The Uninvited by. Nancy Banks | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: The Uninvited

Author: Nancy Banks

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 12/16/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampires, Suspense

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

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

A YA paranormal fantasy about vampires in the Paris underground, where a young woman’s bohemian dream turns into a chilling nightmare. Now her survival hinges on bringing to light the city’s darkest and deepest secrets.

When 17-year-old Tosh Reeves moves from Portland, Oregon to Paris, it’s a dream come to life. The city embraces her with its street-life, iconic architecture, and infinite gustatory delights. There’s even a charming expat boy, Nick, who introduces her to sights tourists never see.

From medieval catacombs to the viciously competitive street art scene, Tosh’s immersion in Paris makes her feel wholly alive in a way she’s never before experienced. She belongs.

But when a series of brutal vampiric attacks creeps closer to her new circle of bohemian friends, Tosh will confront the darker side of her beloved Paris, and learn how deeply monsters can strike at a young woman’s power and heart.

Content Warning: violence, assault, death

+ Tosh and her father has moved to Paris, France for his job. She falls in love with Paris and I love how we get to experience it with her especially as she goes to different places like the catacombs, meet all kinds of people, experiences the art scene and most of all, the food!

+ I liked seeing Tosh, make new friends and really make a new life for herself in Paris. She’s lost her mom to cancer as a child, and her Dad takes off for work a lot so this friend group becomes a found family for her. Except there is one person in that group that comes off a little bit aggressive. He reminds her of another guy from home who she has bad memories of.

+ As for the vampire attacking girls in Paris. I did feel the suspense of wondering who it may be – there is a danger on the streets of Paris and there were many times that I felt Tosh wasn’t safe. The scene in the catacombs was suspenseful, and just knowing that Paris has a place like that underground just brings in the creepy and eerie factor. I like how this issue of a vampire attacking girls brought up the bigger theme of girls being attacked by men in general. Tosh has had experience with this at home, with a regular boy from school and in a sense, when she deals with this vampire it’s a means of taking her power back.

~ I think the story started off strong but felt like it slowed down in the middle. I was waiting for more information about this vampire. Is it real? Was it just someone pretending to be a vampire? We don’t know until later and the story picks up when the vampire is exposed. But I wanted more about the vampire! The ending did feel a little rushed though.

Final Thoughts:

I loved that this story was set in Paris – it brought cultural exploration, architecture, history, art, and food – I was living vicariously through Tosh’s experiences! But not only was Paris this beautiful place in this story, it was also dangerous because of a vampire roaming around and they go to eerie places like the catacombs. I definitely felt the suspense! As for the vampire, I wish there was more about it. But I liked the message I got from this story which is females shouldn’t have to be afraid to be outside and alone! Tosh has experienced fear with a human boy and a vampire boy but this time she takes her power back. I think teens and young adults will enjoy this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Not in My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/10/25

Categories: Romance Contemporary

Rosie Maxwell has a move to New York, get her creative writing degree from NYU, become a bestselling romance writer. But that plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington, an obnoxious, surly, unreasonably gorgeous literary fiction writer who has no patience for romance – or for Rosie.

Exhausted by Rosie and Aiden’s constant verbal sparring, their professor gives them an leave her class, or cowrite a novel that blends their respective genres.

As Rosie and Aiden collaborate on their (accidentally steamy) novel, they try to put their differences aside. Could their manuscript-in-progress be just the outlet they need to confess their feelings – and explore their mutual attraction?

But a potentially career-changing opportunity soon reignites the flames of their old rivalry. Rosie and Aiden’s once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved – unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms…

Content Warning: complicated relationship with parent

+ I had borrowed this book last year and didn’t get a chance to read it. So I borrowed it again because I needed to read a contemporary romance and this hit the spot!

+ Rosie and Aiden are writers taking a workshop class at NYU. Rosie writes romance, and Aiden writes literary fiction. They do NOT get along. They fight so much that their professor asked them to drop of out of her class or they can stay but work on a story together. This forces them to hang out together and work out their differences and it mostly works.

+ I loved the secondary characters: Rosie’s friends, her roommate and also her family. I loved the Peruvian representation since Rosie is half.

+ The romance was very rivals to lovers, almost enemies to lovers, but the tension is so strong that their attraction is as strong also, which made the spicy scenes unexpectedly spicy! Who knew Aiden had it in him 😅. Throughout the book I didn’t think he would turn out to be a dirty talker in bed! When they eventually give one another a chance, they have a fun and lovely relationship.

~ Aiden is grumpy and Rosie is sunshine but sometimes they both got on my nerves! The third act break-up actually made me so pissed off at Aiden that I didn’t want her to go back to him. But also, Rosie, really went off accusing of him of lying when really if they could just both control their tempers and talk, things wouldn’t have had to take a dramatic turn. He did do a big gesture at the end so I eventually forgave him but yeah both of them got on my nerves at times!

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally read this book and I enjoyed the rivals to lovers, academia world (writer’s life), the setting of New York and how it also had some holiday scenes. Sometimes their fighting was immature or they could have had better communication but overall, I enjoyed the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Seven Deadly Thorns

Author: Amber Hamilton

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Categories: New Adult, Romantasy, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal, Snow White Inspired

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

+ I didn’t realize this was a Snow White inspired story until I was reading it. Funny that the MMC’s name is Roze of all things (lips as red as a rose – yes his poisonous lips are red and he loves to eat apples). Viola is a student at Vandenberghe Academy and she’s hiding that she is a meiga (witch) to avoid being killed by the Queen but it’s hard for her to control her shadows. When the Prince, Roze, who is the Huntsman is assigned to kill her since the Queen already knows what she is, he gives her a chance – he won’t kill her if she can help him find out who killed the King, his father.

+~ I think there is a lot going on in the story. A little bit of romantasy, horror, paranormal – all thrown in. Also, there is a matter of a secret society that Roze is a part of and Viola demands to know the secrets of. World-building is really interesting because a war with another kingdom basically trapped them in their own kingdom, the Mists, keeps them in. I think most of it worked, but I did think the last few chapters was kind of wild with everything going on. It went off the rails and fast.

+ There is a cute gargoyle pet named Waffles. 😍. Viola as a character, she’s feisty and stubborn, and killing people accidentally a little too much. Someone needed to teach her control, but there was no one really. The Queen is evil and she has a magic mirror, but the twist I enjoyed was Roze’s sister being the “dwarves” but here they are vapid princesses. Everyone is under the Queen’s power, except Roze, who sometimes defies her.

+ The romance is enemies to lovers and the animosity between them is very present in everyone of their interactions. There is a fake engagement between them to help with the plan of Viola helping him find out who killed his dad. Roze’s touch is poison so there is no spice until it comes on all of a sudden near the end. I was not expecting any spice which is why at first I thought this was YA. I bumped it up to NA after that spicy scene.

Final Thoughts:

I liked the enemies to lovers romance and the Snow White inspiration. I think there is a lot going on but I kind of went with it. Overall, even with the wild ending and twist, I think this was an entertaining story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Trail Rides & Starry Eyes

Author: Katrina Emmel

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 12/9/25

Publisher: Delacorte Romance

Categories: Young Adult, Romance

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

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

A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she’s tasked with turning into a cowboy—perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!

Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Sterling can’t imagine life beyond her family’s Wyoming ranch. Her days are filled with colt breaking, cattle rustling, and an online Intro to Astronomy class. Seventeen-year-old Wilder Nash also has his sights set on the stars—the ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A teen heartthrob, he’s now he’s ready for the big time. To land a lead role as a cowboy in a prime-time mini-series, he must convince the casting director he’s an experienced horseman. The problem? He’s all hat and no cowboy.

With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.

Cassidy’s quiet life is disrupted when Wilder arrives. As he mucks out stalls and grooms horses, Wilder begins to see there’s more to life than his looks. And Cassidy starts imagining a future beyond the ranch. The growing spark between them threatens to ignite into something more, but Cassidy must decide if she’s brave enough to take the reins of her own life. Meanwhile, Wilder faces a the glamorous life of a star or a simpler life under the stars.

Content Warning:

+ Cassidy has always lived life on the family ranch in Wyoming and she’s always wonder if this was it for her life? Just ranching – or is there something more out there for her? Wilder Nash needs to learn how to ride a horse for a role he just got chosen for – so his agent, Alex (Cassidy’s uncle) sends him to a ranch in Wyoming to learn how to ride. I think it’s easy to predict what happens in this story. I liked the ranch in Wyoming setting – it was definitely different from Los Angeles, where Wilder is from.

+~ The romance is sweet, an actor falls in love with a cowgirl. The only challenge they deal with is what to do after his training session is up. But I can say this doesn’t have a major conflict, it’s easily fixed at the end. Would have wanted a little more chemistry between them.

~ I think I wanted more from Cassidy’s character. She’s capable, a nice person and a hard worker, but I think because she’s trapped on the ranch, she doesn’t met many people and we don’t see much of her personality open up.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very quick read. It has a sweet romance without a lot of conflict. I just wanted a little more from the characters but overall, an easy young adult romance read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Last Vampire by. Romina Garber | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Last Vampire

Author: Romina Garber

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery, Dark Academia, Vampires

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!

Pride comes before the fall.

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?

Content Warning: violence

+ There were many things about the synopsis of the books I was intrigued by: vampires, a boarding school, an FMC looking for her Mr. Darcy, and for the beginning of this book I was enjoying it. I loved Lorena and Salma’s relationship as best friends. They are very tight and have gone through a few hard times especially with Salma losing her mother.

+ I like that the cast is diverse. I thought the setting of the boarding school was fun and broad the mysterious and academic vibes to the story.

~ I thought when William came along, I would be more invested in the story but I did not like him and also, it made me not care about his romance with Lorena. He was threatening her (which I expect a vampire to do), but he annoyed me.

~ I also thought the found family-friend group would appeal to me, but I didn’t care for them either, especially Tiffany, who was a snobby rich girl but tagged along with the group.

~ I felt this would appeal more to the younger young adults, because it read like that at times. The beginning started strong but then I got bored and lost interest. And then the ending felt rushed.

Final Thoughts:

This book was not for me even though it had all the things I thought I would love in a YA Dark Academia story with vampires. Not sure if I was in a mood reading funk or what but I still think young adults on the younger end would enjoy this one if you are into YA vampire stories.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

All We Once Had by. Katy Upperman | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: All We Once Had

Author: Katy Upperman

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 2/3/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age

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

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

An emotional and heartfelt contemporary YA romance from the author of Everything I Promised You, exploring the complicated nature of grief, family, growing up, and the beauty of second chances.

Piper and her older sister could not be more different. Tati assumed guardianship when their parents were killed by a drunk driver, and some days Piper feels more kinship with her best friend and her family. Except Gabi isn’t speaking to Piper, just when Piper could really use a friend. Which is not how she expected to start the summer before senior year.

Escaping to their apartment complex’s pool for some space, Piper is stunned to see Henry. Her Henry. The boy who, three years ago, sat next to her at this same pool and offered the kind, calming presence she needed while she was deep in her grief. Together, they walked the beach, talked about their passions, and ultimately, shared a kiss. It was a perfect night. Except Piper hasn’t seen him since.

Henry is back in Florida to spend time with his dad and escape the relationship drama he left at home. Fate has brought Piper and Henry back together when their lives are most complicated with devastating secrets. With no one to confide in but each other, Piper and Henry must confront their painful pasts and the tumultuous present. Is this the start of another goodbye or a second chance at love?

Content Warning: grief, alcoholism, sexual assault

+ This young adult book is emotional and very coming of age. Piper is an orphan but is now being raised by her older sister. Henry, is in Sugar Bay, spending time with his dad who is running a restaurant out there. When Piper and Henry realize they were each other’s first kisses 3 years ago, their reunion makes a lot of sense and provides a lot of comfort to one another since both are going through some tough times.

+ Piper is not having a great summer – she had a falling out with her best friend, her sister doesn’t trust her decisions and is always nagging her, and she’s trying to push all of these problems away. Piper is dealing with grief, uncertainty about her future, trapped by her sister’s love, and lost without her best friend but when Henry comes along I feel like he helped her manage some of these emotions she’s been bottling up. She is also dealing with memories of a moment where she was almost sexually assaulted while she was drunk. So she has a lot going on.

+ Henry is running from something that happened with her ex-girlfriend back home and being at his dad’s place makes him run into Piper again. They rekindled their friendship and then it turns into something more. But I like how Henry and Piper are clearly opposites in personality and they have to learn to navigate some of their differences.

+ The romance was comforting and sweet – I like that these two people found each other again. It’s a young adult so it isn’t spicy but there is some heat because yes teenagers like to kiss and make-out too! That’s totally realistic. I just like seeing their friendship grow into something else.

~ One thing I just couldn’t get into with the story is how Henry and Piper was trying to set up his dad with her sister. Like why?! I know that there is nothing blood related about it but – it just made me feel uncomfortable!

Final Thoughts:

I like how a lot of the young adult challenges of growing up, friendship, family and the future is tackled in this story. I also enjoyed how sweet Henry and Piper’s relationship grows from friendship into something more – they needed each other and was there for one another at the right time.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Everything I Promised You by. Katy Upperman | 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!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Dagger and the Flame by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cursed Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Twin Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Storm Keeper’s Island ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vendetta (Blood for Blood, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inferno (Blood for Blood, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mafiosa (Blood for Blood, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Persephone’s Curse by. Katrina Leo | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Persephone’s Curse

Author: Katrina Leno

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Romance, Mythology, Speculative Fiction

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

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

Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she’s right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their Manhattan brownstone —a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.

When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it’s up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.

Content Warning: mental health

+ The Farthing sisters are descended from Persephone or so their aunt likes to tell them. But they do have some kind of magic because Winnie can talk to ghosts, Clara is an artist that dreams of her paintings, Evelyn is musical and Bernadette experiences lots of emotions. I loved these sisters and their relationship was giving Little Women! Their sisterly bond was what kept me invested in the story, it’s a beautiful bond.

+ I like how the story of Persephone and her children were incorporated into the story. I think it’s fun how the girls are tied to her and may have a little something of magic because they are descended from her. I love the paranormal aspects of the story: the ghosts and witchcraft.

~ The story does start off a bit slow. We follow these girls and see how their family works, which I love. Sisters fight, even when they love one another and I loved seeing their relationships. But getting to the conflict takes awhile. It happens when Winnie gets rid of a ghost at their house, a ghost who is basically their brother – so that wasn’t really nice of Winnie even though she meant well and was trying to protect her sister. But from there the story picks up.

~ I felt like I needed more from some of the characters like Henry. I love that he’s this ghost boy and basically like a brother to them, but I wanted more from his character.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story about the Farthing sisters and them having some powers because of their connection to Persephone. There are ghosts, magic, tight sister and family bonds, and romance. The beginning started off a bit slowly, and I wanted more from some of the characters but overall I enjoyed this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends

Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 11/18/25

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Dragon Descendants

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!

A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must team up with a cute rogue agent to subvert a corrupt time travel organization and find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker’s magical new YA romance, I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.

When you’re ready, come find me. I will keep you safe. -Hana

Descended from a Japanese dragon god, Yang Mina was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. Then Mina’s world is uprooted when she moves to Seoul and finds a note from her sister–a sister who no one remembers, as if she had been erased. The only people who could have made her sister vanish so completely are part of the very agency that she’s been working so hard to join. So now Mina has a new mission, infiltrate the agency as quickly as possible to find her lost sister.

And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, a strikingly handsome rogue agent has determined that Mina is the only person who can help him put an end to the Descendants’ corruption. Placed in an impossible situation, Mina must decide how much she’s willing to risk to find the truth.

Content Warning: violence

+ I am a big fan of this author and this is very different than the fantasy and horror stories I’ve read from her. I loved how this story was set in South Korea and but also tied in Japanese mythology.

~ It was very hard to get into this book. I was confused because it is set in a contemporary time period but there is time travel and I got confused, a lot. Mina is descended from a dragon and she’s training to be an agent that fixes the timeline. I felt like I understood more as the story went on but for the first half of the story, I was just confused about what they do as timeline fixers.

+ I thought the romance was cute! It definitely felt like a teen k-drama. Mina meets another “agent” and they spend some together, which I thought was fun. There is a twist at the end of the story that I did enjoy. The romance was my favorite part of this story, but would have loved a lot more time for it to develop though.

~ Mina’s assignment is to get close to a guy named Jihoon and he was such a nice guy. I just wish she didn’t have to fake things to accomplish her assignment. He was innocent but it showed how devious parts of her job. I do wish there was more explanation about why this agency was created to fix the timeline and why it needed fixing.

Final Thoughts:

If my head could follow the time travel and the timeline situation better then I might have enjoyed this way more. I did push through the beginning and did enjoy the romance and the twist. I loved the K-drama vibes of the whole book and honestly love to see how this author is branching out into other genres.

Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Blood Orchid by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Scarlet Alchemist by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BLOG TOUR} The Empress of Time by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BLOG TOUR } The Keeper of Night by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Coldwire by. Chloe Gong | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: A Curious Kind of Magic

Author: Chloe Gong

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Young Adult, Sci/Fi, Dystopian, Cyberpunk

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 future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

Content Warning: violence

+ This is such a compelling, tense read, it was hard to put down! It starts off with some action, which I loved and it took off from there. I was sucked into a cyberpunk world and it didn’t let go of me.

+ In this story there are two POVs, Eirale and Lia. We follow their journeys until they meet. I did suspect in the middle of the book what was happening but I needed to read to the end to get the explanation because this is sci-fi so this story was definitely giving my brain a work out. I guessed correctly on what was going on but the realization with what was happening was still mind-blowing and devastating. I did find myself at first gravitating more towards Eirale’s story, but eventually I was invested in Lia’s also.

+ There is a lot of action, some fighting scenes, and our main characters are on two different missions. I couldn’t put this book down because I needed to see what brought these characters together and the pay-off is well worth the wait. There are twists, betrayals, company and government corruption and I feel like this story is timely with it’s talk about tech and AI. The world-building is very cyberpunk and dystopian. There is a lot of virtual life which was hard for me to wrap my head around, but I went with it.

+ There is a tiny bit of romance in this story which isn’t the main focus but I loved it! I also love the found family element for both Eirale and Lia.

~ I’ve read a few book from this author and I always kind of go in with caution now because her stories have heavy world-building and it definitely makes me use more brain power. But this is the type of story where I have to take time to settle in before I’m invested. I think Eirale’s storyline kept me in it until Lia’s story got more interesting. I actually loved how both characters’ stories come together.

~ I’m not a big sci-fi reader, and this one did confuse me many times because this is the type of book I need to see visually. I actually think this would make a great movie or show. So there were a few explanations I had to re-read to make my non-sci-fi mind understand what was going on. There is a lot of tech jargon. But I did eventually get it…at least the gist of it! Also the upcountry, downcountry and different places in the story at times confused me because I didn’t know if the characters were upcountry (virtual world) and what not.

Final Thoughts:

My brain put in a lot of work to follow this book but overall, I really enjoyed it. There were times I was confused but once I was hooked, I couldn’t put it down. I love the build-up to that ending and I’m hoping to see what happens next in the series!