Book Review: Spellwright by Heather Kassner

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Heather Kassner
Publisher: Atheneum/Simon Teen
Release Date: October 27th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A plucky writer of spells teams up with a frustratingly charming magician to uncover the secrets of a grimoire in this light academia young adult romantasy “that skillfully blends magic, mystery, and the spellbinding power of love” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson.

No one is allowed past the gargoyles guarding the doors of Thistledown Library. Spellwright Fia Ives should know—for months she’s hoped to be admitted inside to find a magic powerful enough to locate her late mother’s spellbook. One midnight, she finally breaks in, only to discover three mysterious figures already searching the forbidden stacks.

When the library announces the theft of a dangerous grimoire, suspicion falls on Fia. The only way to clear her name is to root out the thieves she spied that night. However, solving a magical theft isn’t easy while running her inherited spellshop alone. So Fia hires the first person who applies to help—the insufferably charming Penbrook Madbury, who is as sleepy as a cat and just as stubborn. Fia isn’t sure she can trust him with her reckless plan (let alone her beloved shop), but there’s something about the secretive magician that tempts her to try.

As a strange magic curls through town, Fia must risk her own heart to unravel a string of curses before they claim both her and Penbrook. And if some of those curses require kisses to break them, well, that’s just the whimsy of magic.

Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted ARC & Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

CHARMING STANDALONE.

This is one of those books that I can tell you is good and I’d overall recommend, but also don’t remember all that well. The pros are the fact that this is genuine young adult. There’s nothing intense in any realm: violence, romance, themes, etc. It is something I would feel comfortable letting a teen read. And those can be hard to find. I liked the characters and themes too.

I also really liked the audiobook. She was a fantastic narrator and brought a charming quality to the story telling. I highly recommend that format.

If you’re feeling something with a more cozy vibe I think this is something you should try. It’s got a soft atmosphere that feels whimsical and the perfect type of book to curl up with on a rainy day.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Thriller
Length: 294 pages
Author: Alice Feeney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: September 7th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts – paper, cotton, pottery, tin – and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.

KIND OF SORT OF SLOWWW.

I kept waiting for the other foot to drop and while it totally did, it took way too long to get there. The build up was good for a bit yet I don’t think I ever felt like it was thrilling. The audiobook is good and I liked that there were multiple narrators at least.

Now when things finally started twisting I was surprised by some of them. Others I called from the beginning. It’s fine. The inevitable fallout was dark and calculating. The snowy remote setting definitely lends the vibes to a great read for the -ber months.

I know it’s my usual refrain but spouses that cheat on each other for a thriller is over done. Maybe I’m picking up the wrong thrillers (please advise). The meta-ness of the plot line was intriguing and I was excited to get the answers of that story and how it fit into what was happening.

This is now my second book from Alice Feeney. Unsure if there will be more?

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: mentions of time together but nothing on page
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder, infidelity, attempted murder, loss of a parent (recounted)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Tempest (The Lyrian Sea #1) by Victoria Aveyard

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 686 pages
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: September 8th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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?

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

I’LL READ THE SEQUEL.

I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked this up. I think it would be prudent to point out now that it is not a romantasy. This is much more an epic fantasy with romance as a super small sub plot. Manage expectations before diving in. I don’t think it was marketed as a romantasy but it would be a disservice to the things I enjoyed about this book going in with the wrong hype.

As someone who’s always loved books at sea and involving pirates this was no different. I loved the swashbuckling tale and the FMC, Cat. She’s fierce and committed to her survival no matter the cost. The book rotates between flashbacks/present timeline and I do think it worked for this story line. Seeing the inevitable crash between the past and present widened my understanding of the world.

I do admit though I wish there had been a little more romance, or a strong friendship would have worked too. I think Cat was missing that kind of connection that would have leveled up the story for me.

The audiobook is great and highly recommend that format. I do think I would have found it much slower without the audio. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: light innuendo
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: sexual assault, physical/weapons violence, murder, loss of life, domestic abuse

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Second Down and Second Chances (River Foxes #2) by Leah Dobrinska

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: Leah Dobrinska
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: September 8th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lawrence Poe, tight end for the Green Bay River Foxes, is a type-A control freak who functions best when his house is clean, his spreadsheets are updated, and his protein shakes are precisely measured. Adding a four-year-old to his structured schedule isn’t going to be easy, but his sister needs him to watch his niece, and he always shows up for his family. Still, with training camp and other football commitments, Lawrence can’t watch Ana alone. Enter Beni Fitzgerald—his sister’s best friend and Ana’s Godmother—a woman who threatens every aspect of his controlled, orderly life.

An artistic free spirit, Beni Fitzgerald is a type-B dreamer who lives by the mantra all will be well. No, she wouldn’t choose to spend the summer living with a man who is her polar opposite, but she’ll do anything for her Goddaughter, even if that puts her directly in the path of Lawrence Poe. Beni has always yearned for a place to belong, and Lawrence made it clear it’s not with him after he gave her the best kiss of her life five years ago only to pull away and call it all a mistake.

But their forced proximity requires compromise, and as the duo grows in understanding and trust, both Lawrence and Beni realize this could be a summer of second chances.

Three months. Two enemies. Under one roof. Everything could go wrong. But what if they’ve stumbled into something right?

Second Down and Second Chances is a snappy and sizzling closed door romance with kissing only and no implied intimacy, perfect for fans of the opposites attract and enemies to more tropes. This is the second book in the River Foxes Football Romance series. All titles can be read as standalones.

FANTASTIC READ.

I liked this one so much!!! With a MMC who has OCD (like yours truly) and a FMC who is rarely ever put first when she’s giving everything to everyone else (also yours truly) this hit hard multiple times. And I loved how they came together in compromise and conversation to see that they could be together.

I love a good forced proximity trope and these two had be in each other’s orbit constantly. It kept the focus on the romance and seeing them go from snappy quips to flirty banter to tender words was the best. I adored it. I loved having little Anna around and all of the football moments too. Even though it’s not the actual season there were plenty of practices and time at the stadium for this to feel like a SPORTS romance. And I always love getting to see previous couples and they strong friendships/found family that’s present.

Y’all know I struggled with the third act. The gesture and conversations to solve everything were solid at least (and it didn’t last too long). I just don’t like ex content often.

Leah Dobrinska is a smaller name in the closed door romance community and I think she deserves so much more hype. If you haven’t tried one of her books please do!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: emotionally distant parents, loss of a parent (recounted), OCD on page

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph