March Wrap-up

Well, I did good this month but in pales in comparisons to the last two months. I did have one DNF that surpassed my usual 50 pages, I think I was closer to 150 actually, but it just reached my breaking point and I stopped. Then I had the bright idea to read two 500+ page books right after! So yeah, things were good, but not as great as the last two months!

ARC Reads

East of Envy by Nikki St. Crowe (11/3/26)
A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost (5/26/26)

New Releases

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (3/3/26)

TBR Reads

Living Dead Girl by Rachel Vincent (12/19/22)
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (9/3/24)
The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen (10/21/25)

Can't Wait Wednesday # 242

 

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.

A fugitive on the run, Ahnna has one goal: return to Ithicana with warning of the greatest threat her homeland has ever faced. But as she escapes into the wilderness, it is with the man who broke her heart hunting at her heels—and James wants more than justice. He wants revenge.

Desperate to prove his loyalty to his family, James ventures into dangerous territory to capture his father’s killer. But the longer he follows Ahnna’s trail, the more his certainty of her guilt is tested—and the more the passion they once shared reignites.

As schemes twist tighter and war brews, Ahnna and James discover that the enemy isn’t each other—it is the masterminds manipulating them both in pursuit of power. Yet their greatest obstacle remains, because their loyalties are to opposing sides in the battle to come. As the storms of the Tempest Seas lower their defenses, James and Ahnna must choose where their hearts lie: on the battlefield, or in each other’s arms.

I am so behind on this series! I've only read the first duology and that's where I am at still! Lol.

TITLE: The Tempest Blade
AUTHOR: Danielle Jensen
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2026

Before The Wren in the Holly Library, there was The Rebel and the Final Blood War―the stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive―humans or vampires.

She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing.

Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and brutally handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home.

But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again.

As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire elite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance.

Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen―and complete her mission, once and for all.

I still need to read the second book of this series but I greatly enjoyed the first one! Plus these covers are just stunning!

TITLE: The Rebel and The Final Blood War
AUTHOR: K.A. Linde
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2026

Review--The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen

 

Don't miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the U.S. and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The gods want her dead...Hades will bury them.

You’d think I’d have learned by now:
Don’t mouth off to deities.
Don’t fall for the King of the Underworld.
And definitely don’t get dragged into a divine death match where I’m the cursed mortal prize.

But here I am―trapped in Tartarus, humanity’s worst pit stop, squaring off against monsters who make the gods look merciful. Titans, twisted by centuries of rage and ruin, are sealed behind seven ancient locks.

And guess what?

I'm the key.

To escape, I’ll have to survive every horrifying trial they throw at me.

To win, I might have to become something the gods never saw coming.

Oh, and Hades?

He's about to break every rule the gods ever wrote.

Because to save me...the god of death will burn the world.

But if I break free? So do the Titans.

And the world won’t just suffer―it'll beg for the end.

Abigail Owen's The Things Gods Break is the second installment in The Crucible trilogy and, I won't lie it was pretty complex and trippy! Remember the fifth season of LOST? It reminded me of that and THAT particular season made me so...lost! Lol.

So be prepared for a series of confusing events, unless you've got that eagle eye for time jumps and trips and all that jazz when it comes to time-traveling. Buckle up kiddos, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

When attempting to rescue Persephone from Tartartus, things go horribly wrong and Lyra is sucked into the gate before we can even see Persephone and it's shut closed, locking her inside with the Titans who were imprisoned eons ago by their children, the Greek gods that we all know.

Lyra soon learns that she will have to complete twelve different challenges to unseal a magical Lock to unlock the door of Tartartus, freeing her, Persephone, and Boone who was also sucked through the portal when the door opened. The challenges will be even more daunting than the ones she had to face in the Crucible as they will test her mental and physical endurance as well as emotional.

This book was so trippy! I was down with things in the beginning, a new set of challenges that need to be completed, a greater challenge of escaping Tartarus is set before Lyra and Boone. At least this time she isn't alone, but then come these rips in time which seem to always be on the move and Lyra finds herself falling through them at the most inopportune moments. Which seriously, if you blink, you might miss it and wonder what is Lyra doing now when she was just facing some big bad thing a moment ago? It's that quick!

These jumps in time soon start to paint another picture which becomes even more illuminating! All these answers start falling into place to questions we didn't even realize we had! It was mind-blowing! We do still get to see Hades in some aspect. It's not the Hades of the present day, but many past Hades from each rip in time Lyra visits. I was taking notes as I usually do throughout reading and I still couldn't quite keep the puzzle pieces aligned.

By the end though, I did see the bigger picture! There's still some mystery that needs to be solved which will come along in the finale, but just whoa. This book was definitely heavy and discombobulating! If I hadn't already been invested in the series I might have given into DNFing, but while I suffered from great confusion, I still persevered! I actually never finished LOST up until a couple of years ago. Like maybe 5-6 years after it ended? That season 5 still tripped me up but at least with binge watching I was able to better follow along! Which is how I managed to get through this one!

Despite the rocky start and up and down struggle throughout this one, I did still enjoy myself. The story was still exciting, it was just some of those scene transitions that were hard to catch and it really me threw me sometimes and it took a bit to get back on track. But I always did, eventually!

The ending was quite a gamechanger! I was not expecting this kind of ending, a cliffhanger yes, but nowhere near the one that we got! Time travel does tend to mess with the mind and comprehension, for me at least, and while that did happen here, I was still pretty much entertained for the course of the novel. There was quite a jaw-dropper of an epilogue too that had me reeling! Definitely looking forward to revisiting that in the finale!

Needless to say, if you're invested in this series, you've probably already read this and I am behind like always! Lol. But if you're looking for a new Hades/Persephone myth retelling that doesn't involve Persephone in the romantic sense, be sure to check The Crucible trilogy out! It may be a head-spinner but it's definitely an exhilarating one!

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

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.

"Hades goes so still and pale. If he weren't immortal, I would worry death had claimed him." p 220

TITLE: The Things Gods Break
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 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: Top Ten Buzzwords That Make Me Want to Read a Book

*in no particular order

10. RETELLING OF <INSERT FAIRY TALE>--I love me a good fairy tale retelling, always have, always will!
9. SUPERNATURAL--a given! The actual term, not the show, but that's also a given! Lol.
8. ENCHANTING--makes me think whimsical
7. MAGICAL--gotta love magic
6. DEATH--when Death is an entity, particularly a hot one! Lol.
5. MURDER--love a good murder mystery!
4. GHOSTS--as a character or just in the haunting sense
3. SECRETS--a good mystery build-up
2. VAMPIRE--obviously!
1. STEPHANIE GARBER--lol! Yes for Stephanie's books, but when I see her quote on a cover it usually catches my eye too and I have to take a look!

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:

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen 

What I Plan to Read Next:

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #241
Books from the Backlog #179
Book Blogger Hop #404
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.

Another mundane week. Nothing too exciting this time around. Although, the B&N sale did take up quite a bit of time for me those first two days! Lol. More so the first day with a few follow-ups the next day! I ordered way too much, but I usually ordered them in groups of one or two so I can easily cancel things if I change my mind or a signing pops up. But yeah. Books were ordered. Gift cards were used up. It was a good set of days. Lol. But other than that there was no other excitement this week. I have one more week of nothingness then I finally get to some book signings!! I didn't have any planned for March sadly, but April has FOUR that I plan to attend!

Anyway, here's what I got this week:

A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong

Then I had decided to get February's Owl Crate book as it was one I was hearing good things about and I just thought, let's get the OC edition! There was a delay in shipping due to a printing issue I think. So I didn't get it until this month! The cover design is all right. I mean it's cool, but maybe a wee busy. Still excited to read it at some point though! **Also not going to share the cover since others could still be waiting on their copies and I like to keep it as a surprise for those who like surprises, like myself! Lol. I knew going in the title but not what it would look like.

And then I also got my Fairy Loot book for March as well! I had forgotten what title this one was but then when I saw other people getting it, I was like "ohhh yeahhhh!" Lol. It was one I had on my Watch List, so I'll probably read it at some point since I have a copy now! FL's cover for this one's okay as well. I know the OG one was also just okay. I might have different/better feelings once I actually read it. lol

AND THEN...I found out I was a winner in the 2025 Discussion Challenge! I won a book of choice which was a conundrum for me since I had just done so much preordering! Lol. And ironically I had just placed an order on the Zon since they had a B2G1 deal for books...those should arrive next week and I'll share then!

But anyway I was scouring my wishlist and then settled on this one because it sounded spooky good:

They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours

THANK YOU Nicole & Shannon!

And that was it for me this week! Not too bad...but then I think of all the damage that was done with preordering so I might have a different response come April-June! Lol.

Book Blogger Hop #404

 

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

This week's topic is: What’s your favorite bookish scent, and why does it appeal to you? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: I do love the smell of the paper pages. But like from the actual book. Not in candle format as those can never really catch the right notes, I feel like. Which yes, I totally understand the true fragrance cannot be captured exactly. But when I smell the crisp pages of a new book, that's the smell of adventure, love, and happiness!

Books from the Backlog #179

 

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!

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a dangerous and exhilarating world where a deadly, beautiful archangel and his once-mortal consort are caught in a fury of twisted darkness…

One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.

Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is…

Nothing will ever be the same again.

So apparently when you get so far behind in a series, you even forget to add books to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Lol. Despite Nalini Singh's Archangel's Heart releasing in October of 2016, I didn't notate it on Goodreads until October of 2017...likely when that next book was coming out! Lol. Needless to say that whenever I actually got this book, I still need to read it! I am soo behind in this series but I make it a point to always buy them as they release as trying to track down MM PB later on after their print run is INSANELY hard! And then the ebooks cost the exact same so I'd rather have that physical copy! Lol. But this was a fun Urban Fantasy series that I hope to get back to one of these days!

Review--The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen

 

The gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them…

I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus’ patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible—the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me—a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders—as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.

I finally picked up Abigail Owen's The Games Gods Play, ready for a fresh new take on the Hades/Persephone myth and that is exactly what I got! Owen takes a new twist on Greek mythology with this one and with its modern-day setting and deadly game challenge, this is a read that is sure to keep you entertained among its massive page size!

Lyra was cursed the day she was born by Zeus to be unlovable, for she dared to be born in his temple. Which, from what we know of the gods in all the myths, this tracks! So Lyra's parents gave her over to the Order of Thieves to live and that's where she was raised. 

Then she has a chance encounter with Hades, the god of the underworld and perhaps the least liked god of all and ends up wrapped in his clutches to play a role in the Crucible. This is a set of twelve challenges that are played in order to determine to who will be the next King of the Gods. Hades has never participated before but is making an exception this year. Each of the gods chooses a mortal who will represent them and do the actual games and challenges. Should they win, their patron god is the next ruler and they will be granted a boon, among other glories.

Lyra is more determined to just survive the challenges and even tries to help her fellow competitors along the way, hoping that they might return the favor somewhere down the line. What you might expect to happen, happens. There are challengers who want nothing to do with Lyra's help, there are those who indifferent, and then of course, there's the one who believes her and will work alongside her.

The challenges are ruthless and dangerous and it's a shock that any human is meant to survive them. I mean when you think about it, it is silly. The gods have to choose the best human they can find to be their "rep" but they are still only human. Yes, the humans are gifted the occasional advantage and there are betrayals and cheats and secrets galore. With 500+ pages, a lot has to happen!

And then of course, we get to the heated chemistry brewing between Lyra and Hades. But of course, the big question is: where is Persephone, Hades' wife? We do get an explanation of where she is eventually, but even I was having my doubts about the whole story. Mainly because, I know this is a series, so my mind was already developing the craziest theories possible! Only time will tell if any of those crazy theories come to fruition though!

I will admit that this one was a bit of a beast to get through. It's over 500 pages, but luckily, the pacing was pretty fast and some of the chapters were pretty short, so that made for easier reading at times. With twelve challenges set before the champions, that too would take time to get through. Some were done with detail and others were not as detailed, but not super short either. I felt like the balance was right when it came to those. Then when there was the moments between challenges, those were relatively balanced as well.

The ending was pretty shocking though! I guess I hadn't developed too many theories towards that regard because I was taken aback by most of it! It was a stunning ending for sure and the cliffhanger was also pretty unexpected. The actual cliffhanger, not that there was a cliffhanger! Lol. Luckily, I am diving into the next book asap!

The Games Gods Play was an edgy and action packed take on the Greek pantheon! I enjoyed the characters and the pacing was spot on! This is definitely a series to sink your teeth into!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #241

 

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.

An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

If there's one kind of duology I will always make sure I wait and binge, it's a thriller! Never fails that the first book ends on a killer cliffhanger! Lol.

TITLE: The Escape Game
AUTHORS: Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2026

Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Drowned Gods Trilogy, a gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage and her friends on their desperate quest through worlds and time!

Fate cannot be broken—not even by the gods who serve it.

Emory refuses to lose Romie again. Her friend’s fate hangs in the balance as the monstrous Clover plans to use her as a sacrifice to steal power from the deity Atheia—and make himself into a proper god. To stop Clover, Emory needs the help of Atheia’s dark counterpart, Sidraeus. Yet this enigmatic deity cannot be trusted, and if Emory is to ally with him, she must invoke an ancient magic to keep him tethered to her side.

Meanwhile, in the divine workshop of the god of balance, Baz learns he has a role to play in the coming fight to save the crumbling worlds and their weakening magics. Yet all he can think of is Kai and the gruesome fate that awaits him at Clover’s side—a fate, the god tells him, that is beyond even his reach. But Baz is determined to save Kai, even if he has to rewrite time itself.

As chaos reigns and the tides of a corrupted magic threaten to consume all, Emory and Baz must contend with mercurial gods, vengeful deities, and those hell-bent on eradicating Eclipse magic to save the people they love—and write an ending to their stories that defies fate itself.

I still need to start this series but the last few years, I feel like I've been in my event mode reading! Lol. So yeah, hopefully I will be able to read this one sometimes soonish!

TITLE: Infinite Shores
AUTHOR: Pascale Lacelle
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2026

The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the

Welcome back to The New Republic.

It should be no surprise that I still need to read the first book of this series! Lol. I did enjoy this OG series far more than I initially thought I would, so I am excited to return to it!

TITLE: Release Me
AUTHOR: Tahereh Mafi
PUBLISHER: Storytide
GENRE: YA Dystopian
RELEASE DATE: April 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.

"Warmth coalesces inside my belly, which is turned squishier by the second. I should not be squishy for the god of death, no matter how much it sounds like he cares. That's a terrible idea." p 162

TITLE: The Games Gods Play
AUTHOR: Abigail Owen
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 3, 2024

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 Books on My Spring 2026 To-Read List

*in no particular order
**subject to change at a whim! Lol

10. THE THINGS GODS BREAK by Abigail Owen--finally getting around to reading these!
9. REJECTED by Jaymin Eve--taking a gamble on this one!
8. COLD AS HELL by Kelley Armstrong--forever behind on her stuff...

7. IT CAME FROM NEVER LAND by Cynthia Pelayo--a creepy version of Peter Pan!
6. THE LAST LOST GIRL by Casey L. Bond--I plan to meet this author in the summer, so hoping to read this duology at least before then!
5. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR by Dana Evyn--another author I plan to meet in the summer, so I want to read this book by then too!

4. THE WINGS THAT BIND by Briar Boleyn--randomly chosen!
3. SECONDHAND LUCK by Kim Harrison--struggled reading the ARC of the first book on my kindle, so hoping it will read better in my hands this time around!
2. TO CAGE A WILD BIRD by Brooke Fast--aching to read this one!

 

1. SPARKING FIRE OUT OF FATE by Brigid Kemmerer--randomly chosen so I can finish off the series!

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:

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost (ARC)--review to come at a later date

DNF:

Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid

Currently Reading:

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #240
Books from the Backlog #178
Book Blogger Hop #403
Stacking the Shelves--A VERY Special Delivery!