ARC/ALC Book Review: Rolls and Rivalry (Gaming and Romance #3) by Kristy Boyce

May 1, 2026April 18, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kristy Boyce
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Roll the dice, strike up the band, and get ready for a swoon-worthy summer! A charming gaming romance that blends the magic of D&D with the camaraderie of band camp–from the bestselling author of Dating and Dragons!

Hazel’s senior year at band camp is set to be epic—until Max, her childhood crush turned drum-playing troublemaker, waltzes back into town.Their sections have always been rivals, but a shared love for Dungeons & Dragons pulls them together, sparking a romance Hazel never saw coming.

Just when things feel perfect, rumors Did Max ask her out because of a lost bet? With band drama mounting and her first D&D game spiraling, Hazel must prove their love—and her leadership—are the real deal.A swoony, nerdy romance full of rivalry, redemption, and roll-the-dice chemistry from the bestselling author of Dating and Dragons!

Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Get Underlined for the copy (gifted).

ADORED.

This might be my favorite of the series?? I was super into this y’all. I think it helped I had read eight fantasy books prior and really needed a contemporary break-up and this hit the spot. It was big on the nostalgia and even though I was not a band girlie it totally transported me back to high school.

I appreciated that the drama wasn’t wild. Yes, it’s a bit *high school* but it worked and made sense so I’m not going to complain about that. It’s even better that this series is true young adult and that it’s easy to hand it to the age group and not worry about the content.

The romance was sweet and genuinely went from an enemies to lovers vibe (with some childhood friendship mixed in). I liked that they bantered and bickered and how that moved into meaningful conversation and hashing out the past. It was a good show of communication.

This had the right level of D&D content without overwhelming the plot (I struggle when too much of the story is just the characters playing the game). I liked the friendships and all of the band things. It was just a genuinely great read.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Content warnings: separated parents

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ARC/ALC Book Review: The Dragon and the Sun Lotus (The Three Realms Duology #2) by Amelie Wen Zhao

March 7, 2026February 26, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Genre: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 386 pages
Author: Amelie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the breathtaking sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, the battle has just begun. With Àn’yīng’s kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction, and amidst a budding forbidden romance, she must now risk everything to protect her world.

A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.

Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.

There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.

The thrilling conclusion of The Three Realms duology
THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM • THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted book.

I’M A BIT CONFLICTED.

This might be the third time now that I feel at odds with how AWZ has ended one of her series. The first book is always SO GOOD, and here I am feeling burned a little bit. This love triangle was all over the place. I kept thinking I was supposed to be leaning one way or the other and then by the end I was confused on where I was meant to be.

It’s like I liked both of the men, and kind of had a preference but then didn’t like how it was dissolved. I don’t even know if any of this is making sense because I’m having a hard time trying to convey my issues without spoiling. There were some truly beautiful moments though!! With both of them??! I AM SO CONLFICTED Y’ALL. And I did like the FMC?? I’ve lost the plot on my own review so I’m moving on.

And I did love the audiobook narrators!! I do recommend that format if you want to read this duology.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: vague fade to black
Violence: moderate

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ALC Book Review: Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

February 10, 2026January 31, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Sci-Fi Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Amie Kaufman
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: February 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION… 8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.

From the NYT bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

It’s 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from lifeless rock into a chaotic patchwork of settlements—and everybody wants a piece.

Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he’s left behind. Uh oh.

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

Turns out the evacuation was just a cover for the mercenaries who came next, and they plan to blow up the base—and every trace of their crime—in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they’re falling for each other.

The clock is ticking.

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underline for the gifted copy.

STELLAR STANDALONE.

I admit to thinking this was a series starter before seeing another friend’s review and I’m glad I knew going in this is a STANDALONE because my frame of mind was much better.

I think Amie Kaufman writes some of the best overall dialogue in the young adult genre. I love the quippy comebacks and sentiments, the right amount of snark and gentleness. This combined with the incredible audiobook made this story come alive. I loved the multiple narrators and sound effects that made the downfall of this Martian settlement all the more intense.

The romance wasn’t 100% believable for me within such a short time line, but I did like it well enough. Hunter and Cleo are a reluctant allies from different walks of life and I liked seeing them come together and find a stronger understanding between them.

This really covered a lot of ground for 250 pages and I had such a good time reading/listening to it. Highly recommend!

Overall audience notes:

YA Dystopian Sci-Fi Romance
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

February 1, 2026January 31, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Length: 454 pages
Author: Katherine Quinn
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: February 3rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This magical new YA romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow will steal your heart. Set in Andalay, a world where the ruling Fates bestow gifts among the favored, a thief must join forces with the palace darling after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change everything.

When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal a gift from the powerful Fates meant for Andalay’s sweetheart, Wren Hayes, he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own phototroph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, ones that shed light on the ruthless ways of the upper-class society. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power—including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a temptation that neither understand, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself.

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

I WANT BOOK TWO.

I was kind of up and down with how this book went. The world building was a bit confusing and I’m still not sure how the gods vs. the setting vs. the gifts vs. everything else truly work. The romantic connection between Damien and Wren grew on me. I liked seeing them come from different sides of the track and start to work together to unravel the mysteries before them. The regency vibes were really good too though.

It lost me for a bit in the middle. Things kind of dragged out and I was losing steam. That last quarter though was really good. And on top of that cliffhanger ending I decided I have to pick up book two to see where it goes next. This was my first book by Katherine Quinn and I had an enjoyable time.

Overall audience notes: