Book Review: Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods #2) by Pascale Lacelle

December 15, 2025December 4, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 608 pages
Author: Pascale Lacelle
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: November 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academia fantasy Curious Tides, following Emory, Baz, Romie, and Kai on their desperate quests through space and time! Opening locked doors has a price—even for those who hold a key. After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the the same verdant world written of in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it. A sinister force has awoken with their arrival, intent on destruction as it spills across realms, and now Emory and Romie must stop it before it reaches their own shores. Meanwhile, Baz and Kai are desperate to follow their friends through the door to other worlds, but a mishap pulls them back in time instead—where they come face to face with Cornus Clover himself, famed author of Song of the Drowned Gods. Stuck together in the past, they must navigate a very different Aldryn as they unravel the school’s darkest secrets. Across time and worlds, Emory, Romie, Baz, and Kai find their fates eerily interwoven with the heroes from Clover’s book. But when stories can’t be trusted, friendships are put to the test, and deadly enemies are not always as they seem, they must decide who gets to be a hero—and who is desperate enough to see themselves become a villain.

SO BORED.

I thought this was the most unnecessarily long book and honestly I still feel confused about the trajectory and plot and most things in between. I was reading Rhythm of War at the same time as this and I don’t know if my love for that book over shadowed this so much that I just never got into it.

The romances were written well and I liked the characters. Those were never the issue. The dark academia aspects disappeared and it fell into a time travel fantasy, which is FINE, but honestly, not my favorite.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Highland Holiday by Kasey Stockton

December 14, 2025November 18, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 12th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One rejected kiss. Two clashing personalities. And a snowstorm that traps them in an isolated cottage.

Callie Winter is the kind of person who holds everything together—for her family, her friends, her coworkers. But this Christmas, she’s hoping to catch her breath in the Scottish Highlands and maybe rediscover a little joy along the way. A kiss with a charming stranger in a pub? The perfect holiday distraction.

Until he rejects her.

Gavin Mackenzie doesn’t do flings, especially not with tourists who’ll be gone before the snow melts. He’s got enough on his plate—keeping the old family cottage running, managing the quiet that sometimes feels like loneliness, and pretending he’s just fine, thank you very much. The last thing he needs is a whirlwind American trying to kiss him in a pub… or move into his personal space.

But when a snowstorm leaves them stranded together, Callie’s forced to stay with the last man she wants to face. She’s prickly and wounded. He’s charming but distant. And neither of them are prepared for the slow burn that starts to crack their walls.

In between the cocoa and the Christmas tree, they’ll both have to face what they’re really afraid of: asking for what they need… and trusting someone else to give it.

A grumpy-sunshine, snowed-in holiday romance about messy feelings, unexpected healing, and the kind of love that doesn’t need fixing—just the courage to claim it.

SOFT.

If that’s what you need right now, pick this one up. It’s a soft romance filled with a beautiful setting in the Scottish highlands.

I loved the depression rep for Gavin. It was discussed well and was incredibly relatable and I loved the topic and way he expressed those emotions. Even more so, I loved how Callie allowed him those feelings without pity but with genuine support.

And I liked the journey with Gavin’s parents too. There was another intensely relatable situation here and without spoiling, it was something I can appreciate.

The romance takes a little bit to find the swoon but I think the second half did a great job. I loved all of the Christmas and holiday vibes and the close knit friendships that were present.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Content warnings: strained parent relationships

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Book Review: Check the Halls (The Ottawa Otters #2) by K.M. Gillis

December 13, 2025November 6, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: K.M. Gillis
Publisher: Literary Lupin Publishing
Release Date: October 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She thought her future was set…until her past skated back into her life.

On paper, Madelyn Clairmont has it all: a dependable fiancé, a dream job in a new city, and a bright future planned. But when she comes face to face with the man who stole her heart a decade ago, she’s left wondering if the “perfect” life she’s planned is the one she’s meant to live.

Ben Michaels is known for being a player, both on and off the ice. But lately, the all-star NHL defenseman has been working hard to clean up his act. A chance encounter with Madelyn—the one who got away—only confirms what he’s always known: he never stopped loving her. Unfortunately for him, she’s engaged to someone else.

When Madelyn needs a host for her Christmas charity gala, Ben doesn’t hesitate to step in—as a friend. But their time together stirs up old feelings and unanswered questions. She’s afraid of repeating past mistakes. He’s determined to prove he’s not the same man who let her go.

Love doesn’t always go according to plan and this holiday season, their second chance might be a real game changer.

WHERE WERE THE HOLIDAY VIBES?

I had a good time with this book. My favorite is the first one [for now] but I still had no problem picking this up and reading it as fast as I could. I love this hockey team and I’ve missed hockey romance!

I loved that the flashbacks only took up a few paragraphs each time. I don’t like long winded flashback chapters and this delivered on the little glimpses of the past and how they fell in love. And how communicative Ben was??? Good heavens YES. I LOVED IT. The man is so down bad. Y’all know that’s my kryptonite.

I did miss the holiday/Christmas moments. There were a few mentions but it definitely didn’t stick out enough in the plot to necessarily call this a holiday romance.

I’m still dialed into this series and I can’t wait for the next book!!

Overall audience notes:

Hockey Holiday Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3-4ish open door
Violence: low

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Book Review: The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia #3) by Carissa Broadbent

December 12, 2025December 3, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 500 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble Romance
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods. Features beautiful case art and a detailed map.

In the descent to the underworld, a bride of the sun must choose between the light of her redemption… or a dark love that defies the gods themselves

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire – her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the very death god she’ll help resurrect.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness – and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

GOOD, BUT REPETITIVE.

I loved being back in this world and seeing Mische again. I adored her character from the first duo and was looking forward to seeing her journey through this book. And I totally did enjoy it, buuut I also had some issues with this one too.

My main issue was that the plot seemed repetitive. I thought each layer started to blend together and the same creature was attacking over and over again. There were good and softer (and spicier) moments woven throughout the journey that I looooved. I just wish we had more of those. Or a different kind of action.

BUT THE ENDING? I am a forever fan of wild cliffhangers and this one DELIVERED. It very much hyped me for the next book and I can’t wait to see what chaos ensues now.

Overall audience notes: