Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) by K.A. Linde

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Upper YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: K.A. Linde
Publisher: Bloom Books
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author K.A. Linde introduces the Royal Houses series with House of Dragons: the story of Kerrigan Argon, a half-Fae, half-human, as she seeks her place in an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem, and romance. A YA romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab.

She’s the half-Fae outcast. He’s the cursed prince. Their choices could reshape the realm.

Ten years ago, half-Fae, half human Kerrigan Argon was discreetly dropped off onto the steps of Draco Mountain with nothing but a note. Her life changes completely as she’s swept into the care of the House of Dragons—an elite training program for gifted Fae.

On the year of her seventeenth name day, each student will be chosen by one of the twelve houses of Alandria to enter society.

Everyone is chosen…except Kerrigan.

So, she strikes a bargain with the Dragon Society: convince a house to select her or give up her birthright forever. With the unlikeliest of allies—Fordham Ollivier, the cursed Fae prince, who escaped his dark throne—she must chart her own destiny to reshape the world.

Thank you Bloom Books for the gifted ARC.

I’LL CONTINUE THE SERIES.

This wasn’t on my radar but when surprise book mail shows up and I thought, what the heck, let’s try it. And it made me realize I’ve been missing dragon based fantasy books.

I do think there’s a little confusion on writing style vs. content. The writing came across as definite YA while some of the content/plot points leaned a little more NA/Adult. Not necessarily a BAD thing but it did throw me a little and I wish the characters had been 20+ instead of 17.

The overall story though was pretty solid and I liked the slow burn romance too. There was good banter and chemistry and the beginnings of a strong found family. I’ve missed the era of series that go over 3 books so I’m looking forward to reading through all of these. I adore the new covers too!

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: The Weaver Bride (The Weaver Bride #1) by Lydia Gregovic

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Lydia Gregovic
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and GetUnderlined for the final copy.

GIMME BOOK TWO.

After enjoying Lydia Gregovic’s debut I knew I had to get my hands on this one and it was a solid upper YA/NA fantasy romance! I liked the world building a lot and the complexity of the silkwitches and how they functioned in society. It set up the perfect atmosphere for rebellion and takedowns that I hope to see in the sequel.

The romance is a good heated enemies to lovers that pushes and pulls as the pages turn. I enjoy betrayal plotlines and I liked the ruthlessness that their story gave off. I do recommend the audiobook as the narrator did a great job voicing Lovett and the other characters (single POV).

I wasn’t 100% convinced by the competition storyline but it’s an easy book to consume. I like LG’s writing style and the way the romances are crafted. Looking forward to more!

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA/NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Blood of the Sands (The Ballan Desert #1) by S.C. Grayson

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 412 pages
Author: S.C. Grayson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 17th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Keera is used to protecting herself from the dangers of the Ballan desert. Guarding her heart may be the most difficult challenge of all.

Keera is an exile struggling to survive, forced to rob passing travelers or face starvation. When she steals from the wrong man—a vicious masked warrior named the Viper—his hand around her throat awakens an ancient magic within her, and she uses it to escape his clutches. Now, Keera must master her power to protect the city of Kelvadan—the only place an exile like her can find a home—from the Viper and his growing army.

The Viper serves the magic of the desert, but the sins of the past threaten to destroy it. To protect his home, he will do everything it takes, even marching on the great city of Kelvadan. However, the real key to healing the desert’s magic might lie in the infuriating but intriguing exile who slipped through his fingers and now fights for his sworn enemies.

Keera and the Viper are on opposite sides of a war to save the Ballan desert, but the strange bond they share could be the key to saving their home—or destroying their world as they know it.

Blood of the Sands is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and L.J. Andrews..

…no.

Oh y’all I tried. I tried so hard. And I was interested through about 30-40% and then I felt my grip on this book loosen and I became increasingly more frustrated.

For one, it bugged me the main pair didn’t truly meet until like halfway through the book but have had raunchy dreams about each other? And then there’s 3+ open door scenes (and the writing of them made me cringe so hard y’all) in the second half that I don’t feel matched the pace of the characters and felt like a push to call this book “spicy.”

There’s some good bones to the plot, yet I got lost the more I thought about the magic system. I don’t expect to have all the answers in the first book, but I didn’t get enough to keep me going. It was somehow fast and too slow with a predictable story line.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low – moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door scenes
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: blood/gore, battle themes

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ARC Book Review: Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.

Thank you to Flatiron for an eARC.

CARAVAL REPEAT?

This one was interesting for me. I’m a big fan of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval/Once Upon a Broken Heart series. LOVED both of them and I knew going into this to expect something different. And while yes, that was the case, it also felt like a repeat of Caraval? Just add in older characters and an urban fantasy setting instead. I haven’t decided how that makes me feel about my overall impression of the book.

The romance was 100% lacking on the swoon. Now that I understand this is a series I CAN see what the author is going after but I don’t think that will all click until book two [hopefully]. I didn’t know what direction I was supposed to lean in and that made me pause a few too many times throughout. I will say this was a kisses only adult romance and I appreciated that it wasn’t unnecessarily spice forward.

I’m definitely going to continue the series because I do have questions. I think the folklore aspects were interesting and the POV change made me think too. I have my eyes on a few characters and want to see how they fold into the larger plot. This was a decent beginning but lacking that punch of something to give it an edge.

Overall audience notes:

  • Urban fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild-moderate

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