#arc review

[readingtillmidnight]

Red and the Wolves by Cherry Zong

Release date: 13 January 2026

Genre: young adult fantasy graphic novel

If you like:

Little Red Riding Hood but sapphic

Forgotten gods

Eldritch beings

Shapeshifting animal guardians

Red, a fiercely loyal hunter, has dedicated her life to protecting her witch Grand Mother. Monsters have been roaming the forest that they call home, bringing forth a mysterious illness that has devastated the land and chased every living soul away. Until Red stumbles upon an injured wolf-girl named Sil.

Red is cautiously optimistic to befriend someone new, but the more their relationship deepens, the more she begins to uncover the sinister truths behind everything she’s ever known.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

The art style is versatile, as the artist depicts cute and silly moments, as well as dark and creepy ones. I love the character design, from Red and Sil to the strange monsters. I also loved the illustrations of the settings, especially the creepy and decaying locations.

The story was lots of fun too, I loved following along as Red and Sil meet and bond, and as they begin to uncover the mysteries of the woods.

The pacing is pretty good too, although I feel the second half was a little rushed. I would have liked to linger on certain moments a little longer, but that's just me nitpicking.

This isn't a romance heavy book at all, but I would have liked a little more romance. This is completely subjective though, so if you're looking for something with minimal romance, this may work for you.

Overall, a lovely debut graphic novel. I will be anticipating more from this author/illustrator!

Content warnings:

Death, violence, blood, injury

Eye violence (depicted but not gory)

Animal death

Swearing

Alcohol consumption

[asuraid]

looking for ARC readers for book 2 of ecaden’s crown!!

hello i have arrived with book 2!!! of ecaden's crown!! … yes that is my art there

i'm looking for arc readers and putting together an arc team ahead of ARCs going out in mid-august! no, you do not need to have read book 1 (a little primer can be sent if you'd like, unless you wanna go in completely blind)

if you're a fan of m/m, religious horror, dragons, grimdark fantasy, and watching characters fall apart in real time—and you'd be willing to leave an honest review—we'd love to have you!!!

there's a lil google form to fill out that covers all the details, including content warnings :3

(blurb below)

Agapetus Mocenigo once defined himself through devotion to his goddess and the Church that raised him. But as faith begins to fracture—and as the goddess herself demands things he can no longer accept—he is forced to confront what remains of his identity when belief no longer feels like truth. Branded a traitor by the very institution he once served, Agapetus finds himself stripped of everything except the one constant he never expected: Sullivan. Together, they navigate a world that no longer has a place for them, even as Agapetus begins to set his sights on what he once lost—his position, his purpose, and the Church that now calls him enemy.

[eggcatsreads]

𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥. / 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦. 

Two timelines. Two lives. One house connecting them. 

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker is a timeline shifting ghost story that keeps you guessing the truth until the very end. Evocative and unnerving, everything in this novel feels not quite there, not quite right, and it’s up to both of the people in this novel to discover the truth. 

2026: Lee Turner has murdered his roommate. He doesn’t remember doing it. 

1877: Sen lives as the last of the samurai and knows their time will soon end.

Meeting each other spells doom for them both as they work to discover the truth that hides within their house of sword ferns.

Perfect for anyone looking for a ghost story that pushes the very definition of the genre, where history and mythology merge into a single unsettling atmosphere that nearly chokes you by the end. 

Bat Eater and now Japanese Gothic are amazing horror reads, and I cannot wait to see where else she decides to go in the horror genre!

Look at this gorgeous Evernight edition!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy to read on Netgalley from Harlequin Trade Publishing and was super excited when I discovered this book would be the Evernight pick!

[a-bi-between-pages]

ARC Review of “What I Want” by Frances M. Thompson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have thoroughly enjoyed France M. Thompson’s work and “What I Want” is no different! I absolutely loved this story and getting to know Cassie and Pia! Huge thanks to Frankie for allowing me to read this book before its release, today, April 21!!!

“What I Want” is a story set in 1979 and follows two rock stars who are the leading ladies of their respective bands. Cassie Everard and Pia Lindberg are long time rivals, that is, until they are forced to write a song together. What happens when folk rock’s golden girl and English rose and punk rock’s black cat and rebel with a cause are put in a hotel room together to write a love song?! Well, let’s just say they’re not just finding their rhythm on paper, if you catch my drift.

I really enjoy Frankie’s writing. It’s relaxing and easy to get lost in. I found myself not wanting to put “What I Want” down and was genuinely invested in the story from page one. I also love the layers she gives to her characters. There’s enough depth to get a good feel for them and make an emotional connection. You really want to root for Cassie and Pia to get their happily ever afters! I also may be a bit BI-as 😏, but I love the bisexual representation in most of Frankie’s books! I related to Cassie a lot in her sexuality self-discovery, and it always feels good to be represented!

All-in-all, if you’re a reader who enjoys a good rivals to (secret) lovers, grumpy vs. sunshine, spicy, sapphic romance with dyslexia and hearing loss representation, you’ll want to add “What I Want” to your TBR today!

[gcantread]

June 2026 reads

[loved liked ok nope dnf bookclub*]

The Count of Monte Cristo* • Summers at Castle Auburn • The Unicorn Hunters • The Tainted Cup • A Psalm for the Wild-Built • Cinder House • Samantha: the Next Chapter (first 6 chapter sneak preview) • Borne

June was an incredibly busy month in which I did a frankly insane amount of traveling, with the result that I managed to be in both Paris and Chicago for two separate heat waves (and not to be patriotic, but. That American air conditioning, man. Fuck the Star-Spangled Banner, that's what our national anthem should be about.) So I didn't get to a tonnn of reading but what I did read was mostly pretty interesting. I also managed to read 3 books off the Bella's Book Club summer reading list, so we'll call it a win.

The Count of Monte Cristo, vols 1-2* ★★★★☆ - So glad BBC picked one of my faves to read in June! I slightly prefer the second half of the book (which we'll read in September) but had a blast rereading this first chunk. Franz is such a hilarious POV character.

Summers at Castle Auburn ★★★★☆ - Did not expect this book to stick with me the way it did! I like that the fantasy elements are almost incidental to the coming-of-agey-ness of it all. Where of course the two most important lessons are 1) men ain't shit and 2) get radicalized by witnessing the injustices around you, idiot

The Unicorn Hunters [GR review]★★★1/2☆ - Hmm. I think if I wasn't such a fan of Anne of Brittany/Breton stuff in general I would have found this just okay, but I happen to be both of those things and also in my Unicorn Era. The day after I finished this book, I went to see the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries at the Musée de Cluny and it was awe-inspiring. ily medieval and early modern fiber arts <33

The Tainted Cup ★★★1/2☆ - Glad I finally got around to this one! The mystery was well-crafted and the fantasy world building very cool. Also enjoyed this particular take on the Holmes/Watson dynamic between an autistic GILF and her faithful Jared, 19. Will definitely read the next two in the series.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built ★★★☆☆ - Becky Chambers books are usually either profoundly beautiful to me or leave me out in the cold. This one was more like... lukewarm. The character arcs and dynamic weren't quite interesting enough to drive a story with so little conflict, imo.

Cinder House [GR review]★★★1/2☆ - Very cool take on Cinderella! Marske's writing as she described this amalgam of person + house was fascinatingly original. We really thought outside the bibbidi bobbidi bun here

Samantha: the Next Chapter ★★★☆☆ - I didn't read the whole book, just a sneak peek consisting of the first six chapters (the whole book does not exist in ARC form yet.) They seem solid, with Samantha getting a good grade in Suffragette while the conflict begins to appear in the form of her grandmother getting dementia. The vibe feels a little juvenile (I'm assuming the AG brand defenders instructed the author not to have Samantha do shots and hook up with strangers at a speakeasy or anything) but it's possible that's due to the short chapter format that mirrors the original kids' books. The accompanying American Girl retrospective panel I attended was incredibly fun! I had no idea Valerie Tripp was such an engaging speaker.

I'm not even like, THAT much of an American Girl fan, I just find the idea of adult books featuring grown-up versions of the characters cool. But Samantha schmamantha, gimme some Josefina ones!

Borne [GR review]★★★★☆ - Can't believe it took me this long to get around to Borne when Jeff Vandermeer is one of my favorite authors and bears are some of my favorite animals. I appreciated what an intimate, character-forward story this was despite its buckwild post-apocalyptic setting. And those plot twists got me good!

DNFs: None.

June superlatives: here!

Next up:

July is once again gonna be Try To Finish All These ARCs Month. I'm currently reading Immortal Game and would love to get around to Taipei Story, The Felicity Complex, and maybe Dreamland. There's something so urgent and motivating about physical ARCs!

previous months:

2024 2025

2026: january february march april may

[hannahleighbooks]

Be an ARC reader for my MM romance novel!

Drew is an overachieving perfectionist who doesn't understand how anyone can just relax on the couch with a book. But working too hard literally put him in the hospital. So what does he do?

Ellis used to be the worst guy at the D&D table. He was a walking Reddit troll. But being a dick had one too many consequences, and now he's determined to be different. But how does that work?

Kind: A Romance Where Nothing Bad Happens is a book about a recovering workaholic and a recovering asshole who find love at a community volunteer group. It's a novel with no crises, no breakups, no long dark nights of the soul - just a slow climb out of misery and into happiness.

Sign up to be an ARC reader here!

[pagesandpothos]

Bromantasy by Máire Roche

Official Summary:

Two heroes. One brain cell. Fellas, is it gay to kiss your bff while on a quest through the forest you’re unqualified for? Juniper O'Reilly is good at only two things: demolishing a pint of mead and finding the perfect skincare routine. Everything else—taking care of the farm, bartering for goods, any sort of manual labor—falls to Juniper’s best friend, the absurdly capable, endlessly patient Mo Elmthorn. But when Juniper accidentally volunteers them both for a quest to kill a fearsome monster, he knows he’s finally gotten in over his head. Juniper hates camping, he hates the dark, and there’s no way all these foraged mushrooms are going to sit well in his stomach. One thing he doesn’t hate? How good Mo’s thighs look in his questing pants—he doesn’t have time to think about that, though, with a monster to hunt and their futures on the line. But monsters come in all shapes and sizes. When Juniper and Mo realize that the terrifying beast they’ve sworn to kill is just a scared little girl torn from her family, they’re off to find not only the true villain of the story, but maybe even a happy ending.

My Thoughts:

I love all kinds of queer romantasy but there's a special place in my heart for silly romantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously. If a fantasy romance can make me laugh as well as swoon while I get wrapped up in an epic adventure, then I'm almost certain to have a great time. So, the second I heard of Bromantasy, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.

Juniper and Mo are life-long (and totally platonic!!) friends who have lived together on a small farm for ten years. Every year, once they've harvested the farm's crops for the season, Mo starts feeling blue and longs to go on a quest during the long and dull Winter. Juniper hates the idea of being left behind by his best friend, so he suggests the two go into town for a distraction; he absolutely does not intend to sign them both up to go on a quest to slay a dragon, but too much mead does have its consequences.

Juniper is the funniest of the two characters, but he has enough depth that he never feels like only comedic relief. He had a rough childhood with a neglectful father. Juniper is also sensitive and still holds some hurt from an argument with Mo that briefly fractured their friendship years ago. Mo is quiet, strong, supportive, and steady. He clearly loves his "Junebug," but it takes some time before we see his version of their story.

The romance is delightful. It's obvious from early in the book that these two love each other very deeply. There are several small scenes of one doing something for the other, just to make them happy, that made me swoon. As the story progresses and their relationship grows deeper and more complicated, I found myself both crying over them and cheering for them.

I thought this was going to be a simple story about two friends who are in love but in denial, for whatever reason, but there's so much more to their dynamic than that. There are some intense emotions that these two have to work through before they can get their happy ending. Juniper and Mo are one of my new favorite fictional pairings; I adore them together so, so much!

The plot is a fast-paced, fun-filled, and heartfelt adventure quest. I loved the surprising directions the story took; like with the romance, it seems like it's going to be a straightforward narrative, but there's more to it than a simple monster-hunting quest. There were multiple times when I cried and then laughed two sentences later. I was expecting to laugh while reading this, but the genuine emotion the story pulled from me definitely surprised me!

I'm having an excellent reading year in 2026; I've found several new books that I now consider all-time favorites, and this one is certainly near the top of that list. It was the exact blend of humor, romance, and fantasy I was hoping for, and I ended up loving it even more than I imagined I would.

I recommend this to any readers of queer fantasy romance, but especially to fans of books like Alexandra Rowland's Yield Under Great Persuasion and This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher. Readers who adore the Idiots to Lovers and Friends to Lovers tropes will seriously eat this up!

My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 (5/5 stars)

Pages: 352 (Kindle Edition)

Tropes/Tags: Queer, Achillean, Rom-Com, Romantasy, Idiots to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Quest/Adventure Fantasy, There's Only One Bed

Contains Depictions Of: Mild Violence, Abusive & Alcoholic Parent, Injuries

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | Pagebound | MaryERoach.com

Bromantasy will be released on May 26, 2026, and is available for pre-order!

I received an advanced copy of this book for free, thanks to Netgalley, Putnam, and Penguin. The above are my honest feelings about the provided book.

[ See Everything I’ve Read in 2026 ]

[triviareads]

ARC Review of The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Rating: 3.75/5 Heat Level: 3.25/5 Pub Date: May 12th

Premise:

Genevieve marries her wealthy, seventy-year old husband to secure her younger sister's dowry. When she arrives at his remote Scottish abbey, she's met with multiple ghosts, strange inhabitants, and her husband's very attractive former ward and solicitor Sir Godric.

My review:

This is a pretty unique historical romance, and there was definitely an experimental vibe to go along with the new cover style (one of the better illustrated historical covers I've seen in terms of realism, though I'd have loved to see both the hero and heroine on the cover). I do think it was a mixed bag in terms of execution, especially as a primarily romance reader... but maybe non-romance readers will feel differently.

First, this is single POV, and it is in the first-person. I loved Genevieve's voice— it's droll and witty, worldly in some ways, naive in others... very early-twenties, basically. That being said, this is one of those single POV romances where I did not particularly get a sense of the hero without his POV. We know Godric is an accomplished jurist, clever, mildly judgmental... and not much more. He's there to act as temptation to the newly-married Genevieve and is a foil to her shitty husband, his former guardian. He's supportive and hot, while her husband is ugly, old, sexist, and rapey. No wonder she falls for Godric almost immediately... and so does he, once he realizes she isn't a gold-digger. While they fall for each other real fast, there is an element of longing the author drags out thanks to Genevieve's shitty, very-much-alive husband.

The actual plot is very murder mystery-centric— like, imagine if Catherine Morland had been RIGHT about the fucked shit happening in Northanger Abbey. And there are LAYERS to this mystery! A remote Scottish abbey, multiple ghosts of dead wives, illegitimate children, a secret will, etc. Eloisa's prose is bright and snappy, and I like how she builds the villains up from unserious assholes to outrightly cruel. Her (good) secondary characters are equally charming— special shoutout to Colette, a biracial Black French aristocrat who Eloisa took care to point out was not based on fantasy a la Bridgerton casting, but rather, the historical realities of the time.

The sex:

The sex is very slow-burn, and that is 10000% thanks to Genevieve's husband being alive, and the author unwilling to cross the line and write physical cheating. Is there an emotional affair brewing within days of Genevieve and Godric meeting? Absolutely. The sex itself is pretty standard stuff, a little less explicit than your average open-door historical, I would say, but that's on par for this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Eloisa James for the advanced copies.