Tag: Book blog

Book Review: Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown #1) by Gretchen Powell Fox

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 466 pages
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
Publisher: Hopewell Media
Release Date: March 11th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

I’M TIRED.

Reallllll tired of the *lets go through a competition trial* trope. I think I’ve read too many back to back and now they all sound the same. And they used to be so good!!

The use of the trials feels like a weak plot device to move the story forward when nothing major has been happening. I was bored both during the trial and outside of it too. The romance had no sticking power and I won’t be continuing this series.

My positive note is that the audiobook is DUET. Which I will never stop saying is one of the best audio formats out there.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Poisoned Ivy (Legacies #1) by Ava Rani

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 398 pages
Author: Ava Rani
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: October 17th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Maxton Hall meets Rory Gilmore’s college years in this decadent college romance that equal parts passion, privilege and mystery.

Malena Amin is two people.

At home, she the respectable, rule-abiding daughter that her controlling family expects. At her prestigious Ivy-League University, she’s the risk-taking, adventurous woman that she wants to be. With parents who demand to know her location settings at all times, Malena uses a secret phone and secret bank account to make her double life possible.

But when her tutoring job falls through, she hits a snag in funding that double life. So, Malena sets her eyes on the prize money from a National feature-writing contest through the school paper. And when she intercepts an invitation to an ultra-exclusive secret society on campus-she has the perfect story.

She’ll attend, lay low, and get an inside look.

Unfortunately, she’s discovered early in the night by the notorious playboy and Hastings Media heir: Conrad Hastings.

The frustratingly attractive Conrad doesn’t aspire to anything other than a good time. But when his newspaper-magnate father discovers that he’s delinquent on work for the school paper, Conrad needs to complete it before his father can make good on an ultimatum. So, he agrees to let Malena into the secret society-temporarily- if she agrees to share a byline on the article they’ll write together. Conrad fulfils his obligations, and Malena gets the inside look she needs for the contest.

But, the two soon discover an art world mystery hidden between lavish parties and Gothic libraries. And more concerningly: a palpable spark between them. With new clues unraveling before them, mounting desire they can’t ignore and Malena’s web of lies threatening to collapse-their partnership becomes a lot more than a simple deal.

GO FOR THE AUDIO.

I’m a sucker if I see that an audiobook offers duet narration so here we are!! A new to me author and I totally think I’m going to read the next book in this series. I would love more college romance books so this hit the spot. I loved the yearning and the dash of mystery and that undeniable connection between Conrad and Malena.

I didn’t love a few innuendo based things about the book. It kind of felt forced and overdone. Same with the spice. Less is more for this story.

But I adored Conrad. He was just THERE in all the ways Malena needed. I really liked Malena’s friends too. What I wouldn’t do to have such a solid base like that. The setting with the amongst the wealthy with secret societies and such was different than my usual which made for a quick and enjoyable listen.

Overall audience notes:

  • New adult college romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 5ish open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: domestic abuse (Mom pinches and slaps FMC), mentions of infidelity (not between the main couple)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: After We Fall (Shelter & Sky #2) by Deborah Clack

GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Deborah Clack
Publisher: Haven
Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Self-sufficient Penelope Reid has her life completely mapped out—a necessity after surviving foster care. Now she’s on a mission to prove that she’s capable of managing a halfway house at Twelve Bluebells Ranch. The last thing she needs is hindrance from the charming Luke Granger, who asked her to dance three years ago, then disappeared before the music began.

Luke lives a nomadic lifestyle as a security specialist. He’s never found a reason to put down roots until he’s reunited with the bossy brunette and her generous heart. When vandalism strikes the ranch neighboring Twelve Bluebells, securing the area is just another gig for him before he hits the road. But as Luke and Penelope work alongside each other and care for the ranch’s halfway house residents, his restless heart finds reasons to stay, and her careful walls begin to crack.

When crisis threatens everything Penelope has built and tragedy pulls at Luke’s wandering heart, they must decide if it’s worth the risk to lower their guards for a love that could give them the home they’ve always longed for.

Deborah Clack crafts a story with poignant emotions and witty banter in this no-spice romance about taking risks and finding belonging in unexpected places.

Thank you to Haven Books for a gifted copy.

I’D READ ANOTHER.

This is my first book from Deborah Clack and I liked it enough that I would read another. Maybe I’ll go back and read the first book in this series??

I felt the chemistry between Penelope and Luke. I liked their interactions and the way Luke took care of Penelope and his overall protective nature. I thought the medical/brain trauma aspects were well written and brought a lot of good themes to the forefront.

I struggled with the FMC at times because she kept knowingly overstepping? I understood she cared but I thought it caused the focus of the plot to be turned away from Pen & Luke and what Pen needed to work through. I desperately wish we had Luke’s POV because I think the cowboy vibes would have been stronger and I would have understood the third act more (which I also was annoyed about).

There’s good found family moments and Pen does start to work through much of her trauma. I liked that she gave therapy a chance and found somewhere to genuinely belong. I thought that everything came together well and the necessary plot points were tied off.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was okay. I think she hindered the characterization for Penelope though (she came off more whiney).

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: physical assault, traumatic brain injury, child abuse, domestic abuse, gun violence

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: A Wraith Beneath the Tides (Beyond the Tides #1) by Emilia Jae

GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 584 pages
Author: Emilia Jae
Publisher: Em’s Bookish Realm Press
Release Date: July 17th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN MEETS ATLANTIS THE LOST EMPIRE. –>

Raised in secret by the sea’s most feared pirate, Esmyra Blackwood knows nothing of her past or the origins of her mysterious powers.

In the mortal kingdom, Draevyn Rowe is the second-born son of the tyrant king, and the only known fire-wielder of their realm.

Esmyra and Draevyn’s journeys collide when she kidnaps him to force a trade with the king for her captain’s life. But when her barter is refused, she is instead tasked with unearthing a kingdom lost a thousand years prior. Together, the two are forced to navigate a labyrinth of lies and secrets in search of the sunken kingdom.

The tides are shifting, and with scheming gods and ancient rivalries at play, alliances will be forged and shattered. The two must decide who to trust, and how far they’re willing to go for the ones they love.

Esmyra will face a choice: Does their world deserve salvation… or will she be its reckoning?

PRETTY GOOD.

This had been sitting on my KU line-up for a bit and I’ve been excited to get to it. And I think it held up pretty well. I’ll read the next book.

It had a plot line that I feel like I haven’t read recently so while, at times, frustrating, it was also nice to see? I am curious where it’s going to lead and how the fallout will occur.

The romance [gratefully] was enough of a slow burn for me. I do think there needed to be something higher on the swoony factor to really sell me but maybe that’s coming in the sequel. I think there was some good banter between Esmyra and Draevyn and it definitely had enemies to lovers vibes.

I’m curious about the addition of a third POV and where that will lead. I have ideas I’d love to see, which one again, leads me to being hopeful about book two. We shall see!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantasy
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph