Hallowed Bones by. Lucy Smoke | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hallowed Bones (Sons of Salem, #1)

Author: Lucy Smoke

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Why Choose, Witches, Dark Academia, Romance, New Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Series

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first in the Sons of Salem series— a seductive, dark why-choose romance filled with cursed bloodlines, secret societies, and a powerful heroine destined to save the coven.

Four cursed heirs. One forbidden witch. A desire that burns bright.

I was warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem. Not because they’re monsters—but because they’re broken enough to recognize one.

Ezra Bishop.
Cameron Goode.
Lyall Corey.
Reyes Scott.

And me—Haven Wardwell.

Legacies. Witches. Something far worse than myths.

Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the Dark Gods will ask for in return.

Ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich College, and if I’m not careful, I might just become one of them.

Content Warning: violence, death, gore, self harm

Set in Ipswich College in Massachusetts, I love the vibes of this book. It’s got the cobwebbed filled, creepy college (that’s the dark academia element of it); the Salem Witch Trials history in the background, and rich, hot boys who are in a coven. All of it worked for me! I even love the scary monsters from the Veil, and the murders leaving bodies in ritualistic, gory poses. I kept thinking this would be a perfect book for spooky season!

I do think the murders get a little bit overshadowed by the main story of Haven figuring out she’s a witch and one the Sons of Salem need badly, in a provocative and practical sense. They have to convince her she’s a witch and need to learn how to control her powers but Haven gives them a hard time. I like Haven though, she’s practically alone, and has been dealing with visions and nightmares for years, so I would be skeptical like her too, plus she’s brave and strong enough to deal with these four guys.

As for these Sons of Salem – Cameron, Ezra, Reyes and Lyall, all hot, all with different powers, temperaments and ways of seduction – I’m not the biggest Why Choose romance, it has to be done right and so far I think this is starting off good. Is there instant lust? Yes, but it’s a slow burn and hey a new witch is coming into her wild powers and have to be a priestess in a male dominated coven? The instant lust feels normal honestly and all it came with was a few kisses. There is one full spicy scene and I was actually pleasantly surprised by this because I thought she was gonna get with all the guys in this first book. I wasn’t ready for all of that yet! So I’m glad this only had one graphic spice scene. I actually want to see how she connects with each guy as the story goes on.

So I do hope we get more of the murder mystery, but I felt like this first book did a good job of setting the stage for things to come.

Final Thoughts:

I kind of devoured this one because I loved the setting, the paranormal elements, monsters and even the gory murders! I think it all fits together and though this was insta-lust it was also a slow burn when it comes to the spice, I think it’s setting us up for way more to come though. I think out of all the guys Ezra is the one that intrigues me, but I like all the guys so far. I would like more about the murder mystery though so I look forward to reading the next book.

Read if you like:

cursed bloodlines, Witches, Werewolf
Why Choose romance but low spice so far
creepy setting, dark academia
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Trust Fall by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Trust Fall

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fall Romance, Enemies to Lovers

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

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

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.

It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.

To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.

As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

Content Warning: grief, bullying

+ A Lynn Painter YA rom-com, fall romance? I had to read this one, plus that cover is screaming pumpkin spice everything.

+ Julia’s family has come into wealth by a mysterious donor. To get the house they have to move into and live there for a time. Going from Nebraska to NYC is a book move and culture shock for Julia. I hated all the bullying she got from the private school she started to attend but I also love how she adapted to life outside of school and fell in love with the city. Damion is a rich boy, it is his grand-uncle who gave away his fortune and he is pissed about it because he thought he would get the house that was his refuge. So this starts off as an enemies to lovers romance.

+~ The romance is cute because of the bickering, and enemies to lovers but Damion was mean at first. I thought he was such a jerk but that’s what made me love when he had to grovel. And it was some good groveling too, so I love how everything played out between them.

+~ I thought this was a quick read and I enjoyed it. I love that both Julia and Damion were tied to his great-uncle in different ways, but it didn’t mean one didn’t love him more or less than the other person. It just took Damion a moment to realize that his great-uncle loving other people doesn’t mean he didn’t care about Damion. One of my issues with the story was with Julia’s family. Her brother is a twin and goes to the same school, so why wasn’t he doing more to protect her there. Same with her parents, they just didn’t seem very involved in what was happening in Julia’s life which maybe is realistic, but sucks because she was having a hard time fitting in. I was expecting her brother to step up a little more to her bullies. He really stepped up to Damion when he hurt Julia but really he could have done more earlier.

Final Thoughts:

Overall this one is a cute YA rom-com that definitely gave me fall vibes. I’m a sucker for a rom-com set in New York City and this one didn’t disappoint.

Read if you like:

fall romance
enemies to lovers
young adult romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Maid for Each Other by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review– 3 ⭐️

Nothing Like the Movies by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review – 3 ⭐️

Happily Never After by. Lynn Painter| Book Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Betting on You by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review – 4 ⭐️

Love Wager by. Lynn Painter | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Better Than the Movies | ARC Review – 4.5 ⭐️

Ignite the Infernos by. Ivy Asher| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Ignite the Infernos (Secret of the Syphon, #2)

Author: Ivy Asher

Pages: 339

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 9/8/26

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dragon Shifters, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Series

After her family curse is lifted, Ever’s on the run from her enemy, a shifter who’s both her foe and her fate, in this slow-burn sequel to Spark the Flames.

With one murderous act, Ever Tenebrae has freed the Syphons. But breaking the curse was only the beginning of the daunting journey ahead . . .

Ever’s once again on the run from the Horde and the dragon prince who’s become something far more dangerous than a mere enemy. Aeson Noctis is on the hunt, and the deeper he digs through the sands of the Scorch, the more truths he uncovers.

Though the road’s fraught with peril, Ever will have to move quickly if she’s to reunite with her people and ensure their survival. Staying hidden should’ve been easy for the Syphons, but their protection weakens as the bond between Ever and Aeson grows stronger each day.

Now, with old adversaries closing in and new threats rising from the shadows, Ever must decide once and for all who to trust. Because the Syphons’ secrets are coming to light, and what’s revealed could save them—or lead to their ultimate destruction.

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of torture, trauma, memories of trauma

+ After reading book one, I went straight into book two without taking a break! Ever is on the run, and Aeson is on the chase because that’s his bonded. And even though Aeson was on the chase, I really wanted Ever to go back home to her sister and the Syphons so she could catch them up on everything going on. Would it have been easy for Ever to just trust Aeson and tell him everything? Definitely. But the people who killed her family were still out there living among The Horde, so I totally get why she can’t trust him with everything yet.

+ I feel like we get to see more of Ever’s bad-assery in this sequel. She’s leading Aeson on a chase and he is flustered. Ever bends a little eventually because she knows she needs help. She knows what she’s doing and as she said, has the ovaries to do it. I love her bravery but yes she can be frustrating because all Aeson wants to do is love her and all she knows how to do is run. We finally get to meet her sister and get to know her better. They have some issues to work out but their bond and love is strong. I loved getting to know their found family of wyverns and sorcai.

+ The romance is complicated because of all the trust issues between Ever and Aeson. He wants her to bend and let him in. She wants to because of her dragon’s needs but she’s also afraid because letting someone in means the potential to get hurt and she’s been hurt a lot. I’m rooting so hard for them though. They bicker and fight, but they also have some tension filled spicy scenes that are fun. And I actually like how there isn’t many spicy scenes between them – just the right amount because they really have a lot to work through. Clearly, he is crazy about her but wants her to choose him not because of the bond. I feel like the payoff for their romance is going to be so good because Ever is right, she is his mate, but he is not her master. And he is sticking by her even when she pisses him off 😅 – he’s a good man!

+ There is more political intrigue in this one because the Dukes and other powerful people of The Horde want a chance to meet Ever and court her too. There are power plays and people making moves and still Ever is trying to weed out who massacred her family – they get somewhere at the end but it leaves the story with another plot twist.

Final Thoughts:

I absolutely devoured books one and two back to back and I cannot wait for book three. I want more of this world, more of Ever and Aeson bickering and having steamy scenes, but I also want to know more about her twin and the Syphons. The secrets are coming out and they are so intriguing – I can’t wait to see how this all plays out. I will be waiting patiently for book three!

Read if you like:

dragon shifters
urban fantasy
strong and stubborn FMC & MMC
enemies to lovers
political intrigue

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Spark the Flames by. Ivy Asher | Book Review – 4.5 stars/ 2 🌶️

The Wretched Divine by. Adalyn Grace | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine, #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 512

Listening Hours: approx. 19 hrs 44 min

Narrator (s): Kristin Atherton; Major Curda; Marisa Calin; Shane East

Publication Date: 9/21/26

Publisher: FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

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

Thank you to FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ Knights, angels and demons. The audiobook was fantastic and very entertaining. I loved all the narrators and their voices.

+~ The world-building is great and I really love how the story build and builds into the climax at the end but I did find the beginning a little slow. The pacing was a bit up and down because it starts off with a lot of action then it pulls back for when they are trying to find ingredients for the cure – which is where things slow down but we do get to know the characters more. But it finishes with twists, betrayals, and makes me want to read book two right away. There are a lot of questions in the book about who is the real villain – is it the angels or the demons? They have been locked in war for so long and everyone is tired, but revenge and hate runs deep on both sides so how can they stop killing each other?

+~ Aurelie is a knight and her life is dedicated to killing demons but when her father starts turning into a demon she does anything and everything to find a cure, even bonding with a demon. Thing is, she’s also bound to an angel, Yuriel. Some of Aurelie’s actions were questionable but I get that her motivation was to save her father after losing so many other people in her life already.

+ There are so many fascinating characters in this story like Yuriel the angel with a past, Severin – a very mischievous demon who likes to sing and make wine, Illaria – the princess who was almost Aurelie’s sister in law, and Vex the little vesper who is a big help to Aurelie and Yuriel. I was invested in everyone and some of the interactions were so funny, because Severin is such a trouble maker and Vex was funny too.

+~ This is more fantasy than romance, there are some spicy moments and even some confusing moments where Aurelie is enticed by Severin but also feels admiration for Yuriel, so I’m not sure if this will be a love triangle or a why choose or what. Or is it heading towards a throuple? I have no clue but oh the possibilities!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, especially the second half of the book! The audiobook was wonderful and all the narrators did a great job voicing the characters. There is action, a little spice, secrets, betrayal, knights, angels and demons. I can’t wait for book two!

Read if you like:

knights
war between angels and demons

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 4 stars

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 5 stars

Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Stalker Anonymous

Author: Dana Leeann

Pages: 398

Format: paperback

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Categories: Dark Romance

Cole Matthews definitely isn’t a stalker. Probably.

Sure, he used company resources and crossed some lines to “have a conversation” with his sister’s abusive ex. But that was a one-time thing. Now, Cole has to attend a group therapy program with a long, clinical name…but the participants? They call it Stalkers Anonymous.

Hailey Brigham is definitely dating the perfect man. Probably.

She’d love to focus more attention on Cole, the smoking hot, ex-military sweetheart whose idea of a casual second date is tandem skydiving. But a drug-seeking patient at the ER where she’s a second-year resident knows too much about Hailey’s personal life, and his fixation on her is getting harder to ignore.

When threats against Hailey escalate, Cole’s protective instincts go into overdrive. To keep her safe, he would do anything—even if it means becoming the monster he’s kept so carefully locked up inside.

Stalkers Anonymous is a dark romance with a morally gray hero, a fierce heroine, and a found family of misfits you won’t see coming (unless they want you to).

Content Warning: violence, death, stalking, mental health

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for sending me a copy of Stalker Anonymous by. Dana Leeann!

+ I wasn’t sure how this story would play out because clearly, stalking is a bad thing, but the twist in this story is Cole, a recovering stalker (he stalked the guy who hurt his sister), meets and falls for Hailey who has a stalker. So Cole’s tendencies to stalk and protect Hailey is coming out in full force. But he’s stalking her stalker! I could sympathize with Cole – clearly he knows what he did to his sister’s ex-boyfriend was over the line, and he was getting help, but I also love that he was stalking the bad guy.

+ The romance was easy and fun until the stalker ramped up his obsession with Hailey. I love how Cole and Hailey meet, they are both good people, and they fall for one another. But I also love when Cole’s past is revealed and it presents a conflict in the relationship that there is space between them so each of them can work on themselves. There are spicy moments between but nothing too crazy.

+ Cole is attending a therapy group session but I love how they sort of become a found family/friendship for him later on in the book. I thought that twist was kind of fun.

Final Thoughts:

I found this book to be a quick, easy read with a fun dark romance twist. Who really is the bad guy when the stalker is helping catch another stalker? I loved the romance between Cole and Hailey, I thought it was easy and fun until the conflict – but I like how they work things out too. Overall, I enjoyed this one and can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

Read if you like:

stalker romance
dark romance with a twist
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Heart Trials by. J. Elle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Heart Trials (#1)

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/1/26

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

Categories: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult, Series

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Welcome to The Heart Trials.
The prize is love.
The cost is everything.

In Ethyria the highborn may love; the lowborn may only feel what the Benevolent allows.

Saltblood lowborn Axira Merreri survives the decaying districts by keeping her heart locked tight, couriering goods by day — and smuggling the ruler’s euphoric Heartfillers to the highborn by night. Until a drop goes wrong and her execution looms.

When she strikes a dangerous bargain to steal something from the Tournament of Hearts, a ruthless dating competition for highborn citizenship, she enters. Not for love. For freedom. But as the twisted allure of the competition turns deadly, an unexpected connection cracks her defenses, forcing her to confront a truth she In a regime built on engineered happiness, the most dangerous weapon she has is her heart.

Content Warning: violence, death, drug use

+ The Heart Trials has some really unique world building. People are named after districts they are from for example Saltborn (place with water), Grainborn, Skyborn (wealthy), etc…so trying to learn about this world took some time to get used to. Also, low borns are prevented from falling in love, meaning they have to wear a chain across their mouth to avoid kissing, they have to wear gloves to not be able to touch, and these lower born citizens are monitored heavily by Mercyenforcers. People are also given drugs to stay compliant – can’t have people sad or angry, so the Benevolent (the ruler) can stay in power comfortably. Now the Heart Trials is a competition held by the Benevolent, contestant have to show they have fallen in love at the end of the trials. The winner gets to become a Skyborn, also there is some magic released in the kiss between two people who are truly in love that helps the Benevolent.

+ Axira is a smuggler of heartfillers, the drugs that keep people happy, but one meeting with a client ends up in disaster and she ends up joining the Heart Trials in agreement with the prince. Their goal is to steal the magic of the last kiss in order to take power away from the prince’s father. I thought Axira was an interesting mix of naive but also being savvy. The thing she has no experience in is the falling in love part, which was interesting to see. She’s new to touch, to a kiss, to feelings that involve love for another person that isn’t family or a friend. But I did think she kept herself aware of who was plotting against her.

+~ The romance is young adult and very clean. Axira spends a lot of time with Caelus, the prince, because they have a plan together. But she does start to feel things for him by the end except there is a twist in the story. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

+~ I do think the first half of the story moved slow even though there were deadly rials that helped show a lot of mistrust among the contestants. It was giving Hunger Games vibes throughout the trials, but I thought it was so funny to have a deadly trial and then they had to get to know a potential lover in the next moment. It wasn’t exactly the environment for romance to bloom! I was thinking this was a 3 star read until that ending. There was good tension that built from the slow start all the way to the cliffhanger ending, which I enjoyed a lot. The second half was my favorite part, especially with the twist in the end.

Final Thoughts:

I think the first half of this story moved a little slowly but there is some world building to acclimate to because it was so unique. I love the creativity. The trials gave Hunger Games with speed dating vibes at times, which was strange but refreshing also. I did like the tension! I also liked the romance and that the twist in the end led to a cliffhanger and now I need book two! Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Read if you like:

young adult dystopian
deadly trials
cliffhanger ending

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

House of Marionne by. J. Elle | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Shadow of Perl by. J. Elle | ARC Review – 3 ⭐️

In the Veins of the Drowning by. Kalie Cassidy | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: In the Veins of the Drowning (The Siren Mage, #1)

Author: Kalie Cassidy

Pages: 377

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 7/15/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

The monster is always slain…

Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

Content Warning: self harm, violence, death, gore

I finally read this book and I don’t know why it took me so long to get to it. It starts off like most romantasy books, an FMC who is trapped and needs help fleeing the king that oppresses her. There are the usual tropes in this book that are found in romantasy but what stood out to me was how the Imogen and Theodore bicker! It was so much fun. I like how they are honest and tell each other off, to their faces. It’s kind of refreshing! So I loved the enemies to lovers romance in this one, or is it dislike to like? Whatever it is, I loved it even though Theo is reserved and dutiful at first, he very much so reminded me of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice so it was fun to see Imogen getting under his skin. It was my favorite part of the whole story.

But there is also a lot going on in this story – Imogen is a Siren and bound to multiple people and she needs to break free of them, but doing so has it’s own consequences. I was very invested to see what path Imogen would choose and what choices she would make. There is political intrigue, travel, some action, romance, and secrets. I loved learning about the Sirens and the world building was good.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad I finally finished this one and I’m not sure why it took me so long to finally read it. It has a lot of things I enjoy in a romantasy like political intrigue, and romance of course, but what I really loved was Imogen and Theo. Seeing them interact and eventually fall for one another was very, funny and entertaining. I also want to see how this story plays out so I’m eager to read book two.

Read if you like:

romantasy
forced proximity

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fate So Cruelly Bound by. J.M. Grosvalet | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Fate so Cruelly Bound (The Deadly Divine, #2)

Author: J.M. Grosvalet

Pages: 750

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 6/23/26

Categories: High Fantasy, Romance, Series

The veil has been crossed—
and the cost has only begun.

Hunted by the realm she fled and mistrusted by the one she’s entered, Elara walks the immortal isles of Tir na nÓg with a single truth thrumming in her chest—she no longer belongs to either world. The Sidhe call her dangerous. The remnants of her human heart call her lost. Somewhere between them, her blood hums with a power that was never meant to exist—her heart pulled toward two men divided by war.

When an attack within the Sidhe courts exposes a conspiracy older than the war between their realms, Elara and Reynnar are thrust into a perilous journey across Tir na nÓg.

Gaps in the ledgers. Altered maps. Names the courts refuse to speak.
But the land remembers what they bury— and Elara means to unearth it.

Across the veil, Latheria burns. The Lord Sovereign tightens his grip as rebellion rises in the north. Ivan Dantan—once the Hunter, now a fugitive—feels himself turning into something monstrous. Marked by a power he does not trust, he walks the fault lines of the war he helped ignite, haunted by the girl he cannot forget.

As gods stir and the past and the future begin to braid, Elara must face what she was always meant to become—
the key, the weapon, and the warning.

Because some truths do not rest.
Some threads refuse to break.
And some destinies aren’t chosen.
They are cruelly bound.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ I had to read this right away after being addicted to book one and again, I could not put this down even though it is 750 pages long. Is it too long? Yes, but I stuck with it anyway because I enjoyed it The world building is dense and some things get confusing especially when the math comes into the equation concerning the Void (traveling between space), I just go with it. But I love the world building because now we are in the realm of the Sidhe (Faerie) and Elara has to learn all these different types of Sidhe, their powers, and their land. So the world opens up so much more, plus we get to learn about the Vredians also in the North, the only ones who Lord Osin hasn’t conquered. There is also the mystery of how Osin is taking Sidhe from their realm and taking their powers and imprisoning them. I was invested in that but I think some of it could have been cut out because it does slow the story down when they are hanging out at a house doing research.

+ I love all the characters. This story is told in third person and it’s a huge cast but I love that despite the big cast, each character has unique personalities and stories and I get so invested in them! I think it’s what I love most about this series so far – I care about the characters. The found family in this book is wonderful.

+ Ellara grows a lot in this one, finally she learns some combat skills because I was worried about her in book one. Also, she learns more about herself and past so she has to grapple with all aspects of her being human, Sidhe and/or other. She has this sense of never belonging but so badly wanting to and I just want her to have a good group of people to love her.

+~ Is the romance a love triangle? I don’t even know because it is so low spice (barely steaming), and such a slow burn…I can’t even call it a burn. More like slow yearn! 😅. The yearning and longing in this book is off the charts! I cannot even choose between Reynnar and Ivan and I have never had a dilemma like that. I don’t want her to choose between them! I love them both. And I understand both guys are different, but they love Elara so fiercely. Will it be Why Choose? Or will it be a devastating love triangle? I just wish there was a tiny bit more spice…just a tiny bit. If you like slow build up romance with low spice, you will like this one.

~ I don’t know what was going on with my ebook copy from kindle unlimited but there were a few typos. Like words without a space between them which kind of made some of my reading experience jarring since I had to figure out what the author was trying to say! But I realize it was typos when it happened on more than one page.

+ I was so happy that after book one, I had book two ready to download but after that ending, now what do I do? How long do I have to wait to see Ellara take down Osin because I want that so badly for her and her friends!

Final Thoughts:

I’m hooked on this series! It’s long and has dense world-building but I am so invested in the characters, I cannot seem to put the story down. I love learning about this whole world the author has created and I love the secret and betrayals too. I’m actually surprised I’m so addicted to this story when it’s sometimes a slow read and a low spice high fantasy – I do want a little more spice in it but I can’t even decide who I want Elara to get spicy with. I love both MMC’s, which makes me sad if she chooses one. The ending ends on a cliffhanger so I’ll be trying to wait patiently for book three!

Read if you like:

high fantasy/low romance
dense world building
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Blood So Deadly Divine by. J.M. Grosvalet | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Blood So Deadly Divine (The Deadly Divine, #1)

Author: J.M. Grosvalet

Pages: 596

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 11/18/24

Categories: High Fantasy, Romance, Series

A Hallowed…

Born with a soul that unites realms, Elara, the Hallowed, has lived a life that has never been her own. Trapped within a web of divine rituals and spiritual duties, she’s more a vessel than a person. With a power that has the dual edge to purify or defile, the weight of the realm’s hopes rests on her shoulders. But when her sheltered existence among the Druid sect is shattered by a friend’s brutal murder, she’s compelled to peel back the layers of deceit that have long ensnared her.

A Hunter…

Ivan Dantan, known in hushed tones as “The Hunter”, is the cold embodiment of lethal precision and power. With a mask that strikes terror and a legacy stained in blood, he is duty-bound to the High Council. But when Elara, a beacon of light and defiance, enters his life, the lines between duty and desire blur. He challenges her, stirs her spirit, and draws her to the precipice of the forbidden.

A Realm…

Latheria, poised on the knife’s edge of dark power and ancient pacts, stands threatened by forces that wish to shatter its delicate balance. As the shadows of treachery loom large, the distinctions between ally and enemy, right and forbidden, begin to fade. Elara and Ivan find themselves at the heart of a realm teetering on the edge of upheaval, where the ties that bind them could be the very threads that unravel the fabric of their world.

Content Warning: violence, death, blood sacrifice

+ I’ve had this one in my KU library for awhile now and I’ve been meaning to get to it and finally did. Ellara is Hallowed, supposedly chosen by divine to give up her blood periodically for the kingdom to thrive. She is a prison to this life of Druids and sacrifice and she is tired of it but don’t know a way out until she learns the truth about the Fae that are being hunted and taken, and how it ties to her.

+~ Everything revolves around Ellara and her blood. There are secrets, so many betrayals and political intrigue in this one which I enjoyed a lot. I’d say it’s more fantasy than romance. It has dense world building so the story moves slow in the first half. There is even Faerie language (there are footnotes with translation in the glossary). We learn about the Druids, some things about the Fae and also the space between realms called the Void. A lot of the information later on in the book about the Void gets very dense though and kind of went over my head. But I stuck with it and enjoy the action moments especially in the end.

+ Ellara’s character was obedient in the beginning but it was clear she was tired of being a pawn for everyone, especially Osin, who has her trapped as the blood sacrifice. Because she was sheltered by the Druids, there was a lot of growth in her but I do hope to see more. She was naive about a lot of things which was to be expected, but once her eyes are open to Osin’s crimes and know that not everyone can be trusted she grows much more.

+ There is barely a romance in this one, it’s a very slow burn with not really any spice, just some steam and a lot of the times there was not one guy who I thought Ellara was fully connected to, but you have to read to the end to see it play out. I don’t know how I feel about the Hunter, the man Ellara spent most of her time with. He is an enemy but she has missing memories about her past so when some things are revealed, it opened my eyes about him but I was still wary. There are other men that come into her life though that will probably be featured more in book two – it will be interesting to see how the romance plays out.

Final Thoughts:

Despite the heavy world building and slow first half I was hooked on Ellara and her journey as a naive, sheltered, blood sacrifice and her regaining memories and getting stronger. She’s a very resilient character and I loved seeing her grow. The political intrigue kept me invested in the story. There is more fantasy than romance but I still enjoyed and downloaded book two right away! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Read if you like:

high fantasy/low romance
enemies to lovers
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The House That Eats the Dead by. Max Doty | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The House That Eats the Dead

Author: Max Doty

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 8/18/26

Publisher: Bantam

Categories: Horror, Suspense, Haunted House

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

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

A family moves into their dream home—only to discover that it hides an insatiable hunger—in this dread-laced and darkly outrageous domestic horror novel.

The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It’s a move away from the cityscape of a declining San Francisco and towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children.

Yet as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong. Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow, and her daughter’s favorite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible The house is hungry. It’s devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this “food” ever existed.

When Claire exploits the house’s power in a moment of weakness, she and the house forge a fragile bond. But as its hunger intensifies and Claire loses control, she fears who else might be drawn to her home—and what sinister appetites they’ll bring.

Content Warning: violence, death, gore

+ Claire and her husband Tom, with their two kids move into a new house. But this house eats things so naturally Claire wants to move because what if the house wants to eat them? But Tom feels like this house could be a tool for them. So they stay until things get really crazy.

+ This story has it’s creepy and gory moments, but it wasn’t too scary that it freaked me out. Actually I was surprised that the more I read about this house eating things, I was like Claire and thought of the house like a house pet! This story was actually fun to read. The house had different tastes but it sure did love a dead body. Yikes! But it’s not only a house that ate things, when the house ate a person, even the memory of said person is erased from everyone not tied to the house. I thought that was really interesting and made me question a lot of decisions that Claire and Tom made. I also questioned was it the house making them more bloodthirsty or was it just them?

+ This is a horror story but I love how spot on this author captured Claire who went from being an artistic young woman, to now a wife and mother. It felt so relatable, down to the issues she had being married to Tom but never voiced out loud. I thought the ending was very interesting!

+~ I think I went into this one thinking I wouldn’t be able to read it at night, so I was surprised that it wasn’t that kind of horror. So halfway into the book I was expecting more horror and thrills and it wasn’t living up to my expectations in that sense, but it’s not a bad thing because I actually had fun reading this book.

Final Thoughts:

This one has its creepy and gory moments but it’s also kind of funny. How did I end up being scared of a house and then in the end kind of sympathize and care about it? That’s what happened while I read this very interesting and usual horror story. I actually want to read more of this type of horror, so I look forward to see what this author writes next.

Read if you like: