Most Anticipate Releases Tuesday September 2, 2025

 

Here are my most anticipated books for this week.

Wild Reverence (Letters of Entanglement #0) by Rebecca Ross

I was excited for this prequel book as I needed the historical background from the duology. Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this title. You can see why HERE.

House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt

The publisher sent me a copy of this and I had a Kindle copy from NetGalley. I enjoyed it. A great gothic "horror" book for YA. Check out my thoughts HERE.

Thorn Season (Thorn Season #1) by Kiera Azar

I absolutely loved the blurb for this book. Then I read it and WOW, it was good. Especially the last part with all the twists and turns! I cannot wait for the next one. Check out my review HERE.

As A Last Resort by Kristin Wollett

I got an audio ARC of this one. Both narrators were new to me. I liked it but honestly think I would have liked it more had I read it in print. Either way you can see why HERE.

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

I really like Niven and her writing. She always draws me in. Can't wait to see what she throws at me with this!

What are yours?

ARC Review: Wilid Reverence (Letters of Enchantment #0) by Rebecca Ross

Born ​in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.

Title: Wild Reverence (Letters of Enchantment #0)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Expected Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press 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 really looking forward to this book. I enjoyed The Letter's of Enchantment duology. I figured this book would be a good background to the duology since it's a dive into the Gods we heard so much about during that story. Unfortunately, it just was not for me. I ended up DNFing the book due to it being super slow and me not feeling any draw to pick it up and read it.

I do like Ross's writing. It is lyrical and flows well. It's almost poetic. But I just don't think her story telling for this particular tale gave me the hook I needed to continue to be invested in the characters. I didn't feel any draw to Matilda or Vincent. I didn't care about their story or their relationship. I didn't feel the romance. And I didn't connect with either of them at all. I felt like there was hardly any development.

The pacing of this book left something to be desired. It felt like it dragged most of the time. The story was so dense. And the jump from the younger Matilda and Vincent to the older just seemed like too much of a time leap for me. And I needed a bit more world building. I felt like I was thrown in and left to gather the pieces on my own.

There was a lot of telling in this book, as well. I wanted to see what was going on and the writing didn't allow me to picture anything that was happening in my head. It felt tedious and dense, like I was trudging through very thick mud with no end in sight. And I was often lost with what was even happening in the storyline.

If someone comes into this one having not read the duology, I think it might actually be more enjoyable. It has a Greek mythology feel to it. But coming in and comparing it to those ruined it for me. I struggled to get swept up in it as I did with the others. I could not possibly continue on to finish a 550 page book when I was absolutely not sucked into the story.

Author:

Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.

She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.

When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.

Rebecca is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.

 

Fat Stack Friday August 8, 2025

Here are the goodies I got this week!

Kindle:

Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #3) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Very excited about this one. I thought it was only going to be a trilogy but I read today there will be 4 books! That makes my cozy heart happy!

The Fallen & The Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4) by Carissa Broadbent

I really love this series. I was waiting for this one to come out to read the duology as I just know the first part of the one would leave me hanging. Now I'm ready to jump in!

In The Mail:

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava

This is my second book in my Illumicrate Afterlight subscription. I canceled my other sub when I got the invite to this one. So far the books have been so pretty. This one looks good, too!

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

This is my favorite book by the author duo. I have a Kindle and paperback copy, plus I listened to it on audio through the library. I really love it and this copy is just gorgeous. I had a gift card so this was one of the books I bought myself.

Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie

This was a book I requested and was denied for and then the publisher reached out and offered me a copy. I tore through it. It is SO good I had to have a hard copy because it's also so pretty. You can see my review HERE.

A Theory of Dreaming (A Study in Drowning #2) by Ava Reid

This duology is great. Dark academia with fantastical and magical elements. And the books now look really pretty sitting on my shelf next to each other. I had the pleasure of reading this one early and you can see my thoughts HERE. 

NetGalley/Edelweiss:

Maybe This Once (Rock Bottom Love #3) by Sophie Sullivan

I have been wanting to read books by this author as I've heard good things. I do have the first two in this series so I'll have to slip those in before I read this one (in case there are cross over characters; I hate reading books out of order)

Sunk In Love by Heather McBreen

I love me books that take place on a boat. Plus a second chance romance. YES YES YES! I can't wait to see how this author pulls it off. I've read two second chance romances this year and they have both been great. I hope this one lives up to those.

An Archive of Romance (A Study In Drowning Novella) by Ava Reid

As I stated above, I love this series. I was excited to see a novella. I'm looking forward to reading it although it looks like I might have to it on my phone with the way the galley is set up.

Dream by the Shadows (The Shadow Weavers Duology #1) by Logan Karlie

I have a paper copy of this book the publisher sent to me. I thought it would be fun to listen and read at the same time. I'm not familiar with the narrators so I hope I like them!

Wild Reverence (Letters of Enchantment #0) by Rebecca Ross

I wasn't as thrilled with the dulology of this series as I would have liked to be but I liked it enough. I'm interested to see if this book gives some good background.

Honeymoon Phase (Mountain Men Matchmaker #3) by Amy Daws

I've read the first two in this series. The first one was just ok and I really liked the second one. I hope I like this one!

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

I had the pleasure of reading one of Elder Moke's books last year for review and it was so entertaining and fun. Another book on a boat, too! I cannot wait to see how she makes me laugh with this one.

What did you get this get this week?

 

Review: Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals, an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

Title: Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Review:

This was not what the hype made it out to be. Lots of potential but overall just a bland story.

After hearing such great things from so many of my friends, I finally jumped into this in the hopes it would cure me of my fantasy slump since reading another highly rated fantasy that's been floating around. Was it good? Yes. I enjoyed it enough. But was it what everyone was making it out to be? No, not in the least.

I'll start by saying I am not a big historical fiction reader. I find most of them rather boring unless it's a romance set in the 17th century (then all bets are off because they do such naughty things you'd never think of them doing). And, while this isn't technically historical fiction, it reads like it to me. The whole time I was absorbing the story, I felt like I was supposed to be back in the 1930s or 1940s. It's just the vibe I got. Not sure if that's what the author was going for. 

Then there is the pacing. The story was good, don't get me wrong, but it was super slow. I needed a bit more action. I did feel things ramp up when the FMC and MMC started exchanging letters, but once that was out in the open and they run off to war, I felt bored.

The world building was interesting though a bit confusing for me. There's not much modern technology (leading me to my statement above about historical fiction), but there are a few things the characters have available to them. I liked the magic of they typewriter and how the FMC and MMC could exchanges letters that way. And it was more intriguing since the FMC did not know who was on the other end. Thus, the enemies to lovers trop. The war aspect with the Gods just confused me. I really didn't get the sense of what was going on. Just that there was fighting and they were or were not fighting for certain Gods favor. I honestly didn't feel the fantasy aspect as much as I wanted to feel it. 

The characters are built out well enough. They develop and falter and ultimately connect. But there wasn't anything that stood out between the two. They weren't any different than what I would see in a historical fiction novel of this era.

The romance was a slow burn, which I usually like. But I honestly didn't feel the chemistry between these two characters. I did see the lead up and potential for love in the letters they exchanged but ultimately, the connection fell flat for me. Even once they were together, it didn't feel as much genuine as it did forced.

I did enjoy the writing. This is my first book by this author and I would venture to say I would pick up more from her in the coming years if I had the chance.

Overall I'm not sure if I will read the second book in this series. I wanted so much more. More magic, more angst, more of just anything fantasy. It's been a few months and I still don't really have a great desire to pick it up and see what became of the characters.

Author:

Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.

She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.

When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.

Rebecca is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.

 

 

 

Unpopular Opinion Part 2 - Books That Didn't Live Up To The HYPE

Are you ready for part2? You can see my initial post at this LINK to see how this all started!

Have you read any books this year that just did not meet the hype you expected? Did you have to DNF any of those books? Or maybe you pushed through because you just don't want to leave a book unfinished!

This year I have DNF'd FOUR books so far. Some highly recommended through friends and book groups. Then, there are those books I liked well enough, but they didn't hit me with the 5 star feels.

All this said, it makes me feel like there's something just a touch wrong with me. I didn't love that book but everyone else did. That book made people sob but I never shed a tear. That book tore someone apart but my heart was just fine.

But I've realized it' ok not to like a book. What I like and what others like is not always the same. And that's ok!

Here's a look at a few of the books I just didn't understand the hype for and my explanation of why they turned out to not be for me.

 Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

I got this one for review from the publisher and I was so excited. The synopsis gave me Serpent & Dove vibes and I really enjoyed that series. Plus, the COVER. OH THE COVER. Plus enemies to lovers trope? BRING. IT. ON! And then I read it and, while I enjoyed it and the premise, there was just something missing for me. I didn't have the urge to pick it up every moment. I didn't have the urge to call out sick to work and stay home to finish it. I just kind of wanted to push through and let it be over. The romance had me raging because the characters just didn't seem to vibe for me. And the world building, while mostly there, was not enough. I didn't understand the history and how it truly related to where the characters were in their world in the now. The action bits were fun. But then it had a great ending, so that redeemed it a bit and definitely makes me want to read the next one to see what happens. I ended up giving it 3/5 stars.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

I love me some gothic vampire vibes. I remember devouring Anne Rice and I was totally into the movie when it came out. So I figured this one would be a good fit. It was good, don't get me wrong. I liked the writing. It was dual POV, which I'm a fan of. But overall the story was just meh for me. The action scenes didn't do much to push the book forward and were predictable. Just not my cup of tea. 2/5 stars.

Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross

Oh the horror that I didn't give this one five stars. I really wanted to considering the hype around it. And the story was sweet. I enjoyed the characters a lot. And the slow burn romance was nice. I liked that it didn't revolve around the romance, perse. But I didn't find myself rushing to pick it up and continue reading it. Maybe the second book will be better? 3/5 stars.

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

I have NEVER had an Elle Kennedy book that hasn't drawn me in and wrapped me up in the story. I've also never given any of her books less than 4.5 stars. And that's not to say I wasn't invested in this story, I was. But it certainly wasn't what I'm used to. I think mostly I disliked the *SPOILER ALERT* love triangle. And the ending kind of just fizzled out and how/why she made her choice wasn't clear at all. I was rooting for that particular character, so that made me happy. But it just didn't give off the fun rom com vibes I'm used to from this author. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. 3/5 stars.

This all being said, my opinions are my opinions and what I like might be totally different from what others do! What are some books you went into thinking you'd adore because of all the hype but did not live up to your expectations?