Heart of the Wolf Queen by. Sarah Gallego | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Heart of the Wolf Queen (The Star-Crossed Gods, #1)

Author: Sarah Gallego

Format: ebook

Pages: 424

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publication Date: 4/2/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

Love could be her greatest weakness… or her deadliest weapon.

Sorrow Villente is no princess waiting to be saved.

When a devastating accident partially blinded her, Sorrow was locked away at the top of a tower in the wilderness, offered up as a sacrifice to the gods.

But Sorrow refuses to die quietly. Only she knows a dark magic burns inside her. With her fiercely protective wolf, Pablo, she spends every moment plotting her escape.

And yet when she finally breaks free, Sorrow is captured immediately… by the one man she never expected to see again.

Long ago, Sorrow and Matthias were inseparable. Tall and devastatingly handsome, with sparkling green eyes, the sight of him still sends her heart racing. Then she remembers the truth. When she needed him most, Matthias walked away. He didn’t just abandon her. He betrayed her.

And he hasn’t come to rescue her. Matthias is the ruler of a distant land, where monsters lurk in mist-shrouded forests. To save his kingdom, he needs an alliance with Sorrow’s family – one that can be sealed only by marriage.

Sorrow must marry the man who broke her heart… or die.

🌶️ Spice on the page
❤️ Second chance romance
💍 Marriage of convenience
🔮 Fated love
🗡️ Touch her and die
💔 Yearning
🦇 Gothic setting and atmosphere

The first book in the steamy epic romantasy series, The Star-Crossed Gods. Fans of Hannah Whitten, Leigh Bardugo and Sabel Sorensen will love Heart of the Wolf Queen and its feisty heroine.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Set in a fantasy world where people gain different powers like fire, healing or in Sorrow’s case – talking/controlling animals and necromancy, this is a typical romantasy world. There is political intrigue between Sorrow’s step-father and her husband, Matthias and Sorrow vows to help her husband against him.

Characters: Sorrow is losing her sight and she experiences nosebleeds and headaches but she’s hiding a secret. I love Sorrow’s pet wolf, Pablo. He’s her protector. King Matthias, Sorrow’s new husband used to be her best friend when they were children. Now she’s keeping him at a distance but Matthias is a good guy, gives her space, doesn’t flirt with her much and he just gives golden retriever energy but would have liked more depth to him. I liked the secondary characters.

Romance: Sorrow and Matthias used to be friends until one day she sees something that makes her think he’s into her step-sister, Enfys. After that Sorrow has been carrying a grudge against, add to the fact he didn’t come back to her after an accident she had. Basically all this could have been solved with some communication on both their parts. I would have loved for Sorrow and Matthias to have more scenes together in this book just to show their relationship growing and the attraction building. I feel like they are apart too much. They eventually work things out but the ending is interesting and makes me wonder what will happen to them in book two.

Story: I think this one started off strong, and then it loses me in the middle, because this felt like a young adult book, which lots of cursing from Rose. Even the romance felt YA until there is spice in the book, but I just wasn’t feeling the writing I think. It’s an easy romantasy to read though because the world building isn’t heavy.

Vibes: arranged marriage, second chance romance, MMC is a nice guy, and I love Pablo the wolf!

Final Thoughts:

This one was an okay read for me – I did love Pablo though! I might be reading book two just to see what happens to Matthias after that ending.

Read if you like:

easy to read romantasy, light world building
elemental powers
second chance romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Verdant Cage by. Jess Lourey | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Verdant Cage

Author: Jess Lourey

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

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

The Wall was built to keep them safe. Or so they thought.

For as long as seventeen-year-old apothecary Rose Allgood can remember, the towering stone Wall surrounding Noah’s Valley has protected her people. No one leaves. No one fights. And no one questions why.

But their paradise has been hiding its thorns. When Rose’s mother becomes the Valley’s first murder victim and her twin brother is swiftly condemned, she alone is searching for the real killer. Determined to find the truth, she follows a trail of hidden messages, forbidden knowledge, and whispers of a past no one dares to remember.

