The Brides review

 

Book: The Brides

Author: Charlotte Cross

Pages: 400

Date(s) Read: July 8^th, 2026 to July 17^th, 2026

Date Published: July 7^th, 2026

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Gothic, Vampires, Sapphic

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 5/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: May 2^nd, 2026

Book Cost: $27.96

Review:

The Brides is a decadent work of gothic horror that is both profound and poignant.

 

In The Brides we follow the women who will become Dracula's brides. There's such a depth and detail to this story and writing that I fear I will give too much away if I say anymore.

 

Mafalda is abrasive and manipulative, yet you can't help but fall for her. Her paramour, Lucy, is a vivacious and kindly woman who is easy to love. Being in Lucy's head was refreshing; she's so moral and upright while still being very flawed. The supporting cast is just as compelling and interesting. The diary style writing helps to give everyone a unique voice and tone.

 

I found this work to be more realistic than less fantastical works when it comes to women and our place in society. This book is very modern in its heart and ideals despite taking place so long ago.

 

I sped through this book in less than two weeks. I could not get enough of this novel. If you're a lover of sapphic romance, gothic fiction, and horror, this is not to be missed.

The Weaver Bride review

Book: The Weaver Bride

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Pages: 475

Date(s) Read: May 16^th, 2026 to July 17^th, 2026

Date Published: September 30^th, 2025

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: May 22^nd, 2025

Book Cost: $20.99 

Review:

The Weaver Bride is, although not without its flaws, a great ya romance.

 

In The Weaver Bride Lovett is a silkwitch who joins a competition in a sumptuous high society world to both secure a husband and solve a mystery.

 

Lovett is a likable albeit headstrong character. Eliot and Noe are both compelling love interests. The other girls competing for Noes hand are equally fascinating.

 

This book is slow for a long while, I definitely felt the pacing at times but the story itself, once it takes off it hits the ground running. There aren't a ton of twists but the ending reveal as well as the answers to all your questions are more than worth the wait.

 

 

If you like a Bridgeton style world, romance, and trials you'll probably like this one as much as I did.

The Assassin's Way review

 

Book: The Assassin’s Way

Author: J.M. Kearl

Pages: 476

Date(s) Read: June 25^th, 2026 to July 17^th, 2026

Date Published: June 18^th, 2026

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Romantasy, Vampires, Fantasy

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Hard Cover (Fairyloot)

Date Bought: June 4^th, 2026

Book Cost: $40.00

Review:

The Assassin's Way is a gripping, non-stop thrill ride with crazy twists and scintillating romance.

 

In the Assassin's Way, 19-year-old Aesira's secret as a ducai is uncovered, and she's forced to become an assassin-in-training with her mysterious and brooding training partner Vander. There are crazy twists, lots of yearning, and plenty of action to keep this fast-paced fiction from ever getting stale.

 

I loved the characters. There's a found family aspect here. I enjoyed the character interactions between Aesira and her friends as well as between her and her rival, Beast. Vander is mysterious and I really can't say anything about him without giving major plot points and twists away, but suffice it to say he is multidimensional and will keep you on your toes. The romance is swoon-worthy too.

 

Usually it takes me months to read books because I read so many at once. I read this in a handful of weeks; I was so enraptured. If you like vampires and romantasy this is a must-read.

Crown Me Dead review

 

Book: Crown Me Dead

Author: Liv Zander

Pages: 270

Date(s) Read: June 1^st, 2026 to July 14^th, 2026

Date Published: April 10^th, 2026

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Gothic, Romantasy

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Kindle

Date Bought: May 22^nd, 2026

Book Cost: $4.99

Review:

Crown Me Dead is a very unique work of fantasy fiction that is times as grotesque as it is beautiful.

 

I'm not gonna lie or sugarcoat it: there are scenes in this book that straight up had me running to the toilet to dry-heave. My husband asked me several times while I did that, if I was okay. I assured him I was.

 

And you know what? I was. This novel is grotesque. It's gross, it's vile, even shocking but this novel is good. Like seriously good. It will have you guessing on what's really going on until the end.

 

In Crown Me Dead, undertaker Elara is enlisted to seduce the king into taking her as his queen and killing her to satisfy a curse on the crown but all is not as it seems.

 

I liked Elara and felt interested in both love interests Kael, and Vale. I loved the love triangle dynamic and was gripped, wondering who she would choose only to lament that maybe she chose wrong.

 

This book will have you on the edge of your seat. Despite the gross-out moments, it's worth reading for that shocking ending and the will-they-won't-they aspect. This book is a must for those who love gothic fantasy and dark fantastic worlds.

Seven Days in June review

 

Book: Seven Days in June

Author: Tia Williams

Pages: 336

Date(s) Read: June 7^th, 2026 to July 2^nd, 2026

Date Published: June 1^st, 2021

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  4/5

Cover: 5/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: January 7^th, 2025

Book Cost: $9.60

Review:

Seven Days in June is a deep and moving romance that is truly heartfelt.

 

In Seven Days in June romance erotica author Eva runs into literatures bad boy Shane. Their run in brings up old feelings from a shared past in their youth. As they become entangled again we also follow Eva as a teen during the time that leads up to those Seven Days in June she spent with Shane.

 

This book was such an emotional roller coaster. Its a lot like real love -- wonderful, messy, and chaotic. The chemistry between the two characters was off the charts. Eva and Shane together make disparate match of passion, chaos, and fire. There’s so much longing here too that’s reminiscent of older romance books.

 

Eva is really easy to identify with given her invisible disability.  She is lovable, talented, and does what she can to provide her daughter with a safe and well grounded life, the kind she never had growing up. Shane is a man trying to heal, I also found him easily relatable. He cant write now that he's sober and I understand the sentiment well because my best art is always done on Adderall. Without it I feel stuck in a rut. As we follow Shane we see him try to grapple with life as an writer who can't write while he mentors young people.

 

This book was a fascinating character study on both Shane and Eva. Both characters are so multifaceted. They truly feel like real people. If your looking for some depth in your romance then this is a book you can't miss.

The Poet Empress review

 

Book: The Poet Empress

Author: Shen Tao

Pages: 400

Date(s) Read: May 12^th, 2026 to July 2^nd, 2026

Date Published: January 20^th, 2026

Rating: 3/5

Genre: Asian Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 3/5

Ending:  4/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: January 31^st, 2026

Book Cost: $23.12

Review:

The Poet Empress is a beautiful and moving story, but it is by no means a fun or enjoyable read.

 

In the Poet Empress a poor village girl named Wei becomes the bride to Terren, a true terror of a prince. As he tortures his bride, maims servants, and kills animals she learns to read so she can write the ultimate poem that will be able to kill him.

 

I found Wei desperately wanting, she didn't feel three dimensional at all. We never truly get to know her, her inner thoughts, her goals, her likes and dislikes. She is a shell of a person. Other characters such as Maro are similar. Terren, the villain, feels like the closest we get to knowing a character and even that lacks a kind of authenticity.

 

That being said it is a well written and beautiful story. The ending was lovely. This wasn't a bad book but I felt myself really wanting more out of it, especially after all the hype surrounding it.

Neighborhood Story Volume 3 review

 

Book: Neighborhood Story Volume 3

Author: Ai Yazawa

Pages: 328

Date(s) Read: June 17^th, 2026 to June 18^th, 2026

Date Published: August 4^th, 2024

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Comics, Manga

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  4/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Soft Cover

Date Bought: June 4^th, 2026

Book Cost: $19.99

Review:

Another great volume of neighborhood story. This one features the culmination of mikakos hard work at school and more relationship drama for our motley crew of characters.