitting through that whole movie. The animation is creepy! It was an okay movie.
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!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 