Category: Book Review

ARC Book Review: Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Dystopian Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Rebecca Danzenbaker
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: July 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two-hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every 18-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.

Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.

Thank you Simon Audio for the audiobook and Simon Teen for the ARC (gifted).

IT WAS OKAY?

I don’t know quite what to do with this one. I think if young adult dystopian is your jam then you should definitely try this. That’s a genre I’ve always been mixed on so this was leaned towards a miss for me. It wasn’t all bad, just missed a few marks.

There were many hallmark moments of the nostalgic dystopian favorites throughout. Competition and power checks and a romance woven in too. The audiobook was solid and I do recommend that format as well. I liked the growth for Sivon and how she started to learn who she was and stand up for herself as the plot kept mounting with intensity.

I wish I had felt more entranced by this book, but I think I would try another by this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Dystopian Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: death, loss of loved ones, su!icide, grief

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Book Review: City of Mirth and Malice (Order and Chaos #2) by Alexis L. Menard

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 495 pages
Author: Alexis L. Menard
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some debts are not so easily repaid—or forgiven.

Nicolai Attano finally has everything he’s ever wanted: control over the Iron Saint Railway, safety for his family, and not a single rival syndicate to stand in his way. Never could he have imagined he’d want anything more than power—not until Camilla Marchese.

Six weeks have passed since the disaster on the train and his wife was kidnapped, but to get her back, he’ll need help. Nico struggles to work with a city poisoned against him and is instead forced to seek the aid of a disreputable black-market dealer. A simple deal to ensure her rescue, Nico doesn’t think twice. A bargain is struck, and the cost is higher than ever. The collateral? His life.

Meanwhile, Camilla fights to gain control over her newfound powers as the alchemist in charge of her confinement puts her to the test. Forced to free what she’s held so close, the only light in this hellish prison is the hope to see her family again, and the husband who stole her heart. Three trials and three chances to find the source of her Chaos and use it to save herself, if it doesn’t destroy her first.

Cracks in the city draw lines between loyalties, and time is running out until everything comes crashing down. Return to Lynchaven in this action-packed and swoony conclusion of Nico and Milla’s story.

WELL.

This wasn’t what I was quite hoping for and now I don’t know how I really feel about it. The book isn’t bad, but it was lacking the same vibes the first book brought and I was left wanting in some areas.

One of those areas was the romance. There’s good swoony moments but I they felt stretched out and Milla and Nico spent more time apart then together and y’all know that tends to bug me. I loved the foundation they built and wanted to see more of that throughout. Basically they saw each other, had sex, and ran off to do other thing separately.

I liked getting to know more of the world and understanding the magic system more too. There was one sub-plot that I think dragged out the book but otherwise I was intrigued. It had a good start and jail break and scattered moments throughout. I liked how things wrapped up and am curious who will be the next main couple.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Let’s Make a Scene (Theo & Cynthie #2) by Laura Wood

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Laura Wood
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: July 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The companion novel to Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell follows Theo Eliott’s best friend Cynthie Taylor as she’s pulled back into a fake PR relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, the one costar she swore she’d never work with again.

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There is only one problem…Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome costar Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity—have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship…and this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

HOT DANG.

I’m officially a Laura Wood fan now. Two books in and I adore the way she crafts romances. And I don’t even like celebrity romances?! Which just goes to show that the right author can change your view,

This was a hot and angsty second chance romance and I looooved all of the forced proximity filming content that brought Cynthie and Jack together again and again. The banter, pranks, tender moments, we got them all. And I didn’t mind most of the flashback chapters either because it did truly help set the scene more and understand what created the initial fallout.

I was swooning, smiling, laughing throughout. The audiobook is stellar and this book is a gem. I liked it even more than Under Your Spell.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: cheating (not the main characters), strained parent relationships

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ALC Book Review: The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2) by Sarah Beth Durst

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Cozy Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

COZY & SWEET.

I’m not generally a cozy fantasy person (I’m a dark and gritty type). BUT, I have found this series really easy to listen to and just enjoy. There’s good themes and solid plot lines that keep the story moving forward. And I adored all of the sentient plants. They are quirky and all of the little personalities were charming as they worked together to find peace for their home.

The romance is a sub plot that plays well into the whole book. I thought it was sweet and soft. Those quiet moments that brought Terlu and her grumpy gardener. It truly does feel enchanting and I loved many of the scenes. There were some repetitive inner monologue dynamics, but otherwise a solid read and the audiobook is great!

I don’t think you *have* to read these in order but there world building you get from book one help set up things here.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy fantasy romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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