Review:  Riftborne (Esprithean Trilogy, #1) by Grenwich & Lennox

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Riftbourne represents new authors and a new fantasy trilogy to explore in the first of the Esprithean trilogy novels.

Authors Bree Grenwich and Parker Lennox include maps of the territories (be still my heart) and dictionaries of terminology and pronunciation to help readers understand the world building and character foundations. 

I was involved in the storyline of Fia Riftbourne, an adopted orphan of uncontrollable powers who is conscripted into the formidable Sidhe Guard, to be trained by the General and be used as a new weapon against their enemies. 

There’s a lot of world foundational structure and elements such as history and current events that the authors have to lay out in the novel as well as build Fia’s narrative and the magical elements and systems here.

With all that to pack in one book , unless absolutely brilliantly written, some aspects have to feel less than complete, and that’s a bit of everything. 

We don’t exactly know what the magical elements are and how it works. Fia’s adopted mother seems to have some kind of powers, but those aren’t really ever mentioned or defined. Nor is Fia’s adolescence fully understood. We arrive at her life pretty much as the tale begins with only the barest hints of her background. 

The conflicts, the war that destroyed her country and caused her and her countrymen to lose everything, become branded, isn’t really defined either except in an paragraph at the beginning. 

So it’s emotionally not as strong a factor it could be but more a ‘as a told to’ element. That weakens much of the other characters perspective’s of the story. We get fanatical bigotry but no real emotional connection to its foundation. 

The romance or in reality the  relationship that develops between the characters , Fia and Laryk, here feels genuine, the uneven power balance and unexplored power dynamics add to the tension between them. It’s hot, tense, and unpredictable. 

I felt that, Fia and Sidhe General, Laryk Ashford, were possibly the best elements here.  

Too many other things were left undefined or hidden, most likely due to the coming second novel’s storyline, that it felt underwhelming or less convincing in the plot, than some of the other better written aspects of the novel. 

Most have to do with Fia’s character and powers, hinted at and described. But her muddy beginnings are a factor too. 

So I’m left with a book and characters I feel are good, a universe that the authors are clearly expanding with a second novel, and a large amount of unresolved and undefined aspects of the various storylines. 

It ends on a cliffhanger. But it’s not exactly an unexpected one. 

Headed to Duskbound now. 

Cover art and Map by Parker Lennox

Esprithean Trilogy:

Riftbourne #1

Duskbound #2

Buy link

        Riftborne (Esprithean Trilogy Book 1)

    

Blurb 

He was striking in a cold-blooded kind of way, like his beauty was tinged with poison. Unassuming, alluring even.

I brought my eyes up to meet his.

“Fia Riftborne?” The words dripped from his lips like blood from a dagger.

Twenty years after a rebellion branded her an outcast, Fia Riftborne navigates a city rife with prejudice so deep, it’s often deadly. But she harbors a secret, one that would paint an even larger target on her back. A hidden power within her is growing, threatening to destroy everything she’s built for herself.

Enter the elusive Sidhe General, Laryk Ashford, who is building a unit of powerful wielders within the Guard to face a growing threat. Wraiths of darkness devour the Western border, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.

When Fia’s power erupts, and two daughters of Nobility are seemingly dead, General Ashford offers her a chilling choice: join the Sidhe Guard or face execution.

Because Fia might be the only hope for the Isle’s survival.

Torn between surrendering to the chaos or becoming a weapon for those who took everything from her, Fia must confront her growing feelings for the General and face a dark truth that could shatter everything she’s ever known.

  • Publisher: ONYX Publishing
  • Publication date: September 3, 2024
  • Edition: 1st
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 428 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Esprithean Trilogy 

Review:  Bright Shiny Love by Pat Henshaw

Rating:  4🌈

In the same universe as Fragile As Glass, Bright, Shiny Love by Pat Henshaw focuses on the relationship between two childhood friends , who have recently reunited as adults. 

Both have become artists in different mediums, with metal artist Martin working in the commercial arts space owned by the artist from Fragile As Glass. 

It’s a sweet, almost instant love story, with a refreshed crush. The other main character, Ty, has many family complications, that are resolved very quickly, which after years of being their doormat, is a bit of a issue here. I thought it needed more attention or exploration.

But if you want a sweet, contemporary story with a hint of fantasy, then this short tale will go nicely. Put it together with Fragile As Glass for a romantic bookend reading experience. 

Buy link

Click here to preorder from JMS Books

Blurb 

Metal artist Martin Murphy knows dragons don’t talk, especially the dragon crafted of sequins on a former flame’s vest. So when the dragon seems to reach out and tells him to help its creator Ty, Marty refuses to believe the illusion. The sparks between him and Ty, on the other hand? They’re as real as it gets.

As he and Ty reconnect after so many years, Marty sees firsthand how the big man’s innate kindness and willingness to help others consume his time and energy. Maybe the dragon was right, and Ty needs saving.

While Marty is willing to try, what he really wants to do is pounce on the man and keep him all to himself while they walk down the path to HEA. Does that count as saving him?

JMS Press

GENRE: Gay Romance

LENGTH: 19,179 words

Review:  The Vampire’s Werewolf Bodyguard by Tavia Lark

Rating: 4🌈

Tavia Lark is an author I enjoy reading, so I immediately grabbed up this paranormal romance. It’s got vampires  in trouble, lone wolf werewolves in need of mates and stability, and an old fashioned murder mystery that plays out along with the romance.

The 400 ish year old vampire,Simon, is an engaging character with a new magical ability that would be fun if better explored. And werewolf bodyguard, Cody, quickly became my favorite character of the story. 

A few lines fed the reader his background, and the reasoning behind his instability as a werewolf also had a brevity of explanation in this narrative.  The majority of the story was turned over to the mystery of the threats to Simon, the perpetrators behind the attacks, and the growing relationship between Simon and Cody.

For me , their dynamic and personal relationship made the story. They had chemistry as a couple. And Lark gave them each personal stakes to make a relationship problematic enough going forward for them if they wanted it too. 

The world building was non existent. Had no real idea of what the other storylines meant or referenced, which removed any impact that they could have had on the plot.

If this book fits within a known universe, it’s not set down here. 

So the best part of this is the main couple and their relationship. It’s a chosen mates, forced proximity vampire/werewolf relationship and an enjoyable one. 

I recommend it for everyone who likes the author and this trope. 

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Vampire’s Werewolf Bodyguard – Kindle edition by Lark, Tavia. Romance …

Blurb 

Adapted from a novella originally published as The Vampire’s Werewolf Bodyguard by Liv Rider.

Simon doesn’t want protection. Especially not from a werewolf.


Too bad the reclusive vampire doesn’t have a choice. Simon barely survived an assassin’s strike, and he isn’t safe yet. The attack left him weak and vulnerable, which is why his meddling sire hires him a bodyguard.

A big, burly werewolf bodyguard.

Cody’s instincts make him a formidable guard—if he can control his wolf. Living without a pack or mate makes him unstable. Dangerous. After accidentally shifting on his previous assignment, he has one chance to prove himself:

Protecting a bratty vampire who does not want his protection.

Keeping things professional is Cody’s only hope. Simon may have four centuries’ worth of defensive habits, but Cody can handle difficult clients. Except as Cody digs up the hurt behind Simon’s prickly exterior, and Simon starts to enjoy being cared for…

Staying professional might be impossible. Just like controlling Cody’s wolf.

The Vampire’s Werewolf Bodyguard is an MM paranormal romance with forced proximity, chosen mates, and bickering to lovers.

  • Publication date: April 9, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 250 pages

Review:  The Night Prince (Wolf King #2) A Fantasy Romance by Lauren Palphreyman

Rating: 4⭐️

I was absolutely torn about rating this novel at a 4 when at times I wanted to go lower. It’s primarily due to the character of Callum and the fact that the author seems determined to ask the reader to accept that he’s anything beyond a whiny, substance lacking himbo but actually a main romantic character who should be in a relationship with the female protagonist. 

No. 

At 84 percent in, Callum is still a the wolf shifter equivalent of the entitled ex high school football player who never grew up still expecting everyone to like him and give him what he wants.  Gets a crown? Due to his own efforts? Nope. Support skills? Lacking.  He’s never where he should be. But the author’s storyline wants the reader to believe that this is the guy that Rory is swooning about? Realistically?  That’s not a believable element.

This is me as a reader flipping pages every time Callum starts to make appearances. 

Blake is the terrific character that kept me going. He’s complex, tormented, and dark natured. Duplicitous and unpredictable. And now bonded to Rory. That’s an interesting take on a twisted relationship and compelling plot.  Blake’s damaged, horrific history and his own personal relationship to the dark world around him is what elevates the story and the unwilling bond between himself and Rory.

Its intensity also makes Rory a more interesting character herself through her connection to Blake and their dreams/nightmares and emotions. Without that aspect of her character,her personality is getting a bit one dimensional here.  Without Blake in the picture, she’s then reduced to a reactionary role , just bouncing back and forth between different men instead of becoming a proactive person the author insists she is.

Yes, her circumstances are perilous, but some of these scenes and actions on her part are not as strong or well thought out as the role is asking us to believe her to be. 

What the author has done well is to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense, where anyone can be possessed, where the darkness is rising. The mythology is wonderful and the landscape of the current plot and dramatic scenes is vividly illustrated.

The last quarter of the book is the best , most thrilling part of it.  There is plenty of drama, some surprisingly good twists and one shocking moment at the end that ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that sets up the final novel in this trilogy. 

I’ll be there to finish this trilogy. Fingers crossed that Callum is kicked out to the highest highlands, Blake is ,well , Blake, and Rory becomes a solo Queen.  I can dream can’t I?

We will see.

Another gorgeous cover. 

Cover Design by: Damonza

The Wolf King series:

The Wolf King #1

The Night Prince #2 

Buy link:

        The Night Prince: A Fantasy Romance (The Wolf King)

    

Blurb 

Aurora is caught between powerful alphas as they fight for the Wolf Throne. But darker forces are rising. . .

Aurora may have survived the Wolf King, but his bite marks her skin. In accordance with wolf law, that makes her his property. Now, he wants her back.

To beat him and take his throne, Aurora and Callum must form a dangerous alliance with one of the most feared Wolves in the Kingdom, Blake. He is their enemy, but he has entangled his life with Aurora’s—meaning she cannot harm him without forfeiting her own life.

As she fights to break their connection, she suspects Blake is keeping secrets about a dark power that rises in the north, and the unsettling nature of the bond between them. It seems there is a bigger game at play than who sits on the Wolf Throne—one that threatens both the Kingdom of Wolves, and the Kingdom of Men.

With her wolf awakening, enemies closing in, relationships tested, and secrets revealed—Aurora may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil from rising.

If she can figure out who to trust.

If she can figure out where she, and her heart, belong.

If she can stay alive.

The highly anticipated sequel to The Wolf King. A romantasy for fans of enemies to lovers, shifters, forbidden romance, villains you love to hate (or maybe just love!), and werewolves. Contains strong language and sexual situations.

  • Publication date: March 31, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 499 pages

Review: Fair Market Value (The Body Shop Book 1) by Hailey Edwards

Rating: 4⭐️

“Forgot to feed your goldfish before your untimely demise?

Need to jot down a Will?Say a Goodbye?See the Grand Canyon?

Then Come On Down! Located on Downing Street, in Savannah, GA,one mile from the scenic Bonaventure Cemetery -The Body Shop”

A intriguing cover and woman necromancer as a main character were the first details about Fair Market Value (The Body Shop Book 1) by Hailey Edwards that grabbed my attention.  Plus I hadn’t read anything by this writer yet, and that’s always a plus.

Then there’s that premise. Rent a body. Unfinished business? Necromancer Mary Frances Talbot, Frankie as she’s known, runs a body rental business out of her family’s auto repair shop in Savannah, Georgia.  Tip toeing the legality of the Necromancer laws, she’s trying to make sure her siblings, who have their own paranormal stories and needs, stay safe and have a home. 

The personal stories for the Mary family (how they got their name for instance) is horrific and well written. Their backgrounds are truly disturbing and scenes/nightmares are threads that continue to make an impact on the story and their current situation in various ways.  Plus each sibling represents a different paranormal species which I thought was a very different element to include.  Frankie is a necromancer, Josie is a dryad, and brother Matty is a Oneiros. 

One thing I struggled with was the world building. I had no sense of structure, magical, political, or historical, to put this story into context. There’s references to a Necromancer Committee and Laws but Edwards doesn’t lay out the foundation knowledge for the universe this is being played out in. Turns out,after research ,all this author’s series are set in the same universe but you have to be a reader of those books to be set up here. 

Anyway, there no heat but a potential romance with a ex love now detective, Samuel Harrow of the Savannah Police Department. When one of her “rentals” isn’t returned on time and becomes part of a crime, they reconnect.

The mystery or mysteries as they begin to add up are good ones. But the really interesting elements are the  ghostly personalities who are “family “ or friends, how much they are part of Frankie’s life, and the twists that pop up in the dramatic moments at the end. 

Edwards appreciates historic cars and writes them with care into the story. It’s the same with other fine detail aspects of this novel. The siblings, Josie and Matty have strengths and individual poignancy layered between them. The dynamic between them is beautifully balanced and heartwarming.  I can’t wait to see how this family develops further.

And the tension between Frankie and Samuel, which was left at an awkward place. 

A definite recommendation and now onto the next book in the series. 

The Body Shop series:

Fair Market Value #1

Amber Gambler #2

Midnight Auto Parts #3

Cheater Slicks #4 – Dec 25,2025

Other linked series:

The Potentate of Atlanta (6 book series) – this is set within The Potentate apparently 

The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy (9 book series) in Savannah 

Buy link

        Fair Market Value (The Body Shop Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Forgot to feed your goldfish before your untimely demise? Need to jot down a will? Say a goodbye? See the Grand Canyon? Then come visit us at The Body Shop, where unfinished business is our business.

Mary Frances Talbot—Frankie—is a necromancer, probably. Hard to say since she never met her parents. She can see the dead, talk to the dead, and a few other things that aren’t strictly legal. It’s fine. No worries. As long as she doesn’t get caught.

The whole not getting caught thing was going well until Samuel Harrow blew back into town wearing a Savannah Police Department uniform. He might be a witch, but he hates magic. He’s not a fan of Frankie either. Which explains why he’s her ex.

When Frankie’s less than legal side gigs result in dead vampires, she knows she’s in trouble. Big trouble. And that’s before Harrow offers to help. With him waving a Get Out of Jail Free card in her face, Frankie doesn’t have much choice but to accept.

But that doesn’t mean she has to forgive. She’ll certainly never forget him breaking her heart or turning her over to the police or… Yeah. They were doomed from the start. Something tells her this investigation will be too.

  • Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (April 18, 2024)
  • Publication date: April 18, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 266 pages

Review:  Draken the Rules (Blackhaven Manor Book 13) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4🌈

Draken the Rules is a sweet, sexy paranormal novella in Arden Steele’s long running fated mates Blackhaven Manor universe.  

It’s a quick read and I really enjoyed the characters, especially as Arden added another dragon shifter to the universe who a total powerhouse! 

Up until now, we had only the original dragon siblings acknowledged and now we know that there are others out there. Fantastic expansion of this series and universe.  Also intriguing little toy , a fabulous tiny dragon that used blood magic to animate it.  Was it sentient or not? Could have used an entire story on it alone. 

Minor drama that was easily removed but the couple was adorable and Itri Lockwood , Storm dragon shifter , morally grey magic item dealer needs a series. Especially now that his mate has decided to work with him. 

That would be great!

Another recommendation!

Check out the full list below.

Blackhaven Manor:

  • Purrfect Harmony #1
  • Night and Fae #2
  • Dragon It Out #3
  • Grin and Bear It #4
  • Pixie Little Liar #5
  • Dead Over Heals #6
  • Silent Knight #7
  • Pain in the Ice #8
  • Walking a Tight Rope #9
  • Royally Flocked #10
  • What The Hex? #11
  • Dewitched #12
  • Draken the Rules #13

Sequel/adjacent  series:

Hunter’s Hollow:

  • Angels and Anarchy #1
  • Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Buy link

        Draken the Rules (Blackhaven Manor Book 13)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Hell Week. 

For Arlo Eichen, the annual Heritage Festival is less of a beloved tradition and more of a weeklong exercise in patience. The crowds are insane, the chaos is overwhelming, and the sense of entitlement is off the charts. So, when an honest-to-the-gods storm erupts inside one of the ballrooms? Just another day at Blackhaven Manor.

Until he sets eyes on the source of the storm. 

Six-and-half feet of brooding, lightning-throwing dragon shifter, Itri Lockwood has a bad-boy reputation and a temper as short as his patience. And he doesn’t take kindly to threats against what’s his—especially when it comes to Arlo.

Mixing business with pleasure was never part of the plan. He came for a distraction, but now he’s juggling a coveted artifact, a deal gone sideways, and a mate who went from an unexpected temptation to a primal obsession.

Itri might be able to control the storm but keeping Arlo out of trouble…

That’s going to take a miracle.

  • Publisher: Peccavi Press (March 27, 2025)
  • Publication date: March 27, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 144 pages

Review:  Avalon Tower (Fey Spy Academy, #1) by C.N. Crawford and Alex Rivers

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Back in the universe of academy training , trials, the Fae and saving the world.  But this time the twist is the Tales of the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur, Lady of the Lake, and every one of the hugely magical characters who are part of that mythology. Yes, Merlin too. 

But all updated to current times with interesting interpretations and weaving of modern history and the author’s dystopian narrative.  Again, Fae bad and mad at humanity. And the magical system is still being developed here. 

Nia is kidnapped while on vacation in Europe and taken to Avalon Academy to become a spy against the Fae. That’s a very bare minimum outline. 

She, naturally, has strict training to undergo, much of her classmates are against her, and there are dangerous trials to pass for her to say that she’s graduated and a spy.  Plus a ex boyfriend to contend with. 

Elements I thought made the story stronger were Nia’s asthma, a contributing factor to her personality and less than stellar physical condition.  Her mother is alcoholic whose dependence upon Nia makes any separation, even a hard won vacation, one of emotional distress and anxiety. This is a very well written aspect of the book and her character, and it’s used perfectly. 

The magical powers and systems are slowly developed, brought along or revealed as Nia’s own character changes and grows during her time in the Academy and her missions there. 

This ends in a cliffhanger, two to be exact.  Both made me want to continue further into the series and Nia’s journey. 

A definite recommendation for fantasy lovers and those who read this trope.  Last book to be released this Spring. 

Fey Spy Academy (3 book series)

Avalon Tower #1

Vale of Dreams #2

Lady of the Lake #3 – April 18, 2025

Buy link 

        Avalon Tower: A Fantasy Romance (Fey Spy Academy Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Avalon Academy rules: spy on your enemies, resist temptation, and try not to die in the process.

As a bookseller, Nia saved up for years for her dream vacation—drinking champagne on a beach with her favorite books. But her dream turns into a nightmare when she’s kidnapped by a muscular, tattooed jerk of a fey named Raphael.

Yes, kidnapped.

It turns out Nia has a magic power, and Raphael demands that she train at Camelot’s elite academy for spies. Raphael is hellbent on revenge against an evil Fey king, certain that Nia’s powers can help. But Nia is in way over her head–asthmatic and out of shape. She’ll be lucky to get out of there alive.

Still, there’s no escape when Raphael is watching her every move. He’s lethal, dangerous, and hot as hell. When they’re sent on a dangerous missions together, he becomes harder to resist. Touching him is playing with fire. Is she ready to get burned?

  • Publisher: (March 22, 2024)
  • Publication date: March 22, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 454 pages

Review:  Full Color (ORCA #3) by Vinni George

 

Rating: 3.5🌈

Full Color is the penultimate book in George’s ORCA series. It’s a paranormal fated mates shifter romance series that involves a family of Orca whale brothers and a mysterious family painting, The Evolution of Man, that’s being heavily sought after the the world art community, thieves and billionaires collectors as well as their own family. 

Along the way, the brothers have come together to pool their talents to form the Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA). And book by book and mission by mission, find their fated mate. 

In the last book, twin Cal Hunter found his fated mate in great white shark shifter, Jack, leaving his twin brother Quinn shaken by a sudden change in their twin bond and brotherly dynamic. 

Quinn, an art dealer and forger, gets a call about the lost painting they have been searching for and the team is on a mission for recovery and investigation. 

Quinn finds his fated mate during the search and mission to retrieve the painting, a chameleon shifter, Dimitri Crysanthos. 

The romance is the quick instant recognition fated mates one with little time for a relationship or connection to be made. Dimitri has a sister in danger that isn’t a factor other than we know she’s somewhere at the city where the action scenes are taking place. She’s a non entity otherwise. 

George creates some nice elements around Dimitri’s shifting character that involves art and painting but leaves too many holes in the characters backstory and abilities to really make him and his sister believable.  Dimitri is sweet and one dimensional. 

It wraps up quickly with enough information to move the series arc forward towards the series finale and the final couple and brother to get his fated mate. 

The story and romance was just fine but the other plots were better imo. This feels rushed and incomplete in many aspects. 

I’m looking forward to the finale and seeing how everything gets pulled together. 

ORCA series:

Black & White #1

Grayscale #2

Full Color #3

Monochrome #4 – series finale- Sept 30,2025

Buy link

        Full Color: An MM Shifter Romantic Suspense Novel (ORCA Book 3)

    

Blurb

Quin Hunter likes the quiet life. He runs his gallery, forges famous art, and operates a fence where black market buyers get fakes and the real pieces get returned to their rightful owners. Nice and simple. He doesn’t do field work. But a call from his twin thrusts him into the action, and now he and his brothers are racing the clock to steal a painting from someone who never should have had it in the first place.

Dimitri Crysanthos is no stranger to mistakes. All he wanted to do was make life easier for his sister. Instead, he ended up making everything harder for both of them. With his life and his sister’s hanging in the balance, he has no choice but to do whatever one of the most ruthless men in Amsterdam tells him to do. All Dimitri wants is to stay alive…until a stranger changes everything. Now Dimitri craves something terrifying, something that will put him and his sister in even more danger—his freedom.

The stakes of the heist have changed, and Quin refuses to quit until Dimitri is safe for good. Can the ORCA team get the art and Quin’s fated mate out of Amsterdam, or are the odds too stacked against them?

Full Color is book three in the Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA) series, featuring an orca shifter art forger who isn’t keen on field work, a chameleon shifter with a lucrative secret talent, and a heist where the target is far more valuable than a stolen painting!

Review: Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1) by Kaylie Smith

Rating: 4⭐️

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is the first book in her dark fantasy romance duology, Wicked Games. It’s interesting in that each book is a contained story about a paranormal sister of the Grimm family of New Orleans. Definitely helps to read them together though as I will. 

It’s a completed duology, which is fantastic, so a reader can explore both stories, one right after the other. 

I really enjoyed reading Phantasma, from the characters to the setting of the Devil’s Mansion itself and the trials of the Phantasma.  The storyline pulled me along with the characters, and Smith crafted an interesting complex personality with the oldest sister, Ophelia and one of surprising depth with the younger sister, Genevieve.  The developing relationship and dialogue between Ophelia and ghost Blackwell is all hot chemistry and dry wit. And that, for its time, Ophelia and her sister have a “modern “ view on sexuality in a time of corsets, albeit one that accepts magic as a reality. 

The other details and characters are ones that I would have liked to have seen more closely in the story because of their own relationship with Blackwell, and what appeared to be knowledge of the sisters.  Jasper, for one. And most definitely “Sin” for another. 

       

And this is where I feel the book falls short.  The author has created the framework for the supernatural foundation of the characters, the tragic histories, even the fact that there’s a multitude, generations, of Grimm women who pass their magic through death and become Necromancers and we never see any real indication of that particular element outside of the mansion.  Yes, she can see Blackwell and there’s other things of note. But this felt aspect felt less defined.  As did much about her life and family. 

Her sister, Genevieve, is the best thing here. But the family backstory is used as needed for the book, effectively as a really good plot twist, but leaves too many questions, especially at the end, to be effective as a whole. 

Same goes for the main owner and mystery behind the mansion.  It’s easily guessed at although the reason behind it needs the explanation the author provided. That’s muddled too. 

So there were aspects of the narrative that I feel needed more clarification or exploration in order for the story and characters to have real depth and all the storylines feel grounded. 

Did it keep me from engaging in the story and characters relationship? No. I really enjoyed it and will go onto Genevieve’s story.  Her adventures complete the duology. 

Great covers. 

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs”

Wicked Games:

Phantasma #1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

        Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

The instant top ten bestseller and TikTok sensation!

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.

  • Publisher: Second Sky (September 3, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 428 pages

Review: The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey

Rating: 4🌈

The third book in Sarah Honey’s historical romance series, The Royal Rogue is a very entertaining romantic comedy with a threads of action and royal intrigue running through the pages.  

The castle and universe of King Leopold of Lilleforth (The King’s Delight #1), The Royal Rogue can easily be read as a standalone novel about the Duke of Ravenport, 

Evan Devere, and Thomas Malone, Captain of the Royal Guards. Both reoccurring characters in the previous stories. 

The characters are well written, the story has wonderful dialogue and charm, and Evan it definitely a rogue to take to heart. Thomas is his match in every aspect, from intelligence to his ability to be flexible. 

I skipped over the second book, why the author named the male main character Mother I’ll never understand.Just no. But I really enjoyed The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey and it’s a recommendation from me. 

Tales of Lilleforth series:

The King’s Delight #1

The Stablemaster’s Heart #2

The Royal Rogue #3

Buy link

        The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Thomas Malone is the new Captain of the Guard at Lilleforth Castle. He loves his job, but it leaves him no time for himself. It’s been way too long since he’s had anyone share his bed, let alone his life. To say he’s frustrated is an understatement.

To make matters worse, the King’s disreputable cousin Evan Devere, the Duke of Ravenport, is back from his travels. Evan is as scatterbrained as he is attractive, which is a shame—if Evan had even half a brain, he’d be exactly Thomas’s type. As it is, Thomas has resigned himself to spending his days keeping Evan out of trouble

But when a threat emerges against the crown, Thomas and Evan have to work together to find who’s behind the plot, and Thomas discovers there’s more to Evan than meets the eye. So when Evan suggests that they act on their mutual attraction, Thomas throws caution to the wind and agrees. After all, it is just a fling, right? There’s no way Thomas is actually going to fall for the sexy, infuriating cousin of the king.

No way at all.