#BookReview: Lost in the Summer of '69 by @elizaknightfiction

Synopsis: Daisy Jones and the Six meets Where’d You Go Bernadette in an epic story from USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight, in which a soon-to-be empty-nester’s mother goes missing, leading her on a road trip with her daughter to track grandma down at a series of music festivals that popped up across the country in the summer of '69.

Summer, 1969. Eleanor Bell, a widow, has always given everything she had to her family, forgoing her own dreams of becoming a singer. When she receives a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s on the eve of her sixty-ninth birthday, she decides to go on an epic musical bucket-list trip to fulfill her dreams: A summer tour of festivals. 

Except she forgets, maybe on purpose, to tell anyone where she’s going. Leanne Miller discovers her mother missing, and she enlists the help of her somewhat distant college-aged daughter, Nora, to help her find Eleanor. The last thing Nora wants to do before starting as one of Yale's first female undergrads is to hit the road. But then Nora hears something strange on the radio—her grandmother’s voice. Nora and Leanne embark on a road trip in her husband’s Lincoln Continental from Atlanta, to California, Denver, Seattle, back to New York, and then New Orleans, always one step behind Eleanor, who has been dubbed the Dame of Rock n’ Roll by none other than Johnny Carson. It's an epic celebration of savoring the encore no matter what the next act may bring.

#BookReview: Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1) by Scarlett St. Clair

Synopsis: She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help her: Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he's always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn't sure he can protect her from what's to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

#BookReview: West of Wicked (The Great and Terrible Land #1) by Nikki St. Crowe

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.

#BookReview: The Bounty of Blood and Nails by N.K. Brown

Synopsis: Tam is a heartless, ruthless bounty hunter—or so her handler would have you believe.

With her ability to use forbidden blood magic, Tam tracks and captures her prey. The same blood magic that curses her to a life of servitude under a cruel handler—one wrong move and not only her life, but her family’s will be at stake. But when she’s sent to a remote, superstitious northern town where even a glimmer of magic will send you to the gallows, she’s forced to confront the darker consequences of her work.

After the murder of her bounty, innocent townspeople are blamed—and Tam’s conscience begins to stir. But there’s no turning back. Her handler raises the stakes, and her next mission is even more infiltrate the royal castle and capture the enigmatic Prince Bellinor. Disguised as a maid, Tam is drawn into a world of deadly secrets, where her words are whispered into the prince’s ears through an ancient magic she’s never faced before.

To get close to the prince, she befriends his loyal bodyguard, Clement, but the deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Clement’s destiny is tied to the prince. With time running out and the castle tightening, Tam is forced to watch the trial of the people blamed for her own prior actions. But will she complete the mission—or risk it all as she falls in love with the person whose life she must destroy?

In this fast-paced, thrilling tale of magic, betrayal, and forbidden love, Tam will have to decide if being the bad guy is worth losing everything.

#BookReview: Blood Bound (Cursed Covenant, #1) by Ellis Hunter

Synopsis: A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

You duel or you die.

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

#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.

#BookReview: The Ritual (L.O.R.D.S. #1) by Shantel Tessier

Synopsis: THE CHOSEN ONE

I vow. You vow. We vow.

Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.

People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.

I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.

After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.

This book can be read as a standalone but the timeline of the Lords books is as follows:
The Ritual
The Sinner
The Sacrifice
Sabotage (the H isn't a Lord but he works for a Lord)

#BookReview: The Fake Divination Offense (Magic and Romance #2) by @sara_raasch

Synopsis: Sports romance gets a Dungeons & Dragons makeover with the next book in the Magic and Romance series that follows half-giant Orok, forced into a PR relationship with a feisty, fan-favorite cheerleader. 

Orok star defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds rawball team. Half-giant. Patron Urzoth, god of strength . . . only Orok’s tired of being tied to a god known for aggression. So (don’t tell his mother) he’s planning on renouncing Urzoth.

Until the cult of Galaxrien, Urzoth’s sworn enemy, ends up causing a lot of damage through their ill-advised attempts to summon him, and the followers of both deities find themselves blamed for the long-standing feud and its ramifications. 

Alexo cheerleading intern with the Hellhounds. Smells like apples, which Orok only knows because he picked Alexo up. Accidentally—Orok publicly saves Alexo from a bar fight, and fans go feral for the muscly pro athlete being protective of the pint size dude-in-distress. 

That’s enough to have the Hellhounds and Urzoth’s church both coming to them with a Orok and Alexo will start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Urzoth. Orok is all set to refuse—and finally separate from Urzoth—when the team offers Alexo a starting spot on the cheerleading squad to play up the star athlete and cheerleader optics. It’s such an obvious dream come true for Alexo that Orok finds himself agreeing to the arrangement like the sap he is.

He can keep living a lie for a bit longer. But Orok starts to wonder if they can drop the fake part of this fake-relationship…

#BookReview: Firebird (The Fire That Binds, #1) by @juliettecrossauthor

Synopsis: DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful original illustrated stenciled edges with a foil case stamp, and designed endpapers!

An instant New York Times bestseller!

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.

#BookReview: The Night King’s Court by Elisa A. Bonnin

Synopsis: Caraval meets Flowerheart in this rich and immersive cozy fantasy, where dazzling magic, lush descriptions, and a sweet sapphic romance cast an irresistible spell. 

Ida’s father went missing without a trace seven years ago, last seen at the court of the enigmatic Night King, which comes to life only after dark with magic and revelry.

So when a position opens up for a new court Luminaire, Ida doesn’t hesitate. She inherited her gift for enchantments from her father—and with this position, she’ll use it to find him again.

Ida is swept into the king’s collection of magical beings, those who bring light and entertainment to the Court’s midnight gatherings—and swept away by the Court, where faerie gardens edge into underwater masquerades, dreaming revels offer blissful escapes, and life is a mesmerizing euphoria.

Yet a sinister thread interrupts Ida’s nights of decadence. Memories go missing, the castle’s magic takes on a malevolence, and Ida can’t seem to leave the boundaries of the court itself.

Enlisting the help of the king’s breathtakingly beautiful daughter Lenore, Ida must unravel the castle’s secrets… before this enchanted world destroys her.

#BookReview: A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge (A Saffron Everleigh Mystery, #4) by Kate Khavari

Synopsis: Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh faces her hardest challenge yet when she returns to her childhood home in the fourth book in the charming Saffron Everleigh mystery series. 

“A cleverly plotted puzzle” (Ashley Weaver) in the vein of Opium and Absinthe, this is perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Sujata Massey.

Saffron Everleigh returns to Ellington Manor after her grandfather suffers a heart attack. Back in her childhood home for the first time in years, Saffron faces tense family relationships made worse by the presence of the enigmatic Bill Wyatt, hired on as a doctor to the ailing Lord Easting. But the man is no doctor—in reality, he is a mysterious figure involved in the trafficking of dangerous government secrets, and his presence at Ellington can only mean trouble.

When their neighbors, the Hales, invite a spiritual medium into the village who starts angling for Saffron’s mother’s attention, Saffron realizes that there is more afoot in her hometown than she originally thought. Not to mention inviting Alexander to Ellington has put their budding relationship under her family’s microscope.

As tensions rise at Ellington, Bill demands that Saffron hand over old research documents belonging to her late father. With her relatives under his power as their ‘doctor,’ Saffron fears she may be forced to surrender the files along with her hopes of ever understanding her father’s obscure legacy. Nothing and no one is as they seem at Ellington. It’s through the perfumed haze of the séance’s smoke that Saffron must search for the truth before it’s too late.

#BookReview: The Witch Roads (The Witch Roads, #1) by @kateelliottsff

Synopsis: Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall―is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

The Witch Roads is the latest epic novel by fan favorite, Kate Elliott.

#BookReview: The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

Synopsis: Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

On a remote, craggy island nestled off the coast of Sweden, four friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina—meet every year. Best friends since childhood, the idea is to drink beer, dance by the water, and shake off the weight of life's expectations. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. One night of reckless fun and secret-sharing, and then they return to their normal lives.

Ten years later. Ever since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared on their annual trip to a remote island together. As her true crime fervor turned into a wildly popular podcast, Tessa urgently covered Sweden’s most gruesome cases, but could never find the answers behind what happened to these women who disappeared, leaving a few maddening clues but no concrete answers. Now Tessa’s podcast has crashed and burned, any chance she had at uncovering the truth vanishing with it.

Anneliese is Tessa’s best friend, and before she walks down the aisle, she wants to have a bachelorette party. The Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek, sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. The idea is to drink gallons of cava, do sunrise yoga, and get in their last chance to bond with the bride. Tessa will not pass this up. It’s her last chance to find out what happened to the four women, once and for all.

And it’s someone else’s last chance to get revenge.

#BookReview: Whisked Away (Jewels of the Nine Kingdoms, #1) by Enola M. Douglas

Synopsis: Escape doesn’t always mean freedom…

When Princess Reiyana unexpectedly presents as an Omega at age twenty, her future is no longer her own. Once a Beta with dreams of love and adventure, she is now a political prize—coveted by Alphas across the Nine Kingdoms.

But two half-brothers change everything.

Prince Kaelendrin and Prince Alarik of Asadia enter the royal tournament to claim her hand. Their strength and charm awaken something forbidden within Reiyana, unraveling not only her carefully guarded heart but also the beliefs she’s clung to her entire life.

Determined to reclaim control of her fate, Reiyana plots her escape. But betrayal leaves her stranded in a world where power is reserved for the chosen few—and no position is more perilous than that of an Omega. Now, she must navigate dangerous alliances, confront hidden truths, and embrace the desires she’s long denied—before her destiny is decided for her.

Whisked Away is a why-choose omegaverse romantasy filled with secrets, power struggles, and slow-building passion. It is Book One in the Jewels of the Nine Kingdoms series.

While this series explores shared love, there is no M/M romance between the brothers.

#BookReview: A Crown of Thorns and Magic by E. Evans

Synopsis: Born a bastard to a king and a formidable amazon captain, raised in the shadow of her father's throne, sixteen-year-old Astar had to claim the crown through trial by combat.

She has ruled for only three months when treachery leads her into a devastating trap. Captured by former allies and the Sorceress Seluma, she finds herself chained in the Shadow Keep, a dungeon teeming with undead nightmares and eldritch abominations.

There, she discovers she's not the only captive. Hathan, a broken mage apprentice with haunted eyes, has been Seluma's prisoner and experimental subject for years. Once the apprentice of a great mage persecuted by Astar's father, he has every reason to hate her. Still, they have no choice but to form an unlikely alliance. With his forbidden magic and her unwavering courage, they must escape the labyrinth of horrors and race across enemy territory to reclaim a throne under siege—all before Seluma and her allies crush Astar's homeland forever.

But returning to reclaim her throne would be just the beginning. With dark magic threatening everything she holds dear, Astar must embrace the very power she was taught to fear. In a world where magic corrupts and trust is a luxury, can a bastard queen and a broken sorcerer save a kingdom?

#BookReview: The Promised Queen by Kate Johnson

Synopsis: In a world without magic, only the cunning survive…In a realm where magic has vanished and a kingdom teeters on the brink, Ember Hart, a master thief with a hidden past, is thrust into a strange new world and a destiny she never sought. Anointed as ‘the Promised One’, she is bound by a twister prophecy into an unholy union with the kingdom’s beastly prince. Rumours of his brutality haunt the palace halls.

But Ember is no sacrificial lamb.

Forming a precarious alliance with the dangerous Rhaell, Captain of the Guard, Ember seizes the chance to return home by helping to restore the kingdom’s lost magic. In this land of danger and desire, can she reclaim her freedom or, with every barb and bated breath, will her growing awareness of Rhaell risk everything she yearns for?

#BookReview: What the Gods Left Behind by Zephyr Trillian

Synopsis: For those born with godblood, life begins with a collar and ends with obedience.

When Wisterly escapes her lord’s service, she can't stay visible for long. Her silver collar marks her as an Acolyte. If the guards see her, they'll drag her back—and she’d rather not discover what punishment awaits.

Desperate and hunted, she runs into Mordred, a Guild thief with his own troubles. He offers to help after one last job: stealing the Box of Pathways, a divine Artifact only the godblooded can handle without going mad. With few other choices, Wisterly accepts.

But some treasures are better left alone. When she touches the Box, something wakes inside and takes control. Even worse, the heist goes sideways, leaving them hunted by the Grand Council and the Guild alike.

Now Wisterly and Mordred are fugitives with a capricious power. To stay free, they must outwit their pursuers and discover if the Box will save them—or destroy them both.

#BookReview: A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash (Kingdom of Gods #1) by @jfjohnsbooks

Synopsis: A New Adult Fantasy Romance Perfect for Fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and Serpent & Dove!

The eight kingdoms have not spoken for 100 hundred years after destroying the land of the witches, turning the kingdom into a wasteland.
Until now.
Mal blackburn will end the feud between the kingdoms by marrying the fire prince, known across the lands for being cruel.
But Mal is not looking to conquer the cruel prince’s heart.
She wants to stab it.
For if Mal kills the fire prince, she will end the curse no one believes to be true. However, killing him might not be so simple...
The witches want revenge.
And everyone seems to keep secrets in the land of fire and dragons.
Including Mal Blackburn, the girl with witch eyes. The fourthborn child of the kingdom of darkness. The one that is hiding a secret that could doom them all.
Or save them.

Perfect for readers who love enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance, court intrigue, and dark magic.

#BookReview: The Oracle of Dusk by @happyhermitltd

Synopsis: An oracle should know better than to fall for a doomed king.

Aurora is a historian—not a prophesied hero. But the day she finds her first artefact, destiny pits her against the primordial monster that has repeatedly destroyed her world. Cornered by the beast, she escapes death when the artefact sends her to the ancient past and gifts her one chance to kill the monster before it’s unstoppable. Except it also lands her in the arms of King Theron, a handsome schemer infamous for his tragic fate.

Theron is a bad man but an excellent king. When a battlefield mishap sends him to an enemy queendom in chains, the last thing he expects to find is a beauty with the knowledge to save his kingdom and crush his foes. Tempted by Aurora’s uncanny foresight, Theron vows to possess her at any cost.

Aurora’s only hope to defeat the monster in the ancient past is Theron’s army. With her world’s future at stake, she knows better than to succumb to his seduction, yet finds herself hopelessly drawn to him. But as she awakens magic that torments her with visions of predestined tragedies, Aurora begins to fear her heart is as doomed as the man—and world—she’s trying to save.

Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, The Oracle of Dusk is the first epic fantasy romance novel in the Cycle of Calamity series. If you love height differences (understatement), time travel, and fated romance, escape into The Oracle of Dusk!

#BookReview: A Fate Forged In Fire (Bonded to Beasts #1) by Hazel McBride

Synopsis: To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.

Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings. The most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.

Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king’s death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.

Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance—one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.

Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.