Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2025

July 31, 2025July 30, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

SHUT UP ABOUT THE SUN.

I will never stop using that quote. This is the lowest amount of reading I have done in a long time! And that’s okay. There was a LOOOOT of life happening and I needed to focus on that. Luckily the majority of these books were great. Some reviews are out now and others will be out soon!

Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner
Into the Abyss (Into the Churn #3) by Hayley Reese Chow
The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang
[ARC] Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner
[ARC] All’s Well that Friends Well (Lucky in Love #2) by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Heir of Storms (Storm Weaver #1) by Lauren Hamilton Murray
Let’s Make a Scene (Theo & Cynthie #2) by Laura Wood
A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly (Compelling Fates Saga #1) by Sophia St. Germain
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
[ARC] Of the Curse of the Crown (The Veridian Empire #2) by V.B. Lacey
[ARC/ALC] Chasing Shelter (Sparrow Falls #5) by Catherine Cowles
Into the Dark (Magnolia Parks Universe #5) by Jessa Hastings
[ALC] The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2) by Sarah Beth Durst
[ARC] A Tartan Love (The Earls of Cairnfell #1) by Nichole Van
[ARC/ALC] Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth
Wicked Sea and Sky (Curse of Ever #1) by Jenna Collett
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #1) by Brigitte Knightley
Pros Don’t (Fall in Love #4) by Leah Dobrinska
Lore of the Tides (Lore of the Wilds #2) by Analeigh Sbrana
[ARC] If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair
[ARC/ALC] Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker
Family of Liars (We Were Liars #2) by E. Lockhart
[Reread] Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores #3) by Danielle L. Jensen
Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology #1) by Maggie Rapier
Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni
Trial of Bronze and Blood (Bronze and Blood Saga #1) by M.K. Deoradhan
Keeper of the Lost Cities The Graphic Novel: Part 1 by Shannon Messenger
Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
[ARC/ALC] Falling Into Place by Allison Ashley
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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Book Review: City of Mirth and Malice (Order and Chaos #2) by Alexis L. Menard

July 28, 2025June 24, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 495 pages
Author: Alexis L. Menard
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some debts are not so easily repaid—or forgiven.

Nicolai Attano finally has everything he’s ever wanted: control over the Iron Saint Railway, safety for his family, and not a single rival syndicate to stand in his way. Never could he have imagined he’d want anything more than power—not until Camilla Marchese.

Six weeks have passed since the disaster on the train and his wife was kidnapped, but to get her back, he’ll need help. Nico struggles to work with a city poisoned against him and is instead forced to seek the aid of a disreputable black-market dealer. A simple deal to ensure her rescue, Nico doesn’t think twice. A bargain is struck, and the cost is higher than ever. The collateral? His life.

Meanwhile, Camilla fights to gain control over her newfound powers as the alchemist in charge of her confinement puts her to the test. Forced to free what she’s held so close, the only light in this hellish prison is the hope to see her family again, and the husband who stole her heart. Three trials and three chances to find the source of her Chaos and use it to save herself, if it doesn’t destroy her first.

Cracks in the city draw lines between loyalties, and time is running out until everything comes crashing down. Return to Lynchaven in this action-packed and swoony conclusion of Nico and Milla’s story.

WELL.

This wasn’t what I was quite hoping for and now I don’t know how I really feel about it. The book isn’t bad, but it was lacking the same vibes the first book brought and I was left wanting in some areas.

One of those areas was the romance. There’s good swoony moments but I they felt stretched out and Milla and Nico spent more time apart then together and y’all know that tends to bug me. I loved the foundation they built and wanted to see more of that throughout. Basically they saw each other, had sex, and ran off to do other thing separately.

I liked getting to know more of the world and understanding the magic system more too. There was one sub-plot that I think dragged out the book but otherwise I was intrigued. It had a good start and jail break and scattered moments throughout. I liked how things wrapped up and am curious who will be the next main couple.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3+ open door
Violence: high

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth

July 22, 2025July 19, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A devastatingly gifted mage with clandestine romantic connections to a Royal Guard joins the court social season in an attempt to undo past wrongs, only to fall under suspicion when a creature with powers shockingly like her own begins slaughtering her fellow debutantes.

Pandora Small has two ruling objectives: first, to keep the prodigious extent of her power secret, in a world where mages are feared and governed by suffocating laws. Second, to find her wealthy and noble-born patron, a shadowy figure bound to Pandora by magic, who stole her childhood and grew her power until she became a weapon rather than a girl. To that end, she’s posing as an Ingenue, a privileged and petted young woman of strictly limited abilities, who is allowed access to the royal court’s social season in order to find a husband and patron to control her magic.

But on Pandora’s arrival at court, Kit Beacon, one of the most promising members of the Royal Guard, inadvertently learns the true scope of her power. Privately sympathetic towards mages and the difficulties they face, Beacon decides to keep Pandora’s secret. But when someone or something with powers terribly like Pandora’s own begins slaughtering her fellow Ingenues, Beacon’s resolve to keep what he knows about her private is put to the test.

Tasked with protecting all the girls in the palace, not just one, Beacon will have to decide whether Pandora is a suspect or an ally, while to win his trust, Pandora will have to let him know more of her still—the worst of who she is and what she’s done. Because only unity between them during the social whirlwind to come will enable Pan to find her patron and Beacon the killer, and ensure they both see justice meted out.

Thank you Simon Audio for the audiobook and Simon Teen for the ARC (gifted).

WELL.

I think this was trying to do too much in a standalone. Maybe spread out across a duology would have been better? The ideas and framework were interesting and I don’t think there was anything inherently wrong with the writing style. I just kept waiting for everything to truly come together or for me to feel invested, and I never got to that stage.

I liked the characters. It is young adult appropriate which I know can be hard to find, but with kisses only and no excess language I think a younger audience would like this.

And I did enjoy the regency-esque world. I love fantasy books with that dynamic. There’s some good scenes and I don’t think it was a BAD book, just not for me.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild – moderate

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ARC Book Review: Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy #1) by Elise Kova

July 22, 2025June 19, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 576 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling romantasy series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

Thank you to Del Rey and Elise Kova for a gifted ARC.

ELISE KOVA DOES NOT MISS.

Did you know, I have read all of Elise Kova’s books? I am a major fan girl and I have been so excited for this new series and it absolutely delivered. This was one of the COOLEST magic systems!!! I loved all of the tarot cards and majors and how they all wove into the world. The houses and academy were an intriguing aspect I look forward to seeing more of in book two.

AND THE ROMANCE? THIS IS HOW YOU DO ENEMIES TO LOVERS. I have been begging for an enemies book with actual enemies and BLESS. I GOT IT. The building tension between Clara and Kaelis was exquisite. Thank heavens for a true slow burn as swell.

One thing I love about EK books is never knowing who is going to make it out alive. The ruthlessness of her game creates such a harrowing dynamic as the pages turn. But alongside that I love the deep friendships that are built and the trust communicated between characters too. The ending will send you into the stratosphere because I am always here for a cliffhanger.

There’s just so many nuanced things I loved about this book y’all. It’s a great place to start for Elise Kova (BUT DON’T FORGET TO READ AIR AWAKENS TOO).

Overall audience notes: