#BookReview: Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen #1) by Chloe Walsh

He wants to save her. She wants to hide. She's damaged. He's determined. Fate brought them together. Love binds them. Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he's a force to be reckoned with, even plagued with a hidden injury. Everyone knows he's heading straight for the top—but that means there's no room for mistakes or distractions. Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College, the one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. He needs to stay focused, keep his cool, and not let anything get in the way of the bigger picture.  Except before he knows it, this lonely girl has become his only picture. Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her. But when she meets the notorious Johnny Kavanagh on her first day, her plans to keep a low profile are at serious risk. As they fall into a complicated friendship and grapple with their undeniable chemistry, hidden pain and complicated secrets threaten to be their undoing—but Johnny won't give up on Shannon. No matter what it might cost them both.

#BookReview: The Dark Becomes Her by @judyilinauthor

Perfect for fans of Ryan LaSala and Trang Thanh Tran: a sinister tale of the supernatural, sisterhood, and the shadows that rule our darkest desires, New York Times best-selling author Judy I. Lin takes her first foray into horror with Rick Riordan Presents

Ruby Chen has always played the part of the dutiful eldest daughter: excelling in school; excelling in piano lessons; excelling at keeping her younger sister, Tina, focused on extracurriculars meant to impress college admissions officers.

But when a ghost from the spirit world attacks the sisters in the middle of Vancouver’s Chinatown neighborhood, Ruby’s life is plunged into a darkness that no amount of duty can free her from. Overnight, Ruby’s sister seems to change. There are strange noises coming from her bedroom at all hours; and the once sweet, funny Tina has been replaced by something dark and unnatural.

As Ruby races to save her sister from demonic possession, she is thrown into an ancient battle over the gateway to the underworld. On one side, an evil traveling temple known for making dark wishes come true has returned to Chinatown after many years—intent on breaking down the gateway and unleashing the evil within. On the other side, the guardians who must stop them.

And in order to survive, Ruby must not only face the horror taking over her community, but must also confront the horror within herself.

Chinese and Taiwanese mythology get the Junji Ito treatment in this bone-chilling, propulsive story that takes the horrors of the Asian diaspora experience to a whole new level.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy (Fallen Academy #4) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

The finale of the thrilling Fallen Academy series, sitting at the sweet spot between romantasy and dark academia, with an apocalyptic war between angels and demons thrown in for good measure. Get ready for your new obsession. 

She escaped hell but now hell is coming for her.

Brielle never imagined that fleeing the fiery depths would lead her to the biggest battle of her life. Lucifer is furious and he plans to make that known to the inhabitants of earth. Angel City stands on the brink of chaos, and the Fallen Army is the last line of defense against total annihilation.

Brielle is training for the fight of a lifetime but armed with fierce determination and unimaginable power, she's ready to fulfill the prophecy and face the devil himself.

Lucifer's reign is coming to an end. And Brielle? She's ready to bring him down.

This title will be released on June 17, 2025.

#BookReview: This Dark Paradise by Erin Luken

In this YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of Hotel Magnifique and These Violent Delights, a girl visits the enchanted island of her dreams only to discover that its magic is horribly cursed.

An enchanted island. A dangerous heist. A deadly secret.

In the tenements where Lucia lives, everyone dreams of making it to the enchanted island of Estaralla, where mystical fountains reveal your deepest desires, fantastical feasts appear from nowhere, and dark caverns allow you to whisper with the dead. But Lucia Arduini isn't there to experience miracles. She's there to steal the most valuable object in the world: the source of the island's magic.

Posing as a magical tour guide for wealthy tourists visiting the island, Lucia has five days to steal the source or a dangerous gang will go after her brother. But Estaralla is not what it seems. Torn between a boy who once broke her heart and a girl with a dark secret, Lucia soon discovers that something sinister is happening behind the enchantments…and she might not survive the island's magic long enough to steal it.

This dark YA fantasy with a bisexual love triangle is perfect for fans of Caraval and Belladonna.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy (Fallen Academy #3) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

The next in the thrilling Fallen Academy series, sitting at the sweet spot between romantasy and dark academia, with an apocalyptic war between angels and demons thrown in for good measure. Get ready for your new obsession. 

For Brielle, survival isn't just a fight―it's a promise she's made to herself, to find her way back to Lincoln. Taken by the prince of darkness, Brielle faces an existence in the depths of his dominion that is meant to crush all hope. But hope is the one thing she refuses to lose. With every grueling day, she discovers new strength and finds an unlikely ally who reminds her that surrender isn't an option.

Meanwhile, Lincoln fights his own battle, haunted by the loss of Brielle and the possibility that she may never return. Yet, in the face of despair, he clings to the hope of a reunion, knowing that their love is the only light in the darkness closing in on them both.

Will they find a way to reunite against impossible odds, or has the darkness claimed their love forever?

Fallen Academy: Year Three contains both Brielle's story as well as a novella previously published as Fallen Academy: Year Three and a Half, which is from Lincoln's point of view, covering his year without Brielle and his search for her.

This title will be released on May 13, 2025.

#BookReview: The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning

Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly game of Clue

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand―each―for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

#BookReview: A Wish for Us by Tillie Cole

From the author who brought you A Thousand Boy Kisses comes the new emotional novel, A Wish For Us.
A story of music. A story of healing. A story of love conquering all.

Nineteen-year-old Cromwell Dean is the rising star of electronic dance music. Thousands of people adore him. But no one knows him. No one sees the color of his heart.

Until the girl in the purple dress. She sees through the walls he has built to the empty darkness within.

When Cromwell leaves behind the gray skies of England to study music in the South Carolina heat, the last thing he expects is to see her again. And he certainly doesn’t expect that she’ll stay in his head like a song on repeat.

Bonnie Farraday lives for music. She lets every note into her heart, and she doesn’t understand how someone as talented as Cromwell can avoid doing the same. He’s hiding from his past, and she knows it. She tries to stay away from him, but something keeps calling her back.

Bonnie is the burst of color in Cromwell’s darkness. He’s the beat that makes her heart skip.

But when a shadow falls over Bonnie, it’s up to Cromwell to be her light, in the only way he knows how. He must help her find the lost song in her fragile heart. He must keep her strong with a symphony only he can compose.

A symphony of hope.
A symphony of love.
A symphony of them.

#BookReview: To the Bone by Alena Bruzas

This moving and tragic love story is also a starkly honest look at Colonial America, set during the “Starving Time” in Jamestown.

It’s 1609 at James Fort, and Ellis has recently arrived from England with Henry Collins and his wife, who she serves as their indentured help. To orphaned Ellis, James Fort is an opportunity – a fresh start in a new world. And now that she has fallen for the bold and glorious Jane Eddowes, she feels even more hopeful about her future. Foolishly hopeful, for soon she comes to understand the horrible realities of her home: the crimes that her fellow settlers have committed against the Native Americans there, the terrible shortage of food they are facing as winter draws near, and the cruelty of her employer, both to her and to his pregnant wife. Ellis will call upon all her fortitude, but will it be enough? Gripping, shocking, and exquisitely told, this is crucial U.S. history seen through the eyes of an extraordinary fictional teenager.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy (Fallen Academy #2) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

From USA Today bestselling author Leia Stone comes the second book in the thrilling Fallen Academy series: home to a breathtaking apocalyptic war between angels and demons that sits at the sweet spot between romantasy and dark academia. 

***

Family is everything to Brielle, so when she learns about an opportunity to free her mother from Demon City, she takes it. No matter how dangerous, Brielle will do anything to unite her family in Angel City. 

All is going according to plan – until her brother''s awakening ceremony. What he is… It shocks everyone, and he''s sent away until he can get his powers under control. 

Then Brielle loses someone precious to her and goes to great lengths to get them back – lengths that Lincoln doesn''t agree with. He thinks Brielle is too much of a risk-taker, too wild, and all he can do is try his best to protect her. 

But with untold powers rising inside of her, Brielle might go to a place that no one can bring her back from…not even Lincoln. Brielle needs to learn to fight the darkness that threatens to take her over, because little by little, she''s losing her light.

Fallen Academy: Year Two continues this exciting urban romantasy series full of breathtaking excitement and compelling characters, perfect for fans of young adult fantasy and romance.

Tropes
Dark Academia
Post-Apocalyptic
Fantasy Romance
Angels & Demons
Urban Fantasy

#BookReview: The Deathly Grimm (The Forest Grimm duology, #2) by @kathrynpurdie

The spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling dark fairytale, where our main characters must return to the forest—and its monsters.

The story hasn't ended yet.

After surviving the Forest Grimm and defeating the Wolf, Clara and Axel have made it back to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's borders. But when the forest itself begins luring in more villagers, it's clear that Clara and Axel have only treated the symptoms of the forest's curse, not the cause—and it's getting worse.

Burdened with visions of the past and learning to navigate her fragile new relationship with Axel, Clara finds herself entering the forest with Axel yet again to discover the truth once and for all: the identity of the murderer who caused the curse. As they fight murderous woodsmen with incomprehensible riddles, ladies who will drag you into an eternal dance, and ghosts with the power to wield the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they don't survive the dark, deadly twists of the forest once more, not only will they never escape, they may also no longer have a home to escape to.

Romantic, eerie, and beautiful, The Deathly Grimm is the triumphant conclusion to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling Forest Grimm duology.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy: Year One (Fallen Academy, #1) by @leiastoneauthor

Brielle Atwater isn't sure of much, but she knows a few things: 

1. Having black wings is not normal. 
2. Selling her soul to the demons was a mistake. 
3. Lincoln Grey is the biggest *** she's ever met … but not falling in love with him might prove impossible. 

When angels fell from the sky to war with the demons that ravaged Earth, their combined powers infected humanity. Now, the humans are assigned one of two fates, being either demon gifted or angel blessed.

After wings sprout from Brielle's back at her awakening ceremony, she's sure she's an angel blessed celestial. It's not until she sees black wings that she realizes something is terribly wrong. 

Having sold her contract at a young age to save her father's life means she should be bound for Tainted Academy. That is, until a fallen angel unexpectedly fights for her to be accepted into Fallen Academy, the elite school for those that inhabit Angel City. 

She's immediately matched with her impossibly handsome celestial teacher, Lincoln Grey. Laying eyes on him, her first thought is that her time at the academy might actually be fun, but this theory quickly fades when she and Lincoln clash on day one. To further prove her admission into Fallen Academy is cursed, the entire school is thrown into chaos when an Abrus demon reveals that he knows Brielle's secret. Now, above all else, Lincoln must fight to protect her. 

To his surprise, the only thing more difficult than trying to save her … is trying not to fall for her.

#BookReview: Heir (Heir Duology #1) by @sabaatahir

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up. 

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need. 

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.

#BookReview: Apollyon (Covenant, #4) by @jennifer_l_armentrout @Read_Bloom

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

#BookReview: Sentinel (Covenant, #5) by @jennifer_l_armentrout @Read_Bloom

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

#BookReview: Seasons of Flesh and Flame (Shades of Rust and Ruin #2) by @aghoward_writes @bloomsburybooksus

New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her dark, compelling YA fantasy series about twins separated by a family curse.

Nix Loring stepped into Mystiquel to face the Goblin King and break her family’s curse. When she found her twin, Lark, held captive for three years and forced to power the magical realm with her imagination, Nix offered herself up in her sister’s place.

Now, Nix wants nothing more than to be home with the people she loves. Instead, she's tasked to create beauty from a world fallen to desolation. She finds herself drawn to the faerie creatures under her care—and even reluctantly drawn to the Goblin King himself. But how can she rebuild the very realm that tore her family apart?

Back home, her uncle and boyfriend desperately plan a rescue. But Lark, having learned Nix was meant to be the Goblin King’s captive in the first place, resents how her twin stole everything belonging to her during her absence. Worse yet, Lark harbors an unspeakable secret that could destroy what little she has left. 

As time draws closer to the rescue, Lark grapples with the darkness growing inside: should she help save her sister, or finally get her revenge?

Set in a gritty, atmospheric world filled with magical creatures, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her thrilling fantasy duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.

#BookReview: Deity (Covenant, #3) by @jennifer_l_armentrout @Read_Bloom

History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time.Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome. But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

#BookReview: Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann

"Kissing you feels like catching the sun…"

At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend. 

But she's not the same girl Max once knew. 

She now lives in the shadow of her brother: a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all Ella wants is to fade into the background. 

Max has little room for distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant twin brother. But Ella's return reignites something within him. He wants to be close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more. 

But as their relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their delicate balance. In order to find the light, they'll have to navigate the shadows. 

And to catch the sun…they must first endure the flames.

#BookReview: Rules for Fake Girlfriends by @raeganrevord @wednesdaybooks

Rom-com obsessed but perpetually single Avery Blackwell abandons her plans to attend Columbia in favor of spending her freshman year at her recently deceased mother’s alma mater in a seaside town in England. On the train, Avery makes a deal straight out of one of her beloved romance books with a charming local girl named Charlie: if Avery will pretend to be her girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Charlie will help Avery solve the scavenger hunt her artistic, free-spirited mother left behind on campus decades ago.

As their quest takes them all over Brighton, Avery finally starts to connect with the mother she always loved but never really understood. Before long, pretending to be Charlie’s girlfriend starts to feel like more than just an illusion. But when long-hidden secrets come to light, Avery grapples with an uncertain future and whether or not love is worth the risk.

#BookReview: Fateless (Fateless #1) by @juliekagawaauthor @harpercollins

Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it.

When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild.

What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.

Perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Sabaa Tahir, this new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa will sweep readers into a bold and exciting new world, where a twisted game of destiny has far-reaching consequences.

#BookReview: Pure (Covenant #2) by @jennifer_l_armentrout

You must stay away from the one who brings nothing but heartache and death. Know the difference between need and love, fate and future.

Alex would give anything to be a normal half-blood, but she can't escape her destiny: On her eighteenth birthday, she will Awaken to become the second Apollyon, which has only ever happened once before. And it didn't end well.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if her "other half" Seth weren't so infuriating…and somehow always around. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it doesn't stop Alex from becoming a target for daimons, half-bloods, and pures who don't want her to make it to her eighteenth birthday at all.

As if fighting for her life weren't bad enough, she also battles her heart as she tries to bury her feelings for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. But as daimons infiltrate the Covenants and a mysterious threat looms over Alex at every turn, it is clear Aiden will do and sacrifice anything for her. When even the gods get involved, Alex can't help but wonder―how many people need to get hurt in order for her to survive?