Tag: fantasyreads

Book Review: The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🫑 /5

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Part mystery, part romance, part women’s fiction The Man Next Door was such a fun read! The story follows three generations of women: grandmother, mother, and daughter.

Zona is freshly divorced (husband #2, thank you very much), broke, and forced to move back in with her mother, Louise. She thinks she’ll at least have a little breathing room while Louise heads off on her long-awaited singles cruise. But a hilarious accident leads to not-so-hilarious consequences, and Louise ends up back home with a broken leg and a bruised spirit.

Zona’s daughter, Bree, is juggling nursing school and a full plate of emotional baggage, thanks in part to her mom’s messy love life. She’s got an adorable guy trying hard to win her over, but she’s so jaded she can’t let him in. Eventually, he gives up and walks away. Bree is left miserable, confused, and furious at the world especially at her mom.

Then there’s Alec James, the new hottie who moves into the long-empty house next door. Louise and Zona immediately start spying on him, sometimes intentionally, sometimes because Louise’s dog, Darling, keeps choosing Alec’s yard as his personal bathroom. There’s also a mystery woman coming and going, shouting matches over the fence, and a lot of speculation. Louise is eating it up for her next novel, with plenty of encouragement from her tough-as-nails nurse, Gilda.

Oh, and Martin. A sweet, solid guy right under Louise’s nose. But she’s too busy chasing the idea of someone… shinier.

This book was fast-paced, witty, and full of heart. I loved the growth arc of all three women, but I was especially cheering for Louise. Her storyline was surprisingly tender and empowering.

PS, don’t think I missed that Susan and Carol reference at the end. I love a good F.R.I.E.N.D.S. easter egg!

If you’re a fan of the Stephanie Plum books or the Finlay Donovan series, this will be right up your alley. Equal parts fun, heartfelt, and sneakily emotional — I didn’t want to put it down! Thank you to the author Sheila Roberts, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA and netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here!

Book Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🫑 /5

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If ever there was a book that felt like a cozy, witchy hug, it’s this one.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a warm, enchanting, and emotionally resonant story about rebuilding from the ashes of failure, rediscovering joy in magic, and finding home in the most unexpected people (and creatures).

At the heart of this delightful novel is Sera Swan, once the rising star of the Guild, now an exile stripped of her magic after breaking the rules to save someone she loved. In a desperate act of forbidden magic, Sera brought her quirky Aunt Jasmine back from the dead—and unintentionally resurrected a zombie rooster named Roo-Roo in the process. With her powers gone and her reputation shattered, Sera retreats to Jasmine’s magical inn in Lancashire, a place where outcasts are welcomed, and the impossible feels ordinary.

The inn quickly becomes a gathering place for some of the most charmingly chaotic characters I’ve ever met. But I think my favorite just might be Roo-Roo – the unintentionally resurrected zombie rooster who steals every scene he’s in. Yes, really. Oh and there’s a talking fox named Clemmie. I picture her as a British fox version of Salem from Sabrina The Teenaged Witch.

Through it all, Sera must navigate the messy, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking process of learning to live a life she never expected, with people she never saw coming. And maybe—just maybe—she’ll rediscover her magic in more ways than one.

Mandanna’s writing is full of charm, wit, and just enough emotional heft to make your heart ache in all the right ways. The story balances found family, redemption arcs, gentle romance, and whimsical worldbuilding with pitch-perfect tone. The village inn setting, nestled in the English countryside, is pure autumnal escapism—exactly the kind of place you’ll want to move into (goats, zombie birds, and all).

It’s the perfect read to usher in fall, purely magical, and full of cozy charm.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

🎧 Audiobook Review Hooked: By Emily McIntire

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

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💫 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡，𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 ✨

Hooked is the first book in Never After Series of retellings/reimagining. I picked this up awhile ago thinking it was a straight up retelling of Peter Pan, which is one of my all-time favorite books and my very favorite Disney movie. I put it to the side when I realized that it was a dark romance reimagining. I wasn’t in the headspace for something dark at the time. Recently, I ended up listening to this as an audiobook.

McIntire did a great job creating a villain I was actually rooting for. Yes he might be a murderer and monster, but he’s also extremely loyal to his friends and those close to him. It seems like everyone close to James has disappointed him or betrayed him at some point. Even at the very end. It was really cool how she intertwined Easter eggs from the original Peter Pan book and the movies.

The twists were phenomenal! There was one I feel like I should have expected but didn’t see coming. Another of the twists I had a nagging feeling about through most of the book and it proved to be right.

This is definitely a red hot read with many a spicy scene. Reader be warned this book is a dark one. I’m off to read a cozy or two and maybe a rom com before I’m reading for book 2.

Hooked is out now, and BONUS, it’s on Kindle Unlimited for the ebook and the audiobook! Get a copy here.

RED HOT READ ALERT: this book is hot hot hot. A very spicy 4 peppers (maybe even 5). There are lots of sexy scenes along with some messed up ones. Please check out the author’s website here for the trigger warnings.

Find the rest of the Never After Series and stay tuned for reviews!