Megan's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 26 Apr 2025 21:41:31 -0700 60 Megan's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms, #1)]]> 216017500 In a world invaded by 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 Ă€n’yÄ«ng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now theĚýmortal realmĚýis falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Ă€n’yÄ«ng is no longer aĚýhelplessĚýchild, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter theĚýImmortalityĚýTrials,Ěýwhich are open to any mortal who canĚýsurvive the journeyĚýto the immortal realm. Those who complete theĚýTrials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Ă€n’yÄ«ng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in theĚýTrials.ĚýYet oddly, Ă€n’yÄ«ng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chĂ©n is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Ă€n’yÄ«ng.

The longer she survives theĚýTrials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Ă€n’yÄ«ng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the strangerĚýshe’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.]]> 400 AmĂ©lie Wen Zhao 0593813863 Megan 0 currently-reading 4.19 2025 The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms, #1)
author: Amélie Wen Zhao
name: Megan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Priestess 204988997
Content Warnings
Religious trauma. Infertility. Sexual assault. Homophobia. Self harm. Violence. Suicidal ideation. Two mentions of death in childbirth.]]> 589 Kara Voorhees Reynolds Megan 5 "Your dress only reaches your ankles," she whispered. "I have always been a scandalous woman," I whispered back.

Edie Finch was living a content life working in the city-state of Eccleston, ten winters estranged from her husband. When the savage land of Tintar invades, she and other women, taking refuge in a chapel, pretend to be sacred priestesses to avoid their certain deaths, fooling an elite group of Tintarian warriors into taking them captive.

"You are allowed your hurt. And anguish and joy can be in the same house without crowding each other."


4.5 stars bumped to 5. I absolutely need more fantasies with 30+ heroines. How is this not more of a thing? This was about the same level as Warprize and Touch of Power and I am so happy I get to add another to the pile.

You are worse for your wear and better for your bravery. Age looks good on you, girl. You wear it well.


There is a lot to love about this one...one of which is the absolutely found family vibes of the captured women. Aside from two of them, the rest of the women really bond over their shared circumstances. Later, it is not unusual to see them pooling their wages for gifts to share amongst themselves. Their hardship really makes them appreciate the smaller things and together they have the best community.

I also really enjoyed how they supported each other through past traumas, especially in terms of religious happenings. While obviously not on the same level, I identify with how harmful it can be to those that never "fit the mold" especially in terms of the weaponization of begetting children. I was extremely proud of the women for learning to enjoy life despite it.

While romance is not a huge thing for the first half of the book, I did like how each of the relationships came about later on. While it feels slightly too neat, it didn't actually bother me and I love love loved the differences in their relationships (including Mischa's which some might not understand).

My only real bitches are that I wished Thrush would have stayed a thing of the past (not part of the present) and that I disliked the inclusion of the last chapter which serves as an epilogue. It felt out of place and honestly unnecessary for both of them.

My mother says all women are mothers in different ways, that we all give birth, just not all to children. She says some women give birth to revolutions, to movements, to sanctuary, to art, to brilliance.


Recommended for the fantasy lovers who want a more mature heroine.]]> 4.50 2024 Priestess
author: Kara Voorhees Reynolds
name: Megan
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: five-star, personal-recos, adult, fantasy
review:
"Your dress only reaches your ankles," she whispered. "I have always been a scandalous woman," I whispered back.


Edie Finch was living a content life working in the city-state of Eccleston, ten winters estranged from her husband. When the savage land of Tintar invades, she and other women, taking refuge in a chapel, pretend to be sacred priestesses to avoid their certain deaths, fooling an elite group of Tintarian warriors into taking them captive.

"You are allowed your hurt. And anguish and joy can be in the same house without crowding each other."


4.5 stars bumped to 5. I absolutely need more fantasies with 30+ heroines. How is this not more of a thing? This was about the same level as Warprize and Touch of Power and I am so happy I get to add another to the pile.

You are worse for your wear and better for your bravery. Age looks good on you, girl. You wear it well.


There is a lot to love about this one...one of which is the absolutely found family vibes of the captured women. Aside from two of them, the rest of the women really bond over their shared circumstances. Later, it is not unusual to see them pooling their wages for gifts to share amongst themselves. Their hardship really makes them appreciate the smaller things and together they have the best community.

I also really enjoyed how they supported each other through past traumas, especially in terms of religious happenings. While obviously not on the same level, I identify with how harmful it can be to those that never "fit the mold" especially in terms of the weaponization of begetting children. I was extremely proud of the women for learning to enjoy life despite it.

While romance is not a huge thing for the first half of the book, I did like how each of the relationships came about later on. While it feels slightly too neat, it didn't actually bother me and I love love loved the differences in their relationships (including Mischa's which some might not understand).

My only real bitches are that I wished Thrush would have stayed a thing of the past (not part of the present) and that I disliked the inclusion of the last chapter which serves as an epilogue. It felt out of place and honestly unnecessary for both of them.

My mother says all women are mothers in different ways, that we all give birth, just not all to children. She says some women give birth to revolutions, to movements, to sanctuary, to art, to brilliance.


Recommended for the fantasy lovers who want a more mature heroine.
]]> <![CDATA[First Contact (Eclipsed Evolution, #1)]]> 203085891 In the wake of the solar eclipse, a portal between our world and a paranormal realm opens—and a scientist’s life will never be the same, in this thrilling serialized adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hollows.

Dr. Renee Caisson knows there are worse things than an attractive man in uniform drafting her into a secret government project—especially when Major Jackson makes it clear that he isn’t bothered by her questionable past. But when her labs come back with decidedly odd results, the Major is forced to come clean over who the government is actually studying. Renee is shocked to learn her subjects are demonic-looking beings who call themselves “Neighbors”—refugees from a dying world, who arrived during the nation-wide solar eclipse.

The Neighbors� technology is unlike anything Renee’s ever encountered. At first, she dismisses an injury that inexplicably heals as “just one of those things�. And surely August, the most gregarious Neighbor, begins to speak English overnight because of the team linguist’s skills?

Not until August begins evolving in real time to withstand Earth’s brighter, dryer atmosphere does she admit that the Neighbors� “tech� feels less like science and more like magic—the same magic that brought them here in the first place, and the same they’re trying to rekindle with a mysterious labyrinth in order to return home and save their world.

At least, that’s what August claims they came for…]]> 168 Kim Harrison 0593816234 Megan 0 to-read 4.18 2024 First Contact (Eclipsed Evolution, #1)
author: Kim Harrison
name: Megan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gentlemen Prefer Succubi (Succubus Diaries, #1)]]> 6453307 Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?

Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever... with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes... and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle; until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot right-hand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?

]]> 329 Jill Myles 1416572821 Megan 0 to-read 3.77 2009 Gentlemen Prefer Succubi (Succubus Diaries, #1)
author: Jill Myles
name: Megan
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How To Tame A Trickster Fae (Wild Oak Woods #1)]]> 216214320 He’s a gorgeous trickster Fae, and he holds the key to the only thing I’ve ever wanted� what could go wrong?

Joining the elite jewelry enchanter’s guild is all I've ever wanted... but nothing I create sparkles enough for them. After my latest rejection, I’m starting to think I’ll never be good enough, no matter how perfectly I enchant an emerald. Without their approval or a coven, though, my business is sure to go under, and all my dreams with it.

Then Caelan, a handsome Unseelie fae of the worst sort, shows up in my cozy small town, full of more charm than anyone I've ever met. When a group of dwarves start telling tale of rare gems in a nearby cave, though, I know exactly what I have to convince Caelan to use his Unseelie magic to lead me to the sapphires before the dwarves can get them. Enchanting a dragon sapphire is guaranteed to prove I'm good enough for the guild.

Driven by fear of failure, I bind Caelan to me with a complicated spell. Sure, it's a bit unorthodox, and maybe slightly unethical� but it's not supposed to make me fall for him.

The spell is definitely not supposed to make him fall in love with me... or call me his mate. But how can I tell where the spell ends and we begin?

How To Tame A Trickster Fae is a cozy, low-stakes, spicy monster fantasy romance, all set in the picturesque small town of the Wild Oak Woods.]]> 247 January Bell Megan 0 to-read 3.85 2024 How To Tame A Trickster Fae (Wild Oak Woods #1)
author: January Bell
name: Megan
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Built by Magic (Falling for Fables, #4)]]> 227517066
But when she finds Rune, there’s no dragon. Only a grumpy orc, hidden in the forest and building homes for the folk of the nearby villages. Frida realizes he must be hiding the dragon somewhere else.

She conjures up a plan. She’ll worm her way into his life, pretend to be a friendly new arrival to his island, and get him to trust her enough to spill his secrets. Within a few weeks, she’ll have that dragon.

But as she and Rune grow closer, unexpected desires storm between them. Frida starts to question her future—and her past. And as the days turn to weeks, she must decide if she can complete her quest and fully give her heart to the guild.

Because it might just belong to someone else.

Built by Magic is a stand-alone cozy romantasy set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.]]> 229 Jenna Wolfhart Megan 2 dnf Forged by Magic but the problem I had in that one is 10 times worse in this one. This author definitely sells light fantasy but really needs to work on helping her characters and circumstances sound less scripted and more natural.

Please, Jenna. I want to love these. I want to add these to my cozy fantasy re-reads. PLEASE. (Definitely give your cover artist a raise, though. They doing BALLER for all these so far!)]]> 4.18 2025 Built by Magic (Falling for Fables, #4)
author: Jenna Wolfhart
name: Megan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: dnf
review:
Okay, I liked Forged by Magic but the problem I had in that one is 10 times worse in this one. This author definitely sells light fantasy but really needs to work on helping her characters and circumstances sound less scripted and more natural.

Please, Jenna. I want to love these. I want to add these to my cozy fantasy re-reads. PLEASE. (Definitely give your cover artist a raise, though. They doing BALLER for all these so far!)
]]> Vampire Charming 202030632 374 Cassandra Gannon Megan 1 dnf
Kudos to the cover, though. Definitely caught my eye and was the entire reason I checked it out aside from a hint of vampire retelling of Cinderella.]]> 3.96 2014 Vampire Charming
author: Cassandra Gannon
name: Megan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2014
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: dnf
review:
Whew this writing. Noooooooot for me. Encourage everyone to get a SAMPLE before buying to ensure you'll like it.

Kudos to the cover, though. Definitely caught my eye and was the entire reason I checked it out aside from a hint of vampire retelling of Cinderella.
]]> <![CDATA[Worth Fighting For (Meant to Be, #5)]]> 217064246
Mulan is reimagined as a contemporary romance about family expectations, mistaken identity, and high stakes mergers—of both business and the heart.

As the right hand of her father’s hedge fund company, Fa Mulan knows what it takes to succeed as a woman in a man’s work twice as hard, be twice as smart, and burp twice as loud as any of the other finance bros she works with. So when her father unexpectedly falls ill in the middle of a critical acquisition, she is determined to see it through. There’s just one the family company in question is known for its ultra masculine whiskey brand, and the brood of old-fashioned aunts, uncles, and cousins who run it—lead by the dedicated but overworked Shang—will only trust Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, with the future of their business.

Rather than fail the deal and her father, Mulan pretends she’s Fa Zhou. Since they’ve only corresponded over email, how hard could it be to keep things moving in his absence?

But the email leads to a face-to-face meeting, which leads to an invitation to a week long retreat at Shang’s family ranch. One meeting she can handle, but a whole week of cattle wrangling, axe-throwing, and learning proper butchering techniques, all while trying to convince Shang’s dubious family that this young woman is the powerful hedge fund CEO they’ve been negotiating with? Not so much—especially as she finds it harder and harder to ignore the undeniable spark between her and Shang.

Can she keep her head in the game and make her father proud, all while trying not to fall into a trough, or in love with Shang?]]> 320 Jesse Q. Sutanto 1368112811 Megan 0 to-read 3.84 2025 Worth Fighting For (Meant to Be, #5)
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: Megan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lies of Vampires and Slayers (Magic on Main Street, #1)]]> 202901080
I’ve spent my life training in the family business of slaying vampires, but I’m tired of all the death. I want to prove we slayers can help society, not just break it.

I start my new life by joining the Magiford supernatural task force, which exists to protect humans and supernaturals from harmful magic.

There’s just one problem.

All of my teammates who work the night shift with me are scared of me since slayers are the assassins of the supernatural world. Worse yet, even though I’m doing my best at pretending to be a human during the day—a necessity as a lone slayer can quickly become a dead slayer—I’ve utterly failed to win over any of the humans in my apartment complex since I have the charisma of an overdue investigation report.

That changes when a handsome vampire moves in next door. Connor may not be willing to try any of my failed attempts at baking, but he’s charming and not afraid of me. Plus, he’s the first friend I’ve made who has the time to hang out with me after work.

Things are looking up, or they would be, except a mysterious and extremely powerful vampire has declared downtown his nightly hunting ground. I’m the only one on my team who can match him in a fight, something he finds endlessly entertaining. That isn’t a good sign for my general life expectancy.

My greatest goal might be to win over my squad, but if this vampire doesn’t back off I might not live long enough to achieve it.]]> 326 K.M. Shea Megan 0 to-read 4.37 2023 The Lies of Vampires and Slayers (Magic on Main Street, #1)
author: K.M. Shea
name: Megan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (The Guild Codex: Warped, #2)]]> 54847194 Agent Kit Morris. Has a nice ring, doesn't it?

It's a big step up from "wanted criminal" or "that weird con-artist guy with weirder psychic powers"—both of which recently applied to me. But my promotion to MagiPol agent comes with a few drawbacks.

First, supremely talented and effortlessly gorgeous Agent Lienna Shen won't agree to a dinner date with me. Second, my new assignment has pitted me against a guild with very bad taste in pets. Third, those pets are demons, and those demons want to kill me.

My psychic magic is great for conning people. It doesn't do jack shit against hellish orcs. If I screw this up, my dinner date will be with a demon—and I'll be the dinner. Even better, I kind of suspect this supposedly straightforward assignment is actually the tip of an unholy iceberg of power-hungry malefactors bent on destroying all law and order in the city.

I should probably mention that last part to my boss.

--
THE GUILD CODEX: WARPED
Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (#1)
Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (#2)

More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Unveiled]]> 346 Annette Marie Megan 0 currently-reading 4.46 2021 Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (The Guild Codex: Warped, #2)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Life Derailed 218229171 A visionary AI program upends a woman’s love life and career in a moving, funny, and thought-provoking novel about connection, friendship and family, and the resilience of the human heart.

Remi Russell knows this playbook all too well. She’s seen it unfold five times over her six years at The Sophisticate, a once prominent but now struggling women’s magazine. So when the publication needs rescuing yet again, an intriguing new chief digital officer, Jason Ashbloome, arrives with a revolutionary plan beyond the usual workforce cuts. He proposes integrating MAUDE, an innovative AI software, to make the magazine more efficient. Remi fears she could lose her job to a machine, and worse, the magazine she loves might lose its humanity altogether.

As a recent widow whose heart has been as empty as her dating-app inbox, Remi takes MAUDE for a test drive and asks it to revamp her profile in the hopes of healing from the loss of her college sweetheart, who died three years earlier. Fueled by wine and bittersweet memories, she makes a plea to MAUDE (and the universe!) to help her find someone just like him. The AI-assisted update pays off big-time when she receives a message from Noah the next day. He embodies everything she’s been seeking—intelligence, humor, adventure, and altruism—and he’s ruggedly handsome to boot.

While her connection with Noah deepens, tensions at work escalate to a boiling point. Jason is determined to prove that AI can be as genuine as real people, while Remi strives to protect the very soul of The Sophisticate. But when a discovery about Noah’s true identity forces her to question everything she once believed, she must finally confront her own grief, embrace the unexpected bond she’s forming with the last person she ever expected, and find the courage to set a life derailed back on course.]]> 296 Beth Merlin 1662529120 Megan 2
While the premise is interesting, the execution falls a little flat. She's on a dating app...but they communicate through email? Her mom is supposed to be a comedic element but the gross negligence of personal boundaries just makes me cringe. Jason, who is portrayed as someone super uptight, was a super insulting choice because he's clearly neurodivergent and not a priss. The romance was...flat. The declaration even more so.]]> 3.98 2025 Life Derailed
author: Beth Merlin
name: Megan
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves:
review:
Amazon first read fail. I'm surprised that I was so disappointed with this when everyone else is rating it so highly.

While the premise is interesting, the execution falls a little flat. She's on a dating app...but they communicate through email? Her mom is supposed to be a comedic element but the gross negligence of personal boundaries just makes me cringe. Jason, who is portrayed as someone super uptight, was a super insulting choice because he's clearly neurodivergent and not a priss. The romance was...flat. The declaration even more so.
]]> Quicksilver (Crossbreed, #11) 60667840 Keystone goes to battle with their most fearsome foe yet in this USA Today Bestselling series by Dannika Dark.

In the world of crime fighting, Raven has learned that formal affairs are a necessary evil. So when Keystone receives an invitation to a winter ball, she tries to make the best of it. The most powerful elites in Cognito are attending—a perfect opportunity to network and have a few drinks. But when a guest hijacks the party in a violent display of dark power, chaos ensues.

It’s a race against time as Raven searches for a way to thwart his diabolical plan. Will Keystone find the fortitude to prevent the downfall of civilization? Or will they bow to a new king to save their souls?

“And a terrible curse befell the winter ball.�]]> 436 Dannika Dark Megan 3 fantasy, adult 4.55 2022 Quicksilver (Crossbreed, #11)
author: Dannika Dark
name: Megan
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Witchwood Knot (Victorian Faerie Tales, #1)]]> 199271100 Olivia Atwater returns to the world of Half a Soul. Dive into The Witchwood Knot, and enjoy a dark faerie tale set in a magical version of Victorian England.

The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness� but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?]]> 330 Olivia Atwater 1778271391 Megan 2 dnf
I loved the darker vibes in this novel but I think I'm just not into this author's works. I rated Half a Soul similarly and it's because they're enjoyable but not memorable. And in this case...it's just taking way too long to get to the plot. As in, the first part of the synopsis of this novel hasn't even happened yet.

Loved the atmosphere but there is only so much setup I want before I want things to get going.]]> 4.13 2023 The Witchwood Knot (Victorian Faerie Tales, #1)
author: Olivia Atwater
name: Megan
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 50%.

I loved the darker vibes in this novel but I think I'm just not into this author's works. I rated Half a Soul similarly and it's because they're enjoyable but not memorable. And in this case...it's just taking way too long to get to the plot. As in, the first part of the synopsis of this novel hasn't even happened yet.

Loved the atmosphere but there is only so much setup I want before I want things to get going.
]]> <![CDATA[The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, #1)]]> 11827244
After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town’s bookstore. Busy, with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look . . . at the building and the man behind it.

With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett’s happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time. It’s no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next . . .]]> 353 Nora Roberts Megan 0 to-read 4.31 2011 The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy, #1)
author: Nora Roberts
name: Megan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (The Vanderbeekers, #1)]]> 33413919 297 Karina Yan Glaser 0544876393 Megan 0 to-read 4.09 2017 The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (The Vanderbeekers, #1)
author: Karina Yan Glaser
name: Megan
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Susan, You're The Chosen One (Welcome To Midlife Magic, #1)]]> 210508520
One moment, Susan Moore had the perfect life—a handsome husband, a fabulous career, wonderful friends, and a gorgeous home in Nob Hill, San Francisco.

The next minute, it was all gone. And Susan found herself in a straitjacket, locked in a padded room.

An optimist at heart, Susan’s clawing her way back, rebuilding her life brick by brick—not an easy feat when you’re over the hill and it feels like the whole city hates you.

But when a group of ridiculously gorgeous models in Fae cosplay barge into her tiny apartment and declare her to be the chosen one, Susan decides to play along. She’s off to save the world.

Except they’re not in cosplay.

Either Susan has really, truly gone insane this time� or all this magic is real.

Susan, You're The Chosen one is book one in the fun, fast-paced and thrilling new paranormal women's fiction series Welcome To Midlife Magic, by bestselling urban fantasy author Lauretta Hignett.]]> 268 Lauretta Hignett Megan 1 dnf Assistant to the Villain instead. It has tropes and makes fun of them perfectly.]]> 4.31 2024 Susan, You're The Chosen One (Welcome To Midlife Magic, #1)
author: Lauretta Hignett
name: Megan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: dnf
review:
This is when you try to be funny but fail because you're taking the plot too seriously. Read Assistant to the Villain instead. It has tropes and makes fun of them perfectly.
]]> Love, Off the Record 181696373
Wyn is going to beat Three even if it kills her—or, preferably, him. Being freshmen staffers on the university newspaper puts them at the bottom of the pecking order—until a rare reporter spot opens up. Wyn and Three are both determined to get the position, starting a game of sabotage that pushes them to do their worst, from stealing each other’s ideas to playing twisted mind games. No road is too low when it comes to winning.

As Wyn’s search for the perfect story leads her to an anonymous, campus-wide dating app, she hits it off with a mystery man she thinks might be the cute RA from her dorm. But Wyn is all too familiar with being rejected because of her weight, and she’s hesitant to reveal her identity, even as she grows closer with someone who might be the guy of her dreams.

When Three breaks a story that’s closer to home than he or Wyn expects, the two must put aside their differences to expose the truth—and face their real feelings for each other, which threaten everything Wyn has built with her anonymous match.]]> Samantha Markum Megan 5 "Why didn't you go home?"
"There was a circumstance."
"That's your favorite explanation, isn't it?"

Wyn is going to beat Three even if it kills her—or, preferably, him. Being freshmen staffers on the university newspaper puts them at the bottom of the pecking order—until a rare reporter spot opens up. Wyn and Three are both determined to get the position, starting a game of sabotage that pushes them to do their worst. No road is too low when it comes to winning.

As Wyn’s search for the perfect story leads her to an anonymous, campus-wide dating app, she hits it off with a mystery man she thinks might be the cute RA from her dorm. But Wyn is all too familiar with being rejected because of her weight, and she’s hesitant to reveal her identity, even as she grows closer with someone who might be the guy of her dreams.

When Three breaks a story that’s closer to home than he or Wyn expects, the two must put aside their differences to expose the truth—and face their real feelings for each other, which threaten everything Wyn has built with her anonymous match.

"Thinking about me?"
"Yeah. A few more hours, and I'd know where to stash the murder weapon and how to dispose of the body. But you showed up early."


Another blind pick to support a local indie that is five stars! I think maybe I should look up all the indies around me and get blind picks from them because this seems to be a winning pattern so far.

It's been said this is similar to The Hating Game and Alex, Approximately...and while I can certainly see elements of both, this book does it perfectly. THG seemed a bit forced and scripted while this was natural (and delightfully dramatic). A,A (which I read as a blind date with a book) didn't segue from text persona to real life persona smoothly...and this not only executed it well, it also identified a very big internal milestone.

Their banter was ON POINT. Their witty exchanges in text were ON POINT. Their aspirations and rivalry were ON POINT. Their teases and their get together were ON POINT.

And beyond that? I love love love that Wyn acknowledges her love for her body but also that those thoughts aren't always perfect...especially in how she expects to be treated or viewed for being fat. The found friendship angle and the realization that she was getting in the way of her own happiness was perfection.

This book was perfection.

Recommended for competitive rivals-to-lovers readers!]]> 4.03 2024 Love, Off the Record
author: Samantha Markum
name: Megan
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: five-star, personal-recos, young-adult, realistic
review:
"Why didn't you go home?"
"There was a circumstance."
"That's your favorite explanation, isn't it?"


Wyn is going to beat Three even if it kills her—or, preferably, him. Being freshmen staffers on the university newspaper puts them at the bottom of the pecking order—until a rare reporter spot opens up. Wyn and Three are both determined to get the position, starting a game of sabotage that pushes them to do their worst. No road is too low when it comes to winning.

As Wyn’s search for the perfect story leads her to an anonymous, campus-wide dating app, she hits it off with a mystery man she thinks might be the cute RA from her dorm. But Wyn is all too familiar with being rejected because of her weight, and she’s hesitant to reveal her identity, even as she grows closer with someone who might be the guy of her dreams.

When Three breaks a story that’s closer to home than he or Wyn expects, the two must put aside their differences to expose the truth—and face their real feelings for each other, which threaten everything Wyn has built with her anonymous match.

"Thinking about me?"
"Yeah. A few more hours, and I'd know where to stash the murder weapon and how to dispose of the body. But you showed up early."


Another blind pick to support a local indie that is five stars! I think maybe I should look up all the indies around me and get blind picks from them because this seems to be a winning pattern so far.

It's been said this is similar to The Hating Game and Alex, Approximately...and while I can certainly see elements of both, this book does it perfectly. THG seemed a bit forced and scripted while this was natural (and delightfully dramatic). A,A (which I read as a blind date with a book) didn't segue from text persona to real life persona smoothly...and this not only executed it well, it also identified a very big internal milestone.

Their banter was ON POINT. Their witty exchanges in text were ON POINT. Their aspirations and rivalry were ON POINT. Their teases and their get together were ON POINT.

And beyond that? I love love love that Wyn acknowledges her love for her body but also that those thoughts aren't always perfect...especially in how she expects to be treated or viewed for being fat. The found friendship angle and the realization that she was getting in the way of her own happiness was perfection.

This book was perfection.

Recommended for competitive rivals-to-lovers readers!
]]> <![CDATA[Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)]]> 18666047
But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself - all with only one good hand. Born a weakling in the eyes of a hard, cold world, he cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he has sharpened his mind to a deadly edge.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast, he finds they can help him more than any noble could. Even so, Yarvi's path may end as it began - in twists, traps and tragedy...]]> 336 Joe Abercrombie 0804178321 Megan 4 "What is the world coming to when an honest man cannot burn corpses without suspicion?"

Betrayed by his family and left for dead, prince Yarvi, reluctant heir to a divided kingdom, has vowed to reclaim a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the shattered sea itself - all with only one good hand.

"I didn't ask for half a son."


I literally just discovered that the kindle app can do collections ("bookshelves" to the kindles of old) and thus have some housecleaning to do...and to that end, ended up re-reading this favorite since it didn't have a review to remind me.

Set in a period where kings and successful men look a certain way, Yarvi is no one's idea of whole with a malformed left hand. Ridiculed constantly by a father and brother who hold fast to those beliefs , Yarvi trains to become a minister (advisors of kings) where he can keep to the shadows he feels most comfortable with.

After a surprise ambush leaves Yarvi king, he's swept up into expectations he never wanted...including leading men into a squirmish and the subsequent betrayal of both his uncle and his mother's sworn man. Left for dead, he's discovered by the enemy king and sold into slavery.

From there, he is hardened by his time as an oarsman (slaves chained to oars on merchant ships) and this takes up the majority of the novel as he first strengthens his body then uses his cunning to change his circumstances. Determined to rain vengeance on his uncle, we follow him as he makes unlikely allies, survives snow and steam, and makes his way back home where pandemonium reigns.

While some might find the novel drags a bit while fighting for their lives, the ending is absolutely sure to satisfy with how things come together...and I was surprised at some of the small details I didn't notice that were tied together at the end!]]> 3.96 2014 Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Megan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: young-adult, fantasy, personal-recos
review:
"What is the world coming to when an honest man cannot burn corpses without suspicion?"


Betrayed by his family and left for dead, prince Yarvi, reluctant heir to a divided kingdom, has vowed to reclaim a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the shattered sea itself - all with only one good hand.

"I didn't ask for half a son."


I literally just discovered that the kindle app can do collections ("bookshelves" to the kindles of old) and thus have some housecleaning to do...and to that end, ended up re-reading this favorite since it didn't have a review to remind me.

Set in a period where kings and successful men look a certain way, Yarvi is no one's idea of whole with a malformed left hand. Ridiculed constantly by a father and brother who hold fast to those beliefs , Yarvi trains to become a minister (advisors of kings) where he can keep to the shadows he feels most comfortable with.

After a surprise ambush leaves Yarvi king, he's swept up into expectations he never wanted...including leading men into a squirmish and the subsequent betrayal of both his uncle and his mother's sworn man. Left for dead, he's discovered by the enemy king and sold into slavery.

From there, he is hardened by his time as an oarsman (slaves chained to oars on merchant ships) and this takes up the majority of the novel as he first strengthens his body then uses his cunning to change his circumstances. Determined to rain vengeance on his uncle, we follow him as he makes unlikely allies, survives snow and steam, and makes his way back home where pandemonium reigns.

While some might find the novel drags a bit while fighting for their lives, the ending is absolutely sure to satisfy with how things come together...and I was surprised at some of the small details I didn't notice that were tied together at the end!
]]> <![CDATA[Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)]]> 42036538
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.]]> 448 Tamsyn Muir 1250313198 Megan 2 dnf 4.19 2019 Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Megan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: dnf
review:
I think maybe I'm just not a fan of the writing? Also, confusion.
]]> <![CDATA[Talonsister (Talon Duology, #1)]]> 195093654
Leven has no memory of her life before she was a soldier. The process of turning her into a Herald � a magical killing machine � was traumatic enough that it wiped her mind clean. Now, with the war won and the Imperium satisfied, she finds herself unemployed and facing a bleak future. Her fellow Heralds are disappearing, and her own mind seems to be coming apart at the seams. Strange visions, memories she shouldn’t have, are resurfacing, and none of them make any sense. They show her Brittletain, the ancient and mysterious island that the Imperium was never able to tame. Leven resolves to go to this place of magic and warring queens, with the hope of finding who she really is.

Envoy Kaeto has done a number of important little jobs for the Imperium, most of them nasty, all of them in the shadows. His newest assignment is to escort the bone-crafter Gynid Tyleigh as she travels across the Imperium � as the woman responsible for creating the Heralds, his employers owe her a great deal. But Tyleigh’s ambition alarms even Kaeto, and her conviction that she has found a new source of Titan bones, buried deep in the earth, could lead to another, even bloodier war.

Ynis was raised by the griffins, and has never seen another human face. She lives wild, as they do, eating her meat raw and flying with her talon-sister, T’rook. The griffins fiercely protect their isolation � the piles of skulls that litter the mountains of Brittletain are testament to that � but the magic they guard will always make them a target for the greed of men. By choosing not to kill Ynis when she was just a baby, the griffins may have doomed themselves � because the girl’s past is coming for her, and it carries a lethal blade.]]> 560 Jen Williams 180336436X Megan 0 to-read 4.47 2023 Talonsister (Talon Duology, #1)
author: Jen Williams
name: Megan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Dark and Drowning Tide 174146852 A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor's murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.]]> 384 Allison Saft 0593722345 Megan 2 dnf 3.59 2024 A Dark and Drowning Tide
author: Allison Saft
name: Megan
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: dnf
review:
I'm a little puzzled and a lot not interested. Just failed to grab me on this one I guess. :(
]]> The Honey Witch 196726166 The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.
Ěý
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.
Ěý
When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home—at the risk of losing her magic and her heart.]]> 368 Sydney J. Shields 0316568864 Megan 1 dnf 3.57 2024 The Honey Witch
author: Sydney J. Shields
name: Megan
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: dnf
review:
There is cozy and then there is BORING.
]]> <![CDATA[Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)]]> 212127083
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.]]> 588 Callie Hart Megan 1 dnf 4.35 2024 Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: Megan
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: dnf
review:
Why is this rated so highly??? Other than the gorgeous cover.
]]> <![CDATA[The Veiled Kingdom (The Veiled Kingdom, #1)]]> 209779568 A scorching new fantasy romance that ignites the pages with relentless danger, forbidden passion, and the intoxicating allure of enemies to lovers.

Fleeing my father's cruelty, the wicked king who robbed me of a future, I face death in the streets, caught between a rebellion and a tyrant's reign.

Captured by those sworn to kill me, the rebels remain blind to my true identity—the missing daughter of the despised king. Faced with an impossible choice, I stand before them: join the rebels or face their blades.

Yet, Dacre, the son of the ruthless rebellion commander, becomes torn between suspicion and a desire that mirrors my own. He allows no one to touch me, tries to protect me, yet threatens me at every turn.

As secrets are weaved beyond our hidden realm, a fierce battle unfolds within me. As I get closer to the rebels, and their cause, my loyalty to my kingdom clashes with my undeniable devotion to Dacre and the burning connection between us.

In a world where love and hate are two edges of the same blade, I find myself caught in a delicate dance between forbidden desire and my looming destiny.]]> 368 Holly Renee 1957514434 Megan 2 dnf 3.53 2024 The Veiled Kingdom (The Veiled Kingdom, #1)
author: Holly Renee
name: Megan
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: dnf
review:
Just couldn't with the writing. The author tries to lead way too much so things feel very orchestrated.
]]> Smut 217410734 A rivals-to-lovers, new adult romantic comedy about sex, love, and the written word.

When I first met Blake Crawford, all I wanted to do was hit him in the face.
Maybe the groin.
Okay, maybe I wanted to kiss him too, but that's neither here nor there. I mean, he may have a gorgeous English accent, sexy full lips and an ass I'd like to bite but...
Where was I?
Right.
Being in the same creative writing class, he's the last person I wanted to speak to, let alone be paired up with for my final assignment. But here comes the kicker...not only did our project end up getting us both As, but we found out we work well together.
Really well together.
I hate him and he hates me and yet we churn out gold. We've started writing self-published erotica under a pen name and let me tell you one thing... Writing dirty sex scenes with the sexiest, most infuriating man you know is a lot harder than you think.
And keeping our hands off each other?
Well, that's another story...one with an ending I didn't see coming.

Smut is a standalone, tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy from the NYT bestselling author of The Pact.]]> 374 Karina Halle Megan 5 His smile is infectious. Then again, so was the plague.

Purchased blind to support a local romance only shop and woo boy did I blind pick good!

Thank god for e-readers. You can read the filthiest shit and pretend you’re engrossed in War and Peace.


Also, I totally read this at work.

First 50% is smut-free and establishes their relationship with each other. It was extremely well done and the switch from class assignment to freelance duo writing was smooth and believable. And then the tease that leads to their sexapades was HOT. While I do think they went at it like bunnies a bit much, and they supposedly wrote raunchy stuff, the smut itself was the usual.

And the speed bump in their relationship at the end was handled well and not drawn out. Huzzah!]]> 3.87 2016 Smut
author: Karina Halle
name: Megan
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: five-star, personal-recos, adult, realistic, smut
review:
His smile is infectious. Then again, so was the plague.


Purchased blind to support a local romance only shop and woo boy did I blind pick good!

Thank god for e-readers. You can read the filthiest shit and pretend you’re engrossed in War and Peace.


Also, I totally read this at work.

First 50% is smut-free and establishes their relationship with each other. It was extremely well done and the switch from class assignment to freelance duo writing was smooth and believable. And then the tease that leads to their sexapades was HOT. While I do think they went at it like bunnies a bit much, and they supposedly wrote raunchy stuff, the smut itself was the usual.

And the speed bump in their relationship at the end was handled well and not drawn out. Huzzah!
]]> Not in My Book 203194093 The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious contemporary romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and as they slowly get to know each other, they try to put their differences aside. Meanwhile, their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.]]> 320 Katie Holt 1639109765 Megan 4 realistic, young-adult “You’re being nice. It’s weird.�
“I literally just said hi to you.�
“Ełć˛ął¦łŮ±ô˛â.â€�

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

Logan: i can’t believe we get to witness this for free
Jess: actually we’re paying a lot to witness this
Logan: shut up jess
Jess: rosie are you fucking with us


What an utter delight! It wasn't perfect but it was such a cute read!

Words were the deadliest weapons Max and I had. We learned how to sharpen them and wield them with extreme efficiency. And when it was time to strike, we did it to kill.


The banter was absolutely on point. And actually, this continued even when they became more than enemies which really made my day. BATTLE OF THE WITS. And some of the excerpts you find from their book is later reflected in actual events which absolutely tickled me.

“If you think that, Rosie, then you haven’t been kissed the way you should be. You haven’t been kissed by someone who really wants you.�


Speaking of their book...I felt like I got two hate-to-lovers in parallel and lemme tell you it was HOT. While tension was super high between the two of them, they ended up co-writing the smut scenes together with each other and oh. my. god. OH. MY. GOD!

“You didn’t have to do that.�
“Funny. That doesn’t sound like â€thank you.’â€�


And the cute dates for "research" for their books? And being invested in the park food truck romance? I really identified with Rosie and finding the small little things in life that make it beautiful. And I honestly loved Aiden's cynical side crumble under the power of her positivity.

“You were worth every bit of the wait, Aiden.�


And when Rosie caught him red-handed in the romance section of a bookstore by accident which then proceeded to spend hours in each others favorite sections giving honest recommendations of introductions? AND THE ALMOST KISS IN THE STACKS!

I ignored the glass of my own shattered heart as I cut myself trying to put hers back together.


The reason this wasn't a five star from me was because Aiden likes talking dirty (which I can never take seriously, ever, but that's a personal thing), his dirty talk includes "baby" a lot (which I absolutely hate but the MC loves so personal thing here also), and the third act breakup was over-done (but thankfully didn't actually last TOO long). Still, will re-read.

Recommended for enemies-to-lovers collectors and readers.]]> 3.85 2024 Not in My Book
author: Katie Holt
name: Megan
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: realistic, young-adult
review:
“You’re being nice. It’s weird.�
“I literally just said hi to you.�
“Ełć˛ął¦łŮ±ô˛â.â€�


Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

Logan: i can’t believe we get to witness this for free
Jess: actually we’re paying a lot to witness this
Logan: shut up jess
Jess: rosie are you fucking with us


What an utter delight! It wasn't perfect but it was such a cute read!

Words were the deadliest weapons Max and I had. We learned how to sharpen them and wield them with extreme efficiency. And when it was time to strike, we did it to kill.


The banter was absolutely on point. And actually, this continued even when they became more than enemies which really made my day. BATTLE OF THE WITS. And some of the excerpts you find from their book is later reflected in actual events which absolutely tickled me.

“If you think that, Rosie, then you haven’t been kissed the way you should be. You haven’t been kissed by someone who really wants you.�


Speaking of their book...I felt like I got two hate-to-lovers in parallel and lemme tell you it was HOT. While tension was super high between the two of them, they ended up co-writing the smut scenes together with each other and oh. my. god. OH. MY. GOD!

“You didn’t have to do that.�
“Funny. That doesn’t sound like â€thank you.’â€�


And the cute dates for "research" for their books? And being invested in the park food truck romance? I really identified with Rosie and finding the small little things in life that make it beautiful. And I honestly loved Aiden's cynical side crumble under the power of her positivity.

“You were worth every bit of the wait, Aiden.�


And when Rosie caught him red-handed in the romance section of a bookstore by accident which then proceeded to spend hours in each others favorite sections giving honest recommendations of introductions? AND THE ALMOST KISS IN THE STACKS!

I ignored the glass of my own shattered heart as I cut myself trying to put hers back together.


The reason this wasn't a five star from me was because Aiden likes talking dirty (which I can never take seriously, ever, but that's a personal thing), his dirty talk includes "baby" a lot (which I absolutely hate but the MC loves so personal thing here also), and the third act breakup was over-done (but thankfully didn't actually last TOO long). Still, will re-read.

Recommended for enemies-to-lovers collectors and readers.
]]> The Dead Cat Tail Assassins 127305606 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A ď¬nal death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.]]> 213 P. DjèlĂ­ Clark 1250767040 Megan 0 to-read 3.84 2024 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Megan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms, #1)]]> 50523477 Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters � but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.]]> 533 Tasha Suri 0356515648 Megan 0 to-read 4.12 2021 The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms, #1)
author: Tasha Suri
name: Megan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology, #1)]]> 58511056
It's all about blood.

The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen's deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.

The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.

For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her.

Who trained her to keep that a secret.

But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials--a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that--if found out--would subject her to execution...or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather...and then she needs to kill them.

Mareen has been at peace for a long time...

Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.

Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself--and one's blood--is more important than anything.]]> 448 N.E. Davenport 0063058480 Megan 0 to-read 4.07 2022 The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology, #1)
author: N.E. Davenport
name: Megan
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Megan 3 fantasy, adult
I guess first thing is that when I picked this up on launch day I immediately put it back down because the angst was too much for my mindset. The angst didn't change throughout the book when I did pick this up, I was just more tolerant of it...but those that thought the angst in Iron Flame was too much will absolutely find the repeated instances of Xaden and hotness and need him very over-the-top.

Actually, this is a favorite quote of mine in the book:
"How illogically, toxically romantic of you."


Honestly, sums up their relationship and I find it HILARIOUS that Yarros would use a side character to really point this out.

But I digress. Outside of their relationship that permeates so much of the book, the plot kept my interest UNTIL about 80%. And then it just kinda fell off and I was like, "So why did I read through all this for nothing to really happen?" and then the cliffhanger at the end.

It wasn't a bad book but it really, really wasn't good. I could surprise myself but I don't think I'll be continuing the series...which really makes me sad because I do love me the dragons something fierce.]]> 4.18 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Megan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:
Hmmmm. What to say about this one...

I guess first thing is that when I picked this up on launch day I immediately put it back down because the angst was too much for my mindset. The angst didn't change throughout the book when I did pick this up, I was just more tolerant of it...but those that thought the angst in Iron Flame was too much will absolutely find the repeated instances of Xaden and hotness and need him very over-the-top.

Actually, this is a favorite quote of mine in the book:
"How illogically, toxically romantic of you."


Honestly, sums up their relationship and I find it HILARIOUS that Yarros would use a side character to really point this out.

But I digress. Outside of their relationship that permeates so much of the book, the plot kept my interest UNTIL about 80%. And then it just kinda fell off and I was like, "So why did I read through all this for nothing to really happen?" and then the cliffhanger at the end.

It wasn't a bad book but it really, really wasn't good. I could surprise myself but I don't think I'll be continuing the series...which really makes me sad because I do love me the dragons something fierce.
]]> <![CDATA[House of Blight (The Threadmender Chronicles, #1)]]> 217433382 The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don’t take no for an answer—especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira’s brothers unexpectedly contract blight—an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both—Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they’ll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him.

But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family’s pristine exterior begins to crack—until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost…]]> 375 Maxym M. Martineau 006339121X Megan 2 dnf 3.55 2025 House of Blight (The Threadmender Chronicles, #1)
author: Maxym M. Martineau
name: Megan
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Greenteeth 214229691 From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comesĚýGreenteeth,Ěýa Ěýtale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she's worth saving. Temperance doesn't know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny's lake and Temperance's family, as well as the very soul of Britain.]]> 304 Molly O'Neill Megan 2 dnf 3.99 2025 Greenteeth
author: Molly O'Neill
name: Megan
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Save an Undead Life (The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy, #1)]]> 36072667 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

Grier Woolworth spends her nights weaving spooky tales of lost souls and tragedies for tourists on the streets of downtown Savannah. Hoop skirt and parasol aside, it’s not a bad gig. The pay is crap, but the tips keep the lights on in her personal haunted mansion and her pantry stocked with ramen.

Life is about as normal as it gets for an ex-necromancer hiding among humans. Until the society that excommunicated Grier offers her a second chance at being more than ordinary. Too bad no one warned her the trouble with being extraordinary is it can get you killed.

Warning: This book contains one ex-con/ex-heiress with a pet zombie parakeet who lives next door to her ex-army/ex-crush. Brace yourself, we’re talking more exes than a pirate treasure map here.]]> 240 Hailey Edwards Megan 3 dnf Lost interest. 4.23 2017 How to Save an Undead Life (The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy, #1)
author: Hailey Edwards
name: Megan
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: dnf
review:
Lost interest.
]]> <![CDATA[The Duchess Contest: A Magical Regency Style Romance]]> 123230343 Twenty-one women are chosen at random by the Queen of Odetta to compete to become the new Duchess of Westbrook.

When the process of finding the new Duchess of Westbrook is announced, the people of Odetta are elated. That is, nearly all of them.

Ambrose, The Duke of Westbrook, must marry before midwinter or he will lose his title and estates. His responsibility to his tenants forces him to go along with the process, but when he finds an opportunity to add his own choice to the group of potential brides, he knows exactly who to choose.

Elena Chamberlain wants as little to do with the process as possible. Yet she finds herself intrigued by the Duke as she becomes more involved.

Midwinter is approaching quickly and, when the Duke's mysterious cousin is found barely alive in the nearby forest, it becomes clear that it is not only the Duke's difficulty finding a suitable bride that is jeopardising the future of the Westbrook Estate.

The Duchess Contest is the first standalone novel set in Odetta, a kingdom where magic still lingers.

The perfect read for fans of Regency romance with a sprinkling of magic!

]]> 169 Eva Morland Megan 1 dnf 2.53 The Duchess Contest: A Magical Regency Style Romance
author: Eva Morland
name: Megan
average rating: 2.53
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Baby Dragon Café (The Baby Dragon, #1)]]> 215767834 The perfect read for fans of Pumpkin Spice Café and Legends and Lattes!

When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from selling dragon-roasted coffee.

Aiden is a local gardener, and local heart-throb, more interested in his plants than actually spending time with his disobedient baby dragon. When Aiden walks into Saphira’s café, he has a genius idea � he'll ask Saphira to train his baby dragon, and he'll pay her enough to keep the café afloat.

Saphira’s happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t seem to do anything but irritate the grumpy-but-gorgeous Aiden, except that everywhere she goes, she finds him there. But can this dragon café owner turn her fortunes around, and maybe find love along the way?]]> 317 A.T. Qureshi 0008727678 Megan 2 dnf
I get that cozy fantasy is about low stakes, but that’s not an excuse for bad writing. And it shocks me how many cozy fantasies have bad writing (because I love them and I want more of them so WHY). There HAS to be something to drive the plot forward! There HAS to be a motivation for the way characters act and the choices they make. This was...so low stakes it was non-existent and the author tried to create tension with stupid explanations that just weren't working.

Publishers, please. Stop just printing books that try to fit tropes but don't actually execute them well. You can't even call this a grumpy vs sunshine because he's not grumpy, he's just extremely antisocial. And also insta-love. And also "have to stay away to protect her but omg she's gorgeous I can't help gravitating towards her" over and over.]]> 3.20 2025 The Baby Dragon Café (The Baby Dragon, #1)
author: A.T. Qureshi
name: Megan
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 30%.

I get that cozy fantasy is about low stakes, but that’s not an excuse for bad writing. And it shocks me how many cozy fantasies have bad writing (because I love them and I want more of them so WHY). There HAS to be something to drive the plot forward! There HAS to be a motivation for the way characters act and the choices they make. This was...so low stakes it was non-existent and the author tried to create tension with stupid explanations that just weren't working.

Publishers, please. Stop just printing books that try to fit tropes but don't actually execute them well. You can't even call this a grumpy vs sunshine because he's not grumpy, he's just extremely antisocial. And also insta-love. And also "have to stay away to protect her but omg she's gorgeous I can't help gravitating towards her" over and over.
]]> Mate (Bride, #2) 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 Megan 0 to-read 4.43 2025 Mate (Bride, #2)
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Megan
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Glimmer of the Other (The Other Realm, #1)]]> 213015058 I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time.

I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill � but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers.

When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar � yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone.

Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real � a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies�

Oh, and my dog? He’s a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves.

I need to find the girl.

I need to discover who killed my parents.

And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stone…]]> 318 Heather G. Harris Megan 3 adult, fantasy 4.35 2021 Glimmer of the Other (The Other Realm, #1)
author: Heather G. Harris
name: Megan
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (The Guild Codex: Warped, #1)]]> 54241214
Picture the Me, an average guy with psychic powers � not that my abilities are in any way average � just trying to scrape by in a harsh world. So maybe I've conned a few people, but did I really deserve to be thrown in MPD jail alongside magic-wielding serial killers?

According to Agent Lienna Shen, one-hundred-percent yes.

But her hardass attitude and “Arcana prodigy� status aren’t enough to bring down my former best friend, who slipped through the MPD’s fingers and is days away from unleashing untold horrors upon the city. Or he’s going to steal something. I don’t really know.

Whatever he’s up to, that’s why I’m sitting in an interrogation room with Lienna. And that’s why I just offered myself as her temporary new partner for the purposes of thwarting my ex-accomplice.

And that’s how I’m going to escape. I might even help with the case before I cut and run.

Meet MagiPol's most unlikely duo in a hilarious new series set in The Guild Codex world. It can be read as a standalone series or as part of the larger Guild Codex saga.

The Guild Warped
Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (#1)
Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (#2)
Rogue Ghosts & Other Miscreants (#3)
More Than A Little Warped (#3.5)
Stolen Sorcery & Other Misadventures (#4)
Mage Assassins & Other Misfits (#5)

More series in the Guild Codex
The Guild Spellbound
The Guild Demonized
The Guild Unveiled]]> 296 Annette Marie 1988153549 Megan 4 4.24 2020 Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (The Guild Codex: Warped, #1)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: fantasy, adult, personal-recos
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #1)]]> 52790700
When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don't listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don't talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn't find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn't notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn't break the rules.

But I did, and now it's too late.

--
From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

--
THE GUILD CODEX: DEMONIZED
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)]]> 362 Annette Marie 1988153352 Megan 5 4.47 2019 Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #1)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2020/10/26
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: five-star, adult, fantasy, personal-recos
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The One and Only Crystal Druid (The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #1)]]> 55449673
I forgot everything about that boy, and now I'm out on parole, just a nobody witch volunteering at an animal rescue and keeping a low profile. Everything was fine until the notorious Crystal Druid showed up to hunt a powerful fae that's leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake—bodies that the local ex-con, me, will be blamed for.

To save my own hide, I offer to help him. But with every clash of temper between us, something inside me cracks a little more. The closer we get to our target—and the closer I get to the guarded Crystal Druid—the more my missing memories loom.

The fae killer is far deadlier than I imagined—but so is the boy I forgot. And the only question now is which one will destroy me first.

--
From the author of the best-selling Guild Codex books comes a new series that delves into the dark, dangerous world of druids and fae alongside two ravaged souls who may be exactly what the other needs � if they don't kill each other first.

Unveiled can be read as a standalone series or in conjunction with other Guild Codex series. For the full reading order, visit Annette Marie's website.

--
The Guild Codex: Unveiled
The One and Only Crystal Druid (#1)
The Long-Forgotten Winter King (#2)
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow (#3)

More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped]]> 330 Annette Marie 198815359X Megan 5 4.15 2021 The One and Only Crystal Druid (The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #1)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/16
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: five-star, adult, fantasy, personal-recos
review:

]]> Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2) 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 Megan 0 to-read 4.22 2025 Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2)
author: Navessa Allen
name: Megan
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hemlock & Silver 217388302 DELUXE EDITION—a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring bright green sprayed edges, a foil stamp on the casing, and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White� steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.]]> 368 T. Kingfisher 1250342031 Megan 0 to-read 4.31 2025 Hemlock & Silver
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Megan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Damned Souls and a Sangria (The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #8)]]> 54404372 More series in the Guild Codex The Guild DemonizedThe Guild WarpedThe Guild Unveiled]]> 370 Annette Marie Megan 4 adult, fantasy 4.50 2020 Damned Souls and a Sangria (The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #8)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Truth or Beard (Winston Brothers, #1)]]> 25526465
Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naĂŻve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life.

His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her�

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?]]> 338 Penny Reid Megan 2 dnf
I'm CLEARLY in the minority but everything in the first 11% is super contrived and I can't stand it. Not only that, within the first 11% Duane KNOWS Jess thinks he's his brother and proceeds to take her off to a corner, get hot and heavy, and THEN tell her who he really is before they get too far. Because she would have absolutely said hell no if she'd known ahead of time. CONSENT IS A THING, BUDDY. AND YOU KNEW IT.

I'm not buying the good guy act.

All I can say is: "no, thank you."]]> 4.01 2015 Truth or Beard (Winston Brothers, #1)
author: Penny Reid
name: Megan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: dnf
review:
I passed this over a couple of times and was finally willing to pick it up on a recommendation but heck if I can remember who it was from because now I'm mad.

I'm CLEARLY in the minority but everything in the first 11% is super contrived and I can't stand it. Not only that, within the first 11% Duane KNOWS Jess thinks he's his brother and proceeds to take her off to a corner, get hot and heavy, and THEN tell her who he really is before they get too far. Because she would have absolutely said hell no if she'd known ahead of time. CONSENT IS A THING, BUDDY. AND YOU KNEW IT.

I'm not buying the good guy act.

All I can say is: "no, thank you."
]]> <![CDATA[The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid (The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #4)]]> 61043145
But just when I finally start to feel whole again, everything around me falls apart.

Lallakai, the newly ascended Queen of Shadow and Death, betrays us and takes Zak prisoner. Echo, the powerful fae I thought would help save Zak, threatens to kill me. And Ríkr’s nemesis, the ruthless Summer Queen, is hunting him again.

With the four ancient fae poised to battle for supremacy, I’m the only one who can prevent a catastrophic clash of their power. But stopping them will require more than druidic magic. It’ll take an act of destruction as devastating as they are.

I’m about to test the strength of my scarred heart, and if I fail, I’ll end up destroying everything—and everyone—I’m most desperate to protect.

--
The Guild Codex: Unveiled
The One and Only Crystal Druid (#1)
The Long-Forgotten Winter King (#2)
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow (#3)

More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped]]> 314 Annette Marie 1988153697 Megan 4 adult, fantasy 4.46 2022 The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid (The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #4)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:
Annette Marie always does battle scenes amazingly. Slightly docked just because of a tiny thing at the end that just rubbed me wrong (though I guess it was better than I was expecting since I thought it would be another Black Magician ending and it wasn't yay!).
]]> <![CDATA[Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes, #2)]]> 222376572 Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

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

If only things were so simple�

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

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

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.]]> 336 Travis Baldree 1250334888 Megan 0 to-read 4.09 2025 Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes, #2)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Megan
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping]]> 123029113 A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power�

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.]]> 336 Sangu Mandanna Megan 0 to-read 4.36 2025 A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
author: Sangu Mandanna
name: Megan
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Delivering Evil for Experts (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #4)]]> 52917461 I promised to avenge my parents.

But their killer is still on the loose, and he's stolen more than my parents' lives. Now, as he draws closer to his mysterious goals, he's poised to destroy what little I have left.

I promised to translate an ancient grimoire.

But it holds the secrets of my family—and the secret history of demon summoning. I fear its answers as much as I need them. Who was the foremother of Demonica…and who am I?

I promised to send my demon home.

But the way he watches me, the way he protects me, the way he touches meâ â€”how can I cast him away forever? I swore I would do this for him, but can I? Should I?

But I promised—and I will keep my promises even if they cost me my heart, my soul, and my life.

--
THE GUILD CODEX

Demonized Series:
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)
Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (#3)
Delivering Evil for Experts (#4)

Spellbound Series:
Three Mages and a Margarita (#1)
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)
Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)
Demon Magic and a Martini (#4)
The Alchemist and an Amaretto (#5)
Druid Vices and a Vodka (#6)
Lost Talismans and a Tequila (#7)
Damned Souls and a Sangria (#8)

Warped Series:
Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (#1)]]> 353 Annette Marie Megan 5 adult, fantasy
I'm left with all the happy feely goodness. EEEEE!]]> 4.68 2020 Delivering Evil for Experts (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #4)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:
I would like this to be a movie because the action scenes are LIT.

I'm left with all the happy feely goodness. EEEEE!
]]> <![CDATA[Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #3)]]> 48594493
My parents taught me that magic attracts equal danger, and everything I've seen since becoming a demon contractor confirms it. I've witnessed how power twists and corrupts--and I've tasted power no human should wield.

I thought I knew greed.

Ambition and avarice drove my family into hiding. My parents died for someone else's greed. I've never hunted anything in my life, but now I'm hunting their killer--with my demon's help.

I thought I'd seen evil.

But with each step closer to my parents' murderer, I'm uncovering a different sort of evil, piece by hidden piece. I've stumbled into an insidious web that silently, secretly ensnares everything it touches. My demon and I came as the hunters...

...but I think we might be the prey.

--
Author's Note: The Guild Codex includes two series, Demonized and Spellbound, which can be read and enjoyed all on their own; however, this book contains spoilers for Demon Magic and a Martini (Spellbound #4). If you were thinking about giving Spellbound a try, I recommend reading it first.

--
THE GUILD CODEX

Demonized Series:
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)
Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (#3)

Spellbound Series:
Three Mages and a Margarita (#1)
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)
Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)
Demon Magic and a Martini (#4)
The Alchemist and an Amaretto (#5)
Druid Vices and a Vodka (#6)]]> 318 Annette Marie Megan 5 adult, fantasy So. Much. Happened. OMG. 4.39 2020 Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #3)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:
So. Much. Happened. OMG.
]]> <![CDATA[Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2)]]> 50888934
For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.

Demons are evil.

That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility.

My demon is a monster.

Whether he's heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn't bad enough, I've come to realize something else:

My demon isn't the only monster I should be worried about.

--
From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

--
THE GUILD CODEX: DEMONIZED
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)]]> 358 Annette Marie 1988153379 Megan 4 fantasy, adult 4.33 2019 Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2)
author: Annette Marie
name: Megan
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:

]]> Not Safe for Work 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 Megan 0 to-read 4.24 2025 Not Safe for Work
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Megan
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Fate Forged in Fire 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 Megan 0 to-read 3.87 2025 A Fate Forged in Fire
author: Hazel McBride
name: Megan
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The River Has Roots 211665070 Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.�

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters� bond but also their lives will be at risk…]]> 144 Amal El-Mohtar 1250341094 Megan 3 fantasy, adult
A library read for when you're just wanting to pick it up when you have time.]]> 4.20 2025 The River Has Roots
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Megan
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:
Wouldn't say it's amazing but it did have a unique take on faerie magic and riddles. A rather short read, which really suits it. It wraps up nicely.

A library read for when you're just wanting to pick it up when you have time.
]]> The Spellshop 199269583
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.

The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.

Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.]]> 384 Sarah Beth Durst 1250324610 Megan 5 It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more.

4.5 stars rounded up. This is absolutely going to be a cozy keeper for me right along with Legends & Lattes and Can't Spell Treason Without Tea which makes me a very happy book bird.

But I do know books—and that meant there was nothing she couldn’t know, eventually. That was a magic in and of itself.


I loved:
- Kiela and Caz's relationship was extremely wholesome and they're the perfect pair between their love of books, researching, and categorizing; I whole heartedly believe they would be able to take over the world together
- The nostalgia of coming to an overgrown cottage with her parent's old cookbook
- Bryn and her bakery gives me all the warm and fluffy feels of fresh baked bread
- Larran and how incredibly sweet, understanding, awkward, and loving he is (he's literally the perfect cinnamon roll and I want to keep him forever)
- Research and testing "remedies"
- Meep
- Bear spirits, unicorns, apple birds, a wayward chicken...need I say more to intrigue you?
- THE PINE CONE COVEN (literally the best found family of all time)
- The merhorses, especially Sian and her love of tomatoes
- The reinforcement of doing good, spreading knowledge, and trusting others (encouraging through actions) to do the same

Books should be shared with everyone who wants to open their minds and hearts to them.


Didn't love:
- The small "conflict" though I'm not certain how I would have ultimately handled it haha
- Bryn and Rodane's relationship...definitely would have loved to see this in a future book or something but it seemed like an overnight thing which was a bit much considering Rodane's prior actions

Recommended for everyone that wants a light, cozy, and comforting read. This is what happiness feels like.]]> 4.12 2024 The Spellshop
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Megan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: cozy, five-star, personal-recos, fantasy, adult, light, teas-n-tinctures
review:
It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more.


4.5 stars rounded up. This is absolutely going to be a cozy keeper for me right along with Legends & Lattes and Can't Spell Treason Without Tea which makes me a very happy book bird.

But I do know books—and that meant there was nothing she couldn’t know, eventually. That was a magic in and of itself.


I loved:
- Kiela and Caz's relationship was extremely wholesome and they're the perfect pair between their love of books, researching, and categorizing; I whole heartedly believe they would be able to take over the world together
- The nostalgia of coming to an overgrown cottage with her parent's old cookbook
- Bryn and her bakery gives me all the warm and fluffy feels of fresh baked bread
- Larran and how incredibly sweet, understanding, awkward, and loving he is (he's literally the perfect cinnamon roll and I want to keep him forever)
- Research and testing "remedies"
- Meep
- Bear spirits, unicorns, apple birds, a wayward chicken...need I say more to intrigue you?
- THE PINE CONE COVEN (literally the best found family of all time)
- The merhorses, especially Sian and her love of tomatoes
- The reinforcement of doing good, spreading knowledge, and trusting others (encouraging through actions) to do the same

Books should be shared with everyone who wants to open their minds and hearts to them.


Didn't love:
- The small "conflict" though I'm not certain how I would have ultimately handled it haha
- Bryn and Rodane's relationship...definitely would have loved to see this in a future book or something but it seemed like an overnight thing which was a bit much considering Rodane's prior actions

Recommended for everyone that wants a light, cozy, and comforting read. This is what happiness feels like.
]]> Year of the Reaper 57361569 From the writer whose stories have been called “brilliant� (Booklist), “masterful� (Horn Book), and “breathtaking� (School Library Journal), comes a romantic new standalone fantasy.

The past never forgets . . .

Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an engineer's apprentice on a mission entrusted by the king. But when plague sweeps over the land, leaving countless dead and devastating the kingdom, even Cas� title cannot save him from a rotting prison cell and a merciless sickness.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer…one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.]]> 352 Makiia Lucier 0358272033 Megan 4 fantasy, adult, dark 4.13 2021 Year of the Reaper
author: Makiia Lucier
name: Megan
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: fantasy, adult, dark
review:

]]> Fake It Like You Mean It 215114837 Fake dating, enemies to lovers, and a wonderfully unique forced proximity debut romance, perfect for fans of Elena Armas’s The American Roommate Experiment and Drew Barrymore’s classic rom-com Fifty First Dates.

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her for as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t forget.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

Fake It Like You Mean It is the perfect blend of romance, laugh out loud comedy, and heartbreaking beautiful moments.]]> 336 Megan Murphy Megan 3 dnf 3.76 2025 Fake It Like You Mean It
author: Megan Murphy
name: Megan
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Water Moon 211480848 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 372 Samantha Sotto Yambao 059372500X Megan 2 dnf 3.96 2025 Water Moon
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: Megan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Jasad Crown (The Scorched Throne, #2)]]> 217428276 In the thrilling conclusion to the Egyptian-inspired Scorched Throne duology, a fugitive queen must risk everything and everyone she loves for the chance to restore her lost kingdom of Jasad.
Ěý
Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe the Jasad Heir can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad’s greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the Urabi’s trust while struggling to hide the dangerous side effects her magic is having on her mind.

In a rival kingdom, Arin must maneuver carefully between his father's desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts Arin is sworn to uphold. He is determined to find Sylvia before it's too late, but Arin's search unravels secrets that threaten the very core of his beliefs about hisĚýfamily and the destruction of Jasad.Ěý
Ěý
War is inevitable, but Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she's fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn’t just want to survive. She wants to win.
Ěý
The fugitive queen is ready to reign.

Ěý]]> 692 Sara Hashem Megan 0 to-read 5.00 2025 The Jasad Crown (The Scorched Throne, #2)
author: Sara Hashem
name: Megan
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)]]> 18626894 Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future � and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature.

Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.]]> 384 Naomi Novik Megan 2 dnf 4.14 2006 His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Megan
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rejected King (Desolation, #1)]]> 56133252
Marriage is the only thing that can save King Davin's most-hated reputation. And to make things worse, Davin hired the one girl he's most attracted to, but her social class makes her an impossible choice for his future.

Emree Dutson has one goal: raise the king's approval ratings so she can get a permanent job at the castle. Falling in love with the king wasn't part of the job description. Now her feelings for him are ruining everything.

Will Davin risk his crown for love?]]> 324 Kortney Keisel Megan 4 adult, fantasy 3.89 The Rejected King (Desolation, #1)
author: Kortney Keisel
name: Megan
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: adult, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Morning Glory Milking Farm (Cambric Creek, #1)]]> 178158823
Morning Glory Farm offers full-time hours, full benefits, and generous pay with no experience needed . . . there’s only one catch. The clientele is Grade A certified prime beef, with the manly, meaty endowments to match. Hands-on work with minotaurs isn’t something Violet ever considered as a career option, but she’s determined to turn the opportunity into a reversal of fortune.

When a stern, deep-voiced client begins to specially request her for his sessions at the farm, maintaining her professionalism and keeping him out of her dreams is easier said than done. Violet is resolved to make a dent in her student loans and afford name-brand orange juice, and a one-sided crush on an out-of-her-league minotaur is not a part of her plan—unless her feelings aren’t so one-sided after all.

Morning Glory Farm is a short human/monster romance novel (60k), featuring a high heat slow burn with a lot of heart, and a guaranteed HEA. It is the first book in the Cambric Creek Monster Romance series and can be read as a standalone. CWs are viewable on the author's website.]]> 255 C.M. Nascosta Megan 3 smut, adult Violet was certain she was going to perish from terminally unmet sexpectations.

Okay, hear me out. While this was longer than it really should have been, it had a downright COZY backdrop. Like, I literally want to live in this place with its diverse residents, picturesque town square and shops, and ESPECIALLY the Black Sheep Beanery coffeeshop.

And, dude, I'd even be down with a vampire friend as funny as Gillie that just sniffs tea to reminder herself what life is like. BESTIE, PLEASE.

All that said, the descriptions and spice are on point. The slow burn should have been a lot shorter (literally skimmed once I hit about 35% and the ending where she's getting a new job is meh) but honestly the romance was both sweet and spicy so those that like ambiance with their smut will probably like this one.]]> 3.76 2021 Morning Glory Milking Farm (Cambric Creek, #1)
author: C.M. Nascosta
name: Megan
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: smut, adult
review:
Violet was certain she was going to perish from terminally unmet sexpectations.


Okay, hear me out. While this was longer than it really should have been, it had a downright COZY backdrop. Like, I literally want to live in this place with its diverse residents, picturesque town square and shops, and ESPECIALLY the Black Sheep Beanery coffeeshop.

And, dude, I'd even be down with a vampire friend as funny as Gillie that just sniffs tea to reminder herself what life is like. BESTIE, PLEASE.

All that said, the descriptions and spice are on point. The slow burn should have been a lot shorter (literally skimmed once I hit about 35% and the ending where she's getting a new job is meh) but honestly the romance was both sweet and spicy so those that like ambiance with their smut will probably like this one.
]]> <![CDATA[Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2)]]> 56632992 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing� her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?]]> 376 Talia Hibbert Megan 4 realistic, adult Handsome men must never be allowed to know the full extent of their sexual appeal. They couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge.

Danika Brown knows what she wants. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign. But before she can explain they're meant to sleep together, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism.

"They’re hopeful."
"Someone should cure them of that. It’s disrespectful on a Monday morning."


This was the snarky commentary I wanted but not quite as light of a romance as I was looking for. Still, well worth the read and happy I finally got around to it!

Zaf wouldn’t know what to do with a one-time thing if it showed up with a fifty-page instruction manual and slapped him on the dick.


While I wasn't really looking for deeper issues (I mood read and I wanted light), I actually really did like the execution...that's something a lot of romance authors cannot handle well.

And can I just say that it was absolutely REFRESHING for not only the anxiety issues to be on the male end (please normalize that ANYONE can fight with chronic anxiety!) but he created a program specifically HELPING MALE ATHLETES with it and other mental health issues?

"I know you put a lot of stock in the fact that you’re â€betterâ€� now. That you handle things. That you cope. But coping takes a lot out of a person, too. And handling things doesn’t mean never struggling or slipping up."


Also worth mentioning is that I absolutely LOVED that Dani was a super confident woman who learned that just because you're confident doesn't mean you're not insecure. Louder for those in the back!!

"I don’t want you to change, Danika. I just want you to be mine."


Recommended for romance lovers that like it with a side of tackling mental health issues (in a healthy way).]]> 4.07 2020 Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Megan
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: realistic, adult
review:
Handsome men must never be allowed to know the full extent of their sexual appeal. They couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge.


Danika Brown knows what she wants. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign. But before she can explain they're meant to sleep together, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism.

"They’re hopeful."
"Someone should cure them of that. It’s disrespectful on a Monday morning."


This was the snarky commentary I wanted but not quite as light of a romance as I was looking for. Still, well worth the read and happy I finally got around to it!

Zaf wouldn’t know what to do with a one-time thing if it showed up with a fifty-page instruction manual and slapped him on the dick.


While I wasn't really looking for deeper issues (I mood read and I wanted light), I actually really did like the execution...that's something a lot of romance authors cannot handle well.

And can I just say that it was absolutely REFRESHING for not only the anxiety issues to be on the male end (please normalize that ANYONE can fight with chronic anxiety!) but he created a program specifically HELPING MALE ATHLETES with it and other mental health issues?

"I know you put a lot of stock in the fact that you’re â€betterâ€� now. That you handle things. That you cope. But coping takes a lot out of a person, too. And handling things doesn’t mean never struggling or slipping up."


Also worth mentioning is that I absolutely LOVED that Dani was a super confident woman who learned that just because you're confident doesn't mean you're not insecure. Louder for those in the back!!

"I don’t want you to change, Danika. I just want you to be mine."


Recommended for romance lovers that like it with a side of tackling mental health issues (in a healthy way).
]]> <![CDATA[Weird Magic (Lia de Croissets #2)]]> 214920067 Karen Chance Megan 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Weird Magic (Lia de Croissets #2)
author: Karen Chance
name: Megan
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dreadful 191729070 A sharp-witted, high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.
It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is� you.
Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.
But as he realizes that nothing � from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess � is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all � who does he want to be?
Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.]]> 368 Caitlin Rozakis Megan 3 dnf 3.86 2024 Dreadful
author: Caitlin Rozakis
name: Megan
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Nightweaver 216528191 An INSTANT New York Times Bestseller!

Order now and receive the gorgeous DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last ―featuring stenciled sprayed edges, as well as exclusive special design features. This must-have special edition is only available on a limited first print run while supplies last.

Filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists,ĚýNightweaverĚýis a propulsive romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny—perfect for fans ofĚýPowerlessĚýandĚýHeartless Hunter.

Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.ĚýĚý

When a handsomeĚýNightweaverĚýnamed Will offers theĚýOberonsĚýprotection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new There are monstersĚýworseĚýthan Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.Ěý
Ěý
As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.Ěý]]> 431 R.M. Gray 0316583383 Megan 2 dnf
Big MEH and the lore is a big fat info dump. There's no chemistry between Aster and Will and while the author is trying to establish Will as the good guy it's just flat. Aster was just as poorly written...one second combative and digging in her proverbial heels and then the next second doing the exact opposite to "learn info" when all she had to do was begrudgingly listen to her mom.

Sad. The physical book was very pretty but I guess I won't be buying it now.]]> 4.19 2025 Nightweaver
author: R.M. Gray
name: Megan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 20%.

Big MEH and the lore is a big fat info dump. There's no chemistry between Aster and Will and while the author is trying to establish Will as the good guy it's just flat. Aster was just as poorly written...one second combative and digging in her proverbial heels and then the next second doing the exact opposite to "learn info" when all she had to do was begrudgingly listen to her mom.

Sad. The physical book was very pretty but I guess I won't be buying it now.
]]> <![CDATA[Tea You at the Altar (Tomes & Tea, #3)]]> 211004860 The Princess Bride meets Travis Baldree in Tea You at the Altar, the third cosy fantasy in Rebecca Thorne's bestselling Tomes & Tea series. Our sapphic adventurers must navigate the ultimate maelstrom � their own wedding!

Kianthe and Reyna are ready to finally walk down the aisle, and in just seven days their wedding of a wifetime will become a reality. There's still so much to do but, like all best-laid plans, everything seems to be going awry.

Their baby dragons are causing mayhem in the town of Tawney, and Kianthe’s uptight parents have invited themselves to the wedding. Yet, worst of all, Reyna has become embroiled in a secret plot to overthrow Queen Tilaine. The world seems against them â€� and how are they going to live long enough to say â€I doâ€�?]]> 336 Rebecca Thorne 1250333253 Megan 4
Also, bonus points for that ADORABLE dragonling drawing at the top of every new chapter. PRECIOUS.]]> 4.33 2025 Tea You at the Altar (Tomes & Tea, #3)
author: Rebecca Thorne
name: Megan
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: cozy, fantasy, light, teas-n-tinctures
review:
After the adventures in the second book, we return to cozy Tawney and I am so, so happy we did. But as all things, this cozy couple dabbles in plenty of shenanigans...including staging a royal coup with their wedding as the setting.

Also, bonus points for that ADORABLE dragonling drawing at the top of every new chapter. PRECIOUS.
]]> <![CDATA[The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed, #1)]]> 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 Megan 0 to-read 4.19 2025 The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed, #1)
author: Brigitte Knightley
name: Megan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Alchemy and a Cup of Tea (Tomes & Tea, #4)]]> 217388144 USA Today, Sunday Times, and Indie bestselling author Rebecca Thorne brings the Tomes & Tea series to a delightful, cozy close for our beloved lesbian book- and tea- sellers.

Reyna and Kianthe have no trouble ruling the Queendom, battling evil alchemists, and rescuing adorable baby dragons, but can they save their town from the ravening influx of.... tourists?!?

On the night of her kidnapping, all Reyna wanted was a relaxing cup of tea. She didn’t expect to be dropped in a hidden cell, but what the hells. She’s flexible.

When Kianthe “rescues� her wife, she expects they’ll be back at New Leaf having tea by noon. But there’s a problem: an alchemy circle marred Reyna’s cell. What does a radical group of alchemists want with the Queendom’s newest sovereign� and why did they think they could get away with this?

To make matters worse, Kianthe and Reyna’s hometown is having its own problems. Word of New Leaf Tomes and Tea―and its celebrity owners―has finally spread, and tourists are flooding into Tawney. As their friends struggle with the sudden influx, Kianthe and Reyna have to face a bigger conundrum than rogue alchemists: the fact that closing their bookshop might be the only way to save their town.

Things can’t just be simple, can they?]]> 320 Rebecca Thorne 125033327X Megan 0 to-read 4.52 2025 Alchemy and a Cup of Tea (Tomes & Tea, #4)
author: Rebecca Thorne
name: Megan
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gate to Kagoshima (Ancestor Memories, #1)]]> 213974048 In this exciting historical romantasy in the spirit of The Hurricane Wars and The Time Traveler’s Wife—Outlander set in Japan—a young Scottish woman is magically transported to the last Samurai era, where she encounters ghosts from the past, her own Japanese ancestry, and a love that transcends time.

While in Japan researching her family’s history, a vicious typhoon sends Isla Mackenzie 128 years back in time, to the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion. There she meets her ancestors, and a charismatic samurai, Kei, with whom she unexpectedly finds romance.

But, unlike her Beloved, Isla knows about the looming Samurai rebellion—and Kai’s fate. Should she attempt to change history or somehow make her way back to the life she’d had before?

Compulsively readable, historically grounded, and irresistibly immersive, Gate to Kagoshima is an unforgettable tale of duty, and of timeless love.]]> 320 Poppy Kuroki 0063410877 Megan 2 dnf
I couldn't get into the story and I'm just not a fan of the writing. Additionally, (I hate to say it) the foreign language instances just didn't work well. I wish she would have either stuck with context clues or translation but it was a mix of different things and that was highly distracting for me.

Going to pass this one by.]]> 3.26 2025 Gate to Kagoshima (Ancestor Memories, #1)
author: Poppy Kuroki
name: Megan
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: dnf
review:
Suckered in by a gorgeous cover. I blame the B&N associate that recommended this to me.

I couldn't get into the story and I'm just not a fan of the writing. Additionally, (I hate to say it) the foreign language instances just didn't work well. I wish she would have either stuck with context clues or translation but it was a mix of different things and that was highly distracting for me.

Going to pass this one by.
]]> Deep End 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 Megan 5 The subject line just reads What you need.
The body: If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me.

I was all prepared to do a long review on why this is worthy of my very rare 5-stars but all I can say is it was perfection. In every way.

Y'all NEED to read it!

Slight mention for the kinksters: there wasn't much of actual kink exploration aside from a dom/sub relationship where he controls their encounters. It is, however, by far the most spice Ali has included in her books to date and some may not like that because the heavier emphasis on the sex puts their actual relationship in the background (which some have felt was non-existent but it's THERE I PROMISE).]]> 3.94 2025 Deep End
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Megan
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: five-star, personal-recos, adult, realistic, smut
review:
The subject line just reads What you need.
The body: If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me.


I was all prepared to do a long review on why this is worthy of my very rare 5-stars but all I can say is it was perfection. In every way.

Y'all NEED to read it!

Slight mention for the kinksters: there wasn't much of actual kink exploration aside from a dom/sub relationship where he controls their encounters. It is, however, by far the most spice Ali has included in her books to date and some may not like that because the heavier emphasis on the sex puts their actual relationship in the background (which some have felt was non-existent but it's THERE I PROMISE).
]]> <![CDATA[Wizard of Most Wicked Ways (Whimbrel House, #4)]]> 208283672 When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend him off, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves; one way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.]]> Charlie N. Holmberg Megan 5 "Has the ability to touch grass grown so monotonous already?"

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend him off, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves; one way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.

"I'm glad you were the most obnoxious guttersnipe I'd ever met."


Thank the everloving book gods that blessed Adrienne Procaccini and 47North the good sense to let this book happen. Because it wasn't. Holmberg says it wasn't in the acknowledgements.

I'll even admit that I was skeptical of it. Silas, the big bad, is back after five years dead? Please. Explain to me how that makes sense. I am ashamed I had no faith when I should have.

Because I definitely should have.

Because this book is even better than the first in the series.

Because this is the TRIUMPH of this series.

God, I love Owein so much.

Whimbrel House fans will NOT be disappointed.
]]> 4.03 2025 Wizard of Most Wicked Ways (Whimbrel House, #4)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Megan
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: arc, fantasy, light, young-adult
review:
"Has the ability to touch grass grown so monotonous already?"


Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend him off, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves; one way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.

"I'm glad you were the most obnoxious guttersnipe I'd ever met."


Thank the everloving book gods that blessed Adrienne Procaccini and 47North the good sense to let this book happen. Because it wasn't. Holmberg says it wasn't in the acknowledgements.

I'll even admit that I was skeptical of it. Silas, the big bad, is back after five years dead? Please. Explain to me how that makes sense. I am ashamed I had no faith when I should have.

Because I definitely should have.

Because this book is even better than the first in the series.

Because this is the TRIUMPH of this series.

God, I love Owein so much.

Whimbrel House fans will NOT be disappointed.

]]> The Rose Bargain 213106589 The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

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

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

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from 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 0063372541 Megan 2 dnf
Who said this was a mix of Cruel Prince and The Selection? This is literally just The Selection with a faerie queen element. That does not a Cruel Prince comparison make.

Sorry to say this is flat and uninteresting but you'll probably like it if The Selection was your thing. It's just gonna be a bit darker. Think original Cinderalla where the stepsisters cut off their toes to fit into a shoe type thing.]]> 4.01 2025 The Rose Bargain
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: Megan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 25%.

Who said this was a mix of Cruel Prince and The Selection? This is literally just The Selection with a faerie queen element. That does not a Cruel Prince comparison make.

Sorry to say this is flat and uninteresting but you'll probably like it if The Selection was your thing. It's just gonna be a bit darker. Think original Cinderalla where the stepsisters cut off their toes to fit into a shoe type thing.
]]> <![CDATA[A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)]]> 174644650
Captured by the king of darkness, she was forced to find the light within.

Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King.

Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be her only path to freedom. Unfortunately, he’s as infuriating as he is cunning—and seems to take twisted pleasure in playing on Arwen’s deepest fears.

But here in Onyx Kingdom, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.

To make it out of enemy territory, she'll have to navigate back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and dangerous beasts. But untold power lies inside Arwen, dormant and waiting for a spark. If she can harness it, she just might be able to escape with her life—and hopefully, her heart.]]> 427 Kate Golden 0593641914 Megan 1 dnf
I really liked the beginning and was honestly expecting this to be about a 4 star read with how strong it started...but man. It quickly went downhill.

Arwen was a pretty strong character at the start - a drive to take care of her mother and heal the wounded. Very healer-minded which I really like in a fantasy. And then...and then she's taken to Shadowkeep. And introduced to our main man. And the conversation was so manufactured and he kept calling her "bird" which is supposed to be endearing but if you literally start off that way after sob fest like...why.

And then he can mysteriously escape except he comes to get healed because he has a chunk of his side missing and then he slips out a window before any guards can see him and then he's back in a cell and it's all just very sus and contrived and not very smooth. No thanks.

Pass this one by. Dialogue is going to make you want to hit your head against a wall.]]> 4.11 2022 A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)
author: Kate Golden
name: Megan
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 20%. I'm not really sure how this was nominated as a Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ choice. Really questioning y'alls judgements.

I really liked the beginning and was honestly expecting this to be about a 4 star read with how strong it started...but man. It quickly went downhill.

Arwen was a pretty strong character at the start - a drive to take care of her mother and heal the wounded. Very healer-minded which I really like in a fantasy. And then...and then she's taken to Shadowkeep. And introduced to our main man. And the conversation was so manufactured and he kept calling her "bird" which is supposed to be endearing but if you literally start off that way after sob fest like...why.

And then he can mysteriously escape except he comes to get healed because he has a chunk of his side missing and then he slips out a window before any guards can see him and then he's back in a cell and it's all just very sus and contrived and not very smooth. No thanks.

Pass this one by. Dialogue is going to make you want to hit your head against a wall.
]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Megan 3 young-adult, realistic 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Megan
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: young-adult, realistic
review:

]]> Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1) 219966756 “Good Spirits is an absolute knockout. A new Borison book feels like coming home in the best way. She's truly in a league of her own.� � Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker

The USA Today bestselling author of Business Casual, B.K. Borison is back with a whimsical new holiday romance—this time with a magical twist—that will have everyone falling in love with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together� and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm, this swoony romance is B.K. Borison’s best yet!]]> B.K. Borison Megan 0 to-read 4.54 2025 Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Megan
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 213245287 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.]]> 446 B.K. Borison 0593641205 Megan 5 Twenty-nine years and the closest I’ve come to romantic love is the way I feel about the armchair in the romance section at Patty’s.

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.

"When the whole world tells you you’re silly for wanting the things you want, you start to believe them. You start to think you’re not worth it. That if the things you’re waiting for do exist, they’re not for someone like you."


I am absolutely ENAMORED with this book. It is a literal love letter to love itself. All kinds.

And can I say how absolutely REFRESHING it is to have this type of love story without the heroine feeling like she's missing a critical component in her life? Yes, life is absolutely better with a partner. But gosh darnit, partners aren't everything. There are friends, and kids, and support systems that also fill your life with love...and Lucie's is full of it. I love love loved reading about her daughter and her daughter's two dads...and Lucie's relationship with the two dads. AHHHHH. THIS IS LIFE AND LOVE PEOPLE!

Like...listen to this. LISTEN.

"Why can’t this be the one thing I don’t have to try at? Why can’t it be a thing that just…happens? I don’t want—I don’t want to think about what I should say or how I should act or…or have talking points in the notes app of my phone for a dinner date at a restaurant that I don’t really like. I want to feel something when I connect with someone."


"I don’t want to be with someone if they’re not giving me something I don’t already have. I don’t want to waste my time on things that don’t feel like everything I’ve always wanted for myself."


"I can be a confident, independent woman and still want someone to hold my hand. To ask about my day. It’s a good thing to want passion and excitement and care. Attention and affection. I don’t want to settle for anything less than that."


And Aidan is the funny, flirty radio host that is closed off from love and yet Luci gets under his guard and suddenly he's wanting things that he hasn't wanted before and he's positively drunk on her presence and eventually he wants her so much that it scares him. Love hurts when it's ripped away. He'd unconsciously decided as a kid to distance himself from love and now it's a habit. So Aiden has to work through his issues and god the talks that Luci and Aiden had were so mature and it was the PERFECT example of healthy communication (on Luci's part) and working through healthy feedback (on Aiden's part).

"You're the magic."


Luci deserves to be worshipped by Aiden. And Aiden deserves someone who can be patient with his issues and love him while he makes an honest effort of working through them.

I LOVE THIS LOVE STORYYYY!!!!

A must for all you romance lovers. If it ain't on your shelves can you even call yourself a romance lover?]]> 4.20 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Megan
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: five-star, personal-recos, adult, realistic
review:
Twenty-nine years and the closest I’ve come to romantic love is the way I feel about the armchair in the romance section at Patty’s.


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.

"When the whole world tells you you’re silly for wanting the things you want, you start to believe them. You start to think you’re not worth it. That if the things you’re waiting for do exist, they’re not for someone like you."


I am absolutely ENAMORED with this book. It is a literal love letter to love itself. All kinds.

And can I say how absolutely REFRESHING it is to have this type of love story without the heroine feeling like she's missing a critical component in her life? Yes, life is absolutely better with a partner. But gosh darnit, partners aren't everything. There are friends, and kids, and support systems that also fill your life with love...and Lucie's is full of it. I love love loved reading about her daughter and her daughter's two dads...and Lucie's relationship with the two dads. AHHHHH. THIS IS LIFE AND LOVE PEOPLE!

Like...listen to this. LISTEN.

"Why can’t this be the one thing I don’t have to try at? Why can’t it be a thing that just…happens? I don’t want—I don’t want to think about what I should say or how I should act or…or have talking points in the notes app of my phone for a dinner date at a restaurant that I don’t really like. I want to feel something when I connect with someone."


"I don’t want to be with someone if they’re not giving me something I don’t already have. I don’t want to waste my time on things that don’t feel like everything I’ve always wanted for myself."


"I can be a confident, independent woman and still want someone to hold my hand. To ask about my day. It’s a good thing to want passion and excitement and care. Attention and affection. I don’t want to settle for anything less than that."


And Aidan is the funny, flirty radio host that is closed off from love and yet Luci gets under his guard and suddenly he's wanting things that he hasn't wanted before and he's positively drunk on her presence and eventually he wants her so much that it scares him. Love hurts when it's ripped away. He'd unconsciously decided as a kid to distance himself from love and now it's a habit. So Aiden has to work through his issues and god the talks that Luci and Aiden had were so mature and it was the PERFECT example of healthy communication (on Luci's part) and working through healthy feedback (on Aiden's part).

"You're the magic."


Luci deserves to be worshipped by Aiden. And Aiden deserves someone who can be patient with his issues and love him while he makes an honest effort of working through them.

I LOVE THIS LOVE STORYYYY!!!!

A must for all you romance lovers. If it ain't on your shelves can you even call yourself a romance lover?
]]> <![CDATA[Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy, #1)]]> 211680742 Stephanie Burgis delivers a delightful and seductive romantasy with the fun irreverence of The Nightmare Before Kissmas and Assistant to the Villain.She’s the wicked sorceress whom everybody fears. He’s the mysterious dark wizard hired to sort out the chaotic library of magic in her castle. Little does she know he’s actually a sweet, nerdy archduke in disguise and on the run, with no magical training whatsoever, but with perilous secrets on his trail� and a fast-growing yearning for her, the most terrifying woman he’s ever met.]]> 297 Stephanie Burgis 1250359600 Megan 4 She was a pitiful excuse for a terrifying, magical queen, and she needed to shift her thoughts to bloodshed immediately.

She’s the wicked sorceress whom everybody fears. He’s the mysterious dark wizard hired to sort out the chaotic library of magic in her castle. Little does she know he’s actually a sweet, nerdy archduke in disguise and on the run, with no magical training whatsoever, but with perilous secrets on his trail� and a fast-growing yearning for her, the most terrifying woman he’s ever met.

"Ugh, now I’m even starting to like him. This is dreadful! Can we please go kill somebody?"


What an absolute DELIGHT. 4.5 solid stars.

I feel like my latest reading choices are Villain Era. But even though Saskia wasn't an ACTUAL villain (she's just refreshingly HERSELF and thus LABELED dangerous and blah blah blah you know how these tales get out of hand) I really loved that she wasn't afraid to protect her loved ones which usually results in grandiose displays of magic because boy does she pack a punch.

Felix has been used all his life by someone that's supposed to protect him. As a last ditch effort, he abandons everything and throws himself at Saskia's mercy...except when he gets there, he's mistaken for a dark wizard (which, honestly not bad), assigned a job sorting her library (and he LOVES books), and trying to stay out of the way of the Queens of Villainy (the three queens labeled "uncontrollable" blah blah blah you know how these tales get out of hand).

He befriends one of Saskia's crows while he works relentless to catalogue the library. Like. Honestly, this is cozy and cute. And it has just a tidge bit of seriousness because Saskia is a queen that thinks she should perhaps make herself smaller so that she's more palatable to her people but Felix helps her believe in herself because he thinks she's absolutely amazing in all her chaotic glory and I really cannot say how much I truly loved seeing them together. We need more gentle heroes that obsess over fountain pens.

I will absolutely be reading the other queen's stories.

Recommended for the cozy fantasy lovers that like a gentle slow burn.]]> 3.97 2025 Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy, #1)
author: Stephanie Burgis
name: Megan
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: fantasy, cozy, adult, personal-recos, light
review:
She was a pitiful excuse for a terrifying, magical queen, and she needed to shift her thoughts to bloodshed immediately.


She’s the wicked sorceress whom everybody fears. He’s the mysterious dark wizard hired to sort out the chaotic library of magic in her castle. Little does she know he’s actually a sweet, nerdy archduke in disguise and on the run, with no magical training whatsoever, but with perilous secrets on his trail� and a fast-growing yearning for her, the most terrifying woman he’s ever met.

"Ugh, now I’m even starting to like him. This is dreadful! Can we please go kill somebody?"


What an absolute DELIGHT. 4.5 solid stars.

I feel like my latest reading choices are Villain Era. But even though Saskia wasn't an ACTUAL villain (she's just refreshingly HERSELF and thus LABELED dangerous and blah blah blah you know how these tales get out of hand) I really loved that she wasn't afraid to protect her loved ones which usually results in grandiose displays of magic because boy does she pack a punch.

Felix has been used all his life by someone that's supposed to protect him. As a last ditch effort, he abandons everything and throws himself at Saskia's mercy...except when he gets there, he's mistaken for a dark wizard (which, honestly not bad), assigned a job sorting her library (and he LOVES books), and trying to stay out of the way of the Queens of Villainy (the three queens labeled "uncontrollable" blah blah blah you know how these tales get out of hand).

He befriends one of Saskia's crows while he works relentless to catalogue the library. Like. Honestly, this is cozy and cute. And it has just a tidge bit of seriousness because Saskia is a queen that thinks she should perhaps make herself smaller so that she's more palatable to her people but Felix helps her believe in herself because he thinks she's absolutely amazing in all her chaotic glory and I really cannot say how much I truly loved seeing them together. We need more gentle heroes that obsess over fountain pens.

I will absolutely be reading the other queen's stories.

Recommended for the cozy fantasy lovers that like a gentle slow burn.
]]> How to Be a Good Villain 205458016
Disguised as a castle maid, Lillith attempts every devilish scheme and seductive trick to unravel Asher's shining reputation, yet the pampered prince manages to evade her efforts with infuriating optimism.

Worse still, the more time Lillith spends scrubbing the manor floors, the more she finds herself falling for Asher's spirit, empathy, and hidden quirks beneath the princely facade.

With her icy heart melting fast, Lillith must decide whether to abandon her wicked ways for a chance at an epic, star-crossed love or to deliver Asher to darkness. Because even the noblest heroes hide secrets that could ruin everything.


]]> 424 Jamie Dalton Megan 2 fantasy, light, adult
First there's the telling-not-showing where she's at first a damsel in distress from ruffians, burns them to a crisp, and then cries on the guard to "divert suspicion." I'm sorry, if there were three people burned to a crisp in an alley and only a lonely maid with nary a scratch I don't care they be SUS.

Then once she gets the maid position, she has to clean the prince's underwear...underwear that HE POOED IN. Excuse me??? How is that a good set up for the romance? Or for convincing me that mr golden boy is above reproach in all things? Those should have been burned. Instead, it's a plot device (not a good one) for the prince to meet the maid and find her "refreshingly different."

And throughout the novel she's constantly creeping around but talking to herself and not being stealthy at all and just overall very full of herself.

AND SHE ISN'T EVEN A VILLAIN AT THE END. I WANT MY VILLAIN. I WANT MR GOLDEN PRINCE TO BE CORRUPTED.

I'm throwing hands. THROWING. HANDS.

I'm so upset I wasted money on the ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Kickstarter box. I guess it's just going to be table candy now. Sigh.]]> 3.74 How to Be a Good Villain
author: Jamie Dalton
name: Megan
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: fantasy, light, adult
review:
The premise of this book had such PROMISE. I loved the rules, I loved the excerpts from the zine, I loved the idea that a villain is so bored with being top dog that she goes undercover to corrupt the golden prince just for giggles. The execution, however, was severely lacking.

First there's the telling-not-showing where she's at first a damsel in distress from ruffians, burns them to a crisp, and then cries on the guard to "divert suspicion." I'm sorry, if there were three people burned to a crisp in an alley and only a lonely maid with nary a scratch I don't care they be SUS.

Then once she gets the maid position, she has to clean the prince's underwear...underwear that HE POOED IN. Excuse me??? How is that a good set up for the romance? Or for convincing me that mr golden boy is above reproach in all things? Those should have been burned. Instead, it's a plot device (not a good one) for the prince to meet the maid and find her "refreshingly different."

And throughout the novel she's constantly creeping around but talking to herself and not being stealthy at all and just overall very full of herself.

AND SHE ISN'T EVEN A VILLAIN AT THE END. I WANT MY VILLAIN. I WANT MR GOLDEN PRINCE TO BE CORRUPTED.

I'm throwing hands. THROWING. HANDS.

I'm so upset I wasted money on the ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Kickstarter box. I guess it's just going to be table candy now. Sigh.
]]> Bound by Honey 145992018 *See all the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection HERE.*

A magical library, an incurable curse, and a woman who loves her coffee.

Sage thought working in a magical library was already the stuff of fairytales. When a gargoyle named Freddy is your coworker, you know your job is anything but ordinary. But even Sage couldn't have predicted the chaos that ensues when The Charming Four come knocking.
With their leader, Prince Finn, cursed and Sage in need of a place to stay, she can't help but get involved in his quest for a cure.
When his brother, the Crown Prince, is up to no good and secrets are being kept, will Sage step up to the challenge or keep her cozy life cozy?

This enemies to lovers low-risk, high-stakes cozy fantasy romance is packed with sass, charm, and plenty of magic. If you enjoy the heavy male cast (but she only ends up with one person) in things such as Meteor Garden, the cozy fantasy vibes of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, but need that sprinkled of Beauty and the Beast this book is for you!

Bound by Honey is the 11th book in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection. These books are all standalones written by your favorite fantasy authors and are the perfect read for your summer vacation. Prepare to be swept away into magical worlds with tropes you obsess over and swoon-worthy romance.]]> 253 Jamie Dalton 1960771027 Megan 1 dnf
This needed thorough editing.]]> 3.23 Bound by Honey
author: Jamie Dalton
name: Megan
average rating: 3.23
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf
review:
What a hot mess. This felt more like a draft than it did a fleshed out story. Everything felt forced from the fact that Freddy the gargoyle is apparently humanoid at night (and a mage...and gargoyles are because mages overextended their magic...which doesn't explain why they're beasts of stone during the day but okay), the connection between the MC and the "Charming Four" (gag me), and the whole plot line of getting her involved with them in the first place.

This needed thorough editing.
]]> Foxglove (Belladonna, #2) 58648962
A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death's story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.]]> 453 Adalyn Grace Megan 2 fantasy, young-adult When everything went to hell, at least she could always count on scones.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

She didn’t care to be a sunflower, unfurling her petals in the daylight for all to see. She would rather be an adorable little mushroom, thriving in the dark crevices where few ventured to look.


This book felt kind of like a...convenience? Meaning the first book and third book are going to be drastically different books (considering they focus on two different people) and Foxglove was obviously meant to bridge the gap. That said, it didn't necessarily FEEL like its only purpose is a bridge as there IS stuff that goes on...but I didn't really feel a lot of urgency despite the fact that it started with a bang.

Overall, I didn't like this one as much as the first. Trying to break it down, I think it comes down to:
- Death wasn't as prevalent. Since he was one of the reasons I liked book one, I wanted to see more of him here
- Fate just didn't capture me. I sympathize with his loneliness but sir, that is not the way to deal with it!
- I wanted more Foxglove
- It lacked a compelling hook and I think tried to do a few too many things
- The reveal didn't make sense to me (though it was predictable that it happened) which seems to be a theme for me with the series lol

But there was good too!
- Lots of quotables in this book - it's something I really like about the author
- Blythe's personality makes an appearance and boy howdy am I looking forward to seeing it in book three
- I loved the insights we got into Signa's parents from Amity and the history behind Foxglove
- The possible ramifications of the reveal and how it'll play out in the conclusion

Overall, Belladonna was stronger but I wasn't too disappointed. I'm looking forward to Wisteria.]]> 4.16 2023 Foxglove (Belladonna, #2)
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Megan
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:
When everything went to hell, at least she could always count on scones.


A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

She didn’t care to be a sunflower, unfurling her petals in the daylight for all to see. She would rather be an adorable little mushroom, thriving in the dark crevices where few ventured to look.


This book felt kind of like a...convenience? Meaning the first book and third book are going to be drastically different books (considering they focus on two different people) and Foxglove was obviously meant to bridge the gap. That said, it didn't necessarily FEEL like its only purpose is a bridge as there IS stuff that goes on...but I didn't really feel a lot of urgency despite the fact that it started with a bang.

Overall, I didn't like this one as much as the first. Trying to break it down, I think it comes down to:
- Death wasn't as prevalent. Since he was one of the reasons I liked book one, I wanted to see more of him here
- Fate just didn't capture me. I sympathize with his loneliness but sir, that is not the way to deal with it!
- I wanted more Foxglove
- It lacked a compelling hook and I think tried to do a few too many things
- The reveal didn't make sense to me (though it was predictable that it happened) which seems to be a theme for me with the series lol

But there was good too!
- Lots of quotables in this book - it's something I really like about the author
- Blythe's personality makes an appearance and boy howdy am I looking forward to seeing it in book three
- I loved the insights we got into Signa's parents from Amity and the history behind Foxglove
- The possible ramifications of the reveal and how it'll play out in the conclusion

Overall, Belladonna was stronger but I wasn't too disappointed. I'm looking forward to Wisteria.
]]> <![CDATA[The Crack at the Heart of Everything (The Cursed Mage Book 1)]]> 209603653 He accidentally cursed himself...

When the consequences get him exiled to the land he helped terrorize, can this evil wizard find redemption... and love?

Orpheus can't believe it's come to this. After helping his childhood friend conquer the realm by raising an army of hell-beasts, the befuddled dark sorcerer finds himself banished when the price of his magic endangers the palace. Isolated and betrayed, the feared spellcaster isn't exactly thrilled when his irritating and handsome rival keeps stepping between him and certain doom.

Ill at ease in the barren wasteland his powers created, Orpheus slowly warms to the charismatic ex-general's relentless overtures. But as his feelings grow more intense, the former villain struggles with an inconvenient calling towards heroism.

Will dabbling in good deeds get him killed or open the doors to happily ever after?

The Crack at the Heart of Everything is the charmingly swoon-worthy first book in an epic LGBTQ+ fantasy series. If you like character-driven stories, snarky humor, and well-earned redemption arcs, then you'll adore Fiona Fenn's unexpected hero's journey.]]> 374 Fiona Fenn Megan 2 dnf
I think it didn't help that I'd just finished Yield Under Great Persuasion and I wanted a villain truly as awful as the villain status deserves.]]> 4.01 2024 The Crack at the Heart of Everything (The Cursed Mage Book 1)
author: Fiona Fenn
name: Megan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 47%. Even though it was just getting interesting between the two of them, the first part of the book was somewhat bland.

I think it didn't help that I'd just finished Yield Under Great Persuasion and I wanted a villain truly as awful as the villain status deserves.
]]> The Dollmakers 202219616
In the country called One, dollmakers are vital members of the community. An artisan’s doll is the height of society’s accomplishments, while a guard’s doll is the only thing standing between the people of One and the vicious, cobbled monstrosities that will tear apart any structure—living or dead, inanimate or otherwise—to add to their horde.

Apprentice Shean of Pearl is a brilliant dollmaker. With her clever dolls, she intends to outsmart and destroy the Shod, once and for all—a destiny she’s worked her whole life toward accomplishing. But when the time comes for her dolls to be licensed, she’s told her work is too beautiful and delicate to fight. A statement that wounds and infuriates her; the Shod killed everyone she loved. How could her fate be anything but fighting them?

In an attempt to help her see a new path for herself, Shean’s mentor sends her on a journey to the remote village called Web, urging her to glean some wisdom from Ikiisa, a reclusive and well-respected guard dollmaker. But Shean has another if she can convince the village of Web of her talents, the Licensor Guild will have to reconsider and grant her a guard’s license. And what better way to convince them than challenging Ikiisa and instating herself as the official dollmaker of Web? Once she’s done that, proving her dolls� worth in the fight against the Shod will be simple.

As simple, that is, as calling the Shod to Web...]]> 400 Lynn Buchanan Megan 2 dnf
Making an unlikeable MC is a bold move. Sometimes it pays off and a lot of times it doesn't.

This really, really didn't.

The MC is an insufferable, egotistical BRAT even worse than Violet in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She straight up assaults the licensor because they have the gaul to license them as an artisan rather than a soldier dollmarker. Then she trashes her room, yells at her mentor (that adopted, raised, and trained her after her family died years before), and then sets out to ruin another dollmaker's life by taking their position. Wow.]]> 3.95 2024 The Dollmakers
author: Lynn Buchanan
name: Megan
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 34%.

Making an unlikeable MC is a bold move. Sometimes it pays off and a lot of times it doesn't.

This really, really didn't.

The MC is an insufferable, egotistical BRAT even worse than Violet in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She straight up assaults the licensor because they have the gaul to license them as an artisan rather than a soldier dollmarker. Then she trashes her room, yells at her mentor (that adopted, raised, and trained her after her family died years before), and then sets out to ruin another dollmaker's life by taking their position. Wow.
]]> Yield Under Great Persuasion 218071603
When they were both nine years old, Lyford smashed Tam’s entry into the village’s vegetable competition. Nearly twenty years later, Tam hasn’t forgiven him. No one understands how deeply he was hurt that day, how it set a pattern of disappointments and small misfortunes that would run through the rest of his life. Now Tam has reconciled himself to the fact that love and affection are for other people, that the gods don’t care and won’t answer any of his prayers (not even the one about afflicting Lyford with a case of flesh-eating spiders to chew off his privates), and that life is inherently mundane, joyless, and drab.

And then, the very last Tam discovers that Lyford (of all people!) bears the divine favor of Angarat, the goddess Tam feels most betrayed and abandoned by. In his hurt and anger, Tam packs up and prepares to leave the village for good.]]> 254 Alexandra Rowland Megan 4 Lyford brought him more tea and a book, and then, in one of the most alluring and arousing moves Tam had ever witnessed, left him alone for several hours to nap.

Tam Becket has hated Lord Lyford since they were boys. The fact that he’s also been sleeping with the man for the last ten years is irrelevant.

When they were both nine years old, Lyford smashed Tam’s entry into the village’s vegetable competition. Nearly twenty years later, Tam hasn’t forgiven him. No one understands how deeply he was hurt that day, how it set a pattern of disappointments and small misfortunes that would run through the rest of his life. Now Tam has reconciled himself to the fact that love and affection are for other people, that the gods don’t care and won’t answer any of his prayers (not even the one about afflicting Lyford with a case of flesh-eating spiders to chew off his privates), and that life is inherently mundane, joyless, and drab.

And then, the very last Tam discovers that Lyford (of all people!) bears the divine favor of Angarat, the goddess Tam feels most betrayed and abandoned by. In his hurt and anger, Tam packs up and prepares to leave the village for good.

Who gave him permission to go around in public like that, with his—his—his shiny wheat-gold hair and his eyes and his face?


Hilarious and completely over-the-top dramatics that somehow manages to be both super cozy and a love letter to good communication through the lens of the most awful goblin of a person alive???

Seriously. Tam starts out whiny as hell, keeps coming back to an accident from twenty years ago that supposedly was the catalyst for everything wrong in his life, blames everyone else for the outrage he has at that life in general, and has the most toxic fuck buddy energy going with Lyford who is honestly just TOO GOOD FOR HIM.

He would have been the nastiest, pettiest, most awful villain. He would have spread insidious gossip about them like poison on a bed of weeds. He would have torn them down. He would have uprooted them and cut them apart and salted the fields behind him.


But good LORD he is just the most precious baby goblin that keeps biting the hand that feeds him as he's fighting to better his life and change his outlook and everything in his head is constant anxiety and I swear I feel for him so hard because he kinda reminds me of me and I GET IT. Especially when he realizes that Lyford loves all his prickly pieces and BECAUSE of his prickly pieces. Like. The PASSION! The DRAMA! Every thought in his head comes tumbling out no matter who you are!

Gods, what was this shit? Who had he become? Someone who got to sleep in, that was who. Someone who got to be cuddled(?) and kissed(???) by someone who knew damn well that Tam was awful and liked him anyway.


Gotta admit I had no idea what Lyford saw in him at first and the ending kinda confused me a bit (side plot wrap up, not the actual ending ending) but honestly that was so minor on this journey of self love and putting in the hard work to turn yourself around and having someone that loves you so completely HELP YOU BELIEVE IT that this is literally just going to be one of my comfort reads now. :cry:]]> 4.31 2024 Yield Under Great Persuasion
author: Alexandra Rowland
name: Megan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: adult, fantasy, personal-recos
review:
Lyford brought him more tea and a book, and then, in one of the most alluring and arousing moves Tam had ever witnessed, left him alone for several hours to nap.


Tam Becket has hated Lord Lyford since they were boys. The fact that he’s also been sleeping with the man for the last ten years is irrelevant.

When they were both nine years old, Lyford smashed Tam’s entry into the village’s vegetable competition. Nearly twenty years later, Tam hasn’t forgiven him. No one understands how deeply he was hurt that day, how it set a pattern of disappointments and small misfortunes that would run through the rest of his life. Now Tam has reconciled himself to the fact that love and affection are for other people, that the gods don’t care and won’t answer any of his prayers (not even the one about afflicting Lyford with a case of flesh-eating spiders to chew off his privates), and that life is inherently mundane, joyless, and drab.

And then, the very last Tam discovers that Lyford (of all people!) bears the divine favor of Angarat, the goddess Tam feels most betrayed and abandoned by. In his hurt and anger, Tam packs up and prepares to leave the village for good.

Who gave him permission to go around in public like that, with his—his—his shiny wheat-gold hair and his eyes and his face?


Hilarious and completely over-the-top dramatics that somehow manages to be both super cozy and a love letter to good communication through the lens of the most awful goblin of a person alive???

Seriously. Tam starts out whiny as hell, keeps coming back to an accident from twenty years ago that supposedly was the catalyst for everything wrong in his life, blames everyone else for the outrage he has at that life in general, and has the most toxic fuck buddy energy going with Lyford who is honestly just TOO GOOD FOR HIM.

He would have been the nastiest, pettiest, most awful villain. He would have spread insidious gossip about them like poison on a bed of weeds. He would have torn them down. He would have uprooted them and cut them apart and salted the fields behind him.


But good LORD he is just the most precious baby goblin that keeps biting the hand that feeds him as he's fighting to better his life and change his outlook and everything in his head is constant anxiety and I swear I feel for him so hard because he kinda reminds me of me and I GET IT. Especially when he realizes that Lyford loves all his prickly pieces and BECAUSE of his prickly pieces. Like. The PASSION! The DRAMA! Every thought in his head comes tumbling out no matter who you are!

Gods, what was this shit? Who had he become? Someone who got to sleep in, that was who. Someone who got to be cuddled(?) and kissed(???) by someone who knew damn well that Tam was awful and liked him anyway.


Gotta admit I had no idea what Lyford saw in him at first and the ending kinda confused me a bit (side plot wrap up, not the actual ending ending) but honestly that was so minor on this journey of self love and putting in the hard work to turn yourself around and having someone that loves you so completely HELP YOU BELIEVE IT that this is literally just going to be one of my comfort reads now. :cry:
]]> <![CDATA[A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor, #1)]]> 40969531
Ophelia lives on Anima, an ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, the young girl hides the ability to read and communicate with the souls of objects, and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the powerful Dragon clan. Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancée to the floating capital on the distant Ark of the Pole. Why has she been chosen? Why must she hide her true identity? Though she doesn’t know it yet, she has become a pawn in a deadly plot.]]> 446 Christelle Dabos 1787701425 Megan 2 dnf
Not much happens. Ophelia is boringly average and not special. Their society is supposedly matriarchal but it's highly misogynist. Thorn, the love interest, is an uncaring grunt. About the only good thing I can think to say about it is Ophelia doesn't romanticize Thorn (thank goodness). The marriage is unwanted on both sides and I just am not interested enough to continue another 300 pages to find out why it's happening in the first place.]]> 3.90 2013 A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor, #1)
author: Christelle Dabos
name: Megan
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 21%.

Not much happens. Ophelia is boringly average and not special. Their society is supposedly matriarchal but it's highly misogynist. Thorn, the love interest, is an uncaring grunt. About the only good thing I can think to say about it is Ophelia doesn't romanticize Thorn (thank goodness). The marriage is unwanted on both sides and I just am not interested enough to continue another 300 pages to find out why it's happening in the first place.
]]> Under the Earth, Over the Sky 61419513 In the woods where human lands meet fae, an ancient king born before the history of men finds a dying baby.

Iohmar will take in the child and care for him until a suitable home in the human realm is found. But best laid plans often go awry in the lands of Látwill, where winds carry fae across the star-strewn sky, the woods ensnare the weak-minded with their sinister song, and even Iohmar, King Beneath the Earth, is susceptible to the will of the immortal mountains.

Magic long tethered to Iohmar’s soul will crumble. Unknown shadows and monsters of mirrored glass will encroach upon the borders of their land. And memories thousands of years lost will unravel as Iohmar struggles not only to properly rule his fair folk, but protect the fragile human son he never should have saved in the first place.]]> 304 Emily McCosh 1735442143 Megan 2 dnf
Firstly, I will say that readers that like slow-paced plots and poetically descriptive happenstance will love this book. But holy cow my ADHD is having FITS because it just MEANDERS.]]> 4.20 Under the Earth, Over the Sky
author: Emily McCosh
name: Megan
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: dnf
review:
8% and I don't think I can do it which is UPSETTING. This cover art is GORGEOUS.

Firstly, I will say that readers that like slow-paced plots and poetically descriptive happenstance will love this book. But holy cow my ADHD is having FITS because it just MEANDERS.
]]> Race the Sands 40571151
Life, death, and rebirth -- in Becar, everyone knows that who you are in this life will determine what you are in your next life. The augurs can read your fate in your aura: hawk, heron, tortoise, jackal, human. Armed with that knowledge, you can change your destiny with the choices you make, both in this life and your next. But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and you will always be a kehok for the rest of time.

Unless you can win the Races.

As a professional trainer, Tamra was an elite kehok rider. Then a tragic accident on the track shattered her confidence, damaged her career, and left her nearly broke. Now Tamra needs the prize money to prevent the local temple from taking her daughter away from her, and that means she must once again find a winning kehok . . . and a rider willing to trust her.

Raia is desperate to get away from her domineering family and cruel fiancé. As a kehok rider, she could earn enough to buy her freedom. But she can't become good enough to compete without a first-rate trainer.

Impressed by the inexperienced young woman's determination, Tamra hires Raia and pairs her with a strange new kehok with the potential to win -- if he can be tamed.

But in this sport, if you forget you're riding on the back of a monster, you die. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win the deadly Becaran Races -- and in the process, discover what makes this particular kehok so special.]]> 544 Sarah Beth Durst 0062888625 Megan 5 Call it what it is: monster racing. Forget that, and you die.

I am a fan of death races...and while this wasn't necessarily exactly the kind of death race I was expecting there was plenty of death and plenty of monsters and plenty of political maneuvering to keep things urgent.

I absolutely loved the main cast!

Tamra is a badass monster trainer fallen on hard times. She doesn't subscribe to society's ideal of caring about what you're reborn as in the afterlife so long as your loved ones are safe and happy in this one...and she will do anything to ensure that's the case for Shalla, her daughter.

Raia is a badass runaway whose sheer determination changed her fate. Normally when there is a case of wealthy to runaway I'm not sold on the desperation that they go through but you could feel how her circumstances changed her. She didn't feel like an aristo despite the multiple reminders when her parents appear (or even her fiancé).

The Black Lion is predictable in his past but BOY did I love the push and pull of establishing the bond with Raia...and then completely blowing everything out of the water of what kehoks should be and the races and the ENDINGGGGGG!!!

Perhaps the most surprising of all was Lady Evara. At first she was literally just the picture of flighty aristo with too much money, throwing it at things to entertain herself. And she's delightfully dramatic. But oh HO does she surprise you! I loved that.

Outside of the characters I absolutely loved the underhanded dealings, the emphasis on the moral question of how pure your soul is, and most of all the finale really taking a HARD look at "for the good of" reasoning.

GOD THAT ENDING. I CANNOT GET OVER THAT ENDING. IT WAS SO SATISFYING.

"I make my own destiny and determine my own worth. And I am worth quite a lot."


Read it, read it, read itttttttttt!]]> 4.34 2020 Race the Sands
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Megan
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, personal-recos, five-star
review:
Call it what it is: monster racing. Forget that, and you die.


I am a fan of death races...and while this wasn't necessarily exactly the kind of death race I was expecting there was plenty of death and plenty of monsters and plenty of political maneuvering to keep things urgent.

I absolutely loved the main cast!

Tamra is a badass monster trainer fallen on hard times. She doesn't subscribe to society's ideal of caring about what you're reborn as in the afterlife so long as your loved ones are safe and happy in this one...and she will do anything to ensure that's the case for Shalla, her daughter.

Raia is a badass runaway whose sheer determination changed her fate. Normally when there is a case of wealthy to runaway I'm not sold on the desperation that they go through but you could feel how her circumstances changed her. She didn't feel like an aristo despite the multiple reminders when her parents appear (or even her fiancé).

The Black Lion is predictable in his past but BOY did I love the push and pull of establishing the bond with Raia...and then completely blowing everything out of the water of what kehoks should be and the races and the ENDINGGGGGG!!!

Perhaps the most surprising of all was Lady Evara. At first she was literally just the picture of flighty aristo with too much money, throwing it at things to entertain herself. And she's delightfully dramatic. But oh HO does she surprise you! I loved that.

Outside of the characters I absolutely loved the underhanded dealings, the emphasis on the moral question of how pure your soul is, and most of all the finale really taking a HARD look at "for the good of" reasoning.

GOD THAT ENDING. I CANNOT GET OVER THAT ENDING. IT WAS SO SATISFYING.

"I make my own destiny and determine my own worth. And I am worth quite a lot."


Read it, read it, read itttttttttt!
]]> <![CDATA[The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood, #1)]]> 214175189 For fans of Sarah J. Maas andĚýHolly Black,ĚýThe Forest King's DaughterĚýis an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from theĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author ofĚýFrostblood.

Once upon a time, amongĚýthe bloodredĚýtrees ofĚýThirstwood, a youngĚýforestĚýprincess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought...because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen andĚýforestĚýking declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened ZeruĚýabductsĚýher, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they've escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat toĚýforest folkĚýand demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood SagaĚýcomes the first book in an enchanting,Ěýadventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerfulĚýforestĚýking, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.]]> 384 Elly Blake 0316395722 Megan 1 dnf 3.63 2025 The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood, #1)
author: Elly Blake
name: Megan
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1)]]> 207200706 Featuring beautiful ruby sprayed edges!

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky rom-com where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Nicholas “Coal� Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 304 Sara Raasch 1250333202 Megan 3 fantasy, adult 3.96 2024 The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance, #1)
author: Sara Raasch
name: Megan
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:
3.5 stars. Got super serious at the end and I think it would have been better with a bit of brevity but overall a cute, humorous read. I really liked Coal!
]]> <![CDATA[Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs Trilogy, #1)]]> 207573359 From debut author Maiga Doocy comes the charming tale of an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival as they venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell that can break the curse between them—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.Ěý

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics. He can summon butterflies with a song or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Though such minor charms don’t earn him much respect, anything more elaborate always blows up in his face, and so Leo vowed long ago never to use powerful magic again.

That is, until a mishap with a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime rival, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and absolutely insufferable. The only thing they can agree on is that revealing the curse between them would mean the end of their respective magical careers. They need a counterspell, and fast.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To break the curse, they will have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.]]> 391 Maiga Doocy 031657676X Megan 3 fantasy, adult "You’d wither like a plant during drought without a steady stream of attention."

I wouldn't really consider this a romantasy because I personally didn't feel much of the romance but it was fun!]]> 4.40 2024 Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs Trilogy, #1)
author: Maiga Doocy
name: Megan
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:
"You’d wither like a plant during drought without a steady stream of attention."


I wouldn't really consider this a romantasy because I personally didn't feel much of the romance but it was fun!
]]> Inked (Gilded Blood, #1) 59963160 When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him� until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn's office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?

Now � through (mostly) no fault of my own � we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm. ]]> 347 Rachel Rener Megan 3 fantasy, adult 4.21 2022 Inked (Gilded Blood, #1)
author: Rachel Rener
name: Megan
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:

]]> Swordcrossed 204309713
What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?]]> 372 Freya Marske 1250341620 Megan 3 fantasy, adult 3.93 2024 Swordcrossed
author: Freya Marske
name: Megan
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Boy of Chaotic Making (Whimbrel House, #3)]]> 125373512
Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But after two hundred years of being cursed to drift, Owein is determined to chart his own destiny. He’s ready to defy whatever chaos is coming. After all, Owein is the master of chaos, and with Merritt and Hulda’s love and magical support, he can overcome anything.]]> 299 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662508727 Megan 3 fantasy, adult, light "Sooner or later, secrets catch up with everyone."

Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But he and Hulda were perfectly shaped cogs in a slightly eccentric clock. His future was and always would be with her.


This novel was much less dark than the prior two novels in the series and I think I really liked that Owein was given some freedom to be a lighthearted pupper. And I'm so, so happy with the ending.

I think this one suffered a bit because of the change of scenery. While the British plot was interesting as a premise, I truly think Whimbrel House and Narragansett Bay bring a lot more setting-wise that I enjoy. And of course I really missed Beth and Baptiste.

While the twist at the end was a surprise for me, I also felt it was a little flat.

All-in-all, still a win for fans of this series!]]> 4.31 2024 Boy of Chaotic Making (Whimbrel House, #3)
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Megan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: fantasy, adult, light
review:
"Sooner or later, secrets catch up with everyone."


Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But he and Hulda were perfectly shaped cogs in a slightly eccentric clock. His future was and always would be with her.


This novel was much less dark than the prior two novels in the series and I think I really liked that Owein was given some freedom to be a lighthearted pupper. And I'm so, so happy with the ending.

I think this one suffered a bit because of the change of scenery. While the British plot was interesting as a premise, I truly think Whimbrel House and Narragansett Bay bring a lot more setting-wise that I enjoy. And of course I really missed Beth and Baptiste.

While the twist at the end was a surprise for me, I also felt it was a little flat.

All-in-all, still a win for fans of this series!
]]> <![CDATA[City of Mirth and Malice (Order and Chaos, #2)]]> 199847716
Nicolai Attano finally has everything he’s ever wanted: control over the Iron Saint Railway, safety for his family, and not a single rival syndicate to stand in his way. Never could he have imagined he’d want anything more than power—not until Camilla Marchese.

Six weeks have passed since the disaster on the train and his wife was kidnapped, but to get her back, he’ll need help. Nico struggles to work with a city poisoned against him and is instead forced to seek the aid of a disreputable black-market dealer. A simple deal to ensure her rescue, Nico doesn’t think twice. A bargain is struck, and the cost is higher than ever. The collateral? His life.

Meanwhile, Camilla fights to gain control over her newfound powers as the alchemist in charge of her confinement puts her to the test. Forced to free what she’s held so close, the only light in this hellish prison is the hope to see her family again, and the husband who stole her heart. Three trials and three chances to find the source of her Chaos and use it to save herself, if it doesn’t destroy her first.

Cracks in the city draw lines between loyalties, and time is running out until everything comes crashing down. Return to Lynchaven in this action-packed and swoony conclusion of Nico and Milla’s story.]]> 494 Alexis L. Menard Megan 2 dnf
I got my wish for more mafia vibes but unfortunately I think this one suffered with the lack of slow burn that the first had. And also Aramis. I can't stand Aramis.]]> 3.84 2024 City of Mirth and Malice (Order and Chaos, #2)
author: Alexis L. Menard
name: Megan
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 78%.

I got my wish for more mafia vibes but unfortunately I think this one suffered with the lack of slow burn that the first had. And also Aramis. I can't stand Aramis.
]]> The Teller of Small Fortunes 207610813 A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences�

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.]]> 336 Julie Leong 0593815904 Megan 4 "All cats are slightly magical, don’t you know? It’s why they’re so smug all the time."

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences�

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Everyone deserves a home. And what was a home but somewhere you wouldn’t have to feel quite so alone?


What a delightfully cozy read and perfect for my mountain read-escape! I've already ordered an Owlcrate exclusive edition for my shelves (though sad I can't get this absolutely GORGEOUS cover version outside of a paperback RIP).

Some might find this a tad too cozy but, while there is a certain lack of depth in some of the background that could have used a bit of tension, I find it's the perfect book to curl up to whenever you want something warm, fuzzy, uncomplicated, and happy making.

I loved Tao's cart, her fortunes, her mule, and the peek into the immigrant experience of never quite belonging anywhere (too Eshteran for her Shinn kin yet too Shinn for the Eshteran society) though she's turned it to her advantage and into a life she's comfortable with.

The friendship with Mash, Silt, and Kina was such a beautiful found family narrative that was natural and believable. Sometimes meeting the most random people in the most random times can help you find yourself...and others. Mash, the adorably grumpy merc who just wants to find his daughter, and Silt, the ex-thief-who-should-be-a-jester because he's so over-the-top peppy and charming, and Kina, the sunshine and cinnamon roll of the group. Even Fidelitus the cat who terrorizes Silt by just being there.

The only thing keeping this from being a five-star is that Mash's and Silt's excuse for sticking with Tao felt a little loosey-goosey (no real weight or urgency behind it), how easily Tao forgave her mother (IMO there should have been boundary setting so they could work through the hurt while building a new relationship between the both of them), and the fact that the epilogue focused on super minor side characters that didn't mean much to the story...it just made the ending feel a bit too drawn out. All-in-all, minor things.

She was a cup of tea, overflowing with warmth and wrapped in loving hands.


Recommended for readers that want to curl up with a fluffy blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a cozy book.]]> 4.08 2024 The Teller of Small Fortunes
author: Julie Leong
name: Megan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: cozy, personal-recos, fantasy, light
review:
"All cats are slightly magical, don’t you know? It’s why they’re so smug all the time."


Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences�

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Everyone deserves a home. And what was a home but somewhere you wouldn’t have to feel quite so alone?


What a delightfully cozy read and perfect for my mountain read-escape! I've already ordered an Owlcrate exclusive edition for my shelves (though sad I can't get this absolutely GORGEOUS cover version outside of a paperback RIP).

Some might find this a tad too cozy but, while there is a certain lack of depth in some of the background that could have used a bit of tension, I find it's the perfect book to curl up to whenever you want something warm, fuzzy, uncomplicated, and happy making.

I loved Tao's cart, her fortunes, her mule, and the peek into the immigrant experience of never quite belonging anywhere (too Eshteran for her Shinn kin yet too Shinn for the Eshteran society) though she's turned it to her advantage and into a life she's comfortable with.

The friendship with Mash, Silt, and Kina was such a beautiful found family narrative that was natural and believable. Sometimes meeting the most random people in the most random times can help you find yourself...and others. Mash, the adorably grumpy merc who just wants to find his daughter, and Silt, the ex-thief-who-should-be-a-jester because he's so over-the-top peppy and charming, and Kina, the sunshine and cinnamon roll of the group. Even Fidelitus the cat who terrorizes Silt by just being there.

The only thing keeping this from being a five-star is that Mash's and Silt's excuse for sticking with Tao felt a little loosey-goosey (no real weight or urgency behind it), how easily Tao forgave her mother (IMO there should have been boundary setting so they could work through the hurt while building a new relationship between the both of them), and the fact that the epilogue focused on super minor side characters that didn't mean much to the story...it just made the ending feel a bit too drawn out. All-in-all, minor things.

She was a cup of tea, overflowing with warmth and wrapped in loving hands.


Recommended for readers that want to curl up with a fluffy blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a cozy book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

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 0356522962 Megan 0 to-read 4.62 2025 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Megan
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic, #1)]]> 200554204
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals.

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.]]> 378 India Holton 0593547292 Megan 3 dnf Beth absolutely would not blush, for she was an Englishwoman—but inside, her heart was fanning itself urgently with a handkerchief.

This is a "it's me, not you" scenario.

Absolutely recommend for readers that like a light story that doesn't take itself seriously. This one is good but I just don't think I'm in the mood.

Really, this encounter was going to drive her to drink, and she did not think there was enough tea in all of Paris for the purpose.
]]> 3.99 2024 The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love (Love's Academic, #1)
author: India Holton
name: Megan
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: dnf
review:
Beth absolutely would not blush, for she was an Englishwoman—but inside, her heart was fanning itself urgently with a handkerchief.


This is a "it's me, not you" scenario.

Absolutely recommend for readers that like a light story that doesn't take itself seriously. This one is good but I just don't think I'm in the mood.

Really, this encounter was going to drive her to drink, and she did not think there was enough tea in all of Paris for the purpose.

]]> The Last Dragon of the East 208081822 Inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and threads of fate, Katrina Kwan’s dazzling fantasy debut is a propulsive adventure perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Hannah Whitten.

At the spry young age of twenty-five, Sai has led a quiet life, keeping the family teahouse up and running—even if that means ignoring the past-due notices—and taking care of his ailing mother. But he has a not-so-secret gift that he’s parlayed into a side he was born with the ability to see the red threads of fate between soulmates, which lends itself nicely to matchmaking. Sai has thus far been content not to follow his own thread, the only one he’s ever seen that’s gray and fraying.

But Sai’s ordinary existence is about to be turned upside-down by a pair of shining dragon scales. When his mother’s doctor sells them to him, claiming them as a miracle cure, Sai is pretty sure he’s being scammed. When the medicine actually works—and the terrifying, ruthless emperor catches wind—Sai is thrust into the search for a dragon long thought extinct that will lead him into the throes of a brewing war and deep into foreign lands, facing down challenges both magical and mortal on an unexpected adventure. And for the very first time, as his own thread of fate begins to move, he may be able to solve the mystery of his Fated One at the other end of the line.]]> 318 Katrina Kwan Megan 2 fantasy, adult
I even liked the idea of an evil emperor, a huntress, and being fated to a dragon. But the execution? That's where it loses its way.

I'm honestly not sure what happened but MAN did it turn meandering, needlessly violent (imo; seriously, why was a cannibal needed???), and trying too hard to have a "mystery backstory" before pulling the threads together. And Fated One was used too many times. Fated One this and Fated One that and MY GOD SHE HAS A NAME CAN WE PLEASE THINK OF HER AS A PERSON? The romance just didn't feel believable nor did the ending feel satisfactory.

Pass this one by, friends.]]> 3.68 2024 The Last Dragon of the East
author: Katrina Kwan
name: Megan
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: fantasy, adult
review:
The first 40% of this novel was great. Light, fast-paced, and started strong. I liked Sai's dedication to his mom, the very brief glimpse of the teahouse, the quack doctor, and the mysticism of the medicinal properties of a very rare dragon scale.

I even liked the idea of an evil emperor, a huntress, and being fated to a dragon. But the execution? That's where it loses its way.

I'm honestly not sure what happened but MAN did it turn meandering, needlessly violent (imo; seriously, why was a cannibal needed???), and trying too hard to have a "mystery backstory" before pulling the threads together. And Fated One was used too many times. Fated One this and Fated One that and MY GOD SHE HAS A NAME CAN WE PLEASE THINK OF HER AS A PERSON? The romance just didn't feel believable nor did the ending feel satisfactory.

Pass this one by, friends.
]]> Legend of the White Snake 205774090 A snake spirit transforms into a boy and must hide his true identity after falling for a headstrong prince in this lush, romantic retelling of the traditional Chinese folktale.

When Prince Xian was a boy, a white snake bit his mother and condemned her to a slow, painful death. The only known cure is an elusive spirit pearl—or an antidote created from the rare white snake itself. Desperate and determined, Xian travels to the city of Changle, where an oracle predicted he would find and capture a white snake.

Seven years ago, Zhen, a white snake in the West Lake, consumed a coveted spirit pearl, which gave him special powers—including the ability to change into human form.

In Changle, Xian encounters an enigmatic but beautiful stable boy named Zhen. The two are immediately drawn to each other, but Zhen soon realizes that he is the white snake Xian is hunting. As their feelings grow deeper, will the truth about Zhen’s identity tear them apart?Ěý]]> 351 Sher Lee Megan 2 dnf
Man, I was cover baited so hard. The cover is so pretty and the content so meeeeeeh.

The characters are flat, the plot has no depth, the "romance" was shallow, and the writing was...weird. Like...I'm not sure how to explain it but at times it felt skewed way younger and at times skewed older? And it includes explanations for EVERYTHING from asian-specific styles of dress, to palanquins, to structural arches and how they look from the ground vs the sky.

And I'm not used to asian tales introducing themselves without their family names. That is huge in their culture so if the author is including everything else, why not that?

So disappointed. I can't believe it's so highly rated.]]> 4.01 2024 Legend of the White Snake
author: Sher Lee
name: Megan
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 46%.

Man, I was cover baited so hard. The cover is so pretty and the content so meeeeeeh.

The characters are flat, the plot has no depth, the "romance" was shallow, and the writing was...weird. Like...I'm not sure how to explain it but at times it felt skewed way younger and at times skewed older? And it includes explanations for EVERYTHING from asian-specific styles of dress, to palanquins, to structural arches and how they look from the ground vs the sky.

And I'm not used to asian tales introducing themselves without their family names. That is huge in their culture so if the author is including everything else, why not that?

So disappointed. I can't believe it's so highly rated.
]]> Dungeons and Drama 160083511 When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

No one loves musicals more than Riley Morris—her dream is to be a Broadway director. But when the spring show is canceled, Riley has to figure out a way to bring it back. Easier said than done—she’s stuck working at her dad’s game store. The place that means more to him than his family does.

Riley can't waste time at a dead-end job when her entire future is resting on making a name for herself. So she convinces her co-worker Nathan Wheeler—the floppy-haired, glasses-wearing guy she barely knows from school—to help her. In exchange, she’ll help him make his gamer-girl crush jealous. Plus it won’t hurt to show her egotistical ex, Paul, just what he’s missing without her.

Soon Riley and Nathan are “a couple,� and people seem to believe it. But selling the ruse means joining Nathan’s role-playing game. To Riley’s surprise, the game is almost fun. And even more surprising, flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she thought it would. . . .]]> 300 Kristy Boyce 0593647025 Megan 3 4.18 2024 Dungeons and Drama
author: Kristy Boyce
name: Megan
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: cozy, realistic, light, young-adult
review:
Light, cute, and geeky. No existing DND knowledge required.
]]> Bingsu for Two 212236548 This outrageously charming and infuriatingly adorable enemies-to-lovers coffee shop romance is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Better Than the Movies.

Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he’s dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents� cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion—even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a gig at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two, which is his lucky break until he meets short, grumpy, and Sarang Cho. She’s his new no-BS co-worker who’s as determined to make River’s life hell as she is to save her family’s cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, they strike viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans ship River and Sarang big-time. In order to keep the Internet’s attention—and the cafe’s new paying customers—River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two’s newfound success catches the attention of River’s ex and his parents� cafe around the corner, he faces a keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that’s become home. And a green-haired girl who’s not as heartless as he originally thought . . .]]> 358 Sujin Witherspoon 1454954035 Megan 3 light, realistic, young-adult 4.02 2025 Bingsu for Two
author: Sujin Witherspoon
name: Megan
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: light, realistic, young-adult
review:
A charmingly cute story of a boy that doesn't know what he wants and the found family that helps him discover it...including social media shenanigans and snarky banter. Kinda wish the coffee shop existed near me. Their remodel sounded like just the hole-in-the-wall place I'd like to find for myself.
]]>