Book Review: Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Autumn Krause
Publisher: Peachtree Teen
Release Date: September 2nd, 2025
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BOOK SUMMARY:

A twisty, dark royalcore fantasy that takes the courtly intrigue of Hamlet and infuses it with the vicious ambition of the Boleyn family. For readers who love Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

Marry the prince, then kill him.

Princess Madalina and her twin sister, Inessa, were born attached at the hand and separated right after. That’s the only time the sisters ever held hands. The girls’ personalities have been shaped in the Sinet family’s drive to make their kingdom more than what it is: unrespectable and loathsome, a damp place where deceit fills the palace walls like mold.

Madalina is different from her family. She’s considered the weak one and only finds peace in the garden, tending her magical flowers, which are pejoratively called grave flowers because they are ideal for torture and torment. Secretly, she dreams of escape and a new life.

Then Inessa, who was betrothed to the heir of a wealthy kingdom—Prince Aeric—gets trapped in Bide, a terrifying purgatory, and begs Madalina to set her free. Now, not only must Madalina take her sister’s place as Aeric’s bride-to-be, but she also must finish Inessa’s secret mission: Inessa wasn’t just sent to marry Prince Aeric, but to kill him, too, and solidify a profitable pact with his traitorous uncle.

On behalf of her family, Madalina will need to resist the infuriatingly clever prince—as well as her own heart—if she’s to free her sister and finish the job.

GREAT FOR THE SEASON.

Do you need something haunting and delightfully dark for the fall season? Look no further. This is a hidden young adult historical fantasy you should take a try on. I liked the audiobook and the characters were a hoot too. It’s a great clash of dark and moody and humor too (like My Lady Jane vibe-ish).

The flowers were super interesting and a great part of the magic system. I loved seeing how those slowly caused chaos over the book and the reveals they brought out in the end. I thought the romance could have used some more oomph because it hung out in the background too much. By the end I didn’t feel invested in what the relationship.

Otherwise though, not a bad read. I would read another book from this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: murder, loss of life

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Book Review: Broken Dove (Silver Elite #2) by Dani Frances

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Dystopian Romance
Length: 593 pages
Author: Dani Frances
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the heart-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart.

LINES WILL BE CROSSED.

After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in overthrowing their rule once and for all.

LOYALTIES WILL BE TESTED.

Though she’s back among her own people, trust is hard-won and hidden agendas abound on the Mod base. And beyond those walls, Wren can’t help but worry that Cross is keeping secrets of his own . . . secrets that could jeopardize everything. Complicating matters even further is her shocking reunion with hotshot fighter pilot and undercover operative Grayson Blake. Once her closest friend in Silver Elite, Gray seems to understand Wren on a level she never thought possible.

AND THE FIGHT FOR THE CONTINENT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

With the war between Mods and Primes growing more brutal by the day, and with her own role in the conflict becoming more essential than ever, Wren must confront some gut-wrenching questions. Who is she fighting for . . . and who is she willing to lose?

CAN’T HELP MYSELF.

Yeah so I loved this.

It was probably a combination of the fact I do listen to audiobooks on 3x and that I went in with low expectations (because I’m absolutely still bugged nobody knows who this author is???). And that worked in my favor. I went in for the vibes and didn’t read any friends reviews until afterwards. Highly recommend this method.

I actually really liked the romantic progression. And that’s also practically all I can say because *INSERT SPOILERS*. Could I be convinced of a different trajectory in book three? I think so. Maybe. We’ll see.

Also I am ALWAYS here for an insane cliffhanger. Bring back this kind of chaos. Because WHAT. I can’t even begin to tell you what happens in the next installment and that is a compliment. I love that I don’t know.

Good action. Good romance. Good found family. While you can tell me your issues and I would probably agree, I’m just having the best time with this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Dystopian Romance
  • Language: moderate+
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 344 pages
Author: Harper St. George
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets…

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.

DOWN BAD FOR MOC.

Gosh I eat this trope up. Every time. I should have read this so much sooner. MISTAKES WERE MADE. I am grateful to have rectified this now. I loved the chemistry between Leopold and Cora. There’s a great slow burn and many moments where you get to see them work together and let each other in. It’s sweet and heated and wow did I fly through this book.

I liked how the over arching story wove into the romance. I liked seeing the hints about Cora’s sisters and getting all of the background info on her family. I loved having Leo’s POV too (and I do wish the audiobook was dual narrators!!).

Any kind of third act nonsense that would have bugged me was swiftly handled and boy do I love COMMUNICATION. We love a man who falls hard y’all. Many memorable scenes and I’m stoked to continue the series!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 3ish open door; moderate innuendo
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: attempted kidnapping

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Book Review: Our Beautiful Mess by B.K. Clark

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 457 pages
Author: B.K. Clark
Publisher: Bradford Press LLC
Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two broken hearts get a second chance at love in this atmospheric, suspenseful love story.

Claire has never known affection. Not from the parents who raised her to carry on a family empire or her recently deceased husband, who only married her for that empire. She’s hidden every “needy” emotion, every desire, in the stories she pens by hand. No longer able to bear the shallow condolences, the familial expectations—the dark secret she carries—Claire leaves for the picturesque island of Solsken. It’s her chance to become the woman, the writer, she longs to be.

She never expected him.

Danny is reeling from his ex-wife’s infidelity. Already leaning too heavily on his best friend, he doesn’t need secretive women with guarded smiles and quirky writing habits showing up in his tavern, stealing his attention. He can’t allow the snare of attraction, that mouth, to unravel his carefully built walls. He’s barely holding himself together.

Then the whispers start, a cold touch while Claire sleeps, a window opening without her. Claire’s convinced it’s in her head. Stress. Until a blood-written threat appears, driving her to Danny’s doorstep. She shouldn’t seek him out, it’s not his mess to fix, but there’s the way his eyes never waver from hers, those tender touches she craves.

…And there’s her secret that could tear it all away.

ALMOST THERE.

I was enjoying this book a lot (and I did enough overall to read another from this author), BUT we lost some steam in the second half. Namely, the trauma dump. A good amount played well into the romantic suspense elements and then there were a few scenes that took it over the top and I was hit with a maybe I should throw my kindle vibes.

The romance was pretty good too. I thought the insta-connection seemed to work well and I was obsessed with the setting. It was haunting in all the best ways. I wish the inner monologue had been a little less repetitive though. I’m always interested in low spice/closed door romantic suspense so hopefully there’s future books!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic suspense
  • Language: low
  • Romance: one vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: stalking, attempted murder, gun violence, loss of a husband (recounted), murder, kidnapping a child, cheating

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