Mayhem and the Mortal by. Shanora Williams | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Mayhem and the Mortal (#1)

Author: Shanora Williams

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 418

Publication Date: 3/17/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Cozy, Series

One mission. One curse. No escape.

Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.

To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows—a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.

Her guide? Thane sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag. His name clears rooms. His magic kills quietly. And whatever he’s really after, it’s not salvation.

He promises to help. He might even mean it.

But Zaira knows better than to trust a liar with a blade and ice in his veins.

She just doesn’t have a choice.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Thelanor is a fascinating world filled with mortals, sorcerers, and beasts like minotaurs. I also enjoyed the magic that Thane is able to wield. The whole book follows the characters going on a quest and traveling throughout Thelanor to The Shallows, so we get to see a lot of this world.

Characters: Zaira is the FMC and she is sunshine. She is naive, sweet, kind, and the MMC, Thane, a grumpy sorcerer assassin, finds it to be her biggest fault. Thane is secretive but opens up eventually little by little. His motive for helping Zaira is all about revenge. These two bicker a lot, which I thought was fun because they are opposites. During their travels throughout Thelanor we meet other characters that join their crew, like Algar and Rynthea. I enjoyed meeting all these different characters, they brought so much to the story, like humor and a found family for Zaira.

Romance: This is a grumpy/sunshine slow-burn romance, between Zaira, who is a mortal that just wants to save her sister from the clutches of a powerful sorcerer and Thane, a bad-ass, morally gray, sorcerer, who is always mad or grumbling about something. There are some spicy scenes between them which I thought was fun, but Thane is lucky that Zaira is a very sweet person who easily forgives because he is the type to test everyone’s patience. I did wish Zaira would have made him grovel a bit longer at the end, but she’s nice, that’s just her personality.

Story: Zaira is trying to save her sister and Thane is out for revenge. But is Thane trustworthy or is he hiding something? I really enjoyed all the action that happened throughout the story because of all the travel adventures. It made the story move quickly. The ending leaves it open for a book two, so it will be interesting to see what happens next.

Vibes: This story felt like a cozy fantasy adventure because of Zaira’s sunshine personality and the different beasts/species they encounter on their journey. But it also feels like a light fantasy, not so heavy on the details and world-building.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun, cozy, yet spicy fantasy read. I really enjoyed all the action that happened in the book and the grumpy/sunshine slow burn romance was full of bickering, yet it held a sweetness because of Zaira. This one is a light fantasy so it’s easy to read. Definitely check this one out if you like fantasies that involve a lot of adventure and travel.

Read if you like:

adventure, travel
found family
grumpy/sunshine slow burn but spicy romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Souls in Ruin by. Jacqueline White | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Souls in Ruin (The Soulbound, #1)

Author: Jacqueline White

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 635

Publication Date: 3/2/26

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance, Series

A marriage forged in blood. A kingdom bathed in silence. And a princess who refuses to break.

When Princess Mireille is wed to a foreign king with cold eyes and colder intentions, she expects distance, perhaps cruelty, not chains. Kept imprisoned within her own kingdom’s walls, she learns her father’s past sins are not easily buried.

But neither is she.

As her world twists into something unrecognisable, Mireille finds herself caught between two powerful immortal beings – one who wants her obedience and one who wants what little soul she has left.

But Mireille was not born to kneel.

*This is a dark fantasy romance for a mature, 18+ audience and contains themes and content that aren’t to everyone’s liking. Please check the author’s note at the beginning of the book for content warnings before reading.*

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, torture, humiliation

+ This one is for the dark fantasy girlies – so check the trigger warnings before you go into it. There was something addictive about the writing of this book. Princess Mirielle tells us her story – of how she is an outcast at court, an illegitimate daughter of the King and we see how she is unloved. And then she is forced to marry The Blood King, a man with a monstrous reputation for killing and pillaging, but to save her kingdom, the price is marriage. Her marriage to him starts the unraveling of her mind, body and soul.

+~ Though this is a story about Mirielle’s fight for survival as her husband does everything to break her, there is a lot of lore we learn about the Gods once we learn who her husband really is. I enjoyed the story of the Gods and trying to see how it connects to Mirielle. But because the story happens mostly in the dungeons, the world-building wasn’t detailed. It starts off good before the dungeons, but once there, we see nothing else. I hope the world opens up in book two.

+~ Mirielle goes from a Princess, to a Queen that is tortured and lives in a dungeon. It’s not a pretty story. It was easy to see how Valen, The Blood King, deceives her – because even I was thinking it was going to be a story where she makes him fall in love with her, but I was wrong. She is already someone who is vulnerable, someone looking for love and attention, someone who thinks because she was already abused that she could take what comes next with Valen, but this man is evil. The more I read on, the more I hated him. There is no redeeming qualities in him even when she confuses desire with the abuse. He really messes her up mentally, physically and emotionally. So if she makes a few mistakes around Valen, I’m not holding it against her because she is just trying to survive. As for the other prisoner in the dungeons with her that Mirielle cannot see, he’s mysterious, powerful, she calls him Death and he also eventually wants to possess Mirielle, so though this woman has two Gods wanting her – the price of their obsession and desire for her is so painful and deadly.

+~ There is no romance in this story, because none of what I witnessed from both these Gods are romantic. Death seems like someone who is more gentle with her but he has questionable actions also, and could totally be deceiving her. There is spice, but again, it’s dark – Mirielle is in the dungeons so just keep that in mind. What she has with Valen is not love, and Mirielle doesn’t think she’s capable of love, so yeah…there is no love and romance in this story and I’m kind of glad? Because Mirielle is broken – I want her to fall in love when she’s had some healing hopefully!

~ It’s a long book at over 600 pages, so some parts of her torment in the dungeons become a little repetitive. She’s alone with her thoughts and feelings so a lot of the book is that. But it really made me hope she could find the strength to overcome the torture Valen was putting her through. I was also needing to see her escape or maybe get revenge on him. Though I think we will have to wait for book two to see some revenge.

~ I hope we see Mirielle build herself up on her own without a man (looking at you Valen or Death) trying to claim her. It looks like she will be getting a little bit more power after that ending so I can’t wait to see her grow. I was over these two Gods messing with her – I want her to have her own power to bring them to their knees.

Final Thoughts:

I was addicted to the writing of this even though there are some parts that became repetitive and most of the story happens in a dungeon. I was invested in Mirielle’s story of survival at the hands of her husband. She is already someone who is somewhat broken before the marriage but it gets worse, it gets darker but that’s why her journey to endure kept me invested plus I was just waiting for some revenge to kick in – but maybe in book two? I would love to see her with some female rage in the next book. Also, this is not a romance story, both Gods had their issues, Valen was the worse though – he is horrible, but Death has to still prove some things so I’ll be looking to book two to see what direction this story goes.

Read if you like:

dark fantasy – check the triggers
Gods
story of survival

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Web of Vows and Vengeance by. Aria Ashbrook | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Web of Vows and Vengeance (The Hirathean Path, #1)

Author: Aria Ashbrook

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 542

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Stripped of power. Fuelled by vengeance.

She lost everything because of his lie. Now the only way to save her sister is to win a deadly competition that could cost her the only thing she has left: her life.

When Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his mother’s death, Rose paid the price. Her family was stripped of their magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom they once served. Now her parents are gone, and her younger sister’s future hangs in the balance.

Rose’s only hope is the Tournament of the Gifting, a brutal competition held once a century, where the victor earns a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The catch? Every other contender wields the very power she was robbed of.

And Prince Kyor is among them. Commander of the armies. Rider of a bonded dire wolf. Wielder of lightning. He doesn’t just want to win for vanity – he wants the gift for himself. But what could a man who has it all possibly want?

Thrown into a world of magic, monsters, and merciless trials, Rose must fight not only for survival but for the chance to reclaim her future. Along the way, she’ll find unlikely allies, ruthless rivals, and a dangerous connection with her greatest enemy – one that could ruin or remake her.

Web of Vows and Vengeance is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy, set in a Nordic-inspired world, featuring deadly trials, found family, gods and goddesses, political intrigue, and an underdog heroine who refuses to stay broken.

This is a story of heartbreak, vengeance, and the kind of power that can never be taken.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ This is romantasy with many of the common tropes: enemies to lovers, found family, slow burn romance. The story focuses on deadly trials called the Rettenheld, where the winner gets to ask a gift from the Goddess Etta. Rose desperately wants to win so she can restore her family name, magic, and wealth (for her sister’s sake). I didn’t feel like the “Nordic” part of the story came through except for it being cold where they lived. Some of them have dire wolves. I thought it was interesting how this story was about a deadly trial (there are a few), and then right after the trials, a ball. So it does become repetitive in that sense. Now there is a tiny mention, fleeting really, about rebels, but nothing detailed and left kind of open, I think.

+ I did like the found family trope happening in this story since Rose is basically alone. She makes some really good connections and friends during the trials. There are some tragic moments in this story though, which I wish didn’t happen. There is also the issue of trusting people in the trial and waiting to see who would betray who in the end.

+ Rose has been training all her life ever since her family was shunned by high society for a lie told by a young prince who claimed Rose’s mom (a healer), let his mom die during childbirth. The consequences of that lie led to the death of Rose’s baby brother (life for a life), plus her mother and dad fell apart – which led to their deaths. So Rose is angry and she wants everything the way it was before for her younger sister’s sake. But when she hears the Prince has entered the trials, she also wants to kill him to get her reserve. Rose is full of heart but as an FMC, she doesn’t have very good fighting skills, no matter how much training she gets – she just comes off kind of mediocre. Also she has no magic so she’s at a disadvantage. She’s very brave, standing up to bullies, and she makes friends easily which helps her throughout the trials. Also, the attention of the prince also helps her.

+ The romance is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance between Rose and Prince Kyor. There at first seems to be other options, but once Rose and Kyor get over their hate and anger over with one another and addresses what happened in the past – it accelerates their desire to want to explore their attraction. I thought their flirtation was fun. And I did like the journey of their growing feelings, until the ending twist. Looks like it’s not going to be easy for them if they want to be together.

~ The story is a little long at over 500 pages, and for the most part I think the pace was steady. There were parts that did feel like it was dragging. Some things felt thrown in like I would have loved more insight into the rebels since there was a hint of it in the beginning but nothing more until near the end, but again, nothing that makes it relevant though there is a feeling that the King isn’t a loved ruler. Even the dire wolves are mentioned kind of once or twice and never again.

Final Thoughts:

This one is an easy read with the usual romantasy tropes so sometimes it feels like it brings nothing new to the genre, but sometimes, that can mean it’s a comforting read too if you aren’t looking for major twists and turns. I did find it a little too long though. I loved the secondary characters that made up the found family Rose finds herself with and I thought the trials were dangerous (though sometimes over with kind of quick). The romance is a slow burn and I did like the progress of it, but it does leave me questions about what will happen to them in book two. If I read book two I would like to see more world-building.

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
found family
deadly trials
underdog FMC

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Lies that Summon the Night by. Tessonja Odette | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Lies that Summon the Night (Songs for the Sinless, #1)

Author: Tessonja Odette

Format: ebook – borrowed (Libby)

Pages: 301

Publication Date: 2/17/26

Categories: Romantasy, Vampires, Series

Lies, beauty, and seduction mingle in the first book of an enthralling romantasy series where making art is considered a sin, and the shadows born from it aren’t the only danger to the creators—from the bestselling author of Curse of the Wolf King .

From the art of liars, the monsters came…

Ever since art gave life to bloodthirsty shadows, creative works have been forbidden and the talented creators sacrificed to the Sinless—the immortal royals who feast on human blood in return for their protection.

Inana’s secret storytelling nearly got her killed once, and she’ll be damned if she’s ever caught again. With a bounty on her head, she keeps to the city’s dark underbelly where she earns a meager living from thrill-seeking patrons desperate to hear her illicit fiction. Until Dominic, a Shadowbane, catches one of her performances. . .

Dominic is a half-Sinless monster hunter as fearsome as his prey. But to complete his hunt, he needs an artist to summon the shadows . . . he needs Inana. Dominic delivers an ultimatum: serve him or he’ll claim her bounty. When survival is all Inana has left, the choice is clear. At least until she can betray him and leave him for dead.

As their tense alliance leads them into the heart of danger, dark secrets unravel—about each other, their world, and the threats they face. But the greatest risk of all is the desire growing between them. There’s something more sinful than lust at play, and it could bring the world to its knees.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ The world-building in this story is very detailed and dense – to the point at some parts of the story I had to really sit with what was explained to me and process it to understand what was happening. It’s fascinating that this world is one where Sinless are the upperclass and they are basically vampires. “Sinless” and “vampires” aren’t usually two works I would put together but that’s how it is in this world. The sinners in this world…creators, artists, even people that procreate are sinners, which I thought was quite a mind bend and I had to suspend my belief a lot. I thought it was very creative though because I’ve never heard a vampire story like this one. But like I said, there is a lot of information to process.

+ One thing that I really enjoyed was this cast of characters who I guess could be a found family, but I don’t see the affection between them yet. They are put together to survive though and I loved their interactions because together, they were funny at times. Inana’s skill is storytelling, Harlow draws, and the Bard plays his instrument and all of this combined is to draw Shades to them so that they can be captured. I really didn’t believe the skills of these Summoners would be something special, but I was wrong and the author managed to make believe how their skills could draw an enemy close in order to make them go away.

+ The romance brewing between Inana and the Shadowbane, Dominic, is filled with tension and yearning on his part. He’s been void of feelings for so long that Inana is bringing to surface emotions he hasn’t felt in awhile. And he is kind of shadow-daddy but a unique one because his Shades are Lust, Pride and Sloth. I love Sloth because he’s basically a shadow dog! Lust and Pride are funny “characters” also. And during the spicy scenes, Lust and Pride, get to play along too which makes it very interesting!

+ I did like the twist in the end and look forward to seeing what happens next. This book is only 301 pages, so it’s a quick read!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed how creative this vampire story is and I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised with the magic and romance. I do think the world-building is very detailed and made if sometimes hard to get into – but I just needed time to process information. It’s a lot of information in a very short book though, but I still thought it was all fascinating and makes me want to learn more. I look forward to reading book two after that ending and hopefully see this world open up.

Read if you like:

vampires
dense but creative world-building
spicy romantasy
quick read

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop

Author: Takuya Asakura

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 224

Publication Date: 3/24/26 (first published: 3/28/25)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Magical Realism, Cozy, Japanese Literature

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

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

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, What You Are Looking for Is In the Library, and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop comes an enchanting novel that will linger in your heart long after the last page is turned.

As the last petal falls, the final page is turned…

Welcome to The Cherry Blossom Bookshop, a haven for book lovers that only appears during the fleeting cherry blossom season. Nestled amidst the bloom of delicate petals, you’ll find a sanctuary for those burdened by regrets and past sorrows. Here, Sakura, the mysterious young owner, and her wise calico cat, Kobako, patiently await the arrival of souls in need of solace and healing.

Told over four seasons, each visitor to the bookshop holds a book that bridges their past and present, guiding them towards understanding and acceptance. Within the antique charm of the shop and the soothing aroma of freshly brewed coffee, Sakura and Kobako help their guests confront their lingering sadness through the power of stories, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope.

Content Warning: death, grief

+ This gave me Ghibli movie vibes not only because it is set in Japan, during cherry blossom season but there is a magical book shop with a cat and it’s all so very cozy, heartfelt and poignant.

+ There are four different stories told in this book. People going through some hard emotional times and when this bookshop appears to them, it makes them remember a book that is special to them and helps them remember special memories. I thought it was a beautiful way to help them repair relationships, or get closure and move on.

~ I do wish we got to spend more time in the bookshop and learn more about it.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was cozy and magical, yet also emotional as the story tackles topics like family, loss, and love.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Burn the Kingdom Down by. Addie Thorley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Burn the Kingdom Down

Author: Addie Thorley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Murder Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

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

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

An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister’s death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna’s murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira’s plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation’s stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna’s final days, she’s no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

Content Warning: illness, violence, murder, death, grief, sexual harassment

+ I thought this story had very interesting world-building. Vanzador offers Tashir protection from the Marauders who have terrorized Tashir in the past. Tashir pays giving them bagrava, a plant that helps Vanzador rulers harness their power. The king and his son, Alaric, has powers to move the earth. Indira has the power to make bagrava and any plants grow. Her older sister, Rowenna is married off to Alaric but then is dead a year later. So now Indira has to take her sister’s place – and while she’s there, she is determined to find out what happened to her sister.

+~ Indira is the second daughter and though she has the power to grow things, it’s her older sister who was the jewel of their family. Indira worked in the fields and gardens where she felt comfortable. So when she is the new wife to Alaric, she does all she can to find out what happened to her sister. I sympathized with Indira’s grief but this girl was so full of rage, she accused everyone of having something to do with her sister’s death. I didn’t love her character because she lead with her emotions so much and it was all over the place. Her sister’s voice was always in her head, so I did like seeing her grow and find her own voice by the end.

+ There are some secrets, suspicious characters, and betrayals that I really enjoyed. It made the mystery and the twists compelling to the point I read this book in one sitting because I was intrigued with the politics, and how everything was being revealed one by one.

+~ There is some romance, but it doesn’t feel like the main focus of the story though it plays a big part at the end. Everything is closed door when it comes to intimacy between Indira and Alaric. I did like how they started off as enemies to lovers because Indira is a hothead, but when they finally get to know one another, and Alaric opens up and is vulnerable, I thought their relationship was sweet. Until some other things happen in the story that I can’t spoil. But would have loved to see more playful interactions between them.

Final Thoughts:

I read this one pretty quick because I thought the murder mystery and politics was interesting. I also really enjoyed the twists and turns that come in the second half of the book. I didn’t love Indira but I felt for her because of her grief, but I question some of her actions. The romance wasn’t the focus but I did love when Indira and Alaric finally get close. The ending is kind of wild though, but overall I enjoyed this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Never Ever After (#1)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/28/25

Categories: Chinese Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Series

Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Yining stopped believing in dreams the day her beloved uncle died. Driven to survive, she’s become a good thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that could yield the key to a better life, it is stolen by her grasping stepaunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the Iron Mountains to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious Prince Zixin, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems as she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed-her only ally a cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. Desperate to secure her freedom, Yining embarks on a perilous quest where she must choose who to trust, unravel the mystery of her past, and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

Content Warning: violence, death, animal death

+ The beginning of this fantasy book is Cinderella-inspired for sure. Yining is a young woman who is surviving as a thief under the guardianship of her step-aunt. Her Uncle was the one who took care of her but when he dies, she ends up with her step-aunt, who is always getting in trouble. But one day Yining comes across a magic carp who gives her a wooden ring, a gift, from her mom who she never knew. Yining isn’t supposed to take off the ring but an incident happens where it does come off – the thief being her aunt and she attends the Prince’s ball to find her aunt and the ring. But this Cinderella story has a big twist, where the Prince isn’t exactly charming.

+~ Though I did like how this story started, I do think the beginning moved a little slow as we try to figure out Prince Zixin’s personality and motivations. He seems like a charming prince, but then Yining finds out more about him and her mind changes. On the other hand there is Jin who is part of the envoy from Thorn Valley. Yining strikes a bargain with him to get her ring back from the prince. I did enjoy the second half of the story where there is more action, and we learn about Yining’s mysterious past. I enjoyed the political intrigue happening between the different kingdoms.

+ This looks a love triangle is brewing. Jin and Yining get close, but can she trust him? Then she finds out something about the Prince that can’t make her totally hate him, but I don’t know why at the end it felt like something could be explored between them too? I’m glad it doesn’t end with either guy because there is more to explore about Yining and her past. But it will be interesting to see which guy comes out the winner in her eyes.

~ I’m sure this will be more explored in book two but it would be nice to have more information about the magic. And I think that will all happen on Mist Island, or at least I hope. Because there are many magical elements in this story, a magic carp, a dragon, nature magic, but I don’t feel like we get to know much about it in this book, so hopefully we get it in the next one.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought pacing was an issue and I loved the second half more than the first off. Starting off as a Cindrerella-inspired story was intriguing but the story changes and soon it doesn’t resemble the fairy tale at all. I enjoyed the political intrigue and even the love triangle because I can’t tell who Yining will choose in the end. I’d love to learn more about the magic system so I hope we can get that in book two.

Read if you like:

Cinderella-inspired/Chinese Fairytale
love triangle
magic, magical animals

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Bride

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/22/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires

I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride. I will win over his family.And then I will murder every last one of them.

All my life I’ve been training to take revenge on the vampire who killed my parents. But Raziel Nostrom is a prince of the city’s most powerful mafia clan—completely untouchable.

When I learn that Raziel is marrying a woman he’s never seen before, I know my chance has finally come…

I will disguise myself as Raziel’s sacrificial bride. I will gain access to his vicious and beautiful family. And I will murder every last bloodsucking one of them.

Raziel is just as ruthless and deadly as I expected, but I had no idea how magnetic he would be up close, with an intoxicating smile and ruby-red eyes that seem to look right into my soul. There’s a dangerous tension between us that I’m struggling to ignore.

I have to strike fast. Every second I wait brings new danger to my life—and my heart. But as I sharpen my blades and prepare to take my revenge at last, I need to face the truth…

I’m falling in love with Raziel Nostrom.

The first book in a spicy vampire romantasy series perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers romance and marriages of convenience tropes. Readers who could not get enough of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Haunting Adeline will love The Serpent’s Bride.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw someone recommend this on Tiktok and she got me at “vampire mafia”, so I decided to try it out since it was on kindle unlimited:

+ Nadi is a Fae, an Iltani, enemy of the vampire mafia family the Nostrom’s. And now she wants revenge against them. First on his list, Raziel Nostrom, the man who murdered her family. He’s about to get married so Nadi uses her shapeshifting skills to pose as his human wife and hope she can get close enough to him, so she can kill him.I like Nadi because she’s willing to do anything to avenge her family’s death and she’s a one woman show. Raziel on the other hand is a killer that loves what he does. There is nothing soft about him! He has a very interesting family and would like to learn more about his siblings in the other books.

+ I assumed because this dark romance that it would be spicy right away but it was surprisingly not, which was nice since I wanted to get into the story instead of the smut. It’s a quick read, which I like, and a slow burn. But when the spice does hit, it’s creative and kinky as I expected out of Raziel! 😅. Will there be an emotional connection between them? Is Raziel capable of that? We shall see as the series goes on.

+~ There is a cliffhanger ending but honestly, I was waiting for Nadi to take him out! This is a vibe read, so I wasn’t expecting detailed world-building but I think I got enough from this that in this world there are different species vying for power. Would love to learn more about the Wilds where Nadi grew up though.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one and glad I took a chance on it! I love the enemies to lovers dark romance going on and wonder what is going to happen next after that ending. I’ll be reading book two right away, so stay tuned for the review for that one.

Read if you like:

a quick, vibe read
enemies to lovers, arranged marriage
vampire mafia
kinky spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Life: A Love Story

Author: Elizabeth Berg

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 208

Publication Date: 3/17/26

Publisher: Random House

Categories: Contemporary, Literary Fiction

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

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

In this warm, intimate novel, a woman celebrates the joy she finds in the ordinary things in life and discovers it’s never too late to start new adventures. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House

Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.

Flo’s project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.

In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.

Content Warning:

Flo is 92 years old and she feels she’s nearing the end of her life so she writes a letter to Ruthie, who was the girl next door – the closest to a child Flo ever had. In the letter she tells Ruthie about things she’s learned about life, and her marriage.

There were a lot of parts of this that I found heart-warming, like how Flo is thinking about her past. Or her daily interactions with people. Also I liked how she wasn’t afraid to talk about some of her fears about dying and or how hopeful that maybe she would see her husband again in the afterlife.

It’s a very quick story and for the most part I was invested but other parts where I felt disconnected maybe because this isn’t the type of book I usually read.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very realistic look at an elderly woman at the end of her life and what she learned along the way in her journey through life. It’s not the usual genre I pick up to read, but overall I thought there were some heartfelt moments in this story that moved me. If you like literary fiction, definitely try this one out.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Poison Daughter

Author: Sheila Masterson

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 668

Publication Date: 10/3/25

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Romance, Vampires

To err is human. To avenge is Divine.
Every person Harlow Carrenwell kisses dies immediately, and that’s the way she likes it. The poison-lipped youngest daughter of Lunameade’s magical founding family has used her power to annihilate their opposition.

Her first husband is in the ground. Her new betrothed is next.

But the merry widow has a secret. When she’s not acting as an assassin at her parents’ whims, she moonlights as a vigilante for abused women in their walled-off city.

Meet a man. Lure him in. Kill him with a kiss. Until one night Harlow kisses a mark and he doesn’t die.

