New Book Releases This Week | 8/12/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Warrior Princess Assassin by. Brigid Kemmerer

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer makes her adult debut with this irresistible and steamy fantasy about three characters whose paths will collide in surprising ways – two royals pushed into a political engagement, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.


For the Record by. Emma Lord

An electrifying rom com of rivalry and redemption, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze electrified audiences as their bands clashed on stage. But behind the scenes, their simmering tension grew into something more — until suddenly both bands fell apart, and the idea of Mackenzie and Sam did, too.

Two years later, Sam has traded the rockstar lifestyle for a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know about. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice by only singing under a pseudonym. The only way to revive their public careers? A joint comeback album.

With fans over the moon and their futures on the line, Sam and Mackenzie face their biggest challenge yet: giving up the old rivalry and learning to work together. But as old sparks fly and new secrets emerge, they set off a chain reaction neither of them could have anticipated — one that proves that sometimes, the greatest hits are the ones yet to be written.


Woven From Clay by. Jenny Birch

In this fresh and imaginative contemporary fantasy, a golem must master the magic that binds her together and finds an unexpected ally in the mysterious boy sent to ensure her demise.

Terra Slater might not know anything about her birth family or where she comes from, but that’s never stopped her, and she fully intends her senior year to be her best yet. Until the dark and mysterious Thorne Wilder―a magical bounty hunter―moves to town, bringing revelations that wreck all of her plans.

When Terra learns she is a golem, not born but crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is upended. Worse, Cyrus Quill, the warlock who made her, is a fugitive, on the run from the witches who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. But Quill’s sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra―and all of the other golems that he crafted―together.

Desperate to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus. As Thorne helps her to see and manipulate the tapestry of magic that surrounds them, their unexpected alliance evolves into something more and Terra comes to understand the depths of her magic, her humanity, and her love for the people most important to her.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Reading Slump vs Bookish Hangover | 8/8/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.


This week’s topic is:

August 8: Reading Slump vs Bookish Hangover (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: What’s the difference between a reading slump and bookish hangover—do you think there’s a difference? How do you get out of both situations? What are examples of books that put you in a reading slump and books that caused you to have a book hangover? For more information, Book Riot has some really interesting articles about using neuroscience to understand reading slumps and the psychology of a book hangover.

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What’s the difference between a reading slump and bookish hangover—do you think there’s a difference?

I think a reading slump just happens when book after book isn’t hitting or your mood is off, not in the mood to read. A bookish hangover I feel is like any hangover after you had something so good and fun. So a hangover comes after reading what you think is the best book ever or maybe not ever, but a book that got your jaw dropping and your heart pumping. You want that same high but the next book doesn’t hit as good.

How do you get out of both situations?

Pushing through the book you are reading or switching up genres OR taking a break from reading, like a week.

What are examples of books that put you in a reading slump and books that caused you to have a book hangover?

So reading July arcs put me into a sort of slump/hangover because I was reading so many good books! I do feel like I’m in a slump right now only because I think I read so much for July (before July), it was like a reading marathon and now I need a break. So I’ve been reading slower or none at all. But here are some of the books I think that I had so much fun reading this year so far!

August Topics:

August 1: Multiple Copies of Books

Prompts: Do you have multiple copies of any books? What makes you want to get more than one copy of a certain book? What books do you have multiple copies of? Are there any books that you want to get more copies of in the future?


August 8: Reading Slump vs Bookish Hangover (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: What’s the difference between a reading slump and bookish hangover—do you think there’s a difference? How do you get out of both situations? What are examples of books that put you in a reading slump and books that caused you to have a book hangover? For more information, Book Riot has some really interesting articles about using neuroscience to understand reading slumps and the psychology of a book hangover.


August 15: A Change in Bookish Opinions

Prompts: Have your bookish opinions changed over the years, and if so, in what ways have they changed? Do you think your bookish opinions have changed because of being part of the bookish community (including on social media), reading more books, or book blogging? Have your bookish opinions changed in ways you didn’t expect?


August 22: Quotes & Excerpts/Extracts (Davida Chazan @ The Chocolate Lady)

Prompts: Do you like to use quotes from books in your book review? If so, do you prefer to keep them at a minimum or do you include as many as you can? Do you like to make posts with excerpts or extracts from novels? Do you think that quotes and excerpts/extracts make readers more or less interested in reading the book? Why or why not?


August 29: Six Years of LTB: An Anniversary Freebie

Prompts: How quickly does time fly for us to now be celebrating six years of bookish discussions?! 🎉 Whether you’re new to LTB or have stuck around for years, thank you for joining us in these weekly bookish discussions! To celebrate, we’re making this week an anniversary freebie. Revisit a topic that you’ve done before, go back to a topic that you’ve missed, or write about something else you’re interested in. Check out our blogs—AriaDini and Rukky—for ideas!


WWW Wednesday | 8/6/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

My kids are officially back in school! My son went back yesterday and today my daughter went back. So back to drop offs and pick-ups. Have you been seeing the Halloween candy and decorations in stores lately? And yet it’s so HOT outside – anyways I felt like I was in a reading slump after coming back from Vegas. But I think I’m out of it with the help with two audiobooks (I needed someone to read to me LOL). Now I’m ready to read again 😅.

What are you currently reading?

Reckoning by. Gillian Eliza West – 17% – no progress

Neverthorn by. Shannon Mayer – 37%

The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk by. Carissa Broadbent – 10%

Girl, Goddess, Queen by. Bea Fitzgerald – 16%

Witch You Would by. Lia Amador – 6%

The Nightblood Prince by. Molly X. Chang – chapter 10


What have you just finished reading?

A Scar in the Bone by. Sophie Jordan

Broken Souls and Bones by. L.J. Andrews

A Forbidden Alchemy by. Stacey McEwan

A Steeping of Blood by. Hafsah Faizal

The Executioners Three by. Susan Dennard


What are you going to read next?

Heir of Storms by. Lauryn Hamilton Murray – I will get to this eventually – why is it to read hardcovers sitting on my shelf?! 😂

The Dating Prohibition by. Taj McCoy

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic

Charlie Quinn Lets Go by. Jamie Varon

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by. Sophie Sullivan

Wild Reverence by. Rebecca Ross

What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 8/5/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Well, Actually by. Mazey Eddings

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.


The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by. Carissa Broadbent

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.


Scorched Earth by. Danielle L. Jensen

The thrilling finale in Danielle L. Jensen’s Dark Shores series, which Sarah J. Maas calls “everything I look for in a fantasy novel.”

Lydia and Killian escaped their enemy’s grasp, but not without consequences. While they race to destroy the blight, Lydia fights an internal war against the Corrupter’s influence knowing defeat means death for those she loves. Tormented by a battle that can’t be won with blades, Killian must find the queen they risked everything to rescue without falling prey to Corrupter’s weapons, both living and dead.

Teriana and Marcus thwarted assassination, but now must live with the dark truths that have been revealed. As Teriana hunts for allies, she must face the dire circumstances of her imprisoned people, driving her to strike a dangerous deal with the Empire. Consumed by guilt over his crimes, Marcus embarks on an ambitious campaign to save those he condemned, which risks him becoming the conqueror the Empire desires him to be.

With the blight consuming everything in its path and the Empire crushing everyone who stands before it, Reath is falling beneath the tide of evil. Secrets will be revealed that break hearts even as they forge new alliances, but only the greatest sacrifices of all will turn the tide in the battle for the liberty of every nation on Reath.


The L.O.V.E. Club by.Lio Min

From the acclaimed author of Beating Heart Baby, an immersive novel following three estranged high schoolers who are pulled into a video game to pursue the disappearance of their friend

Three years ago, Elle (the “E” in the self-proclaimed L.O.V.E. Club) disappeared from Calendula, an affluent Chinese American suburb in inland California. Soon afterward, Liberty and Vera (“L” and “V”) moved away, leaving O alone with her grief, abandonment, and confusion. . . until Liberty and Vera return for their senior year of high school.

Though the L.O.V.E. Club’s three remaining members once bonded as outcasts and gamers, they can’t pick up the pieces of their friendship. But the girls are drawn back to their old clubhouse, where they discover, loaded for them to play, a new game created by none other than the missing Elle.

One click, and Liberty, Vera, and O are ported into Morning Glory, an ever-evolving botanical fantasy coded with their lived experiences, complicated history, and repressed insecurities. Unbeknownst to the others, O can’t remember the events surrounding Elle’s disappearance―but within the game, Elle has sent O a cryptic hint about Morning Glory’s real nature.

While Liberty and Vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, O grapples with the secret knowledge that her deepest wish, to reunite with Elle, might just come true. But as the girls progress through Morning Glory, O begins to wonder how well she actually knew any of her former best friends and if she’s ready to confront the hard truths―and dangerous revelations―about Elle in her returning memories.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Multiple Copies of Books | 8/1/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.


