The House of Gardenias by. Isabel Cañas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The House of Gardenias

Author: Isabel Cañas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 228

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Categories: Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult, Gothic, Horror

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

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

Sixteen-year-old Minerva has spent her whole life in the slums of the capital city of an unnamed country that resembles colonial Mexico. Though she lives in the shadow of constant government turmoil, her empty belly and her father’s brutality don’t leave time for politics—especially since her older brothers ran away. Minerva can’t take another beating or miss another meal, so she steals flees to a wealthy loyalist neighborhood to win a job as a lady’s maid to an elderly widow.

Minerva and Encarnación del Valle—the proud and acerbic widow—form an unlikely duo. They are both survivors in their own ways, stubborn and used to being underestimated. For a time, Minerva is happy. She has food and safety in a house lit and warmed by magical chispa. Why should she care who runs the country or how her employer afford the magic?

But when the viceroy sweeps back into power on a wave of horrific bloodshed that sweeps away any hope Minerva had of seeing her brothers again, Encarnación retreats to the del Valle’s mountainside estate, the Casa de la Gardenias. Minerva finds herself surrounded by dozens of more experienced servants and the cruel, scheming younger del Valles, but the living are the least of anyone’s worries at the Casa de las Gardenias, and soon Minerva discovers that this ancient estate is home to forces far older and more bloodthirsty than the fascist del Valles or the liberal guerrillas amassing in the surrounding wilderness.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I feel like fall season is in full swing when I have a Isabel Cañas book to read. She just does historical fiction, paranormal, horror books so well! The setting is lush and has all the gothic, spooky vibes you would want. In this story it even has political unrest and intrigue with the Viceroy (leader of country) fighting the rebels. Minerva is starving and desperate but she finds a job with Encarnación del Valle, who is related to the Viceroy.

+ Minerva’s growth in this story is wonderful. She goes from a starving girl, who’s family has broken up – brothers joining the rebellion and a dad who abuses her to someone who is helping the rebellion take the Viceroy and his family down. She gets help by a spirit or ghost in the house, who is there to eventually take her chispa (which is like a person’s soul or life force). At first he comes off sinister and scary but their relationship changes when Minerva doesn’t show fear!

+ This one is a slow burn of a story but it escalates so nicely that I was racing to the end! I thought Encarnación taking in Minerva as a servant but teaching her things high society ladies know – like games and strategy was very interesting. She was Minerva’s employer but Minerva saw her as almost family, since she had none. There are a few complicated relationships in this story which kept things interesting.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoy the gothic and paranormal vibes of this one. The relationships are complicated and there is even political intrigue in this one. I loved Minerva’s growth from scared girl to someone who was tired of being stepped on and I even adored her strange relationship with Ygnacio. This was a quick read and perfect for spooky season!

Read if you like:

young adult paranormal, horror
gothic vibes

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Possession of Alba Díaz by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review – 4 stars

Vampires of El Norte by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review – 4 stars

Tallow and Bone by. Rhiannon Hargadon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Tallow and Bone

Author: Rhiannon Hargadon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: HRS Books

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Historical Fantasy

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

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

If Salem would rather kill witches than let them exist, how much will one witch sacrifice to save it?

After her family flees allegations of treason in Europe, Amity Merriweather hopes Salem will be a fresh start. Instead, she finds a land poisoned: Toxic relationships. Crop failures. Sick children. Deep-seated superstition and irrational fear. With every death, the curse buried beneath Salem’s cobblestone streets grows stronger.

Gifted with rare earth magic, Amity has spent her entire life hiding, suppressing her magic. She has a chance to heal the town before hysteria turns neighbor against neighbor. But Salem doesn’t want saving. Every acre of poison she clears will risk discovery, and she’ll get no thanks from its citizens.

Meanwhile, Amity must choose between two very different men:

A male witch hardened by abuse, who would gladly burn Salem to its poisoned roots… Or a scarred shoemaker with a heart too generous for its own good. Knowing which path to take requires knowing both men, but more importantly, it requires knowing herself.

Amity has worn as mask for so long, she no longer can be sure of who she truly is.

As accusations mount and innocents are dragged to the gallows, Amity faces an impossible choice. Keep sacrificing herself for people who would rather see her burn—or abandon Salem to the curse consuming it.

Tropes and Triggers:

Love Triangle with a masked MMC
Surprise (unwanted) pregnancy
Elemental magic
Generational curse
Witch Trials
Religious Trauma
Morally gray characters

TALLOW AND BONE is a dark paranormal romance. It is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials with a healer witch, a cursed village, and the choice between mercy or retribution.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, whipping, sexual harassment, hanging

+ Amity and her family are always on the run because she and her mother are witches. They’ve fled England, where they lived comfortably at court and now are barely thriving in the colonies, surviving with her father’s skill at lying, and her and her siblings talent at thieving. And when they reach Salem, they decide they want to stop running, but at what cost. The townspeople of Salem are Puritans and are run by a pastor who holds a lot of power and turns that power into a witch hunt because of the failing crops.

+ Amity is someone who’s been told to hide her power since she was a child, so she’s used to lying and being someone else – but in Salem she actually finds other witches and she learns a little more about her powers and magic. I kind of like that her magic wasn’t all powerful, yes she used it to help herself when she was in danger, but her magic was for growing things, it wasn’t anything malicious at all. I would have loved more magic in the story actually. But Amity has her flaws, she can’t be herself and tell the truth of who she is, so she’s never been real to other people only with her family. She can’t want the things she wants if she wants to survive in this world. Also she goes through some dark mentally challenging times in this book that I think women can relate to.

+ I loved Amity’s siblings, even Elizabeth at first, who was a bit more strict than most, until I hated her later. I love her big family, but their dad is an awful man. Amity’s siblings know she’s a witch and that is why they are on the run, Elizabeth is who resents her the most. This family is very complicated – their dad is abusive, yet he provides as best he can – he loves their mother (a witch) with a passion, but when she is gone there is no one to protect them from him. The sibling closeness was heartwarming. Some other characters I found fascinating in the story were the women of Salem. I love that the characters are complicated and flawed.

+ Amity is 23 and single and that’s a problem during that day and age. She’s beautiful and the men in Salem notice her. But she’s obsessed with a masked man who is also a witch, who isn’t very friendly towards her but there is a wild attraction between them. I suspected who it was fairly early in the book. But this witch isn’t the only man who is in Amity’s life. There is George, the hero of the town, who has burn scars because an event that happened in the past – he’s so good, kind, patient and protective. He gave Amity protection when the other man couldn’t step up to do it himself and I loved him for Amity. He deserved better. I don’t mind love triangles but this one broke my heart – devastated me at the end, and even though there is a resolution at the end…I wasn’t happy with it. Whenever I think about this book I’ll always remember George. I would have been happy as them in a throuple or a Why Choose situation, but this is that type of book where you don’t get what you wish for. 💔

+ There was a strong sense of foreboding from start to finish in this book. The setting and atmosphere of Salem really came through in the writing. The story is dark, the women aren’t safe, the people were hungry because of failed crops, there is violence, death, and family turning on family. There are deaths in this story that broke my heart, it seemed never ending that Amity was going to lose people and I hated that for her and hated how her big family fell apart. I wanted to scream in anger and pain for Amity and the women in Salem. There is a sort of happy ever after in the end, but it is so bittersweet that whenever I think of this story I’m just heartbroken.

Final Thoughts:

If I wanted a book to rip my heart out then this would be five stars, but my heart was so broken at the end of this one, which I wasn’t expecting. I was so shocked at the culmination of events at the end, I had no time to cry but my heart felt hurt and then hollow. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy thinking about what happened to George. This story sucked me in even though I knew something bad was coming, since I know the gist of the Salem witch trials. I couldn’t put it down. I understood Amity’s feelings of wanting to be free and not hiding herself but that wasn’t possible in a town like Salem, and I just wish they had all left and ran. To see everything fall apart around Amity, and her lose people she loved – oh this story is devastating. The ending is bittersweet and I felt emotionally exhausted. Though it didn’t end the way I wanted, I have to say I won’t be forgetting this book for awhile.

Read if you like:

dark fantasy
family
love triangle

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon| Book Review – 4 stars/2 🌶️

This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: This Shattered Tempest (The Hurricane Wars, #3)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, 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 Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When the storm swallows the world, who will be left standing?

Throughout their political marriage, Alaric and Talasyn struggled to resist the undeniable pull between them, even as rising tensions forced them on opposite sides of a looming war. Hand in hand, they vanquished the cataclysmic threat of the Moonless Dark—and started to hope for a future together.

That hope is shattered when a devastating attack sets off a chain of events that tears them apart once more. Now, as two rival nations prepare for a final, decisive clash, the Master of the Shadowforged Legion and the last Lightweaver fight to find their way back to each other. But the odds are stacked against them, and time is running out…

Is love enough to rewrite destiny? Can a new beginning rise from the ruins of the past? Or are Alaric and Talasyn doomed to meet as enemies on one last battlefield? This explosive third and final book brings the beloved Hurricane Wars series to a stunning conclusion—where passion and power collide, and the fate of a divided world hangs in the balance.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ It’s been 2 years since the second book came out so I did go into this without doing a recent re-read of that book and there were times I had to wait for things to click because it’s a big cast of characters. The world-building includes a few different regions, so it took me a little while to remember people and places. Of course Tala and Alaric stand out the most to me, but because there is a lot of political intrigue taking place, it’s important to know who is on who’s side – and yes I did get lost at times.

+ Tala grows so much in this book! She has to make hard choices about her ruler, her people, her husband (who is the enemy) and which side to chose. I don’t blame her for choosing her people because that is how she was raised, familial duty is strong in her. But I felt bad for her because she loved Alaric too. There is a moment in the book where she has to break away from him and find strength within herself to do the right thing. Alaric was frustrating me though because he couldn’t break free from his father soon enough, he eventually learns and does the right thing in the end.

+ The romance is so filled with challenge, strife, and betrayal. I almost had no hope for them! I didn’t know how they would forgive each other. Their relationship comes with costs, but eventually they get things right and I didn’t know it would make me emotional. I love their ending. I will say I think Tala bent more than Alaric did – it took him awhile to see the light, and I know that’s trauma on his part because of his relationship with his father. He really was lucky that Tala fought to have him in her life. But someone had to fight for their love and of course it would be Tala because she overcomes a lot and by the end she’s not afraid to be vulnerable and fearless. There are a few spicy scenes between them though which absolutely matched their enemies to lovers vibe.

+ I enjoyed the political intrigue when I could follow who was betraying who, but I also loved the aether magic and the dragons that protect Tala’s people! The story touches on the cost of war on all sides involved and the tension that grew inside me while reading this was almost off the charts near the end. I wanted it to work out for everyone so badly but there was a moment of hopelessness before everything is resolved. There were some emotional parts to this story especially at the ending. I also love that this is by a Filipino author and there is a word in the story that pulled at my heart strings because it’s a word in the Filipino culture for mother or grandmother. Just having that in there was everything to me and connected me more to Tala.

Final Thoughts:

This conclusion to The Hurricane Wars series is tense, heartbreaking but also healing at the end. Tala grows to become the Empress she is destined to be, by making hard choices, confronting the past and even people considered family who is trying to hurt her. She loses a lot in order to become stronger and bring about the hope for the future she and Alaric had. There were times I was a little lost because of so much going on and all the names I had forgotten but I couldn’t put this down. I was rooting for Tala and Alaric and their dream of a future with no war. The story was filled with political intrigue, betrayal, darkness but also hope. I loved it!

Read if you like:

political intrigue
character development
secrets, betrayals
enemies to lovers
tension

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon | Audiobook – 5 ⭐️/ 2🌶️

A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon | ARC Review – 4 ⭐️

The Hurricane Wars by. Thea Guanzon | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Hallowed Bones by. Lucy Smoke | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hallowed Bones (Sons of Salem, #1)

Author: Lucy Smoke

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Why Choose, Witches, Dark Academia, Romance, New Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, 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 Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first in the Sons of Salem series— a seductive, dark why-choose romance filled with cursed bloodlines, secret societies, and a powerful heroine destined to save the coven.

Four cursed heirs. One forbidden witch. A desire that burns bright.

I was warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem. Not because they’re monsters—but because they’re broken enough to recognize one.

Ezra Bishop.
Cameron Goode.
Lyall Corey.
Reyes Scott.

And me—Haven Wardwell.

Legacies. Witches. Something far worse than myths.

Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the Dark Gods will ask for in return.

Ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich College, and if I’m not careful, I might just become one of them.

Content Warning: violence, death, gore, self harm

Set in Ipswich College in Massachusetts, I love the vibes of this book. It’s got the cobwebbed filled, creepy college (that’s the dark academia element of it); the Salem Witch Trials history in the background, and rich, hot boys who are in a coven. All of it worked for me! I even love the scary monsters from the Veil, and the murders leaving bodies in ritualistic, gory poses. I kept thinking this would be a perfect book for spooky season!

I do think the murders get a little bit overshadowed by the main story of Haven figuring out she’s a witch and one the Sons of Salem need badly, in a provocative and practical sense. They have to convince her she’s a witch and need to learn how to control her powers but Haven gives them a hard time. I like Haven though, she’s practically alone, and has been dealing with visions and nightmares for years, so I would be skeptical like her too, plus she’s brave and strong enough to deal with these four guys.

As for these Sons of Salem – Cameron, Ezra, Reyes and Lyall, all hot, all with different powers, temperaments and ways of seduction – I’m not the biggest Why Choose romance, it has to be done right and so far I think this is starting off good. Is there instant lust? Yes, but it’s a slow burn and hey a new witch is coming into her wild powers and have to be a priestess in a male dominated coven? The instant lust feels normal honestly and all it came with was a few kisses. There is one full spicy scene and I was actually pleasantly surprised by this because I thought she was gonna get with all the guys in this first book. I wasn’t ready for all of that yet! So I’m glad this only had one graphic spice scene. I actually want to see how she connects with each guy as the story goes on.

So I do hope we get more of the murder mystery, but I felt like this first book did a good job of setting the stage for things to come.

Final Thoughts:

I kind of devoured this one because I loved the setting, the paranormal elements, monsters and even the gory murders! I think it all fits together and though this was insta-lust it was also a slow burn when it comes to the spice, I think it’s setting us up for way more to come though. I think out of all the guys Ezra is the one that intrigues me, but I like all the guys so far. I would like more about the murder mystery though so I look forward to reading the next book.

Read if you like:

cursed bloodlines, Witches, Werewolf
Why Choose romance but low spice so far
creepy setting, dark academia
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing

Author: Marshall J. Moore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/22/26

Publisher: Bantam

Categories: Horror, Humor, Fantasy, Paranormal

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

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

A mad scientist’s apprentice, a witch’s cat, and a vampire’s wife walk into a haunted mansion…

Humor meets horror in this heartwarming tale of friendship, solidarity, and stolen body parts.

As the laboratory assistant to the brilliant but demanding Doctor, Igor spends his nights robbing graves, stitching together body parts, and ensuring that his master doesn’t electrocute himself (too badly). It’s thankless work, but Igor knows it’ll all be worth it once they finally succeed in the Doctor’s all-encompassing quest to create new life from dead flesh.

When a mob of peasants wielding torches and pitchforks drives them out of town (again), Igor and the Doctor relocate to the isolated Ravenwald Manor to resume their experiments. But Igor and the Doctor are not the only ones seeking refuge within the walls of Ravenwald. The manor is already home to a vampiric Count and his highly dissatisfied bride, Cornelia—and an enigmatic witch and her feline familiar, Grimalkin, intend to use it as the site of a magical ritual.

At Igor’s suggestion, the three pairs come to an uneasy agreement to cohabitate in Ravenwald, lest they attract the suspicion of the nearby village. In the wake of this truce, Igor, Cornelia, and Grimalkin soon begin to realize that they might have more common with one another than their respective masters. When the trio discovers that they’ve been unwitting participants in a horrible plan to destroy the world as they know it, they must work together to stop their masters from bringing on armageddon… and stop the increasingly suspicious villagers from reaching for their pitchforks and torches.

Igor, Grim, and Cornelia must unite to cast off the chains of their masters and embrace life on their own terms in the hilarious, heartwarming, and just-spooky-enough The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing.

Content Warning: grave robbing, body horror

This was gifted to me by the publisher and it is not usually the type of book I would pick up or read but I was curious. The writing is great and it kind of gave me The Nightmare Before Christmas vibes in that it’s horror but kind of cozy. Like I adored Igor and Grim. Igor is the Doctor (mad scientist) assistant and he is not being treated well by his master so it was nice to see him Igor grow and come into his own at the end.

There’s a bunch of interesting characters from all walks of the paranormal world in this one, and it was fun getting to know them.

But because it’s not the type of book I usually read and I needed to be in the right mood to read this I found myself taking awhile to read this one.

Final Thoughts:

If you love horror with humor and a little bit of cozy vibes I think you will enjoy this one. For me, it was outside of the genres I usually read so it took me awhile to get into the mood to read this but the writing is great and the characters were charming.

Read if you like:

cozy horror
paranormal
humor

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Crown of Blood and Magick (Fated for Hael, #2)

Author: Amy De La Force

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: Canelo Romance

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

Now Empress of Hael’stromia, Cahra is supposed to be ruling the three kingdoms. But Ozumbre is seceding, Kolyath’s nobles sow division and King Thierre of Luminaux is lost to grief. Her only solace is her magickal protector Hael, their bond deepening into something… forbidden.

When Kolyath and Luminaux are attacked by an unknown enemy, Cahra dispatches Hael, leaving her exposed. He never returns, and Wyldaern is granted a vision: Hael, beaten to within an inch of his immortality, has been captured.

Cahra must master her power if she’s to find Hael in time, but there are traitors in her midst who will do whatever it takes to strip her of her title. As friends and allies drift further out of reach, who can she rely on to save Hael – and protect the kingdoms from an enemy so mighty, it could change the fate of her world forever?

Content Warning: violence

Book two in this series follows Cahra on her rise as an Empress, with Hael backing her and protecting her. There is a lot more political intrigue in this sequel but I felt like it took me a little longer to get into this book than book one. There is a large cast of characters and it took me awhile to remember who was who.

I didn’t really feel connected to Cahra in this one, and I’m not sure why. It could be that I didn’t believe she was ready to be an Empress over three kingdoms but there was enough to show her struggles and challenges. I did enjoy her relationship with Wyldaern though, I was invested in that.

The romance between Cahra and Hael finally go somewhere after so much yearning between them, and they even get a spicy scene.

Though it does start slow, the story picks up in the second half.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think I liked book one better than this one. It took me awhile to get into this sequel. The world-building is still interesting and I did enjoy the friendship between Cahra and Wyldaern. I was happy to see the romance move along with Hael, but for some reason I had a hard time connecting to this one. If you liked book one, I do think you will enjoy this one.

Read if you like:

romantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trust Fall by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Trust Fall

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fall Romance, Enemies to Lovers

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

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.

It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.

To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.

As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

Content Warning: grief, bullying

+ A Lynn Painter YA rom-com, fall romance? I had to read this one, plus that cover is screaming pumpkin spice everything.

+ Julia’s family has come into wealth by a mysterious donor. To get the house they have to move into and live there for a time. Going from Nebraska to NYC is a book move and culture shock for Julia. I hated all the bullying she got from the private school she started to attend but I also love how she adapted to life outside of school and fell in love with the city. Damion is a rich boy, it is his grand-uncle who gave away his fortune and he is pissed about it because he thought he would get the house that was his refuge. So this starts off as an enemies to lovers romance.

+~ The romance is cute because of the bickering, and enemies to lovers but Damion was mean at first. I thought he was such a jerk but that’s what made me love when he had to grovel. And it was some good groveling too, so I love how everything played out between them.

+~ I thought this was a quick read and I enjoyed it. I love that both Julia and Damion were tied to his great-uncle in different ways, but it didn’t mean one didn’t love him more or less than the other person. It just took Damion a moment to realize that his great-uncle loving other people doesn’t mean he didn’t care about Damion. One of my issues with the story was with Julia’s family. Her brother is a twin and goes to the same school, so why wasn’t he doing more to protect her there. Same with her parents, they just didn’t seem very involved in what was happening in Julia’s life which maybe is realistic, but sucks because she was having a hard time fitting in. I was expecting her brother to step up a little more to her bullies. He really stepped up to Damion when he hurt Julia but really he could have done more earlier.

Final Thoughts:

Overall this one is a cute YA rom-com that definitely gave me fall vibes. I’m a sucker for a rom-com set in New York City and this one didn’t disappoint.

Read if you like:

fall romance
enemies to lovers
young adult romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Maid for Each Other by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review– 3 ⭐️

Nothing Like the Movies by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review – 3 ⭐️

Happily Never After by. Lynn Painter| Book Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Betting on You by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review – 4 ⭐️

Love Wager by. Lynn Painter | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Better Than the Movies | ARC Review – 4.5 ⭐️

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (fade to black)

Title: The False Vow (The Weaver Bride, #2)

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, 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 Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love will be tested in this high-stakes, spellbinding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Weaver Bride—the perfect read for fans of The Rose Bargain and Thorn Season.

The gorgeous first edition of The False Vow will feature stunning, stenciled edges and printed endpapers!

Lovett Tamerlane is engaged.

A silkwitch whose magic can only be harnessed through marriage to a Weaver, Lovett was facing life in the cloisters when Eliot Lear offered the deal of a an invitation to the Vainglory to compete for wealthy Weaver heir Noé Allaire’s hand in marriage, in exchange for her solving his sister’s murder.

While they both got what they wanted, the competition was full of surprises. Lovett never expected to fall in love . . . and Eliot never anticipated that she’d betray him.

Now Lovett has one to take down Bastian Alaire and end his corrupt Weaver reign at any cost. But though the Vainglory may be over, danger still lurks at Fortblanche. And when Bastian presents Lovett with one last challenge—solve a murder that occurred within his walls, before the day of her wedding—she realizes the tests aren’t over. To pass this one, she’ll have to partner with the only person she hates more than her father-in-law his son, Noé.

But as Lovett will learn . . . sometimes love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Content Warning: violence, death

This is book two in The Weaver Bride series and I was looking forward to see what happened to Lovett and Eliot. Well, a lot happens in this book, some very unexpected things. Lovett and Eliot are trying to figure out the murder of Sybil, so they can best Noé’s dad, the weaver king, Bastian. Lovett and Noé are engaged but she still loves Eliot which makes this a love triangle. And the silkwitches who competed for Noé’s hand are trying to kill Lovett.

My favorite part of this story was actually the romance even though it’s a love triangle and I actually wasn’t sure who Lovett was going to end up with. I was a little disappointed with Eliot’s character because it wasn’t what I expected after how close he was to Lovett in book one. But I guess people change. Noé is filled with so much yearning that his confessions at the end really melted my heart. I love seeing their relationship grow. And there is a fade to black steamy scene.

As for the story, I felt like the beginning was half was slow. I only really got into the story at probably the 40% mark. I liked the first book because of the trials but now that is missing, so what takes it’s place is people trying to kill Lovett. Lovett’s competition, now bridesmaids, are all trying to kill her under Bastian’s request and Lovett is trying to figure out Sybil’s murder. I liked getting to know some of the bridesmaids more like Anais and Manon. There was never a warm relationship between Lovett and the girls because it was a competition and Lovett is not someone who allows people to get close to her and vice versa (which is why I loved her with Noé).

Final Thoughts:

I feel like I was more attracted to the romance story in this one than the mystery because the murder mystery felt slow. But if you like mysteries I think you will enjoy this one. The romance is a love triangle, and I wasn’t expecting the direction it went but at the end I wasn’t mad at it and actually loved getting to know Noé more. That guy is filled with so much yearning. Overall, I think this is a solid sequel to The Weaver Bride.

Read if you like:

love triangle
murder mystery
magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Who Needs Mistletoe? by. Sarah Estep | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Who Needs Mistletoe?

Author: Sarah Estep

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Holiday Romance

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

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

Full of sparkling wit, swoon-worthy romance, and toe-curling heat, Who Needs Mistletoe? is a small-town, girl-next-door romance that will wrap your holiday season in big fun and bigger heart.

Ivy Weaver learned the hard way that some confessions are better left unsaid―like the one meant for her longtime crush, Austin, that was accidentally delivered to his older brother, Grant, instead. His brutal reaction made leaving town easy. Staying away for ten years? Even easier.

Until now.

When Ivy’s parents announce they’re leaving Coeur-de-Lac for good, Ivy can’t avoid the inevitable. She’ll return just long enough to celebrate the Christmas season while packing up her parents’ house, and her past, for good.

Grant Underwood has spent his life doing exactly what was expected of him―taking over the family business, keeping everything running smoothly, never making the same mistake twice. But when Ivy comes back to town, he sees a second chance he didn’t think he’d get.

The problem? Ivy has spent the past decade thinking she was in love with the wrong brother.

Between a chaotic family holiday, Austin’s sudden interest in Ivy, and one extremely mischievous orange cat, Grant is running out of time before the Christmas season ends and he loses his chance to prove the boy Ivy once loved isn’t the man she was meant to end up with.

It’s going to take more than mistletoe to seal this love story with a kiss.

Content Warning: strained relationship with parent

+ Ivy had a crush on her neighbor Austin for years and one day she thought to confess it to him but instead told his older brother Grant (her co-worker and friend). He told her Austin would never notice her and it broke her heart. Years later she is finally coming back home to Wisconsin to help her parents pack up since they will be selling the house. And now she has to face Austin and Grant.

+ This holiday romance had so many things I love: gay best friend (for both Ivy and Grant), childhood crushes, small town, girl/boy next door, family, Christmas, friendship. I could not put it down! It’s one of those books I wish they would make into a holiday rom-com movie. Even the family drama with Grant and his dad fit into the story because Grant is the older one and responsible one but needs to break free from all the pressure. That’s so relatable.

+ Grant is so down bad for Ivy and she is clueless about it because she was never that girl in high school plus she was into his brother. She wasn’t popular, not noticeable, but Grant had always noticed her. I loved their romance and how both Ivy and Grant needed help from their gay best friends to kind of get the ball rolling! It had humor, family drama and fun spicy scenes. I loved all the good vibes from this romance!

Final Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this holiday romance! It had everything I wanted from the setting, the winter and Christmas vibes, humor, cozy family times, family drama, friendship and a fun and sweet romance! I had a fun time reading this one. Definitely check this one out if you want to read a holiday romance.

Read if you like:

holiday romance
friend to lovers
small town romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kiss of the Black Flame by. Helen Scheuerer| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Kiss of the Black Flame (The Bookbinder’s Bargain, #1)

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 9/22/26

Publisher: Atria Books

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, 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 Atria Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Some bargains are sealed with blood…Others with fire…The deadliest are sealed with a kiss…

Saige Grayson has always believed stories could heal—even when her own body refuses to. As the most promising bookbinder in the capital, she’s learned to work through chronic pain and crushing debt, restoring other people’s treasures while trying not to fall apart herself. But when the man she owes decides her rare talent is worth more than her payments, Saige is traded to the Azkari—an immortal race forged by the gods for war—and imprisoned in their ancient stronghold.

Her only chance of survival lies with Archer, a fallen Azkari general imprisoned beside her —cursed, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. He offers her a way out, and in return, Saige must help him retrieve and restore an ancient book. But the book is made of living magic, powerful enough to stop a great evil—or unleash it. And as Saige works with Archer, the tome begins to awaken something dark and dangerous—both in the realm and within her.

As their enemies close in and buried memories resurface, Saige and Archer must decide what they’re willing to their freedom, their fragile trust…or the spark that could ignite the world.

Content Warning: violence, death

Archer is an Azkari general who has been trapped in prison with his half corporeal form for 200 years. With his enemy, Malevron, on the move he has to beat him to finding the Confluence – a book that contains all the knowledge about the Azkari people and their magic. He needs a bookbinder who has the talent to restore the book, and he’s found one but not the one he’s looking for. But Saige makes a pact with Archer because she needs help from thugs, but the bargain she makes is unknowingly more than she agreed to.

This is quite a story and I was hooked from the very beginning! I’ve read a few of this author’s books, but I didn’t read the last book of her last series only because sometimes trying to stick to a series longer than 3 books can be difficult when I’m short on time and motivation. But I’ve always loved her writing. This book reminds me why I was a fan of her work in the first place. It’s easy to read and the characters are easy to connect to and invest in. And there are a few things going on like a bargain, a journey, action, a quest, a book restoration, political intrigue, a slow burn romance and a story about family – found and bio. There are a few secrets and some betrayals, so there was always something happening in this story whether it was the quest to find the book and the events that came after it to restore the book. I loved learning about the Askari and hope we get to know more in book two.

Saige is 35 years old, which I absolutely love since I feel like there should be more older FMC’s in stories. I love the found family that Saige has with her adopted mother Yev and her best-friend, Raven. And I can’t forget Yev’s hound, Grim – he was adorable, especially when he was getting on Archer’s nerves. Saige is for the most part, mostly positive and has a happy disposition – even when bad things happen. But she does have a hard time asking people for help and has gotten into debt with a bad man. As for Archer, he is very grumpy, and has a few secrets. I thought his interactions with his friends, family, Saige and her family were funny because he’s such a grump!

The romance is a delicious slow burn because Archer and Saige are very much opposites and come into the bargain reluctantly. It goes from dislike to lovers to…enemies? It ends with a cliffhanger. But oh did I love Archer when he was a tortured general with tattoos of plants or flowers on his back. He also wears glasses and sketches with charcoal, but yes he is also a killing machine made for war. He was such a contradiction and a mystery but we do find out a lot about him at the end – some things I didn’t like knowing, so I don’t know how I felt about him at the end, I’ll wait until book two to judge him. Saige was an interesting character because I think she’s older? So she didn’t need a man and was very big about being independent but she didn’t deny she wanted Archer and I kind of like that she didn’t hide it. Their spicy moments were fun too.

Final Thoughts:

I devoured this one! I love so many things about it like the romance, the quest, the grumpy x sunshine characters, the found family and bio family. There was action, secrets, betrayals and I want more. Can’t wait for book two!

Read if you like: