Tag: book review

Monthly Wrap Up | January 2026

Why does January always feel like 90 days long? January started off nice with my daughter’s 9th birthday and then I don’t know what happened. The world going crazy, our government acting horribly – I had highs and lows all of January and I’m so tired of it.

My highs were my daughter’s birthday, and getting concert tickets for Bruno Mars and BTS. My lows? Everything else happening in this country – our country being run by crooks and offenders committing some heinous acts. This all happening in the first month of the New Year tells me what kind of year this is going to be. I am anxious.

As for books, I escaped into books. I worked through February arcs – I have more to complete. I took on reading some books by indie authors who have been finding me through this blog and tiktok.

I read 24 books and posted 26 book reviews in January.

Books I Read – 24 books

  1. A War of Wyverns by. S.F. Williamson (ALC)
  2. The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson (ARC)
  3. Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by. Emma Simmerman (ARC)
  4. Shadows & Secrets by. Arcadia Rayne (kindle unlimited)
  5. Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn (ARC)
  6. Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu (ARC)
  7. Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto (ARC)
  8. The Cure by. Pedro Urvi (ARC)
  9. Love and Other Brain Experiments by. Hannah Brohm (ARC)
  10. Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto (ARC)
  11. Crown of War and Shadow by. J.R. Ward (ARC)
  12. Wicked Onyx by. Debbie Cassidy (ARC)
  13. Dragon Cursed by. Elise Kova
  14. Silk & Iron by. Alexis Calder (ARC)
  15. A Queen Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride (ARC)
  16. Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade
  17. Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood (ARC)
  18. A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris (kindle unlimited)
  19. Maybe This Once by. Sophie Sullivan (ARC)
  20. Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes (ALC)
  21. Fated Skates by. Victoria Schade (ALC)
  22. The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett (ARC)
  23. Still Fighting by. Syianne Horne (ARC)
  24. Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke (kindle unlimited)

Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 26 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

  • Version 1.0.0

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

Book Tags:

Birthstone Book Covers: January – Garnet | 2026

Blog Tours:

Other:

How was your month?

Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Alchemy & Ashes (The Shadowbound Duet, #1)

Author: Amy Yorke

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 495

Publication Date: 11/11/25

Categories: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Series


Perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen, Carissa Broadbent, and Sarah J. Maas, Alchemy & Ashes is a high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where two sisters’ plan to assassinate the king who killed their father goes awry when one of them falls in love with him.

The daughter of a failed rebellion. The king who killed her father. A love that could tear the kingdom apart.

Sylvie has always lived in her sister Adria’s shadow. But at the Great Festival, she finally has her chance to step into the by striking down God-King Ronan, the man who destroyed her family. Adria may have led the rebellion, but Sylvie will be the one to finish it.

Ronan has spent years rebuilding a kingdom broken by the war that claimed his father and shattered his faith. But peace has come at a price. Surrounded by enemies and burdened by secrets too dangerous to reveal, he’s losing of his court, his magic, and maybe even himself.

The closer Sylvie gets to Ronan, the more she’s drawn to the man she vowed to kill. Wanting him would mean betraying not just her sister, but her people and the memory of her parents. Trusting Sylvie could cost Ronan the throne—or his life. Because even if Sylvie refuses to strike, Adria won’t hesitate to finish the job.

The road to the throne runs through his heart. And only one sister will claim it.

Alchemy & Ashes is the first book in the Shadowbound Duet.

Content Warning: violence, death

I picked this one up randomly on Kindle Unlimited one day because of the cover and the synopsis. I was in the mood for a romantasy with all the usual tropes and this one has a few: a rebellion against the current ruling kingdom, a girl who’s plan is to get close to the God-King to kill him, trials, secrets and betrayals.

+ God-King Ronan is throwing the Great Festival, a festival that hasn’t been thrown in 10 years because the kingdoms have been warring. Now in this time of peace, he’s welcoming delegates from other kingdoms to come and partake in the festival and competition in different skills. Sylvie, her sister, guard and group attend this festival with an ulterior motive – to kill Ronan because he killed her father, and her people are starving under his rule, among other things on her list of grievances against him.

+ The world building was interesting and light – which was very easy to consume. There is a magic system based on what you are born with and also use of alchemy. There are different elemental powers people can be born with for example Sylvie is shadow-born, and can control shadows. Ronan is light-born and has powers of light and healing. He also has the power of feeling people’s emotions. There is an alchemist guild that stays a bit mysterious in the story until more is revealed at the end.

+ Sylvie is not like her siblings who are ruthless in battle and rule. Sylvie knows her limitations, she’s the spare and not skilled like the others, but her role is to get close to Ronan. Ronan, I thought was really unexpected. I was expecting him to be ruthless, but he’s not – he wants a peaceful world and is trying to achieve it. He’s kind of a softy! He is loved but also naive and too trusting at times, yet still powerful. I like that he is aware that all the war between their kingdoms have taken so much from everyone and that what he has done may not be forgivable but he’s looking for a way forward so the cycle of war ends. Unfortunately, Sylvie’s family is trying to start another war, and continue the cycle but I like how she learns for herself which side she should be on.

+ It does start of with a little insta-attraction but I love how the romance progressed because there is time for Sylvie and Ronan to get to know one another. There is an attraction growing between them though that eventually leads to some spicy scenes but I liked it because by then Sylvie has to make some hard choices about Ronan and her family. And it’s not an easy choice for Sylvie at all. I do hope we learn a little more about their power of communication that reveals itself in the second half of the story.

+ There is a little bit of romance. Lucan is the Vicar’s adopted son, and he’s been tasked to keep his eye on Isola. Isola doesn’t like him because an incident in the past, but during the Tribunal, they spend more time with one another and decide to team up. Being around one another makes their attraction grow. I was definitely rooting for Lucan and Isola but we’ll have to see what happens in book two.

~ I don’t think we got much of the alchemy part of the story, so hoping that will be explored more in book two.

Final Thoughts:

This is an easy to consume romantasy with light world-building and with the addictive usual tropes. I actually enjoyed that the MMC wasn’t ruthless and powerful though – he was still powerful, but kind of a softy, which I appreciated. I usually like my kings with alpha energy, but I liked that Ronan was still the leader but willing to look for solutions and wanted peace. Because don’t we just all want peace? Plus he is crazy about Sylvie – I loved their romance and the spice. I would like to learn about the alchemy though so hopefully that is explored more in book two. And after that cliffhanger ending, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/1/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Another week down and it’s now – FEBRUARY. Why does January always feel like the slowest and yet fastest month ever? January was torture. Today I have to take my kiddos to Sunday school since my hubby was called into work – during a govt shutdown of course. What else is new?! 🤦🏻‍♀️

+ My goal this week was to catch up on blog posts, reviews, and finishing my February arcs. I have one more arc to finish for February! But yes, just trying to get back on schedule.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris
  • Dawn of the North by. Demi Winters
  • Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto
  • Fated Skates by. Victoria Schade (audiobook)
  • Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke
  • Still Fighting by. Syianne Horne
  • The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett

Currently Reading:

  • A Promise of Lies by. Claire Sager
  • Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson
  • A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez
  • She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe (audiobook)
  • I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  • Mate by. Ali Hazelwood (audiobook)
  • In Time with You by. Kristin Dwyer

*what is with these dark book covers? Such a somber palette! I’m excited that I got to read some books with some orange in the cover. I

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Heated Rivalry (HBO Max) – episode 3-5 – I loved Hunter and Kip’s episode! 🥺
  • The Wrecking Crew (Amazon Prime Video) – I don’t usually watch action movies these days but my cousin is in this movie as an extra so I had to watch it! It has Jason Momoa in it. It was fun to see my cousin in like 3 quick scenes.
  • Bridgerton Season 4 (part 1 – Netflix) – the Cinderella of it all?! I read the books so long ago I don’t remember much of them but remember all the historical romance tropes. But this season has so much romance?! I am loving it. I love Benedict and Sophie but also…hello Violet? (his mom – loved her story too!). And the villain Lady Penwood – UGH she’s so evil and good at it!

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

Instagram | Tiktok

A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Curse of Crimson Tears (#1)

Author: Julie J. Morris

Format: ebook (borrowed – Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 413

Publication Date: 1/1/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Indie Author


Enemies collide when a deadly curse awakens beneath the waves. Forced to fight side by side, two sworn rivals discover that the sea holds secrets far more dangerous than their hatred for each other. Dark magic rises from the deep, betrayal brews behind every tide, and the ocean whispers truths no one was meant to hear. As their powers grow and their attraction intensifies, the line between enemy and ally blurs. But the curse binding them has a price and breaking it could destroy them both. A cursed sea. Forbidden desire. Two enemies bound by fate. When magic stirs and danger strikes, one choice will decide whether they survive… or drown in the darkness coming for them.

Content Warning: violence

I saw this book on tiktok and wanted to give it a try since I’m trying to read more indie authors this year!

  • secret identities
  • sibling relationship – family themes
  • magic
  • Elves

+ Elva has a big family, she and her siblings are trying to help out their mom, working to help support the family. Her brother, Elijah, signs her up to work in the Healing sector, which she did not approve, and Elijah works on a ship. I did like the family themes, because it’s realistic to argue and fight with family, but in the end, it’s family.

+~ The first part moves slow. The world building is basically Elva and her family going to work. She’s in the healing sector with her friend Ellie but it’s not what she wants to do. But so much time is spent on this that I was losing interest and didn’t connect to the characters. Elijah’s job and experience was a little more harrowing on the ship. But I needed more – and it came at the halfway mark when more was starting to be revealed. Apparently, Elva has a secret identity, along with everyone around her. This is when we get to learn about the Elves, what happened in the past and what’s happening now. So the pacing for this book had me struggling. I did appreciate learning more about the light and dark Elves, the rift between them, and how they are working together now and the curse. I like the secrets and betrayal.

~ There isn’t much romance but there is spice. The thing is it happens out of the blue, with no emotional build-up. It’s just a hook up between Elva and someone else, which felt so random. At least Elijah’s romance, which is not even touched upon until the second half of the book feels more like an emotional connection.

~ Speaking of emotional connections – this has a big cast of characters. But I needed more from the characters because I found it hard to connect to any of them.

Final Thoughts:

I did find the first part way too slow, with not much going on. I’m glad things picked and we learn more once everything is revealed but by then I didn’t build any connections to the characters. And if there will be more romance in the series, I hope there is a build-up to it and not just straight into the spice. Overall, I found this one to have lots of potential, especially when we get to know about the world of Elves, so hopefully book two concentrates on the curse, the betrayal, and giving more depth to the characters.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 1/28/26

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I am working on arcs from NetGalley but also arcs from indie authors! Glad to be supporting the indie authors and I wish I can read everyone’s book, but I can’t. 😅. But I’m trying to fit them into my reading schedule by requesting less from NetGalley. Now if only I can fit my physical TBR into my schedule lol – reader problems!!

What are you currently reading?

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter – 33% – this one has such heavy world-building, I had to try to remember this big cast of characters but it is finally flowing for me!

Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – 12%

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray – chapter 2

The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett – 31%

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – Chapter 1 – let’s try this one again, and see if I can finish it this time. I wasn’t in the mood for it during the holidays.

What have you just finished reading?

A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris– ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (arc)

Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (arc)

Maybe This Once by. Sophie Sullivan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Still Fighting by. Syianne Horne – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Fated Skates by. Victoria Schade – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (alc – audiobook)

What are you going to read next?

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez

Mate by. Ali Hazelwood

What are YOU reading right now?

Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Second Chance Romance (Harlot’s Bay, #2)

Author: Olivia Dade

Format: ebook (borrowed – Libby)

Pages: 395

Publication Date: 11/25/25

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Second Chance Romance


In the second installment of USA Today bestselling author Olivia Dade’s Harlot’s Bay series, a mistaken obituary leads to the reunion of two former high school crushes. Sparks fly in this hilarious grumpy/grumpy romance, packed with Dade’s signature body positivity and a delicious amount of spice.

Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery.

The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away.

Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary.

As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.

Content Warning:

I didn’t read book one in this series, but I wanted to try out an Olivia Dade book and this caught my eye so I borrowed it.

+ Harlot’s Bay is a small town, one that Molly wants to eventually escape. We get to see how Molly and Karl evolve as friends in high school to how they fell apart and reconnect again. I love the setting of Harlot’s Bay – the community seems wholesome yet quirky, and Karl is a staple there with his bakery. Molly does escape to California, and she comes back to Hartlot’s Bay due to a misunderstanding which I thought was funny.

+ Both Karl and Molly are strong characters, they know who they are, which is refreshing. Karl is grumpy, swears a lot, but he’s a good guy who just wants Molly. He goes out of his way to try and make her feel comfortable, build trust in him, and gives her time even though he stubbornly wants her to move back to Harlot’s Bay. Molly is someone who doesn’t trust easily because of her father. She’s been married and divorced and still has to deal with her ex. But I love how she’s an audiobook narrator! And the fact that Karl listened to the smutty books and was a fan was so funny and cute. These two are quite a couple and they just work!

+ The romance was cute – Karl asks Molly to stay until the school reunion and give him a chance. Karl isn’t the type to know how to express his feelings, he’s grumpy, but he and Molly completed one another because she can be grumpy too. They try to build trust between one another by going on dates and doing trust exercises. I love how he gave her space and time. But one thing is undeniable, there are lots of sparks between them, so things do get spicy.

+ There is a little bit of romance. Lucan is the Vicar’s adopted son, and he’s been tasked to keep his eye on Isola. Isola doesn’t like him because an incident in the past, but during the Tribunal, they spend more time with one another and decide to team up. Being around one another makes their attraction grow. I was definitely rooting for Lucan and Isola but we’ll have to see what happens in book two.

~ They both had communication issues, so I didn’t finish this as quick as I thought I would because they were taking so long to communicate how they feel.

Final Thoughts:

I mostly enjoyed this one but I did take longer to finish this – I really thought I could finish it in three days, but I think the trust exercises and lack of communication took me out of the story a little bit. But I did love the Harlot’s Bay community, there are so many fun character and funny moments. I also like the plus-size representation and though Karl and Molly had communication issues, he really was in love with her and would do anything to make her stay. I loved that about him! I’ll definitely try out more books from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 1/25/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ What is happening in this country (USA) is not okay. My heart hurts, I feel sick, angry, anxious, worried. This is NOT okay.

+ The other thing that took up half the week for me? Is the BTS Concert Tour ticket sales. I knew it would be rough, I’m a new fan (my sister is the bigger fan) but I really wanted to get tickets for her because unlike me – she hardly goes to concerts and said this was the one she wanted to go to. So I locked in (I’m always the one buying tickets anyway), did my research, but a membership for presale (yes I paid $22 so I can do presale!😅). Checked out all the dates and when Thursday came – tried my luck. Now I knew it was going to be impossible for one, the tickets for cities I wanted went on sale during my drive time dropping off the kids to school and picking them up! But I barely got into LA ticket sales after waiting a whole hour – only nose bleeds were left so I got 2 tickets. It’s in the 500’s section – nose bleeds…like up by the roof nosebleeds! My sister felt nervous about how high we would be – and I had the same concerns because I had anxiety during Lady Gaga and that was in an arena – imagine a stadium?!

So I locked in again and knew I had to do general sale yesterday. Started at 7am going from ticket queue to ticket queue. I thought 30k in line on Thursday was bad….nope, yesterday I was 104k in line or 70k…but there was one city people kept saying had tickets on twitter – Foxborough. I am in Hawaii…it’s a long flight that would cost a lot. But I got 13K in line and snagged pretty good tickets in the 100 section, lower bowl, back row so I can stand and not bother anyone. I felt relieved but worried about plane fare then a friend messaged me saying her friend had Stanford tickets, in the 100 section for sale. My Foxborough tix were affordable – only $500 for 2 tickets total! These new tickets…$800 each! I was like oh no way…but my sister said, with the cheaper airfare, it would be equivalent to a trip to Foxborough so she told me to get them.

By the time I paid for the tix, got them transferred, and finally ate something – I was weary, my body hurt, so exhausted from being tense all day (for three days). And then the news in Minneapolis made me want to cry. So yes I’m happy we got tickets to BTS and it’s 2 days after my sister’s 50th bday, so I’m happy for her…but my heart hurts.

+ I type all this and today said wow I can’t believe it’s still January! I feel like I’ve been traumatized with highs and lows this month alone. Not how I expected 2026 to start! I’m praying there is something that turns this ship around. RIP to Alex Pretti.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes
  • Maybe This Once by. Sophie Sullivan
  • Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood
  • Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade
  • A Queen of Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride

Currently Reading:

  • A Promise of Lies by. Claire Sager
  • A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris
  • Dawn of the North by. Demi Winters
  • Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson
  • Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto
  • A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Heated Rivalry (HBO Max) – episode 1-2 – want to see what the hype is about!

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

Instagram | Tiktok

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Underrated Books | 1/23/26

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

January 23: Underrated Books (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What makes a book “underrated”? Did you read any books in 2025 that you think are underrated? Did you read any books with underrated tropes (or micro tropes) or genres? What are some of your favourite “underrated” reads from 2025 and of all time? 

**********

What makes a book “underrated”?

I feel like underrated books are books without much promotion or hype. It might because it’s an indie book or just an author with a small publisher.

Did you read any books in 2025 that you think are underrated?

Definitely!

Did you read any books with underrated tropes (or micro tropes) or genres?

Underrated tropes are hard to fine – at least in the books I read! I read very overused tropes. 😅

What are some of your favourite “underrated” reads from 2025 and of all time? 

  • Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe – read this at the end of 2025 and I LOVED it. Violent, full of action and a crazy ending. I’m going to do a re-read sometime soon.
  • The Death-Made Prince by. Lisette Marshall – okay it’s rare we meet a MMC who isn’t good-looking but interesting looking. I feel like that’s more realistic, because not every guy is handsome lol. But this was a fun, action-filled, banter-filled story. Will re-read this soon also.
  • Starchaser by. R.M. Gray – this is book two in the Nightweaver series and it’s an enjoyable series! But I don’t see many people talking about it.
  • And the River Drags Her down by. Jihyun Yun – when I think about horror books that people don’t talk about but is hard to forget is this one.
  • Nightshade by. Autumn Woods – Alex was my newest book boyfriend of 2025. I loved the banter, the drama, so good, I’ll be re-reading before book two comes out this summer!

January 2026 Topics:

January 2: Top Reads in Five Words/Sentences

Prompts: What were your top 5 (or top 10) reads in 2025? If you had five words or sentences (your choice!) to describe each book and convince other readers to pick it up, how would you describe your 2025 favourites?

January 9: Bookish Trends of 2025

Prompts: Looking back on the past year, what bookish trends have you noticed? Are certain tropes, types of blogging, or other book-related content becoming more popular? If you did this post last year (Bookish Trends of 2024), do you notice any trend changes from that post? What changes do you foresee in 2026? What bookish trend would you most want to see become popular, or come back?

January 16: Book Blogging Slumps (Danielle @ Poetry Books YA)

Prompts: People frequently talk about reading slumps, but what about blogging slumps? What gives you motivation for blogging? What makes you lose motivation? Have you ever gone through one before? How did you break out of it? What advice would you give to a book blogger who’s in one? 

January 23: Underrated Books (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What makes a book “underrated”? Did you read any books in 2025 that you think are underrated? Did you read any books with underrated tropes (or micro tropes) or genres? What are some of your favourite “underrated” reads from 2025 and of all time? 

January 30: Freebie!

Prompts: You made it to the end of the month—congrats!  For the fifth Friday of the month, pick your own topic. You can check out our blogs for inspiration (Aria and Dini) or write about something else you’re interested in!

Dragon Cursed by. Elise Kova | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Dragon Cursed (Dragon Cursed, #1)

Author: Elise Kova

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 1/6/26

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Series


The moment you see a dragon is usually your last…

Since the dragons emerged–along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people–there’s only one human city that remains standing: Vingard.

But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being dragon cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you’ll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything–and everyone–you love.

Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities.

And I’m terrified that I might be next.

There’s only one other person who might suspect my secret. He’s like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden.

Because Lucan definitely knows something.

And if I’m dragon cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.

Content Warning: death, violence, torture

I have the hard cover sprayed edged version of this book and it is gorgeous!

+~ Isola is Valor Reborn and the savior for all of Vinguard, if she can learn how to harness and use her power. But Isola has a secret – she doesn’t feel like she is the savior everyone wants her to be. In fact, she feels like she is dragon cursed and she’s doing her best to hide it. I could sympathize with Isola’s mental state – she’s scared, her parents aren’t with her (for different reasons), there is a lot of pressure on her. She’s keeping secrets and afraid of the Vicar, but there were some spots in the story I was frustrated with her. She’s lying to her best friend, but then gets mad when Lucan lies to her. But she does grow so that’s good.

+~ World building is interesting but focused on the Tribunal taking place, which is a trial where competitors become Mercy Knights at the end of the trial. The trial was okay, I wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be doing to prove they could be amazing Mercy Knights. The dragons are enemies in this story but we don’t know much about the history and I want to know more. I do feel like we were thrown into the story a bit and I had to catch up with understanding what Etherlight and sigils were.

+~ Secondary characters play a big part in this story but I needed more about her parents because their role in this story is important but we barely get anything. I did love Isola’s relationship with her best friend, Saphia. There are other characters at the end of the book who I hope we get to know more in book two.

+ There is a little bit of romance. Lucan is the Vicar’s adopted son, and he’s been tasked to keep his eye on Isola. Isola doesn’t like him because an incident in the past, but during the Tribunal, they spend more time with one another and decide to team up. Being around one another makes their attraction grow. I was definitely rooting for Lucan and Isola but we’ll have to see what happens in book two.

+ My favorite part has to be the ending, which has a few twists, some I suspected, but it was still fun seeing it play out and all the action that comes with it. It’s a cliffhanger though!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one but I do want to learn more about the dragons or dragon shifters and the magic. I need more history. This first book focused on the Tribunal, which was interesting, but I felt like we were thrown into this world quick. Isola as the FMC is conflicted and challenged, at times she was frustrating but there is growth. I liked the growing romance, and I really loved the ending of this book! I loved the twists and the action – it is a cliffhanger though. We’ll see what happens in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Arcana Academy by. Elise Kova | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Duel with the Vampire Lord by. Elise Kova | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic #2) by. Elise Kova| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Deal with the Elf King | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 1/21/26

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Tomorrow is the BTS pre-sale and I already know it will be impossible for me to get anything because why are the Chicago and LA sale times during when I have to drop my kids off to school or pick them up? 😅 Like…I’m still going to try but…I doubt I can get anything. I did sign up for Toronto also – so we’ll see what happens! Wish me luck!

I am trying to work on February arcs but I’m getting a few indie authors asking me to read their books, so it’s getting a little crowded on my list! 😅

What are you currently reading?

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter – 10%

A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris – 21%

Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood – 4%

Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto – 20%

Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – 5%

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray – chapter 2

Maybe This Once by. Sophie Sullivan – 30

Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade – 37%

What have you just finished reading?

Dragon Cursed by. Elise Kova – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Wicked Onyx by. Debbie Cassidy – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Silk & Iron by. Alexis Calder – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Queen Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

A Winter of White Ash by. Lucia Damisa

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

What are YOU reading right now?