March 2026 EOM Wrap Up

I read 10 books (not including children's books).
When Calls the Heart (Canadian West, # 1) by Janette Oke
Next Level Love by Shameez Patel
Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West
A Bewildered Bachelor (A Gentleman's Gamble, # 5) by HolliJo Monroe
Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, # 4) by Rebecca Yarros (re-read)
The Beginning (The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls, # 1) by MJ Thomas
I Am Devotional: 100 Devotions About the Names of God by Diane Stortz
Embrace (Off the Ice, # 4) by Bal Khabra
An Honorable Love (A Gentleman's Gamble, # 6) by Audra Wells
Seek the Traitor's Son (The Burning Empire, # 1) by Veronica Roth

I have reviewed 4 books (not including mini reviews of children's books).
A Love Most Daring (Bow Street, # 3) by Joanna Barker
Next Level Love by Shameez Patel
The Duke's Sacred Vow (Brides of the Regency, # 1) by Isabel Jacobs
Firebird (The Fire that Binds, # 1) by Juliette Cross
Empire of Flame and Thorns (Flame and Thorns, # 1) by Marion Blackwood

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 03/01/26
Sunday Post - 03/08/26
Sunday Post - 03/15/26
Sunday Post - 03/22/26
Top Ten Books with Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers
Top Ten Green Book Covers
Top Ten Spring 2026 TBR List
Can't Wait for A Love Once Lost (The Bridwells' Grand Tour, # 1)) by Jennie Goutet
Can't Wait for A Most Unfortunate Happenstance (Supposed Scandal, # 6) by Esther Hatch
Can't Wait for Ruling Out Robyn (Men of the Isles, # 3) by Deborah M. Hathaway
Can't Wait for No Match Found by Martha Keyes
Homeschool Friday - The Great Toy Escape
Homeschool Friday - Mater's Birthday Surprise
Homeschool Firday - Lucky Goes to School

Goals:
I'm a few days ahead on my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 46 out of 110 books (including children's books).

Empire of Flame and Thorns - Review

Empire of Flame and Thorns (Flame and Thorns, # 1)

By: Marion Blackwood

Publication: October 21, 2024 by Black Dagger Publishing

366 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Fae, Romantasy

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--A fae rebel. A ruthless dragon commander.

And a deadly trial that will turn their lives upside down.

Trapped in the Seelie Court by a forest of thorns, Selena Hale lives at the mercy of the dragon shifters. Her only chance to gain her freedom is by entering the Atonement Trials: a deadly competition that pits fae magic users against each other. Only three people can win, and Selena intends to be one of them.

There is only one problem. Draven Ryat, the ruthless commander of the dragon shifter army, is determined to make her lose.

He symbolizes everything that she hates, and if he finds out that she is also a member of the secret fae rebellion, he will not only mess with her chances to win, he will kill her. But the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him.

And nothing is more dangerous in a lethal trial than a distracted heart.

Especially one that beats for the enemy…

I know that not all main characters are going to be like me. But I always try to see myself in the characters. Or at the very least understand the character's actions. Selena is very different from me. And her decisions are very different from ones I would make. Selena is a fae that's roughly 160ish years old. In this world the fae who were once the ruling class have become subservient to the dragon shifters. The fae in Selena's city are assigned jobs and are alloted one meal per day. Selena is working for the rebellion, but she's never trusted with much outside of guard duty or lookout. Selena has emotion magic which means she can manipulate what people feel, not by creating emotion, but basically by turning up or down what they already feel. This can't be done without people knowing for the most part as when a fae uses their power, their eyes glow. Yet people continually accuse Selena of manipulating their emotions. She isn't trusted by nearly everyone. And that leaves her with a desire to connect to others. She ends up trying to be a people pleaser for the most part. She even has a non-existent relationship with her parents because she couldn't control her power when she was younger, and they blame her for the rifts in their marriage where they can't trust their own emotions.

Selena decides that joining the Attonrment Trials will be the only way to prove her worth to the rebellion and earn their trust. The Attonment Trials are a set of trials/games that have three winners each year which are finally allowed to leave their home city to travel to other cities and anywhere they want. Basically they earn their freedom. I have a lot of questions about this because the Emporer and Emperess seem to have a lot more land and cities to rule over, why is it only this city that has the Attonment Trials? Is this where all the fae of the entire realm live? Also, how is there a forest under a forest? But that's a side note for another paragraph. I had questions that I wondered why these didn't occur to the characters, but you know...that would ruin the plot.

So then there's Draven. He is a dragon shifter from the Black Dragon clan. He's the leader of the clan, and the commander of the forces. He stumbles upon the rebellion meeting that Selena is a lookout for, Selena tries to distract him so the leaders of the rebellion can escape, and she throws a drink in Draven's face. He goes after her and of course recognizes her as one of the contestants of the Attonment Trials. He actively works to sabotage her. And he's attracted to her smart mouth and how she tends to treat him differently from how she treats everyone else. She doesn't like him so she doesn't care what he thinks about her, and therefore, she tends to think and speak however she wants without care of how he will receive it. The two have many interactions and I appreciate that the characters only "like" each other, not love each other by the end of the book. Because even though they do have enough interactions to create a like they have not have enough interactions of substance to create love. Obviously, there is more to Draven than we've seen up to this point. I am curious about what more there is to his story and his limitations.

There are on-page physical scenes that I prefer to skim. That's not why I read books. Language was also high. The world seems to have religious "gods" that are referenced, but we know nothing about them except references to one of their body parts in a derogitory fashion. All of these things are drawbacks for me. But not dealbreakers necessarily.

Favorite quotes:

-I still remember the vicious smugness in my teacher's voice as he told us that this is what we deserve. That it is our turn to live in poverty. To live as slaves. Our turn to suffer so that we might pay for our ancestors' crimes.

This is so stupid. How can an entire society go along with doing to others what was done to them? This isn't "fair", if that's what is trying to be portrayed. I can tell the author and the character doesn't agree, but it's also just stupid that this is the backstory.

-But I don't. Because no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I still desperately want people to like me. I want them to trust me. I want to be accepted. So I force a smile and pick up my plate and say, "Sure." Pain and frustration swirl like a restless storm behind my rib cage as I walk away with my plate. I hate that I am this way. I hate that I desperately want people's approval. I hate that I make myself less so that others won't feel uncomfortable around me.

Oh my goodness. I can understand...intellectually...how someone might feel this way. I think I might even know one or two people personally who feel this way. But it frustrates me to no end. Trying to get people to like you by not being truthful isn't helping those people to like you at all. I'm trying not to judge her too harshly. I'm trying to enter the stage of life where I love people where they are...characters in books as well. But since this is fiction, I don't have to read characters like this. But thankfully, this goes to further the plot between Selena and Draven that she doesn't act like this with him.

-Being slim and being fit are not the same thing.

I read Empire of Flame and Thorns quickly. I found most of the issue with the main character's decision making, and the things being used to build a relationship between the main characters. But I wasn't expecting too much, so the book exceeded my expectations. And my desire to keep reading and ability to do so in the moment helped my overall enjoyment of the book. I am giving Empire of Flame and Thorns a tentative 4 Stars. Have you read Empire and Flame and Thorns? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 03/29/26

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 week was our public school's spring break. I originally planned for us to take this week off school, but we had the flu a couple of weeks ago and didn't get much done, and we're going on a trip next month that will have us gone for a week. So I decided that we would push through and do school this week. It was still a slightly lighter week for us because we didn't have any baseball or softball games. So Monday was a normal day. Tuesday, the kids had hair appointments. I rarely take all three at one time to get cuts, but that's just how it worked out this week. Then we went to my parents' house. We got groceries on the way home. Tuesday night the Big Kids had martial arts. Belt testing is coming up this week so I'm looking forward to pausing for a month to just focus on baseball and softball. Wednesday was another normal day. Big Girl did have pitching lessons. Those were a little emotional. It's hard to explain why even when she throws a strike she might still get corrections on her form. It's necessary, and that's what lessons are for. Thursday, I had a hair appointment so the kids went to my mother-in-law's house. Then we had a friend's birthday party and Easter egg hunt we went to. And then the Big Kids had martial arts again. Friday, Big Boy had a doctor's appointment to have a wart frozen off his toe. He hasn't been handling the over the counter medicine well. Having it frozen off was more painful, but hopefully it is a one time thing versus daily treatments. I grabbed Chickfila on the way home for lunch. Saturday, I spent the day cleaning the pool again. I got all the leaves out from the winter last week, but the oak blooms have been falling now, and cleaning the pool is a weakly event when our robot cleaner isn't working.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Firebird (The Fire that Binds, # 1) by Juliette Cross (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Spring 2026 TBR List
Wednesday: Can't Wait for No Match Found by Martha Keyes
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Lucky Goes to School

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Reivew of Firebird (Fire that Binds, # 1) by Juliette Cross
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Lucky Goes to School

NEW BOOKS:

Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology, # 1)

By: Maggie Rapier

Publication: July 8, 2025 by Ace

451 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Pirates

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--Every legend has a beginning.

With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.

Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she's managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.

Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she'll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse.

On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.

But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he'll have to marry her first.

Wolftamer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology, # 2)

By: Maggie Rapier

Expected Publication: August 25, 2026 by Ace

448 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Pirates

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--Legends don't die.

Saoirse and Foalan's quest for freedom turns into a battle for the fate of their entire world, in this aching and lush conclusion to the Magpie and the Wolf duology.

Faolan has escaped death. Twice.

After a lifetime chasing freedom and legends, he was finally on the brink of becoming one himself when it all went up in flames. Stranded on the Isle of Lost Souls, bound by an oath he did not make, Faolan is plagued by dreams of drowning and a past he swore never to revisit. The pirate in him wants nothing more than to raise hell and run away—but with no ship, and no way to untether his wife, Saoirse, from the land she’s pledged herself to, Faolan is trapped.

And everyone knows who tamed the Wolf.

When their sinister rival King Maccus unveils an ancient godly relic—one with the power to unbalance their entire world—Faolan knows the game has changed. There’s only one person who can hunt down the missing relics before Maccus can, and the Wolf of the Wild will do anything to protect his wife.

Even if that means leaving her behind.

The Matchmaker's Cottage

By: Kat Sloane

Expected Publication: August 11, 2026 by Berkley

400 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--A cozy fall romance wrapped in small-town charm reunites the owner of a bed-and-breakfast with her childhood sweetheart for a celebrity matchmaking scheme which has them both seeing stars.

Julia Schaeffer might run the most romantic little bed-and-breakfast in Upstate New York, but as far as that infuriating Ethan Duchamp is concerned, this older, wiser Julia has a strict “no vacancy” policy. Sure, she’s teetering on the edge of a financial cliff, and his half-baked plan to pair up his celebrity clients at her inn will undoubtedly be good for business…but how much forced proximity with the man who abandoned her is she supposed to take?

Ethan needs this to work. The dreamy, autumnal—and blissfully secluded—cottage from his childhood summers is the ideal setting for playing matchmaker to Hollywood’s next power couple. It’s the only way to save his PR career from the tabloid toilet. He knew that the inn and Julia’s warm, comforting homemade touch would inspire real feelings—he just didn’t expect them to be his. Again.

But as old wounds reopen, and their connection rekindles, Julia and Ethan are forced to confront the truths they’ve both tried to bury. In a town where nothing stays hidden for long, they’ll have to decide if they can rebuild what was lost—or if their second chance will be derailed by scars that have yet to heal.

