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Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
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Hide your wallets, it's that time again! Your daily thread of romance deals is ready, FREE to $2.49!
$0.99 ✦ The Perfect Mistake by Olivia Hayle
Best friend's older brother. He's a wealthy CEO / single dad in need of a nanny. She's a professional ballerina who is recovering from an injury.
Contemporary Romance (MF) https://amzn.to/4u9L5Et
A Shop Girl's Guide to Wooing a Lord (The Heiress Hunters #1) by Shana Galen
5 Stars!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a complimentary copy of this book for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a fun start to this series!
I'm definitely curious about who's going to win the summer house and how that's all going to play out. Something tells me things aren't going to go quite the way the brothers all seem to think!
Tamsin was pretty great. While it was a horrid situation, I loved her drive to find her siblings. I did wish she didn't try so hard to the detriment of herself so often, but I get why she did. I wished she'd been able to stand up to the Brown's, but I liked her mother being able to step in. I laughed when she managed to get Big John to let them stay, although I don't really think she had to twist his arm as much as he pretended (although her mother was a little harder to convince). As she spent time with Garrett, I liked her realizing all the ways she loved him and his family and how she kind of opened his eyes to things.
Garrett was actually pretty funny. He went from "must marry an heiress" to "that thief's a girl!" to "I love her so much" and it was glorious. He was smitten from the Belgrave Ball. Part of me wishes it had been since the violet incident, but at the same time, having his feelings for Tamsin be real from the Ball makes it better. He did have some eye roll moments where he attempted to be a martyr but I loved his family telling him to knock it off. I loved the relationship he has with his whole family, especially his brothers. While he didn't want to, I liked that they came up with the idea to marry an heiress instead of letting Mariah's choice be taken; although why their father didn't come up with that idea in the first place, I don't know.
I ended up really liking Lady Callista. When Garrett first tried to apologize, I will admit to feeling like she was a little bit spoiled, maybe a little bit of a twit. But after her conversation in the garden with Garrett, she's definitely more than she appears! I liked the conversation the two of them had and how Garrett realized he'd like to be friends with her. I feel like she's going to be one of the FMCs but I can't decide if she'll give Liam, Killian, or Daire a better run for their money!
Loved this intro to this series and can't wait to see the rest of the Kildare's fall in love!
Book releases June 9th, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
When Sparks Fly by Monica Murphy
3.5 Stars!!
Thank you to Valentine PR, Blackstone Publishing & Monica Murphy for an eARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
The overall premise of this was so fun!
I will admit I had some issues because the overall pacing felt...off(?) I'm not sure if that's the word I'm looking for, but let me see if I can describe it. Things started pretty decently; Rachel running and hiding from her breakup, the fire, the run-in with Wyatt first, then she sticks around and she and Wyatt are hooking up. But then we get to 80% and suddenly we're having massive time jumps of weeks/months and the end sort of felt rushed/incomplete.
I wished we'd had a little more about Rachel's relationship with her family; that was clearly a weird situation. And while I do understand what her dad was doing, the timing just didn't quite feel like it worked. Like maybe if we'd had one or two conversations where she at least mentioned her parents trying to convince her to do something else, getting a job, or even the whole "business merger" piece her dad was talking about, then I could buy it. But the fact that it came out of nowhere, while it did cause Rachel to stand on her own two feet, I just felt like it sort of pushed things a little bit.
For the most part, Rachel was pretty decent. She definitely was spoiled at the beginning and extremely naïve. But then there was her choice to run back into the house for a bag and I questioned things a little. But as she stuck around and started working at Mitchell's, she had some growth. I did like the friendship she developed with Paige and even with Nate, although I'll talk about that relationship in a second. I also liked the way Rachel took to Dottie and just settled in in Foxglove Bay. The relationship with Wyatt was decent but also kind of went from zero to relationship kind of fast. We did see both of them struggling with whether or not they were smart to say "I love you", so I did like that. When Rachel went back to New York, while at the end of the day it was the right thing to do, she was attempting to do so for all the wrong reasons. Even if Wyatt wasn't helping. But I was glad that Nate told her not to come back and that she did find her footing in New York.
Wyatt was also decent. It was interesting seeing him walk through his feelings for Cheryl and how that may have messed him up and all that entailed. His frustration with Rachel initially was understandable, but I liked that he was able to walk himself to what he needed to. I loved the way he was with Dottie and how he clearly cared for her. Then the accident happened and he was a grumpy PITA. Again, while Rachel's going to New York was needed, she was leaving for all the wrong reasons and Wyatt just allowed all his anger to get in the way. Once Nate called him on it, I liked his grand gesture and the fact that he realized how he cared for Rachel.
I'm very curious about Paige and Nate, so hopefully we get a story for them! That has the potential to be a decent second chance! Especially because we know they were a thing once upon a time, but Nate is afraid of something. Whatever else he might say, he's afraid of being in a relationship with Paige because he does care. So I'm definitely curious how that would play out and crossing my fingers we get their story! Also hoping to get a story about Scarlett and Tate because that could be interesting too!
Book releases May 26th, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
Today's romance deals are up, treat yourself to one of these lovely reads!
5 romances, all under $2 👀📚
Wednesday Romance Deals (05/20): A hockey star falls for the team mascot, a demon slayer falls for a demon doctor, a camgirl falls for an attorney & more! 📚
It's Not the Size That Counts by Lyonne Riley
4 Stars!!
Thank you to Lyonne Riley for an eARC of this story. Thoughts and opinions are my own
This is a short story, about 59 pages total, but it's super cute!
I liked the relationship between Selvanar and Trisha and even though it came on pretty quick (considering the length of the story, that's not a surprise), it didn't feel rushed at all! The description of the meadow where they located Trisha's mushrooms, as well as Selvanar's hive were so intriguing! I loved the aspect of the colors and everything with that.
This story is part of Folds: A Cringy Monster Romance, an anthology releasing June 1st, 2026
The Stellar Veil (The Starborne Saga #2) by H.E. Bauman
5 Stars!!
Thank you to H.E. Bauman for an eARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
If I just put AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! does that get my point across?
I enjoyed the first one, but this one upped things a bit. We've got a bit more danger, there's a few more stakes, and the spicy starts spicing! I liked the friendships that developed between Mo, Cass, Kynn and Ezra. Mo, Cass, and Kynn were definitely family before but Ezra has just slipped in there and he gets to stay! I loved that Cass and Kynn had no problems calling people out (even if it didn't happen in the way one might think). Then Ezra and Mo finally had a conversation and while things are going a little slow (love that Ezra is all over that and doesn't mind), they're moving along!
We find out a little more about things with the gods and what's going on with Ikna. The reveals on like what sets them apart is intriguing and I'm curious about what's going on on their plane! Of course, that end makes me less curious about that and more curious about how they're going to solve those problems at the end. With the choice that Mo made, I wonder how that's going to play into it. What she saw was unfortunate, but it points to how strong she really is.
The way Livia showed up has me...concerned. I know people think it's Rifel but I really hope it doesn't turn out to be someone closer.
Hopefully we get book 3 soon because after THAT ENDING, I need to find out what happens next!
Book releases May 18th, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
April Reading Stats
I know it's a few days late, but here's my April Reading Stats! Graphs/data from The Storygraph. Total books read: 10 Total pages: 3278 ARCs: 2 Owned books read: 4
Fangs, Fate, & Mondays (The AzRIO files #1) by Hayley Reese Chow. ARC REVIEW
4 Stars!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Whimsical Publishing for an ARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was so cute! I loved the chapter titles!
The worldbuilding is interesting but there's still a lot left to explore and I can't wait to see what we find out in future books! I liked the aspect of the different magics though, things like Dessa's abilities and the Vampires, Werewolves and Magickers. Even the Hexxers have some stuff going on, although they are really shady so not sure I trust anything about them yet. Then you have Kiwi-Fred who is more than he appears.
Dessa's past is not talked about in too great a deal, but you get the gist. She mentions that she and the others were ambushed and what happened with that, but you don't find out all the nitty gritty and I'm definitely curious because there's a lot about it. It's sad that Dessa's the only one who kind of came back, but hopefully future books give her more closure. I liked that while she was upset at Jamison going to the graveyard, she was able to acknowledge that a)it needed to be done and b)while she wasn't ready to go yet, she knew she would at some point. I liked the relationship she developed with Jamison, even if it won't go anywhere yet. They make a good team and they're so good together! The reveal on her Uncanny abilities was intriguing and I'm curious if there's more she can do.
Jamison really piqued my interest! The curse business seems like there's a lot more too it, especially after that conversation with Xavier. Jamison really wants to make his own path and I liked that he settled into working at AzRIO and how he wants to be there. Granted, a lot of that is because of Dessa but he's making inroads with Arthur and Richard, and Melba is his secret champion so it seems like he's settling in! I'm definitely curious about what happened a year ago because similar to Dessa's past, we're told a broad overview and we do get a little more, but even with Noah's connection to Rachel, we're still not told everything.
This was a super fun book that had me laughing occasionally. I liked the worldbuilding and I'm super intrigued about what could happen going forward! Hopefully Hayley Reese Chow gets to write at least a couple more books in this series!
Book releases May 26, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
Today's romance deals are up, treat yourself to one of these lovely reads!
5 romances, all under $2 👀📚
Tuesday Romance Deals (03/31): Opposites keep running into each other at weddings, CEO of a pub empire, second chance with a Duke & more! 📚
Cruel Angel (Gilded Monsters #4) by Rebecca F. Kenney
3.75 Stars!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a complimentary copy of the book for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Okay, so this is book 4 in this series, but if you haven't read the others/missed one or two (for example, I haven't read Ruthless Devotion yet, but I've read the others), you won't be totally lost. It will make references make more sense but you won't miss big details on this story.
I liked that the author moved things from France to Nashville, but also made things fit. The paranormal aspects were intriguing as well. This series has worked well at building that mythology out and I liked getting more as things went on. The reveals on Lloyd-Henry's doings (and I'll admit I'm a little upset that he wasn't 100% nuked after the crap he pulled in Charming Devil , but at the same time, we wouldn't have gotten the story we did if he had been so yeah. At least the Phantom made his realizations and kind of got that closure, even if Lloyd-Henry thought he was a god himself). Then there was the reveal on what, or more specifically who he was unable to locate and I'm wondering if the author might have another series up her sleeve.
The relationship between Christine, Raoul, and the Phantom/Erik was a weird combination of just what they all needed and very toxic. Christine pointed things out when she tried to run, but she also walked herself to the realization that they might be what each other needs to keep the toxicity at bay and somehow it made their relationship work. It was definitely rocky for a minute, but I liked the three of them finding their footing.
The reveal on Raoul was interesting. Made the reasons his family was a sh*tty to him as they had been make a bit more sense. Didn't excuse a thing, but it explained it. Then there's the reveal on Phillipa's hold, and his choice to leave via email was actually smart. Although I'll admit part of me kind of wanted him to reveal he was an alpha, but that also wouldn't have quite fit Raoul's character so having things fall out in the way they did really was for the best.
This book releases April 14, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
The Monster in the Manor by Lyonne Riley
5 Stars!!
Thanks to Lyonne Riley for an ARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was so cute!!
I liked this spin on Beauty and the Beast, especially the way that Rupert stayed a monster and how that result came about.
I did roll my eyes a little at Rupert because dude became kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, even though he had both Kellen and Peony telling him to knock it off. But the flipside is that he had both Kellen and Peony telling him he was being a butt and then Peony didn't back down. I laughed at Kellen's behavior whenever Rupert messed up and how he told him off. I did like that before Rupert went sideways, and after Kellen kicked his butt about the dinner, he started trying to show stuff to Peony. He was still afraid but at least at the manor he was participating. The calm moments when they were cooking in the kitchen were so sweet, and I loved how playful he was with it.
Peony was great. It was unfortunate what happened with Andy, and I did like that she decided to start trying to reach out again, even if she was scared. I did like her determination to make it work, even if her aunt was a witch about "helping" (I liked Rupert's anger about it honestly...granted that was after he'd realized his feelings but he was still upset at her aunt). I liked the friendship she struck up with Kellen. And at the end, I liked her not walking away when Rupert was being stupid.
The situation with Andy felt both like it had been coming the whole time (I figured he was going to show up at some point), but also like it was slightly shoehorned in. I did think that things were going to go south when she ran into Mandy, but I really hope it was a slip because Mandy didn't know rather than an intentional "I found her for you". Even though it was bad, I liked the way Rupert handled the situation and the fact that he listened to Peony instead of doing what he wanted.
Book released March 20, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
While You Were Seething by Charlotte Stein
4 Stars!!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Griffin for a complimentary copy of the book for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
I liked the banter/chemistry between Daisy and Caleb! From the beginning it was great and I liked that their history helped shape it too. The "then chapters" definitely helped show what their relationship was previously and while it kind of colored things in the now, it also was interesting to see those things through that "then" lens.
Daisy was pretty great. I liked that she wanted her company to succeed and I could understand her feelings of too much. It's unfortunate it took her a minute to realize that you might be too much for some people, but the ones who matter won't care. But I did like her connection with Caleb and how she was able to push him, even if at first she was doing it because she'd realized he'd run first chance he got and he needed to not do that. Then the end when she finally read him and realized why he was how he was, and how she was able to reframe all the stuff he was trying to paint in a bad light to prove he was wrong was amazing.
Even when Caleb was a gruff butt, he was still weirdly sweet (even if it took a minute to get there). He was frustrated about Daisy riding along, although that was less annoyance and more not wanting to feel, but he still started trying to do things she liked. Without her saying so, showing that he remembered things and he even just saw her as she is now. The end reveals, when he was trying to paint himself in such a bad light were surprising and a little sad that he saw himself that way. I did giggle a bit when he was wedged in the window because that had to be awkward. I did wish we'd gotten a little more on his dad/sister because that felt kind of like a big thing but it kind of got steamrolled over as far as explanations go.
I will admit that I realized the connection(?) on his dedication's pretty early on. I was surprised it took Daisy so long to make the connection, but to be fair, she had all the "then" lens stuff to pull from so why would she? And Caleb was doing his best to run away from emotions, so he wouldn't have said anything.
Book releases April 14, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
Once Upon a Blossom's Curse (Corset Strings and Cups of Tea #1) by Audrey Lynn
4 Stars!!
Thank you to Audrey Lynn for an ARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was an interesting second chance story!
Gen was a little frustrating but only because she held onto "I must do my duty" for so long. While I could kind of see why, it was frustrating that she so often and so easily bowed to Queen Penelope's wishes. The way she talked about things with her curse and everything, it's a little sad that she didn't realize Leland would have issues. At least she was cognizant enough to put him off a little bit. Once she fully got around things, and realized she and Leland were better as friends, she turned to wanting what was best for the country, yes, but she was thinking about it from the aspect of "what makes me happy first?" and I'm glad she fought for Kieran.
NGL, Kieran was the perfect mix of broody, besotted, "I hate that I still love you" and NGL, I laughed more often than not. During his POV chapters, even when he was trying to convince himself that all he wanted was Gen's ruin, he was still somehow a lovesick fool (I mean he's sneaking into her room and leaving her flowers, he told Leland about things he knew she liked...man didn't try that hard once he saw her again, despite what he might have said). I did kind of wish we'd gotten to see him get into it with Gabe once more, to make up for the whole having him arrested thing and walking in on them twice.
I will admit to pegging some of the reasons/reveals from the beginning, although I would have liked to see more of how they came about (contents of letters, etc). The reveal on how much Queen Penelope was ignoring but also essentially involved was unfortunate and I'm the slightest bit curious on her actual motives. Like I can see why she did what she did previously (only from a "that's harsh" standpoint rather than a "ooh, good point!" standpoint).
The end correspondence between Gabe and Kalise was honestly hilarious. I'm definitely looking forward to their book! And hopefully we get to see Leland find his HEA, Astoria too!
This book releases March 6, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
Of Diamonds and Vengeance (The Chronicles of Adamah #1) by Rachel Fallon
5 Stars!!
Thank you to Rachel Fallon for an ARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oh wow! I loved the magic system in this book! The aspect of the different gems having different properties and the way those properties could be enhanced/adjusted/etc was interesting. I liked the way Jacinth was figuring stuff out, even when she admitted she didn't know a ton of magic.
While I understood Jacinth's need for vengeance, I did note that things were not as they seemed when she recalled things the first time. The way certain things were said, and yes, they hinted at things and considering her age, I could see it sticking with her. But at the same time, I feel like maybe she should have at least started to go "wait..." before she ended up at the competition. That being said, even before she realized things, I liked the fact that she started making friends and how without realizing it, they probably helped nudge her to question. Then at the end when things were going slightly sideways and she realized what she had to fight for now.
Azurill was awesome and I laughed at lot when we were in his POV chapters. Yes, he was dealing with stuff and having to have the competition while also dealing with his grief (although I kind of wished we'd gotten a little more on that...several people in his inner circle had said they suspected murder and it felt like maybe it was being investigated but then that kind of got dropped. Or maybe not dropped and it'll come up in a future book when we focus on one of those characters?) I liked that it didn't take long for him to kind of zero in on Jacinth, even while he was telling himself he needed to give all the competitors a chance, but it was like he instinctually knew who Jacinth was and everything. Or maybe Erodite or Veritx were pushing him along?
I didn't trust Carnelian from the second he stepped on page and while Jacinth thought she was using him for her own ends, it was unfortunate how things fell out from that.
This book is connected to Rachel Fallon's other series (starting with Of Darkness and Ruination ) but you don't have to have read that to read this. The books/series are interconnected standalones, so it sounds like people make appearances in other books but you don't need backstories. Although I'm intrigued to read those books and see who pops up!
Book released February 12, 2026
Other reviews:
Storygraph
Goodreads
The Restitching of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin
5 Stars!!
Thanks to Lindsay A. Franklin for an eARC copy of the book for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you were kind of screaming and throwing your book at the end of The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine , then you should pick this one up ASAP!
I liked the way Em and the Novems got to travel through the stories but seeing the stories in ways that no one really knew. I liked the stories Lindsay Franklin chose as destinations for Emlyn and crew, but also the twists thrown in, as things tried to fix themselves. Laramie's journey initially was a little more tense(?), but only because he had no way of knowing what story he was in and how to act. I liked the way he did his best to protect Frank and get back to Emlyn and the others. Emlyn in particular (and chapter 65 was short but super sweet and I giggled a little bit!)
I was glad that Emlyn was able to find and rescue Camille, although the realization(s) she came to were a little bittersweet. I'd be curious to see how more people handled things after Camille went back (were there instances of deja vu or hints of "wait, didn't someone else do this?", did her parents wonder because something felt off, things like that). I did like the fact that Camille accepted things and her biggest issue was that she wouldn't technically have a sister anymore, but I did like that she got to see Emlyn still.
The reveal on Sorena and her connection/reasons was surprising, and for a while, I thought she was going to be more villain-y than not. Yes, she was technically a villain, but I think at the end, it was more fear than anything, because Hadeon interferred where he shouldn't. The reveal on Sorena's choice was surprising, but I liked the explanation Em gave when asked what to do about Hadeon at the end.
Book releases 2/10/26
It's Tuesday (01/20) and I've got 21 New Romance Releases up on the blog, from Grace Callaway, Navessa Allen, Stacey Agdern & more! 📚
Hide your wallets, it's that time again! Your daily thread of romance deals is ready, FREE to $2.99!
FREE ✦ Counting on the Cowboy by Karen Foley
After a combat injury ends his career as a military K9 handler, he returns to his hometown. She had a crush on him growing up. Now she's a wildlife rehabber.
Contemporary Romance (MF) https://amzn.to/3Zbt9w2
