a GREAT read

Book Blogger Hop #423

2026-08-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you see yourself more as an editor, a writer, or just a reader? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Well, I am definitely a reader! First and always a reader! Lol. But I was bitten by the writer's bug many years ago. Although it's been wayyyyyyy too long since I've pulled up my WIP. Last week I attended the Forbidden Love event in Nashville and there was a panel on self-publishing tips and such and I planned on attending.

SIDE NOTE: I am writing this post ahead of time, so hopefully all went off without a hitch!

I feel like if I could get some tips on what to do after the manuscript is done, I will make better progress on the self-publishing route. I mean I suppose I could try querying for an agent again as it's been a long time since I last did that. I do need to tweak my manuscript as time has gone by and there are some dated things in there that I need to fix and there were other little things I felt like tweaking or editing up as well.

So always yes to the reader and I consider myself a writer in some sense. I just need to get back to it.

Books from the Backlog #197

2026-08-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

History is on repeat…

Seth never thought he’d have a future. But now he’s on the brink of having it all with Josie: A tomorrow. A family. A forever. And all that's standing between him and that forever is the Titans. If he helps Josie entomb them -- without killing them, a nearly impossible task for him -- everything he could ever want will be in reach. But he soon realizes that as a god, every little choice he makes can reshape the world for the better… or worse. And in meddling with the Titans, Seth may have just set into motion catastrophic consequences that will force the Olympians to enter the mortal realm and reshape the delicate balance of power that keeps the world from total collapse.

A price must be paid…

Entombing the Titans is Josie’s top priority. After all, it was what she was born to do. But the plans her father put into play to help her are no longer an option, and the odds she and Seth face in forging their own path are grim. The escalating violence between halfs and pures only increases the danger closing in on them and their friends. Josie knows their chances of succeeding in their task are slim at best -- and if they fail, they might lose everything. But she also knows she's not fighting just for herself -- she's fighting for the man she loves, for their future, for the world. Together with the Army of Awesome, Josie and Seth will face the unthinkable. And to win this war, the ultimate sacrifice must be made.

For the end is here and the Prophecy will be fulfilled….

I added Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Prophecy to my TR pile in March of 2018. It's a series I STILL need to start! I kept saying I would when the series was completed and that was so long ago now! Lol. I did enjoy The Covenant series from wayyyy back when and where this series spun off from, so I will one day get to this series! I just need the time!

Review--The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn

2026-08-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

They failed once. Now, the fate of their world depends on whether they can heal—and fight—together.

When the unthinkable shatters Eva and Bash’s bonding ceremony, Quinn Sagray knows she’s the only one who can make things right. And the best person to help her? Tobias—her best friend’s brother whose death broke her heart.

He’s been avoiding her. But danger doesn’t care about old wounds and faceless fears, and neither does the dark force threatening everything they love.

As Quinn and Tobias uncover a twisted conspiracy and face a familiar foe, she must wield every ounce of her medical knowledge and forbidden magic—powers she swore she'd never use. And Tobias must finally face the shadow that haunts him, confront the mistakes of his past, and reclaim the strength he thought he lost.

The past still aches. Something still smolders between them. But time is running out.

To save his sister, their people, and maybe each other, they’ll have to trust what was broken. Or risk losing their minds.

The Shattered Mirror is a dark and spicy fantasy romance featuring second chance romance, forced proximity, dual POV, and a heart-wrenching journey toward healing, magic, and redemption.

Well, after having a fun filled weekend, my reading got put on hold, lol. The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn brings an end to The Mirrored Trilogy, but in a twist, this time we get new character point of views since Eva and Bash's story arc came to an end. They were still involved with the story but not in the compacity that you would think.

This time we follow Quinn, Eva's best friend from childhood who is also tied to this fantasy world, and Eva's brother Tobias. Tobias is struggling with PTSD from being a prisoner of Aviel. Quinn longs to help him, but isn't sure what the right step to take is. But then the unthinkable happens and Eva falls ill but some mysterious malady and it's up to Quinn to figure out what it is and work on a cure. Desperate to save his beloved, Bash goes into a sort of stasis to find Eva in her dreams and help to keep her mind together before this curse can have irreparable effects.

Quinn and Tobias travel to another kingdom with more resources in order to work on a cure. They are greeted by the queen's head scientist type, Dolion who seems to take an extra interest in Quinn much to Tobias' displeasure.

This was an interesting story. True, I did miss Bash and Eva, but since I felt like their story came to a conclusion, if felt right to have a different couple pop up, though I still felt surprised by it being Quinn and Tobias. I feel like we might have had hints about their feelings before but since the previous books focused on Eva and Bash, I can't quite remember a minuet detail like that. But still, seeing the relationship between Quinn and Tobias evolve was sweet. There was definitely some intense and heated moments between them but it was in latter half of the story since there's so much healing that needs to be done between these two in the beginning.

The pacing to this one was about the same as the previous books. Not fast, but not super slow. It was a sedate pace with a lot of character driven growth. I enjoy a good character drive plot myself, so this was nice! I did totally pinpoint a twist in the story to the letter! I had two theories of course, but banked myself on my first guess the most! Lol.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book and a great addition to the world series. I enjoyed reading points of view from other characters and this acted as a sort of bonus story in some sense but still wrapped things up with a nice little bow for everyone involved. I will definitely be looking forward to Dana's future books for sure!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #260

2026-08-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal, amid a brutal war for the high seas.

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea—the question is, what will it leave in its wake?

Still need to read Aveyard's last YA series but also excited for her adult debut!

TITLE: Tempest
AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard
PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Luminary is more than just a school. It is a test of moral fiber, strength of will, and human resilience.

Lia Michaels can pick any lock and break into most computer systems. But a life of delinquency has her bouncing between foster homes and juvie. So when she applies to Luminary Prep, a new experimental school created to challenge academic conventions, Lia is surprised by the acceptance letter that follows.

With state-of-the-art technology, fancy cafeteria food, and a campus that looks like a painting come to life, Luminary seems to be the break Lia needs. That is, if she can excel in class and be one of only five students who will be allowed to graduate.

But classes at Luminary are . . . odd. And dangerous. There is a death-trap obstacle course in Physics, a Chemistry exam with explosives, and guillotines in Political Science. As students keep vanishing, one by one, Lia starts to wonder if it's not that five students will graduate—but that only five will survive.

I loooove Danielle's thrillers! I still need to read her adult ones, but her YA ones have always been entertaining so I am definitely looking forward to this one too!

TITLE: Deadly Little Lessons
AUTHOR: Danielle Valentine
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2026

Jen Williams stuns in a heartrending sequel to The Sleepless that is as romantic as it is deadly.

Will Lucian pursue chaos and power?
Will Artair choose isolation, or will he choose to walk out into the wider world?
And Elver, perhaps, has the hardest choice of all.

After being sacrificed yet again at the hands of Mother Maura, Elver has returned from the dead even more jih than human. A strange new power simmers beneath her skin alongside a warning from the Queen of Serpents: though she’s been granted another chance at life, someday soon, Elver will be called from the land of mortals.

Now that Artair knows the spirit with whom he shares a body, Lucian, is an ordinary human, the two have formed an uneasy truce. While they attempt to wield their shred of Maura’s stolen power—the only thing keeping her from ascending to full godhood—they’re also confronted with feelings for Elver that are impossible to deny.

But Maura is out for revenge. As dangerous new alliances brew among the Twelve, Elver, Artair, and Lucian must set out to find the only being in existence capable of killing a god. And Elver will need to decide once and for all with which of the Sleepless her poisoned heart lies.

Still need to start this series as well but it sounds like one I will enjoy!

TITLE: The Dreamless
AUTHOR: Jen Williams
PUBLISHER: Wednesday Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday

2026-08-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Covers with an Animal

*in on particular order

10. FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros--dragon
9. THE FOREST KING'S DAUGHTER by Elly Blake--butterfly, owl, and a fox
8. BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison--black sheep ;)

7. MEDDLING KIDS by Edgar Cantero--dog and something with tentacles...I still need to read this one, so can't confirm what that thing is! Lol
6. THE QUEEN OF NOTHING by Holly Black--snake
5. HEXES AND HEMLINES by Julie Blackwell--pig

4. KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON by Carrie Vaughn--leopard
3. RIVALS and Retribution by Shannon Delany--wolves
2. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--shadow of a wolf

1. BITTEN by Jordan Stephanie Gray--wolf

July Wrap-up

2026-08-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

We're now over halfway through the year! How is that even possible? Lol. I write this post extremely tired with very little sleep the past three nights as I was at the Forbidden Romance event in Nashville this week! So I was pretty much checked out of social media. Not sure how people can enjoy their time and still make reels and take hundreds of photos while they're at events. Kudos to them! I was just enjoying myself, lol! This month I pretty much only read TBR books as I was trying to read as many books as I could for this event. In the end, I fell short by 1.5. I was halfway through my second to last book and there was still one more book by an attending author I wanted to read, but oh well. I didn't do too bad though.

No ARCs this month

No New Releases this month

TBR Reads:

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova (7/22/25)
Nightweaver by R.M Gray (3/4/25)
Starchaser by R.M. Gray (11/4/25)
The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond (5/3/24)
The First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond (5/2/25)
The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn (12/3/24)

The count may not look as impressive this month, but these were all pretty long books! 500+, 400+, and 300+ and some of the formatting was intense, we're talking hardly any white space on the page so nothing but words! So it was a lot of reading word count wise! Lol.

Book Blogger Hop #422

2026-07-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: If you had to stick to one genre forever, which would you choose and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Pending that means there will always be books in the genre, I would have to go with paranormal fantasy/urban fantasy. Basically your paranormal types! I do love the fantasy romance genre as well and it is booming, but I guess depending on how some of those go, they could be loosely called paranormal fantasy as well, if the character types are right! Lol.

Books from the Backlog #196

2026-07-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea…

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon–just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.

But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is falling back in love with the one man she should never trust.

I added Devon Monk's Devils and Details to my TBR pile in March of 2018 and I am pretty sure it's on my kindle. A lot of the traditional authors I read in the early days started doing my indie and self publishing and I was trying to follow them still but they were really belting out the books and I obviously fell wayyyy behind! I still need to start this series of Monk's but it sounds like a fun one! So hopefully one day I will get to it!

Can't Wait Wednesday #259

2026-07-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Emma Hamm’s instant USA TODAY bestselling dark romantasy trilogy comes to a heart-stopping conclusion in The Endless One.

Jessamine survived betrayal, death, and the gods themselves—but survival was only the beginning. Her kingdom lies in ruins. Her throne has been stolen. And the man who once murdered her has succeeded in doing the binding himself to a god.

To reclaim her crown, Jessamine must defy ancient powers and betrayals alike—and face the enemy who once slit her throat. But now, she isn’t the innocent bride who fell to her death. She is the Gravesinger.

Captured and forced to confront a fate far worse than dying, Jessamine must decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice to end a war. Bound to Elric, the god who loves her, she must choose between the humanity that shaped her—and the power required to tear divinity down at its source.

Because this time, she isn’t just ready to kill a man.

She’s ready to kill a god.

I binged the first two books earlier this year and loved them! Cannot wait to see how it will all end later on!

TITLE: The Endless One
AUTHOR: Emma Hamm
PUBLISHER: Gallery Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

They told me turning eighteen meant freedom. They never said it might kill me.

All I wanted was cake, candles, and a fresh start after aging out of the group home I’ve been stuck in for six years. What I got instead? A vampire crashing my party and trying to drain me dry.

Apparently, vampires are real and I can sense them.

Right before I become dinner, a gorgeous, broody vampire hunter named Asher swoops in and saves me. He tells me I’m not just some orphan with a bad attitude… I’m a legacy. A born Vampire Hunter. And now I’ve got a full ride to Nightguard Academy, a secret school for hunters.

Training to kill the undead? Kinda savage.

Except there’s one I’m hiding a secret so dark it could get me staked before graduation. And in a school full of monsters, secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Perfect for fans of Vampire Academy, Buffy and House of Night, this twisty, slow-burn supernatural romance will keep you guessing until the final tick.

With a title like this how can I not read it?! This baby was preordered during the last B&N sale and I cannot wait to read it!

TITLE: Slayer
AUTHOR: Leia Stone
PUBLISHER: Bloom Books
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Jaimie Vane’s promising career as a cellist came to a screeching halt when chronic illness took over her life, leaving her dealing with a disability her doctors don’t understand.

Then her vibrant sister Sybil, an influencer turned wellness consultant at an exclusive health retreat, leaves her a series of distressing messages that contain hidden cries for help…and a voucher for a free stay. Determined to find her sister, Jaimie finds herself chartering a tugboat across the frigid winter sea to the black-sand shores of Creag Dhubh, the tiny island that houses the elite Saoghal Spa and its enigmatic founder, Cyan Blache.

Searching for her sister under the premise of being a regular guest, Jaimie is pushed far out of her comfort zone, both physically and mentally, by the group healing activities and luxurious treatments. As time wears on and Sybil is nowhere to be found, Jaimie is shocked to find herself feeling…better. There is something at Saoghal, in the treatments and tinctures and the black mud itself, that has her chronic fatigue and pain melting away. And as she gets closer to the people around her, including the ethereal Cyan Blache, whose perfection seems to defy reality, she finds herself with more questions than answers.

But everything comes at a price, and transformation, it seems, requires sacrifice. When Jaimie’s investigation leads her to discover that something darker than mud baths and salt scrubs is twisting the residents of Creag Dhubh into something more than themselves, she must face an evil beyond reckoning in order to escape with her life.

Pretty much any Dawn Kurtagich book makes it to my TBR! I am super behind, naturally, but loved her horror style!

TITLE: The Wellness Retreat
AUTHOR: Dawn Kurtagich
PUBLISHER: Hanover Square Press
GENRE: Horror
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

2026-07-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

After this week, I decided I am going to take a little break from Teaser Tuesday. I noticed at the beginning of the year, possibly even in December of last year that The Purple Booker website has been inaccessible. Not sure if she retired or what happened as I remember it felt abrupt, but I continued on with the teaser as I have for many years now. It's just that I noticed in the little bit of blog hopping that I do, that not many people were doing the Teaser post anymore. So for now, I decided I might step back from it for awhile at least.

"'Don't bulls*** a bulls****er, Eva. And don't you dare try to lie to me.'" p 255

TITLE: The Mirror in the Mountain
AUTHOR: Dana Evyn
PUBLISHER: City Own Press
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2024

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books I HAD to Have Immediately But Still Haven't Read

*in no particular order

10. THEY FEAR NOT MEN IN THE WOODS by Gretchen McNeil--was super excited for her adult debut...and yet it's unread
9. FOR WHOM THE BELLE TOLLS by Jaysea Lynn--one that caught my eye by chance one day and it sounded good and it was pretty! Lol
8. WITCHLIGHT by Susan Dennard--the long waited epic conclusion...and I still need to read it! And I need a detailed summary of the previous books because wow!

7. EMBER ETERNAL by Chloe Neill--love Chloe's books and was excited for this one!
6. HOLLOW by Celina Myers--love me some vampires and this edge!
5. DIRE BOUND by Sable Sorensen--another one that called to me because of the wolves and I waited for the deluxe hardcover but the size has kept me from picking it up right away...it's been a busy year!

4. SILVER & BLOOD by Jessie Mihalik--was super excited for this one and yet...still haven't cracked it open!

3. THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW by Kelley Armstrong--really any of her books could be here because I am SOOO behind!
2. UNTIL THE WORLD FALLS DOWN by Jordan Lynde--one I've been DYING to read but my schedule this year has been nuts!

1. THE RETURN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--this one was actually the first one I thought of! Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-07-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

The First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond (4 stars)--technically I finished this on Sunday but was too tired to update this post! Lol.

The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #258
Books from the Backlog #195
Book Blogger Hop #421

Stacking the Shelves--The Dreadful, Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Edition

Stacking the Shelves--The Dreadful, Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Edition

2026-07-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Well, there's no good news folks. Yup. I started my week with the dreadful, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news: I didn't get the house of my dreams. The owner went with another offer. It was devastating to say the least. I had never felt so positive about anything in the longest of time. I truly, truly felt like I was getting this place. Everything was perfect. Yes, there were a few minor flaws, but they flaws I could live with. The good outweighed the bad, let's just say that. It's definitely no way to start a long work week. It was hard. Not gonna lie. Tears were had for the first day and a little into the next. I got back on Zillow to look some more, but naturally could not find anything that could hold a candle to what I had within my grasp. Seriously, the other places were dumpy looking or needed so much work or were in shady looking areas. I basically needed to get off Zillow for a day or two because it was just making me depressed. I'm just hoping it won't take me another 3 years to find something perfect like that. I've been looking for what feels like forever. Lol. I know 3 years isn't that long, but I was browsing for probably a year or two before that, before I really had anything saved up. So I'm back at square one.

In lighter news, tonight I am at least going to a book signing! Albeit it's in the shady part of town, but what can you do? Tonight I'll be seeing Elise Kova! I just started reading her new Arcana Academy series and liked it and her Dragon Cursed was intriguing as well. So it will hopefully be a fun night. It is sold out, so I'm hoping I am not out too late! Then towards the end of the week, I'll be attending the Forbidden Love event in Nashville! I'm excited to see Stephanie Garber (again!) plus a slew of other authors and lots of new to me ones. Sadly, I can't see Stephanie on tour this year as everywhere is just too far to drive and costs like $500 to fly there and then I have to add in Ubers and hotel stays, plus at least 1 meal, and we're looking closer to $1K+ for a 2-3 day getaway. I just can't manage that...even without having a house to pay for. So hopefully I can order a signed copy or two...$100 or so is more manageable. Not sure if that cost is accurate really, just thinking cost of hardcover or two...plus shipping! Lol. Sadly I likely won't get that special stamp on anything that Stephanie mentioned in her Stories. Sigh...so yeah...lots of bad news this week.

Well, anyway, here's what I got in the mail this week:

Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw--this is my replacement copy since my original went MIA. I sometimes wonder where all my missing books end up. I partially consider that someone in that mailroom likes to read.
The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn--I was originally supposed to receive this book on July 9th. Then Amazon said, JK, you'll get July 15-19. It arrived on July 22.
A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan--an impulse B&N preorder...all these deluxe first print run editions gives me the biggest FOMO--actual FOMO and not KOMO! Lol. So yeah...I still need to read the first book but I have the pretty second book at the ready!

