marginarchived
here for aching hearts, quiet yearning, and fictional slow burns ♡
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If Books Could Kill
Kate Eberle
A NOVEL LOVE STORY meets LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS in this rom-com following Roxie Mitchell, an adventure-loving romance reader who finds herself trapped in a meet-cute turned murderousWhen Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind—namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away.Except for one little That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist—but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So when her escape takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman, an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels, she decides that kidnapping a grown man is a small price to pay for her own survival. Together, Roxie and Grant navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur. They’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End—or maybe even Happily Ever After.
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marginarchived started reading...
2w
If Books Could Kill
Kate Eberle
A NOVEL LOVE STORY meets LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS in this rom-com following Roxie Mitchell, an adventure-loving romance reader who finds herself trapped in a meet-cute turned murderousWhen Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind—namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away.Except for one little That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist—but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So when her escape takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman, an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels, she decides that kidnapping a grown man is a small price to pay for her own survival. Together, Roxie and Grant navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur. They’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End—or maybe even Happily Ever After.
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marginarchived wrote a review...
2w
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A Kingdom of Wild and Power
J.F. Johns
Coming summer 2026
The gods are here.
And they want blood.
Mal Blackburn has uncovered truths that were buried for a lifetime; secrets that reshaped her past and shattered her future. Now crowned the God-Killer, she may be the keeper of the most dangerous secret of all. Beside her husband, Ash Acheron, she must learn to survive a world remade by gods and war and perhaps return to places she swore she would never see again.
Alina Acheron burns for revenge. With princess Mareena Noor, Kai Blackburn, and Dawn at her side, she might finally have the strength to claim it. But vengeance is never simple. Old grudges fester, secrets refuse to stay buried, and even the ghost of the one she loved may stand in her way.
Arden Briar and Ylva set out on a journey that will alter their fates forever, while princess Rio Hawthorne fights to save her people from the tightening grip of the witches.
Bryn Wynter searches for his younger brother, though the path ahead may cost him himself. And as the witches draw ever closer to their final battle, the world stands on the brink of ruin.
Blood will be spilt.
No one is safe.
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marginarchived started reading...
2w
A Kingdom of Wild and Power
J.F. Johns
Coming summer 2026
The gods are here.
And they want blood.
Mal Blackburn has uncovered truths that were buried for a lifetime; secrets that reshaped her past and shattered her future. Now crowned the God-Killer, she may be the keeper of the most dangerous secret of all. Beside her husband, Ash Acheron, she must learn to survive a world remade by gods and war and perhaps return to places she swore she would never see again.
Alina Acheron burns for revenge. With princess Mareena Noor, Kai Blackburn, and Dawn at her side, she might finally have the strength to claim it. But vengeance is never simple. Old grudges fester, secrets refuse to stay buried, and even the ghost of the one she loved may stand in her way.
Arden Briar and Ylva set out on a journey that will alter their fates forever, while princess Rio Hawthorne fights to save her people from the tightening grip of the witches.
Bryn Wynter searches for his younger brother, though the path ahead may cost him himself. And as the witches draw ever closer to their final battle, the world stands on the brink of ruin.
Blood will be spilt.
No one is safe.
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marginarchived wrote a review...
2w
☁️ Book: The Devoted by Catherine Cho ☾ Vibe / Mood: contemplative / atmospheric / slow-burning / emotionally heavy
Mini Thoughts: This was one of those books I appreciated more than I actually enjoyed — the writing is genuinely beautiful and the themes of identity, family and fate are handled with real care, but the pacing dragged and I never found myself truly invested or eager to pick it back up between sessions.
I also wanted so much more from the cultural side of things — a Korean family with deep ties to the Triads in Hong Kong is such rich, layered territory and the story only scratched the surface of what it could have been.
Optional Favorite Detail: ♡ Catherine Cho's prose — contemplative, thoughtful and genuinely lovely to read even when the pacing tested my patience
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marginarchived finished a book
2w
The Devoted: A Novel
Catherine Cho
In this emotionally transportive literary debut about family and fate, a young Korean woman whose father is a leader in an infamous crime organization becomes entrenched in the dangerous world she once sought to escape.Raised in Hong Kong by their Korean grandmother in a quiet village, Eunha and her brother Solomon live a sheltered life. Their father is a Dragon Head, a leader within the infamous criminal organization of the Triads. While their beloved grandmother does her best to shield the children from the constant hum of violence and fear that surrounds their father and his world, Eunha only has Solomon and their one permitted companion, a boy named Kai, for company. But as Eunha grows up and marries into a supposedly respectable Hong Kong family, the veneer of her careful life begins to crack. When her young son is kidnapped, she is cast into the city’s criminal underground and back into the orbit of Kai, now a Dragon Head himself. Will Eunha finally give in to the life she has strived so hard to rise above or was her future always fated? The Devoted is at once a sweeping family drama, a moving account of forbidden love, and a story about a woman’s determination to choose her own destiny.
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marginarchived started reading...
3w
The Devoted: A Novel
Catherine Cho
In this emotionally transportive literary debut about family and fate, a young Korean woman whose father is a leader in an infamous crime organization becomes entrenched in the dangerous world she once sought to escape.Raised in Hong Kong by their Korean grandmother in a quiet village, Eunha and her brother Solomon live a sheltered life. Their father is a Dragon Head, a leader within the infamous criminal organization of the Triads. While their beloved grandmother does her best to shield the children from the constant hum of violence and fear that surrounds their father and his world, Eunha only has Solomon and their one permitted companion, a boy named Kai, for company. But as Eunha grows up and marries into a supposedly respectable Hong Kong family, the veneer of her careful life begins to crack. When her young son is kidnapped, she is cast into the city’s criminal underground and back into the orbit of Kai, now a Dragon Head himself. Will Eunha finally give in to the life she has strived so hard to rise above or was her future always fated? The Devoted is at once a sweeping family drama, a moving account of forbidden love, and a story about a woman’s determination to choose her own destiny.
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3w
Hunted by the Demon's Vow
A.N. Caudle
Her protector becomes her hunter.
Seven days.
That’s how long the humans selected for the Hunt must survive. On the island, the demons are set loose to hunt them down and indulge in their darkest desires with no rules to stop them.
Vhaena never thought her town would turn on her, but when she’s voted as a sacrifice for the demons’ annual tradition, she’s forced into a nightmare designed to kill her. Alone and betrayed, she’s prepared to do anything to survive. What she isn’t prepared for is him.
Daemon, her brother’s best friend and her forbidden obsession—a demon hiding among them.
Loyal to his vow to protect her but cursed by the darkness clawing at his soul, Daemon walks a blurring line between protector and predator. His vow demands her safety, but his hunger demands her ruin.
On an island meant to unleash the monsters hidden within, Vhaena and Daemon must decide which is stronger—duty or desire.
This dark romantic fantasy is perfect for fans of forbidden love, deadly survival, and the kind of devotion that burns even in the ruins of hell.
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marginarchived wrote a review...
4w
This book nearly lost me early on thanks to a repeated phrase that showed up so often it had me hovering over the DNF button — but I pushed through and I'm glad I did. Once I got past it the cozy horror blend pulled me in completely and the slow burn romance earned every single moment. The way trauma and healing were woven through the characters felt genuinely meaningful and tender, and the world Meadows built is quietly enchanting. My only real struggle was occasionally losing the thread between Evana's visions, memories and present reality — a little more separation would have helped.
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marginarchived made progress on...
5w
The Fox King and the Heart of Frost
Claire R. Meadows
20%
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marginarchived started reading...
5w
Hunted by the Demon's Vow
A.N. Caudle
Her protector becomes her hunter.
Seven days.
That’s how long the humans selected for the Hunt must survive. On the island, the demons are set loose to hunt them down and indulge in their darkest desires with no rules to stop them.
Vhaena never thought her town would turn on her, but when she’s voted as a sacrifice for the demons’ annual tradition, she’s forced into a nightmare designed to kill her. Alone and betrayed, she’s prepared to do anything to survive. What she isn’t prepared for is him.
Daemon, her brother’s best friend and her forbidden obsession—a demon hiding among them.
Loyal to his vow to protect her but cursed by the darkness clawing at his soul, Daemon walks a blurring line between protector and predator. His vow demands her safety, but his hunger demands her ruin.
On an island meant to unleash the monsters hidden within, Vhaena and Daemon must decide which is stronger—duty or desire.
This dark romantic fantasy is perfect for fans of forbidden love, deadly survival, and the kind of devotion that burns even in the ruins of hell.
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