The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Summer of Second Chances

Author: K.L. Walther

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age

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

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

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes another incredible summer romance about holding onto memories, making new ones, learning to let go, and unexpectedly falling in love.

Olivia Lupo feels stuck. All her friends have gone on to their first year of college while she’s still at home with her family. There’s a good reason though, her beloved grandmother, Annie, has dementia, and Olivia can’t bear the thought of being so far from home when Annie needs her the most.

So when her stepmother asks the family to spend three weeks of the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, Olivia plans to say no…until she discovers an old box Annie filled with photos and memories from her own time there. Olivia decides to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and spend some time on the island that Annie describes as magical.

When she arrives, she meets Connor, a boy from her past who really wants to be a part of her present… and future. Olivia’s never thought about forever with someone until meeting Connor…and it scares her. How can she make plans when all she wants to do is keep close to her grandmother before she’s gone forever? As she recreates the memories Annie made a lifetime ago, she has to decide if she’s finally willing to give someone her heart, just when she needs it the most.

Content Warning: complicated families, grief, dementia

This is my third book from this author and I thought this was a really sweet young adult romance. Olivia Lupo is going through some things – she doesn’t know what to do now that high school is over, she’s on a gap year, spending time with her grandmother Annie who has dementia, and going on vacation with her family to her step-mom’s home.

Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard helps Olivia meet a lot of people, especially in her step-family’s side. There are some fun characters in this story, but there are a lot of them. So sometimes I didn’t know who was who – there are step family and neighbors but the whole community is quaint and wholesome. There are a lot of family themes in these book because Olivia feels out of place, but she also wants to belong. So she has some conflicting feelings about her step-mom. As for her grandma with dementia, she’s afraid to lose her because she’s already lost her mom, and grandpa. This fear of losing people makes her push people away. Also while at Martha’s Vineyard she does some digging into Annie’s past and finds out a few things.

The romance is really sweet because Connor is a good guy and a golden retriever energy kind of guy. He is a manny to the kids for this vacation, and he is so into Olivia. They met long ago at camp but she doesn’t remember him until he jogs her memory a little bit. But their summer vacation forces them to spend some time together and their romance was just right. She has to work with her commitment issues but I like that she’s given time to think about things.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a cute romance that has summer vacation vibes, a mystery, and family themes. I think if you like this author’s other books, you will enjoy this one.

Read if you like:

summer beach read
sweet romance
coming of age YA stories

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

We’re A Bad Idea, Right? by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Summer of Broken Rules by. K.L. Walther | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Change of Plans by. Sarah Dessen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Change of Plans

Author: Sarah Dessen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age

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

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.

Content Warning: complicated family dynamics

I haven’t read a Sarah Dessen book in so long, and though I feel she still has it when crafting coming of age, young adult books, it took me a little while to get into this one. Is it because I’ve outgrown her books? I don’t think that’s the case, because I read a few young adult books during the year, so I can’t say I’ve outgrown the genre. I think there are so many characters in this story, that it was hard to get invested right away.

Finley’s life is pretty set – she and her boyfriend, Colin will attend the same University and things will be the same. Until things are not and plans change. Her parents are divorced and she was mostly raised by her father, and then he got remarried and had more kids, but Finley’s relationship with her bio mom, is almost non-existent and cold. When their summer plans change and her mom brings her back to where she grew up, Finley starts to see another side of her mom.

I feel like there was too much going on in this story – especially with her mom and her own drama with her sisters. It felt a bit all over the place. I did like seeing Finley making new friends, and getting to know her aunts. There is romance too with a guy in town named Ben, but it never feels like the main event. It truly is a coming of age story as we see Finley learn to accept change and that’s a really good lesson from this story.

Final Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get invested in the story, but things do pick up in the second half and I start to root for Finley and all the changes in her life. I do think there is too much going on and too many characters but overall, I thought the romance was cute and it was nice to see Finley get to know her mom and her side of the family.

Read if you like:

family drama
cute romance
coming of age YA stories

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Just Listen by. Sarah Dessen | Book Review (re-read) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

**I’ve read all her books, just way before I had a blog or recorded them on Goodreads**

I Could Give You the Moon by. Ann Liang | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

Title: I Could Give You the Moon

Author: Ann Liang

Narrator(s): Natalie Naudus

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352 Listening Time: Approximately hours

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Categories: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Romance, Suspense

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

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

New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang returns to the world of her acclaimed debut, If You Could See the Sun, as a picture-perfect influencer teams up with the bad boy after they share a vision of future.

Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin.

While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other.

Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage.

But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save h

Content Warning: parent cheating, toxic family

+ I requested this one right away after reading If You Could See The Sun, and my goal is to read all the books from this author. I listened to this as an audiobook and so far I’ve listened to this author narrator three books in the span of two weeks and I love her voice! She does such a great job.

+ Chanel is from If You Could See The Sun, she is Alice’s friend – the one who is an influencer, very rich but her dad is caught cheating. She is materialistic, narcissistic, but a good person. Ares is the new boy who doesn’t give her the time of day and they both have a vision, with both of them in it. So Chanel is trying to change the vision because it involves her world burning down – literally. But Ares is so different from all the guys she’s ever known – he has a sense of danger around him, he always has some type of injury because he likes to fight and box. Ares is the best and he is really patient with Chanel’s life style. I loved learning about him.

+ Chanel doesn’t believe in love because of her parents’ marriage and Ares doesn’t come from a great family dynamic either so though they are opposites – they find some things in common, and they closer and closer as they learn more about one another. They both become a safe place for one another which I thought was so sweet. I enjoyed their romance!

+~ Henry does make a cameo in this book more so than Alice does. And though the magical realism worked for me in If You Could See the Sun – it doesn’t quite work for me here in I Could Give You the Moon. There is a vision and Chanel wants to prevent this vision from coming true – but half the time her goal is to become prom queen and have Ares ask her to prom. She thinks if Ares falls in love with her, then he won’t do what she say in the vision. I mean it’s kind of a plan because she’s so confident guys always fall for her but I didn’t believe she could pull it off. I am glad they connect over their toxic families and fall for one another without really meaning to.

Final Thoughts:

I loved the narrator – she did a great job as always. For the most part I enjoyed this story, especially the opposites attract romance, but I did like If You Could See the Sun just a little more because of the rivals to lovers romance. But I think if you like the first book, you will enjoy this one too.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

If You Could See the Sun by. Ann Liang | Audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Thorn Queen (The Rose Bargain, #2)

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Young Adult, Romantasy, Series

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

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

Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.

Content Warning: violence, death, cheating

+ I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Rose Bargain, and I was definitely intrigue by the plot twist at the end. So The Thorn Queen takes place right after book one and I admit, I had to find my footing in the series because I had forgotten some things that happened in book one. It took my until 20% into the book to really find my place in it but once I did, I was hooked on the story – mostly because the messiness of it all.

+~ Ivy is now Bram’s wife, though she wishes she was Emmett’s. But Emmett and her sister Lydia are now in the Otherworld, while she is running England with Bram. So the first few chapters of this book made me feel like nothing was happening except Bram always reveling and being a creep to Ivy. And Ivy is pining for Emmett and missing her sister badly. Things get interesting when she finds a way to the Otherworld. But things are messy there – Lydia is Queen, and Emmett is now her best friend which hurts Ivy. I was bothered by it also because it made it seem like Lydia and Emmett might have something going on. But I was wrong, it’s just very messy and dramatic between Ivy, Lydia, Emmett and Bram!

+~ Because the relationships are messy, there is a lot to fix. Lydia thinks she loves Bram, even when he is cruel and I was just hoping she could find her way out of it. But the main love story is between Ivy and Emmett, which is quite messy. I mean, Ivy is married to his brother! I thought it was a bit too messy but I did love how they worked things out and Emmett’s confession of love is swoon worthy. Poor Emmett, the things he went through and choices he had to make while they were apart – I don’t blame him. I also don’t blame Ivy for her jealousy but the main thing is they have a happy ending, and they do.

