Monday, May 26, 2025

Quicksilver

         



Title: Quicksilver
Series: Fae & Alchemy #1
Author: Callie Hart
Publisher: Forever, September 10, 2024
Pages: 615
Genre: Romantasy

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details...

This was a TikTok win for me. BookTok isn't always on it. But I really enjoyed this one. I liked the lore and am interested enough to read another book in this world. 

It's kind of your quintessential chosen one fantasy novel. She's gritty and a good fighter, but also seemingly more innocent and prudish than someone with her background would be. He's handsome and aloof, but so completely enamored with her even if he isn't going to admit it for at least 75% of the book. I ate it right up.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Annie Bot

        



Title: Annie Bot
Author: Sierra Greer
Publisher: Mariner Books, March 19, 2024
Pages: 238
Genre: Science Fiction

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.

She’s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

Whoa. What a ride. This was a book club choice for me, and I am so glad that I had some built-in discussion for this one. I feel like it is pretty necessary. 

Let me first say that I love Annie. AI scares the hell out of me, but she is an amazing AI. And the company that created her thinks so too. And they think it's all because of Doug and the way he treats her. And for the most part, they're right. Until they're not. 

Like most relationships, once other people get involved, things get complicated. Mostly because Doug's ego is massive and massively fragile. When you only have input from one source, of course you can be perfect for them. But when they are insistent that they want you to be your own person who makes their own choices, that feels like a direct contradiction to being the perfect woman for Doug. 

I loved how much this question came up. And I found it so interesting that my book club was so split on our feelings for Doug. That was definitely the part where we had the most variability of opinions. Whether Doug deserved his ending or not. I'd be very interested to know what you think about it all. 

One think I know for sure is that Annie Bot definitely deserves the ending she finds!!! <3

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

Scythe & Sparrow

       



Title: Scythe & Sparrow
Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy #3
Author: Brynne Weaver
Publisher: Zando, February 11, 2025
Pages: 416
Genre: Dark Romance

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancĂ© 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.

Rose is the definition of a hot mess. For someone who makes it her business to murder abusive men, she is shockingly ill prepared to murder abusive men. 

The women in this series are unhinged. Like the Kane brothers are definitely not well. But these women are out of their minds and I love that for them. But the women in this series are also not necessarily the best at their jobs. I've just realized that all 3 of them have to be saved, and like it's good that she gave the strapping Kane boys a purpose. But thinking about it now, it's a little annoying that they had to "save" their damsels. 

In saying that, Rose is still amazing. I'm very interested in the mechanics of a crochet sex swing. Given the right fiber, it could be really great. But there's definitely a right and a very wrong way to accomplish that task, and I hope for Rose they got it right! 

I am so glad I don't understand the inner workings of highly deranged people. But the idea of someone following her across the country to get back at her is wild. I mean, she did try to kill him and like in his eyes was the reason his family left him. But still. Brynne Weaver writes crazy so well!

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Once Smitten, Twice Shy

         


Title: Once Smitten, Twice Shy
Series: The Wilmot Sisters #3
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Berkley, January 14, 2025
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Rom-Com

Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she's presented with the chance to revisit romance-purely for practice-with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe.

Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn't on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the family business, marriage is. Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance.

Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they're the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.

I am so obsessed with these retellings. They're so fun and smart and perfect. I love Twelfth Night, and I love that this series is rounding out with a favorite of mine. 

The fact that she worked the twins in as she did, and her name is Juliet. Ugh, it's just so good. I am glad that Juliet wasn't tricking Will. They were both in agreement that they were practicing and they were only trying to keep their fake dating from their friends and family. Which is a nice mirror to Bea and Jamie's fake dating that was purely for the benefit of their friends and family. 

There was a lot of serendipity working in this one. The fact that they were apparently family friends all along, and just didn't know it? Had a lot of mutual friends, but had never met somehow? That was a fun touch. This did fall into the "series wrap up" rut a little bit. I understand the benefits, and as a fan, I am not upset in the least to see it. But it does take away a tiny bit from the Jules and Will of it all. Certainly not enough to tear through this book!!! I can't wait to see what Chloe Liese will do next. Post Bergmans and Wilmots!

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

       



Title: To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Series: Nampeshiweisit #1
Author: Moniquill Blackgoose
Publisher: Del Rey, May 9, 2023
Pages: 519
Genre: YA Fantasy

The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon.

Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.

For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects.

Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

Stunning. Infuriating, of course. But absolutely beautifully done.

I say of course it's infuriating because of the heavy implications of colonization. It's disgusting really. Only because it's so accurate. I mean, minus the dragons. But the dragons are amazing! 

From meeting the first dragon, to seeing how dragons coexist with the people in this world, and how that's maybe not how things should be. It's just a really interesting world and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book. There's quite a lot of political intrigue happening, and people trying to control Anequs. And she just wants to live her best polyamorous life with her dragon on her little island. And I hope desperately that she gets to do so.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge

 


Title: The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge
Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #3
Author: Kass O'Shire
Publisher: February 13, 2025
Pages: 454
Genre: Fantasy Romance

It only takes a taste...

Lost in strange waters after a narrow escape from captivity, Elspeth the selkie is determined to find and free her brother. When she runs into an orca-shifter who mistakes her for lunch, one drop of his blood on her pelt binds her to him... forever.

Aegir is a notoriously talented shifter, playing pirates and playboys wherever his covert operations--or many lovers--take him. But when the selkie he rescued vanishes, he's plagued by memories of her... and a letter that spells out her doom. As they come together to rescue Elspeth's brother, both must navigate their traumas, a bond neither wanted, and growing feelings for each other. Can Elspeth learn to trust someone who wears a different face every day?


I was always going to read this book. I was never not going to read this book. But the commissioned artwork for this book would have convinced me if I had not been. Aegir is a freaking babe. Full dad bod orca merman?! Hell yes. And then there's Elspeth who is also a dang babe. Aside from babedom, this book is actually kind of tragic. You have got to pay close attention to trigger warnings for this one. Elspeth's story does not start out very nice.

But this is the best kind of marriage of convenience, a surprise mate bond!!! And the way that Aegir takes his time with her after everything she's been through is so good. And the spice, of course, was tasty as hell. But my favorite part of this was seeing inside Aegir's head. His identity struggles were very relatable. Hard to read at times, but extremely relatable.

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Bonus Novella!


Title: Bargaining with the Bear
Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #0.5
Author: Kass O'Shire
Publisher: August 2, 2024
Pages: 39
Genre: Fantasy Romance

After years of using magic to suppress her pheromones around her gorgeous, grumpy, polar bear-shifter boss, Hanne finally has the chance to tell him how she feels. When Jorund is elected to the council of their tranquil town in the northern wilds, and she's promoted to his old position, it seems her years of bargaining might be over. But when she bares her soul, will he let their age gap get in the way, or will the former Head Ranger give her what every ermine-shifter wants... a good chase?


What a perfect romp. Just a sweet, little run through Sanctuary. I could absolutely read a whole book about these two.

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

Marriage & Masti

                             

Title: Marriage & Masti
Series: If Shakespeare Were an Auntie #3
Author: Nisha Sharma
Published: Avon, August 27, 2024
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Veera Mathur has been through a lot in the past year. Both of her friends found soul mates, the man she fell in love with got engaged to another woman, and her father fired her before selling the family company. When her twin sister, Sana, tells her there is no way of getting her old life back, Veera feels lost at sea: a single, unemployed mess with a bad tattoo and tons of talent, but nowhere to go.

Deepak Datta hasn’t had the best luck either. To secure enough board votes for the CEO position at his family's company, Illyria Media, he’s ready to marry board member and famous beauty influencer, Olivia Gupta. That is until he wakes up to a get ready with me video announcing their separation. Despite his immediate relief, Deepak needs to do something fast to repair his image.

After a series of convenient mishaps bring them together again—including a literal shipwreck, way too many drinks, and a sunset elopement on the beach—Deepak and Veera realize their accidental wedding might be the solution to their career aspirations. Together, they plot against the very company that ruined their lives in the first place.

As they try to convince the world their friendship was a ruse for romance they’ve felt all along, the line between fake and real begins to blur. Now Veera and Deepak must ask themselves the terrifying question that has haunted them since the first time they met: will love ruin everything?

With her signature humor and heartfelt storytelling, Nisha Sharma writes a messy, spicy romance about identity, family honor, and love. In Marriage & Masti, readers are sure to love the highly anticipated finale of this beloved trilogy.


I loved this series. And I LOVE a fake marriage/marriage of convenience! This did feel a lot like creating a problem where there wasn't one, for the sake of having problems. Veera really wanted to the be the victim, and she let herself be for awhile! But once we saw some growth it was good. 

Don't get me wrong, the situation with her parents is infuriating. And finding out someone you have feelings for is engaged to someone else would be devastating. I just didn't connect with Veera as much as I did with Deepak, I guess. Which is funny because I am not an extremely successful man. 

Ultimately, I rooted for anything to get these two in the same room together because they were very hot. The chemistry is good. And as per usual, the aunties are perfect. 

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 2/5