Book Review: Ocean Eyes

October 31, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✨Ocean Eyes: Book Review✨
Author: Taubin Dupavillon

Mermaid romantasy? I will request it every single time. Indie author? Say less. I am here for them.

Premise: 𝒦𝒶𝒾𝒹𝒶 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒷𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝒶 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈. 𝒮𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓇𝒶𝒾𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓅𝑜𝓃.
𝒞𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓈𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝓂𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝓊𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝓈𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝒦𝒶𝒾𝒹𝒶 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇’𝓈 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒶𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓈𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝒶.
𝐹𝑒𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝓁𝑜𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑒𝑔𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈, 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝑜𝓈𝑒—𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂 𝑜𝒻 𝒩𝓎𝓋𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃
𝒢𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓈𝓉. 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝒦𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒪𝒸𝑒𝒶𝓃 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒.
𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝒩𝓎𝓋𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹.

What a wild ride that was! What an absolutely fantastic debut novel!

A mermaid? Yes. A cursed mermaid? Say less. I didn’t know what I was expecting going into this story, but I got way more than I bargained for the absolute best way.

I loved this book for all the questioning it had me do. The plot twists, the level of relationships and the way I had to think about the authenticity of each one. Amazing!

The world building is completely imaginative and international and the growth our FMC Kaida shows throughout the story is unparalleled. I can’t wait to read more from Taubin.

This story is perfect for fans of
🧜🏼‍♀️ Romantasy
🧜🏼‍♀️ Found family/friendships
🧜🏼‍♀️ Stong FMC
🧜🏼‍♀️ Mermaids
🧜🏼‍♀️ Rivals

Thank you so much to the author @taubindupavillon and bookcoven PR @bookcovenpr for this e-arc. Ocean Eyes is out November 3rd.

Book Review: Defy The Dusk

October 28, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✨Defy the Dusk: Book Review✨

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

What can I say…Danielle L. Jensen has done it again! Defy the Dusk was so amazing, I could barley put it down long enough to want to talk about it. I just wanted to pick it up and read it all over again. Is there anything that she can’t write well? I really think the answer is no.

Premise: 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝒸𝑒𝓇𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁 𝒹𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓌𝓃, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽: 𝒹𝑒𝒻𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝓊𝓈𝓀. 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓎 𝓅𝑜𝓈𝓉-𝒶𝓅𝑜𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓎𝓅𝓉𝒾𝒸 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓎 𝒹𝓊𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓎.

Absolute perfection. 11/10 no notes. I have always been a big fan of dystopian fiction and fantasy, so after finding out the Danielle L. Jensen wrote one? I needed it immediately.

First and foremost, I loved that the FMC is a little older than the main characters we often get with fantasy and romantasy books and wrining. As in she is 29. Which is almost 30. And while my older self would never be able to survive in this world, not even for a minute, I do love seeing characters closer to my age defying all the odds. Plus a slightly older MMC? Say less.

The enemies to lovers was alive and well with this one. As in he actually talks about how much he wants to *unalive* her. True enemies/nemesises to lovers pipeline was alive and well in this one. And I ate up. Every single bit.

This book was all the things: action packed, intense, insane, and freaking fantastic. I seriously already can’t wait for the next one. I will be requesting immediately when it is announced.

Defy the Dusk is perfect for fans of

⚔️Enemies to lovers

⚔️Slightly older main characters

⚔️Dystopian fantasy/romantansy

⚔️Steam Punk Vibes.

Seriously, this book is EVERYTHING and is out November 3rd.

A very special thank you to DelRey Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC.

Book Review: Captive, Traitor, King

October 24, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✨Captain Traitor King✨

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Premise: The sizzling, high-stakes sequel to the #1 international bestseller Warrior Princess Assassin—where the betrayals are deeper, the magic burns brighter, and love might be the most dangerous weapon of all.

O.M.G. The amount of voice notes and messages I left to people (and myself while reading this book is insane. I thought Warrior, Princess, Assassin was everything and completely addicting, but this book is leaps and bounds above that one. Magic, love triangles, multiple POV, political intrigue, and found family are just a few of the elements that make this book what it is.

Every single thing that made the first book perfect, was amped up in this book. The romance. The intrigue. The questioning. The spice. The character growth of each person, main and side, was phenomenal. I know I definitely want to know more about quite a few secondary characters, but we were given a few breadcrumbs throughout this story.

I said it for book one, and I’ll say it again: the dynamics between the three main characters make the story what it is, a true romantasy. I could not put it down. AND THAT CLIFFHANGER! I am already ready and waiting for the next book!

A very special thank you to Avon Books and the author for the finished copy of book one and the ARC of book two!

Book Review: You, Me, & the Conspiracy

October 24, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

📚You, Me, & the Conspiracy: Book Review📚

✍️: Emma Barry

I first discovered Emma Barry when I read her book, Bold Moves (which I absolutely DEVOURED) so I knew when I saw her name on this book, I had to shoot my shot to read it early and I am so glad I did!

𝕐𝕠𝕦, 𝕄𝕖, & 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕣𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕦𝕟𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕪 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕥𝕪.

I absolutely loved this book. While I may be a rom-com girlie through and through, I love movies that really cause me to think, like National Treasure or The Imitation Game, and I feel like this book was able to bridge both together.

The characters were great and I loved all their idiosyncrasies and the little bits that made them feel more “human” instead of just characters in a story. The chemistry between Jess and Cal was fantastic, and really, you can never go wrong with banter…and this book had great banter.

You, Me, & the Conspiracy is perfect for those who love:

🔍Academic Rivals

🔍Rom-com plus history

🔍Banter

🔍Secret Societies and National Treasure vibes

This was such a fun and easy read and I cannot wait to see what Emma comes up with next!

A very special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for an early copy to review!

Book Review: Drown the Bones

October 15, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✨Book Review: Drown The Bones✨

Author: Alexandra Kennington

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓴 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝔀𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓰𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓵𝓸𝔀-𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓼𝔂.

I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of this book that I jumped right in, full force. And I’m so glad I did.

What the world needs more of is stand-alone romantasy books. I love my series. I do. But sometimes I really want to read one book, be happy about it, and then let the characters rest and enjoy their ending. And that’s exactly what this book gave.

While this book did read on the YA side (definitely not mad about it as I love YA) it had some really wonderful world building within the story itself. Rival kingdoms? M*rder? Princesses and ghosts? Sign me all the way up every single time.

I really loved Drown the Bones and Alexandra Kennington as definitely solidified myself as a fan with this story and these characters.

This book does touch on religiosity and the questioning of religious, so know that when diving in.

This is a great book for those who are fans of:

🌙 Ghost MMC

🌙Religious Questioning

🌙YA Romanatsy

🌙Stand Alone

🌙LGBTQIA+ rep

🌙World building and “real world” problems

🌙Rival Kingdoms

Drown the Bones is available on November 3rd.

A very special thank you to the publisher, NetGally, and the author for a chance to read this ARC.

Book Review: The Gilded Rose

October 11, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

🌹Book Review: The Guilded Rose🌹
Author: Joanna Shupe

𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔦𝔰𝔫’𝔱 𝔞𝔩𝔴𝔞𝔶𝔰 𝔞 𝔣𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔶 𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔢.

I’ve said it once (ok, 100 times) and I’ll say it again. If the book is marketed as a fairytale retelling I will read it. Always. They are my favorite type of story. I was a bit hesitant, because this is technically written as a historical romance and those usually aren’t my cup of tea, but I am so glad I have The Gilded Rose a chance because it was amazing!

What if Belle had married Gaston? Forbidden love comes front and center between our main characters Caroline and Zane. And yes. Before you ask, Zane does in fact have a beautiful library.

I am a slow burn and angst girly and this book hit in all the right spots. The beginning of the story takes place when Caroline is married to her abusive husband before falling in love with the rich and reclusive Zane. There is so much tension and longing between them that I was literally screaming at the pages as I was reading. This slow burn SLOW BURNED in the best way possible. I seriously cannot wait to read more of Joanna Shupe’s books now. I am completely sold. There are definitely some heavier issues within marriage and abusive relationships, so please take that into consideration before reading.

This book is perfect for those who love:
🌹Tension and yearning
🌹Fairytale Re-Tellings
🌹Historical Romance
🌹Twisted Fairytales
🌹Forbidden Love

A very special thank you to Avon Books/Harper Collins for this ARC! The book is out everywhere on October 13th!

By the Flames of Her Fury

September 21, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✨Book Review: By the Flames of Her Fury✨

By: V.B. Lacey

A Pirates of the Caribbean x The Mummy inspired romantasy? SAY LESS. I am all the way here for it. Immediately 5 stars. 10/10 perfection. No notes.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.

This book had it ALL. Intrigue. Swooning. Yearning. I felt every single emotion while I was reading this book and I cannot gush enough about it.

I loved the dual timelines and they were such an integral part of the story. I can’t believe it is all over. I want to go back and live in this book. A strong, badass FMC is my favorite part of any book and Vera is that girl. Add in the fact that she is a Phoenix Shifter and she has literally become one of my favorite characters.

And Everett. THE MAN YOU ARE. The intensity comes through every time these characters interact.

“𝓘 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓸𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵.”

Perfect story. Perfect yearning. Perfect characters. This book is an absolute must read. It’s going to stay with me for a long time. This was the perfect ending to the series and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

While this is the fourth book in a “series”, it is an interconnected stand alone and the author does a fantastic job of giving a synopsis of all the books before it.

Out Tuesday, September 22nd!

✨Grim Tidings✨

September 14, 2026September 14, 2026 / Cassie / Leave a comment

✍️: B.K. Borison
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐♾️

Premise: When a runaway grim reaper tries to save a life, she clashes with a skeptical Guardian, forcing them to form an unlikely partnership beyond the grave.

I had no business staying up until 5 am in the morning to continue reading this book, but I did it anyway. Grim Tidings was EVERYTHING I needed in a book and more. I love a good contemporary romance and this book and these characters (both main and side) are right at the top.

I have always been a fan of B.K., but this book hooked me from the very first page. I immediately fell in love with Darcy and Gabriel, and surprisingly, it was their absolute “humaness” that had me swooning throughout the entire story.

Don’t even get me started on the banter. It was top tier, chef’s kiss, perfection. As someone who could rate a book on banter alone, this book had it all. This is just one of the aspects that earned that little infinity symbol next to my five star rating. The yearning. The pining. The sass. The humor. Immediately adds to cart (multiple copies).

Bonus: As a Maryland native I love the little pieces of Maryland sprinkled throughout the book

This is the perfect book for fans of :
🔥”Rivals” to Lovers
🔥Dual POV
🔥Paranormal Romance (light)
🔥Amazing side characters
🔥Magic (death and life)
🔥Yearning, banter, and tension

A very special thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC copy of this book. The release date is September 15th and pre-orders are available now!

Bookish.in.Baltimore

Reader. Reviewer. Book Chaos Goblin

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