Sorrow and Strangers by. Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Sorrow and Strangers (Avalon University, #2))

Author: Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune

Format: eBook (Simon Maverick) and paperback (Simon Maverick)

Pages: 754

Publication Date: 9/8/26

Publisher: Simon Maverick

Categories: Dark Academia, Dark Romance, Fantasy, Series

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

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

Fear. Fury. And Fire.

To Know is Never Enough.

Summer Tuatha De Daanan reluctantly returns to Avalon University for her second year after spending the summer with her vampire best friend in Draculea. She’s a shell of her former self, and the peace promised to her has never felt further from her reach. All Summer wants is to keep her head down and get through the year cloaked in her depression, but looming threats linger, and she quickly finds herself thrust into a dangerous position once again; entangled with a friend turned enemy, the protector of her beloved family, and the target of two very powerful kings.

Unwilling to suffer any further loss, Summer must push through her emotions to prepare herself for the enemies who threaten everything she holds dear. Through runic training with the revered and brooding Headmaster Emrys, combat with the aloof and strong-willed Max, and improving her mental walls with the dark and mysterious stranger, each step pulls her further from the edge of despair. Yet, nothing will be simple for Summer, and the more she trains, the more she discovers who she truly is, forcing her to confront her inner darkness. The beast within that purrs for her enigmatic stalker.

A darkness that is waiting to be explored. A darkness that will not be denied.

Content Warning: grief, violence, *read the trigger warnings at the start of the book*

+~ I think this sequel is more character driven than plot driven, which was a little frustrating because I needed more plot. It’s a long book and if constant spice is not your thing, you might want to skip this one because there is a lot of it. We are back at the school but we hardly see these characters go to school, it’s everything to do with outside school hours like partying and training at the gym. I wanted more plot, but it happens at the end of the book. It’s one of those addictive reads that don’t require much brain power though, I even guessed who Stranger was earlier in the book.

+ The portrayal of grief in this book is so real. A little too real that I was missing Connor so much in this book. He really was the character I loved the most in book one and I can’t even believe he’s gone. Summer is grieving in the beginning of the book and she goes through it. She’s wasting away before Alice’s eyes and goes through all the stages of grief.

+~ Summer as a character was never one who I totally loved, not even in book one. So there are a lot of moments in this book she was testing my patience especially with the back and forth with Stranger. Again, her mental state was going through some trauma, but it was whiplash. I would really love to know more about Summer. I need more about her history, being Seelie, what makes her powerful and I’m sure that’s coming in book three but I need more.

+ My favorite characters in this book are Alice and Rafe, the secondary characters who I feel deserves books of their own. Alice is an amazing best friend who is there for Summer thick and thin, through the grief, through the boy drama (she’s the no-judgment best friend), I love her. Rafe is Connor’s brother and I love the Morningside family, they are just good people including Rafe even though he’s going through a hard transition in his life. I also loved Mira, a new character. Stranger is also very intriguing and we get to know him a bit more in this one, he’s still a major stalker though but he has a lot of patience with Summer.

+~ The romance between Summer and Stranger, it’s inevitable, and it’s tumultuous. It’s toxic. There is a lot of spice in this one, and it felt like it was half the story. The spice with Max, it was exciting at first and then got stale because it was repetitive. At least the ones with Stranger were different but it was hard seeing Summer go back and forth between them, putting boundaries and then breaking them without putting up any real fight. My favorite romance in the story was actually Rafe and Mira’s! Sure it was insta-lust and love but those two had the romance I was waiting for between Summer and Stranger.

Final Thoughts:

After reading two books in the series, I think it’s safe to say, the books will always be long. I miss Connor and the book did accomplish relaying the “sorrow” and grief Summer was experiencing after losing him. I would love more world building and a plot that isn’t overshadowed by the spice. The highlights of the book for me were Alice, Rafe and Mira. I also find Stranger fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more about Uncle Luc and Hell.

But if you loved book one, you will love this one too because you will get more of Summer and her boy drama, and lots of spice. For me I just needed a little more world building and a little less spice and hope I get that in book three.

Read if you like:

relationship drama, dark romance
lots of spicy scenes
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune | Book Review – 2.5 stars/3 🌶️

Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore by. Brittanée Nicole | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore (Hope Harbor, #2)

Author: Brittanée Nicole

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 8/11/26

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Fall 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 G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Settle in with a warm glass of cider and FALL in love beside the bonfire on a crisp autumn evening in this friends-to-lovers fake dating romance about a jilted romance bookstore owner and her handsome failed-writer best friend, from the romance superstar author of The Boston Bolts hockey series.

These old flames are ready to catch fire.

After a very public failed engagement, Penny Darling, proud owner of Bonfire and Bliss Books, is done with love. She’d rather cozy up by the fire with a pumpkin spiced-anything and one of her book boyfriends than a real one any day.

So when her old high school best friend, author Jake “Monty” Montgomery, tells the town busybodies that he’s her new boyfriend and volunteers them to co-host Hope Harbor’s famed Maple Festival, Penny is more than hesitant.

Until Monty admits the real reason he returned his latest book release failed and if he doesn’t turn in something amazing soon, his career as an author is over. Convinced that Penny’s obsession with romance novels makes her an expert on the subject, Monty begs Penny to teach him how to be the perfect romantic hero so he can finally write one. In return, Penny’s “boyfriend” will put a stop to neighbors’ pitying looks and matchmaking.

But as pretend kisses in the apple orchard turn into searing ones beneath the autumn moon, Penny begins to wonder if Monty could really love her, or if she’s destined for another broken heart.

Content Warning: grief, divorce

+ I know we are still in summer but with fall around the corner, I wanted to add some holiday romances to my reading pile. I love the book cover of this one, it screams FALL, and looked like a cozy romance so I requested but I was in for a big surprise. This cover looks sweet but the story was more spicy than I expected! It is set in a small town called Hope Harbor, and I do want to say I did not read book one, but picked this up anyway and I didn’t feel like I needed to read book one – I wasn’t feeling lost at anytime reading this. So I think it’s safe to say they are standalones in a romance series. But I adored the town and the community – I love the quirks of the characters. It definitely gave a cozy, safe, sweet vibe to the story! I thought it was funny that Penny as the owner of a bookstore was giving very interesting romance books to women in town, I love her, she knows her romance tropes and wasn’t afraid to share the knowledge.

+ Penny owns Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore and she’s a sweetheart. Monty is her friend who is back in town because he needs inspiration to write. He’s an author and his books haven’t been selling. Penny and Monty used to be close friends when they were younger but drifted apart when he moved to NYC. They still keep in contact but the moment he comes home, sparks fly. They decide to fake date, to help the community get off Penny’s back to date again after her failed engagement to her ex. And the fake dating would help spark Monty’s inspiration to write. Penny also challenged him to dig in deeper with his characters…so they are using their fake dating as inspiration.

+ Penny and Monty are flaming hot when their fake dating leads to some interesting ways to liven up his writing. He plays the role perfectly and gives Penny everything that she wants. And I went into this thinking I was getting some 2 chili pepper kind of spice, when oh no…I even learned something new in this one which I didn’t think was even possible with how much spicy books I’ve read over the years. 😅 But I loved their relationship because these are two good people, Monty is the sweetest and clearly worships her, they were best friends at one point in their life, and so their scenes together showed the trust between them and I was happy for them in any way they got their pleasure. It was a fun time too! Also he wears glasses…I feel like I’ve been reading more MMC with glasses lately, which I adore.

+~ There is barely any conflict in this story. Monty deals with some personal stuff to do with his family, and it does affect him and Penny eventually but it’s not a huge third-act break-up. Just a situation that is fixed with an apology, and grand gesture, like I said, these two are so sweet on one another.

Final Thoughts:

This is perfect for fall if you are looking for a romance that is sweet yet very spicy. Very spicy in the sense that Penny makes a list of things she’s read about in romance books and wants to try and Monty helps her out with the list enthusiastically. 😅 Though it was more spicy than I expected, I loved the small town setting and the quirky and funny people in the community of Hope Harbor. I thought the friends to lovers romance between Penny and Monty was heart-mealting and I was rooting for them all the way, spice and all! This was a fun read.

Read if you like:

fall romance
spicy
small town romance
friends to lovers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Forsaking Midnight by. Emily McIntire | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Forsaking Midnight (Defying the Stars, #2)

Author: Emily McIntire

Pages: 528

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 15 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Andi Arnt, Connor Crais

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Publication Date: 7/14/26

Categories: Romance, Series, Romantasy, Why Choose, Fantasy

From the Queen of the Never After retellings comes a modern-day Lancelot & Guinevere filled with serious yearning, hate-to-love you vibes and a happily ever after

Some sins are worth the fall . . .

Lance Calloway fights when they tell him to fight. Bleeds when they tell him to bleed. Breaks when they tell him to break.

Six years in an unsanctioned cage, and the one line he’s never crossed? Loyalty to his best friend, no matter the cost.

Then he’s asked to protect her.

Genevieve DeGrance didn’t ask for any of this.

She came to Rosebrook Falls to be with the mayor’s son. But nothing in this town is what it seems. Especially not the dangerous fighter who watches her every move like a threat.

She hates him.
He can’t stand her.
And yet . . .

The more time Lance spends guarding Genevieve, the harder it becomes to remember she belongs to someone else.

And the more she uncovers about Rosebrook Falls, the more she realizes the only honest person in her life is the one man she’s forbidden to want.

In a town built on secrets and lies, falling for each other could destroy them both.

But staying away might be the one fight Lance can’t win.

💫 Why you will love this book 💫
💜 forbidden love
🌙 enemies to lovers
💜 best friend’s girl
🌙 morally grey hero
💜 forced proximity
🌙 yearning that ruins lives
💜 slow burn with SPICE
🌙 mafia style romance

Content Warning: death, violence

+ This is book two in the Defying the Stars series. Book one was a Romeo and Juliet retelling and now book two is a Lancelot and Guinevere retelling. I kind of love these different retellings! And Lance and Genevieve did not disappoint, even though there is cheating – but hey it tracks with the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere. So if you don’t like cheating, then this might not be for you.

+ I like Lance’s story. He is best-friends with Art, who is Genevieve’s boyfriend. But they have a history, they are brothers at heart, but something happens – Art does something, and Lance helps him out. But the debt lasts too long and in the process, Lance loses himself. He is used, abused, has trauma and all because he wanted to help his best-friend out. Lance is a good guy. Genevieve, has a story too, but I think Lance’s character was stronger. I actually love all the other characters like Lance’s siblings and Romeo’s too and can’t wait to see what their stories will be.

+ I didn’t mind the cheating because Art was not a good friend to Lance, or a good boyfriend to Genevieve. True, they still shouldn’t have gone behind his back, but I didn’t like Art, so I didn’t mind. 😅 I loved Lance and Genevieve together. Their relationship is beautiful and spicy – there are a few spicy scenes between them but I still gave it only 2 chili peppers because I didn’t think there was anything too freaky between them, but some might rate it a 3 because of how many scenes there are, if that makes sense.

~ For the most part I loved the dual narration for this audiobook but I did love Lance’s voice more than Genevieve’s.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this modern retelling of Lancelot and Guinevere – there are secrets, betrayal, family drama, a gossip social media account keeping tabs on people, and a love triangle. The narrators did a great job, especially the voice for Lance! I’m really enjoying these loose retellings of different romance classics, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Read if you like:

modern Lancelot and Guinevere retelling
cheating trope; best-friend’s girlfriend

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Burning Daylight by. Emily McIntire | Book Review – 3.5 stars/ 2 🌶️

Queen of the Night Sky by. Amalie Howard | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Queen of the Night Sky (Starkeeper, #2)

Author: Amalie Howard

Pages: 480

Listening Hours: 15 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Ramiz Monsef; Anais Inara Chase

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 3/16/26

Categories: Romance, Series, Romantasy, Why Choose, Fantasy

The sequel to The Starlight Heir and the epic conclusion to the romantasy duology that Rebecca Yarros calls, “a breathtaking, sexy romantasy full of twists and adventure.”

The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.

When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.

As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I read The Starlight Heir (book one) in the beginning of last year so I’m not going to lie, I didn’t remember the characters much. I had to read my review of book one to jog my memory but I didn’t feel hampered by now remembering everyone and everything that happened. This story takes place right after the events of book one and I did have some questions about a mysterious character, but he definitely shows up in this conclusion.

+ Sura is powerful now that she is by Roshan’s side as his intended bride, but as he is trying to get the business of ruling his kingdom under control – he in turn is starting to control Sura. There is an amnesia trope in this story which I didn’t mind.

+ There were hints of a possible love triangle in book one, but it comes to fruition in this book. I will say though, the author did let the relationship build with the mystery man, Darrius, until she brought back Roshan in to make it a Why Choose romance. Darrius is the Night King, he is a shadow daddy and he has a beast inside him. And honestly, with the way Sura is, I felt like it fit her to be in a throuple with both men. She loves both of them, and they love her, and I like how they were just open to it instead of competing for her. There is some hot spice, but surprisingly it’s mostly at the end of the story.

+ I did enjoy the politics between the different kingdoms. There are secrets, and a betrayal I wasn’t expecting at all. I thought getting to know Everlea and the Night King was very interesting. I also like the world building and how the world opened up outside of Oryndhr.

+~ The narrator for the female voices did a beautiful job. But the male narrator I had some issues with in that he sounded so dramatic that I kept giggling when his voice came on! I think he did a pretty good job as Roshan, but when he was Darrius – oh my…it was too much, too cartoonish? I couldn’t stop laughing which made it worse during the spicy scenes! 😅

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a good conclusion to the duology. There was action, the world opened up, secrets, betrayals, romance and some very spicy scenes. The narrators for the most part did a great job – I just wish the male voice for Darrius wasn’t so exaggerated, but I still enjoyed the story.

Read if you like:

Why Choose spicy romance
world-building
betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Starlight Heir by. Amalie Howard | ARC Review – 3.5 stars

Book Review | The Beast of Beswick – 4.5 stars

Dhampira by. Amy Pennza | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Dhampira (#1)

Author: Amy Pennza

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 6/16/26

Publisher: Ace

Categories: Romantasy, Why Choose, 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 Ace for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.

Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.

Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.

Content Warning: violence, death,

World Building: Corinthe is rescued by a vampire, Vander, and her world is changed forever. The world in Dhampira is full of fantasy and different species like vampires, werewolves, witches, trolls, pixies, elves and so much more. Even though it’s full of these species and creatures, I didn’t feel like there was heavy world-building. There is magic use in this story which was interesting but also at times confusing, because it had to do with root words. But the world itself was straightforward where there is a land called Nocta ruled by a vampire king, and there is a secret rebellion against him.

Characters: I did find Corinthe interesting – she learns more about her past when she is brought to Nocta. She has to learn to deal with the vampire king, who is going mad, but also she is arranged to be married to Prince Lorcan. Lorcan and she don’t really get a long at first but that changes later on. She’s more friendly with Vander, who is the captain of the guard and who she shared a journey with to Nocta. Both men play a significant role in her growth, they train her and they both feel something for her. I do wish there was more depth to some of the characters like Vander, or we got to learn more about Corinthe’s mom. At the end we get to meet some important werewolves and witches but maybe there will be more in the second book.

Romance: This is a Why Choose romance, and Corinthe is very open to her situation with Vander and Lorcan. Vander is playful and mischievous, much more light-hearted. Lorcan is closed-off, more cold. I do think the love confessions came a bit too quick, it was at the end of the story, but I feel like maybe it could have waited? Would have loved more of a build-up. But I’m happy it works out for all parties involved. Because it’s a Why Choose romance, the spicy scenes are quite spicy if you aren’t into threesomes.

Story: There are some vampire politics, a secret rebellion, and lots of training for Corinthe but for some reason, but I do wish I felt the danger more from the king. The story moves quick but it does have the usual romantasy tropes. I do wish to learn more about the werewolves and the witches.

Final Thoughts:

This story has a lot of the romantasy elements and tropes – magic, politics, rebellion, different creatures and species, a spicy why choose romance and for the most part I enjoyed it. I would like to learn more about the world – the elves, werewolves and witches but hopefully in the books to come.

Read if you like:

why choose romance – spicy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Cruel Angel (Gilded Monsters, #4)

Author: Rebecca Kenney

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Categories: Phantom of the Opera Retelling, Dark Romance, 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 Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There was a time I felt lost and alone…until I met them, and together our souls took My gentle Raoul and our deadly Angel of Music.

Haunted by the violent death of her parents, Christine Daaé longs to find solace in music, but debilitating stage fright keeps her firmly in the shadows. All she can hope for is a few stolen moments singing to herself in the mournful silence of the backstage stairwell…until one night, the shadows sing back.

In exchange for complete devotion, her mysterious Phantom promises to teach her everything he knows—and with his praise boosting her confidence, Christine is finally able to take center stage…catching the eye of her sweet childhood friend turned something more, Raoul.

But her mysterious mentor is as obsessive as he is demanding, and he will not share Christine with anyone—not unless he can have them both in a bargain that is as dangerous as it is seductive. Light and shadows, gentleness and raging passion, the three of them should not fit so perfectly together. Yet as a supernatural force looms, ready to tear them apart forever, Christine must decide if love can truly exist in the space between beauty and madness…and whether she’s finally ready to fully embrace the music of the night.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with a magical twist.

Content Warning: stalking, voyeurism, drugging people

**I know this is a series, but I’ve only read one book so far from this series – the first one. So some things and characters are mentioned in this book that I assume are from book 3, but since I didn’t read it, I’m not sure what it refers to.**

+~ I love the Phantom of Opera so I was very curious to see how this retelling would pan out. It’s a more modern day Phantom of the Opera, with paranormal and supernatural elements which I think were interesting but also felt at times like some of it was thrown in just to be thrown in? But I did like the moments that was obviously from Phantom of the Opera, like Christine and Raoul’s names being the same. Christine is a singer, but Raoul I feel like has more detail in this book than the original story. The Phantom is obsessive as ever with Christine but the new twist is his feelings for Raoul.

+~ The romance is very spicy, it’s a throuple situation, why choose. It is M/M/F, which was intriguing since that definitely doesn’t happen in the original but I can see how this would fit since the Phantom is so mysterious and in this story his lore is that he is a God, so it makes sense he would be open in his sexuality also. I do feel like this was mostly smut though without real build-up to the romance. So if you are wanting to read a smutty, fun time, why choose Phantom of the Opera, then you will enjoy this. If you want more of the relationship building, or even more plot? You might not enjoy this.

~ There are a lot of music pop cultural references if you are not into that.

~ The story felt all over the place, maybe because the Phantom is a god, Christine is a vampire and Raoul is a werewolf. The Phantom is obsessed with Christine, which is a given, but there were some things like in Raoul’s background that I felt like wasn’t explored. All of them could have used a bit more depth. It’s definitely more smut than plot.

Final Thoughts:

I did enjoy the Phantom of the Opera story elements that were found in this one and I even found the throuple relationship intriguing – it makes sense. But I would have loved more build-up into the romance, but it’s very insta-lust and then love. And speaking of lust, it is very spicy between these three. So I think if you like more smut than plot, you will enjoy this one. I like more plot in my smut, so this one just fell a little bit short.

Read if you like:

smut
paranormal Phantom of the Opera
throuple M/M/F

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Beautiful Villain by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood & Roses by. Callie Hart | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Blood & Roses (Blood & Roses, #1)

Author: Callie Hart

Format: ebook

Pages: 397

Publication Date: 3/10/26 (first published as Deviant in 2/12/2014)

Categories: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance

What happens in the dark never stays in the dark.

As one of Seattle’s most dangerous, feared men, Zeth Mayfair always carried out the jobs he’s sent on without a second thought. Drugs? Guns? Dirty money? They’re all fair game. But girls? Girls are another matter entirely. When Zeth’s employer decides buying and selling kidnapped women is a lucrative sideline, Zeth’s usually uncomplicated life suddenly becomes very complicated indeed. And his biggest complication goes by the name of Sloane Romera.

Sloane’s sister is missing, and she needs to find her, yet all doors leading into the seedy world of human trafficking are firmly closed in Sloane’s face. She’s a trauma doctor; she needs information. What she really needs is help…and help presents itself in a most unlikely form. Zeth is terrifying, scandalously hot, and comes fully loaded with a terrible attitude and wicked smile. He also looks like he’s Sloane’s only hope. Can she work with the guy without getting herself killed, losing her job, or falling head over heels in love?

Content Guidance: Blood & Roses is a dark romance series that contains explicit content and heavy themes intended for mature audiences. Readers are strongly encouraged to consider their personal sensitivities. This book contains: graphic violence, human trafficking, murder, psychological abuse, coercion, child abuse, substance abuse and addiction, and BDSM.

Content Warning: see above in book synopsis⬆️

World Building: Check all the trigger warnings because this one is dark. Zeth is part of an organized crime group – he’s dangerous. Sloane is an ER doctor looking for her sister, Alexis who’s been taken/kidnapped, she’s assuming by traffickers. Their worlds collide when Sloane needs information about her sister and will do almost anything for it. This is a cutthroat world that Zeth is in, these men are killers, violent, are trafficking people and drugs among other things.

Characters: Sloane is all about her job as an ER doctor and also needs to find her sister. When she meets Zeth he brings out some things in her that she never knew existed especially when it comes to sexual matters. But she is tough and shows it as the story progresses. Zeth is hard and tough, barely allowing himself to be vulnerable, which was really frustrating. For my preferences he was a little too hard for me (and I’m not talking about in the bedroom 😅) as an MMC, emotion wise he was totally closed off and I just wanted to be like Sloane and slap him…a lot. There are some other interesting people in Zeth’s crew, like Michael and Lacey. I think with Lacey is where we see Zeth show the most vulnerability.

Romance: What romance? This was 80% smut, 20% plot. I didn’t totally mind that there was no emotional connection – yet, because they started off with insta-lust, and it seems like Zeth is a tough person to crack. And Sloane is hardened in ways that make her efficient as an ER doctor, so in this book it’s clear Zeth has boundaries and for Sloane that might be okay in their sexual relationship but she’s wary he will never be ready for more. And I don’t blame her for feeling that way – he’s a total red flag and he needs to figure out his stuff out. I wasn’t totally into him, I needed more chemistry – not just insta-lust and some kinky sex. I wanted a little yearning at least near the end of this book, but he’s not the type…at least not yet. The smut is very spicy – kinky, definitely BDSM and pain/pleasure scenes that was a little too much for me.

Story: Looking up this story I see that this was published 12 years ago as an erotica called Deviant. And knowing that it was erotica makes sense as to why most of the story is mostly smut. And if I’m judging it as erotica then hey this was pretty good, but I think it’s being categorized as Dark Romance now and Mafia Romance, so I wanted a little more plot. The first half of the book I was kind of waiting to see how this missing sister plot was going to play out and I feel like we really only get into it almost near the end of the book. Because Zeth is in organized crime, there is a lot of different bosses he is dealing with and their power plays, trying not to get killed himself, and I was waiting for some news about Alexis but it takes awhile for that to play out. The ending has a twist and I kind of felt bad for Sloane and understood her frustrations about it. I am curious about Rebel another interesting man who is mentioned.

Vibes: Mostly smut, little plot. The smut happens right away too like in chapter one. Though I wasn’t feeling all of the smut, I still was entertained.

Final Thoughts:

I read this because it’s Callie Hart, and I love Quicksilver but this one is not for me. I want more plot with my smut, but though Zeth is dangerous and hot, I just wanted more from his character. I did enjoy Sloane’s character but I also wanted her to stand up to Zeth a little more. The smut is super spicy and not for me so I don’t know if I will continue this series – if I do, it’s to find out more about Rebel, a new character that kind of entered the story at the end.

Read if you like:

dark romance
mafia
BDSM, kink

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

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

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

The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Sin (Bloodlines, #2)

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 318

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires, Fae

To destroy the vampires who killed her family… she must become one of them.

Nadi is trapped in a deadly alliance with Raziel Nostrom. After a honeymoon soaked in blood and desire, they make a pact—to take down his criminal family together.

Now Nadi is at the heart of the Nostrom empire, pretending to be a vampire. If her act slips even for a moment, they will tear her apart.

Raziel holds Nadi’s life in his hands. And her heart… His wicked smile sets her body aflame, drawing her closer and closer. Still, he is a born killer—alluring and utterly ruthless. He could turn on her in an instant.

But Raziel is not the only one in his family with a taste for betrayal…

When his brother and sister approach her with proposals of their own, Nadi faces a desperate choice. Will she stand by Raziel, as the world turns against him? Or seize the perfect chance to destroy his family forever?

Content Warning: violence, death, torture, abuse

+ I like how Nadi and Raziel are always circling around each other, pushing, pulling, not sure what to make of what they are together. Because Nadi has had many changes to kill Raziel, and vice versa but here they are, not dead, but still with one another, not wanting to admit that maybe their relationship has changed into something different. They can’t put the words to it yet and I’m glad because as much as I want them to fall for one another, I didn’t want it to happen quickly because he killed her family. She has to work through some of those complicated feelings of hate turning into love.

+ We learn more about Raziel in book two! He’s just a morally black sadistic killer in book one, but in this book we know more about what he endured when he was growing up, how his family treated and how the things he loves gets taken away from him. I warmed up to him and realize he is a broken vampire with lots of issues and I can see why he hates his family. I like seeing him vulnerable but I also don’t want to see him lose his killer edge – and can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

+ I like that the spice is creative! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 And it meets my expectations of how I assume Raziel would be in bed, so I’m glad he lives up to it. I love how as their relationship changes it shows in the spice also, sometimes dominating, sometimes soft, sometimes desperate. And speaking of their relationship, what a journey it goes through in this story! There are so many trust issues but that ending…I think that ending says it all about what they mean to one another and I love it. I am rooting for them.

~ This is a short book at barely over 300 pages which I love but I also wish it was 350 pages. Here I am complaining about books being too long these days and now I want this one to be longer! 😅. Again, it is light on the world-building but we did get a little more here because we are introduced to another vampire family, and we learn more about Raziel’s family. There are games afoot, and everyone is trying to entice Nadi to be on their side and she has to try and play it right. Though there is family political intrigue between the siblings, it’s never anything heavy – this is a light fantasy read, mostly all vibes, so it’s not like the cat and mouse game between any of them is super intense with surprising plot twists. At times I don’t even feel like Raziel and Nadi is staying ahead of anyone – they keep getting trapped, maybe because of their feelings for one another being their weakness? I’m not sure. Even the violence I feel could be more intense but it isn’t. But I don’t mind because this is one of those addictive reads that you can consume really quick.

Final Thoughts:

This one lived up to my expectations because I like seeing how Nadi and Raziel’s complicated relationship unfolds. I love them together and their spice is just right as much as their questions about what they feel for one another. They are becoming Bonnie and Clyde and I love it. I’m glad we learn about Raziel and his family. And that cliffhanger ending makes me eager for book three right away – I’m glad I don’t have to wait long because it comes out in July! This is an addictive series, light on the world building and easy to consume, I’m really enjoying it so far.

Read if you like:

mermaid/vampire
light world-building
kinky spice, power dynamics
to kill or not to kill
family drama/politics
complicated relationships

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Bride

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/22/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires

I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride. I will win over his family.And then I will murder every last one of them.

All my life I’ve been training to take revenge on the vampire who killed my parents. But Raziel Nostrom is a prince of the city’s most powerful mafia clan—completely untouchable.

When I learn that Raziel is marrying a woman he’s never seen before, I know my chance has finally come…

I will disguise myself as Raziel’s sacrificial bride. I will gain access to his vicious and beautiful family. And I will murder every last bloodsucking one of them.

Raziel is just as ruthless and deadly as I expected, but I had no idea how magnetic he would be up close, with an intoxicating smile and ruby-red eyes that seem to look right into my soul. There’s a dangerous tension between us that I’m struggling to ignore.

I have to strike fast. Every second I wait brings new danger to my life—and my heart. But as I sharpen my blades and prepare to take my revenge at last, I need to face the truth…

I’m falling in love with Raziel Nostrom.

The first book in a spicy vampire romantasy series perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers romance and marriages of convenience tropes. Readers who could not get enough of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Haunting Adeline will love The Serpent’s Bride.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw someone recommend this on Tiktok and she got me at “vampire mafia”, so I decided to try it out since it was on kindle unlimited:

+ Nadi is a Fae, an Iltani, enemy of the vampire mafia family the Nostrom’s. And now she wants revenge against them. First on his list, Raziel Nostrom, the man who murdered her family. He’s about to get married so Nadi uses her shapeshifting skills to pose as his human wife and hope she can get close enough to him, so she can kill him.I like Nadi because she’s willing to do anything to avenge her family’s death and she’s a one woman show. Raziel on the other hand is a killer that loves what he does. There is nothing soft about him! He has a very interesting family and would like to learn more about his siblings in the other books.

+ I assumed because this dark romance that it would be spicy right away but it was surprisingly not, which was nice since I wanted to get into the story instead of the smut. It’s a quick read, which I like, and a slow burn. But when the spice does hit, it’s creative and kinky as I expected out of Raziel! 😅. Will there be an emotional connection between them? Is Raziel capable of that? We shall see as the series goes on.

+~ There is a cliffhanger ending but honestly, I was waiting for Nadi to take him out! This is a vibe read, so I wasn’t expecting detailed world-building but I think I got enough from this that in this world there are different species vying for power. Would love to learn more about the Wilds where Nadi grew up though.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one and glad I took a chance on it! I love the enemies to lovers dark romance going on and wonder what is going to happen next after that ending. I’ll be reading book two right away, so stay tuned for the review for that one.

Read if you like:

a quick, vibe read
enemies to lovers, arranged marriage
vampire mafia
kinky spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Poison Daughter

Author: Sheila Masterson

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 668

Publication Date: 10/3/25

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Romance, Vampires

To err is human. To avenge is Divine.
Every person Harlow Carrenwell kisses dies immediately, and that’s the way she likes it. The poison-lipped youngest daughter of Lunameade’s magical founding family has used her power to annihilate their opposition.

Her first husband is in the ground. Her new betrothed is next.

But the merry widow has a secret. When she’s not acting as an assassin at her parents’ whims, she moonlights as a vigilante for abused women in their walled-off city.

Meet a man. Lure him in. Kill him with a kiss. Until one night Harlow kisses a mark and he doesn’t die.

Worse, her invincible partner in passion is her new betrothed, Henry Havenwood, and now he knows about her double life. Instead of selling her out and bringing the rival families to blows, he does something much more sinister—whisks her away to wed in his wild mountain fort.

Harlow doesn’t trust Henry, but the only way to protect her family and the city of Lunameade is to figure out what his family is planning.

Cursed with a husband she can’t kill and trapped in a fort miles of vampire-infested woods from home, Harlow’s survival requires her to do the impossible: Make the man who knows she’s a killer fall in love with her anyway.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, murder, toxic family, grief, trauma, debilitating migraines

**Check book trigger warnings**

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited and saw it had good reviews so I wanted to try it out. Here are my thoughts:

+ There are 2 POVs in this story, Harlow and Henry. Harlow is from a ruling family of magic users. What makes them the top family of magic users is they are the only ones who can see magic – which comes in the form of auras. I thought Harlow’s family was interesting because they are all under the thumb of their father. Harlow’s parents are not the affectionate type – their goal, to stay in power and they use their children for that purpose. But you can tell Harlow is close to some of her siblings – mostly, Aidia and Kellen. Everyone else, we don’t know much about and I believe there are 8 children in the family. Henry is from a place everyone thought was destroyed years ago. In this story, there are magic users and non-magic users. Non-magic users pay a blood tithe so that the elite magic users can protect the city but the public is getting tired of the demand for tithes and now there is a rebellion trying to take her family down. Also in this world, there is a forest with creatures called the Drained (basically vampire monsters).

+~ There is a lot of female rage in this story and a theme of women being abused. It gets dark. There are a few twists, turns, political intrigue, secrets, betrayals, magic, and vampires. But there were parts of the story that I felt some of the twists and turns didn’t have a punch like I was expecting. Also Henry was contradictory – he’s all for not controlling a woman, but then picks out her clothing. He’s a nice guy and is all about consent but he also wants her to behave in his society because his image matters. Pacing was a little off also and it’s a long book.

+ I love that Harlow is 30 – we need more older heroines. Harlow has been honed into a weapon for her family. Her power? A deadly poison kiss. Harlow is moonlighting as the Poison Vixen, a woman going around the kingdom, killing men (but not just any men – abusers, etc…). Things change when her parents marry her off again but to a man from a stronghold they thought was annihilated 10 years ago by the Drained. Harlow has attitude and keeps Henry on his toes. She is rage in disguise and I liked her a lot because I knew all of her bravado came from something traumatic. She was always in survival mode. And as the story goes we learn what made her this way and I found it so heartbreaking.

+ I loved Harlow’s relationship with her best-friend/sister, Aidia. I felt like that was the most emotional part of the story – the relationship between the siblings. There is a lot of trauma, lots of grief that both Harlow and Henry have to navigate because of their love for their sisters.

+~ I for the most part enjoyed the romance between Harlow and Henry. Both are motivated by different things and are thrust into this arranged marriage. I love the banter between them because Harlow has attitude and she keeps Henry on his toes for sure. I think the two of them are fun together because of it. Desire is there from the start but it was a slow burn – but once they give into their desires, it’s very spicy, and where the dark romance part comes into play. Voyeurism is big in this one, and I’m not sure how I feel about it? I don’t know that it did anything for me maybe because of the circumstances. For me, I was missing an emotional connection between them during the spice scenes and I get it, they are enemies, they both have ulterior motives, and it was just a physical act, but I wanted to see more emotion. I think that was the thing I felt was kind of missing between them…both are reluctant to fall in love, they don’t believe in it, they’ve been hurt badly, they are both playing the other. Also I don’t think I loved Henry as much as I wanted to, he didn’t handle some situations very well.

Final Thoughts:

I loved beginning, the middle kind of slowed down, and the ending was good. I know it’s a romantasy and this is mostly about Harlow and Henry’s enemies to lovers romance, which had fun banter but the emotional part I loved about this story was between Harlow and her sister Aidia. Their story made me cry. The whole story tackles trauma, abuse and grief. The romance is a slow burn but the spicy scenes are very spicy, if you like voyeurism – this one is for you 🤭. Harlow is an FMC, 30 years old, with lots of rage and I loved her attitude because I get it girl, I get it! I enjoyed the political intrigue but I did feel at times it didn’t pack the punch I was expecting. Though I had some issues with it, I still enjoyed it!

Read if you like: