Much ado about Hating You - a killship to kinship steamy romper with fanfic writers

 You had me at Shakespeare, what more can I say? The leads have usernames as Shakespeare_in_Lust and Hot_for_Hermia, I mean, if that doesn't tip you off to the nature of the tale, not sure what will..

Micah Mila is recovering from a bad case of breakup and is picking her life back as an auditor, her most recent assignment is he local university's English department. Thankfully her after hours escape of reading spicy fanfiction of the Shakespearean variety.

Professor Aiden Scott enjoys his job in the English department and his equanimity is threatened by Micah's criticism and presence in evaluating his teaching methods, which causes him to bristle.

Add in some passive aggressive moments, followed by fanfiction geeking out, flirty texting, locked in a snowstorm and boy!! does it get hot and heavy fast. This is a spicy book for sure, the narrators do a great job of alternately reading the chapters and keeping the tension thick!

Thank yous to Sarah for this dirty talk ode to the Bard's comedy and Netgalley and Harlequin audio for the arc!!

A Simple Twist of Fate - A magical, sexy and riot of a shifter romcom

 I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook of April Asher's A Simple Twist of Fate, courtesy of Dreamscape media. Isabelle Ruther and Teddy Hamilton are pros at their job and the reading of alternate chapters really kept the tale moving for me. Their phenomenal narration brought the characters to life especially with Gavin's accent!!!

At the crux of the tale is the second chance romance between Harry Pierce and Jaxon Atwood, former sweethearts of Fated Havens community. During the last fated mates ritual, thirteen years ago, Harry is heartbroken when the wisp leads her best friend to Jax, and she's been keeping her distance ever since.

Jax never had a say in the split, and Harry's anti-tracking spell made it impossible to find her. In her current avatar as caregiver for a sparky half-shifter teen, Grace, Harry returns to Fated Havens in order to ask Alpha Atwood for help, while her friend Cassie, and Grace's mom, continues the elusive search for her unknown one night stand and Grace's father, seeking answers.

What follows is a romantic comedy, with innuendoes, old hurts, repairing bonds and a lot of sizzling moments. Each arc is beautifully etched and the mystery of Grace's parentage is also engaging. I loved Harry and Jax, but am eager to check the ensuing stories between Gavin and Lenny and especially Elodie and Silas. Archer has crafted a wholesome community of characters who are supportive and make this tale a warm, cozy hug of a listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the ARC! It was such a pleasure to enjoy!

The Secret Love of a gentleman

 Jane Lark creates a refreshing twist for the Regency romance, and what a tangy twist!! A divorcee who fears ridicule abd broken by her past marriage, Caroline Kilbride, is hiding in her brother's estate when his wife's brother, Robert Marlow inspires her to break her shackles and realize life still has so many untainted moments to relish! The journey of Caro and Robbie is woven beatifically, the innocence abd single mindedness of Robert allows Caro to see his worst fears and provide counsel to quel his doubts. They build each other up and the finale nearly had my heart drop! 

The growth in the character arcs and the strong family cast helps the storyline. This was a weekend read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc!!

The Roommate Experiment - Fun, flirty and fast paced romcom

The roommate experiment starts with Hunter daydreaming about the prospects of her dreamboat i.e. friend's brother, Dylan, who's her roommate and her crush of eleven years. Her wandering imagination and mental scenarios of their epic togetherness is a track by itself. Her dreams go up in smoke when Dylan casually mentions Olivia, his blonde princess of perfection.

Her career as a lead engineer and her management of the politics and workplace bullying are also refreshing in a romcom! I definitely enjoyed her engineering consultant worklife chatter. On the flip side, Dylan is dealing with the loss of his best friend and former roommate, Tristan, to his little sister, Nina. His daily worklife and his dyslexia troubles are dealt with in a neat fashion, without the trauma or angst being rehashed in a matter of fact way, which I appreciated!

The camaraderie between the close knit group of friends is also fun to watch and gauge. Camilla Isley covers the usual tropes of single bed, disrupted makeouts, deep conversations in the night and single apartment fun. Dylan is delicious as the baking, basketball jock who suddenly realizes that Hunter is a catch. Hunter goes through a rollercoaster of emotions and following her on the journey was soo effortless! 

I devoured the book in a day!! Many thank yous to Boldwood and Netgalley for furnishing the arc!

#TheRoommateExperiment  #BoldwoodBooks #CamillaIsley 

Settling the Score - Karma Club book 4

Clare Connelly gives a fitting conclusion to the Karma Club. This much ado about nothing book deals with star crossed exes, scheming friends, old love, new respect and the bonds that bind us all!!

Sienna, the last member, is yet to obtain her justice against the god like Aiden Carter, the Hockey superstar and brother-in-law to Astrid. The plan for revenge begins with a makeover and flirting to stomp Aiden's feelings and leave him high and dry, just like he did 10 years ago.

With sizzling scenes and the heady revenge banter, playing cool while the sparks fly kinda scenes made this book delish! All seems fair until the sparks fly and the honest conversation flows. How life and the two lonely people face their demons and each other without the turmoil of past angst form the rest of the tale. Add in a subplot for Paige's revenge against Harvey the Horrible and a super support cast member in Chuck Daly, you have a riveting read!!

I breezed through this in a day!! Special thank yous to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the arc!! This was definitely a 5 star read!!

#Settlingthescore #Netgalley #Boldwoodbooks

What Not to Do on a Vacation - a modern day ode to romcoms and the taming of the shrew..

 

Rachel Magee has woven a beautiful tale of the dynamics and communication struggles haunting the Presley Aisters - Savannah, Cora and Bianca... 

Urged by their mother's dying wish, they head back to Sunnyside Beach to recapture the magic of their childhood, but this is easier said when one also has to rehash the pain of the past.. 

The tale begins when Bianca declares she will marry someone from her online AI matched app, and challenges her loner middle sister, Cora, to see if she can't find love

Enter Jax Verona, who must show a sign of commitment to his uncle to gain the VP position in the family enterprise. Its a how to lise a guy in 10 days meets taming of the shrew .. (I live for the subtle referenced like when the dun deck becomes the moon deck!!!)

The narrator did a fantastic job in capturing the sarcasm of Cora, the weary motherly indictments of Savannab and the vivacity of Bianca perfectly!! A joy to listen to and i finished in a day!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio  for the audiobook!! Looking forward to more!!!

This is a review of the audiobook.

Blood Of Hercules - unexpectedly weird and hilarious!

 This book was a surprise read for me - I picked up the audiobook, narrated by Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow and Tristan Morris, written by Jasmine Mas. The book is stark, bleak and weaves through themes of torture, abuse and neglect in a heavily prejudiced system. 

We follow Alexis, as she's cartered into a Spartan military academy, with her vengeful mentors Patrocles and Achilles. Her best friend, an invisible monster, Nyx who curls around her is the only sane voice in her life (my honest opinion!). She struggles with the challenges and deprivation in the military academy.

The narration was engaging and gave life to the tale, especially the solo inner monologues that Alexis thrives in... The tale itself was a little disconnected, while I admired the tone Jasmine adopts, the plot itself was a little choppy. The narration brought life to an otherwise monotonous routine of bleakness that blanketed the tale. I am looking forward to complete the tale towards the end of the year!

The Puck Stops Here - foxy femme x broody fury

 The puck stops here is an adrenaline rush of a tale with swoony, seductive and sage moments interwoven in a tale of devastating attraction and the chords of self realization and adoration of the soulmate who truly sees you for who you are...

The tale sees Astrid Sinclair play the investigative journalist whose aim is to rain sexy retribution on Aiden Carter for abandoning his childhood sweetheart, if she can tune her focus away from his broody twin Blake...

Rachael Stewart weaves a stunner of a tale for spicy, sporty romcom lovers, with oodles of texting, flirtation and hot heavy moments. The meshing of childhood traumas and how they influence our perception of events and color our personalities is explored in a nuanced way.. I breezed through the tale in a couple of hours and am bathing in the afterglow!

Many thank yous to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for furnishing me with the ArC! And my karmic congratulations to Rachael Stewart on a spicy reckoning of a romance...

The Blood Phoenix - Strategic, political and exellently engineered epic finale!

The tale from 'Of jade and dragons' continues in the brilliant epic ending to the Fall of the Dragon duology. Amber Chen has made a wonderful YA fantasy, where the each of the main characters have distinct facets, clans, inclinations and driven by differing ambitions. 

This book sees the Ying return back to the Order to deal with the threat facing the Antarans. Her younger sister, Nian. is engaged to the High Commander, unaware that Ying herself lost her heart to him. This book follows Ying and Ye-Yang's relationship while also seeing the blossoming of the love between Ye-kan and Nian. 

The multiple plot twists, the use of engineering in the tracking and elimination of threats, the subterfuge and duplicity of the enemies and the facing of your own personal demons while relinquishing the need to protect love and instead let love free, are the key reasons you should pick up this series. Ying's self doubt in whether her skills should create or destroy, her feelin of inadequacy to Ye-yang's regard create the emotional roller coaster that rocks this tale. Set at a counterpoint, is the slow romance that blooms between ye-Kan and Nian as they manage the political quagmire of the beiles in the palace.

The romance takes backstage to the threat of piracy which brings the friends of the Engineering guild back together to brainstorm how to combat the invisible ships attacking the ports. Add to this already explosive mix, a race to the death, a coup, a betrayal, it all culminates to an amazing and satisfying finish to the tale - in peace!

Thank you to Netgalley, Viking Books for young readers for providing me an opportunity to read the ARC! A million thank yous to Amber Chen for executing a flawless duology - one of the best reads of 2025! 

Of Jade and Dragons - Mulan retelling with scholarly vibes

 The story Aihui Ying, who dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. 

Amber Chen weaves a beautiful tale of scholarship, engineering and the melding of mind and heart to form a support structure for all inventions. You can't, but help, love Ying or Min, as she traverses the Guild, dodging curious classmates, irritated guild masters and trying her best to stay ahead of her father's assassins and keep up her good work. All the while, tension builds between her and the Fourth Beile, Ye-yang.

Her discovery pf the truth comes with its fair share if twists and turns and you admire her fortitude and the decisions she comes to make. The ending, although a cliffhanger, was very satisfying! I cannot wait to start the blood pheloenix next...

Amber Chen has brought out the grace, erudition and intelligence of Mulan with this retelling, an absolute must read!!!!

Heir of Storms - fast paced blitz of a rise to glory tale

 For lovers of Sarah J Maas and Victoria Aveyard... this one is definitely for you!!

Lauryn builds a system of magic which is easy to follow - the 4 elemental races for fire, air, earth and water are bound under the golden eye to serve an emperor who can control all the elects due to the fealty of their kings and queens. The element of succession is neatly handled with a tournament determining the heads of each house.

This tale follows the Storm Weaver, Blaze, who despite coming from a line of fire elementals, brings a world ending storm with her birth. Since then she's lost control over water and struggles with the reputation built from her lapse as an infant. Her family shuts her in to protect her abd she has not learnt control over her water bending abilities.

She's swung into the Palace to participate as one of the Heirs, her twin brother Flynn, being the shoo in for the house of Ignatia. Her growth, handling of the challenges and romantic entanglements follow suit. The author weaves riddles, growth and even a political mystery in the wake of the succession tournament. The supporting cast are brilliant, as Renly, her younger sibling, their protective grandmother and a slew of friends and enemies with decidedly steadfast beliefs and character arcs.

How Blaze learns to control her power and meld her capabilities while solving mysteries, attending lessons and competing in a life or death challenge and bring wooed by the prince himself.. the story was a fast paced read for me and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel!!

Do not miss this masterful story that lays the foundation for what will definitely be a riveting series!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Roaring book press for the opportunity to read the arc!!

Ten incarnations of Rebellion- riveting and mesmerizing read

I have been an ardent fan of Vaishnavi Patel's work, with Kaikeyi being a firm favorite. Her lyrical writing melded beautifully with the epic mythology thenes she picked. This read, was a sharp left turn for me, from an expectations perspective.

Vaishnavi combined the ignominy of subjugation and the angst of familial bonds, both found and inherited, in a time of change. Her tone captures the rawness of emotions and the undercurrent of fear, hopelessness and the need for fulfillment among youth whose ambitions have been repressed. The tale is a beautiful panorama of the Indian freedom movement, where the existing heroes were dealt with by the British. Vaishnavi weaves threads of patriotism, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom as tangible as the angst of the lead, Kalki, her growth and the confluence of societal and political impetus that drive her.

I thoroughly relished the tale and the interspersed references to the dasavatar or the ten reincarnations that Vishnu took to preserve goodness on earth. While looking at morality and death surrounding a leaders choices and the consequences actions of rebellion bring, Vaishnavi spins a bold and flawed etching that hits closer to home truths and the prevailing tensions. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Poppy War and An ember in the Ashes. While magical systems may be missing, the writing and tone deals a mellifluous and lyrical ebb to this tale of the freedom struggle.

The tale follows Kalki Divekar, daughter of a ILM rebel, and fervent believer of freedom, in her quest for aiding the freedom movement despite being relegated to lowly roles due to her nationality and her gender. The research undertaken to bring out this nuanced tonality to the treatment meted out to folks is beautifully executed. Assisting Kalki, akin to three musketeers, are the compassionate Fauzia and the downtrodden Yashu. Their paths to individual glory and their collective planning form the basis of this gripping tale!

Many thank yous to Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for the ARC!

A forgery of fate - fast paced and fabulous ode to fairytales

 For fans of fairy tales, Asian lore and seekers of that frustrating, don't know whether to kill or kiss kind of romance, this tale is for you!!!

Elizabeth Lim kicks off in the vein of Six crimson cranes, a deep, poignant tale of a young girl in search of her father, and the realms she crosses to find true love and a happy ending despite the odds beset in her way..

Tru is a bold, brash and blue haired heroine, fiesty and yet cognizant of the need to temper her feelings to achieve her true goals.. putting her to test is the elusive, enigmatic Elang and his sidekick demon Shani... talking turtles, mermen and all manner of mystical creatures frolicking in this homage to the con, the artistry and the bond that connects all the underdogs in a fairy tale!! The tale kept me hooked and I devoured it in a day.. the storyline, characters and plot are simply sublime and carry you on a whimsical journey with twists and turns to shake you out of any sense of predictability.

Elizabeth Lim, hats off to you,  this story ranks among my best reads this year!! Well done!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!! This was an absolute treasure to receive!!!

Keeping the Score - Whimsy, charming and everyday dose of romance!

 "Love isn’t all hugs and kisses and puppies and kittens. It’s hard. It’s vulnerable. It’s sacrifice. It’s hurting when someone else hurts. Because of all those things , it takes courage to love."

I think this is the best quote from the book.. Kelly Jamieson writes a tale of fuzzy heart string tugging and soul shaking quiet moments where you are struck by what love truly is and how that remains the most elusive thing to communicate to those who matter most.

This tale weaves in three men and a baby to second chance romance to fine line from friendship to live to instant family tropes with due homage to Khalil Gibran!!! I mean the references are so well nuanced and the pacing of the tale makes you want to shake the living daylights out of tge two bumbling idiots taking a second chance..

I cannot gush enough, pick it up, it's a beautiful, quick read, perfect with some chamomile tea or a cozy blanket...