Tag: book reviews

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2026

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How are we halfway through the year?

Here’s my thirty six books for the month of July! I feel like this month went super well reading wise. I loved many of these books. Reviews are out now or coming soon!

  • [ARC/ALC] Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield
  • The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
  • Spies, Lies, & Alibis by Natalie Walters
  • The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1)
  • [ARC] To Have and To Fold (Love Stories in Sheet Cake #5) by Emma St. Clair
  • [ALC] A Forsaken Prophecy (The Artisan Trilogy #2) by Stacey McEwan
  • Crown of Blood and Ruin (The Broken Kingdoms #3) by L.J. Andrews
  • Out of the Woods (The Mountains Are Calling #3) by Madison Wright
  • The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
  • Strange Familiars (The Seamere College Duology #1) by Keshe Chow
  • [Reread] A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Scattered Bones by Nicole Scarano
  • [Graphic Novel] Dungeon Crawler Carl Vol. 1 by Matt Dinniman
  • Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances
  • Home Safe by Tracy Baack
  • Songs of the Dead (The Strata Wars #1) by Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian
  • [Graphic Novel] To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez
  • Eliza and the Duke (The Doves of New York #2) by Harper St. George
  • [ARC] A Lass Beloved (The Earls of Cairnfell #2) by Nichole Van
  • [ARC/ALC] Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove
  • All Hail Chaos (Time of Iron #2) by Sarah Reese Brennan
  • Ice Shy (Ottawa Otters Legends #1) by K.M. Gillis
  • [Reread] A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas4
  • [ARC] To Dance with Death (The Edge of Glass #2) by Brittney Arena
  • [ARC/ALC] Fire to the Stars by Morgan J. Watchorn
  • The Name Game by Beth O’Leary
  • In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto
  • North Country by K.A. Tucker
  • [ARC/ALC] The Fast Track by Angelica Cheng
  • Echoes of Emerald Isle (McLaughlins #1) by Ashley Weston
  • [ARC/ALC] Lost and Found (Spunes, OR #3) by Tarah DeWitt
  • The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4) by Matt Dinniman
  • Here for the Cake Serendipity & Shenanigans #1) by Jennifer Millikin
  • Not That Kind of Proposal by Victoria Lavine
  • Light Wielder (Fire & Metal #2) by Rachel Schneider
  • This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

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Book Review: Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Cowboy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Elsie Silver
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: May 19th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Elsie Silver comes a small-town, forbidden, rivals-to-lovers romance, the first book in the brand-new Western romance series Emerald Lake.

Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So, when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras. Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.

Just not with a contestant.

WELL HERE WE GO.

Alright, it might surprise many of y’all that I’ve only read one Elsie Silver book. But I ended up listening to my sister when she said to go read it and it’s DUET NARRATION so like, of course I had to??? And yes, I do plan on continuing!! I just really love a cowboy romance y’all.

My nitpicky thing is that I don’t love bachelor-esque plots. I kept getting frustrated over the TV drama and the awful people and wanted to keep going back to Julia and Emmett.

And wow did I love Julia and Emmett. I’ve read multiple books recently where the guy is tearful about something and these emotions are everything??? ILOVEITSO. Emmett is incredibly stoic until he isn’t and I’m here for his head over heels fall for Julia. The forbidden vibes did work for me at least. These two were hella magnetic.

Minus the TV show the setting was stellar. Give me all of the ranch settings with amazing side characters who are a cheering section for the leads. This a small town I can’t wait to see more of and the future pairs too!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Cowboy romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: mildish
  • Content warnings; mentions of attempted SA through drugging of a drink, attempted blackmail, illegal surveillance

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ARC/ALC Book Review: All’s Fae in Love and War by Lee Nichols

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 371 pages
Author: Lee Nichols
Publisher: Second Sky
Release Date: May 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Pandora Voss has one last summer to unlock her powers—or lose all memory of magic forever.

No pressure.

Pandora returns to her enchanted hometown in Maine to nurture the magic she knows must be inside her. Time is running out, and the last thing she needs is a distraction…

Which makes the return of her high-school heartbreak, Leo Carter, deeply inconvenient.

The handsome antiquarian bookseller has come back to the island in search of a rare book. Leo still has that warm, devastating smile that sets pulses racing wherever he goes… Not that Pandora has noticed because she is absolutely, completely over him.

But when an unexpected encounter at Leo’s family boathouse ends in a wildly sexy kiss, Pandora’s plans are blown apart. Andwhen she’s “volunteered” to work with him at the library the next day, the tension between them unleashes a spell that goes spectacularly wrong.

As enchantments wreak havoc across the island, Pandora and Leo team up to save the town. Racing to contain fairytale creatures and dodging unresolved feelings, Pandora must decide what’s more untamed magic… or falling for Leo all over again.

With magical mayhem, spicy romance, and laugh-out-loud humor, All’s Fae in Love and War is the first book in a trilogy that’s perfect for fans of fantasy rom-coms like The Ex Hex and Rewitched.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy.

DID NOT WORK.

On soooo many levels. And honestly I am convinced these two don’t even make it past the last page. That’s how this romance felt.

🎧: One of the few positives was that the audiobook was good and easy to listen to. There’s two narrators for the two POV’s and they do a good job.

I didn’t love that it was written from the perspective of a diary for only Pen’s POV? It came across as breaking the fourth wall rather than an epistolary style story. The romance was just Pen and Carter finding and making up over and over again. And over the same thing. The spice between them was cringey and just didn’t fit the tone of the novel.

There were some things that felt whimsical? Though none of the humor felt humorous. Overall the book felt stale and lackluster. I won’t be continuing the series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Urban Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Violence: moderate

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: March 2026

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Oh it’s so nice to be outside more before it gets way too hot to do so. I read many books, check them out!

  • The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
  • [ALC] In Time with You by Kristin Dwyer
  • The Mirror Game (The Blood and Water Saga #5) by Cassidy Clarke
  • An Accidental Marriage (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Deborah M. Hathaway
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) by Matt Dinniman
  • Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire #1) by Cliodhna O’Sullivan
  • In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde
  • The Determined by Rachel Rueckert
  • Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller
  • Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadows #2) by Emma Noyes
  • We Danced Among Shadows (Meadowbrook Ranch #2) by Ashley Dill
  • First Down and Forever to Go (River Foxes #1) by Leah Dobrinska
  • [ARC/ALC] This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews
  • [ARC] Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen
  • Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman
  • [Reread] Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Could’ve Fooled Me (Georgia Jaguars #1) by Jenny Proctor
  • Heir of Illusion (Verran Isles #1) by Madeline Taylor
  • [Novella] Everybody’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center
  • The Housemaid (The Housemaid #1) by Freida McFadden
  • [Non-Fiction] Spark by John J. Ratey, MD
  • Dawn of the North (The Ashen #3) by Demi Winters
  • What Echoes in the Dark (What Bloom from Death #2) by S.M. Gaither
  • [ARC/ALC] The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst
  • [Reread] Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] We Are Never Getting Together by Janette Rallison
  • Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent
  • [Novella] When Fate is Cruel by LJ Andrews
  • The Night We Met (Say You’ll Remember Me #2) by Abby Jimenez
  • Drop Shot (The Off Court #1) by Vai Denton
  • Scars Beneath a Serpent’s Scales (The Fatesworn Saga #1) by Nicole Platania
  • How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh
  • [ARC] Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley

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