Book Review: Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadow #2) by Emma Noyes

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Emma Noyes
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The thrilling sequel to Soul of Shadow, a contemporary romantasy for fans of Twilight, and Teen Wolf, where love, magic, gods, and monsters collide with devastating consequences – featuring beautiful color, designed endpapers and a foil case stamp for a stunning package.

I will make myself strong.
I will find Elias.
I will kill Elias.
I will never trust a boy with my heart again.

These are the vows Charlie Hudson made the day after Elias Everhart betrayed her, nearly killing everyone she loves most. One month later, revenge is still her priority, even as she navigates a harsh new reality: one where her brother and friends can now see Asgard, making them just as susceptible to its dazzling delights – and deadly dangers – as she is.

But when two bodies turn up in the forest outside town, and Elias waltzes back into her life with an offer to help find out what’s happening, Charlie finds herself accepting his offer—but only because feigning an alliance is her best chance to figure out how to kill him. And if it feels like the more time she spends with him, the more her heart softens, it must be a trick of the unusually warm fall air. Because there’s no way she would make the grave mistake of falling for Elias Everhart twice… right?

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

BETTER THAN BOOK ONE.

I wasn’t sure I was going to read this one but then it came across my email and I decided I wanted to try it and here we are! I did like it more than the first (which usually doesn’t happen) and I’m invested enough to finish the trilogy. I liked the evolution of the plot and thought the general situation was overall engaging. That, or it just happened to catch me at the right time, and that’s fine too!

The romance worked for me too. There was a better slow burn dynamic to it and I liked the push and pull between them. Kind of an enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers scenario that I am here for.

There’s still some scenes I didn’t mesh with or didn’t quite work for me and that’s okay.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Urban Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: heated make outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: under age drinking, near death experiences, murder

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Book Review: The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Author: Freya Sampson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Strangers aboard a London bus unite to help an elderly man find his missed love connection in the heartwarming new novel from the author of The Last Chance Library.

When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, brokenhearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 that he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like hers. They made plans for a date at the National Gallery art museum, but Frank lost the bus ticket with her number on it. For the past sixty years, he’s ridden the same bus trying to find her, but with no luck.

Libby is inspired to action and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she papers the bus route with posters advertising their search. Libby begins to open her guarded heart to new friendships and a budding romance, as her tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank’s dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away.

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chances for happiness—before it’s too late—in a beautifully uplifting novel about how a shared common experience among strangers can transform lives in the most marvelous ways.

UNEXPECTED.

I didn’t even know this book existed until a week ago when a friend texted me about it, and since I love her dearly I said I would read it too. AND HERE WE ARE. I think this was an unexpected gem that I grew to love. Now, it is definitely more fiction than romance so know that going in.

As Libby rides the bus after a miserable turn of events in her life she meets many characters who turn to impact her future and the way she learns to handle trials. I loved all of the side characters and learning their stories and paths that they have walked. Some are joyful and some are more filled with sorrow, but there was this sense of hope and that things worked out in the end that I loved.

There is a little dash of a romance with some tropes I love and some not so much. I do think everything came together in the end really well and the epilogue is just the absolute best. I thought the answers needed were given and I am not upset I picked this one up at all.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Fiction
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: Kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, dementia

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Book Review: In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Liz Tomforde
Publisher: Golden Boy Publishing
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the first female team owner in Major League Baseball, Reese Remington has spent her entire life preparing for this role. With a sharp mind and years of experience working behind the scenes, she’s more than qualified. But the public only sees a woman in a man’s world — not the person who’s earned their place on the field. Under constant scrutiny and pressure to prove herself, Reese can’t afford distractions.

Especially one that comes in the form of the team’s tempting field manager who questions her every decision.

Emmett Montgomery is a former All-Star turned coach who treats his players like family and the field like home. After years of running the team his way, the last thing he wants is a new boss, let alone one who seems ice-cold and laser-focused on business. But forced to spend long hours – and too many away games – side by side, he begins to see the fire beneath Reese’s control, the heart behind her ambition, and the unwavering determination to prove herself.

When heated banter turns into sizzling chemistry, professional boundaries blur and the spark between them becomes impossible to resist. But Reese is constantly reminded of how many people are waiting for her to fail, and the safest move is to keep Emmett at arm’s length – for the sake of the team, the season, and her career.

But keeping their distance is one game neither of them can seem to win.

ONE OF THE BEST EVERRRRR.

I will be thinking about this book for probably the rest of my life. IT WAS IMMACULATE Y’ALL. I was obsessed and down bad from chapter one. I LOOOOVE the fiery chemistry between Emmett and Reese. The delightful banter and sass was *chef’s kiss*. I loved having both POV’s and watching both of them FALL SO HARD.

Reese is a boss babe who took no crap and I loved the way she handled many situations. Of course it wasn’t always perfect but you could see the resilience and motivation she had to succeed. Adding Emmett into her corner was everythingggg. An elite support system.

And getting to see many of my favorite Windy City characters was exactly what my soul needed. I love the way they all love and take care of each other. The way everyone fiercely believes that family doesn’t have to be blood related. AND I AM HERE FOR IT.

I could ramble on all day about just about every dang dang scene in here. The quiet moments, the hot moments, the angry moments, it was the perfect emotionally balanced story that had me teary eye the last few chapters. What an incredible romance and I’m so happy Emmett got a story y’all!!!

AND THE FACT THAT they kept saying don’t tell me what to do, when that is an often used phrase between my husband and I??? Stop it right now.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: high
  • Romance: 4-5ish open door
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings:

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Book Review: The Silent Canary by Angela Bricker

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 354 pages
Author: Angela Bricker
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

1916, England
War pacifist Poppy Pemburton celebrates her twenty-third birthday on the front steps of the Chilwell, England ammunition factory with her favorite anti-war sign and her well-loved marching boots. War tears families apart and Poppy will certainly not allow it anywhere near the only family she has left. But when Poppy’s dearest friend, Luca, answers the Great War’s call to enlist, Poppy is willing to set aside her morals and join forces with the yellow-skinned Chilwell munition workers, known as canary girls, to bring Luca home safe. Because the only thing worse than the possibility of Luca dying in war, is Luca dying without knowing Poppy loves him.

German spy Jakob Kirtchner is sent to England with one chance left to prove himself. Jakob’s assignment: infiltrate the Chilwell ammunition factory by any means necessary. New employee Poppy Pemburton proves the perfect means. Germany will win the Great War. If Poppy falls with England, so be it. He just can’t fall with her. Or for her.

Based on the true story of the Chilwell ammunition factory explosion and inspired by real people, The Silent Canary stretches our understanding of what it means to find bravery in the depths of our darkest moments, and forgiveness despite our deepest fears.

WONDERFUL DEBUT.

I’ve been on the fence about reading this one but I’m grateful I waited for the audiobook and went ahead and took a chance anyways. I had a very hard time putting it down and thought the audiobook production and narrators were awesome.

While this is romance heavy I do think it maintains a fiction focus with strong romantic lines. It’s not a linear journey by any means and I guarantee at some point you’ll feel angry and full of anguish. But there’s hope and light between the pages too.

I won’t speak too much to the romance because it is a love triangle with a lot of moving parts that I think are best read without commentary. I will note I was okay with how things came together in the end and thought it made the most sense (and this was the angle I was hoping for too).

There was one small plot point that I’m iffy on. I don’t know that I feel like it was absolutely necessary to tack on at the end when it could have been left out. But that was my only issue. I will definitely be picking up whatever Angela Bricker decides to write next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: themes and setting in WW1, loss of life, torture, prisoners of war, mass losses of life

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