Fat Stack Friday June 19, 2026

 

Here are my goodies from this week.

NetGalley/Edelweiss/Booktrovert:

Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox

I have this one on Kindle but I love me an immersive read. Plus, two of the narrators are my favorites: Andrew Eiden and Brittany Presley! I've already started listening to it.

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

I'm a sucker for a pretty cover. And this one sure has that. But also the idea of a woman who kisses men and her lips are poison? SIGN ME UP!

Kindle:

The Great Outdoors by Kayla Olson

This one really looks cute. Another book I wanted to request but knew I would never get to. SO many books so little time!

The Lodge by Kayla Olson

This is one I wanted to get as an early read but I knew I would not have time to read it. It looks good! I grabbed this when I grabbed her newest one that came out this week!

Libby/Hoopla:

Broken Dove (Silver Elite) by Dani Francis

I will admit, I jumped on the first book in this series because of the hype and it was not bad but not great. However, the ending made me want to continue so I got in line for this one. I hope I can get to it before I go on vacation at the beginning of July.

Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver

Give me all the Elsie Silver. I cannot wait to read this one. I love Teddy Hamilton but also I need to read Emmet's story so badly after I met him in Wild Card!

Harvest Season (Seasons of Carnage #2) by Brynne Weaver

When it rains it pours. All my holds coming through at once. Really hope I can get to this before my vacation.

Wild Card (Rose Hill #4) by Elsie Silver

I jumped on this and finished it in two days. This was by far my favorite book of this series. I absolutely adored Gwen and Bash so very much. Their chemistry was off the charts and this one even got a few tears out of me! Pretty sure there's not much Silver can write I won't love.

What did you get?

ARC Review: The River She Became by Emily Varga

A high stakes, action-packed romantasy from bestselling author Emily Varga where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers—and her heart.

This limited luxe edition features gorgeous foil design on the cover and case, a dazzling edge and interior page design and an exclusive map—available while supplies last!

I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.

Title: The River She Became

Author: Emily Varga

Publisher: 

Review:

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I was really excited about this book. I loved the premise put forth in the blurb. And anything fae draws me in right away. Add in a little romance and I'm usually hooked. This is my first book by this author and I'd heard good things about her writing from her debut novel. So I was looking forward to seeing what she was all about. Unfortunately this book fell far short of what I thought I was jumping into.

I think my biggest issue with this book was the lack of world building and all the telling the author does. There was a lot of info dump but it didn't even explain what things were really about. I really didn't understand the two worlds, why there was magic in both. How that magic happened. Why it was being taken away. Where were the politics? Where was the background to the story? It was just missing for me. I didn't truly understand the need for the fae element. It could have been any other world, to be honest. It could have just been parallel dimension and things would have been the same. If you're going to include such a paranormal element, it needs to make sense. And all the names of objects were never fully explained. I felt as if the author thought we should just know what everything was. 

I also struggled to connect with either of the main characters. There was little to no development from when you're introduced to them through to the end of the book. I wanted so much more but got just surface things. Add to that insta-love that had zero chemistry for me and I was just bored with the characters. It was almost like the author included the romance because she thought it was expected for the story. It could have moved along at the same pace without that aspect. I also needed more from the side characters but didn't get that.

The pacing was very slow for this one. I didn't feel pushed forward by the scenes. I didn't feel pushed forward by any of the action that was happening. I did see the connection to Indiana Jones somewhat.

This book had so many elements that could have made it a great fantasy but there was just so much telling and not enough showing for it to work. The author didn't trust the reader to see what was happening throughout the story.

This one ends on a cliffhanger but I'm not invested enough to try and continue on with the series since I struggled so much with getting through this first book. Unfortunately, I struggled way too much to try and connect with the story, even at half way through when I started to do more skimming than reading just so I could get to the end. I'm sure others will enjoy this story as I see it has many high ratings but it just was not for me.

2.5/5 stars.

Author:

Emily Varga is a YA Fantasy author with a fondness for getting lost in bookstores, eating copious amounts of rice, and watching a lot of terrible reality tv. She has lived all over the world, but currently calls the Rocky Mountains of western Canada home, where she lives with her family and their menagerie of pets. When she’s not writing, Emily works as a family lawyer, where she learned more about storytelling than she ever expected.
Emily’s debut novel For She Is Wrath is a Pakistani-inspired Count of Monte Cristo retelling.

 

ARC Review: Big Stick Energy (New York Legends #2) by Sarina Bowen

A hockey team captain and a bubbly staffer mix business with pleasure when they start fake dating through the wedding season in this hot sports romance perfect for fans of Mariana Zapata​ and Elle Kennedy.

Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right?

But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out.

It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?

Title: Big Stick Energy (New York Legends #2)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Forever Grand Central Publishing

Expected Publication Date: June 30, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I was really excited to read Eric and Darcey's story. I love how Bowen writes romance. Not only does she make her stories fun, but there's always great banter that causes me to laugh out loud. Not to mention her smoking spicy scenes!

Eric Tremaine caught my eye in the first book of this series. I was happy to see he would get his chance at a happily ever after. He is the most golden retriever of book boyfriends I have ever read. So kind and willing to always go out of his way to make others feel comfortable and seen. Of course he comes with his own baggage in the form of his dead brother's shadow. His mom cannot get over losing her son, even though it's been 12 years. Eric constantly battles with having to keep the peace in this area and he never wants to ruffle feathers. It's like he makes himself smaller in a way. Darcy Kendrick changes this for him. Her own family drama has caused a lot of pain in her life. She's had to grow up fast and learn to be independent and fierce. But she cannot help but want to be seen by her own family, particularly her dad. She cannot get out of the shadow of her step sister. 

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers, close proximity, fake dating story. Eric and Darcy had such fun chemistry. Even though their relationship stems from a silly social media mistake, you can see how they just fit. Yes, they have chemistry but it's so much more than that. They bond over their mutual trauma and form a camaraderie. They truly compliment each other and understand each other's struggles.

Bowen manages a fast paced story with great character development. I didn't want to put it down and was kind of sad when I got close to the end and realized I'd soon be done. But I'm really quite excited to read Deluca's story because that boy needs someone good in his life to love him up!

If you're looking for a mostly light hearted rom-com (there are triggers for death of a loved one, off page, and grief) that will have you wanting to keep turning pages to see how the characters you love will get their HEA, give this one a try. I do recommend reading the first book in the series to get the side character backgrounds and so you do not spoil the relationship Bowen created in Thrown for a Loop.

4.5/5 stars rounded to 5

Author:

Sarina Bowen is the 24-time USA Today bestselling and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including: The Five Year Lie, the True North series, and the Brooklyn Hockey series. She's the co-author of Him/Us and the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. And more!

You can find a complete reading order list of Sarina's books on her website. Or see what's coming next from Sarina, and sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss a new book or a deal.

 

Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday June 16, 2026

This is what I'm looking forward to releasing this week.

Tropesick by Lauren Okie

I was really looking forward to this. I happened to get an early copy. Overall I enjoyed the story but the ending really threw me and lowered my rating. See why HERE.

The SomeDay Garden by Ashley Poston

Another title that was high on my list. I have really enjoyed most of Poston's stories. However, the last two have just not been what I was expecting from her. I read this one and you can see my thoughts HERE.

What are you excited about?

 

ARC Review: The Witch Season by Julia Bianco

 

Exhilarating, dangerous, and seductive, Witch Season is an action-packed and fiercely romantic contemporary fantasy from debut author and screenwriter Julia Bianco.

That is the price of magic–not just the blood, but the pain to bring it out.

Katherine Barnes is an enforcer, charged with upholding the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven. It’s her job to maintain order and bring unsettled witches–people who aren’t aware they have magic until it explodes out of them in a catastrophic burst–into the coven’s fold. As a former unsettled witch, Katherine owes her life to Sylvia Page, coven leader and silver-haired rebel who founded Aestas years ago.

When Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, arrives to take Aestas to task for some of their more unconventional practices, Katherine’s dislike for him reaches blistering levels. She hates his money, his good looks, his coven’s dangerous attitude towards unsettled witches. She can absolutely overlook that he sets her off in more ways than one.

But a powerful threat is about to rise. Stronger than any one coven. More insidious than the decades-long power struggle that exists in the hidden witch world. One that will pull Katherine and Silas together despite their differences. And one that will lead to an all-out war.

Title: Witch Season (Broken Coven #1)

Author: Julia Bianco

Publisher: Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication Date: June 30, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an audio and ecopy of this title to listen to/read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This was a fantastic debut. The blurb drew me in right away. I love a good urban fantasy. Right from the first chapter this one reminded me of Leigh Bardugo's stories. And it did not disappoint in it's execution.

Nora Sofyan is a new narrator for me. I think she did an excellent job voicing the characters. I usually like to have more than one voice for a story that is multiple POVs but Sofyan did a good job endearing me to each character she voiced making them totally unique. Her narration is quite solid and I'd definitely listen to more books with her voicing the characters.

Bianco did a great job with the world building and magic system in this book. The different warring covens and how magic was used/consumed was unique. I enjoyed the unsettled versus the settled witches and what that meant for the overall story line. The themes here are quite dark. There are trigger warnings at the beginning, so listen to those if you have triggers (I do not). 

Bianco makes her characters raw and so real. They are complex and layered with excellent development. They were easy to relate to. Each hiding secrets from the others. Each having an agenda for why they do the things they do. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Katherine and Syliva and Katherine and Silas. There was so much push and pull with each of them. So much angst and just enough confusion of feelings to make you want to see where those relationships end up.

The romance was nice, though I feel like there could have been more of a lead up to it. I wanted more emotional connection. The banter was top notch but I'm not sure the characters truly spent enough time together to have the relationship the book tries to show us. But that didn't take away from me liking the characters together. The forbidden love aspect hits hard in this one.

Bianco creates a great found family in this book. Witch covens that act as family. Witches who have lost family or been ostracized. I also liked the politics created between the Covens. The grab for power; the need to be in charge of the magic and what it means for not only the witches but the humans whom they live among.

I was surprised at the length of the book, just over 300 pages. For urban fantasy stories, I'm used to longer book. Bianco did a good job packing it all in for such a short page count. I do think there could have been areas that were expanded upon.

If you're looking for a paranormal story about power, greed, and secrets with found family, some spicy enemies to lovers romance, and a ton of grit, pick up Bianco's debut and give it a try. It will have you questioning exactly who to trust and wanting to know how things will possibly turn out. Warning, while it doesn't end on a total cliffhanger, you can see there will be a second book as things are not totally resolved at the end of this. I cannot wait to see how Bianco goes about doing that in the next installment.

4.75/5 rounded to 5 stars.

Author:

Julia Bianco lives in Los Angeles with her fiancé and their cats, S’more and Rigatoni. She works in the entertainment industry and enjoys baking, reality television, and playing with her cats’ ears. Witch Season is her debut novel.

Fat Stack Friday June 12-2026

 

Check out the goodies I got this week!

NetGalley/Edelweiss/Bookstagram:

Light Up My Life by Kasie West

West's books are always a lot of fun for me. I'm building my holiday reads so this will go into that pile.

The Heart Trials by J. Elle

I read most of The House of Marione series from this author and it was just ok for me. But this one sounds really great. I hope I enjoy it.

The Price of Admission (The Edge of Everything) by Dustin Thao

Safe Harbor (The Edge of Everything) by Nicola and David Yoon

I have been waiting for these to pop up on NetGalley. I had the four other stories in this series from Amazon Originals and wanted to include these in my review. I already posted the review of the first four HERE if you'd like to take a look. Hoping to read this over the weekend and update that post.

You, Me, & The Conspiracy by Emma Barry

I was sent a widget for NetGalley for this title and also given access on Edelweiss. It looks adorable. I can't wait to read it.

Kindle:

Harvest Season (The Seasons of Carnage #2) by Brynne Weaver

I have put in for the audio of this one on Libby and I'm hoping for it to pop up sooner than what it says on the site. In the mean time, I do have the Kindle copy if I'm itching to read it sooner.

The Tiger In the Sack (The Cocky Kingmans #7) by Amy Award

So apparently I'm on the ARC team for this author. I was waiting for an opportunity to get this one early on NetGalley and never saw it. It published Tuesday so I was just going to wait for it through the library. Yesterday I got an email with the ARC! Kind of late since it's already published, but I'm looking forward to this story as they are really cute fluff!

In The Mail:

The Tarot Trials by Katee Robert

I haven't read anything by this author. I'm very curious about this one sent to me in the mail by the publisher.

What did you get?

Review: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1) by Adrienne Young

 

In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casperia was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.

Title: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1)

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Review:

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I was actually listening to this one when it popped up as available on the site. I have a copy of the second book and I was reading this so I could read and review that one. I grabbed this and decided to do an immersive read. Which was really fun. The narrators for the audio did a great job with the characters and their development. I'd not listened to either of them before so it was nice to experience new narrators.

This book has a fantasy/dystopian vibe for me. Young does a fabulous job developing out the world and winding in a ton of political intrigue. The political side was what struck me as making the book both fantasy and dystopian. These two genres combined make it into an epic story.

I liked that the book is told from alternating POVS or the FMC and MMC as well as flash backs so we can see how things built to begin with. There were so many layers to what was going on. These characters are very flawed and human. That really shows itself throughout the story. They face many impossible choices that make their involvement with each other messy and real.

I will say the "magical" aspect left me a little confused. I know it has a lot to do with the Gods they believe in and I would have liked to see just a bit more building in that area. 

This is also not your typical romantasy and I'm honestly not sure I would mark it as such if I were the one putting it into a genre. The romance is nice, and there are a lot of things that are revealed throughout the story so you really need to stick with it to understand the romance. There's a lot of complexity to their relationship. There is much that takes place off page, though, so you don't see quite as much in the romance area as I would have liked to see making it a bit harder to completely understand the attraction between the couple.

The pacing is a bit on the slower side for this one. Probably because there is a lot of information and world building being brought in. The last 25% of the book is packed with movement, though. And it leaves things on a sort of cliffhanger.

I'm looking forwar to the second installment in this series.

Author:

Adrienne Young is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Sky and Sea duology, the Fable series, and Spells for Forgetting. When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

For information on release, appearances, ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content, sign up for the newsletter at https://adrienneyoungbooks.com/

Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks

ARC Review: It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone Lisa Jewell brings the suspense to this shocking new thriller about a lost dog, a missing woman, and a house of long buried secrets.

Jane Trevally is walking her dogs on her country estate when a small white terrier appears, alone and with no sign of the teenaged girl he’d been staying with nearby. When the teenager is reported missing, Jane offers to return the dog to his registered owner, hours away in London. Arriving at a run-down house called Thornwood in the deepest backwaters of Hampstead, she is immediately on alert—because Jane has a dark history with this house.

The man who answers the door is not the man that Jane remembers from her past. He is cagey, and claims to know nothing about the missing teenage girl. Then, through the window of the house, Jane catches a glimpse of a haunted-looking woman.

Conjuring her memories from twenty-five years ago, Jane knows this unsettling house holds the key—to the missing teenager, to her own traumatic story, and to the dark secrets of the past.

Title: It Could Have Been Her

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher: Atria

Expected Publication Date: June 23, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm always down for a Lisa Jewell mystery. Her stories and story telling are different than other mystery writers I read. I always enjoy her characters and plot lines. Often times I know he books will start more slowly for me and then pick up. This one did just that.

This story has a lot going on. Not only do you have the main story teller, Jane Trevally, but Jewell also included multiple other points of view to immerse you in the characters and who they are. I enjoyed how she did this as it really showed her ability to flesh out her characters even when they are not the main ones of the story. Plus these points of view added a new layer to the plot and story and kept me guessing as to what happened and who did it! You definitely need to pay attention to the story headers so you know who is talking and when and where you are in the story, since Jewell does use chapters to do some flash backs. One thing I found interesting was the house itself in the story. It seemed to have it's own personality. No, this is not a paranormal story, but I could still feel the house all around when I was immersed in the chapters where it was incorporated into the story.

It's always hard to review a mystery because you don't want to give things away. I did figure out a few things pretty early on, though Jewell still kept me guessing even until the very end. And the epilogue definitely showed me something I wasn't expecting. There are definitely some creepy aspects to this story.

The book stars as more of a slow burn. I honestly didn't love it at first and thought I was going to be disappointed. It's definitely slower than other Jewell books I've read. But then Jewell builds the plot and characters with care. Easing you into the story as she layers on new information. By half way through, the story begins to pick up more speed and kept me so immersed I didn't want to put it down.

Overall this was quite an enjoyable read. I will definitely continues to pick up this author's books as her stories are always so unique.

 

LISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.

Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...

Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday June 9, 2026

 

These are the titles I'm most excited about this week.

You Won't Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

I read an Eddings book last year and adored it. This one looks nice. I'm not usually a saphic lover but I really like the author's writing so I'm hoping I like this one.

Harvest Season (The Season's of Carnage Triology #2) by Brynne Weaver

I am enjoying Weaver's stories. I'm looking forward to seeing where the second book in this spin off series goes!

The Tiger In the Sack (The Cocky Kingmans #7) by Amy Award

I haven't seen much about this book. This series it cute fluff. I had read the last few as early reads but this one never showed up on NetGalley. I tried to find it in the library but it's not there. I'm hoping it will pop up because I've liked these books on audio.

Off the Record by Sara Goodman Confino

I've heard good things about this author so thought I'd give her a try. I got this one early and honestly, it wasn't really for me. The writing wasn't horrible but I just wasn't really into the story. It's historical fiction, which I traditionally don't love but sometimes I find one that just hits me right (hello Taylor Jenkins Reid!). You can see my thoughts HERE.

What are yours?