Movie Review: Enola Holmes 3 (2026)

Title: Enola Holmes 3

Length: 1h 45m

Released: 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Action/Adventure, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

Detective Enola Holmes heads to Malta, where her aspirations merge in her most complex and dangerous case yet.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Number 3 babbbyyyy!

We are back with Enola and crew. This time they are in Malta, and Enola is about to wed. Gasp. But a kidnapping, murder, and many a mystery land on her shoulders to solve, so the wedding is postponed. 

Like the others, this was fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should the viewer. There is humor and a LOT of fourth wall breaking. 

My biggest issue with the film was the lack of mystery. Yes, it is "there," sure, but the first like 5 mins for sure ruins the mystery. Sure, our fearless detective doesn't know, but we know. I did not like that one bit. Like, come on. 

It was fun to uncover the what and why. Enola was on a clock and 10 steps behind for so long. Plus...fixing what she broke was nice to see. I think he was being a little.....dramatic. But it is what it is. 

Oh! I did like the serious tones near the end. It was nice to keep this from being too campy. 

In the end, I had fun with this. The local was fun, the mission was okay, and there were some nice serious tones attached that helped deepen the story. Yes, yes, I laughed a few times at the funny moments.

3 stars from me. 

Book Review: Magic Touch by AS Fenichel

Author: A.S. Fenichel

Title: Magic Touch

Series: Witches of Windsor #1

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 301

Published: July 1, 2024

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

ESME

I never dreamed my small curatives shop in Windsor, England would attract the attention of war hero Sir William Meriwether. My feminine heart is aflutter when he enters. But I'm a witch and a healer, and he's a man in pain, so I heal him. Desperate to do him a good service, I stretch my powers to the limit—or perhaps beyond. Somehow, in curing his ailing leg, I unleash powers inside William. At a loss to stop what's begun, I'm forced to seek assistance from the coven I've sworn never to join. I dread the encounter, but for William's sake, I put my family's hatred aside. Getting to spend more time with William is an added enticement.

WILLIAM

I'm mesmerized by Esme O'Dwyer from the moment I lay eyes on her. Despite our different stations in society, I want something more personal than any restorative tea she might offer. As a gentleman, I contain those baser needs, and accept her assistance to ease the pain in my leg. When the alluring witch's touch bestows me with magic of my own, I want no part of it. But the coven's leaders insist magic never make mistakes, and for this to have happened, I must be needed. I've never been one to shy away from duty, and being secluded for training with Esme is magical in more ways than one.

ESME

Trouble is coming to Windsor. The signs are all there. The race is on to train William as a witch before his power is needed, but our growing attraction is as undeniable as the battle that lies ahead.

Review:

Randomly came upon this little guy, so I decided to give it a chance! It sounded pretty good, and I do love witches. ;) Plus, look at that kitty!!!!!!!!!!

Here we have Esme and William. Esme is the local healer and witch. William comes in, and he needs to be healed. However, there is something between them that resonates. When she heals him, she helps unlock powers he never knew he had. There is an attraction, but there is an evil coming to Windsor, and she has to help train him for the upcoming battle. 

This was a nice read. I enjoyed our journey and our little lovebirds. They were very sweet, and the drama was to a minimum. Some internal stuff and the looming battle, of course. 

I liked both our characters, and there was a nice collection of side characters. I am curious about Minerva. I think her book is next. 

Some elements of the plot seemed....weak. Not sure if that is the right word. I don't feel like I understand the world or these powers. Maybe things will be better explained in the next book? Everything felt flowy and loosey goosey...a bit too flowy and loosey goosey for my liking.

Even with that, I still enjoyed the journey and our romance. With the ending....I am curious to see what is next, but I'm not rushing to read it. Maybe if it is free or on Kindle Unlimited. Maybe there is an audio I would enjoy a touch more. 

I'll give this 3 stars.  

Reading Challenges:

- Reading Romance Challenge #18 (Cat on the cover)

Book Review: The Petticoat Letters by Kelly Lyman

Author: Kelly Lyman

Title: The Petticoat Letters

Series: Rebels of the Revolution #1

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 346

Published: November 5, 2017

Where I got It: My shelf (Gift)

Summary: 

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, Nora Bishop’s home is burned to the ground—along with her dreams, plans and all her family members except one. At 20-years-old and still unmarried, she moves to Manhattan to live with her Loyalist uncle, hoping to find her brother who has joined the Patriot cause against her late family’s wishes. But, battle breaks out and she finds herself at the mercy of one American ranger, Alex Foster, who is the only person in a position to bring her to safety.

Her growing feelings toward Alex and his passion for freedom help her reevaluate her stance on the case for independence and makes her question her loyalties further. When she is asked to spy for the rebels, she agrees. But can she partake in the act of treason and do what is asked of her when the sadistic Captain William Roth seems to watch her every move and threatens the life of her brother who has been captured? And how can she grow closer to Alex when the war threatens to tear them apart?

Review:

This seemed like the perfect read for America's 250! It's been a hot min since I read an HR or HF set during the American Revolution. 

Here we have Nora, who pretty much lost it all at the start of the war. Her family home was burned to the ground, and only she and her brother survived. However, the war took her brother away too when he decided to fight with the Rebels. Nora is unwed and living with her loyalist family. She soon finds herself at the mercy of the Rebels and Alex. While in his company, she starts to see what the Rebels see...and maybe there is something between her and Alex. 

This had an extremely slow start. It took me a couple of tries to push through. I was tempted to toss in the white flag of defeat and move on. After my second attempt, I was hooked. There was a scene that made me want more. No spoilers from me!!

But yes, this gets intense in a few spots. War is hell and all. So some triggers for sure. 

Can I be honest? I didn't like Alex or Nora by the end. I started out liking Nora, and then I lost respect for her. Alex? I was always meh, but he annoyed me after a scene. I still kept reading because I was more curious about the war and etc. That was fun! A part of me wishes this wasn't a romance. SHOCKED faces I see, but yes....not all things should be romances. Yes, there can be some love, but this would've fared better as just historical fiction, methinks. 

Don't get me started on the big baddie. He was literally a caricature of a British redcoat baddie. Mmmmmm, but he was scary so I will give him that. 

All-in-all, I was entertained. I liked the spying and war and etc. The romance was meh because I didn't care for our mains. And the baddie was scary, but he was your A-typical redcoat baddie. I'll give this 3 stars. It would be a 2, but I think some of the scenes deserve a little more love, and maybe I'm being overly kind. 

 

Reading Challenges:

- Reading Romance Challenge #17 (Non-Regency)

Audiobook Review: How It Ends by Rachel Howzell Hall

Author: Rachel Howzell Hall

Narrator: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Title: How It Ends

Genre: Mystery/Thriler, Contemporary, Novella

Format: Audiobook 

Published: March 25, 2021

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary: 

Marti Greenwood has just moved into a brand-new home after a bitter divorce from her husband Emery, and while she’s still not quite done with him—of course, some of her most cherished possessions are nowhere to be found once she unpacks her things—a fresh start in a beautiful LA neighborhood is exactly what she needs.

But days after her arrival, Marti is attacked in her home. She's found shaken and beaten, and her neighbors immediately call the police. She never saw the face of her attacker, so there is little to go on as detectives open an investigation—but Marti will do whatever it takes to find her assailant.

Review:

Randomly found this little one, so why not? I needed something short and something thriller-y. 

Here, we follow Marti, who has just moved into a new home after a bitter divorce from her husband, Emery. She wants to be done with him, but he took some of her most cherished possessions. Days after she moved in, Marti is attacked and left shaken and beaten. She never saw the face of her attacker, and her ex has a strong alibi. There is little to go on, and the detectives have pretty much given up. Marti will do whatever it takes to find her assailant so she can finally have peace. 

This was a quick listen, and I was thankful. I needed something quick. 

Poor Marti.. I just want her to be happy and safe. 

Her ex is an ass. 

The one neighbor is a creep. 

Her one friend pissed me off. 

The mystery/thriller was intense but slightly predictable. HOWEVER, the resolution was great. It was good. I literally smiled. *clap*

Narration was good. She did a fine job overall. A lot of the women's voices sounded a bit familiar, so you have to pay attention.

All-in-all, this was good and intense. I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #29

 

Audiobook Review: Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott

Author: Scarlett Scott

Narrator: Kate Handford

Title: Duke of Depravity

Series: Sins and Scoundrels #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Audiobook 

Published: November 23, 2018

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary: 

Crispin Ashforth returns from battle the newly inherited Duke of Whitley with two sisters under his charge. Publicly lauded as a hero, he is haunted by the bitter mission that nearly saw him killed and cost the life of his best friend. He’s desperate to drown out the demons tormenting him by any means, regardless of how depraved.

All he needs to do is find a proper governess for his hellion sisters so he can drink and wench himself into oblivion. Enter Miss Jacinda Turnbow, who is as lovely as she is prickly. It doesn’t take Crispin long to realize he’s found precisely the sort of distraction he needs in the prim governess.

But Jacinda has secrets of her own, and she’s no ordinary governess. To save herself and her father from ruin, she has agreed to infiltrate the duke’s home and search for evidence that he’s a traitor.

Resisting his advances grows more difficult by the day, however, as she discovers there’s more to Crispin than the careless life of sin he’s cultivated. And the greatest danger she faces is losing her heart to the man she has no choice but to betray.

Review:

Picked this up randomly when I saw the title! It fits a reading challenge, and plus it has been ages since I read a Historical Romance. 

Here we follow Jacinda and Crispin. He is the new Duke and has to take care of his sisters, but his mind is still haunted by the war's events, so he's been drinking and man-whoring around town. However, he needs a new governess since his prankster sisters made the last one quite rather quickly. Enter Jacinda. She is undercover to search for evidence against Crispin. There are rumors that he is a traitor. As time goes on, she starts doubting his guilt, but is she biased because she is falling for the man, or is he truly innocent?

This one was alright. It had it's shiny and fun moments, but I didn't buy the love story between these two. Lust? Heck yeah, but there was little love there from what I could see. They rarely spoke, and then Jacinda wasn't who she said she was. There was little time at the end for them to talk it through and really get to know each other.

Love a good lust, and the chemistry was lovely, but I didn't buy their love. Not even in the epilogue. 

Other than that, I still had a lot of fun with this story and seeing them fumble about. 

The narrator did a good job. His voices fit. 

Overall, this was just alright for me because I never felt the love. The lust and etc...that was great! The narrator was good. I just needed more talking. 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #27

- Reading Romance Challenge #16 (Duke in Title)

 

Book Review: The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Author: Elle Kennedy

Title: The Chase

Series: Briar U #1

Genre: Sports Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

Format: ebook

Pages: 374

Published:  August 4, 2018

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

Review:

I had a couple of people recommend this book, and it was available at the library (after waiting in line for a couple of weeks). Why not? Love hockey romances! This is technically a spin-off (methinks) from a different series. I still need to read that series. One day!!!!!!

Here we follow Fitz and Summer. The two couldn't be more different. Summer loves fashion and tries to look at the positives in life. She messed up big, but she has been given a second chance! Fitz is a grumpy and gruff hockey player. There is a spark between them, but she overheard him calling her superficial and just "fluff". She won't chase a man, so she'll just have to ignore him even though he is one of her roommates. 

This started off......meh. I struggled the first 50 pages-ish. I don't want to say it but I can't think of a better word(s)...it was so awkward and cringey. Some of the dialogue made me roll my eyes and made me appreciate not being in my early 20s. However, things leveled out and did get better. I think the author stopped trying so hard to sound like a college kid.

I didn't like Fitz or Summer at first either, but I warmed up to them once we got past the surface-level. Still found them mid by the end. Eh. I think they are side characters in the original series, so maybe I would've liked them more there? Mmmmm. I finally got the first book from the original series from the library, so we shall see. 

I also didn't buy Summer's insta-friendship with Bee. I warmed up too that as we went along. But it still felt so sudden.

But yeah. This was entertaining enough, and it did keep me up one night, so that's a plus? It all felt......shallow? Don't get me wrong, I like a carefree romance, but the author tried to make this deep, but it just didn't strike. Maybe I am getting too old for college romances. 

Overall, 3 stars from me. It was entertaining enough, and I ended up warming up to our mains. 

Reading Challenges:

- Library Love #15

Book Review: Kirkyards and Kindness by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Title: Kirkyards & Kindness

Series: A Rip Through Time #4.5

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 304

Published:  December 2, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

A year ago, twenty-first-century detective Mallory found herself in 1869 Edinburgh, in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a housemade working for Dr. Duncan Gray, pioneer in forensic science. Shortly after she arrived, she made the unfortunate acquaintence of Catriona’s former criminal mentor, Davina, an entanglement that nearly got Mallory killed. Now she’s about to meet Davina again.

Greyfriars Bobby has disappeared. The little terrier is already a legend, and Davina has made a tidy living showing him off on graveyard tours…while picking the pockets of her guests. When the elderly dog vanishes, Davina calls in a favor from her old student. Mallory agrees to help find Bobby in return for the one thing she’s been unable to get from Davina—the mysterious Catriona’s life story.

Review:

Yayyy. I love this series. This wasn't at my library, so I had to buy it. Not complaining! I couldn't wait for my library to get it. Too impatient ya know? Long-term plan is to buy the whole series anyway.

Greyfriars Bobby has vanished. The little terrier is famous. Davina, someone from Mallory's body's past has been making a profit from guided tours. When the dog vanishes, Davina calls on Mallory to help find him. Mallory and Grey agree to take on the case... for information about Catriona's life story. 

Why did this take me so long to finish? I kept getting distracted by my other reads. And then I would have to start this all over because I would forget what was happening. Whoopsies. 

This was still nice overall, but I felt like....I didn't really care about learning about Catriona. Yes, sad story when we learn, but she was a bad guy at the end of it all still. She did bad things to people, so I guess I don't care. I'm glad Mallory took over her body to do some good. 

I did like our mystery. Bobby!!!!

But yes, this wasn't my favorite, but I still liked it overall. 

3 stars from me. 

Book Review: Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

Author: Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

Title: Scandalous Women

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

Format: paperback

Pages: 304

Published: January 4, 2011

Where I got It: My shelf (Gift)

Summary: 

Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and determined the course of world events.

Review:

I love to read a couple of nonfiction books a year. I like learning, and it helps my brain reset in some strange way. 

Here, we have a collection of biographies about "scandalous" women throughout history. We get little snips about the lives of these women. 

The author had a decent selection of women. They all made a splash somehow, and it was interesting seeing them hold their own in a male-dominated world. From spies to seductresses to divorcees to geniuses. It was nice. 

The tone made it interesting. It wasn't some stuffy and boring historical textbook. There was flair, and I appreciated it!! It made it fun. 

I would've liked a little more depth. I like the fluffy and light, don't get me wrong, but I would've liked maybe an analysis or something at the end of each section, or something. 

Also, I think I would've liked to see more women from different countries. We had the atypical US, UK, France, etc. And the time period was roughly the same for these women. Yes, we did get Cleopatra and a few medieval, but it seemed the majority seemed to be women between 1820 to 1920. Sure, some sprinkles, but I would've liked other stories too from women in other countries and time period that are looked over in our history. 

Other than that, I did like it. It was quick and informational. It was nice reading about women who didn't live their lives by the status quo of the time. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Book Review: Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

Author: William Shakespeare

Title: Titus Andronicus

Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 402

Published: 1594

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Titus, a model Roman, has led twenty-one of his twenty-five sons to death in Rome’s wars. We follow Titus Andronicus as he descends into a cycle of brutal vengeance against Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and her lover Aaron the Moor, after they wrong his family

Review:

Play 2 for Shakespeare Club is done and in the books! I'm really loving the live reading and discussion afterwards. It's like English class without the test. 

Here we jump to one of the most bloody plays good ol' Billy has ever written. It is so Roman that the Romans would be proud. Tragic and bloody. Titus, the perfect Roman, has returned home to bury yet another one of his sons. Chaos ensues. Blood will be shed, and revenge is never-ending. 

So yes. This was bloody, and we had a death count as we went through each Act. No one is safe. There is also a tragic scene involving Titus' daughter that definitely warrants a trigger warning. You don't "see" it happen, but you see the aftermath.

Elizabethans adored it. They love a good blood shed, so Billy certainly got his name out with this play. 

Even in the mud of blood, there is a story. It is tragic and actually really good. You really have to pay attention to what the characters are saying and doing. There is a message to be had for sure. This was one of Billy's first works, and you can see some foreshadowing into what will be written in the future. It was kind of poetic. 

We all joked that Quentin Tarantino should remake this. This would be right up his alley. 

But yes, this is....a lot. There is a scene at the end that I whispered, "What the fuck."

At the end of the day, this was intense and bloody, and I can see why the Elizabethans ate this up. Tragic, bloody, and wild. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Book Review: Sight Unseen by Alexis Marie

Author: Alexis Marie

Title: Sight Unseen

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Format: ebook

Pages: 393

Published: March 1, 2026

Where I got It: My shelf (Goodreads giveaway)

Summary: 

Veda Thorne is living on borrowed time. After exhausting every magical cure for the fatal curse trapped inside her, she’s accepted her fate. But Veda’s self-imposed isolation begins to crack when she’s asked to tutor Antaris, a child whose pain calls to her own.

Hiram Ellis left his wealthy, prejudiced family years ago. Now unexpectedly thrust into single fatherhood, he returns to his hometown, determined to build a life far from the cold privilege that stifled his own childhood. The last thing he expects is to be drawn to the fiercely protective, sharp-tongued woman helping his son.

When a trail of enchanted spider lilies leads Hiram and Veda to discover their deadly tie to a prolific serial killer, they’re forced to set aside their differences to unearth long-buried secrets. But the truth is as deadly as Veda’s curse, and both come at a devastating cost. As victims mount and motives emerge, their greatest challenge is choosing to trust and love each other.

Review:

Yayy. Another random giveaway book that I won! Weeee! 

Note - even though I was given this in a giveaway, my review will be honest and unbiased. 

In this one, we follow Veda and Hiram. Veda is living on borrowed time because of the curse that was placed on her. She wants to just live and be left alone. However, her isolation cracks when she is asked to tutor a boy whose recent loss resonates with her. Hiram left his wealthy, but prejudiced, family years ago. He wants nothing to do with them or to be like him. Fatherhood is dropped on his lap. He had no idea his ex had a baby, and now that she is passed, he will do his best to give his son the life and upbringing he never had. He hires Veda to help get his son on track, but he didn't expect to fall for her. On top of all this, there is a trail of spider lilies that is pointing to a serial killer. The two will have to put aside their differences and figure out what is going on. 

This book was a roller coaster for me. One moment, I was glued to the pages and couldn't stop reading. The next moment.....I was clock-watching and bored. And then I was itching for more and wanted more. Def all over the board with this one. 

I went back and forth on how I felt about Veda. I liked Hiram. The kid was sweet. Poor angel.

Peter was nice. I would've liked more of him. 

Some of the side characters seemed cool, but we needed more time with them. Some felt a little....2D?

The mystery was interesting enough. It didn't get really good until a tipping point.

The ending was lovely. Nice bow there. 

Honestly, I would've loved more romance. Yes, yes, I did enjoy the enemies-to-lovers aspect, but it took SOOOO long. A hair too long for my liking. Maybe a few more kisses would've been nice. Oh! Maybe a scene or two of them being close to kissing after fighting. 

Overall, this had a lot of potential, and it would make for a nice series, methinks. I would love to explore more of the world and the system. Maybe some side characters can have their moment in the sun. I wanted more out of this, but I did enjoy lots of it. Thus why it was an emotional roller coaster for me. The parts I liked...I LOVED. The parts I didn't like? Meh.

3 stars. 

Reading Challenges:

- Reading Romance Challenge #14 (Published 2026)

Audiobook Review: Thornhedge by T.Kingfisher

Author: T.Kingfisher

Narrator: Kate Handford
Title: Thornhedge

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Horror, Novella
Format: Audiobook
Published:  August 15, 2023
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible) 

Summary: 

There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

Review:

This author is fun. I love the variety!!!

Here we have a retelling that may have you questioning all the princesses...especially Sleeping Beauty. Toadling was a human, but she was stolen from birth by the fairies and raised as one of their own. However, when she became an adult, the fae asked a big favor from her. It should've been easy.....go to the human world and offer a simple blessing of protection to a new baby. Nothing is ever that easy. Centuries later, a knight shows up to break the curse, but it's a curse Toadling can't have it break. 

I really enjoyed this one. I really had no idea what was going to happen to our lil Toadling. I adored her so much. 

This is a retelling, but you don't need to know the story of Sleeping Beauty in order to know this one. It is sooooo different that you would really need to call this a retelling? It was so different. 

This felt a little...lackluster compared to other stories by this author. It wasn't bad by any means...but.....it was too soft. It lists "horror" on the list of genres, but there is zero horror of any kind. It was sweet with some sadness and a mystery. Toadling is hiding something. Honestly, I think if the author played up the baddie a bit more and made the baddie scarier, it would've made this story really come to life. It was just missing a big spark. 

The ending was nice. I would've liked to have seen a smidge more. Maybe an interaction or two between Toadling and someone else (no spoilers here). 

The narrator did a nice job. Her voice was fitting. 

All-in-all, I did have fun with this one. It just felt...flat compared to other books I've read by this author. We needed more spice. Maybe with the baddie? It was very soft....too soft at times. 3 stars from me. In the end, it was still a lovely story and I loooooooved Toadling so much. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #14

- Library Love #9

Book Review: Cottage at the Beach by Lee Tobin McClain

Author: Lee Tobin McClain

Title: Cottage at the Beach

Series: The Off Season #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Christian Fiction

Format: Paperback

Pages: 301

Published: February 25, 2020

Where I got It: My shelf (Used Book Store)

Summary: 

Escape to the Chesapeake Bay, where beach life is full of love, surprises and second chances…

When an injury forces K-9 officer Trey Harrison onto the sidelines, his only thought is getting back to the police force where he belongs. And he’ll do anything to make that happen—even volunteer in a small waterfront community, just to please his boss. But no one ever said Trey had to enjoy it…

Since the surgery that destroyed her dreams of having children, schoolteacher Erica Rowe has grown even more dedicated to her work with at-risk teens. So she doesn't need some cop with a chip on his shoulder putting the program's future in jeopardy. But when Trey finally connects with the students, Erica's heart melts. And when, in a tender moment, he admits he longs to have children, her heart breaks. She's convinced he'd be better off with someone who can give him everything, but she can't seem to shake the hope that maybe love is enough…

Review:

Honest to goodness, I do not recall where I got this book. I want to say it was one of the used book stores around me *thinks for a long, long time*. Whelp, I don't recall, so that is what I'm putting down. Eeee. I'm terrible. It's been bugging me so much while reading this...where did I buy this???? Was it a gift????? Whoopsies. 

Okay, so we have Trey and Erica. Trey was injured due to a big mistake he made, and now he's trying to get back on track. He wants to get back on the force with his K9 pal. He'll do anything, including volunteering in a small waterfront community. Enter Erica, whose dreams of having kids were dashed due to a preventative surgery. With that dream gone, she has made a new one to help at-risk teens. She has set up a program, but she will have to work side-by-side with Trey, who is bitter and grumpy. Things change when Trey finally connects with her students and her crazy dog. He has found the key to her heart, but he wants more than what she can give him. Will it be enough?

This town is making me yearn for spring and summer. I want to sit on my porch in the sun and read! I can't wait!

I didn't realize this technically falls in the "Christian Romance" section until I was done reading it. I assumed it was just a clean romance, and that was fine. God was mentioned a couple of times, but it never overwhelmed the plot or made me feel uncomfortable like I was having it shoved down my throat. So yayyy for that. 

The beginning was a bit of a struggle. Yes, Trey had issues, but man, was he so unlikable at first. Once he chills out and you see the soft side of him, he will win you over. But man. It was touch-and-go for the first few pages. I'm glad I stuck to it.

I did want to smack both of them during a certain scene. JUST tell him, man. The way she went about it was terrible and mean. I get why he reacted the way he did. GRRRRRR!

And please....the proposal? WHY!? You had like ONE date, sir. CALM DOWN. *grumbles*

But I will say the epilogue was very sweet and nice. 

THE DOGS STOLE THE SHOW!

I hated the side stories. Okay...hate is strong, but it didn't help the plot along. It felt like filler and nothing more. Don't get me wrong, I liked the side characters, but their story could have waited until book 2. Maybe give us some teasers and etc, but meh. 

In conclusion.....this was entertaining enough. Some issues, but I couldn't walk away. I was invested! Not sure if I'll read book 2, but maybe? If the price is right. 

3 stars. 

Reading Challenge(s)

- Reading Romance Challenge #6 (Book starts with same letter as your name)

Audiobook Review: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

Author: Jasmine Mas

Narrator: Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, & Tristan Morris
Title: Blood of Hercules

Series: Villains of Lore #1

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Mythology
Format: Audiobook
Published: August 1, 2024
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Step into the Coliseum at the Spartan War Academy where monsters are made, immortality is won, and even a god can die…

Alexis Hert isn’t a hero, and she certainly isn’t a god. All she’s ever been is a survivor.

But the Fates disagree.

When a blood test leads to her admittance at the Spartan War Academy, she’ll have to do more than merely survive.

Alexis will have to claim her birthright: immortality.

But immortality is a privilege, one earned in the crucible of the academy, where the heroes are villains and classrooms battlegrounds. While gladiators Achilles and Patro, her demanding mentors, hone her into a warrior, Augustus and Kharon, her professors and the brooding heirs to the underworld, haunt her steps and her thoughts.

Because where there are gods, there are bound to be monsters, and there is more than one hunting Alexis…

Review:

This was picked for my book club. I feel like I have heard of this one. The cover and title seemed very familiar. 

Alexis is nothing but a poor girl in the human world. Her life is thrown off track when a blood test leads to her being forced into the Spartan War Academy. This will give her a chance to claim her birthright and join the rest of the gods as an immortal. But immortality is a privilege and has to be earned through the crucible of the academy. Not only will she have to face tough lessons, physical tests, mental tests, and demanding mentors....but monsters and professors are haunting her.

I'm struggling to put sentences together today...so we'll divide and conquer this review. 

The Good

- I liked Alexis a lot. She has a lot of issues, but she can still find some humor in situations. She had me chuckling a few times

- The world was cool. I wouldn't want to live in it, but the mix of mythology and futuristic/post-apocalyptic was refreshing. 

- I adored Hades and Persephone. I hope we see more of them in the next book  

- Loved the animals (no spoilers here) companions!!!!

- Def a dark "romance". Some aspects I liked...some I didn't. Reverse harem is fun! 

- The narrators were lovely. I do wish we had more time with our male cast. 

- That was a good ending. I do want to read more just to see what happens to our cast. 

The Bad and the Ugly

- Honestly, I think we could've done some time skipping. We were in the Crucible FOREVER. Sure, I get it was important to see how bad it was, but there could've been some slimming down a bit. Some spots didn't do anything for anyone. It didn't help the plot, and it didn't add to the badness of the place. 

- The dark romance element left me feeling...unsure. Some aspects I liked, some I didn't. I really hated the scene at the dance.

- Why is every guy in love with her? Yes, I like Alexis....but it gets so old that all the men want her. :S Boring. 

- Possible love...square? IDK. It's hard to explain without spoiling. Curious to see what happens next with this.

Conclusion

So I did enjoy this. It was really long and took a while to get through. There should've been some scenes cut a bit to help move the story along better. Also, there are a lot of trigger warnings in this one since it is a dark romantasy. Def keep that in mind before jumping in. 

Overall, I did like this. Some issues, but it was refreshing. I liked the world (don't sign me up to live in it), and the characters were nice. I do want to read book 2 because of how this ended. I need to know. 

I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #7

- Library Love #6

- Reading Romance Challenge #5 (2+ Narrators)

Book Review: Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue

Author: Gretchen Rue

Title: Steeped to Death

Series: Witches' Brew Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy mystery, Paranormal

Format: ebook

Pages: 299

Published: September 6, 2022

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Phoebe Winchester’s beloved aunt Eudora has a taste for adventure—and a knack for making magical tea. It’s even rumored that she just might be a witch. So when Eudora passes away and leaves everything to her niece—her Victorian mansion, her bookshop/tea store, The Earl’s Study, and one very chubby orange cat named Bob—Phoebe gets more than she bargained for. And she knows she’s in deep when a dead man is found on the shop’s back step, apparently killed while trying to break in.

Two suspects immediately emerge among the townspeople of Raven Creek, Washington. There’s village busybody Dierdre Miller, who seems desperate to buy Eudora’s house, and handsome PI Rich, one of Phoebe’s childhood friends—but how well does she really know him after all these years apart?

Phoebe knows she should leave it to the professionals, but as she starts to dig into the underbelly of Raven Creek, she begins to uncover the truth about Eudora. What’s more, her aunt might not have been the only witch in the family, as Phoebe soon discovers she has unique and unexpected gifts of her own.

Now, it’s just a matter of putting her newfound power to the test and cast a spell that could catch a killer.

Review:

Man. I should've written this review when I finished it, but life is busy. I hate adulting!!!!

Phoebe's beloved aunt has passed away and has left everything to her. Phoebe has a lot dropped on her and soon discovers things can get worse when she discovers she now has witchy powers. Enter in a dead body behind her shop...can things get worse? 

This was a hoot. I liked Phoebe and Bob the cat. So sweet the both of them. 

Loved the shop and the house. Loved the mix of her powers. Love a sprinkle of paranormal! Honestly, I think the author should've added more. It felt too light. Maybe in Book 2, we'll dive more into it. 

The mystery was entertaining. I loved the twists. 

Honestly, I feel like this was too cozy. I think we needed more of everything. More mystery. More magic. More Bob. 

I'll give this 3 stars. I think I would read 2! I liked the cast and world enough. 

Reading Challenges

- Library Love #5

Book Review: On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

Author: Julia Quinn

Title: On the Way to the Wedding

Series: Bridgertons #8

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: paperback

Pages: 384

Published: June 27, 2006

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

A funny thing happened...

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except...

She wasn't the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except...

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar...

Review:

Been holding off on finishing this series! It takes so long between each season of the show that I've been slowly making my way through the series. I finally decided to finish the main books of the series and read Gregory's tale. I still need to read the short story about Violet. 

Gregory is not your A-typical guy of the ton. He believes in love and wants to find love. He wants what all his other siblings have. He wants it badly. When he comes across Hermione, he fancies himself in love. She HAS to be the one? Right? ...Right? Enter in Hermione's best friend, Lucy, who likes Gregory. He seems like the best of suitors, so she decides to try to help him win the girl. Lucy is engaged, and there is no way out of it, so why not let her best friend find love? 

So I loved that Gregory truly wanted to be happy and find his own person. He sees how happy everyone in his family is, and he is the last unmarried sibling. He wants it so bad that he finds himself in love with the wrong person. It isn't love...no spoiler. Lucy is his person. He is just a dumb-dumb to not see it. Same with Lucy, but I get why she is blinded to it. She's technically engaged anyway. Not by choice, but family duties and whatnot. 

I struggled really bad for the first...mmm....45% of the book? Gregory's infatuation with Hermione grated on my nerves. Sure. That is the whole story. He eventually wakes up after an event and realizes he never loved her. He loved the idea of being in love. Why SOOOO long? Why not shave that off a bit? Maybe only being in love like....30% of the book? And then fighting to get the real girl. I would've liked to see more time with Gregory yearning for Lucy and making her feel wanted. 

Other than that block. I loved the story. It was dramatic and crazy and just plain fun. Gregory has a huge heart, and he's a big dumbdumb. Silly. 

Lucy was sweet. 

I liked one character a lot (I won't spoil anything). I was really hoping he found an HEA. Maybe the show will flush his story our more *fingers crossed*

In the end, this was a lovely series. I can see myself re-reading this someday. I loved all the siblings, even though they frustrated me sometimes. I'm so glad Netflix is making these books into a show. I would love to see more books like this find the limelight. But yes, totally worth reading the whole series. I had a little issue with this one, but by the end, I ended up having fun. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

-  Reading Romance Challenge #2 (Wedding)

Audiobook Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Author: Kendare Blake

Narrator: Amy Landon
Title: Three Dark Crowns

Series: Three Dark Crowns #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published: September 20, 2016
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

Review:

First book club book of 2026! Weeeeeee!

Here we follow three sisters. All three are queens and equal heirs to the crown, and all are magical. However, there can only be one queen to rule them all. Mirabella is an elemental. Katharine is a poisoner who can ingest poisons. Arsinoe is a naturalist. This will be a fight to the death on the night of the sisters' 16th birthday. 

How cool is this concept? Def royals meets fantasy meets Hunger Games. Loved the idea and the concept. I wouldn't want to live here, but the powers would be lovely. I guess I would just want to be a civilian. I wouldn't make a good queen. 

The execution of the story was...okay. It was so slow and so dry in the beginning. Yes, we are learning about the sisters and the world and the rules, etc. However, it took forever for anything to really happen. Plus, we had a lot of POVs going on. Not just the queens, but a lot of their friends, etc. Sure, I didn't mind getting a glimpse of the world, but I think I would've liked this more if it were just the queens' POVs. 

Also, I did the audio of this. I wonder if I would've appreciated the multiple POVs if I did the ebook/physical book of it. It would've been easier to follow along. There were a couple of times I was confused about who was saying what. I had to rewind a couple of times. Don't get me wrong, the narrator is good! I have listened to her before, but so many POVs and soooo many characters, it is hard to have a different voice for each person. 

OMG, the end. I need to read book 2. Dayum. 

Oh! There was another scene a few pages back that had me audibly gasp! Holy cannoli batman!

Overall, I did enjoy myself while listening to this. I think I would've liked it more if I did a different format and/or if we have less POVs. I do want to read book 2 because things have HEATED up. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #2

- Library Love #3