Showing posts with label S.T. Gibson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label S.T. Gibson. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #750, September 24th

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

Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship—and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

The Intruder by Freida McFadden
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won't explain where she came from or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.

A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Hunger makes monsters in this dark new tale in Nghi Vo's Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle.

Wandering Cleric Chih of Singing Hills and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant come to the river town of Baolin chasing stories of a legendary famine. Amid tales of dishes served to royalty and desserts made of dust, they discover the secrets of what happens when hunger stalks the land and what the powerful will do to hide their crimes.

Trapped in the mansion of a sinister magistrate, Chih and Almost Brilliant must learn what happened in Baolin when the famine came to call, and they must do so quickly...because the things in the shadows are only growing hungrier.
The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Powerless meets Reign in this new historical romantasy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Night of the Witch.

Samson Calthorpe’s curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he’s picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen’s own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though, the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan . . . that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have one unifying link: their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley…and their undeniable pull towards each other. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all.

Queen Demon by Martha Wells
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.

Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?

And can he trust his companions to do what’s right?

Follow Kai to the end of the world in this thrilling sequel to the USA Today-bestselling Witch King.

Lore Olympus: Volume 9 by Rachel Smythe
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including a brand new bonus short story!

“The Underworld has a queen!”

Persephone and Hades are finally reunited when the banished goddess of spring returns to the Underworld to claim her rightful place as queen. Now that Hades and Persephone have defeated and imprisoned the power-hungry Kronos once more, nothing can keep them apart, and years of being separated have only made their desire for each other grow. But the other Olympians can’t help but meddle, pushing the pair to make things official with a coronation—and a wedding.

Ignoring the others who try to define their relationship, Hades and Persephone choose to take things at their own pace and focus on rebuilding the Underworld. They begin by investigating how Kronos was first able to escape, and they learn the horrifying truth that he has captured a powerful young god whose abilities help Kronos project his thoughts outside of Tartarus—thoughts he uses to plague Hera’s every waking moment. Though Kronos’s physical form is locked away, Olympus will never be free until they can rescue the child from the furious Titan’s grasp.

To save the realms, Persephone must figure out her fertility goddess powers and embrace her role as Queen of the Underworld—even as it takes her further from her mother’s expectations and her former place in the Mortal Realm.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 207–233 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

The Glass Slide World by Carrie Vaughn
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Award-winning author Carrie Vaughn’s sequel to The Naturalist Society follows a young scientist unlocking her magical abilities amid a high-seas adventure filled with international intrigue.

The year is 1902, and the world is changing with the new century. Twenty-one-year-old Ava Stanley, the daughter of two celebrated Arcane Taxonomists, has much to live up to—however scarce her magical abilities may be.

While her parents draw power from spectacular birds and megafauna, Ava’s connection to the natural world is much smaller, stemming from the microscopic. This is useful in her quest to become a doctor, as she studies the burgeoning links between bacteria and disease, but it means Ava’s power itself is also smaller. Even so, she plans to make the most of it when she boards a ship to Nassau, where she’ll continue her research.

But those plans change when pirates take over the ship, bringing with them danger, mystery, and the stirrings of war. Amid the chaos, Ava forges connections with her fellow travelers. And in them, she begins to find that every tiny piece of the world has the power to strengthen it…or shatter it completely.

The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson 
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, following a freshman girl whose college life is turned upside down when her roommate’s ex-convict brother moves into their dorm and starts controlling their every move.

Out from under her overprotective parents, Jordyn is ready to kill it in prelaw at a prestigious, historically Black university in Washington DC. When her new roommate’s brother is released from prison, the last thing Jordyn expects is to come home and find the ex-convict on their dorm room sofa. But Devonte needs a place to stay while he gets back on his feet—and how could she say no to one of her new best friends?

Devonte is older, as charming as he is intelligent, pushing every student he meets to make better choices about their young lives. But Jordyn senses something sinister beneath his friendly advice and growing group of followers. When one of Jordyn’s roommates goes missing, she must enlist the help of the university’s lone white student to uncover the mystery—or become trapped at the center of a web of lies more tangled than she can imagine.

Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
S. T. Gibson, the queen of erotic fantasy romance, returns with this ravishingly dark trilogy of gothic manors, faery magic, and forbidden desires set in the foreboding Highlands of Scotland.

For as long as Adam can remember, the legends passed down from his world-traveling grandfather have called him to a crumbling manor in the Highlands. His closest friend Nicola longs for the same adventure, as well as for Adam himself. She'll follow him just about anywhere - even to the remote wilds of Scotland - if it pushes the pair to surrender to their shared attraction.

But when a storm strikes and strands them unexpectedly, Adam and Nicola find themselves at the mercy of the eccentric owner of the infamous house, Eileen, as well as her brooding groundskeeper, Finley.

Trapped by the weather, and bound by ancient faery magic, Nicola and Adam get more than they bargained for as they become entangled in Eileen and Finley's world of mind games, deceit and forbidden desire. As ancestral sins are unearthed, Adam and Nicola will have to reckon with the spell Eileen and Finley have cast over them - and whether or not they even want to be free.

Cinder House by Freya Marske
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske—a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.

An instant USA Today bestseller!

Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.

How to Survive a Fairy Bargain by Laura J. Mayo
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
In this hilarious sequel to How to Summon a Fairy Godmother, Theodosia’s already survived being the evil stepsister in one fairy tale, but surviving fae bargains, fairy rings, and being turned into a hedgehog will be a whole new challenge.
 
Theodosia Balfour is in a panic—she has no clue how to handle her new life as a fairy’s familiar. She just can’t seem to find her place in Cecily’s land of decadence, doublespeak, and whimsy.
 
Moreover, Theo can’t stop thinking about Kasra, Cecily’s last familiar who is now living a cozy human life without any memories of his time in a fairy’s service. All she wants is to tell Kaz how she feels about him, but that’s impossible now. Then suddenly, the regent of the fairy kingdom reveals a secret that shocks Theo to her core and thrusts her into the role of detective to solve a thousand-year-old royal assassination attempt.
 
With time running out to catch the would-be assassin, Theo can rely on only her own wits and unique charm to discover what’s really going on.

Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Lev AC Rosen delivers a new and captivating 1950s mystery in this dazzling, award-winning series

Private Investigator Evander “Andy” Mills’ next case takes him out of his comfort zone in San Francisco—and much to his dismay, back home to Los Angeles. After a secretive queer rights organization called the Mattachine Society enlists Andy to find some missing members, he must dodge not only motorcycle gangs and mysterious forces, but his own mother, too.

Avoiding her proves to be a challenge when the case leads Andy to the psychological clinic she works at. Worlds collide, buried secrets are dug up, and Andy realizes he’s going to have to burn it all down this time if he wants to pull off a rescue. With secret societies, drugs, and doctors swirling around him, time is running out for Andy to locate the missing and get them to safety. And for him to make it back to San Francisco in one piece. 

Zodiac Legacy by Katie Zhao
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
Return to the hidden world of the cursed Descendants of the Zodiac, where magic intertwines with dark academia at a boarding school dedicated to restoring their glory. In this thrilling sequel, the Descendants must navigate the aftermath of a chaotic heist and rescue a fallen comrade—all while battling dark forces determined to tear them apart.

A vampire on the run. A shapeshifter with a haunting past. A mortal trapped in enemy territory. And a werewolf with a score to settle.

After the heist of a lifetime to reclaim the source of their magic—the twelve Chinese zodiac statues—Evangeline Long and her crew of supernatural beings are on the run. Something—or someone—is working against the Descendants of zodiac from the shadows, and despite Evangeline’s efforts, her people remain cursed as creatures of darkness.

However, not everyone wants to return to life before the curse. As factions begin to tear the Descendants apart, Evangeline must travel to London to finish her mission: break the curse and restore the Descendants to their former glory. But with one of her crew in enemy hands and longtime allies turning on her, Evangeline must barter with lives as she decides who to trust . . . and who to target.

And she’ll have to do it soon. There are whispers of monsters on the loose—longtime foes of the Descendants who have returned for blood—and as long as the Descendants remain cursed, they don’t stand a chance. Now more than ever, Evangeline’s crew must finish their mission and reclaim their powers, before there is nothing left of the Descendants to save. . . .

The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
In this lush, atmospheric romantasy, an illusionist competes in a series of deadly trials for a spot at an elite magical college—that is, if another hopeful doesn’t kill her first.

Twenty-year-old Sophia De Winter has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. But to gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.

Sophia knows her skills as an illusionist are weak; she only makes it through the first challenge by teaming up with a powerful (and insufferably sexy) botanist, Alden Locke. To make it out alive, she will have to hone her magic and learn to identify who is a rival, who could be an ally, and who is a murderer.

Because now, not only does she have to protect her heart, but her very life. Hopefuls are being viciously picked off one by one between the challenges. In her haste to escape the Collector’s trap, Sophia may have fled straight towards her own death sentence.

How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
A desperate woman’s plot to frighten her husband out of her life takes a nightmarish turn in a chilling novel of modern horror by a Bram Stoker Award–winning author.

Lainey Taylor is being pushed to the brink by her alcoholic husband, Callum. Prone to hallucinations and erratic behavior, it’s only a matter of time before he puts Lainey’s life—and that of their daughter, Beatrix—in jeopardy. A divorce and full custody is out of the question. In Callum’s words: Over my dead body.

Lainey’s sympathetic friend Adelaide has a wild solution. They’ll stage a haunting so convincing it will drive Callum out of Lainey’s life for good. Nothing too over the top: strange smells, noises in the walls, and flies unleashed along the windowsills. It could work. Considering Callum’s alcohol-induced night terrors, he’s already close to broken. With each new scare, Lainey is closer to seeing the haunting through to its bitter, freeing end.

But in a house filled with so much rage, resentment, and fear, is it any wonder that Lainey and Adelaide’s plan goes horribly wrong? As their fake haunting spirals into something no one can control, Lainey discovers that the only way out of this frightening trap is to join forces with Callum, or die trying.

The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller
Expected Publication: October 7th, 2025 
From Goodreads:
A witty, spectacular, and timely tale of modern-day witches waging war on the patriarchy, from fan favorite Kirsten Miller, the author of The Change and Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books.

There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay.

Five generations of Sadie’s descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more powerful than the last. Then, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the last of the Duncans, once prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home.

One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe’s daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline.

Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies—but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family.

There's so many fantastic books starting off October! I've read one or two already and they were so good, and I can't wait for these all to be out! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #737, June 25th

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

Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair
Expected Publication: July 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The first in an all-new fantasy series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair. In this biting, feminist retelling of Lilith's story, Lilith will rise from the ashes of her former life to destroy the ancient power that stole everything she loves.

She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he's always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn't sure he can protect her from what's to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

The Undertaking of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen
Expected Publication: July 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From the author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy comes a new heartwarming fantasy rom-com with an opposites-attract twist set in the delightful world of Tanria.

Immortal demigod Rosie Fox has been patrolling Tanria for decades, but lately, the job has been losing its luster. After one hundred and fifty-seven years of being alive, everything is beginning to lose its luster. When Rosie dies (again) by electrocution (again) after poking around inside a portal choked with shadowy thorns only she can see, she feels stuck in the rut that is her unending life.

Thanks to Rosie’s meddling, the portal’s inventor, Dr. Adam Lee, must come in person to repair the damage. When all the portals begin to break down, he declares an emergency evacuation of Tanria. In the mad rush to get out, Rosie and Adam end up trapped inside the Mist. Together.

And uptight Adam Lee in his bespoke menswear seems to know a lot more about what’s happening than he lets on….

Rosie is determined to crack the shell of his cool exterior. But the more she learns about Adam, the more she realizes that they both have personal histories as tangled and thorny as the plant that has them trapped inside the Mist. Maybe two people who have found themselves stuck in this life can find a way to unstick each other … just when their time on this earth seems to be running out.

Ascension by S.T. Gibson
Expected Publication: July 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From bestselling author of Evocation comes it's hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A perfect read for lovers of urban fantasy.

Now the High Priest of Boston's famed and secret Society, Rhys McGowan has a lot on his shoulders. With the help of his adoring witch wife, Moira, and his newly rekindled relationship with psychic boyfriend, David, Rhys is destined to become the most powerful High Priest ever. 

However, Rhys's insatiable ambition may be his undoing...

The second book in the bestselling Summoner's Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure.

Debts of Fire by Intisar Khanani
Expected Publication: July 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A hunted mage. A cursed land. An impossible debt.

When Hitomi first crossed the Burnt Lands to rescue her mentor from unjust imprisonment, the phoenix came to her aid. His price? Release the monster-riddled lands from the curses that have raged there for centuries—a fight more than a few mages have lost their lives to.

Now Hitomi is back, her magic bound within her and the High Council of Mages’ best rogue hunters on her heels. Luckily for the phoenix, Hitomi’s not about to let little details like that keep her from paying her debts.

But when an allied mage wreaks havoc with her plans, Hitomi plunges into a desperate race to stop the work she started. It will take every ally Hitomi can summon, and whatever tricks she has left up her sleeve, to divert the spells of the Burnt Lands before their cataclysmic power destroys everything—and everyone—in their path.

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith
Expected Publication: July 8th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported—a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse—but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she’s landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for  before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she’s determined to make  things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they’re transporting are for research, but Lara can’t shake the feeling that there’s something . . . otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will You can’t outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can’t unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good. . . .

A good collection of books coming out, I love these authors and the series that are series, and the stand alone sounds so good! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Monday, June 9, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #731, June 9th

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 #730
Teaser Tuesday #738
WWW Wednesday #738
WOW #734
Will the Time Come #731
Third Sentence Thursday #721
Random Reads #707
First Lines Friday #734
Book Blogger Hop #400
The Reward Challenge Update #716
How Well I Stuck to It #568
Wrote that Review Update #565

Week 23 Reviews:

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Camp SeasonAthon: 

Random:

OK, so I got 32 posts in 7 days, and it was another good, but slow week, I took my time, and did other things besides reading and blogging, and that was nice. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Caught Up!

From the viral TikTok author of the stalker romcom, LIGHTS OUT, comes Navessa Allen's second book in best-selling The Into Darkness Trilogy, upping the ante with voyeurism and play club kink.

"I wanted this woman, and I was a man who always got what he wanted."

Nico "Junior" Trocci knows Lauren Marchetti is off limits. She is sweetness and laughter, whereas Junior exists in a world of violence and depravity. Men like him don't get to have women like her. It's why he pushed her away back in high school and kept his distance ever since.

But when Junior looks Lauren up online, he discovers the shy, bookish girl he remembers is gone. In her place is a strikingly beautiful woman whose social media is filled with scantily clad pictures of herself and a connection to a nearby play club. Junior's innocent curiosity quickly turns into a dark obsession. Watching Lauren from a distance isn't enough; he needs to make her his.

"He's ruthless; a walking red flag. Good thing red is my favorite color."

Lauren is intrigued by the mystery man who keeps showing up at her club, who tempts her white-hot desires. But as their flirty online messages stir up a deeper form of connection, Lauren worries she's developing real feelings for this brooding stranger. As their combined desire ratchets up to a breaking point, who will seduce who?

Saturday, June 7, 2025

Week 23 Review: Ascension

From Goodreads:
From the international bestselling author of Evocation comes it's hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A magical read for lovers of traditional urban fantasy.

Ever since Rhys McGowan was a boy, he's only wanted two power and love.

Now, as High Priest of Boston's premiere Secret Society, husband to his adoring witch wife Moira, and partner to David - his psychic rival-turned-boyfriend, Rhys is finally at peace. But when a strange ritual rocks Boston's occult community, and opens the Society up to sabotage, Rhys delves even deeper into the dark world of demon-summoning. He's used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the strain of managing so many spirits (not to mention the stress of his loved ones exploring other people) will push him to the brink.

As heaven and hell play tug of war for Rhys' soul, he'll have to face the greatest demon of his own insatiable ambition.

The second book in the bestselling Summoner's Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure.

My Review:


Author: S.T. Gibson
Series: The Summoner's Circle #2 
Read: June 5th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Angry Robot 
Expected Publication: July 9th 2025 
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, June 6, 2025

Monthly ARC's Update 118

So I read my next book for Monthly ARC's and it was Ascension by S.T. Gibson from the July list.

Here's the link to this month's post with my journey.

How it Works: 
This is my monthly ARC accountability challenge, to list out the books that I have as ARC's that are being published in the coming month, rounding them up at the start of the month, and seeing how well I did at the end, as well as rounding up the next month's books.    
  

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Third Sentence Thursday #721, June 5th

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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!

"I asked for recognition within my own discipline." -Ascension by S.T. Gibson, page 16.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Must read more now! What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

WWW Wednesday #738, June 4th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme! And thanks now to Taking on a World of Words for reviving it! 

I'm currently listening to Framed in Death, and I'm really enjoying this latest installment! 

I'm also reading Love at Second Sight, and I'm really enjoying it! 

I read Learn My Lesson and I loved reading this version! 

I'm going to be reading Ascension and I can't wait to continue on with this series! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, September 9, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #692, September 9th

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 #691
Teaser Tuesday #699
WWW Wednesday #699
WOW #695
Will the Time Come #692
Third Sentence Thursday #682
Random Reads #668
First Lines Friday #695
Book Blogger Hop #361
Monthly ARC's Update 88
The Reward Challenge Update #677
Wheel of TBR #224
How Well I Stuck to It #529
Wrote that Review Update #526

Week 36 Reviews:
If I Have to Be Haunted

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

SeasonAthon Academy: 

Phase Out Your TBR: 

Random:

OK, so I got 66 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty good week, I did lose the weekend to a migraine, which is why I'm getting all this blogging done after midnight, which isn't great, but I'm on the later shift today, so not the early morning, so that's good! Otherwise the week was good, I read some great books, and I can't wait for this coming week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Somewhere Beyond the Deep!

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune' The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He's the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they're at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur's story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

S.T. Gibson Author Page

The Story: I saw A Dowry of Blood around, and I picked them up, and they were so good, and I've loved all that I've read by S.T. Gibson, and I can't wait to read more! 

Website

Series: A Dowry of Blood, The Summoner's Circle, Unearthly Delights.


1*: An Education in Malice and her site, my review. An Education in Malice has Magdalena, from A Dowry of Blood, so it's kind of a sequel to the A Dowry of Blood. 

The Summoner's Circle: Odd Spirits and her site, my review, Evocation and her site, my review, Ascension and her site, my review    

Unearthly Delights: Savage Blooms and her site, my review.

Week 36 Reviews: Odd Spirits, Evocation


From Goodreads:
Learn more about the characters from The Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson's Evocation in this gorgeously illustrated prequel novella to The Summoner's Circle series.

It takes a lot of commitment to make a marriage between a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch work, but when a malevolent entity takes up residence in Rhys and Moira’s home, their love will be pushed to the limits.

Brewing up a solution is easier said than done when your magical styles are polar opposites; throw a psychic ex and a secret society in the mix, and things are bound to get messy.

From Goodreads:
From The Sunday Times bestselling author of B&N's best books of 2022 A Dowry of Blood, comes a spellbinding and vibrant new series.

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father's death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he's curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David's days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he's ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other's care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…

My Review:


Author: S.T. Gibson 
Series: The Summoner's Circle #0.5, 1
Read: September 5th, 5th, 2024 
Source: Ebook.bike  
Reason Why: Sounded really great and I enjoy her other books, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Books!
Publisher: Angry Robot
Published: August 7th 2018, May 28th 2024

Odd Spirits:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Evocation: 
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Phase Out Your TBR Update 4

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Evocation which is for the prompt Red 6, and I'll be reading This Is Why We Lie next! 

My Reading Journey:

The White Guy Dies First Anthology
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 9
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 11:03 AM
Pages Read: 311

Crave by Tracy Wolff
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 4
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 12:46 PM
Pages Read: 575

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 5:01 PM
Pages Read: 200

Evocation by S.T. Gibson
Prompt Fulfilled: Red Wild (Green 5)
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 9:32 PM
Pages Read: 400

This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 6
Started On: September 6th
Currently On: Page 0 of 320

Prompts Left: Yellow 2, Red 3, Blue 7, Green 8, Red 10, Yellow 1, Blue 12, Green 2, Blue 3, Yellow 4, Yellow 5, Green 7, Yellow 8, Yellow 9, Blue 10, Blue 11, Red 11
Books Read: 4
Pages Read: 1567

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 14

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Evocation which was for the prompt  Spells & Incantations Q, and I'll be reading Twelfth Knight next!

My Reading Journey:

After That Night by Karin Slaughter
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies Q
Started On: September 1st 
Finished On: September 1st, 3:39 PM
Pages Read: 432

Fly with Me by Andie Burke
Prompt Fulfilled: Art of Illusion O
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 10:18 PM
Pages Read: 384

A Scandal in Mayfair by Katharine Schellerman
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies D
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 3:17 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Exalted by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Prompt Fulfilled: Art of Illusion O
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 9:48 PM
Pages Read: 384

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy O
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 10:03 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting O
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 4:18 PM
Pages Read: 352

One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy O
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 9:39 PM
Pages Read: 384

The White Guy Dies First Anthology
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration D
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 11:03 AM
Pages Read: 311

Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston
Prompt Fulfilled: Artificery O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 3:47 PM
Pages Read: 400

Four Letter Word by Gretchen McNeil
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:23 PM 
Pages Read: 320

Crave by Tracy Wolff
Prompt Fulfilled: Lore Q
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 12:46 PM
Pages Read: 575

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration Q
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 2:43 PM
Pages Read: 384

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson
Prompt Fulfilled: Art of Illusion Q
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 5:01 PM
Pages Read: 200

Evocation by S.T. Gibson
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations Q
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 9:32 PM
Pages Read: 400

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy O
Started On: September 6th
Currently On: Page 0 of 320

Prompts Left: Alchemy Q, Alchemy D, Inscription O, Inscription Q, Inscription D, Artificery Q, Artificery D, Spells & Incantations O, Spells & Incantations D, Elemental Studies O, Animal Studies O, Astronomy Q, Astronomy D, Inscription O, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Conjuration O, Conjuration Q, Conjuration D, Demonology O, Lore D, Animal Studies O, Animal Studies, Animal Studies D, Demonology O, Demonology Q, Demonology D, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Spells & Incantations O, Alchemy Q, Spells & Incantations O, Psionics & Divination O, Psionics & Divination Q, Psionics & Divination D, Lore O, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Shapeshifting O, Shapeshifting Q, Shapeshifting D, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Art of Illusion D, Psionics & Divination O
Read: 14
Pages Read: 4798