Tag: 3.5 Stars

Witch of the Wolves by. Kaylee Archer | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Witch of the Wolves by (Witch of the Wolves, #1)

Author: Kaylee Archer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 9/30/25

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Categories: Paranormal, Werewolves, Series, 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 St. Martin’s Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ Cordelia is a witch but then she gets taken by a mysterious man, Bishop Daniels. She finds out right away that she is not only a witch but half werewolf. You get thrown into the story without much build-up so it’s a fast start.

+ I did like how this story moved quickly. We learn about Cordelia’s father, Silas, who is the alpha of a werewolf pack and Bishop is part of the pack. I like the Victorian setting, Bishop is such a proper gentleman of a werewolf, even though he is dangerous. There is a lot Cordelia has to learn about the werewolves, and there is even betrayal I didn’t expect at the end.

+ The romance is a slow burn, I liked the progression, but maybe would have loved more interactions between them to see the build-up of their feelings. Cordelia’s father is forcing her to marry Bishop just for the sake of breeding. So they both agree they don’t want to be in a forced arranged marriage but eventually the desire between them grows. I thought their spicy scenes were intense but fun and playful also.

~ The whole story takes place at Silas’ estate. Cordelia is basically a prisoner there so we don’t get to see too much of anything surrounding this place except for maybe the woods. Would have loved maybe a little more world-building.

~ Would have liked to see more witchcraft also. Cordelia already knows how to do spells and uses her powers in a fight but it would have been nice to learn about the witches. Maybe in book two since the events at the end of the book hint that the witches are now their enemies?

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid start to the series. I liked the Victorian era setting and the story is filled with with witches, werewolves, romance, werewolf politics and even betrayal. Would have loved more world-building and witchcraft but overall I enjoyed it!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

To Cage a Wild Bird by. Brooke Fast | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: To Cage a Wild Bird (Divided Fates, #1)

Author: Brooke Fast

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/9/25; deluxe edition 3/3/26

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Dystopia, Romance, Series

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A deadly prison. A forbidden romance. A fight for survival.

THERE’S ONLY ONE RULE IN OBEY OR DIE.

In Dividium, all crimes are punishable by life in prison. A prison that’s a life sentence in more ways than one. Where the wealthy can hunt the inmates for sport.

Raven’s mission is infiltrate the infamous and deadly Endlock Prison to save her brother.

There’s just one Raven has a target on her back. Her reputation as the most ruthless bounty hunter in Dividium precedes her, and the inmates she’s sent to Endlock want their revenge.

So when the prison guard she’s sworn to hate becomes her only chance to survive, Raven has no choice but to trust the one person she shouldn’t…

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual harassment, torture, hunting humans for sport

+ Raven is a bounty hunter and her skill helps her survive in one of the deadliest prisons in Dividium. This is set in a dystopian world where society is divided in three different tiers. People in the Lower Sector have been suffering while everyone above them have it less challenging. The world building was typical dystopian, but most of the story takes place in the prison so I can’t say too much about the world outside of it. The prison has it’s share of evil guards and Raven realizes too late that the people she put in prison were not going to be happy to see her. Also, Upper Sector people come to the prison and pay to hunt criminals. There is a rebel group called the Collective who is trying their best to help people and make a difference.

+ I liked Raven. Raven’s goal in life is to always protect her younger brother and when a rebel group tells her she can go to the prison to free him, she takes her chances. I like that she was smart and kept her cool, plus she’s brave and wasn’t afraid to get into a fight.

+~ The romance is forbidden but that adds to the tension. Plus Vale for the most part of the story was a bit mysterious – we didn’t know much about him but it seemed Raven’s new friends trusted him a lot. There’s some spice and I actually was rooting for the two of them because both seem like good people. But they did fall kind of fast.

+ Raven meets a bunch of people in prison because she’s supposed to figure a way out. I liked this found family she is brought into.

~ I do think the story was predictable but that’s why I read it so quick. It had the known elements of dystopian romance – which I enjoyed. But I did want more out of Raven, Vale but maybe we get more out of them in book two. Also want to feel that it is high stakes – it’s a prison break and yes hunting criminals added to the suspense, but I wanted more tension I think.

Final Thoughts:

This is the type of book you can binge and read quickly! It’s got all the dystopian elements – oppressed people and a secret rebellion, it’s set in a prison, and has a forbidden guard/prisoner spicy romance. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I hope we get more out of the main characters in book two.

**Book is available now on Kindle Unlimited but deluxe edition will be published on 3/3/26**

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Steeping of Blood by. Hafsah Faizal | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: A Steeping of Blood (Blood and Tea, #2)

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/23/25

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, Vampires, Series, 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 Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The epic conclusion to the #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal; the gritty fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

She’s had her tea, now she’s out for blood.

White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.

Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time – and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.

In Ceylan.

After the jaw-dropping ending of #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea, Arthie and her crew still have plenty of hearts to break and crimson-red secrets to uncover. Hafsah Faizal crafts a deliciously twisty and seductive sequel that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

+ This is the conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology and I thought it was a pretty good end to the story.

+ I still love the found family that is Arthie, Jin, Flick and the others. After the wild events of book one, Arthie and her family are picking up the pieces and trying to take down the Ram. Everyone has their role and parts to help with the mission which makes them strong together. Although there is a part where this found family breaks apart for a little bit.

+ I enjoyed the vampirism and politics. There is a lot of action as Arthie and her friends try to stop the Ram. They travel to Ceylan, where they find out things have changed and there is a new type of vampire among them. A lot of the action come in the second half of this book.

+ I loved the relationship and romance between Flick and Jin – they are so sweet together! I thought Flick’s POV in book was the weakest but in this book she really shines. As for Arthie, Matteo is there for her this time and it was nice to see her open up, fall for his charms and let him in.

~ I don’t know why but with book one, I read it in one day. This book took me a whole week or more. I think it’s because the beginning moves slow but everything picks up in the second half. But there was something about the story that wasn’t hooking me like book one.

~ There are a bunch of heartbreaking moments in the second half of this book. It made me so sad!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid conclusion! Arthie and her friends completed their mission, taking down the Ram but with a lot of loss. I loved the romance relationships, especially between Flick and Jin. The beginning was slow but it picks up at the halfway point and ends in a heartbreaker. It’s a bittersweet conclusion.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Tempest of Tea by. Hafsah Faizal | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We Free the Stars | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | We Hunt the Flame ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What Fury Brings by. Tricia Levenseller | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: What Fury Brings (Wrath and Fury, #1)

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/23/25

Publisher: FEIWEL

Categories: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Revenge 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 FEIWEL for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There’s a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He’s the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother’s place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

Content Warning: violence, physical abuse, mentions of sexual assault, kidnapping, dubious consent, auctioning/selling men/children, mentions of grooming and underage sexual partners, animal death, penis guillotine

+ I went into this arc, seeing the reviews for it online being very polarizing. People either love it or hate it and it made me very curious as to why. The world building is different – especially for a romantasy. We hear romantasy and think certain tropes, but this is most definitely a reversal of the gender roles and this is a dark romantasy. Olerra is from the kingdom of Amarra where the women are in power. And I don’t mean they just are the rulers of this place, oh no, they housebreak their men – yes, that’s what the call it. Men are the subordinate, they are the househusband, they are used for breeding, they are punished if out of line, they are the whores, and they are the ones being bought. Personally, I thought it was very eye opening and I wanted to see how this story played out.

+ Olerra, as a character, she’s powerful. She fights with men, wins against them, she’s a commander of the military, she’s a big woman and she’s ambitious. I kind of got a kick out of her husband-hunting/kidnapping and being the one to save him in the end. Is she perfect? No. Because she does punish Sanos, put him on display, plays on his lust for her – but this is a role reversal, this is how Olerra has been raised. Readers of dark romance have seen similar scenarios take place in the traditional roles of men and women. The man doing the kidnapping, displaying the woman, etc…so it was really fascinating to see Olerra do all of this to Sanos, who is not a weak man himself. He’s a warrior and fighter just like her, and she emasculates him so she can be viewed as powerful among her people.

+ I like how this book bent my brain because I’m so used to the usual gender roles in all the romantasy I read – and I read a LOT of them. So this book was so good at challenging my thoughts on what I’m used to reading, things I just readily accept about female and male characters. I thought Amarra being a mirror to the Brutes was interesting. The society in Amarra is the result of men doing what they do to women – but instead of flourishing as an open society (which they do – they accept different sexualities), they treat the men as women have been treated. They treat criminals like an eye for an eye – male rapists get their privates removed. The women don’t seem to have evolved but are carrying out revenge. Instead of Amarra’s women taking the high road and saying, this won’t happen here – they do it full force, exactly what’s been done to them, because that’s “what fury brings“. But not going to lie, I was kind of scared for these men!

+~ There is spicy scenes and one that includes bondage. So it’s spicy but might also make some readers uncomfortable because of dubious consent.

~ This is marketed as a romantasy but I felt like the romance was under-developed. It’s enemies to lovers, clearly – the enemies being very obvious, Sanos has been kidnapped and is being forced to marry Olerra. It’s definitely Stockholm Syndrome but again…I’ve read this in regular romance and didn’t mind it. He eventually has feelings for her but I felt like it was all lust. Would have loved to see some tender moments between them, that shows that feelings, more than lust, were growing.

~ Please heed the trigger warnings – this is a dark romance. Stockholm syndrome anyone? There are mentions of grooming, buying young boys and it’s gross and uncomfortable.

~ I kind of wanted to see at the end how Olerra and Sanos would rule Amarra and Brutish because they both win their crowns so would book two show progress as Sanos points out things Olerra can change in Amarra and vice versa? I’m very curious! I did feel Olerra did exactly say all the things she would change as Queen, she mentioned not being as cruel as her cousin. But that doesn’t mean much. Would also like to see Sanos change some things in Brute.

Final Thoughts:

This is a dark romance fantasy where the gender roles have swapped in Amarra and women in take their revenge on men. I like that it was like holding up a mirror to how men treat women but it doesn’t mean what they are doing in Amarra is right. Men sell young women in many dark books – well the Amarran women sell young boys in this book. It’s ugly, but I think that is the point of the mirror. Men do it…but women could do it too. Sanos basically falls for his kidnapper – but we’re not new to stories like this, are we? Nope. Just new to who does the kidnapping and who is doling out punishment in this book. Either way, it’s wrong to live like this or behave this way and I think that’s what I got out of this story. Now there were many uncomfortable moments in this story but I also found it a quick read and there were even some funny moments. So I think you have to read this one at your own risk, read some reviews on this one, and definitely check out the trigger list before going into it. Overall, I found it a fascinating read but did want more out of the romance and maybe see both main characters commit to doing more to change how their kingdoms treat people.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Shadows Between Us | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daughter of the Pirate King – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daughter of the Siren King – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Warrior of the Wild – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fevered Star by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2)

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrator(s):  Christian Barillas (Narrator), Nicole Lewis (Narrator), Darrell Dennis (Narrator), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator), Cora Gee (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 388

Publication Date: 4/23/22

Publisher: Saga Press

Categories: Fantasy, LGBT+, Series

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Content Warning: violence, torture, death

+ This is book two in the Between Earth and Sky series and I really enjoyed book one, Black Sun. So I wanted to see what happened next in the series.

+ The world-building was great. I did enjoy the second half of this book more than the first half because I felt like the first half was world-building and setting up everything for book three. It picks up in the second half with more action.

+ I really enjoyed Naranpa’s growing relationship with her brother, Denoachi. I thought it was the one link in the story I felt emotional about.

~ I listened to this as an audiobook but the last 10% I read the book because I read faster. I felt like the beginning was slow because it was setting up a lot of things that happened at the end of the book and what will happen in book three. Although I enjoyed the narrator, there was just too many names to keep track of.

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally can knock this one off my TBR list and I’m looking forward to see how it ends. I did find it slower than book one mostly because it’s building up for the conclusion but I did enjoy the second half of the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Black Sun by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dead of Summer by. Ryan La Sala | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Dead of Summer

Author: Ryan La Sala

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/16/25

Publisher:  PUSH

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery, LGBT+

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

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


Stephen King meets Holly Jackson by way of We Were Liars in this action-packed story of queer horror from the acclaimed author of The Honeys!

Two days before…

Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration — his mom is cancer free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever — but Ollie’s (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot questions. Because for a place that’s perfect on the outside, a secret rots inside. A secret that could explain his mom’s illness, and the illness of so many other locals.

Ollie’s desperate search for the truth turns life or death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises . . .

Three weeks after…

Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbor. They say he’s a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more dangerous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviors aren’t here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what comes next, but that means getting back to Anchor’s Mercy before it vanishes below the waves, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.

Content Warning: violence, death, zombies, cancer, body horror

+ I’ve been wanting to read a book by this author and requested this one because the premise sounded so intriguing. A quaint island? A military hospital ship? What happened on this island. Well it was not what I was expecting!

+ Ollie and his mom, Grace are back at Anchor’s Mercy – their home, after being away for a year because Grace was sick with cancer. Now she has a new outlook on life and Ollie is going along with it but there has been so much changes for him. Will his friend group, the Suds, forgive him for leaving? There are so many questions when they first arrive but I love how they do arrive in chaos and revelry – it gave me a good impression of what life was like on Anchor’s Mercy before Ollie left.

+ The story is told in the past and present, but not the far past. Ollie and his mom arrive at Anchor’s Mercy but it’s not too long until everything starts happening. Something strange is going on, strange until it turns scary and people have no clue as to what is happening, just that people are changing and turning into zombies. Expect some body horror! In the present moment, Ollie is in quarantine and we get more of the story. Some outbreak has happened, scientist want to know the cause and trying to figure that out by interviewing Ollie. This definitely kept the mystery going, because I needed to know what exactly was the outbreak.

+ As we find out more about the outbreak the reality of what the government has done to Anchor’s Mercy, a safe haven for the LGBT+ community is coming to light and it’s not good. There is a lot of action in this one, as Ollie and his friends try to stay safe. It’s a wild time and I love that singing is what can kind of get through to those infected. I loved the community of Anchor’s Mercy and I was as devastated as Ollie to see it undergo this outbreak and trauma.

~ This is young adult so expect Ollie and his friends to act like it!

~ I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi so all the scientific parts of the coral infections or manifestations kind of went over my head.

Final Thoughts:

This one if for the young adult horror lovers! I really enjoyed the themes of family, community, and belonging. This island of Anchor’s Mercy was a safe and vibrant place for the LGBT+ and I loved it. The horror was pretty wild – people turning into zombies due to coral and the government is involved? This story is full of mystery, action, sci-fi, body horror and if that appeals to you then I think you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Austen Affair by. Madeline Bell | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Austen Affair

Author: Madeline Bell

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 9/16/25

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Romance, Time-Travel, Historical Fiction

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Two feuding co-stars in a Jane Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in time to the Regency Era in this delightfully clever and riotously funny debut

Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It’s not just the role of a lifetime, but it’s also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and more importantly, it’s her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess’s way—well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour.

A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don’t quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry—and Tess’s career depends on it.

Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen’s era. 200 years in the past with only each other to rely on, Tess and Hugh need to ad-lib their way through the Regency period in order to make it back home, and hopefully not screw up history along the way. But if a certain someone looks particularly dashing in those 19th century breeches…well, Tess won’t be complaining.

A wickedly funny, delightfully charming story, The Austen Affair is a tribute to Jane Austen, second chances, and love across the space-time continuum.

Content Warning: grief, illness

+ Tess has scored a role in the movie, Northanger Abbey, the story written by the famous Jane Austen. Thing is she and her co-star, Hugh, do not get along. He is grumpy and she is sunshine. When something happens to make them time-travel into the past (Jane Austen’s past), they have to learn to put those acting skills to the test and pretend they are engaged!

+ I love Tess and Hugh’s interactions as they travel to the past and try to convince people they aren’t imposters. Their personalities are such opposites and it was fun to see them try to navigate regency England. I love a Jane Austen inspired story!

+ It’s a funny, quick read but also had some themes dealing with grief.

~ I thought their plan to get back home was so random! But kind of funny and lent to the whole light-hearted, rom-com elements.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a cute read and definitely for the Jane Austen fans!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blood Moon by. Britney S. Lewis | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Blood Moon (Blood Moon, #1)

Author: Britney S. Lewis

Narrator(s): Adenrele Ojo (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/9/25

Publisher: Page Street YA

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, 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 Page Street YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Eighteen-year-old Mirabella “Mira” Owens grew up in Timber Plains, Kansas hearing all about the local legend—that werewolves had, many years ago, traveled to their small Midwest town to protect humans from the growing threat of a vampire enclave. Just a story of course, a fairy tale, one Mira had stopped believing in when she was young—just like she stopped believing in the idea of her mom returning, after she up and left without a trace when she was only thirteen.

Mira is grown up now, starting freshman year at the nearby Lakeland University. College feels normal, exactly the thing she’s been craving most… except for one particular classmate: Julian Santos, a mysterious boy with long hair, golden eyes, and a coldness that seems directed exclusively at Mira for reasons she can’t understand and he won’t explain.

When Mira receives an unaddressed letter from her mother, she’s told the world isn’t as it seems. She suspects her mom might be telling the truth when she stumbles across strange animal tracks on a hiking trail, and when she’s miraculously saved from a twenty foot drop by the one and only, Julian Santos.

The problem? Julian would have had to jump the length of the cliff to catch her, making him incredibly fast and strong beyond belief. When she confronts him about this, he denies everything.

But when a Blood Moon rises, Mira soon finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient, magical war, with Julian on the other side of the line. She discovers there’s much more truth to the old town legends than she could ever have anticipated—and her family’s historic role in it will change her world forever.

BLOOD MOON is a dark and thrilling, intensely romantic ride, a fresh take on a werewolf love story for a new generation of paranormal romance readers, and is the first book in a series. It is set against a high-stakes paranormal backdrop—a world ripe with secret identities, rich supernatural lore, and a forbidden romance… that comes with a deadly bite.

Content Warning: violence

+ Mira is off to college but very reluctantly. She’s trying to move forward in life while missing her mom who left her and her dad years ago. But she gets accepted to a nearby college, under suspicious circumstances, and realizes college might not be so bad. She makes a few friends and have met a few guys. They live in a town with a very known legend about werewolves coming there long ago to defeat vampires – but it’s just a story…right?

+ I love that this was set in college. I liked seeing her making friends, and learning to really make the most of her time there.

+ There is a love triangle – and yes this book has Twilight vibes, but this time it’s the werewolves who are the focus. Mira reunites with an old acquaintance, Seven. He’s on the football team, popular, good looking and seems like a nice guy. But there is another guy, Julian, who is broody, glares at her, threatens her to leave campus, she hates him but he’s gorgeous too and of course Mira feels a strong connection to him. It’s a slow burn, fated mates romance.

+ The ending has a few twists and it kept me invested in the story for sure! There is betrayal, and I wonder what will happen in book two.

~ Mira is clueless about werewolves and vampires, even though the legend is well known in their town. And it doesn’t help that Julian can’t just tell her things so that kind of got frustrating because she’s very mad at him, which he loves I think, but it got kind of tiring after awhile that she has to keep begging for answers and it made me wonder why she couldn’t figure some things out. She was in major denial about some things.

~ This has Twilight all over it and for me I mostly noticed it in the angst between Mira and Julian, which was kind of fun to reminisce to but also made me giggle because it’s so dramatic. Some other similarities, is the small town, her dad being a sheriff, her name being Mirabella (“bella”), her not knowing why Julian is drawn to her but pushes away, little things like that. I found it nostalgic though.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun vampire/werewolves story! It brought me back to the Twilight and Vampire Diaries days but with a different twist at the end. The romance and angst is there between Mira and Julian. I also loved that Mira had a college life, making friends, and going to school events. Some things were too similar to Twilight though and I did wish Mira could put some things together instead of feeling lost about everything but this is a young adult book so she is acting appropriately. I think the narrator did a great job bringing this story to life and I look forward to reading book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Land So Wide by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: A Land So Wide

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher:  Pantheon

Categories: Historical Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, 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 Pantheon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


From the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Roots and Ruin, comes an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy set in the beautiful but brutal Canadian wilderness.

Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious Scottish lumber merchant, the tiny town on the edge of the American continent is blessed with rich natural resources that have made its people prosperous—but at a cost. The same woods that have lined the townsfolks’ pockets harbor dangerous beasts: wolves, bears, and the Bright-Eyeds—monsters beyond description who have rained utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken’s founders made a deal with the mysterious Benevolence: the Warding Stones that surround the town will keep the Bright-Eyeds out—and the town’s citizens in. Anyone who spends a night within Mistaken’s borders belongs to it forever.

Greer, a mapmaker and eccentric dreamer, has always ached to explore the world outside, even though she knows she and her longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, will never see it. Until, on the day she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as her beloved disappears beyond the Warding Stones, pursued by a monstrous creature. Swiftly realizing that the stories she was raised on might be more myth than fact, Greer figures out a way to escape Mistaken for the very first time. Determined to rescue Ellis, she begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But Greer is being hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken’s founding, as well as her own origins.

Playfully drawing from Scottish folklore, Erin A. Craig’s adult debut is both a deeply atmospheric and profoundly romantic exploration of freedom versus security: a stunning celebration of one woman’s relentless bravery on a quest to reclaim her lost love—and claim her own future.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This was an interesting story that starts off with settlers in a land that wasn’t what they expected. They come to find out that there are creatures and animals out there that could kill them so they build their town of Mistaken but create a protection barrier. The atmosphere is eerie, mysterious and gave me M. Night Shyamalan (the movie, The Village, except without the crazy ending 😅) vibes – not sure why, I just kept thinking there was some twist in the story that was gonna jump out at me.

+ Greer is woman with an adventurous spirit – she loves making maps but she is stuck in Mistaken. It’s too dangerous to venture out of town with the Bright-Eyeds (monsters) lurking in the woods. Her dad is overprotective but a powerful man in their town so he’s trying to marry her off to someone to inherit their business. But she’s in love with Ellis, a boy her father doesn’t approve of. I thought Greer was a strong character, who did everything to fight for the guy she loved.

+ I found the lore of the monsters very mysterious and really got invested the more we learned about them, but that mostly comes in the second half of the story. The world-building of Mistaken was interesting. There are flashbacks to the founders of the town, and I like how things were revealed little by little until the whole picture of what happened in Mistaken and Greer’s past tied everything together.

+ The author does such a good job at story telling – I always feel like I’m reading a dark fairytale when it comes to her books. And her stories are always so unique, just like this one is.

~ This one did start off slow but once some scary events happen and the horror kicks in, that’s when it really caught my attention. I couldn’t quite envision these Bright-Eyeds and so I was left trying to figure that part out.

~ Once everything starts being explained about the Bright-Eyed, the story goes in a new direction, more fantastical. Greer has to cope with her new knowledge about them, but it’s challenging as she tries to find Ellis. There is also a love triangle situation that I wasn’t into.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one felt like Small Favors with that small-town feel, except here in A Land So Wide, in this town, people are trapped. The people have a false sense of safety – in their boundary of protection, they should be okay, but once that boundary is broken, bad things happen. The setting is great, and the atmosphere is creepy and mysterious. I think the beginning was a little slow, but it does pick up and goes into more fantasy. I found this world and the lore around the monsters very fascinating. Greer goes through a journey when she finds out the truth about some things, and I definitely was invested to see what happened to her. This author is an auto-read author for me, and her writing will always suck me in! This will make a great read for spooky season.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️