The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Sin (Bloodlines, #2)

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 318

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires, Fae

To destroy the vampires who killed her family… she must become one of them.

Nadi is trapped in a deadly alliance with Raziel Nostrom. After a honeymoon soaked in blood and desire, they make a pact—to take down his criminal family together.

Now Nadi is at the heart of the Nostrom empire, pretending to be a vampire. If her act slips even for a moment, they will tear her apart.

Raziel holds Nadi’s life in his hands. And her heart… His wicked smile sets her body aflame, drawing her closer and closer. Still, he is a born killer—alluring and utterly ruthless. He could turn on her in an instant.

But Raziel is not the only one in his family with a taste for betrayal…

When his brother and sister approach her with proposals of their own, Nadi faces a desperate choice. Will she stand by Raziel, as the world turns against him? Or seize the perfect chance to destroy his family forever?

Content Warning: violence, death, torture, abuse

+ I like how Nadi and Raziel are always circling around each other, pushing, pulling, not sure what to make of what they are together. Because Nadi has had many changes to kill Raziel, and vice versa but here they are, not dead, but still with one another, not wanting to admit that maybe their relationship has changed into something different. They can’t put the words to it yet and I’m glad because as much as I want them to fall for one another, I didn’t want it to happen quickly because he killed her family. She has to work through some of those complicated feelings of hate turning into love.

+ We learn more about Raziel in book two! He’s just a morally black sadistic killer in book one, but in this book we know more about what he endured when he was growing up, how his family treated and how the things he loves gets taken away from him. I warmed up to him and realize he is a broken vampire with lots of issues and I can see why he hates his family. I like seeing him vulnerable but I also don’t want to see him lose his killer edge – and can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

+ I like that the spice is creative! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 And it meets my expectations of how I assume Raziel would be in bed, so I’m glad he lives up to it. I love how as their relationship changes it shows in the spice also, sometimes dominating, sometimes soft, sometimes desperate. And speaking of their relationship, what a journey it goes through in this story! There are so many trust issues but that ending…I think that ending says it all about what they mean to one another and I love it. I am rooting for them.

~ This is a short book at barely over 300 pages which I love but I also wish it was 350 pages. Here I am complaining about books being too long these days and now I want this one to be longer! 😅. Again, it is light on the world-building but we did get a little more here because we are introduced to another vampire family, and we learn more about Raziel’s family. There are games afoot, and everyone is trying to entice Nadi to be on their side and she has to try and play it right. Though there is family political intrigue between the siblings, it’s never anything heavy – this is a light fantasy read, mostly all vibes, so it’s not like the cat and mouse game between any of them is super intense with surprising plot twists. At times I don’t even feel like Raziel and Nadi is staying ahead of anyone – they keep getting trapped, maybe because of their feelings for one another being their weakness? I’m not sure. Even the violence I feel could be more intense but it isn’t. But I don’t mind because this is one of those addictive reads that you can consume really quick.

Final Thoughts:

This one lived up to my expectations because I like seeing how Nadi and Raziel’s complicated relationship unfolds. I love them together and their spice is just right as much as their questions about what they feel for one another. They are becoming Bonnie and Clyde and I love it. I’m glad we learn about Raziel and his family. And that cliffhanger ending makes me eager for book three right away – I’m glad I don’t have to wait long because it comes out in July! This is an addictive series, light on the world building and easy to consume, I’m really enjoying it so far.

Read if you like:

mermaid/vampire
light world-building
kinky spice, power dynamics
to kill or not to kill
family drama/politics
complicated relationships

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Bride

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/22/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires

I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride. I will win over his family.And then I will murder every last one of them.

All my life I’ve been training to take revenge on the vampire who killed my parents. But Raziel Nostrom is a prince of the city’s most powerful mafia clan—completely untouchable.

When I learn that Raziel is marrying a woman he’s never seen before, I know my chance has finally come…

I will disguise myself as Raziel’s sacrificial bride. I will gain access to his vicious and beautiful family. And I will murder every last bloodsucking one of them.

Raziel is just as ruthless and deadly as I expected, but I had no idea how magnetic he would be up close, with an intoxicating smile and ruby-red eyes that seem to look right into my soul. There’s a dangerous tension between us that I’m struggling to ignore.

I have to strike fast. Every second I wait brings new danger to my life—and my heart. But as I sharpen my blades and prepare to take my revenge at last, I need to face the truth…

I’m falling in love with Raziel Nostrom.

The first book in a spicy vampire romantasy series perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers romance and marriages of convenience tropes. Readers who could not get enough of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Haunting Adeline will love The Serpent’s Bride.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw someone recommend this on Tiktok and she got me at “vampire mafia”, so I decided to try it out since it was on kindle unlimited:

+ Nadi is a Fae, an Iltani, enemy of the vampire mafia family the Nostrom’s. And now she wants revenge against them. First on his list, Raziel Nostrom, the man who murdered her family. He’s about to get married so Nadi uses her shapeshifting skills to pose as his human wife and hope she can get close enough to him, so she can kill him.I like Nadi because she’s willing to do anything to avenge her family’s death and she’s a one woman show. Raziel on the other hand is a killer that loves what he does. There is nothing soft about him! He has a very interesting family and would like to learn more about his siblings in the other books.

+ I assumed because this dark romance that it would be spicy right away but it was surprisingly not, which was nice since I wanted to get into the story instead of the smut. It’s a quick read, which I like, and a slow burn. But when the spice does hit, it’s creative and kinky as I expected out of Raziel! 😅. Will there be an emotional connection between them? Is Raziel capable of that? We shall see as the series goes on.

+~ There is a cliffhanger ending but honestly, I was waiting for Nadi to take him out! This is a vibe read, so I wasn’t expecting detailed world-building but I think I got enough from this that in this world there are different species vying for power. Would love to learn more about the Wilds where Nadi grew up though.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one and glad I took a chance on it! I love the enemies to lovers dark romance going on and wonder what is going to happen next after that ending. I’ll be reading book two right away, so stay tuned for the review for that one.

Read if you like:

a quick, vibe read
enemies to lovers, arranged marriage
vampire mafia
kinky spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Life: A Love Story

Author: Elizabeth Berg

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 208

Publication Date: 3/17/26

Publisher: Random House

Categories: Contemporary, Literary 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 Random House for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this warm, intimate novel, a woman celebrates the joy she finds in the ordinary things in life and discovers it’s never too late to start new adventures. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House

Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.

Flo’s project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.

In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.

Content Warning:

Flo is 92 years old and she feels she’s nearing the end of her life so she writes a letter to Ruthie, who was the girl next door – the closest to a child Flo ever had. In the letter she tells Ruthie about things she’s learned about life, and her marriage.

There were a lot of parts of this that I found heart-warming, like how Flo is thinking about her past. Or her daily interactions with people. Also I liked how she wasn’t afraid to talk about some of her fears about dying and or how hopeful that maybe she would see her husband again in the afterlife.

It’s a very quick story and for the most part I was invested but other parts where I felt disconnected maybe because this isn’t the type of book I usually read.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very realistic look at an elderly woman at the end of her life and what she learned along the way in her journey through life. It’s not the usual genre I pick up to read, but overall I thought there were some heartfelt moments in this story that moved me. If you like literary fiction, definitely try this one out.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Eternal is the Night by. Alayna Ravenwood| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Eternal is the Night (The Cursed Realm Saga, #1)

Author: Alayna Ravenwood

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 524

Publication Date: 3/12/26 (ebook); 9/16/26 (Paperback and Hardcover)

Publisher: Aurelia Press

Categories: New Adult, Mystery, Romance, Portal Fantasy, Dark Academia

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

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

An elite private college. Missing Initiates. A truth that will change everything.

Twenty-year-old Anna was already different before her mother was murdered—and before she vanished for a year she can’t remember. When her former mentor returns, Anna embarks on a dangerous journey to Nightfall Castle, the mysterious private college her mother once attended, desperate for answers about her past—and the dormant power she’s ignored her entire life.

But Nightfall is not an ordinary college.

Something is terribly wrong within the castle’s ancient corridors. Initiates are disappearing, and the Aurkai—Nightfall’s most elite—know more than they’re willing to say. Blake, the most alluring and dangerous of the Aurkai, may be the key to uncovering Nightfall’s secrets—or the reason she never escapes them.

As the danger closes in, Anna realizes she may be next, and the truth behind Nightfall may cost her everything.

Discover the truth hidden within Nightfall Castle in this dark, seductive debut of The Cursed Realm Saga.

Content Warning: sexual harassment, violence, death

+~ I thought this story started off pretty good. Told in two POVs, Anna and Blake, but mostly Anna’s – Anna is a 20 year old, who lost her mom, and she lost her memories of a whole year. Sounds very mysterious. Also, her guardian (mom’s friend), Derrick, has been training her all her life to fight. To fight what though? She knows something is different about her and her life. And he shows up again to tell her she needs to go to a place called Nightfall which is a mysterious college, it’s for her protection. And this is my biggest issue with the whole book – I was never sure of anything and not in a good, gripping way. Everything is a mystery but the execution didn’t work for me, I was getting frustrated and tired of being fed breadcrumbs. I needed some answers to all the questions being brought up in the first half, some is explained in the second half but by then I lost some interest. But there is magic eventually and more.

+~ This story has a big cast of characters. For the most part I like Anna, she’s strong and determined. Something is special about her – that’s another mystery. She meets some new students, Isabella becoming the closest one too her. Blake the MMC is okay, kind of bland. I would have loved a little more character depth. I think the ones that really stood out to me were Melanie and Malakai because they are the villainous twins.

+~ It’s dark academia with the usual topics of study – history and combat. And I read a lot of dark academia so there was nothing really new here. Anna’s combat training was fun to read but then some of her classmates start to go missing and it’s hard for her to get any answers about them because people don’t remember them or the Aurkai are tight-lipped about everything (so frustrating). There are some twists and turns that I enjoyed…but why were they having a play in the middle of the story when more pressing things were happening? That play kind of took me out of the story for a little bit.

+~ The romance between Anna and Blake was sort of a slow burn, but I felt like she fell too fast and I just wanted more build-up. There is a spicy scene but even that was just okay to me.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think this has lots of potential because it’s addictive – it has all the things I like in a dark academia fantasy but some of the execution just didn’t work for me. I’d love more character depth, and less of questions without answers because it left me frustrated. And I love a mystery, but there has to be someone other than Melanie telling Anna the truth. The romance was okay but I want more. Hopefully, book two can deliver a story with more depth and answers to questions brought up in this book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Poison Daughter

Author: Sheila Masterson

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 668

Publication Date: 10/3/25

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Romance, Vampires

To err is human. To avenge is Divine.
Every person Harlow Carrenwell kisses dies immediately, and that’s the way she likes it. The poison-lipped youngest daughter of Lunameade’s magical founding family has used her power to annihilate their opposition.

Her first husband is in the ground. Her new betrothed is next.

But the merry widow has a secret. When she’s not acting as an assassin at her parents’ whims, she moonlights as a vigilante for abused women in their walled-off city.

Meet a man. Lure him in. Kill him with a kiss. Until one night Harlow kisses a mark and he doesn’t die.

Worse, her invincible partner in passion is her new betrothed, Henry Havenwood, and now he knows about her double life. Instead of selling her out and bringing the rival families to blows, he does something much more sinister—whisks her away to wed in his wild mountain fort.

Harlow doesn’t trust Henry, but the only way to protect her family and the city of Lunameade is to figure out what his family is planning.

Cursed with a husband she can’t kill and trapped in a fort miles of vampire-infested woods from home, Harlow’s survival requires her to do the impossible: Make the man who knows she’s a killer fall in love with her anyway.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, murder, toxic family, grief, trauma, debilitating migraines

**Check book trigger warnings**

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited and saw it had good reviews so I wanted to try it out. Here are my thoughts:

+ There are 2 POVs in this story, Harlow and Henry. Harlow is from a ruling family of magic users. What makes them the top family of magic users is they are the only ones who can see magic – which comes in the form of auras. I thought Harlow’s family was interesting because they are all under the thumb of their father. Harlow’s parents are not the affectionate type – their goal, to stay in power and they use their children for that purpose. But you can tell Harlow is close to some of her siblings – mostly, Aidia and Kellen. Everyone else, we don’t know much about and I believe there are 8 children in the family. Henry is from a place everyone thought was destroyed years ago. In this story, there are magic users and non-magic users. Non-magic users pay a blood tithe so that the elite magic users can protect the city but the public is getting tired of the demand for tithes and now there is a rebellion trying to take her family down. Also in this world, there is a forest with creatures called the Drained (basically vampire monsters).

+~ There is a lot of female rage in this story and a theme of women being abused. It gets dark. There are a few twists, turns, political intrigue, secrets, betrayals, magic, and vampires. But there were parts of the story that I felt some of the twists and turns didn’t have a punch like I was expecting. Also Henry was contradictory – he’s all for not controlling a woman, but then picks out her clothing. He’s a nice guy and is all about consent but he also wants her to behave in his society because his image matters. Pacing was a little off also and it’s a long book.

+ I love that Harlow is 30 – we need more older heroines. Harlow has been honed into a weapon for her family. Her power? A deadly poison kiss. Harlow is moonlighting as the Poison Vixen, a woman going around the kingdom, killing men (but not just any men – abusers, etc…). Things change when her parents marry her off again but to a man from a stronghold they thought was annihilated 10 years ago by the Drained. Harlow has attitude and keeps Henry on his toes. She is rage in disguise and I liked her a lot because I knew all of her bravado came from something traumatic. She was always in survival mode. And as the story goes we learn what made her this way and I found it so heartbreaking.

+ I loved Harlow’s relationship with her best-friend/sister, Aidia. I felt like that was the most emotional part of the story – the relationship between the siblings. There is a lot of trauma, lots of grief that both Harlow and Henry have to navigate because of their love for their sisters.

+~ I for the most part enjoyed the romance between Harlow and Henry. Both are motivated by different things and are thrust into this arranged marriage. I love the banter between them because Harlow has attitude and she keeps Henry on his toes for sure. I think the two of them are fun together because of it. Desire is there from the start but it was a slow burn – but once they give into their desires, it’s very spicy, and where the dark romance part comes into play. Voyeurism is big in this one, and I’m not sure how I feel about it? I don’t know that it did anything for me maybe because of the circumstances. For me, I was missing an emotional connection between them during the spice scenes and I get it, they are enemies, they both have ulterior motives, and it was just a physical act, but I wanted to see more emotion. I think that was the thing I felt was kind of missing between them…both are reluctant to fall in love, they don’t believe in it, they’ve been hurt badly, they are both playing the other. Also I don’t think I loved Henry as much as I wanted to, he didn’t handle some situations very well.

Final Thoughts:

I loved beginning, the middle kind of slowed down, and the ending was good. I know it’s a romantasy and this is mostly about Harlow and Henry’s enemies to lovers romance, which had fun banter but the emotional part I loved about this story was between Harlow and her sister Aidia. Their story made me cry. The whole story tackles trauma, abuse and grief. The romance is a slow burn but the spicy scenes are very spicy, if you like voyeurism – this one is for you 🤭. Harlow is an FMC, 30 years old, with lots of rage and I loved her attitude because I get it girl, I get it! I enjoyed the political intrigue but I did feel at times it didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. Though I had some issues with it, I still enjoyed it!

Read if you like:

FMC who is 30 years old, female rage
vibe read
enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, banter
unique magic
spicy spice
and don’t mind – trauma, abuse and grief

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Blood & Betrayals (Avalon University, #1)

Author: Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 1026

Publication Date: 3/23/25

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Academia, Series

Fear, Fury and Fire.

To Know is Not Enough.

Power flows through the ancient halls of Avalon University like a neverending flood. Admission to the elite institution enables students to hone their magic under the watchful eye of their icy headmaster.

Summer Tuatha De Daanan planned to slide through her tenure at Avalon, unnoticed and inconspicuous. She has no interest in learning more about her past or why someone applied to the school on her behalf. Her emotional walls keep everyone at bay, and her sharp tongue makes people give her a wide berth. Yet, despite her best attempts, her emotional armor begins to melt from her feral vampire roommate to the angelic senior who is never dissuaded by her feigning disinterest. Maybe this could be good for her, a new life. Yet, dark secrets lurk in the halls of Avalon, and soon those same halls are drenched in blood.

Summer finds herself as the obsession of the sadistic stalker with the Seven lessons to learn. With the help of her new friends, she races against the clock to solve the mystery, hoping to save lives and catch the killer before it’s too late.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited and saw it was dark academia and took a chance on it. Here are my thoughts:

~ Right off the bat, I will say this book did not have to be 1026 pages – although on my ipad where I was reading it, it said 703 pages. This book didn’t have to be anything above 350 pages, or less. I really wish someone took a scalpel to this story and I don’t mean that in a bad way. There was a story but it was hard to find it with all the extra fluff.

+ The things I did like? Summer is a Freshman at Avalon University – lots of different species go there: fae, angels, vampires, shifters, sorcerers, etc…they are there to hone their magic. So I expected the typical dark academia story and we do get that: there is sex, there is romance, there is drama and also a serial killer? I liked Summer’s (a fae) new friendship with Alice (a vampire), and seeing them grow into best-friends. I liked the Morningstar brothers, especially Connor who becomes Summer’s boyfriend – he’s good and a he’s a golden retriever. I even liked some of the silly relationship drama. A lot of this story made me laugh because some things were getting ridiculous!

~ But why are these characters 27-30 years old and act like teenagers? Why didn’t they just make them 18-21? There was no need to make them older unless it’s because of the spicy scenes? 🤷🏻‍♀️. Speaking of characters – there is a mystery character that I hope will be revealed in book two.

+~ Summer, the FMC, has a secret past. It’s so secret and troubling for her, she doesn’t even want to talk about being a Fae. Apparently their realm has been wiped off the face of the planet or realm world. So we basically learn nothing about her. I know she loves sex with Connor, because they have it every other chapter and there is….almost 80+ chapters?! She loves when men think she is hot, even though she loves Connor. She does love Alice, and that was a relationship I did like seeing grow. She has power she hasn’t tapped into yet. But yeah…I was fine that she was needy and needed attention, but…I wish their relationship didn’t drag out for 700 pages.

~ The romance started out cute. Connor is a good guy, and I think he’s why I kept reading because a good guy like him is hard to find in books. He’s a unicorn – he doesn’t get jealous? Like…what? And look I like my MMC’s bad, and filled with trauma…so Connor was actually refreshing. Maybe boring, but I thought it was cute how much he loved Summer. And okay so she’s never been loved and he has the perfect family full of love, but what was up with her flirting with other guys? If that’s the case, then make it a reverse-harem! Let her explore, let Connor be open to it …but that’s not how this story goes and this girl is making emotional connections with someone online she calls Stranger? Just…NO. Even though he sounds intriguing. I was ready to be all in on Connor and Summer’s love story if she just didn’t search for more, in other guys. Connor was done dirty and he didn’t deserve it. But the romance was 95% of this book! It’s about Connor and Summer dating, having lots of sex, and moving on to talking about marriage. Also, Summer’s nickname for Connor is “Big Guy” and she says it a lot. I didn’t mind him calling her Babe all the time, but the Big Guy was said way too much. Another issue I had…the spicy scenes, it was quantity over quality. This story made me wish for a good quality, creative, steamy scene instead of all the ones we got.

~ So there is a mystery serial killer on the loose? Nothing much happens with that storyline except halfway into the book, and a little more at the end. There is no urgency and Summer is always leaving the safety of her dorm, to venture out for a jog alone even though she knows someone is out there killing girls that look like her. The story could have been tighter and maybe the threat of a killer more thrilling if a lot of the fluff was cut out.

+ Speaking of Connor – the ending is emotional, and I was surprised how much I felt about him, since I almost DNF’d the book a few times. Why didn’t I DNF? I actually wanted to see if something would happen in the story, other than the romance portion of the story. 😅 And the story is so easy to consume since it’s light on the world-building. Also maybe I wanted to torture myself and couldn’t believe how many times this couple had spicy scenes or how many times Summer said Big Guy so I had to see it through to the end. 😂

Final Thoughts:

This story needed major editing, because it didn’t need to be as long as it is. I also needed more depth from the characters and it would be nice if they acted their age (which is supposed to be late 20’s/early thirties). I kept reading because I wanted to see if something would actually happen with the serial killer, but most of this book was about Summer and Connor’s romance which moved fast and had spicy scenes every other chapter. Yet, I was bored with the spice. And then Summer talking to other guys and flirting with them even though she is so in love with Connor? Yeah….poor Connor. My 2.5 stars goes to Connor, the friendship with Alice and the ending where we finally get some action. It does end with a cliffhanger though…so am I reading book two? Most likely – but will I DNF it if it is as long as this one and she’s trying to figure out how she feels about three guys, then maybe! 😅.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Half City by. Kate Golden | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Half City (Harker Academy, #1)

Author: Kate Golden

Format: hardcover and ebook

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 2/17/26

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Series, Romance, Paranormal, Mystery

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv’s father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ Set in an alternate Earth, Harker Academy is a place for demon hunters to learn and train to hone their skills. Viv trained since she was a child with her father, who was a hunter – but he never told her about this school. So when Viv gets an invitation to attend, she goes for the sole purpose of finding out more about her father. Being at Harker Academy open Viv to a whole new world and some secrets revealed leads to betrayal. I loved all the paranormal elements and the fights with different species and monsters. I also was invested in the mystery aspect of the story.

+ I like Viv but she definitely has her stubborn moments. She’s dealing with grief and guilt, but she also is the black sheep in the family. Her mom is running for mayor and it’s all about being proper and keeping up with appearances in her family but Viv is a hunter. And aeon hunter at that so the desire to hunt and kill is strong in her blood, not politics. At first she is someone who doesn’t want to get close to people, she has a best friend she loves dearly in the mortal plane, but at Harker she meets hunters like her and I loved how she grows. She is at times impulsively because of her aeon blood that is hyper-focused on stalking her prey, but she learns the longer she’s at Harker that maybe getting help is a good thing.

+ I loved the secondary characters like Sophia (her roommate), and her other new friends Peter and Eliot. I thought there was a good balance of academia and action in the book. I liked both the scenes of Viv learning in her classes and also being out in the streets hunting.

+ The romance is a slow burn between student and teacher but I really liked how it progressed. Reid is a demon but allowed to teach at Harker, even though he is the enemy. But throughout the story we get to know a little more about him each time and I love how eventually their attraction grows and they learn they work better together than separate – since Viv is stubborn enough to not listen to him. And the spice between them was nice!

~ There is a very abrupt cliffhanger ending! I’m so happy book two comes out this year as well.

~ Viv is leading a double life, she spends all her time at Harker, which is on another plane, and she’s lying to her family and best friend of where she is living. But I didn’t know how she could pull off not showing up to work for 3 weeks – it works out too conveniently for her.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book, and can’t wait for book two which comes out this year. I’m so glad we don’t have to wait too long!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Toe to Toe by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Toe to Toe

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Ballet and Dance, Sports 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 for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It takes two to tango.

Allegra Hart has been working her whole life to achieve one goal: become a principal ballerina. When her director starts holding auditions for the lead role in the company’s latest production, Allegra sees this as her chance—maybe her last chance.

The catch? The director wants someone with sex appeal, and he doesn’t think she’s up to the task. Determined to prove him wrong, Allegra enlists the help of the lead dancer of an all-male revue, Cord Donovan, a classically trained dancer who is also the sexiest man she’s ever met. In exchange for lessons on how to ramp up her sex appeal, she promises to help Cord choreograph a new partner piece for his show.

As they practice their moves on and off the stage, Allegra and Cord find themselves battling a growing attraction, all the more illicit because Cord has sworn to never partner with a ballerina. Allegra is determined not to let a man derail her career, but what if she could have both love and success? Or will her involvement with Cord jeopardize everything she’s worked for?

Content Warning: sexual harassment, mental health

+ This book has Center Stage x Magic Mike vibes which I thought was really fun. Allegra is a ballerina who is trying so hard to become a principal dancer in her company – but the next show calls for a leading lady who is sexy and her technique is perfect but the director doesn’t feel she has sex appeal. When she sees Cord Donovan dance in a male-revue show, she knows what she has to do – ask him for help so she can learn how to be sexy.

+ I loved the whole ballerina falling for a male-revue dancer. Now, Cord is not a stripper – he has a whole male revue show that includes handsome men removing some of their clothing and doing lap dances but it’s all about dance too. Cord has a history with ballet he doesn’t want to ever remember again, but Allegra being a ballerina makes him face his conflicting feelings about ballet. I loved everything about the dances in both genres, and how Allegra finally learns to appreciate herself and her body. The story does touch on issues that people in the dance world deal with like eating habits, discipline, drive, pushing their bodies, being treated abusively by the director of a company, and sexual harassment.

+ The romance was full of chemistry between Cord and Allegra. We have two dancers doing different kinds of dance and Cord pushes Allegra in many ways to help her be sexy so there are some very tense moments between them and some spicy ones too but I was surprised how there wasn’t more spice – but I think the dances and training between them was the teasing and foreplay.

~ The conflict between Allegra and Cord was tough. Cord cannot support ballet because of what he and his sister went through when they were younger in the world of ballet. He saw the sexual harassment and knew how toxic the ballet world could be – he even sees it in Allegra who is very focused on getting the role and being principal. I could totally understand why he didn’t support ballet. But I could also understand Allegra who worked all her life since she was 3 years old and gave her life to this career path. She had to choose between Cord and ballet, because he wouldn’t support ballet. I just wanted her to do something about the sexual harassment she was receiving from her director though – but that’s just me, I know realistically many people don’t report it because they are afraid of repercussions with their job, so I had to let it go, and wish the best for her.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, I just didn’t enjoy how Allegra couldn’t do much about the sexual harassment she was enduring to get the role of her life. But outside of that, I love the Center Stage x Magic Mike vibes, since I’m a big fan of Center Stage and I could see the different elements from the movie. I love the chemistry and tension between Cord and Allegra from start to finish and I was rooting hard for their happily ever after. They had to work through some things but eventually get there.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadow, #2)

Author: Emma Noyes

Narrator(s): Emily Pike Stewart

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Norse Mythology

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

The thrilling sequel to Soul of Shadow, a contemporary romantasy for fans of Twilight, and Teen Wolf, where love, magic, gods, and monsters collide with devastating consequences – featuring beautiful color, designed endpapers and a foil case stamp for a stunning package.

I will make myself strong.
I will find Elias.
I will kill Elias.
I will never trust a boy with my heart again.

These are the vows Charlie Hudson made the day after Elias Everhart betrayed her, nearly killing everyone she loves most. One month later, revenge is still her priority, even as she navigates a harsh new reality: one where her brother and friends can now see Asgard, making them just as susceptible to its dazzling delights – and deadly dangers – as she is.

But when two bodies turn up in the forest outside town, and Elias waltzes back into her life with an offer to help find out what’s happening, Charlie finds herself accepting his offer—but only because feigning an alliance is her best chance to figure out how to kill him. And if it feels like the more time she spends with him, the more her heart softens, it must be a trick of the unusually warm fall air. Because there’s no way she would make the grave mistake of falling for Elias Everhart twice… right?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I had an immersive experience with this book – I listened to it as an audiobook and also read parts of it as an ebook. The audiobook is so good, 5 stars goes to the narrator who really had me invested in this story! I’m glad I had the ebook as well because the Norse names for places and creatures was helpful seeing in written form.

+ I love this series because it’s a young adult contemporary fantasy but with Norse Mythology which is different from what’s out there right now. I get to learn more about the mythology and it’s full of monsters, and action. In this story we also get to see Helheim, Loki’s domain.

+ Though this is young adult, I feel like as an older adult reading it and listening to it, it’s a fun book! I really enjoy the family themes of the book, which lends a lot of emotion to the story. Charlie and Mason’s relationship, which is strained from the ending of book one, is something Charlie tries to fix in this book. Also, they both have conflicted feelings about learning that they are Loki’s children – why did he not want them? We don’t get more answers in this one, but I hope it will all be explained in book three. I also enjoy the teenage friendships in this story – Charlie has a good group of friends behind her but she is trying to work through a lot of guilt after events in book one.

+ I know Elias tried to kill her and her friends in book one but this boy is so flirtatious, I don’t blame Charlie for falling for him again. I love them together and he seems changed plus we get to know more of his backstory. I’m definitely rooting for them!

+ Henry, the gnome, how can you not love him?

+~ I think with this sequel, because it’s more about Charlie training with Elias, and her friend Abigail trying to decode the riddle, most of the action comes at the end of the book. I didn’t mind it though because I liked seeing Elias hanging out with Charlie and her friends. Plus there are a lot of complicated feelings there that Charlie has to work through. Also, as a sequel, I didn’t feel like this was filler, the story actually does move along.

Final Thoughts:

This series has been so enjoyable so far! I love the characters, the family and friendship themes, all the Norse mythology and the romance. I’m excited to see what comes next in book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Soul of Shadow by. Emma Noyes | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: A Vow in Vengeance (Immortal Desires, #1)

Author: Jaclyn Rodriguez

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 471

Publication Date: 1/13/26

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Series

Deadly tarot, wicked schemes, dangerous alliances . . . can you survive the Forge?

Sexy, action-packed, and brimming with magic, A Vow in Vengeance is an unputdownable romantasy debut.

Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules.

Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but twenty-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.

Rune’s abilities also draw the eyes of the most dangerous druids in the realms. Some want to use her. More want her dead. Draven offers to train her . . . for a price. As Rune becomes ensnared in Draven’s dangerous games, she learns there are secrets at the heart of the kingdom that some will kill to protect.

And Rune and Draven’s growing attraction may be the spark to ignite a brewing war.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I’m always fascinated to see how an author will use tarot magic in a story and I thought the way it was done in this book was interesting. This world comprises of druids, changelings, seraphs, and elves. There is a lot of history between each kingdom, and politics between them kept me invested. The story takes place at the Forge Academy where the chosen ones are sent to learn about the magic tied to their cards. Like with most dark academia books, the characters are there to learn, train for battle and learn to get along. There’s also some drama.

+ Rune is a Wraith on the run with a secretive background. She needs to be chosen in the selection because she it will bring her one step closer into looking for her family. I liked Rune because she’s sassy and strong. Prince Draven and Rune catch each other’s eye right away, and they get into a dislike to like relationship that is full with fun bickering.

+ I enjoyed Rune getting to know the other students at the academy and I thought her growing friendship with Ember was cute. She is definitely finding her found family at this academy.

+~ The attraction between Rune and Draven is obvious but they are always fighting and then they get into a fake fated mates situation tied with the politics going between the different kingdoms. The fake situation helps Draven get himself out of an engagement and he promises to help Rune find her parents. I actually enjoyed the way their romance progresses. Clearly they are attracted to one another. The romance has some drama and angst. And I’m not sure why I was expecting a lot of spice in this, but I was wrong – there is a lot of flirting but it’s low on the spice meter.

+ I loved the ending where the twists happen! I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was a little unexpected violence, but it really made an emotional impact in the story. There are a few secrets, twists and betrayals in this one.

Final Thoughts:

Tarot magic will always fascinate me I think. I would have liked to learn more about the magic, because tarot magic seems always so complicated. I liked the world building with the different Immortals, Rune’s story about finding her family, and her romance with Draven. I really like the twist at the end where a lot of the action shows up. I thought this was pretty good debut and we’ll see what happens in book two.