Books I Did Not Finish…YET | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 3/25/25

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:

Books I Did Not Finish…YET

I can’t say these are DNF’s because I am a mood reader and I borrow way too many books on my Kindle Unlimited sometimes, or my Libby, and I can’t get to some books because of ARCS – arcs are always priority. It doesn’t mean I won’t finish it (KU has such a long borrowing time lol it works for me). As for Libby books they may expire but I’m always re-borrowing it! So these are not DNF’s yet….I have hope. 😂

Assistant to the Villain by. Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED:Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

**********

Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin, #2) by. Kerri Maniscalco

A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding…

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most… Axton’s infamous court.

A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.

My Libby borrowing time expired – now I gotta wait AWHILE to read it again lol.

**********

The Housemaid by. Freida McFadden

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!

**********

The Courting of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance– the first book in a duology.

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

My Libby book expired – I’m waiting for it again.

**********

Blooms of Darkness by. Anna Applegate and Helen Domico

‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ meets ‘The Bachelorette’ in this new, exciting fantasy romance!

Eight Fae fight for my hand in marriage. They’re willing to kill for it. But if they discover my secret, my future husband might kill me too.

The King of Brookmere has decreed his daughter is to marry—which means, despite my protests, he’s enacted an archaic tradition, summoning powerful Fae from across the land to compete for my hand in marriage. And more importantly, the throne.

Eight fae will fight in the deadly trials, braving formidable magic and each other to prove themselves worthy of the crown. Including the arrogant, shadow-wielding Kade Blackthorn, who arrived out of nowhere and appears to have far more abilities than he should. In truth, all I’ve ever wanted is for someone to love me for who I am, despite my secrets. An ally. An equal.

While one of the contenders might become my husband, a trusted friend is the last title any of them can win. These men are willing to do anything for power. If they discover my secret, that I’m an heir with no magic, then we’re all doomed.

Blooms of Darkness is the first book of the Broken Prophecy Series, a slow burn, NA / adult romantasy. Readers are encouraged to review the list of content notes inside before diving into this enemies-to-lovers, shadow daddy romance.

***Okay…THIS ONE, was a DNF.***

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Rain of Shadows and Endings by. Melissa K. Roehrich

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.

**I tried this one out but didn’t finish and don’t know if I will pick it up again. I don’t think I was in the right mood for it the first time around. We’ll see…**

**********

Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith

Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win… if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.

**I’ll eventually get to this one!**

What’s on your TTT?

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Top 5 Tuesday | Top 5 books with flowers on the book cover | 3/25/25

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

This Week’s Topic is:

Top 5 books with flowers on the book cover

Here’s my freebie topic in honor of Spring:

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by. Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

***

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by. Adriana Herrera

He’s not like other dukes…

Paris, 1889

Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women’s clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Aurora begrudgingly accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.

New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess. But Aurora won’t give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.

When a dangerous figure from their past returns to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to his villa in the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?

***

The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

***

The Paradise Problem by. Christina Lauren

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents — his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

***

When Haru Was Here by. Dustin Thao

We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loss, and learning to let go.

After the death of his best friend, Eric Ly creates imaginary scenarios in his head to deal with his grief. Until one of them becomes real when a boy he met last summer in Japan finds his way back into his life. When he least expects it, Haru Tanaka walks into the coffee shop and sits down next to him. The only thing is, nobody else can see him.

In a magical turn of events, Eric suddenly has someone to connect with, making him feel less alone in the world. But as they spend more and more time together, he begins to question what is real. When he starts losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, Eric must finally confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.

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*

Frost Bound by. Frost Kay | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery Book, #1)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: ebook(KU)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 2/13/25

Categories: Monster Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Romantasy

Dahlia Skysinger has managed to survive the underworld of Astera her whole life through clever deals, selling her voice, and never staying in one place too long. When her little brother is caught stealing from the crown, Lia is forced to make a cruel bargain with the royals.

Her life for his.

To regain her freedom, Lia must impersonate the princess, marry the monstrous frost giant king, then spy on and . . . kill him.

Taking a human bride is King Neve’s last chance to secure peace for his people. Promised a frail mortal princess he could lock away and forget about, the last thing he expects is a woman with a sharp tongue and a reckless amount of courage. Lia might be the key to avoiding war, but he doesn’t trust a single word that falls from her pretty lips.

And so the wicked game of trickery and survival begins.

But what happens when an assassin starts to have feelings for her target, and a king’s icy heart begins to melt for his little human bride?

Book One of The Entangled in Trickery Series

Perfect for romantasy readers who enjoy fiery enemies to lovers romance, arranged marriage, learning to love yourself, epic fantasy adventure, sexy monster villains, slow burn with ALL the tension and angst, and mythical sidekicks.

Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Frost Kay book in awhile but I was attracted to this on Kindle Unlimited because of the book cover. I thought the premise was interesting also and wanted to see how this arranged marriage, enemies to lovers romance would play out.

The thing I found really interesting is the world-building because Dahlia, or Lia, is about to marry a frost giant, Neve. The frost giants have blue skin, full black eyes, and the men have horns on their shoulders. I found them fascinating.

It’s definitely a slow burn (super slow), monster romance, with just a little bit of spice that happens near the ending of the book. There are a lot of tropes I enjoy in this book like the arranged marriage, and enemies to lovers. Neve really hates humans and the fact he’s bound to this marriage grates on his nerves but he finally starts to feel something for Lia when the cliffhanger ending happens! I thought Lia was an even-tempered but strong character as she takes on this task of impersonating the princess.

The story itself isn’t that original but I still found it enjoyable because of the monster romance aspect of it.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a quick, binge-able read and if you like books with the tropes I mentioned above then you will like this monster romance. You might want to wait for the second book to come out because of the cliffhanger ending though.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Mini Reviews } The Tainted | The Exiled | Dominion of Ash Series by. Frost Kay ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Fallout | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | The Hunt (The Twisted Kingdoms, Book #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Goodreads Monday: Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli

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: Queen of Shadows and Ruin (The Nightfire Quartet, #4)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Pages: 396

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 3/6/25

Synopsis:

Zarya must become the darkness…

Soaring through the sky to the frozen mountains of Andhera, Zarya knows that only she can save her home from annihilation. Ruthless armies hunt her friends and toxic dark magic spreads through the land, consuming all it touches. To fight back, she and Rabin must find dangerous new allies.

In a palace of black marble, Zarya finally meets her father—the mysterious Raja Abishek. She approaches warily. For years she was told to fear this man, that he seeks to steal her power. But Abishek welcomes her with open arms, with gifts and lavish celebrations.

Rabin is sure the king can help them, turning the tide of war and decay. And when the magic binding Zarya’s heart to Rabin begins to fail, only Abishek can offer a cure. Zarya dreads the thought of placing their lives in his hands… But can she hesitate, when Rabin might be torn from her forever?

As Zarya makes her choice, ancient magic breaks loose, and her world shatters. In a ruined and long forgotten city, her love for Rabin will be tested to its limits. An army of shadows marches against her, destroying all in its path, and everything Zarya loves will be lost, unless she can face the darkness inside her—and release its devastating power.

An absolutely gripping fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Carissa Broadbent, Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the epic final volume in the Nightfire Quartet.

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

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/23/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Daughter had math camp – which was only 90 minutes a day for 3 days. Kids had an eye dr. apt, and my daughter needs glasses. Just for a little far-sightedness.

+ Hubby went on his work trip to D.C. – I definitely feel for him, he had to fly across the Pacific Ocean and the USA just for a 2 day conference. The jet lag sucks but not as bad as when he was flying back and forth from Japan.

+ It’s been a chill spring break which is fine, we saved money. We did go to the pool last Sunday, it’s been in the high 70’s-low 80’s here and the day was beautiful – no volcanic vog in the air, it was gorgeous. I love when the sky is so blue blue. 💙

+ My parents wanted to try out this new Japanese restaurant near our house so we went and we enjoyed the food. A little pricey but what isn’t pricey these days?😒

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

These Summer Storms by. Sarah MacLean

Currently Reading:

Love Dark and Deep by. Elisa A. Bonnin

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

Mayhem – Lady Gaga – such a good album!
I Said I Love You First -Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – I actually love how mellow this one is.

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!

One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: One in a Million

Author: Beverley Kendall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/18/25

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press

Categories: Interracial Romance, Contemporary, Co-parenting

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

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

She’s got everything planned–including when she’ll have kids. Until something completely unplanned turns her world upside down.

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away–and they will come in that order.

That is…until a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse. Oops. Whitney suddenly has a daughter…whose biological father is reluctant to share her.

One in a Million is a fun celebrity rom-com with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

+ The premise of this book sounded so intriguing that I had to see how it played out in the story! Myles and his wife have a new daughter, but it’s clear there is a problem. During their IVF procedure, someone else’s eggs were used! Yeah, that’s messy!

+ Whitney is a celebrity – she’s a singer, actor, CEO, billionaire but I liked how she was so down to earth even though she was also strong. The moment she meets her daughter, I felt for her – what a situation to be brought into! But watching her fall in love with her and learn to coparent with Myles was really sweet.

+ The romance is sweet and spicy! Myles’ divorce is almost final when Whitney stepped into his and his daughter’s life. I could definitely see why he would be defensive and not trusting Whitney when she came around to see their daughter. But I love seeing them buttheads, then back down for the sake of their daughter and of course the attraction between these two hot people is undeniable. Once they start their situationship – they can’t keep their hands off one another!

~ The timeline is quick between Haylee being born, Whitney meeting her 6 months later, Myles getting divorced and then Whitney and Myles starting up something between them. I think Whitney was level-headed but I was worried Myles was getting into something way too quick after his divorce and becoming a single father! I mean this was his second divorce. But everything worked out fine and the epilogue was cute.

Final Thoughts:

While I was reading this, I was thinking I can see this made into a rom-com movie. I loved seeing how this messy situation gets fixed when Whitney and Myles decide they will do what’s best for their daughter. It was fun seeing them fall into lust and then love with one another after butting heads in the beginning. Overall, I enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I also did a blog tour for this book – here’s the link>> Blog Tour} One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 12/3/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow…

Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom…and its brave—and ultimately doomed— soldiers.

Except for Kiara Frey.

She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.

Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers—and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox—begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.

As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple—a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares—Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul…it’s love.

Content Warning: violence

This is the conclusion to the Mistlands duology and it picks up where it left off in book one. Kiara and Jude are separated but they find their way back together.

I always thought the concept for the book was interesting, there is no daylight in this world of the Mistlands but there is a prophecy and now they know Kiara and Jude is a part of it. Jude goes through some tough moments in this book but Kiara does her best to go find him and that’s an adventure in itself. I liked Kiara’s relationship with her best friend Jake. I thought their friendship was fun. There is a lot of action in the second half of this book because Kiara, Jude and their group need to complete a dangerous quest.

The romance is nice, they finally admit what they want from each other but it was always insta-love from book one. They even have a bit of a little spicy moment.

Final Thoughts:

I found this story to move quickly with lots of action, and adventure. Plus it has the romance even though it was kind of insta-lovey in book one and the found family was nice. I think this was a great conclusion to the duology.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

To Kill a Shadow by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let’s Talk Bookish: Guilty Pleasure Reads | 3/21/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 21: Guilty Pleasure Reads

Prompts: Do you agree with the term since it has a somewhat “negative” connotation? Should you feel ashamed or “guilty” for enjoying a certain genre or non-traditional type of book (i.e. graphic novels, manga)? What books do you love or are on your TBR do you think would be considered “guilty pleasures” by others?

**********

Do you agree with the term since it has a somewhat “negative” connotation?

I don’t take it too seriously! I think the word “guilty pleasure” is kind of fun but I was raised Catholic so I know all about “guilt” 😅.

Should you feel ashamed or “guilty” for enjoying a certain genre or non-traditional type of book (i.e. graphic novels, manga)?

