Category: audiobook

Great Big Beautiful Life by. Emily Henry | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Great Big Beautiful Life

Author: Emily Henry

Narrator: Julie Whelan

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 432 Listening Time: approximately 11 hours

Publication Date: 4/21/25

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years–or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.

Content Warning: parental issues, mental health

+ The narrator did such a good job voicing all the characters! The climactic ending/argument was so well done!

+ Alice and Hayden are fighting for the chance to interview a recluse heiress, Margaret Ives. Alice is miss sunshine, positivity and friendly whereas Hayden is the opposite. They are rivals, and they both want this job so bad but Margaret is testing both of them. They spend time together, mostly because Alice initiates talking to him and the sparks fly, there is desire and it grows into something more.

+ Alice and Hayden are interviewing Margaret Ives for a tell-all book. So we get the story of Margaret’s life, little by little. I do think her story built a little slowly and I was waiting for the big reveal and it did finally come in the end but I had already guessed it by the halfway point.

+ There is a lot of family themes in this story. Margaret and her family, dealing with being famous and rich. Alice and her issues with her mother, and then Hayden mentioning his mom’s challenges.

~ I was a little bit more interested in Alice and Hayden’s relationship rather than Margaret’s past. But they did fall fast for one another, they were only together for a month!

Final Thoughts:

I think this was pretty good but it is definitely more women’s fiction than full on romance. I liked Alice and Hayden’s romance, although it did all happens within one month, but I thought seeing them fall was fun because they are such opposites. It’s big on family themes, which I appreciated and the narrator did an amazing job doing all the voices for this story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Funny Story by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Place by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beach Read by. Emily Henry| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Lovers by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

People We Meet on Vacation by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fevered Star by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2)

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrator(s):  Christian Barillas (Narrator), Nicole Lewis (Narrator), Darrell Dennis (Narrator), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator), Cora Gee (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 388

Publication Date: 4/23/22

Publisher: Saga Press

Categories: Fantasy, LGBT+, Series

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Content Warning: violence, torture, death

+ This is book two in the Between Earth and Sky series and I really enjoyed book one, Black Sun. So I wanted to see what happened next in the series.

+ The world-building was great. I did enjoy the second half of this book more than the first half because I felt like the first half was world-building and setting up everything for book three. It picks up in the second half with more action.

+ I really enjoyed Naranpa’s growing relationship with her brother, Denoachi. I thought it was the one link in the story I felt emotional about.

~ I listened to this as an audiobook but the last 10% I read the book because I read faster. I felt like the beginning was slow because it was setting up a lot of things that happened at the end of the book and what will happen in book three. Although I enjoyed the narrator, there was just too many names to keep track of.

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally can knock this one off my TBR list and I’m looking forward to see how it ends. I did find it slower than book one mostly because it’s building up for the conclusion but I did enjoy the second half of the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Black Sun by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Robin on the Oak Throne by. K.A. Linde | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Robin on the Oak Throne (The Oak and the Holly Cycle, #2)

Author: K.A. Linde

Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 480 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 19h

Publication Date: 6/16/25

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Series


The only thing worse than fearing a monster is falling for one …

Kierse McKenna just shattered the Monster Treaty. Again.

It wasn’t entirely her fault. The job was supposed to be steal a goblin-made bracelet off of the Queen of the Nymphs in her own palace. Trade the bracelet for a way to uncover the truth about her past. Except everything goes sideways.

And then he shows up to save her.

Graves—the warlock who ensnared her, betrayed her, and left her to fend for herself. He’s a villain. A monster draped in charm and shadows. And gods help her, he always knows exactly what she wants.

But Graves never does anything for free. He has a job for his favorite little thief. One that will pit her against the most powerful monsters in existence, including his mortal enemy, the Oak King.

An ancient artifact has been located, and only together can they hope to steal it. She just has to let him in.

But once she lets a monster in, he’s impossible to forget … and even harder to resist.


Content Warning: violence

+ There is one narrator for this audiobook and she really did a great job doing all the voices – and this is a big cast, so credit to her! I gave the first book The Wren in the Holly, 3 stars. I didn’t love it but I wanted to see if hearing the second book as an audiobook would make me enjoy this series more. I did like listening to it as an audiobook and I enjoy the world building of this urban fantasy world.

+ Kierse is a fun character – I like her personality. With everything going on, I feel like she stayed constantly upbeat. Graves was his usual dangerous self and the two of them have a few spicy scenes together. They have trust issues between them because of what happened in book one but they can’t deny their physical attraction to one another and they act on it a few times.

~ Kierse is trying to find a magical object, but she’s also trying to remember things from her past that have been repressed and for the first half of the story this is what is happening – but it was a slog to get through. The beginning is fine, but the middle was boring. It does pick up again in last 25% of the book, but I just wish things were happening. I felt like they kept coming to dead ends.

~ Not sure where this story is headed but I think I might stop the reading the series.

Final Thoughts:

This series isn’t for me. I thought listening to is as an audiobook would help me enjoy it more and I did enjoy it more than book one and even thought it would be a higher rating, but the middle was slow and boring. If you liked book one, you will definitely like this one but for me, I won’t continue the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

The Wren in the Holly Library by. K.A. Linde | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While the Dark Remains by. Joanna Ruth Meyer | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: While the Dark Remains

Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer

Narrator: Kimberly Woods

Format: audiobook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 450 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 14h 45m

Publication Date: 8/1/25

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance


Brynja spent her childhood as a captive performer in Tenebris, the imposing mountain palace of King Kallias. Every night she risked death for the king’s entertainment until his rebellious son, Prince Ballast, helped her escape. Now twenty, Brynja has never forgotten the brutal king. Or forgiven him. Under the cloak of a three-month-long Winter Dark, Brynja is returning to Tenebris for revenge.

Accompanied by a rival court, including the alluring Prince Vil, Brynja poses as diplomatic royalty to barter peace between nations. No one is better equipped to infiltrate the palace than Brynja—she remembers every hidden passage like a bad dream. But her quest to destroy Kallias is complicated by her feelings for Prince Ballast, whom she isn’t sure she can still trust. And Kallias’s own quest to mine a catastrophic weapon of war buried in the mountain’s heart will threaten them all, and force Brynja to face the darkest parts of herself.

The lives of everyone she loves depend on the choices she must make. So, too, does the fate of the world.


Content Warning: violence, violence towards children

+ There is one narrator for this audiobook and I thought she did a great job with doing all the character voices.

+ I thought the world-building was pretty good. Three different kingdoms, with some animosities between them. The main kingdom this story takes place is in Tenebris who is ruled by King Kallias. He’s a cruel king who uses children as entertainment. These kids are abused and even killed if they don’t please him. Brynja and her friends Saga and Vil, part of the Skanda delegation to Tenebris, are going there under the pretense to make a trade deal, but their ultimate goal is to end his reign.

+ Brynja is an interesting character – she was one of these children in King Kallias’ collection of kids. Her talent was as an acrobat. At her time in Tenebris she befriends, Ballast, who is one of the king’s sons. Brynja does escape Tenebris eventually but coming back brings back bad memories of her time there. While she was at Tenebris, she also befriends Saga who is from Skanda, and in a way when they escape, Saga’s family becomes her found family.

+ The romance between Brynja and Ballast doesn’t really pick up until the end because of their complicated past. It’s a real slow burn and almost an enemies to friendship to lovers kind of story.

+ I enjoyed the politics and there is a plot twist that explains more about Brynja’s past and changes some relationships in the book.

~ This story is told in flashbacks which I don’t usually love and it happens a lot in the story but I did not have a hard time following even though I was listening to it as an audiobook. But I just don’t love the back and forth knowing what year we are in and the years are like 4150 or something like that.

~ The beginning is a bit slow as Brynja, Saga and Vil travel to Tenebris. There is a lot of stories about their gods which I think could be cut back a little because my attention wavered when those stories were told.

~ Brynja got sick a lot in this story when her anxiety hit. I don’t know why that stood out to me but I would always think – she’s gonna be sick, again?! 😅

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed the audiobook though I did think the story was a tad bit too long especially with all the time jumping I had to pay attention too. I like the world-building though and was invested in Brynja’s journey back to the place she was traumatized and learning more about her past. The plot twist was there for shock value but I’m glad it didn’t end in a cliffhanger but was at least explained afterwards.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Forbidden Alchemy by. Stacey McEwan | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: A Forbidden Alchemy

Author: Stacey McEwan

Narrator:
Billie Fulford-Brown (Narrator), Joshua Riley (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (audible)

Pages: 480 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 16 hours and 46 minutes

Publication Date: 7/1/25

Categories: Romantasy, Magic, Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy, Romance


This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.

Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.

And then they uncover a devastating Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.

In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war. Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick’s rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn’t forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.


Content Warning: violence, death

+ The narrators are amazing on this audiobook. The accents are fantastic!

+ The world building is really good in this story. There is a magic system that is really interesting – where people can either be Crafters or Artisans. Miners are rebelling against the Lords who is looking for the Alchemist, which is someone who has considerable power.

+ I really enjoyed Nina and Patrick’s story of how they met, parted and met again. In between that time, both of them have lived different lives – Nina training as an earth charmer and falling for Theo, who is a son of a prominent Lord. When Nina and Patrick meet again, it’s under different circumstances but it starts off a romance where Patrick is falling hard. Patrick is a strong character, harsh because of the conditions he’s had to live in, but I love how he protects his own – he loves his family and community, and is falling for Nina and will do anything for her. Nina feels strongly about him too, even though Theo makes an appearance again, but it gets a little complicated between all of them. It is a slow burn between Nina and Patrick though with a little heat.

+ There are a few twists and turns in this story that kept me attention engaged. There is a lot of secrets and a betrayal. The ending is really good too but ends in a cliffhanger!

~ Nina at times wasn’t my favorite especially in the end. I don’t know if it was because I felt disconnected from her character due to me listening to this as an audiobook?

Final Thoughts:

This is the first book in a series I think and it’s a really good start. I loved learning about this unique world with magic, and miners rebelling against the House of Lords. Patrick is a very compelling character but I think I wanted a little more from Nina. Their romance is a slow burn, but Patrick falls hard, and we’ll see what happens next after that ending. This audiobook version was very entertaining and the narrators sounded really good with their accents. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Ledge by. Stacey McEwan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before I Let Go by. Kennedy Ryan | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Before I Let Go (Skyland, #1)

Author: Kennedy Ryan

Narrator: Wesleigh Siobhan (Narrator), Jakobi Diem (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 13 hours and 45 minutes

Publication Date: 11/15/22

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance


Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?


Content Warning: still birth, loss, divorce, grief, mental health issues

+ The narrators did such a good job with this audiobook, I was hooked!

+ I love how real this story is: a divorced couple who are still business partners and co-parenting, are around each other and start missing each other. There is a lot of trauma though and issues they have to work through but eventually they do.

+ Loved Yasmen’s friend group! They are relatable and reminded me of my friends.

+ I appreciate how mental health issues are a topic discussed throughout this book. Josiah didn’t look kindly about therapy until their son needs to go to a therapist. Yasmen is someone who couldn’t get out of her grief without therapy so I loved seeing Josiah breaking generational stigma about it.

~ I have a hard time with second chance romances, especially when there is so much trauma between two people. Yes, Yasmen and Josiah has so much desire for each other, sex is the only thing they are really good at together. Outside of that they had so much problems. There were times I was happy Yasmen and Josiah weren’t together and trying to move on. I didn’t like how Josiah looked down on her therapy, but I can see how he was hurt. But she was hurt too…she was grieving, she needed that therapy.

Final Thoughts:

This is a realistic second chance romance story with lots of trauma, problems, issues between two people who’s marriage has broken but they are fighting for a second chance with one another. I love how it explored themes of grief, loss, divorce, relationships, mental health issues and therapy. Overall, this was raw, heavy, but hopeful because I love that both Yasmen and Josiah open their eyes and see all of each other by the end. The main thing is they are willing to work on all their problems together this time around.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

You Between the Lines by. Katie Naymon | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: You Between the Lines

Author: Katie Naymon

Narrator: Sarah Beth Goer

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 10 hours

Publication Date: 2/17/25

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Poets, Rivals to Lovers


A former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her fellow grad students is her high school crush-turned-nemesis—​who can’t stop writing about her.

No one’s more surprised than Leigh when a prestigious MFA program in North Carolina accepts her. A former sorority girl, Leigh’s the first to admit she knows more about the lyrics of Taylor Swift than T.S. Eliot, and she’s never been able to shake the “all-style-no-substance” feedback her high school crush made in their poetry workshop. Bad enough that her tattooed, New Yorker tote bag-carrying classmates have read all the right authors and been published in the country’s leading literary journals, Leigh’s insecurities become all too real when Will, that same high school crush-turned-nemesis, shows up at orientation as a first-year in the program, too. And now, he’s William, exactly the kind of writer Leigh hates, complete with his pretentious sweater vests and tattered Moleskine.

