Book Review: Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance Retelling
Length: 390 pages
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, spotlighting Christine Daaé as she rises to fame while torn between love, ambition, and the haunting secrets of the opera house from #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig, in a deluxe hardcover edition.

Inspired by Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de L’Opéra, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with a young soprano, Christine Daaé, and devotes himself to nurturing her extraordinary talents, employing all of the devious methods at his command. Our Strange Duet centers Christine’s emotional journey and her agency within this sweeping, atmospheric opera.

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

WELL I LIKED IT.

Now, this review is coming from someone who knows the general plot of Phantom but has only seen the movie once in middle school choir SOOOOO. Take that for what you will.

To me it felt like a pretty true to form retelling. I especially liked the audiobook because there were multiple narrators and it read like a graphic audiobook and even added in moments of singing the songs from the play and ambient background sounds really made this book. Since I didn’t know many of the details I had a good time listening and not quite knowing where the story was going to go. It’s definitely chaos, but a kind you want to be involved in.

I think I would have liked more POV’s but I enjoyed having this only from Christine’s POV well enough. The back and forth between Eric and Raoul is complicated and a love triangle I didn’t mind. The ending felt just right for this kind of story and I’m glad I read this!

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Historical/Fantasy Romance Retelling
  • Language: low
  • Romance: one fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: murder, loss of life, near death experiences, stalking, attempted murder, child abuse, parental abandonment

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Book Review: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Thriller
Length: 392 pages
Author: Holly Jackson
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.

WELL THAT HURT.

This absolutely triggered my medical anxiety but I also was intrigued by the unique plot line. Someone solving their own murder?? Tell me more.

[I will say the audiobook wasn’t totally my favorite. Some of the character voices weren’t great. I did like Jet’s voice at least.]

I read probably 1-2 thrillers a year and I’m happy that I picked up my tried and true favorite, Holly Jackson, because she always delivers and this was no different. I was curious and worried and as a romance reader this made me sad too. Good twists and reveals, this non-thriller girl approves.

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder, attempted murder, traumatic head injury

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Book Review: Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Cozy Fantasy Romance
Length: 370 pages
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: July 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.

One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

From the acclaimed author of The Spellshop, Sea of Charms is a delightful cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.

Thank you to Bramble for the gifted ARC.

THE USUAL WHIMSY.

I’ve read quite a few Sarah Beth Durst books and they definitely all have the same vibes. Take that note as you will.

I liked the seafaring adventure of this one. With the island hopping, whimsical creatures and a woman trying to outrun the things that have happened to her. I thought the romance was super sweet with Dax. He is clearly down bad and has such a genuine, kind soul and that was a just what Marin needed.

Thematically I liked it too. There’s some topics that are relevant to today that I thought were woven in well without feeling heavy handed. They also fit the nature of the story itself so it’s easy to see the cross over without getting pulled out of the story.

I wish Marin hadn’t been as wishy washy about Dax for as long as she was though. It got old to hear the same reasoning again and again about why she thought they couldn’t be together and not letting Dax express his opinions on the matter. And this was a 13 hour audiobook. I just don’t think it needed to be that long either.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy fantasy romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Daughter of the Dark (Daughters of Auquis #1) by R.J. Valldeperas

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: R.J. Valldeperas
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: September 15th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Traitor’s Daughter, the Demons’ Slayer… the City’s Only Hope.

For Solana, survival has always meant staying sharp—and staying alone. With a blood-forged dagger as her only inheritance, she’s made herself Supay’s fiercest demon slayer, hunting muki—monsters born from human death—through the kingdom’s streets.

But the work comes with a curse of its every body she leaves behind swells the muki’s ranks. The city that raised her has been her cage for so long she’s stopped believing freedom is real.

Then a twist of fate drags her into the palace and crowns her Royal Demon Slayer, a title wrapped in silk and sharpened like a blade. The magic is dazzling. The secrets are darker. And whatever is poisoning Supay didn’t start in the alleys. It started behind gilded doors.

Worst of all is Reyes, the king’s right-hand man, a captain of the Masters, and her personal torturer turned mentor who’s dangerously hard to resist. Wanting him is a mistake. Trusting him could be fatal.
Because if Solana walks away, the kingdom falls. And if she stays, she may have to become the monster Supay needs.

Thank you Bramble for the gifted ARC & Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

NOT QUITE.

This is the second book from RJ Valldeperas that I’ve read this year and once again, I’m left kind of feeling…okay? about it, but not overwhelmingly positive.

The action is good, I liked the overall plot. The core themes are great. There’s magic and demon slaying and the complexity of the afterlife.

But the romance left me wanting and this being marketed as romantasy left me wanting a lot more. It was like the relationship was moved forward without seeing it on page so they were much further down the line than I was expecting. And I got confused by trying to figure out if this was a standalone? (Because book two has been announced but maybe it’s a series of standalones??).

By the end of this review I’ve decided I’ll look into book two because maybe that’ll be a hit for me? I’ll report back.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: loss of life, loss of loved ones

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