Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'And now I'm helping a woman I want to kill cover up murders committed by another serial killer. This is the most incestuous murder party I've ever heard of.'" p 124

TITLE: Tourist Season
AUTHOR: Brynne Weaver
PUBLISHER: Slowburn
GENRE: Dark Romantic Comedy
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2025

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 is: My Top Ten Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors

*in no particular order

10. STOLEN by Kelley Armstrong--normally, I gravitate towards the first book as my fave but I really liked this one as it was when we first met Cassandra and as I mentioned last week, I really wanted her to have a book of her own! Lol.
9. THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa--I think it was this book that realllly cinched me wanting Jackal to have his own! Lol. But I remember really liking this finale!
8. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--the book that started my obsession with Maria's books!

7. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--I still need to read her most recent novels--one of which includes a trilogy re-read! But this was her first one and still remains my absolute favorite!
6. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--this was Amelia's second book and I think might have been the first one I read by her? Kind of blanking on that part, but out of all the books I read of hers--which might have been all of them--this is still me favorite!
5. STRAY by Rachel Vincent--another first! Rachel's first book and probably my favorite though I still need to read her latest one!

4. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--another first book! This one was so incredible and is still one of my favorites of hers!
3. IMMORTAL REIGN by Morgan Rhodes--this series was epic! But I think the finale was my fave just because after everything the characters went through I wanted that HEA! I always thought of this one as my Birthday series as the first 5 books always released around then, so I was always reading it on my winter break!
2. REMEMBRANCE by Meg Cabot--I ADORED Meg's Mediator series! This adult installment came later on and is probably my fave! It has a Veronica Mars feel to it, but with ghosts! So you know, perfection!

Are you ready to guess the #1?

I'll give you a moment...lol, you have 8 to choose from...9 if it were after September! ;)

1. LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber--how did you do? Lol. Yes, Legendary is probably my favorite as I ADORE Tella! She's got a feisty personality and I just adore that girl!

Review--Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

 

From No.1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes a wickedly delicious new series where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense - and where falling in love can be a killer.

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever.

You can hide in the farthest reaches of the deepest hell, and I will still drag you out. Even the devil can't save you from me.

Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colourful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won't let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost - especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory. Troublesome tourists don't check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper's award-winning flowerbeds.

But Nolan Rhodes isn't your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he's saved the best for the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling. The problem? Harper isn't the monster he expected. And she won't go down without a fight.

When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she'll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage - including their fragile love.

Tourist Season is a darkly funny, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance where destruction and desire are balanced on the edge of a blade - and where love is the most dangerous battleground of all.

Brynne Weaver's Tourist Season is the start of a new grizzly dark rom-com that takes place in the same world as The Ruinous Love Trilogy! If you read Scythe & Sparrow, you get a hint at who's the heroine of his novel. I'll admit I was a bit baffled at first when I read the blurb and thinking, what...? But then once I started reading it, I was like OHHH! Lol. Yeah, that's what happens when you read between series! Lol.

Harper Starling is a young woman living in Cape Carnage caring for Arthur who is an elderly man with Alzheimers who has his own dark history. When Nolan Rhodes comes to town, he's a man on a mission, and that mission is to kill Harper. Four years ago, Nolan was in a car accident that killed his younger brother. He's made it his mission ever since recovering from that accident to hunt down the people who were in the car that crashed into his and kill them...and he'd down to just one more murderer, the driver, aka Harper.

But Harper is not one to go down without a fight. She's a woman with her own dark past, one that she doesn't feel like hashing out to Nolan, because he plans to kill her anyway! So naturally, there's this whole enemies to lovers vibe going on, because it's a dark rom-com, you know they'll get over the hating game eventually. Harper is a killer as well, as you would've guessed from Brynne's previous books. Harper takes care of the troublesome tourists who aren't just annoying, but down right evil.

When she learns that land of her employer's has been sold, she's worried because she knows what Arthur has hidden on said land and she will do everything she can to protect him. So she makes a deal of sorts with Nolan, asking for his help to uncover a dozen or so bodies that are buried on the property and they only have three weeks to do it. She managed to steal something important to Nolan and promises to give it back, if he helps her.

Throwing in another round of complications, we have a shady true crime seeker in town who is investigating the past murders connected to Cape Carnage and the fact that one...or maybe more than one, of its citizens may in fact be a serial killer. He also happens to be staying at the same inn as Nolan, so expect the usual shenanigans!

This was yet another entertaining read from Weaver! Granted, I am once again here for the Dexter/murdery vibes more so than the romantic bits. I like romance fine and all, but these darker romance aspects really aren't my cup of tea, but since they are kind of sporadic in this first installment, at least, I was able to just roll my eyes a few times and get back to the bloody good parts! Lol. 

That Nolan and Harper are both serial killers falling in love is yet another riot. It's like a reverse Murder She Wrote, that no matter where Jessica went, someone dies. Well here, no matter where we go in the Weaver universe, there's always more than one serial killer in town! Almost makes you rethink Murder She Wrote and wonder...lol.

There was a teeny tiny mystery of sorts going on here in the background. If you pay attention, you'll hear a few things but might not be able to put together any kind of story until the verrrry end! Just as I was reading that epilogue, I started thinking one thing, then after a few more paragraphs my theory proved correct, but then that last line totally threw me and I was like OMG! Thankfully, the next installment isn't too far off...but my plate is pretty full right now so who knows when I will get to it! 

This one was pretty well paced. I mean the characters are forced together with a goal in mind where helping one helps themselves so things move along at a decent pace. Naturally, we get the interludes of romantic tension and bloody good times as well. There were laughs, there were grimaces...all in good fun or as much fun as you could say is being had in a murder fest type book. Definitely can't wait to see what will happen next in this aptly named little murdertown! If you enjoy your dark romances with a side of comedy and a healthy dose of murder, be sure to check out this new series of Weaver's! You don't have to have read the previous trilogy in order to dive into this one and it can completely stand on its own without any kind of prior needed knowledge, so it's a win-win situation here!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

King of Ravens by Clare Sager (5 stars)

Review That Was Posted:

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost (ARC) (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #249
Books from the Backlog #187
Book Blogger Hop #412
Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Well, I write this post yet another day early as we have plans for a big family BBQ hangout all day Saturday, so I likely won't have any energy to do anything afterwards! Lol. This was a tame week. Nothing exciting going on. I'm hoping to maybe go to B&N today for their sale. Should've gone on Friday, but I wanted to make my errands quick and a stop there would've been a lot longer and I neglected to eat a quick lunch before leaving the house! Lol. This week I finally have another signing to go to! Rachel Moore will be coming on tour and since I recently read The Library of Shadows and enjoyed it, I am naturally going along to get my copy signed! Lol. 

Here's what I got this week:

Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni
An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong
Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh--the book that is still awaiting carrier pickup on the tracking from the first! Luckily they finally sent me a replacement and it arrived a whole lot faster! Of course, I am still wayyy behind in this series but I like having them at the ready! Lol.

Then for review from the publisher I received:

The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC)

THANK YOU Red Tower Books!

I got my Fairy Loot book this month. I wasn't really wowed by the title choice so it's going on my IDK pile.

Then I think this was the preorder gift for something...there was no letter inside thanking me for "ordering THIS TITLE!" So I'm struggling to remember which one. Guess I need to start noting what said preorder gift is, but I feel like there's usually a thank you letter or some postcard/image of the book cover...lol

So I took two photos and depending on your screen one might be better than the other! Lol. I am pretty sure this is Tahereh Mafi's Release Me.

THANK YOU Storytide!

And that was it for me this week! Next week, I may or may not have some B&N finds! We'll see what happens as I still need to take new pictures too!

Book Blogger Hop #412

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: What do you think about rising prices for hardcovers, paperbacks, and eBooks? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Well, eventually goes up in price. It's really just the way it is. It's almost kind of funny sometimes to look at my book collection and see how much books cost at one point and then to see what they cost now. I remember having some YA paperbacks that only cost $4.99! A hardcover YA book was $9.99! Although that one might have just been the publisher as the book size was a mass market paperback but in hardcover format. But yeah. Prices going up over time, it's just the way things are no matter what the product is.

Books from the Backlog #187

 

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

When the church bell tolls thrice in the middle of the night, evil this way comes…

Lizzie Grace and Belle Kent, her witch familiar, are living and working on the Faelan Werewolf Reservation—one that has banned the use of magic within its borders. Although they have their supporters—including ranger Aiden O’Connor, who once hated all things witch—Lizzie and Belle now face possible eviction.

But the Faelan Reservation is a place filled with wild magic which—when left unprotected—quickly becomes a draw to those who walk the darker paths. As Christmas approaches, a new evil comes to town—one that eats the souls of the living and animates the flesh of the dead.

As the body count grows and the trail of clues leads them to the doorstep of the local vampire, Lizzie, Belle, and Aiden must find the killer before death comes calling on them.

But the biggest threat of all may come in the form of a witch who sees through the veils of Lizzie’s carefully constructed lies and suspects the truth of who she really is…

I added Keri Arthur's Hell's Bell to my TBR pile in January of 2018. I've gotten really bad about keeping up with Keri's books since she returned to indie press around this time (2018ish). She's written quite a few series after this one, so yeah...not sure if I will ever get caught up with them all but I would like to read this series at least!

Review--King of Ravens by Clare Sager

 

He’ll do anything to keep her. She’d do anything to escape.

Rhiannon is dying—of what, she doesn’t know. Kept protected by her family in their remote seaside cottage, she spends her days searching for a cure. Her world is torn apart, however, when a fae King of the Dead invades her home.

Cold and cruel, Drystan offers her a choice: descend to the underworld as his bride or watch her family die. Trapped in a twisted bargain, Rhiannon is thrust into a world of withered gods, scheming courtiers, and ancient magic, but she refuses to be a pawn in a game she never agreed to play. She attempts over and over to run away, until Drystan offers her a new bargain: escape his deadly labyrinth, and he will set her free. Fail, and become his bride.

But in a court where every promise has teeth, Annon must make an impossible choice: return to the home she's always loved or claim her place in a world where she might finally belong.

King of Ravens by Clare Sager was a smash hit from start to finish! This is what I live for with romantasy reads and this book sits at the top of my favorite list after finishing it! It's perfect blend of favorite tropes and new twists to familiar stories. It was phenomenal! 

Rhiannon's life has been in turmoil for the past few years. She's sick with some unknown illness that leaves her weak and listless. She doesn't know how much time she has left, but she tries to make the best of the life she's been given. Until the day a fae prince comes to collect her. Turns out her father made a deal with The Morrigan years before she was born that his first-born daughter would be given to her son as his bride and that day has come. Rhiannon has been given over to the King of Death.

Drystan is not overly happy about the deal is mother made for him, but such is the life. Rhiannon tries everything to get him to let her go, for she longs to return home to her family, particularly her brother who has given up so much to help take care of her. Eventually, Drystan makes her a deal: if she can escape his twisted labyrinth filled with dangers and challenges, then he will let her go home if she so chooses. If she fails, then she has to stay with him.

Like most fae bargains, this deal is a bit twisty. Rhiannon will attempt to escape the labyrinth during the day, for Drystan's kingdom is more active at night and at nights she must play the prefect fiancee to his kingdom who is looking forward to seeing their king get married. Naturally, this allows for time spent together and to get to know one another. Drystan comes off as your typical broody, overlording fae but he does have another side to him. It was hard to believe him at first if he was being genuine with his kindness, because as we all know, the fae can be very deceptive.

The romance naturally falls into that enemies to lovers variety that I do so enjoy! The two do not get along at their first meet since they are being forced together. It kind of gives off some The Beauty and the Beast vibes only in the sense that she's his "prisoner." But given the opportunity to escape does remove some of that prisoner vibe. Then comes the gradual process from enemies to almost friends to something more. It was a beautiful transition really! I love that even when they did not like each other Drystan was protective of Rhiannon, even if it seems more of a possessive vibe, but while it could be conceived as possessive, I felt like that it was something more. So it's all a matter of perspective I guess.

The pacing to this one was well set. It wasn't overtly fast, but not at all slow either. It was the perfect pace really. We learn some pretty twisted secrets along the way, one that I could see coming even, but what it will mean in the long run doesn't feel very clear by the ending. Which the ending itself was chock full of surprises! One after another and then of course that ending. I'll warn you, it's a doozy of a cliffhanger! But knowing that we will get another book does tend to ease some of the tension...some, not all, only a wee bit! Lol.

King of Ravens is a tantalizing romantasy read that will leave you breathless and craving for more! This is fae romantasy done right! I loved every moment of this book and am achingly, eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #249

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a new Grishaverse short story: a mystery told through found documents and set after the events of Crooked Kingdom.

In the years since the violent upheaval caused by the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith.

Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as “I.”

Follow along with the lead investigator as he tries to piece together how such a disaster transpired, and explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher and in-world collectible items.

The Six of Crows Duology is probably my favorite if Leigh's books so I am excited for this little novella that we will be getting soon!

TITLE: A Darker Shore
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
PUBLISHER: Tempest
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2026

How does one kill the unkillable?

Sparrow and her companions have been left with an impossible task: slay the immortal Deathless King, whose magic siphons the very life of the world to sustain himself.

The answer may lie deep in the past, when those who would become Deathless Kings stormed the sanctuary of the goddess of Fate, in an attempt to remove their threads from the Weave and become immortal. They broke off a piece of the goddess’s loom and hurled it to the earth, where it still lies at the center of a dangerous wasteland called the World Scar.

For any chance against the Deathless King, Sparrow and her companions must brave the World Scar and reach the loom, which would grant the power of a goddess. But the journey is fraught with danger, and the powerful Deathless King determined to find them.

And if the loom is reached—what will the power of a goddess do to a mere mortal? Sparrow has no choice but to find out.

I love Julie's books and am excited for more of her latest YA series! Definitely need to read my recap because I read the first book as an ARC and I'm drawing a blank right now on details. Lol, but still excited as I know things will come back to me as I read!

TITLE: Deathless
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

Couldn't decide between two teasers, so you're getting two today!

"'Are you coming, or do I need to remind my army of the feel of living flesh?' He still perches on the wall, one eyebrow raised.

Oh he's going to be a f***ing delight of a husband." p 36

"That sh**-eating smirk is the last thing that disappears as he bursts into his flock of ravens, leaving me alone on the side of the mountains.

I am going to murder him.

That is, If I survive these bloody stairs." p 127

TITLE: King of Ravens
AUTHOR: Clare Sager
PUBLISHER: Forever
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2026

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 is: Top Ten Favorite Secondary Characters

*in no particular order

10. PUCK--when Puck first stepped on the page, I knew he'd be a favorite! He brought some much needed humor to the seriously dire moments of this series!
9. OSCAR--love Lily's little hobgoblin that takes on a potbellied pig form!
8. CASSANDRA--I was always a little sad that Kelley Armstrong never got a full novel length idea of Cassandra. She was one of the few vampire women that I recall from the series and I just wanted a little more of her.

7. JENKS--I love that smart-mouthed pixy!
6. EMME--as the youngest sister, I connected with Emme. Reallllllly hoping Cecy can get back to writing Emme's book soon! That novella was killer!
5. DEE--loved Dee! She was the perfect BFF to Katy!

4. JANCO (& ARI)--I positively LOVED Janco! He made me laugh so much throughout this series! Ari was his perfect counterpart too! It's refreshing to see two pals in a book and they are just friends!
3. JACKAL--I always found his character interesting! I had hoped that maybe Julie would write a book starring him just because I think he had a lot of growth in the trilogy and I always just wondered what he was going to do at the end!
2. LALA--I loved her character too! She was an intriguing one and I can't wait to see what happens in Stephanie's upcoming novella where I think she's supposed to make an appearance.

1. LUC--I put Luc here just because I feel like we don't know if he's appearing in the new novella or not! He wasn't a favorite character at the start of the series but I did find his path and (possible?) growth interesting. I'd be curious to see what he's up to in the aftermath novella!