Leigh’s determined to prove herself—and William—wrong by landing the program’s highly-coveted fellowship. But Will’s dead-set on it, too, and in a small cohort, they can’t keep apart for long. When Will submits an intimate poem (that’s maybe, probably, definitely about Leigh) to workshop, they’re both forced to realize there’s more to the other than what’s on the page. And what’s between the lines may be even more interesting.


Content Warning: body image issues, anxiety, parents going through a divorce, mental health

+ Leigh is dealing with her parents’ divorce, and is in a MFA program because she wants to write poetry instead of go back to a corporate job. On top of that she’s dealing with body issues, anxiety and she’s judgmental towards other poets, especially towards male, white poets! She had a lot going on and so much to work through. There is a lot of mental health and therapy discussed in this story and I appreciate how she’s very real and imperfect.

+ Leigh has always crushed on Will so when they are in the MFA program together they finally get to spend more time with one another. Will is very closed off and not great at expressing his feelings. He and Leigh have a lot of challenges trying to express how they feel about one another. There is mistrust, there is fear of being intimate (emotionally), it was a lot of back and forth. They eventually work things out but it took a lot to get there.

+ I thought the secondary characters in the MFA program helped open Leigh’s world up. There were some fun characters, like Leigh’s best friend who kept things real with her.

~ Leigh is very judgmental to the point it was a bit irritating. We get it, she hates white male poets, a LOT. And wants to write poems about pop culture, mostly Taylor Swift. The group could have judged her but they didn’t, so I thought it sucked how she kept hating on poets who study classic poetry. Will calls her out on it eventually but yes, she’s imperfect which is very relatable and at least she was going to therapy.

~ Leigh writes poetry about pop culture, a lot about Taylor Swift so it you aren’t into books mentioning her name all the time, you might want to skip this.

~ Miscommunication is a big conflict in this story. She holds animosity against Will because of the way he critiqued Leigh’s work in high school – one critique! And he doesn’t even remember doing it when she confronts him at the end about it.

Final Thoughts:

I found the audiobook pretty easy to listen to and I was really into this story about people in an MFA program for poetry – I thought that was a unique story. What I didn’t love was Leigh who is imperfect (which is relatable, and I do like that about her) but so judgmental about other poets, it really turned me off to her. And to hold that grudge against Will over one critique – she was kind of exhausting as a character. They eventually work through relationship issues but it was a lot of back and forth.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fallen Court by. Geneva Lee | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Fallen Court (Filthy Rich Fae, #2)

Author: Geneva Lee

Narrator: Raquel Beattie and Aiden Snow

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 15 hours

Publication Date: 5/19/25

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romantasy


One fae prince. One deadly bargain. And a mortal caught between desire and damnation.

Cate thought she knew darkness. As a trauma nurse, she had witnessed the worst of humanity. But nothing―not the blood, the violence, or the despair―could have prepared her for the fae underworld. A realm where beauty is a weapon, desire is a trap, and mortals who stray too far don’t return.

She almost didn’t.

Until Lachlan Gage―shadowed, ruthless, and feared even among his own kind―bound her to him with a deadly bargain. As the prince of New Orleans and ruler of the Nether Court, he is as much a curse as he is salvation. And with the Wild Hunt at his heels and war stirring between the fae courts, even his protection may not be enough to save her.

Because Cate is more than just his reluctant mortal. She is wanted. Coveted. And the prince of the Hallow Court will do anything to claim her.

But something ancient is rising in the dark, warping fae magic into something unnatural and cruel. It has nothing to do with Cate’s past―or so she tells herself. Even though the ring left behind by her mother whispers otherwise.

There is only one thing more dangerous than the fae who would kill for her.

The fae who would die for her.

And Lachlan Gage has never been one to lose.


Content Warning: violence

+ I thought the narrators did well and I liked that there were two different voices for the different POVs.

+ I enjoyed the world building once more and it doesn’t only take place in New Orleans this time. In the beginning, the story takes place in Europe. So I like that there were different locations but then it goes back to New Orleans which is a great place for an urban fantasy to take place because it is dark and mystery. This time witches are introduced into the story which I enjoyed.

+ Cate and Lachlan’s relationship grows and this time their spicy scenes aren’t so closed door, which was fun! This is a fated mates kind of love story and I do enjoy them as a couple.

+ I enjoy a lot of the secondary characters like Ciara, Lachlan’s sister. But why does Cate’s brother always get into trouble? He is so frustrating.

~ I felt like the pacing was an issue but I don’t know if it’s because I was listening to the story instead of reading it? There was a lot of action and excitement and the beginning and the end. The middle feels like nothing much is happening except Cate and Lachlan’s relationship and the investigation into murders around the city. But I think it felt slow because that’s the mystery part of the story?

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think this was a solid sequel but I did enjoy book one a little bit more. Once again, there is a twist at the end of this story but I’m not sure if I will continue the series. But again, it might be because I listened to it (and I don’t love audiobooks but I’m trying to get used to them) than read it that I feel this way so when book three comes out, maybe I will read it instead.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Filthy Rich Fae by. Geneva Lee | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades, #2)

Author: Mai Corland

Narrator: Donald Chang, Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Sophie Oda, Jaine Ye, Roger Yeh

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 432 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 13 hours 31 minutes

Publication Date: 1/7/25

Categories: Fantasy, LGBT+, Series, Romance


The King of Yusan may be the greatest liar of them all.

His sister’s ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants. Even manipulating the five blades to steal it…

Bonded by a common enemy, then divided by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon’s pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.

A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another, even though their lives, their families, and the realms depend on it.

They can all agree on one thing: the king can’t win. But can they beat him at his own game?

Because for the blades, this time it’s not just personal, it’s revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but now vengeance will bring them together.


Content Warning: violence, mentions of pleasure houses (prostitution)

+ This audiobook picks up after the first book. This crew of assassins have a mission to retrieve a certain ring. Tiyung is the only one not there with them, he is imprisoned and separated from Sora.

+ The narrators again do such a good job with each character and this is a big cast – there are 6 POVS. Sora was my favorite in book one but in this book I think everyone is even, but Mikail I don’t like and never did since book one only because he can be such a jerk. Sora becomes nicer in this one whereas in book one she felt like the coldest killer of them all but her motivations have definitely changed after the events that has happened. There is an interesting new character, Hannah.

+ Royo and Aeri is the only one with a growing romance this time, whereas in book one all three couples were having some sort of romance. But since Sora and Tiyung are separated and Euyn and Mikail have drama, it’s only Royo and Aeri who caved into their desires. But it’s very mild spice.

+~ The story moves really quick because of the short chapters and there is some action. I felt like it moved faster than book one but because I’m listening to it as an audiobook I also feel like I miss a lot of details.

~ For most of the book they are traveling to get to the location of the ring, so when they finally do, in the end, it’s full of action. So for me, the ending is really the best part.

Final Thoughts:

I think because I listened to book one and book two back to back I’ve been motivated to finish the series. The narrators do a great job as usual and the story moves quickly because of the different POVs and short chapters. Overall, I found the story entertaining and a solid sequel. I look forward to finishing the series when I get a copy of the audiobook for book three.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Their Vicious Games by. Joelle Wellington | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Vicious Games

Author: Joelle Wellington

Narrator: Ariel Blake

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 416 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 12 hours

Publication Date: 7/25/23

Categories: Young Adult, Thriller, Horror


A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.

You must work twice as hard to get half as much.

Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is The Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.

Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.


Content Warning: violence, murder

Adina, a Black girl, who’s chances to go to Yale slips away because of an incident at school has another chance. She’s invited to the Finish, at the Remington estate. The Remington’s are a very powerful and wealthy family who could make her dreams come true – if she wins the Finish. The moment Adina enters the Remington home with the other girls invited to this event, she knows something is off and what takes place is a horror no one in the outside world is aware of.

I like the drama in this story. Adina has an enemy, Esme, and she’s also competing in the Finish. So it’s tense in the house where all these girls are trying to compete and even kill for the chance to win. The crazy thing is going to an Ivy League school isn’t the only prize, they are also going to marry the heir of the Remington wealth – Pierce. This story is like a modern day Hunger Games and The Bachelor combined.

The narrator did a wonderful job with the story. And I was entertained for sure, especially with that bloody, wild ending! It is violent – these girls have to use weapons, which is crazy. And the fact that these rich people found this entertainment was sickening.

Final Thoughts:

If you like social horror, I think you will definitely like this one. Adina is fighting against all the odds and finds out in the end, her dreams of Yale and becoming a possible Remington is not quite worth killing for. My eyes were like this 😳 as I listened to the ending!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble