Book Review: His & Hers by Alice Feeney

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Thriller
Length: 304 pages
Author: Alice Feeney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: July 28th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

GOOD HEAVENS.

Since I’m on a thriller journey in 2026 I am back for another review and y’all, this was another win for me. I do think it’s *very* dark and you definitely should check out all content warnings before proceeding (I did not, I was okay, but also, it was a lot).

I did love how twisty this was. I truly could not figure out what was happening. My thoughts kept moving to different suspects and gasping at every reveal as the conclusion came rolling in. There’s great misdirection and unreliable narrators and complex situations that I understand why they made a TV adaptation.

Color me SHOCKED when I got to the end. I do love a wild (but still somewhat believable) ending to thrillers and that hit the spot for me. Go in blind on this one!

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: r**e scene, dementia, alcoholism, infidelity, animal abuse, bullying, su!cide, sexual assault, grooming, loss of a child from SIDS

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Book Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps her aunt run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and might just know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone…and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

A SOFT, ENJOYABLE READ.

I just like the way these books make me feel. There’s a cozy quality that makes me yearn for all things fall and warm and homey. The aura of this book was magical and lovely and I adored the inn and all of the characters beneath its roof. This crew is chaotic and kind and full of diverse personalities that made that found family note sing strong.

And I did like the romance (I would have loved even more). Sera and Luke are seriously the sweetest and I loved the push and pull that brought them together. There were many standout (and important) themes throughout that I thought were written well and made me adore the book all the more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy Paranormal Romance
  • Langauge: mild
  • Romance: heated makeouts/fade to black
  • Violence: mild
  • Content notes; parental abandonment, depression, parental abandonment of a child with autism

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove #2) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 472 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The PageSmith LLC
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s known nothing but darkness for 413 days…but he’ll burn down the world to save her.

After a year in captivity, Nova Monroe is back in Starlight Grove—but she’s not the same woman who vanished. She lives on the edge, chases adrenaline, and refuses to be caged again. Cliff diving. Mountain biking. Anything to feel alive and outrun the memories clawing at her.

But the single dad with shadows of his own won’t let her face it alone. Especially when she finds herself needing a place to stay.

Kol Archer has made it his mission to protect her. As a Forest Service investigator, he’s no stranger to rugged terrain or battling for control. But nothing prepared him for Nova—her fire, her fight, the way she makes him feel something he thought was lost.

The closer they get, the more dangerous things become. Someone doesn’t want Nova to move on. And Kol is determined to stop them—no matter the cost.

Because for the first time in forever, Nova’s not just surviving. She’s learning how to live, how to trust, and reminding Kol he can, too. But as darkness looms, the truth could destroy them both…

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for a gifted ALC/eARC.

LOVED.

I just love the way Catherine Cowles combines swoony romance with a suspenseful plot I can never put my finger on. I loved the slow burn between Kol and Nova!!! It’s a journey. Of love and healing and finding a new starting path in life. I loved Nova’s resilience and her courage. She made decisions that were best for her while creating boundaries and strengthening the relationships in her life. I loved that Kol met her where she was and didn’t push. I adore grumpy protective heroes. The soft banter and the way Kol finds ways to take care of Nova were incredibly romantic.

And the mystery plot?? I swore it was at least three other people before the reveal and was still shocked!! I’m in awe every time at how Catherine Cowles continues to deliver new and creative ways of incorporating the whodunnit. This one was delightfully unhinged and actually made me very curious for some future plot points too!!

The audiobook is a STUNNER. CC has gone to a multi-narrator format (each of the main characters has a separate narrator) and I’m OBSESSED. It brings incredible quality to the story. I did about half on audio half eyeball and you can’t go wrong either way.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: serial killer, attempted murder, murder, weapons violence, physical violence, mentions of child abuse

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Book Review: Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology #1) by Maggie Rapier

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Maggie Rapier
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Every legend has a beginning.

With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.

Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she’s managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.

Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she’ll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse. 

On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.

But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he’ll have to marry her first.

NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR.

I have been eyeing this book since the day the cover was revealed. It had all of the vibes I could want but I decided to wait for the audiobook and go from there. I will say the audiobook was good! No issues there and I do plan to read book two through that avenue because I’m curious enough to see if Soulgazer improves on some key issues.

One of those being the WORLD BUILDING & MAGIC. Y’all I don’t even know where to begin. I finished this book and can NOT tell you one thing about the world. It was as if the author said look over here at the romance and ignore the fantasy because that’s all we got. And alongside that was a magic system with meddling gods and visions but that didn’t flow well together. I don’t necessarily have to have ALL of the answers in book one. I do need some kind of grasp though.

I liked the two romantic leads well enough. There’s some good banter and scenes that I thought were important and enjoyable. It’s not spice forward which I appreciated x100. Maybe book two will have more fantasy elements???

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance; 2-3ish open door
  • Violence: moderate

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