Showing posts with label Diane Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diane Kelly. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Waiting on Wednesday #773, March 4th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.

We Are All Monsters Hereby Kelley Armstrong
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
From cabins in the woods to post-apocalyptic cities, monsters lurk everywhere. Discover the sinister secret of a traveling carnival, spend a holiday with masked mummers, and visit a small town with unusual traditions and a penchant for gargoyles.

We Are All Monsters Here collects nineteen of Kelley Armstrong’s eeriest short stories published over the past two decades. Each tale features a cast of colorful—if at times unsettling—characters, including a physics student haunted by their past, an elderly author plotting a murder mystery, a young boy troubled by the screams of dragons, a reluctant preacher challenged by a stranger who can resurrect the dead, and survivors of the apocalypse searching for a safe place to call home.

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other classic creatures are portrayed in refreshingly unique ways. A master of paranormal mystery, Armstrong subverts reader expectations with clever twists and turns; for while a monster is at the heart of every story, not all have claws or fangs or a thirst for blood—the most terrifying are the seemingly average people driven to monstrous acts.

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
After a devastating heartbreak, a teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn--but this fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret--in this cozy and irresistable new fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

Sixteen-year-old Calisa is desperate for a change of scenery after her lying ex ruins her perfect Brooklyn summer. When her parents suggest she head to rural Vermont to help her great-aunt run her cozy bed and breakfast for a few months, she jumps at the chance.

But when Calisa arrives at the B&B, she's shocked to find a rundown inn with only a handful of guests. And to make matters worse, upon meeting with her great-aunt it quickly becomes clear that Calisa was not invited. Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn…even if it is clear she needs the help.

To earn her keep, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper's (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the more it becomes evident that there is something strange about the B&B—and its residents. Something almost…otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she's come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth of it, and her aunt, before it's too late.

The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
The eighth in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

In Nashville, carpenter Whitney Whitaker is ecstatic when she discovers an abandoned barn perfect for her next project. However, since the surrounding former farmland has now developed into a shiny new shopping center, it seems the decrepit antebellum barn that once served as a livery stable should be torn down to make way for something more modern. Even so, Whitney can’t help but think the barn should be preserved. While unproven, it’s rumored the building once served as a hiding place for escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. She convinces her cousin to take a chance on the old property. After all, the barn would make a unique retail space or, with its high ceilings and wide walls, could be turned into an arthouse cinema.

When a local print journalist reporting on the renovation is found dead on the property, investigators suspect he might have been murdered for any one of several exposés he’d published about local politicians, movers, and shakers. Whitney suspects there’s more to the story, and that the journalist’s fate might be tied directly to the stable renovation. Can she solve the murder and bring a killer to justice? Or might this goal be too lofty?

Divine Descent by Adrianne May
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
In this thrilling sequel to Exquisite Ruin, AdriAnne May’s darkly romantic reimagining of the Minotaur myth, Sadaré and Daesra are torn apart in the underworld—and new relationships may complicate their way back to one another.

Sadaré and Daesra’s struggles go beyond the deadly labyrinth as Sadaré is trapped in the underworld after a new enemy emerges, and Daesra will risk everything to rescue her.

But the god of death can be tempting. With every passing day, Sadaré grows closer to her captor. As she’s drawn deeper into his world, the memories of her past—of Daesra—begin to slip away. And the closer Daesra comes to saving her, the less she remembers wanting to be saved.

If Daesra can reach her in time, will she still remember him? Or will their love be the next piece of her to die?

Where No Shadow Stays by Sara Hashem
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
A homecoming queen and a bad-boy loner team up to break a generational curse in this YA supernatural horror from a talented American Egyptian voice.

Seventeen-year-old Mina is always focused on what comes exams, school dances, opportunities for a picnic by the lake. Filling up the future keeps her from lingering over how little she knows about her history or where she comes from. Anytime she asks her father questions about Egypt--or about her mother's mysterious death--he struggles to open up.

When Mina receives an invitation from an aunt she’s never met to visit the Haikal mansion, her mother’s childhood home in El Agamy, Mina accepts. She can’t resist the chance to learn more about her roots or what happened to her mother, even if it means lying to her loves ones for the first time in her life.

But when Mina returns from El Agamy, she doesn’t come back alone.

A sinister entity follows Mina from the Haikal mansion to her tiny California town. Mina is forced to abandon her friends, her father, and everything she loves in order to prevent the entity from violently possessing them. Isolated and fighting for her life, Mina must seek help from an unlikely Jesse Talbot, the mortician’s hostile son and the only person who proves immune to possession. Jesse would rather floss with barbed wire than team up with social butterfly Mina, but he doesn’t exactly have a choice—after all, he’s running from family secrets of his own.

As Mina and Jesse dig deeper into Mina's family lore, they uncover a bloody debt that must be satisfied if Mina wants to finish senior year alive.

Starside by Alex Aster
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
From Alex Aster, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark series, comes her first adult romantasy. Enter the world of Starside , where swords wield magic and power is not inherited...but claimed.

Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.

Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.

First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.

Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.

But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…

Game On by Navessa Allen
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Book three in the No.1 New York Times bestselling Into Darkness series, following the dark rom-com sensations Lights Out and Caught Up. The game is on for these enemies-to-lovers with laugh-out-loud banter and scorching-hot brat play.

I hate that woman.

Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he'll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge.

Including Stella McCormick. She's everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it's time she finally paid the price. Whether she's ready to or not.

I hate that man.

Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight - no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he's the devil planning to make her life hell.

Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family's glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler's ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn't know which is being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.

Game On is an enemies-to-lovers dark romance with morally grey characters. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book.

Enemies-to-lovers
Forced proximity
Fake dating
Rom-com
Morally gray MMC
Black cat FMC
Blackmail
Kidnapping
Power imbalance
Age gap
Betrayal and redemption
Dark past
Revenge

Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
A young woman must survive the deadly mythical creature she smuggled aboard an airship after a crash landing on a deserted island frees it to begin hunting the survivors in this thrilling fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Scott Reintgen.

When an airship’s windmaster dies mid-flight, the crew and its passengers are swept out to sea by a violent storm. They crash on a desolate island, but they’re not alone. A dragoness had been stashed in the hold. After escaping a damaged cage, it begins preying on the surviving travelers in the hopes of remaining free.

The stranded group’s best chance of making it home alive is the young woman who smuggled the dragoness on board in the first place—and the mysterious teen boy who was led onto the ship in chains before takeoff. Both have secrets that could help them survive on the island…but those same secrets could deliver a death sentence if they ever make it home.

What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens' sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally!

Hannah is having an incredible spring break. A week at a resort in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and her family is perfect for de-stressing from senior year, even if it’s awkward being around Emmy's older brother, Jackson, who she’s had a crush on for as long as she can remember.

Still, the beach is gorgeous. So is the guy they meet in the surf. Except Hannah is now the third wheel in Emmy’s vacation romance.

Eager to impress Emmy, her wealthy new boyfriend charters a private sailboat to make the most of their last day in paradise, and Hannah and Jackson are invited along. As the clouds roll in and the skies darken, their boat is the only one leaving the marina. And the further they get into open water, the more unsettled Hannah becomes. A storm is brewing onboard that’s as deadly as the one racing toward them. Forget surviving graduation. Who will make it back to land alive?

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Expected Publication: March 31st, 2026
From Goodreads:
When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him, with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy.

“Scholarly and clever but still full of heart . . . Five baby pterodactyls out of five.”—Heather Fawcett, New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series

Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician—a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic—but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. Then an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a lovable baby pterodactyl that Mary names Ajax, and she knows that this is a scientific find that could make her career—if she’s strategic.

But when Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar . . . and the man who once broke Mary’s heart. She knows she can’t trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own, but Henry insists he believes in the brilliant Mary and only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves.

Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that’s buried deeper than any dinosaur She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong—and what her heart really wants.

“Mary Anning, magic, politics, and a pterodactyl—with this intriguing mix, this delightful and clever book provides definitive proof that Victorian England needed more dinosaurs!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Book One of The Geomagician Duology

Oh man, the end of March is going to be epic for book releases! I love these authors, these series, and I can't wait for them all to be released! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #723, March 19th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
It's been nearly two years since Vanja brought down the cult she started, and she’s still paying the price. As the Pfennigeist, she bucks the law in order to help the desperate and haunt the corrupt all across the empire—and no matter what, she works alone.


But an impossible killer is tearing through royalty, and leaving Vanja’s signature red penny on every victim. Suddenly the Pfennigeist is no longer a folk hero but a nightmare. When even the Blessed Empress falls, the empire’s seven royal families must gather to elect her successor within a matter of weeks, or risk the collapse of reality itself… even though it puts every house in the killer’s sights.


Vanja tells herself she’s wading into the royalty’s vicious games only to save the name she made, and the loved ones also in jeopardy. But the Order of Prefects has also put their sharpest official on the case, the one who swore he’d always find Vanja—until she broke his heart. Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad may no longer be the boy Vanja knew, but they’ll have to work together one last time to have any chance of surviving the deadly catastrophe coming for them all.


With bloody conspiracy, sinister magic, and old adverseries closing in, it will take everything Vanja has to save not just the people she loves, but the future she’s fought for. In this thrilling final chapter of the Indie Next series Little Thieves, New York Times-bestselling author Margaret Owen shows us the pain and beauty of choosing which demons to face, and which to forgive.

Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
He was mine to protect. Mine to adore. Mine to lose forever.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Poseidon and Icarus.*

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus's own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn't be so bad if Olympus wasn't on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn't have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no choice: Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm's way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy...and the more he realizes that Icarus isn't the villain he's been made out to be. There's a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair's breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult choice: about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good...

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto 
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they’ve encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they’d decided to take a chance on a property where two murders have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property have been repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer had no use for the headmaster’s house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining a mystery to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure’s demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

Reluctant Witch by Melissa Marr
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
The Magicians meets One Last Stop in the sequel to Remedial Magic by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr!

After discovering she's a witch and being whisked away to the magical land of Crenshaw, Ellie wants nothing more than to spend time with her new wife, Prospero, who has magically altered Ellie's memories to convince her of exactly that.

Prospero herself is guilt-wracked after erasing Ellie's memories and being forced into a sham marriage with the woman she loves for real. But Crenshaw is dying, poisoned by Prospero's enemies who want their community to return to the human world, and she will do anything to save it.

The most powerful witch in anyone's memory is in Prospero's home, in her bed, with no idea that she's a prisoner there... yet.

As the very fabric of their world is being destroyed, Ellie and Prospero must find a way to work together and save the world, and themselves.

Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential.

Where there’s a will, there’s a war.

Thayer Wren, the brilliant CEO of Wrenfare Magitech and so-called father of modern technology, is dead. Any one of his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children would be a plausible inheritor to the Wrenfare throne.

Or at least, so they like to think.

Meredith, textbook accomplished eldest daughter and the head of her own groundbreaking biotech company, has recently cured mental illness. You're welcome! If only her father's fortune wasn't her last hope for keeping her journalist ex-boyfriend from exposing what she really is: a total fraud.

Arthur, second-youngest congressman in history, fights the good fight every day of his life. And yet, his wife might be leaving him, and he's losing his re-election campaign. But his dead father’s approval in the form of a seat on the Wrenfare throne might just turn his sinking ship around.

Eilidh, once the world's most famous ballerina, has spent the last five years as a run-of-the-mill marketing executive at her father’s company after a life-altering injury put an end to her prodigious career. She might be lacking in accolades compared to her siblings, but if her father left her everything, it would finally validate her worth—by confirming she'd been his favorite all along.

On the pipeline of gifted kid to clinically depressed adult, nobody wins—but which Wren will come out on top?

Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
THE EPIC FINALE TO THE INSTANT NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING FALLEN GODS TRILOGYIn the epic finale to the #1 internationally bestselling Fallen Gods trilogy that started with Godkiller, the fate of Middren hangs in the balance as mighty gods and mortal heroes clash in a final battle for supremacy.

War has come. The fire god Hseth is leading an unstoppable army south, consuming everything in her path. Middren’s only hope of survival is to unify allies and old foes against a common enemy.

Elo navigates an uneasy alliance with Arren; his friend, his enemy, and his king. Now they each must decide how much they're willing to sacrifice to turn the tides of war.

Meanwhile, Inara joins her mother on their ship, the Silverswift, to seek aid. Still grappling with her powers, Inara must reconcile who she is and where she belongs, while Skediceth has to question if their bond will be enough to keep them safe.

Kissen has no allegiance to the old ways of Middren. But, as she tries to find her family, she is forced to question what, and whose, future she is fighting for.

In Faithbreaker, Hannah Kaner delivers a powerful conclusion to the Fallen Gods trilogy, masterfully weaving together love and sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal, and the true meaning of faith.

The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
Zoe Hana Mikuta delivers a bloody and unrelenting fantasy about young witches dangling on the edge of love and obsession, of magic and madness, of life and death (and death and death and death). . .


Just like her mother and her mother’s mother, 18-year-old Vanity Adams is destined to lead a lavish life under the patronship of the Museum, someday taking her place as its premiere necromantic Spectacle and the centerpiece of their weekly soirees thrown for the City’s elite.

But until that day, Vanity (and the other young witches of the Museum) is isolated from the outside world and purged of her magic—magic being particularly unstable for teenagers and often leading to antisocial conduct, mood swings, bloodlust, delusions, and, most concerning, a habitual, violent obsession with one another.

To all of this, Vanity Well, whatever. Better than being confined to the Sanatorium with the less fortunate witches, imprisoned in a chemically induced coma as her blood is harvested to make World, the City’s favorite designer drug. At least she’ll be dead someday, there’s always that. And at least the Museum has Arrogance, Vanity’s twin sister, who just might remember how to do magic, and who just might be where our story begins. . . .

A Duke Never Tells by Suzanne Enoch
Expected Publication: April 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
Bridgerton meets Evie Dunmore in a sparkling new regency romcom from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch, A Duke Never Tells , in which an heiress disguises herself as a maid in her fiancé's household to see if he really is too good to be true.

Before entering into a supremely-advantageous arranged marriage with James Clay, the new Duke of Earnhurst, clever, independent Lady Meg Pinwell has to see if he’s really the rake he’s rumored to be. But how is a well-bred young lady going to make sure he’s all that he seems?

With the help of her Aunt Clara, they plan some discreet reconnaissance at the Duke’s country estate. Meg will pretend to be her aunt’s maid/companion to see the true state of affairs at Earnhurst Manor.

But Meg isn’t the only one pretending to be someone she isn’ In order to escape Clara (who is surely a marriage hunter!), James has traded places with the excellent Riniken, the former Duke’s butler. Soon everyone is falling in love with the absolute wrong person! They say the course of true love never does run smooth… at Earnhurst, it’s running amuck!

There's some really fantastic books kicking off the month of April! I've read a couple, and they're all authors that I've loved, and I can't wait for these books to be out in the world! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Monday, December 23, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #707, December 23rd

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #706
Teaser Tuesday #714
WWW Wednesday #714
WOW #710
Will the Time Come #707
Third Sentence Thursday #697
Random Reads #683
First Lines Friday #710
Book Blogger Hop #376
Monthly ARC's Update 101
23 Books to Read in 2023 Update 15
The Reward Challenge Update #692
Wheel of TBR #239
How Well I Stuck to It #544
Wrote that Review Update #541

Week 51 Reviews:
We Were Kings


OK, so I got 90 posts in 7 days, and yeah, it was a crazy week, I really read a lot, and boy, I'm tired, and I'm very behind on blogging-I still have Wednesday posts to link. Opps! But I read some amazing books, and it's so weird that Christmas is this week, it feels like it should still be a month away! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Heavenly Tyrant!

After suffering devastating loss and making drastic decisions, Zetian finds herself at the seat of power in Huaxia. But she has also learned that her world is not as it seems, and revelations about an enemy more daunting than Zetian imagined forces her to share power with a dangerous man she cannot simply depose. Despite having vastly different ideas about how they must deconstruct the corrupt and misogynist system that plagues their country, Zetian must join this man in a dance of truth and lies and perform their roles to perfection in order to take down their common enemy, who seeks to control them as puppets while dangling one of Zetian's loved ones as a hostage.

With political unrest and perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Week 51 Review: Dead Post Society

From Goodreads:
The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they've encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they'd decided to take a chance on a property where two murders have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property have been repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer had no use for the headmaster's house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining a mystery to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure's demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! I love this series, and a lot happened in the previous book in their personal lives, which carried over into this one. This mystery in this book, that happened so long ago, was interesting to investigate, since it happened before she was even born! I think this is the one that takes place over the longest period of time, which made sense given how long ago the crime happened. 

This is the first book where the main project isn't really connected to the mystery. Sure, it used to be the same plot, but the house flip is the headmaster house, and they're helping her uncle with the school for more ost the book instead of the headmaster's house, which is the focus of mystery. So that was interesting.

How it was solved was really interesting, with the slow gathering of what evidence might still remain after all this time, with interviews, and putting the pieces together! That ending was pretty shocking, but satisfying to read! 

Of course there's updates in their lives, with the birth of Buck's baby girl, and her and Collin being married, with questions about when they'd have a child of their own, but you know, they haven't been married for a year yet. At least not until the end of the book! That ending was so sweet! 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Diane Kelly! 

Author: Diane Kelly 
Series: A House-Flipper Mystery #7
Read: December 19th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected Publication: April 1st 2025
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 26

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium Lightfall at Old Favour Pass, and it was Dead Post Society which was for the prompt Owlcat Craft Cafe, and I'll be reading Boy of Chaotic Making next! 

My Reading Journey:

We Were Kings by Court Stevens
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 1:48 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 5:32 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 352

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 11:38 AM
Pages Read: 432

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 4:17 PM
Pages Read: 404

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 9:24 PM
Pages Read: 420

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 10:42 AM
Pages Read: 304

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 2:57 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 7:04 PM
Pages Read: 442

Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 10:28 PM
Pages Read: 272

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 7:38 AM
Pages Read: 120

Influencer by Adam Cesare
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 11:26 AM
Pages Read: 367

One by One by Ruth Ware
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 1:17 PM
Pages Read: 384

Goblins & Greatcoats by Travis Baldree
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 1:33 PM
Pages Read: 25

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 4:25 PM
Pages Read: 368

Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 7:41 PM
Pages Read: 320

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee 
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th: 11:04 PM
Pages Read: 352

The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 10:17 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Killer She Knew by Zee David
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:56 AM
Pages Read: 170

No Bones About It by Allie Brahms
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 1:18 PM
Pages Read: 255

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 5:05 PM
Pages Read: 399

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 9:21 PM
Pages Read: 336

Save Steve by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:42 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 10:13 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimes of Dorian Gray by Arvind Ethan David
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 11:24 AM
Pages Read: 90

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 11:43 AM
Pages Read: 304

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 19th
Currently On: Page 0 of 317

Prompts Left: Occult Premonitions, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Occult Premonitions, The Old Tails Bookstore, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Owlcat Craft Cafe, Occult Premonitions, The Rich Pigeon Pub, The Old Tails Bookstore, Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, Owlcat Craft Cafe, The Rich Pigeon Pub, The Old Tails Bookstore, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, Occult Premonitions
Read: 26
Pages Read: 7892

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 25

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium Lightfall at Old Favour Pass, and it was The Crimes of Dorian Gray which was for the prompt Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, and I'll be reading Dead Post Society next! 

My Reading Journey:

We Were Kings by Court Stevens
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 1:48 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 5:32 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Rules by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 14th
Finished On: December 14th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 352

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 11:38 AM
Pages Read: 432

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 4:17 PM
Pages Read: 404

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 15th
Finished On: December 15th, 9:24 PM
Pages Read: 420

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 10:42 AM
Pages Read: 304

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 2:57 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 7:04 PM
Pages Read: 442

Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 16th
Finished On: December 16th, 10:28 PM
Pages Read: 272

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 7:38 AM
Pages Read: 120

Influencer by Adam Cesare
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 11:26 AM
Pages Read: 367

One by One by Ruth Ware
Prompt Fulfilled: Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 1:17 PM
Pages Read: 384

Goblins & Greatcoats by Travis Baldree
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 1:33 PM
Pages Read: 25

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 4:25 PM
Pages Read: 368

Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th, 7:41 PM
Pages Read: 320

Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee 
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 17th
Finished On: December 17th: 11:04 PM
Pages Read: 352

The Scorpion Queen by Mina Fears
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 10:17 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Killer She Knew by Zee David
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:56 AM
Pages Read: 170

No Bones About It by Allie Brahms
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 1:18 PM
Pages Read: 255

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Prompt Fulfilled: Occult Premonitions
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 5:05 PM
Pages Read: 399

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Prompt Fulfilled: The Old Tails Bookstore
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 9:21 PM
Pages Read: 336

Save Steve by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Prompt Fulfilled: The Rich Pigeon Pub
Started On: December 18th
Finished On: December 18th, 11:42 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Beasts We Bury by D.L. Taylor
Prompt Fulfilled: Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 10:13 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimes of Dorian Gray by Arvind Ethan David
Prompt Fulfilled: Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer
Started On: December 19th
Finished On: December 19th, 11:24 AM
Pages Read: 90

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly
Prompt Fulfilled: Owlcat Craft Cafe
Started On: December 19th
Currently On: Page 0 of 304

Prompts Left: Occult Premonitions, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Owlcat Craft Cafe, Occult Premonitions, The Old Tails Bookstore, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Owlcat Craft Cafe, Occult Premonitions, The Rich Pigeon Pub, The Old Tails Bookstore, Smith & Friends & Sons Arcane Goods and Such, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, Owlcat Craft Cafe, The Rich Pigeon Pub, The Old Tails Bookstore, Wallice's Wonderful Winter Wanimals, Shank & Shawl Legitimate Retailer, Occult Premonitions
Read: 25
Pages Read: 7588

Third Sentence Thursday #697, December 19th

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!


Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!
1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)
4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"As we did, I glanced over at the collapsed porch post." - Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly, page 26.

That it's collapsed, that doesn't sound good! Must read more now! 

What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Will the Time Come #682, June 27th

Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!
Want to Join?
-Pick a book you have been meaning to read
-Do a post telling us about the book    
-Link the post up in the linky  
-Visit the other blogs

CRIME ISN’T A GAME

With a .38 on her hip and 38DD’s on her chest, motorcycle cop Marnie Muckleroy is fully equipped and ready for action. Having recently divorced and relocated to the small Texas town where she was born and raised, Marnie is also ready for romance. There’s no lack of eligible men in Jacksburg. Problem is, they’re eligible for social security, food stamps, or parole. After a mystery man on a Ninja motorbike rides into her town and into her fantasies, she’s determined to find out who he is. If only dispatch and fate would stop getting in her way . . .

When a scam artist steals the identities of local children to commit credit card fraud, Marnie’s underfunded police force lacks the high-tech skills necessary to pursue the perpetrator. In steps Trey, a video game programmer with mad technical skills, along with a hard drive and plenty of RAM to keep Marnie satisfied until she can track down the elusive guy who rides the kick-ass Ninja.

NEITHER IS LOVE

As Marnie closes in on the stealthy biker, and she and Trey close in on the con artist, a dirty secret comes to light and threatens to tear Marnie’s world apart. Will she be able to piece her life back together, or is it Game Over for her?

Why the time hasn't come yet...
I don't know why, I love her writing, and it sounds great, but it's the start of a new series. But I want to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 17

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Four-Alarm Homicide which was for the prompt Go Towards the Maze, and I'll be reading Visions of Flesh and Blood next! 

My Reading Journey:

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits
Started On: January 9th 
Finished On: January 9th, 10:45 AM
Pages Read: 512

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength
Started On: January 13th
Finished On: January 13th, 7:31 PM
Pages Read: 693

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength
Started On: January 14th
Finished On: January 14th, 8:01 PM
Pages Read: 688

These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits
Started On: January 21st
Finished On: January 21st, 2:31 PM
Pages Read: 416

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Left: Manipulate a Boulder to Crash Through a Wall
Started On: February 5th
Finished On: February 5th, 10:20 PM
Pages Read: 816

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards and Fight an Animated Gargoyle
Started On: February 6th
Finished On: February 6th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 848

The Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier
Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Right: Embrace the Mist of Solitude Once More
Started On: February 7th
Finished On: February 7th, 2:12 PM
Pages Read: 400

I Only Read Murder by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson
Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards the Maze
Started On: February 14th
Finished On: February 14th, 1:58 PM
Pages Read: 320

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin
Prompt Fulfilled: Remove a Complex Lock Enchantment Cast on the Exit Door
Started On: March 1st
Finished On: March 1st, 1:58 PM
Pages Read: 348

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit
Started On: March 3rd
Finished On: March 3rd, 9:06 PM
Pages Read: 430

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit
Started On: March 4th
Finished On: March 4th, 9:50 PM
Pages Read: 511

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
Prompt Fulfilled: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit
Started On: March 23rd
Finished On: March 23rd, 11:44 PM
Pages Read: 756

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength
Started On: January 11th 
Finished On: January 11th, 2:52 PM
Pages Read: 432

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Strength
Started On: January 11th 
Finished On: January 11th, 8:21 PM
Pages Read: 624

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Prompt Fulfilled: Rely on Your Wits
Started On: January 22nd 
Finished On: January 22nd, 2:36 PM
Pages Read: 496

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards and Fight an Animated Gargoyle
Started On: February 4th 
Finished On: February 4th, 6:51 PM
Pages Read: 823

Four-Alarm Homicide by Diane Kelly
Prompt Fulfilled: Go Towards the Maze
Started On: February 17th
Finished On: February 17th, 4:58 PM
Pages Read: 304

Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Prompt Fulfilled: Turn Left: Manipulate a Boulder to Crash Through a Wall
Started On: February 17th
Currently On: Page 0 of 640

Prompts Left: Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit, Cut Your Way Through Wild Vines Blocking an Ancient Exit, Remove a Complex Lock Enchantment Cast on the Exit Door
Read: 17
Pages Read: 8987