Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy of this book! 

Ashley Herring Blake has done it again 🥹 I instantly fell in love with Ramona annd Dylan and their stories, and I loved watching them fall for each other! While there were some frustrating elements of distrust and miscommunication, it was also so reflective of both of their upbringings, and it didn’t stop me from absolutely devouring this in a day 😏

Ramona was so soft and sweet, and fit Dylan’s sharp edges so beautifully. I loved the way she helped Dylan understand her acting role more deeply, and inevitably made her a better actor! Ramona and Olive’s relationship was also just so special, and I cannot WAIT for Alice’s story! 

This was such a delightfully queer book, with so much bisexual pride and joy! There were also some very heavy topics handled with a lot of gentle grace, and i loved the healing that happened for both Dylan and Ramona by the end. AHB is absolutely an auto-buy author for me now, and I am so excited for more from her! 

My love for weird, creepy forest horror continues! I didn’t love the audiobook narrator so I think that definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book, but overall I’d still recommend this read if you like dark, macabre stories! I’d probably say pick up the physical or ebook over the audio though :) 

What a great conclusion to the first Bridge Kingdom duet!! It was so beautiful to watch Aren and Lara work their way through Lara’s betrayal and to see her try to atone for her role in things. I really appreciated that Lara didn’t try to force anyone to forgive her, only to allow her to help. 

The role of the sisters was amazing, I was so excited to learn more about them coming into this book, and I was not disappointed! And the SHARKS at the end!!!! That’s all I am gonna say about it cause spoilers but dang I loved that so much. 

Can’t wait to continue the series and learn more about Keris and Zarrah! Duets are such a fun way to break up a series, although I know I’ll miss Aren and Lara 

Omg this was SO GOOD??? A very easy but engaging fantasy with tons of political intrigue and so many twists! While there is no magic in this fantasy world, I honestly didn’t miss it with our badass FMC Lara who is just so smart and strong and talented! I also think this would make this book a really good intro to fantasy if you’re new to the genre :)

Lara is such a great character, I loved watching her unlearn a lifetime of bias and come to terms with the fact that not everything is as it seems in her world while also falling for Aren, his land, and his people. While we initially expect Aren to be a cruel king, we quickly learn that is not the case, and I found that it definitely set him apart from other fantasy love interests! 

I found this read to be a breath of fresh air in the romantasy genre, and I will be immediately starting the next!

I will say that I didn’t totally love the audiobook narrators, as their voices for other characters felt a bit awkward, but overall it was still a good listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

This book felt like a love letter to the ocean 💕 the dual timelines were woven together so well, and I loved getting to unravel the mystery of what happened in Positano along with Haven. There were a lot of tense moments throughout the book, with a general theme of “men underestimating women” and I just love to see a man proven wrong 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mari is such a fierce protector, and I loved watching her journey throughout the book, and am so happy with how things ended for her. There were some really great twists within her story that really turned the tides for her, and I just loved it! 

I also loved watching Haven’s no BS, scientific mind settle into Italian life and start to open herself to new possibilities. While her motivations for finding the treasure her father spotted was a bit vague aside from “doing it for her father”, I felt that it was resolved nicely at the end and we got to see Haven kind of make some realizations for herself surrounding the entire situation! 

Overall, I really enjoyed this breath of fresh ocean air! It felt like sweet sunshine on your face, salt in the air, and gelato on your tongue, while also keeping you on your toes and wondering what was coming next. 

My first Abby Jimenez read and it did not disappoint 🥹 Xavier and Samantha’s love story was so devastatingly beautiful in so many ways, and this book had me laughing and crying in the same breath. Abby tackled some very heavy topics in a really caring way, and she delicately balanced the heaviness with great banter and a lot of lightness in Samantha’s humor! I absolutely devoured the audiobook in a day and a half, and I can’t wait to read more from Abby!

Infinite stars forever. A perfect ending for a perfect series. The way grief and pain is so central to every characters driving force is so tragically beautiful, and I love the way their stories come together. Max and Tisannah will forever be one of my favorite pairings - they love and support each other so wholeheartedly, and we see it over and over again. 

This reread was so wonderful - A LOT happens in this book and I had forgotten so many parts of it! I really love that Carissa took her time with the ending - so many series end with a fairly brief look into the future, but we get such a satisfying wrap up of it all! 

Okay the hype on this is so well deserved, I am blown away. This book held a mirror up to some of the ugliest parts of our society in such a beautiful and powerful way. While it was hard to read at some points (especially in today’s political climate), I could not put it down and felt hope woven in to every word. I resonated with Sciona’s character so much, and I loved the imperfection of her journey discovering her morals and who she was and who she wanted to be.

I simply cannot recommend this enough, please move it directly to the top of your tbr!

Thank you so much for Berkley for the advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely ate this UP and loved every second! It was so reminiscent of The Holiday in so many ways, but with lots of queerness and without the Christmas vibes. Tatum and June were so sweet together, and I loved seeing Tatum really embrace  the opportunity to open herself up to new experiences and a way of being. The confidence she gained throughout the book was so beautiful, and despite the dreaded third act breakup, it worked in a very realistic and powerful way for Tatum’s story.

On the flip side, Eleanor and Carson were electric together and had me screaming my and kicking my feet in joy. I loved their cool confidence together, while also learning to be vulnerable at the same time. The acceptance of Eleanor into the Ward family so quickly was just so cute, and it had be rooting for all of them! 

And Dawn.. oh I just love that woman! She was such a great addition to the story, connecting everyone together and helping our gals realize their true feelings (and also giving them the kick in the butt they needed to act on em!). 

There was just so much love, vulnerability, and support woven all throughout this story, and I can absolutely see this book becoming a go-to comfort read for me. 

While I loved this book the first time, this second read hit DIFFERENT. Understanding more deeply how Aefe’s story fits into Tisannah’s gave me a whole new appreciation for her perspective and makes it all the more tragic. There is so much pain and heartbreak in this book, and Carissa writes it so beautifully alongside the wisps of hope that grow and grow. This series has my whole heart honestly.