#AudiobookReview: Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by @sarahbethdurst

Synopsis: Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.

One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

From the acclaimed author of The Spellshop, Sea of Charms is a delightful cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.

#AudiobookReview: The Girl with a Thousand Faces by @sunyidean

Synopsis: From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive.

When Mercy Chan washed up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, she was thrust into the horrors of World War II. She only survived by hiding in Kowloon Walled City, an infamous, ghost-infested slum full of lost and traumatized civilians. Since the end of the war, she has rebuilt her life and found work with the local triad as a ghost-talker, dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt this place. These days, the filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon feel like home.

But the past she can’t remember won’t let her go. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. Unnervingly, it claims to know Mercy―and her forgotten childhood. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.

33 years before, mere days ahead of the Japanese invasion, Sung Siu Yin and her mother flee Hong Kong, intending to hide out on her mother's ancestral island home. It’s beautiful, tranquil, and remote. . . but also inhabited by ghosts ever since the entire village drowned in a storm many years ago. Still, it’s better than living under occupation.

But as the war drags on and isolation sets in, Siu Yin is increasingly drawn into the island's grim past―a past that may still have a hold on the present. There is a darkness lurking beneath that idyllic ocean, and it has been waiting many years for someone to return.

"The Girl With a Thousand Faces confirms Sunyi Dean as one of the most interesting voices in genre fiction.”―Gareth Brown, USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Doors

#AudiobookReview: Empire of Death (Death, #6) by @penelopebarsetti

Synopsis: With my father indisposed, I become Queen of the Southern isles -- and it's the heaviest responsibility of my life. I know the Barbarians will come for the kingdom, and I have to prepare for war.

But I don't have to do it alone...because Wrath is with me. My advisor and my protector, he helps me secure the aid of my allies, helps me remember my strength. And when I become lost in despair, he tells me I can do this. That I'm the only one who can do this.

The God of the Underworld is my silent partner, a powerful ally that no one can see, and it becomes clear there's nothing he won't do for me. He watches my back when I trust no one else to do it. He helps me move pieces across the board against the Barbarians. My mother and brother grow suspicious of my powers, and I grow tired of telling them lies.

Despite being swallowed by misery, as time goes by, it becomes harder not to fall for this man. And he doesn't bother hiding it either. Wears his heart on his sleeve and bares his loyalty like the crest in his armor.

Except there's no way for us to be together...ever. He says there's no escape for him in the Underworld, that this is all we'll ever be. That he'll help me win this war and then leave me to find someone I deserve.

But he's the man I want -- and I won't stop until I find a way.

#AudiobookReview: Isle of Wrath by Claire Contreras

Synopsis: A forgotten prophecy.

A 300-year-old curse.

And two people bound by a goddess to break it… if the bond doesn't break them first.

In Lunaris, everyone trades their memories for asylum. No one remembers their past, their homeland, or the curse that trapped them behind a wall of darkness called the Shroud. But they don't dare break the rules set upon them.

Ada Acevedo has spent years hiding her healing gift and keeping her head down.

But when her twin brother is struck by a poisoned arrow, she breaks the most dangerous rule of all. She bargains with the goddess of death to save his life.

She didn't expect the goddess to send Malachi Bain—an infuriating warrior—to collect. Much less to be soul-bound to him until she repays what she owes. Now Ada has no choice but to help him do the impossible: lift the Shroud and break the curse that's kept Lunaris hidden from the rest of the realm for three hundred years.

As she's pulled deeper into a world of forbidden prophecies and buried secrets, Ada discovers a devastating truth. Lunaris isn't the paradise she always thought it was. It's a cage. And on the other side, a monster is lurking—waiting for the Shroud to fall.

Waiting for her.

Isle of Wrath is a dystopian fantasy romance with morally gray characters, meddling gods, and a slow burn romance.

#BookReview: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1) by Julie Soto

Synopsis: The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead. 

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, the world as Briony Rosewood knows it is changed forever. Evil has won, and her people face imminent servitude, imprisonment, or death. 

Stripped of her Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly sold off to the highest bidders in an auction—and as Evermore's princess, she fetches the highest price. After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion of a family known for their cruelty. 

