Category: Reviews

Book Review: Luminous

Title: Luminous

Author: Mara Rutherford

Pub. Date: October 5, 2021

Pages: 384

Pub: Inkyard Press

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos–and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him. Continue reading “Book Review: Luminous” →

Book Review: Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2)

Title: Kingdom of the Cursed

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Pub. Date: October 5, 2021

Pages: 448

Pub: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: YA/NA Historical Fiction Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper Kerri Maniscalco comes the sizzling, sweepingly romantic sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked!

One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria…even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world…or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves… Continue reading “Book Review: Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2)” →

Book Review: The Maiden Ship (The Maiden Ship #1)

Title: The Maiden Ship

Author: Micheline Ryckman

Pub. Date: February 7, 2020

Pages: 364

Pub: Whimsical Publishing

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

Dain Alloway was only nine years old when he began a new life with his father, sailing aboard The Maiden. Eight years later, the aristocratic city-boy turned merchant-sailor feels like he lives with one foot on land, and one foot in the sea. Life floats smoothly by until the night he wakes to find a mysterious woman in his cabin.

The events that unfold after her appearance transform Dain’s world. Now, hunted by empty-faced demons, he finds himself thrown into a dangerous web of intrigue and magic. As the crisis grows, the young sailor discovers powerful gifts buried deep within, talents that might shift the tide of a centuries-old war. Whether or not he’s ready, Dain will have to risk it all for the salvation and freedom of those he loves. Continue reading “Book Review: The Maiden Ship (The Maiden Ship #1)” →

Book Review: Awakened

Title: Awakened

Author: Ciara Duggan

Pub. Date: September 7, 2021

Pages: 288

Pub: Parliament House

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

After losing her parents in an accident only she survived, Hannah is desperate for answers. Haunted by the events of that tragic night, she struggles to move on, yearning for some deeper truth about her loss.

But when it comes time to turn a new page and move cross country for college, she vows to leave the past behind. After all, Bellcliff University is a thousand miles away from the ghosts nipping at her heels.

Yet when Hannah accidentally awakens a handsome witch from a hidden cave near campus, she realizes he isn’t the only thing stirring out of slumber. Hannah has roused all magic…including the devil herself.

As if spells, curses, and college jitters weren’t enough, this witch claims to know Hannah from four centuries prior—and their connection is more than casual.

Thrust into a world of sorcery and monsters, Hannah must fight to keep the magic she’d unleashed from claiming a price far too steep for her to pay.  Continue reading “Book Review: Awakened” →

Book Review:  Like a Love Song

Title: Like a Love Song

Author: Gabriela Martins

Pub. Date: August 3, 2021

Pages: 304

Pub: Underlined/Delacorte

Genre: LGBT YA Contemporary Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

This debut paperback original romance follows a Latina teen pop star whose image takes a dive after a messy public breakup, until she’s set up with a swoon-worthy fake boyfriend.

Fake boyfriend. Real heartbreak?

Natalie is living her dream: topping the charts and setting records as a Brazilian pop star…until she’s dumped spectacularly on live television. Not only is it humiliating—it could end her career.

Her PR team’s desperate plan? A gorgeous yet oh-so-fake boyfriend. Nati reluctantly agrees, but William is not what she expected. She was hoping for a fierce bad boy—not a soft-hearted British indie film star. While she fights her way back to the top with a sweet and surprisingly swoon-worthy boy on her arm, she starts to fall for William—and realizes that maybe she’s the biggest fake of them all. Can she reclaim her voice and her heart? Continue reading “Book Review:  Like a Love Song” →

Book Review: Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1)

Title: Sanctum

Author: Hannah McBride

Pub. Date: July 24, 2021

Pages: 532

Pub: Not Listed

Genre: UpYA/NA Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads

A survivor on the run

Barely escaping with her life, Skye Markham and her mother flee their sadistic pack and seek sanctuary within Blackwater. Against all odds, Skye tries to create a new life for herself. A life she thought only existed in dreams is now within reach.

An alpha with a pack to protect

Remy Holt has spent years guarding his pack – his family – from threats as the next alpha in line. When the Blackwater pack decides to help the Markhams, Skye becomes one of his own … In more ways than one, if his wolf has anything to say about it.

A bond unlike any other

As Skye and Remy’s lives collide, the shifter world starts to implode. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are causing their sanctuary to crumble around them. Skye thought she was finally safe … but maybe there’s no such thing. Continue reading “Book Review: Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1)” →

Book Review: Ashes of Chaos (The Legacy of the Nine Realms #2)

Title: Ashes of Chaos

Author: Amelia Hutchins

Pub. Date: September 29, 2020

Pages: 496

Pub: Not Listed

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads

Creating a new House of Magic is hard work. Aria knew she had a tall task ahead of her, cleaning up the mess her family had made in the Nine Realms, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrors that awaited within the Nine Realms.

Dark magic has taken hold of the lands as Aria finds herself in the middle of an ongoing war while playing cat and mouse with Knox, who hunts her relentlessly. To make matters worse, Aria’s creature has grown impatient and is doing everything she can to get back to the monster within Knox, even knowing that Aria’s heart is on the line.

How far will Aria go to protect those she loves from Knox’s wrath? How long can she evade the man stalking her every waking hour as her body and mind fight against the growing need for him to claim her? Can she break the curse that has plagued the Hecate bloodline for over 500 years while protecting her heart?

Maybe the answers lie with the mysterious silver-haired men that have come to Aria’s aid, or perhaps they are just like everyone else wanting to kill or claim her, realizing she is the key to winning the war. Aria intends to bring the Nine Realms and the male stalking her to their knees in this fast-paced, action-packed, and sexy epic fantasy adventure. Continue reading “Book Review: Ashes of Chaos (The Legacy of the Nine Realms #2)” →

Book Review: The Splendor

Title: The Splendor

Author: Breeana Shields

Pub. Date: September 7, 2021

Pages: 330

Pub: Page Street Kids

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads

The Splendor isn’t just a glamorous hotel, it’s a magical experience that gives its guests the fantasy fulfillment of their dreams. But The Splendor didn’t make Juliette’s dreams come true. It ruined her life.

After a weeklong stay, Juliette’s sister, Clare, returns from the hotel changed. Her connection to Juliette―the special bond they once shared―has vanished. In a moment of hurt and frustration, Juliette steals their meager savings and visits The Splendor herself.

When she arrives, she’s taken in by the lush and sumptuous hotel. But as she delves more deeply into the mystery of the place, and how they make their illusions work, she grows more and more uneasy. The Splendor has a seedy underbelly, but every time she gets close to discovering something real, she seems to hit a wall.

Meanwhile, Juliette meets Henri, an illusionist who lives and works at the hotel. Henri’s job is to provide Juliette with the same Signature Experience he gives all the guests―one tailored fantasy that will make her stay unforgettable. As he gets to know her, he realizes that not only is he ill-equipped to make her dreams come true, he’s the cause of her heartache. Continue reading “Book Review: The Splendor” →

Book Review: Unleashing Fire (Fallen Legacies #3)

Title: Unleashing Fire

Author: Julie Hall

Pub. Date: July 22, 2021

Pages: 464

Pub: Not Listed

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

The Forsaken hunger for vengeance, leaving Steel and I with no choice but to follow Camiel to the only place strong enough to protect me — Eden, an ancient, hidden city darkened by my family’s secrets.

But Eden isn’t the safe haven I expected, and family runs deeper than blood.

As Thorne grows stronger by the day, his Fallen forces threaten to raze London — and then the world — to cinders. In order to stop him, the entire angelic community has to unite, but ancient feuds and millennia of prejudice put everything at risk.

My heart knows where I belong — fighting besides my loved ones — but I have a secret that could doom them all. There’s a dark power growing inside me, hellish and spiraling beyond my control.

The realms have merged. The darkness calls to me. And there’s only one thing standing in my way… Steel. Continue reading “Book Review: Unleashing Fire (Fallen Legacies #3)” →

Book Review: Lakesedge (World at the Lake’s Edge #1)

Title: Lakesedge

Author: Lyndall Clipstone

Pub. Date: September 28, 2021

Pages: 384

Pub: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Gothic Fantasy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Goodreads

A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

There are monsters in the world.

When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.

There are monsters in the woods.

As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…

There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.

Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under. Continue reading “Book Review: Lakesedge (World at the Lake’s Edge #1)” →