2024 was a great reading year. But it was also a year filled with quite a few reading slumps. While I did read a lot of new books, I also ended up reading backlists and quite a few re-reads as well.
I ended the year having read a total of 103 books. I didn’t do a top 10 or top 20 list this year, but rather a compilation of my favorite reads based on sub-genre. I did include 2 arcs {thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copies} that aren’t released until 2025 – Deep End by Ali Hazelwood and First-Time Caller by BK Borison. I loved both and highly recommend them!
**I read a majority of these books as advanced reader copies courtesy of the publishers. Thank you Berkley Romance, Bloom Books, LibroFM, PRHAudio, SimonTeen, Dutton for the gifted copies**
I read quite a few amazing rom-coms this year! The Risk was a re-read, but I ended up loving it more the second time around. The Love of my After Life was amazing on audio {thank you PRH Audio for the gifted copy}. First Time Caller and Deep End are releasing in 2025 {thank you Berkley for the gifted arcs}.
If there’s one thing about me – it’s that I absolutely love a good book that makes me cry, especially when the story resonates with my own experiences and emotions, drawing me into its world and leaving a lasting impression on my heart. LOVED these books!
I read so many good fantasy books this year and these were a few of my favorites. Overall a great romantasy reading year.
This was the year I started reading more dark romances and I enjoyed them! Definitely not a sub-genre for everyone, but I’m looking forward to reading more dark romances.
So many amazing books that I read in 2024 and I can’t wait to see what books will make my favorites list in 2025.
Did we happen to read any of the same books? What were your favorite books of 2024?
I have really enjoyed Lana’s previous books and I’m excited to read this spicy enemies to lovers paranormal romance!
SYNOPSIS
A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
I received a complimentary copy and audiobook from publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.
Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…
Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….
Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.
REVIEW
Add Bride to your tbr if you love -were x vampyre -marriage of convenience -mystery & drama -slow burn -lots of “my wife” moments -🌶🌶
Misery is a vampyre that’s been living in the Human world for years now. She feels like she blends in as much as a vamypre can. She has a human best friend, she files down her canines and doesn’t hunt humans to drink their blood – she grabs blood from a blood bank of course.
When extenuating circumstances force Misery into accepting an alliance with the Were’s by marrying their alpha Lowe Moreland she tries to make the best out of a not so ideal situation. Misery’s father may be using Misery as collateral for this makeshift alliance, but Misery has her own agenda. Her best friend Serena went missing weeks ago and the only clue she left behind had to do with the Were alpha. Misery has to try to figure out what if anything Lowe knows about Serena’s disappearance.
The Were pack have each other’s back and they all listen to their Alpha. They don’t have any love for a Vamypre living among them even if she is Lowe’s wife. But soon enough Misery finds that her only friend might be a little girl who just happens to be Lowe’s sister. The more time Misery finds herself spending with the pack, the more she ends up liking them and their fearsome, protective Alpha. Will Lowe and Misery learn to trust each other while they are contracted to stay married for at least a year?
I also had the opportunity to listen the audiobook of Bride and really enjoyed it! The narration was performed primarily by Thérèse Plummer with the chapter introductions done by Will Damron. I enjoyed Thérèse Plummer’s narration as Misery. Her voice was perfect for Misery and I could always feel the depth of emotions from her narration – everything from humor and sarcasm to sadness and longing. If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend listening to this one.
I loved loved loved Bride. While this book felt completely different from Ali’s previous contemporary novels, I couldn’t stop reading it fast enough. It was darker and yet had all of the same traits I love about Ali’s books – smart heroines with plenty of sass and wit and a hero who loves her unconditionally. I love Misery and Lowe together and didn’t want this book to end. And that ending?! I definitely need more books in this universe.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.
Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.
REVIEW
What you can expect to find in The Fake Mate -STEM leads -alpha/omega pairing -🌶🌶🌶 scenes -grumpy/sunshine -fake dating(mating)
Dr. Mackenzie Carter needs her grandma to get off of her back. She’s not quite ready to settle down yet and her recent string of bad dates isn’t helping matters. Dr. Noah Taylor has been working as a cardiologist for a number of years, but he’s hiding a secret. He’s an alpha shifter and an anonymous tip has let the board know about his secret. He needs to nip the stigma in the bud. When a chance opportunity presents itself – Mackenzie and Noah find themselves pretending to be fake mates. Mackenzie gets her grandma off her dating life and Noah is able to put the board at ease. Win-win, right? Except the more time Mackenzie and Noah spend with one another the more they seem to want to turn their fake relationship into something real. Will these two find a way to give their budding relationship a chance?
Did I have to google “what is the omegaverse” while reading The Fake Mate? Yes, yes I did 🤭 And oooohhh does Lana bring the heat in The Fake Mate. My pages were smoking while reading this spicy, shifter romance. If you read Lana’s debut The Nanny you know that Lana can write a spicy scene and she did not disappoint in The Fake Mate.
This shifter romance was so spicy but also very sweet. Noah was always so gentle with Mackenzie. And I loved how badass and fearless Mackenzie was. The third act breakup felt a bit forced and I felt not entirely necessary, but I still ended up binging this shifter romance.
If you’re looking for a sweet, spicy, shifter romance with the fake dating/mating trope – I recommend you pick up The Fake Mate.
I have been a huge fan of Rosie’s since reading The Roommate a few years ago! Do Your Worst sounds like the perfect autumn romance full of curses, magic and of course romance. I’m excited to pick up this book.
SYNOPSIS
Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become rivals with benefits in this steamy opposites-attract romance from “go-to author” Rosie Danan (The New York Times Book Review).
Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she’s pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.
Fresh off a scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for professional redemption (or his traitorous heart). After he fails to get Riley kicked off his excavation site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.
Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep ending up on top of each other. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.
EXCERPT
While other women inherited a knack for singing or swearing from their grandmothers, Riley Rhodes received a faded leather journal, a few adolescent summers of field training, and the guarantee that she’d die alone.
Okay, fine, maybe that last thing was a slight exaggeration. But a unique talent for vanquishing the occult, passed down from one generation to the next like heirloom china, certainly didn’t make dating any easier. Her matrilineal line’s track record for lasting love was . . . bleak, to say the least.
Curse breaking-the Rhodes family talent-was a mysterious and often misunderstood practice, especially in the modern age. Lack of demand wasn’t the problem. If anything, the world was more cursed than ever. But as the presence of an angry mob in any good folktale will tell you, people fear what they don’t understand.
To be fair, Gran had warned Riley about the inherent hazards of curse breaking out of the gate. There was, of course, the whole physical danger aspect that came part and parcel with facing off against the supernatural. Riley had experienced everything from singed fingertips to the occasional accidental poisoning in the name of her calling.
As for the personal pitfalls? Well, those hurt in a different way.
She’d grown up practicing chants at recess and trying to trade homemade tonics for Twinkies at lunch. Was it any wonder that, through middle school, her only friend had been a kindly art teacher in her late fifties? It wasn’t until tenth grade when her tits came in that guys decided “freaky curse girl” was suddenly code for “performs pagan sex rituals.” Riley had been almost popular for a week-until that rumor withered on the vine.
It was like Gran always said: No one appreciates a curse breaker until they’re cursed.
Since she couldn’t be adored for her talents, Riley figured she could at least get paid. So, at thirty-one years old, she’d vowed to be the first to turn the family hobby into a legitimate business.
Still, no one would call her practical. She’d flown thousands of miles to a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands to risk life and limb facing down an ancient and unknowable power-but hey, at least she’d gotten fifty percent up front.
Hours after landing, strung out on jet lag and new-job nerves, Riley decided the village’s single pub was as good a place as any to start her investigation into the infamous curse on Arden Castle.
The Hare’s Heart had a decent crowd for a Sunday night, considering the total population of the village didn’t break two hundred. Dark wood-paneled walls and a low ceiling covered in crimson wallpaper gave the already small space an extra intimate feel. More like an elderly family member’s living room than the slick, open-concept spots filled with almost as many screens as people that Riley knew all too well back home.
Hopefully after this job put her services on the map she could stop picking up bartending shifts in Fishtown during lean months. For now, her business was still finding its feet. The meager income she managed to bring in from curse breaking remained firmly in the “side hustle” category-though it was still more than anyone else in her family had ever made from their highly specialized skills. Riley had always thought it was kind of funny, in a morbid way, that a family of curse breakers could help everyone but themselves.
Whether out of fear or a sense of self-preservation, Gran had never charged for her practice. In fact, she’d kept curse breaking a secret her whole life, serving only her tiny rural mountain community. As a consequence, she’d never had two nickels to rub together. She and Riley’s mom had weathered a few rough winters without heat, going to bed on lean nights-if not hungry, then certainly not full.
Riley had never faulted her mom for ditching Appalachia and the family mantle in favor of getting her nursing degree in scenic South Jersey. It was only because she’d never been good at anything practical that Riley found herself here in the Highlands, hoping this contract changed more than the number in her bank account.
If word got out that Riley had taken down the notorious curse on Arden Castle, she could go from serving small-time personal clients to big corporate or even government jobs. (She had it on good authority they’d been looking for someone to remove the curse on Area 51 since the seventies).
Perching herself on a faded leather stool at the mahogany bar that divided the pub into two sections, Riley had an excellent vantage point to observe the locals. Up front in the dining room, patrons ranging in age from two to eighty occupied various farm tables brimming with frothing pints and steaming plates.
I picked up this book after seeing it all over my social media. While this was my first book by Kerri Maniscalco, it definitely won’t be my last! Loved the banter and the chemistry between Prince Envy and Camilla!
SYNOPSIS
Sinner. Villain. Wicked.
The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other…
Virtuous. Darling. Liar.
The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .
Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.
REVIEW
What you can expect to find in Throne of the Fallen -Historical Romance x Fantasy Romance -morally gray hero -independent heroine -only one night/I’m not catching feelings -spicy spicy spicy -mystery
Camilla Antonius loves her life. She’s an accomplished artist in her small town, she has great friends and she doesn’t need much more. When the Prince of Envy happens to need Camilla’s artistic ability she’s not quite sure what game he’s playing. Soon these two are thrust into the Underworld where they’re playing a deadly game and only one person can be victorious.
Throne of the Fallen was my first book by Kerri Maniscalco and I honestly had no idea what to expect. I love the crossover of Historical Romance x Fantasy Romance and I feel like she did such a good job! I love both genres so it’s fun to see this happen.
The Prince of Envy and Camilla were so much fun together. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet! I was always left intrigued as to what was going to happen next between the two. And Kerri Maniscalco knows how to bring the spice. The warring emotions between the two – jealousy, envy, lust – were done so well. I was rooting for these two to get together from the beginning! I loved the twists and turns throughout the book.
I read this book as a complete stand alone and I felt like it read fine – I haven’t read any other books by Kerri Maniscalco.
If you’re looking for an adult fantasy romance with a bit of suspense/mystery I would definitely recommend Throne of the Fallen.
**updating my rating to five stars because I can’t stop thinking about this book and recommending it to friends!
After loving the first book in the Hex series, Go Hex Yourself, I am so excited to read Penny’s story in What the Hex!
Penny is so eager and excited to become a familiar to a witch. Only one small problem – no one is hiring familiars at the moment. When an opportunity presents itself to apprentice for a forbidden warlock – Penny takes the chance! Willem Sauer is a banned warlock, but needs a familiar to help with the limited magic he can practice.
These two don’t immediately get along, but when someone starts targeting Penny – they must work together. Will their forced proximity bring them closer together while they try to keep Penny safe?
SYNOPSIS
Enemies-to-lovers has never been more enchanting in this witchy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Hex Yourself .
Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.
Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).
Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?
EXCERPT
WHAT THE HEX – Excerpt
PENNY
There’s nothing better than a well-established routine.
I love knowing what to expect. I love everyone playing their individual part, and watching it all come together. Maybe that’s me romanticizing even the mundane aspects of life, but the best kind of progress happens when the system works like a well-oiled machine. That’s why I don’t mind the weekly meeting of the Society of Familiars. Some people might find it boring, but I love it.
Well, most nights I love it. The current president of our society is . . . a bit difficult to listen to for long periods of time, if I’m being honest. I stifle a yawn as Derek Chapman bangs a gavel on the meeting table and then drones on. “Any other news to discuss before the society?”
It’s silent.
“Anyone? Anyone?”
I glance out at the gathered audience. There are twenty people here tonight. There should be all fifty of our local members out there, but a lot of them lose faith and stop attending, or they come around just enough to renew their dues and then disappear again for another year. I’m doing my best to make coming to society meetings more fun, but sometimes it feels like an uphill battle since no one else is putting in effort. I don’t blame them for feeling down about things. It’s hard to keep being positive when year after year, there’s no opportunity to apprentice. But I believe in positivity, and I’m sure our situation will change at some point. We just have to keep on.
“Anyone?” Derek drones out again.
Derek doesn’t think he’s part of the problem with the Fam, as we call the Society of Familiars. It’s an ironic name, because none of us are actually familiars. We’re the pool of candidates in waiting to become familiars. We’re here because we have the bloodlines and the inclination, and we’re just waiting for a witch or a warlock to come along with an opening for an apprentice. Until that glorious moment happens, all we have is the Fam.
And Derek isn’t exactly a dynamic leader. He’s dry and boring. He reads in a monotone from manuals instead of learning the information and speaking about it from the heart. He hyperfixates on tiny things about the society, like dues and attendance, and focuses less on the people themselves and what they bring to the group. As a result, our attendance numbers keep dwindling. You don’t have to attend all the meetings to be in the society, of course, but as someone that loves to be part of the group, it’s hard for me to watch everyone peel away under Derek’s lead.
“This is your opportunity to speak up,” Derek continues in the same colorless voice. He rubs his nose rather wetly, examines his fingers, and then peers out at the group. “Might I remind you that attendance and joyful participation will be considered by some warlocks and witches as a sign of enthusiasm.”
Ugh. Please. There’s a hierarchy to our group. Names are put on the list in order of how long we’ve been waiting and rarely get shuffled. The warlock or witch then pulls from the top candidates. It doesn’t have anything to do with “joyful participation.” That’s just Derek being, well, Derek.
I raise my hand and bounce to my feet, clutching my notes. Time to save the day. “I just wanted to say to please remember to bring your cookies for next week’s baking swap! All cookies, cupcakes, and brownies are welcome, but remember that if you use known allergens or rare spell components in your baking, to please label your goods accordingly.” I glance around the room, smiling at everyone as warmly as I can. “I also wanted to get volunteers for the car-wash fundraiser for Abby this weekend, and a reminder that several of us are going out for drinks after this. Everyone is of course invited!”
“Thank you, Penny,” Derek replies, his monotone drowning the shot of fun I just tried to inject. “Any other familiar business?”
No one speaks up. There’s a polite cough in the back.
“Then I’d like to close the meeting-” Derek begins, lifting his gavel like he’s a judge.
“Wait.” Someone in the audience stands up. It’s Cody, a good friend of mine. We’re about the same age and in the same situation-as in, we’re both from a long line of familiars, and yet we have no one to serve. “When are we opening up membership again?”
I look over at Derek, who frowns. “We’re not.”
In the audience, Cody looks unhappy with this bit of information. “Why not?”
Derek blinks. He’s elderly, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s forgotten where he’s at, and my heart squeezes with pity. Poor old thing. But then he turns to me, a hint of confusion on his face. “Why not?”
I have to answer? I stammer for a moment, then try to frame it in as positive a light as possible. “Right now we’re focusing on our existing members to give them the best opportunity for familiarship possible.”
“So in other words, we’re not letting in new people because it’d make things too competitive?” Cody crosses his arms, his pose challenging. “Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?”
I look over at Derek, but he’s still watching me, so I bite back a sigh of frustration and keep a bright smile on my face. I shouldn’t be surprised that Derek is making me do part of his job. I kinda end up doing it anyhow. “Membership being open or closed is voted upon at the annual meeting. If everyone feels really strongly about opening up for new applicants, we can take a vote then. Or you can send a formal request to have it added to a future agenda-“
Cody waves a disgusted hand at me and sits back down.
Oh. Well then. I keep smiling and look over at Derek. I guess it’d be impolite to point out that not only did Derek propose that we close enrollment, but he’s supposed to be the one enforcing it, not me. Then again, if he’s having trouble remembering where he’s at, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s forgetting this, too.
Derek bangs the gavel. “Business concluded for this evening. See you all next week.”
“Drinks at the Alehouse around the corner,” I call out cheerily. At least now it’s time for my favorite part of meeting nights. “We’d love to see you guys there!”
Despite my warm invitation, less than half the group migrates over to the Alehouse. I buy a few rounds of drinks to encourage people to stick around, and sip my amaretto sour as my friends talk about nothing in particular. Darcy is complaining about her job at a bookstore, and Megan just broke up with her boyfriend. Nathan asks if my job is hiring, but he always asks that. We’re never hiring for my part of the job, unfortunately. There’s a guy that works weekends at the front, but for spell component fulfillment? It’s just me. I get why he asks, though. Of all of us in the Society of Familiars, I’m the only one that has regular contact with any witches or warlocks. The rest of them just sit back and . . . wait.
I head for the bar once my drink is gone, ready to order another round. To my surprise, I run into Derek. He’s sitting at the bar instead of with the rest of us, and I feel a twinge of pity. I put a hand on his back and tap it to let him know of my presence. “I didn’t know you were here! Why didn’t you join us?”
He waves an irritated hand at me. “No one wants to sit with an old man like me.”
Oh dear. Derek’s words are slurred. I frown at the cluster of empty beer glasses in front of him. “You’re not old,” I say cheerfully. “You’re just distinguished.”
“I’m seventy-eight.” He leans over toward me. “And I never, not once, served a witch.”
“Because you’ve made your life all about the Society of Familiars, right?” Derek moved here recently from out of state, and ever since, he’s been determined to be involved in our local group. I’m thrilled that someone’s showing interest other than me, but I just wish he were a more dynamic leader.
But Derek just shakes his head. “No one wants an old familiar. I’m never gonna get to serve.” He peers over at me through beer-glazed eyes. “You’re gonna age out soon, too.”
That stings. Ouch. “I just turned thirty. There’s plenty of time for me yet.”
“Yes, but there’s always someone younger,” Derek says in a lofty voice. “You’re like me. The society is gonna be your life.” He nods sagely and then taps my arm. “Play your cards right and you can be where I am someday.”
I smile politely and grab the tray of drinks from the bartender the moment he sets them on the bar, practically flinging down my tip. Somehow, I manage to keep smiling as I make my way over to the table again, even though Derek’s words are ringing in my ears like a death knell.
The society is gonna be your life.
Do I even want that? I’m here because I want to learn witchcraft. I’m here because I want to serve as a familiar. I want to grow in my own power and live hundreds and hundreds of years, and I can do that only if a witch or warlock takes me under their wing and teaches me. But the problem is that because most witches are so long lived, they don’t like swapping out apprentices. They don’t like change. So anyone that apprentices can expect to be serving for a few decades at least before being taught to go out on their own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
The ice planet has given me a second lease on life, so I’m thrilled to be here. Sure, there’s no cheeseburgers, but I’m healthy and ready to be a productive member of the small tribe.
What I didn’t anticipate? That there’d be a savage stranger waiting nearby, watching me. And when he takes me captive, the unthinkable happens… I resonate to him.
Resonance means mating, and children… but I don’t know if this guy’s ever been around anyone before. He’s truly a barbarian in all ways, right down to clubbing me over the head and claiming me as his own.
So why is it that I crave his touch and hunger for more?
REVIEW
I enjoyed Barbarian Mine! Harlow and Rukh’s story was not as fast moving as some of the others in the series, but we finally got to see a few(!) babies – yay! I ended up enjoying Barbarian Mine and am already looking forward to book 5!
EXCERPT
BARBARIAN MINE by Ruby Dixon
Berkley Trade Paperback | September 13, 2022
Excerpt
Harlow
I need two poles for a travois. Two. No problem. There’s got to be trees in the distance, and I’m strong and whole.
Okay. I can do this. I can.
Aehako’s instructions ring through my mind, over and over. We need to make a travois and take Haeden back to the healer. My heart races wildly in my chest as I sprint through the snow, looking for the thin, pink, wispy trees of this planet. Kira’s gone, and both aliens are wounded. They need my help, and I can’t let them down. I don’t know why they don’t go back to the alien ship and get healed. They don’t trust it, and I guess I understand that. I’m used to technology, and it still freaks me out to think of the cold, emotionless voice of the computer.
Also, I know what it’s like to fear the doctor.
My feet sink into the snow with each step, and my leather boots quickly become sodden. There’s no time to fix them or reinforce the insides with warm dvisti fur. Time is of the essence. I trudge forward over a drift-covered hill, and when I see the pink, wispy eyelashes of trees in the distance, I pick up the pace.
Almost there.
I have Haeden’s knife, since he’s too wounded to use it. The bone handle is smooth in my hand, though it’s a little too big for my human-sized palm to grip comfortably. Everything here on Not-Hoth is sa-khui sized. I’m a decent height for a girl, but the average person on this planet seems to be seven feet tall, and the snows are deep, the caves huge. Really, everything feels just a wee bit too big. It’s like I’ve been transported to a Goldilocks house, except instead of just right, everything’s too large.
It’s just one more thing I must adjust to in an endless stream of new and frightening things.
Weeks ago, I went to sleep in my own bed, and the biggest concern on my mind was when I’d start my chemo. Then, a few weird dreams later, I woke up, shivering and weak, pulled from a tube and told I’d been abducted by aliens.
Which would have been hard to believe except that I’d come from Houston, Texas, and my air conditioner had gone out, so I’d spent the evening sweating and praying the repairman would come by soon. When I’d woken up? It had been so cold my bare feet had stuck to the metal floors, and strange blue aliens occasionally entered to chat with the humans.
It’s hard to call someone a liar when they’re seven feet tall, blue, and horned. After seeing that, I had to believe. And even though sometimes I want to pinch myself until I wake up, I have to accept the fact that I’m now living on a snow planet with no chance of getting home, and I’m infected with an alien parasite that allows me to endure the harsh conditions of Not-Hoth. Not exactly how I’d visualized my future at all.
But . . . at least I have a future.
According to the ship’s medical computers, I’m cancer-free now. I don’t know if it’s wrong, or if it’s Not-Hoth’s atmosphere or the new “cootie” (as some of the girls call it) living in my chest.
All I know is that the inoperable brain tumor isn’t showing up in scans. And for the first time in the last year, I have hope.
But first . . . a travois.
When I get to the trees, I move to the closest one and touch the bark with my fingertips. It feels spongy and damp despite the chill in the air, and not sturdy enough to support a massive, muscled alien. I have no idea if this will work, but I’ll give it a shot. I owe the sa-khui my life, and so I’m going to do my best to help Haeden and Aehako.
Kneeling down, I begin to hack at the base of the first tree. The knife sinks in with a squishing noise, and sap squirts out onto the snow. Ugh. I wrinkle my nose and keep cutting, determined. Kira’s gone, and they’re wounded, so I’m the only one that can help.
The snow crunches nearby.
I stand upright, surprised. It almost sounded like a footstep. “Hello?” I turn around and look. “Aehako?”
No one’s there. The snowy landscape is barren, nothing but rolling drifts as far as the eye can see.
I must be imagining things. I’m not alone out here in the wild. There’re creatures everywhere, or so the hunters tell me. It could be one of the porcupine-looking things. Or maybe it’s a rabbit. Or . . . whatever the rabbit equivalent on this planet is.
I can’t be a silly chicken and freak out at every little sound, though. I turn back to the tree and continue hacking at it.
I hear the crunch of snow again, and a moment later, a heavy thudding. My blood feels like it’s surging in my ears, and I press a hand to my head, wincing.
No, wait. That’s not thudding or drumming. My heart is calm. Is it . . . purring?
Something slams into the back of my head, and I pitch forward into darkness.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Women’s Fiction
Release Date: August 23, 2022
Publisher: Berkley
I’m currently reading this heart warming, magical read and I am loving it! Minka Moon is a witch who is also part of the very secret society of irregular witches – a group of witches who occasionally meet and discuss how magic seems to be affecting their lives.
Minka is used to being alone and not really having any friends. So when she decides to create an online account where she pretends to be a witch – she doesn’t think there’s any harm in that (also it’s a secret from the other witches). When she is contacted about her witchraft and tasked to helping three young witches control their magic – Minka is befuddled. Who is taking care of these witches? How are they all together – it’s a rule to keep witches apart as their magic can be powerful when combined? And most importantly who is Jamie – the temperamental librarian at Nowhere House and why is he so distrustful of Minka?
I can’t wait to dive back into the book. I am loving all of the secondary characters as well as Minka’s self discovery and her prickly relationship with Jamie.
SYNOPSIS
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….
EXCERPT
THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna
Berkley Trade Paperback Original | August 23, 2022
Excerpt
When the spellwork part of the meeting was complete, Primrose cleared her throat. “Finally, does anyone have any news they’d like to share?”
“It’s okay to say it’s time to gossip, Primrose,” Mika said merrily. “We all know that’s what comes after the spellwork.”
“Witches don’t gossip,” sniffed Primrose.
This was patently untrue, however, because gossiping was precisely what they proceeded to do.
“My ex-husband wanted to get back together last week,” said Belinda Nkala, who was in her forties and never had time for anyone’s nonsense. “When I turned him down, he informed me that I am apparently nothing without him. Then he left,” she added calmly, “but I fear he’s going to be suffering from an inexplicable itch in his groin for a few weeks.”
Several witches laughed, but Primrose set her lips in a thin line. “And have you been playing such petty tricks lately, Mika?”
“Oh, for the love of fucking god, Primrose, what does this have to do with me?”
“It’s not an unreasonable question, precious. You do like to take risks.”
“For the millionth time,” Mika said, irked beyond belief, “I post videos online pretending to be a witch. It’s just a performance.” Primrose raised her eyebrows. Mika raised hers right back. “Hundreds of people do the same thing, you know. The whole witch aesthetic is very popular!”
“Witchcore,” Hilda said, nodding wisely. “Not quite as popular as cottagecore or fairycore, but it’s up there.”
Everyone stared at her.
“I didn’t know fairies were real!” shouted Agatha Jones, who was almost as old as Primrose and tended to believe all young people needed to be shouted at lest they miss the import of her pronouncements. “Whatever next!”
“You see, Primrose?” said Mika, ignoring this interruption. “People call themselves witches all the time. I’m not putting myself or you or anyone else at risk. Nobody who watches my videos thinks I’m actually a witch.”
It was unfortunate for Mika, then, that at that precise moment, over five hundred miles away, in a big house in a quiet, windy corner of the Norfolk countryside, a skinny old man in a magnificent rainbow scarf and enormous fluffy slippers was saying exactly the opposite.
“Absolutely not!”
This came from Jamie, the scowling librarian, who was not in fact the skinny old man in the scarf and slippers. That was Ian. And the third person in the library was Lucie, the housekeeper, a chubby, round-cheeked woman in her fifties, who sighed as if she knew exactly how this argument was going to go. (She did know, and she was right.)
Ian smoothed down the tail of his scarf and replied, in the deep voice that had charmed audiences in many a small theatre over his eighty-odd years, “Don’t be difficult, dear. It doesn’t become you.”
Jamie was unmoved by this criticism. “You can’t seriously be considering bringing that”-and here he jabbed a finger at the dewy, sparkly face on the screen of Ian’s phone-“into the house?”
“Why not?” Ian asked.
“Well, for one thing, there’s no way she’s a real witch,” Jamie said irritably. This was not unusual. Most of the things Jamie said were said irritably. “What kind of witch would show off her magic on a platform with millions of viewers?”
Mika would have been immensely gratified to hear this, had she been there, but it looked like her double bluff had not hoodwinked Ian.
“She’s a real witch,” he insisted.
“How the hell can you possibly know that?”
“I have excellent observation skills. Just watch part of the video.” Ian wiggled his phone like he was dangling a lollipop in front of a toddler. “A minute. That’s all I ask.”
I adored the first book by India Holton – The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and am looking forward to reading The League of Gentlewomen Witches.
When a pirate and a witch must team up to retrieve an important talisman – an unlikely alliance forms. Charlotte, a witch, despises the Wisteria Society and one day aspires to be future leader of the League. Alex, a pirate, has vowed to never work let a witch get close again. Can these two work together to retrieve the talisman without their feelings getting tangled?
SYNOPSIS
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the teahouse…
Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women skilled in the subtle arts. That is to say—although it must never be said—witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways. Using magic, they tidy, correct, and manipulate according to their notions of what is proper, entirely unlike those reprobates in the Wisteria Society.
When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte, as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with Alex O’Riley, a pirate who is no Mr. Darcy. With all the world scrambling after the amulet, Alex and Charlotte join forces to steal it together. If only they could keep their pickpocketing hands to themselves! If Alex’s not careful, he might just steal something else—such as Charlotte’s heart.
EXCERPT
THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEWOMEN WITCHES by India Holton
Berkley Trade Paperback Original | On sale March 15, 2022
Excerpt
A policeman’s whistle pierced the clamor of the crowd, and Charlotte winced. Pain from the noise ricocheted along her nerves. If only she could leave London with all its cacophony and retire to Hampshire, birthplace of Jane Austen, where green peace whispered wild yet gentle poetry to one’s heart. It was never to be-duty forced her presence in London, noble duty (and the fact there was not much of value to steal in the countryside)-yet still she dreamed. And occasionally took brief jaunts by train because, truly, there was nothing like leaving home for real comfort.
Thus imagining oak trees and country lanes while behind her the brawl intensified, Charlotte made her way without further impediment toward Almack’s. Its door stood open, a delivery boy’s bicycle leaning on the wall beside it, and the warm interior shadows promised respite from London’s inconveniences-as well as a back door through which she could slip unnoticed by policemen, pumpkin carters, and aggravated briefcase owners. She was almost there when she saw the child.
A mere scrap of humanity, he huddled within torn and filthy clothes, his small hand extended pathetically. Charlotte looked at him and then at Almack’s door. She came to a decisive stop.
“Hello,” she said in the stiff tones of someone unused to conversing with children. “Are you hungry?”
The urchin nodded. Charlotte offered him her wrapped sandwiches but he hesitated, his eyes growing wide and fearful as he glanced over her shoulder. Suddenly, he snatched the food and ran.
Charlotte watched him go. Two cucumber sandwiches would not sustain a boy for long, but no doubt he could sell the linen napkin to good effect. She almost smiled at the thought. Then she drew herself up to her fullest height, lifted her chin, and turned to look at the gentleman now looming over her.
“Good afternoon,” she said, tightening her grip on his briefcase.
In reply, he caught her arm lest she follow the example of the urchin. His expression tumbled through surprise and uncertainty before landing on the hard ground of displeasure; his dark blue eyes smoldered. For the first time, Charlotte noticed he wore high leather boots, strapped and buckled, scarred from interesting use-boots to make a woman’s heart tremble, either in trepidation or delight, depending on her education. A silver hook hung from his left ear; a ruby ring encircled one thumb, and what she had taken for a beard was mere unshaven stubble. Altogether it led to a conclusion Charlotte was appalled not to have reached earlier.
“Pirate,” she said in disgust.
“Thief,” he retorted. “Give me back my briefcase.”
How rude! Not even the suggestion of a please! But what else could one expect from a barbarian who probably flew around in some brick cottage thinking himself a great man just because he could get it up? Pirates really were the lowest of the low, even if-or possibly because-they could go higher than everyone else in their magic-raised battlehouses. Such an unsubtle use of enchantment was a crime against civilization, even before one counted in the piracy. Charlotte allowed her irritation to show, although frowning on the street was dreadfully unladylike.
“Possession is nine-tenths of the law, sir. Kindly unhand me and I will not summon a police officer to charge you with molestation.”
He surprised her by laughing. “I see you are a wit as well as a thief. And an unlikely philanthropist too. If you hadn’t stopped for the boy, you might have gotten away.”
“I still shall.”
“I don’t think so. You may be clever, but I could have you on the ground in an instant.”
“You could,” Charlotte agreed placidly. “However, you may like to note that my shoe is pressed against your foot. If I am so inclined, I can release a poisoned dart from its heel which will penetrate boot and skin to paralyze you within moments.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Ingenious. So you too are a pirate, I take it?”
Charlotte gasped, trying to tug her arm from his grip. “I most certainly am not, sir, and I demand an apology for the insult!”
He shrugged.
Charlotte waited, but apparently that was the extent of his reply. She drew a tight breath, determined to remain calm. What would Jane Austen’s fiercest heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, do in this situation?
“I consider myself a reasonable woman,” she said. “I take pride in not being prejudiced. Although your behavior is disgraceful, and I shall surely have bruises on my arm, I do appreciate this has been a difficult afternoon for you. Therefore, I give you permission to withdraw.”
“How kind,” he said wryly, although he did ease his grip on her arm. “I am going nowhere, however, without my briefcase.”
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