New Book Releases This Week | 4/14/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.


The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith

Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

BridgertonThe Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.


Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney

There was a time I felt lost and alone…until I met them, and together our souls took My gentle Raoul and our deadly Angel of Music.

Haunted by the violent death of her parents, Christine Daaé longs to find solace in music, but debilitating stage fright keeps her firmly in the shadows. All she can hope for is a few stolen moments singing to herself in the mournful silence of the backstage stairwell…until one night, the shadows sing back.

In exchange for complete devotion, her mysterious Phantom promises to teach her everything he knows—and with his praise boosting her confidence, Christine is finally able to take center stage…catching the eye of her sweet childhood friend turned something more, Raoul.

But her mysterious mentor is as obsessive as he is demanding, and he will not share Christine with anyone—not unless he can have them both in a bargain that is as dangerous as it is seductive. Light and shadows, gentleness and raging passion, the three of them should not fit so perfectly together. Yet as a supernatural force looms, ready to tear them apart forever, Christine must decide if love can truly exist in the space between beauty and madness…and whether she’s finally ready to fully embrace the music of the night.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with a magical twist.


West of Wicked by. Nikki St. Crowe

Dorothy Gale doesn’t know where she came from. She has only the vaguest memory of her life before landing in the dull, gray world of the vast Kansas prairie.

Then a cyclone rips through the night and carries her, her dog, and the farmhouse somewhere a lot farther than Dorothy imagined. She’s in a strange land that’s apparently cursed, shrouded in shadow. And to get home, Dorothy needs to seek out a wizard, following a treacherous path and watch out for a never-ending list of forest beasts, witches, a cursed mercenary, and perhaps most dangerous of all, the wizard himself.

Nikki St. Crowe vividly reimagines the world of the Wizard of Oz, where the villain gets the girl…and the girl gets the power.


I Could Give You the Moon by. Ann Liang

Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.

While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.

Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.

But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.


The Tempest Blade by. Danielle L. Jensen

The finale to The Bridge Kingdom series.

A fugitive on the run, Ahnna has one goal: return to Ithicana with warning of the greatest threat her homeland has ever faced. But as she escapes into the wilderness, it is with the man who broke her heart hunting at her heels—and James wants more than justice. He wants revenge.

Desperate to prove his loyalty to his family, James ventures into dangerous territory to capture his father’s killer. But the longer he follows Ahnna’s trail, the more his certainty of her guilt is tested—and the more the passion they once shared reignites.

As schemes twist tighter and war brews, Ahnna and James discover that the enemy isn’t each other—it is the masterminds manipulating them both in pursuit of power. Yet their greatest obstacle remains, because their loyalties are to opposing sides in the battle to come. As the storms of the Tempest Seas lower their defenses, James and Ahnna must choose where their hearts lie: on the battlefield, or in each other’s arms.


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Miracles in Mercy by. Briony J. Shutt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Miracles in Mercy

Author: Briony J. Shutt

Format: ebook

Pages: 104

Publication Date: 10/31/24

Categories: Romance, Cowboy Romance, Christian Romance



Delilah found herself unemployed, traveling alone, and trying to heal from her painful past. Little did she know that the solution to her problems would be sitting right beside her on the bus, sporting a cowboy hat. As they journeyed to the small town of her birth, Delilah’s life takes an unexpected turn, filled with uncertainty, stress and maybe even love…

Meanwhile, Max was on his way back to the quaint town of Mercy, Montana, desperately in need of a miracle. He knew he wouldn’t find it on the bus ride home. “Miracles don’t ride the bus,” he reassured himself. But then he laid eyes on her…

Could Delilah be the miracle that Max had been searching for all along? The excitement and anticipation filled the air as their paths crossed, sparking a newfound hope in both of their lives.

Thank you to the author, Briony J. Shutt for gifting me a copy of this ebook. She asked me to read and review this book and I said why not.

This isn’t the kind of romance I usually read. It is a cowboy romance, and a faith-based romance. It is a quick read though at only 104 pages. I thought the way Max and Delilah meet was kind of cute, but very insta-love. Would have loved this to be longer so we got to know Max and Delilah better and see the two of them get to know each other better too. But for a genre I don’t usually read, I think it has potential.

Final Thoughts:

This was short, innocent and sweet if you like cowboy and faith-based romance. It’s not the genres I usually read, but I thought this was a solid novella. Definitely check it out if you read this genre.

Read if you like:

  • cowboy romance
  • faith-based romance
  • novella

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Your Soulmail is Attached by. Joan F. Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: closed door

Title: Your Soulmail is Attached

Author: Joan F. Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 339

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Speculative Fiction

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

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


What if everyone in the world found out who their soulmates are at the same time?
 
Olivia Adler’s life is a behind-the-scenes job she loves in a bustling newsroom, an engagement to golden-boy Wells, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create the documentary she’s always wanted to make.
 
Then one sleepless night, everything unravels.
One message on Wells’s phone shatters her engagement.
A second message—an anonymous global email quickly dubbed Soulmail—shakes the world.
 
Delivered to every individual’s inbox, Soulmail reveals the name and birthdate of your soulmate. Suddenly, love as we know it is rewritten overnight…and Olivia accidentally becomes the face of it all when she reports on the story live and goes viral.
 
With millions watching her every move, Olivia resolutely refuses to open her Soulmail. She’s not ready for fate to make her choices—especially not now. But when she crosses paths with her childhood best friend—the boy she loved and lost—everything she thought she knew about destiny, timing, and love comes into question.
 
Is true love written in the stars…or something we choose for ourselves?

Content Warning: cheating

World Building: Set in present day and an email was sent out to everyone telling them who their soulmate is. Olivia is someone who works for a news station but usually behind the scenes until the night the emails went public and they needed an emergency news anchor. This news has caused chaos in the streets, people are happy, sad, angry, breaking up, getting together and Olivia who is just going through a break up herself, decides not to look at her email. Throughout the story, Olivia does some investigative reports to find out, are these soulmails real? Are their predictions real?

Character: Olivia is someone who’s had to work through life to get where she is, and this opportunity propels her into fame she didn’t know she wanted. She’s also dealing with the break-up with her fiance and trying to deal with the fall-out of that. I like Olivia but there were so many moments where I thought she could have come clean to people about her break-up, but because of her new status at her job, she’s afraid to cause any drama. I did love her relationship with her best-friend Natalie. And someone from her past comes back into her life, Caleb, her childhood ex-best friend – they had a falling in high school when he leaves for college. It was nice to see them rekindle their friendship and see it maybe grow into something so much more.

Romance: The romance is a second chance romance with her ex-childhood friend but I didn’t feel like it was the main focus of this story. I thought the question about soul mates and if you want to know who your soulmate was, made Olivia and Caleb question a lot of things about their feelings. But I liked how things unfolded for them.

Story: Would you like to know who your soulmate is – if you could? What I like about the soulmate discussion in this story is that not everyone had a romantic soulmate. I love that it could very important people in your life like your mom, best friend, or even a future child. So even though we follow Olivia’s romance story, there are tons of people out there who Olivia come in contact with that have non-romantic soulmates. A lot of the story is also about her career path, and though the beginning started off strong, I thought there was some spots in the story that was slow. But I think it finishes off strong.

Vibes: Definitely more speculative fiction than romance.

Final Thoughts:

I was really intrigued with the concept of this story and I thought the author did a great job showing scenarios of what could happen if an event like this actually took place. And the story brings up so many questions like would you open the email to know who your soulmate is? I did wish there was more romance because I’m a romance reader, but that’s not what this story is about. There were some parts I did find slow but overall, I still enjoyed seeing Olivia and people around her navigate this historic event.

Read if you like:

  • second chance romance
  • speculative fiction

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 4/8/26

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 guess I forgot to do a post last week Wednesday but it’s been that kind of April so far – bad. 😅. I’m hoping to turn things around this weekend as my kids and I go to Bruno Mar’s concert in Vegas, but we are also going to have stormy weather in Hawaii when we fly out. I’m just hoping all goes well. 🙏🏽. Also it doesn’t help that world events are making me super anxious. Sigh….thank goodness for books that let me escape a tiny bit.

What are you currently reading?

The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther – arc – 10%

For Whom the Belle Tolls by. Jaysea Lynn – 5%

Rites of the Starling by. Devney Perry – 3%

I Could Give You the Moon by. Ann Liang – alc – 80%

The Verdant Cage by. Jess Lourey

Malachite by. Ashley Anderson – alc – 10%


What have you just finished reading?

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

Your Soulmail is Attached by. Joan F. Smith – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blood & Roses by. Callie Hart – ⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

To Break Such a Bond by. Mallory White – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/🌶️🌶️

Runebreaker by. Mila Finch -⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/🌶️🌶️

Turncloak by. L.K. Steven – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️


What are you going to read next?

Change Plans by. Sarah Dessen

The Last Page by. Katie Holt

Soon By You by. Dahlia Adler

Double Happiness by. Heather Eng


What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 4/7/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Burn the Kingdom Down by. Addie Thorley

An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister’s death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna’s murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira’s plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation’s stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna’s final days, she’s no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.


The Gravewood by. Kelly Andrew

IS IT LOVE . . . OR IS IT BLOODLUST?

Shea Parker has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Gravewood – a deadly forest that’s cut her town off from the world. With resources dwindling, she’s forced to ration her hearing aid batteries. When her stash runs out, she’ll be left in silence.

Her only hope is Oliver Lysander, the volatile leader of the vampires who rule the Gravewood. Their deal is simple: she gives him her blood, he brings her batteries. No lines crossed. Nothing personal.

Until Shea’s best friend is lured into the Gravewood, and her brother Asher Thorley returns from the frontlines, willing to expose Shea’s darkest secrets to get his sister back.

Ever the opportunist, Lysander offers a new bargain: if Asher kills his vampire rival, he’ll help find the missing girl. And if Shea agrees to Turn, he’ll cure her ailing mother.

But every deal pulls her closer to Lysander – and to becoming a monster herself.


Rites of the Starling by. Devney Perry

RITES OF THE STARLING is the epic, heart-pounding sequel to Devney Perry’s #1 New York Times-bestselling SHIELD OF SPARROWS. A princess journeys across a cursed realm to find the truth about her family, only to discover her quest intertwines with the fate of a lost warrior. Love, danger and magic collide in a captivating romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.

Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.

Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?

What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?

For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.

It’s time to discover the monster within.


The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer

An assassin with outlawed, magical abilities will do anything to get their kidnapped sisters back in this dystopic-fantasy standalone, perfect for fans of Arcane and Iron Widow.

Mercy has no place here.

On Trinity, a metal world where the privileged live in the skies and the rest fight for water below, you do what you can to survive.

18-year-old Val knows this better than anyone. They’ve sacrificed everything to provide for their younger sisters. Using their outlawed teleportation powers, they’ve become the most infamous assassin-for-hire on Trinity, known as the Butcher.

No one should be able to trace the Butcher to Val. But when things go horribly wrong on a routine mission and Val’s sisters are kidnapped by a gang in retaliation, it means that someone has to know the truth.

Desperate and friendless, Val has no one to turn to but their ex-childhood best friend turned vigilante thief. He broke their heart, but he owes them.

But as Val fights for the return of their sisters, they start to realize there might be something much bigger at play… something that could upend everything they’ve ever known about Trinity.

Val’s journey will take them from a maximum security prison transport to the headquarters of the most powerful gang on Trinity, and all the way to the Gate of Heaven. Each more heavily guarded than the last.

Good thing the Butcher has never blinked at an extra casualty.


Release Me by. Tahereh Mafi

The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the

Welcome back to The New Republic.


Honey in Her Veins by. Ruth McKell

Arthur Connoway desperately wants to free himself from the monster inhabiting his mind. Instead, he is rapidly losing control of it following his mother’s death. In a last-ditch effort to feel whole again—and to lay his mother’s memory to rest—Arthur decides to return to the quiet bee farm he once called home, hoping their sacred honey can heal him in more ways than one.

Eight years ago, Eva Moreau’s flora magic caused a terrible accident, harming her father in the process. Now, she’s desperate to find a way to heal him, but her attempts only seem to do the opposite. If she could just learn to control her magic, she might be able to save her father and leave the past behind.

When Arthur returns to town looking for absolution, Eva once again loses control of her magic, putting everyone she loves in danger. Together, the pair decides to trek to the source of her family’s magic to find a cure for both Arthur and her father. But there’s a mysterious ghost haunting the forest, and it won’t let Arthur and Eva leave the woods without confronting the secrets of their past…


The Verdant Cage by. Jess Lourey

The Wall was built to keep them safe. Or so they thought.

For as long as seventeen-year-old apothecary Rose Allgood can remember, the towering stone Wall surrounding Noah’s Valley has protected her people. No one leaves. No one fights. And no one questions why.

But their paradise has been hiding its thorns. When Rose’s mother becomes the Valley’s first murder victim and her twin brother is swiftly condemned, she alone is searching for the real killer. Determined to find the truth, she follows a trail of hidden messages, forbidden knowledge, and whispers of a past no one dares to remember.

The deeper she digs, the more certain Rose becomes that her mother’s death was no accident. That the Wall isn’t just keeping something out.

It’s keeping something in.

Fans of The Hunger GamesThe Grace Year, and The Maze Runner will devour The Verdant Cage―a chilling dystopian thriller about what it takes to rebel when you discover your entire world is a lie.


The Wicked Sea by. Jordan Stephanie Gray

In this dark and sultry romantasy a mermaid battles hatred—and lust—for the wretched warlock who saved her life.

Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl dreams of freedom. On the run from a dangerous captor and years of abuse, she’s shed her tail, grown legs, and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia, left to steal and barter on the dirty streets. But her freedom is short-lived when she’s caught and sentenced to death by the brutal warlock, Arion Stone.

Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost…which can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled kingdom beneath the ocean’s treacherous depths.

So Arion offers Zephyra a deal she can’t refuse; help him find the mystical heart, and he’ll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do they part. But Zephyra’s past is catching up to her, and the enemy she fled seeks vengeance. If Zephyra and Arion can’t learn to fight together–and trust each other–there are worse things awaiting them than just death.

Of course, in the wicked sea, everyone has secrets, and no one should be trusted.


Infinite Shores by. Pascalle Lacelle

Fate cannot be broken—not even by the gods who serve it.

Emory refuses to lose Romie again. Her friend’s fate hangs in the balance as the monstrous Clover plans to use her as a sacrifice to steal power from the deity Atheia—and make himself into a proper god. To stop Clover, Emory needs the help of Atheia’s dark counterpart, Sidraeus. Yet this enigmatic deity cannot be trusted, and if Emory is to ally with him, she must invoke an ancient magic to keep him tethered to her side.

Meanwhile, in the divine workshop of the god of balance, Baz learns he has a role to play in the coming fight to save the crumbling worlds and their weakening magics. Yet all he can think of is Kai and the gruesome fate that awaits him at Clover’s side—a fate, the god tells him, that is beyond even his reach. But Baz is determined to save Kai, even if he has to rewrite time itself.

As chaos reigns and the tides of a corrupted magic threaten to consume all, Emory and Baz must contend with mercurial gods, vengeful deities, and those hell-bent on eradicating Eclipse magic to save the people they love—and write an ending to their stories that defies fate itself.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Deathly Fates

Author: Tesia Tsai

Narrator(s): Katharine Chin

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368 Listening Time: Approximately 10 hours 25 min

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Asian Literature, Paranormal

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!


A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. However, when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. As they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death—secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

Content Warning: violence, death, mention of suicide, hauntings, grief

+ I really enjoyed this audiobook because of the narrator’s voice – I love the warmth in it and she did such a good job with all the characters she had to voice. Though I started off reading this ebook, the audiobook really kept me invested because of the narrator.

+ Siying is a corpse driver – a priestess who guides the dead to their resting place, and she can revive the dead, she’s a necromancer. She’s following in her beloved dad’s footsteps – and now that he’s older and sick she takes on more jobs so that she can help raise money to take him to a healer. She takes a job reviving a corpse not knowing that he is the second prince – but now that he’s sort of awake, she has to gather more qi to keep him alive or else he will die again. This quest for qi takes them through some haunted places which I really enjoyed! I loved the paranormal elements and the dangerous spirits they encounter.

+ I love the family elements. Siying loves her father dearly and will do anything to help him get better. But in the end, she has to accept she’s done everything can and let him go. Ren also deals with some family issues. Ren doesn’t want the crown – throughout their journey they encounter angry people and their stories of exploitation carried out by the kingdom. There is threat of a war coming so Ren doesn’t want to deal with that until he is forced to face the truth of things about his older brother, the heir.

+ The romance is slow burn and so sweet! It’s a dislike to like kind of romance, at least on Siying’s part. I love how Ren is playful and Siying is always scolding him. She’s grumpy and he’s the sunshing – they are opposites but very cute together.

~ Grief and anger really takes over Siying at the end with so many things happening at once – and I was surprised with her feelings of vengeance and rage. I know she was in a hurt place inside, but she really wanted to take someone out and it felt a little out of character. Would have loved more moments between her and her father also.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book! Siying and Ren’s journey through haunted woods, a mansion and a haunted town really kept things interesting. I enjoyed the slow burn between Siying who’s the grumpy FMC and Ren who is a golden-retriever who doesn’t want the responsibilities of being a prince. We get to learn both characters and their motivations through their adventures and I also really loved the family element though I wish there were more scenes between Siying and her dad. The romance is slow burn and sweet. Overall, I think this is a good debut.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Starside by. Alex Aster| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Starside (#1)

Author: Alex Aster

Format: ebook

Pages: 512

Format: ebook (Libby)

Publication Date: 3/31/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series



Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.

Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.

First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.

Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.

But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of torture

World Building: I read Lightlark by this author and never continued the series because I just couldn’t get into it. I don’t think the writing worked for me. I did read her contemporary romance and enjoyed it so I decided to try Starside because it’s an adult romantasy. The world building is very lush in this series – there are two sides Stormside (no magic and mortals) and Starside (immortals and magic, species, creatures, and monsters). Aris joins the Questral, first there are some deadly trials in Stormside, but if you pass that then you embark on a very deadly quest in Starside. I really loved how lush Starside is with different landscapes, horrors, and magical creatures. Also there is a big deal about swords in this story – there are different types of swords, and the sword can make or break your quest.

Characters: Aris is determined to complete the Questral and killed the Gods. But first she has to not die. And though she’s had some training, she knows she has a challenge when the other challengers are killers or from wealthy houses with lots of resources. I liked Aris’ determination not to give up, because there were many times she could have. And though she is willing to die for her revenge, she was still able to see beauty around her in Starside. There were times I thought she was so uninformed and naive but this story shows her growth, which I really enjoyed. Even with Harlan Raker, enemy and the king’s guard, always telling her she isn’t good enough. Now Harlan was interesting with his mask, hood and armor, grumpy attitude and killing skills that no one can match. There were some secondary characters along the journey but I was bummed the first two Aris meet in the beginning basically disappears throughout most of the book – I was hoping for some found family with them.

Romance: For 70% of the story I thought the romance read like a young adult novel. There was barely any steam, it’s a SLOW burn. Aris and Harlan hate one another – hate. But Aris wouldn’t have survived Starside without him, and he likes to remind her of that. He was not a nice guy, maybe to prove a point to her that being nice gets you killed but I can see why she hated him. So that’s why it was very surprising at what happens in the 90% mark of the book…yes, you have to wait until the end if you want some chili pepper spice. 😅. I was like whoa….that was unexpected! I was just hoping for a kiss but they are kind of unleashed at the end. But it’s an enemies to lovers to enemies kind of situation.

Story: The story is about a deadly quest and revenge but while in Starside, Aris learns a lot about the immortals and how they feel about the Gods. The pace is fast with fight after fight – it’s almost never ending with just a few breaks here and there. There is a lot of action and at times I wish there was more dialogue between Aris and Harlan but he’s a quiet one. A lot that goes on in this story. There are some plot twists at the end, one that I guessed, that make me very eager for book two. But I still feel like the writing felt like young adult, despite the profanity the characters used and the very vigorous spicy scene, but that just be a me problem not totally gelling with her writing style.

Vibes: it’s giving, Hunger Games but fantasy and lots of swords…and I’ve been kind of over deadly trials and quest not being dangerous enough in other stories but this one had so much danger and non-stop action, that I wanted to keep reading.

Final Thoughts:

This story is full of action, swords, monsters, creatures, immortals and a young woman who is determine to kill the Gods. I liked seeing Aris pick herself back up even when she was scared to go on, or finding beauty in the darkness. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers, even though it’s a very slow burn – romance. I liked this way better than Lightlark and I will definitely be continuing this series after that cliffhanger ending.

Read if you like:

  • deadly quest
  • lots of action
  • enemies to lovers to enemies

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Summer in the City by. Alex Aster | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lightlark by. Alex Aster | Audiobook/Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/5/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ It was a stressful weekend. My hubby’s car broke down on Friday which left us stressed out all weekend, it was broken Friday, but drivable but Goodyear said they couldn’t fix it, it was the transmission, then he chanced it and took it to Lexus which is in town (I told him to tow it) but they said the same the transmission is shot, so he attempted to drive it home and got stuck on the freeway. 🤦🏻‍♀️ So he had to tow it home and now we gotta figure out money to get a new car. Lovely. I feel like 2026 is the year where it’s a “lose money” kind of year. I feel like concerts tickets were so damn expensive this year (and I’m trying to sell 5 of them, thank BTS for not opening up Ticketmaster resale – it’s frustrating). Prices went up for gas, groceries, EVERYTHING. And now we might have to cancel our Philippines trip next month because we don’t want to be there while there is an energy crisis and resources are low (and we might have to pay a cancellation fee for that). So because of prices – I’m also back on my book buying ban! 😅.

+ My kids and I are going to Las Vegas on Friday – we are seeing Bruno Mar’s on Saturday! It’s very exciting. A friend of mine from college and her hubby will be joining us. But I’m bummed my friend who was supposed to fly with us from Hawaii to Vegas, might have to cancel because of her mom’s health problems. So this will be my first time flying with my two kids alone, and their first time in Vegas. It’s going to be a very short trip though, we are in and out of there.

+ Why do we have another weather alert for this week? I am tired of heavy rain and flooding in our state. I hope it passes quickly over our islands. 😩

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker
  • Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon
  • Your Soulmail is Attached by. Joan F. Smith
  • Blood & Roses by. Callie Hart
  • Runebreaker by. Mila Finch

Currently Reading:

  • The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther
  • Starside by. Alex Aster
  • For Whom the Belle Tolls by. Jaysea Lynn

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

MUSIC:

+ RAYE – This Music May Contain Joy – what a creative album! It’s such a mix of different genres but the theme of being uplifting and staying strong, is heard throughout the whole album.

TV SHOWS & MOVIES:

+ Super Mario Galaxy Movie – had to watch this one because my kids were asking. We enjoyed it! I love the Super Mario music, the graphics, and all the surprise cameos of characters like my kids LOVE Pikmin. So they had a blast watching it and again, like the first movie, it tugged my nostalgia strings!

+ XO, Kitty (Season 3, Netflix) – so much dating drama! I was watching to see if Min Ho and Kitty end up together. Do you think there will be a season 4 to properly conclude this show?


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!

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Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Bloody Black

Author: Rhiannon Hargadon

Format: ebook

Pages: 534

Publication Date: 9/12/25

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance, Pirates



He stole her throne, she’s come back to reclaim it.

Anne was a reckless, arrogant royal who had never tasted defeat. After a brutal betrayal on her wedding night, Anne vanishes from the kingdom she was meant to rule. Years later, she’s returns from the grave—no longer a princess, but a terror of the seas. Known only as Blackbeard, she’s hunting down the men who destroyed her, one by one. Vengeance doesn’t come without a cost. Brutal bargains with a demon collar her, and bind her to a dark promise.

When she captures Lieutenant Robb Maynard—a too-handsome, too-calm officer loyal to her enemy—Anne intends to trade him for leverage. Instead, she finds herself locked in a dangerous game of secrets and seduction, where the greatest threat isn’t a blade—but the way he looks at her.

Like she’s still a woman worth loving.

And while she knows better than to believe in anything but pain… Anne must decide if life is worth the risk—or if trusting the wrong man will cost her everything she has built.

A full list of trigger warnings can be found on the author’s website. Your mental health is important; read at your own risk.

Content Warning: rape, sexual assault, murder, violence, death, torture

World Building: I haven’t read a pirate novel in awhile and I picked this up in Kindle Unlimited because of the title and the book cover. Anne was, as princesses go, pretty privileged – to the point her dad let her pick her own groom if she could defeat his soldiers in a tournament. She picks her groom but gets a harsh lesson in love when she realizes she’s made the wrong move. Left for dead, she finds herself on a ship with other prisoners and from there she learns to rule the high seas and make a name for herself as Blackbeard. I loved the pirate adventures and fights that are featured in this story. Anne and her crew travel all over to hunt down her attackers and free people who are enslaved. Would have love to see them rescuing people though since that’s what their mission was all about. Also, Anne’s dad, the king, was a horrible man, but we only get information about that from people he had wronged. I kind of wish this was a duology so we could get more world building.

Characters: Anne isn’t the most likable character but I liked her. She goes through something very traumatic so her fears and anger are ruling her decisions – she is female rage on borrowed time. So I understood her tunnel vision mission of finding her attackers and picking them off one by one. I also didn’t like some of her decisions because of what that fear and rage is doing to her, but it’s part of her growth. I was all in on her revenge tour after what happened to her. I love her crew members full of misfits and different species! Every one had their own issues to deal with, and I didn’t blame Prudence for doing what she did – but it broke my heart. But together, they were all so funny and I was glad Anne had them.

Romance: After what happened to Anne in the beginning of the book I was hoping this would be a slow burn and it was! She’s had trauma and when Robb comes along, he has to learn to be more gentle with her. It is enemies to lovers though, since Robb is hunting Blackbeard. But right away I could tell he was good for her because of his patience. I enjoyed the spice because he was patient with her. He’s kind of a softie when it comes to her. She seems to be the more domineering one in the relationship which I thought was cute. There are some secrets between them though but I was rooting for them!

Story: This is a dark fantasy with many triggering scenes. So definitely check the triggers. I loved how this was a story of Anne’s survival – she had to become someone else, Blackbeard, to help herself feel strong again. But she also had to learn how to be strong again with help and not always pushing people away to be alone. I didn’t mind her hunting her attackers one by one and torturing some of them, I was angry with her. I love how Blackbeard is retold as a woman, and I really did enjoy her crew of pirates.

There were some parts of the writing where I had to read again because a character, will kind of be forgotten. There were a few chapters where one of my favorite secondary characters wasn’t mentioned anymore and I even stopped and wondered where she was. Then she’d reappear again in other chapters.

Vibes: revenge and pirates

Final Thoughts:

Outside all the dark themes of this book, I thought the pirate themes of the book was really fun – especially Anne and her crew. I love them! But as I said, this is a dark book with horrible things that happen to Anne and to the people that wronged her. She’s a person bent on revenge but it consumes her so much that she doesn’t appreciate or know how to be friends with the people that have her back until it’s too late. I enjoyed the romance also but would have loved if this was a duology so we could have had more world-buidling. Other than that though, I enjoyed this retelling of Blackbeard which is full of pirates, some romance and lots of revenge.

Read if you like:

  • pirates
  • dark romance/dark fantasy
  • revenge

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

If You Could See the Sun by. Ann Liang | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: If You Could See the Sun

Author: Ann Liang

Narrator(s): Natalie Naudus

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 346 Listening Time: approximately 9 hours

Publication Date: 10/11/22

Publisher:  Harlequin Audio

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Magical Realism



In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates’ most scandalous secrets.

Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible.

When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.

But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.

Content Warning: kidnapping, cheating

+ Ann Liang does young adult rivals to lovers romance so well! This is the second book I’ve read where she uses this trope and I just love it especially when it is set at a wealthy private school. The narrator for this audiobook is becoming one of my favorite voices in the audiobook world, she does a fantastic job voicing the characters in this story.

+ Alice is one of the top people in her class, but she’s poor compared to the other students at her school. All she wants is to be rich like them one day but first she has to figure out how to come up with the tuition money if she wants to stay there. One day she realizes she can be invisible – not sure how or why (kind of wanted a reason for it) – but instead of really freaking out about it, she turns it into a business venture that could help her pay her tuition. She gets Henry Lee, one of the hottest and richest guys at school, and her biggest rival, to create the app where her business can thrive.

+ The romance is so cute. Alice and Henry are always in competition and Henry seems to like her but Alice is so focused on everything else, that she doesn’t really see it until later. They spend more time together now that she has this business using her invisibility and the closer they get, Alice realizes she might feel more about Henry than she is letting on. It’s a slow burn but it gave me all the feels when they finally get together.

+ I like Alice, even though she let her fears and ambition guide her and she makes some big mistakes, I understood her predicament and desires. All she wants is to make her parents proud and one day be wealthy enough to take care of them and I think many kids who are not from wealthy families feel that burden – especially if you are Asian. I love that she turned something that is scary into a business! This business also made her befriend some people at school that she never thought she could be friends with like Chanel.

Final Thoughts:

I kind of need someone at Netflix to make these Ann Liang rival to lovers romance novels into tv shows. I would be obsessed. This book had drama, action, friendship, and romance that melted my heart. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Read if you like:

  • young adult rivals to lovers
  • rich boy x poor girl
  • magical realism – special powers -invisibility
  • school drama

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️