When I saw the cover for Falon Ballard's Something Wicked—first in her Idle Reputations series—I was instantly intrigued. And that it's inspired by Macbeth and Moulin Rouge? An interesting combination; sold! Something Wicked is set in a country called Avon, divided into four territories, plus a capital city. There's been political unrest for years, and... Continue Reading →
Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors, and I'll always read anything she publishes. After enjoying Rules for Ruin, the first in her Crinoline Academy series, I was excited for the second installment: The Marriage Method is out now, and equally as enjoyable! Nell Trewlove was an orphan at the secluded Benevolent Academy for... Continue Reading →
Happy rerelease to Hollow by Karina Halle! First published two years ago, it has just been republished with a gorgeous new cover. Hollow is the first half of A Gothic Shade of Romance duology; the second part, Legend, comes out in December. Hollow is a retelling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.... Continue Reading →
This week sees the traditional publication of Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf by Isabelle Taylor. It was first released through Kickstarter, but the new Harlequin edition has additional content to fill out the characters and hint at further books in the Claw Haven series. This first in the series finds Luna, a slightly out-of-touch heiress,... Continue Reading →
My year of demon romances continues with Charlotte Stein's new novel, Dealing with a Desperate Demon. Though this is actually the second in the Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures series, this works as a standalone, too. (Thankfully, as I wasn't aware of the first book until after I'd finished this one—oops!) Nancy is a quiet bookstore... Continue Reading →
Alexandra Vasti's Belvoir's Library trilogy comes to end with the newly released Ladies in Hating. Set seven years after the first book, it stars Lady Georgiana Cleeve (she was so funny in Ne'er Duke Well!) and Cat Lacey. Both are popular Gothic novelists who publish under pseudonyms (it is the 1820s, after all). Some strange... Continue Reading →
Jenna Levine's My Vampires series has been one of my favorite things to happen in the last couple of years. After loving the first two books, I was excited for the third installment in the trilogy, Road Trip with a Vampire. This one introduces new characters (though Zelda was mentioned in the previous book). Zelda... Continue Reading →
Happy release day to Aurora Palit's second novel, Honey and Heat! I loved her debut, Sunshine and Spice, and was excited to see Cynthia get her chance at love here. After a memorable one-night-stand, Cynthia finds out that Rohit works at the same business she does: her father's company. And he's now her #1 competitor... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, Adib Khorram released his second adult romance, It Had to Be Him. After getting dumped for being "boring," Ramin makes the exciting choice to take a vacation in Milan. There he coincidentally runs into Noah, once a friend back in high school, and they quickly resume their friendship. It's not long before... Continue Reading →
Last year I loved Emily Sullivan's novel, Duchess Material. That series continues with Is This Real or Just Pretend?, in which eldest sister Alexandra decides a fake courtship with Lucien, son of her family's coachman, will be necessary for business. Not only would it deter her younger sister, Freddie, from ruining a possible marriage to... Continue Reading →
This week Darcie Wilde released the first in her Young Queen Victoria mystery series, The Heir. Set in 1835, it follows 16-year-old Princess Victoria when she stumbles upon a dead body. Who was this man, and why is his death being covered up? Was it truly an accident, or is something more sinister afoot? As... Continue Reading →
For the past couple of years, I have been loving Liana de La Rosa‘s Luna Sisters series. Following Ana María and The Fox in 2023 and Isabel and The Rogue in 2024, the trilogy now comes to an end with the fiery youngest sister in Gabriela and His Grace. Gabriela Luna is no friend of Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield, and... Continue Reading →
I loved Chelsea Abdullah's debut novel, The Stardust Thief, the first in her Sandsea Trilogy. That one ended on quite the cliffhanger! This year book two came out: The Ashfire King. Here, Loulie and Mazen are navigating the realm of djinn underground, with a mission of breaking several bindings before the whole world crumbles. Meanwhile,... Continue Reading →
This year I have been loving the reprint of Aurora Ascher's Hell Bent series. A couple weeks ago, the third in the series, Demon with Benefits, got its rerelease. I was so excited for this one ever since the first book, and guys, this was my favorite one yet! Meph is the fun-loving, happy demon... Continue Reading →
Though I've always been a cat person, I loving seeing any pets take a central role in books, and that includes dogs! This led me to Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon. It stars a French Bulldog and—my personal dream dog—a Standard Poodle. Ashanti runs a successful doggie daycare, Barkingham Palace, as well as her... Continue Reading →
My first time reading Emily Sullivan was last fall with Duchess Material. I loved that series opener, so I was excited to read another book—also the first in a new series!—A Death on Corfu. Set on the Greek island of Corfu in 1898, it opens with Minnie Harper, the widowed mother of two. Despite her... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware has been my favorite thriller author since I read The Woman in Cabin 10 nearly eight years ago. That book is still among my top three favorites by her, so I was excited to learn it would have a sequel: The Woman in Suite 11. It's ten years after the horrors that happened... Continue Reading →
Virginia Heath's books are always a ton of fun, and that's certainly true of her latest: Look Before You Leap, the second in her Miss Prentice's Protégées series. This one follows Lottie after she's been fired (again) and gets a new job for the famously cranky Lady Frinton. Together they go to Kent for Lady... Continue Reading →
Happiest release week to the latest novel by one of my favorite authors, Harper St. George. Following last year’s The Stranger I Wed, the Doves of New York series continues with the youngest Dove sister in Eliza and the Duke. Contrary to the title, the “duke” here is actually Simon, a bare-knuckles fighter who’s been trying to fight... Continue Reading →
I've been loving Claudia Gray's Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery series, so I could hardly wait for the fourth installment, The Rushworth Family Plot. Now that Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney have a reputation for solving murders, it's no wonder the London police immediately give them free rein to investigate the latest crime: Mr.... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice is a popular book to reimagine, but The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod is the first I've seen that draws a romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet. To be honest, this actually seems like the perfect pairing! Here, Charlotte has become a widow after only four years of... Continue Reading →
At long lost, Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria is finally here. The third book in her Primas of Power trilogy, this one follows Ava after her divorce is finalized. In the midst of trying to make some changes in her life, she meets Roman at a bar and begins a months-long occasional relationship that... Continue Reading →
Happy release day to one of my most anticipated books this year, Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews. This is the seventh book of hers that I've read, and dare I say, possibly my favorite yet! The first of her new Crinoline Academy series, Rules for Ruin introduces Effie Flite, a woman raised at an... Continue Reading →
The past few years I have been loving Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series. Now the trilogy ends with Can't Get Enough, Hendrix's story. Career-focused and confident, Hendrix isn't willing to sacrifice her goals for a man. But when she meets Maverick, a tech mogul, she needs to consider whether being with him is worth risking a... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 