Danita Reads

The Heart Trials

by J. Elle

coming September 1, 2026

(4 / 5)

I’ve been a big fan of dystopian fiction for years, so when I read the description of The Heart Trials, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I could feel how dire things were in this world after only reading a few sentences. The descriptions throughout the story were great, especially when it came to the emotions Axira, the FMC, was feeling. It was like I could feel it too. I liked Axira as a character and really liked Caelus too. There were a lot of characters to keep track of at times, but the author did a decent job of leaving clues so I could keep them all straight. There’s quite a bit of action along the way, and it really kept me engaged with the story. It could get quite dark, brutal, and sad at times, but it all felt very fitting. I will admit that there were a few things along the way that I wish were explained better since I was a bit confused by them, but some of that could also be me overthinking it. The story ends pretty abruptly, and I still have so many questions – I would definitely like to read the sequel when it comes out.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of The Heart Trials! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

The Museum of Modern Love

by Mariko Turk

coming October 13, 2026

(4 / 5)

The Museum of Modern Love takes place in a single night at the Met museum, and it was so much fun! I have to admit that all the art was my favorite part of the book. The author’s descriptions were great, but my imagination still wasn’t doing it justice, so I ended up looking up pictures of almost every piece that was mentioned in the book. It was like getting my own private tour of the Met! The main characters were very much teenagers, so they had a lot of moments of being stubborn or completely oblivious about things, but it was also part of their journey to reflect and break down walls. I was a little concerned that I might not like the romance aspect since it seemed unlikely how so much could change in a matter of hours. But in the end, it actually felt like a natural progression, and I was rooting for the couple to work out. I was also happy with how things were resolved with both of the love interests.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 23, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Prince of the Sun

by Emma Noyes

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

I have enjoyed reading books by the author, Emma Noyes, in the past, so I was excited to received an ARC copy of her new book, Prince of the Sun! The book was very easy to get into, and it kept my interest well until the end. I liked how the beginning of the book balanced explanations of the world and past events with what was currently happening for Quinn. It really immersed me into the world. I liked the sense of mystery it brought while Quinn tried to figure out why the elves had come to Earth and what they were searching for. The ties to linguistics was interesting, even though I don’t know a whole lot about the topic. By the end there’s a lot of high stakes action that kept me on the edge of my seat. And don’t forget the romance… the book really was a great blend of different genres. Speaking of the romance, I really enjoyed the interactions between Quinn and Daerios, with some good banter and tension. I think my biggest disappointment was that there were some questions I had that were never answered by the end. It’s very possible that this wouldn’t bother other readers at all, but I guess I’m just curious. For the most part though, the book wrapped up pretty nicely for a standalone fantasy.

Many thanks to the author for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 21, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

The Enigma Challenge

by S.C. Godfrey

coming August 11, 2026

(3 / 5)

I was pretty excited about this book when I read the description, but it didn’t end up appealing to me quite as well as I hoped it would. It took a while for me to warm up to the author’s writing style. It almost felt like it was written for a younger audience despite the older content, but it did improve for me as I went on. There was a lot of action and barely a dull moment, which was something I enjoyed. I liked the aspect of puzzles throughout the story, though it wasn’t really something I was actively solving with the characters since I don’t know much about ciphers, which is what most of them were. Sometimes I felt like the characters solved things unbelievably quickly, but then other times they seemed to miss things that felt very obvious to me. Even one of the reveals toward the end was something I had seen coming since early on. Honestly, I felt like too many things about the story were so unlikely that I started to lose interest at times. The book had a much bigger romance element to it than I was expecting. I read a lot of romance so I didn’t necessarily mind it, but some of the tropes felt a bit out of place. I did like the relationship that developed. I really loved the various settings around Europe, and it was fun to look up actual pictures of some of the statues and locations. CW: There’s quite a bit of violence that happens along the way, so this book won’t be for everyone.

Thank you to Viking Penguin, Pamela Dorman Books, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 13, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Thriller 0

Level Up for Love

by Lenora Woods

coming September 8, 2026

(4 / 5)

I really enjoyed the author’s first book, so I was excited to get approved for the ARC copy of her new book, Level Up for Love! And I’m happy to say that it was just as much fun and easy to get pulled into as I was hoping it would be. Since one of the main themes is Dungeons and Dragons, we actually get a bonus story within the story. I thought it was done well and felt different enough from the main storyline that I didn’t get them mixed up, though I did like looking for parallels between them. I’ve never actually played D&D myself, but the book is written in a way that doesn’t make it feel confusing at all. I think my favorite part of the book was the dynamic between Rae and Wes. It felt like a natural progression with a slow burn. Sometimes I was a little frustrated with how Rae handled things, but it was also understandable given her past experiences. Plus, her character was able to grow and evolve over time, which is something I love to see. Despite some of Rae’s feelings toward him, I thought Wes was a likeable character, especially as we got to know more about him. Plotwise there wasn’t necessarily anything super surprising going on, but things also didn’t always go the way I thought they might, which was a nice surprise. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to seeing more from the author!

Thank you to Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

June 5, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Soulmates

by David Wilson

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

Soulmates turned out to be an interesting read. It starts out when the characters are younger but quickly moves ahead to when they are high school seniors. Despite being a bit unsure about this one at first, I found that I really ended up getting drawn in. I ended up staying up past my bedtime because there was no way I could put it down without seeing how it would end! I thought the use of 2 different styles of artwork worked well and really set the mood for the darker parts. Kit and Emma were both characters that I liked and related to. I thought it was a nice touch that their internal thoughts were in different colors, so it was easy to tell who was thinking what.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this graphic novel. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 1, 2026 by danimae1981 Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Romance Young Adult 0

MARS 30th Anniversary Edition 1

by Fuyumi Soryo

coming June 16, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I had never read this manga before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I really wasn’t expecting was how intense it would be and how much it doesn’t shy away from some very serious topics. While it’s very much a high school drama, the characters had quite a bit of depth to them. Rei was an especially intriguing character. There were parts of him that were scary and reckless, but there was also something vulnerable about him beneath the surface. I feel like Kira and Rei are very different from each other, but they seem to bring out something good in each other. I also really liked the artwork! This edition includes the first two volumes of the manga, so at this point I feel pretty invested and want to know what will happen next.
CW: sexual harassment, suicide, previous death of a family member

May 19, 2026 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction Manga Romance Young Adult 0

Chase Me If You Can

by Heather Frances

coming June 23, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

This was a book that was easy to get pulled into and kept my interest well. I really loved the storm chasing theme in the story. It was different from anything else I’ve read, and it really made for some great settings, which were well described. It was all very exciting and high-adrenaline. Plus it gave the story a fun road trip feel while the characters traveled to find the storms. I will admit that there were a lot of weather terms that I wasn’t familiar with, but it was all described well enough that I didn’t feel confused by it. Our main characters were Sloane and Wes, who had some good banter. It was fun to watch them grow closer and learn more about each other. Sloane especially had some good character growth by the end. I will admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the circumstances that led to the drama that happens toward the end, but I was happy enough with how things were resolved by the end. I’m impressed that this was the author’s debut novel!

May 19, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love 4 a Walk, Vol. 2

by Nuria Sanguino

coming July 7, 2026

(5 / 5)

Thank you to Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

Love 4 a Walk has been one of my favorite WEBTOON series, so I love seeing it in this graphic novel format! Volume 2 includes episodes 15-30 and picks up right where the first volume left off. This series has beautiful artwork that is colorful and inviting. I think Pam and Tyler are really cute together, and I can’t help but root for them. Their interactions can be charmingly awkward while also sprinkling in some flirty moments too. Their different personalities complement each other well. Their pet dogs are a lot of fun too, and I love their silly antics. This volume ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but it just leaves me excited for the next volume to see where things go next!

May 15, 2026 by danimae1981 Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Romance 0

Dreams of Ruin

Soul of Shadow #3

by Emma Noyes

coming November 17, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Dreams of Ruin is the 3rd and final book in the Soul of Shadow series, and the books should definitely be read in order. I enjoyed the first two books, so I was really excited when I was able to get the advance copy of book 3. I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint, and I think it turned out to be my favorite book in the series! It just sucked me right in, and I couldn’t put it down. Scenes were beautifully described, and some almost felt like watching a movie. There were parts that even felt a bit like reading a fairy tale. Plenty of action along the way kept things exciting. I really liked seeing Charlie’s character develop in this book beyond what she already had in the first 2 books. I also loved getting some chapters from Elias’s point of view. The romance in this series has always had a magnetic pull to it, but in this one it felt downright electric. The book managed to surprise me multiple times while I was reading it, yet everything fit together really well. I can’t wait to read more by this author!