Half City by Kate Golden

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

My Review:

Half City by Kate Golden

What in the actual hell was that ending?! Because I finished this book and just sat there staring at the wall for a minute. And now I have to wait until October for book two?! The audacity. I can’t even preorder it because I’m hoping my subscription box will include the sequel, which means I’m just going to be sitting here thinking about that ending for months.

Before I really get into it, let me say this: nothing about this review is going to stop me from picking up the next book. Not even close. I genuinely enjoyed this story as a whole. That said, the beginning was a little bit of a climb for me. There’s a lot of worldbuilding and setup happening right away—systems, history, rules of the world—and it can feel like a lot to take in at first. But once the story settles into itself, things start moving and it becomes a much more gripping ride.

Viv is a hunter, think along the lines of Dean and Sam Winchester, tracking supernatural creatures that most people don’t even know exist. Hunting runs in her blood, literally. It’s a genetic legacy passed down through generations, and it comes with something darker: a craving for the violence that comes with the job. The problem is, Viv is the last of her kind. No family who understands what she is, no one who shares that instinct. Just the constant weight of being alone with it.

Everything changes during a hunt when she’s followed, and confronted by a demon. Instead of trying to kill her, he gives her information: there’s a school for hunters, a place where people like her train to fight the supernatural. If she truly wants to protect the world, that’s where she needs to be.

So she goes.

And for the first time in her life, Viv feels something dangerously close to belonging.

Of course, nothing is ever that simple.

Girls at the school start disappearing, secrets start piling up, and the deeper Viv digs, the more unstable everything around her becomes. Trust starts to feel impossible. Even the people closest to her might not be who they claim to be. Along the way she’s navigating friendships, dangerous choices, and an extremely hot demon coach who absolutely complicates things in the best way.

This story is very plot-driven, and there are definitely characters in here you’re going to hate. Honestly, some readers might even hate Viv herself. But here’s the thing she’s in her early twenties, carrying the weight of being the last of her kind, living in a world where everything wants to kill her. She’s isolated, scared, and trying to survive while figuring out who she can trust. Of course she makes messy choices. I actually appreciated that about her. She felt human in a situation that would break most people.

And when everything starts unraveling? She’s the one who has to step up and try to save the world. Which, let’s be honest, is exactly the kind of chaos we all sign up for when we pick up books like this.

One thing I loved? She finally dumped the loser. I was cheering. That man was giving absolutely nothing and if anything seemed more interested in her mom than her. Good riddance.

And that ending… I’m still not over it. It was wild in the best possible way and left me desperate to see what happens next.

If you’re looking for a book where the FMC has her life perfectly together, this is not that story. But if you’re ready for a chaotic, supernatural ride full of secrets, tension, questionable decisions, and characters that will absolutely get under your skin, you’re probably going to have a great time with this one.

Because messy heroine or not… I’m already counting the days until book two.

 Bearly Mated by Lola Glass

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊⯨

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶

Blurb:

I'm being paid to have a bear shifter's baby.

He happens to be my childhood best friend who I was in love with for half my life, and haven't seen in years.

If I wasn't so desperate for money, I wouldn't have turned to him.

But I am, so I sign the mating contract and agree to let the big, sexy jerk breed me.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be pregnant within a month, and able to pay off all of my dad's bills within a year.

But it doesn't go according to plan.

Because he keeps calling me his.

And refusing to leave.

And feeding me.

I can't let myself fall back in love with him… but I have no idea how to stop it.

*This is a short, steamy, romantic novella with a happily ever after!

My Review:

Bearly Mated by Lola Glass was such a cute, feel-good read. It’s exactly the kind of book you pick up when you want something light, fun, and guaranteed to leave you smiling. Honestly, the serotonin boost I get from a Lola Glass book should probably be studied. If you’re in a reading slump or need a break from heavier, more emotional genres, this is the perfect kind of story to lift your mood.

The story follows our FMC as she tries to repay her father’s debts after his death. In an effort to solve her financial problems, she comes up with a wild but oddly practical idea, becoming a “bear incubator” for bear shifters who want cubs but don’t stick around long enough for traditional relationships. It’s unconventional, a little chaotic, and makes for some entertaining moments.

Things get even more interesting when her best friend, who also happens to be a bear shifter, decides he absolutely does not like the idea of other bears getting involved with her. His protective instincts kick in hard, and instead of letting someone else step in, he adds himself to her contract. What starts as a practical solution quickly turns into something deeper, and watching their relationship shift from friendship to something more was sweet and satisfying.

Overall, this was a cozy, bubbly paranormal romance with lovable characters and plenty of charm. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and just lets you enjoy the ride, and sometimes that’s exactly the kind of book you need

 Grave Matter by Karina Halle

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊⯨

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.



Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.


But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.

My Review:

Grave Matter by Karina Halle

This book completely messed with my head. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s a better way to describe it. From the very beginning I felt like I was walking through the story with this constant sense of dread, wondering what terrible thing might be hiding around the next corner. I love a good mystery and suspense, but Grave Matter goes far beyond that. It blends horror and romance in a way that is unsettling, intense, and impossible to look away from.

The strange thing is, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. This book made me deeply uncomfortable at times… and yet I couldn’t stop reading. It had that pull, the kind that makes you turn the page even when part of you almost doesn’t want to know what comes next. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t horrified for every single character in this story. There were moments where I caught myself thinking, what if things like this really do happen? And that thought alone made the whole experience even more chilling because nothing about it felt completely impossible.

Karina Halle is such a gripping storyteller. She has this incredible ability to weave together lies, secrets, and deception so seamlessly that you’re never quite sure what’s real. One moment you think you’re heading toward something soft and hopeful, something that might end in chocolate and roses… and the next moment the ground shifts beneath you.

This is a dark book. There are themes here that will absolutely make some readers uncomfortable, and I think that’s worth mentioning.

But I’m not one of those readers who avoids that. For me, if a book can make me feel something, fear, discomfort, tension, anything at all, then it has done its job. Books that leave you numb are the forgettable ones.

And this one? It’s anything but forgettable.

My rating system is usually based on rereadability, and while I can confidently say this was a good book, I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever pick it up again. Not because it wasn’t powerful, but because some of the scenes were so disturbing they’ve burned themselves into my memory. Even now, as I’m writing this review, flashes of those moments are still playing in my head.

This is the kind of story that lingers. The kind you finish and then sit there for a moment, just letting the weight of it settle.

And I have a feeling it’s going to stay with me for a long time.

 Red by S.J. Sanders

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

There were certain truths everyone knew. Never wear red or any other bright color. Make as little sound as possible if one had to be outside the protection of the sanctuary settlements. And never, ever, go out in the wild places alone. The Ragoru, an alien species set down to live among them, dwell within the forests and everyone knows that they crave all things red.

Arie’s life has always been one of playing by the rules. She doesn’t draw attention to herself. She doesn’t leave her home without her hood that conceals her bright red hair. It is a secret from everyone, and her hood protects her secret so that she may continue to live safely within the village until one day that secret comes to light. Absconding into the woods soon becomes her only safety, and she will risk her very life into the care of the very dreaded beings that all people fear, the Ragoru, in hope of making it to her grandmother’s house in the citadel at the other side of the great forest.

When circumstances reveal them to not be the monsters of human imagination, but that they stir the ravenous beast within her, Arie finds that she is willing to risk far more to find a way to be with them forever. Even if that means severing ties with her grandmother, rejecting the human comforts of the citadel, and facing the horror of the Order of the Huntsmen.

A new spin on the Little Red Riding Hood Story, bringing a well known fairy tell to a dystopian future with a wolfish alien species.

My Review:

This book had been sitting in my Kindle for the longest time, one of those titles I kept meaning to get to but somehow never did. So I finally made a “wheel of reads” to force myself to pick books I’d probably keep ignoring, and I’m so glad Red landed on it.

I saw some mixed reviews going in, but honestly I feel like a lot of those came from people who just aren’t fans of monster romance. Because if you are a monster romance lover, this book is fantastic. The story is clearly inspired by a familiar fairy tale, but the way S.J. Sanders twists it makes it feel completely fresh and original. The worldbuilding pulled me in immediately, and the plot kept things moving in a way that never felt dull or repetitive. There really wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t enjoy.

Our FMC is cast out of her village after refusing to marry an old man who feels entitled to her. In retaliation, he rips down her hood and exposes her red hair, something that is strictly forbidden in the colonies. Color itself is outlawed, but red is the worst of all because it’s believed to attract the alien wolves that haunt the wilderness. Forced out and furious, she burns down her house on the way out and flees into the forest, leaving chaos behind her.

Once she enters the forest, she quickly realizes that the world is much bigger, and far more dangerous, than she was ever told. The woods are filled with creatures and monsters she never even knew existed. When she’s rescued by a triad of Ragoru, everything she thought she knew is challenged. Her entire life she was told to run from them, that they were brutal creatures who only hunted and devoured humans. But as she spends time with them, she slowly discovers that the truth is very different. The Ragoru are protective, loyal, and surprisingly tender, more compassionate than many of the humans she left behind.

The story kept my attention from start to finish. There was never a moment where I felt bored or tempted to put it down. The narrators also did an amazing job bringing the characters to life, giving each of them their own personality and making it easy to tell who was speaking.

If you’re looking for a monster romance with touch-her-and-die energy, three fiercely devoted mates, and a heroine who slowly opens her eyes to a whole new world, then this book is absolutely worth picking up.

 Bloodsinger by Juliette Cross

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating:  🌶🌶

Blurb:

DELUXE EDITION―featuring a foiled case stamp, designed endpapers, and beautiful stenciled edges that, together with Firebird (and the final book in the trilogy next year), will form one stunning piece of art.

New York Times bestselling author Juliette Cross returns with a new scorching dark romantasy in her The Fire That Binds trilogy. The fate of a powerful witch who can control men with one taste of their blood and a fierce dragon collide.

A spellbinding gift...
A plea answered by the gods...
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome.

When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested… and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement.

But Trajan Tiberius, the newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before.

Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn't just her life at stake, but also her heart.

Bloodsinger is an adult romantasy novel that contains dark themes, including slavery in Ancient Rome and self-injury, which may be uncomfortable for some readers.

My Review:

I loved the first book in this series. Solid four stars, no hesitation. But Bloodsinger? This one took everything I enjoyed and sharpened it. Darker. More political. More emotionally layered. And on audio? Completely consuming.

I finished this audiobook in two days. Two. Days. I simply could not stop pressing play.

Lela and Trajan absolutely had me. Lela’s story is brutal from the start her wedding night destroyed, her future ripped away, her body sold into slavery in dragon-ruled Rome. And yet, what I loved most is how quickly she decides she will not stay powerless. Her bloodsinger gift is terrifying and intimate in a way that feels dangerous every time she uses it. There’s vengeance simmering in her veins, but also grief, restraint, and this quiet strength that builds as the story unfolds.

And then there’s Trajan.

What makes their romance work so beautifully is the patience. The care. The emotional restraint. This is not an instant-chemistry, everything-on-fire kind of love story. It simmers. He earns her trust inch by inch. The way he handles her trauma, the way he protects without overpowering, the way he waits it felt intentional and so deeply respectful of what she’s been through. A fast romance would have cheapened this story. Instead, the slow burn feels earned and completely natural.

But let’s talk about what truly elevated this experience: the audiobook.

Blair Dade and Kale Williams didn’t just narrate this story they embodied it. Blair brought Lela’s pain, fury, and vulnerability to life in a way that made my chest tight more than once. You could hear the steel forming beneath her grief. And Kale? His Trajan was layered controlled, conflicted, quietly intense. The emotional tension between them wasn’t just written on the page; it was alive in the performance. The pauses, the restraint, the way their voices shifted in vulnerable moments it all made the slow burn hit even harder.

There’s something about experiencing political intrigue and dragon-filled skies through audio that makes it feel bigger. The Senate scenes felt heavy with tension. The looming threat circling Rome felt ominous. And when Lela’s power flares? You feel it.

I also love that this series stays grounded in the same world while shifting to different couples. The larger rebellion against Rome’s cruelty and inequality continues to move in the background, weaving everything together. Familiar characters appear just enough to keep the world cohesive, and following these three powerful sisters as they each claim their power and their love stories? It’s incredibly satisfying.

This installment dives deeper into the politics without ever becoming dull. The stakes feel higher. The emotional arcs feel stronger. And that setup for book three? I am both impatient and fully prepared to suffer through the wait.

If you enjoyed Firebird, this one is even better. If you’re debating between physical and audio? I cannot recommend the audiobook enough. The narration transforms an already strong story into something immersive and unforgettable.

We Become Darkness by Grace Marrow

 We Become Darkness

by Grace Marrow

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶

Blurb:

A human and a vampyr forge an unsteady alliance in this marriage-of-convenience romantic fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and One Dark Window.

Thalia, Princess of Agripa, has spent the last four years hunting her ex-lover, Cassius—the man who shattered her heart and betrayed her kingdom by becoming a Vampyr. Vampyrs and humans have had a tenuous past since Thalia’s father and sister were murdered thirteen years ago. But with Agripa’s ore supply—the lifeblood of human cities—running out, Thalia’s mother strikes a desperate and dangerous deal: Thalia will marry a Vampyr prince in exchange for their ore.

Thalia is blindsided by the arrangement—and horrified to find Cassius, now serving as the prince’s Hand, is the man tasked with bringing her to the Vampyr kingdom safely. To save her people, she agrees to the marriage: but plans to dismantle the Vampyr kingdom from within
by killing the prince.

The Vampyr court is rife with danger and secrets, and Cassius is always watching. When a monstrous new threat emerges, Thalia realizes the safety and security of their world is far more fragile than she ever believed.

Caught between duty and desire, Thalia must grapple with her feelings for Cassius and decide if she will fulfill her duty to the human crown or embrace the darkness within herself to protect both realms.

We Become Darkness is an atmospheric romantasy perfect for fans of Nosferatu to sink their teeth into.

My Review:

We Become Darkness follows Thalia, princess of Agripa, who is forced into a political marriage with the prince of the very creatures she loathes, the vampyres. Instead of the prince, her sworn enemy and former lover turned vampire, Cassius, stands in as proxy for their vows, binding together two kingdoms that have every reason to remain at war. Thalia travels to Vaccarium with a secret mission to destroy the vampyres from within, but once there she discovers a dangerous sickness spreading through their kingdom. As tensions rise and old feelings resurface, she is forced to choose between revenge and something far more complicated, the fragile security of both the human and vampire worlds.

This was an incredibly atmospheric and vivid read. I loved how immersive it felt from the very beginning. The world building never talked down to the reader. Instead, it trusted you to pay attention and piece things together, which made the experience even more satisfying. There is a menacing undercurrent throughout the story, especially surrounding the mysterious sickness and the monsters lurking in the shadows, and it kept me completely hooked.

The twists were one of my favorite parts. A few I suspected because of the careful details woven into earlier chapters, which made their payoff feel earned, while others genuinely caught me off guard. I also appreciated that not every thread was neatly tied up by the end. There are lingering questions that have me eager to see where the story goes next.

As a newer vampire story, this one completely won me over. I am absolutely in love with We Become Darkness and cannot wait for more.

Whispers of Eden by Robin Cardoon

Whispers of Eden 

by Robin Cardoon

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

Whispers of Eden offers a high-stakes blend of contemporary fantasy, romance, adventure, and hints of science fiction.

Twenty-five-year-old Valerie had it all: a loving family, a doting fiancé, and a stable career. Then a state-mandated ceremony exposed her as an ovinag: a social menace, doomed to evil. Assassins now stalk her every move.

As her execution date nears, Valerie uses her magic stealing ability to portal jump to Eden—a reclusive planet harboring legendary monsters. There she meets a man… with secrets of his own.

When ominous threats follow Valerie to Eden, her protector yearns to keep her safe. But burning the world would only breed more enemies.

Torn between survival, social upheaval, and saving other ovinags, Valerie must decide whom she can trust. She may not only doom everyone she holds dear, but put all of Eden at risk.

My Review:

There’s something quietly mesmerizing about Whispers of Eden. It’s the kind of story that settles into your bones rather than racing through your bloodstream, soft at first, and then suddenly you realize it’s wrapped itself around you. Robin Cardoon builds a world that feels both eerily familiar and entirely untouchable, laced with secrets, whispers, and the sense that something bigger is always just beneath the surface.

At the center of it all is Valerie, a twenty-five-year-old woman whose perfectly ordinary life shatters in a single, state-mandated ceremony. One moment she has a loving family, a fiancé, a future. The next, she’s labeled an ovinag, a social threat destined for evil, and marked for execution. The concept alone hooked me. There’s something deeply unsettling about a society that decides who you are before you’ve had the chance to become it.

Valerie’s magic, her ability to steal power and portal jump, launches her to Eden, a reclusive planet whispered about like legend, filled with monsters and danger. The portal travel was one of my favorite elements. It felt expansive and cinematic, adding layers to the story without overwhelming it. Eden itself has a distinct atmosphere, mysterious, lush, and slightly feral around the edges.

And then there’s the romance.

I really appreciated how Cardoon handled it. Fated dynamics can sometimes feel forced or overly convenient, but this relationship felt imperfect in a way that made it believable. There are secrets, hesitations, emotional walls, things that make two people feel human rather than destined chess pieces. It’s subtle, tender, and open-door without being graphic, which I think will work well for readers who want connection and intimacy without heavy spice.

The world-building is ambitious, blending contemporary fantasy with touches of science fiction, political tension, and high stakes. There are assassins, social upheaval, moral gray areas, and the looming question of whether saving yourself is worth risking everyone else. Valerie’s internal struggle, survival versus responsibility, adds emotional weight that carries through the story.

That said, there were moments where the pacing slowed more than I would have liked. At times, things felt slightly over-explained, and I found myself wishing the story would trust the reader a bit more. I also can’t quite shake the feeling that something was missing, though I genuinely can’t pinpoint what. Maybe it’s just that intangible spark that turns a good story into an unforgettable one.

Still, for a debut? This is a strong start.

There’s heart here. There’s originality. There are fresh twists on familiar fantasy creatures and tropes that kept me interested. Even when I struggled to stay fully immersed, I could see the potential shining through.

Whispers of Eden may not be flawless, but it’s thoughtful, layered, and full of promise. And if this is Robin Cardoon’s first step into this world, I’m very curious to see where she goes next.