Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 372

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Flagship Books, Kansas City, MO, June 2025

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost--even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked--princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

I had such high hopes for this book. It’s starts off strong with a very creepy prologue and then dives into world of Princes of Hell and witches. I was hoping for some high-paced tension filled romance and suspense. I was hoping for a strong female character attempting to avenge her sister’s death. And a dark, sexy male character forced into helping her. Instead, we get a whiny teenager who constantly questions everything, but lets other people make decisions for her. And a practically nonexistent male lead who randomly shows up to save Emilia from time to time. I was just so bored and annoyed. Definitely will not be continuing on with this series.

Kingdom of the Wicked

• #1 Kingdom of the Wicked

• #2 Kingdom of the Cursed

• #3 Kingdom of the Feared

Next up on the TBR pile:

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

Title: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

Author: Rivka Galchen

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 275

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence KS June 2022

The story begins in 1618, in the German duchy of Württemberg. Plague is spreading. The Thirty Years' War has begun, and fear and suspicion are in the air throughout the Holy Roman Empire. In the small town of Leonberg, Katharina Kepler is accused of being a witch.

Katharina is an illiterate widow, known by her neighbors for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It's enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favors by being out and about and in everyone's business.

So when the deranged and insipid Ursula Reinbold (or as Katharina calls her, the Werewolf) accuses Katharina of offering her a bitter, witchy drink that has made her ill, Katharina is in trouble. Her scientist son must turn his attention from the music of the spheres to the job of defending his mother. Facing the threat of financial ruin, torture, and even execution, Katharina tells her side of the story to her friend and next-door neighbor Simon, a reclusive widower imperiled by his own secrets.

I desperately wanted to love this book, but it really fell flat for me. I didn’t realize when I bought it that this was a fictionalized account of a real witch trial. I did not get the connection to famed scientists Johannes Kepler until almost halfway through the book. I completely missed that point! Beyond my lack of understanding, I found the plot and pacing to be very dull and plodding through most of the pages. We get a few fun paragraphs of Katharina’s commentary about her neighbors and the society she lives in. We get some wit and wisdom in there. But most of the chapters are just slow and meandering. This was definitely not the book for me this year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fiend by Alma Katsu

Title: Fiend

Author: Alma Katsu

Publisher: GP Putnam 2025

Genre: Horror

Pages: 243

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; I Love Horror - Katsu

Where I Got It: Library

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they’ve always been lucky. Their rivals suffer strokes. Inconvenient buildings catch on fire. Earthquakes swallow up manufacturing plants, destroying harmful evidence. Things always seem to work out for the Berishas. They’re blessed.

At least that is what Zef, the patriarch, has always told his three children. And each of them knows their place in the family—Dardan, as the only male heir, must prepare to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets, Maris’s most powerful contribution, much to her dismay, will be to marry strategically, and Nora’s job, as the youngest, is to just stay out of the way. But when things stop going as planned, and the family blessing starts looking more like a curse, the Berishas begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret scheme. They didn’t get to be one of the richest families in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it might be their own.

I love love loved Katsu’s previous book The Hunger and was really hoping for lots of creepiness and suspense. Instead, we get a book were nothing happens for like 70% of the pages. Seriously there wasn’t enough supernatural or creepy things in this one to keep my attention. Also, the summary of the book gives away the big reveal, even if I figured it out about 40 pages into the story. Beyond the actual plot, every one of these characters are completely terrible people. I was rooting for the demon to turn and kill all of them. Seriously.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tomes of Terror by Mark Leslie

Title: Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries

Author: Mark Leslie

Publisher: Dundurn Press 2014

Genre: Nonfiction - Horror

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Nonfiction Reader

Where I Got It: Library

Throughout history, books have inspired, informed, entertained, and enriched us. They have also kept us up through the night, thrilled us, and lured into their endless depths. Tomes of Terror is a celebration and an eerie look at the siren call of literature and the unexplained and fascinating stories associated with bookish locations around the world.

Mark Leslie's latest paranormal page-turner is a compendium of true stories of the supernatural in literary locales, complete with hair-raising first-person accounts. You may even recognize a spectre of your local library lurking in these true stories and photographs. If you have ever felt an indescribable presence hanging about a quiet bookshop, then you’ll enjoy these fascinating and haunting tales.

Not that scary. Not that interesting. I am really striking out on books lately. The author’s writing style annoyed me. Not sure as to why, but it did.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Royal Heart by Nana Malone

Title: Royal Heart (Black Rose Auction #6)

Author: Nana Malone

Publisher: Trinkets and Tales 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 235

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Preordered

Spice Rating: 7

Damon Hunt, the world's most ruthless thief, wants my skills for a dangerous job. Worse, he wants me...as his wife.

When Damon Hunt—the thief my father trained instead of me, his protégé, the same one responsible for his death—strolled back into my life after years, I shot first and asked questions later.

Then he had the nerve to ask for my help to recover the stolen Royal Heart, a Winston Isles Crown Jewel, from the underground Black Rose Auction.

Despite how I used to feel about him, I see him for who he really is. And I’m not getting sucked back into the world that cost me everything. Not to mention, I’m not a damn thief.

I’ve built my career at a recovery firm, avoiding the field. I might be the best safecracker around, but I won’t go back to my private hell.

Until Damon dangles the one thing I can’t resist, the man who shot my father.

The catch? We have to pose as husband and wife to infiltrate the auction and steal back the Royal Heart for the Winston Isles.

Navigating the underground deals brings back old wounds and undeniable attraction. Damon is like a beast from my past—dangerous, captivating, and hiding secrets behind his fierce exterior. I have to decide if I’m falling for the monster who broke my heart—or the man determined to win it back.

I was very very bored by this story. I was intrigued by the heist premise, but even that could not hold my attention. Damon is too smarmy towards Ari. Ari is constantly throwing accusations at Damon. This isn’t enemies to lovers. This is two people who need therapy to two people who have sex for some reason. I don’t even buy a physical attraction between these two. It was so boring. And the plot was way too contrived for me to buy it. Disappointing end to the series. Really my favorite story out of the entire series was “Irresistible Devil.” Most of them were too icky or boring.

Black Rose Auction

• #1 Wicked Pursuit

• #2 Divine Intervention

• #3 Stolen Vows

• #4 Irresistible Devil

• #5 Shattered Innocence

• #6 Royal Heart

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Carrow Hunt by Darcy Coates

Title: The Carrow Hunt

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Press 2018

Genre: Horror

Pages: 379

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Quarter of a Century - 2018

Where I Got It: Library

Some houses are merely haunted. Carrow House is something else entirely.

Dark corridors. Whispering walls. A history soaked in blood. In The Carrow Haunt, USA Today bestseller Darcy Coates delivers a pulse-pounding tale of isolation, terror, and the secrets we invite when we chase the dead.

Remy, a tour guide for the notoriously haunted Carrow House, hasn't seen any proof of the paranormal―yet. But when she's offered a week-long residency alongside a handful of guests and a professional medium to investigate the home's disturbing reputation, curiosity wins. Finally, a chance to prove―or debunk―the chilling legends she's been sharing as truth.

At first, it's everything they dreamed of. Mysterious sounds. Cold spots. Doors that creak open on their own. But when a storm cuts them off from the outside world and one of the guests dies under bizarre circumstances, fascination gives way to dread.

As panic spreads, Remy can no longer ignore the chilling thought that something once human is still here… and it remembers how to kill.

I’m always up for a quick spooky Darcy Coates story in the fall. She writes fast-paced thrillers always with lots of creepy scenes. I really enjoyed this whole locked room style ghost horror story. I care less about the characters and more about the plot with these ones. We start strong with a tour of the haunted house and then dive right into the actual plot. My favorite scenes were the ones including the seances. Perfectly creepy and suspenseful. Coates’s books aren’t high literature. But they sure are fun to read!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shattered Innocence by Sara Cate

Title: Shattered Innocence (Black Rose Auction #5)

Author: Sara Cate

Publisher: Trinkets and Tales 2025

Genre: Romance

Pages: 170

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Preordered

Spice Rating: 7

Welcome to the Black Rose Auction where every sin can be yours for a price.

Birdie wants nothing more than to escape the clutches of her cruel and wicked stepmother, and to be with the only person she’s ever truly loved—her stepsister, Violet.

When her stepmother threatens to auction off Birdie’s hand in marriage to the highest bidder, Birdie sees it as her only way out.

Her stepsister has a plan…

Enlist the help her rich and powerful ex, Alaric Stone, to bid on their behalf.

But when things go awry at the auction, and Birdie is forced give away far more than she expected, Alaric decides he’s playing for keeps.

He wants both of them.

Can the three of them escape the clutches of Birdie’s selfish stepmother together?

And will Birdie be forced to choose between the two who have her heart…or will it be shattered forever?

These Black Rose Auction stories are really hit or miss with me. This one I was not a fan of. I dislike large age gap romances when there are unbalanced power dynamics at play. If power was equal, I can totally get behind an age gap. Unfortunately, Birdie is just way too sheltered and naive for me to buy that she has freedom of choice in this story. No amount of sex can convince me that this is a healthy relationship. Birdie is treated like a child (gross) throughout the entire story. Not a fan at all.

Black Rose Auction

• #1 Wicked Pursuit

• #2 Divine Intervention

• #3 Stolen Vows

• #4 Irresistible Devil

• #5 Shattered Innocence

• #6 Royal Heart

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 5

Title: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 5

Author: Kyouka Izumi

Publisher: Seven Seas 2022

Genre: Manga Romance

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Despite being sent to another world as a Savior, Tsukina has managed to stay out of the spotlight and run her book cafe. With her marriage to her fiance Il on the horizon, Tsukina is looking forward to their peaceful life together. But one of the regulars at the cafe seems to have other plans for Tsukina, and for all the Kingdom of Othel! Will Tsukina get her fairy-tale ending?!

We get to the end of the story and thankfully it ends on a happy note. I figured that this series wasn’ going to be too serious or angsty. It manages to wrap up the main storyline with little conflict, but lots of good feelings. Overall, I really enjoyed my reading of this quick series.

The Book Savior’s...

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 4

Title: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 4

Author: Kyouka Izumi

Publisher: Seven Seas2021

Genre: Manga Romance

Pages: 162

Rating: /45 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Tsukina has been keeping her great magical powers under wraps, content to spend her time with her book cafe and her fiancee, Il. And now that a new Savior, Youta, has arrived, she figures she can leave all the heroics to him. But when Youta develops a crush on Tsukina, it throws everything off balance! When monsters attack, Youta sees it as his chance to shine.. but is he up to the challenge?

So much happened in this one. I cannot wait to see how the story ends. I’m hoping Tsukina gets her happy ending, Youta finds his place, and Othel is protected against monsters and enemies. But I am concerned about Bran and the strange occurrences.

The Book Savior’s...

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 3

Title: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 3

Author: Kyouka Izumi

Publisher: Seven Seas 2021

Genre: Manga Romance

Pages: 168

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After being transported to another world by an orb that calls itself "God," Tsukina used her newfound magical powers to open up a cozy book cafe. Now that she's settled in, she's started dating Il, a handsome soldier. However, Tsukina can't relax just yet. Othel's powerful neighboring countries are making some suspicious moves, and as tensions rise, a new savior arrives at the castle. Is he there to help the kingdom, or is he a new enemy for Tsukina to worry about?

This middle volume really does shift the story a bit. We get a new savior in Othel, a mysterious visitor to the cafe, and threats from a neighboring country. I really enjoy how much plot we get this in part. I’m really interested in seeing how Youta and Tsukina interact in the rest of the story.

The Book Savior’s...

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 2

Title: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 2

Author: Kyouka Izumi

Publisher: Seven Seas

Genre: Manga Romance

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Since being transported to a new world Tsukina has made a cozy life for herself, doing magic and running a book cafe. She's even grown closer to Il, a handsome soldier who also loves reading. But Tsukina is keeping a huge secret from him: she is a Savior, sent to this world to help protect it. By hiding away in her book cafe, is she neglecting her duties? And will Il hate her for it when he finds out?

Such big developments in this volume! We get to see Tsukina and Il grow closely (even if most of it occurs off the page) and she grows in her own powers and confidence. I think that there might have been too much throw into this volume. I would have liked to see the story drawn out a bit more. But I still enjoyed this section of the story. The volume redeems itself with a great ending.

The Book Savior’s...

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 1

Title: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 1

Author: Kyouka Izumi

Publisher: Seven Seas 2019

Genre: Manga Romance

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Tsukina is a single, thirty-something office worker who's favorite thing is curling up with a good book. When a god tells her that she must go to another world to become its magical savior, Tsukina isn't interested. She has zero desire to go on some grand hero's journey. So when she arrives in this strange new land, she decides to use her magical powers to create a cozy little book café instead. Her first customer is a handsome soldier who loves reading almost as much as she does. But when a fellow "savior" starts causing trouble, Tsukina might have to play the hero after all!

Another completely random pick from the library shelves. I love this meta-story about a woman traveling to another world but rejecting her savior status in favor of a quiet life. Of course, that life is not going to be as quiet as Tsukina wants. I sped through this story and loved the break from angsty stories I’ve been reading lately.

The Book Savior’s...

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Title: Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth #1)

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 406

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Retreat Recommendation

Where I Got It: Library

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Multiple people at the retreat in June told me that I needed to read this book and the sequel that came out this year. I finally picked this up and flew through it quickly. It’s a very fast paced story with lots of action scenes and suspense. I enjoyed the plot even if the few “twists” were telegraphed very early on. I mean this is a young adult novel. I was expecting a fast moving plot. I was very interested in the magic system and wished that we could have learned a bit more about it. But my biggest issue with this book I the love triangle and romance. It just doesn’t land like a swoony romance. Alex is too much of a wet blanket. Gideon is too full o hate. And then Rune is just a girl who doesn’t quite inspire the great romantic feelings from two brothers. But I did enjoy story and world enough to want to read the sequel.

Crimson Moth

• #1 Heartless Hunter

• #2 Rebel Witch

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rosen Blood Vol. 5

Title: Rosen Blood Vol. 5

Author: Kachiru Ishizue

Publisher: VIZ Media 2022

Genre: Manga

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After a horrific carriage accident, Stella Violetta awakens in a Gothic mansion to find that her saviors are gorgeous young men. The manor’s residents let her stay as a maid, but Stella soon realizes that their allure hides a savage thirst.

Claude and Friedrich take desperate measures as they vie for Stella’s affection, but she only has eyes for Levi. This frantic battle for her heart leads to further bloodshed and forces Stella to make a big decision. Can her love for Levi last in the face of unrelenting obstacles?

Oh goodness! That was one wild ride of a conclusion. We get to see Yoel serve his purpose, Friedrich attempt to change his colors, and Gilbert’s steady protection all while Levi attempts to save Stella and her heart. I would have liked to see a bit more of conclusion, there are so many unanswered questions, but I am glad that they have become a family again. Overall, a fun little series.

Rosen Blood

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rosen Blood Vol. 4

Title: Rosen Blood Vol. 4

Author: Kachiru Ishizue

Publisher: VIZ Media 2021

Genre: Manga

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After a horrific carriage accident, Stella Violetta awakens in a Gothic mansion to find that her saviors are gorgeous young men. The manor’s residents let her stay as a maid, but Stella soon realizes that their allure hides a savage thirst.

Desperate for Stella’s affection, Yoel stabs Levi, who reconsiders his desire to protect the other nonhumans. Stella searches through Rosémary’s notes to find a way to awaken Yoel after the incident and uncovers clues about why Levi’s been shedding tears of blood. Are any of Rosémary’s “children” really capable of love?

Oh no! Yoel! How could you do that to Levi and Stella? I knew this was going to get messy soon. We get more from Gilbert, more from Stella’s past, and more of the boys’ purposes. I am very intrigued to see how this story concludes in the next volume.

Rosen Blood

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rosen Blood Vol. 3

Title: Rosen Blood Vol. 3

Author: Kachiru Ishizue

Publisher: VIZ Media 2020

Genre: Manga

Pages: 160

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After a horrific carriage accident, Stella Violetta awakens in a Gothic mansion to find that her saviors are gorgeous young men. The manor’s residents let her stay as a maid, but Stella soon realizes that their allure hides a savage thirst.

Gilbert reappears to warn Stella about sweet and friendly Yoel. Can she trust the man who attacked her? Stella also fends off Friedrich’s advances while deepening her relationship with Levi. As the beautiful men Stella lives with reveal their secrets, her life depends on protecting herself from their dark impulses.

Why do I love Gilbert so much? Of course he ends up being a misunderstood character all the while protecting Stella from Yoel. I should have seen this all coming. Thankfully this volume gives us more answers to all the questions surrounding the boys. We find out more about their mysterious creator and each of their purposes. I do wonder about Friedrich’s purpose though…

Rosen Blood

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rosen Blood Vol. 2

Title: Rosen Blood Vol. 2

Author: Kachiru Ishizue

Publisher: VIZ Media 2019

Genre: Manga

Pages: 162

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After a horrific carriage accident, Stella Violetta awakens in a Gothic mansion to find that her saviors are gorgeous young men. The manor’s residents let her stay as a maid, but Stella soon realizes that their allure hides a savage thirst.

Yearning leads to danger when mansion resident Levi starves himself for Stella’s sake. To save him, Stella must journey into his soul while he’s unconscious and confront the nun Luchia’s grasp on his past. Then, even wakefulness may bring no reprieve from nightmares when another nonhuman, Friedrich, reveals a horrifying secret…

We finally get some answers about the “statues” and those strange crystals. Most of this volume is taken up by an entire dream sequence which does at least move the plot forward, These volumes are a fun respite from much heavier and longer reads.

Rosen Blood

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Rosen Blood Vol. 1

Title: Rosen Blood Vol. 1

Author: Kachiru Ishizue

Publisher: VIZ Media 2018

Genre: Manga

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

After a horrific carriage accident, Stella Violetta awakens in a Gothic mansion to find that her saviors are gorgeous young men. The manor’s residents let her stay as a maid, but Stella soon realizes that their allure hides a savage thirst.

Levi-Ruin and the mysterious men who took Stella in have a bare kitchen…and a moaning box in the storehouse. After discovering mansion dweller Gilbert’s lifelike sculptures, the new maid faces a sinister reality. Can she survive the bloodlust? Stella must distinguish danger from passion as fear begins to feed on her!

Another random library pick. I saw it on the comic shelves and immediately grabbed the entire series. It’s a fun little series about a girl who stumbles into a house full of handsome by mysterious and potentially dangerous men. Of course she immediately falls for one of them, but then the horror begins. I loved the reveal of the “statues” in the closet. Cannot wait to see where the story goes next.

Rosen Blood

• Volume 1

• Volume 2

• Volume 3

• Volume 4

• Volume 5

Next up on the TBR pile:

Zomromcom by Olivia Dade

Title: Zomromcom

Author: Olivia Dade

Publisher: Berkley 2025

Genre: Horror/Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Romanceopoly — Spooky Reads

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4

When Edie Brandstrup attempts to save her sweet, seemingly harmless human neighbor from the first major zombie breach in two decades, she’s stunned to be saved by him—and his ridiculously large sword—instead. As it turns out, he's actually a super-old, super-surly vampire. But for all her neighbor's newly revealed cynicism and lethality, Gaston "Max" Boucher (yes, Gaston) is unexpectedly protective. He wants her to stay in his safety bunker until the breach is resolved. Edie can’t risk more innocent people getting killed, though—and Max won’t let her save them alone.

As they unravel a sinister conspiracy to set zombies loose on the world (again), the duo meet a host of lovable allies and discover they're not the only ones willing to fight for the future of humanity. Despite the awful timing, Edie finds herself falling for the vampire who’s helping her save the world . . . but all their dangerous plans could end their future before it even begins. As she and Max battle side by side, Edie must decide whether having a love worth living for also means having a love you'd die for—and, in a world that grows deadlier by the minute, whether that’s a risk she’s willing to take.

Another random pick from the library New Reads shelf. I had no idea what I was going to read, but have enjoyed some of Dade’s previous books. I started this one and couldn’t put it down. It was such. fun wild ride. We jump right away into a world that has already experienced a zombie apocalupse and now we have a potential containment issue. Edie and Max are a great duo full of banter and spunk as their attempt to understand what exactly is happening and how to stop the zombies. There is a good blend of horror and romance in this one. But be forewarned that this volume ends on a cliffhanger. Guess I will have to wait until the next one to see how this story plays out.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers by Jen Campbell

Title: The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers and Other Gruesome Tales

Author: Jen Campbell

Publisher: Thames & Hudson 2021

Genre: Horror Short Stories

Pages: 120

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Cover Lover - A key

Where I Got It: Library

Do you dare read this collection of terrifyingly gruesome tales? In this gripping volume, author Jen Campbell offers young readers an edgy, contemporary, and inclusive take on classic fairy tales, taking them back to their gory beginnings while updating them for a modern audience with queer and disabled characters and positive representation of disfigurement.

Featuring fourteen short stories from China, India, Ireland, and across the globe, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is an international collection of the creepiest folk tales. Illustrated with Adam de Souza’s brooding art, this book’s style is a totally original blend of nineteenth-century Gothic engravings meets moody film noir graphic novels. Headlined by the Korean tale of a carnivorous child, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a truly thrilling gift for brave young readers.

I picked up this slim volume of horror short stories randomly from the library. In it, we get a revised selections of classic folklore stories with some beautiful illustrations. Most of the stories were delightful and spooky. But my biggest issue is how short some of the stories are. Some of them really just end abruptly with no satisfying conclusion. I just really wanted more from this collection. The illustrations really did bring this collection up for me.

Next up on the TBR pile: