#BookDiscussion: The Role of Boys in YA: Idealized Heartthrobs – Yay or Nay? And Where’s the Spice?

The Role of Boys in YA: Idealized Heartthrobs – Yay or Nay? And Where’s the Spice?

Young Adult literature has long been a mirror to the teenage experience, exploring themes of identity, friendship, love, and growth. One consistent theme across many YA books, though, is the portrayal of boys as idealized heartthrobs—characters who seem almost too perfect to be true. Whether they’re the brooding bad boy, the charming best friend, or the mysterious heartthrob, these male characters often steal the show. But is it okay that they’re idealized this way? Should they be perfect, or is there room for more realistic portrayals of teenage boys?

And while we’re at it—how spicy should YA books be in 2025? Let's discuss both the romantic idealization of boys and the increasing desire for more mature themes in YA, especially when it comes to romance.

#BookReview: Five Brothers (Tryst Six #2) by Penelope Douglas

One woman learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers.

On the other side of town, in the dark glades, under the rain…

Macon is the oldest. Thirty-one. Ex-Marine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile. 

Army is twenty-eight. A single dad with the most beautiful green eyes. He has no idea who he is, if not a Jaeger brother. 

Iron will be in prison soon. You’d never think it to meet him. He’s a nice guy, actually. But he can’t stop reacting to everything. 

Dallas is the one I hate. Twenty-one, cruel, and selfish. He takes and then throws away whatever’s left. 

And Trace is mine. Or he was for about two seconds. No one can tame him for long. 

Not that I ever wanted to. It was fun, but now I need to go home. Back to my side of the tracks. Away from the swamps and these men. To my parents’ big house. On my clean street. Where I’m never dirty or messy or hot. And I will. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I just want to crash on the couch tonight. 

Their house is dark and quiet, everyone else is asleep. Except for one. He sees me crying and comes at me from behind. I let him wrap his arms around my body and hold me tightly. His breath is on my neck, his fingers are in my hair, and he doesn’t stop there. 

I don’t think it was Trace.

#BookReview: Beneath These Cursed Stars (These Hollow Vows, #3) by Lexi Ryan

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

#CoverReveal: The Rogue Heiress (The Seven Star Empire, #2) by Shoshana Rain @RRBookTours1

The Rogue Heiress (The Seven Star Empire Book 2)

Expected Publication Date: March 22, 2025 

 Genre: Fantasy/ Why Choose 

We're thrilled to present the beautiful cover for the next book in The Seven Star Empire series, The Rogue Heiress by Shoshana Rain!

 Liseya Moroeste is getting married... but it’s a punishment, not a happily ever after. To keep the peace, and keep Liseya in line with the threat of mutually assured destruction, Deo, Filip and Adrian have insisted on a marriage of convenience for them all. But the forced bond hasn’t healed any wounds. Instead, it’s left Liseya clawing the walls of her new cage and feeling less sure of their affections than ever. But such uncertainty is the least of their problems. Outside forces have imposed their own conditions for Liseya’s nuptials in the form of a new suitor, Ezra. To make it worse, news from the Capital comes—war is on the horizon, and with it, Sun Rose is needed by the Empire more than ever. When the Sun Rose Trading Company arrives in Port Cenefra, meaning to control the Sun Rose at the source, Liseya’s worst fears come true. Now she and her partners have no choice but to work together to maintain control of the town, or else lose everything. 

  The Rogue Heiress is the second book in The Seven Star Empire series. 

 It is a slow burn, MMMMF why choose, second world fantasy with spicy scenes and a guaranteed HEA at the end of the series. 

#ReleaseBlitz: The Mercy of Dawn by Ashley Bresee @RRBookTours1

The Mercy of Dawn (Fires of Carinae Book 1)

Publication Date: January 6, 2025

Genre: Fantasy Romance

• Witty Banter
• Found Family
• Coming of Age
• Murder Mystery
• Challenging Biases
• Mental Health Rep
• Fae Royalty
• Rogues
• Cinnamon Roll MMC
• Dislike to lovers
• Hurt & Comfort
• Hidden Histories
• A subtle, elemental magic system
• Non-war Fantasy
• Medium-Burn Spice

“Can a daughter born under the sun of day find her heart a home bathed in moonlight?”

Cyril Rhodea has always feared the Kingdom of Reykr.

Generations of dark fables shroud the isolated moon-fae realm, its reclusive people steeped in rumors of ritual sacrifice and sanguine arts—a stark contrast to the orderly, conservative sun-fae states of Southern Carinae.

Yet when a contract to investigate murders plaguing the notorious kingdom is awarded to her uncle’s esteemed guild of rogues, Cyril is forced to confront those long-standing fears.

Reykr’s prince commander is a man she should despise, and not just because he’s determined to get under her skin. Mikael exudes abrasive arrogance, just like the foolhardy recruits who never last long at the guild.

But when tragic flaws surface in Cyril’s once-infallible family of rogues and she faces the reality of a life once loved being laid to waste, Mikael is the one standing by her side in the wreckage.

Torn between the conflicting pulls of duty and desire in a world determined to break her, Cyril knows only one thing for certain: No one will leave Reykr unscathed.

The Mercy of Dawn is book one in the Fires of Carinae duet. Dark fantasy and steamy romance intertwine in a gritty coming of age story laced with murder mystery, court intrigue and heart wrenching tragedy.