“Cherish one another. Appreciate the moments you are given, ephemeral as they may be. Do not dwell in the past or scurry toward the looming future. And be grateful, each day, for the love that you share. I am grateful to have witnessed it.” If you’ve been following along, you already know I bought the entire Sacred Stones trilogy on a whim during a Barnes & Noble closing sale — and that this series turned into a whole journey for me.  We started with A Dawn of Onyx, a solid fantasy romance entry point. Then A Promise of Peridot hit me like an emotional gut punch. And now here we…

“I told you once there is power in harnessing your fear. There is also power in vulnerability. It is what makes us human, and gives us something worth fighting for. Sometimes, that is also something worth dying for.” I’ll be honest, I teased this one in my A Dawn of Onyx review as an emotional gut punch with more spice and stronger character development. I wasn’t wrong.  A Promise of Peridot, the second book in Kate Golden’s Sacred Stones trilogy, picks up right where the first left off and promptly proceeds to run at full speed and not stop. I went in knowing more was coming. Nor did I know…

I bought this entire trilogy under the best possible circumstances: my local Barnes & Noble was closing to move locations, and every book was 50% to 75% off.  I’d been seeing bits and pieces about the Sacred Stones series floating around the fantasy romance corner of the internet for a while and kept mentally filing it away.  When I saw all three books sitting there at a steep discount, it felt like a sign. I bought all of them on the spot. I went in curious but cautious. Discounted impulse buys don’t always pan out. This one did, at least for book one. Summary A Dawn of Onyx follows a…

“I remember everything. I remember everything so much I am being crushed under the weight of it all. If I weren’t so horribly defined by everything I’ve ever loved and lost, maybe I could be the kind of person who moved through life easily.” Summary The Rose Bargain is a fast-paced, Regency-inspired fantasy romance set in an alternate England where young women are given the opportunity to strike magical bargains with an immortal fae Queen.  In exchange for beauty, talent, or other gifts that could improve their marriage prospects, they must give up something deeply personal, often without fully understanding the cost. The story follows a sharp, ambitious protagonist navigating…

Last time we spoke, I was about 50% through Tusk Love. My thoughts were pretty neutral at that point as the story was following a fairly typical arc for fantasy. I enjoyed that aspect and had few complaints. But I have since finished the book and now have far more thoughts about it! It is still a fairly light-hearted story, that no prior knowledge of Critical Role is needed to dive right into.  So let’s chat about the second half of Tusk Love.  Continuing the Journey Funnily enough, until I hit pause about halfway through, there was some flirtation but no definitive spice. Going into this book, I wasn’t sure…

Some books just beg to be documented as you read them. I haven’t done a reading vlog in a while but wanted to do one for Tusk Love!  I also have a part 1 vlog if you’d prefer to watch, but I wanted to share some of my early thoughts and thoughts as I go.  (Spoiler free of course) Why I Picked It Up This book came to my attention initially by social media. I really loved the cover and wanted to know more about it.  Tusk Love is a mix of DnD meets fantasy romance. And while I know next to nothing about DnD, I know a fair share…

“I have tasted freedom here, in the Northlands. But my dreams make me wonder if I still feel trapped – caught in a game between alphas I have little control over.” Goodreads / Storygraph Summary In the sequel to The Wolf King, Aurora and Callum find themselves forced to form an alliance with one of the most feared wolves in the kingdom, Blake.  Despite being their enemy, he has entangled his life with Aurora’s and so neither can harm him without also harming Aurora.  As Aurora works to break their connection, she begins to think there is more than Blake is letting on. Not just about their connection, but also…

“I’ll learn to fight. I’ll make my own stories, rather than be the side character in the stories of kings.” Summary Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle where her marriage has been arranged for her.  And it is the night before her wedding, while at a dog fight, where werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf.  This gets her the attention of a powerful alpha. Later that evening when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged northlands.  Where clans that once warred are beginning to unite.  The alpha believes that Aurora is the key to winning…

“For the women who are, behind their smiles, fucking furious.” Goodreads / Storygraph Summary In a world where magic is forbidden and danger lurks behind every mask, A Kiss of Iron follows a clever and resourceful woman who finds herself entangled in a deadly game of secrets, seduction, and survival.  When she’s forced into a bargain with a powerful fae lord, she discovers that power—and desire—can be more treacherous than she ever imagined. With morally gray characters, slow-burn tension, and lush world-building, this fantasy romance is perfect for readers who love danger with a dash of decadence. Thoughts on the Plot If I am being honest, there are a lot…

“She’d long given up the hope that someone with a white horse would ever come to save her. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be the knight in shining armor for herself. For them.” Goodreads / Storygraph Summary Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother’s invites her to Italy, she accepts.  She doesn’t expect the owner’s ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back.  But Genevieve follows nobody’s orders, especially those of…