I was made to feel ashamed reading romance when I was younger like in my teens but then I stopped caring since I knew what I loved and I remember hearing that romance was the number one selling genre in books (don’t know if that is still true). No one should be ashamed or feel guilty for what they read and the older I get, the less I care about people’s opinions.

What books do you love or are on your TBR do you think would be considered “guilty pleasures” by others?

Romance, dark romance, young adult books (YES, I’m in my 40’s and still love them!)…mostly YA because I’m not the target audience but I can’t help it, it just reminds me of being young!

March Topics:

March 7: Women in STEM in Books

Prompts: Over the years, there have been an increasing number of books about women in STEM. What do you think of this trend? Do you like it or is it/can it be poorly done? In honour of International Women’s Day tomorrow (March 8), what are your favourite books ft. women in STEM and what books are still on your TBR?

March 14: Writing & Posting Book Reviews (Laurie @ Laurie is Reading)

Prompts: Writing book reviews is a huge part of running a book blog. Do book reviews make up a big part of your blog content? Do you prefer to write long or short reviews? How does reviewing advance copies (ARCs) and working directly with authors and publishers change your approach to writing the reviews? Do you post on platforms other than your blog (i.e. Goodreads, The Storygraph, social media) and do those reviews differ from what you share on your blog?

March 21: Guilty Pleasure Reads

March 28: Underrepresented Types of Female Characters

Prompts: For the final week of March, here is another Women’s History Month topic! What types of female characters do you want to see more of in fiction? Do you notice certain female character archetypes that you think are used to often? Who are some female characters that inspire you?

BLOG TOUR} One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall | Book Excerpt

Title: One in a Million

Author: Beverley Kendall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

BUY HERE: BookShop.org | HarperCollins | Barnes & Noble |

Amazon

Publication Date: 3/18/2025

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Canary Street Press

Categories: Adult, Contemporary, Interracial Romance

She’s got everything planned–including when she’ll have kids. Until something completely unplanned turns her world upside down.

That is…until a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse. Oops. Whitney suddenly has a daughter…whose biological father is reluctant to share her.

One in a Million is a fun celebrity rom-com with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

Book Excerpt:

Myles Redmond was annoyed.

Scratch that. He was more than annoyed. He was pissed and currently doing his best not to glare at the woman sitting in the chair next to him.

Dear God, he’d never resented anyone more in his life, and the fact that he was married to her made the nightmare they were living through one hundred times worse.

It would be fair to say their three-year marriage hovered on the brink of failure, and the outcome of this meeting might be what sent it plunging to its demise.

Myles clenched his jaw as he regarded Holly, taking in her unsmiling face and rigid posture. His wife’s beauty turned heads everywhere they went but had failed to turn his since she’d demanded the DNA test.

“Would you stop looking at me like that?” Holly huffed, cutting a pair of ice-blue eyes at him. She sniffed and abruptly looked away, her chin notched a fraction higher as she presented him with her profile. “Whether you want to admit it or not, we’re doing the right thing.”

She’d worn a light blue dress for the occasion. As if she hadn’t made her hopes for the outcome of the meeting clear enough. Blue was her lucky color. Her long manicured nails kept up a rhythmic tapping on the wooden arm of her chair.

“And what exactly is that?” he asked, his tone like shards of glass.

Exasperated, she rolled her eyes and flicked a wavy lock of platinum-blond hair over her shoulder. “God, I hate when you’re like this. You know exactly what I’m talking about. I can’t believe you don’t want to know who she belongs to.” She addressed the empty desk in front of them more than she did him.

“She,” he stressed through gritted teeth, “has a name. Her name is Haylee, and she is our daughter.” His voice was low and controlled while he seethed inside. It didn’t matter what the DNA results revealed. Haylee was their child. After all they’d—she’d gone through to have her, how could she say otherwise? That was the thing he couldn’t understand. His part had been easy. Hers had not—as she’d frequently reminded him.

Holly huffed out a sound of deep frustration, her narrowed gaze taking a glancing stab at his face. “She’s not ours, Myles, and for the life of me, I don’t understand why you refuse to accept it. It’s as obvious as the nose on my face that she belongs to another couple.”

“She’s ours.” He was the only father Haylee had ever known, and no test was going to change that.

“I’m sure her biological parents will have something to say about that.” His wife had made up her mind and refused to be swayed.

Recognizing the pointlessness of arguing with her, Myles kept his mouth shut and averted his gaze. These days, it was impossible to look at her without feeling a profound sense of betrayal…and anger—so much anger. Feelings far removed from how he’d felt the day they’d exchanged their wedding vows.

“Myles, they have as much a right to know as we do. Wouldn’t you want to know if you were in their place?” Holly said, her voice cajoling, indicating a switch of tactics. Good cop, bad cop, meet Holly the Bully and Holly the Sweet-Talker, the same woman employing two tried-and-true methods to get her way.

Well, it’s not going to work this time.

The office door behind them opened, and Dr. Kelly Franklin walked in, saving him from more of his wife’s attempts to convince him her motivation was altruism, not selfishness.

Small in stature at barely over five feet and clad in a white lab coat, Dr. Kelly had brown shoulder-length hair and carried herself with the confidence of the framed Harvard MD degree hanging on the wall.

“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Redmond. Thank you so much for coming in on such short notice.”

The doctor’s greeting was warm and respectful. More importantly, she didn’t sound as if she was about to plunge a knife into his heart. That said, it was clear she hadn’t come bearing tidings of joy either.

Myles made a move to stand, but she stayed the act of male courtesy—ingrained in him by his father—by motioning for him to remain seated.

Quelling his instincts, he subsided back into his chair and watched as she quickly took hers behind the desk.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She was nervous but doing her best not to show it. As a former defense attorney, Myles had learned to pick up on the subtleties of body language. She hadn’t blinked once since she’d greeted them, and the distinct tapping sound that began shortly after she sat down was her nervously tapping her shoe on the floor. Holly’s hands were on her lap.

“We were early,” Myles said. Fifteen minutes, to be precise. Because this was important. The rest of his life hinged on what she was about to tell them. Despite vowing to himself that he’d remain calm, he felt tenser than ever.

For a beat, her brown eyes bounced between them. Then she blinked and said, “The DNA test confirmed that—”

“She isn’t ours, is she?” Holly asked, cutting the doctor off midsentence.

Myles turned and narrowed his eyes at his wife. Why not put up a billboard? I don’t want her. Give her to someone else.

As far as he was concerned, Holly had checked out of motherhood and their marriage before she packed her bags and took off to San Diego to stay with her mother after telling him she needed space.

What kind of parent needed “space” three weeks after the birth of her daughter?

His wife, that was who.

Look, he got it. They had hired a surrogate, so Holly didn’t get to bond with Haylee the way mothers usually did, but she’d known that from the outset. They’d both gone into this with their eyes wide open…and then some. Furthermore, parents didn’t walk away just because their child didn’t turn out the way they wanted or expected. That wasn’t the way parenting worked.

At the end of the day, though, he had to face some hard truths. He was just as much to blame for what was happening. While he might be successful in other parts of his life—he was a loving father, son, brother, and uncle and a loyal friend, and had been elected president of the California Bar Association two terms in a row—he sucked when it came to romantic relationships.

How did he know?

Because he already had one failed marriage under his belt, and it looked like he was coasting for divorce number two. In sports terms, he’d soon be 0-2.

Dr. Franklin tentatively cleared her throat before continuing. “Unfortunately, your case is a little more complicated.”

“Complicated? What does that mean? Either she’s ours or she’s not.” She turned and looked at him as if expecting him to echo her demand for clarity. “Although I think it’s obvious she can’t be.” The latter she muttered as an aside meant to be heard—just in case the good doctor didn’t know where she stood on the matter.

Myles’s jaw locked. According to his wife—who’d gone from being the top-producing female real estate agent in Southern California to self-ascribed geneticist—Haylee couldn’t be the product of two white, blue-eyed parents. If she has a drop of Nordic ancestry in her, I’m the Queen of England, Holly had said in reference to her parents’ Swedish heritage and Haylee’s slightly darker complexion, dark brown curly hair, and brown eyes.

Never mind that he was a quarter Sicilian on his mother’s side, and his hair was dark and wavy. In her summation of their daughter’s parentage, it was clear Holly hadn’t factored his genes into the equation.

“Would you mind elaborating?” he said, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Dr. Franklin inhaled and treated them to another unblinking stare. “It means that you’re right. There was a problem, but not what I assumed. The error occurred during the egg selection portion of the fertilization stage, not the implantation stage.”

For the first time since they walked into the office, Holly appeared genuinely confused. “Are you saying that—” She broke off, as if unable or unwilling to give voice to whatever conclusion she’d drawn in her mind. Unusual for her.

The doctor met Holly’s puzzled stare. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you aren’t your daughter’s biological mother.” Her gaze then shifted to him. “However, you are her biological father.”

Holly’s gasp cracked the air like a thunderclap. The deafening silence that followed was just as loud.

Myles was too stunned to speak, his heart pounding so loud in his ears that, for a few moments, it drowned out all possible thought or comprehension.

“No, no. That can’t be right.” Holly turned to him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

If he could speak, he didn’t know what he would say, given the state of his mind. Completely blown.

The doctor’s composure—which had remained relatively calm thus far—began to show cracks. Based partly on the dates on her diploma, he guessed Dr. Franklin was in her early forties, but the depth of the lines now bracketing her mouth and fanning out from her eyes spoke of the toll this must be taking on her and made her look years older.

Swallowing visibly, she continued. “We had the test run by two different labs. The results are the same.”

Accompanying his wife’s cry of dismay came the realization that his claim to his daughter was as solid as any father’s could be. Haylee was his. Relief began to seep into every part of his being. Seconds later, it washed over him in a flood. He could breathe again.

Dr. Franklin regarded them, self-reproach stamped all over her face. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I don’t know how this happened. It’s never happened to us before. But I promise to get to the bottom of it and do whatever it takes to make this right.”

Coming into the meeting, Myles had prepared himself for only two possibilities. Either Haylee was biologically theirs, or she wasn’t. And in the latter’s case, he’d been fully prepared to fight to keep her even if his marriage would be one of the casualties of any battle he’d have to wage.

The one thing he never imagined was discovering he had a baby…with a woman he’d never laid eyes on.

About the Author:

BEVERLEY KENDALL has published over ten contemporary and historical romance novels. She also manages the romance review blog, Smitten by Books (smittenbybooks.com). Bev writes full-time while raising her son as a single mother. Both dual citizens of the US and Canada, they currently call Atlanta home.

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Book Links:

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Their Vicious Games by. Joelle Wellington | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Vicious Games

Author: Joelle Wellington

Narrator: Ariel Blake

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 416 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 12 hours

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Categories: Young Adult, Thriller, Horror

A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is The Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

Content Warning: violence, murder

Adina, a Black girl, who’s chances to go to Yale slips away because of an incident at school has another chance. She’s invited to the Finish, at the Remington estate. The Remington’s are a very powerful and wealthy family who could make her dreams come true – if she wins the Finish. The moment Adina enters the Remington home with the other girls invited to this event, she knows something is off and what takes place is a horror no one in the outside world is aware of.

I like the drama in this story. Adina has an enemy, Esme, and she’s also competing in the Finish. So it’s tense in the house where all these girls are trying to compete and even kill for the chance to win. The crazy thing is going to an Ivy League school isn’t the only prize, they are also going to marry the heir of the Remington wealth – Pierce. This story is like a modern day Hunger Games and The Bachelor combined.

The narrator did a wonderful job with the story. And I was entertained for sure, especially with that bloody, wild ending! It is violent – these girls have to use weapons, which is crazy. And the fact that these rich people found this entertainment was sickening.

Final Thoughts:

If you like social horror, I think you will definitely like this one. Adina is fighting against all the odds and finds out in the end, her dreams of Yale and becoming a possible Remington is not quite worth killing for. My eyes were like this 😳 as I listened to the ending!