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Spoiler Free Review: Rose In Chains by Julie Soto

Title: Rose In Chains (The Evermore Trilogy #1)

Author: Julie Soto

Pub. Date: July 8th 2025

Genre: Romantasy

Format: eARC

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 464

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Rose In Chains introduces us to Rory and Briory Rosewood who are the royal son and daughter in the Eversun Kingdom as they are overtaken in war by the neighboring kingdom of Bomard and the dark forces they’ve teamed up with. It has long been prophesied that a Eversun heir would one day defeat such forces and restore peace by uniting both kingdoms, to many that heir is believed to be Rory Rosewood. That is until word gets back that Rory has been killed in the battlefield leaving Briony Rosewood as the sole Rosewood alive and as such her value has dangerously skyrocketed. Bomard is on the move rounding up survivors to auction off for sale and Briony is valued at the highest price. It is understood that the women who are sold are being sexually assaulted and raped while in captivity by Bomardian men while their Mind Magic is suppressed. Briony sees herself in the middle of an intense bidding war that results in her being sold to high ranking officer Toven Hearst. Long time academic rival and object of her infatuation Toven who has never given Rory anything but a hard time. It’s also worth noting his family lineage as he is a member of one of the notoriously ruthless Heart Magic wielding families in Bomard. Briony has already encountered degradation and assault while waiting to be sold when Toven wins his bid for her purchase, not sure if she’s leaving one bad situation to one that is much worse. Nevertheless she is determined to play the game in order to find answers and save her people.

Truth be told I DEVOURED This book in two sittings! there were so many elements I enjoyed here like the Mind vs. Heart magic, possible familiars, amplification of magic through bonding, school setting, and more that were introduced but not quite fully explored. The element of danger is ever present which honestly is the reason I stayed flipping pages, I feared for Briony in captivity up until the very end. She was the prize that all these powerful men from Bomard were looking to buy for their self gratification, they looked forward to humiliating and degrading the daughter of Eversun royalty. I was hoping to see some grit begin to form as a result of what she was enduring while also keeping in mind that Toven (her crush) buying her is supposed to be seen as the best option for her. Still, there are certain traits I look for in a female MC that Briony absolutely embodied (studious and strategic) but instead comes across as very subdued in this first book. We see this early on before she’s taken captive, Eversun only allows the male heir to inherit the throne which is very different than Bomard where females can inherit. From the very beginning we see Briony temper her Mind Magic while using it instead to help further along her brother’s academic journey, allowing him to be seen as the powerful and gifted one. He is after all believed to be the prophesied king. This plays a part in her connection with Toven who has long suspected she covers for Rory, his disapproval comes out instead as disdain for her. I kept waiting for a conversation to be had but that never happened so while their connection is angsty, it also could’ve gained more depth if they’d at least shared their perspectives. What I LOVED? the number of morally ambiguous side characters (mostly feminine) that added the intrigue and complexity I was hoping for. I have so many questions on Larissa Gaines’ story that I’m hoping we get more character exploration in the sequel. Our villain Veronika Mallow and her familiar are also a mystery that genuinely spiked my interest as well as Toven’s parents. All this to say that I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in hopes we get answers, expansion/exploration of Heart and Mind Magic, and more depth between Toven and Briony. I’d also love to see some sweet revenge doled out for the pain inflicted on the women being held/sold.

***Rose In Chains leans more towards dark Romantasy, please take care to look into content warnings as there are many heavy themes depicted (some insinuated & others are on the page)***

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Spoiler Free Review: The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #1) BY Brigitte Knightley

Title: The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #1)

Author: Brigitte Knightley

Pub. Date: July 8th 2025

Genre: Romantasy

Format: eARC

Publisher: Orbit Books

Pages: 416

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Aurienne Fairhrim is a scientist working under the Haelan Order of healers during a time where the children in the land are being afflicted by the Platt’s Pox outbreak; deadly and without a present cure. She has her plate quite full when Osric Mordaunt, a member of the Fyren Order of Assassins, seeks her out in a desperate plea for help. Osric has what is known as seith degeneration aka seith rot, when the magic running through your veins begins to die out. Seen as incurable and a death sentence for those who operate under the Fyren Order, Osric is desperate to try anything before his Order finds out his magic is dying out and kills him first. He has it on good word that Aurienne has researched seith rot but hasn’t made much progress on testing her theories out and he’s down to be her first subject in hopes something will fix him. What he wasn’t expecting was to see beyond the snark and disdain Aurienne has for him and find himself attracted to her. He’s not willing to take her adamant refusals to work on him. One generous donation made to the Haelan Order of Healers secures Aurienne’s help even though the LAST thing she’d ever do is help keep a Fyren living, breathing, and killing others. This slow-burn/hate-to-love/He falls first relationship will have you wondering how this could lead to a romance when all these characters represent, stands in their way.

*•.¸♡ 𝙰𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚛—𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜, 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗—𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝙵𝚢𝚛𝚎𝚗. ♡¸.•*

Full disclosure, I haven’t read any fan fiction so I have nothing to compare this to except for perhaps some similarities in character traits. Aurienne’s snark was top tier, her confidence in her specific skill set and intellect are unmatched except by maybe Hermione herself. I enjoyed my time reading her and Osric’s verbal sparrings even as he began to soften his blows a bit when he started catching feelings. Oftentimes smirking and shaking my head, these are some memorable characters. Hate-to-love may not be my favorite trope but I’m beginning to think it’s because mostly it’s pitched that way yet it lacks the hate aspects of that trope. Not here. Aurienne had me wondering until the very end if this was going to be a case of unrequited love and she was going to leave my boy Osiric pining after her. My only gripe with this first installment in the Dearly Beloathed duet is the magic system…I just wanted it to be ironed out a bit more, who doesn’t love animal familiars?!?! They too had their own personalities but I felt as if we didn’t get much time in the development of the magic system. While I appreciate the author’s show-don’t tell approach, I wanted to see more of that side of their world. They did go through the trouble of providing us with an index of the Orders (back of the book) in this world with details as to what they oversee, however we don’t see very much of those Orders. There is however a mystery unfolding as Aurienne’s order uncovers darker forces at play in the political sphere, I suspect we’ll see more of that in the next book as we get answers to those questions we’re left with by the end. Pick this one up if you love bad a** women in STEM with a penchant for snark, hate-to-love with an emphasis on the Loatttthhhhe (haha!), and animal familiars who match their counterparts. I’m definitely grabbing a copy of The Exquisite Torment Of Loving Your Enemy slated for a July 2026 release.

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Spoiler Free Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: The Bewitching

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pub. Date: July 15th 2025

Genre: Horror/Historical Fiction/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 357

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SMG delivers YET again with The Bewitching, a truly spooky/bone-chilling multigenerational horror set between 1900’s Mexico, and 1930’s/1990’s Massachusetts. We follow three women in their timelines as they find themselves in mysterious circumstances. Nana Alba in 1900’s Mexico is a young woman whose family has seen many a misfortune that leads her to believe they have been cursed by a witch. Nana Alba made sure to pass these stories down to her great-granddaughter Minerva who in turn, is now a graduate student focusing her research on horror literature and the life of Beatrice Tremblay. The author Tremblay wrote macabre tales and a novel titled “The Vanishing” that was inspired by a true story. Beatrice was attending the same university as Minerva in 1930’s Massachusetts when her roommate disappeared without a trace and under very mysterious circumstances. We see Minerva begin to find the thread that connects her to Nana Alba and Beatrice Tremblay. She begins to feel as if those same entities that Nana Alba spoke about and Beatrice based her novel on, may now be stalking her and they mean her harm.

What better way to start spooky season than with a brand new SMG?!?! This one matched the energy Mexican Gothic left me craving even with it admittedly being much slower paced. You just can’t rush masterful storytelling, the atmospheric writing was 10/10! Set in Massachusetts , this is NOT your average tale of Salem witches. Instead we get Witches and their origins in Mexico but bring it to Massachusetts, I’ll tell you one thing! These witches scared the hell outta me and made me keep the lights on as I read. Frankly I got anxiety anytime Minerva had to perform her campus duties of making sure all was good in the dorms at night carrying nothing but a flashlight and a clipboard SMH. The Bewitching is cinematic, haunting, atmospheric, eerie and at times gory. Each timeline has a healthy dose of mystery and paranormal encounters blending the folklore of Mexican witches with that of the New England witchcraft lore. The reason for this story unfolding at a much slower rate makes all the sense once you know why these women are being hunted by blood thirsty witches. Alba, Beatrice, and Minerva have some things in common that make them prime targets. Ranking The Bewitching as my #2 favorite of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and HIGHLY encouraging book lovers add this one to their September Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month TBR’s.

★彡 “𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙽𝚊𝚗𝚊 𝙰𝚕𝚋𝚊 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚊 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜; 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜.” 彡★

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Spoiler Free Review: Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Title: Fan Service

Author: Rosie Danan

Pub. Date: March 11th 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 415

Devin Ashwood was once the star of the beloved show The Arcane Files (It’s giving CW shows IYKYK) where he played a werewolf detective. Since it’s been off-air, his career has taken a downward spiral and he’s hell bent on trying to get the showrunners to revive the show. Devin is convinced that the show has a strong enough fandom to successfully return but when he doesn’t have much luck convincing the producers to give it another go, it throws him in a funk. When he wakes up naked in the woods outside of his L.A. home with no memory of the night’s events followed by video/photos of him going viral, Devin seeks answers. Was it a coincidence that the once-in-a-century fictional Wolf Blood Moon took place that night? He can’t make any sense of the claws and fangs but all paths lead him to ALex Lawson who has archived fanfiction and lore based off of The Arcane Files. It wouldn’t be the first time their paths crossed and Alex is not thrilled to see Devin again after a hurtful encounter when she was a young adult. Never meet your heroes…

The Teen Wolf fan that I am was absolutely ready to jump the minute Rosie Danan released the cover art for Fan Service! I had a feeling I would enjoy this one more than Danan’s previous release Do Your Worst and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be the case. This was funny, spicy, and as some have stated in their reviews “a true love letter to fanfic readers and writers” Devin’s thoughts provide a dose of comedic relief as he navigates the changes to his body and also made their banter enjoyable. Admittedly, I didn’t immediately feel the chemistry between these two but by the end I was rooting for them. Even if I felt Devin absolutely owed Alex a sincere apology for what he said at the convention she attended in her youth, whether he knew she was listening or not. Alex definitely had more time accrued pining after Devin lol, and that’s ok! Once the wolf in him caught her scent, it was obsession from that point on! This was fun, I’m hoping we get more paranormal from Rosie Danan.

*•.¸♡ 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙, 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎. 𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘. ♡¸.•*

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Spoiler Free Review: Not Safe For Work by Nisha J. Tuli

Title: Not Safe For Work

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Pub. Date: May 20th 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Audiobook (ALC) 10hrs/44 minutes

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Pages: 352

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A STEM Contemporary Romance with a woman of color as the lead? Yes please. Tris is an Engineer who has been working at WMC Purcell for years without career growth or much acknowledgment. That changes when she gets invited to a work retreat in Hawaii where she will have the opportunity to compete for a highly coveted spot in an executive training program. This comes as a surprise, Tris knows the company she works for is saturated with white male privilege and nepotism. The invitation is suspicious but who would turn down 3 weeks in Hawaii and the possibility of winning this competition? Our girl was OUT on the first plane to the island but first, she made sure to negotiate the terms and conditions.

Rafe is the boss’s son and Tris’s biggest work rival, he also was given the other spot in WMC Purcell’s competition in Hawaii. Their first big test is when they’re met with a hotel mix-up that introduces the one bed trope. A true gentleman, Rafe leaves all the heat for the team building exercises where things do get heated between the two. We definitely get more of Rafe’s backstory and family life than we do with Tris. He may be a nepo baby orrrrr he might actually have some depth to him. Keeping it spoiler free but I LOVED Rafe and just how into Tris he is while still maintaining a competitive energy!

Audiobook narrator Soneela Nankani brought the fun, competitive energy, and banter you’d want in an enemies to lovers rom-com. Fast paced and atmospheric with island vibes to set the mood, this was an easy read. Our female MC loves the skin she’s in and I just loved seeing her get excited over the outfits she was packing. Tris is a force and Rafe, well he is the King to her Queen! We saw some chronic pain representation (mild but still on the page) and the ugly side to working in a mostly white male led field. While misogyny did rear its ugly head a few times, our girl Tris wasn’t having it! This journey was about self-worth and knowing when you’re blocking your own blessings. I think we can all relate to this, it was cool seeing Tris come into this realization while as a bonus also having the support of our male MC. The only thing I was missing from this story was a little backstory on her family life, we get mentions but it’s not as deep as it gets with Rafe’s story. It didn’t take away from the story’s enjoyment, if Island getaways + bad a** female MC’s breaking past glass ceilings checks off your boxes then this one won’t disappoint!

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Spoiler Free Review: A Drop Of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: A Drop Of Corruption (Shadow Of The Leviathan #2)

Author: Robert Bennett Jackson

Original Pub. Date: April 1st 2025

Genre: Sci-Fantasy/Mystery

Format: eARC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 465

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The Highly anticipated sequel to The Tainted Cup (spoiler free review) is finally here! This is one I was counting down the days for release and after devouring it in two sittings I can say it was worth the wait! Our favorite foul mouthed genius Detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are back in full investigative mode as they travel beyond the Empire’s reach to Yarrowdale. This time an officer of the treasury has been murdered in the most unusual way, an abduction from his quarters while the doors and windows were locked. Every exit fully guarded and every departure/arrival is noted. He however has simply vanished leaving behind a bloody room with very little clues to what may have transpired. Strange cases call for the eccentric Ana and her partner Din but this case is different in ways that leave even Ana worried. Their killer seems to think like Ana and predicts her every move. A lot is at stake in this game of cat and mouse when they realize “The Shroud” is the target. Vastly protected and operated from within by augmented officers of the Empire, The Shroud is a mass that allows the Empire to study and dissect fallen Leviathans in order to harness their magical liabilities. Those that work within the Shroud have basically sacrificed their lives with no guarantee that they’ll be able to walk away. The Shroud is taxing on their minds and bodies, some have come to think that it would be best if it didn’t exist.

This one is going to be for the readers who enjoy a slowly unraveled mystery, it packs a ton of plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing at whether Ana could even solve this case. This time the killer is just as genius and presents her with a real challenge while also making it difficult to keep certain aspects of her identity and augmentations a secret any longer from her assistant Din. We see her physically ill while also insatiably hungry for the strangest foods that would poison the common man. We get some answers to the mystery that is Ana while also still seeing her serve raw and unfiltered commentary at the expense of Din and those he chooses to bed. They are the true definition of an odd pairing and it makes for such a good time! As always the sci-fi elements are in the background mostly seen in the setting of the story. At it’s core this is mostly a mystery with scifi/fantasy elements, the trifecta is easily one I can get wrapped up in and will definitely be revisiting when book 3 in Shadow Of The Leviathan series is released.

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Spoiler Free Review: Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez

Title: Kiss Me, Maybe

Author: Gabriella Gamez

Original Pub. Date: May 6th 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Latinx/Queer

Format: eARC

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 384

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Kiss Me, Maybe is the second installment in the Librarians In Love series by Gabriella Gamez where we follow Angela Gutierrez as one of her TikTok videos goes viral for reasons she could’ve never anticipated. In what most would consider modest pajamas, Angela speaks on her Ace identity and the fact that she’s a late bloomer who’s never been kissed. Influencer status UNLOCKED. Viewers want to follow Angela’s journey to getting that first kiss and so she feels inspired to turn this into a scavenger hunt with the prize being her first kiss. Women start flocking to the comments and asking for the application to participate and before she knows it, the city is tuned into her journey. Including one hot bartender Krystal Ramirez who Angela has had a five year crush on and thinks it to be a case of unrequited love. Krystal seems eager to help Angela find her first kiss and doesn’t deny her attraction to her but she’s also upfront with where she stands on love. It’s simply not for her and she doesn’t wish to get attached.

This one is sitting at 3.5 stars with me which is a smidge lower than the first book in the Librarians in Love series but still enjoyable. I did wish that like its predecessor, we had seen Angela in a library setting but instead we spend more time at the bar where Krystal works. The only time work is brought up is when Angela’s higher ups frown upon her TikTok getting so much traction for her choice of sleepwear which showed not a lick of skin to begin with. That being said, the bar was lively and had all the vibes you’d want to see when drinks are being served. What I loved? The discussion on the highs and lows of having an online presence as Angela experiences online love/support turn to attacks on her personal life. The very real possibility that your offline career could be watching and have some sort of say in the content you post. I loved seeing how respectful and supportive Krystal is of Angela as she’s figuring out where she stands with her Ace identity. The questions she wants to answer for herself as someone who’s never experienced a kiss or anything sexual with anyone else, Angela is tired of not knowing. There’s a ton of exploration between the two with open-door play that is definitely a step up in the spice meter than The Next Best Fling. What I appreciated? Krystal’s reason for staving off love actually being well within reason and not something that is contrived to keep her away from our MC. Lastly, it wouldn’t be a Latinx romance without the presence of a large family that perhaps meddles a bit too much haha! Angela has these cousins who she always has felt the need to lie to in order to keep them out of her personal life, if this means making up a boyfriend or kiss then so be it. I’ve seen this happen way too many times and have also experienced the inquisition from my own Latinx familia so on that note, same girl! same! I do we hope we get another installment in this series and soon ❤

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Review: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Title: The Road Of Bones

Author: Demi Winters

Original Pub. Date: June 27th 2023

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 500

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Lucie Stone is a single mom with a bright and slightly mischievous young daughter who doesn’t want to see her mom sitting on the couch in sweats every night/weekend with Netflix and wine. She decides to call into Baltimore’s late night radio station Heartstrings and chats it up with the host Aiden Valentine in hopes of getting some advice to help her mom. Aiden Valentine has a problem, he’s fallen out of love with all things love while working as a host for the segment Heartstrings on a Baltimore radio station. His interest is piqued when a child calls in talking about her mom who has a pretty dull social life and could use some advice. The segment has been struggling bringing in listeners in part because of how off Aiden has been lately, a bit jaded and burnt out from listening to spouses calling in at the end of the road with their marriages. Things take a turn when Lucie Stone walks in on her daughter on the phone (it is late night) and accuses Aiden of being weird for talking to a minor. He helpfully informs Lucie that they’re on the air and manages to get her to talk to him. One call becomes two and pretty soon all of Baltimore is HOOKED on these late night calls between Lucie and Aiden. So much so that the station head wants to start a new segment focused on Lucy’s dating life while on her journey to finding love.

There aren’t very many pitch lines I’ve acted quick upon hearing but I’ve been waiting years for a Sleepless in Seattle inspired book to be written and dare I say, this one DELIVERED! I had butterflies in my stomach at every interaction between Aiden and Lucie which really only happens when I genuinely love both the main character and their love interest. Lucie is a single mom to a daughter with a ton of personality and free spirit, mechanic, and in a healthy co-parenting relationship with her ex who happens to live next door with his husband. This was fun even when it wasn’t because we see Lucie try to go back out into the dating scene and kiss some frogs all the while slowly falling for Mr. Right. Aiden is kind, attentive, supportive even when it goes against his own self interest and protective in the best of ways. He’s also a great son who has a bit of PTSD from his mother’s battle with cancer. Though she is healthy and living life with Aiden’s dad, that experience plays a huge role in his current approach to love and relationships. Lucie entering Aiden’s life at a time where he is vocal about his wishes to not be in a committed relationship make for an interesting dynamic between the two. Throw in the SUPER invested late night radio station callers and you have an engaging read reminiscent of the classic love story that would make Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan proud 😉

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Review: The Road Of Bones by Demi Winters

Title: The Road Of Bones

Author: Demi Winters

Original Pub. Date: June 27th 2023

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 500

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Silla Nordvig has only known what life on the run is like, she and her father travel from place to place picking up random jobs in the towns they pass through. They never stay long and although all of the reasons for their instability aren’t clear to Silla, she loves her father and will follow him wherever he goes. When Silla’s father is killed on the road, his last dying words urge Silla to seek out a shield-house in Kopa. This would require Silla to travel through the thousand mile stretch known as the Road Of Bones where if the war bands don’t kill her, the dark creatures in the woods will. Scared and out of options, Silla spots a supply wagon stationed in town and decides to hitch a ride unbeknownst to its owner. She just so happens to have chosen the wagon that belongs to the fearsome mercenaries known as the Bloodaxe Crew. It doesn’t take long for her to be discovered by their leader Rey aka Axe Eyes and his most trusted right hand man Jonas aka the Wolf. She asks Rey if the crew would allow her to tag along for a ride to Kopa and in exchange she will cook all of their meals. Rey agrees after much convincing on the one condition that she never lie to him, it is the one thing he deems unforgivable. Silla does not disclose that she is being hunted down by Queen Signe of Íseldure or that the reason is her magic. Silla is considered Galdra and in this world, the King rounds up and kills Galdra. His wife the Queen on the other hand has a hidden operation where she collects the most rare of the Galdra as part of her personal assassins. The Road Of Bones is a 500 page character driven journey + Viking romance that primarily focuses on the camaraderie between the members of the Bloodaxe Crew.

If you enjoy slow burn character driven stories set on a journey to a final destination, The Road Of Bones is one not to miss. The pay off is absolutely worth it and the time taken to weave this story makes all the sense by the end. The world building is excellent and while the magic system admittedly could’ve used a bit more defining, it does seem promising we will get that in the second installment of this duology. Our main character Silla is presented as being mostly green in experience with just about everything. She spends most of her time apologizing for her inexperience but the women (true stars) of the Bloodaxe Crew take her under their wing and begin training her on self defense. We see drug addiction depicted by way of leaves Silla ingests in order to feel well and prevent migraines. There is a deeper exploration of the dependency on these leaves between Silla and Rey who had a brother addicted to them as well. The crew members are three dimensional and have turned their misfortunes into strengths, down to their broody and mysterious leader Rey. It all makes for an odd pairing between Silla and the crew but nonetheless they take a liking to her and feel the need to protect her. Making things a bit more interesting are Silla’s romantic feelings and trysts with one of the crew members. This was the first time I didn’t agree with a shipped romance and walked away feeling pretty good about my intuition. The last 100 pages unraveled some eye opening revelations that had me grasping for Kingdom Of Claw which mercifully is now out in the wild! Not sure how I’m going to fill the void these characters are sure to leave me with but I highly recommend if you enjoy getting emotionally invested in fictional characters.

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SPOILER FREE REVIEW: PHANTASMA BY KAYLIE SMITH

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Pub. Date: September 3rd 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 497

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╰☆☆ “𝙸𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍’𝚟𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝” ☆☆╮

The opening scene in Phantasma introduces us to Necromancer Ophelia Grimm and her sister as they’ve just discovered the body of their deceased mother. Ophelia realizes this now makes her the head of their manor and their home run family business with all things related to the dead. She’s been trained and prepared for this role by her mother since she was a very little girl and now the day has come where she must take over. Before she can get any of their matters in order however, her sister disappears without a word of her whereabouts. Ophelia searches for answers and while doing so discovers the debt the manor has incurred and that they may be losing the manor very soon. She has now inherited her family’s death magic as well as the financial burden of the manor that has been left behind. Her sister Genevieve Grimm has left the manor it seems to enter a competition that may give them the opportunity to win the cash needed to save their manor. Phantasma is a competition set inside a Gothic haunted manor made up of nine floors each with a challenge designed to fatally take out those who sign up. Only one will make it out alive and to that person, a wish will be granted. Demons, Ghouls, Poltergeists, and Phantoms are only some of the entities the contestants will come across as they race to beat each other to the prize. These challenges are NOT for the feint of heart, they tap into your deepest darkest fears and then use them against you. Ophelia’s entrance into Phantasma doesn’t go unnoticed by the ghosts of the manor, she is an enigma they will go after if only to see what makes her different.

The TiK Tok Girlies got this one right Book Lovers! OBSESSED is putting it lightly, I am sitting here counting down the days until April 8th for the release of ENCHANTRA! all other books will be paused while I dive back into the world of all things the Grimm sisters. If you’re looking for a read that will suck you right in and make you a front row spectator to a high stakes adrenaline inducing competition, then treat yourself to the experience that is this book! Hella descriptive, I found myself squirming at some of the deaths and yet still anticipating the next challenge…not sure what that says about me. Atmosphere is a 10/10, characters 10/10, plot and intrigue also are a 10/10. What I wasn’t expecting? the OCD representation to also be 10/10, as a person with OCD I have never read any character experience thoughts/compulsions I’ve also had. I had one of those moments while reading where I just nodded and smiled at feeling seen. Anyways, if you’re here to find out about the romance and spice levels fret not! Ophelia and Blackwell will have you asking yourself if a paranormal tryst is what’s missing in your life. The spice is a 10/10 between these two who found a minute between challenges and in spare rooms to get it on. Phantasma was a 5 star read for me and I just can’t wait to get my hands on Enchantra to see what Genevieve gets up to in her story arc.

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