Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Stolen Midnights (#1)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 2/3/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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

This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal a gift from the powerful Fates meant for Andalay’s sweetheart, Wren Hayes, he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own phototroph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, ones that shed light on the ruthless ways of the upper-class society. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power—including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a temptation that neither understand, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself.

Content Warning: violence, death

Wren doesn’t have good standing in society or among her family, and when her birthday magic gift isn’t given to her, it makes her reputation even worse. Damien, is a thief, and he is the one who stole Wren’s magic gift, a locket – with his picture inside it. But the question is why? When another thief steals it from him he reluctantly joins forces with Wren to find this gift.

Wren and Damien are from different classes, she’s a pampered young lady from a rich family and Damien is from the streets. They clash in personalities, but I found their bickering pretty fun. There is an attraction growing between them but Damien runs from her each time he feels more for her, and she gets upset with him a lot about it. There is a tiny bit of spice, there are barely details in the act of it.

But with this quest to find the missing gift, Wren stumbles onto something more sinister that involves the Fates (the ones that gift the magic), and the high lords in society – including her own father. There are a few twists and turns at the end that was a surprise and it ends in a cliffhanger.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun, young adult fantasy with a surprise ending I didn’t expect. I love Wren and Damien’s back and forth banter – they are both pretty stubborn. But I love the rich girl/poor boy trope so I was invested in their romance. I also thought the mystery about the high lords and the operation they were hiding really added to the mystery. Overall, a pretty good start to the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

To Kill a Shadow by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bound to the Broken Crown by. Astoria Hope | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Bound to the Broken Crown (Magebound Courts, #1)

Author: Astoria Hope

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 441

Publication Date: 1/27/26

Publisher:

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Fantasy

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

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

A prince cursed to destroy everything he touched. Until he touched her.

Isca never dreamed her gift for sensing emotions would draw the eyes of princes—let alone the Assembly of Mages. Brought to court under the guise of diplomacy, she quickly learns her secret task: soothe the beast raging under Prince Emrys’ skin and deliver his heir back to the Assembly to forge into a weapon. Refusal means her family’s ruin.

But Emrys is not the monster she expected. Yes, he’s volatile. Yes, he’s destructive and dangerous. Beneath the curse, she glimpses the man—giving, fiercely protective, and unbearably lonely.

To the Assembly, Isca is a tool. To Emrys, she’s a temptation he cannot afford. He pushes her away to protect her, even as his eyes betray the truth: she is the only thing keeping him from drowning.

He could break her with a touch. She could bind him with a heartbeat. While their enemies scheme to use them as pawns, desire threatens to undo every wall they’ve built.

Together, she and Emrys could shatter the Assembly’s chains. But that would mean laying bare her betrayal—the one thing with the power to destroy both the man and the monster.

Bound to the Broken Crown is book 1 of the Magebound Courts Trilogy featuring a tormented cursed prince, the empathic mage sent to calm his inner beast, and their slow-burn romance. This book contains spicy content and graphic combat violence, Suitable for readers aged 18+

Content Warning: violence, death

Bound to the Broken Crown has all the elements usually found in a romantasy: magic, enemies to lovers, a Prince with a curse, and a woman to save him.

Isca, has magic that can sense and manipulate emotions, so she is tasked by the Mage Assembly, to be a diplomat and help two princes rule their kingdom of Darreth. They also want her to procreate with one of them because she has magic and the line of royal mages is dying out. Isca knows that if she doesn’t do this, her family will be threatened.

Isca turns out to be really good at diplomacy. It helps that one of the twin princes, Nisien is actually nice. Where as Emrys is grumpy, violent and cursed. He’s prone to killing people when he loses control of the beast inside of him. Of course Isca’s drawn to Emrys. What happens between them is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. I enjoyed their tumultuous love story, which ends in a happy ending. He becomes obsessed with her but loathes the curse within him so he tries to stay away. There is spice, but not a lot of it.

I did like learning about Isca and her family. She really grows when she leaves them and is in Darreth. There is a found family there for her with the princes and her lady’s maid, but the people also gravitate to her and she has really found her footing as a diplomat.

