It's Monday, My Hopefuls

It's a new week, with new goals, new books on my TBR and lots of reading ahead. 

On my list for the week 

The Love Operation by Melissa R. Collings 

Foraken Vows by Nikki Ash 

Deal Breaker by Susie Tate 

The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams 

To All The Boys I loved Before full cast audio by Jenny Han

Dreaming of the Defender by Jane Handler

The Sielent Patient by Alex Michaelides 

Raul and His Vampire Prince by Ataru Sonoguchi

It's a great list and I hope to add a few more to my TBR list. 

Manga Monday

It's Manga Monday!!! A new week with a new Manga on my TBR list this week. 

That Wofl-boy is Mine has been on my TBR list forever. I found this pair of Omnibus's at the thrift shop. It was a great deal and hard to pass up. I keep meaning to read them but I haven't yet. I'm determined to read them this week. 

Grab your copies (Here) 

I just got the 2nd one in Freaking Romance and I need to order the third one it's on my TBR. I'm looking forward to diving into this beautiful color webtoon. 

Check out the Series (Here) 

It's a great stack for the week and I'm excited to read them all. 

 

MM Monday's

I'm very much in my MM romance era and love them. This is one of my favorite series I love the Shane and Ilya they are such a great couple. This is my Smut&Sip edition and I hope they do the third book in the series. 

Heated Rivalry & The Long Game by the very talented Rachel Reid 

Grab the series (Here) 

Heated Rivalry 

Synopsis

Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander’s game.

Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. Publicly, they’re enemies. Privately, they can’t stop touching each other.

The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option...

I loved the TV Show I binged it all in one night after listening to the audios. I can't wait for the new season and so many of my bookish friends loved it too. I can't wait for the next season to come out.  

Stacking My Shelves

A new week with a new stack of books on my TBR list. I received some lovely bookmail some of these books I knew to expect and a few that I didn't. I love surprise bookmail it's always the best mail. 

Upcoming Book Tour Books

The Love Operation by Melissa R Collings 

Grab your copy (Here) 

For Review 

Forsaken Vows by Nikki Ash 

Grab your copy (Here)

Surprise Bookmail 

Breath of the Dragon & Mark of the Warrior 

by Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee 

Grab the duet (Here) 

Chateau Reverie by Natasha Siegel 

Grab your copy (Here)

Tyrant Lizard Queen by Riley Black 

Grab your copy (Here)

Bad Company by Sara Paretsky 

Grab your copy (Here)

The Girl from Ipanema by Mia Sosa 

Grab your copy (Here) 

Love at First Flight by Sarah T. Dubb

Grab your copy (Here) 

I added a few ebooks to my list too. It was a great week and I can't wait to read them all. 

Did you get any new books? 

Book Review: Gingerbread Bones

Title -  Gingerbread Bones 

Author - Lindsay Lovise 

Publication - August 4th 2026 

Genre -  YA Horror Thriller 

Format - eArc 

From - Entangled: Mayhem 

Grab your copy (Here) 

Add to yourTBR (Here) 

Synopsis 

They're being hunted…

When sixteen-year-old Georgie and her troublemaking brother are shipped off to the wilderness for their stepmother’s newest reality show, Georgie is convinced it’ll be the worst experience of her life. Two weeks. No phones. Hiking. Camping. Cameras catching every humiliating second.

Then she meets Mack Gray. Tattooed, unreadable, and―among a cast of kids already branded as trouble―he’s the one she’s sure is dangerous.

One night, the counselors are chanting affirmations around the fire. By morning, they’re gone.

But the kids are not alone.

Georgie can feel it, stalking them from the shadows―watching, waiting, picking them off one by one. Whatever it is, it isn’t just hunting.

It’s playing.

And in this game, there seems to be only one ending: no one gets out alive.

Review 

I received Gingerbread Bones in return for an honest review from Entangled. 

I can't stop talking about this book and so many of my friends have read it and loved it too. Georgie and her brother end up in the woods on a whirlwind wilderness camp that is supposed to help them thanks to their evil step mother for a reality show. The reality show has a mix bag of character and they are being hunting in the woods by a fairytale that had me craving gingerbread at the end. 

Well let me tell you this one blew me out of the water. It's a fast paced YA horror that had me hooked right from the first page till the very last. I loved every moment of the story the characters are fantastic crafted. The author did a beautiful job creating a story that kept me hooked an a little obsessed long after it ends. I actually read this one but I may have to listen to the audio next as I loved it so much. Highly recommend if you are looking for a pallet cleaner or just love YA horror. I'm excited to read the rest of the authors books and plan to read them all as they are on my TBR now. I need a few more stories like this from the author as this one lives rent free in my head still. 

Book Review: Vow of Eternal Night

Title -  Vow of Eternal Night 

Author - Lily Crozier 

Publication - August 4th 2026 

Genre -  Fantasy Vampire Romance 

Format - eArc 

From - Entangled: Amara 

Grab your copy (Here) 

Add to yourTBR (Here) 

Synopsis 

Clara Wagner has always known that monsters are real, and the worst of them is Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg. But when he decides it’s time to marry, Clara inadvertently finds herself at the center of his attention.

Forced to accept Raleigh’s proposal, Clara would do anything to escape her fate. So when the prince provides an ultimatum—lift his vampiric curse before the end of the year, or become his bride for eternity—Clara knows what she must do.

Heal the prince. Stay alive. Try not to fall in love.

Vow of Eternal Night is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, gothic romantasy about the lengths people will go to for love, and the many faces monsters can wear.

Review 

I received Vow of Eternal Night in return for an honest review from Entangled: Amara. 

I loved Clara she's such a great character who is determined to figure out how to fix Raleigh's curse and free herself from the future bonds of marriage. She just never expected to fall in love with him in the process. Raleigh and Clara have a whirlwind romance that captured my heart as well as my imagination. I really enjoyed the the sweet romance as I'm a huge fan of slow burn romance. 

This is a slow burn romantasy that captured my heart right from the start and had me hooked till the very last page. I ended up reading this one is just one afternoon it kept me hooked from start to finish. I love the characters they are easy to connect with. I found the concept to be unique and refreshing. This is the authors debut novel and she did a beautiful job creating a story that stole a little place in my heart. I loved everything about the story. I can't wait to see what comes next. 

 

Book Review: The Killing Rules

Title -  The Killing Rules 

Author - Bree Despain 

Publication - August 4th 2026 

Genre -  YA Thriller Horror

Format - eArc 

From - Entangled: Mayhem Books

Grab your copy (Here) 

Add to yourTBR (Here) 

Synopsis 

Seventeen-year-old Harper Westbrook isn’t afraid of monsters…she is one.

For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.

And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.

The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.

Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.

As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths―to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them―Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.

Because who could ever love a monster like her?

Review 

I received The Killing Rules in return for an honest review from Entangled: Mayhem. 

I've been excited about this one since it was announced as I love YA thrillers/horror stories they are great pallet cleaners. I ended up reading this one in just one afternoon as I was hooked on Harper's story and wanted to know more about Blood Bound girls. I loved every moment of her story action packed story and the little sprinkle of romance. I really felt like I could connect with Harper she's a very likable character you can't help cheering her on as she is a cheerleader. 

This is not my first book by the author so she had some big expectations and she knocked those out of the water with The Killing Rules. I enjoyed the story so much and found the concept unique and exciting. I think the author did a great job creating characters to fall in love with and a story that I loved. Highly recommend if you enjoy a good thriller that will keep you on your toes till the last page. I loved it and can't wait to read more books by the author. 

Book Review: Once, Again, Always

 Title -  Once, Again, Always 

Author - Amanda Gayle 

Publication - October 6th 2026 

Genre -  Rivals to Lovers,Slow Burn 

Format - eArc 

From - Avon

Grab your copy (Here) 

Add to yourTBR (Here) 

Synopsis 

A second-chance romance following a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past six years, only to find that she apparently married the one man she can’t stand—her arrogant and infuriating former boarding school rival.

Molly Graham’s day can’t possibly get any worse after she wakes up with a head injury and amnesia. But then Aster Bishop—the Aster Bishop who made her life hell at boarding school—storms into her hospital room calling her his wife.

To Molly’s shock, in the six years she no longer recalls, she somehow fell in love with a man she once despised. Persuaded by her lifelong friends to give her new reality a chance, she reluctantly returns to the home she and Aster share to try and piece together her life.

So much has changed, not least the considerate and devastatingly handsome man who spends every night sleeping on the sofa to avoid making her uncomfortable. This Aster is nothing like the entitled boy she once knew. Their chemistry is undeniable-but he’s distant with her, infuriatingly so. It’s clear he has secrets, and Molly can’t stand it. Especially knowing that she might never regain her memories.

That she fell in love with Aster Bishop once is hard enough to believe. But to fall in love again? To promise a future, always, when she can’t remember her past? It feels impossible when faced with a man she hardly knows and isn’t sure she can trust.

And yet…

Review 

I received Once, Again, Always in return for an honest review from Avon. 

I did a little happy dance the moment this one arrived on my kindle. It's one of my anticipated reads so it had some high expectations and it it nailed them all. I loved Molly she's a sweetheart and Aster complements her so well. I enjoyed the sweet romance as Molly falls in love with Aster all over again.I loved the banter between the characters as well as getting to know the side characters. 

The author did a beautiful job creating a captivating story that stole a little place in my heart. I'm a tad bit obsessed with the authors storytelling and enjoyed every. This is her debut novel and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I ended up devouring this one in just an afternoon it was impossible to put down as I had to know how it would play out. Highly recommend if you love a romance with characters to fall in love with. 

Book Review: The Drop

Title -  The Drop 

Author - S.R. Masters 

Publication - April 21st 2026 

Genre -  Horror Thriller 

Format - Paperback

From - Sourcebook Landmark

Grab your copy (Here) 

Add to yourTBR (Here) 

Synopsis 

A terrifyingly twisty, wholly original thriller following a group of amusement park visitors who get stuck on a roller coaster high above the ground—with no way down.

Six hundred and fifty feet in the air, no one can hear you scream.

Some might say that thirtysomething Cady Ellison landed herself a strange creative career, but Cady finally feels like she's found her footing. Now an online theme park influencer, she is invited to the opening of a brand-new park by her old friend, Danny, who wants to use her online profile to help build buzz for its flagship ride, Hysteria, a record-breaking 650 foot-tall roller coaster.

When she arrives at the half-complete theme park site in the middle of the desert, Cady is unexpectedly met with her old college friend Femi, an award-winning actor, Naseem, a decorated novelist, and Winston, a member of a popular rock group. Wanting them all to sing the praises of Hysteria online, Danny has arranged an exclusive private ride for them, capped off with the stunning desert sunset. But when their coaster cars get to the top of the first hill, the ride stalls 650 feet above ground. With no one due on site for days and over 100-degree heat awaiting them once the sun rises, the four friends soon realize that they must unravel the secrets from their complicated past if they are to find their way to safety.

Review 

I received The Drop in return for an honest review from Sourcebook Landmark. 

I really liked Cady as a character she was easy to connect with and I spent the whole book cheering her on. I loved that she found something she loves doing while unconventional it works and she enjoys it. When she has a chance to try a new rollercoaster perfect for her as a theme park influencer she jumps at the chance. I mean I love theme parks even I would jump at the chance to be the first to try a new ride. 

This is a fast paced action packed horror thriller full of mystery, and a group of former friends stuck upside down on a rollercoaster while a madman controls their fate. I devoured The Drop in just one afternoon it kept me hooked from start to the very last page. This is my first book by the author but I'm hooked it was everything that I needed in a thriller. I'm excited to work my way through the authors backlist. 

Happy Release Week & Bookmail

It's Release Week for Mark of the Warrior by the very talented duo of Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee Let's congratulate them on the latest release. 

Breath of the Dragon & Mark of the Warrior 

This duet 

Breath of the Dragon Synopsis 

The instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller!

A young warrior dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Heaven to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s pride—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. He believes there is no future in Jun honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself and the very survival of everyone he cares about.

Mark of the Warrior Synopsis 

In the explosive finale to the instant New York Times bestseller Breath of the Dragon, a young warrior fights to reunite his family and the realm.

Two brothers. Two nations. One destiny.

Exiled as a traitor after the Guardian’s Tournament, Li Jun has vowed to retrieve the stolen Scroll of Heaven and to honor his father’s dying request: find his mother and twin brother, Sai.

Fleeing into the East in search of their friend Ren, Jun and his longtime rival Yin Yue have no choice but to trust the two breathmarked women who saved their lives but who answer to the mysterious and draconian Council of Virtue that tore Jun’s family apart and banished him and his father a decade ago.

Recovering the Scrolls of Heaven or Earth in order to stop the brewing war that threatens to devastate East and West alike isn’t Jun’s only seemingly insurmountable challenge. The twin he was separated from in childhood is now the High Keeper who resides in the Sun Pagoda, protecting the precious Scroll of Earth from all potential enemies…including Jun.

The fate of the entire land hinges on an inevitable reckoning between brothers that will test their skills, their loyalties, and everything they thought they knew about themselves and the nature of destiny.

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