Serena’s Review: “Across the Vanishing Sky”

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Book: “Across the Vanishing Sky” by Catherine Cowles

Publishing Info: Bloom Books, March 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.

She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.

Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.

The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.

Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark…

Review: I went into this not having read the previous series that it’s a spinoff of (I think?) or anything by this author at all. But since reading Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows last year, I went back and read some of her contemporary romance novels and really enjoyed them. Thus, with my interest in this genre restoked, I was happy to check this one out when the publisher sent an ARC my way.

First off, I can tell why this author is popular. Her writing is the kind that I would call supremely “readable.” Everything flows easily, and she quickly sets up the characters, stakes, and a steady pace that is maintained throughout. Even when there isn’t a ton of actual action on the page, the story still felt like it was constantly progressing, and I made my way through this entire book fairly quickly and easily. There were, perhaps, a few too many modern slang terms/modes of speaking that did throw me off a bit. But I know that this is purely a subjective dislike on my part, and as the book is a contemporary work, I guess I can’t complain, objectively, about using language like this—even if it does throw me out of a book to some extent.

Oddly, I ended up enjoying the mystery/thriller portions of this book more than the romance. As I was reading, I kept flipping pages mostly to find out what had happened to her best friend and to find out how the current thriller situation would resolve. That being the case, I was less invested in the romance itself. Partly, I think this has to do with the strength of the mystery, but I also think it speaks to some weakness in the romance itself. Neither of these characters is bad or anything, but it felt like their connection happened incredibly quickly, especially given the tense circumstances that would, rightly, direct most people’s attention elsewhere from romantic entanglements.

Overall, this was a fun read, but just an okay romance novel. I’m definitely curious to check out other books by this author to see if the love stories might work better in those. But if you enjoy this author and you want to check out a contemporary romance with a solid mystery/thriller subplot, then this one might be for you!

Rating 7: While I enjoyed the mystery aspects of this book, the romance developed too quickly for me to feel truly invested in it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Across the Vanishing Sky” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Adult Romance Releases and 2026 – Contemporary Romance (1st in Series).

Kate’s Review: “Turn Off the Light”

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Book: “Turn Off the Light” by Jacquie Walters

Publishing Info: Mulholland Books, March 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a finished copy from the publicist

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon| Indiebound

Book Description: Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that “upends everything you think you know about ghost stories” (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

The Devil enters through doors left open…

On the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia, Edith is a healer, a woman of knowledge—and a woman watched. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to the Devil, Edith makes a desperate choice.

Claire doesn’t believe in ghosts—until she returns home to care for her dying father and finds her childhood house… listening. As one sleepless night bleeds into the next, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has waited a long time to rise.

Is the house haunted? What compels this lurking darkness? As the danger mounts, Edith and Claire will discover they’ll need each other to survive. But they are separated by four hundred years. And time is running out for them both.

Review: Thank you to Little Brown and Company for sending me a copy of this novel!

I so enjoyed Jacquie Walters’s horror novel “Dearest”. It was a tense and evocative about motherhood and generational trauma, and it was done in a way that felt organic and earnest while also being very creepy. So I was absolutely interested in checking out her newest horror/supernatural thriller novel “Turn Off the Light”. It sounded like a haunted house story as well as a story about women dealing with difficult shit even without a haunted house to gaul them, and I was definitely in.

We have two narratives that we follow in this book. The first is in the modern day and follows Claire, a single mother returning to her childhood home to see her ailing father who is dying of dementia. Claire has avoided home for awhile, as she still has lingering trauma and sadness about the disappearance of her oldest sister Gabby, and the absence has caused a coldness between her and other sister Tilly who has been left with husband Peter to care for their dad. Claire feels like something strange is lurking in the home, and her worry grows as weird things start happening. The other narrative follows Edith, a woman living in the same house but during Puritan times, who works as a healer and medicine woman, but who starts to feel a weird presence in the house, which starts to feed into her anxieties about how her community, including her husband, sees her and her practices that she has kept mostly stifled due to fears of witchcraft. While I usually have a strong and clear preference for one narrative over another in these kinds of stories, I actually ended up liking both of them pretty evenly in this one. Claire’s life was engaging because of the family tension and the unsaid sadness within her family with her lost sister and sick father, and Edith’s story sucked me in because I am ALWAYS going to be into stories of healer women being viewed with suspicion because of Puritanical zealotry. I also thought that both women were pretty well fleshed out, and that they had complexities that made them all the more interesting to follow.

In terms of the horror/supernatural and thriller elements, this one did have a fair amount of suspenseful beats as both Claire and Edith think they are living through a haunting in the house that they both inhabit, centuries apart. I loved the slow burn of weird incidents in both timelines, which seem to be escalating but always feel just a little bit odd so that it wasn’t totally clear as to what was going on. I had a pretty good feeling I could track where things were going, and while I was basically right it still was interesting to see where Walters was taking the reader. I don’t want to spoil anything so will remain vague, but it went in directions that may be a little unexpected and did so in a way that made me feel like it was pulled off. It’s just very creative and I liked taking the journey and all of the tension that came with it.

“Turn Off the Light” is another fun novel from Jacquie Walters! I definitely recommend it for horror fans who like to think a bit outside the box of what a haunted house is.

Rating 8: A creative historical and supernatural thriller that jumps through time, “Turn Off the Light” had some solid twists, a lot of suspense, and two narratives that complemented each other quite well.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Turn Off the Light” is on the Goodreads list “Horror Releases Coming in 2026”.

Highlights: March 2026

In theory, March is the beginning of spring, but here in Minnesota, we are not fooled. The odd snowstorm could still easily come blowing through. But at the same time, we’ve also seen some lovely warmer days, even back in February! Spring is a tease, first and foremost. But while the weather is unreliable, books never are. So here are a few we’re looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Entwined” by H. M. Long

Publication Date: March 10, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Long has quickly become one of my “must read” authors, so I was incredibly excited to see that she was coming out with another book so shortly after finishing up her previous trilogy last summer! And this time the story moves to a fantastical version of the Gilded Age, which sounds absolutely fantastic. That cover alone would have drawn me in, but I’m very excited to see what new world and magic system Long will dream up next! Her books always have excellent lore, and can’t wait to see what’s in store next!

Book: “This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me” by Ilona Andrews

Publication Date: March 31, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I’m so excited for this one! I really loved Andrews’ “Kate Daniels” series, but somehow, even knowing I enjoyed that so much, I’ve never actually checked out anything else by this author. And while I do enjoy a good urban fantasy, third world fantasy is my true fave, so I’m so excited to see her now tackling a portal fantasy story like this! I’ve been burned on this concept a lot recently (the main character suddenly waking up in the pages of their favorite novel), but Andrews is such a solid writer that I have high hopes that this one will break the trend!

Book: “Daughter of Crows” by Mark Lawrence

Publication Date: March 24, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Somehow I haven’t yet read a book by this author, though he is well-loved by many fantasy readers. So I was excited to see that he was releasing the first book in a new series this spring, the perfect entry point for a new reader. I will say, I’ve about read my fill of deadly magical schools, but as this author is so widely regarded, I trust that he will have something new to bring to the table. At the very least, I love the idea of a book that sees the Furies come to the forefront of its lore!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Turn Off The Light” by Jacquie Walters

Publication Date: March 3, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I really liked Walters’s previous book “Dearest” so I jumped at the chance at getting to read her new ghost story “Turn Off the Light”. And this one sounds like it could be a little bit time travel-y as well, which is interesting? Two women living at different times in the same strange house experience terrifying things, and perhaps have to reach out to each other over time and space to figure out what’s going on. It sounds creative and compelling and I am very curious to see how it all shakes out!

Book: “You Did Nothing Wrong” by C.G. Drews

Publication Date: March 17, 2026

Why I’m Interested: Another haunted house story! This time involves a single mother named Elodie remarrying and starting a new beginning in a brand new home. Except that her son Jude, who is autistic, starts to complain of the renovations on the house, saying that it’s hurting the structure, and Elodie’s own secrets and darkness from the past starts to creep up. It sounds really suspenseful, though I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to steel myself for this one as a mother to a child who is presumed to be autistic. But it sounds compelling enough that I’m willing to give it a go!

Book: “The Curse of Hester Gardens” by Tamika Thompson

Publication Date: March 31, 2026

Why I’m Interested: I have enjoyed stories by Tamika Thompson in the past and the premise of this book was REALLY interesting to me. Because what if a haunted place wasn’t just a single house, but a community in general? And what if that ties into current social issues like racism, gun violence, red lining, and poverty? A Black family living in the Hester Gardens housing projects has experienced tragedy and loss. Mother Nona is hoping that her sons can escape the cyclical violence and desperation that contributed to her oldest son’s death. But while she has high hopes, strange things start happening that can’t be explained. This is one I’m REALLY excited for this year.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “The Half-Hearted Queen”

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Book: “The Half-Hearted Queen” by Charlie N. Holmberg

Publishing Info: 47North, March 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Nym never told Prince Renn she loved him. And now, as a captive and political pawn to the ruthless King Nicosia, Nym finds herself guarding more than her forbidden feelings for Renn as the kingdoms of Cansere and Sesta clash and the bloodshed of war rages. Nym’s connection to Renn is more than just romantic—it’s magical, and King Nicosia will stop at nothing to find Renn’s weakness and claim the kingdoms as his.

Now Nym must find a way to escape the cruel and twisted fate of imprisonment as she faces the unimaginable horrors and dangerous secrets hidden within King Nicosia’s palace walls. With the succession of kings on the line and a dangerous prophecy unfolding, Prince Renn faces his own impossible choice. The future of the throne hinges on a political alliance that means forsaking his love for Nym. If he can’t fulfill his destiny and unite the kingdoms, King Nicosia will destroy them all.

Previously Reviewed: “The Shattered King”

Review: Ok, let’s just get this out of the way from the start: I absolutely adored this duology. There, review spoiled and we can all go on our way! But seriously, this duology really took me by surprise. Like I said in my last review, I had read a book by this author previously, but while I enjoyed it, it didn’t blow me away. But man, she really came with this new book, writing a fantasy romance that feels tailor-made for me!

The story picks up directly after the events of the first book (so mild spoilers if you haven’t read that one), and things are looking bleak. Nym and Renn’s sister is captured by enemy forces and taken deep into enemy territory. Honestly, I was surprised by how dark this book went in this portion, and it’s not a small portion either! There’s probably a solid third of the book that is taken up by Nym’s travails and the ways in which she copes with and deals with the situation she finds herself in. But while these scenes were definitely tough to read at times, they also deeply reinforced what an awesome lead character Nym is.

Her strength is unparalleled, alongside her cool-headed evaluation of the truly desperate situation she finds herself in and the limited options before her. She’s badass in the more realistic ways, the kind that rely on true strength of character in the face of horror. Through this portion of the book and the fallout of these experiences, the author does an amazing job dealing with themes regarding pain, PTSD, and resilience. Nym’s experiences aren’t gotten over easily, but we also follow a character whose strength leads her to rise to meet any and all challenges placed before her.

Readers should also be aware that due to these circumstances, it takes quite a while for our two lovebirds to be reunited. And even then, their path forward is littered with new challenges. I loved the development of this romance and the obstacles they faced. Nothing felt like unnecessary angst or silly miscommunication drama. Instead, the conflict was rooted in their circumstance and the dire state of the war. Renn was such a great love interest throughout this book, and there were a bunch of moments between them that were peak romance for me.

The book also gets more into Renn’s story in the second half, and here, again, the author carefully digs into warfare, violence, and the scars that even justified killing leaves on a person. For Renn in particular, an individual who had been sequestered from participating in the world for so long, these new roles are particularly challenging.

I also really enjoyed the deeper look into the magic system. Nym’s choices at the end of the last book opened up a completely new pathway for the magic system of this world, and I loved learning more about how this worked. The story also addressed the tension between magic users and the rest of the population, noting that it’s not as easy as waving a magic wand to make both groups work well together.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel and a great conclusion to this duology. I enjoyed the heck out of my read, and if forced to ding it in any way, it would be that it wrapped up too quickly!

Rating 9: Absolutely brilliant! The Half-Hearted Queen manages to be both deeply romantic while also dealing with some incredibly dark themes in a careful, intentional manner.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Half-Hearted Queen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels and A book with a character who has curly hair.

Serena’s Review: “Half City”

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Book: “Half City” by Kate Golden

Publishing Info: Ace, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: copy from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv’s father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

Review: So, part of the problem with my experience of this book was the disconnect between what I expected based on the cover art and what the book was. It’s hard to even put my finger on exactly what that disconnect was. Perhaps something to do with its atmosphere and overall tone? The cover looks dark, grim, slightly Victorian, perhaps, and promising a strong female lead and romantic interest. But instead, this book leaned hard into urban fantasy conventions in the worst way, with an overly quippy “pick me” main character and a deluge of unnecessary scenes and events.

For the pros, I think readers who enjoy urban fantasy first and foremost are most likely to enjoy this one. While I do enjoy this subgenre at times, it’s not necessarily a go-to for me. I often seem to bounce off the sorts of main characters that dominate this genre, finding them abrasive more than sympathetic more often than not.

I also thought the general idea of the book was interesting—not hugely original, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. Unfortunately, the author didn’t seem to have a good handle on what made up the actual story itself. Far too often, I would find myself mired in scenes that, after finishing them, felt pointless and repetitive. These scenes dragged down the pacing of the story and, too often, left me disliking the main character more and more.

As I said above, she had strong “pick me” energy from the very start, and this was only worsened once she reached the school, where we were then treated to an endless recitation of her numerous judgments passed freely on those around her. She’s meant to come across as a badass character, but instead I found her whiny and unlikable much of the time.

As for the romantic interest, at least he didn’t actively frustrate me the same way that Viv did. But, on the other hand, he read the same as every other demon romantic lead you’ve ever read, falling prey to the same insta-lust tendencies that we’ve seen before and that have become increasingly tired.

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing read. Quality-wise, it’s not badly written, and I do think it will connect with readers who are looking for an urban fantasy romance novel. But I was held back by the slow pacing and my dislike for the main character.

Rating 7: Meh in pretty much every sense of the word, unfortunately.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Half City” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Fantasy Romance/Romantasy books to look forward to and All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in February 2026.

Fire’s Catching: “Catching Fire”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

It’s been eighteen years since Suzanne Collins wrote “The Hunger Games”, the smash hit literary sensation that continues to feel relevant and capture the attention of readers. This ongoing series will be a review series of both the Suzanne Collins books, as well as the film adaptations of the novels. I will post my review on the last Thursday of the month as we revisit the totalitarian world of Panem and the hope of the Mockingjay.

Book: “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins

Publishing Info: Scholastic Press, September 2009

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Sparks are igniting. Flames are spreading. And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.

Review: I mentioned before that this is a part re-read/re-watch, part initial read, as while I read “The Hunger Games” proper (as well as “Songbirds” and “Reaping”) and have seen all of the movies, I didn’t read “Catching Fire” or “Mockingjay” because I was told that they weren’t as good as the first book. I don’t know who told me that, thinking back. It wasn’t my husband, who has read ALL of the books (and dove into the series the moment we got back from the first movie), but whoever it was is on notice because while I was reading “Catching Fire” I muttered to myself ‘okay, this is really good, who lied to me?!’

Mystery person, whoever you are, welcome to my shit list. I WILL NOT FORGIVE THIS DISCREPANCY! (source)

I think that what I really liked about this book (and I liked it about the movie version too so why oh WHY couldn’t I have used my brain to realize the book was probably also good!?) is that we get to not only get some expanded lore about Panem and the aftermath of ‘winning’ The Hunger Games, we also see the folly of trying to appease a fascist, and the way that revolutions can slowly gain momentum because of fates aligning in just the right way (I will undoubtedly talk more about this when I eventually review “Sunrise on the Reaping”). Katniss and her Night Lock rebellion at the end of hers and Peeta’s games has enamored her with the citizens of the Capitol, but President Snow sees this moment not as two lovers willing to die for each other, but a direct threat to his power because of how it showed that, in fact, he cannot control the district citizens, and therein cannot control Panem. Since this is a first person perspective and it’s all through Katniss’s eyes we don’t REALLY get to see the way that the uprisings are starting, outside of hints here and there, but as she goes on her Victory Tour and more people connect with her, she becomes more desperate to appease Snow to keep her loved ones safe. She is not in control any more than he is, and it made for such a fascinating trajectory for her.

I also liked spending more time in District Twelve and getting more insight into what her mother and sister Prim have been doing (healers!), and seeing how Katniss and Peeta are heroes but nothing really changes for their community outside of having bragging rights (and honestly, how it just gets worse as Snow gets more desperate and more brutal Peacekeepers are sent into the District and wreak more havoc). And while I don’t like Gale, I do like seeing a bit more of him and his perspective as a non Victor who has to play his own part by nature of being Katniss’s friend (and the first glimmers of radicalization that are being set in motion even more so). By the time things are starting to get out of control and Snow and Katniss both realize she can’t stop it, her death is going to be the only recourse, and therefore the Quarter Quell happens and Victors from all over are pulled into it as a huge ruse to take her out. And probably send a message that none of them better get any ideas. You cannot appease fascists, and that is a clear theme in this novel (as all of Collins’s novels have themes).

And the Games this time around are brutal. I mean, they are always brutal, but we add in a layer of the absolute unfairness of all of these victors being brought back to fight again in spite of the trauma they have already endured and the promise that they could be left alone after their initial win. Katniss doesn’t know who she can trust in the arena, knowing that she has made SOME alliances, or has been thrown into others, and the suspense of having to be in another fight to the death while thinking maybe she CAN trust some of the players (but maybe not?) just adds to the suspense, especially since we are seeing it all through her eyes. This also is the book that we meet one of my other absolute favorite “Hunger Games” characters, Johanna Mason, and having only seen her on screen until this point it was VERY gratifying seeing her on the page. Because she manages to be even MORE bitchy here, and seeing her be a terror was a lot of fun. At the same time, however, I feel like it was almost more interesting leading up to the games, as while this is still pulse pounding and a great dystopian thriller, I don’t think that it could top those initial games because it was so novel in the initial book, even with the added suspense about the other tributes and their motivations.

And the cliffhanger packs a wallop too. Poor Katniss. She tried to hard to keep her loved ones safe and then her whole community gets blown off the map in retaliation. Snow being on the page more this time made it all the more cruel, I think, because she tried her best but it was never going to be good enough. That’s one of the ultimate tragedies of this series that I will probably keep harping on as my reading and viewing goes on: she never wanted this. And even when she grudgingly accepts it, and even if it is for the greater good of Panem, she’s just a kid, and it’s such a weight to carry.

“Catching Fire” was another great read in this series. I’m kicking myself for having left it by the wayside all those years ago. Up next is “Mockingjay”, the one I was told by many was the most boring. But after reading this one and finding it better than I was told, I’m thinking that I will probably be taken aback by how deceived I was with that one too. I guess we’ll see!

Rating 8: We get more into the intrigue of a fomenting revolution seen through the eyes of someone who never meant to start it, as well as more insight into a totalitarian society. Throw in another brutal games and “Catching Fire” is another harrowing read, and I’m glad I finally picked it up!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Catching Fire” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Young Adult Dystopian Novels”, and “Best Survival Stories”.

Serena’s Review: “The Sun and the Starmaker”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Sun and the Starmaker” by Rachel Griffin

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.

Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.

The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.

Review: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I received a surprise ARC of this book. I’ve read this author in the past, and while I didn’t hate those reads, they also didn’t quite connect with me. But this book took me completely by surprise!

Right from the start, the author manages to perfectly lock in on the sort of whimsical style of writing that exemplifies the fairytale genre. And while there are familiar elements to be found here, it was a wholly unique fairytale on top of that! From the location (a remote village trapped in a deep valley in the mountains) to the magic (rare individuals draw in the light from the sun and “hook” it to a lamppost to light the village every day) to the side companions (girls made of snow, eternal bunnies, etc.), everything about this book was lush and lovely.

To top it off, the story follows an excellent main character. Her feelings and reactions to the situations she found herself in were so grounded. She feels rage, terror, and grief. But the story remains rooted in its message of hope in the face of tragedy and the worth of love above all. So every moment of anger is quickly tempered by a character who is empathetic to those around her as well, not simply caught up in her own experiences. And when she falters, not only is it relatable, but following her path back to her roots is compelling.

And, of course, there’s a lovely romance at its heart. I do wish, perhaps, that a bit more was done here. While I really like the romance and the romantic interest, and the book did deliver a solid love story in the end, I was always left wanting just a bit more…something. I did like the attention that went into drawing out the history of the Starmaker, elaborating on his own experiences approaching the same situation our lead character is now going through. Through his eyes, we see the very different approaches people can take when facing what feels like an impossible situation. I also think the banter between these two characters was well done. Their gripes with one another felt rooted in the differences in their personalities and experiences; they weren’t simply bantering because that is what is expected in romance novels nowadays.

I also really liked the lore of this world and the secondary story regarding the Sun and the original Starmaker. Not going to lie, towards the end of the book, I was in tears at times, and perhaps not in the moments you’d expect. I do wish that the end of the book clarified a few factors a bit more, as I was left with some questions about the future of this little village and its magic. But, as it so often is with fairytales, this was also a completely satisfying little read on its own. I definitely recommend this one for fans of fairytale romances, especially in these last bits of the winter season!

Rating 8: A lovely exploration of love, grief, and, above all, hope in the face of impossible odds.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Sun and the Starmaker” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Cozy Fantasy and Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Kate’s Review: “Nowhere Burning”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Nowhere Burning” by Catriona Ward

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, February 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Set in the unforgiving maw of the Rocky Mountains, Nowhere Burning is the latest harrowing novel from bestselling author Catriona Ward, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and the hit series Yellowjackets.

A refuge for lost children may also be their prison.

In the middle of the night, Riley pulls her younger brother Oliver out of bed, and the two run away from home. Riley is intent on joining a group of teenagers squatting in the abandoned ruins of an infamous movie star’s ranch, Nowhere. For actor Leaf Winham, Nowhere was a place to hide from his fame, and to hide his crimes―until a fire ravaged his home and exposed him as a murderer.

It is rumored that the ranch nestled in the peaks of the Rocky Mountains is now home to group of feral children, a place where adults cannot enter, and Riley hopes to find a new family there. But the Nowhere Kids are fierce in defending their turf and their clan, and Riley quickly realizes that while she and Oliver may have left the devil they knew, this group is a new type of diabolical.

For something dark lives in the burned shell of Nowhere, something which asks a terrible price for sanctuary…

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

I haven’t every been super into “Peter Pan”. I watched the Disney movie as a kid (though I’m not sure I’d show it to my own kid these days), and enjoyed the Mary Martin version that we had on video cassette and has apparently been kind of forgotten by post-Millennial generations (when I saw a random video about how NOVEL and UNKNOWN this movie was I felt my bones turn to dust), but it was never a favorite of mine. But I do like the idea of reimagining classic tales as horror stories. “Nowhere Burning” by Catriona Ward is a horror story that takes some “Peter Pan” themes and changes it into something weird, unique, and unnerving.

I always love the vibes of a cult themed horror novel, and this one feels like it mixes some Branch Davidian lore with a “Children of the Corn” feel to it to make something weird and creepy as hell. I also enjoyed the “Peter Pan” allusions, with children fending for themselves feeling like they will never grow up after following vague ‘second star to the right’ directions into the Rockies. We follow a few different threads and narratives, which are unclear in how they line up at first. The most prominent one is Riley, a desperate teenage girl who escapes with her younger brother from an abusive situation, looking for solitude and thinking she’s found it with the kids at Nowhere. We also have a documentarian who is hoping to get some answers about Nowhere and the history and notoriety, as well as an architect who was hired on by Leaf Winham, the original owner of Nowhere who went on to commit the unspeakable, and who falls into a complex and obsessive web. Riley’s was, for me, the most interesting, seeing her slowly realize that perhaps she and Oliver aren’t super safe with the Nowhere Kids as things become weirder and weirder and more and more danger becomes apparent, though I will say that once we do figure out where the timeline falls for all the narratives it made them all pretty interesting.

And the “Peter Pan” references were pretty enjoyable. It’s not like The Rockies are what I imagine when I think of ‘Neverland’, but the way that Ward creates a symbol of freedom and feralness within the mountains that is very in line with the idea of The Lost Boys wasn’t lost on me. From alligators named Tinkerbell to many exits out of windows to ‘flying’ thanks to ziplines in the wilderness. There are even more meta references to Peter Pan adjacent mythos, specifically how much notorious filmmaker Leaf Williams mirrors Michael Jackson, with his eccentricities, his isolated and sprawling ranch, and some of the details within the ranch (such as a ferris wheel) clearly making reference to the now deceased and controversial King of Pop. I love a reference, and seeing the details sprinkled throughout the narratives was very, very fun for me.

“Nowhere Burning” is a solid horror novel that will surely satisfy horror fans who like a “Peter Pan” homage.

Rating 7: A strange and unnerving homage to “Peter Pan” that brings Neverland to an unforgiving Rockies, “Nowhere” is a weird and entertaining cult horror tale.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nowhere Burning” is included on the Goodreads list “2026 Women in Horror”.

Not Just Books: February 2026

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Sports: Winter Olympics

Dun, dun, dun dun dun dun, Dun, Dun dun dun dun dada dadada DUN! It’s that time once again, the time when I both watch more sports than ever before and more TV altogether more than ever. This year is even more fun because both of my kids are finally old enough that they actually will sit down and watch a lot of it. My primary mission this year has been to get them past any “ew girls” kneejerk reactions and to truly appreciate the art that is ice skating. But there are simply so many great sports to watch, that we had a hard time picking and limiting it all, truth be told!

MORE Sports: Superbowl

Yes, not one sports entry but two from me this month! What can I say, February was the perfect month for me, sports-wise! While I’ve lived in Minnesota now for over a decade, I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and the Seahawks have always been my team of choice. The Vikings can be second, I guess. So this was great for me either way! All the more so because there was some smirking sent my husband’s direction since the Seahawks’ new quarterback previously played for the Vikings…heh.

Video Game: “Blue Prince”

There are a few other games I’ve been playing recently, but this puzzle game that I’ve been working my way through with my husband really stands out. It’s such a quiet, compelling experience, each day building a blue print of a sprawling manor and trying to piece together the history of the place and the location of the final, mystery room. It’s hard to gauge how far we are in it yet, but the puzzles we’ve solved so far have all been great and there a bunch of tantalizing loose ends that we still haven’t managed to figure out. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy slower, puzzle games, especially if you have someone to play it alongside!

Kate’s Picks

TV Show: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

We all know that I absolutely hated the way that “Game of Thrones” ended. And we also know that I won’t watch “House of the Dragon” because I just can’t abide watching the Targaryens fighting each other and the start of the downfall of the dragons in Westeros. So maybe it’s surprising that I’m watching “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”, the newest “Game of Thrones” spin off. But I am actually really enjoying it so far! Mostly because it just has so much more WHIMSY than the other GOT shows we’ve seen. Taking place between “GOT” and “HOTD”, we follow aspiring Hedgeknight Ser Duncan the Tall, who wants to become a legitimate knight. So he enters a prestigious jousting tournament. When he takes on a new young squire, a chatty and precocious boy who calls himself ‘Egg’, it turns into a bit of a misfit buddy comedy, though Egg has some secrets he’s hiding from his master. One downside is that there are no dragons in this show (sorry, Aerion, you don’t count). But that’s also a good thing because without the spectacle of dragons and magic, it has to rely on characters and engaging plot points. Also, we have Lyonel Barathon, aka the one good Baratheon male, popping up from time to time. It’s very fun, something I haven’t been able to say about other Westeros series.

Film: “Black Phone 2”

I greatly enjoyed the first “Black Phone” movie, not only because it was well done, super scary, and well acted, but because it was based on a Joe Hill short story that they adapted incredibly well. I was admittedly a little skeptical about “Black Phone 2”, because there was no Joe Hill short story to pull from and I didn’t see how it would work with The Grabber dead. But I was wrong to doubt, because I sat down and watched it this month and really liked it! A few years after he killed The Grabber, Finn and his sister Gwen are trying to adjust, though Finn is traumatized and Gwen is still having disturbing dreams of missing children. When her dreams seem to point her towards a youth camp in the Rockies, she convinces Finn that they are meant to go there. Unfortunately for them, there is, indeed, a dead phone that can contact them. And The Grabber may not be done with them after all. Not only was this a scary winter horror movie, it once again boasts fantastic performances from Mason Thames and Madeline McGraw. And the cinematography during the dream sequences is very Lynchian at its creepiest. Great sequel!

Film: “Waiting for Guffman”

This is not a new film to me in any way, shape, or form. I’ve actually been a fan of “Waiting for Guffman” since I was a high school theater kid, but when Catherine O’Hara died at the end of January I felt compelled to revisit it in her honor. The premise is simple: a small town in Missouri is preparing for its 150th Anniversary celebration and they ask local theater expert Corky St. Clair to write and direct a show about the town’s history. This faux documentary follows the people who are cast, the townsfolk, and the wacky journey they take creating a hometown show that they HOPE will end up on broadway because of rumors of a producer coming to see it. The cast is spectacular, with the usual suspects of Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, and Fred Willard, and of course Catherine O’Hara playing Sheila, a confident travel agent who has done community theater with her husband Ron (Willard) before. As a former theater kid I can tell you it nails the theater kid (or in this case local theater aficionado) culture, poking fun but never cruel. It’s a favorite O’Hara film of mine and I love hers and Willard’s RIDICULOUS rendition of “Midnight at the Oasis”. Rest in Peace, queen!

Serena’s Review: “A Secret in the Garden”

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Book: “A Secret in the Garden” by Jeneane O’Riley

Publishing Info: Bloom Books, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Some secrets were never meant to be unearthed.

Perched on a windswept cliff, Blackwood Manor looms like a dark monument to a mysterious family. Behind its grand iron gates, one part of the estate has been left to rot since the tragic death of Hester Blackwood: the once-glorious conservatory, now choked by vines and shattered glass. The rest of the family is gone—only her brooding son, Jasper, remains, the heir to a weapons empire.

Desperate to save her job and out of options, botanist Eliza Arnold makes a bold gamble—drive to the manor and beg the elusive millionaire for a donation. Jasper agrees…on one chilling condition: restore the conservatory. Alone. No help. No leaving.

But the manor is not empty.

As Eliza battles thorns and secrets, a magnetic tension builds between her and Jasper—dark, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. And something else stirs among the roots and ruins…whispers in the walls, confusing disturbances, and a presence watching her every move.

The deeper Eliza digs, the more she uncovers a garden of grief, longing…and desire. Because in Blackwood Manor, even buried things can bloom again.

Review: I’ve had a lot of luck with gothic fantasy novels recently, so I guess I was due for one to not hit for me eventually. And, perhaps not surprisingly, it was the contemporary one that did it. To be fair, there are plenty of contemporary romances that I do really enjoy; this one just didn’t hold up.

Much of this book didn’t work for me, so I’m struggling a bit with the positives. I’ll say that the overall concept was appealing. Gothic fantasy/romances often have a similar premise: some call to action brings in the protagonist to a mysterious manor/castle/what-have-you where they discover much is not as it seems, including, often, the truth regarding some sort of brooding caretaker. So this one set up in a similar way, and the book took no time in getting our main character on location. The story moves quickly, so I was well into it before really settling into why it wasn’t working.

I think my problems with this book come down to two factors: structure of the plot and characterization. To start with the plot, quite quickly the book settles into a pattern of every day: Eliza gardens and Jasper broods. For all that we’re meant to believe there is a great mystery brewing here, the story itself does very little to move this plot forward. Honestly, it all became very tiresome, very quickly. Gothic novels are usually a bit on the slower pace, devoting a lot of time to the development of atmosphere and tension before the inevitable payoff, often late in the story. But here, nothing that was going on contributed to this atmosphere. Instead, it all felt tedious, and I was left frustrated that Eliza was so passive with regards to the mysteries surrounding her circumstances.

And this leads into my primary issue with the book: the characters and the romance itself. First, Eliza. Like I said, she’s an incredibly passive character, and even if you try to make the case that this is part of her emotional arc, I don’t think it makes her a particularly compelling or sympathetic character to follow. While the story sets up a deeper backstory for her, one that includes past traumas that would reflect her behaviors today, I don’t think enough was done to really address these things. Eliza’s thoughts and choices, particularly with regards to the romantic interest, remained deeply unhealthy throughout.

And look, I’m not a dark romance fan for a reason. I get that it works for others, but it very much doesn’t for me. And I think this book strayed a bit too far in this direction for my particular taste. See, there is a very important distinction to be found between fantasy romance and contemporary romance, for me. In a fantasy world, life is often violent, dangerous, and cruel. In this way, the characters that people these worlds have very different views of life and the ways in which death plays a role in their everyday life. In a romantasy, for example, if a romantic lead is slightly murderous, this is often completely reasonable, even necessary, for survival in this world; an attractive trait, to boot, for the heroine in these books. But here, we have a contemporary setting, a romantic interest who seems quite murderous at times, and a passive heroine who seems not only not warned off by these toxic traits, but actively turned on by it all. And combined with her other traumas, I was left feeling like Eliza needed therapy more than a boyfriend. And if she did find love, Jasper is the last person she should be turning to.

Beyond this, the romance itself was very insta-lust-y. Jasper has been a recluse, but for some reason, he’s immediately into Eliza. And like I said, Eliza’s interest in him is portrayed as quite unhealthy, the speed of which it occurs only solidifying this point.

Now, much of what I described above is probably quite tame as far as contemporary dark romance goes, so it’s all quite subjective. If you enjoy this style of romance, all of these complaints may actually be points in its favor.

That said, I also think the writing itself was quite juvenile at times, too often spiraling into repetitive thoughts spinning through our heroine’s head again and again. At best, I felt distanced from the story itself, and at worst, downright bored. Even for dark romance readers, I have to imagine there are better options out there.

Rating 6: Unfortunately, even the gothic setting couldn’t save this one for me. The characters were unlikable in different ways, and the romance relied too heavily on insta-lust.