Tuesday, January 07, 2025

#TeaserTuesday: Taken by the Faerie by @MeganSlayer @RABTBookTours


 

Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Date Published: January 10, 2025


 

Thaddeus Maguire is a vampire. He can’t remember the last time he felt young, vibrant and alive. He’s made choices he regrets, but when one of those mistakes comes back to haunt him, he’s forced to face his past. The only place a hungry, beaten vampire can heal and recharge is the best sanctuary for anyone paranormal. Eerie.

When he forces himself through a portal to his hometown, he lands at the feet of the most beautiful flame-red haired Faerie he’s ever seen. The moment he looks up at Tasia, he’s in love. But who could love a broken vampire?

Tasia isn’t afraid of the damaged vampire, and she’s determined to make him see he’s more than his mistakes.

Can they outrun his past and find a future before his biggest mistake destroys them? Love is possible when you’ve been taken by the Faerie.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Romantasy Books of 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Romantasy Books of 2024

Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish event where we celebrate all things reading! This week, I'm diving into my absolute favorite romantasy (romance + fantasy) books of 2024. These magical tales not only swept me off my feet with swoon-worthy romances, but also kept me on the edge of my seat with thrilling fantasy worlds. If you're looking for the perfect mix of heart-pounding love and epic adventure, these books will hit the spot!

#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.