Tag: fantasy romance

ARC Book Review: The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine #1) by Adalyn Grace

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Adalyn Grace
Publisher: Feiwel
Release Date: September 22nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune bloodline: a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a choice: continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC.

WELL I HAVE THOUGHTS.

I read through SO MANY reviews trying to figure out if this was a why choose or love triangle situation. Unfortunately I never figured it out, and even after reading it I didn’t figure it out either??? And that led to a lack of emotional investment for anyone. It was as if Grace was trying to keep it as vague as possible which then when anything did kind of happen it felt like there wasn’t enough lead up or genuine moments between the characters for the “spice” to work.

But that last 25% was LOCKED IN and Adalyn Grace brought all the chaos and reveals and jaw dropping cliffhanger moments. I did call the cliffhanger halfway through but there were some reveals where I was SHOOKETH. And I love that for me. It was very interesting to see the multiple POV’s and how those wove into the present plot + the bit of background story we got too.

This did feel slow at times and stall out with a few plot pieces, but overall it was a good series (duology? starter). I thought the themes woven in were nuanced but noticeable enough to ponder. I liked the push and pull between enemy characters and getting to see many sides to the story. Now that I’ve written this review out I feel like I’ve convinced myself to definitely pick up book two.

I’m obsessed with the cover, but I’m also okay that I didn’t pre-order this. I think the second book will determine if this is a worth having on the shelf read for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2ish open door; light innuendo throughout
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: blood/gore depiction, loss of loved ones, battle/war themes, kidnapping, murder, torture

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Book Review: Throne in the Dark (Villains & Virtues #1) by A.K. Caggiano

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: A.K. Caggiano
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

His dark destiny awaits, and nothing will stand in his way. Except her.

Dark lord
Demon spawn
Prophesied realm destroyer

With a demon for a father, Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne’s destiny could be nothing but nefarious, and with the completion of his most vicious spell, Damien is on the cusp of fulfilling the evil inevitability all of his dark machinations have led to.

And then, her.

Bubbly
Obnoxious
Blonde

Harboring secrets of her own, a tiny yet troublesome thief calling herself Amma completely upsets Damien’s malevolent plans when she mistakenly gets chained to his side through magic, forcing him to drag her across the realm. Killing her would fix things, of course, but the nauseatingly sweet Amma proves herself useful on Damien’s unholy crusade and then proves herself the source of something even more sinister: feelings.

Will Damien be forced to abandon his villainous birthright to help the tender thorn in his side? Or will he manage to overcome the virtue Amma insists on inspiring and instead cut it out at the heart?

THIS WAS FUN.

If you’re looking for something with the same vibes as Assistant to the Villain x The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy (but with way less innuendo and spice) then I would put this one your radar too. It’s one of those books that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is filled with snarky banter and quirky characters.

I liked the audiobook and would definitely recommend that format because this book has been sitting on my TBR for a long time and I’m grateful that the audio added to that quality.

There’s some misalignment with the world building and such but like I said, this became a vibes book for me and something I needed to disappear into for a bit. I liked the relationship dynamics and the side characters. The story line is pretty good and that was all enough for me to decide I’d want to read book two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: kisses; light innuendo
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Town of Shadows (Slanted London #1) by Jessica Scarlett

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 381 pages
Author: Jessica Scarlett
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Release Date: July 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In Victorian London, magic earns you a noose.

Eighteen-year-old Dorothy St. James can’t control her magic. To avoid arrest, she locks herself at home and buries her nose in her experiments. But a kidnapper called the Rook is on the loose, and his victims keep turning up insane. When Dorothy’s father is taken, she must exchange her beakers for bravery and find the Rook’s trail—the problem is, only one person ever has: a mysterious masked hero.

Ashley Gardner unabashedly casts illusions, using his charm to flit between the upper ton and the magical underbelly below. When Dorothy accuses him of knowing the masked hero’s identity, he flatly denies it. Until the clever beauty intercepts a communique he desperately needs.

They strike a bargain: she’ll give him the message in exchange for three clues to point her in the right direction. But Ashley won’t make them easy. In fact, he’ll make them impossible, because he has his own dangerous reasons for keeping Dorothy away—and Ashley always gets what he wants.

Through dazzling ballets, wild carnivals, and death-defying train rides, Dorothy must use her wits and magic to solve Ashley’s riddles and unravel her budding feelings for the illusionist mastermind behind them. The masked hero isn’t who she believes, and the Rook is closer than she suspects. While the game was always rigged against her, returning her father—mind intact—might just cheat her out of a heart too.

I LIKED IT.

I’ve read Scarlett’s regency books and was excited to hear she was trying out historical fantasy and I am here to say I am sat and ready for the next book. This was a lot of fun and an easy read to pick up.

I liked that it was multiple POV. While I’m still curious about a few of the additions besides the true MC’s, I think that will come in book two and look forward to getting to know all of them better. I really loved all of the sass and banter in the romance(s). It’s cheeky and swoony and a delight.

Some of the magic system components didn’t feel fully fleshed out and once again, I’m hopeful book two is a little more clear. There seemed to be a lack of boundaries overall.

Any who, solid historical fantasy. Definitely recommend!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy + romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild – moderate

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Daughter of the Dark (Daughters of Auquis #1) by R.J. Valldeperas

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: R.J. Valldeperas
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: September 15th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Traitor’s Daughter, the Demons’ Slayer… the City’s Only Hope.

For Solana, survival has always meant staying sharp—and staying alone. With a blood-forged dagger as her only inheritance, she’s made herself Supay’s fiercest demon slayer, hunting muki—monsters born from human death—through the kingdom’s streets.

But the work comes with a curse of its every body she leaves behind swells the muki’s ranks. The city that raised her has been her cage for so long she’s stopped believing freedom is real.

Then a twist of fate drags her into the palace and crowns her Royal Demon Slayer, a title wrapped in silk and sharpened like a blade. The magic is dazzling. The secrets are darker. And whatever is poisoning Supay didn’t start in the alleys. It started behind gilded doors.

Worst of all is Reyes, the king’s right-hand man, a captain of the Masters, and her personal torturer turned mentor who’s dangerously hard to resist. Wanting him is a mistake. Trusting him could be fatal.
Because if Solana walks away, the kingdom falls. And if she stays, she may have to become the monster Supay needs.

Thank you Bramble for the gifted ARC & Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

NOT QUITE.

This is the second book from RJ Valldeperas that I’ve read this year and once again, I’m left kind of feeling…okay? about it, but not overwhelmingly positive.

The action is good, I liked the overall plot. The core themes are great. There’s magic and demon slaying and the complexity of the afterlife.

But the romance left me wanting and this being marketed as romantasy left me wanting a lot more. It was like the relationship was moved forward without seeing it on page so they were much further down the line than I was expecting. And I got confused by trying to figure out if this was a standalone? (Because book two has been announced but maybe it’s a series of standalones??).

By the end of this review I’ve decided I’ll look into book two because maybe that’ll be a hit for me? I’ll report back.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: loss of life, loss of loved ones

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