Queen of the Night Sky by. Amalie Howard | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Queen of the Night Sky (Starkeeper, #2)

Author: Amalie Howard

Pages: 480

Listening Hours: 15 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Ramiz Monsef; Anais Inara Chase

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 3/16/26

Categories: Romance, Series, Romantasy, Why Choose, Fantasy

The sequel to The Starlight Heir and the epic conclusion to the romantasy duology that Rebecca Yarros calls, “a breathtaking, sexy romantasy full of twists and adventure.”

The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.

When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.

As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I read The Starlight Heir (book one) in the beginning of last year so I’m not going to lie, I didn’t remember the characters much. I had to read my review of book one to jog my memory but I didn’t feel hampered by now remembering everyone and everything that happened. This story takes place right after the events of book one and I did have some questions about a mysterious character, but he definitely shows up in this conclusion.

+ Sura is powerful now that she is by Roshan’s side as his intended bride, but as he is trying to get the business of ruling his kingdom under control – he in turn is starting to control Sura. There is an amnesia trope in this story which I didn’t mind.

+ There were hints of a possible love triangle in book one, but it comes to fruition in this book. I will say though, the author did let the relationship build with the mystery man, Darrius, until she brought back Roshan in to make it a Why Choose romance. Darrius is the Night King, he is a shadow daddy and he has a beast inside him. And honestly, with the way Sura is, I felt like it fit her to be in a throuple with both men. She loves both of them, and they love her, and I like how they were just open to it instead of competing for her. There is some hot spice, but surprisingly it’s mostly at the end of the story.

+ I did enjoy the politics between the different kingdoms. There are secrets, and a betrayal I wasn’t expecting at all. I thought getting to know Everlea and the Night King was very interesting. I also like the world building and how the world opened up outside of Oryndhr.

+~ The narrator for the female voices did a beautiful job. But the male narrator I had some issues with in that he sounded so dramatic that I kept giggling when his voice came on! I think he did a pretty good job as Roshan, but when he was Darrius – oh my…it was too much, too cartoonish? I couldn’t stop laughing which made it worse during the spicy scenes! 😅

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a good conclusion to the duology. There was action, the world opened up, secrets, betrayals, romance and some very spicy scenes. The narrators for the most part did a great job – I just wish the male voice for Darrius wasn’t so exaggerated, but I still enjoyed the story.

Read if you like:

Why Choose spicy romance
world-building
betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Starlight Heir by. Amalie Howard | ARC Review – 3.5 stars

Book Review | The Beast of Beswick – 4.5 stars

The Raven at the Ash Door by. K.A. Linde | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Raven at the Ash Door (The Oak and the Holly Cycle, #3)

Author: K.A. Linde

Pages: 586

Listening Hours: 16 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Stephanie Németh Parker

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 6/16/26

Categories: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Series, Romantasy

Can love survive an unbreakable curse?

Kierse McKenna’s magic is bound to a man she hates―one who has spent lifetimes fighting the man she loves.

To end this binding, Graves―her winter god, her monster―will stop at nothing. He discovers that the only hope of freeing Kierse is to locate a stone relic of legend, rumored to lift any curse.

The only problem? The stone has been missing for a century.

And the Oak King is on their trail.

Now Kierse is trapped at the heart of a centuries-long battle while the rest of the world comes unraveled. The Fae Killer is hunting. The peace with monsters is fracturing. And as the very rules of their myth start to shift, escaping the Oak King’s hold may demand more than stolen artifacts and clever heists.

For Kierse and Graves, it may mean risking the only thing they have left to lose.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ This is book 3 in the series and in my review of book 2 I said I was not going to continue this series. Why did I? Well I needed an audiobook to listen to while completing a 1000 piece puzzle 😅 but honestly…I was genuinely surprised at how much more I liked this book than the first 2. And I think it’s because the story has come together now – but I wish it didn’t take 3 books to make that happen. I did hear this is a 5 book series.

+ Kierse is working with Graves to find the stone that can help break the soul mate bond with Lorcan. While on the search for this stone though there is another subplot in connection with Fae being killed and now sorcerers too? So the fun part about this story is the urban fantasy setting plus the found family that Graves and Kierse has reluctant put together. The heists in the book really shows off everyone’s skills. Kierse is excelling in being a thief as usual. Graves, the mastermind of the group, was always researching and plotting. Lorcan, Kierse’s soul mate who refuses to leave her, was there for some of the action too just to keep her safe.

+ There is a lot of different magic use which was interesting and then the whole thing about the trees. I’m amazed I kept interested in the audiobook with so much going on. Usually I would lose interest, but I did think the magic system was fascinating.

+ The narrator did such a great job with this large cast. She had all kinds of accents too – really fantastic job. If I read this as an ebook I might have found it slow but she really kept me invested in these characters.

+~ I did like Kierse and Graves together and seeing their relationship move forward. They get pretty spicy also. But at the 80% mark of the story, things started to feel like the book was getting a bit too long. The romance is a never ending love triangle where Kierse explicitly chooses and loves Graves, but can’t deny the bond with Lorcan too. So that was driving me a little bit crazy – almost to the point of annoyed by the end of this book because things will just be swinging the other way again in book 4 and I don’t know if I have the patience for it. I feel like Graves is her end game, so why prolong it? I will say the series name The Holly and Oak Cycle, makes so much since because that’s what this series feels like especially in terms of the romance – it’s a cycle! One that I kind of want stopped. 😅

~ Also near the ending of this book, I was getting annoyed with Kierse. Yes she’s a badass thief, great, but there are times she just doesn’t listen. And that leads to some disastrous consequences at the end.

Final Thoughts:

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one more than book one and two. I’m not sure if I will continue the series or just wait until the last 2 books are out. I like the urban fantasy setting and the found family, but the romance is a little frustrating.

Read if you like:

love triangle
urban fantasy
found family
heist

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Robin on the Oak Throne by. K.A. Linde | Audiobook Review – 3 stars/2 🌶️

The Wren in the Holly Library by. K.A. Linde | Book Review – 3 stars

The Someday Garden by. Ashley Poston | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Someday Garden

Author: Ashley Poston

Pages: 400

Listening Hours: 11 hours 25 min (approx.)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 6/16/26

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Magical Realism

The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer—for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House—she doesn’t expect to fall in love.

But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place.

And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside.

This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie’s careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor’s owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires—including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer.

Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.

Content Warning: death, grief

+ This author does magical realism so well, and the narrator did such an amazing job. I was sucked into this story. There were actually times in this audiobook I wish I was reading the ebook so I could highlight phrases that touched me.

+ My favorite part of the story had to be about Sophie journey through grief and learning to come to peace with her best-friend’s passing. Their story was so sweet, especially with their adoration of Lilymoor and their love for each other was so real that I was heartbroken for Sophie and I related to her a lot in how she dealt with her grief. So I saw a lot of myself in Sophie and I think people who have lost someone like that will relate as well. But it was so gratifying to see Sophie try to move forward – the ending even made me cry.

+ I love the found family Sophie has with her coworkers at Lilymoor. They all had their quirks and she tried to not getting close to anyone since her job was temporary, but I love how Lilymoor and the people eventually take root in her heart. Lilymoor is what sounds like from all the descriptions, a gorgeous garden – it made me want to visit! I love the analogy of a garden as it is to life. So many times throughout the book Sophie says life is like a garden – nothings stays forever, it is always changing, growing and dying.

+~ For me, I feel like the romance wasn’t as much a focus (for me at least), as the grief journey. But it was definitely an aspect of helping Sophie move on because she felt stuck in life – in her career, her love life (lack of), just everything because she was grieving Harrie so badly. Cyrus, is the man she meets in this secret door that leads to a garden – he is actually Lilymoor’s owner’s nephew, who has good memories of the estate but also traumatic ones. Sophie meets with him and they eventually fall in love, but he’s stuck in a different space of time there in that garden. A lot of the story feels like a cozy read, where Cyrus and Sophie get to know one another. There is some spice.

+~ There were times I wanted more explanation about the magic in the garden but I guess that’s just me digging for information and not going with the flow. For the most part I went with the flow, but there were times I wondered about why timed moved slowly for Cyrus in the garde, etc…

Final Thoughts:

This one touched my heart because losing someone and experience grief was something very relatable to me in this book. I loved seeing Sophie learn to enjoy life again whether it was when she was falling in love, or knowing she wanted to stay on at Lilymoor or opening up and getting to know her coworkers. It’s a touching story about friendship and strength to keep going and that ending made me cry.

Read if you like:

magical realism
grief journey, growth
found family
romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Sounds Like Love by. Ashley Poston | Audiobook – 4 stars/🌶️

A Novel Love Story by. Ashley Poston | Book Review – 3.5 stars

The Dead Romantics by. Ashley Poston | Book Review – 4.5 stars

Of Venom and Vengeance by. Mikayla Bridge | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Of Venom and Vengeance

Author: Mikayla Bridge

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Narrator: Safiyya Ingar

Listening Hours: approx. 11 hrs 54 min

Publication Date: 7/7/26

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) / Macmillan Young Listeners

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

A deliciously dark standalone set in the same world as the YA romantic fantasy Of Flame and Fury, where star-crossed enemies gamble with their hearts, empires, and the fate of a lost god.

On an island marred by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.

Inna is the perfect heiress to the Pallo crime poised, cunning, untouchable. Behind this glamorous facade, she hunts for the sinister truth of her sister’s death. Despite the cover-up she’s been led to believe, Inna can feel an enemy lurking in the shadows.

Rylan has sculpted himself into a talented thief for one retribution for his family, who were murdered by Inna’s mother. Armed with illusion magic, Rylan plans to steal an ancient riddle from the Pallo vault, one that leads to a sleeping god. Whoever wakes the Serpent King will be granted any wish they desire. Rylan means to claim this power, and with it, Inna’s ruin.

But when Inna catches Rylan sneaking past her family’s security, they enter into a perilous alliance that neither intends to keep —even as bitter attraction unravels into something more.

Though some hearts aren’t meant to be stolen, and love knows nothing of blood-red revenge.

Content Warning: violence

World Building: So I want to say when I picked this up – I actually thought this was book two of Of Flame and Fury which I loved! And so I was very confused when all this book was talking about was sprites, and harnessing their magic and the legend of the Serpent King. It was only when I looked at the synopsis again and this said it was a standalone in the same “world” as Of Flame and Fury that I had to stop my mind from searching and connecting to anything from that book. Honestly, this didn’t even feel like it was in the same world as the first book. Inna is a Pallo, a notorious crime family who is using the magic of sprites to conduct their business. Ryland, wants revenge on the Pallo’s for killing his. Eventually I thought the sprite magic was interesting (once I realized this was nothing like book one).

Characters: Inna is the daughter of a powerful woman, and went through something traumatic, and she lost her sister Erika. Now she is determined to find out more about who killed her. Celesse is her guard/best-friend/and ex-girlfriend. The two of them have a very complicated relationship which gets even worse when Ryland enters the picture. Ryland wants to take down Inna’s family but first he needs her help to find information on how to find the Serpent King. Another important character is, Fernan, Inna’s uncle who might be conducting some shady business.

Romance: Inna and Celesse used to be lovers and now things are complicated but Celesse is very much still in her life – so I felt like it took some time to really believe Inna had feelings for Ryland. I don’t think I was focused as much on the romance though than I was in Inna’s family dynamics and everything else going on in the story.

Story: Once I realized this was a whole different story than what I was expecting, I had to resettle and get into this story about Inna and her family, sprite magic, and Ryland wanting revenge. And I did get into it during the second half of the book. I enjoyed the complicated relationships, the heist and the betrayals. I know the synopsis said this was a standalone, but I feel like that ending is left open to more adventure? I guess we will see.

Narrator(s): The narrator did a great job voicing all the characters.

Final Thoughts:

My reading experience would have been better if I realized this was a totally separate story from Of Flame and Fury. But once I realized my mistake I started to enjoy the story much more. It does mean though that if you haven’t read Of Flame and Fury, you won’t feel lost picking this up, which is a good thing! I did enjoy Inna and Ryland and how they were enemies then reluctant allies. I liked all the family drama and betrayals too. The sprite magic was very interesting too so I look forward to see what this author writes next.

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
young adult fantasy
heist
reluctant allies

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Of Flame and Fury by. Mikayla Bridge | ARC Review – 4 stars

Our Perfect Storm by. Carley Fortune | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Our Perfect Storm

Author: Carley Fortune

Pages: 410

Listening Hours: 10 hours 52 min (approx)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Beach Read

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

Content Warning: parental neglect

+ There was dual narration for this story, which I love. The female narrator was fantastic and really kept me in the story. The male narrator did a great job being George.

+ Set in Canada, Frankie is about to marry her fiancé Nate when he leaves her a day before the wedding. She is devastated. But her best friend George is there to pick her up and help her move on – they go on her honeymoon and spend a week together connecting and remembering the memories of their past and noticing the new things about one another. This is such a summer read, especially with the setting, the surfing and just being on vacation.

+ Clearly Frankie and George are the best of friends, they grew up with one another. They have memories of them together going back to when they were 8 years old. Their connection is undeniable but I do love how as adults they took different paths and George leaving for his career hurt Frankie, but they needed to grow. Now back together Frankie sees George in a different light. Most of the book is them hanging out, remembering memories – it’s only in the latter part of the book when they decide to take things further. There is spice, but I think it’s beautiful because they know each other so well.

+ George is amazing (except for him not telling Frankie how he felt for years). But his grand gesture of love at the end was the sweetest.

+~ This is a romance but both Frankie and George have issues with their parents. I get that Frankie resented her mom for going off the study whales, but I couldn’t stand how Frankie hated whales because of it. 😅 I mean, it’s whales! How can you hate them? Of course she didn’t hate them – she hated what they represented, which were very hurt feelings she harbored as a kid. George has issues because of his parents too. All of this affected them trying to be together – but they do eventually get therapy. Yay!

~ Everything is almost perfect between Frankie and George, until the miscommunication trope. George was bad at telling Frankie how he felt, for years! Frankie was oblivious also. So hey it is realistic, and honestly everything was so good between except that thing.

Final Thoughts:

This is only my second book from this author. The first book I read was okay, I thought it wasn’t for me and was a little boring. I was hesitant about this one, but I think because I listened to this as an audiobook, it helped a lot to keep me invested. So I might have to just listen to her books from now on, instead of reading it. I thought this was a cute childhood friends to lovers romance, with tons of summer vibes and a sweet ending!

Read if you like:

childhood friends to lovers
summer read

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

This Summer Will Be Different by. Carley Fortune | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Book Made Me Think of You by. Libby Page | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Book Made Me Think of You

Author: Libby Page

Narrator(s): Zadeiah Campbell-Davies

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 320 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours 10 min

Publication Date: 2/3/26

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Categories: Contemporary, Grief, Romance, Bookstore

A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago….

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.

Content Warning: grief, illness, death

World Building: Set around an indie bookstore where Tilly’s late husband has left her a book a month to get through the year after his death. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking and cozy! The indie bookstore has a book owner Alfie who also knows his share of grief when losing his father. The store also has a cat. This story is definitely for the book lovers and indie bookstore lovers.

Characters: Tilly is lost without her husband Joe, but this is the year she gets out and takes a chance on life because of the books he has left her. It was nice seeing her grow and I related to her grief. Alfie is the shop owner who Tilly befriends but feelings grow between them slowly. I did like the storyline between Tilly and her sister, who meant well even though Tilly was afraid to try new things – I like how they eventually work things out.

Romance: We get a peek at Tilly’s romance with her late-husband Joe and then her trying to maybe make room for more love with Alfie. It’s sweet, heart-warming and I was rooting for both of them.

Story: The narrator did a fantastic job, loved her accent, her voice was soothing. This story was reminding me a little bit of the movie, P.S. I Love You, which I loved. This story really takes us on Tilly’s journey through grief and finding her way with her family, her career and new love. She goes on trips, does a half marathon and works things out with her sister. And then she also starts to fall in love again. It’s a beautiful story! It is a bit of a cozy read, so sometimes in the middle, I found it a little slow, but that’s an issue for me.

Vibes/Tropes: P.S. I Love You, book lover romance

Final Thoughts:

This one was a little triggering for me but I was invested in Tilly’s journey through her grief and watching her grow so much! It is so heartwarming seeing Tilly learn to live and love again. This story is definitely for the book lovers!

Read if you like:

bookstore and book lover romance
life journey
grief

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Shippers by. Katherine Center | ALC and ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Shippers

Author: Katherine Center

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/19/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Categories: Contemporary, Romance

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

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

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

Content Warning: harassment

+ I had an immersive with this book because I had the ALC and ebook ARC. The narration of the audiobook was done very well and there are a lot of funny moments in this book that really came to life because of the narrator. I did ending up reading it by ebook to finish it though.

+~ Jojo got cold feet at her own wedding but now her sister is getting married, on a cruise ship. So I loved the wacky family moments, the wedding games on the ship and just all the antics. Her family is close but they also have some issues with her dad, but things work out in the end. Jojo at first started off like a fun character but the more I read, she kind of got on my nerves because of silly things – like major miscommunication.

+~ The romance is childhood friends to lovers. I love Cooper he takes care of Jojo when she’s in need of help! As for Jojo…she has misinterpreted some moments of her past, which now affects here in the present – and honestly some things could have been hashed out with her just listening to Cooper or just talking to him. She’s quirky, and just all over the place – whereas Cooper is the one who steadies her. But yeah, Jojo was not my favorite in this situation.

~ Jojo not only misinterprets things with Cooper, but with her dad also. They (Jojo, her sister and mom), have been holding a grudge about their dad for decades because of one moment in her childhood. A moment that could have been talked about it when the incident happened? But they didn’t talk and let it fester for years? Yet…it was a misunderstanding basically? So all these problems she’s blamed on other people for years….could have been solved or acknowledged in the past, but wasn’t.

Final Thoughts:

I thought the wedding cruise ship antics were fun and there were many funny moments in this story because of it and Jojo’s family. So I really enjoyed that part. I also love Cooper, but I didn’t quite love how this romance is based on miscommunication, it’s my least favorite romance trope. Overall though, this makes for a good beach read as long as you don’t mind Jojo’s antics.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Love Haters by. Katherine Center | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hello Stranger by. Katherine Center | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Bodyguard by. Katherine Center | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

Title: Seek the Traitor’s Son

Author: Veronica Roth

Narrator(s): Imani Jade Powers, Max Meyers; Rebecca Soler; Steve West

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432 Listening Time: Approximately 20 hours

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Categories: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Dystopian, 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 Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A new epic romantic, dystopian fantasy begins in Seek the Traitor’s Son, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her.

She is happy with her life as a soldier. She spends her days fighting the Talusar, whose deadly Fever and mysterious gifts threaten her small country’s very existence.

But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with.

In just one day, Elegy’s old life–her job, her purpose, and her future–is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing.

Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

Content Warning: memories of torture, violence, death

+ I haven’t read a Veronica Roth series since the Divergent series and Carve the Mark series (which I never finished but not because it wasn’t good) and I thought why not try this one since dystopian is making a comeback. There are four narrators for this book and it really is an amazing audiobook because of all the fantastic job did they for all the characters. I loved the pacing of this story, I was invested and wanted to hear more even when I stopped it.

+ The world building is really fascinating. It’s a futuristic dystopian setting with spaceships, but I found it really interesting that Elegy didn’t believe in aliens! As the story goes on though, there is a possibility that maybe there is something out there. The Talusar is a nation that is powerful, that worships a virus – and it wants to take over Sedra (spelling not sure because I listened to this as an audiobook). But when people are infected with the virus, they either die or change and gain powers – I thought that was kind of cool. There is a prophecy that the Augurs have given to Elegy, a daughter of Sedra, and one to Rava, a warrior from Talusar. But there is a man named Theren (sp?) who is crucial to these women’s lives. He is from Talusar, but becomes Elegy’s knight until a big event happens. There is a lot Theren goes through to eventually get back to Elegy.

+ There is political intrigue and a race to find out what Rava is up to and also if this prophecy will come true and who will be the victor. Elegy is interesting because she doesn’t want to responsibility of being the heroine in a prophecy, so she has to grapple with that.

+ I love the secondary characters like Hela, Elegy’s sister/best-friend and a bunch of the other characters we meet. It’s a well rounded cast that gives depth to the story. Even Rava, as the villain, is an interesting character.

+~ There is a romance that builds slowly between Elegy and Theren, and I think it’s an interesting relationship because of what he’s been through – he’s a bit broken. And he feels guilt for leaving Elegy in the past. I love that they find comfort in one another, but I don’t know if it happens fast or maybe it’s because I’m listening to it as an audiobook, that I feel like it happens too fast? I might have to read the ebook to get a better feel for it but I was rooting for them until the end.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrators were great and the world building and political intrigue is fascinating. I wish I had the ebook so I could follow the story closer and remember all the characters names, but I look forward to reading book two in this series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Divergent by. Veronica Roth – 5 stars

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by. Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark – 4 stars

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by. Katrina Kwan | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Author: Katrina Kwan

Narrator(s): Feodor Chin, Eunice Wong, Eric Yang

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 320 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours 10 min

Publication Date: 2/24/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Chinese Mythology, Romance

Yue may be the last of her kind. At night, she stalks the streets of the capital city of Longhao, luring in unsuspecting victims with the mask of a beautiful woman, then consuming them in her true form of the nine-tailed fox.

When she is captured by a powerful demon hunter named Sonam and banished to Hell, she manages one final act of revenge: dragging him—and two of his subordinates—down with her.

Now trapped in an abyss with unimaginable terrors, they’ll need each other’s help to navigate Hell and bypass the gods who preside over each circle, each of whom presents the group with a unique and deadly challenge. Forced to depend on one another as they claw their way out of the underworld, both demon and demon hunter discover that there might be more to the other than meets the eye.

Content Warning: violence

World Building: Tied into the Chinese mythology of Chang’e (the moon goddess) and Hou Yi – Yue is a demon nine-tailed fox disguised as a beautiful young woman when she is wearing a mask. When demon hunter, Sonam, captures her and they banish her to hell, she drags him down with her, with a few of her guards. So most of this story is set in hell, with different tests they have to past to try and get out! I thought it was a fun venture through hell meeting these different Star Gods in hell and seeing Yue, Sonam and crew fight their way out.

Characters: I love Yue! Yes she’s a demon but she has heart, and it’s been broken. She has rules, she doesn’t eat children, and she’s such a fighter. Sonam is a captain of the guard and an infamous demon hunter. These two clash and fight but when they start seeing each other on a deeper level it’s fantastic. I loved the secondary characters too, Sonam’s friend and cousin who is dragged down to hell with them. The maskmaker is a very intriguing character also!

Romance: enemies to lovers with no spice! I was amazed but it totally worked because I was invested in seeing Yue and Sonam fight, and then fall for one another. I loved their banter too. And it isn’t instant because of what she is to him, a demon that he hunts, and what he is to her, a hunter who hunts her kind. But I was so happy when they fall. I love them. I just wish there was a little more than just a kiss, but that’s my personal preference, it really is perfect as is.

Story: The narrators did such an amazing job with this story! I felt like this was non-stop action and I loved it. It made the story move fast which I appreciated.

Vibes/Tropes: enemies to lovers, demon/demon-hunter, deadly trials

Final Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this story action packed story about a demon and a demon hunter. I was rooting for them to find their way through hell and fall in love in the process and I was not disappointed! I would have maybe loved a little more steam in the romance but that’s just a personal preference, it was still perfect. Definitely will check out more books from this author!

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
demon/demon-hunter
mythology

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Merry Life by. Sarah Branson | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Merry Life (Pirates of New Earth, #1)

Author: Sarah Branson

Narrator(s): Helen Laser

Format: audiobook (audible)

Pages: 328 Listening Time: approximately 8 hours 13 min

Publication Date: 4/9/22

Publisher: Sarah Branson

Categories: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian, Series

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 Sarah Branson for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Kat Wallace is on a mission. After escaping tortuous enslavement, she sets her sights on ending the human trafficking that has flourished in 24th century Earth.

Adopted by the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, Kat Wallace is determined to prove herself as a member of the Bosch Pirate Force and use her skills to avenge her enslavement and free other thralls.

But unexpected love and a test of loyalty threaten to rob her of what she wants a home.

Content Warning: mention of -grooming, sexual assault, rape, abuse; slavery, violence, death

I was asked to read and review this book and was gifted the audiobook on Audible. The narrator’s voice was great and really drew me into the story! I don’t usually read sci-fi/fantasy, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one but I was interested in the FMC, Kat Wallace, right away. Just from the beginning chapters alone you know she’s a survivor and she’s going to have one amazing story – and I was right. The world building about this futuristic Earth is very fascinating.

Kat is a thrall, a slave, and she’s trying to escape when Teddy, the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, saves her and takes her home. She basically becomes his adopted daughter and what a relationship they have from start to the emotional finish.

I was really invested in Kat’s life from being new in Bosch, getting to know Teddy’s family, becoming strong and knowledgable with the goal of taking down the man who owned her and assaulted her. With Teddy’s guidance, his family (her new family), new friends and even a new love life – Kat becomes an amazing woman. Though she doesn’t quite carry out her revenge, I think that’s why this is a series and hopefully I can get around to reading the other books to see what happens next.

Now there were some time jumps that felt kind of quick in the story. Like one day she’s a trainee and next she’s on a mission and it’s almost a year later and these time jumps were jarring. The romance in her life happens fast too – despite her having trauma in her past. Also…maybe this gets brought up more in the next books but Teddy’s operation of selling glitter (a drug), is concerning and Kat brings it up – it’s not okay and she wants to change that but later on seems to accept it as is – but I hope in the next books, she ends this glitter trade. Another thing I would have loved was more pirating in the story.

Final Thoughts:

If you like sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian stories, I think this would appeal to you. I loved the narrator and though it feels like the book just follows Kat’s very interesting life, it glosses over some things that I wish we had more time with like the romance, and the pirating. The world building is great and I didn’t expect the emotional ending. I’m hoping in the next books in the series, Kat gets her revenge though!

Read if you like: