the hollow by j & j kellaway

published: october 1, 2025
source: arc from author
rating:★★★✩✩

from goodreads:
They told him the Hollow was forever.
They weren’t kidding.
When fourteen-year-old Lucas Hale wakes up on a domed island full of sword-wielding guards, the rules are already written—and survival isn’t guaranteed. Students disappear, questions get you noticed, and no one seems to care how any of it actually works. The guards call it discipline. The survivors call it luck. Most kids treat this place as some kind of twisted summer camp. Lucas can’t shake the feeling that it’s a trap.
But he isn’t like the others. He doesn’t remember how he got here, and he’s already behind on whatever “training” he’s supposed to be doing. The deeper he digs, the more he realizes: the Hollow isn’t just weird. It’s hiding something. It’s watching. And it wants something from him.
Because here, magic isn’t the only thing that wants to break you.
And Lucas? He’s not planning on breaking quietly.

my review:

first i want to say thank you to j & j kellaway for letting me arc read the hollow!

so… i liked this book but i didn’t love it. it started off slow for me and i was honestly confused about what was going on, but i think that was kind of the point since lucas himself had no clue what he was getting into either.

the problem is

wild love by elsie silver

published: april 9, 2024
source: kindle unlimited
rating:★★★✩✩

from goodreads:

Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her. 

After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic.
And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.

Forbes may have labelled me the World’s Hottest Billionaire but all I care about is opening my new recording studio. Something that comes to a screeching halt when I end up face-to-face with a young girl who claims I’m her biological father.

Now I spend my days balancing business with parenting a sullen twelve-year-old all while trying desperately to keep my hands the hell off my best friend’s little sister.

I vow to keep Rosie at arm’s length. I try to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners. But with her verbal sparring is merely foreplay—friction that turns to blistering heat.

I know damn well I shouldn’t cross that line.
But shouldn’t and can’t are two very different things.
And the only thing I truly can’t do is resist her.

my review:

wild love was a cute romance read. technically, it’s set in a small town, but i feel like ford kind of took the “small town” out of it.
i’m a total sucker for enemies to lovers, but honestly… i don’t really think they were enemies? it felt more like they were secretly in love their whole lives and just refused to admit it. rosie’s diary entries say it all. she read like the classic jealous girl who pretends she’s unbothered, but deep down she’s head over heels.
rosie was my favorite. she was a total badass and kind of reminded me of

you shouldn't have come here by jeneva rose

published: april 25, 2023
source: purchased
rating:★★★★★

from goodreads:
Grace Evans, an overworked New Yorker looking for a total escape from her busy life, books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. When she arrives, she's pleasantly surprised to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells. But there are things Grace discovers that she's not too pleased about: A lack of cell phone service. A missing woman. And a feeling that something isn't right with the town.
Despite her uneasiness and misgivings from Calvin's friends and family, the two grow close and start to fall for one another. However, as her departure date nears, things between them start to change for the worse. Grace grows wary of Calvin as his infatuation for her seems to turn into obsession. Calvin fears that Grace is hiding something from him.
Told from dual points of view, You Shouldn't Have Come Here is a thrill ride and a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when you open up your house and your heart to a total stranger.

my review:

okay, well... from that title, this is not what i expected from this book. the beginning was a little slow, but it really set the scene. it’s one of those slow burn “romances” that reels you in and then spits you out at the very end. my mouth was literally hanging open when i found out what was actually going on.

grace was your typical hard-working, kind of stoic, roll-with-the-punches type of woman. nothing really got to her, until it really got to her. or so we thought. she was living a busy, mundane routine and definitely needed a break. so off she went on vacation... and ended up staying with mr. calvin wells.

now calvin was your classic country boy, boots, dirt, animals, the whole vibe. he seemed super normal and harmless... until he started getting way too into grace. like, obsessed. creepy obsessed.

the side characters totally added to the mystery. i did not like charlotte, she is not a girls’ girl at all. she was just trying to wedge herself into everything and get her way... which, spoiler, did not go how she planned. betty was the sweet, caring step-in mom figure who genuinely wanted the best for everyone. but of course, she got dragged into the mess too.

joe? creepy vibes from the jump. but turns out he was actually the most trustworthy one of them all?? didn’t see that coming at all.

this book was a total whirlwind. i read it in just a few hours because i had to know what happened next. and the ending?? literally insaneeeee. like, who would’ve thought that sweet grace was just as unhinged as the country boy?

definitely worth the read.

favorite quotes:
"if it was good, i enjoyed it. if it was bad, i learned from it. i can't go around regretting the things i've done that made me me."

"sometimes we don't even know where our scars come from."

"a lie provided comfort honesty never could."

salvation by j.m. johnson (the devil's disciples book 3)

published: june 9, 2025
source: arc from author
rating:★★★★★

from goodreads:
She ran.
He chased.
Now there’s nowhere left to hide.
Rachel
She should’ve known he wouldn’t let her go.
Should’ve known his obsession ran deeper than desire—straight into madness.
Now he’s back. And this time? He’s not leaving without her.
She can fight it, but the truth is clear:
This ends in ruin… or surrender.
And when he discovers what she’s been hiding?
Hell won’t be the only thing breaking loose.
Dante
He doesn’t forgive. He doesn’t forget.
Anyone else would’ve been dead by now.
But she’s not just anyone.
She’s his addiction. His weakness. His fucking downfall.
Now that he has her back, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her close—
Even if it means burning every last piece of himself to the ground.

In this explosive, twisted finale, Rachel and Dante have one last shot at redemption.
But some love stories aren’t meant to be written in ink.
They’re carved in blood.

my review:
i never would have thought i would be damn near crying in the nail salon from reading a book but this series had me in a chokehold. if i could read all three of these books all over again for the first time i definitely

two worlds apart by lenora cade (concrete hearts book 1)

published: march 27, 2025
source: arc from author
rating:★★★★★

from goodreads:
Life doesn’t always follow the itinerary.
Mallory had everything mapped a carefree summer in Europe, living life on her terms before her first ever nursing job began—no strings, no distractions. She was ready to conquer the world, one passport stamp at a time.
When a threatening encounter with a dark stranger sends her careening off course, she finds herself lost in an unfamiliar place. Amidst all of the uncertainty, she bumps into Emil.
Steady, kind, and patient, Emil is definitely not part of Mallory's plans...but maybe he's exactly what she doesn't know she needs. Offering everything and asking nothing in return, he's a detour she never expected, but one she might not be able to walk away from.
As Mallory struggles with her past, she now also has to grapple with her future, wondering if this twist of fate is—in fact—exactly what she never knew she wanted?
She has to make a decision
Stick to the life she’s always intended?
Or risk it all for a love that feels risky, uncertain…but possibly meant to be?

my review:

i LOVED this book in all ways possible. two worlds apart was an immersive love story. lenora's descriptions of all the places they travelled made me feel as if i was there right along with them. it is a slow burn but it is definitely worth the read. it kept me interested the whole way through. thank you to lenora for not only being a great author but a great person overall. 

mallory roth, knows exactly what she wants in life and has a grand scheme of a plan worked out for herself and her life. she took all the steps necessary to get to where she wanted to be and it all worked out for her BUT she wanted to travel the world before she started her "big girl" life. 

emil, the bosnian native, the small town boy with unfulfilled big dreams. the sweetest and most caring stranger. he was going about his normal life when this american girl stumbled into his life and changed his whole world. 

two worlds apart was a slow burn but it had enough detail in the middle to ensure that the whole story came together and wasn't boring at all. this book made me cry, laugh, and kept me giddy the whole way through. i really did not expect the ending but it came together really well. i would have loved to know what all happened in the 5 months in between and what led them to the point they ended up in but it was overall written very well. i also really liked that it showed that nothing really ever goes as planned and you really just have to roll with the punches and take life for what it is. i liked that there was spicy scenes without all the spice described, im all for smut but it is nice to have a book with spicy scenes and none of the spicy details. 

congrats to lenora on her first published book. i am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series and hopefully theres cameos!! 

favorite quotes:
"it would be too obvious to declare that life doesnt always go as planned, because of course it didnt." 

"if you were with me, id always have the best of both."

"life is for living, not waiting."

"its work to be with the one you love, but those things are what make it worth it." 

xoxo, princess by elle sparrow

published: march 17, 2025
source: arc from author
rating:★★★★✩
from goodreads:
Loving Adam Stone was never going to be simple. 

He’s older.
Powerful.
Completely set in his ways.
For a year, he’s owned me—heart, body, and soul. Our love is raw, intense, and filled with the kind of passion that steals my breath and never gives it back.
But lately, something’s changed.
He’s keeping things from me.
Shutting me out.
Instead of letting me in, he drowns himself in work, breaking promises along the way. I should be his partner in every way, but he still sees me as something fragile. Something to protect instead of trust.
Then the cracks spread. Our relationship seems to be the price he is willing to pay for success. And suddenly, I’m left questioning everything.
One last broken promise shatters me, and I’m forced to end things.
Walking away from him is devastating.
But staying would mean betraying myself.
He owned me.
Claimed me.
And now, he’s lost me.
If he wants me back, he’ll have to prove it. Not with words. Not with gifts.
With his knees on the ground and his heart in his hands.

my review:
please read the triggers before starting this! 

this book was a 3.5 rounded up to 4. i really liked the storyline and how everything played out, the spice was spicy but not enough to where the book was a sexcapade every page, it was well balanced. i give it a 3.5 because the 

king of sloth (kings of sin book 4) by ana huang

published: april 30, 2024
source: kindle unlimited rating:★★★★✩

from goodreads:
He'd never wanted anyone enough to chase them...until he met her. 
Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips. 
He also has no interest in taking over his family’s empire (much to his father’s chagrin), but that hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist. 
Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future—and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants.  
***
Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who’s used to dealing with difficult clients. 
However, none infuriate—or tempt—her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude. 
She may be forced to work with him, but she’ll never fall for him…no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona. 
He’s her client, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Right?

my review:
ana does it for me every single time, i knew i was going to love this book just based off the dedication!! the only reason it took me so long to read it is because life happens and i’ve been so busy but i literally always wanted to stop doing what i had to do and just read. 

xavier castillo, the nepo baby, or so you