Ally's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 06:55:58 -0700 60 Ally's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Rom-Commers 217388042 S丑别鈥檚 rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. S丑别鈥檚 spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies鈥昰ood ones! That win contests! But s丑别鈥檚 also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates鈥昑he Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!鈥昳t鈥檚 a break too big to pass up.

Emma鈥檚 younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don鈥檛 meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn鈥檛 want to write with anyone鈥昺uch less 鈥渁 failed, nobody screenwriter.鈥� Worse, the romantic comedy 丑别鈥檚 written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn鈥檛 even care about the script鈥昳t鈥檚 just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma鈥檚 not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter鈥昬ven if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they鈥檙e writing breaks all Emma鈥檚 rules鈥昦nd comes true?]]> 352 Katherine Center 1250382823 Ally 0 to-read 4.11 2024 The Rom-Commers
author: Katherine Center
name: Ally
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)]]> 126062562
When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes鈥攁nd questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn鈥檚 orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn鈥檚 clutches鈥攁nd if they fail, they鈥檒l lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling鈥攁nd deadly鈥攚orld.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas 1619632217 Ally 0 currently-reading 4.16 2014 The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Ally
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Voyage of the Damned 218554737
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except Ganymedes Piscero - class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?]]> 464 Frances White 0778387909 Ally 0 to-read 4.06 2024 Voyage of the Damned
author: Frances White
name: Ally
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Whispers in the Dark (Black Oasis, #1)]]> 184858132 You never know what鈥檚 hiding under your bed鈥�

At twenty-four, Cody has already lost hope of having a life of his own. All his time is spent playing nurse to a dying, spiteful step-father and maid to his bully half-brother. His only escapes are playing his favorite online fantasy game, Black Oasis, and talking to the strange, unearthly presence under his bed that may or may not actually exist.

But everything changes when his nightly visitor, who introduces himself as Nor, starts talking back.

As their connection deepens, Nor invites Cody into the surreal world existing just beyond his nightmares, filled with haughty demons, passion-killing pet bugs named Gef, and a dark landscape that is oddly familiar. With his sweet but monstrous companion by his side, Cody might finally gain the life of freedom and adventure that 丑别鈥檚 always wanted.

Join Nor and Cody as they unearth the true meaning of hope, passion, and a love of endless depths that spans between worlds in Whispers in the Dark, the first book in Knight and Mayne鈥檚 co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis.

Whispers in the Dark is an M/M monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a redheaded Texan and his precious, six-fingered Deepdweller. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details. ]]> 339 Nik Knight Ally 0 currently-reading 4.02 2023 Whispers in the Dark (Black Oasis, #1)
author: Nik Knight
name: Ally
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Familiar 211004837 Hipnotyzuj膮ca opowie艣膰 o ambicji, przetrwaniu i kobiecej sile w 艣wiecie, gdzie jedno b艂臋dne s艂owo mo偶e oznacza膰 艣mier膰.

Z艂oty Wiek. Hiszpania. W n臋dznym domu, na n臋dznej ulicy, w nowej stolicy 鈥� Madrycie 鈥� mieszka Luzia Cotado, kt贸ra wykorzystuje swoje magiczne zdolno艣ci, by przetrwa膰 ci臋偶ki los pomywaczki. Gdy inni odkrywaj膮 jej moc, dziewczyna zostaje wci膮gni臋ta w 艣wiat arystokratycznych intryg, gdzie mo偶e sta膰 si臋 pionkiem w grze o w艂adz臋鈥� lub jego kr贸low膮.

Jej pokazy pocz膮tkowo s膮 zwyk艂膮 rozrywk膮 dla znudzonej elity. Wkr贸tce sprawy jednak przybieraj膮 niebezpieczny obr贸t, gdy Luzia przyci膮ga uwag臋 Antonio P茅reza 鈥� obdarzonego z艂膮 s艂aw膮 sekretarza hiszpa艅skiego kr贸la. Kr贸l wci膮偶 pr贸buje si臋 podnie艣膰 po druzgoc膮cej pora偶ce swojej armii, ale nie ustaje w wysi艂kach, by zdoby膰 przewag臋 nad Angli膮. A P茅rez, pragn膮cy odzyska膰 zaufanie i przychylno艣膰 kr贸la, nie cofnie si臋 przed niczym.

Zdeterminowana, by wykorzysta膰 swoj膮 jedyn膮 szans臋 na lepsze 偶ycie, Luzia rzuca si臋 w 艣wiat prorok贸w, alchemist贸w, 艣wi臋tych, handlarzy, w wir magii, nauki i oszustwa. Ale wraz z rozg艂osem przychodzi niebezpiecze艅stwo, 偶e jej istnienie przyci膮gnie gniew inkwizytor贸w. Luzia b臋dzie musia艂a u偶y膰 ca艂ego swojego sprytu i si艂y, by przetrwa膰 鈥� nawet je偶eli oznacza to zasi臋gni臋cie pomocy u Guill茅na Santagnela, zgorzknia艂ego nie艣miertelnika, kt贸rego w艂asne sekrety mog膮 doprowadzi膰 do 艣mierci ich obojga.]]> 400 Leigh Bardugo 1250884276 Ally 0 to-read 3.92 2024 The Familiar
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Ally
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Tale of Whispers and Rogues (Shadowborn #1)]]> 204625561 Owen Greene must die.

Being Shadowborn, the Essence of a fallen god runs through Owen鈥檚 veins. It gives him power, but it comes with a bullseye painted on his back, one the Legion is determined to hit once they learn he exists. Wielding such power comes at the cost of his life, and with the Legion close to finding him, Owen must leave his home to escape their hands.

Charged with protecting Owen, Colt O鈥橫alley knows the dangers that might accompany them. He's been tasked with protecting Owen on their dangerous journey with the promise that he can go home at the end of it. But what Colt didn鈥檛 count on was just how often that dimpled smile and tender-hearted Shadowborn would weaken him.

Fleeing the country to escape the Legion might have been their main goal, but neither Owen nor Colt had planned on falling for each other along the way. And with the Legion on their heels, falling in love couldn鈥檛 have happened at a worse time.A Tale of Whispers and Rogues is an M/M fantasy romance featuring a man gifted with the cursed power of a fallen god, the handsome rogue sworn to protect him, ruthless henchman, a mysterious shadow, a slow burn romance, and a budding romance with a HFN ending.]]> 410 Jordan Lee Ally 0 dnf 3.99 A Tale of Whispers and Rogues (Shadowborn #1)
author: Jordan Lee
name: Ally
average rating: 3.99
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Flight Risk 223404828
Tavian has it all鈥攚ealth, power, and the expectation to live up to his family鈥檚 legacy. But what no one knows is that beneath his polished exterior, the confident dragon harbors a 丑别鈥檚 been nursing a crush on Kier for years. When Kier鈥檚 flight gets overbooked, Tavian seizes the opportunity, pulling strings to ensure the wolf is by his side.

What neither of them expects is how close quarters on the flight will ignite a spark neither can ignore. Tavian鈥檚 dragon instincts roar to life, while Kier is overwhelmed by his sudden and uncontrollable heat. By the time they land, the only thing on their minds is finding somewhere鈥攁nywhere鈥攖hey can be alone.

As emotions flare and secrets unravel, Kier and Tavian must confront not only their growing feelings but also the societal expectations threatening to keep them apart. Can a wolf and a dragon find their way to a love as unstoppable as the flames of Tavian鈥檚 soul?

Flight Risk is a sweet with knotty heat, heartwarming romance featuring fated mates, a sweet but determined Omega wokf, a protective Alpha dragon who will do anything for his love, and a journey that starts in the clouds and lands in forever.]]> 163 Jena Wade Ally 1 lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi 4.07 Flight Risk
author: Jena Wade
name: Ally
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi
review:
Everything happened so quickly and the almost every plot point happened after a time jump or was talked about in conversation after it already happened rather than being shown on the page. There was no building of a relationship either and both characters felt entirely one dimensional.
]]> <![CDATA[Passing Through Purgatory (Passing Through Cafe, #1)]]> 217068958 When Oliver applied for a job in the Hell dimension on a whim, he didn鈥檛 expect it to turn his whole world鈥攐r his heart鈥攅ntirely upside down.

Recently graduated at twenty-six, and two months behind on rent, Oliver Barnes is desperate. So desperate, in fact, that he applies for a job in the Greed district of Hell鈥檚 Pentagram. But when he misses his train and, subsequently, his job interview, he stumbles, instead, upon a strange little coffee shop in the middle of Purgatory鈥檚 barren desert鈥攁nd into an unexpected opportunity.

It isn鈥檛 the job he came to Hell for, but maybe it鈥檚 exactly the job he needs.

As he navigates the demon dimension and tries to survive the ridiculous shenanigans of his unholy co-workers, Oliver soon falls head-over-ass for a tentacled lawyer with electric fingers and a deadly-sharp grin. Together, they discover that, sometimes, love and happiness can be just a train ride away.

Join Oliver and the rest of the eccentric staff of The Passing Through Cafe in Nik Knight鈥檚 new rom-com urban fantasy series, full of found family, embarrassing encounters, spicy situations, and love that crosses dimensions]]> 431 Nik Knight Ally 1 dnf, lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi 4.36 2024 Passing Through Purgatory (Passing Through Cafe, #1)
author: Nik Knight
name: Ally
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: dnf, lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi
review:
I DNF this book because it felt like reading something from a middle to high school aged kid. There was so much going on and yet nothing happening at the same time. So much dialogue and commentary was coming from other characters while major plot points were occurring and it felt both unnecessary and awkward.
]]> <![CDATA[Pucking Around (Jacksonville Rays Hockey, #1)]]> 222894045
My name is Rachel Price, and two months ago I walked away from The Perfect Man鈥攕weet, funny, and so sexy he should be illegal. We shared one magical night. No names. No strings. I never thought I鈥檇 see him again. I was wrong.

As it turns out, Mr. Perfect is the playboy grinder for the Jacksonville Rays, the NHL鈥檚 hottest new hockey team . . . and thanks to the ten-month fellowship I just landed, I鈥檓 his new physical therapist. Imagine my anticipation as those familiar muscled legs walk towards me, the way my pulse races as he reaches out to . . . shake my hand. The jerk doesn鈥檛 even recognize me!

This is going to be the longest ten months of my life. Because now Mr. Perfect Mistake is determined to use his every seductive trick to win me back. Meanwhile, I also have to contend with his best friend the surly team equipment manager, and an exasperatingly stubborn, superstitious goalie who鈥檚 convinced I鈥檓 his good luck charm.

This is my chance to prove myself, and I鈥檓 not risking it for anything. But between one unexpected night, and one secret revealed, these men are ready to test all my limits. Still, I can鈥檛 fall for a player鈥攍et alone three. Or can I?]]> 640 Emily Rath 149675879X Ally 0 to-read 3.95 2023 Pucking Around (Jacksonville Rays Hockey, #1)
author: Emily Rath
name: Ally
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Betrothed to the Emperor (Emperor's Assassin #1)]]> 227876211 I was born to kill the emperor, but first, I must marry him.

I trained as an assassin while my twin sister trained to be the empress. My life will be forfeit once I murder the most powerful man on the continent, but I have no choice. If I fail, the Imperium will consume our nation and anyone who rises against them.

Too soon, we walk into the glittering imperial court, each step taking us closer to the dangerous man on the black throne, my sister鈥檚 future husband, the newly crowned Emperor of the Southern Imperium. Emperor Tallu has more spies than fish in the sea. He poisoned his own father to secure the golden crown.

When his sharp eyes skim over us, they don鈥檛 catch on my sister. They land on me, his killer.

鈥淚 choose you, Prince Air贸n of the Northern Kingdom. You will be my consort.鈥� Tallu鈥檚 smile is mirthless. 鈥淥r I will reduce your entire nation to ashes.鈥�



Betrothed to the Emperor ends with more story to tell, but the characters end on a HFN.]]> 282 Kai Butler Ally 1 fantasy 4.29 2025 Betrothed to the Emperor (Emperor's Assassin #1)
author: Kai Butler
name: Ally
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)]]> 113436 An alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780375826696 can be found here.

One boy...
One dragon...
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.]]> 503 Christopher Paolini 0375826696 Ally 0 to-read 3.96 2002 Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)
author: Christopher Paolini
name: Ally
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Summer Palace (Captive Prince Short Stories, #2)]]> 33230173 "When all this is over, we could take horses and stay a week in the palace..."

Set after the events of the Captive Prince trilogy, The Summer Palace is a story about Damen and Laurent. It's an epilogue of sorts to the Captive Prince series.]]> 30 C.S. Pacat 0987622307 Ally 0 to-read 4.43 2017 The Summer Palace (Captive Prince Short Stories, #2)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Ally
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Silent Prince (Sun and Moon, #1)]]> 210563093 I will be free, even if it kills me.

As a prince of Ostovan, I had everything I the finest wine in my cup, scores of attractive knights to duel and bed, and an endless library of books. I never even saw my brother鈥檚 betrayal coming.

Captured and stripped of my voice by a magical collar, I鈥檓 sold as a slave to a warband of elves. I鈥檒l stop at nothing to get both my freedom and my voice back, even if it means risking death at the hands of my captors.

And none of my elvish captors is more dangerous鈥攐r alluring鈥攖han Prince Ruith. Deceptively charming and deviously brutal in his methods, Ruith鈥檚 only goal seems to be torturing me daily for his own entertainment.

The more time I鈥檓 forced to spend with him, the more I find I crave his particular brand of cruelty. Despite his treatment, I come to see Ruith as my protector鈥nd maybe something more. There鈥檚 definitely a spark between us, one that could turn into an all-consuming inferno if I鈥檓 not careful.

But he鈥檒l only ever see me as a pawn in his power games, and I can only afford to treat him like my enemy, especially if I want to get this collar off and return to Ostovan to kill my brother.

I will have my vengeance, even if it kills us both.

The Silent Prince is a slow-burn enemies to lovers dark MM fantasy romance that has a happy for now ending. Please see the interior for content warnings.]]> 301 L. Eveland Ally 4
Absolutely don鈥檛 read this if you don鈥檛 like incredibly triggering content. Heed the warnings very seriously before delving in. ]]> 4.27 The Silent Prince (Sun and Moon, #1)
author: L. Eveland
name: Ally
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:
Bro this was almost a no read because of the cover but I鈥檓 so glad I decided to give it a shot because WOW. It鈥檚 so incredibly dark and there are a lot of very problematic characters and things going on, but I honestly loved every second of it. It gives very much game of thrones vibes but with elves and a unique bit of magic. The characters are lovable even when they鈥檙e awful, and you really root for them even while doing heinous things. Beautiful stuff, highly recommend.

Absolutely don鈥檛 read this if you don鈥檛 like incredibly triggering content. Heed the warnings very seriously before delving in.
]]> <![CDATA[The Sword-Witch's Heart (Radiance, #3)]]> 217336996 Huddling for warmth鈥攚ith a man he hates.

Rejected by his ruthless family and the god he betrayed them for, Leth is desperate for a chance to prove himself. A purpose for his sword and magic. Anything beyond the legacy of restraint and repression that鈥檚 broken him down again and again.

But his new quest comes with an infuriatingly familiar companion.

Evain draws power from human desire. Every heated glance or tender touch feeds the flames of his magic. He has little patience for a frigid sword-witch who hates anything demonic鈥攂ut somehow, traveling with pretty Leth makes Evain feel stronger than ever.

On the rare occasion Leth deigns to look at him.

Wild magic and winter nights throw them together, and cracks start forming in their first impressions. Leth wants more than a purpose from Evain, and Evain wants more than heated glances from Leth. But Evain鈥檚 hiding a secret that could shatter their fragile trust: he isn鈥檛 human.

And Leth can鈥檛 afford weakness when his family鈥檚 out for blood.

The Sword-Witch鈥檚 Heart is a gay fantasy romance, with demons, hurt/comfort, huddling for warmth, and a friendly carnivorous demon horse.]]> 284 Tavia Lark Ally 4 fantasy, lgbtq 4.21 2022 The Sword-Witch's Heart (Radiance, #3)
author: Tavia Lark
name: Ally
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: fantasy, lgbtq
review:
So much better than book 2!!! These characters were so much easier to connect to, and I really loved their dynamic throughout the story. These two were definitely my favorite out of the series, and I really enjoyed the overall storyline with the rifts and learning more about arrays.
]]> <![CDATA[The Paladin's Shadow (Radiance, #2)]]> 217336943 Kidnapping with benefits.

Karis is the arrogant young prodigy of the Radiant Order, and his talents have found him plenty of admirers but far fewer friends. There鈥檚 one thing he has to hide, though: the voice in his head that tells him to do very un-paladin-like things. Sometimes it鈥檚 helpful. Sometimes it gets him into trouble.

This time, trouble鈥檚 name is Ronan.

Ronan鈥檚 done more for the gods than any paladin, but an insidious conspiracy means 丑别鈥檚 the wanted criminal. Fine by Ronan. When he's captured by the corrupt Radiant Order, Ronan doesn鈥檛 think twice before kidnapping a cute little squire to cover his escape.

His new hostage is a lot more complicated than he expected.

Between escape attempts and counterspells, Karis keeps getting under Ronan鈥檚 skin, and Ronan keeps getting inside Karis鈥檚 head. And the longer they stay together, Karis starts thinking less about escaping, and more about how Ronan might taste.

But the conspiracy they鈥檙e tangled in is more dangerous than either of them know.

The Paladin鈥檚 Shadow is a gay fantasy romance, with enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, and Very Inconvenient divine intervention.]]> 294 Tavia Lark Ally 3 fantasy, lgbtq 3.97 2021 The Paladin's Shadow (Radiance, #2)
author: Tavia Lark
name: Ally
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: fantasy, lgbtq
review:
2.5 rounded up. There was no real depth to any of the characters, and that made it very difficult to believe in the romance between them. There was hardly any emotion throughout, so it felt very clinical and disconnected. I liked the heist bits and the side characters but I was close to DNFing this a couple times.
]]> Master of One 51475353 Sinister sorcery. Gallows humor. A queer romance.

Rags is a thief鈥攁n excellent one. He's stolen into noble's coffers, picked soldier's pockets, and even liberated a ring or two off the fingers of passersby. Until he's caught by the Queensguard and forced to find an ancient fae relic for a sadistic royal sorcerer.

But Rags could never have guessed this "relic" would actually be a fae himself鈥攁 distractingly handsome, annoyingly perfect, ancient fae prince called Shining Talon. Good thing Rags can think on his toes, because things just get stranger from there...]]> 544 Jaida Jones 0062941445 Ally 0 to-read 3.65 2020 Master of One
author: Jaida Jones
name: Ally
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Alchemy of Moonlight 61963206
Before Emile can sort out his affections or unravel the growing Montoni family mystery, his identity is revealed and his aunt comes to collect him.

When she arrives, Count Montoni forces everyone to depart to the remote Udolpho Castle鈥攚here there are no witnesses and no chance for escape. There, Emile realizes that he will have to risk his life to find the love he deserves鈥攁nd survive the Montoni family.]]> 384 David Ferraro 1645679721 Ally 0 to-read 3.51 2023 The Alchemy of Moonlight
author: David Ferraro
name: Ally
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles, #1)]]> 58724793
Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears 丑别鈥檚 ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different plans: for Vel to marry his former intended鈥檚 brother instead.

Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock.

With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love鈥昦s both will learn鈥昳s quite another.

Byzantine politics, lush sexual energy, and a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry, Foz Meadows' A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. It is a book that will live in your heart long after you turn the last page.]]> 544 Foz Meadows 1250829135 Ally 0 to-read 4.02 2022 A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles, #1)
author: Foz Meadows
name: Ally
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)]]> 55399 Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series from Steven Erikson.

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.]]> 666 Steven Erikson 0765348780 Ally 0 to-read 3.91 1999 Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)
author: Steven Erikson
name: Ally
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> <![CDATA[Dirty Lying Faeries (The Enchanted Fates, #1)]]> 58724725 Dirty Lying Faeries is a wholly entertaining new take on a familiar concept." 鈥�Fangirlish

For better or for worse, the newest changeling has arrived . . .

When Thea Kanelos鈥檚 best friend drags her to an art gala (that鈥檚 definitely not her thing), she doesn鈥檛 expect a chance encounter with Devin Grayson to change her life forever. The handsome stranger isn鈥檛 just anyone鈥暢蟊疴檚 a powerful fae, charged with bringing Thea into his world.

Believing that s丑别鈥檚 always been human, Thea must accept that everything s丑别鈥檚 known about herself up until now has been a lie. S丑别鈥檚 not human at all. She is a fae鈥昮unny, because she doesn鈥檛 even believe in faeries.


But with strange creatures now visible on the street and fangs and colors flashing in the shadows, it can鈥檛 be denied: faeries are real. And with the Winter Solstice approaching, a magnificent ball will bring her fully into the fae world and draw her closer to Devin with whom she has a deepening and dangerous attraction.

As her new powers awaken, Thea learns she plays a more pivotal role to the fae than she ever imagined. And when the barrier between the human and the fae worlds begins to crack, it will be up to her to save not just herself, but everyone she loves from a terrible fate.

Deeply sensual and darkly magical, Dirty Lying Faeries is the first book in an exciting new series that takes readers inside a universe filled with faeries, dragons and werewolves--and those that love them.]]> 392 Sabrina Blackburry 1990259197 Ally 0 to-read 3.51 Dirty Lying Faeries (The Enchanted Fates, #1)
author: Sabrina Blackburry
name: Ally
average rating: 3.51
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rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> <![CDATA[His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)]]> 28876 356 Naomi Novik 0345481283 Ally 0 to-read 4.06 2006 His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Ally
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Evocation (The Summoner鈥檚 Circle, #1)]]> 123288408 The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father鈥檚 death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life 丑别鈥檚 curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David鈥檚 days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person 丑别鈥檚 ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other鈥檚 care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good鈥�

The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood. ]]> 301 S.T. Gibson 191520268X Ally 0 to-read 3.61 2024 Evocation (The Summoner鈥檚 Circle, #1)
author: S.T. Gibson
name: Ally
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> Les Normaux: A Graphic Novel 213051961
Boy moves to new city. Boy meets vampire. They kiss, then become friends. But both would like something more鈥�

A global Webtoon phenomenon and LGBTQ+ graphic novel about friendship, love and magic.

S茅bastien recently moved to supernatural Paris hoping to get away from his troubles at home and live a peaceful life learning magic. But what are you going to do when the really hot vampire you made out with last night to forget your troubles turns out to be your new neighbor?

S茅bastien (a demisexual boy with 鈥渕ain character hair鈥� and a bunny named Pierre), meet Elia (a hot, supermodel, vampire neighbor and crush).

Join Elia, S茅bastien and their assorted crew of wonderful friends, as they navigate the ins and outs of dating in a modern and paranormal love story.]]> 336 Janine Janssen 0063414678 Ally 0 to-read 4.48 2025 Les Normaux: A Graphic Novel
author: Janine Janssen
name: Ally
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune, #1)]]> 57190453
It鈥檚 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging鈥攁nd allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

Code name: Fortune.

But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind鈥檚 mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind鈥檚 new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion鈥檚 cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.]]> 528 Chloe Gong Ally 0 to-read 4.22 2022 Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune, #1)
author: Chloe Gong
name: Ally
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> <![CDATA[These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights, #1)]]> 50892212
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang鈥攁 network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette鈥檚 first love鈥nd first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns鈥攁nd grudges鈥攁side and work together, for if they can鈥檛 stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.]]> 449 Chloe Gong 1534457690 Ally 0 to-read 3.82 2020 These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights, #1)
author: Chloe Gong
name: Ally
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)]]> 192786618
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury's heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn't impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He's sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud - and he'll protect his niece, whatever it takes.

Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care - more than either of them thought possible.

But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?]]> 311 K.J. Charles 1398715751 Ally 0 to-read 4.04 2021 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Ally
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> <![CDATA[The Duke at Hazard (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #2)]]> 208918808 Don't miss the second thrilling Regency romance in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series by KJ Charles...

The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.

He's also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now he's been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. The Duke has to get it back, and he can't let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldn't survive without his privilege and title, the Duke grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito.

Life as an ordinary person is terrifying...until the anonymous Duke meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help. Racing across the country in search of the thief, the Duke and Daizell fall into scrapes, into trouble-and in love.

Daizell has been excluded from polite society, his name tainted by his father's crimes and his own misbehaviour. Now he dares to dream of a life somewhere out of sight with the quiet gentleman who's stolen his heart. He doesn't know that his lover is a hugely rich public figure with half a dozen titles. And when he finds out, it will risk everything they have...]]> 336 K.J. Charles 1398715794 Ally 0 to-read 4.19 2024 The Duke at Hazard (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #2)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Ally
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> The Usual Family Mayhem 214612232 Revenge is a dish best served cold鈥攅specially when it comes in the form of one of Grandma鈥檚 鈥渟pecial鈥� pies. Get the best of family hijinks, girl power, and hilariously justifiable crime in the latest novel from award-winning author HelenKay Dimon.

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors鈥攈er job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags鈥� Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in 鈥渂est friend鈥� Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal鈥nd now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren鈥檛 interested, which isn鈥檛 a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they鈥檙e hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface鈥攁ll in households that recently received a delivery from Mags鈥� Desserts鈥擪asey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia鈥檚 nephew and Kasey鈥檚 long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey鈥檚 boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands鈥攅ven if those husbands deserve it鈥攎ight be impossible鈥ut Kasey never shied away from a challenge.听闭闭> 368 HelenKay Dimon 0063240580 Ally 0 to-read 3.58 The Usual Family Mayhem
author: HelenKay Dimon
name: Ally
average rating: 3.58
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]]> <![CDATA[Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)]]> 63910262 In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.]]> 437 Rachel Gillig 0356519503 Ally 4 fantasy, faves 4.39 2023 Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, #2)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Ally
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: fantasy, faves
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 220642729
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband鈥檚 back.

Freya鈥檚 dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region鈥檚 jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess鈥檚 blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden鈥檚 fate.

Believing 丑别鈥檚 destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.t.]]> 464 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599853 Ally 0 to-read 4.07 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Ally
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Necromancer's Light (Radiance, #1)]]> 217336839 He鈥檒l die without touch.

As a necromancer, Shae loses a little more of himself every time he uses his magic. Always cold, always touch-starved, the only thing that helps is human contact. But that鈥檚 hard to come by when those same dark powers scare everyone away from him. Nobody likes a necromancer.

Especially a paladin of the Radiant Order.

Arthur鈥檚 still bitter and broken after his last lover stabbed him in the back, and the last thing he needs is another brush with evil. When he agrees to escort the wandering necromancer north, 丑别鈥檚 just doing a public service.

But he never expected Shae to be so clingy. Or distractingly attractive.

Shae has never felt an aura as warm and safe as Arthur鈥檚. He craves the man鈥檚 touch鈥攁nd more. But everyone 丑别鈥檚 ever known has left him, and it鈥檚 just a matter of time before Arthur leaves him too.

Assuming the soul-stealing monsters don鈥檛 kill them first.

The Necromancer鈥檚 Light is a gay fantasy romance, with a dangerous quest, hurt/comfort, and so many excuses for sharing a bed.]]> 252 Tavia Lark Ally 4 3.81 2021 The Necromancer's Light (Radiance, #1)
author: Tavia Lark
name: Ally
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)]]> 55753226
Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost.]]> 464 Elizabeth Lim Ally 3 4.30 2021 Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Ally
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> Wearing the Lion 219303534 This second novel from Nebula Award-winning John Wiswell brings a humanizing, redemptive touch to the Hercules story in this mythological fantasy for fans of Jennifer Saint and Elodie Harper

Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to Hera, goddess of family. Heracles鈥� mother raised himto revere Hera, as her attempt to avoid the goddess鈥� wrath. Unbeknownst to Heracles, he is yet another child Hera鈥檚 husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock.

Hera loathes every minute of Heracles鈥� devotion. She finally snaps and sends the Furies to make Heracles kill himself. But the moment Heracles goes mad, his children playfully ambush him, and he slays them instead. When the madness fades, Heracles鈥檚 wife, Megara, convinces him to seek revenge. Together they鈥檒l hunt the Furies and learn which god did this.

Believing Hera is the only god he can still trust, Heracles prays to Hera, who is wracked with guilt over killing his children. To mislead Heracles, Hera sends him on monster-slaying quests, but he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, cures the illness of the Lernaean hydra, and bonds with Crete鈥檚 giant bull.

Hera struggles with her role in Heracles life as Heracles begins to heal psychologically by connecting with the monsters鈥攚hile also amassing an army that could lay siege to Olympos.

Nebula Award-winning author John Wiswell brings his signature humanizing touch to the Hercules story, forever changing the way we understand the man behind the myth鈥攁nd the goddess reluctantly bound to him.]]> 384 John Wiswell 0756419549 Ally 0 to-read 4.24 2025 Wearing the Lion
author: John Wiswell
name: Ally
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
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]]> They Bloom at Night 211003894
Now, Noon is stuck navigating the submerged town with her mom, who believes their dead family has reincarnated as sea creatures. Alone with the pain of what happened that night at the cove, Noon buries the truth: she is not the right shape.

When Mercy鈥檚 predatory leader demands Noon and her mom capture the creature drowning residents, she reluctantly finds an ally in his deadly hunter of a daughter and friends old and new. As the next storm approaches, Noon must confront the past and decide if it鈥檚 time to answer the monster itching at her skin.]]> 272 Trang Thanh Tran 1547611111 Ally 0 to-read 3.59 2025 They Bloom at Night
author: Trang Thanh Tran
name: Ally
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> I Leave It Up to You 214269353 From the award-winning author of Flux comes a dazzling novel about love, family, and the art of sushi that asks: What if you could return to the point of a fateful choice, wiser than before, and find the courage to forge a new path?

A coma can change a man, but the world Jack Jr. awakens to is one he barely recognizes. His advertising job is history, his Manhattan apartment is gone, and the love of his life has left him behind. He鈥檚 been asleep for two years; with no one to turn to, he realizes it鈥檚 been ten years since he last saw his family.听

Lost and disoriented, he makes a reluctant homecoming back to the bustling Korean American enclave of Fort Lee, New Jersey; back into the waiting arms of his parents, who are operating under the illusion he never left; and back to Joja, their ever-struggling sushi restaurant that he was set to inherit before he ran away from it all. As he steps back into the life he abandoned鈥攍earning his Appa鈥檚 life lessons over crates of tuna on bleary-eyed 4 AM fish runs, doling out amberjack behind the omakase counter while his Umma tallies the night's pitiful number of customers, and sparring with his recovering alcoholic brother, James鈥攈e embraces new roles, That of romantic interest to the male nurse who took care of him throughout, and that of sage (but underqualified) uncle to his gangly teenage nephew.

There is value in the joyous rhythms of this once-abandoned life. But second chances are an even messier business than running a restaurant, and the lure of a self-determined path might, once again, prove too hard to resist.

Why do we run from those we love, and why do we still love those who run from us? A highly entertaining and poignant story about second chances and self-discovery, I Leave It Up to You pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one鈥檚 footing after the ground gives way.]]> 311 Jinwoo Chong 0593727053 Ally 0 to-read 4.02 2025 I Leave It Up to You
author: Jinwoo Chong
name: Ally
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
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]]> Frankenstein: The 1818 Text 35031085 This is a previously-published edition of ISBN 9780143131847.

Mary Shelley's seminal novel of the scientist whose creation becomes a monster.

This edition is the original 1818 text, which preserves the hard-hitting and politically charged aspects of Shelley's original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. This edition also includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by author and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.]]> 260 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 0143131842 Ally 0 to-read 4.02 1818 Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
name: Ally
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1818
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]]> Our Infinite Fates 210395729 They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, s丑别鈥檚 been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul鈥昦nd survival鈥昳s tethered to hers.

The problem is that s丑别鈥檚 quite fond of the life s丑别鈥檚 in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she鈥檒l have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life鈥昩efore they find her first.
2. Figure out why s丑别鈥檚 being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 Ally 0 to-read 3.76 2025 Our Infinite Fates
author: Laura Steven
name: Ally
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
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]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214331246 When you鈥檝e been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch鈥檚 name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He鈥檚 torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who鈥檚 nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands 丑别鈥檚 been set up to fail. But there鈥檚 something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Ally 0 to-read 4.61 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Ally
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2025
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date added: 2025/03/05
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]]> Wild Reverence 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life鈥昩egging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 Ally 0 to-read 4.66 2025 Wild Reverence
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Ally
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/04
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]]> <![CDATA[Vertex (The Chronicles of Nairean, #1)]]> 228539042 Two women defy their fates. Two secrets sharp as steel. Two hearts must conquer.

Aara

My world was ravaged when the king鈥檚 hunt obliterated my desert tribe, leaving me a captive in a city drenched in secrets.

Now, I鈥檝e been thrust into a guild of six鈥攁n alliance of enslaved survivors, scheming rivals, and pampered heirs of power. To survive, I have to conquer the Vertex, a labyrinthine descent where each level tests me with increasingly dangerous challenges.

But surviving the Vertex isn鈥檛 my only battle. There鈥檚 a deadlier game unraveling in the shadows, and at its center stands the Blade Master鈥攎erciless, unreadable, and the man who slaughtered my people. His blade carved my past, and his secrets could destroy my future. He鈥檚 the enemy I swore to kill, yet the only one who can keep me alive. And now I鈥檓 trapped in his own lethal game.

Every glance he throws my way is a taunt. Every lesson is a battle of wills. I ache to drive a dagger into his heart鈥攂ut what terrifies me even more is how 丑别鈥檚 slowly slipping into mine.

Alysna

My marriage is a prison. The king, my husband, scorns me, and the court shuns me. But I鈥檝e found solace in the worst place imaginable鈥攎y growing obsession with his captivating mistress, Novell.

Bold, unflinching, and dangerously beautiful, Novell ignites a passion that threatens to burn us both. In a court ruled by a jealous king, desiring his mistress is a death sentence. Every stolen glance is a risk, every touch a silent rebellion.

I know the stakes. I know how this ends. But I can鈥檛 stop.

Novell鈥檚 secrets soon pull me into a deadly plot. One wrong move, and we鈥檒l destroy not just each other鈥攂ut the realm鈥�

This is an adult fantasy romance 18+ Perfect for those that Romantasy, Page turners, Witty banter, Strong heroine, Morally grey + cinnamon roll hero, high stakes, forbidden love, apprentice romance, found family]]> 610 Terina Adams Ally 0 to-read 3.73 Vertex (The Chronicles of Nairean, #1)
author: Terina Adams
name: Ally
average rating: 3.73
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]]> <![CDATA[The History of Fatum: The Fourth Gift]]> 223177351 311 Zentari Silver Ally 0 to-read 1.50 The History of Fatum: The Fourth Gift
author: Zentari Silver
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]]> Boys with Sharp Teeth 208840739 We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys in this mind-bending YA debut about dark revenge, twisted desire, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school.

Seventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin鈥檚 dead body is found in a creek on school property, Marin knows exactly who鈥檚 to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school's social elite.

Swapping her ripped jeans for a crisp prep school skirt, Marin infiltrates Huntsworth to seek justice. But her quest is quickly muddied by a confusing attraction to her new life, and to the two dysfunctional and depraved boys who somehow understand her better than anyone ever has.

When Marin uncovers an otherworldly secret the boys are hiding within Huntsworth's ivied gates, the lines between right and wrong, love and hate, and nightmare and reality begin to crumble -- and nothing is as it seems.

Welcome to Huntsworth Academy.]]> 400 Jenni Howell 1250334594 Ally 0 to-read 3.39 2025 Boys with Sharp Teeth
author: Jenni Howell
name: Ally
average rating: 3.39
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]]> The Red Thorn Coven 228128942 In dreams, she runs from her fears. In the library, she might find her power.

For months, Ro has been haunted by vivid nightmares鈥攄reams so real they leave bruises, chills, and an overwhelming sense of being hunted. Her only refuge is a strange library that appears when s丑别鈥檚 on the brink of collapse, its endless shelves offering a fragile sense of safety.

When she finally gains lucidity in her dreams, Ro learns a truth more impossible than magic itself鈥攎agic vanished from the waking world long ago...but now, it鈥檚 returning. And with it comes forces determined to reshape reality鈥攐r destroy it entirely.

Guided by Argus, the regal caretaker of her dream-bound library, and a band of new and old friends, Ro must unlock the power hidden within her and become the first line of defense against what the return of magic will unleash. However, harnessing this power comes at a price, and fending off the dangers that come with the resurgence of magic may require sacrificing everything - her loved ones, her friendships, and perhaps even her own soul.

The library has been waiting. Magic has too. And so has the darkness.]]> 518 Joshua Matthews Ally 0 to-read 4.45 The Red Thorn Coven
author: Joshua Matthews
name: Ally
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]]> <![CDATA[Death Before Dragons: Books 1-3 (Death Before Dragons, #1-3)]]> 59040824
My half-elven blood, magical sword, and telepathic tiger give me an edge, at least against most villains. But when dragons show up in Seattle, the city is in serious trouble鈥攁nd so am I. Dragons are bigger, stronger, and more powerful than anything I鈥檝e battled, and they don鈥檛 appreciate it when you sass them.

Just ask Lord Zavryd鈥檔okquetal. That鈥檚 a name, not a cat hacking up a hairball, and if you mispronounce it, he鈥檒l either insult you, incinerate you, or throw your Jeep up in a tree. Trust me, I know.

Unfortunately, 丑别鈥檚 taken an interest in me. Not in the 鈥渉alf-elves are sexy and appealing and I need a new girlfriend鈥� kind of way. Nope, he wants to use me. He鈥檚 on a mission, and 丑别鈥檚 decided I鈥檒l make the perfect bait to lure his enemies to him.

That鈥檚 about as good for your longevity as it sounds, and I鈥檇 love to decline the gig, but dragons can magically coerce people into doing their bidding. If I can鈥檛 figure out how to get him to leave me alone, I鈥檒l either end up his servant for the rest of my life鈥� or dead. And who鈥檚 going to protect Seattle then?

This bundle includes the first three novels in the Death Before Dragons urban fantasy series:

Sinister Magic
Battle Bond
Tangled Truths]]> 706 Lindsay Buroker Ally 0 to-read 4.60 2021 Death Before Dragons: Books 1-3 (Death Before Dragons, #1-3)
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: Ally
average rating: 4.60
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]]> <![CDATA[Divine Mortals (Divine Mortals #1)]]> 108517052 Mona can name anyone's soulmate鈥攂ut she'll do anything to avoid being matched with her own. Especially when she learns he's the king.

This debut romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros delivers sizzling romance, cutthroat competition, a lush fantasy world, and an unforgettable heroine.

Blessed by the gods, Mona Arnett has the unique ability to divine soulmates, but she refuses to seek out her own鈥攗ntil she learns the king is dying without an heir, threatening the royal line and the world鈥檚 access to magic. Tasked with naming his future queen, Mona discovers the king鈥檚 soulmate is . . . her.

A royal match is the last thing Mona wants鈥攅specially when she starts falling for the king鈥檚 closest advisor鈥攕o she lies, cheats, and contends with scheming gods to hide the truth. But when this high-stakes game of thrones leads to murder, survival and the fate of the kingdom will depend on her finding the courage to face her destiny.

Delightful wit, spellbinding prose, and a flawed, funny protagonist you'll love from page one make this debut fantasy a must-read.]]> 340 Amanda M. Helander 1368096174 Ally 0 to-read 3.62 2024 Divine Mortals (Divine Mortals #1)
author: Amanda M. Helander
name: Ally
average rating: 3.62
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]]> The Last Tiger 220999057 Inspired by true stories from the authors鈥� grandparents鈥� lives during one of the darkest periods in Korean history,The Last Tiger is a debut young adult fantasy novel about the power of love to give voice to a broken people.

In a colonized land where tigers are being hunted to extinction and ancient magic stirs, two star-crossed teens from opposite worlds鈥擫ee Seung, a servant yearning for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying tradition鈥攋oin forces to try and reshape their respective fates.

But their relationship evolves from begrudging accomplices to bitter adversaries as they soon find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over the last tiger, a symbol of their people鈥檚 lost freedom and key to the liberation of their country. As the ties between Seung and Eunji are complicated by their conflicting loyalties, tensions rise鈥攅specially when a charming princeling of the empire begins to rival for Eunji's affection.

In this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story of forbidden romance, antagonists turned allies, oppression and liberation, neither Seung nor Eunji can abandon their mission鈥攐r each other. And as they embark on separate quests to find the elusive creature, each must also find the power within themselves to make their own destiny.]]> 416 Julia Riew Ally 0 to-read 3.82 2025 The Last Tiger
author: Julia Riew
name: Ally
average rating: 3.82
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]]> Tenderly, I Am Devoured 214438301 Perfect for fans of Saltburn, For the Wolf, and House of Hollow, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a moody, monstrously Gothic romantasy in which a young woman must bind herself to a dangerous chthonic demon with the help of the son of a rival family to save her family's legacy鈥昦nd herself鈥昮rom ruin.

Expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace to discover her family on the point of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience鈥� to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark鈥檚 isolated coastal hometown.

But when her betrothal goes horribly wrong, Lark begins to vanish from the mortal realm. Her only hope is to seek help from Alastair Felimath: the brilliant, arrogant boy who was her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, Camille. As the trio delve into the folklore of gods, Lark falls under the spell of the Felimath siblings.

Ensnared by a fervent romance, they perform a bacchanalia with hopes the hedonistic ritual will repair the connection between Lark and her bridegroom. Instead, they draw the ire of something much darker, which seeks to destroy Therion鈥昦nd Lark as well.]]> 304 Lyndall Clipstone 1250348900 Ally 0 to-read 4.03 2025 Tenderly, I Am Devoured
author: Lyndall Clipstone
name: Ally
average rating: 4.03
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]]> The Austen Affair 222376792 Two feuding co-stars in a Jane Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in time to the Regency Era in this delightfully clever and riotously funny debut

Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen鈥檚 Northanger Abbey. It's not just the role of a lifetime, but it鈥檚 also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and more importantly, it鈥檚 her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess鈥檚 way鈥攚ell, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour.

A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don鈥檛 quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry鈥攁nd Tess鈥檚 career depends on it.

Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen鈥檚 era. 200 years in the past with only each other to rely on, Tess and Hugh need to ad-lib their way through the Regency period in order to make it back home, and hopefully not screw up history along the way. But if a certain someone looks particularly dashing in those 19th century breeches鈥ell, Tess won鈥檛 be complaining.

A wickedly funny, delightfully charming story, The Austen Affair is a tribute to Jane Austen, second chances, and love across the space-time continuum.]]> 336 Madeline Bell 1250373514 Ally 0 to-read 4.11 The Austen Affair
author: Madeline Bell
name: Ally
average rating: 4.11
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]]> Den of Liars 215149230 A young thief attempting a daring casino heist during a high-stakes tournament is torn between two warring brothers in Den of Liars, a thrilling YA fantasy romance by acclaimed author Jessica S. Olson.

Lola St. James is the world鈥檚 best kept secret. When her father鈥檚 loss in the Liar鈥檚 Dice Tournament鈥揳 high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets鈥搈ade her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief鈥檚 kindness came with a Lola鈥檚 heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other鈥檚 emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar鈥檚 Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief's mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers鈥� shared history, and the lies she tells herself.]]> 400 Jessica S. Olson 1250329728 Ally 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Den of Liars
author: Jessica S. Olson
name: Ally
average rating: 4.38
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]]> Gothictown 215363236 A restaurateur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia.

The email message that lands in Billie Hope鈥檚 inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100 she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and some painful memories. Plus she鈥檒l get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity.

After some phone calls and one hurried visit, Billie and her husband and daughter are officially part of the "Juliana Initiative." The town is everything promised, and between settling into her lavish home and starting a new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss misgivings.

Yet those misgivings grow. There鈥檚 something about Juliana, something off-kilter and menacing beneath its famous Southern hospitality. No matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, s丑别鈥檚 starting to wonder how, and whether, they鈥檒l ever leave. 听闭闭> 362 Emily Carpenter 1496750543 Ally 0 to-read 3.77 2025 Gothictown
author: Emily Carpenter
name: Ally
average rating: 3.77
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]]> When Devils Sing 214438358 This deluxe edition is printed with stenciled edges!

In this Southern gothic horror novel, four unlikely allies in a small town investigate a local teen's disappearance, and what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister and ancient than they could鈥檝e ever imagined. For fans of She is a Haunting, True Detective, Mexican Gothic, and Midsommar.

When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion, especially every thirteen years when a periodical cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.

For Neera, Dawson is another reminder that in this corner of the South, the rich only get richer, and the poor鈥晈ell, nothing good comes their way.

Neera sets out to investigate Dawson鈥檚 whereabouts鈥昳f he even still lives鈥昦long with three other teens: Isaiah, son of a prominent judge and clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover the riches of the adjacent Lake Clearwater community may have a terrifying source of power dating back to the town鈥檚 founding and an ancient urban legend about three devils, each more sinister than the next. How deep does the rot go, and can they find a way to escape its reach?]]> 400 Xan Kaur 1250357179 Ally 0 to-read 4.08 2025 When Devils Sing
author: Xan Kaur
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average rating: 4.08
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]]> <![CDATA[My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent, #2)]]> 215363487 LIMITED EDITION FIRST PRINTING featuring sprayed edges, designed chapter headers, full color inside covers, and front cover foil with spot gloss鈥攚hile supplies last!

For fans of Jenna Levine and K.F. Breene, the steamy, laugh-out-loud paranormal romance about learning how to love鈥攊ncluding the darkest parts of ourselves鈥攃omplete with HEA, clothes-ripping-hot love scenes, and a crew of devilish demon brothers who are supposed to be the bad guys . . .

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of SANCTUARY OF THE SHADOW!

The hunter shall become the hunted . . . And the timid shall become the fierce.

Enslaved to an evil demon queen for millennia, Mishetsumephtai has only ever served one purpose. He is the Hunter, the one who drags the guilty back to Hell. But finally tasting freedom on Earth has changed him, and for the first time, Mist questions his duty. The human female who smiles at him with no idea what a monster he is, draws him in, and he鈥檒l do anything to possess her.

Lily Donovan thought the most dangerous thing about running to the corner store at night would be the aisles of junk food. She didn鈥檛 bargain on encountering chaos in the form of a man with unusual tattoos and beguiling amber eyes, stalking her through the ice cream section. Since the death of her parents, Lily has tried to forget what she is. But denial is not an option when s丑别鈥檚 confronted with everything s丑别鈥檚 been running from.

Neither Mist nor Lily can ignore the burning magnetism between them. But Mist鈥檚 reprieve from Hell was always temporary, and the punishment for disobedience will be worse than death. Yet he can鈥檛 relinquish the woman whose scent calls to him like nothing 丑别鈥檚 hunted before.]]> 352 Aurora Ascher 1496755863 Ally 0 to-read 4.10 2022 My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent, #2)
author: Aurora Ascher
name: Ally
average rating: 4.10
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]]> <![CDATA[Heir of Storms (Storm Weaver, #1)]]> 214438337 RED QUEEN meets SHADOW AND BONE in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy about dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a cut-throat competition for the throne in an empire where crowns are not inherited -- they're won.

The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze's birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She's been hidden away ever since with a dark secret: the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And s丑别鈥檚 not sure she wants it back.

When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, s丑别鈥檚 suddenly thrust into the limelight again -- and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.

As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, she鈥檒l have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.]]> 416 Lauryn Hamilton Murray 1250348153 Ally 0 to-read 4.29 2025 Heir of Storms (Storm Weaver, #1)
author: Lauryn Hamilton Murray
name: Ally
average rating: 4.29
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]]> The Amalfi Curse 218674082 鈥淪arah Penner transported me to the sea-swept cliffs of Positano and introduced me to characters I鈥檒l never forget. A magical read!鈥�
鈥�Emilia Hart,听New York Times听bestselling author of The Sirens

Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse鈥�

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven鈥檚 arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?

As Haven searches for her father鈥檚 sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman鈥檚 quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of听stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano鈥檚 latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever鈥�

Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.
听闭闭> 336 Sarah Penner 0778308006 Ally 0 to-read 4.20 2025 The Amalfi Curse
author: Sarah Penner
name: Ally
average rating: 4.20
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]]> Of Flame and Fury 215700931 Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge. The hottest must-read of the summer!

On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly.

Seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren 鈥淐oup鈥� Coupers 鈥� an arrogant rival she can鈥檛 get out of her head.

As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel's home is mistakenly burned down, and s丑别鈥檚 forced to take a job from a mysterious tech mogul with an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This sets in motion a conspiracy that threatens everyone Kel cares for, especially Coup, for whom her embers of resentment are quickly igniting into something dangerously new.

Heart-pounding pages full of steamy romance, fiery confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate ina final twist readers will never see coming.]]> 416 Mikayla Bridge 0374393427 Ally 0 to-read 4.23 2025 Of Flame and Fury
author: Mikayla Bridge
name: Ally
average rating: 4.23
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]]> <![CDATA[The Floating World (The Floating World, #1)]]> 215149209 From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens.

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime鈥攁 chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light鈥攁 power she has kept hidden since childhood鈥攁nd kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from鈥攁nd from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he鈥攁nd a hundred other swords-for-hire鈥攊s looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts鈥攁nd destinies鈥攁re far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...]]> 368 Axie Oh 1250853087 Ally 0 to-read 4.15 2025 The Floating World (The Floating World, #1)
author: Axie Oh
name: Ally
average rating: 4.15
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]]> What Wakes the Bells 208840779 Inspired by an ominous Prague legend, What Wakes the Bells is a lavish gothic fantasy by debut author Elle Tesch.

Built by long-gone Saints, the city of Vaiwyn lives and breathes and bleeds. As a Keeper, Mina knows better than most what her care of Vaiwyn鈥檚 bells means for the sentient city. It鈥檚 the Strauss family鈥檚 thousand-year legacy鈥昿revent the Vespers from ringing, or they will awake a slumbering evil.

One afternoon, to Mina's horror, her bell peals thirteen times, shattering the city鈥檚 tenuous peace. With so much of the city's history and lore lost in a long-ago disaster, no one knows the danger that has been unleashed鈥晆ntil the city begins to fight back. As the sun sets, stone gargoyles and bronze statues tear away from their buildings and plinths to hunt people through the streets. Trapped in Mina鈥檚 bell, the soul of a twisted and power-hungry Saint festered. Now free of his prison, he hides behind the face of one of Vaiwyn鈥檚 citizens, corrupting the city and turning it on itself.

Time is running out, and the only chance Mina has to stop the destruction and horrific killings is finding and destroying the Saint鈥檚 host. Everyone is a suspect, including Mina's closest loved ones. She will have to decide how far she鈥檒l go to save her city鈥昦nd who s丑别鈥檚 willing to kill to do it.]]> 336 Elle Tesch 1250322804 Ally 0 to-read 3.51 2025 What Wakes the Bells
author: Elle Tesch
name: Ally
average rating: 3.51
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]]> <![CDATA[Unnatural (The Wrong Alpha, #1)]]> 58295162 alternate cover editions of ASIN B08FX3656C can be found here and here

A planet at war. Two alphas forced into a political marriage. Attraction that defies all reason and logic鈥� Or does it?

The Kingdom of Pelugia and the Republic of Kadar have been at war for decades. Peace isn鈥檛 popular, but the planet can鈥檛 survive without it.

Forced to marry an enemy prince for the sake of peace, Senator Royce Cleghorn doesn鈥檛 like his husband, his alpha scent, or his damned pretty blue eyes. More than anything, Royce hates what Haydn makes him become: a primitive alpha clich茅 who鈥檒l do anything to mark his territory, even if that territory is his alpha husband. Royce likes omegas; he isn鈥檛 into alphas, no matter how pretty their eyes are. It鈥檚 just a weird territorial instinct. It has to be.

Prince Haydn has always tried to be the perfect alpha his father wants him to be. He's the heir to the throne. He's a war general. He isn't supposed to bare his throat to an enemy alpha--and it isn't supposed to feel so good. Everyone knows a marriage between two alphas is a recipe for disaster. He isn't supposed to crave his alpha husband--their marriage is just a political arrangement, nothing more.

But when disaster strikes and loyalties are tested, which bond will be the strongest: their marriage, or their allegiances?]]> 208 Alessandra Hazard Ally 4 lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi 4.07 2020 Unnatural (The Wrong Alpha, #1)
author: Alessandra Hazard
name: Ally
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: lgbtq, paranormal-sci-fi
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forbidden (The Wrong Alpha, #5)]]> 87795282
But Aksel changes everything.

Aksel Cleghorn, his husband's alpha son.

Aksel is the only person in the world who makes Lucien feel like he belongs. Over the years, the connection between them grows into something more. Something they are not supposed to feel for each other. Something neither of them can control or resist.

It's wrong on so many levels.

They have to stop. But can they?

Please note: this book is set on an alien planet similar to contemporary Earth, and the characters don't have human biology [alpha/omega mating cycles, shapeshifter sex, a male with breasts, male lactation, scenting, knotting]. The book contains non-explicit references to past sexual assault and mpreg, codependency, depression, and hurt/comfort鈥攁nd happily ever after, against all odds. ]]> 212 Alessandra Hazard Ally 0 to-read 4.04 2024 Forbidden (The Wrong Alpha, #5)
author: Alessandra Hazard
name: Ally
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bound by Shadows (Shadowbound #1)]]> 217340662 here.


Captured by the enemy. Bound to a cruel prince. Tempted by forbidden power.Aric Solarian, battlemage and wielder of outlawed magic, falls into the clutches of the notorious demon prince Malekith. Now a prisoner in a deadly game, Aric finds his resolve tested and his darkest hungers awakened.

Malekith is as captivating as he is ruthless, drawing Aric into a web of sinister plots and forbidden magic. Even as Aric plots his escape, he is inexorably enticed by the demon's magnetic pull.

As shadowy schemes unfold and the lines between enemies and allies blur, Aric must decide how far he's willing to go to uncover the secrets of demon magic . . . and what he's willing to sacrifice for a dangerous obsession that could destroy everything he's ever fought for.

Bound by Shadows is the first book in a darkly seductive M/M fantasy romance brimming with court intrigue, moral ambiguity, and scorching chemistry between a defiant mage and his demon prince captor. Vera Winters spins a captivating tale of power, betrayal and desire that will keep you spellbound until the last page.]]> 355 Vera Winters Ally 1 dnf, lgbtq 3.46 Bound by Shadows (Shadowbound #1)
author: Vera Winters
name: Ally
average rating: 3.46
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: dnf, lgbtq
review:
So many instances of repeated phrases, scenarios, and words, it felt like I was reading the same chapter again and again. There was a lack of editing not only in substance but in chapter 12 half the chapter is repeated verbatim midway through. It felt very bland and the characters were kinda mid. Stopped at 41% because I couldn鈥檛 take it anymore.
]]> <![CDATA[One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)]]> 59729041 For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom鈥攂ut the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home鈥攕he needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King鈥檚 own nephew, Captain of the Destriers鈥nd guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards鈥攖he keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 419 Rachel Gillig Ally 5 fantasy, paranormal-sci-fi 4.40 2022 One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Ally
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: fantasy, paranormal-sci-fi
review:
While this started off slow and the nursery rhymes both unexpected and confusing at first, this book really picked up and the poetry of it all started to make sense. The world building was great, quite unique and well thought out, and the pacing of the story was good. I loved that the relationship between Elspeth and Ravyn felt like it was happening in a Jane Austen novel but with a bit of a modern twist. AND THAT ENDING YOU ARE JOKING. Can鈥檛 wait to read book 2!
]]> <![CDATA[Faebound: Divided by Blood (Battle of the Drumfire, #1)]]> 221126273 480 Saara El-Arifi 3455019749 Ally 0 to-read 4.00 2024 Faebound: Divided by Blood (Battle of the Drumfire, #1)
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Ally
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> James 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn鈥攂oth harrowing and satirical鈥攖old from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett Ally 0 to-read 4.46 2024 James
author: Percival Everett
name: Ally
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Babel 57945316 From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he鈥檒l enroll in Oxford University鈥檚 prestigious Royal Institute of Translation鈥攁lso known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working鈥攖he art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars鈥攈as made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 544 R.F. Kuang 0063021420 Ally 0 to-read 4.17 2022 Babel
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Ally
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Collection of Monstrous Short Stories (Monstrous, #7.5)]]> 135682363
Catch up with the original monster-human couple, Danny and Wyn, in their Wastes-style adventures; witness Moth and Wyn鈥檚 blossoming and potentially concerning friendship; find out all the new ways Edin has been frustrating Hunter (lovingly) since their story ended; and join Lor and Jugs in welcoming a new furry addition to their monster-world family.

Want to find out more about Wyn鈥檚 ex Orlith? In this collection, you can take a peek at some very old letters between the two telyths, read Orlith鈥檚 historic (pre-Danny) attempts to seduce our favourite grumpy Soul Eater, and meet his uptight and righteous older sibling.

Ruke (A Monstrous Novella)
In the brand new novella Ruke, human Jamie finally finds the one being he can trust after a lifetime of loneliness鈥�

I was born the night monsters rose on earth. I鈥檓 a true child of the new world. I鈥檝e never met a single other soul except for my dad, who decided to keep us out here in the Wastes when he escaped with me from the hospital that catastrophic night.

But now Dad鈥檚 gone, and I鈥檓 alone. Completely alone. I don鈥檛 trust humans鈥攏ot raiders, not the military, not all the people living in those big dirty coastal cities鈥攕o I find the most remote spot I can to settle down and live out the rest of my life on my own, just like my dad always taught me was safest.

But I鈥檓 not on my own out here. Something is here with me鈥攕omeone is leaving me strange gifts by my campfire every night. And suddenly, I realise that I don鈥檛 want to be alone anymore. I don鈥檛 want them to go.

When he finally shows himself to me, I realise that my mystery companion out here isn鈥檛 human.

And that suits me just fine.

This is a collection of short stories set within the Monstrous universe, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order.

Warning: These stories contain explicit sexual content and are not suitable for young readers. The introduction for each short story contains content and spoiler warnings specific to that story. Main content warnings include explicit sexual content, non-human genitalia, mentions of death, injury and violence, restraint and mentions of past trauma, but please check the warnings specific to each short story.]]> 462 Lily Mayne Ally 5 fantasy, lgbtq 4.51 2023 A Collection of Monstrous Short Stories (Monstrous, #7.5)
author: Lily Mayne
name: Ally
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: fantasy, lgbtq
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Impromptu Match (Goliaths of Wrestling, #1)]]> 206008753
I have the soul-destroying corporate job, I iron my underpants, and I was unceremoniously dumped for an influencer hippie a few years ago. Every day feels the same, and I don鈥檛 know how much longer I can cope before I do something unhinged like rip off my shirt in the middle of my co-worker鈥檚 office birthday party and smear lemon cake all over my chest.

But then a case of mistaken identity suddenly lands me in the middle of a covert professional wrestling league, which is apparently being run in the basement of my office building. Weird. Even weirder are the wrestlers. They seem鈥� otherworldly. So does the rest of the staff. And the audience. Pretty much everyone except boring old me.

And then there's the owner, Holt Hector, with whom I have an extremely embarrassing first encounter. He鈥檚 ridiculously attractive, even in the inhuman cosplay get-up he's wearing that only makes him hotter, if I'm being totally honest.

Then I discover it鈥檚 not a costume. And that the show put on by Goliaths of Wrestling every night is more monstrous reality than mindblowing special effects.

My previously boring life is suddenly no longer quite so average, and hot-as-hell Holt is inexplicably as interested in me, and my ironed underpants, as I am in him and his strange new world.]]> 422 Lily Mayne Ally 0 to-read 4.13 2024 Impromptu Match (Goliaths of Wrestling, #1)
author: Lily Mayne
name: Ally
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Orc and the Innkeeper (Elderberry Falls, #1)]]> 219180706 A spunky human innkeeper drowning in magical pests, a brooding orc brewmaster, and the fake engagement that could save them both.

I've poured my heart and soul into reviving my aunt鈥檚 inn after her passing, but a pixie dust mite infestation threatens to destroy everything. Their glittery trails of destruction have infiltrated the guest rooms, and the cost to eradicate them will leave me penniless. I'm desperate for a solution.

Enter Thorak Ironfist, the orc who once tormented me in high school. Now a wealthy brewmaster, he's determined to expand his ale empire into the human realm. But prejudice stands in his way. When a potential investor mistakes him for the muscle instead of the brains, Thorak blurts out that his human "fianc茅e" handles the business side of things.

Fate intervenes when I overhear his fib. I seize the opportunity and strike a deal: I'll play the part of his devoted human partner if he financially aids me in banishing the pests.

What could possibly go wrong?

The Orc and the Innkeeper is a standalone fantasy romance set in the magical town of Elderberry Falls. It is interconnected with other tales in the Elderberry Falls series but can be read alone.



Fake engagement / fake fianc茅eEnemies-to-loversHe falls firstFormer bully romance]]> 278 Cora Crane Ally 1 dnf, fantasy 3.82 2024 The Orc and the Innkeeper (Elderberry Falls, #1)
author: Cora Crane
name: Ally
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: dnf, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)]]> 51966347 They tried to break us.
They almost did.
But we're not going anywhere.


The Celestial Heirs think the stars are on their side. But they don't know what's coming.听Fighting them one on one isn't an option so we have to be stealthy. Remaining under the radar won't be easy, but if we pull it off, they'll never suspect our involvement when their lives start falling apart.

Besides, they've already taken us to the brink of hell, what more can they really do?]]> 475 Caroline Peckham Ally 0 dnf, fantasy, overhyped 4.20 2019 Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Ally
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: dnf, fantasy, overhyped
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1]]> 62145799
When raiders from the north attack Chang Geng鈥檚 small village, he discovers that the life he knows is a lie. His mother, his teacher...even his beloved godfather, the man he trusted most in the world, are not who they seem. As enemies of the empire circle ever closer, Chang Geng must travel to the heart of the capital鈥攚ith his godfather as his guide鈥攖o meet his destiny.]]> 452 Priest 1638589313 Ally 0 to-read 4.15 2016 Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Vol. 1
author: Priest
name: Ally
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[SOS Hotel: For a Supernaturally Safe Stay! (SOS Hotel #1)]]> 210872835 Guaranteed a supernaturally safe stay!

A scandalous, ex-porn star demon and a morally shady, billionaire vampire walk into a bar鈥�

But this is no joke. It鈥檚 opening day at the SOS Hotel, and that lust demon? He鈥檚 my business partner. I know. What was I thinking? The sexy, suave vampire however? He鈥檚 something else鈥�

Creating a sanctuary for the supernaturals left here when the tear in the veil sealed was always going to be difficult, but it鈥檚 all I have, and I鈥檓 going to make it work. Despite the murders, the missing humans, and the psychotic real estate mogul who wants to bulldoze the hotel鈥�

The SOS Hotel must thrive whatever the cost. Because if it fails, I鈥檒l lose everything. Including my life.

My name is Adam. I鈥檓 just the boring human who works here, and I absolutely, definitely do not have any secrets.

Welcome to the SOS Hotel. What can possibly go wrong?

SOS Hotel contains content that some readers may find uncomfortable. For full content warnings, please see the author's website. ]]> 174 Adam Vex Ally 0 to-read 4.23 2024 SOS Hotel: For a Supernaturally Safe Stay! (SOS Hotel #1)
author: Adam Vex
name: Ally
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Devil May Lie (The Devils of Vitality)]]> 213883829
Berga Obsidian is only good for one thing.

As the Butcher of the Brumal mafia, Berga spends his days between the university and his lab, constantly caught up in one experiment or another. Everyone knows his name, and everyone fears him, but very few get close enough to learn who he really is. Even fewer actually want to. He's spent his entire life trying to make up for a mistake made as a child and is haunted by literal ghosts of the past dressed in pink tulle. Locking himself away periodically to protect himself and those around him has become second nature, that is until one mix-up with a Royal changes everything.

Madden Odell can do no wrong.

He comes from a prestigious and powerful family and is best friends with the Imperial Prince. By day, he trains at the military academy, keeping up appearances, and by night he runs the illegal street races down at the Docks. He's never wanted for anything for longer than a minute before it's his, that is until Berga strolls in and shakes up his world. Technically, they've known each other for years, but they've never been close. One night of rough and twisted debauchery and suddenly Madden is desperate to change that. By any means necessary.

But Berga is far from what he seems, with an unexpected past trauma and a strong fear of abandonment. The two of them also come from different sides of the same coin. Berga is part of the Satellite, a group created to protect the head of the mafia, whereas Madden's position with the prince means he stands with the Imperial family. Even if they can somehow work through their differences and learn to rely on one another, will their leaders ever allow their relationship to strengthen?

Or will the two of them have to choose? The life they've always known, or each other?

Trigger Warning: This is a stand-alone dark romance which means there are many themes that some might find disturbing. Some of these include, but are not limited to, dub-con, violence, a mad scientist who doesn't cater to those squeamish, and explicit sexual content not suitable for all readers. Please be sure to read the Author's Note for a complete list of warnings! HEA guaranteed! Though this book takes place on the same planet as the previous in the series, each of these is a stand-alone.]]> 457 Chani Lynn Feener Ally 0 to-read 4.39 Devil May Lie (The Devils of Vitality)
author: Chani Lynn Feener
name: Ally
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Monstrous Christmas in Camp (Monstrous, #6.5)]]> 208045905 138 Lily Mayne Ally 5 faves, lgbtq 4.53 A Monstrous Christmas in Camp (Monstrous, #6.5)
author: Lily Mayne
name: Ally
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: faves, lgbtq
review:

]]> Stupid Cupid 75381118
Not tangible, not attainable, nothing more than fiction.

Until he came along.

Dominant.

Insufferable.

Bossy.

pyro didn't plan to fall in love,

he didn't have time to until a stubborn cupid

shot into his life like an arrow soaring through the sky.

Now, he wants to prove to valentine that love is real and pyro won't give up on him no matter what.]]> 168 Maeve Black Ally 2 fantasy, lgbtq 3.61 2023 Stupid Cupid
author: Maeve Black
name: Ally
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: fantasy, lgbtq
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Burn It Down: Women Writing about Anger]]> 43886164 A rich, nuanced exploration of women's anger from a diverse group of writers

Women are angry, and from the #MeToo movement to the record number of women running for political office, they're finally expressing it. But all rage isn't created equal. Who gets to be angry? (If there's now space for cis white women's anger, what about black women? Trans women?) How do women express their anger? And what will they do with it-individually and collectively?

In Burn It Down, a diverse group of women authors explore their rage-from the personal to the systemic, the unacknowledged to the public. One woman describes her rage at her own body when she becomes ill with no explanation. Another writes of the anger she inherits from her father. One Pakistani American writes, "To openly express my anger would be too American," and explains why. Broad-ranging and cathartic, Burn It Down is essential reading for any woman who has burned with rage but questioned if she is entitled to express it.

]]> 257 Lilly Dancyger 1580058930 Ally 0 to-read 4.29 2019 Burn It Down: Women Writing about Anger
author: Lilly Dancyger
name: Ally
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Heartless 58443261 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland鈥攖he infamous Queen of Hearts鈥攕he was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

]]> 464 Marissa Meyer Ally 0 to-read 4.03 2016 Heartless
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Ally
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Teach Me (Extracurricular Activities, #4)]]> 188920288 Two strangers. One secret encounter. A whole lotta forbidden chemistry.

It was supposed to be an anonymous thrill, fueled by raw desire.
No strings, just the escape we both craved.

The last thing I need is complications, especially from a casual hookup. That was the plan.

Except now, he's not just some guy from a night I can't forget. He's in front of my class...teaching it. Turns out life has some unexpected lessons in store for me, and my professor is holding the syllabus.

Suddenly, what was supposed to be simple is anything but.

Our connection is too intense, and the stakes are way too high鈥攈is career, my recovery, our futures.
Every class is a battle against temptation, every glance a spark threatening to ignite.

We know it's reckless, yet the magnetic pull between us is irresistible. I'm not just battling the ghosts of my past but also the fear that everything I've worked so hard to rebuild might crumble.

He has everything to lose, and so do I. But when surrender feels this right, walking away becomes the toughest test of all.

From the author of Want Me comes the fourth new adult college romance in the Extracurricular Activities series.]]> 262 Neve Wilder Ally 3 lgbtq 3.98 2024 Teach Me (Extracurricular Activities, #4)
author: Neve Wilder
name: Ally
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: lgbtq
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blood of My Monster (Monster Trilogy, #1)]]> 86246890 From the USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a new dark mafia romance.

I鈥檓 out for revenge. He鈥檚 out to rule the world.
Kirill and I are as different as day and night.
We shouldn鈥檛 have been in the same frame or universe.
But we meet under the strangest circumstances.
He鈥檚 my superior in the military and the man who鈥檒l introduce me to carnage.
His charm and exterior perfection shouldn鈥檛 have tempted me.
Behind the smokescreen lurks a manipulative emotionless monster.
And that monster might find out all my secrets, including the reason why I鈥檓 pretending to be a man.
He might also lure me to the point of no return.

This book is part of a trilogy and is not a standalone.]]> 338 Rina Kent 1685450423 Ally 0 to-read 4.05 2023 Blood of My Monster (Monster Trilogy, #1)
author: Rina Kent
name: Ally
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Try Me (Extracurricular Activities #2)]]> 54781726 Two rivals. One law internship. A whole lot of objectionable activity.

It wasn鈥檛 always this way between us.
We were best friends growing up.
Competitive? Yeah.
Ruthless? Definitely.
Neither of us liked to lose.

But the intense chemistry?
That鈥檚 new.
The hatred in his eyes?
That鈥檚 new, too.

I should let it go.
There鈥檚 too much bad blood between our families. Between us.
But I can鈥檛.
I don鈥檛 think he can, either.

Now we鈥檙e gunning for the same internship.
If he thinks I鈥檒l back down, 丑别鈥檚 dead wrong.

Once upon a time, I lost everything.
I won鈥檛 let it happen again.

Go ahead. Try me.

From the author of Want Me comes the second new adult college romance in the Extracurricular Activities series. Expect drama, snark, feels, egregious misuse of private property, a guy who鈥檚 way more heteroflexible than he realized, and a semi-sorta reformed bad boy who loves to test him.]]> 390 Neve Wilder Ally 4 lgbtq 4.13 2020 Try Me (Extracurricular Activities #2)
author: Neve Wilder
name: Ally
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: lgbtq
review:

]]> For the Fans 62990658 Kyran Harbor is everything I鈥檓 not.

Rich. Popular. A superstar football player who鈥檚 awfully broody for someone who has it all. Basically, 丑别鈥檚 a preppy jock who hates me. Oh, and 丑别鈥檚 also my stepbrother.

That鈥檚 right. We鈥檙e stuck together, sharing a school, a house鈥� A bathroom. Honestly, I wouldn鈥檛 care鈥� If he wasn鈥檛 such an uptight control-freak who messes with me just because we鈥檙e different.

I had every intention of avoiding him when we got to college鈥� Until abrupt misfortune forces us both into a compromising position.

Now the grouchy jerk I was hoping to evade might be the only person who can help me out of it.

Avi Vega is everything I despise.

A dreamer. A flake. An artist who smokes too much weed and thinks aliens exist. And by some sick cosmic joke, 丑别鈥檚 now my stepbrother, following me on what should鈥檝e been my escape plan.

It was already a disaster. Add a sudden financial disruption to the mix, and let鈥檚 just say my options are heavily limited.

If I want to stay an all-star quarterback on the way to the NFL, I鈥檒l need to do something drastic. Unfortunately for me, and my desperate desire for control, the perpetually smiling stoner has a plan.

Maybe we can stop hating each other just enough to pull this off. As long as we remember we鈥檙e only doing it鈥� for the fans.

** For The Fans is a full-length standalone MM forbidden romance with an HEA. This book contains sensitive subject matter that could make some readers uncomfortable. Please heed foreword warnings and proceed with caution.]]> 546 Nyla K. Ally 3 lgbtq 4.34 2023 For the Fans
author: Nyla K.
name: Ally
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: lgbtq
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Disabled Tyrant鈥檚 Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong (Novel) Vol. 1]]> 188612945 436 Xue Shan Fei Hu Ally 0 to-read 4.41 The Disabled Tyrant鈥檚 Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong (Novel) Vol. 1
author: Xue Shan Fei Hu
name: Ally
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cut & Run (Cut & Run, #1) 213074938
Special Agent Ty Grady is pretty sure 丑别鈥檚 about to get fired. His last perp skipped town before he could make an arrest, leaving him with a lot of means and precious few ends. When 丑别鈥檚 called into the boss鈥檚 office, he expects the worst. And he isn鈥檛 exactly wrong.

Chained to a desk in cybercrimes, Special Agent Zane Garrett dots his i鈥檚 and crosses his t鈥檚. He doesn鈥檛 have much of a choice in the matter鈥攈is record can鈥檛 handle another black mark. When he learns 丑别鈥檚 getting reassigned, he doesn鈥檛 miss the ironic pronunciation on 鈥減romotion.鈥� Wherever 丑别鈥檚 going, it鈥檚 nowhere good.

When they鈥檙e partnered to solve a series of murders, their chances of success look low. They鈥檙e fantastic agents, but the case seems more like a punishment than an assignment. They can鈥檛 stop driving each other crazy. . . and not just in a bad way. This killer already took out the previous agents assigned to the case, and it鈥檚 not long before 丑别鈥檚 on Ty and Zane鈥檚 trail, as well. They鈥檒l have to set their frustrations aside, before it鈥檚 too late.]]> 493 Abigail Roux 1963773012 Ally 1 dnf, lgbtq 4.18 2008 Cut & Run (Cut & Run, #1)
author: Abigail Roux
name: Ally
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2008
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: dnf, lgbtq
review:
I couldn鈥檛 get past the constant banter between the two MMCs. It was nonstop and they felt like annoying middle school boys playacting as cops every time they opened their mouths. There were also abrupt shifts in tone and direction the story or conversation was going without any indication it was coming so after a third of the book, i just decided to start reading something else. I had originally planned to go back and finish this but honestly i just can鈥檛 get myself to do it. I already know who the VERY OBVIOUS killer is. There was hardly any mystery there.
]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, #1)]]> 22878967 It has been twenty years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs鈥攐nce thought of almost as gods鈥攚ere overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets. A representation of these laws is now written into the flesh of any who use the Gift, forcing those so marked into absolute obedience.

As a student of the Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war fought鈥攁nd lost鈥攂efore he was born. Despised by most beyond the school walls, he and those around him are all but prisoners as they attempt to learn control of the Gift. Worse, as Davian struggles with his lessons, he knows that there is further to fall if he cannot pass his final tests.

But when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. To the north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir. And to the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian鈥檚 wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is鈥]> 602 James Islington 099258020X Ally 0 to-read 4.13 2014 The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, #1)
author: James Islington
name: Ally
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Razorblade Tears 54860585 A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.

Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.

The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah鈥檚 white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss.

Derek鈥檚 father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed his father was a criminal. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy.

Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250252708]]> 336 S.A. Cosby Ally 0 to-read 4.08 2021 Razorblade Tears
author: S.A. Cosby
name: Ally
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)]]> 19161852
Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.]]> 468 N.K. Jemisin Ally 0 to-read 4.29 2015 The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Ally
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Starlight Heir 212364043
鈥淏e ready for a deadly contest for a bride, mistaken identities, hidden magic, and secrets that will keep you guessing until the end.鈥� 鈥揘ISHA J. TULI, internationally bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows. From USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard comes a scorching new romantasy that will leave you spellbound.

鈥淗is Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.鈥�

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab鈥檚 forge, she believes it鈥檚 a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith鈥攐ne of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm鈥攂ut she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined鈥攁nd fraught with danger. It鈥檚 not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest鈥nd her ire. The invitation isn鈥檛 a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper鈥攁 girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.

鈥淐onsumes all your attention and leaves you longing for more!鈥� 鈥擩ennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

鈥淪tunning .鈥� 鈥擝rigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author

鈥淧ure addictive delight." 鈥擳hea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author

鈥淎malie Howard at her finest!鈥� 鈥擠anielle L. Jensen, New York Times bestselling author]]> 368 Amalie Howard 0063355841 Ally 0 to-read 3.31 2025 The Starlight Heir
author: Amalie Howard
name: Ally
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie, #1)]]> 58081613 I was sure everything would be okay if I had them.
It wasn鈥檛.
The fate of our people is in my hands and I know we鈥檙e better off if I鈥檓 alone.
After five years on the run, I鈥檓 caught and dragged back to face the men I ran away from.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Now, I鈥檓 not so sure.
North, Nox, Gryphon, Atlas, and Gabe may never forgive me but one thing is for sure.
I won鈥檛 ever forgive myself.

*Broken Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 289 J. Bree Ally 0 to-read 4.13 2021 Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie, #1)
author: J. Bree
name: Ally
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 75513900 She is the very thing 丑别鈥檚 spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing s丑别鈥檚 spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya鈥攖he exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that鈥攐rdinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime鈥攎aking Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites鈥� powers鈥攖he very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don鈥檛 kill her, the prince s丑别鈥檚 fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is鈥攃ompletely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts Ally 0 to-read 4.17 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Ally
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)]]> 53439886
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame鈥檚 enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan鈥檚 perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector鈥檚 item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.]]> 200 Holly Black Ally 5 4.15 2020 How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)
author: Holly Black
name: Ally
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves鈥攈er dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find鈥攖he truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Ally 5 4.17 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Ally
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
I love love love but would just really love to not be left on a cliffhanger at almost every single chapter. It makes it really hard to find a place to stop and actually sleep!!
]]> Untitled (Dark Rise, #3) 51810889 C.S. Pacat 0008595747 Ally 0 to-read 4.94 Untitled (Dark Rise, #3)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Ally
average rating: 4.94
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2) 52780201
A new threat from the past is rising, and only a handful of heroes remain to fight. Pursued by dark forces, Will and his allies must leave the safety of the Hall and travel to the heart of the ancient world, making new and dangerous alliances, and revealing the shocking secrets of the past.

But Will is carrying a dark secret of his own鈥攈is true identity. Drawn to the beautiful and deadly James St. Clair, Will is pulled ever deeper into the web of the past, and finds himself tempted by the darkness within. As the ancient world threatens to return, can Will and his friends fight their fate? Or will the truths they learn tear their world apart?

Dark Heir is the explosive and highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dark Rise,from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat.]]> 496 C.S. Pacat 0062946196 Ally 5 fantasy, faves, lgbtq 4.53 2023 Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Ally
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/14
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: fantasy, faves, lgbtq
review:
So much better than book 1. So much drama. Intrigue. Character development. Can鈥檛 wait for book 3!
]]> Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2) 199531867 496 C.S. Pacat 0062946188 Ally 5 fantasy, faves, lgbtq 4.50 2023 Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2)
author: C.S. Pacat
name: Ally
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: fantasy, faves, lgbtq
review:

]]> Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) 209813409 Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don鈥檛 fall in love.

When Ophelia鈥檚 sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize鈥�a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia鈥檚 fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn鈥檛 trust him. Blackwell doesn鈥檛 seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart鈥�

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.]]> 428 Kaylie Smith 1835251412 Ally 3 fantasy, paranormal-sci-fi
Ophelia has OCD and it鈥檚 a major part of the book. To me, as someone who has OCD, it鈥檚 done well and is part of her, not just an afterthought thrown into her character.

The magic and paranormal beings were interesting, but confusing at times. Also, we鈥檙e told of 鈥淭rue Names鈥� towards the end, but not given any information regarding how one gets their True Name or what beings have them.

Overall, it was an okay book, but I would have preferred more plot development and world building, and less focus on the back and forth of the love interests and whether they鈥檙e going to be together or not. ]]> 4.15 2024 Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Ally
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: fantasy, paranormal-sci-fi
review:
It felt as though every level of hell was glossed over. The main focus was on Ophelia and Blackwell more than anything, and Phantasma Just So Happened to be the location where they met. It was super disappointing to get to a chapter where Ophelia had to go into a new level of hell and then she finished in less than a chapter. The whole thing could have been fleshed out and more detailed in my opinion.

Ophelia has OCD and it鈥檚 a major part of the book. To me, as someone who has OCD, it鈥檚 done well and is part of her, not just an afterthought thrown into her character.

The magic and paranormal beings were interesting, but confusing at times. Also, we鈥檙e told of 鈥淭rue Names鈥� towards the end, but not given any information regarding how one gets their True Name or what beings have them.

Overall, it was an okay book, but I would have preferred more plot development and world building, and less focus on the back and forth of the love interests and whether they鈥檙e going to be together or not.
]]> Maurice 214488980 Maurice is heartbroken over unrequited love, which opened his heart and mind to his own sexual identity. In order to be true to himself, he goes against the grain of society鈥檚 often unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics.
Forster understood that his homage to same-sex love, if published when he completed it in 1914, would probably end his career. Thus, Maurice languished in a drawer for fifty-seven years, the author requesting it be published only after his death (along with his stories about homosexuality later collected in The Life to Come).
Since its release in 1971, Maurice has been widely read and praised. It has been, and continues to be, adapted for major stage productions, including the 1987 Oscar-nominated film adaptation starring Hugh Grant and James Wilby.]]> 272 E.M. Forster 0571388183 Ally 0 to-read 4.20 1971 Maurice
author: E.M. Forster
name: Ally
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1971
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Yellowface 213562784
So what if June edits Athena鈥檚 novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song鈥攃omplete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena鈥檚 shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]> 322 R.F. Kuang 0063250853 Ally 0 to-read 3.80 2023 Yellowface
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Ally
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier, #1)]]> 61668207
This news throws the women in my village into a tizzy. The king will be sending out the royal guard to bring women of childbearing age to his castle in Jade City.

There is only one requirement: the woman must carry enough magic to produce an heir for him.

I鈥檓 a watered-down human with a mere ten percent dragon magic lineage, I know I won鈥檛 be chosen, but for some reason the magic sniffers command me to present myself to the king as a possible wife.

I鈥檓 ready to go to Jade City until my mother tells me a terrifying secret. A secret that could get me killed鈥� by the king himself.]]> 358 Leia Stone Ally 0 to-read 3.69 2022 The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier, #1)
author: Leia Stone
name: Ally
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga, #1)]]> 60181165 My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself.
听
Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king鈥檚 favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can't help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
听
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
听
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.]]> 448 Melissa Blair 145494787X Ally 0 to-read 3.93 2021 A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga, #1)
author: Melissa Blair
name: Ally
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 184584595
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 352 Heather Fawcett 0593500156 Ally 0 to-read 4.00 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Ally
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Whispers of the Deep (Deep Waters, #1)]]> 202675767
But then, on a solo job in an abandoned section of the city, she encounters a monster of legend. An undine. A dangerous merman from an ancient civilization, long forgotten.

Arges has fought his entire life for his people. With deadly creatures under his control, he plans to eradicate Beta once and for all to protect his kind and their peaceful way of life. But when a human woman saves him, she unknowingly creates a bond between them, one he can鈥檛 ignore. Even though her flaming red hair haunts his dreams, he needs her for information on the undine鈥檚 enemies.

So he steals her. Keeps her. Feeds her. Only to realize their bond is far deeper than captor and captive. He cannot let her go鈥攂ut he cannot keep her under the sea. In a battle to determine if love can survive a war beneath the waves, it will be their decision that changes the tides.]]> 381 Emma Hamm Ally 0 4.00 2024 Whispers of the Deep (Deep Waters, #1)
author: Emma Hamm
name: Ally
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Dead Poets Society 67238 166 N.H. Kleinbaum 0553282980 Ally 0 to-read 4.19 1988 Dead Poets Society
author: N.H. Kleinbaum
name: Ally
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>