#BookReview: The Undead Truth of Us by @britneyslewis @britney.s.lewis

Death was everywhere. They all stared at me, bumping into one another and slowly coming forward.

Sixteen-year-old Zharie Young is absolutely certain her mother morphed into a zombie before her untimely death, but she can't seem to figure out why. Why her mother died, why her aunt doesn't want her around, why all her dreams seem suddenly, hopelessly out of reach. And why, ever since that day, she's been seeing zombies everywhere.

Then Bo moves into her apartment building―tall, skateboard in hand, freckles like stars, and an undeniable charm. Z wants nothing to do with him, but when he transforms into a half zombie right before her eyes, something feels different. He contradicts everything she thought she knew about monsters, and she can't help but wonder if getting to know him might unlock the answers to her mother's death.

As Zharie sifts through what's real and what's magic, she discovers a new truth about the world: Love can literally change you―for good or for dead.

In this surrealist journey of grief, fear, and hope, Britney S. Lewis's debut novel explores love, zombies, and everything in between in an intoxicating amalgam of the real and the fantastic.

#BookReview: The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2) by Stephanie Garber

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can...

#BookBlitz: Captured Heart by Jacqueline Francis @RABTBookTours @loveromance446

 

Romance

Date Published: February 5, 2025

 

 

Some captors don’t need chains to hold your heart hostage.

 

Just one last job, he said.

It will be easy money, he said.

You don’t even have to do the dirty work.

 

I worked for Victor Salazar for years. He’s an exceptional liar and a master manipulator, so I should have known that every word that came out of his mouth was horse crap. After I spent four years in prison because of a job I did for him, I swore to myself that I would never get involved with him again.

But then he offers me a deal so sweet I can’t refuse. He’ll clear my debt, pay me enough to start over, and all I have to do is get close to a girl, get some information, and get out. Sounds simple, right?

Wrong!

Katelyn Akiyama isn’t just some girl. She’s sharp, kind, and way too good for someone like me. The closer I get, the harder it is to remind myself this is just a job. But Victor doesn’t forgive mistakes, and he doesn’t take no for an answer.

Now, I’m trapped between the only girl I’ve ever cared about and the man who can ruin my life. One wrong move and I could lose everything.

When I made a deal with the devil, I had no idea the price would be so high.

 

Warning: Contains a splash of dub-con.

#BookBlitz: The Musician and the Monster by @authormeganvandyke @rrbooktours

The Musician and the Monster (The Castamar Duology Book 1)

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Genre: Gothic Romantic Fantasy

💖 Forbidden love

☑️ Morally grey MMC

⚔️ Determined heroine

🎶 Music is powerful

🔥 Slow burn to steamy

❄️ Wintertime

🥀 Gothic vibes

❤️‍🩹 Hurt/comfort

🗡️ Touch her and 💀

✨ Magic

🎭 Masquerade

Music says things words never can. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry I killed you.

Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne.

Charged with protecting the backwater city of Teneboure by the king, Drystan is failing at his task, and he can’t afford another slip up. But when fate and the very monster he means to conquer bring Ceridwen to his notice, he seizes the opportunity and presents her with an offer: play music for him at his manor in exchange for the money her impoverished family desperately needs. Music eases the strain of his magic, and who better to hire than the woman whose tunes he secretly listens to at night?

At first, Ceridwen is put off by Drystan’s unkempt appearance and harsh demeanor, not to mention the odd ailment that plagues him. But as he embraces her passion for music and she draws the recluse out of his lonely tower, the two develop an unlikely attachment. Class lines begin to blur as fearful indifference shifts to unexpected desire, and Ceridwen yearns to help Drystan subdue the monster as well as provide for her family. However, the monster prowling the night isn’t their only enemy, and as terrible secrets come to light, protecting those they love may risk their lives and their hearts.

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast incorporates themes and motifs from Phantom of the Opera, and is set in a gaslamp fantasy world with strong gothic vibes. It should appeal to fans of romantic and atmospheric retellings and fairy tales by authors such as Hannah Whitten, Tessonja Odette, and Stephanie Garber.

#CoverReveal: Brimstone & Blades by Maria Alexander @XpressoTours @lamaupin

Brimstone & Blades
Maria Alexander
Publication date: June 3rd 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult

It’s 1689. Sixteen-year-old Julie de Maupin is on the run with her boyfriend, a young swordmaster named Sérannes. They perform sword fights and songs in taverns to survive. But when a diabolical creature kills Sérannes, it also injures Julie in the attack. Plunged into the dangerous world of French magic, Julie needs to return to Paris to find the great magician that can heal her devastating wound so she can avenge Sérannes’s death. On the way, she finds the creature is controlled by a necromantic coven called the Shadow Holders. Defeated during the Affair of the Poisons, they’ve returned but this time with traitors in the royal court to crush Louis XIV and terrorize France. With her found family of magical and moggie misfits, Julie must use her sword, wits, and gender-bending wiles to send the threat back to Hell. But will they be enough? Magic is illegal, and so is dueling. But that won’t stop La Maupin.