The deeper she digs, the more certain Rose becomes that her mother’s death was no accident. That the Wall isn’t just keeping something out.

It’s keeping something in.

Fans of The Hunger Games, The Grace Year, and The Maze Runner will devour The Verdant Cage―a chilling dystopian thriller about what it takes to rebel when you discover your entire world is a lie.

Content Warning: violence, death, physical abuse

World Building: In this story there is a placed called Noah’s Valley surrounded by a wall – there are lots of rules, people have their duties, marriages are arranged, once a month – someone is harvested. The Guardian is their leader and he is not a good person and has some ulterior motive that is a mystery throughout the book until the end which is a very big plot twist.

Characters: Rose is our FMC – she’s about to marry the guardian’s son, Gryphon, who she was in love when she was younger but now they are not friends. Rose is a do-gooder, goody-two shoes, someone who abides by the rules because she was conditioned to by her family – to keep themselves safe. She’s a healer. But when she loses her family one by one she knows she has to start breaking rules to make a difference. I did like her growth because at first she is very naive. She becomes brave and fights for the people of their town. Gryphon had lots of animosity towards Rose, but he’s also being abused by his father. He’s also part of a small rebellion group and he does train Rose but I also didn’t trust him until the very end. There are other characters, new friendships for Rose, and some villainous characters in town that made things interesting.

Romance: Rose is arranged to marry Gryphon and they have a past, but are not friends at all in the present. Though I like an ex-friends to lovers romance, the romance in this story kind of came abruptly and felt kind of forced at times, because of the way Gryphon acts towards Rose. Would have loved for them to communicate a bit more. It wasn’t my favorite part of the story.

Story: There is a lot of mystery in this story – what happens to the people who get harvested? Where do they go beyond the wall? And why are people getting sick and dying from an unknown virus? A lot of things are revealed in the end with a very big plot twist that I didn’t see coming.

Vibes: while reading it – it gave me M. Night Shyamalan vibes – The Village! If you know, you know. It’s sort of creepy because you don’t know what’s behind the wall, and the town is strict.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a pretty good dystopian thriller especially with the ending! It was really interesting to see Rose and her friends live in this walled town, filled with mysterious illnesses and rumors of animals out there killing people when maybe the real killers are in the town with them. I feel like the ending sets up for a book two so if there is one, I’ll definitely be reading it.

Read if you like:

dystopian thriller
mystery
arranged marriage

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I Could Give You the Moon by. Ann Liang | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

Title: I Could Give You the Moon

Author: Ann Liang

Narrator(s): Natalie Naudus

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352 Listening Time: Approximately hours

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Categories: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Romance, Suspense

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

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

New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang returns to the world of her acclaimed debut, If You Could See the Sun, as a picture-perfect influencer teams up with the bad boy after they share a vision of future.

Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.

While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.

Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.

But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save h

Content Warning: parent cheating, toxic family

+ I requested this one right away after reading If You Could See The Sun, and my goal is to read all the books from this author. I listened to this as an audiobook and so far I’ve listened to this author narrator three books in the span of two weeks and I love her voice! She does such a great job.

+ Chanel is from If You Could See The Sun, she is Alice’s friend – the one who is an influencer, very rich but her dad is caught cheating. She is materialistic, narcissistic, but a good person. Ares is the new boy who doesn’t give her the time of day and they both have a vision, with both of them in it. So Chanel is trying to change the vision because it involves her world burning down – literally. But Ares is so different from all the guys she’s ever known – he has a sense of danger around him, he always has some type of injury because he likes to fight and box. Ares is the best and he is really patient with Chanel’s life style. I loved learning about him.

+ Chanel doesn’t believe in love because of her parents’ marriage and Ares doesn’t come from a great family dynamic either so though they are opposites – they find some things in common, and they closer and closer as they learn more about one another. They both become a safe place for one another which I thought was so sweet. I enjoyed their romance!

+~ Henry does make a cameo in this book more so than Alice does. And though the magical realism worked for me in If You Could See the Sun – it doesn’t quite work for me here in I Could Give You the Moon. There is a vision and Chanel wants to prevent this vision from coming true – but half the time her goal is to become prom queen and have Ares ask her to prom. She thinks if Ares falls in love with her, then he won’t do what she say in the vision. I mean it’s kind of a plan because she’s so confident guys always fall for her but I didn’t believe she could pull it off. I am glad they connect over their toxic families and fall for one another without really meaning to.

Final Thoughts:

I loved the narrator – she did a great job as always. For the most part I enjoyed this story, especially the opposites attract romance, but I did like If You Could See the Sun just a little more because of the rivals to lovers romance. But I think if you like the first book, you will enjoy this one too.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

If You Could See the Sun by. Ann Liang | Audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Thorn Queen (The Rose Bargain, #2)

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

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

Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.

Content Warning: violence, death, cheating

+ I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Rose Bargain, and I was definitely intrigue by the plot twist at the end. So The Thorn Queen takes place right after book one and I admit, I had to find my footing in the series because I had forgotten some things that happened in book one. It took my until 20% into the book to really find my place in it but once I did, I was hooked on the story – mostly because the messiness of it all.

+~ Ivy is now Bram’s wife, though she wishes she was Emmett’s. But Emmett and her sister Lydia are now in the Otherworld, while she is running England with Bram. So the first few chapters of this book made me feel like nothing was happening except Bram always reveling and being a creep to Ivy. And Ivy is pining for Emmett and missing her sister badly. Things get interesting when she finds a way to the Otherworld. But things are messy there – Lydia is Queen, and Emmett is now her best friend which hurts Ivy. I was bothered by it also because it made it seem like Lydia and Emmett might have something going on. But I was wrong, it’s just very messy and dramatic between Ivy, Lydia, Emmett and Bram!

+~ Because the relationships are messy, there is a lot to fix. Lydia thinks she loves Bram, even when he is cruel and I was just hoping she could find her way out of it. But the main love story is between Ivy and Emmett, which is quite messy. I mean, Ivy is married to his brother! I thought it was a bit too messy but I did love how they worked things out and Emmett’s confession of love is swoon worthy. Poor Emmett, the things he went through and choices he had to make while they were apart – I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame Ivy for her jealousy but the main thing is they have a happy ending, and they do.

~ The girls from the Bridal competition in book one do make some appearances in this book but not as much.

~ I think Lydia needed more time to shine in this book especially because she’s the Queen of the Otherworld and we barely know about this place and the magic. Though the magic is used at the end of this book. I know that they like to party a lot, revel, as they say because it’s the land of Faerie, but I just wanted more. Some parts of the story feels like fever dream. Also, I like how the sister relationship between Ivy and Lydia is explored because it felt realistic but I wanted more of them being together to see more of a bond.

Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t feeling this one at first but once I realized this one is all about the relationship drama between Lydia, Bram, Ivy and Emmett, I kind of enjoyed it even though it is messy. I liked the political intrigue, but would have loved to learn more about the magic in the Otherworld. But I mostly loved how Emmett and Ivy worked through their relationship and get their happy ending.

Read if you like:

messy relationships and drama
Faerie
yearning

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Miracles in Mercy by. Briony J. Shutt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Miracles in Mercy

Author: Briony J. Shutt

Format: ebook

Pages: 104

Publication Date: 10/31/24

Categories: Romance, Cowboy Romance, Christian Romance

Delilah found herself unemployed, traveling alone, and trying to heal from her painful past. Little did she know that the solution to her problems would be sitting right beside her on the bus, sporting a cowboy hat. As they journeyed to the small town of her birth, Delilah’s life takes an unexpected turn, filled with uncertainty, stress and maybe even love…

Meanwhile, Max was on his way back to the quaint town of Mercy, Montana, desperately in need of a miracle. He knew he wouldn’t find it on the bus ride home. “Miracles don’t ride the bus,” he reassured himself. But then he laid eyes on her…

Could Delilah be the miracle that Max had been searching for all along? The excitement and anticipation filled the air as their paths crossed, sparking a newfound hope in both of their lives.

Thank you to the author, Briony J. Shutt for gifting me a copy of this ebook. She asked me to read and review this book and I said why not.

This isn’t the kind of romance I usually read. It is a cowboy romance, and a faith-based romance. It is a quick read though at only 104 pages. I thought the way Max and Delilah meet was kind of cute, but very insta-love. Would have loved this to be longer so we got to know Max and Delilah better and see the two of them get to know each other better too. But for a genre I don’t usually read, I think it has potential.

Final Thoughts:

This was short, innocent and sweet if you like cowboy and faith-based romance. It’s not the genres I usually read, but I thought this was a solid novella. Definitely check it out if you read this genre.

Read if you like:

cowboy romance
faith-based romance
novella

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Your Soulmail is Attached by. Joan F. Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: closed door

Title: Your Soulmail is Attached

Author: Joan F. Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 339

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Speculative 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 MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What if everyone in the world found out who their soulmates are at the same time?

Olivia Adler’s life is a behind-the-scenes job she loves in a bustling newsroom, an engagement to golden-boy Wells, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create the documentary she’s always wanted to make.

Then one sleepless night, everything unravels.
One message on Wells’s phone shatters her engagement.
A second message—an anonymous global email quickly dubbed Soulmail—shakes the world.

Delivered to every individual’s inbox, Soulmail reveals the name and birthdate of your soulmate. Suddenly, love as we know it is rewritten overnight…and Olivia accidentally becomes the face of it all when she reports on the story live and goes viral.

With millions watching her every move, Olivia resolutely refuses to open her Soulmail. She’s not ready for fate to make her choices—especially not now. But when she crosses paths with her childhood best friend—the boy she loved and lost—everything she thought she knew about destiny, timing, and love comes into question.

Is true love written in the stars…or something we choose for ourselves?

Content Warning: cheating

World Building: Set in present day and an email was sent out to everyone telling them who their soulmate is. Olivia is someone who works for a news station but usually behind the scenes until the night the emails went public and they needed an emergency news anchor. This news has caused chaos in the streets, people are happy, sad, angry, breaking up, getting together and Olivia who is just going through a break up herself, decides not to look at her email. Throughout the story, Olivia does some investigative reports to find out, are these soulmails real? Are their predictions real?

Character: Olivia is someone who’s had to work through life to get where she is, and this opportunity propels her into fame she didn’t know she wanted. She’s also dealing with the break-up with her fiance and trying to deal with the fall-out of that. I like Olivia but there were so many moments where I thought she could have come clean to people about her break-up, but because of her new status at her job, she’s afraid to cause any drama. I did love her relationship with her best-friend Natalie. And someone from her past comes back into her life, Caleb, her childhood ex-best friend – they had a falling in high school when he leaves for college. It was nice to see them rekindle their friendship and see it maybe grow into something so much more.

Romance: The romance is a second chance romance with her ex-childhood friend but I didn’t feel like it was the main focus of this story. I thought the question about soul mates and if you want to know who your soulmate was, made Olivia and Caleb question a lot of things about their feelings. But I liked how things unfolded for them.

Story: Would you like to know who your soulmate is – if you could? What I like about the soulmate discussion in this story is that not everyone had a romantic soulmate. I love that it could very important people in your life like your mom, best friend, or even a future child. So even though we follow Olivia’s romance story, there are tons of people out there who Olivia come in contact with that have non-romantic soulmates. A lot of the story is also about her career path, and though the beginning started off strong, I thought there was some spots in the story that was slow. But I think it finishes off strong.

Vibes: Definitely more speculative fiction than romance.

Final Thoughts:

I was really intrigued with the concept of this story and I thought the author did a great job showing scenarios of what could happen if an event like this actually took place. And the story brings up so many questions like would you open the email to know who your soulmate is? I did wish there was more romance because I’m a romance reader, but that’s not what this story is about. There were some parts I did find slow but overall, I still enjoyed seeing Olivia and people around her navigate this historic event.

Read if you like:

second chance romance
speculative fiction

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Cruel Angel (Gilded Monsters, #4)

Author: Rebecca Kenney

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Categories: Phantom of the Opera Retelling, Dark Romance, Romantasy, New Adult

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!

There was a time I felt lost and alone…until I met them, and together our souls took My gentle Raoul and our deadly Angel of Music.

Haunted by the violent death of her parents, Christine Daaé longs to find solace in music, but debilitating stage fright keeps her firmly in the shadows. All she can hope for is a few stolen moments singing to herself in the mournful silence of the backstage stairwell…until one night, the shadows sing back.

In exchange for complete devotion, her mysterious Phantom promises to teach her everything he knows—and with his praise boosting her confidence, Christine is finally able to take center stage…catching the eye of her sweet childhood friend turned something more, Raoul.

But her mysterious mentor is as obsessive as he is demanding, and he will not share Christine with anyone—not unless he can have them both in a bargain that is as dangerous as it is seductive. Light and shadows, gentleness and raging passion, the three of them should not fit so perfectly together. Yet as a supernatural force looms, ready to tear them apart forever, Christine must decide if love can truly exist in the space between beauty and madness…and whether she’s finally ready to fully embrace the music of the night.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with a magical twist.

Content Warning: stalking, voyeurism, drugging people

**I know this is a series, but I’ve only read one book so far from this series – the first one. So some things and characters are mentioned in this book that I assume are from book 3, but since I didn’t read it, I’m not sure what it refers to.**

+~ I love the Phantom of Opera so I was very curious to see how this retelling would pan out. It’s a more modern day Phantom of the Opera, with paranormal and supernatural elements which I think were interesting but also felt at times like some of it was thrown in just to be thrown in? But I did like the moments that was obviously from Phantom of the Opera, like Christine and Raoul’s names being the same. Christine is a singer, but Raoul I feel like has more detail in this book than the original story. The Phantom is obsessive as ever with Christine but the new twist is his feelings for Raoul.

+~ The romance is very spicy, it’s a throuple situation, why choose. It is M/M/F, which was intriguing since that definitely doesn’t happen in the original but I can see how this would fit since the Phantom is so mysterious and in this story his lore is that he is a God, so it makes sense he would be open in his sexuality also. I do feel like this was mostly smut though without real build-up to the romance. So if you are wanting to read a smutty, fun time, why choose Phantom of the Opera, then you will enjoy this. If you want more of the relationship building, or even more plot? You might not enjoy this.

~ There are a lot of music pop cultural references if you are not into that.

~ The story felt all over the place, maybe because the Phantom is a god, Christine is a vampire and Raoul is a werewolf. The Phantom is obsessed with Christine, which is a given, but there were some things like in Raoul’s background that I felt like wasn’t explored. All of them could have used a bit more depth. It’s definitely more smut than plot.

Final Thoughts:

I did enjoy the Phantom of the Opera story elements that were found in this one and I even found the throuple relationship intriguing – it makes sense. But I would have loved more build-up into the romance, but it’s very insta-lust and then love. And speaking of lust, it is very spicy between these three. So I think if you like more smut than plot, you will enjoy this one. I like more plot in my smut, so this one just fell a little bit short.

Read if you like:

smut
paranormal Phantom of the Opera
throuple M/M/F

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Beautiful Villain by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While You Were Seething by. Charlotte Stein | ALC and ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: While You Were Seething

Author: Charlotte Stein

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Contemporary, Romance

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The road to love is bumpy in Charlotte Stein’s WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING— a sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance filled with fake dating hijinks, delicious forced proximity, and top tier banter.

Daisy Emmett has been enemies with famous romance author Caleb Miller since they were in college together, and time hasn’t lessened their mutual loathing. So when she agrees to manoeuvre him through a PR disaster of his own making, she knows it’s not going to be easy. She just doesn’t realise how not easy until they somehow end up trapped in the same truck, on an endless road trip from one book tour stop to another, bantering and butting heads along the way.

Then, even more people appear to be mistaking her for the woman he dedicates all his books to. The love of his life, his adored beloved—the one who doesn’t actually exist. Now they’re trapped into pretending she does and that Daisy is her, each fake kiss and phoney embrace ratcheting up the tension to the point where enemies suddenly seems a lot closer to lovers than either of them would like.

Or so they’re telling themselves.

But sometimes it’s hard to be sure, when seething turns into something so much more…

Content Warning: violence

+ Daisy and Caleb were classmates and older student in college. Now Caleb is a famous romance writer, and Daisy runs a PR company and Caleb needs PR help. So right away these two do not get along. I listened to the audiobook for 60% of the book then switched to the ebook because I could read it faster. But the narrator did a great job and the audiobook was a better read than the ebook because for some reason there were some phrases while I was reading it and not listening to it than sounded a little awkward or off and I had to reread some sentences.

+~ There are flashbacks in the story to give us insight into how Daisy and Caleb were in college. But with the audiobook, I didn’t know we were in a flashback until a few moments in it.

+~ This is an enemies to lovers romance with fake dating and forced proximity. I loved the fake dating and forced proximity part, there was some funny part but I liked it because it forced Caleb to open up even if it was fake because that man is the grumpiest guy I have ever come across in books I think. Grumpy to the point he could barely communicate with Daisy and since that was his type of personality, I didn’t like him. He bottled a lot of things up and he wasn’t okay with touch or affection, even in the spicy scenes where he starts talking dirty and clearly is very aroused by Daisy, he pulls away right after, emotionally and physically and it was just cold. I liked the spice, I just didn’t like all the confusion about their relationship after. There are reasons for it that is explained at the end but even with the heartfelt explanations…Caleb was just not for me, he had so much repressed emotions it was frustrating to read. Bless Daisy for being patient, even if she had her own self-esteem issues too.

~ There was banter but even with the narrator doing a great job, the banter came off not playful and always ended up with Caleb angry or closed off. So even though some of it was fun, Daisy was always left perplexed – as I was. I didn’t love it.

~ There are pop cultural references to Chappell Roan songs, so if you don’t like pop culture in books, just be warned.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one was okay for me because I didn’t totally love Caleb. I know that’s just his personality but I found his character so frustrating. The spice was fun, and I enjoyed the fake dating and forced proximity parts plus there is an emotional moment at the end, but I just wish Caleb wasn’t so cold at times. Overall, an okay read for me but the narrator did a great job with the audiobook.

Read if you like:

forced proximity
enemies to lovers
rivals to lovers
fake dating
very Grumpy MMC
repressed yearning

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Deathly Fates

Author: Tesia Tsai

Narrator(s): Katharine Chin

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368 Listening Time: Approximately 10 hours 25 min

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Asian Literature, Paranormal

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!

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. However, when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. As they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death—secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

Content Warning: violence, death, mention of suicide, hauntings, grief

+ I really enjoyed this audiobook because of the narrator’s voice – I love the warmth in it and she did such a good job with all the characters she had to voice. Though I started off reading this ebook, the audiobook really kept me invested because of the narrator.

+ Siying is a corpse driver – a priestess who guides the dead to their resting place, and she can revive the dead, she’s a necromancer. She’s following in her beloved dad’s footsteps – and now that he’s older and sick she takes on more jobs so that she can help raise money to take him to a healer. She takes a job reviving a corpse not knowing that he is the second prince – but now that he’s sort of awake, she has to gather more qi to keep him alive or else he will die again. This quest for qi takes them through some haunted places which I really enjoyed! I loved the paranormal elements and the dangerous spirits they encounter.

+ I love the family elements. Siying loves her father dearly and will do anything to help him get better. But in the end, she has to accept she’s done everything can and let him go. Ren also deals with some family issues. Ren doesn’t want the crown – throughout their journey they encounter angry people and their stories of exploitation carried out by the kingdom. There is threat of a war coming so Ren doesn’t want to deal with that until he is forced to face the truth of things about his older brother, the heir.

+ The romance is slow burn and so sweet! It’s a dislike to like kind of romance, at least on Siying’s part. I love how Ren is playful and Siying is always scolding him. She’s grumpy and he’s the sunshing – they are opposites but very cute together.

~ Grief and anger really takes over Siying at the end with so many things happening at once – and I was surprised with her feelings of vengeance and rage. I know she was in a hurt place inside, but she really wanted to take someone out and it felt a little out of character. Would have loved more moments between her and her father also.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book! Siying and Ren’s journey through haunted woods, a mansion and a haunted town really kept things interesting. I enjoyed the slow burn between Siying who’s the grumpy FMC and Ren who is a golden-retriever who doesn’t want the responsibilities of being a prince. We get to learn both characters and their motivations through their adventures and I also really loved the family element though I wish there were more scenes between Siying and her dad. The romance is slow burn and sweet. Overall, I think this is a good debut.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Starside by. Alex Aster| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Starside (#1)

Author: Alex Aster

Format: ebook

Pages: 512

Format: ebook (Libby)

Publication Date: 3/31/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.

Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.

First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.

Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.

But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of torture

World Building: I read Lightlark by this author and never continued the series because I just couldn’t get into it. I don’t think the writing worked for me. I did read her contemporary romance and enjoyed it so I decided to try Starside because it’s an adult romantasy. The world building is very lush in this series – there are two sides Stormside (no magic and mortals) and Starside (immortals and magic, species, creatures, and monsters). Aris joins the Questral, first there are some deadly trials in Stormside, but if you pass that then you embark on a very deadly quest in Starside. I really loved how lush Starside is with different landscapes, horrors, and magical creatures. Also there is a big deal about swords in this story – there are different types of swords, and the sword can make or break your quest.

Characters: Aris is determined to complete the Questral and killed the Gods. But first she has to not die. And though she’s had some training, she knows she has a challenge when the other challengers are killers or from wealthy houses with lots of resources. I liked Aris’ determination not to give up, because there were many times she could have. And though she is willing to die for her revenge, she was still able to see beauty around her in Starside. There were times I thought she was so uninformed and naive but this story shows her growth, which I really enjoyed. Even with Harlan Raker, enemy and the king’s guard, always telling her she isn’t good enough. Now Harlan was interesting with his mask, hood and armor, grumpy attitude and killing skills that no one can match. There were some secondary characters along the journey but I was bummed the first two Aris meet in the beginning basically disappears throughout most of the book – I was hoping for some found family with them.

Romance: For 70% of the story I thought the romance read like a young adult novel. There was barely any steam, it’s a SLOW burn. Aris and Harlan hate one another – hate. But Aris wouldn’t have survived Starside without him, and he likes to remind her of that. He was not a nice guy, maybe to prove a point to her that being nice gets you killed but I can see why she hated him. So that’s why it was very surprising at what happens in the 90% mark of the book…yes, you have to wait until the end if you want some chili pepper spice. 😅. I was like whoa….that was unexpected! I was just hoping for a kiss but they are kind of unleashed at the end. But it’s an enemies to lovers to enemies kind of situation.

Story: The story is about a deadly quest and revenge but while in Starside, Aris learns a lot about the immortals and how they feel about the Gods. The pace is fast with fight after fight – it’s almost never ending with just a few breaks here and there. There is a lot of action and at times I wish there was more dialogue between Aris and Harlan but he’s a quiet one. A lot that goes on in this story. There are some plot twists at the end, one that I guessed, that make me very eager for book two. But I still feel like the writing felt like young adult, despite the profanity the characters used and the very vigorous spicy scene, but that just be a me problem not totally gelling with her writing style.

Vibes: it’s giving, Hunger Games but fantasy and lots of swords…and I’ve been kind of over deadly trials and quest not being dangerous enough in other stories but this one had so much danger and non-stop action, that I wanted to keep reading.

Final Thoughts:

This story is full of action, swords, monsters, creatures, immortals and a young woman who is determine to kill the Gods. I liked seeing Aris pick herself back up even when she was scared to go on, or finding beauty in the darkness. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers, even though it’s a very slow burn – romance. I liked this way better than Lightlark and I will definitely be continuing this series after that cliffhanger ending.

Read if you like: