Holiday Romances | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 12/2/25

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is: ~~Freebie~~

Holiday Romances

I’m not huge on reading holiday romance but here’s a few that I’ve read or want to eventually read.

A Merry Little Lie by. Sarah Morgan

What’s on your TTT?

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Monthly Wrap Up | November 2025

November was my birthday month, and my best friend’s birthday month, so it was a fun month! I got to see friends, then family for Thanksgiving and I feel like the month went by FAST. I’m excited that I can read non-arc books right now because I finished all my 2025 arcs. I have already started on January and February ones so I’m excited that I’m ahead of my list.

I read 24 books and posted 18 book reviews in November.

Books I Read – 24 books and 1 – DNF

Atmosphere by. Taylor Jenkins Reid
A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force
I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by. Kylie Lee Baker
Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard
Persephone’s Curse by. Katrina Leno
Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel
The Uninvited by. Nancy Banks
The Ordeals by. Rachel Greenlaw
Spark of the Everflame by. Penn Cole
The Housemaid by. Freida McFadden
Dead Fake by. Vincent Ralph
Night Terror by. Vincent Ralph
An Arcane Inheritance by. Kamilah Cole
A Curse of Shadows and Ice by. Catharina Maura
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by. Elizabeth May
Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy #2) by. Callie Hart
Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare
All We Once Had by. Katy Upperman
Drive Me Crazy by. Lizzy Dent
We Have No Gods by. Liza Anderson
The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare
Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova
We’ve Hit Turbulence by. Jessica L. Cozzi
The Rebel and the Rose by. Catherine Doyle

**DNF – Vesselless by. Cortney L. Winn – wasn’t feeling in the mood for this one no matter how I tried. Maybe will come back to it again.

Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 18 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

Book Tags:

Birthstone Book Covers: November – Citrine | Topaz

Blog Tours:

Other:

How was your month?

Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Your Knife, My Heart (Dark Forces, #1)

Author: K.M. Moronova

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 11/11/25

Categories: Dark Romance

Dark. Deadly. Irresistible.

Cameron Mortem has a problem―he can’t stop killing his partners. Officially labeled clinically insane, he’s also one of the most lethal assets in the Dark Forces, a brutal underground military operation built on obedience, survival, and silence. But an experimental drug has fractured his control, making him a liability whenever someone else is on the field. As punishment, he’s thrown back into the Under Trials―a merciless boot camp designed to break the weak and sharpen the ruthless.

His one directive? Don’t kill the new girl.

Emery Maves narrowly escapes a death sentence after her own brutal crimes, only to find herself forced into the same violent world. Assigned to Cameron, she’s expected to survive the Trials and her partner’s unstable nature. But Emery quickly realizes there’s more to Cameron than bloodlust and body counts. Beneath the madness lies a terrifying allure―and a strange, dangerous tenderness.

As the Trials push them to their limits, Emery must navigate the brutal demands of the Dark Forces while resisting the pull of a man who could just as easily kill her as protect her. And Cameron must fight the one urge he’s never been able to overcome.

Their bond is intoxicating, chaotic, and born of violence. And if it doesn’t destroy them both, it might just save them.

Content Warning: violence, gore, bullying

+ Two things come to mind when I think about this book: violence and sex. Cameron “Mori”, is a part of the military special forces or dark forces as they call it – dark? Because they are ruthless killers, especially Mori. His problem? He can’t stop killing his partners. He is also the military’s test subject on all kinds of drugs. The one he is addicted to prevents him from feeling pain, but they have taken the drugs to the next level and now Cameron is wondering if the addiction to them will kill him. But he’s been given another chance, they paired him up with Emery and his objective? Not to kill her. Cameron is a walking red flag, with a British accent and, he’s hot.

+ Emery has a past of her own. Daughter of a powerful, wealthy man, she grew up being his trained assassin until she got caught and was supposed to go to jail. But she gets a second chance too – pass the deadly trials the dark forces have set up for recruits, not die at Cameron’s hands, and she will be part of his unit, Fury. I found Emery very interesting – she’s a reluctant killer, but when she did kill for her father she positioned the bodies in artistic ways in protest to her father. So, does she like killing? No. But she does it well, and she does it to survive.

+ The romance is insta-lust, due to the forced proximity put upon them. It’s very physical, definitely a release from the high stress they are all under in that facility, sometimes it was even happening after some violent scene. It’s very spicy. And basically Cameron is the red flag that Emery wants to help change. Her humanity, and caring for others (even though it’s a kill or be killed kind of environment), really opens Cameron’s eyes to the possibility that maybe someone could really care for him. It’s a lot of pushing and pulling on his part though, so it was normal that she get frustrated with that.

+ Most of the story is about training, Cameron and his downward spiral, and then the deadly trials. I think with how it ended, we’ll be getting to know more about Emery’s past in book two since now the two sides will intertwine.

~ Although I loved the chaos, and mayhem of Cameron and Emery’s relationship. I wanted a little more than the spice and more of an emotional connection but it was almost impossible since Cameron has a lot of attachment issues. I’m hoping this guy breaks open in book two, just to win Emery over.

~ Emery has a reputation but I thought it was interesting that in this group of killers she is one of the weakest of them all. She has a specialty for guns, but we don’t even get to see her using it. I guess it was for the purpose of her learning and growing, but I wanted her to at least shine using her strength. She kicked some ass, but Cameron was basically her shield most of the time.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick, binge-able read and I was highly entertained with Cameron’s crazy. I will definitely be reading book two after how things ended, I need to see what happens with Emery and how her past and family comes up to catch up with her!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane, #2)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 557

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Categories: High Fantasy, Romance

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

Content Warning: violence, death

I jumped right into book two after book one because I felt like if I waited again, I might forget the many characters.

+ There are a few things I wanted more in this book, that it be shorter and there would be romance. And it is shorter than book one, and there is more romance, but not the kind that made me feel any surer or okay about the romance.

+ The list of characters grows in this one. But everyone I feel like is pertinent to the story. There are a lot of twists and turns especially in the second half of this book. The first half we get to know Aron, the Exilarch, who is going to test Lin to see if she is the Goddess. I liked the advancement of Lin’s character and her connection with King Markus (Conor’s dad) and then there is an introduction of Elspeth who seems to be the villain in this complicated web of politics, secrets and betrayals.

+ I really liked Kel’s growth. Since book one he was already questioning his role as Sword Catcher and what it means when Conor no longer needs him. Their relationship is complicated and there are a few instances that I was just so upset with Conor. There is a lot of growth for Lin too who is trying to help her people and in the end gets punished for it. I can’t wait to see what happens with all of them in book three.

+~ There is romance and there is spice (yet still very mild) but this forbidden romance is killing me – at one point I was hoping Lin would just get over Conor and maybe something with Aron would grow but no – the yearning Conor has for Lin is heart-wrenching but he is a tortured man right now and he doesn’t know who to trust. I’m still hoping things can change for Lin and Conor but there was no happy romance in this sequel. Right now they are breaking my heart instead of giving me any giddy feelings. It’s not any better for Kel and Antonetta, but I think they have a better chance at love!

~ The twists and turns are all reliant on these different characters and how they play the game of royal politics. I really love it but also, it can be hard to keep up with what is going on. I feel like at times I needed a whiteboard to take notes with. A lot of the first half of this book is investigating the massacre that happened at the end of book one and protecting the Prince. It feels like nothing much happens until the second half of the book but I think it’s all important to the story even though it makes for slow reading.

~ Please just give me some happy romance moments in book three? 😅 Make them delusional for one another, I don’t care, but I feel like book three will be more heartbreak, yearning, wanting, and not having. 😩

~ I feel like Kel and Lin are the main characters, but I think we need more about Conor. He is very important to this story, it revolves around his life! Especially after that ending! We need more of him in book three. There is so much happening with his character! Also would love to learn more about the magic.

Final Thoughts:

Maybe I should have read this when book three comes out? And I don’t even know if it’s a trilogy or what but I am so hooked on the politics of this book because it has so much secrets, betrayals, twists and turns! The royal court life is ruthless and I’m loving it. I just hope Lin and Conor can be together at the end. It’s still somewhat a slow read but that ending has me needing the next book ASAP.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

City of Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Ashes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Glass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clockwork Angel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I didn’t rate the others on my Goodreads apparently.*

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sword Catcher by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Format: ebook (own) and audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 624

Publication Date: 10/10/23

Categories: High Fantasy

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Cassandra Clare book in YEARS. I still remember when City of Bones was released and I became a big fan and got other people around me to read the series. But I did eventually grow out of it when she started The infernal Devices so I stopped with The Mortal Instruments.

+ I have had this ebook since 2023 and really wanted to read it but never quite was in the mood to read high fantasy. Because I could tell from chapter one it was going to be a lot of world-building. So fast forward to 2025 and finally I got the bright idea to just borrow the audiobook and see if that would help me out and it did! I listened to 70% of it and then switched to the ebook because I was eager to know how it would end.

+ This story has heavy world-building and it is slow for that reason, but I think some of it is necessary because there is a lot of factions at play in this story. There is Kel’s story as the sword catcher/body double for Prince Conor. Kel’s had a good life being his double and even considers Conor a brother to him, I love that they have one another. But now Conor is set to marry and that makes Kel question his role a lot. Conor is a Prince but is more interested in having fun than doing his duties – but with tensions rising, he has to grow up. Then there is Lin, an Ashkari young woman who wants to be a physician so bad, but is not allowed to study. I love the secondary characters like Antonetta and Mariam as well.

+ It took me awhile – like 60% into this book when I realized this story was like the Maccabees and I only know that because my husband is Jewish and my kids go to temple for Sunday School and I’ve had to hear this story every year as we celebrate Hanukkah! I don’t know why it took so long for it to click for me but I did feel like the Ashkari were similar to Jews and now it all makes sense.

+ I really like the political intrigue going on in the story especially with the royals, the Ashkari, and the man in the middle of it all, The Ragpicker King.

+ If you are looking for romance in this book – this first book isn’t where it’s at. There is barely any romance in this one. The romance isn’t a huge factor until more towards the end of the book and I’m kind of glad it grew there because now it makes me eager to read book two. I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers/forbidden romance, and Lin being Ashkari and Conor being a Castellane Prince, definitely is in forbidden territory. There are sparks between them and very confusing feelings on both sides. There isn’t any spice in this story except where it comes to adult situations in a pleasure house setting, but nothing where the main characters are really involved in. And that’s not the only romance brewing, it’s hard to tell yet but Kel also has his eyes on someone, but it’s not an ideal situation.

+ I listened to most of the story and the narrators did such a good job it kept me invested in the story!

~ It’s a slow beginning because of the extensive world-building, with a big cast of characters and it took me until 30% into the audiobook to actually be invested and interested in the characters. So it’s definitely a book you cannot rush through, it’s one that is for slow reading and I’m sometimes too impatient for that so I’m glad the audiobook helped me get through the world-building. It’s a little over 600 pages and it could have been shorter.

~ I wanted more romance but I hope that happens in book two.

Final Thoughts:

So it took me 2 years and 30% into an audiobook to really get into this book but it happened and now I’m invested! 😅. A lot of this book is world building – it’s a big cast of characters, and it just takes some time to really get settled in and I can see how people would be bored with that. This is not a romantasy where things happen quick. It was one of my problems when I got the book 2 years ago but thank goodness for the audiobook. Once I got settled in the story I started to care about Kel, Conor, Lin, and Antonetta. I love the political intrigue and can’t wait to see what happens next in book two. I especially hope there is more romance for these characters!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

City of Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Ashes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

City of Glass ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clockwork Angel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I didn’t rate the others on my Goodreads apparently.*

Let’s Talk Bookish: Bookish Etiquette | 11/28/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

November 28: Bookish Etiquette (Laurie @ Laurie Is Reading)

Prompts: There’s always a lot of bookish discourse ongoing on social media. People talk about selling ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), tagging authors and publishers in reviews, only posting positive reviews— we’ve seen it all! Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not? What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers? Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?

**********

Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not?

I’ve definitely seen all the talk and discourse about certain reader behaviors and I do think there is something to bookish etiquette. I don’t get any physical ARCs, mostly ebooks, so I never thought people would think of selling it. But if they don’t want it on their shelf or they have no space for it – is it better to just donate? 🤷🏻‍♀️ As for tagging authors and publishers in reviews – I don’t even think to do it because I either forget or I’m just really lazy in making my posts 😅, I just do a hashtag of their book title. But I can see how it can be awful for an author getting bad reviews or something.

What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers?

I definitely don’t think physical arcs should be sold.
Tagging authors because you want them to know you hated their book? Nope – just maybe refrain from it and move on? lol
Only positive reviews? I’ve learned there are a LOT of “here for the vibes” readers out there and there is a 6 star review trend now. I can barely give out a 5 star, I don’t know how to even find a 6 star book. 😅. But that’s just me. I think it’s fine to read for the vibes, I wish I was that kind of reader and could give 5 stars easily but I’m not.

Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?

I stay away from the drama – because there is so much of it. I just want to read in peace. 😅

November Topics:

November 7: Reading Non-Fiction

~~Prompts~~: Happy Non-Fiction November! Do you read non-fiction? If you do read it, what do you love about it? What are your favourite categories to read about (i.e. true crime, historical, memoirs, self-help), and what are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do you have any tips for those who want to get into reading more non-fiction? If you don’t read non-fiction, what don’t you like about it? Do you think that will change (or has it already changed) over the years?

November 14: Are “Special Editions” still special?

~~Prompts:~~ With the amount of ‘special’, ‘limited’, or ‘collectors’ editions that have saturated the market (including special limited ARCs), do you still consider special editions to be special? Do you buy special editions? If so, what makes you want to buy one (i.e. sprayed edges, foiling, character art, etc.)? Give us the tea— what books do you think have too many special editions, and what books do you wish had more (or even one!) special editions?

November 21: End-of-Year Reading Goals?

Prompts: What books do you want to read before the end of the year? Are there any new releases you’re still looking forward to? What goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Have you changed or added to those goals?

November 28: Bookish Etiquette (Laurie @ Laurie Is Reading)

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 11/26/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow so Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate! I got asked to read some books from a few indie authors and since I have time in my schedule (done with my December arcs yay!), I’m going to give these a try. I might even be done with my January arcs soon! I did tell myself not to go overboard on NetGalley for 2026 so let’s see if I can stick to that goal.