Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

Title: Seek the Traitor’s Son

Author: Veronica Roth

Narrator(s): Imani Jade Powers, Max Meyers; Rebecca Soler; Steve West

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432 Listening Time: Approximately 20 hours

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Categories: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Dystopian, LGBT+

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

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

A new epic romantic, dystopian fantasy begins in Seek the Traitor’s Son, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her.

She is happy with her life as a soldier. She spends her days fighting the Talusar, whose deadly Fever and mysterious gifts threaten her small country’s very existence.

But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with.

In just one day, Elegy’s old life–her job, her purpose, and her future–is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing.

Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

Content Warning: memories of torture, violence, death

+ I haven’t read a Veronica Roth series since the Divergent series and Carve the Mark series (which I never finished but not because it wasn’t good) and I thought why not try this one since dystopian is making a comeback. There are four narrators for this book and it really is an amazing audiobook because of all the fantastic job did they for all the characters. I loved the pacing of this story, I was invested and wanted to hear more even when I stopped it.

+ The world building is really fascinating. It’s a futuristic dystopian setting with spaceships, but I found it really interesting that Elegy didn’t believe in aliens! As the story goes on though, there is a possibility that maybe there is something out there. The Talusar is a nation that is powerful, that worships a virus – and it wants to take over Sedra (spelling not sure because I listened to this as an audiobook). But when people are infected with the virus, they either die or change and gain powers – I thought that was kind of cool. There is a prophecy that the Augurs have given to Elegy, a daughter of Sedra, and one to Rava, a warrior from Talusar. But there is a man named Theren (sp?) who is crucial to these women’s lives. He is from Talusar, but becomes Elegy’s knight until a big event happens. There is a lot Theren goes through to eventually get back to Elegy.

+ There is political intrigue and a race to find out what Rava is up to and also if this prophecy will come true and who will be the victor. Elegy is interesting because she doesn’t want to responsibility of being the heroine in a prophecy, so she has to grapple with that.

+ I love the secondary characters like Hela, Elegy’s sister/best-friend and a bunch of the other characters we meet. It’s a well rounded cast that gives depth to the story. Even Rava, as the villain, is an interesting character.

+~ There is a romance that builds slowly between Elegy and Theren, and I think it’s an interesting relationship because of what he’s been through – he’s a bit broken. And he feels guilt for leaving Elegy in the past. I love that they find comfort in one another, but I don’t know if it happens fast or maybe it’s because I’m listening to it as an audiobook, that I feel like it happens too fast? I might have to read the ebook to get a better feel for it but I was rooting for them until the end.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrators were great and the world building and political intrigue is fascinating. I wish I had the ebook so I could follow the story closer and remember all the characters names, but I look forward to reading book two in this series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Divergent by. Veronica Roth – 5 stars

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by. Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark – 4 stars

Between Tides & Thunder by. Leena Kazak | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Between Tides & Thunder

Author: Leena Kazak

Pages: 496

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publication Date: 3/31/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy

She was raised to hate him. Now she shares his bed.
Princess Mayah of Tundrayn isn’t allowed to want. Not freedom. Not love. Not even her own future. Instead, she’s spent her life healing others’ pain and swallowing her own. But when her father strikes a fragile alliance with enemy-kingdom Arbinj to crush a rising rebellion, she is bartered into a marriage she didn’t choose for a crown she doesn’t want.

She expects a prince. She gets the Dark Commander.
Zevayr is ruthless, unyielding, and a stormwielder with a reputation soaked in blood. He is everything Mayah was taught to fear. Yet as they race across rebel-torn lands, the less certain she is of where the monster ends and where the man begins.

In Arbinj’s glittering courts, the Rebellion surges and dangerous secrets stir from Mayah’s past—secrets that could shatter her kingdom, and her heart, if she lets them.

The question is not if Mayah will betray, but who: her people, her love, or herself?

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Two warring kingdoms, Tundrayn and Arbinj, have a choice – unite now against the Rebellion or keep killing one another. Mayah is a princess of Tundaryn and her father has arranged for her to marry Faramir or Arbinj but it’s his brother, Zevayr that comes to fetch her. In this world there are non-wielders of magic who are just known as commoners and each kingdom has a way of dealing with them. There are also magic wilders of elemental powers, Mayah can hearl, Zevayr can call storms. So I did enjoy the magic system and the different kingdoms. There is one other kingdom though that gets mentioned but we don’t see much of.

Characters: Mayah is very outspoken, she’s a healer but we also find later on that there is more to her than what she portrays in the first half of the book. There were times I was frustrated with Mayah and I did not blame Zevayr for his anger when things really go down between them. Zevayr, is the Dark Commander who’s killed so many people during the war, but he’s a good guy who is patient with Mayah and gives her all the space she needs. Both of them have had trauma because of the war.

Romance: This is low on spice, but high on steam! There is so much yearning and angst between Mayah and Zevayr because they are enemies, but during their journey to Arbinj they get sort of close. It is such a slow burn I almost thought there would be no time for any spice between them but I think what made up for it was their relationship journey. There is betrayal, and it’s a hump they have to go over and work through but it does feel like there is no chance for them. But their declarations of their feelings are intense and made up for the lack of spice I think. I did love them together.

Story: I was kind of addicted to this story, it really does take you on an emotional journey. And there was a moment where I was totally mad at Mayah. 😅 I loved Zevayr, but Mayah tried my patience at times. The plot twist did feel like it was for shock value because it comes out of nowhere, but I went with it. As for the story, it was more light on the world-building and political intrigue also. It is a standalone and things are neatly tied up at the end when it comes to the villains, but I think I wanted more from the villains. Kind of wish this was a series!

Now some of the writing starts kind of bothering me in the second half. I’m having a “thing” right now about the nicknames characters use for one another. And “baby” was used a lot in this book because he teases her that she’s a big baby…but then it becomes a nickname, and for some personal reason of mine, it just felt too modern speech to me. It kept making me cringe. And then the battle scenes at the end where everyone has to use their powers but food is the fuel for their magic –I thought it was hilarious that they were fighting and then Zevayr would should bread in her mouth to help keep up her energy to use her magic! 😂. It’s not supposed to be funny but it was kind of crazy how they were eating and fighting. I was like, what is going on?!

Final Thoughts:

This is a standalone romantasy that has magic, a slow burn romance, yearning, betrayal and I found it addictive even though at times the FMC was frustrating. I do wish it was a duology at least so that the wild ending didn’t seem rushed, and there were some things about the writing that I didn’t gel with but overall, it’s one of those books that I just found entertaining despite the issues.

Read if you like:

slow burn romance, yearning
elemental powers
secrets, betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Beckett Effect by. Nashae Jones | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Beckett Effect

Author: Nashae Jones

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Categories: Young Adult, 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 Simon Pulse for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There’s no one teenage filmmaker Wren hates more than notorious playboy Beckett Lane. Girls love him because of his famous dad, and Beckett revels in the unearned attention. It seems like everyone is under his spell but Wren—including Wren’s sweet, naive sister Kennedy, who has a huge crush on him.

When Beckett humiliates Kennedy in front of the entire school, Wren swears to bring him down once and for all by teaming up with her BFF Chelsie to make a documentary showing everybody exactly who he really is. They launch an investigation meant to expose him, which includes Wren cozying up to Beckett to get inside information—because she’s the only one in school not susceptible to the Beckett Effect.

Only, as she gets closer to Beckett, Wren wonders if the line between love and hate is as obvious as she thought it was. Could there be more to the school’s biggest playboy than she realized?

Content Warning: divorce

+~ Wren wants to make movies, so she’s always thinking of life in scenes, which made this an interesting but fun story to read. She’s also over protective over her sister Kennedy and despises school heartthrob Beckett Lane (who her sister has a crush on). I loved Wren, but yes there were times she did a little too much when it came to her sister or Beckett and it leads her to some disastrous situations. I think some readers will not Wren as much as I did, she is so stubborn.

+ This story reminded me of my favorite teen rom-coms that dominated the early 2000’s. II kept thinking they should make this into a movie on Netflix because I’d totally watch it for all the shenanigans Wren and her bestie was up to while doing this school project that revolved around Beckett Lane. You already know it’s a bad a idea but Wren was on a revenge kick. And though things blow up in Wren’s face, I loved seeing her trying to fix everything and acknowledge that she was in the wrong. I loved the humor throughout the story and it made for such a quick read.

+ The romance is so cute – Wren hates Beckett, but Becket is a heartthrob for a reason – he’s gorgeous but such a charmer too! I can see why he was so hard to resist. So as much as Wren is using Beckett, he eventually gets under his skin when she learns the real him.

Final Thoughts:

I had a fun time reading this one because it reminded me of early 2000’s teenage rom-coms, and would love to see this made into a movie. Wren is a stubborn FMC who has a lot to learn but the main thing is she does learn in the end. I thought the romance was super cute because Beckett is such a charmer – how could Wren resist? Overall, I enjoyed this one.

Read if you like:

high school drama
humor, banter
sweet dislike to like romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Verity Guild by. Mai Corland | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Verity Guild (#1)

Author: Mai Corland

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

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

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

Secrets built this republic; one truth could burn it down.

High Priestess Kerasea Vestal has spent her life hiding the truth―that she’s the last surviving heir of the magical bloodline the republic slaughtered. One wrong step could be fatal. But when a senator is brutally killed and a temple blade is found at the scene, all eyes turn to her.

Praetorian Torren Morvane has made a career of dragging liars into the light, and Kerasea is the one person he’s vowed to ruin. But locked on a mountain with a murderer, scheming senators, and a prophecy of death, he’s forced to work at her side. The closer he gets, the more dangerous the truth―and their attraction―becomes.

With traitors closing in and a nation on the verge of shattering, Kerasea and Torren must risk everything to uncover the real killer…even if it means trusting their sworn enemy.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: The setting is inspired by ancient Rome, which was really intriguing. Unfortunately we don’t get to know much about the world except what happens in the conclave, where most of the story takes place. Though it is set in a place where select powerful people are secluded to conduct votes and business, it really made a good setting for this murder mystery story.

Characters: High Priestess Kerasea is a powerful woman but she’s hiding a dangerous secret. Torren is the head of the Praetorian guard and he is investigating a murder and one of his suspects is Kerasea. He has some conflicting feelings about her and the both of them are forced to be together in conclave, with a murderer on the loose taking out very powerful people. I really enjoyed Torren’s friend Julian, who I didn’t feel like I could trust though but that added to the tension and mystery.

Romance: The romance is a slow burn. Yes there are some feelings between Torren and Kerasea, mostly because he hates her but also is obsessed with her. Kerasea can feel his animosity but there is a murderer to catch. The tension grows between them, especially since they don’t know if they can trust one another. There is a spicy scene at the end which was nice because the tension was building but their positions of power are really complicated so it will be interesting to see what happens between them.

Story: This is a murder mystery so everyone is suspect, which was kind of fun. There were some slow parts but I chalk that up to being a mystery, which usually moves slowly but everything picks up in the second half. Also, I thought Kerasea’s secret was intriguing and cannot wait to learn more and see what happens with her character. There is a cliffhanger ending though that definitely makes me want to read book two.

Vibes: who dunnit but Roman inspired

Final Thoughts:

I haven’t read a murder mystery like this in awhile where it’s a who dunnit in a closed setting and it’s even more interesting because it happens in a Roman setting and during a conclave. The tension between Kera and Torren adds to the atmosphere plus Kerasea’s secret. The ending is a cliffhanger and I will definitely be reading book two.

Read if you like:

who dunnit mystery
roman inspired, conclave
slow burn, enemies to lovers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

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

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Summer of Second Chances

Author: K.L. Walther

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

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

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes another incredible summer romance about holding onto memories, making new ones, learning to let go, and unexpectedly falling in love.

Olivia Lupo feels stuck. All her friends have gone on to their first year of college while she’s still at home with her family. There’s a good reason though, her beloved grandmother, Annie, has dementia, and Olivia can’t bear the thought of being so far from home when Annie needs her the most.

So when her stepmother asks the family to spend three weeks of the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, Olivia plans to say no…until she discovers an old box Annie filled with photos and memories from her own time there. Olivia decides to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and spend some time on the island that Annie describes as magical.

When she arrives, she meets Connor, a boy from her past who really wants to be a part of her present… and future. Olivia’s never thought about forever with someone until meeting Connor…and it scares her. How can she make plans when all she wants to do is keep close to her grandmother before she’s gone forever? As she recreates the memories Annie made a lifetime ago, she has to decide if she’s finally willing to give someone her heart, just when she needs it the most.

Content Warning: complicated families, grief, dementia

This is my third book from this author and I thought this was a really sweet young adult romance. Olivia Lupo is going through some things – she doesn’t know what to do now that high school is over, she’s on a gap year, spending time with her grandmother Annie who has dementia, and going on vacation with her family to her step-mom’s home.

Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard helps Olivia meet a lot of people, especially in her step-family’s side. There are some fun characters in this story, but there are a lot of them. So sometimes I didn’t know who was who – there are step family and neighbors but the whole community is quaint and wholesome. There are a lot of family themes in these book because Olivia feels out of place, but she also wants to belong. So she has some conflicting feelings about her step-mom. As for her grandma with dementia, she’s afraid to lose her because she’s already lost her mom, and grandpa. This fear of losing people makes her push people away. Also while at Martha’s Vineyard she does some digging into Annie’s past and finds out a few things.

The romance is really sweet because Connor is a good guy and a golden retriever energy kind of guy. He is a manny to the kids for this vacation, and he is so into Olivia. They met long ago at camp but she doesn’t remember him until he jogs her memory a little bit. But their summer vacation forces them to spend some time together and their romance was just right. She has to work with her commitment issues but I like that she’s given time to think about things.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a cute romance that has summer vacation vibes, a mystery, and family themes. I think if you like this author’s other books, you will enjoy this one.

Read if you like:

summer beach read
sweet romance
coming of age YA stories

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

We’re A Bad Idea, Right? by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Summer of Broken Rules by. K.L. Walther | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Change of Plans by. Sarah Dessen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Change of Plans

Author: Sarah Dessen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, 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 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.

Content Warning: complicated family dynamics

I haven’t read a Sarah Dessen book in so long, and though I feel she still has it when crafting coming of age, young adult books, it took me a little while to get into this one. Is it because I’ve outgrown her books? I don’t think that’s the case, because I read a few young adult books during the year, so I can’t say I’ve outgrown the genre. I think there are so many characters in this story, that it was hard to get invested right away.

Finley’s life is pretty set – she and her boyfriend, Colin will attend the same University and things will be the same. Until things are not and plans change. Her parents are divorced and she was mostly raised by her father, and then he got remarried and had more kids, but Finley’s relationship with her bio mom, is almost non-existent and cold. When their summer plans change and her mom brings her back to where she grew up, Finley starts to see another side of her mom.

I feel like there was too much going on in this story – especially with her mom and her own drama with her sisters. It felt a bit all over the place. I did like seeing Finley making new friends, and getting to know her aunts. There is romance too with a guy in town named Ben, but it never feels like the main event. It truly is a coming of age story as we see Finley learn to accept change and that’s a really good lesson from this story.

Final Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get invested in the story, but things do pick up in the second half and I start to root for Finley and all the changes in her life. I do think there is too much going on and too many characters but overall, I thought the romance was cute and it was nice to see Finley get to know her mom and her side of the family.

Read if you like:

family drama
cute romance
coming of age YA stories

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen | Book Review (re-read) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

**I’ve read all her books, just way before I had a blog or recorded them on Goodreads**

The Shadows That Listen by. Louisa Carmody | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: The Shadows That Listen (Angel Ruin, #1)

Author: Louisa Carmody

Format: ebook

Pages: 399

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publication Date: 9/9/25

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance, Series

WHO WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

The Shadows that Listen is an unputdownable dystopian romantasy with a delicious slow burn romance, from debut author Louisa Carmody. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and Silver Elite.

It’s been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn’t have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

Content Warning: violence, death, suicide

World Building: This urban fantasy, dystopian world is one where humans are caught in a war between the angels and demons. I was very fascinated with it! Amara is part of an agency called the AIA, they train to fight demons, and try to study angels as much as they can. But they also look for missing people, which happens a lot when curfew kicks in at sundown, when the demons come out. Most of the story takes place on a quest to find Amara’s missing boyfriend, Jeremy and a fallen angel named Cain. So I don’t feel like there was much chance for world-building. We do get some of the angel headquarters in the beginning but not a lot. Would love to see this world open up in the next book.

Characters: Amara is a bad-ass, she is a fighter and we get to see all her skills in action. I love her relationship with Xavier, her only family/friend, he was fun and I wish we had more time to get to know him. But Amara is willing to die to find her boyfriend, Jeremy, with the help of archangel Nathaniel. Nathaniel is the head of the angel legion and he can kill very easily. She and Nathaniel get to know one another as they are reluctant allies during their quest. I thought it was interesting how he was deadly in a fight but had moments where he seemed playful. But a few things test their relationship at the end. Since most of the book is the two of them on this quest, I feel like we don’t meet many other characters.

Romance: There is only a kiss, and nothing else. Amara and Nathaniel do grow close and I enjoyed the banter between them. And yes I totally wanted more to happen but she still has a boyfriend. But after that ending, it will be interesting to see what happens next between Amara and Nathaniel! I definitely wanted more steam hopefully in book two!

Story: This story starts off intriguing but there is a moment at the start of this quest where there is not a lot dialogue. The second half of this book really picks up and is so action packed – I loved the fight scenes, especially because of Amara. Some twists were predictable but I still enjoyed it! And the ending, the secrets? The betrayal? That ending ripped my heart out, made me even tear up. But would love more world-building.

Vibes: angels, demons, bad-ass FMC

Final Thoughts:

I read this in two sittings and that ending ripped my heart in two. I did have some little issues with it but I was totally invested in Amara and Nathaniel, loved the fight scenes against the demons. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Read if you like:

urban fantasy, with dystopian vibes
enemies to reluctant allies
secrets, betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Crown Me Dead & Crown Me Yours by. Liz Zander | Mini Book Reviews

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Crown Me Dead (#1)

Author: Liv Zander

Format: ebook

Pages: 270

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publication Date: 4/10/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy, Series

Wed me. Bed me. Slit my throat.

Born in dirt, raised in rot, I dig graves for the dead, while the living decay around me.

When my brother coughs blood, he appears.

A man too polished for the graveyard, with a bargain too cruel for the Seduce the King. Become the Queen. Die. And my brother lives.

Kael is a nightmare of living ruin, the rotting ruler of a festering realm. And Vale is his shadow, the cold architect of my demise.

One man needs my heart to beat. The other plans to stop it forever.

They think I’m a pawn. But I’m the gravedigger’s daughter. And I know exactly where to bury them.

Welcome to the funeral.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror, maggots

World Building: This is a dark fantasy where a whole kingdom is rotting, and I don’t only mean the crops and buildings, but the people too. There is a curse that the current King Kael is trying to starve out, he’s supposed to take a wife he loves and slice her throat to feed his crown blood, but he refuses to do it but it means people will rot and die. There is body horror and…maggots. So if you are totally grossed out about both those things, this might not be for you.

Characters: I love Elara. She is always around death because she is a gravedigger along with her mom and brother. She’s not afraid of it and has seen so much of it that it doesn’t phase which makes her perfect to be King Kael’s bride since he is rotting. King Kael is someone who wants to end the curse, he’s rotting, he’s angry, lashes out but he softens towards Elara’s brash attitude and I was enjoying their growing friendship. Vale is a mystery – he’s handsome, and claims he is a steward for the king. His plan, to get Elara to make the king fall in love with her, so he can sacrifice her and feed the crown – which would remove the rot killing everything in the land.

Romance: For a moment in this book I thought there would be a love triangle. Elara is getting to know Kael, but her body wants Vale. And I was all for her attraction to the dark, mysterious man, even though I thought Kael was the nicer one of the two. There is a lot of mystery around both men, and you can never tell who is good or bad, who to trust. There is spice but nothing too overboard.

Story: I could not put this book down and I didn’t realize it was under 300 pages until I finished it so quick! I love Elara and how strong and brave she is. She loves her family and will do whatever it takes, even give up her life to save them from rotting. She gets under Vale’s skin and she befriends the Kael. There are secrets and lies and everything comes to a head in a cliffhanger. But thank goodness book two is out – because I had to read it right away. There were decisions that Elara made that I was frustrated about, but I understand she was trying to play her own game too and survive the situation she was in.

Vibes: dark vibes, some gross moments, but death is all around

Final Thoughts:

I love this book and only lowered my rating because some of the body horror was gross. But I was horrified and couldn’t look away – and I love Elara. I had to see if they could break the curse! It’s why I had to read book two right away.

Read if you like:

dark romance
dark fantasy
secrets, betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Crown Me Yours (Heartstrings Duet, #2)

Author: Liv Zander

Format: ebook

Pages: 244

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publication Date: 4/16/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy, Series

Wed him. Bed him. Slit his throat.

I killed the king.
Crowned myself in his blood,
But the curse still festers.

To break it, I need Death,
On his knees,
A ring on his finger.
My blade at his throat.

The god fights me to the grave,
Evades my touch,
Mocks my wanting.

He would rather tear himself apart,
Than let me close enough to end this.
But I didn’t come this far to lose.
I came to crown him mine.

Welcome to your wedding, my love.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

Part two in this duet – this is a love story that makes me cry because what do you mean Elara makes Death fall in love with her? He tries his hardest to not succumb to her but he cannot resist. I love them together. There is spice and banter, it’s less dark than book one – less body horror and there is a battle of wills but Elara is a force.

And the ending chapters which is basically an epilogue? Ugh…my heart! For some reason it was reminding me of Jack and Sally in Nightmare Before Christmas 😅 maybe because of all the skeleton parts of Death when he is revealed as himself. But hello his heartstrings? I could not take it. 💔 What a beautiful ending to this story to show us that love is always worth it, even through loss and pain.

I will say this was shorter than book one and I feel like both books could have been combined since most romantasy books these days are long. I was totally engaged in this story and I really loved it.

Quote from the book:

“You can’t have love without embracing grief. Pain is the price we pay for participating in life.” – Liv Zander, Crown Me Yours

Final Thoughts:

I love this duology which I feel could have just been one book – but besides that, what a story. It’s dark, but so heartfelt at the end. It pulled at my heartstrings. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author!

Read if you like:

dark romance
dark fantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Us Dark Few by. Alexis Patton | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Us Dark Few (Us Dark Few, #1)

Author: Alexis Patton

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 321

Publication Date: 5/5/26 (first published: 6/28/23)

Publisher: Bloom Books

Categories: Dystopian, Dark 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 Bloom Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Khalani is a Prisoner
Takeshi is a Guard
Both are slaves to the Underground

Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn’t commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.

In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani’s blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won’t kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.

Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual assault

World Building: Apollo is a world built underground because of what happened to the Earth years ago. It’s where the poor people live and prisoners like Khalani. Whereas Genesis is a domed city on the surface where there is sunshine and the wealthy afford to live. Khalani is in prison so most of the story takes place there, I think we’ll learn more about the surface throughout the series. Another area that is mentioned is Hermes but we don’t get to know much about that place yet.

Characters: Khalani is an interesting character – she’s lost her parents, now she’s in prison but she doesn’t lose her sweetness in a sense, which made me wish she would toughen up faster so she doesn’t get hurt. She does learn to be harder, and a fighter, but she still doesn’t lose her humanity even with everything she experiences and sees in prison. Takeshi is her prison guard and a captain who is ruthless but he trains Khalani when she dares to ask him. There are some other characters, who make up Khalani’s new found family but would love to get to know them better.

Romance: It’s an enemies to lovers, prisoner/guard romance, and is filled with a lot of dramatic angst at the end. It feels a little young adult at times I think because Khalani comes off sweet and naive, but upper YA since there is a steamy scene but no real spice. But it goes from enemies to lovers to not sure until book two.

Story: Most of the story takes place in the prison where Khalani is adjusting to prison life, but she learns a little bit more about Apollo and Genesis, and even gets to go to Genesis and be around the Governor who seems friendly to Khalani but we aren’t sure why because he comes off evil also. But there is a twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting and sets up for book two.

Vibes: prison break, prison romance, a little bit of poetry (reminded me a tiny bit of Shatter Me)

Final Thoughts:

I think a lot of this story was predictable but it was a quick read. I liked the world building and learning about Apollo, Genesis and I hope we get to learn more about Hermes. The romance is enemies to lovers and for the most part I enjoyed it though it reminded me of some other dystopian romances. I did like the twist in the end and will probably continue the series.

Read if you like:

prison romance – prisoner/guard
prison break
dystopian

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Storm Breaker by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker, #1)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Categories: Upper Young Adult, Dystopian, Academy, 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 Entangled: Mayhem Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.

But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.

When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.

A gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly―perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.

Content Warning: violence, death, cheating, domestic abuse, child abuse (physical)

+ I love Nisha J. Tuli’s romantasy books so when I saw she was coming you with a YA Dystopian story I was so grateful I got offered a copy of the arc! If you liked Divergent and Hunger Games, Storm Breaker will bring you back to when YA Dystopia was big. I would say this is more like Divergent than Hunger Games though.

+~ I really enjoyed the world-building in this story. It is set in New Manhattan, after the Warming Age led people to create a Society that brought order in their chaotic community. Society in New Manhattan is ruled by four prominent houses so there is some jockeying for power between these houses, especially between Faima and Aria (at least for now in book one). There is a Storm Keeper who can harness energy from the sky into generators. And a secret that Poet Graves is guarding. Some parts about academy life wasn’t new at all – there is drama, hook-ups, figuring out which house to pledge and doing trials. Poet is already engaged to someone and has a future of a Society wife after the academy but she wants more than that.

+~ Poet Graves, is our FMC, who on the outside has the perfect life being the Scion of Faima’s daughter but behind the walls of their home, there is domestic violence, there is abuse. It’s a scary situation for Poet and she makes decisions throughout this book because of the pressures from her father. So Poet is taking steps to be brave while she is at the academy but the consequences is losing her family and friends. I think Rook, who is a Solitude (someone from the Wastes) was the character I connected to most in the whole story. I do think some of the secondary characters needed a little more depth.

+ My favorite part was the romance between Poet and Rook, it starts off as enemies to lovers (because she only has her prejudices about Solitude and the Wastes) but it grows because they bond over the storms. There is a lot of steam in this one, and the one spicy scene isn’t super detailed. I love Rook because he’s the only one who stands up to Poet’s obnoxious fiancé, Knox. But Rook is a Solitude from the Waste so I think there is just so much more to learn about him, which I’m looking forward to in book two.

~ I don’t know if I went in with very high expectations but I feel like the first half was a bit slower because of the world-building. We get to know Poet, but some things fall apart way too easily in her world, like her relationship with her best friend, Trinity. Why did that break so easy when they seemed as close as sisters? I wanted to see more interactions between them but Trinity pretty much disappears until the end of the story. Or her other friends who was part of the group chat, they just kind of disappeared from her life too. So I would have liked to see more connections to people for Poet. Even her knew friendship with Domino doesn’t feel like much. Things just get way more interesting when she spends more time with Rook and that happens in the second half.

Final Thoughts:

I think this is a solid first book to a new series, where we get to learn about New Manhattan, the storms, the people that make up the Society and the political intrigue happening between the Houses. We also get to see Poet go through her first year in the academy and fight off the clutches of her father’s expectations. I loved the ending where things get a little crazy, but that ending definitely builds up what will take place in book two where this world opens up more, I’m sure. I enjoyed the world-building and romance a lot and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Read if you like: