Well Versed

Well Versed- Jen DeLuca

Berkley

Release Date: September 22, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Caitlin Parker was a teenager when she fell out of love with the magic of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire—the site of her first real heartbreak. But now, twenty-four and unemployed, she finds herself in her childhood bedroom and her childhood lady-in-waiting costume, assisting a rotating cast of substitute queens for the season. The very last person she wants to see is Alexander Wright—the sword-fighting, Shakespeare-spouting young man who won and broke her teenage heart. Yet there he is, older, annoyingly hotter, and back on stage at her Faire.

When Alex broke things off with Caitlin five years ago, he thought he was just ending a summer fling. He didn't realize how much he’d fallen for her until he let her go, and he certainly didn't know he’d tarnished her memories of her cherished Faire and worse, shattered her view on love and relationships. His need to right that wrong this summer brings them together again and again, and the four-year age difference that kept them apart years ago isn’t a big deal now. This time, it won’t be so easy to let go of this summer fling.

But as summer winds down, real life is catching up to both of them. Caitlin’s always thought that being an adult with adult responsibilities means leaving whimsy behind. Alex, with a life full of stage combat, songs, and sonnets, doesn’t know how to live any other way. Can they go after their dreams and find a future together where they can still say “huzzah”?

________________________________________________________

I've been in love with Jen DeLuca's Ren Faire romance series since the first page of Well Met, so course I enjoyed returning to the world of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire in the final book of the series, Well Versed. This time, it's Caitlin's turn to need the magic and romance of the Ren Faire. 

We first met Caitlin as a teen in Well Met, dragging her aunt Emily into the world of the Faire. Now Caitlin has had her young heart broken and lost her love for the Faire. She's back in Willow Creek after being laid off at a job and agreed to help with the Faire for the summer- but is sure she won't enjoy it. Her memories are now connected to her first love breaking up with her by text at the end of a Faire summer. But Alex is there too and goes from clueless that he's broken her heart and taken away her love of all things Faire to determined to help her get that back. And Caitlin doesn't really stand a chance.

Caitlin likes plans. Goals. Destinations. Without those things she isn't sure who she is or what she's doing. So being part of a massive layoff and having to move home throws her for a loop. She spends the summer trying to figure out what it is she wants-starting off sure of one thing and slowly coming around to seeing something else. It's a journey that all of DeLuca's characters have had to take: yes, you can work crazy hours in competitive, soulless jobs or you can find smaller jobs that are not what your career counselor taught you to think of and be happy. What is it you want out of life? What makes you happy, not what are you supposed to want?

There are times Caitlin seems very young, trying to find paths and decide on love that maybe she isn't ready for. Then as the book progresses you see that she is ready, she just has to believe in herself. The back and forth with Alex was a little slow at times, but sweet. Alex was so careful on not messing up with his second chance that it seems like he really learned his lesson.  Which makes it all the more emotional when he does mess it up. 

You don't need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy Well Versed, but honestly, you should. The books are great. We get lots of cameos from other characters here and they are fun, checking in on how everyone is doing. A lovely mix of light humor and emotion, heat and the magic of the Renaissance Faire, this was a solid ending to a series that is going to remain a favorite of mine. 

Enter the Nightmare

 

Enter the Nightmare (Harmony #18)- Jayne Castle

Berkley

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Release Date: June 30, 20206

Synopsis: Alice Radstone should have known not to return. Her life before the Hotel of Dreams had been one of a perfectly cloistered teacher at the Ballantine Academy. When the death of her mentor forced her out, she was left to reinvent herself in the big city. Since then, things have not gone well. Ten months ago, after her first trip to the hotel, she woke up in the locked ward of a hospital for the criminally insane and was informed that she had murdered her husband on their wedding night. She has no memory of the husband or the wedding, but after she escapes from the asylum, one thing is certain: She is never going back.

Unfortunately, Alice’s second reinvented life is also deteriorating rapidly, which is why she finds herself once more at the Hotel of Dreams—this time hiding in the shadows of her room with a dead body in the shower and two men wearing masks creeping toward the bed to kidnap her. Again.

When the enigmatic and decidedly dangerous Owen March shows up and claims he’s there to rescue her, she has no choice but to accept his offer—and hope that he doesn’t also intend to kidnap her. 

With Alice and now Owen in the killer’s sights, time is running out. They must trust each other and the electric passion between them if they are to make it out of this hotel alive.

________________________________________________________

Alice Radstone and Owen March are the human main characters of Jayne Castle's latest Harmony book, with Sebastian the dust bunny along for the ride. Alice has had a rough year: a quick marriage to someone she barely remembers, a wedding night that ended with her suposedly killing the groom, three months locked in an institution, and seven months on the run with Sebastian. Only the lure of proof of her innocence could get her back to the Hotel of Dreams (even knowing it was probably a trap). One dead guy in the bathroom and a kidnapping attempt later and she's on the run again, this time with Owen March who claims he wants to help her. She and Sebastian are out of options so she takes his help. The plot thickens to include powerful families out for money and revenge, more kidnapping attempts, murder and attempted murders. Plus a dust bunny who loves shiny things in a casino. What could possibly go wrong?

I enjoyed Alice and Owen and their developing relationship. Alice isn't as naive as everyone assumes she is and Owen has a knack for putting his foot in his mouth, which lead to some fun conversations in Quick's usual witty banter. Sebastian steals the show in this one with his antics in the casino. The Hotel of Dreams came a close second though, as the kind of nightmare place you never want to visit. The hotel gives the ending a bit more suspense than a traditional Jayne Castle ending, and a definite yikes! factor, but it's a nightmare worth reading about- though I wouldn't want to spend the night there. And most visitors probably don't live long enough to write a review of the place. Probably for the best. 

Fast-paced and good chemistry between Owen and Alice, Enter the Nightmare is a fun addition to the Harmony world. Fans will enjoy and those new to the series shouldn't have trouble jumping into this delightful paranormal world.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Archangel's Eternity

 

Archangel's Eternity (Guild Hunter #18)- Nalini Singh

Berkley

Release Date: May 18, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.

But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain . . . at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.

__________________________________________________

The last book in the Guild Hunter's series is a low stakes, high character love letter to the fans and all of the characters we've come to know across the past 17 books of the series. Think of it as an extended epilogue taking place 1,000 years after the main series—life goes on when you're immortal, but what does that mean?

Not going to lie, I spent a good part of this book (especially the beginning half) in tears. This is a book that will emotionally destroy you, so probably don't read it in public. Elena is still coming to grips with all of the goodbyes she has had to say as an immortal, which means memories of many of the humans we knew through the series. 

But of course, that's not the whole book. There are new friends, deepening friendships, and (as you may have guessed from the synopsis hints) our favorite Guild Hunter and archangel spend much of the book preparing for the most terrifying new feat of all: parenthood. I loved how very human Raphael was in his emotions around the whole experience—and seeing everyone we knew from other books as honorary aunts and uncles was a lot of fun!

As the last book in the series, don't start with this if you haven't read any of the others. If you've been reading this series, don't miss this one—but read with tissues close by.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Such A Perfect Family

 

Such A Perfect Family- Nalini Singh

Berkley

Release Date: January 27, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Love at first sight, a whirlwind Vegas wedding, a fairy-tale romance.

For seventy-nine days, Tavish Advani has been the happiest man in the world—until his new life turns to ash, his wealthy in-laws’ house going up in a fiery explosion. His badly injured wife lies in a coma, her family all but annihilated.

Tavish thought he left the sins of his Los Angeles life behind, but it’s not so easy to leave behind an investigation into the deaths of several high-profile women—all of whom he professed to love. Tragedy and death follow him no matter where he goes . . . but this time, he knows he’s innocent.

Desperately trying to clear his name as the authorities zero in, he begins his own investigation into the fire—and learns that his wife’s picture-perfect family may have been nothing but a meticulously constructed mirage. The truth is much darker than anything Tavish could’ve imagined . . .

____________________________________________________

Nalini Singh's latest psychological thriller, Such A Perfect Family takes readers on a search for dark truths where none are expected—and each is darker than the next. 

Tavish and Diya had a whirlwind courtship and a Vegas wedding. The two moved to New Zealand to be near her family, safe in the knowledge that they'd have their entire lives to get to really learn about each other. But before they can get too settled, tragedy strikes. Tavish comes home to find the family home in flames, Diya and her sister-in-law Shumi the only survivors of a vicious knife attack and barely alive. Tavish becomes the logical suspect—especially when the cops begin to uncover his connections to the deaths of several wealthy women back in L.A. With Diya and Shumi in comas and no one to tell the cops he's innocent, Tavish tries to discover who could have hated his picture-perfect in-laws so much that they would commit such a crime. With little to go on, he begins uncovering secrets darker than anything he could have imagined behind the family he thought he knew.

Brilliantly constructed to alternate between Tavish's narrative and the private case notes of an L.A. cop obsessed with figuring out how Tavish could have killed a woman he wasn't anywhere near, the book unfolds in ways that give readers all the clues, but misdirect them perfectly. Past, present, and multiple secrets blend together without becoming confusing—not always an easy thing to do—as the past shapes the present crimes. The reader sees how each person became who they are, how heartbreaking choices each step along the way led inevitably to the violent present.

And the entire time you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering: is Tavish a reliable narrator? Is he lying to us or to himself? Is he innocent and going to be blamed to something he didn't do? Can he figure it out and get the cops to believe him? How many angles is the danger coming from?

 When Singh lands the final twist I thought I saw it coming one way and was surprised when it came from somewhere else entirely. This was a powerful and excellent book, full of tension.

If you only read one thriller this year, it needs to be Such A Perfect Family. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

The Shop on Hidden Lane

 The Shop on Hidden Lane- Jayne Ann Krentz

Berkley Publishing

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Synopsis: The Harper and the Wells families have regarded each other with deep suspicion for four generations. The Harpers have been known to offer their psychic talents for less-than-legal purposes, and the powerful Wells clan has a reputation for playing both sides of the street. But for all the years of history and distrust between them, there is a mysterious pact binding the two. They share the responsibility for protecting a long-buried and very dangerous secret.

Sophy Harper and Luke Wells are shocked to learn that her aunt and his uncle have been sleeping together—and now they are both missing. Not only that, but the last traces of them are at the scene of a murder soaked in negative paranormal energy. Clearly, someone is willing to kill to obtain the secret their families have been charged with protecting. Despite their mutual distrust, which, as far as Sophy is concerned extends to Luke’s hellhound of a dog, they both know that the terms of the pact must be honored.

Their investigation uncovers a psychic trail leading to a bizarre desert art colony where nothing is as it seems. But Luke and Sophy are concealing a few secrets, too. By a strange twist of fate, a Harper and a Wells have no choice but to trust each other and the fierce attraction that is binding them as surely as the pact between the families.

____________________________________________

When Sophy Harper gets roped into reading a crime scene by Luke Wells, she's sure it won't go well. When the scene turns out to be a murder scene at Luke's uncle's cabin—where they discover his uncle and her aunt were having an affair—the day is all downhill from there. Now his uncle and her aunt are missing and all clues point to connections with the murder and a bizarre art colony in Arizona. Sophy, Luke, and Luke's dog Bruce head to Arizona in search of answers, but find danger and long hidden secrets first.

I found The Shop on Hidden Lane really enjoyable. Sophy's snark and Luke's dry sense of humor are typical of Krentz's characters, though Luke gets to have a little more fun than usual with his sense of humor by bringing Bruce the dog into it. (Sophy asks if they should go to dinner since they know they're going into a trap. Luke says yes because he's starving and if they stay in the hotel room they'll have to share Bruce's kibble "And I don't know what Bruce will say about that.") The two are a good mix of logic and instinct learning to work together as a team.

Bruce was a delight and I was thrilled at the end with Krentz's hints that we'll see at least one more dog like him (hopefully many more!). Smart and bonded with Luke, he seems to have some psychic gifts of his own—though you do have to wait for the very end to find out a bit more about those. 

Sophy is a librarian as her main job, the psychic crime scene reading is just a side gig. And I loved how throughout the book you get her pointing out how important the profession is and what they do—in ways many wouldn't think. From research to collections to helping people put the peices together, The Shop on Hidden Lane is a love letter to librarians. (Krentz herself was a librarian in a former life I think). A fun contrast to the engineer mindset of Luke's family on several occasions, since in the end it's Sophy's mindset that figures out Luke's talent.

If you've read Krentz's Fogg Lake trilogy (The Vanishing, All the Colors of Night, Lighting in the Mirror) you'll know about the Bluestone Project and the Fogg Lake disaster already. If not, you'll figure it out as you read this book. I'd recommend reading the Fogg Lake trilogy as well, because they're good books, but they aren't necessary before you read this one. 

An entertaining addition to the Jayne Ann Krentz collection, and certainly one I'd recommend!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Marriage Method

 

The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2)- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: November 25, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters. 

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

___________________________________________

When Nell ventures to London to stop newspaperman Miles Quincy from asking questions about her beloved Academy, she has no idea she'll end up married to him. But one feral cat, a crinoline skirt, and a judgy reverend mean marriage between Miles and Nell becomes necessary. They thought they would be saving their reputations, but events quickly lead to investigating kidnappings and murder- where relying on each other as equals is the only way they'll solve the crimes.

Book 2 of Mimi Matthews' latest Crinoline Academy pulls Nell from the Academy she'd never meant to leave and lets her put her theory into realy world practice. I love how Matthews shows us both sides of Nell- the strong and confident woman who knows she's been trained to take on anything as well as the emotional one who's facing upheavals she never anticipated. She never doubts what she can do and (even when it sends poor Miles into fits of the vapors) she does what's needed. One of my favorite scenes is when Nell and Effie (Rules for Ruin) go into Whitechapel searching for a missing girl and come out successfully- leaving their husbands furious for the danger they were in and having to admit they were completely capable of protecting themselves. Miles took a little teaching to understand who Nell was, I think largely because while he knew women could be hurt by men, it didn't seem to occur to him that they would learn to protect themselves. When he finally understands what the Academy is and who Nell is, the partnership they develop is one that may prove unstoppable.

Each book in the Crinoline Academy can be read alone, but Book 2 is probably fleshed out a little (as is Effie's walk-on role) if you read Rules for Ruin first. A fun, slow burn romance and mystery—with cats!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

Ghost Business

Ghost Business (Boneyard Key #2)- Jen DeLuca

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: September 9, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis: Boneyard Key, Florida, is the only home Sophie has ever known. Her love for its supernatural history has flourished into a career, as she guides the one and only ghost tour through the town’s can’t-miss haunted spots. And while her bank account isn’t full by any means, her heart is. Or at least, it was.

But there's a newcomer in town. The son of a Fortune 500 businessman, former theater kid Tristan has grown his tours from a fraternity fundraiser to a multicity ghost tour conglomerate. It’s doing well, but not well enough—if he can’t prove that he’s solidly in the black by the fall, Dad’s going to pull his funding, spelling the end of his career. Boneyard Key, with its haunted reputation, seems like the perfect place to boost his bottom line.

When the two ghost tours clash, Sophie’s expletive-filled rant goes viral, and the rivals strike up a deal. Whoever has the most successful business by summer’s end stays, while the loser must ghost. But the more Tristan comes to appreciate Boneyard Key, the more Sophie comes to appreciate Tristan, and what starts as begrudging respect becomes something spicier. Can they put their feuding businesses aside to make room for a chance at love, or is Boneyard Key too small for two ghost tours?

____________________________________________

Welcome back to Boneyard Key, Florida! It's the most haunted town in Florida and Sophie has been running ghost tours for almost 6 years. She's working hard to make it an interesting mix of town history and homage to the local ghosts and telling everyone's stories correctly is important to her. Which is why when Tristan Martin blows into town and sets up a rival ghost tour, using stories that have nothing to do with local history,  she's not happy. They agree to a deal: whoever has the most successful business at the end of summer keeps the tours. But in a small town you can't avoid anyone, and outside of work hours, Sophie and Tristan find they might enjoy each other's company more than they want to admit.

I wasn't too sure about Tristan at first. He was the brach, cocky newcomer who spoke without thinking, proposing a challenge to Sophie and thinking only of himself. But the more time we spend in his head and the more vulnerable we get to see him, the more I warmed up to him. He doesn't have it easy with a dad who can't wait to pull funding and crush his start-up business, who looks at numbers instead of people or circumstances. Tristan loves dealing with people, he loves acting, and is deeply sensitive and hurt by his father's rejections. So he's prepared to do anything to prove his father wrong. But he picked the wrong town to keep pretending ghosts aren't real and some of the locals are prepared to let him know they aren't thrilled he's getting the stories wrong! Watching him discover that ghosts are real was a lot of fun, both the shock and then the awe.

Sophie is a fun and relatable character I enjoyed getting to spend more time with after Haunted Every After. Her devotion to getting the stories she tells right really hit a note for me. This is her home and she wants to share it andher love for it with the tourists who visit. So her reaction to Tristan coming in to profit on the town's reputation is pretty understandable. I also liked seeing more of Libby and Cassie and meeting a few more locals- especially seeing everyone come together when they need to.

The pace ran medium to slow in some spots and while I enjoyed the characters, their relationship was a little on and off for me. The spark and chemistry is there right at the beginning  and all the yearning and grappling with an enemies to lovers aspect worked, but I wish they'd talked more. Their problems didn't get sorted until the very last second. I did like how they made things work, but they weren't working together to solve problems the way you would in a relationship. I won't spoil the ending here, because they do obviously make it work, but it just felt like they weren't on the same page for the important stuff, figuring it out together. And that would have made it stronger I think.

Not as strong as Haunted Ever After or the Well Met series, but a fun return to Boneyard Key. Plenty of funny lines and lots of good friendships. A good, fun read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Atonement Sky

Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity #9)- Nalini Singh 

Berkley

Release Date: July 15, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could've been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love...

_______________________________________________

 With her mind nearly at fatal psychic exposure, J-Psy Eleri Dias determined to take down one last monster before she goes. She thought she'd planned for everything- except for him. Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett never expected to see the J he believes betrayed him when they were teenagers. When she returns, he doesn't want to forgive or believe in the atonement she seems to be making. But the more they work together to uncover a killer, the more he gets to know her. Can Eleri and Adam catch a killer and solve a problem the best Psy minds have spent years trying to solve?

Nalini Singh's latest introduces us to the world of flying changelings just like Ocean Light introduced us to living with water dwelling changelings. And Atonement Sky is an emotionally gripping introduction! How can Adam see past the grief and rage from their first meeting to the true circumstances, let alone the present? And how can they solve Eleri's rapidly deteriorating condition to have the happily-ever-after of the mating bond? And (minor problem) there's a crazy serial killer trying to deal with as well. I trusted Singh would solve the problems she'd set out for our heroes, but I admit I was worried they were cutting it close as time (and pages in my book!) ran low without clear solutions in place. I stayed up far past my bedtime to finish this book in one read! There was no way to put it down after a certain point!

With Eleri, Singh set herself an interesting new challenge. How to write a charater who know she has emotions, who remembers having emotions, but can't access them anymore, as her romantic heroine. Not because of Silence directly, but still because of what her fellow Psy have done to her. Adam has the challenging job of dealing with his own emotions about Eleri, as well as what the Psy did to her. The two connect so well it was wonderful to read, and made the stakes even higher right from the beginning for me. 

As always, the new clan and secondary characters are well written, Singh's worldbuilding is fully three-dimensional, and anyone who's read her books before will enjoy coming back into the Psy/Changeling world. If you're just starting the series and don't want to start with the beginning (which I recommend, because they're all wonderful), this is a good start because it's a new set of characters with only minor cameos from recurring series characters. Series issues like the Psy Net don't play a role in this book, so you could decide you liked Singh's world and writing before going back to the beginning of the series and getting into issues that will run throughout the series. 

I can't recommend Atonement Sky strongly enough. Full of emotions and friendships, this is a book that will grab you and not let go.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

It Takes a Psychic

 

It Takes a Psychic (Ghost Hunters #17)- Jayne Castle

Berkley 

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Leona Griffin is at the height of her career as a para-archeologist thanks to a recent Underworld discovery. Her high profile attracts the attention of an organization of elite, secretive collectors. They want her to authenticate the artifacts that aspiring members submit as evidence to join their group. The ceremony takes place at a glittering reception where Leona is shocked to discover that one of the relics is a powerful Old-World object known as Pandora’s Box. But she’s not the only one interested in that artifact.

Oliver Rancourt, a man with a unique talent—they say you never see him coming—is also there. Leona knows she must not underestimate him. Attempting to make a discreet exit, she stumbles over the body of a waiter wearing the emblem of a dangerous cult. Before she can alert authorities, a police raid sends the reception into chaos. To avoid being arrested, Leona slips away with Oliver—a risky decision that gets her fired.

Now forced to work together, Leona and Oliver pursue an investigation that leads them to the town of Lost Creek where the locals are obsessed with a chilling legend involving a long-dead cult leader and illicit paranormal experiments. But Leona knows the real danger may be the irresistible attraction between herself and Oliver.

________________________________________________________

After being kidnapped by artifact pirates and saved by her sister (People in Glass Houses) para-archeologist Leona Griffin is ready to give a few lectures and work her way up the tenure ladder at her university. Finding a dead body at a collector's meeting ends that plan rather spectacularly. Excaping the police raid that follows with the mysterious Oliver Rancourt makes things even more complicated. But also a great deal more interesting. When Leona and Oliver (and dust bunny Roxy) decide to work together to uncover the truth behind leads too strange to be coincides, things start moving fast- and getting dangerous. Good thing all three of them have some tricks to pull along the way!

Leona is Molly's sister from People in Glass Houses, so it helps if you've read that book first, but I think you could also read this one as a stand-alone. Glass Houses would just give you a little character background for Leona's story, as well as already knowing Molly and their moms heading into this book. Like Molly, Leona has been raised to take care of herself. She has no problem relying on her own instincts and training but is also caring and compassionate. The first night Oliver (and the reader) meet her she frees dust bunnies and follows him into the Underworld where she sets her dress on fire to help them escape some bad guys. If that doesn't make you like her (or Oliver fall for her) what will?! Oliver is more subtle than some of Castle's men. A Museum Guy, as Leona thinks of him, and not a Guild man as many of Castle's previous heroes, Oliver has no trouble with the idea of calling in the Guild and the cops when he thinks there might be more trouble than he, Leona, and Roxy can handle on their own. But underestimate him at your own risk, because he's not above taking care of business when he needs to protect his people. Although Leona got to protect him in this one pretty nicely too.

On a completely random note, I've always been slightly disappointed that Castle describes characters (usually the men) as having specter-cat eyes but we never get to find out more about wild specter-cats or see one. So the sculpture of the specter-cat in this book for some reason made me extremely happy.

Cut-throat collectors and academics, ruthless cults, a fashionista dust bunny, and Castle's trademark banter between her main characters: It Takes a Psychic was just what I needed to read when it came out and I needed something to take me away from a particularly difficult life situation for a few hours. 

A fun addition to the delightful dust bunny world of Harmony

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review

Affiliate link

Rules for Ruin

Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1)- Mimi Matthews

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful politician’s systematic attack on women’s rights, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.

_____________________________________________

Raised in a girl's school that teaches women to think for themselves- along with teaching a few select students more useful life skills like picking locks- Effie Flite is ordered by the school's headmistress to take down a viscount standing in the way of a Parliamentary bill that will mean married women get to keep control over their own property. It's an assignment that appeals to her not only as a woman, but as a way of gaining her freedom and making her own way in the world, and Effie is willing to take it. After all, the viscount isn't exactly an innocent man.

