The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

To be honest, I wanted to read this because I wanted background before diving into The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix, and as a fan of Poe, it felt only right to read it before going into an adaptation. I was not aware of how short this story was - I was under the impression it was a novella, but upon downloading it on iBooks was when I discovered this was indeed a short story. Despite the low page count, I unfortunately found myself having a difficult time getting into this. Perhaps I was not in the right mood to tackle this, but my attention continued to be overtaken by other tasks or activities over completing this quick story. I was hoping an allure much like the one from The Yellow Wall-Paper would pull me in, but instead I was re-reading the pages over and over in hopes to absorb something compelling.

The pacing could have been improved upon, as I felt as though I was wading through murky water in order to get to the untimely end. The gothic elements are certainly there and do hold the intrigue of the reader, but I was hoping for a little bit more. Sure, you feel haunted as the story goes on and you are taken down a dark path, but feels more like an obstructed horror in place of being truly terrifying in the sense. Looming over the reader is a sense of dread as the environment appears to crumble around the narrator.

With uncertainty at every turn, readers bear witness to the narrator's journey deeper into the unwinding of the Ushers and as more things are revealed, it just continues to pile on. The overall sense of dread in this story shifts from encompassing the family to surrounding the narrator as he is confronted with a number of untimely and frankly disturbing revelations about this family and the environment. I am only glad that I too was able to put an end to the reading of this story as the narrator was able to get out of there.

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The Golden Raven (All for the Game, #5) by Nora Sakavic Review

This review contains mild spoilers - read with caution! You can read my reviews of The Raven King, The King's Men, and The Sunshine Court on my blog, now! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

Jean Moreau I will lay down my life for you. Discovering that we share the same birthday... my heart was ripped out of my chest. There is nothing that Jean could do wrong in my eyes - he has been completely beaten and broken by the Ravens and his "rigidness" towards the Trojans when it comes to corrections and willingness to win is clearly a result of the horrors he went through. Yes, he is direct and more often than not, harsh, but it is the only way he knows - anything else meant facing the consequences at Edgar Allan. That being said, I think Jean is absolutely hilarious and the fact that he called Neil a cretin had me rolling on the floor. Telling Andrew that he has "brisket lungs" had me falling off my bed laughing.

Every single scene in which Jean is put through The Horrors or has to recall what he went through with the Ravens, I could literally feel my heart breaking into pieces. He has been through so much and frankly we seemed to only scratch the surface in The Sunshine Court - seeing the aftermath of that installment play out in The Golden Raven makes readers fiercely protective of Jean, and by extension, Jeremy. We hold Jean and Jeremy in our hands like they are ours to protect and we watch them dance around one another as Jean struggles to leave the Raven teachings behind and Jeremy navigates challenges in his life - the biggest including helping Jean adapt to the Trojans and open up. I do get a good chuckle any time they put Jean or Kevin in front of a camera for an interview - considering Kevin's last interview, you would think the Foxes wouldn't let him within five hundred feet of another reporter.

"I'm not learning French for anyone but you." The way I sat up straight in my chair when this came out of Jeremy's mouth... Nora truly feeds us well. Watching this conversation transpire knowing that Jean is multilingual not by his choice and knowing that he was not allowed to speak French at Edgar Allan makes this gesture so genuine from Jeremy. I could sense the gears turning in Jean's head, wondering why someone of no consequence would seemingly teach themselves his native tongue without an ulterior motive. Sure, he may be at the Sunshine Court, but his body and mind have been conditioned to follow the rules and understand the consequences of the Ravens that occurred while at the Nest. Both Jean and Jeremy being hesitate to go into uncharted waters with each other leaves them in this limbo of yearning and weariness. Jean, haunted by the past torture and torment endured by Riko and others, and Jeremy, being crushed by familial expectations and leading the Trojans while taking care of Jean.

I felt like I was being attacked on all fronts - just when you think the Ravens have been dealt with or that we have seen the last of them, another pops up out of thin air and attacks Jean at the first chance they get. With these attacks come more questions and concerns from the Trojans, especially when Jean lets little things slip that he wants no one to know about. Watching "the master" come out of his mouth before he could catch myself, oh how my heart ached. The concern that comes from his newfound teammates is something he could not care less about, but it is clear that his suffering is taking a toll on them as they try to understand how anyone could have been put through what Jean has experienced. Even as Ravens started dropping like flies, whether it be suicide or murder, there still was this major sense of uncertainly surrounding Jean and how these actions affect the Trojans that surround him.

Not being used to having people care about him beyond his Exy skills, Jean continues to walk the line of closing himself off from others and slowly becoming more comfortable with the teammates he is reluctant to socialize with outside of practice. We watch his reveal very small bits of his past, both intentionally and by accident, and brace for the consequences he think will follow. No one can catch a break in this book and just when things start to feel semi-normal, something insane happens or we are watching multiple people get attacked on and off the court. I can only imagine what Nora has in store for us for the next installment, but for now, I can only hope that everyone (that we like) makes it out alive by the end.

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His Tesoro (Empire of Royals, #1) by Emilia Rossi Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Content warnings include violence, gore, kidnapping, descriptions of torture, sex trafficking, threats of sexual assault, and emotional and physical abuse by a parent.

TikTok got me again... I saw one excerpt from this book and immediately went to borrow a copy. There is always a chance that TikTok will lead me astray, and more often than not, it is the case. A majority of this book is Matteo being absolutely flabbergasted at every piece of information he learns about Sofiya - sure, they are in a marriage of convenience and he has a good seventeen years on her, but my god, the man is chasing some intelligence points at every turn. You would think the head of the Five Families would be able to put two and two together, but it was like forcing this man to follow the bouncing ball in order to have the slightest idea of the abuse Sofiya endured at the hands of her father.

While I understand that Sofiya was sheltered, and to no fault of her own, it did feel like overkill in the way that her curiosity came into play. She is twenty one and yet I felt as though a significant amount of her reactions felt more childlike than adult-like. I will give her grace since a lot of the things and her newfound "freedom" was something that she had yet to experience, but it quickly became old. On the other hand, the author did a great job depicting the obstacles Sofiya faced when it came to her EDS and the negative narrative her father placed around it - he was ashamed of her diagnosis and in turn hid her from nearly every aspect of Bratva life. He thought he was getting a one-up on Matteo when he wed her off to him but he surely did not expect their relationship to go beyond surface level. Sofiya effectively communicates what she needs to Matteo and the rest of his little lap dogs throughout the book and does not hold back when explaining. She advocates for herself and it certainly formulates a strong character out of her.

The stakes in this book did not appear to be high - they were honestly presented around the halfway mark of the book once the mafia life started to infiltrate Matteo and Sofiya's relationship development. Matteo's "enemies on all sides" seemed to be really only one side, and the little "twist" came as no surprise to the seasoned mafia romance reader. Matteo's backstory was sad - having both of his parents murdered at such a young age really hardened him, and while he was eventually able to open up as much as his mind would allow him, he still possessed some hardening attributes when it came to dealing with those who have wronged him. The spicy scenes were lowkey the redeeming factor of this book, I more than likely would not have been as invested if they were not as well written as they were. My only qualm with them was that sometimes they felt slightly out of place for where the plot was heading and were more so thrown into the story rather than being organically worked in.

I do wish the author dived more into Sofiya's life before getting married to Matteo, and while we did get a few explanations, I feel as though it could have been more impactful if readers were exposed to further exploration of what her father put her through. With the accidental reveals or hints that Sofiya did let slip to Matteo and others, I think her relationships would have been deeper in the book if everyone had a clearer picture of what she was put through and why she was so hidden from Bratva life. I am intrigued by Romeo's future relationship in the next installment and will likely continue on, but for now I must tackle the ever-growing TBR that haunts me when I am doing anything other than reading.

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Soft Core by Brittany Newell Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I was really drawn to this book from the summary, and was hoping to dive into a literary fiction work that would provide an interesting exploration of sex work, relationships, and the disappearance of an ex-boyfriend. However, despite the precipitous of the summary leaning on being Ruth's search for her missing ex, Dino, he seems to hardly be a topic of conversation once he vanishes into thin air. His presence is certainly felt in the beginning of the book, when he is not missing, but the second he is nowhere to be found, Ruth does little more than shoot him a couple of texts before moving on with her life.

Ruth is lost, young, and unsure of herself at the deepest level. Her work as a dancer and amateur BDSM dabbler leads her down multiple paths, whether it be doing untoward tasks for money, sending emails to a mystery person asking to die, or embarking on a fake friendship with the daughter of the man she used to have an affair with. She is riddled with thoughts of what her life used to be like and what it could have been had her life not gone in this direction. The fact that she is only twenty seven, the same age as me as I read this book, puts her situation into a more prominent world view. What if these events happened to me? What if my ex-boyfriend was there one night and gone the next?

The fantasy of a better life or alternate paths plague Ruth as she hops from one client to the next in an effort to occupy her nights, however the pressure of being desirable to men who frequent the establishment she works at seems to weigh heavily on her, even when she is not at work. Before Dino disappears, he plays a prominent role in helping Ruth develop her Baby persona, from selecting attire to giving her suggestions on how to seduce. It honestly would have been a more compelling story if Dino did not disappear, and instead if we had followed them both through this time in their lives and see the impact he had on her psyche as everything likely would have progressed further down the rabbit hole.

