#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: Starlight Jewel (Gifts of the Auldtree #1) by E.L. Lyons

Synopsis: The human city of Minalav is renowned for its lavish balls, where nobles bring wealth from distant lands to the Starlight Palace, to be romanced—and robbed—by the half-human hybrids who live below the city. The wealthy guests leave without their treasure, and with no memory of their evening—except the unforgettable feelings that bring them back, season after season. But the magic of Minalav is built on dark secrets and lies.

Axly, a hybrid assassin and seductress-thief, will do anything to protect her human half-brother. The path of blood and chaos she carves will tip the precious balance of Minalav, and the world around it.



493 pages, 173k words, 3rd person PoV, Past Tense, Multiple PoV, Medieval Alternate World Epic Fantasy, Female Main Character, Spiceless/Fade-to-Black



No AI was used in the writing of this book or the making of its cover.



Honest reviews of all sorts and kinds are appreciated. If you leave a critical review, I still appreciate the time you took to read however much of my book you did, and hope that your next read is more to your liking! 

Despite some folks shelving this as "Romance" and GR adding that as a genre, I would like to caution that this is NOT a romance book, there is a romance side plot, but there is no happily ever after or happy for now and there are no major romance tropes in the book

Trigger Warnings:



This book contains some graphic violence and many elements that readers may find disturbing, including a bit of torture. There are no graphic descriptions of sex or sexual assault, but there are allusions to prostitution, a couple of steamy scenes, some sexually disturbing implications, classism, ableism, the death of a nameless dog, murder, cannibalism, matricide, and suicidal ideation. It has been described as having a "splash of grimdark."

#BookReview: Thief of Sorrows by Kristen M. Long

Synopsis: I do not bow to fear…it bows to me.

What if Robin Hood was a woman who not only stole from the rich, but killed them as well? Isolde Cotheran is anything but a damsel in need of saving. Working through assuming the role of heir to Thornwood, Isolde masquerades as the Hood, a vicious outlaw. The Hood leads a cadre of thieves and assassins to steal and punish the lords and ladies of Arnoria who do not heed her deadly warning: Abuse humans and pay the price. In a world where hierarchy means life or death, humans serve as slaves to Isolde’s kind, the Virya, a race of beings blessed by the gods with the ability to transform into animals and control the elements.


When Isolde viciously kills a lord, it sets off a chain of events that brings two men back into her life. Liam, the handsome captain of the guard, who was shunned from Thornwood for joining the king’s army. And Gage, the Right Hand of the king and murderer of Isolde’s first love, is determined to make her his wife by any means necessary. After a successful heist leaves Gage humiliated and in danger of the king’s wrath for failure to capture the Hood, Isolde’s world is thrown into chaos. Struggling to protect those she loves not only from the dangers of the kingdom but from her own deadly power, Isolde is forced to take action when one of her own is caught in the crosshairs. Choices are made and blood is spilled, forcing the Hood to face her past. A past that is far more dangerous than even she realizes.

#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: Becoming Crone (The Crone Wars #1) by @LydiaMHawke

Synopsis: She wanted purpose. She found dark magick and war.

For Claire Emerson, there is nothing ordinary about turning sixty.

First, there are the crows. Then, a pendant that unlocks a gate to a house in the woods--which comes with a snarky gargoyle, an entirely too-sexy wolf shifter claiming to be Claire's protector, and a legacy that turns her reality upside down.

Because divorced, menopausal grandmothers with creaky hips and hot flashes? They don't just randomly discover they're next in a long line of powerful women protecting the world from the dark magick of Mages.

Claire's first instinct is to turn tail and run back to the safety of baking cookies and reading bedtime stories. But when it becomes clear the Mages have targeted her, she may have no choice but to accept her calling. There's just one problem: she never got the lifetime of training she was supposed to have, and her magick is... well, unreliable would be an understatement.

With the Mages threatening everything she loves, can Claire learn what she needs to in time to become Crone? Or will she be the one to lose an ancient war—and her life?

#BookReview: Queen of Roses (Blood of a Fae #1) by Briar Boleyn

Synopsis: A doomed love, a dangerous mission, and a kingdom on the brink of war...
A cast-off princess…

Born into a life of duty and sacrifice, Morgan Pendragon’s destiny has never been her own. Rumored to carry the tainted blood of the fae in her veins, her birthright is stolen from her when she is a mere child. Growing up in the shadow of her brother the king, she has been promised to the goddesses when she comes of age. So, when her brother commands that she seek out a fae weapon of legendary power, Morgan seizes the chance to break free from the chains of her fate.

A dangerous temptation…

As she travels, Morgan finds herself drawn into a strange group of outcasts, led by a dark and enigmatic warrior whose sharp wit and fierce beauty set her heart ablaze. But while Morgan struggles to reconcile her desires with her duty, she and her new comrades discover dangers that await them beyond anything in their wildest nightmares.

A slumbering kingdom awoken by blood…

Believed to have vanished generations ago, a fae kingdom dreaded by mortals is ascending once more, bound to reclaim what was lost by violence and bloodshed. As the fae world, with its intricate web of lies and mysteries, is slowly revealed to Morgan, she is led to the terrible realization that the secrets she carries in her blood make her a greater threat than she could ever have imagined.

The first in an action-packed new series brimming with magic, danger, and spellbinding slow-burn romance, Queen of Roses is perfect for fans of Holly Black, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Maas.

#BookReview: The Midnight Rose by Catalina Paris

Synopsis: The Alchemyst
The Faerie
The Witch
The Warlock

Leo is a sixteen-year-old apprentice at the Alchemical Court until one night changes everything. When the castle is attacked and Leo is told to flee, he creates a new portal using the strange runes left behind in his missing master's notebook. Arriving in the mysterious Realm of the Fey, a place long forgotten by mortals and Alchemysts alike, Leo meets the enchanting Lady Lisandre, a young faerie in need of his help. Together they quickly learn both their worlds are under threat from the elusive Dark Alchemyst; unless they find the mythical Talismans of Atlantica before he does. . Along the way they encounter Flora, a charming witch on a search for the truth of her family, as well as Leo’s former classmate, a warlock with questionable intentions, Lucien. The four of them are soon drawn together as they face numerous dangers and challenges to find and retrieve the talismans. Set in an alternative magical renaissance, The Midnight Rose is a spell-binding fantasy adventure unlike any other.

#BookReview: Unknown Idenity (Silver Moon) by Daisy Dalson

Synopsis: She has no memories of her past, but is haunted by nightmares. She is embraced, welcomed, and treated back to health by a seemingly normal community, though she knows they hold secrets from her. Can she trust him enough to start a new life with him? What will happen if her memories are restored? She can’t run from her past for forever, or can she?

Caine

Betrayed by those closest to him, he questions when he will be ready to take over his pack. He should have already been the Alpha, but tradition has held him back. When he meets a woman in distress, will he be able to open his broken heart and help her to start a new life? He may lose her before he even has a chance as the worst betrayal of all strikes. As the Alpha’s son, he has his duties to his pack and businesses before all else.

#BookReview: Revolution Empire (History Never Retreats, #1) by Rob Travalino

Synopsis: In a bleak, dystopian future surveillance state, a band of teens rises from society’s lowest classes to incite an eerily familiar revolution.

“I was born here, in this forgotten hole a mile un’er t’Empire streets. They call it t’Sewers. T’is the place where Boss Dog Magistrate dumps his trash. Us…”

Huddled under a narrow slash of light in a dank and debris-strewn alley of Regent Street, seventeen-year-old Donovan Washington Rush quickly scribbled the words across the cracked, yellowed pages of an old hand-bound journal. Barely bigger than his hand, the book overflowed with a lifetime of maps, all surrounded by musings on freedom, tyranny, and rights. It was all that was left of Donovan’s father, Dr. Princeton Rush, a man long since thought dead by the Empire’s hand.

Here in the relative anonymity of the underground maze he called home, Donovan knew he was being watched—not just by the hidden electronic eyes of the Empire, but by the people of the Sewers themselves, compelled to complicity by the Empire’s constant messages of fear and reprisal. The Empire had its eyes everywhere.

For Donovan, possessing such a book as Dr. Rush’s journal was a “Black Flag” offense—an act of subversion punishable by public execution. Yet the Empire was where Donovan and the book were both headed. This made for two forbidden crimes under one cover.

“They call us “Sewer Rats” but these Sewers once made up t’original city, t’very seat of t’Empire. T’is t’seat for sure, right un’er Boss Dog’s ass. T’nite it changes. T’nite I take the first step fo’ my brothers and sisters o’ the sword, fo’ t’Sewers whole…Freedom or death!”

#BookReview: Once Upon A Sideshow by Brynn Chapman

Synopsis: The year is 1860, and an ancient Crone commands a traveling circus and sideshow, which rolls into St. Simon’s Isle each year.
Violet, obsessed with the sideshow, vows to run away with the circus—to escape her stepfather’s cruelty and his intention to marry her off to an octogenarian.
A dwarf in an offensive, flaming red suit meets her eye in a crowd, promising a new life.
But this year, there is an air of…evil in the sideshow. Its creatures eyes hold a piercing intelligence, their cries altered, eerily humanoid. Whispers float about town of an escaped rogue crocodile that has been consuming livestock, and perhaps a local child.
Violet's refuge, the swamp, sits between her land and the Sideshow. Ball Lightning inhabits the trail, and time there, like the Fae tales of her Celtic heritage, seems unstable.

For Violet, the sideshow embodied freedom…until she became its star.

#BookReview: Moonflower: Vampires of Los Angeles by Heather Ewen-Foster

Synopsis: Sonia, a 250-year-old Australian vampire, thought she had found peace in the quiet neighborhood of Whitley Heights, Hollywood. But when a mysterious creature starts slaughtering young vampires, Sonia is thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.With her friend Sunny targeted by an ancient monster, Sonia must uncover the truth behind these brutal attacks. Desperate to save her friend and end the bloodshed, Sonia navigates the treacherous politics of the vampire world. Along the way, she finds herself torn between her irresistible attraction to Alex, the enigmatic human journalist helping in her investigation, and her deep bond with sexy and charismatic Sunny, Alpha Vampire extraordinaire.As the sinister plot unravels, Sonia's race against time becomes a pulse-pounding battle against an impossibly powerful foe. Will she uncover the truth before more lives are lost? And what sacrifices will she have to make to protect those she loves?Moon Flower is a spellbinding urban fantasy that will leave you breathless. Heather Ewen-Foster's suspenseful tale immerses you in a world of danger, romance, and mythical creatures. Get ready for an electrifying adventure that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.

#BookReview: Di Di Mau: A True Story About Tigers, Rock Apes, the Jungle, and War by Darren Walton , Michael J. Coffino

Synopsis: “A revealing, sometimes gut-wrenching war memoir that examines virtually every aspect of his tour of duty." —Marc Leepson, Arts Editor and Senior Writer, The VVA Veteran magazine. 

In 1969, Darren Walton, at the tender age of nineteen, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, trading life in idyllic Marin County in California for the chaos of a raging jungle war in Southeast Asia. In no time, he got pressed into service as a member of a Marine reconnaissance unit operating near Da Nang, Vietnam.

There were a few times when he basked in the breathtaking beauty of the triple canopy jungle, the contoured glistening mountain ridges, and the luscious green valleys. But there were many, many other times when he and his fellow Marines labored under the terror of the worst the jungle had to torrential monsoons, torturous humidity, rapacious insects, and enemy-placed punji traps springing from hell below.

Darren survived thanks to the unconditional loyalty and courage of his fellow Marines, men who risked their own lives to save his, men who demonstrated uncommon courage in the most desperate of circumstances. No questions asked. No conditions imposed. No social barriers erected. Semper Fidelis.Di Di Mau is Darren’s unabashed personal account of warfare, survival, and brotherhood—and the enduring reflections that followed. It is unlike any book about the Vietnam War.

#BookReview: Radiance (Wraith Kings #1) by @GraceDraven

Synopsis: The Prince of no value
Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.

The noblewoman of no importance
Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.

Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

#BookReview: Blood Queen by Caitlin Denman

Synopsis: Death gave her the throne, now death is how she’ll keep it.

She may be called the Blood Queen, but Layla will do anything for her kingdom's peace.

As queen of a kingdom plagued by murders, Layla struggles to live up to the expectations her parents had of her. Whispers of rebellion and dissent grow daily, and a murderer stalks the townspeople.

In agreeing to marry a foreign prince, she hopes to find a way to bring stability back to the land. But, she fears the marriage, unlike her parents, will be devoid of love.

On the eve of her betrothal's arrival, Layla sneaks away and enjoys one last passionate night with a stranger. But doing so threatens everything her parents laid out for her. As more lies come to the surface, Layla will do whatever it takes to keep her kingdom safe—even murder.

#BookReview: Blood of The Hunted by @MarcMicciola

Synopsis: The Resistance Is Rising

Weylyn, Olwen, and other members of the marginalized and subjugated group known as the Tóráin are trying every day to gain equality and freedom. Their enemies, which consist of vile human monarchs, their soldiers, and a masked witch assassin known only as The Dove, continue to tighten their grip around the necks of the Tóráin.

Leading The Resistance, Weylyn and Olwen endure many trials that test them physically and mentally, relying on their loved ones to keep them from losing hope. They both wish to see a time of equality and peace, but to achieve that requires more than what they have. Desperation leads The Resistance to find new allies all across the continent of Kosavros with the goal of finally defeating their oppressive overseers.

Their fight for freedom and respect leads Weylyn and Olwen down paths that open their eyes to new dangers, both involving themselves and the rest of the world. However, they do not waiver. For the Tóráin are known for their resilience, and they have already endured much. What comes next will be hard, but they’re ready to fight for their lives. Together.

#BookReview: The Locked Door by @Freida_McFadden

Synopsis: Some doors are locked for a reason…

While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.

Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

Decades later, Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she’s not a killer like her father. The police can’t pin anything on her.

As long as they don’t look in her basement.

#BookReview: The Lioness and the Rat Queen (The Slickdust Trilogy #2) by @NLemelson

Synopsis: A city burning... 
A murderous tycoon on the run... 
And three vigilantes out for revenge... 
Marcel never thought his investigations would lead to this; his once-friend Lazarus Roache turned slaver and cruel puppet master. For the good of Huile, and to salve his conscience, Marcel must take Roache down, even if that means following him into the desolate and savage reaches of the Wastes. Yet the tycoon is not the only Wastefolk with a past with Marcel. To find the tycoon Marcel must break hardtack with an old enemy, a disgraced imperial general who he had once tried to kill, and is more than eager to return the favor. Yet she is not the greatest threat in the Wastes, for there is also a bounty hunter on his trail, the mysterious Queen of Rats, who somehow seems to know Marcel's every dark secret.

#BookReview: Rock, Scissors, Paperbag by @elizbethgodley

Synopsis: Rock, Scissors, and Paperbag are the bestest of friends! Paperbag is afraid of everything, Rock is a talented musician, and Scissors is an excellent Orange Ball player. After the school bullies, The Bucket Kids, steal Scissors’ fake orange-ball, the kids decide to get back at the bullies. What if they could get a real orange-ball from The Great Orange Tree? That would show The Bucket Kids! 

Recalling the local legend, they embark on a fantastic adventure to find The Great Orange Tree. However, while solving the riddle within the ancient map, they encounter a cave monster, a tornado of rapping cooties, and the horrid Land of Smells. How will they face each challenge? Will they end up back home with a real orange-ball? And if they do, will they share it? 

Throughout their adventure, Rock gains confidence, Paperbag conquers his fears, and Scissors makes peace with being imperfect. Best Buds! 

Winner of the 2023 International Firebird Book Award, Rock, Scissors, Paperbag is a spellbinding tale of friendship, fantasy, and adventure. A perfect book to be shared and treasured.

#BookReview: The Last Immortal by Natalie Gibson

Synopsis: I am Lady Ramillia Winmoore, daughter of the very late Earl of Brooksberry, or I was lifetimes ago. I am an immortal, and this is my story. Do what you will with it, but I must warn this tale is not for the faint of heart. Highborn Victorian Lady that I was, my life was one of violence and cruelty.

Lady Ramillia Winmoore has suffered gaps in her memory her entire life. This darkness has proven to be a blessing until the day she awakens strapped to an examination table at the West Freeman Asylum for Lunatics. Imprisoned for the gruesome murder of her parents, she is forced to endure years of torture until salvation arrives in the form of a benefactor named Sir Julian Lawrence. Betrothed to her through an arranged marriage, Julian helps her gain freedom.

But appearances are deceiving and soon Ramillia learns the cost she must pay. The horrors she encounters in his household are far worse than the asylum. When he inducts her into a society of bloodthirsty, cruel immortals, she is forced to join them and accept their way of life.

Armed with talents she doesn’t know she has, Ramillia must break free of a prison she cannot see, kill an enemy who cannot die, and find a daughter who she cannot remember—all with the help of an ally she does not know.

In this chilling gaslight-era Gothic horror novel where paranormal powers are bred and collected, friends and foes are not always what they seem when immortality is at stake.

This title will be released January 23, 2024.

#BookReview: Blood of Desiderium (The Divide, #1) by Ali Stuebbe

Synopsis: In the lands of Deyadrum, where every Fae possesses power, Princess Emma is the only one forced without. Confined in the walls of her palace by her father, she’s desperate for a taste of freedom.

That is, until she discovers the truth: everything she thought she knew was a lie, for something evil plagues her lands - promising death and darkness.

A betrothal that tests her.
A mysterious vigilante who teases her.
A Dark Prince who doesn’t trust her.
And a phantom that invades her dreams.

Emma must try to escape her father’s torturous grip as she journeys to find a way to save her people…and herself.

But Emma has dark secrets of her own. And a game she has to play.

Can she overcome her grief and fears to save her people before the darkness that lurks within consumes her?

Just remember, even that which appears true may be deceiving.

Trigger Warnings:
-Violence/Gore/Death
-Grief
-Profanity
-Mental health themes
-Mention of suicidal intent
-Torture
-Overall dark themes

*This book is a NA Dark Fantasy Romance that is 18+ with explicit language and sexual scenes. BoD is the first book in 'The Divide' series and ends on a cliffhanger.*