ARC Book Review: Daybreak (Sorrowsong University #2) by Autumn Woods

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Rating: ★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Autumn Woods
Publisher: Slowburn
Release Date: July 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Alex’s Corbeau-Green’s world is burning down around him, and Ophelia Winters is desperate to prove she didn’t light the fire.

When Ophelia first accepted a scholarship from Sorrowsong, an elite university in the Scottish Highlands, she wanted nothing more than to destroy Alex and his family at any cost. But that was before she knew him, before they became each other’s everything. Now, after an unthinkable betrayal and the disappearance of his father, Alex is forced to return to New York, desperate to forget what they had, and salvage the damage done to his family. In Scotland, Ophelia is left reeling, alone . . . and watched.

With a new anonymous tormentor threatening to release evidence that Ophelia and Alex committed a murder on campus, it’s clear that they’re going to need each other once again. But can they find a way to trust each other, and repair the love that they had? And even if they can—will it be enough this time to keep them alive?

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC.

BUT.

I’ll tell y’all the good things first. i think the writing is perfectly fine. it’s an easy story to consume and not bogged down by too much prose OR dialogue. Loved that. Even when the cast was frustrating, I still did like them. Alex’s family is high on that list. I think the yearning was good. The love between Alex and Ophelia is very present and that’s all fine too. It just didn’t outweigh the plot issues.

Alright, so.

I feel like nothing happened. Two of the big plot points from book one were both taken care of in two chapters (one in the middle and one towards the end). Other than that…it was a round and round discussion of if Ophelia and Alex would have a happy ever after. Ophelia kept being wishy washy and Alex kept saying, girl I love you, and that was the book.

I really wish that the plot was more developed. I would have loved more suspense, honestly even more drama between Alex and Ophelia. It almost gave me the vibes that book one could have been a standalone with very few modifications.

I’m quite confident I WOULD pick up another book by this author. I’m curious about new stories (maybe from the same universe??). I do enjoy the vibes of this book if anything.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: moderate – high
  • Romance: explicit fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder, gun violence, mentions of past abuse, grief, depression, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Between These Broken Hearts (These Hollow Vows #4) by Lexi Ryan

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Lexi Ryan
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Forbidden romance, mysterious prophecies, and the battle to save the fae realm come to a captivating conclusion in the #1 New York Times bestselling saga begun with Abriella in the These Hollow Vows duology and continued with Jas and Felicity in Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live.

Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone.

Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished.

Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.

WELL THIS GOT ME.

I fully admit that after book one I wasn’t totally invested in picking this one up. I knew I would, I just wasn’t EXCITED. And for the first half of the book that’s how I felt here too. Not bad, not stellar, another new (these aren’t young adult) adult fantasy romance to check off the list.

BUT. Something clicked in that second half. I became genuinely attached to the characters and romances and the themes of the story that I was engulfed in knowing what was going to happen next. I love the way Lexi Ryan writes complicated romances that have this all consuming nature about them. That soul mate level quality of interaction that makes you truly believe these couples are meant for each other.

I loved the audiobook and the cameos from previous characters. I will absolutely be picking up whatever Ryan writes next!

Overall audience notes:

  • New adult fantasy romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: vague fade to black scenes
  • Violence: moderate – high

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Book Review: North Country by K.A. Tucker

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 398 pages
Author: K.A. Tucker
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 16th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the USA Today and international bestselling author of the Simple Wild comes a sweeping second-chance, forbidden romance set against the rugged beauty of northern Canada.

Emery McAllister once dreamed of leaving Cold River with the boy next door, but one devastating night destroyed their future and left her heart carefully guarded. Twenty years later, she’s built a life of control: running the town’s police detachment, raising her daughter, and keeping a fragile peace with her ex-husband, the mayor.

She’s certain she has moved on until the day she has dreaded—and secretly hoped for—finally arrives.

Logan Landry is home.

After two decades behind bars for being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and the choices that haunted him ever since—Logan returns to his family’s bison ranch carrying the weight of everything he lost, but especially Emery. Friendship is all he dares hope for now, but seeing her ignites a fire he thought long extinguished.

When a teenage girl disappears and old wounds reopen, Logan becomes Cold River’s favorite suspect, despite his airtight alibi. As distrust closes in, Emery must choose between the life she’s built … and the love she can’t let go.

Thank you RB Media for the gifted audiobook.

PRETTY GOOD.

I haven’t read a K.A. Tucker release in a hot minute but this one was calling my name. I really liked the audiobook narrators and that it was dual POV. Definitely recommend that route!!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with this kind of premise and it was intriguing. I liked the way it added to the suspense and left me wondering what was going to be revealed next. The mystery was good and honestly left me grasping at straws. I could not pin down that correct suspect and that made much of this book fly by.

Logan’s arc and reconnection with this family and Emery was fantastic. I love that I also got his POV to better understand his story and decisions. I do wish the spice hadn’t been thrown in so quickly? But I was grateful to find that it was more of a slow burn after that and much of the focus was on solving the murder.

I loved a lot of the little pieces like Logan’s relationship with Emery’s daughter, Logan’s parents and more. The setting is immaculate and atmosphere was perfect. I’ve missed reading K.A. Tucker’s books and hope she has plans for more in this vein!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3-4ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder, loss of life, loss of loved ones, cheating (not between main characters), grief depiction, weapons violence, adult/minor relationship, gun violence

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Book Review: The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi #2) by Shannon Chakraborty

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 485 pages
Author: Shannon Chakraborty
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Chakraborty sets sail into the second adventure of pirate Amina al-Sirafi as her quest to track down magical artifacts brings her to the island lair of a sorceress whose woven enchantments are impossible to flee.

Amina al-Sirafi thinks she’s struck gold. Tasked with hunting down arcane artifacts for the council of immortal peris, she can savor the occasional rollicking adventure on the high seas with her cherished criminal companions while still returning home to raise her beloved daughter, Marjana. But when Raksh, the spirit of discord with whom she is reluctantly wed, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina is charged with a seemingly impossible quest: steal a spindle capable of rewriting fate from a mysterious sorceress on an island no one can escape.

Forced to leave Marjana—who is increasingly frustrated at being peddled what are clearly lies about her mother’s life and her own past—Amina finds her mission almost immediately thrown into peril. But deadly storms, an erratic poison mistress, and old enemies are the least of her worries. For the peris’ story is unraveling, hinting at a far deadlier game whose rules Amina must swiftly puzzle out. A game that sets her against an adversary more cunning and powerful than she has ever faced.

A game that not everyone on her crew wants her to win.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the gifted copy.

SOLID SEQUEL.

What I find most charming about these books is that the audiobook feels like I’m being read a storybook. There’s this whimsical quality to the writing that is translated fantastically by the narrator that makes reading this book easy. I liked being back in this world and with these characters and seeing what chaos was persued this time.

I will note that I’m not sure this did anything for the larger plot? Like, it was a great adventure. I had a good time, but is there an over arching plot? I’m not sure there is. Maybe that’s the point? It’s just different tales from Amina’s life? I have yet to determine the answer but I definitely want to read the next book regardless. I would love more interactions with Rashk. I liked getting some more background from Anima’s best friend at least.

But all in all, a good story, not mad I continued the story and I still love Chakraborty’s writing.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: moderate+

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