ARC/ALC Book Review: Mortal Things (Mortal Things #1) by Marie Lu

October 27, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Release Date: October 27th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Set in a world of insatiable immortals, their eternal rivalries, and the humans trapped between them, MORTAL THINGS is a cinematic and sweeping new fantasy from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter and A Darker Shade of Magic.

Rose Lin Fairchild didn’t believe in gods, but one chose her anyway.

Rose despises Raven, the god of Death. His mysterious commands. His mercurial moods. His closed heart. But most of all, she loathes that she was forced to become his Harbinger, a human mercenary tasked to fulfil their god’s every want and whim. Still, she would do it again, because being a Harbinger is the only thing keeping her best friend alive.

When a murder rocks the world of the gods, Rose is suddenly thrust into the immortal realm’s spotlight as Raven’s heir. This is her chance to free her friend once and for all. But in order for her to ascend, she must first prove herself to the other gods—and the one person standing in her way is a fellow Harbinger.

Étienne Beauchard is notorious for his sly wit and charming good looks. Rose can’t stand that he is the one assigned to test her abilities, but as their initial hostility evolves into an intense attraction, they find that the gods’ secrets go deeper than they ever expected. Something is wrong in the immortal world, something that threatens to break their bond and engulf them all in war.

As Rose and Étienne fight to uncover the truth and trust each other with their hearts, they realize that everything hinges on the same How far would you go to save the person you love?

Thank you FS&G and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy and ALC.

IT GOT BETTER?

I’m a big Marie Lu fan so I’m always jumping up and down when I get my hands on a book early. But unfortunately, this one was kind of a let down. I’m hoping with the next book I’ll feel differently.

The audiobook was great though. I had no issues with that format and liked the narrator a lot.

It took me a bit to get into because of the amount of info dumping about all of the gods, harbingers and urban setting. There is an immortal plane too so I didn’t feel like the urban setting bugged me. The vibe felt fantastical which I tend to love more often. Once I got a grasp of things I do think things felt more settled and it made me curious enough to for sure want to read the sequel.

I was hoping for a little more romance. I don’t think there was enough lead up and by the time there were love confessions I hadn’t fully gotten there myself. The age bracket I believe is young adult but it did feel older? Not a bad thing. Just another thing I noted.

It was lacking the emotional punch that I hope shows up in book two.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy + Romance
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: a lot of conversation surrounding death

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ALC Book Review: It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Murder (Kiss, Merry, Kill #2) by Ally Carter

October 12, 2026October 13, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Holiday Mystery Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This limited deluxe edition paperback will feature stenciled edges and cover effects – available on the first printing only, so pre-order now!

A billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter square off in this cat-and-mouse holiday romance-mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.

If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”

But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.

So it’s up to her to prove it.

Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.

But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.

Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.

She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?

As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.

Because, this Christmas, only one thing is it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.

Thank you to the publisher for an ALC.

I LOVED THIS BOOOOOOK.

This might be my new favorite of Ally Carter’s. I was down bad from the beginning and it did not let up (complimentary).

The mutual pining between Ella and Liam was top notch. As was the banter. It was sassy and heated and full of *oh my gosh kiss already* nonsense that I adore. The cat and mouse vibes are 100% accurate and you have to go with the audiobook!! Dual narration was top tier. I loved both narrators.

I kind of forgot it was Christmas in this story? But that didn’t bug me at all. I was locked in to the mystery and wondering where things were going next. I liked the the drama and turmoil It does lean on the heavier side (see content warnings) yet it didn’t overwhelm the plot to me and worked well to amplify the themes.

The romance was tender and nuanced. I liked that they both learned new things about each other and found ways to work together. They both had a protective streak I was obsessed with. There was emotional depth and this longing for home (as a person) between Ella and Liam I could not get enough of.

Overall audience notes:
– Christmas Mystery + Romance
– Language: low
– Romance: closed door
– Violence: moderate
– Content warnings: loss of a parent (cancer), murder, attempted murder, gun violence, loss of a grandparent, other mentions of cancer

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Book Review: Chasing the Rush (Football and Feels #2) by Lauren Rowe

September 23, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 381 pages
Author: Lauren Rowe
Publisher: Kensington Books
Release Date: July 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Rudy meets Moneyball in a sexy yet warm-hearted, second-chance football romance for fans of Sarah Adams, Tessa Bailey, Monica Murphy, Kristen Callihan, and Lucy Score, as the analytical, math-nerd, type-A daughter of a tough love coach is assigned to babysit the team’s adrenaline junkie pass rusher.

Chelsea Parker, 26, knows football, thanks to growing up with a football coach for a father and two linebackers for brothers. But Chelsea’s true passion has always been crunching numbers to predict statistical outcomes for everything from football to stocks to romance. Chelsea dreams of merging her two passions to become the first female head of analytics for an NFL team. But for now, she’s got to convince the powers-that-be at her father’s new team, the Mastodons, the worst in the NFL, to give her that entry-level position in the front office.

Luca Maguire, 26, a pass rusher and adrenaline junkie with a famous last name, knows this upcoming training camp with his new team, the Mastodons, will likely be his last, if he can’t get out of his own way long enough to make the cut. The dire nature of his circumstances is the only reason Luca didn’t quit on the spot when Coach Parker assigned his daughter, Chelsea, a statistics-loving, spreadsheet-making math nerd, as Luca’s “personal coach” for the duration of camp. More like his babysitter, if you ask Luca.

Well, okay, Luca didn’t quit for that reason and another the thing that happened seven years ago between Luca and Chelsea as strangers, when Luca’s college football team stayed at the same hotel as Chelsea’s mathletes squad. Luca would never admit this to Chelsea, especially not with her being Coach’s daughter and the newly assigned bane of his existence, but the truth is Luca hasn’t stopped thinking about that cute little mathlete who ditched his ass seven years ago, right before their clothes came off, ever since.

Thank you RB Media for the gifted audiobook.

YEAH, NO.

Unfortunately I think this was my first and last book form Lauren Rowe.

I struggled from the beginning. The awkward lust/innuendo + almost one night stand was not for me. But I felt obligated to keep going. And I will say it did get better. It did. I liked different bits and pieces yet nothing every came together well enough for me to give this more than two stars.

Chelsea came across as a nepotism hire. She genuinely didn’t have actual coaching experience yet was frustrated when nobody wanted to give her a chance. I understand that her big thing was stats + numbers, but Chelsea acted as if her word was law in regards to players getting better. I was turned off from this the entire book.

I skipped over the open door scenes, though based upon how cringy I found the innuendo, I think I would have not liked those whatsoever either.

DON’T EVEN get me started on the third act. “You have to set someone free to follow their dreams” NONSENSE. I’m so tired of that third act. COMMUNICATE PLEASE. Then there were odd time jumps before they finally got back together.

Well, the duet narration was great. No complaints about the audiobook production…just about everything else.

Overall audience notes:

Sports romance
Language: high
Romance: 4+ open door; moderate-high innuendo
Violence: mild

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Book Review: Catching Feelings (Varsity #2) by Emily Charlotte

September 4, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Emily Charlotte
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The first rule for a drama-free senior year? Don’t fall for the mysterious new football transfer. A swoony young adult romance full of undeniable chemistry and school spirit perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Friday Night Lights, from the author of Heart Check.

When Sabrina and Tyler meet by accident outside (okay, inside) the football locker rooms, it’s not a big deal. After a rocky summer, Sabrina is focused on leading the Spirit Committee to its best year ever, while Tyler is eager to leave behind the mess from his old school with a second chance playing football as a transfer. Neither is looking for romance.

But as the team’s newest (and most eligible) varsity athlete, Tyler is suddenly the center of attention. And Sabrina is busy dodging Ryan, her longtime flirtationship who is determined to take her to the homecoming dance. Ryan is exactly the kind of chaos Sabrina doesn’t need, so she asks Tyler to go as friends instead. Eager to fend off other unwanted advances, Tyler is happy to accept.

Of course, this was before Sabrina realized Tyler is Ryan’s cousin. But as long as they’re just friends, everything should be fine. Tyler is less willing to ignore the connection he feels toward Sabrina, but he’s also desperate to keep his past buried. When the chemistry between them becomes impossible to deny, can their carefully laid plans survive the fallout, or will secrets and social pressure threaten everything they’ve built?

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS CUTE.

A quick little romance read I flew through the other day. I love reading sports books based on the season and football season is heeeere.

I loved the emphasis on acts of service. Tyler was so sweet in the way he tried to show Sabrina he cared. It was sincere and I adored it. They had a lot of good moments together. There was plenty of football content that capture the essence of those Friday night football games.

Both of these characters had some things to work through. It felt relatable to the age group and I liked how both learned that they needed to accept help and trust others with the truth. The nostalgic quality of high school and the insecurities that come along with it are absolutely relatable.

I wasn’t a big fan of the multiple moments of underage drinking. It’s not in your face, but present enough that I wish it would have been more cut from the plot. Otherwise I do think this fits into the young adult category well. I’d lean towards the upper age pocket though.

Overall audience notes: