Tag: fantasy romance

ALC Book Review: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1) by Adrienne Young

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate’s daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city’s Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel’s inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

Thank you Saturday Books for the eARC and MacMillan Audio for the ALC.

IT WAS ALRIGHT.

By the time I picked this up I knew of one person that gave it over four stars. I was definitely nervous when I knew I needed to get to this.

I will say, the audiobook? Good. I loved that there were two narrators for both POV’s. Great narration. Easy listen.

I honestly didn’t mind most of this book and loved the Roman-esque influence woven throughout. I liked the main characters and there’s a good story at the core of the pages.

What I struggled with was being tossed into the romance rather than being led in. It starts at an awkward junction and to get your footing in a short fantasy novel was a quest on its own. It felt like it was trying to be romantic but missed a few of those key notes that would have been helped with stronger character development over the heavy focus on the world/politics.

I’m not a fan of flashback chapters, especially in fantasy books. And this made me stand by that statement too. A reorganization is in needed.

BUT. I’ll read the next book. I’ll keep with my audiobook format. I love a dramatic cliffhanger so hopefully the sequel follows through.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: brief open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Sonnets and Serpents (Casters & Crowns #2) by Elizabeth Lowham

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Elizabeth Lowham
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A cynical shapeshifter. A hopeful princess. A love they never saw coming.

Silas Bennett grew up in a kingdom where magic-users are persecuted, especially those with the rare ability to transform into animals. After discovering he could shapeshift into a serpent, Silas was nearly killed—only to escape to a neighboring kingdom where he could study and use his magic freely. Now, he is determined to become a professor at the university he calls home, even though he is only nineteen. But first he must distinguish himself in his research field by proving that legendary magic stealers exist.

Princess Eliza, a hopeless romantic inspired by sonnets and their promises of true love, refuses to believe her beloved Henry perished at sea. She will do whatever it takes to find him and bring him home—even if it means traveling to another country and asking for help from a shapeshifting outcast.

With Eliza’s relentless optimism pitted against Silas’s unyielding cynicism, the two enemies can’t seem to have a civil conversation. But when they are unexpectedly bound by a pair of magical bracelets, which can only be unlocked by a kiss of true love, they quickly discover that they’ll have to work together as they navigate different languages, their past prejudices and fears, and a blossoming relationship. When their search for the truth about magic stealers threatens both Silas’s magic and Eliza’s safety, the two must learn to be vulnerable and trust each other’s hearts.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for a gifted copy.

WELL WELL WELL.

After [to put it mildly] not loving this author’s first book I convinced myself to give another story another chance and here we are. I will say, waiting for the audiobook helped. I liked that I could move through it faster and yay for having two narrators for the dual POV’s.

I thought this was a fairly simple story but had some good messages and general themes that I could connect with. It ends well and I did like the main characters. The book is heavily forced proximity based and that really sold me on the romance as the chapters turned.

What was kind of a bummer was the “enemies to lovers” trope this had presented. The banter came across more juvenile than heated and made me chuckle rather than swoon.

All in all, I’m not upset I read it but also can’t shout READ THIS BOOK either? If you enjoy closed door romances and are easy to please, try it out.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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ALC Book Review: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

OH THIS WAS IMMACULATE.

I never know quite what I’m getting when I pick up a book from Alix E. Harrow. Her books have taken me on many journeys and I’m still throwing five stars at them. THEY ARE ALL SO GOOD.

This romantic story was full of tender longing, angst, a will they/won’t they, OH MY GOSH JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, and finding peace all in one. I was glued to my headphones (incredible audiobook production). I love that you can’t pin down where things are going and then watching it all unfold becomes this magnificent fanciful tale of two people who love each other DEEPLY.

I was astonished at the depth of my own emotions as things progressed. It is nuanced and delicate and the interweaving of the plot lines was never confusing. The pacing was never at fault. I am shocked this was only 320 pages because I felt like I lived a few lifetimes [as a compliment] reading The Everlasting.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: murder, death, some war themes, loss of loved ones

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ARC Book Review: The Prince of Mourning by Jenn Bennett

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Upper YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace meets A Study in Drowning in this sizzling gothic romantasy that follows the forbidden romance between a young nurse and a mysterious young man imprisoned by a dangerous occultist.

After receiving a strange summons, eighteen-year-old nursing student Molly O’Rinn finds herself the private live-in nurse for a wealthy young man in his haunting Hudson Valley mansion. But after arriving at his secluded estate, Molly discovers that her handsome employer is not what he seems, and most surprising of all is what rests deep inside the mansion’s walls.

Perhaps not what, but who…

A young man about Molly’s age—at least in appearance—is a prisoner of the estate, locked behind magical barriers. Nin is royalty, the son of a legend. He is not human, not of this world…and not like anyone Molly has ever met.

Molly should stay away from him. But Nin is a terrifying yet strangely attractive being, and soon both Molly and Nin find themselves drawn to each other, sparked by a connection neither of them can deny. But as the two become entangled in a forbidden affair, outside forces start to press in.

Because Nin’s legendary father is looking for his son, and he’s not the only one.

To keep Molly safe, Nin must find a way back to his realm or suffer the consequences. Even if it means choosing his princely duty over love.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC.

WENT ROGUE.

Well I think calling this one adjacent to Belladonna is where this all went wrong. These two books are not on the same level.

I thought things started out fine and I was intrigued. There’s a good atmosphere and spooky gothic vibes throughout. That note did hit the best.

But a few things didn’t make sense. One of those being the dialogue. Some of it felt extremely modern and I get that it’s a young adult book but it threw me out of the story the way Molly would phrase somethings.

The cover lends itself to some kind of haunting ball vibes right? Those aren’t there either. The plot meanders and slows to excruciating lengths. Molly, “I’m a nurse I know what to do” (though she hasn’t even completed her training), wasn’t that fun to be around. And then adding in so many gods, possession, curses, etc. in the late second half had me quirking my head. It did not need all of that. Once again, the lack of focus for the story is when it really went off the rails.

It looks like there will be a sequel, but I don’t know how I feel about it or if I’ll read it [yet].

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: those dying of tuberculosis, loss of loved ones

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