en-US Sat, 26 Apr 2025 01:00:03 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 228016019 What if Anita and Cruella were best friends?

It’s 1953, and teenage Anita Weatherby and her family have just moved to a booming postwar London. While her older sister settles right in, to the delight of their parents, Anita finds their new school—and her academic rival, Roger Radcliffe—daunting. Nothing seems to be going Anita’s way until a glamorous, confident new student moves to town. Stella De Vil is haughty and aloof—but surprises everyone by taking an immediate liking to Anita. Swept into the luxurious world of Stella’s highend family fashion label, Anita soon finds herself the anticipated star of the House of De Vil’s next fashion show, where she’ll be modelling a family heirloom, the Weatherby diamond, and walking the catwalk with two adorable Dalmatian puppies to raise awareness for a local animal shelter. But when disaster strikes and the Weatherby diamond goes missing, Anita will have to decide whom she can trust before her life goes to the dogs.]]> 400 Jen Calonita 1761526537 Shannon 0 to-read 4.75
author: Jen Calonita
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222850696 "Brilliant new vampire lore.... Spine-tingling!"
—L.J. Smith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries

Preorder now to get a deluxe limited edition of Hollow! This special-edition hardcover will include beautifully designed endpapers and sprayed edges, a gorgeous foiled cover, and a brand-new author’s note.

From TikTok sensation Celina Myers comes a fresh, intriguing novel about a woman who finds her destiny and her family after being turned into a vampire.

Mia Adair isn’t even twenty-five yet, but she’s starting to wonder if her peak has already passed. She’s spent years working at her local bookstore, a job that was supposed to be temporary. As a kid, she experienced a strange sort of fame within the paranormal community thanks to her inclusion in a book that revealed Mia’s ability to talk with the dead. But that was then, and Mia’s “gift�� dried up once adolescence set in. These days, she feels like she’s nobody special.

Until she dies in a tragic car crash and reawakens as a vampire��

Forced to leave behind everything she knew, Mia must choose to live with one of two rival vampire families. The Bellamy and Sutton clans share a dark, complicated history that spans centuries. As Mia learns about their age-old traditions and extraordinary powers, along with their forbidden romances and betrayals, she’s drawn toward two very different loves. And as she feels her gift returning, more potent than ever before, Mia realizes she’ll need it to protect innocent lives—and save the only family she has left.]]> 304 Celina Myers 0778387852 Shannon 0 to-read 4.43
author: Celina Myers
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218372272 Rival engineers dabble in personal chemistry while at a tropical company retreat in this smart, zippy romcom.

Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. Teetering on the edge of burnout, Tris is stunned when she’s picked to attend WMC's corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. It’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program—plus, three weeks in paradise! The only downside? Rafe is her co-attendee.

Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?]]> 352 Nisha J. Tuli 1538759268 Shannon 0 to-read 4.23 2025
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59398154
The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore's old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian's changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he's reckless, domineering and cold.

And something's been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that's telling her there's more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything.

With Bastian's coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.]]> 400 Hannah F. Whitten 0356521559 Shannon 0 arcs, currently-reading 3.82 2024
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: arcs, currently-reading
review:

]]> 52123569 In the heart-stopping finale to the Crown of Feathers trilogy, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable,�� Veronyka must face her most devastating enemy yet: her own sister.

I had a sister, once��

Veronyka is no longer an orphaned stable boy or a nameless Phoenix Rider apprentice: she is the daughter of Pheronia Ashfire, the last queen of the Golden Empire…and the niece of Avalkyra Ashfire, the resurrected rebel queen who tore the empire apart.

We shone brightly, burned fiercely.

Now that the secret is out, everyone at the Eyrie treats Veronyka differently, and with Tristan still a hostage of the scheming Lord Rolan—and Sev with him as a spy—Veronyka feels very much alone. Except for her beloved phoenix, Xephyra, of course, and her new friend, Kade, who has his own reasons for wanting to save Tristan.

Was it always going to come down to this? Sister against sister? Darkness against light?

Veronyka is determined to do whatever it takes to get Tristan back, even if that means revealing her identity to the world and inheriting a throne she’s not sure she wants. But when she discovers that Avalkyra has bonded with a strix—a legendary creature of darkness that feeds off the life force of others—Veronyka realizes she has more to deal with than an encroaching war with the empire. Val is willing to destroy everything to get her revenge on a world that rejected her, and if Veronyka wants to bring peace to the empire and Pyra alike, she must face down her sister once and for all.

The world began with Ashfire queens…perhaps they will also be its destruction.]]> 704 Nicki Pau Preto 1534466045 Shannon 0 currently-reading 4.35 2021
author: Nicki Pau Preto
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 59397314 In this romantic new fantasy series from author Hannah Whitten, a young woman's secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King's royal court.

When Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city.

Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.

Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne’er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.

But the life she left behind in the catacombs is catching up with her. And even as Lore makes her way through the Sainted court above, they might be drawing closer than she thinks.]]> 466 Hannah F. Whitten 0356518914 Shannon 0 arcs 3.77 2023
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: arcs
review:

]]> 217385988 Dragonhart is the kind of fantasy that had everything I need; enemies-to-lovers, a strong FMC seeking revenge, magic and DRAGONS�� �� �� �� �� ��

'This is genuinely the first book I’ve read where I can safely say that anyone who liked Fourth Wing will love it!�� �� �� �� �� ��

The brand new fantasy romance debut for fans of Sarah A. Parker and Rebecca Yarros. The dragons are gone, and the kingdoms are falling. Not even the gods can save them now��

Arla Reinhart, personal assassin to the King of Hadalyn, doesn’t believe in the gods and their dragons who once served the people �� not after they abandoned her when she needed them most. But when shipments start going missing and the kingdoms begin to crumble, they may be the only ones who can help.

Forced into working with the arrogant �� yet unmistakably handsome –ambassador of the kingdom that killed her parents, Arla must place her hatred for Hark Stappen to one side as they journey across kingdoms, dining with royalty and fighting in taverns, and make an alarming discovery that shatters her heart and forces her to question everything �� and everyone �� she knows��

What to expect from Dragonhart:

Enemies to loversForced proximityFMC seeking revengeDragonsMagicDragonhart is the fantasy phenomenon you need to read in 2025!‘Captivating�� had me hooked. The combination of dragons, magic, and adventure created an exciting and immersive world that was hard to put down�� �� �� �� �� ��

‘A must-read for fantasy lovers�� �� �� �� �� ��

‘[���� character-driven fantasy with enemies-to-lovers romance, complex heroines seeking vengeance, and richly developed worlds where lost magic and political intrigue intertwine�� �� �� �� ��

'Fans of Fourth Wing and When the Moon Hatched, this fantasy debut is the perfect addition to your TBR�� �� �� �� �� ��

'I am OBSESSED with this book! It had so many things that I Dragons, Enemies (sort of) to Lovers, Reluctant Allies, (sort of) Slow Burn and an interesting and engaging plotline�� �� �� �� �� ��

'Our FMC is sassy and stabby and I love her. Our MMC Hark is mysterious and swoonworthy. The banter was on point�� �� �� �� �� ��

‘T��� world-building is rich, the plot twists are jaw-dropping, and did I mention the dragons? Fans of series like Throne of Glass and Fourth Wing will find themselves right at home in this exhilarating tale�� �� �� �� �� ��

‘Plenty of political intrigue, more than one found family, and a <]]> 417 Abbie Eaton 0008710139 Shannon 0 to-read 3.38
author: Abbie Eaton
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 231147886 320 Emily Varga 1250878691 Shannon 0 to-read 5.00
author: Emily Varga
name: Shannon
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215565947 The charming conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, a heart-warming magical academia fantasy filled with underwater cities, romance of manners and found family, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Former correspondents E. and Henerey, accustomed to loving each other from afar, did not anticipate continuing their courtship in an enigmatic underwater city. When their journey through the Structure in E.'s garden strands them in a peculiar society preoccupied with the pleasures and perils of knowledge, E. and Henerey come to accept - and, more surprisingly still, embrace - the fact that they may never return home.

A year and a half later, Sophy and Vyerin finally discover one of the elusive Entries that will help them seek their siblings. As the group's efforts bring them closer to E. and Henerey, an ancient, cosmic threat also draws near. . .]]> 384 Sylvie Cathrall 0356521117 Shannon 0 dnf-0star, arcs Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

The Important Highlights
DNF (first book, this was an automatic DNF). Note: I had requested the ARC because I assumed I would enjoy both books, which I wanted to read back to back. I didn't end up enjoying the first book, which meant that there was no point in reading the second.
This is book two in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss. The following information is from my review of book one:

What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.

What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.

In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it). ]]> 3.96 2025
author: Sylvie Cathrall
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: dnf-0star, arcs
review:
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

The Important Highlights
DNF (first book, this was an automatic DNF). Note: I had requested the ARC because I assumed I would enjoy both books, which I wanted to read back to back. I didn't end up enjoying the first book, which meant that there was no point in reading the second.
This is book two in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss. The following information is from my review of book one:

What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.

What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.

In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it).
]]> 211004924 DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful original illustrated stenciled edges with a foil case stamp, and designed endpapers!

An instant New York Times bestseller!

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated��
A witch prophesied to save them all��
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.]]> 400 Juliette Cross 1250339944 Shannon 0 to-read 3.54 2025
author: Juliette Cross
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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

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

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

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Shannon 0 to-read 4.06 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 223640997 They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter��

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making Erik a prisoner in his own realm.

But on a dare gone wrong, his enemy’s daughter recklessly breaks the chains on the Ever. She soon becomes the unwitting pawn in Erik's vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a spicy, dark fantasy romance between a made villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*This series is a spinoff series from the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently*]]> 480 L.J. Andrews 0593955021 Shannon 0 to-read 4.39 2023
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 197914183 When truth becomes a weapon, who shall wield it?

In the Grasp, a realm on the threshold of enlightenment, the dactyli guard the fading embers of their ancient brotherhood, dedicated to the pursuit of absolute truth. Lovelace and Gunnar are rangers, two of the orders' last who find themselves on the precipice of a changing world. When the order faces a fatal threat from within, Lovelace and Gunnar embark on a dangerous ranging, whereon they discover that more than the welfare of the order is at stake: a rogue dactyli named Alev amasses an army of those he calls the Burned Ones, mercenaries wielding elemental forces. Lovelace and Gunnar are forced to grapple with the unimaginable implications.

Meanwhile, the Grasp languishes under the oppressive rule of Osbert, who exploits the recent advent of the printing press to smoor the fires of budding enlightenment. A young woman named Kylene undertakes a journey to find her missing father, a prominent printer wanted for sedition. Her path leads her to the kapnobatai, a mysterious group of outcasts with whom Kylene takes up refuge and the mantle of her father’s fight for freedom.

In the mountains of Droch Fhortan, Lovelace and Gunnar encounter a feral young woman, Cora. Her mere existence uproots an age-old belief and puts to ground a new truth: magic can be awakened, magic can be taught. As their paths intertwine, a shared purpose emerges - to expose Osbert's tyranny, thwart Alev's dangerous plot, and rekindle the flame of enlightenment.

So begins the battle for the minds of the Graspish people, and a quest for the heart of magic itself.]]> 344 Maressa Voss 1803415177 Shannon 0 to-read 3.85
author: Maressa Voss
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228857567
At Asrai’s Academy for Orphans, Hyacinth stands at a crossroads. Torn between the safety of the only home she has ever known and leaving it all behind for a chance at a new life—for freedom. But when a mysterious messenger appears, whispering rumors of a God among Fae, everything Hyacinth thought she knew about the Realms comes crashing down.

Thrust into a deadly game of power and greed, Hyacinth discovers dormant magic within her that may hold the key to survival—or mark her for death. With her friends beside her, Hyacinth must navigate through murderous realms of vicious creatures, lethal betrayals and prophecies of old.

Secrets unravel, bonds are tested, and romance decays and blossoms amidst the looming promise of war. As alliances shift and enemies close in, her only hope lies in reaching the fabled safe haven of Locdragoon—but reaching it may cost her everything she loves.

“The Book of Cin�� is a high fantasy tale of love, loss, and the enduring power of friendship. Embark on an epic adventure where courage meets destiny—and magic, sacrifice, and hope are the threads that bind us.]]> 475 H.M. Wolfe Shannon 0 to-read 5.00
author: H.M. Wolfe
name: Shannon
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 227945196
I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.]]> 336 Carley Fortune 0735247293 Shannon 0 to-read 4.64 2025
author: Carley Fortune
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228569777
Callahan Hastings is relentless when it comes to getting what he wants, and what he wants is me–to be his private chef in the Hamptons for the summer.

My dream job served to me on a silver platter by one of the wealthiest members of Pembroke Hills Country Club.

The only catch? He’s my ex-boyfriend’s older brother with a reputation for being as charming as he is cunning.

But Cal doesn’t take no for an answer. He draws you in with flirty smiles and extravagant promises.

I should have seen him coming, but I didn’t. I should have stayed away, but I couldn’t.

His playful touches and burning gaze have ignited a fire in me. The more I resist him, the more irresistible he becomes.

I've always known there's an expiration date on the job–an expiration date on us.

But leaving isn't going to be easy with Cal on his knees, begging me to stay...]]> 386 Kat Singleton 1958292184 Shannon 0 to-read 3.84
author: Kat Singleton
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217171544 Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?]]> 528 Devney Perry 1649378513 Shannon 0 to-read 4.71 2025
author: Devney Perry
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214331246 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

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

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

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Shannon 5 The Important Highlights
Listen, I am not going to get into tropes or anything like that, because let's face it, you aren't randomly picking this up. You're here for Haymitch and already know what to expect. I will add that this is first person, like the original trilogy, and very much unlike Ballad, which I DNF'd SO HARD (my review). Spoiler: Haymitch wins. Haha, jk, it's not actually a spoiler. *smirk* Anyways, let's get on with it before I try to make more stupid jokes...

What I Liked
I know I already said it, but I really liked that this was in first person POV. I loved the nod to all the characters we already know from the OG trilogy (okay, and even a few from Ballad, but don't tell anyone I said that). I won't lie, most of them made me bawl like a wee little baby. I really enjoyed the fact that it was about more than just the Games itself. It felt very similar to The Hunger Games (book 1) and really pulled us back into the world.

What I Didn’t Like
What I didn't like, Suzanne, was the big ole headache I got from all the damn crying. MY EYES WERE SORE WHEN I CLOSED THE BOOK. I didn't like the fact that after 15 years you were able to make me sob uncontrollably the way you did. I didn't like that I clearly NEEDED that sob. Otherwise, this was pretty perfect.

In Conclusion
I really enjoyed jumping back into Panem between the reread of the OG trilogy and this delightful addition to the story. I will gladly read more in this world as long as it stays in first person (I clearly will never shut up about this lol). Some ideas: a brand new character that has never been mentioned that maybe won a random Hunger Games between Haymitch and Katniss, especially if they are from a different district. Actually, exactly that. Give us first person from people in other districts. So basically, keep writing them, and I will keep reading them.]]> 4.62 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves:
review:
The Important Highlights
Listen, I am not going to get into tropes or anything like that, because let's face it, you aren't randomly picking this up. You're here for Haymitch and already know what to expect. I will add that this is first person, like the original trilogy, and very much unlike Ballad, which I DNF'd SO HARD (my review). Spoiler: Haymitch wins. Haha, jk, it's not actually a spoiler. *smirk* Anyways, let's get on with it before I try to make more stupid jokes...

What I Liked
I know I already said it, but I really liked that this was in first person POV. I loved the nod to all the characters we already know from the OG trilogy (okay, and even a few from Ballad, but don't tell anyone I said that). I won't lie, most of them made me bawl like a wee little baby. I really enjoyed the fact that it was about more than just the Games itself. It felt very similar to The Hunger Games (book 1) and really pulled us back into the world.

What I Didn’t Like
What I didn't like, Suzanne, was the big ole headache I got from all the damn crying. MY EYES WERE SORE WHEN I CLOSED THE BOOK. I didn't like the fact that after 15 years you were able to make me sob uncontrollably the way you did. I didn't like that I clearly NEEDED that sob. Otherwise, this was pretty perfect.

In Conclusion
I really enjoyed jumping back into Panem between the reread of the OG trilogy and this delightful addition to the story. I will gladly read more in this world as long as it stays in first person (I clearly will never shut up about this lol). Some ideas: a brand new character that has never been mentioned that maybe won a random Hunger Games between Haymitch and Katniss, especially if they are from a different district. Actually, exactly that. Give us first person from people in other districts. So basically, keep writing them, and I will keep reading them.
]]> 215700931 Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge. The hottest must-read of the summer!

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

Seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren “Coup�� Coupers �� an arrogant rival she can’t get out of her head.

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

Heart-pounding pages full of steamy romance, fiery confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate ina final twist readers will never see coming.]]> 416 Mikayla Bridge 0374393427 Shannon 0 arcs, currently-reading 4.25 2025
author: Mikayla Bridge
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: arcs, currently-reading
review:

]]> 223806211 A decadent, dark story about fate. The Webs of Fate series is an addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with witty banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance set in a vibrant modern-day world full of magic where myth and history blur together in a mockery of truth.

Callahan
Welcome to the Dark, Little Star.

Natalia saves my life. Mistake or not, it puts her on the board as a player. The Light will hunt her for the betrayal and the Dark will seek her to use her. I sink my claws into Natalia, twisting her into a contract. I have uses for her, and for the Light she carries within her.

The annual Gathering Shadows Ceremonies loom on the horizon, twelve days where I’m forced to compete for the Dark Throne. It’s kill or be killed. I name her as my partner, but she’s a wild card, fighting my authority as her alpha. She’s breathtaking, raw power I’m drawn to, but she might cost me everything.

Natalia
It was an accident.

As a Magia I have two an arranged betrothal to preserve my Magia bloodline and protect humans from the Seraphinus. I didn’t mean to save the life of a Darkling. In my defense, I was hung over and thought he was human. Oops.

I accept a contract trying to postpone marrying a man I don’t love and unwittingly sell my life to Callahan. He claims to be my alpha now, but it’s stupid to trust a man who admits he wants to use me. He is a Dark Seraphinus, wickedly brutal and lacks remorse. Still, the way he stares at me with hungry desire and holds my hand tempts me, and I’m in more danger than losing my life.



This series contains depictions of graphic violence and adult situations. It is recommended for readers 17+.]]> 522 C.J. Wallingsford 1954426070 Shannon 0 arcs, to-read 4.71
author: C.J. Wallingsford
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: arcs, to-read
review:

]]> 226052944
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0356522970 Shannon 4 arcs I received a physical Advanced Reader Copy, not from the publisher, but a very kind woman who happened to receive a second copy at the B&N Book Fest (thanks again, Anna). These opinions are my own.

Actual Rating: 4.25

The Important Highlights
After the Shepard King duology, I hyped the Knight and the Moth up to the very top of a giant pedestal and I was ANXIOUS going into this. What if it wasn't as good? What if I DNF'd it? I was promised a gothic/medieval slow burn romantasy with detailed worldbuilding and interesting magic system. Upon reading, I discovered only one horse, witty AF banter, adversaries-to-lovers, and oh, did I mention the slow burn already? I also found the most lovable and precious side character in any book ever. This is book one is a brand new duology that does end in a cliffhanger.

Content Warnings: [spoilers removed]

My Unhinged and Messy Thoughts
Let's just get this out of the way... the bat-like gargoyle is MAIN CHARACTER material. I would take a novella strictly from his point of view about literally anything. Once you have read this, you will agree with me. So, let's petition Miss Rachel for a gargoyle spin off. This is the most loveable character in the whole book.

I struggled with the other characters. They are fleshed out, with unique backstories, but they didn't wow me, if that makes sense. Six is a very interesting character though and learning about her backstory was super intense. Rory isn't book boyfriend material for me, unfortunately. He's alright, I guess. This is definitely not enemies-to-lovers and I could have sworn that's how it was marketed. I give this a hesitant "adversaries to lovers".

The romance itself is VERY slow burn. I think it was 75% before the romance kicked into gear, which I LOVE. The longer it takes, the better. There was tension and banter, which is super important to Romantasy, IMO.

Okay, let's talk about the magic system. It's not unique by any means, at least I don't think so, but it IS super interesting. It doesn't feel as unique as the magic system in her previous duology. It gives off Doctor Strange vibes, for sure. This world isn't full of magic the way it is in most fantasy novels, much like the Shepard King duology.

This book was a wee bit on the slow side and took a bit to build up, around 20-25%, I'd say. But once it got rolling, it was great! I do have some concerns about the pacing for duology overall. I am worried that... the thing they set out to do was complete, basically, at the end of the book and honestly, without giving too much away, I think this could have easy been a standalone with an extra 100-150 pages to follow the cliffhanger we were left on. I have confidence that the author will make a fantastic sequel, but it just may not be necessary. We shall see!

I am also incredibly worried that she uses a specific formula in her duologies that will take the mystery out of them and that will just become super predictable as she keeps releasing stories. But, it really doesn't matter, because if Rachel Gillig writes it, I will read it.

In Conclusion
This is absolutely not a bad book, clearly, because I rated it 4.25, but it definitely didn't live up to the personal hype that I created for it. If the Shepard King duology had you in a chokehold, you will absolutely love this one too. If you liked the religious (i.e. nun) and side character (the relic and Trouble) aspects of Vespertine but wanted more adult vibes then you will LOVE this book. I am excited to see where this goes in book 2! ]]> 4.75 2025
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: arcs
review:
I received a physical Advanced Reader Copy, not from the publisher, but a very kind woman who happened to receive a second copy at the B&N Book Fest (thanks again, Anna). These opinions are my own.

Actual Rating: 4.25

The Important Highlights
After the Shepard King duology, I hyped the Knight and the Moth up to the very top of a giant pedestal and I was ANXIOUS going into this. What if it wasn't as good? What if I DNF'd it? I was promised a gothic/medieval slow burn romantasy with detailed worldbuilding and interesting magic system. Upon reading, I discovered only one horse, witty AF banter, adversaries-to-lovers, and oh, did I mention the slow burn already? I also found the most lovable and precious side character in any book ever. This is book one is a brand new duology that does end in a cliffhanger.

Content Warnings: [spoilers removed]

My Unhinged and Messy Thoughts
Let's just get this out of the way... the bat-like gargoyle is MAIN CHARACTER material. I would take a novella strictly from his point of view about literally anything. Once you have read this, you will agree with me. So, let's petition Miss Rachel for a gargoyle spin off. This is the most loveable character in the whole book.

I struggled with the other characters. They are fleshed out, with unique backstories, but they didn't wow me, if that makes sense. Six is a very interesting character though and learning about her backstory was super intense. Rory isn't book boyfriend material for me, unfortunately. He's alright, I guess. This is definitely not enemies-to-lovers and I could have sworn that's how it was marketed. I give this a hesitant "adversaries to lovers".

The romance itself is VERY slow burn. I think it was 75% before the romance kicked into gear, which I LOVE. The longer it takes, the better. There was tension and banter, which is super important to Romantasy, IMO.

Okay, let's talk about the magic system. It's not unique by any means, at least I don't think so, but it IS super interesting. It doesn't feel as unique as the magic system in her previous duology. It gives off Doctor Strange vibes, for sure. This world isn't full of magic the way it is in most fantasy novels, much like the Shepard King duology.

This book was a wee bit on the slow side and took a bit to build up, around 20-25%, I'd say. But once it got rolling, it was great! I do have some concerns about the pacing for duology overall. I am worried that... the thing they set out to do was complete, basically, at the end of the book and honestly, without giving too much away, I think this could have easy been a standalone with an extra 100-150 pages to follow the cliffhanger we were left on. I have confidence that the author will make a fantastic sequel, but it just may not be necessary. We shall see!

I am also incredibly worried that she uses a specific formula in her duologies that will take the mystery out of them and that will just become super predictable as she keeps releasing stories. But, it really doesn't matter, because if Rachel Gillig writes it, I will read it.

In Conclusion
This is absolutely not a bad book, clearly, because I rated it 4.25, but it definitely didn't live up to the personal hype that I created for it. If the Shepard King duology had you in a chokehold, you will absolutely love this one too. If you liked the religious (i.e. nun) and side character (the relic and Trouble) aspects of Vespertine but wanted more adult vibes then you will LOVE this book. I am excited to see where this goes in book 2!
]]> 230082304 A Heart So Green is the enchanting conclusion to the Number One Sunday Times bestselling Fair folk trilogy, perfect for fans of The Knight and the Moth and Fourth Wing.

After the explosive finale of the Tournament of Kings, Fia and Irian manage to escape to the wildlands, dodging pursuit by Fia's cunning sister Eala. With Fia locked in her own mind, battling a powerful celestial entity; Irian must form new alliances to come up with a plan to defeat Eala's terrifying magic.

With both the human and fae realm under threat, Fia and Irian must pursue their dangerous plan, no matter the cost. On Bealtain Eve, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, they will finally face off against the swan princess and forge the ending to their love story that was written in the stars.]]> Lyra Selene 0356521362 Shannon 0 to-read 0.0 2026
author: Lyra Selene
name: Shannon
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 25895524 The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen's War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors...

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don't truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls.

A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass's care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies.

Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona's secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself.

Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.]]> 467 Mark Lawrence 1101988851 Shannon 0 to-read 4.13 2017
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221733722 There’s no place like home��

Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone that he shares with his fiancee, he's desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets...

Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden knocks at your door with a gripping story of revenge, privilege, and secrets turned sour��]]> 368 Freida McFadden 1464227314 Shannon 4 arcs Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

The Important Highlights
In true Freida fashion, this book had the twists you expected they would.

What I Liked
It was entertaining as usual. It's an easy read -- by this I mean that anyone could pick up this book and understand it (I feel like it's important I point this out, because the fantasy genre I normally read is NOT easy LOL)

What I Didn’t Like
I mean, it was kind of predictable in a few spots, and around the halfway mark I really didn't see how it could realistically get any worse (like what else could possible happen lol).

In Conclusion
I enjoyed it and will be continuing to read her books as she publishes them. Roommates are the worst, but [spoilers removed].]]> 4.44 2025
author: Freida McFadden
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arcs
review:
Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

The Important Highlights
In true Freida fashion, this book had the twists you expected they would.

What I Liked
It was entertaining as usual. It's an easy read -- by this I mean that anyone could pick up this book and understand it (I feel like it's important I point this out, because the fantasy genre I normally read is NOT easy LOL)

What I Didn’t Like
I mean, it was kind of predictable in a few spots, and around the halfway mark I really didn't see how it could realistically get any worse (like what else could possible happen lol).

In Conclusion
I enjoyed it and will be continuing to read her books as she publishes them. Roommates are the worst, but [spoilers removed].
]]> 226078520 Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them��

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

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

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

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

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

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

And the castle is hiding dark secrets��

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

See why readers love

“A God Tier Fantasy book!!! I just finished and still trying to mentally and emotionally recover to what just happened to me. You need to read it IMMEDIATELY.�� ŷ������ reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

“If you’re into dark romantasy with high stakes, fierce characters, and just the right amount of emotional wreckage, Direbound is your next obsession.�� ŷ������ reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��OMG THIS BOOK YOU GUYS!!! I'm OBSESSED and I need to know what happens next like ASAP.�� ŷ������ reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

“What an incredible read!! �� I am blown away. �� The romance, the anguish, the BANTER! I love a book with good banter and this was FULL OF IT!�� ŷ������ reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

��I. Am. OBSESSED. �� Left me spiraling in the best way possible. The morally grey anti-hero? Perfection. The slow-burn tension? Electric. �� I was completely immersed.]]> 610 Sable Sorensen Shannon 5 The Important Highlights
This dark romantasy is the first in a series with the next two books coming SOON! The cliffhanger is not fair (GIMME BOOK 2 PLEASE!) but I think you can handle it. The tropes you can find in this include secret identities, found family, one bed, the enemies aren't allowed to lover, and fated mates (but a twist). This book gives off Fourth Wing vibes but add in Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and Abigail (IYKYK). This book is also a debut for Sable Sorenson, who is actually two people -- friends! I love that for them!

What I Liked
Literally everything. I was intimidated by the page count but the pacing and excellent writing make this a BREEZE to get through. The FMC is a little chaotic and unhinged in all the best ways. Direwolves. Vampires. Strong FMC in her own world but kinda sucky in the real world -- we all love seeing people get HUMBLED.

What I Didn’t Like
There is nothing, well, other than the fact that I cannot immediately start book 2. That's a real problem.

In Conclusion
I ate this shit UP. I stayed up all damn night to finish this (by that I mean, to read 65% of it in one go). A few of the twists were definitely easy to spot but there were two at the end that GOT ME. I didn't mind that I had figured some of it out, I think it was intentional, and when it happened, it still hit like a brick. I will absolutely be reading the rest of the series and anything else that they write.]]> 4.46
author: Sable Sorensen
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
The Important Highlights
This dark romantasy is the first in a series with the next two books coming SOON! The cliffhanger is not fair (GIMME BOOK 2 PLEASE!) but I think you can handle it. The tropes you can find in this include secret identities, found family, one bed, the enemies aren't allowed to lover, and fated mates (but a twist). This book gives off Fourth Wing vibes but add in Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and Abigail (IYKYK). This book is also a debut for Sable Sorenson, who is actually two people -- friends! I love that for them!

What I Liked
Literally everything. I was intimidated by the page count but the pacing and excellent writing make this a BREEZE to get through. The FMC is a little chaotic and unhinged in all the best ways. Direwolves. Vampires. Strong FMC in her own world but kinda sucky in the real world -- we all love seeing people get HUMBLED.

What I Didn’t Like
There is nothing, well, other than the fact that I cannot immediately start book 2. That's a real problem.

In Conclusion
I ate this shit UP. I stayed up all damn night to finish this (by that I mean, to read 65% of it in one go). A few of the twists were definitely easy to spot but there were two at the end that GOT ME. I didn't mind that I had figured some of it out, I think it was intentional, and when it happened, it still hit like a brick. I will absolutely be reading the rest of the series and anything else that they write.
]]> 195820703 A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of��A Marvellous Light ���Ի���Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings�� disappearance might mean for life as they know it.
��
Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.]]> 400 Sylvie Cathrall 0316565539 Shannon 0 arcs, dnf-0star Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
DNF @ 30%.
This is book one in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss.

What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.

What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.

In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it). Unfortunately, with DNFing the first book, I will not be continuing the duology. I might still keep my Fairyloot edition though, because it is absolutely gorgeous, we shall see. ]]> 3.68 2024
author: Sylvie Cathrall
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: arcs, dnf-0star
review:
Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
DNF @ 30%.
This is book one in a duology that is set in a queernormative, underwater world, with mental illness rep. It is written in epistolary format, which means it is completely written in letters and missives. It is very academic and written in a scholarly tone (big words and long sentences). This book tackles grief and loss.

What I Liked
If you are looking for "scrolling Facebook posts and reading every single comment because I need to know what's going on" vibes, this is for you. I loved the format of this story. I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the main characters and how the book is a collection of letters that are meant to formulate a timeline. The diversity in this book is fantastic with mental illness and LGBTQIA+ rep in a way that felt realistic.

What I Didn’t Like
The scholarly writing, while completing my finals week of the semester, made this very difficult for me to get into. I am intelligent but the writing hurt my brain LOL. The letters, although interesting, feel like they are all written by the same person. Other than a heading that states who the letter is going to and who it's from, there is no indication within the body of the letter that it's a different character than the previous one. There aren't many individual quirks or mannerisms.

In Conclusion
I believe it has been mentioned, but if you are a fan of Emily Wilde, then this book will absolutely be for you (I haven't read it yet, and I am now concerned about attempting it). Unfortunately, with DNFing the first book, I will not be continuing the duology. I might still keep my Fairyloot edition though, because it is absolutely gorgeous, we shall see.
]]> 220207768 From the viral TikTok author of the stalker romcom, Lights Out, comes Navessa Allen’s second book in bestselling The Into Darkness Trilogy, upping the ante with voyeurism and play club kink.

“I wanted this woman, and I was a man who always got what he wanted.��

Nico “Junior�� Trocci knows Lauren Marchetti is off limits. She is sweetness and laughter, whereas Junior exists in a world of violence and depravity. Men like him don’t get to have women like her. It’s why he pushed her away back in high school and kept his distance ever since.

But when Junior looks Lauren up online, he discovers the shy, bookish girl he remembers is gone. In her place is a strikingly beautiful woman whose social media is filled with scantily clad pictures of herself and a connection to a nearby play club. Junior’s innocent curiosity quickly turns into a dark obsession. Watching Lauren from a distance isn’t enough; he needs to make her his.

“He’s ruthless; a walking red flag. Good thing red is my favorite color.��

Lauren is intrigued by the mystery man who keeps showing up at her club, who tempts her white-hot desires. But as their flirty online messages stir up a deeper form of connection, Lauren worries she’s developing real feelings for this brooding stranger. As their combined desire ratchets up to a breaking point, who will seduce who?]]> 352 Navessa Allen 1638932255 Shannon 0 to-read 4.27 2025
author: Navessa Allen
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 207598132 The sequel to NYT bestselling��Curious Tides��and the second book in this lush��and intoxicating world of dark academia, lunar magic, secret societies�����Ի���dangerous friendships.���� After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the Wychwood, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it that feels wrong. �� Meanwhile, tensions flare at Aldryn College when the truth about Collapsings comes to light, sparking rumours of the Shadow’s imminent return. Determined to cross into the Deep, Baz and Kai go through the door �� only to be pulled back in time instead. �� Across time and worlds, the four friends find their fates eerily interwoven with those of the heroes from Clover’s book. But when they encounter a deadlier enemy than they ever thought possible, they must decide for themselves how their story will end. �� Opening locked doors has a price �� even for those who hold a key...Praise for Curious 'A world that pulses and breathes. With intricate magic and a mystery that spirals as deep and dark as it can go, Curious Tides is a marvel in atmosphere.' �� Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights'Rich, immersive and astonishingly layered—I want to sink into this darkly magical world and never leave.' �� Laura Steven, author of The Society for Soulless Girls'Vividly imagined, beautifully written, and as dark as it is dazzling ­­�� Curious Tides will drag you under from the very first page.' �� Sarah Underwood, New York Times��bestselling author of��Lies We Sing to the Sea'A darkly enchanting story that had me turning pages like mad. Gorgeous writing, fascinating characters, and the kind of rich magical lore that dreams are made of. Curious Tides swept me away. I'm obsessed with this world.' �� Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn'Curious Tides sucks you in from page one with a fully realized universe that feels lived-in and otherworldly all at once. The story is alive with lore, and it’s impossible not to be transported.' �� Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of Strike the Zither'With chewy, intricate worldbuilding; sparkling characters; and thrilling twists, Curious Tides pulled me under, and I never wanted to resurface from its richly imagined depths. An alluring, immersive debut.' �� Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic'A beautifully ethereal fantasy that reads like a dream. Filled with beguiling magic and whimsical storytelling, Curious Tides is a reverie I was sad to wake from.' �� Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief]]> 606 Pascale Lacelle 1398527408 Shannon 0 paused 4.56 2024
author: Pascale Lacelle
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: paused
review:

]]> 201784446
Liam Preston is retiring from hockey. Having spent his life after college playing pro hockey in Canada, he’s now ready to call it a day. His reason, however, is nothing to do with hockey and everything to do with his childhood sweetheart, Vicky.
He’s always wanted to play a season with his twin brother and their best friend, and this might be the only chance they have. But it involves a move to the UK, and soon there will be no escaping each other, with Vicky being the team photographer and social media manager. It’s not complicated, right?

We were everything, but never just friends.
Vicky Koenig has always been in her brother’s shadow. But back when they were teenagers, and she met his best friend, Liam, she felt seen for the first time.
There’s no such thing as a happy ending as far as Vicky’s concerned, and her self-sabotage has caused her to push away the person she loves the most. But when Liam reveals that he’s playing his final season alongside her brother at the hockey club she works for, she knows she needs to keep things professional. An easy task, or so she thinks.

Can they find a way forward after all they’ve been through?]]> 390 Alys J. Clarke Shannon 0 arcs, paused 4.20
author: Alys J. Clarke
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: arcs, paused
review:

]]> 210234399 In a world at war with demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother's soul�� before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.]]> 400 Amélie Wen Zhao Shannon 0 arcs, paused 3.79 2025
author: Amélie Wen Zhao
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: arcs, paused
review:

]]> 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 Shannon 0 to-read 4.50
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222420130 Rekindled romance spreads new wings in this atmospheric romantasy, where magic empowers women trapped inside an oppressive patriarchy.����

This striking novel is perfect for fans of the feminist ideals in When Women Were Dragons and the unique magic system in One Dark Window.

Once a vicious street rat, Prudence Merriweather has clawed her way to the top of society and now enjoys newfound power as the Duchess of Talonsbury. All she has to do to protect her fragile position is maintain the act of gentility, make her husband happy—and keep her monstrous magic a secret.��

Puck Reed, the Thief Lord of Talonsbury, once delighted in taking risks and humiliating the social elite at any cost, but now lives a quieter criminal lifestyle. With a daughter of his own to protect, Puck tries to lay low and stay safe for her benefit. His daughter, Bea, suffers from a mysterious illness bent on killing her, and Puck will stop at nothing to find a cure.

When Prudence’s magic betrays her, she has no choice but to flee—and who better to smuggle her out of the city than her childhood best friend and former sweetheart, Puck Reed? With the help of old friends and new allies, they learn about Stormlash, a safe haven miles beyond the city walls where women and their magic can flourish beyond the oppressive eye of Leora’s religious fanatics. Stormlash may also hold the key to curing Bea’s illness. The challenge? Keep her alive long enough to get there.��

With Bea’s illness claiming more of her strength, Puck and Pru must work together to reach Stormlash and, in the process, confront a growing evil threatening to devour the country they call home.

Perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and Hannah Whitten, this second-chance romantic fantasy features monstrous women stepping into their full power, a father who will do anything to save his daughter, and the rekindled flame of an old, enduring love.]]> 352 Taylor Hartley Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 4.35 2025
author: Taylor Hartley
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 59398164 The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god. Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him and save the troubled prince and tortured priest ensnared in his wicked plot, in this final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten.

Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself.

Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land.

But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger�� and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.]]> 480 Hannah F. Whitten 0356521575 Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 4.32 2025
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 209753199 The first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally �� such is the grim comedy of fate �� the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne's disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Romance tropes
Enemies to lovers
High interaction slow burn
Hypercompetent idiots
He falls first and harder
Evisceration as a love language]]> 416 Brigitte Knightley 0356524736 Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 4.18 2025
author: Brigitte Knightley
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 220696836 In this Korean mythology inspired sapphic fantasy, a young woman with shadow magic is awakened after a thousand years to heal her nation and her own troubled memory, even as she falls for the sister of a saint she killed in her past life.

According to legend, the Soldier drowned entire kingdoms in darkness.

Yet, the Soldier was only a girl, robbed of her will and raised as a weapon for her power-hungry father. When she awakens years later, freedom takes the form of a hidden life and a new name: Shadow.

As war brews and magical dead zones devour the natural world, Shadow is captured and pulled back into court life by her immortal father’s new prodigy, Scarlet, a diabolical woman obsessed with her sister’s murder. A murder Shadow herself committed in a past life.

Shadow’s control over darkness holds the key to restoring the balance of their world, but a serpentine court hides greed, corruption, and her father’s new plot to resurrect his fading magic.

If she’s to survive and save her nation, Shadow will have to hide her past and rely on the woman who captured her—even as they unwind the legends that brought them together and face their growing attraction.]]> Yejin Suh 0008683409 Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 3.45 2025
author: Yejin Suh
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 221105524
Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry's favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.

Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things - allies - the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben's heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.

A captivating epic fantasy filled with dragons, court politics and sapphic yearning, perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and House of the Dragon.]]> 416 Holly Race 0356522660 Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 3.82 2025
author: Holly Race
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 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 Shannon 0 to-read 4.66 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 39846963 Alternate Cover Edition of ASIN B01MTEK3NM


They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come.

An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him.

A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.

Enter a world of magic and dragons, kings and queens, and victory and defeat, during a time when honor and valor still meant something.]]> 494 David Estes Shannon 0 avoid 3.87 2017
author: David Estes
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: avoid
review:
Reason I will avoid: I was told it has surprise pregnancy and it’s important to the plot sooooo it’s not for me. I don’t like that in my fantasy books.
]]> 218515947 The gorgeous collector’s hardcover edition of Blood of Hercules contains full color customized artwork, exclusive bonus content, and gold foil sprayed edges, foil casing, and metallic cover treatment.

I’m just a girl. And it turns out, I’m Hercules.

I’m struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I’m part of the powerful elite. I’m one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There’s just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I’m pretty sure either someone’s stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity’s slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I’m surrounded by Villains and they’re smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they’re messing with.

Perfect for readers who love:
�� "Who did this to you?"
�� Extreme Enemies to Lovers
�� Morally Gray Alpha Heros
�� Stories where the Villains get the girl
�� Greek Myths and War Academies]]> 512 Jasmine Mas 1335474730 Shannon 0 to-read 4.09 2024
author: Jasmine Mas
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203924762
Betrayed by the boy she loved and framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania counts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge. When fellow prisoner Noor digs into her cell while trying to escape, Dania seizes her opportunity. Together, she and Noor hunt for a hidden Djinn treasure that could be the key to achieving their vengeance.

Armed with power and a new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family. But revenge is a complicated game of cat and mouse, especially when the boy she once loved stands in her way and an undeniable fire still burns between them. As Dania falls deeper into the dark djinn power and her web of traps and lies, she risks losing her humanity to the djinn magic and her heart to the only boy she’s ever loved…because the power to destroy her enemies has a price, and it may be much more than Dania ever bargained for.]]> 389 Emily Varga 1250877393 Shannon 5 arcs Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
This book is a standalone YA Romantasy that is loosely based on the Count of Monte Cristo. This is a diverse read set in a Pakistani inspired world. We get secret identity, lovers to enemies and back to lovers, found family, and revenge.

What I Liked
One thing that I loved about this was the fact that any traveling done by the characters weren't just drawn out to add to the plot with unnecessary conflict. Too many fantasy novels have high conflict whenever the character(s) are travelling. I like that this book didn't need that. Seriously, I made so many notes in my phone about it. Sometimes people can travel without a group of bandits trying to rob them, ya know? I loved all the cultural references within the novel and the diverse worldbuilding. The magic system was also very interesting. I did listen to a part of this as an audiobook and I love the narrator.

What I Didn’t Like
You know, I really cannot think of anything off the top of my head.

In Conclusion
I originally gave this 4.5 stars but I am changing it to 5 because I couldn't think of any reason why I took off half a star lol. I loved this SO MUCH -- which I am so thankful for, considering I have multiple special editions of this book LOL. It was seriously so good. Anyways, this book was phenomenal IMO. I can't wait to see what Emily brings us next!]]> 3.65 2024
author: Emily Varga
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: arcs
review:
Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
This book is a standalone YA Romantasy that is loosely based on the Count of Monte Cristo. This is a diverse read set in a Pakistani inspired world. We get secret identity, lovers to enemies and back to lovers, found family, and revenge.

What I Liked
One thing that I loved about this was the fact that any traveling done by the characters weren't just drawn out to add to the plot with unnecessary conflict. Too many fantasy novels have high conflict whenever the character(s) are travelling. I like that this book didn't need that. Seriously, I made so many notes in my phone about it. Sometimes people can travel without a group of bandits trying to rob them, ya know? I loved all the cultural references within the novel and the diverse worldbuilding. The magic system was also very interesting. I did listen to a part of this as an audiobook and I love the narrator.

What I Didn’t Like
You know, I really cannot think of anything off the top of my head.

In Conclusion
I originally gave this 4.5 stars but I am changing it to 5 because I couldn't think of any reason why I took off half a star lol. I loved this SO MUCH -- which I am so thankful for, considering I have multiple special editions of this book LOL. It was seriously so good. Anyways, this book was phenomenal IMO. I can't wait to see what Emily brings us next!
]]> 62058849
When I was young, I was told that my true love would be a faerie king. I didn’t heed the warning.
I tumbled into love as soon as our eyes first met, unaware that he wasn’t what he seemed.

My king wanted marriage, power, devotion, and a family. He had all but one, and as our kingdom stood upon the precipice of ruin, the weight of failure tore us apart.
Though it was not the war but his betrayal that sent me running to a foreign land.

And straight into the arms of a one-eyed warrior.

The wolf was a weapon of heartless destruction, a rogue without a real name, and nothing I was allowed to want.
A week spent within his city and the walls of his threadbare home was all it took to irrevocably change everything.

And nothing at all.

For there was no escaping the life I’d once thought I’d cherish forever. My kingdom was dying and my king would soon start searching for his missing queen.
Attempting to keep all I’d found in the heartache he’d caused would only create more.

So I fled from the wolf who hadn’t learned my true identity, and I returned to my kingdom with a silent vow to heal my torn heart. I would try to forgive my faithless husband and accept my bloodstained future.

But those meddlesome fates had other plans.

The warrior I’d left without warning was born a hunter and conditioned to be a monster. An alpha in his own right, he would accept nothing less than what he hungered for.
Even if the battle of his life delivered our hearts to their doom and our kingdoms to their knees.
_

A standalone fantasy romance that takes place in the same world as The Savage and the Swan. Can be read on its own. Contains spice and a HEA. No cliffhanger.]]> 377 Ella Fields Shannon 4 Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
Actual: 4.5
We've got our jealous, controlling alpha-male, our mysterious little FMC, and a lot of secret identities. This story picks up kind of in the middle of book 1. They play really well together but this one should absolutely be read second. I was very interested to see how this one would go especially because the first book pointed to a part in this one.

What I Liked
There were quite a few twists that kept me interested. The pacing was fantastic and so was the writing.

What I Didn’t Like
This one wasn't as good as the first. I don't typically enjoy the insta-love trope, which is present in both of these books, but it wasn't as crisp as it was in the first book.

In Conclusion
Ella Fields might be one of my top auto-buy romantasy authors now! I MUST READ EVERYTHING!]]> 4.03
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
Actual: 4.5
We've got our jealous, controlling alpha-male, our mysterious little FMC, and a lot of secret identities. This story picks up kind of in the middle of book 1. They play really well together but this one should absolutely be read second. I was very interested to see how this one would go especially because the first book pointed to a part in this one.

What I Liked
There were quite a few twists that kept me interested. The pacing was fantastic and so was the writing.

What I Didn’t Like
This one wasn't as good as the first. I don't typically enjoy the insta-love trope, which is present in both of these books, but it wasn't as crisp as it was in the first book.

In Conclusion
Ella Fields might be one of my top auto-buy romantasy authors now! I MUST READ EVERYTHING!
]]> 58443294 Raised to avenge his murdered parents, he’d been trained and conditioned until nothing but violence and hatred lined the walls of his dead heart.

For nearly four years, I’d done all I could to help my kingdom as we faced the wolf king’s unconquerable evil—hardly anything at all.
As the only heir to the Gracewood line, I’d been relegated to menial tasks that would keep me and my secrets safe.

A chance to do more than fret behind our castle walls arrived when I breached them after overhearing my parents�� plans for my future. Fleeing, I unknowingly raced into a fate we’d all desperately hoped to avoid.

By the time I saw him coming, it was far too late. For my family. For my kingdom.
For my heart.
Before I could staunch the bleeding, the king had me under his giant paw, and one wrong move after another caused those razor-sharp claws to sink deeper and deeper beneath my bruised skin.

I might have been trapped,��naïve, and furious, but I still had a kingdom to save—and a plan. Yet when we collided, the bloodshed, the fear, his atrocities... all of it dissolved like stardust upon the night sea.

The stars had mapped out our destiny, but it didn’t matter what they or my heart wanted. I refused to see the enigmatic male, the heartless lost boy with a soul beneath the flesh of a monster.
The savage king who’d destroyed everything I loved would fall—even if my heart fell with him.

��

Inspired by Hades and Persephone, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Swan Princess, The Savage and the Swan is not connected to any other Ella Fields novel. It’s a full-length standalone romantic fantasy containing mature content.]]> 350 Ella Fields Shannon 5 Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
This romantasy is marketed as Rumplestiltskin x Swan Princess vibes and y'all, it was. It has enemies to lovers. It has forbidden love. It has a strong heroine. The shapeshifting in this consists of wolves and a swan. This is book 1 of a duology and there really isn't a cliffhanger but there is definitely a nod to the second book in it.

What I Liked
Everything.

What I Didn’t Like
Nothing.

In Conclusion
My god, this was actually SO GOOD. This has been on my TBR since like 2021 and I’m so mad at myself for waiting this long to read it. Immediately starting book two!!!]]> 3.97 2021
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
This romantasy is marketed as Rumplestiltskin x Swan Princess vibes and y'all, it was. It has enemies to lovers. It has forbidden love. It has a strong heroine. The shapeshifting in this consists of wolves and a swan. This is book 1 of a duology and there really isn't a cliffhanger but there is definitely a nod to the second book in it.

What I Liked
Everything.

What I Didn’t Like
Nothing.

In Conclusion
My god, this was actually SO GOOD. This has been on my TBR since like 2021 and I’m so mad at myself for waiting this long to read it. Immediately starting book two!!!
]]> 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 sight��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 Shannon 5 Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
If you are looking for the perfect romantasy, it's right here. This is one of Janessa's (meemo_reads) trifecta books (high fantasy with romance and some spice), which means you KNOW it hits. The main tropes in this are enemies-to-lovers, arranged/forced marriage, sword & sorcery, historical settings, magic and mythical creatures, and a virgin heroine. This is a standalone novel.

What I Liked
THE SPICE BE SPICIN'. Y'all, I literally choked on my Zoodles during the first interaction because DAMN, Atakan "Sit On Them" the Heartless. I loved all the twists in the book. It was a fantastic length. Seriously, I liked everything. The characters were all well developed and the writing was excellent.

What I Didn’t Like
I cannot think of a single thing and you can't make me try any harder than that. I won't. I shan't.

In Conclusion
This was absolute perfection for me. I need all my Romantasy books to be exactly this (but different though, because like, I have already read this). I had so much fun with this book and I am now going to read her entire backlist. ]]> 3.80 2024
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
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The Important Highlights
If you are looking for the perfect romantasy, it's right here. This is one of Janessa's (meemo_reads) trifecta books (high fantasy with romance and some spice), which means you KNOW it hits. The main tropes in this are enemies-to-lovers, arranged/forced marriage, sword & sorcery, historical settings, magic and mythical creatures, and a virgin heroine. This is a standalone novel.

What I Liked
THE SPICE BE SPICIN'. Y'all, I literally choked on my Zoodles during the first interaction because DAMN, Atakan "Sit On Them" the Heartless. I loved all the twists in the book. It was a fantastic length. Seriously, I liked everything. The characters were all well developed and the writing was excellent.

What I Didn’t Like
I cannot think of a single thing and you can't make me try any harder than that. I won't. I shan't.

In Conclusion
This was absolute perfection for me. I need all my Romantasy books to be exactly this (but different though, because like, I have already read this). I had so much fun with this book and I am now going to read her entire backlist.
]]> 123379802 385 Melissa McTernan 0008643016 Shannon 2 Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
Actual: 2.5 stars
This is being marketed as an adult loosely-based retelling of Red Riding Hood with fun tropes like werewolf romance, a stalker/prey dynamic, fated mates, and forced proximity. This is book one in a series but book 2 isn't out yet. I would say that the end is cliffhangery.

What I Liked
There were some interesting dynamics in the book such as whatever is going on with the FMC's sister and whoever these outsider wolves are. I didn't find the writing flowery, which in this case, I thoroughly enjoyed (some books need it, this one didn't). There was some decent banter and character development.

What I Didn’t Like
What in the fuck? This was such a time waste. Literally NOTHING happens in this book. If a climactic event is considered a 5, on a scale, this book stays around the 1, and the odd time goes up to a 3, and then back to a one. Until the last sentence, which is like a 4.5 on the same scale.

⚠️⚠️So I had a lot of very specific beef with this book. I have put in a spoiler tag though so read at your own risk. [spoilers removed]

There was just no reason for this to be published yet, honestly. It’s not fully fleshed out, in my opinion. I hope she takes more time with the second one.

In Conclusion
I REALLY wanted to love this book. I kept reading because it was set up to be really good/interesting but every single time something interesting happened, I was disappointed. Anyone who just wants to read a quick romantasy, this might be great for you. That being said, I will not be continuing this when the second book comes out. I will also be selling my Fairyloot edition due to this being such a big disappointment.]]> 3.27 2024
author: Melissa McTernan
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
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The Important Highlights
Actual: 2.5 stars
This is being marketed as an adult loosely-based retelling of Red Riding Hood with fun tropes like werewolf romance, a stalker/prey dynamic, fated mates, and forced proximity. This is book one in a series but book 2 isn't out yet. I would say that the end is cliffhangery.

What I Liked
There were some interesting dynamics in the book such as whatever is going on with the FMC's sister and whoever these outsider wolves are. I didn't find the writing flowery, which in this case, I thoroughly enjoyed (some books need it, this one didn't). There was some decent banter and character development.

What I Didn’t Like
What in the fuck? This was such a time waste. Literally NOTHING happens in this book. If a climactic event is considered a 5, on a scale, this book stays around the 1, and the odd time goes up to a 3, and then back to a one. Until the last sentence, which is like a 4.5 on the same scale.

⚠️⚠️So I had a lot of very specific beef with this book. I have put in a spoiler tag though so read at your own risk. [spoilers removed]

There was just no reason for this to be published yet, honestly. It’s not fully fleshed out, in my opinion. I hope she takes more time with the second one.

In Conclusion
I REALLY wanted to love this book. I kept reading because it was set up to be really good/interesting but every single time something interesting happened, I was disappointed. Anyone who just wants to read a quick romantasy, this might be great for you. That being said, I will not be continuing this when the second book comes out. I will also be selling my Fairyloot edition due to this being such a big disappointment.
]]> 212695081
“Be ready for a deadly contest for a bride, mistaken identities, hidden magic, and secrets that will keep you guessing until the end.�� –NISHA J. TULI, internationally bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

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

“His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.��

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

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

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

“Consumes all your attention and leaves you longing for more!�� —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Stunning .�� —Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author

“Pure addictive delight." —Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author

“Amalie Howard at her finest!�� —Danielle L. Jensen, New York Times bestselling author]]> 368 Amalie Howard 006335585X Shannon 3 arcs Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars.
This romantasy has a few fun tropes in it such as hidden identities, chosen one/prophecy, trials/competition, and a little rebellion. This is NOT a standalone and there is a wee bit of a cliffhanger in the epilogue but really, it ends quite calmly for those of us who struggle with massive cliffhangers. I like the way it wrapped up at the end. There is spice in this book �� I would say 3/5 on the pepper scale. There are really only 2-3 major scenes (two chapters that can easily be skipped if you’re not interested in reading about it).

What I Liked
I read a lot of romantasy at surface level, which means I read for the vibes �� and this book had great vibes. People said that they didn’t like that it was marketed for adults but read like YA, however I actually loved that aspect. It has the fun world building of YA but it has adult spice in it. Best of both worlds, really. The characters were easy enough to like. I LOVED the simurgh and how it tied into the story in different ways. The magic system was interesting.

What I Didn’t Like
Well, the writing style was definitely something. It’s written in a bit of a weird way, to be honest. Most of the book is written in a way that a wide audience can enjoy it �� basic, simple, and even YA in nature (I loved this part, see above). However, every once in a while she would throw in a big word that, while I personally knew what it meant, was rather jarring. That being said, I found it strange that she used such common (and even juvenile) phrasing within the story. Some examples of this would be “resting bitch face��, “don’t threaten me with a good time��, and “prince-splain��. These REALLY pulled me out the story, to be honest, with it being a fantasy book set in a fantasy world.

In Conclusion
This was fun! I enjoyed the fact that it pulled from several different cultures (as explained in the authors note). I will definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out!]]> 3.51 2025
author: Amalie Howard
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: arcs
review:
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The Important Highlights
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars.
This romantasy has a few fun tropes in it such as hidden identities, chosen one/prophecy, trials/competition, and a little rebellion. This is NOT a standalone and there is a wee bit of a cliffhanger in the epilogue but really, it ends quite calmly for those of us who struggle with massive cliffhangers. I like the way it wrapped up at the end. There is spice in this book �� I would say 3/5 on the pepper scale. There are really only 2-3 major scenes (two chapters that can easily be skipped if you’re not interested in reading about it).

What I Liked
I read a lot of romantasy at surface level, which means I read for the vibes �� and this book had great vibes. People said that they didn’t like that it was marketed for adults but read like YA, however I actually loved that aspect. It has the fun world building of YA but it has adult spice in it. Best of both worlds, really. The characters were easy enough to like. I LOVED the simurgh and how it tied into the story in different ways. The magic system was interesting.

What I Didn’t Like
Well, the writing style was definitely something. It’s written in a bit of a weird way, to be honest. Most of the book is written in a way that a wide audience can enjoy it �� basic, simple, and even YA in nature (I loved this part, see above). However, every once in a while she would throw in a big word that, while I personally knew what it meant, was rather jarring. That being said, I found it strange that she used such common (and even juvenile) phrasing within the story. Some examples of this would be “resting bitch face��, “don’t threaten me with a good time��, and “prince-splain��. These REALLY pulled me out the story, to be honest, with it being a fantasy book set in a fantasy world.

In Conclusion
This was fun! I enjoyed the fact that it pulled from several different cultures (as explained in the authors note). I will definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out!
]]> 50794839 Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined—every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 528 Suzanne Collins 1338635174 Shannon 0 dnf-0star Follow me on Instagram

The Important Highlights
DNF @ 29%

What I Liked
Well, I actually can't say that I liked much. I was most excited about learning about the dynamics and mechanics of the early games. Learning how things changed from the 10th games to the 75th and being able to compare all the differences was actually very interesting.

What I Didn’t Like
I’m SOOOOOO bored. Snow is a piece of shit who randomly thinks a nice thought but then manages to fuck it up by continuing to be a piece of shit. I’m sick of cabbage soup, the lyrics of all these songs, and these stupid long ass names taking up all the page count in a rotten ass word salad.

In Conclusion
I’m sorry but no. This is not for me. I love that people love this but it felt SO disconnected from the OG trilogy (which I JUST reread). Sunrise on the Reaping better be PHENOMENAL or I will RIOT.]]> 3.88 2020
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: dnf-0star
review:
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The Important Highlights
DNF @ 29%

What I Liked
Well, I actually can't say that I liked much. I was most excited about learning about the dynamics and mechanics of the early games. Learning how things changed from the 10th games to the 75th and being able to compare all the differences was actually very interesting.

What I Didn’t Like
I’m SOOOOOO bored. Snow is a piece of shit who randomly thinks a nice thought but then manages to fuck it up by continuing to be a piece of shit. I’m sick of cabbage soup, the lyrics of all these songs, and these stupid long ass names taking up all the page count in a rotten ass word salad.

In Conclusion
I’m sorry but no. This is not for me. I love that people love this but it felt SO disconnected from the OG trilogy (which I JUST reread). Sunrise on the Reaping better be PHENOMENAL or I will RIOT.
]]> 210428052 What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn't sign up for this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But they have no idea what they've awakened.


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

On Wings of Blood is a dark academia fantasy romance featuring a bully villain with Draco Malfoy energy who (eventually) gets the girl, all the tension and banter, and a tantalizingly dangerous blend of court and school intrigue all set in an intricately crafted world with unique vampire and dragon lore. Bloodwing Academy may have crossover characters from the world of Blood of a Fae, but can be read completely independently. If you're a fan of original mythology, unique world-building, and character-driven romantasy books such as Crowns of Nyaxia, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, you won't want to miss out on this riveting new saga. ]]> 523 Briar Boleyn Shannon 0 to-read 4.01 2024
author: Briar Boleyn
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]> 390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Shannon 5 4.10 2010
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 216247498 Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.]]> 544 Julie Johnson 0593817869 Shannon 0 to-read 4.03 2025
author: Julie Johnson
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]> 391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Shannon 5 4.34 2009
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 2767052
Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Shannon 5 4.34 2008
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 219446158 A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes!

Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .]]> Elizabeth Lim 0593650638 Shannon 0 to-read 4.49 2025
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220617923
Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock share a dark and bloody history. With Thezmarr on the brink of another war, and overwhelmed by the force of their feelings for one another, Torj discovers there is far more to their bond than mere passion. The legendary Warsword is determined to protect Wren at all costs, even if it means lying to her . . . Even if it means losing her forever.

Meanwhile, Wren is struggling to find her place in the world �� both as an advanced student of alchemy at the ancient academy of Drevenor, and as one of the heirs to a lost kingdom. With the midrealms once again facing destruction, Wren must decide: loyalty or liberation? Legacy or love?

As new political players emerge, Wren discovers that her gift for alchemy is more powerful than she ever imagined �� and that it could tear the kingdoms apart.

Will she and Torj find their way back to each other, or will the ancient magic that binds them become their undoing?]]> 448 Helen Scheuerer 103506734X Shannon 0 to-read 4.52 2025
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222284050 When a powerful witch discovers she's the daughter of an Alpha werewolf and is taken by his Pack, she's determined to break free all the while denying her attraction to her abductor. Witch of the Wolves is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She's been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt's apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals.

Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she's a lycan--sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She's brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline.

She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can't rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father's power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn't set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Witch of the Wolves is the first book in this Victorian romantasy series, featuring an intense and sexy romance and a world on the brink of change.]]> 352 Kaylee Archer 1250393078 Shannon 0 to-read 3.85 2025
author: Kaylee Archer
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228568369 One girl. Two brothers. A school built on secrets. And a bond that could burn the world
down.

Scarlet Thorne has been broken. Burned alive and survived.

Now she’s a wild card with forbidden magic and a dragon with no memories—enrolled in
Mageia War College only because she has nowhere else to go. She’s supposed to stay quiet.
Stay controlled. Stay away from too much power.

Too bad control has never been her strong suit.

She never expected to find purpose. Or friendship. Or to fall for two brothers with secrets of their
own. Caught between the welcoming, charming Shayde and the unpredictable, dangerous
Rhodes Wylder, Scarlet must guard her heart as fiercely as her life. Falling for either of them
would be a mistake. Falling for both? That could be deadly.

But love isn’t the only fire rising. Someone is hunting Scarlet from within the college walls.
Professors are dying. Whispers swirl that she is the one destined to destroy them all. And the
more Scarlet digs for truth, the more her own darkness threatens to break free.

Her magic is illegal. Her past is a secret. And her heart? Already split in two.

As dark truths unravel and betrayal cuts deeper than any blade, Scarlet must confront the
trauma she’s buried, the power she never asked for, and a fate that may cost her everything.

The Scars Within is a spellbinding romantasy packed with slow-burn heat, found family, snarky
banter, and a dangerous romance that scorches through every page. Perfect for fans of Fourth
Wing, Powerless and Throne of Glass. Read only if you’re ready to fall hard—and risk
everything.

🔥Romance that burns and betrayal that leaves you bleeding
🔥Grumpy - sunshine twin brothers
🔥Found family & fractured loyalties
🔥Elemental powers, bonded dragons & magical assassins

Scarlet Thorne’s story is loosely based on the author’s mental health journey. ]]> 535 Ang T. Dalton Shannon 0 to-read 4.52
author: Ang T. Dalton
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.52
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 32330132 Bestselling author Danielle Paige puts a dark spin on fairy godmothers in a new YA series for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Maleficent.

For centuries, the enchanted members of the Entente have worked in tandem with the Three Fates—the Present, the Past, and the Future—to maintain destiny across the Thirteen Queendoms. But when Queen Magrit learns of her untimely demise from Hecate, Fate of the Future, Magrit burns Hecate at the stake and decrees death to all Entente in order to live forever.

But some survive, including sixteen-year-old Farrow, who hatches a dangerous plan to seek revenge. Along the way, she finds herself falling for the one person who could ruin everything. With life and love hanging in the balance, she must decide who to trust and what’s most important: living in the past or forging a new future.

Bestselling author Danielle Paige launches a brand-new fairy godmother origin story full of intrigue, magic, and romance.]]> 384 Danielle Paige 152663645X Shannon 0 to-read 3.69 2023
author: Danielle Paige
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 72404971 From the New York Times bestselling author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES comes a tale of two sisters—one as beautiful as the other is monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.

One sister must fall for the other to rise.

Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.

Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who’s had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath—launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.

Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.]]> 425 Elizabeth Lim 0593301013 Shannon 5 4.18 2023
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:
This book was absolutely phenomenal. I literally have nothing bad to say about it �� other than the fact that now I want to reread Six Crimson Cranes instead of reading more from my physical TBR.
]]> 218153674 To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.

Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings. The most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.

Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king’s death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.

Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance—one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.

Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.]]> 416 Hazel McBride 0593972945 Shannon 0 to-read, arcs 3.88 2025
author: Hazel McBride
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read, arcs
review:

]]> 50286648 68 Rowland Bercy Jr. 172674969X Shannon 0 dnf-0star
This book felt entirely too familiar in the first chapter; turns out that I’d read a similar book 2 years ago (Unbortion came out first). As soon as the second chapter started, talking about a man being lice-ridden and smelling putrid, I tossed the book aside. It’s the same old trope with extreme horror and Splatterpunk. Why does every dude in these stories have to smell funky, have boils, etc? Kinda over it. ]]> 3.89 2018
author: Rowland Bercy Jr.
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: dnf-0star
review:
DNF @ 20%

This book felt entirely too familiar in the first chapter; turns out that I’d read a similar book 2 years ago (Unbortion came out first). As soon as the second chapter started, talking about a man being lice-ridden and smelling putrid, I tossed the book aside. It’s the same old trope with extreme horror and Splatterpunk. Why does every dude in these stories have to smell funky, have boils, etc? Kinda over it.
]]> 196014546
Garret and Finn need to get away from California after what happened at the pier, so they take an impromptu trip to a ski resort.

Now they must face ice rage and the Ice Age when the green rain unearths a frozen dinosaur.
Oh f*ck, a T-Rex!]]> 76 Chisto Healy Shannon 3
This was well thought out and well written. I enjoyed reading this one although not usually my style of book to grab. I will definitely be reading more Chisto Healy. ]]> 4.42
author: Chisto Healy
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
Actual: 3.75 stars

This was well thought out and well written. I enjoyed reading this one although not usually my style of book to grab. I will definitely be reading more Chisto Healy.
]]> 49003161
A quiet, hardworking man who goes about his daily routine with joy.
He works as a telemarketer, trying his best to sell poorly made, over-priced products to the unsuspecting people on the other end of the phone.

Brad doesn't mind though, it's a means to an end.

Life's about to change for Brad. Now that Father has anointed him the Chosen one, the one to open the gates and allow them to flock into the Black Heavens.

Eternity awaits.

But is Brad ready to perform on the big day?]]> 78 Steve Stred 1695441591 Shannon 1
This was certainly a bunch of words in a book format�� but I am still not sure what the plot/story is. I honestly had no idea what was going on for most of it �� just a lot of confusing stuff in it, things that don’t really make sense. Not really a fan of this one. ]]> 2.00 2019
author: Steve Stred
name: Shannon
average rating: 2.00
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
Actual: 1.75 stars

This was certainly a bunch of words in a book format�� but I am still not sure what the plot/story is. I honestly had no idea what was going on for most of it �� just a lot of confusing stuff in it, things that don’t really make sense. Not really a fan of this one.
]]> 198960564
Crackers is the sequel to Soup, also available on Godless!]]> 100 Kate DeJonge Shannon 4
My gosh, Kate! This was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed the story in Soup 2: Crackers! This story picks up right after Soup and gives more backstory to Ashley. Such an intriguing concept and it was executed perfectly.]]> 4.56
author: Kate DeJonge
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
Actual: 4.25 stars

My gosh, Kate! This was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed the story in Soup 2: Crackers! This story picks up right after Soup and gives more backstory to Ashley. Such an intriguing concept and it was executed perfectly.
]]> 48691825 A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable—she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.]]> 336 Natasha Bowen 0593120965 Shannon 0 dnf-0star I am finding this incredibly boring. There is a lot of repetition that feels wildly unnecessary -- do we really need to know the colour of the ocean, in a "mermaid" book, every other page? Yeah, this wasn't for me and now that's 2 books off my physical TBR (I'm not going to bother with the second book either, obviously).]]> 3.81 2021
author: Natasha Bowen
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: dnf-0star
review:
DNF @ 23%
I am finding this incredibly boring. There is a lot of repetition that feels wildly unnecessary -- do we really need to know the colour of the ocean, in a "mermaid" book, every other page? Yeah, this wasn't for me and now that's 2 books off my physical TBR (I'm not going to bother with the second book either, obviously).
]]> 193898666
Packed with enemies-to-lovers tension, heart-pounding action and devastating twists, The Nightfire Quartet is an epic fantasy romance that begins with a slow burn and builds in intensity.

For years, Zarya has been trapped in a gilded prison. Her magic is forbidden, a dangerous secret—though nobody will explain why. Now she is ready to break free and find the truth.

Escaping to the dazzling city of Dharati, Zarya discovers a new world of enchantment and intrigue. With the help of seductive, blood-drinking rakshasa and magic-weaving Aazheri sorcerers, she searches for answers.

But the city is under siege. Every night, dark creatures attack. And since Zarya’s arrival they are growing stronger. To protect her new home, Zarya joins the fight.

As she battles on the walls and hunts through libraries for clues about her gifts, Zarya’s dreams are haunted by a mysterious stranger. Powerful, arrogant and handsome, Rabin sees through her secrets and ignites a desire she cannot resist. But can he be trusted?

When darkness threatens to overwhelm Dharati, Zarya is faced with a deadly choice. Will revealing her magic save the city? Or destroy everything she loves?

Enter a glittering new world inspired by Indian mythology and prepare to discover your new obsession.]]> 370 Nisha J. Tuli 1837904863 Shannon 0 to-read 3.87 2023
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

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

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

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

…including her heart.]]> 497 Rachel Schneider Shannon 3 4.28
author: Rachel Schneider
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
I had originally given this 4 stars but upon thinking about it, it's definitely NOT worth that many. I was kinda bored throughout the book but there was JUST enough to keep me reading, instead of DNFing, and the ending definitely made it jump up from 1 or 2 stars to the 3 I am giving it. I just feel like this book had a lot of potential but didn't quite live up to the hype of it. There were quite a few parts that I had to go back and do a little reread because I had missed a little detail amongst the mass amounts of words that weren't needed in the story. Several times I caught my eyeballs trying to skim forward. The banter wasn't that great either. Idk, maybe it wasn't for me, but I am certainly going to give the second one a chance when it comes out, if I remember.
]]> 60894663
The time has come to obtain the final birthstone of Saddoriel. Reeling from a near-deadly sacrifice, Roh must rally all her strength if she is to take her place upon the throne.

But with cyrenkind divided and enemies closing in, the road to Lochloria and beyond is more dangerous than ever. An ancient prophecy looms, loyalties are tested and Roh races against the clock that threatens to undo all she’s fought for.

As a centuries-long conflict comes to a head and forces of nature collide, Roh has to decide if there is more than one kind of magic in this world, and whether or not she has the power to harness it.

Some bonds will solidify, while others will be fractured forever �� but all must take up their swords and face the final battle for a better Saddoriel.

Will Roh emerge from the perils victorious, or will the trials claim her at last?

Bursting with Scheuerer’s trademark action and a dash of fiery romance, the Curse of the Cyren Queen series reaches its epic conclusion with To Wield a Crown.]]> 419 Helen Scheuerer 064522166X Shannon 5 4.56
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
What an amazing ending! I loved this series so much. I have an unhealthy obsession with the aquatic, whether it's fantasy or horror. This was incredibly interesting, well written, and super fun!
]]> 59666741
After facing heart-breaking betrayals and jaw-dropping revelations in Akoris, Roh must steel herself once more and continue her quest to win the cyren throne.

But with poison lingering in her body and a new, unpredictable companion at her side, the trek to the mysterious territory of Csilla becomes all the more perilous. Dangerous schemes are afoot �� ones that threaten not only the homeland Roh intends to rule, but all of cyrenkind.

As her journey stretches across the realm, Roh must navigate the dark web of her own ambition and master her newfound magic.

Will she triumph against the trials ahead �� or sow the seeds of her own destruction?

More action-packed than ever, brimming with new secrets and a touch of romance, The Fabric of Chaos is the breathtaking third instalment of Helen Scheuerer’s Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet.]]> 432 Helen Scheuerer 0645221635 Shannon 5 4.50
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
It's been a bit since I read this so I can't get very specific (not that I would anyways, because I don't like giving spoilers) but this was another fantastic entry in the Curse of the Cyren Queen series.
]]> 52016138 Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders in this fiery sequel to Crown of Feathers, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable!��

You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she’s supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka’s sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost—even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire—and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they’re willing to go—and what they’re willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.]]> 640 Nicki Pau Preto 1534424652 Shannon 4 4.23 2020
author: Nicki Pau Preto
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
I am really enjoying this series, especially the audiobooks! I am kicking myself for not reading these sooner but am happy to be experiencing them for the first time. This stayed interesting throughout the entire book, which I was worried about with it being the middle child.
]]> 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 cliché, 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 clichés 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 Shannon 0 to-read 4.62 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217108838
An enemies-to-lovers spicy romance set in the world of video gaming from the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis—available only in audio!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.]]> 5 Ali Hazelwood Shannon 0 to-read 3.55 2024
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 221073139 The take? Fifty billion dollars. The risk? Everything—including their hearts!

Adelina Choi is a computer whiz. For some unknown reason, she decided to drop out of her final year at MIT and has pivoted her skills to begin a life of crime as a grey hat hacker. She steals from the rich and gives to the poor, moving hundreds of thousands of dollars a day. (Morally questionable? Yes. Does she feel bad about it? No.) However, everything goes sideways when she steals a quarter of a million dollars from what she assumed was a harmless mark, and unknowingly sets into motion a dangerous chain of events .

West Porter, a retired thief and parental guardian to his beloved niece, wanted to lie low. He was tasked with safeguarding the money of a powerful criminal overlord, but much to his dismay, has discovered that someone has stolen a quarter of a million dollars from the account. With his boss breathing down his neck for answers, West realizes the hacker who stole from him may not be an enemy, but the perfect ally he needs to finally take back his freedom.

Brush off your burner phones, fellow thieves. It’s time to call up the old crew for one last job.]]> Katrina Kwan Shannon 0 to-read 5.00
author: Katrina Kwan
name: Shannon
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218568832
The wedding that never was��

Sadie Sparrow loves the beautiful overgrown winery of Sparrow and Vine. It's her family home, and she's willing to do anything to inherit it: even marry her worst enemy. It's the only possible solution. Or at least, Monroe Beaumont makes it seem that way when he corners Sadie with his offer. Intimidation is what Monroe does best for the pack of pirates he calls brothers. And after all…somebody has to get married to unlock the family trust.

Sadie's sisters are furious. They're sure that everything they love is about to be stolen from them by Beaumonts. But Sadie's the one who actually has to live with one of them. The biggest one…who smells like cinnamon and insists on sharing a bed�� Sadie's always known she'd have to fight for Sparrow and Vine. She just didn't know she'd be fighting her own husband...]]> 320 Sophie Lark 1464236690 Shannon 0 avoid 0.0
author: Sophie Lark
name: Shannon
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: avoid
review:

]]> 222066674 What if Nala was compelled to team up with Scar for a secret mission?

In this twisted tale featuring characters from the beloved Disney classic The Lion King, see the characters you know and love in a different light as you venture across the Pride Lands to save Pride Rock!]]> 336 Farrah Rochon 1761641034 Shannon 3
This was my first Twisted Tale by Farrah Rochon. I was super excited because Lion King was always my favourite Disney movie growing up. I was more than disappointed with this story however. It was actually incredibly boring if I'm being honest. I only finished it because I didn't want the Lion King to be on my TBR, basically. I am glad I did though, because I did enjoy the ending. I definitely got a little emotional. Going to give this author another try with another Twisted Tale though!]]> 3.82 2024
author: Farrah Rochon
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
review:
Actual: 3.5

This was my first Twisted Tale by Farrah Rochon. I was super excited because Lion King was always my favourite Disney movie growing up. I was more than disappointed with this story however. It was actually incredibly boring if I'm being honest. I only finished it because I didn't want the Lion King to be on my TBR, basically. I am glad I did though, because I did enjoy the ending. I definitely got a little emotional. Going to give this author another try with another Twisted Tale though!
]]> 61769942 What if the Blue Fairy wasn’t supposed to help Pinocchio?

“Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight . . . �� so begins the wish that changes everything—for Geppetto, for the Blue Fairy, and for a little puppet named Pinocchio. The Blue Fairy isn’t supposed to grant wishes in the small village of Pariva, but something about this one awakens some long-buried flicker within. Perhaps it’s the hope she senses beneath the old man’s loneliness.

Or maybe it’s the fact that long ago, before she was the Blue Fairy, she was a young woman named Chiara from this very village, one with a simple wish: to help others find happiness. Her sister Ilaria always teased her for this, for she had big dreams to leave their sleepy village and become a world-renowned opera singer. The two were close, despite their differences. While Ilaria would give anything to have a fairy grant her wish, Chiara didn’t believe in the lore for which their village was famous.

Forty years later, Chiara, now the Blue Fairy, defies the rules of magic to help an old friend. But she’s discovered by the Scarlet Fairy, formerly Ilaria, who, amid a decades-long grudge, holds the transgression against her sister. They decide to settle things through a good old-fashioned bet, with Pinocchio and Geppetto’s fate hanging in the balance.

Will the sisters find a way back to one another? Or is this, like many matters of the heart, a gamble that comes with strings?]]> 480 Elizabeth Lim 1368077544 Shannon 4 4.01 2023
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
review:
So, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit because it stayed true to the original Disney version (well, with the Pinocchio parts, I mean) but gave us a whole new view of the world. Elizabeth Lim is a fantastic storyteller and I am pleased that this one wasn't a DNF (Unbirthday and Mirror, Mirror).
]]> 51157394
Once upon a time, there lived a princess so cruel that even her husband tried to destroy her.
The results left her without a father, her husband without a memory, and herself as queen to a kingdom on the cusp of war.
Even so, after learning of her treasonous husband’s upcoming nuptials, she set out to find him and locked him in her dungeon. There, and only there, would she unveil a time when she once allowed herself to be vulnerable. A past detailing how her heart was coaxed to beat outside her chest, only to have it crushed by the cold hands of betrayal.
But true vengeance will need to wait. War is coming, and with it, decisions and danger masked in treacherous beauty.
All too soon, the young queen will learn that time could be the most dangerous foe of all.
For it is time that would reveal all the ways a dead heart can beat anew.

Contains dark themes and a HEA. Recommended for 18+]]> 431 Ella Fields Shannon 0 to-read 3.81 2020
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63308923
To find those who discarded me at birth, I must sneak into Faerie.

But my deceased guardian left more than scars upon my heart. Debts are owed to the madam at the Lair of Lust, and I’m forced to repay them.

My first client is a faerie king who offers to give me everything I’ve always wanted. The king will take me to Faerie if I make a blood vow to marry him. A collection of sweltering meetings fool me into believing his reasons for choosing me to be his queen—a changeling without so much as a name.

For upon my arrival in his kingdom, I receive the answers I’ve craved and the truth behind his motives.

My wonder and infatuation for the king and his wintry realm are snuffed by hatred and fear. Though loathing him is futile when venomous words and spiteful games only prove to excite him. Once again, I’m trapped. This time, with an enemy I cannot hide from. One with enough heat in his eyes to melt my resolve, and enough power at his frosted fingertips to accomplish his sinister goals.

To survive all I’ve discovered, not only will I need to unearth King Florian’s dead heart—I will need to guard my own before he tricks it, too.]]> 338 Ella Fields Shannon 0 to-read 3.95 2023
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54164103
I’d known exactly who he was—the Unseelie prince. But I hadn’t known just what he was.
I’d been fooled.

The creature I’d formed a tentative friendship with in my family’s dungeon was not the gentle, intriguing prince I’d thought him to be.
He was a monster. A bloodthirsty beast.

And I’d helped him escape my uncle’s clutches.

Such a betrayal called for severe consequences, and the price of releasing the biggest threat our kingdom had faced in hundreds of years was not one I would survive.

But upon discovering my uncle’s foiled plans for their prince, the Unseelie demanded vengeance, and an agreement was made.

My savior and my doom returned, and this time, he wasn’t leaving without me.

Regardless of how I loathed him, the deceitful and dangerous male was my last hope. Yet when he looked at me, touched me, dared to love me, the beliefs I’d worn as armor began to melt.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Though avoiding fate would prove impossible when the only way to save my life was to surrender it by marrying the monster who’d destroyed it.

-

This enemies to lovers romantasy contains mature content. It’s a complete standalone and not connected to any other Ella Fields novel.]]> 326 Ella Fields Shannon 0 to-read 3.43 2022
author: Ella Fields
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211742041 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 suitors: 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 twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin�� 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 0063372525 Shannon 0 to-read 3.97 2025
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205822553 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.]]> 336 Sophie Jordan 0063399997 Shannon 0 to-read 3.59 2024
author: Sophie Jordan
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209668781 Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.

Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 �� Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 �� Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 �� NPR "Books We Love" 2023 �� Audible Best Books of 2023 �� Hudson Book of the Year �� Google Play Best Books of 2023 �� Indigo Best Books of 2023 �� Waterstones Book of the Year finalist �� ŷ������ Choice Award Winner �� Newsweek Staffers�� Favorite Books of 2023 �� Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023 �� TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland Book of the Year (International) 2024

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

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.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm]]> 758 Rebecca Yarros 1649376944 Shannon 4
I honestly love these books so much. As a surface level reader, I enjoy seeing all the theory videos because they actually get my brain motivated to try to find little things that other people might not notice. While all the theories out there are fun, I do like that I can just read them and enjoy it without pulling out a white board LOL.

While it sucks that we will have to wait for the next book, as an author myself, I can really appreciate and respect the author for taking a break, not just for her health, but also the sake of her family. Bravo!]]> 4.42 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Actual: 4.25

I honestly love these books so much. As a surface level reader, I enjoy seeing all the theory videos because they actually get my brain motivated to try to find little things that other people might not notice. While all the theories out there are fun, I do like that I can just read them and enjoy it without pulling out a white board LOL.

While it sucks that we will have to wait for the next book, as an author myself, I can really appreciate and respect the author for taking a break, not just for her health, but also the sake of her family. Bravo!
]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe �� a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution �� who she can't help but find herself falling for.

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

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch�� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Shannon 3 arcs
This was fun and certainly had more depth to it than Serpent and Dove (that book was quite terrible but had a similar premise). I will definitely be reading Rebel Witch when it comes out.]]> 4.16 2024
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: arcs
review:
Actual rating: 3.25

This was fun and certainly had more depth to it than Serpent and Dove (that book was quite terrible but had a similar premise). I will definitely be reading Rebel Witch when it comes out.
]]> 59462465
In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it’s rumored life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay.]]> 384 Kylie Lee Baker 0369749901 Shannon 2
This felt like a completely different book/series. I loved Scarlet Alchemist SO MUCH. It was one of my top reads last year and it got 5 stars from me. This? Yeah, no. I couldn't bring myself to DNF it but I absolutely should have. This one wasn't for me. It pains me to even type that because I was SO upset when I didn't get the ARC and I had this preordered from the moment it went live. I will still read more by this author but I will be weary of duologies in the future. Seriously, they had such different vibes. ]]> 4.02 2024
author: Kylie Lee Baker
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Actual: 2.5

This felt like a completely different book/series. I loved Scarlet Alchemist SO MUCH. It was one of my top reads last year and it got 5 stars from me. This? Yeah, no. I couldn't bring myself to DNF it but I absolutely should have. This one wasn't for me. It pains me to even type that because I was SO upset when I didn't get the ARC and I had this preordered from the moment it went live. I will still read more by this author but I will be weary of duologies in the future. Seriously, they had such different vibes.
]]> 216188969 The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.

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

She never arrives at her destination.

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

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

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

A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.]]> 338 Freida McFadden Shannon 3 3.99 2025
author: Freida McFadden
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
I found this one to be kind of blah, not going to lie. I mean, it entertained me enough to finish it, but otherwise, it was just kinda meh to me. The twist just felt ridiculous and slapped together.
]]> 209950981 She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim.

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it all: men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…]]> 370 Freida McFadden Shannon 4
This one is probably one of my favourites now. It could be because it came out on my birthday, but it could also be because I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I had read The Crash, which was okay, but then immediately read this one after, which could also play a huge part, but I did find myself actually wanting to read this one as fast as possible to figure things out. ]]> 4.20 2024
author: Freida McFadden
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Actual: 4.5

This one is probably one of my favourites now. It could be because it came out on my birthday, but it could also be because I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I had read The Crash, which was okay, but then immediately read this one after, which could also play a huge part, but I did find myself actually wanting to read this one as fast as possible to figure things out.
]]> 46221989 I had a sister, once��

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

I promised her the throne would not come between us.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders�� return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.

Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love’s incredible power to save—or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister’s hands.]]> 512 Nicki Pau Preto 1534424636 Shannon 4 4.04 2019
author: Nicki Pau Preto
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
I have started this book multiple times and each time, I felt like it wasn't for me, despite being obsessed with phoenixes and refusing to let go of my hardcovers. The thing I did differently this time was listen to the audiobook which helped me stay engaged. I actually really enjoyed this book! I think now that I have listened to it, I could read the rest in print, but I will absolutely be aiming to listen to them all instead.
]]> 60109530
Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a chilling message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their dream home was once a house of horrors.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Haunted by the terrible things she saw and desperate to find answers, her obsession pulls her ever further from her husband.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family—but is it already too late?]]> 380 John Marrs 1542017289 Shannon 4 4.08 2022
author: John Marrs
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
I'm not going to lie, at first, I wasn't sure if I would like this but it had been recommended so many times that I felt like I HAD to read it, at this point lol. I actually ended up enjoying it, although the beginning kind of dragged. I will definitely be reading more by John Marrs!
]]> 212808709 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

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

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

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 464 Ali Hazelwood Shannon 4
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I do all of her others. I really liked the fact that this sports romance wasn't the typical football, hockey, etc, and that it focused on swimming and diving. I wasn't sure if I would like that but I did. I also really liked the fact that the FMC had multiple levels of trauma for different reasons and that they were dealt with in a very realistic and respectful way. ]]> 3.93 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Actual: 4.25

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I do all of her others. I really liked the fact that this sports romance wasn't the typical football, hockey, etc, and that it focused on swimming and diving. I wasn't sure if I would like that but I did. I also really liked the fact that the FMC had multiple levels of trauma for different reasons and that they were dealt with in a very realistic and respectful way.
]]> 211004882 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

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

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

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

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]> 464 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866928 Shannon 4 4.36 2025
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
I actually enjoyed this one far more than the first book. I went into it with major doubts, of course, because that's who I am as a reader (person). There were some twists and surprises in this one that were done really well. In true Shannon fashion, I finished this two days ago and have forgotten all the points I wanted to make in my review. LOL.
]]> 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 Shannon 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63214317
Two weeks later, her sister disappeared, leaving nothing but a trail of blood in her wake.

Convinced the gods were responsible for the disappearance, Karys has spent the past five years plotting her revenge with the help of a cutthroat band of likeminded elven rebels. So when Dravyn—one of her world’s most powerful deities—descends upon her kingdom in search of humans worthy of serving him, Karys knows what she must do. Earning a place at the god’s side will allow her to find out what truly happened to her sister…and then destroy the gods from the inside out for what they did.

Thrown into the dazzling but deadly world of the divine courts, she must navigate complicated politics, strange magic, and dangerous trials to prove herself worthy of standing among the gods.

Among the most dangerous of these trials is Dravyn himself.

Karys knows better than to trust the enigmatic God of Fire. The flames of passion that stir between them are only divine trickery. And yet, the more she learns about him, the hotter the forbidden sparks burn. The more she begins to question all she thought she knew about the world of gods and mortals and everything in-between.

And the more she risks betraying her own secrets, which may be the most dangerous thing of all.

This is a romantic epic fantasy with some adult language and spicy content. Though it’s set in the same universe as the Shadows and Crowns series—in the distant past—it can be read and completely enjoyed without reading any previous books in this world. Book two will end with a HEA, but beware the cliffhanger at the end of this first book!]]> 662 S.M. Gaither Shannon 0 to-read 3.89 2023
author: S.M. Gaither
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 43263505
While her mother direly predicts she is ruining her life, enslaving herself to a community that is a misogynistic religious cult, Lola’s heart tells her something far more complicated. But it is the shocking and unexpected messages of her new community itself which will finally force her into a deeper understanding of the real choices she now faces and which will ultimately decide her fate.

An Unorthodox March is a powerful and moving novel of faith, love, and acceptance, from Naomi Ragen, the international bestselling author of The Devil in Jerusalem.]]> 336 Naomi Ragen 1250161223 Shannon 0 to-read 3.81 2019
author: Naomi Ragen
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62325757
Avital Cohen isn’t wearing underpants—woefully, for unsexy reasons. Chronic pelvic pain has forced her to sideline her photography dreams and her love life. It’s all she can do to manage her family’s kosher bakery, Best Babka in Brooklyn, without collapsing.

She needs hired help.

And distractingly handsome Ethan Lippmann seems the perfect fit.

Except Ethan isn’t there to work—he’s undercover, at the behest of his ironfisted grandfather. Though Lippmann’s is a household name when it comes to mass-produced kosher baked goods, they don’t have the charm of Avital’s bakery. Or her grandfather’s world-famous pumpkin spice��babka recipe.

As they bake side by side, Ethan soon finds himself more interested in Avital than in stealing family secrets, especially as he helps her find the chronic pain relief—and pleasure—she’s been missing.

But perfecting the recipe for romance calls for leaving out the lies…even if coming clean means risking everything.
��]]> 432 Jean Meltzer 0778334406 Shannon 0 to-read 3.77 2023
author: Jean Meltzer
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 67992408 Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sophie Kinsella, Heidi Shertok’s delightful debut about love and family will tug on your heartstrings.

Twenty-nine-year-old Penina longs for true love and marriage, but being infertile in the Orthodox Jewish community means she’s rarely matched with the cream of the crop—or even skim milk two weeks past its expiration date. Matchmakers either set her up with men twice her age or those with serious mommy issues. At this point, she might as well wear a sign around her neck that says “professional virgin.��

As if things weren’t bad enough, her sister Libby then shares a terrible secret: her husband’s failed businesses have already put strain on their marriage, and now they might also lose their family home. Penina is desperate to help, so when a secretly gay Orthodox Jew offers a payout in exchange for a fake marriage, it feels like kismet. Who needs true love anyway?

Enter Sam Kleinfeld. Rude, secular, undeniably sexy, and also…Penina’s new boss. The last thing he wants is a relationship, especially not with a beautiful, smart-mouthed employee. But soon an attraction builds that they both can’t ignore. Will Penina follow her heart and find true love, or will she stick to the traditions she knows best?]]> Heidi Shertok Shannon 0 to-read 3.63 2023
author: Heidi Shertok
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55987278 How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings... until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy...]]> 408 Stephanie Garber 1250268397 Shannon 0 dnf-0star
Guys I wanted to love this but I’m SOOOOOO BORED. I want to tear my eyeballs out and eat them. That would be more fun than this book. Nothing is happening and it feels so far in. I tried but this isn’t for me. ]]> 4.06 2021
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: dnf-0star
review:
DNF @ 32%.

Guys I wanted to love this but I’m SOOOOOO BORED. I want to tear my eyeballs out and eat them. That would be more fun than this book. Nothing is happening and it feels so far in. I tried but this isn’t for me.
]]> 214519246 272 Sherry Hughes Shannon 0 avoid 3.14
author: Sherry Hughes
name: Shannon
average rating: 3.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: avoid
review:
Why I’m avoiding: the nature of this book is often found in extreme horror (graphic SA against minors) but not even close to the same way this one has presented itself. Glorifying pedo’s�� no thanks. I’ll absolutely pass.
]]> 212808316 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 standalone YA novel 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.]]> 400 Allison Saft 1368098452 Shannon 0 my-physical-tbr 4.25 2025
author: Allison Saft
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: my-physical-tbr
review:

]]> 221105118 My plan when I win a date in Vegas with my brother’s hockey star best friend? Poker and go to sleep early. Instead, I wake up with a ring on my finger and the sexy athlete naked in my bed.

But Asher’s my best friend too so we’ll get this annulled and laugh about this secret for years to come.

Trouble is our wedding pics went viral overnight.

Now everyone thinks we’re a real couple. We race back home, where I’ve just landed the big art commission of my dreams and he’s launching a sports charity so we need to look like we meant to tie the knot.

Easy enough. We’ll claim we’ve been secretly in love, while staying in separate rooms for the rest of the hockey season.

The last thing either one of us wants is to ruin a decade-long friendship by falling into bed again.

But I experience a new side of my husband at home. He cooks for me, encourages me…and buys me so many toys.

And, it’s more fun to share your toys with a friend.

We’re just enjoying temporary marital benefits.

Except, the more times he calls me his wife, the more I start to wonder if Asher was ever pretending?

And if my heart is ready to take the biggest risk of all.]]> 558 Lauren Blakely 1964048311 Shannon 0 my-physical-tbr 4.32
author: Lauren Blakely
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: my-physical-tbr
review:

]]> 59081417 From New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff comes Empire of the Vampire , the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga.

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

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining

The Holy Grail.]]> 725 Jay Kristoff Shannon 0 my-physical-tbr /review/show...]]> 4.21 2021
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: my-physical-tbr
review:
I will never read this. Want to know why? To save me typing, check out this review: /review/show...
]]> 218674082 “Sarah Penner transported me to the sea-swept cliffs of Positano and introduced me to characters I’ll never forget. A magical read!��
��Emilia Hart,��New York Times��bestselling author of The Sirens

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

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

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

Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.
��]]> 336 Sarah Penner 0778308006 Shannon 0 to-read 4.23 2025
author: Sarah Penner
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
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date added: 2025/02/02
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]]> 214539406 Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, finds solace in only one thing: seeking vengeance for the death of her friends. The wars of the past may be over, but her thirst for revenge is far from quenched.

For years, she has been content with her poisons and potions for company, but when an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king of the midrealms, Wren’s time in the shadows comes to an end.

She’s offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor to find a cure to the dark magic threatening the kingdoms. To win her spot, she must conquer the Gauntlet, a grueling series of deadly trials that could cost her sanity, or her life.

More is at play than sabotage from fellow competitors. Magic wielders are being targeted and Wren becomes tangled in a dangerous web of deception and bloodshed that puts the entire realm at risk.

But the biggest threat of all might come from the man assigned to protect her—Torj Elderbrock, the silver-haired war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge.

Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.

Peace is fragile, trust is scarce and enemies lurk around every corner�� Will love heal all wounds—or will it be the most lethal poison of all?

Iron & Embers is the breathtaking first installment in the epic fantasy romance series, The Ashes of Thezmarr. With its lush world-building, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding action it’s perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, From Blood & Ash, and The Bridge Kingdom.]]> 586 Helen Scheuerer 1922903213 Shannon 0 my-physical-tbr 4.23 2025
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Shannon
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/02
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