en-US Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:35:47 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 171948 Parson's Pleasure is a country tale, A Piece of Cake, a wartime reminiscence, Lamb to the Slaughter a story of vengeful murder, and the remaining two, The Bookseller and The Butler, are on favorite themes of greed and snobbery.]]> 87 Roald Dahl 0146000552 Stella 4 for-school 4.23 1953
author: Roald Dahl
name: Stella
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/01
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: for-school
review:

]]> 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 432 Emily Henry Stella 4
This was not an easy read, but one that will ruminate in my head for a great while.

Different readers will take away from different parts of the story, which really intrigues me. I loooved reading Margret Ives' account of her life. There is something about the retrospective reflection that felt so wise and profound. It truly felt like she had a lot to teach me about different ways to view the world. The majority of passages I highlighted came from her recaps of her story. I found myself itching to get to her chapters.Ěý

Alice is a fun lead at first. She had some really fun banter with Hayden at the beginning of the book. But Alice's story happens in the present and we get to move through all of her emotions with her. It made it a bit messy, because we don't get the introspective reflection that we do from Margaret's story. I personally struggled with this and found myself missing Margaret's story. It was a little hard to relate to Alice's conflicts, but a different reader would likely feel otherwise. This book really offered something different for everyone to knaw on.Ěý

Hayden oh Hayden. Like every other loveable Emily Henry man (except for that ]]> 4.22 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: Stella
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves:
review:
Definitely don't bring this one to the beach for a cute little reading session. Bring it to the beach for a little emotional crash out

This was not an easy read, but one that will ruminate in my head for a great while.

Different readers will take away from different parts of the story, which really intrigues me. I loooved reading Margret Ives' account of her life. There is something about the retrospective reflection that felt so wise and profound. It truly felt like she had a lot to teach me about different ways to view the world. The majority of passages I highlighted came from her recaps of her story. I found myself itching to get to her chapters.Ěý

Alice is a fun lead at first. She had some really fun banter with Hayden at the beginning of the book. But Alice's story happens in the present and we get to move through all of her emotions with her. It made it a bit messy, because we don't get the introspective reflection that we do from Margaret's story. I personally struggled with this and found myself missing Margaret's story. It was a little hard to relate to Alice's conflicts, but a different reader would likely feel otherwise. This book really offered something different for everyone to knaw on.Ěý

Hayden oh Hayden. Like every other loveable Emily Henry man (except for that
]]> 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 Stella 0 to-read 4.14 2024
author: Keri Lake
name: Stella
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222376766 From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs� sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and the last hope of ending the endless night—his surrogate daughter, Dior. With no thought left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of Elidaen to claim the life of the Forever King.


Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards the besieged capital of Augustin in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may the last time, there will be no one left for them to trust.

Not even each other.]]> 800 Jay Kristoff 1250245370 Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220061020 Game of Thrones meets Outlander in This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

When Maggie wakes up, cold, naked, and filthy in Kair Toren, a city in the kingdom of Rellas, she recognizes it immediately. It’s the world she knows intimately from the pages of an unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. With no idea how or why she landed in this gritty, violent world, she’s determined to survive until she can figure out how to get home with her only tools � an encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, setting, and the characters� actions, motivations, and fates: information she can sell to the highest bidder � all while staying under the radar so as not to change the very information she plans to barter.

Soon Maggie discovers another surprising “skill�: she cannot be killed (though many will try.) And as she becomes more attached to the motley band she’s somehow gathered � which includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, a dangerous soldier, and various outrageous magic creatures � she abandons all thoughts of lying low for her own good. Instead she finds herself trying to save them, and the Kingdom of Rellas from the cataclysmic war she knows is coming.]]> Ilona Andrews Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2026
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213618143 The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.]]> 465 Robert Jackson Bennett 0593723821 Stella 0 currently-reading 4.55 2025
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Stella
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 199190261
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Hecuba and Gale escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again.]]> 322 Rick Riordan 1368112382 Stella 4 4.14 2024
author: Rick Riordan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves:
review:
Who knew house-sitting could be so chaotic and fun. The PJO crew always hits.
]]> 221287780
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 1963474074 Stella 0 to-read 3.75
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Stella
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 231425241 T. Kingfisher Stella 0 to-read 0.0 2026
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Stella
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:
New reason to live: Two T. Kingfisher releases in 2026
]]> 218372451 “Kennedy Ryan pours her whole soul into everything she writes, and it makes for books that are heart-searing, sensual, and life affirming.”―EMILY HENRY, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hendrix Barry lives a fabulous life. She has phenomenal friends, a loving family, and a thriving business that places her in the entertainment industry's rarefied air. Your vision board? She’s probably living it.

She’s a woman with goals, dreams, ambitions—always striving upward.ĚýAnd in the midst of everything, she's facing her toughest challenge caring for an aging parent.

Who has time for romance? From her experience, there's a low ROI on relationships. She hasn't met the man who canĚýkeep up with her anyway. Until...him.

Tech mogul Maverick Bell is a dilemma wrapped in an exquisitely tailored suit and knee-melting charm. From their first charged glance at the summer's hottest party, Hendrix feels like she’s met her match. Only he can’t be. Mav may be the first to make her feel this seen and desired and appreciated, but he’s the last one she can have. Forbidden fruit is the juiciest, and this man is off limits if she plans to stay the course she’s set for herself.

But when Maverick gives chase—pursuing her, spoiling her,ĚýunderstandingĚýher—is it time to let herself have something more?


A deeply moving and personal novel about sacrifice, self-reliance, and finding true happiness from “one of the finest romance writers of our age.� �Entertainment Weekly]]> 448 Kennedy Ryan 1538706857 Stella 0 to-read 4.42 2025
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 18966806
Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.]]> 525 Pierce Brown 0345539842 Stella 4
Only complaint is the violence against women that is prevalent throughout the series. Although I love Darrow, there are times that I feel like he is a boy who has watched too many superhero movies and thinks he has the right to bear arms.]]> 4.52 2016
author: Pierce Brown
name: Stella
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves:
review:
A really strong end to the trilogy. I was tense the whole way through, never knowing what was going to happen next. Pierce Brown really knows how to write an epic war.

Only complaint is the violence against women that is prevalent throughout the series. Although I love Darrow, there are times that I feel like he is a boy who has watched too many superhero movies and thinks he has the right to bear arms.
]]> 231126842
The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?�

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.]]> 400 T. Kingfisher 1250829828 Stella 0 to-read
this time with creepy crawlies? We love a woman in STEM.]]> 0.0 2026
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Stella
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:
MORE T. KINGFISHER

this time with creepy crawlies? We love a woman in STEM.
]]> 231547784 Once upon a time, a girl found a magical puppy, and her life was never the same again.

Nina Popoca needs help.

So, so much of it.

The only place she can find that help is on a sprawling ranch in Colorado. A place hiding more than a community filled with magical creatures trying to live their lives in safety and in peace. A village that might hold the answers to questions she’s had her entire life.

And if that ranch is owned by her best friend’s hunky cousin?

…there are worse things in the world than having to live right by Henri Blackrock.]]> 717 Mariana Zapata Stella 0 to-read 4.73 2025
author: Mariana Zapata
name: Stella
average rating: 4.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228928465 Matt Dinniman Stella 0 to-read 4.50 2025
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Stella
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Stella 3
I LOVE Rune. Her cover story of being a socialite was extremely well done. It really subverted the usual "oh no I hate dresses and girly things" FMC. The idea to have her start the story fully immersed in her socialite cover meant the story hit the ground running. Rune really was clever and charismatic. I truly believed she was the star of every room she walked into. Obssessed.

The tension in the first half between Gideon and Rune was also spectacular. Witch and Witch Hunter romance is quite generic. But it is something else when the Hunter doesn't know she is the Hunted. Ahhhh the intensity of their scenes ]]> 4.16 2024
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Stella
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
The first half of this book was EVERYTHING. The perfect cat-and-mouse game that reminded me of the Rook and Rose series, with a sprinkle of the Six of Crows series.

I LOVE Rune. Her cover story of being a socialite was extremely well done. It really subverted the usual "oh no I hate dresses and girly things" FMC. The idea to have her start the story fully immersed in her socialite cover meant the story hit the ground running. Rune really was clever and charismatic. I truly believed she was the star of every room she walked into. Obssessed.

The tension in the first half between Gideon and Rune was also spectacular. Witch and Witch Hunter romance is quite generic. But it is something else when the Hunter doesn't know she is the Hunted. Ahhhh the intensity of their scenes
]]> 62232755
Dark lord
Demon spawn
Prophesied realm destroyer

With a demon for a father, Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne’s destiny could be nothing but nefarious, and with the completion of his most vicious spell, Damien is on the cusp of fulfilling the evil inevitability all of his dark machinations have led to.

And then, her.

Bubbly
Obnoxious
Blonde

Harboring secrets of her own, a tiny yet troublesome thief calling herself Amma completely upsets Damien’s malevolent plans when she mistakenly gets chained to his side through magic, forcing him to drag her across the realm. Killing her would fix things, of course, but the nauseatingly sweet Amma proves herself useful on Damien's unholy crusade and then proves herself the source of something even more sinister: feelings.

Will Damien be forced to abandon his villainous birthright to help the tender thorn in his side? Or will he manage to overcome the virtue Amma insists on inspiring and instead cut it out at the heart?]]> 459 A.K. Caggiano Stella 2
1) This book was touted as a fresh romantasy book with a "weak* FMC who breaks the mould for the typical sassy assassin archetype. But what Reddit failed to mention is that Amma acts like a child at the ripe old age of 25. Drop her into a Disney animated film and she will fit right in with Rapunzel, Anna, and that girl from Wish. We have typically clumsy behaviours, full on whining sessions, and a few years.

Her throat swelled with a sound that wouldn’t come, and she looked around for help, anything to relieve the powerful ache buried inside, clawing to be free. When there was nothing, she stomped a foot and squealed. “Now I’m not even allowed to cry?�

I love a break from the typical stabby FMCs but do we need to devolve back to foot stomping and squeals to offset the sass? Can't a woman be soft and composed? Can't a woman be soft-hearted and not naive? I guess that's why these are fantasies. ]]> 4.10 2022
author: A.K. Caggiano
name: Stella
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
Utterly disappointed that the r/fantasyromance darling turned out to be cringey and boring.

1) This book was touted as a fresh romantasy book with a "weak* FMC who breaks the mould for the typical sassy assassin archetype. But what Reddit failed to mention is that Amma acts like a child at the ripe old age of 25. Drop her into a Disney animated film and she will fit right in with Rapunzel, Anna, and that girl from Wish. We have typically clumsy behaviours, full on whining sessions, and a few years.

Her throat swelled with a sound that wouldn’t come, and she looked around for help, anything to relieve the powerful ache buried inside, clawing to be free. When there was nothing, she stomped a foot and squealed. “Now I’m not even allowed to cry?�

I love a break from the typical stabby FMCs but do we need to devolve back to foot stomping and squeals to offset the sass? Can't a woman be soft and composed? Can't a woman be soft-hearted and not naive? I guess that's why these are fantasies.
]]> 219848368 A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.]]> 288 Thea Guanzon 0593874269 Stella 0 to-read 4.43 2025
author: Thea Guanzon
name: Stella
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: to-read
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 Stella 2
Insta-love and no tension. I had to double check how far in the book I was because within the first few chapters, the characters were moving in together? Come on. This is "friends to lovers" in the loosest sense. Fionn and Rose were as much friends as the neighbour 8 houses down from me who I see once every month at the community mailbox.

And even when they do fall for each other, the friends-with-benefits set up was brief, and tame.

The only thing I liked was Fionn and Rose separately as characters. I would genuinely want to be their friend. I was actively rooting for them, but their story was unimaginative and forgettable.]]> 4.10 2025
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Stella
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/16
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves:
review:
Light work no reaction.

Insta-love and no tension. I had to double check how far in the book I was because within the first few chapters, the characters were moving in together? Come on. This is "friends to lovers" in the loosest sense. Fionn and Rose were as much friends as the neighbour 8 houses down from me who I see once every month at the community mailbox.

And even when they do fall for each other, the friends-with-benefits set up was brief, and tame.

The only thing I liked was Fionn and Rose separately as characters. I would genuinely want to be their friend. I was actively rooting for them, but their story was unimaginative and forgettable.
]]> 222376572 Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple�

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.]]> 336 Travis Baldree 1250334888 Stella 0 to-read 4.11 2025
author: Travis Baldree
name: Stella
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60140684 **
I’ve spent my entire life hiding what I can do. The things I know. Until the day Nick Reilly walks into my hospital room.

Nick—the man I've been dreaming about for as long as I can remember. I know everything about him, as if we spent an entire lifetime together, and I know I loved him in a way I’ve never loved anyone else...including my fiancé.

Even stranger? Nick’s been dreaming about me too.

Working with him to unravel the puzzle might save me, but the attraction between us could destroy us both. Just like it did before.]]> 286 Elizabeth O'Roark Stella 2 4.16 2019
author: Elizabeth O'Roark
name: Stella
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:
An entire book about emotional cheating. �
]]> 91921340
Willow Crowley’s world comes crashing down when she discovers her boyfriend has been seeing another woman. The dream she’d held of a life with him is shattered in an instant, leaving her alone with nothing except heartache.

She vows to never open herself to that hurt again�

Until a seductive, otherworldly stranger with white hair, piercings, and icy blue eyes promises her a single night of pleasure. No strings attached.

But that night isn’t enough for him. He wants more, more than she’s ready to give. How can she trust him not to break her heart when he isn’t even human?

Kian has lived promiscuously for four hundred years, feeding on the desire of the humans he and the fae considered prey. But when he locks eyes with a purple-haired female, something inside him shifts irrevocably.

No one else can sate his hunger.

He wants her.
Needs her.
Yearns for her.

Yet she refuses to submit to the carnal delights he promises. She wants more. She wants…love.
Can he mend her broken heart? Can he love a mortal woman?
-----
Content warnings can be found on the author's website.]]> 396 Tiffany Roberts Stella 0 to-read 3.90 2023
author: Tiffany Roberts
name: Stella
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 122537127
I am a husk seeking oblivion.

Broken after the death of her parents, Gwyn Parsons self-medicates with alcohol and skin contact. She doesn't forge real connections, and she's lost sight of who she even is. Prompted by the memory of a past betrayal, she decides to be vulnerable. Allowing a friend to coordinate a matchmaking photo shoot with a stranger, Gwyn takes a step toward something dangerous and unpredictable.

Something she can't control.

ROMAN

Her heart is better off in a box than in my hands.

Roman Sauveterre's search for his brother's killer, murdered while looking for the last two vampire hunters, has brought him to Gwyn Parsons. Where his brother and those before him have failed, Roman will not. Set to inherit leadership over his vampire coven, Roman must prove to his father he deserves it. Taking out the last threat to his people while avenging his brother's death should suffice. He knows everything there is to know about Gwyn and her father, far more than she seems to. Not convinced that the walking disaster of a person he's stalked these last few months could have had anything to do with his brother's death, he seeks answers by getting closer. When his patience pays off and he finds himself posing for steamy photographs with the last living vampire hunter, her apple pie scent and body in his hands are a temptation he doesn't expect. And when his father demands Gwyn's heart, Roman must make a choice.

When Gwyn's inner thoughts are silenced by the inimitable Roman Sauveterre, she is drawn to him in a way she fears. And when Roman starts to question his loyalty because of her, he knows a decision must be made.

But will either of them survive it?]]> 436 Jess Wisecup Stella 0 to-read 3.95
author: Jess Wisecup
name: Stella
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 231126885
Now, the world is ending for real. A wandering blackhole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they’ve ever known will be gone.

Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They’re in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it’s all over.

On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how–impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, new friends.

And as the blackhole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.

Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?]]> 400 TJ Klune 1250881234 Stella 0 to-read 0.0 2026
author: TJ Klune
name: Stella
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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.]]> 430 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975189 Stella 0 to-read 4.01 2018
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Stella
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> 528 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Stella 0 currently-reading, book-club 4.56 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Stella
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: currently-reading, book-club
review:

]]> 18966819
A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.]]> 466 Pierce Brown 0345539826 Stella 5
I've been grieving the direction An Embers in the Ashes series took since 2022. If you loved the first book in that series (and fell in love with Helene), then this series will be right up your alley. I would like to think that in another universe, Helene would be hanging out with Darrow and Victra.

Pros:
- Probably the most action-packed story I have read this year. This book feels like a blockbuster movie, in the best possible way.
- The political game is so well done. I loved this far more than the Inititute (Hunger Games clone) from the first book. This book does draw a lot of similarities to Catching Fire but I enjoyed the characters in this book far more. There were also far more twists and turns in this book that left me gasping.
- Darrow is ruthless and it is so satisfying to read. His rage rivals that of Rin from The Poppy War. It is so easy to root for him.

Cons:.
- The amount of sexism and implied sexual violence is a turn off. The book also reads very "teen boy ansgt" which I hope will improve as the series goes on. I wish the Golds had some redeeming qualities. It's pretty exhausting to read about them. I do enjoy that some of them are morally grey.]]> 4.48 2015
author: Pierce Brown
name: Stella
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves:
review:
Second Book Syndrome? Pierce Brown obviously has never heard of her. What a follow-up novel.

I've been grieving the direction An Embers in the Ashes series took since 2022. If you loved the first book in that series (and fell in love with Helene), then this series will be right up your alley. I would like to think that in another universe, Helene would be hanging out with Darrow and Victra.

Pros:
- Probably the most action-packed story I have read this year. This book feels like a blockbuster movie, in the best possible way.
- The political game is so well done. I loved this far more than the Inititute (Hunger Games clone) from the first book. This book does draw a lot of similarities to Catching Fire but I enjoyed the characters in this book far more. There were also far more twists and turns in this book that left me gasping.
- Darrow is ruthless and it is so satisfying to read. His rage rivals that of Rin from The Poppy War. It is so easy to root for him.

Cons:.
- The amount of sexism and implied sexual violence is a turn off. The book also reads very "teen boy ansgt" which I hope will improve as the series goes on. I wish the Golds had some redeeming qualities. It's pretty exhausting to read about them. I do enjoy that some of them are morally grey.
]]> 62794526 When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.

Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township--she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters-- beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she'd be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.

For her family's sake, she's vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire's infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires--before anyone else is murdered.]]> 352 Julia Seales 0593449983 Stella 4
Pros:
- Beatrice is such a fun character. She is odd in the best way. Really hoping that there will be more books so she can light up the pages again. Drake made a fun partner for Beatrice. Their dynamic worked so well.
- The mystery was so so good. Loads of twists and turns that kept be engrossed through to the end.
- The rest of the characters also held their own. Each had their distinct personalities so despite being a huge cast, no one got lost.
- Mary? Her random cameos killed me.

Cons:
- My only issues is that the murder occurs 33% into the book so the beginning felt extremely slow. Believe me, just push through it and you will have a blast.]]> 3.67 2023
author: Julia Seales
name: Stella
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/28
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves:
review:
Wow this is a super impressive debut novel. I picked this up as I needed something similar to India Hilton's book. This book certainly delivered (think less romance but much more crime solving).

Pros:
- Beatrice is such a fun character. She is odd in the best way. Really hoping that there will be more books so she can light up the pages again. Drake made a fun partner for Beatrice. Their dynamic worked so well.
- The mystery was so so good. Loads of twists and turns that kept be engrossed through to the end.
- The rest of the characters also held their own. Each had their distinct personalities so despite being a huge cast, no one got lost.
- Mary? Her random cameos killed me.

Cons:
- My only issues is that the murder occurs 33% into the book so the beginning felt extremely slow. Believe me, just push through it and you will have a blast.
]]> 230794673 John Marrs 1662527705 Stella 0 to-read 0.0
author: John Marrs
name: Stella
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Stella 3
But Aiden and Lucie's friendship and attraction developed way too fast. These two virtual strangers became so comfortable around each other so fast. I thought we were going to get a lot more radio content but instead, we hardly get any on-air tension.

There is the usual bad dates with other guys, and the typical fun night out as friends that turns into feelings. All cute but too typical.

Grayson, Mateo, and Maya are side characters were also just ok. They were supportive and cozy, but also extremely bland.

Interested in the Jackson and Delilah book.]]> 4.06 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: Stella
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
Extremely ok. The premise of the book was so interesting and the beginning had me excited.

But Aiden and Lucie's friendship and attraction developed way too fast. These two virtual strangers became so comfortable around each other so fast. I thought we were going to get a lot more radio content but instead, we hardly get any on-air tension.

There is the usual bad dates with other guys, and the typical fun night out as friends that turns into feelings. All cute but too typical.

Grayson, Mateo, and Maya are side characters were also just ok. They were supportive and cozy, but also extremely bland.

Interested in the Jackson and Delilah book.
]]> 60028919 From a major new debut author in epic fantasy comes the second book in a trilogy where action, intrigue, and magic collide. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor's Justice: a detective, judge, and executioner all in one. But these are dangerous times to be a Justice....

A Justice's work is never done.

The Battle of Galen's Vale is over, but the war for the Empire's future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum's authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.

Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor's grandson has been kidnapped - and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him - and his allies Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir - to the southern frontier, where they will once again face the puritanical fury of Bartholomew Claver and his templar knights - and a dark power far more terrifying than they could have imagined.

"Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more." - Sebastien de Castell on The Justice of Kings

"A fantastic debut." - Peter McLean on The Justice of Kings

Also by Richard Swan:

The Empire of the Wolf
The Justice of Kings
The Tyranny of Faith]]> 496 Richard Swan Stella 3
Although there was a bit of a mystery element in this book with the kidnapping of a certain character, the majority of the story lacked the "crime solving" from the first book. It gets a bit too metaphysical with the necromancy and wishy-washy magic system.

Helana also becomes a lot less likeable in this book, being really caught up in melodrama.

Probably won't continue which is a shame since I loved the first book.]]> 4.27 2023
author: Richard Swan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
While this book was good, it striped away everything I liked about the first book.

Although there was a bit of a mystery element in this book with the kidnapping of a certain character, the majority of the story lacked the "crime solving" from the first book. It gets a bit too metaphysical with the necromancy and wishy-washy magic system.

Helana also becomes a lot less likeable in this book, being really caught up in melodrama.

Probably won't continue which is a shame since I loved the first book.
]]> 207704242 The bookshop must have an owner . . .'A DARK DREAM . . . BEWARE. THIS FAIRY TALE IS DEADLY' LAINI TAYLOR, on The City of Stardust

In this extraordinary standalone from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The City of Stardust, a disgraced bookseller is offered the chance to restore a magical bookshop to its former glory, and enters a dark underworld of unscrupulous collectors, deadly ink magic and shady societies.

If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron's bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it's a glimpse into a world of deadly bargains and powerful, magical books.

For Cassandra Fairfax, it's a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she's used her skills in less . . . ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys looking for power money can't buy.

Then Chiron dies. And if Cassandra knows anything, it's the bookshop must always have an owner.

To restore the shop, she'll need the help of Lowell Sharpe, a rival bookseller who is everything Cassandra is not � and knows it, too.

But as she is plunged into a world of unscrupulous collectors, deadly ink magic and shady societies, a dark force threatens to unravel the bookshops entirely . . .]]> Georgia Summers 1399714376 Stella 0 to-read 4.50 2025
author: Georgia Summers
name: Stella
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 200608045
A kingdom with no ruler, its magical veil of protection weakening, and an enemy poised to invade.

Found in the woods and raised by her adoptive uncle, Orella has been content living a peaceful life in a small village. She dreams of nothing more than following her uncle’s footsteps as a healer, but fate has other plans. When an unexpected incident causes Orella to unleash magic she was never aware of, her entire world is shifted.

As a dark power roams closer, she is forced to embark on a perilous adventure with Caleb. A green-eyed warrior who comes crashing into her life, confusing her heart in the process.

Together, they’re in a race to reach the lost city of Astrea. Hidden from the rest of the world by centuries old magic, it is the one place Orella and her companions will be safe.

With the future of the entire land of Faeries in jeopardy, Orella must decide if she is willing to let go of the past and embrace her destiny.]]> 470 Sara Shafiei 1738147614 Stella 0 to-read 4.56
author: Sara Shafiei
name: Stella
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220341389 John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease.

Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, John Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone while traveling with Partners in Health. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal and dynamic advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing 1.5 million people every year.

In Everything is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.]]> 208 John Green 0525556575 Stella 0 to-read 4.52 2025
author: John Green
name: Stella
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 52504334 Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city -or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…]]> 438 P. Djèlí Clark 1250267676 Stella 0 to-read 4.01 2021
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Stella
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220967612 A search for a missing person uncovers a galaxy-spanning conspiracy in this thrilling standalone space opera from award-winning author Megan E. O'Keefe.

The Black Celeste is a ghost story. A once-legendary spaceship collecting dust in a cosmic graveyard known as the Clutch. Only famed pirate Bitter Amandine knows better, and she’ll do anything to never go near it again. No matter the cost.
Faven Sythe is crystborn, a member of the near-human species tasked with charting starpaths from station to station. She’s trained to be a navigator her entire life. But when her mentor disappears, leaving behind a mysterious starpath terminating in the Clutch, she is determined to find the truth. And only Amandine has the answers.

What they will find is a conspiracy bigger than either of them. Their quest for the truth will uncover secrets Amandine has long fought to keep buried � secrets about how she survived her last encounter in the Clutch, and what’s really hidden out there amongst the stars...]]> 345 Megan E. O'Keefe Stella 0 to-read 4.60 2025
author: Megan E. O'Keefe
name: Stella
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217453580 Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom—or burn it down—in this new romantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.

Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.

As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.]]> 480 L.J. Andrews 0593818679 Stella 0 to-read 4.57 2025
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Stella
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222490389 In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.�

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.]]> 1040 SenLinYu 0593972708 Stella 0 to-read 4.57 2025
author: SenLinYu
name: Stella
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:
THE Dramione fanfic being traditionally published??? Prepare to be sick of me.
]]> 207670238
“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.�

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.]]> 976 SenLinYu Stella 0 to-read 4.73 2025
author: SenLinYu
name: Stella
average rating: 4.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:
THE Dramione fanfic being traditionally published??? Prepare to be sick of me.
]]> 195790867 Robin Sloan expands the Penumbraverse to new reaches of time and space in a rollicking far-future adventure.

In Moonbound, Robin Sloan has written a novel with the full scope and ambitious imagination of the very books that lit the engines of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: an epic quest as only Sloan could conceive it, mixing science fiction, fantasy, good old-fashioned literary storytelling, and unrivaled enthusiasm for what’s next.

It is thirteen thousand years from now . . . A lot has happened, and yet a lot is still very familiar. Ariel is a boy in a small town under a wizard’s rule. Like many adventurers before him, Ariel is called to explore a world full of unimaginable glories and unknown enemies, a mission to save the world, a girl. Here, as they say, be dragons. But none of this happens before Ariel comes across an artifact from an earlier civilization, a sentient, record-keeping artificial intelligence that carries with it the perspective of the whole of human history―and becomes both Ariel’s greatest ally and the narrator of our story.

Moonbound is an adventure into the richest depths of Story itself. It is a deeply satisfying epic of ancient scale, blasted through the imaginative prism one of our most forward-thinking writers. And this is only the beginning.]]> 432 Robin Sloan 0374610606 Stella 3 book-club
Never took acid but this is what I think a trip would feel like. Wildly imaginative and surprisingly funny. Although parts of the book were engaging, it went in too many directions for me to fully feel settled in the story. Everytime I was starting to feel comfortable, I turn the page and it's like the chair I was sitting on had changed.

I kept hoping the twisty story would lead somewhere, but they was never really any play-off. This book really feels like a "the journey is better than the end" kind of book. Except for me the journey was uphill both ways.

But, I did appreciate the clever writing, and although the words felt random, it also feel perfectly curated by Robin Sloane. I think I might just be too smooth-brain to enjoy it.

If you liked Piranesi, you might like this book. In many ways, Piranesi reminded me a lot of Ariel de la Sauvage. On top of that, both stories share a dream-like quality to it.]]> 3.97 2024
author: Robin Sloan
name: Stella
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: book-club
review:
2.5 stars

Never took acid but this is what I think a trip would feel like. Wildly imaginative and surprisingly funny. Although parts of the book were engaging, it went in too many directions for me to fully feel settled in the story. Everytime I was starting to feel comfortable, I turn the page and it's like the chair I was sitting on had changed.

I kept hoping the twisty story would lead somewhere, but they was never really any play-off. This book really feels like a "the journey is better than the end" kind of book. Except for me the journey was uphill both ways.

But, I did appreciate the clever writing, and although the words felt random, it also feel perfectly curated by Robin Sloane. I think I might just be too smooth-brain to enjoy it.

If you liked Piranesi, you might like this book. In many ways, Piranesi reminded me a lot of Ariel de la Sauvage. On top of that, both stories share a dream-like quality to it.
]]> 62365905 Casey McQuiston meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in this mid-century romdram about a scrappy reporter and a newspaper mogul's son--perfect for Newsies shippers.

Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city's biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can't let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy.

Andy Fleming's newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He's barely able to run his life--he's never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he'll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it.

Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can't deny. But what feels possible in secret--this fragile, tender thing between them--seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they're willing to fight.]]> 384 Cat Sebastian 0063272768 Stella 0 to-read 4.25 2023
author: Cat Sebastian
name: Stella
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 196774347 We Could Be So Good.

The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to be the worst year of Eddie O’Leary’s life. He can’t manage to hit the ball, his new teammates hate him, he’s living out of a suitcase, and he’s homesick. When the team’s owner orders him to give a bunch of interviews to some snobby reporter, he’s ready to call it quits. He can barely manage to behave himself for the length of a game, let alone an entire season. But he’s already on thin ice, so he has no choice but to agree.

Mark Bailey is not a sports reporter. He writes for the arts page, and these days he’s barely even managing to do that much. He’s had a rough year and just wants to be left alone in his too-empty apartment, mourning a partner he’d never been able to be public about. The last thing he needs is to spend a season writing about New York’s obnoxious new shortstop in a stunt to get the struggling newspaper more readers.

Isolated together within the crush of an anonymous city, these two lonely souls orbit each other as they slowly give in to the inevitable gravity of their attraction. But Mark has vowed that he’ll never be someone’s secret ever again, and Eddie can’t be out as a professional athlete. It’s just them against the world, and they’ll both have to decide if that’s enough.]]> 400 Cat Sebastian 0063272806 Stella 0 to-read 4.26 2024
author: Cat Sebastian
name: Stella
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217182552 disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 368 Abby Jimenez 1538759195 Stella 0 to-read 4.16 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Stella
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217432802 An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.

Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.

When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means� well, let’s not go there.

One thing’s for sure: falling in love was never the plan.

But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.

"A sapphic delight, full of jousts, jaunts, and courtly love.ĚýLady's KnightĚýsparkles with wit and charm and has lady knights to swoon over. Kaufman and Spooner will leave you breathless." —C. S. Pacat,ĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author ofĚýDark Rise]]> 432 Amie Kaufman 0062893394 Stella 0 to-read 4.22 2025
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Stella
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220291395 A lush, atmospheric and achingly magical standalone adult fantasy romance set in Renaissance Italy from a #1 New York Times bestselling author.

In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.

There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family's enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.

Meanwhile, Ravenna's forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.

As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.]]> Isabel Ibañez Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2026
author: Isabel Ibañez
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221244034
New York City, 2075. Filipino-American Nick Carraway has just moved to the heart of the fractured New Americas, where he’s struck by the city’s contradictions—shining corporate towers casting bleak shadows over the slums of a crumbling middle class.

When Nick meets alluring new-money Jay Gatsby, he falls for Gatsby’s frank charm and confident aura. But in a city where the wealthy flaunt tech-enhanced bodies to cheat death, surfaces aren’t all they seem—and as a corporate- sanctioned cyberspace hacker, Nick knows that no secret can stay buried forever. He’s the reason they don’t. And his latest assignment? Investigate Gatsby himself.

As Nick becomes entangled in the dark affairs of the elite—and the devastating fallout of their actions on the city’s most vulnerable—he must reckon with the limits of compassion and accountability across class and status. What takes precedence: Love, or truth? Heart, or soul?

A brilliant reimagining of Fitzgerald’s classic tale of glamour, desire, and desperation, Local Heavens examines the guardrails of morality� and the price of desire. Publication set for fall 2025.]]> K.M. Fajardo Stella 0 to-read 4.79
author: K.M. Fajardo
name: Stella
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217241790
1915: Given another chance to write themselves into the narrative, two men emerge. Torn away from their homes and serving on the frontlines of World War One, the pair find themselves drawn to one another after each suffers an immense lose. With no memory of their history together, they attempt to hold onto one another as the war takes its toll and hope runs thin. Grief, however, can be lethal, and war knows no mercy.

Our dearest friendships can become our biggest tragedies, and memories can cause be our greatest undoing.]]> 550 Kieran Dimitri Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Kieran Dimitri
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218171624 When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.Ěý

They come chasing paradise�

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave—the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

SofĂ­a, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.Ěý

There’s a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofía’s ancestral lands and her people’s labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances—whispers of the island’s native tongue, music and stories from her Taike’ri ancestors…a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows.ĚýTo find her brother and break free, SofĂ­a must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the islandâ€�

]]> 400 Rosália Rodrigo 0778387232 Stella 0 to-read 4.43
author: Rosália Rodrigo
name: Stella
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218627300 A passionate painter's apprentice. An art thief without a soul. The bargain that brings them together.

Half a Soul meets your favorite historical C-drama in this Chinese folktale-inspired New Adult romantasy.

When Zhi Lan turned down the opportunity to become a nobleman’s concubine, she vowed to make her own fortune—not marry into it. But as a lowly farm girl, becoming a self-sustaining artist like her master Dan Li Chen is a lofty goal. Her meager fortune finally takes a turn when Master Dan’s recent masterpiece catches the attention of the city magistrate, who offers them both his esteemed patronage.

But when the prized painting is stolen, the magistrate issues an impossible ultimatum: paint a replica in three short days, or hang with the criminal who stole from him. Zhi Lan knows her only choice is to recover the masterpiece—even if it means joining forces with the uncommonly handsome thief who stole it.

It has been six years since Shao Qing made a foolish bargain with a lesser demon. The price? His soul. Since then, he has been traveling with a raucous band of art thieves, numb to everything but the thrill of their heists. But when an impassioned painter’s apprentice blackmails him into helping her retrieve her master's painting, his long dormant emotions begin to awaken. Compelled and unexpectedly intrigued, he accepts her bargain.

However, retrieving the stolen artwork proves more difficult than either of them anticipated. When the two are forced to conduct a heist of their own, Zhi Lan and Shao Qing must rely on one another despite their conflicting beliefs. Suddenly Zhi Lan is questioning the principles she’s always lived by, while Shao Qing begins to suspect he might have something left to lose.

As three days come to an end, the secrets they uncover will either bring them closer—or tear them apart.

Tempting Thieves is a multi-author romantasy collection featuring cunning thieves who outsmart relentless hunters, steal forbidden treasures, and find love along the way. With enemies-to-lovers tension, slow-burn longing, forced proximity, secret identities, only one bed, and grumpy/sunshine dynamics, every story delivers an irresistible fantasy escape. Perfect for fans of forbidden romance, morally gray heroes, daring rogues, and clean yet sizzling chemistry.

Each book in the collection is a standalone. Read in any order.]]> Ireen Chau 1962634051 Stella 0 to-read 4.41 2025
author: Ireen Chau
name: Stella
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220195725 In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.]]> 320 Liann Zhang 1668067919 Stella 0 to-read 3.82 2025
author: Liann Zhang
name: Stella
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 226078520 Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them�

Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.

Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.

To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.

Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.

And the castle is hiding dark secrets�

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in dark action-packed fantasy series, perfect for romantasy fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses , The Serpent & the Wings of Night , When the Moon Hatched and Quicksilver!

See why readers love

“A God Tier Fantasy book!!! I just finished and still trying to mentally and emotionally recover to what just happened to me. You need to read it IMMEDIATELY.â€� Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ reviewer â­�â­�â­�â­�â­�

“If you’re into dark romantasy with high stakes, fierce characters, and just the right amount of emotional wreckage, Direbound is your next obsession.â€� Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ reviewer â­�â­�â­�â­�â­�

â€�OMG THIS BOOK YOU GUYS!!! I'm OBSESSED and I need to know what happens next like ASAP.â€� Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ reviewer â­�â­�â­�â­�â­�

“What an incredible read!! â€� I am blown away. â€� The romance, the anguish, the BANTER! I love a book with good banter and this was FULL OF IT!â€� Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ reviewer â­�â­�â­�â­�â­�

�I. Am. OBSESSED. � Left me spiraling in the best way possible. The morally grey anti-hero? Perfection. The slow-burn tension? Electric. � I was completely immersed.]]> 610 Sable Sorensen Stella 0 to-read 4.46
author: Sable Sorensen
name: Stella
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195025380 plaguing the blissful Summer woodland with their magic
of frost and decay.

Ornella will protect her king, even if she must face
the infamous Wild Hunt.

The cadre of the Autumn Prince.

But she never expected to survive the encounter,
much less become a captive of the riders
in ghoulish skull helms and armour made from
thorn and bone.

Now, the Summer dryad is trapped
in the Autumn Court with a reluctant warden.
A gorgeous rider with violet eyes
who has been ordered to train her
so she can take her place in the Wild Hunt.

And he hates her as much as she wants to hate him.

Ornella is determined to destroy
the Wild Hunt before they can march against her homeland.
But there is an even greater evil spreading in Autumn
that would soon threaten all feykind.

She will need to ally with her reviled captors to defeat it,
but how can she bring herself to trust an enemy
who will some day destroy her home?]]> 524 A.A. Gordon 1777083346 Stella 0 to-read 4.29
author: A.A. Gordon
name: Stella
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213131347 A vibrant and emotional science fantasy about cousins trapped in mirrored worlds � the resplendent and verdant summer city and the ice-carved wastes of the winter city. For fans of Every Heart a Doorway and This is How You Lose the Time War.

Welcome to Jamie Pike’s Fairharbour � a city stuck in perpetual winter, its windows and doorways bricked shut to keep out the freezing cold, its residents striving to survive in the arctic conditions.

Welcome to Esther Pike's Fairharbour � a city stuck in constant summer, its walls crumbling in the heat, its oppressive sunlight a relentless presence.

Winter and Summer alike, have both fallen under the yoke of oppressive powers, that have taken control after the cataclysm.

But both Fairharbours were once a single, united city. And in certain places, at certain times, one side can catch a glimpse of the other. As Jamie and Esther find a way to communicate across the divide, they set out to solve the mystery of what split their city in two, and what, if anything, might repair their fractured worlds.]]> 297 Oliver K. Langmead 1835411452 Stella 0 to-read 3.59 2025
author: Oliver K. Langmead
name: Stella
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215149209 From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens.

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

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

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...]]> 368 Axie Oh 1250853087 Stella 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Axie Oh
name: Stella
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220682831 An outcast heiress. A notorious gang leader. A country on the brink of revolution.Ěý


In the colonized nation of Viryana, Poppy Sutherland lives between cultures. As the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the Viceroy, she is both rejected by white high society and alienated from the people of her native island. When she discovers her opportunistic fiancé’s plot to exile her, Poppy flees—straight into the clutches of the Jackal.Ěý


Hasan Devar, the ruthless criminal known as the Jackal, has long been targeted for his family’s divine magic, a gift the colonizers have tried to stamp out. When his brother is arrested, he seizes Poppy as leverage. But Poppy has powerful secrets—and political ambitions—of her own. As allies, they could do more than just free Hasan’s brother and keep Poppy safe. They could topple the very power structures that hold them all back.Ěý


The first book in the Reckoning Storm duology, To Bargain with Mortals is a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit.Ěý]]> R.A. Basu Stella 0 to-read 4.05
author: R.A. Basu
name: Stella
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214269328 Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again� list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.]]> 416 Cara Bastone 0593595734 Stella 0 to-read 4.23 2025
author: Cara Bastone
name: Stella
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58293284
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.Ěý Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protĂ©gĂ©, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.Ěý When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?]]> 496 Richard Swan Stella 5
The good:
- The narrator took me by surprise. I knew the book was about a justice and his crew but I was not expecting his young clerk Helena be the narrator of the story. I loved this set up and Helena's reflection of the story. She's so realistic, often naive and insecure. What a refreshing voice.
- Justice Vonvalt, Helena and Bressinger together as a crew was fantastic. They both felt like fully fleshed out characters. I liked that they don't often get along, and see things differently based on their own experiences (or lack of).
- The murder mystery was so interesting and involved so many characters. I was hooked all the way through.
- The politics and diplomatic relations made me feel as brash as Helena. Justice Vonvalt geuinely read so wise and knowledgeable. Can I chat with Vonvalt for life advice?
- There is a little bit of magic and necromancy in the story. Magic existed in the world in a tasteful way, and wasn't used a a solution to everything. I liked that there was reasonable limitations.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Consider me thoroughly impressed.]]> 4.00 2022
author: Richard Swan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:
A bit of a slower start but once it got going, it did not stop. A murder mystery but also so much more.

The good:
- The narrator took me by surprise. I knew the book was about a justice and his crew but I was not expecting his young clerk Helena be the narrator of the story. I loved this set up and Helena's reflection of the story. She's so realistic, often naive and insecure. What a refreshing voice.
- Justice Vonvalt, Helena and Bressinger together as a crew was fantastic. They both felt like fully fleshed out characters. I liked that they don't often get along, and see things differently based on their own experiences (or lack of).
- The murder mystery was so interesting and involved so many characters. I was hooked all the way through.
- The politics and diplomatic relations made me feel as brash as Helena. Justice Vonvalt geuinely read so wise and knowledgeable. Can I chat with Vonvalt for life advice?
- There is a little bit of magic and necromancy in the story. Magic existed in the world in a tasteful way, and wasn't used a a solution to everything. I liked that there was reasonable limitations.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Consider me thoroughly impressed.
]]> 228482274 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0385695829 Stella 0 to-read 4.53 2025
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Stella
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215748787 Rule One: Travel can only occur to a point within your lifetime.
Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
Rule Three: You can only observe.
The rules cannot be broken.

In this riveting science fiction novel from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

Scientist Beth Darlow has discovered the unimaginable. She's built a machine that allows human consciousness to travel through time—to any point in the traveler's lifetime—and relive moments of their life. An impossible breakthrough, but it's not perfect: the traveler has no way to interact with the past. They can only observe.

After Beth's husband, Colson, the co-creator of the machine, dies in a tragic car accident, Beth is left to raise Isabella—their only daughter—and continue the work they started. Mired in grief and threatened by her ruthless CEO, Beth pushes herself to the limit to prove the value of her technology.

Then the impossible happens. Simply viewing personal history should not alter the present, but with each new observation she makes, her own timeline begins to warp.

As her reality constantly shifts, Beth must solve the puzzles of her past, even if it means forsaking her future.]]> 325 Philip Fracassi 0316572519 Stella 0 to-read 3.65 2025
author: Philip Fracassi
name: Stella
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 196915235 Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.]]> 355 Brynne Weaver Stella 3
Pros:
- This book feels satirical and sarcastic. A surprisingly light-hearted book given the subject matter. I had a blast reading this book because it doesn't take itself too seriously.
- The side characters, particularly Lachlan and Rose were fun additions.
- It reminded me a lot of the show YOU. You know deep down murder is wrong but you can't look away.

Cons:
- I didn't feel the tension between Rowan and Sloane. There is a 1 year time skip and another 4 years time skip in this book. I feel like their romance felt rushed and we are suppose to fill in the blank during the time skip. It is clear they make a good team, but it felt more friendly rather than romantic. Would be more fun of they form a duo on an exclusively professional level.
- Sometimes the humour didn't land. The smut was also way too short. The romance much too rushed. Maybe because the author has to jam in so many things (humour, murder, smut, romance), that it doesn't feel like any particular area was done well.

Overall, a funny read that is surprisingly a palate cleanser. I am excited for Lachlan and Lark and Fionn and Rose).]]> 4.13 2023
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Stella
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:
A fun book that is not like anything I have ever read before. A humour-forward dark romance between two serial killers.

Pros:
- This book feels satirical and sarcastic. A surprisingly light-hearted book given the subject matter. I had a blast reading this book because it doesn't take itself too seriously.
- The side characters, particularly Lachlan and Rose were fun additions.
- It reminded me a lot of the show YOU. You know deep down murder is wrong but you can't look away.

Cons:
- I didn't feel the tension between Rowan and Sloane. There is a 1 year time skip and another 4 years time skip in this book. I feel like their romance felt rushed and we are suppose to fill in the blank during the time skip. It is clear they make a good team, but it felt more friendly rather than romantic. Would be more fun of they form a duo on an exclusively professional level.
- Sometimes the humour didn't land. The smut was also way too short. The romance much too rushed. Maybe because the author has to jam in so many things (humour, murder, smut, romance), that it doesn't feel like any particular area was done well.

Overall, a funny read that is surprisingly a palate cleanser. I am excited for Lachlan and Lark and Fionn and Rose).
]]> 214931622 Heather Fawcett Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2026
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217872489 With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Neon Yang’s Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen.

Few know the true identity of the masked guildknight of Mithrandon.

She barely remembers herself.

The masked guildknight�Yeva—was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home—nor removed her armor in public—since that fateful day all those years ago.

Yeva must now go to Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper, but instead loved and worshipped. It is rumored that there, they harbor a dragon behind their borders.

While Yeva searches for the dreaded beast, she is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao’s monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen.

As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide who—or what—she is willing to her own heart, or the sacred duty that she has called home for so long.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 176 Neon Yang Stella 0 to-read 4.00 2025
author: Neon Yang
name: Stella
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217005439 A fierce, glamorous sapphic fantasy reimagining the secret societies of postcolonial Singapore, for fans of Jade City, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the feverish intensity of RF Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy.

Singapore, 1972: Newly independent, a city of immigrants grappling for power in a fast-modernizing world. Here, gangsters are the last conduits of the gods their ancestors brought with them, and the back alleys where they fight are the last place where magic has not been assimilated and legislated away.

Loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow has never needed more company than the flame she can summon at her fingertips. But when her mother dies in a house fire with a butterfly seared onto her skin and Adeline hunts down a girl she saw in a back-alley barfight—a girl with a butterfly tattoo–she discovers she’s far from alone.

Ang Tian is a Red Butterfly: one of a gang of girls who came from nothing, sworn to a fire goddess and empowered to wreak vengeance on the men that abuse and underestimate them. Adeline’s mother led a double life as their elusive patron, Madam Butterfly. Now that she’s dead, Adeline’s bloodline is the sole thing sustaining the goddess. Between her search for her mother’s killer and the gang’s succession crisis, Adeline becomes quickly entangled with the girls� dangerous world, and even more so with the charismatic Tian.

But no home lasts long around here. Ambitious and paranoid neighbor gangs hunt at the edges of Butterfly territory, and bodies are turning up in the red light district suffused with a strange new magic. Adeline may have found her place for once, but with the streets changing by the day, it may take everything she is to keep it.]]> Wen-yi Lee Stella 0 to-read 4.10 2025
author: Wen-yi Lee
name: Stella
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217387964 Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has been willing to listen.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what’s coming, and just refuse to listen?]]> 480 Mira Grant 1250768233 Stella 0 to-read 4.10 2025
author: Mira Grant
name: Stella
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219134676 From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering romantasy of sapphic longing, medieval folklore and a love that spans the centuries.

In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes.

Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?

As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.

But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?]]> 384 Tasha Suri 0356524418 Stella 0 to-read 4.71 2025
author: Tasha Suri
name: Stella
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211004190
It's a whole new moooooon.

One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- schoolkids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives.]]> 326 John Scalzi 0765389096 Stella 0 to-read 3.86 2025
author: John Scalzi
name: Stella
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216488999 A Deadly Education meets Rivers of London in this captivating contemporary fantasy from Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

Dr. Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings and securing the school’s boundaries from demonic incursions.

Walden is good at her job � no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. But it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from, is herself . . .]]> 368 Emily Tesh 0356525643 Stella 0 to-read 4.22 2025
author: Emily Tesh
name: Stella
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221736683 From one of the most original and dazzling voices in speculative fiction comes an intergalactic tale of conspiracy, war and the fall of empires.

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one out there in deep-space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Discover this thrilling and breathtakingly imaginative space opera from the multi-award-winning Claire North, perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Arkady Martine.]]> Claire North 0356526178 Stella 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Claire North
name: Stella
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7945049
Although he is supposed to be on leave, Gamache cannot walk away from a crime that threatens to ignite long-smoldering tensions between the English and the French. Meanwhile, he is receiving disquieting letters from the village of Three Pines, where beloved Bistro owner Olivier was recently convicted of murder. "It doesn't make sense," Olivier’s partner writes every day. "He didn't do it, you know." As past and present collide in this astonishing novel, Gamache must relive the terrible event of his own past before he can bury his dead.]]> 371 Louise Penny 0312377045 Stella 4
The Samuel de Champlain plot line was probably the weakest. However, this storyline had lots of fun history tied in. Louise Penny is really good at capturing the Québécoise vibe. There is also an interesting Anglophone vs Francophone discussion in this one. Very interesting.

The hostage story line, mixed with the Three Pines storyline kept me super engaged. At first I was confused about how all of these stories fit together, especially timeline wise. But it really paid off. Definitely the strongest story in this series for a while.

I also like that not every one of the police officer is likable, and none of the cops are all "we are a family." It feels so realistic.

This one is a really deep study in Gamache's character. I really liked the character development in this one.]]> 4.31 2010
author: Louise Penny
name: Stella
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:
After really disliking the previous installment in this series, this "semi continuation" of book 5 was fantastic. I'm glad we got to get out of Three Pines in this one. We get three different stories rolled into one, with one of them being a continuation of the previous mystery.

The Samuel de Champlain plot line was probably the weakest. However, this storyline had lots of fun history tied in. Louise Penny is really good at capturing the Québécoise vibe. There is also an interesting Anglophone vs Francophone discussion in this one. Very interesting.

The hostage story line, mixed with the Three Pines storyline kept me super engaged. At first I was confused about how all of these stories fit together, especially timeline wise. But it really paid off. Definitely the strongest story in this series for a while.

I also like that not every one of the police officer is likable, and none of the cops are all "we are a family." It feels so realistic.

This one is a really deep study in Gamache's character. I really liked the character development in this one.
]]> 217238741 Kristen Ciccarelli Stella 0 to-read 4.67 2026
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Stella
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214229274 From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed � and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels ofĚýempire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and theĚýEmpireĚýof the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, theĚýEmpire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.Ěý

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence.Ěý

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and theĚýEmpireĚýon the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...Ěý]]> 529 Richard Swan Stella 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Richard Swan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 21324349
Left for dead � her kin have fled and her country is overrun with enemies � Cywen fights to survive. But any chance of escape is futile once Nathair and his disquieting advisor Calidus realize who she is. They have no intention of letting such a prize slip from their grasp. For she may be their one chance at killing the biggest threat to their power.

Meanwhile, the young warrior Corban flees from his conquered homeland with his exiled companions, heading for the only place that may offer them sanctuary. But to get there they must travel through Cambren, avoiding warbands, giants and the vicious wolven of the mountains. And all the while Corban struggles to become the man that everyone believes him to be � the Bright Star and saviour of the Banished Lands.

Embroiled in struggles for power and survival, the mortal world is unaware of the greatest threat of all. In the Otherworld, dark forces scheme to bring a host of the Fallen into the world of flesh to end the war with the Faithful, once and for all.]]> 673 John Gwynne 0230771432 Stella 3
This story really should have been how Book 1 starts. So much of book 1 and this book could have been combined and condensed. I finally started to like the Corben "Chosen One" story, but we also get so boggled down by the other POVs. I didn't care for most of them. I found myself looking for Corben and Cywen's POVs while everyone else was a BORE.

Definitely dropping the series.]]> 4.44 2014
author: John Gwynne
name: Stella
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:
Silly me. Pushing through a series because I was gaslit into believing it get so much better.

This story really should have been how Book 1 starts. So much of book 1 and this book could have been combined and condensed. I finally started to like the Corben "Chosen One" story, but we also get so boggled down by the other POVs. I didn't care for most of them. I found myself looking for Corben and Cywen's POVs while everyone else was a BORE.

Definitely dropping the series.
]]> 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 Stella 0 to-read 4.66 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Stella
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217163829 #1ĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1982121653 Stella 0 to-read 4.50 2025
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Stella
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228237219
Following the destruction of the capital city of Percepliquis, this question plagued every Imperial citizen, but the choices made by three simple people will change the future forever. One decided she didn’t deserve to die. Another resolved to be the ruler he was meant to be. And the third went in search of a nefarious wizard named, Esrahaddon.

Return to the world of Elan in the last days of the dying Novronian Empire. Come back to the destruction and turmoil of a dying dream but stay because there is one last hope that is trying to crawl . . . out of the ashes.

In this debut novel, a devotee of the New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author Michael J. Sullivan proves why it was wise to trust a complete unknown with his cherished world of Elan. Through this first book in the After the Fall series, you’ll learn the truth about the day Percepliquis fell and witness the birth of a new literary star.]]> 326 Michael J. Sullivan Stella 0 to-read 4.80
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Stella
average rating: 4.80
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60784409 A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.]]> 247 T. Kingfisher 1250829798 Stella 4
Surprisingly funny, especially lots of soulless-academia jokes. The creepy house trope isn't new, and the book doesn't offer anything innovative but it is still incredibly fun. Totally finished this in one-sitting.]]> 3.65 2023
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Stella
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves:
review:
T. Kingfisher has the novella-length book category ON LOCK.

Surprisingly funny, especially lots of soulless-academia jokes. The creepy house trope isn't new, and the book doesn't offer anything innovative but it is still incredibly fun. Totally finished this in one-sitting.
]]> 227784674 She spoke into the empty wood, a question meant for no one, but the wood was never empty, and there was never no one listening�

Maewyn’s fate is sealed when she is chosen to walk the Harvest Way as a sacrifice to the Autumn Court, but this human doesn’t intend to be any fae’s bride, and she’ll kill if need be. Her attempt to slay her betrothed only creates a far worse predicament, a magical tether that bonds her to her target instantly.

How unfortunate the fae she’s stuck with is such an obnoxious brat.

Roan, the Autumn Court’s prince, never intended to be wed either, never mind tethered, but now that this human has spoiled his grandiose plans, he’ll have to find another use for her. But perhaps Maewyn is not worthless. Perhaps Maewyn’s brusque perspective and vitriolic name-calling are exactly what the Autumn Prince needs.

But worse than unintended tethers and foul-mouth fiances is a dark presence that lurks the autumn wood. Only together can Maewyn and Roan defeat it, if first they can put their passionate hatred aside and embrace the bond meant to unite them.

Faeted to Fall is a steamy fantasy romance novella, originally published in the limited run enemies-to-lovers anthology Foes to Flames. This rerelease remains a novella in size but includes brand new content.]]> A.K. Caggiano Stella 0 to-read 0.0
author: A.K. Caggiano
name: Stella
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 104101
Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites' most celebrated � and feared � military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.

In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve � for a time � the same master. Sharing their interwoven fate � and increasingly torn by her feelings � is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake � or destroy � a world.]]> 528 Guy Gavriel Kay 0060733497 Stella 0 to-read 4.29 1995
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Stella
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 104089
Tigana is the magical story of a beleaguered land struggling to be free. It is the tale of a people so cursed by the black sorcery of a cruel despotic king that even the name of their once-beautiful homeland cannot be spoken or remembered...

But years after the devastation, a handful of courageous men and women embark upon a dangerous crusade to overthrow their conquerors and bring back to the dark world the brilliance of a long-lost name...Tigana.

Against the magnificently rendered background of a world both sensuous and barbaric, this sweeping epic of a passionate people pursuing their dream is breathtaking in its vision, changing forever the boundaries of fantasy fiction.]]> 676 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451457765 Stella 0 to-read 4.07 1990
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Stella
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 74270 479 Lynn Flewelling 0553575422 Stella 0 to-read 4.09 1996
author: Lynn Flewelling
name: Stella
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 671560
Dark Magic, Hidden Destiny

For three centuries a divine prophecy and a line of warrior queens protected Skala. But the people grew complacent and Erius, a usurper king, claimed his young half sister’s throne.

Now plague and drought stalk the land, war with Skala’s ancient rival Plenimar drains the country’s lifeblood, and to be born female into the royal line has become a death sentence as the king fights to ensure the succession of his only heir, a son. For King Erius the greatest threat comes from his own line � and from Illior’s faithful, who spread the Oracle’s words to a doubting populace.

As noblewomen young and old perish mysteriously, the king’s nephew � his sister’s only child � grows toward manhood. But unbeknownst to the king or the boy, strange, haunted Tobin is the princess’s daughter, given male form by a dark magic to protect her until she can claim her rightful destiny.

Only Tobin’s noble father, two wizards of Illior, and an outlawed forest witch know the truth. Only they can protect young Tobin from a king’s wrath, a mother’s madness, and the terrifying rage of her brother’s demon spirit, determined to avenge his brutal murder....]]> 524 Lynn Flewelling 0553577239 Stella 0 to-read 4.05 2001
author: Lynn Flewelling
name: Stella
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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 Stella 2
(Also Lukas is Swedish but a brunette which confused me. I totally pictured him as a blonde and maybe added some Malfoy flare).

((Him massaging her ankles under a desk during a meeting when they weren't even together gave me the biggest ick)).]]> 3.93 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Stella
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
In Silence and Submission by gillianeliza is twice as good and half its length. Just read that. And there is no annoying ex.

(Also Lukas is Swedish but a brunette which confused me. I totally pictured him as a blonde and maybe added some Malfoy flare).

((Him massaging her ankles under a desk during a meeting when they weren't even together gave me the biggest ick)).
]]> 40381392 A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time—only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale . . . all games must come to an end.]]> 478 Stephanie Garber 1250157668 Stella 3
The goods:
- I like Donatella and Legend's quest-like adventures. Reminded me a bit of Evangeline and Jacks' adventures in Once Upon A Broken Heart.

The less good:
- My biggest disappointment for the entire series is I wish there was more focus on Scarlett and Donatella's sibling relationship. They go through a lot in this series and do a lot for each other but I didn't buy it. I wish the story had shifted the attention from the romantic relationships and focused more on the sibling relationship.
- LOL The Fallen Star. We focus a lot on him in this book but I barely know him. The series really lacked a good villain. Because of this, the story feels very one sided, and it is hard for me to feel interested in the main characters.
- The magic feels wonky. I really don't like that people can't die. It really lowers the stakes to basically zero.
- I still don't care about Scarlett and Julian.]]> 4.14 2019
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Stella
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
A fun conclusion to the series without its faults.

The goods:
- I like Donatella and Legend's quest-like adventures. Reminded me a bit of Evangeline and Jacks' adventures in Once Upon A Broken Heart.

The less good:
- My biggest disappointment for the entire series is I wish there was more focus on Scarlett and Donatella's sibling relationship. They go through a lot in this series and do a lot for each other but I didn't buy it. I wish the story had shifted the attention from the romantic relationships and focused more on the sibling relationship.
- LOL The Fallen Star. We focus a lot on him in this book but I barely know him. The series really lacked a good villain. Because of this, the story feels very one sided, and it is hard for me to feel interested in the main characters.
- The magic feels wonky. I really don't like that people can't die. It really lowers the stakes to basically zero.
- I still don't care about Scarlett and Julian.
]]> 221604746
Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir - otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu - who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.]]> 432 Marissa Meyer 125032095X Stella 0 to-read 4.50 2025
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Stella
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 3819326 USA Today bestselling author Nalini Singh introduces a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires�

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…]]> 339 Nalini Singh 0425226921 Stella 2 -1 star for horrible banter
-1 star for Insta-love
-1 star for attempted SA.

This book was enemies-to-lovers before enemies-to-lovers was cool. If only the main guy didn't instantly fall for the girl. ]]> 4.07 2009
author: Nalini Singh
name: Stella
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
Let's do some math:
-1 star for horrible banter
-1 star for Insta-love
-1 star for attempted SA.

This book was enemies-to-lovers before enemies-to-lovers was cool. If only the main guy didn't instantly fall for the girl.
]]> 210395729 They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

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

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

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 Stella 0 to-read 3.76 2025
author: Laura Steven
name: Stella
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204538483 She's the only woman he wants...and the only one he can't have.

Asher Donovan is a living legend―the darling of the Premier League, the (arguably) greatest footballer in the world.

But his reckless antics and recent team transfer have caused much controversy, and when his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they're forced to "bond" during off-season cross-training.

Surviving the summer shouldn't be hard…until Asher meets their new trainer. She's beautiful, talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't take his mind off her.

The only problem? She's his rival's sister―and completely off limits.

***

Scarlett DuBois is a former prima ballerina whose career was cut short by a tragic accident.

Now a teacher at a prestigious dance academy but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, the last thing she wants is to spend the summer cross-training Asher Donovan, of all people.

She swore she would never date a footballer, but when her brother leaves town for an emergency, she finds herself thrown into dangerously close proximity with the gorgeous, charming striker.

Training, she can deal with. But falling in love? That's out of the question―especially when he's the only person with the power to break her heart.]]> 595 Ana Huang Stella 4
Scarlett and Asher's romance felt so genuine and cute. The book needed to be this long because it really paced their relationship. Their romance started slow for Ana Huang standards, and it focused more on an emotional connection, rather than just lust.Ěý

But I understand why this book is rated so low. It is not much of an escapism compared to her previous books. The drama in this book feels very realistic and mature. There weren't many billionaire crazy grand gestures. I feel like most of us probably were swooning over Asher. But man Asher was so good for Scarlet.Ěý

If only Ana could have added a little bit of her usual magic tension, dazzling romance, and some extra spice, this would be an easy 5 stars.Ěý

I am very excited for Vincent's book (and Noah's book with the nanny?).]]> 3.79 2024
author: Ana Huang
name: Stella
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
The most level-headed and mature main characters in the Ana Huang cinematic universe. I loved this book!Ěý

Scarlett and Asher's romance felt so genuine and cute. The book needed to be this long because it really paced their relationship. Their romance started slow for Ana Huang standards, and it focused more on an emotional connection, rather than just lust.Ěý

But I understand why this book is rated so low. It is not much of an escapism compared to her previous books. The drama in this book feels very realistic and mature. There weren't many billionaire crazy grand gestures. I feel like most of us probably were swooning over Asher. But man Asher was so good for Scarlet.Ěý

If only Ana could have added a little bit of her usual magic tension, dazzling romance, and some extra spice, this would be an easy 5 stars.Ěý

I am very excited for Vincent's book (and Noah's book with the nanny?).
]]> 131120162
Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout ( manifesting, wild swimming; drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?]]> 416 Sophie Kinsella 0593730399 Stella 3
The romance was just ok. I feel like they would be good friends but the chemistry just wasn't there.]]> 3.61 2023
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Stella
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
A really funny take on the "Type A goes to a small town" trope. I love Sophie Kinsella's humour. I just wish the book was maybe 50 pages shorter. The book started out strong but it dragged out a bit too long.

The romance was just ok. I feel like they would be good friends but the chemistry just wasn't there.
]]> 213075628 In Coney Island, true love rises to the surface. With lush illustrations and buoyant prose, Venessa Vida Kelley forges an unforgettable New York fairytale.

Benigno “Benny� Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.

More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.

Releasing Río could mean losing his found family, his new home, and his soulmate forever. Yet Benny’s courageous choice may just reveal a love strong enough to free them both.]]> 464 Venessa Vida Kelley 1645661539 Stella 0 to-read 4.39 2025
author: Venessa Vida Kelley
name: Stella
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212903418 Is love worth destroying his reputation?

Ten years ago, the theft of his codex destroyed Talio Rossa’s career as a magistrate in the four cities. But when his ex-wife—finally willing to forgive finding him in bed with a man—presents him a long-shot legal case, he has the chance to get his career back on track.

While fighting to rejoin the legal community, Talio uncovers a conspiracy so big it threatens the origins of the four cities themselves. Their prosperity is only thanks to their connection by magical floating waterways and the brilliance of their legal system, now regarded as near scripture.

To save his career, Talio must work with both the one who doomed his marriage and the hooded, heretical man who sets his heart aflame but is determined to plead guilty to a murder he didn't commit. To stand a chance of winning the case, saving his career and the man of his dreams, Talio will have to uncover an explosive secret destined to blow the legal system apart.

Find out what happens in Talio’s Codex by J. Alexander Cohen!

Fantasy / Thriller / Legal / Adventure / Gay / LGBT

Adult
]]> 369 J. Alexander Cohen 1960247220 Stella 0 to-read 3.97
author: J. Alexander Cohen
name: Stella
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
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 Stella 2 4.36 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Stella
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves:
review:
There is nothing new about this book that hasn't already been over-done in every romantasy book.
]]> 44281041
Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year's Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.

Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure―and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.]]> 336 Kerstin Gier 1250300193 Stella 0 to-read 3.78 2017
author: Kerstin Gier
name: Stella
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222181604 In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman with a deadly magic secret needs the help of the minotaur she’s trying to forget in the sizzling sequel to Ruby Dixon's New York Times bestseller Bull Moon Rising.

Gwenna has always considered herself a normal person. A former servant, she wants nothing more than to land a steady job with the Royal Artifactual Guild so she can make some steady coin to send home to her mother. She's not special. She's certainly not a necromancer. That would be impossible, given how necromancing (or any 'mancing) is forbidden upon penalty of death. So if the dead keep talking to her? Well, she's going to keep on ignoring them. They're not going to stand in the way of her dreams.

Also standing in her way? One big, arrogant, far-too-flirty Taurian named Raptor. They slept together once, and now he wants more . . . but she doesn’t have time for that. Her focus is on being a fledgling, a trainee for the Royal Artifactual Guild. But Raptor won't go away. He's on a secret mission for the guild to find an artifact thief.

Problem is, he thinks the thief is Gwenna.

How can she convince Raptor that he's got the wrong girl when all the signs point to her? And how do you tell a Taurian you can't date him because you hear dead people and it might cost you your life?]]> Ruby Dixon 0593817060 Stella 0 to-read 4.27
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Stella
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205435930 The special first edition hardcover will include a gorgeous, shimmering jacket with effects, brilliantly illustrated four-color endpapers, striking and detailed-stained edges, and a beautiful foil-stamped case.

In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner, in this steamy romantasy by USA Today bestselling author Ruby Dixon.

As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts . . . which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all theirs away. Now that her family is in danger of losing their hold—and their heads—if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items.

It’s a great plan—with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Aspeth needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who requires a favor of his own? He’s a minotaur (it’s fine) who is her teacher (also fine) . . . and he’s about to go into rut (which is where it gets tricky). He also has no idea she’s a noble (oops), and he’ll want nothing to do with her if he discovers her real identity.

Now Aspeth just has to pass the guild tests, thwart a fortune hunter, and save her hold—oh, and survive a rut with her monstrous, horned husband, whom she might be falling in love with.

It’s time to dig deep. Literally.]]> 432 Ruby Dixon 0593817028 Stella 5
The good:
-Historical romance vibes starring 30 year old spinster. Aspeth is was refreshing to read (and she wears glasses!). A little nerdy and a bit of a loser. Joining a male-dominated STEM guild reminded me a lot of India Holton's Ornithornigist's Field Guide to Love.
- Hawk would fit right in in the T. Kingfisher Saints of Steel universe as a noble paladin. Hawk is just the best Big Boy. Extremely competent, kind, and caring. I love him with Aspeth.
- The plot was also super fun. It was perfectly paced, with a nice blend of friendship, silliness, and romance.
- Gwenna, Lark, Mereden, and Kipp were all amazing. They added so much to the story without feeling like plot devices.

My minor critique is that I wish there was a tad more spice (who knew I would be saying that when it comes or Ruby Dixon). I loved the tension between Aspeth and Hawk, and I really wanted more action between the two. I am so excited to read more from this series.]]> 3.94 2024
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Stella
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves:
review:
We need more romance like this!! I cannot believe this is from the same author who wrote Ice Planet Barbarians. This book reads like a love child of India Holton and T. Kingfisher.

The good:
-Historical romance vibes starring 30 year old spinster. Aspeth is was refreshing to read (and she wears glasses!). A little nerdy and a bit of a loser. Joining a male-dominated STEM guild reminded me a lot of India Holton's Ornithornigist's Field Guide to Love.
- Hawk would fit right in in the T. Kingfisher Saints of Steel universe as a noble paladin. Hawk is just the best Big Boy. Extremely competent, kind, and caring. I love him with Aspeth.
- The plot was also super fun. It was perfectly paced, with a nice blend of friendship, silliness, and romance.
- Gwenna, Lark, Mereden, and Kipp were all amazing. They added so much to the story without feeling like plot devices.

My minor critique is that I wish there was a tad more spice (who knew I would be saying that when it comes or Ruby Dixon). I loved the tension between Aspeth and Hawk, and I really wanted more action between the two. I am so excited to read more from this series.
]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole Stella 3 This book followed the romantasy recipe perfectly. Fully understand the hype.

Good:
- Extremely easy to read as this book is the most generic romantasy with minimal worldbuilding. I can turn off half of my brain and still understand the story. A regular girl who turns out to special who catches the eye of the hot prince because she is sassy and kind and only wear pants (unlike every other girl).
- The story is very fast-paced and filled with action.
- Teller is actually an interesting character.

Less good:
- This won't be a hot take but Diem is hard to like. Diem is a "normal", mouthy, bratry girl who is also somehow super sensitive and vulnerable and the kindest girl who puts everyone before herself. She is a healer and is just so kind and so selfless and holy, but oh don't worry she has spunk. Diem does a lot of doing (and jumping to conclusions) without listening.
- The story has no complexity. Everything is very black and white. Henri as a character was wasted. He only existed to prop Diem up as a kind person (and to info dump for worldbuilding. The longest he has ever talked was to described each region and their powers lol). There was barely any worldbuilding beyond Henri's info dumps.
- There was ZERO chemistry between Diem and Luthor. Where was the yearning??? Just having arguments and being mouthy towards each other doesn't equal tension. Their arguments were petty. I wish their relationship progressed a lot slower.]]> 4.20 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Stella
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars
This book followed the romantasy recipe perfectly. Fully understand the hype.

Good:
- Extremely easy to read as this book is the most generic romantasy with minimal worldbuilding. I can turn off half of my brain and still understand the story. A regular girl who turns out to special who catches the eye of the hot prince because she is sassy and kind and only wear pants (unlike every other girl).
- The story is very fast-paced and filled with action.
- Teller is actually an interesting character.

Less good:
- This won't be a hot take but Diem is hard to like. Diem is a "normal", mouthy, bratry girl who is also somehow super sensitive and vulnerable and the kindest girl who puts everyone before herself. She is a healer and is just so kind and so selfless and holy, but oh don't worry she has spunk. Diem does a lot of doing (and jumping to conclusions) without listening.
- The story has no complexity. Everything is very black and white. Henri as a character was wasted. He only existed to prop Diem up as a kind person (and to info dump for worldbuilding. The longest he has ever talked was to described each region and their powers lol). There was barely any worldbuilding beyond Henri's info dumps.
- There was ZERO chemistry between Diem and Luthor. Where was the yearning??? Just having arguments and being mouthy towards each other doesn't equal tension. Their arguments were petty. I wish their relationship progressed a lot slower.
]]> 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 Stella 1
Cool characters ❌Cool magic system❌A whirlwind romance❌An engrossing plot❌A vivid and fantastical world�. If I could give 0 stars, I would.

A cool strong assassin character? LMAO I can't. There was not an ounce of self awareness or cleverness to her. At one point, she is shown to be a ruthless gambler? And I had to double check this was her POV. This girl does not have a subtle bone in her body (she's always punch first, ask questions later) so why would I believe she can handle the sharks where composure and mental fortitude are key? Get out of here.

Cool magic system that gets utilized? No. Apart from one prominent scene, the magic system doesn't matter at all. We don't get to see it being used in any meaningful way in the story at all.

A deep love between two characters full of yearning? Absolutely not. Kaan straight up stalks Raeve and kidnaps her. There was no tension, no chemistry, and certainly nothing romantic. Raeve gets in trouble, Kaan saves the day. Rinse and repeat. And what slow burn? They were "enemies" (more so Raeve was just annoyed at Kaan for no reason) for maybe 40% of the book. By 50% of the book, they were already endgame. Boring. And I thought the Elluin diary entires were going to give us an insight to the build up of the relationship. Maybe there were tender moments we get to see from someone else's perspective. NOPE. Even worse. It was insta-lust from the get-go.

AND don't even get me started on the "we can't be together because everyone dies around me" plotline. We are constantly told this. But the author did not build up any of these past relationships so Raeve's emo angsty tantrums feel overly dramatic and empty. Essi was in TWO scenes. And do we even get any Fallon lore beyond the first 30% of the book? So why should I care she's a Sad Girl ™️?

A well thought-out plot that justify the insane page-count? No. The plot was all over the place. In the true cookie-cutter romantasy fashion, scenes were hastily glued together to check off every trope. Need a scene where you see his scars. Need a "touch her and die" scene. Need a scene where you has a mental breakdown and he comforts her. Need a scene where they share a bed/horse/dragon together. Need a scene were he kneels to her. The pacing was awful and the story made zero sense. At least ACOTAR had a plot.

A vivid and lush world that warrants the 20-page glossary at the beginning of the book? No. There is no world building folks. What does King Kaan even do? We barely see him rule over his lands and we barely see any of the other kings rule. We are just constantly told that the kings at evil and bad for the common folks. Then show us. And the weird part of the story with the "barbaric clan". Am I supposed to feel proud and empowered by our homegirl? Are we supposed to feel like this clan is backwards and our Raeve is here to civilize them?

This book deserves jail time. No parole.]]> 3.99 2024
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Stella
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
I can't believe I'm saying this but this book makes Sarah J Maas look like Da Vinci. How can a single book fail to deliver on all fronts? Raeve is what happenes if you combined Book Smart with Street Smart and you got "Book Street".

Cool characters ❌Cool magic system❌A whirlwind romance❌An engrossing plot❌A vivid and fantastical world�. If I could give 0 stars, I would.

A cool strong assassin character? LMAO I can't. There was not an ounce of self awareness or cleverness to her. At one point, she is shown to be a ruthless gambler? And I had to double check this was her POV. This girl does not have a subtle bone in her body (she's always punch first, ask questions later) so why would I believe she can handle the sharks where composure and mental fortitude are key? Get out of here.

Cool magic system that gets utilized? No. Apart from one prominent scene, the magic system doesn't matter at all. We don't get to see it being used in any meaningful way in the story at all.

A deep love between two characters full of yearning? Absolutely not. Kaan straight up stalks Raeve and kidnaps her. There was no tension, no chemistry, and certainly nothing romantic. Raeve gets in trouble, Kaan saves the day. Rinse and repeat. And what slow burn? They were "enemies" (more so Raeve was just annoyed at Kaan for no reason) for maybe 40% of the book. By 50% of the book, they were already endgame. Boring. And I thought the Elluin diary entires were going to give us an insight to the build up of the relationship. Maybe there were tender moments we get to see from someone else's perspective. NOPE. Even worse. It was insta-lust from the get-go.

AND don't even get me started on the "we can't be together because everyone dies around me" plotline. We are constantly told this. But the author did not build up any of these past relationships so Raeve's emo angsty tantrums feel overly dramatic and empty. Essi was in TWO scenes. And do we even get any Fallon lore beyond the first 30% of the book? So why should I care she's a Sad Girl ™️?

A well thought-out plot that justify the insane page-count? No. The plot was all over the place. In the true cookie-cutter romantasy fashion, scenes were hastily glued together to check off every trope. Need a scene where you see his scars. Need a "touch her and die" scene. Need a scene where you has a mental breakdown and he comforts her. Need a scene where they share a bed/horse/dragon together. Need a scene were he kneels to her. The pacing was awful and the story made zero sense. At least ACOTAR had a plot.

A vivid and lush world that warrants the 20-page glossary at the beginning of the book? No. There is no world building folks. What does King Kaan even do? We barely see him rule over his lands and we barely see any of the other kings rule. We are just constantly told that the kings at evil and bad for the common folks. Then show us. And the weird part of the story with the "barbaric clan". Am I supposed to feel proud and empowered by our homegirl? Are we supposed to feel like this clan is backwards and our Raeve is here to civilize them?

This book deserves jail time. No parole.
]]> 222361609
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> Rebecca Ross 1250373360 Stella 0 to-read 4.74 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Stella
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:
SET IN THE SAME WORLD AS. DIVINE RIVALS?? SAY LESS
]]> 220609772 Set in the blockbuster and award-winning universe of League of Legends: Arcane and written by award-winning author C. L. Clark, discover a thrilling epic fantasy novel where Ambessa Medarda truly learns what it means to be a Chosen of the Wolf.

Medarda over all.

Ambessa Medarda: Warrior, general, mother. She is a woman to be feared, and the Medardas are unrivaled in their pursuit of glory. She has led conquests and armies. She has slain legendary beasts. She has made grave sacrifices in her ascent up the ranks. And for this she was rewarded: She entered the realm of death and was granted a vision of herself upon the throne of the vast Noxian empire.

But before she can lead her empire, she must become head of her own clan. Yet the title is contested by her cousin and former confidante, Ta'Fik. He knows the bloody sins of Ambessa's past. And he knows he cannot allow her to rise.

They will fight a war for the very soul of the Medardas.

But the war won't be fought on battlefields alone. Ambessa's daughter, Mel, can deftly break through the walls around anyone's heart, and she'll put her talents to use for her mother. Yet despite Mel's strength, Ambessa sees only a child who lacks her killer instincts. Mel knows she can be the leader Ambessa wants her to be, if only she gives her time.

With her family betraying her, enemies closing in on all sides, and unseen forces moving in the shadows, every day proves more dangerous than the last. But Ambessa will not bow. She will burn the world down to claim her place in it.]]> 448 C.L. Clark 0316469955 Stella 0 to-read 3.89 2025
author: C.L. Clark
name: Stella
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222765064 The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city—and the paths of their lives—will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> Marie Lu 125088568X Stella 0 to-read 4.33 2025
author: Marie Lu
name: Stella
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222706197 The HOTLY ANTICIPATED adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.]]> 336 Stephanie Garber 125078915X Stella 0 to-read MY SHAYLAAAA 4.68 2025
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Stella
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:
MY SHAYLAAAA
]]> 222684223 In this sexy and emotional romance from the acclaimed author of Out of the Woods and Out on a Limb, a small-town woman’s journey to spread her wings intertwines with the arrival of an adventurous newcomer who brings out the best in her.

Prudence Welch has found solace in her introverted life in Baysville, a charming tourist town in Northern Ontario. Despite once dreaming of a life beyond its borders, she now finds contentment in her working at her father’s gas station, writing poetry, and caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's shortly after Prue’s nineteenth birthday. But as her mother’s condition worsens and her father’s concerns about her future intensify, Prue feels her world slipping further out of control.

Enter Milo Kablukov, an enigmatic wanderer whose beat-up van covered with ill-advised bumper stickers rolls into town just when Prue needs a change. It’s all too easy to let go with him, and Prue can’t help but strike up an unlikely friendship with Milo, which leads to a wild and sexy agreement between them.

Milo, a man of many adventures and countless stories, is not one to settle down. However, his brother’s urgent need for help has brought him to Baysville, and now the intriguing Prue has given him more reason to stay. Especially once they start spending more time together, their chemistry intensifying, and casual-sex lessons start at Prue’s request.

But as their temporary arrangement blossoms into something deeper, Prue and Milo discover that getting out of their comfort zones is one thing . . . taking that leap together is something else entirely.]]> Hannah Bonam-Young 0593871898 Stella 0 to-read 4.24 2025
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: Stella
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>