Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Not in My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/10/25

Categories: Romance Contemporary

Rosie Maxwell has a move to New York, get her creative writing degree from NYU, become a bestselling romance writer. But that plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington, an obnoxious, surly, unreasonably gorgeous literary fiction writer who has no patience for romance – or for Rosie.

Exhausted by Rosie and Aiden’s constant verbal sparring, their professor gives them an leave her class, or cowrite a novel that blends their respective genres.

As Rosie and Aiden collaborate on their (accidentally steamy) novel, they try to put their differences aside. Could their manuscript-in-progress be just the outlet they need to confess their feelings – and explore their mutual attraction?

But a potentially career-changing opportunity soon reignites the flames of their old rivalry. Rosie and Aiden’s once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved – unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms…

Content Warning: complicated relationship with parent

+ I had borrowed this book last year and didn’t get a chance to read it. So I borrowed it again because I needed to read a contemporary romance and this hit the spot!

+ Rosie and Aiden are writers taking a workshop class at NYU. Rosie writes romance, and Aiden writes literary fiction. They do NOT get along. They fight so much that their professor asked them to drop of out of her class or they can stay but work on a story together. This forces them to hang out together and work out their differences and it mostly works.

+ I loved the secondary characters: Rosie’s friends, her roommate and also her family. I loved the Peruvian representation since Rosie is half.

+ The romance was very rivals to lovers, almost enemies to lovers, but the tension is so strong that their attraction is as strong also, which made the spicy scenes unexpectedly spicy! Who knew Aiden had it in him 😅. Throughout the book I didn’t think he would turn out to be a dirty talker in bed! When they eventually give one another a chance, they have a fun and lovely relationship.

~ Aiden is grumpy and Rosie is sunshine but sometimes they both got on my nerves! The third act break-up actually made me so pissed off at Aiden that I didn’t want her to go back to him. But also, Rosie, really went off accusing of him of lying when really if they could just both control their tempers and talk, things wouldn’t have had to take a dramatic turn. He did do a big gesture at the end so I eventually forgave him but yeah both of them got on my nerves at times!

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally read this book and I enjoyed the rivals to lovers, academia world (writer’s life), the setting of New York and how it also had some holiday scenes. Sometimes their fighting was immature or they could have had better communication but overall, I enjoyed the story.

Book Links:

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Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Seven Deadly Thorns

Author: Amber Hamilton

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Categories: New Adult, Romantasy, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal, Snow White Inspired

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

+ I didn’t realize this was a Snow White inspired story until I was reading it. Funny that the MMC’s name is Roze of all things (lips as red as a rose – yes his poisonous lips are red and he loves to eat apples). Viola is a student at Vandenberghe Academy and she’s hiding that she is a meiga (witch) to avoid being killed by the Queen but it’s hard for her to control her shadows. When the Prince, Roze, who is the Huntsman is assigned to kill her since the Queen already knows what she is, he gives her a chance – he won’t kill her if she can help him find out who killed the King, his father.

+~ I think there is a lot going on in the story. A little bit of romantasy, horror, paranormal – all thrown in. Also, there is a matter of a secret society that Roze is a part of and Viola demands to know the secrets of. World-building is really interesting because a war with another kingdom basically trapped them in their own kingdom, the Mists, keeps them in. I think most of it worked, but I did think the last few chapters was kind of wild with everything going on. It went off the rails and fast.

+ There is a cute gargoyle pet named Waffles. 😍. Viola as a character, she’s feisty and stubborn, and killing people accidentally a little too much. Someone needed to teach her control, but there was no one really. The Queen is evil and she has a magic mirror, but the twist I enjoyed was Roze’s sister being the “dwarves” but here they are vapid princesses. Everyone is under the Queen’s power, except Roze, who sometimes defies her.

+ The romance is enemies to lovers and the animosity between them is very present in everyone of their interactions. There is a fake engagement between them to help with the plan of Viola helping him find out who killed his dad. Roze’s touch is poison so there is no spice until it comes on all of a sudden near the end. I was not expecting any spice which is why at first I thought this was YA. I bumped it up to NA after that spicy scene.

Final Thoughts:

I liked the enemies to lovers romance and the Snow White inspiration. I think there is a lot going on but I kind of went with it. Overall, even with the wild ending and twist, I think this was an entertaining story!

Book Links:

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Wings of Ash & Flame by. Jocelyn Bleu | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Wings of Ash & Flame ( Winged Wars, #1)

Author: Jocelyn Bleu

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 594

Publication Date: 9/25/25

Categories: Fantasy, Academia, Romance

Rivals by design. Lovers by choice. Enemies by destiny.

Alaire Aerendyl has survived by her fists, her wits, and sheer defiance. An orphaned human, unjustly imprisoned by the powerful fae houses that rule her world, she’s never truly known freedom—only how to fight for scraps of it.

So when she’s offered a place at a brutal fae academy known for its deadly magical trials and bonded mythical winged creatures, she doesn’t hesitate. Freedom is worth any risk.

Alaire is meant to fail. But when she bonds with a legendary phoenix, reviving the long-lost House of Ashfyre, everything changes. Memories awaken. Magic stirs. And Alaire becomes the target of powers far darker than she ever imagined.

Bound by duty, fae prince Dawson Knox is broody, lethal, and infuriating. Forced to train alongside him, Alaire finds herself pushed to every limit. He’s the last person she should trust…and the only one who makes her burn.

The blistering tension between them is a distraction she can’t afford. Because the academy’s trials are merely preparation for what lies ahead, war is brewing between the fae and vampires, with humans caught in the crossfire. If Alaire can’t uncover the secrets of her past and conquer her traitorous heart, there might not be a future worth fighting for.

Content Warning: violence, death, survivor’s guilt

+~ The world in Wings of Ash & Flame is one with Fae and humans, and vampires are the enemy. There is a lot of world-building and lore. A lot of the beginning of the book is spent in class lessons and training. But I think because there is so much of it, this story does feel like is has a slow start. I felt like the book was a mix of other popular series out there, but instead of say, dragons, this book as different winged creatures like Griffins, Owls, and a Phoenix. I like the different creatures a lot! The story does start of slow and it doesn’t pick up by very much but I did like the medium pace it held. I thought the ending had a nice twist.

+ Alaire is an orphan, surviving on the streets when an act of courage – saving a boy from the whip of a Fae, lands her in prison. She’s given a chance to leave prison and enter a Fae Academy, but without real answers as to why she, a human, is allowed to study and train there. I think the missing information was a little bit frustrating and again, made the beginning slow because there was little information coming from the Fae who wanted her at the academy. At the academy she is threatened and bullied, but Alaire is a voice for the humans – so she lets it be known as much as she can, how awful humans are being treated by the Fae. I like that she’s strong. She does have survivor’s guilt and missing memories though, so she does have moments of self-loathing and low self-esteem. She hides it by appearing very tough.

+ I enjoyed all the action and scary creatures that Alaire had to encounter in this book. There is also some politics. I also liked some of the secondary characters like her new best-friend Kaia. Archer is also part of their crew, but I don’t feel like he stands out a lot.

+ ~ The romance is a very, very slow burn between Alaire and a Fae Prince, Dawson. It starts off as enemies to lovers, but then they are paired up as partners. There are moments of tension between them, some bickering, him exerting his authority over her, and she being stubborn – but then he would be gone from chapters. There is one kiss near the end of the book and that’s it. I just wanted more. There’s is a forbidden love and it will be interesting to see what happens next.

Final Thoughts:

I can’t say there is anything really new in this fantasy that hasn’t already been written by other authors in this genre, it’s filled with lots of tropes but it’s an easy read and I did like being in this world. I did enjoy the different flying creatures. I also enjoyed the action and fights between dangerous creatures, there are deadly trials also. I did guess Alaire’s past but I still liked seeing it play out. The romance might be too slow of a burn for me and I wanted more spice but I think the ending made sure I will want to read book two!

Book Links:

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Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Smoke and Scar ( Shattered Crown, #1)

Author: Gretchen Powell Fox

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 466

Publication Date: 3/10/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

+ This story centered fully on a group of warriors taking on a quest to undertake the Arcane Crucible which is a series of deadly trials. No one has every survived but this time Elyria is entering to help save her ex-bestfriend Kit from killing herself. Cedric, a knight, also has his own motivations for entering the trials. Humans and Fae do not get along in this world so it was interesting to see how they would make it through the crucible. There is a lot of action during the trials and even a growing found family.

+ There is a very, very slow burn romance. I’d say the romance isn’t even a focus in this story until the very end. So this story is very fantasy heavy. The romance is enemies to lovers but I’m thinking book two will have a little more of it. Cedric is a knight but he’s the “damsel in distress”! Elyria is always saving him which I thought was a nice reversal.

+ I loved the twist and turns in the second half of the book!

~ Because it’s fantasy heavy and barely had any romance (and I was looking for it), I did feel like some parts of the story for me lagged. I wanted a little more from Cedric but I think that changes in book two after what happens at the end of this one!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was pretty good except for the parts that lagged for me, but it was really because I was looking for the “romantasy” parts of this book! There isn’t much romance so the story felt slow at some parts but if you are into deadly trials and a quest, with little romance, you will definitely enjoy this one. I enjoy the story twists and turns at the end! I’m going to read book two as an audiobook and see if I enjoy the series better that way.

Book Links:

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A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Vow of Shadow and Blood (Blood Vows, #1)

Author: Charlene Antrobus

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 10/15/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires

In the Kingdom of Kalyn, humans are good for two things. Hunting and owning.

Adina Barron was bred to serve the ruling-class vampires. Owned from birth by Blackwood House, her only desire has been to keep herself and her sister safe. But Adina harbors a dark secret. She possesses the power to turn her blood into a deadly poison that kills vampires. An ability she swore never to use until she learned that her sister was dying. After discovering that vampire venom can extend life, Adina has spent the last year risking exposure and execution to hunt and kill the creatures she was born to obey.

But desperation leads to foolish mistakes, and when she accidentally reveals her power to a mysterious stranger, she is forced to make a difficult choice. Use her ability to assassinate the Crown Prince or watch her sister die.

The decision is easy, and it’s not long before Adina manages to use her wits and cunning to embed herself into the prince’s life. But making the kill is not as simple as she anticipates, especially when fate seems hell-bent on drawing the pair together. And when whispers of a war start to arise, Adina realizes that there may be bigger issues than just saving her sister.

But time is closing in, and soon she will be forced to make a choice. Her sister? Her kingdom? Or her heart? Because one thing is clear, she cannot save them all.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited, saw it had good reviews and that it was a vampire book so I downloaded and I was not disappointed!

+ I love a good Vampire romantasy, but I would say this was more fantasy with a little bit of romance. In this world, vampires are in charge and humans are enslaved. Adina, belongs to Blackwood House and is a blood donor. But when she can, she’s killing vampires, so she can take their fangs because their venom has magic that can help her sister, Willow, who is sick. Adina will do anything to help her sister, which was one thing I admired about her. But when Adina’s ownership changes hands and the vampire Prince, Karius, wants her, her life changes drastically.

+ World-building is easy to consume, humans and vampires were in a war a long time ago. Vampires won and ruled and there are some humans that accept their fate, some who want to try to escape to a settlement where they can be safe, or are like Adina and trying to survive their rule. I did want a little more world-building though. There is also a new element to the story, which brought a little horror, which I found really fun. But what I really loved about the story was the twist and turns, there are so many things that happen and it kept me on my toes. The more I read, the more I could not put the book down! I like all the fighting scenes and I did predict some of what happened in the end, but it was still fun getting there. The ending was devastating!

+~ Adina is a strong character but one of those FMC’s that make so many mistakes and is so stubborn that it makes you want to shake her. Her mistakes put people in danger! I love that she loves her sister, it’s her only motivation in this world to save her. She has to train with some of the vampires when she is bonded to Karius because if she dies, he dies, so she eventually creates a found family with them. I was so invested in so many of the side characters! Karius is the typical gorgeous, powerful, shadow daddy vampire prince but I like that he has a lot of restraint where it comes to Adina and her stubbornness.

+ The romance is a slow burn, there is one spicy scene and I really was hoping for more, but that’s all we get and it was good! I do feel like Karius and Adina don’t seem to have many scenes together, which is actually fine because she’s growing on her own as a character. Plus fated mate books can sometimes be hit or miss for me but I like how this is slow, and the word “mate” isn’t thrown all over the story. They are reluctant mates but the bond is strong and the attraction was growing but I wanted more! Because Karius seems to fall fast for her but we don’t see them together enough for all the things he wants to do for her – he will burn the world down for her. I still ate it up, but I just wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

In the next book I want to see Adina grow, and maybe learn how to give up some of her stubbornness. I don’t know what is going to happen with the romance but I found this to be a fun, binge-able, addictive vampire fantasy. I can’t wait for book two!

Book Links:

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Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hollow (Crown of Hearts and Chaos, #1)

Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 11/25/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

Don’t listen to the whispers of the woods.
Don’t trust the man cloaked in shadow.
Don’t earn the wrath of the scattered spirits.
Don’t go out after dark.

The Great Hunt begins once every fifty years and only the Champions willing to face death to shatter the curse dare to enter.

The Champions…and me.

I’m no warrior, no swordsmith, and certainly no Fae, but the forest is my only hope. To enter those trees is to walk willingly to my demise. But I need the boon the forest will grant the winner and I’m willing to risk it all for a chance at claiming it.

I just never expected to face him beneath those trees. The beast who strikes fear into the desperate people of all lands. The monster who commands the legion of Hollows and makes our plight a thousand times worse.

The Hollows are empty of all things but none are so heartless as him.

Prince Bane intends to be the death of me. But I have an oath to fulfil before I’ll let him have me. And I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it.

I am Ferris Creed and I’m going to unite the lost spirits who once bound the wandering trees in place, return the scattered amulets to the core of its corruption, and use the winner’s boon to change my fate. Come wretchedness or torment, through trickery and deception, I will get what I came here for. And no one will stand in my way. Not even Prince Bane.

*** Hollow is a dark Romantasy from the bestselling authors of Zodiac Academy, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It is a heady cocktail of Summoners, seduction and spirits, set to get your heart racing and feet kicking. There will be a ruinous, black hearted love interest, a rebellious, ruthless FMC, plot twists, cliff hangers, dark humour and a healthy seasoning of make-you-blush spice. It is not for the faint of heart. All those who enter the forest are bound by its terms – will you walk willingly into the dark? ***

Content Warning: violence, grief

This is the first book I’ve actually finished from the Twisted Sisters (this author duo). I did try to read Zodiac Academy but I didn’t get past chapter one. But Hollow, I did actually finish.

The world in Hollow is filled with humans, Fae, and magical spirits in a deadly forest. Ferris decides to partake in the Great Hunt. The person who can collect all spirt amulets in the forest can ask a boon and she wants to help save her sister, Rissa, who was taken into the forest as a sacrifice. Ferris isn’t a warrior, which I thought was interesting. What she had going for her was pure determination and I admired her for that.

But spirits aren’t the only ones lurking in the woods – Hendrix is too. He is a disgraced Fae prince, who is a a mission of revenge. I thought his story was very interesting and tragic.

When Ferris and Hendrix/Bane meet, she basically becomes his prey. But he realizes he can use her as bait for the spirits they are hunting. Ferris hates the Fae and Hendrix looks down on humans so they didn’t get along at first but an attraction grows. It’s enemies to lovers and things get spicy between them! I did enjoy the bickering between them but I wanted to see more of an emotional connection and some banter but for some reason it fell flat for me.

As much as I enjoyed the scary adventures in the woods, and the quest of collecting these amulets, I did want a little more out of our main characters because they didn’t captivate me. I don’t know if it’s the writing, but I wasn’t connecting to them.

There is a lot of action at the end and some unexpected things happen.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I’m not sure if the writing style is for me or maybe I just didn’t feel like there was anything new about the story. I enjoyed the cursed forest, the spirit animals and the Great Hunt. I also enjoyed the bickering between Ferris and Hendrix and even the spice, but I don’t know if I’m interested in continuing the series. But this a binge-able romantasy with no heavy world building so it was an easy read.

Book Links:

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A Dance with Waves and Flame by. M.B. Reese| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Dance with Waves and Flame ( The Circle of Stars, #1)

Author: M.B. Reese

Format: ebook (gifted)

Pages: 450

Publication Date: 10/29/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

In a world where the power of the zodiac signs shapes one’s destiny, Amanda is named Princess of the Water Realm.

As the supreme Cancer, she must prove her abilities and earn her place among the Circle of Twelve. But when her latent powers fail to manifest, she becomes a liability. Secrets, intrigue, and dangerous rivals threaten to shatter her fragile new world.

The rulers of the Fire Realm seize the opportunity, publicly questioning Amanda’s right to the throne.

Forced to navigate a maze of political tension and betrayal, Amanda must embark on a perilous journey to uncover her true identity. She will discover that courage isn’t just facing your destiny; it’s finding friends and love where she least expects them.

A Dance with Waves and Flames is the first volume in The Circle of Stars series, a thrilling new Fantasy adventure filled with elemental magic, thrilling secrets, and a central quest for truth and belonging.

Content Warning: violence

Thank you to the author for gifting me this ebook and here are my thoughts on it:

+ I really liked the world-building about the Zodiac signs. Each sign has a leader. Cassandra, is a Scorpio (my sign), and she kind of comes off as the villain – which is understandable! Her sister, Amanda, is a Cancer, or that is what Cassy is hoping for so she can rule beside her. But Amanda doesn’t feel any powers yet.

+ The story revolves around Amanda, who is trying to make her sister happy by lying about receiving Cancer powers, but in essence she doesn’t know what she feels. She feels like a Cancer but there are other powers that are emerging in her. There is political intrigue because everyone wants to find out what powers she has, and her sister insists she go with her plan and say she’s a Cancer.

+ There is a little bit of romance between Amanda and the Leo, Kilian. She goes to his land to spend time with him and there is an attraction between them, mostly coming from Kilian. Amanda eventually develops feelings for him. He’s a Leo, basically like a lion, and kind of possessive.

+ I also loved all the character profiles at the back of the book! It helps because there is such a big cast.

~ Though I like the Zodiac signs, I kind of didn’t understand the role of the Jurors. Also there are a lot of characters in this book, a few for each sign that Amanda meets and it was a little hard to keep up with who was who and why they were important. There is a lot of repetition also maybe because Amanda is trying to find her place, but she just doesn’t know what she is.

~ I didn’t connect to the characters as I would have liked. I think I just want more depth from Amanda and some of the other characters as well. I think Cassandra feels very true to herself. For me, the story didn’t flow well, but the second half did have much more action than the first half.

Final Thoughts:

I really like how this story is built around the Zodiac signs. This is a story about Amanda and how she’s trying to find where she belongs and what sign she rules. It has political intrigue, romance and an action filled ending but for some reason I couldn’t quite connect to the story as I would have liked. Overall, I think this story has a lot of potential though especially because of the unique world-building.

Book Links:

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The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 557

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Categories: High Fantasy, Romance

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

Content Warning: violence, death

I jumped right into book two after book one because I felt like if I waited again, I might forget the many characters.

+ There are a few things I wanted more in this book, that it be shorter and there would be romance. And it is shorter than book one, and there is more romance, but not the kind that made me feel any surer or okay about the romance.

+ The list of characters grows in this one. But everyone I feel like is pertinent to the story. There are a lot of twists and turns especially in the second half of this book. The first half we get to know Aron, the Exilarch, who is going to test Lin to see if she is the Goddess. I liked the advancement of Lin’s character and her connection with King Markus (Conor’s dad) and then there is an introduction of Elspeth who seems to be the villain in this complicated web of politics, secrets and betrayals.

+ I really liked Kel’s growth. Since book one he was already questioning his role as Sword Catcher and what it means when Conor no longer needs him. Their relationship is complicated and there are a few instances that I was just so upset with Conor. There is a lot of growth for Lin too who is trying to help her people and in the end gets punished for it. I can’t wait to see what happens with all of them in book three.

+~ There is romance and there is spice (yet still very mild) but this forbidden romance is killing me – at one point I was hoping Lin would just get over Conor and maybe something with Aron would grow but no – the yearning Conor has for Lin is heart-wrenching but he is a tortured man right now and he doesn’t know who to trust. I’m still hoping things can change for Lin and Conor but there was no happy romance in this sequel. Right now they are breaking my heart instead of giving me any giddy feelings. It’s not any better for Kel and Antonetta, but I think they have a better chance at love!

~ The twists and turns are all reliant on these different characters and how they play the game of royal politics. I really love it but also, it can be hard to keep up with what is going on. I feel like at times I needed a whiteboard to take notes with. A lot of the first half of this book is investigating the massacre that happened at the end of book one and protecting the Prince. It feels like nothing much happens until the second half of the book but I think it’s all important to the story even though it makes for slow reading.

~ Please just give me some happy romance moments in book three? 😅 Make them delusional for one another, I don’t care, but I feel like book three will be more heartbreak, yearning, wanting, and not having. 😩

~ I feel like Kel and Lin are the main characters, but I think we need more about Conor. He is very important to this story, it revolves around his life! Especially after that ending! We need more of him in book three. There is so much happening with his character! Also would love to learn more about the magic.

Final Thoughts:

Maybe I should have read this when book three comes out? And I don’t even know if it’s a trilogy or what but I am so hooked on the politics of this book because it has so much secrets, betrayals, twists and turns! The royal court life is ruthless and I’m loving it. I just hope Lin and Conor can be together at the end. It’s still somewhat a slow read but that ending has me needing the next book ASAP.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

City of Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Ashes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Glass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clockwork Angel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I didn’t rate the others on my Goodreads apparently.*

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Format: ebook (own) and audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 624

Publication Date: 10/10/23

Categories: High Fantasy

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Cassandra Clare book in YEARS. I still remember when City of Bones was released and I became a big fan and got other people around me to read the series. But I did eventually grow out of it when she started The infernal Devices so I stopped with The Mortal Instruments.

+ I have had this ebook since 2023 and really wanted to read it but never quite was in the mood to read high fantasy. Because I could tell from chapter one it was going to be a lot of world-building. So fast forward to 2025 and finally I got the bright idea to just borrow the audiobook and see if that would help me out and it did! I listened to 70% of it and then switched to the ebook because I was eager to know how it would end.

+ This story has heavy world-building and it is slow for that reason, but I think some of it is necessary because there is a lot of factions at play in this story. There is Kel’s story as the sword catcher/body double for Prince Conor. Kel’s had a good life being his double and even considers Conor a brother to him, I love that they have one another. But now Conor is set to marry and that makes Kel question his role a lot. Conor is a Prince but is more interested in having fun than doing his duties – but with tensions rising, he has to grow up. Then there is Lin, an Ashkari young woman who wants to be a physician so bad, but is not allowed to study. I love the secondary characters like Antonetta and Mariam as well.

+ It took me awhile – like 60% into this book when I realized this story was like the Maccabees and I only know that because my husband is Jewish and my kids go to temple for Sunday School and I’ve had to hear this story every year as we celebrate Hanukkah! I don’t know why it took so long for it to click for me but I did feel like the Ashkari were similar to Jews and now it all makes sense.

+ I really like the political intrigue going on in the story especially with the royals, the Ashkari, and the man in the middle of it all, The Ragpicker King.

+ If you are looking for romance in this book – this first book isn’t where it’s at. There is barely any romance in this one. The romance isn’t a huge factor until more towards the end of the book and I’m kind of glad it grew there because now it makes me eager to read book two. I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers/forbidden romance, and Lin being Ashkari and Conor being a Castellane Prince, definitely is in forbidden territory. There are sparks between them and very confusing feelings on both sides. There isn’t any spice in this story except where it comes to adult situations in a pleasure house setting, but nothing where the main characters are really involved in. And that’s not the only romance brewing, it’s hard to tell yet but Kel also has his eyes on someone, but it’s not an ideal situation.

+ I listened to most of the story and the narrators did such a good job it kept me invested in the story!

~ It’s a slow beginning because of the extensive world-building, with a big cast of characters and it took me until 30% into the audiobook to actually be invested and interested in the characters. So it’s definitely a book you cannot rush through, it’s one that is for slow reading and I’m sometimes too impatient for that so I’m glad the audiobook helped me get through the world-building. It’s a little over 600 pages and it could have been shorter.

~ I wanted more romance but I hope that happens in book two.

Final Thoughts:

So it took me 2 years and 30% into an audiobook to really get into this book but it happened and now I’m invested! 😅. A lot of this book is world building – it’s a big cast of characters, and it just takes some time to really get settled in and I can see how people would be bored with that. This is not a romantasy where things happen quick. It was one of my problems when I got the book 2 years ago but thank goodness for the audiobook. Once I got settled in the story I started to care about Kel, Conor, Lin, and Antonetta. I love the political intrigue and can’t wait to see what happens next in book two. I especially hope there is more romance for these characters!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

City of Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Ashes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Glass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clockwork Angel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I didn’t rate the others on my Goodreads apparently.*

Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Something Wicked (Idle Reputations, #1)

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy

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!

From the beloved USA Today bestselling author Falon Ballard comes a seductive romantasy that blends Macbeth and Moulin Rouge! into a hypnotic saga of sex, love, and murder.

The country of Avon is in deep turmoil. The Uprising has overthrown Avon’s monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province.

Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But to do so, he must come to terms with killing his father, the key to which lies in the hands of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club.

Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands, nor wants.

With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon for good. To stop Avon from violently falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I thought this premise was really interesting and I wanted to see how the Macbeth and Mouline Rouge inspiration would take place in this story. Also I’ve read a few contemporary romances by this author and enjoyed them.

+ This really was a bold undertaking! I love Moulin Rouge and I could definitely see it all over this book. Caterine is a courtesan, and she is Gifted. Gifted have powers and hers is very unique – she can help people manage their emotions….through sex. But she can only perform her gift when they orgasm. Not sure what I thought about that but I went with it to see how everything would play out. Callum, on the other hand is a prince of Scota. But after the kingdoms find themselves on the losing end of war with the Uprising, he loses his title but has a chance to still represent his people by…killing the king, his father! Again…I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but I guess this is where the Macbeth storyline comes in.

+~ I did like the spicy romance between Caterine and Callum. It’s very sensual and filled with so much heat. But because of Cate’s reputation and his status they do have challenges between them. But I did think they were good for one another. I do wish there were more intimate moments between them to get to know one another, because it is basically insta-lust.

~ The Uprising has new terms in order to join the new government – you have to kill the king of your kingdom. The person who kills the king, gets to represent their people – like why?! I felt like that was overkill, literally. And that’s why Callum sees Caterine, so if he works up the nerve to kill his own father, Caterine, can manage his feelings of guilt with her sex magic after the deed is done. I had to suspend my belief for that and it just didn’t feel right to me for some reason.

~ It needs more world-building but I get that this is a romantasy. So the world-building is light, but I needed more. I also wanted more from Callum. He had a problem with the Gifted (from a traumatic event in the past), he’s against the Uprising, and then he meets Caterine who sort of opens his eyes to the Gifted and why they deserves rights. I did see some growth but also he loses a lot of people, I just wanted to see more from his character.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read and I liked the Moulin Rouge inspired parts of the story, I think the Macbeth parts didn’t land so well – maybe I just needed more world-building. There is secrets, betrayal and politics, but again, the politics didn’t quite stick. There is lots of spice, so romantasy lovers will like that. But even with their romance, I wanted more of the intimate connection between them other than the lust. Overall, this had lots of potential, but some things just didn’t work for me.