Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

Title: Cold Eternity

Author: S.A. Barnes

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2025

Genre: Thriller/Horror

Pages: 293

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Something you might see in a hospital; I Read Horror - Female Author

Where I Got It: Library

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago…

The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld’s three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from….

If I want a thriller/lite horror novel, I turn to S.A. Barnes now. I love her space horror books so much! We get creepy settings, unreliable narrators, and some lovely body horror all wrapped up in a tightly paced, easily read package. This one is no exception. Right away, we know that there’s something wrong on the ship, but we have to slowly and creepily encounter the truth along with Halley. The little odd occurrences and sensory jump scares add to the tension. And we are guaranteed a fast-paced ending full of horror! My only quibble with this book is the overly long passages about Halley’s previous political dealings. They didn’t blend seamlessly with her current story. I even found myself wanting to know more details of exactly what happened. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this space romp.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Seoulmates by Susan Lee

Title: Seoulmates

Author: Susan Lee

Publisher: Inkyard Press 2022

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 314

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Lotus and Lei (AAPI Author); Cover Lover - POC

Where I Got It: Library

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs…that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

Two friends recommended this book because of my love of K-Pop and K-Dramas. I went into it knowing very little. One of those things is that I didn’t realize that it was YA until I got the physical book. Not my usual cup of romance tea, but I thought I would try it. And overall, it was good. Not great, but good. There is some teenage angst sprinkled, but not too much. Mostly I was annoyed by the whole “let’s pretend to be dating to make my (IMO worthless) ex-boyfriend jealous so he takes me back.” UM, girl. Step away from the bland boy who clearly does not see you at all. I did want to see more adventures between Hannah and Jacob around San Diego. There was a lack of fun! I wanted to really buy them as a couple. So ultimately, I ended up giving this one 3 stars. Good, but nothing to get super excited about.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2)

Author: TJ Klune

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2024; Cover Lover - A Lighted Window

Where I Got It: Library

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Honestly, I think that my expectations for this book were too high. The House in the Cerulean Sea was an absolutely amazing book. I loved every page. And then we waited years for the sequel. I think I was too excited and built this one up too much to truly enjoy it. In this book, we focus on Arthur’s history. I was intrigued about his mysterious past while reading the first book. This one just doesn’t seem to have enough content to actually fill out a 400 page book. I found the pacing to be very frustrating. Long stretches of the book could have been edited out as they do nothing to development characters or the plot. Really I wanted more and more from the relationships between Arthur, Linus, and the kiddos. A pretty big disappointment for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

Title: Ne’er Duke Well (Belvoir’s Library #1)

Author: Alexandra Vasti

Publisher: Griffin 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Sunset Picnic (New-to-me Author); Cover Lover - Period Clothing

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Level: 5

Peter Kent—newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana—must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep—not his fault!—he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)

But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.

I don’t remember where I saw this book recommended, but the review focused on the wit and comedy along with the steam. Sounded perfect for me! I grabbed it from the library and dove in. Overall, I’m a huge fan of Peter and Selina’s love story. They are two characters clearly meant to be together, but of course, Selina doesn’t see it. I really enjoy romances where the man falls first if it’s a hetero pairing. They do have great banter throughout the book. I loved their interactions and Selina’s schemes to get Peter a wife. My biggest complaint was the quick ending. We didn’t really get to see enough of the two characters after they decide to marry. My eternal complaint about romances.

Belvoir’s Library

• #1 Ne’er Duke Well

• #2 Earl Crush

• #3 Ladies in Hating

Next up on the TBR pile:

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Title: Water Moon

Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Publisher: Del Rey 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Cover Lover - Frame Worthy Design

Where I Got It: Bought it

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

Everyone once in a while, I really want to fall into a super atmospheric fantasy book. I was something that moves a bit slow and feels like you are in a dream. I don’t want it to be action packed, but have a plot that moves somewhere. And I want it to be a book that I keep thinking about interactions and passages days and weeks and months later. This is that book for me this year! Ultimately this is a story about choices. Hana, Kei, and everyone else in this book wrestle with choices made and choices given up throughout this quest story. I have written down so many quotes from this book. I cannot wait to really dive into some of these quotes and questions at the retreat in two weeks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

Title: Swept Away

Author: Beth O’Leary

Publisher: Berkely 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Beachside Cafe; Cover Lover - Birds

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 3

What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend's daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.

I have enjoyed O’Leary’s past books, but had heard grumbles about this newest one. I went in with a bit of trepidation, but was pleasantly supposed. I really enjoyed seeing two characters with the ultimate forced proximity trope learn to rely on each other and eventually love each other. I am always the most excited in romance books for the parts where characters actually talk to each other. That’s what most of this book was about! Absolutely perfect. On the other hand, I knocked off a star because of the last section on land. We get the big reveal/twist that I totally telegraphed early on. That third act break-up was completely unnecessary and definitely should have been changed. I wouldn’t have minded a bit of a struggle at the end, but the way it played out was way too melodramatic. A little switch and this could have been a 5 star read for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

Title: The Stolen Queen

Author: Fiona Davis

Publisher: Dutton 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Cover Lover - Headwear

Where I Got It: BOTM

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. That is until an unbearable tragedy strikes.

New York City, 1978: Nineteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte is now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art. She’s consumed by her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

The night of the gala: One of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing, and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening. Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, and a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

This book started out strong. I was hoping for an interesting deep dive into women in archaeology and the issue of artifact provenance. I wanted to get into a philosophical discussion. Instead, we quickly turn to a melodramatic family conspiracy featuring a meek main character, an overbearing mother, a potentially bad husband, a tragedy, and a caricature of a real person. It just all felt very cliche by 50% of the book. I keep reading hoping that we would get back into the interesting parts of the artifacts. But nope. And then we get the reveal about Charlotte’s husband and child and I just couldn’t care any less. Blergh. I think I really need to step away from historical fiction books for awhile. They are just feeling very tired lately.

Next up on the TBR pile:

This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman

Title: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (Dungeon Crawler Carl #7)

Author: Matt Dinniman

Publisher: Dandy House 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 724

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - A title and/or scene that makes you laugh

They call it Faction Wars. The ninth floor. Nine armies, each led by rich and powerful aliens from across the galaxy. Each team has one objective: to capture and hold the castle at the very center of the battlefield. Strategy, alliances, pitched battles, and, of course, betrayal... It all makes for great fun and even greater television. After all, none of these powerful aliens really die when they’re playing war.

Except this time. This time, winner takes all. Those who fall, stay in the ground.

As the AI continues its rapid decline, Carl and company take advantage of the chaos. For the first time ever, the crawlers are fighting back. They are now one of the nine teams. And this season, there’s a tenth army on the playing field. The NPCs, who are normally used as nothing but cannon fodder, have become fully self-aware and formed a team of their own.

For Donut and Katia, the stakes are even higher. Only one of them will be allowed to leave this level. If they all want to survive, they’re going to need a little help from a veteran or two. This is it. This is what they’ve been fighting toward. This is war. This inevitable ruin.

I finally got time to listen to the newest Carl book! And my goodness, I knew it was going to be a doozy. We finally get to see Faction Wars and the outcomes of so many things set up during the previous few books. I could not wait to see how Carl, Donut, and crew screwed over the corporations and the various enemies of the Princess Posse. The book starts and we immediately dive into nonstop action. Within the action, we get a few quiet moments of serious emotional weight. Just what I was expecting from this volume. The ending wasn’t a huge surprise overall, but I did love how it played out. I cannot wait to see what happens on the 10th Floor.

Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #1 Dungeon Crawler Carl

• #2 Carl’s Doomsday Scenario

• #3 The Dungeon' Anarchist’s Cookbook

• #4 The Gate of the Feral Gods

• #5 The Butcher’s Masquerade

• #6 The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

• #7 This Inevitable Ruin

Next up on the TBR pile:

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Service Model

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Cityscape

Where I Got It: Library

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

I had absolutely no frame of reference going into this book. It was picked for my speculative fiction book club and I just dove in. Right away, I was intrigued by the narration by the robot. The writing took a bit to get used, but it was perfect for the characters and the story. We slowly orient ourselves in the world and attempt to understand what has happened in the manor. Once that is revealed, we begin our quest with Uncharles and slowly piece together the world as it stands. I loved the language, the characters, and the plot. We get a very fresh-feeling robot story wrapped in a post-apocalypse world. We get to see a future destroyed by humans and continued by robots. I loved that we get a big mystery aspect to the story while keeping our robot a robot. While Uncharles has its own thoughts and decisions, it is still a robot with all the logical thinking and inability to really imagine. I found this book to be very refreshing. I cannot wait to discuss this with my book club friends in June.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Demon's Queen by Katee Robert

Title: The Demon’s Queen (A Deal with a Demon #6)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Trinkets & Tales LLC 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 164

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Paranormal; Cover Lover - Illustrated Scene

Where It Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 7

Eve’s life might not be perfect, but it’s hers. She has money, freedom, and a client list that she’s handpicked over the years. If sometimes she gets a little too attached to those clients? Well, that’s her problem. After a stressful day, she’s looking forward to dinner and a long night with Azazel…until he asks her to sign a contract under the guise of roleplay—and then kidnaps her to another realm.

Azazel has been in love with Eve for years, but he knows his place. The window to offer her a contract has long since closed, so he takes her in the only way he can—as her client. Until one of his enemies realizes exactly how much Eve means to him…forcing him to lie to her to protect her.

Unfortunately for Azazel, Eve isn’t thankful for the protection. She may be stuck in the demon realm with her new captor, but she’s going to make him choke on every moment they spend together.

Too bad her heart is more in the mix than she’d ever admit…

Finally! We finally get Azazel and Eve’s story! I’ve been waiting this entire series for this pairing and it does not disappoint. We get to see a woman who came from nothing and found something like a life who then gets basically kidnapped to the demon realm. But thankfully, her captor is Azazel who, even though he missteps many times, truly cares about Eve. I loved seeing these two characters circle each other before finally professing their feelings. We get great cameos from many other characters in the series. We also get the opposite side of scenes from my of the books adding to the full series story. Sad that this series is at an end, but have really enjoyed the ride.

A Deal with a Demon

• #1 The Dragon’s Bride

• #2 The Kraken’s Sacrifice

• #3 The Gargoyle’s Captive

• #4 The Succubus’s Prize

• #5 The Demon’s Bargain

• #6 The Demon’s Queen

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

Title: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Author: Patti Callahan Henry

Publisher: Atria Books 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 355

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - An author that has a common name spelled in an uncommon way

Where I Got It: Library

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

Our book club selection for this month. I was hoping for a decent historical fiction featuring a mystery and family connections. I was pretty disappointed by the outcome of this one. The coincidences and “twists” of the story were too ridiculous and silly. It felt like it just got too saccharine. The author pulled at the reader’s heartstrings in a way that I do not appreciate. Beyond that, I had some technical writing issues. So many parts were a a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I dislike. Finally, the weird anachronisms got to me after awhile. The British main characters talk in American vernacular at the time. Um no.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Deep End

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Berkley 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 447

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Sports; Cover Lover - Someone in water

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...

I think I have a love/hate/indifference relationship with Ali Hazelwood. Or maybe it’s that they remind me of reality television style plots and characters. Either way, I was so excited to read this one and dove in (haha puns) immediately. But I once again found myself super frustrated with her characters and the pacing. I felt like we sat way too much in the big confusion section of Lukas and Scarlett’s relationship and not enough time in the actually figuring it out stage. And don’t get me started on how many paragraphs are focused on the technical aspects of diving and her practice regime. Seriously, at least 50% of that could have been deleted with no interruption in the story. I felt like Hazelwood got way too in depth with the sport and not enough into the relationship. At the end I was seriously left wanting so much more for the characters and story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Title: Chain-Gang All-Stars

Author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Publisher: Pantheon 2023

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 367

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - A weapon

Where I Got It: Library

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of the Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly popular, highly controversial profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators, and prisoners are com­peting for the ultimate prize: their freedom.
 
In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death matches before packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thur­war and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, Thurwar considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games. But CAPE’s corporate own­ers will stop at nothing to protect their status quo, and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar’s path have devastating consequences.
 
Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors, to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system’s unholy alli­ance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means from a “new and necessary American voice” (Tommy Orange, The New York Times Book Review)..

Not going to sugar coat this one, this book was a rough experience. The story opens with extreme violence and does not let up until the end. We get a very important, serious look at racial justice, the prison system, and our attitudes toward punishment. The book has the potential to open some eyes to the path that we are on. And yes, the violence is an important aspect of that. I think that I read this book at the wrong time. I’m in the midst of a depression spiral triggered by life and the state of the world around me. I just found it so difficult to pick this book up on any day. Had to force myself to read it, which is not the attitude I am trying to cultivate with my reading right now. Should be an interesting book club discussion in a few months…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fragments by Dan Wells

Title: Fragments (Partials Sequence #2)

Author: Dan Wells

Publisher: Balzar + Bray 2013

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 576

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cover Lover - Futuristic Scene

Where I Got It: Library

After discovering the cure for RM, Kira Walker sets off on a terrifying journey into the ruins of postapocalyptic America and the darkest desires of her heart in order to uncover the means—and a reason—for humanity's survival.

This second volume of the series didn’t really surprise me. I telegraphed almost everything that happened, but still found myself turning th pages waiting to see what happens next. I enjoyed the move out of New York and focusing on Kira and Samm as they attempt to travel hundreds of miles to find answers. We get enough switch in perspective to check back in with those back east, but thankfully we don’t spend a majority of our time there. I must say that Marcus is my least favorite character… he just seems stuck in life and things happen to him as opposed to him doing things. I loved finally meeting Ariel and learning more of the truth about their origins. But my favorite sections were definitely seeing our travelers navigate Chicago and the waste land. I am excited to finish this trilogy soon.

Partials Sequence:

• #1 Partials

• #2 Fragments

• #3 Ruins

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

Title: Dreadful

Author: Caitlin Rozakis

Publisher: Titan Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Bookish Elements

Where I Got It: Library

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed. 

But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.

Overall, this was such a delight. I choose it for my speculative fiction book club because I was hoping for something a bit lighter and fun. It delivered on both of those fronts. We immediately jump into the action and have to puzzle out the past along with Gav. Apparently I really like the amnesia trope in fantasy books. I found it a lot of fun to try and piece together all the mysteries and secrets surrounding the Dread Lord. I was afraid that the book was going to continue with Gav attempting to deceive everyone. Quickly a few others figure out that he has amnesia and even more hijinks ensue. There’s a lot of humor mixed in with the horror and I loved it. Ultimately, I wanted to see a bit more about the larger world and magic. But, I enjoyed my time reading the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Title: My Vampire Plus-One (My Vampires #2)

Author: Jenna Levine

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 372

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - The Frosty Bistro; Cover Lover - Eyewear

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she's tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone--anyone--to pose as her date.
 
After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he's perfect for her purposes. He's a bit strange, but that’s fine; it'll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn't hurt that he's very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

The book had been on my list from the fall when I wanted a bit of supernatural angle to my reading. Unfortunately, there were a ton of holds on the book. Overall, this was super cute. Reggie is an oddball vampire who’s not looking for love. Amelia is an accountant pretty stuck in her life. Together they are a strange pairing but one that actually works. We get some ridiculous romance tropes: fake dating, forced proximity, and silly miscommunication. I wasn’t annoyed by any of them, but this isn’t the best romance I’ve read. It was cute and fun, just what I needed for this week, but nothing amazing.

My Vampires

• #1 My Roommate is a Vampire

• #2 My Vampire Plus-One

Next up on the TBR pile:

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

Title: All the Water in the World

Author: Eiren Caffall

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2025

Genre: SciFi

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Around the USA - New York; Cover Lover - Famous Structure

Where I Got It: Library

All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they've saved.

Inspired by the stories of the curators in Iraq and Leningrad who worked to protect their collections from war, All the Water in the World is both a meditation on what we save from collapse and an adventure story―with danger, storms, and a fight for survival. In the spirit of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Parable of the Sower, this wild journey offers the hope that what matters most – love and work, community and knowledge – will survive.

50 pages into this book and I contemplated DNFing it. Not because I hated it, but because it was really bringing all the emotion and I didn’t know if I could handle that right now. I persevered and absolutely ended up loving this one so much. There’s beautiful writing, relatable characters, and suspense. This apocalypse feels very relevant and prescient to our world right now. But we get to experience it through the eyes of a child who doesn’t quite remember The World Before. While the world drowns, Nonie has a love and affinity with the water. That dichotomy alone intrigued me. I loved her commentary about the pull of the water and the wonder at the life that it holds. The book flips between the present escape from AMNH and their life in AMNH after the floods came. We slowly learn more about the characters and their struggles and triumphs over the years. This book deals with a lot of death and it’s very present on th page, but it was told in such a beautiful way that I couldn’t put it down.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Title: The Keeper of Lost Things

Author: Ruth Hogan

Publisher: HaperCollins 2017

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 288

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2017; Cover Lover - Piece of Jewelry

Where I Got It: Library

Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects—the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidently left behind—and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost.

Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners.

Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious—a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made.

As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice’s redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?

A sentimental novel full of ridiculous coincidences, conveniences, and a lackluster protagonist. I absolutely struggled to get through this novel less than 300 pages. It should have taken me a few days. Instead, it took me over a week. Right away, I knew that I was going to dislike Laura. She’s a 35 year old women who’s just a sad sack of nothing. She continues to be a sad sack for almost the entire book. I could not handle her constant pessimistic attitude. From there, I just kept cringing at her actions and dialogue with other characters. It was painful. As for the plot, it was all coincidence and timely magic. I just could not. The book club discussion for this one is going to be brutal.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Way is Up is Death by Dan Hanks

Title: The Way Up is Death

Author: Dan Hanks

Publisher: Angry Robot 2025

Genre: Horror

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Spooky Scene; I Read Horror - Cosmic Horror

Where I Got It: Library

When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.

As they try to understand why they’ve been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone is… up.

And so begins a race to the top with the group fighting to hold on to its humanity, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares. Can they each overcome their differences and learn to work together or does the winner take it all? What does the tower want of them and what is the price to escape?

I am not quite sure how to review this book, but I do know that I absolutely loved it. There’s a lot of plot in here, from the characters to the tower levels. But at its core, this book is attempting to answer some philosophical questions. What is the meaning of life? How should we, as humans, grow and change throughout our lives? What is our individual purpose? How should we operate within a community or society? We get to see 13 strangers wrestle with this questions while attempting to survive the horror within the tower. I know that I will be thinking about this book for awhile…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

Title: Temple of Swoon

Author: Jo Segura

Publisher: Berkley 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 355

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Latinx Author; Cover Lover - Favorite Color

Spice Rating: 5

While her mentor may be the world’s most badass archaeologist, the only thing bad about Dr. Miriam Jacobs are her corny jokes. But when Miri is charged with leading an unmapped expedition through the Amazon for the fabled Lost City of the Moon, she finally has her chance to prove to her colleagues that she’s capable—and hopefully prove it to herself, too.

Journalist Rafael Monfils has joined the archaeological team to chronicle their search for the lost city. Or at least, that’s what they think he’s doing. Rafa’s real goal? Make sure the team does not reach the Cidade da Lua, stopping the desecration of the holy city and protecting his mother’s legacy. All he needs to do is keep them on the wrong path.

If only the endearingly quirky Dr. Jacobs wasn’t so damn tenacious—each of Rafa’s tricks and purposeful wrong turns only seem to fuel her determination. Even worse, he’s charmed by her goofy attempts to channel Lara Croft as they traverse the dangerous Brazilian rainforest. But they’re not the only crew hunting for the lost city, and soon the untamed jungle—and their untamed hearts—might be the least of their worries...

I thoroughly enjoyed Segura’s first book. It was the perfect blend of romance and action/adventure. Romancing the Stone is one of my favorite movies from the 1980s and this one is definitely reminiscent of that movie. We get a fun, perky, slightly clues main female character and a brooding, sexy main male character. We see them come together and attempt to find the Ciudad de Lua (or are they?). Thankfully the book was very propulsive and the action pushed the characters into fun situations and tense situations. By the end of the book, I could actually buy the relationship between Miri and Rafa. I really hope that Segura keeps writing these types of books.

Next up on the TBR pile: