Tag: romance

The Wildborn by. Perri Torani | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wildborn (Starborn, #1)

Author: Perri Torani

Pages: 606

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 6/28/26

Categories: Alien Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Series

To walk the path of a morazir, I will exist in three states of being:

Untouched.

Untaken.

Unconquered.

Airik, a battle-scarred warrior serving the cruel intergalactic empire of the Veynari, craves silence from the nightmares tormenting his mind. But while on post to decommission a failed experiment of a planet, a rogue human spacecraft crashes, and a reckless decision leaves him stranded—entangled with a woman he never should have saved.

Nora wakes light-years from Earth, broken in body and spirit, at the mercy of an alien soldier who refuses to let her die. Devastatingly beautiful, terrifyingly competent, and bound by a warrior’s oath that permits touch only to destroy, he’s the reluctant guardian angel she neither wants nor believes she deserves.

Nora wakes light-years from Earth, broken in body and spirit, at the mercy of an alien soldier who refuses to let her die. Devastatingly beautiful, terrifyingly competent, and bound by a warrior’s oath that permits touch only to destroy, he’s the reluctant guardian angel she neither wants nor believes she deserves.

Trapped together, they’re forced to navigate a brutal landscape, vicious beasts, and the deadly remnants of an abandoned world. Duty demands Airik’s cold indifference. Yet Nora sparks something deliciously alive—and entirely forbidden—within him. What begins as necessity ignites a primal hunger: scorching, consuming, and impossible to resist.

But even if they survive, the Veynari—ever present and ruthless—won’t allow its warriors weakness like love. For Airik and Nora to be together, they must risk everything.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I’m opening up to reading more Alien Romance and saw this as a popular one on Kindle Unlimited so I wanted to try it. Airik is a warrior for the Veynari but he’s also an outcast because of his parents’ love for each other – love is not something the Veynari do. So he’s this really tortured guy, trying to stay in his lane and do what he’s told until he ends up on another planet for a mission. He finds Nora, a human who has crash landed on this same planet. They are forced to be together and that’s how things grow between them.

+~ Nora and Airik are both broken people/species. They have trauma from their past and it was fitting that they met and fell in love. I thought it was fun to see how they learn how to communicate, it helps that Airik was already studying some English and learning about humans. He learns a lot more while around Nora and she learns about his species as well. I don’t think there is anything about Nora that stood out though, I was way more interested in Airik and his past. There is one secondary character in here that I was intrigued by and loved and that’s Torren, Airik’s best friend.

+~ I think I was going into this just thinking it was going to be a romp in space, a little smutty, but fun but I was wrong. There are a lot of tears shed between Nora and Airik, I actually wondered why they couldn’t stop crying, because it was a little too much for me. I didn’t expect this to be so emotional but I really felt for Airik. It’s a forbidden romance between two broken people who just want to be loved and belong somewhere. They want a future together but don’t know how to make that happen and by the end I was hoping they could be together someway, somehow. It’s an alien romance so the spice has some creative elements to it which makes it fun, but yeah, these two have a rough time of it trying to carve a path for a future together.

+~ I did enjoy the world building but I do think the length of this book was too long. Most of the time is spent on the planet with Nora and Airik spending time together, which is fine, and they get all their spicy scenes in, but I did wish some of it would have been cut out to make the story move faster. Pacing was an issue but there is a lot of action at the end though which I enjoyed.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this started off good, and I love when Nora and Airik meet and learn from one another, the spice was fun too but then the story got too long and started to drag a little before the action came in at the end to make things interesting again. So for an alien romance I thought this was not bad and I did find the world building really detailed. There was more emotion in this than I was expecting and I would like to read book two if it’s about Torren but I also hope it won’t be as long as this one but a tighter story.

Read if you like:

  • alien romance
  • sci-fi/fantasy
  • forbidden romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Wretched Divine by. Adalyn Grace | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine, #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 512

Listening Hours: approx. 19 hrs 44 min

Narrator (s): Kristin Atherton; Major Curda; Marisa Calin; Shane East

Publication Date: 9/21/26

Publisher: FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, 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 FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ Knights, angels and demons. The audiobook was fantastic and very entertaining. I loved all the narrators and their voices.

+~ The world-building is great and I really love how the story build and builds into the climax at the end but I did find the beginning a little slow. The pacing was a bit up and down because it starts off with a lot of action then it pulls back for when they are trying to find ingredients for the cure – which is where things slow down but we do get to know the characters more. But it finishes with twists, betrayals, and makes me want to read book two right away. There are a lot of questions in the book about who is the real villain – is it the angels or the demons? They have been locked in war for so long and everyone is tired, but revenge and hate runs deep on both sides so how can they stop killing each other?

+~ Aurelie is a knight and her life is dedicated to killing demons but when her father starts turning into a demon she does anything and everything to find a cure, even bonding with a demon. Thing is, she’s also bound to an angel, Yuriel. Some of Aurelie’s actions were questionable but I get that her motivation was to save her father after losing so many other people in her life already.

+ There are so many fascinating characters in this story like Yuriel the angel with a past, Severin – a very mischievous demon who likes to sing and make wine, Illaria – the princess who was almost Aurelie’s sister in law, and Vex the little vesper who is a big help to Aurelie and Yuriel. I was invested in everyone and some of the interactions were so funny, because Severin is such a trouble maker and Vex was funny too.

+~ This is more fantasy than romance, there are some spicy moments and even some confusing moments where Aurelie is enticed by Severin but also feels admiration for Yuriel, so I’m not sure if this will be a love triangle or a why choose or what. Or is it heading towards a throuple? I have no clue but oh the possibilities!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, especially the second half of the book! The audiobook was wonderful and all the narrators did a great job voicing the characters. There is action, a little spice, secrets, betrayal, knights, angels and demons. I can’t wait for book two!

Read if you like:

  • knights
  • war between angels and demons

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 4 stars

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 5 stars

Weekly Wrap Up | 9/13/26

Aloha friends!

+ Hi everyone, it was an interesting week – we were under a Hurricane Watch for the islands next to us. A tropical storm watch for our island and we had some damages on our coasts but wow, Kaua’i took the brunt of it all. Ni’ihau too but they are a private island and we hardly know what’s happening there. But yeah Kaua’i wasn’t a direct hit but the damage was extensive. This hurricane season has been never ending for us and it’s still not over!

+ My hubby had to fly out the day after the storm, he’s on a work trip to Japan and the kids got a “storm day” off from school – the mainland has snow days, us islanders get storm days haha…so my kids had a short week. They also had their annual appointments and flu shots. I also had to take my car in for maintenance and had to get the battery changed.

+ Then it was a tough weekend for me because now that I’m in perimenopause, my periods are not only unpredictable but after I skip a month, my flow is the heaviest I’ve ever experienced. To the point I have cold chills and get fatigue. It’s not fun at all. So I’ve been dealing with that this weekend – I just want to sleep.😴

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas
  • Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer
  • Pretty Savage by. Lexi Davis
  • The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turn
  • This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon
  • Stone Bound by. Jocelyn James

Currently Reading:

  • The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson
  • A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force
  • The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore
  • Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • You Seem Pretty For a Girl So In Love – Olivia Rodrigo

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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Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Thieves (The Devious, #2)

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Pages: 384

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 12 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick; Emily Ellet

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook, Romance, 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 Macmillan Young Listeners for giving me a chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review!

A cunning thief turns the tables on the feuding brothers who betrayed her in this thrilling conclusion to the Den of Liars Duology, perfect for fans of Powerless and Lightlark.

Lola St. James is trapped in a web of lies and deceit. But that only makes her more determined to find the truth. The truth about her past. The truth about her magic. And the truth about the curse that binds her to two warring brothers who she both hates and loves.

With the Liar’s Dice Tournament now only a painful memory, Lola dons a new alter ego, Nocturne, and creates her own elaborate game designed to lure both the Liar and the Thief into her clutches, certain this is the only way to give them a chance to break their curses.

But Lola is not the only one with plans for the brothers. When a powerful figure from their past comes back to haunt them, will Lola’s love be enough to hold them all together? Or will the lies they’ve told tear them apart forever?

Content Warning: death, violence, loss of body autonomy

This is book two in The Devious serious and I really loved book one, Den of Liars, and wanted to see what happened next in the story. The narrators did such a great job, the female narrator was practically acting out all her scenes, especially a dramatic one at the ending! I loved the sound of the male narrator also but at times I couldn’t distinguish when it was Nic or Enzo speaking.

The world building really goes more into the magic in this sequel and conclusion. We learn about Laurel, Nic’s first love, and I totally didn’t like her. She’s controlling Nic, and making him out to be someone he is not. Lola is trying to help break the brothers’ curse but she has to accomplish this by keeping secrets and trust with Enzo is already so shaky. I honestly wish I had the ebook to read while reading because a lot of the magic and world-building kind of went over my head.

I did like Lola’s relationship with Enzo which was strictly platonic and more of a found family vibe. Whereas it was clear her relationship with Nic was a romance. But Lola is barely with Nic in this book because he is stuck in Laurel’s clutches. Speaking of relationships, the brothers never got along because of their past but it does end cordially and happily for them. The other loose end in the story was Lola’s dad, the crime lord who is looking for her. Things are complicated there but there is closure.

Overall, I’d say this was a solid conclusion.

Final Thoughts:

This one was filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, and some very interesting magic and world-building. There was only a little bit of romance. The narrators were fantastic, but story-wise I don’t think this held my attention like book one did. I think it was a pretty solid conclusion though.

Read if you like:

  • Den of Liars (first book)
  • magic
  • found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Den of Liars by. Jessica S. Olson | ARC Review -4.5 stars/1 🌶️

White Raven by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: White Raven (Messengers of the Realm, #1)

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Pages: 405

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy, Series

“Harbingers of enlightened, bringers of darkness. Givers of life, tellers of death…significance

flies on the backs of raven wings for those who dare to listen to its meaning. For we are the

Messengers of the Realm.”

The White Raven was born to bring magic to the dying realm.

One hundred and ninety-nine years ago the Blood War between the Ravens and the Leatherwings divided the land into Day, Night, and Dusk, cursing the land with the blood of the dead. Abandoned by Odin and his favored pets, Huginn and Muninn, the ravens were stripped of their wings, and their positions as Messengers of the Realm.

Her blood holds the power to heal the land and unite the kingdoms.

Wrennlyn Stallard, the King’s only daughter had lived a life of privilege, kept sheltered in the walls of Silvervale. But on the night of her betrothal, her world shattered when their enemy from the Night Realm kidnapped her, taking her across the snowy terrain into the treacherous land, called the Shadow Rift, the land between the Day and Night.

His mission is to take her to the Night King.

Onyx had waited months to seize her, purposely getting captured to work as a thrall for the Day King. Cold, ruthless, and burning with vengeance, he wasn’t prepared for the pampered, prophesized girl to be defiant, clever, and maddeningly impossible to break. Killing her would be easy, but her life is vital to a much bigger plan.

Because everyone knows…who has the White Raven holds the power.

Content Warning: violence, death, kidnapping, cannibalism, attempted rape

+ I could not put this book down. I read it in one day! I haven’t read a book from this author since the Savage Lands series (I didn’t read book 5 due to lack of time or awareness of it), but I loved that series. White Raven is as dark, but this time it’s inspired by Nordic mythology and culture. There are Nordic Gods mentioned, runes, a land divided by Day Ravens, Night Ravens, and Leatherwings (bats). I hope we learn more about the Leatherwings next! Wrenn and her captor travel across these lands, encounter so much danger and I loved the tension from start to finish.

+ Wren is the prophesied White Raven – on her 19th birthday, she will come into powers and cure the land. She’s a Day Raven and everyone wants to marry her, or own her in some way, shape or form. She’s 18, kidnapped, saw her best friend die, and learning how wrong she was about things outside of her kingdom. I was rooting for Wren because at any time she could have saved everyone the trouble and ended her life and to hell with the prophesy but she stayed strong. The plot twist at the ending cliffhanger is so juicy, I was left shocked.

+ There are a few members in this cast of characters. I loved her best friend, Sarina. Onyx is the FMC, and we don’t learn his name until way later, for a good chunk of the book we know he’s a thrall (slave). But when we do learn about Onyx and his life as a Night Raven, I liked getting to know his friends and crew, especially Bjorn – I love him! There is also a cute creature, a groundling, named Munch who I loved also.

+~ In this dark book there is hardly any romance. Wren has her dalliances here and there at court, but things change when she is kidnapped and everyone wants to take her in violent ways. Onyx and Wren are true enemies to lovers – they hate one another with a passion, but they are also attracted to one another because of forced proximity. There is one spicy scene which was surprising because I thought there would be more – but I think it fit because they are trully enemies stuck in a precarious situation.

Final Thoughts:

I couldn’t put this down! It was fast paced and full of action! It’s also very easy to read. I loved the world building, the dark world, even the horror elements. I hope we get to learn more about everything. The romance is very enemies to lovers, so I don’t know how I feel about it for now until either of them breaks down to one another, but it makes my anticipation for book two that much more exciting. The ending is a cliffhanger so I can’t wait to read what happens next!

Read if you like:

  • dark romance
  • dark fantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bad Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review – 3⭐️

Dead Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Wild Lands | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Savage Lands | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Stalker Anonymous

Author: Dana Leeann

Pages: 398

Format: paperback

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Categories: Dark Romance

Cole Matthews definitely isn’t a stalker. Probably.

Sure, he used company resources and crossed some lines to “have a conversation” with his sister’s abusive ex. But that was a one-time thing. Now, Cole has to attend a group therapy program with a long, clinical name…but the participants? They call it Stalkers Anonymous.

Hailey Brigham is definitely dating the perfect man. Probably.

She’d love to focus more attention on Cole, the smoking hot, ex-military sweetheart whose idea of a casual second date is tandem skydiving. But a drug-seeking patient at the ER where she’s a second-year resident knows too much about Hailey’s personal life, and his fixation on her is getting harder to ignore.

When threats against Hailey escalate, Cole’s protective instincts go into overdrive. To keep her safe, he would do anything—even if it means becoming the monster he’s kept so carefully locked up inside.

Stalkers Anonymous is a dark romance with a morally gray hero, a fierce heroine, and a found family of misfits you won’t see coming (unless they want you to).

Content Warning: violence, death, stalking, mental health

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for sending me a copy of Stalker Anonymous by. Dana Leeann!

+ I wasn’t sure how this story would play out because clearly, stalking is a bad thing, but the twist in this story is Cole, a recovering stalker (he stalked the guy who hurt his sister), meets and falls for Hailey who has a stalker. So Cole’s tendencies to stalk and protect Hailey is coming out in full force. But he’s stalking her stalker! I could sympathize with Cole – clearly he knows what he did to his sister’s ex-boyfriend was over the line, and he was getting help, but I also love that he was stalking the bad guy.

+ The romance was easy and fun until the stalker ramped up his obsession with Hailey. I love how Cole and Hailey meet, they are both good people, and they fall for one another. But I also love when Cole’s past is revealed and it presents a conflict in the relationship that there is space between them so each of them can work on themselves. There are spicy moments between but nothing too crazy.

+ Cole is attending a therapy group session but I love how they sort of become a found family/friendship for him later on in the book. I thought that twist was kind of fun.

Final Thoughts:

I found this book to be a quick, easy read with a fun dark romance twist. Who really is the bad guy when the stalker is helping catch another stalker? I loved the romance between Cole and Hailey, I thought it was easy and fun until the conflict – but I like how they work things out too. Overall, I enjoyed this one and can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

Read if you like:

  • stalker romance
  • dark romance with a twist
  • found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Our Strange Duet

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Phantom of the Opera Retelling, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Gothic, Thriller

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

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

A reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, spotlighting Christine Daaé as she rises to fame while torn between love, ambition, and the haunting secrets of the opera house from #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig.

She was never just the voice he shaped . . .

A rising soprano with a gift she is only just learning to embrace, Christine Daaé has moved through the glittering world of the Opera Populaire longing to find her purpose. Instead, she finds herself caught between two men who refuse to let her slip quietly into the chorus.

One is Raoul, her childhood friend turned devoted admirer, offering her a future filled with warmth, safety, and a love that feels like sunlight. The other is a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Opera House: The Phantom. His brilliance, obsession, and dangerous devotion to nurturing Christine’s talents ignites a dark and complicated passion in her heart.

As Christine’s star ascends, so does the tension between Raoul and the Phantom. She must decide who she is when the curtain falls—and what she’s willing to risk for the life she wants.

Content Warning: violence, stalker, obsession

+~ I love The Phantom of the Opera – it was the first musical I ever saw and so I will always love it. This reimagining follows the story very closely but it’s told through Christine Daaé’s perspective. It had all the things I love about the musical, the dark gothic atmosphere of the Opera house, and the things that happen behind the scenes with the singers and performers. With that said, I felt like nothing new was introduced into the story.

+ In the musical I feel like the phantom, Erik, and his obsession with Christine is very much romanticized. I thought it started to feel like that in this book version also, but through Christine’s voice, his obsession gets frightening.

+ I did enjoy the moments when I saw some of the lyrics of the songs used in the musical in the story. I would find myself singing the songs.

Final Thoughts:

I think if you are a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera you will enjoy this story told by Christine’s POV. I was curious to see how it would be reimagined, but I felt like nothing new was really introduced, so maybe I was expecting too much. I felt like the phantom/Erik was much scarier in his obsession with this version. I did like seeing things play out though I knew how it goes and I loved the gothic atmosphere. I also loved when lyrics from the songs in the musical would appear.

Read if you like:

  • Phantom of the Opera
  • gothic atmosphere

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Land So Wide by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 5 ⭐️

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 4.5 ⭐️

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows – 5 ⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 9/6/26

Aloha friends!

+ Last weekend, me, my friend, and my two kids flew to California to go to the first Daisy Chain Fields Festival in Irvine. It’s a festival created by Olivia Rodrigo where proceeds go to fund 10 charities. It raised $10 million initially but when she came out to perform she brought out Melinda Gates who added another $10 million which is fantastic.

We flew in on a Friday, the festival was Saturday and we flew out early Sunday. It was a rough trip – because the night we flew in we ate at In N Out. My friend and I ate the same thing, burger with no onions. My son had his plain, no veggies or sauce. I had diarrhea at 2am! Ugh…my friend had it at 4am…so we were scared we were going to be dying at the festival in a heatwave. But thank goodness for electrolytes – we survived, but never again In N Out! But the hotel we stayed at was nice, I was happy about that plus they had complimentary breakfast.

There was a heatwave in Irvine of course. 🥵 I think by the time we got to the festival around noon it was 92 degrees – they said it was humid…but I’m from Hawaii and I went to the Philippines. It didn’t feel humid, but it did feel like we were baking in an oven. So my strategy that day was use our fans, hydrate, have some electrolytes and stay in the shade. We stayed under the shade so long though that I know my daughter was bored (Olivia didn’t come out until 8:40pm). I did stand in line for lunch, food lines were long…and HOT, no shade. So yes I saw one girl faint/fall – right when she got her pizza and drink too, poor thing! I wore a hat, I brought snacks, so I think that’s how we survived the day. I also saw a girl barfing, probably from heat exhaustion.

My daughter did start to get a heat rash when she laid down on the grass to rest before Doechii came out. My friend and son did get up closer to the stage for her set but my daughter and I stayed in the back where the shade was…I did bring a cooling towel so I got some ice cold water, wet the towel and pressed it against her arms and her rash went away. But that’s how HOT it was out there…I don’t even know how attendees were going from one stage to the other and standing in that sun for that long.

There was so much to do but because of the heat…we didn’t do them all. I would love to go back again one day and do all the activities! And I’d probably get VIP tickets just to get closer to the stage.

My friend and son went to see Mitski, I could hear her from the shade so I was okay with that. Doechii was hype though and I asked my daughter if we could catch her and she agreed. We stood in the back where there was a screen. I’m bummed I didn’t get long videos of Chappell Roan who was phenomenal. I was busy trying to get ahold of my friend or my son so we could watch Chappell together – there was barely any cell service at least by the Dandelion stage (the main stage) all day! Talk about being off grid 😂. But yeah it sucked not being able to get in touch. My daughter and I did get to sing and dance to Chappell though! Then the finale, where Olivia came out – I’m short, at 5 feet, so I could barely see the screen from where we were. My son could see, he’s 5’7″ – so he was taking a lot of the videos but my poor daughter could not see anything. ☹️. We still sang our hearts out but…now I really want to take her to Olivia’s tour.

Overall, it was quite a weekend! I hope we get to go again next year, maybe just me and my friend if there aren’t any acts my kids want to see.

+ The rest of the week it was all about recovering from the trip, kids went back to school, but also kids caught a cold midway through the week. My son is worse off than my daughter, he has a fever. This weekend, we are keeping an eye on a Category 5 hurricane passing under us and turning towards us today BUT not making landfall (we hope). So kids are just going to rest and get better!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig
  • The Tarot Trials by. Katee Robert
  • The Heart Trials by. J. Elle
  • White Raven by. Stacey Marie Brown
  • Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann

Currently Reading:

  • The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson
  • A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force
  • The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore
  • The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turk

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

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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Turncloak by. L.K. Steven | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Turncloak (The Silvercloak Saga, #2)

Author: L.K. Steven

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: Del Rey

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


Revenge drove Saffron Killoran to go undercover in the Bloodmoon gang. But now, with any chance of retribution gone, she sees only one path forward: harnessing a long-dormant power to fix her ruinous mistakes.

Meanwhile, the new kingpin of the Bloodmoons has discovered Saffron’s true identity as a Silvercloak—and her ultimate goal of bringing his empire down. As old wounds resurface and fresh enemies close in, he finds himself torn between the cause to which he has devoted his life and the fate of the traitorous mage he loves.

Hot on their heels is an ambitious rookie detective sent to stake out the Bloodmoons’ growing rivals. She will stop at nothing to destroy both gangs—and anything or anyone who dares to stand in her way.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of trust and betrayal spanning continents, Saffron must choose where her loyalties lie—and determine if her quest to unmake time itself is worth becoming a villain to the whole world.

Content Warning: violence, death, drug addiction symptoms

World Building: The world of Silvercloak is really interesting. It’s a society of mages, with organized crime – the Bloodmoons – who’s leader’s goal is to resurrect his mom’s body so she can get the throne; the Whitewings – a rival gang who is trying to produce a drug that rivals or is better than what the Bloodmoons pedal in the streets. And Silvercloaks are the police force trying to take all of them down. There is a king that rules this world, who has heard of the Bloodmoons thirst for the throne, so he is trying to thwart them too. With all these things at play, it is a place of violence, spying, betrayal, going undercover and trading information – not knowing who you can really trust. I enjoy that political intrigue a lot. I also enjoy the mages and their magic wands, especially when they are battling one another.

Characters: Saffron is trying to rebuild the trust she broke with Levan. Yet she’s still lying, still has cards up her sleeve. As for Levan, though he was made to be a ruthless killer, he is very vulnerable, a recovering drug addict who still craves a hit, someone who trusts too easily, and just someone in a lot of pain. He’s lost so many people. I was really rooting for the two of them – even though their shared goal of turning back time and bringing their parents back, would upend everything. I just kept thinking, it’s a bad idea and wish they gave up their plans and let the dead stay dead. A character that we get to know better is Auria and honestly…I didn’t totally love her. I know she’s law-abiding, but I wanted her to bend a little. We also get to know more about Levan’s past and the brother he once had.

Romance: There is barely any spice, just some steam and honestly, I wanted some spice. But I also respect that Saffron and Levan’s relationship is not so easy to repair. Their relationship is very complicated. I just wish by the end of the book things turned a corner for them and in a way it did, but it will not get any easier for them.

Story: I really enjoyed Saffron and Levan’s story and loved when the focus was on them. I was taken out of the story a bit when Auria came into the picture. I do think this sequel moves the story forward a lot, especially when it comes to Saffron’s powers as a Timeweaver and the search for the Fifth prophecy. We get to learn so much about Levan’s upbringing and his obsession with bringing his mother back. It does start off a little slow because Saffron is trying to earn Levan’s trust but it picks up a lot in the second half and ends with a bang.

Vibes: cat and mouse game

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a pretty good sequel to Silvercloak. I kind of miss the growing tension between Saffron and Levan from book one, but their relationship has turned in another direction, and one day I hope they can find themselves back to what they had. The cat and mouse game gets even more involved in book two because of the addition of the Whitewings who is causing havoc for the Bloodmoons and there is always the Silvercloaks in the background, I really enjoy the political intrigue of this series so far. I’ll definitely be reading book three to see what happens next with Saffron and Levan.

Read if you like:

  • political intrigue
  • magic wands
  • enemies to lovers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Storm Caller by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Storm Caller (Storm Breaker, #2)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Categories: Upper Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance, Series

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

Thank you to Entangled: Mayhem Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Poet Graves has only ever wanted to be free. But no matter where she turns, she’s held captive―by a power she doesn’t understand, a truth she no longer believes in, and a love she can’t deny.

As Poet is drawn further into Rook’s world, his secrets force her to question who she can trust. But when friends turn into enemies, enemies prove to be allies, and the place that was once a safe harbor is revealed as the eye of the storm, Poet’s only choice is to fight for what she believes in.

When New Manhattan’s darkest secrets refuse to stay hidden, the cause Poet and Rook fight for will be called into question. The answers are out there…and they could destroy everything.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ In this sequel to Storm Breaker, the world opens up for a little bit and Poet travels pasts The Wastes and gets to meet Rook’s family and friends at Cloudspire. Her eyes are open to the truth of the world around her now. I do wish they stayed in Cloudspire longer so we could get to know it better. But Poet and Rook go back to New Manhattan to find out more about what’s going on there.

+ The romance between Poet and Rook is solid. There is no wondering if these two will be together, they love one another, already confessed it and it’s them against the world or against New Manhattan. I like that they don’t have drama with one another because it lets all the rest of the story happen without wondering if their relationship is rocky.

+~ I can’t really pinpoint what it is that made me feel like the first half of this book was slow and not as engaging as what I read in the first book. Maybe it’s the second book syndrome for me. I love the ending with all the action, secrets, betrayals and it moved faster. But the first half had Poet and Rook coming back to New Manhattan and dealing with a lot of people I don’t like, like her ex best-friend, Trinity. Also, Poet’s relationship with her dad is not good, she gets more clarity about some things about him but it just doesn’t feel good that she doesn’t have a family that she can really count on, which is why Rook is so important to her.

+ So much is happening in the end and then it ends in a cliffhanger. I don’t really know what will happen in book three after the way this ended.

Final Thoughts:

I think this was a solid sequel but I do wish we got more time in Cloudspire with the rebels because I love seeing Rook in his element. I do love Rook and Poet together, and so glad their love is established. It has less romance because of it but many cute moments of them together, some steamy but not very detailed steam. This one had more political intrigue than book one. And I do not like Trinity (Poet’s ex bestie) at all, maybe that’s why I didn’t love the middle of this book. My favorite part is the ending which is filled with so much action, secrets revealed, betrayal, and then it ends with a cliffhanger.

Read if you like:

  • dystopian romance
  • secrets and betrayals
  • political intrigue
  • complicated relationships

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Storm Breaker by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️/1 🌶️

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Dance of Stars and Ashes by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 4 ⭐️

Heart of Night and Fire by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Fate of the Sun King by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review – 3 ⭐️

Rule of the Aurora King by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Trial of the Sun Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review – 3 ⭐️