Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Queen of Lombard Street

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 10/20/26

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Historical Romance, Women’s Fiction, Mystery

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

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

In Victorian England, no woman—not even a brilliant economist like Reina Martin—is allowed to open her own bank account. Men will take care of everything, women are told. But Reina knows better. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother, she’s haunted by the memory of living with unpaid grocer’s bills and no coal for the hearth.

So together with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow, Reina will build the first all-women’s bank, where women can manage their own financial security.

At home, Reina’s domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners are building new lives and becoming a found family. But soon Reina is shocked to discover that her enigmatic butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective. He’s been assigned to investigate Farlow, who’s suspected of financial crime on a scale so massive, it could destabilize the British economy. Pembroke needs Reina’s expertise for a high-stakes nighttime heist to obtain incriminating evidence.

Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. Either way, her dream of the women’s bank may be over.

But courage and sacrifice aren’t limited to the battlefield—they also occur at the kitchen table, where women who believe in compassion and community are working to remake the future. And when the stakes are highest, Reina knows to trust her heart as well as her intellect.

Based on real-life trailblazers such as Mary Paley Marshall, Britain’s first female economist, and financial titan Hetty Green, Queen of Lombard Street brings to light the hidden history of extraordinary women whose achievements should be celebrated. How can we know who we are, if we don’t know who we were?

Content Warning: mentions of rape, death, grief

+ I love Lisa Kleypas and I thought this book cover looked different from her regency romances so I wanted to give it a try and I was not disappointed. It isn’t regency romance but something with a little more debt and a little more of women’s fiction. It gave me Downton Abbey vibes, which I loved. This story also focused on women empowerment and I learned a lot! I loved all the strong female characters in this book. We get to see what they go through, what they face, and how Reina is trying to change things, a little bit here and there at a time.

+ Reina was born a bastard but that didn’t stop this amazing woman from trying to become more than she was destined to be as a woman. She went to school, worked, and learned to invest. She made connections, built up her wealth and always wants to pay it forward. She’s brilliant and kind. I loved her story!

+ The secondary characters in this story are fantastic – Reina hires a staff for her house from reformed criminals looking for a second chance. It’s a chaotic household until John comes along – but he’s undercover as the butler, trying to get information about a woman’s bank Reina is trying to open up with her friend/banker, William Farlow. Each of these staff member had their quirks, didn’t exactly like one another at first but in the end they are a family. It warmed my heart. Some of their stories made me emotional.

+ As for the romance, there are two. One with side character June (who is Reina’s best friend and cook), and Mad Dog (Maddock), their romance is so absolutely sweet – I loved them together so much! The main romance is between Reina and John, which is unconventional because he’s the staff but I couldn’t blame her falling for all the welsh phrases he kept piling on her. It was so poetic and romantic! I loved their romance and how Reina was all for bucking the rules of society. I want to say the romance is signature Lisa Kleypas – full of emotions and love, just less on the spice, but it still made my heart swoon.

+~ The only thing I think disappeared in the middle of the story was the case about William Farlow. Most of the story is focused on the staff members and them trying to learn the ropes. But the mystery does come back in the latter half of the story, when John’s cover is blown. Then we get into the mystery would have liked it to stay consistent throughout the story but I didn’t mind too much because I was invested in the other characters.

Final Thoughts:

Reina is a force to be reckoned with and I loved her story. This story is about women empowerment and how one woman refused to be what society wants her to be. It made me learn something about women and their access to banks more than a century ago and made me realize how far we’ve come. The found family trope is so strong in this story, it made me emotional. I was so invested in all of them. And the romances made me swoon, even with barely any spice. This just reminded me why Lisa Kleypas was and still is one of my favorite historical romance writer ever.

Read if you like:

found family
strong women
mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I’m pretty sure I’ve read all her books but these are the only 2 I’ve reviewed on my blog:

Devil in Disguise by. Lisa Kleypas | ARC Review – 4.5 stars

Book Review | Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6) – 4 stars

White Mountain by. Ruby Jean Cottle | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: White Mountain (Black River, #2)

Author: Ruby Jean Cottle

Pages: 368

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 12 hrs 15 min (approx.)

Narrator (s): Geraldine Hakewill

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Publication Date: 10/13/26

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Series

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

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

In the second book in Ruby Jean Cottle’s dark and romantic Black River duology, a group of teens must face new supernatural threats while guarding the secrets that could tear them apart.

It’s been months since the Silver sisters’ life changed forever. Dusty should be focused on her new relationship, but how can she, when her visions of the future show her little sister in trouble? Something is waking beneath the mountain, and it’s getting harder to ignore.

When an old foe returns with an army of vampire fledglings and a dangerous new agenda, the Silver sisters and their friends are forced to confront him once again. And after a body turns up in the woods, an unrelenting detective begins digging into the town’s string of unsolved deaths, threatening to expose everything they’ve all hidden.

As new romances bloom and loyalties are tested, the group is forced to face impossible questions about themselves and their relationships.

Whatever is hiding in the mountain isn’t finished with them. And the worst may still be yet to come.

Content Warning: complicated sibling relationship, blood drinking

+ I thought the narrator did a pretty good job with bringing this story to life.

+ This is book two and the conclusion of the Black River Duology and I thought book one ended very abruptly. Things pick up right after the ending of book one. Opi (Ophelia), Dusty’s younger sister, is trying to deal with being a vampire. She and Dusty butt heads on a lot of things, but they work things out eventually. Dusty has a premonition that Opi is in danger so Eli, her best friend, takes on the job of keeping an eye on Opi.

+ My favorite part of this story had to be the romance storyline. Dusty is solid with Will, they are happy together. But I was really invested in Opi’s love life. She’s someone who is growing and learning to accept what she has changed into and I liked her growth and the romance that came with it.

~ As much as I love the young adult romance relationships in this story, I wanted a resolution about JD and the story moves a bit too slowly for me on that. Dusty and her friends are trying to keep on the down low but a detective is in town asking questions. To top it off Dusty has the premonitions about Opi and they are all trying to figure out what happened to JD. Nothing comes to light about JD until the very end. I feel like most of the story was about Dusty, Opi and Eli adjusting to being vampires and doing teenage things – like going to a party, formal and falling in love. I don’t mind those things but I did want the JD storyline to be stronger.

Final Thoughts:

I think I enjoyed this reading experience as an audiobook more than I enjoyed book one as an ebook, so I’m glad I got the alc for this book. I did think this was more romance focused, which I really enjoyed, but I did want to know more about JD and I feel like we didn’t get too much of that. Things again moved slowly in this story but I the romance kept me invested. There is an explanation about JD and the dead bodies at the end but I felt the explanation was rushed. Overall though I think this is a solid ending to the duology.

Read if you like:

young adult romance
vampires
small town mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Black River by. Ruby Jean Cottle | ARC Review – 3 stars

Hallowed Bones by. Lucy Smoke | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hallowed Bones (Sons of Salem, #1)

Author: Lucy Smoke

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Why Choose, Witches, Dark Academia, Romance, New Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, 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 St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first in the Sons of Salem series— a seductive, dark why-choose romance filled with cursed bloodlines, secret societies, and a powerful heroine destined to save the coven.

Four cursed heirs. One forbidden witch. A desire that burns bright.

I was warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem. Not because they’re monsters—but because they’re broken enough to recognize one.

Ezra Bishop.
Cameron Goode.
Lyall Corey.
Reyes Scott.

And me—Haven Wardwell.

Legacies. Witches. Something far worse than myths.

Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the Dark Gods will ask for in return.

Ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich College, and if I’m not careful, I might just become one of them.

Content Warning: violence, death, gore, self harm

Set in Ipswich College in Massachusetts, I love the vibes of this book. It’s got the cobwebbed filled, creepy college (that’s the dark academia element of it); the Salem Witch Trials history in the background, and rich, hot boys who are in a coven. All of it worked for me! I even love the scary monsters from the Veil, and the murders leaving bodies in ritualistic, gory poses. I kept thinking this would be a perfect book for spooky season!

I do think the murders get a little bit overshadowed by the main story of Haven figuring out she’s a witch and one the Sons of Salem need badly, in a provocative and practical sense. They have to convince her she’s a witch and need to learn how to control her powers but Haven gives them a hard time. I like Haven though, she’s practically alone, and has been dealing with visions and nightmares for years, so I would be skeptical like her too, plus she’s brave and strong enough to deal with these four guys.

As for these Sons of Salem – Cameron, Ezra, Reyes and Lyall, all hot, all with different powers, temperaments and ways of seduction – I’m not the biggest Why Choose romance, it has to be done right and so far I think this is starting off good. Is there instant lust? Yes, but it’s a slow burn and hey a new witch is coming into her wild powers and have to be a priestess in a male dominated coven? The instant lust feels normal honestly and all it came with was a few kisses. There is one full spicy scene and I was actually pleasantly surprised by this because I thought she was gonna get with all the guys in this first book. I wasn’t ready for all of that yet! So I’m glad this only had one graphic spice scene. I actually want to see how she connects with each guy as the story goes on.

So I do hope we get more of the murder mystery, but I felt like this first book did a good job of setting the stage for things to come.

Final Thoughts:

I kind of devoured this one because I loved the setting, the paranormal elements, monsters and even the gory murders! I think it all fits together and though this was insta-lust it was also a slow burn when it comes to the spice, I think it’s setting us up for way more to come though. I think out of all the guys Ezra is the one that intrigues me, but I like all the guys so far. I would like more about the murder mystery though so I look forward to reading the next book.

Read if you like:

cursed bloodlines, Witches, Werewolf
Why Choose romance but low spice so far
creepy setting, dark academia
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (fade to black)

Title: The False Vow (The Weaver Bride, #2)

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, 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 Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love will be tested in this high-stakes, spellbinding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Weaver Bride—the perfect read for fans of The Rose Bargain and Thorn Season.

The gorgeous first edition of The False Vow will feature stunning, stenciled edges and printed endpapers!

Lovett Tamerlane is engaged.

A silkwitch whose magic can only be harnessed through marriage to a Weaver, Lovett was facing life in the cloisters when Eliot Lear offered the deal of a an invitation to the Vainglory to compete for wealthy Weaver heir Noé Allaire’s hand in marriage, in exchange for her solving his sister’s murder.

While they both got what they wanted, the competition was full of surprises. Lovett never expected to fall in love . . . and Eliot never anticipated that she’d betray him.

Now Lovett has one to take down Bastian Alaire and end his corrupt Weaver reign at any cost. But though the Vainglory may be over, danger still lurks at Fortblanche. And when Bastian presents Lovett with one last challenge—solve a murder that occurred within his walls, before the day of her wedding—she realizes the tests aren’t over. To pass this one, she’ll have to partner with the only person she hates more than her father-in-law his son, Noé.

But as Lovett will learn . . . sometimes love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Content Warning: violence, death

This is book two in The Weaver Bride series and I was looking forward to see what happened to Lovett and Eliot. Well, a lot happens in this book, some very unexpected things. Lovett and Eliot are trying to figure out the murder of Sybil, so they can best Noé’s dad, the weaver king, Bastian. Lovett and Noé are engaged but she still loves Eliot which makes this a love triangle. And the silkwitches who competed for Noé’s hand are trying to kill Lovett.

My favorite part of this story was actually the romance even though it’s a love triangle and I actually wasn’t sure who Lovett was going to end up with. I was a little disappointed with Eliot’s character because it wasn’t what I expected after how close he was to Lovett in book one. But I guess people change. Noé is filled with so much yearning that his confessions at the end really melted my heart. I love seeing their relationship grow. And there is a fade to black steamy scene.

As for the story, I felt like the beginning was half was slow. I only really got into the story at probably the 40% mark. I liked the first book because of the trials but now that is missing, so what takes it’s place is people trying to kill Lovett. Lovett’s competition, now bridesmaids, are all trying to kill her under Bastian’s request and Lovett is trying to figure out Sybil’s murder. I liked getting to know some of the bridesmaids more like Anais and Manon. There was never a warm relationship between Lovett and the girls because it was a competition and Lovett is not someone who allows people to get close to her and vice versa (which is why I loved her with Noé).

Final Thoughts:

I feel like I was more attracted to the romance story in this one than the mystery because the murder mystery felt slow. But if you like mysteries I think you will enjoy this one. The romance is a love triangle, and I wasn’t expecting the direction it went but at the end I wasn’t mad at it and actually loved getting to know Noé more. That guy is filled with so much yearning. Overall, I think this is a solid sequel to The Weaver Bride.

Read if you like:

love triangle
murder mystery
magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Age of Blood and Magic

Author: Hannah Mathewson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Narrator (s): Ashleigh Haddad

Listening Hours: 16 h 52 m (approx.)

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: William Morrow

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Murder 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 William Morrow for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Magic built their empire. Blood will decide who rules it next. When a CEO falls, one family’s battle for control becomes a brutal game of betrayal, desire, and power in this sharp, seductive debut for fans of Succession—with fangs.

A hundred years ago, magic ran wild—belonging only to the fae, the witches, the vampires. Then the mortal Martin Maddock stole its secret. With it, he forged Mythos, a company that bottles spells for humankind. Now his descendants rule a trillion-dollar empire—and Valentina Maddock is determined to inherit its throne.

The world’s wealthiest elites descend on the Maddock estate for a lavish, ultra-exclusive weekend to unveil Mythos’s latest magical breakthrough. But when Valentina’s CEO father suddenly collapses, the race for his heir begins—and the claws come out. Valentina is pitted against her playboy brother, her brilliant scientist mother, and her father’s long-time CFO. Even the guests and staff are choosing sides—and someone intends to eliminate Valentina entirely.

Then an unexpected guest arrives: a vampire. Luc Sayle has no known ties to Mythos, yet he carries a private invitation from the CEO himself. Drawn to the enigmatic and dangerously handsome stranger, Valentina senses Luc may be her only ally. But his polished words hide a bite, forcing her to question who the true monster really is.

Set in a world of dark enchantments, glittering wealth, and cutthroat ambition, The Age of Blood and Magic blends paranormal fantasy, locked-room mystery, and romantic suspense into a razor-sharp, intoxicating tale where magic is power—and everyone’s out for blood.

Content Warning: death, drug use, toxic family

+ The narrator did a fantastic job with bringing this story to life! I enjoyed her voice.

+~ This urban fantasy is about the Maddock family who is fighting for the family company and wealth, while their patriarch is on his death bed. The Maddock family have a very interesting history – they stole the secret of magic from the vampire, witches and fae and they have made an empire out of it by making it accessible and selling it. But now with Martin on his death bed and the family fighting for power, the family is vulnerable to attack. I was very invested in this story and thought the world building about the magic and tech was really interesting. Now only is there family drama between siblings, but also outside players who want to try and get a piece of the company too. There is a murder mystery in this story plus a high stakes quest to find the antidote to a poison. Would have

+ Valentina does have a trauma from her childhood, which she holds against her brother/cousin Jude. It’s a very messed up relationship but because of their past trauma, they are also always planning against one another. It’s so toxic though they don’t know who they are without one another. Valentina isn’t a likable character – but I don’t think any of the characters were – they were flawed and all had an agenda. But I was still interested to see how she was going to try to get this company from her brother and how she was going to save her life. Also there is one steamy scene but there isn’t a romance in this story.

+ There is a list of suspects and I thought a lot of the secondary characters were interesting. I was suspicious right away of the vampires. Valentina barely has any friends or allies, so it was a case of trying to find out who had something against her and I just felt like she was not doing well with trying to figure out who was trying to kill her.

~ I was very into the story but the ending is left open ended and it was unsatisfying which was a bummer. I want to know what Valentina chose to do!

Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure about this one with the first few chapters but then I locked in and was invested in this succession story of the Maddock family, the drama, scheming and backstabbing. There is interesting magic tech for the modern age, a murder mystery, vampires and fae so overall I was entertained but then the ending was left open ended. I was bummed about that because I really wanted to know what choice Valentina made! Still, I did enjoy this one despite how it ended.

Read if you like:

succession – family drama
vampire
murder mystery
open ending

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hawk and Sparrow by. Ayana Gray | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 0

Title: Hawk & Sparrow

Author: Ayana Gray

Pages: 352

Format: audiobook and ebook

Listening Hours: 10 hours 20 min (approx.)

Narrator (s): Renika Williams-Blutcher

Publisher: Balzer + Bray, Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Fantasy

Sparks fly in this Gilded Age novel of mystery, magic, and romance by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Beasts of Prey.

Nineteen-year-old Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of TheBasalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.

While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking the murdered body of an inventor whose new machine promised to bring the benefits of sorcery to everyone. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.

Max soon makes Vesper a tempting Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.

Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met . . .

Content Warning: death, violence

+ The narrator did a good job keeping me engaged in this story.

+ Set in the Gilded Age, Vesper is an investigative reporter for The Basalton Globe and she is caught in a murder mystery. A wealthy sorcerer, Maxmilian needs his name cleared so he hires Vesper to figure out who killed the inventor that Max was working with. If Vesper helps, she gets enough money to save the newspaper that is her whole life.

+ I thought Vesper was a very determined reporter and Max, her wealthy partner in crime made them an interesting pair. She opened his eyes to the world of people struggling and she got a taste of the way the upper crust in society was living. Which is why I think their sweet, slow romance was really cute. This is young adult and stays that way, there is no steam or spice in this one which was nice.

+~ If you like murder mysteries, you will love this one. Mystery always move a little too slow for my taste but I do love this author’s work and the narrator kept me engaged! So though it was slow, I admired how invested Vesper was into her investigation – it’s what makes her a good and dedicated reporter. I also like the magic element in the story.

Final Thoughts:

The narrator did a great job keeping me engaged in this story. Vesper is a smart and determined FMC, and Max was a charming partner, and there is a sweet little young adult romance between them. If you like a murder mystery and want to try one set in the Gilded Age and has magic, you might like this one.

Read if you like:

Gilded Age – historical fantasy
young adult fantasy
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray | Book Review – 4.5 ⭐️/1 🌶️

Beasts of Prey by. Ayana Gray | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by. Isabel Crowley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me

Author: Isabel Crowley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/11/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Categories: Paranormal, Romance, Horror

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

Hazel Lewis has a serious problem. The guy who hired her to conduct a seance before he died turned out to be a serial killer with a demonic contract, and the seance itself was a trap. Hazel escaped with her life, but not as she knew it: the bite of a demon is spreading through her body, letting the supernatural bleed into the world around her, and the now-dead serial killer is waiting to take over her body if she dies.

Hoping to contain the damage, Hazel moves to a small house in a remote location. She figures she’ll stay on her own until she gets a handle on her new dark reality, but she soon finds out that she’s not alone. There’s the reporter demanding answers, the friendly neighbor with chemistry she doesn’t need and problems he can’t talk about…and the mysterious face she sees beyond her window, watching her every night with glowing red eyes.

Making her hunger.

Hazel knew a little bit about the world beyond the physical. Now she’s learning how much she doesn’t know, including who she can trust…and who she can become if she trusts herself enough to give in to the shadows stalking her dreams.

Content Warning: violence, stalking, gore

+ The title for this book caught my interest and the premise sounded intriguing. Hazel is a medium who performs a seance and gets marked by a demon instead. The demon sends his henchman, Ligat, to keep an eye on Hazel and report to him but instead Ligat is attracted to Hazel. So plans change for him and her.

+~ I did enjoy the paranormal elements of the book. I love that Hazel can do rituals, and her job is very interesting. She even has a group of friends who help her out with research and there is the cutest ghost dog named Casper! The house she lived in has some hauntings but overall I just didn’t feel it was creepy enough. Hazel has to figure out how to fight this demon and so I was expecting more horror, but this mostly felt like a paranormal romance rather than a thriller story. There’s even a twist in the story but I wasn’t shocked about it, just maybe a little confused until it is explained.

+~ Speaking of the romance, even this felt a tiny bit lackluster. The spice is fun, and there are frequent moments of it but it isn’t anything super spicy. I don’t know if it’s because Hazel and Ligat are mature people who are just mature and hook up because they are attracted to one another, but I wanted more from them, a little more emotion. I think with a title like this I was expecting way more darker devouring and more passion.

+~ The story starts off strong but the pacing slows down from middle to the end of it, which surprised me. It’s why I felt like it turned more into a romance than a thriller.

Final Thoughts:

I think I went into this story with different expectations because of the title, and the synopsis. It started off strong and I was expecting something really dark and expecting the spice to maybe fit it but overall the story was kind of mild. I did like Hazel and her unique talent and job. Ligat was unexpected because I was expecting a scary demon henchman but instead he’s a nice one. The paranormal romance had spice, but I wanted a little emotion from the two characters. I did respect that they were mature adults and actually acted like it though! Overall, I wanted a little more thrills and chills from the story. It was an okay read, I just wanted more.

Read if you like:

paranormal romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nest of Tongues by. Randy Ribay | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nest of Tongues

Author: Randy Ribay

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/11/26

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Vampires, Filipino Mythology/Folklore

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

A lyrical, evocative horror about vampires from the Philippines . . . and a hunter on their tail. A brother and sister fight to protect their secrets, their community, and most of all, each other, in this evocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Patron Saints of Nothing.

As Filipino vampires known as manananggal, Lily and her brother Caleb understand the value of a secret. After all, to hide is to survive. To lie is to live. They’d never harm another person—but people only believe their worst fears around creatures of myth. So the siblings stay quiet. They follow their community’s rules.

Until a monster hunter turns up and kills a fellow manananggal, anyway.

Until Caleb is marked as the hunter’s next prey.

Suddenly, he and Lily realize there’s always been more at stake than the lives of their people. Because when doing everything “right” is still a death sentence, what can they take as truth? As the hunter nears, the siblings must decide if they’ll be driven from the only home they’ve ever known . . . or fight to protect a community that may already be lost.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I was ecstatic to get my hands on this arc because I read one book from this author and loved it. Plus this one was about the manananggal (I’m Ilocano so all I ever knew them as was the Aswang). So the fact that all these scary Filipino mythology and folklore monsters was being feature in a book was exciting to me! I loved learning all about the different creatures and monsters I didn’t know about and was delighted when I read something familiar like the white lady apparition that seems to be common in Filipino ghost stories.

+~ I love that the manananggal was the good guys in this book. I like how it explores the theme of good and evil. I mean there are always two sides to a story right? So most of the story is a mystery about who this bayani could be that is killing the manananggals and it’s a race to stop them before it kills Caleb. And Lily is not about to let that happen. Also, I loved their Lola (grandmother) she made me laugh a few times, and there were times I wished Lily treated her with a little more respect, but I get it – families are complicated, which is explored in the story as well.

+~ Mysteries always feel a little bit slow to me, so there were times I wish it moved faster. There is action, mostly in the second half, and secrets that are revealed in the end. Mostly, I just enjoyed being immersed in the Filipino-American culture that was featured in the book, especially the family and community elements.

+~ This is a young adult book and yes Lily and Caleb, are very young adult in the way they act and speak. These kids curse a lot, which is realistic, but it was a lot more than I was expecting and a bit too much for me at times. But I did enjoy how close they were as siblings, they looked out for one another. Lily was a protective big sister and would do anything to keep Caleb safe.

Final Thoughts:

I’m very excited to see a story based on Filipino mythology and folklore since that’s what I grew up with. Some of the creatures in the book were monsters my parents used to tell me about so I felt seen by that. I’m glad more people will get to learn something about these stories and creatures from this book. I enjoyed the sibling bond, family and community elements that are themes in the book, even if some of these family connections were complicated. There was a little more cursing than I would have liked in a young adult book, but I do think the teens were portrayed very well. I did like the second half of the story more because it had more action and secret reveals. Overall, I think this is a young adult book that people can learn from and also enjoy if they are into vampires, mystery and mythology.

Read if you like:

Filipino mythology/folklore
sibling bond, family
young adult mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | Patron Saints of Nothing – 5 stars

Love and Lies by. Lena Kiefer | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Love and Lies (Westwell, #1)

Author: Lena Kiefer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 8/11/26 (first published 6/22/22)

Publisher: Atria Books

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Forbidden Romance, New Adult, 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 Atria Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Their families rule New York’s high society. Their love could burn it to the ground. The first book in the internationally bestselling Westwell series.

Helena Weston has one goal when she returns to her glittering New York City life: clear her sister’s name. Two years ago, Valerie and her fiancé, Adam Coldwell, were found dead after their champagne-soaked engagement party—and ever since, the powerful Coldwells have blamed Valerie and the Westons for the tragedy. Determined to uncover what really happened that night, Helena throws herself into the same ruthless circle that destroyed her sister’s reputation…only to find herself face-to-face with the one person she should hate the most.

Jessiah Coldwell has spent years trying to survive his brother’s death—and break free from the world that whispered while they buried him. When Helena Weston storms back into his orbit, he knows she’s dangerous. She’s angry, impossible, and a walking reminder of everything his family lost. But she’s also the only one who sees him for who he is—and who understands the pain he’s been trying to outrun.

As the lines between loyalty and longing begin to blur, long-buried secrets rise to the surface—threatening to destroy them both. But some fates you can’t escape, and in a city where love and lies are two sides of the same coin, they’ll have to decide how much they’re willing to risk for the truth—and for each other.

Content Warning: death, mention of drug use, grief, complicated parental relationships, violence, mention of kidnapping

+ This story gave me Romeo and Juliet vibes plus some Gossip Girl. Helena Weston is back in New York City, after the death of her older sister Valerie due to a supposed overdose, and her family’s reputation has taken a big hit. But she wants to find out the truth about the night her sister and her fiancé, Adam, died. Jessiah, is the younger brother of Adam, and he hates the Weston family – blaming Valerie for his brother’s death. Helena hates Jessiah’s family for dragging Valerie’s name through the mud. So it’s very “two houses in Verona”, the feud between the two families is very Romeo and Juliet.

+~ I like how Helena and Jessiah both have depth to their. They both understand the pressures of belonging to families in high society with power. They have rules to follow, although Jessiah has a reputation for breaking them. Helena is more restricted because her parents threaten to send her back to England in order to control her. They are both experiencing grief. Now I would like to see them fight back against their parents a little more, especially Helena. There were some other interesting characters like Elijah, Jessiah’s youngest brother who has panic attacks. And I enjoyed Jessiah’s close friends – he seems to know some good people. I wish Helena had the same.

+ Because this is very Romeo and Juliet, it’s a forbidden romance. Two people who was taught to hate one another, meet and realize there is chemistry between them. Not only chemistry but they have shared grief, so they understand one another on levels other people cannot. But as with Romeo and Juliet, they cannot be together. Jessiah’s mom is doing everything she can to ruin Helena’s family for revenge. There is some spice, and I was definitely hoping there was a way they could be together.

+~ Helena is doing her best to find leads into her sister’s death. She wants to prove Valerie wasn’t the one who supplied the drugs that killed her and Adam, but this puts Helena in some dangerous situations. I also feel like once the romance really kicked in between Helena and Jessiah, the investigation was pushed to the side. So I did wish there was more to it because I too want to know if Valerie was innocent or not!

+~ There were some phrases I thought sounded strange when I read them but then I did some research and apparently this was a German publication that got translated. So that makes lots of sense!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid first book in a romance series that set the groundwork with the forbidden romance. The setting of high society New York City is always enticing and filled with power plays and drama. There is no lack of it here and I was really rooting for Helena and Jessiah to be able to be together. But we shall see what happens in book two after that ending. I hope there will be more leads about Valerie’s death.

Read if you like:

Romeo and Juliet – forbidden romance
high society NYC
mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Killing Rules by. Bree Despain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Killing Rules

Author: Bree Despain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 8/4/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance

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

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

Seventeen-year-old Harper Westbrook isn’t afraid of monsters…she is one.

For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.

And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.

The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.

Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.

As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths―to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them―Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.

Because who could ever love a monster like her?

Content Warning: violence, death, injuries, gore, murder

The Killing Rules is about a popular cheerleader named Harper who has a very dark and gruesome secret. She’s a monster, a blood beast. She kills bad men.

This story is a little bit gory, there is a murder mystery and but there is even a romance. I think the first half builds a bit slowly because of the mystery of Grayson’s dad being murdered and other murders that are occurring in town. Harper is living a double life as the popular girl and a killer, plus if her ex-friend/crush Grayson knew her secret he would look at her differently – it’s why she pushed him away when his dad was killed. Everything picks up in the second half where there are a few twists, like Harper isn’t the only one going around killing people – so who is it? Also we learn about blood beasts and hunters!

I liked Harper, she couldn’t control what she was and I kind of love that the monster in her only killed bad people. This story kinda gave me vibes and energy of the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Final Thoughts:

This had mystery, action, gore and romance. I liked how it explored friendship, family, and feminine rage. I also enjoyed the second half with the twist and turns. Definitely check this out if you like YA thrillers!

Read if you like: