A Journey to Us by. Lady B | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Journey to Us

Author: Lady B

Format: ebook (own- gifted to me)

Pages: 280

Publication Date: 5/10/24

Categories: Romance, Adult, Contemporary

Jasmine believed she found her anchor in the charismatic and mysterious Daniel. But as the glimmering facade begins to crumble at a friend’s wedding, Jasmine is thrust into a heart-wrenching revelation of betrayal. Shattered illusions, stolen glances, and a web of emotions unravel in a tale of love, trust, and the haunting echoes of a broken promise. Will she rise from the ruins, or will the shadows of the past forever eclipse the chance for a new dawn?

Years later, as Jasmine walks down the aisle, the Best Man standing tall beside the groom locks eyes with her – Daniel, the man who once ignited a flame in her heart. In that fleeting gaze, buried emotions resurface, unveiling a tumultuous journey of love and loss. The haunting question Can the heart mend when the very person who broke it stands at the precipice of her forever?

—

A Journey to Us is written in British English spellings, e.g. ‘mum’ instead of ‘mom’ and ‘realised’ instead of ‘realized’. This may appear incorrect to some readers when compared to US English books, but they are not typos.

Content Warning: accident, grief, medical issue, depression

A friend of mine sent me this book and asked me to read and review it so here it goes:

Jasmine and Daniel meet in an unexpected way and the book basically is about the journey of them getting together, hanging out, becoming friends and then trying to be something more, facing challenges in their relationship and dealing with it. It’s a realistic romance – so at times I found it triggering but I’m sure many people who have been in relationships would be able to relate to this story.

The two of them have personal challenges to deal with, whether it’s trust or insecurities, or just actually opening up to one another and telling each other the truth. At times I wish they would just tell one another their true feelings because miscommunication is one of my least favorite things in a romance. They have a push and pull kind of relationship that got a little frustrating for me.

This story spans three years, in under 300 pages, and most of the time they are not in a relationship but are just friends. So I did wish we got more happy romance scenes between them as a couple. There is hardly any spice and it’s closed door but you can tell it’s a very romantic moment for them when they finally do take their relationship there. I did like the diversity in the characters though and their chemistry was nice. They are very sweet with one another and have good banter.

Warning, this book has a sad ending. The ending is rushed though, so I didn’t quite feel the emotional impact it was supposed to hit me with.

Final Thoughts:

I’ll say that this isn’t my usual type of book to read but if you like a romance story that is focused on the ups and downs of trying to be in a relationship, and some drama, then you will enjoy this one. It’s also one without spice, so it’s sweet and romantic but has a tragic ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When the Bones Sing by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: When the Bones Sing

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

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 G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies comes a new southern gothic supernatural thriller about a teen girl in a small Ozark town who can hear the bones of the dead.

The past three years have been tough for Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, a small town quietly tucked away in the Ozark mountains. More than two dozen people have disappeared on the local hiking trails; there one moment, gone the next, not a trace left behind, until their buried bodies are discovered.

17-year-old Dovie doesn’t believe in magic even though she comes from a long line of women who can hear the bones of the dead sing, and for the past few years the bones have been crooning nonstop, calling out to Dovie to dig them up.

Some of the old-timers believe that it’s the monstrous Ozarks howler snatching people off the Aux Arc Trail. Well Dovie doesn’t believe in the howler, and she doesn’t believe her best friend Lo when he tells her he is being haunted by dark shadows. All she believes in is her talent that guides the local sheriff to the bones when they begin their song, then reuniting the dead with their families to give them some peace.

Lo doesn’t know peace, though. The shadows follow him everywhere. He soon learns they’re the murdered hikers and they want answers. But the truth of their deaths isn’t buried with their bones; it’s hidden somewhere deep in the hills. And Lo and Dovie must unearth it before anyone else is killed.

Content Warning: death, murder

I really love the atmosphere and setting of this book. It’s set in a small town in Arkansas, and the author does a great job of capturing the mysterious, and complicated that is the Ozarks. I love how the mix of the natural environment and the different types of people who came to live in the Ozarks are represented. There was definitely a Southern-gothic vibe to this book. I could hear the twang in the way the characters talked just by the way it’s written. There is the religious community and then the others that believe in simple spells and spirits. There is even talk about the Howler, a supernatural creature roaming the Ozarks. I think all of this contributed in giving this story a mysterious, creepy and tense feeling.

I did enjoy the mystery about the hikers that were going missing and ending up being killed. Dovie being a person who can find their bones is fascinating and Lo, who can see spirits just added to the vibe of the book. There is a little romance in this story but I don’t think that it was needed, I liked Dovie and Lo being best-friends enough. I didn’t need the mini love triangle that was thrown in.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted more suspense and thrills, but I will say the truth that Dovie and Lo uncovers is pretty awful.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book is the atmosphere for sure! I love the Southern gothic vibes of the Ozarks – it’s mysterious and creepy and perfect for a story like this. I didn’t think the romance was needed but I did like Dovie and Lo’s friendship. Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling, just maybe wanted a bit more thrills.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

One Last Breath by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark and Shallow Lies by. Ginny Myers Sain | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by. Breanne Randall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things

Author: Breanne Randall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Dell

Categories: Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Witches, 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 Dell for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she’s willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required.

Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget. Forget the mother who left them without a trace. Forget the cracks in her relationships with her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, and her distant middle sister, Eurydice. Forget about the very cost of her magic. And most of all, forget the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens in their town, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to an annoyingly handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power.

Battling a sizzling chemistry to a man she can’t trust, Calliope needs to confront her sisters and the painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to keep the town and all she loves safe. But will she have anything left of herself?

Content Warning: violence

+ This book gave me a combination of vibes of different shows/movies like Charmed, Practical Magic and Pride and Prejudice. Three Petridi sisters, Thalia, Calliope and Eurydice, who’s mother left them, are conflicted about magic. They have a history in their family as being Lightcraft witches and their purpose is to protect the Dark Oak, a tree that is holding enormous power. Out of all the sisters, only Calliope still practices magic, but they are cursed because using magic requires sacrificing a memory.

+ I love the sisters and their bond even though it’s complicated and they fight. It’s real. Calliope is the main character and she is the wild one. She’s bi-sexual, she’s a free spirit, impulsive, messy, and chaotic. But she loves her family and will do anything to protect them.

+ The romance is great because Calliope accidentally binds herself to a Shadowcrafter named Lucien. He’s gorgeous, worldly, powerful, her total opposite and he too loves his sister and will do anything to protect her. Their romance is full of bickering, and tension, which makes the spice all the more satisfying. He comes off as a Mr.Darcy with some of the way he professes his feelings to Calliope (which I loved because I recognized but weird because Lucien is not Mr. Darcy). And the ending is totally from the Pride and Prejudice movie!

+ There is a diverse cast of characters in this small town, which was fun.

~ There were too many times things became convenient in the story. Like spells just came to the sisters (the ones who haven’t used it in years), because it’s rooted in them – which is great but believable? Not sure about that. There were a lot of things the characters didn’t know but then everything happened to work out.

~ The ending gets a little wild and had too much going on. I honestly didn’t understand the “strings” at some point but I went with it. And no, I would never forgive Malik, if I was Lucien! Like how can your friend betray you and then all is well afterwards?

Final Thoughts:

Calliope embodies exactly how I felt reading this book – kind of wild. I love the small town vibes and the sisters’ bond. I enjoyed the romance between Calliope and Lucien with their opposites attract, her being messy and him needing control. She’s sunshine and he’s grumpy so I loved them together. But the story had a lot going on especially at the end and I found some things happening that was a but too convenient. For the most part, I found this story really entertaining because it was kind of chaotic and yet a little bit cozy at the same time, if that makes sense.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 2/18/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, New Adult, Witches

The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.

Content Warning: violence, self harm

I almost forgot that this book came out this week! Once I remembered (the day after it was released), I bought the ebook because this is a book I’ve been waiting to read since I read book one, Heartless Hunter, last year.

+ The romance is the main thing I was here for – the enemies to lovers between Rune and Gideon is taken to the next level in this book after all the events that happened in book one. I wanted to see how they would come together, how they would push their prejudices and grievances aside to be with one another and it didn’t disappoint. The cat and mouse game between them, the jealousy, the lack of trust, it’s all there but this time their love is going to win over all the political games taking place.

