ARC Book Review: Magic at Midnight by Courtney Millecam

May 12, 2026May 7, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Historical Fantasy + Romance
Length: 444 pages
Author: Courtney Millecam
Publisher: Laurel Ink Press
Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All magic comes with a price…

Gemma Spencer lives in a cruel twist of fate: she has access to everyone’s memories but her own. With no recollection of her past, Gemma survives as a con artist on a small island where magic hums beneath the surface of daily life.

When a tourist arrives with a newspaper article about a missing girl who looks eerily similar to Gemma, she realizes the truth about her identity lies in the glittering city of Linness—where the mystical is outlawed and gangsters rule the streets. But magic can still be found…if you know where to look.

While there, Gemma meets Hendrik, an investigator, who offers Gemma a dangerous bargain: impersonate the missing girl and go undercover inside the infamous Copperleaf Club. It’s the big break Hendrick needs to solve his father’s murder. For Gemma, it might be the only way to find answers about her past.

The deeper Gemma and Hendrik get inside the world of illegal magic and rival magicians, the more their fragile alliance—and growing feelings—begin to unravel. And as Gemma gets closer to the truth, she suspects her own memory was taken from her for a reason.

And remembering could be deadly.

For readers of Six of Crows and Stalking Jack the Ripper— this gaslamp romantic fantasy is perfect for fans of forbidden magic, reluctant allies with hidden motives, and a high-stakes deception where love may be the biggest gamble of all. This book includes a no-spice romance, but the gritty world and darker themes make it suitable for older YA audiences and above.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SUPERB STANDALONE.

Courtney has done it again! What a fabulous book y’all. Good closed door fantasy standalones feel like finding a needle in a haystack. This is the needle!! Go read it!!

I loved the world and setting. The gas lamp vibes with the air of historical atmosphere worked incredibly well. I liked the way magic used and the interesting landscape it created.

And the characters were amazing. I loved the portrayal of friendships and the soft found family aspects. I especially liked Gemma’s character arc and seeing how she grew from start to finish. The romance is more in the background but still present enough to be enjoyed. Gemma and Hendrik are reluctant allies that push each other’s buttons in all the best ways.`

Everything came together well and I think all the necessary plot points were satisfied. The hidden motives and deceptions will keep you turning pages.

Overall audience notes:

NA Historical Fantasy Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: murder, loss of a parent

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Book Review: Because the Beasts Came (Wells of Istri #1) by Madeline James

May 7, 2026April 14, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 630 pages
Author: Madeline James
Publisher: Spellbound Worlds
Release Date: April 9th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s already broken, but this mission may be what shatters her.

A young guardian bearing the burden of a kingdom torn to shreds, Iryana works tirelessly from the shadows to keep her clan’s outpost standing. After the beasts ravaged the lands and the gangs claimed what was left, the survivors can only cling to the scattered settlements, fighting desperately to hold their borders.

But they’re losing.

Her clan’s only hope lies beyond their brittle the ancient magic of the metal-wells, and the ruthless military gangs that control them. Iryana has no choice but to infiltrate a nearby brigade, earn their volatile trust, and see her magic forged in one of their closely guarded wells.

Unfortunately, surviving among liars and killers proves to be harder and more mystifying than expected.

Their cruel and calculating leader sees value in her when no one else does. The bitter soldier with haunted eyes and a devastating smile wants her gone but can’t seem to stop saving her life. As each passing day brings her deeper within the brigade, two devastating paths forward present themselves and her deep-rooted cracks become impossible to conceal.

Iryana came to the fortress to save her family—she never expected someone would try to save her.

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom and The Serpent & The Wings of Night, Because the Beasts Came is the first book in a romantic fantasy duology within the Wells of Istri world. Full of aching tension, a brutal world of monsters and fragile hope, and a heroine torn between duty, desire, and survival, you won’t be able to put this book down.

Thank you to MTMC Tours and the author for a gifted copy.

WHY SO LONG?

I went into this with decent hopes and am left wondering if it’s worth reading book two? There’s no way this needed to be 600+ pages without more character exploration. Every single character lacked depth. I didn’t have an attachment to anyone.

I was genuinely invested for the first 30%ish. I thought the world building was going well and liked the military training grounds idea. I think overall the writing style was good, just needed dialed in.

I’m always here for a slow burn but the fact of the matter is we didn’t get more than maybe one interaction with the leads until after halfway? And their dynamic was lackluster. No chemistry or banter or anything swoony. There was also a weird situation with the guy’s brother? It wasn’t a love triangle, but it wasn’t good either.

There’s a few more things that made me cranky but it is what it is.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy romance
Language: mild
Romance: one open door (literally the last pages)
Violence: moderate-high
Content warnings: physical/emotional abuse

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: April 2026

May 2, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

April showers brings May flowers! And a lot of books. Maybe the most I will get to this year. Have you read any of them?

[ARC/ALC] A Deal with a Debutante (London’s Most Eligible #1) by Chelsea Bobulski
[ARC/ALC] Start at the End by Emma Grey
[Reread] The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass #0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
The Speed of Lightning (The Hebridean Shield #3) by Ashley Worrell
A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell #10) by Deanna Raybourn
[ARC/ALC] I Could Give You the Moon by Ann Liang
Anytime I Want by Meredith Logan
Weavingshaw (Weavingshaw #1) by Heba Al-Wasity
Rites of the Starling (Shield of Sparrows #2) by Devney Perry
[ARC] The Duke’s Bargain by Megan Walker
From the Silence of the Shadows (The Veridian Empire #3) by V.B. Lacey
[ALC] Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West
[ALC] Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai
[Reread] Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
Because the Beasts Came (Wells of Istri #1) by Madeline James
[ARC] The Commons (The Commons World #1) by Rebecce Ihim
Beneath (Rebirth #1) by Ariel Sullivan
[Non-fiction] Big Kids, Bigger Feelings by Alyssa Blask Campbell
The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance Trilogy #2) by Rebecca Robinson
A Desert of Bleeding Sand (A Desert of Bleeding Sand #1) by Lucia Damas
The Last Wayfinder by Ellen McGinty
[ARC/ALC] Rolls and Rivalry (Gaming and Romance #3) by Kristy Boyce
[ARC/ALC] First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Heart Check (Varsity #1) by Emily Charlotte
Perfect Wreckage (Wrecked #2) by Catherine Cowles
Heir of Twisted Lies (Stonegate #2) by LJ Andrews
[ARC] This Silent City (The Grim Empire #2) by A.C. Hobbs
A Love Most Brutal (Morelli Family #2) by Kath Richards
A Foolish Proposal (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Kasey Stockton
[ARC] Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker #1) by Nisha J. Tuli
[ARC/ALC] Student Union (The Undergrads #1) by Julie Murphy
Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab
[ARC] The Last Page by Katie Holt
[ARC/ALC] Spur of the Moment (Willow Creek #1) by Juliana Smith
The Thorn Queen (The Rose Bargain #2) by Sasha Peyton Smith
[Reread] Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
[ARC/ALC] The Shippers by Katherine Center
I’m Only Me When I’m With Him (Sweeter Than Fiction #3) by Amanda Schimmoeller
Wrecked Palace (Wrecked #3) by Catherine Cowles
Reckless Refuge (Wrecked #4) by Catherine Cowles

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Book Review: I’m Only Me When I’m With Him (Sweeter Than Fiction #3) by Amanda Schimmoeller

May 2, 2026April 29, 2026 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 305 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: ABS Publishing
Release Date: April 15th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Firefighters are supposed to be the ones putting out fires, not causing sparks.

I thought I stifled everything I felt for Connor Porter over a decade ago. But now he’s back home, and I’m hit with those old feelings again, stronger than a firehose to the face.

Feelings I most certainly should not be having for my best friend’s older brother.

I’m trying to push all thoughts of Connor aside and focus on opening a flower truck when his sister persuades him to help me get my business off the ground.

Now, I’m spending more time with my childhood crush than can be considered healthy. And it’s difficult to get him out of my mind when I’m constantly being distracted by his muscular arms and thinking about how they feel when they’re wrapped around me.

My attraction to him grows into a roaring inferno, but I don’t think Connor’s ever seen me as anything other than his little sister’s friend. I need to extinguish these feelings before I’m in too deep.

It’s like that old saying if I keep playing with fire, I’m bound to get burned.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

SOFT & SWEET.

Oh this book was off the charts with sweetness y’all. If you’re needing something low key and light (aren’t we all???) you should absolutely pick this one up. And if you love all things floral (me, it’s me) you’ll love all of the flower content throughout. I really need a Daffodil in my life now.

I looooved the dynamic between Shayna and Connor. It’s low angst with this genuine, strongly built over time connection. That one that shows up regardless of how long you’ve been apart. It was interesting seeing the MMC as less confident than the usual romantic male lead and I liked that arc for him as he grew and found peace with Shayna.

As often Schimoeller’s books there’s incredible friend groups and supportive and loving families. Another highlight to picking up her stories. Sometimes I really don’t want all of the excess drama and I love how fast these flow and showcase such light.

And are you kidding me…we get a baseball romance next?????

Overall audience notes: