Category: Book Review

Book Review: Deadwood (Secrets of Serpentine #1) by Karley Brenna

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 540 pages
Author: Karley Brenna
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Auria Tenere has spent her life locked away in the castle she calls home and forced to serve her father, the king of Amosite. Clinging to bedtime stories of extinct fae and dragons in hiding, she believes there’s no hope of ever leaving the confines of the palace. That is, until her father arranges for her to be married to a stranger.
After being able to leave the chasm for the first time in her life with her betrothed, Auria’s group is soon attacked, leaving them no choice but to find shelter in the nearest town. But Deadwood isn’t all that it seems, and the tales she once thought were simply bedtime stories turn out to be more real than she ever could’ve imagined.
Faced with the lies she has been told her whole life, Auria is determined to unravel the secrets being kept by those in this outlaw town. Including those of the closed-off man she isn’t certain she should let close—the one man her father seems scared of. From the moment she set foot in town, he’s had his sights set on her, and Auria wants to know why. But soon, being stranded with him isn’t her only problem. Not when the king decides he wants his daughter back, no matter the cost.

OH BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS.

From my understanding, this was the author’s first fantasy book and…you could tell. I am sitting here trying to figure out what any part of this world looked like and I can’t tell you one thing. And it was *supposed* to have this wild west setting (of which is why I picked it up) but alas, the most I got was a few card games gone wrong. DON’T EVEN get me started on the magic system because that made no sense either.

And I’m all for a FMC who needs some space to grow and change over a series, but this gave me no hints at those changes even by the end. Auria was still naive, still couldn’t handle a weapon, and was still a damsel in distress on repeat. I wanted her to do one thing JUST ONE TIME.

I didn’t mind the romance with [redacted for spoilers]. It didn’t have the flair I was expecting, yet it kind of worked? I liked that there were POV chapters from his perspective at least.

It truly wasn’t like I hated this book, it went up and down for me. By the time the conclusion came though, I didn’t feel invested enough to read book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 1-2ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings; attempted murder, attempted sexual assault, death, creature attacks

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Book Review: The Quit List by Katie Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: April 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He quit believing in love a long time ago. She won’t quit until she finds The One… and he’s everything she’s NOT looking for.

Holly Greene is on a mission to find her happily ever after. And her journey to love does not include a detour to Bad Boy Bartenderville, population Jax Grainger.

Jax may be witty, smart-mouthed, and handsome, but he’s the kind of guy who views love as a four-letter word… and the last thing Holly needs is to waste any more time.

She’s in her seeking Prince Charming era, not her playboy villain era.

But after he saves her from the world’s worst date, Holly sees an opportunity: Jax may not check any of the boxes on her list, but he’s the perfect person to help her find a man who does.

All she has to do is stick to the plan—and stay out of the sexy bartender’s arms.

Easy peasy lemon sque… Oops.

AM I A FAN NOW?

This just goes to show you that just because you didn’t like one of the author’s first books doesn’t mean that you won’t love future books. Because I can easily say I want to continue ready KB books and I’m happy with that.

The Quit List was clever and fun and filled with such great banter. I loved the dynamic between Jax and Holly. It was a really sweet slow burn and even with the plot pieces didn’t overwhelm the relationship that was building. All of the outdoor content was great and I was charmed by it all.

It’s also a great audiobook if you’re interest in that avenue!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: low

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2025

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I had to amp up the reading to combat the fact that I had EIGHT arcs coming out on November 4th. But all is good, all has been read. Reviews will be out over the next few months!

  • Town of Shadows (Slanted London #1) by Jessica Scarlet
  • The Weaver Bride (The Weaver Bride #1) by Lydia Gregovic
  • [ARC] Marriage is Shore Thing (Wilks Beach #2) by Laura Langa
  • Throne in the Dark (Villains & Virtues #1) by A.K. Caggiano
  • Unending (The Unseelie Duology #2) by Ivelisse Housman
  • Our Beautiful Mess by B.K. Clark
  • The Mummy Snatcher Curse (The Wand Keepers #2) by Tiffany McDaniel
  • Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause
  • [ARC/ALC] Secret Haven (Sparrow Falls #6) by Catherine Cowles
  • Ghost Business (Boneyard Key #2) by Jen DeLuca
  • A Steeping of Blood (A Tempest of Tea Duology #2) by Hafsah Faizal
  • The Sound of Summer (The House on Harrison Blvd #1) by Meagan Williamson
  • [ALC] Red City (The New Alchemists #1) by Marie Lu
  • [ARC]The Demon and the Light (The Floating World #2) by Axie Oh
  • House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) by K.A. Linde
  • [ARC/ALC] An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew
  • Summoned to the Wilds (Villains & Virtues #1) by A.K. Caggiano
  • Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
  • The Arrow and the Alder by Barbara Kloss
  • The Last Tiger by Julia Riew & Brad Riew
  • [ALC] The Heir (Crownhaven #1) by Sophia Travers
  • [ALC] Never Ever After (Never Ever After #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
  • Sonnets and Serpents (Casters & Crowns #2) by Elizabeth Lowham
  • [ARC] Against a Crescent Storm (The Balkan Legends #3) by A.L. Sowards
  • For No Mortal Creature by Kenshe Chow
  • [ALC] The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
  • [ARC] The Prince of Mourning by Jenn Bennett
  • [ARC] The Maid of Sherwood Forest (A McQuivey’s Costume Shop Romance #2) by Sian Ann Bessey
  • Every Spiral of Fate (This Woven Kingdom #4) by Tahereh Mafi
  • [ALC] Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1) by Adrienne Young
  • [ARC] Through Each Tomorrow (Timeless #6) by Gabrielle Meyer
  • A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig
  • [Novella] A Very Merry Matchup by Becca Kinzer
  • [ARC/ALC] A Queen’s Match (A Queen’s Duet #2) by Katharine McGee
  • [ARC] Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson
  • [Novella] Holly (Belladonna #3.5) by Adalyn Grace

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ARC Book Review: Coldwire (Coldwire #1) by Chloe Gong

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: YA Dystopian Sci-Fi
Length: 496 pages
Author: Chloe Gong
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.

The future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

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

STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

Y’all know by now that I’m a big fan of Chloe Gong’s books and she hit it out of the park again!! If you’ve been missing the era of great young adult dystopian novels, please get this on your TBR nowwwww.

I loved the complicated world filled with AI. It’s haunting and thought provoking and feels like it’s peering into the future. I definitely felt all the things with the way some of these scenes went down.

I enjoyed both of the POV’s and the differences in the world for them. It was a good contrast that led to insight on multiple fronts and let me tell y’all, I was glued to my headphones.

And I don’t know how I wasn’t noting the looming twist, but it notched up my thoughts about this book tenfold. I AM SO HERE FOR IT.

The dash of romance worked well for me too. It’s not at the forefront but plays enough of a *very* slow burn role that it only adds to the overall feel of the book. I can’t wait for the next book after that ending!!!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Sci-Fi Dysptopian
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate

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