And the River Drags Her Down by. Jihyun Yun | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: And the River Drags Her Down

Author: Jihyun Yun

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Grief, 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 Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

She has always known the rules – never resurrect anything larger than the palm of her hand, but that was before her sister died. A chilling, compulsive exploration of sisterhood, loss, and revenge.

“Yun beautifully captures the haunting of family myths in this slow-burn horror. Eerie and poignant, And The River Drags Her Down will sweep readers into its relentless current.”
– Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting

When her older sister is found mysteriously drowned in the river that cuts through their small coastal town, Soojin Han disregards every rule and uses her ancestral magic to bring Mirae back from the dead. At first, the sisters are overjoyed, reveling in late-night escapades and the miracle of being together again, but Mirae grows tired of hiding from the world. She becomes restless and hungry . . .

Driven by an insatiable desire to finish what she started in life, to unravel the truth that crushed her family so many years ago, Mirae is out for revenge.

When their town is engulfed by increasingly destructive rain and a series of harrowing, unusual deaths, Soojin is forced to reckon with the fact that perhaps the sister she brought back isn’t the one she knew.

Content Warning: violence, murder, death, grief, body horror

+ I was attracted to this book cover and thought this would be such a good read for spooky season, and I was right! I like the Korean representation. Soojin and her family is Korean along with her friend Mark and his family. It’s set in a small town, and Soojin’s family has a reputation for being cursed.

+ Soojin has lost her mom and her sister. Her grief is immeasurable and it’s changed her. It’s broken her family. But her family has an ancestor who had an interesting power, they could bring the dead back to life. I sympathized with Soojin, but I was also trying to warn her in my head that this was not the right path and sure enough she has to face the consequences for her actions.

+ Mirae, comes back to life but she is not herself. What is brought back to life is never the same, no matter how Soojin wanted to believe it was still her sister. And Mirae is out for revenge. There is a murder mystery that almost everyone in town except the perpetrators and Mirae know about, so she takes it on herself to carry our the revenge. The horror of her coming in forms of water was so good, scary and so creepy! There is a lot of body horror but I think that was needed to show how this wasn’t Mirae.

+ The way this book tackled grief and letting go of someone was really good. I cannot blame Soojin for what she did, but I wanted to shake some sense into her and tell her that bringing something back doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. Sometimes you have to let go. The story about her ancestor and the chicken they kept killing and reviving to survive hits hard! It’s a good lesson to learn.

~ Again, I was frustrated with Soojin. Her dad had every right to be so angry with her. And Mark, was such a big support to her, and yet she never listened to him either. So at times, it was just hard watching Soojin make this choice and see her be delusional about Mirae until it’s too late.

Final Thoughts:

This is a young adult horror story that tackles the theme of grief. It really is heartbreaking what happened to Soojin and her dad and this was her way of trying to bring one part of her happiness back. The horror elements are so good, if this was a horror film, I wouldn’t watch it because I’d be freaked out about with any water, and bathroom scenes! If you are looking for an emotional fall read with horror and paranormal elements, you might enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Weaver Bride

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 9/30/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Magic

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!

A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I’ve read one other book from this author and enjoyed it so I couldn’t wait to see what The Weaver Bride was about. The premise is intriguing and the world building sounded different plus the book cover is gorgeous.

+ I enjoyed the unique world-building in this story. This story has sorcerors – Weavers and silkwitches. Silkwitches hold power in their hair, and it can be woven into magical, power items. But silkwitches need to be married by their 21st birthday or they will end up in a cloister, which means, wealthier families had more of an advantage getting their daughters married and Lovett was not from one. Lovett had parents who was afraid that she was a silkwitch and a community that feared them or coveted their hair. So Lovett has been surviving on her own as a thief. But when she comes across an opportunity given to her by Eliot, a who comes from a powerful family, it’s hard to pass it up. But the opportunity involves a competition of the most worthy silkwitches in society, and Lovett has to pretend to belong for their ruse to work.

+ The tension between Eliot and Lovett was so thick, I was hoping for more scenes between the two of them. Both characters are morally gray and come into an agreement based on their own selfish reasons, Eliot wants to find out who murdered his sister, and Lovett wants to stop surviving and have wealth. It’s a dislike to like romance, they are always arguing and there is so much push and pull between them. There is also betrayal and just so much distrust between them but so much angst and longing too.

+ The mystery about Eliot’s sister was very interesting and kept me invested. I love how it ties into more information about silkwitches and the truth about their history and powers. I’m not sure if there is a sequel, but with the way this book ended, I hope there is!

~ I wanted more of Eliot and Lovett. They seemed doomed as lovers, especially since Lovett is trying to win the hand of Noé, who is Eliot’s best friend but also heir to a powerful family. This is not a love triangle, but the way this book ends has no closure for Eliot and Lovett and I want to see what happens next.

~ Would also love more growth for Lovett. I like her character a lot. She’s had a rough upbringing, had to survive on her own and she’s used to using her looks to get her out of certain situations and did hold her own again Eliot and some of the other men. But I hope after that ending, we see her grasp more power.

~ Pacing was kind of choppy, there were times where things are happening quickly – like the beginning, although the competition trials seemed kind of weak, and then times where it slowed down because there is a murder investigation taking place with Lovett doing all the investigating.

Final Thoughts:

I read this book in one sitting! I loved the unique world-building, the romance filled with tension and betrayal, the murder mystery and learning more about the silkwitches. I had some issues but it didn’t stop me from enjoy this story and I hope there is a sequel!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Steeping of Blood by. Hafsah Faizal | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: A Steeping of Blood (Blood and Tea, #2)

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/23/25

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, Vampires, Series, Romance

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

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The epic conclusion to the #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal; the gritty fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

She’s had her tea, now she’s out for blood.

White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.

Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time – and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.

In Ceylan.

After the jaw-dropping ending of #1 bestselling A Tempest of Tea, Arthie and her crew still have plenty of hearts to break and crimson-red secrets to uncover. Hafsah Faizal crafts a deliciously twisty and seductive sequel that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

+ This is the conclusion to the Blood and Tea duology and I thought it was a pretty good end to the story.

+ I still love the found family that is Arthie, Jin, Flick and the others. After the wild events of book one, Arthie and her family are picking up the pieces and trying to take down the Ram. Everyone has their role and parts to help with the mission which makes them strong together. Although there is a part where this found family breaks apart for a little bit.

+ I enjoyed the vampirism and politics. There is a lot of action as Arthie and her friends try to stop the Ram. They travel to Ceylan, where they find out things have changed and there is a new type of vampire among them. A lot of the action come in the second half of this book.

+ I loved the relationship and romance between Flick and Jin – they are so sweet together! I thought Flick’s POV in book was the weakest but in this book she really shines. As for Arthie, Matteo is there for her this time and it was nice to see her open up, fall for his charms and let him in.

~ I don’t know why but with book one, I read it in one day. This book took me a whole week or more. I think it’s because the beginning moves slow but everything picks up in the second half. But there was something about the story that wasn’t hooking me like book one.

~ There are a bunch of heartbreaking moments in the second half of this book. It made me so sad!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a solid conclusion! Arthie and her friends completed their mission, taking down the Ram but with a lot of loss. I loved the romance relationships, especially between Flick and Jin. The beginning was slow but it picks up at the halfway point and ends in a heartbreaker. It’s a bittersweet conclusion.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Tempest of Tea by. Hafsah Faizal | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We Free the Stars | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | We Hunt the Flame ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Dead of Summer by. Ryan La Sala | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Dead of Summer

Author: Ryan La Sala

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/16/25

Publisher: PUSH

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery, 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 PUSH for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stephen King meets Holly Jackson by way of We Were Liars in this action-packed story of queer horror from the acclaimed author of The Honeys!

Two days before…

Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration — his mom is cancer free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever — but Ollie’s (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot questions. Because for a place that’s perfect on the outside, a secret rots inside. A secret that could explain his mom’s illness, and the illness of so many other locals.

Ollie’s desperate search for the truth turns life or death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises . . .

Three weeks after…

Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbor. They say he’s a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more dangerous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviors aren’t here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what comes next, but that means getting back to Anchor’s Mercy before it vanishes below the waves, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.

Content Warning: violence, death, zombies, cancer, body horror

+ I’ve been wanting to read a book by this author and requested this one because the premise sounded so intriguing. A quaint island? A military hospital ship? What happened on this island. Well it was not what I was expecting!

+ Ollie and his mom, Grace are back at Anchor’s Mercy – their home, after being away for a year because Grace was sick with cancer. Now she has a new outlook on life and Ollie is going along with it but there has been so much changes for him. Will his friend group, the Suds, forgive him for leaving? There are so many questions when they first arrive but I love how they do arrive in chaos and revelry – it gave me a good impression of what life was like on Anchor’s Mercy before Ollie left.

+ The story is told in the past and present, but not the far past. Ollie and his mom arrive at Anchor’s Mercy but it’s not too long until everything starts happening. Something strange is going on, strange until it turns scary and people have no clue as to what is happening, just that people are changing and turning into zombies. Expect some body horror! In the present moment, Ollie is in quarantine and we get more of the story. Some outbreak has happened, scientist want to know the cause and trying to figure that out by interviewing Ollie. This definitely kept the mystery going, because I needed to know what exactly was the outbreak.

+ As we find out more about the outbreak the reality of what the government has done to Anchor’s Mercy, a safe haven for the LGBT+ community is coming to light and it’s not good. There is a lot of action in this one, as Ollie and his friends try to stay safe. It’s a wild time and I love that singing is what can kind of get through to those infected. I loved the community of Anchor’s Mercy and I was as devastated as Ollie to see it undergo this outbreak and trauma.

~ This is young adult so expect Ollie and his friends to act like it!

~ I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi so all the scientific parts of the coral infections or manifestations kind of went over my head.

Final Thoughts:

This one if for the young adult horror lovers! I really enjoyed the themes of family, community, and belonging. This island of Anchor’s Mercy was a safe and vibrant place for the LGBT+ and I loved it. The horror was pretty wild – people turning into zombies due to coral and the government is involved? This story is full of mystery, action, sci-fi, body horror and if that appeals to you then I think you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blood Moon by. Britney S. Lewis | ALC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Blood Moon (Blood Moon, #1)

Author: Britney S. Lewis

Narrator(s): Adenrele Ojo (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/9/25

Publisher: Page Street YA

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Werewolves

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

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

Eighteen-year-old Mirabella “Mira” Owens grew up in Timber Plains, Kansas hearing all about the local legend—that werewolves had, many years ago, traveled to their small Midwest town to protect humans from the growing threat of a vampire enclave. Just a story of course, a fairy tale, one Mira had stopped believing in when she was young—just like she stopped believing in the idea of her mom returning, after she up and left without a trace when she was only thirteen.

Mira is grown up now, starting freshman year at the nearby Lakeland University. College feels normal, exactly the thing she’s been craving most… except for one particular classmate: Julian Santos, a mysterious boy with long hair, golden eyes, and a coldness that seems directed exclusively at Mira for reasons she can’t understand and he won’t explain.

When Mira receives an unaddressed letter from her mother, she’s told the world isn’t as it seems. She suspects her mom might be telling the truth when she stumbles across strange animal tracks on a hiking trail, and when she’s miraculously saved from a twenty foot drop by the one and only, Julian Santos.

The problem? Julian would have had to jump the length of the cliff to catch her, making him incredibly fast and strong beyond belief. When she confronts him about this, he denies everything.

But when a Blood Moon rises, Mira soon finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient, magical war, with Julian on the other side of the line. She discovers there’s much more truth to the old town legends than she could ever have anticipated—and her family’s historic role in it will change her world forever.

BLOOD MOON is a dark and thrilling, intensely romantic ride, a fresh take on a werewolf love story for a new generation of paranormal romance readers, and is the first book in a series. It is set against a high-stakes paranormal backdrop—a world ripe with secret identities, rich supernatural lore, and a forbidden romance… that comes with a deadly bite.

Content Warning: violence

+ Mira is off to college but very reluctantly. She’s trying to move forward in life while missing her mom who left her and her dad years ago. But she gets accepted to a nearby college, under suspicious circumstances, and realizes college might not be so bad. She makes a few friends and have met a few guys. They live in a town with a very known legend about werewolves coming there long ago to defeat vampires – but it’s just a story…right?

+ I love that this was set in college. I liked seeing her making friends, and learning to really make the most of her time there.

+ There is a love triangle – and yes this book has Twilight vibes, but this time it’s the werewolves who are the focus. Mira reunites with an old acquaintance, Seven. He’s on the football team, popular, good looking and seems like a nice guy. But there is another guy, Julian, who is broody, glares at her, threatens her to leave campus, she hates him but he’s gorgeous too and of course Mira feels a strong connection to him. It’s a slow burn, fated mates romance.

+ The ending has a few twists and it kept me invested in the story for sure! There is betrayal, and I wonder what will happen in book two.

~ Mira is clueless about werewolves and vampires, even though the legend is well known in their town. And it doesn’t help that Julian can’t just tell her things so that kind of got frustrating because she’s very mad at him, which he loves I think, but it got kind of tiring after awhile that she has to keep begging for answers and it made me wonder why she couldn’t figure some things out. She was in major denial about some things.

~ This has Twilight all over it and for me I mostly noticed it in the angst between Mira and Julian, which was kind of fun to reminisce to but also made me giggle because it’s so dramatic. Some other similarities, is the small town, her dad being a sheriff, her name being Mirabella (“bella”), her not knowing why Julian is drawn to her but pushes away, little things like that. I found it nostalgic though.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun vampire/werewolves story! It brought me back to the Twilight and Vampire Diaries days but with a different twist at the end. The romance and angst is there between Mira and Julian. I also loved that Mira had a college life, making friends, and going to school events. Some things were too similar to Twilight though and I did wish Mira could put some things together instead of feeling lost about everything but this is a young adult book so she is acting appropriately. I think the narrator did a great job bringing this story to life and I look forward to reading book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Endless Anger by. Sav R. Miller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Endless Anger (Monsters Within, #1)

Author: Sav R. Miller

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 452

Publication Date: 8/19/25

Categories: New Adult, Dark Romance, Dark Academia, Childhood Friends to Lovers

Sometimes the pomegranate doesn’t fall far from the tree…

Asher Anderson is angry―at the world, at himself, at the way his best friend Lucy Wolfe seems determined to tune out this buzzing connection between them. He doesn’t mean to solve all his problems with violence, but maybe he has too much of his father in him. That’s why the faculty at Avernia College hates him, right? Because of the “evil” blood in his veins?

He should know better than to darken the old, ivy-covered university’s door, but it’s practically a law of the universe: wherever Lucy goes, Asher follows. Even if that means entering a twisting labyrinth of secret societies, human sacrifices, and a very personal history soaked in blood.

Lucy is used to being an outcast. She’s even used to Asher being her dark, brooding shadow. What she isn’t used to is him shattering her resolve by taking her up against library bookshelves as she desperately pretends her heart hasn’t always been his. She should know better than to play with fire, but with unexplained deaths and pointed threats ripping apart the university’s fabric, Asher and Lucy soon find themselves at the center of the turmoil…where they’ll have to confront their feelings or die trying.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual assault, torture

+ I think the book started off strong and intriguing. Asher is in love with Lucy and I love how they knew each other since kids. He’s protective of her and they know the best and worst of each other. There’s a lot of no communication between them which was a bit frustrating, lots of angst but everyone knows they want each other and basically waiting for them to get together.

+ Their parents all know each other and I also liked the other characters in their friend/family group like Foxe and Aurora. Overall, I could tell this was a tight knit group.

+ If you want smut, it’s there but it comes in the second half of this book. So it’s a bit of a slow burn until then, but it is spicy! There is a lot of pent up longing and desire between these two.

+~ The premise of this one caught my eye and I saw it on booktok. I do wish I knew that this was a spinoff because I could tell while reading this I was missing something that regarded the parents of these kids in the book.

~ I was lost. Probably because I didn’t read the previous series that came before this book. I was missing the connection between the parents who all know one another. I didn’t know what was up with this college and what was so bad about it, even though everyone kept saying it was bad. It took so long for the story about the “bad things” at the college to develop. Like what was this curse? While the relationship between Lucy and Asher kept me invested, the plot was lacking and made me lose interest.

~ Book was too long for a story where not a lot was explained or happening.

Final Thoughts:

Read the series, Monsters & Muses before reading this book or else you might be as lost as I was. My favorite thing about this story was the childhood romance between Lucy and Asher – it’s full of longing and desire but also my least favorite trope -no communication, which was their only downfall really but still frustrating. There’s a lot of spice between them once they cave into their feelings for one another. The rest of the story has potential but I just needed more. Overall, just an okay read for me.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thorn Season by. Kiera Azar | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thorn Season (Thorn Season, #1)

Author: Kiera Azar

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher: Storytide

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Political Intrigue

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

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

In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond her visible a shimmering tendril that can pick a lock, a gentle coil that reaches out to give a loving caress, or an inexorable rope that will kill a man before he knows it is around his neck. Feared and mistrusted for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.

Alissa Paine – heiress of a noble lineage, daughter of a Hunter family – is also a Wielder. And as she approaches her eighteenth Season, Alissa knows she has escaped execution so far only through painful self-control, and the fragile efforts of her beloved father.

Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself trapped in a web of hidden intentions – and caught between two equally dangerous men. One is a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairytale prince, who would see her destroyed in an instant if the truth were known – and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.

It’s Rose Season at the palace, but Alissa knows that survival will depend on being the most vicious of the thorns…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

+ I didn’t know what to expect with this one – honestly I requested the arc because I was so in love with the cover! But I love when a book cover is beautiful and the story is just as good! The political intrigue and mystery about a certain object really kept me on my toes, especially in the second half of this book.

+ Alissa is an heiress and King Erik has his eye on her. In this Kingdom of Daradon, Wielders are being hunted because they have power that isn’t allowed. Alissa’s families are renowned hunters, but they don’t know but only a select few that she’s a Wielder herself, just in hiding, except she hasn’t done a good job at that. Alissa is beautiful, cunning, has the King’s ear, plays court politics well, and she loves her father. I found her character fascinating. She’s tough, and I can’t see what happens for her next.

+ The court politics was really what kept me invested in this book. I enjoyed the mystery and plot twists. Alissa and the King seemed to be playing a cat and mouse game. The King is a real villain even though at first, it doesn’t seem like it. But his character is written so well, that I hate him so much. He is the kind of evil that comes in a pretty package.

+ There wasn’t a lot of romance in this story but I didn’t mind it at all. In the beginning I thought it would be a love triangle, but I don’t think it will be. But I could be wrong. Garrett, her ex-best friend is an interesting character with a rough childhood. And Keil, an ambassador from another kingdom where Wielders are allowed, looks like the one who will be Alissa love interest. They do a lot of flirting in this book but not much else.

~ Alissa talks about her specter a lot but I couldn’t fully grasp what it was except that it is power. I would have loved more history about it, and to learn more about what Wielders can do.

Final Thoughts:

It took my two days to read this book and the second half of the book had me hooked. I love the political intrigue and how Alissa navigates court. The politics, the magic, the complicated characters and the beginnings of a romance was melded together in an entertaining book. The power play between her and the King kept me riveted. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Hearts by. Skyla Arndt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: House of Hearts

Author: Skyla Arndt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Family Curse, Romance, Gothic

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

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

Solving her best friend’s murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost in this sophomore novel by the author of Together We Rot.

Violet Harper knows her best friend was murdered. Even if everyone else has labeled her death a “freak accident,” Vi is sure she’d been trying to tell her something right before she died. Cryptic messages about her friend’s elite boarding school, her whirlwind romance, and the mysterious secret society she was entangled in all point to a more sinister fate.

So, Violet does what no one else seems willing to do: She transfers to the same fancy school to dig into the society’s murky history and find out what really happened to her friend. She knows the truth might not be pretty, but what she doesn’t bargain for is the handsome boy at the center of it all—Calvin Lockwell, the brother of her prime suspect and descendant of the school’s founder. He’s obnoxious and privileged, and Violet can’t deny their haunting attraction. It soon becomes clear his family is hiding a dark secret that may not be of this world, and suddenly Violet’s following her friend’s doomed footsteps down the rabbit hole. Even as details emerge of a deadly curse plaguing the school, she can’t escape her true feelings for Calvin. But loving him may be the last thing she ever does.

Content Warning: violence, murder, death

+ This is a dark academia story with horror and paranormal events. The setting is a gothic academy for wealthy kids, and Violet is enrolled there through scholarship because she wants answers to her best-friend’s death. She thinks she has it figured out and blames Percy Lockwell, the Headmistress’ son, for her death but while she is at the school she finds out there is more to the story.

+ There is a family curse on the Lockwell family, and the remaining siblings Calvin and Sadie are trying to break it and also find their older brother Percy, who disappeared. They create a secret society at school to gather kids who aren’t afraid of the paranormal so that they can solve this mystery about the curse and find their brother. I enjoyed the paranormal and horror aspects of the story a lot! It just added the right amount of creepiness and especially one part gave me chills.

+ The romance between Violet and Calvin is doomed because of the curse but from the start it was dislike mostly on Violet’s part and secret insta-love on Calvin’s though he hid it well. I loved their interactions and was rooting for them!

~ This is an arc but there was a lot of typos that I hope will be fixed by the time of publication. Also I don’t know if it was because the way it was formatted as an e-book but some sections blended into the next and I had to re-read because I was afraid I missed a scene or didn’t understand where I was in the story.

~ This is a quick read, just under 300 pages so I would have like a little more pages focused on the romance to draw out the tension more between them. I did love their romance journey, I just wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

I’ve been reading a lot of dark academia this year but I did love how this one stands out a little bit because of the paranormal and horror elements in the story. I loved the setting, the secret society, the dislike to lovers romance between Violet and Cal, and the family love curse. I had a few issues with typos (but this is an arc) and I did wish it was a tad bit longer just so there was more tension and yearning between Violet and Cal but overall, I enjoyed this one and will make for a thrilling, creepy fall read!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Together We Rot by. Skyla Arndt | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dream by the Shadows by. Logan Karlie | ARC Review | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Dream by the Shadows (The Shadow Weavers Duology, #1)

Author: Logan Karlie

Narrator(s):
Jared Zeus (Narrator), Mia Hutchinson-Shaw (Narrator)

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 8/26/25

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Gothic, Romance

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

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

No one told me that damnation could be beautiful.

For the last 500 years, the Kingdom of Noctis has been plagued by Corruption, a curse that spreads through dreams. Only an elixir, taken each night before sleep, can ward off the curse. But for some, the allure of the Dream Realm proves too strong.

Esmer Havenfall desperately wants to escape her curse-struck village. But as her family starts to succumb to Corruption, Esmer’s life swiftly unravels into a nightmare – especially when she
begins to dream herself.

In Esmer’s dreams, she meets her greatest fear, the Shadow Bringer, who rules from his castle in the Dream Realm, stealing souls one dreamer at a time. As Esmer follows the Shadow Bringer deeper into his kingdom she starts to feel a strange kinship to his sinister magic. But the prince of darkness has a haunted past, one that might change the fate of Esmer’s kingdom – and her
heart – forever.

Lush and vividly imagined, Logan Karlie creates an immersive nightmare in this seductive gothic fantasy, infused with shadow-haunted romance and an exhilarating thread of horror.

Content Warning: violence

+ I thought the premise for this story was very interesting – drinking an elixir to keep dreams away, because dreams were bad? I wanted to learn more and I found this world-building very dark and gothic. I also caught the Labyrinth vibes (one of my favorite childhood movies), so I liked that!

+ The narrators did a great job with bringing the main characters to life. All the demon voices were different and well done also.

+ There is a strong theme of family in this story because Esmer loses most of her family she is protective of her youngest brother.

+~ The romance is enemies to lovers and a slow burn but it’s not the main focus of the story. I didn’t feel invested in their romance though, but it might be because I wasn’t connecting to the characters.

~ I don’t know if it’s because it’s an audiobook and that’s already a challenge in holding my attention but the middle of this book was a bit slow. There’s always a demon in every corner asking to be let free and that stood out but it also became repetitive, at least in my listening experience.

~ Would like more world-building.

Final Thoughts:

This one wasn’t for me although I thought the narrators did such a great job with trying to bring this book to life. I liked the dark, gothic fantasy vibes but I had a hard time connecting to the characters.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Executioners Three by. Susan Dennard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Executioners Three

Author: Susan Dennard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 8/26/25

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Romance

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

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

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes The Executioners Three, a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.

Freddie Gellar didn’t mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She’d simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she’d called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?

Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie’s instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there’s a murderer at large.

Content Warning: violence, murder, death

+ This was a really interesting book and one I wasn’t quite expecting. This book is set in the 1990’s and the clues was definitely how Freddie loved the X-Files and NSYNC (she LOATHES The Backstreet Boys and hi, I was a BSB fan, not NSYNC 😅). This story gave me Stranger Things vibes minus the demi-gorgon, it was the time period that was similar and the way the characters talked and acted.

+ Freddie is a fun character. She’s trying to investigate something that has been happening in town but also, she’s a prankster. Her and her best-friend Divya are literally hanging with a group of kids at school who does pranks at their rival school. These kids are in high school, so it’s very young adult.

+ Freddie and Theo’s romance is too cute! I loved it.

+ The murder mystery was interesting and I liked how it built. The ending reveal was full of suspense and thrills.

~ I wasn’t sure what I was reading at first and how I felt about it but I’m glad I pushed through because things get dark. But for all it’s darkness because of the murders I felt like there was enough humor to keep things light.

Final Thoughts:

Here is another book you should pick up for the fall season! It’s dark (but fun) with a murder mystery and it has Stranger Things vibes. I thought it was cool it was set in the 1990’s, Freddie and her friends are fun and pranksters, and the romance is really cute.