Lights Out - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

Lights Out (Into Darkness #1)

by Navessa Allen

What is it about:

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.

Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

*Might be a tiny bit spoilery*

Either I'm more depraved than I thought, or there needs to be a serious discussion about what a Dark Romance is.

Because this wasn't dark at all in my opinion!

Not that that was a bad thing: I haven't laughed so much while reading a Romance in a long time. And not because the story is laughable, but because it really is meant to be funny.

I liked Aly and Josh from the start. Josh is a bit of a social disaster, but otherwise they're both just really fun people. I enjoyed learning more about them and seeing them fall for each other. 

There were two minor annoyances:

1 - Even though their backstories were entertaining, I didn't like it that those were used as an explanation for their kinks. You don't need a trauma or tragic event to enjoy kinks.

2 - Saying "No safe word. Just say stop, and I'll stop." = a safe word!!!!!

But those were minor as I said. I could easily put it aside for the sake of the story.

All in all I had a great time with this, and even Sullivan got invested when real danger was introduced to make things a bit more suspenseful. He also really liked Fred, the cat.

You bet we will get hold of the next book.

Why should you read it:

It's a very enjoyable Dark Romance

On McPig's Wishlist - A Dagger of Lightning

 

A Dagger of Lightning

by Meredith R. Lyons

Let's get one thing straight: I am not your chosen one.

Forty-five-year-old Imogen has always struggled to fit in, never finding her passion in life. And while that may include having cold feet in her impending nuptials, that doesn't mean she's ready to ditch planet Earth—and her entire life—completely.

When Imogen is kidnapped by an alien prince in disguise, there’s nothing she can do to stop him. He’s sidhe—a being with powerful abilities—and he’s grown up used to getting what he wants. The prince is convinced Imogen will fall in love with him, and that her new powers, once she’s turned sidhe, will help his country win a centuries-old feud.

With the help of the prince’s much more tolerable brother, Imogen starts to get her feet back under her, but even he can’t protect her from those who would use her for her powers. If Imogen can’t find a way to fight for herself, she’ll become a pawn in a world that has already decided what she’s going to be.

Expected publication April 1, 2025

Alien Ghostship - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

Alien Ghostship

by Bella Blair

What is it about:

Jane: While scouting my assigned sector in our galaxy, I come upon an abandoned alien ship. A Ghostship. Excited to explore the deserted vessel, things soon turn strange as an eerie mist follows me wherever I go, even showing me the way to a cabin that appears to have been left in a hurry. Soon I discover, that I'm not only unable to leave the Alien Ghostship, but I begin to dream of a handssome, alien stranger. Is he the guy who left this ship in an obvious haste? 

WREN: Thanks to my copilot's betrayal, I have been a prisoner in this cave for I don't know how long. My only hope is that my prototype ship has left to find help, otherwise I'm afraid I will be doomed in here. One morning my tablet announces that somebody has boarded my ship. A woman of a species I have never seen before. Did she board my ship to steal it or to get help? And what is that mist that seems to follow her everywhere? And why do I suddenly begin dreaming of her? So real it is as if she were sitting right next to me. So alluring that all I care about is being with her. 

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I got this as a freebie for signing up to Bella Blair's newsletter

This is a nice read.

It could have used a bit more editing, but I liked the story well enough to overlook the typo's and missing words.

The romance is fast, but enjoyable. It is a bit of a puzzle how the two are noticing and feeling each other, but that added a bit of suspense to it.

The ending was a bit too obviously trying to shove in lead characters of other books, but all in all ths was a pleasant read. I got several other freebies for signing up, all part of different series by Blair. I might try one of those to see if there's a series/world that captures me.

Why should you read it:

It's a nice SciFi Romance.

Teaser Tuesdays - What Moves the Dead

 Doing a reread of this book before reading What Feasts at Night. 

The mushroom's gills were the deep-red color of severed muscle, the almost-violet shade that contrasts so dreadfully with the pale pink of viscera. I had seen it any number of times in dead deer and dying soldiers, but it startled me to see it here.

(page 1, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Enchanted Greenhouse - Early Book Review

 

The Enchanted Greenhouse

by Sarah Beth Durst

What is it about:

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

What did I think of it:

*I was lucky enough to get a digital Advance Reader Copy of this book*

This is a standalone set in the same world as The Spellshop, but anyone who read and loved The Spellshop will recognize who Terlu is, and so needs to read this! New to this world? You can totally read and love this book without reading the Spellshop first, but believe me: you need both these books, they're both awesome!

I liked Terlu, and had a lot of sympathy for her, but then the grumpy gardener Yarrow was introduced, and just Wow! He and I have a lot in common I have to confess. From that point on I so rooted for the both of them,(maybe a little bit more for Yarrow) that they would succeed in saving the greenhouses.

I feared one of my least favorite tropes would happen in this book, and it did, but Durst managed to write it in a way that didn't make me want to puke like I usually do with this particular trope (which I will name the 'Shiny Happy People' trope to not spoil too  much). 

So with a certain trope handled in the best was possible this was just as beautiful and emotional a read as The Spellshop. I loved reading about the wonders in the greenhouses, and learn more about the world Durst created. There's tons of beauty and whimsy, next to a really emotional story that also has lots to smile about.

You bet I will impatiently wait for the release and get my trotters on the hardcover to place it next to The Spellshop. And if there's to be more books: I'm going to hope it will be about certain characters who have a small role in this book.

Why should you read it:

It's a great, cozy Fantasy with a wonderfully grumpy gardener.

Expected publication: July 15, 2025 by Bramble

On McPig's Wishlist - The Serpent Called Mercy

 

The Serpent Called Mercy

by Roanne Lau

The Witcher meets Squid Game in this Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy novel where a debt-ridden slumdog joins an illegal monster-fighting arena for some fast coin, but quickly learns the most dangerous beasts are outside the ring, by debut author Roanne Lau

Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.

Match-master Dothilos is initially enamored of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.

But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game—a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.

A whirlwind of blood-pounding battles as characters grapple with their choices in the face of wealth and financial security, The Serpent Called Mercy's heart is the underlying, steadfast friendship between its protagonists.

Expected publication: March 25, 2025

The Spellshop - Book Review

 

The Spellshop

by Sarah Beth Durst

What is it about:

The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

What did I think of it:

When Jeffe told me I should read this book, I was easily convinced as I absolutely love Sarah Beth Durst's The Queen of Blood (I'm so going to get my trotters on the new paperback once it releases, because: have you seen that new cover!). 

And this book is so going on my keeper shelves and will be hugged, treasured, and reread!

What a beautiful, touching read. If you need a cozy Fantasy read: look no further and get your hands on The Spellshop!

I loved Kiela from the start, and don't get me started on Caz, because I'll be singing his praises for hours.  I mean: an intelligent, talking, sarcastic spider plant!!

The story is so sweet, and I kept reading to see what happens next for Kiela and Caz. There's some danger to keep you on edge, but mainly this book was delightful and full of whimsy. It made me smile while reading.

So you bet I jumped on the chance to read an Advance Reader Copy of the next book set in the same world as The Spellshop.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautiful, cozy, and heartwarming Fantasy read.