#BookReview: Prelude for Lost Souls (Prelude for Lost Souls #1) by Helene Dunbar

Synopsis: For readers of Nova Ren Suma, Maggie Steifvater, and Maureen Johnson comes a spellbinding tale about choosing your own path, the families we create for ourselves, and facing the ghosts of your past.

In the town of St. Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer, the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.

Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he's been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.

His best friend Russ won't be surprised when Dec leaves—but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He's made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.

But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec's main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets off an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire, there are no such things as coincidences.

#BookReview: River of Dreams by Jan Nash

Synopsis: Draped in themes of first love and family, secrets and malevolence, and swirling through an exhilarating dream world full of danger, violence, and love, this exciting debut is a high-stakes adventure full of suspense, romance, and magic. 

Finn Driscoll is counting down the days until she can leave for college. With her beloved brother, Noah, in a coma and her high school social life sinking every day, she’s ready for a fresh start.

Until the night she sees Noah in a dream. He begs for her help. At first, she shakes it off as just a nightmare. Then it happens again. And again. Frightened, Finn confides in her grandmother, only to learn the shocking truth about her family. They’re Dreamwalkers--heroes who step into the River of Dreams and fight the monsters in other people’s nightmares, freeing them to face the problems in their real lives.

Awake or asleep, Finn has never thought of herself as any kind of hero, and walking through other people’s dreams seems much worse than just hiding at school. But as hard as facing this challenge might be, Finn knows she has no choice: she will do anything she can to save her brother.

#BookReview: Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

Synopsis: Sawkill Girls meets Beautiful Creatures in this lush and eerie debut, where the boundary between reality and nightmares is as thin as the veil between the living and the dead. 

If I could have a fiddle made of Daddy’s bones, I’d play it. I’d learn all the secrets he kept.

Shady Grove inherited her father’s ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle, but she also knows the fiddle’s tunes bring nothing but trouble and darkness.

But when her brother is accused of murder, she can’t let the dead keep their secrets.

In order to clear his name, she’s going to have to make those ghosts sing.

Family secrets, a gorgeously resonant LGBTQ love triangle, and just the right amount of creepiness make this young adult debut a haunting and hopeful story about facing everything that haunts us in the dark.

#BookReview: The Last Dragon King (The Kings of Avalier #1) by Leia Stone

Synopsis: The Dragon King is looking for a wife. 

This news throws the women in my village into a tizzy. The king will be sending out the royal guard to bring women of childbearing age to his castle in Jade City.

There is only one requirement: the woman must carry enough magic to produce an heir for him.

I’m a watered-down human with a mere ten percent dragon magic lineage, I know I won’t be chosen, but for some reason the magic sniffers command me to present myself to the king as a possible wife.

I’m ready to go to Jade City until my mother tells me a terrifying secret. A secret that could get me killed… by the king himself.

This is a full length fantasy romance standalone with an HEA!

#BookReview: The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo

Synopsis: From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes The Night Hunt, a dark fantasy romance about a monstrous girl who feeds on fear and the Gods-cursed boy who falls in love with her.

Atia is a monster who feeds on fear. As the last of her kind, she hides in the shadows of the world to escape the wrath of the unpredictable Gods. Silas is a Herald, carrying messages and ferrying the dead as punishment for a past he can’t remember. Stripped of his true name, he yearns to recover his identity.

Atia would never dream of allying with someone like him, but when she breaks a sacred law and the Gods send monsters to hunt her, Silas offers an irresistible deal: he’ll help avenge her family and take on the Gods who now hunt her, if she helps him break his curse and restore his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee, and one of the very Gods who destroyed both their lives. Only together can they finally rewrite their destinies.

#BookReview: Wish of the Wicked (A Fairy Godmother #1) by Danielle Paige

Synopsis: Bestselling author Danielle Paige puts a dark spin on fairy godmothers in a new YA series for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Maleficent.

For centuries, the enchanted members of the Entente have worked in tandem with the Three Fates—the Present, the Past, and the Future—to maintain destiny across the Thirteen Queendoms. But when Queen Magrit learns of her untimely demise from Hecate, Fate of the Future, Magrit burns Hecate at the stake and decrees death to all Entente in order to live forever.

But some survive, including sixteen-year-old Farrow, who hatches a dangerous plan to seek revenge. Along the way, she finds herself falling for the one person who could ruin everything. With life and love hanging in the balance, she must decide who to trust and what’s most important: living in the past or forging a new future.

Bestselling author Danielle Paige launches a brand-new fairy godmother origin story full of intrigue, magic, and romance.

#BookReview: A Bright Heart (A Bright Heart #1) by Kate Chenli

Synopsis: What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.
 
Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.
 
As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.
 
Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.
 
But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined. 
 
She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love? 

#BookReview: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Synopsis: In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life's moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.

Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory's victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can't help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren't only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent...and infuriating...)

#BookReview: A Curse of Blood and Wolves (Wolf Brothers #1) by Melissa McTernan

Synopsis: A dark and steamy fairytale re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Perfect for romantasy readers and lovers of smuttok Is it possible to be drawn to someone you’ve never met? When Ruby feels the eyes of a stranger in the woods, she knows she should be scared, that she should run away, but she can’t. Instead, she feels a thrill, feels drawn to this stranger who follows her in the woods. Yearns for his eyes on her every night as she walks home, hoping to hear the crunch of leaves under his feet that signals he’s there. Will he ever reveal himself? After all, fate doesn’t make mistakes . . .

#BookReview: Making Her Theirs (Unbreakable Bonds #1) by Lily Manning

Synopsis: Stepping into a bustling bar in enchanting Edinburgh, my eyes meet those of three breathtakingly gorgeous brothers. I thought exploding ovaries were a myth!

Knox, intense, possessive, and loyal. The brother who holds the family together. Ridiculously handsome, he exudes an aura of authority. He knows I want to be dominated, worshipped, loved.

Charming Finn buries the past under a fast, devastating smile and a laugh like sunshine on a cloudy day. Every encounter is an adventure—wild, sweet, exciting, and utterly irresistible.

Strong, silent Lachlan’s the loaner. Why use words when one long stare brings me to my knees. Yet he understands me in ways no one else does. He sees everything, reaching the depths of my desires with an unspoken connection.

Together, these three scorching Scottish brothers embark on a passionate journey to claim me as their own. Bound by desire and an unbreakable bond, they’ll stop at nothing to make me theirs.

‘Making Her Theirs’ promises a happy ever after, scorching the meaning of love, lust, and ultimate fulfillment. Get ready for an electrifying adventure filled with passion, romance, and a love that knows no bounds.

#BookReview: The Broken Elf King (Kings of Avalier #2) by Leia Stone @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: I never should have taken that loan but my aunt needed the meds and they were too expensive for me to afford by myself. Now I’ve been sold to slavery and the Nightfall Queen’s guards have found out I’m not entirely human.

I guess I’m lucky they didn’t kill me.

The next thing I know I’m transferred to the Elf King’s castle to find out that he has bought me. It will take me five years to pay off the debt but I get to be his personal assistant. Personal assistant to the king. That can’t be so bad, right?

Wrong. Oh how wrong I was.

His council has tasked me with finding him a wife before they will fund his war against the Nightfall Queen. That part should be easy, he’s rich, disgustingly handsome, and smart to boot. The problem? He’s rejecting every high born female I send his way.

The more time we spend together, the more we realize I’m not just some half elf. There is a deep power that runs through my veins, one that makes me a target. His solution?

Enter into a fake marriage with him so that he can get the council off his back and I can get some protection.

That’s a great idea, so long as I don’t fall in love with him.
Should be simple enough…


The Broken Elf King is book TWO of FOUR in the Kings of Avalier series. It's a full-length standalone fantasy romance that focuses on the Elf King Raife Lightstone.

#BookReview: Never (Never, #1) by Jessa Hastings

Synopsis: THE BRAND NEW FANTASY ROMANCE FROM THE AUTHOR OF TIKTOK SENSATION MAGNOLIA PARKS

There is a boy of legend in the tales passed down in my family. He glides on the coat-tails of the sun, rides the wind, and freedom runs through his veins. His heart - so the legend goes - is wild.

The boy lived in a faraway land tucked behind a star, where pirates were still true, mermaids didn't hide, and fairies flew through the air like autumn leaves on a windy day. He took my mother there, just like he took my grandmother, and my great-grandmother.

Just as he would come for me.

*

Swept away from her life in London to a place beyond the stars, Wendy's granddaughter Daphne is torn between the boy of legend - Peter Pan, whose fate is irrevocably intertwined with her family's - and Jem Hook, the pirate who has captured her heart against all her better judgement.

Filled with hope and heartbreak, beauty and betrayal, dreams and devastating reality, Never Can we ever be free while we're holding on to the past? And what would happen if - just once - we truly let go?

#BookReview: Prince of Never (Curse of Fate and Fae #1) by Lorelei Johnson & Hailey Jade

Synopsis: Destined to love him. Destined to own him. Destined to destroy him.

Only one thing stands between Tarian and his crown: a woman prophesised to be his downfall. He'd expected a formidable enemy, but what he found was a human librarian. One who seems to have a penchant for recklessness and a serious lack of self-preservation instincts. One who poses a serious dilemma.

How to take his crown when he can't remove the one thing standing in his way?

Imogen has always fought to keep control. Control of herself, control of her life. Because when the world thinks you're crazy, you have to show you aren't. Especially when you're not sure yourself. But when a fae prince takes her to another realm, she's forced to face her biggest fears.

Was she right all along or has she finally lost her mind?

With a strange bond pulling them together and dangers lurking around every corner, will they find that love is a blessing or a curse?

Prince of Never is the captivating first book in the Curse of Fate and Fae series. If you like fated mates, political intrigue, and star-crossed love, then you'll love this seductive fantasy romance by Lorelei Johnson & Hailey Jade.

#BookReview: Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright, #1) by Sophie Lark

Synopsis: He’s No Prince Charming…

Callum Griffin is the heir to the Irish Mafia. He’s ruthless, arrogant, and he wants to kill me.

We got off on the wrong foot when I set a (very small) fire in his house.

Our families believe a marriage pact is the only thing that will prevent all-out warfare.

I think I might need to murder him while he sleeps.

This would all be a lot easier if Callum wasn’t so damned good-looking.

But I’ve got a lockbox around my heart. Because even if I’m forced to marry him…

I could never love a brutal prince.

“Brutal Prince” is the explosive first act in the epic “Brutal Birthright” series. It’s a stand-alone Dark Mafia Romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers. It contains blazing hot bedroom scenes for mature readers only!!!

#BookReview: Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep, #1) Gabi Burton

Synopsis: In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

#BookReview: Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh

Synopsis: Family secrets, a brother's best friend romance, and scandalous mystery combine in this delightfully witty historical rom-com -- perfect for fans of Evie Dunmore, Enola Holmes , and Netflix's Bridgerton!

This title will be released on March 5, 2024.

#BookReview: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1) by Roseanne A. Brown

Synopsis: For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.

#BookReview: Brewed in Magic (Falling for Fables #2) by Jenna Wolfhart

Synopsis: Lilia has always had a wanderer’s heart. She spends her days on the road with her famous Traveling Tavern and only a dragon to keep her company. Despite longing for a deeper connection, she knows she’s destined to wander the world alone.

When she meets a handsome stranger on her journey to the winter festival, she finally feels she’s found a kindred spirit…until he vanishes in the early morning without so much as a goodbye.

Turns out, he rushed ahead to reach the festival first with his own traveling tavern. One he never mentioned. Now her would-be companion is her rival, or worse. Someone is trying to sabotage the festival by stealing supplies, and all her suspicions point to him.

But when he offers to help find the culprit, sparks melt the icy barriers between them. And Lilia must decide if she can trust him with saving the festival—and with her heart.

Brewed in Magic is a stand-alone cozy romantasy set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

#BookReview: Nightrender (Salvation Cycle #1) by Jodi Meadows

Synopsis: Kingdoms will fall, gods will die, and hearts will be broken in this sprawling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows.

In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.

Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.

But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.

Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.

There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?

#BookReview: The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Synopsis: An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke's daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse.

When Ekata's brother is finally named heir, there will be nothing to keep her at home in Kylma Above with her murderous family. Not her books or science experiments, not her family's icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness.

In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother's warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without—and within—her own ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love...or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family's power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield it.

Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what's right in the face of danger.