Everything I Promised You by. Katy Upperman | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Everything I Promised You

Author: Katy Upperman

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 1/28/25

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Grief, Contemporary, 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 Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An emotionally raw and romantic YA novel perfect for fans of Laura Nowlin’s If He Had Been with Me.

Their love was written in the stars, but how is Lia to move on when death trumps fate?

When Lia’s mom was 17, she had her fortune told and learned her only daughter was fated to fall in love with her best friend’s son. Life unfolded exactly as predicted, and despite the army-brat lifestyle bringing them in and out of each other’s orbit, Lia and Beckett were meant to be. Or so they thought.

When a freak heart attack steals Beck’s life, Lia is devastated and unmoored. She lived her life by her mom’s old fortune; if she was fated to be with Beck, and Beck is gone, who is she supposed to be? And is there room in her broken heart for life, let alone another love?

Content Warning: death, grief, foster care

Likes:

+ Lia (Amelia) is grieving. The love of her life has died and she doesn’t know how to go on. Being an Army brat, she’s attended more schools than most kids but now at this new school she has to deal with new changes, new friends and her grief.

+ I thought this was such a heart-warming story because of how close Beck and Lia’s mom’s were close throughout their lives (soulmates) and that’s how Beck and Lia had been in each other’s lives since birth. The story portrays the different people feeling grief, not only Lia, and I like that. Her grief is painful and relatable. I also love how this story starts with a fortune teller and her mother. And it really questions what happens when the plans you’ve made are destroyed and how you get back up and forge a new plan and path.

+ Lia is not only dealing with grief. It is her senior year, so she has some hard decisions to make about her plans after high school. But she does try hard to make friends, and she meets a really good group of girls who support her immediately. She even finds her heart opening to someone new, who is really a great guy. I love that even through all the pain, she is ready to live her life again.

+ The romance is slow and sweet! There are flashbacks about her relationship with Beck, but her new relationship with Isaiah is so different and I love that for her. I like how he gives her space. Isaiah has had a hard upbringing too and foster care is a topic discussed in this book. These two broken people come together and it’s a wonderful love story.

Dislikes:

~ I’m not a fan of flashbacks but I like how this showed how young and sweet Beck and Lia’s love is but also was flawed in hindsight.

~ Lia’s relationship with her parents is strained but I can understand why because grieve is a chaotic place to be. I just wish she let her mom in more, but I get it. I totally get it.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I like how it takes a look at young love and grief. My heart broke for Lia because I can relate to her story – how do you move on when the plans for your future is destroyed in one moment? It’s a hard journey and Lia’s story reflects how sometimes it’s bittersweet but also how there is hope for the future, and there is more life and love to give and receive if you are open to it.

Book Links:

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The Rival by. Emma Lord | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Rival

Author: Emma Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/21/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Rivals to Lovers, Coming of Age

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

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

Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again!

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

Likes:

+ I love a rivals to lovers romance and this offers all the fighting and chemistry between two people who are trying to ignore the attraction between them. I especially love that Sadie and Seb have known one another since they were little! I loved seeing them go from frenemies to lovers.

+ This is a coming of age story as well as a romance. Sadie and Seb both are in their first year of college and though Sadie knows what she wants, she’s not sure what her family would think of her dreams of being a comedic writer. As for Seb, he’s not sure what path is right for himself but though he and Sadie are rivals, they definitely do push one another to be better versions of themselves – usually.

+ I thought the college experience was captured really well in this story – I loved all the antics, campus life, and shenanigans with the clubs. Also, Betty was awesome.

Dislikes:

~ There were times I wished Sadie would let up on the competition with Seb and their little falling out felt a bit overdramatic on Sadie’s part.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one because I loved the college campus life portrayed in the story. The rivals to lovers romance was full of fighting, banter and chemistry. Overall, I thought it was a fun story!

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Break-Up Pact by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Getaway List by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Begin Again by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When You Get the Chance by. Emma Lord | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Yes No Maybe by. Jessica Sherry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Yes No Maybe

Author: Jessica Sherry

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Slow Burn, Chick Lit

Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan Mackey avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways.

Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things.

Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack Graham, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits.

These opposites attract, forging a surprise connection. Boundaries vanish as tension rises between them, and they face emotionally charged choices.

Will Rowan risk her safe life with Dean for a chance with the grumpy playboy next door? And will Jack change everything to find the inspiration he craves with the one woman he shouldn’t?

Content Warning: grief, trauma, memories of assault

I picked this book to read for my Spell the Month tbr challenge because the title starts with a Y, so I can fulfill that letter for the month of January. And I was so pleasantly surprise with this book!

Rowan lives with mental scars but very physical ones too – which came from an incident from childhood. It puts some people off so she’s had to struggle with dating and just putting herself out there in general but I really liked Rowan. She’s a teacher, and you know how kids can be cruel but she shows throughout this story how tough she is and caring. I like how she willingly takes in a foster kid even when it’s a challenge. She’s strong, and generous and I like that about her.

Jack is her neighbor and he’s a playboy. He’s also a famous romance writer and at first they do not get along. But what I loved about this story is that we get to watch their relationship progress from enemies, to friendship and ultimately to lovers but it’s not a rush. It’s definitely a slow burn.

The found family scenario with Rowan, Jack and the neighbors was so cute and heartwarming. I love how they had a newsletter.

There was a lot of issues when it came to Rowan and relationships but it was totally understandable. Jack made a few mistakes trying to show her how he felt but I liked seeing what these two people do to make things work.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this romance and I’m glad I picked it up even though I didn’t know anything about it or the author. I look forward to reading more books from her!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Breath of the Dragon by. Shannon Lee and Fonda lee| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Breath of the Dragon

Author: Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 1/7/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Martial Arts, Fantasy, Young Adult, Series, Politics

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

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

The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.

Content Warning: violence

Jun and his twin, Sai, are born in the East where only a dragon breathmarked can learn to fight be picked to become an elite warrior. When their family is torn apart, with Jun and his dad to the West and Sai and his mom in the East, Jun has to do what he can to see them again. The first step is to become the next Guardian. And to do that he has to join a fighting tournament against the toughest fighters in the West.

If you like martial arts, you will love this story. It’s got fighting, politics, found family and it’s overall just such an entertaining story! I really enjoyed the world-building.

I really enjoyed Jun as the main character – he’s stubborn, but you know this kid has such a good heart. He wants to be a Guardian but it’s so he can make his dad proud and find his mom and brother. I was really rooting for him through his growth and his fights. I loved watching him build relationships with Ren, Chang and his rival Yin. There is political intrigue going on in the West but I think with how this book ends, we’ll get to see what is happening in the East next.

The fighting scenes are great! Very violent but so good that I wish this was a tv show or movie – remember those days of martial art movies? It’s definitely entertaining.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot and can’t wait to read the next book!

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Jade City by. Fonda Lee | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue by. Kate Pearsall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow, #2)

Author: Kate Pearsall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/7/25

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

Categories: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult, Paranormal, 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 G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A beautifully dark YA set in Appalachia tinged with magic, mystery, murder, and romance. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.

Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?

Content Warning: violence

I really enjoyed Bittersweet in the Hollow, the first book in this series. I love the James women!

We are back in Caball Hollow which is in the Appalachia mountains of West Virginia. It’s an eerie small town and the James women history with witchcraft, the bone tree, the Moth-Winged man stories and now sightings of the Wampus Cat just adds to it all. I enjoy the lore of the James women and the atmosphere of the setting.

I feel like this book is way more atmospheric than book one and much more creepy. Rowan, one of my favorite of the James sisters, because of her fiery personality, she is restless but she finds her calling when she is forced to volunteer for the Forest Service and she is one brave young lady. She is alone in the forest except for basically a treehouse and a walkie-talkie. For someone young, she’s really responsible and doesn’t complain about things, which I love about her.

The mystery about community members missing items and essentially maybe missing parts of themselves is what brings Rowan and Hadrian (the Moth-Winged Man) together. Between these two and their attraction to one another, we learn more about the forest, the Otherworld, the bone tree, and what would happen if the bone tree died. I also loved the storyline about Zephyrine who is Gran’s lost sister.

I do feel like this book was help transitioning to what’s going to happen with book three and so I feel like we didn’t get to know Rowan as much as I wanted. We were in her head a lot which is great but I wanted to see her interact more with her sisters and Hadrian. I loved her scenes with Hadrian but I love them so much I wanted more.

My Thoughts:

This is a great sequel and I can’t wait to read more about the James sisters and Caball Hollow!

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Book Links:

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Bittersweet in the Hollow by. Kate Pearsall | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Song to Drown Rivers

Author: Ann Liang

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 325

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Categories: Historical Fiction, Romance, Politics

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.
Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

Content Warning: violence, death

I’ve heard lots of good things about this book so when I saw it on KU I had to read it.

This is a really fascinating historical fiction story about Xishi, one of the most beautiful women in China, and I had never heard about her and her legendary beauty but I was engrossed with this tale.

Xishi is telling this tale about how she has had a rough childhood because of the war between the Yue and Wu. And we learn she is the most beautiful girl in the village and that draws the attention from a military advisor from the Yue side. They want to use her to infiltrate the Wu kingdom, make the king fall so deeply in love with her that they won’t know what hit them when the Yue attack. But can she do it? This girl from a lowly village with the most beautiful face?

I thought the training part of the book went super fast and wish it was more detailed. I wasn’t confident in Xishi’s skill to woo a king at the end of her training. At times I felt her character was so weak, I wasn’t sure how Fuchai would become obsessed with her, but he does. She must be that beautiful but I wanted more from her personality. Also I felt like Zhendang’s story fizzled out too fast – she poses as Xishi’s lady’s maid but I felt like she barely had a role when they are at the Wu’s.

The romance that built between her and Fanli was filled with so much tension, angst, longing even if they don’t have many scenes together. Maybe it’s a bit of insta-love but I don’t mind it with how things were taking place for Xishi.

And even though King Fuchai of the Wu was the enemy I liked how he and Xishi interacted with one another. She had to pretend to like him but I think eventually she did, at least as a friend. It was just sad all around how everything ended but I love how this story showed how war is something created by the powerful and everyone else is a bystander and gets caught in the crossfire.

Quotes from the Book:

“When men say they want a lover, what they often mean is they want a mirror; they wish to see themselves reflected back at them in the best light.”
Ann Liang – “A Song to Drown Rivers”

“The men will fight for their thrones and their power and their legacies, but to them we are nothing more than crickets and ants, insignificant, expendable.”
Ann Liang – “A Song to Drown Rivers”

Final Thoughts:

This story is tragic but so compelling. I love how the story was told and how everything unfolded with some twists and turns that I was not expecting. At times I did want more from the characters and the political drama but it was still entertaining. The bravery of Xishi to basically go into a lion’s den to try and take down the opposition was inspiring but her realization who the true enemy was came too late. The love story is filled with such longing – oh the heartbreak! I thought this was a great read and look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us, #2)

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 7/9/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Content Warning: violence, death, misogyny, abuse, murder

I didn’t love The Shadows Between Us when I read it 4 years ago. But The Darkness Within Us, I did like! Chrysantha, like her sister Alessandra, is a very strong young lady who has plotted, murdered, and poisoned to try and get her way. She does get what she wants but only for a moment, because Eryx Demos, her late husband’s true heir comes to take it all from her.

I loved the enemies to lover romance between Chrysantha and Eryx. She is a woman on a mission, and he is a man full of secrets. I love their interactions because I found her character so compelling. She’s beautiful, but clearly flawed and also I loved that in this book Chrysantha and Alessandra try to finally make amends. I didn’t love their relationship in book one and I had my reservations about it in this book but I think it was nice to see them trying to understand one another (although I didn’t quite trust either of them). They have such an uncomfortable relationship but I guess that can be relatable. They have more in common than they realized though.

Although I loved the romance, I was bummed that this was young adult and not new adult. The potential steamy scenes are fade to black and honestly with characters like Chrysantha who is taking lovers and taking what she wants, I was looking forward to a little spice. But this has very mild spice.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book was when Chrysantha and Eryx were driving one another crazy. I did like Eryx’s secret and how Chrysantha and her sister starting to mend their relationship. I really enjoy the feminist stance of the two sisters – they are not the perfect, nice, abiding females but have had to do what needed to be done to survive the world they live. Women are considered the weaker sex but not according to Chrysantha who will do anything too have power of her own. I wish there was more spice but it’s a young adult novel and I still enjoyed it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books By this Author:

The Shadows Between Us | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars, #2)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/10/24

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, 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 Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Content Warning: death, violence, war

I enjoyed the first book in this series called The Hurricane Wars. I wasn’t sure what would happen in book two but here are my thoughts:

Likes:

All my stars for this book is for the romance. Oh my, their marriage of convenience has them bickering, and then the slow burn turns into an actual inferno that ignites between them. It’s my favorite part of the whole book, Talasyn and Alaric and their spicy scenes! I think I love them so much because even when their in the throes of passion, Talasyn tries to still take the upper-hand and I think it’s so funny to see how Alaric reacts. They are definitely falling for one another but fighting it so hard.
As for the story around the romance, it is such a tricky situation for both. It’s truly an enemies to lovers romance because they both are in it for their own country but they will have to make a choice – they can’t always be enemies, can they? This fighting can’t keep going on especially since what’s happening to Talasyn and Alaric is going to complicate things.
It’s such a mix of fantasy and sci-fi but so far I think it works to make it a very unique world.
We get to see more of Alaric’s relationship with his evil father. His father is a horrible man so it will be interesting to see how Alaric breaks free of him.

Dislikes:

Honestly, I was so invested in Talasyn and Alaric’s romance that I felt like everything else took a back seat, which I didn’t mind but I can’t tell you much about what’s happening plot-wise to the story. I was always rushing a chapter to see if Talasyn and Alaric were in it. But there is a choice the both of them have to make.

My Thoughts:

I didn’t expect all the spice in this book but I loved it! Talasyn and Alaric together are so fun because she’s a spitfire and he calls her on it but adores that about her. They are such opposites. Now we just have to see them accept that they are falling for one another. As for the story, it will be interesting to see how Alaric deals with his father’s influence on his life. I’m so looking forward to book three!

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Book Links:

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The Hurricane Wars by. Thea Guanzon | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Is She Really Going Out With Him? by. Sophie Cousens | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Is She Really Going Out with Him?

Author: Sophie Cousens

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Romance, Women’s Fiction

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

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

A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?

Content Warning: sexual harassment

I’ve read two books from this author and really enjoyed them so I was excited to see a new book from her! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Once I started reading, I got hooked into the story. I also like that this MC is 38 years old and divorced with two kids. She’s going through some things like being independent, taking care of her kids and navigating co-parenting and now trying to date again, even if it’s for her job. I like that Anna didn’t let things get her too down especially when things got tough as she juggles her life.

+ This is a workplace, rivals to lovers, slow burn romance. Anna is writing a column and takes on the challenge of dating again, but her kids have to pick her dates. I actually enjoyed her dates with these random men all the while growing a crush on her rival at work Will. Will’s a little bit younger than her, and their rivalry brought the chemistry which I loved. I enjoyed their romance!

+ I liked watching Anna grow. She dates, she starts to flirt with Will, makes new friends and then starts to remember that maybe she deserves some good things – just for herself. I even liked how she navigates the co-parenting with her ex-husband and their journey to communicating better.

Dislikes:

~ I wish this wasn’t close door because it was such a slow burn, I wanted a little more details and spice!

My Thoughts:

While reading this one, I felt like this would make a really cute rom-com movie on Netflix or something. I really enjoyed this one and maybe this author is becoming a must-read for me! I look forward to reading more books from her.

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Before I Do by. Sophie Cousens | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just Haven’t Met You Yet by. Sophie Cousens | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kingdom of Claw by. Demi Winters | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of Claw (The Ashen, #2)

Author: Demi Winters

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 736

Publication Date: 2/21/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Magic

Return to the Kingdom of Íseldur, where enemies become lovers and dark secrets hide around each corner, the second novel in the Ashen series.

In the aftermath of a harrowing journey, Silla Nordvig’s dreams of a simple life have been shattered. Beaten, betrayed, and reeling from the revelation of her true name, she flees Kopa with Reynir Galtung, ruthless leader of the Bloodaxe Crew. But when they’re forced into hiding together, Silla soon discovers that Rey has been keeping secrets of his own.

Stuck in a shield-home with the murderous man she thought she knew, Silla forms a new master the magic flowing through her veins to save her sister. But before she can do that, Silla must face her most formidable opponent yet—her own inner demons.

Saga Volsik has nothing to lose. They’ve murdered her family. Stolen her throne. And now they expect her to marry their son, but not if she can dismantle Queen Signe’s plans first. The only problem? The handsome Zagadkian dignitary who knows far too many of her secrets.

Silla and Saga will need to find the strength to step into their destiny and stop chaos from sweeping across the land. Meanwhile, dark threads continue to weave themselves through Íseldur as magic long thought dead begins to wake.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse

I read book one of this book, Road of Bones, couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Book two just came out earlier this year so I had to read it! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The story continues on right after Road of Bones and I love Silla’s journey after the betrayal she went through at the end of book one. It’s not an easy journey for her, but Rey is with her throughout.

+ The romance is a very slow burn but I loved what Silla and Rey had to go through to get to where they needed to be in their relationship. There is more steam in this one but it’s an emotional romance so I love that for them! He is grumpy to her sunshine, and they make a wonderful couple after they let their guards down.

+ Silla’s story is not the only one told in here. Now we get Saga’s story which I enjoyed a lot because she’s in a challenging spot and her struggle is different from Silla’s but still as horrible. Saga is trying her best to find a way to survive and I admired her effort even when she kept hitting dead ends. She gets a a little romance in her life too though and I was so happy she had some hope. I also love her relationship and love for Silla – which is mostly lived through memories but there is a moment where they finally make a connection. I can’t wait to see what happens with Saga’s journey.

+ Even though this story is over 700 pages and it took me about four days to finish, I actually enjoyed the whole story.

Dislikes:

~ I really hate Jonas. Like how could I go from liking a character in book one, to loathing him by the end of it and continuing into book two? He is hateful. I wish he would go away, but he’s one of the villains in this story so I guess he has to be there.

Final Thoughts:

I’m bummed I have to wait for book three because I am really enjoying this series! I like the personal journeys of Saga and Silla, the romance for both sisters and the kingdom politics going throughout the story. I am definitely invested!