Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen

 

5 Stars

Roses are red, violets are blue, Emma’s not dead, and her gravedigger’s hot too. This Valentine’s Day, love claws its way out of the grave in #1 New York Times bestselling author Navessa Allen’s steamy and hilariously dark rom-com.

Louisiana gravedigger Noah Evans’s Valentine’s night shift takes an unexpected turn when his high school crush starts screaming from her freshly dug grave. Whoever tried to bury Emma six feet under is in for a nasty surprise—they should have checked for a pulse because she’s got unfinished business, starting with the hot gravedigger who just saved her life. As they unearth a deadly family conspiracy, Noah and Emma discover that old flames burn even hotter the second time around—especially when someone’s trying to kill them.

 

I loved this book so much. I want to relisten to this book as it was so good. The plot was interesting and the characters were awesome. I want more in this world.

Book 6 The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances

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Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

 

5 Stars

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

I loved this book so much. It was different and very much a fantasy book. I loved the world building and the character development. I feel like I understand the characters and can’t wait to see what happens with them in future books. Listening to the audio was also nice. Narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

Book 1 Isle of Wyrd

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Alpha of Grave Hills by Kathryn Moon

5 Stars

She's an omega in hiding.

Broken hearted and rejected by her beta, Brigid Grant has spent the last five years in self-imposed exile. When her former lover comes sniffing at her door, demanding she take her place back in his bed or lose her sanctuary, Brigid knows it would break more than her heart to agree.

There's only one person powerful enough to keep her out of another man's reach.

A new alpha has risen.

With the death of his father, it’s time for Torion to step into his rightful place, as Alpha of Grave Hills. Young, determined to do better for his home and his people, Torion needs to focus on the work ahead of him. What he should not do, is anger a respected beta by stealing away his omega.

It would be an even bigger mistake to fall in love with her, when his heart is the last thing she wants.

Gave this the Best book of the year for 2025. I loved Torion and Brigid. They had so much chemistry and the give and take between them was awesome. I don’t know how else to describe their relationship other than it was comfortable. It felt like they had been together for years and not just coming together. There were some miscommunications between them that is resolved pretty quickly. I love what happens to Brigid’s former mate. He definitely gets what he deserves.

Book 2 Dragonkin

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I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

5 Stars

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio....

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.

I loved listening to this audiobook. It had so much humor in it. It was lighthearted and so cute. I loved the FMC and the lion add in the two MMC who want her and it was just a good book. I enjoyed the adventure and the challenges in the book. The aliens that kidnapped FMC were amusing in how stupid they were. I really want to know what happens with FMC’s family and how it plays out on Earth but I always want that information. Cannot wait for book 2.

Book 1 Cosmic Chaos

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A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost

5 Stars

Raine Stone is living a nightmare. Ever since she survived the attack that killed her family, she's been hiding a terrible secret--and a Beast inside her.

It feeds on violence and chaos, but she restrains its urges by playing vigilante on the city streets. Until one night, Raine uses the Beast’s energy to heal an elderly gentleman from a seemingly random attack and discovers a new world of danger—literally.

Remington “Remy” Byrne knows the wall between a realm of deadly mythic creatures and our own world is very fragile. After all, he’s the Warden who guards the gateways between them. Raine’s Beast contains power that could tip the scales in a sinister plot against Remy’s rule—if she allies with him.

Will they be friends or foes…or will their dangerous attraction turn into something else? And can our world be saved by their explosive alliance?

I LOVED this book so much. It was an interesting new take on Beauty and the Beasts and the ending makes me want the next book to be out now.  I loved the give and take between MMC and FMC. The fact that he insists on having a fake relationship with her to protect her is so sweet. I loved how everything played out in the book.

Book 1 Beautiful and Beastly

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Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

5 Stars

 

REVIEW HAS SPOILERS BE WARNED

 

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling—to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him—bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if—for the first time—I reached for it?

I loved this book so much. It was the best slow burn ever. I loved Ransom and Odessa’s banter. I figured out the secret very quickly but still enjoyed the journey to get to the reveal and that reveal was AMAZING. The characters felt fleshed out but still more to learn. Even though the book ends on a cliffhanger it didn’t feel like we were left hanging on everything.

Book 1 Shield of Sparrows

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For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

5 Stars

They told her to go to Hell.

She went, but on her own terms.

Lily isn’t exactly thrilled with her arrival in the Afterlife, but what awaits her there is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined: Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.

As she explores the many corners of the Afterlife, Lily finds herself surprisingly drawn to a place most people would avoid at all costs: Hell. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves a job out for herself amongst Hell’s demons, sending souls to their rightful circles with more than a hint of sass.

Lily’s expectations are subverted every day in Hell—especially by Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice. The two meet by chance and form an immediate, deeply healing friendship, but the undeniable heat between them threatens to combust.

Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything they’ve known and everything that could be…unless they fight like Hell to stop it.

I loved this book so much. It would have been my number one book for the month if it hadn’t been read in the same month as Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows. This book deals with death and dying and if this subject is hard for you avoid the book. I loved that Lily creates a help desk in hell to deal with crabby afterlife souls. She gets to take out her anger on those who are going to different levels of hell or to help them find their afterlife. This book has so much humor along with the serious notes which led me to not be able to put the book down. Would definitely read again.

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PS You’re Intolerable by Julia Wolf

5 Stars

My boss, Elliot Levy is intolerable, and I tell him so everyday…in the little notes I write and then hide in the back of my desk.

I can’t exactly say to his face that I’m convinced he’s a cyborg, considering I'm about to become a single mother and I really need to keep my job as his assistant.

Elliot never looks at me, so he doesn’t even notice I’m pregnant until I’m seven months along. The first thing he asks is if I’m planning to come back to work once I have the baby.

Not unexpected.

What is unexpected is Elliot coming to my rescue when I need a place to stay after my daughter is born. While living with him, I get to see a whole other side of him…especially when he walks around his house without a shirt on.

Which he does, ALL. THE. TIME.

I shouldn’t look, but I can’t help it. He’s gorgeous in a suit, but out of one? Devastating.

Elliot shows me he isn’t the heartless robot I once thought. It’s still terrifying to take a chance on him, even when he holds my baby like she’s precious to him, and he touches me like he’s been longing to for ages.

Now that he has me, he isn’t letting me go without a fight.

And Elliot Levy didn’t get where he is in business without learning a few underhanded tricks. What will he do to keep me? To keep us?

P.S. I think I’m falling for you.

This was a surprise read for me. I find this on Instagram and sometimes those books aren’t good but this hit all the marks for me. I loved the main characters. The notes FMC made every day before she would go and talk with MMC were hilarious. When he found them and got a kick out of them I laughed so hard. It was such a cute thing for her to do. The pacing was great and I loved the world building in this book. I loved how MMC was with FMC and her baby Joey. I will definitely be picking more books up by this author.

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Murder of Crows by Evelyn Flood

5 Stars

Mafia University is where all the heirs are educated on all things dark and violent. Alliances and enemies are made in blood. As the sole female heir, Caterina, has to keep everyone at an arm’s length and can only rely on her enforcer and best friend. When things go down with her father who can she rely on and trust and who is out to take her down?

I am not a fan of mafia books at all. The reality of mafia life doesn’t usually translate into a romance book for me. This book worked for me. I loved the darkness and the violence in it. It didn’t shy away from the things about mafia life I don’t like but took those head on. I loved seeing the struggle Caterina had with who to trust. I have several guesses as to things that were alluded to and can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Why I have to wait until April is probably the only thing that is ticking me off right now.

Book 1 Mafia University

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Denied by Evelyn Flood

5 Stars

Sienna Michaels has been waiting forever for a chance at a pack and family. She’s finally gotten the invitation to the Bonding Trials where she is assigned a pack. She is matched with the Cohen pack, Tristan, Jax, Logan, and Gray. They are her soul bonds and are meant to be. What she wasn’t expecting was for them to be blackmailed into denying her. Someone wants her to be denied which will outcast her and she will be forbidden from entering another agreement and the city. The pack has all the options available, but she doesn’t. No matter what they do to her she has to stick it out, so she’s not denied. Will the pack find a way to claim her, or will she be denied?

I loved this book so much. It is so much emotional damage but in the best way possible. I would not recommend reading this if book 2 isn’t out as it ends on a massive cliffhanger ending that made me so incredibly angry. Like through the entire book I was saying the guys better figure out the best way to fix this because they were massive assholes to her. They never get the chance and that will probably be book two. I very much finished it and wanted to reread it to find things I missed in the first read through. I’ve had a string of 2 star books and this one just hit all the notes for me and I absolutely loved it. Definitely pick it up and read…maybe read it after book 2 is out.

Book 1 Bonding Trials

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Bad Romance by Elise Faber

 

5 Stars

Asher loves Mel and Mel loves Asher. The problem is he thinks his brother wants her and she thinks he doesn’t want her. When something heinous happens to Mel they both struggle to find their new normal. Will they find their way to a HEA?

This book was amazing. Subject warning the main female character is raped off page but the entire book is about her finding herself and moving on with her life. Since she was interested in Asher prior to the rape he blames himself for it. We see his struggle to not blame himself while seeing Mel do the same. I loved seeing Mel take back her life and get her happily ever after. The best proposal was in this book. I finished this book and wanted to start it over and find all the nuances thus 5 stars.

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