 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I’ve seen the author Scarlett St. Clair everywhere on booksta & this fairy tale retelling novella, Mountains Made of Glass, was my first foray into her writing. This novella reminds me that while I am trash for fairy tale & Fae romance, I am also *not trash* for dark romance. So ultimately, I really enjoyed aspects of this one but also squirmed away from others. As a result, if you’re a lover of dark romance maybe take this review with a grain of salt . MMoG is, in moments, violent & gruesome, a sometimes unsettling backdrop to a tense & whimsical story about Gesela, a woman with some Fae heritage, who is forced to try to rid her village of a curse—knowing all the while that she is seriously going to anger some magical powers for the affront. After ridding her village of the curse, five elven princes appear at her home & magically transport her to their brother, “a beast,” where she’s presented with a challenge that unbeknownst to her as some hidden qualifications, including falling in love. The fairy tale underpinning of the story interests & charms. It’s hard to predict where the story is going (excluding the assumed promise of a HEA), & I love how creative the author is in bringing so many elements into the story. Also steamy. Choke play, anyone? But with that being said, the heroine’s actions sometimes had me raising my eyebrows and feeling a bit confused, and the other MC, Casamir, is a dark prince who is his beastly, ruthless self when it comes to manipulating her—which I didn’t always love . I guess the dark romance comes into play for some of that & it just doesn’t always work for me, personally. Setting aside the quibbles, I might be back for another of these retelling novellas in the future for a quick burst of fancy + steam. 4⭐️. Out now!There are lots of CWs for this one—please check a trusted reviewer’s list.
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 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.With visceral imagery & a strong sense of dramatic tension, Hannah Whitten’s fantasies know how to really grab a reader. The Foxglove King features another badass heroine—Lore can actually use Mortem (basically death energy, I would call it) as a necromancing weapon. In other words, she can use the Death in something that’s dead to temporarily bring it back to twisted life. This gets her into a bit of trouble of course, & against her will she’s captured by the Presque Mort monks (a body associated with the Church that regulates Mortem in society-sanctioned ways) & brought to the attention of the royals. Throughout the fantasy Lore has unique experiences & relationships with the more visibly angsty monk Gabe & the supposed charmer Prince Bastian, both of whom can offer Lore something & both of whom she has some reason not to run to. There’s lots of actions in this fantasy, lots of tension, & Whitten handles the emotions with skill. It’s always emotionally affecting when a lead wants someone they know they shouldn’t, & Gabe’s turmoil is both captivating for the reader & frustrating. The ending offers a small sense of reprieve but also uncertainty—I have no idea where this story is going next & I love that. Check this author out if you want fantasy with some smooching. 4.5⭐️. Out now![ID: the ebook is on a wood table. Above it is a vase of red tulips & to the left is a white tote bag that says “my weekend is all booked.”] Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.A big thanks to Bethany @illstoptheworldandreadwithyou for sharing about this book. As soon as I read her review I was like SOLD & I ended up finding a fantasy with kissing book that was so good! But also now I am INVESTED & there’s a cliffie. But let’s focus on the positive ;) . Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals has an enemies to lovers, workplace romance, class difference romance arc with a bit of a you’ve got mail correspondence situation—Iris, the FMC, has been writing letters & magically sending them to her beloved brother who’s at war, without knowing that they are actually traveling to her workplace rival Roman Kitt instead. He does know that Iris is sending them. That won’t cause any problems, right? ;) I basically thought everything about this book is so well done. Those elements, how war experiences are incorporated, both of the leads’ writing experiences, how they come to mean more to each other. I love how they came together & the closing scenes left me with my heart in my throat. Not to mention the sweetness of various moments throughout the novel, like how Roman is willing to ride on the side of a truck FOR HOURS into a war zone because he can’t bear for Iris to go without him…& this is before they’re even together. Highly recommend this one & really need the second kthankyoubye. 5⭐️. Out 04/04. CWs: previous death of mother. Previous death of sister. War references.
 I think I’m good about reading the books. Less good about reviewing the books. So here’s a quick thoughts round-up about some of the books I’ve been enjoying lately!
Have you read any of these? If not, have you read any other books for fun that you really enjoyed but didn’t review? When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. A thriller about how insidiously evil gentrification can be, orchestrated by white people—wearing things like Lululemon pants, for example—who care nothing about Black communities and think Black lives & livelihood are disposable. This book is unsettling and tense, with an explosive ending. 4.5 stars, out now. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. A dark academia book that had me going “huh?,” “oh,” & “oh shit, that’s horrible,” this is a weighty, smart, & compelling read that I’m honestly still parsing. Technically I think this is a 5 ️star read—it’s so well written—but for some reason I never emotionally connect to the author’s books. Out now. The World Record Books of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar. (thanks to @grandcentralpub for the free copy; all opinions my own.) This book is a series of anecdotes drawn from the authors’ lives & their loved ones’ detailing the racism they’ve experienced (of so many different types, in so many instances) & white privilege. The book is funny, incisive, & sharp & it gave me quite a lot to think about. 4 ️stars, out now. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. Another dark fantasy that will really grip you with tension. It’s a story of a girl with a secret monster inside her. There are lots of secrets & some steam! 4.5 ️stars, out now, part of a series. The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. Starting this on audio really helped me get into this fantasy. It’s an immersive story with lots of threads & lots of possibility for danger. I have very little idea about where the series is going next bc it is so unpredictable & I love that. 4.5 stars ️, out now.  Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Circus settings always intrigue me—besides being so far removed from my own life, in books they often feel so whimsical and theatrical with great potential for drama. Lyssa Mia Smith’s Revelle has all of that, featuring a resourceful, supremely talented family with Luxe, a cunning & loyal trapeze artist as the protagonist & secret leader of her family doing whatever she can to help them survive & hopefully even flourish. While this book is ultimately hopeful it’s also darker than I expected, with violence & death & attempts of both throughout the book. This is a world where magic takes its toll, where not everyone gets along, where people are often at the mercy of those with the most powerful magic & those willing to stoop to any act to maintain their power. The story is inventive, there’s sweetness in how Luxe forges a relationship with island newcomer Jamison Port, & there’s an intriguing characterization of her as more cynical & canny & him as more gullible. Both Luxe & Jamison are brave & loyal & that’s how we get the ending we do, despite the darkness in other moments of the story. All things considered, Revelle is unsettling & dynamic, a bit dark for me but sure to please many readers! 4⭐️. Out now!Please read a trusted reviewer's list of CWs.
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