Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2) by Hannah Grace Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Icebreaker on my blog, now!

I was a bit skeptical to go into this interconnected standalone sequel considering how I felt about Icebreaker, but I was so incredibly surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. Hannah Grace's writing definitely improved, and the forbidden romance was one hundred times more interesting to read about compared to the friends with benefits trope that Anastasia and Nate had in Icebreaker. Russ and Aurora's backgrounds are also leagues above when it comes to drawing the reader in and making them feel for the characters. Obviously, we do not want our characters to have suffered, but the raw emotions that both leads were able to portray were complex and well-developed.

Aurora's personal life was so interesting - I did not expect her to have such a complicated relationship with not only her father, but also her mother. Considering her father's business ventures and celebrity-esque status, I was worried that the author would not be able to incorporate it into her struggles in the book. However, Grace was able to truly create a family dynamic that weighed on Aurora's personal life, as well as create her father as someone that readers grew to despise as the story went on. Even with their limited interactions, I felt as though I would recoil from the way that he spoke to Aurora and the expectations that he would set for her even though they were not nearly as close.

That being said, the home life of Russ is just as convoluted as Aurora's, and honestly has much higher stakes but in a different sense. Without revealing the exact issues that riddle Russ and his father, I can say that Russ receives just as much pressure from his father as Aurora does from her. The sibling dynamic with Russ and his brother is much different compared to Aurora and her sister's relationship, and the author was able to show two sides of sibling interactions this way - supportive for Aurora and manipulating for Russ. I could have read even more about Russ and his brother's relationship as I found it really elevated the development that Russ experienced.

Russ and Aurora's forbidden relationship was fun to read - there was a sense of urgency and secrecy as you read the book, and knowing that they were both at risk of being fired the entire time made it all the more juicy to watch play out. Watching them constantly run around and hide in every nook and cranny at this summer camp had me cackling, and it was refreshing to see how much Aurora and Russ cared about one another from the beginning, rather than this being a summer fling turned something more at the very end. Their spicy scenes were low-key wild and so much better than the ones in Icebreaker - they were also well-placed out in the book and did not overwhelm the overall plot of the book.

This installment has renewed my faith in Hannah Grace's writing, and while this is still technically a hockey romance, it did not feel like it. While you do not need to read Icebreaker in order to read Wildfire, I would say you can read it for the background of the school and how important their hockey team is, but it could be skipped in all honesty. Wildfire provides readers with a steamy, emotional, and fun summer romance that will have you wishing you were at the camp too.

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House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! House of Hearts will be available on September 2, 2025.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group / Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been itching for a gothic dark academia book, and when this standalone popped up, I knew I had to dive in. With Violet searching for answers after her best friend passes away at an exclusive school, she is determined to attend and finally set the record straight - was her friend murdered, or was there something more at play?

As Violet assimilates herself into the school environment and meets the students she believes played a role in her friend's passing, she soon discovers that there is much more than what meets the eye when it comes to the secret society's true intentions. She forms an unusual yet enticing bond with Clavin Lockwood - the brother of the very boy she believes killed her friend or at least had a hand to play in the "freak accident" that lead to her demise. As Calvin and Violet interact, it is clear that their relationship will certainly have an interesting course.

The "intermission" chapters from Anastasia definitely added an extra element to the story that allowed readers to take a step back from the story at hand and look at the origins of what is driving this society's interests. As Violet's journey progresses, the information that we learn from these interlude chapters sheds light on information Violet uncovers and leaves little clues on where her story is headed and what revelations she will make as she works with Calvin. It would have been interesting to see even more development on Anastasia and Helen's sisterly relationship and what caused such a riff between the two - while we do get brief glances, more interactions would have beneficial for the significance of what plays out.

This book was a lot shorter than I expected, and I honestly wish it was longer - to no fault to the author, the plot moved very quickly, and I would have loved to see the background lore expanded upon, along with Calvin and Violet's banter and back-and-forth to develop as a more will-they-won't-they situation. That being said, I flew through this book in just about two hours, and the writing did have me locked into the story. I do think that the side characters, while important, did take up a lot of story space that could have been dedicated to more intriguing plot points.

This book has the same vibes as Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell and We Are Villains by Kacen Callender but with a touch of paranormal whimsy that is seen in Bunny by Mona Awad and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I had a fun time reading this and truly enjoyed the paranormal aspects that the author added it to the story - it made the stakes higher and drew me in to understand how everything would turn out for Violet, Calvin, and the rest of the Lockwoods.

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Our Fault (Culpables, #3) by Mercedes Ron Review

This is a spoiler-free review! This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of My Fault (Culpa Mía) and Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) on my blog, now. My Fault,Your Fault, and My Fault: London are now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

My favorite toxic forbidden couple is back in the final installment of the Culpables series. This series certainly is something, and with some of the most out of pocket plot devices coming into play, it is no surprise why it was a Wattpad sensation. Sure, there is a major trope in here that drives the story forward that just so happens to be one of my least favorite tropes, but for the sake of the drama I endured it. Nick and Noah are working through their own issues while apart, and with a number of life events changing their paths, they are forced to reconnect and truly take a look at their relationship - both past and possible future.

Noah's characterization in this book was a definite improvement, and Nick's development was still at his playboy lifestyle. I was hoping to see Nick become more mature, but it seems that his character is somewhat stuck at a certain stage, despite his need for control and the immense amount of responsibility he has in this book. Noah's life is still full of ups and downs, and she just never seems to catch a break when it comes to complicated individuals sneaking into her life. Just once, it would have been nice to see her happy - it truly felt as though she spent the entire book on edge or being confronted with yet another life-altering event that surely would send her over the edge.

Jenna and Lion are still just as present as ever, with Jenna taking on a much larger role of the two when it came to page presence and being there for Noah. She is super supportive of Noah and is always urging her to be honest, but there were times where Jenna seemed to be pushing Noah back to Nick only for her benefit in order to make their friend group whole again. Lion was only present for a few chapters here and there - Nick did not seem to have a support system in place, unless you count his driver slash bodyguard, Steve. I think the fact that Nick was somewhat of a lone wolf in this book contributed to his development stalling.

The twists and turns in this book actually had me locked in - compared to My Fault, I found that Your Fault lacked that intensity from the first book, but Our Fault certainly brought it all back. There were times where I had to re-read some paragraphs because I could not believe how quickly things were escalating from calm to borderline insane. The author definitely wanted to go out with a bang, because the last 25% of this book felt like I was being flung around in tornado with the amount of nonsense that ensued. 

I am glad that I was able to read this final installment before the movie is released later this year - I cannot begin to imagine what my thoughts would be if I watched this unfold on screen without some warning. This series was a wild ride and I would definitely recommend these books to readers looking for a touch of toxicity with their forbidden romance.

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Save Me (Maxton Hall, #1) by Mona Kasten Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Season One of Maxton Hall: The World Between Us is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

The day the season one of Maxton Hall: The World Between Us dropped, I binged the entire thing in one sitting and told all of my friends that they needed to watch it immediately. I was so excited to find out that the books would finally be receiving an English translation, and with the second season releasing this fall, I knew I had begin reading them as the translations are being published. There is always going to be a difference in the true words when translating a book, and I cannot tell if the translation was made in effort resemble Wattpad-style writing, or if it was the author's true intent. It truly had that After series aura to it in the sense that it was addicting to read, but not the best caliber of writing.

As someone who watched the show before reading the book - unfortunately I do not speak German, otherwise I definitely would have read it first - I found that while reading, the television adaptation is surprisingly very accurate to the events of the book. There are little details here and there that were omitted or altered, but the overall essence stays true. Looking at the book and television show as completely separate entities, I found that I enjoyed the characterization of James more in the show compared to his book counterpart. While he does have a decent amount of development in the book, the television show version certainly expands upon the author's original thoughts more in depth.

Ruby truly just wants to mind her own business but is constantly running into drama that she avoids like the plague. It was actually comically how much she was a witness to when she just wanted to get a good reference letter for her Oxford application. She really wanted to be left alone and yet everyone and their mother seemed to have their secrets spilled right in front of her. There were definitely moments when reading that I was getting some major second hand embarrassment from her actions, especially when it came to a certain outburst - I nearly had to put the book down and take a lap around the room. Overall, her character is very driven and knows exactly what she wants, almost to a fault. I do hope she becomes more care-free as the series goes on, because she certainly needs to be able to relax after everything she has been through.

The supporting characters helped move this story along, and Alister quickly became my favorite of the bunch. It was interesting to see his and Ruby's friendship / acquaintance grow throughout the book, considering it was unexpected and usually had James climbing up a wall that they were interacting with one another. Ruby's sister was not a major player in the game and her appearances in the book were nothing to write home about. Lin and Kieran served as Ruby's main friends, with Lin taking first place over Kieran's involvement. Seeing more into James and Lydia's home life really started to flesh them out as characters, and readers are able to understand why both of them have a stand-offish personality that they continue to guard.

For fans of My Fault / Culpa Mía by Mercedes Ron, Save Me opens a whole new world of enemies to lovers that is riddled with societal expectations, internal dilemmas, and the unsteadiness that comes with new love.

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The Score (Off-Campus, #3) by Elle Kennedy Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Deal (Off-Campus, #1), The Mistake (Off-Campus, #2), and The Chase (Briar U, #1) on my blog, now! You do not have to read the Off-Campus series before the Briar U series, but it does include characters and relationships that may be spoiled for you.

With pictures flying around online of the filming of The Off-Campus television series for Amazon Prime, I wanted to continue on with this series and see where Kennedy took readers next with Allie and Dean. Considering everyone on BookTok raves about this couple, it was only a matter of time before I fell victim to this book. I remember enjoying Dean in the previous two books, but he somehow became unbearable at times in his own book? I understand that his past relationship caused a lot of emotional turmoil for him and that is why he is upfront about only hooking up, but good grief he feels so misogynistic at times it is insane. It always felt as though he spoke about girls like they were objects, and it does not help him that the author seems to love to incorporate that behavior in every single one of her male leads.

Allie and Dean have a crazy amount of chemistry, I will give them that. To no surprise of anyone, the friends with benefits turning into feelings for one another trope in this book is quick to develop for both parties, and we spend the remaining 75% of the book watching painfully as they dance around one another. They would speak to each other for about two minutes and then would climb each other like the monkey bars for hours on end and chapters on end - there were moments where I never thought it would end. Sure, that was their arrangement, but it got old after the first five times. The plot felt as though it was in a standstill when it actually came to their relationship - we saw them development in their own separate plots, but when they were together, it took a much longer time for their combined development to take shape.

The recurring characters from the prior books are fun, but honestly it felt as though they were having the same conversations over and over again. Allie's friends would warn Dean not to go near her, and Dean's friends would tell Dean not to go near her - I fear would could tell what kind of guy Dean was just from that fact alone. It was nice to see the relationships continuing on, but I felt as though I saw Hannah and Garrett more than I was seeing Allie and Dean at one point - they were everywhere. I did think that Dean's little side plot was much more interesting than Allie's side plot - Dean's engagement with the kids hockey team kept my attention longer than Allie's internal dilemma of auditioning for acting roles. We could actually see Dean go through a personality change, whereas with Allie, she was just going back and forth between theatre and silver screen.

I was really hoping this series was going to turn itself around for me, considering how I felt about The Mistake along with the fact that everyone and their mother seems to be obsessed with Allie and Dean's relationship. Most people are probably not reading these books for the plot, especially this installment, but boy oh boy I wish there was a more solid story going along with Allie and Dean's relationship as a whole. Dean did have some solid character development, but it took a long time and lots of mistakes on his part to turn himself around. If you are in search for a hockey romance that goes by quickly and is easy to read, the Off-Campus series could be calling to you.

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The Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia, #1-3) by Dante Alighieri, Robin Kirkpatrick (translator) Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have not read classic literature in some time and have had this collection on my shelf for a little over six months - it was time to dive into La Divina Commedia in its entirety. Inferno details Dante's descent into Hell, Purgatorio follows Dante as he finds his way back to Beatrice, and Paradiso finalizes the collection with Dante going to Heaven and beyond. The structure of Dante's canti in all three installations is easy to follow and creates a flow in which the reader is able to process information quickly and often without any difficulty. The addition of the translator's timeline and notes for specifics lines in the canti truly aids in the reader's understanding of both context and intent behind Dante's choice of words as well as his commentary throughout his journey.

Inferno's description of Dante's travels into the coldness of Hell with the guidance of Virgil speaks volumes to the picture of Hell the public had during Dante's time - freezing layers compiled and structured for specific sins and offenses, each one more torturous than the last. The way Dante is able to describe the horrors faced by sinning individuals as the circles of Hell are explored and assigned to a sin was intriguing - as someone who was raised Catholic, we never went in depth on this aspect of religion, rather focusing on life before and after the crucifixion. As Dante attempts to find salvation, these circles confront him with the consequences of committing sins and what may be in store for others.

Purgatorio continues Dante's journey as he begins the climb up the Mount of Purgatory after emerging from Hell. As he makes his way through the nine levels, he encounters and observes sinners as they too await their exit from Purgatory. Through these observations, Dante is able to become a better man and continue on in his journey as he takes what he has learned and enters the Garden of Eden. This second installment invites the reader to bear witness to redemption and self reflection through allegory. The canti are somewhat more complex than those found in Inferno, but once you are able to get your bearings, it moves along quickly. There is a much larger religious tone and commentary from Dante here, and with the knowledge that he was critical of how Christianity was being practiced, it is understandable that he aims to more extensive in his commentary.

Paradiso wraps up his venture as ascension to Heaven is complete, and Dante finds himself in the space beyond as he transcends. This final volume allows Dante to give his own interpretation of what the heavens reflect, as well detailing a transcend toward the Trinity. He is finally reunited with Beatrice and readers are exposed to detailed descriptions of astronomy and theology as Dante reaches his final place. I would say this is heaviest of the three to get through, as Dante's canti lean more into Beatrice's relationship to theology and the astronomical makeup of the heavens. Compared to the other two volumes, I would say Paradiso was not as drawing to me as a reader and fell in ranking when it comes to holding my interest.

The complete collection was a pleasure to read - as someone who does not engage in religious exploration often, it was interesting to see the expansion on stages of life, consequences, and influence it has on an individual. Dante's experiences as he makes his way through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven is enriching and thought-provoking. Kirkpatrick's incredibly detailed notes at the end of the three volumes was even more eye-opening, and it has further powered my interest in furthering my classical literature exploration and understanding.

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Summer's Kiss (The Boys of Ocean Beach, #1) by Angel Lawson Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I downloaded this from a Stuff Your Kindle day a long time ago, and now that the weather has decided to lighten up, I figured I needed to make a dent in my summer romance TBR. I do not read too much reverse haram or why choose romance books, but this one definitely took me by surprise. I thought that Summer would be drawn to one boy and the rest would become somewhat of background characters, but that is certainly not the case for this new adult romance. To be honest, I did not even realize it was a reveres harem - I thought she would pick one boy after multiple books and a five-way love triangle (love pentagon?). Personally, if I found out a group of described beach bums only hooked up with girls in the summer and had a pact, I would be running for the hills.

The boys - Justin, Whit, Pete, and Nick - are a little... forgettable. There was never a moment where I found myself more drawn to one of them and they were all pretty subpar in my eyes. You could easily tell that this book must have originally been written for Summer to end up with one single romantic interest, given the amount of page time one of the boys receives compared to the others. Lawson definitely should have done some more revisions with her editor since you almost start rooting for the other boys to just disappear and let Summer and who I imagine the original love interest was to go off into the sunset together.

Summer's relationship with all of the boys is mostly on an individual basis - they are not really a "group" so to speak. She basically has four boyfriends but the boyfriends aren't boyfriends with each other, if that makes sense. I wish the author either stuck with the reverse harem trope or abandoned it, as it feels half-finished and not enough time was dedicated to develop their relationship as a full group. Outside of just being around one another, the boys really do not have a ton of interaction on page, and readers are basically only shown each boy having their little moments with Summer alone.

I think this would have worked a lot better if this was not a new adult/high school romance but rather a college romance - they all seem very immature, and considering Summer's most recent relationship, it definitely would have benefited from some maturity. The side plot with her author mother was interesting, but for a romance book, it took up a lot of page space when the author could have been deepening the relationship between Summer, Whit, Pete, Justin, and Nick. I will probably finish this series if I need something quick to read, but if you are looking for a fast read with lots of PG-13 moments, this could be the series for you. Much like the Summer Unplugged series by Amy Sparling, this romance book plays it safe when it comes to the actual romance portion of the plot.

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Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) by Rebecca Yarros Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Fourth Wing on my blog, now!

All of these characters were put through the ringer once again, and yet Iron Flame fails to make me care about any of them. Violet and Xaden's chemistry is certainly something, but with communication issues as horrendous as theirs, it is hard to become attached to their relationship. The side characters were given more development than our leading lady and my attention faded quickly - I read this book quickly not because it kept me captivated, but because I was desperate for it to be over.

Violet Sorrengail is about as perceptive as a rock, and that is giving her some grace. For a girl who is notoriously known for knowing everything and being excellent when training as a scribe, the girl cannot connect the dots to save her life unless someone is literally feeding her the information. Every revelation she had during this second installment was something so obvious and not at all shocking if you paid attention to anything in these books. Violet does not seem to understand that she actually needs to harness her signet in order to use it properly, and her throwing around lightning without a true purpose will get her nowhere except six feet under if she continues at this rate. I would ask someone to knock some sense into her, but as we all saw, people are constantly attempting that task at every turn.

Xaden's actions are arguably the most understandable out of every single character in this series. He seems to be the only one with a true purpose and actual goals set in mind - his secret keeping is literally required in order for things to play out in his favor, and with him and Violet constantly fighting the same fight months later, he still does not reveal anything to her without having her figure it out herself (or with his help). That being said, he really is great at not revealing information, whereas Violet has a mouth as big as Texas when it comes to giving up information to her squad members. I really need that girl to get her act together. Xaden and Violet's relationship feels like a nothing-ship, they basically screw each other and then fight the other 23 hours in a day.

Dain - they could never make me like you. The constant attempts to save his character and make him have a redemption arc was weak and ill-fitting of his character. It would have been much better to continue with his development as a character that Violet could channel her rage toward. He felt like a constant annoyance throughout this book, and I was begging the author to just make him disappear without explanation as it would be a mercy to my eyes to never have to read his name ever again. And yet, he continues to pop up at the most inconvenient times. Sure, he was able to explain himself to Violet at times, but boy oh boy the man is approaching levels of pick-me status that only Adam Kent from the Shatter Me series has achieved.

This book was way longer than it needed to be, and honestly a lot slower than it should have been. I have seen glaciers in Alaska move at a faster pace than the plot of this book. So many long and monologue-like paragraphs in this book, and yet it feels as though nothing of substance came out of it for the readers or for the characters. Sorry to all of my friends and coworkers that ate this book up, but I am so glad I borrowed this from the library and did not spend actual cash money to purchase this book. The actual realization that this is planned to be a five book series astounds me because what else could Yarros write about that she already did not explore in the first two books - Violet and Xaden fighting and keeping secrets? An obvious signet reveal? People thought to be dead are actually not dead? She needs to stop recycling plot points and produce some new ideas.

From someone who enjoyed Fourth Wing, this sequel was incredibly disappointing. I will likely continue on with this series to see it through as it is published, but I do not have any hopes for it to improve as the next installments are released unless Yarros does some serious improvements on her writing style and character development. With an ending that was predictable yet still a touch heartbreaking, The Empyrean series is desperate to hold onto readers at the cost of good storytelling.

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Den of Liars (Den of Liars, #1) by Jessica S. Olson ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Den of Liars will be available on July 1, 2025.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I love a good heist novel, and considering the past few mystery books I read have been lacking in heists, I was so excited to get approved for this galley. Right from the start, readers are introduced to an exciting world that was more modern than I expected. The pacing for world-building is quick but not confusing, and while it took me a second to familiarize myself with all of the new places and books of importance, the story was not overloading the reader with new information every two seconds.

Lola is such an interesting character, and you can tell that she is headstrong from the second she shows up on the page - with the brief prologue, readers are given the tone of her character and she holds true to her determination as the story goes on. Her backstory definitely plays into her character and the choices that she makes along the way. The character of the Liar and the Thief intrigued me so much - it was exciting to see how they differed while also seeing how similar they were. The pull between those two characters and Lola keeps the reader entertained and longing for something mischievous to come into play.

The heists are one thing, but when one goes array, the only way to continue on for Lola is to participate in the Dice Tournament - which poses an entirely new risk to Lola as she journeys on to become a true member of the Tentacles, the Thief's gang. As their bond has grown over their time together, she is determined to prove herself and be taken seriously by the Thief. With their bond already formed, it was interesting to see how Lola still was not a member of the Tentacles despite being able to pull off a number of schemes and heists with the Thief.

I am such a major fan of the main lead falls for the villain, so I was thrilled to see hinting of that trope throughout the book and just mentioned in the summary. It plays out such a complex relationship as there is always more to the villain's story than appears in the beginning. With the Thief seeking revenge against his brother, the Liar, Lola is now right in the middle of their sibling feud, and when pulled between them, whose side will she choose?

For fans of Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody and Caraval by Stephanie Garber, this new and exciting young adult romance brings action, romance, and intrigue to a unique story. There is something new at every turn, and readers can expect to be in for page-turning surprises. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has in store, and will certainly be keeping my eye out for any works by Olson.

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Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2) by Navessa Allen Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Lights Out on my blog, now!

In the interconnected sequel to Lights Out, Navessa Allen returns to deliver a mob stalker romcom in this story following Nick "Junior" Trocci and Lauren Marchetti as they reconnect and explore the possibility of second chances. I had mixed feelings after finishing Lights Out, more so with the fact that it was not to the "dark romance" level that I was expecting - going into Caught Up, my expectations were set accordingly and I had a lot of fun reading this book. Nick was an enjoyable mobster that wanted out of that lifestyle, and Lauren is an online sex worker and club member advocating for sex worker rights. With their past hindering a relationship, Nick began following her online to be as close to her as possible.

The plot was a touch all over the place, to be quite honest. Nick was on this internal journey to leave the mob life that his father was insistent he continue, and Lauren was figuring out if she could ever trust Nick again. It felt as though Nick's journey was much more prominent in this book, and while Lauren's own journey was not as intriguing. With Nick's perspective chapters, we see his conflicted feelings as he continues his mobster ways while actively works to remove himself from that activity. He was very focused on bettering himself and getting Lauren to trust him again without blowing up their relationship/friendship like all those years ago.

Lauren's journey with her two roommates was more lighthearted in the sense that I was never truly worried about her safety - in the sense that this is marketed as a stalker romcom, but I would not even consider Nick to be a stalker. There were definite romcom elements to this book, but I still would have loved for this to lean more heavily on the stalker aspect - yes, they knew each other when they were younger, but I felt as though once she found out about Nick, she was not even that fazed by the discovery. Lauren's moral compass is pretty solid and she is a great advocate - her character was easy to like, and she was enjoyable to follow as the story went on, I just wished I was as intrigued by her story as I was with Nick's story.

The side characters definitely made Lauren's journey feel more stable, as well as the presence of Nick's brothers making his own journey have a solid foundation. Honestly, the side characters were the true comedic relief in this installment, and while Lauren and Nick certainly had their moments, it seemed to fall on these secondary characters to lighten the mood. The smut in this book was actually unreal at points, and I will say that Allen has that aspect of her books locked and loaded - no notes from me. My jaw dropped several times, and she wasted no time at all diving right into the smut and romance of this book. Given the fact that Lauren makes online videos as a sex worker, the smut did play a more important role in this book compared to the role it played in Lights Out.

This interconnected series is a fun time that keeps the reader entertained, and yet I seems to always yearn for something more in these stories. It often feels as though conflict is resolved relatively quickly and that there seems to be no true consequences to those that have either wronged the main characters, or if they do reap their punishment, it is not to the extent that I would have expected. If you are looking for a quick, steamy read, the Into Darkness series my very well be your next journey in dark romcoms.

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Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Andrew and Thomas return to school with secrets from one another, a daunting fairytale turned into a haunting reality, and the disappearance of the creative spark that lived within Thomas and his artwork. When they arrive back at Wickwood Academy, everything is out of order - Andrew's twin sister, Dove, is all but warm to him, while Thomas arrives in questionable fashion with a torrid secret. As readers dive deeper in Andrew's perspective, they are exposed to more than they could have imagined. With the forest luring Andrew and Thomas into dangerous territory as they protect themselves and those around them.

Jumping around from high fantasy to romance, I knew I was in desperate need to get back into dark academia - Don't Let the Forest In has been on my TBR shelf for nearly a year as I anticipated its release, and I finally found the time to sit down with it. I have to say, I basically loved everything about this book - we are immediately introduced to Wickwood Academy and the aura is prickly, intense, and full of a deep sense of dread. With Andrew somehow on the outs with both his sister and Thomas, he fights to find out why they are pushing him to the side.

As we see Thomas recount a traumatizing experience while actively working to put an end to the torment that has followed him back to school, we begin to learn more about the horrors that have been haunting him. Without the help of Andrew, I am sure that Thomas would have been left to his own devices to constantly be looking over his shoulder for years to come. Drews was able to create such a sense of being watched throughout this book - I felt as paranoid as Thomas and Andrew as I read their story. Every corner they turned, it was as though they were confronted with the reality of high school bullying or the fantastical horrors of fairytales come to life.

Andrew's personal journey was intriguing and pulled at my heartstrings - you could feel his pain come off the page and his internal struggle as he came to terms with himself felt so raw. His characterization was well-developed and readers are truly able to feel his fears and hesitation to explore the unknown. Both Thomas and Andrew had a lot of feelings to explore throughout the book, and because they are so interconnected with one another, their lives bleed into one another so much you feel as though they are one being sewn together.

For those who loved The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, readers will be thrown into dark academia encompassed by fantasy and the desire for characters to uncover the truth about themselves and what the future has in store.

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Icebreaker (Maple Hills, #1) by Hannah Grace Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I finally caved... after waiting weeks for this to become available on Libby, Icebreaker landed on my shelf and I began the journey to see what has everyone up in arms about on TikTok. Why on Earth does this book take place in California?? It feels as thought it should take place in a colder state, like Colorado. Nevertheless, I continued to read on and ignore that fact. The storyline of this book felt a little stagnant - you would think that the plot would move forward, but then more spicy scenes would get thrown in the middle since the characters wanted to have some stress release. I wish there would have been more development of the story - sure, Anastasia was going through some stuff and she did have some more memorable moments, but my overall feeling after finishing the book felt as though it did not leave a memorable impression.

Nates perspective chapters were honestly the highlight of this book for me - he was funny and made Anastasia realize a lot of things about herself. He was able to help her do some self-reflecting and also come out of her shell. His plot line was basically "I want to sleep with her, now I want to be with her, now I want her to do some self-reflecting." I will say, it did not feel as though he had an actual arc throughout this book, but was more of a supporting character to help Anastasia do the most of the character development.

The smut in this book went from PG-13 to whacky in about three chapters, and all I have to say is that if I was the Uber driver during that scene, I would have charged them through the roof. I genuinely could not believe my eyes, and I have read nearly everything under the sun. It just felt unrealistic, and to be quite honest, not comfortable at all. This book definitely depended a lot on the chemistry between the characters, which felt somewhat conflicting since Anastasia does not want a relationship and is perfectly content with just having a friends with benefits situation with Nathan.

Aaron is such an annoying character, I was so agitated every single time that he showed up. He was horrible to Anastasia, and constantly was digging deeper holes and making situations so much worse with every word that came out of his mouth. His is conceded, self-absorbed, and does not understand that there are consequences to his actions. Aaron's presence throughout this book is solely to make readers want to pull their hair out, while simultaneously making Anastasia realize that he is not the skating partner she thought he was.

The hockey team was present as a surface-level group of side characters, and it would have been great if they were more involved. There were a select few that had a few shining moments, but I would have loved to see them truly form bonds with Anastasia rather than just interact with Nate and do some of his bidding. If you are looking for a quick read that is more for vibes than for plot, then Icebreaker could be for you. I may choose to continue on with this standalone series, but to be quite honest, the writing and development does not show promises of improvement.

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