One of the greatest love stories in history gets derailed when a struggling poet at Cambridge runs into a time-traveler who agrees to help him find his muse—a thoughtful and uplifting romantic comedy for fans of About Time and The Midnight Library.

Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen.

Then, the future quite literally finds him—in the form of Esi. She’s part of a time-traveling tour, a trip for people in the future to witness history’s greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene. In Esi’s era, Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare. And he’s about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and the subject of his famous love poems.

But Esi is harboring a secret. She’s not here because she idolizes Joe—actually, she thinks his poetry is overrated. Something will happen at Cambridge this year that will wreck Esi’s life, and she’s hell-bent on changing it. When Esi goes rogue from her tour, she bumps into Joe and sends his destiny into a tailspin. To save both their futures, Esi becomes Joe’s dating coach, helping him win over Diana. But when Joe’s romantic endeavors go off-script—and worse, he starts falling for Esi instead—they both face a crucial question: Is the future set in stone, or can we pen our own fates?

Love and Other Paradoxes is a time traveling romance that will leave you pondering big questions long after you turn the final page. This book was so interesting and made me feel all the feels. Our main characters, Joe and Esi drew me right in and I was so interested to see how their story was going to turn out.

Joe is a college student just trying to get by. Little does he know that he is a famous writer and poet in the making. Esi is from the future, and she knows how famous Joe will be. But she travels back in time to try and alter the timeline to try and save her mom/family. In doing so, their paths cross and Esi tries to help guide Joe along towards his future.

Time Traveling novels are always so fascinating for me to try and mentally puzzle out. Each action can have such big consequences, and if I think too long and hard about it, I normally end up with more questions than answers, but trying to puzzle it all out and what the butterfly affect of certain actions might be is part of the fun. I did enjoy that about Love and Other Paradoxes.

Overall, this was an interesting read. I did find it a bit slow in parts and it took me longer to get through than I would have liked, but overall I did enjoy this one. If you are a fan of Time travel stories and you are looking for a unique concept, I think this would be an excellent book to check out.

The post {Review} Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey appeared first on Book Briefs.

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

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

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

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.

The Wind Weaver is the first book in the Reign of Remnants series by Julie Johnson. This is a slowww burn romantasy that completely captured my full attention right from the very start. This was such a welcome because lately I have been reading books where I have to push through the first 5-20% before the story picks up and starts to grab my attention. That is so not the case here. Right from the very first page I was completely pulled into the world of halfings, and humans and fae.

The fae have been eradicated from the world, and halflings are hunted and executed. Our main character, Rhya is an orphaned halfling that is on the run and gets captured. Right before her execution she gets rescued, only to find out her rescuer has so many secrets of his own, and she is now kidnapped and being transported to somewhere in the wild northlands. Her captor is Penn and he is grouchy and grumpy and I loved him from his very first scene.

Rhya finds out that she is being taken because of the strange mark on her chest, which she learns means she is one of the four sacred remnants- wielders of elemental magic who are part of a big prophecy.

The Wind Weaver completely swept me up in its’ current and captivated me. I loved this book. The romance is great, but it is a very slow burn with an enemies to lovers vibe. I can’t wait to see where it is going to go in the next book. The action really ramped up in the last part of the novel and I know the next installment will be even more action packed because of how we left things.

The Wind Weaver is a fantastic romantasy with epic fantasy vibes. Fans of elemental magic, fae, and enemies to lovers romance will love this book! It took me by surprise in the best way!

The post {Review+Excerpt} The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson appeared first on Book Briefs.

To celebrate the release, this beauty is touring all week long! Visit our Instagram page for a chance to win a paperback copy of Kingdom of Briars and Roses!

Kingdom of Briars and Roses (Cursed Fae Courts Book 1)

Publication Date: March 12, 2025

Genre: Fae Fantasy Romance/ Adult Romantasy

Perfect for fans of

• Slow Burn
• Touch Her & Die
• Who Did This?
• Fae Royalty
• Forbidden Romance
• Secret Crush on his Brother
• Chosen One
• Dark Prince
• Enemies to Lovers
• Possessive
• Growly Alpha Male

Two powerful fae princes. One will be her salvation. The other, her ruin.

Cursed and alone in her own castle, Aurelia has spent years watching her kingdom wither. When trespassers finally break the silence, it’s both a dream and a nightmare.

Prince Callan is the first outsider she has seen in an age—golden, arrogant, and her only hope. He alone can shatter the curse, but his help comes at a cost: her freedom.

Then there’s Rydian.

Cold where Callan burns hot, lethal where he is charming, the second fae prince is an enigma—and an attraction she can’t ignore. Too bad he despises her on sight.

In a realm where deception reigns, Aurelia must trust one prince to save her. The other will destroy her.

If only she knew which.

A Kingdom of Briars & Roses is a slow-burn, royal fae romantasy that includes morally gray characters, enemies-to-lovers, political intrigue, who did this to you, and touch her and unalive. One-click this ACOTAR meets Reign with a Sleeping Beauty Twist story today.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

To enter, visit my instragm post below and follow the rules to enter to win

The post {Giveaway} Kingdom of Briars & Roses by Heather Hildenbrand appeared first on Book Briefs.

Sometimes the universe has jokes.

Like a woman named Lucky Fortune who has lived her whole life plagued by one mishap and misfortune after another. The catastrophes that regularly derail her life would crush a normal person, but Lucky is stubbornly resilient.
The single constant in her life is the rustic and rundown ski lodge her grandparents built in a small, picturesque Colorado town. And now it belongs to her.
Lucky refuses to let her unending run of bad luck ruin the opportunity to build on her grandparents’ dream and carve out one of her own.

But forces greater than chance are out to sabotage her new life. They’re after the lodge, the land, and they want Lucky out of the way by any means necessary. Danger lurks closer than Lucky knows.

Fortunately, she’s found herself lucky in love for the first time ever, thanks to the secretive drifter she picked up and brought home on a whim. By day, he plays the role of the worst handyman in existence. But when the stakes are raised, and Lucky’s life is on the line, he’ll move mountains to keep her and her legacy out of the wrong hands.

Ms. Fortune is a romantic suspense novel from author Jay Crownover. This is my first Jay Crownover book, and I loved it! I gobbled this book up and loved every second of it. In Ms. Fortune, we meet our main character Lucky, who seems to be anything but her namesake. Her life feels like a series of misfortunes after misfortune, but she loves her family. And the resort her grandparents left her feels like a last lifetime to them, so she puts her all into it. I loved Lucky and Risky (Declan Risk)

Lucky and Risky were fantastic together. I loved how complex and real they felt. I was shipping them from their first scene together. This book flowed perfectly and I was easily able to gobble it up in one sitting. Lucky’s bad luck takes so many twists and turns, it had be bouncing back and forth between some strange coincidences to something much more dangerous being at play. I loved the push and pull this book gave me. I was constantly trying to guess what was going to happen next while I was reading and it was so much fun for me!

Ms. Fortune was equally strong in the plot department as it was in the character development and romance, which is no small feat. Lucky and Risky felt so real to me. I think both character driven readers as well as plot driven readers who enjoy romantic suspense will love Ms. Fortune.

The ending of this book, left the doorway open to more. I believe some of Jay’s books have character overlap and this story definitely got me thinking of some future branch offs that I would love to see. It would be great to learn more about the mysterious Risky! Overall, Ms. Fortune was a great read! I really enjoyed this and I can’t wait to read more of Jay’s books!

Let me know which of Jay’s books I should read next!

The post {Review} Ms. Fortune by Jay Crownover appeared first on Book Briefs.

Almost twenty years after the barrier between Earth and the Otherworld fell in the Fae Wars, Budapest is balancing on the precipice. A battle for dominance is brewing between the elite fae and the privileged humans in Eastern Europe. The prejudice between the sides is bubbling with hate and violence.

Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then one night the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death—where you go in but don’t come out.

She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.

Here she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas. A myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is, ruling the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life.

If The Games don’t take her out first—A fight to the death where only one survives.

Savage Lands is the first book in the Savage Lands series, which is a gritty dark fantasy romance by Stacey Marie Brown. I love Stacey’s books, and I cannot believe it has taken me so long to get to this series. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and the ending had me gasping for more (and screaming NOOOOO!)

I know I should have expected savagery from the title alone, but this book was dark. Darker than I was expecting it to be, but I loved it! And I am totally desperate for more! I can’t wait to binge read the rest of the series.

Our main character is Brexley, who is a pampered elite on the Human side of this inter-species war between the Fae and humans. This world had a dystopian/mad max vibe going on and it is very dangerous. Brexley gets taken to one of the most vicious prisons when she is caught stealing, and there she meets all kinds of fae and humans alike- who all seem to have it out for her. She also meets the mysterious Wolf- Warwick Farkas who is top of the prison food chain because he kills everyone who comes up against him in the prison games arena- where they fight to the death.

Savage Lands did a great job setting the scene for this bleak world at war, and also gave us tantalizing hints of a spicy romance to come- there wasn’t a ton of romance in this one, but the tension was amazing! and left me salivating for more.

When you are reading, you just know that there are so many mysteries that we have yet to uncover about Farkas, Brexley and the world. This installment left me with more questions than answers and I am so eager to keep reading and find out just what is going on. I can already tell this is going to be a series that I will fall in love with. I loved this first book, and I think it is only going to get better from here!

If you are a fan of dark fantasies with sizzling tension, epic fight scenes, and immersive storytelling and world building, you need to check out the Savage Lands series!

The post {Review} Savage Lands by Stacey Marie Brown appeared first on Book Briefs.

The Six Houses of Valazica battle for unseen power... One priestess holds a secret that could shatter the kingdom.

Zariah’s sure that someday her double life will wind up getting her executed. But using the information she learns as a priestess in the Temple of Secrets has paved her way to the top of the resistance that fights against the cruelty of the crown, and she won’t stop until the kingdom is a just place for everyone in it.

Prince Nevan, heir to the Valazican throne, has a dark confession to make. He's the newest member of the House of Blood–the most vicious of the Valazican houses. For him to take the crown would only make an already inequitable kingdom worse for Zariah and her people. When her friend is killed, and all blame points to the prince, she fears the rebellion won’t succeed soon enough.

As if by fate, five months later, Zariah is chosen to serve in the palace as the official Priestess of the Summer Solstice, and her opportunity for answers—and vengeance—arrives. But the prince isn't what she expects. And he's far from the only one with secrets.

Now Zariah must decide who to trust. The wrong choice might cost her life…but the right one might cost her heart.

TOG meets House of the Dragon in Crown of Deceit, a series full of slow-burn romance, politics, betrayal, secrets, and so much more. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas , Stacia Stark, or Carissa Broadbent!

TOG meets House of the Dragon in Crown of Deceit, a series full of slow-burn romance, politics, betrayal, secrets, and so much more. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas , Stacia Stark, or Carissa Broadbent!
———–

When the lines between ally and enemy blur, trust is the deadliest game of all.
———–

House of Secrets and Vows is the first book in the Crown of Deceit series by Genna Ashwood. This is an adult fantasy romance. I liked how fast paced and intriguing the plot was. The world building was easy to follow and I was able to dive right into the story. I enjoyed learning about the setup with the different houses, but I was hoping to get a little bit more insight into the other houses. I think that will be coming in the next books in the series, and I am interested to learn more about them.

Here we were mostly focused on The House of Blood given that one of our main characters, Neven is affiliated with the House of Blood. In House of Secrets and Vows we also need our heroine, Zariah. Zariah is both a priestess as well as a rebel leader, and Prince Neven is struggling with his own secrets. I enjoyed Zariah and Neven (Neven a little more than Zariah) but I wouldn’t say that I fell in love with either of the. I felt kind of lukewarm towards them and the romance overall.

My favorite element of the story was the mysterious vibe going on. There are a bunch of twists and turns and many of them I didn’t see coming, which was so awesome. Overall, the plot on this one carried the book for me. I am so intrigued by this world, and I can’t wait to see where the series is going to go from here.

Overall this was a decent read as the series has a lot of promise.

———-
Check this book out if you love:
-enemies to lovers
-found family
-court politics
-betrayal
-one bed

The post {Review} House of Secrets and Vows by Genna Ashwood appeared first on Book Briefs.

Everything I know is a lie.

For twenty-five years, I believed there wasn’t much to my mundane life. Then, the unimaginable happens, landing me in a world that shouldn’t be real, yet feels oddly familiar.
A father I didn’t know existed is dying and only their king can save him. Except he’s refusing to do so unless I make good on the contract I supposedly signed…five hundred years ago.
King Asher is beloved by his people, too attractive for his own good, and…a wolf god. He calls me his mate and his future queen, but I’m neither of those things. I’m just a human who was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
I’m not the lost wolf princess.
At least that’s what I tell myself until my memories start to return. I want to believe this is nothing more than a dream, but the longer I’m in Lunara, the more I realize…
My reincarnation didn’t just happen to go wrong. I was murdered, cursed to forever be reborn on Earth.
Now I need to figure out who’s responsible before it happens again and try not to lose my heart along the way.
This is the first standalone novel written within the Wolves of Lunara series. If you love wolf shifters, romantic fantasy, fated mates, reincarnation, and so much more, then you don't want to miss this one!

is is the first standalone novel written within the Wolves of Lunara series. If you love wolf shifters, romantic fantasy, fated mates, reincarnation, and so much more, then you don’t want to miss this one!

<i>Everything I know is a lie.</i>

A Curse of Shadows is the first book in the Wolves of Lunara series, which is a fantasy romance featuring fated mates and wolf shifters. I enjoyed that a Curse of Shadows took a little bit of a different spin on the fated mates concept. Here we meet our main character, Isla who stumbles into a whole new world to her. Here she meets wolf shifters and one of them tries to tell her that she is his long lost fated mate, and a wolf princess. Isla is cursed to reincarnate over and over again on earth, far away from her mate and the wolves. And she won’t be able to stop the cycle unless she can figure out who cursed her (and killed her) in the first place.

I loved the mystery element woven into the story. A curse of Shadows was so easy for me to fall into. I really loved this book. Asher is the Wolf king, and he is just so wonderful and yummy. I loved him and Isla’s story. If this story is any indication on the rest of the standalone books in the series, I know this is going to quickly become a favorite shifter series of mine. This was soo good! I can’t wait to check out the next book in the series!

Check out a Curse of Shadows if you enjoy:
Dual POV
Wolf Shifters
Fated Mates
Romantasy with moderate spice
Murder Mystery
Reincarnation
Betrayals

And I also have to say that the hardcover edition of this book is SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!! totally worth getting!

The post {Review} A Curse of Shadows by Heather Renee appeared first on Book Briefs.

Two total opposites. One race through the Great Outdoors. In this grumpy-sunshine teen romance from the author of Love from Scratch and Not Here to Stay Friends , the trail to true love doesn't always come with a map.
Natalie Hart has always been loud, unfiltered, and unapologetically herself. But then comes her freshman year of college, when she loses her merit scholarship and gains one pesky little anxiety diagnosis.
Hesitant to take out more student loans, Natalie decides to shoot her shot and applies to Wild Adventures , a popular outdoorsy reality show. Sure, Natalie prefers her twelve-step skincare routine to roughing it on the Appalachian Trail while competing in challenges against other college kids, but that scholarship prize money is calling her name. High risk, high reward, right?
Enter Finn Markum, her randomly assigned, capital- O Outdoorsy teammate whose growl could rival a black bear. These partners have more friction than a pair of new hiking boots. Or is it flirtation? Turns out falling in love might be the wildest adventure of all...

Wild About you was so much fun! This adventure romance by Kaitlyn Hill is like a college version of the amazing race, but make it wilderness/survival style. Being a huge fan of reality TV and the Amazing Race, I was so in the second I read the summary for the book. And it lived up to all of my expectations.

In Wild About You, we meet our main characters Natalie and Finn. They are each entered a realty TV show where teams of two race around the Appalachian trail, completing challenges to try and stay in the race. The last team wins $100,000. Natalie and Finn each have their own reasons to enter the competition. Natalie needs the prize money to pay for her tuition since she she lost one of her scholarships. And Finn is doing the race to honor his father who passed away. I love how this book was a great balance of tough topics like death of a close family member and levity, plus the adorableness of falling in love.

Team Finnatalie forever! (or is it finnatics? :p) Their grumpy sunshine pairing had me grinning from ear to ear. This book was so stinking cute. It made me wish this was a real show! I absolutely loved it.

To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win

Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies.  All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post {Review+Giveaway} Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill appeared first on Book Briefs.

Secrets, betrayals, and deceptions will rear their heads as the Princess of Treoles will stop at nothing to uncover the person responsible for her mother's murder.
Long ago, there was a continent known as Veralun where magickal creatures thrived and lived in harmony until one sorceress delved deep into dark magick and tainted all the creatures of the land. In their final attempt to save the inhabitants of Veralun, Sentinel Queen Yuria of Treoles absorbed all the magick and separated the infected land from the rest of the world. She called the new land Dramolux and forbade all magick. For generations, her family kept the magick locked away.
Until now.
With Queen Ismana Maudlin of Treoles murdered, the magick unleashes and tears through the land to its rightful owners. Only one person can control the dark magick festering and waiting for its victims, Queen Ismana's only daughter whose memory has been tainted.
The odds are against Princess Aymeri Maudlin as she navigates her grief, ruling Treoles, and unraveling all of her mother's secrets.
With the help of her mother's allies, and close friends she never knew she had, she is ready for anything. Even the impending war, soon to be at her kingdom's doorstep.

The Broken Daughter is the first book in the Cursed Kingdom series by author Samantha Shaye. This is marked as a new adult fantasy because of the age of our main character (who is 23) but I think it would also really work well for young adult fantasy readers because there is no spice in the story.

“One tragic death. Two broken kingdoms. Three powerful women bound together by secrets, lies, and betrayal.”

In The Broken Daughter, we meet our main character Aymeri, who is thrust into a world of political intrigue and secrets as she is trying to uncover the mystery of who killed her mother- the queen, all while dealing with huge gaping holes in her memory. Aymeri seemed very young for her age, but I did try to cut her some slack since she was dealing with some serious grieving and the memory issues would be pretty scary to face as well, so I get it. I will be interested to see how her character grows in the next book.

This book was a fast paced and easy read. It set the stage nicely for the rest of the series. There was not much romance in the story, so I think this will appeal to reader who like magic based fantasy novels and love to see strong themes of good v. evil along with some interesting political intrigue and secrets. I was able to guess a few of the twists, but overall this was a fun read. I am interested to see what happens next in the series.

Great for readers looking for:
found family
LGBTQ+ Rep
elemental magic
political intrigue
dark vs light magic
forbidden magic
hidden magic
light romance/no spice

The post {Review} The Broken Daughter by Samantha Shaye appeared first on Book Briefs.

The High Court of the Coffee Bean returns with a sassy, wicked streak.

Months after the deadly assassins-turned-baristas left the Four Corners of Ever behind for good, Doom comes knocking at Mor Trisencor's door. And it's wearing stilettos.

When the Fairy Post gets an unexpected, grand following in the human realm for its vintage feel and whimsical words, Mor gets busier than ever typing out articles, following up on leads of fairy mischief, and everything else that goes along with being a faeborn reporter. But his heavy workload comes to a screeching halt when he spots someone in the human realm that shouldn't be there—an old foe of his. One he thought he would never see again. One he'd prayed to the sky deities that he wouldn't cross paths with after the day Mor abandoned the Shadow Army, leaving a trail of flames and destruction in his wake. For the first time since the Fairy Post was published, the newspaper gets put on hold and Mor goes hunting.

Mor can think of nothing else but stopping this foe before ripples of doom begin to stir up the human realm.

Violet Miller is a journalist with a mysterious past her amnesia forbids her from remembering. But when she gets let go from her job at the most prestigious news station in the city, her unexplained past becomes the least of her problems. She thinks it's all over for her as a journalist, until she sees a job posting for a secretary position at a niche, laughable "old school style" newspaper called the Fairy Post.

The day Violet shows up at Mor's house—or, creepy, dark cathedral is more like it—is the day that everything changes for her. Before Violet even has a chance to ask about the job, she’s mistakenly marked as Mor’s lover by his “enemies” and she finds herself in the crosshairs of a battle of inhuman creatures who’d rather “stab first and ask questions later.”

This marks the beginning of a love-hate relationship (mostly hate) between a fae assassin born of the Shadows, and a lipstick-wearing, mascara wielding human born to be in the spotlight.

While reading this second installment of the High Court of the Coffee Bean series, you may find yourself craving macaroons, listening to the wind for signs of fairy magic, and wishing you had a “creepy, dark, creaking, abandoned cathedral” of your own to call home.

While reading this second installment of the High Court of the Coffee Bean series, you may find yourself craving macarons, listening to the wind for signs of fairy magic, and wishing you had a “creepy, dark, creaking, abandoned cathedral” of your own to call home.”

Jennifer Kropf has such an easy engaging style of writing that completely sucks me in. This book made me smile and laugh just as much as the first book and I was bummed when I reached the end of the story. This is a series that I would recommend reading in order because it follows the same group of fae assassins, and though the couples are different in each book, it added to my enjoyment a lot to have read book 1 first.

Mor is so broody that I loved seeing him be so utterly confused by his feelings. I was rooting for him right from the very first page. I can’t wait to see what is in store next for my favorite fae assassins. Readers looking for a light and fun fantasy rom com should check out the cozy fantasy genre. And while you are at it, start with the High Court of the Coffee Bean. It is a great series.

The post {Review} Sincerely, Secretary of Doom by Jennifer Kropf appeared first on Book Briefs.