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.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

I’m going on holiday tomorrow! Can’t wait for no alarms, pool time, beach time and a slower pace of life!

This week was the last week of school for the summer for my son and work for me along with an office day.

We went to the shops yesterday and was amazed to see all the summer stuff on sale and heard a worker telling someone they need it all cleared to make room for the Autumn, Halloween and Christmas stuff – I couldn’t have been happier!!!!!

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New Arrivals

A Fall of Ruin and Wrath by JLA
Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Beldree
A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
A Demons Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

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What I’ve Read

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas
Reread – all the stars!

🎧 Penmort Castle by Kristen Ashley
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

🎧 Our King: Charles III by Robert Jobson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Happyhead by Josh Silver
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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You might have missed…..

Review – My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
Feature – Books releasing August
Review – The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis
Review – Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

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What have you read lately?

Title: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

Series: Crowns of Nyaxia #2

Author: Carissa Broadbent

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

‘Maybe the king always knew that his greatest love would be his ruination. Maybe he knew it the moment he met her. He’d know it the second time he died, too.’

As in book 1, I was hooked on this story! Enemies to lovers part 2 at its finest!

All I can say is Raihn and Oraya really bit off more than they could chew here and were certainly put through the ringer! There was deception, unlikely allies, a lot of action, secrets, deliciousness and Raihn, god love him!

Apart from the devour worthy story there were 2 things that deserve a special mention:

The flashbacks, omg the flashbacks! I am a sucker for them in any book but these, basically from 2 points of view, made my life!

Then there were the quotes. I must have highlighted around 100 different quotes but, of course, I won’t bore you with them all, so here’s a couple:

‘It was all her. Deadly and stunning. Even her hatred was fucking beautiful.’

‘There she is.’

Title: The Curse of Saints

Series: Curse of Saints #1

Author: Kate Dramis

Has she been sent to save the realm or destroy it?

As Spymaster to the Queen, Aya’s blood oath ensures she protects those she fights alongside – including Will, the Queen’s Enforcer and Aya’s bitter rival.

When rumors of dark magic rise in a nearby kingdom, both are sent to investigate.

But when Aya’s power acts beyond her gods-given affinity, she risks being turned into a weapon in a war she doesn’t know how to win.

And when her relationship with Will unexpectedly shifts, neither knows the danger that will follow . . .

Total 5 star read and up there with my fave books of the year. Yes I said it!

Aya, Will and Tova are the Tria, the Queens advisers and ‘doers’…..all with their own special powers. Until it all goes a bit awry!

This book has everything I’m looking for in a romantasy: political intrigue, hate to love, very morally grey characters, tension and the ‘I will do anything and everything for you’!!

Special shout out to Will who most on the readalong I did were not a fan of but I adored him from the start! (I did question myself as to what was wrong with me!)

The quotes in this book had me tapping on my phone like a mad person trying to get them all down! So many fabulous quotes!

The angst and the emotional rollercoaster this book put me through! I can only pray the author is more merciful in the next book!!!

‘No matter how far the fall.’

Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in August (that I’ll probably buy!!)

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
This Cursed Light Emily Thiede
Foxglove by Adalyn Grace
The Cursed Harper L Woods
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len

Will you be getting any of 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 With One-Word Titles

Gothikana
Ledge
Ambrosia
Reputation
Revelle

Unseelie
Godkiller
Belladonna
Thorn
Heartstopper

What would you choose?

Title: My Killer Vacation

Author: Tessa Bailey

It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in sweet, sunny Cape Cod—just me and my beloved brother—but discovering a corpse in our rental house really throws a wrench into our tanning schedule. Now a rude, crude bounty hunter has arrived on the back of his motorcycle to catch the killer and refuses to believe I can be helpful, despite countless hours of true crime podcast listening. Not to mention a fulfilling teaching career of wrangling second graders.

A brash bounty hunter and an energetic elementary schoolteacher: the murder-solving team no one asked for, but thanks to these pesky attempts on my life, we’re stuck together, come hell or high tide.

I’m just here to do a job, not babysit an amateur sleuth. Although… it is becoming less and less of a hardship to have her around. Sure, she’s stubborn, distracting and can’t stay out of harm’s way. She’s also brave and beautiful and reminds me of the home I left behind three years ago. In other words, the painful hunger and protectiveness she is waking up in me is a threat to my peace of mind. Before I sink any deeper into this dangerous attraction, I need to solve this murder and get back on the road. But will fate take her from me before I realize the road has been leading to her all along?

Taylor and her brother, Jude, are on holiday – they both need it. What they don’t need is finding a dead dude in their holiday home!

Enter Myles, bounty hunter. Taylor decides to spice her life up and armed with her crime docus knowledge, she can’t resist helping!!! Much to Myles annoyance!!!!!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a light-hearted whodunit with humour, banter and segsual tension that nearly drove me over the edge, it was off the charts! Those 2, although polar opposites, are made for each other!

Also Myles’ internal monologue had me laughing out loud (and feeling a bit sorry for him as he experienced all those emotions!!!)

‘That nosy school teacher wants it down and dirty.’

I had an inkling of who I thought was the baddie and I was completely wrong!!!!!

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.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

One week and we’ll be off to the beach…..counting down the days!

This week I had an office day and my son had activities week in school which was full of trips, escape room challenges and conservation!

I’ve completed a readalong, listened to 3 audiobooks and I’ve started a reread of A Court of Silver Flames and can confirm it’s amazing what details I picked up after reading Crescent City – made my jaw drop!

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What I’ve Read

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Bryony and Roses by T Kingfisher
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

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New arrivals

Hooked by Emily McIntyre

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You might have missed…..

Review – The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Review – The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Review – Cursed Crowns by Katherine Webber

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What have you read lately?

Title: Cursed Crowns

Series: Twin Crowns #2

Author: Katherine Webber

Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns . . . but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana’s throne.

Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunless Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.

Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Banba. But when she accepts King Alarik’s deadly magical bargain in exchange for Banba’s freedom, the spell has unexpected – and far-reaching – consequences . . .

As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown. Their lives – and the future of Eana – depend on it.

Break the ice to free the curse,
Kill one twin to save another . . .

Back again with Wren and Rose, twin witch Queens!

Rose goes on a tour to try and drum up love as a witch queen and Wren goes to get her Gran from Ansell’s brother! Let’s just say it doesn’t all go to plan!

What a fab continuation of the story and certainly didn’t suffer from 2nd book syndrome!

One thing that did irk me was the unnecessary (well I think!) love triangle that was put in! Say no to love triangles unless it’s going to end up like a polyamorous relationship – maybe it will and I will have to eat my words!!!

Can’t wait for the next book!

‘Break the ice to free the curse,
Kill one twin to save another . . .’

Title: The True Love Experiment

Author: Christina Lauren

Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

Fizzy! The bubbly, hilarious bestie from Soulmate Equation gets her own book!

Fizzy has writers block and is in a lull in life and somehow she gets to be the star of a TV dating show by the beautiful Connor Prince the Third!!!

Although I thought it started off really slow, as it got going, I was hooked! Oh and beware, 3rd act drama made! Whhhhhhy does that have to happen?!!!

Anyway, this was a funny, schexy, chemistry filled read and can I just say that I loved Connor!!! Especially loved him because he’s English and you can’t go wrong there!!!