 This blog post includes affiliate links.Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. Fancy a sapphic time-travel romance? The threads of this one got too complicated for me & I eventually stopped trying to understand all of the time travel intricacies (probably a me problem!). But the romance is compelling & the sensuality between the leads is nice. 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 06/03. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle. A resourceful, strong dragon thief falls in love with her kidnapper & vice versa, as they work to pull off a heist & research the fearsome beasts. This one has steam, a fighting heroine (one of my weaknesses!), a declaration of love, endo rep, & secrets—in short, so much of what I love in a fantasy—but the plot felt loosely held together. 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 06/10. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J Penner. This is a cozy fantasy with a soft romance between an elf & a nonmagical human. The heroine develops confidence in herself, forms friendships with contestants, & challenges herself in a baking competition, all the while surrounded by a beta hero elf & a host of intriguing secondary characters. 4 ⭐️ ️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Are any of these on your TBR or have you read any of these already?
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 This blog post includes affiliate links. How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang takes you on the emotionally marooning experience of losing a sibling to suicide. It’s very well-written with a heroine whose self-consciousness makes her all-too relatable. 4.33 ️⭐️. Thanks to Kim @bookbruin for the rec!
Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery is a sweet romance set in the world of motor racing. One hero comes across as pretty immature to me & while he does grow throughout the book, he didn’t quite overcome my initial impression. But if you’re in the mood for an age gap, MM romance with a lead who has a lot to learn, you might enjoy this one! 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher for the free copy. All opinions provided are my own.) Mistress of Lies by KM Enright had a twist I didn’t see coming, sexy vampire vibes, & a betrayal dished up nice & hot. This is a solid fantasy with a lot to offer but I didn’t love it. The audio is great, though, & provided a nice distraction while painting. 4 ⭐️ ️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher for the free copy. All opinions provided are my own.) Once Upon You & Me by Timothy Janovsky is a tender story that wears its heart on its sleeve. There’s bisexual, ADHD, & fat rep in this romance, a single dad who has to navigate a relationship with his ex’s assistant, & a cute ending. With that being said, sometimes this book veered into corny IMO . 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 04/29. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Are any of these on your TBR or have you read any of these already?  This blog post includes affiliate links.Thank you, @berkleyromance, for the free copy of The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest. This was my first time reading this author & I really enjoyed how strong of a connection the hero feels to the heroine, even years after their first meeting. He’s an R&B singer who feels put in a box by his label & wants his mom to accept all of him; she’s a single mom business executive who lost a husband she loved. This a soft story about people who take a chance—more than one, really—as they chase their happiness. 4 ⭐️ ️, out now!
Etiquette for Lovers & Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy is a mystery set in a compelling 1960s setting with a heroine this side of dark. Billy McCadie is drawn to the recent victim of a murder investigation & pulled into a rich world she knows little about. Sprinkled with Billie’s linguistic explanations & her morbid explorations of the people who lost their lives, this book is unsettling in an entertaining kind of way. 4.33 ⭐️ ️, out 07/01. (Thanks to publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) The Knight & the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow. Harrow’s writing is beautifully violent—you feel the sharpness of her words. In this post apocalyptic short story, demons exist, & they’re people who were mysteriously mutated into something deadly. The protagonist Shrike’s wife is a demon, & that puts her in the path of a Knight sent to kill her demon-wife. The effect of this story is tremendous & cemented for me again how talented the author is. 5 ️⭐️, out 03/11. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard. What a delicious book! Whew!, it crackles with heat, verve, & passion. I love the queer rep, the unconventional leads, & the charming smuggler hero who gets hot for the pirate-smuggler baddie heroine. Sooo good! 5 ⭐️ ️.  This blog post includes affiliate links.House of Flame & Shadow by Sarah J Maas. I can’t believe I finally finished these books! Crescent City is sprawling & inventive, with lots of characters battling the big decision of safety versus compassion & freedom. This is my least fave series of hers & contains the main romance arc I was least invested in, but with that being said, it’s still great fantasy & a very high bar to try to reach. 4.25 ⭐️.
Miss Amelia’s List by Mercedes Lackey. Miss Amelia’s List dragged in many ways, & I can’t say that I fully loved any of the characters, who sometimes veered on stuffy, but it’s also an oddly interesting story of manners in a magical England. 2.5⭐️️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma. This has been a great contemporary series with friendships that I really love. My fave is book 2, but this is a solid, if not 100% ending, & I’m definitely looking forward to reading more. 4 ⭐️. House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau. The vibes are there in this fantasy, but the heroine forgives & forgets way too quickly for me in this one. I grew frustrated at her decision-making. Still, the visceral descriptions paint an effective fantasy setting where the stakes are high, even if I was not cheering for the love triangle romance tension. 3.25 ⭐️️, out 04/08/25. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?  Quick Thoughts time!
House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J Maas. I am super behind (obvs) but this is a great second installment in the Crescent City series. It’s action-packed, & as always, I have a clear sense that Sarah J Maas has a *master plan* that I am not privy to. She’s going to make these characters go places. With that being said, this is probably my least fave series of hers, or maybe I am just not as fully & completely enamored with her type of lead anymore? It remains to be seen! I’m rounding this to 5 ⭐️ though, because it is dang good fantasy. Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia. This romance features two over-40 leads who have a not-so-cute meet cute at their kids’ school & then start working together on a project. Things I enjoyed: the vignette-like chapters, the FMC’s thoughts on the imbalanced workload of moms, how the MMC is willing to apologize. What I didn’t love: the back & forth & the focus on another character, which made the book lose focus from the romance between our two leads. This one didn’t quite meet my romance-loving expectations but perhaps if you go in more knowledgeable, you might enjoy it more. 3.75 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel. This is a retelling of Ganga’s story, which I was not familiar with before beginning. It’s very difficult to read at moments—please check out the author’s note about TWs—but it was a strikingly written fantasy with a moving ending. 4 ⭐️️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher the complimentary copy. All opinions provided are my own.) Have you read any of these or are any on your radar?  The Great, the Good, the Bad, & the Meh Quick thoughts! A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames. This unique fantasy follows a butcher’s daughter who tracks down the sorcerer who stole part of her heart & helps him find his in the process. I wish she had had higher self-esteem, TBH, bc she’s brave & determined & saves the day. This was an interesting one & I’ll check out another by this author! 4.25 ⭐️ ️, out 02/25. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo: KD is one of my fave middle grade authors—she tells a fantastic story & her talent is so versatile. This book will remind you of the wonder of children & dogs . 5⭐️ ️. Her Knight at the Museum by Bryn Donovan. I had a bad feeling about this one on page 1 when she gets sexy tingles just from handling this statue. Alas, this one never gave me something I could enthusiastically & unequivocally root for, & I ended up skimming from 40% on. DNF, out 11/12. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) The Duke at Hazard by KJ Charles. A Duke & a one-time school acquaintance who’s now disgraced set off on a trip to locate the Duke’s missing signet ring. This one has so much of what I love about a KJC book, & I loved how the Duke finally stood up for himself at the end. 4.25 ⭐️, out now! Have you read any of these or are any on your radar? This blog post includes affiliate links.The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning feels similar in vibes to the Fever series, for good & fo bad. This book (which ends on a cliffie) features a brave heroine who’s just experienced the horrific loss of her mother & who inherits a mysterious mansion. She’s driven by new physical urges & the desire to find out more about herself & her new family home. For me, this book was interesting & sensual but also felt dated. But like I said, if you feel the urge to step back into a world like Fever, you might enjoy it more. 3.5 ⭐️️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma is a warm & contemporary with a determined wedding planner trying to take down a saboteur & plan the wedding of her bestie’s dreams & the chef who once frustrated her but now might be the man of her dreams. I adored so much of this one & I’m already eager to read more. The mystery was my least fave part but everything else felt fresh & hot. 4.33 ⭐️, out now. Isabel & the Rogue by Liana De La Rosa is another sexy & heartwarming installment in the Luna Sisters series. Isabel is such a great heroine—she’s a wallflower who’s also a spy for Mexico. The chemistry between Isabel & Sirius is so good & the audio for this one is fantastic. I’m loving learning more about 19th century Mexico & reading about Mexican heiresses wielding power in their largely prejudiced aristocratic social circle . 4.5 ️⭐️, out now. Have you read any of these or are any on your TBR? Check out some of my recent reads! Please note that this post contains affiliate links.A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian: two people who are both deceiving the other fall in love in the countryside. Bi rep, found family. This is a rare Cat Sebastian book for me in that the hero acts like a complete dodo bird in one scene & yet I enjoyed knowing he would soon grovel. Not my fave of her books but can you beat a Cat Sebastian book in general? They’re always so good! 4.25 ⭐️. Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. This is such a fun, inventive, & meta fantasy that will keep you riveted to see what will happen next. Because honestly I was never sure . The protagonist is a self-proclaimed villain—although, what is a villain or a heroine & who decides that?!?!? Filled with violence, feminine ingenuity, a fierce desire for survival, bravery, & snark, LLE is a roller coaster that takes off at 60 mph & barely stops for breath along the way. 4.5 ⭐️, out 07/30. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Please check out trigger warnings from trusted reviewer’s before reading.
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