But Gabriel Royce needs those secrets to stay hidden so he can blackmail the viscount for his own ends. The most powerful man in St. Giles, Gabriel has plans and he needs a few rich politicians to achieve those plans. When Gabriel and Effie meet, each knows a worthy opponent when they see one. And the longer their battle of wills and wits continues, the more they realize they may just be each other's perfect match. 

I absolutely fell in love with these two. Effie and Gabriel are dedicated to their respective causes, stubborn, intelligent loners and absolutely sure they are hardened cases against the outside world. Put them in the same room and BAM! Sparks ignite before either one knows what's happened. Effie challenges Gabriel as no one ever has, refusing to back down from her own agenda and forcing him to rethink his own plans. Gabriel is overprotective, finds intelligence in a woman total catnip, and is willing to put himself in situations that could get him rejected to make sure Effie is ok without even thinking about it. They share bone-melting kisses and her poodle Franc likes him. Clearly, these two are meant for each other.

A clash of business and personal interests, strong personalities, delightfully barbed wits, and high-stakes adventure, this is a romance not to be missed! Perhaps Mimi Matthews best book yet!

If you like women who believe knowledge is power, you'll love the women of the Crinoline Academy.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Affiliate link

Archangel's Ascension

Archangel's Ascension (Guild Hunter 15)- Nalini Singh

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: May 6, 2024

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Aodhan and Illium. Adi and Blue. Sparkle and Bluebell. Friends become lovers, their future a wild unknown.

Finally reunited in New York, they must now learn to navigate the monumental shift in their relationship. But for these two members of Archangel Raphael’s legendary Seven, there is no time to rest. As they investigate a case for the Tower that echoes the darkness from Aodhan’s past, they will be forced to confront not only the scars that mark them both, but the promise of a vast power that flickers in Illium.

The threat of ascension has haunted and troubled Aodhan’s Blue for too long, the forces of change immutable and without mercy...and uncaring of Illium’s fierce wish to remain part of the Seven. Change is a constant in an immortal’s life, and this new horizon will bring with it both terrible heartbreak and a joy extraordinary enough to reverberate through time…

__________________________________________________

Archangel's Ascension threw a curve right from the start by being broken into two timelines: "Today" which is actually 700 years in the future, and "Yesterday" which is the present for the series' normal timeline. I admit to a moment of panic when I fiugred that out, but I should have had more faith in one of my favorite authors. The majority of the book takes place in the current timeline, so situation normal.

Aodhan and Illium admitted in their last book that they loved each other and in this book we get to see them trying to figure out what that means. Because despite what they think, both men still have some issues they need to deal with. Together in New York they investigate the murder of a young vampire and his human girlfriend that has some similarities to Aodhan's past. Meaning he has to face that past, and we as readers get to learn some more about it. 

The murder investigation is pretty basic, but does a good job of helping reset a 'situation hopefully normal' and reminding everyone life doesn't need to be all about wars, zombies and other major craziness, but can be about the more day to day concerns as well. And perhaps should be. It also allows Aodhan a chance to consciously fit more into himself in a way he hasn't before. We see him trying to talk to strangers, to allow physical contact with friends. We see both Adi and Ilium talking to others to try and figure out how not to mess up their changing relationship and hurt each other as they grow. There's plenty of angst along the way, perhaps more than is needed, but readers who have been with the series since the beginning and have been cheering the two on will probably be more lenient with the repetition than they would be otherwise.

The title gives away what the "today" section will be about, and on the whole I thought that was really beautifully done. I did cry a bit in a few places, have to admit. You can tell the series is almost wrapped up, and it will be interesting to see if Singh goes back to the present day for the end, or jumps to her new future and shakes things up there.

This sequel to Archangel's Light is what readers have been waiting for- the conclusion of Illium and Aodhan's story.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Affiliate Link