Let’s Talk Bookish:  Authors Branching Out | 10/3/25

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:

October 3: Authors Branching Out (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

Prompts: How do you feel when an author you love does something new and not at all like their previous work? Do you still read all their books, or do you stop after a point? If they write in a new genre that you don’t read, do you read it for the author, or stop following every title the author releases (in the new genre)? What are some of your favourite books where the author veered away from their previous work quite drastically?

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How do you feel when an author you love does something new and not at all like their previous work? Do you still read all their books, or do you stop after a point?

I definitely get intrigued and try out their new books. I continue to read their books if I like their new stuff, if not then I stop.

If they write in a new genre that you don’t read, do you read it for the author, or stop following every title the author releases (in the new genre)?

I want to say I read it for the author but I will stop reading it if I’m not into it. But I at least give it a try.

What are some of your favourite books where the author veered away from their previous work quite drastically?

I can’t say these books are drastic changes from the genres they’ve written in but it’s the only ones I can think of right now. 😅

I just listened to Marie Lu’s adult fiction debut, Red City and loved it!! It’s definitely a departure from her YA stuff, it’s more violent and bloody but I really enjoyed it.

I read almost all of Sarah MacLean’s historical romance books so when she ventured into contemporary romance, I was definitely going to read it since I already know I loved her writing and it did not disappoint!

I read Julie Soto’s romance novel Forget Me Not and loved it. Then another romance came out last year, Not Another Love Song and loved that as well. Then she did something different this year. She put out The Thrashers which is a young adult thriller – loved it. And then she put out Rose in Chains, a dark romance and I loved that too! She’s been putting in the writing work and I’m loving her dip into different genres so far!

I read Lynette Noni’s The Prison Healer series a few years ago and loved it. It’s young adult fantasy and when I saw her name on a ya contemporary romance, Wandering Wild, I thought to give it a try and I enjoyed it a lot! I’m looking forward to see what she does next.

October Topics:

October 3: Authors Branching Out (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

Prompts: How do you feel when an author you love does something new and not at all like their previous work? Do you still read all their books, or do you stop after a point? If they write in a new genre that you don’t read, do you read it for the author, or stop following every title the author releases (in the new genre)? What are some of your favourite books where the author veered away from their previous work quite drastically?


October 10: TBR Roulette

Prompts: What makes you keep a book on your TBR? Find a random number generator, put in the number of books on your TBR and roll 5 times! Note down the book each number corresponds to on your list (or just pick 5 books at random off your TBR) and tell us: what made you add the book to your shelf—was it a cover add? Does it have your favourite tropes? How long has it been on your TBR? If it has been on your TBR for a long time, do you still want to read it or have you lost interest?


October 17: Oh, the Horror (Snapdragon @ Snapdragon Alcove)

Prompts: Do you read horror? What do you think of when you hear the word horror? Are there any books you read that are not practically horror but have some horror element in them?


October 24: Recapping Anticipated Reads

Prompts: With two months left in the year following October, let’s recap your anticipated releases so far. How have you fared with your most anticipated releases in 2025—have they mostly met with your expectations or have you been let down? Were you surprised by 2025 releases you weren’t anticipating but ended up being more enjoyable than expected? Are there any 2025 releases you’re still waiting on? If you like, share your top 2025 releases so far!


October 31: Halloween Freebie! 👻

Prompts: Happy Halloween, folks! 🎃 To celebrate the spooky fest, we’re making today a Halloween freebie! You can check out our blogs for inspiration (Aria and Dinior write about something else you’re interested in!


Eldritch by. Keri Lake | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Eldritch (The Eating Woods, #2)

Author: Keri Lake

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 766

Publication Date: 9/9/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy, Horror


In the grimly captivating sequel to Anathema, Maevyth and Zevander must navigate the perilous mortal lands to deliver Zevander from the clutches of an ancient, malevolent power that threatens to shatter both worlds.
An eldritch magic has awakened, turning the mortal world darker. Colder. Famished. With flesh-eating monsters and a sinister curse spreading like a plague, the last glimmer of humanity in Foxglove Parish has long-since faded.

For Maevyth and Zevander, the only chance of escape is through The Eating Woods. But fate has woven a new web, tangling the threads of destiny, and crossing the mystical boundary to Aethyria might not be so simple.

As the bones of Maevyth’s past are unearthed, and truths unravel with unsettling clarity, the possibility of never leaving Mortasia is becoming more of a reality. Unfortunately for Zevander, time is running out. The longer he stays in the mortal lands, deprived of essential vivicantem, the more he succumbs to the encroaching specter of madness.

Or maybe those chasing shadows are someone hunting him. A wretched evil closing in, threatening to pull him into the darkest corners of his mind.

Only, this time, Maevyth may not have the power to save him.

Eldritch is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the second book in The Eating Woods trilogy. Perfect for readers who enjoy a character-driven and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.


Content Warning: violence, physical-emotional-sexual abuse, slavery, torture, death, trauma

+ Anathema was the first book I read from this author and I gave it a 3.5 rating because as much as I loved the slow burn romance, it was too long of a book and a little too dark for me. I wanted to read this sequel though because I am invested in Maevyth and Zevander’s beautiful and tragic romance.

+ The atmosphere in Eldritch is continued from Anathema. It’s dark, it’s mysterious and filled with worshipping Gods, people in fear of magic and witches, a portal to a different world, scary creatures and the spiders! Ugh, the spiders are something. The story is told in two timelines, past and present and focuses mostly on Zevander’s past. There is also a different place he goes to, Caligorya – a place in his mind that he can go to escape the torture and abuses happening to him under General Loyce.

+ This is Zevander’s story and though we get hints of what happened to him while reading Anathema – in Eldritch, we see his past in full light and the torture he’s been put through by General Loyce. It’s heavy and dark and at times, my heart just broke for him. All this history fleshes him out more as a character and we get to see him in all his complicated, broken self.

+ Maevyth grows as a character in Eldritch. She is still compassionate but this time she needs to learn to fight because people she love are in grave danger. We get to see her love for her family very strongly in this one. And when it comes to Zevander, she is beautifully patient and kind to him.

+ My favorite thing about this whole story is the romance and it’s why I read Eldritch. Their love is so beautiful even though they are both broke, Zevander being the most broken of the two of them. But Maevyth is steadfast, strong and the perfect partner for him.

+ I liked the second half when there are more characters added to Maevyth and Zevander’s group – there was actually humor from Aleysia and I appreciated that a lot!

~ This book is 766 pages long. It is too long again, longer even than the first book. I love Kazhimyr and his side quest but I think having his POV chapters were unnecessary unless he plays a big part in book three. I found myself skimming some of his chapters because I wanted to get back to Zevander and Maevyth.

~ The story only really moves forward in the last part of the book, so most of the book is Zevander’s history. And the slow burn love story was beautiful but I did wish they kind of got right to working things out between them in the beginning. It takes a few chapters for them to address their sexual relationship and I know it’s because Zevander respected her wishes, but Aleysia was knocked out and healing so I think there was time for them there to move things along in their relationship.

~ There is another cliffhanger in this story.

Final Thoughts:

I think this is a solid sequel to Anathem with all the same dark elements, if not more. I was mostly in it for the romance between Zevander and Maevyth and that didn’t disappoint. I do think the book is too long with most of the story moving quicker in the second half. This sequel is mostly about getting to know Zevander and I think the story did the job. I’d like to read book three but also hope it’s not a long book again.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Anathema by. Keri Lake | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Monthly Wrap Up | September 2025

September was long and I was busy! I was also working on arcs because I had so many for September. I can’t believe we are in the last three months of the year, let’s just get through it, yeah?

I read 25 books and posted 23 book reviews in September.

Books I Read – 25 books:

  1. The Austen Affair by. Madeline Bell
  2. Hekate: The Witch by. Nikita Gill
  3. Fevered Star by. Rebecca Roanhorse (audiobook)
  4. Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang
  5. You Make it Feel Like Christmas by. Sophie Sullivan
  6. Thief of Night by. Holly Black
  7. We Who Will Die by. Stacia Clark
  8. And the River Drags Her Down by. Jihyun Yun
  9. Starchaser by. R.M. Gray
  10. Great Big Beautiful Life by. Emily Henry (audiobook)
  11. Moth Dark by. Kika Hatzpoulou
  12. Heartsick by. Kristina Forest
  13. The Scammer by. Tiffany D. Jackson
  14. Yours for the Season by. Emily Stone
  15. My Favorite Holidate by. Lauren Blakely
  16. The Crimson Throne by. Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
  17. Bitten by. Jordan Stephanie Gray (audiobook)
  18. To Cage a Wild Bird by. Brooke Fast
  19. Spellcaster by. Jaymin Eve (audiobook)
  20. With Thoughts of Jason by. Caleb A. Mertz
  21. Traitor Wolf by. Leia Stone
  22. Red City by. Marie Lu
  23. I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang
  24. Eldritch by. Keri Lake
  25. For No Mortal Creature by. Keshe Chow

Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 23 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: September – Sapphire

Blog Tours:

BLOG TOUR} The Dating Prohibition by. Taj McCoy | Book Excerpt

Other:

How was your month?

Yours For the Season by. Emily Stone | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Yours For the Season

Author: Emily Stone

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Publisher: Dell

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

Could a fake relationship with your ex over Christmas in Scotland be the perfect opportunity for revenge—or a second chance at love? One woman is about to find out in this charming holiday romance from the author of Always, in December and A Winter Wish.

Melanie has not had a good year. Things are definitely not going as planned in her work life, her best friend has moved to the other side of the world, and her favorite bagel shop is closing down. But the real reason this year has been awful is because Finn, the man who she was sure was the love of her life, dumped her. In front of everyone. At his sister’s engagement party.

So when Finn shows up at her doorstep two weeks before Christmas asking if she’ll help him, her first instinct is to slam the door in his face—or punch him. But he has a proposal for her.

Finn wants Melanie to spend the week of Christmas with him. He has to face the holiday at a vacation cottage in the Scottish Highlands with his two perfect siblings who are happily paired off with their perfect partners. His mother is obsessed with the idea of a perfect Christmas—and to try and help, Finn may have told his mother he and Mel are dating again. All she has to do is come with him and pretend they’re back together.

Melanie may hate Finn, but she loves his mom. And with her own parents on a trip, it looks like the only way to spend the holiday with someone she cares about is to suffer through being around the person she despises most.

So Melanie agrees—on one condition. At the end of the week, Finn will allow Mel to publicly dump him—in front of his family—so she can get her dignity back and he can experience the same humiliation she felt.

As they embark on seven days with Finn’s family, Mel tells herself it’s only a week. She just has to pretend to still be in love with him. Until she starts to lose track of which feelings are fake, and which are for real…

Content Warning: illness

+ A holiday romance set in the Scotland Highlands? Sounds like amazing Christmas season vibes. And this story has it in abundance.

+ Mel and Finn have been broken up for 6 months but he shows up out of the blue asking her if she could pretend to fake date him and attend his family’s Christmas trip with him. She agrees if she can enact a revenge breakup on him in front of his family. The story is told with flashbacks to when Mel and Finn were together and leading up to their first breakup.

+ The romance is a second chance romance and I think it’s obvious that being in forced proximity with one another would revive old memories and feelings. They get to work out the challenges that came between them the first time: Finn thinking he will be like his dad, and Mel trying to please everyone and not knowing if she can come through for everyone.

+ I enjoyed the family vibes along with the Christmas ones.

~ The beginning felt a little slow, maybe because of the flashbacks but it eventually picks up in the second half.

Final Thoughts:

If you like second chance romance and a Christmas story set in Scotland, you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Winter Wish by. Emily Stone | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 10/1/25

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?

Last week was so busy but finally I got some down time during the weekend and managed to finish Eldritch by Keri Lake, which is 766 pages. 😅 I was reading it while sorta watching football (the sound was off).

What are you currently reading?

Immortal Consequences by. I.V. Marie – chapter 3

Julia Song is Undateable by. Susan Lee – audiobook – 2%

Blackthorn by. J.T. Geissinger – 9%

The Possession of Alba Díaz by. Isabel Cañas – 1%


What have you just finished reading?

Eldritch by. Keri Lake ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Traitor Wolf by. Leia Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Scammer by. Tiffany D. Jackson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red City by. Marie Lu (audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

For No Mortal Creature by. Keshe Chow ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫


What are you going to read next?

Mirrored Heaves by. Rebecca Roanhorse

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan

The House Saphir by. Marissa Meyer

Fallen City by. Adrienne Young

Burning Daylight by. Emily McIntire

What are YOU reading right now?

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: I Hope This Doesn’t Find You

Author: Ann Liang

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 2/6/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance


Snarky and romantic, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a “pleasure to have in class.” It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She’d never send them of course — she’d rather die than hurt anyone’s feelings — but it’s a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie’s work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. “You’re attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you’ve been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft…”

Sadie doesn’t have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them… that is, until they’re accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It’s her worst nightmare — now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they’re not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there’s one person growing to appreciate the “real” Sadie — Julius, the only boy she’s sworn to hate…


Content Warning:

+ I finally got to borrow this book and why did it only take me less than 3 hours to read this? I loved it!

+ Sadie and Julius are co-captains of their student body at school but they don’t like one another. Sadie loathes Julius and he just seem to be egging her on. Their competition is on another level! And when Sadie vents she writes an email that she doesn’t send – until one day at school, those emails get sent. More than half of them go to Julius and now Sadie is trying to fix everything since people seem to hate her.

+ Sadie is the typical Asian daughter who is always programmed to please others – she has the best grades, she helps her mom at the store, she will do anything to stay on top and be successful. Julius has his own issues at home, he’s competing with his older brother who is successful and was always the top of his class. It’s what makes the competition between Sadie and Julius so intense but I thought there were so many funny moments in this story! I loved the classmates, Sadie’s best-friend, and the class trip shenanigans.

+ This rivals to lovers romance is so good because of the competition between Sadie and Julius. I love the snark, the funny moments, the arguments, all of it! They hate each other so much it comes full circle and they both realize they actually like one another. I loved seeing them fall for one another, it’s a young adult romance, so there’s drama and angst, but I loved it. I was rooting for them hard!

~ The ending is a little abrupt – would have loved to see more of Sadie and Julius together as a couple in love!

Final Thoughts:

I loved this one and read it so fast because it was fun! I adored Sadie and Julius, two high achieving kids in competition with one another and both obsessed with each other by the end of the story. Will definitely be reading the novella, I Hope This Finds You.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 9/30/25

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:

Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes

  • Kingdom of Tomorrow by. Gena Showalter
  • Before I Let Go by. Kennedy Ryan
  • You’ve Found Oliver by. Dustin Thao
  • The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by. Megan Bannen
  • Fall I Want by. Lyra Parish
  • The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by. Laurie Gilmore
  • Can’t Help Falling in Love by. Sophie Sullivan
  • The Seven Year Slip by. Ashley Poston
  • If It Makes You Happy by. Julie Olivia

Fall Into You by. Caroline Frank

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok | Etsy | youtube


Top Ten Tuesday Topics:

July 1: Freebie/Throwback (Come up with a topic you’d like to do or go back and do an old topic you missed or just want to do again!)
July 8: Books I’d Like to Re-read (Share either your favorite books that you enjoy re-reading or books that you’d like to read again!) (Submitted by Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog)

July 15: Books with Honorifics in the Title (“…an honorific is a form of address conveying esteem, courtesy or respect. These can be titles prefixing a person’s name, e.g.: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Mx., Sir, Dame, Dr., Cllr, Lady, or Lord, or other titles or positions that can appear as a form of address without the person’s name, as in Mr. President, General, Captain, Father, Doctor, or Earl.” For more info, click here.) (Submitted by Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog)
July 22: Books Set in/Take Place During X (Pick a place, time, era, etc. Examples: Books set in Europe/Italy/Australia/Chicago, books set in Regency England, books that take place during the 1900s, books set in imaginary worlds/post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds, books set on the ocean, books set it castles, books that take place during WW2, etc.)
July 29: Beach/Beachy Reads (Share books you’d take to the beach OR books that take place at the beach.)
August 5: Genre freebie (Pick any genre you’d like and build a list around it. You can even narrow the topic if you’d like, such as: thrillers with unreliable narrators, fantasy romance with fae characters, or historical romance with suspense elements.)
August 12: Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump (Which books would you recommend to someone (it’s me, I’m someone) dealing with the dreaded book slump? No book is grabbing their attention or making them excited to sit down and read and they are suffering for it.)
August 19: Books with a High Page Count (Share those doorstop books!)
August 26: Non-bookish Freebie (The sky is the limit here. Make a top ten list on any topic of your choosing, bookish or not!)
September 2: Books With Occupations in the Title (Submitted by Hopewell’s Public Library of Life)
September 9: Villains (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.)
September 16: Literary/Bookish Candles I’d Make (Pick a book and assign it a fragrance or fragrance combo that would make a nice candle.) (Submitted by Heather @ The Frozen Library)
September 23: Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List
September 30: Book Covers that Give off Fall Vibes (Or, if you’re not a cover person, share the books in general that feel like Fall.)

New Book Releases This Week | 9/30/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic

A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?


Burning Daylight by. Emily McIntire

Juliette Calloway lives in a world of luxury, legacies, and lies. The daughter of Rosebrook Falls’ most powerful family, her life is a carefully crafted performance, and she’s tired of being polished to perfection.

Roman Montgomery doesn’t exist. Not officially, anyway. He’s a shadow, a hidden weapon, the secret heir to an empire soaked in danger and a generations-old feud.

When their paths cross, sparks fly.
No names.
No pasts.

Just reckless smiles and an undeniable chemistry neither of them can shake.

Roman is charming. Mysterious. Infuriatingly flirty.

And Juliette? She’s simply…his.

When Roman is called back to claim his place as heir to the Montgomery empire, the truth crashes down: Their families are sworn enemies, and Roman’s very existence is a threat. Their love isn’t just forbidden, it’s impossible.

Now, every kiss feels like a betrayal. Every stolen moment a risk. And in a town built on secrets and blood, their passion might just be the most dangerous thing of all.


You’ve Found Oliver by. Dustin Thao

I’ve missed you every day since you left. But I’m sure you already knew that. It’s time to let you go now. I’ll miss you all the time, Sam.

It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches.

Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up.

The voice on the other end isn’t Sam—Sam’s number was reassigned and a stranger has been reading Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages for months. But Ben, an astronomy student in Seattle, won’t remain a stranger for long.

When they finally meet in person, their spark is undeniable. Everything seems perfect until Oliver discovers something strange that could keep them from being together.


Every Spiral of Fate by. Tahereh Mafi

At long last, the wedding day has arrived.

The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony—but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him.

Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side. 

The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic—and outrun the enemies trying to stop her.

Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . .

Nothing, and no one, will be the same.


Charlie Quinn Lets Go by. Jamie Varon

Charlie Quinn has spent her life playing by the rules. But when, on her thirtieth birthday, she is laid off, her boyfriend leaves her because their life is too “predictable” and she spends the night with violent food poisoning, she hits rock bottom at a stunning velocity, and her carefully constructed world unravels.

She has no choice but to return to her childhood home in LA, where her little sister strikes up an Can control freak Charlie go a whole month saying yes to anything her free-spirited sister requests? Charlie agrees, if only to prove that living by one’s whims will result in nothing but disaster and disappointment.

But when a serendipitous encounter with her high school crush leads to a month of steamy no-strings romance, Charlie starts questioning her monotonous existence. Can she learn to loosen her grip, to let go of past heartbreak, to finally say yes to a messy, bold and exciting life?


Bitten by. Jordan Stephanie Gray

Crescent City meets Fourth Wing in this fast-paced and romantic debut, in which a teenage girl must survive ruthless werewolves, a glittering court, and deadly politics to exact revenge on the monsters who destroyed her.

After a vicious werewolf attack on the night of her seventeenth birthday party, Vanessa Hart loses everything she loves in a split second. Her best friend, her father, and even her home.

Bitten and imprisoned without explanation, Vanessa endures an agonizing transformation into the very beast that maimed her, and her captors make it clear she cannot escape: she will either swear her life to the Wolf Queen’s Court, or she will die.

With no other choice, Vanessa joins their enchanted Castle Severi—where flowering vines grow through the walls, gifts are bestowed by the stars, and a claw can break through skin as easily as silk—but she hasn’t forgotten what they stole from her.

Vanessa still seeks vengeance, scheming in the shadows even as she finds herself mesmerized by the golden prince Sinclair Severi, who threatens to steal her heart though he is promised to her nemesis. And by his brooding, disgraced cousin, Calix, whose smoldering gaze hides even darker secrets. Immersed in the magic of their whimsical yet cruel society, Vanessa soon learns not all is as it seems.

The Court is at war, and she may simply be a pawn in its lethal game.


Holly by. Adalyn Grace

A mysterious and magical holiday novella set in the romantic, Gothic-infused world of Belladonna, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace.

Something strange is happening at Wisteria Gardens, the manor that Blythe and Aris call home. All they want is a peaceful holiday season with their family, but a group of restless spirits is determined to threaten their festivities. With a new mystery to solve, Signa, Death, Blythe, and Fate must uncover what happened to Wisteria’s ghostly inhabitants and help the spirits move on…before it’s too late.


The Sleepless by. Jen Williams


Welcome to a world where gods and monsters roam the earth . . .

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous monster forest. Saved from the brink of death by a god, her skin will poison anyone she touches.

Artair is on a mission—one that takes him face-to-face with Elver at her most ruthless. But her defenses are useless when she discovers he’s the only human impervious to her deadly gift. For Artair isn’t human: he’s one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit.

Lucian inhabits their body while Artair sleeps, and he is hell-bent on manipulating Elver for his dark purposes. But Elver is harbouring secrets too, and she has her own reasons for feigning an alliance with these two souls.

Caught in the crossfire of gods, monsters, and a dangerous magic they can barely understand, it is only a matter of time before the paths the three of them choose to take will set alight the very foundations of their world.

With a love triangle like you’ve never seen it, incredible world-building, brilliant writing, and a dangerous quest, The Sleepless will have you spellbound.


Fake Skating by. Lynn Painter

Childhood sweethearts reunite in a hockey-loving town where romance is about to heat up the ice. Icebreaker meets  Better Than the Movies.

From play dates on the playground to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable as kids. Until Dani moved away. Years later, Dani is back in Minnesota, and exited to reconnect with the nerdy and comforting Alec. But teenage Alec is NOTHING like the boy she remembers. He’s the hockey STAR in a town where hockey players are worshipped as gods – and he loves it. 

When one thing leads to another and Dani and Alec find themselves thrown together and playing the role of boyfriend and girlfriend, “complicated” becomes an understatement. In this Minnesota town, hockey may rule, but romance is about to take its place.


Make Me A Monster by. Kalynn Bayron

New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is back with a Frankenstein-tinged horror romance.

Meka is used to death. After all, it’s the family business.

As a newly certified mortician’s assistant at her parents’ funeral home, her days are not for the faint of heart. Luckily her boyfriend Noah isn’t squeamish, and Meka is finally feeling ready to say the three little words that will change everything.

But then tragedy strikes, and Meka’s world is torn apart. Nothing makes sense, especially the strange things start happening. Ravens are circling her home. Strangers are following her. Someone is leaving mysterious items at her door. And worst of all . . .

The dead don’t seem to be staying dead.

Meka thought she understood death better than anyone. Turns out, the family business is a bit more complicated than it seems. And Meka isn’t the only one desperate to unearth their secrets . . . because the truth may be worth dying for.


Witch of the Wolves by. Kaylee Archer

When a powerful witch discovers she’s the daughter of an Alpha werewolf and is taken by his Pack, she’s determined to break free all the while denying her attraction to her abductor. Witch of the Wolves is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She’s been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt’s apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals.

Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she’s a lycan–sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She’s brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline.

She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can’t rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father’s power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn’t set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Witch of the Wolves is the first book in this Victorian romantasy series, featuring an intense and sexy romance and a world on the brink of change.


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Bitten by. Jordan Stephanie Gray | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Bitten (#1)

Author: Jordan Stephanie Gray

Narrator(s): Avery Caris, Katharine Chin, Matt Mercurio, Chase Brown, Marni Penning, Jordan Stephanie Gray

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/30/25

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult/New Adult, Romance, Werewolves

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

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

After a vicious werewolf attack on the night of her seventeenth birthday party, Vanessa Hart loses everything she loves in a split second. Her best friend, her father, and even her home.

Bitten and imprisoned without explanation, Vanessa endures an agonizing transformation into the very beast that maimed her, and her captors make it clear she cannot escape: she will either swear her life to the Wolf Queen’s Court, or she will die.

With no other choice, Vanessa joins their enchanted Castle Severi—where flowering vines grow through the walls, gifts are bestowed by the stars, and a claw can break through skin as easily as silk—but she hasn’t forgotten what they stole from her.

Vanessa still seeks vengeance, scheming in the shadows even as she finds herself mesmerized by the golden prince Sinclair Severi, who threatens to steal her heart though he is promised to her nemesis. And by his brooding, disgraced cousin, Calix, whose smoldering gaze hides even darker secrets. Immersed in the magic of their whimsical yet cruel society, Vanessa soon learns not all is as it seems.

The Court is at war, and she may simply be a pawn in its lethal game.

Content Warning: violence, injuries, death

+ I love that this audiobook had multiple narrators. They did a great job bringing this story to life!

+ I really loved Vanessa when she was a human. She had her best friend Celeste, who was fun and sweet! I loved her actually, and wish we had more of her. Her being bitten really changes her into a character full of rage and at times I was losing patience with her. In her werewolf world, I loved Una (not sure of spelling), her only real friend because Vanessa doesn’t even think of making any friends.

+ The world-building in this story about this world of werewolves is really good. There is werewolf court politics, and rules that Vanessa have to learn. She goes through instruction in school and learn combat too but she’s not exactly the top of her class. There is also a murder mystery and a few twists.

+ The romance is nothing new. Vanessa desires the werewolf prince, Sin. But she also feels something about his cousin, Calix. It’s sort of a love triangle. The enemies to lovers is more in lined with Calix, whereas a forbidden romance is lined up with Sin.

~ This has so much potential but I did not like the main character Vanessa. I get that she is in shock, and she’s angry and grieving but it becomes so repetitive. She never learns and she’s naive. It was so frustrating. She’s full of rage, which is fine, I love that she wants to fight for her humanity, she wants to find her best friend’s killer. But because of all her rage, she doesn’t get far in her murder mystery investigation and goals because she’s so focused on killing everyone without any power.

~ I didn’t feel the romance between Vanessa and Sin. It starts off as desire, but he ignores her a lot because of his reputation and I didn’t like that. I felt like he could’ve treated her better. But they fall for each other, and I didn’t believe it because Vanessa was easily physically attracted to Calix when she was around him. I actually like that Calix called her out on a lot of things though.

~ This is marketed as young adult, Vanessa turns 17 in the beginning of the book. But there are a few spicy scenes. So if that is a problem for you as a reader, just beware. It’s why I say it’s a young adult/new adult book. Also the characters do curse. I do wish the characters were aged up at least to 18.

Final Thoughts:

The narrators for this audiobook were really good! But all I could think of throughout this whole story is that Vanessa is not made for this werewolf world. She’s not made for the violence and lifestyle and I’m hoping something about that changes in book two. I get that she’s dealing with grief and she’s only seventeen. But her anger was blinding and it made her miss important things happening around her. I hope she gets it together in the next book. Overall, I did enjoy the world-building and politics though, this world is ruthless and violent, and the ending had a big twist. Romantasy and Twilight lovers, will devour this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Traitor Wolf by. Leia Stone | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Traitor Wolf (Bonded by Fate Duet, #1)

Author: Leia Stone

Format: ebook (borrowed, KU)

Pages: 408

Publication Date: 9/19/25

Categories: Young Adult, Romantasy, Werewolves


The weapon that hasn’t chosen anyone in a thousand years has chosen me, a Dreg-born girl with no magic.

Forged by the Creator and feared across the realm, the King Killer was never meant for someone like me. But the moment I touch it, the wolves come running, snarling, fighting, and bleeding to claim me.

Only one survives.

A wolf with a traitor’s mark burned into his skin.

And now we’re bonded.

Last night, I was digging through trash in the Elite district when a dying highborn collapsed at my feet. With his final breath, he pressed his trial mark into my chest and gave me his place in a deadly competition I was never meant to enter.

If I win, my entire bloodline, all forty of us, gets magic. The Dregs will rise overnight and the Elites will never forgive it.

My bonded wolf says he doesn’t care about me, that he only wants my blade. But he guards me like I matter, trains me like I have a chance and when they try to kill me, he tears them down like I belong to him.

I didn’t ask for this, but I’m not backing down. Not even for the wolf who could break my heart.


Content Warning: violence, death

+ I haven’t read a Leia Stone book in awhile but I loved the book cover of Traitor Wolf (something about that pink color!) and saw someone give a good review of this on TikTok so I wanted to try it out.

+ In this world of Elites versus Dregs, Brynn is a Dreg, she’s poor and magicless. But one night looking for food for her starving family, turns her life around. An Elite Heir gives her an invitation to the Arcane Trials – the winner gets magic for themselves and all their bloodline. This could help turn their lives around, but a Dreg has never been in the trials, and no one wants her there. As a competitor in the trials she has to bond with a wolfkin (a werewolf), who will protect her, and she bonds with Kaelric.

+ This is a fast moving story with the usual tropes found in a romantasy novel. There is secret identity, magic, magic trials, a sword that speaks into Brynn’s head, fated mates, the rich versus the poor, and a little romance.

+~ I think the romance grew too fast. One moment Brynn is very annoyed with Kaelric, but he’s handsome and helps her out with the trials and her family, so she falls in love with him. It’s also convenient that they are mates, but I just felt like all of it happened too easy. So I actually liked the ending, because there is conflict between them and I actually liked that this one isn’t spicy. Maybe in the next book? Not sure.

~ The world-building is sparse, so it makes it an easy read, but I wanted just a little more. But that’s just me – for anyone who doesn’t like heavy world-building, you will like this one.

~ The trials went by fast and felt a little weak. No one wants her there but there wasn’t really a villain, and I don’t count Corvessa because she was barely in the book. Yes, she wanted to take Brynn out but we know basically nothing about this villain. Even Cassian, who is Brynn’s sponsor, we know a little about him but everything felt a bit surface level.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an easy read. I’d say it’s light fantasy, very surface level and the type of book you can binge in one sitting. I’ll definitely be reading book two to see some character growth and also to see where the story goes.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

House of War and Bone by. Leia Stone | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dark Bond by. Leia Stone | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Bite (Vampire Hunter Society, #1) by. Leia Scott | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️