en-US Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:04:31 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 62991463
Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising—how many times will she repeat her own story?]]> 31 Alix E. Harrow 166250957X elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.32 2022
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: elle �
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/06
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]]> 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 elle � 0 to-read 4.14 2024
author: Keri Lake
name: elle �
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/29
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]]> 214537812 A goddess is cursed to endlessly live and die as a mortal until she understands the value of human life, in this inventive, moving reimagining of Gaelic mythology.

Cailleach, goddess of winter, was not born to be a blight on humanity, but she became it. If anyone asked her, she would say with scorn that it was their own humans were selfish, thoughtless, and destructive, bringing harm to each other and the Earth without cause or qualms. 

One day, Cailleach goes too far. Thousands die, lost to her brutal winter. In punishment, her mother Danu, the queen of the gods, strips the goddess of her powers and sends Cailleach to Earth, to live and die as the mortals she so despises, until she understands what it is to be a human. Though determined to live in solitude, Cailleach finds that she cannot help but reach for the people she once held in such disdain. She loves and mourns in equal measure, and in opening herself to humanity, hears tales not meant for immortal ears—and a secret long-buried, that will redefine what it means to be a god.

]]> 304 Megan Barnard 0143137689 elle � 0 to-read 4.18
author: Megan Barnard
name: elle �
average rating: 4.18
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]]> 228234654 In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion
and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabianâ€� is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange â€� what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? â€� but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, wellâ€�

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?]]> 294 Stephanie Burgis 1035062992 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.60 2025
author: Stephanie Burgis
name: elle �
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/29
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]]> 219335705
Ripped from her family as a young girl, Rowan Cleary has been forced into a cloistered life learning to please the wolf and wield her spirit-enchanting voice. Though none of the previous maidens have survived their five-year term, Rowan is determined to beat the odds and protect the women who have become family to her.

When a deathly blight breaks out in the Dark Wood, and the acting maiden is murdered, Rowan vows to strike a new bargain with the god of death to ensure her survival. The Wolf has always been someone to fear—even more so now that the townspeople blame him for the blight—but he’s far from the vengeful death god she expects.

To unravel the mystery, Rowan must seduce the Wolf. Soon, the attraction between them grows into a relentless magical force, threatening to shatter the delicate balance between realms and unleash a darkness eager to swallow their world.

SONG OF THE DARK WOOD is the first in a series of interconnected standalone gothic fairy tale fantasy romances. SONG blends a fractured Red Riding Hood retelling with a hint of Hades and Persephone. This "coming of rage" character-driven romance follows Rowan Cleary as she tries to free herself from an oppressive religion and seduce the grumpy god of death Wolf. SONG is a spicy, dark romantasy perfect for fans of feminine rage, strong female friendships, unique magic systems, angsty romance, and ominous mysteries. This book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Rachel Gillig's ONE DARK WINDOW, Rebecca Ross's A RIVER ENCHANTED, and Hannah Whitten's FOXGLOVE KING.]]> 400 Sheila Masterson 1960416138 elle � 0 to-read 3.62
author: Sheila Masterson
name: elle �
average rating: 3.62
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]]> 211771113 she runs headlong into the powerful royal ranger, Lord Vlerion. He’s aloof, sexy, dangerous, andâ€� he accuses her of being a spy.

To remove suspicion from her name, Kaylina must work with him to stop the real danger to the crown.

But she soon learns that Vlerion suffers from a curse. When he experiences strong emotions, he turns into a deadly beast who can’t tell friend from foe.

Irking him would be a bad idea. Developing feelings for him would be even worse. Unfortunately, as Kaylina spends more time with Vlerion, she struggles with both.

If she can’t keep from rousing the beast, she won’t clear her name, fulfill her dream, or even survive the week.

~

Shadows of Winter is the first in a romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and enemies-to-lovers stories.]]> 388 Lindsay Buroker elle � 0 to-read 4.45 2024
author: Lindsay Buroker
name: elle �
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/28
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]]> 17372039 An alternate cover edition can be found here.

"Till now there's been no magic for Harry Potter. He lives with the miserable Dursleys and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet beneath the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But then a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And there he finds not only friends, flying sports on broomsticks, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter."
--back cover]]> 309 J.K. Rowling 0545582881 elle � 5 currently-reading 4.61 1997
author: J.K. Rowling
name: elle �
average rating: 4.61
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/24
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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

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

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

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

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 544 R.F. Kuang 0063021420 elle � 3 4.17 2022
author: R.F. Kuang
name: elle �
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
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There are far better 3 star reviews out there for this than I could write regarding the historical inaccuracies/problems with the Victorian time period setting and character flaws, so just go read those
]]> 221226783 Nightmares and humans collide in book two of the thrilling Nightstrider dark fantasy series. ]]> Sophia Slade 0316579629 elle � 0 to-read 5.00
author: Sophia Slade
name: elle �
average rating: 5.00
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date added: 2025/03/08
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]]> 219446164 Once, we’d worshipped them as Gods.

For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame.

Then, we died on their swords.

All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again. The magic of faerie marks those of us they mean to take, but the Mist Guard protecting Nothrek will kill us all before they let the fae have us. There’s no choice but to flee everything I’ve ever known, not if I want to live to see my twenty-first birthday as a free woman.

Now, they’ll claim what’s theirs.

But before they capture me, Caelum saves me from the Wild Hunt. Fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back in ways I only dream of. From tentative alliance to all-consuming passion, our bond strengthens as the fae close in and evil lurks ever nearer. With my life on the line, he is everything I shouldn’t dare to want and a distraction I can’t afford. I can’t seem to stay away, not even with something greater on the line.

My heart.

Author’s This book is intended for readers who are 18 and older. It contains mature language, graphic violence, and explicit content with darker elements. This is book one in a series and ends in a cliffhanger.]]> 400 Harper L. Woods 1250401143 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.87 2022
author: Harper L. Woods
name: elle �
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> 222376655 A young woman cursed with a fatal heartbreak-induced sickness must race against time to find a cure and protect her family legacy from the ancient finfolk that would destroy it, the fiancé that would kill her for it, and the boy who would love her if she forsook it.

The seafaring humans of Kirkrell have always been plagued by finfolk—bloodthirsty fae who haunt the seas, sinking ships and cursing bloodlines. Yet it’s only by hunting magical whales that Kirkrell can prosper. Nineteen-year-old Annie is heir to the Fairfax Whaling Company, but their family's success came at a cost: a curse by which heartbreak turns Fairfaxes slowly into monsters. And six years ago, the shipwreck that killed Annie’s parents left her with scales spreading up her arms, claws sprouting from her fingertips.

The love of her fiancĂ©, August, salved her heart for a while—but when she learns August is maneuvering to take over the company, the curse worsens. Fearing her time is running out, she strikes a bargain with a disreputable young captain, half-finfolk and half-human Silas Price: on a voyage to hunt whales in the far north, Silas will take Annie to the finfolk queen, who can lift the curse in return for a promise to end whaling forever.

As Annie, August and Silas sail north, she is determined to uphold her family’s legacy, but the threat of the finfolk tests her resolve. Lies corrupt her relationship with August; meanwhile a dangerous connection with Silas blooms—but he’s keeping secrets too, and his might be the most dangerous of all.

As heiress, it’s Annie’s responsibility to deliver whale magic to her city. But as heartbreak looms, she must choose between saving herself and her family’s legacy—and hope it doesn’t cost her everyone she loves.]]> 336 Sara Holland 1250854490 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.75 2025
author: Sara Holland
name: elle �
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2025
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> 217218367 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered. We know who did it. We saw it happen. No one else did.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 667 Antonia Hodgson 0316577235 elle � 0 to-read 4.58 2025
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: elle �
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> 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 elle � 0 to-read 4.77 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: elle �
average rating: 4.77
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> 228691356 What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a clichĂ©, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichĂ©s sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.]]> 416 Ali Hazelwood elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.79 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: elle �
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> 224004740 After an evil witch steals their aunt in a deal gone wrong, Nell and her sisters must embark on a fantastical journey to take the beldam down in this first book in a middle grade trilogy for fans of Coraline and the Sinister Summer series.

Although triplets Nell, Annet, and Hannah were born only minutes apart, Nell is the eldest, which means it’s her job to protect the others. But she doesn’t know how to defeat an enemy like the typhoid draining her sisters of life. Desperate, Nell will do whatever it takes to save them, even going to Hagstone Hill and making a deal with the evil witch—the beldam—who lives inside it.

Beldams are slippery to bargain with, known to cheat to get what they want—souls to feast on—but Nell has no choice. She and the beldam strike a deal: the beldam will save Nell’s sisters in return for something precious. Nothing Nell owns matters more than Annet and Hannah, so she’s prepared to give up whatever it is—especially once she sees her sisters getting healthy again. But when it’s time to pay, the beldam acts true to her nature and cheats. She doesn’t take something precious, but someone: the girlsâ€� Aunt Lena.

Nell and her sisters must embark on a dangerous journey full of ghosts, goblins, and other dangers to save the only mother they’ve ever known from becoming the beldam’s next meal.]]> 272 Johanna van Veen 1665973927 elle â˜� 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Johanna van Veen
name: elle �
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/06
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]]> 218624103 448 T. Kingfisher 1250400228 elle � 0 to-read 4.10 2018
author: T. Kingfisher
name: elle �
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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]]> 227881514 In an isolated desert town, a young woman seeking a fresh start is confronted by ancient gods, malevolent supernatural forces, and eccentric neighbours. A witty horror-tinged fantasy, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Chuck Tingle, and Rachel Harrison.

When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt's lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek's inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect.]]> 208 T. Kingfisher 1835410049 elle � 0 to-read 0.0 2025
author: T. Kingfisher
name: elle �
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/04
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]]> 216825549 2025 on Ć·±ŠÓéÀÖ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on Ć·±ŠÓéÀÖ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul CĂ©zanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various elle â˜� 0 to-read ✶⋆.˚ 4.71 2025
author: Various
name: elle �
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/28
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✶⋆.˚
]]> 75712384 Four beastly princes. One awkward bookworm. An enchanted world of fae, magic, and danger.

I’ve always loved fairytales. I never imagined I'd actually be in one.

When my father wanders into the enchanted realm of the fae, I know I have to go after him. And when he gets imprisoned, I'll do anything to save him... Even trade my freedom for his. I had no idea I'd end up imprisoned by four sexy fae who turn into beasts at night.

I have to win my freedom, and that means making a bargain with them. They must find their mates in order to break the curse. If I can help them do that, they'll set me free. Sounds simple, right?

It's not. Because against my better judgment, I'm starting to fall for these beastly princes. One is smart and sweet, the other mysterious and deadly, another flirty and confident, and the last prince... He's handsome, strong, has a wicked temper, and is dead-set against breaking the curse. Why does he want to keep me here forever?

But it's not just my freedom on the line. If I don't break the princes' curse soon, all the magic in the Enchanted Vale will be stolen by the evil—and stupidly hot—Prince of Thorns. And I'm not letting my princes stay cursed.

Not after I've fallen in love with them.

BONDED BY THORNS is a steamy adult Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a fantasy fae realm. In this version, our beautiful bookworm doesn't have to choose between the four sexy fae princes. It is a full-length novel that ends on a cliffhanger. It includes MF and MM content. It is intended for mature readers only.]]> 352 Elizabeth Helen 1738827909 elle � 0 to-read 3.94 2023
author: Elizabeth Helen
name: elle �
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/26
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]]> 212174157 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 656 Antonia Hodgson 152933988X elle � 0 to-read 4.50 2025
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: elle �
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> 206777707 In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery―the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.

At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters: a power that could help her solve the gruesome deaths plaguing turn-of-the-century Paris―or have her thrown into an asylum.

Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partnersâ€� mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a beast from its killing rampage, as Hel and Sam are pitted against men, monsters, and even each other. But beneath their tenuous trust, an unmistakable attraction brews. Is trusting Hel the key to solving the murder, or is Sam yet another pawn in Hel’s game?]]> 375 Susan J. Morris 1959411640 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.91 2024
author: Susan J. Morris
name: elle �
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/25
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]]> 53830857 It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England!]]> Olivia Atwater elle â˜� 3 “I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing.â€�

★★â˜�.75

]]> 3.92 2020
author: Olivia Atwater
name: elle �
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
“I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing.â€�

★★â˜�.75


]]> 228256271 A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

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

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

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation
]]> 432 Ali Hazelwood 0593955013 elle â˜� 0 to-read omg 4.36 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: elle �
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
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omg
]]> 51184268 Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series!

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
]]> 489 Stephanie Garber 1250157684 elle � 0 currently-reading 4.20 2019
author: Stephanie Garber
name: elle �
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/21
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review:

]]> 36475970 443 Stephanie Garber 1250192226 elle â˜� 5 ”As fantastical as Caraval might feel, the next five nights are very real. Elantine has invited us here to save the Empire from her greatest fear. For centuries the Fates were locked away, but now they wish to come out and play.â€�

]]> 4.17 2018
author: Stephanie Garber
name: elle �
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves:
review:
”As fantastical as Caraval might feel, the next five nights are very real. Elantine has invited us here to save the Empire from her greatest fear. For centuries the Fates were locked away, but now they wish to come out and play.â€�


]]> 210191773 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 560 R.F. Kuang 0063021471 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.26 2025
author: R.F. Kuang
name: elle �
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 176823181
When Middren falls to the gods, your kind will be the first to die.

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren—but now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth, who murdered her family and endangered her friends. But gods cannot be destroyed so easily, and Hseth’s power threatens to reform with even greater strength and a thirst for vengeance. As tensions rise throughout the land, the kingdom needs its Godkiller more than ever.

Still reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, have set out to discover more about the true nature of their bond. As the divide between gods and humans widens, Inara and Skedi will uncover secrets that could determine the fate of the war to come.

Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been tasked with killing the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods throughout the land, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all. And where his heart once beat, a god now burns. . .]]> 367 Hannah Kaner 0063350106 elle � 0 to-read 3.90 2024
author: Hannah Kaner
name: elle �
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/21
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]]> 60420293 Regency housemaid Euphemia Reeves has acquired a faerie godfather. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he's doing.

Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr Benedict Ashbrooke. There's only one problem; Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help Effie win Mr Ashbrooke's heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favourite jacket.

Effie has heard rumours about what happens to those who accept help from faeries, but life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now, she has one hundred days - and ten thousand stitches - to make Mr Ashbrooke fall in love and propose. . . if Lord Blackthorn doesn't wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie's greatest obstacle might well prove to be Lord Blackthorn's overwhelmingly good intentions.

From the author of HALF A SOUL comes a whimsical fantasy romance with a Cinderella twist. Pick up TEN THOUSAND STITCHES, and dive into another enchanting faerie tale set in Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England!]]> 288 Olivia Atwater 031646290X elle � 0 to-read 3.91 2020
author: Olivia Atwater
name: elle �
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/20
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]]> 136470356 A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.]]> 682 Keri Lake elle � 0 to-read 4.23 2023
author: Keri Lake
name: elle �
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54408033 436 Christopher Buehlman elle � 0 to-read 4.24 2012
author: Christopher Buehlman
name: elle �
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54645927
Perched on a mountain in a land of ancient forests is a village, rife with secrets. Cut off from the outside world it is run by the elders, men to whom tradition is all.

Edith lives alone with her alcoholic father who is forcing her to marry the village butcher. But she is in love with a shepherd who promised to return to her.

As the village becomes isolated in a sea of snow, Edith loses her power of speech. And it is this enchantment that will have far-reaching consequences, not only for Edith but for the whole village.]]> 384 Sally Gardner 0008217408 elle � 0 to-read 3.87 2020
author: Sally Gardner
name: elle �
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50622362
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.]]> 352 Ashley Poston 0062847368 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.73 2020
author: Ashley Poston
name: elle �
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/19
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review:

]]> 18659623 'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...]]> 208 Emily Carroll 1442465956 elle � 0 to-read 3.94 2014
author: Emily Carroll
name: elle �
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/18
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]]> 43352954 Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.]]> 209 Amal El-Mohtar elle â˜� 3 “It’s amazing how much blue there is in the world if you care to look.â€�

I don’t know what to rate this because at points I literally had 0 idea what the hell was going on.

� � � stars

I absolutely adored the sapphic romance between two beings (they aren’t humans, right? I at least got that part right?) on opposing sides of a war who exchange letters through time. I did greatly appreciate two authors representing the two characters so that the voice feels different and the letter-writing feels authentic. However, the letters started to feel repetitive with the lyrical prose, with the very cutesy moments (and at times, modern lingo that didn’t stay consistent throughout the book, so it took me out of it when it occurred). It was hard to understand what the plot was when we kept getting it coded in flowery letters. I am literally the biggest fan of flowery, lyrical writing, and even this was too much to the point where I was just like “huh? what does this even mean?â€�

Maybe this book is something to try again in the future; after all, it is a quick read. It was just incredibly confusing. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to decode this.]]> 3.87 2019
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: elle �
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:
“It’s amazing how much blue there is in the world if you care to look.â€�

I don’t know what to rate this because at points I literally had 0 idea what the hell was going on.

� � � stars

I absolutely adored the sapphic romance between two beings (they aren’t humans, right? I at least got that part right?) on opposing sides of a war who exchange letters through time. I did greatly appreciate two authors representing the two characters so that the voice feels different and the letter-writing feels authentic. However, the letters started to feel repetitive with the lyrical prose, with the very cutesy moments (and at times, modern lingo that didn’t stay consistent throughout the book, so it took me out of it when it occurred). It was hard to understand what the plot was when we kept getting it coded in flowery letters. I am literally the biggest fan of flowery, lyrical writing, and even this was too much to the point where I was just like “huh? what does this even mean?â€�

Maybe this book is something to try again in the future; after all, it is a quick read. It was just incredibly confusing. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to decode this.
]]> 221399262
The war has begun. Both sides demand Diem’s allegiance—or her death.

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

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

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

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything
]]> 848 Penn Cole 1668098261 elle � 0 to-read 4.42 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: elle �
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 219542918 THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE TO READ AT WORK. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

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

Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince's hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance. But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions. As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince. And when she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two neither of which she can survive without.

Guaranteed to make you blush (and then some), Split or Swallow is like if fanfic Draco Malfoy went on the Bachelor and had to compete with a snake. Sounds fun, doesn't it? That's because it is!!]]> 528 Lindsay Straube 1464247579 elle � 0 to-read 3.45
author: Lindsay Straube
name: elle �
average rating: 3.45
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/17
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]]> 220389458 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.]]> 73 Ali Hazelwood 1662528396 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.68 2024
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: elle �
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 39934465
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Words: 181,287]]> 660 LovesBitca8 elle � 0 currently-reading 4.27
author: LovesBitca8
name: elle �
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 199798201
A house is a precious thing...

It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season.

Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation—leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem.

Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is a brilliantly plotted and provocative debut novel you won’t soon forget.]]> 272 Yael van der Wouden 1668034344 elle â˜� 2
� � 2.75 stars

We follow Isabel, a woman post WWII who resides alone in a big house that belonged to her mother. Her brother, Louis comes for dinner with a woman named Eva, and Isabel wants nothing to do with anyone. Louis has to leave for a few weeks and asks if Eva can stay with Isabel in the house, much to Isabel’s dismay. We end up with a whirlwind “romanceâ€� (which just felt a lot more like lust to me), then a discovery that Isabel must decide what to do about, and then a reunion.

The writing was very choppy to me, and I struggled to enjoy it. It was simple sentence after simple sentence, and I never felt like I got enough plot or depth of characters or anything.

As I said, it was definitely more of a lust-filled relationship which is fine, but it ended up being pages and pages back to back about their intimate encounters. I wasn’t a fan of the descriptions used during these scenes (“she grabbed the meat of her assâ€�???).

The ending was a surprise to me and quite sad, but then all of the sudden we were back to insta-lust.

Idk guys, this wasn’t for me I guess. I also haven’t really read any “unsound womenâ€� books if this can be classified as that, so I’m just not quite sure what to think.]]> 4.05 2024
author: Yael van der Wouden
name: elle �
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
I honestly don’t think this book was for me. Maybe it was something that happened when it was translated from Dutch to English, or just the writing style itself, but it didn’t connect with me in the way I was hoping for.

� � 2.75 stars

We follow Isabel, a woman post WWII who resides alone in a big house that belonged to her mother. Her brother, Louis comes for dinner with a woman named Eva, and Isabel wants nothing to do with anyone. Louis has to leave for a few weeks and asks if Eva can stay with Isabel in the house, much to Isabel’s dismay. We end up with a whirlwind “romanceâ€� (which just felt a lot more like lust to me), then a discovery that Isabel must decide what to do about, and then a reunion.

The writing was very choppy to me, and I struggled to enjoy it. It was simple sentence after simple sentence, and I never felt like I got enough plot or depth of characters or anything.

As I said, it was definitely more of a lust-filled relationship which is fine, but it ended up being pages and pages back to back about their intimate encounters. I wasn’t a fan of the descriptions used during these scenes (“she grabbed the meat of her assâ€�???).

The ending was a surprise to me and quite sad, but then all of the sudden we were back to insta-lust.

Idk guys, this wasn’t for me I guess. I also haven’t really read any “unsound womenâ€� books if this can be classified as that, so I’m just not quite sure what to think.
]]> 212808273 160 J. Sheridan Le Fanu 1805332120 elle � 0 to-read 3.98 1872
author: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
name: elle �
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1872
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215813693 A princess determined to survive an arranged marriage to a heartless faerie prince is saved by a twist of fate that could destroy their world in this all-new standalone fantasy romance.

As the half faerie daughter of a human king, my days were spent tucked out of sightâ€�until the Seelie Fae sought an alliance with our kingdom. In exchange for my father’s help in defeating their Unseelie enemies, I would wed Atakan the heartless.

The Seelie prince loathed everyone, but none more than me. Throughout the years leading to our nuptials, each encounter grew more terrifying than the last as he demonstrated how he’d earned his infamous reputation.

Fear would only doom me faster. So I learned to hide it with games I soon became happy to play. I wasn’t supposed to crave a monster. But just when I’d thought I might tame the untameable, fate intervened.

And delivered me straight to his enemy.


This fast-paced standalone features true enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, high heat, and a cast of morally grey and villainous characters. ]]> 403 Ella Fields elle � 0 to-read 3.81 2024
author: Ella Fields
name: elle �
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> 182484370
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she ( slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing .

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone... and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.]]> 352 Sangu Mandanna 0593439376 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.66 2025
author: Sangu Mandanna
name: elle �
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 224970641
In this gritty, haunting tale about doing whatever it takes for love, a small-town storyteller resolves to keep the local monster—and her own secrets—safe from a legendary knight.

Nestled deep in the steep hills, valleys, and surrounding woodlands lies Iron Hollow, a rural community beset by demons. Such horrors are common in the outlands, where most folks die young, if they don’t turn into monsters first. But what’s causing these transformations?

No one has the answer, not even the town’s oral historian, seventeen-year-old Shrike. And when a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest beast to haunt their woods, Shrike has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still human, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.]]> 36 Alix E. Harrow 1662527233 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.06 2025
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: elle �
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
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]]> 217388147 The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth century England whose neighbors are convinced they’re turning into dogs.

Even before the rumors about the Mansfield girls begin, Little Nettlebed is a village steeped in the uncanny, from strange creatures that wash up on the riverbed to portentous ravens gathering on the roofs of people about to die. But when the villagers start to hear barking, and one claims to see the Mansfield sisters transform before his very eyes, the allegations spark fascination and fear like nothing has before.

The truth is that though the inhabitants of Little Nettlebed have never much liked the Mansfield girls—a little odd, think some; a little high on themselves, perhaps—they’ve always had plenty to say about them. As the rotating perspectives of five villagers quickly make clear, now is no exception. Even if local belief in witchcraft is waning, an aversion to difference is as widespread as ever, and these conflicting narratives all point to the same ultimate conclusion: something isn’t right in Little Nettlebed, and the sisters will be the ones to pay for it.

As relevant today as any time before, The Hounding celebrates the wild breaks from convention we’re all sometimes pulled toward, and wonders if, in a world like this one, it isn’t safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl.]]> 240 Xenobe Purvis 1250366380 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.18 2025
author: Xenobe Purvis
name: elle �
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> 211143113
But Mama’s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts—and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.]]> 336 Lucy Rose 0063374609 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.93 2025
author: Lucy Rose
name: elle �
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
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]]> 217896248 From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.

Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration.

Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls.

As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness—forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy—these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle’s new mastersâ€� or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself.]]> 352 Caitlin Starling 0063418819 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.02 2025
author: Caitlin Starling
name: elle �
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/15
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]]> 217387977 A charming slow-burn romantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment

*This beautiful paperback edition features sprayed edges.*

Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.

To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry―leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would do: she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.

Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.

As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.]]> 352 M. Stevenson 1250375088 elle � 0 to-read 3.78 2025
author: M. Stevenson
name: elle �
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> 35702241
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?]]> 326 Tricia Levenseller 1250189969 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.82 2020
author: Tricia Levenseller
name: elle �
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59336483 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.]]> 383 Ali Hazelwood elle â˜� 4 ”You could let them go on thinking it.â€�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This dedication goes to my book bestie, for recommending me contemporary romances, and for making me get fomo and having to try it out for myself. I fear this is just the beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

� � � �.5

]]> 4.21 2021
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: elle �
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:
”You could let them go on thinking it.â€�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This dedication goes to my book bestie, for recommending me contemporary romances, and for making me get fomo and having to try it out for myself. I fear this is just the beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

� � � �.5


]]> 208840761 These Violent Delights meets Divine Rivals in the explosive finale to The Last Bloodcarver duology -- with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired romantasy world.

Kochin is a heartsooth -- a rare being with the ability to heal any wound. Any wound, that is, except death.

Intent on defying nature and bringing Nhika back to life, Kochin keeps her body in a life-preserving casket and waits for a miracle. Stricken with grief and descending into madness, Kochin realizes the answer to his desperate quest can only lie in one place: Yarong, the lush yet battle-ridden island the first heartsooths called home.

Months later, Nhika wakes in a familiar manor-house, with Kochin nowhere to be found. As she traces his footsteps across Theumas, she discovers the haunting path he walked to bring her back, and a world changed by war.

When Kochin discovers the true and grisly way to resurrect a person from the grave, he must decide exactly how much he is willing to sacrifice, in order to reunite with the woman he loves...

Don't miss this stunning dual-POV follow up to THE LAST BLOODCARVER, where morals will be tested, hearts pushed to the limit, and fates determined once and for all. Vanessa Le's jaw-dropping sequel is a bloody and luscious spectacle to be devoured in one sitting.]]> 400 Vanessa Le 1250881544 elle � 0 to-read 4.09 2025
author: Vanessa Le
name: elle �
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
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]]> 212398691 From bestselling author Kelly Andrew comes the most electrifying dark romance of the decade...

Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.

But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.

She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.

A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn't said a word in years -- not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.

Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn't hers. It's something with teeth.

Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She's finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can't afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he's quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.]]> 368 Kelly Andrew 1546104488 elle � 0 to-read 4.05 2025
author: Kelly Andrew
name: elle �
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/11
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]]> 983730 The Lost Estate is Robin Buss's translation of Henri Alain-Fournier's poignant study of lost love, Le Grand Meaulnes. This Penguin Classics edition also contains an introduction by Adam Gopnik.

When Meaulnes first arrives at the local school in Sologne, everyone is captivated by his good looks, daring and charisma. But when Meaulnes disappears for several days, and returns with tales of a strange party at a mysterious house - and his love for the beautiful girl hidden within it, Yvonne de Galais - his life has been changed forever. In his restless search for his Lost Estate and the happiness he found there, Meaulnes, observed by his loyal friend Francois, may risk losing everything he ever had. Poised between youthful admiration and adult resignation, Alain-Fournier's compelling narrator carries the reader through this evocative and unbearably poignant portrayal of desperate friendship and vanished adolescence.

Robin Buss's translation of Le Grand Meaulnes sensitively and accurately renders Alain-Fournier's poetically charged, expressive and deceptively simple style. In his introduction, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik discusses the life of Alain-Fournier, who was killed in the First World War after writing this, his only novel.

I read it for the first time when I was seventeen and loved every page. I find its depiction of a golden time and place just as poignant now as I did then
Nick Hornby]]> 227 Henri Alain-Fournier 0141441895 elle � 0 to-read 3.72 1913
author: Henri Alain-Fournier
name: elle �
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1913
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/11
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]]> 218569828 A hilarious and surprisingly moving cozy fantasy novel from the best-selling author of Once Upon a Tome.

This debut novel by beloved rare bookseller and memoirist Oliver Darkshire reimagines the Decameron heroine Isabella (with her creepy pot of basil) in a world of sentient animals, talking plants, and shape-shifting wizards.

In a tiny farm on the edge of the miserable village of East Grasby, Isabella Nagg is just trying to get on with her tiny, miserable existence. Dividing her time between tolerating a feckless husband, fending off snide neighbors, and cooking up “scrunge,â€� Isabella can’t help but think that there might be something more to life. When Mr. Nagg returns home with a spell book purloined from the local wizard, she What harm could a little magic do?

As Isabella embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a grouchy cat-like companion, Darkshire’s imagination runs wild, plunging readers into a delightfully deranged world full of enchantment and folklore—as well as goblins, capitalism, and sorcery.]]> 256 Oliver Darkshire 1324105917 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.67 2025
author: Oliver Darkshire
name: elle �
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> 219174189 Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess—for fans of RenĂ©e Ahdieh, Tahereh Mafi, and Stephanie Garber.

Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.

Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

This sweeping fantasy romance inspired by Cinderella and a Chinese fairy tale is the first in a breathtaking new series by the acclaimed author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.]]> Sue Lynn Tan 1399729233 elle � 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: elle �
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> 33836611 A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.]]> 402 Stephanie Garber 1250141494 elle � 4 4.01 2016
author: Stephanie Garber
name: elle �
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
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]]> 61271694 A beautifully illustrated, interactive guide to ancient, nature-based holidays and customs. Through themed meditations, crafts, and rituals, young readers can learn about old and new ways of honoring the seasons—and create their own!

Each “spokeâ€� in The Wheel of the Year marks an important turning point: the winter and summer solstices, the spring and fall equinoxes, and the festivals of seeding, growing, and harvesting that arrive in between. Within each section, enjoy:
An overview of the holiday and its significance in cultures around the world
A sensory scavenger hunt for sights, sounds, and smells the season
Ideas for a seasonal altar using objects from nature
Themed crafts, rituals, games, and recipes
Blending nature connection with art, poetry, and myth, The Wheel of the Year conveys the magic and beauty of ancient traditions and encourages young readers to notice, care for, and celebrate the natural world around them.]]> 256 Fiona Cook 1524874809 elle � 0 to-read 4.51
author: Fiona Cook
name: elle �
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> 58750487
She remembered the words she had whispered to him in the back of the limo after La Rose. "You will worship me, and I won't even have to order you." His request felt sinful and devious, and she reveled in it.

She answered, "Yes."

---

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring in title only. Since she was a little girl, flowers have only shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hoped to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist. All of that changes when she sits down in a forbidden nightclub to play a hand of cards with a hypnotic and mysterious stranger.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible. But nothing has ever intrigued him as much as the goddess offering him a bargain he can't resist.

After her encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and his terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. The bet does more than expose Persephone's failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows―a love that is both captivating and forbidden.]]> 379 Scarlett St. Clair 1728258456 elle â˜� 4 Just here for Hades 3.87 2019
author: Scarlett St. Clair
name: elle �
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/23
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves:
review:
Just here for Hades
]]> 59056313 Everything I ran from, all of the villains of my past, they’re all here to take another bite out of me. But this time, I’m not alone.
With my Bonds desperately trying to reach me and new friendships I never expected, I start to believe that maybe I won't become the weapon they want me to be. Maybe I’ll be a monster of my own creation.
When loyalties are questioned and Bonds are tested, everything I thought I knew gets turned upside down. Who are my friends, and who are my enemies?
Are Bond ties stronger than blood?

*Blood Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 541 J. Bree elle � 0 to-read 4.20 2021
author: J. Bree
name: elle �
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
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]]> 198207910 defective marks me in the eyes of the Solis Fae. Wingless. Magicless. Weak. To my kind, I’m nothing—not when strength is needed to survive the perpetual snow and ice that shrouds our northern continent in endless winter.

But I’ve persevered, living a meaningful yet simple life with my sister . . . until the hated Crown Prince of the Winter Court thunders into our village.

Prince Norivun’s massive black wings and potent magic cloud my senses and steal my breath. He’s beautiful yet brutal, so when he whisks me away and locks me in his castle I’m certain my death is tomorrow’s promise.

Yet my end doesn’t come, not when the prince looks at me with hunger in his gaze while revealing the true reason for my abduction.

Now I’m faced with an impossible choice—either join forces with the hated prince who’s robbed me of everything I love or watch our kingdom start a devastating war.


Court of Winter is book one in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World. This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.]]> 354 Krista Street elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.12 2023
author: Krista Street
name: elle �
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/07
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]]> 216560852 Brimming with magic and romance, a young fairy queen must form an unlikely alliance or risk an unspeakable danger destroying all she holds dear in this fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft.

It’s been centuries since a warm-season fairy in Pixie Hollow has crossed into the Winter Woods, and while most fear the legends of monsters lurking in the frozen lands, Clarion, can’t help being intrigued by Winter’s stoic beauty. But under the watchful eyes of the current monarch and the court's seasonal ministers, Clarion has little time to dwell on daydreams while the days to her coronation dwindle away.

That is, until reports of a monster crossing from Winter into Spring make their way to the palace. Clarion sees defeating this threat as an opportunity to prove that she is worthy of her new role. But instead of finding a monster at the edge of Winter, she finds Milori, a young guardian of the Winter Woods. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they race to save their lands.

But as their alliance warms to something more, they will discover there is a reason a warm-season fairy and a winter fairy must not be together. And the cost could be just as deadly as the monsters that prowl the Winter Woods.

Discover the origin of the sweeping, star-crossed romance between the queen of Pixie Hollow and the lord of the Winter Woods.]]> 342 Allison Saft 136811413X elle � 2
*This book is rated as YA, but take that with a grain of salt, as this could be middle-grade. It truly felt like an animated Disney movie, which is sweet, but it definitely felt very juvenile. The plot and characters were kept very simple and lacked depth I usually am able to find in YA. If this review feels harsh, it’s because this genuinely should not be considered young adult.

]]> 4.32 2025
author: Allison Saft
name: elle �
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
� � 2.5 Stars - a 3 star book, but I docked .5 for personal problems with the book

*This book is rated as YA, but take that with a grain of salt, as this could be middle-grade. It truly felt like an animated Disney movie, which is sweet, but it definitely felt very juvenile. The plot and characters were kept very simple and lacked depth I usually am able to find in YA. If this review feels harsh, it’s because this genuinely should not be considered young adult.


]]> 59656358 Follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband. But the last thing she expects is to find love...

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father’s massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin.

Kitty has never been one to back down from a challenge, so she leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London season.

Kitty may be neither accomplished nor especially genteel—but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with cunning and ingenuity, she knows that risk is just part of the game.

The only thing she doesn’t anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn...

This is a frothy pleasure, full of brilliant repartee and enticing wit—one that readers will find an irresistible delight.

]]> 325 Sophie Irwin 0593491343 elle � 0 to-read 3.91 2022
author: Sophie Irwin
name: elle �
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
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]]> 210223811 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 400 R.F. Kuang elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.12 2025
author: R.F. Kuang
name: elle �
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
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]]> 220909040
Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

But when Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. There’s just one caveat: He must choose a new guardian from amongst Laurie's scheming, backstabbing relatives to help manage the estate until he turns eighteen.

Except Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next. Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.]]> 368 C.G. Drews 1250376297 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.79 2025
author: C.G. Drews
name: elle �
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
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]]> 210396795 336 S.T. Gibson 035652325X elle � 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: S.T. Gibson
name: elle �
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/06
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]]> 169485073 This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.


OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.]]> James Islington elle � 0 to-read 4.65 2025
author: James Islington
name: elle �
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
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]]> 221956405 Romantic fantasy fans will be swept away by this tale of fated mates, court intrigue, and a love that defies the gods who grasp for crumbling control over the realms between and below.

The ties that bind often break us.

So few understand how the weight of a crown breaks your neck and straightens your spine the way Lunar demi-goddess Astra does.

She dreams of a world where title and rank mean nothing—a dangerous thought for someone a heartbeat away from the Lunar Throne. Exiled for her fiery tendencies and unpopular politics, she’s spent the last few years far from the court’s suffocating expectations.

When palace guardians find a mysterious object, Astra’s powerful intuition earns her an unwanted summons home from the community she’s built. It’s clear right away that her mother is determined not only to prohibit her return to her found family but to use her hand as a bargaining chip to strengthen alliances with the human courts.

Determined to control her own fate, Astra strikes a deal to wed the charming and rebellious King of Mercury. Her bargain entangles her with the king’s arrogant commander, Luxuros, whose secrets will rain down hell from both the Lunar Court’s enemies in the Solar Court and the gods that watch them all from the Court Above.

As the threat of war looms, Astra and Luxuros are thrust into a dangerous game of hidden truths and forbidden power. Astra must unearth long-buried family betrayals and embrace a legacy she’s always sworn she never wanted to keep the people she loves safe.

Why romantic fantasy readers will love

Enemies-to-lovers Astra and Lux’s entanglement burns slowly with plenty of banter and yearning.

Fated mates with a Mysterious golden Tethers tie fates together, but often cause more pain than pleasure.

Celestial From moonlit forests to glittering crystal towers, immerse yourself in the lush landscapes of the Lunar and Mercurian Courts.

High-stakes Perfect for readers who love political intrigue, characters in impossible situations, and hidden truths waiting to unravel entire courts.]]> 534 CB Woods elle � 0 to-read 4.22
author: CB Woods
name: elle �
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63106710 Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but
those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?]]> 400 Ali Hazelwood elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.17 2023
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: elle �
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
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review:

]]> 217504682 Author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.

Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.

One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?

Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks—and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.]]> 3 M.L. Rio 125036759X elle â˜� 2 i can taste the lung cancer. 2.98 2024
author: M.L. Rio
name: elle �
average rating: 2.98
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
review:
i can taste the lung cancer.
]]> 213106589 The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruinâ€� and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.]]> 400 Sasha Peyton Smith 0063372541 elle � 0 to-read 4.04 2025
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: elle �
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
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date added: 2025/02/04
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]]> 219505264
“Come for the Gilmore Girls anecdotes, stay for the revealing truths about what it takes to build a lifelong career in and out of Hollywoodâ€� (The A.V. Club) in this candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.]]> 7 Kelly Bishop elle � 0 4.39 2024
author: Kelly Bishop
name: elle �
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
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This was an absolutely spectacular audiobook to listen to. Kelly Bishop has lived the most interesting life, from trying to make it in NYC dancing at Radio City Music Hall, her Tony Award, Gilmore Girls, and more. If you’re looking for a genuinely fascinating memoir, this is the one! This woman is an icon.âœ�
]]> 50892212
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love
and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.]]> 449 Chloe Gong 1534457690 elle � 0 to-read 3.82 2020
author: Chloe Gong
name: elle �
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/04
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]]> 48678366 288 Corinne Boyer 0738765872 elle � 0 to-read 4.53
author: Corinne Boyer
name: elle �
average rating: 4.53
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date added: 2025/02/03
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]]> 225653560
It begins where it ends: beneath the yew tree � a girl not yet a knight, and a boy without a story.

It is where she pulls a sword from the heartwood and becomes a legend.

And it is where, more than a thousand years later, he will find her � and lose her � and find her � and lose her again.

It is where a new story will be written � but whose will it be?]]> 400 Alix E. Harrow 1529061172 elle � 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: elle �
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/03
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]]> 62688179 One stunning bride.
One wedding.
One night with the king.
One execution come morning.
Rinse and repeat.

When the fae king of Naenden returns home to his palace only to find that his human queen has committed treason by conspiring to assassinate him, he has the queen executed and decrees that once every mooncycle, he’ll marry a human woman from the kingdom, only to execute her the following morning.

±«ČÔ±ô±đČőČőâ€�

Unless one woman offers herself as a sacrificial bride for the rest.

Asha isn’t worried about being chosen, of course. The decree was quite clear about beauty being among the top criteria for being selected as one of the king’s unfortunate brides. And Asha is no beauty, all thanks to the illegal magic that inhabits her body, leaving her scarred and missing an eye. The same magic that occasionally possesses her voice so it can amuse itself by telling a never-ending story with a string of horrible cliffhangers.

The problem is, Asha might not be a beauty, but her sister Dinah is. When Asha realizes Dinah is in danger of being selected as the king’s sacrificial bride, Asha decides she can’t live with that risk. So she offers herself instead.

Except on the night of their wedding, the king grants Asha a final request.

Naturally, she asks to tell her sister one last bedtime story.

Naturally, the king eavesdrops.

The question is�

Will the story save her life
or ruin it?

A tale of love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice, magic and romance, this imaginative retelling of 1,001 Nights will keep you guessing with each turn of the page.]]> 596 T.A. Lawrence 1737424347 elle � 0 to-read 3.70 2022
author: T.A. Lawrence
name: elle �
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/03
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]]> 214466890 The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For MelinoĂ«, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.]]> 448 Ava Reid 0063430010 elle � 0 to-read 3.97 2025
author: Ava Reid
name: elle �
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/03
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]]> 220502647
Mallory Devlin keeps a careful count. Twelve days for a black cat crossing your path, a week for putting your shoes on the table, and a whopping year for falling down a well. He’s a Reynard, a trickster from a darkly enchanted realm—and Bad Luck incarnate. Caught in a wager with his awful brother Felix, Mallory has until the month’s end to tally one-hundred unlucky years. He’s certain to fail—until the unluckiest woman he’s ever met tumbles into his lap.

The two strike a bargain. Mallory will help Orla discover which high-society member pushed her down the well, and she in turn will accrue as much bad luck as possible to win Mallory his wager. But as they draw closer to her assailant’s identity—and Orla’s new wedding date—one question remains. Would it count as lucky or unlucky to fall in love with Bad Luck himself?]]> Rachel Gillig elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.45
author: Rachel Gillig
name: elle �
average rating: 4.45
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date added: 2025/02/02
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]]> 211004720 She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn’t expect her own to betray her.

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

Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.]]> 356 Carissa Broadbent 1035051737 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.23 2023
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: elle �
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/02
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]]> 221210824 At Bloodwing Academy, blood is currency, but a dragon's legacy is priceless–and as dangerous as fire.

I thought surviving my first year in Bloodwing's deadly halls would be enough. I was wrong.

I accidentally woke a dragon–a creature of myth, of death, of fire.

Now every highblood house wants control over me and the dragon's legacy I carry. But here's the I have no control. I'm bluffing my way through every encounter, trying to keep everyone from realizing that I'm not the one pulling the dragon's strings.

And then there's Blake Drakharrow. I thought he was on my side, that I might even be able to trust him. But he betrayed me. Now I'm his only blood source. How messed up is that? In a place like Bloodwing, where power and survival are everything, this bond may well be the death of us both. Unless I can find a way to end it.

In this world of vampires, dragons, and lies, there are no happy endings. Just legends–and the darkness it takes to make them.


Set in a richly crafted world of vampire courts and dragon lore, On Wings of Blood blends dark academia, a brooding bully with Draco Malfoy energy, forbidden romance, heart-pounding enemies-to-lovers tension, banter, and dangerous intrigue. A full list of Trigger Warnings may be found in the book's interior. ]]> 395 Briar Boleyn elle � 0 currently-reading 4.22
author: Briar Boleyn
name: elle �
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> 157184735 From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. Can she escape her mother’s fate—and find a connection that is more than skin deep?

For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de MĂ©duse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.

Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, Rouge explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, Rouge holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.]]> 383 Mona Awad elle â˜� 0 dnf
dnf at 34%]]> 3.54 2023
author: Mona Awad
name: elle �
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: dnf
review:
Reading this was like cutting my brain out of my head, slapping it in the microwave on the highest wattage setting for an hour, and forgetting about it, obviously, because I don’t have a brain anymore.

dnf at 34%
]]> 57810353
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The cover was made by @a_and_s436 (tikotk account)]]> 1799 MsKingBean89 elle � 0 to-read 4.76 2018
author: MsKingBean89
name: elle �
average rating: 4.76
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> 214466894 A story about magic and the captivating power of dreams.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.]]> 496 Rebecca Ross 0063428431 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.50 2021
author: Rebecca Ross
name: elle �
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2021
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]]> 200513444
Within the Heart of Wicked Creatures follows Priya Chkadhari, a child born during the blood moon and therefore 'cursed' with the ability to manipulate other people's souls. In her quiet rural village, Priya has learned to hide her true nature - blood children are killed if discovered.

When she wins the annual test to attend the country's elite military school in Kuwatta, however, everything changes. During training sessions with other blood children, her curse becomes a gift. But will she survive the guerilla war that has plagued the torn land of Awaran for centuries? And what about the strange danger that lurks in the cursed heart of the Kuwatta fortress?

With new friends - and some enemies too - by her side, Priya will soon need to make a choice between what's expected of her and what's right in her heart.

"But Awaran was all she knew. The only land whose earth she had trodden, whose air she had breathed and whose water she had tasted. Awaran was the land that had given her life, the land she fought for. She knew nothing else. Why, then, did she still feel like a traveller without a destination?"]]> 444 Rima Orie 178530495X elle � 0 to-read 3.80 2022
author: Rima Orie
name: elle �
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/31
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]]> 207591548
As Genevieve struggles to conceal her identity within the light court, she discovers a latent power: the ability to foresee the future. With war looming and dark forces gathering, she must confront her destiny and make a choice that will shape the fate of her world. Betrayal lurks around every corner, and enemies close in, forcing Genevieve to embrace her true heritage to reclaim her place as the heir to the dark throne.

In a breathtaking tale of magic and redemption, Genevieve Autumn embarks on a journey that will test her courage and challenge her beliefs. With her newfound abilities, she must navigate a dangerous landscape where survival depends on uncovering the truth of her lineage and embracing the power within her.]]> 330 Jessica Ann Disciacca elle � 0 to-read 4.33
author: Jessica Ann Disciacca
name: elle �
average rating: 4.33
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]]> 216247464 Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her--except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either--except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.]]> 368 India Holton 0593641477 elle � 0 to-read 4.18 2025
author: India Holton
name: elle �
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> 211004131 A dark and enchanting fairy tale-inspired historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.
For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo's wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship's crew. Only Samuel—Luce's best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce's plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce's hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail.]]> 419 Kell Woods 125085251X elle � 0 to-read 4.33 2025
author: Kell Woods
name: elle �
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
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]]> 58081613 I was sure everything would be okay if I had them.
It wasn’t.
The fate of our people is in my hands and I know we’re better off if I’m alone.
After five years on the run, I’m caught and dragged back to face the men I ran away from.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Now, I’m not so sure.
North, Nox, Gryphon, Atlas, and Gabe may never forgive me but one thing is for sure.
I won’t ever forgive myself.

*Broken Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 289 J. Bree elle � 0 to-read 4.13 2021
author: J. Bree
name: elle �
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 40864002 ASIN B08H831J18 moved to the more recent edition

Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.

Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?]]> 151 Becky Chambers elle â˜� 3 ”It is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.â€�

� � � 3.5 stars

This book felt like being a kid again before we started to learn everything that is wrong with the world.

Yes, this book is quite on the nose, but I absolutely loved its conversation on sentience of living things, sustainability, the purpose of life. I really related to Sibling Dex in thinking you’ve found your purpose, only to wake up one day desperately wanting to escape what you’re doing and never desiring to go back.

*My complaint is that there just wasn’t much time spent on each topic addressed, which is to be expected from such a short book. Maybe if only one or two of the ideas in this book would’ve been explored rather than many, it would’ve been more impactful.

However, this book is a very quick read, therefore I would recommend giving it a try!]]> 4.25 2021
author: Becky Chambers
name: elle �
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
”It is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.â€�

� � � 3.5 stars

This book felt like being a kid again before we started to learn everything that is wrong with the world.

Yes, this book is quite on the nose, but I absolutely loved its conversation on sentience of living things, sustainability, the purpose of life. I really related to Sibling Dex in thinking you’ve found your purpose, only to wake up one day desperately wanting to escape what you’re doing and never desiring to go back.

*My complaint is that there just wasn’t much time spent on each topic addressed, which is to be expected from such a short book. Maybe if only one or two of the ideas in this book would’ve been explored rather than many, it would’ve been more impactful.

However, this book is a very quick read, therefore I would recommend giving it a try!
]]> 209594872 The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.

By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.

Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.

When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.

For MelinoĂ«, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.

As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.

And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.]]> 384 Ava Reid 0063211556 elle � 0 to-read 3.87 2025
author: Ava Reid
name: elle �
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 222139748 Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.

Saeris Fane doesn't want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court's lips, but now that she's been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she's discovering that a queen's life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward - and her brother - need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

'Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.'

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.]]> 720 Callie Hart 1538774224 elle � 0 to-read 4.29 2025
author: Callie Hart
name: elle �
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> 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 elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.03 2025
author: Travis Baldree
name: elle �
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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]]> 223631044 THE TIKTOK SENSATION FROM THE UK HAS COME TO NORTH AMERICA!

“Magical, murderous, romantic romp through a fantasy world as colorful as it is captivating.â€� Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author of THE HURRICANE WARS

A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.

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

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

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?]]> Frances White 1488233284 elle â˜� 1 “I’m not like other bears.â€� Can’t make this shit up.

Think obnoxious, really annoying MC that reads like a 14 year old, but is apparently 20 something and just randomly throws out curse words just because and says the most off the wall things. This feels very young YA with some profanity sprinkled in. Maybe not even YA, maybe middle-grade.

IF I COULD UNREAD THIS�

The audiobook narrator ]]> 3.50 2024
author: Frances White
name: elle �
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
“I’m not like other bears.â€� Can’t make this shit up.

Think obnoxious, really annoying MC that reads like a 14 year old, but is apparently 20 something and just randomly throws out curse words just because and says the most off the wall things. This feels very young YA with some profanity sprinkled in. Maybe not even YA, maybe middle-grade.

IF I COULD UNREAD THIS�

The audiobook narrator
]]> 28963596
A strange, sly retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s "Snow Queen," by T. Kingfisher, author of "Bryony and Roses" and "The Seventh Bride."]]> 226 T. Kingfisher elle â˜� 0 to-read 4.22 2016
author: T. Kingfisher
name: elle �
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57903812 A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry.

Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they're not alone after all.

There's something in the woods that wasn't there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws.

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.]]> 363 Christina Henry 1789097053 elle � 0 to-read 3.79 2021
author: Christina Henry
name: elle �
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 223849760
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649378602 elle â˜� 5 6-stars ”’What did you do?â€�
‘What you asked me to.’â€�

� � � � � � The biggest f-ing 6 stars, gosh maybe the best book of the series (but I said that about both prior books)

⚔This review will be rant first, review second. You can skip the rant if you want! I have to defend this series ON MY HONOR.⚔

I feel like it needs to be said that Yarros very clearly after Fourth Wing decided to take this from a fun romantasy into a more serious epic high fantasy - so if that isn’t your jam, I wouldn’t recommend this book or series to you. There’s a lot of world-building, an overarching plot with multiple side plots, multiple enemies, sprinklings of foreshadowing throughout that you need to remember, and many new characters â€� this is how epic high fantasy goes. I know that’s not how it started, but it’s how it’s going and continuing to evolve, so if you don’t enjoy that, just hop off the train. You are allowed to not enjoy books and have your own opinion, but also why waste your precious time reading books of a genre you don’t enjoy and then hate on it, you know? High fantasy takes a lot of effort and critical thinking to understand if you want to really enjoy what the author is trying to do. You are allowed to stop reading a series if you aren’t enjoying it.

With that - what’s up with all the hate reads? What’s the point? That doesn’t seem like a fair assessment of a book when you had the pretense of hating it. Why is this a thing? You don’t buy a piece of clothing that you hate and obviously isn’t your style, wasting your hard-earned money and the hours you spent making said money, and then go and review it saying it’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever owned and give it 1 star, right? If you want to lose hours of your life doing a hate read, fine I guess. But if you go in with the idea that you’re going to hate it and hate it the whole time, maybe don’t give it a star rating. It just unnecessarily skews the ratings for people who are actually looking for a new book or series to enjoy. Books change lives. This series changed my life. I went through something terrible, and this book/series and these characters got me through it. You might think that’s stupid, and that’s fine, but it was exactly what I needed when I read it. THIS SERIES MIGHT BE EXACTLY WHAT SOMEONE NEEDS RIGHT NOW BUT THEY WONT PICK IT UP BECAUSE THEY SEE A BUNCH OF 1 STAR HATE REVIEWS.
*There’s a difference between going in excited/neutral reading a book and not liking it, and just hating it the whole time and never giving it a chance.

Let’s stop wasting the precious hours of our lives hate reading, and set on your mission to find your next life-altering book.

*RANT OVER*

⋆àŒș±Ő±Ő> 4.46 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: elle �
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: 6-stars
review:
”’What did you do?â€�
‘What you asked me to.’â€�

� � � � � � The biggest f-ing 6 stars, gosh maybe the best book of the series (but I said that about both prior books)

⚔This review will be rant first, review second. You can skip the rant if you want! I have to defend this series ON MY HONOR.⚔

I feel like it needs to be said that Yarros very clearly after Fourth Wing decided to take this from a fun romantasy into a more serious epic high fantasy - so if that isn’t your jam, I wouldn’t recommend this book or series to you. There’s a lot of world-building, an overarching plot with multiple side plots, multiple enemies, sprinklings of foreshadowing throughout that you need to remember, and many new characters â€� this is how epic high fantasy goes. I know that’s not how it started, but it’s how it’s going and continuing to evolve, so if you don’t enjoy that, just hop off the train. You are allowed to not enjoy books and have your own opinion, but also why waste your precious time reading books of a genre you don’t enjoy and then hate on it, you know? High fantasy takes a lot of effort and critical thinking to understand if you want to really enjoy what the author is trying to do. You are allowed to stop reading a series if you aren’t enjoying it.

With that - what’s up with all the hate reads? What’s the point? That doesn’t seem like a fair assessment of a book when you had the pretense of hating it. Why is this a thing? You don’t buy a piece of clothing that you hate and obviously isn’t your style, wasting your hard-earned money and the hours you spent making said money, and then go and review it saying it’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever owned and give it 1 star, right? If you want to lose hours of your life doing a hate read, fine I guess. But if you go in with the idea that you’re going to hate it and hate it the whole time, maybe don’t give it a star rating. It just unnecessarily skews the ratings for people who are actually looking for a new book or series to enjoy. Books change lives. This series changed my life. I went through something terrible, and this book/series and these characters got me through it. You might think that’s stupid, and that’s fine, but it was exactly what I needed when I read it. THIS SERIES MIGHT BE EXACTLY WHAT SOMEONE NEEDS RIGHT NOW BUT THEY WONT PICK IT UP BECAUSE THEY SEE A BUNCH OF 1 STAR HATE REVIEWS.
*There’s a difference between going in excited/neutral reading a book and not liking it, and just hating it the whole time and never giving it a chance.

Let’s stop wasting the precious hours of our lives hate reading, and set on your mission to find your next life-altering book.

*RANT OVER*

⋆àŒș
]]> 218059153 The astonishing story of how animals use medicine and what it can teach us about healing ourselves

Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature’s pharmacy to heal themselves. Doctors by Nature reveals what researchers are now learning about the medical wonders of the animal world. In this visionary book, Jaap de Roode argues that we have underestimated the healing potential of nature for too long and shows how the study of self-medicating animals could impact the practice of human medicine.

Drawing on illuminating interviews with leading scientists from around the globe as well as his own pioneering research on monarch butterflies, de Roode demonstrates how animals of all kinds—from ants to apes, from bees to bears, and from cats to caterpillars—use various forms of medicine to treat their own ailments and those of their relatives. We meet apes that swallow leaves to dislodge worms, sparrows that use cigarette butts to repel parasites, and bees that incorporate sticky resin into their hives to combat pathogens. De Roode asks whether these astonishing behaviors are learned or innate and explains why, now more than ever, we need to apply the lessons from medicating animals—it can pave the way for healthier livestock, more sustainable habitats for wild pollinators, and a host of other benefits.

Doctors by Nature takes readers into a realm often thought to be the exclusive domain of humans, exploring how scientists are turning to the medical knowledge of the animal kingdom to improve agriculture, create better lives for our pets, and develop new pharmaceutical drugs.]]> 264 Jaap de Roode 069123924X elle � 0 to-read 4.76
author: Jaap de Roode
name: elle �
average rating: 4.76
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215362543 A delightful queer romantic fantasy full of friends-to-lovers chemistry, found family, rival family drama, and cozy garden magic from two acclaimed YA authors making their debut in the adult space.

Yael Clauneck is the only scion of an obscenely wealthy banking family with its fingers in every pie in the realm. They’re on the precipice of a predetermined life when they flee their own graduation party, galloping away in search of
well, they’re not sure, but maybe the chance to feel like life can still be a grand adventure.

Margot Greenwillow—talented plant witch, tea lover, and greenhouse owner—has never felt further from adventure in her life. She’s been desperately trying to keep what remains of her family's magic remedies business afloat. So when her childhood friend and former crush, Yael, rides back into her life, she’s shocked. But perhaps this could be a good thing. After all, Margot could use an assistant in the greenhouses.

Yael has no experience or, honestly, practical skills, but they’re delighted to accept. They can lay low for a while, flirting with Margot while they figure out what to do next. Meanwhile, Margot has plans of her own—but plans are notoriously unreliable things, unlikely to survive a swiftly blooming mutual attraction, not to mention the machinations of parents determined to get their heir back . . . no matter the cost.]]> 368 Jamie Pacton 0593873653 elle â˜� 0 to-read 3.56 2025
author: Jamie Pacton
name: elle �
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221161975 What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn't sign up for this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But they have no idea what they've awakened.


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

On Wings of Blood is a dark academia fantasy romance featuring a bully villain with Draco Malfoy energy who (eventually) gets the girl, all the tension and banter, and a tantalizingly dangerous blend of court and school intrigue all set in an intricately crafted world with unique vampire and dragon lore. Bloodwing Academy may have crossover characters from the world of Blood of a Fae, but can be read completely independently. If you're a fan of original mythology, unique world-building, and character-driven romantasy books such as Crowns of Nyaxia, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, you won't want to miss out on this riveting new saga. ]]> 521 Briar Boleyn elle � 0 to-read 4.23 2024
author: Briar Boleyn
name: elle �
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 210721361
Koraine always dreamed of seeing the world, and escaping the confines of Morwen, the water kingdom she grew up in. Finally that wish was coming true. Except at a price. She was being forced to marry the prince of their rival kingdom, Abelon the kingdom of fire.

Bellamy always knew one day he would become king. He spent every day trying to prove himself as prince to a father with impossible expectations. Never once had he questioned the king's demands. Until his marriage was announced. Being forced to marry a nobleman's daughter from his rival kingdom had never been a part of his plan.

With war on the horizon, the pair must first survive the months of traditions leading to their impending marriage. The more they resist and try to fight the inevitable, the harder they find it to deny the feelings buried deep in their hearts.]]> 306 M.K. Ahearn 1963836049 elle � 0 to-read 3.57 2024
author: M.K. Ahearn
name: elle �
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211051861 If you find your way here, you’re already lost.

Inside
A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.

Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.

As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?

Outside
In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.

With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill�

An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe.]]> 337 David Barnett 1804367575 elle � 0 to-read 4.12 2024
author: David Barnett
name: elle �
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48727478
Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.]]> 243 Andrew Michael Hurley 1529387302 elle � 0 to-read 3.76 2019
author: Andrew Michael Hurley
name: elle �
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>