Monthly Reading Wrap-up: December 2025

January 3, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

How is it the end of 2025 already? I love that I somehow wrapped up the book so *evenly* with 40 books read and a grand total of 420 for the year! There were a lot of Sanderson novellas this month and I’m looking forward to all of the awesome books coming in 2026.

Red Tempest Brother (The Winter Sea #3) by H.M. Long
[Novella] You Better Not Pout (Home for the Holidays) by Mia Sosa
Ruin the Friendship by K. Sinko
The Last Wish of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats #2) by Mary E. Pearson
[Novella] I Hate Dragons by Brandon Sanderson
[Novella] Dreamer by Brandon Sanderson
Falling in a Sea of Stars (Green Rider #8) by Kristen Britain
A Bond so Fierce and Fragile (Compelling Fates Saga #3) by Sophia St. Germain
[Novella] I’m Gonna Get You Back by Elena Armas
[Novella] Perfect State by Brandon Sanderson
The Rebel and the Rose (The City of Fantome #2) by Catherine Doyle
[Novella] Mitosis (The Reckoners #1.5) by Brandon Sanderson
[Novella] Firstborn by Brandon Sanderson
Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith
Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage by Christen Krumm
[Novella] The Holiday Club by Ashley Manley
[ARC] Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington
[ARC/ALC] In Your Dreams (When in Rome #4) by Sarah Adams
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chane Cleeton
[ARC] To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before the Graphic Novel by Jenny Han
Love Arranged (Lakefront Billionaires #3) by Lauren Asher
The Sacred Space Between by Kalie Reid
Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton
Pick Me by Victoria Schade
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
[ARC/ALC] Room to Breathe by Kasie West
Planes, Reins, and Automobiles (Catching Feelings #2) by Kate Watson
[ARC] House of Shadows (Royal Houses #2) by K.A. Linde
[ARC] Silver & Blood (Silver & Blood #1) by Jessie Mihalik
Anne of Avenue A (For the Love of Austen #3) by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Lessons in Falling by Christy Schillig
Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder
Mourner for Hire by Caitlin Moss
The Tempest Blade (The Bridge Kingdom #6) by Danielle L. Jensen
Love’s Racing Line by Hope Snyder
Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh
Bound by Ali Hazelwood
Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods #1) by Rachel Van Dyken
The Governess and the Rogue (Somerset Stories #6) by Mimi Matthews

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Book Review: Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods #1) by Rachel Van Dyken

December 29, 2025December 6, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: December 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The legends of the past are never truly dead and buried . . .

Liv Olson has been drawn to Norse Mythology her entire life. After earning her degree and working as a curator at one of New York’s most prestigious museums, she gets an unexpected offer for her dream job in Norway – the same place her brother disappeared months ago – after a cryptic message about finding their long-lost father.

She finds herself surrounded by superstitious townspeople who refuse to even look at the water. Liv soon realizes that the small town of Vonn is nothing like it seems. Shops close before dark, and things she’s only read about seem to suddenly exist. To top it off , her new boss, Tristan, is insultingly mean and engagingly beautiful – and, as part of the job, she must live with him in his mansion.

As her life quickly unravels into chaos, she’s left wondering who’s pulling the strings in this mysterious place where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels familiar.

Her studies have always told her the gods are who you trust. But what happens when the man who’s destined to kill you – is your savior?

Rachel Van Dyken’s Fallen Gods duology is a steamy, dramatic myth retelling.

Thank you Red Tower Books for the gifted ARC and LibroFM for the audiobook.

YEAH I’LL READ THE SEQUEL.

While initially not on my radar, I’m pleasantly surprised and will be happy to get my hands on the sequel. I haven’t read a book with Greek mythology recently. There were some unique dynamics to the basis of the story I liked and the school setting worked well.

I loved the audiobook and would easily recommend that format too.

The characters and found family worked well. I do think the dialogue and stylistic choices came across more young adult than adult (but maybe this is more new adult? still though). Which bugged me constantly. I couldn’t quite find the vibe.

And calling this enemies feels really loose with the term too. A longer slow burn would have really sold them. I did think there were some good moments between them and I appreciate that it’s not spice focused.

The ending was wild and a big cliffhanger, my favorite.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 2-3ish open; low/vague explicit
Violence: high

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Book Review: The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Robinson

December 29, 2025December 18, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Rebecca Robinson
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

SO FUN.

This is another one of those romantasy books that I don’t look too hard into and enjoy all the more. It’s chaos but it’s also marriage of convenience and that’s my favorite so of course I read it. I loved the anger and passion between Vaasa and Reid. It feels perfectly gritty for the setting and the slow burn burns well.

There’s probably a few plot intricacies that were a bit lost. I feel a fantasy romance needs a stable plot and while spice didn’t overwhelm the plot, it was too far in the background that I would get lost occasionally between all of the politicking.

But, I’m in love with the whole romance dynamic and will absolutely be needing to get my hands on book two. The audiobook was fantastic and I’m glad I took a chance on this one.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: open door
Violence: high

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Book Review: Thorn Season (Thorn Season #1) by Kiera Azar

December 23, 2025November 11, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Kiera Azar
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: September 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Shadow and Bone meets The Selection in this first book in Kiera Azar’s sharp, sexy, and twisty debut YA romantasy trilogy!

In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre–a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.

Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she’s escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father.

Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal—and caught between two equally dangerous one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth—and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.

With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner—and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation—Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It’s Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she’ll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . .

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

IT WAS GOOD.

Which honestly, could be the review. It wasn’t a book that STOOD OUT LOUDLY, but that I had an easy time picking up and liking the progression of the plot. I enjoyed the FMC, Alissa, and definitely want to see what happens to her in the next book.

The romance has some great turns though. It kept me on my toes and I love the crisscrossing paths. When it comes to a series, I don’t expect (nor really want) the end game to be in my face, give me some mystery, keep the build coming.

Overall audience notes: