2025 End of the Year Wrap Up +New Challenges for 2026

 

How did I do in 2025?

This year I challenged myself to be a Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30. If you want to check out my original post from January, please click here. I'm happy to report that I have successfully met my goal! I listened to 27 audiobooks this year and almost made it all the way to 30.

Here's the list in no particular order:  

1. His Face Is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora
2. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
3. The Sirens by Emilia Hart
4. Your Knife, My Heart by K.M. Moronova
5. The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
6. Firebird by Juliette Cross
7. Wolf.e by Paisley Hope
8. Anathema by Keri Lake
9. Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell
10. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
11. Onyx Storm (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
12. The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor
13. House of Flame and Shadow (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas
14. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer 
15. Fan Service by Rosie Danan
16. Exes & Foes by A.M. Woody
17. Exodus by Kate Stewart
18. Flock by Kate Stewart 
19. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
20. Murder at Haven's Rock by Kelley Armstrong
21. Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio
22. Lightlark by Alex Aster
23. Lights Out by Navessa Allen
24. House of Flame and Shadow (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas
25. Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer *started in 2025 but will finish in 2026
26. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver *started in 2025 but will finish in 2026
27. When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain *started in 2025 but will finish in 2026

I also participated in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I ambitiously set my goal at 100 and only managed to read 39 books this year. I'm still happy with the progress! I achieved something. 

It's the same list as above with a few additions:

1. I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew
2. The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
3. Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
4. Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods
5. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
6. I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
7. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
8. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
9. Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers by Mike Aquilina
10. She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
11. The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon by S.S. Taylor
12. A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson *started in 2025 but will finish in 2026

I challenged myself to read 50 books from my physical TBR and only managed 5. I also wanted to challenge myself to read more of my NetGalley books and review them (I'm trying to get the 80% ratio badge) and set my goal for 50. I got about halfway and ended with 23.

New Challenges for 2026

I'm going to do these same four challenges for 2026! I know I can meet these goals and want to push myself this year to make reading more of a focus. I'm always happier when I have time to read and reset during the week. 

Challenge Details

• Runs January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2026 than you did in 2025.
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
• All genres count.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, etc. I recommend creating a shelf on Goodreads titled 2026 Audiobook Challenge. You can keep track and link the shelf.
• Grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. You can post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, your blog etc. about the challenge.
• Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be July 4, 2026, and the last update will take place on December 26, 2026. You’ll have one week to link up and share your progress and enter the giveaway

Achievement Levels

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+
• Over-Achiever (Power Listener) 75+
• The 100 Club (Audiobook Addict) 100+
• I Can’t Hear You (earbuds always in) 125-150
• Audibly Addicted (listening to all the books 24/7) 150+

If you would like to sign up for your very own 2026 Audiobook Challenge, please visit Caffeinated Reviewer or That’s What I’m Talking About. All of the information I used came from Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer.

I will also be participating in the 2026 Discussion Challenge hosted by It Starts at Midnight (we'll miss you Nicole!). It's one of my favorite challenges to participate in, because I love all the conversations it starts. Way back in 2020 I challenged myself to create anywhere between 1-10 discussion posts, and this year I'm going to try being a Creative Conversationalist, which is 11-20 and seems doable.

Here’s All You Have to Do:

• Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. There’s no need to say what your discussion posts will be about–just tell us you’re joining and let us know your goal. (Can be in an update post or a post with other challenges–you’re not required to make a completely separate sign-up post.)
• Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts. Feel free to also link back in your actual discussions (we appreciate it, so more people can find us!), but that’s not required.
• The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2026. Sign-ups will remain open through December 15th, 2026. So, you can basically sign up all year long. Come join us!
• Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us!
• On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions.
• There will also be a big yearly giveaway- so do keep entering and checking back!
• Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2026 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter/Threads/Bluesky/The Social Medium De Jour.

What Kinds of Discussions Can You Link Up?

Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging! We tend to be pretty lax about our “rules” for what makes a bookish discussion, but we do have some guidelines, so please check them out: Please don’t link up discussions about things that are completely off-topic, like travel or fashion, etc.

• Please don’t link up month-end wrap-ups (We have the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up for that, and we’d love to have you join in!)—unless you have a very specific book-related discussion topic that you include in your wrap-up!
• Please don’t link up book reviews unless it’s more of a general discussion about a topic and you’re using a specific book as an example.
• Please don’t link up giveaways unless the post is mostly a discussion that just happens to have a giveaway attached (like if you were talking about the reasons you love audiobooks and you decide to do a giveaway of an audiobook at the end).
• Linking up Top Ten Tuesday posts or other meme posts are fine as long as there’s some actual discussion involved (not just a list of books). Same with tags—they’re fine, but we’d prefer if there’s some discussion involved of why you chose the books, not just a list of books that go with the tag topic.
• A post can be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post. (We love getting to know our fellow bloggers!)

The Levels:

1-10 – Discussion Dabbler
11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
21-30 – Chatty Kathy
31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
41+ – Gift of the Gab

I'm going to keep my Goodreads reading challenge set at 100. If I replace doom scrolling with reading, I should have no trouble making this one! However, because I got rid of so many of my physical books this year, I'm going to drop my Physical TBR goal down to 25. My NetGalley goal of 50 will remain the same, but hopefully I'm able to do significantly more than that. We'll see how it goes. 😅 Wish me luck!

Most Recent Additions to My BookshelfTop Ten Tuesday [15]

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together!

This week's topic: Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

I'm interpreting this as physical additions to my bookshelf. As luck would have it, I have exactly 10. ❤️ The only exception is Of Swine and Roses. It's only available digitally and I bought it for my Kindle.

The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #2.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6) by Sarah J. Maas

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Bloodsinger (The Fire That Binds, #2) by Juliette Cross

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #1) by Ilona Andrews

The Innkeeper Chronicles: Clean Sweep the Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Ilona Andrews, Shinju Ageha (Illustrator), ChrossxXxRodes (Adaptor)

The Inheritance (Breach Wars, #1) by Ilona Andrews

Of Swine and Roses (World of Kate Daniels) by Ilona Andrews

I finally found original covers for Assassin's Blade and Tower of Dawn! I've been trying to track them down for years (people want to charge entirely too much for those). The only one I'm missing now is Kingdom of Ash. 

I was waiting to read the Clean Sweep graphic novel until I finished the book, but my son has already read it and said it was really good. (They've started stealing my books! Nothing is safe!) I am beyond excited to read all of the Ilona Andrews books! They've never let me down.

The others are books I received for review and will be reading soon.

PS: Sam, if you want my copy of Once and Again when I'm finished, just let me know! I know how much you love Serle's books and I'm happy to pass it along. I even found a sloth sticker I'm using as a bookmark (which you can also have). 😁

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Synopsis (via Goodreads): St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

I ended up giving this one 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up to 4 because I liked it more than I didn’t. My biggest issue was the lack of identifying information regarding POVs. The chapters had hurricane titles or dates and countdowns, but you didn’t know which perspective you were reading from until you were a few pages in. You also didn’t always know what time period you were in, since some of the information was shared from the past. Sometimes it was when Lo, Ellen, and Frieda were kids. Other times it was from the perspective of one of their parents when they were younger, or we’d jump to Geneva’s perspective in the present.

If you can look past the mental whiplash, the story is really interesting. I wasn’t sure who was responsible for the murder of Landon Fitzroy, but I did know there were a lot of potential suspects. I kept changing who I thought it was as new information was presented, and there was one twist toward the end that I wasn’t expecting. However, I did suspect that one person was involved from the beginning—I just wasn’t sure how they were involved until later. One of the twists caught me by surprise because the person’s age was unexpected. I can’t remember if it’s ever specifically mentioned in the book, but I had assumed they were younger based on the information I was given.

I did end up reading this one in a single day. The Storm easily held my attention, and I wanted to know who was responsible for the murder and whether people were as innocent as they seemed. Hawkins does a great job of making everyone look like a potential suspect, and I enjoyed discovering the culprit alongside Geneva. I just wish the story had been organized a little better and that the perspectives had been clearly labeled to avoid any confusion. (★★★⭑☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Sunday Post [77]

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer! It's an opportunity to share news, post a recap for the previous week, showcase books, and highlight what's planned for the week ahead.

News:

We said goodbye to one of our dogs this week. 💔 Ella was a really sweet, loving dog that has been in our family for over a decade. We're not sure how old she was when we adopted her from the shelter, but she had already been through a lot. Her health started to decline this year, and we got to spend one last Christmas together before saying goodbye. She wasn't the brightest dog, but she loved being loved on and really enjoyed walks. She would make a huge fuss if she thought we were going on one without her. She was loved fiercely and she will be missed. 

On a more positive note, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I've really enjoyed this time with my family, and I'm not ready for my husband to go back to work. I wish we could stay like this for another week or two. Alas, that's not how the world works. The kids and I will still be off from school, but it won't be the same without him around 24/7. 

We also started a family D&D campaign and are having so much fun with it! My son tried creating/writing his own, but we decided to let my husband be the Dungeon Master for our first campaign. My son has been playing at school, and I've heard some interesting stories about what they get up up in their games. 

Personally, I'm really looking forward to learning more about the game and how it works. I have a vague idea and understanding, but you definitely learn more by actually playing and going through the process. Creating a character for myself took a really long time (everything had to be perfect), and I even asked ChatGPT for some help creating an image for my character. 

Meet Lyrielle Morthis! She's a half-elf, half-human Bard. 

This is the AI generated image of my character in a field with my husband's character, and I based it off an actual picture of the two of us together. One of the earlier attempts had his character wearing glasses and I thought the resemblance was definitely there. Not so much with this one, but still a lot of fun. 

Previous Posts on the Blog:

• His Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara, #1) by Michelle Jabès Corpora, 🎧 Suehyla El-Attar *review
• Past Due Reviews [9]
• Top Ten Tuesday [14] 
• Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, 🎧 Moira Quirk *review
• The Sunday Post [76]

What I'm Currently Reading:

Wreck Your Heart by Lori Radar-Day

🎧 When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain

What I Plan on Reading Next:

 

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez

🎧 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

What I'm Watching:

This week I've been catching up on Haikyu!! with my husband. ❤️

Challenge Updates:

• Audiobook Challenge: 27 / 30
• Goodreads Challenge: 35 / 100
• Physical TBR: 5 / 50
• NetGalley: 19 / 50

I'm 99% sure I'm going to make my audiobook challenge this year! I can definitely hopefully squeeze three more books in before January 1st. Honestly, I'm really happy with my challenge progress overall. It's been such a hectic year and I still managed to read 35 books. 

His Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara, #1)by Michelle Jabès Corpora🎧 Suehyla El-Attar

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A new reign is coming...Romance, magic, adventure, and horror collide in the start to this lush, epic, Ancient Egyptian inspired trilogy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tahereh Mafi, and Sabaa Tahir.

Princess. Priestess. Rebel. Thief.

Tensions run as hot as the Khamsin winds in the great kingdom of Khetara. Rumors of the pharaoh's mysterious illness abound, and with them, murmurs of rebellion grow. Meanwhile, in the quiet desert, a forgotten oracle begins to unfold, setting a dark prophecy into action and drawing together four strangers…

Princess SITA lives in the abundance of the palace, and in a moment of passion, she unmasks a betrayal that will put her life―and the entire royal court―in grave danger.

A priestess-in-training, NEFF strives to understand her intense visions from the gods, except theirs is not the only magic at play in the grand temple.

As a farmer's daughter, RAE knows how much the pharaoh's men have taken from her land, her people. Still, who will step forward to confront the king?

KARIM was raised among the pyramids of the Red Lands and survives on the wealth of the dead as a tomb robber. But amid the spoils, an ancient evil awakens…

Bloodshed is coming. Only together do these four have the potential to save the kingdom from destruction. But when the dust has settled, who will sit on the throne of Khetara?

His Face Is the Sun was so good! Suehyla El-Attar really brought it to life with her narration, and I highly recommend this one if you love fantasy stories with amazing characters and phenomenal world-building. I was completely immersed in this story from page one (loved the cats) and stayed hooked until the very end.

We experience the story through four different perspectives—Sita, Neff, Rae, and Karim—and each character was wonderfully written with a distinct voice and personality. We learn about the nuances of their individual lives and see the beginnings of how their paths will start to overlap: a chance encounter here, a seemingly small conversation there, and how they will come to rely on strangers they’ve never met but are connected to by a prophecy from a thousand years ago.

I really enjoyed reading and learning about the different characters (even the secondary ones). Of the main ones, I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite, and I’m deeply invested in what happens to each of them. They are four seemingly unimportant people who have been touched by the gods of their world and tasked with a vision and destiny none of them understand or are prepared for. The author gave me quite the scare at the end, but I think it also sets up the next book beautifully. It’s not a cliffhanger exactly, but it does leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more.

The world-building was also really well done. I felt like I was there with them in ancient Egypt. I was tomb-robbing with Karim, fighting alongside Rae, seeing visions with Neff, and swimming with Sita. The descriptions fully immersed me in the setting of the story, and the author showed the world to me through the eyes of her characters. I’ve always been fascinated by ancient Egypt, so His Face Is the Sun was a book after my own heart. You can tell the author did her homework with this one. (I think I remember the author's note saying her family is from there or had lived there previously.)

There's political intrigue, family drama, a war on the horizon, and gods meddling in mortal lives (albeit very vaguely). Their cryptic warnings usually didn't make sense until the moment they were happening, and I enjoyed experiencing everything alongside the characters. Definitely keep this one on your radar! I'm already looking forward to book two coming out in May.

Also, Behkai has my whole heart! (He's a dog we're introduced to early on and he's the goodest boy.) (★★★★⭑)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Past Due Reviews [9]

I am really behind on reviewing some of the books I read this year (and last), so I'm going to knock out a few right now! I'll try to squeeze another Past Due Reviews post in before the end of the year, but I'm not making any promises. Hopefully this will at least make a dent!

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

🎧 Eliza Foss & Jennifer Pickens

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.

Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms, and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend—unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.

I really enjoyed A Sorceress Comes to Call and thought the narrators were amazing! I loved both Cordelia and Hester as characters, and I think they did a wonderful job of bringing them to life and making their individual perspectives unique. 

Cordelia lives with her mother and has no idea who her father is. She was raised in a home with an abusive parent that would control her body, lock up her mind, and forbid her from closing doors or having friends. Cordelia was something to be used by her mother to further her plans, and you can see the toll it starts to take on her after awhile. She's terrified of upsetting her mother, and the fear she feels when she can no longer move her body, or when she accidentally misjudges what mood her mother is in, can be felt through the pages. 

Her mother has a horse familiar, Falada, that is tasked with keeping an eye on Cordelia. For the first part of the book, Falada is her only friend and confidant. She tells him her secret thoughts and feelings, whispers ideas of escape and a better life into his mane, and enjoys the false freedom she experiences when they go out for rides together. I thought this was really well done on the author's part. You can feel how much trust and love Cordelia pours into Falada, and how his wellbeing is more important to her than her own.

Cordelia has to go along with her mother's plans whether she wants to or not, so when she sets her sights on an unmarried man living with his sister, Cordelia is helpless to stop her. She is forced to play the obedient daughter, and her mother doesn't hesitate to take control when her performance is unsatisfactory. Luckily for her, Hester isn't fooled by Evangeline. She will do whatever it takes to keep her away from her brother and hopefully save Cordelia in the process.

I loved the relationship between Cordelia and Hester. Despite the age difference, they form a bond out of necessity, but quickly come to rely on and genuinely care for one another. Once Hester learns the truth about the body control, and believes what Cordelia tells her, Hester and her friends (a quirky bunch of ladies and an old lover) come up with a plan to get rid of Evangeline. Unfortunately for them, Evangeline has no desire to relinquish control and leave quietly. She fights dirty and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

Also, the geese! They were a force to be reckoned with and I absolutely loved them.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is full of twists and turns that I never saw coming. I loved the characters and even liked hating Evangeline. She was written really well and I was so satisfied with the ending. Kingfisher wove a captivating tale of magic and unexpected friendships, and I can’t wait to dive into more of their books. (★★★★☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Curse of Penryth Hall (Ruby Vaughn, #1) by Jess Armstrong

Synopsis (via Goodreads): An atmospheric gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life, Armstrong introduces heroine Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall.

After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She’s always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.

A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses—or Pellars—but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.

To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.

I had so much fun reading The Curse of Penryth Hall. Ruby is such a relatable character and I enjoyed experiencing this story from her perspective. 

Ruby had an affluent upbringing but was sent away from her family due to a scandal involving her and someone else. She ends up working for an old bookshop owner that frequently sends her on errands to deliver and pick up books. Occasionally, these trips end up being more exciting than they should be. The old bookshop owner has secrets of his own that he's unwilling to share, and demons from his past that haunt his waking moments. I loved their friendship and somewhat familial relationship. 

One of these errands puts Ruby in close proximity to an old friend, Tamsyn. Due to a falling out, the two haven't spoken since Tamsyn's wedding. After receiving a letter, Ruby feels compelled to visit and check on her friend. Unfortunately, Tamsyn’s husband dies under mysterious circumstances while Ruby is visiting, setting off a series of events that she isn’t prepared for but is drawn into nonetheless. 

I thought the author did a wonderful job with the magical realism in this book. It was hard to tell if there was a curse that required the Pellar's involvement, or if it was just superstitious townsfolk trying to justify something terrible with something unexplainable. It's easier to believe there's a curse than to think one of their own is capable of murder. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between Ruby and the Pellar, Ruan Kivell. He's the town healer and the person the townspeople believe will solve and break the curse. Ruby is understandably skeptical of his abilities, but the two form an unlikely team that quickly turns into more as they try to solve the mystery together. 

This is a really well done whodunit mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. The second book, The Secret of the Three Fates, was published last year, and I'm looking forward to going on more adventures with Ruby (and hopefully Ruan). (★★★★☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Raiders of the Lost Heart (Raiders of the Lost Heart, #1) by Jo Segura

🎧 Frankie Corzo

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.

Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally.

It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true...and she’s right.

As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.

But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.

I wanted to like Raiders of the Lost Heart more than I did. A romance with an Indiana Jones vibes? Yes, please! Unfortunately, neither character was all that likeable, and the romance left a lot to be desired. I honestly thought Corrie could have done a lot better than Ford. He didn't treat her well, and it wasn't the enemies-to-lovers I thought it would be. 

Ford needs Corrie to complete a very important - very expensive - dig. Why does he need her? Because he's using her research to find an artifact about her ancestor. She's also the person his benefactor initially wanted for this expedition, but Ford stole it from her before she was ever approached with the offer. Then he has the audacity to trick her into helping him? It was impossible to like him and I found no redeeming qualities for him as their "relationship" progressed.

Corrie has every reason to hate Ford and be upset with him, but she also doesn't know the entire truth regarding their current situation. She's very childish in her interactions with him, and she didn't always act her age. I found her personality to be a little annoying and not very relatable. 

All in all, I was curious about the archeological aspects of this book, and thought the history and lore behind Chimalli was interesting, but the characters left a bad taste in my mouth. (★★★☆☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Books I Hope Santa Brings / Bookish WishesTop Ten Tuesday [14]

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together!

This week's topic: Books I Hope Santa Brings / Bookish Wishes

On the Edge (The Edge, #1) by Ilona Andrews

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles, #2) by Ilona Andrews

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #4) by Jessica Townsend

The Tenfold Tenants by E.V. Belknap

Tears of the Wolf  (Wrath and Weeping, #1) by Elisabeth Wheatley

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7) by Sarah J. Maas

Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0) by Travis Baldree

Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes, #2) by Travis Baldree

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia, #3) by Carissa Broadbent

The Devil You Know (Mercenary Librarians, #2) by Kit Rocha

If you know me, you know I love Ilona Andrews. I'm obsessed with their Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy series, and their newest book, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, was also phenomenal. I've been pacing myself with their books (it's a husband and wife duo) so I haven't read their The Edge or Innkeeper Chronicles series. However, I recently purchased Clean Sweep and know I'll want Sweep in Peace as soon as I'm finished with it.

Silverborn is the next book in the Nevermoor series. It's one I read to my kids and we all really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what happens next to Morrigan and her found family! The worldbuilding and characters in this one are so, so good. 

The Tenfold Tenants and Tears of the Wolf are two I've recently stumbled across and really want to read. 

I'm looking for a copy of Kingdom of Ash with the original cover art so my collection will be complete. It's the only one I'm missing now! (Pssst! If you have a copy you don't want, can I buy it from you??)

I loved Legends & Lattes so of course I want to read Bookshops & Bonedust and Brigands & Breadknives. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone is the continuation of the Crowns of Nyaxia series and another one I'm really looking forward to reading. The Devil You Know is also part of a series (The Mercenary Librarians) and is supposed to be amazing.