Then I got my Fairy Loot book, kind of wish I could've gotten it last month but oh well. Still trying not to give spoilers if there are people who avoid them still. Not sure really if anyone does anymore. I know I follow people who guess accurately so I know if I want to skip or not. Of course with FL I'm more like "can I live with it?" This one I could. Cover wise it wasn't bad...I just felt meh about it in some sense. I like it better than the standard US one, so I guess that's something at least. Lol. I might like it better after I read the book...eventually. It's a duology, so it's automatically put somewhere in the possible 2027 queue! Lol.

And then I had a little bit of retail therapy after the dreadful news I got at the start of my week. I was at TJ Maxx and was browsing the Halloween stuff that they were slowly putting out. I then saw the tiny rack of blankets and I was telling myself as I walked by that I was good on blankets. No. More. Blankets.

So Fate clearly said you need one more blanket. Because yes, yes I did need a ghost reading a book blanket!

And that was all I got this week! Of course, I wrote this post a little earlier then usual, so I don't entirely know what was in Saturday's mail just yet. But if anything good shows up, it'll be in next week's post.

What all did you get this week?

Review--The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn

2026-07-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

The only way out is through.

With Eva trapped in imminent peril, Bash rushes to save her and take down the False King once and for all. Eva desperately searches for a way out of her predicament, even as circumstances beyond her control bring her back to the secret kingdom that once had been her home.

As sides form in the forthcoming war, not all are eager to believe the False King they thought vanquished is still bent on taking control of the faerie realm. With enemies closing in, and not even sleep safe from the nightmares that are all too real, the fate of the realm will come down to a race against time.

Secrets from the past merge with the present as Eva struggles to unravel the truth that might change her fate. But will she be forced to choose between her kingdom and her future—or was that destiny a lie all along?

Dana Evyn's The Mirror in the Mountain picks up right where The Other Side of the Mirror left off and oh boy was this book a doozie! This book really put my heart through the ringer as there was a certain level of danger that was amped up to the max and my heart was beating at an accelerated rate nearly the entire time! Circumstances felt dire at the best of times and it was a race to read as fast as I could to see how things would turn out!

We pick up where we left off, so it's like no time at all has passed for the characters, even though it was a handful of reads for me! Lol. Eva has given herself over to Aviel in order to save her friends and found family. She is now once again his prisoner and at his mercy...which as we know he has next to none of. Escape is near impossible and every time Eva tries she gets knocked down and out. Seriously the level of danger and hopelessness ran rampant with my feelings in this one! So many times we see the heroine able to duke it out with the villain with only a few scrapes and bruises. I don't want to say this scenario was refreshing, but it felt different, I guess. Failure is a part of life, we don't always get to succeed, so Eva's "setbacks" were unique in a sense.

But naturally, Eva can't and won't remain a prisoner forever and it's not long before she is able to escape Aviel's clutches once again and is reunited with Bash and her friends and her brother, Tobias. She is also reunited with her best friend, Quinn, who we learned is a part of this world Eva now lives in. You almost forget that Eva was from our modern world, I mean she's moved around a bit between worlds as it turns out, but she spent a good chunk of time in the modern world.

Now Eva and her friends must plan for battle. Dealing with Aviel is about to come to a head. They learned that there is a magical mirror called the Seeing Mirror and basically whoever can get to it first, between Eva and Aviel, will become the High Queen...or King should things take a dastardly turn. They will effectively become the one and only ruler of this world Eva has begun to think of home and she will do anything in her power to stop Aviel from becoming that one and only ruler...whatever the cost.

You want to talk about high stakes, seriously, just read this series! Because omg, this book is the definition high stakes. I don't think my heart ever raced as much with a book as it has with this series so far! The danger is intense! And then let's do a 180 and talk about the romance because that is certainly steamy too! Bash and Eva's anima bond definitely makes things heated between them. There were quite a few romantic interludes between them in this one. They were never overtly graphic but there was definitely an open door to the scenes as well. I feel like it's probably somewhere in between, but then again, I've never read any of the supremely spicy books, lol!

Things wrap up in a neat little bow at the end of this one. So much so I was almost puzzled at how we were calling this a trilogy. Well, it turns out in the next book we will follow two other characters as they go on a quest to help out our main characters. For it does feel like Eva and Bash's story arc has come to a conclusion. Yet the third book seems to entail that something will happen to interrupt their HEA ending and these "new" characters will have to save the day...and likely fall in love because this is romantasy we're reading! Lol.

The Mirror in the Mountain was a heart-racing read that kept me reading late into the night and held me captivated! This world is so easy to get lost in that you forget there is a reality outside the door. I am quite eager to see what will happen next with our new heroine and hero and what kind of unrest will enter this kingdom that just seemed to be on the verge of peace, but luckily I have that next book in hand...on the cusp of a busy weekend, but I'll get a few pages read at least! Lol.

If you're looking for that romantasy read to get your heart pumping and keep you up late at night then be sure to check out Dana Evy's The Mirrored Trilogy as it will completely consume your mind and heart in all the best possible ways!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Book Blogger Hop #421

2026-07-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: What’s the fastest or slowest you’ve ever finished a book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: I feel like I am perpetually slow reader these days! Lol. Wayyyy back in the day, I could read some books in the course of a day! I think those particular titles were between 300-400, but definitely on the lower side of under 400! Those were the days! Ahh.

The longest...well, if I planned them right and took vacation days and used weekends, or maybe a road trip where I didn't have to drive, I could get a longer one read in 5 days. I'd say the longer books could take me up to 7 days to read depending on what's going on in my life at the time with work and other things.

Today's average is around 3 days I'd say for books under 500 pages. Again, always depends on what's going on workwise and free time wise and how tired I am or not! And the book's pacing and formatting as well. There really are so many factors to consider!

Books from the Backlog #195

2026-07-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

There is no action without consequence…

Dani O’Malley was nine years old when the delusional, sadistic Rowena transformed her into a ruthless killer. Years later, she’s tough, hardened, yet achingly vulnerable and fiercely compassionate, living alone by her own exacting code. Despite the scars on her body, driven by deeper ones carved into her soul, no one is more committed to protecting Dublin. By day, she ensures the safety of those she rescues, by night she hunts evil, dispensing justice swiftly and without mercy, determined to give those she cares for the peace she has never known.

There is no power without price…

When the Faerie Queen used the dangerously powerful Song of Making to heal the world from the damage done by the Hoar Frost King, catastrophic magic seeped deep into the earth, giving rise to horrifying, unforeseen consequences–and now deadly enemies plot in the darkness, preparing to enslave the human race and unleash an ancient reign of hell on Earth.

There is no future without sacrifice…

With the lethal, immortal Ryodan at her side, armed with the epic Sword of Light, Dani once again battles to save the world but her past comes back to haunt her with a vengeance, demanding an unspeakable price for the power she needs to save the human race and no one—not even Ryodan who’d move the very stars for her—can save her this time…

Oi! So behind with these books and I ADORED them when I was in the binging phase! Lol. I added Karen Marie Moning's High Voltage to my TBR pile in March of 2018, so when it released. This was Dani's book! That much I remember! I think this was when we upped her age so she wasn't a young teen anymore, but my memory's fuzzy naturally, as this was before my notetaking days! So hopefully things will come back to me as I read when I eventually get back to this one!

Can't Wait Wednesday #258

2026-07-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Layered with epic battles, elemental magic and twisty romance, this heart-pounding finale will leave readers racing toward the truth about seventeen-year-old pirate Aster and her destiny.

At the time of writing this post, I still need to start this series, but I am hoping by now I either read at least book 1 or both books to date! It's in my queue! Lol.

TITLE: Cursebreaker
AUTHOR: R.M. Gray
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

Respect the Legend. Idolize the Prodigy. Celebrate the Champion. But never underestimate the Rebel in this electrifying graphic novel adaptation of the Legend series's grand finale.

Eden Wing is a brilliant student. He’s about to graduate a year early from Ross University of the Sciences. But most people don’t introduce Eden this way. Instead, they say, “This is Eden, Daniel Wing’s younger brother.”

Ten years ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. Day has since spent the past decade piecing together his memory of his time in the Republic, quietly hiding from the world―even if it’s meant giving up June, the love of his life.

When June suddenly steps back into Day’s life, rekindling the flames of their romance, the pair team up to rescue Eden who’s been drawn into Ross City’s dark side. But like the rest of the world, they may have underestimated Eden―what he’s capable of, where his loyalties lie, and how hard he’s willing to fight for what he believes.

Return to the world of Legend in this epic graphic novel adaptation of the pulse-pounding finale to the series, which brings to life the bestselling Rebel with full-color illustrations.

I loved Marie's Legend series and I loved reading them as graphic novels, so I was excited to hear her announce that Rebel would be getting the same treatment!

TITLE: Rebel
AUTHOR: Marie Lu
ADAPTOR: Kyla Vanderklugt
ILLUSTRATOR: Kaari
PUBLISHER: Roaring Brook Press
GENRE: YA Dystopian (Graphic Novel)
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

The dead chose her. Now she has to figure out why.

Thalia Cross has spent eighteen years perfecting invisibility. Homeschooled on a mountain, warned away from town, kept just separate enough from everyone that loneliness became a personality trait. Her grandfather calls it protection. She calls it Thursday.

Then her therapist disappears into the Colorado wilderness, and Thalia follows a dead woman's voice into the dark.

What she finds in that clearing strips away every careful rule she's lived by: her therapist's bones arranged with unnerving precision, bleached white as if from centuries of sun. Before she can run, she slams straight into eighteen-year-old Bram Wilder, the sheriff's son and her longtime crush, two days from his first shift as a deputy, and apparently the universe's preferred instrument of her humiliation. He turned down a full ride to Stanford to stay in this town, and nobody seems to know why.

He arrests her. She almost respects it.

But something far worse than a murder charge is circling Wilder, Colorado, and Thalia can't outrun it alone. Pulled toward two other girls she has no reason to trust, she's starting to understand that her grandfather's rules weren't about keeping her safe. They were about keeping her quiet. About keeping her from discovering exactly what she is.

Because something ancient is sealed in these mountains. It has been waiting a very long time. And the dead, who have always been the only honest voices in Wilder, keep whispering the same thing.

Her name.

The Inheritance Games meets Caraval in this propulsive, gothic, slow-burn thriller that will wreck your sleep schedule completely.

Once I saw that cover, I was a goner. The first line, take my money! Then the comparison match at the bottom and you now know I am so far gone! Lol! I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE ASAP!

TITLE: The Bone Singer
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen
PUBLISHER: Mayhem Books
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

2026-07-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"Hope always has a purpose. It's a life preserver in miles-deep water, a shelter from violent storms." p 155

TITLE: The First Lost Boy
AUTHOR: Casey L. Bond
PUBLISHER: Self
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2025

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books That Live in My Head Rent Free (submitted by Emma @damppebbles.com)

*in no particular order

10. BITTEN by Kelley Armstrong--one of the founding "mothers" of my book collection! This was a series I remember feeling hesitant with at first but fast became a favorite!
9. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--same can be said of this one! Especially since it was shelved in romance I thought the romance would overtake the story, but it so didn't!
8. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--lol, again another that was shelved in romance but was definitely more fantasy with a side romance! Fast became a favorite and Maria fast became a good author friend!

7. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--my first Aussie author book and time-traveling one and you know the "ordinary girl but with magical powers (that she knew she had!)" book! LOVE this one SO much!
6. SHADOWLAND by Jenny Carroll/Meg Cabot--my first ghost book and AHH how I LOVE this series!
5. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--one of the first werewolf books I read and still my absolute FAVORITE! Don't judge this one by its movie because that movie was crap as a book adaptation, but okayish as a teen werewolf movie! Lol.

4. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--we all have first loves...and this one is mine!
3. ALCHEMY OF SECRETS by Stephanie Garber--obviously...and for the rest of the picks! Lol. Since we're at book 1 with this one, I have yet to really place it in my scale of love for Stephanie's series, so we'll talk again next year! Lol.
2. ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART by Stephanie Garber--this one was definitely awesome! Love it! But I feel like you can't really love it and enjoy it as much without the knowledge from its predecessor. So...

1. CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber--clearly you all knew this would be #1! This series was so fantabulous for me! It brought me magic, it brought danger, romance, a kind of L.J. Smith Forbidden Game vibe but with a twist! I mean Julian (Smith's Julian) was kind of like Jacks in some ways! Lol.

Review--The First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond

2026-07-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Stars see everything and forget nothing. And sometimes they meddle far too much.

Ava has no idea who she is or how she got on the unfamiliar island Peter Pan keeps insisting is her home, the place she’s safest. But there are shadows in his cunning eyes and something within her screams out a warning that he can’t be trusted.

When Belle learns that her sister is alive, she leaps at the chance to work with Hook, his crew, and their siren ally to free Ava from Pan’s grasp. She thought that with their help, she’d have time to save Ava before her secret was discovered…

She was wrong.

When the sinister truth slithers its way between the tentative truces formed, some friendships and alliances buckle while others break. But if everyone doesn’t work together to accomplish the seemingly impossible, and fast, all those trapped in Neverland’s gravity will be lost to an insidious darkness forever.

Can Hook and Ava find one another and manage an escape? Or will they be consumed by the malicious shadow and forget one another forever?

The First Lost Boy is the final book in Casey L. Bond's The Shadows of Neverland duology and it was quite the tale! This book went in a direction I never saw coming! It was strange and discombobulating at times, but the mystery and danger of Neverland and an evil Peter Pan was still clear and the secrets that were revealed were startling!

We pick up where we left off for the most part, but we are treated to new points of view. We get Hudson, Belle, Devin--Ava's friend in the real world, and of course, Ava's point of view. It's largely told from Ava's perspective with the occasional one from Hudson. But things are definitely a little harder to comprehend in this since Ava has seemingly lost her memories. She finds herself spending her days with Peter and his Lost ones. But strange things keep happening and Peter's mood swings are something to be feared as well.

Meanwhile, we see Hudson and Belle trying to find a way to rescue Ava and get her as far from Peter as possible, but nothing is done on Neverland that Peter isn't aware of. He's a force to be reckoned with that even his Lost boys fear him at the best of times.

But then we get an eye-opener. This was such a shocking reveal that I didn't see it coming and yet it makes a sort of sense to the story in some ways. But I'll admit, things still got confusing. There were suddenly these changes in the points of view mid-scene and it was hard to note the actual change. You just suddenly realized someone else was talking and then before you knew it, you were back to the first voice. There was a reason behind it and I knew it at the time and the reader knows it too, but yet, the transition was not an easy one to notice. I felt like it just seamlessly fit into the current perspective that it was very confusing when you could notice the change in tone and not grasp what was happening.

Sadly, with Ava taken by Pan and having her memories erased, this meant little time for romance with Hudson. Hudson is meanwhile fighting tooth and nail to do whatever he can to get her back and then of course we have the larger problem at hand that was revealed about midway through.

Needless to say, this is not your ordinary Peter Pan story! This is Peter Pan turned on its head, upside down, and flipped backwards. It's recognizable in some sense as the traditional fairy tale but it's definitely got a flare of its own too. Which is ideal when it comes to fairy tale retellings in my opinion.

The pacing to this one was pretty decent. I felt like there were some confusing times again with certain aspects. I can't really delve into them without spoilers, but let's just say I was thrown off with some confusing times a bit more than I was in the first book. The story was still intriguing and we are given some answers to the lingering questions presented in the first book as well.

All in all, the story was pretty good! I was kept entertained and delighted with Peter Pan lore. Although Tiger Lily and her tribe were absent entirely. At one point, I think in the first book, an offhand comment was made in regards to the native tribes but it was just a straight up one and done line that had no merits, I felt. But it does make you wonder why she was excluded. Neverland was seemingly uninhabited other than by Peter and his Lost ones and the mermaids and crocs who ruled the water, and the Neverbirds. Can't forget those beasts of terror.

This is not your mother's Neverland nor is it your Neverland of childhood! This was a very different and more dangerous Neverland and yet the two still have a lot in common. This was an exemplary retelling of a beloved fairy tale! The increased danger and added romance made it worthwhile!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2026-07-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

The First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond

What I Plan to (Hopefully) Read Next:

The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #257
Books from the Backlog #194
Book Blogger Hop #420
Stacking the Shelves: The Happy & Sad Report

Stacking the Shelves--The Happy & Sad Report

2026-07-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I write this in sort of a down mood...even though nothing has been confirmed, I just have a bad feeling. The week was the usual, a little mundane but we are ramping into our busy season at work so things will be hectic for awhile. But anyway, Friday I went to view another house, another condo. It was PERFECT! Absolutely perfect for me! It was small, but still sizeable. It had a basement, a garage...it basically had the 4 items that made my MUST HAVES! Bonus: BUILT IN BOOKSHELVES!! Granted, it was only two but still a HUGE PLUS! It was in a good area, close to my parents so they could still help me if I needed it. Not much further for my sister and her family for when they visit my parents, lol. Really, I was closer! The price was at my high end, but I figure, I could swing it. It's freaking perfect! I put in my offer that day but the owner has 48 hours to review before accepting...but then last evening I was informed they were out of town, so they've been given an extra 24 hours. There's a lot of interest in this condo. And I could only offer list price as it was already almost too expensive for me. So I'm worried. Very, very worried. I just know someone is going to offer more and I can't match that. I told myself Friday not to get too excited...but I did. I was already dreaming of setups and layouts. When my realtor told me the owner was getting an extra day, I just had this immediate gut feeling that I was already out. Which put me in a very bad spiral last night. Let's just say cookie dough was involved. Lol. So yeah, I'll be spiraling again all day today and pretty much all day tomorrow until I get the news. I was trying to be positive and optimistic but after my realtor texted me the update, I was just hit with this gut feeling...I was already outbid. But if anyone cares to throw some good vibes and good luck, crossed fingers, spare 4-leaf clovers my way, I'd appreciate it!

To further add to my feelings of impending doom, my missing book is still missing. A replacement was ordered but that's going to take another week to get to me...on the very same route the missing book went, so yeah.

Here's what I got this week:

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber--The Bookish Box edition! Sadly, I am not subscribed to this book box, but people are always reselling and I managed to snag a good one! Less than the cost TBB sells them for in their shop AND it was still sealed!! It's positively beautiful!! And what's bonkers is that I got this one BEFORE my replacement of last week's book and it shipped AFTER that one did!

Then the slap in the face was this week I received my preorder gift for Habits of the Sea...the very book that went missing and is being reshipped on the same doomed flight path.

These are short little journal entries from the FMC and they give you a place to put them in the book to read them. So whenever that book comes and I get a chance to read it, this will be a fun activity! Eventually...someday!

THANK YOU Simon & Schuster!

And then prior to my going to look at this dream house of mine, I saw this Vera Bradley tote on sale online and even though I already have the "other" Belle and books pattern...I couldn't resist this deal!

I mean...if it wasn't a light purple (that's insanely hard to see on this screen I feel like) I could've talked myself out of it...but it was purple and it was Belle...reading a book! A purple book!

And that was it for me this week. What all did you get?

Book Blogger Hop #420

2026-07-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you read one book at a time, or juggle a few at once? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: I'm now a one-book at a time kind of girl! Way back in the day, I thought I could juggle more than one...and sometimes I had to for school. In school I was reading anywhere from 3-4 books for classes and one for my sanity! Yes, I had to throw my own in book in to read to keep myself sane. I might not have paid as good attention to those other 2-3 books when I was reading, but hey, I made it through! Lol! But these days, my memory is scattered. I wouldn't want to crosswires with one book's plot with another's characters and what not. So I strictly read one at a time and am totally and completely happy with this method!

Review--The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond

2026-07-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Neverland. Where shadows consume and magic is frighteningly real.

Ava is struggling to provide for herself and her sister, who slips further into insanity with each passing day. Raving about Neverland. Obsessed with a Second Star that Ava can’t see in the black, velvety sky. Until the night Belle succumbs to the terrifying shadows plaguing her and sweeps Ava away to a land that is only supposed to exist in storybooks.

Neverland is real. And so is Peter Pan.

He's grown from boy to man, wielding a terrible power he uses to rule the island. When he senses Ava’s presence and sends his Lost Boys to collect her, a dashing captain with a silver hook for a hand comes to her defense. He offers her protection aboard his ship, and the help of his crew to find Belle before Peter and his Lost Boys do. But what he asks for in return might be more than she or her sister can possibly pay.

Belle once stole something invaluable from Peter Pan, something Hook and his crew need if they’re ever to escape the cursed island’s thrall. And despite their undeniable attraction, Hook will do anything to claim it before Pan can.

I've always loved the story of Peter Pan, both in its magical side and its dark side. The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond definitely falls on the darker stream of things but it's not quite what I would call horror, but it's not Disneified either! This is a new adult tale featuring older characters but still set in the magical and dangerous world known as Neverland!

Ava and her found sister, Belle, have been living on their own for years taking care of each other. In recent days, Belle's mental health has not been at its best and one night during one of her "episodes" she and Ava are transported to another land, you guessed it, Neverland! Like all other retellings, this isn't your typical Neverland either, things are different, darker, more dangerous.

What tends to baffle me about these retellings is when Peter is not a boy. He is far from childlike in this tale. And in a sense, I understand why he has to be older, it's just disorienting when you read about the boy who didn't want to grow up, actually does grow up for some reason or another! I feel like the explanation behind his and the Lost Boys growing older wasn't really explained well. It was sort of an offhand comment that it is what it is. So naturally, I just rolled with it.

Upon landing in Neverland, Ava is found by a Lost Boy and then "rescued" by Hook in a grisly way. She is then taken with him to treat a wound and we have our forced proximity trope happening straight away. Hook is about Ava's age, naturally, and as we already know, good looking too! Lol. I don't mean for these things to come off as negative either! I know very much what I am reading and expect the characters to fit into those roles and that means a good lookin Hook. I mean after Once Upon a Time, I expect all Hooks to be hot, so there's that too!

Hook needs Ava's help in trying to find Tinkerbell who has something that he and his men desperately need. He believes that Ava is the only one who can help him get close to Tinkerbell without there being other issues popping up, and he has to find her before Peter does, because Peter wants Tinkerbell for the same reason too.

This book holds all the magic and darkness one expects from Neverland and I positively loved it! I've read dozens of Peter Pan retellings over the years, some where Peter is still our hero and other times, not so much! They have all been different and unique and The Last Lost Girl is no different in that sense! This book was incredible and I loved the unique take on the Peter Pan story.

In this universe, the Peter Pan story does in fact exist and plays a role in the mix as well, which I found interesting. Sometimes you get a retelling where the source material does not exist. So that we have it here is very intriguing indeed and I like how Bond wove it into the story.

Romance, yup, there's that too! Lol. Naturally, we can see that things will start brewing between Ava and Hook, but I will tell you now that it is no spice. There's heat between them, but I feel like it was mostly closed-door. We get some kissing and tension, but when the "deed" happens, it was very much behind a closed door. So if you're looking for high spicy moments, you won't find them here.

The ending was a doozie! I suspected some kind of cliffhanger since this is a duology but this one was a whopper! So glad I can dive into the next one asap because a wait after that ending would have been disastrous! Lol. With the fate of many characters hanging in the balance, you can bet I will be diving into The First Lost Boy asap!

If you're looking for that Peter Pan retelling that puts a different spin on the classic tale and has a darker edge to it with just a little bit of romance, then you should definitely check this series out! This was such a fun take on a beloved tale that I can't wait for the next installment and likely more of Bond's books as well!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Books from the Backlog #194

2026-07-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

From bestselling author Marianne Curley comes the highly anticipated return to the Guardians of Time Series…

The battle is over. The war is won. The prophecy complete.

But life can’t just pick up where it left off for Ethan. Struggling to cope with the death of his soul-mate, at odds with his friends in the Guard, he finds himself adrift, jumping at shadows and sensing someone who can’t possibly be there.

Blaming herself for Lathenia’s death, Jesilla swears to avenge her mother and fulfil her vision for world domination. But she hadn’t planned to fall in love. And that leaves her with an unbearable choice – should she follow her heart or the parental strings of a Goddess, short on praise but high on expectation, who continues to pull on her from the grave?

As the Guard and the Order battle through the past and into an impossible future, darkness lurks around every corner. The fight for the world’s survival will rest with just one.

Is it friend or foe that stands in The Shadow?

It saddens me that I still need to read Marianne Curley's The Shadow! I added this to my TBR pile in March of 2018...although Goodreads says it was in April of of 2018 from one source, another says April 2019! So I possibly added it early as I sometimes did...? This was a loooong waited addition--that was a surprise to get--to a series I looooved as a teen! I obviously needed a re-read of the original books before I could dive into this one! I did re-read these wayyyy back in the day, maybe not as much as her first book, Old Magic, but I re-read them at least once or twice! But yes, this is one I am aching to read but just haven't gotten worked into my reading queue as of yet. Hopefully someday soon!

Can't Wait Wednesday #257

2026-07-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

In a world where love is forbidden, one girl must fight for her heart and freedom through deadly trials in the first book of a new dystopian romantasy duology from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Elle.

Welcome to The Heart Trials.
The prize is love.
The cost is everything.

In Ethyria the highborn may love; the lowborn may only feel what the Benevolent allows.

Saltblood lowborn Axira Merreri survives the decaying districts by keeping her heart locked tight, couriering goods by day — and smuggling the ruler’s euphoric Heartfillers to the highborn by night. Until a drop goes wrong and her execution looms.

When she strikes a dangerous bargain to steal something from the Tournament of Hearts, a ruthless dating competition for highborn citizenship, she enters. Not for love. For freedom. But as the twisted allure of the competition turns deadly, an unexpected connection cracks her defenses, forcing her to confront a truth she In a regime built on engineered happiness, the most dangerous weapon she has is her heart.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Elle delivers a breathless series opener that is bold, bone-chilling, and wholly original. For fans of the cutthroat competition of The Hunger Games, Love Island, and Powerless, this dystopian romantasy explores what happens when the heart becomes the empire’s sharpest blade.

I still need to finish Elle's previous trilogy but this new series of course sounds amazing!

TITLE: The Heart Trials
AUTHOR: J. Elle
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

DELUXE EDITION - featuring gorgeous stenciled edges - In The Wolf Queen's Curse, the much anticipated sequel to Witch of the Wolves, Cordelia and Bishop must seek alliances with other packs and confront their Alphas in order to restore their beloved Trevelyan, no matter the cost.

The previously quiet life of Cordelia Levine, half-werewolf, all witch, has been turned upside down. Both of her parents are now dead, and her grandmother’s vicious attack on Trevelyan, her pack’s home, has left the Albion Pack fleeing and severely reduced in number.

As they recover and strategize a path forward, Cordelia is navigating her role in the pack as well as her feelings for her new husband, the Alpha. But even as their love grows stronger, the fate of the pack lies in their hands, and they must focus on finding a way to survive.

The pack decides that the only way to defeat the cabal and forge a path back home is to rekindle old alliances. The journey proves complicated, however, as each Alpha they encounter has an agenda of his own. But Cordelia and Bishop will stop at nothing to protect their pack – and reclaim their rightful home.

OOOMG! I LOVED the first book of this series and am eager for this one!! #IYKYK

TITLE: The Wolf Queen's Curse
AUTHOR: Kaylee Archer
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin
GENRE: Historical Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

Rachel Gillig, the queen of gothic romantasy, returns with higher stakes, darker mysteries, and deeper longings in this gorgeous sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling sensation The Knight and the Moth.

Aisling Cathedral is in ruins. Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew, and Maude Bauer are rumored to be dead—and the king has taken Sybil Delling as his bride. To show off their union and solidify his power over Traum, Benji proposes a series of tournaments throughout the hamlets. Captive and drugged, Sybil remains determined to vanquished him as she once did the Omens, even if she destroys the kingdom’s faith—and herself—in the process.

But then a mysterious knave rises to the top of the lists, a man with no name and no memory who may just be Sybil’s ticket to undoing Benji’s power. For in a land where stories repeat themselves, where a king can prove as cruel as a god, the only way to truly destroy the Stonewater Kingdom’s faith is to save it.

I STILL need to read the first book, but since this was another duology (I think at least!), I decided I would wait and binge like I did with her first one!

TITLE: The Knave and The Moon
AUTHOR: Rachel Gillig
PUBLISHER: Orbit
GENRE: Gothic Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

2026-07-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"My lips parted as I decide to try to reason with the pirate on his behalf when a hot wash of blood sprays across my face, chest, stomach, and legs as Hook rips the silver crook through and across Wraith's throat." p 68

TITLE: The Last Lost Girl
AUTHOR: Casey L. Bond
PUBLISHER: Self
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2024

This week's topic is: Top Ten Books in My TBR Pile from New-to-Me Authors

*in no particular order

10. THE SECRET ATTIC by Chelsea Conradt--one of my fave authors who may or not be retired, but may also be working on something recommended this one not too long ago! I read the blurb and was immediately hooked!
9. THE BOOK WITCH by Meg Shaffer--honestly, with that title, it was hard not to get hooked!
8. THE ASTRAL LIBRARY by Kate Quinn--I had been eyeing this one for awhile because of said title and cover as well! Then when B&N had a hardcover sale, I picked it up!

7. WE BECOME DARKNESS by Grace Morrow--a vampire read I couldn't pass up!
6. DEATHBRINGER by Sonia Tagliareni--this one also sounded good so I spontaneously preordered two B&N sales ago! Lol.
5. NOBODY'S QUEST by Alyssa Day--another fave author spoke highly of this one and it sounded good, so I added it to my pile!

4. THISTLEMARSH by Moorea Corrigan--another one I randomly picked up at the B&N hardcover sale! It sounded so good and I can't believed I missed hearing about it earlier in the year!
3. A CURSED SON by Day Leitao--another one I was intrigued about so I splurged on the pretty copies!
2. DIREBOUND by Sable Sorensen--have seen loads of good things on this one and I am super excited to read it...once I can find time for a 600+ page tome!

1. BLACK RIVER by Ruby Jean Cottle--stumbled on this one on my own again and it sounded SO good! Really need to find time to read it asap!