Wild Reverence

By: Rebecca Ross

Publication: September 2, 2025 by Saturday Books

527 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

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--Dear Matilda, I wrote.
I let the words flow for her.
And when the ink dried,
I gave my very heart
to the fire.

Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic she uses to carry words and letters through the realms. But the gods will kill for power, and Matilda holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest allies.

And there is a mortal who dreams of her, though they have never met in the waking world. Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life—begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. His request went unanswered, and Vincent became a hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda . . . until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

Matilda and Vincent were fated to find each other beyond dreams. But to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, Matilda will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: finally allowing herself to be loved.

Lost and Found

By: Tarah DeWitt

Publication: July 14, 2026 by St. Martin's Griffin

336 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--A stunning novel of romance and redemption set in the Spunes, OR world, filled with heartbreak and hope from "master of emotion" (Rachel Lynn Solomon) USA Today bestselling author Tarah DeWitt.

Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she’d have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend’s eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea’s world is a sea of changes.

When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable.

At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past—one that will lead to a love that can withstand all the slings and arrows, joys and triumphs, that life can throw.

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!

Homeschool Friday - Lucky Goes to School

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

Lucky Goes to School

By: Gail Herman

Illustrated By: Norman Gorbaty

Publication: July 9, 2001 by Penguin Young Readers

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2

Source: 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--When Lucky's owner goes to school, where will Lucky go? Who will he meet? Find out in this fun-filled Level 2 reader.

Lucky Goes to School is one of our Level-2 readers. This one was given to us and not one that I bought. Lucky wakes up one morning, and his boy has to go off to school. Lucky is worried he will be bored all day without his boy. He walks his boy to school and meets many other dogs. They go to the park and play together, doing various doggie things. And then it's time to go back and pick up Lucky's boy. Then they go home happy because tomorrow is another day of school.

Sometimes as a homeschool mom, I'm sad when books build up typical school. Of course, these books are written for the kids that are going to traditional school rather than homeschooled kids. I think it can make my children feel like they're missing out. But that's life. Someone is always missing out on an experience. Traditionally schooled kids are missing out on the homeschool experience. It's opportunity costs. But I've dived off into the weeds on this one.

My son read this book just fine. I don't think there were any words he struggled with. He didn't dread reading it, but he wasn't excited about it either. There wasn't a specific moral for him to take away, either. Lucky Goes to School! gets 3 Stars. Have you or your child read Lucky Goes to School? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for No Match Found

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.

No Match Found

By: Martha Keyes

Expected Publication: June 3, 2026

? 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--She built the perfect algorithm for love, but it didn’t predict him.

Vivian Hale has spent her adult life proving that love isn’t luck—it’s data. As the CEO of Matchify, the world’s most advanced matchmaking app, she’s built an empire on the science of compatibility. Love isn’t about fate; it’s about probability.

Grant Wilder doesn’t believe in perfect matches. The investigative journalist has spent his career exposing scams, and Matchify is next on his list. People want to believe love can be calculated, but he knows better. His instincts have never failed him—except, maybe, when it comes to Vivian.

She trusts the numbers. He trusts his gut. And the more they clash, the more undeniable their chemistry becomes. But according to Matchify’s algorithm, they’re completely incompatible. And numbers don’t lie… right?

No Match Found is a closed-door romantic comedy full of wit, office antics, and toe-curling romance.

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

Top Ten Spring 2026 TBR List

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 Spring 2026 TBR List

1. The Folklore of Forever (Moonville, # 2) by Sarah Hogle
2. Save Me (Maxton Hall, # 1) by Mona Kasten
3. The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
4. The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, # 2) by LJ Andrews
5. Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire, # 1) by Cliodhna O'Sullivan
6. A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly
7. The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas, # 3) by LJ Andrews
8. Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young
9. Gilded in Vengence by Lyssa Mia Smith
10. First and Forever by Lynn Painter

This is getting embarrassing! Eight out of these ten books were on my Fall 2025 & Winter 2025 TBR list. Which books are you hoping to read this spring? Does anyone else use these seasonal top ten lists more for the books you should be reading and less for the books you will actually read during this season? Let me know!

Firebird - Review

Firebird (The Fire That Binds, # 1)

By: Juliette Cross

Publication: April 8, 2025 by Bramble

400 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

Source: Personal Kindle 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--A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.

Malina has grown up with her grandmother telling her that she and her sisters will be powerful, magical. And that they will each be instrumental in saving many from the evils that befall them. Out of the four sisters, Malina is the one who first taps into her magical ability. She is an empath. She can feel the emotions of others. One day, as she and her sisters are performing a dance with their traveling troupe, she locks eyes with a dragon shifter, a Roman. He tosses her a coin and then follows her when she flees. They have a short conversation. Neither learn the other's name. But they definitely have some sort of instant connection. Later, Malina's village is attacked by Romans, and her father tells her to run. She does so, not knowing what happened to the rest of her family. She is sure that her father is killed because her tether to his emotions snaps. She finds a village of Celts that takes her in. And over the years, she uses her gift against the Romans to protect the Celts. Eventually, even that group was conquered by the Romans.

On the battlefield, word of soldiers under his command attempting to attack the captured witch, who is rumored to have helped the Celts thwart the Romans, comes to Julian. He goes to stop them and realizes the woman they are trying to attack is none other than the woman he once encountered who locked eyes with him during a dance with her sisters many years ago. His dragon takes over, and he carries her away to his home in Rome. Malina is wary of Julian. Despite still feeling their connection from the past, she doesn't want to be anyone's slave. Yet Julian, being nephew to the evil emperor Inniculus, cannot take a human as a wife. It doesn't help that Julian and a select group of others are slowly making plans to dethrone Inniculus. But they can't just cut the head off the snake, because many others would be willing to step into his absence and resume the Roman rule as it is. Julian needs to be ready to take out all of those major players who would be his uncle's allies at the same time.

Matters aren't helped at all, that Ciprian is determined to bring Julian down on his rise to the emperor's favored side. Julian has to earn Malina's trust, but seeing the other "slaves" in his household, spending many hours talking with him, and hearing of his plan for Rome, wins her over slowly. Of course, her empathic gift can easily tell her Julian's emotions which does help to boost her confidence in him.

Favorite quotes:

-"I have no reason to injure you." "You might do it all the same."

-"I care not what they say, for what I feel is all my own. Not forced or given to me by the fates or anyone else. It comes from my own soul."

I had some issues with Firebird. The first one was how it made any sense at all for Julian to take Maline to the warcamp with him. If he's worried about the rumors going around of his attachment to her, surely taking her with him when he's never taken a woman before makes no sense. Thankfully, this wasn't really used as a means of causing damage to their relationship. Only the opposite. But it still didn't make sense to me. Also, the spice was skippable. I don't read for that. I enjoy good plots that don't need spice. I don't skip a book because it is included a lot of times, because I can just skip over it. And you know if there's spice, there is cursing as well. Sometimes the endearments felt out of place given the context, culture, and history of the characters. I don't know. I just found that sometimes these things pulled me out of the story, which isn't a good thing.

Firebird did hook my attention, which was much needed as I kept starting and putting down books without making it very far. Malina and Julian's instant connection was a draw for me. Sometimes, mates and magical soulmates can be off-putting, but I enjoyed it this time. I was thinking the entire series would follow Malina and Julian, but book 2, Bloodsinger, follows Malina's sister, Lela. I can always do without spice and language, but it wasn't a big deal to skip those. Firebird gets 4 Stars. Have you read Firebird? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 03/22/26

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 day. Ball games got rained out, and I was glad because the temperature dropped to the 30s here. The Big Kids went to martial arts. Thankfully, we finally have a belt testing date. Tuesday, we went to my parent's house. Then we did grocery pickup. Big Girl and Big Boy had their first ball games. Big Boy played on the pitcher's mound. He's in his last year of coach pitch. He got a couple of outs. His first three at bats, he hit directly to someone and was thrown out at first. His last at bat he hit a home run. His team won in OT 18-16. Big Girl had her first time pitching in a game. She did better than I was expecting. She struck one batter out. She did hit two batters, but she had a lot of wild pitches as well. They lost. I don't even know the score. Wednesday was a normal day, except we switched pitching practice from Mondays to Wednesdays now that games have started. I showed her coach a video from her game, and we were able to pinpoint one issue she was having. Thursday, the Big Kids had their homeschool nature class. I worked with Little Boy one on one a little. Then we went to the park with friends after nature class. Little Boy had a game Thursday night. His team won 12-10. He hit twice and had two balls come to him in left field. Friday, Little Boy had an ice cream party at his school. We had a normal school day. And then I had to work the concession stand, and the Big Kids had games again. Big Boy's team lost 12-16. He got a couple of outs again, but still didn't hit the best. Always hitting directly to someone to throw him out. Big Girl did so much better pitching in her second game. She struck out two batters in the first inning (one of which was the lead off batter). And then she struck out three in the 2nd inning (not quite 3 up and 3 down, but I'm still really proud). She did hit three. But she didn't have nearly as many wild pitches. And I was so proud of her. She also got a triple at bat. Coach ended up switching our pitchers for the third inning, and we ended up losing 9-11. Saturday, I spent most of the day cleaning our pool from the leaves that settled over the winter. It was a lengthy process, but I'm thankful it's done. The kids actually got in, but of course, it's too cold for them to stay in long. I won't be caught in the pool until the end of May at the earliest.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of The Duke's Sacred Vow (Brides of the Regency, # 1) by Isabel Jacobs (4.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Green Book Covers
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Ruling Out Robyn (Men of the Isles, # 3) by Deborah M. Hathaway
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Mater's Birthday Suprise

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Reivew of Firebird (Fire that Binds, # 1) by Juliette Cross
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Lucky Goes to School

NEW BOOKS:

Embrace (Off the Ice, # 4)

By: Bal Khabra

Publication: August 4, 2026 by Berkley

400 pages

Genre: Adult, Romance, Sports

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--An unexpected spark between a hockey player and the coach’s daughter might cause them to cross the line in the next Dalton University book from international bestselling author Bal Khabra.

Kian Ishida is all about parties, hockey, and living in the moment. But when he realizes he’s headed to the NHL without his degree, his late dad’s one wish for him, he’s determined to make up those last few credits. Desperate for help, he joins a study group led by none other than Scarlett Kilner. She’s as gorgeous as she is smart. Too bad he doesn’t know yet that she’s his coach’s daughter.

After making a reputation for herself, all Scarlett wants for her senior year is to prove she’s more than her mistakes and graduate without tarnishing her well-respected father’s name. But when Kian Ishida, one of her dad’s star hockey players, joins her study group, things get complicated.

As Scarlett helps Kian, their study sessions turn into something more—stolen glances, lingering touches, and a connection neither of them expected. Kian has to decide what’s more the dream he’s worked for his whole life or the girl he never saw coming.

An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen's Gamble, # ?)

By: Audra Wells

Expected Publication: March 19, 2026

244 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle 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--One grump. One thief. One highly-questionable adventure.

Leonard Stanton has perfected the art of being alone. He keeps to the edges of ballrooms, and society, whenever possible. But when a priceless family heirloom is stolen off his very person, he finds himself dragged into the one thing he hates most—a social entanglement.

Enter Miss Honora Gillingham. Vexingly cheerful, utterly unpredictable, and the last person Leonard should trust. Mostly because . . . she’s the one who stole from him.

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!

Homeschool Friday - Mater's Birthday Surprise

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

Mater's Birthday Suprirse

By: Melissa Lagonegro

Publication: January 10, 2012 by RH/Disney

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2

Source: 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--Mater thinks all his friends in Radiator Springs have forgotten his birthday—until they throw him the best surprise party ever! This Step 2 reader starring Lightning McQueen, Mater, and the rest of the cars from Disney/Pixar Cars and Cars 2 will make a perfect birthday gift for children ages 4 to 6. Step 2 readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. For children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help.

Finding books that my child wants to read isn't always easy. We have a stack of early readers that was passed down to us from friends, and then we have ones that I've purchased as well. Our copy of this book has seen better days. A dog has chewed on it. Someone's taken scissors to several of the pages. Yet, this book is one that my child enjoyed reading more than many of the others he's read recently.

The characters from Disney's Cars are getting together to plan a surprise birthday party for Mater. However, Mater is hiding on almost every page peeping things out and spoiling the surprise. All of the aspects of a birthday party are present, and Mater is observing them all. My son had a great time spotting Mater on each page. There were some challenging words, as several of the characters' names were difficult.

Sometimes, entertaining wins out over a deep or beautiful moral to a story in the eyes of a seven-year-old boy. Mater's Birthday Surprise gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Mater's Birthday Surprise? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Ruling Out Robyn

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.

Ruling Out Robyn (Men of the Isles, # 3)

By: Deborah M. Hathaway

Expected Publication: April 10, 2026 by Draft Horse Publishing

? 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--Robyn Lane is sunshine embodied. Or so her fans call her. She really has it all—loving parents, protective older brothers, unfailing optimism, and millions of subscribers on YouTube. She also has a dream job that is about to become even dreamier.

Having fallen into the unpredictable world of crowdfunding, Robyn has found her calling in life by filming herself partaking in whatever her millions of fans wish her to do, whether that be skydiving, attempting to repair a 1933 Ford Roaster, or auditioning for every singing competition in America—all without being a singer.

And now? Well, now, she’s about to pack up all her belongings and live out an entire year on a dilapidated sheep farm in Snowdonia, Wales to see if she can revive the farm from the ground up. Does she know one thing about sheep or farming? Not even a lick. Is she even aware if Snowdonia is a real place? Well, she is now, thanks to Google. (It is real, BTW.) But she’s not concerned. She’s thrilled. Everything is going to be amazing. It always is for her.

And yet, running the farm is nothing like she expects. She finds herself falling short in every way—including fitting in with the locals, particularly with her neighbor on the adjoining sheep the surly, impatient, and insanely attractive Cedric Davies. Apparently, the guy used to be some famous soccer—oh, sorry, football—player for England, but after an injury, he chose live out the remainder of his days on this rainy, windy land like some crazy recluse. A recluse who isn’t afraid to express his disapproval with her filming her life from sun-up to sun-down.

Robyn can handle anything life throws at her—even this frigid sheep farm. And yet, when Cedric’s wind-tossed hair and scruff-covered jawline become more appealing than anything else, including her job…she isn’t sure what she can handle anymore.

This is the third book in the clean and sweet romcom Men of the Isles series by Deborah M. Hathaway. Although this dual POV, grumpy/sunshine, sports, and celebrity romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order as minor spoilers are given about previous characters.

Don't miss the other novels in this series!

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

Top Ten Green Book Covers

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 Green Book Covers

1. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, # 3) by Sarah J Maas
2. Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
3. The Gentleman's Confession (Matchmaking Mamas, # 3) by Anneka R Walker
4. A Whimsical Notion by Jennie Goutet
5. Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent
6. Rule of the Aurora King (Artefacts of Ouranos, # 2) by Nisha J Tuli
7. Sir Andrew and the Authoress (Clairvoir Castle Romances, # 3) by Sally Britton
8. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson, # 4) by Darynda Jones
9. Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, # 3) by Helen Scheuerer
10. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Harry Potter, # 6) by JK Rowling

Which books have you read that feature green book covers? Let me know!