Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1)

Author: B.K. Borison

Narrator: Karissa Vacker, Will Watt

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 329 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours

Publication Date: 10/20/25

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Holiday Romance, Paranormal Romance

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm

Content Warning: complicated relationship with family, death, grief

I listened to the audio version of this book and I have to say the narrators were perfect for this holiday romance. I could hear a smile in their voices. I especially gravitated to Nolan’s character because of the accent and his voice was so playful and charming!

This was a cute and fun holiday paranormal romance but it also had some tough topics especially when it came to Harriet’s family. She has horrible parents. Nolan’s spirit is there to help Harriet figure out what she did wrong in her life, but instead they both realize she’s there to help Nolan’s spirit face some things about his past also.

But Harriet doesn’t do anything wrong in her life, she just hasn’t stood up for herself against her awful mother and family. I felt bad for her because she seems like a nice person, who just didn’t want to cave to family pressure, and yet she’s punished for it. They made her feel unworthy, poor girl.

The romance is really cute, because they are both fun people and it’s spicy. They become close as both of them see each other’s past memories and I love how they had one another for some of the tough things they had to face.

Final Thoughts:

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I really enjoyed this one, especially because I’m not good at reading holiday romances during the holidays. I’m also glad I listened to it as an audiobook because of Nolan’s charming accent! Definitely check it out if you are looking for a holiday romance.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Vow of Shadow and Blood (Blood Vows, #1)

Author: Charlene Antrobus

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 10/15/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires

In the Kingdom of Kalyn, humans are good for two things. Hunting and owning.

Adina Barron was bred to serve the ruling-class vampires. Owned from birth by Blackwood House, her only desire has been to keep herself and her sister safe. But Adina harbors a dark secret. She possesses the power to turn her blood into a deadly poison that kills vampires. An ability she swore never to use until she learned that her sister was dying. After discovering that vampire venom can extend life, Adina has spent the last year risking exposure and execution to hunt and kill the creatures she was born to obey.

But desperation leads to foolish mistakes, and when she accidentally reveals her power to a mysterious stranger, she is forced to make a difficult choice. Use her ability to assassinate the Crown Prince or watch her sister die.

The decision is easy, and it’s not long before Adina manages to use her wits and cunning to embed herself into the prince’s life. But making the kill is not as simple as she anticipates, especially when fate seems hell-bent on drawing the pair together. And when whispers of a war start to arise, Adina realizes that there may be bigger issues than just saving her sister.

But time is closing in, and soon she will be forced to make a choice. Her sister? Her kingdom? Or her heart? Because one thing is clear, she cannot save them all.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited, saw it had good reviews and that it was a vampire book so I downloaded and I was not disappointed!

+ I love a good Vampire romantasy, but I would say this was more fantasy with a little bit of romance. In this world, vampires are in charge and humans are enslaved. Adina, belongs to Blackwood House and is a blood donor. But when she can, she’s killing vampires, so she can take their fangs because their venom has magic that can help her sister, Willow, who is sick. Adina will do anything to help her sister, which was one thing I admired about her. But when Adina’s ownership changes hands and the vampire Prince, Karius, wants her, her life changes drastically.

+ World-building is easy to consume, humans and vampires were in a war a long time ago. Vampires won and ruled and there are some humans that accept their fate, some who want to try to escape to a settlement where they can be safe, or are like Adina and trying to survive their rule. I did want a little more world-building though. There is also a new element to the story, which brought a little horror, which I found really fun. But what I really loved about the story was the twist and turns, there are so many things that happen and it kept me on my toes. The more I read, the more I could not put the book down! I like all the fighting scenes and I did predict some of what happened in the end, but it was still fun getting there. The ending was devastating!

+~ Adina is a strong character but one of those FMC’s that make so many mistakes and is so stubborn that it makes you want to shake her. Her mistakes put people in danger! I love that she loves her sister, it’s her only motivation in this world to save her. She has to train with some of the vampires when she is bonded to Karius because if she dies, he dies, so she eventually creates a found family with them. I was so invested in so many of the side characters! Karius is the typical gorgeous, powerful, shadow daddy vampire prince but I like that he has a lot of restraint where it comes to Adina and her stubbornness.

+ The romance is a slow burn, there is one spicy scene and I really was hoping for more, but that’s all we get and it was good! I do feel like Karius and Adina don’t seem to have many scenes together, which is actually fine because she’s growing on her own as a character. Plus fated mate books can sometimes be hit or miss for me but I like how this is slow, and the word “mate” isn’t thrown all over the story. They are reluctant mates but the bond is strong and the attraction was growing but I wanted more! Because Karius seems to fall fast for her but we don’t see them together enough for all the things he wants to do for her – he will burn the world down for her. I still ate it up, but I just wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

In the next book I want to see Adina grow, and maybe learn how to give up some of her stubbornness. I don’t know what is going to happen with the romance but I found this to be a fun, binge-able, addictive vampire fantasy. I can’t wait for book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 557

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Categories: High Fantasy, Romance

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

Content Warning: violence, death

I jumped right into book two after book one because I felt like if I waited again, I might forget the many characters.

+ There are a few things I wanted more in this book, that it be shorter and there would be romance. And it is shorter than book one, and there is more romance, but not the kind that made me feel any surer or okay about the romance.

+ The list of characters grows in this one. But everyone I feel like is pertinent to the story. There are a lot of twists and turns especially in the second half of this book. The first half we get to know Aron, the Exilarch, who is going to test Lin to see if she is the Goddess. I liked the advancement of Lin’s character and her connection with King Markus (Conor’s dad) and then there is an introduction of Elspeth who seems to be the villain in this complicated web of politics, secrets and betrayals.

+ I really liked Kel’s growth. Since book one he was already questioning his role as Sword Catcher and what it means when Conor no longer needs him. Their relationship is complicated and there are a few instances that I was just so upset with Conor. There is a lot of growth for Lin too who is trying to help her people and in the end gets punished for it. I can’t wait to see what happens with all of them in book three.

+~ There is romance and there is spice (yet still very mild) but this forbidden romance is killing me – at one point I was hoping Lin would just get over Conor and maybe something with Aron would grow but no – the yearning Conor has for Lin is heart-wrenching but he is a tortured man right now and he doesn’t know who to trust. I’m still hoping things can change for Lin and Conor but there was no happy romance in this sequel. Right now they are breaking my heart instead of giving me any giddy feelings. It’s not any better for Kel and Antonetta, but I think they have a better chance at love!

~ The twists and turns are all reliant on these different characters and how they play the game of royal politics. I really love it but also, it can be hard to keep up with what is going on. I feel like at times I needed a whiteboard to take notes with. A lot of the first half of this book is investigating the massacre that happened at the end of book one and protecting the Prince. It feels like nothing much happens until the second half of the book but I think it’s all important to the story even though it makes for slow reading.

~ Please just give me some happy romance moments in book three? 😅 Make them delusional for one another, I don’t care, but I feel like book three will be more heartbreak, yearning, wanting, and not having. 😩

~ I feel like Kel and Lin are the main characters, but I think we need more about Conor. He is very important to this story, it revolves around his life! Especially after that ending! We need more of him in book three. There is so much happening with his character! Also would love to learn more about the magic.

Final Thoughts:

Maybe I should have read this when book three comes out? And I don’t even know if it’s a trilogy or what but I am so hooked on the politics of this book because it has so much secrets, betrayals, twists and turns! The royal court life is ruthless and I’m loving it. I just hope Lin and Conor can be together at the end. It’s still somewhat a slow read but that ending has me needing the next book ASAP.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

City of Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Ashes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Glass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clockwork Angel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I didn’t rate the others on my Goodreads apparently.*

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Housemaid by. Freida McFadden | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: (closed door)

Title: The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)

Author: Freida McFadden

Narrator: Lauryn Allman

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 329 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours

Publication Date: 4/26/22

Publisher: Bookouture

Categories: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

“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!

Content Warning: gaslighting, torture, body horror

+ The narrator did amazing doing the voices for this story! I like how she had an accent for Millie and a different voice for Nina – it helped me distinguish the main characters.

+ I like how this story was a quick read and it is engaging too! The story starts off with Millie’s perspective. She’s the new live-in housemaid for the Winchester’s but she has a mysterious past – all we know is that she used to be in prison. Throughout the story she’s grateful to have a job and a place to live but Nina, her employer is always gaslighting her! The only person nice to her in the house is Nina’s husband Andy.

+ The second half of the story we get Nina’s perspective and I thought it was a fun twist in this mysterious and suspenseful story. The ending is unexpected but I enjoyed this story a lot.

Final Thoughts:

I wanted to read this before the movie comes out and I’m glad I listened to it as an audiobook because it was really entertaining. I like the build up, the mystery and all the suspense at the end, plus the twist!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The House Saphir by. Marissa Meyer | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: The House Saphir

Author: Marissa Meyer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Paranormal, Retelling of Bluebeard

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

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

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien’s great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu’s ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

Content Warning: violence, death, murder

+ I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book because I haven’t read a book from this author in awhile and I am not totally familiar with the Bluebeard story. So I can speak to how good of a retelling this is since I don’t know Bluebeard’s story too well. But what an enjoyable story this turned out to be.

+ Mallory and her sister are hacks – they claim to be witches and have powers, and maybe they are part of a bloodline of witches but something happened in the past that messed it up for them. Now someone from the Saphir bloodline has come asking for their help to rid his estate of dangerous ghosts. Mal and her sister agree because they need money but how are they going to get rid of ghosts if they don’t really know how to do that?

+ My favorite part of this book – it is funny! I was laughing out loud, literally! Mallory and her sister are such characters and the ghosts of the wives Monsieur Le Bleu had murdered were funny as well. I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time! Also later on in the story Mal solicits helps from some other characters who have magical powers and hunt down monsters, and they were a fun duo as well.

+ Mallory is such a fun character because she loves everything spooky. She gives people tours of a haunted house (she’s basically trespassing and scamming people). Thing is though she can actually see ghosts, but I love that the more morbid something was, she wasn’t afraid, she was delightfully obsessed with it.

+ There is a little bit of romance in the story and I adored it. I also loved the twists and turns of the story. Monsieur Le Blue as a villainous ghost did a great job at being an awful person/spirit. I was hoping Mallory would end him. There is monster hunting, ghost hunting and the ending is chaotic but again, fun.

~ The only thing about the story that maybe I had a little issue with is – how was Mallory going to fake her way into getting rid of Monsieur Le Bleu’s ghost? She had no clue what she was doing at all (and her sister liked to point this out). I was hoping her being at the estate and meeting the ghost wives would teach her something about magic. Eventually she figures out she needs help but I did want more witchcraft in the story.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book because I had such a fun time reading it and that’s kind of rare to find now especially in a romantasy type of of book. It’s actually perfect for a fall read because it has haunted houses, ghosts still in their murdered form, mythological monsters, possession, murder, magic and mystery! Even a little romance.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Cinder by. Marissa Meyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Renegades by. Marissa Meyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Moth Dark by. Kika Hatzopoulou | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Moth Dark

Author: Kika Hatzopoulou

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/28/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance, Young Adult, LGBT+

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!

From the bestselling author of Threads that Bind and Hearts that Cut comes a brand-new compulsive romantasy about a girl obsessed with the dark and the shadowy magical prince she falls in love with, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Laini Taylor.

The dark has come alive . . .

Six years ago, vicious creatures began to crawl out of the dark crevices of the world, and with it Sascia’s fascination with the darkness was born. Now eighteen, that fascination has become an obsession, and while exploring an area known for its connection to the Darkworld, Sascia sees a person climb out of the darkness. But Nugau is no ordinary person, they’re a genderfluid elf prince with one mission . . . to kill Sascia.

Except, the second time they meet, Nugau is younger and doesn’t recognise Sascia. And the third time, Nugau stumbles out of the darkness with poison running through their veins, expressing their undying love for her.

Piecing together the puzzle, Sascia makes two shocking the timelines of her world and Nugau’s are not linear, and she is inexplicably enmeshed in a war between humanity and elves. But with their worlds at battle, is it worth fighting for each other . . . ?

Content Warning: violence

+ I was captivated by this book cover and the premise sounded good so I requested it . I’m glad I did because this was such a fascinating story set in a dystopian world who has seen a phenomenon of dark spots growing. Scacia is from New York City and has an internship working with a company that is studying all things from the Dark. But clearly Scacia has a connection to it more so than other people and even she is curious as to why that is. I loved the secondary characters who were the other kids she was doing research him and her cousin Danny who is her bestie. And also Mooch – a creature that is always helping her!

+ The story is told in present time but flashbacks to moments in Scacia’s past where she encountered the Dark. I don’t usually like flashbacks, but I think it worked in this one because it’s a fast-moving story.

+ I found the Dark so fascinating. I love the world building. We learn about the types of plants, animals and creatures that live in the Dark. These creatures come through these Dark spots or portals and now a war is brewing between them and the humans. Scacia’s job is to stop this war. There are a few trials she has to get through in the Dark though and that’s where all the action comes in.

+ The romance is supposed to be enemies to lovers but we find out there has been different timelines where Scacia’s has met the elf prince, and in different forms too. The Dark is home to a people that are gender fluid and I loved how Nugau changed on a whim, according to how they were feeling. The romance between them, even though it started with some animosity on Nugau’s part, was lovely.

~ It is a fast moving story and a standalone but at times I wish there was more time spent in the Dark. I felt like the trials happened so quick, I wanted more suspense.

~ Also, I’m bad at following jumping timelines. And in this story it explores a knotted timeline.

Final Thoughts:

I loved the creativity of this story and the gender fluidity of the humanoid creatures (or elves). This story had a combination of dystopian, fantasy, and sci-fi which worked so well together! It has action, romance, family themes, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Starchaser by. R. M. Gray | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Starchaser (Nightweaver, #2)

Author: R.M. Gray

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Series, Romance, Pirates

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

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am vengeance. Fury. Power.

Seventeen-year-old pirate Aster Oberon faces a stunning new reality, gifted with magical ability that she’s struggling to master. Worse, both she and Will—the Nightweaver who has captured her heart—have been cursed. In mere weeks, they will become ferocious Underlings, creatures forced to serve the evil Queen Morana. The only way to break the curse is by procuring Morana’s blood.

To track down the cure, Aster teams up with both Will and Titus, the infuriatingly handsome prince of the Eerie who secretly aims to overthrow his royal family’s tyrannical reign. The trio’s journey takes them to Castle Grim where danger is around every corner, and no one is who they seem.

Between deadly dinners, extravagant balls, and shifting desires toward Will and Titus, Aster will have to keep her daggers at the ready and determine who she can trust before the ticking clock of her curse runs out.

Layered with devastating revelations and twisty romance, this heart-pounding sequel to Nightweaver will leave readers racing toward the truth about Aster and her destiny.

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

+ I don’t know why I thought this was a duology but I was wrong, and I didn’t realize this until 50% into the book. But, despite my own misunderstanding of which book in the series this is, I actually enjoyed this sequel.

+ Aster, Titus and Will have a plan. But it involves sussing out who Morana’s spirit has possessed. Titus has a clue, but Aster’s power to see Sylks’s is what is supposed to help him confirm it. But Aster doesn’t see it, so who could it be? Time is running out before Will turns into a beast, and Titus marries Leo, so they have to figure this out quick. I did like the mystery and trying to figure out who it could be. I had my suspects but even I was thrown off. And that’s not the only thing Aster is trying to figure out because someone is after her, and she doesn’t know who it is.

+ There is also the bigger picture of taking down the kingdom but again, plans are changed with the not knowing of who Morana has been embodying. But there is a lot revealed at the end of the story, lots of twists. I also like that we learn more about Titus in this story!

+ The ending is wild. There are reveals, betrayals, and I need book three to know what will happen to Will and Titus!

+~ The love triangle. I don’t totally love it because I’m leaning a certain way and it’s between two best friends. Why does have to be between two best friends? I don’t like it. None of these people are perfect, Titus, turns into a killer, but Will is about to turn into one too. So…I’m gonna chose the guy who remembered her favorite color. 😅. But yikes…Aster doesn’t know what she feels. I guess we’ll see what happens in book three.

~ Aster is supposedly coming into her power but I actually didn’t see much of it in this sequel. Titus even says he’ll train her but we got only one or two scenes of that and that was it. I hope her power comes through in book three.

Final Thoughts:

There is a lot that happens in this sequel. We get a lot of twists, reveals, betrayal, and time ticking down on executing the plan Aster has with her friends. But I did want more out of Aster’s character in aspects to her power, which was pretty non-existent. If you like a love-triangle, you might enjoy this one, but because I’m leaning towards one guy in particularly and still don’t know how Aster feels about both of them, I’m not really enjoying this love triangle. Overall, this is a solid sequel and can’t wait to see what happens in book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Nightweaver by. R.M. Gray | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Possession of Alba Díaz by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:

Title: The Possession of Alba Díaz

Author: Isabel Cañas

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 369

Publication Date: 8/19/25

Categories: Gothic Horror, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them… and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood grows stronger.

Content Warning: demon possession, exorcism, murder

+ Isabel Cañas is a must read author for me! I love her historical fiction horror writing style and once again I was sucked into this story she created. How does she write horror in such a beautiful manner?! I love it. The lyrical prose always has a way of seducing me into the horror stories that she writes.

+ This story is set in New Spain – Mexico, in a town with a silver mine. I love all the history I learned from this book from the silver mines to the power of the Catholic religion. It was a time during the Spanish Inquisition and though there is only one priest who is with this family, his authority had power – enough to demand a whole town to stop worshipping other idols from their culture.

+ Alba is trying to take ahold of her future. She knows as a young woman, she has no choice but to marry but she chooses a friend of hers, Carlos, to marry because she feels like it’s her only path to freedom. But when she goes with him to the silver mine his family owns, something possesses her – a demonic spirit and now she has to fight it for freedom of her body and mind! I liked the parallels and how it’s a story about a woman trying to fight for her freedom.

+ I grew up Catholic so exorcism and demonic possession always scared me. But it’s always fascinated me also. There are some creepy parts in this story especially when Alba is possessed, and a little body horror but this was not scary.

+~ There is even romance in this story which I loved. I like a man who isn’t afraid of a little possession! 😅 But I would have liked more build-up between them, even more time spent together and getting to know one another before falling for one another.

~ The beginning starts off a little slow, but once they travel to the mines the story picks up. I also wanted to know a little more about the alchemy and mercury. Elías is such a worldly character with such a tragic backstory, I wanted to know more of him.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad I saved this one for October, it’s the perfect gothic horror read for spooky season! It’s beautifully written and I was hooked. I look forward to reading what this author writes next.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Vampires of El Norte by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hacienda by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sounds Like Love by. Ashley Poston | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Sounds Like Love

Author: Ashley Poston

Narrator: Patti Murin, Ashley Poston

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 384 Listening Time: approximately 11 hours

Publication Date: 6/16/25

Publisher: Books on Tape

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Magical Realism

A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.

Content Warning: dementia, anxiety, grief

+ I really enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook – she did a great job capturing each of the characters.

+ This is a fun, sweet and heartwarming story especially if you are a fan of music and songwriting. Joni is a successful songwriter but she has a mental block right now and can’t write so she goes home to North Carolina. While at home Joni is surrounded by friends, and family. But so much has changed, especially with her mom dealing with dementia.

+ I loved Joni’s personal journal whether it was facing her mom’s deteriorating mental state, growing and having hard conversations with her best friend, trying to figure out why she felt so empty and then falling for Sasha (Sebastian). I also like how she had to figure out her path, where does she belong? In Los Angeles or was it okay to come back home – when she was the one who made the decision to leave and chase her dreams?

+~ There is a magical realism element to this story where where Joni and Sebastian have a connection from a spontaneous meeting. Farfetched? Sure! But I thought it was cute how they were in each other’s head and they start to help one another in a way. Eventually they fall for one another and then try to work on a song together, but Joni is afraid that when the song is gone, he’ll be gone from her head also and leave her to the emptiness again.

~ Since it was the magic allowing them to be in each other’s heads I kept wondering, how this story would play out without the magical realism. Would they have met again? Would they have liked one another?

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this story about music, songwriting, friendship, family, finding where you belong and also falling in love.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Novel Love Story by. Ashley Poston | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Dead Romantics by. Ashley Poston | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

My Favorite Holidate by. Lauren Blakely | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: My Favorite Holidate (How to Date, #5)

Author: Lauren Blakely

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/7/25 (first published 10/15/25)

Publisher: Atria Books

Categories: Holiday Romance, Christmas, Billionaire 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 Atria Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wanted: one hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous when you kiss me under the mistletoe at all the holiday parties. Bonus points if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

Content Warning: gambling addiction, cheating

+ The holiday vibes is everywhere in this Christmas romance. From start to finish, there is Christmas decor, a Christmas wedding, snow, and Christmas games!

+ This a fake dating, billionaire, workplace, single dad, holiday romance and I think it all worked together well! I liked both characters – Wilder owns a football team and other business. He’s also a sweet single dad to a little girl, Mac. The only really challenging part in his life is dealing with his dad who has a gambling addiction but Wilder’s a good guy. As for Fable, she’s the creative type with a fun personality. I thought they were cute together, with lots of chemistry and they brought the holiday spice for sure!

~ I didn’t know this was a book in a series but I think this does well as a standalone. I did find it curious that there were a lot of characters there for a story (all of Fable’s friends), but it being book 5 in a series makes sense as to why there are so many characters.

~ I saw in Goodreads reviews that people said this book was too long, and in this revised version I think it’s cut down by 100 pages from the first publication and I thought it was a good length.