Book Review

ARC: Finding Northlane by D.M. Henderson

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Rating: 4 out of 5 guitars

Romance instalove, which is pretty normal in the romance genre, so I’m not mad at it! We begin by meeting Dallas Northlane and his pregnant wife, Samantha, having a picnic by the water. We then fast forward a few years, and Dallas and his daughter are heading to a funeral. A few more years, and we are in the present, Dallas is taking his daughter to school and he meets her music teacher, Annabeth Harrington. And what a Meet Cute (or Meet Lust!) it is! They are both completely enamored with each other right away. Dallas is nervous for a variety of reasons, one of which is the age gap between them, and Annabeth is scared because, well, he’s the parent of one of her students! But they just can’t seem to stop running into each other all over this small town. The side characters are also fleshed out to give them some substance, which I appreciate. I loved Dallas’s brother Colt, and Annabeth’s friend group, especially Ella, her roommate and best friend. I loved the setup of the POV’s for this, I think books where we get both MC’s perspectives are my favorite. The spice was SPICING and Dallas definitely knew what he was doing in the bedroom…whew! Made me almost blush! I also loved how vulnerable Dallas was when he finally talked to Annabeth about his past, especially about his wife. That vulnerability and willingness to open up is so sexy to me. Honestly, the only thing that made this not a 5 star for me was the incredibly fast time they took to say I love you. That took me right out of the story. I thin kif they had said something like “I could see me falling in love with you” that would be one thing, but they barely knew each other-I think the timeline is something like 2 weeks-so that was just so unrealistic, especially given the emotional trauma both Dallas and Annabeth had gone through in their lives. Plus, as a dad, he was very clearly thinking with his dick and not his brain. As someone who is a single parent (though I’ve been with my partner for a decade now), it took me almost 3 years before I said anything along those lines and it was almost a year before he even MET my kid. Granted, Annabeth knows his daughter, but still. That’s a big shake up for an 8 year old. His daughter was also written as if she was a teenager, not a child, so that threw me a little. Occasionally, there would be some dialogue that would show her age, but not always. Either way, these issues were not so egregious that I needed to rate this any lower than a 4 star for me. This was certainly a great story and I cannot wait to get into the second book!

*I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

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Rating: 4 out of 5 fathoms

Well that was certainly something. I haven’t listened to an audiobook in a long while, but I am glad I did for this one. Having the two narrators was a fantastic choice, since it really gave us the sense of the two women and their struggles. I do wish that the book touched more on Leah in the “after”. I liked getting the “during” but we only get Miri’s version of the “after” and it’s skewed. I would have like to know how Leah was feeling…even if it was gibberish…I think it would have added to the horror element. Which, honestly, only really happened toward the last 20% of the book, which was kind of a let down. The book stayed mostly on the topic of the two women and their dissolving relationship in the wake of Leah coming back from her research trip down in the sea and how she had changed. Miri was not really someone I cared too much for, I feel like she was kind of shallow, but I could tell that she did love Leah a lot. There was definitely a lot of repetition when it came to the water elements of the book, lots of water imagery, which could be a bit much (I saw that comment in a lot of reviews), but overall, by the time I was done, I was kind of staring into space and feeling. It was a good way to end, I think.

(art from Elizabeth von Oehsen/The Washington Post)

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

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Rating: 5 out of 5 wine coolers

“Everything makes sense if you look at it long enough.”

Wow. I’m really glad I did not read any of the reviews on this book. Like The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, it took me a bit to get into it because of SGJ’s writing style. But once I was hooked, it was over. I simply devoured this book (no pun intended). The story of the unnamed narrator as he navigated growing up as, essentially, a nomad with his aunt and uncle, was made more exciting by the twist of them being werewolves. There then became this underlying tension of will he or won’t he also come into his wolfness. Darren and Libby, his uncle and aunt, are not married, they are twins, and our narrator’s mother died in childbirth, and was their sister. Grandpa was their father, and most of what we know about werewolves come from stories told by him and Darren. Like most stories, these were embellished but held some truth to them. And thus, this is how our narrator saw the world. The family moves frequently because once you cause havoc, you can’t stay in one place. Too many animals dying can make people suspicious, as can human body counts. When you are the outcasts, the first fingers pointed are pointed at you. Libby and Darren take on jobs when they can, and they are pretty good about trying to be good citizens too, paying taxes (even if it’s with falsified identification) and sending the narrator to school. I think what I loved best was the chapters calling him a name based on what he was in that moment (mechanic, reporter, biologist, etc.). The narration of the book is very disjointed, but at the same time, makes so much sense, because you can tell it is coming from the voice of someone who is trying to remember events as they happened but also will remember when something happened at a different time of life. So the age jumps around, sometimes we are reading when he was 8 and sometimes 12, then sometimes 16, then 8 again. It is not a linear story, but we get all the necessary parts to capture the whole of his life with his family and his feelings about becoming a werewolf. There is high school romance, cut short, but there nonetheless, and even some growing pains of boyhood.

All in all, this wouldn’t be one of my favorites of his, I’m not a HUGE coming of age book reader, but it was still very good and I did enjoy it a lot. I am really enjoying going through SGJ’s body of work, as this is my 3rd by him, and I have more to go.

See my reviews of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and I Was a Teenage Slasher on Goodreads.

“That’s how it is with werewolves. You have something, then you just have the story of it.”

The Wild Card by Stephanie Archer

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Spice rating: 3 of 5 pucks

Overall rating: 5 of 5 pucks

Yep. I knew it. I knew I was going to love this story so freaking much. After the last book, I knew Jordan and Tate’s story was going to just crush me in all the best ways. And I was right. I loved Jordan’s character, watching her figure out how to trust and learn to lean on people. I loved how devoted Tate was to Bea, and how well he had a relationship with Bea’s mother. That was so fun to watch. And Bea!!! She was the shining star. Stephanie Archer truly captured the hilarity of kids (“I won’t let you die alone, Dad.” She gives me a worried look. “I’ll be with you. I’ll hold your hand as you stop breathing.” -I FREAKING CACKLED 🤣) Jordan and Tate though, it was a like watching two people who needed each other and just couldn’t realize it until it basically slapped them in the face…but it was also so gradual. I’m fairly certain this is my favorite of this entire series, hands down.

Check out my thoughts on Behind the Net, The Fake Out, The Wingman, and Gloves Off. I truly loved this series. I would read them over and over again. They were great, feel good romances and very quick reads. Good palate cleansers if you need them with just enough plot to make the characters people you want to root for.

On: Reading

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I read. A lot. Hence the blog, and the many other avenues of social media attempts to become more bloggerish. I’ve been a huge reader since about the third grade. I was introduced to chapter books then, and I fell in love. Finally, I could read LONG STORIES!!! From there, I read just about anything I could get my hands on. When I was 10, my mom died. Books were my only solace. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Sorry UK folks), was my lifeline (fu*k you, JK Rowling). I still re-read that in my darkest of times, when I’ve had other losses. But I would go on to read all the major books like Twilight, The Maze Runner, Divergent, Fifty Shades, etc. I even manage to get my hands on Flowers in the Attic and Forever, way before I probably should have been able to read them. I read Goosebumps, RL Stine, Ask Alice, Animorphs, Tamora Pierce…the list goes on. Safe to say, no genre was off limits, I even read the Dear Diary series and the American Girl books. Nancy Drew? Yep. Baby Sitters Club? You got it! SO many books, so little time in life.

All this is to say: I read books yes. I listen to them, I e-read them. But I also am a voracious Fan Fiction reader. I will NEVER let anyone besmirch fan fiction. I think it is such an integral part of reading and the art of creative writing. Many books start, occasionally, as fan fics (notably Twilight and Fifty Shades, from my list above). I started in Live Journal, moved to FFnet, and have been with Archive of Our Own (AO3) since 2013. AO3 is FINALLY out of Beta!!! I can’t believe I’ve made it through all these years of different versions of Fan Fic, and have lived to see the biggest archive of them all make it here. It’s been such a privilege to read these amazing authors, some who I follow religiously, and some who I find for the first time, very frequently!

So for this musing, I say: be a reader. Be a voracious, hungry reader. Read everything. Go out of your comfort zone. Find new authors. Indulge in your tried and true authors. Do reading challenges. Participate in the Dewey 24hour Readathon! Check out local book clubs. Hold authors accountable for their morals, because reading IS political. Hold YOURSELF accountable to your own morals. Expand your horizons. Listen to an audiobook, read an e-book, read a paperback or a hardcover. Support your local libraries! Support your local indie bookstores! Read new; read old. Just READ.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

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Rating: 4.5 cups of Gnomish Coffee out of 5

I am SO LATE to the reading of this! I have to say that I did enjoy it, though it took me longer than I would have liked to read it. I just couldn’t really get into it at the start. But I hate having unfinished books, unless I am TRULY DNF’ing, so I sat back down one day and completed it. I have to say, I was wrong about this book. Honestly, the half cup off is really just because it took me longer than I liked to get into it, as I said.

This is definitely a cozy fantasy, with a dash of romance, but it’s like, blink and you miss it. Viv the Orc is FINALLY retiring as what one would call a mercenary, and finds herself in Thune, where she decides to open a coffee shop. Only, no one has ever hear of this “coffee” in Thune. So she has a bit of an uphill battle here. She is also new, so she has no friends here. However, this was definitely a story that became a lot about found family and what that looks like. Cal and Thimble were probably my favorites, Amity is also up there. Tandri, Viv’s assistant, is super smart, but there just wasn’t a whole lot of character development there that made me believe in their romance. Viv definitely changed, and I guess that’s most of the story. It’s a very low stakes book so there isn’t a whole lot of action. A couple annoying characters, who get straightened out almost immediately. All in all, a good book but not one that I think I would pick up again, even as a cozy book. I have the second book, and I’ll try that, see if I like it more. It’s entirely possible that I like it more! That isn’t to say that I didn’t like this. I did! Truly. I just think it wasn’t my whole cup of tea (pardon the pun).

ARC: The Framing Game by Jessica K. Foster

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5 out of 5 paint cans

Look, I’m already obsessed with Jessica K. Foster. So I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy this latest by her. BOY WAS I RIGHT! This had me in a chokehold from page 1! I was angry, and frustrated, I laughed out loud…just had about every feeling I could until the very end. Xander and Virginia were the perfect mix of chemistry…and it’s hilarious how they come off to each other too. You can tell so much by how Virginia is around him and even how Xander is around her. What I really enjoyed was how nuanced each of the secondary characters were too. This was just such a great coming of age with some romance novel. Foster knocked it out of the park again with this one.

I want to write more, but this JUST came out and I don’t want to give out any spoilers. Suffice it to say, once I am able to get my hands on a paper copy, it’s being added to my library expeditiously!

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

ARC: How to Lose a Zombie in 10 Days by Ami Wright

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Spice Level: 1000 zombie dicks

Rating: 4/5 dragon dicks

OMG I did not fully know what I was getting into with this! Jen is just getting back into the dating game after Adam broke up with her. He was no good, anyways so she feels like maybe she shouldn’t be so upset by it. But she does miss certain…parts…of him. But then he calls one day freaking out because he’s dead. Or rather, undead. The story goes wild from there. There is a LOT of smut, so steer clear if you don’t like that. But there was definitely a lot of that story that could have made this a GOOD story, like the ending with the SEO being a thing, and the coven…heck, even the date with Astor. Adam and Jen go through some growth though, and while it may have seemed rushed, we have to remember that they had already been together before! So this was a great, quick read. Fun, but not serious, so please do NOT go into this thinking there is going to be anything serious about it. If you need something to palette cleanse, this is your go to though!

This was seriously so much fun and I was able to read it very quickly on my lunch break, though that just might be because I’m a very fast reader haha. There were definitely some folks out there who thought it wasn’t so good, and maybe they are right, but I’m here for vibes and a good time. I didn’t see any glaring plot holes or anything like that so I appreciated this work for what it was: a good time. Honestly, Adam, after going through his stuff, seemed like a good dude in the end, so I think it worked out for them.

I received a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review, so thank you Ami!

March is Reading Month!

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Whew! I missed ALL of February…I meant to read so much but I just…didn’t. I think I needed a break. It does mean I missed out on the challenge for February on Goodreads, but it’s ok, I’m good with that. I did read a few more books in January, and you can find those reviews under my Goodreads Challenge here. Now, on to the first book of March! I feel like I really should have read Go Luck Yourself here, but…oh well.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch

Rating: 5/5 Invisible Nicks

I have already decided that Sara Raasch is a new fave of mine. After meeting her at a book signing for this book specifically…then not reading it right away…to reading her OTHER books first (Go Luck Yourself and Nightmare Before Kissmas)…I am still singularly blown away by how well she makes these characters. They have flaws, they have deep seated (need therapy and go to therapy) issues, and they are all queer and I love it. I love that this was a story of a rivalry (because who doesn’t love that) between two guys (a half fae and a human) taking place in college between grad students (who I know from some second hand experience are stressed TF OUT) but also a rivalry between morality…or is it? That last part is crazy, and it’s certainly where something like “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” would certainly come into play.

We meet our human, Sebastian, as he is getting ready to compete for a grant, and his competitor is Elthior Taurel, of the infamous Taurel family who is…decidedly not nice in this world. They are from two competing departments, Conjuring and Evocation, who have a long rivalry in the university. Sebastian has had a horrible past with the Taurel family (justifiably so as we later learn) and so his mistrust with Thio is epic. Thio, on the other hand, also has a horrible past with his family…but hasn’t really told anyone about it. The best part? They now have to work together, as they BOTH get the grant. Will they overcome their own obstacles? Or will their project blow up in their faces?

Considering its a romance, we all pretty much know it’s a HEA, but watching them get there was the most fun and worthwhile journey. We meet Orok, Seb’s bestie and their dynamic is so sweet. Oh and I can’t forget Nick! I wish there was more of him, tbh. I can’t wait for the next book!

Stepping into 2026

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Whew! We made it to 2026…even though it feels like we have stepped back into the 1950’s here in the US. But that’s a tangent for another day. I was so proud of myself for 2025 that I UPPED my reading goal from 50 books to 75! I’m already two books into 2026 so let’s get this party started! I’ve also planned on participating as much as possible with the Book Riot 2026 Read Harder challenge, so this will be so fun! If I read a book on that challenge, I’ll be sure to denote it here as well! If you would like to participate, the challenge is linked here. I would encourage, if you can, to also become a Book Riot member. They do send you 2 book ideas for the different challenges for free if you are not a member, but you get more if you are! Anyways, here are my first two reads of 2026!

Pucking Strong by Emily Rath

3 hockey pucks

Well. That was certainly a ride for the first book of the year! I have enjoyed the Jacksonville Rays series, Pucking Around and all the rest, and I really enjoyed this one too. For me, what makes this not a 4 or even 5 star is the unrealistic look at grief, especially for a young girl losing her mom, who is an only child to a single mother. I should know, I was one. My single mother died when I was 10 years old. It was the single most devastating moment of my life. It still is and I’m 37. I get that the story was going to be about the MMC’s love, but if Emily Rath is going to have this cataclysmic event happen to this little girl, then proceed in only showing her happy and well adjusted, then I’m afraid I have to call bullshit. Again, I get showing her going through therapy and everything isn’t fun or cute but it felt like her grief was glossed over to the point that it even seemed like Henrik and Teddy didn’t even care. She not only was there when it happened but also suffered her own injuries and trauma and the only time we see her is as an accessory or so happy it’s all sunshine and rainbows. Yes, there are some good days, but I can promise you, unless you hated your mother, no little girl losing their whole world in an instant would be so well adjusted.

Outside of that, Teddy and Henrik’s story was alright. I appreciated that it was a slow burn and not just jump into the sex and spice. The way they actually established their relationship was nice, even when I cringed when Teddy basically laid out all his feelings to Henrik at their pap dinner. Like, I get he was trying to make a point but that’s also a good way to get someone to never step up. Also, Teddy’s family, specifically his mother, sucked. Not a single one thought to actually ask him about how it all went down, they just assumed, then his mother basically disrespected him in front of Henrik?! Like the actual f?? And also, there was so much more about Henrik’s family life than Teddy’s which made the book feel very unbalanced.

Gosh, maybe I didn’t like this book as much as I thought. Which is a bummer since I liked the rest?? Ugh. Maybe I need to rest on it more or something. Either way, I didn’t hate it, it had its great moments, the epilogue stole my breath away, it was very sweet.

His Grace, The Duke by Emily Rath

3 whole men

Ok so let’s get gone thing out of the way: Emily Rath can absolutely write spice. She can even write drama!!! But for some reason, between book one and book two she couldn’t write the love between all the players in this book. There is no way that Tom the sailor was too in his head about sexuality. None. Even if he didn’t experiment, he would have seen things. Now Burke and James I get. I could see that Burke loved James and James loved Burke. And I still think that Burke really loved Rosalie. What I don’t believe is the torch Tom held for Burke. I think he certainly could have held one for James, given he always came to Alcott Hall when he was home from being away. I don’t know. I feel like in the end it was all very rushed. While I liked the book and duology as a whole, there were definitely parts that could have been fleshed out more. But in the end, it is what it is. A good romp.

Welp, there we are! My first two reads of 2026!