Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Paved With Good Intentions by Peter McLean

Series: War for the Rose Throne (#5)

Format: 265 pages, Paperback

Published: January 15, 2026 by Arcadia

Fantasy/own

This takes place after the previous books, and yes I did miss Priest. But you do not have to have read those to understand this one. It is a new chapter.

Eline kills her husband because he was a controlling, abusive ahole. But then she also realises that she killed her husband and this is bad. The Queen's Men show up and offer her a deal and it is a bad deal, but it is better than being hanged.

Take a job at a local brothel and solve who killed a Duke.

Little bit of mystery, thriller in a dark fantasy setting. The world feels very bleak. But Eline is tougher than she thinks and grows a lot in this book.

I liked it.

Eline is a mother, a wife, and a survivor. But her life is about to change dramatically. Following an act of horrific - if righteous - vengeance, Eline is blackmailed into the service of the Queen's Men. She knows it will be a hard life of violence and fear. But Eline will do what it takes to survive, and to protect her children . . . and if she's lucky, she won't die in the process.

But the Queen's Men aren't just asking her to risk herself. They're asking her to risk everything she knows and loves. And if she fails . . . civil war and the deaths of everyone she loves will be just the beginning.

Audiobook Review: Generation Hex by Molly Harper

Author: Molly Harper

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi & Teddy Hamilton
Title: Generation Hex

Series: Moonshadow Cove #3

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Published:  May 14, 2026
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

If Perry Seaworth had a spell to banish one person, James Huntingdon would disappear in a puff of smoke. As the quintessential eldest daughter, Perry has always shouldered the responsibility of of keeping her sisters safe while defending Starfall Island from ghostly menaces.

Enter James, a secret agent with the Red Jasper Society, tasked with policing witches and their magic. Armed with the power to strip the Seaworths of their abilities, he’s a walking threat to everything Perry holds dear. And his most infuriating quality? Being frustratingly handsome and intriguingly enigmatic.

But as sinister forces emerge from every shadow, Perry might have to put her annoyance aside and accept James’s help. A centuries-old family feud that’s been brewing for generations has finally reached the boiling point. And complicating matters further, the baby sea monster they’ve been raising has grown impossible to contain. Can James and Perry fight off the formidable enemies closing in on them? And will their rivalry ignite into something more powerful—and passionate—than either of them ever dared to imagine?

Review:

I def pre-ordered this little number. I love this world and this series. Adorbs. 

We continue with Perry and her sisters. This time, Perry and James take center stage. Perry has shouldered the responsibility of head of her family and protecting Starfall Island. James is an agent from the Red Jasper Society. He is tasked to watch over and "police" the witches on Starfall Island. Make sure everything is up to code, etc. Things reach a pinnacle with their enemies. It will take everything Perry, James, and their allies have to protect everything they love. And maybe, just maybe, Perry and James will look past their disagreements and see the love they have for each other. 

Awwwwwwwwwwwww this can't be it. There has to be more in this world, and with our witches! This was a spin-off, and I want another spin-off. Maybe another island and/or another coven? The ending sure did give us hope that there will be more. EEEEE!

Loved Perry, and I loved James. They are perfect for each other, even though it takes them FOREVER and a day to figure it out. Everyone could see that for a long time. 

The ending was so good. 

Screw the baddies!!!!! 

The narration was amazing, as per normal with this epic duo. 

Gah! I want more. Should I go back and re-read both this series and the original? Maaaybbbeeeeee.

5 stars from me. I def recommend both series. Read the first one first, though. Lots of details intertwine and impact this one.

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #19

Movie Review: Mortal Kombat 2 (2026)

Title: Mortal Kombat 2

Length: 1h 56m

Released: 2026

Genre: Fantasy, SciFi
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Drive-In Theater

SUMMARY:

The fan favorite champions -- now joined by Johnny Cage himself -- are pitted against one another in the ultimate battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Omg, it's been soooo long since the first movie was released. I def blame Covid for the huge delay. I'm just glad we finally got this!!!!

We are back. Shao Kahn and his dark real rule threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm. They need to beat him or he will rule. Johnny Cage is now added to the ranks. 

So fun. So cool. Loved the fighting and the story and the cinematics!!!!! 

What a cast!!! So good. 

And nooooo my fave!! EVERY TIME!!! But, luckily, death is never fully the end for our characters. That ending gives me hope. I can't wait for movie 3. Hopefully, we don't have to wait a million years again.

My only "issue" is that the plot felt too fast. We got right into it. I would've liked more time with our characters. 

What else can I say? This is funny, dark, brutal, and just plain fun. Now, I need to re-watch movie 1.

4 stars. 

DNF: The Medium by CJ Archer

Author: CJ Archer

Title: The Medium

Series: Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy #1

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 261

Published: June 30, 2012

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Seventeen year-old spirit medium Emily Chambers has a problem. Actually, she has several. As if seeing dead people isn't a big enough social disadvantage, she also has to contend with an escaped demon and a handsome ghost with a secret past. And then there's the question of her parentage. Being born an entire year after her father's death (yes, a year) and without the pale skin of other respectable English ladies, Emily is as much a mystery as the dead boy assigned to her.

Jacob Beaufort's spirit has been unable to crossover since his death. It might have something to do with the fact he was murdered. Or it might not. All he knows is, he has been assigned by the Otherworld's administrators to a girl named Emily. A girl who can see and touch him. A girl who released a shape-shifting demon into the mortal realm. Together they must send the demon back before it wreaks havoc on London. It should be a simple assignment, but they soon learn there's nothing simple when a live girl and a dead boy fall in love.

Review:

This won the vote for DNF 2nd Chance. I was excited to give it another chance. It just sounds SO good. 

Whelp....

This just isn't for me, I guess. I got a couple of pages further than when I tossed the towel last time. 

Jacob was nice enough, and he was kinda cool. Emily? Eh. 

I just didn't care enough to push through and see how it all ends. I tried, though, but just not the book for me. 

DNF still. Bummer.