Worse, her invincible partner in passion is her new betrothed, Henry Havenwood, and now he knows about her double life. Instead of selling her out and bringing the rival families to blows, he does something much more sinister—whisks her away to wed in his wild mountain fort.

Harlow doesn’t trust Henry, but the only way to protect her family and the city of Lunameade is to figure out what his family is planning.

Cursed with a husband she can’t kill and trapped in a fort miles of vampire-infested woods from home, Harlow’s survival requires her to do the impossible: Make the man who knows she’s a killer fall in love with her anyway.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, murder, toxic family, grief, trauma, debilitating migraines

**Check book trigger warnings**

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited and saw it had good reviews so I wanted to try it out. Here are my thoughts:

+ There are 2 POVs in this story, Harlow and Henry. Harlow is from a ruling family of magic users. What makes them the top family of magic users is they are the only ones who can see magic – which comes in the form of auras. I thought Harlow’s family was interesting because they are all under the thumb of their father. Harlow’s parents are not the affectionate type – their goal, to stay in power and they use their children for that purpose. But you can tell Harlow is close to some of her siblings – mostly, Aidia and Kellen. Everyone else, we don’t know much about and I believe there are 8 children in the family. Henry is from a place everyone thought was destroyed years ago. In this story, there are magic users and non-magic users. Non-magic users pay a blood tithe so that the elite magic users can protect the city but the public is getting tired of the demand for tithes and now there is a rebellion trying to take her family down. Also in this world, there is a forest with creatures called the Drained (basically vampire monsters).

+~ There is a lot of female rage in this story and a theme of women being abused. It gets dark. There are a few twists, turns, political intrigue, secrets, betrayals, magic, and vampires. But there were parts of the story that I felt some of the twists and turns didn’t have a punch like I was expecting. Also Henry was contradictory – he’s all for not controlling a woman, but then picks out her clothing. He’s a nice guy and is all about consent but he also wants her to behave in his society because his image matters. Pacing was a little off also and it’s a long book.

+ I love that Harlow is 30 – we need more older heroines. Harlow has been honed into a weapon for her family. Her power? A deadly poison kiss. Harlow is moonlighting as the Poison Vixen, a woman going around the kingdom, killing men (but not just any men – abusers, etc…). Things change when her parents marry her off again but to a man from a stronghold they thought was annihilated 10 years ago by the Drained. Harlow has attitude and keeps Henry on his toes. She is rage in disguise and I liked her a lot because I knew all of her bravado came from something traumatic. She was always in survival mode. And as the story goes we learn what made her this way and I found it so heartbreaking.

+ I loved Harlow’s relationship with her best-friend/sister, Aidia. I felt like that was the most emotional part of the story – the relationship between the siblings. There is a lot of trauma, lots of grief that both Harlow and Henry have to navigate because of their love for their sisters.

+~ I for the most part enjoyed the romance between Harlow and Henry. Both are motivated by different things and are thrust into this arranged marriage. I love the banter between them because Harlow has attitude and she keeps Henry on his toes for sure. I think the two of them are fun together because of it. Desire is there from the start but it was a slow burn – but once they give into their desires, it’s very spicy, and where the dark romance part comes into play. Voyeurism is big in this one, and I’m not sure how I feel about it? I don’t know that it did anything for me maybe because of the circumstances. For me, I was missing an emotional connection between them during the spice scenes and I get it, they are enemies, they both have ulterior motives, and it was just a physical act, but I wanted to see more emotion. I think that was the thing I felt was kind of missing between them…both are reluctant to fall in love, they don’t believe in it, they’ve been hurt badly, they are both playing the other. Also I don’t think I loved Henry as much as I wanted to, he didn’t handle some situations very well.

Final Thoughts:

I loved beginning, the middle kind of slowed down, and the ending was good. I know it’s a romantasy and this is mostly about Harlow and Henry’s enemies to lovers romance, which had fun banter but the emotional part I loved about this story was between Harlow and her sister Aidia. Their story made me cry. The whole story tackles trauma, abuse and grief. The romance is a slow burn but the spicy scenes are very spicy, if you like voyeurism – this one is for you 🤭. Harlow is an FMC, 30 years old, with lots of rage and I loved her attitude because I get it girl, I get it! I enjoyed the political intrigue but I did feel at times it didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. Though I had some issues with it, I still enjoyed it!

Read if you like: