Tag: romance

Rewrite the Stars by. Lindsay Hameroff | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Rewrite the Stars

Author: Lindsay Hameroff

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 7/7/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Beach Read, Women’s Fiction, Small Town 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!


A sparkling romance between an ex-actress and her contractor, reminding us that it’s never too late to rewrite our destiny.

Semi-retired actress Marissa Morgan has played many parts in her life. But these days, her primary role is mother of two. Since hitting pause on her career, she’s worked hard to give her kids a normal childhood and shield them from the spotlight. So when her ex-husband announces his high-profile engagement and a media storm ensues, Marissa and her kids flee Los Angeles for a summer at her recently inherited Poconos lake house.

The long-vacant house needs major TLC, so Marissa hires a home renovation company to do repairs. But when the project hits a snag and Marissa finds herself sharing space with the crew, including Jesse, the handsome (and vaguely familiar) foreman, her plans for a drama-free summer hit choppy water.

Jesse doesn’t expect Marissa to remember him; they were just kids when they last played together at the lake. But he’s never forgotten her; he’s spent the last two decades quietly following her career, even as his own dreams fell apart. And now that she’s stumbled back into his sleepy hometown, Jesse’s predictable life has gotten a lot more complicated.

As the summer days pass, Marissa finds herself centering her own needs for the first time in years—and that includes giving into her mounting attraction to Jesse. Soon, she finds herself wondering if their fling could become something more.

After an unexpected career opportunity falls into Marissa’s lap, it feels like the stars have finally aligned. But when new complications arise, the pair wonder how they’ll fit into each other’s future. Can Marissa and Jesse chart a new course together, or is it too late to rewrite the script for a happily ever after?

Content Warning: divorce

+ Marissa is an actress who had big acclaim before she got married and had kids. She’s been a stay at home mom for years now and she’s afraid to get back into acting, but with her ex-husband in the tabloids again, she decides to go to the lake house in a small town in the Poconos (Pennsylvania), to get away from all the chaos. While there she meets the man who is helping to renovate the house and sparks fly.

+ I totally related to Marissa on the motherhood elements of this story – the whole stay at home mom thing. Marissa has a lot more on her plate than I do though, like a playboy ex-husband who tries to manipulate her by using the kids, and a son who is autistic. I love how the story navigated all aspects of Marissa’s life. I love how Marissa learns to put herself first.

+ The romance is such a Hallmark movie kind of romance, Marissa is a famous actress and she escapes to a small town, where she has immediate sparks with the carpenter who is doing the flooring in her house. But I love that they knew each other briefly as kids. Marissa is a good person, I thought she was even too nice to her ex-husband, but I can see how he used the kids to get to her. Jesse though is a walking green flag, he’s good with her kids, loves his family and dog and he’s just an all around nice guy. There is spice, which kept it fun.

+ Loved the autistic representation in Levi, Marissa’s son.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one and related to the motherhood aspects of the story. I love that Marissa learns to put herself first after putting everyone else first for a few years. The romance was cute with a little spice! The setting is perfect to make this a summer read or beach read. I hope to read more from this author!

Read if you like:

  • motherhood
  • small town romance
  • actress and a regular guy
  • summer romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 6/28/26

Aloha friends!

+ I am deep in the planning and organizing my son’s Bar Mitzvah, which is happening in 2 weeks! I can’t believe the moment is upon us, I feel like it’s been years of Sunday School but now he is almost done. wow. 🥹. I feel like I didn’t do my best planning his Bar Mitzvah but I’ve learned a lot and will do better for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah in 3 years. But lately I’m busy with to-do lists, shopping for things, etc…

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Broken Dove by. Dani Francis
  • Our Wicked Gifts by. Kathryn Foxfield
  • In Stormy Weather by. Chelsea Curto
  • Love and Lies by. Lena Kiefer
  • Dreamland by. Olivie Blake

Currently Reading:

  • The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovi
  • The Ice Beyond by. Olivia Wildenstein
  • Ruinous Ends by. I.V. Marie
  • Because I Killed Him by. Edith Birde

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ Voicemails for Isabelle (Netflix) – I saw people raving about this on TikTok so I watched it. 😩 Oh my heart, it hurt. It’s such a good, funny, and emotional rom-com though! Loved it!

+ Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love – still listening to this and…did I get tickets for the Daisy Chain Festival? I did!!!! But I’m kinda worried because I’ve never been to a music festival and I’m bringing my kids.

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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Broken Dove by. Dani Francis | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Broken Dove (Silver Elite, #2)

Author: Dani Francis

Pages: 593

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Categories: Dystopian, Romance, Series


In the heart-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart.

LINES WILL BE CROSSED.

After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in overthrowing their rule once and for all.

LOYALTIES WILL BE TESTED.

Though she’s back among her own people, trust is hard-won and hidden agendas abound on the Mod base. And beyond those walls, Wren can’t help but worry that Cross is keeping secrets of his own . . . secrets that could jeopardize everything. Complicating matters even further is her shocking reunion with hotshot fighter pilot and undercover operative Grayson Blake. Once her closest friend in Silver Elite, Gray seems to understand Wren on a level she never thought possible.

AND THE FIGHT FOR THE CONTINENT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

With the war between Mods and Primes growing more brutal by the day, and with her own role in the conflict becoming more essential than ever, Wren must confront some gut-wrenching questions. Who is she fighting for . . . and who is she willing to lose?

Content Warning: violence, death, mention of rape

World Building: Back in the fight for the Continent – Wren is now at the Dagger with other Mods like herself, reuniting with Grayson. Cross is still with his family and the Primes. I do feel like the world opened up more in this sequel but most of the story still takes place indoors. But I did like when they went on missions.

Characters: Wren needs to prove her loyalty to the leaders of the Mods but she’s also guarding the secret of her parents. She grows a lot though and has to deal with a forbidden romance, lost and betrayal. Grayson becomes a main character which I wasn’t expecting, it did make things interesting though. Cross wasn’t in this book much because he was separated from Wren for almost all the story, so I cannot say much about his growth. There is a big secondary cast in this story which I enjoyed getting to know and they each added a lot to the story.

Romance: For me, I have a feeling Cross and Wren will be end game, because you cannot tell me they won’t be after knowing each other (at least in their minds) since they were kids! This forbidden romance is a challenge for them but I didn’t think it was going to break them ~ but I guess it had to happen? Still didn’t expect Wren being with someone else, even though I don’t hate the guy, I just have loyalty towards Cross! 😅 So I will reserve judgment until book three and see what happens. But I didn’t love the triangle, and at times I was frustrated with Wren – because Cross is getting punished for her and she knows he is after seeing his bruises yet. He can’t always be there for her…but he does his best!

Story: The beginning of this book was slow. So slow that I was wondering why people were raving about this book. I feel like it started getting interesting at the 300-ish page mark. A lot of the slow parts was just more training and Wren trying to fit in at the Dagger. I get it, they can’t trust her, but it only was interesting when she went on missions. Pacing was off for me. But there are lots of twists and turns near the end though, so I think that’s why people were raving about this book. I did enjoy the second half way more than the first half.

Final Thoughts:

The beginning was a little too slow for me and then the pacing was a little off until all the twists and turns nearing the end. I did like that the world opened up but I didn’t love the love triangle and Cross was barely in this book. I did like the secrets and betrayals, and all the missions because it brought the action but again, that came in the second half of the book. Overall, I think this was a solid sequel. Will I still read book three? Yes, just to see Wren and Cross get together again, hopefully. 😅

Read if you like:

  • love triangle
  • twists and turns (second half of story)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Silver Elite by. Dani Francis| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

The Winged Game by. Sophie Kim | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Winged Game

Author: Sophie Kim

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 6/30/26

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Sports 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 Del Rey for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fantasy meets sports romance in this sizzling slow-burn novel from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The God and the Gumiho, in which the disgraced star of a brutal magical sport must team up with the rival who destroyed her career.

Carriwitchet, the violent, rugby-esque game played atop winged beasts, was once Taissa Cho’s whole life, and she was once the United Kingdom’s most promising player. Until her nemesis, rival player Kion Locke, destroyed her career in a single moment. Expelled from the sport in disgrace, Taissa has spent the last two years dreaming of nothing but revenge and relishing watching Kion’s team plummet to the bottom of the league.

So when Taissa is offered the chance to redeem herself and her career, she can’t refuse—even if the offer is coming from the very man who ruined everything in the first place. It’s close to a dream come true . . . except for that pesky clause in her contract that demands she and Kion enter a fake relationship in order to garner some much-needed positive PR for the team. This could not be a worse match. Taissa and Kion only have two things in their love of the game, and their undying hatred for each other.

Yet as a mysterious illness befalls the winged creatures of the entire league—putting both the beasts’ lives and the very sport itself at stake—the athletes find themselves partnering up in other ways, determined to crack the case of the eerie sickness. As their investigation takes them on a whirlwind adventure, Kion and Taissa are prepared for anything . . .

Anything, that is, but their fake-for-the-cameras relationship to maybe, just maybe, become something real after all.

Content Warning: violence

World Building: This is a fantasy/sci-fi sports romance story and I loved it! Carriwitchet is a game played with high stakes – different teams and different winged creatures, like dragons, wyverns, hippogriffs and more. I felt like the game was explained really well and I enjoyed all the action of the sport. And though it is fantasy, it is written in our current year and has many modern day elements like the social media comments.

Characters: Taissa was once a very popular Carriwitchet player until her rival, Kion took her down by exposing her. Both Taissa and Kion are alike – top players of the sport, quick tempers, but Taissa is a lot more impulsive while Kion rarely shows emotions. Both of them though have their own demons and I love how they bickered, but eventually when the air clears and they finally listen to one another – they become the best together. A strong part of this story is the found family element which Kion has with his teammates, a team he is trying desperately to save. When Taissa is added to the mix, there is a lot of distrust, but I loved seeing how it breaks down when they finally accept her onto the team. The winged creatures are fun because they have a voice in this story, especially Cronus – Taissa’s decrepit creature – he was so grumpy, I love him! But I love how everyone has an emotional story and it made me invested in their stories.

Romance: The romance is rivals to lovers, these two hated one another just from a misunderstanding. And though I usually hate when a misunderstanding or miscommunication happens, I didn’t mind this one because it happens to Kion who was going through some trigger to a trauma. I love how we watch Taissa and Kion for from hate, to love. It’s so entertaining! There is a little spice and yes I do wish it had more just because Taissa and Kion had such good chemistry even as rivals.

Story: I was surprised this was a standalone but also love it because of that. Not only did this have found family and a rivals to lovers romance, but there is a mystery in the story as well. Taissa and Kion have to figure out who cursed their team before they lose their team altogether, so the stakes were high. I also loved the humor in this story!

Final Thoughts:

I loved this story because it had so much action, the rivals to lovers romance was so funny and entertaining, and each character had an emotional background and I was rooting for all of them very hard. It has humor, winged creatures who can mind speak and even mystery! I was thoroughly entertained!

Read if you like:

  • sports romance, but fantasy
  • found family
  • friendship
  • mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Witch Season by. Julia Bianco | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Witch Season

Author: Julia Bianco

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 6/30/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Witches

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

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


The villain isn’t supposed to be king.

That is the price of magic – not just the blood, but the pain to bring it out.

Katherine Barnes is an enforcer, charged with upholding the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven. It’s her job to maintain order and bring unsettled witches – people who aren’t aware they have magic until it explodes out of them in a catastrophic burst – into the coven’s fold. As a former unsettled witch, Katherine owes her life to Sylvia Page, coven leader and silver-haired rebel who founded Aestas years ago.

When Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, arrives to take Aestas to task for some of their more unconventional practices, Katherine’s dislike for him reaches blistering levels. She hates his money, his good looks, and his coven’s dangerous attitude towards unsettled witches. She can absolutely overlook that he sets her off in more ways than one.

But a powerful threat is about to rise. Stronger than any one coven. More insidious than the decades-long power struggle that exists in the hidden witch world. One that will pull Katherine and Silas together despite their differences. And one that will lead to an all-out war.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: This is an urban fantasy set in Los Angeles, but one where there are witches and covens. There are power families like the Khatris. Ordinaries are people without magic. And sometimes people can “snap” where magic starts growing in them which makes them unsettled, volatile and dangerous. Katherine is someone who did snap as a teenager but now is an Executor for a coven, so she knows there is hope for those who have snapped.

Characters: Katherine is an Executor or enforcer for the Aestas coven and I like her as a character. She’s had a traumatic past but she cares about the young who has snapped, because she sees herself in them. She wants to do the right thing, always. Silas Khatri, is from a powerful witch family, but he’s lived a privileged life. But now his parents want him to take over a leadership role he doesn’t want. Sylvia is the leader of Aestas and Katherine’s mentor. She has a past with the Khatris and right now she’s trying to keep her leadership role but the Khatris are suspicious of her.

Romance: Silas has a reputations as a charmer, flirt and womanizer but something about Katherine gets under his skin. He is attracted to her right away maybe because she doesn’t like him. But with more time spent together the attraction grows, and even Katherine can’t deny she wants him. There is spice, but I didn’t feel like it was prolonged or too graphic. I did find one of the spicy moments happening at a very interesting time. I would have loved a little more build-up in the romance for them. Though there are some things that happen in the story that indicate these two wouldn’t be together, I was still rooting for them. The ending does feel a little abrupt though.

Story: I enjoyed this urban fantasy and the coven politics. I like the characters like Katherine and her best friend, and even love the attraction between her and Silas. Sylvia was an interesting character because she doesn’t seem like a villain at first but her betrayal is unforgivable. I did feel the ending was abrupt and wonder if there will be a book two? I would love to see what happens with Katherine and Silas!

Final Thoughts:

This urban fantasy has coven politics, witches, betrayal, twists, interesting characters and a romance I want to see more of. I hope we get a book two!

Read if you like:

  • urban fantasy
  • witches

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 6/21/26

Aloha friends!

Happy Father’s Day to the fathers out there!

+ The week was weird even though I’ve been back for almost 2 weeks now, that day having to basically repeat Tuesday on my return – threw me off the whole week! Also, my tummy is still getting used to eating heavier and processed foods now that I am home. 🫤

+ I am catching up on reading but honestly, I’m not in a slump, but I also feel so relaxed from my trip that I’m taking my time reading. I feel like I’ll start reading and then take a nap after 10 minutes! 😅. So maybe I just need to get back into the reading rhythm again. I am working on July arcs though.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Light Wielder by. Rachel Schneider
  • Our Perfect Storm by. Carley Fortune
  • Witch Season by. Julia Bianco
  • You Won’t Forget Me by. Mazey Eddings

Currently Reading:

  • The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovi
  • Broken Dove by. Dani Francis
  • Our Wicked Gifts by. Kathryn Foxfield

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ The Boy and the Heron (HBO MAX) – movie by Studio Ghibli, my son and I watched it and it was beautifully done, just some confusing parts about grief that my son and I discussed – ending was so abstract lol…like evil parakeets?! But I still enjoyed it.

+ Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love – this is on REPEAT. Like I know almost all the lyrics and so now I need tour tickets! 😅

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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Our Perfect Storm by. Carley Fortune | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Our Perfect Storm

Author: Carley Fortune

Pages: 410

Listening Hours: 10 hours 52 min (approx)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 5/5/26

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


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

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

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

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

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

Content Warning: parental neglect

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Read if you like:

  • childhood friends to lovers
  • summer read

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

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

Light Wielder by. Rachel Schneider | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Light Wielder (Fire & Metal, #2)

Author: Rachel Schneider

Pages: 485

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 6/9/26

Categories: Romantasy, Series


It’s been four years since Jovie betrayed Acker, fracturing their relationship. Her decision to take King Edmond’s magic, sparing his life at Acker’s request, has sparked a brutal war. The Kenta and Strou forces ally against the Roison and Alaha, with Maile perched dangerously on the edge of their battles.

Jovie is determined to keep the innocent Maile people from a conflict she helped start―even if it means suppressing the Matching Bond and sacrificing any hope of repairing her relationship with Acker. Yet, visions of him continue to haunt her dreams.

Acker is resigned to aid in his father’s war while in an arranged marriage with a wife who detests him. Though still pained by Jovie’s deception, he can’t stop his thoughts from turning to her. And Acker has found a way to slip into Jovie’s dreams despite her attempts to stifle the Matching Bond. There he watches her, torn between his loyalties and desire.

When he discovers the chilling reason behind the return of his father’s magic, as well as Edmond’s dangerous new alliance, Acker must finally decide which war he wants to fight: the one for his king or the one for his heart.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Four years have passed and Acker and Jovie are living separate lives. Acker is married, but the Bond with Jovie is undeniable. Jovie is queen of Maile and doing a great job of it too. We are back in this world of politics and magic, but this time Acker realizes his dad really does need to be taken down and works to make that happen.

Characters: Acker is stuck in a loveless marriage and still drawn to Jovie because they are each other’s Match, and he goes and gets her. Jovie is actually doing well as queen of Maile, which was nice to see. Of course when the two of them are together there is drama because of what she did to him in book one. I did like the secondary characters, especially Messer and Beau.

Romance: If you don’t like having one of the main characters married and still wanting someone else, then this isn’t for you. It’s messy! I didn’t love that Acker was married to someone else. Acker and Jovie are enemies especially after what she did to him at the end of book one. Acker is married but it is a loveless marriage and he still wants Jovie. Both of them still want each other badly, but also are okay with having revenge hookups with other people, which again, I don’t think I loved. But I was actually surprised how tame the spice was in this book between Acker and Jovie. I was also maybe hoping for more of the emotional connection between them.

Story: I enjoyed the politics. I don’t know how I feel about the time jump – it’s a 4 year time jump and I feel like it definitely let Acker deal with his anger towards Jovie off page. I was expecting more enemies to lovers interactions between them but felt like he worked on the anger issues by the time the story starts. There are some strange things that happen in the story, one involving a spicy scene, but I guess I should not have been surprised!

Final Thoughts:

I think this was a pretty good follow up to book one, especially after the major plot twist that happened in that book. I just don’t think the 4 year time jump worked for me in this one. I think it’s too long of time gone by – but it did bring a calmer than expected Acker into the story, I suppose? But I wanted to see what a betrayal would have done to him right after. By the time they reunite, I feel like Acker has accepted everything and he just wants Jovie. At least Jovie feels bad about what she did. I did enjoy the politics and I think Messer was a stand-out character and maybe his story will be told next?

Read if you like:

  • magic
  • enemies to lovers
  • politics

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Metal Slinger by. Rachel Schneider | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

You Won’t Forget Me by. Mazey Eddings | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: You Won’t Forget Me

Author: Mazey Eddings

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 336

Listening Hours: approx. 11 hrs

Publication Date: 6/9/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin & Macmillan Audio

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Queer

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 & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Cubby Clark’s life is falling apart. All she’s ever cared about is making music, but on the brink of hitting it big, Cubby’s on-again-off-again boyfriend and lead of her band, Connor, abandons the group. What’s worse, his solo career rockets to overnight stardom based on a hit single about how bad she was in bed. With a fractured band, a toxic ex airing her dirty laundry in every interview, and a horrible case of writer’s block, the only thing she can take comfort in is her best friends and fellow bandmates, Darcy and Harry.

But, when an inadvertently romantic picture of Cubby and Harry goes viral the same night Cubby and Darcy hook-up (something obviously very normal for these two totally heterosexual gal pals) Cubby and her band find themselves in the spotlight as tabloids eat up the rumored love triangle between Cubby, Harry, and Connor.

Thrust by their label into a whirlwind tour, all Cubby wants is to turn to Darcy for support. But ever since the passionate hook-up they never talk about, there’s nothing but tension and distance between the usually inseparable pair. Under the pressure of newfound fame, an extremely dirty tour bus, and long buried feelings, Cubby and Darcy have a single summer to unravel the truth of what they mean to one another, or face losing the other forever.

World Building: Cubby is in a band and all they want to do is make music and make it big but it’s been awhile they’ve been trying. But they finally make a good song and they go on tour. I felt like this story followed the band life, the chaos, the bad and good, with some romance drama.

Characters: Cubby used to be the girlfriend of the lead singer of the band but when he leaves them in limbo, it’s Cubby who writes the music that gets the band back on track. She’s also going through a lot questioning her sexuality (which she didn’t think would be hard since she has two moms), her crush on her best friend Darcy, and even maybe feeling something for bandmate Harry who she is now fake-dating for publicity. Cubby feels a lot and it shows throughout the story. Darcy is her best friend and she stays that way but her relationship with Cubby is complicated because of their attraction and Darcy’s fears of coming out. I thought the band members all had their own quirks which was fun.

Romance: This is a best friends to lovers queer romance. The romance is messy because Cubby is dealing with her bad relationship with her ex, her feelings for Darcy and maybe for Harry. There is a lot of push and pull throughout the story but I like the questions Cubby and Darcy bring up about taking their relationship public. I feel like the thing with Harry didn’t need to be there though, it just made things even more confusing for Cubby and I felt bad for Harry but I guess it’s realistic when someone is trying to figure out their sexuality. I was happy for Darcy and Cubby at the end.

Story: This is a queer romance and I felt like the band life and journey took a big focus of the story, but I enjoyed how the romance was as chaotic as their tour life.

Narrator: The narrator did such a great job with bringing the story to life and there are even songs in there that was sung, which is always interesting to me because it makes me wonder if that’s how the song is supposed to sound? But great job overall!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this audiobook, the narrator did such a great job with getting me invested in the characters. Also I love a story about a band that’s trying to make it big because it’s filled with different personalities and drama just comes with it. The romance was at times messy, with a lot of back and forth but I think it was realistic especially when Cubby and Darcy was trying to figure out what they were to one another and how brave they wanted to be with going public. Overall, I enjoyed this one!

Read if you like:

  • friends to lovers, queer romance
  • music band drama

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Well, Actually by. Mazey Eddings | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️

Tilly in Technicolor by. Mazey Eddings | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood Bound by. Ellis Hunter | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Blood Bound (Cursed Covenant, #1)

Author: Ellis Hunter

Pages: 485

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Publication Date: 4/28/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Series


A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

You duel or you die.

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: A duel for possession of the Heart is about to take place between the witch princess, Astrid and the Vatra heir, Prince Zryan. Until plans change. This fantasy world is filled with magic, dragons, and familiars.

Characters: Princess Astrid has trouble casting her magic so she thinks she will die, because she can’t fight Zryan and his dragon. But when things change and Skylar (Zryan’s sister he never knew existed) becomes the one to beat well, the relationship between Astrid and Skylar is the main focus, which I enjoyed since they were opposites – destined to try and kill one another, but becoming friends instead. I did want more from Astrid though because she was training for this duel but she just seemed to be resigned to be the one to die. Zryan comes off like a heartless, cruel prince but there are layers to him too.

Romance: It’s an enemies to lovers and there is an instant attraction between Astrid and Zryan that they fight naturally since they are enemies. They can’t fight for long though and there is some spice between them. I did wish there was more build-up between them.

Story: This story is told with 2 POVs – Astrid gives us the insight into witches, their world, magic and familiars. Skylar gives us the POV of a citizen of Vatra who has been suffering in the kingdom, who hates the king, and wants better for the people. It’s got the usual romantasy factors like rebellion, and enemies to lovers. I enjoyed the familiars, Bastet, Astrid’s familiar was funny! But I do think the pacing was off for me, with some things being repetitive and it just made the story move slow. It took me a few days to read because I kept putting it down. It felt like a young adult book at times also, so that was throwing me off.

Final Thoughts:

It took me a little too long to finish this one because there were many times the story felt like it moved too slow, or felt like a young adult novel (but I was expecting adult). But I did enjoyed the second half much more than the first and I like the familiars. What I really loved was the friendship between Astrid and Skylar that grew even though they were supposed to kill each other. Despite the issues I had with it, I was still entertained but not sure if I would continue the series only because if felt to young adult when I was expecting adult.

Read if you like:

  • magic, witches
  • dragons and familiars
  • sisterhood
  • romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble