ARC Review: The Ever King by L.J. Andrews

Title: The Ever King
Author: L.J. Andrews 
Series: The Ever Seas #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Adult
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: September 16, 2023
Edition: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

   They stole his crown. So, he stole their daughter…
For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.
   Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.
   She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.
Unless she steals his heart first. 

 

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Review: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Title: The Bridge Kingdom
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Genre: Fantasy Romance/New Adult
Publisher: Context Literary Agency
Publication Date: August 1, 2024
Edition: 435 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:
   A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she'll be the one to bring him to his knees.
   The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she's sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.
   Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she's the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she'll save . . . and which kingdom she'll destroy. 

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ARC Review: Formula Zero by Meredith Lanzen

Title: Formula Zero
Author: Meredith Lanzen 
Series: Standalone
Genre: Sci-Fi/Romance/Sports
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Edition: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

   Madeline Clarke didn't think her life would be all fun and trophies after earning her spot in the solar system's most elite zero-gravity racing circuit, but she definitely thought it'd be better than this. Aside from being a female pilot in a male-dominated sport, her boss is a controlling jerk, her estranged father is a beloved figure from her team's past glory days (and an absolute ass), and she's performing so poorly she risks losing her contract. And worst of all, there's Julian Casperi.
   Julian was Clarke's childhood best friend and is a rising star in the league. The dance between them has always been complicated, but when Clarke walked away from her feelings years ago and Julian didn’t stop her they became nothing more than competitors—until Clarke gets into a near-fatal accident on the track and Julian comes to her rescue.
   Now back in each other’s orbits, the tension between them is at an all-time high. But navigating their relationship might be the least of Clarke’s problems. Things keep going wrong on the track, and she suspects there's something shady at play. If she wants to come out on top, she needs to move fast and make bold choices—about her team, her future, and her heart.

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ARC Review: A Congress of Roses by Melissa J. Cave

Title: A Congress of Roses
Author: Melissa J. Cave
Series: Empire of the Stars #4
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Owl and Bear, LLC
Publication Date: May 1, 2026
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

   Too many Knights of the Brede are the last of their blood. But being an orphan might be better than being the beloved daughter of the Divine Emperor.
   With blood still soaking the Tresingale docks, Remin and Ophele set sail for the capital, where a single night's scandal can echo to the Five Courts. The Emperor's cold war with his Empress has already torn the Empire apart once, and as the Crown Princess Selenne makes her debut, Ophele's arrival threatens the precarious balance of power.
   Amidst assassins, duels, and the dangerous machinations of the court, it becomes clear that the only thing more deadly than defying the Emperor is belonging to him. The capital has always found many uses for the Children of the Stars, and Ophele will have to learn to command this game, or be claimed as a pawn.
   Sidelined in society and despised as the son of traitors, Remin is forced to fight at her side with new weapons of intrigue and influence, where every move he makes risks everything they have built. Because this time, the greatest general in the Empire isn't trying to win a war.
   He's trying to stop one.

  

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Review: The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh

Title: The Demon and the Light
Author: Axie Oh
Series: The Demon and the Light #2
Genre: Fantasy/Mythology/Romance
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: October 21, 2025
Edition: 390 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's |

 

 

Synopsis:

The battle is over, but the war is just beginning...
   With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General's insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love.
   But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever. 

Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in The Demon and the Light, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Axie Oh's The Floating World.

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