Malachite by. Ashley Andersen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Malachite (#1)

Author: Ashley Andersen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 5/7/26 | on KU 4/29/26 | on B&N 5/19/26

Publisher: Hachette New Zealand

Categories: New Adult, Dark Academia, Romantasy, Series

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

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

Malachite is the start of a dark academia romantasy series that gives you enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, elemental powers, forced proximity, found family and the perfect amount of spice…

Malachite. Opal. Agate.
Three stones, three powers, three magical units.
Choose your unit … and hope that it chooses you back.

Arianell Nocthare has been waiting her whole life to enter the prestigious Valmora Academy, where students prepare for war by honing their elemental magic in one of three units. But there are two problems facing Aria on the night of her initiation ceremony. Firstly, her family has been cast into disgrace after her brother was executed for allegedly killing four students in an attempt at dark magic. Secondly, so far Aria has been unable to summon any magic—and being magic-less in an academy where everyone wants to spill your blood is a dangerous game. How will she enter the unit of her choosing and survive without a scrap of power?

Facing blatant scorn from every angle, especially from her brother’s best friend (the tall dark and lethally handsome, Sebastian) Aria is determined to clear her brother’s name and seek justice for his death. Forging a tentative and fraught relationship with Seb, she begins to uncover some terrifying truths about the academy. And a revelation about Aria’s power throws her world into chaos…

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Set in a fantasy world where stones give you power, I did enjoy this world a lot though it is mostly set in Valmora Academy. I thought the academy was an interesting place because of the three factions: Malachite (warriors), Agate (academics) and Opal (healers). Would have like to see them work together and learn about different powers but for now because it’s book one the story focuses on Arianell’s training and surviving the school where her brother died and was accused of killing other students. The ending explains much more about the academy and it’s origins.

Characters: For most of the book this read like a young adult novel, so I’m saying this is upper YA because there are spicy scenes. Arianell’s brother, Lukas, died at Valmora, leaving him a bad reputation as a murderer. But she only remembers him as the best brother she ever had and she wants to know what happened to him. Sebastian was Lukas’ best friend but he is far from friendly when Aria ends up at the academy. He is angry, hostile, mean and cruel to her but I like how Aria deals with bullies, and with him – she doesn’t give up and there is so much growth for her in this story. I love how she goes from hurt and weak to strong and brave. I also love seeing her make new friends with Tilly and Xavier.

Romance: This is a slow burn. Aria has had a crush on Sebastian for a long time so she is confused as to why he hates her now. And for most of the book I didn’t like how he treated her, so I am glad that she doesn’t fall for him right away. She questions her feelings of how she felt about the old Sebastian and seeing for what he is now, the one that has been hurting her – and she has to decide if the reason he is acting that way towards her is a forgivable offense. Because she wants him, but can she forgive him and I like that she tries to work that out instead of falling for him right away. There are some fun steamy scenes.

Story: I would have rated this higher if only the transitions between some paragraphs were fixed. I didn’t know if some sections were supposed to be separated into chapters – it made for a jarring reading experience at times because I had to read back to see if I missed something. So maybe because this is the arc – it will be fixed in the final copy? But other than that I was immersed in the story even though there were times I needed to be patient with Aria and her growth. Also, I felt like it took awhile to find out anything about Aria’s brother since no one wants to talk about him, Sebastian was keeping too many secrets. I loved the twist at the end and the ending feels like the world is going to sort of open up in book two – would love more world building.

Vibes: dark academia, girl who’s powers haven’t manifested, brother’s best friend but enemies to lovers

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this one because I love gemstone powers, also the enemies to lovers romance progressed nicely though some communication and trust would have helped Aria and Sebastian out. I loved the friendship with Tilly and Xavier but the ending has a pretty entertaining twist I didn’t see coming and I want to see what happens next.

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
dark academia
FMC who goes from powerless to strong

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Author: Katrina Kwan

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

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 320 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours 10 min

Publication Date: 2/24/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Chinese Mythology, Romance

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

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

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

Content Warning: violence

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
demon/demon-hunter
mythology

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

While You Were Seething by. Charlotte Stein | ALC and ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: While You Were Seething

Author: Charlotte Stein

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Contemporary, Romance

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

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

The road to love is bumpy in Charlotte Stein’s WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING— a sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance filled with fake dating hijinks, delicious forced proximity, and top tier banter.

Daisy Emmett has been enemies with famous romance author Caleb Miller since they were in college together, and time hasn’t lessened their mutual loathing. So when she agrees to manoeuvre him through a PR disaster of his own making, she knows it’s not going to be easy. She just doesn’t realise how not easy until they somehow end up trapped in the same truck, on an endless road trip from one book tour stop to another, bantering and butting heads along the way.

Then, even more people appear to be mistaking her for the woman he dedicates all his books to. The love of his life, his adored beloved—the one who doesn’t actually exist. Now they’re trapped into pretending she does and that Daisy is her, each fake kiss and phoney embrace ratcheting up the tension to the point where enemies suddenly seems a lot closer to lovers than either of them would like.

Or so they’re telling themselves.

But sometimes it’s hard to be sure, when seething turns into something so much more…

Content Warning: violence

+ Daisy and Caleb were classmates and older student in college. Now Caleb is a famous romance writer, and Daisy runs a PR company and Caleb needs PR help. So right away these two do not get along. I listened to the audiobook for 60% of the book then switched to the ebook because I could read it faster. But the narrator did a great job and the audiobook was a better read than the ebook because for some reason there were some phrases while I was reading it and not listening to it than sounded a little awkward or off and I had to reread some sentences.

+~ There are flashbacks in the story to give us insight into how Daisy and Caleb were in college. But with the audiobook, I didn’t know we were in a flashback until a few moments in it.

+~ This is an enemies to lovers romance with fake dating and forced proximity. I loved the fake dating and forced proximity part, there was some funny part but I liked it because it forced Caleb to open up even if it was fake because that man is the grumpiest guy I have ever come across in books I think. Grumpy to the point he could barely communicate with Daisy and since that was his type of personality, I didn’t like him. He bottled a lot of things up and he wasn’t okay with touch or affection, even in the spicy scenes where he starts talking dirty and clearly is very aroused by Daisy, he pulls away right after, emotionally and physically and it was just cold. I liked the spice, I just didn’t like all the confusion about their relationship after. There are reasons for it that is explained at the end but even with the heartfelt explanations…Caleb was just not for me, he had so much repressed emotions it was frustrating to read. Bless Daisy for being patient, even if she had her own self-esteem issues too.

~ There was banter but even with the narrator doing a great job, the banter came off not playful and always ended up with Caleb angry or closed off. So even though some of it was fun, Daisy was always left perplexed – as I was. I didn’t love it.

~ There are pop cultural references to Chappell Roan songs, so if you don’t like pop culture in books, just be warned.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one was okay for me because I didn’t totally love Caleb. I know that’s just his personality but I found his character so frustrating. The spice was fun, and I enjoyed the fake dating and forced proximity parts plus there is an emotional moment at the end, but I just wish Caleb wasn’t so cold at times. Overall, an okay read for me but the narrator did a great job with the audiobook.

Read if you like:

forced proximity
enemies to lovers
rivals to lovers
fake dating
very Grumpy MMC
repressed yearning

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Web of Vows and Vengeance by. Aria Ashbrook | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Web of Vows and Vengeance (The Hirathean Path, #1)

Author: Aria Ashbrook

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 542

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Stripped of power. Fuelled by vengeance.

She lost everything because of his lie. Now the only way to save her sister is to win a deadly competition that could cost her the only thing she has left: her life.

When Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his mother’s death, Rose paid the price. Her family was stripped of their magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom they once served. Now her parents are gone, and her younger sister’s future hangs in the balance.

Rose’s only hope is the Tournament of the Gifting, a brutal competition held once a century, where the victor earns a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The catch? Every other contender wields the very power she was robbed of.

And Prince Kyor is among them. Commander of the armies. Rider of a bonded dire wolf. Wielder of lightning. He doesn’t just want to win for vanity – he wants the gift for himself. But what could a man who has it all possibly want?

Thrown into a world of magic, monsters, and merciless trials, Rose must fight not only for survival but for the chance to reclaim her future. Along the way, she’ll find unlikely allies, ruthless rivals, and a dangerous connection with her greatest enemy – one that could ruin or remake her.

Web of Vows and Vengeance is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy, set in a Nordic-inspired world, featuring deadly trials, found family, gods and goddesses, political intrigue, and an underdog heroine who refuses to stay broken.

This is a story of heartbreak, vengeance, and the kind of power that can never be taken.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ This is romantasy with many of the common tropes: enemies to lovers, found family, slow burn romance. The story focuses on deadly trials called the Rettenheld, where the winner gets to ask a gift from the Goddess Etta. Rose desperately wants to win so she can restore her family name, magic, and wealth (for her sister’s sake). I didn’t feel like the “Nordic” part of the story came through except for it being cold where they lived. Some of them have dire wolves. I thought it was interesting how this story was about a deadly trial (there are a few), and then right after the trials, a ball. So it does become repetitive in that sense. Now there is a tiny mention, fleeting really, about rebels, but nothing detailed and left kind of open, I think.

+ I did like the found family trope happening in this story since Rose is basically alone. She makes some really good connections and friends during the trials. There are some tragic moments in this story though, which I wish didn’t happen. There is also the issue of trusting people in the trial and waiting to see who would betray who in the end.

+ Rose has been training all her life ever since her family was shunned by high society for a lie told by a young prince who claimed Rose’s mom (a healer), let his mom die during childbirth. The consequences of that lie led to the death of Rose’s baby brother (life for a life), plus her mother and dad fell apart – which led to their deaths. So Rose is angry and she wants everything the way it was before for her younger sister’s sake. But when she hears the Prince has entered the trials, she also wants to kill him to get her reserve. Rose is full of heart but as an FMC, she doesn’t have very good fighting skills, no matter how much training she gets – she just comes off kind of mediocre. Also she has no magic so she’s at a disadvantage. She’s very brave, standing up to bullies, and she makes friends easily which helps her throughout the trials. Also, the attention of the prince also helps her.

+ The romance is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance between Rose and Prince Kyor. There at first seems to be other options, but once Rose and Kyor get over their hate and anger over with one another and addresses what happened in the past – it accelerates their desire to want to explore their attraction. I thought their flirtation was fun. And I did like the journey of their growing feelings, until the ending twist. Looks like it’s not going to be easy for them if they want to be together.

~ The story is a little long at over 500 pages, and for the most part I think the pace was steady. There were parts that did feel like it was dragging. Some things felt thrown in like I would have loved more insight into the rebels since there was a hint of it in the beginning but nothing more until near the end, but again, nothing that makes it relevant though there is a feeling that the King isn’t a loved ruler. Even the dire wolves are mentioned kind of once or twice and never again.

Final Thoughts:

This one is an easy read with the usual romantasy tropes so sometimes it feels like it brings nothing new to the genre, but sometimes, that can mean it’s a comforting read too if you aren’t looking for major twists and turns. I did find it a little too long though. I loved the secondary characters that made up the found family Rose finds herself with and I thought the trials were dangerous (though sometimes over with kind of quick). The romance is a slow burn and I did like the progress of it, but it does leave me questions about what will happen to them in book two. If I read book two I would like to see more world-building.

Read if you like:

enemies to lovers
found family
deadly trials
underdog FMC

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bound to the Broken Crown by. Astoria Hope | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Bound to the Broken Crown (Magebound Courts, #1)

Author: Astoria Hope

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 441

Publication Date: 1/27/26

Publisher:

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Fantasy

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

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

A prince cursed to destroy everything he touched. Until he touched her.

Isca never dreamed her gift for sensing emotions would draw the eyes of princes—let alone the Assembly of Mages. Brought to court under the guise of diplomacy, she quickly learns her secret task: soothe the beast raging under Prince Emrys’ skin and deliver his heir back to the Assembly to forge into a weapon. Refusal means her family’s ruin.

But Emrys is not the monster she expected. Yes, he’s volatile. Yes, he’s destructive and dangerous. Beneath the curse, she glimpses the man—giving, fiercely protective, and unbearably lonely.

To the Assembly, Isca is a tool. To Emrys, she’s a temptation he cannot afford. He pushes her away to protect her, even as his eyes betray the truth: she is the only thing keeping him from drowning.

He could break her with a touch. She could bind him with a heartbeat. While their enemies scheme to use them as pawns, desire threatens to undo every wall they’ve built.

Together, she and Emrys could shatter the Assembly’s chains. But that would mean laying bare her betrayal—the one thing with the power to destroy both the man and the monster.

Bound to the Broken Crown is book 1 of the Magebound Courts Trilogy featuring a tormented cursed prince, the empathic mage sent to calm his inner beast, and their slow-burn romance. This book contains spicy content and graphic combat violence, Suitable for readers aged 18+

Content Warning: violence, death

Bound to the Broken Crown has all the elements usually found in a romantasy: magic, enemies to lovers, a Prince with a curse, and a woman to save him.

Isca, has magic that can sense and manipulate emotions, so she is tasked by the Mage Assembly, to be a diplomat and help two princes rule their kingdom of Darreth. They also want her to procreate with one of them because she has magic and the line of royal mages is dying out. Isca knows that if she doesn’t do this, her family will be threatened.

Isca turns out to be really good at diplomacy. It helps that one of the twin princes, Nisien is actually nice. Where as Emrys is grumpy, violent and cursed. He’s prone to killing people when he loses control of the beast inside of him. Of course Isca’s drawn to Emrys. What happens between them is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. I enjoyed their tumultuous love story, which ends in a happy ending. He becomes obsessed with her but loathes the curse within him so he tries to stay away. There is spice, but not a lot of it.

I did like learning about Isca and her family. She really grows when she leaves them and is in Darreth. There is a found family there for her with the princes and her lady’s maid, but the people also gravitate to her and she has really found her footing as a diplomat.

I do wish there was more world-building and political intrigue. I also wanted to know more about Emry’s curse but there was barely information on what it is. Despite all that I think this was enjoyable as a light fantasy read. It’s a quick read and the focus is more on the romance. But I did get invested in the side characters like Nisien and another prince, Owain, from another kingdom so I hope there will be books about them.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read which was kind of nice, without too much heavy world-building and a story focused on the enemies to lovers romance between Isca and Emrys. Overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Shadows and Secrets by. Arcadia Rayne | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Shadows and Secrets (The Fatebreaker Trilogy, #1)

Author: Arcadia Rayne

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 614

Publication Date: 11/13/25

Categories: Romantasy, Fae, Fated Mates

She was sent to kill him. Now she might have to marry him.

Huntyr Lachlan is Velia’s deadliest assassin, and the fae prince who destroyed her family just walked into her kingdom.

But when her plan goes wrong, she’s thrust into the Conclave, an ancient competition for the prince’s hand.

Now trapped in a deadly game, Huntyr must navigate rival suitors, perilous trials, and a prince who is far more dangerous, and captivating, than she ever imagined.

In a world where nothing is as it seems, though, her greatest enemy may be the one she least expects.

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of torture/training

I didn’t know anything about this book. It was one of those nights I was scrolling on Kindle Unlimited, saw this pretty cover, the synopsis sounded like the usual romantasy Fae story and I decided why not?

Even though this is 600+ pages, I felt like the story moved fast because the world-building is light, and there are a few typical tropes: deadly bridal trials, secret identities, enemies to lovers – all the things I enjoy in a romantasy.

Huntyr is a mortal and an assassin. Her contract assigns her to kill the Fae Prince, Derian. Huntyr is only happy to take the contract because she hates the Fae since in her memories, it was the Fae that killed her father. Her father dying when she was young set into motion a childhood of strife, starvation and fear. It’s what made her an assassin.

Derian, is one of the most power Fae in existence – he is a storm-wielder and the spare who is in charge of his brother’s forces. When his brother arranges a marriage for him to a mortal, Derian takes matters into his own hands and instead announces a Conclave – a competition to the death for his hand in marriage. And Huntyr is one of the contestants.

Derian and Huntyr’s relationship starts off with sparks. She can’t stand him but must play a part and hide her assassin identity. And Derian can’t seem to stay away from her. I thought their banter was fun, and I really loved how their relationship grew. They are enemies, but the attraction between them is strong, and soon they are both falling for one another. I loved seeing them fall for one another. It is a fated mates romance, which I usually steer away from, but I like how this one is done. I like how Derion gives Huntyr space when she needs it, but I like how they fight too – it sometimes leads to something which was fun.

The world-building is pretty light, with the deadly trials taking up most of the story. But I didn’t mind it because there was a lot of action. We didn’t get to know a lot of the contestants, but I still enjoyed the fight scenes. Huntyr is pretty bad-ass in a fight. There is an enemy the Fae are fighting, also, the Velkai, who is encroaching on their borders. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and found family that is growing for Huntyr.

I thought the ending was very emotional for Huntyr and a good set up for book two.

One of my issues with this story was some of the language and it wasn’t a lot, just a few here and there…but there would be a moment where the character would say something modern like “cool” and it would take me out of the story.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was such a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure if I would like it or I’d just be bored with the usual romantasy tropes, but this was an easy read filled with a strong FMC, romance, spice, and deadly fights. I’ll definitely be reading book two because I want to see how they deal with the Velkai, but definitely check this book out if you like the usual romantasy tropes.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Daggermouth (#1)

Author: H.M. Wolfe

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 566

Publication Date: 12/5/25

Categories: Dark Dystopia, Dark Romance

He Is Her Ruin. She Is His Rebellion.
The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is mercy no longer exists. Showing mercy is a weakness, and weakness will get you killed.

The second thing is this—the Veyra are always watching. From the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slum dens of the Boundary, no movement goes unseen.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it.
Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power.

Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the governments brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride who is as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her bound to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—It’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating one another or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion sparks rebellion and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

DAGGERMOUTH is a dark dystopian romance perfect for readers who love true enemies to lovers, The Hunger Games, marriage of inconvenience, The Handmaid’s Tale, rise of the oppressed, and political intrigue that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

DAGGERMOUTH is book one of a duology.

Content Warning: death, violence, torture, abuse, misogyny, mentions of rape

Interestingly enough I saw this book cover on Kindle Unlimited and it caught my eye because I didn’t quite like it lol…but I was intrigued? And it had high reviews so my curiosity won out. I’m so glad I got this book!

+ The world building is very interesting, this city is run by the elite that live in the Heart, with outer rings like the Boundary and the Cardinal. Cardinals live to serve the elites in the Heart and the Boundary is considered the trash of society. As Maximus Serel, the President of the Heart, squeezes resources going to the Boundary, there are many people who want to take him down. Shadera, who is an assassin, part of the Daggermouths, takes a contract to kill Maximus’ heir and executioner, Greysen. When things take a turn, this story took me on a very tense journey.

+ The twist and turns in this book, especially in the second half is diabolical! And the ending made me silent scream/gasp (it was late at night and people were sleeping) because I was not expecting it. And then I had to wake up in the morning and read that ending again to make sure I didn’t dream it! 😅 I was speechless. There are so many secrets, and betrayals, I loved it. I also love how this story explored complicated (really messed up) family dynamics.

+ This is told in third person, with multiple POVs. Each character has an important part to play. And even though it’s a big cast, I actually enjoyed getting to know everyone. Every single character in this book was flawed and made me eager to know them. I know Shadera and Greysen are the main characters, but so many others like Lisa and Callum, have meaningful stories and journeys too!

+ There are a lot of dark topics in this book like abuse and oppression – it is violent. It is a story about rebellion. At some points I felt as hopeless as the characters who were fighting against Maximus. He is SO evil. I think he might be the character I hate the most in all the books I’ve read in 2025 – I wanted him GONE. Shadera and Greysen have so much trauma, so many scars, emotional and physical. They thrive and survive on pain. It’s a heavy story, so check the triggers.

+ There is romance – Shadera and Greysen are enemies to lovers, and forced into an engagement. For the most part, until maybe the end there is attraction, but things are complicated and they stay mostly enemies, but come to an understanding. There is more of an emotional connection growing at the end so it will be interesting to see how that plays out in book two. But Lira and Callum, their second chance romance in the ugly world they live in was beautiful and devastating. There is some spice and one scene takes place after a very interesting, chaotic scene!

~ There were some typos but I didn’t mind it too much. This whole story takes place in like a week, which is crazy! Yes, there is groundwork done by Maximus, terrorizing people in New Found Haven, so we come into the story when people are fed up and trying to dismantle his reign of terror. It starts when it’s all staring to unravel and the rebellion is about to go down. We learn who is in on it, but there are some people who didn’t get enough book time that I wanted to know more about. I hope we get to explore more of these characters in book two.

~ I’m hoping there is no love triangle. Shadera does have someone she is close to in the beginning but she’s someone who doesn’t let anyone in close emotionally. I am team Greysen right now, because I want to see their relationship grow, they’ve been through a lot of chaos and trauma together, in one crazy week. So I feel like there needs to be more time between them.

Final Thoughts:

I could not put this book down and I was stunned by the end of this book. This story started off tense and then it ended in a way that left me flabbergasted. I literally had to cover my mouth and let out a soft gasp/silent scream at the end of this book (people were asleep in my house). I even woke up in the morning the next day and reread that ending to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. 😂 My heart was broken, but also I was shocked and I feel like with all the books I read, that’s hard to do to me. 😅 I was highly entertained and I cannot wait for book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Not in My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/10/25

Categories: Romance Contemporary

Rosie Maxwell has a move to New York, get her creative writing degree from NYU, become a bestselling romance writer. But that plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington, an obnoxious, surly, unreasonably gorgeous literary fiction writer who has no patience for romance – or for Rosie.

Exhausted by Rosie and Aiden’s constant verbal sparring, their professor gives them an leave her class, or cowrite a novel that blends their respective genres.

As Rosie and Aiden collaborate on their (accidentally steamy) novel, they try to put their differences aside. Could their manuscript-in-progress be just the outlet they need to confess their feelings – and explore their mutual attraction?

But a potentially career-changing opportunity soon reignites the flames of their old rivalry. Rosie and Aiden’s once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved – unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms…

Content Warning: complicated relationship with parent

+ I had borrowed this book last year and didn’t get a chance to read it. So I borrowed it again because I needed to read a contemporary romance and this hit the spot!

+ Rosie and Aiden are writers taking a workshop class at NYU. Rosie writes romance, and Aiden writes literary fiction. They do NOT get along. They fight so much that their professor asked them to drop of out of her class or they can stay but work on a story together. This forces them to hang out together and work out their differences and it mostly works.

+ I loved the secondary characters: Rosie’s friends, her roommate and also her family. I loved the Peruvian representation since Rosie is half.

+ The romance was very rivals to lovers, almost enemies to lovers, but the tension is so strong that their attraction is as strong also, which made the spicy scenes unexpectedly spicy! Who knew Aiden had it in him 😅. Throughout the book I didn’t think he would turn out to be a dirty talker in bed! When they eventually give one another a chance, they have a fun and lovely relationship.

~ Aiden is grumpy and Rosie is sunshine but sometimes they both got on my nerves! The third act break-up actually made me so pissed off at Aiden that I didn’t want her to go back to him. But also, Rosie, really went off accusing of him of lying when really if they could just both control their tempers and talk, things wouldn’t have had to take a dramatic turn. He did do a big gesture at the end so I eventually forgave him but yeah both of them got on my nerves at times!

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally read this book and I enjoyed the rivals to lovers, academia world (writer’s life), the setting of New York and how it also had some holiday scenes. Sometimes their fighting was immature or they could have had better communication but overall, I enjoyed the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Seven Deadly Thorns

Author: Amber Hamilton

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Categories: New Adult, Romantasy, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal, Snow White Inspired

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

+ I didn’t realize this was a Snow White inspired story until I was reading it. Funny that the MMC’s name is Roze of all things (lips as red as a rose – yes his poisonous lips are red and he loves to eat apples). Viola is a student at Vandenberghe Academy and she’s hiding that she is a meiga (witch) to avoid being killed by the Queen but it’s hard for her to control her shadows. When the Prince, Roze, who is the Huntsman is assigned to kill her since the Queen already knows what she is, he gives her a chance – he won’t kill her if she can help him find out who killed the King, his father.

+~ I think there is a lot going on in the story. A little bit of romantasy, horror, paranormal – all thrown in. Also, there is a matter of a secret society that Roze is a part of and Viola demands to know the secrets of. World-building is really interesting because a war with another kingdom basically trapped them in their own kingdom, the Mists, keeps them in. I think most of it worked, but I did think the last few chapters was kind of wild with everything going on. It went off the rails and fast.

+ There is a cute gargoyle pet named Waffles. 😍. Viola as a character, she’s feisty and stubborn, and killing people accidentally a little too much. Someone needed to teach her control, but there was no one really. The Queen is evil and she has a magic mirror, but the twist I enjoyed was Roze’s sister being the “dwarves” but here they are vapid princesses. Everyone is under the Queen’s power, except Roze, who sometimes defies her.

+ The romance is enemies to lovers and the animosity between them is very present in everyone of their interactions. There is a fake engagement between them to help with the plan of Viola helping him find out who killed his dad. Roze’s touch is poison so there is no spice until it comes on all of a sudden near the end. I was not expecting any spice which is why at first I thought this was YA. I bumped it up to NA after that spicy scene.

Final Thoughts:

I liked the enemies to lovers romance and the Snow White inspiration. I think there is a lot going on but I kind of went with it. Overall, even with the wild ending and twist, I think this was an entertaining story!