Month: October 2025

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

When Heather’s son, Charlie, goes missing from his exclusive elementary school, Bronswood, most people don’t seem all that concerned. She’s on video picking him up early, but Heather knows she didn’t. Her friend, Zola, has also disappeared, and other families have left the school abruptly.

As Heather tries to find her son, she realizes the police think he just ran away. The boy’s father, whom Heather left years ago, has suddenly resurfaced. And the school’s upcoming massive fundraising gala is all anyone can talk about, even though Charlie has been missing for days.

Heather digs through the school’s past and finds that other boys have gone missing. I liked this book, but some plot threads weren’t tied together as well as they should have been. The book felt 98% finished. What Heather uncovers and a great plot twist make the book worth reading, though.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m not a big YA Romantasy person. I loved Shadow and Bone, but haven’t delved much farther into the genre. But wow, was this book fantastic. I cannot wait for the sequel.

In Blaze’s empire, certain people are born into power-wielding families. Her family can control fire. However, Blaze was born a Rainweaver and drowned thousands of people with a storm on the day she was born, thus leaving her an outcast.

When she and her twin, Flint, are summoned to the Golden Palace to vie for the crown, they must use their powers to defeat the others with the same ability. Flint must use fire to show he’s the stronger fire-wielder. But Blaze, who never uses her power, isn’t sure how she will fare in the competition.

There’s a small romantic aspect to it as Blaze meets the Crowned Prince and a mysterious boy with a deadly past. As more secrets about the empire are revealed, Blaze must decide who to trust. This book had such good world-building and excellent characters. Definitely recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t work for me at all. The story is very bizarre, so stick with me here. Sidney Catchpenny is a sly, which means he’s a thief who uses mojo (magic) to travel between mirrors. He can enter a mirror and then exit another mirror in a separate location. This plot seems easy enough to follow, but when Sid is asked to help find a girl, the world-building becomes a lot messier.

Circe, the missing teenager, is involved in a video game that takes inspiration from a doomsday cult. Sid has to dig through Circe’s life to find her, but what he uncovers could be his own undoing because another sly owns his heart (literally). This book had so much potential, but it just tried to do way too much.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Twins Eirene and Phoebe live on an island ruled by descendants of Greek Gods. Leandros, the descendant of Eros, controls Desire, which he bottles and sells — literally selling love. However, he’s not a good person, always seeking more power. When his wife dies mysteriously, he has his sights on Phoebe. However, Eirene won’t let that happen. She takes Phoebe’s place, but Leandros won’t let that happen unless she accomplishes four nearly impossible tasks.

Eirene meets Leandros’s locked-away daughter, Lamia, and they forge a friendship. However, Lamia has a secret of her own. This book was actually pretty good, given I’m not a big fan of YA fantasy/romance. Eirene was a great main character, and the secret Lamia discovers about herself was a lot of fun. Definitely recommend this one.