I found Ruth to be more than truthful in some scenarios than others, and while she seemed to march to the beat of her own drum, she definitely allowed outside influences to play their part on changing the course of her life. As she begins to become more undone as the story goes on and she digs herself into deeper holes, readers are left watching her derail relationships and embark on journeys that may come back to bite her. The more she seemed to fall, the more I wanted her story to be over - she is not a bad character, but rather the frustration of watching her ignore red flags one day and sprint towards them the next made me feel like I was watching a roadside accident. The side characters certainly helped aid in Ruth's development, or more accurately, her unraveling, and they provided this environmental shift in her way of living and thinking.

Newell's novel needed some more grit and shock value - readers go into this expecting one thing and come out unsatisfied, craving the depravity that was promised. As a literary fiction fan, this did not reach my expectations, and while I do think the story had some interesting components at times, it is a story that you read once and do not have to return to. The allure of the cover and synopsis draws you in but by the end, you are just as unsatisfied as Ruth.

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Empire of Desire (Empire, #1) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Content warnings include: depictions of depression, anxiety, and parent in a coma.

No matter how many times I say that I will not be reading every single book Kent has published, I seem to find myself back at the scene of the crime. At least with this book, I was spared from yet another initiation chapter of college student tormenting their peers and hunting them in the woods for sport. Yay! I did not go into this book with any expectations and only went in with the bare minimum knowledge that this was an age gap forbidden romance where a girl marries her father's best friend... scrumptious!

This was juicy, juicy and I ate it up like no tomorrow - literally flew through this and had my jaw on the floor the entire time. I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did and was extremely surprised on how enjoyable this book was. Gwen and Nate are a pair that beats nearly every single couple in the Legacy of Gods series and definitely overthrows the first two couples in the Vipers series. Their chemistry was so palpable it was insane, they were literally made for each other. It has risen to a top spot when it comes to ranking the now twelve Rina Kent books I have tackled, and with the knowledge that Knox is next up in line in this interconnected standalone series, I have a good feeling that this series will be worth the read.

"Uncle Nate" and "kiddo" I have to say I did not hate it! It added to their banter while making their age difference prominent and reminding readers of that they were both capable of taunting one another. It honestly reminded me a lot of Uncle Jake from Credence by Penelope Douglas, but at least in that case they had never met each other until she was already an adult. The whole marriage of convenience aspect in Gwen and Nate's story being built out of controlling shares and ensuring holdings and property were not taken away sets them up for an interesting dynamic. Gwen is put in her dream scenario, only lacking the actual desire she wants Nate to feel for her, and Nate is running around thinking that he cannot even look at her without being struck down. When things escalate between them and lines become crossed, readers get thrown into some wild happening between the two and I have to say... I ate it uppppp.

The spicy scenes were insane - probably some of the better ones in the books that I have read by Kent (though nothing will come close to God of Fury, Kiss the Villain, and Hunt the Villain). Once again, their chemistry was off the chart and I loved every minute of it - there was never a moment where I felt like they were acting out of place, and I was glad that they were both able to finally cave in and experience that release. And as much as I love a secret marriage, especially forbidden, I did feel bad that Gwen could not really speak to anyone about her relationship or "put her mark" on Nate without blowing up the workplace.

The few Kingsley chapters low-key had me laughing out loud - my guy, she is your adult daughter! Let it go! That being said, from his perspective, it definitely does not shine in the brightest of lights. And the little secrets that he has been keeping certainly did not help the situation when he was trying to act all high and mighty. The major conflicts that come up in this book really stem from Kingsley and his past, and with Gwen's anxiety playing a key role in her hesitations and worries, you would think he would want to make sure she is happy at the end of the day.

The one thing that could not leave the back of my mind was the fact that it was constantly mentioned that Nate knew Gwen when she was a baby and when she was a child - I am all for an age gap romance, but did not love the reminders that he was present for her entire life. It would have been better if he came into her life when she was eighteen, but alas a taboo romance would not be taboo without a bit of unconventional meetings. I cannot wait to see what is in store for readers in the next book as we follow Knox and his love interest - I can only hope it's as enticing as Gwen and Nate's story.

Looking for more Rina Kent? You can read my reviews for Legacy of Gods series: God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, God of Ruin, God of Fury, God of War; Vipers series: Beautiful Venom, Sweet Venom, and Tempting Venom; and Villain series: Kiss the Villain and Hunt the Villain on my blog, now!

You can add Empire of Desire on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Threshing Day (The Empyrean, #3.5) by Rebecca Yarros Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm on my blog, now!

I was weary going into this considering my certain distain towards the second and third installments of this series, but with the promise of many more character perspectives compared to what we have seen in the series, I decided to endure. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this novella - perhaps it was due to the fact that Violet's perspective did not follow me here - she infuriated me during Onyx Storm, and this was a welcome respite from her droning on and on about things she knows nothing about. To be completely honest, I may need to do some re-reading because when the first chapter was in Sawyer's perspective, best believe I had no recollection of who this man is.

Dain's perspective chapter is like cutting open the bottoms of your feet and then having to walk through salt - he is quite literally one of the most annoying characters I have come across. And considering this was literally only one chapter and I was already over his whining? It continues to proved my point. There were definitely a few perspective chapters that were not as thrilling or funny as the others, but the overall vibe of this novella was certainly more enjoyable than what I expected. Ridoc, Garrick, and Xaden had the best chapters in my opinion, and I could have done without Sawyer and Imogen. Sloane's chapter came close to being as annoying as Dain's but it does allows readers to form a slightly better opinion of her - for me, I found her incredibly frustrating throughout the series so far.

Taking into consideration my past reviews and opinions on this series and the characters, I will say that this novella is a decent aid when needing to refresh a reader's memory. There are so many characters and just as many dragons, so I found the stories of their threshing days and the bonds the riders formed with their dragons to really shed some light on characters that may not have held my interest. Since we have basically been watching The Violet Show for thousands of pages, it was nice to take a break and explore what else this series has to offer.

I cannot believe I am about to say this, but this addition has actually made me more interested in continuing on with this series. If you have followed my reviews of the first three installments, you are more than aware that I may have been less than inclined to keep reading on after the... experience... that was the second and third books. For those who finished the first three books before diving into Threshing Day, you know there is much more at stake with the cliffhanger we left off on. I can only hope that the wait is worth it, and in that time, maybe Violet gained some common sense and maturity.

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Fetal Position by Carolyn Huynh ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC - any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Fetal Position will be available to purchase on December 8, 2026. 

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book, in addition to the alluring cover, really made me stop in my tracks - a declining birthrate, male loneliness epidemic at its height, and seventh wave feminism catapulting women into a world fueled by robot servants and climbing the corporate ladder. But what if the modern, independent, corporate woman grew tired of her success? What if the burn out lured her into a mindset of looking for a way out? Lena Do, a product created by artificial sperm and the daughter of Gemma Do, a pioneer in technological advancements, is supposed to be loving every minute of her child-free, man-free life. Hatch, a start-up garnering traction by promising select women a relaxing, ease-filled life in exchange for producing children for men who want to continue their lineage, catches the eye of Lena when she reaches her breaking point, and she soon finds herself shuttled away to the trad wife lifestyle. The cost? More than she ever anticipated.

Science fiction is such an impactful genre, especially when the concepts at its core hit all too close to home - government policing bodies, making decisions on who can love who - it is jarring in its similarities to the current modern age. Much like in Annie Bot by Sierra Greer, readers are exposed to how even in a futuristic setting that operates under the illusion that women are appreciated, men still are able to use them for their own personal advantages. Huynh creates a world that has women at the top of the career ladder and men at the very last rung, with the appearance that they can only make it in life with the assistance of robot butlers at home as their jobs are replaced by the very things that do their laundry. The sentience of the robots provides an interesting perspective throughout the book - they are not human, yet there is an eerie underlying feeling like they know the characters so much more intensely than another human could. Anticipating needs, telling them how to feel, and being an intricate part of day-to-day tasks makes them an ever-present entity that the characters and the readers cannot escape.

The way Lena slowly falls deeper into Hatch and the promised lifestyle while still remaining hesitant regarding how their practices actually work shows the duality of woman - she is supposedly here to leave behind the hardship of her current life, yet she is determined to discover the secrets those in charge of Hatch are keeping from the women. As more women begin to disappear or meet an untimely end, Lena's suspicions grow deeper, she is thrust into a dangerous game of ensuring her life is not put on the line while she attempts to get to the bottom of what exactly Hatch is using these women for beyond being baby machines.

As Lena's backstory is slowly uncovered and the readers become exposed to the likelihood of her presence causing more harm than good to Hatch's operation, we also see the horrors of incel dogma impacting the children birthed from Hatch. Without having father figures, their ideology still becomes rooted in misogyny and their distaste towards stay-at-home mothers and career women is present without the social construct at play. While they were basically engineered to think this way, it was ever too real as today's modern society is encompassed by being male-centered, even when it comes to women's issues and rights.

Since this is an advanced reader copy, I expected a few typos here and there and likely some choppiness before the final draft - the main thing that stood out to me was an inconsistency about 75% into the book, where it notes that Lena is being asked about a lease renewal for her second insemination. Why is this odd? Because she already had her second insemination - failed, nonetheless - so unless the author was trying to rewrite history, an update is to be made. Obviously I would not let this influence my overall opinion of the book since I know it is not the final version.

An interesting exploration of motherhood, influence, and survival, Fetal Position dives into the thought process of what if being a mother was able to be profitable and be engineered? What are the costs? And more importantly, what are the sacrifices?

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