The Lies of Lena by. Kylie Snow | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles, #1)

Author: Kylie Snow

Narrator(s): Kieran Regan; Natalie Van Sistine

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 462 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours 34 min

Publication Date: 1/6/26

Publisher: Gollancz

Categories: Romantasy, New Adult

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

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

A SECRET MAGE. A VENGEFUL PRINCE.
WILL FORBIDDEN LOVE UNITE THE REALM – OR BURN IT DOWN…
*please check trigger warnings before diving in

In Tovagoth, Mages like Lena Daelyra live in hunted, outlawed, and reviled. Even after fleeing to Otacia, Lena hides her magic, cloaked in silence. But when she meets Quinn Callon, a quick-witted swordsman from the Inner Ring, her walls begin to crack. He trains Lena to fight, never suspecting the truth she hides. But as their connection deepens, so does the danger… and Lena knows love is a risk she can’t afford.

Silas La’Rune, Crown Prince of Otacia, has been caged within the Kingdom castle since the kidnapping and murder of his sister, the Princess. Until one day beyond the castle walls reveals a Kingdom rotting beneath its guiled surface – and a girl who shouldn’t exist.

When tragedy tears Lena from Quinn, as destiny would have it, Lena and Silas’ paths collide. For the future of Magekind depends on them, and love could just about be the deadliest weapon…

Content Warning: violence, torture, sexual assault, rape, grief

I remember seeing this book all over the booktoks and book socials this past year and I even downloaded but I don’t know why I never read it. I can’t say I love the original cover, but I do like this new one for the audiobook. I decided to try it out the story this way to see if I could actually get into the book.

This story was a little all over the place. It’s got a lot of the usual romantasy tropes like secret identity and forbidden love. A teenage girl who is secretly a Mage, meets a handsome boy on the streets who has his own secret and from there they train together and a sweet romance grows. Sweet….but spicy. Yes, there as spicy scenes between teens in this story which was very surprising to me because it is graphic. Didn’t love that but I really did believe in their teenage love story and was rooting for them since both characters seemed like good people.

The world-building I thought was pretty light, a kingdom called Otacia is ruled by a king who has oppressed mages. In this world they use copper, silver, gold for currency, they wear tunics and then out of the blue a character will mention they have pizza as food? Sometimes modern clothing is mentioned. Even modern speech was used in this world so I had a lot of questions about the world-building. There is also a time-jump in part two of the story where it jumps ahead 5 years. I’m glad for the jump because the sixteen year olds having spicy scenes early on was kind of jarring. They also mention vampires, and the undead, so this world seems to have everything.

As for the characters? Lena is naive and acted like an impulsive, love-struck teenager, making wrong decisions. At least with the 5 year jump, I feel like there is a lot of growth there. Gone are the sweet teens. Lena’s stronger, has grown without Silas, knows her magic better and now is thrust into a position to lead. Silas, went from a sheltered prince to a cold, violent, damaged one. There are other characters, like Torrin, who just disappears, which I though was kind of strange.

As for the romance, like I said it’s a sweet love in the beginning. But with the time jump, and Silas and Lena having moved on with their lives, their reunion is not a happy one. Now they both have other options, trauma from the past, and I know it’s going to be very dramatic when these two ever get back together. It was just strange to me that they are fated but Lena is looking at every attractive guy – like what?

But despite all these issues the narrators did such an amazing job at bringing this story to life. All the stars I’m giving is mostly for them. I feel like if I read this book as an ebook or hardcover I would have DNF’ed because of the naivety of the characters, and the light world-building, but their voices made this story kind of addicting which surprised me!

Note the triggers for this book because there are some ugly scenes it in. It’s violent, there is grief, there is rape. But I will say even though it was awful, I felt like the author never stayed in the darkness for long and moved past certain events quickly. There was a feeling that things just moved quickly in the story, without dwelling in certain feelings, thoughts or emotions for the character. The story lacked depth.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this audiobook was great. I really don’t think I would have been able to continue this book if I read it in another form, but this audiobook really brought the story to life. There are a lot of issues with the story but I will say because the audiobook was addicting, that this is the kind of story you sit back with your popcorn next to you and just read for the messiness of it all. It’s filled with drama, and eye-rolling moments to the point it made me cackle. I’m not here for the writing quality or the plot really – I think I’m here for the drama, so yes I will be reading book two soon.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Language of Dragons by. S.F. Williamson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: A Language of Dragons (#1)

Author: S.F. Williamson

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 1/2/25

Categories: Academia, Historical Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must decide: What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

Content Warning: violence, war, classism

This story is set in 1923, alternate London, and there is a civil war brewing between humans, rebels and dragons. The world-building is great. I love how the dragons are evolved, have their own language and is now at peace with the humans because of an agreement, but their past seems tumultuous. Another part of this world is the class system that humans have been broken up into – with first, second and third class citizens.

Vivien’s parents have been arrested as rebels against the Prime Minister of the British government, and all Viv wants to do is save them and her little sister, but she does something that alerts the government to her. They take her and promises if she helps them with protecting Britain, her family will be saved. Viv’s talent is she is a polyglot, she knows several languages – most of them, dragon languages. She is tasked to be a codebreaker and figure out the messages that dragons are passing to one another. Viv is in a team with other young people though, one of them being her ex-best friend, who Viv stabbed in the back, the other being her best-friend and cousin, Marquis.

I found the group of kids with Viv to be very interesting, but many of them are suspicious of each other. There is even romance blooming between Viv and another character, which I thought added to the tension of the story and made Viv really examine her choices about protecting Britain or defecting to the rebel side to protect dragons. The choices are hard.

I did find some of the academics to be a bit too slow for me in the beginning (something I had to be in the mood for and I was sort of but not really into), but I loved the second half of the book with all the betrayal, politics, and action!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a really interesting story especially with the world building and it being historical fantasy. There are humans and dragons at war with one another, post World War I. I loved the romance, the politics, the betrayal and the forms that bond between Viv and her new colleagues. Looking forward to seeing what happens in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Let’s Talk Bookish: Top Reads in Five Words/Sentences | 1/2/26

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 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?

**********

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?

This is so hard to pick! In no particularly order, these were some of my favorite books of 2025!

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn – Bree’s turning point!
Atmosphere by. Taylor Jenkins Reid – Made me cry.
Coffin Moon by. Keith Rosson – Horror but make it heartfelt.
The Night Prince by. Lauren Palphreyman – I only gave it 4 stars? But I could not get Blake out of my mind. I re-read this one a couple of times!
Nightshade by. Autumn Woods – addicting.
We Who Will Die by. Stacia Stark – vampires and gladiators – yes!
Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon – adventurous and fun
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by. Kylie Lee Baker – covid and a serial killer
Sunrise on the Reaping by. Suzanne Collins – Haymitch’s story 😭
Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe – blew my mind

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!

Looking Back on 2025: Books on the Backlist

I don’t think I did too well with reading books from the backlist this year. But I have a few on my bookshelf that I really, really, really want to knock off my list so I hope I can do in 2026. Anyway let’s see what books I read from the backlist.

Books on the Backlist

Out of 200+ books I read in 2025, 33 books were on the backlist.

The Swan’s Daughter by. Roshani Chokshi | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: The Swan’s Daughter

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Narrator(s): Ell Potter

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400 Listening Time: Approximately 10 hours

Publication Date: 1/6/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale, Young Adult

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 Young Listeners for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

Content Warning:

+ The narrator really brought this magical story to life. I loved how she did all the voices, she infused so much life in these characters! I would say the beautiful prose made this magical story feel very lush!

+ I don’t usually vibe with cozy fantasies because they move too slow but this one was very enjoyable because it reads like a fairytale! The story of Demelza who is basically the runt of the litter, the swan born without wings, she can’t sing at all and she is not the most beautiful, so she leaves her family and ends up in a bridal competition for Prince Arris’ hand in marriage.

+ The characters were all very interesting and their interactions were funny! I found myself laughing out loud a few times. There are many relationships I found very fun in this story, especially Arris and his sister Yvelle. Demelza also makes friends with a lot of the girls in the competition. Also Demelza has a complicated relationship with her own parents. Her dad being a powerful sorcerer who wants more power. I like how all these different relationships were explored in the story.

+ This felt more like a friends to lovers romance because Aris finds out that Demelza is just there to escape her parents but she has the power to make people tell the truth, so he enlists her help to report on the contestants so he knows who is the best candidate as his bride. But the more they spend time together, the more the feelings grow. And I say friends because Aris is kissing all these girls left and right and sometimes he’s feeling a girl, but eventually in the end, it’s Demelza the girl he is so comfortable with that wins his heart.

Final Thoughts:

I love the narrator and her story-telling. I love the prose and how the story was magical, cozy, heart warming and funny. I enjoyed this enchanting fairytale!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Review | The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Three Kisses, One Midnight by. Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, Sandhya Menon | ARC Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 12/31/25

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?

One week ago it was Christmas Eve and now it’s New Year’s Eve!! Well friends, what a year it’s been right? I’ve had ups and downs, but throughout it all, I had books. I hope all of you have a Happy New Year!!!

What are you currently reading?

Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn – 8% no progress, but I will be getting to this once it hits 2026 lol

A Language Dragons by. S.F. Williamson – page 43/432 – I need to finish this so I can listen to book two on audiobook.

A Touch of Poison by. Claire Sager – 43%

Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu – audiobook and ebook

The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson – 35% this one is moving slowly

What have you just finished reading?

The Night Ship by. Alex Woodroe – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heart’s Gambit by. J.D. Myall – (ALC- audio) – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bound to the Broken Crown by. Astoria Hope – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

The Fall of Iris Henley by. Jennifer Graham – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

A Kiss of Iron by. Clare Sager – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(arc)

What are you going to read next?

Fallen Gods by. Rachel Van Dyken

Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter

A Winter of White Ash by. Lucia Damisa

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray

A War of Wyverns by. S.F. Williamson

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

What are YOU reading right now?

Top 5 Books of 2025 | Top 5 Tuesday | 12/30/25

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, and now being hosted at Meeghan reads.

This Week’s Topic is:

Top 5 Books of 2025

This one is Hard…5? Let’s see…

This was an amazing 3rd book in the series, I cannot wait for the next one!

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn

Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.

********

So good and now I feel like I have to wait so long for the sequel.

We Who Will Die by. Stacia Stark

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

*********

I am obsessed with Blake – I need book three NOW.

The Night Prince by. Lauren Palphreyman

Aurora is caught between powerful alphas as they fight for the Wolf Throne. But darker forces are rising. . .

The highly anticipated sequel to The Wolf King. Pre-order now!

Aurora may have survived the Wolf King. But his bite marks her skin, and in accordance with Wolf Law, that makes her his property. Now, he wants her back.

To beat him and take his throne, Aurora and Callum must form a dangerous alliance with one of the most feared Wolves in the Kingdom, Blake. He is their enemy, but he has entangled his life with Aurora’s—meaning she cannot harm him without forfeiting her own life.

As she fights to break their connection, she suspects Blake is keeping secrets about a dark power that rises in the north, and the unsettling nature of the bond between them. It seems there is a bigger game at play than who sits on the Wolf Throne—one that threatens both the Kingdom of Wolves, and the Kingdom of Men.

With her wolf awakening, enemies closing in, relationships tested, and secrets revealed—Aurora may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil from rising.

If she can figure out who to trust.

If she can figure out where she, and her heart, belong.

If she can stay alive.

***********

I’m adding this horror book because it blew me away. It didn’t only have horror, but I was rooting for some characters and wishing they got their revenge.

Coffin Moon by. Keith Rosson

It’s the winter of 1975, and Portland, Oregon, is all sleet and neon. Duane Minor is back home after a tour in Vietnam, a bartender just trying to stay sober; save his marriage with his wife, Heidi; and connect with his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, now that he’s responsible for raising her. Things aren’t easy, but Minor is scraping by.

Then a vampire walks into his bar and ruins his life.

When Minor crosses John Varley, a killer who sleeps during the day beneath loose drifts of earth and grows teeth in the light of the moon, Varley brutally retaliates by murdering Heidi, leaving Minor broken with guilt and Julia filled with rage. What’s left of their splintered family is united by only one desire: vengeance.

So begins a furious, frenzied pursuit across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. From grimy alleyways to desolate highways to snow-lashed plains, Minor and Julia are cast into the dark orbit of undead children, silver bullet casters, and the bevy of broken men transfixed by Varley’s ferocity. Everyone’s out for blood.

Gritty, unforgettable, and emotionally devastating, Coffin Moon asks what will be left of our humanity when grief transmutes into violence, when monsters wear human faces, and when our thirst for revenge eclipses everything else.

*********

This is such a great installment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series! I loved it!

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by. Carissa Broadbent

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

New Book Releases This Week | 12/30/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

An Arcane Inheritance by. Kamilah Cole

A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.

Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.

Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.

Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.

We Who Will Die by. Stacia Stark

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams

A homecoming to Rome, Kentucky, sparks a new romance—and lots of drama—between two old family friends, from the New York Times bestselling author of When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal

Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to prove she could make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is a shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap, giving her a chance to rebuild everything she’s lost: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend . . . and the last person she wants to work for.

James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and doing what’s expected of him in the family business and never contemplating anything different—until now when Madison’s happiness is on the line. He’s loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance. Now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that–even if it means he can only ever be her friend. The one problem? His charming, wildly successful younger brother, Tommy, seems determined to win her over first.

Then Tommy is called away on business and Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy farm-to-table restaurant on their own. But as the town starts meddling in their relationship, Tommy’s pursuit of Madison grows more relentless, and Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back, keeping things strictly professional becomes impossible. And when an unexpected disaster on opening night collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Heavenly Bodies (#1)

Author: Imani Erriu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 1/13/26 (First published 2/13/22)

Publisher: Random House Canada

Categories: Romantasy

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 Random House Canada for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”

In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.

So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.

And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.

Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.

And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

I saw this book around on Amazon and on social media for awhile, but never got around to reading it though I was very interested in it. I know it was first published a few years ago but it seems like it’s going through another republish, maybe with a new cover? Not sure but the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would be willing to read this book and the sequel and of course I was excited about it!

Heavenly Bodies has really interesting world building. It is inspired by the zodiac. Each kingdom is ruled by a zodiac sign with a royal family, but there is also a ruling Star over that family and the people, almost like a God/Goddess.

Elara’s life is in turmoil. She is from Asteria (Piscea-Pisces), her parents have been killed by the King of Stars, Ariete, because of a prophecy that connects the two of them together – apparently Elara’s is supposed to be with him and it will kill them both.

Kidnapped, Elara, finds refuge in Helios (Leyon-Leo), where the king wants her to train to be able to kill Stars. Prince Lorenzo is tasked to train her and they have a rocky start, but eventually a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance grows between them. This story centers around Elara and Lorenzo no matter what the prophecy says and I loved watching their romance grow!

I enjoyed the found family that Elara has found in Helios despite the king being an enemy of her kingdom. I liked a lot of the secondary characters also. We do learn some things about Elara’s kingdom, Asteria and her past later on in the book. She is a political pawn in the first half of the book and is mostly training to use her skills, and learning more about the prophecy but things change in the second half. As a character I thought she was strong and brave and seemed to stand on her own against Ariete.

I think the beginning throws us into the story pretty fast, and right into Helios, without knowing much about Elara and where she is from, so I had to just assume a bunch of things about her kingdom. We do learn more as she compares things but I thought it was a jarring start to the story.

There are a few twists in the end of the story which I thought was fascinating and am eager to see how the story moves forward in book two.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an engaging read and I was really invested in the world building but the romance is the main focus of this story and what a romance it is. I loved the slow burn between Elara and Lorenzo and the reveals at the end of the book was really unexpected. There are secrets, prophecies, betrayals, found family, action and everything I look for in a romantasy. I’m excited to read book two to see where the story goes after that surprise ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/28/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Christmas knocked me out! I was busy days before Christmas and then when that day hit, I had no energy because we went to a lively Xmas Eve party, then had to get up and do Christmas morning and get to Christmas lunch at my parent’s house. I was on the verge of sleeping during lunch but I at least made it to the car ride home to shut my eyes and then I got home and I knocked out. I had a headache, I had to get some electrolytes in me and just SLEEP.

+ Now I gotta figure out what to buy my daughter for her birthday. 🫠

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles, #2) by. Kylie Snow
The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles, #1) by. Kylie Snow (audiobook)
King of Ravens by. Clare Sager (arc)
The Book of Blood & Roses by. Annie Summerlee (arc)
Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison
Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu (arc)

Currently Reading:

A Language of Dragons by. S.F. Willamson

Heart’s Gambit by. J.D. Myall

The Night Ship by. Alex Woodroe

The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson

Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

Football
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2 (Netflix) – I cannot believe the final episodes is on 12/31/25! Why they draw this out so long? 🤦🏻‍♀️

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!