ARC Review: Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield

Title: Our Wicked Gifts
Author: Kathryn Foxfield
Series: Standalone (I think)
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/YA Fantasy
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Edition: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

   Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely's loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.
   Once overlooked for her lowly gift of discovering secrets, Cicely is now her family's only chance at survival, tasked with finding the killer before he takes out every last Winter. With time running out, Cicely narrows her sights on Soren, who she suspects is back for vengeance.
   Yet the more Cicely investigates Soren--and gets to know him--the more she begins to question how much family loyalty is worth. After all, when it comes to being a Winter, one can have love or power, but rarely both.

The daughter of a sinister magical family who made a deal with the devil must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller that’s House of Hollow meets Succession, laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.

*******************

ARC Review: In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto

Title: In Stormy Weather
Author: Chelsea Curto
Series: (unknown, might be a series)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: July 16, 2026
Edition: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

   Nothing can rain on Quincy Monroe’s parade. She’s a woman-in-STEM with a PhD in atmospheric sciences, the host of a successful online weather show, and has one million followers on her meteorology Instagram.
   Quincy has spent endless hours forging her path in this male-dominated field, becoming one of the best in the industry. And with a new job opportunity, nothing can derail her success. Except for the ill-timed arrival of Sebastian Dunn.
   Sebastian is her best friend’s brother, her long-suffering academic and professional rival, and a flashy TV weatherman from New York City that everyone swoons over. Everyone but Quincy.
   Over a scorching Florida summer and record-breaking hurricane season, Sebastian and Quincy are forced into close proximity. Setting aside their grudges to chase storms and stay alive is one thing, but can they weather the inevitable collision of their hearts?

****************

ARC Review: Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley

Title: Burn the Kingdom Down
Author: Addie Thorley 
Series: Standalone (?)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery/Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Edition: 448 pages eBook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

   One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.
   Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.
Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister's death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna's murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.
   Indira's plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation's stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna's final days, she's no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

 

***************

 

ARC Review: Smoke and Scar by Gretchen Powell Fox

Title: Smoke and Scar
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox 
Series: Shattered Crown #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Action
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: Apr 07 2026
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Synopsis:

    A Splintered Kingdom 
 An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace. 
   A Haunted Warrior 
 Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate. 
   A Vengeful Knight 
 Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths. 
   An Unwinnable Challenge 
 With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other. 
   This is the Arcane Crucible.

 *******************************

Review: Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent

Title: Mother of Death and Dawn
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Series: The War of Lost Hearts #3
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Romance
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: February 10, 2022
Edition: Kindle Edition
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?
In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max’s mind is a shadow of what it once was… leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara’s new, ruthless queen.
   Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.
   Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are thrust into the center of a cataclysm between the human and Fey worlds. The unique magic they share is key to either winning the war, or ending it.
  But that power demands sacrifice. Tisaanah may be forced to choose between love and duty. Max cannot forge his future without confronting his past. And Aefe must decide between reclaiming who she was, or embracing who she has become.
   The choices they make will either reshape this world forever…or end it..

In the harrowing finale of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, a tale of romance, magic, vengeance, and redemption comes to a close.

*******************