I do wish there was more world-building and political intrigue. I also wanted to know more about Emry’s curse but there was barely information on what it is. Despite all that I think this was enjoyable as a light fantasy read. It’s a quick read and the focus is more on the romance. But I did get invested in the side characters like Nisien and another prince, Owain, from another kingdom so I hope there will be books about them.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read which was kind of nice, without too much heavy world-building and a story focused on the enemies to lovers romance between Isca and Emrys. Overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by. Elizabeth May | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wolf and the Crown of Blood (The Broken Accords, #1)

Author: Elizabeth May

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 1/27/26

Publisher: Aria

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance, Romantasy

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

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

A thrilling and incredibly sexy new dark romantasy series from Sunday Times bestselling author Elizabeth May.

A princess and a war-weary god met in the ashes of a broken city, forging a pact in blood and sacrifice.

Now, centuries of fragile peace are on the brink of collapse…

Bryony Devaliant was born to die — again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf.

Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries — until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break.

Content Warning: violence, knife-play, death, torture, gore, trauma

+ I went into this one without really reading the synopsis and once I started reading, I was hooked. Now the prologue had me worried that I was going to read another romantasy, with all the same tropes – and sure that is clearly all there – but the love story in this one gripped me and didn’t let go.

+ The world building is interesting – mortals and Eternals have been at war for ages, until a mortal, a Devaliant and, Alexios (an Eternal), make a pact to end all the killing. The accords require a Devaliant to give a blood tithing to Alexios to keep the Shroud (veil between god and human realms) intact. So Devaliant heirs bleed on the altar and try not to go mad, but now something else is at play – the humans have a black market selling immortal flesh and consuming them to gain a little bit of power. And the Eternals are mad as hell and trying to figure out who is in charge of this operation. But this world is violent and I liked that it was. The Eternals are ruthless!

+ There is a bunch of characters in this story but it’s told mostly in Evander (Wolf) and Bryony’s (Devaliant) POV. There sometimes a break in that and we get Alexios POV but very rarely. I loved Bryony! She’s a sacrifice, she bleeds when the tithing is due and she’s been used, hurt, killed, repaired again, since the age of five. Her parents are gone, so she and her older sister, Theodora, have their uncle as their guardian but he’s doing a bad job of running things. The people love Bryony, so much so, that Alexios gets mad when they start to worship her and not him, and the tithings from the people get less and less. Bryony’s story is one of survival and I loved seeing her grow! I love seeing her strength and bravery. Evander has had his own trauma – his family and friends have been gutted by the mortals and in that grief and rage has turned into a killing machine. He is morally black, but when he meets Bryony, things change, even though he doesn’t want to admit it.

+ I loved the secondary characters and hope all of the eternals we met in this book get their own book! I love Theodora and really loved her bond with Bryony. And Amara, love her too! All the Eternals have a story that needs to be told. I kind of hate Alexios but I see why he’s so deranged, will be nice to see how he opens up.

+ The romance…it’s dark and it’s spicy! It’s the kind of enemies to lovers romance I’ve been craving. It’s very villain gets the girl, and touch her and die…like no, he is ready to burn the world down for her. But because they both have such trauma, and his hate for her family is deep – I really wanted to see how she was going to get beyond his hate and grief. I love that she stood her ground on some things with him. And I like that the romance didn’t happen right away, yes he’s contracted to kill her, but he reaches a deal with her that allows her to grow and train enough to take down who hurt her, and then he would step in and end her. Also, the spice? Yikes! It starts slow, and he doesn’t force her but once they give in, it’s a blazing inferno. There is some knife play, even some M/M kissing, a lot of times it’s rough play, but I felt like this couple’s bedroom play complimented them as a couple. It’s totally who they are and wouldn’t expect anything else!

+~ There is a whole trigger list for this book because there is a lot of trauma going on in this story. This is a dark story, with dark themes. There is a lot of death and killing on both sides, there is so much violence, but I think that’s why I like Bryony’s journey so much. She was put on an altar to bleed, she had no choices, no bodily autonomy, and knew this would be for her whole life…and yet she fought and got her power back. It’s why I loved the book so much, outside of the romance…it’s Bryony’s personal journey that is relatable.

~ I think the only thing that made me wonder what type of world the mortals were in is the language. It’s a bit modern, sometimes too modern, when they say things like “catch feelings”. But for the most part, I thought the modern speech was okay, though I know there will be some who won’t like it. They ride in carriages but I think Bryony mentions a train also so I feel like it’s giving a sort of industrial age kind of world.

Final Thoughts:

I couldn’t put this one down, I loved it and I cannot wait for book two – I’m hoping it’s Theodora’s story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Falconer by. Elizabeth May ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – apparently I read this back in 2013?! Wow…

Silk & Iron by. Alexis Calder | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Silk & Iron (#1)

Author: Alexis Calder

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 385

Publication Date: 1/20/26

Publisher: Alexis Calder

Categories: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Indie Author

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

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

The emperor. The prince. The enforcer.
I want them all dead. Until I fall for one of them.

After losing all my family to the rebellion, I lost hope. When my ex-boyfriend begs me to pose as the prince’s betrothed, I know it’s an opportunity the rebellion won’t ever get again.

I’m sent with the goal of finding out how to kill an immortal emperor, but I don’t want to wait on someone else to get my revenge. I want the emperor, the prince, and the enforcer all dead.

But the palace is full of secrets. And I’m not the only one playing a game of life and death; lies and betrayals. The closer I get to my goal, the closer I get to one of the men I vowed to kill.

And I’m not sure I can bring myself to harm him. But there’s nothing stopping him from killing me as soon as he finds out who I really am.

I’m playing with fire and I want this whole empire to burn.

But nothing is as it seems.

Just when I think I have nothing left to lose, I find out how much I have to live for.

And when faced with losing the only hope I have left, I must decide how far I’m willing to go to watch this empire burn.

Silk & Iron is a slow burn, spicy enemies-to-lovers romantasy full of court intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Mind the cliff.

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of sexual assault, torture

+~ Sabina is undercover as a princess and is supposed to be marrying Caiden, the Prince of Pendralia, but what she is really there to do is kill his dad, the emperor because they killed her family. There is court intrigue, but not as much as I was expecting. There are a lot of scenes of Sabina getting close to her ladies-in-waiting, which was fun. But I just wanted more danger.

+~ The world building is the usual for a romantasy: warring kingdoms, princess used for an alliance, secret identity of the princess, a rebellion trying to kill the emperor, magic that keeps him alive. But only certain people have magic in this world. I wanted more from the world building. As for the characters, I just felt like none of them stood out, I wanted more depth. Also, there is magic but we learn a little more about it near the end.

+~ There is a slow burn, forbidden romance between Sabina and Brevan, her guard/enforcer and who is Caiden’s right hand man. And when I say slow, it is slow, and I didn’t even feel the chemistry between them. There are two spicy scenes but because I didn’t even feel their connection, I wasn’t really invested in them.

+ The ending has a wild twist and probably was the most interesting part of the book because it was unexpected.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was an okay read. I wanted more depth to the characters, more chemistry in the romance and more world building. But if you are someone who doesn’t like heavy world-building in romantasy and wants something easy to read through, definitely try this one. The ending was very unexpected so I might read the next book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Author Website

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Kingdom of Blood and Salt by. Alexis Calder | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Fallen Stars (The Heavenly Bodies, #2)

Author: Imani Erriu

Format: audiobook and paperback

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 11/25/25 (first published 2/14/23)

Categories: Romantasy, Series

In this stunning sequel to the viral TikTok sensation Heavenly Bodies, Elara searches for a way to save her star-crossed lover and defeat the Stars out to destroy her.

“Stars will fall.”

Elara is vengeful. Her love, Prince Lorenzo, is in a deep sleep, trapped between the realms of life and death. Her enemy has vanished, and with him, Enzo’s only hope of returning to the waking world, leaving Elara with a life she has never wanted and new powers she cannot control.

Now a disgraced queen, Elara must find a way to save Lorenzo while also seeking the lost Titans, a league of gods who ruled the world long before the Stars. But there is a darker power at play, one that even the King of the Stars is afraid of. With enemies at every turn, Elara must tread carefully if she has any hope of waking her soulmate and fulfilling her promise to make every Star fall.

Content Warning: death, violence

There are four parts to this story and multiple POVS by Elara, Adrian and Merissa. But I felt like there are two main parts of this story – when Elara is walking in dreamscape trying to find Lorenzo and then the other part when Adrian comes into this story and it takes it in another direction of water adventures. There is a lot that goes on in this story, most of it coming in at the end, but I did feel like at times there was too much going on.

One thing I loved about book one is Elara and Enzo’s love story. They are apart for Part One, but I felt like Elara was holding her own with her friends, Merissa, Leo and Eli. Eli is a Star but on their side, and I found him an interesting character with a past we don’t know much about. When Elara reunites with her soulmate, there are some challenges because she can’t control her shadows. And though there is spice, it was very interesting and creative spice, which at times seemed awkward because of timing. Also because the story doesn’t focus on falling in love, it did feel like something was missing. Obviously, they will die for one another. But then they started calling one another “soulmate” and it triggered my pet peeve of the word “mate” being overused.

Also, there’s is not only one love story taking place. Adrian becomes one of the main characters of this story. He’s a pirate, he is drawn to Elara but he doesn’t know why. He meets someone, a mermaid and there is some spice between them. Adrian being a pirate, really pulled this story into a water adventure because he’s a pirate, and they encounter creatures in the sea. That was very interesting but definitely something I wasn’t expecting.

As for the conflict between the Stars (Ariete) and Celestes (Elara-Moon, Enzo-Sun), it seems like there is a truce for a little while because they have to defeat the Dark (and when they revealed who the Dark is I was like huh? Who is that? Because there are so many characters to remember! 😆 Then I remembered). Also, I’m assuming Elara will be finding other Celestes (or Elementals) in book three. So not only is the world expanding but the character list is also.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this story was kind of choppy with a lot going on, especially at the end. I feel like it was the book that was helping transition Elara/Enzo’s love story into the next phase where maybe someone like Merissa will have her time to shine. I did like having the world expand and the ocean adventures. I liked meeting new Stars, and characters like Adrian, but the list is getting long and I am bound to forget somebody. Maybe a characters list can be included in the next book? I think the ending is intriguing where Merissa’s POV comes in so I will be definitely reading book three to see what happens with her but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did book one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadows and Secrets by. Arcadia Rayne | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Shadows and Secrets (The Fatebreaker Trilogy, #1)

Author: Arcadia Rayne

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 614

Publication Date: 11/13/25

Categories: Romantasy, Fae, Fated Mates

She was sent to kill him. Now she might have to marry him.

Huntyr Lachlan is Velia’s deadliest assassin, and the fae prince who destroyed her family just walked into her kingdom.

But when her plan goes wrong, she’s thrust into the Conclave, an ancient competition for the prince’s hand.

Now trapped in a deadly game, Huntyr must navigate rival suitors, perilous trials, and a prince who is far more dangerous, and captivating, than she ever imagined.

In a world where nothing is as it seems, though, her greatest enemy may be the one she least expects.

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of torture/training

I didn’t know anything about this book. It was one of those nights I was scrolling on Kindle Unlimited, saw this pretty cover, the synopsis sounded like the usual romantasy Fae story and I decided why not?

Even though this is 600+ pages, I felt like the story moved fast because the world-building is light, and there are a few typical tropes: deadly bridal trials, secret identities, enemies to lovers – all the things I enjoy in a romantasy.

Huntyr is a mortal and an assassin. Her contract assigns her to kill the Fae Prince, Derian. Huntyr is only happy to take the contract because she hates the Fae since in her memories, it was the Fae that killed her father. Her father dying when she was young set into motion a childhood of strife, starvation and fear. It’s what made her an assassin.

Derian, is one of the most power Fae in existence – he is a storm-wielder and the spare who is in charge of his brother’s forces. When his brother arranges a marriage for him to a mortal, Derian takes matters into his own hands and instead announces a Conclave – a competition to the death for his hand in marriage. And Huntyr is one of the contestants.

Derian and Huntyr’s relationship starts off with sparks. She can’t stand him but must play a part and hide her assassin identity. And Derian can’t seem to stay away from her. I thought their banter was fun, and I really loved how their relationship grew. They are enemies, but the attraction between them is strong, and soon they are both falling for one another. I loved seeing them fall for one another. It is a fated mates romance, which I usually steer away from, but I like how this one is done. I like how Derion gives Huntyr space when she needs it, but I like how they fight too – it sometimes leads to something which was fun.

The world-building is pretty light, with the deadly trials taking up most of the story. But I didn’t mind it because there was a lot of action. We didn’t get to know a lot of the contestants, but I still enjoyed the fight scenes. Huntyr is pretty bad-ass in a fight. There is an enemy the Fae are fighting, also, the Velkai, who is encroaching on their borders. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and found family that is growing for Huntyr.

I thought the ending was very emotional for Huntyr and a good set up for book two.

One of my issues with this story was some of the language and it wasn’t a lot, just a few here and there…but there would be a moment where the character would say something modern like “cool” and it would take me out of the story.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was such a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure if I would like it or I’d just be bored with the usual romantasy tropes, but this was an easy read filled with a strong FMC, romance, spice, and deadly fights. I’ll definitely be reading book two because I want to see how they deal with the Velkai, but definitely check this book out if you like the usual romantasy tropes.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Lies of Lena by. Kylie Snow | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles, #1)

Author: Kylie Snow

Narrator(s): Kieran Regan; Natalie Van Sistine

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 462 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours 34 min

Publication Date: 1/6/26

Publisher: Gollancz

Categories: 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 Gollancz for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A SECRET MAGE. A VENGEFUL PRINCE.
WILL FORBIDDEN LOVE UNITE THE REALM – OR BURN IT DOWN…
*please check trigger warnings before diving in

In Tovagoth, Mages like Lena Daelyra live in hunted, outlawed, and reviled. Even after fleeing to Otacia, Lena hides her magic, cloaked in silence. But when she meets Quinn Callon, a quick-witted swordsman from the Inner Ring, her walls begin to crack. He trains Lena to fight, never suspecting the truth she hides. But as their connection deepens, so does the danger… and Lena knows love is a risk she can’t afford.

Silas La’Rune, Crown Prince of Otacia, has been caged within the Kingdom castle since the kidnapping and murder of his sister, the Princess. Until one day beyond the castle walls reveals a Kingdom rotting beneath its guiled surface – and a girl who shouldn’t exist.

When tragedy tears Lena from Quinn, as destiny would have it, Lena and Silas’ paths collide. For the future of Magekind depends on them, and love could just about be the deadliest weapon…

Content Warning: violence, torture, sexual assault, rape, grief

I remember seeing this book all over the booktoks and book socials this past year and I even downloaded but I don’t know why I never read it. I can’t say I love the original cover, but I do like this new one for the audiobook. I decided to try it out the story this way to see if I could actually get into the book.

This story was a little all over the place. It’s got a lot of the usual romantasy tropes like secret identity and forbidden love. A teenage girl who is secretly a Mage, meets a handsome boy on the streets who has his own secret and from there they train together and a sweet romance grows. Sweet….but spicy. Yes, there as spicy scenes between teens in this story which was very surprising to me because it is graphic. Didn’t love that but I really did believe in their teenage love story and was rooting for them since both characters seemed like good people.

The world-building I thought was pretty light, a kingdom called Otacia is ruled by a king who has oppressed mages. In this world they use copper, silver, gold for currency, they wear tunics and then out of the blue a character will mention they have pizza as food? Sometimes modern clothing is mentioned. Even modern speech was used in this world so I had a lot of questions about the world-building. There is also a time-jump in part two of the story where it jumps ahead 5 years. I’m glad for the jump because the sixteen year olds having spicy scenes early on was kind of jarring. They also mention vampires, and the undead, so this world seems to have everything.

As for the characters? Lena is naive and acted like an impulsive, love-struck teenager, making wrong decisions. At least with the 5 year jump, I feel like there is a lot of growth there. Gone are the sweet teens. Lena’s stronger, has grown without Silas, knows her magic better and now is thrust into a position to lead. Silas, went from a sheltered prince to a cold, violent, damaged one. There are other characters, like Torrin, who just disappears, which I though was kind of strange.

As for the romance, like I said it’s a sweet love in the beginning. But with the time jump, and Silas and Lena having moved on with their lives, their reunion is not a happy one. Now they both have other options, trauma from the past, and I know it’s going to be very dramatic when these two ever get back together. It was just strange to me that they are fated but Lena is looking at every attractive guy – like what?

But despite all these issues the narrators did such an amazing job at bringing this story to life. All the stars I’m giving is mostly for them. I feel like if I read this book as an ebook or hardcover I would have DNF’ed because of the naivety of the characters, and the light world-building, but their voices made this story kind of addicting which surprised me!

Note the triggers for this book because there are some ugly scenes it in. It’s violent, there is grief, there is rape. But I will say even though it was awful, I felt like the author never stayed in the darkness for long and moved past certain events quickly. There was a feeling that things just moved quickly in the story, without dwelling in certain feelings, thoughts or emotions for the character. The story lacked depth.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this audiobook was great. I really don’t think I would have been able to continue this book if I read it in another form, but this audiobook really brought the story to life. There are a lot of issues with the story but I will say because the audiobook was addicting, that this is the kind of story you sit back with your popcorn next to you and just read for the messiness of it all. It’s filled with drama, and eye-rolling moments to the point it made me cackle. I’m not here for the writing quality or the plot really – I think I’m here for the drama, so yes I will be reading book two soon.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Heavenly Bodies (#1)

Author: Imani Erriu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 1/13/26 (First published 2/13/22)

Publisher: Random House Canada

Categories: Romantasy

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

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

“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”

In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.

So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.

And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.

Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.

And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

I saw this book around on Amazon and on social media for awhile, but never got around to reading it though I was very interested in it. I know it was first published a few years ago but it seems like it’s going through another republish, maybe with a new cover? Not sure but the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would be willing to read this book and the sequel and of course I was excited about it!

Heavenly Bodies has really interesting world building. It is inspired by the zodiac. Each kingdom is ruled by a zodiac sign with a royal family, but there is also a ruling Star over that family and the people, almost like a God/Goddess.

Elara’s life is in turmoil. She is from Asteria (Piscea-Pisces), her parents have been killed by the King of Stars, Ariete, because of a prophecy that connects the two of them together – apparently Elara’s is supposed to be with him and it will kill them both.

Kidnapped, Elara, finds refuge in Helios (Leyon-Leo), where the king wants her to train to be able to kill Stars. Prince Lorenzo is tasked to train her and they have a rocky start, but eventually a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance grows between them. This story centers around Elara and Lorenzo no matter what the prophecy says and I loved watching their romance grow!

I enjoyed the found family that Elara has found in Helios despite the king being an enemy of her kingdom. I liked a lot of the secondary characters also. We do learn some things about Elara’s kingdom, Asteria and her past later on in the book. She is a political pawn in the first half of the book and is mostly training to use her skills, and learning more about the prophecy but things change in the second half. As a character I thought she was strong and brave and seemed to stand on her own against Ariete.

I think the beginning throws us into the story pretty fast, and right into Helios, without knowing much about Elara and where she is from, so I had to just assume a bunch of things about her kingdom. We do learn more as she compares things but I thought it was a jarring start to the story.

There are a few twists in the end of the story which I thought was fascinating and am eager to see how the story moves forward in book two.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an engaging read and I was really invested in the world building but the romance is the main focus of this story and what a romance it is. I loved the slow burn between Elara and Lorenzo and the reveals at the end of the book was really unexpected. There are secrets, prophecies, betrayals, found family, action and everything I look for in a romantasy. I’m excited to read book two to see where the story goes after that surprise ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Something Wicked (Idle Reputations, #1)

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Content Warning: violence, death

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Rebel and the Rose by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome, #2)

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, 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 Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The path of destiny burns with love, magic, and betrayal in this second book in the City of Fantome enemies-to-lovers romantasy series perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Caraval.

From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.

Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?

Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…

Content Warning: violence, drug use

+ This is book two in the series and I honestly wasn’t sure if this was a duology or trilogy but it’s definitely a trilogy.

+ I love that this sequel moves the series forward instead of being filler. Sera and Ransom are back with their enemies to lovers romance. Ransom is now the head of the Daggers and Sera has her own group now that uses Lightfire. I love when these two clash, even when their groups clash, because it’s very entertaining. This time, the king has put them together for a group project. Both Ransom and Sera get something out of this assignment once it is done so they are both committed to it until Sera has other ideas.

+ The storyline of the Saints is the big story in this sequel. I was definitely invested because I wanted to see how this would play out and what side Sera would take. But I love how instead of Ransom and Sera are fighting one another, now they are a team and they need to work together.

+ I was waiting for Ransom and Sera to be together again and though there isn’t much heat between them until the second half of the book, I love their interactions. Ransom is crazy about her and is doing everything to keep her safe even though she thinks he hates her, he’s pretty down bad for her. But she’s always trying to save him too, especially from his Shade use. I liked the private moments they had when they start opening up to one another.

~ I almost thought I wouldn’t love this book because the first 20% of this book was hard to get through! I didn’t even really know why – I think it’s because Ransom and Sera are apart and I had to remember what happened in book one. Eventually I got settled in the story, but that was a rough start.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad this story got better after that slow beginning but once I got settled in I was hooked. I loved being back in this world with Ransom and his Daggers and Sera and her little crew. When these two clash, it’s entertaining but this time they have to work together to take down a dangerous man. I loved the world-building and learning more about the Saints. And of course I loved Ransom and Sera’s romance. I’m looking forward to book three!