Shield of Sparrows by. Devney Perry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Shield of Sparrows (#1)

Author: Devney Perry

Format: ebook (borrowed – KU) but I also have the hardcover 🤭

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 5/6/25

Categories: Romantasy, Magic, Fantasy, Romance, Series

Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?

Content Warning: violence, death

This was one of the most hyped books in the past few weeks and I fell into the hype and bought the book not knowing it would have been available on kindle unlimited anyway! So I read it on KU because it was easier for me and I put the book trophy on my shelf – it’s a gorgeous book.

+ I really enjoyed the world-building in this story. It’s a world of different kingdoms and there is some politics going on. This world is dangerous with wild creatures always being fought off and a migration of crux (deadly winged beasts) about to take place. There is magic, a lot of secrets and mystery in this story. There is also a mysterious illness affecting the wild animals, so Odessa is trying to help investigate that.

+ Princess Odessa Cross is the eldest child of the King of Quentis and always blending in the background and hiding. It’s her sister who was trained to be Queen and Odessa basically accepts this fate until fate is changed for her by the Prince of Turah who demands to marry her instead of her sister. Odessa is not trained in kingdom politics, or swordplay – her sister was trained to be a spy, not Odessa. She’s flawed, she asks lots of questions but she is not spy material or an assassin at that, but she tries hard and she’s a good person. I think there was a lot of growth for her in this first book.

+ The Guardian has a reputation and Odessa spends more time with him than her actual husband. So it’s not a surprise that an attraction grows between them. He is a protector, he is fierce and menacing and always drenched in blood after killing these beasts that have been attacking the kingdom of late. Odessa finds him irritating until he grows on her. But he trains her to fight, and he’s more than patient with her I’d say. This is a slow burn romance with hardly any spice. But I did love the romance once it got going and some of the secrets and truths are revealed.

~ This is a long book and it does move slowly because it is focused on world-building. But even with the world-building and learning about the different creatures that are terrorizing towns, some things were still left a mystery and will probably be more explained in book two. Things pick up in the second half of the book and the ending finishes with a lot of action. It leaves us with more questions for the sequel.

~ The romance was too much of a slow burn for me. I thought the romance was lovely but I still wanted some of the secrets to be revealed earlier because I could figure out what it was. Odessa spent a lot of time telling the Guardian, Ransom, how much she hated him. It got repetitive and I just wanted her to move on from that because he really wasn’t hateful. That man was keeping her alive!

~ Another thing about Odessa, she was thrown into this role of Shield of Sparrow without any training but wow was she bad at trying to find out information for her dad. And the way that everyone basically betrayed her made me wonder what good is all her questioning (she asks a lot of questions) if she can’t discern who to trust? Is she asking the right questions? She did grow up a princess and maybe not the favored one but I expected her to have some grasp of court politics or be wary of who to trust?

Final Thoughts:

I read this in a cloud of hype and I should have waited to get a better idea of this book without the hype. But after processing my thoughts though, I felt like this book moved too slow for me. I did like the world building – I like the monsters, the magic, the mystery of the disease in the animals, learning the characters and the politics. I even enjoyed the romance, once there was romance – it was too much of a slow burn for me. The second half of this book moved quicker and the ending was filled with action. I did enjoy it and I look forward to reading book two because of all the questions I was left with.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Twisted Throne by. Danielle L. Jensen| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: ebook (borrowed – libby)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 4/8/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Political Intrigue

A commander who bled to defend her people, Ahnna is haunted by two beliefs. The first is that she failed to protect Ithicana from invasion. And the second is that saving her homeland means leaving it behind forever.

The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell’s court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride…or as a blade.

Content Warning: violence, poison, torture, bullying

+ This is Ahnna’s story. She is the sister of Aren, the King of Ithicana and Lara’s husband. So I was really interested to see what happens to her as she is traveling to Harendell to fulfill the marriage treaty that was set up when she was younger.

+ Ahnna is thrown into a dangerous situation and all around her is political intrigue. The Harendell court seems civil, even reminding me of the British monarchy in a sense with their propriety and rules, but underneath their mask they are vultures – there is always someone playing a game and Ahnna is in over her head.

+ I think the second half of the book was much better and moved quicker with action and so many twists and turns. Who is playing who? When it is revealed, it’s a bombshell. The ending is a cliffhanger.

~ I didn’t like Ahnna in this book because I knew her to be so fierce in the other books but in this one she came off so naive and weak. What happened to her character? I get that she feels guilt but she was making so many missteps I was hoping she would go home like everyone was telling her to do. She is so stubborn. I hope there is some growth in the next book.

~ I hated the Harendell court – clearly they didn’t care for Ahnna yet she insisted she could make this marriage work and sent every one of her people away. I questioned her decisions a lot. I just found it boring – the people, how they functioned, prim and proper yet vicious. For me it made the forbidden romance part lackluster. It was too slow of a slow burn because James is so proper and so loyal to his family. Why did James do a great job of staying away from her? 😑. I didn’t like him, which I was bummed about. There was yearning, but like I said, they weren’t together much.

~ The political intrigue is about a trade war and reminded me of our very realistic trade war taking place in the real world. Was it sometimes fascinating (at the end) – sure? But for the whole of the story, I wasn’t fully into it. There was a lull in the middle and it took me a few days to finally finish this book. I think the story could have been shorter.

Final Thoughts:

This is not my favorite in the series but the ending of the book was amazing. There wasn’t much romance, and I kind of don’t love Ahnna and James together. Or I just don’t like James? I’m not sure yet, I definitely do not like Harendell. Maybe I will have to make my verdict after the next book. .

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Fate Inked in Blood by. Danielle L. Jensen | ARC Review (#5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Inadequate Heir by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Traitor Queen |Book Review (#2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Bridge Kingdom (#1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores, #3) | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Skies | Book Review (Dark Shores, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Dark Shores (Dark Shores, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Never List by. Jade Presley| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Never List (Never List, #1)

Author: Jade Presley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 417

Publication Date: 4/1/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem, Why Choose

The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance…except for her.

Threatened by invaders, the kingdom of Lumathyst is on the verge of chaos, and no one can stop it. Unless the four immortal god-princes find their fated mate―and safeguard the throne―Lumathyst will fall.

Five women have tried. Five have failed. And tonight in the royal city, the princes need to find their Chosen and hope she can survive the transformation that will make her immortal.

Only Rylee Gray wasn’t supposed to be here. She snuck in for her own dark reasons―and now they claim they’ve found their perfect match. Her. Of course, they have no idea she’s concealing a secret big enough to damn them all.

The four princes have no choice. They’ll use every delectably wicked skill they have to make Rylee fall for all of them…or watch their kingdom collapse.

Content Warning:

+ One woman, Rylee Gray, is chosen by one of the four Lumathyst princes, to go through a trial and see if she can survive turning immortal. Though this had more smut than plot, I did appreciate that Rylee did face some challenges on her journey to becoming the chosen one.

+ If you like smut, this one has a lot of it. It’s a “why choose” trope or basically reverse harem. There is one of her and four of them and Rylee enjoyed ALL of them. Literally. Sometimes two at the same time. So smut lovers this one is for you!

+ I did like the twist at the end. Throughout this story Rylee is sort of looking for her lost sister. I say sort of because it’s the princes who are supposedly looking for intel on her. There is more information about her at the end of the story.

~ I think Rylee spent the most time with Kal, who became my favorite only because she took time bonding with him and I felt out of all the guys – the romance between them is genuine. All the other guys were rushed. I think her favorite is Jax, but though there was tension between them from beginning to end, her moments with him (and the others) were rushed.

~ This was heavy on the spicy scenes and I thought the world-building was too light. Also she’s going through a trial with each prince to see if at the end she is “the one”. She’s with them for a mont but she fell for each prince fairly quick and there were no challenges there except for Jax and his dad, who constantly gave her problems. I mean I’m glad they all love to share her and she loves to be shared – but I wanted a bit more depth with the story.

~ I didn’t really connect to Rylee, i just wanted more from her character but I did think Mirren was a fun character. Would have liked to know Rylee’s friends bit better too.

Final Thoughts:

Even though this was more smut than plot, I read it fairly quick just because I wanted to see the difference in the princes and how she interacted with them. Unfortunately she didn’t spend lots of time with them equally – which is why I like Kal the best but I feel like that wasn’t fair to the other guys. I would have loved more world-building, more time with each prince and more from Rylee’s character. If you like spicy, reverse harem romances without heavy world building, then you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Format: ebook (KU)

Pages: 497

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Categories: Dark Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Lite Horror, Gothic

Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win… if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.

Content Warning: blood play, violence, horror

+ Not sure what I was expecting with this one but it has a necromancer, devils, and phantoms. It’s also set in New Orleans so I loved the vibes of this story a lot. It’s a melting pot of all things paranormal.

+ Ophelia lost her mom, and now she’s lost her sister too but she’s going to try and find her. Her sister has joined the game Phantasma. Phantasma is a game played in a house of horrors. The game has stages based on the 9 levels of hell (Dante’s Inferno anyone?). Ophelia joins but her sister is in another group separate from hers so they never run into each other. But Ophelia does run into a gorgeous phantom named, Blackwell. Anyway, each stage of the game has some horror to it, and Blackwell bargains with Ophelia to help her get through each stage if she helps him find what will set him free from the house. I did like the haunts for each stage, some were gruesome though, but it adds to the darkness of the story.

+ Ophelia and Blackwell’s relationship I thought was fun to see develop because she’s stressed out (she has OCD and is dealing with very intrusive thoughts) but he’s kind of playful and always teasing her. Of course the attraction gets heated between them, and things get spicy – there is even a scene that involves blood. But yes these two are hot for one another.

~ I did wish the stages had more tension and horror. The stakes didn’t feel high and Ophelia was cruising through them with Blackwell’s help.

~ I didn’t enjoy Blackwell having missing memories. And honestly, I enjoyed the spicy scenes but I also was thinking too much during them. I was like, wait he’s a phantom, can he…ohhhkay, he CAN…how is he doing that? 😅🤔 Yes he can have a corporeal body when he concentrates hard enough – no pun intended lol. Also maybe it was just me, but when Blackwell kept saying “You are the closest thing I will ever get to experiencing heaven.” That song by the GooGoo Dolls would pop up in my head “you’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be, and I don’t wanna go home right now” (it doesn’t help that I heard that song the same day I finished this book! lol)

~ The ending was kind of anticlimactic.

Final Thoughts:

This is definitely not on Caraval’s level but I still had a fun time reading it. I especially like the dark atmosphere and the creepy house that the game is being played in. Would have liked the ending to be a bit more dramatic maybe to fit the vibes. There’s a lot of spice between a phantom and a necromancer so I’d say overall this was entertaining. Will I read book two? Maybe, but not right away.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Desert of Bleeding Sand by. Lucia Damisa | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Desert of Bleeding Sand

Author: Lucia Damisa

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 3/27/25

Publisher: Darkan Press Inc.

Categories: Young Adult, 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 Darkan Press Inc for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“ A breathless rivals-to-lovers Romantasy that will captivate you from the very first page .”— USA Today Bestselling Author Stacy Reid. In a glittering Sahara Desert palace, many have come to die…

Zair, a reviled half-blood with magical powers, is determined to stop the traitors attacking her academy and kidnapping its students—especially as her beloved sister is targeted. Sent to the palace during the king’s coronation, her mission is unmask the culprits behind the disappearances. But when she crosses paths with Dathan, a rival spy from another academy, his hidden motives complicate everything.

As danger escalates and more students vanish, Zair and Dathan realize they must join forces to stop the looming threat. As they close in on the traitors, a shimmering attraction pulses between them, threatening to unravel their focus. In a palace where everyone covets power and night magic guards its halls, Zair must save her fellow students—and protect her heart from the one person she cannot afford to trust.

+ I was a beta reader for A Desert of Bleeding Sand and I was so excited to read this one!

+ I love a rivals to lovers romance and this one has a great start with Zair and Dathan being from rival academies. These two are from military academies so they are competitive and when they have to work together on a mission, the competitiveness comes out. I love their banter and watching their attraction grow. It’s a slow burn so we’ll see what happens in the next book.

+ I like a fantasy book that has themes of friendship and family because it’s so relatable to me. Zair is close to her family and is protective of them which is nice – I love their bond! Zair is half Esan, and she experiences prejudices against her but what I love about her is her strength! She’s a great, strong yet at times vulnerable young woman. Dathan is an interesting character also but he doesn’t have the coziest relationship with his family.

+ The story moves quickly which I love – it’s filled with lots of action and even some mystery. The world-building is great – we get to learn about the different kingdoms and the political intrigue kept me invested. I love the diversity of this world.

Final Thoughts:

I was so honored to be a beta reader for this book and honestly I was impressed with the arc copy. I enjoyed how balanced this story is plus I love a story with students in an academy and add to that it’s a rivals to lovers romance? I was hooked. The diverse world-building is so interesting, the action keeps the story moving and I was invested with the political intrigue. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Frost Bound by. Frost Kay | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery Book, #1)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: ebook(KU)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 2/13/25

Categories: Monster Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Romantasy

Dahlia Skysinger has managed to survive the underworld of Astera her whole life through clever deals, selling her voice, and never staying in one place too long. When her little brother is caught stealing from the crown, Lia is forced to make a cruel bargain with the royals.

Her life for his.

To regain her freedom, Lia must impersonate the princess, marry the monstrous frost giant king, then spy on and . . . kill him.

Taking a human bride is King Neve’s last chance to secure peace for his people. Promised a frail mortal princess he could lock away and forget about, the last thing he expects is a woman with a sharp tongue and a reckless amount of courage. Lia might be the key to avoiding war, but he doesn’t trust a single word that falls from her pretty lips.

And so the wicked game of trickery and survival begins.

But what happens when an assassin starts to have feelings for her target, and a king’s icy heart begins to melt for his little human bride?

Book One of The Entangled in Trickery Series

Perfect for romantasy readers who enjoy fiery enemies to lovers romance, arranged marriage, learning to love yourself, epic fantasy adventure, sexy monster villains, slow burn with ALL the tension and angst, and mythical sidekicks.

Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Frost Kay book in awhile but I was attracted to this on Kindle Unlimited because of the book cover. I thought the premise was interesting also and wanted to see how this arranged marriage, enemies to lovers romance would play out.

The thing I found really interesting is the world-building because Dahlia, or Lia, is about to marry a frost giant, Neve. The frost giants have blue skin, full black eyes, and the men have horns on their shoulders. I found them fascinating.

It’s definitely a slow burn (super slow), monster romance, with just a little bit of spice that happens near the ending of the book. There are a lot of tropes I enjoy in this book like the arranged marriage, and enemies to lovers. Neve really hates humans and the fact he’s bound to this marriage grates on his nerves but he finally starts to feel something for Lia when the cliffhanger ending happens! I thought Lia was an even-tempered but strong character as she takes on this task of impersonating the princess.

The story itself isn’t that original but I still found it enjoyable because of the monster romance aspect of it.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a quick, binge-able read and if you like books with the tropes I mentioned above then you will like this monster romance. You might want to wait for the second book to come out because of the cliffhanger ending though.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Mini Reviews } The Tainted | The Exiled | Dominion of Ash Series by. Frost Kay ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Fallout | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | The Hunt (The Twisted Kingdoms, Book #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Court Bright and Broken by. Amy Patrick | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Court Bright and Broken

Author: Amy Patrick

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 410

Publication Date: 2/14/25

Publisher: Oxford South Press

Categories: Romantasy, Series, Romance, Fantasy, Cinderella Retelling

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

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

A dangerous bargain. An obsessed prince. A forbidden love that could split the Fae court… and break the world.

Thanks to the Fae king’s heartless tithe, my family is starving. If I don’t do something, my war-wounded father and two little sisters won’t last.

So I make a desperate deal with our village mother– she’ll save my family, and in return, I’ll attend the royal ball in disguise and perform an unnamed task. She won’t say what it is, but it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it turns out to be, it’s worth it to protect the people I love.

All I have to do is get in, do the mysterious deed, and get out without attracting the notice of the cruel royal family.

But somehow I manage to catch the attention of not one, but *both* wicked Fae princes.

The Crown Prince acts possessive and won’t let me out of his sight. His growly, bad-tempered brother is another matter. His beautiful exterior is in complete contrast to the darkness inside him, and I have the terrifying feeling he can see right through me.

Which is a very bad thing once I learn the task I’m bound to fulfill–or else face unthinkable consequences.

If I fail, my family will die. If I succeed… I might not be able to live with myself.

A Court Bright and Broken is an epic fantasy romance set in the beautiful and dangerous world of the High Fae where magic rules, secrets abound, and true love will not be denied. It’s a magical slow-burn Romantasy with Cinderella vibes and will delight readers who love delicious romantic banter, toe-curling tension and chemistry, immersive world-building, magic, and royal Fae intrigue.

This is a light and fluffy romantasy with Cinderella vibes which I thought was cute and wanted to see played out. And I like that the “fairy-godmother” is kind of the villain. It’s a quick read though because the world-building is so light. It’s a world of Fae, Elves and humans with the High Fae ruling and humans being the lowest rank. I do think the world-building was too light for me, I just wanted more.

I also wanted more depth from the characters. They were just okay and I didn’t connect much to them. The romance is insta-love with no spice so I wasn’t quite into that because I wanted Stellon and Raewyn to get to know one another better, not just a week or whatever timeline it was in the book. Pharis, Stellon’s brother is the most interesting character probably because he’s loyal to his brother and protective and super suspicious of Raewyn.

Final Thoughts:

This was a very light romantasy read with insta-love and Cinderella vibes which kept it kind of interesting but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series. I wanted more from the book and maybe that will happen in book two. If you don’t like heavy world-building romantasy books, then you might like this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Thriftbooks

The Serpent and the Wolf by. Rebecca Robinson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance Trilogy, #1)

Author: Rebecca Robinson

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Slow-Burn, Witches, Magic

Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

+ I was excited to borrow this one because I heard good things about it and I can see why! It’s got a strong female main character, witches, magic, political intrigue and a simmering slow burn. But before the slow burn, I’d say this book starts off with a bang!

+ My favorite thing about this besides the romance between Vaasa and Reid is the witches! I love how Vaasa is hating everything about herself, hating her magic and power until she meets a coven of witches in Incuria (her new husband’s homeland) and she is accepted into it with open arms. I LOVE how the women were gentle with her but also pushed her to become better at controlling her power and become better at loving herself. I loved the sisterhood and it carried throughout the story.

+ The romance is a slow burner, and I think I would have loved the two of them to have more scenes. I liked how how Reid is the most powerful foreman, who is trying to become a headman, and has a ruthless reputation is anything but with her and he gives Vaasa a lot of distance. Vaasa needs a lot of space to grow and he gives her that which I think is the biggest green flag about him. There are spicy scenes but because these two have taken the time to really get to know one another, I felt like by then we know they are falling in love, even if it doesn’t seem like it because of the space they give one another.

+ Vaasa has experienced a lot of trauma and she grows a lot in this first book, and that was really nice to see.

~ An issue I had with the story was the pacing. It felt choppy. It started off strong, then it got slow then picked up in the end.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a pretty good debut and I really enjoyed the witches and sisterhood in the story. The pacing was an issue for me but I did still find most of the story entertaining.

Book Links:

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The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Rose Bargain

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 2/4/25

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Alternate History, Historical Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Young 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 HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

+ This story has an interesting concept – alternate English history with a Fae Queen ruling. Now Prince Bram is looking for a wife and there is a competition for his hand in marriage. I thought the bargain people made with the Queen was fascinating – what would you give up for the thing you want?

+ Ivy’s trying to marry Bram, but all the girls are trying to marry him to help their families in some way. But Ivy meets Bram’s half-brother first, Emmett, and they have a lot of chemistry and it’s nice to see Ivy be herself around him as the story progresses. I thought maybe there would be a love-triangle with how some things were playing out – but there is a twist on that.

+ I thought it was nice getting to know the other girls even though some don’t get along. They eventually become like a found family during this competition.

+ There is quite a plot twist at the end of the story. I can say it wasn’t expected at all and I was quite surprised at what was taking place.

~ The trials were pretty weak. I think I wanted something more thrilling.

~ So this story is told mainly through the main character, Ivy Benton. But each girl remaining, the top six, tells their POV also, which at times got me confused until I realized what was happening and had to check the chapter to see which character was speaking.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was more like The Selection than The Cruel Prince as this is being advertised. I thought the ending was a good twist in the story and I liked seeing what bargains people made with the Queen. I did wish the trials were more thrilling and I did get sometimes confused on who’s POV I was reading (if I didn’t pay attention to the chapter names) but other than that, I thought it was entertaining, especially the ending.

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Ruin by. Gillian Eliza West | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Ruin (The Infernis Duology, #1)

Author: Gillian Eliza West

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 388

Publication Date: 10/15/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, New Adult, Retelling of Hades and Persephone

Oralia Solis hasn’t felt the touch of another in 245 years. Not without them crumbling to ash at her feet. Cursed by the bite of a daemoni, she has been sequestered away for the greater good of Aethera by her adopted father, King Typhon.

King Renwick rules the rival kingdom of Infernis, the land of the dead. When Oralia flees the palace of Aethera after her power is let loose with deadly results, he recognizes her potential as a weapon and aids her escape.

Oralia finds herself the prisoner of the man she has been taught to fear most, and Renwick is surprised to find there is more to this princess than her untamed powers. Despite the gulf of secrets and magic between them, Renwick can’t deny the pull he feels towards her, and Oralia struggles to resist the one person who cannot only survive her touch, but craves it.

As Oralia uncovers the truth of her parentage and masters her magic, she will discover that the power to raze or save either Aethera or Infernis lies in her hands. War between the two kingdoms looms and she must decide who she can trust and which she wants more: power or love.

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

This is a retelling of Hades and Persephone, one of my favorite mythologies and I think it’s done well with some minor issues.

I found the story-telling immersive with good, easy world-building. It was easy to follow. Oralia has been fed a story about the Under King and how evil he is. She believes he plays a role in her mother’s death. King Typhon has been her guardian and the only father she’s only known but when she acquires dark powers which basically allows her to kill with a touch that leaves her living a life of longing, pain and never feeling like she belonged.

When I realized this was another story about a female main character who can’t touch anyone, I went into this apprehensive because it’s not my favorite trope and add to that the Under King has “shadows”, another one I don’t favor. I was going in thinking I was not going to like this book. But I was proved wrong!

I think what I mostly enjoyed about this book was the love story, which is a slow burn, but then it gets spicy. And yes that’s usually a formula for romantasy books but this one didn’t fall into the fated mates category that I sometimes dread, but actually was two gods, both who have trauma, falling in love with each other. I like that the love is shown from both sides. I like a man who isn’t afraid to say and show how he feels. At times the story even gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes. Anyway, I found Oralia and Ren’s love story to be very beautiful.

My issues? The word “sigh” was used a lot! Characters were sighing so much in one chapter that it stood out to me and unfortunately made me aware of the word each time I saw it throughout the book! Also, the beginning felt slow but I think that’s just because it was the world-building being laid out.

Final Thoughts:

I had some minor issues but overall I read this in two days. My favorite thing about this story was the romance. I love a Hades/Persephone retelling and this one was slow and spicy but still romantic. I’ll definitely be reading book two!