The Reader by Hope E. Davis

I feel anger... irrational anger!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Synopsis: 

Perfect for fans of the plot of Quicksilver and the magic system of One Dark Window, The Reader is an adult romantsy with dystopian themes written for those who feel powerless in life because of their stature, position, or gender.

I was born into this life only to walk another
Until the front lines began to falter
The viscount came and knocked on my door
Demanding that my brother join the war.
I disguised myself and volunteered in his stead
Only to discover I wasn’t the person they thought they had.

Forced to pass on magic, I lived my life in chains
But little does the viscount know…
I’m the biggest threat to his unending reign.

My Review: 

Cliffhangers should come with warning labels, because The Reader by Hope E. Davis ends with one that nearly ended me. When I saw “Seeker August 2025” at the end, I genuinely thought the sequel was already available. Discovering that it won’t release until next August felt like emotional sabotage. Once I recovered from that heartbreak, I realized the book itself was worth every bit of the chaos it caused.

The Reader offers a gripping premise set in a world where families are restricted to only one child. Runa, however, is a hidden twin, forced to live her entire life pretending to be her brother Milo. She dresses like him, talks like him, and essentially becomes him in order to protect her family from harsh consequences. The fragile lie starts to crumble when her parents overlook one crucial rule: every firstborn son must enlist in a brutal, never-ending war. That moment marks the end of Runa’s disguise and the beginning of her true story, one shaped by sacrifice, danger, and a world far more intricate than she ever realized.

Runa herself is an incredibly compelling protagonist. She’s selfless in that classic romantasy-heroine way, strong, loyal, and willing to give everything for the people she loves, and that very trait makes it all too easy for others to take advantage of her. Her relationship with Milo is especially frustrating; he is selfish, oblivious, and frankly undeserving of the protection she’s given him all her life. In contrast, side characters like Friar and Astrid absolutely shine. They add heart, humor, and depth to every scene they’re in, and I sincerely hope they play an even bigger role in the next book.

While the pacing slows in places, much of that stems from the complexity of the magic system, which demands close attention. The worldbuilding is layered and detailed, and the relationships, both romantic and familial, are messy, morally gray, and emotionally charged. The family dynamics in particular are uncomfortable in a way that feels intentional, highlighting just how much Runa has been forced to sacrifice.

By the time I reached the final pages, I was furious in the best, most emotionally invested way possible. The ending is bold, dramatic, and guaranteed to linger in your mind. I have a long list of questions I desperately hope will be answered in book two, along with one very firm opinion about the love interest I’m rooting for. From his first appearance, he became the one for me. He deserves so much more than he’s gotten so far, and if Runa doesn’t appreciate him properly, I absolutely will. He can be my Weighted mate any day.

Despite the agony of waiting for the sequel, The Reader is a powerful and compelling beginning to a series with rich worldbuilding and unforgettable characters. I’ll be counting the days until the next installment arrives.

Cold Sweat by

 Cold Sweat by Vera Valentine

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

(Unhinged)

Synopsis: 

Fleeing college pressure, Jules heads home to rest, recharge, and figure out a plan before fall break ends. Eager to spend time with her mother and stepfather, there's one presence she's less thrilled about Red.

The sentient, smirking pitcher of Cherry Chill-Assist Punch was a huge pain in the glass. He'd been getting under her skin for two years now, ever since their parents' wedding day. Red's taste in entertainment and weirdly suggestive commentary were driving her crazy, a destination she was capable of finding all on her own.

With big life decisions looming, his antics shake up Jules' already-fragile peace, steering her towards a leisurely evening in her mom's new sauna. It seems like the perfect remedy for stress...until Red invites himself along. Close, steamy confines have a way of outing secrets, and Red has a huge one he can't keep on ice any longer.

Will Jules be able to resist her thirst for the unknown, or will the truth about her stepbrother refresh her perspective entirely?


***
Cold Sweat is a PARODY MF sentient object romance novella between a human woman and a large, glass pitcher of Cherry Chill-Assist drink mix. No, that's not a metaphor. It's made of glass. Yes, I am referring to exactly what you think I am. Yes, this was written by the same woman who wrote the door one. And the balloons. And the boat.

At this point, you know what you're getting into, friends.

Full content considerations will be in the book, and readers are always welcome to reach out to the author directly with any questions or concerns. I appreciate your company and support on this wild, weird authoring journey!

My Review: 

Cold Sweat was an experience, truly unlike anything I’ve ever read or listened to in my entire life. I went in thinking I understood “taboo romance.” I thought I had seen things. I thought I had read things. But nothing prepared me for this fever dream of a story.

I listened to the audiobook, which immediately threw me off-balance because the narrator is the same voice actor from Quicksilver by Callie Hart. So imagine my confusion when a voice I associate with morally-gray, brooding men suddenly starts voicing… a pitcher of Kool-Aid. A literal pitcher. With feelings. With desires. With opinions. I didn’t know whether to laugh, gasp, or just sit in my car reevaluating my life choices.

There were moments when Red genuinely sounded like a regular man, just a guy navigating complicated family dynamics and forbidden longing. And then suddenly the book would hit me with something like, “The ice clicked on the rim of his glass pitcher,” and I would absolutely spiral. How do you emotionally process a line like that? You don’t. You simply ascend.

And this story isn’t just taboo because the love interest is, again, a Kool-Aid pitcher. No, no. The author said, “Let’s go further.” He’s also her stepbrother. I swear I am not making this up. If I were, I promise I’d come up with something more believable.

But here’s the wildest part: it wasn’t… bad? Against all odds, I wasn’t miserable. I wasn’t cringing the whole way through. I was mostly baffled, but also weirdly entertained. I kept listening because I had no idea what could possibly happen next, and the book never once disappointed in the chaos department.

And if you’re curious, because I know someone is, yes, Red is cherry-flavored. And yes, the book absolutely goes there with his fluids. I’ll let your imagination take it the rest of the way, because mine is still recovering.

If you’re in the mood for something short and so bizarre it circles back to being compelling, Cold Sweat might be the strangest little adventure you never knew you needed.

(My two moods while reading this!)

 The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

T'was spicy

(Yeah, this sums it up! Give me all your 

darkness and let me love you anyways!)

Synopsis:

THE CHOSEN ONE

I vow. You vow. We vow.

Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.

People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.

I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.

After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.

My Review: 

I’ve rewritten this review more times than I can count, not because the story was confusing, but because every time I tried to explain the nature of dark romance, it felt unfair to reduce the author’s work to a genre label. So instead, like always, I’ll tell you what I felt.

I genuinely liked this book. The world these characters come from, the brutal shaping of their families, the shadows they were raised in…it all made sense in a way that was almost frightening. And yet, that truth only made the story more compelling. I went in knowing the subjects would be dark, knowing I’d have to wade into the deep end with no lifeline. Trigger warnings, at this point, read more like a menu I’ve memorized, things I know will challenge me, but that I still willingly walk toward.

Because not every love story is gentle. Not every love story glitters. Some of them require you to claw through trauma and crawl through your own scars before you ever glimpse the thin, trembling line of light waiting at the end.

And that’s exactly what this book gave me: the feeling of discovering someone, unexpected, unconventional, who sees you fully, shadows and all, and loves you without flinching. Someone who doesn’t judge the pieces of you the world said were too much or too strange. That kind of acceptance is its own kind of magic, the kind that feels like the safest place in the world.

Was this book roses and sunshine? Not even close. It felt more like driving down a fog-drenched mountain road in the middle of a storm, terrifying, breathtaking, and impossible to look away from.

If you’re searching for a story with a happy ending, this one has it. But be warned: you’ll have to walk through fire, and maybe someone else’s blood, to reach it.
But honestly? Nothing worth having ever comes easy.

Quotes I loved: 

“You think I’d kill for you, but not die for you?” He shakes his head gently. “Silly girl.” His words are getting softer. I can barely hear them over the blood rushing in my ears.

“No two people love the same way. And everyone has a different opinion on what love actually is.”

“You were mine yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” He gently kisses my forehead. The tenderness a contradiction to his threatening words. “And you will continue to be mine forever.”

 Bloodbane by Bellamy Barnes

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶 (A real WHY choose)

Synopsis:

In Willowbank, Alaska, some secrets stay buried in snow; others claw their way out.

Ruby Evans should have died out on that frozen lake. Instead, she wakes with no memory of the attack—just blood on the ice and questions no one wants to answer. Her only leads lie in two strangers with secrets of their Grayson, the brooding, Viking-eyed drifter, locked in the town station's single cell, and Thayne, the hulking recluse, hidden away in a compound at the edge of the forest.

As Ruby searches for the truth, she's pulled into a hidden world lurking beneath her own—a world of fangs, fur, and blood. The deeper she digs, the more the line between salvation and damnation blurs. When long-buried secrets are finally revealed, it won't just shatter everything she thought she knew; it'll awaken the monster she was never meant to forget.

This cover is Beautiful!

My Review: 

Bloodbane is one of the rare shifter romances that immediately grabbed my attention and kept it. Even though shifter stories aren’t usually my go-to, the irresistible combination of a striking cover, a gripping summary, and a main character as compelling as Ruby pulled me in fast. Ruby is the kind of heroine who sells an entire series on her own: vibrant, layered, and instantly likable, making every twist in the plot feel more personal and impactful.

For a debut, this book does an impressive amount of heavy lifting and does it well. It blends mystery, supernatural politics, why-choose romance, and action without losing momentum. Between Ruby’s shadowy past, tangled vampires-and-werewolves dynamics, and a captivating triad of love interests, the story offers something for nearly every paranormal romance reader. Add in a heartfelt found-family element, and it becomes even easier to invest in these characters.

While not every question gets answered, that works in the book’s favor. It’s easy to imagine this story blossoming into a multi-book series, and the loose threads feel more like intentional hooks than gaps. I occasionally wished for deeper worldbuilding and more insight into certain characters, but those feel like opportunities ripe for future installments rather than flaws.

The pacing has a few uneven stretches, natural for a first novel, but Bellamy Barnes’ writing shows clear skill and even more potential. Her voice is sharp, atmospheric, and funny in all the right places. The world has a fresh, almost gothic edge, softened (and spiced up) by modern humor and character chemistry.

And let’s talk about the spice: with MFM, MMF, MF, and MM dynamics, the heat is there. Personally, I wanted a bit more emotional complexity between Thayne and Grayson, but the foundation is solid and begging to be expanded in future books.

The ending is where the book truly shines surprising twists, weighty revelations, and a sense of momentum that makes you hungry for the next installment. Barnes doesn’t shy away from darker themes or high stakes, and that boldness pays off.

Bloodbane stands out in a genre crowded with shifters and vampires by offering something genuinely unique from the lore, to the inter-species tension, to the supernatural political landscape. If you want a dark, spicy, action-driven paranormal romance with fresh energy and a heroine worth rooting for, this one is absolutely worth sinking your teeth into.

And if Barnes continues this as a series? I’ll be first in line.

Hopeless Necromantic by Shiloh Briar

Hopeless Necromantic

by Shiloh Briar

This has got to be one of the wittiest books I have read this week.

Memorable characters!!! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

Synopsis:

Sticks and stones may break their bones, but he'll just resurrect them.

Four years ago, Sikras 'Catseye' Nikabod had it all: a beautiful wife, friends and family, and the endless luxuries that came with being the all-powerful necromancer to the queen.

Now, his brother-in-law is a walking corpse, he's wanted for tax evasion, his oldest friend, Vessik, has slaughtered thousands of the queen's people with a skeleton army, and his wife is dead. Sort of.

With the kingdom under threat, it's only natural for the queen to task Sikras with the totally normal, not-at-all-cruel chore of brutally murdering his dearest friend. Sure. Great. It's not like he already failed to stop Vessik's reign of terror twice or anything.

Turns out, it's hard to kill a monster when you can't stop remembering the good man he used to be. Harder still when you're pretty sure his descent into madness is kind of, sort of, hypothetically ... all your fault.

Raise a glass. Raise the dead. Just don't raise your hopes.

My Review: 

I picked up Hopeless Necromantic because I needed a funny book,  and wow, did it overdeliver. Imagine if someone threw Dungeons & Dragons, emotional damage, chaotic humor, and a heart-melting moral compass into a cauldron and said, “Yeah, this seems fine.” That’s the vibe.

From page one, this book had me cackling, cringing, and clutching my chest. The wit is sharp, the action is wild, and the characters? They’re the kind that move into your brain and refuse to pay rent. Sikras especially.

This man is… a disaster. A lovable, catastrophically maladjusted disaster. Someone once said he’s “mostly faults,” and honestly? Valid. Absolutely valid. Yet through every blood-soaked, bone-rattling moment, he clings to love, light, joy, and hope with a frantic, white-knuckled determination that should not work but absolutely does. It’s unhinged, ill-advised, and, somehow, deeply inspiring.

I’ve always adored stories about goodness, not moral perfection or saintly behavior, but goodness that’s messy, hard, and sometimes downright chaotic. This book refuses the idea that goodness is boring. Instead, it shows you characters who want to do the right thing even when they’re exhausted, traumatized, or arguing with each other at inopportune moments. Being good isn’t easy, and these characters prove it on every page.

And please. Let me be clear: this story is not clear. The jokes are inappropriate. The coping mechanisms are atrocious. There is violence. There is swearing. There is more sex talk than I typically tolerate. And that’s exactly why it’s so damn fun. It’s like watching your favorite party of DnD idiots try to save the world using emotional issues and questionable banter.

The core trio is where the magic really happens.

✨ Sikras “Catseye” Nikabod - necromancer, scammer, heart-of-gold menace. He could easily be the most powerful mage alive if he wasn’t funneling half his magic into keeping his undead brother-in-law’s soul tied to a skeleton. Priorities.

✨ Ben - the said skeletal brother-in-law, easily the heart of the story. Except, you know… he doesn’t have one. His humor, warmth, and ride-or-die loyalty keep Sikras from spiraling into the abyss, and every scene he’s in is pure delight.

✨ Helspire (Hels) - a Red Sentinel warrior torn between duty, logic, and the growing loyalty she feels toward these two absolute disasters. The emotional slow-burn between her and Sikras simmers beautifully without ever hijacking the story.

Together, these three form a tiny fellowship you can’t help rooting for as they try to fend off Vessik’s invading army while juggling trauma, trust issues, and jokes that should not be as funny as they are.

This is, at its core, a character-driven novel, and one of the best I’ve seen in the indie fantasy realm. Their banter, their unraveling, their healing, their fierce affection for each other… that’s the real story. The plot has twists and intrigue for sure, but the emotional bonds are what make the book feel alive.

Technically? It’s polished. Smooth pacing, no grammar gremlins, and action scenes placed just right so you can breathe before screaming again. The trauma arcs are handled with actual care,  no cheap depth here, just genuine character work that hits in the way it’s meant to.

Hopeless Necromantic rises above so many fantasy releases because it gives you characters who are broken, funny, loyal, chaotic, and so wonderfully good at the core. They’re the kind you want to adventure with. The kind you want to protect. The kind you remember.