Tag: Book blog

ARC Book Review: Hopeless Necromantic (The Catseye Chronicles #1) by Shiloh Briar

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Shiloh Briar
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sticks and stones may break their bones, but he’ll just resurrect them.

Four years ago, Sikras ‘Catseye’ Nikabod had it all: a beautiful wife, friends and family, and the endless luxuries that came with being the all-powerful necromancer to the queen.

Now, his brother-in-law is a walking corpse, he’s wanted for tax evasion, his oldest friend, Vessik, has slaughtered thousands of the queen’s people with a skeleton army, and his wife is dead. Sort of.

With the kingdom under threat, it’s only natural for the queen to task Sikras with the totally normal, not-at-all-cruel chore of brutally murdering his dearest friend. Sure. Great. It’s not like he already failed to stop Vessik’s reign of terror twice or anything.

Turns out, it’s hard to kill a monster when you can’t stop remembering the good man he used to be. Harder still when you’re pretty sure his descent into madness is kind of, sort of, hypothetically … all your fault.

Raise a glass. Raise the dead. Just don’t raise your hopes.

Thank you Orbit Books for the gifted ARC.

LOVELY SURPRISE.

I took a chance on this one, purely because of the cover, and you know what? It delivered. I had a genuinely good time reading this and actually read the whole physical copy without waiting for an audiobook or ebook. And that’s hard for my current era of life.

This felt like a cozy fantasy but with enough action to take the edge off of *cozy* that I usually get bogged down by. I think the world building could have been a little more clear, but if you don’t focus too hard enough of it makes sense to know what’s happening. The themes were well woven in and I loved all of those poignant moments too.

I also really loved the characters. It is a unlikely trio coming in to save the day and I genuinely laughed out loud multiple times at some of the banter and properly placed quips. I loved the relationship they all had with one another. Sikras and Ben were such a pair and I loved the love between them.

Helspira was the perfect counter balance of chaotic good. I adored her character and loved that we had the POV of both her and Sikras. It was very much a slow burn romance between them but I do think there needed to be a bit more romance in some kind of construct before getting together.

I will absolutely be reading the next book and continuing this adventure!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Content warnings: loss of loved ones, war themes, necromancy/undead

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s guarding a borrowed heart. He’s locked his heart away. But the connection igniting between them might become the one thing they can’t live without.

Years after a life-saving heart transplant, Liv Karlsson lives in the fragile space between gratitude and fear—thankful for every heartbeat and afraid of when they might stop. Running her family’s cozy Swedish bakery gives her purpose, but mounting financial pressures and the shadows of her past leave her wondering: Is she truly living . . . or simply existing?

Then Hunter moves in next door. Guarded, cynical, and annoyingly attractive, he’s everything Liv avoids—and he’s also unfortunately her roommate’s cousin. But when he unexpectedly steps in to help Liv save the bakery with a new marketing plan, their reluctant partnership sparks something neither one is prepared for. He pushes her. Challenges her. Sees her. Suddenly, the girl who’s spent years protecting her heart finds it racing for someone who might just understand her better than anyone ever has.

But just as Liv begins to imagine a future worth fighting for, a devastating revelation threatens to unravel everything. Now Liv must face the ultimate test: Will she find the courage to love, or will fear take it all away?

Thank you Shadow Mountain for the gifted ARC.

HEAVY, BUT GOOD.

That would be my biggest note before going in is checking the content on it because the headspace for the story takes a lot out of you. I’m pretty sure this is my first book by SBL and I gotta say, I liked it! I would definitely read another.

Outside of the romance I loved the close friendships that Liv had. There were spaces to be argue as well as take care of all while knowing that the friendship wasn’t easily fractured. I adored her friends and maybe we’ll get a book for each of them???

The romance was very much the definition of slow burn. From enemies to maybe we’re friends to maybe I actually want more to love. I liked the tension between Liv and Hunter. It wasn’t an easy road but a path that felt worth it in the end. There’s themes surrounding forgiveness and trauma, grief and losing loved ones.

I could have used a little bit longer of an ending? I felt like some of it was wrapped up a touch too quickly compared to the slower pace of the book overall. Still a good book though and one I’d recommend when you’re in the right headspace.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: drunk driving resulting in loss of life (recounted), themes surrounding heart transplant and life changes associated, medical emergencies and hospital stays

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2026

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

What time is it?
SUMMERTIME.

  • Daggermouth (The Heart #1) by H.M. Wolfe
  • Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz
  • [ALC] Seek the Traitor’s Son (The Burning Empire #1) by Veronica Roth
  • Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7) by Gabrielle Meyer
  • [ARC] Magic at Midnight by Courtney Millecam
  • Honey in Her Veins by Ruth McKell
  • [ARC] Rival Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #2) by Rival Season
  • Release Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #2) by Tahereh Mafi
  • [ARC] Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador
  • The Sea Spinner (Reign of Remnants #2) by Julie Johnson
  • Smoke in the Mirrors (Slanted London #2) by Jessica Scarlett
  • [ARC/ALC] Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard
  • Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood
  • [Reread] Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes by Shelbey Kendall
  • Beneath the Wreckage (Wrecked #5) by Catherine Cowles
  • [ARC] Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson
  • The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
  • An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Audra Wells
  • The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • [ARC/ALC] Shadow Reaper (Shadow Reaper #1) by Lynette Noni
  • Unsteady (The Undone #1) by Peyton Corinne
  • Cross Court (The Off Court #2) by Vai Denton
  • His Face is the Sun (Throne of Khetara #1) by Michelle Jabes Corpora
  • [ARC/ALC] Hard to Love (The Lost Girls #1) by Stacy Williams
  • [Novella] S’more of You (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Tessa Bailey
  • [Novella] Girls Just Wanna Have Sun (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rachel Lacey
  • [Novella] One Hot Summer Wedding (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Falon Ballard
  • [Novella] Save a Horse, Keep a Cowboy (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Jessica Peterson
  • [Novella] Summer Staycation (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • [Novella] Summer Thaw (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rebecca Jenshak
  • The Gravewood (The Gravewood #1) by Kelly Andrew
  • [Reread] Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver
  • Made for Mayhem (Mayhem Hockey Club #2) by Aimee Vance
  • The Roommate Rule by Georgie Stone
  • Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #2) by Sable Sorensen
  • [ARC] Hopeless Necromantic (The Catseye Chronicles #1) by Shiloh Briar
  • Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC/ALC Book Review: Shadow Reaper (Shadow Reaper #1) by Lynette Noni

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Lynette Noni
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Never bargain with a reaper.

The city of Aravell is in peril, plagued by a deadly blackmist that kills all it touches and reapers who roam the streets, stealing magic from innocent children in their thirst for power. Seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace has trained for years to hunt these reapers, but their ranks keep growing, led by the man who murdered her parents: the notorious Reaper Priest.

When the Priest’s most loyal follower, Reeve Ashton, is captured, he offers Viri a chance to avenge her parents . . . for a price. She knows better than to bargain with a reaper, let alone this reaper, but his offer is too good to resist.

Soon she’s breaking him out of prison, colluding with his crew of magic thieves, and following him deep into the blackmist forest in search of an ancient legend, all so they can stop the Reaper Priest’s plot to doom the city. Viri is staking her life on Reeve’s plan, but how can she trust a silver-tongued criminal to keep his word? And how can she trust her own heart when a buried secret could shatter everything?

Full of relentless twists, enemies-to-lovers romance, found family, and high stakes action, Shadow Reaper is the start of a breathtaking new duology from international bestselling author Lynette Noni.

Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

GOOD START.

I’ve continually enjoyed Lynette Noni’s books over the years and have been so excited to see what a new series would hold! And not surprising, this was a great start and I’m excited to see what the next book holds.

It definitely leans darker in regards to how the antagonist operates and the threat to children throughout. I liked Viri’s character and the change she is showed as she processed new information flying at her. She makes mistakes and figures it out and learns. And those are always solid FMC’s to read about.

The romance is full of banter with an enemies to lovers vibe that holds more tropes I wont divulge here but that I enjoyed seeing too. There’s an air of mystery to the world building that is unveiled well and keeps you going and wanting to know what would happen next. I loved the found family characters and the unlikely partnership created in order to help save their world.

🎧 I listened to a lot of this on audiobook and loved it! Fantastic narrators. Easy listen. Definitely recommend that format.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate+
  • Content warnings: kidnapping children, murder, near death experiences

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph