en-US Sat, 12 Apr 2025 23:19:46 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 63905241
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr � or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 Michaela 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
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]]> 201521504
After centuries of war against the vampire kingdom at their border, her mother offers their king Dayanara's hand in marriage as a truce. Their agreement is bound by magic, and Dayanara must decide if she wants to kill the king, seduce the king, or embrace the union.

On the bright side, the marriage is set to make her the next Acna, granting her all the power that comes with the role. Depending on how much the Goddess Naom gifts her, it could be enough to regain control of her life. Or maybe everything will crumble beyond repair.]]> 484 Mikayla D. Hornedo Michaela 0 to-read, owned 4.21 2024
author: Mikayla D. Hornedo
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/12
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]]> 211117747
When the veil of secrecy is lifted, revelations emerge, threatening to fracture their already fragile bonds. Ancient prophecies intertwine with their destinies, weaving a complex web of fate and forbidden desires.

As Mira holds tight to the image of the brother she once knew, fated connections leave Koa grappling with the weight of his own secrets. In this spellbinding Mayan-inspired urban fantasy romance, the Canek siblings are thrust into a reality where the boundaries between light and shadow blur. Will they unravel the mysteries that bind them, or will they succumb to the darkness that lurks within?

For other books by Nelle Nikole [dystopian fantasy romance]: /book/show/1...

For other books by Mikayla D. Hornedo [fantasy romance]: /book/show/1...]]> 0 Nelle Nikole Michaela 0 to-read, owned 4.36 2024
author: Nelle Nikole
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/12
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]]> 217473498
But I have been dragged back into his gilded cage, trapped beneath his rule, and bound to a fate I had tried to escape.

My body is his to break, my magic his to wield. And no matter how many nights I dream of Dacre storming these halls, of his hands pulling me from the darkness—dreams are nothing against the greed of a king.

Even if my mate comes for me, even if I am freed from my father’s grip, I’m not sure there will be anything left of me to save.

The kingdom is dying. The land withers beneath the weight of stolen magic, and my father’s reign will not end without bloodshed.

But I have lived in the dark for too long.

And I was not made to wither, I was made to burn.]]> 488 Holly Renee Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.63 2025
author: Holly Renee
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/12
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]]> 209522179 From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, comes the second book in the scorching romantasy series with enthralling secrets, impassioned enemies, and luring tension.

Verena was the lost princess of Marmoris, the very thing we had spent our entire lives looking for, and I had let her go.

The lingering taste of her mixed with the deep ache in my chest over her betrayal haunted my days and nights. I knew she was hiding something, but her secrets were far more treacherous than I could have imagined.

Though I wished my own betrayal hadn’t been so bitter on my tongue.

Now my dreams are haunted with the way her deep blue eyes looked up at me in shock when I revealed I knew her truth.

The way I crave for her to look at me now as I hunt for her.

Me, along with half of the rebellion.

If my father finds her before me, there is no telling what he will do to her.

And even though she’s the little traitor I’d always thought she was, I couldn’t allow him to find her.

But his orders were clear. The princess is to be taken by the rebellion or she would be taken by the gods. I don’t know which is worse.

She is the heir to our kingdom, the daughter of the cruel king who was responsible for my mother’s death, and the key to winning our rebellion.

I vowed to my father that I would find her, the one person I wish I didn’t have to.

Verena is the hunted heir. But more than anything, she is mine.]]> 242 Holly Renee Michaela 4 3.48 2024
author: Holly Renee
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
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]]> 204624472 A scorching new fantasy romance that ignites the pages with relentless danger, forbidden passion, and the intoxicating allure of enemies to lovers.

Fleeing my father's cruelty, the wicked king who robbed me of a future, I face death in the streets, caught between a rebellion and a tyrant's reign.

Captured by those sworn to kill me, the rebels remain blind to my true identity—the missing daughter of the despised king. Faced with an impossible choice, I stand before them: join the rebels or face their blades.

Yet, Dacre, the son of the ruthless rebellion commander, becomes torn between suspicion and a desire that mirrors my own. He allows no one to touch me, tries to protect me, yet threatens me at every turn.

As secrets are weaved beyond our hidden realm, a fierce battle unfolds within me. As I get closer to the rebels, and their cause, my loyalty to my kingdom clashes with my undeniable devotion to Dacre and the burning connection between us.

In a world where love and hate are two edges of the same blade, I find myself caught in a delicate dance between forbidden desire and my looming destiny.]]> 364 Holly Renee Michaela 4 audiobooks, owned 3.83 2024
author: Holly Renee
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: audiobooks, owned
review:

]]> 210428052 What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn't sign up for this.

A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for torment.

I'm Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn't stopped the vampires from deciding I'm worth capturing. Now I'm stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We're just blood in their veins, pawns in their games.

But that's not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He's been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we're betrothed. He acts like he owns me, but I'm not going down without a fight.

Bloodwing isn't just a school—it's a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you're weak? You're dead.

Between deadly competitions, lies that could get me executed, and a dragon-shaped secret looming over my head, all I have to do is survive. Easy, right? Except I'm starting to think the real danger isn't the academy—it's what I'm becoming in this twisted game of power.

And Blake? He might just be the one who pushes me over the edge.

They think they can control me. They think they can use me.

But they have no idea what they've awakened.


Bestselling epic fantasy author Briar Boleyn returns with a new series perfect for fans of hate to love romance, heart-pounding action, and dark magic.

On Wings of Blood is a dark academia fantasy romance featuring a bully villain with Draco Malfoy energy who (eventually) gets the girl, all the tension and banter, and a tantalizingly dangerous blend of court and school intrigue all set in an intricately crafted world with unique vampire and dragon lore. Bloodwing Academy may have crossover characters from the world of Blood of a Fae, but can be read completely independently. If you're a fan of original mythology, unique world-building, and character-driven romantasy books such as Crowns of Nyaxia, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, you won't want to miss out on this riveting new saga. ]]> 523 Briar Boleyn Michaela 0 to-read 4.02 2024
author: Briar Boleyn
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/05
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]]> 153515452
The God of War has stolen that which I hold dearest. Though I am reunited with my beloved gods, a hole remains and my heart is in shambles. Together we must look to the past to preserve the future, for if we cannot restore the Rhythm, the realms will crumble.]]> 282 K.M. Moronova Michaela 4 owned 4.34
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 221548497 From internet sensation and Amazon bestseller Lindsay Straube comes the first book in the sexy, biting Split or Swallow series, featuring dangerous basilisks, competitive seduction, and a love triangle that could destroy kingdoms.

Twenty-year-old Temperance Verus has never been kissed. But that's what the basilisk is for.

Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince's hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance.

But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions. As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince. When she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two worlds, neither of which she can survive without.]]> 525 Lindsay Straube 1464247587 Michaela 0 to-read 3.79
author: Lindsay Straube
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/29
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]]> 213879514 The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance...except for her.

Threatened by invaders, the kingdom of Lumathyst is on the verge of chaos, and no one can stop it. Unless the four immortal god-princes find their fated mate―and safeguard the throne―Lumathyst will fall.

Five women have tried. Five have failed. And tonight in the royal city, the princes need to find their Chosen and hope she can survive the transformation that will make her immortal.

Only Rylee Gray wasn’t supposed to be here. She snuck in for her own dark reasons―and now they claim they've found their perfect match. Her. Of course, they have no idea she’s concealing a secret big enough to damn them all.

The four princes have no choice. They’ll use every delectably wicked skill they have to make Rylee fall for all of them…or watch their kingdom collapse.]]> Jade Presley 1649377525 Michaela 0 to-read 4.33 2025
author: Jade Presley
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> 55156899
Air Awakens

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond...

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all--the Crown Prince Aldrik--she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she's known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she's always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla's indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

FIRE FALLING, BOOK TWO
Soldier... Sorcerer... Savior... Who is Vhalla Yarl?

Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire's monster?

EARTH'S END, BOOK THREE

A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood.

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.

WATER'S WRATH, BOOK FOUR
The Solaris Empire found victory in the North and, at the cost of her heart and her innocence, Vhalla Yarl has earned her freedom. But the true fight is only beginning as the secret forces that have been lurking in the shadows, tugging at the strings of Vhalla's fate, finally come to light. Nowhere is safe, and Vhalla must tread carefully or else she'll fall into the waiting arms of her greatest foe. Or former lover.

CRYSTAL CROWNED, BOOK FIVE
Long live Solaris.

One bloodthirsty ruler has been overthrown by another, casting the shadow of death over the Solaris Empire. Vhalla Yarl stands upon the stage of fate, prepared to do battle one final time. Fragile alliances will be tested and new bonds will be formed as the world is reshaped. She fights as the champion of peace, but when the night is darkest will she be able to pay the price of a new dawn?]]> 1190 Elise Kova 1949694240 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 4.30
author: Elise Kova
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/23
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]]> 6486483 From Dr. Travis Bradberry, #1 bestselling author of EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE HABITS.

The book's smooth narrative style turns rigorous research into memorable stories and practical strategies that anyone can use to his or her advantage.

With 90% of top performers high in EQ, and EQ twice as important as IQ in getting where you want to go in life, who can afford to ignore it?

What people are saying about it:

"This book can drastically change the way you think about success...read it twice."
--Patrick Lencioni, author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

"Emotional intelligence is an extremely important skill for personal and professional success. This book is excellent and the learning included in the free online test is cutting-edge. I strongly recommend it."
--Ken Blanchard, bestselling business book author of all time; coauthor The One Minute Manager®

"In the fast lane of business life today, people spend more time on computer keyboards, blackberries and conference calls than they do in face-to-face communication. We're expected to piece together broken conversations, cryptic voicemails, and abbreviated text messages to figure out how to proceed. In this increasingly complex web, emotional intelligence is more important than ever before. This book is filled with invaluable insights and information that no one can afford to ignore."
--Rajeev Peshawaria, executive director, Goldman Sachs International]]> 255 Travis Bradberry 0974320625 Michaela 4 3.84 2003
author: Travis Bradberry
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
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]]> 208840724 Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

Will he steal her heart... or her chance at the throne?

Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he'll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she's been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he'll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.]]> 368 D.L. Taylor 1250331684 Michaela 0 to-read 3.81 2025
author: D.L. Taylor
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> 123848323
**Some of the content in this book may be triggering for some readers. The contents of this book contain aspects of depression, mental illness, morally grey characters, death, physical violence, gore, and explicit sexual scenes. Reader discretion is advised.]]> 424 K.M. Moronova Michaela 4 4.33
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
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]]> 75580801
Trauma is haunting. Twisted.

It can take everything we have... can't it? All that we are.

Well, at least mine did.

Since my dog died, I've been cursed with dreams of blood and cries. Things that were once so clear are now foggy. Why have the gods plagued my life? With loss and rot.

I've grown to despise the deities I was raised to worship. So why do I find myself crossing into the realm of the gods and entertaining the same ethereal beings?

These three males will be the end of me.]]> 340 K.M. Moronova Michaela 4 owned 4.05 2022
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 200254250 The seductive and thrilling dark fantasy romance series comes to an end in this powerful finale.

One king caged my body.

Another has caged my mind.

War has broken out between Annwyn and Orea, though that’s not the only battle being waged.

There’s a fight inside me, and it’s one I’m determined to win, no matter how much they try to strip me down and hollow me out.

Yet they’ve forgotten one thing. The ancient magic of the pair bond. One can never truly be lost when two souls are already bound.

Because Slade and I? We are connected by more than just fated magic, and we will always find each other.

In any life.

The fae king is trying to destroy me. My heritage. My memory. But what he hasn’t realized is this: gold bends, but stone breaks.

And a Goldfinch does not fall.

It flies.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering. Full content list will be located inside the book, but it includes violence, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]> 679 Raven Kennedy Michaela 0 owned, currently-reading 4.35 2024
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: owned, currently-reading
review:

]]> 127616032 Discover the serial killer romance series everyone is talking about!From the no.1 New York Times bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird and Leather & Lark comes the final book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy - a friends-with-benefits dark romantic comedy.

Murder.

Mayhem.

And spice.

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiance and his derailed surgical career. It's a simpler head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston.

But then the real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she's not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with an injured leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor.

The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together.

. . . And the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts are to catch up.

***


Friends with benefits
Small town romance
Fish out of water
Forced proximity
Hurt/care
Touch her and die]]> 416 Brynne Weaver Michaela 4 Still enjoyed it and looking forward seeing what happens next based on that epilogue!]]> 4.11 2025
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: owned, audiobooks, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
Enjoyed getting Fionn and Rose’s story, though it felt much lower stakes than the other two books and most of the “stressful� things that happened were what we already read about in the other books.
Still enjoyed it and looking forward seeing what happens next based on that epilogue!
]]> 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.95 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
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]]> 60217777 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]> 464 Kristen Ciccarelli Michaela 4 owned 4.25 2025
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 209456110
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.

When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.

The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.]]> 672 Nisha J. Tuli 1538767694 Michaela 0 3.85 2024
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: currently-reading, audiobooks, owned
review:

]]> 202507554 moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths �
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages. ]]> 718 Sarah A. Parker Michaela 5
Did I re-read this book barely 5 weeks after finishing it for the first time? Yes, I did.
Did I love it just as much, if not more than I did the first time? Absolutely.

This book was so good and so beautifully written.
The story was perfect and the author did a fantastic job of hooking you from the beginning and keeping it interesting with constant progression to the story and nothing dragging.
I’m a little sad I read this so soon because I know I’ll have a while to wait for book two, but I’m also so glad I got to experience this ]]> 3.99 2024
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry, e-books
review:
2nd re-read: Look, I’m obsessed with this book and I just had to read again once the audiobook got released. Leave me alone!

Did I re-read this book barely 5 weeks after finishing it for the first time? Yes, I did.
Did I love it just as much, if not more than I did the first time? Absolutely.

This book was so good and so beautifully written.
The story was perfect and the author did a fantastic job of hooking you from the beginning and keeping it interesting with constant progression to the story and nothing dragging.
I’m a little sad I read this so soon because I know I’ll have a while to wait for book two, but I’m also so glad I got to experience this
]]> 228256271 A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…]]> 432 Ali Hazelwood 0593955013 Michaela 0 to-read 4.38 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 131063575 She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn’t expect her own to betray her.

Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust� and kill him.

Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.]]> 450 Carissa Broadbent 1957779098 Michaela 4 owned 4.04 2023
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 208918420 Come to me, Empress �

At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene's magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.

Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon's help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.]]> Laura Thalassa Michaela 0 to-read 5.00 2023
author: Laura Thalassa
name: Michaela
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203578707 Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.]]> 336 Courtney Gould 1250340675 Michaela 0 to-read 3.89 2024
author: Courtney Gould
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211479192 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 384 Samantha Sotto Yambao 0593724992 Michaela 0 to-read 3.81 2025
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124936017
After her disastrous coronation, Diem finds herself at the center of the conflict between the Descended and the Guardians. With her newfound friends and the man she’s falling for on one side, and the mortals she has vowed to protect on the other, Diem must walk a careful line to save the people she loves� even from each other.

The mystery of her unusual heritage begins to unravel, sending Diem and Luther on an unexpected journey across the realms. The answers may hold the key to winning the war, but finding them will require her to face painful truths about her mother, her bloodline, and her fate.

Meanwhile, the Crowns have set Diem in their sights. Some could be her greatest allies—while others want her dead. To end their oppressive reign, Diem must sort friend from foe and risk it all to build an army of her own.

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything...

Heat of the Everflame is the third book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 1026 Penn Cole Michaela 0 to-read 4.27 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124935969
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.

Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 637 Penn Cole Michaela 4 Diem annoyed me for 60% of this book, but I still really enjoyed it!]]> 4.36 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: audiobooks, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.25 �
Diem annoyed me for 60% of this book, but I still really enjoyed it!
]]> 217388041 New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves � and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption � and back to each other � Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.]]> 576 Carissa Broadbent 1250367816 Michaela 0 to-read 4.30 2025
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216563167
The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell's court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride...or as a blade.]]> 512 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975308 Michaela 0 to-read 4.21 2025
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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—her 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—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Michaela 4 audiobooks, owned This book literally felt like a fever dream. I think doing audio for 90% of it was a little bit of my problem with being so confused, but the more I talk to people the more I realize the whole thing was confusing.
Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this book and will 100% be continuing the series, but I had some issues with this.
I understand it’s the “middle book� of the series, so things always get a little weird, but we received hardly any answers for all our questions and just a million more things we need answers for now.
The 4-5 fake out deaths annoyed me to no end to the point that I found myself less affected when Trager and Quinn died. Though I did still shed a tear for Quinn’s death, I can honestly say if I hadn’t read about it through her best friend’s POV I likely wouldn’t have cared.
Violet was way less annoying in this book and really grew into who she needs to be which I loved. We finally got a little info on the Irids, but hardly anything which was frustrating.
Overall this book felt like someone else wrote it compared to the last two. ]]> 4.18 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: audiobooks, owned
review:
4.5 �
This book literally felt like a fever dream. I think doing audio for 90% of it was a little bit of my problem with being so confused, but the more I talk to people the more I realize the whole thing was confusing.
Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this book and will 100% be continuing the series, but I had some issues with this.
I understand it’s the “middle book� of the series, so things always get a little weird, but we received hardly any answers for all our questions and just a million more things we need answers for now.
The 4-5 fake out deaths annoyed me to no end to the point that I found myself less affected when Trager and Quinn died. Though I did still shed a tear for Quinn’s death, I can honestly say if I hadn’t read about it through her best friend’s POV I likely wouldn’t have cared.
Violet was way less annoying in this book and really grew into who she needs to be which I loved. We finally got a little info on the Irids, but hardly anything which was frustrating.
Overall this book felt like someone else wrote it compared to the last two.
]]> 217987129 The married woman of the manor. The stranger outside. An intoxicating novel of dark temptation and dangerous desire by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cat and Mouse Duet.

November 12, 1944. This house holds on to souls for a lifetime. I thought I had given it to my husband when I vowed to love him until the end of time. I lied. Nothing could have prepared me for the day my phantom appeared outside my window. He was terrifying, yet hypnotizing, and I couldn’t deny my intrigue. I never intended to fall into a whirlwind romance with my stalker. Especially because he’s so much more than that. A criminal. A mobster. The man who offers me solace from the monster in Parsons Manor. There are many that haunt these halls, yet it’s only my husband I fear.]]> 367 H.D. Carlton Michaela 4 3.98 2025
author: H.D. Carlton
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 211081097
Newly crowned as king, Keris has watched, powerless, as his forbidden relationship with Zarrah is revealed. But when Zarrah is imprisoned by the empress, Keris knows there is only one way to save her: to ally with the kingdom he nearly destroyed.

Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil’s Island, Zarrah faces two choices: prove her loyalty to the empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third path: a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.

While the empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.]]> 576 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975278 Michaela 3 Just under 4 due to me being annoyed at Zarrah for half the book and this being a bit drug out. Either way I’m excited to get into book 5!]]> 4.17 2023
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:
3.75 �
Just under 4 due to me being annoyed at Zarrah for half the book and this being a bit drug out. Either way I’m excited to get into book 5!
]]> 213574919 Rachel Schneider Michaela 0 to-read 4.68
author: Rachel Schneider
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.68
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213309864
Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.

Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.

When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything�

…including her heart.]]> 497 Rachel Schneider Michaela 4 e-books, books-i-ve-reviewed Are you kidding me??????? If I had the paper back I would’ve thrown this book across the room. ]]> 4.29
author: Rachel Schneider
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: e-books, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.5 �
Are you kidding me??????? If I had the paper back I would’ve thrown this book across the room.
]]> 58340706
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she 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 Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the 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 taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 399 Rachel Gillig 0316312487 Michaela 5 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed This was such a cool, spooky and unique story. I really enjoyed these characters and the story, but I am NOT okay with that ending!!!]]> 4.26 2022
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/09
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:

This was such a cool, spooky and unique story. I really enjoyed these characters and the story, but I am NOT okay with that ending!!!
]]> 223111451 cruel servitude, and no hope of escape. When a band of Vikings attacks the estate
where she lives, her old life goes up in flames. On the verge of death, she’s rescued
by an unexpected savior—Erik the Axe, second in command of the Viking fleet.

Erik claims her as a spoil of war, and takes her back to his leader, Rolf the Walker.
Erik is dark and sensual to Rolf’s brutal and commanding. Subject to the whims of
both men, Cherine is once again left with no choices and no hope. She’ll have to
discover her own warrior spirit before the desires of these two men leave her
burned down to ash like the life she left behind.

VIKINGS VALHALLA meets HOOKED in this Dark Viking Romance 50K word novella by NYT
bestselling author Karina Halle. If you like your heroes morally gray, ruthless, and
looking like a SkarsgĂĄrd, get ready to be RAVAGED. as this book is dark, please
take heed of the content warning inside the book. ]]> 199 Karina Halle Michaela 3 e-books 3.43
author: Karina Halle
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.43
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: e-books
review:

]]> 90202302 “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.� —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 Michaela 5

The ending of this book made me go full nonverbal and stare at a wall for a few minutes.
I thought the first book was amazing but WOW a million times better and more emotional ]]> 4.33 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
Re-read(audiobook): I am unwell still and cannot freakin� wait until Onyx Storm


The ending of this book made me go full nonverbal and stare at a wall for a few minutes.
I thought the first book was amazing but WOW a million times better and more emotional
]]> 195436605
With the Heart Crown now in her possession, Lor must navigate the dangers of being an heir on the run, knowing more than one power-hungry ruler is after her blood. When she returns to Aphelion to unlock her magic and recover her family's legacy, it becomes clearer than ever that all that’s gold doesn’t sparkle. No stranger to battles, she continues to fight her attraction to the Aurora Prince, understanding this might be the one she finally loses.
As the past mixes with the present, Lor uncovers the truth about the Artefacts and their role in shaping her destiny. Now, her future hangs in the balance, leaving her closer than ever to getting everything she's ever wanted... or losing it all forever.]]> 556 Nisha J. Tuli 1538767686 Michaela 4 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed 4.00 2024
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
HOW COULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT
]]> 59819042 Death.
The Grim Reaper.
The Destructor.
Darkness personified.

There are countless phrases and words to describe Death, but none matter much to Tuoni, God of Death and Tuonela, the Underworld. He’s got his hands full, trying to keep his errant family in line while lording over the unruly dead in a dark and fantastical land.

But even all-powerful Gods have enemies, and Death will have to rely on his quick wits and merciless drive to reclaim his throne as life’s ultimate villain, even if it means sacrificing those closest to him.

God of Death is a prequel to River of Shadows, an adult dark fantasy romance based on Finnish Mythology. Though it is set before River of Shadows, it can be read before or after the book as added insight into the Underworld and the character of Death.]]> Karina Halle Michaela 0 to-read 4.08
author: Karina Halle
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50872082 No electricity. No cars or phones. The country is plunged into instant chaos.

But for Hannah Sheridan, it's the best day of her life. For the last five years, she's been the captive of a sadistic psychopath--until the EMP releases the lock of her prison.

Battered but not broken, she emerges from her underground cell into a hostile winter wilderness with nothing but her determination to survive.

Reclusive ex-soldier Liam Coleman is headed nowhere fast. He believed he was prepared for any disaster, until the EMP took everything he'd ever cared about in a matter of seconds.

Two hundred frozen, perilous miles stand between them and their destination in rural Michigan. But the killing cold isn't the only threat, for Hannah's captor isn't about to let her go...

When the country goes dark, ordinary people find themselves facing the end of the world as they know it. With society collapsing before their eyes, they'll have to risk everything to protect their home and the people they love.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Kyla Stone comes the Edge of Collapse series, a gripping EMP apocalypse story featuring flawed, complex characters and high-octane action adventure. A survival thriller perfect for fans of Ryan Schow, Boyd Craven, and Jack Hunt.

*This is the first book in a series. Rated PG-13 for mild language and moderate violence*]]> 318 Kyla Stone 1945410469 Michaela 0 to-read 4.16 2020
author: Kyla Stone
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214565614 A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.]]> 448 Stephen Graham Jones 1668075083 Michaela 0 to-read 4.28 2025
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211003690 An epic fantasy of vampires, werewolves and sorcerers, Lightfall is the debut novel of Ed Crocker, for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire and Richard Swan’s The Justice of Kings.

No humans here. Just immortals: their politics, their feuds—and their long buried secrets.

For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you’re poor, you drink weak blood. If you’re nobility, you get the good stuff. And you can never, ever leave.

Palace maid Sam has had enough of these rules, and she’s definitely had enough of cleaning the bedpans of the lords who enforce them. When the son of the city’s ruler is murdered and she finds the only clue to his death, she seizes the chance to blackmail her way into a better class and better blood. She falls in with the Leeches, a group of rebel maids who rein in the worst of the Lords. Soon she’s in league with a sorcerer whose deductive skills make up for his lack of magic, a deadly werewolf assassin and a countess who knows a city’s worth of secrets.

There’s just one problem. What began as a murder investigation has uncovered a vast conspiracy by the ruling elite, and now Sam must find the truth before she becomes another victim. If she can avoid getting murdered, she might just live forever.]]> 384 Ed Crocker 1250287731 Michaela 0 to-read 3.54 2025
author: Ed Crocker
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217387838 The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.]]> 320 Alex North 1250757894 Michaela 0 to-read 4.23 2025
author: Alex North
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59531495 River of Shadows is an adult dark fantasy romance based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela.

When 24-year old Hanna Heikkinen's estranged father dies, she reluctantly makes the trip to Northern Finland for his funeral. Being in the enchanting land of ice and snow feels miles away from Hanna's busy life back in Los Angeles, especially under the complicated circumstances.

But when Hanna discovers that her father's body is missing, that's when things really get weird. A mysterious man, Rasmus, tells Hanna the truth: her father was a powerful shaman who went into Tuonela, the Realm of the Dead, in order to barter for more life, and has been held captive by Tuoni, the God of Death. The only way her father can be freed is if she travels with Rasmus into the mythical underworld to rescue him.

Willing to do anything to have a second-chance with her father, Hanna accompanies Rasmus into the dark and bloody realm, traveling via the River of Shadows, stalked by dangerous creatures, monsters, and the living dead, until they finally come into the haunted kingdom ruled by Death and his family.

Only for her to be captured and held prisoner by the God of Death himself.

Turns out Death is intrigued by Hanna's beauty and fierceness and makes a bargain with her. If she marries him, and spends an eternity in the Realm of the Dead as his wife, he'll set her father free.

But even the most noble sacrifices come with hidden costs, and Hanna's might involve the most unexpected of all things: her heart.]]> 354 Karina Halle Michaela 0 to-read 3.65 2022
author: Karina Halle
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211119622 More details coming soon! Alexis L. Menard Michaela 0 to-read 5.00
author: Alexis L. Menard
name: Michaela
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199847716
Nicolai Attano finally has everything he’s ever wanted: control over the Iron Saint Railway, safety for his family, and not a single rival syndicate to stand in his way. Never could he have imagined he’d want anything more than power—not until Camilla Marchese.

Six weeks have passed since the disaster on the train and his wife was kidnapped, but to get her back, he’ll need help. Nico struggles to work with a city poisoned against him and is instead forced to seek the aid of a disreputable black-market dealer. A simple deal to ensure her rescue, Nico doesn’t think twice. A bargain is struck, and the cost is higher than ever. The collateral? His life.

Meanwhile, Camilla fights to gain control over her newfound powers as the alchemist in charge of her confinement puts her to the test. Forced to free what she’s held so close, the only light in this hellish prison is the hope to see her family again, and the husband who stole her heart. Three trials and three chances to find the source of her Chaos and use it to save herself, if it doesn’t destroy her first.

Cracks in the city draw lines between loyalties, and time is running out until everything comes crashing down. Return to Lynchaven in this action-packed and swoony conclusion of Nico and Milla’s story.]]> 494 Alexis L. Menard Michaela 4 e-books, books-i-ve-reviewed 3.84 2024
author: Alexis L. Menard
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: e-books, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
I didn’t fall as madly in love with this as I did the first book, but I still very much enjoyed it and learning more about Chaos. The twists and betrayals were wild and I will probably always hate Aramis
]]> 195138739
An heiress in the most notorious family in Lynchaven, Camilla Marchese is doing all she can to keep her family’s syndicate, the Iron Saint Railway, from slipping into bankruptcy. When the gorgeous and depraved Nicolai Attano, the leader of a rival family, offers to pay off the Inspector in exchange for her hand, she has no choice but to give up not only her throne—but her name.

Nico has his own motivations for their union beyond maintaining peace with her family. A serial kidnapper known as The Collector has been ravaging the streets of Remnant Row, stirring up mistrust between natives and descendants. If Milla can help restore safety to his streets, he’ll have no need for her or her family’s company. Find the Collector, prevent a war between their sides of the city, and pay off the family debt before she turns twenty-one. If Milla can fulfill her end of the bargain, she’ll walk away with more freedom than she’s ever had before.

But this deal plunges Milla into the city’s dark underbelly where remnant magic and arcane science compete in a deadly game of depravity. When forbidden feelings rise for her new husband and dark family secrets come to light, Milla must discover the truth about her past before it gets them both killed or worse—collected.

Set in a post-industrial age setting on a magical Isle, Peaky Blinders meets the magic system of the Grishaverse in this rivals-to-lovers adult fantasy romance.]]> 432 Alexis L. Menard Michaela 5 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed 3.99 2023
author: Alexis L. Menard
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
This was so good! I loved everything about this. The magic was intriguing, the enemies to lovers slow burn was perfect, and both MC’s were fantastic. I can’t wait to read the next book!
]]> 199898250
As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

This unputdownable and spine-tingling novel “is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. We Used to Live Here will haunt you even after you have finished it� (Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender Is the Flesh).]]> 320 Marcus Kliewer Michaela 0 to-read 3.78 2024
author: Marcus Kliewer
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57693183 Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street.

You can't escape what's in your blood...

All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it, too: a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice.

Callie is worried about her mother. Rob has begun to look at her strangely, and speaks of past secrets. And Callie fears that only one of them will leave Sundial alive�

The mother and daughter embark on a dark, desert journey to the past in the hopes of redeeming their future.]]> 292 Catriona Ward 1250812682 Michaela 0 to-read 3.77 2022
author: Catriona Ward
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 191754348
When Lor and Nadir team up to search for a lost item that holds the key to her past and her future, she isn’t sure she can trust him. All she knows is sheĚýwon’tĚýfall for another royal fae’s promises again.

With the Sun King determined to reclaim her, Lor must keep on the move, but nowhere is safe. Not until she destroys him and the Aurora King. But she soon learns that the future of Ouranos depends on much more than avenging her shattered legacy. Ěý]]> 512 Nisha J. Tuli 1538767651 Michaela 4 owned 3.89 2023
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Michaela 5 I don’t know if I even have the words…this book was amazing, the ending was ]]> 4.56 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
Oh. My. Gravy.
I don’t know if I even have the words…this book was amazing, the ending was
]]> 58311939 Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.

After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making ­- loving two princes and trusting neither - things are not quite as clear as she once thought.

As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn't even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm - whether she likes it or not.]]> 481 Lexi Ryan 0358386586 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.92 2022
author: Lexi Ryan
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
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review:

]]> 202204691 Ask Cordelia Black why she did it. The answer will always be: He had it coming.

Cordelia Black loves exactly three things: Her chosen family, her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip), and killing bad men.

By day she's an ambitious pharma rep with a flawless reputation and designer wardrobe. By night, she culls South Louisiana of unscrupulous men—monsters who think they've evaded justice, until they meet her. Sure, the evening news may have started throwing around phrases like "serial killer," but Cordelia knows that's absurd. She's not a killer, she is simply karma. And being karma requires complete and utter control.

But when Cordelia discovers a flaw in her perfectly designed system for eliminating monsters, pressure heightens. And it only intensifies when her best friend starts dating a man Cordelia isn't sure is a good person. Someone who might just unravel everything she has worked for.

Soon enough Cordelia has to come face to face with the choices she's made. The good, the bad, and the murderous. Both her family, and her freedom, depend on it.]]> 432 Emma C. Wells 1464218625 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.65 2024
author: Emma C. Wells
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
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]]> 205792530
Samara’s brothers agree in exchange for a large dowery but on her way to her new kingdom, her carriage is ambushed by Lore, the wicked Prince of Nightshade.

Samara believes that the fae has snatched away her chance at freedom to punish her for her crimes against his kind but punishment is only half of Lore’s plan.

The truth is that the Elven Prince has pined after Samara for seven long years. She is all he can think about—a toxin in his blood. Can the Prince of Nightshade, whose power over poisons rivals none in The Enchanted Forest, manage to find a remedy or will he succumb to her love?]]> 240 Scarlett St. Clair 1464216886 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.58 2024
author: Scarlett St. Clair
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: to-read, owned
review:

]]> 56187473

Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. Three weeks later they fled in the dead of night, an ordeal her father recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His story of supernatural happenings and malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity--and skepticism.

Maggie was too young to remember any of the horrific events that supposedly took place, and as an adult she doesn't believe a word of her father's claims. Ghosts, after all, don't exist. When she inherits Baneberry Hall after his death and returns to renovate the place and sell it, her homecoming is anything but warm. The locals aren't thrilled that their small town has been made infamous, and human characters with starring roles in House of Horrors are waiting in the shadows.

Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself--a place where unsettling whispers of the past lurk around every corner. And as Maggie starts to experience strange occurrences ripped from the pages of her father's book, the truth she uncovers about the house's dark history will challenge everything she believes.]]> 416 Riley Sager 1524745197 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 4.13 2020
author: Riley Sager
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: to-read, owned
review:

]]> 200982373 Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.

Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality―Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork―whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster―Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...]]> 336 C.G. Drews 1250895669 Michaela 0 to-read, owned 4.12 2024
author: C.G. Drews
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/25
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]]> 61160899 The Bridge Kingdom series, The Calm Before the Storm is six chapters of extra content that take place after the events of The Traitor Queen and The Inadequate Heir.

Ithicana has been liberated from the Maridrinians, but not everyone holds peace in their hearts. Revered by some as a savior and despised by others as a curse upon the kingdom, Lara must navigate treacherous waters as she resumes rule alongside her husband, Aren. Her only certainty is the bond between them, but long overdue conversations will put the strength of their marriage to the test. They must decide what their future will hold, all while dark clouds gather in the south. A storm that no nation, not even the Bridge Kingdom, will escape unscathed.

These bonus chapters are now included in the back of the U.S. & Canada ebook & paperback editions of The Inadequate Heir, and will soon be included in the UK & international language editions.]]> 80 Danielle L. Jensen Michaela 0 to-read 4.06 2022
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/22
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]]> 211081102 Return to the world of The Bridge Kingdom in this sensuous fantasy full of romance and intrigue that is perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Silver Flames.

A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths. The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. And the second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.

The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah’s people dead and countless more orphaned. So when she’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her. And to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.

Yet a chance encounter with an anonymous, and handsome, Maridrinian causes Zarrah to question whether the violence she’s perpetrated is justice or a crime. And as she continues to meet the nameless man each night, she finds common ground - and fiery passion - in his arms.

But when identities are revealed, Zarrah must decide whether to embrace a chance at peace…or march to the drums of war.]]> 673 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975243 Michaela 4 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed 4.07 2022
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
I loooooved reading Keris and Zarrah’s story! The overlap with the first two books was nice too and I can’t wait to finish their journey ❤️
]]> 203325526 Fourth Wing meets The Serpent and the Wings of Night in this dark, alluring fantasy romance filled with tension, combat, magic, fae, fallen angels, vampyres, and two stubborn rivals.

Huntyr has fought for survival her entire life. Raised under Lord, the master of assassins in Midgrave, she has spent over twenty years learning to kill the blood-hungry, depraved vampyres that lurk in the darkness. Huntyr is the most lethal fae in the kingdom, which is why Lord chooses her to complete the next mission.

Huntyr must survive Moira Seminary and make it into The Golden City—the mysterious elite society of the few remaining angels and the magic fae who live in luxury with no crime, no poverty, and certainly no vampyres.

Only when she arrives at the academy, she’s forced to room with Wolf—the terrifying fallen angel who happens to know her assassin identity.

Determined to keep her head down in Moira, Huntyr tries her best to ignore Wolf. Over time, though, he not only becomes the only person she can lean on, but the one who might keep her alive through the life-threatening tests to get into The Golden City.

A wolf and his huntress. An academy designed to break them.

Huntyr will do anything to please the assassin master, but Wolf begins to test her in ways she never imagined. Is she strong enough to stick to the mission? Or will new truths—and alliances—put everything at risk?

Wings So Wicked is a new adult fantasy romance with fae, vampyres, fallen angels, magical trials, fierce main characters, dark themes, forced proximity, 'who did this to you' moments, possessive males, rivals to lovers, elite societies, hidden identities, and so much more. Readers who love academy settings, main characters riddled with darkness, angst, and slow burn romances will devour this story!]]> 381 Emily Blackwood Michaela 0 to-read 3.75
author: Emily Blackwood
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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 Michaela 5 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed This book really pulled on my heartstrings ]]> 4.39 2023
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/13
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.5�
This book really pulled on my heartstrings
]]> 214305778 Damned by gods and threaded by fates, two mortals must embrace the darkness to find their true destinies.

Lilith Clarke is supposed to be dead: murdered by the vicious King Oren, her blood staining a field of daisies. But death would have been merciful.

After years of having no name, she is finally given a title: Queen of Umbra. But it will cost her everything. Lily is now bound to King Asher, the most powerful and brutal shadow divinus in all of Omnia. Forced to rule in secret, she slowly loses herself to the darkness. She fears it will swallow her whole.

Until he arrives, tugging an ancient thread deep within her soul.

Theodore Kincaid seeks justice in Umbra but falls captive to his sworn enemy, the ruthless King Asher. Trapped in the kingdom that killed his beloved, his fate seems sealed until a chance encounter with the secret Queen of Umbra offers him an opportunity he can’t resist.

Theo and the Queen each believe that they are in full control, but neither is prepared for what the fates have in store.
Amidst a realm on the brink of chaos, two souls collide in a heart-wrenching tale of unveiling secrets, conquering the darkness, and igniting a love that could save or destroy.

In The Shadows is the first book in a new series filled with forbidden romance, enemies-to-lovers, magical powers, fated mates, and political intrigue. It’s perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Fourth Wing, The Cruel Prince, One Dark Window, and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 496 L.B. August Michaela 0 to-read 3.83 2024
author: L.B. August
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 44778083
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.]]> 803 Sarah J. Maas 1635574048 Michaela 5 The world building in the beginning took me a little time to get, but by chapter 5 I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. This is going down as one of my favorite books she’s written ]]> 4.43 2020
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
The way I SOBBED in the last 150 pages of this book! Freakin� amazing story once again told by the queen herself, SJM.
The world building in the beginning took me a little time to get, but by chapter 5 I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. This is going down as one of my favorite books she’s written
]]> 211004179 For fans of Jordan Peele’s films, Stranger Things, and The Other Black Girl, Listen To Your Sister is a laugh-out-loud, deeply terrifying, and big-hearted speculative horror novel from electrifying debut talent Neena Viel.

Twenty-five year old Calla Williams is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. Calla is overwhelmed and tired of being the one who makes sacrifices to keep the family together. Jamie, full of good-natured sixteen-year-old recklessness, is usually off fighting for what matters to him or getting into mischief, often at the same time. Dre, their brother, promised he would help raise Jamie–but now the ink is dry on the paperwork and in classic middle-child fashion, he’s off doing his own thing. And through it all, The Nightmare never stops haunting Calla: recurring images of her brothers dying that she is powerless to stop.

When Jamie’s actions at a protest spiral out of control, the siblings must go on the run. Taking refuge in a remote cabin that looks like it belongs on a slasher movie poster rather than an AirBNB, the siblings now face a new threat where their lives–and reality–hang in the balance. Their sister always warned them about her nightmares. They really should have listened.]]> 352 Neena Viel 1250906326 Michaela 0 to-read 3.27 2025
author: Neena Viel
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220160814 Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Ratcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.

Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.

But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heeded a warning: Don’t let him in.]]> 368 Lisa Jewell 1668033879 Michaela 0 to-read 4.00 2025
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217388429 Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

On a remote, craggy island nestled off the coast of Sweden, four friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina—meet every year. Best friends since childhood, the idea is to drink beer, dance by the water, and shake off the weight of life's expectations. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. One night of reckless fun and secret-sharing, and then they return to their normal lives.

Ten years later. Ever since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared on their annual trip to a remote island together. As her true crime fervor turned into a wildly popular podcast, Tessa urgently covered Sweden’s most gruesome cases, but could never find the answers behind what happened to these women who disappeared, leaving a few maddening clues but no concrete answers. Now Tessa’s podcast has crashed and burned, any chance she had at uncovering the truth vanishing with it.

Anneliese is Tessa’s best friend, and before she walks down the aisle, she wants to have a bachelorette party. The Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek, sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. The idea is to drink gallons of cava, do sunrise yoga, and get in their last chance to bond with the bride. Tessa will not pass this up. It’s her last chance to find out what happened to the four women, once and for all.

And it’s someone else’s last chance to get revenge.]]> 304 Camilla Sten 1250868505 Michaela 0 to-read 3.59 2025
author: Camilla Sten
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216223604 The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.
]]> 384 Freida McFadden 1464232989 Michaela 0 to-read 3.58 2025
author: Freida McFadden
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217198337 A prequel novella in the world of Adrian x Isolde by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Scarlett St. Clair]]> Scarlett St. Clair 1464239630 Michaela 0 to-read 4.33
author: Scarlett St. Clair
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 174057601 Khalani is a Prisoner.
Takeshi is a Guard.
Both are slaves to the Underground.

Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn't commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.

In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani's blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won't kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.

Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.]]> 321 Alexis Patton Michaela 0 to-read 3.86
author: Alexis Patton
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204593914 Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don't fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 Michaela 4 owned 4.06 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves: owned
review:

]]> 123349658
Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.]]> 670 Melissa K. Roehrich Michaela 0 to-read 4.01 2023
author: Melissa K. Roehrich
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 175959322
We had one shot to get out of the Sinister Minister’s grasp, and we took it. Hand in hand, Kansas and I fled in the middle of the night, with a promise that we’d never tell a soul about what happened at that house, and how Constantine died.

Eisley has spent the last decade looking over her shoulder while trying to forget the horrors The Minister and �The Family� inflicted upon her and others. However, something continues to call to her. In the deepest roots of her psyche, she can’t escape the nightmares of her time trapped in the cult.

All of her fears come to a head when she finds a letter taped to her door, informing her that a documentary is being made about The Minister and the events that took place ten years ago. When she politely declines, she can’t help but wonder why they didn’t fight her more to talk.

It isn’t until she turns on the TV that she sees that they didn’t need her to talk because they had someone else to captivate their audience. They found Constantine.

He’s alive.

He remembers that we left him.

Slash or Pass is a MFM horror romance. If you like slasher horror, spicy romance, and a little schmink in your books, you’re going to enjoy this novel.]]> 426 Tylor Paige Michaela 0 to-read, owned 3.70
author: Tylor Paige
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/30
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]]> 210134467 New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante's Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods. Features beautiful case art and a detailed map.

In the descent to the underworld, a bride of the sun must choose between the light of her redemption� or a dark love that defies the gods themselves

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire � her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him� by killing the very death god she’ll help resurrect.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness � and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.]]> 498 Carissa Broadbent Michaela 4 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed The slowest of slow burns just to rip my heart out at the end ]]> 4.02 2024
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.5 �
The slowest of slow burns just to rip my heart out at the end
]]> 17557470 288 Donnie Eichar 1452112746 Michaela 0 to-read 3.94 2013
author: Donnie Eichar
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60679138
My oldest friend and the greatest hunter in Aetherus is favored to win, and we've planned our entire lives together.

That is, until the Reaper, the monster who haunts the trees, arrives with the largest stag in the forest and claims me as his own.]]> 130 Nisha J. Tuli Michaela 0 to-read 3.60 2022
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214568198 Can you live a lie?

It’s a ghost town, this place that haunts me, the one that made me. It’s clear to me that I’ll never outgrow Triple Falls or outlive the time I spent here.

I can still feel them all, my boys of summer.

Even when I’d sensed the danger, I gave in. I didn’t heed a single warning. I let my sickness, my love, both rule and ruin me. I played my part, eyes wide open, tempting fate until it delivered. There was never going to be an escape.

All of us are to blame for what happened. All of us serving our own sentences. We were careless and reckless, thinking our youth made us indestructible, exempt from our sins, and it cost us all.

I’m done pretending I didn’t leave the largest part of me between these hills and valleys, between the sea of trees that hold my secrets.

It’s the reason I’m back. To make peace with my fate. And if I can’t grieve enough to cure myself in my time here, I’ll remain sick. That will be my curse.

But it’s time to confess, to myself more so than any other, that I’d hindered my chances because of the way I was built, and because of the men who built me.

At this point, I just want to make peace with who I am, no matter what ending I get. Because I can no longer live a lie.]]> 545 Kate Stewart 1496756703 Michaela 4
This book ripped my heart to shreds and made me sob so many times. I found myself frustrated with Cecelia for a good portion of this book and felt it drug on a little bit at one point, which is why I’m rating under 5 stars.
This book made my chest ache with the emotions it took me through. I’m torn between wanting every book to affect me this way and never wanting to feel that way again.
Can’t wait for the next



]]> 4.46 2020
author: Kate Stewart
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
“We love rainy days, don’t we, baby?�

This book ripped my heart to shreds and made me sob so many times. I found myself frustrated with Cecelia for a good portion of this book and felt it drug on a little bit at one point, which is why I’m rating under 5 stars.
This book made my chest ache with the emotions it took me through. I’m torn between wanting every book to affect me this way and never wanting to feel that way again.
Can’t wait for the next




]]> 56182388
I’ve lived the entirety of my life wrapped up in subterfuge for one purpose—revenge.

Through the years, I lived more as an enigma than a man.

For so long, I denied I had a beating heart of my own.

Until her. Until she unearthed the starving vessel inside, forced me to acknowledge it, forced me to understand that I’m capable of bleeding the same as any other.

For that, we paid. We're still paying.

Yet, she demands it still, the useless heart of the ruthless thief and shameless villain she fell for. My fear is, I’m no longer that man.

With the lies I’ve told, the life I’ve led, my mistakes are beginning to catch up with me, day by day, one by one.

This is my last chance, and I have no intention of losing her again, but as the deception of my past starts to unravel and close in, shedding my humanity may be the only thing that can save us both.

Maybe it’s already too late.]]> 539 Kate Stewart Michaela 0 to-read 4.19 2021
author: Kate Stewart
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: to-read
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]]> 40748777 Can you keep a secret?

�I grew up sick.��

Let me clarify.��I grew up believing that real love stories include a martyr or demand great sacrifice to be worthy.�� Because of that, I believed it, because I made myself believe it, and I bred the most masochistic of romantic hearts, which resulted in my illness.��

When I lived this story, my own twisted fairy tale, it was unbeknownst to me at the time because I was young and naïve. I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.�� Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.�� Secrets that cost us everything to keep.

��That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.�� Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.�� And all were punished.]]> 354 Kate Stewart Michaela 5 4.05 2020
author: Kate Stewart
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves:
review:
Now to go buy book 2 and have my heart ripped out
]]> 203579177 From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.]]> 338 Jason Rekulak 1250895782 Michaela 0 to-read 3.62 2024
author: Jason Rekulak
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55504599
Once upon a time, there lived a girl named FallonĚýwho was taken far away from home shortly after she was born.Ěý
A home that held more than strange traditions and bizarre superstitions.
Twenty-four years later, she returned to Weeping Hollow, a town she’d only heard about in stories during restless nights under a marble moon, in the middle of the night to take care of her last living relative.Ěý
They called the nosy mortician a freakshow–a ghastly thing.
They said I couldn’t go near her.
Still, there was this aching pull to Fallon Grimaldi that I couldn’t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we’d been here before.

Once upon a time, there lived a mysterious boy named Julian with a curse as old as centuries wrapped around his soul.Ěý
He was one of the four Hollow Heathens, the very dark creatures who caused the town’s people to live in fear.Ěý
And the Blackwell name was stained with darkness and death.
They called him a monster. Cold and hollow.
They said I shouldn’t go near him.
Still, there was this aching pull to Julian Blackwell that I couldn’t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we’d been here before.Ěý]]> 475 Nicole Fiorina 1735204722 Michaela 0 to-read 3.85 2020
author: Nicole Fiorina
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> 61246394 The Bachelor meets the Hunger Games. Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King's heart.

Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King's rule. Her only desire is to get free and pay him back for every moment of misery.

When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight when she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she'll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge.

But Lor doesn't belong in the Sun Queen Trials. She doesn't understand why she was freed, and she isn't a citizen of the Sun King's court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is wiped off the gameboard, permanently.

Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she'll be sent back into the hands of the Aurora King.

This glittering fae romance is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer Armentrout, and Raven Kennedy. Trial of the Sun Queen is the first book in a trilogy with an eventual happy ever after. ]]> 400 Nisha J. Tuli Michaela 4 e-books, owned 3.76 2023
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: e-books, owned
review:

]]> 62810727 Over here.
No, look up.
Yeah, I’m the one they talk about. The headmaster’s prized possession, locked away in the bell tower of NotreDame Parochial College. To most of the students I was just a myth.
An urban legend.
The girl who rings the bells up in the tower, the one who talks to gargoyles.

Frollo’s secret

Then they showed up, those heartless heathens. Outcasts, just like me. But these men aren’t just dangerous, they’re heartless. They won’t abide or bend to the rules of this deranged school and the secrets it keeps from the world.

But now that they’ve found me, they may never let me go.
And maybe I wouldn’t want them to�

Heartless Heathens : Sanctuary
Is a Why Choose Gothic Romance in an academy setting loosely inspired from major points of Victor Hugo’s Notredame De Paris. This is NOT a retelling, it is NOT a fractured fairy tale or a reimagining. All characters are adults.]]> 406 Santana Knox Michaela 0 to-read, e-books, owned 3.79
author: Santana Knox
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read, e-books, owned
review:

]]> 177999955
My name is Cecilia Flores, my entire life so far has been dictated by small men and their greedy ambitions. I’m on the run from my past and my only hope to stay alive are the very men who might just want me dead the most.

Ronan Zerkos, Santos �lvarez and Mateo Kane. They’re the leaders of the Black Crow Brotherhood, the most violent crime organization in Cove City. They’re ruthless, cruel men and though the strings of our past still bind us together, the scars of my betrayal may be too deep to look past.

They’ve sworn to put me through hell to exact their revenge and I’ll do whatever it takes to guarantee my protection from the real threat. Even if it means swallowing my pride and letting them think they can break me.

This book is dark in nature and not suited for readers under 18, please see content warnings.]]> 381 Santana Knox Michaela 0 to-read, e-books, owned 3.76
author: Santana Knox
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read, e-books, owned
review:

]]> 58411935
August 1955,

When Miss Darcy O’Sullivan, an orphaned English teacher from Boston, receives a letter that her biological father passed away, she is surprised to find herself included in his will.
There is only one condition.
She must travel to Fairydale to attend his funeral.
With the promise of a sizable inheritance, Darcy decides to journey to the small coastal town that holds the secrets of her birth. But the moment she steps foot into Fairydale, things start to go amiss.
Odd residents. Odd rumors. Odd…deaths.
Everything about Fairydale is odd.
Including brooding Caleb Hale—part of the infamous Hale family.
During the day, she falls deeper and deeper under his spell as he forces her to step out of her comfort zone and embrace her inner sensuality.
But at night it’s another man who haunts her dreams—Amon d'Artan, a nobleman who lived two centuries ago.
Amon is sweet and suave where Caleb is intense and dangerous, and Darcy feels more torn than ever. Soon, she finds herself embroiled in a web of lies, deceit, and inexplicable events that make her question her sanity.

When an ancient evil threatens the town and everything Darcy holds dear, she must make the ultimate choice.

But will she survive it?



Fairydale is a dark gothic historical romance with horror, paranormal & fantasy elements. This is NOT a traditional love triangle. It features a villainous love interest that would end the world for his beloved and an all-encompassing love story spanning millennia. This is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Please check the triggers before reading.]]> 772 Veronica Lancet Michaela 0 to-read 3.89 2022
author: Veronica Lancet
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201575237 PRIEST. PIRATE. MONSTER.

From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes Ocean of Sin and Starlight, a dark-fantasy romance with morally grey pirates and monstrous sirens, a standalone spinoff of A Ship of Bones and Teeth.
I wasn’t always a monster.

Once upon a time I had a family, a home, dreams.

Until it was taken away from me and I was turned into a creature only the Devil could love, cursed with bloodlust and immortality.

I spent a century in an isolated monastery for other heathens like me, learning to control my most monstrous impulses, becoming a man of faith so I could put my sins behind me.

I was doing so well.

I was almost…human.

Until I met her.

Larimar, the tempting siren who made me forget my vows, who promised herself to me before she escaped my clutches.

Now I’m obsessed with tracking Larimar down, joining an infamous pirate crew on their ship the Nightwind as we search the high seas for any sign of her.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I find her.

But I know she belongs to me.

And I’ll become a monster once more.

NOTE TO READER: This book can be read as a standalone. HOWEVER, if you were planning on reading A Ship of Bones and Teeth, then I would read that first before you read OOSAS. ALSO...please head the content warnings inside of the book.]]> 0 Karina Halle Michaela 0 to-read 3.69
author: Karina Halle
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 138358709
Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.

Ten years agoĚýshe sold her soul to the sea witch Edonia, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. But after a decade of abuse and misery inflicted by the cruel prince, Maren wants nothing more than to leave him and her royal role behind and find Edonia to reverse the spell.

An opportunity for escape presents itself when the prince and princess are traveling overseas and are taken hostage by a band of notorious pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Ramsay "Bones" Battista. Maren has heard the sordid stories about the infamous pirate--not only is his ship supposedly haunted and crewed by the damned, but that no prisoners ever survive.
Ěý
Fortunately for Maren, she learns that the captain also has a score to settle with the sea witch. With any luck, Maren may be able to get her old life back, even if it's being held in the captain's wicked hands.

But Ramsay gets more than he bargained for when he learns who--and what --Maren is, and that her appetite for revenge, freedom, and bloodlust rivals his.

Meanwhile Maren finds herself falling for the pirate's dark nature, even as she discovers that Ramsay has a secret more deadly than her own.

When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface.]]> 442 Karina Halle Michaela 0 to-read 3.78 2023
author: Karina Halle
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216953177 From the New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana, comes the highly anticipated finale of the Dark Verse series.

It ends where it begins.

Four couples. Six books. One saga.

Tristan and Morana. Dante and Amara. Alpha and Zephyr. Shadow Man and Lyla.

The world is darker. The game more dangerous. The stakes much more deadly.

A new era is born.

***

Please This is the sixth book in the series and must be read in order. Reading out of order is not recommended. This is a dark romance series. Please read the author's note for content warnings. ]]> 400 RuNyx Michaela 5 I’d love to have gotten some more information on these “experiments�, but I’m content with what we were given.
Another great book by Runyx ❤️]]> 3.62 2024
author: RuNyx
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: e-books, owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
A fantastic end to a fantastic series. The epilogues along with several other moments had me sobbing and I’m so happy we got this perfect ending.
I’d love to have gotten some more information on these “experiments�, but I’m content with what we were given.
Another great book by Runyx ❤️
]]> 15839976 "I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.]]> 382 Pierce Brown 0345539788 Michaela 0 to-read 4.26 2014
author: Pierce Brown
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211081092
A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.

And it is bait she fully intends to take.

Risking her life to the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king, but for liberating the Bridge Kingdom from her father's clutches using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. But not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized, enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the very man she's trying to free—the husband she betrayed.

With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who—and what—she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself.]]> 416 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975219 Michaela 4 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed What an emotional rollercoaster with a fantastic ending ]]> 4.18 2020
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.5�
What an emotional rollercoaster with a fantastic ending
]]> 195580026
Callum Griffin is the heir to the Irish Mafia. He’s ruthless, arrogant, and he wants to kill me.

We got off on the wrong foot when I set a (very small) fire in his house.

Our families believe a marriage pact is the only thing that will prevent all-out warfare.

I think I might need to murder him while he sleeps.

This would all be a lot easier if Callum wasn’t so damned good-looking.

But I’ve got a lockbox around my heart. Because even if I’m forced to marry him�

I could never love a brutal prince.

“Brutal Prince� is the explosive first act in the epic “Brutal Birthright� series. It’s a stand-alone Dark Mafia Romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers. It contains blazing hot bedroom scenes for mature readers only!!!]]> 376 Sophie Lark Michaela 0 to-read 3.61 2020
author: Sophie Lark
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221266114
So what is she to do when she finds herself on a plane to California and on her way to a sure death sentence? A one-night stand. At least, that’s all it was supposed to be—one last night to be free. Only, she finds out too late that the dark and mysterious man she solely wanted as a fling is not only her new comrade but also the one she dreaded meeting most—her immediate superior and untouchable devil in the field. Bones.

He’s hell on earth—cruel and unforgiving, but most of all, he hates her, and he makes sure she knows it. And yet, she finds herself unwilling to leave his side when he’s unable to get to the evac point when their mission goes awry.

She stays behind with the devil and the secrets he keeps. They only have one another to trust when no faith is left.]]> 464 K.M. Moronova 1963474066 Michaela 5 3.89
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
Mrs. Moronova has become an auto buy author for me at this point. Her book always have me hooked right away and I’m tears by the end. This book was so good and the ending was fantastic
]]> 211081101
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save� and which kingdom she’ll destroy.

Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 448 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975189 Michaela 4 books-i-ve-reviewed, owned After the first chapter it felt a little bit slow for a few chapters, but then I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down! Can’t wait to continue the series]]> 4.01 2018
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed, owned
review:
4.5�
After the first chapter it felt a little bit slow for a few chapters, but then I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down! Can’t wait to continue the series
]]> 217236276
When a brutal betrayal leaves twenty-eight-year-old Nell heartbroken, she makes a desperate plea for love—offering anything in exchange. But when her bargain is answered by Enver, a cursed immortal bereft of emotions and memories, she is swept away to his timeless castle and presented with an impossible choice: escape his labyrinth within forty-eight hours or surrender to an eternity as his lover.

Despite the passion that burns hot between them, Nell refuses to become another of Enver’s victims. She vows to face the labyrinth—and his seduction—head-on. But Enver embodies temptation, and every stolen moment with him leaves her craving more.

With every step deeper into the labyrinth, she uncovers not only hidden truths about herself and what she truly desires but also the forgotten secrets of its enigmatic ruler. With every touch, their connection deepens, and Nell begins to see beyond Enver’s shadowed facade, realizing he may not be the monster he claims to be.

Torn between her desire for love and the dangerous being incapable of loving her, Nell must choose between her heart and her freedom—or risk surrendering both to his darkness forever.

For fans of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast.]]> 532 Jordan Lynde Michaela 0 to-read 3.75
author: Jordan Lynde
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204593559 A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding�

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most� Axton’s infamous court.

A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.]]> 502 Kerri Maniscalco 0316557544 Michaela 4 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
“Why are you telling me this?�
“Because.� He held my stare. “I thought you were the most devastating thing I’d ever seen. A comet speeding directly at me. And I was so lost to your splendor, I didn’t care if you wiped me clean out of the realm, so long as I got the change to admire you, even from a distance.�


Gluttony grovels and I LOVE IT!
This book was a perfect enemies to lovers with these hidden feelings and a back story no one expected. Each book makes me question who my favorite Prince of Hell is and right now, it’s Gluttony.
Adriana was such a fun and witty FMC who guarded her heart just right and was easy to love.
I really enjoyed reading about the dragons and having more on these cursed objects. I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about!

“I’ve adored you from nearly the first moment I saw you. I loved you when I didn’t like you. I loved you when you bested me. And when I bested you. I love your smart mouth, your clever mind, your darkest fantasies. Your brightest joy. I love that you never let me win, that any victory I have is fleeting but earned. And I will live out the rest of eternity loving you.”]]> 3.89 2024
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
4.5 �

“Why are you telling me this?�
“Because.� He held my stare. “I thought you were the most devastating thing I’d ever seen. A comet speeding directly at me. And I was so lost to your splendor, I didn’t care if you wiped me clean out of the realm, so long as I got the change to admire you, even from a distance.�


Gluttony grovels and I LOVE IT!
This book was a perfect enemies to lovers with these hidden feelings and a back story no one expected. Each book makes me question who my favorite Prince of Hell is and right now, it’s Gluttony.
Adriana was such a fun and witty FMC who guarded her heart just right and was easy to love.
I really enjoyed reading about the dragons and having more on these cursed objects. I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about!

“I’ve adored you from nearly the first moment I saw you. I loved you when I didn’t like you. I loved you when you bested me. And when I bested you. I love your smart mouth, your clever mind, your darkest fantasies. Your brightest joy. I love that you never let me win, that any victory I have is fleeting but earned. And I will live out the rest of eternity loving you.�
]]> 201813589
Academic rivals and an ancient prophecy.

Maeve is the only Magical with the ability to jump through minds. Mal is the youngest Supreme in history.

Who is the prophesied Dread Descendant? And will they save the Magical’s home realm before the darkness destroys their Magic completely?

“Maeve crossed the hall between them with confidence. In three short steps, she stood before his throne. A decaying skull broach appeared on his breast pocket. The final piece of his Dread Mark. She and Abraxas were the mouth and the sword. He was Death incarnate.�

Dark Magic comes at a cost, but Maeve Sinclair is willing to sacrifice more than just her Magic in exchange for freedom. She is the only witch with the ability to jump through minds. She and her magical world live in hiding on Earth, desperately waiting for the rise of the prophesied Dread Descendant. While praying for this Prince of Darkness to return them to their ancient home realm, the humans wage wars that threaten magic's very existence on Earth. When an unlikely friendship with Malachite Peur blossoms at the most prestigious magical academy in the world, the pair discovers that together they could be unstoppable.]]> 472 Lauren Cate Leake Michaela 0 to-read 3.66
author: Lauren Cate Leake
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36550871 Like everyone else, I have life goals.

Goal #1: Become a real girl instead of this invisible ghost thing I currently am.

Goal #2: Convince the four men I've been haunting for the past five years to pick me to be their new toy after goal one is complete.

Goal #3: Figure out who/what I am and why I can't remember anything past the five years I've been haunting this quad.

Goal #4: Eat popcorn.

See? Perfectly normal. Sort of.
Gotta start small, after all.
It's not like anyone else is perfect either.

**Sexual situations
**Reverse Harem
**Dark humor galore
**Language warning]]> 173 Kristy Cunning Michaela 0 to-read 4.10 2017
author: Kristy Cunning
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209741142 A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 688 Keri Lake Michaela 5 owned, books-i-ve-reviewed Reading this felt a bit like I was watching a movie and it was so easy to get immersed in the world. Creepy, intriguing and the slowest of all slow burns. Can’t wait for the next book and I’ll for sure be reading anything else this author writes!]]> 4.14 2024
author: Keri Lake
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: owned, books-i-ve-reviewed
review:
This was my first read from Keri Lake and wow it did not disappoint!
Reading this felt a bit like I was watching a movie and it was so easy to get immersed in the world. Creepy, intriguing and the slowest of all slow burns. Can’t wait for the next book and I’ll for sure be reading anything else this author writes!
]]> 207003676 The pulse-pounding third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Lightlark Saga, by acclaimed author and #BookTok sensation Alex Aster

Love kills kingdoms�

Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.

Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.

As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.

With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.]]> 384 Alex Aster 141977378X Michaela 5 Skyshade is by far the best book in this series thus far, even though I spent about half of it pissed off at Isla and yelling at how she treated Grim.
Grim is a top tier shadow daddy and surpasses Oro to an insane extent. This ending was crazy and while I feel like she could’ve wrapped the series up if this played out a little different, I’m not mad that there will clearly be another one. Although, I do feel like this could have the tendency to be a series too dragged on if the author isn’t careful on how she does it.]]> 3.62 2024
author: Alex Aster
name: Michaela
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/06
date added: 2024/11/06
shelves: audiobooks, books-i-ve-reviewed, books-that-made-me-cry
review:
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Skyshade is by far the best book in this series thus far, even though I spent about half of it pissed off at Isla and yelling at how she treated Grim.
Grim is a top tier shadow daddy and surpasses Oro to an insane extent. This ending was crazy and while I feel like she could’ve wrapped the series up if this played out a little different, I’m not mad that there will clearly be another one. Although, I do feel like this could have the tendency to be a series too dragged on if the author isn’t careful on how she does it.
]]> 219866773 Keri Lake Michaela 0 to-read 4.63 2025
author: Keri Lake
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204458825 A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?]]> Elise Kova 0593726359 Michaela 0 to-read 4.49 2025
author: Elise Kova
name: Michaela
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>