Source: Berkley Publishing

#BookReview Save Me by Mona Kasten @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SaveMe # #MonaKasten #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Save Me by Mona Kasten @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SaveMe # #MonaKasten #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Save Me

Author: Mona Kasten

Series: Maxton Hall #1

Published by: Berkley on Jul. 1, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

They come from different worlds, and yet they are meant for each other.

Money, glamour, luxury, power—Ruby Bell couldn’t be less interested in these things if she tried. After being awarded a scholarship to one of England’s most prestigious and expensive private schools, Maxton Hall, all she wants is to keep her head down, work hard, and get accepted to Oxford. She keeps her distance from everyone, especially the arrogant, rich, and extremely handsome James Beaufort, ringleader of the school’s party boys.

When Ruby discovers a scandalous secret about the Beauforts, she is suddenly on James’s radar. It only gets worse when James is forced to work with her to plan the school’s annual gala. Yet the more time they spend together, the more they realize they share much more than they thought.

Falling for James Beaufort was never part of her plan, yet Ruby can’t help but let her feelings sweep her away. But James must make a decision for will he choose what’s expected of him, or what he feels for her?


Review:

Captivating, spicy, and entertaining!

Save Me is an angsty, seductive tale that transports you to Maxton Hall, an elite private school for rich delinquent teens that has all the usual fare, entitled students, unrelenting bullies, sexual promiscuity, forbidden romance, naughty behaviour, innumerably delicious scandals, and a few hardworking scholarship students.

The writing is steamy and fun. The characters are rebellious, self-indulgent, and secretive. And the plot is a passionate, promiscuous, coming-of-age tale full of familial troubles, teenage angst, palpable attraction, witty banter, excessive indulgence, romance, friendship, heartbreak, and love.

Overall, Save Me is a wildly addictive, salacious, engaging novel by Kasten that immersed me so thoroughly in the decadence, lifestyle, drama, luxuries, and scandalous behaviour of the characters I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a true guilty pleasure that has undoubtedly not only left me craving for more but already counting down the days until I can get my hands on the second book in the series Save You, which is releasing on September 2, 2025.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mona Kasten

Mona Kasten studied library and information management before devoting herself entirely to writing. She lives in Hamburg with her family and cats as well as an infinite number of books, loves caffeine in any form, long walks in the woods and days when she can only write.

#BookReview Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #ElizaAndTheDuke #TheDovesOfNewYork #HarperStGeorge #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #ElizaAndTheDuke #TheDovesOfNewYork #HarperStGeorge #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Eliza and the Duke

Author: Harper St. George

Series: The Doves of New York #2

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 24, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience…until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both.


Review:

Witty, scandalous, and enticing!

Eliza and the Duke is a playful, seductive tale set in London during 1878 that features the intelligent, inquisitive Eliza and the roguishly handsome prize boxer Simon as they navigate the underground world of Whitechapel, an upcoming marriage of convenience, and an abundance of undeniable attraction, respect and admiration.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters are focused, determined, and passionate. And the plot is a push-pull tale of life, love, trust, expectations, commitments, support, perseverance, familial drama, and class division.

Overall, Eliza and the Duke is an engaging, entertaining, alluring read by St. George that is another adventurous, enjoyable addition to the The Doves of New York series.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Harper St. George

Harper St. George grew up in the rural backwoods of Alabama and the northwest Florida coast where her love of history began. She now makes her home in the Atlanta area writing historical fiction romance set in various time periods from the Viking Era to the Gilded Age. Her novels have been translated into ten languages.

Photo: © Harper St. George.

#BookReview Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #BeforeDorothy #HazelGaynor #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #BeforeDorothy #HazelGaynor #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Before Dorothy

Author: Hazel Gaynor

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 17, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt, Emily Gale, sets off on her own grand adventure, leaving gritty Chicago behind for Kansas and a life that will utterly change her, in this transporting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.

Chicago, 1924: Emily Gale and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago behind for the promise of their own American dream. But leaving the city means leaving Emily’s beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the world.

Kansas, 1932: Emily and Henry have made a life in the warmth of the community of Liberal, Kansas, and among the harsh beauty of the prairie. Their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep.

The wide-eyed child isn’t the only thing to disrupt Emily’s world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and their much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of Dorothy.

Bursting with courage and heart, Before Dorothy tells the story of the woman who raised a beloved heroine, and ponders the what is the true meaning of home?


Review:

Insightful, inspiring, and atmospheric!

Before Dorothy is an enchanting tale that sweeps you away to Chicago and Kansas during the 1920s – 1930s when the country is reeling from the great depression, the farmers are struggling to maintain their livelihoods, identities, and health through the relentless heat, devastating wind storms, and catastrophic droughts, and the childless Emily Gale suddenly becomes the guardian of her eight-year-old niece Dorothy.

The prose is evocative and smooth. The characters are strong, resilient, and hardworking. And the plot is a captivating, emotional tale filled with life, loss, self-discovery, motherhood, familial drama, poverty, tragedy, heartbreak, community, courage, romance, friendship, and survival.

Overall, Before Dorothy is a creative, touching, heartwarming tale by Gaynor inspired by L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of OZ that does a beautiful job of blending historical events with compelling, imaginative fiction.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hazel Gaynor

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times, and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. Her most recent novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Timeshistorical novel of the month, an Audie award winner, and was short-listed for the Irish Book Awards. Her work is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.

Photo by Fran Veale.

#BookReview Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #RealmOfThieves #KarinaHalle #ThievesOfDragemore #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #RealmOfThieves #KarinaHalle #ThievesOfDragemore #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Realm of Thieves

Author: Karina Halle

Series: Thieves of Dragemore #1

Published by: Ace on Jun. 10, 2025

Genres: Fantasy

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Timesbestselling author Karina Halle.

For Brynla Aihr, crime and survival have always gone hand in hand. Ever since she escaped the fanatical dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s had to carve out a life doing the unthinkable: stealing dragon eggs. Egg theft is illegal and, in most cases, fatal. To breach a dragon’s nest means a harrowing journey through the ancient wards spelled to keep the monstrous beasts confined. Dragons can’t get out and only those with a death wish can get in.

Despite the risks, dragon eggs are highly coveted for their magic. An illegal trade flourishes under competing criminal empires, and Brynla’s loyalty has always been to the highest bidder. Until she finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor, a formidable lieutenant of House Kolbeck, and thrust into the dangerous political games of rivaling dynasties.
 
Brynla and Andor clash at every turn, sparking heat in ways Brynla’s never felt before. But in a world that’s prophesized to return to the dragons, and rife with betrayal and secrets at every turn…how close to the flames is she willing to stand?


Review:

Riveting, spicy, and action-packed!

Realm of Thieves is a suspenseful, passionate tale that takes us to a world where dragons are trapped, dangerous, and their eggs are in high demand, and where the orphan, Brynla, with her ability to steal the eggs has lived quite an independent life until her her world gets turned upside down when she is kidnapped by Lord Andor, and the the attraction between them is hot enough to burn them both.

The prose is intense and seductive. The characters are complex, gifted, and unique. And the plot is a fierce tale full of twists, turns, passion, angst, fury, loyalty, heartbreak, duty, sizzling tension, violence, secrets, tormented pasts, and supernatural abilities.

Overall, Realm of Thieves is a gripping, imaginative, highly entertaining tale by Halle that is bursting with determination, grit, battles, heat, adventure, sexual chemistry, politics, rivals, and other magical elements. It kept me invested and engaged from the very first page and has left me counting down the days until I have the opportunity to read the next novel in the Thieves of Dragemor series to discover whether the dragons will once again rule the world. 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Ace for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karina Halle

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Realm of Thieves, River of Shadows & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it. When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their not-haunted condo in Los Angeles.

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Just Beachy

Author: Wendy Wax

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

After losing her long-time acting gig on the hit show Murder 101, Sydney Ryan decides she needs a break from Hollywood politics. She heads to Treasure Island, Florida where her grandmother has been visiting and now refuses to leave. Sydney’s plan to lay low for a bit quickly goes awry though, as she is swept up in her grandmother’s now flourishing social life—Grand not only bought a new house in Casas de Flores, she’s also helping her neighbor Myra open a bookstore in Pass-a-Grille. But when someone breaks into Grand’s house repeatedly Sydney realizes her grandmother is keeping something from her.
 
Determined to ferret out the truth and protect her grandmother, Sydney enlists the help of the Ten Beach Road ladies and Luke, a local police officer who was once her high school crush. While Sydney puts her television crime solving skills to the test, she decides to act on the sizzling chemistry between her and Luke. And as Sydney spends more sunsets toasting to true friends and new romance, she begins to wonder if the sun is setting on her time in Hollywood and if this town could be the dawn of a new chapter.


Review:

Spirited, enticing, and witty!

Just Beachy is an amusing, engaging tale featuring the unmoored actress Sydney Ryan who, after being dumped from her long-running series, heads to Florida to hang out with her grandmother, only to discover that something sinister is going on and she may need some help from her old high school flame to figure out exactly what it is.

The prose is light and sweet. The characters are intelligent, relentless, and impulsive. And the plot is a flirty, entertaining blend of friendship, family, chemistry, attraction, tricky situations, self-discovery, family, intrigue, happiness, and romance.

Overall, Just Beachy is a charming, humorous, breezy tale by Wax that did a wonderful job of mixing a sliver of mystery with some lighthearted, romantic fun.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Wendy Wax

Wendy Wax, a former broadcaster, is the author of sixteen novels and two novellas, including The Break-Up Book Club, My Ex–Best Friend’s Wedding, Best Beach Ever, One Good Thing, Sunshine Beach, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, The House on Mermaid Point, Ocean Beach, and Ten Beach Road. The mother of two grown sons, she has left the suburbs of Atlanta for an in-town high-rise, that is eerily similar to the fictional high-rise she created in her 2013 release, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Photo by Joanna Souza

#BookReview The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Allison Markin Powell) @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #ThePassengersOnTheHankyuLine #HiroArikawa #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Allison Markin Powell) @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #ThePassengersOnTheHankyuLine #HiroArikawa #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

Author: Hiro Arikawa

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 256

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Welcome aboard the Hankyu Line train!

Come along on a heartwarming, funny, and perfectly cozy voyage with the charming and relatable passengers—including one dashing dachshund—whose lives intersect and affect each other on one of Japan’s most romantic railway lines from international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.

Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outward journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.

A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself, a woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad, a university student heads home after class, a girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend, and an old lady discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.

With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.


Review:

Sincere, poignant, and compelling!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a pensive, heart-tugging novel that takes you into the lives of a handful of people, each with their own struggles, troubles, and heartbreaks as their worlds become momentarily intertwined while travelling on a train heading from Takarazuka to Nishinomiya.

The prose is eloquent and insightful. The characters are unique, sympathetic, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, support, generosity, honesty, guidance, acceptance, forgiveness, romance, humour, introspection, and loss.

Overall, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a reflective, touching, heartwarming tale by Arikawa that reminds us of what’s truly important in life and highlights the sheer power of kindness and compassion.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hiro Arikawa

Hiro Arikawa is a renowned author from Tokyo. Her novel The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a bestseller in Japan and has been published around the world.

#BookReview Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Problematic Summer Romance

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series: Not in Love #2

Published by: Berkley on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Timesbestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.


Review:

Sultry, entertaining, and sweet!

Problematic Summer Romance is a passionate, charming tale that mixes the feisty, intelligent Maya, who’s determined once and for all to show her brother’s best friend she’s the perfect one for him, and the delectable, successful Conor, who still won’t allow himself to act on his feelings for his best friend’s little sister because of the fifteen-year age gap.

The writing is titillating and crisp. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are fun-loving and engaging. And the plot sweeps you away into a sassy, push-pull storyline filled with life, loss, witty banter, shameless flirting, sizzling chemistry, friendship, family, romance, light drama, and responsibilities.

Overall, Problematic Summer Romance is a fabulous read to kick off summer 2025. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the swoon-worthy happy-ever-after ending!

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

Photo by Justin Murphy / Out of the Attic Photography.

#BookReview The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #TheLadiesRoadGuideToUtterRuin #AnIllManneredLadiesNovel #AlisonGoodman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #TheLadiesRoadGuideToUtterRuin #AnIllManneredLadiesNovel #AlisonGoodman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

Author: Alison Goodman

Series: The Ill-Mannered Ladies #2

Published by: Berkley on May 6, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Pages: 460

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?


Review:

Mysterious, romantic, and entertaining!

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin sweeps you away to the British countryside during the early 1800s and into the life of the independent, reliable Lady Augusta Colebrook who, after falling for the escaped convict, Lord Evan, will do whatever it takes to help hide his sister from there spiteful brother, finally discover what despicable behaviours are really going on behind the closed doors of the Rack and Ruin club, and once and for all prove her beloved is actually innocent of all the crimes he was accused of.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are resourceful, vulnerable, and passionate. And the plot is a fulfilling blend of family, friendship, danger, desire, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, attraction, and true love.

Overall, The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin is another charming, adventurous, action-packed addition to the Ill-Mannered Ladies series by Goodman, complete with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten and satisfied!

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alison Goodman

Alison Goodman is a Melbourne-based author of historical and fantasy fiction. Her other novels include the The Dark Days Club trilogy, an award-winning mix of Regency adventure and dark fantasy, and EON and EONA, a New York Times bestselling fantasy duology published in 20 countries. Alison has recently completed her PhD focusing on historical research and the Regency era and can dance a mean English contra dance. She is fuelled by coffee and roast potatoes and will travel a long way for a good scone.

Photo by Tania Jovanovic

#BookReview Broken Souls and Bones by LJ Andrews @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #BrokenSoulsAndBones #LJAndrews #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Broken Souls and Bones by LJ Andrews @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #BrokenSoulsAndBones #LJAndrews #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Broken Souls and Bones

Author: LJ Andrews

Series: Broken Souls and Bones #1

Published by: Ace on Apr. 29, 2025

Genres: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.

As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.


Review:

Immersive, action-packed, and seductive!

Broken Souls and Bones is a fierce, fervent tale that takes us into the life of Lyra Bien, who after her silver scars are discovered, is brought to the fortress of Stonegate where she will do whatever it takes, even work closely with the deadly Roark Ashwood, the prince’s silent guard, to protect those she loves.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are multilayered, courageous, and dependable. And the plot is a riveting tale full of twists, turns, angst, loyalty, duty, heartbreak, danger, deception, family, friendship, sizzling tension, undeniable attraction, and supernatural abilities.

Overall, Broken Souls and Bones is a passionate, creative, entertaining first novel in the Broken Souls and Bones series by Andrews that is bursting with soul-searching dilemmas, sizzling romance, dangerous quests, unforeseen twists, and complex, intriguing characters.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Ace for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About LJ Andrews

LJ Andrews is a USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She mystically brings to life worlds of dark Nordic and Viking myths bound by conflicts that bring together impassioned heroes and heroines. In her non-author moments, she is courageously corralling her four children to the myriad of life activities that involves, along with spending time with her favorite hero, her husband. Add two high maintenance dogs and a sassy conure to the mix and that sums it up. LJ Andrews thrives spending time in the Rocky Mountains where she lives in Utah.

#BookReview Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #DaughtersOfShandong #EveJChung #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #DaughtersOfShandong #EveJChung #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Daughters of Shandong

Author: Eve J. Chung

Published by: Berkley on May 6, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.


Review:

Absorbing, poignant, and impactful!

Daughters of Shandong is a riveting tale that sweeps you into a country ravaged by internal conflict, oppression, economic instability, violence, and political upheaval, and a populace that’s confused, disappointed, angry, physically threatened, and struggling with self-identity, patriotism, and a lack of freedom and rights.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tormented, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, abandonment, tragedy, and perseverance.

Overall, Daughters of Shandong is an inspiring, emotional, beautifully written tale by Chung inspired by real-life familial events that reminds us that survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, loss, and beyond all else, unimaginable sacrifice, strength, and courage.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Eve J. Chung

Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American human rights lawyer focusing on gender equality and women’s rights. She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and two dogs.