I’m reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and I’m loving it so far. I rented Fourth Wing from my local library and ended up buying my own copy along with the sequel, Iron Flame. While reading Fourth Wing, Violet, the main character, is described as weaker due to an illness she contracted in childhood. It reminded me of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, in which Feyre is described as being thin. It makes me wonder, why can’t we have female leads who are jacked? Why must the women be described as weak, especially when they are doing physically daunting tasks?

I’ll give Fourth Wing a pass since Violet’s physique is described as a result of an illness. I think it gives the reader a reason to root for Violet since she’s destined to fail. Additionally, Violet is pushed into dragon riding by her mother, which gives more to Violet’s story and why she is where she is. For Acotar, Feyre’s physique was constantly described. I understand some of Feyre’s trauma came from being physically ill, and while that may be realistic, why is there so much hyper focus on her being thin? I’m trying to remember if The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent described Oraya that way. This could be the case, and my brain chose to ignore it. If that is the case, this would be another example of the women in these books being weak.

Women can be muscular and be feminine. Both my husband and I have been weightlifting for years. While I have muscle on my frame, I am not nearly as jacked as my husband is. I also wouldn’t classify myself as masculine even though I lift weights. I’m sure some naysayers might disagree, and that’s fine! All that matters is how I view my body. Anyway, I’d like to hope that these authors don’t make their characters this way because of the fear of them being seen as masculine. All I’m saying is let’s have women be strong and not physically weak all the time.

I must be reading the wrong books, but I’d love to read a book with a woman who is physically strong from the get-go. It’s something I have been noticing about the Romantasy genre lately, and I’d like to see some difference in the body types of the women in these books.

Ali Hazelwood is one of those authors that people either love or hate. I am the former; I can always rely on Ali Hazelwood’s books to pull me out of a reading slump. I went through a string of books that I ended up DNFing, so I immediately pulled Not In Love off my shelf to read. If, for whatever reason, I didn’t like this book, it wouldn’t matter because I would quickly read through it anyway. I was correct, and Not In Love captivated me from start to finish. This wasn’t my favorite Ali Hazelwood book I have read, but it did the job of putting me back on track with reading regularly.

Rue Siebert is a biotech engineer working her dream job. She finds out from Florence, her boss, that their company’s loan was bought out by Harkness. Rue meets Eli Killgore, one of the employees at Harkness, by accident. She doesn’t realize who he was originally, but finds that she has amazing chemistry with him. Eli is entranced by Rue from the get-go. Can they move past this, or will their professional entanglements be a barrier for them to their continuing their relationship?

Not In Love was no exception to other Ali Hazelwood books I have read. I liked reading about Rue and her research. Every character in Ali’s books seems to have a personal connection to the science they are studying, and Rue fits into that. I liked Rue’s friendship with Tisha and Nyota. It was easy to become invested in Rue’s life. Eli had that instant Golden Retriever / insta puppy love, and I loved it. Eli was the better half of their relationship by far.

What do I mean by Eli being the better half of their relationship? Rue was probably my least favorite Ali Hazelwood character to date. While I understand that she had a rough upbringing, her demeanor was difficult for me to like. For one, she said she doesn’t like animals, and that was a turn-off for me. The second, she had a difficult time communicating her feelings to Eli, and it was hard to read. Eli adored her and never pushed her, but even I was rooting for him to leave if Rue couldn’t get her shit together. While Eli and Rue are a great couple at the end of the book, Rue struggled to say that she loved him and I get that it was hard for her, but c’mon. If you love him, just say that.

Before the story began, Ali writes that this book is different than other books she has written in the past. Now that I have finished Not In Love, I can attest to this. This book was smuttier than her previous books. Do I dare say that I felt it was too much? This book reminded me of reading a Tessa Bailey book, which is fine, but there needs to be a genuine romance building besides them sleeping together all the time. There were moments where Rue initiated sex with Eli, and I felt she wasn’t mentally in a good place at the time, so it took away from the scene itself. I wouldn’t say that I disliked this change from Ali’s books, but knowing what I know now, I know that this upcoming series will be what it is.

Not In Love was a much-needed breather for me, considering the other books I had DNFed a few weeks ago. Ali Hazelwood is a go-to author for me, and her books always keep me engaged. I rated Not In Love four stars on Goodreads.

When I was choosing the books I wanted to read these next few months, I wanted to include Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca. I was reading reviews, and everyone was describing this book as cozy. I love Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series, which is a romance series taking place at a Renaissance Festival. I can confirm that Haunted Ever After is cozy and a delightful first book in a new series.

Cassie Rutherford moves to Boneyard Key, a small town outside of Orlando. Most of her friends are having kids, and Cassie wanted a fresh start outside the city. Nick Royer has lived in Boneyard Key his whole life, and he loves it. He owns The Hallowed Grounds coffee shop and makes a living serving tourists. Cassie and Nick meet at Hallowed Grounds after Cassie’s laptop battery died, even though she had left her laptop charging all night. Nick knows that ghosts are real; can Cassie be convinced? There’s more that’s going on at Boneyard Key besides its cutesy Halloween theme.

There’s nothing that Jen DeLuca would write that I wouldn’t like. This book was no exception. Reading this in August, I immediately wanted to pull out my cardigans, turn on a heated blanket, and drink apple cider. It’s still too hot to do all of those things, unfortunately. I loved Boneyard Key as a setting. The beach, all the small businesses, and all the characters who pop up throughout the story. It’s fun to predict which character will get their own book next.

I loved Cassie and found her story relatable. She is struggling with her friends going in different places in their lives (mostly having kids), and she feels left out. I admire Cassie for taking charge of her life and doing something different. Nick had to grow on me. He is described as being rude to tourists, which is fine, I guess? I think it was supposed to make him come across as grumpy in a hot way, but that’s such a red flag to me when someone is rude. With that said, it’s clear Nick has strong feelings for Cassie, and he treats her well.

Haunted Ever After is a great book to set the mood for the upcoming season. I rated Haunted Ever After four and a half stars on Goodreads.

It seems fitting that I read The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner this year, as I went to Italy a few months ago. I have read a majority of Sarah Penner’s books, including her short novella The Conjurer’s Wife, which was meant to act as a link to The Amalfi Curse. Sarah Penner’s books are a combination of historical fiction and fantasy, and every time I read her books, I feel like I’m transported into whatever setting the book takes place in. The Amalfi Curse might be my favorite Sarah Penner book I have read thus far.

Haven Ambrose is a nautical archaeologist currently on site in Positano in Italy. She is investigating a ship wreck, and based on her father’s research, she believes there might be treasure there. Interwoven with Haven’s story, Mari DeLuca comes from a line of stregheria or sea witches. After a corrupt man kidnaps members of Mari’s family, Mari knows she has to use her powers to save and protect those she loves. Haven and Mari’s stories are connected as Haven reads about Mari’s story and what that means for her research in the present day.

When I read Haven’s story, it reminded me a lot of Lara Croft. The archaeological research Haven does and the relationship she has with her father were the first things I thought of when I read this book. Mari’s story was fascinating, and I liked reading about the relationship she has with her abilities and how it was different than that of her relatives and friends. Mari experiences more turbulence in her story than Haven does, but I feel like there are similarities between the two women’s struggles, even though their stories are two centuries apart.

The only thing I would have wished for is that this book had tied into The Conjurer’s Wife. If it did, it was subtle enough that I missed it. It would have been neat to see the two be related to each other in some way.

I liked The Amalfi Curse. The setting was pretty, and I liked the characters and reading their perspectives. I rated The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner four stars on Goodreads.

While August is still technically summer, I long for fall. I can’t wait to drink apple cider, go to a pumpkin patch or haunted house, and I love going on walks. During these months, I try to read darker thrillers, horror, fall-themed romances, or any other book that relates to the upcoming season. Instead of writing a TBR post for August, September, and October, I’m going to simply list which books I want to read for these months. On average, I read two physical books a month, so this list will have seven books spread out over three months. If I read more than that, good for me! I wanted to make this list manageable. Here is everything I want to read in the next few months.

• Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
• The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

Lovecraft Country is the book I have had on my TBR shelf for the longest, so this is the book I’m starting with. The Lovecraft Country show is amazing, so I wanted to go back and read the source material. Haunted Ever After is a romance written by Jen DeLuca, who writes the Renaissance romance series I adore. Haunted Ever After is a romance set in a small town in Florida that prides itself on the ghost tourism the town attracts. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a historical fiction ghost story taking place in World War I. The Honey Witch, The Spellshop, and The Crescent Moon Tearoom are cozy fantasy books that I think will be a joy to read when fall arrives. Finally, One Dark Window is a gothic, dark fantasy book. I have seen everyone online raving about One Dark Window, so I’m intrigued to see what it’s about.

Normally, I don’t share which audiobooks I’m listening to, but I will make an exception in this case. I have five audiobooks on hold, with two of them fitting the theme for these months. The first is The Only One Left by Riley Sager. I have read two Riley Sager books and enjoyed them. I skipped past Riley Sager books due to reading some negative reviews, but I wanted to try to get back into his books. In The Only One Left, Kit McDeere is taking care of Lenora Hope in the 1980s. Lenora was accused of murdering her family in 1929. Lenora denies any involvement, and Kit is determined to figure out the truth. The second audiobook I have on hold is Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix. Grady Hendrix has been a hit or a miss for me. While I loved Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, I wasn’t a fan of We Sold Our Souls. Grady’s book premises always intrigue me, and this book is no exception. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls takes place in a house for girls who grew up too fast in the 1970s. One of the girls arrives at the house as she is pregnant. The girls discover that they may be able to perform witchcraft. This is the first Grady Hendrix novel I will read as an audiobook. My queue positions for both of these books are quite long, so, likely, I won’t read them in time, but with that said, I will listen to them eventually.

I am looking forward to reading or listening to these books! I think there’s enough variety to keep me interested throughout the months.

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent is a short novella that takes place in the Crown of Nyaxia / Obitraes world. Obitraes is the main setting of the Crown of Nyaxia series, which is a series that I love. It’s vampires with wings, what is there not to love? With the Crown of Nyaxia books and romantacy books in particular, they tend to be hundreds of pages. Six Scorched Roses is 187 pages and takes place between Serpent & The Wings of Night and The Ashes & The Star Cursed King. For being less than 200 pages, Six Scorched Roses has no business being as good as it is.

Lilith is dying. Her town of Adcova was stricken with a plague by Vitarus, the god of abundance and famine. Lilith is desperately trying to find a cure for the plague to save her sister, Mina. Lilith stumbles upon Vale, a vampire from the House of Night. He agrees to give her his blood, and Lilith provides him with roses in return. Vale is intrigued by Lilith and eventually agrees to loan her his research and other academic books. Lilith faces a challenging concept: she knows how dangerous Vale is, but she needs him, and Vale comes to terms with the fact that he needs her, too.

I flew through this book. I felt the pacing was fast, and everything was set up quick. Lilith and her disease, meeting Vale, asking for Vale’s help, moments where Lilith and Vale started to fall for each other, Lilith and Vale hooking up, and eventually, Lilith risking everything to save her sister. This book didn’t waste any time, and everything was succinct. For Lilith and Vale, I thought they had great chemistry together. I didn’t find the story to be rushed; instead, any extra scenes were cut, and it showed only what was needed to. I liked Lilith as a character. She’s a scientist by heart and dedicated to her cause. Vale was moody and lonely, and Lilith brought out things in Vale that he had long since buried. I wouldn’t mind reading other novellas starring Lilith and Vale throughout the moments of the Obitraes books.

I have no notes; this book was everything I needed it to be. I’d love to see more authors writing shorter novellas set in their fantasy worlds. Not everyone has the time to read hundreds of pages. I rated Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent five stars on Goodreads.

A Court of Mist and Fury is the second book in the ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) book series. I read the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, in 2023 while I was in Europe. I liked it, but not enough where I wanted to rush into reading the second book. I was contemplating whether I wanted to continue the series, and shortly thereafter, I received the box set of the series from my father-in-law. If you’re wondering why my father-in-law reads a smutty fae series, his response would be, “None of the Amazon reviews told me this series was going to be so pornographic”. My father-in-law is not on BookTok / the book side of TikTok, so he was out of the loop. Anyway, he gave me the box set of the series that he bought, and here we are. I read A Court of Mist and Fury, and I feel like this book redeemed the series for me.

Feyre is trying to rebuild after what she endured under Amarantha’s wrath. She’s fae now, and she’s trying to understand what weight that carries. Tamlin has been pushing Feyre to get married, and her wedding date quickly approaches. Right away, she recognizes differences between herself and Tamlin, and when she walks down the aisle, all she wants is out. Sure enough, Rhysand hears this through their bond and whisks Feyre away from her wedding. In those weeks, Rhysand teaches her to read, and Feyre can take a breather. Through Rhysand, Feyre realizes that Tamlin has hidden so much from her and that a war is on the horizon.

A Court of Mist and Fury blows ACOTAR out of the water. This book was much more interesting. I liked reading about the Night Court and Velaris, this secret city that Rhysand protected. I liked hearing about Rhysand’s court, including Mor, Azriel, Cassian, and Amren. I would ride or die for Mor. Give Mor her own series! I found myself reading hundreds of pages in one sitting and getting completely lost in this portion of Prythian.

I liked Feyre more in this book than in ACOTAR. She seems to have matured, and I liked how she wanted to pursue knowledge. She saw through Tamlin, putting her in a box as a wife, and that’s it. Towards the end of the book, she knows what she must do and how she will try to fight back to save Prythian. Feyre grows a lot as a character throughout the book.

I can’t talk about this book without talking about Feyre and Rhysand. I don’t think I am as obsessed with them as other fans are. I think Feyre has been through so much, and it would be good for her not to be matched with someone else so quickly. I felt that throughout the book, it took away from their romance. I don’t mind them together. I wish Feyre had had moments on her own, and they would have gotten together in the third book.

With all that said, there were a few things I noticed that irked me. Can Sarah J. Maas, please stop using females and males in this series? I had to change this in my head to either lady, woman, or something else. I get it, fae aren’t human, so maybe woman or man isn’t correct, but female, really? There’s one quote where a character is describing losing the love of his life, and the quote says, “losing the female I love”. Am I the only one who doesn’t like this? I must be because I don’t see this mentioned in any other review I have read. Another thing I noticed was the description of Feyre being so skinny. Yes, her trauma is causing her to lose weight, and that’s accurate, but it was described enough where I’m like, okay, that’s enough.

The last thing I wanted to mention is the amount of sexual violence that is in these books. I have talked about including sexual violence in media before, specifically regarding Alan Moore. I can’t ignore this in Sarah J. Maas’s books. There’s one character who, in her backstory, is beaten because she was no longer a virgin. It’s not just this character; Feyre experiences her own abuse in ACOTAR. On top of that, it’s hinted at that in fae society, females (again, not my choice of words) are seen as lesser than and are there to provide pleasure to males. It gets to a point where this book and series teeters on the line of where this is a bit much. I felt this towards the end of ACOTAR with all of Amarantha’s trials and what Feyre has to go through. There are plenty of ways to build hardship into the women in your story without it being sexual violence. It seems like Sarah J. Maas relies on this as a plot device. I will be fully transparent in that I am sensitive towards sexual violence. If it’s in a book series, I tend to avoid that series altogether. I wonder if this is something that’s in every Sarah J. Maas series, or is it specifically in this one?

With all that said, this book was a page-turner. I am curious to see how this series plays out, especially with that cliffhanger at the end. I rated A Court of Mist and Fury three stars on Goodreads.

While in Florence, we found a bookstore that sold books in English along with books in Italian. I thought I had brought plenty to read while on vacation, but I was wrong. I bought two books to read, the first was Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose and the second was Funny Story by Emily Henry. I finished both while on vacation and on the flight back to the US. Home Is Where the Bodies Are is a predictable thriller, and I’m not even mad about it.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael are three siblings who reunite at their mother’s funeral. While going through her belongings, they find old VHS tapes. On one VHS tape, they see their parents covering a dead body. They are shocked, and while Beth and Michael may be okay to sweep this under the rug, Nicole goes digging. What were their parents trying to hide, and does that have to do with why their father left?

Listen, the plot was predictable, but you know what, I like to be smart some of the time. I actually don’t mind when I figure out the spoiler early on. I think it’s satisfying when what was revealed was what I thought this whole time. I get why some readers may not like that, for me, I’m all about it. There are times where books give me whip lash with the spoiler coming out of left field and I like how Home Is Where the Bodies Are was a standard thriller.

I love the fact that this book is short and succinct. It’s more often than not where I read a book that goes on forever. I appreciate how this book introduces the plot, the plot hook, and the twist in less than 300 pages. With shorter books, it’s difficult to get attached to the characters, but I think that’s the point. I don’t need a life story about Beth, Nicole or Michael. They are there, and I want to find out what happens in the end. I’m not expecting to get a feel for them as characters, I want just enough to form opinions about them.

Home Is Where the Bodies Are was exactly what I needed while on vacation. I needed a quick read that would captivate me and something shorter that I could finish quickly. I rated Home Is Where the Bodies Are five stars on Goodreads.

For my June TBR, I knew one book I immediately wanted to read. It has 624 pages. To compensate for reading a longer book, I picked two other books with page counts of less than 300 pages each. Each book in this month’s TBR is vastly different, so I think it will keep things interesting throughout the month. If I really commit, I can read all three books, but I have to focus. I will share what I read in May and which books I have picked out to read in June.

In May, I read seven books. They are as follows:

• When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Asha Bandele, and a Foreward written by Angela Y. Davis. 5/5 stars
• Snotgirl Volume #3 Is This Real Life? by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung. 3/5 stars
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Unrated.
• Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose. 5/5 stars
• Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski Unrated.
• The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. 4.5/5 stars
• Funny Story by Emily Henry. 4/5 stars

Okay, so I sort of cheated. I started Come as You Are and The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King in April, but didn’t complete them in May. Both When They Call You a Terrorist and Just Mercy were the two hardest books I read this month. They both tackle similar topics, but in different ways. When They Call You a Terrorist focuses on the Black Lives Matter movement, while Just Mercy focuses on Bryan Stevenson’s role as a lawyer in Alabama. If you haven’t read either book, you need to. There wasn’t a book I read this month that I didn’t enjoy. I’m working on writing more detailed reviews for both Home is Where the Bodies Are and Funny Story, so I hope to have those up later this month.

Now onto the books I want to read this month:

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

I read A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first book in the series, back in 2023. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get the hype. I’ve heard many things about this series, one of which is that the first book is the weakest. I was gifted a box set of this series, which led me to read A Court of Mist and Fury this month. If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have read the rest of the series had I not received the set of books.

For those who are unfamiliar with this series, it centers on our protagonist, Feyre, as she deals with the aftermath of the first book. She’s brought back to life by the high fae from the various courts, which has consequences. Feyre feels trapped in her relationship with Tamlin as her wedding is expedited. Before the wedding happens, Feyre is sent to Rhysand in the Night Court per the deal she made with Rhysand in the last book.

I’m 150 pages into A Court of Mist and Fury, and I’m shocked. I’m enjoying this way more than A Court of Thorns and Roses. There are things that I’m reading that are cringy, like how Sarah J. Maas uses the words females and males. There’s one moment where Lucien talks about losing his sister, and the sentence is, “I was forced to watch as my father butchered the female I love”. Ew no, I hate it. Why not say “the lady, I love”? Same impact, but doesn’t make me grimace when I read it.

Roll for Love by M.K. England

Roll for Love is a book about Harper, who moves back to the small town where her grandparents live. She’s reunited with Ollie, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen in years. Ollie invites Harper to their Dungeons & Dragons game, where sparks between them fly. This is not the first TTRPG-themed romance I have read, and I can’t say it will be the last.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

The final book I want to read this month is A Dowry of Blood. A Dowry of Blood focuses on the story of Constanta, one of the brides of Dracula. I know nothing else about this book, but I’m looking forward to reading it. Dracula is one of my favorite books in classic literature, so curious to see how the story develops.

This is a bit ambitious for a TBR, but I have a set plan about how I will finish all three of these books by the end of the month. I love how each of these books is from a different genre. I think it will keep me invested throughout the month.

Spoilers for both The Serpent & The Wings of Night and The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King

While in Italy, I finished a few books that I had been reading before the trip. With the two 9 1/2 hour flights and multiple trains that we took, I had plenty of time to read. One of the books I read was The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. This is the second book in the Crown of Nyaxia series starring Oraya and Raihn. I loved the first book when I read it last year and received the sequel as a gift, so I knew I wanted to continue the series. I loved The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King and can’t wait to read more books in Obitraes.

After the violent end to the Kejari, Oraya is a prisoner, and Raihn becomes the King of the House of Night. Raihn faces challenges as his background as a former slave doesn’t bode well with those who feel he doesn’t deserve nobility. Raihn offers Oraya a deal: help him deal with his betrayers, and he will let her walk, even if Oraya chooses to kill Raihn to avenge her father. Oraya is confronted with her past and faces her destiny as the chosen heir to the House of Night.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I love Obitraes and the world these books take place in. I like reading about the vampire houses and their history. In this book, we learn more about the House of Shadow, and this impacts Mische and her story. I like how the gods shape the world. In my first review of the book, I said it reminds me of the gods from Dungeons & Dragons, and how Nyaxia reminds me of The Raven Queen. I still find that to be the case in this book. Writing this review is going to be heavily biased. The story could have sucked and I’d still rate this book highly because I love this world so much.

This book truly feels like Oraya’s story. Raihn has a point of view in some of the chapters, but this story centers on Oraya. I liked reading about Oraya’s past (how she’s half-vampire, her abilities, and who her mother is!) Oraya’s mother has a strong bond to one of the other gods, and I thought that was interesting. I read other reviews for this book, and some readers were unhappy with the story and how Oraya united with Raihn, even though he killed her father. I can see why readers would feel that way, but I disagree. Oraya’s father, Vincent, is not a good person. It’s strongly emphasized that he sexually assaulted the previous queen of the House of Night and killed the king. He lied to Oraya about her past and about killing her mom. I don’t want this book to be a revenge story because Vincent’s past caught up to him. Instead, I liked how this book portrays Oraya’s relationship to power and what kind of queen she wants to be. Sure, Raihn is still in the picture, but I fully believe Oraya has the power to kill Raihn if he steps out of line.

The one grievance I have with this book is that the story felt rushed. Oraya learning about her past was told in 100 pages, and I think this could have been elongated into multiple books. I understand that this is a duology for Oraya and Raihn specifically, but I would have loved another book to dive into this more.

I was contemplating what to rate The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King. I ended up rating this four stars, but leaning towards 4.5 or five stars depending on the day. The next book in this series will focus on Mische, and I’m excited to read more about her! She was a standout character in this series, so the fact that she’s getting her own books, I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.