Beecham's Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted by Briar Somerset

 

Beecham's Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted 
by Briar Somerset

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

Gothic hearsay, the drama, and the most deliciously avoidable flirting I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This book is a triumph and I am physically hurt by that ending.

Set in 1849 London, this is the kind of story that wraps you in atmosphere from the very first page. Jacques and Annie are an absolute joy to follow, and the supporting cast, particularly Amah and her perfectly knowing looks, adds layers that make this world feel alive and richly textured. The beginning takes a little time to establish the history and backstory, but do not let that fool you because once it gets moving it flies. Every moment of setup pays off.

Kinda gave pride and prejudice, a restrained protagonist with a very specific reaction to a very specific situation, and a full cast of unreliable narrators then consider this your prescription. Your perfectly sized, gorgeously atmospheric novella.

And the audiobook. Christopher Tester and Krys Janae bring this story to life in a way that makes an already immersive read feel like an experience. Different accents, distinct characters, performances that pull you completely into 1849 London without ever letting you go. If you have the option, listen to this one.

It is a stunning opening to a series full of mystery and yearning, and I will be counting down every single day until Chateau Valmont and an Inheritance of Thirst arrives in spring 2026. The wait is already painful.

My Review:

Gothic hearsay, medico melodrama, and the most deliciously avoidable flirting I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This book is a triumph and I am physically hurt by that ending.

Set in 1849 London, this is the kind of story that wraps you in atmosphere from the very first page. Jacques and Annie are an absolute joy to follow, and the supporting cast, particularly Amah and her perfectly knowing looks, adds layers that make this world feel alive and richly textured. The beginning takes a little time to establish the history and backstory, but do not let that fool you because once it gets moving it flies. Every moment of setup pays off.

If you have ever wished Pride and Prejudice came with French endearments, a Southeast Asian second generation diasporic FMC, a restrained protagonist with a very specific reaction to a very specific situation, and a full cast of unreliable narrators then consider this your prescription. Your perfectly sized, gorgeously atmospheric novella.

And the audiobook. Christopher Tester and Krys Janae bring this story to life in a way that makes an already immersive read feel like an experience. Different accents, distinct characters, performances that pull you completely into 1849 London without ever letting you go. If you have the option, listen to this one.

It is a stunning opening to a series full of mystery and yearning, and I will be counting down every single day until Chateau Valmont and an Inheritance of Thirst arrives in spring 2026. The wait is already painful.

Paradise of Lies by Brittany Amara

 Paradise of Lies 

by Brittany Amara

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🫑

Blurb:

For a young woman whose time is running out, a healing trip to a dreamlike town becomes a nightmare of dark secrets, twisted obsessions, and inescapable truths in this propulsive speculative thriller.

Evangeline Windemere knows love. Despite her wealthy mother’s objections, it’s her rebellious boyfriend, Slater, who’s always been there for her. But Evangeline is struggling with a mysterious illness. Hovering between life and death, her only hope is in the compellingly handsome, silver-eyed Dr. Sebastian Blithe. He knows what’s best for Evangeline.

A restorative stay in Dr. Blithe’s estate in the remote town of Paradise will work wonders. With hills of grass uncommonly green for the desert, quaint shops, and fresh air, it’s like a dream come true. But something is wrong. Sebastian’s staff is evasive, and the town’s residents seem to revere the altruistic doctor. Then come the whispered warnings that Evangeline is not safe. When a strange marking appears on her flesh, Evangeline fears she’s awakening the dark side of Paradise.

Now Evangeline must search for the truth. As Slater journeys to Paradise to rescue her, the fate that awaits him and Evangeline is written in the stars…and in blood.

My Review:

Hooked from the very first page and I never looked back.

Brittany Amara's writing style is the kind that makes a book disappear in your hands. Fast paced, completely gripping, and dripping with mystery from the opening chapter. I was flying through pages without even realizing it because I simply had to know what happened next.

At the center of it all is Evangeline and her mysterious illness, which had me curious and unsettled from the moment it was introduced. Then a silver eyed stranger shows up and suddenly everything gets more complicated. Is he there to help or does he have something else entirely in mind? That question alone kept me turning pages. And Slater. Sweet, wonderful Slater who deserved absolutely everything good in this world and I was rooting for him with my whole chest.

The mystery builds beautifully and the blend of love, death, and revenge is exactly the kind of chaos I live for. God yes please. I had my suspicions about the good doctor early on, and watching those suspicions slowly confirmed while the creepiness escalated around every corner was genuinely so satisfying. There were moments I wanted to reach into the pages and drop kick certain people, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.

The ending was well deserved for every single character involved, and I walked away completely satisfied.

 Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1

by Kamome Shirahama, Stephen Kohler (Translator)

My Rating:🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🫑

Blurb:

A TOUCH OF MAGIC

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…

My Review:

I finished this and immediately started looking up the anime. That is the kind of hold this story has on you.

Coco is a young girl completely enamored with magic in a world that has long since written it off as a novelty, something to admire from a distance, never to practice. But when she discovers that the craft might not be as out of reach as everyone believes, curiosity takes over and she decides to try it herself. As these things tend to go, it does not go smoothly. One accidental spell later and her mother is frozen solid in a block of ice, Mr. Freeze's wife Nora style, and suddenly Coco has no choice but to leave everything she knows behind, find a witch school, and figure out how to undo the damage before it is too late.

It is magical. It is spontaneous. It is enormously charming. And then it does something that genuinely surprised me.

The magic system in this story is not vague and conveniently flexible the way so many fantasy magic systems tend to be, the kind that bend their own rules the moment a chosen one needs to save the day out of nowhere. In Witch Hat Atelier, magic is done by drawing. Pen to paper, deliberate and precise, like Deidara from Naruto channeling his art into something alive. And because of that, becoming a skilled witch works exactly like becoming skilled at anything else, practice, patience, repetition, and showing up even when it is hard.

That grounded approach to magic hit differently than I expected. It is not just a clever mechanic. It is a metaphor for what it means to be an artist, a craftsperson, anyone who has ever wanted to learn something and wondered if they were capable. There is something quietly inspiring about a story that says the magic is not in being chosen, it is in doing the work.

Witch Hat Atelier is a manga absolutely brimming with wonder, and the best part? The magic inside it is obtainable for everyone. All you have to do is pick up a volume and start reading.

No Gods West of Here by Hanna Gaard

 No Gods West of Here

by Hanna Gaard

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

A people-pleasing scholar. A dangerous cult leader. Good luck picking sides.

Talia Salaren is a brilliant scholar and obedient eldest daughter with a bright future decided by everyone but her.

Then she finds a dead god's salacious journal.

The secrets inside could unravel four centuries of empire. The gods were jerks, and their power was stolen, claimed by five families who built legacies on a lie. Families like hers.

With her life's work outlawed, Talia flees to Gateway, a frontier boomtown where divine magic is clawed from the earth like gold. She walks straight into a trap — a dangerous expedition led by a cult leader who is very good at making people want things they shouldn't. He has no interest in studying the gods. He plans to become one.

As their uneasy company pushes deeper into godforsaken territory, the myths she was raised to believe begin to fracture — along with the careful version of herself she's always performed.

The cult leader is wrong. She knows it.
For once, she wants to be wrong too.

If Talia doesn't choose what she stands for — and who she's willing to lose — she won't just have her heart broken. She'll become someone else's weapon.

My Review:

I have been sitting with this review for hours because I genuinely do not know where to begin. This book was so much more than I expected and I am still not fully recovered.

Talia is a scholar chasing secrets that were never meant to be found, and in the process she walks straight into the orbit of Lore, a cult leader with deeply concerning ambitions. From that moment everything escalates, and it never stops.

The plot is packed with twists and discoveries that constantly shift what you think you know. The deeper Talia digs into the history of the gods, the messier and more compelling everything becomes. I was completely invested from beginning to end.

The characters are where this book truly shines. Dawn was my absolute favorite, her relationship with Talia and her own story becoming one of the most compelling threads in the entire book. Riven brings a steady, protective energy that grounds the chaos. Holloway, Talia's childhood best friend and ex-fiancé, spends the book yearning and wildly out of his depth in the most entertaining way possible. And Lore manages to be charismatic, manipulative, dangerous, and completely impossible to ignore all at once.

Now the worldbuilding. It is a bizarre and brilliant melting pot of western frontier grit, high fantasy, fae mythology, hints of science fiction, and full D&D adventuring party energy complete with dragons and a little squirrel shaped companion. It should not work. It absolutely works.

Spice, humor, queer rep, dragons, and characters making increasingly questionable decisions. This is a masterpiece and you simply need to read it.

Florescentia by I.V. Ophelia

 Florescentia 

by I.V. Ophelia 

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

She summoned him for luck. He wants her for eternity. An inventor and a star-born beast collide in this hauntingly dark romantic fantasy by USA Today bestselling author I.V. Ophelia.

In the bioluminescent, star-worshipping city of Astraea, inventor and occultist Lucia Fairfax harvests a particular currency from the shadows—luck itself—drawn from a dimension she calls the Otherside. But when her latest ritual fails and her husband dies tragically, her carefully cultivated fortune bleeds dry.

Lucia’s desperate to restore her power, but her next ritual goes catastrophically wrong, summoning something far more Altair, a cosmic entity born of an ancient constellation. He is both human and not—impossibly seductive, unnervingly sentient, and the key to restoring what she’s a way to the Otherside.

Crossing into Altair’s realm is the most dangerous thing Lucia has ever done—and the most irresistible. There, she unravels the intoxicating secrets of the Otherside, the disturbing truth about her abilities, and the terrifying depth of his hunger. But with each revelation, escape slips further from reach. Trapped between worlds, Lucia must confront a devastating Love, desire, and ambition all have their price. And Altair is eager to collect.

My Review:

Florescentia by I.V. Ophelia

Five stars! No notes. Just pure, breathless, jaw dropping brilliance from beginning to end. I have never consumed a book so fast in my life, and I am still sitting here trying to process the fact that it is finished.

I.V. Ophelia has not let me down yet, and Florescentia is her most ambitious and stunning work. The Victorian gothic steampunk setting is unlike anything currently on the market, and the magic system built around harvesting luck is so wildly original that it feels like a genuine breath of fresh air. Not just a breath either. A full gust. The kind that knocks you completely off your feet within the first ten pages and refuses to set you back down.

The story flows effortlessly and grips you from the very first page. My mind was constantly buzzing with theories about what might happen next, and every single time the book proved me wrong in the most spectacular way possible. I lost count of how many times my mouth fell open.

And Altair. I genuinely do not know if I love him or want to throw him across the room, but the spice had me blushing in the best possible way. That is all I will say about that.

That ending though. THAT ENDING. I need book two immediately. I am manifesting it with everything I have. If you have not picked this one up yet, please fix that as soon as possible.

Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos

 Homeward for a Spell

by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice level: 🌶

Blurb:

In this cozy queer romantic fantasy from the award-winning authors of Homegrown Magic, two members in a motley crew of adventurers must confront monsters, hostile landscapes—and their growing attraction for each other.

Sage has made her living as a ranger, moving constantly between adventuring parties, but has never had the chance to lead one. So when she’s offered the chance to hire a crew of her own in pursuit of a rare magical artifact, it seems a dream come true—until she learns that they’re headed into the most inhospitable part of the kingdom with winter looming. Still, it’s a chance to finally put her name on the map… and how bad could it really be?

Araphi has always loved music, in defiance of her powerful family’s priorities. All she wants is one last chance to perform before she’s married to a man she does not love for the good of the family. So when she sees a poster seeking a bard for a party, she eagerly sneaks away to audition. Only to discover that the party in question is no festival, but an adventuring party, led by a woman she’s been fascinated with since she first laid eyes on her. It’s an unexpected twist, but if she takes the job, she’ll still be back in time for her own wedding… and how bad could it really be?

What follows is a life-altering journey for them both, filled with danger and misfortunes as their ragtag band of adventurers—most of whom have just met—must learn to work together to overcome the many obstacles before them. Not the least of which is the explosive chemistry between the rugged party leader used to watching her own back, and the pampered city-girl bard who may be far out of her element but is beginning to feel at home for the very first time.

My Review:

A sapphic cozy fantasy that has absolutely everything. Adventure, magic, monsters, emotional depth, character growth and two women who are absolutely perfect for each other.

Sage is a ranger who has never led her own party, until a dangerous winter mission to the Northlands finally gives her the chance. She assembles her crew and that crew includes a bard she knows, a bard she wants. Araphi is standing on the edge of an arranged marriage she never agreed to, ready to claim one last adventure led by a woman she cannot stop thinking about. A Ranger, a Bard, an Agent, a Healer, a Fighter and a Spellcaster walk into the Northlands and what follows is an unforgettable journey packed with misfortune, monsters, betrayal, battles, new friendships and chemistry that refuses to be ignored.

Sage slowly lets someone in for the first time and watching her walls come down little by little is such a joy. Araphi steps into her own confidence and learns her worth, using her music to connect with the world in the most beautiful way. Their dynamic is everything. The teasing, the banter, the wolves, the protectiveness, the hot spring, the tent, the ravens, the Swallow, the cabin, Arkney, the battle, the freedom. They wanted different things and fell for each other anyway.

The world is queer-normative in the most effortless and wonderful way and the plot carries real momentum beneath all the warmth and heart. The crew is chaotic and lovable, though their backstories deserved more space to unfold. Wren was an absolute standout and more of her is needed. The only real criticism is that lust occasionally overshadowed emotional depth, but the tender scenes more than made up for it. That scene before the gates is permanently lodged in the heart.

A love story told with warmth, adventure and a whole lot of soul. These two were made for each other and this journey was an absolute pleasure to be on.

The Divines by Rachel Greenlaw

 The Divines

by Rachel Greenlaw

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Blurb:

Sophia DeWinter will return so pre-order the sequel to the romantasy full of magic, romance and danger that everyone is reading in 2025, The Ordeals'A rich romantasy ideal for fans of dark academia' The Mirror

'The magic system is captivating, and the ending will leave you yearning for the second book' The Express

'Combines captivating world building, a seriously twisty plot, and a steamy romance… impossible to put down' Demi Winters, author of The Road of Bones

'Deliciously dark with high stakes and a sizzling hot romance, The Ordeals is not to be missed!’ Tessonja Odette, author of A Rivalry of Hearts

Readers ADORE The Ordeals:

'Mysterious, chilling, and utterly addictive' Reader review,*****

'This completely swept me away. The world-building is absolutely stunning' Reader review,*****

'Exciting and unique, quick paced and kept you guessing throughout' Reader review,*****

'I could not put down and devoured in one sitting. I absolutely recommend this book' Reader review,*****

'A quite creepy atmosphere and… Buffy-esque vampire slaying into the mix' Reader review,*****

My Review:

A breathtaking, high stakes conclusion that shatters every expectation and then delivers even more. The Divines picks up weeks after that soul crushing cliffhanger and hits the ground running without ever looking back.

Where The Ordeals gave us delicious rivals to lovers tension and dark academia, The Divines evolves into something far more visceral. This is a story about the staggering power of connection and the lengths people will go to for the ones they love. Sophia's growth here is incredible. Fiercely determined and completely unwavering, she fights for her people, for those she loves and even for the enemy, even when it costs her everything. She is the kind of protagonist that grabs the heart and refuses to let go.

The emotional weight is real and remarkably grounded. Tessa's grief is raw and honest, her found family anchoring her even when the world falls apart around her. Knox remains everyone's steady rock. The dynamic with Ezra is one of the most fascinating threads in the book, forcing Sophia into a genuinely complex journey of healing and reconciliation. And then there is Alden. An absolute ride or die who treats Sophia like she is the only thing that matters. Their bond is the heartbeat of this entire story.

The world expands beautifully, trading academic halls for a wild and unpredictable journey filled with lethal royalty, ancient legends and dangerous new characters that kept the pages turning at speed.

The Divines brings closure to the duology while leaving the door wide open for more and more is absolutely needed because this world is too good to leave behind.

An adrenaline fueled, emotionally rich must read. Releasing October 8, 2026. Pre-order it immediately.