Deja Brew by. Celestine Martin | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Deja Brew (Elemental Love, #3)

Author: Celestine Martin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 356

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: Forever

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Cozy, Paranomal Romance, Witches

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

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

In this spellbinding rom-com about a wish gone wrong, two opposites might just get a second chance at love, perfect for fans of New York Times bestsellers Payback’s a Witch and The Ex Hex.

Ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway has had the wackiest October ever. Her cooking powers are on the fritz, she failed to land a career-saving job, and she embarrassed herself at the town’s Halloween party. Just before midnight, she makes a desperate wish for a second chance to fix her life. The next morning Sirena wakes up and realizes that she’s repeating the entire pumpkin spice-flavored month. Even sweeter, she runs into Gus Dearworth, whose magic leaves her spellbound.

A former reality star, Gus moved to Freya Grove to rebuild his reputation and heal his broken heart, but his restless magic is tempting him to return to the spotlight. And his secret crush on Sirena is making him want to try something dangerous like fall in love again. When Sirena realizes he can help her fix her powers, Gus makes her a deal. If she’ll help decipher a mysterious cookbook in his collection, he’ll help get her magical groove back.

Every encounter offers a new adventure—from tasting menus, harvest mazes, and a growing attraction that’s taking on an irresistible enchantment of its own. But as the month winds down and the wish grows stronger, Sirena and Gus have a decision to make. Will their second chance be their happy-ever-after ending or a bittersweet memory?

Let me begin by saying I did not read the two other books in this series but I loved the cover so much and I wanted to read a Fall romance book. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ This is such a cute Fall romance book! Look at the cover and it totally represents everything about the story. It’s cozy, it has witches, a magician, food, romance, magic and pumpkins! I also like the feel of community in this book.

+ The romance is sweet. Gus and Sirena are friends first and then grow steadily into lovers. It’s a slow burn but I thought their relationship was really cute because he’s a nice guy and she’s a sweet lady and there wasn’t any huge problems between them. The spice is mild but I think it goes well with how the story is told.

+ This can be read as a standalone but it made me curious about the first two books.

Dislikes:

+ I think the romance was cute but I didn’t feel very connected to the characters.

Final Thoughts:

This story is full of FALL vibes and I think it’s definitely something you should add to your reading list if you are looking for something witchy, magical and cozy.

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

First Lines Fridays – Can You Guess What Book? | 9/20/24

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

“On the morning of her impending death, Life lounged beneath a wisteria tree.”

⬇️

⬇️

Can you guess what book it is?

Did you guess it? Have you read this one?

📖 ~ Yolanda

The House at Watch Hill by. Karen Marie Moning | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The House at Watch Hill (Watch Hill Trilogy, #1)

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: William Morrow

Categories: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Series, Gothic

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

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

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets…

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.

Content Warning: death, violence, death of parent, illness

I was obsessed with Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series so I was very curious to see what this new series would be about. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

I really enjoyed the world building especially because it’s centered around a town and a monstrosity of a house. There is a lot of mystery about the town and the house itself. It’s dark and fits the vibe of something bad coming. I like the paranormal themes of the story and we have witches and vampires and who knows what else as the series continues. I usually find mysteries slow but I was mostly engrossed in this one.
Zo is a fighter. Her mom just died and it’s turned her world upside down. She’s now supposedly the heir to a fortune, but that’s not all. There are conditions of her inheritance and she finds out there’s is more to the town than what is presented. We learn a lot about her upbringing by her stories of struggle and I don’t necessarily feel like I know a lot about her to like her, but I admire her strength in taking care of her mom. She’s a woman who has learned not to make connections with people, because she never had a chance to do so.
There are a a lot players in this story and I can’t say I have a good grasp on any of them yet. But many of them are intriguing. Este, seems like Zo’s only friend. The rest of the cast is untrustworthy at this point of the story.

Dislikes:

Nothing much happens in this book except it’s building the story for whatever is coming. I didn’t mind that so much until the second half of the book when I wanted Zo to stop wallowing in her thoughts so much. But there are conditions to her will and she has a lot of waiting to do – that makes us wait as an audience too. When Zo sleeps with men, we don’t get any real details, it’s more telling than showing and I hope that changes in book two.
I thought with how the beginning was written that the house was sentient and it would have been cool if it was! But it’s not (at least so far), it’s got weird energy though, that’s for sure, and I have to say there is a lot of detail about the house which I thought was nice. I love the darkness of the atmosphere but yeah, a sentient house would have been very interesting.

My Thoughts:

This book has the best vibes for fall reading and that’s actually what kept me reading. It’s dark, mysterious, and there are plenty of secrets and also so many sexy men. But I feel like not much happened in this book except for laying the groundwork for what’s to come. I feel like Zo is strong which is admirable but she was also about to hurt the one person she has on her side. So clearly she needs help and control and it will be interesting to see who she can actually trust going forward. So I’ll be waiting for book two and hope we get so much more out of this story because it has so much potential to be amazing. I have lots of questions so I hope we get answers in the next book.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Darkfever (Fever, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bloodfever (Fever, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Faefever (Fever, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dreamfever (Fever, #4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadowfever (Fever, #5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Iced (Fever, #6) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Burned (Fever, #7) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feverborn (Fever, #8) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Feversong (Fever, #9) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

High Voltage (Fever, #10) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Immortal Highlander (Highlander, #6) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**I’m pretty sure I read the whole Highlander series but it was at a time I was not consistently using Goodreads to rate the books so that’s all the info I have on the books I did rate on the site.**

WWW Wednesday | 9/18/24

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?

We are in MID-SEPTEMBER. Ugh…I am tired, but we are near Fall break so that’s something to look forward to and it’s not like we are going on vacation but sleeping in is like a vacation. 🤔 lol…so as if I’m not tired enough I was looking for something creative to do – I haven’t done resin art in awhile and my Etsy shop is pretty slow and something I might close since I haven’t posted new things there and I randomly came across reading journal videos on youtube. And so yeah…I found an extra composition notebook in my kids school supplies box and started one even though it’s almost the end of 2024 🤷🏻‍♀️. I’ll do a separate post about it and add pics.

What are you currently reading?

Stranger Skies by. Pascale LaCelle – 1% – still no progress because I’m reading other things but I will be getting to this one very soon!

Zodiac Rising by. Katie Zhao – 60% – lots more progress and I should be done this week!

The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen – 9%

Worst in Show by. Anna E. Collins – 2% – because I always need something light to read lately along with my darker reads lol

What have you just finished reading?

The Fate of Magic (#2) by. Sara Raasch and Beth Revis – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s Not Me, It’s You by. Alex Light – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Storm of Ink and Blood (The Nightfire Quartet, #3) by. Nisha J. Tuli – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Books That Take Place In A School | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday 9/17/24

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: ~~Ten Characters Authors Surprisingly Redeemed~~

Books That Take Place In A School

The original topic for this week took up too much brain power for me so I’m going to do a very easy one and since school is back in session – here are some books that take place in school.

Didn’t See That Coming by. Jesse Q. Sutanto

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

New Book Releases This Week | 9/17/24

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Can’t Help Falling in Love by. Sophie Sullivan

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

“Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for.” -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

Goodreads | Amazon

The Lies We Conjure by. Sarah Henning

Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly game of Clue

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand―each―for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

Goodreads | Amazon

A Dark and Drowning Tide by. Allison Saft

A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.

Goodreads | Amazon

A Song of Ash and Moonlight by. Claire LeGrand

New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn, Claire Legrand, enchants with a lush, sweeping, steamy enemies to lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

THE OLD WAR IS OVER. A NEW ONE IS JUST BEGINNING.

The curse plaguing the Ashbourne and Bask families has finally been broken, but Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne daughter, still struggles to find peace. Unflappable and tireless, her composure masks a seething sorrow. Since her mother abandoned the family, Farrin has been their rock—managing her father’s temper, running the estate, keeping tight control over her dangerous musical power, and ignoring her own need for rest, distraction, and most of all, love.

In Ryder Bask, Farrin’s stubborn strength has met its match. The man infuriates her. He’s coarse, arrogant, annoyingly handsome. He’s as tired of their feuding parents as she is, and he brims with some secret anger that mirrors Farrin’s frustrated rage.

But Farrin must work with every ally she can—even the man she has been raised to hate. With every rising dawn, the Middlemist weakens further. Anointed magicians are disappearing. A fiery Olden creature is stalking Farrin. Strange visions haunt the High Queen Yvaine. And as Farrin and Ryder race to find stolen loved ones, they begin to realize a horrifying

The gods are not dead. They’re waking up. And someone is hunting them.

Goodreads | Amazon

An Academy for Liars by. Alexis Henderson

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton college, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it’s a test she’s terrified she is going to fail.

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week? I loved The Year of the Witching so I hope I can get to read An Academy of Liars sometimes this fall. I feel like it’s perfect for spooky season.

Happy Reading!

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Goodreads Monday: The Whispering Night by. Susan Dennard

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: The Whispering Night (The Luminaries, #3)

Author: Susan Dennard

Pages: 384

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Synopsis:

The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

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

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome, #1)

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 510

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: New Adult, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Enemies to Lovers

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!

In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love in this searing young adult fantasy.

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, seventeen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.

Content Warning: violence, death, domestic violence, abuse, profanity

I was looking for an enemies to lovers romance and I got it with this book! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

I’ve been craving for an enemies to lovers romance and this one has banter, violence, and sizzling chemistry that had me riveted. Now I say this is new adult because there was steamy scene. But I loved the cat and mouse between them – and the sending notes to one another scenes? Loved it.
I enjoyed the world building and how the Cloak (thieves) and Daggers (assassins) are rival organized crime groups. Central to these two sides is Seraphine who’s mother was basically a drug manufacturer (the drug being Shade) and was killed by a Dagger. Now Sera is out for revenge and I like the twists in the story. It doesn’t help Sera’s dreams of revenge that Ransom is tasked to kill her.
I love Pippin, Sera’s dog.
Both Sera and Ransom have found families but Sera’s found family is tighter and more trustworthy whereas Ransom’s is a little more cutthroat. I definitely felt for Ransom, poor guy.

Dislikes:

I wanted more interaction between Sera and Ransom in the first half but it’s a slow burn between them.
The beginning of the story is slow but I’m glad I stuck it out.

My Thoughts:

I found this story pretty entertaining and I loved that it was enemies to lovers with some blood involved. This story has action, found family, a lot of chemistry between two rivals, magic and some interesting twists. I was rooting for Sera and Ransom until the end, so we’ll see what happens in book two!

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books By This Author:

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) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 9/15/24

Aloha friends!

I’m tired. It’s 6 weeks into the school session and my kiddos just started Sunday school so that’s added to their schedule also which means a lot of driving and that exhausts me. 😅 It doesn’t help that the weather is hot also. 🥵 We are counting down the days until Fall Break.

I did manage to get some self-care and got a 30 minute massage, where the therapist worked on my neck and back. It was much needed but a painful recovery because it was a deep massage, so I wasn’t feeling so hot the next day and to that my daughter has another cold but it came with pink-eye. Both she and I are much better now but like a said, a break would be so nice.

Anyway, I hope all of you have a good week!

Blog Posts:

A Fire in the Sky by. Sophie Jordan | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads Monday: Vilest Things by. Chloe Gong
New Book Releases This Week | 9/10/24
Books That Provide a Much-Needed Escape | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday 9/10/24
WWW Wednesday | 9/11/24
Nothing Like the Movies by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When the World Tips Over by. Jandy Nelson | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
First Lines Fridays – Can You Guess What Book? | 9/13/24
Stacking the Shelves | 9/14/24

Books I Read:

It’s Not Me, It’s You by. Alex Light
The Fate of Magic by. Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

I also did a beta read for a book called A Desert of Bleeding Sand by. Lucia Damisa but I have no cover for it.

Currently Reading:

Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli
The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen
Love & Lattes by. Beth Reekles
Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

Some football
Emily in Paris Season 4 Part 2 (netflix) – I love when Emily travels and honestly I was rooting for her to be with Alfie (such a cutie) and that looks like a dead end. I don’t want her to go back to Gabriel, it was just so messy with Cami and everything. And I’m actually loving her in Rome with Marcello (another cutie!!! Emily really has had her fun in Europe!) . But what I really love about this series is Mindy and Emily’s friendship – they make me laugh all the time. And Sylvie is AMAZING – I wish I could be like her. I feel like Season 5 (if they have one because you never know with Netflix 🙄) will be the last one and I just don’t want her back with Gabriel. I like them as friends but we’ll see. I’m sure she will but I won’t love it.

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Stacking the Shelves | 9/14/24

I’ve seen Stacking the Shelves on a few blogs and I decided to do it to replace my book haul posts because, why not? It is hosted by Reading Reality and this is how the meme is described: “Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks!so go check out her blog!”

Book Purchases – (ebook or physical)

Wisteria (Belladonna, #3) by. Adalyn Grace

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers’ hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

Library Haul – (physical and online library):

Worst in Show by. Anna E. Collins

Aspiring fashion designer Cora Lewis should have known better. Entering her grandpa’s extremely adorable—and totally unruly—pups in a dog show? What was she thinking? Oh, right. Her grandpa is injured, his beloved pet shop is losing the fight against the upscale dog boutique across the street, and his business and home are on the line. She needs that prize money to save the day—and if the only way to win is to train with her strongest adversary, then she’ll suck it up and ask for help.

Rival store owner Leo Salinger is everything Cora is not: successful, wealthy, and overly ambitious. She would never guess that he is the kind and witty pen pal she’s met on a local message board. But somewhere between teaching pups to heel, fetch, and stay, Cora and Leo are finding a little competition can ignite a serious attraction. Can they stop this sexy spark . . . before all her dreams go to the dogs?

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Dishonestly Yours by. Krista & Becca Ritchie

Starting fresh is the only way Phoebe can escape a life of crime, but her best friend’s older brother complicates honest dreams in this gripping new series from the authors of the Addicted series.

Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.

The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have.

Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature. She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation—and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.

NetGalley Haul

Fangs for Nothing by. Steffanie Holmes

He’s a hot, grumpy, reclusive vampire, and the last thing he wants is an interfering human tidying his castle…until her.

Lord Alaric Valerian has a problem. His mother is visiting his castle for the first time, but she doesn’t know that Alaric has filled every room with his centuries of artistic passions and creative pursuits.

Desperate, he hires professional organiser Winnie Preston to help him tame the mess. But Alaric isn’t prepared for bubbly, passionate Winnie to show up at his castle and ram a metaphorical stake through his cold, vampire heart. Winnie sets his fangs on edge, but the more closely he works with her, the more he wishes she could be his.

So when Alaric’s mother arrives with a new bride-to-be in tow, Alaric convinces Winnie to pretend to be his fiance. He may be causing all kinds of scandal in the vampire court by being engaged to a human, but at least he doesn’t have to give up his reclusive life.

But Winnie still doesn’t know Alaric’s a vampire, and Alaric didn’t count on Winnie’s meddling book club pinning him for a mysterious murder in the village. Will their maybe-not-so-fake-marriage survive once Winnie discovers the monster that lurks beneath his fangs?

Fangs for Nothing is a kooky, spooky, vampire romance full to the cauldron-brim with fake dating, a meddling smutty book club, murder and mystery aplenty, endless cups of tea, quirky characters, and a broody vampire with an ass so fine, Geralt of Rivia comes to him for fitness tips.

***

Better Than Revenge by. Kasie West

A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed! When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school’s podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she’s left confused and betrayed.

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen’s spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen’s cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can’t let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?

***

The Last Fashion House in Paris by. Renee Ryan

In the heart of occupied WWII Paris, an elegant fashion house is the unlikely headquarters of a daring resistance network. Behind closed doors, courageous women vie to save loved ones and strangers alike from the Nazis in this powerful story of survival, friendship and second chances.

France, 1942

Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the Gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.

But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters—including Paulette’s coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux—who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.

Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in, and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind…

***

The Starlight Heir by. Amalie Howard

A bladesmith with the power of the stars in her blood and a prince with a dangerous secret will fight to save their kingdom in this spicy and spellbinding romantasy inspired by Persian and Indian mythology—perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Thea Guanzon.

To save the realm from eternal darkness, she’ll have to choose between the truth and the lie—stand and fight or kneel and die.

“His Imperial Majesty, King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starbringer—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starbringer. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.

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The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

*****

The Whispering Night by. Susan Dennard

The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?

Kindle Unlimited

The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen

The gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them…

I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus’ patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible—the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me—a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders—as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.

What’s new on your shelf or kindle?