The Evermore Trilogy (book 1): Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

 

Evermore Book 1

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead. 

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price. 

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests. 

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215109788-rose-in-chains

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

I’ve really loved Julie Soto’s contemporary romances so far and I was super excited for her to venture in some romance fantasy. And she didn’t disappoint! I will say it took me a minute to truly get into the story and world she created, but once I hit a point, I was in. The world she created is super interesting with the types of magic. The story follows Briony, princess of the Eversuns as she realizes that her brother is dead and her kingdom is falling. And when it does, her and many others are captured by the Bomardsun. There are some brutal enemies on that side and she finds herself and others set out in a bidding war to claim their bodies and their magic. But she never expects to be won by Toven. The boy she went to school with and began having feelings for despite the enemies vibe they have going on. But it isn’t long until she realizes that Toven and his family are playing some other game in this war. And Briony just needs to survive in any way possible. Even if it means working with Toven in this new surprising way. There is definitely a lot going on here and with that ending, I’m very excited to see how this story progresses. Lot of politics and deception and magic. There are so pretty harsh topics involved as well. But this story definitely feels like a beginning. I hope to see Briony grow more as a character and by the end, I think we are starting to get there. There is a lot of potential in this series and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bewitched Book 2.5 The Curse that Binds by Laura Thalassa

 

Bewitched Book 2.5

The stunning prequel to the USA Today bestselling Bewitched series. Two thousand years before there was Selene, there was Roxilana. Her love fated, her life doomed, and her story forgotten—until now.

When young Roxilana first hears a voice in her head, she thinks she has gone mad. The truth, however, is stranger still. Because Memnon, the boy who speaks to her, claims he is real. Not only that, he insists they both are god-touched soul mates with the ability to wield magic.

As wild as his claims are, they gradually come to pass. First, Roxilana’s power Awakens. Then his. But nothing is nearly as startling as the day Memnon, now the sorcerer king of the Sarmatians, arrives at Roxilana’s doorstep, proclaiming the witch his wife and shepherding her off to his homeland.

Her fate is everything ardent Roxi could have hoped for. But there are things Memnon hasn’t told her—about his magic, about life as a Sarmatian and what, as queen, she will be asked to endure. Roxilana’s trials are only beginning. And as she’ll soon discover, there is nothing so dangerous as love mixed with power. For while the combination can build empires and shape legacies, it also has the potential to destroy everything in its path. And, if they’re not careful, Roxilana and Memnon could be destroyed along with it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136287169-the-curse-that-binds

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

While this book is actually a prequel to the series, I actually do recommend reading it after the first two books. It avoids spoilers and you really get to experience what the characters are going through in their current lives. So like I said, this story is the prequel. We get to rewind in time to see how Roxi and Memnon’s story truly began and how it ended before we meet them in Bewitched. And it was great! We learn a lot about these two characters. How they met, how they found one another, and the lives they spent together before they were betrayed. And the biggest thing we see with them, is just how much they loved one another and what they were willing to do for the other. We also understand their magic just a bit better and how they end up how they are in present day. It definitely made me understand Memnon a lot better. To see how he was and how his magic truly affected him. But we could also see how devoted to Roxi he was. And the same with her to him. She may not have always loved certain things he did. Violence is something she never enjoyed but at the end of the day, she loved Memnon more. I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how their story began. I really have been enjoying this series and it was nice to slip back into it since it has been a while. And it made me more excited for book 3! You definitely want to check this story out if you have enjoyed the series so far!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love in Maplewood Book 9: Something Cryptid This Way Comes by Susan Scott Shelley

 

Love in Maplewood Book 9

Trevor Casal loves Maplewood and will do anything for its residents, including hosting the town’s first Cryptid Night to kick off the month-long Halloween festivities. After all, Mabel, Maplewood’s own monster, is a tourist attraction, and this is an opportunity to increase business for his inn, his family legacy. But the event, and a rash of new sightings, brings his best friend Bram, a cryptid investigator, to town. Trevor worries that spending so much time together will give away his secret… he's been in love with Bram for years.

Bram Macleod’s fascination with cryptids began at the age of ten, and his first encounter with Maplewood’s resident monster. In the years since his pro football career ended, he’s devoted his time to documenting investigations and myths on his podcast. With Cryptid Night, Bram is returning to Maplewood after twenty-five years away. He’s eager to dive into investigating and to spend time with Trevor. But lately, he’s starting seeing his best friend in a new light… one that feels a lot like love.

As Bram and Trevor investigate the cryptid sightings and get immersed in Halloween activities, their feelings for each other become harder to ignore. Crossing that line threatens to change everything, including the friendship they depend on.

Something Cryptid This Way Comes is a low angst, in-love-with-my-best-friend story with matchmaking family and friends, tricks, treats, a guard dog who likes everyone, so many plaid shirts, bedtime stories as a form of wooing, and a love forged from friendship... with the help of the "Maplewood Monster".

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230289083-something-cryptid-this-way-comes

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Trevor has been in love with his best friends since they were teenagers. But he has never had the courage to tell him. Instead he watched Bram leave Maplewood to pursue his pro football career and then later his investigation career on myths for his podcast. Only seeing him a few times a year and keeping in touch the best they could. But when Bram’s aunt calls asking him to come to Maplewood to look into other cryptids she and her friends saw, he can’t resist. And thought Trevor is thrilled to see Bram, he also knows he has to try and hide he feelings from him. Bram is thrilled to be back in Maplewood for the main reason that is Trevor. For a while now he is starting to realize that his feelings for Trevor aren’t strictly friends vibes. He wants more but does Trevor feel the same? Well it’s time to figure that out. They’ll be spending a lot of time together investigating and getting ready for all the Halloween activities. And the more time they spend together, the more Bram confirms that he wants more with Trevor. And it’s only a matter of time until their feelings are brought to the surface. I really enjoyed Bram and Trevor’s story! It was clear that these two were definitely in love with one another and just needed that push to tell one another. And I’m glad they finally got their chance. This book was also fun exploring the mystery that is Mabel that is teased so much in the series. A great addition to this series and I’m looking forward to the final book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal!

 

One kiss can change everything! The Bro Date by Charli Meadows is coming August 7th!

Preorder & Sign Up Today!

Cover Designer: Ariadna Basulto with Chaotic Creatives

Toby

For years, I’ve been pining after someone I can never have—my best friend, Shane. The thought of confessing my feelings and possibly losing him is so gut-wrenching that I’ve hidden my true identity from everyone, including myself.

Until now. 

While staying with my grandparents for spring break—away from the testosterone-filled house I share with Shane and two other roommates—I decide I’m finally ready to pursue my attraction to guys. When I get back to campus, I download a gay dating app to meet people. 

Shane’s overprotective side flares to life, and he starts to stalk me on my dates, making sure I’m safe and swooping in to rescue me from disaster after disaster. When that protective streak turns into possessiveness, and he asks to kiss me, I have to pinch myself. 

Is this the happily ever after of my dreams, or is Shane just leading me on to eventually rip out my heart when he realizes he isn’t gay? 

Shane

There’s always been one ray of sunshine in my otherwise dark existence—my best friend, Toby. But when he returns from a trip to Florida and confides in me that he’s gay and wants to start dating guys, irrational jealousy takes hold of me.

Stalking his dates may start by accident, but after the first time, I willingly lurk in the shadows, watching him. Protecting him. None of these losers deserve Toby, and when he continues to get hurt by them, I can’t take it any longer. I guess I’ll have to be the one to show him how special he is and what he deserves.

When one heated kiss turns into a series of dates, I find myself falling for my best friend and questioning everything. Will this be the beginning of something beautiful, or am I doomed to lose the only good thing in my life?

Author Bio:

Charli Meadows is an obsessive reader, avid Bookstagrammer-turned PA, and now an author herself. Lover of all things romance, she plans to write a little bit of everything but make it sweet and spicy.

You can usually find Charli working her boring corporate job or at home playing video games. When she’s not reading, writing, or daydreaming about books, that is.

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Walking on Broken Paths by Amy Aislin

Desperate to escape the pain of his brother’s death, Jesse Melnik ran—but he couldn’t outrun the grief, no matter how much distance he put between himself and his past. Now, after fifteen years of trying, he’s finally ready to face his hometown of Charlottetown again.

He expects the memories of his brother to hover in every corner of his family’s sailboat and whisper in every sea-tinged breeze.

What he doesn’t expect is Parker Willis, the best friend he left behind without a word the day he fled.

And he certainly doesn’t expect old feelings to resurface.

Parker’s been stuck in a rut since his father died three months ago. Every day is the try to keep his father’s dinner cruise business afloat so he can chip away at Dad’s debts, all while working a job that leaves him more frustrated than satisfied.

Then Parker’s routine shatters in the best way Jesse Melnik returns to Prince Edward Island for the summer, all six feet three inches of gorgeous hockey player.

Now, that’s different.

Jesse kickstarts Parker’s heart.

Parker makes Jesse feel again.

And although both men are a little bit damaged from struggling down the broken path of loss, maybe—just maybe—if they can lean on each other, they’ll learn to move forward at last.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234341631-walking-on-broken-paths

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

After Jesse lost his brother he couldn’t stand being home. So he ran far away and lived his hockey dreams. But after 15 years, it was time to finally come home. At least for the summer. But coming home means facing what he left behind and who he left behind. Like Parker. His best friend since they were kids, Jesse was so caught up in his grief, he couldn’t bear to stay in touch with him either. But reuniting with Parker feels like he never left and all those old feelings start coming back. But Jesse is still righting so many wrongs from how he spent the last fifteen years. His grief made him lash out in terrible ways and even though he has been doing his best to change, he still doesn’t feel like it erases his past. So as much as he wants to be with Parker, does he deserve it? Parker, meanwhile, has been facing his own problems. He lost his dad only a few months ago and he has been drowning ever since. He left a job he loved to keep his dad’s business alive and out of debt. There is so much he still wants to do but how can he do that when he is still grieving? But then Jesse walks back into his life and this time, he won’t let him go. Not without a fight. I adored these two. Broken in similar yet different ways, it was clear they have always loved one another and it so sweet that they finally are back together. They finally get a chance to explore the feelings that both were too young and scared to admit. And as they spend this summer together reconnecting and moving on from so many hurts, it heals them both in ways they only ever hoped for. Loved, loved this story! It was just so good and I loved getting to know these two characters. You don’t want to miss this one!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fallen Gargoyles MC Book 4: Jet by Willow Thomas

 

Fallen Gargoyles MC Book 4

Falling in love with my club brother was not something I had planned.

Jet

If I had known that a drunken one-night stand with my club brother would change my life, I would have done it a lot sooner.

If only Fizz felt the same way.

He can barely look at me.

Until he gets himself into trouble, and we have to go into hiding.

The two of us alone in a cabin in the woods. Yeah, I’m gonna win him over and make him realize that we’re not done.

We’ll never be done.

Fizz

Sex with Jet was a mistake.

Because now I want to do it again and again and again.

My job and relationships don’t mix. Jet may be a biker, but he’s also a nurse. His job is all about bringing new life into the world, and my job is the exact opposite.

When I make a mistake and accidentally put Jet at risk, we have to go into hiding.

This is exactly why I need to keep my distance.

Even if he is doing everything he can to make me change my mind.

Jet is the final book in the Fallen Gargoyle series.

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My Review: 3/5 Stars

Fizz and Jet have been best friends for a long time, but never crossed the line as more. But after a drunken night hook up, Jet realizes that this is what they should have been doing all along. He knows they’re endgame. Now to convince Fizz. Fizz may have feelings for Jet, but his job in the Fallen Gargoyles is too dangerous. He doesn’t want to bring danger to anyone, especially Jet. So they can’t be together. But when both their lives are in danger and they are stuck in a cabin together, well it’s time to figure things out. Like with all these books in this series, I would love them to be longer! They are just so short. But they are sweet and funny and have interesting characters. Sad to see the series end, but it’s been fun!

Cruel Love Book 1: Nevermore by Addison Beck

Cruel Love Book 1

 Reign

My life was impossibly normal. Living by honest means, working a regular job, and being a fumbling and awkward teenager were just the norm.

Until Mama remarried. Being thrown into a world so different from mine is jarring. The parties, the people, the wealth-

And my stepbrother.

Santiago is everything I’m not. He’s carved from stone— a god amongst mortals-with an intelligence and elegance that I’ll never possess, and I can’t help but wonder who he is behind his cruel but apathetic facade.

What started as nothing turned into everything. What was only an infatuation turned into an obsession.

Because I didn’t understand what it would mean to be his.

Nevermore is Part I of “The Cruel Love” duet. Fall into a world of summer love, obsession, and heartache.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233507656-nevermore

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

First things first. Need to warn you that this is a part one of two on Reign and Santiago’s story. So yes, bit of a cliffhanger to their story and it will continue in the next book! Of which I hope comes in soon after that story! So to back up on what this story is about. Santiago learned the hard truth from his dad the moment his mom died that you have to watch out for yourself. The world they live in, with all these rich and fake people, are going to look for weakness, so never show it. And after losing his mom, any feelings he had gets shoved down with a layer of ice over it. So he spends the next two years being cold and distant and going through the motions. Even when his dad surprises him with a sudden new wife and a stepson. A stepson who at first just shows Santiago this meek and pathetic side…until he doesn’t. Because when pushed, Reign has a fire deep inside. A fire that immediately cracks the ice in Santiago. And for the first time in a long time, he is intrigued. And an intrigued Santiago is a dangerous thing. But what surprises him the most is when this obsession turns to love. For Reign, he can’t be more shocked than the moment his mother comes home announcing she got married and they are moving. Talk about whiplash. The world they live in is the complete opposite of his so called new family. And it shows with every step they take. But when he hits a turning point with Santiago, there is no coming back. But love may not be enough for the future they both so desperately want. Great first part to this story! But that ending! Ouch! Definitely need part two soon to see how these two find their happy ending. There is a lot Santiago and Reign still have to work out before they can get what they both want. But I really loved this first part as they slowly broke the walls between them down and how it shifted into something more. Can’t wait to see how it all ends!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Love in Maplewood Book 8: The Great Maple Mistake by Beck Grey

 

Love in Maplewood Book 8

A small-town photographer who’s given up on love meets a smoking hot firefighter with a smile to melt hearts. Try as they might, some flames are impossible to resist.

Alex:

Maplewood is as wonderful and cliché as you’d imagine. Sure, the town gossips share everyone’s business, but neighbors look out for each other. Nowhere else would be as accepting of me as this queer-friendly small town I grew up in. The only problem? A lack of eligible bachelors. So, when a gorgeous new guy moves to town, the Maplewood grapevine is in full swing, and this time I’m paying attention. Though maybe not close enough, because Cody and I literally run into each other. I hit him with my body, he hits me with his boy-next-door smile, and poof, my heart’s gone. Too bad sexy, sweet guys like him aren’t really interested in guys like me. Once he gets to know me, he’ll change his mind.

Cody:

You’d think that moving to a small town named Maplewood means I’m prepared for maple-flavored everything. You’d be wrong. And the stuff is everywhere, so how do I tell my new neighbors that the taste makes me gag? That problem is solved when a misunderstanding has them believing I’m allergic. Sure it saves me from eating any more maple. It also feels like I’m lying. I try to explain, but there’s no stopping the Maplewood gossip mill. Especially when the adorable photographer I almost trample fans that flame. But I can’t even be mad about it. Alex has this sweetness to him that pulls me in like gravity. And little by little he’s letting me get close. Eventually I’ll convince him to trust me, to give us a real chance. When he does, will that mean I’ll owe ‘us’ to that annoying maple mistake?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230851781-the-great-maple-mistake

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Cody may have picked the wrong town to move to but his aunt lives there and she is the only family he has left. The problem? The town is called Maplewood. Aka a town that loves their maple like probably any town in Vermont. The bigger problem? Cody can’t stand maple after an incident with his best friend when they were kids. So how in the world can he tell a town so nice and friendly that he hates their favorite thing? Turns out, he doesn’t have to because the moment he tries to say he doesn’t like maple, it gets twisted to say he is allergic! As the lie goes on, he feels worse. But there is a bright side to all this. And his name is Alex. Cody is smitten the moment they meet and luckily Alex knows the truth and finds it hilarious that the town is determined to not listen to Cody as he tries to correct them. And even more, Alex has pretty much given up on love until Cody arrives in town. The town’s new firefighter turns out to be everything Alex could have wanted in a man. Is it too good to be true? It’s looking like it’s not because everyday Cody proves to Alex more and more that this pull between them could be everything both have ever wanted. Cody and Alex were absolutely adorable! Such a fun couple and I loved how they just respected one another and accepted each other exactly as they were. Alex has spent so much of his love life in heartbreak because no one could truly accept him, but Cody proves that there is someone out there who accepts him as he is. Loved them! Their story was just so much fun all around. Another great book in this series!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love in Maplewood Book 7: Scoop Me Up by Riley Long

Love in Maplewood Book 7

Falling for a straight guy is putting extra nuts in the rocky road to my life goals...

I have two opening my own ice cream shop and falling in love. My fantasy? Falling in love with a guy who’ll help me run my future ice cream shop.

But my teaching job doesn’t exactly have me rolling in dough, and my love life doesn’t exactly have sprinkles on top, so every year my dreams seem farther and farther away.

At least until this year, when I decide to compete in the Maplewood Scoopfest flavor competition. If I win, owning an ice cream shop would be within reach. 

But the love life thing? Well, it’s even sadder now, because I have a huge crush on Gabe, the ridiculously hot, straight single dad to one of my students. He’s only in town for the summer, and—what the heck was I thinking?—I offered to let him stay in my guest bedroom. Now I have to see him, talk to him, hear him. All the time. Even my favorite ice cream isn’t enough distraction when all that deliciousness is right under my nose. 

I’m resigned to pine in silence—to Gabe, that is. My friends are sick and tired of hearing about my pointless crush. Then, one night, he leans in for a kiss. But he’d been drinking and now I don’t know if that was just the whiskey talking, or if Gabe’s flavor preferences might just be changing.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230665091-scoop-me-up

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Sam has always wanted two things. To open an ice cream shop and fall in love.But doing that is harder than they ever could have imagined. For years, they have been saving up and with every win in Maplewood’s Scoopfest flavor competition, it puts them one step further to their shop dream. And if they win this year, then they’ll finally have enough money. As for love? Well, they are about to be very surprised when Gabe comes to town. Gabe is tired of missing out on his daughter’s life. Work always takes him away and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t live close to her and his ex. But when his ex asks him to stay in Maplewood to take care of their daughter while she goes away, he jumps at the chance. Never does he expect to fall in love with the town or even someone else. But the moment he sees Sam, something changes. And he just wants to get to know Sam and be around them. Both of them are wary on what a future could look like, but neither can resist the other for long. And the more they spend time together, the harder they fall. Loved these two! They were just so adorable and sweet. And very clearly meant to be. I really enjoyed watching them fall in love! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Pretty Fly for a Vampire Guy by Leslie McAdam & CD Rachels

 

Clay

I suck at being a vampire—literally. When the Halloween Wave turned a third of the population into monsters, I thought I was one of the lucky ones. I get to have my fit twenty-year-old body for decades. And vampires are supposed to be sexy, right?

But now that I’m finally in university, I still don’t fit in. I was supposed to find myself and spread my metaphorical vampire wings. Yet, I’m not good enough to be an academic, and too inept at flying to hang with monsters like me. At least flirting with my new nerdy lab partner can be some fun in the meantime.

Owen

I can't stand my lab partner. It's not because he's a monster—far from it, I find vampires attractive. But jocks don't go for academics like me, especially airheads like Clay. We only need to get through this class.

Then one day we're nursing an injured bat together, and Clay's sweet, compassionate side rears its teeth. Despite my best efforts, this gorgeous bloodsucker has me enchanted. When he wants to learn to fly, how can I refuse? This jock keeps failing at taking to the sky, but I fear I'm the one that's falling. A nerdy human like me dating a himbo vampire could spell a monster-sized disaster.

Pretty Fly for a Vampire Guy is a spicy paranormal romantic comedy set in the Creepin U shifter universe. Don’t read if you’re not interested in nerd-jock connections, flying lessons through the forest, monsters at university, and yes, a happily ever after.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224107168-pretty-fly-for-a-vampire-guy

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

From the world of Creepin U, we have a new story! This was such a fun world and I was glad to see these authors return to it. This story follows Owen and Clay, a nerd and jock who are very much meant to be! If they let themselves at least. Owen came to Creepin U to study medicine and hopes to be a monster doctor despite his parents constant worry for him. Owen works hard to maintain his grades and is just your typical nerdy boy. Who has a massive crush on vampires but with one particular in mind: Clay. However, Owen has found it more often than not, that liking a jock tends to end badly for him. But staying away from Clay becomes harder than he expected when they have to work together in a class they share. Add in taking care of an injured bat! He wants to stay away, but the more time he spends with Clay the more he sees a side of him he never expected. Resisting Clay may not be possible. Clay hasn’t had it easy since he became a vampire, but he is doing his best. When he meets Owen he is definitely smitten. But Owen seems to not want anything to do with him. Yet, Clay can’t help but hope things will change once they get to truly know one another. Perhaps he found the person he was meant to be with after! Very sweet story with these two! I hope we continue to get more stories in this world! It’s just a fun escape filled with wonderful characters. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.