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help—and hope—may yet arise in the most unlikely of places …

#AudiobookReview: Until the World Falls Down (Until the World Falls Down #1) by Jordan Lynde

Synopsis: This special paperback features cover effects, interior character art, and digital sprayed edges.

Labyrinth meets Beauty and the Beast in this spellbinding, sexy romantasy debut about a woman with a broken heart, the seductive immortal who imprisons her, the magical labyrinth that may be her salvation, and the dangerous attraction that could destroy them both.

Her freedom or her heart…in forty-eight hours, she'll lose one forever

When a brutal betrayal leaves Nell heartbroken and alone, she makes a desperate wish for love, recklessly offering anything in exchange.

Her plea is heard by Enver, an immortal as wicked as he is beautiful. He sweeps Nell away to his castle that seems to exist out of time and presents her with a bargain: escape his labyrinth within forty-eight hours or surrender to eternity as his lover.

Nell vows to conquer the labyrinth, despite the dangerous attraction she feels for its monstrous ruler. But every stolen moment with him leaves her craving more. And every step deeper into the castle reveals hidden truths about herself…and the curse that holds Enver captive.

Torn between her desire for love and the dark being incapable of loving her, Nell faces an impossible choice. And her time is running out.

#BookReview: Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods, #1) by Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis: They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.

The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.


He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.


But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.


There's only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.


But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.

#BookReview: Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1) by Melissa K. Roehrich

Synopsis: Of all the worlds and life they created, the gods favored their children the most. But with that favor came the fear that their Legacy would one day become too powerful and overthrow them. Devram was created. A realm hidden amongst the stars. The gods gave their Legacy the best of all the worlds, and then they left, a sworn agreement to never return and to never interfere. Forced to a life of servitude, the Fae are required to provide for the Legacy in more ways than one. Every five years, the eligible Fae are gathered for the Selection and assigned to serve in one of the six Kingdoms. To be chosen as the personal Source for a Kingdom Heir is the greatest honor, and for the first time in a millennia, all six Kingdoms have heirs choosing a Source. But their selections could tip the power balance a little too far. Tessalyn Asura was as forgotten as the realm. But when she finds herself the personal Source to the Heir of Endings, she winds up serving in the darkest Kingdom of them all . The secrets within the Arius Kingdom are meant to be learned and kept, but this was never the life she wanted. Fighting not only the fate thrust upon her, but the temptation to lose herself to desire, Tessa will do anything to escape her new destiny. Until she starts to realize maybe their world wasn’t as forgotten as they thought, and maybe she’s the reason why.

Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.

#BookReview: Aicha by @authorsorayab

Synopsis: TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.

Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Debut author Soraya Bouazzaoui weaves an epic tale of female rage and hidden myths, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Stardust Thief.

The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.

Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha's soul.

Only Aicha's secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco's freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha's skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.

#BookReview: Heartsong (War of the Underhill #1) by @se.wendel.author @avonbooks

Synopsis: For fans of Ruby Dixon comes a steamy monster romance from S. E. Wendel, following a museum worker who gets the shock of a lifetime when one of the (very attractive) gargoyle statues in an exhibit comes to life and claims her as his mate...

A gargoyle warrior unprepared for the modern world…

Fifteen hundred years ago, Frey and all his kind were cursed by the vicious fae queen, their magick stolen and their bodies rendered stone. It has been a hellish existence, frozen in time as the world changes around them. A proud warrior, Frey rages against his stone prison, but with every year that passes, hope slips away that the curse can ever be broken.

That is, until he and some of his kin are placed in an odd little museum. And she walks through the door.

A modern woman not ready for a medieval male…

Anna Kincaid has struggled most of her life, but she’s finally landed a job that will help her get ahead. It feels too good to be true—full healthcare and helping manage a museum full of exquisite artifacts? Her heart and history degree are thrilled, but something about the museum is….strange. The owners are a mysterious couple who call the collection the clan. And the collection is…well, monstrous. Huge, savage-looking statues from the late-Celtic period.

Magick stolen can be reclaimed, and curses cast can be broken…

When the museum is stormed by masked commandos one night, it isn’t even the weirdest thing to happen. No, that has to be when one of the statues comes alive to save her. Or when he flies off with her. Or when he tucks her into his big body and growls mate.

Monster romance fans looking for their next read will love this sensitive and sexy love story that is packed with all of their favorite tropes:
fated mates 
he falls first 
close proximity 
moody winged hero 
fish out of water 
medieval meets modern 
hurt/comfort 

#BookReview: Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy, #2) by @calliehartauthor

Synopsis: Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.

Saeris Fane doesn't want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court's lips, but now that she's been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she's discovering that a queen's life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward - and her brother - need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

'Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.'

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.

#BookReview: A Heart so Haunted by Hollie Nelson

Synopsis: In this evocative and stunning debut, secrets in the very bones of Harthwait House are disturbed when a new tenant moves in, for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones.

Be wary the beds and the space beneath,
the cracks in the floors and the furnace teeth.
Keep your eyes from the shadows and tongue so still.
Because once Harthwait grows dark, the monsters become real.

Landry is ready to clean house—not just Harthwait, but the traumatic memories and family entanglements that haunt her. Left reeling from her aunt’s sudden death, Landry knows she has to restore the old house and sell it for much needed cash. Preferably, before autumn arrives. But as renovations begin on Harthwait, she notices some motion sensors activate when no one is home, doors slam shut, and every night, at a quarter after midnight, the disembodied crying begins. Then, when she uncovers a hidden door during the renovations, she dares to open it.

Behind the door is a world of nightmares, some of which are hers, while others belong to a monster—who is trapped inside and desperate to get out. Both haunted by their pasts, Landry makes a deal with the monster, but as they develop feelings for each other, she realizes that the thing that looks like a beast may not be the most beastly thing after all.

This rich and spellbinding tale explores the idea of what we call home and who we call family.

#BookReview: West of Wicked (The Great and Terrible Land #1) by @nikkistcrowe

Synopsis: Dorothy Gale doesn’t know where she came from. She has only the vaguest memory of her life before landing in the dull, gray world of the vast Kansas prairie.

Then a cyclone rips through the night and carries her, her dog, and the farmhouse somewhere a lot farther than Dorothy imagined. She’s in a strange land that’s apparently cursed, shrouded in shadow. And to get home, Dorothy needs to seek out a wizard, following a treacherous path and watch out for a never-ending list of forest beasts, witches, a cursed mercenary, and perhaps most dangerous of all, the wizard himself.

Nikki St. Crowe vividly reimagines the world of the Wizard of Oz, where the villain gets the girl...and the girl gets the power.

#AudiobookReview: Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes

Synopsis: DELUXE EDITION—a beautiful hardcover featuring sprayed edges, a foil case stamp and designed endpapers.

The steamy mythology of Neon Gods meets dark academia in this contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author S.A. Barnes.

Jocasta’s carved out a normal life at Beecher University—well, as normal as possible with a name like Jocasta and being the only child of Death.

She has good friends and a messy situationship with her former TA. But her friends, her crush, and her classmates don’t know the truth about who—what—she is. They would be horrified to discover Jo must feed to survive—and she feeds on them. But she refuses to take lives, feasting instead on their disappointments, failures, and rejections. It’s not a perfect system, but it works. 

Until a sexy stranger—and descendant of Lust—shows up on campus because Death just named Jo as his successor, making her a powerful ally and a massive target. 

Jo’s safe little bubble is about to burst, but she will do anything to protect the people she loves. Even if it means becoming what she hates…

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

#BookReview: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1) by @calliehartauthor

Synopsis: This #1 New York Times bestseller is a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance.

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details... Now with an embossed cover, silver foiling, and an updated interior design. 

N.B. Quicksilver contains depictions of graphic violence/adult situations and is therefore recommended for readers 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author's website.

#AudioBookReview: City of Iron and Ivy by Thomas Kent West

Synopsis: This beguiling historical romantasy debut blends dark academia with the glamour of Bridgerton, as a scholar of magic investigates her sister’s murder—perfect for fans of Heather Fawcett and H. G. Parry. 

In an alternate London alive with botanical magic, Elswyth Elderwood is a thorn among a bristly, scarred scholar in a world of socialites. Her sister Persephone is the a graceful debutante seeking a marriage that will save their family from ruin. At least, until Persephone is murdered. 

Suddenly the last scion of her house, Elswyth must abandon her studies and find a wealthy husband. She is thrust into a London fueled by hedge witches sprout nightshade from their fingertips, high-born ladies weave gowns from wildflowers … and a serial killer called the Reaper transforms his victims into plant-human hybrids. 

When clues suggest the Reaper is a powerful nobleman, Elswyth’s search for her sister’s killer and her hunt for a husband become one and the same. But she is drawn to bastard-born archaeologist Silas Blackthorn—who may have dark, twisted secrets of his own. 

Elswyth must determine friend from foe and lover from liar—or suffer the same fate as her sister.

#AudioBookReview: A Trial of Fate (Valdor #1) by J.E. Larson

Synopsis: One night can change your life. One decision can change...everything.

Our world is dying.

Every century, the High Fae venture past the magical veil in search of a shifter to compete as the champion in the trials of their Inner Kingdom. Only a shifter who completes the trials can unlock the healing powers of The Heart of Valdor, a magical stone that has the power to save our world. For five hundred years, no shifter has been victorious or returned alive. The dark magic of the wilt is steadily growing, devouring our world piece by piece with each passing day. The fate of all fae, shifters, and humans is at stake.

And somehow... this task has fallen to me.

Skylar Cathal is a twenty-two-year-old half-human, half-shifter with a curious mind and knack for bending the rules. Gilen Warrick, Skylar’s childhood friend and the next Alpha of the Solace pack, wants more than just her friendship– but fate has a will of its own.

When Skylar is marked as the shifter champion, she must overcome her darkest fears to leave her home and those she loves behind. Daxton Aegaeon, High Fae Prince of Silver Meadows, has sworn to protect Skylar as his ward, but only she can protect her heart.

A Trial of Fate is the first book in the Valdor Series, an epic romantic fantasy that follows a "spitfire" heroine who defies her darkest fears in order to save those she loves. This book will appeal to fans of character-driven adventurous romantasy tails such as Throne of Glass, Blood and Ash, and A Ruin of Roses.

#AudioBookReview: Accidentally Marrying the Mafia Don: A Smutty Age Gap Romance by Evie Rose, Brandon Francis (Narrator), Zara Hampton-Brown (Narrator)

Synopsis: One tiny oops, and I’m married to a mafia boss.

I’m the stand-in maid of honour, he’s the silver fox uncle of the groom who saves the day when the wedding becomes a disaster, with a fluffy ring-bearer gone rogue, a drunk priest, and a child with perfect comic timing. But the dream Italian wedding continues, and the uncle—Dante—and I sign as witnesses. And if I try to flirt with him, I blame the romantic setting and the fact that although he’s twice my age, he’s the hottest man I’ve ever met. His edge of danger, with his tattoos and the way everyone is nervous of him, gossiping that he’s a morally gray billionaire, only makes me want him more. He turns me down with a touch to my cheek and a hoarse murmur that I’m too young and innocent for a man like him. Back at home, my dull little life doesn't compare. Then a wedding certificate arrives at my door. There’s been a mix up, and I’m married. To him.

Accidentally Marrying the Mafia Don is a sweet and spicy instalove romance with fluffy mafia romcom vibes and sizzling chemistry.

Duet narrated by gruff and growly Brandon Francis and light and relatable Zara Hampton-Brown.

#AudiobookReview: The Mirror by Nora Roberts

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts continues the hauntingly spectacular Lost Bride Trilogy with book two, The Mirror.

When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.

Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

#BookReview: Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen (Audiobook)

Inspired by Kailee Pedersen's own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology.

The last thing Nick Morrow expected to receive was an invitation from his father to return home. When he left rural Nebraska behind, he believed he was leaving everything there, including his abusive father, Carlyle, and the farm that loomed so large in memory, forever.

But neither Nick nor his brother Joshua, disowned for marrying Emilia, a woman of Asian descent, can ignore such summons from their father, who hopes for a deathbed reconciliation. Predictably, Joshua and Carlyle quickly warm to each other while Nick and Emilia are left to their own devices. Nick puts the time to good use and his flirtation with Emilia quickly blooms into romance. Though not long after the affair turns intimate, Nick begins to suspect that Emilia’s interest in him may have sinister, and possibly even ancient, motivations.

Punctuated by scenes from Nick’s adolescent years, when memories of a queer awakening and a shadowy presence stalking the farm altered the trajectory of his life forever, Sacrificial Animals explores the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the total collapse of a family in its wake.