ARC Review: (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall

(Mostly) Human Resources
Author: Grace Viall
Publication: Alcove Press (August 4, 2026)

Description: A debut slow-burn work-nemesis romance set in a world where cryptids and monsters are a part of life . . . and someone has to do the paperwork.

Working in human resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the private company that categorizes and manages the world’s cryptids. But after her dad was killed on the job as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy . . . from the safety of a desk. Alexys dreams of climbing the corporate ladder while managing the Appalachian Wardens and sparring with Nic, the frustrating (and annoyingly attractive) Director of Research and Cataloging.

When one of Alexys’s new Wardens goes missing after inquiring about a mysterious and highly dangerous monster, her chances of promotion disappear along with him. Determined to save her career—and to shield the Warden’s family from the trauma she experienced after losing her father on the job—she marches off into the monster-infested wilderness to find him herself.

Meanwhile, Nic, with ambitions of becoming the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, follows Alexys on her hunt. But the work nemeses are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark. Among mountains older than bones, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of their worries . . .

My Thoughts: Alexys Keane works for Entity, a private company that categorizes and manages the world's cryptids, in the Human Resources Department. Her father was a Warden who was killed in the line of duty. She wants to honor his memory by working for the same company, but she doesn't want a file job as a Warden. She prefers managing other Wardens. 

When one of her Wardens goes missing, Alexys is forced into the field to track down what happened to him. He went off chasing a new monster even after she told him not to do so. The monster Elliot went chasing is one that Nic who is in charge of research has been researching for many years. Finding proof of its existence would do great things for his career. So, he heads off to the field to "help" Alexys.

Alexys doesn't want help from her annoying colleague. But she's not a field worker and Nic does have those skills. The two find themselves in the Appalachians and surrounded by more monsters than either of them ever anticipated. Along the way, Alexys discovers that beneath his annoying mannerisms is a man she could fall in love with if they both survive. 

I enjoyed the variety of cryptids in the story and the adventures the characters had. The descriptions of the landscapes and the inclusions of a wide variety of mythological creatures made the story interesting to read. I also liked the way the relationship grew between Alexys and Nic as they were forced to work together if either was to survive.

I did think that the ending of the story was a little abrupt with some pretty major issues left unresolved. However, indications are that this is the first of a series. Also, the description states that this is a romantic fantasy, but it seems rather short on romance for that category. Fantasy, yes. Romantic fantasy, not so much. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Sea of Charms
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: The Spellshop (Book 3)
Publication: Bramble (July 28, 2026)

Description: Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in Sea of Charms, the third magical adventure in the New York Times bestselling Spellshop series!

Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea

Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.

On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway―and her friend Dax in the line of fire.

What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile―and realizes that perhaps she isn’t saving him. Maybe it’s the other way around.

Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.

My Thoughts: SEA OF CHARMS is the third book in Durst's Spellshop cozy fantasy series. The main character is Marin who is a supply runner on her own boat. She fell in love with the wrong man and would have been bankrupt along with her parents if she had found out about his plans. She learned a lesson that love and relationships couldn't be trusted. 

Because she had always loved the sea, her parents made a deal with a local sorcerer and set her up with her own boat. On her first voyage, she rescued a sea serpent that she named Perri. The two work together to pay off her parents' debt to the sorcerer. 

One of her trips takes her to Belde to deliver and enchanted statue at the request of the head librarian of Alyssium, the capital city. There she picks up a crew member who happens to be a sentient plant. Ree has always dreamed of being a sailor and Marin doesn't want to keep him from his dreams. 

The next time they go to Alyssium which is the business center around which Marin's work circles, they find themselves in the middle of a revolution. Marin has a friend named Dax at the music conservatory and she is worried about his safety. She takes him and his friends to another island for safety. Dax asks to travel with her for a while. 

Marin is afraid to fall in love since she felt her last failed relationship was her fault and she's still dealing with the consequences. But Dax gradually finds his way into her heart. The quartet - Marin, Dax, Ree, and Perri - have a lot of adventures and learn a lot about themselves. Together they form a found family and gradually Marin puts her fears behind her for new adventures. 

This was a wonderful cozy fantasy. The characters were engaging and realistic despite their very fantasy-like appearances. The world building was magical. Filled with talking plants, flying cats, and unicorns that give milk which is made into magical cheese, the story was heartwarming and hopeful. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter

Unpredictable Magic
Author: Faith Hunter
Publication: Ace (July 14, 2026)

Description: Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter.

Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan run Everhart Investigations, a PI firm in Chattanooga that solves paranormal crimes committed by supernatural beings. When their new client wants help finding her friend, who supposedly disappeared during a reception at Angie’s aunt Jane’s winter residence, things get . . . complicated.

The client is not who she appears to be, and demons strike the city for the first time since the Witch War. On top of that, evidence is pointing toward the involvement of an overly ambitious vampire—who just happens to be Angie’s ex-husband.

As Angie and Evan team up with CPD, they will have to dig deep into their magical reserves—and rely on some friends in high places—to rid Chattanooga of the danger creeping into their city.

My Thoughts: This traditional urban fantasy stars siblings Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan. They are godchildren of the Dark Queen and royalty by decree who have managed to escape court formality and court politics by opening their own investigation agency in Chattanooga. Their next case which was supposed to be a simple missing person case drops them right back into the center of court politics again.

When their missing person is found to have been at a reception at the Queen's residence that they attended and that their vampire bodyguard Walter should have attended, they find themselves in a conspiracy to overthrow the queen and restart the demon wars. Angie's ex-husband is a vampire player in that conspiracy as is Evan's human girlfriend. Even an old companion of Walter's has a role in the conspiracy. 

It soon becomes clear that finding their client's missing friend is the very least of their concerns with stopping the conspiracy against the queen taking priority as well as dealing with their own personal issues regarding their various exes. 

This was an engaging urban fantasy title in the same world as the author's Jane Yellowrock world. A number of characters also made appearances in that series of fifteen books and multiple short stories. 

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and enjoyed the complex and intriguing main characters who exchanged viewpoints throughout the story. Now, I want to go and read the Jane Yellowrock series and, because of a preview at the end of this book, the Soulwood series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen

The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance
Author: Chiara Bullen
Publication: Del Rey (July 7, 2026)

Description: A young aspiring scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer’s inn—only to uncover a centuries-old secret, while finding true friendship and a new home, in this uplifting cozy fantasy.

Mount Vengeance is legendary. For most, it’s an adventure or a quest to prove themselves worthy of fame and glory. For Ainsworth Gladsly, it’s the perfect thesis material.

Ainsworth is an ambitious research fellow and up-and-coming historian, finally ready to make his mark on the world. When his supervisor learns of the rumored Misnich Inn at the foot of Mount Vengeance, she sends Ainsworth to be the first to document the exploits of the bold adventurers who seek to face the perils of the mountain and the dragon said to inhabit it.

The inn is far from the sophisticated city life he’s grown to love, but even as he grudgingly warms to its rustic charm—and its lovely innkeeper, Honey—the mystery of the mountain refuses to reveal itself. Worse, Ainsworth can’t find evidence that anyone has ever undertaken the climb. Even the bravest warriors who stay at the inn turn away from Mount Vengeance the next day.

With Ainsworth’s reputation on the line, he can’t allow this mystery to remain unsolved—even if he has to push the adventurers up the mountain himself.

My Thoughts: Ainsworth Gladsly is a scholar from the noted Skarrow Library. He is looking for a project to make his reputation and discovers Mount Vengeance. He thinks studying the adventurers who climb it in search of the dragon and its horde would be his breakthrough project.

He travels to the Misnich Inn which is at the foot of the mountain where he meets Honey and her staff which includes a famous chef looking for a more satisfying life. He arrives arrogant and certain that he is better than those who live at the inn and it takes a while for the city veneer to be scraped off to reveal the man he really is. 

Ainsworth was a poor scholarship student who was adopted by the upper snobbish group which made him feel it was necessary for him to adopt their ways. He even had an abusive lover, and it was their breakup that was part of the reason he come to Misnich Inn in the first place.

The story is filled with wonderful worldbuilding and interesting characters. Watching Ainsworth become the man he was supposed to be was a gradual process. I especially enjoyed that he found a home and someone to love who accepted him as he was. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson

Wildflower
Author: Becky Jenkinson
Publication: Del Rey (June 16, 2026)

Description: A magical florist journeys from the kingdom’s capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

“Wildflower is a lovely respite from reality, featuring a charming cast of characters, snappy dialogue, and so much heart. Prepare to be enchanted.”—Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.

My Thoughts: Felicity Farrow has been cursed from birth to always tell the truth. This has made it difficult to make friends, and it makes her a tool for the increasingly paranoid queen. Fliss's one and only friend Card is soon to marry Prince Bastion who is the heir to the throne. She is to be his Maid of Honor. 

Fliss is a floral mage who is well-versed in the lore of flowers. She has a way of using flowers to sooth, comfort, or discomfit as she feels the need. She has lately been commissioned to locate some unusual flowers for an anonymous buyer. 

In order to find the unusual flowers, she needs the help of sorcerer Willoh Vane who is in the middle of a feud with Prince Bastion. Will has taken the blame for a magical spell gone really wrong in order to protect the prince. The spell has blighted much of the north of the kingdom and caused the people there to rebel.

As Will and Fliss search for the flowers, they fall in love and Fliss begins to wonder at the purpose for the flowers. They also uncover a number of secrets from the past. Some of the secrets include their own mothers.

This was a cozy fantasy. It was also a sweet romance. LGBTQ+ themes may limit this one for younger readers. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Blood on the Sand by Kacey Ezell

Blood on the Sand
Author: Kacey Ezell
Series: Magelight (Book 2)
Publication: Baen Books (April 7, 2026)

Description: IN HER DARKEST HOUR, AELYS CHOSE FREEDOM . . . BUT CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Bellatrix Aelys turned her back on the family that betrayed her and chose to forge her own destiny alongside the dangerous men she had accidentally bound. Now free, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the uneasy choice to continue to work with Aelys as her protectors and business partners. But when Aelys faced off against her family, she didn’t eliminate every threat, and now mysterious forces are moving against her once more. Fearing for her safety and that of her men, Aelys agrees to do a simple task for her old teacher: escort some old “friends” to Zandrine, one of the fabled cities located in the south of the empire.

Only, not everything is as it seems. Zandrine is a city built on secrets and blood and pain. Aelys and her protectors will have to face the demons of the past and the dark schemes of the present, all while trying to figure out who they are to one another and how the four of them— warrior, sorceress, forester, and thief—can meld their strengths to keep each other alive.

Can Aelys, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the necessary hard choices that will forge them into a team capable of surviving these new challenges? Or will the pain of the past and the danger of the present destroy them one by one?

My Thoughts: Bellatrix Aelys and her guards Romik, Daen, and Vil are trying to figure out who is trying to capture Aelys. They decide to leave and are recruited by one of Aelys's trusted teachers at the Lyceum to travel to Zandrine as escort for her sons Bellator Acten and Ageon Tyrus. She has known both men since her days at the Lyceum.

Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil are still working out their relationships since Aelys broke the geas that bound the men to her. While she has changed a lot from her wimpy days when her magic was secretly bound by her aunt, Aelys still lacks some self-confidence and can't imagine that her warrior, archer, and thief would willingly bind themselves to her. 

Their destination - Zandrine - is a city Romik promised himself that he's never return to but a shipwreck caused by storms and dragon attacks makes it necessary. They find a city that is greatly changed since Romik was last there. The empire has outlawed slavery which used to support the games which are the heart of the city's prosperity. The city is trying to find a new stability and a new power structure.

When Romik is forced back into the games to save the son of the man who once owned him, rules mean that Aelys, Vil and Daen are also bound for the arena. They need to reestablish their bonds if they are to survive, but this time Aelys knows that she isn't coercing them in any way. And since the Emperor, in disguise, is present for reasons of his own, Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil find themselves recruited into his rebellion against his grandmother and her cohort. 

This is clearly the middle book in a trilogy. A lot does happen as Aelys grows into herself and her power and the relationship with her protectors is formalized. Nothing more is learned about the person the quartet is running from, but it looks like the next book will find her back within his reach. The story was filled with excellent worldbuilding and lots of excitement. I look forward to reading more. 

I bought this one April 10. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Eternity
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunters (Book 18)
Publication: Berkley (May 5, 2026)

Description: Elena and Raphael return for the hauntingly poignant conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s genre-defining Guild Hunter series.

A thousand years.

It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.

But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain . . . at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.

My Thoughts: This conclusion to an 18-book series is mainly a retrospective. Elena and Raphael are celebrating being together for 1000 years and looking back at some of the events that shaped them. Conditions are stable but changes are in the wind.

The biggest change is that Elena finds herself pregnant despite her birth control. This is a seismic event for the two of them. Raphael fears that he will go mad as his parents did and Elena fears that her hunter nature will make her so overprotective that she will stunt her child's growth. 

I enjoyed this story but doubt this would work at all for a new reader of the series. There were so many references, including the quotes that begin each chapter, to events and relationships from the earlier books that brought back memories for me but would likely baffle someone new to the series. 

I enjoyed the glimpses of the world and New York especially and thought the changes realistic. I also liked Harrison's role in the story which indicates that immortality is a very mixed blessing. Elena also feels the losses of family and friends over the many centuries. 

I enjoyed the return of a new and changed Legion. I thought for a while that this would be another episode filled with angels fighting each other but liked the way Raphael's mother managed to sooth the tensions between Illium and his archangel father. 

This story was a satisfying conclusion to the series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
Author: Ilona Andrews

Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Series: Maggie the Undying (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (March 31, 2026); Macmillan Audio (March 31, 2026)

Length: 21 hours and 33 minutes

Description: Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.

My Thoughts: Maggie wakes up cold, dirty and naked in a gutter. It doesn't take her long to recognize that she is in Kair Toren. There is a big problem. Kair Toren only exists in a dark fantasy trilogy that she has been reading and rereading for years. Book three hasn't been written yet and it has been years. 

Maggie needs to survive. Luckily, she has an encyclopedic memory of all of the story details. Unfortunately, she knows the fate of Kair Toren. At least as much as has been written in the first two books of the series. 

She is determined to change the fate of the Kair Toren that the author wrote. She makes friends and finds herself much more involved in the great events than she would like. She earns that she can be hurt and can die and can come back from the dead. But being killed hurts - a lot. 

Then things start happening that are not exactly as the book has written them. Selling secrets about the future puts her in a lot of danger but she's determined to save the city she has fallen in love with in the book. 

This was a complex fantasy made more complex by a large cast of characters many of whom are using pseudonyms. The interrelationships among the characters are twisted and convoluted. I felt like I could have used a cast of characters but realize that such a cast would contain spoilers. 

I was swept along with the events of the story even though I had to stop every once in a while, to ask myself "Who was that person again?' This is a story that merits rereading despite the 21 hour length. I liked the characters especially Maggie but even the characters that were new to Maggie because they were never mentioned in the books were interesting and well-developed people. The world building was excellent.

I bought this one March 31, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan

Thistlemarsh
Author: Moorea Corrigan
Publication: Berkley (April 21, 2026)

Description: Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

My Thoughts: This historical fantasy takes place after World War I and in a world where the faeries disappeared 100 years earlier. Mouse Dunne was raised in a faerie-blessed home but wasn't a cherished child. Her mother ran away with the gardener, was disinherited, and died leaving the family in distress until her uncle invited them to live at Thistlemarsh. There Mouse and her brother Roger grew up with their cousin Bertie. However, when the boys were away at Eton, Mouse was confined to an attic room and was neglected. Her only solace was working in the garden with the old groundskeeper Mr. Hobb.

Then World War I came. Bertie and Roger enlisted. Bertie was killed by a bomb and Roger suffered from extreme shellshock. Mouse left her home and traveled to the continent to take care of her injured brother. When she learned that she had inherited Thistlemarsh after her uncle's death, she had to go home to claim her inheritance. However, there were conditions. One of them is that she has to restore Thistlemarsh in only 30 days or else the estate and the income she needs to take care of her brother will all go to the Honorable Anthony Carlyle who has been her enemy and the enemy of her brother and cousin too. 

She must try to restore Thistlemarsh but she can't do it alone. When a faerie named Thornwood offers a bargain, Mouse is forced to accept but has great reservations. She once wanted to be a faerie anthropologist and knows that faerie bargains can't be trusted. 

As the two work to restore Thistlemarsh, they have to deal with magic woven into the house which is resisting their efforts. There are lots of magical adventures. Along the way, Mouse falls in love with Thornwood, but their romance faces many obstacles including the long-missing faerie king. 

This was an excellent romantic fantasy. I liked the way the magic was woven into the real world that is trying to recover from World War I and the devastation it caused. I liked Mouse's determination to do anything for her brother's recovery. I liked all the magic. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

The Book Witch
Author: Meg Shaffer
Publication: Ballantine Books (April 7, 2026)

Description: Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.

Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story.

Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

My Thoughts: Rainy March is a Book Witch. It is her job to jump into books to protect the stories from the burners. Book witches have rules. Don't eat, drink or sleep in the fictional world. And don't fall in love with any of the characters. 

Rainy is having trouble with the last rule. She has fallen for the Duke of Chicago who is the main character in a series of mysteries filled with the hard-boiled detective and his cases. Duke is the man of her dreams, but when her boss finds out, she's forbidden from entering his world again. 

When her Pops disappears and a book that means the world to her is stolen from her safe at home, Rainy knows the only one who can help her solve is the case is the one man she has been forbidden to see - the Duke of Chicago.

Together the pair enters all sorts of books from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to classic Nancy Drew to try to find her missing grandfather and learn some of the secrets of her past. 

This is the perfect story for any reader who has fallen in love with a character from a book or fallen in love with a book series. It is filled with wonderful moments for all readers. The writing style is conversational and told by Rainy in the first person. The book is divided into genres from Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Nonfiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller and Science Fiction. 

This book will be going on my keeper shelf for frequent re-reading. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner

The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale
Author: C. M. Waggoner
Publication: Ace (March 17, 2026)

Description: A practical witch must sabotage her beloved son's ascension to the throne in order to keep the kingdom from ruin, in this delightful cozy fantasy from the author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry.

Once upon a time, a somewhat wicked witch named Gretsella lived in a cozy little cottage in the Dark Forest of Brigandale. She dispensed herbs and tinctures at reasonable prices, met with her slightly oddball coven on a regular basis, and had absolutely no need of any further company whatsoever, thank you very much. But then one afternoon, Gretsella came home to find a screaming infant on her doorstep.

Against all her better judgement, she took the baby in. She named him Bradley.

Eighteen years later, Bradley has grown into a bafflingly likable young man under Gretsella’s extremely tolerant—one might even say doting—eye. But the witch’s hopes for an unremarkable yet fulfilling life for her son are shattered when small woodland animals start prophesying that he is the lost prince and should ascend to the throne. Bradley ignores Gretsella’s advice that prophecies and talking chipmunks are to be avoided at all costs, and sets off for the capital. But soon confusion and chaos are reigning, and scheming courtiers are using Bradley for their own ends. Sometimes a witch has to roll up her sleeves and take matters into her own cauldron. So Gretsella resolves to bring about the downfall of her darling son…

My Thoughts: This cozy fantasy tells the story of Gretsella who is a witch living in the Dark Forest of Brigandale. She sells herbs and tinctures, meets with her oddball coven, and is perfectly happy. Then one day she discovers a baby on her doorstep.

Gretsella takes the baby in, names him Bradley, and raises him. Members of her coven gifted him with beauty, politeness, and a powerful right hook. They also told her that he was the son of the deposed monarch, but she planned to raise him to lead an utterly unremarkable life.

However, when Bradley turns eighteen, he is discovered by knights who want him to overthrow the current despot and take the throne. Gretsella tries very hard to discourage him from taking the path. She believes that he will be happiest living in the village, being a hairdresser, and playing ball with his friends. 

Bradey doesn't take her advice and heads off to the city to secure his new fate. He manages to overthrow the king, but he doesn't know anything about ruling a kingdom. He calls on Gretsella to come help him. She still has her old plan and works to find a way for Bradley to stop being a king and come home. 

This was an engaging fairy tale filled with all sorts of humor. Bradley is beautiful but not very bright. Gretsella is wicked but not very wicked. The other characters are also well-developed. I especially liked Gretsella's unusual coven. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

Magic & Mischief at the Wayside Hotel
Author: Elizabeth Everett
Publication: Ace (March 10, 2026)

Description: When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can’t help him. How is he going to “reboot” the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?

Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she’s never seen before.

Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other.

My Thoughts: This romantasy is a change of pace for Elizabeth Everett who is more known for her historical romances, and it proves that she can master more than one genre.

Pax Nomen is the manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub. He was formerly a paladin and soldier who grew tired of war. The hotel provides a way for people from many planets to travel from one world to another. The current residents include a bunch of cheerleading fairies, assorted gargoyles, a family of zombies, a vampire prince, and assistant manager who is a medusa. Not to mention the residents of the sixth floor who are sleeping.

When the hotel becomes stranded on magicless Earth, Pax needs to come up with a plan to reboot the hotel. Enter Josie LaChiusa and her four-year-old son Amos. Josie needs a new place to live since the latest increase in rent for her apartment has put it out of her price range. She's a single mom with a medically fragile son who is just trying to keep her head above water. She's also filled with self-doubts about her ability to be a good mother since she had no role models in her childhood. Her doubts are exacerbated by her mother-in-law who is always telling Josie what she is doing wrong and who wants custody of Amos. 

Josie and Amos settle into Number Five and odd things happen. Amos finds a decorated room with a Pider-Man theme to match his latest craze, and Josie finds walls changing colors, flowers appearing, and odd scents in the air. She also finds a sense of home that she had never experienced before. Pax becomes her friend and a romance ensues.

But Number Five isn't recharging fast enough for some of the residents. There are a group who feel that a blood sacrifice with Josie and Amos as the victims would recharge her faster. Pax isn't about to allow that. He isn't willing to give up the woman and child who have given him a sense of home for the first time in his long life. 

This is a story filled with magic and with love. I really enjoyed it. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Half City by Kate Golden

Half City
Author: Kate Golden
Series: Harker Academy (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (February 17, 2026)

Description: Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

My Thoughts: Viv Abbott lives in Astera. She's twenty-one and works at a museum for her sister-in-law. She is also an aeon - a specialized and rare sort of demon hunter. She has been hiding that part of her life from everyone since she watched her father - another hunter - lose his life to a band of Brood demons. 

When she is spotted rescuing a young mother and her children from a monster attack, she is recruited to attend the Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. There, she finds friends who understand her. She also finds romance in the person of one of her instructors who also happens to be a Brood demon, but one who has sworn off taking souls. There is also something dangerous and secret going on at Harker. It looks like someone is trying to gather the ingredients for a spell that will give unimaginable power to the Thane - the head demon. 

Viv has to deal with all sorts of stresses. She's still trying to maintain her human life and friends while learning more about her powers and the world the lives alongside the human world. 

This was an engaging start to a series. The was a cliffhanger ending but lots of things were resolved in this episode. I liked Viv. She is smart, impulsive, and carries a deep loneliness inside. Finding friends, even if she is still keeping some secrets from them, expands and enriches her life. I am eager for more in this series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

Books & Bewitchment
Author: Isla Jewell
Series: Arcadia Falls (Book 1)
Publication: Del Rey (February 6, 2026)

Description: In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favorite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’s magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birthright and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This story was a cozy paranormal romance. Rhea Wolfe finds her life changed when she inherits from the grandmother she never met. The inheritance comes at a good time. Rhea has just lost her clerical job. She also wants to get away from her off-again-on-again boyfriend and the small town where she lives. Rhea packs us her belongings including a cockatoo and heads off to a new, hopefully better, life.

Rhea finds herself in Arcadia Falls, Georgia, where her first task as the inheritor of her grandmother's property is to pour her ashes into the local waterfall. Things don't go particularly well. She finds herself covered in her grandmother's cremains and soaking wet with a cockatoo who has apparently been taken over by her grandmother's ghost.

Her grandmother isn't happy about this nor is Rhea. The two try to learn to live with each other but the two butt heads since both are very stubborn. Rhea needs to learn about her family's magic and the secrets her grandmother is keeping. 

There's also a guy who just happens to be the grandson of her grandmother's greatest enemy. Rhea and the guy are attracted and spend a lot of time together since he is the contractor hired to change Rhea's grandmother's failing video store into the bookstore of Rhea's dreams. They need to get rid of a poltergeist first though. 

This was a cute romance with a lot of heart. Rhea is a woman with lots of weight on her shoulders. She has two younger sisters that she loves but who are both conditioned to lean on her for emotional and financial support. 

I enjoyed the hopefulness of this story. It was good to see Rhea grow and change. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill

Ember Eternal
Author: Chloe Neill

Narrator: Imani Jade powers
Series: Souls Burn Brightest (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (November 25, 2025); Penguin Audio (November 25, 2025)

Length: 15 hours 7 minutes

Description: A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who has dangerous secrets to keep) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and takes only a little at that. But she has no choice. Fox and her closest companion are indentured servants to an unscrupulous wealthy woman in the stronghold. Unable to pay off their debts with the work they’re given, they steal in the hopes of one day being free—truly free.

While searching for an easy mark, Fox identifies a would-be assassin with her rare magical ability, and then helps a royal bodyguard fend off his vicious attack on the prince. Soon that good deed embroils her in a vast and shimmering world of imperial politics, long-lost magic, and improbable romance. But Fox longs for freedom, and must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

My Thoughts: Fox is a thief in the city of Stronghold. She's an indentured servant to a woman who sells her services to make money. When she is in the market one day looking for marks who can afford to lose a coin, she spots and spoils an assassination attempt on the new ruling prince. She uses her magical ability to see the Aetheric.

Fox soon finds herself allied with the guard whom she helped save the prince despite her disdain for the royal rulers. She discovers that someone is using the aetheric to try to overthrow the ruling family. 

Fox was an interesting character. She is a thief with morals and a woman who longs for freedom to make her own choices. She also has a rare magical ability to see the aetheric. She's had the ability since the childhood she doesn't remember, but the ability mostly brings her pain. 

This is a romance as Fox falls for the bodyguard she helped thwart the assassination attempt. But he is a man keeping secrets which affect her choices and may constrict her future freedom. 

This was an engaging story with intriguing characters. I liked the setting and the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one on publication day. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

We were servants by fate, sisters by choice, and thieves by skill and practice. And we were looking for coins to steal.

Friday 56:

"It's beautiful. Who owns this land?"

"According to the Emperor Eternal, he does. He demands half of everything the stronghold makes."

This week I am spotlighting Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill. It is the first in a new romantacy series. Here is the description from Amazon:

A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who has dangerous secrets to keep) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and takes only a little at that. But she has no choice. Fox and her closest companion are indentured servants to an unscrupulous wealthy woman in the stronghold. Unable to pay off their debts with the work they’re given, they steal in the hopes of one day being free—truly free.

While searching for an easy mark, Fox identifies a would-be assassin with her rare magical ability, and then helps a royal bodyguard fend off his vicious attack on the prince. Soon that good deed embroils her in a vast and shimmering world of imperial politics, long-lost magic, and improbable romance. But Fox longs for freedom, and must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

Audiobook Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea
Author: TJ Klune

Narrator: Daniel Henning
Series: Cerulean Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (December 29, 2020); Macmillan Audio (March 17, 2020)

Length: 12 hours and 12 minutes

Description: A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.

My Thoughts: Linus Baker works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is sent by Extremely Upper Management to report on one isolated orphanage. The orphanage is on Marsyas Island - a spot at the end of the train line. 

When Linus arrives, he meets Arthur Parnassus who is in charge of six very unusual and potentially dangerous children. The children include a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, a green blog, and the Antichrist. 

Linus begins the story as a rule bound man but gradually comes to see that the rules don't always work. As he gets to know the children, he begins to see them as children and not their superficial identity tag. And he longs to get to know Arthur Parnassus who is hiding a large number of secrets of his own.

The story is all about changes. Linus expands his horizons greatly as he gets to know Arthur and the children. He goes from aching loneliness to becoming a member of a most unusual found family. And he discovers courage within himself to use his voice to help others. 

This was an engaging tale. 

I bought the Kindle copy September 18, 2025, and used an Audible credit for the audiobook November 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"Oh dear," Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "This is most unusual."

Friday 56:

Well. They looked as if they were suffering from red-eye effect, the flash happening too quickly for the pupils to react. There was a ring of blue around the red. It was certainly chilling, but Linus had seen it many times before. Just a trick of the light. That's all it was.

This week I am spotlighting The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. This has been on my radar for a while, but I was pushed to buy it when I saw so many booktubers singing its praises. Here is the description from Amazon:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.

ARC Review: Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

Blind Date with a Werewolf
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publication: Ace (October 21, 2025)

Description: When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.

Dear Asil:

We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you: five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun!

Sincerely,

Your Concerned Friends

My Thoughts: This story collects the existing Asil stories and adds a couple of new ones. The premise is that some "concerned friends" have gifted Asil with a series of blind dates because they are worried about him. Asil is a very old werewolf who has come to the Marrock's territory because he wants to die and only the Marrock is strong enough to kill him. However, the Marrock has uses for Asil as an executioner who can take out werewolves who need to die before they give all werewolves a bad name. 

Asil has become reclusive and depressed, and he struggles to keep control of his wolf who is becoming more and more distant. 

The first date has Asil attending a Vampire Ball in Missoula. Young people who are pretending to be vampires have set this up. Asil's date has also been set up. It turns out that Kelly is a gay young graduate student and not the female that he was purported to be. And some of the vampires are not pretending. 

The second date has Asil rescuing a tiger shifter and a lioness who is also an ancient goddess. His foster daughter Mariposa, who was a black witch, has a role to play in this one.

The third date has Asil meeting a social worker named Tami who seems to be a white witch and helping her rescue some of her clients from a wyrm. But things are not quite what they seem and Asil needs to save the day again. 

The fourth date has Asil meeting a ghost hunter who is the victim of an ancient fae. She's a woman who resonates with both Asil and his wolf and completes his reentry into life and love. 

The fifth date concerns rescuing Mariposa's daughter from a very old vampire who was living in Spokane unknown to the local alpha. 

These were entertaining interrelated stories. I have always thought Asil was an intriguing character and loved learning more about him. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman

The Last Hamilton
Author: Jenn Bregman
Narrator: Leanne Woodward
Publication: Dreamscape Media (February 11, 2025)
Length: 7 hours and 38 minutes

Description: After the last heir of Alexander Hamilton’s line is murdered, her heartbroken husband and best friend team up in this twisty thriller where a mysterious death uncovers not just an ancient secret society, but the treasures it holds—perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Sarah Penner.

The more they know, the more danger they’re in.

When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.

The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever.

With fascinating details from the shadows of American history, The Last Hamilton is a sweeping and fast-paced thriller reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code.

My Thoughts: This recent release is a thriller filled with a 200-year conspiracy. When Alexander Hamilton died, his wife and children formed a secret society to further his goals of a just and free United States. His descendants continued the secret society and worked for the goals. 

Now, it is the present day, and the secret society has dwindled to only one woman, Elizabeth Hamilton Warren - the last Hamilton - at a time when the society is most needed. The United States is being threatened by a plot of the Russians and Chinese to destabilize the dollar by buying up all the world's gold and converting to a gold standard currency. They know, because they have recruited various financial leaders, that the US has a lot less gold than they say they have. 

Elizabeth has a plan but dies before she can execute it. She leaves her notes and her goals to her best friend Sarah Brockman and her husband Ralph Warren. Reeling with grief at Elizabeth's death, Sarah and Ralph band together to try to find out what Elizabeth knew and what she had planned to do about it. They have to scramble to figure out and stop the plans which are very near completion. 

We get Sarah's viewpoint, the viewpoint of one of Sarah's co-workers Pierce who is unknowingly working for the enemy, a Russian mobster, and Detective Schwartz who is investigating Elizabeth's death.

I listened to this one which really highlighted how implausible and over-the-top this story was. I almost strained my eyes from all the eye-rolling I did as I listened to the stilted dialog. If you can turn off any part of an analytical brain and just go for the adventure, this was an enjoyable romp. 

I bought this one from Chirp June 25, 2025, for $2.99. You can buy your copy here.