Double Happiness by. Heather Eng | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Double Happiness

Author: Heather Eng

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/19/26

Publisher: Tiny Reparations Books

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

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

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

Caught between a relentless tech job, her adoring fiancé, and an unexpected new flame, Mei must learn what it means to choose herself

When Mei Li runs into Alexandre Brodeur at a family function, there’s no denying their chemistry. It turns out Alexandre, whose brother is married to Mei’s younger sister, is back in town rebuilding his life after two decades toiling away in academic research. Somehow, Alexandre’s different from the young scientist Mei met years ago. His intelligent eyes and quiet air of mystery have a magnetic effect, drawing her in like never before.

But Mei’s carefully constructed life has no room for Alexandre. She’s engaged to Joey, a fellow Queens native who keeps her grounded as she pulls eighty-hour weeks at Livin, the tech world’s hottest startup. After a childhood marked by financial and emotional turmoil, Mei finally has the stability she’s always craved.

In Mei’s brief moments away from her crushing workload, Alexandre is an uncomfortably enticing presence. It doesn’t take long for their thoughtful conversations and his electric gaze to get under her skin, leaving Mei to wonder what she really wants in work, life, and love.

With her wedding date fast approaching, Mei has to make an impossible choice between two very different men. And after she does, she still must figure out what it truly means to have it all.

Content Warning: cheating, mention of alcoholic father, racism

Mei is a start-up corporate lady boss trying her best to give everything of herself so that she can be VP. She’s also about to get married to Joey, who she has fun with but she’s noticing things about him that makes her think he isn’t the right one for her. Then there is her sister’s husband’s brother, Alexandre, who is back in town after pivoting in his academia career – and something seems to be brewing between them. Throughout the romance taking place in this story, Mei and Alexandre are trying to figure out how to achieve work/life balance and figure out what is really important to them in their lives.

I didn’t love the attraction growing between Mei and Alexandre while she was about to get married to Joey. I kind of didn’t buy it because it happens quick. I thought she and Joey had fun together, even though he had certain annoying quirks, but I can see why things ended – I just didn’t like the situation because Alexandre didn’t seem like a total prize either. It’s nice that she’s strong, independent, and driven, but she wasn’t truthful about her feelings in her relationships. Alexandre was more mature, but there were times he was bitter at times about Mei’s successful job, so I guess in a way they were relatable because even with their success, they were all so flawed. But I didn’t really connect to them.

It was interesting to see the romance between Mei and Alexandre progress and how it ties into their career paths and their choices. The story touches a lot on toxic work environments too – another very relatable thing. I did enjoy Mei’s family, who was supportive of her.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a quick read, and I did like the topic of toxic work environments, especially with Mei being Chinese American, plus trying to attain a good work/life balance. I didn’t love the way the romance happened but in the end things work out for Mei. Overall, I think it was an okay read for me.

Read if you like:

flawed characters

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Summer of Lost Things

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/26/26

Publisher: Avon a

Categories: New Adult, 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 Avon a for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sexy new adult romance meets swashbuckling adventure when ex childhood friends Paige and Seb reconnect to finally track down the treasure that has been a legend in their small Michigan beach town for decades. Perfect for fans of The Goonies and Netflix’s Outer Banks who are craving more romance!

Star pupil Paige Malone just finished her first year at Harvard. Dropout Seb Jansen spent that time pumping gas for wealthy yacht owners at a Lake Michigan marina. They haven’t seen each other since high school. A shame, considering that they were once inseparable childhood friends who combed their coastal hometown’s sun-kissed beaches along with a couple of other middle-school pals—hunting the Golden Venus, a legendary local treasure that’s distantly connected to Paige’s family.

A treasure rumored to be worth millions of dollars. If it even exists.

These days, however, the former BFFs have traded adventure for reality. Paige is home for the summer and is spiraling after losing her college financial aid. While across town, Seb fell in with a bad crowd and now regrets his life choices, big time. Both feel colossally stuck. And alone.

But when Paige stumbles upon a hidden secret in her grandmother’s beach cottage, she must get their old treasure-hunting gang back together to finally unravel the mystery that has eluded her family for generations. Who the thrill of the hunt might help Paige and Seb find a path back to their lost friendship…or something more.

The Summer of Lost Things brings the summer heat with its combination of a high stakes treasure hunt and a swoony love story.

Tropes

Childhood friends to lovers Second-chance romance Treasure hunt Family secrets Partners in crime Summer love Small beach town setting Overachiever x bad boy Loveable rogues

Content Warning: grief, violence, mentions of drug trafficking, drug use (weed), vaping, strained parental relationships

+ I haven’t read a Jenn Bennett book in so long and it was so nice to get a chance to read her newest book coming out. I read a lot of her young adult books but this one is new adult, which I appreciated since now I’m an older fan of hers. In this book Paige is back in her hometown, a small beach town with lots of memories, some painful with the lost of her Nana. I love how right away we get to know Paige, her struggles, her grief, and her memories – she’s a very fleshed out character. Her memories and feelings about the town really sets the tone for the story.

+ Set in a small beach town in Michigan, Paige and her best friends, Jazmine, Seb and Benny were known as the WAGS. A group of kids on the hunt for treasure, and it helped that Paige’s ancestor was a man with renowned legend in town. There is talk about gold bars being hidden and so the WAGS go on a final mission to find these gold bars but they aren’t the only ones who want them. A family in town who is known her crime and drug trafficking, also wants to find this treasure so there are moments of tension when the treasure hunt gets dangerous. For the most part though, I thought it was so fun following the WAGS on their treasure hunt adventure, they are a close group, no matter what they’ve been through – I love their friendship! It’s very realistic and I love that they are flawed.

+ There is a childhood friends to romance between Paige and Seb. She’s the one who went to Harvard, overachiever and he’s the bay boy who got in lots of trouble, and now trying to get on the right track. Now back together again, Paige realizes her feelings about him have changed from friendship to lust and maybe something more. I loved Paige and Seb! I love how the interacted, you can feel the deep friendship and I even loved the way they fought because you could tell they were close. They are really partners in crime, and in life. There was one moment though that Paige was frustrating, because she clearly wants him, then put boundaries between them and got mad when he wouldn’t cross the boundary. Also there is a spicy scene and more of it but off the page.

+~ This isn’t a clean adventure treasure hunt story about a group of teens or young kids (though there are memories), these are young adults out of high school and they curse, and smoke weed, drink, they do crazy things and maybe even get into troubling relationships but I felt like all of that was realistic to the characters ages. I like that they are all trying to figure life out.

~ There is one supportive parent group in this story, which is Jazmine’s, thank goodness because Paige and Seb did not luck out with having good parents! Very strained and even messed up relationships. So thank goodness for the Neelys.

Final Thoughts:

This is going to be the perfect summer read if you are looking for action, treasure hunting, tension, childhood friends to lovers romance, trying to figure out life and friendship. I enjoyed this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Always Jane by. Jenn Bennett | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chasing Lucky by. Jenn Bennett | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Review: The Lady Rogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Serious Moonlight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Starry Eyes by. Jenn Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex, Approximately by. Jenn Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the Light Returns by. Joanna Ruth Meyer | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: When the Light Returns (The Winter Dark, #2)

Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 463

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: 47North

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 47North for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A deposed king and the powerful captive of a corrupt queen join forces in a sweeping fantasy of romance, magic, and redemption in this sequel to While the Dark Remains.

The long winter dark has been banished for good, and the mountain palace of the late king should be a sanctuary for Ballast Vallin, who has just assumed the throne. Instead, it’s a torment. Held to account for the sins of his father, Ballast must relinquish his crown and all claim to Daeros, the kingdom for which he risked so much. Worse, Brynja—his father’s former captive, the woman he loves—is the one who forces his hand.

Disgraced, Brynja is sent to Iljaria, a kingdom imbued with ancient magic. There she finds herself at the mercy of Queen Valrún, and is forced to aid in the queen’s quest to claim all the magic long thought irrevocably bound to the gods.

But then a shocking revelation about Ballast’s past brings him to Iljaria—and to Brynja. Together, amid secrets, magic, and betrayal, they must challenge the power-hungry queen to a battle that could ruin the world or remake it. For Brynja and Ballast, their most invaluable weapon is hope.

Content Warning: violence

I did not re-read book one and I highly recommend you do, because I had a hard time getting into this book.

World Building: Brynja goes back home to Iljaria but the reception she gets is not what she expected at all. Now she has to convince the queen that she isn’t a traitor. Ballast loses his kingdom and goes to find Brynja. There is a lot of politics in this one, and a lot of the story takes place in Iljaria. Also the magic system wasn’t something I could get into either, there was a lot of things for me to remember – and it just wasn’t sticking in my head.

Characters: I struggled to connect with the characters because there are a few POVs. I was familiar with Ballast, Brynja and Saga but was trying to remember the other characters. The world opens up to IIjaria so it was interesting to learn about the queen who rules there and Brynja’s tense relationship with her brother.

Romance: The romance between Ballast and Brynja have always been sweet and with some time apart in this book, they eventually continue that romance. There is no spice. There is also Saga’s romance but I wasn’t as invested in it.

Storyline: I struggled with this story because of all the time jumps. It’s all very random and complicated too, which took me out of the story. Plus the pacing was slow so I did not get into this story at all. The parts I did enjoy was Ballast and Brynja, and then plot twists were good too – I wasn’t expecting that at all.

Final Thoughts:

If you enjoyed book one, I think you will enjoy this one but I do recommend doing a re-read because I struggled. I did like seeing Ballast and Brynja grow and their romance is sweet. I also liked the plot twist. But I couldn’t get into the story because of the time jumps. I think if the timeline was a little more straightforward I would have enjoyed reading this more.

Read if you like:

political intrigue
no spice, romantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

While the Dark Remains by. Joanna Ruth Meyer | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hart’s Landing by. Melanie Harlow | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hart’s Landing

Author: Melanie Harlow

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Categories: Contemporary, 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 Entangled: Amara for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Four friends made a promise to live one night like it was their last.
That night changed everything.

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson fled Hart’s Landing with a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her wake. But when a crisis brings her home, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only…Everett is everywhere. The boy Mila once loved is now the town’s scorching hot, beloved mayor. And when he’s not serving his constituents or running the family farm, Everett is taking advantage of his second chance with Mila―the one who got away.

As Mila reconnects to her roots and opens her heart, she discovers that coming home again isn’t about where you’ve been―it’s about who you’re brave enough to become. But when old wounds threaten to open after questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left, it’s that bravery that will finally set her free.

Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander.

Content Warning: narcissistic mother, abusive parent

+ Set in the small town of Hart’s Landing this is a cozy, sweet, romance that I can see being a Hallmark movie! Mila left the small town 10 years ago after a devastating accident that tore her friendships apart, but now she’s back to take care of her narcissistic mother who is getting hip surgery. While home, she runs into her old crush and some old friends, while getting used to the quirks of small town living again. Also there is a mini mystery about who might have started the fire years ago.

+ Loved Mila as the FMC, she’s sweet, and she knows she has issues mostly stemming from the horrible way her mother treats her, not having a father figure and being blamed for a fire that happened 10 years ago. She’s brave though and someone who falls hard for someone. Now Everett her crush and now the mayor of the town, is flirtatious, funny, strong, and head over heels for Mila and he lets her know it every chance he gets. I feel like both main characters had a lot of depth even though both of them were sweet and funny people. We do meet Everett’s friends and Mila also makes new connections with the old best friends she had in high school before everything went wrong.

+ The romance is a slow burn but I loved all the teasing, banter, flirtation, and them having a second chance at figuring out the attraction between them. There are spicy scenes, and overall, I loved their romance.

+~ Mila’s mom is awful, she’s a narcissist and what can she really do about that but learn to stand up for herself, which she does eventually. But there is a lot of guilt and heavy emotions Mila has to work through to get to that point and it was frustrating to see – but it showed a lot of of growth.

+~ The story starts off with Mila and her best friends in high school and then jumps forward to present day. So there is a lot we are missing, since we only get to meet 2 of the friends in this book. I feel like each girl will be getting their own book?

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a sweet romance but with depth, especially when it came to friendship and family matters. I adore Mila and Everett’s romance and was rooting for them from the beginning – I’m kind of glad the conflict between them was resolved quick. And if this is going to be a series, where we get a story for each of Mila’s friends, I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!

Read if you like:

small town romance
friendship and family
a little bit of mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This Book Made Me Think of You by. Libby Page | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Book Made Me Think of You

Author: Libby Page

Narrator(s): Zadeiah Campbell-Davies

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 320 Listening Time: approximately 10 hours 10 min

Publication Date: 2/3/26

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Categories: Contemporary, Grief, Romance, Bookstore

A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago….

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.

Content Warning: grief, illness, death

World Building: Set around an indie bookstore where Tilly’s late husband has left her a book a month to get through the year after his death. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking and cozy! The indie bookstore has a book owner Alfie who also knows his share of grief when losing his father. The store also has a cat. This story is definitely for the book lovers and indie bookstore lovers.

Characters: Tilly is lost without her husband Joe, but this is the year she gets out and takes a chance on life because of the books he has left her. It was nice seeing her grow and I related to her grief. Alfie is the shop owner who Tilly befriends but feelings grow between them slowly. I did like the storyline between Tilly and her sister, who meant well even though Tilly was afraid to try new things – I like how they eventually work things out.

Romance: We get a peek at Tilly’s romance with her late-husband Joe and then her trying to maybe make room for more love with Alfie. It’s sweet, heart-warming and I was rooting for both of them.

Story: The narrator did a fantastic job, loved her accent, her voice was soothing. This story was reminding me a little bit of the movie, P.S. I Love You, which I loved. This story really takes us on Tilly’s journey through grief and finding her way with her family, her career and new love. She goes on trips, does a half marathon and works things out with her sister. And then she also starts to fall in love again. It’s a beautiful story! It is a bit of a cozy read, so sometimes in the middle, I found it a little slow, but that’s an issue for me.

Vibes/Tropes: P.S. I Love You, book lover romance

Final Thoughts:

This one was a little triggering for me but I was invested in Tilly’s journey through her grief and watching her grow so much! It is so heartwarming seeing Tilly learn to live and love again. This story is definitely for the book lovers!

Read if you like:

bookstore and book lover romance
life journey
grief

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Last Page by. Katie Holt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Last Page

Author: Katie Holt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: Alcove Press

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

Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.

Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.

But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.

Content Warning: grief

Ella is a Peruvian American girl from New York City who loves her family, the book store she works at, her employees and her city. Henry is the estranged grandson of the book store, from Tennessee who is there as the new owner of the book store. The two are opposites, Ella is social and out-going, whereas Henry suffers from depression, some anxiety and likes order. The two of them together, made for a very cute rom-com.

I felt like this story was an ode to New York City and all it’s flaws, quirks, and uniqueness. The story captures the energy of the city, the people, and the way of life. It’s also a love story about indie book stores – which I adore. Henry is the new owner of his late grandfather’s book store, The Last Page, but it’s about to close if they don’t do something drastic to raise money. And Ella would be devastated if it closed because she’s spent half of her life in that store – it’s her second home. Both Henry and Ella are dealing with the grief of losing Leo (Henry’s grandfather), Henry with some regrets and remorse, Ella with just a heartbreak from losing a mentor and good friend. The employees at The Last Page were so funny, and quirky – I love how they become a found family for Henry.

Final Thoughts:

This one left me with feel good vibes! I love the New York City, indie book store setting. I love Ella and her love of family, the Peruvian culture rep, and how she’s so opposite of Henry’s more introverted nature. Watching them get to know each other after a rough start, but a cute meet-cute, just made me feel happy. It’s got books, quirky secondary characters, spice and found family.

Read if you like:

indie bookstores
opposites attract
quirky characters

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review 🌶️🌶️

The Shippers by. Katherine Center | ALC and ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Shippers

Author: Katherine Center

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/19/26

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

Content Warning: harassment

+ I had an immersive with this book because I had the ALC and ebook ARC. The narration of the audiobook was done very well and there are a lot of funny moments in this book that really came to life because of the narrator. I did ending up reading it by ebook to finish it though.

+~ Jojo got cold feet at her own wedding but now her sister is getting married, on a cruise ship. So I loved the wacky family moments, the wedding games on the ship and just all the antics. Her family is close but they also have some issues with her dad, but things work out in the end. Jojo at first started off like a fun character but the more I read, she kind of got on my nerves because of silly things – like major miscommunication.

+~ The romance is childhood friends to lovers. I love Cooper he takes care of Jojo when she’s in need of help! As for Jojo…she has misinterpreted some moments of her past, which now affects here in the present – and honestly some things could have been hashed out with her just listening to Cooper or just talking to him. She’s quirky, and just all over the place – whereas Cooper is the one who steadies her. But yeah, Jojo was not my favorite in this situation.

~ Jojo not only misinterprets things with Cooper, but with her dad also. They (Jojo, her sister and mom), have been holding a grudge about their dad for decades because of one moment in her childhood. A moment that could have been talked about it when the incident happened? But they didn’t talk and let it fester for years? Yet…it was a misunderstanding basically? So all these problems she’s blamed on other people for years….could have been solved or acknowledged in the past, but wasn’t.

Final Thoughts:

I thought the wedding cruise ship antics were fun and there were many funny moments in this story because of it and Jojo’s family. So I really enjoyed that part. I also love Cooper, but I didn’t quite love how this romance is based on miscommunication, it’s my least favorite romance trope. Overall though, this makes for a good beach read as long as you don’t mind Jojo’s antics.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Love Haters by. Katherine Center | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hello Stranger by. Katherine Center | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Bodyguard by. Katherine Center | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

Title: Seek the Traitor’s Son

Author: Veronica Roth

Narrator(s): Imani Jade Powers, Max Meyers; Rebecca Soler; Steve West

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432 Listening Time: Approximately 20 hours

Publication Date: 5/12/26

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Categories: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Dystopian, LGBT+

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

A new epic romantic, dystopian fantasy begins in Seek the Traitor’s Son, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth

Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her.

She is happy with her life as a soldier. She spends her days fighting the Talusar, whose deadly Fever and mysterious gifts threaten her small country’s very existence.

But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with.

In just one day, Elegy’s old life–her job, her purpose, and her future–is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing.

Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

Content Warning: memories of torture, violence, death

+ I haven’t read a Veronica Roth series since the Divergent series and Carve the Mark series (which I never finished but not because it wasn’t good) and I thought why not try this one since dystopian is making a comeback. There are four narrators for this book and it really is an amazing audiobook because of all the fantastic job did they for all the characters. I loved the pacing of this story, I was invested and wanted to hear more even when I stopped it.

+ The world building is really fascinating. It’s a futuristic dystopian setting with spaceships, but I found it really interesting that Elegy didn’t believe in aliens! As the story goes on though, there is a possibility that maybe there is something out there. The Talusar is a nation that is powerful, that worships a virus – and it wants to take over Sedra (spelling not sure because I listened to this as an audiobook). But when people are infected with the virus, they either die or change and gain powers – I thought that was kind of cool. There is a prophecy that the Augurs have given to Elegy, a daughter of Sedra, and one to Rava, a warrior from Talusar. But there is a man named Theren (sp?) who is crucial to these women’s lives. He is from Talusar, but becomes Elegy’s knight until a big event happens. There is a lot Theren goes through to eventually get back to Elegy.

+ There is political intrigue and a race to find out what Rava is up to and also if this prophecy will come true and who will be the victor. Elegy is interesting because she doesn’t want to responsibility of being the heroine in a prophecy, so she has to grapple with that.

+ I love the secondary characters like Hela, Elegy’s sister/best-friend and a bunch of the other characters we meet. It’s a well rounded cast that gives depth to the story. Even Rava, as the villain, is an interesting character.

+~ There is a romance that builds slowly between Elegy and Theren, and I think it’s an interesting relationship because of what he’s been through – he’s a bit broken. And he feels guilt for leaving Elegy in the past. I love that they find comfort in one another, but I don’t know if it happens fast or maybe it’s because I’m listening to it as an audiobook, that I feel like it happens too fast? I might have to read the ebook to get a better feel for it but I was rooting for them until the end.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrators were great and the world building and political intrigue is fascinating. I wish I had the ebook so I could follow the story closer and remember all the characters names, but I look forward to reading book two in this series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Divergent by. Veronica Roth – 5 stars

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by. Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark – 4 stars

Weekly Wrap Up | 5/3/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Happy May everyone! It’s the first Sunday in May and nothing special happened this past week. We are just trying to get to the end of this month and get everything done with kids and their last month of school which will be cut short since we are leaving on a trip to the Philippines during their last week of school.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

The Becket Effect by. Nashae Jones
Between Tides & Thunder by. Leena Kazak
Verity Guild by. Mai Corland
My Dreadful Darling by. H.D. Carlton
Soon by You by. Dahlia Adler

Currently Reading:

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovi
Curses, Keys and Secret Societies by. Breanna Randall
When the Light Returns by. Joanna Ruth Meyer
Shadow Reaper by. Lynette Noni
This Book Made Me Think of You by. Libby Page

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ Running Point (Netflix) – Season 2 – this show makes me laugh so much! Love it!

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!