Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1) by Navessa Allen🎧 Narrated by Elena Wolfe & Jacob Morgan

Synopsis (via Goodreads): The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you’ve never seen before. Can you handle the ride?

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.

Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

“I thought we could spend some quality time together as a family. You, me. Our maladjusted son who just scooted his butt across the carpet behind you.”

I genuinely enjoyed this book! The trigger warning list at the beginning had me worried (and had my husband looking at me funny for a few days after I let him listen to it), but it really wasn't that bad. Most of what's on the list is just alluded to or mentioned and not described in great detail. Honestly, Lights Out didn't even feel like a dark romance, just a regular kinky romance with some darker aspects tossed in. 

For starters, Josh is adorable and so stinking cute. I love his relationship with Fred (her cat) and the ridiculous, off-the-wall comments he makes. His humor and snark had me smiling throughout this book. He's also incredibly self-aware and owns his kinky sexuality. He knows what he likes and just wants someone to share it with. Josh is also very protective and the way he takes care of those he loves is endearing, if a little overbearing at times. It makes sense when you learn about his history and get his backstory. The way he watched Aly to make sure she was actually into it (and not just all talk and bravado on the internet) was sweet in a weird way. His intentions were good at least.

Tyler was a solid friend. Was he full of himself? Absolutely. But he had Josh's back and I can respect that.

Aly was a likeable main character as well. She's responsible, capable, and has the ability to work through her emotions rationally and without freaking out (externally). We do get some inner monologue about her questionable decisions, but I like how the author handled it. It felt believable if you can get behind a cute stalker romance. Her experience as a trauma nurse means she's seem some things most of us only hear about. I think that added to her believability as a character engaging willingly with a stalker and how she was able to "trust her gut" when making decisions. 

I also liked that the "reveal" wasn't left until the end. They're able to develop an honest relationship in addition to their kinky one. The story that revolves around them was a tad unbelievable at times (like her family ties and what ends up happening to her one night at work and after), but it does play into the overall story and helps it progress. Now I'm not saying these things are impossible, but they were very convenient for the story.

Overall, Lights Out was an immensely enjoyable read. It had me smiling from ear-to-ear and pausing the audiobook when the smut was smutting and the kids or husband were around, lol. Both narrators were phenomenal and I can't wait to listen to more books by them. Caught Up is the second book in this series, and June 10th can't come fast enough. (★★★★★)

Top Ten Tuesday [4]

 

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: Bookish Goals for 2025

1. Read at least one book a week (52 books for the year). I used to read hundreds of books every year, but then I had kids and they require a significant amount of time and energy. My husband also likes seeing my face and interacting with me instead of the backs of my books. 😅

2. Get my NetGalley ratio up to 85%. My NetGalley ratio has been garbage for a few years now because I see something and immediately request or accept it. I need to catch up on what I already have before taking on anything else. My plate overfloweth. 

3. Read the physical books on my TBR that are currently just shelf trophies. I am really bad about seeing a book and buying it on a whim and then never picking it up again. In my defense, they look amazing on my bookshelves and I don't want to disturb them. Honestly though... I need to make them more of a priority so I can donate the ones that I don't like and clear up some shelf space.

4. Be a more active blogger. I have missed blogging so, so much, and I want to make it more of a priority this year. I'm hoping for a minimum of two posts a week. 🤞

5. Review the books I've already read. During my blogging hiatus I read a lot of books that never got reviewed. I have them marked on my Goodreads and want to make sure I take the time to review them this year and get caught back up.

6. Read more nonfiction. I don't dislike nonfiction, but it's not my go-to whenever I pick up a new book. However, there are several that I want to read and conveniently already own, so there's no reason for me not to. I keep telling myself I'm not in the right headspace or mood for them, but now I think it's more of an excuse to skip them for something else that's "exciting" or fantastical. 

7. Finish series I've started and forgotten about. I know we've all probably done this... where we've started a series and then just forgot to finish it. Or maybe the next book wasn't out yet and then we never went back to it. I want to track down those forgotten series and finish them.

8. Prioritize my Book Club book. Some friends and I have been in a Book Club for a few months now, and I always seem to put the Book Club book on the backburner, even when it's a book I've recommended. It's like as soon as I have to read a book, I no longer want to. 

9. Keep a reading journal to help with reviews. If I don't immediately review a book after I finish reading it, all of my key points and thoughts go out the window. I want to be better about journaling and writing down my thoughts as I have them in order to write better and more specific reviews. 

10. Engage more in the book blogging community. It made me sad when I realized a lot of people I used to blog with no longer have active accounts. I want to engage more and make new friends and form new relationships with the people in the community now. (If that's you, let's be friends!)

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon (The Expeditioners, #1) by S.S. Taylor, Katherine Roy (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Computers have failed, electricity is extinct, and the race to discover new lands is underway! Brilliant explorer Alexander West has just died under mysterious circumstances, but not before smuggling half of a strange map to his intrepid children—Kit the brain, M.K. the tinkerer, and Zander the brave. Why are so many government agents trying to steal the half-map? (And where is the other half?) It’s up to Alexander’s children—the Expeditioners—to get to the bottom of these questions, and fast.

I just finished reading The Expeditioners with my son and we both enjoyed it. Although, I do think he liked it more than I did. I found it hard to suspend my disbelief when three kids were taking on tasks that were wholly unbelievable at best. I wish their dad's friend had stuck around after their impromptu visit, but he didn't show back up until the end. There were very convenient solutions to all of their problems that seemed to appear out of nowhere (like a flamethrower or a boat), and the author's explanation was basically a utility vest. How did the vest work? How did the mechanics allow for the seemingly impossible to happen? I wanted to better understand the story and the world Taylor had created.

I will say that the illustrations were amazing. My son would always hop out of bed to study them more intently. They really added a whole other level to the storytelling that we both found interesting and engaging. I also liked the secret code and wish the reader had played more of a role in deciphering it. Unfortunately, it's like we're on the outside looking in and experiencing everything secondhand. I wanted to feel like I was uncovering hidden truths alongside Kit and his siblings, not as a bystander waiting for something to happen.

Three very young kids managed to travel all over the world, survive on very little food and water (if any at all), and all of the problems resolved themselves quickly and without much effort on their part. I also think the author was trying to insinuate a potential relationship between Kit (I think he was 14) and a girl that joined their group about halfway through. It felt awkward and out of place in the story, especially when his older brother also seemed interested.

Speaking of girls, both brothers drooled over a different girl later on and it was weird and uncomfortable. The sting of jealousy their friend experiences also felt out of place given their dire circumstances. Their comments about her beauty were off-putting and didn't feel natural at all.

The entire ending felt rushed and someone's death felt forced into the story instead of happening in a believable way. We were also given very little background information on the person to make their story and personal history relevant to the events that take place. It felt like the author wanted to end this book just to set up the second, and I wish more time had been spent developing the characters, world, and how everything in it worked. I shouldn't still feel confused at the end.

Overall, it's a fun story. However, it's not a series I will be continuing. My son might decide to pick up the next book on his own, but he hasn't asked about it yet. (★★★☆☆)

State of the ARC [35]

State of the ARC is a monthly meme hosted by Avalinah at Avalinah's Books and Sarah at All the Book Blog Names Are Taken! It's an opportunity for readers to catch up on their long overdue ARCs, but right now I'm using it to keep up with my upcoming ARCs instead. It helps me stay organized!

Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1) by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee (1/7)

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow, #2) by Kate Pearsall (1/7)

The Heart Is a Star by Megan Rogers (1/7)

The Empress (Towerfall, #1) by Kristin Cast (1/7)

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson (1/7)

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (1/7)

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (1/7)

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura (1/7)

Lightfall (The Everlands Trilogy, #1) by Ed Crocker (1/14)

The Legend of Meneka (The Divine Dancers Duology, #1) by Kritika H. Rao (1/21)

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (1/21)

The Encanto's Daughter (The Encanto's Daughter, #1) by Melissa de la Cruz (2/11)*

*Goodreads says it was originally published on 3/5/24, but I'm using the date listed on NetGalley

We Would Never by Tova Mirvis (2/11)

Cold as Hell (Haven's Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong (2/18)

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor (2/25)

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (3/4)

When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain (3/4)

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven (3/4)*

*Goodreads says it will be published on 2/27/25, but I'm using the date listed on NetGalley

Hangry Hearts by Jennifer Chen (3/18)

The Unlucky Ones (Black Harbor, #4) by Hannah Morrissey (3/25)

The Sirens by Emilia Hart (4/1)*

*Goodreads says it will be published on 2/13/25, but I'm using the date listed on NetGalley

Where Shadows Meet (Where Shadows Meet, #1) by Patrice Caldwell (4/1)

The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1) by Alwyn Hamilton (4/1)

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez (4/8)

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner (4/8)

What Comes After by Katie Bayerl (4/29)

My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner (4/29)

Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer (4/29)

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li (5/6)

All We Lost Was Everything by Sloan Harlow (5/6)

Death at a Highland Wedding (A Tip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong (5/20)

Legacy of Shadows, Anchor of Secrets & Destiny of Ashes (Supernaturals of Castle Academy, #1-3) by Tessa Hale

Synopsis for Legacy of Shadows (via Goodreads): All I wanted was to keep my head above water. To survive long enough to hit my eighteenth birthday so I could escape the nightmare that my homelife had become. But all of that was turned upside down the moment they showed up.

The best friend from my past. The surly brooder. The kind-hearted nerd. The king of campus. The dark one.

They say they’re here to give me a fresh start in a place where I’m safe, warm, and cared for. And I can’t deny the pull I feel to all five of them. The buzz that lights beneath my skin when they touch me. And for the first time, I feel like I might belong.

But not everything is as it seems. These guys have secrets. Ones that will rip my world wide open. But when a dark evil begins stalking us, we’re all in for the fight of our lives…

*this review is for all three books in the series

Was this series good? No.

Did I enjoy reading it? Yes.

I read all three books in the Supernaturals of Castle Academy series in two days. They're short and fun to read, but I laughed out loud during serious moments, and actually caught myself rolling my eyes on several occasions because of  how cringey some of the dialogue was. 

The high school setting and drama was overdone. I don't think they made it through a single day without something bad happening while they were at school. They would leave for this or that crisis, or something terrible happened to Leighton, and then they'd leave without really worrying about the consequences. However, they always worried about getting detention for fighting or being late (the least of their problems). The mean girl bulling was laughable and not at all believable. It got old fast. 

Leighton, LeeLee, passed out so many times I lost count. She was always waking up in her room with medical equipment and finding it difficult to open her eyes, yet somehow she managed to pull through once she realized she was surrounded by her "guys." That plot line felt abused. It didn't help that she repeatedly put herself in bad situations RIGHT AFTER everyone said they'd be close by and nothing would happen to her. She just conveniently found herself in danger an obnoxious amount of times. 

She also said the weirdest, most random things... like wishing hemorrhoids and diarrhea on people instead of actual death threats. Her mates found it endearing, but it was obnoxious. She acted like a child and not the 17-18 year old she was supposed to be. It made the sexual aspects of the story feel weird. Don't even get me started on the mewling and milking. Ack. Their relationships and declarations of love happened way too quickly and with seemingly no effort on her part. They worshipped the ground she walked on... but why?

I also wished the author had developed a relationship between her and Sam, or the girl from the department store. Leighton was never with anyone other than Colt, Ronan, Declan, Dash, and Trace. It would have helped her character development if she'd had friends. (Trace was easily my favorite. The others tended to blend together, unfortunately.)

Additionally, explaining her magic in more detail and actually making her work to learn how to use it would have helped with believability. She was just oh-so perfect and an expert at overcoming her past. Where was the struggle? And I'm not talking about the endless panic attacks that always resulted in her mates coddling her. Leighton needed a backbone. 

I enjoyed the world and the supernatural abilities. You don't see too many stories out there about incubi, and I've always found them interesting. The combination of casters, shifters (dragon and wolf), vampires, incubi, and demons kept things interesting. More history surrounding the individual groups would have been nice.  

Overall, it was fun to read. The books themselves are short and the plot moves along fairly quickly. I wish the characters had felt older, instead they acted like 13-14 year old's playing at being adults. Even the adults acted like children. Some of their personalities gave me mental whiplash. I think fleshing out the characters would have made this story so much better than it was, and making their situation feel believable despite being fantasy. (★★⭑☆☆)

War Queen (The War Brides of Adrik, #1) by Jordyn Alexander

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Cursed at birth with fairy-like beauty, Queen Adalind has only ever known pain and death at the hands of men.

Always a prize to be coveted, she doesn't know that she can trust any male. When Adalind must save her kingdom after the death of her cruel husband during a war he started with the nearby orc kingdom, the jaded queen offers herself up as a sacrifice. The orc king will receive a bride with magical beauty and she will save her subjects from more slaughter. What she doesn't expect is to be attracted to her future husband or find him to an honorable orc.

King Rognar is merely seeking to end the war started by the humans, take his pound of flesh and go home.

What he is not expecting is to be challenged by a beautiful, politically savvy queen, who seems to offer him everything he could ever want. But as he gets to see the real woman beneath her icy exterior, he finds that what he truly wants is Adalind's heart. As passion ignites between them, can they trust each other and rule two kingdoms?

Or will all the forces that conspire against them tear them and their kingdoms, apart?

I read War Queen by Jordyn Alexander in two days! I can't remember the last time I wanted to read a book without stopping, so naturally I've already ordered book two, War Mistress, from Amazon. I'm impatiently awaiting its arrival and cannot wait to start Pellia and Verrick's story! War Queen gave me Ice Planet Barbarians vibes, and I was totally here for it. 

My one teeny tiny complaint would be that I wanted more from the story. I wish the book had been longer and the author had fleshed out some of the secondary characters, places in the story, and some of the worldbuilding. Hopefully, we'll get more of that as the series continues. I thought the Orikesh words and history were fascinating, loved the runes and the magic surrounding them, and I thought the places they stayed at and visited were really interesting. 

I wanted to know more about their childhoods, how their lives looked in the present (before meeting), and would have preferred a slightly slower buildup for their relationship. I also thought what she cried out once while orgasming was a little odd, but maybe a lot of people scream about being empty right before they're filled. 😅

I would also like more information regarding the Cabal and where they stand now that several of their members are gone. I also think more backstory regarding how they got started, how often they meet, what their methods are, etc. would add more to the overall story. We all love a good villain to hate. 

The romance was sweet, the sex was hot, and I definitely wouldn't be opposed to an orc lover after reading War Queen. They seem to be more considerate than most of the men I've met. Also, their sibilance sounds lovely. I'm hoping we see more of that in War Mistress. Like I said, if you enjoyed Ice Planet Barbarians, War Queen is definitely one to consider. A quick, fun, and delicious read. (★★★★☆)

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

Endless (Starcrossed, #7) by Josephine Angelini

Synopsis (via Goodreads): The highly anticipated conclusion to the international bestselling Starcrossed saga.

The dice have always been loaded against her.

Helen was always fated to start a war.

Even after defeating the Olympians and taking up the mantle as the most powerful of all the Scions, Helen still wasn’t able to save her father. Bereft and betrayed by Lucas, Helen falls into a downward spiral… but the Fates aren’t done with her yet.

Star-crossed in love, she was destined for destruction.

The cycle was never meant to be broken.

Helen learns that her final purpose is to be the spark that sets the whole world on fire. To prevent this from happening, she must do the impossible, and defeat the Moirae. If she fails, she risks ending up like Oedipus, meeting her fate on the road she has taken to escape it.

Will love be the key that finally trumps fate?

I still can't believe I just read the last book in Josie's Starcrossed series. These books have been in my life for over a decade, and Josie is one of the nicest people I've ever met. I've always wanted more of Helen and Lucas' story, so I am ecstatic that I had an opportunity to read an early copy of Endless and help promote this series over the last few years. Not only did she continue their story, but she crafted an entirely new spinoff as well. I really enjoyed seeing the beginnings of certain side characters, and I think it added a lot of depth to the overall story.

Helen is grieving at the start of Endless. It's authentic and her behaviors are relatable. I also liked that she'd paired up with Hector who was battling his own demons. I loved how their relationship developed in the last book and think their closeness was even more apparent in this book. They love each other, have even loved other romantically in the past (for more on that read Timeless), but they genuinely care for each other. 

Did I miss the sexual tension from the last book? Yes. I enjoyed seeing her chaotic emotions land her in steamy water on several occasions. I still really, really want a scene with Orion, Hector and Helen, in case the Angelini gods are listening. Maybe throw Morpheus in there for good measure. However, I can appreciate that sexual tension wasn't the point of Endless. Lucas and Helen eventually manage to have a conversation, there are circumstances that bring certain things to light, and we finally see them overcome yet another obstacle that stood in their way. 

Do I wish there had been more? Yes. I felt Helen let go of her grief, something she'd struggled with for most of the book, without much thought. I wanted more from her time in the Elysian Fields. I wish we could have felt her letting go of the weight she'd been carrying around for so long. I also wanted a more satisfying interaction between her and Lucas once they'd also sorted themselves out. I wanted more from the epilogue and what their lives looked like now. I think I'll always want more from this series. Josie has written an amazing book, but I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with how she chose to end it, simply because it ended. 

It's so hard to say goodbye to this series. I'm already looking forward to the day I pick up the first book and start again from the beginning. There's just something about these characters and this story that makes you want to reach for them again and again. It doesn't matter that I'm much older now, the story remains the same. Thank you, Josie, for creating something incredible. Thank you for allowing me to participate in the Star Squad, and for all the friends I've made along the way. I will forever treasure your books and this experience. (★★★★☆)

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