Romance

The Beasts We Raise

The Broken Citadel #2

by D. L. Taylor

coming February 24, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Beasts We Raise! All opinions are completely my own.

The Beasts We Raise takes place several months after the first book left off and continues the story of Mance and Silver. While I didn’t like this book quite as much as the first one, I still enjoyed reading it. It had a different feel to it, maybe partially because it centered around Mance’s new ability. She just felt a bit stripped down, but ultimately it was intentional something that led to character growth. I wasn’t expecting the addition of some new points of view, but I really enjoyed seeing those perspectives. I liked the themes of acceptance and facing fears that the book dived into. Things often felt pretty dire and I wondered how the story could possibly have a happy ending. I was hoping for a bit more closure out of the ending, but I was still happy enough with the direction things went.

Carnival Fantástico

by Angela Montoya

coming February 3, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Carnival Fantástico! All opinions about the book are completely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very immersive and pulled me in easily. I could just feel the desperation of the main characters from the start. It felt like the stakes were high. The book really captured the circus setting, with magic and wonder but also an unsettling feeling. There was plenty of action, tension, and a sense of mystery that kept me wanting to read right to the end. I also enjoyed the romance, though I wish the characters could’ve worked through the issues from their past faster. I really liked seeing their letters from when they were growing up, showing how their original relationship developed. I thought the variety of side characters were interesting and really brought the story to life. This was the 2nd book I’ve read by the author, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more in the future!

January 8, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

A Shore Thing

by Portia MacIntosh

coming January 26, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free review copy of A Shore Thing! All opinions are completely my own.

A Shore Thing is a romance story that takes on a Reality TV/Survivor theme. As a Survivor fan, I really enjoyed this aspect of it, even though it was pretty different from the show. I found the author’s writing to be very readable and inviting. Even though the book was shorter than most books I read, it still felt complete. I wasn’t all that surprised about some of the things that happened, and I thought the end conflict was resolved easier than expected, but those things didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the story. While I didn’t always love how the MMC acted, I felt like his character improved, and I was glad to see an explanation about some of his more questionable actions. I was impressed with the character development of the other show contestants in the book, and grew to like them even though I didn’t think I would at first. Overall this was a fun escape, especially during the cold winter!

January 3, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

An Academic Affair

by Jodi McAlister

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of An Academic Affair! All opinions are completely my own.

An Academic Affair brings us to Australia, where we follow academics Jonah and Sadie. The two have been rivals for years, but a potential job opportunity leaves them considering the ultimate truce.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it very easy to read, making it hard to put down. Our main characters, Jonah and Sadie, both have some complex challenges in their personal lives that they are dealing with in addition to difficulty in finding full-time academic work. I thought both were relatable and I especially liked their dynamic together. While they have been fighting each other for years, I liked that they still seemed to respect each other. It was nice to see how much their ability to communicate and work together improved. While this book is primarily a love story, it also takes a hard look at academic careers and how difficult the industry can be. It was eye opening, and I was pretty shocked at how toxic the workplace was for our characters. Unfortunately I couldn’t really appreciate the numerous literature references throughout the book, but it didn’t really take away from the story for me. I think I would’ve like to see a bit more of the story before it ended, but maybe I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. That said, I feel like maybe this book will be the start of the series, since I picked up on some possible connections between side characters that I’d love to see more of.

November 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love 4 a Walk, Vol. 1

by Nuria Sanguino

coming November 4, 2025

(5 / 5)

Thank you to WEBTOON Unscrolled and NetGalley for the free review copy of this graphic novel! All opinions are completely my own.

I’ve actually read this comic on WEBTOON a couple times, so it’s nice to see it in a graphic novel format! I really like the art style, and I can’t help but love the characters, Pam and Tyler. They are both dog owners and you can just feel their love for dogs. It’s cute to see the dogs’ antics and how they bring Tyler and Pam together. There’s a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and while it’s a romance, it’s very slow burn. This volume ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves me wanting to continue reading.

November 4, 2025 by danimae1981 Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Romance 0

The House Saphir

by Marissa Meyer

coming November 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

Thank to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The House Saphir! All opinions are completely my own.

This book is a retelling of Bluebeard, which I honestly wasn’t at all familiar with. You don’t need any background knowledge to enjoy the story. From reading summaries I can definitely see the roots of this story, but it’s different enough that already being familiar with Bluebeard shouldn’t spoil anything.

I enjoyed this book and thought it did a good job giving a spooky and mysterious feel. Sometimes the first half felt a little slow, but it was fun to see how all the pieces started to fit together as we got farther into the story. I was making a bunch of my own theories along the way, some of which I got right. Other times I was caught completely off guard. The action really picked up toward the end, which kept me invested in the story and unable to put it down. I was happy with the way things progressed through the story and how it ended. I’m reminded why I enjoy this author’s work so much!

October 30, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Julia Song Is Undateable

by Susan Lee

coming October 28, 2025

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

Julia Song Is Undateable is a love story that follows Julia and Tae, two Korean Americans who grew up as neighbors. When Julia agrees to let her family set her up on three dates, she asks Tae to be her dating coach.

At first I was a little unsure about this book, but I became more invested the farther I got into the story. The book was very readable and kept my interest well. I liked the glimpse at Korean American culture. The book dives into mental health which was portrayed well and really gave the story meaning. There were plenty of lighthearted moments as well that helped balance the story. Both Julia and Tae were relatable characters and made a cute couple that I was rooting for. I loved watching how much they both grew and evolved over the course of the book.

October 6, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

You Rock My World

by Camilla Isley

coming September 11, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

I received a free review copy of this book from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.

You Rock My World was a quick read that felt very readable, but I didn’t love it quite as much as I hoped I would. Sometimes it just felt like something was missing… maybe some depth to the characters beyond the romance? Sometimes I was a bit frustrated with the characters’ actions, especially with crossing lines on this forbidden romance despite agreeing to hold back. That said, it created a lot of tension, and I liked the chemistry between Josie and Dorian. I especially enjoyed the high energy of the rock performance scenes!

September 9, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Wild Reverence

Letters of Enchantment #0

by Rebecca Ross

coming September 2, 2025

(4 / 5)

I want to thank Saturday Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I really loved Divine Rivals, so I was excited to receive an ARC of this prequel. Honestly, this one didn’t quite live up to my high expectations, though it was still a good read. It takes place hundreds of years earlier and focuses heavily on the gods, so it just has a different feel from the other books. At times the book felt like it was dragging and longer than it needed to be, but things seemed to pick up as I got farther into the story. The romance was very slow burn, but I did enjoy it. The book had a lot of ups and downs with a mix of action/excitement and very sad moments. I was satisfied with how it ended, though the very end almost felt a bit anticlimactic. I think Wild Reverence is worth reading if you enjoyed the other Letters of Enchantment books, especially if you are interested in learning more about the gods and their backstory.

August 31, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

The Incredible Kindness of Paper

by Evelyn Skye

coming August 12, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

This was such a heartwarming story! I loved the idea of Chloe’s origami roses, a random act of kindness that ended up bringing so many people together who were struggling or lonely. Everything was interconnected so intricately, and I enjoyed Chloe and Oliver’s story. Some aspects of the book are a bit magical, with flowers mysteriously appearing for certain people, but it worked well the way it was written. It had this feeling of fate, like an invisible string holding things together. This was a story that just left me feeling happy and hopeful. I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read it again in the future!