Goodreads Monday: A Court Bright and Broken by. Amy Patrick

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: A Court Bright and Broken

Author: Amy Patrick

Pages: 410

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 2/14/25

Synopsis:


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 soon, 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 an enemies-to-lovers, hidden identity, 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.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: Everything I Promised You by. Katy Upperman

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Everything I Promised

Author: Katy Upperman

Pages: 384

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 1/28/25

Synopsis:


An emotionally raw and romantic YA novel perfect for fans of Laura Nowlin’s If He Had Been with Me.

Their love was written in the stars, but how is Lia to move on when death trumps fate? 

When Lia’s mom was 17, she had her fortune told and learned her only daughter was fated to fall in love with her best friend’s son. Life unfolded exactly as predicted, and despite the army-brat lifestyle bringing them in and out of each other’s orbit, Lia and Beckett were meant to be. Or so they thought.

When a freak heart attack steals Beck’s life, Lia is devastated and unmoored. She lived her life by her mom’s old fortune; if she was fated to be with Beck, and Beck is gone, who is she supposed to be? And is there room in her broken heart for life, let alone another love?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: The Rose Bargain

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Pages: 400

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 2/4/25

Synopsis:


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.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: Deep End by. Ali Hazelwood

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Deep End

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Pages: 464

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 2/4/25

Synopsis:


A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: The Serpent and the Wolf by. Rebecca Robinson

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: The Serpent and the Wolf

Author: Rebecca Robinson

Pages: 352

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 11/19/25

Synopsis:


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?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: A Sea of Unspoken Things by. Adrienne Young

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: A Sea of Unspoken Things

Author: Adrienne Young

Pages: 288

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 1/7/25

Synopsis:


A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life. 

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved. 

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: Breath of the Dragon by. Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Breath of the Dragon

Author: Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee

Pages: 352

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 1/7/25

Synopsis:


The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodreads Monday: Lies on the Serpent Tongue by. Kate Pearsall

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow, #2)

Author: Kate Pearsall

Pages: 320

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 12/7/24

Synopsis:


A beautifully dark YA set in Appalachia tinged with magic, mystery, murder, and romance. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.        

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.       

Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Most Anticipated Book Releases | December 2024

There are some exciting book releases coming up this month! 

This is what I’m looking forward to:

The titles above are books I haven’t read but I think I also should showcase the arcs I read that are releasing this month. So here they are:

  • Better Than Revenge by. Kasie West – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
  • A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • What the Woods Took by. Courtney Gould – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Dating and Dragons by. Kristy Boyce – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • The Last Fashion House in Paris by. Renee Ryan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What is your most anticipated book release this month?

Goodreads Monday: To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Pages: 448

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Publication Date: 12/3/24

Synopsis:


Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow…Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom…and its brave―and ultimately doomed― soldiers.Except for Kiara Frey.She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers―and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox―begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple―a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares―Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul…it’s love.

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!