Showing posts with label Kaylie Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kaylie Smith. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #724, March 26th

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

The Twisted Throne by Danielle L. Jensen
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A commander who bled to defend her people, Ahnna is haunted by two beliefs. The first is that she failed to protect Ithicana from invasion. And the second is that saving her homeland means leaving it behind forever.

The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell's court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride...or as a blade.

Last Chance to Save the World by Beth Revis
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The explosive, satisfying conclusion to the Chaotic Orbits novella trilogy sees Ada and Rian breaking into a high-security facility to give Earth a fighting chance at survival

Sexy, fast, fun and funny, this happily-ever-after ending is perfect for fans of the Murderbot novels and the Wayfairers series

After a few weeks trapped on board a spaceship with Ada (and, oh look, there’s only one bed), Rian has to admit that maybe Ada’s rebels have a point. The nanobots poised to be unleashed on Earth are infected with malware that will ultimately leave the residents of Earth in a worse position than they’re in now. But is it too late?

Ada and Rian arrive on Earth with little time to spare. Together, they have to break into a high-security facility and infect the nanobots with a counter-virus before they’re released in order to give Earth a fighting chance. And if Ada happens to notice some great tech laying around in this high-security facility she shouldn’t have access to and then happens to steal a bunch of it when Rian’s not looking? Well, he knew who she was before he teamed up with her. And if he wants it back, he’s going to have to catch her first. 

With countless twists and turns, this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn and high-tension romance plays on a Sherlock and Moriarity character dynamic rooted in science fiction with a heavy romance and mystery angle.

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Cold Eternity, the newest space horror novel from the author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station, blends the dystopian dread of Severance with the catastrophic approach to AI from M3gan.

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay a gigantic space barge housing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most wealthy citizens.

The ship and its cryo program are long defunct, but Halley starts to think she sees figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from….

Fearless by Lauren Roberts
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Paedyn and Kai are reunited but face a terrible decision in this thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling romantic fantasy trilogy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and The Red Queen.

Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer return to the Kingdom of Ilya…

And Paedyn has a life-altering choice to make. Whatever she decides will determine her fate—and the fate of those around her—forever.

In the ultimate battle of love and loyalty, who wins?d=
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Ready or Not meets Throne of the Fallen in a spicy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, where an Italian getaway turns deadly after a young woman is trapped in her host family's cursed game.

Ready or not, the game has begun.

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother's invites her to Italy, she accepts. She arrives at his grand palace, expecting passion and magic, decadence and luxury... perhaps even a midnight ball.

She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell... until the competition begins again.

Genevieve must either join the hunt or forfeit any hope of escaping. But to her dismay, her best chance of survival lies with Rowin. Since lovers may play as a pair, Rowin and Genevieve agree to form an alliance under the guise of a fake courtship. However, as they race through the game's elaborate labyrinth, trapped among gleaming gold and shining marble, their loathing gives way to irresistible attraction. Only Rowin is keeping secrets, especially when it comes to his ruthless family, and Genevieve can't help but wonder if she's trapped in two treacherous games: Enchantra and the one Rowin is playing with her heart.

Roll for Love by M.K. England
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A second-chance queer romance about two teens whose in-world D&D characters fall in love, but in IRL  . . . things are more complicated, perfect for lovers of Ashley Poston and Becky Albertalli. Harper Reid's summer is not off to a great start.  After the death of her grandpa, she moves across the country, leaving her friends and Dungeons & Dragons group behind. She wasn’t exactly planning to start her senior year on the farm where she spent her childhood summers, but running into Ollie Shifflet—former best friend and first crush—makes things much better. When Harper discovers Ollie and her friends are starting a new D&D campaign, she quickly joins the group. As Harper and Ollie reconnect in the real world, romantic tension begins to build between Harper’s brash barbarian and Ollie’s proud paladin, but it's all just part of the game . . . right? 

Ollie's future depends on keeping her bisexuality private while Harper's dreams include an out-and-proud life in their rural town, but as their feelings continue to grow with each gaming session, their relationship begins threatening everything they've worked so hard to build. As the school year comes to a close and the campaign's final boss looms on the horizon, Harper and Ollie must  are their feelings more than just a fantasy? Because if they want a second chance at love, they'll have to fight for it, both in-game and in real life.

Don't Sleep With the Dead by Nghi Vo
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don't Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

“A vibrant and queer reinvention of F. Scott Fitzgerald's jazz age classic. . . . I was captivated from the first sentence.”―NPR on The Chosen and the Beautiful

Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He's good at watching, and he's even better at pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he's forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.

On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone's been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face at a club one night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn't done with him.

In all paper there is memory, and Nick's ghost has come home.

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence 
Expected Publication: April 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The secret war that defines the Library has chosen its champions and set them on the board

The fate of an infinite library hangs on one book, a book that holds the power to break the unbreakable. In the face of such forces, fragile things like hearts, family, and the world seem certain to fail.

The people most vital to Livira are scattered across time and space, lost, divided into factions, in mortal peril. Somehow, she must bring them together and resolve the unresolvable argument that fuels the library’s war. The bond between Livira and Evar has stretched and stretched again. Can it hold at the end, when things fall apart? Can it bring them together against impossible odds? This is the last chapter, the final page. The end threatens and no one, not characters, readers, or even the author, will emerge unscathed.

Some really great books, and authors, coming out, that I can't wait for! I've been able to read a couple, and I can't wait to read them all, and have them be released! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, March 17, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #719, March 17th

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 #718
Teaser Tuesday #726
WWW Wednesday #726
WOW #722
Will the Time Come #719
Third Sentence Thursday #709
Random Reads #695
First Lines Friday #722
Book Blogger Hop #388
Monthly ARC's Update 110
The Reward Challenge Update #704
Wheel of TBR #251
How Well I Stuck to It #556
Wrote that Review Update #553

Phase Out Your Seriesathon: 

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Spring Into Reading-A-Thon: 

Roll of Reads Readathon: 

OK, so I got 40 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty decent week, I read some really good books, andI can't wait for this coming week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Sunrise of the Reaping!

When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.

As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Week 11 Review: Enchantra

From Goodreads:
Ready or Not meets Throne of the Fallen in a spicy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, where an Italian getaway turns deadly after a young woman is trapped in her host family's cursed game.

Ready or not, the game has begun.

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother's invites her to Italy, she accepts. She arrives at his grand palace, expecting passion and magic, decadence and luxury... perhaps even a midnight ball.

She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell... until the competition begins again.

Genevieve must either join the hunt or forfeit any hope of escaping. But to her dismay, her best chance of survival lies with Rowin. Since lovers may play as a pair, Rowin and Genevieve agree to form an alliance under the guise of a fake courtship. However, as they race through the game's elaborate labyrinth, trapped among gleaming gold and shining marble, their loathing gives way to irresistible attraction. Only Rowin is keeping secrets, especially when it comes to his ruthless family, and Genevieve can't help but wonder if she's trapped in two treacherous games: Enchantra and the one Rowin is playing with her heart.

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! I really enjoyed the first book, but when I read it, I didn't know that this was going to be a series, but once I knew, I had to continue on with the series. And I'm so glad that I did, because I loved Genevieve and Rowin's story! 

Genevieve is confident. She's secure in who she is, and she's not afraid of it. That from my perspective of women from that period, she's pretty open about her sexuality. That she spends this story surrounded by demons and various other long-lived creatures that have a similar mentality, well, there were some pretty spicy scenes in this book.

This whole game that the Silver family is caught up in, it's pretty awful. To play a series of games while confined to their estate, where one person each round has to kill their siblings until 1 person wins, and that it's been going on for so long, it's pretty horrific. That Genevieve is mortal, she won't spend the time in hell before the next round, makes the stakes much more higher for her.

I loved the developments in this world, learning more about the devils and demons and their world. With Salem's dad wanting his son to come home, and that one guy that seemed to threaten him...yeah, I'm excited to see where the future books take this story! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series! 

Author: Kaylie Smith
Series: Wicked Games #2
Read: March 13th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Historical Fiction 2025 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Expected Publication: April 8th 2025
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Week 34 Review: Phantasma

From Goodreads:
Welcome to Phantasma.There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don't fall in love.

When Ophelia's sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia's fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn't trust him. Blackwell doesn't seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

My Review:
This was such a fantastic book! The synopsis sounded really interesting, and the book delivered on that promise. I had such a great time reading Ophelia's story! The idea of a house of devils, and a competition with levels of sins, yeah, so interesting! 

One thing that I don't really mention on audiobooks, is the narrators. On this book, I'm glad that I noticed, because I've seen some of her short form videos and they were always hilarious so listen to a full length piece of her performance was top notch, I'm going to have to look into other books she's done and see if I'm interested in any of them. 

I don't have OCD, an intense voice that says if you don't do this thing, like knocking three times, disaster is going to strike. So I can't say how well done it was, just that it's there, and was a vibrant part of the story, and I'm so glad that it was a part, from an author that does deal with OCD.

Watching as she was navigating these levels, dealing with Blackwell, searching for the key, worrying about her sister, she had a lot on her plate. That there were a few personal mysteries, well, I loved how the story came together and ended!

Loved reading the book, and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Kaylie Smith 
Read: August 23rd, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Second Sky 
Published: September 3rd 2024
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars