Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

Heads up! This is the 2nd book in a series (duology? I don't know) so be warned that there will inherently be spoilers. Be warned!

General Description: Ross has been unhappy for the past 6 months. Forced to work with her enemy, for an organization she doesn't particularly like, hasn't been enjoyable. However, when someone is vying for the top spot in the agency against Count, Ross finds herself in the middle of it. Ross would rather support the devil she knows instead of the devil she does not, so Ross will be on Count's side while Ross's enemy, Devroe, will be on The Baron's side. The teams aren't necessarily expected, including one unexpected adult on each side. Who will come out on top? Will Ross finally get to be freed of the organization? 

The goods:
- I love all the tasks in this new gambit style and I felt like the timing of each tasks made much more sense than the first book.
- I was not expecting the book to lead to a second gambit, but I liked it.
- The twists in this book, TO ME, were all unpredictable and I loved the ride.
- I really liked the team aspect and seeing how the dynamics of the team changed throughout the book.

The loss of a star:
- First half star off to me: I wish there was a bit more refresher information in the beginning to the 1st gambit. I was a bit confused, which is obviously a me problem.
- Second half star off to me: The ending felt like it lacked explanation, I feel like I could draw the dots together myself, but I wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out.

Overall, if you liked Thieve's Gambit, I think you'd enjoy Heist Royale!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for early access to this book!

General Description: Catherine has finally landed her dream job, which is being a professor of mathematics at a university. However, when she goes in for orientation, HR tells her none of her documentation exists: her birth certificate isn't real, her social security isn't there, and she's completely thrown off. The doorman of her building, Luca, is determined to help her since Catherine's father will not help her (for some unexplained reason). Together, the two have to delve deep to find out what happened with Catherine's identity and have to get it back. What will they discover along the way?

The goods:
- I thoroughly enjoyed how this wasn't focused on one type of love. You see love between.2 people, familial love, and community love. It felt like a holistic book.
- Catherine being extremely type A made me feel seen, especially as someone working on going with the flow better. :)
- Luca's backstory is so sweet and I loved being able to meet so many of his family members.
- The elderly folks that were highlighted in the book were so sweet and I really liked that they were the focus of one of the subplots.

The loss of a star:
- There was a subplot that just felt rushed and not fully developed/explained. I was looking forward more explanation into the subplot and just didn't get it. 

Overall, if you're looking for a not spicy, cozy romance that isn't just about a relationship with one other person, this is the book for you!

General Description: Adina worked hard all through her education to get to Yale. However, after a fight with one girl at her elite high school, she loses not only her Yale acceptance, but all her acceptances. She has one option let: The Finish, a competition hosted every year by the town's wealthiest family where through a series of tasks decide to champion one woman each year to help give her the best opportunities possible. After Adina manages to snag an invite, it turns out, on each year where an heir comes of age, there's more at stake than just money. Can Adina navigate this deadly, unknown world or will they eat her alive?

ALL the goods:
- This thriller literally felt like it was made for me, with the combination of Ace of Spaces, Squid Games, and a smidge of the Bachelor. 
- I felt like this book was perfectly paced between the introduction and 3 tasks we focus on. I couldn't stop listening.
- The concept felt unique and I did not see any of the twists coming. I was constantly surprised.
- The resolution in this book was EXTREMELY satisfying. It was everything I wanted.
- Adina's character progression in this book was something unexpected but that I thoroughly enjoyed

Overall, if you like YA thrillers and don't mind the reality TV feels, you'd most likey enjoy this book

General Description: In Tara's memoir, she takes you through her life as she grows up in a very isolated home that makes you believe she will not be able to get away from the home schooling, the lack of a birth certificate, and the dangerous work she has to endure. However, Tara has a drive to become educated. She explains why she has this drive to educate herself and exactly how she earns her PhD.

The stars:
- Tara's writing is extremely raw, she holds nothing back and i appreciated that
- I loved the call back to Tara's own journals and how she would record her story prior to this book.
- This book ends as if it's in the end of Tara's old life and I felt really resolved by the end of the book.
- The content was extremely interesting and Tara really made it clear this was her life experience and not trying to generalize anything that happened to her.

The loss of a half star:
- I do think there were moments where Tara would use a lot of vocabulary that I frankly did not know and I just felt a little lost. It did take me out of the reading experience a bit. 

Overall, if you're in the mindset for a reflective non-fiction book, and you can handle the trigger warnings, you should add it to your TBR list!

Note: This is the 3rd book in the series. There will inherently be spoilers, proceed with caution!

General Description: In order to continue to save her father, Blythe must marry Aris. The absolute last thing Blythe wants to do in this world is marry Aris, and the absolute last thing Aris wants to do is marry Blythe. However, they are now bound to each other by fate (literally). However, after they begin to live together and sell their marriage to the public (well, mainly Blythe's father) the two find out their relationship may be much deeper than either of them expected. Will they be able to find out who each other really are in their relationship?

The goods:
- I don't think I've ever liked banter as much as I did in this book.
- The magic in this book is spectacular.
- Adalyn mentioned that writing this book was fun and that's exactly what it felt like: fun and I loved every second of it.
- This really does feel like the final book to a series resolution wise, however, I would come back to this world in a heartbeat for more stories.

The loss of a star:
- There is a plot point that gets introduced half way through that provides resolution to the series that I kind of forgot was a major point in the series. However, since it was introduced halfway through, it felt disjointed and way too rushed for me.

Overall, if you've read the first 2 books, you may not like this one as much as it's a more lighthearted vibes, but I still think you should see the series through!

General Description: Devon is trying to give her twin sister Drew the best summer ever before Drew graduates early. That means trying to get to know Drew's friends. However, when Drew's friends break out a Oujia book, Devin and her friends aren't too sure about Drew's friends. Then, when a demon begins to hunt the friends down, what can Devin and them do to avoid death? How can they fight a demon?

The good:
- The writing style/voice was very unique and I really enjoyed listening to this style.
- Some of the twists were extremely well done.
- I really appreciated the creepy vibes you got, especially in the demonic description. It was very well done.
- The resolution was satisfying and funny, I will definitely remember how this book ended!

The loss of a star:
- the audiobook narrator was not it for me, which made it harder to listen to and follow along
- There was a bit of predictability, which made the book not as enjoyable.

Overall, if you're looking for a unique YA thriller, this is a great one to try, but pick up the physical book over the audiobook. 

Note: This is the 9th book in the series, so there will inherently be spoilers in the description. Proceed with caution!

General Description: Bobby has seemingly given up. Believing he and Saint are trapped on Ibara, he believes his work is done. However, can it be that easy? Mark and Courtney are also in a place where they have given up, until a traveler surprises them on First Earth needing help. If another territory is in turmoil is Saint Dane truly trapped? What can Mark and Courtney do? Will Bobby realize his mistake and go back to save another territory?

The goods:
- I almost cried at the ending. It is absolutely such a great lead up to the final book in a series.
- I love how many territories you visit and how much time you spend there.
- Courtney and Mark's storyline is absolutely fantastic. 
- Seeing Bobby's comeback and his constant setbacks make this an interesting ninth book, you can't get much lower than this book.

the loss of a star:
- Bobby and Saint Dane's drawn out discussion just go on for a bit too long in multiple points of the book. It really slows down the pacing of this book .

Overall, if you've read the previous 8 books, I don't know how you could stop!

General Description: Rue Siebert is trying to keep it together, but due to an ongoing battle for a cabin with her brother, a lack of commitment to relationships, and her job being threatened to be taken out from under her, she's not sure what to do. After a seemingly random almost hook up, Rue sees the man she was least expecting (Eli) to be the one who constantly delivers heartbreaking news to her. However, Eli also has his own broken past. Can the two come together to heal themselves and each other?

The redeeming portion:
- The plot points in this book and the twist outside of the spicier parts was actually interesting and I wanted to keep going back for that. But, alas, I was warned this was an erotic romance from the beginning and should have turned back as that is not my style.

the loss of stars:
- There was too many spicy points to me where it made no sense.
- I feel like they were sharing such deep secrets but didn't want to be in a relationship? It just didn't compute in my brain. 
- Switching from first to third person constantly was a bit jarring, but having 2 audiobook narrators did help. 
- I honestly forgot I read this book this month, so I feel like nothing really memorable happens unfortunately.

Overall, this is not for someone who reads causal spicy books. I would say you'd have to enjoy spice in 50% or more of your books to enjoy this specific book.

General Description: After Pamela's sorority house is broken into one night, leaving 2 sisters dead and 2 severely injured, Pamela is unsure what to do and how to handle the attention the situation is getting. Enter Tina Cannon, who is convinced the same man that attached Pamela's house is the same man that killed her friend. Can Pamela and Tina work together to bring the killer to justice?

The goods:
- I love the victim focused perspective on the 'true crime' and never naming the serial killer. I feel like that is the right way to talk about true crime.
- The blend of real and fiction was very nice, I was completely engrossed.
- Getting the two perspectives added to the story in a way I could neve have come up with. It was unique and made me feel like I got a well rounded story.

The loss of 2 stars:
- the audiobook narrators did not do this book any justice. It was a lot of monotone and hard to follow, which made the book less enjoyable.
- Because the book was hard to follow, it made it seem very slow paced. I also believe it is more character driven, which is not always my personal style.

Overall, if you want a new take on 'true crime', this is an interesting book to pick up, but I would definitely recommend the physical book over the audiobook.

General Description: Prom night. Springville is set ablaze, with many seniors not making it out alive, but the ones that do all say the same thing - Maddy did it. What exactly did Maddy do? Why was see at the prom? How was she able to cause such destruction when for most of her life she has been labelled as an outcast? Follow Maddy's story to see what happens when someone is pushed too far.

All the goods:
- I absolutely ADORED the audiobook format. I would highly recommend this as an audiobook because of the podcast style you get. Also, all the narrators for all the characters are fantastic.
- While there are heavy topics, I think they are handled well in the book. Folks get exactly what is coming for them.
- Maddy's exploration of her power (while never fully explained) was so interesting. I feel like it's something I haven't read before and kept me interested to read more.
- While there tries to be a romance part of this book, I feel like it's not overpowering and adds to the complexity of the book.

The loss of a star:
- It was a bit slow paced personally
- You don't get true resolution at the end. You can assume but I wish we got an extended epilogue to truly wrap everything up.

Overall, if you're looking for a unique audiobook experience that's a little heavy, I would highly recommend this book!