~ The girls from the Bridal competition in book one do make some appearances in this book but not as much.

~ I think Lydia needed more time to shine in this book especially because she’s the Queen of the Otherworld and we barely know about this place and the magic. Though the magic is used at the end of this book. I know that they like to party a lot, revel, as they say because it’s the land of Faerie, but I just wanted more. Some parts of the story feels like fever dream. Also, I like how the sister relationship between Ivy and Lydia is explored because it felt realistic but I wanted more of them being together to see more of a bond.

Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t feeling this one at first but once I realized this one is all about the relationship drama between Lydia, Bram, Ivy and Emmett, I kind of enjoyed it even though it is messy. I liked the political intrigue, but would have loved to learn more about the magic in the Otherworld. But I mostly loved how Emmett and Ivy worked through their relationship and get their happy ending.

Read if you like:

messy relationships and drama
Faerie
yearning

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Bloody and the Damned

Author: Becca Coffindaffer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, 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 Roaring Brook Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An assassin with outlawed, magical abilities will do anything to get their kidnapped sisters back in this dystopic-fantasy standalone, perfect for fans of Arcane and Iron Widow.

Mercy has no place here.

On Trinity, a metal world where the privileged live in the skies and the rest fight for water below, you do what you can to survive.

18-year-old Val knows this better than anyone. They’ve sacrificed everything to provide for their younger sisters. Using their outlawed teleportation powers, they’ve become the most infamous assassin-for-hire on Trinity, known as the Butcher.

No one should be able to trace the Butcher to Val. But when things go horribly wrong on a routine mission and Val’s sisters are kidnapped by a gang in retaliation, it means that someone has to know the truth.

Desperate and friendless, Val has no one to turn to but their ex-childhood best friend turned vigilante thief. He broke their heart, but he owes them.

But as Val fights for the return of their sisters, they start to realize there might be something much bigger at play… something that could upend everything they’ve ever known about Trinity.

Val’s journey will take them from a maximum security prison transport to the headquarters of the most powerful gang on Trinity, and all the way to the Gate of Heaven. Each more heavily guarded than the last.

Good thing the Butcher has never blinked at an extra casualty.

Content Warning: violence, death, kidnapping

World Building: The world in this story is very interesting, it’s called Trinity and it’s a metal world, very dry as people fight for water. A lot of the characters rep LGBT+ which was nice. Would have loved more world building to get a better sense of the world.

Characters: Val is the Butcher. They have the power to phase, which is move very fast – it makes their job as a killer, really easy. But when their sister’s are kidnapped, they need help to get them back. Val reunites with their ex-best friend, Orion, who deals in information. Other people round out their crew like Dani, who was their friend that betrayed them. There is also Atlas and Liren and I think this was my favorite part of the story, the found family between these people – who help Val get their sisters back.

Story: I don’t think I was the right audience for a book. For some reason, though I was invested in Val as a character because they are pretty bad-ass, I think maybe I needed more world-building. It goes straight into Val’s job as the Butcher and then their sister’s being kidnapped, so the story is taken up by the mission. There is a lot of action. Val needs to learn how not to do everything by themself and accept the help from the friends around them. But they are a tough character, so it takes them a while to let others in.

Final Thoughts:

Even though I wasn’t the target audience for this book, I think YA dystopian/sci-fi fans will find this one intriguing. I loved Val as a character, even though they were a tough person to crack. The world is very fascinating, but my favorite part was the found family.

Read if you like:

dystopian/sci-fi world
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Deathly Fates

Author: Tesia Tsai

Narrator(s): Katharine Chin

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368 Listening Time: Approximately 10 hours 25 min

Publication Date: 4/14/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Asian Literature, Paranormal

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

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

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. However, when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. As they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death—secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.

Content Warning: violence, death, mention of suicide, hauntings, grief

+ I really enjoyed this audiobook because of the narrator’s voice – I love the warmth in it and she did such a good job with all the characters she had to voice. Though I started off reading this ebook, the audiobook really kept me invested because of the narrator.

+ Siying is a corpse driver – a priestess who guides the dead to their resting place, and she can revive the dead, she’s a necromancer. She’s following in her beloved dad’s footsteps – and now that he’s older and sick she takes on more jobs so that she can help raise money to take him to a healer. She takes a job reviving a corpse not knowing that he is the second prince – but now that he’s sort of awake, she has to gather more qi to keep him alive or else he will die again. This quest for qi takes them through some haunted places which I really enjoyed! I loved the paranormal elements and the dangerous spirits they encounter.

+ I love the family elements. Siying loves her father dearly and will do anything to help him get better. But in the end, she has to accept she’s done everything can and let him go. Ren also deals with some family issues. Ren doesn’t want the crown – throughout their journey they encounter angry people and their stories of exploitation carried out by the kingdom. There is threat of a war coming so Ren doesn’t want to deal with that until he is forced to face the truth of things about his older brother, the heir.

+ The romance is slow burn and so sweet! It’s a dislike to like kind of romance, at least on Siying’s part. I love how Ren is playful and Siying is always scolding him. She’s grumpy and he’s the sunshing – they are opposites but very cute together.

~ Grief and anger really takes over Siying at the end with so many things happening at once – and I was surprised with her feelings of vengeance and rage. I know she was in a hurt place inside, but she really wanted to take someone out and it felt a little out of character. Would have loved more moments between her and her father also.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book! Siying and Ren’s journey through haunted woods, a mansion and a haunted town really kept things interesting. I enjoyed the slow burn between Siying who’s the grumpy FMC and Ren who is a golden-retriever who doesn’t want the responsibilities of being a prince. We get to learn both characters and their motivations through their adventures and I also really loved the family element though I wish there were more scenes between Siying and her dad. The romance is slow burn and sweet. Overall, I think this is a good debut.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

If You Could See the Sun by. Ann Liang | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: If You Could See the Sun

Author: Ann Liang

Narrator(s): Natalie Naudus

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 346 Listening Time: approximately 9 hours

Publication Date: 10/11/22

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Magical Realism

In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates’ most scandalous secrets.

Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible.

When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.

But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.

Content Warning: kidnapping, cheating

+ Ann Liang does young adult rivals to lovers romance so well! This is the second book I’ve read where she uses this trope and I just love it especially when it is set at a wealthy private school. The narrator for this audiobook is becoming one of my favorite voices in the audiobook world, she does a fantastic job voicing the characters in this story.

+ Alice is one of the top people in her class, but she’s poor compared to the other students at her school. All she wants is to be rich like them one day but first she has to figure out how to come up with the tuition money if she wants to stay there. One day she realizes she can be invisible – not sure how or why (kind of wanted a reason for it) – but instead of really freaking out about it, she turns it into a business venture that could help her pay her tuition. She gets Henry Lee, one of the hottest and richest guys at school, and her biggest rival, to create the app where her business can thrive.

+ The romance is so cute. Alice and Henry are always in competition and Henry seems to like her but Alice is so focused on everything else, that she doesn’t really see it until later. They spend more time together now that she has this business using her invisibility and the closer they get, Alice realizes she might feel more about Henry than she is letting on. It’s a slow burn but it gave me all the feels when they finally get together.

+ I like Alice, even though she let her fears and ambition guide her and she makes some big mistakes, I understood her predicament and desires. All she wants is to make her parents proud and one day be wealthy enough to take care of them and I think many kids who are not from wealthy families feel that burden – especially if you are Asian. I love that she turned something that is scary into a business! This business also made her befriend some people at school that she never thought she could be friends with like Chanel.

Final Thoughts:

I kind of need someone at Netflix to make these Ann Liang rival to lovers romance novels into tv shows. I would be obsessed. This book had drama, action, friendship, and romance that melted my heart. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Read if you like:

young adult rivals to lovers
rich boy x poor girl
magical realism – special powers -invisibility
school drama

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang | Audiobook Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Song to Drown Rivers by. Ann Liang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Burn the Kingdom Down by. Addie Thorley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Burn the Kingdom Down

Author: Addie Thorley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Murder Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

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

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

An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister’s death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna’s murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira’s plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation’s stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna’s final days, she’s no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

Content Warning: illness, violence, murder, death, grief, sexual harassment

+ I thought this story had very interesting world-building. Vanzador offers Tashir protection from the Marauders who have terrorized Tashir in the past. Tashir pays giving them bagrava, a plant that helps Vanzador rulers harness their power. The king and his son, Alaric, has powers to move the earth. Indira has the power to make bagrava and any plants grow. Her older sister, Rowenna is married off to Alaric but then is dead a year later. So now Indira has to take her sister’s place – and while she’s there, she is determined to find out what happened to her sister.

+~ Indira is the second daughter and though she has the power to grow things, it’s her older sister who was the jewel of their family. Indira worked in the fields and gardens where she felt comfortable. So when she is the new wife to Alaric, she does all she can to find out what happened to her sister. I sympathized with Indira’s grief but this girl was so full of rage, she accused everyone of having something to do with her sister’s death. I didn’t love her character because she lead with her emotions so much and it was all over the place. Her sister’s voice was always in her head, so I did like seeing her grow and find her own voice by the end.

+ There are some secrets, suspicious characters, and betrayals that I really enjoyed. It made the mystery and the twists compelling to the point I read this book in one sitting because I was intrigued with the politics, and how everything was being revealed one by one.

+~ There is some romance, but it doesn’t feel like the main focus of the story though it plays a big part at the end. Everything is closed door when it comes to intimacy between Indira and Alaric. I did like how they started off as enemies to lovers because Indira is a hothead, but when they finally get to know one another, and Alaric opens up and is vulnerable, I thought their relationship was sweet. Until some other things happen in the story that I can’t spoil. But would have loved to see more playful interactions between them.

Final Thoughts:

I read this one pretty quick because I thought the murder mystery and politics was interesting. I also really enjoyed the twists and turns that come in the second half of the book. I didn’t love Indira but I felt for her because of her grief, but I question some of her actions. The romance wasn’t the focus but I did love when Indira and Alaric finally get close. The ending is kind of wild though, but overall I enjoyed this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadow, #2)

Author: Emma Noyes

Narrator(s): Emily Pike Stewart

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Norse Mythology

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

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

The thrilling sequel to Soul of Shadow, a contemporary romantasy for fans of Twilight, and Teen Wolf, where love, magic, gods, and monsters collide with devastating consequences – featuring beautiful color, designed endpapers and a foil case stamp for a stunning package.

I will make myself strong.
I will find Elias.
I will kill Elias.
I will never trust a boy with my heart again.

These are the vows Charlie Hudson made the day after Elias Everhart betrayed her, nearly killing everyone she loves most. One month later, revenge is still her priority, even as she navigates a harsh new reality: one where her brother and friends can now see Asgard, making them just as susceptible to its dazzling delights – and deadly dangers – as she is.

But when two bodies turn up in the forest outside town, and Elias waltzes back into her life with an offer to help find out what’s happening, Charlie finds herself accepting his offer—but only because feigning an alliance is her best chance to figure out how to kill him. And if it feels like the more time she spends with him, the more her heart softens, it must be a trick of the unusually warm fall air. Because there’s no way she would make the grave mistake of falling for Elias Everhart twice… right?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I had an immersive experience with this book – I listened to it as an audiobook and also read parts of it as an ebook. The audiobook is so good, 5 stars goes to the narrator who really had me invested in this story! I’m glad I had the ebook as well because the Norse names for places and creatures was helpful seeing in written form.

+ I love this series because it’s a young adult contemporary fantasy but with Norse Mythology which is different from what’s out there right now. I get to learn more about the mythology and it’s full of monsters, and action. In this story we also get to see Helheim, Loki’s domain.

+ Though this is young adult, I feel like as an older adult reading it and listening to it, it’s a fun book! I really enjoy the family themes of the book, which lends a lot of emotion to the story. Charlie and Mason’s relationship, which is strained from the ending of book one, is something Charlie tries to fix in this book. Also, they both have conflicted feelings about learning that they are Loki’s children – why did he not want them? We don’t get more answers in this one, but I hope it will all be explained in book three. I also enjoy the teenage friendships in this story – Charlie has a good group of friends behind her but she is trying to work through a lot of guilt after events in book one.

+ I know Elias tried to kill her and her friends in book one but this boy is so flirtatious, I don’t blame Charlie for falling for him again. I love them together and he seems changed plus we get to know more of his backstory. I’m definitely rooting for them!

+ Henry, the gnome, how can you not love him?

+~ I think with this sequel, because it’s more about Charlie training with Elias, and her friend Abigail trying to decode the riddle, most of the action comes at the end of the book. I didn’t mind it though because I liked seeing Elias hanging out with Charlie and her friends. Plus there are a lot of complicated feelings there that Charlie has to work through. Also, as a sequel, I didn’t feel like this was filler, the story actually does move along.

Final Thoughts:

This series has been so enjoyable so far! I love the characters, the family and friendship themes, all the Norse mythology and the romance. I’m excited to see what comes next in book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Soul of Shadow by. Emma Noyes | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Dragon and the Sun Lotus (The Three Realms Duology, #2))

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/3/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series

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

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

In the breathtaking sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, the battle has just begun. With Àn’yīng’s kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction, and amidst a budding forbidden romance, she must now risk everything to protect her world.

A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.

Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.

There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I loved book one of this series, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. Book two starts off right after the events of that book one ending. Hào’yáng and Àn’yīng are betrothed and back in her home town. She is with her mom and sister again but they still have to plan on defeating the demons that have made their way through to the mortal world because of Yù’chén.

+ There is a race against time to defeat the demons and seal the world off to them. And Àn’yīng learns the truth about what is letting the demons come through to their mortal world. Which means for her there is only one choice in how to defeat them. Also the dragons make more of an appearance in this book and there is an epic battle.

+ This story took me on an emotional whirlwind and though there is a a fight between good and evil happening, it’s the romance that gutted me. This was a love triangle I did not want because both guys are guys I loved. Hào’yáng is the golden one, the good one, the one who will be a good emperor. He has a past with Àn’yīng that has just been revealed – he was her best friend when she didn’t even know it was him. But Yù’chén, the half-demon prince, who is abused and tortured and when he meets her he finally knows something good – she fell in love with him first and he was always my choice for her. I loved the both of them in book one.

+ I didn’t expect to shed tears but I cried because of Yù’chén and just thinking of him and what he had to endure makes my heart hurt.

~ I didn’t love Àn’yīng’s choices and not only when it came to choosing between these two guys. I’m glad she is thinking about the bigger picture, defeating the demons, saving her friends and family, choosing the good side. But some of her choices about Yù’chén, made me upset. Could he help the circumstances he was born to? If she didn’t want him, then do what you have to do and let him go. There’s an intimate scene which she initiates, and clearly she’s thinking of someone else but it’s in his POV and we just get more of his heartbreak. I was so sad for Yù’chén throughout this whole story.

~ I did feel the ending (though I will take it because I couldn’t take the alternative to it), was a bit of a cop-out. She made her choice but she kind of gets to have both at the end? But like I said, I’ll take it, if at least to know there is some hope for Yù’chén.

Final Thoughts:

I didn’t expect this sequel and conclusion to break my heart. I still loved it, despite it making me cry but wow what an emotional rollercoaster. I think my heart will hurt every time I think of this series because of Yù’chén.