This week’s topic is:

August 1 : Multiple Copies of Books

Prompts: Do you have multiple copies of any books? What makes you want to get more than one copy of a certain book? What books do you have multiple copies of? Are there any books that you want to get more copies of in the future?

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Do you have multiple copies of any books?

I think for only Pride and Prejudice. I wish I could get multiple copies but in this economy? I can’t! And lack of bookshelf space.

What makes you want to get more than one copy of a certain book?

Whenever I see all the different special editions and sprayed edges – I WANT to buy all of them.

What books do you have multiple copies of?

Pride and Prejudice. I bought one copy from Barnes and Nobles and then my hubby came home with this books being thrown out of a military library and they had all these classics, including Pride and Prejudice.

Are there any books that you want to get more copies of in the future?

I have the regular copies of the Legendborn series but I want the sprayed edge, special editions for the whole set. Maybe after the last book comes out and if I have money for it.

August Topics:

August 1: Multiple Copies of Books

Prompts: Do you have multiple copies of any books? What makes you want to get more than one copy of a certain book? What books do you have multiple copies of? Are there any books that you want to get more copies of in the future?


August 8: Reading Slump vs Bookish Hangover (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: What’s the difference between a reading slump and bookish hangover—do you think there’s a difference? How do you get out of both situations? What are examples of books that put you in a reading slump and books that caused you to have a book hangover? For more information, Book Riot has some really interesting articles about using neuroscience to understand reading slumps and the psychology of a book hangover.


August 15: A Change in Bookish Opinions

Prompts: Have your bookish opinions changed over the years, and if so, in what ways have they changed? Do you think your bookish opinions have changed because of being part of the bookish community (including on social media), reading more books, or book blogging? Have your bookish opinions changed in ways you didn’t expect?


August 22: Quotes & Excerpts/Extracts (Davida Chazan @ The Chocolate Lady)

Prompts: Do you like to use quotes from books in your book review? If so, do you prefer to keep them at a minimum or do you include as many as you can? Do you like to make posts with excerpts or extracts from novels? Do you think that quotes and excerpts/extracts make readers more or less interested in reading the book? Why or why not?


August 29: Six Years of LTB: An Anniversary Freebie

Prompts: How quickly does time fly for us to now be celebrating six years of bookish discussions?! 🎉 Whether you’re new to LTB or have stuck around for years, thank you for joining us in these weekly bookish discussions! To celebrate, we’re making this week an anniversary freebie. Revisit a topic that you’ve done before, go back to a topic that you’ve missed, or write about something else you’re interested in. Check out our blogs—AriaDini and Rukky—for ideas!


WWW Wednesday | 7/30/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

So we had a tsunami warning yesterday in Hawaii and sirens going off, alerts going off on our phones every hour for 4 hours – so it was an anxiety filled afternoon and night. We are barely in the safe zone – we didn’t have to evacuate, but we were monitoring the news very closely. There was actually tsunami waves around the state, on ours of Oahu I think one coastline got 4 feet. It was small but I’m HAPPY about that.🙏🏽

Anyway, haven’t been in the best mood for reading – I think I have just too much on my mind with the house being painted, my dog going crazy because of the noise the men were making around the house while painting lol, the kids going back to school next week and having to finish up with school supply shopping, etc…and the tsunami warning didn’t help! Anyway, how is your reading going? Maybe I’m just tired because we are at mid-year and I need to gather all the energy to finish up the rest of the year!

What are you currently reading?

A Steeping of Blood by. Hafsah Faizal – 48% – lots of progress

The Executioners Three by. Susan Dennard – 23% – some progress

Roots of Darkness by. Demi Winters – 2% – no progress

Reckoning by. Gillian Eliza West – 17% – no progress

Neverthorn by. Shannon Mayer – 37%


What have you just finished reading?

Before I Let Go by. Kennedy Ryan (audiobook)


What are you going to read next?

Heir of Storms by. Lauryn Hamilton Murray – Finally got this in the mail!

The Dating Prohibition by. Taj McCoy

Witch You Would by. Lia Amador

The Nightblood Prince by. Molly X. Chang – this came at the same time as my other fairyloot box!

What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 7/29/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Glorious Rivals by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Millions, hearts, and lives are on the line in this heart-stopping sequel to The Grandest Game by #1 bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Seven players arrived on Hawthorne Island, each with their own secrets and motivations to win the Grandest Game. Millions are at stake, but so are hearts—and lives. The players now must race to win the game, solve myriad mysteries, and survive the twists and turns of Glorious Rivals.

The stakes get higher, the game gets twistier, and everything heats up in this newest installment in the TikTok sensation Inheritance Games Saga.


A Theory of Dreaming by. Ava Reid

Return to the immersive, lush, and dreamlike world of the instantly bestselling dark academia fantasy A Study in Drowning as the aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology.

All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?


Immortal Consequences by. I.V. Marie

Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.

Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.

Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.

All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.

Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.


Soul of Shadow by. Emma Noyes

A thrilling Norse mythology inspired contemporary romantasy sure to excite fans of The Vampire Diaries and Atlas Six.

Charlie Hudson just wants to get through junior year. Since the death of her twin sister two years earlier, she’s drifted through life, going through the motions at school and parties and even at home. The spark that once burned so brightly within her has all but flickered out.

Until her classmate goes missing in the forest, leaving nothing behind but a pair of shoes and strange symbols carved into a tree.

Drawn to the disappearances by forces she can’t explain, she finds herself investigating the mysterious, alluring newcomer in town, Elias Everhart. With piercing eyes and sharp wit, he dances around her questions, only intriguing her further. Elias has a secret. More than one.

But what Charlie doesn’t know is that those secrets will lead her to a place she never a world hiding in plain sight, made of magic, gods, and monsters – and a first love fated to fall apart.

In Emma Noyes’s Soul of Shadow, truths and temptations lurk in the darkness, and for Charlie, the only thing more dangerous than facing her past, is the boy with the power to change her future.


Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven

In this addictive new fantasy series set in a world where magic is fueled by pleasure and pain, an obsessive detective infiltrates a brutal gang of dark mages—knowing that one wrong move will get her killed. . . .

Two decades ago, the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron Killoran’s parents, destroying her idyllic childhood. Hell-bent on revenge, she lies her way into Silvercloak Academy—the training ground for her city’s elite order of detectives—with a single goal: to bring the Bloodmoons to justice.

But when Saff’s deception is exposed, rather than being cast out, she’s given a rare opportunity: to go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside.

Descending into a world where pleasure and pain are the most powerful currencies, Saff must commit some truly heinous deeds to keep her cover—and her life. Not only are there rival gangs and sinister smuggling rings to contend with, but there’s also her growing feelings for the kingpin’s tortured son, with his vicious pet fallowwolf, his dark past, and the curious prophecy foretelling his death at Saffron’s hand.

With each day testing her loyalties further, Saff finds her web of lies becoming harder to spin. And when one false step could destroy everything and everyone she’s ever loved . . . the detective who’s dedicated her life to vengeance just might die for it.


Wrath of the Dragons by. Olivia Rose Darling

The second novel in Olivia Rose Darling’s thrilling and steamy romantic fantasy series, following Fear the Flames.

In the explosive sequel to the bestselling romantasy Fear the Flames, two fated lovers must unite against warring kingdoms to defend their home and crowns from those who wish to destroy them.

Cayden Veles, renowned Demon Commander of Vareveth, overthrew the throne to save Elowen Atarah, the woman he searched for since childhood. Now he’s determined to fulfill his quest for revenge against her father, even if it means forcing the only person he’s ever wanted into a marriage of political convenience.

Elowen Atarah has everything she thought she’d ever want. Finally reunited with her dragons, she now has an army to enact vengeance, but as events transpire, she begins contemplating if she wants more. As her father’s only living heir, the Imirath throne is her right and destiny. But fighting and winning a war will require trusting Cayden Veles, her partner in crime and now king to her queen; the man she both longs for and doubts, especially after opening her heart only to become a pawn in his game.

Navigating the shifting allegiances amongst all the kingdoms of Ravaryn will require all their strategy and strength, with devastating and bloody attacks on one side and cutthroat diplomacy for alliances on the other. But Elowen and Cayden must find a way to stand strong within the power they’ve gained, or risk losing everything.

Delving deeper into a vast and ever-changing world, Wrath of the Dragons will take you on a journey filled with epic battles and a tender, angsty love for the ages.


Give Me a Reason by. Jayci Lee

A Korean drama actress gets her second chance at love with the man she left in order to save her family–if she can work up the courage to risk her heart on forever…one last time.

For ten years, Anne Lee told herself that Frederick Nam was her past. In order to save her father from bankruptcy, she left Frederick for an acting career in Korea. This was the only way she could stop him from following her and ruining his future. It was the best way she could love him.

After Anne left, Frederick spent years loving her, missing her, and hating her until he decided to live his life for himself. He followed his dream and became a firefighter in Culver City. He didn’t need romance. He had his work and his friends.

When Anne returns to Los Angeles, she and Frederick are thrown together in the same wedding—she as her cousin’s bridesmaid and he as his friend’s groomsman. Even though he is angry and distant with her, Anne can no longer deny that she never got over him. Not even close.

With so much hurt and uncertainty between them, Anne and Frederick suffer their love in silence. But all it would take is a single leap of faith to bring them together…


The Last Tiger by. Julia Riew & Brad Riew

Inspired by true stories from the authors’ grandparents’ lives during one of the darkest periods in Korean history,The Last Tiger is a debut young adult fantasy novel about the power of love to give voice to a silenced people.

In a colonized land where tigers are being hunted to extinction and ancient magic stirs, two star-crossed teens from opposite worlds—Lee Seung, a servant yearning for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying tradition—join forces to try and reshape their respective fates.

But their relationship evolves from begrudging accomplices to bitter adversaries as they soon find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over the last tiger, a symbol of their people’s lost freedom and key to the liberation of their country. As the ties between Seung and Eunji are complicated by their conflicting loyalties, tensions rise—especially when a charming princeling of the empire begins to rival for Eunji’s affection.

In this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story of forbidden romance, antagonists turned allies, oppression and liberation, neither Seung nor Eunji can abandon their mission—or each other. And as they embark on separate quests to find the elusive creature, each must also find the power within themselves to make their own destiny.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Let’s Talk Bookish:  The Elusive 5-star Read | 7/25/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.


This week’s topic is:

July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

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What makes a book a 5-star read for you?

This is such a great topic because I have been questioning how I rate my 5 star reads this year. A 5 star year has to make my heart pound, my jaw drop and take me on an emotional journey – not necessarily to make me cry, but I have to be blown away. But lately I wonder if I’m too strict with my 5 star rating?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them?

I do not give them easily but I wonder if I’m too strict because there are books out there that are messy, and not perfect but the vibes are so immaculate. I kind of envy the giving a book 5 stars just for vibes lol.

What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads?

All time? That’s too hard for me. This is just some random my 5 star reads I have tracked on Goodreads. I used to give them so much more easily before I became a blogger!

  • The Awakening L.J. Smith – gave this one 5 stars when I read it as a teenager.
  • Catching Fire by. Suzanne Collings
  • Daughter of Smoke and Bone by. Laini Taylor
  • Kristin Hannah by. The Nightingale
  • The Cruel Prince by. Holly Black
  • A Court of Silver Flames by. Sarah J Maas
  • Heart Forger by. Rin Chupeco
  • The Poppy War by. R. F. Kuang
  • Bing Me Their Hearts by. Sara Wolf
  • The Bridge Kingdom by. Danielle L. Jensen
  • Legendborn by. Tracey Deonn
  • The Women by. Kristin Hannah (many of her books are 5 star reads for me)

I think it’s interesting to see how my 5 star ratings changed over time. I really lived in a time when Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, etc… and those type of books came in my 20’s! I ate those books up so fast. Young Adult has changed so much – the books became LONGER. Kristin Hannah books always get me and almost always a 5 star read. This is a random list, but my 5 stars definitely got fewer the older I got, which is kinda of a bummer and I might be changing the way I rate a 5 star book next year.

Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

5 stars are never automatic these days, but if I was gripped by the story, read it in one setting and my heart is thumping from adrenaline or heartbreak or something and I was engaged with the characters and story overall – then it’s a 5.

Dropping stars is maybe because pacing was a bit off, book was too long without much going on, rushed ending, or something to that effect. Or I wasn’t invested as much as I wanted to be.

July Topics:

July 4: Duologies vs. Trilogies

  Prompts: Do you prefer duologies or trilogies, and why? What are the pros and cons of having two books vs. three books in a series? What are some of your favourite duologies and/or trilogies? Do you think there are benefits to these shorter series, compared to ones with 4+ books, or are fewer books limiting?


July 11: Book Hype (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

  Prompts: Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you? Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of? Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books? Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 


July 18: Reading Beyond Books

  Prompts: What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays? Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays? Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing? Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?


July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

  Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?


WWW Wednesday | 7/23/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I had a time this weekend – Lady Gaga is AMAZING live. I only wish I bought the closer tickets that popped up days before the show because the nosebleeds didn’t give me a view of the middle screen (speakers were blocking). Other than that I danced and sang my heart out. My hubby and I walked through a few hotels (hotels are huge so we almost walked 20,000 steps in one day 🫠), but we did eat a buffet that day so, we had to burn off the food! It was hot, I’m a humidity kinda girlie, dry heat feels like the hair dryer is on me outside. 😂. It was a fun trip but damn, Vegas is pricey these days. I think I have to go back on my book buying ban! 😩

What are you currently reading?

A Steeping of Blood by. Hafsah Faizal – 19% – read some on the plane

The Executioners Three by. Susan Dennard – 3% – read a little on the plane

Roots of Darkness by. Demi Winters – 2% – no progress

Reckoning by. Gillian Eliza West – 17% – read on the plane


What have you just finished reading?

Direbound by. Sable Sorensen – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Land So Wide by. Erin A. Craig – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫


What are you going to read next?

Heir of Storms by. Lauryn Hamilton Murray – where is my fairyloot book? It’s taking so long.

The Dating Prohibition by. Taj McCoy

Witch You Would by. Lia Amador

Neverthorn by. Shannon Mayer

What are YOU reading right now?

New Book Releases This Week | 7/22/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Arcana Academy by. Elise Kova

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?


Between These Broken Hearts by. Lexi Ryan

Forbidden romance, mysterious prophecies, and the battle to save the fae realm come to a captivating conclusion in the #1 New York Times bestselling saga begun with Abriella in the These Hollow Vows duology and continued with Jas and Felicity in Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live.

Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone.

Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished.

Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.


Mayra by. Nicky Gonzalez

An eerie, hypnotic literary debut about friendship, desire, and memory set against the sultry backdrop of Florida’s swamplands

It’s been years since Ingrid has heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, a fearless rebel who fled their hometown of Hialeah, a Cuban neighborhood just west of Miami, for college in the Northeast. But when Mayra calls out of the blue to invite Ingrid to a weekend getaway at a house in the Everglades, she impulsively accepts.

From the moment Ingrid sets out for the house, danger looms: The directions are difficult, she’s out of reach of cell service, and as she drives deeper into the Everglades, the wet maw of the swamp threatens to swallow her whole. But once Ingrid arrives, Mayra is, in many ways, just as she remembers—with her sharp tongue and effortless, seductive beauty, still thumbing her nose at the world.

Before they can fully settle into the familiar intimacy of each other’s company, their reunion is spoiled by the reemergence of past disagreements and the unexpected presence of Mayra’s new boyfriend, Benji. The trio spend their hours eating lavish meals and exploring the labyrinthine house, which holds as much mystery and danger as the swamp itself. Indoors and on the grounds, time itself seems to expand, and Ingrid begins to lose a sense of the outside world, and herself.

Against this disquieting setting, where lizards dart in and out of porches and alligators peek up from dark waters, Gonzalez weaves a surreal, unforgettable story about the dizzying power of early friendship and the lengths we’ll go to earn love and acceptance—even at the risk of losing ourselves entirely.


Love at Full Tilt by. Jenny L. Howe

In this joyful celebration of fandoms, whirlwind romance, and plus-size girls, love is the ultimate roller coaster ride.

Lia Baker has spent the last few months wishing time would stand still. Soon her friends will head off to college while she’s left behind, buried under her mom’s anxiety and working a job she doesn’t want. But life throws her for a loop when she wins a spot in the fiftieth-anniversary scavenger hunt at Fableland, a legendary theme park. The contest is a golden ticket to a world where her favorite stories come to life and a chance for her to write some new ones of her own.

Everything seems perfect, especially after she teams up with Mason, a cute rival who knows as much about Fableland as she does. Together, they’re unstoppable. But as Mason’s sweet smile starts to melt her focus, Lia realizes that she may have to choose between the future she wants to rewrite—and a love she hadn’t planned for.


Neverthorn by. Shannon Mayer

In a realm where magic reigns, a legendary Hero once stood against the encroaching darkness. But with his death, hope dwindled, and the best the world can muster is Harlow Daygon—a thief, magic school dropout, and notorious troublemaker.

At nearly thirty, Harlow can’t even cast a simple rune without blundering it. So why does anyone think she can take up the mantle of Hero? Reluctantly, she’s dragged back to Neverthorn Academy with seven former classmates, tasked with training to confront and defeat the Villain of their world.

But the challenges are stacked against

Professor Hot-As-Sin makes it clear she’s a failure.

Professor Used-To-Be-A-Mean-Girl has a vendetta.

And lurking in her past is a secret so dark it could reveal she’s not the Hero the world needs—but the next Villain.

With fate hanging in the balance, can Harlow embrace her destiny before the shadows claim her?


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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