Friday, October 23, 2026

Review: Big Bad Wolf by Laurie Gilmore

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dream Harbor series, comes a new small-town romance set in the quirky town of Maple Hollow.


About the Book

The darker the woods, the bigger the secrets…

Ruby Bellerose lives on the edge of the woods, in a cottage more akin to a fairy tale than modern day life. Her love life is practically non-existent, and she keeps away from the whispered gossip that travels through Maple Hollow.

Until a chance encounter with Rafe.

As mysterious as he is brooding, Ruby is drawn to the woodsman, curious to find out about the stranger who lives deep within the woods.

But Rafe is hiding a secret. And with something lurking in the shadowy forest, will Ruby find that Rafe is her knight in shining armor, or something altogether more dangerous…

Big Bad Wolf is book 1 in the Maple Hollow trilogy.

Tropes:

πŸŒ™ Small Town
πŸŒ• Fated Mates
πŸŒ– Grumpy MMC
πŸŒ— Spicy
🌘 Forced Proximity
πŸŒ‘ Found Family

A version of this book was previously published as A Curse of Blood and Wolves. This book has been rewritten and edited again, however some character names and plot points do remain the same as the original story.






Excerpt

 

“Hey, sweetheart, I could use another.”

“Still not my name, Sal.”

The old man didn’t bother to look abashed by Ruby’s reminder. She stood behind the bar, hands on her hips, waiting for him to correct himself. Like most of the people here, Sal was a regular at the only bar in town. They hadn’t even bothered to name it. The sign out front just said Bar in flickering red neon. Sal had been coming in every evening since long before Ruby was born, but she’d be damned if she was going to let him get away with calling her sweetheart.

“It’s a term of endearment,” he argued, pushing his empty pint glass toward her with a grin he probably thought was charming. Maybe it had been once. It was not tonight. The grin peeped out from beneath Sal’s bushy, gray moustache just like his twinkling eyes peered out from beneath bushy, gray brows. His face was creased and weathered, and he rarely wore anything other than flannel, like almost everyone else in this joint. It was impossible to say how old he was. Ruby had never asked.

She frowned. She was not in the mood for flirtatious old men. But to be fair, she never was. She pushed the glass back.

“Try again.”

Sal’s laugh quickly turned into a wheeze. “You’re always so serious, Ruby. Must be ’cause you’re from away,” he said.

From away. An incredibly Maine term she’d been hearing for years. From away. As in not born here. It didn’t matter that she’d moved to Maple Hollow when she was eight. The year her life changed forever. The year her parents died and she and her twin sister, Lena, came to this odd little town to live with their great-aunt Millie.

She’d been here for over twenty years now and still the locals loved to remind her that she was from away.

Macy came up beside her, cutting into her conversation with Sal.

“No way,” she said, wiping her hands on the dish towel slung over her shoulder. Macy had been managing the bar for as long as Ruby had worked here. She wasn’t much older than Ruby, and she was a solid three inches shorter, but nobody messed with her primarily because she had the power to cut them off. Both from drinks and access to town gossip. A fate worse than death around here. “You know I was born and raised right here in the County, and I won’t let you get away with that sweetheart shit either.”

The County. Another thing Ruby had had to learn when she moved here. Maine had sixteen counties, but Aroostook County was the only one referred to as such. So far north that it was often mistaken for Canada, the County was quite an adjustment for Ruby coming from the suburbs of Boston. When she’d first moved into her aunt’s cottage at the edge of the woods, Ruby felt like she’d moved into a fairy tale.

In those early days when she was too devastated to speak, too sad to move, she’d sit in her aunt’s overgrown backyard with Lena beside her, staring into the trees, making up stories in her head about who or what might live in the darkness.

Unfortunately, life here wasn’t anything like the stories she’d loved to read as a kid. If fairy tales had taught her anything it was that the only positive that could come from her parents’ tragic death was the promise of adventure. If she had to be an orphan, she should at least have been allowed some intrigue, some mystery to solve, or journey to go on, or … or … something. That was how her thinking had gone at the time.

Now, of course, she knew that life wasn’t a fairy tale and that you were more likely to see a moose in these woods than a witch. Becoming an orphan was actually just really tragic, and life in Maple Hollow was in fact quite dull.

Despite the rumors that ran rampant through this bar about creatures that prowl the woods at night, she knew the sad truth: fairy tales weren’t real.

Ruby scanned the dimly lit bar as Sal chuckled at Macy’s comment. There was a decent crowd for a Friday night in early October. Summer usually attracted some out-of-towners, in for the weekend to camp or hike. They’d get tourists for maybe another month, to ooh and ahh over the changing leaves, but once the first snow hit, this place would get even more insular.

It was no wonder the townies loved to share stories about overgrown wolves and their encounters with them through the years. There was literally nothing else to talk about. And nearly everyone had a story about being out hunting or fishing and running into one of these deadly creatures. As they told it, they always barely escaped with their lives.

It was all nonsense, of course. Just stories to tell to pass the long winter days. Almost as exaggerated as the size of the fish they caught. Ruby had stopped believing them a long time ago.

She took stock of tonight’s customers. A couple of booths were filled with regulars, laughing and talking over each other, and there were a few old stragglers like Sal at the bar. A table of hikers were drinking and eating their fill before heading back to their campsite for the night. Ruby figured they were her best shot for a good tip.

“Okay, Miss Ruby Bellerose, would you please get me another?” Sal said now, batting his eyelashes and over-exaggerating every word of his request.

“Happy to,” Ruby said, taking his glass and grabbing him a fresh one. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

“Harder than it should have been,” he said as she slid his new beer in front of him. “Thanks, sweetheart.” He winked and Ruby just shook her head. Why did she even bother? Sal was never going to change. No one around here ever did.

“Take a break from this old pain in the rear and bring these drinks to table three,” Macy said, playfully bumping her hip into Ruby’s.

“Sure.” She hoisted the tray onto her shoulder, leaving behind one pain only to encounter a table full of them.

Except, instead of a formerly charming old man to deal with, she was now dealing with a group of her old classmates, people she’d grown up with, people who’d never bothered being nice to her a day in their lives.

She lowered the tray and passed out drinks under the watchful gaze of Trina, the former homecoming queen (which wasn’t saying much since there were all of sixty-five kids in their graduating class), Kurt, the quarterback of the football team (again not saying much, as they had to combine with three other local schools just to have enough players to form a team), Kai, one of his many formerly jock friends, and Shreya, whose father owned Into The Woods, the camping supply store on the edge of town (in a place with minimal wealth, she had some money which was enough to make her feel important). In the world’s smallest town, this crew was the cream of the crop. Which again was not saying much.

Ruby didn’t bother with small talk. Or a smile. She wasn’t getting a tip from this table anyway.

Trina smirked as Ruby turned to walk back to the bar. “How sad is it that she still wears all black?” she asked the table, loud enough for Ruby to hear.

“It’s like she’s still in mourning,” Shreya said with a giggle.

“You guys are such bitches,” Kai laughed.

“Her parents died like twenty years ago. You’d think she’d be over it by now. She needs therapy or something,” Trina said, and Ruby wasn’t even tempted to turn around. It didn’t matter anyway. These people had made up their minds about her years ago.

She was the new girl, the sad girl, the weird girl, the goth girl.

She’d learned not to care what they said about her a long time ago. Did she wear a lot of black? Sure. She liked it. Was she sad her parents died? What kind of sociopath wouldn’t be? Was she weird? Not any more than anyone else in this damn town. Did she occasionally like to read horror novels in the cemetery? Everyone needed a hobby. And she’d outgrown that particular one a while ago.

Anyway, she wasn’t concerned with what Trina and her crew thought of her. She’d become like the wolves in the woods, just another story to tell and retell.

But what did stop her in her tracks was the sudden change in topic.

“Did you hear about Lena, though? She’s gone full crazy.”

Ruby spun on her heel, her black skirt twirling around her thighs. “What did you just say?”

Trina’s grin grew. “Oh, sorry, Ruby, it’s just that I heard your sister hasn’t been well.”

“My sister is fine.”

“Then why did she quit her job at the preschool?”

“She needed a change.”

“No one’s seen her around town lately.”

“So what?”

Trina shrugged. “We’re just worried about her.”

“Bullshit.”

Shreya gasped like she was offended by Ruby’s crass language, as though Bert at the next table over wasn’t describing his latest knee surgery in graphic detail loud enough for the entire bar to hear.

“I heard she had to quit her job because her eyes rolled back in her head and she started speaking in tongues. In front of the children,” Shreya whispered as though that would soften the blow of this particular rumor.

That was not what happened.

Not exactly.

“Jesus, who even cares. Leave her alone.” Kurt came to Ruby’s defense. Unfortunately, his help came with a leering look at her tits. Kurt was no hero. If Ruby had a dollar for every time he hit on her when he came in here with his buddies, she’d have enough cash to get the hell out of this small town. Sadly, Kurt was not only ready to cheat on his wife, he was a shitty tipper as well.

But Ruby took the opportunity to slip away while Trina was glaring at her husband for admonishing her, and Shreya and Kai were trying to pretend things hadn’t just become super awkward.

Because if there was one thing Ruby did not want to talk about with anyone, it was her sister.

Chapter Two

Ruby was wiping down tables at the end of the night when the door opened, letting in a burst of cool air. It was a reprieve from the stuffy bar, and Ruby took a deep inhale of the crisp fall breeze before speaking.

“Sorry. Last call was half an hour ago,” Ruby said without looking up. Her lower back ached from standing all night and her feet were killing her. Whoever this was could go pick up a six-pack at the twenty-four-hour market next door and let her get going. She was exhausted.

“I…”

Ruby looked up at the sound of throat-clearing.

She froze.

The man in the doorway was staring at her, his eyes an eerie silver flash in the semi-darkness. He was tall and broad, with dark hair down to his shoulders. His five o’clock shadow was more like ten o’clock, thick and dark. It was his eyes, though, that were freaking her out the most. There was something off about them, something … predatorial. If Ruby had to guess her time and place of death, it would be here, now, at the hands of this man who was most likely some kind of ax murderer.

This was what she got for wishing life around here was more exciting.

Death by psycho killer.

Why hadn’t she locked the door?

Because she’d never needed to before.

He cleared his throat again, but his voice still came out as a raspy rumble, like he didn’t use it very often. “I was looking for Macy.”

“She left for the night.” Ruby let her fingers brush the hunting rifle Macy kept under the bar. Would she have the guts to use it? Probably not.

The man’s face fell as he fidgeted awkwardly from foot to foot like he didn’t know what to do now. Ruby got the distinct feeling that he didn’t get out much. Mostly because she’d never seen him in town before and because he was still looking at her like she held the answers to the universe.

Which she definitely did not.

“Do you want to leave a message for her?”

He thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Ruby waited.

His brow furrowed as he formulated his words. Ruby nearly laughed. Probably not the best idea when you’re possibly about to be murdered.

“Tell her I came by about the tables.”

Cryptic.

“What about the tables?”

He gave his head a little shake like he was trying to work up to having a full conversation with her, like he hadn’t expected to have to do this much talking. Maybe that’s why he came in after last call.

“Macy hired me to make new tables. I’m a woodworker.”

“Oh. Cool. I’ll tell her.”

He blew out a relieved breath. Mission accomplished. He’d delivered his message. Again, Ruby had the ill-advised urge to giggle.

“Do you need to take measurements or anything? You could do it now while we’re empty. I have to finish cleaning up anyway.”

This would be the part in the true crime doc about her murder where every expert would be baffled about why she’d asked the killer to stay.

Her best guess was that her parents’ death had knocked the ability to feel real fear about anything out of her. What did she have to be scared of when the worst possible thing had already happened? It made her immune. Death was inevitable and it had visited Ruby early in life. Not that she particularly wanted to die, but she’d made her peace with it much earlier than most people.

So maybe that was why she invited the scary man in. Or maybe, upon further inspection, he wasn’t that scary.

He seemed kinda nervous, actually.

“Okay,” he nodded. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Ruby said, watching him as he came further into the bar. She’d turned off most of the lights so the space was dim, the floor and the tabletops were sticky, and there was a giant moose head staring at them from the wall, but the man didn’t seem to notice any of that. He was still looking at her.

Heat prickled up the back of Ruby’s neck.

“What’s your name?” she asked, attempting to break the tension.

“Rafe.” It was more like a sound than a name. The rumble of it, deep and throaty from his mouth, did nothing to break the tension.

It was Ruby’s turn to clear her throat. “I’m Ruby.”

Rafe’s gaze flicked down to her mouth which she’d painted her signature deep red. His lips tipped up in the corner like this amused him, that her name matched her taste in make-up.

“Nice to meet you, Ruby.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” The wooden bar top was between them, but Rafe had inched closer during their introductions. He placed his hands on top of the scarred surface. They were big, with scars of their own on the knuckles and one jagged one across the back of his hand. Woodworking must be a rough job. Or she hoped it was anyway.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” she said, going back to wiping down the counter, avoiding Rafe’s stare and his hands.

“I keep to myself.”

She could have guessed that.

“Do you live in town?”

“Nah. I live further in country. A cabin.”

“Sounds nice.”

He shrugged his giant shoulders. He hadn’t taken any measurements yet, still too busy watching her.

“I haven’t been there too long,” he said as though that explained everything.

“How did Macy ever find you to hire you?”

Rafe let out a rusty sound that may have been a laugh. It was hard to tell. “I have an Etsy shop.”

Laughter burst out of her before she could stop it. She clapped her hands over her mouth.

“Sorry, that was rude. You have an Etsy shop?” This big scary man had an Etsy shop? Her aunt was right about that whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” thing.

A wolfish smile crossed Rafe’s face and holy shit, he was … hot.

That was unexpected, but damn, as it turned out, up close, this scary dude was really freaking good-looking. People would kill for that bone structure, and he was hiding it with scruff. It was a shame really.

“I do. It’s a good way to sell my stuff.”

Ruby blinked. Right, she’d asked a question.

“Macy found me and realized I was local. Asked me to come and take a custom order. I agreed.”

“And you decided 1am was a good time to stop by?” Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow. Who the hell was this guy? Hands like a boxer, eyes like a killer, but he sold handicrafts on Etsy? Ruby did not know what to make of this whole encounter. If she made it out alive, it’d be a hell of a story to tell Lena tomorrow.

He shrugged again. “I guess I figured I’d catch her before she went home.”

“Well, I’m usually the one to lock up, so you’ll have to come earlier if you want to talk to Macy.”

“You’re here every night?”

“Every night except Thursday. That’s my day off.”

Gee, Ruby, why don’t you tell him your address too? Just give away all your information! It was like she had learned nothing from those stranger danger lessons they had every year in school.

Rafe nodded like he was tucking that detail away for later. He pulled a tape measure from his back pocket and went to work measuring the current tables, giving Ruby a break from his unrelenting gaze.

It was Ruby’s turn to stare.

She couldn’t help it.

She couldn’t help watching Rafe as he made his way around the room, crouching and bending across tables, his wingspan reaching across the whole thing. He was wearing a worn flannel shirt and jeans that had certainly seen better days, but they clung to him like they loved him. Like he and those jeans had been through some shit together and now they were best friends.

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it from his face, and she watched the muscles flex in his exposed forearm. What was it about forearms? Why did she want to run her teeth across his?

She shook her head.

She went back to her closing tasks.

She tried very hard not to look at the sexy woodworker/possible-serial-killer man anymore, but she found her gaze wandering back to him over and over.

There was something about him. Something magnetic. Captivating. The way he moved. The way he spoke. The way he looked at her.

Rafe walking into this bar was the most interesting thing that had happened to her in years. And she was now fairly certain he wasn’t going to hack her to bits and bury her in the woods. About eighty-five percent certain.

“That should do it,” he said, straightening from the last table, his gaze finding hers again. His lips quirked up when he found her already looking at him. She didn’t bother to pretend she wasn’t. His smile grew.

“I’ll come in earlier next time,” he said.

“You do that.”

“But not on a Thursday.”

Ruby bit down on a smile of her own. “Okay.”

“See you around, Ruby.”

She lifted her hand in a wave as Rafe strode out into the darkness.

Excerpted from
Big Bad Wolf by Laurie Gilmore. Copyright © 2026 by Laurie Gilmore. All rights reserved.



My Review

Big Bad Wolf is a layered slow burn paranormal romance . . .  and I am here for it!

Maple Hollow, Maine: Where fairytales come to life–the good, the bad, and the villainous.

I was absolutely enchanted by this small town of good natured folks who love to gossip! Small towns are also where big secrets hide. And there are secrets! Wooooo boy, are there secrets!

I love the FMC! Ruby is strong, resilient, hard working and loves her sister Lena so much. She’s also very protective of her. Lena’s health has been declining and no one seems to have any answers as to why and it is destroying Ruby piece by piece. Heart.Breaking! 

I love Rafe. He's a tortured hero still trying to come to terms with his nature. He’s also struggling with past sins and can’t see past the proverbial blood staining his hands. Rafe also doesn’t think he’s good enough for Ruby and doesn’t want her to throw her life away on him. Don’t we all love a virtuous hero? Well . . . maybe not too virtuous πŸ˜‰

The storyline had me glued to my screen. I had to catch myself so many times from jumping ahead to find out what happens next. It took Herculean effort to hold back the urge not to. It was that good! The characters are fun and mysterious. The storyline is exciting and suspenseful. And the chemistry between Rafe and Ruby is sizzling. 

The only thing that I didn’t like about the book was that it ended in a cliffhanger. 

I absolutely LOVED it and I cannot WAIT for the next book!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by Harper Collins via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.


Purchase Links*

Harper Collins Website



About the Author


Laurie Gilmore is a #1 New York Times,Sunday Times and Globe & Mail bestselling author who writes small-town romance. Her first novel, The Pumpkin Spice CafΓ©, won the TikTok Shop Book of the Year award in 2024. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing. Laurie is currently based in upstate New York. Learn more at www.thelauriegilmore.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Review: The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

A thrilling new tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.

Side note: I forgot I wrote a review for this last month and when I went to post this review to Goodreads, the original one was already there! Ugh! So frustrating! Welp, I guess I loved the book so much I reviewed it twice. You can visit Goodreads HERE for my orignial review.




About the Book

Bounty hunter Elle Randolph takes on every case she can, in an effort to outrun herself. Three years ago, she was the only one who walked away from a car crash that killed her husband and two others. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she is fueled by guilt and dedicated to solving other people’s problems. But her running is over when she’s identified as a person of interest in a murder investigation.

Detective Ronan Clarke, a single dad for fifteen years, has been laser-focused on raising his daughter and serving the people of Mendocino County, California. He’s got everything under control—until a bounty hunter enters his jurisdiction, keeping secrets and bringing murder to his quiet town. The hunter is definitely involved in his current case, but exactly how is his question. Could she be his killer? As he unravels her secrets, he becomes increasingly troubled by what he finds. While Elle is forced to reexamine every painful memory of the life she left behind, Ronan grows more and more sure of her innocence. But can he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their growing attraction?






My Review

Another Karen Rose masterpiece!

The story grabbed my attention and held me captive until the very end!

Elle was a lawyer in her former life. After becoming a bounty hunter, she struggles with some of the grayer areas of the job, often making it much harder to face herself in the mirror. But Elle is smart and resourceful in finding ways to get the information she needs without (mostly) compromising her principles, which often conflicts with her boss’s way of getting the job done. 

Elle is a complex character with a traumatic past. She is so strong and resilient but she doesn’t feel deserving of the second chance she’s been given. Elle’s emotions are so raw and deep, she was so easy to relate to. I really admire her spirit and her desire to help those in need.

Ronan is also a strong character with an incorruptible soul and fully dedicated to his job, his daughter, and his community. He hasn’t gotten out of life unscathed either and it shows in every decision he makes. Ronan is a stand-up guy and always puts the needs of others before his own. 

Let’s talk about this story. The methodically and meticulously layered plot points completely had me enthralled. The suspense is gripping. The villain(s) is/are chilling, disturbing, and masterfully crafted. Chef’s kiss as always!

This story also takes readers on a heart wrenching emotional ride of grief, despair, and finding the courage to overcome it. I felt all the feels and swiped away tears more than once. 

What I also really enjoyed about the book were the beautiful landscapes of the Mendocino area in California. I could picture it in my mind so well it was almost like I had been there before.

You can’t go wrong with a Karen Rose book. She may not always give you what you want, but she always delivers!

The One Who Walked Away is the perfect read for any romantic suspense fan.

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.


Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House



About the Author


Photo: © Michael Greene Photography

Karen Rose is the award-winning, #1 international bestselling author of over twenty-five novels, including the bestselling Baltimore and Cincinnati series. She has been translated into twenty-three languages and her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany’s der Spiegel bestseller lists. Learn more at www.karenrosebooks.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Release Day Review: Shadow of Fall by Rebecca Zanetti

Happy Release Day!

Shadow of Fall is the 4th book in Rebecca's Knife's Edge, Alaska series and showcases the fourth and final Osprey brother, Damian!

Don't worry though, the series isn't ending. There are a few more books coming out in 2027!



About the Book

Damian Osprey spent years in intelligence, where secrets were currency and trust was a liability. Taking a job as head of security at a remote research facility deep in the Alaskan wilderness brings him back to the land he once called home. It should be routine. But the facility sits at the center of a pattern Damian can’t ignore, and every answer he finds only leads to darker questions.

Stella Osprey has never stopped watching his back. Their marriage began as part of an undercover operation, but the fire between them was never pretend. She’s been working in the shadows ever since, following a trail of secrets that leads her to Alaska. And back to the only man she was never supposed to love.

When Damian finally catches the woman he knows has been moving just out of reach, the heat between them ignites fast and fierce. But with secrets buried in the wilderness, a ruthless killer stalking the land, and a conspiracy that could destroy them both, trusting each other again could cost them everything.





My Review

OMG!

What a thriller!

Nonstop action with . . .

πŸ‚Second Chance Romance
πŸ‚Smart Stubborn FMC
πŸ‚Stoic Unflappable MMC
πŸ‚Combustible Chemistry
πŸ‚Romantic Suspense
πŸ‚Small Town Secrets

Could NOT stop reading!

Shadow of Fall is an exciting read with multiple mysteries, ruggedly handsome Osprey brothers, and the strong, spirited–and patient–women who love them!

I love this romantic suspense series set against the backdrop of an isolated town in the Alaskan wilderness. Small towns always have the best characters: nosey neighbors full of gossip with secrets of their own and always willing to offer a helping hand. 

Stella is such an easily relatable character. As we discover her background and understand her decisions throughout the series, she’s just as worthy of happiness as anybody. I just wanted to hug her!

Damian–like all the Osprey men–is as secretive as they are protective of their home, and their family. Having to marry Stella on an undercover op years ago may have been pretend for everyone else, but not for him. He’s been searching for Stella for years to find out why she abandoned him. I love a dedicated man!

Stella and Damian are explosive! These years apart have only fueled the flames of their fiery passion. Their chemistry obliterates time, space and the distance Stella’s been trying to put between them. 

Shadow of Fall and the entire Knife’s Edge, Alaska series are a great introduction to the romantic suspense genre. The books are fast paced and packed FULL of secrets, subterfuge, and engaging storylines.

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the author's ARC teambin exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.


Purchase Links*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books

Kobo | Google Play | Signed Copies



About the Author


New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and #1 Amazon bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has published more than sixty novels, which have been translated into several languages, with more than five million copies sold world-wide. Her books have received Publishers Weekly starred reviews and have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Woman’s World, and Women’s Day Magazines. Her novels have also been included in Amazon best books of the year and have been favorably reviewed in both the Washington Post and the New York Times Book Reviews. Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate delivery guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest. Learn more at rebeccazanetti.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Release Day Review: Under the Iron Sky by A.T. Emerald

A fallen empire. A warrior determined to protect her people. And the masked soldier who captures her behind enemy lines. This is the first novel in a dark, seductive, and all-consuming trilogy where hope is fickle but the fight is never over.

This deluxe hardcover features a reversible dust jacket, a foil-stamped book case, and stunningly designed endpapers!




About the Book

Vordell was beautiful once. Its people lived in harmony, and their civilization flourished as they learned to harness and control the power of Light.

Then the darkness came.

The Iron Sky unfolded dark clouds across the land, thick enough to choke out the light of the suns. The ground cracked, releasing vicious creatures and evil magic-wielding soldiers. The Dar’rak—an enemy long believed to be buried and forgotten—returned to claim the world above.

Soraya Tollmere has spent most of her life on the front lines of the brutal war that followed. Now a high-ranking commander, she knows loss better than anyone.

By day, she leads troops across ruined landscapes and guides covert teams through enemy territory. By night, she meets with a Dar’rak defector who has kept humanity alive with his steady stream of secrets.

On a mission to investigate his latest lead—one that could turn the tide of the war—Soraya is captured by the Demon, the Dar’rak’s most feared soldier, his true identity unknown.

His orders are simple: Break the human commander and uncover where the humans are keeping a weapon that could win them the war. But as he gets to know the fierce warrior, the lines between interrogator and enemy, prisoner and ally, begin to blur.

Devastating truths surface and loyalties shatter, forcing Soraya to decide who to trust in a world where Light is dying—and where her greatest enemy may be her only salvation.






Quotes

“Funny, how the world could be broken and remade in just a few short seconds.” - pg 111

“She was fire and Light, a burning flame in this hellhole of darkness, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.” - pg 224

“. . . she could’ve been one of the suns, torn straight from the sky and made flesh to wreak havoc on this world. She was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen–and the most beautiful.” - pg 225

“ You know what, human,” he stated, lighting it with a match, “if it weren’t for this war, and the very existence of you and your kind didn’t threaten the extinction of mine, I might have liked you.” - pg 367

“They were like the sun and moon, slowly circling each other, each fighting for their chance to eclipse the other.” - pg 367

“They were so different in blood and upbringing, on different sides of the war facing opposite directions, but more alike than she’d ever expected.” - pg 394




My Review

100 Stars!

Under the Iron Sky is a masterpiece of fantasy literature!

I was absolutely blown away!

The book blurb does an amazing job of summarizing the book and I didn’t want to add anything else to the description because I want readers to experience all the surprises themselves. And there are a lot, not to mention a badass FMC we’d all hope to be like.  

The storytelling is elaborate, riveting, and inviting! I was completely enthralled! 

I gasped, cringed, cried, stared at the pages in disbelief, and just about had to throw the book out the window more than once, saying, “she (the author) better NOT do that to this character or that one!” 

I grieved, I was betrayed, I felt hopeless, and I grasped at the small joys that were found during this awful war.

This book broke my heart!

I became SO invested in these characters that when they suffered, I suffered right alongside them. 

The first half of the book was laying the foundation of the storyline through the author’s meticulous world building.

The second half of the book is gripping, action packed, and full of secrets so earth shattering, they threaten the stability of an entire civilization! I couldn't put the book down! 

A.T. Emerald is a fresh voice in the genre. I am completely enamored with her storytelling and I cannot WAIT for the next book! 

Under the Iron Sky is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read an early copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.


Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House


About the Author

A. T. Emerald lives with her husband and baby daughter in Nottinghamshire, England. She discovered her love of writing in 2020 and has not shut up about enemies-to-lovers ever since. She loves iced matchas, torrid love confessions with knives pressed to throats (fictional, of course) and does not accept bills for any therapy her books might incur. Learn more at www.instagram.com/at.emerald/

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.


Blog Tour Spotlight: Love You To Death by Jenna Levine

A jaded grim reaper and a woman who wants another chance at life give ‘til death do us part a new meaning in this paranormal romance from bestselling author Jenna Levine.



About the Book

Lucy McKenzie’s life has always been a disaster. So it should come as no surprise when one day she’s hit by an inconveniently-timed bus—and dies. Unfortunately for the handsome grim reaper who shows up to take her to the afterlife, Lucy is not about to go quietly.

Danil is tired of his job collecting souls. While working for the Agency beats the heck out of going to Hell, he’s been doing this for literal ages. The drudgery has him yearning for more.  Touched by Lucy’s plea for more time on earth, he convinces the Agency to make a deal: Lucy can have six more weeks of life if Daniel can observe her and report back on humanity. 

But as Lucy and Daniel navigate the chaos of life and afterlife together, they discover that a second chance at living might be their real chance at love.






Excerpt

 

~ Lucy~

Of all the embarrassing things I’ve done in my life, ducking behind a stranger at a workplace retirement party so my boss doesn’t see me has to be in the top ten.

“Don’t move,” I instruct, crouching down low enough in my seat that the man’s conveniently broad shoulders block me from view.

He freezes. “What are you doing?” His voice is very deep and rough around the edges, like he hasn’t used it in a while. It’s a sexy voice, a fact I’d maybe dwell on if we weren’t at a work event and the night hadn’t already gone to shit.

“Let’s just say that if I believed in Hell,” I explain, from behind this thankfully accommodating stranger, “I would currently be in its seventh circle.”

The guy makes an oddly strangled sound but says nothing.

My boss, Professor Elizabeth Skellar, stands less than five feet away as she scans the hotel ballroom. From the determined set of her jaw I know she’s looking for whoever forgot to bring the plaque honoring Professor Shiran’s fifty years of service to Tennessee College. The same plaque she was supposed to present to him five minutes ago in front of this stodgy crowd of professors, Prof. Shiran’s family, and a handful of university staff like me who couldn’t get out of being here.

But Skellar couldn’t present anything when Prof. Shiran took the stage because there wasn’t anything to present. Because I forgot the plaque at the office.

I’d known I was supposed to bring it. I’d even written it down in my Notes app. Sometimes, though, even writing things down isn’t enough keep me from screwing something up. I’m probably the worst admin Skellar has ever had—but forgetting the plaque for tonight’s guest of honor is a new low, even for me.

As I continue hiding in plain sight, Professor Skellar walks past us without looking in our direction. Only when she gets a drink from the bar and returns to her seat on the other side of the room do I let out a sigh of relief and get my first good look at the person I’ve been using as a Shield.

I nearly choke on my tongue.

I don’t know why this guy appeared beside me at this table reserved for university staff when everyone else abandoned it an hour ago. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. No — handsome doesn’t do him justice. This guy is hot. So hot it almost hurts to look at him. Dark, artfully messy hair that all but demands to have fingers running through it. Ice blue eyes. I’d already noticed the life-saving broad shoulders of course, but I hadn’t noticed the way his torso tapers down to a narrow waist. Or this man’s very long legs.

Or the way his cheekbones are so sharp they could cut glass.

His charcoal grey suit looks like it cost more money than I make in a month as an administrative assistant and way more than an econ professor at Tennessee College would spend on clothes. He can’t be staff, or I’d recognize him. He’s also not family of the retiring professor, sitting way back here; Shiran’s family is all sitting together at the front table.

At least I look good tonight, thanks to my sister Jess, who took me under her wing the way she always does. My shoulder-length light-brown hair and makeup are on point. And the dress she lent me—a gorgeous black sheath dress with cap sleeves that fits me like it’s mine—gives me a confidence I rarely feel.

“Hey,” I say, tapping into that false confidence. Trying for sultry, but probably failing. It’s me we’re talking about. He’s glowering down at a note card, his jaw doing that hot guy clenching thing that hot guy’s jaws always seem to do in romance novels. “What’s your name?”

A pair of ice blue eyes snap to mine. They widen a little, as though the question startles him. “My name?”

I nod at our otherwise vacant table. “A few minutes ago I was the only one here. Now you’re here too. An introduction seems appropriate.” And I’d like to know who I’m about to hit on. “I’m Lucy McKenzie. And you are?”

“I know who you are.”

“Oh,” I say, surprised. “Are you in the econ department too?” He looks like he’s in his early thirties. Maybe he’s a new faculty hire after all.

“No.” His eyes go distant, as if he’s trying to answer a difficult question. “As for my name, it’s… Daniel?” His sentence turns up at the end, like he’s not sure about it.

“Are you asking me if your name is Daniel or telling me?”

A beat passes. “Telling you?” He doesn’t seem too certain of that, either. Being hot like burning clearly hasn’t make him immune to being strange.

“Daniel’s a nice name,” I tell him. His shoulders relax a little, as though my liking his name is a relief. “What brings you to my table at the very back of this lovely ballroom?”

He stares at me like a deer caught in headlights.

“This table is for the unlucky hourly employees who have to be here,” I clarify. I don’t tell him that my coworkers—including Eleanor, my work bestie—found more interesting places to be once the open bar started. It’s probably obvious; we’re the only two people here now. “Do you work here?”

“No.”

For a second I wonder if he’s a party crasher. But that’s ridiculous. Who would be lame enough to crash this party? Then again, I don’t remember Daniel from the formal retirement ceremony that afternoon. If I’d so much as caught a glimpse of this man out of my peripheral vision I’d remember him.

I try again. “What’s your connection to Professor Shiran?”

He shifts awkwardly in his seat. He clearly doesn’t want to be having this conversation. “No connection.” His gaze sharpens on me with an intensity that could cut stone. “There is someone here I have business with.”

“Business?”

He nods slowly, ice blue eyes still locked on mine.

Excerpted from Love You to Death by Jenna Levine Copyright © 2026 by Jenna Levine. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.



Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House



About the Author


Photo © Berkley Romance (TR) 2023

By day, Jenna Levine works to increase access to affordable housing in the American South. By night, she's the USA Today bestselling author of humorous paranormal romances where the characters always find love, no matter who (or what) they are. When Jenna isn't writing, she can be found starting knitting projects she probably won't finish, imagining she is hiking somewhere beautiful, or spending time with her family and small army of cats. 

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Blog Tour Spotlight: Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.



About the Book

Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom. 

 Enter Ezra Blackwell: adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker.

Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost.

Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from sΓ©ances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was.





Excerpt

 

I push open the door and the antique skeleton key mobile jingles above. Ye Olde Spirit Shop was always meant to be a haven. My great-aunt Vera passed away shortly after I was born, bequeathing my mother a large sum of money. She and my mom were both black sheep of their family in a way-strange, spiritual, and ferociously curious about things they didn't understand. My mother felt the best way to honor her memory was to open a place that could become a gathering spot for Boston's paranormal community.

Not only do we sell antiques and oddities that change hands, we collaborate with local artisans to sell soaps, spell supplies, tarot cards, and books on all things otherworldly. The store is small, but packed to the gills with the unfamiliar. Display cases line the walls, each containing aged brooches, preserved specimens, withered photos and paintings with peculiar provenances, and much more.

While my peers had stuffed animals and Barbie dolls in their playrooms, I grew up surrounded by taxidermy woodland creatures and filled my company with haunted dolls and relics, breathing in the smell of antiques, aged cedar, and sage.

I run my medium business out of a tiny alcove inside, separated by a draping scarlet curtain. It contains a sΓ©ance table, a bureau full of my incense, tarot cards, and a collection of my favorite maybe-haunted paintings hanging on the walls.

As I reach the front counter, a rocking chair creaks behind me, and I turn. Not only did my mom inherit money from Vera, but she also inherited many of her possessions-including Clementine.

I kneel before the porcelain doll. Some might call Clementine horrifying on account of her absent, beady black eyes and painted-on smile. They just haven't gotten on her good side.

"Whatcha got for me, girl?" I ask.

Clementine holds a purple primrose in her tiny hand. No one's ever been able to explain it, but Clementine has the supernatural ability to offer people gifts (if she likes them). For me, it's often flowers. She must know I like making little salves and pouches for spells and protection, but I have a special place for her gifts.

"Thank you, Clementine," I tell her, and retreat to my alcove. I open the small scrapbook I've kept for years, find a blank spot, and press Clementine's flower into it with a smile.

I check the grandfather clock in the corner. Just a few more minutes before I've got to greet my next tour group.

I part the beaded curtain leading to our dressing rooms. The ghost tours were my idea. Everything from the black trolleys to the old-fashioned costumes and ghostly makeup is a performance. We allow each guide to create their own persona, alter their costume to their liking, and play the part however they wish, so long as they're getting the history right. Sometimes, I swear I'm more comfortable as Kitty O'Brien than Rory Woods. Kitty is fun, lively, and brave. Things I've never been able to master myself. Kitty isn't weighed down by anxiety and insecurities, and she doesn't fear rejection the way I do. People are enraptured by her stories and peculiarities. Rory, though, never feels like Enough.

I pop open my locker. I'm halfway through applying a new coat of Midnight Plum lip stain when the beaded curtain rustles again and I'm hit with the smell of razor-sharp citrus and leather. I don't have time to groan before Ezra Blackwell-the store's most popular and my least favorite tour guide-saunters in. He buttons his black satin waistcoat with his embroidered violet and charcoal jacket slung over his shoulder. He takes his place in front of the full-length mirror behind me.

"Evening, Ms. O'Brien," he says. His accent stops short of mid-Atlantic, but is deep and proper posh nevertheless. He's astonishingly good with dialects and has tried out a few in his time at the Spirit Tours. This is the one he stuck with. "Looking particularly dead this evening."

Our eyes meet in the mirror. He smirks.

Simply put, Ezra Blackwell looks like he would not survive the Industrial Revolution. He's below average height-though everything feels tall to my five feet-with a lean body of sharp angles. On his head, there's a shock of dark hair that curls at the ends.

Everything about him is an unpredictable danger, from the occasionally painted nails to the silver hoop earring hugging his cartilage, and the myriad of black tattoos peeking from his rolled-up sleeves.

It's particularly dangerous because I am alarmingly into all of that.

Excerpted from Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe Copyright © 2026 by Mallory Marlowe. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.


Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House



About the Author


Photo © by Chandra Wicke Photography

Mallory Marlowe is an author and video game writer living in Los Angeles, California. Seriously right-brained since childhood, her love of telling stories began with highly elaborate plots for her Barbie dolls and taking elementary school writing projects too seriously. She studied Writing for Film and TV at Emerson College. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely reading, stuck in LA traffic, or has fallen down a weird internet rabbit hole. Learn more at www.mallorymarlowe.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.