ALC Book Review: The River She Became (River & Salt #1) by Emily Varga

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Emily Varga
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: June 30th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A high stakes, action-packed romantasy from bestselling author Emily Varga where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers—and her heart.

I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the audiobook and CPBT and Wednesday Books for the gifted copy.

TIS A GOOD BOOK.

After loving Emily Varga’s debut I had to get my hands on her sophomore book. It did not disappoint. And I’m so excited we’re getting more books in this series!! (duology??? I never know.)

This felt like the kind of young adult fantasy I’ve been missing. The little pieces that can be frustrating fell into the back because I was enamored by this story. Emily Varga does a great job of writing feminine rage that fuels the FMC without overwhelming the plot. I enjoyed Yaseema’s journey. It has the coming of age vibes and a woman who knows what she wants.

And I liked the world and magic too!! Magical objects, there’s fae! There’s a river. I mean, it just all worked. I appreciated the flow of the story and the side characters we met along the way.

The romance?? Solid. An enemies to lovers flare who realize they are actually reluctant allies?? Please. I’ll eat that up all day. Our captain is holding secrets of his own and was incredibly endearing. Bonus points because we got his POV too!!

Ending was cliffhanger heavy and I’m here for it. GIMME BOOK TWO.

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA fantasy romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: vague fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: loss of loved ones, battle themes, torture, kidnapping

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: June 2026

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It is summerrrrr!

A fairly even mix of contemporary and fantasy as I did my best to stay busy, stop doom scrolling and enjoy the season!

  • Unloved (The Undone #2) by Peyton Corinne
  • Ruling Out Robyn (Men of the Isles #3) by Deborah M. Hathaway
  • She Knows All the Names (Throne of Khetara #2) by Michelle Jabes Corpora
  • Broken Dove (Silver Elite #2) by Dani Frances
  • The Heart of War by Olivia Snow
  • The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl #3) by Matt Dinniman
  • The Setup Man (Catching Feelings #3) by Kate Watson
  • If You’ll Have Me by Esther Hatch
  • Their WIll Undone by R.J. Valldeperas
  • Behind Five Willows by June Hur
  • Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley
  • [ARC] Prince of Swords (Arcana Academy #2) by Elise Kova
  • [ARC/ALC] Ancient History Between Us by Kaitlyn Hill
  • Curse of Shadows and Thorns (The Broken Kingdoms #1) by L.J. Andrews
  • The Enemy of the Book Keeper (The Secret of the Book Keeper #2) by J.A. Hemingway
  • Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh
  • White Rose Rising (The Alayan Series #2) by Kimberly Pearl
  • A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham
  • Us Dark Few (Us Dark Few #1) by Alexis Patton
  • [ARC] Daybreak (Sorrowsong University #2) by Autumn Woods
  • The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall #2) by Sarah A. Parker
  • Off Base by Haley Warren
  • [Reread] Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [Non-fiction] No Dumb Questions by Jason and Travis Kelce
  • The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire (Love’s Academic #3) by India Holton
  • The Summer of Lost Things by Jenn Bennett
  • The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego
  • [ARC] Of Venom and Vengeance by Mikayla Bridge
  • [ALC] When Dealing with Dragons by Dana Swift
  • Unbound (The Undone #1) by Peyton Corinne
  • [ALC/ARC] The River She Became {River & Salt #1) by Emily Varga
  • [Reread] A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC/ALC] Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove #2) by Catherine Cowles
  • The Tapestry of Fate (Amina al-Sirafi #2) by Shannon Chakraborty

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Book Review: The Enemy of the Book Keeper (The Secret of the Book Keeper #2) by J.A. Hemingway

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy
Length: 410 pages
Author: J.A. Hemingway
Publisher: Glenthorne Press, LLC
Release Date: June 9th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Stories are disappearing… and Theo may be the only one who can stop it.

After his fantastical and dangerous encounter with the magical town of Bridgingdale, Theo is left reeling from all he has learned about Leyna, the Book Keeper, and her ancient calling to mend tears between the literary world and reality.

When characters begin to fade from the pages of beloved classics, Theo knows something is terribly wrong. Desperate to warn Leyna, he must find his way back to her one more time. However, the only person who can help him is the one person he swore never to trust.

As the line between fiction and reality begins to unravel, even the most treasured books hold secrets. And when worlds collide, the damage may just be irreparable…

The Much-Anticipated Sequel to The Secret of the Book Keeper brings a fresh mystery in the magical world of the Book Keeper!

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy.

GOOD FINALE.

J.A. Hemingway genuinely writes incredibly well. It’s a well crafted story that does a good job of providing a tale to get lost in. I love that it’s a true young adult novel and one that can easily be handed to a teen. Theo is an endearing MMC who you want to cheer for and is a relatable 20ish year old. While the characters are college aged I think this can be enjoyed by younger and older audiences.

I liked the way this book developed. There’s good themes of forgiveness and acknowledging mistakes. The character development was top notch. The books within books was a fun plot device that added a magical element. I thought the reveals were good and the magic system made sense with realistic boundaries. There’s a soft background romance that’s heartfelt too. I just loved all of these characters.

The ending brought everything together beautifully and wrapped up the story in a very satisfying way. I loved where everyone ended up and I think there’s potential to follow a character on another adventure!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Urban Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: physical altercations, loss of loved ones (recounted)

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Book Review: Pros Don’t (Fall in Love #4) by Leah Dobrinska

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 327 pages
Author: Leah Dobrinska
Publisher: Self Publishing
Release Date: April 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Who says reality TV romance isn’t real?

Holland Bradley is the golf world’s golden boy. Confident and charismatic, when his agent lands him the starring role on Most Eligible Mister, the nation’s longest running reality TV dating show, he doesn’t hesitate. A chance to find love by dating twenty beautiful women and bringing more attention to the sport he loves, while also curing him of the tiny crush he has on his coach? Sounds like a hole in one.

A woman in a male-dominated field, golf coach Mallory Walsh doesn’t have the luxury of sharing Holland’s cavalier attitude. But she’s a pro, so she can set her personal disdain for him aside and keep coaching Holland to tournament victories. The more he wins, the more she’s paid, and the more she can help her parents with their mounting medical bills. Holland’s role on Most Eligible Mister is a distraction he—and she—can’t afford…until one of the show’s producers offers Mallory good money to sign on as a contestant.

Holland and Mallory are whisked away to Cashmere Cove, where a scheming, hometown community is intent on “helping” them fall in love and fame-hungry contestants are determined to keep them apart. The player and coach pair make a pact to keep things professional, but soon the pressure cooker situation has them teaming up to survive. As Holland relies on Mallory for support in dealing with past trauma, and Mallory discovers a good listener and fierce advocate beneath Holland’s flashy façade, everything changes. Can the pair come out on top, or is any real relationship between them as unlikely as an albatross?

Because pros don’t fall in love…do they?

THIS WAS SWEET.

Y’all have heard it before. One of my favorite tropes/situations is a man down BAD. There’s something about Holland pining after Mallory that just hits every time. I loved all of the little sweet moments they got to be together without the crowds and how hard Holland worked to show Mallory he’s different from the first time they met.

The only thing I wasn’t totally into was the bachelor-esque plot line. I have never watched the show for a reason and fought the catty drama to be a bit eye rolling. I wish that Mallory and Holland had a different chance to come together rather than the show being at the fore front. It was a big suspension of reality that he would do that as a pro golfer.

But I will admit that I loved the grand gesture at the end. That’s the kind of sporty ending that makes me loooove sport romances. And this is my second golf romance that overall has been a hit. It’s sweet and heated and swoony. I have loved this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: bullying (recounted, for a stutter and weight as a child), a parent with a debilitating disease

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