enemies-to-lovers

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.

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

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

Second Chance Duet

by Ana Holguin

Narrated by Jacqueline Sol

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and NetGalley for providing a free review audiobook of Second Chance Duet! All opinions are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I thought both Celia and Oliver were relatable characters in their own ways. They were both very driven, leading to a rivalry between them when they were in college. The book has a dual timeline, so we are able to follow their story in the present as well as get perspective about their history and rivalry from the past. The present timeline was definitely my favorite, and I loved seeing the walls between Celia and Oliver come down as they finally got to know each other better. Even though there was a lot of friction between them at times, I liked that it didn’t feel mean or unjustified. Oliver had issues communicating so often came across in ways he probably didn’t intend to… I couldn’t really blame Celia for feeling the way she did about him. It was nice to see how much Oliver improved over time. He was actually quite sweet once Celia got to know the real him. A lot of Celia’s story is about her struggle trying to break into a tough industry composing music. I liked learning about Celia’s Latina heritage (with some basic Spanish mixed in here and there) plus her strong bond with her family. I absolutely loved the romance that developed and was glad that it didn’t feel rushed. The theme with the characters composing music for a TV show was fun too!

I was lucky enough to receive the audiobook copy of this book. While the narrator wasn’t quite as expressive as some narrators I’ve listened to, I still think she did a good job. The various characters had different voices, and she really captured Oliver’s quiet nature. A couple times the audio quality seemed reduced, but most of it sounded fine.

March 13, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

The Demonic Inventions of Aurelie Blake

by Mara Rutherford

coming April 14, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I’m so conflicted about this book… I enjoyed the first 75-80% of it and considered it a pretty solid 4 star read. But as I got closer to the end, I started to get frustrated with the direction things were going. The premise of demons appearing whenever something was created was unique, and I was curious to learn more about it. But at times I ended up feeling a bit confused by it and how it all came to be. The romance had tension and I was liking it, but then it started to feel like it was just moving way too fast, with Aurelie and Des acting in ways that didn’t seem to line up with what we knew of their characters previously. Honestly, I started to question what they saw in each other beyond a physical attraction. And speaking of out of character, there’s so much emphasis about Aurelie being really smart, yet sometimes she was frustratingly oblivious. There’s a pretty big reveal toward the end, which I had figured out long before that, and I found it hard to believe that Aurelie didn’t. Meanwhile, I had other questions that I was hoping to finally see explained, but they never were. I know this is the start of a series, so I’m not surprised that it leaves off with a bit of a cliffhanger and things still left to explore, but I was left underwhelmed enough with the ending that I’m not sure if I’ll continue on. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book that I had a hard time finishing or anything like that. I guess it just didn’t quite go in the direction I was hoping it would.

March 8, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Rolls and Rivalry

Gaming and Romance #3

by Kristy Boyce

coming May 5, 2026

(4 / 5)

I received a free review copy of this book from Random House Children’s Books and Delacorte Romance through NetGalley; all opinions are completely my own.

Rolls and Rivalry is the third book in the Gaming and Romance series by Kristy Boyce, but all of the books can be read as standalone. There’s no character overlap beyond a couple cameos, which were fun since I had read the previous books.

At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book as much as the first two books in the series because I really wasn’t loving the rivalry that was going on. Some of the pranks seemed a bit mean. But as I got to know the characters better and the walls between them starting coming down, I liked the book a lot more. It turned out to be pretty cute actually, and I felt like the characters learned a lot about themselves and each other over the course of the story. A big theme in the story was Dungeons & Dragons. Since the characters in the book were new to the game I was able to follow it fine even though I’ve never personally played before. I liked how D&D was able to bring the characters together in multiple ways. Another big theme in the book is marching band, which was described really well and felt interesting. The book itself was very readable and I found it hard to put down, reading almost the whole thing in a single day. I’m glad I ended up reading this whole series and would love to read more by the author in the future!

March 2, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Roommate Arrangement

by Samantha Markum

coming January 27, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, RBmedia, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Roommate Arrangement! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

In The Roommate Arrangement, we follow Blair who is just starting college. When her best friends tell her that she can’t share an apartment with them with very little notice, she has to take what she can find. Except, it turns out that now one of her roommates will be her brother’s best friend, Jamie, and let’s just say that these siblings do not get along at all.

This was a book that I absolutely devoured and was sad when it was over. The text was so descriptive and immersive. Blair was a very relatable character. While on the surface the book is a young adult romance, it really dives into some tough subjects for teens. Through the book, Blair has to navigate changing friendships, a strained sibling relationship, controlling parents, a chaotic living arrangement, academic struggles, mental health, and a budding relationship that would not be approved of by others. Her journey to self acceptance and standing up for herself was enlightening. I liked the romance, and while it eventually turned sweet, the bickering at the start was quite entertaining. The supporting characters were diverse and I liked how they added depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to experience the audiobook version of this book! The narrator did a great job, and I especially loved how each character had a different voice.

January 22, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 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

Wish You Were Her

by Elle McNicoll

coming August 26, 2025

(4 / 5)

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

In Wish You Were Her, we follow a young actress, Allegra, who is taking a break and spending her summer in a small town, where she meets a grumpy bookseller, Jonah. It’s dual POV, which gives us the opportunity to see things from both Allegra and Jonah’s perspectives. Since the author is Scottish, the book is written in British English.

I enjoyed reading this book and had a hard time putting it down. While there wasn’t anything super surprising about the plot, it didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the book. The relationship between Allegra and Jonah could be a bit explosive but was fun to watch it evolve. We meet a variety of characters, with some very likable and others having a darker side.

A big topic in this story is autism, and we meet a couple autistic characters along the way. I thought it was all very insightful, with great descriptions of how characters felt. It was portrayed in an optimistic and uplifting way while still showing the obstacles characters faced. Allegra was an especially interesting character since we could see what it was like to be famous, the challenges that came with it, and how her autism affected that experience, sometimes in a very positive way.

This was a quick, fun read, and I look forward to seeing more from the author!

August 21, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement

by Julia Huni

coming August 5, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

A special “thank you” to author Julia Huni for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

This was a cozy fantasy with a quaint small-town setting. It also had a sweet, spice-free romance that developed. I liked how descriptive the story was, allowing me to easily visualize this world. It almost felt like a fairy tale the way it was written, with a variety of magical beings. I especially liked the water dragons! There wasn’t necessarily anything that was shocking or surprising in the story, but sometimes it’s nice to have something that doesn’t bring a ton of drama. And there were still some exciting scenes to keep things interesting! It was fun to meet William and Cala, who were both likable characters. I liked to see how they each adapted to “normal” life after fighting in a war for many years. Some of the side characters were a lot of fun too!

July 23, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance 0