Samia

I’ll give this a 2.5 it was honestly my least fave Emily Henry book and I have several reasons why.

Let’s start with the characters: While I understand that Hayden and Alice were supposed to kind of be cute opposites of each other (reserved and potentially broody versus super peppy) I felt like their characters weren’t really fleshed out as much as I would like. I couldn’t really get myself to relate for or fall for them. Their chemistry also felt a little sudden and weird and I don’t know if it would have helped to have Hayden’s POV or just something there to round them out - it felt like something was missing.

Margaret was probably the most interesting character up until the end and I won’t ruin it but I felt like her big reveal was so… mid. Like really? She did all this and waste two people’s jobs and careers ? Really selfish and stupid if you ask me.

The problems both characters face and their development felt short I feel like EH is usually so good at making the story about not just the love but the growth and it just fell short for me on this one.

Hope the next one is more to my liking but this wasn’t for me.

eeeep I am so into soccer romances because of this one ! Asher and Scarlett are almost enemies at the start of this book because they have their own goals and pasts to contend with- but the attraction between them is eventually undeniable and that’s what fuels their relationship spark. What I really loved about this book was that even after one main characters get together and things get spicy, there’s still a really storyline to contend with. There is Asher’s goals to be at the top of his team and win a World Cup, but having to figure out why he’s so reckless becomes something that helps him grow. Scarlett’s fear of being on stage, of letting go of who she was when she was younger so she can blossom into who she is now - these still carry on as our couple learns to grow together. It made the story much more realistic and romantic in my opinion.

One start off just because I felt like there were some things that could have been fleshed out more - I would have loved to dive into Asher’s reckless streak more or maybe he went to therapy or something and explore Scarlett’s past a bit more too (how was she as a ballerina before).

Overall though I really loved it

3.5 stars!

This was a really nice palette cleansing sort of light hearted HEA sports romance! I really liked a cute love story and the unique way these two characters got together because initially she wasn’t into him at all which threw me off (in a good way). Some of the writing was tedious (how many times can you use masculine as an adjective to describe someone before it gets annoying?) but I overall needed a nice easy light hearted book to read!

This book had me feeling unhinged—in the best way. The hook is brutally clever: malevolent “antimemes,” predators you can’t remember, ideas that eat memory, identity, and reality itself. That’s the frontline Marie Quinn walks every day as director of the Antimemetics Division: a war you can’t record, can’t recall, and might already be losing. The novel leans hard into that paradox. Scenes slide out of reach, notes go blank, and the act of thinking about the threat is exactly what lets it touch you. I kept catching myself flipping back pages like, “Did I miss something…or did something miss me?”

Told mostly through Marie’s perspective, it’s a tight blend of sci-fi horror and paranoid puzzle box. She’s a fascinating lead—brilliant, stubborn, and quietly haunted—tasked with building protocols for an enemy you can’t even prove exists. The book makes thought itself feel dangerous: every memo is a weapon, every redaction a shield. The tension doesn’t come from jump scares; it comes from watching competent people try to out-maneuver an absence that keeps deleting the rules as they go. I loved how the narrative form mirrors the threat: chapters that click into place a beat late, reveals that feel like remembering a dream, and a handful of “wait—how long have we known this?” moments that are chef’s-kiss disorienting.

Beyond the mind games, it’s surprisingly humane. It asks what identity means if your memories can be edited, what leadership costs when you’re the last line of defense against something no one else can perceive, and how far you go to protect a world that won’t remember you did. It’s exciting, confusing, and addicting in the best way—my brain felt rewired mid-chapter. The ending landed a little sad for me, but it’s honest for a universe where forgetting is the ultimate camouflage and victory doesn’t always look like recognition.

If you crave smart, high-concept sci-fi horror that makes your neurons spark—and you like the terrifying question “How do you fight what you can never remember?”—this absolutely delivers. I would devour a part two yesterday.

Right when I needed a gorgeous, action-packed, fantasy romance this fell into my lap and it did NOT disappoint.

Omgggg I am still reeling from how good this book was. Thais and Thatcher are twins with a godly secret who wind up competing to attain godhood (or die basically) and while they must hide the secret of the God who sired them they also must navigate a battlefield of trials that tests their strengths in order for the ultimate goal - kill the one who violated their mother.

But all is not what it seems in the world of the Gods and Thais finds herself seeing the humanity in her own mentor Xül, and possibly more?

I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that the storyline here is awesome - I love trials mixed with power struggles and political intrigue so I really was into this. The romance is also pretty good - it’s not a huge part of the story but it’s beautifully integrated and I can’t wait to get more of it in the next book if we’re lucky enough.

The ending had me FLOORED. I actually didn’t read these authors first two books before this one so I know a lot of people were freaking out over the ending because it ties into the first two books so I’m running to those now.

Overall this was awesome and a wonderful surprise after the book slump I’ve been in for the fantasy romance genre.

Loveeee!!!

This was a cute book! I liked the storyline of an independent female character and not both people being super successful and all the other things. You can tell the. author really put in the love for her culture into her story and of family. I think parts of it were a little choppy - as in the editing was a bit abrupt which made me confused sometimes but overall it was a cute book. I wouldn't read it again though and wasn't super attached to it i mainly finished it because i needed a palette cleanser book.

This was SUCH a cute book! I liked how simple and sweet the storyline is and the banter was very entertaining. Sierra has a traumatic past in the figure skating world in which she was injured to a point of almost return, her partner abandoning her, and her fear controlling her life. That is, until she meets the most unlikely of allies, a hockey player named Dylan that is more than meets the eye. Dylan has his own past and through each other they learn love and mutual respect and how to open up and be vulnerable with someone else. This only makes them stronger and I think this was such a cozy romance read. This is also my first ever sports related romance and... I'm not mad at it I loved it. Can't wait to check out more books from Bal Khabra!!

Thanks so much to @berkleypub @berkleyromance or @acebookspub for the free book!

Honestly… this was a mixed bag for me. It’s technically horror, but by the end it leaned more toward dark romance than actual scares.

The story jumps between three timelines — 1908, 1934, and 1998 — and the 1908 timeline was by far my favorite. It follows Minerva’s great-grandmother Alba in Mexico, and it’s moody, witchy, and atmospheric in the best way. The 1934 timeline, which focuses on Beatrice Tremblay (an obscure horror writer), didn’t really grab me. Honestly, it could’ve been condensed into a single page.

The 1998 timeline had potential — Minerva’s doing her PhD research and uncovering family secrets — but the characters just fell flat for me. Minerva herself feels dull and detached, almost procedural in how she moves through the story. She has one friend, but even that relationship never feels fully developed. Some plot points also happen really suddenly, and there’s this moment where it seems like one character might be evil… but then it turns out to be a red herring or just never mentioned again. It made the pacing feel a little awkward and uneven.

Overall, I’d give it around 2.5 stars — maybe 3 if I’m being generous — mostly for the 1908 sections and the ending. The atmosphere is there, but the emotional pull isn’t. Still, I’m intrigued enough to read more of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work, because her ideas are always creative and unexpected.

4.5 Review.

So if I got by vibes only, Wild Reverence was a 5/5 for me. I loveee the dramatic writing, the angst of forbidden love, the complications of being a woman (and a goddess at that) in power, where politics is the only way to survive. I loved the magic system and how as powerful as the gods are, however immortal they will be, they are not necessarily safe from being exploited. The storyline is very dramatic and the set up for the characters begins from when they are children, which I liked because we as the reader see the adult conversations ensuing amongst the gods and leaders, through the lens of a child who comes to find the real meaning of these conversations as they get older.

I took off .5 stars because I wanted a bit more romance and the storyline to dive into that a little more, some of it felt rushed and while this is Rebecca Ross's first "adult" fantasy book, it's really not that much different from Divine Rivals in terms of spice and adult content. I think the fight scenes were pretty good and definitely more gory. The other thing I would have liked to see more of is an explanation or dive into the gods/goddesses' powers, especially as alliances shift and powers transfer- can some powers work together? What are the limits? Those sorts of things that would have been cool to see more of in the battles and interactions that required magic.

Overall I ate this up in like 4 days and really enjoyed. I look forward to more books by her where she explores more adult themes.

This book was alright- it was very slow for me in the beginning and I didn't honestly understand the plotline for a while. I did find the second half of the book more interesting, the mirror world concept is very cool but i think i would have liked more information on the world and how it came to be - i also felt like some of the parts of the book were disjointed so even though i found it alright i dont think i would read again or anything. i didnt hate it but i didnt love it it just wasnt for me.

Did I read over a 1,000 pages in a week?

Yes.

No regrets.

Alchemised is truly a very dark and serious book about the repercussions of war and of the carnage that really ensures. Although there is a love story in it it is twisted and broken by wartime survival and guilt and high stress. A lot of adult content is in this book (there's a list of trigger warnings).

But I really enjoyed it because it truly explores the realities of war and how the heroes are not always the victors and their stories are not as glorious as it may seem.

This story surrounds a healer in the war who is considered unimportant because she does not fight in the war- but she does patch up and try to save thousands of people and is a cornerstone to the survival of her side. Even though she is a foreigner she is passionate about her new homeland and strives to try to save everyone she loves at the expense of herself because she just wants to be loved the way she loves and she will do anything to save those she cares about - as we will come to see.

I won't add any spoilers but i will say this book was really heavy and left me feeling more hollow than satisfied with the ending which made me love it more (oddly enough) because it felt more realistic than most other dark fantasy books can be.

Would def re-read it maybe slower this time lol.

Darrow will do literally anything but be a father.

okay so I did love this but not as much as Manacled. I think the initial storyline was unique but I wish there had been more of draco in it or his POV? Hermione was a bit too whiny for me in this one (i know i know shes going thru stuff but like shes sobbing all the time thats stressful). overall tho i did read this like a psycho for the last week and cant wait to read the first two as well.

I absolutely loved this book. Doris Steele is a 17-year-old pregnant girl in rural Georgia who had to drop out of school to care for her sick mother and essentially her whole family. She's never had any real choices for herself, but she makes do with what little she can find and her natural way with words—she's always writing down her thoughts and observations. Her voice is incredibly funny; she's so blunt in her internal monologue and almost childlike in some ways, with the fear of God and religion so deeply ingrained in her that she's completely unsettled by anything that doesn't conform to her upbringing.

This all changes during a secret trip to Atlanta with her former English teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who is originally from there. Mrs. Lucas is almost like a mother to Doris—someone she can confide in and trust because Mrs. Lucas sees Doris for her potential as more than just a homemaker, wife, or daughter. She sees her for who she truly is. Atlanta represents everything Doris's life could have been—educated college men and women, the choice of whether or not to be pregnant, the freedom to love whom you want—all set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, a transformative era in itself. Doris is thrust right into the middle of it when Mrs. Lucas takes her to Atlanta to help her get an abortion from one of her friends. This opens Doris's eyes to what queerness is, what loving or caring for a woman could mean, and exposes her to an entirely new world.

She encounters a mix of historical figures (both real and fictional) who shape her thinking as she tries to figure out what she truly wants for herself, beyond what she's grown up with in the rural South. All around her, change is happening with the movement—young people versus old—and we also see how even though the queer Black community exists, they face discrimination from their own people because they don't "live right." It's a multilayered discrimination that Black queer people endure.

I found this book deeply moving. The main character is incredibly witty and funny, and I felt so proud watching her figure out what kind of woman she wants to be through her internal thoughts as she narrates this transformative weekend in Atlanta. The city really highlights the contrast between how the world was modernizing for certain Black people while others were just getting by in small towns where change hadn't even begun to arrive.

I couldn't put it down. Not only did I love Doris, but I felt this offered such an important perspective on the era, centering around the choice—or lack thereof—that women, especially Black women, have always faced and continue to face today. I learned so much and was able to trace many elements in the book back to real historical events, which made reading this a truly enriching experience. 5/5 stars from me.

Wowowowowowow, the final saga of The Alliance book series...and it was spectacular! In book one we had a lot of set up of our amazing cast, their motivations, their hopes, and what they want out of the endeavors they are facing. And when the pressure hits, who are they really? Book two really solidifies alliances and enemies, diving deeper into the Alliance world and what our squad is going to do to clear Teo's name for the alleged murder of his whole family. Corvus's motives are better understood which humanized him to me since we got to see at the end of the day he isn't an evil genius, he's a broken human being. I really loved the deeper interplay of the characters today with some crazy action packed fight scenes and the TENSION between Haven and Ocean really had me going crazy (in the best way). I also felt like although we are in a scifi world, this novel is so much more about facing the type of person you were, who you are now, and who you want to be and we see almost all of our characters go through some form of "moving" forward, whether its in their careers or from the Alliance or from their own pasts. I loved loved loved it and this world and I really wish there was another book in the series because I could follow this cast forever.

WTF - this was like weirdly not what I thought it would be but oddly I was obsessed with it. We got witches and magic and demons and some serious gas lighting which is wild to me. I really liked the plot line but wished there was more detail on the types of magic and the history of the magical creatures. Overall thought this was an addicting unique read!

Really like this book. It comes off as a bit YA in the begging but I think that works for the mail character Emeline who is known as a Defective (like a defective human). The world building could be a bit better I have so many more questions about how this society came to be and really what does distinguish and Elite from a Defective- which emeline also questions as we see her thrown into this whirlwind of a Mate selection process, a rebellion, and so much more than what meets the eye. The story definitely has some good dystopia vibes with a crazy ending with so much information that I was like “WHHAAAAAA”. So I’m excited to follow this author for the second book!

Thanks for the arc to netgalley

What a brilliant and heart wrenching book that sucks you in until you suddenly realize you're on the last page and you wish you hadn't read it before the second one comes out. My heart literally feels like its been torn from my chest and I am so in love with Maris and Luca and so devastated at what fate has brought them.

This story begins in almost the middle of the end and we find ourselves traveling back and forth form the past to the present as Maris and Luca recount the story of who they were and who they became now and a love that surpassed all expectations that neither of them expected in their life. While at the center of it this is a tragic love story that we may not know the end to, it is more so a fantastic fantasy novel set in the vibes of ancient Rome, where the Gods are revered but also not trusted by many. We haven't met any of these Gods and the story of how some people of Isara got their magic is a dark one. But there is a lot more at play than just the Gods, there is war and a fight between the upper and lower class, along with this intertwining tragedy of love from the two people who seem to be fated to be on opposite sides forever.

I literally could not put this down and became so enthralled by the writing and the world that I feel utterly empty after finishing this and it's not even OUT yet and now I have to wait for who knows how long for the next one??

immediately go get this- even if you don't read anything "romantic" because honestly its so beautiful anyone who loves some good old war and political turmoil will also love this.

🌶️: 1/5

❤️: Infinity/5

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

Eeeeo this was sick!! This first book has a large cast of characters and sets the scene for what's going to unfold later. There's actually a lot of mystery surrounding our main female character, Ocean. She's a badass, sharp, quiet, yet had the biggest heart which we see through her actions. Her past catches up to her on some level, and her best friend Teo, and they're thrown into a space murder mystery where they're the villains in the galactic story. I found the book witty, well written, and when the action starts up it gets CRAZY!! I'm really excited for the second book because I think that's where we're gunna see all of the action unfold. Challenges have been made, fights have been established, and maybe love is in the air ?? Super hyped for the next one !

This was pretty mid. I liked the magic logic but wish it had been explained better tbh it would have helped. I also wanted to like the main characters but parts of the book felt so rushed and the romance a bit forced. There are a lot of people in this story it's hard to keep up with them all and their relationships just didn't feel as genuine as I had hoped. I thought I would over time get more connected to the characters but it was a little all over the place. Just didn't make me excited tbh. Overall it was okay but I was relieved to finish. Maybe the second one will be better I would definitely check it out at least.

Thank you Simon Books for an Advance copy!

Alright so there's a lot of unpack here. Because this is kind of a horror book but also oddly a book about grief, love, and redemption with a healthy sprinkle of understanding your immigrant parent vibes. And I really liked it I feel like I could re read it and see all the nuances of how a tragedy in a family literally fundamentally changes them. I think this had the right dose of creepy, horrorey, and deep emotion that made me relate to the main character and at the same time think she's a total psycho. Great book very layered and deep !

This is one of the most horrifying and fascinating books I've probably read in my life. Cassandra Khaw knows how to combine dark monster energy with regular academia problems in a genius sort of way I can't even begin to explain. This story explains how effed up a school basically is and doesn't even have a happy ending - it's just like rage and the relationship between people (?) and how to survive and what survival means. There's also immense amounts of blood and gore and horrifying imagery you'll never get out of your head but...I loved it ?? I really did I found it crazy compelling and already wanna re read it again TBH. Great for fans who love the horror yes, but also love exploring how an ensemble of characters become who they are in the darkest of ways. It's jarring and grotesque but also reaches your heart as you realize you've started to love these characters without even realizing it and you're rooting for them to ultimately graduate. -cries-

Special thanks to Tor for an advance copy of this!

WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK I NEED IT NOW!!!! This was such an entertaining and hilarious banter filled piece of joy with a nice mystery and crazy cliff hanger at the end. I'm so into it. We really learn about Aurienne and Osric for most of this book, their likes and dislikes and watch them grow comfortable with each other. With witty banter these two grow close and without meaning to the feels start feeling. I really loved this and wish I could read the second book now to see what unfolds. There's not a lot of spice but honestly I don't mind because it feels like a build up to book two which we now have to wait for

What a brilliant, enthralling, dark, and weirdly cozy novel! I have not read a Tale of Two Cities but this book has themes to it and is slightly based off of the classic. It makes me wanna pick up my copy and actually trying reading for once.

My first impressions of the book was “what is happening here” because we are thrown into the middle of some action with no idea what's going on. But I was so HOOKED! I found the book so captivating and I wasn't able to put it down every time I read a chapter. It's dark and moody in a way where it really shows the complexities of humanity. We see Memory constantly fall down, the most gray area MMC I have ever seen, with very little to like about him- but his heart is truly made of gold. His loyalty and dedication to those he loves and cares for is really remarkable a he fights to save them. The ending is pretty sad and bittersweet, I felt like we could have totally made some changes to help the man who helps everyone, but oh well.

I'm probably rambling but please read it! If you like history, mystery, dark faeries, and intricate plots this will be your book. It's a little slow reading but totally worth it.

OH MY MARS!!! WHAT A CRAZY BOOK!!! There were so many ups and downs here and wow wow wow I don't even know where to begin. We find ourselves really hoping Darrow is okay in this one because definitely gone through it - it's a year into the future and all that's happened with the destruction and war that's been finally started and we get to see through darrows eye how much has changed, how much has HE changed. There's tension between him and the conglomerate of the Rising because he works with Golds (who are allies but haters will hate). Darrow and everyone else here lose a lot on this one it's quite heartbreaking. The best thing I got out of this book was how even when there is a win, it's still a loss. war is and ugly thing and even though the cause may be great, the day to day and the methods aren't and the glory that so many Golds are obsessed with we come to find is really founded in nothing but horror and death.

The ending really killed me though I was just screaming the last five chapters and I'm SHOOK! I think it's a great stopping point for the trilogy leaving a lot of ambiguity but I also totally understand why everyone begged for another book in this series (book begets book begets book) because I'm hyped to move to the next chapter !


HUGE REC FOR ME probably one of the best series I've read in my life so far !