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Book Review: The Shadow Bride (The Scarlet Veil #2) by Shelby Mahurin

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 624 pages
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: March 25th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the thrilling conclusion of the duology set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin, a vampire and the woman who tried to kill him prove that true love can conquer anything, even Death. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Mass.

Célie’s life is over. She took her final breath trying to save the people she loves—including the powerful and enigmatic vampire king, Michal, who refused to let her go. When Célie wakes, she cannot walk in the sun; she can hear her friends’ heartbeats and she craves their blood. Michal has cursed her to the eternal existence of a vampire.

But Célie isn’t the only dead roaming the earth. Her sister, Filippa, has returned as a shadow of her former self, and other revenants are rising from their graves intent on revenge. The fragile balance between life and death has broken, awakening an even darker force—and he is coming for Célie, ready to claim her as his Bride. With the fate of their world at stake, Célie and Michal must set aside their searing attraction to mend the veil and right the balance, once and for all.

WELL I LOVED THIS.

This one found me at the right time because I just had a good time with this. 600 pages who? It did not matter because I was glued to my headphones devouring this story.

I loved Celie’s journey. With a substantial character arc woven throughout, you definitely got a feel for everything she went through. I loved that she maintained a soft, feminine nature while also showing how strong and filled with perseverance you can be too. It’s a beautiful balance.

And I was obsessed with the romance (it is very open door so I would not call this a YA book). I loved the heat and swoon and all of the between Michal and Celie.

I felt satisfied with how everything wrapped up with the ending. The characters had the conclusions I needed and getting a little epilogue was exactly what I was hoping for.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: high

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ARC Book Review: As You Ice It (Appies #7) by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 334 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

f at first you don’t succeed, DO NOT try, try again. At least not when it comes to dating a hockey player.

When Naomi met Camden Cole on Oakley Island, she assumed he would be gone in a week or two like any other tourist passing through.

Perfect for a fun summer relationship. A temporary one.

As a single mom to ten-year-old Liam, she’s not holding out hope for husband material and is way too skittish about commitment to consider more.

So when both Naomi and Liam start getting too attached, she cuts Camden loose. Better to end things before either of their hearts could get broken.

But the joke’s on her—they broke anyway.

As an added punchline (and gut punch), her job relocates her to the town of Harvest Hollow—where Camden plays for the Appies.

It’s FINE, Naomi tells herself. He’s a professional hockey player with a busy career. Their paths will never cross.

And they probably wouldn’t have—if not for Liam’s newfound hockey obsession.

Now, Naomi is right back where she was last summer—with the same feelings and the same desire to protect her and Liam.

But when Camden wants to go all-in with her and Liam, is Naomi ready to stop running?

As You Ice It is a closed door hockey romance with all the sizzle and swoon, but no spice.

This is part of the Appies hockey romance series, featuring Just Don’t Fall, Absolutely Not in Love, a Groom of One’s Own, Romancing the Grump, Runaway Bride and Prejudice, and When Alec Met Evie. These books are standalones but may be best read in order. Related If All Else Sails.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

OH HOW I ADORED THIS BOOK.

This was a huge surprise to me that this story was coming and y’all, I NEEDED it and didn’t even know it. I loved seeing Naomi and Camden’s love story get its own book. It was incredibly soft and tender. It’s low angst but high tension and filled with alllll of the communication. This book brought me peace every time I picked it up.

And getting to see the entire Appies team one more time was hitting me in the feels. The group texts and friendships make this book. I love how large this family is and how they treat and love each other through the highs and lows.

AND DO NOT WORRY, DO NOT FEAR, the jersey moment there and it was *on fire*. BLESS SPORTS ROMANCES.

Overall audience notes:

  • Hockey Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: a loved one with early on-set dementia

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Book Review: The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Mystery
Length: 413 pages
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: February 66th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

I DON’T KNOW.

This was one of those books I struggled with. I felt like I never got INTO it. Things happened and the time was going by and I was missing something to bring in that emotional connection needed for me to enjoy a story.

The book itself is not bad by any means and might be more of a me thing. I liked the mystery aspects and the very quirky cast. The main character was interesting to follow along and I liked seeing the journey he took. And how I felt like I was reading from the side kick’s point of view.

I thought the audio production was good. And I don’t know, this is kind of all I have. It just didn’t stick for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Mystery
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: The Enemy’s Daughter by Melissa Poett

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Melissa Poett
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A stunning reimagining of Tristan and Isolde set in a dystopian world woven with magic. An addictive debut YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy—perfect for fans of Rebecca Ross and Sarah Underwood as well as books like Curious Tides, The Hurricane Wars, and Belladonna.

It’s been thirty-seven years since the Republic was destroyed. Now two settlements—the five clans and the Kingsland—fight for control of the untainted land. Though the five clans are outnumbered, they’ve finally struck, killing Kingsland’s brutal leader.

In the war that follows, Isadora, an eighteen-year-old healer, risks her life to help injured soldiers. But when she stops an attack from Tristan, a Kingsland assassin, his soldiers shoot her with a poisoned arrow. As Isadora lies dying, Tristan does the unimaginable: He offers to save her life using a rare magic.

In choosing to live, Isadora is unknowingly bound to the mysterious Tristan. Worse, even acknowledging the attraction between them allows him to glean fragments of her memories and the very knowledge he needs to destroy the five clans. But their magical connection works both ways. So to save her people, Isadora will have to open her heart to her most cunning enemy. Because in a race for ultimate survival, she’ll need to destroy Tristan and his people first.

Thank you Book Sparks and Quill Tree Books for a gifted copy.

OOOMPH.

The first half of this? Good. I liked the bones of the plot, I liked the romantic twists and I thought the world building was easy to follow. The dystopian edge with a hint of fantasy was distinct and worked well. It is a standalone and does wrap up main storylines okay enough.

I think this was missing a lot. With love confessions before even the halfway point hit, my interest immediately tanked. The exploration of feelings and chemistry wasn’t all the way there and my investment level waned because I was behind on all the things they were apparently feeling.

Everything plot wise is very easy. I can’t say that one thing wasn’t highly forecasted or was the only option to move the pages forward. Had this been a duology with an expansion of the world and relationship I truly think this could have been grand.

I’d be curious to see what the author writes next though.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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