Book Review: The Assassin’s Way by J.M. Kearl

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 442 pages
Author: J.M. Kearl
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: June 18th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Never go out at night. Lock the doors. Ignore the screams.Those are the rules Aesira lives by to survive the monsters that stalk her village. But everything changes when it’s revealed she’s been born with the power to fight the vampires she’s spent her life fearing.

Aesira is thrust into the elite and secretive League of Assassins, where mercy is weakness and fear is forbidden. Now her survival depends on her ruthless trainer, Vander – the most dangerous assassin of them all. And the only thing more lethal than his blade is the desire he awakens in her.

Because the greatest threat in Nighthaven might not be the monsters lurking in the dark…

It might be him.

VERY GOOD.

I had a good time with this one. It felt like a different vampire romance than I’ve read and I loved seeing the story unfold. I should have caught on more but I also liked that I kept myself in the dark. It made the big moments all the more intense.

The world building was solid and I’m intrigued to see how that, alongside the magic system expands in book two. It’s not overtly complicated and it’s even better when there’s not copious info dumping.

I liked Aesira as a main character. She’s a pretty typical fantasy FMC with no skills and no romantic experience, but it’s fine. Aesira learns well and I liked her relationship with her family a lot.

Aesira’s chemistry with Vander was good. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that this was a genuine slow burn. I know that Kearl tends to do open door romances so BLESSSSS that this is actually dragged out and you can feel the tension slowly ramping up and building. I have missed plots like this!!!

Also, the audiobook is duet narration so highly recommend that too. It is great. I also eye ball read this one so you honestly can’t go wrong with either option. Can’t wait for book two!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: loss of loved ones, blood/gore depiction, physical and weapons altercation

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Book Review: A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Horror Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publisher: Pantheon
Release Date: September 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child comes an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy.

The town of Mistaken has a secret…and it’s up to one woman to uncover the truth, confront her past, and save the man she loves.

Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious lumber merchant, the village is blessed with rich natural resources that have made its people prosperous—but at a cost. The same woods that have lined the townsfolks’ pockets harbor dangerous beasts: wolves, bears, and the Bright-Eyeds—monsters beyond description who have rained utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken’s founders made a deal with the mysterious Benevolence: the Warding Stones that surround the town will keep the Bright-Eyeds out—and the town’s citizens in. Anyone who spends a night within Mistaken’s borders belongs to it forever.

Greer, a mapmaker and eccentric dreamer, has always ached to explore the world outside, even though she knows she and her longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, will never see it. Until, on the day she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as her beloved disappears beyond the Warding Stones, pursued by a monstrous creature. Determined to rescue Ellis, she figures out a way to defy Mistaken’s curse and begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But there, Greer is hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken’s founding and her own origins.

Playfully drawing from Scottish folklore, Erin A. Craig’s adult debut is both a deeply atmospheric and profoundly romantic exploration of freedom versus security: a stunning celebration of one woman’s relentless bravery on a quest to reclaim her lost love—and seize her own future.

WHY THOUGH?

I didn’t know how I felt about this book for most of the story. It was some amalgamation of horror and young adult and romance and mystery? But I guess I thought it would end a certain way and when it didn’t I was left rather bereft.

And now I’m just noticing that this was an adult debut? I did not think that for but maybe two seconds (during an almost love scene) that this was older than YA. I’m honestly surprised and think that was the problem too. The writing didn’t feel adult.

There’s some good scenes and what not and I didn’t hate reading it, I just wasn’t fully engaged either. Not my favorite from this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Adult Horror
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 1-2ish open door
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Amanda Gayle
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A second-chance romance following a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past six years, only to find that she apparently married the one man she can’t stand—her arrogant and infuriating former boarding school rival.

Molly Graham’s day can’t possibly get any worse after she wakes up in a hospital bed with a head injury and amnesia. But then Aster Bishop—the Aster Bishop who made her life hell at boarding school—storms into her room calling her his wife.

To Molly’s shock, in the six years she no longer recalls, she somehow fell in love with a man she once despised. Persuaded by her lifelong friends to give her new reality a chance, she reluctantly returns to the home she and Aster share to try and piece together her life.

So much has changed, not least the considerate and devastatingly handsome man who spends every night sleeping on the sofa to avoid making her uncomfortable. This Aster is nothing like the entitled boy she once knew. Their chemistry is undeniable, but he’s distant with her, infuriatingly so. It’s clear he has secrets, and Molly can’t stand it. Especially knowing that she might never regain her memories.

That she fell in love with Aster Bishop once is hard enough to believe. But to fall in love again? To promise a future, always, when she can’t remember her past? It feels impossible when faced with a man she hardly knows and isn’t sure she can trust.

And yet…

Thank you Avon Books for the eARC.

DOWN BAD.

Oh wow. I miss binging books??! This one had me in a straight chokehold for 24 hours and I regret nothing. I was LOCKED IN. And I’m not even an amnesia girlie?? What kind of magic was sprinkled into this story because I want mooooore.

I’m kind of sort of obsessed with Aster Bishop. I liked that he didn’t call every decision perfectly. He and Molly had to find a lot of new communication routes in an impossible situation. The miscommunication actually made sense and even though it’s pretty easy to assume (as the reader) what the big secret was, I still enjoyed the journey to get there and how I had to keep turning pages to get there.

I LOVED all of the the friendships. Every side character was a gemmmmmm. A GEM. And I liked learning more about them and their relationship to Molly and Aster. The little flashback moments worked well too and added historical context to the romance.

Aster was down bad. As he SHOULD BE. The yearning and longing was evident. THE YEARNING. Off the charts. 10/10.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild-moderate
  • Romance: light innuendo; one more emotions based open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: amnesia related to a stroke, miscarriage (briefly recounted)

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ALC Book Review: Falling Like Snow (Bramble Falls #2) by Misty Wilson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Misty Wilson
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A girl juggles planning her town’s first-ever winter festival and untangling her complicated feelings for both her best friend and the star hockey player in this charming book in the swoony Bramble Falls series that started with the New York Times bestselling Falling Like Leaves.

After Bramble Falls’s wildly successful Falling Leaves Festival, Sloane Sullivan is looking forward to some downtime—especially kicking back and marathoning Nora Ephron movies with her best friend, Asher. But they barely make it through Sleepless in Seattle before Sloane’s mom calls an emergency tourism department meeting; it’s all hands on deck—Bramble Falls is having its first ever Falling Snow Festival!

Sloane may still be recovering from the last seasonal event, but she’s also excited. After all, Christmas is the best time of year! And she’ll have her whole crew by her side, including her cousin Ellis and, of course, Asher. But when irresistible, hockey-playing Micah catches Sloane’s attention, she finds herself a bit distracted. The emotions her unexpected flirtation brings up make Sloane feel confused about Micah…and Asher.

She’s never thought of Asher as more than her best friend, but even if Sloane is seeing Asher in a new light, what does that mean for her and Micah? Uncertain and more than a little overwhelmed, Sloane throws herself into festival preparations, hoping to get a little Christmas magic in return that will help her figure out where her heart lies.

Thank you Simon Teen for the eARC and Simon Audio for the ALC (gifted).

SWEET STORY.

This was much more holiday-esque than I was expecting and I think I would add it to your holiday romance TBR if you’re looking for something short and sweet. I liked being back in Bramble Falls and seeing what our next pair was up to.

I did not like being a part of this friends to lovers trope though. This had some of the hallmarks of things that make me cranky in regards to F2L. I didn’t love that they both tried to date other people and kept butting heads with each other. Granted, it felt genuine to the age bracket so take this opinion with a grain of salt. I do think it’s mostly young adult friendly. Probably older YA. There are some brief underage drinking scenes and language. There’s also a brief assault scene (unwanted touching) that occurs too.

Sloane and Asher were cute though. They had a very strong friendship I liked seeing and I liked all of the moments they had together. The winter activities were just right and had me begging for cooler weather and a cup of hot chocolate. Asher did some super kind things for Sloane and I loved all of those scenes too (because I was kind of bummed Sloane’s Mom guilted her into not going to NYC). I did appreciate the strong friendships woven in at least and seriously how magical the whole book felt for the season.

I think the audiobook was good too and the narrator did a wonderful job.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: mild – moderate
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: assault (unwanted touching), loss of a parent (recounted)

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