#AudiobookReview: The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by @summernengland

Synopsis: Love grows in the most impossible of places in Summer N. England's debut sweet and spicy cozy romantasy for fans of The Spellshop and For Whom the Belle Tolls! 

All gardener Clara Thorne wants is to live "happily ever after" in her beloved town of Moss, magically growing herbs and vegetables and trying to write her book. But Fate has other plans when The Goddess unexpectedly bestows her with an impossible quest. Clara has one month to travel to the cursed and abandoned town of Dwindle and grow them a garden. If she fails, she will be banished.

Only Clara's magic doesn't work outside of Moss, a fact she has kept hidden for years. Worse, the Goddess has assigned the absurdly sexy, annoyingly cheerful Hesper Altanfall to keep her safe. All leather and crossbows, Hesper is as determined to protect Clara as she is full of secrets—but Clara would rather eat thorns than accept help. Nevertheless, the two can't help but grow closer as they make their way across enchanted woods, share one too many tavern beds, and work together to rebuild Dwindle one garden bed at a time.

Clara, however, refuses to give in to their blossoming romance. She’s had one too many losses, and Hesper might the one to break her beyond repair. But if Clara can find the key to opening her heart, she may just unearth the life and love she's always believed to be impossible.  

#BookReview: Dire Bound (The Wolves of Ruin, #1) by Sable Sorensen

Synopsis: Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this spicy, page-turning romantasy where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival at all costs.

 
Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials.  She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them. 
 
Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart.
 
Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life.  
 
Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness.
 
Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets. 
 
It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.
 
Dire Bound contains mature content including depictions of graphic violence, and is therefore recommended for readers 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author's website. 
 
Readers are already falling in love with 

#BookReview: Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows, #1) by @devneyperry

Synopsis: Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros—where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if—for the first time—I reached for it?

#BookReview: A Curse of Beasts and Magic (Beautiful and Beastly, #1) by @jfrostauthor

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author of The Night Huntress series Jeaniene Frost returns with a brand-new series! It’s Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher, except Beauty IS the Beast, and he’s the Warden keeping mythical beings in check in our world and beyond. 

Raine Stone is living a nightmare. Ever since she survived the attack that killed her family, she's been hiding a terrible secret--and a Beast inside her. 

It feeds on violence and chaos, but she restrains its urges by playing vigilante on the city streets. Until one night, Raine uses the Beast’s energy to heal an elderly gentleman from a seemingly random attack and discovers a new world of danger—literally.

Remington “Remy” Byrne knows the wall between a realm of deadly mythic creatures and our own world is very fragile. After all, he’s the Warden who guards the gateways between them. Raine’s Beast contains power that could tip the scales in a sinister plot against Remy’s rule—if she allies with him.

Will they be friends or foes…or will their dangerous attraction turn into something else? And can our world be saved by their explosive alliance?

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

#BookReview: Claimed by Darkness (Broken Gods, #1) by S.R. Hartley

Synopsis: Sometimes, to destroy evil, you have to embrace it…

The night Nora’s parents were murdered, something ancient and malevolent stirred beneath the waves—and it never let go. No one else felt it. But Nora did... she still does.

The darkness whispers her name, curls through her thoughts, tempts her with release. On the edge of the Mackinac Bridge, Nora is ready to surrender. But fate has other plans.

A flash of burning green eyes. Wings of midnight. And everything changes.

Saved by Kairos, a powerful celestial, who claims she’s his fated mate, Nora is thrust into a hidden world of otherworldly beings and ancient prophecy. Her past—wiped away. Her future—bound to a war that began long before she was born.

A century ago, the demon queen Nyx stole everything from Nora. Now she wants her soul. But Nora won’t go down without a fight.

To save the world—and the ones she loves—Nora must unlock the terrible truth of who she is. Even if it means binding herself to a dark king who promises love… and carries deadly secrets.

As Heaven and Hell collide, Nora must choose between the mate who holds her heart and the darkness that calls her name.

Because the God of Shadows is coming. And he won’t stop until she belongs to him.

Claimed by Darkness is a fantasy romance filled with fated mates, celestial warriors, forbidden magic, and a heroine torn between light and shadow.

#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 …

#BookReview: Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #1) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Synopsis: Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

#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: Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer makes her adult debut with this irresistible and steamy fantasy about three characters whose paths will collide in surprising ways – two royals pushed into a political engagement, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she's deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

#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.

#BookReview: Broken Ties: A Broken Bonds POV (The Bonds That Tie, #7) by J. Bree

Synopsis: From J. Bree, bestselling author of The Bonds That Tie comes the highly anticipated POV book that everyone has been crying out for.

Even the strongest ties can be broken. 
After five years of searching, we thought nothing could compare to the devastation of our missing Bond.

We were wrong.

After a chance encounter, she’s been found; alive and enraged at being dragged back to the men she ran from. Made for us all, she's supposed to be the center of our world, but bringing our Bond home wasn't everything we imagined. With bravado that defies reason and lies that never taste right, nothing about our Bond’s story adds up.

The Gifted community is in crisis, deception at every turn, and it’s getting harder by the minute not to show them all what we’re truly capable of.

With our enemies closing in, one thing is for sure. 


We won’t let her get away from us again.

*Broken Bond is a full-length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book of additional content is North, Nox, Gryphon, Gabe, and Atlas’s POV of the first book in the series, Broken Bonds. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.

#BookReview: Bloodsinger (The Fire That Binds #2) by @juliettecrossauthor

Synopsis: DELUXE EDITION―featuring a foiled case stamp, designed endpapers, and beautiful stenciled edges that, together with Firebird (and the final book in the trilogy next year), will form one stunning piece of art.

New York Times bestselling author Juliette Cross returns with a new scorching dark romantasy in her The Fire That Binds trilogy. The fate of a powerful witch who can control men with one taste of their blood and a fierce dragon collide.

A spellbinding gift...
A plea answered by the gods...
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome.

When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested… and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement.

But Trajan Tiberius, the newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before.

Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn't just her life at stake, but also her heart.

Bloodsinger is an adult romantasy novel that contains dark themes, including slavery in Ancient Rome and self-injury, which may be uncomfortable for some readers.