+ Rune is finding out how horrible Cressida is and when Cressida takes things a step further, Rune makes her decision. I always felt Rune was stuck in the worst predicament especially because she’s not cutthroat like Cressida – she’s a bleeding heart. She wants to help her people, the witches who are oppressed, but she also can realize how the world would look if Cressida became ruler over everything. I liked seeing her trying to face the situation she was facing: of stay and be tortured with a life she didn’t want, or flee so far away from the problems that it won’t touch her (except when she thinks about the witches she left behind). And then there is Gideon, how does she leave him?

+ Gideon is in his own predicament. His task is to kill Rune, but how can he when he is in love with her? He makes quite and effort though. One thing I love about him and Rune is they do try to kill one another haha…but they just can’t seem to pull the trigger. I loved their fighting, arguing, and interactions! I love them.

+ The story is filled with political drama with Cressida trying to wage war and Gideon and his side trying to stop her. It’s fast paced, and has an unexpected twist at the end.

~ I will say because this book was fast-paced (I read it in one sitting), as I was nearing the end I was scared it was going to be a rushed ending. And it is rushed…but I’m just glad there was a happy ending.

Final Thoughts:

This conclusion is fast-paced, and with kind of a rushed ending. I do wish it was a trilogy only because I love Rune and Gideon so much! Rune and Gideon will be added to my list of favorite enemies to lovers romance couples. I love their push and pull, cat and mouse game, angsty romance and seeing them happy at the end was everything. This is a great conclusion to the duology that is The Crimson Moth series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heartless Hunter by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Edgewood by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Something Like Fate by. Amy Lea | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Something Like Fate

Author: Amy Lea

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Skyscape

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Italy

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

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

During a summer in Italy, two best friends discover whether true love is up to destiny or free will in this winning romantic comedy by the international bestselling author of Woke Up Like This.

For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One—the great loves of their lives—before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.

Until now.

When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.

Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.

Two best friends, Lo and Teller, find themselves on an Italian adventure when Lo’s other best-friend injures herself and can’t go. So instead she asks Teller, her ex-coworker, other bestie, and her secret crush, to go with her.

Throughout the trip we see how different Lo and Teller are – she’s a free spirit, whereas Teller is a planner. They are opposites but they work so well because they are both kind of gentle spirits. We learn a lot about their past, their dating histories with other people and I thought they had a sweet friendship.

But Lo isn’t only on this trip to go on vacation, she’s there to meet her soulmate. Her family is famous for being kind of psychic. But everything gets muddled when she meets Caleb (clearly her soulmate because of a vision?) and yet her feelings that she accepting about Teller.

I loved the traveling that is happening in the story – a trip all over Italy? How fun and romantic.

Things do get complicated for Lo and Teller, and Lo has to question her feelings or fate. I think I wanted the ending to be a bit more romantic. Lo makes a choice, which shows how she grows. But I wanted more romantic moments between Lo and Teller.

Final Thoughts:

This was a cute, easy read. It’s a friends to lovers romance with a fun tour around Italy. I thought Lo and Teller’s friendship was really sweet and it was nice to see them realize their feelings for one another. The whole vision and fate aspect of finding her soulmate was interesting, but more so for the fact of her questioning the idea of a soulmate when someone else fits better for her. I just wanted a little more romantic scenes between them but overall, an easy, light read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Woke Up Like This by. Amy Lea | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blog Tour} The Catch by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Exes & O’s by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Unhallowed Halls by. Lili Wilkinson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Unhallowed Halls

Author: Lili Wilkinson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 2/18/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Dark Academia, Young Adult, Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+

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!

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.

Content Warning: self-harm, violence, demon possession

This book definitely got the gothic, dark academia part down with it being set in Scotland. The setting is perfect for a boarding school filled with misfits. It’s dark, gloomy, always raining and cold, and surrounded by moors.

As for the story – something mysterious is happening at Agathion and it’s not only all the Greek philosophy being studied at the school. Something dark and sinister. That also was done very well in the book I feel, the whole atmosphere of impending doom.

Page is trying to find where she fits in at Agathion and she thought she finally found her place until she figures out what is happening at the school. Who can she really trust? Even with her new found friends, I didn’t feel like she could trust anyone until the very end. As a character, I didn’t really connect to her but I thought she had a lot of growth as the story went on. There is a little romance which I found to be kind of sweet.

I did like the chaos of everything happening in the book, there are a few twists and turns but I think there were times where too much was happening and at times it got confusing. It may just be a pacing issue for me and it being just a tad bit too long.

Final Thoughts:

I thought overall this was an entertaining read. It did take me a few days to read because of the pacing issues but I did push through even when things got confusing because a lot was going on. It’s got all the gothic vibes, a little romance, a little magic, some fantasy, and some demon possession. If you like dark academia, demons and Scottish mores, you might enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Hunger of Thorns by. Lili Wilkinson | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Onyx Storm by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 758

Publication Date: 1/20/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, New Adult

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.

Well…this was a disappointment. And I was excited for this book even though I felt like Iron Flame was not as good as Fourth Wing, I had hope it would get better in Onyx Storm but for me it got worse.

I think my major problem with the book was the pacing, there would be action, then a good deal of no action, and lots of talking. And there was the cast of characters, trying to remember who was who and then meeting new characters and learning new places. I already thought Iron Flame could have been broken up into two books, but now with Onyx Storm….I think there is just too much going on in the story and a trilogy would have been better than a five book series.

I fell in love with Xaden and Violet in Fourth Wing but in Onyx Storm, I wasn’t feeling it – maybe because they have some challenges, I mean, Xaden is fighting himself as he turns venin. So I know they love each other, but there was just something about their interactions in this book that I just didn’t care for, not invested in and wanted to move past their romance. Maybe it felt repetitive? I’m not sure. Honestly, I wanted Xaden to turn venin just to see what would happen to their romance. 😅

And the fact that they had to do more training? And the whole professor/student relationship? I was like, what is happening and do we need this in the story? lol… So I did skip over a bunch in this book. Even now as I write this review I’m trying to remember what stood out to me but it’s like a blank!

So I’ll say my favorite part of the book are the dragons, especially Tairn because he keeps it real and he’s awesome in battle.

Final Thoughts:

This was a total disappointment for me but I was already wary about the series being five books long. There is always usually middle book syndrome, and I think this is what happened with this one so will book four be more tightened up and the pacing be better? I hope so but I think I will go into the next book cautiously. This one didn’t work for me, but I know reviews of this have either been hit or miss, so even though I didn’t like it, you just might!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Iron Flame by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fourth Wing by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Girl Most Like To by. Julie Tieu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Girl Most Likely To

Author: Julie Tieu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 2/18/25

Publisher: Avon

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

A frenemies-to-lovers contemporary romance by Julie Tieu which takes place over the course of one make-or-break evening, almost entirely at a high school reunion….

“For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book.”— Buzzfeed

Rachel Dang, once voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, is funemployed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it’s time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.

As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren’t exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she’s the one flailing.

The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventure where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.

The dreaded high school reunion. Rachel Dang was that girl in high school, over achiever with ambition and goals. At thirty-eight though she’s laid off from her job that she’s been with for more than 10 years and she feels lost. Why does she go to this 20 year high school reunion? It’s to see Danny her friend from high school and maybe to reconnect with him.

I did like Rachel and her best friend Natalie (who is an upcoming movie star) – their friendship felt genuine and funny and I wish there were more scenes were fun. I thought the nostalgia factor of the book was really fun too – the chatrooms of the 90’s? Boy did that bring me back to a time! The mentions of certain pop culture things from that time was great like the music and burning cds.

The way Natalie and Danny meet is cute and a friendship begins but talk about all the miscommunication between the two. The story is told with flashbacks to Natalie and Danny in high school and they seemed like they had a solid friendship until they crossed a line. When they meet up again at the reunion, I just felt lost as to why they had a falling out. As the story unravels we see how the miscommunication between them and how it really ruined their friendship. The conflict isn’t huge it’s mainly the miscommunication.

By the way, a lot of this story happens in a span of days. The bulk of this story happens the day of the reunion.

Final Thoughts:

I did enjoy the flashbacks, the nostalgia and the reunion where crazy antics happen. I kind of wanted more from the romance but it does have a happy ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Donut Trap by. Julie Tieu | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court Bright and Broken by. Amy Patrick | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Court Bright and Broken

Author: Amy Patrick

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 410

Publication Date: 2/14/25

Publisher: Oxford South Press

Categories: Romantasy, Series, Romance, Fantasy, Cinderella 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 Oxford South Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A dangerous bargain. An obsessed prince. A forbidden love that could split the Fae court… and break the world.

Thanks to the Fae king’s heartless tithe, my family is starving. If I don’t do something, my war-wounded father and two little sisters won’t last.

So I make a desperate deal with our village mother– she’ll save my family, and in return, I’ll attend the royal ball in disguise and perform an unnamed task. She won’t say what it is, but it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it turns out to be, it’s worth it to protect the people I love.

All I have to do is get in, do the mysterious deed, and get out without attracting the notice of the cruel royal family.

But somehow I manage to catch the attention of not one, but *both* wicked Fae princes.

The Crown Prince acts possessive and won’t let me out of his sight. His growly, bad-tempered brother is another matter. His beautiful exterior is in complete contrast to the darkness inside him, and I have the terrifying feeling he can see right through me.

Which is a very bad thing once I learn the task I’m bound to fulfill–or else face unthinkable consequences.

If I fail, my family will die. If I succeed… I might not be able to live with myself.

A Court Bright and Broken is an epic fantasy romance set in the beautiful and dangerous world of the High Fae where magic rules, secrets abound, and true love will not be denied. It’s a magical slow-burn Romantasy with Cinderella vibes and will delight readers who love delicious romantic banter, toe-curling tension and chemistry, immersive world-building, magic, and royal Fae intrigue.

This is a light and fluffy romantasy with Cinderella vibes which I thought was cute and wanted to see played out. And I like that the “fairy-godmother” is kind of the villain. It’s a quick read though because the world-building is so light. It’s a world of Fae, Elves and humans with the High Fae ruling and humans being the lowest rank. I do think the world-building was too light for me, I just wanted more.

I also wanted more depth from the characters. They were just okay and I didn’t connect much to them. The romance is insta-love with no spice so I wasn’t quite into that because I wanted Stellon and Raewyn to get to know one another better, not just a week or whatever timeline it was in the book. Pharis, Stellon’s brother is the most interesting character probably because he’s loyal to his brother and protective and super suspicious of Raewyn.

Final Thoughts:

This was a very light romantasy read with insta-love and Cinderella vibes which kept it kind of interesting but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series. I wanted more from the book and maybe that will happen in book two. If you don’t like heavy world-building romantasy books, then you might like this one.

Book Links:

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Beneath These Cursed Stars by. Lexi Ryan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beneath These Cursed Stars

Author: Lexi Ryan

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 422

Publication Date: 7/30/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Young Adult

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

So I was approved for the arc for the fourth book of this series without having read this third one, and I had to fix that – thank goodness my library had it!

I read the first two books of this series but vaguely remember what happened, but my reviews on my blogs helped me refresh my memory and I guess I didn’t totally love Brie, and the love triangle? Which is fine because this story is about her sister, Jasalyn! Brie of course makes appearances here and there but this is about Jas, and another girl, Felicity.

This story is told between two POVs because Jas, is with a a group trying to get back to Elora and restore the kingdom. Whereas Felicity, has the power to impersonate Jas, so she goes to the Wild Fae kingdom with Misha in order to look for a portal that will help them get to Elora to complete their task.

Jas has gone through some trauma when she was Mordeus’ captive and she’s filled with anger and hate for him. I liked seeing her with Kendrick’s group and almost having a found family with them. It was interesting to see how her torture still tied her up with Mordeus even though he supposedly died in book two.

As for Felicity, she’s doing such a good job at playing Jas, that she forgets that this all has to come to an end. Both girls, have their own romance stories but with whatever is going on right now with Mordeus, the mission has to be the number one priority over love. Which means, there are a few broken hearts in this story.

I like how quickly the story moved and I enjoyed both POVs. I like the world building too with the Fae, Elves, goblins and humans. But what kind of ending was that?! It was definitely a cliffhanger but wow, so abrupt! Good thing I have the next book on hand.

Final Thoughts:

Book two in this series came out 2 years ago, so I didn’t remember much but I felt like that didn’t hinder my reading experience. I got to know Jas and Felicity and enjoyed both their challenges and journeys and will promptly be reading the next book to see what happens next because that abrupt, cliffhanger ending is not it!