I was slipping into a bit of a genre slump, so I reached for something light, easy, and entertaining. This book delivered exactly what I needed. I’ve always enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s work, so I trusted she’d pull me out of it, and she absolutely did.

I’ve seen many comments saying Hazelwood writes the same FMC and MMC in different settings, but honestly, I don’t mind it. She consistently excels at quiet yearning and those subtl …Read More

This was just as enjoyable as Assistant to the Villain. Although this installment leans much more romance-forward, I have to admit there were moments where Trystan and Evie’s dynamic started to feel a little tired. The constant push-and-pull drifted past “slow burn” and into “why are we still doing this?” territory.

I’m also starting to notice that Hannah Nicole Maehrer tends to rush her endings, stacking as many plot twists …Read More

Sweet little story with some action and angst.

Rowan and Atlas are two space explorers who, throughout the years of working together, became sort of rivals/best friends who never saw each other's faces. They piloted separate spaceships, with Rowan looking for minerals from other planets to bring back for humans to use, and Atlas was there to determine if those planets held life. The story begins with them exploring yet anothe …Read More

Knock Knock is an excellent continuation of the From Nothing series. The two older brothers get their HEA. Xavi and Nate were made for each other. There is a lot of banter, humor, and general tomfoolery -- just as in the first two books. It was also great to catch up with Maddox and Devin (despite what some reviewers suggest, I thought they were very much in character and provided great support for their brothers).

First Impressions:
The sheer entertainment value of this book—my gosh. It felt like watching my favorite duo verbally spar their way through a cinematic battle of wits, while I sat back, popcorn in hand, fully invested. I picked it up solely because I heard it was inspired by the author’s Dramione-fic roots—and since I love a Dramione fic, that was all the convincing I needed. I didn’t read reviews or watch videos beforehand; …Read More

As someone who loved A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing, I have to say the comparisons to those series didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The opening chapters were difficult to get through — while the world-building was easy to picture, I struggled with Saeris as a main character. I think the author intended her to be this sharp, sassy, badass heroine, but to me, she came across as immature, irritating, and a …Read More

My gosh — the amount of love I have for this book. As an aunty and a 29-year-old who’s been quietly questioning the direction of my life, I resonated deeply with Lemon’s struggles and her search for identity. Watching her navigate that in-between space — of who she is versus who she wants to become — felt achingly familiar.

As an aunty, I felt maternal toward Lemon, touched by the way the story explores what it means to be pa …Read More

First Impressions & Writing Atmosphere

This book had been sitting quietly in my cart for a while, whispering to me now and then. So when my favorite online bookstore had the hardcover special edition on sale for $14.99, I took it as fate. I try not to let online reviews sway me — books, like all art, live in the realm of personal perception. One opinion isn’t better or worse than another.

That said, even with the hype surround …Read More

What has this book done to me?

I’m a bag of contradictions — numb, yet simmering. Beneath the surface: rage, frustration, relief, anxiety, hurt, and something dangerously close to understanding. I’ve been staring at this blank review box for what feels like hours, the cursor blinking back at me like it’s mocking my inability to translate this ache into words. But nothing about this book is normal, is it?

Every chapter of Alche …Read More

I devoured One Dark Window — and before the echoes of its last page even faded, I was already cracking open Two Twisted Crowns. No breaks. No breathing room. I was ready.

While the romance in One Dark Window felt like a subplot, I still found myself expecting more yearning between Elspeth and Ravyn in this sequel. But to my surprise, even with less focus on their romance, the story never lost its grip on me. If anything, it t …Read More

I loved this so much more than Bride. When I first read about Serena through Misery’s POV in Bride, I’ll admit—I found her a little annoying. At times, she didn’t seem like a great friend to Misery. But wow, I judged way too quickly. Mate completely flipped my perception of her.

Serena isn’t perfect, but her flaws make sense once you understand the world she’s been forced to live in. Choices made for her, a life without a sen …Read More

I find a lot of my book recs through social media, and this duology kept slipping into my feed — gothic art, mist-drenched quotes, whispers of romance and ruin. By September, I was lining up my October reads, and when I spotted One Dark Window at the bookstore, it was an instant grab. The cover, the premise, the eerie promise — everything about it screamed “Fall read.”

I try not to build expectations before reading. I do a li …Read More