Review | Hart & Souls by Amy J. Elliott

July 3, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Love never dies, and neither does he, in this second chance romance with a ghostly twist.

Ruby Hart used to believe in happily ever afters. It’s why she runs the Big Tippers and Bodice Rippers book club at the library where she works. But after calling off her engagement six months ago, romance feels more like fiction than fact.

So color Ruby surprised when she gets a call from her ex-fiancé’s phone, only to learn Oliver Blackwood has died in an accident. Or so she thinks, until she comes home to find Ollie’s ghost waiting for her.

Turns out Ruby is a Navigator, part of a long line of Hart women destined to guide souls to the beyond. But when she touches Ollie, he doesn’t move on. Because while he’s dead…he’s also sort of not.

Ollie did betray Ruby, but not the way she thinks. When he was alive, he hunted the undead, tracking a spreading infection that could become an epidemic. Now he is the undead, and he’s tethered to Ruby until they find his zombie body and the creature that bit him, laying them both to rest.

Living with your ex’s ghost 24/7 makes it hard to hold a grudge, and Ruby quickly realizes she might not be as over Ollie as she thought. But if they succeed, Ollie will finally cross over…and Ruby will lose him for good.

For a librarian who wants to believe in happily ever afters again, it may be the ultimate heartbreak.

Amazon | Goodreads

I’m definitely on a paranormal romance kick lately and this one definitely fit the bill. In it we follow Ruby, who has had a bit of a rough time, what with breaking up with her fiancé – when she receives word that he’s actually died. She soon finds out though that things are not that cut and dry, considering she goes home to find Ollie in her house…less corporeal, but there. Thus started their journey to figure out what was going on, while also coming to grips with what that means for them and their relationship. There’s a lot of heartbreak, humor and hijinks so it was a very enjoyable read. There are a lot of things along the way that Ruby and Ollie learn about each other, some resolving of miscommunication, but also some further miscommunication that they need to figure out. The relationships between Ruby, her cousin, mother and aunt are also wonderful to read about and set a good foundation for where the series may go (excited to see that the 2nd book is about Sloane!).

While this is a fun read, and definitely fits that cozy paranormal romance box, there’s also a lot of real trauma and baggage that Ruby especially has to work through – be warned death of a parent and the grief associated is discussed – but the way Ruby processes and comes to terms with that is beautifully done.

It still remains to be seen if the Hart women are truly cursed or not, so maybe that question will be answered in the future!

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Sunscreen and Spellbooks by Fleur DeVillainy

June 28, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

From author Fleur DeVillainy, author of Spellbound Scones and Sky of Thorns comes a new summer romance that will leave you laughing, swooning and flushed.

Welcome to Crescent Cove—where the sun shines, secrets linger, and every tide brings a little magic.

Catherine Prescott doesn’t believe in magic. Not anymore. Once a prodigy witch, now a burnt-out marketing exec, she’s traded spells for spreadsheets—until a sudden layoff leaves her with nothing but severance pay and an invitation to housesit her aunt’s beach cottage in Crescent Cove.

Her summer plans? Sunscreen, solitude, and maybe a little self-discovery.
Reality? A mischievous dog, a house full of enchanted junk, and a maddeningly handsome marine biologist who insists she’s “disrupting leyline energy.”

Elliot Fitzgerald is sunshine in human form—tanned, barefoot, and entirely too charming. He’s also a sea lion shifter sworn to protect the cove’s magic. When Cat accidentally stirs dormant power beneath the waves, he offers to teach her how to control it… if she agrees to stay close.

Now they’re fake-dating to throw off nosy locals, knee-deep in magical chaos, and discovering that the ocean isn’t the only thing with dangerous pull.

Witty, witchy, and warm as a summer sunset— Sunscreen and Spellbooks is a beachy paranormal rom-com about rediscovering your magic, finding where you belong, and falling in love under the tide.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shop the Series

Having read some of Fleur’s writing before, I was excited to pick this one up (and definitely will be reading some of the other installments in the Crescent Cove series). If you’re looking for a summery paranormal read, this one fits the bill. We follow Catherine and Elliot. Catherine has just lost her job and is a bit adrift, when her aunt asks if she watch her dog for her while she goes on a trip – since she’s lost her job she decides to pack up her life and go back to her small town to do so. Elliot is a sea lion shifter who’s happy in his life working at an animal rescue, but also acknowledges that there’s something missing.

Hilarity ensues as the magic Catherine has tried to shut away and leave behind starts going haywire, especially when Elliot is around. She’s constantly telling herself she’s leaving at the end of summer, so that adds a bit of yearning to the mix. Their relationship as it grows is great to watch, and there’s some further depth as she finally starts to deal with the loneliness and grief that she’s been trying to ignore. She definitely has a ton of growth as a character and the story has a great arc.

Sunscreen and Spellbooks is available now, and on Kindle Unlimited!

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Fade to Black by Emily Prescott

June 25, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

October 3, 2014
The happiest I’ve ever been in my life was when I was talking with you. This can’t be it.

Being reminded of this message on one of the worst night’s of my life is the definition of a silver lining. I’d been truly blocked on what to write for my next screenplay, but now I’m eager to plot out a romance born of online messages and flirty glances shared with my best friend’s older brother, Graham. I’m on fire to write about millennial messaging angst and give these characters the happily ever after that Graham and I never got.

Will it be good enough for a theatrical release? I hope so. But the writing is a struggle almost as soon as I start, and it only gets harder when Graham texts to say he’ll be in Los Angeles for three weeks.

He wants me to tour him around LA and though we’ve formed a loose friendship over the years at his family Christmases and backyard BBQs, our resurrected message threads bring everything up for me. It’s infuriating because he has no idea.

Graham is as calm, cool, and cocky as I remember from those summer trips to Old Orchard, and it has me wondering if any of it had been real. If it could be again. Or if like many things, the question of us is better left in the past.

Amazon | Goodreads

If you’re looking for a summer read full of yearning and nostalgia (at least for those of us who are millennials) this one will definitely fit the bill. This story is so full of angst and yearning, it’s is chock full of emotional upheaval but is so worth it by the end. I loved the mix of media in a way, going not only between the past and present but including sections of Beverly’s screenplay and messages between her and Graham.

Prescott’s writing was a pleasure to read, it flowed well. Both the humor and the angst felt authentic and genuine, the descriptions of not only the characters and their feelings, but the locations definitely painted a picture. You’ll definitely be in your feels reading this, but it is such an enjoyable read and worth it.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Series Review | The Queens of Éire by Christy Healy

June 22, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore.

Rozlyn Ó Conchúir is used to waiting—waiting for the king, her father, to relent and allow her to leave the solitude of her tower; waiting for the dreaded and mysterious Beast of Connacht to at last be defeated; waiting for the arrival of the man destined to win her heart and break the terrible curse placed on her and her land. So when she meets Jamie—a charming and compelling suitor—she allows herself to hope that her days of solitude and patience are over at long last.

But as she finds her trust betrayed—and newer, more sinister threats arising—Rozlyn learns that some curses are better left unbroken …

Amazon | Goodreads

Fairytale retellings and mythology are definitely two of my buzzwords/phrases, so I was eager to get the chance to review the Queens of Éire series, starting with Unbound – which is very Beauty and the Beast-esque. I really enjoyed the dual POV and different perspectives. It’s very fairytale coded, but I really enjoyed the inclusion of Celtic mythology and the underlying messages. There were some parts of the book where pacing felt a little off, perhaps a little slow, but not to the point where I didn’t want to continue. Overall Healy’s writing was nice to read, definitely good atmosphere here and there. The story is primarily focused on Rozlyn and Jamie, so there isn’t a lot of sidetracking with other characters – but there’s still plenty of twisty turns.

Riona Ó Conchúir has known death her whole life. The mysterious lord of death has tormented her for years, stealing away the souls of all those she has loved since childhood, demanding that she come and serve him in his shadowy realm, but she has always resisted – until now.

When her daughter falls ill with an incurable disease, Riona at last answers the lord of death’s call and ventures into the hidden realm of the sídhe to offer herself as a servant to him in exchange for her daughter’s life. But when he demands that she use the divine magic of her blood to find three legendary objects of power that were once wielded by the gone gods themselves, Riona soon realizes that she will be forced to make an impossible choice:

Her daughter’s life, or the realm of Éire itself.

Amazon | Goodreads

In this sequel (it can be read as a standalone but benefits from having read the first installment first) we follow Riona, who is Rozlyn’s granddaughter. She was definitely more of an unlikeable character while her counterpart – Conor – was easy to adore. The mythology/folklore in this story were really well done and I found myself really getting sucked into all of those elements. Even though Riona is a little harsh, there are certainly reasons for it that are explained and it’s nice to see how she and Conor interact throughout the story. Loved that there was some medical/chronic illness rep in this one especially – it’s always nice to see in any genre. I definitely feel like any of the pacing issues that I may have felt with the first book were more ironed out in this one, definitely more flowing prose that just kept me glued to the book.

Rory Ó Conchúir has always known that she was destined for war. Her deadly gifts, the unwanted inheritance of her ancestor, the Mórrígan, can only be wielded as a weapon of destruction and doom. For years, she would not allow herself to be used as such, instead choosing to live far across the sea, refusing to regret what she has left behind in order to do so…until the fateful day that she learns of the price she has paid for her peace.

Niall Ó Flannagáin, the young king of Connacht, was never meant for war — that has always been his half-sister, Rory’s, role. But now he finds himself threatened with a foreign invasion and the ruination of the realm, without her aid. In desperation, he turns to a powerful enemy as an ally, his only hope to unite the provinces against the foreign armies gathering even now to destroy the land he has sworn to protect.

Locke MacMurchada, the son of the most hated traitor in all of Éire, owes a debt that he knows he can never pay. But when the opportunity to propose a political marriage with the murderous Rory Ó Conchúir arises, he seizes the chance to protect what is left of both his people, as well as the legacy which his father ripped to shreds…so long as she doesn’t kill him first.

When the day of doom at last arrives, the fates of all three royals – the cursed princess, the young king, and the traitor prince – become inextricably woven together, forcing them to face new threats and old enemies, hoping to forge a stronger Éire from the ashes of the old.

Amazon | Goodreads

Oof this one was an emotional roller coaster and such as fantastic third installment! I feel like the first two (even they can all be read as standalones) really set up a good foundation, but this book still had a ton of great world building and set up built in. There was so much morally grey behavior and characters in this one, so if that’s your thing you will probably eat this one up. Also, this is very much a slow burn and it does burn. Really this one was beautifully built up to and a great third book in the series.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Twilight Walker by Nic Minnella

June 19, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Finn thought campfire stories were just stories. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Eleven-year-old Finn can’t stand camping and is fed up with being picked on by his seemingly perfect older brother, Matt. Everything changes when their mother starts acting like a different person, and Finn-—along with his cat, Pepper—is the only one who realizes the truth: she’s been replaced by an impostor. Will Matt believe him?

With the fake mom hot on their trail and time running out, the brothers must put aside years of misunderstandings and resentment to save their family from a haunted forest where sinister legends come to life.

Amazon | Goodreads

From the start of the book we can tell that this is a family in a bit of a crisis, though they are trying to enjoy time as a family on a camping trip. Finn pretty clearly struggles with aspects of anxiety and his older brother Matt is more interested in girls than spending time with him – plus dealing with his own baggage after a tough period the family went through. Their parents are fighting pretty constantly, so there is a lot of tension from the get go.

A round of ghost stories leads to some odd events and their mom going missing for a while, when they find her something is off and that’s really the beginning of the mystery. Finn and Matt, with the help of Pepper their cat struggle through the perils of the forest, mostly supernatural, to unravel the mystery of what happens to their parents.

As they progress they slowly start to understand each other more and some truths are spoken. By the end of the book, not only have they solved the mystery of the Twilight Walker, but they’ve managed to come back together as a family. It’s a great read and I’m interested to pick up the previous installments in the series.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | This Beautiful Lie by Taylor Sullivan

June 13, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Some secrets don’t stay buried.
They wait—quiet and patient—for the exact moment they can ruin you.
I learned a long time ago that surviving means keeping my heart locked down. No expectations. No hope. No love that asks me to trust like it won’t disappear. Because love doesn’t just leave scars—it takes pieces of you that never heal quite right.
Dean Weston intrigues me.
He’s successful. Steady. The kind of man who shows up without being asked.
Which is why, when he asks me to pretend to be his fiancée, I know right away it’s a terrible idea.
One week at a business retreat.
One carefully crafted love story.
One lie meant to protect us both.
The rules are simple.
Play the perfect couple.
Convince everyone we’re in love.
Walk away without getting hurt.
Only Dean doesn’t fake affection—he offers it easily. Gentle touches that linger longer than they should. Soft smiles meant just for me, like we share something no one else can see. Late-night conversations that stretch past midnight, where he listens in a way that makes me forget I ever learned how to be guarded. He makes me feel safe without promising anything at all, and somewhere along the way, the pretending turns into this beautiful lie I’m terrified to lose. I stop bracing for the fall I know is coming.
Because the truth always surfaces.
Lies unravel, no matter how carefully they’re told.
And some secrets don’t just hurt you.
They break you.

Amazon | Goodreads

In this one we follow Dean and Emily, both of which have a lot of scars relating to love and relationships. Against her better judgement she agrees to play as Dean’s fake fiancé for a business trip and realizes it is a slippery slope from there because somewhere in the act of making others believe they’re in love, things start to feel real.

This is definitely not a light romance, there’s a lot of emotional upheaval and depth. The way the two both learn how to trust each other and their feelings is heavier to read, but so worth it. The characters are three dimensional and it definitely feels like they are truly experiencing the ups and downs of their romance.

Though this is the third book in the series, it seems like they read perfectly fine as standalones – though after checking out Taylor Sullivan’s writing I will definitely be picking up more.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Twin Stars and the Soccer Superstar by Kristine Rudolph

June 12, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Perfect for fans of Laurie Morrison and Jenn Bishop, this lively middle-grade mystery follows a vibrant group of teens and tweens navigating grief, authenticity, and—above all—soccer, while taking an enjoyable romp through the Texas Hill Country.

Every year, spring in Texas means two very different things to sixth grader Cassaty her beloved Barons Creek High School soccer team, the Battling Billies, will contend for the state title, and the anniversary of her twin brother’s death will plunge her family into a deep, unspoken grief. But this year, the script changes when the Battling Billies’ star midfielder goes missing right before the playoffs begin. Presented with this mysterious disappearance, Cassaty seizes the chance to heroically bring the missing girl home—and hopefully, in doing so, help fill the hole her brother’s death left in her family so many years ago.

Amazon | Goodreads

Cassaty idolizes the star of her town’s high school soccer team, so when she goes missing just before the playoffs Cassaty feels she has to be the one to find out what happened and find Katey. She recruits some of her friends to help and uses the mystery to help her escape difficulties going on at home.

This is a book about grief, both from a parent and a sibling, the guilt of being the survivor and healing in general. Cassaty as a character is very believable in her actions, feelings and motives. While it’s an impactful read, it’s also a great story with a mystery. I felt the ending was appropriate and believable, not everything is perfect, but they are in a good place. The writing flows really nicely, as a middle grade it reads really easily and is well paced. A great story out the gate.

Happy reading!

Review | Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

June 9, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

From the bestselling author of the Japanese sensation The Full Moon Coffee Shop, this charming and heartfelt novel showcases the magic of Christmas as lost souls find themselves—with a little help of from an enchanted café run by cats.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a Christmas-time Kyoto moon.

Satomi is devoted to her job in Tokyo, but when her boyfriend hints that he is going to propose to her on Christmas Day, she becomes torn between the career in the city that she loves and a quieter life with her boyfriend in the country. What will the magical cats see for her future?

Koyuki, meanwhile, works at Satomi’s company. Ever since her father passed away in an accident on Christmas Day, she has been playing the role of the good, cheerful girl—and now that her mother has remarried, she is forced to pretend she is part of a happy new family. But this Christmas, what will the cats reveal as her true wish?

Junko, Satomi’s sister-in-law, lives in a small town with her husband and their daughter Ayu, a first grader. When her estranged father becomes ill, Junko returns home with Ayu in tow—and with the help of the magical cats, she learns something surprising that will change her life forever.

This holiday season, each stands at a crossroads, confronting their past and present struggles. With the help of some feline divinations, each will finally have the courage to seek happiness and contentment in their lives.

Amazon | Goodreads

After loving The Full Moon Coffee Shop, I knew I would be picking up pretty much anything Mai Mochizuki was writing – so I was excited to see a series featuring the Full Moon Coffee Shop. While this installment in the series is centered around Christmas time, that is not the theme of the stories or the people featured, it’s simply the time of year. I wasn’t sure how things were going to be connected, but was pleasantly surprised to see some tie ins to the first book in that one of the people the coffee shop cats help is talked about. That being said, they can be read independently of each other, but so far I would recommend going in order – it helps to understand the cats better and what they do and it’s nice to see all of the character connections.

The cats once again are helping people through treats and drinks, revealing the secrets of their astrological charts and helping them with their sometimes inner turmoil or dilemmas. We delve a little more into the astrological side of things with the cats explaining. This book mostly concerns different members of one family/social circle, so when we reach the end it’s really like things have come full circle and the loose ends have been wrapped up.

This series so far is the perfect cozy translated fiction, with a touch of fantasy and magic. It’s heartwarming seeing the different outcomes as the characters resolve the matters that might be troubling their hearts.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Cho-yeop

June 6, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Meet the alien species that put the humanity into human beings
Discover the fate of Slefonia III once warp travel became obsolete
Visit the Mind Library to commune with the dead

Kim Choyeop became an instant literary sensation in Korea with her debut short story collection. Each of these bitesize speculative masterpieces represents a journey into the unknown, guided by a writer blessed with a boundless imagination.

From alternative futures to distant alien planets, in the company of scientists, space explorers and ordinary citizens in extraordinary situations, Kim Choyeop revels in making the impossible seem not only possible but somehow inevitable.

Each story focuses on an specific issue of discrimination against women or other marginalised groups, adding a mind-bending twist to hold a mirror to modern society and its everyday iniquities.

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

Amazon | Goodreads

Sci-fi is a genre I’m still very much dipping my toes in and figuring out what works for me – so when I saw a sci-fi anthology that was translated from Korean I definitely wanted to pick it up. The stories in this collection I felt take a look at the human condition, and how the human condition may evolve depending on how technology and the world advances. What if instead of burying and cremating people when their dead, they instead have their minds scanned and catalogued, to be kept in a library where family and friends could visit and essentially have a conversation with them. Would they be conversing with their actual soul/consciousness or just a simulation built from their memories? What would happen to humanity if someone figured out how to manipulate genetic code from conception to ensure they were for lack of a better word – perfect?

Each story is a different lens looking at different components of society and humanity and what some of the individuals in these futures might experience. It’s definitely a collection to sit with and absorb, not something to fly through. There is a depth in the writing that takes time to really take in and it was a wonderful experience. I’d love to see more of Kim Cho-yeop’s writing in the future.

Happy reading!

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light review

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | A Realm of Masks and Sorry by Payton Rose

May 31, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Blamed for her brother’s death, Lia is sent by her father to a remote mental facility in Greece. There, she discovers that her ability to see and communicate with lost souls connects her to a world of divine secrets, ancient prophecies, and binds her fate to the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon.

Haunted by her past and battling the facility’s oppressive practices, Lia discovers unexpected connections, new found love, and friendships in a place she thought would offer none. Now, haunted by the Elders, she holds the key they have searched hundreds of years for. Lia must summon strength from within to ensure the survival of both the divine and mortal realms alike, and keep the Titans from being awoken.

The first installment in a gripping saga of Greek mythology and self-discovery, Lia’s odyssey will resonate with readers, delving into themes of identity, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope amidst darkness.

Any book featuring mythology or folklore will immediately pique my interest and this one was no different. The progression of this story did start off pretty slow, but I felt the building of momentum as it went on was good. The writing is well done, especially considering this is a debut.

Lia really goes through it, especially when she has at a mental healthy facility after being accused of murdering her brother. There are a lot of topics that would benefit from a trigger warning (SA references especially).

This felt like a really solid start to a series with solid foundation. It’s clear who Lia is and the other characters are also pretty well formed and unique. All in all an interesting take on Greek mythology and I’m interested in seeing where it goes.

Happy reading!