The Lies of Lena by. Kylie Snow | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles, #1)

Author: Kylie Snow

Narrator(s): Kieran Regan; Natalie Van Sistine

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 462 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours 34 min

Publication Date: 1/6/26

Publisher: Gollancz

Categories: Romantasy, New Adult

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

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

A SECRET MAGE. A VENGEFUL PRINCE.
WILL FORBIDDEN LOVE UNITE THE REALM – OR BURN IT DOWN…
*please check trigger warnings before diving in

In Tovagoth, Mages like Lena Daelyra live in hunted, outlawed, and reviled. Even after fleeing to Otacia, Lena hides her magic, cloaked in silence. But when she meets Quinn Callon, a quick-witted swordsman from the Inner Ring, her walls begin to crack. He trains Lena to fight, never suspecting the truth she hides. But as their connection deepens, so does the danger… and Lena knows love is a risk she can’t afford.

Silas La’Rune, Crown Prince of Otacia, has been caged within the Kingdom castle since the kidnapping and murder of his sister, the Princess. Until one day beyond the castle walls reveals a Kingdom rotting beneath its guiled surface – and a girl who shouldn’t exist.

When tragedy tears Lena from Quinn, as destiny would have it, Lena and Silas’ paths collide. For the future of Magekind depends on them, and love could just about be the deadliest weapon…

Content Warning: violence, torture, sexual assault, rape, grief

I remember seeing this book all over the booktoks and book socials this past year and I even downloaded but I don’t know why I never read it. I can’t say I love the original cover, but I do like this new one for the audiobook. I decided to try it out the story this way to see if I could actually get into the book.

This story was a little all over the place. It’s got a lot of the usual romantasy tropes like secret identity and forbidden love. A teenage girl who is secretly a Mage, meets a handsome boy on the streets who has his own secret and from there they train together and a sweet romance grows. Sweet….but spicy. Yes, there as spicy scenes between teens in this story which was very surprising to me because it is graphic. Didn’t love that but I really did believe in their teenage love story and was rooting for them since both characters seemed like good people.

The world-building I thought was pretty light, a kingdom called Otacia is ruled by a king who has oppressed mages. In this world they use copper, silver, gold for currency, they wear tunics and then out of the blue a character will mention they have pizza as food? Sometimes modern clothing is mentioned. Even modern speech was used in this world so I had a lot of questions about the world-building. There is also a time-jump in part two of the story where it jumps ahead 5 years. I’m glad for the jump because the sixteen year olds having spicy scenes early on was kind of jarring. They also mention vampires, and the undead, so this world seems to have everything.

As for the characters? Lena is naive and acted like an impulsive, love-struck teenager, making wrong decisions. At least with the 5 year jump, I feel like there is a lot of growth there. Gone are the sweet teens. Lena’s stronger, has grown without Silas, knows her magic better and now is thrust into a position to lead. Silas, went from a sheltered prince to a cold, violent, damaged one. There are other characters, like Torrin, who just disappears, which I though was kind of strange.

As for the romance, like I said it’s a sweet love in the beginning. But with the time jump, and Silas and Lena having moved on with their lives, their reunion is not a happy one. Now they both have other options, trauma from the past, and I know it’s going to be very dramatic when these two ever get back together. It was just strange to me that they are fated but Lena is looking at every attractive guy – like what?

But despite all these issues the narrators did such an amazing job at bringing this story to life. All the stars I’m giving is mostly for them. I feel like if I read this book as an ebook or hardcover I would have DNF’ed because of the naivety of the characters, and the light world-building, but their voices made this story kind of addicting which surprised me!

Note the triggers for this book because there are some ugly scenes it in. It’s violent, there is grief, there is rape. But I will say even though it was awful, I felt like the author never stayed in the darkness for long and moved past certain events quickly. There was a feeling that things just moved quickly in the story, without dwelling in certain feelings, thoughts or emotions for the character. The story lacked depth.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this audiobook was great. I really don’t think I would have been able to continue this book if I read it in another form, but this audiobook really brought the story to life. There are a lot of issues with the story but I will say because the audiobook was addicting, that this is the kind of story you sit back with your popcorn next to you and just read for the messiness of it all. It’s filled with drama, and eye-rolling moments to the point it made me cackle. I’m not here for the writing quality or the plot really – I think I’m here for the drama, so yes I will be reading book two soon.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Heavenly Bodies (#1)

Author: Imani Erriu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 1/13/26 (First published 2/13/22)

Publisher: Random House Canada

Categories: Romantasy

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

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

“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”

In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.

So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.

And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.

Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.

And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

I saw this book around on Amazon and on social media for awhile, but never got around to reading it though I was very interested in it. I know it was first published a few years ago but it seems like it’s going through another republish, maybe with a new cover? Not sure but the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would be willing to read this book and the sequel and of course I was excited about it!

Heavenly Bodies has really interesting world building. It is inspired by the zodiac. Each kingdom is ruled by a zodiac sign with a royal family, but there is also a ruling Star over that family and the people, almost like a God/Goddess.

Elara’s life is in turmoil. She is from Asteria (Piscea-Pisces), her parents have been killed by the King of Stars, Ariete, because of a prophecy that connects the two of them together – apparently Elara’s is supposed to be with him and it will kill them both.

Kidnapped, Elara, finds refuge in Helios (Leyon-Leo), where the king wants her to train to be able to kill Stars. Prince Lorenzo is tasked to train her and they have a rocky start, but eventually a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance grows between them. This story centers around Elara and Lorenzo no matter what the prophecy says and I loved watching their romance grow!

I enjoyed the found family that Elara has found in Helios despite the king being an enemy of her kingdom. I liked a lot of the secondary characters also. We do learn some things about Elara’s kingdom, Asteria and her past later on in the book. She is a political pawn in the first half of the book and is mostly training to use her skills, and learning more about the prophecy but things change in the second half. As a character I thought she was strong and brave and seemed to stand on her own against Ariete.

I think the beginning throws us into the story pretty fast, and right into Helios, without knowing much about Elara and where she is from, so I had to just assume a bunch of things about her kingdom. We do learn more as she compares things but I thought it was a jarring start to the story.

There are a few twists in the end of the story which I thought was fascinating and am eager to see how the story moves forward in book two.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an engaging read and I was really invested in the world building but the romance is the main focus of this story and what a romance it is. I loved the slow burn between Elara and Lorenzo and the reveals at the end of the book was really unexpected. There are secrets, prophecies, betrayals, found family, action and everything I look for in a romantasy. I’m excited to read book two to see where the story goes after that surprise ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Not in My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/10/25

Categories: Romance Contemporary

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

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

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

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

Content Warning: complicated relationship with parent

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Seven Deadly Thorns

Author: Amber Hamilton

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/4/25

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

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

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

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

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

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

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

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Something Wicked (Idle Reputations, #1)

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the beloved USA Today bestselling author Falon Ballard comes a seductive romantasy that blends Macbeth and Moulin Rouge! into a hypnotic saga of sex, love, and murder.

The country of Avon is in deep turmoil. The Uprising has overthrown Avon’s monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province.

Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But to do so, he must come to terms with killing his father, the key to which lies in the hands of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club.

Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands, nor wants.

With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon for good. To stop Avon from violently falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I thought this premise was really interesting and I wanted to see how the Macbeth and Mouline Rouge inspiration would take place in this story. Also I’ve read a few contemporary romances by this author and enjoyed them.

+ This really was a bold undertaking! I love Moulin Rouge and I could definitely see it all over this book. Caterine is a courtesan, and she is Gifted. Gifted have powers and hers is very unique – she can help people manage their emotions….through sex. But she can only perform her gift when they orgasm. Not sure what I thought about that but I went with it to see how everything would play out. Callum, on the other hand is a prince of Scota. But after the kingdoms find themselves on the losing end of war with the Uprising, he loses his title but has a chance to still represent his people by…killing the king, his father! Again…I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but I guess this is where the Macbeth storyline comes in.

+~ I did like the spicy romance between Caterine and Callum. It’s very sensual and filled with so much heat. But because of Cate’s reputation and his status they do have challenges between them. But I did think they were good for one another. I do wish there were more intimate moments between them to get to know one another, because it is basically insta-lust.

~ The Uprising has new terms in order to join the new government – you have to kill the king of your kingdom. The person who kills the king, gets to represent their people – like why?! I felt like that was overkill, literally. And that’s why Callum sees Caterine, so if he works up the nerve to kill his own father, Caterine, can manage his feelings of guilt with her sex magic after the deed is done. I had to suspend my belief for that and it just didn’t feel right to me for some reason.

~ It needs more world-building but I get that this is a romantasy. So the world-building is light, but I needed more. I also wanted more from Callum. He had a problem with the Gifted (from a traumatic event in the past), he’s against the Uprising, and then he meets Caterine who sort of opens his eyes to the Gifted and why they deserves rights. I did see some growth but also he loses a lot of people, I just wanted to see more from his character.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read and I liked the Moulin Rouge inspired parts of the story, I think the Macbeth parts didn’t land so well – maybe I just needed more world-building. There is secrets, betrayal and politics, but again, the politics didn’t quite stick. There is lots of spice, so romantasy lovers will like that. But even with their romance, I wanted more of the intimate connection between them other than the lust. Overall, this had lots of potential, but some things just didn’t work for me.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Rebel and the Rose by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome, #2)

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, 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 Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The path of destiny burns with love, magic, and betrayal in this second book in the City of Fantome enemies-to-lovers romantasy series perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Caraval.

From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.

Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?

Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…

Content Warning: violence, drug use

+ This is book two in the series and I honestly wasn’t sure if this was a duology or trilogy but it’s definitely a trilogy.

+ I love that this sequel moves the series forward instead of being filler. Sera and Ransom are back with their enemies to lovers romance. Ransom is now the head of the Daggers and Sera has her own group now that uses Lightfire. I love when these two clash, even when their groups clash, because it’s very entertaining. This time, the king has put them together for a group project. Both Ransom and Sera get something out of this assignment once it is done so they are both committed to it until Sera has other ideas.

+ The storyline of the Saints is the big story in this sequel. I was definitely invested because I wanted to see how this would play out and what side Sera would take. But I love how instead of Ransom and Sera are fighting one another, now they are a team and they need to work together.

+ I was waiting for Ransom and Sera to be together again and though there isn’t much heat between them until the second half of the book, I love their interactions. Ransom is crazy about her and is doing everything to keep her safe even though she thinks he hates her, he’s pretty down bad for her. But she’s always trying to save him too, especially from his Shade use. I liked the private moments they had when they start opening up to one another.

~ I almost thought I wouldn’t love this book because the first 20% of this book was hard to get through! I didn’t even really know why – I think it’s because Ransom and Sera are apart and I had to remember what happened in book one. Eventually I got settled in the story, but that was a rough start.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad this story got better after that slow beginning but once I got settled in I was hooked. I loved being back in this world with Ransom and his Daggers and Sera and her little crew. When these two clash, it’s entertaining but this time they have to work together to take down a dangerous man. I loved the world-building and learning more about the Saints. And of course I loved Ransom and Sera’s romance. I’m looking forward to book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Dagger and the Flame by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cursed Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Twin Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Storm Keeper’s Island ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vendetta (Blood for Blood, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inferno (Blood for Blood, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mafiosa (Blood for Blood, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brimstone by. Callie Hart | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy, #2)

Author: Callie Hart

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 668

Publication Date: 11/18/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Romantasy

Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.

Saeris Fane doesn’t want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court’s lips, but now that she’s been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she’s discovering that a queen’s life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward – and her brother – need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

‘Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.’

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.

Content Warning: violence, death

One of my most anticipated reads for 2025 has published and I just finished reading – here’s what I thought:

+ I loved Quicksilver, book one, for a few reasons: Kingfisher’s sarcasm, the romance, and Carrion Swift. And I definitely was wanting to read book two because of the cliffhanger from book one. Once more we are in this world of Quicksilver, where the Fae, humans, vampires and alchemy are thrown together but even more so in book two.

+ There is no questioning this romance between Saeris and Fisher – they are fated mates, if it wasn’t clear in book one. They are wild for one another and love each other very, very much. There is lots of spice in this one – some bite play, some blood sucking (among other things lol), but I think what I enjoyed most about them in this book is that we get Fisher’s POV. And honestly I loved when we didn’t get his POV in book one because he was so sarcastic…but with his POV, we get to know him on another level. He’s a good man, who loves his woman and his friends, and will do anything to save them. There are many times these two are apart in the book but that’s okay, because you know they can hold their own, plus she had to grow.

+ There are secondary characters I love like Carrion who surprisingly enough doesn’t spend a lot of time with Saeris in this book, but he bonds with Fisher, which was so funny to see unfold. Why was their chemistry better with one another than Fisher and Saeris? Fisher can’t stand him but Carrion’s charm wins almost everyone over. Of course I love Onyx the fox, and then there is Archer, the sprite, who was so funny.

+ A lot is going on in this book and it clocks in under 700 pages. Saeris is dealing with being Queen of vampires; Fisher is dealing with friends he left behind in Ammontreith, protecting Saeris, and his home estate Cahlish – so many things. There is a lot of action, which made the story go by fast. The ending is another cliffhanger with the story taking a new direction!

~ I don’t know why but this one didn’t engage me as much as book one. Maybe I went into with too much hype? I was excited going into it but then the more I read, it felt a lot like the usual second book syndrome that feels like filler but it’s filler that is explaining a lot of things and yes I felt explanations was needed but…it also felt like it was info-dumping in between the adventures and action. Pacing was slow, then adventure, action, then slow, and repeat. There is a lot going on, lots of character and not all of it easy to follow sometimes.

~ Some things got repetitive but this is a ME issue because whenever it is the fated mates trope, I cannot stand when they keep calling one another “my mate”, if that makes sense. I already know he’s your mate, does it need to be repeated all the time? Another thing that was repetitive and didn’t need to be? The two of them smelling like they just had sex and everyone commenting on it every time 😅.

Final Thoughts:

I think it’s a solid sequel with lots going on. There is growth for Saeris and we learn another side to Fisher. There is a lot of action, which I enjoyed a lot and weirdly enough my favorite couple (friendship) to come out of this is Fisher and Carrion! I mean, how can anyone hate Carrion? The romance is what I expected to be, Fisher and Saeris are mates. There are a lot of things that are revealed, and a cliffhanger ending. It’s all the things I expect in a romantasy, I just wish it didn’t feel like a filler book but I get it, this is a big world and it’s opening up even more. Will definitely read book three to see what happens next in the story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Quicksilver by. Callie Hart | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: A Kiss of Hammer and Flame (Fated for Hael, #1)

Author: Amy De La Force

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 12/2/25 (first published 7/3/25)

Publisher: Canelo Romance

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy

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

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

An immortal bound in darkness. A shattered empire at war. And a blacksmith whose heart could tip the scales of fate.

When young blacksmith Cahra is commissioned to forge a sword, she uses her imagination to design a symbol. But this symbol invokes an age-old prophecy and awakens Hael – an immortal with the power to shape or shatter worlds – sealed away in a chamber deep in Hael’stromia, the lost capital at the heart of a civil war between three kingdoms.

Now hunted for the sword, Cahra must flee with the very stranger who commissioned it. But what does she truly know about the handsome and charming noble, Terryl?

On the run through the darkly magical Wilds, she is drawn ever closer to Hael, who visits and beguiles her in dreams. With tyrant kings vying to capture Hael and wield him as a weapon, she alone stands between Hael and their deadly ambitions. Will Cahra risk everything to free him in time to save the empire?

Content Warning: violence

+ I got this arc but it’s a book that is being republished with a super pretty sprayed edge. I have a soft spot for female blacksmiths in fantasy stories and in this one we have Cahra who has made a special sword for a lord. But that sword is tied to a prophecy and now her world has changed. Cahra is an orphan, who had a hard life, and everything seemed to be going sort of well until she makes this sword. I think Cahra was a strong character even though sometimes naive, but I feel like she handled some of the challenges, the prophecy and everything being revealed fairly well.

+ The story was interesting even if it’s filled with the usual romantasy tropes. But there was something about Cahra’s story that made me keep reading. Hael, the being inside the sword was very interesting. He reminded me of a jinn trapped in a bottle (but he is not), and the prophecy all ties into him being released and being a weapon that can help rule the three kingdoms. Plus he is tied to Cahra because of the prophecy and their relationship grows into something unexpected. I liked the action in the story which I feel kept the story moving. There are lots of secrets and also political intrigue that I enjoyed a lot – three kingdoms are trying to find this weapon, in order to rule over all, but there is even reveals that have to do with the Oracles.

+ Along Cahra’s journey she meets a few people but I really liked when she meets the Seers and Oracle. I felt like she was all alone, even if Lord Terryl was nice to her, so having these women take her in, kind of guide her and befriend was really nice to see.

~ The romance didn’t really have time to build in my opinion. Cahra and Terryl make a connection when they meet but things change later on. Cahra falls for Terryl because he’s nice and he touches her hand! I didn’t think that alone could do it but it did for her which was kind of frustrating.
She was agonizing over her feelings about him and then things take a different turn so I would have liked to see more build up with the romance.

Final Thoughts:

Surprisingly, I was really into Cahra’s story and journey, when usually in a romantasy – I’m there for the romance. The romance was not my favorite in this story but the political intrigue between three kingdoms and some Oracles really kept me engaged. Overall, I found this one entertaining but wish there was more build-up in the romance storyline. It’s a good start to a series and it will be interesting to see what happens in book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Scar in the Bone by. Sophie Jordan | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: A Scar in the Bone (A Fire in the Sky, #2)

Author: Sophie Jordan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 10/14/25

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Romantasy, Dragon Shifters, Series, 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 for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

MAGIC AWAKENS.

DARKNESS SWELLS.

AND A HERO RISES.

It’s been a year since Tamsyn transformed from the enemy in Fell’s bed to the wife he sacrificed himself to save. From an ordinary girl to Penterra’s best hope to keep magic from disappearing forever.

With Fell torn from her side in the dangerous swirling mists of the Crags, Tamsyn is alone among the dragon pride. An outsider learning to survive in her new home, she trains until her muscles burn and her blood spills. And slowly, a warrior emerges.

But is Fell truly beyond Tamsyn’s reach? Their bond pulls at her, as does the fierce drive to protect both humans and dragonkind from a relentless enemy determined to destroy her – and all magic.

Magic stirs in the darkness, strengthening all who believe in it. But will it be enough to save the pride, the kingdom, and a love fated to endure for centuries?

Content Warning: violence, whipping, buried alive

This is the sequel to A Fire in the Sky which I rated 3 stars. And I was very curious after the cliffhanger in book one to see what would happen in book two and things got interesting.

One year has passed and Tamsyn is dealing with the lost of Fell. Vetr, Fell’s twin brother, has taken her into their dragon pride and is teaching her how to fight but she is lost in grief. She feels the bond with Fell still and cannot let go. She finds out that Stig (once her good friend but has turned evil) is now married to her younger sister and is Lord of the Borderlands, now that Fell is gone.

Vetr is not trustworthy and even when his desire for Tamsyn is made known, he kind of gave me the ick especially during an event where he made her go into alone to test her. I did not like him and really balked at how maybe she started to feel something for him. But I did like that we get to learn how Vetr runs things in his pride and how things worked among his dragons.

Tamsyn does grow a lot in this book but I was getting frustrated with her for the first half of this book. She’s stuck between thinking she can be both human and dragon but to be human she has to hide her dragon side. To be a dragon she has to forget her human family.

Once more the last 25% of this book was full of action, some twists and turns and then there was an abrupt ending. There is also the addition of a new character. There is an epilogue but I felt unsatisfied.

Final Thoughts:

I read this in one sitting because it’s a fairly easy romantasy to read that isn’t bogged down with detailed world-building. Also there are a few twists and turns that kept me invested. The animosity between humans and dragons is strong, but now the author has thrown in a third enemy – witches. The ending is too abrupt and leaves me wanting to know more and I feel like the epilogue is hinting that there will be a book three. I liked that Tamsyn has lots of growth and I did like the romance storyline (not with Vetr though) and will probably be reading the next book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Fire in the Sky by. Sophie Jordan | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Crimson Throne by. Sara Raasch and Beth Revis | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Crimson Throne (#1)

Author: Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, 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 Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Samson Calthorpe’s father is a court favorite—but that alone won’t take him far without money and so many people depending on him. So when the opportunity arises to become a royal spy, he has to take it, using every bit of the skills and resolve he’s picked up on the streets of London to prove his worth in Queen Elizabeth’s court.

Alyth Graham has kept her eyes on Queen Mary’s husband, Lord Darnley, for years—her eyes and her magic. She may be a member of the Scottish court, but she’s no lady. A bastard child of a fae prince and a human mother, Alyth is among the most powerful protectors in guardians sworn to support the barrier keeping the Red Caps, a bloodthirtsy clan of fairies, away from the Fae Land portals.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have only one unifying their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all.

Content Warning: violence

+ I wasn’t sure how to feel about this story and thought I would need to really in the mood to enjoy it but I thought the story was really intriguing. Alyth, is Fae, and she is the protector of Mary Queen of Scots. That’s a fresh take on the war between Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth! I thought it was really interesting how Lord Darnley who is Mary’s husband is the prime suspect of who might harm her but they had no real way of stopping him. There is a lot of royal politics and I also loved all the Fae creatures.

+ Samson is a thief and sent to Scotland to find a magical item for his father but he learns that’s not the extent to the plans his dad has for him there. He meets Alyth and they fall for one another. At first Alyth is suspicious of him, but it’s an enemies to lovers romance and I thought it was fun seeing them fall for one another. As the story unravels, Alyth has to make a choice about Samson.

+ Alyth was an interesting character because she has insecurity issues – her father thinks doesn’t think much of her because she’s half human, but that doesn’t stop her from using all her abilities, like seeing auras around people to help her keep Mary protected.

~ It wasn’t strong on the enemies to lovers or the romantasy. I think they fell for each other pretty quick.

Final Thoughts:

This was a refreshing take on the war between Mary Queen of Scots and Queen EIizabeth of England. It included the Fae, magic and mythical creatures. It also had a little romance and strong character in Alyth. I thought this was a fun read and will appeal to those who like historical fiction!