ARC/ALC Book Review: Fire to the Stars by Morgan J. Watchorn

August 6, 2026July 21, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Morgan J. Watchorn
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: August 4th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a kingdom cursed to turn people into dragons, two teens from opposite worlds, each with nothing left to lose, form an uneasy alliance. Told in dual perspectives, this sweeping debut follows their search for redemption and the slow-burning bond that could save them both.

Every month, the kingdom of Florent braces for the Ignition: a solar event that turns ordinary humans into vicious dragon shifters. And anyone can be a dragon’s next victim.

Claire knows this all too well because the Ignition consumed her and her father, her town, and the life she thought she’d have. Now, she’s scraping by on her wits as part of a sisterhood of thieves—lying, stealing, her heart locked tight—until she tracks down a disgraced dragon slayer who may be the one person who can give her back the life she once had.

Abel has been shunned by the prestigious Slayers Guild for conducting research that’s too…unorthodox to condone. But there’s no one Claire trusts more than a rulebreaker, and that research might be the one thing that could help her. So when Abel reveals he is hunting again, Claire tries to hire him under false pretenses. Abel, however, is reluctant to accept a job from a criminal, no matter how charming she is. And yet…he really needs the money.

Together, Claire and Abel will race through Florent and uncover dangerous secrets in their quests for forgiveness—and survival. But that knowledge may cost them the very thing they’ve grown desperate to protect: each other.

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

GREAT READ.

🎧: I loved the audiobook! The dual narrators were amazing and did a fantastic job. Highly recommend this format!

I also did eyeball read a chunk of this and enjoyed that format too. You really can’t go wrong with your formatting decisions.

Now to the book! I thought this was a great upper young adult fantasy romance standalone. There is some content I would advise for younger teens so older teens are more the right audience (but as always, do your own research!).

I loved that from the get go Abel and Claire are stuck with each other. I love a reluctant allies x forced proximity moment. Especially for a standalone this helped the progression of their relationship and getting to actually see it on page. Some good banter and care taking moments too.

Also this book has DRAGONS. And I thought a very interesting dynamic surrounding them too. The major plot reveals at the end made everything click together and I thought it was an interesting world and magic system (with only a few holes). I enjoyed the side characters and the traveling journey didn’t bug me all that much. I felt like things were still progressing well enough that it kind of fades into the background.

With characters I liked seeing grow and change from past mistakes and a mystery worth solving, I definitely recommend this book to others!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: very light innuendo; quick fade to black scene
Violence: moderate – high
Content warnings: loss of life, mentions of torture (recounted), physical/weapon altercations, mild blood/gore

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Book Review: To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez

July 31, 2026July 15, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance Graphic Novel
Length: 256 pages
Author: Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves, including the crown prince, in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel.

Eighteen-year-old Myra has spent her entire life training to replace her grandmother as High Priestess. But with the day of her ascension rapidly approaching, she’s not sure if she’s meant for this path. How can she become the herald of the god Alrun when he forbids the thing she loves most: dancing?

Her kingdom can’t afford her hesitation though. Not only is the emperor looking for Alrun’s wisdom ahead of a peace treaty, but forces of darkness are seeping through the barrier between worlds. The only source of light Myra has is her childhood best friend, the crown prince. Without his support and…love, she may not be able to stop what’s coming.

To save her people, Myra must delve into her kingdom’s forgotten history, even if it means defying the laws of the land. But the key to salvation may just require her to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

SIMPLE AND SWEET.

I have been craving a graphic novel and was very excited when this book showed up on my doorstep! It’s a fast paced read that I do think is appropriate for the young adult audience.

I loved the art work. It was gorgeously colored and blocked throughout. I think it fit the story too. But for the story I wish there had been more. It felt like there was a lack of dialogue or narrator squares to help set up the world a little bit more. Everything moved SO FAST that it was hard to keep up with the pacing.

The romance is sweet and I did like the FMC, Myra. I loved the dancing content and how that fit into the world. Not a bad read by any means, just missing that deeper sense of connection from the characters/story.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance Graphic Novel
Lanugage: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield

July 23, 2026July 3, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: YA Paranormal Thriller
Length: 422 pages
Author: Kathryn Foxfield
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The daughter of a sinister magical family who made a deal with the devil must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller that’s House of Hollow meets Succession, laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.

Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely’s loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.

Once overlooked for her lowly gift of discovering secrets, Cicely is now her family’s only chance at survival, tasked with finding the killer before he takes out every last Winter. With time running out, Cicely narrows her sights on Soren, who she suspects is back for vengeance.

Yet the more Cicely investigates Soren–and gets to know him–the more she begins to question how much family loyalty is worth. After all, when it comes to being a Winter, one can have love or power, but rarely both…

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

I DID NOT LIKE THIS.

Unfortunately this book just was not for me and I clocked that early on (but since it was an ARC I feel like I need to read the whole thing and tried to find something to like, but alas).

This was a bunch of way too wealthy people with too much time on their hands and with no redeeming qualities. This kind of character line up gets very old very fast to me. It’s easy to plot from a mile away and I become uninterested in every person as the book goes on.

There is an attempt at romance but don’t hang on to it. It wasn’t well crafted and should have probably been left out or handled with a better arc.

I couldn’t explain any of the world or magic to you because none of it makes sense. Things kept popping up to try and satisfy the plot with no such luck. I’ve tried twice to explain this book to friends and it is a feat each time.

I’m going to tell you to skip this one.

Oops, thought of a positive. The audiobook is good! If you feel so inclined I did like the narrator.

Overall audience notes:

YA Paranormal Thriller
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Content warnings: murder, attempted murder

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Ancient History Between Us by Kaitlyn Hill

June 23, 2026June 12, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Kaitlyn Hill
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Release Date: June 23rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Three years since they last saw each other. Two months to untangle their complicated past. One unforgettable Italian summer.

As kids, Cammie Lovett and West Jacobs ran wild on dig sites around the world with their respective archeologist parents. But they haven’t spoken since three summers ago, when their first kiss was swiftly followed by a heartbreaking goodbye . . . This summer, though, an anniversary celebration of their parents’ most famous discovery will bring them back together under the same Italian villa’s roof.

Secretly, Cammie plans to make some discoveries of her own. She has her mom’s journal from the year she was born, and she’s determined to use it to find the father she’s never met. Though West doesn’t know where he stands with Cammie, he insists on joining the search. He’s never been able to let her take on a risky scheme alone, especially not one that takes them across the southern Italian coast—from the stunning cliffs of Capri to a Naples pizza kitchen, even to the ruins of Pompeii.

As the pair digs deeper into Cammie’s mom’s past, their own can’t help but resurface. Feelings are rekindled, truths are unearthed, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll discover that their own history isn’t as ancient as it seems.

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

FOR THE MAMMA MIA FAN.

I had a blast with this book y’all. It felt like the best kind of summer beach read. It moves effortlessly and is set in Italy and has all of these moments that just say summer romance. I loved the childhood friends to lovers / second chance romance trope use. Cammie and West are this chaotic match that just works and I liked seeing them hash out the past and find their way back to each other.

Though I was a bit grumbly about the third act. After all the work that it took to get to a good place to throw it back out so quickly for the same story? Not needed.

Cammie’s quest to find her father was definitely Mamma Mia coded. And I think they’re both set in Italy too?? Some key pieces there that were similar. I liked the travel schemes that came about and seeing history collide. And West’s anxiety rep?? SO SEEN. All of those moments were [to me] well written and a depiction that I have felt in my own life. It really endeared me to his character.

🎧: I had the easiest time listening to this book. The narrators were fantastic and I was shocked when I realized I had listened to so much in an afternoon. Highly recommend going with the audiobook.

Overall audience notes: