This Shattered Tempest - Combustive ending to a beloved series

 If you have followed the Hurricane Wars and lived, cried and pulled your hair out in frustration at the tumultuous love story that eclipses Alaric and Talasyn, well then this is THE BOOK! After vanquishing the threat of the World Eater, a fragile hope exists for their political marriage to begin anew, with new policies, new allies and newfound trust in each other. That tender alliance is shattered in the worst possible way, replete with the violence and unnerving political power plays that Thea Guanzon imbues her stories with....

From scathing reunions, tottering alliances, mistrusting allies, this finale juggles a multitude of sides leaving the reader and the protagonists in a vortex of seething emotions. Reeling from past hurts and untold truths and secrets left lounging for far too long, Talasyn and Alaric emerge as the respective sovereigns in their Kingdoms, poised to wage an endless war, because some secrets feel worse than betrayal.... but can love just ever be enough?

I have three words for the readers who re-read the A Court of Wings and Ruin on repeat like me - Chapter Thirty Eight, that is the point where this story shifted for me, the plot line and arcs gave me the chills! Such a marvelous influx of self realization and dominance sheathed in silk and aether, written masterfully and justice delivered with panache! I LOVED this closure, this coming together of ends and it felt like coming home to a vision you had in another book, in another world.... impeccably and impossibly beautiful! Read at your peril, lose yourself and then go back and read it again.... it is THAT good!

My voidfell thankyous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for furnishing the ARC and my lightwoven gratitude to the magnificent Thea for bringing it to such a moving closure!

#OctoberReads #ThisShatteredTempest #COWARXshadowmancy #HurricaneWars

Daughter of the Tempest - Assassin's Creed meets Mythical Magic

 For exquisite and reverberating Throne of Glass vibes, enmeshed within towering Greek myths, this series will break you out like no other!

If you thrive of sisterhood and found family, where friendship reigns supreme across all life's travails, should you prefer a surge of secret magical beings and their genealogy explored and explained through each infuriating chapter, if your surrogacy for a tale spins in direct proportion to the dastardliness of the villain, and if your romance compass leans towards slow, sizzling and all consuming ardent adoration, then this multi POV gem of a sequel from the masterful Braidee Otto will stoke all those flames anew!

Braidee effortlessly spins a sequel stemming from the close kinship between Nyssa and Aella, as they both rail against the decisions they've been handed and struggle against an unfair divergence of their paths. Aella finds herself entering a bargain with the mysterious Xan, to train her Theikos, whilst Nyssa leads Maxim and Kallias, into a mystery involving missing Nymphs, all while hiding from the eagle in plain sight. Add in the political bickering and reuniting with old allies and missing friends, this sweeping romantasy packs a punch and then some! 

I loved the equation that developed between Nyssa, Kallias and Maxim, not to mention the thawing of Cynna, the adventure was swift, fast paced, with the fly and fall of the different character in alternating POVs - expertly executed and reads like a dream!

I absolutely CANNOT wait for more!! Brava!!!

My wind bent obeisance to Random House and Netgalley for offering the ARC, and my wingless harpaurai salute to Braidee Otto for reframing her earlier work with more of the adventure, uncertainty and cross continent mayhem that defines this series!

#OctoberReads #DaughteroftheTempest #BraideeOtto #TOGXGreekRetelling

Claimed By The Orc King - Southern Sass meets OtherWorld Orcs in an insane adventure!

 Delicious, devilish and deranged! This wonderful ALC took me down the rabbit hole with an Alice, bred solely on Southern Sass, and some macho orcs thrown into the fusion. The plotline was unhinged! Modern girl brings her own sense of self and panic attack infused stress to a whole new world, where she finds herself fighting against the tall, macho. sensitive male orc hunk who breathes life into her every wish...

Roxy Taylor has crafted a very nebular society, with a female centric powerplay, and Athen, our wonderfully foul mouthed protagonist, runs circles around their logic and protection, setting the foundations of their kingdom into cardiac arrest with being the only unbonded female in the land. Add in some mythical powers, and kaboom, you've got yourself a hot, heavy and explosively arresting storyline!

I loved the rendition by Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick as the frustrated, exasperated yet gobsmacked Viggo, who cannot believe his luck to have been mated with the effervescent Thena, and Vivienne LaRue, goes through the high and lows of Thena's insecurities whilst reveling in the combative foreplay with Viggo. With a bevy of lovable characters - Aesther, Grist, Jordan, Valder - this inane brand of magic fueled, world ending, sizzling love making and of course, the belligerent Southern Belle is an all round entertaining listen. I couldn't stop grinning like a mad woman when I had my earbuds on, earning more than my fair share of weird looks from people.

My effusive thanks to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for sharing the ALC. My bows and allegiance to Roxy Taylor for this incredible and mind blowing experience and to the narrators for giving voice to these fascinating characters.

#OctoberReads #ClaimedbyTheOrcKing #RoxyTaylor #MacmillianAudio #SouthernSassXOtherworldfantasy

Trust Fall - Gossip Girl X MidWestern Flair

 This IS IT!!! The worthy successor of the chaos in my senses left by Better Than the Movies, with Wes and Liz, whose potent chemistry i was searching in all her other books... Dame and Jules absolutely BROUGHT it!!! I had to stop myself from devouring it, and was constantly delaying finishing the book, because with some books, you NEVER want the magic to come to an end...

Lynn, in her quintessentially fabulous way, merges Gossip Girl with a small town mid western honest to goodness community vibe, and ends up smelling like pumpkin spiced latte!

The premise of a rich, eccentric uncle, handing over his inheritance and home to an unknown family from Nebraska was wildly hilarious and I completely got Dame's reaction! I mean he's worked hard and poured his heart out to his uncle, to be left out cold, I do not blame him in the least - he's as human as we get! and when he's asked to tutor Julia, his nemesis and the proprietor of his house, let the games begin! and they do - with fanfare, wildly exulting text exchanges and the skewering of thrill a minute teenage hormones that have become the hallmark of Lynn's work!

The magic is in the air as Dame is caught squarely between avoidance of all social norms to escape the crushing judgement of the societe, whilst also struggling to be himself around Julia's honest and open admiration. This was sheer brilliance which made the storyline! And the magnificent Uncle Remi quotes punctuating the start of each chapter!

I ADORE sibling entropies being brought in with Liam, Lauren and Teanna an absolute gold stars, and I'd love to see them in a sequel soon, maybe even Beckett and Don...

My falling in love and trust renewed thank yous to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for proving me an opportunity to savor and relish this tempting arc.

#TrustFallLynnPainter #Netgalley #UncleRemi #SeptemberReads

Queen of Lombard Street - Effervescent rise of Reina Martin and her motley household

 Dearest Reader, in our troubling times, where women must contend with being treated as lesser, be it power, be it position or simply the ownership, of, we, daughters, wives and mother, all, are treated as chattel, carelessly used and disabused of any notion of having a semblance of control in our very lives. Should we not, rise up, and provide a rousing cheer for our darling, Reina Martin, the Queen of Lombard street?

Be you, in search of romance, deep, sensitive and hard and lusty, or perhaps, in search of a more academic bent of mind, speared with intellectual insights and delighted by facts, perchance your interests lie with second chances, especially those reformed prisoners who suddenly find their peace in knitting needles or some sort, or you savor a chance to play detective, or simply bring order to chaos, then this magnificent offering from Lisa Kleypas will bowl you over!

Lisa brings this glorious, insane and absolutely riveting tale to life, with nods to the sweeping reformation of criminals, the slow insurgence of women in positions of power and wealth, a doff to the erudite scholars whose perseverance paved the way for more of the gentle folk to prevail and excel in male dominated professions! The tale moves across from a lonely but rich woman who wishes to establish her household, in the very street, her father was conscious to never be seen in her company, Reina Martin, empowered by her mother's insistence on a balanced education, finds herself armed with the law, finance and an indomitable spirit, which she extends to her cause of having a bustling household, replete with ex convicts and her best friend, June. John Pembroke finds himself at the helm of this motley crew, tasked with an investigation into the enigmatic Reina and her mentor Farlow's nefarious practices.

The story was fast paced, armed with deep midnight conversations, handsy abuelas, and poetry from a couple of Welshmen, what more could one ask for? A delight to revel and relish! this was a beautifully crafted found family tale for any social leopard!

My thank yous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing this ARC and my formal curtsy to Lisa for this gem!

#OctoberReads #QueenofLombardStreet #RebellionxSecondChances #Netgalley #AvonHarperVoyager

Knight of the God King - Victorian Women Knights vs the Dark

 This is my second Lauren Blackwood arc of the year, and it never gets old! A beautiful premise of knight protecting the King using a musical harmony for magic and a nefarious nebulous entity called the Dark. The royal palace, its intrigues and the long list of women in administration, Lauren definitely places them on weighty roles for the unwinding tale - a squire who was treated shamefully by his knight, a new royal knight who is blackmailed by her kin over her dark past and a powerless princess are thrown into the vortex of political mayhem and magical dissonance in this YA tale.

I adored the character arc for Cali, although, in some places, her tolerance and naivety made me want to scream, given she was smart enough to engage in flirting, it just seemed incongruent with her normally smart character. Other than that minor gripe, all's well! Beric was a beautifully stitched character, his past and his present, in confluence with the gimmickry being maintained at the palace, was akin to a tightrope walk - balanced and measured for absolute accuracy. 

This was a fast paced , quick read, and I managed to polish the ARC in a day.

My ebullient thank yous to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC! And I cannot wait to see what more Lauren has to unfurl in her upcoming ventures!

#Netgalley #KnightofTheGodKing #StMartinsPress #FemaleKnight

The Scarlett Ball - Selection but think horrific

 This atmospheric thriller with gothic vibes, muted suspense and a fascinating shop turned society girl with nerves of steel and immutable sense of self-preservation is an absolute delight!!! Nghi Vo wraps the reader, form the get go, in a cocoon of dark alleys, stormy nights and rampant street dogs, all in a day's work, for the shop girls in the City, a perfect setting to start out on an adventure. Judith, finds herself in a precarious position, tasked with impersonating a missing heiress, and charm her way into a world of elemental chaos. 

The three balls, Judith is contracted to attend, are for the powerful 400 families of New York, to bind their daughters to Demon Lords, and Judith needs to wear the face of a bastard, to carry out the impersonation. The social faux pas, traps and schemes that Judith gets pulled into as she tries to bring Ginny to life, are horrific, shocking and, frankly, sensational! I adored the twists and the finale! Such panache and unapologetic horror sprinkled throughout the tale! 

The macabre vibes are in the details of this one, and as an audiobook, the production team have done splendidly in culling the air of mystery and the mental fortitude to claw back from pits, that makes this tale so FANTASTIC! Natalie Naudus exudes a phenomenal performance as she effortlessly glides through Judith's monologues, voicing her thirst for power and acknowledging pain paves the way to that goal, giving the tale the shock of electricity needed to bring the vision to life, in all its gory details!

I polished the ALC in 2 days - could not stop myself! My scarlett thank yous to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC and my curtsies to Nghi Vo for a well executed chilling rendition!

#OctoberReads #TheScarlettBall #Netgalley #MacmillianAudio #SelectionXMacabre

Hallowed Bones - Haunting paranormal YA romance

 Cosmic Coven Cauldrons!!! If your heart races with unmentionable things groping in the dark, fueled by your darkest emptions, if you canno find yourself choosing between the scarred sensitive kind, wild and deep kind, erudite and perfect kind and of course, shadow daddy kind of book boyfriends , lose yourself in a schism of s magic system that unravels slowly with the tale's unfolding, feeding your senses and bringing new plotlines to light, and love all things dark and witchy - then this series opener will give you all that and then some!

Lucy Smoke draws out a sepulchral atmosphere in this new witch series, drawing on the Salem plotverse. The Sons of Salem are a dying coven who need a priestess - entering on cue, is Haven, their ingenue witch whose power entices and calls to them, her magical ignorance proving to be her undoing to her awakening powers. The coven are haunted by their pasts, which is a complicated web of hurts, betrayals and sacrifices, as they flounder to embrace Haven into their fold.

The writing is bold, crisp and moves at a break neck speed - I ravaged through it in a matter of hours - THAT good! With multiple romances blossoming and a world teetering on the verge of a supernatural serial killer, the pack have their tasks set and the book culminates in a glorious cliffhanger that will keep you vested for more...

My lupine thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for granting me the ARC! I cannot wait to see this series fully waxed!

#OctoberReads #HallowedBones #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #CovenMysterySeries

The Lost Spectacular - Romancing the losses in lyrical symphony

 Dearest reader, does a fathomless love of books, illustrations and versions tug at your lavender pressed memories of a days when pages mattered and being well read was the norm, does a whimsical rhapsody sifting through tomes and times with equal measure of endearment and mischief call to your soul, would divergent mindsets but a singular passion provide undercurrent enough to tempt you to romance?

Come, if you will, to the Spectacular - a collection of lost tales, things, loves and hopes, brilliantly reimagined and lovingly collected, through literature, time and seasons of existence - a memory, a place, a fleeting moment between words, anything and everything that can be captured - by whim, will or want, all for your enjoyment!

This book was EXTRORDINAIRE! A soft, mellifluent and gentle tale, that cultivates love, understanding and emotion without losing the bigger picture. I ADORED Noon and Munro - two sides to growing up after being exposed to the magic of the Spectacular, the circus unlike any other.  While Noon converges on the feeling, to build and provide the support via her bookshop, Munro pursues the curatorship, designing his museum to capture the embodiment of lost whimsy. At loggerheads in purpose, Noon is invited to run the Spectacular, much to Munro's consternation and there begins the tale....

Fluid, evocative and absolutely mesmerizing, Zoe Duhaime crafts a potent tale with misty escapades into the annals of literature that are reminiscent of sunny days, cozy couches and evoke the fuzzy childhood memories that these tomes preserve in their tales. A fantastic premise and an ebullient love story unfold, and I , for one, thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the experience!

My dhanyawaads and merci beaucoups to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for granting me the ARC! This was one the BEST reads in 2026!

#thelostspectacular #kensigntonpublishing #romancingwhatwaslost #netgalley #septemberreads

Disenchanted - Disgruntled witch wages war against fairytale mayhem

 Dearest reader, if you be in search of magically infused mayhem, wishing to brew a potency of fairy tale cursing and lavish thy attention on steadily slow burning romantic overtures, whilst plunging through emotional torrents of guilt, love and loss , through the bespectacled eyed of a scarlet haired wench, then cast thy eyes this way!

Lucy Jane Wood evokes the 'with great power comes great responsibility' quote from spiderman, tuning it to a witchy frequency. Sage hemlock has battled her errant magical symptoms away through sheer will of force, having lost her parents in a freak accident. She has dedicated her life to eradicating said powers from her life, family and community, in a bid to make herself normal. Her mentor to this endeavor is the ancient witch Lilara, who cast away her magic.

What follows is a riot of fairy tales as Sage unwittingly  sets loose the other witch's magic and tries to control the calamitous fortunes from befalling her friends, family and community. She is aided in this by the handsome, dapper and confusingly sweet Cas, and the spiritually steadfast Maggs, add in a cat familiar, Mal, and you have the insta witch quartet - ready to battle all evil that threatens their community.

My rose scented thank yous to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for granting my wish!

#Septemberreads #Disenchanted #disgruntledwitchXmagicalmayhem #Berkleypublishinggroup #Netgalley 

The Tarot Trials - terrifying, tumultuous and tantalizing read from Katee Robert!

 Hold on to your tarot cards folks - the future is a quick draw with violent exchanges on the cards between the major and minor arcana with a bluff of champions, competing in gladiator style to form the Cinque, who have final voting powers on the resource distribution and administration of the city. 

Kestrel, aims to be like her namesake, a harbinger of change for the isolated and impoverished dregs by taking her place in the Tarot Trials and securing her position as the champion of the Moon, reviving the bond her mother possessed before her act of treason, resulting in her being executed. Soaring in and out of pain, in an adrenaline infused bloodbath, the 17 champions of the Gods need to battle against each other, honing their divine powers, matching wits against the machinations of the lower court, while simultaneously furthering their individual propagandas. The formation of alliances, the hide and seek and the massive powerplays are stunning and visceral, as Katee Robert drags us, bruised, battered, kicking, screaming and hoarse, through the streets of the lower courts, with a promise of blood, atonement and unchecked power!

Lindsey Dorcus does a phenomenal job at bringing the story to life. With her natural inflections for the various characters and the pauses that absolutely sell the emotion, she excels at weaving the emotionally charged conversations with an infusion of realism! My favorite has to be the Tower and the stark admonishments of Death, the stoicism of the Wheel and the flirty playfulness of the Sun - she captures them all in effortless ease!

This was an gorge fest of arcane gods, political gimmicking, grand standing and playing a false system while trying to stay true to oneself! A stellar and sizzling opener to the series, and I CANNOT wait for the next one to come out! Brava to Katee for bringing the tarot to life while staying true to its archaic origins and giving it a deeper meaning! And my fortune laced thank yous to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to relish the ALC! It was a tumultuous listen, that I would go back to anyday!

#MacmillianAudio #TheTarotTrials #Octoberreads #hungergamesXtarotmagic

The French Illusion - Stoic interlude between corridors of power and kidnapping nexus

 Have you ever immersed yourself in a John Grisham novel? A book where there is no sensational plot twist, no sudden cliffhanger.. a throwback to when storytelling dealt more with the minutiae rather than self flagellation of characters, which felt like you had to channel your inner vibe with the MC to feel the tale - this novel is none of that.

What it is , however, is a SLOW, SEMINAL, TEXTBOOK THRILLER - no lengthy back stories, just a matter of fact rollout of a series of events, their consequences, effects and repercussions, laid out in fascinating detail by a master!

It has been a while since I picked up a Grisham, and i was hoping for more legalese in this one - while that remained unfulfilled, the phenomenal unfurling of a kidnapping with political, prejudice based justice, was mesmerizing! I polished the chapters off, in quick succession, and completed the book in a day!

The core plotline spins around the kidnapping of honeymooners in Paris, with the ransom set at $2 million per person, the bride released without consequence, but the groom, with ties to the military is detained, even after the ransom is paid and subject to visceral treatment and numbing capture. The brutality of unmonitored captivity and the inhumane subjugation techniques are ruthlessly explored, as are the procedures and regulations governing the involvement and bureaucracy of governmental departments orchestrating a time sensitive negotiation. Grisham being the mastermind, doesn't soften any blows nor does he side with any ideal - he just states it as it is, like the stoic sea of intrigue that he so effortlessly embodies!

My thank yous to Netgalley and Double Day Books for this Arc - it has been a throwback thursday kind of feel!

#SeptemberReads #TheFrenchIllusion #Netgalley #DoubleDayBooks

Victorious - Vale and Ever - the EO version of Kane and Abel - back for one final showdown!

 What EPIC endings are MADE of!!!

When you finish a trilogy, particularly one form the masterful authorship of V.E. Schwab, your expectations are already sky high, add in an ALC boon, read by the immensely talented Jeremy Arthur, whose modulation and accent lilts just BRING the verve and authenticity to the zany non linear plot lines, you CANNOT, but, GUSH!!!!

First of my extra-ordinary thank yous to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for reviving me with this ALC - so fabulous I finished it over the weekend!! I COULD NOT STOP listening! Quoting the author, Every line is immortal, until it is overwritten - thank you for keeping the substance and core intact!

Onto the storyline, what is the grand crescendo of every trilogy - bring back what was lost, revive the memories, indulge in nostalgia and of course, have a totally new extrapolation to the original plotline.

Victor Vale and Eli Ever were the Abel and Kane of the extraordinaries - each locked in a battle of science versus belief and manifesting powers beyond the ken of minds. This book sees Mitch and Sydney trundle forth with their new positions, Victor trying to get back his powers and June, finding some extraordinary friends... While at the other end of the gameboard EON has a makeover and a new sinister plot to subvert EOs.

The advent of the new characters are also stellar! Wreaked with memories, facing new demons and forming new alliances, the characters interweave and the non linear timeline of zooming forward and backward really adds to the plotlines (i was always reminiscent of heroes!)...

Chapter by chapter, we are reminded of the eccentricities, prejudices and personal biases that each of these marvelous main characters bring to fore - their grit, drive and end game are all laid bare! There is a major twist, and my, what a knife driven into the back!! spectacular!!!

The audio production was par excellence and really rounded the storytelling. Jeremy is immaculate in his enunciation and 1brings in the vivid coldness of Victor, the flirty playfulness of June, the raw insecurity of Sydney and the beefiness of Mitch (I don't know HOW he did, but HE DID!)

If you are in withdrawal from Vicious and Vengeful, then this one brings the entire tapestry of EOs to a full circle, providing closure, with a quintessential Schwab swipe! the last line is my absolute favorite!!! 

#Octoberreads #Victorious #VESchwab #macmillianaudio #EOspectacular

A Study in Sparkling - Special serving of sommelier splashed with second chance love

 After An academic Affair, I was underwhelmed, wondering how the magic of that sizzling literary duo and the university machinations could EVER compare to Fiona and Satoshi - I mean, we're talking a sommelier and a single mom of three!! I was not thrilled to start this book...

BUT

Once I started, the magical binding to relish, read and revere Jodi's work of art was renewed!! With wine knowledge and the suggestive notes which translated to the academic equivalent of the PhD duo. The banter was delish, the tension fraught and thick, and the chemistry was ridiculous!!! From the sheer depression that Fiona embodies and the helplessness in the lieu of her separation, to the beautiful softness and amazingly unique blend that Satoshi embodies - this book flew by - joy, sorrow, lust, love and the tenderness of family were blended in perfect proportion, leaving me unsatisfied in the least!

If Chess was my go to in the previous book, this book went to Lex and their fascinating insight and matter of fact staidness. I will also add a special mention to Isamu, who grudgingly grew to accept and admire - similar to Satoshi's evolving feelings. The staging of the chapters with the stunning exchanges of text, really refreshed the reading experience. Emotionally, the book was like a rasberry tart - with the delicate softness of understanding someone, tangy from the ability to rise from ignominy and acknowledge your own unique flavor, sturdy - the ability to support unconditionally and refreshing - not shying away from the reality of mom constantly questioning her choices!

My thank yous are served with both hands, elegantly, to Netgalley and Atria and my invitation to enjoy a drink (crafted by moi) extends to the wonderfully talented Jodi McAlister! 

The book is best enjoyed with a long island iced tea - a blend of beautiful ingredients with a sparkle towards the finish, savored and not imbibed!

#Septemberreads #Astudyinsparkling #secondchancelove #sommeliervibes

The Twelve Loves of Christmas - Bouquet of holiday spirits wrapped in strands of love

 Are you a fan of the hallmark Christmas collection - brewing romance : from enemies to lovers, second chances, holiday mix ups, holiday flings, puppy love, letter swapping, ethnic, cultural and sweeping through all the ways to bring in Christmas , you name it, we got it!

This was like a bouquet of a dozen red roses - each one with a unique spin with spunk, heart and soul - cute and compact that you could stick it in your back pocket and carry it with you, the warmth, the glow and just the feeling of togetherness that the season evokes. Be it soulful conversations, familial angst or disfunction, the holidays truly bring a time for change, those random interactions with strangers which would not occur the rest of the year and the seasonal migration to the homing nest and family / friend time.

I thoroughly relished all these escapades and the sheer variety of the author's viewpoints and unique perspectives on their romantic fantasies was sizzling, resonant with connection and made my toes curl up in my floppy slippers, curled in front of the fireplace with my favorite sugar cookies, another reminded me of snow gazing and just enjoying the stillness of a quiet christmas, another reminded me of the boisterous celebrations and the heady expectations of gift giving, while another was just about taking a chance, giving your story a new spin! all in all each version of these loved up holiday specials were wonderful!

My sugarplum thank yous to Atria and Netgalley for gifting me this bouquet - its fragrance is still lingering in my room!

#Septemberreads #holidayanthology #thetwelvelovesofchristmas #atria #netgalley

TheDarkLordsGuideToHoneymooning - devastating, devious and deliciously deviant!

 What's mine stays mine

Tiffany brings back THE absolute BEST of the dark lord, imperious, overbearing, powerful and utterly putty at the hand of Arabella. In this edition, the past lives of both The Dark Lady and Lord are under the microscope - leading to moments of unabashed lovemaking and soul searing confessions, between rounds of explosive innovations, curt dismissals and the pinnacle of power struggles between the iron fist and the velvet glove, all under the watchful silver gaze of a certain purple fire spewing pink dragon!

From traipsing across the lands, to assassination attempts, collision course with the syndicate and the ensuing power struggles, to discovering Auremar's plan, finding new allies (a certain scone baking flower lord), to unmasking the pain of their respective pasts while trying to be honest with each other, and giving grace for the unconditional acceptance that they have been blessed with - Kaz and Bella are hurtled from one chapter to the next - at breakneck speed and the intricate plots keep the hairpin bends sharp and leaves you breathless!

The sharp retorts, weird activities and misguided kidnappings, and the stark normalcy that pervade the moments of togetherness interspersed by world ending chaos - Tiffany refuses to let us breathe - my jaws are aching from smiling, my soul is set adrift from the travelling, the secrets and the nuggets shared of Vex, Malphas and Amryska - I NEED the next book, stat!

The vibe that this series began with, the ruthless savagery punctuated by comic relief and the passionate throes of i-cannot-keep-my-hands-off-you are preserved, pickled and absolutely DELISH in this current installment. Tense, seductive, heartwarming and gut-wrenching all at once! I bend my knee to Tiffany, Mistress of the wicked humor syndicate and doff my hat to the chairs of Scarlett Press and Netgalley - my allegiance to this series is unwavering!

#TheDarkLordsGuideToHoneymooning #NetGalley #darkcomedy #miningpasts #foundfamily #septemberreads

Avalon Tower - Arthurian retelling with modern spikes

 If Arthurian legends, the enmeshing of modern technology and magic appeals to your innate sense of being, if miscommunications and crossed wires sizzle your inner romantic, if falling through a rabbit hole to a new world and rules bask your sense of wonder, if trials and tests and exposure to new powers capitulate your visceral sense of magic, if political gambits, cycling through legends and the proverbial lost childhood trope adds angst to your sense of a well developed character arc, then do pick up this series.

The author group does a phenomenal job of melding in the nautical and geographical aspects of the magical war into tangible physical proponents. Where I thought the plot fell flat was when we actually got to Avalon tower, I felt lost from the mappable quality that permeated ventures into the real world - it was underwhelming, despite the newfound friends and their quirky powers, the bully and the myriad challenges that ensued, the trials, the missions. What may have helped was a background into why the demi fae and the fae were actually estranged, and perhaps the next novel will lean further into that rift. To the extent that my favorite part of the book was the bonus chapter with Mordred - wish more of that literary magic seeped through the rest of the tale.

This was an enjoyable tale, best befitted with the trappings of high tea and a spray of flowers, for luck, and of course, lavender cake!

Thank you to Scarlett Press and Netgalley for furnishing the ARC!

#Septemberreads #Arthurianlegend #AvalonTower #Mythicalmagewar

Tempest - Slow, seductive swim into the Lyrian Sea

 Does a ingénue heroine who comes into her power, masterfully, regally and ruthlessly, appeal to your sense of self? Would tensions brimming between a tempestuous pirate captain, whose moods and freedom are vast and engrossing and a straightlaced, captain of navy with scruples and loyalty tested by their attraction to said femme fatale, beguile your senses? Would a teeming adventure of Kingdom versus rebels held on the high seas, where a tyrannical kingdom wishes to colonize all the islands and behead the criminalist piracy sing to your sense of wonder? Could a tale walking a tightrope between the protagonists in a past versus present flow mellifluously to the aforementioned spin of fatalism pervading the Meridian empire?

If the answers to all the above is yes, welcome to the Lyrian Sea duology by the impeccable Victoria Aveyard! 

Tempest was a study of tensions - from the get go - the palpable string was drawn tight around the Widow Rose and her interactions with all and sundry twist into a neat web - with want waging war with loyalty and lust wreaking havoc against strategy. I loved Cat - her moods and ownership and guilt over her past and her unapologetic row to safer havens, belying the destruction it would warrant.

This one is a keeper! An adult romantasy where the the slow burn simmers, sizzles and caresses you like the salt water and sand at your feet - never quite coming together but teasing all the same in the powerful undercurrents!

My humble thank yous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing me with the arc! This one is best enjoyed with hearty rum or better yet tequila (taquil) in a not quite clean glass!

#sepetmberreads #tempest #piratesxmagic #slowburntensions