Of Earthly Delights by. Goldy Moldavsky | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Of Earthly Delights

Author: Goldy Moldavsky

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/13/25

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Categories: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult, Gothic, Horror, Thriller, 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 Henry Holt and Co. for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A contemporary YA gothic romance about a dark family secret, a lush, mysterious garden, and a love that never dies, from New York Times bestselling author Goldy Moldavsky.

Aspiring artist Rose Pauly is not happy moving from her home in New York City right before her senior year of high school. But on her first miserable day in Connecticut, she meets Hart Hargrove. The two share an immediate, undeniable connection.

Hart introduces Rose to his slice of paradise–the immense private garden nestled behind the Hargrove family mansion. There, the two spend a fever dream of a summer together. But as their bond blossoms into love, Rose can’t shake the feeling that all is not as it seems.

When Rose uncovers the truth about the garden, she’s forced to question how genuine her love story truly is. But Hart can’t bear to lose Rose, and he will stop at nothing to save their relationship.

Posing haunting questions about beauty and desire, this is an atmospheric and darkly romantic tale that will enthrall readers.

Content Warning: violence, grief, accident, body horror

+ The twist in this story blew my mind, it’s the one book this year that has made my jaw drop.

+ Rose is new to town, but right away she meets Hart Hargrove. He’s popular, he lives on the biggest estate in town – an estate whose gardens are infamous for secret, exclusive parties. Rose and Hart fall madly in love, almost insta-love, but there are clues along the way in this book where it feels like something is off. Something doesn’t feel right with their love story.

+ The grief that is presented in this book is heartbreaking. I could understand the decisions of Hart and his twin, Heather, but when everything is revealed, it made my heart ache for all of them involved. Without spoiling the story, I couldn’t imagine what they were going through.

+ Though the love story about Rose and Hart feels invincible and meant to be, there is a dark, sinister undertone to this story. It shows up in the garden parties and Rose’s best friend, Llowell. There is some body horror but really brief and the ending is wild with action and violence.

~ Because I knew there was something off to the romance, and some moments of the “future” sprinkled in as the story went on…I did get confused. But I’m glad I pushed through to the end – the end though, it’s an open ending which shocked me.

Final Thoughts:

This story is creative, dark, has a gothic contemporary atmosphere and the romance is heady but it’s also so sad and tragic. It explored a lot of topics like love, grief, friendship, and wishes. But if you could make your wishes come true, what would you be willing to give up? The ending of this story made my jaw drop and I think it’s one of those books that I’ll never forget.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nightshade by. Autumn Woods| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Nightshade (Sorrowsong University, #1)

Author: Autumn Woods

Format: ebook (borrowed – KU)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 1/27/25

Categories: Romance, Academia, New Adult, Mystery, Enemies to Lovers

When Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship at a prestigious Scottish university to prove that her parents’ death was the fault of Cain Green, an American aviation tycoon, her plan is simple; keep her grades up and her head down. The last thing she wants is to wind up in a mafia war or step on the toes of royalty.

Her plan gets off to a rocky start when the mysterious man that almost kills her on her first day turns out to be Cain’s eldest son. As far as she’s concerned, Alex Corbeau-Green is a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful facade.

Loneliness has been Ophelia’s only dependable companion for years, but when anonymous threats and mysterious occurrences start to haunt her time at Sorrowsong, she wonders if she really can survive there on her own.

Between being paired together for a project and ending up as each other’s alibi for a murder, avoiding Alex becomes increasingly impossible. She begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior.

Tormented by a malicious stalker and growing closer to Alex, Ophelia’s desperation for revenge wavers for the first time. Can she really bring herself to pull the trigger on Cain now that she knows the family it’ll split into two?

Content Warning: violence, stalking, bullying

+ I randomly picked this off of Kindle Unlimited because of the cover, and the synopsis. And I devoured it in one night! 😳 It’s a dark academia, new adult story that includes an atmospheric setting in Scotland at a place called Sorrowsong University where the students are divided into four houses and the students that attend are the rich of the rich. There are even kids from Mafia families there. Ophelia is there for revenge but then she meets Alex Corbeau-Green and her world is changed.

+ The setting is in Scotland and it’s dreary, cold, wet and the buildings are drafty, old, and barely has a wifi signal. But it lends to the mystery that takes place in the story. Ophelia is trying to figure out who caused the event that killed her parents and that’s why she’s at the school. She has a suspect in mind but after someone starts stalking her at school she has to go back to the drawing board and find more evidence.

+ Ophelia is alone after her parents death and she craves attention and affection but she doesn’t know how to make friends, or how to allow people to be close to her. She definitely doesn’t fit in with the rich kids but I like that she doesn’t let that stop her from talking to kids. She is determined to find more evidence about her parents death and I did feel for her – she’s so alone.

+ Now let me talk about Alex. Alex was a major red flag when they met, too hot, tatted, rich, friends with the Mafia kids, he smokes and then we find out he has like 6 sisters and a mom with mental health issues and he takes care of them the best he can from overseas?! Oh and he plays rugby. The more the story went on and he interacts with his sisters, and you can see how loyal he is to his friends and then how he’s trying not to fall for Ophelia but he’s always there taking care of her. I fell for him – I can see why Ophelia fell too even though she tried to stay away from him. Book boyfriend alert!

+The banter between Ophelia and Alex is so good. At one point they were flirting with emails and crossword references (because she loves crossword puzzles!) – swoon! I can’t get enough of them! And it’s a slow burn, they don’t really do anything until later – they start off as enemies and even when they turn into lovers I didn’t feel it was too graphic. And their spicy scenes were fade to black. I thought their romance was beautiful with both of them being vulnerable and opening up to one another (at least Alex did).

~ The book was predictable – I could tell who instigated Ophelia’s parents death pretty quick but I still enjoyed getting from the beginning to the end of the book. The end leaves our lovers in some heartbreaking drama but I know when they fix it in book two, it’s going to be epic or I hope it will. There is also another twist at the end which I thought was good.

~ Ophelia was not the best investigator for this murder mystery. She got caught several times trying to find evidence and she’s not one to really ask for help since she is a lonely girl – who does she really know and trust? She did make some friends but we’ll see what happens after that ending.

Final Thoughts:

I’m going to say all the stars for this book I’m giving to Alex (and all his yearning) and his patience with all the females in his life 🥺, the enemies to lovers romance and the BANTER that was taking place in this story. I was eating it all up. Yes, the story was predictable but I enjoyed it anyway and need to know when book two is coming out!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Thrashers by. Julie Soto | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Thrashers

Author: Julie Soto

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/6/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

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

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

Either you’re in or you’re out.

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that “encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games” (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page.

Content Warning: death, accidents, injuries, weed, drinking, suicide, alcoholism, mentions of physical abuse

+ I am loving how Julie Soto (one of my new favorite/must-read authors) has been branching out! I am hooked and ready to read all of it. I could not put this down. In this YA thriller, we meet a group of five friends called The Thrashers. They didn’t name themselves but it’s a reputation people at school gave them. This story is dark! It centers around a suicide and bullying, and brings up some good questions too. There is weed use and lots of underage drinking, plus the issue of alcoholism by an adult and abuse. This story is multi-layered and complicated.

+ Jodi is the only one of the Thrashers who isn’t wealthy or easily popular. She got lucky that she was best friends with Zack Thrasher in the second grade. He is like a beacon to everyone. All the girls want to be with him and all the boys want to be him or hang out with him, but he keeps an exclusive friend group with Jodi, Julian, Lucy, and Paige – Jodi being the most average of them all. This creates insecurities among the friends, mostly we see it in Jodi but later you see it in Julian and Paige. I like how the author explored the feelings one can have of being left out in a friend group – wondering what your place is in the group and if anyone actually cares.

+ A classmate of theirs, a girl named Emily, who latched onto their group and tried to become a Thrasher committed suicide. And now the Thrashers are under a microscope and some people are turning on them. Emily left a journal and what she writes about this friend group implicates them in her suicide. Is the journal real? Did Emily lie or is Jodi’s best friends lying? Who is telling the truth or are they leaving her out?

+ I was reading this late into the night, after midnight, and there were some parts that gave me slight chills. Emily was creepy but was her ghost/spirit really haunting them? Also the characters are all very unique, which I enjoyed. They are all morally gray also which makes my feelings about certain characters so complicated.

~ The ending! What was that? It’s very unexpected, and leaves me questions but also…can we get a book two? Haha, I mean I can see something happening for book two!

~ These friends, were always making their world revolve around Zack and I was questioning like…what makes him SO special besides him being super charming, nice, and drop dead gorgeous? For all of them to either be in love with him, want him, or jealous of him making other friends or dating other girls was wild to me.

Final Thoughts:

I read this in one night so I enjoyed this a lot. I loved the morally gray, complicated characters and their dynamic even though they are close and “best-friends”. Even in a friend group you can feel alone and outcasted and Jodi portrayed those insecurities very well. I was hooked to the drama happening in this friend group and seeing how everything played out. Learning about Emily and the “hauntings” was also creepy so overall, I think this was a great YA thriller and that ending. I don’t know what it means, but I want more! I can’t wait to read her fantasy debut this year also!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Forget Me Not by. Julie Soto | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Twisted Throne by. Danielle L. Jensen| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: ebook (borrowed – libby)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 4/8/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Political Intrigue

A commander who bled to defend her people, Ahnna is haunted by two beliefs. The first is that she failed to protect Ithicana from invasion. And the second is that saving her homeland means leaving it behind forever.

The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell’s court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride…or as a blade.

Content Warning: violence, poison, torture, bullying

+ This is Ahnna’s story. She is the sister of Aren, the King of Ithicana and Lara’s husband. So I was really interested to see what happens to her as she is traveling to Harendell to fulfill the marriage treaty that was set up when she was younger.

+ Ahnna is thrown into a dangerous situation and all around her is political intrigue. The Harendell court seems civil, even reminding me of the British monarchy in a sense with their propriety and rules, but underneath their mask they are vultures – there is always someone playing a game and Ahnna is in over her head.

+ I think the second half of the book was much better and moved quicker with action and so many twists and turns. Who is playing who? When it is revealed, it’s a bombshell. The ending is a cliffhanger.

~ I didn’t like Ahnna in this book because I knew her to be so fierce in the other books but in this one she came off so naive and weak. What happened to her character? I get that she feels guilt but she was making so many missteps I was hoping she would go home like everyone was telling her to do. She is so stubborn. I hope there is some growth in the next book.

~ I hated the Harendell court – clearly they didn’t care for Ahnna yet she insisted she could make this marriage work and sent every one of her people away. I questioned her decisions a lot. I just found it boring – the people, how they functioned, prim and proper yet vicious. For me it made the forbidden romance part lackluster. It was too slow of a slow burn because James is so proper and so loyal to his family. Why did James do a great job of staying away from her? 😑. I didn’t like him, which I was bummed about. There was yearning, but like I said, they weren’t together much.

~ The political intrigue is about a trade war and reminded me of our very realistic trade war taking place in the real world. Was it sometimes fascinating (at the end) – sure? But for the whole of the story, I wasn’t fully into it. There was a lull in the middle and it took me a few days to finally finish this book. I think the story could have been shorter.

Final Thoughts:

This is not my favorite in the series but the ending of the book was amazing. There wasn’t much romance, and I kind of don’t love Ahnna and James together. Or I just don’t like James? I’m not sure yet, I definitely do not like Harendell. Maybe I will have to make my verdict after the next book. .

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Fate Inked in Blood by. Danielle L. Jensen | ARC Review (#5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Inadequate Heir by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Traitor Queen |Book Review (#2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Bridge Kingdom (#1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores, #3) | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Skies | Book Review (Dark Shores, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Dark Shores (Dark Shores, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Booked For Summer by. Kathryn Freeman | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Booked For Summer

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 383

Publication Date: 4/30/25

Publisher: One More Chapter

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

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

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

When book lover Jade Taylor applies to manage the Little Bay Book Shack on Nantucket Island over the summer, the last thing she needs is the distraction of billionaire resort owner, Liam Haven.

But things take an unexpected turn when Liam becomes Jade’s boss – a man who only reads contracts for pleasure…

In a bid to save the bookshop from being absorbed into the Haven resort, Jade is determined to teach Liam that there’s more to life than acquiring real estate. And if she can make him realise happily ever afters do exist, might she be able to save the island’s bookshop in the process?

+ Jade is from England and takes a job running a bookshop for a few months on Nantucket Island. She runs into a grouchy, but very hot guy, Liam, who she later finds out runs the hotel next to the bookshop. The bookshop setting speaks to the book lover in me.

+~ The romance is insta-lust and they do hook-up pretty quick but once Jade finds out he’s her new boss, she puts a stop to things and instead tries to throw her energy into showing Liam why the bookshop shouldn’t be put out of business. They had a lot of issues to work out between them throughout the story, lots of back and forth drama and I wasn’t into it.

~ As far as Jade and Liam are as characters, he’s the grouchy one and she’s sunshine. I wasn’t invested in either of them unfortunately and couldn’t connect. I did like some of the side characters like Jeremy – he was funny!

Final Thoughts:

For me, I couldn’t quite connect to the characters but this is a quick read that would be perfect in the summer time. Also Jade is a book girlie running a book shop so that might appeal to many romance readers. If you are looking for a light-heart romance this is one you might enjoy.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Floating World by. Axie Oh | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Floating World (The Floating World, #1)

Author: Axie Oh

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/29/25

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Fantasy, Steampunk, Romance, Young Adult, Korean Mythology Retelling

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

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

From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens.

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…

Content Warning: violence, death

+The world building in The Floating World is really interesting! It’s fantasy but with steampunk elements – people in the Under World travel by train and an airship. This world is separated into the Under World, which is cast in darkness and The Floating World, where the Celestial Maiden once ruled and has the power of light. The story is a retelling about a myth called the Woodcutter and the Celestial Maiden and I really enjoyed that.

+ Ren is part of an acrobat troupe but one day her world changes and we find out later who she really is. Sunho, is a mercenary on a mission to find this special girl, and by finding her he could find his brother, Junho. Sunho, was probably my favorite character in this book – he’s a good guy even though he’s missing some memories and I loved how he protected and saved Ren. Ren I thought was a sweet girl throughout the book, even though she’s gone through some challenges. The both of them I thought were sweet together. There isn’t much romance, but I thought it was nice to see their friendship build first, as they are are companions on the road.

+ I think Jaeill is an interesting character also and he was Ren’s friend in the past. I hope book two sheds more light on him and what Ren means to him, if she even means anything to him anymore. His dad is hell-bent on getting rid of Ren so the political intrigue could get more intense in book two.

~ The beginning was a bit slow for me, I felt like I didn’t really get into the story until after a few chapters in. But it does pick and up and end with a great set up into the sequel.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one from Axie Oh who has become a must-read author for me! I loved the retelling of this Korean mythology that I’m unaware of, I love learning myths from different cultures. I thought the world-building was very interesting with a mix of fantasy and steampunk elements and it’s easy to get invested in the characters, especially Sunho, who was my favorite. The romance is sweet and soft which made me feel protective of Sunho and Ren. I’m looking forward to see what happens in the sequel.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

XOXO by. Axie Oh | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ASAP by. Axie Oh | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by. Axie Oh | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Never List by. Jade Presley| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Never List (Never List, #1)

Author: Jade Presley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 417

Publication Date: 4/1/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem, Why Choose

The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance…except for her.

Threatened by invaders, the kingdom of Lumathyst is on the verge of chaos, and no one can stop it. Unless the four immortal god-princes find their fated mate―and safeguard the throne―Lumathyst will fall.

Five women have tried. Five have failed. And tonight in the royal city, the princes need to find their Chosen and hope she can survive the transformation that will make her immortal.

Only Rylee Gray wasn’t supposed to be here. She snuck in for her own dark reasons―and now they claim they’ve found their perfect match. Her. Of course, they have no idea she’s concealing a secret big enough to damn them all.

The four princes have no choice. They’ll use every delectably wicked skill they have to make Rylee fall for all of them…or watch their kingdom collapse.

Content Warning:

+ One woman, Rylee Gray, is chosen by one of the four Lumathyst princes, to go through a trial and see if she can survive turning immortal. Though this had more smut than plot, I did appreciate that Rylee did face some challenges on her journey to becoming the chosen one.

+ If you like smut, this one has a lot of it. It’s a “why choose” trope or basically reverse harem. There is one of her and four of them and Rylee enjoyed ALL of them. Literally. Sometimes two at the same time. So smut lovers this one is for you!

+ I did like the twist at the end. Throughout this story Rylee is sort of looking for her lost sister. I say sort of because it’s the princes who are supposedly looking for intel on her. There is more information about her at the end of the story.

~ I think Rylee spent the most time with Kal, who became my favorite only because she took time bonding with him and I felt out of all the guys – the romance between them is genuine. All the other guys were rushed. I think her favorite is Jax, but though there was tension between them from beginning to end, her moments with him (and the others) were rushed.

~ This was heavy on the spicy scenes and I thought the world-building was too light. Also she’s going through a trial with each prince to see if at the end she is “the one”. She’s with them for a mont but she fell for each prince fairly quick and there were no challenges there except for Jax and his dad, who constantly gave her problems. I mean I’m glad they all love to share her and she loves to be shared – but I wanted a bit more depth with the story.

~ I didn’t really connect to Rylee, i just wanted more from her character but I did think Mirren was a fun character. Would have liked to know Rylee’s friends bit better too.

Final Thoughts:

Even though this was more smut than plot, I read it fairly quick just because I wanted to see the difference in the princes and how she interacted with them. Unfortunately she didn’t spend lots of time with them equally – which is why I like Kal the best but I feel like that wasn’t fair to the other guys. I would have loved more world-building, more time with each prince and more from Rylee’s character. If you like spicy, reverse harem romances without heavy world building, then you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nightweaver by. R.M. Gray | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nightweaver (Nightweaver, #1)

Author: R.M. Gray

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Categories: Fantasy, Pirates, Young Adult, Romance

Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.

When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.

As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.

Filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists, this is a propulsive romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny—perfect for fans of Powerless and Heartless Hunter.

Content Warning: death, violence, possession, death of pet, death of family members

+ The beginning of this book caught my attention fast because Aster and her family are pirates! And right away they are embroiled in a fight at sea – it’s violent, bloody and things don’t turn out the way Aster thought it would, dashing her hopes and dreams.

+ Aster is young and isn’t afraid to fight for her family. I love how resilient she is even through whatever she is going through physically and mentally. There are other characters in this story like Will and Captain Shade that make the story very interesting also. I also loved the side characters of her family and Will’s family members.

+ There is a lot of political intrigue going on and I thought the twists and turns were entertaining. There is a clear side of good versus evil but I wonder where that leaves Aster and her knew knowledge of what she is and her powers. It will be interesting to see where the story goes. I thought the world building was great.

+ The romance is not the focus of this book, but I thought Aster and Will’s growing attachment was sweet although he’s keeping a lot of secrets. It’s definitely a forbidden romance with will being a Nightweaver and Aster being a human but again, it will be interesting to see what happens in book two.

~ I wanted more piracy because the first chapter where the pirates are the focus is so fun! It’s been awhile since I read a pirate book and it was nice to have it in this story! I think there is a tiny bit of a lull (not enough to stop me from reading – took me 2 days to read this one) in the middle of the book because Aster and her family is on land and not at sea. Also Will is supposed to be helping her find the Sylk that killed her brother but through out the “helping” all they are doing is spending time together. There was no hunting the Sylk involved.

~ Please don’t be a love triangle – PLEASE because I like both guys. Which is the worst.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot minus the few issues I had which doesn’t make me less eager for book two any less. I was entertained! It’s got pirates, magic, political intrigue, romance and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Deep End by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Deep End

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 2/4/25

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, BDSM, Sports Romance

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…

Content Warning: BDSM, sports injury, PTSD, mention of abusive parent

+ Scarlett is a competitive diver at Stanford and she’s trying to overcome PTSD from a sports injury but she has a mental block. I did like seeing the journey she makes overcoming her mental challenges as the story progresses. Lukas is a world-champion swimmer and it seems like he has it all, but he just broke up with his long-time girlfriend.

+ This book has kink and BDSM which is not usually my cup of tea, so beware – though I do say I was expecting some restraints or some props but they didn’t do anything like that. So maybe this is BDSM lite? 🤷🏻‍♀️. There’s a lot of rough sex and I was just like, ow, girl. I did like how they talked about it though, communicated about what would be okay and not okay before getting into it.

+ My favorite part of this story was the sports aspects of this story because it’s a world I don’t read a lot about but I love watching swimming and diving during the Olympics so that did fascinate me.

~ So…the romance. Lukas’ soon to be ex, or ex, Pen, who is Scarlett’s teammate and friend, suggests to Scarlett that she and and Lukas hook-up because they both like BDSM. It’s one of the factors of why Lukas and Pen’s relationship was not working out but I didn’t like how she basically got them together and then blames Scarlett later on for taking her man. It’s okay if it was an open relationship, but basically Lukas and Pen were over, yet…not? Because they let everyone believe they weren’t over and that was frustrating. I don’t mind a love triangle, but this was not it.

~ I get that Lukas’ personality is blunt, but for all the girls saying he was hot, he left ME feeling cold even with all the smutty scenes going on. That’s rare! I felt like their hook-up lacked emotion except from Scarlett who attached to that man so fast, even as she denied how she felt. She was always crying and he was always licking up her tears. I was turned off. I guess he’s not my type! 😅I liked them as characters, I thought her journey and growth was good and I even liked learning about Lukas and his upbringing – but for some really weird reason I can’t quite pinpoint, I didn’t love them together.

~ I got to 60% in and then put it down because it wasn’t over yet so it took me a few days to read. It’s a bit long at 464 pages, a good 350 would have been nice.

Final Thoughts:

There is a lot of smut, which is fine, but I wanted romance and I feel like I didn’t get enough of that. I didn’t like Pen always being in the middle of Lukas and Scarlett – it was irritating, but I also thought wow, these are some pretty mature young adults to be open and casual about sharing a guy. I did like Scarlett’s personal journal with her diving and PTSD, and the whole swim/diving world was refreshing to read about. Overall, not my favorite Ali Hazelwood book so far.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Check & Mate by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bride by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Love Hypothesis by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Monstrous Hearts

Author: Yiğit Turhan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/8/25

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Mystery, Gothic, Contemporary, 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 MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it.

Content Warning: body horror, death, murder, insect horror

+ I almost DNF’d this at 30% – it is so slow of a mystery and yet I was intrigued by Riccardo who is a struggling and poor writer who is on a tight deadline with no manuscript to show for it. His grandmother passes, and leaves him her home in Milan, Italy. With no money and too much stress, he goes thinking he can write while he is there but instead he finds a manuscript written by his grandmother, Perihan.

+ I did find Perihan’s manuscript interesting because of the time it’s written in the past and also she is from Turkey. Her life is hard from the start but it takes her to Milan where life really flourishes for her. I couldn’t tell at first if she was a good person or not. Riccardo is doing no writing but he is reading this manuscript and learning a lot about his grandmother’s life.

+ The horror and the twist comes at the end. It’s a crazy ending! But if you don’t like monstrous butterflies, stay away from this one.

~ Like I said above, this was almost a DNF. I didn’t though and skimmed until 70% into the book where everything starts picking up. I’m already not one who enjoys mystery books, and I struggled because this one is a slow one, but I just wanted something to happen in the first half with Riccardo either staring to right his book or some horror at the start. But this is a slow building horror story that ends with a bang.

Final Thoughts:

I don’t think I was the target audience for this book. For me, it was too slow for the first two-thirds of this book. I did find the characters and Perihan’s life very fascinating and the ending is wild. If you like slow building mystery and horror then you might enjoy this one.

I was on the Blog Tour so read a book excerpt here: https://pastmidnights.com/?p=31590