The holidays are now in full swing, and schedules are filling up. The great end-of-year rush is upon us. At least for those you don’t want to cramp it all in during December. Let’s face it, that happens whether we want it to or not.
I feel I set my annual reading goal fairly low this year, 90 books. As of the last week of November, I’m at 130 books completed. I purposefully set it lower than I knew I was capable of reading because in 2024 I read 101, which was great It was 2024 that scarred me. I read 70 out of a goal of 100. Needless to say I’ve been a coward and played it safe. Next year I’m going to push myself over the reading edge! Maybe…maybe not.
Have you thought about your 2026 reading goals yet? How is 2025 wrapping up?
Elemorix by: A.K. LaRocca
Advertised as a Hermione and Malfoy-inspired story. I get it and completely loved it. What I liked most was that I was able to see the Harry Potter inspiration, but it wasn’t a retelling with a twist. The author took a spark ignited by the wizarding world and created her own magical wonder that was all her own.
Zephira is the determined mud-blood worth rooting for. Draven’s character development is so strong and incredibly quick.
A lot happens in this. Because this book is only just over 400 pages, a lot seems to get glossed over and can feel rushed at times. Something that maybe should have been pivotal to Zephira’s development or the overall storyline is summed up in a sentence or two. Felt like most of the book was condensed to fit in a very limiting space. One that was too small for AK’s vast creativity.
The fact that Draven goes from 0 to 100 when it comes to his feelings for Zephira is a bit head-spinning, but not off-putting. Zephira, on the other hand, is not too believable. Believable may not be the most accurate word. As a character, she is, I understand where she is coming from and why. More like relatable? Her background is well established, and an excellent motivator.
We are constantly bombarded by how annoying and frustrating she finds Draven. Next thing we know, she is professing her feelings and ready to give herself to him. The steam, honestly, I could do without. The slow, almost one-sided burn was enough that it didn’t need explicit scenes beyond PG-13. Seemed out of place. Emotions are high, for each other and their situation, but clean and innocent. Out of the blue, Draven talks dirty to her?
I absolutely love the foundation set for the bigger plot. There is more going on than either of them ever knew. Kept me completely immersed and quickly turning the page. Suspenseful.
Her Soul to Take by: Harley LaRoux
I’m a sucker for a baddy that has a soft spot for that one person who lights their soul on fire. Even more so when they initially resent the fact that this person is getting under their skin for some inexplicable reason. I instantly gravitated toward Leon.
This is a great start to the series. A perfect setup to the town, its dark history, the people, and the evil god lurking underground. I also really loved the equality of the dual perspective. Most of the time, the FMC gets more page time than the MMC in terms of POV. This time, we get to dive into Leon’s head just as much as Rae’s. Being privy to his internal struggle as much as Rae’s is refreshing.
This is a dark, demon romance. While I am not one to read trigger warnings, most of the time, the list is usually more interesting than the actual execution in my opinion.
That being said, all the themes of this book revolve around darkness. Rae and Leon may get their HEA, but the journey is dark, bloody, and raw. There is betrayal, magic, demonic creatures, and lots of blood. Tiny spoiler: no animal is harmed on or off the page.
Basically, take away the horror of Silent Hill and replace it with drama and raw spiciness, and you have this book. Small town cult mentality, demons, soul bargains, blood, more paranormal creatures than you can shake a stick at, deception, and passion.
Leon is a demon that has been doing the bidding of the cult leaders for years, against his will. It is during his servitude that he meets Rae. A woman whose roots run deep in the town, but just recently returned. Fortunately, she has missed out on growing up with all the stories of the town’s history. Well, she knows the big story, the one about the cannibalistic miners. Unfortunately, that also means she didn’t grow up with all the warnings the story heeds. Especially the one revolving around the survival of those miners who were led to such decisions. The warnings that could save her life.
Luckily, there’s Leon. I absolutely love the demons in this story. Of course, they have the demonic-soul-consuming aspect the Winchesters told us about. They are really a bunch of kinky, fun-loving, loyal beings who just want to enjoy their existence. Leon is hilarious in that sarcastic-I-have-a-chip-on-my-shoulder type of way.
Rae, she’s not my fav. Maybe the author was trying to emphasize her ignorance and naivete about what was happening in the town. It makes Rae come across as a moron more often than not. While she and Leon were pretty steamy together, the actual love aspect is iffy. Got completely caught up in the story.
Her Soul for Revenge by: Harley LaRoux
I went into this with a preconceived skepticism. We met Zane and Juniper in the first book. Which meant, in my mind, we would be reliving the story from another perspective. And that is the case, but not nearly as bad as I thought.
Unlike Rae, Juniper is very much in the muddle of the town’s drama. She was supposed to be the first victim. Through the power of plot, she survived and is now on a mission to take all those who wronged her down. Mainly, the head of the cult.
There are a lot of moments that are replayed from the first book just through a new pov. Didn’t mind it as much as I thought.
Zane is a hoot. His sarcasm and loyalty give him the perfect foundation to steal the show.
Juniper has one thing on her mind: revenge. Shocking, I know. She does get sidetracked by Zane and his body quite often, though.
The thing I really appreciate about this book is the character growth. Juniper is traumatized. Like really traumatized. Not like how every other influencer throws the word around as easily as they do their personalized affiliate code. Her journey to heal and gain empowerment is really well done. It’s not so much her acts of violence that stand out, but the inner workings of her mind as she processes everything is stellar. With Zane’s help, she is able to find her peace, and it’s beautiful and kinky.
Smoke and Fire by Donna Grant
One of the slower installments to the Dark Kings series. But, this was more plot-driven than action-packed. A lot of time is spent setting up scenes for more tension between Ulrich and the kings. Then there’s Michael and Ry, respectively. Not to mention the growing number of reaper sightings.
When you have this many books in a series and the same type of plot – dragon finds its mate – it can get stale really quickly. Donna has done a great job of trying to give each king his own unique story.
I appreciate the relationship between Kinsey and Ryder. They already have a history, but we, as readers, don’t seem to lose anything by not being there firsthand to witness it. Their relationship, in terms of feelings, was not rushed or dramatic…mostly. Ryder was a bit of a diva at times. It just added to his charm.
Kinsey, wow, she has an iron will. The woman will stick
to her guns until she knows she’s not alone anymore. Even then, she is reluctant. Her stubbornness and insecurities were never redundant or annoying, just relatable and real. Kinsey is a smart, modern woman who wants to feel whole and wanted.
The mystery revolving around Con is getting juicier and closer to imploding in his face. With each installment, we get closer and closer to the main plot finding some resolution, or destroying us all. Can’t wait!
Crave to Conquer by: Zoey Ellis
Sometimes books that are clearly written as an excuse for smut are all about the spice. Some have a great storyline that compliments the steam. Others, well, the storyline is just a waste of words on a page. This, however, was great.
Omega’s and Alpha’s relationship revolves around physical intimacy. Obviously, there is a lot of steam as the plot calls for it. It complements the story and doesn’t necessarily give it purpose.
What I really loved about Drocco and Cailyn was their development as characters. Drocco is purely a dominant alpha. Under other circumstances, he would be considered an alpha-hole and not in a good way. The fact that he acts as he does because he doesn’t know any better changes everything. Once he realizes he was raised in an extremely biased environment, he begins to question everything, even himself. That is an alpha I can
get behind. While he remains the hardened warrior and an emperor, he wants to deserve Cailyn’s trust.
Cailyn has been raised under her own similar circumstances. Made to believe in one truth with little wiggle room. She is a bit more stubborn in her ways, but spends 99% of the story isolated from those who are harboring all the truths. I read this years ago and couldn’t really remember much of the story other than vague plot lines. So glad I gave this a re-read.
Fire & Flood by: Victoria Scott
Total Hunger Games Déjà vu that I went into with very low expectations. Despite the similarities to that wildly popular book-to-cinema series (that was based on the lesser known book-to-cinema Japanese masterpiece Battle Royale), this wasn’t terrible and that’s actually a good thing.
Yes, these people are forced to race across four different ecosystems. Yes, there can be only one winner. No, it is not necessarily to the death for every other contender.
Each contender has a family member who is sick. The winner receives the cure. If only it were that simple.
Like the Hunger Games, there is something sticky slithering beneath the surface. The backstory of the race is a bit anticlimactic and really showcases what lengths people with entirely too much money will go to.
The book in and of itself, as I said, is not bad, as a whole. There is just a good amount of cringe weighing it down.
Tella, the MC, is something. Not the most aware person in the world. Never would I have believed she would make it in these challenges. If it weren’t for others, she wouldn’t. She does not come across as strong in the least. Not resourceful, fairly self-absorbed, and naïve. The romance comes across as forced and unnatural.
Then there’s the Pandoras. A gift from the bioengineers backing this little sport. Each contender gets one that hatches from an egg. Its abilities are revealed on a need-to-be basis. Cute touch, very random. It is clear this version of our universe has made great advances in science and technology. I’m not certain how I feel about it. They are bioengineered animals that have some very AI-based lifestyle traits that have nothing to do with their abilities.
This book is more entertainment than a good read. I did get caught up in the story because I had no idea where it was going. There are the obvious plot points that can be spotted from the first few chapters, along with great gaping holes of implausibility surrounding their survival in the jungle and desert.
Both have extreme conditions that are fairly accurately depicted. What is not accurate is how the human body would survive given the conditions, and how these contenders are carrying on. Small mentions suggest the author made a minimal attempt to have the characters react to their environment. It was minimal. Being sunburnt in the desert isn’t only going to cause dehydration. Try extreme fatigue, fever chills, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. Not to mention the effects of possible third-degree burns from being unprotected in the desert sun for over a week straight. Instead, these super contenders are simply sore from walking in the sand, a few sunburns, and parched. Don’t get me started on the jungle where they are constantly soaked through and drinking water from streams. The entire race should have ended with the contenders dying of dysentery. You don’t need to have played Oregon Trail to know what can happen in extreme traveling conditions. Despite all this, it was entertaining and a quick read.
The Collector by: Victoria Scott
A case of trust the process. This took me a bit to get into. The first several chapters were hard to get through. They read more like an upper elementary/middle grade novel. Throwing every cringey cliché at the reader.
Dante came across as extremely pompous, as only a sophomoric child can be. Yes, he’s supposed to be egotistical, but he read more like an 8-year-old who thought he was the best specimen the human race has ever seen, but could have easily been dethroned by a decent 10-year-old.
I’m usually a fan of the anti-hero hero, but Dante is just a dick. That one guy who walks through the school halls thinking his sh*t doesn’t stink and ends up working as a bag boy for the rest of his life. His only redeeming quality is his character development. And thank God there was that aspect, otherwise I would have been
rooting for him to end up in the ninth level of his namesake’s creation.
Charlie is easily the pinnacle of sainthood. Purity radiates from her and pulls others into her redeeming light. Her naivete is refreshing instead of being a hindrance. Though at times, it was a bit unhinged. Like when she was expertly humiliated at the first HS party she attended, but then expressed her gratitude for being able to attend as tears of trauma streamed down her face. Sometimes there’s the bright side, and sometimes there’s delusions we hide behind.
The story, I absolutely loved the concept of collectors and liberators. It’s unique and a great take on the balance between good and evil.
Dante may have had decent character development, but the development of romance was weird. Everything about Charlie initially disgusted Dante and in no way hinted that he could fall for her, other than reasons of plot. It was like watching someone get sick every time they repeatedly ate eggs, then one day decided they loved the flavor and the ritual of making themselves sick, and now eggs were their favorite food. Done differently, the turn from evil-serving-soul-collector to trying-to-save-the-girl-and-the-world would have been great. I did, however, appreciate that the story is told from Dante’s point of view.
Ignite Me by: Tahereh Mafi
I still may not love Juliette, but she has finally had a breakthrough. The only problem is, it’s almost out of nowhere.
I get that the last few books are where she was supposed to be healing and growing, and all the fluffy things. Instead, it was a constant, steady stream of teenage petulance and self-absorbed tantrums. Now we hit book #3 and she is still the same character, but suddenly has a plan to take over the world, and everyone is supposed to just roll with it. Has she grown enough to take on the role she is aiming for? Not even remotely.
Adam, what a douche-canoe. He has definitely been siphoning some of Juliette’s energy. He’s heartbroken and in pain, but that is no excuse for nearly forsaking the world around him so bitterly. Warner is growing on me since we finally meld the political man with the human.
Despite my curiosity to truly uncover the endgame, I think this might conclude my Shatter Me series journey. I might pick it up in the New Year, but I have no immediate plans to do so. Yes, even though this is the highest-ranked book in the series for me so far.
Birthday Girl by: Penelope Douglas
This is another case of TikTok made me read it and I’m not sure why. This isn’t usually the type of book I gravitate toward.
The premise is a typical age-gap trope/falling for your ex’s father. Typical and inherently not bad. The thing that really ruined it for me was the way Jordan was portrayed. She’s 19 and supposed to come across as mature beyond her years. Her background is written to showcase that she had to grow up far before her time. Even Cole, her boyfriend-soon-to-be-ex, treats her more like a caretaker than a partner.
The foundation was set for Jordan to be a 19-year-old going on 30. Unfortunately, more often than not, she acted like a whiny, petulant brat that fully embraced her scant 19 years. She flew off the rails at the smallest slight, at least, what she perceived to be a slight. Instead of acting like a rational adult and listening to someone
explain their point of view and rationale, she decided that she knew everything and must act accordingly by running away.
Not to say Pike wasn’t at fault sometimes. To be fair, he is a father first and foremost and acted as such. In other romance stories where the MMC just acts as they do in order to protect the love interest, it comes across as domineering, yet in a romantic way. This was purely parental. Further tilting it from age-gap romance toward creepy. Never did I once picture Jordan as a woman finding her way in life. She remained a teenager playing house with a single dad, as she was turned off by their interactions and Pike’s reactions to her.
Power Exchange by: Sadie Haller
This story had so much potential.
Mel is a celebrity fixer. Basically, she is a PR superhero who tries to fix her client’s faux pas. Stuart does some tech something or other. Their two fields complement each other and are what ultimately bring them into each other’s lives.
As much as I like a good kink romance, this wasn’t it. I would have loved it if this were longer and focused on nabbing the creep catfishing minors online. Combining Stuart and Mel’s superpowers to catch the criminal and save teenagers would have been really interesting. Instead, we get a glossed-over plot and a relationship that’s hard to invest in.
The BDSM is very clinical. Everything feels rushed and juvenile. It’s like the author read a book on BDSM and wrote about scenes without actually understanding them.
Taking the broad strokes of a kink relationship and never going deeper than surface level. Was disappointed, I wanted to dive deeper into a plot that just wasn’t there. Could have forgone the kink aspect in this one.
Tapped Out Single Mom by: Kai Lesy
One of my biggest pet peeves in a romance novel is when one of the MCs decides they are going to withhold vital information and claim it’s out of self-preservation. In some instances, that could work; mostly, it’s just ridiculous and leads to unnecessary tension and conflict.
I get that there has to be some type of conflict to threaten their happily ever after. Come on, it’s four wealthy men where a political career will be involved and a polyamorous relationship. Plus, Stella’s ex and mother would have proved enough tension all on their own. Instead, they are simply pests buzzing around who are taken care of quickly. Missed opportunity there.
All the characters are one-dimensional. Sure, the story exists to showcase the steamy reverse harem aspect, at least make it believable. Insta-love is one thing; this is a stretch. .
The four alpha males are manipulative and self-serving. And the poor teenage babysitter. I’m all for a single parent having time to themselves and having a life outside of being a parent. The babysitter easily works 40 hours at a time, all the time. None of the characters are relatable. The chemistry and relationship aren’t either.
Understandably, not many are reading these types of books, expecting a strong plot and complex characters. It makes it difficult to get into any of it if the story and characters don’t drag you in first.
I think this is the third in this series I’ve read. All are complete stand-alones, simply connected by their reverse harem aspect. This is my least favorite. Not looking for award-winning writing, but would appreciate being pulled into the story and making a connection to at least one character
Missed last month’s reviews? Read them HERE.
