#BookReview: The Stars of Ember (Night Lore, #2) by Genesis Batista

A QUEEN. A VAMPIRE. A DEADLY ATTRACTION.

Queen Atreya thought surviving the arena was the hardest battle she'd ever face. She was wrong.

When the magical wards protecting Ember shatter and her husband threatens everything she loves, Atreya is forced to make an impossible trust Ronan—a dangerous vampire who delights in tormenting her—or watch her kingdom burn.

Their mission is cross the hellscape of Ferenz to find help from her greatest enemy, the notorious Rebel King. But nothing about Ronan is what it seems. Bound by a blood vow and promised a ring that could let him walk in daylight, he serves the very man Atreya has spent her life hating.

As they journey through the wasteland together, Atreya discovers that surviving the monsters isn't her biggest challenge—it's resisting her growing attraction to the vampire who holds both her fate and her heart in his deadly hands.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, THE STARS OF EMBER is a dark fantasy romance filled with sizzling tension, dangerous magic, and enemies-to-lovers passion that burns hotter than dragonfire.

In a world where magic strikes like lightning and desire cuts deeper than steel, some temptations are worth dying for...

#BookReview: Sought By Fate (Chronicles of the Fates #1) by Monica Ageno

In a realm where society is ranked by the magic they wield, the elite are known as the Fate Blessed, the middle class as the Fate Gifted, and the powerless as the Forgotten.

Storm, the First Commander of the army. He is admired and feared in equal measure. His instructions are executed without question, exactly to his liking. Engulfed in a relentless battle against a Dark Mage, Storm has no room for complications. His life was perfectly adequate; until she walks in, then suddenly his previously orderly existence is plunged into turmoil.

Feylin, bearing forbidden magic and surrounded by those with powerful abilities, must stay hidden to survive. Her initial admiration for Storm quickly transforms into a burning hostility, revealing that emotions can be as dangerous as any spell. With powerful forces plotting her downfall, Feylin must navigate a perilous path to protect her heart, her secrets, and her life, or risk losing everything.

Fans of "A Court of Thorns and Roses," "The Name of the Wind," and "The Priory of the Orange Tree" will be captivated by this tale of power, passion, and peril. 

Perfect for readers who crave strong heroines, forbidden magic, and heart-pounding suspense. Get your copy today and dive into this epic fantasy brimming with magic, romance, and adventure.

#BookReview: Slip by L. Ryan Storms

9 minutes and 53 seconds isn’t enough time to change the world. It’s not even enough time to finish a biology exam.

But 16-year-old junior, PJ “Slip” Ellis, gets to repeat the most anxiety-inducing parts of her life again and again. Because her panic attacks send her 9 minutes and 53 seconds into the past, which means she’ll do whatever she can to avoid triggering her nerves. And she’s learned to deal with her anxiety…mostly.

At least, until Ethan Morrow appears in class. Now, PJ is falling for Ethan, and her anxiety—once under control—is quickly spiraling out of hand. So, PJ’s determined to avoid Ethan with every slip.

If only the solution were so easy. Ethan appears in PJ’s life no matter what path she takes, no matter how many times she slips. Is it fate? Kismet? Organized chaos? One way or another, PJ must make peace with herself if she ever wants a shot at true happiness with—or without—Ethan Morrow in her life.

#BookReview: Good Boy (WAGs #1) by Elle Kennedy; Sarina Bowen

From New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy and USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen comes the first in the spin-off series of their wildly successful Him and Us books.

"We're way more than friends, Jessie."

"Blake—"

"But no worries. I'll just sit tight until you figure that out."

Hosting her brother's wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning's life. Already the family screw-up, she can't afford to fail at this, too. Especially after the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. Nobody—absolutely nobody—can find out about that, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. No matter how devastatingly sexy his smile, he's a giant manchild who's never been serious in his life. And if Jess wants to prove herself to her family, serious is what she has to get.

For Blake Riley, this wedding is a gift from fate itself. The girl he has his eye on is the maid of honor, and he's the best man? Let the games begin. So what if Jess is giving him a little—fine, a lot—of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he's really a good boy with a bad rap. Beneath the flirty jokes and goofy smile, he's got layers—even if Jess doesn't want to see them.

Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you've got to make an effort if you want to score. 

And Jess is just the girl he wants to win.

#BookReview: Of Kingdoms and Curses (Blood and Curses, #1) by Amy Woodruff

There’s only one thing Bridget Adams wants: to get home.

After being trapped for seven months in the Kingdom of Elyria, where magic is ruthless, permanent, and always comes with a price, she’s tired of dealing with curses, especially ones that take everything from her. In Elyria, all humans are cursed. Whenever one enters the magical realm, they lose their memories. Forever.

The only things Bridget knows about her past are the small tidbits Cora tells her, which isn’t much. The leader of the nomadic Witch coven is merciless, and with Bridget essentially owned by Cora, she always keeps Bridget by her side. No matter how many times Bridget tries to escape her grasp, she always fails.

In the name of helping the coven, Cora places her in a tournament to compete to marry the Fae Prince, Cade. Believing her freedom is in sight, Bridget agrees to join and plans to sneak away before it starts. However, an unexpected binding contract restricts her to the palace grounds. Forced to participate, Bridget navigates the dangerous tasks of the tournament, until she accidentally stumbles upon the prince. Cade has secrets of his own, though, including ones that involve the human realm, and when he offers to help Bridget return there, she decides to trust him.

As they grow closer, it becomes clear things aren’t as they appear. She discovers her presence in Elyria and the tournament is part of a greater plan, one that has deadly consequences. As secrets, history, and conspiracies unravel around her, Bridget begins to realize the greatest curse of all: love.

#BookReview: Bright Midnights (The Limerent, #2) by LS Delorme

Amelie has always been different.

Most high school students find life challenging, but 17-year old Amelie has a lot more to contend with than typical teenage angst. Ever since she turned 11, others have been irresistibly drawn to her—with tragic consequences. Her only escape is at night when she flies to different times and places through her “dreams”. Her life begins to change when, on one of her flights, she meets Clovis, an alluring and mysterious young man who hides a secret.
As Amelie finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she learns his story, how it intertwines with her own and finally discovers how to live her life in the real world. Until her own secrets are revealed to the wrong people and that world turns upside down.

Bright Midnights is the second in the Limerent Series and continues in the thought-provoking and beautiful style of the first as it considers different dimensions, different ways of looking at the world, and the transcendental power of love.

#BookReview: Gravity Lost (Ambit's Run #2) by L. M. Sagas

L. M. Sagas' follows her fast-paced sci-fi adventure Cascade Failure with an equally explosive sequel, Gravity Lost. Everyone's favorite fierce, messy, chaotic space fam is back with more vibrant worlds, and the wildest crew since Guardians of the Galaxy .

After thwarting a space station disaster and planetary destruction, the Ambit crew thought turning Isaiah Drestyn over to the Union would be the end of their troubles. Turns out, it’s only the start.

Drestyn is a walking encyclopedia of dirty secrets, and everyone wants a piece of him―the Trust, the Union, even the Guild. Someone wants him bad enough to kill, and with the life of one of their own on the line, the Ambit crew must jail-break the very man they helped capture and expose some of the secrets he’s been keeping before it’s too late.

In the Spiral, everything has a price. In their fight to protect what they love, Eoan, Nash, Saint, and Jal will confront some ugly truths about their enemies, and even uglier truths about their friends. But nothing will come close to the truths they’ll learn about themselves.

You can’t always fix what’s broken … and sometimes, it’s better that way.

#BookReview: The Rose in the Shadows (House of Hyrax #1) by Arcadia Rayne @RRBookTours1

A forgotten past. A deadly magic. A prince she can't trust.

Theadora Moore has no memory of who she was, but her magic—and the mark on her chest—prove she’s the last Descendant of Hyrax, the God of the Dead.

Thrown into the ruthless world of court politics by Prince Clayton Vail, Thea becomes a target of dark forces who want her dead. With danger closing in and nowhere to turn, she’ll have to decide whether to trust the prince—or let her powers consume her.

In a palace full of secrets, survival is far from guaranteed.

The House of Hyrax series is an action-packed slow-burn romance filled with magic and political intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and Red Queen.

#BookReview: Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by @katiefliesaway

The déjà vu is strong for 25-year-old former kid detective Charlotte Illes when she lands back in Frencham Middle School – this time as a substitute teacher with a sideline in sleuthing – in the second zany mystery based on the much-loved TikTok web series from @katiefliesaway.

For fans of “Poker Face,” “Knives Out,” Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Series, and anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia!

Mention “returning to the scene of a crime,” and people don’t usually picture a middle school. But that’s where kid detective Lottie Illes enjoyed some of her greatest successes, solving mysteries and winning acclaim—before the world of adult responsibilities came crashing in . . .

Twentysomething Charlotte is now back in the classroom, this time as a substitute teacher. However, as much as she’s tried to escape the shadow of her younger self, others haven’t forgotten about Lottie. In fact, a fellow teacher is hoping for help discovering the culprit behind anonymous threats being sent to her and her aunt, who’s running for reelection to the Board of Education.

At first, Charlotte assumes the messages are a harmless prank. But maybe it’s a good thing she left a detective kit hidden in the band room storage closet all those years ago—just in case. Because the threats are escalating, and it’s clear that untangling mysteries isn’t child’s play anymore . . .

#BookReview: The Veiled Heir by S.T. Fernandez

Heir to a Fae throne she didn't know was hers. A daunting task to save humanity. A passionate love nurtured through her grief. 

Asherah Delmar led a happy and quiet life. Her career as a marine biologist was about to take off, but her mother, Neleah’s, sudden murder stopped her life harshly in its tracks. When she discovers her mother’s true identity, the world as she knew it begins to unravel.

After escaping Neleah’s assassins, Asherah is thrust into an ancient world she thought to be a myth. She finds herself surrounded by a different type of sea creature unlike any other—the Water Fae. Asherah must step out of her mother’s shadow to become what she never dreamed she could be—the heir to the Queendom of Atlantis. With the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders, an inexplicable connection to the Commander of the Guardians, Draevyn Eliron, may be the only thing holding her together.

In this magical underwater world, Asherah must learn to embrace her Water Fae abilities while fighting for her throne and saving the human race. But not every Fae wants to save the humans. A council seeks to dethrone her, the rebels are determined to kill her, and Draevyn's hold on her heart threatens to consume her.

The Veiled Heir is the first book in The Heir of Atlantis fantasy romance series, which readers of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Lynn Armentrout are sure to love. This book is intended for readers 18+. Trigger and Content Warnings are listed in the front of the book and on the author's website. Please read with care.

#BookReview: Healer to the Broken King (Brides of Myth #1) by Avie Adams

She serves a god. He wears a crown. Their forbidden love could topple his kingdom.

Calliste is a healer moments away from becoming high priestess when the dark, domineering King Theron storms her sanctuary. Abducted and blackmailed, she watches nine years of grueling effort go up in smoke—along with her hopes of safety. He’s dragging her back to the same capital she fled, a glittering city that left her with nightmares and scars.

Theron is a shell of a man with the weight of a crown slowly crushing him. He’ll do anything to save his sleep-cursed son—even capturing a beautiful priestess cherished by the gods. But as Calliste begins to mend his shattered heart, it takes everything he has not to act on his dangerous desires.

Their forbidden passion soon inflames tensions in Theron’s kingdom—and sparks envy in the god Calliste serves. Bound by duty and with destructive secrets lingering between them, can their love survive, or will it doom them both?

Healer to the Broken King is a slow-burn fantasy romance featuring mature protagonists, forbidden romance, tortured heroes, and worlds inspired by Greek mythology.

#BookReview: Captive (Castillo Cartel #1-2) by Bella Ash

Two ruthless brothers. Two stubborn captives. Trapped together in a brutal world. 

VICIOUS HEIR
Angel Castillo is ruthless, reigning over his brutal world with a bloody fist. Forced into his cold become his wife or die, I try to escape, but his claws are buried deep. Trapped in a golden prison, I hate him yet crave his touch. He sees me like no one else. This devil will ruin me. And I want to be ruined.

BRUTAL ENFORCER
Men have always controlled me. First my ruthless father, then my savage fiancé, and now Omar the brutal enforcer. Known as The Beast, he’s locked me up, threatening my life and craving my blood. Despite my filthy thoughts about him, I must escape. Everyone underestimates me, seeing only a pawn. But I’ll burn this island down before I give in.

#BookReview: The Spellshop by @sarahbethdurst

The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.

#BookReview: The Last One (Deluxe Limited Edition) @RachelHowzell @RedTowerBooks

Explosive and enthralling romantasy debut from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall...

Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.

#BookReview: It's Elementary by @elisembryant

A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids' schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

Mavis Miller is not a PTA mom. She has enough on her plate with her feisty seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, an exhausting job at a nonprofit, and the complexities of a multigenerational household. So no one is more surprised than Mavis when she caves to Trisha Holbrook, the long-reigning, slightly terrifying PTA president, and finds herself in charge of the school’s brand-new DEI committee.
As one of the few Black parents at this California elementary school, Mavis tries to convince herself this is an opportunity for real change. But things go off the rails at the very first meeting, when the new principal's plans leave Trisha absolutely furious. Later that night, when Mavis spies Trisha in yellow rubber gloves and booties, lugging cleaning supplies and giant black trash bags to her waiting minivan, it’s only natural that her mind jumps to somewhere it surely wouldn’t in the light of day.
Except Principal Smith fails to show up for work the next morning, and has been MIA since the meeting. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Mavis, along with the school psychologist with the great forearms (look, it’s worth noting), launches an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship, and elementary school politics.

Brilliantly written, It's Elementary is a quick-witted, escapist romp that perfectly captures just how far parents will go to give their kids the very best, all wrapped in a mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.

#BookReview: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by @jenlynnbarnes

ntrigue, riches, and romance abound in this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Inheritance Games perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions - including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.

#BookReview: The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos by @MelissadelaCruz

Evan Saatchi can’t keep his eyes off his new co-worker, Dalisay Ramos. Newly arrived from Manila to lead their travel app’s Asia division, nothing matters more to Dalisay than tradition and family. When Evan asks her out, she soundly rejects him for his cheek. Evan learns from his Filipino friends that Dalisay expects more from potential suitors. If he wants a chance with her, he’s going to have to go through the Five Stages, the same courtship ritual that lovers in the Philippines have performed for generations. At first, Evan is skeptical—what, exactly, does “servitude” entail? And he has to sing?! But when Dalisay bets Evan that he doesn’t have the nerve to make it through the stages, the game is on. As Evan attempts to prove to Dalisay that he can win her heart—and the bet—Dalisay is driven to distraction by Evan’s sexy labors, and soon their “courtship” turns into a sizzling secret. But when modern love and family expectations collide, Dalisay and Evan must find a way to carry a rich history into a shared future.

#BookReview: Dark and Shallow Lies by @stageandpage

A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.

This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World--and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something - her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou - a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history - Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent--and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.

#BookReview: Burden Falls by @el_kat

Riverdale meets Stephen King in the terrifying new thriller from the author of Harrow Lake.

The town of Burden Falls drips with superstition, from rumors of its cursed waterfall to Dead-Eyed Sadie, the disturbing specter who haunts it. Ava Thorn grew up right beside the falls, and since a horrific accident killed her parents a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares in which Sadie comes calling—nightmares so chilling, Ava feels as if she’ll never wake up. 

But when someone close to Ava is brutally murdered and she’s the primary suspect, she begins to wonder if the stories might be more than legends—and if the ghost haunting her dreams might be terrifyingly real. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose . . . with a vendetta against the Thorns.

#BookReview: The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on Earth before ten days are up….

If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, she’s also now standing in her "sparkle and shine" nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.

As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is, until someone comes running through a door yelling something about a huge mistake and sends the dreamy stranger back down to Earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.

When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to Earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But to find him in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind. . . .