"This is my comfort book," I say as they drag me away, kicking and screaming. (It really is a comfort read though.)

"'There.' I lean across to tuck [a flower] behind his ear. 'Everything useless around here is beautifully decorated. I wouldn't want you to feel left out.'"

I thought I was emotionally prepared for The Isles of the Gods this time, but it turns out I was wrong. This book has so many amazing quotes and tropes and I love it so much. The story follows Selly (a sailor), Leander (a prince), and Keegan (a scholar) as they sail to the Isles of the Gods to make an overdue sacrifice to their goddess in order to prevent a war. While I will say that I remember it being a bit more action-packed, the banter is impeccable and the character dynamics carry the story. There's a sense of danger, but I'm hoping for more (and more angst) from book two. Also, the ending is cruel and the world is unjust and I am sad. Like I said, the characters are absolutely amazing. Selly is the main female protagonist and she's so stubborn and strong but also genuinely cool. Keegan is literally me (a bookworm who could care less about romance) except he doesn't want to be on the adventure. Leander is ... look, he's one of my favorite book characters of all time. A spoiled, snarky prince who uses sarcasm to hide his insecurities? What more could I ask for? I like Jude's character, but I did not like Laskia at all. Also, I'm hoping for more Anselm and Galen backstory because the one chapter we got was so sad and good. I will become a monster the moment book two releases and I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone who crosses my path. 4.5/5

‘I didn’t think any sort of romantic entanglement suited you, Wollesley.’ ‘Correct.’ ‘Better a book than a person?’ ‘A book rarely lets you down,’ he says crisply. ‘You will find friends in its pages when they are nowhere else’”(pages 173-174)

Amie Kaufman, how dare you do this to me! That ending was just plain cruel! Pirates? Multiple POV? Magic systems focused on sacrifice? Banter? Only-one-bed trope? A character who hates romance because why fall in love when there’s books? I adored this book so much but now I have to wait another year to find out what happens next. Selly, Leander, and Keegan might be one of my favorite book trios of all time.

3.25 ⭐️ After being kidnapped by her stepfather, Sloane hides away in a secluded camp ground, never truly escaping her anxiety from her past. Then Virgil—an unhinged serial killer—arrives, blurring the liens between fear and desire. But her stepfather is closer than she realizes, and he’s determined to reclaim her.

After loving Dead of Summer, I knew I wanted to dive into AJ’s backlist. This one didn’t necessarily disappoint, but I expect more. I’m starting to notice that AJ will call her mmc a serial killer without any evidence to back it up—always telling, never showing, and I’m still deciding how I feel about it.

However, I binged this in two sittings. It was fun, entertaining, quick, and kind of spicy. The plot didn’t quite make much sense, but I wasn’t reading it for the plot anyways.

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This reads like a love letter to the ocean.

Includes:

Jellyfish MMC Dominance/Submission/Exhibitionism ✨Electric✨ Tentacles

FMC has always loved the sea; she grew up near it, on it, and in it. It felt like a part of her, and she grew up to work in conservation.

I've never read an entire story that takes place underwater and honestly you can feel the love for the ocean and creatures in it.

This planet is.....very unkind to humans. FMC fares better than others, as she immediately encounters the MMC who claims her as a mate. However, his culture is very different than ours on Earth. Dominance and submission are ingrained in their culture; especially in public the women must always obey their men.

I like that this is a different take than the 'honor and adore women' culture that is often seen in alien romance.

The MMC is a good guy and cares about FMC. But he still struggles himself, finding the balance between keeping her safe, his cultural expectations, and the need for independence that she obviously has.

This is short, so things happen quickly! We don't get all the details of each MCs growth, and we don't get to see each step of the culture changing as there isn't time for that. It can seem like a bit of a jump and some 'tell not show', especially because in the middle there is a bit of a time skip. But we do see the see the effects of their changing relationship.

Also there is smut quite early (it was important; wasn't just insta-lust!). Then some exhibitionism -

Read this if:

You love the sea Are vibing dom/sub (w/ punishment) Or a bit of exhibitionism Have a thing for jellyfish Want to see a different take on alien culture

Thanks to the author for the ARC

I ended up liking this but it was hard to get through. The main characters are not good people. Psychopaths? Sociopaths? Schwab is a great writer, but I can feel the growth in her later novels. Reviews made me believe Eli and Victor were loveable! They are obsessed with themselves and each other and claiming anything more than that is giving them too much credit.