A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

Title: A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire (Glimmer Falls #3)

Author: Sarah Hawley

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romancce

Pages: 448

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romancceopoly - Heroine’s Rising (Strong, Independent Female Character)

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore's been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?

I finished another series! Unfortunately, this volume didn’t quite land for me. I love Oz and Mariel and Astaroth and Calladie were at least interesting. While I was rooting for Ben and Eleonore, I found their actual relationship to be pretty surface level. Too much of the narrative was focused on Ben’s inability to say no to anyone and then Eleonore’s revenge schemes. It was a bit unbalanced for me. I wanted to see them have more conversations and growth as a couple. Oh well. They can’t all be winners for me.

Gimmer Falls

• #1 A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

• #2 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch

• #3 A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 9

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 9

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2024

Genre: Comics

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Books (Manga) to Movies (Television Shows)

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

After stumbling on a dealer’s bunker, Arisu is even more determined to uncover the terrible truth behind Borderland. But that means he and Usagi will have to abandon their plans to sit out the games and instead seek out the last person who might have the answers—the Queen of Hearts. Will taking on the queen find them a way home, or will it be their final game?

And we come to the end of the story. We get a wrap-up of the previous games and a reconnection of characters. We slowly start to wind down, but not without one last game to play. This time we get the Queen of Hearts, who we’ve already met. But in this game, the focus comes back to Arisu and his experience. I appreciate how the story started focused on Arisu and ended focused on Arisu. We get a nice bookend to series. But then, the big reveal at the end of the games. I’m not quite certain how I feel about the twist, but I did enjoy the wrapping up pages. Overall, I truly enjoyed this series and am so excited to now go and watch the television series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 8

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 8

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2023

Genre: Comics

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Not every visitor to Borderland spends their time struggling to survive. Much like Arisu, some are hunting for the truth behind the strange and deadly world they’ve landed in. But whether that means searching for the boundaries of their strange prison or finding ways to expose Borderland to the media back home, does the truth even matter if everyone dies before they can share it?

Oh goodness, we are nearing the end of the story. We get an interesting interlude featuring a player attempting to record the experience for the future. Seemingly it’s not related to the main story, but then we get some clues as to other going-ons. I have really enjoyed seeing how disparate stories come together into the main story or at least give us clues to the mysteries. Plus we get an excellent story featuring the King of Diamonds. The reveal was absolutely perfect. Plus, we get to check in with another player we’ve met before. I was fascinated to see it all go down. And now I am ready for the conclusion.

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:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 7

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 7

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Most of the Face Card games continue to be a deadly challenge to Borderland’s visitors, their often complicated or confusing rules meant to trick players into dooming themselves. In contrast, the King of Spades’ game is refreshingly direct—kill or be killed! Can an uneasy coalition of visitors band together to take down the sniper King before his bullets declare game over for everyone?

This volume didn’t quite hit for me like the others. We continue the game with the King of Spades (and end up finishing it), but the action and the characters meander a lot in these parts. I wanted more Arisu and a check back in with some of the other characters. Instead, we get an extended section focused on Aguni. Not my favorite character, but it was nice to see him as more than just a thug. The bright spot was really the game involving the Jack. I really enjoyed that one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 5-6

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 5

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

Arisu and his companions have managed to defeat the Dealers, but the battle isn’t over yet. Now they must take on the Face Cards—12 players who have the dubious honor of being Borderland “royalty.” Arisu hopes they are close to going home, but the games the Face Cards play might be worse than any of the cruelties the Dealers came up with.

And we dive into another game, this time with one of the Kings. The game is not all is seems and the players have to understand just how to manipulate the rules to win. We don’t get to the see the conclusion in this volume, but we get a lot of game play and discussions about the future in Borderland. Plus, we get two more side stories, one featuring a player that we have already met. One of those players that seemed so mysterious a few volumes back. We don’t necessarily get a bunch of backstory, but we do see how the player fared in their first game.

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 6

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

The battle against the King of Clubs continues as Arisu and his team struggle to make up for their shocking point deficit. But no matter what strategy they try, the king and his compatriots maintain the upper hand. When each move is a matter of life or death and no victory comes without sacrifice, can Arisu and his team bear another loss to secure the win?

We get to see the end of the King of Clubs’s game and some big changes for our players. I’m constantly surprised by how this story can absolutely gut me. I truly get hit in the feels so many times. And we start another side game involving some very interesting characters. I love following the breadcrumbs of the larger mystery as we navigate Borderland. I don’t think that I can hold off on reading the rest of the volumes.

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:

Horseman by Christina Henry

Title: Horseman

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 302

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Books to Movies

Where I Got It: HPB December 2024

Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking. 

More than thirty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play "Sleepy Hollow boys," reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?

Somehow I missed that Christina Henry published a book based on Sleepy Hollow. I got very excited seeing this in the used book store and immediately bought it. The book did not disappoint. We get a story set about 30 after the events in Washington Irving’s story. We are thrown back into the town of Sleepy Hollow and have to parse out what is real and what is legend. In the course of the book, we see the world through Ben’s eyes, a young man who does not fit into society’s conventions. There was a timeless quality to the book that really sucked me in and creeped me out at the same time. As the story slowly unfolds, I was eager to the turn the pages and learn more. I could not put this one down at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

Title: Scythe and Sparrow (Ruinous Love #3)

Author: Brynne Weaver

Publisher: Zando 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Read Around the USA - Nebraska

Where I Got It: Amazon February 2025

Spice Rating: 5

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancé and his derailed surgical career. It’s a simpler life: head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston.

But then the real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she’s not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with an injured leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor.

The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together.

. . . And the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts are to catch up.

I was highly looking forward to this release; so much so that I preordered it. I hardly ever preorder books, but I had to have this one the week it released. I got it, dove in, and was slightly disappointed. I absolutely adored Butcher and Blackbird and was hoping to recapture that feeling with this one. Instead, there’s a bit of filler in this one. I wasn’t a huge fan of the time jumps and recapping of events that happened in the first two books. It made this volume feel a bit bloated. But it was redeemed by the characters. I really love Fionn and Rose is a firecracker. I just wanted to see more and more of them together. It took a bit too long for them to get together in any way. Once we got there, I was all in on the story. I just wish this volume had a bit more editing.

Ruinous Love

• #1 Butcher and Blackbird

• #2 Leather and Lark

• #3 Scythe and Sparrow

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Title: Shark Heart

Author: Emily Habeck

Publisher: Marysue Rucci Books 2023

Genre: Fantasy?

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Read Around the USA - Texas

Where I Got It: Book of the Month March 2024

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with her college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this “heart-wringing” (Adam Roberts, internationally bestselling author of Salt) novel is the story of Wren’s mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents’ crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren’s grief eventually collides, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.

I am really not sure how exactly I feel about this book. The writing was beautiful. I was sucked into the story by the prose. I even really loved the different passage structures: short scenes, play scenes, flashbacks, etc. I loved how the mixing up of the plot and timeline really kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. But… and this is a big but, I truly disliked Wren and her entire character. We never really get to truly connect with her and understand her. She is so closed off throughout the book that I don’t even think Lewis understood her. I found her entire story to be so incredibly frustrating. And the entire second section of the book was such a bummer for me. I wanted to spend more time with Lewis and Wren, not her mother. This book is our book discussion fro book club next week. I’m interested to hear what everyone else thought about the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins

Title: A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks

Author: David Gibbins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2024

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 289

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Library

The Viking warship of King Cnut the Great. Henry VIII's the Mary Rose. Captain John Franklin's doomed HMS Terror. The SS Gairsoppa, destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II.

Since we first set sail on the open sea, ships and their wrecks have been an inevitable part of human history. Archaeologists have made spectacular discoveries excavating these sunken ships, their protective underwater cocoon keeping evidence of past civilizations preserved. Now, for the first time, world renowned maritime archeologist David Gibbins ties together the stories of some of the most significant shipwrecks in time to form a single overarching narrative of world history.

Of course I was going to grab the book about shipwrecks. I have a weird obsessions with ghost ships and shipwrecks. Diving into this book, I was hoping for some great shipwrecks stories and information about underwater archaeology. We got some, but then a ton more super detailed history about the time the ships went down. Some of the chapters started to even bore me and I love reading history books. This one would have benefited from a more narrative style than the dry recitation of history with some shipwreck finds thrown in.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Title: The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient #1)

Author: Helen Hoang

Publisher: Berkley 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 314

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Retreat Recommendations

Where I Got It: Kindle

Spice Rating: 5

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

This book has been on my TBR for years and I decided to take the plunge and choose it for my Dirty Book Month selection. Thankfully I ended up really enjoying this reverse Pretty Woman romance. Right away we know that Stella is autistic and struggles with the idea of romantic relationships. From there, she devises a plan involving hiring a male escort to teach her. This male escort has his own issues and struggles. As we learn more about each of the characters, we start to see just how perfect they might be for each other. I really loved seeing Michael interact with his family and attempt to protect them from all struggles. And we get to see Stella interact with them. Overall, this was a very satisfying romance and start of a series. I cannot wait to have our discussion next week and unpack all the aspects of this story.

The Kiss Quotient

• #1 The Kiss Quotient

• #2 The Bride Test

• #3 The Heart Principle

Next up on the TBR pile:

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Title: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children #10)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tordotcom 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages:160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Aquatic Animal

Nadya had three mothers: the one who bore her, the country that poisoned her, and the one who adopted her.

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she'd been missing from birth.

It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong.

It wasn't her.

Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyrreka, the Land Beneath the Lake--and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people.

But even in Belyyreka, there are dangers, and trials, and Nadya would soon find herself fighting to keep hold of everything she had come to treasure.

The last book in the Wayward Children series? Maybe? This volume is really just the story of Nadya and her time in our world and in the Drowned World. We get connections to the rest of the series just in the larger multiverse way. None of the other characters appear in the pages. I did love seeing Nadya find her place in the Drowned World and become something more than she was. I loved exploring a new strange world. But my favorite parts were definitely the conversations with the foxes. I really wanted to spend more time with them. Overall, a very enjoyable small novella.

Wayward Children

• #1 Every Heart a Doorway

• #2 Down Among the Sticks and Bones

• #3 Beneath the Sugar Sky

• #4 In an Absent Dream

• #5 Come Tumbling Down

• #6 Across the Green Grass Fields

• #7 Where the Drowned Girls Go

• #8 Lost in the Moment and Found

• #9 Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

• #10 Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alice in Borderland Vol. 4

Title: Alice in Borderland Vol. 4

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: VIZ Media 2022

Genre: Comics

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.

The Beach has turned into a killing ground as Aguni and his men use the witch-hunt game as an excuse to take out everyone in sight. Arisu and his friends must race to understand the logic behind the game and identify the real witch before they join the growing pile of Aguni’s victims!

Another great volume of this horror show. My favorite part of this one was the Runaway game. I did not see any of that coming at all. (I think I saw this with every volume now, but it’s still true.) I’m interested in seeing how the revelations in this one affect the games in the next volume and the relationships between the characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Fae Princes (Vicious Lost Boys #4)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

I thought Peter Pan was a myth and Neverland a fairytale. A story spun by my mother who had lost her mind a long time ago.

But there was no denying the overwhelming shadow cast by Peter Pan when he was standing in my house.

Pan took me captive to Neverland and I somehow found my place among him and the Lost Boys.

I’ve never looked back.

Now I’m entangled right alongside him in a war we can’t seem to escape. We thought we had defeated our enemies.

We thought we could finally have our happily ever after.

But there was one enemy we never saw coming.

A fairy who has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The fairy with golden wings and a dark, twisted heart.

She wants Neverland and she’ll stop at nothing to have it. Including destroying anyone who stands in her way, even her own flesh and blood.

The cliffhanger at the end of the last book was absolutely bonkers! I didn’t not see that coming, but got very excited to see how they all handled this twist. I really enjoyed all of the characters, except Peter Pan. He was so brooding and unconnected to the other characters in this book that I really got annoyed with him. I wanted to see a really explosive confrontation between him and anyone else. Alas, he just moped along until Roc intercedes at the end. Beyond my quibbles with Pan, I loved seeing Kas and Bash really step up into their own destiny and exert power. I loved seeing the evolving relationships between Winnie and each of the men (except Pan of course). The ending is pretty abrupt, but I wasn’t dissatisfied. The main storyline concludes and we get a sense of the peace in the last chapters. I do want to try and pick up the spin off series featuring Hook and Roc.

Vicious Lost Boys:

• #1 The Never King

• #2 The Dark One

• #3 Their Vicious Darling

• #4 The Fae Princes

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:

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Title: The Hacienda

Author: Isabel Cañas

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; I Read Horror - Ghosts

Where I Got It: Book of the Month May 2022

During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark the doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will save her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

A perfect ghost story for this week! I can’t believe I let this book sit on my floor for this long before reading it. This was the perfect blend of atmospheric ghost story featuring a (potentially) unreliable narrator and a beautifully remote setting. I love these types of books and this is no exception. I couldn’t help rooting for Beatriz immediately after meeting her. This entire story including the characters really reminded me of the movie Crimson Peak. Beatriz is swept away to a house that is supposed to be her safe harbor, but quickly becomes something else. I loved the chapters we get from Andrés’s point of view as we learn more about the house and its inhabitants. The last third of this book is really a nonstop ride the I loved. And we get a great conclusion with a fun ambiguous last paragraph. Loved it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: Their Vicious Darling (Vicious Lost Boys #3)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House LLC 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

The Dark One has finally accepted me…just in time for everything to change. Because Vane’s brother, The Crocodile, has just arrived on Neverland soil and he’s not alone. He’s brought with him members of the royal Darkland family and they want Vane’s Death Shadow back at any cost.

Of course, Peter Pan, Vane, Kas and Bash, they’re all familiar with war. But war isn’t easy when love is on the line.

I know those vicious Lost Boys would do anything to protect me. But what if I’m not the one that needs saving?

As power shifts on the island and shadows are claimed, all five of us have to let go of who we were, if we have any chance of becoming who we are destined to be.

Ooohhhh Winnie’s got a shadow! This book has definitely been my favorite so far. We get more development in the overall big plot and the relationships between the characters. Never thought that I would say that Vane may just be my favorite. (I really thought I would gravitate toward Kas.) I loved seeing Winnie really stand up for herself and be confident in her abilities. I loved seeing Roc come into play and add another dynamic to the conflict. And we get to spend time with Hook and Smee. I cannot wait to see how this all ends.

Vicious Lost Boys:

• #1 The Never King

• #2 The Dark One

• #3 Their Vicious Darling

• #4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold

Title: The Last Bookstore on Earth

Author: Lily Braun-Arnold

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2025

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Floral Elements

Where I Got It: Library

The world is about to end. Again.

Ever since the first Storm wreaked havoc on civilization as we know it, seventeen-year-old Liz Flannery has been holed up in an abandoned bookstore in suburban New Jersey where she used to work, trading books for supplies with the few remaining survivors. It’s the one place left that feels safe to her.

Until she learns that another earth-shattering Storm is coming . . . and everything changes.

Enter Maeve, a prickly and potentially dangerous out-of-towner who breaks into the bookstore looking for shelter one night. Though the two girls are immediately at odds, Maeve has what Liz needs—the skills to repair the dilapidated store before the next climate disaster strikes—and Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay.

As the girls grow closer and undeniable feelings spring up between them, they realize that they face greater threats than the impending Storm. And when Maeve’s secrets and Liz’s inner demons come back to haunt them both, they find themselves fighting for their lives as their world crumbles around them.

My last book for January really landed with a thud for me. I was intrigued by this post-apocalyptic story set primarily in a bookstore. I was hoping for a great propulsive story full of great connectable characters. Instead, we get some really boring characters and absolutely no real plot development. I was willing to stick with the book to see where the characters went, but surprise it was nowhere. I was so incredibly bored with the book. As an added annoyance, I could not get over the accident that happens to Liz. There’s absolutely no way that the injury that happened would have seemingly healed on its own very quickly. Ridiculous. There’s also a lot about the storm that bothered me. It really felt like the author had a tiny kernel of an idea and then just smashed it together with an attempt at a character study book. It did not work for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Dark One (Vicious Lost Boys #2)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 228

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cover Lover - Skull

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside — until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

It wasn't until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There's something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

War is brewing—can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

I wasn’t absolutely sold with the first book in this series, but thankfully the second one pulled me in more. We get more plot and characterization and less erotica scenes. Thank goodness! The first volume felt a bit more like reading a Penthouse letter than a good dark romance. We pivot to more of a focus on the increasing relationships between Winnie and the men and even between the men. We learn more about the islands and the shadows on the loose. I’m invested in this series now and cannot wait to see where it goes.

Vicious Lost Boys:

• #1 The Never King

• #2 The Dark One

• #3 Their Vicious Darling

• #4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile: