ARC Book Review: Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker #1) by Nisha J. Tuli

May 3, 2026April 24, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Nisha J. Tuli
Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the publisher who brought you Fourth Wing comes your next romantasy obsession…

For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.

But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.

When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.

A gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly―perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted ARC.

IT WAS ALRIGHT.

I wasn’t initially planning to read this but when a book shows up on your doorstep you take a chance! I did like this more than Trial of the Sun Queen. But overall my vibe here was…predictable. From the first few chapters I could map the whole book and I wish it had brought something more to the story to overlook that fact.

I didn’t mind the FMC, Poet. She goes through a coming of age that works for the story. I think her arc had a good start and I that will only grow in the sequel.

The romance was fine. I would have a few more quiet moments. I think some of the pacing or scene line ups didn’t flow well and that’s my hold up. Even though I knew where it was going I still liked the ending because it led to an opening I wanted to see.

This book luckily didn’t become a hate read, it was just missing that element that feels engaging and like I HAVE to keep reading to know what happens next. I’m at least interested to hear about the next book.

Note, I don’t consider this YA, more NA.

Overall audience notes:

NA Dystopian Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 1-2ish low explicit open door
Violence: high
Content warnings: loss of life, weapons violence, assault, near death experiences

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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

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Book Review: Something Like Fate by Amy Lea

March 11, 2026March 16, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Amy Lea
Publisher: Skyscape
Release Date: March 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

During a summer in Italy, two best friends discover whether true love is up to destiny or free will in this winning romantic comedy by the international bestselling author of Woke Up Like This.

For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One—the great loves of their lives—before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.

Until now.

When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.

Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.

THIS DIDN’T WORK FOR ME.

I love a lot of Amy Lea’s book and unfortunately this one is officially lowest on that ranking. I loved the traveling plot and setting, I did like Lo an Teller, I just struggled with the handling of many situations.

This is where the magical realism didn’t work for me, being so beholden to an idea that it ruins what you have in front of you dragging out the story longer than necessary. The miscommunication, as tends to be the highlight of friends to lovers romances, was frustrating too.

There’s some charming moments and I did love a few of the romantic ones too. Teller is a sweetheart and I was grateful when Lo finally decided to stop being oblivious and work things out with him.

It does read very much like a movie and honestly I think would have been better in that format.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 2ish vague open door
Content Warnings: loss of a parent (recounted)

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Book Review: Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman

February 22, 2026February 12, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Thriller
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emma Simmerman
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Tell Me Lies in this binge-worthy debut murder mystery about a college student whose senior year takes a deadly turn when her exes start turning up dead…

Every time a guy breaks my heart, I write him a eulogy in my journal. It’s kind of my thing—closure through creative mourning. They don’t actually die… or, at least, they didn’t.

Now? These guys aren’t just dead to me, they’re dead to everyone. And I’m the prime suspect.

With my senior year at Pembroke College—and my entire future—on the line, I’ve got no choice but to play detective. Unfortunately, that means teaming up with my long-standing frenemy, Asher, who is insufferable and somehow always there when I need him the least. We bicker, we banter, we occasionally almost hook up, but with the body count rising and my name all over the suspect board, there’s no time to get distracted.

Between college parties, messy exes, suspicious deaths, and a murder investigation I never asked to be a part of—one thing’s for this is not how I thought my last year would go.

Here’s to hoping I can find out who the real killer is… before someone ends up writing my eulogy.

Thank you Avon Books for the gifted copy.

WELL NOW I’M JUST MAD.

This felt a little all over the place. As if it couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a thriller or a romance or maybe romantic suspense? But that didn’t nearly bug me as much as the FMC. I think it’s a cop out in thrillers to have the FMC be under the influence of alcohol or drugs every single time something big happens. The unreliable narrator component didn’t play out well because of this. And all she did was make bad choices.

I oddly enough, really liked Asher. He was probably my favorite character and I liked most of the romantic tension between him and Sloane. It did have an enemies vibe I could get behind. But his character was absolutely ROBBED with a plot choice at the ending. Whyyyyy???? Oh it totally ruined it.

The reveal of the big bad guy seemed out of pocket too. They weren’t involved with the plot much and the destruction they caused didn’t line up with the reasoning during their villain monologue. I had my eyes on multiple other characters who would have made more sense.

Anywhoooo not my favorite, moving on.

Overall audience notes: