The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

I hope you had a great week!

A week of eyedrops for me! I thought my eye was getting better, but I had a follow-up appointment on Friday, and the hospital said I have a bleed behind my eye. They gave me the choice of waiting for 2 weeks to see if my vision gets better (which means the bleed has stopped) or another surgery, so I chose to wait because eye surgery is absolutely vile!

2 audiobooks read this week – an arc and a book club read!

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🎧 Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

See my reviews soon!

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Review – The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley  
Review – Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon

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Review – Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
Review – Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu

What have you read lately?

Title: Tusk Love

Author: Thea Guanzon

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BLURB

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

I loved this story, it was so cute, cozy and fun!

Guinevere is on the road to meet her betrothed but gets set upon by bandits….and saved by half-orc, Oskar.

‘It is my duty to marry well. Father writes that Lord Wensleydale is not too old and has all his teeth.’

From there, Oskar takes Guin to deliver her safely to her new man……..

Guinivere is just so sweet. She’s caught between duty to her family and the fact that her eyes have been opened to what could be.

Oskar is The Man. I love him and his dirty talk!

As I said, I loved this, it was full of action, was saucy and ONE BEEEEEEEED!!!!!

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Sound like something you’d like?

Title: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

Series: Dearly Beloathed #1

Author: Brigitte Knightley

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BLURB

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally – such is the grim comedy of fate – the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick – so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne’s disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

I listened to the audiobook, and this will be a smaller review as I’ve just had an eye op but wanted to leave something!

Two characters from different ends of the scale, Aurienne the healer and Osric the killer, are thrown together for a miracle (not a cure), but an immunisation!

‘He tilted his head so that his cheekbone caught the light. His cleft chin clefted majestically. Who wouldn’t want to heal this?’

The story and the writing were hilarious, and it called to my dark, dry humour on a massive level!

‘Lovely outfit said Osric. Crime scene chic.
Thank you said Tristane. It has pockets.’

The banter, the quick wit, and the name calling (ganglion being my fave) made me laugh out loud in some parts! Special note to the springs/baths part!

If someone could tell me two things: when is book 2 and where can I get a critique cricket?!

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Sound like something you’d like?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books with a High Page Count

Because I’ve basically stopped reading contemporary romance (and there is no excuse for one of those to be over 350 pages), I’ve chosen either romantasy or SFF books that I’ve read that are chonks!

Sinners Playground by Caroline Peckham- 625 pages
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – 648 pages
Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson – 656 pages
Elancer by Jane Washington – 658 pages
The Blackbird Oracle by Deborah Harkness – 672 pages
Glow by Raven Kennedy – 688 pages

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff – 721 pages
Obsidio by Jay Kristoff  – 721 pages
Crescent City House of Earth and Blood by SJM – 803 pages
Kingdom of Ash by SJM – 980 pages

Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

I hope you had a great week!

I’m sort of back! I had my eye operation on 7th August, and let me tell you, it was awful. My eye is absolutely gruesome and I won’t be able to see out of it for a few weeks. I also had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics which landed me back in hospital with a swollen head and neck – the joy!!!!

My son has been an absolute star! He’s been cooking, putting in my drops (6 times a day!!) and just generally making sure I’m ok. What a gem.

Audiobooks have been my best friend! I amassed a stock of them before my op and I needed them. It was so boring doing nothing!

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🎧 Never the Roses by Jennifer K Lambert
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

🎧 Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

See my reviews soon!

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Feature – September Releases
Review – Never the Roses by Jennifer K Lambert

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Review – The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley  
Review – Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon

What have you read lately?

Title: Never the Roses

Author: Jennifer K Lambert

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BLURB

UNSTOPPABLE WAR. UNSPEAKABLE SINS. IMPOSSIBLE LOVE.

The Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. She’s exhausted from fighting the endless wars of kings and queens, and has long accepted that her death is near. Alone at last but for a few uninvited companions―a near-mythical wolf, a goddess’s avatar, and a feline that embodies magic itself―Oneira realizes that she’s bored. On a whim, or perhaps at the behest of fate, she makes an unlikely trip to the most extensive library in existence: the home of her most powerful rival, the sorcerer Stearanos.

By recklessly stealing a book from him, Oneira inadvertently initiates a forbidden correspondence. Taunting notes and clever retorts reveal a connection neither has found―nor could ever find―in any other.

But Oneira soon learns that Stearanos, bound to a vile king, is tasked with waging war on the queen she once served. A relationship with him is far too dangerous to pursue despite their mutual desire―and yet, Oneira can’t seem to stay away.

A bond with Stearanos could alight the long-extinct flame of life within her… or it could destroy her entirely.

I listened to the audiobook as I’ve just had an eye op but wanted to leave a review!

Don’t you love a book about books?

Well, this is…..sort of!

‘His library was terribly seductive.’

This book was so cute, 2 older characters, both powerful sorcerers who should be enemies. They find they have lots in common, including that they are used at the whims of the rulers who own them.

Watching Oneira and Stearanos made me feel like a peeper and I loved every minute – they were so cute!

The letters were quite sweet and I find myself wanting to know what the roses and Oneira’s pink beach looks like!

‘Thief of my heart.’

Book 2 please!

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Sound like something you’d like?

Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in September…

It’s going to be a good month! Only 4 books and I’ve preordered them all!!!!!

Holly by Adalyn Grace
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross 
What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller
A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal

Will you be getting these?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump

Some of my faves here!

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer
Plier by Jane Washington
Seven Year Slip by Ashley Postin

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas
Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley
Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

 

Have you read any of these?

July 2025 – Yours Hatefully

I am yours in truth and hate.

Fandoms this month: Divine Rivals, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, A Dark and Drowning Tide and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries!

💛 Enchanted Ink Plate Set – designed by @_studio_AO inspired by Divine Rivals
💛 Messenger to the Old Gods Watering Globe – inspired by The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, designed by @stacey.mcevoy.caunt
💛 Ruhigburg Expedition Water Bottlr Bag – with artwork from @swanbones inspired by A Dark and Drowning Tide
💛 Notes of the Fae Sticky Notes – inspired by Emily Wilde’s, with artwork by @smugcomputer

💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

✨ An exclusive redesigned cover on an acetate jacket (art by @frostbite.studios; design by @chattynora)
✨ Full colour art on the hardback (art by @frostbite.studios; design by @chattynora)
✨ Digitally printed edges (by @chattynora)
✨ Illustrated endpapers (by @flyora.art); different front and back
✨ Bound-in author letter
✨ Bonus content
✨ Digitally signed by the author