Category: Book Review

Book Review: The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 557 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

AUDIOBOOK IS KEY.

I LOVE the first two books in this series, big fan, reread them, loved them. I struggled with book three and didn’t feel compelled to get to book four IMMEDIATELY.

And then I decided to go with the audiobook and let me tell y’all, that’s the way to go. The narrators executed that beautifully and I found it much easier to pick and listen to rather than trying to read my physical copy.

I ended up liking this journey a lot. I do think it gets a bit scattered and dragged out but overall, there’s many good things here. I love the dynamic between Asar and Mische. The brightest of sunshine vs. the grumpiest of grumps. Filled with banter and tension, and the foreboding sense of wondering who will make it out alive and if that HEA will ever come.

I am looking forward to the next duet though!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance/Sci-Fi
Length: 352 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon Audio
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WHAT IN THE SCI-FI?

I think I would have liked this book so much better if the COVER MATCHED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS STORY. At least the title had some nods to it. I didn’t read the summary, because I usually don’t, and man, was I thrown for a loop in the first few chapters.

This felt like a loose sci-fi romance more than anything. With some stretched scientific concepts and an amnesia plot to rule the story. There was even a secret villain and a whole villain monologue to go along with it. I just don’t understand why marketing went this way??

I wanted to like this. I tried. But the whole time I was too focused on the revival plot and the romance started to get lusty rather than actually working out their problems. That eventually came, but further down the line. I did like the communication when it happened and it was an interesting take on the *second chance* concept.

🎧: I did love the audiobook! Duel narrators. Great read. An easy listen and I would recommend that format.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: moderate+
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, being hit by a car, gun violence, kidnapping

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ARC Book Review: House of Curses (Royal Houses #3) by K.A. Linde

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 424 pages
Author: K.A. Linde
Publisher: Bloom Books
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author K.A. Linde returns to the story of Kerrigan Argon in the next in the Royal Houses series, an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem, and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab.

Thank you to Bloom Books for the ARC.

CONTINUES TO BE GOOD.

It’s been a minutes since I’ve been able to work through a whole, new to me series, in a shorter time frame rather than waiting years for the sequel and I am still locked into this one y’all!

This one had some good turns and political intrigue. I’m still loving all of the dragon content and seeing how this world is growing and changing. There were a few plot points I didn’t love but the FMC and love interest are top tier. I do wish the characters were older than 18 because I feel like that would fit the themes better but it’s fine I guess.

I don’t want to say much more since this is a book in the middle of a series but it’s filling that dash of Fourth Wing void for me right now at least!

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: vague/quick open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Mystery / Thriller
Length: 357 pages
Author: Tiffany Crum
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.


The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.


Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

READ THE AUDIOBOOK.

This is another one of those thrillers where I feel like the whole experience is even better listening to the audio production. I loved the narrators and the added touches to the podcast moments and phone calls, etc. that really brought everything together.

I loved the writing and how easy it was to fall into this story. I was swept from the get go and listened much faster than I anticipated. I’m a notorious picky reader about thrillers but this delivered. I thought the plot rolled out in an interesting way that kept enough back while leaving crumbs that make you want to know what happens next.

My tiny little thing was that part of the plot was evident from the get-go for me. Besides that I thought the connections and hidden pieces were shocking. I loved the complicated dynamics that formed and how all of the side characters being met influenced the timeline.

And I think the ending solidified how much I loved this book. It was a much more complete ending than I have typical found in the genre which brought that sense of peace at closing that I tend to lean towards. I’m absolutely looking forward to this author’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller / Mystery
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: domestic abuse, partner abuse, murder, physical altercations

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