Sunday Post - 10/12/25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This past week and this coming week are all focused on house cleaning to prepare for Big Girl's birthday party this coming weekend. Of course, she didn't go to pitching practice Monday with her broken toe. Although her coach says there are plenty of drills she can do with one leg. Went spent the day with my parents on Tuesday. Big Boy went with my dad get get some supplies for a project they are working on together. I did my grocery pickup. Big Boy did go to martial arts Tuesday night. Wednesday, Little Boy told me he had a sore throat. So I went on radar looking out for other sickness symptoms. Big Boy had batting practice. Thursday, we went to the park with some friends from our co-op. The weather was wonderful. It was cloudy and breezy. Not hot but not cold. Big Boy went to martial arts again. Big Girl has been working with her grandmother on baking her birthday cake for the party. Friday was Husband's birthday. We did a little presents first thing in the morning. He bought his own present a week or so ago so this was just a little something small for him to open on his birthday. Little Boy was coughing, but I sent him off to school. It's just hard to know if it's nothing or going to turn into something bigger when it first starts. Friday night, we had a family celebration on my side to cover all of October birthdays (we have 5 on that side of the family this month...not including an Uncle that doesn't live nearby). Saturday was focused on house cleaning. I have a two week schedule that helps me feel confident that I'm hitting all of the spaces without missing anyhting.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: All Things Halloween Review - Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked # 1) by Kerri Maniscalco (2.5 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance, # 2) by Rebecca Robinson
Thursday: All Things Halloween Review - Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, # 1) by Rachel Schneider (4.5 Stars)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems
Saturday: All Things Halloween Review - A Scar in the Bone (A Fire in the Sky, # 2) by Sophie Jordan (3.5 Stars)

My annual "All Things Halloween" event is going on. This is my month-long event where I feature reviews from Halloween-y genres (fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, sci-fi, horror, mystery, thriller, and suspense). Over the last few years I've had mostly fantasy books as I just haven't been in the mood for much horror, but still...these are books that can get you in the mood for Halloween.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of Iron & Embers (The Ashes of Thezmarr, # 1) by Helen Scheuerer
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Thursday: All Things Halloween Review of Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, # 1) by Penn Cole
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Jack and the Lost Maze

NEW BOOKS:

Glass Sword (Red Queen, # 1)

By: Victoria Aveyard

Publication: February 9, 2016 by HarperTeen

444 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - A Scar in the Bone

A Scar in the Bone (A Fire in the Sky, # 2)

By: Sophie Jordan

Expected Publication: October 14, 2025 by Avon

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dragons

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--MAGIC AWAKENS.

DARKNESS SWELLS.

AND A HERO RISES.

It’s been a year since Tamsyn transformed from the enemy in Fell’s bed to the wife he sacrificed himself to save. From an ordinary girl to Penterra’s best hope to keep magic from disappearing forever.

With Fell torn from her side in the dangerous swirling mists of the Crags, Tamsyn is alone among the dragon pride. An outsider learning to survive in her new home, she trains until her muscles burn and her blood spills. And slowly, a warrior emerges.

But is Fell truly beyond Tamsyn’s reach? Their bond pulls at her, as does the fierce drive to protect both humans and dragonkind from a relentless enemy determined to destroy her – and all magic.

Magic stirs in the darkness, strengthening all who believe in it. But will it be enough to save the pride, the kingdom, and a love fated to endure for centuries?

In this explosive sequel to the Sunday Times bestselling A Fire in the Sky, the fate of magic rests on one warrior’s shoulders – but it could cost her everything …

🔥Fated mates

🔥Magic, dragons, and witches

🔥Spice

I don't want to spoil anything. Let's just discuss where A Fire in the Sky left off. Tamsyn had just revealed her dragon form to Stig when he freaked out, and Fell had to step in to save her. In doing so, they discover that he's a dragon also. The two fly off, and if I remember correctly, have a brief fight with skelm dragons. They find their way to a cave in the Crags, and all of a sudden a group shows up with a man claiming to be Fell's brother. A Scar in the Bone starts with Fell and Vetr's mother's perspective when she dies. Then it switches to Tamsyn, and the reader is quite confused because Fell is not with her. It almost seems as if the reader is supposed to understand why. I think this is a poor writing trick. It just caused me to stop reading and have to go back searching through the end of the previous book to make sure I'd missed something. And any time I'm pulled out of a story that much is not a good thing.

Tamsyn and Fell are separated, and for all she knows, he's dead. I only reveal this because pretty much that is revealed in the book description. Tamsyn is alone in the dragon pride. She has to learn to survive. She's told the bond will fade with time, but it's been over a year and Tamsyn still feels his presence. She regularly questions if he's still alive, but it repeatedly told it isn't possible.

I was almost as frustrated as Tamsyn. Dragon terms were used as if the reader is aware of the definition of those terms. This is so annoying. I get that the pride had trouble accepting Tamsyn as one of them since she was raised by humans, but then Tamsyn (or Sophie Jordan) treats the reader in the same manner as Tamsyn and doesn't define some of these terms that are being thrown around. It's a lot annoying.

Who we are rooting for and who we are rooting against isn't quite clear-cut in this book. Obviously, we're rooting for Fell and Tamsyn, but are we rooting against Vetr and the other members of the pride? Are they evil or do they simple misunderstand the humans as much as the humans misunderstand them? Obviously, Stig has crossed into evil territory. I get that he was obsessed with finding Tamsyn and destroying her. He too felt betrayed by her in a way. But his level of depravity felt at odds with his character in the previous book even though his father was a creepy dude. I suppose he was hiding his true nature is the gist of the message we're supposed to get. But it just felt jarring that he's transformed into evil overlord so completely. Especially, when Alise while not claiming to be happy didn't disparage him. How could she be so wholly blind to who he had become?

Where are things going from here? I'm not quite sure. I will say this book had almost no spice compared to the other book. I don't mind that myself. I don't need spice and have a lower tolerance for it than most. I find it odd given it is advertised in the description though.

I only highlighted one quote where an agenda that doesn't make sense was included. I only mention this vaguely because it didn't fit with the story (given the need for "breeders"). It's one of those woke agenda things. And again, I'm being vague on purpose because Amazon will flag me for being specific.

A Scar in the Bone was decent. I wasn't blown away. I didn't have the issues with story pacing that I had in the first book since I knew this was part of a series. But I did have issues with the lack of information being shared or the way information was being shared. It's also hard to know who exactly we're rooting against and who we're rooting for with some characters. A Scar in the Bone still gets 3.5 Stars from me since it wasn't without issues. I want more romance in the next book (doesn't have to equal to spice, but togetherness...relationship). Have you read A Scar in the Bone? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Homeschool Friday - I Really Like Slop

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

I Really Like Slop (Elephant & Piggie, # 24)

By: Mo Willems

Publication: October 27, 2015 by Hyperion Books for Children

64 pages

Genre: Children, Picture Book, Humor, Level-1

Source: Own/Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In I Really Like Slop!, Piggie invites Gerald to try her favorite food . . . slop. But Gerald is not so sure he's going to like it. At all.

I Really Like Slop is the fifth and final Elephant and Piggie story included in Biggie 1 even though Goodreads lists it as # 24 in the series. Elephant and Piggie books are books that my seven-year-old wants to read. They are lengthy books (64 pages) for this reading level. I love this. Most pages only have a sentence or two at most, so my son doesn't feel overwhelmed and can read through the books quickly. These are all AR Level 1 (a couple of them are 0.5 and 0.6) so the words aren't complex or difficult.

Piggie is about to eat the slop he's just made. Gerald is traumatized. Piggie tries to educate Gerald on slop, but Gerald's rejection makes Piggie sad. Gerald decides to try it. No surprise, he doesn't like it. All of the Elephant and Piggie books have some kind of sweet moment which I appreciate.

The illustrations for I Really Like Slop make the story and bring the words to life. Any book that can get my son to enjoy any part of the reading process is a win for me. I Really Like Slop gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read I Really Like Slop? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Metal Slinger

Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, # 1)

By: Rachel Schneider

Publication: May 12, 2024

497 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Source: Borrowed from e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Brynn has spent the better part of her life waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta, the very same people who exiled the Alaha to live a life over the sea. A rite of passage for all young guards, she’s not sure what to expect from it, but breaking a century- long peace treaty certainly isn’t on her map.

Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.

Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.

When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything…

…including her heart.

What in the world can I say about this book? Honestly, I saw Metal Slinger recommended by someone, and she said not to even read the description because you don't want anything to be spoiled. And I can Honestly say that's exactly what I did. I don't think I have ever spent money on a book that I knew nothing about. I do see the merits of going into a book like this blind, but I don't think knowing a little about the book will spoil things too much.

Brynn is the main character in this book. She lives in an outcast society known as Ahala which is based in the middle of the water. I pictured a massive oil rig type situation. But trees are also mentioned so I haven't fully figured out how that was possible. Brynn, her best friends, Kai and Messer, along with an acquaintance, Aurora, are nearing their first time being allowed on land at the market in Kenta. They are only allowed on land once a year, I believe. They have a tentative peace with Kenta.

Kai is a year older or at least ahead in the guards. He is also the son of the captain and chief of Alaha. And he's interested in Brynn, hoping to marry her.

Messer is the best swordsman of them all. He's a jokester and philander.

We don't know too much about Aurora. She and Brynn don't exactly get along yet they seem to be friends enough. On the same side so to speak. I have a feeling we will see much more of her in book 2.

There’s an incident where a soldier of Kenta zeroes in on Brynn at the market. He basically stalks her. She does her best to lose him in the crowd while not drawing attention. And in the end, he accuses her of thievery. My guess is he hopes to detain her. Unfortunately for him, her friends aren't about to let that happen. This is probably all I can say at this point. Nothing is as it seems.

Oh boy do I want to say more. It didn't take too long for me to be hooked, probably by the 16% mark. I read about 50% of Metal Slinger in one day and then I stayed awake until 12:30 am the next day to read and stopped at 97%. The cliffhanger I just did not see coming and literally came out of nowhere. I woke up and finished that last 3% before even leaving my bedroom for the day.

I do want to note that I was surprised (and pleased) with how little cursing was included in this book. Proof that you just don't need to include it for the book to be good. In a similar vein, there was only one and a half or two scenes of the spicy variety. Innuendo and such was scattered throughout, but nothing too excessive. Again, I was pleasantly surprised.

Metal Slinger was such a pleasant surprise. The initial world-building of Alaha was so unique. The rest of the world was still interesting but not quite as unique. The characters were so easy to connect with and root for. And then that cliffhanger was massive. I can't wait to get my hands on book 2, which is currently set to release in spring of 2026. I am only giving a 4 Star rating. I could see this potentially being a 4.5 Star book depending on how the 2nd book goes*. Have you read Metal Slinger? What did you think? Let me know!

*Does anyone else do that? Where book 1's rating might be influenced by later books in the series?

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Can't Wait for The Wicked and the Damned

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance Trilogy, # 2)

By: Rebecca Robinson

Expected Publication: February 24, 2026 by Solstice Books

416 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In the exhilarating second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, a fiery couple forced apart must navigate a deadly maze of politics and power to reunite across a continent at war.

Torn from her husband Reid’s arms and dragged back to her homeland in chains, Vaasa is no longer a ruler, but a political pawn. Now under the control of Ozik—a cunning Zetyr witch with a stranglehold on her magic—she faces annulment, forced betrothal, and a kingdom that no longer feels like her own. As Ozik’s machinations aim to install himself as the true power behind the Asteryan throne, Vaasa is forced to take part in his game.

Meanwhile, across the continent, Reid is done playing politics. But waging war is never simple, and a soldier’s fury cannot stand up against Icruria’s bureaucracy. With allies fading and time slipping away, Reid may have no choice but to infiltrate Asterya on his own to find the woman he loves and bring her home.

As Vaasa’s magic begins to flare, she desperately seeks control, even if Ozik is the only one who can offer it. She then finds a cryptic final message from her mother about a precious missing necklace that might just be the answer to finally freeing her magic from Ozik. Yet when a ghost from Vaasa’s past reemerges among the suitors vying for her hand, escape might be within reach—but will it demand a betrayal that real love may not survive?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Kingdom of the Wicked

Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, # 1)

By: Kerri Maniscalco

Publication: October 27, 2020 by Jimmy Patterson Books

372 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself...
And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked—princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

I'm going to start right off and say that I didn't like this book. I don't intend to read more of the series at this point. And I'm going to try to tell you why, but my thoughts are a bit jumbled.

Emelia and Vittoria are twins. They're witches. Supposedly good/light witches. To be honest, I haven't read many (any?) witch books that really worked for me. But I thought I would give it a try. Their grandmother has always told them stories about the princes of Hell in an attempt to warn them of their trickery and danger. But Emelia and Vittoria always thought their Nonna was telling them fairytales, fables, etc. Stories that wouldn't ever affect their lives. Until one day Vittoria is murdered. Emelia then seeks some dark methods in an attempt to discover who murdered her sister. She does a summoning spell for a demon that she found in Vittoria's hiding spot in their shared bedroom. Little did she know, she actually ended up binding the Prince of Wrath to her. They end up in an uneasy alliance as they both search for the murderer with different end goals.

As I said, I've never read a witch book that I actually ended up liking. The spells. The potions. The lore. All of it ends up bothering me. And there was a part of me that was just chilled when I started reading this book. I don't usually have problems with books that I can assign as completely fantasy, but when fantasy books use God or try to pull from real life religions I start to feel off about them. I don't even enjoy reading much Greek or Roman mythology based books. By the end of the book, I just felt like the author was trying to twist everything that might be expected to be good as bad and what might be expected to be bad is leading the reader and Emelia toward. It's hard to explain.

Perhaps my biggest frustration was Emelia as a character. She was so wishy washy. I pictured her running everywhere. Like a character on a video game. Like Link or Mario. They don't meander. When you play those characters, you make them run so you can get where you're going faster, but Emelia just seemed to be running everywhere. And she'd randomly change course in physical direction as well as emotional direction. It was jarring. And it felt like poor writing in my opinion. She'd be passionately pursuing one end goal and then randomly change course.

Also, Emelia was pretty blind. I like when authors can lead me to think I've figured out some secret plot point that I might actually be right about but also totally blindside me with something I didn't see coming. (I'm thinking about the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown.) But this didn't feel like that at all. The big plot twists weren't a surprise. I think one of them or both were supposed to be. But I just ended up feeling like the character was a dolt for not figuring out at least one of them, but both of the main twists were pretty obvious. It's hard to root for a character that isn't very smart.

The relationship building between Wrath and Emelia was also a little bit painful to watch considering where it was obvious the author wanted to go with this direction. I don't plan to read the other two books in this series, but I feel like I can already tell you point by point what I expect to happen with these two characters. Which is one of the main reasons why I won't be continuing the series. Sure, he had some moments where he wasn't a total DB, but that doesn't mean the two built any kind of true relationship or connection that was worth any weight.

And then another complaint I had is that Wrath has so much knowledge that Emelia doesn't have. She knows basically nothing. And so she spent the entire book asking questions and not getting any real answers or anything. He flat didn't even respond to many of her questions. I know that the pacing of revealing information to a character can be important for the story to progress in a specific manner, but Emelia spent the entire book not really knowing anything yet continually making assumptions and judgement calls and then she'd make some ridiculous stance on something knowing zero information. Of course, it's easy to play a character like that.

Language was minimal. I think the s-word was used twice and the d-word as well. That being said, there was also on-page kissing, but that was about it. No on-page spice or sexual content.

I don't have any quotes I care enough to share with you.

I kept read Kingdom of the Wicked hoping that it would redeem itself. And then I'd come far enough to want to see it through. I did consider DNFing it in the beginning, but after I moved past that point, I didn't really think about it again until maybe the 80% mark when I realized that things probably weren't going to turn around, but I stuck with it and finished it out. Kingdom of the Wicked gets 2.5 Stars. Have you read Kingdom of the Wicked? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Sunday Post - 10/05/25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was a normal school day. Big Girl had batting practice. Tuesday, we spent the day at my parent's house as normal. We got groceries. Big Kids had martial arts. Wednesday during on the kids' break from school, Big Girl injured her toe on the trampoline. Brother was chasing her and she caught her pinky toe on her right foot on the edge of the trampoline. She came in telling me that she thinks she broke it. It wasn't visibly displaced like last November when she broke her pinky toe on her left foot. It was visibly swollen and bruised already. I told her she's the only one who can determine had badly it is hurting. She said she didn't want to go to the doctor. I told her that we'd give it overnight and see how it felt in the morning. The closer we got to bedtime the more upset she got. I think it was anxiety. Her body was telling her that it was broken, but she was scared that she was going to have to miss out on all the fun things we do during October as a family. Specifically, we had a birthday party booked at the local trampoline park for her and her friends for her 10th birthday this year. Well, I called first thing Thursday morning to get an appointment, and sure enough, it is broken. She's in a post-op shoe for a month with no medical clearance to jump. So we had to go back to the drawing board for her birthday. We cancelled the trampoline party and will be having one at our house in two weeks. She was bummbed, but she's handled the disappointment well. While Big Boy went to martial arts, Big Girl, Little Boy, and I went to the trampoline park to pick up my refund for the deposit. Friday, we had a good school day. Saturday, we went to the pumpkin patch as a family. This is a tradition that we do every year. The weather was perfect. It was partly cloudy and windy. We even had a hint of fall in the air. Here in central Alabama, it doesn't get cool/cold until earliest late October usually, but more frequently late November. Today is the anniversary of getting our dog, Scout. In some ways it's hard to believe we've only had him for a year. In other ways, it's hard to believe he's already been with us this long.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Winterset (Summerhaven # 2) by Tiffany Odekirk (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Fall Covers from My TBR List
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West
Saturday: All Things Halloween Review - A Soul of Ash & Blood (3 Stars)

My annual "All Things Halloween" event is going on. This is my month-long event where I feature reviews from Halloween-y genres (fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, sci-fi, horror, mystery, thriller, and suspense). Over the last few years I've had mostly fantasy books as I just haven't been in the mood for much horror, but still...these are books that can get you in the mood for Halloween.

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked, # 1) by Kerri Maniscalco
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Thursday: All Things Halloween Review of Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, # 1) by Rachel Schneider
Friday: Homeschool Friday - I Really Like Slop
Saturday: All Things Halloween Review of A Scar in the Bone (A Fire in the Sky, # 2) by Sophie Jordan

NEW BOOKS:

Stranger Things Have Happened

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: April 14, 2026 by Saturday Books

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West's next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What [...] is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Better Than the Movies

By: Lynn Painter

Publication: May 4, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

356 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.

Variation

By: Rebecca Yarros

Publication: November 19, 2024 by Montlake

464 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library (was on sale this week)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - A Soul of Ash & Blood

A Soul of Ash and Blood (Ash and Blood, # 5)

By: Jennifer L Armentrout

Publication: July 18, 2023 by Blue Box Press

712 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Vampire, Werewolves

Source: Borrowed from e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--TA great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

I really waffled on whether or not to read A Soul of Ash and Bone. I'm over the retelling of a story from the opposite perspective for the most part. If a story needs two perspectives, then write it that way from the beginning. However, I decided to continue in this series, and read it because it is listed as a main book and not an in-between story. I will say that one event toward the ending makes it feel like you probably don't need to skip this book if you want to continue the series without being confused when book 6, The Primal of Blood and Bone, is released. However, maybe you could just search that spoiler if you don't want to relive the events of From Blood and Ash.

All of that being said, it's been over four years since I read From Blood and Ash, so I thought I wouldn't mind the refresher. I did like that Jennifer L Armentrout decided to have Casteel tell Poppy his version of the events for a purpose. You'd have to read this book to understand what I mean.

Upon my re-read, I felt like the language was much worse than the first book. This is probably because Casteel uses worse language than Poppy in general, but also Poppy was The Maiden at this point in the story and much more subdued than she is in the current books. The spicy scenes seemed even more spicy than before as well. Again, maybe from a male's perspective. And, I just have to say that the relationship between Casteel, Poppy, and Kieran is so weird. I feel like JLA forgot her audience. I know this series is rated for adults, yet it feels like you get invested and then thrown into a weird menage situation that you dreaded she might have been alluding to, but thought surely not. There are no specific menage scenes in A Soul of Ash and Blood, thank goodness, but there were enough weird comments. I just cannot fathom Casteel wanting to share his heartmate with someone else, even Kieran. It's just so weird. And I am still teetering on the idea of DNFing the series if this continues.

Another pet peeve of mine is that these characters keep evolving into greater and stronger, more powerful beings. Poppy has gone from The Maiden to half-Altantian, Princess to Queen, Goddess to Primal, and I'm probably forgetting some steps in between. Now Casteel has his own transformations that are taking place. I know this is a fantasy series, but this just seems so far beyond the realm of possibility. But I guess they have to keep getting stronger because they keep facing bigger and bigger villains as well. I just end up rolling my eyes every time some new level is unlocked.

In the end, I've found this series to be more and more disappointing as the books have gone by instead of getting better and better. I'm holding out hope for the *last book to be redeeming or at the very least, closure. In many ways, I feel like you could skip A Soul of Ash and Blood. it was okay, and I'd rate it 3 Stars. Maybe 3.5. Have you read A Soul of Ash and Blood? What did you think? Let me know!

*I wrote this review back in February 2025 to save for my "All Things Halloween" series. Since writing this review, Jennifer L Armentrout has announced that she will be splitting "book 6" into two books.

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Can't Wait for Stranger Things Have Happened

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Stranger Things Have Happened

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: April 14, 2026 by Saturday Books

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West's next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What [...] is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!