#BookReview: Cat Dragon by @sambirchwriter

Synopsis:
‘On the whole, Aloysia Papplewick was proud of this year’s crop of Prattling Pumpkins; but that didn’t mean that they were proud of her.’

Welcome to the whimsical world of Tangleroot Valley, where magic thrives in every corner, and witch Aloysia Papplewick tends to her Prattling Pumpkin patch. But there’s one thing Aloysia doesn’t have – her familiar. The magical folk of the valley take flight astride and depend upon their majestic yet adorable companions – cat-dragons. Fluffy yet fierce, playful but protective, each cat-dragon is a unique blend – which is rumoured to say something about the witch or wizard it bonds with, and perhaps even predict their future. Aloysia has failed thirteen times already to bond with her own – until now – and no sooner has she done so than the two of them are whisked away on a quest to protect the valley…

Embrace the magic as this delightful tale weaves a cozy spell of adventure, self-discovery, friendship and romance. For fans of Studio Ghibli, Harry Potter, The Spellshop and cottagecore.

#BookReview: Hangry Hearts by Jennifer Chen

Synopsis:
Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.

Julie Wu and Randall Hur used to be best friends. Now they only see each other on Saturdays at the Pasadena Farmers Market where their once close families are long-standing rivals.

When Julie and Randall are paired with ultra-rich London Kim for a community-service school project, they are forced to work together for the first time in years. It quickly becomes obvious that London has a major crush on Julie. But Julie can’t stop thinking about Randall. And Randall can’t stop thinking about how London is thinking about Julie. Soon, prompted by a little jealousy and years of missing each other, school project meetings turn into pseudo dates at their favorite Taiwanese breakfast shop and then secret kisses at the beach—far from the watchful eyes of their families.

Just as they’re finally feeling brave enough to tell their grandmas, the two matriarchs rehash their old fight and Julie and Randall get caught in the middle and Julie’s brother finds out they are dating. Their families are heartbroken.

But it’s the Year of the Dragon, an auspicious time to resolve disagreements and start anew, and Randall isn’t going down without fighting for what—and who—they love. Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well?

Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a funny, big-hearted romance about friendship, family, and first love—and being brave enough to have it all.

#BookReview: What Hunts Inside the Shadows (Of Flesh & Bone, #2) by @harperlwoodsauthor & @adelaideforrestauthor

Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Harper L. Woods comes WHAT HUNTS INSIDE THE SHADOWS, the second dark and delicious fae romantasy in the Of Flesh & Bone series.

The Wild Hunt waits for none... not even the secrets waiting at the gates of Alfheimr. Estrella's story continues.

Once, I fell in love with a man who deceived me. Then, he revealed the truth of who he is.

For weeks, Caelum seduced me with whispered promises and manipulative half-truths. He used his deception to ensnare my heart and enrapture my body. I'd already begun to suspect there was more to him than met the eye.

But the truth was so much worse than I could have expected.

He is Caldris—a God only spoken of in hushed tones and with whispered words. Somehow, he is my mate.

He's determined to drag me back to Alfheimr with him, whether I like it or not. But the Mist Guard have sworn to keep us from crossing onto Faerie soil. They blamed me when the Veil fell.

Now they want me to pay the price to restore it.

Author’s Note: This book is intended for readers who are 18 and older. It contains mature language, graphic violence, and explicit content with darker elements. This is book two in a series and ends in a cliffhanger.

#BookReview: The Unwritten Rules of Magic by @harperrossbooks

Synopsis:
For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years , The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.

Emerson Clarke can’t remember a time when she felt in control of her life. Her father—a celebrated author—blew in and out of her childhood like a hurricane until he got Alzheimer’s. Her mother numbed loneliness with gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. The only place Emerson has ever been in charge is in front of the keyboard where, as a ghostwriter, she dictates everything that happens on the page. If only she could arrange reality the same way, life could be perfect. An impossible fantasy—or so she believes until she makes a startling discovery.

After her father’s wake, Emerson steals her father’s vintage typewriter—the very one he’d forbidden anyone to touch—and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. After it comes true the very next day, she tries another. When those words also spring to life, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to engineer happiness for herself and her daughter. Easier said than done. 

As Emerson shapes her real-life circumstances, she uncovers disturbing truths about her family’s history and the unexpected cost for each story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, but when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.

#Teaser: The Legacy of a Lie by @ronelcombeauthor @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

 

Contemporary Fiction

Date Published: January 15, 2026

Publisher: Windy Ridge Publishing

The Legacy of a Lie unravels a web of family secrets when the past resurfaces, threatening everything its keepers tried to protect. At its center is Maarit McDonough Malone, a brilliant yet flawed budding opera singer whose scandalous choices ripple across generations.

Her daughters—Kay, a celebrated mezzo-soprano, and Anna, a self-doubting composer—must confront the emotional fallout of their mother’s long-buried lies. Alongside them are a young, truth-seeking journalist, a lawyer, and a priest, all carrying the weight of secrets they are professionally and morally bound to keep.

Set in the haunting beauty of Minnesota’s river bluffs and Lake Superior’s North Shore, this is a story of legacy and redemption—of truth breaking through the cracks of deception and healing in the wake of generations of silence.

#Teaser: Spirit Bear Conspiracy by @annekane @RABTBookTours @changelingpress

Brotherhood of the Wild 1

A Riptide MC Romance

MC Romance

Date Published: January 2, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

My mission: Save my woman, guard the secret of the rare spirit bear, and take down the poachers.

Ryland -- I was tailing a gang of poachers, certain they’d lead me straight to their kingpin, when a stray arrow from a crossbow slammed into me. Pain lanced through me and everything faded to black. In that blur of unconsciousness, I could have sworn a pure white bear stood over me, calm as can be. When I opened my eyes again, a woman -- curvy and impossibly beautiful -- was watching me with the cutest look of mixed concern and distrust on her face.

Kimberly -- I thought I was alone on a tiny island off the coast of British Columbia until an arrow from a crossbow barely missed skewering me. With my dog Diego at my heels, I ran to hide in a maze of caves, my heart pounding. Crouched down in the dark, I listened in terror as voices and footsteps floated to me from outside. I prayed the shooters wouldn’t find the spirit bear that inhabited this place. When I finally crept back out into the daylight, I found I wasn’t the only target -- but the unconscious man lying in a pool of his own blood wasn’t talking. Victim or one of them?

#BookReview: The Land of Frost by @whitneywritesstuff

Synopsis:
Princess Maeve Moran’s wedding day was supposed to be a day she had dreamed of. When a violent coup breaks out in the capital city, her life is turned upside down as she witnesses the murder of her father, The King, her mother, her brother, Heir to the Throne, and her fiancé, Rian Doherty. Stripped of her magic and left for dead, Maeve is rescued by Dedra Blos, a royal seamstress, and Tiernan Demaris, an army alchemist. Determined to recapture all she has lost, Maeve vows revenge against the usurpers who stole all but the breath from her lungs.

Under Tiernan’s guidance, Maeve is sent to the infamous Báscogar Prison, nestled deep within the Romiodóg mountains, to train alongside Gálgalesh, the faerie Warden. However, in a world where even her identity must be kept secret, she finds her life hanging in the balance at every moment. When she encounters Eoghan Kael, a fiery Tinemallacht warrior who harbors a deep-seated hatred for her, she truly learns just how precarious her fight for survival and retribution has become.

As Maeve immerses herself in her training, she discovers shocking truths about her heritage and the deceptive nature of her upbringing within the castle walls. 

Can she make it through with her head—and her heart—to retrieve all she has lost and restore her place in the castle once more? Or will the price of love and secrets cost more than death ever could?