Book Review: Nightshade (Sorrowsong University #1) by Autumn Woods

April 24, 2026May 2, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: New Adult Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Autumn Woods
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 24th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship at a prestigious Scottish university to prove that her parents’ death was the fault of Cain Green, an American aviation tycoon, her plan is simple; keep her grades up and her head down. The last thing she wants is to wind up in a mafia war or step on the toes of royalty.

Her plan gets off to a rocky start when the mysterious man that almost kills her on her first day turns out to be Cain’s eldest son. As far as she’s concerned, Alex Corbeau-Green is a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful facade.

Loneliness has been Ophelia’s only dependable companion for years, but when anonymous threats and mysterious occurrences start to haunt her time at Sorrowsong, she wonders if she really can survive there on her own.

Between being paired together for a project and ending up as each other’s alibi for a murder, avoiding Alex becomes increasingly impossible. She begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior.

Tormented by a malicious stalker and growing closer to Alex, Ophelia’s desperation for revenge wavers for the first time. Can she really bring herself to pull the trigger on Cain now that she knows the family it’ll split into two?
__________

Dark Academic Romance – Enemies to Lovers – Slow Burn – University Setting

This work is dark in places and contains several triggers throughout. Please heed the warnings before reading.

I THINK I LIKED THIS?

I’ve decided that I will continue with this duet. It’s got the dark vibe I love and things started to grow on me in the second half. It kind of has Maxton Hall vibes? But with a much darker angle. Did anyone watch My Fault: London? Kind of on that wavelength.

This had a dark academia mood that I thought was balanced well with the characters. I loved the brewing found family and getting the backgrounds on many of the students.

Ophelia and Alex had a good connection and I thought the banter worked well between them. I wish there would have been more of them in the first half. I loved how many interactions they had in the second half of the story. THOUGH, the ending made me a bit cranky, but I can’t explain it without spoilers so it is what it is.

I feel like reading the next book? It was different than the usual rom-coms I read so it was nice to mix it up. I have many questions and want to see the fallout from the ending.

Overall audience notes:

NA Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: open door, low explicit; innuendo
Violence: moderate – high
Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, loss of parents (recounted), declining mental health of a parent, anxiety, drowning

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: From the Silence of the Shadows (The Veridian Empire #3) by V.B. Lacey

April 21, 2026April 11, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 574 pages
Author: V.B> Lacey
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: January 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Hades and Persephone meets Six of Crows in this dark fantasy romance standalone with dragons, shadow wielders, hate-to-love no spice romance, and an epic rebellion against their darkest foe. Not all prisons are made of stone.

For nineteen years, Nox Duma has been a pawn to the Veridian Empire’s most ruthless tyrant, a man who tortures his own kind with cruel magical experiments. Haunted by the sister still trapped under this tyrant’s control, Nox struggles to lead a secret rebellion—until a captured traitor falls into his hands, one who may hold the key to victory.

Once a spy and now Nox’s prisoner, all Devora wants is freedom. But when she discovers her dormant shadow-wielding magic could provide the perfect opportunity to spy on the enemy, she’s forced to decide where her loyalty truly lies.

As the rebellion makes its final stand, Nox and Devora’s uneasy alliance deepens into something neither expected. To survive, they must test the limits of trust, power, and love against a foe who can bend magic to his will. But in a world where failure means more than death, can they survive the darkness threatening to consume their empire?

Or will the shadows finally cage them once and for all?

From the Silence of the Shadows is the third book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones. This book includes a summary of books 1 and 2, In the Wake of the Wicked (1) and Of the Curse or the Crown , for those who have not read them. While it is advised to read books 1 and 2 first, it’s not necessary. From the Silence of the Shadows follows a rebel dragon Shifter and the woman he’s taken as his prisoner for crimes against the empire as they both navigate loyalty, forgiveness, and the darkness of their pasts while battling an enemy who has taken their magic into his own hands. Perfect for lovers of Hades and Persephone, the Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent, and the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, this book is full of no spice enemies to lovers romance, epic quests and heists, plot twists, dragons, and a beautiful found family that will feel like your own.

Thank you Tantor Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREAT READ.

I continually love coming back to V.B. Lacey’s books. I love that she writes closed door fantasy romances with heat and heart and that don’t come off silly. It is easy to recommend her books and it was fun to get to read this one as an audiobook! The audiobook narrators weren’t 100% my favorite but did grow on me. It was no where near bothersome enough to not be able to listen to the audiobook format.

I liked seeing more of the empire and Nox. I’ve been waiting to see his background and it did not disappoint. I loved his compassionate nature and how growly he was about all the things. The slow burn with Devora progressed well. Lacey does a good job creating a standalones that give genuine tension and wrap up big plots.

The pacing felt solid and the magic system unfolded without force. I loved seeing previous characters again and the moments between them too. It’s just a solid fantasy and I can’t wait for the last one!!

[Note: while a standalone these books really build on each other and should be read in order; I have read and enjoyed them all!]

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door
Violence: high
Content warnings: loss of life, kidnapping, non-consensual drugging, assault

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Invictus (Esperance Trilogy #2) by Heather Frost

April 16, 2026February 18, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 685 pages
Author: Heather Frost
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 18th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She chose to trust him.

He swore to protect her.

But surviving Esperance was only the beginning . . .

Amryn never intended to betray the rebels she swore to help—or fall for the husband she was forced to marry. But when everything at Esperance fell apart, Carver became the one person she could trust. Now, she must rely on him more than ever—especially since the knights who hunt empaths know one was at Esperance. If they find her, they will kill her. Yet the threat Amryn doesn’t see coming may prove deadlier, because even though she turned her back on the rebels, the Rising isn’t done with her.

Carver has already lost too much at Esperance. He won’t lose anyone else—especially Amryn. He’ll fight to protect his wife from every threat, including the mysterious bloodstone that nearly killed her. He knows the dangerous relic must be destroyed, but first he has to get the surviving Chosen to the capital—a mission that soon turns deadly, making it clear there is still someone out there who never planned for the Chosen to leave Esperance alive.

But safety isn’t guaranteed in the emperor’s palace. Here, every action is scrutinized and politics twist every word. Surrounded by hidden enemies, ruthless assassins, and deadly conspiracies, Amryn and Carver must navigate a web of danger that could cost them everything—including their lives.

Invictus is book two in a swoony, closed-door fantasy romance series by Amazon bestselling author Heather Frost. If you love slow-burn romance, surprising twists, and an action-packed story you can’t put down, you’ll love Invictus. Just be sure to read Esperance first!

GIMME BOOK THREE.

This is one of the few gems in the [adult closed door fantasy romance] spaces. I have struggled to find ones I can easily recommend and so far so good through book two.

My one small issue was the length. At 670 pages it’s a beast and I started to feel it after awhile. And I did pick out the plot and reveals pretty early on.

Now, the romance?? GIVE ME MORE KISSES. I absolutely loved the building relationship between Carver and Amryn. It’s creating a genuine bond that feels deep and secure and I’m obsessed with the ways the both take care of each other. I truly like this whole cast and seeing some of the side romances blossom too.

This was left with a brutal cliffhanger so I’m excited to read book three when it drops!!

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy romance
Language: none
Romance: closed door
Violence: mild-moderate
Content warnings: kidnapping, attempted murder, murder, weapons/physical violence

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Anytime I Want by Meredith Logan

April 12, 2026April 6, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 258 pages
Author: Meredith Logan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When I was seven, I made a boyfriend list. Now he’s sixteen and using it to win my heart.

Julia
The boy next door is a total dreamboat. Handsome, kind, and funny but he flirts with everyone- and did I mention he’s my brother’s best friend? And his parents are best friends with my parents? It’s complicated. When he decides to use my childhood boyfriend list to show me how serious he is about us, I have to decide if he’s worth risking all the complications.

Graham
I’ve been in love with her forever. But I’m kind of a screw up and she doesn’t trust me. I come up with a plan to use her boyfriend list to prove myself. I recruit our families, friends-anyone who can help us finally be together. But will it be enough to finally convince her to trust me?

A swoony YA romance about friendships, families, and first loves.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

DEBUT VIBES.

This felt very much like a debut. I had some plot and writing issues throughout that made me focus on them rather than the story, but maybe I wasn’t totally invested in the story either? I had a hard time remembering that these were 16 year-olds because the writing often read younger than that.

I think a few of the aspects were cute. I do appreciate that it is written for a younger audience. Something you could give to a teen without worrying about content which is getting hard to find nowadays. There’s no language, nothing more than kissing and overall the vibe is light and without heavy themes.

Most often I was frustrated with the FMC. Julia was constantly downplaying and coming off as a *pick me* girl while Graham was trying his best to show [over and over and over] how much he liked her. Dare I say, he worked too hard.

The friendships are good and a positive theme throughout as well as the parents. I think having supportive people in your immediate circle is wonderful and hopeful. I loved all of those interactions.

Overall audience notes: