The Throne of Broken Gods by. Amber V. Nicole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Throne of Broken Gods (Gods and Monsters, #2)

Author: Amber V. Nicole

Pages: 728

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

Descended into darkness . . .
Wronged beyond comprehension, and grieving, Dianna is hellbent on revenge against those who betrayed her. As a legendary Ig’Morruthien, she thirsts for blood and can take any form. But her true form is the most terrifying of all. As the last shred of her humanity is ripped from her, she decides to embrace her monstrous side and set the worlds alight.

Only love can bring her back . . .
Samkiel, an immortal God, was once the sworn enemy of Dianna and her kind. Yet now he alone refuses to believe that the woman he loves has become the monster whom everyone else sees—and he’ll do anything in his power to save her from herself, even if it means losing her forever.

With every realm now at risk from Kaden’s army, and a myriad of new threats on the horizon, Samkiel can’t afford to let his guard down. Only he can pull Dianna back from the brink of damnation. And as Dianna’s thirst for blood only increases, he is running out of time to save them both.

Content Warning: death, violence, grief, depression

+ I had to jump straight into book two after that crazy ending in book one and you know what book two is? A revenge tour massacre for Dianna because they messed with her sister. They betrayed Dianna and took the one thing she loved and I was livid for her and honestly…I’m so glad she didn’t hold back. She is a killer and I was there for it! Once again, I love the epic fight scenes!

+ We get more POVs in this book which made me wonder why at some points…like why Cameron? As for Vincent – hate him. Maybe he has a devastating back story but I never liked him since book one, we’ll see what happens there. We learn a little more about Kaden. We get to know The Hand much more.

+ The romance in this one is devastating because Samkiel is trying to reach Dianna in her grief but he cannot find her, he’s afraid to lose her and bless this man to the high heavens, he is amazing with her. He is patient and he is strong and everything she deserves in a soul mate. He loves her but he gives her space, he won’t give up on her and I love their love story. They are an amazing couple.

+~ This is a long story but I still devoured it – there is some repetition but I think having it revolve around Dianna’s grief was perfect because Gabby was what tethered her to her morality. I felt like this whole book described grief so wonderfully that I hurt for Dianna. Her journey through grief is wrought with so much emotion, I just wanted her to get through the rough parts and with Samkiel there by her side. But her getting to know people in The Hand helped her heal also which was so nice to see. Now there are things at the end of this book that reveal so much, things I wasn’t expecting at all…so I am going straight into book three. I do have to say though the betrayal in this whole series has been well done!

Final Thoughts:

What a sequel! This story is addictive, almost like I’m binge watching a tv series or something…but I cannot put it down. I love how the story moves forward and I was here for Dianna’s revenge tour! I absolutely love Dianna and Samkiel and how their love is epic, I can’t get enough of them so I’m going straight into book three.

Read if you like:

fantasy
gods vs. monsters
slow burn, enemies to lovers romance
grief

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Book of Azrael by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/2 🌶️

The Book of Azrael by. Amber V. Nicole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Book of Azrael (Gods and Monsters, #1)

Author: Amber V. Nicole

Pages: 572

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

World Ender meets Ender of Worlds…
A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.

A King thought long dead and long forgotten.
In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.

Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.

Content Warning: death, violence, grief, depression

+~ I’ve put off reading this since it came out years ago but I finally sat down and read it and I’m glad I pushed through the beginning of the book which was a little slow because it introduces us to a lot of characters and world-building. Once I kind of understood the different realms and worlds of this story things started to click for me, but it did take me until 15% into the book until things started making sense.

+ The FMC, Dianna is really fleshed out along with the MMC, Liam/Samkiel. She has a past which I would love to learn more about, but this woman has sacrificed herself because she loves her sister Gabby that much. She’s a badass shape shifting assassin who doesn’t give up – love her! I love Dianna and Gabby’s sister relationship, it’s flawed but also very loving. It’s what makes me love Dianna even though she is morally gray and have done monstrous things in order to protect her sister. As for Liam/Samkiel, he is arrogant because he is a powerful king but he has a very traumatizing past. He is, the World Ender, but this man is so tortured from what he’s had to endure, his obligations, his nightmares of the past – I loved seeing his transformation with Dianna’s help as she offers him friendship. There is a big cast and I’m enjoying getting to know everyone so far.

+ The romance is very enemies to lovers. Liam is a god and Dianna is the enemy, an Ig’Morruthens (beasts/monsters), there has been war, death, and killing between these two sides for centuries. Liam and his celestial see them only has monsters, so the fact that he gets to know Dianna and things start to change was amazing to see. They bicker a lot in the beginning but when an offer of friendship is extended from Dianna to Liam, it changes everything. Their forced proximity helps push things along to lovers which was a nice slow burn.

+ The story focuses on the search for a powerful book, the book of Azrael but we learn a lot about the celestials and Ig’Morruthens while on this search. I love the fighting scenes because Dianna is such a badass, it’s a given that Liam is too since he’s all powerful, but Dianna is amazing because she’s been turned into this beast but still has pieces of her mortality clinging on to her.

Final Thoughts:

It did take me a few days to get into this book but once everything clicked for me, I devoured it. I love Dianna and Liam, this world full of gods and monsters, and cannot wait to see what happens in book two which I am reading right away!

Read if you like:

fantasy
gods vs. monsters
slow burn, enemies to lovers romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Lost Guardian by. Natalia Hernandez | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Lost Guardian (#1)

Author: Natalia Hernandez

Pages: 439

Format: ebook

Categories: Adventure, Romance, Peru

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books

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

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

The stories we’re told aren’t myths. They’re warnings.

Santiago Rios didn’t plan to leave his quiet life in Los Angeles. But when his grandfather sends him a map to the lost tomb of the final Incan emperor, the young archaeologist is thrust into a brutal race across the Andes, pursued by ruthless tomb raiders who will stop at nothing to steal the emperor’s treasure.

His only hope is Ali, a fierce Peruvian woman whose secrets could unlock Santiago’s map―or spell his doom. The closer they grow, the more certain Santiago becomes. Ali is trouble…just the kind of trouble he likes.

To save their world, Santiago and Ali must solve ancient riddles, outwit deadly enemies, and lay a spirit to rest before it’s too late. Because if they fail, the past won’t stay buried―and neither will the curse.

Based on the true history of Atahualpa, the last emperor of the Inca people, indie sensation Natalia Hernandez delivers a powerhouse romantasy adventure set in the modern day.

Content Warning: violence

+ Santiago’s grandfather in Peru passes away which leads to a chain of events that has him in disbelief. He goes to Peru with bad men after him as he hurries to find the emperor’s treasure. This story had Indiana Jones vibes – it is so full of adventure, puzzles and riddles that need to be fun, it’s a fun read! Not only is it full of adventure in Peru but we get immersed in Incan and Peruvian culture and history which I enjoyed. We even get some astronomy.

+ Santiago is a hot nerd, which I totally adore. He’s smart, awkward, a little shy, and a nice guy. He was a refreshing and unexpected MMC. Ali is the young woman who is helping him find the treasure, explaining that she was tasked by his grandfather to do so. There are other interesting characters like Santi’s best friend Brooke, but we only get to know her in the beginning of the story. Then there is the professor, Jose, who I wanted more of.

+ I didn’t even expect this to have spice but Santiago and Ali are forced to be together and they get to know one another so a romance develops but it doesn’t take over the story. Through the harrowing adventures in Peru they grow close and since this is told from Santiago’s POV, it was so nice to see his thoughts about her and we see him falling for her.

+ I thought this was a standalone but there is a sneak peek into the next book which might be book two or interconnected to this one? Not sure.

Final Thoughts:

This was a fun read especially because it was different – it has adventure and history, plus a little romance. Santiago is not the typical MMC, he’s nerdy but still hot, but very awkward and passive at times. Ali is the strong character so it was a nice little reversal. I loved learning about Incan and Peruvian history and culture. Definitely read if you like adventure, riddles, history and some romance.

Read if you like:

adventure
romance
history and culture

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turk | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Museum of Modern Love

Author: Mariko Turk

Pages: 304

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 7 hrs 35 min (approx.)

Narrator (s): Morgan Dalla Betta

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 10/13/26

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Audiobook, Romance, Art

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

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

Tonight, inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art—somewhere between the hours of 8 PM and 5 AM—Auden Peck will fall in love with Miki Kawamura.

That’s Miki’s plan, anyway. And the plan is destiny.

See, Miki’s grandparents fell in love after accidentally being locked in the Met overnight in 1965. And now, after too many almost-confessions, hopeless romantic Miki will finally tell her best friend Auden that she loves him by retracing the path through the museum that her grandparents took that fateful night.

But destiny has other plans. For it’s not Auden who joins Miki on her midnight tour, but Lou McSweeney—the world’s most jaded cynic, and Miki’s ex. How can she possibly confess her feelings for Auden when she’s stuck sparring with this arrogant jerk? And is it possible that her original plan was not destiny’s true course after all?

Content Warning: divorce, strained family relationships

+ Miki has a plan to tell her best friend Auden that she has been in love with him for awhile now. Her plan is to follow the story of how her grandparents fell in love in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She thinks this is a foolproof plan and once she confesses, he will also love her back. But plans go awry when she is task to take her ex-fling, Lou, on a tour of the museum.

+ The narrator for this book had a very clear voice and I think she did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

+ I loved how Miki is a lover of art! I learned a few things and even made me remember the one time I went to the Met years ago. It’s such a beautiful museum and all of it is conveyed in this story. Miki not only is a lover of art, but also talks about her grandma’s experiences as a Japanese-American during World War II and being put in a camp. I love how Miki tied art and life experiences together.

+~ So when Lou, Miki’s ex comes into the story, I kind of already knew where this was going. And everything happens in a whole night spent at the Museum – which I can imagine is very magical, but she does go from being in love with Auden and ready to confess to him to falling for Lou by morning. I’m not mad about it, and I did like her and Lou together, I thought their interactions were funny but we really got no feel for Auden at all.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this audiobook was such a fun listening experience and I would totally watch this if it ever became a movie. It’s got appreciate for art, and NYC, a girl who is a romantic, a second chance romance, and it even touches on deeper topics like Japanese-American history and even some complicated family relationships. Overall, I thought this was a cute story and it’s a quick read also.

Read if you like:

young adult romance
art
second chance romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cursed City by. Kate Golden | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Cursed City (Harker Academy, #1)

Author: Kate Golden

Pages: 523

Format: ebook

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Series

Welcome back to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense, where the line between hunter and hunted has never been thinner.

To rescue someone close to her, Viv Abbot must team up with Reid’s violent, unpredictable older brother, Deacon. Her uneasy truce with him offers Viv something Reid never could: the chance to embrace her darkness.

Viv’s mission takes her to the center of Astera’s seedy underbelly with none other than the White Stag as her guide. But when a bounty on Viv’s head puts those she cares about in danger, Viv will be forced to go to lengths she never dreamed in order to protect them.

With enemies closing in from all sides and a ticking clock on her life, Viv must save the Half City from destruction while surviving a betrayal that strikes at the heart of everything she’s fighting for. Because in a world where monsters wear familiar faces and temptation cuts deeper than any blade, making it through her second semester at Harker will take more than skill—it will take everything Viv has left to give. Who can she really trust in a city that thrives on lies?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I was going to re-read book one but had no time so I just jumped into book two hoping I’d remember things. And thankfully I did remember! Viv is looking for Reid, and she’s enlisted his annoying brother Deacon, to help her. But Viv has a curse on her back and she needs to learn how to get rid of it before she hurts someone she loves and loses her mind. So the story is about finding Reid and finding an answer to Viv’s curse. We learn about the Elders, and who the High Thane is – I liked the twist and turns in the story!

+ I love the found family in this story! Viv doesn’t have a great relationship with her own blood family but the friends she’s made at Harker become her found family and I love them together – they are the support and friendship she needs!

+ I love Deacon, even though he’s such an a-hole sometimes. But I so loved how his relationship with Viv grows. I didn’t even care about Reid while she was with Deacon. It is a love triangle but nothing happens between her and Deacon, he has a spicy fantasy, but outside of that there is barely any steam or spice in this one, just some unspoken yearning on both their ends. I was hoping for a kiss but didn’t even get that. I hope that means book three is going to have more of them and a romance going between them.

+~ There were times I thought Viv was just so naive. Deacon’s old…he’s been around since Genghis Kahn and yet she doesn’t believe his knowledge on some things. Which of course is true to her age but it was frustrating too at times.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down because Deacon and Viv are amazing together. I loved their banter but also love how their relationship evolves. Not sure what’s going to happen in book three but I’m rooting for them! I also love the found family and twist and turns in this story. I look forward to reading the next book!

Read if you like:

love triangle
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Half City by. Kate Golden | Book Review – 4 stars/1 🌶️

Bloodbound by. J.A. Good | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Bloodbound (The Scrolls of the Eshani, #1)

Author: J.A. Good

Pages: 465

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 16 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Ri Paige

Publisher: Tantor Media

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy

Six strangers. One soul-bound Ring. No way out.

Isara Virelle has spent her entire life avoiding people. Unfortunately, becoming Eshani means binding your soul to five of them.

When the Binding Ceremony assigns her to Ring Six—the most elite fighting unit in Veryuun—Isa is forced into the last place she wants to surrounded by strangers who can hear her thoughts, feel her emotions, and know her secrets. Worst of all, their commander is Niko Veyshar.

Feared across the continent as Rathvenorn’s deadliest weapon, Niko is everything Isa has been taught to hate. Cold. Dangerous. Untouchable. And now they’re bound together.

As political tensions rise between nations and whispers of forgotten gods begin to spread, cracks appear within Ring Six. Ancient powers stir beneath the surface, forbidden magic awakens in Isa’s blood, and the bond tying her to her team may be unraveling before it has a chance to hold.

To survive, Isa must learn who she can trust. Because in Veryuun, loyalty is sacred. And betrayal can cost far more than your life.

Content Warning: violence

+ I thought this narrator did a really good job with the big cast of characters in this book. She brought the story to life, and I got a really good sense of the FMC, Isara, because of how she was narrated.

+ This story follows Isara who is curse-born. Her dad was killed by his wife (her mom) and everyone knows her story. It makes Isara a very distrustful, sarcastic and snarky character. She builds walls to not let people in but she’s forced to bind to 5 other people to make Ring Six – a fighting unit who need to rely on one another to survive. Most of the story is about training to be Eshani and in this Ring Six, and controlling her powers. Even though the story was mostly training and missions, I think it moved quickly enough because of the found family element which was my favorite thing about this book. Isa’s ring/her found family grew on me as they grew on her. She went from not having a family to getting a new one and it changes her.

+ The romance between Isa and her unit leader and enemy, Niko, is not the typical enemies to lovers where they hate one another openly. Isa is taught to hate him because her mother was Rathvenorn like he is. But the more time he spends training her, she can’t help the attraction. Plus he’s always in a mask that covers the bottom of his face which adds to the appeal. They get close through training and missions, there are some spicy scenes but then something happens at the end which makes me curious how their relationship will continue. So it’s a forbidden romance that they try to keep hidden,

+~ In the beginning I did think nothing much was happening in the story except for the training but I think there was something happening – the building of the found family, which is very important to Isa in the end. The second half picks up more as they go on missions. I liked seeing Isara grow throughout the story. There is political intrigue, Eshani lore, magic, betrayal and a twist at the end.

Final Thoughts:

I thought the narrator did a great job with bringing this audiobook to life. I love Isara because of her sarcastic personality and it was nice seeing the walls come down as she let friends into her life. I enjoyed the romance too but the twist in the end makes me wonder what will happen in book two. I’ll be looking forward to the next book!

Read if you like:

fighting unit/training/missions
forbidden romance
found family
betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The House of Gardenias by. Isabel Cañas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The House of Gardenias

Author: Isabel Cañas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 228

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Categories: Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult, Gothic, Horror

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

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

Sixteen-year-old Minerva has spent her whole life in the slums of the capital city of an unnamed country that resembles colonial Mexico. Though she lives in the shadow of constant government turmoil, her empty belly and her father’s brutality don’t leave time for politics—especially since her older brothers ran away. Minerva can’t take another beating or miss another meal, so she steals flees to a wealthy loyalist neighborhood to win a job as a lady’s maid to an elderly widow.

Minerva and Encarnación del Valle—the proud and acerbic widow—form an unlikely duo. They are both survivors in their own ways, stubborn and used to being underestimated. For a time, Minerva is happy. She has food and safety in a house lit and warmed by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer afford the magic?

But when the viceroy sweeps back into power on a wave of horrific bloodshed that sweeps away any hope Minerva had of seeing her brothers again, Encarnación retreats to the del Valle’s mountainside estate, the Casa de la Gardenias. Minerva finds herself surrounded by dozens of more experienced servants and the cruel, scheming younger del Valles, but the living are the least of anyone’s worries at the Casa de las Gardenias, and soon Minerva discovers that this ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than the fascist del Valles or the liberal guerrillas amassing in the surrounding wilderness.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I feel like fall season is in full swing when I have a Isabel Cañas book to read. She just does historical fiction, paranormal, horror books so well! The setting is lush and has all the gothic, spooky vibes you would want. In this story it even has political unrest and intrigue with the Viceroy (leader of country) fighting the rebels. Minerva is starving and desperate but she finds a job with Encarnación del Valle, who is related to the Viceroy.

+ Minerva’s growth in this story is wonderful. She goes from a starving girl, who’s family has broken up – brothers joining the rebellion and a dad who abuses her to someone who is helping the rebellion take the Viceroy and his family down. She gets help by a spirit or ghost in the house, who is there to eventually take her chispa (which is like a person’s soul or life force). At first he comes off sinister and scary but their relationship changes when Minerva doesn’t show fear!

+ This one is a slow burn of a story but it escalates so nicely that I was racing to the end! I thought Encarnación taking in Minerva as a servant but teaching her things high society ladies know – like games and strategy was very interesting. She was Minerva’s employer but Minerva saw her as almost family, since she had none. There are a few complicated relationships in this story which kept things interesting.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoy the gothic and paranormal vibes of this one. The relationships are complicated and there is even political intrigue in this one. I loved Minerva’s growth from scared girl to someone who was tired of being stepped on and I even adored her strange relationship with Ygnacio. This was a quick read and perfect for spooky season!

Read if you like:

young adult paranormal, horror
gothic vibes

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Possession of Alba Díaz by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review – 4 stars

Vampires of El Norte by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review – 4 stars

Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hide the Witches (#1)

Author: Miranda Lyn

Pages: 558

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 4/20/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Enemies to Lovers

Some bonds are forged in blood. Others burn everything to ash.

In Grimora, secrets burn faster than witches, and Syneca Black is both. Forbidden fire magic courses through her veins, hidden behind a lifetime of lies because Hunters don’t spare phoenix blood.

When her best friend vanishes and resurfaces on execution scrolls, accused of crimes that she couldn’t have possibly committed, Syn risks everything and volunteers for a hunt that could see both of them killed. It’s the only way to protect the woman who is like a sister to her. But taking that oath means binding herself to Wickett, the legendary Hunter whose sharp eyes and lethal grace have ended countless witches’ lives.

Every moment beside him threatens to shatter her carefully built lies. Every stolen glance fans flames she can’t afford to kindle. He’s sworn to his cause. She’s everything he’s trained to destroy. But in a city where Sprites carry desperate messages and ancient Furies keep secrets, the most dangerous discovery isn’t the growing fire between them. It’s realizing that both hunter and hunted are dancing to someone else’s deadly design.

When the blood debts come due, Syneca must save the woman who stood with her in shadows or trust the man whose touch feels like salvation.

Will the world burn or will she?

Content Warning: violence, death, grief, abuse

+ Syneca Black is the Phoenix that the Magistrate and everyone else is hunting down because there is a prophecy that her power would burn down the world. Thing is, she’s been hiding her identity well but then one of her roommates and best friend, Vitoria, gets accused of being the Phoenix. Vitoria goes missing and the Magistrate puts together a group to hunt her down. Syn and her other friend Calder join the group so they can find her and help her, but also the Magistrate’s son who is a notorious hunter, Wickett is part of the group. I enjoyed the world building and the different species like sprites, shifters, witches, dragons, etc…

+ I love the found family in this story, especially the one between Syneca and Calder, but more people are added to the group. Syneca has a familiar that’s a grumpy griffin, and there is an Oracle, and Furies. It’s such an interesting cast of characters.

+ The romance is a slow burn and enemies to lovers between Syneca and Wickett, but I can’t say he was easy to get to know. He’s a hunter, he kills easily, and he marked Syneca as a person he will kill after their mission. So when the attraction grows between them, it does give us a spicy scene but also a twist in the story.

+~ I enjoyed this one and read it kind of slow, but it is almost 600 pages, so it was a bit long. But I was invested in the characters and the search for Vitoria. The twist in the story is very interesting and that cliffhanger ending has me downloading book two asap.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoy the world building, characters, the slow burn romance and the twist and turns at the end of this book! I’ve already downloaded book two so stay tuned for that review.

Read if you like:

hunter x witch, enemies to lovers
found family
good world building

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tallow and Bone by. Rhiannon Hargadon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Tallow and Bone

Author: Rhiannon Hargadon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: HRS Books

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Historical Fantasy

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

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

If Salem would rather kill witches than let them exist, how much will one witch sacrifice to save it?

After her family flees allegations of treason in Europe, Amity Merriweather hopes Salem will be a fresh start. Instead, she finds a land poisoned: Toxic relationships. Crop failures. Sick children. Deep-seated superstition and irrational fear. With every death, the curse buried beneath Salem’s cobblestone streets grows stronger.

Gifted with rare earth magic, Amity has spent her entire life hiding, suppressing her magic. She has a chance to heal the town before hysteria turns neighbor against neighbor. But Salem doesn’t want saving. Every acre of poison she clears will risk discovery, and she’ll get no thanks from its citizens.

Meanwhile, Amity must choose between two very different men:

A male witch hardened by abuse, who would gladly burn Salem to its poisoned roots… Or a scarred shoemaker with a heart too generous for its own good. Knowing which path to take requires knowing both men, but more importantly, it requires knowing herself.

Amity has worn as mask for so long, she no longer can be sure of who she truly is.

As accusations mount and innocents are dragged to the gallows, Amity faces an impossible choice. Keep sacrificing herself for people who would rather see her burn—or abandon Salem to the curse consuming it.

Tropes and Triggers:

Love Triangle with a masked MMC
Surprise (unwanted) pregnancy
Elemental magic
Generational curse
Witch Trials
Religious Trauma
Morally gray characters

TALLOW AND BONE is a dark paranormal romance. It is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials with a healer witch, a cursed village, and the choice between mercy or retribution.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, whipping, sexual harassment, hanging

+ Amity and her family are always on the run because she and her mother are witches. They’ve fled England, where they lived comfortably at court and now are barely thriving in the colonies, surviving with her father’s skill at lying, and her and her siblings talent at thieving. And when they reach Salem, they decide they want to stop running, but at what cost. The townspeople of Salem are Puritans and are run by a pastor who holds a lot of power and turns that power into a witch hunt because of the failing crops.

+ Amity is someone who’s been told to hide her power since she was a child, so she’s used to lying and being someone else – but in Salem she actually finds other witches and she learns a little more about her powers and magic. I kind of like that her magic wasn’t all powerful, yes she used it to help herself when she was in danger, but her magic was for growing things, it wasn’t anything malicious at all. I would have loved more magic in the story actually. But Amity has her flaws, she can’t be herself and tell the truth of who she is, so she’s never been real to other people only with her family. She can’t want the things she wants if she wants to survive in this world. Also she goes through some dark mentally challenging times in this book that I think women can relate to.

+ I loved Amity’s siblings, even Elizabeth at first, who was a bit more strict than most, until I hated her later. I love her big family, but their dad is an awful man. Amity’s siblings know she’s a witch and that is why they are on the run, Elizabeth is who resents her the most. This family is very complicated – their dad is abusive, yet he provides as best he can – he loves their mother (a witch) with a passion, but when she is gone there is no one to protect them from him. The sibling closeness was heartwarming. Some other characters I found fascinating in the story were the women of Salem. I love that the characters are complicated and flawed.

+ Amity is 23 and single and that’s a problem during that day and age. She’s beautiful and the men in Salem notice her. But she’s obsessed with a masked man who is also a witch, who isn’t very friendly towards her but there is a wild attraction between them. I suspected who it was fairly early in the book. But this witch isn’t the only man who is in Amity’s life. There is George, the hero of the town, who has burn scars because an event that happened in the past – he’s so good, kind, patient and protective. He gave Amity protection when the other man couldn’t step up to do it himself and I loved him for Amity. He deserved better. I don’t mind love triangles but this one broke my heart – devastated me at the end, and even though there is a resolution at the end…I wasn’t happy with it. Whenever I think about this book I’ll always remember George. I would have been happy as them in a throuple or a Why Choose situation, but this is that type of book where you don’t get what you wish for. 💔

+ There was a strong sense of foreboding from start to finish in this book. The setting and atmosphere of Salem really came through in the writing. The story is dark, the women aren’t safe, the people were hungry because of failed crops, there is violence, death, and family turning on family. There are deaths in this story that broke my heart, it seemed never ending that Amity was going to lose people and I hated that for her and hated how her big family fell apart. I wanted to scream in anger and pain for Amity and the women in Salem. There is a sort of happy ever after in the end, but it is so bittersweet that whenever I think of this story I’m just heartbroken.

Final Thoughts:

If I wanted a book to rip my heart out then this would be five stars, but my heart was so broken at the end of this one, which I wasn’t expecting. I was so shocked at the culmination of events at the end, I had no time to cry but my heart felt hurt and then hollow. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy thinking about what happened to George. This story sucked me in even though I knew something bad was coming, since I know the gist of the Salem witch trials. I couldn’t put it down. I understood Amity’s feelings of wanting to be free and not hiding herself but that wasn’t possible in a town like Salem, and I just wish they had all left and ran. To see everything fall apart around Amity, and her lose people she loved – oh this story is devastating. The ending is bittersweet and I felt emotionally exhausted. Though it didn’t end the way I wanted, I have to say I won’t be forgetting this book for awhile.

Read if you like:

dark fantasy
family
love triangle

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon| Book Review – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Bonetide by. Karina Halle | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Bonetide

Author: Karina Halle

Pages: 496

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 8/24/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Monster Romance, Horror, Paranormal

When Iris Galloway inherits her great-aunt’s cottage on a remote Scottish loch, the terms are live there one year, and it’s hers.

She doesn’t know about the disappearances yet, nor does she know about the handsome man who swims in the loch at night, who watches her cottage from the dark water, and who appears at her door very wet, very naked, and asking to come in.

Meanwhile, the locals warn her about a murderer on the loose, the police are in over their heads, and her aunt’s letters say to keep the salt lines around the house and the doors locked after sundown.

And never, ever invite him inside.

But Iris has spent her whole life being careful.

And this wicked stranger is going to ruin her for it.

Bonetide is a dark gothic romance that’s tinged with horror. While this book starts off almost like a cozy gothic mystery, it does pivot later into darker territory. Which also gets a little weird. If you’re here for the cozy, know that it doesn’t stay cozy. If you’re here for the dark romance, know that it’s coming. Please see inside the book or author’s website for the content warnings.

Content Warning: mentions of murder, death

+ Bonetide is a dark romance with all the creepy and spooky yet sexy vibes for spooky season or whenever you feel like reading something that make your spine tingle a little with anxiety. I loved the setting of Scotland – there is fog, a castle, a very small town and a loch with a gorgeous stranger always swimming in it. I felt like I could feel the chill in the air while reading this. There is also lore and mystery about some mythological creatures around the area which I found really fascinating.

+~ Iris’s great-aunt leaves her a cottage in Scotland but she has to stay there for a year. Iris goes there to help restart her life after her divorce but between the salt lining the windows and the hot, strange man swimming in the loch, she doesn’t really know what she’s gotten herself into. And then there are reports about missing women in the area. I don’t really blame Iris for not knowing anything about Scottish lore and the area because her great-aunt left her barely information about the house or the situation with the man. She went in blind, so her hormones got the best of her but I do say Iris was not scared off so easily – which I liked about her.

+ The romance is dark – Alasdair is not what he seems, but Iris is drawn to him, despite the warning in her mind and red flags about him. Her hormones were overriding the warning signs. But I will say, for a monster, he was gentle with her until she told him to stop being that way. The spice is quite hot between them, and I was really invested in their situation to see if it would work out since he is who he is. Like I said, Iris, is kind of made of strong stuff to stick by him after learning about what he is. He’s a monster but he’s her monster.

+ The story did really give me the chills and made me feel unsettled but there was some humor in it too because of Iris’ personality and how she deals with Alasdair being a monster. Any normal woman would run, but this monster has a Scottish brogue and is well endowed haha, so look I don’t blame her being seduced and falling for him. But I liked the mix of horror, humor and the creepy setting.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this had a little bit of everything and it worked for me: small town, creepy setting, Scottish folklore, humor, horror, spice, monster romance and a gorgeous guy swimming in a loch. This one gave me some chills and it’s perfect to read for spooky season!

Read if you like: