Book Review: Release me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #2) by Tahereh Mafi

May 28, 2026May 9, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the

Welcome back to The New Republic.

STILL OBSESSED.

This spin off series has me in an absolute chokehold and this is exactly where I want to be. AND the fact we got THE AARON WARNER’S POV??? We have been blessed.

I love the audiobooks too. They have fantastic narrators where I genuinely feel like I’m listening to everyone converse in real time. It’s awesome production and made this book an even quicker read. It’s fast paced, intense and the angst in the romance will send you into the stratosphere. I love that this feels different from the originals but still has enough of the same vibes that it brings a nostalgic quality too. Dystopian romances are back and apparently I am INTO IT.

James and Rosabelle are my favorite kind of golden retriever x black cat dynamic. I loved the banter and heat and chomping at the bit to find out what happens next. I am upset I’ll have to wait for book three but IT’S FINE. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

Overall audience notes:

NA Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Language: mild
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: high
Content warnings: loss of life, attempted murder, imprisonment, mentions of past torture and abuse

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Book Review: All We Lost Was Everything by Sloan Harlow

May 13, 2026May 20, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: New Adult Romantic Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sloan Harlow
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sexy, dark romantic thriller—with a shocking twist—by the author of Everything We Never Said.

River Santos is stuck—in her job at the diner, in her dead-end town, in her grief. Her father died in a house fire just a few months ago, her mother has been MIA for nearly a year, and the only people she can count on are the aunt she lives with and her best friend Tawny.

Things feel like they’re turning around when Logan—the hot guy at the diner who’s always ignored her—seems interested. It’s complicated by her ex-boyfriend Noah, who she really needs closure with, and the fact that Tawny doesn’t think either of them is good enough for River… but the tension between River and Logan can’t be denied.

But love takes a backseat when new information surfaces about the fire. After all these months trying to move forward, River is forced to rethink everything… including the idea that maybe it wasn’t an accident after all. But who would commit this deadly act? And why?

River isn’t sure who to trust or who to turn to, but she needs to figure it out, fast. Because someone has more than love on their mind. They want revenge.

GOOD TWIST.

That was probably the saving grace for this book for me. I thought the twist was good and I felt like I should have seen it coming but the redirection throughout kept my mind going in different directions and I love that because mysteries and I historically don’t get along.

This book brings the DRAMA and suspense. Every time I turned there was new information, characters coming out of the wood work and some romance too. Though I will say the romance felt out of place? Or at least the spice did. I was rooting for them as a couple, but thought some of the scenes (there were 3-4) were unnecessary for the plot.

And while I River a lot and felt she was truly trying to do her best I was also wanted to shake her a few times. Things wrap up well in a twisted sort of way. I do think I got the answers I needed to close the book with satisfaction at least. It’s got a pretty decent pace and the audiobook is solid.

Overall audience notes:

NA Romantic suspense
Language: moderate
Romance: 3-4ish open door; vague/low explicit
Violence: high
Content warnings: murder, loss of life, near death experiences, alcoholism

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ARC Book Review: Student Union (The Undergrads #1) by Julie Murphy

May 12, 2026April 25, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: New Adult Romance
Length: 294 pages
Author: Julie Murphy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a sexy rom com about a college marriage of convenience that goes way beyond chemistry 101…The first in a trilogy of romance novels that follows a group of girls as they navigate love, friendship, and new adulthood, this is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace.

CLOVER ROWAN WALSH knows The Plan™.
1. Get a full ride to her dream school, Wexley University.
2. Conquer the school of business.
3. Say goodbye to the paycheck-to-paycheck life she and her mom have known for years.

There’s just one hiccup. With the first semester rapidly approaching, Clover learns her housing grant has fallen through. But a loophole presents Married couples can live in the dorms for the price of one student. Clover is willing to sacrifice the sanctity of marriage . . . even if it means proposing to the one person she swore she’d never speak to again.

Bennett Andrew Graves is the only heir to the Graves Coffee empire. After spending his first year at Wexley, squeaking by in classes and becoming personally acquainted with the female student body, he is looking forward to living off campus. Until the girl he grew up with (and whom he completely devastated years ago) walks back into his life with the most absurd Will you marry me?

Bennett can’t refuse Clover. He owes her this, but that doesn’t change the fact that these two can barely carry on a conversation without getting at each other’s throats. Forget about sharing a dorm—much less one bed.

But as Clover and Bennett hide the true nature of their marriage, they find that playing house isn’t all that bad—especially with certain marital benefits in the mix. In fact, Clover and Bennett are soon forgetting the most important part of their fake marriage of convenience . . . that it’s supposed to be fake.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted ARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.

NOT QUITE FOR ME.

Y’all know I basically jump at any book that has marriage of convenience as one of the leading tropes because I love that stuff. And I’m aware that MOC is usually a suspension of belief but this one felt even more of a stretch than usual. With everything happening so fast in the first chapter I had no moment to catch up and get on board.

I didn’t mind the romance between Clover and Bennett. There were many good moments (not the make-out when only she was drunk). I liked that Bennett took care of her and was genuinely trying to make amends for a mistake in high school. I do love a protective scene and this one had a few.

The college atmosphere was a bit over the top in the lust and d*ck joke department. While I get it, it also didn’t serve the book well and I don’t think needed to be added as heavily as it was. I mean, the second half felt like mostly spice and the book is less than 300 pages?? The slow burn had been so good too!!

I’m not sure I’ll read the next couple in the series. I’ll think about it, but if it follows a lot of these same lines I might not be charmed.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 4ish open door; high innuendo
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: attempted assault, catfishing (recounted), bullying

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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: