My Thoughts: The Shippers by Katherine Center

*I received an advance digital copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Shippers

by Katherine Center

May 19, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

My Thoughts: How to Find a Guy in Five Weddings by Cynthia Timoti

*I received a digital advance copy of this book from Bramble in exchange for an honest review.

How to Find a Guy in Five Weddings

by Cynthia Timoti

May 12, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

It’s 27 Dresses meets Sonya Lalli’s The Matchmaker’s List in this delightful romcom where she doesn’t believe in love…he’s determined to prove her wrong -- by being her matchmaker!

Kimiko Halim thinks happy endings only exist in fairy tales. But her late grandmother’s will specifies settling down as a condition to inherit her yarn store, and the family’s legacy is the only thing that matters. Kim’s plan is find a guy, date him until the store is hers, then gently uncouple from the poor, unsuspecting victim.

But the clock is ticking, and her dates have been more frogs than princes. When Rob Carmichael, a perpetual groomsman and self-proclaimed proponent of happily-ever-afters, overhears Kim’s cynical view of love, he’s baffled. Having been surrounded by happy relationships all his life, Rob convinces her that he can find her a soulmate in one of the next five weddings he’s going to.

What can possibly go wrong?

Review: Fruit of the Flesh by I.V. Ophelia

*I received a copy of this book from Firefly Books Ltd in exchange for an honest review.

Fruit of the Flesh

by I.V. Ophelia

January 20, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

Behind the glamour of Gilded Age New York, a marriage of convenience between an artisan and a ballerina masks their shared appetite for revenge in this darkly seductive gothic romance.

In early 1900s New York, former ballerina Petronille De Villier makes an unconventional choice: Marry struggling sculptor Arkady Kamenev. For her, it’s an escape from her family’s unsavory legacy. For him, the De Villier name promises the patronage his art desperately needs. It should be a simple arrangement.

But beneath their marriage of convenience lurks a darker recognition. In each other, they see a reflection of their own dangerous appetites. As buried secrets surface and bodies begin disappearing, Petronille and Arkady discover their union runs deeper than social advantage. Their shared obsessions draw them into an intoxicating dance of predator and prey, though it’s never quite clear who is which.

Bound by law, God, and blood, they must decide if their monstrous natures will tear them apart or forge them into something terribly wonderful together. In a world where nothing is quite what it seems, two creatures of shadow learn that true love requires a taste for the macabre.

Review: Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo

*I received a copy of this book from Tordotcom in exchange for an honest review.

Cabaret in Flames

by Hache Pueyo

March 10, 2026 

Goodreads Summary:

Hache Pueyo returns after But Not Too Bold with her new novella Cabaret in Flames, where Interview with the Vampire meets Certain Dark Things in an alternate-Brazil where brutal flesh-hungering Guls stalk the night streets and manipulate the government from their glittering cabaret

Guls can be brutal. Few know this better than Ariadne, who lost half her body to their appetites, but their brutality is a predictable constant amid Brazil’s political chaos. Now, she treats them in the specialized clinic she inherited from Erik Yurkov—the mentor who rescued her as a child, trained her in medicine, built her prostheses, and disappeared without a trace.

Ariadne’s routine is disturbed when Quaint knocks on her door: a charming, tattooed gul claiming to be Erik’s oldest friend. Quaint suspects foul play in Erik’s disappearance, and they soon discover Erik sought asylum at Cabaré, an infamous club in Rio de Janeiro frequented by the gul elite.

Together, Ariadne and Quaint will unravel the conspiracy behind their friend’s disappearance, navigate the labyrinthine world of Ariadne’s memories, and discover what Erik means to them—and what they are starting to mean to each other.

Review: A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann

*I received a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

A Stage Set for Villains

by Shannon J. Spann

February 3, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players…

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Caraval meets One Dark Window in this lush and dark fantasy.

Review: Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

*I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and an advance reading copy from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Stranger Things Have Happened

by Kasie West

April 14, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West's next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What the hell is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Quick Thoughts: Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows #1) by Devney Perry

Shield of Sparrows

(Shield of Sparrows #1)

by Devney Perry

May 6, 2025 

Goodreads Summary:

Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?

Quick Thoughts: Tourist Season (The Seasons of Carnage Trilogy #1) by Brynne Weaver

Tourist Season

(The Seasons of Carnage Trilogy #1)

by Brynne Weaver

September 23, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever.

Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colorful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won’t let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost—especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory.

Troublesome tourists don’t check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper’s award-winning flowerbeds. But Nolan Rhodes isn’t your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he’s saved the best for last: the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling.

The problem? Harper isn’t the monster he expected. And she won’t go down without a fight. When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she’ll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage—including their fragile love.

Tourist Season is a darkly funny, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance where destruction and desire are balanced on the edge of a blade—and where love is the most dangerous battleground of all.

Quick Thoughts: The Courting of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats #1) by Mary E. Pearson

The Courting of Bristol Keats

(The Courting of Bristol Keats #1)

by Mary E. Pearson

November 12, 2024

Goodreads Summary:

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance-- the first book in a duology.

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

Review: The Cursed Queen's Daughter (Thirstwood #2) by Elly Blake

*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

The Cursed Queen's Daughter

(Thirstwood #2)

by Elly Blake

February 10, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

A warrior princess falls for a shadow prince in this darkly romantic companion to The Forest King’s Daughter.

Fearless Thea has never known life outside of war. As the favorite daughter of the Sylvan King, she's a relentless fighter who longs to lead his army as First Huntsman, ignoring the pretty clothes and fanciful notions others enjoy. But when a mysterious dress full of dark magic appears on her hearth one evening, Thea doesn’t know how to fight an enemy she can't see or touch. Still, her curiosity builds as a new gown appears each night—until she gives in to temptation and is whisked to a forgotten land of shadows.

The prince of the shadow realm is a handsome host, and while Thea does all she can to resist his charms, it's clear he knows something about the long-ago disappearance of Thea’s mother. All he asks in return is for Thea to dance with him, their dangerous attraction growing each time she returns for more information. Meanwhile, shadows are seeping into the living realm, and Thea may have to embrace her own darkness if she has any chance of saving her beloved sisters and home from an otherworldly threat.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the second book in a spellbinding series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, with simmering romance and plot twists that will leave readers desperate to enter the Thirstwood themselves.

Quick Thoughts: The Forest King's Daughter (Thirstwood #1) by Elly Blake

*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

The Forest King's Daughter

(Thirstwood #1)

by Elly Blake

February 11, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black, The Forest King's Daughter is an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood.

Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought...because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen and forest king declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they've escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest folk and demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.

Review: Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire #1) by Cliodhna O'Sullivan

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Frenzy Books in exchange for an honest review.

Her Hidden Fire

(Her Hidden Fire #1)

by Cliodhna O'Sullivan

March 3, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

The first book in a searing new romantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of POWERLESS

If he has the ability to wield magical powers, everyone will rejoice – especially the girl who loves him.

But what happens when they realize she has the gift?

In a world where dragons stalk the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a knife can Ionain, the heir apparent, channel magic, or will the family be cast out and replaced by a cruel master from a neighbouring land?

So when Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionain, discovers that she can draw power, she finds herself in grave danger. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, and certainly never outside the great families. At Ionain’s moment of truth, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him, Ailm’s Keep, and ultimately herself.

As Éadha and Ionain enter a whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache and jealousy, they learn about power’s terrible cost – a price others willingly pay to maintain theirs.

How far would you go to empower the one you love?

Review: Rings of Fate (Curses and Crowns #1) by Melissa de la Cruz

*I received a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Rings of Fate

(Curses and Crowns #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz

January 6, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.

Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.

Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate ancient weapons of devastating power since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.

But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.

Review: Dragon Cursed (Dragon Cursed #1) by Elise Kova

*I purchased a copy of this book and received an advance reading copy of this book from Mayhem Books in exchange for an honest review.

Dragon Cursed

(Dragon Cursed #1)

by Elise Kova

January 6, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

The moment you see a dragon is usually your last…

Since the dragons emerged–along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people–there’s only one human city that remains standing: Vingard.

But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being dragon cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you’ll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything–and everyone–you love.

Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities.

And I’m terrified that I might be next.

There’s only one other person who might suspect my secret. He’s like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden.

Because Lucan definitely knows something.

And if I’m dragon cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.

Quick Thoughts: Not in Love (Not in Love #1) by Ali Hazelwood

Not in Love

(Not in Love #1)

by Ali Hazelwood

June 11, 2024

Goodreads Summary:

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science—from New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.

Review: Never Ever After (Never Ever After #1) by Sue Lynn Tan

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Never Ever After

(Never Ever After #1)

by Sue Lynn Tan

October 28, 2025 

Goodreads Summary:

Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess—for fans of Renée Ahdieh, Tahereh Mafi, and Stephanie Garber.

Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.

Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

This sweeping fantasy romance inspired by Cinderella and a Chinese fairy tale is the first in a breathtaking new series by the acclaimed author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Review: Shutout (Rules of the Game #2) by Avery Keelan

*I received a copy of this book from Bramble Books in exchange for an honest review.

Shutout

(Rules of the Game #2)

by Avery Keelan

December 9, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

Tiktok sensation Avery Keelan is back with the second in the addictive Rules of the Game series, Shutout, an unputdownable and steamy college hockey romance.

He's the tall, tattooed stranger I hooked up with on Halloween... and now he's my new roommate.

After a sudden cross-country move, I’m stuck crashing with my older brother and two of his hockey teammates for sophomore year. I'm not thrilled about shacking up with three athletes and their stinky gear, rotating door of hookups, and tendency to inhale every snack in the house. Just one reason of many that hockey players aren't my type.

When I walk in the front door with an armload of boxes, however, I'm faced with another problem.

My anonymous fling from two months ago is Tyler Donahue, the superstar goalie for my brother’s team.

We both agree to pretend it never happened, but it quickly becomes clear neither of us can forget. Before I know it, we're exchanging heated glances from across the room, sending spicy texts at all hours of the night, and stealing kisses behind closed doors.

Since my overprotective brother would freak out, we decide to keep things between us a secret. There’s no point in rocking the boat when I don't want a boyfriend, and Tyler doesn't have time for a girlfriend with his grueling hockey schedule. But as our no-strings arrangement turns into something deeper and more meaningful, I begin to see a softer side of the broody, closed-off goalie. He's gentle, protective, and giving in every sense of the word. Despite what I told myself going in, I'm falling hard and falling fast.

We said we'd keep things casual, but hearts have a way of breaking all the rules.

Review: Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson

*I received a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Ship of Spells

by H. Leighton Dickson

November 4, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

A war-scarred mage. A sentient ship. A secret that could drown empires.

When Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn is rescued from the wreckage of her first naval post, she expects death or disgrace. Instead, she wakes aboard the Touchstone, a mythic vessel whispered of in dockside ballads and royal war rooms alike. With a crew of misfits. A mysterious, elven captain. And a mission tied to the Dreadwall, the crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Nethersea from open war for a hundred years.

But the tragedy that sank her last ship didn’t just take lives―it left something behind.

Now Renn carries a secret everyone wants. A magik that’s chimeric, arcane...and slowly killing her. But the captain’s mission may be her only chance to survive, even if he still doesn’t trust her.

Caught between privateers, princes, and spies, Renn knows each choice could sink her future―or set the sea on fire.

Ship of Spells is perfect for readers who crave the raw grit of Arya Stark, the world-building of Samantha Shannon, and the slow-burn tension of enemies who should never trust or want each other.

Review: Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Canadian Manda Group in exchange for an honest review.

Tea & Alchemy

by Sharon Lynn Fisher

January 1, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

A tea leaf reader in nineteenth-century England falls in love—and in danger—with a reclusive alchemist in an enthralling historical fantasy by the author of Salt & Broom and Grimm Curiosities.

Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales.

Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village’s edge. Lately she’s been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath. Villagers immediately suspect Harker Tregarrick, a living, breathing mystery who never ventures beyond the bounds of his centuries-old estate.

Until the day after the murder, when the handsome and compelling recluse visits The Magpie…leading to a meeting that will change both their fates. Captivated by a man around whom danger and rumors of death swirl, Mina has never felt more alive. Can she uncover Harker’s heartbreaking history—and the truth about the murder—before tragedy strikes again?

Quick Thoughts: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

 

The Bodyguard

by Katherine Center 

July 19, 2022

Goodreads Summary:

She’s got his back.

Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.

Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.

When Jack’s mom gets sick, he goes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong?

Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Quick Thoughts: The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

The House Saphir

by Marissa Meyer

November 4, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

This is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before--a romantasy murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.