Tag: Book blog

ALC Book Review: Enigma by RuNyx

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Dark Academia Romance
Length: 463 pages
Author: RuNyx
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: April 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A new breathtaking tale of unforgettable romance, set in a dark academia world of secret societies, lush suspense and sizzling sensuality, from RuNyx, the New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana.

Salem Salazar comes to Mortimer University to get to the bottom of her sister’s mysterious death. There, obsessed with forensics, she discovers there have been a lot more unexplained deaths on the campus. Her search leads her down a dark and dangerous path to a secret society and to Caz.

Cazimir van der Waal is in her way and another mystery to unravel. Is he just an art student, a man living a double life, or a murderer? While also at the university seeking answers for another death, Caz has a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Secret forces are at play in Mortimer and no one is safe. As Salem tries to go under radar and Caz tries to block her path, somehow, they both end up in the crossfire of a powerful, secret society. They are forced to work together to discover the truth or risk losing their lives.

In this magnificent, steamy dark academia romance from RuNyx, sparks will fly, rivals will become lovers, and terrible secrets will be unleashed.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WELL THAT WAS INTERESTING.

I read dark fantasy fairly often, I like dark fantasy, I liked dark academia, but I’ve neve read a dark romance. And this email caught me in a mood and that mood wanted to try this author out. Will I read another one?? I don’t think so, even though I did like this book.

What I loved circled around all of the mystery and atmosphere. This is quintessential dark academia and I loved the vibes. It felt haunting and the suspense elements alongside the secret societies are what I expect and what I like when I pick up a dark academia book (though this is being tagged as fantasy and there’s no fantasy elements FYI).

And I will say there were pieces of the romance I did like. I am who I am and I love a good jealousy moment so those worked for me. The spice though? Yeah, that’s not for me. And there were more scenes than I had anticipated needing to skip which took me out of the book often too.

I do think this wrapped up things well for a standalone and that you got the overall answers you needed. I loved that there was a epilogue at the end to get that happy ever after feeling. This book had good writing and story telling, and I’m not upset that I tried it out.

Overall audience notes:

  • Dark academia romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 5+ open door
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content warnings: child exploitation, grooming, death, dubious consent, non-consensual drugging, murder, sexual assault and trauma, suicide

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ARC Book Review: Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch #8) by Misty M. Beller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 210 pages
Author: Misty M. Beller
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Sampson Coulter is determined to undo his disastrous mistake that is jeopardizing his family’s future. Now he’s deeply embedded in the corrupt mining empire of the ruthless Mick McPharland, and has earned the trust of Jedidiah, the brutal right-hand man. The threat reaches much farther than his own family, and he knows he must dismantle the operation from within…or die trying.

Grieving the loss of her mother, Grace Hampton is shocked to discover a newborn baby on her doorstep. When she seeks help from her father, Jedidiah, she never imagines he’ll force her to marry Sampson Coulter, the kind man who only gave her a ride to town. Though her father has always been willing to pass her off, at least she has Sampson’s promise to protect her and the baby. It doesn’t hurt that he’s the most handsome man she’s ever seen.

Marrying Jedidiah’s daughter adds an impossible complication to Sampson’s mission. It seems he can’t have it all—redemption for himself, justice for the victims of the corruption, protection for the innocent…and a life with the woman and babe he’s coming to love.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes the gripping series finale filled with high-stakes danger, a marriage of convenience, an instant family, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

ENJOYABLE CONCLUSION.

I appreciate that all of these books can be read as standalones. I’ve read only books seven and eight and haven’t had any issues in enjoying the stories. You do get to see all of the previous characters so I imagine reading them in order would add to that, but it’s okay if you want to start here too!

This is a sweet historical romance with one of my favorite tropes, marriage of convenience. I liked Sampson and Grace a lot and looooove getting dual POV and understanding both of their mindsets and decisions. The only thing I was missing were some more interactions between them. I would have loved the relationship to have more development and really see that chemistry being built.

I liked the suspense elements added in and not quite knowing how things were going to work out in the end. It’s a wonderful balance of light and dark and I think the faith aspects are preachy, just woven in to add another layer to the story.

I loved seeing the epilogue and where all the characters have ended up and thought this was a beautiful book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild – moderate
  • Content warnings: gun violence, physical violence, loss of life

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Book Review: Direbound (The Wolves of Ruin #1) by Sable Sorensen

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Dark Fantasy Romance
Length: 650 pages
Author: Sable Sorensen
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 26th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them…

Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.

Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.

To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.

Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.

And the castle is hiding dark secrets…

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in dark action-packed fantasy series, perfect for romantasy fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses , The Serpent & the Wings of Night , When the Moon Hatched and Quicksilver!

GIMME BOOK TWO.

A friend asked me to buddy read this one with her and we both devoured it over the course of a weekend. It was pitched as a fourth wing but with wolves and I gotta say, that actually tracks (but it is not a copycat, do not fear). I loved that this wasn’t a shifter book, the humans bond with wolves in this military-esque fantasy romance that had me locked in.

I love a complicated romantic plot line. I love enjoying the journey of tiny moments and quiet moments, the angry proclamations and the jaw dropping reveals. I got it all here. If you’re reading this without reading the summary, skip it and just go read it!! Trust me!!

Even more surprising was the fact that I was blindsided by a few of the reveals (a few I could see coming, but wasn’t mad about). ANYWAYS, I loved all the twists and turns. There’s a good level of politicking mixed in with action and there’s a ball??? I mean come on, I had to read this book.

The ending left me without breath and begging for the next book. AHHHHHH.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4-5 open door
  • Violence: very high
  • Content warnings: high levels of blood/gore/violence, kidnapped children, loss of loved ones, murder

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Book Review: Queen of Shifting Sands (Instanolde Chronicles #1) by Kaitlyn Carter Brown

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 451 pages
Author: Kaitlyn Carter Brown
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: March 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A crownless queen. A cursed prince. One summer to live.

The stars have aligned in the kingdom of Instanolde, or so Lystra believes as she eagerly awaits her wedding day. Her beloved, the king, is everything her heart desires, but when a brutal attack leaves her betrothed dead and Instanolde on the cusp of collapse, she finds her future in ruins, and the throne beyond her reach. With invasion looming across the desert, Lystra refuses to let grief keep her from defending her kingdom—even if that means forging a marriage alliance with Elerek, the brother of her lost love, a prince shrouded in secrets.

Elerek, now heir to the throne, has spent his life waiting to die. An untouchable curse lurks beneath his skin, and though he aches to see its suffocating hold severed, he’s long given up hope. When his brother’s death drags him from the shadows, Elerek must find the strength to shoulder the crown’s burdens and secure a queen—a wife to protect his kingdom after the curse claims him. With the adoration of the people already in the palm of her hands, Lystra is the ideal candidate. But even if she doesn’t spurn him for his ruinous curse, he’ll need to protect her from its dangers—and his heart as he finds himself steadily drawn to the girl’s unbreakable spirit. With death on the horizon, Elerek must become the king he never planned to be and save Instanolde before his time runs out.

Lystra and Elerek only have one summer to prepare their kingdom for invasion, but more than one threat prowls their desert, and the cost of survival might just destroy them all.

Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantastical romance adventure where duty and endurance grapple amid the sands of chaos. Lovers of intrigue, high stakes, and slow-burn romance will fall in love with this escape into a rich, immersive fantasy world.

A BIT LET DOWN.

This wasn’t everything I hoped for when I saw the initial trope list and marketing.

It lacked in a lot of places for me. This didn’t feel like a romance. I honestly felt more connection between the Lystra and a side character than I did with the MMC, Elerek. Somehow they found love without much conversation or time together and I’m still trying to figure out how we got there. I think the curse only added to that because there were opportunities for tension I didn’t feel.

The inner monologues were repetitive about everything. And I kept waiting for the plot to DO something and nothing happened until the antagonist finally showed up at 88%. The lack of location change was felt too and I wish I had a better understanding of the world.

I don’t think I’ll be picking up book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low-moderate

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