Book Review: Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1)
Publisher: Hodderscape
Pub Date: 10 September 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From global phenomenon Callie Hart comes a highly addictive enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance that you won’t be able to put down!

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.


In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares… but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details . . .

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Rape of the protagonist’s mother, sex work, suicidal ideation, forced sterilization (recounted), blood, injury & gore depiction including decapitation & emesis, murder & torture, war themes, extreme childhood poverty (recounted)

Shoutout to Leslie for buddy reading this with me because it is a super fun book to have someone to exchange thoughts and theories with! 💜

TL;DR: Oops, I’m coming in with a slightly unpopular opinion here even though I ultimately ended up enjoying the story. I’ve seen everyone and their mum reading and talking about this book for months. While my reading experience was fairly average and I can’t say that I fully get the hype, I can understand why it is hyped because it ticks off all of the fantasy romance boxes. From hate-to-love romance and high sexual tension (and steam!) to faeries and vampires, and enough action to keep you invested—this has all of the elements that make this genre so popular and well-loved. Although I didn’t love it as much as everyone else did, I liked it enough to want to continue the series and I look forward to seeing where the author takes our characters next!

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Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3)
Publisher: Random House US
Pub Date: 11 February 2025
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Sarcificial suicide, alcohol consumption, blood & injury depiction including broken bones (secondary character), recounted death of parents, brief recounting of grandparent’s murder, murder & attempted murder, physical assault

TL;DR: You know that feeling you get when you read the opening line of a book and you immediately know that you’re in good hands? That’s what I felt the moment I read the first line in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales and I just knew I’d have a wonderful time coming back to this historical cosy fantasy following along with Emily’s faerie adventures. Returning to this world felt like coming home. I continued to love Emily and Wendell with their delightfully contrasting personalities who couldn’t be better matches for each other. Their banter still has me kicking my feet in giggly joy! I loved reuniting with old favourite characters from the previous books and being introduced to new ones who I admittedly had misgivings about, but who steadily proved those feelings wrong. From wild enchantment to foreboding and utter disbelief to absolute charm, this third book takes you on an engaging ride and presents a very satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series.

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ARC Review: In A Rush by Kate Canterbary

Special thanks to the author and her team for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In A Rush
Publication Date: 4 February 2025
Genre: Adult Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

What’s better than a revenge date?
A revenge husband.

Pro quarterback Ryan Ralston has always known two things.
First, he’s desperately in love with his best friend Emme Ahlborg.
Second–and most importantly–he still has no idea how to tell her.

The marriage pact they made in their senior yearbook was the closest he ever came.
Years passed and Emme forgot about their promise.
Ryan never did, especially not on his thirtieth birthday.

Emme can’t catch a break. Always unlucky in love, her cheating ex is a groomsman in her best friend’s wedding—and there’s no way she’s showing up alone.

Ryan offers her the one thing better than a wedding date: a revenge husband. And he’s not just any fake husband but the NFL’s brightest star…and in need of serious reputation rehab.

Playing the part of the happy couple comes easy and soon enough, the lines between real and fake blur. They disappear altogether when there’s just one bed.

All Ryan has to do is save Emme from her ex, find her step-sister an internship, and get his wife to fall in love with him—or fumble the one thing he’s ever wanted: her heart.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

From the author: incidences and discussion of infidelity, incidence of body shaming, parental estrangement, parental divorce, brief mention of parental death (ALS), chronic illness (main character—endometriosis).

Over the years, Kate Canterbary has become one of my favourite go-to romance authors. Now when I pick up one of her books, I know it’ll be a great time.

TL;DR: Reading In A Rush felt like receiving a warm and welcoming hug from an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while and I loved Ryan and Emme! Their chemistry was a simmering explosion just waiting to happen, their friend groups were hilarious, their families entertaining (but also very messed up, at least on Emme’s side) and overall, this was the perfect romantic escape read from the mess of reality. I was all for Ryan’s peak Wife Guy energy that had me swooning all over the place (no joke)! I’m already excited to get more books in the Friendship series (please bless us, KC!).

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Book Review: Big Nick Energy by Morgan Elizabeth

Big Nick Energy (Season for Revenge #4)
Pub Date: 24 October 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Connor Finch insists his one-time Tinder match, Shae, comes to his dad’s house for Thanksgiving with her two daughters, it’s because he refuses to let them be alone on her first-holiday post-divorce.

But when she arrives at the Christmas tree farm and ranch he grew up on, she meets his father—the crazy tall, built, golden retriever cowboy who tells her girls all about the magic of the stupid elf on a shelf.

Of course, when she later corners him and tells him thanks a lot for nothing and that she’s way too overwhelmed to have to deal with yet another responsibility, he feels terrible.

So terrible, he finds himself driving two hours every night just to deliver an elf, move him about, and create some Christmas magic for her girls.

But what happens when he decides meeting her the way he did was some kind of Christmas miracle, and he needs to convince Shae to give him a shot?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Abusive relationship (recounted), on-page threats and intimidation by abusive ex

I’ve seen this holiday romance everywhere in the past couple of weeks and I can see why everyone recommends it! Aside from the fun puntastic title and the holiday vibes that make it a perfect fit for the season, it was also one of the most heartwarming and feel-good romances that I’ve read in a while. What starts as a slightly awkward and tension-filled first encounter (with lots of dubious side-eyeing) turns into a beautiful, healing romance full of incredibly sweet and thoughtful moments! If you love the grumpy x sunshine and single parent tropes and where he falls first and falls hard for her and her kids, chances are you’ll really enjoy this romance.

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Mini Book Review: Rookie Mistake by Maren Moore

Rookie Mistake (Orleans University #3.5)
Pub Date: 24 September 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

I won my brother’s rival in a Date the Player auction… and had the best night of my life.

Davis Guidry is Orleans University’s starting rookie pitcher.
He’s handsome, charming, and an all-around flirt.

After spending a hot, spontaneous night together, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.
But our no-strings fun comes crashing down when my overbearing brother, who happens to be Davis’s biggest rival, catches us in action.
Even that seems to only make the fire burn hotter when we’re together.
And suddenly, our secret fling starts to feel like something more than either of us bid on.

Are these casual hookups between us just a fun way to pass my freshman year… Or have we made the ultimate rookie mistake and caught feelings?

Rookie Mistake is approximately a 36k word novella in the Orleans University world. It is a complete standalone. This is high spice, low plot and lots of fun!

Moore describes this as “high spice, low plot, and lots of fun”, which is spot on for this college romance novella. At less than 200 pages, things move unsurprisingly quickly for Zara and Davis but thankfully, even with their instant connection, there are no instant declarations of love. From the go, their chemistry was palpable and I loved seeing them grow closer as friends and romantic partners. Their personalities were complementary and it resulted in some fun and wild times!

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Book Review: Hitched to the Gunslinger by Michelle McLean

Hitched to the Gunslinger (Gunslinger #1)
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Pub Date: 24 August 2021
Genre: Historical Western Romance

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Gray “Quick Shot” Woodson is the fastest gun west of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, he’s ready to hang up his hat. Sure, being notorious has its perks. But the nomadic lifestyle—and people always tryin’ to kill you—gets old real fast.

Now he just wants to find a place to retire so he can spend his days the way the good Lord intended. Staring at the sunset. And napping.

When his stubborn horse drags him into a hole-in-the-wall town called Desolation, something about the place calls to Gray, and he figures he might actually have a shot at a sleepy retirement.

His optimism lasts about a minute and a half.

Soon he finds himself embroiled in a town vendetta and married to a woman named Mercy. Who, judging by her aggravating personality, doesn’t know the meaning of her own name. In fact, she’s downright impossible.

But dang it if his wife isn’t irresistible. If only she’d stop trying to steal his guns to go after the bad guys herself.

There goes his peace and quiet…

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS

Death of parent (off page), gambling, alcoholism (side character), gun violence, extortion, attempted murder

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Book Review: The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

The Crimson Moth (The Crimson Moth #1)
Publisher: Magpie
Pub Date: 20 February 2024
Genre: New Adult Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli’s latest romantic fantasy.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Persecution for witchcraft, mass murder of witches recounted, slavery/captivity recounted, abuse (sexual, physical, mental) recounted, rape recounted, drug addiction, alcoholism, gun violence, torture, imprisonment.

TL;DR: The Crimson Moth was exactly what I wanted it to be and what I needed at the time of reading. If you’re searching for a new adult romance fantasy that will absorb you with its storytelling, keep you immersed with its cast, and grab you by your feelings with the enemies-to-lovers mutual pining and angst, then this is an excellent book to check out! With the slow-building tension and turns of events that lead to an action-packed and heart-twisting ending, I’m fully seated and ready to see where Ciccarelli takes us next. I just need it now! 🤣

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Mini Series Review: Darling Series by S.J. Tilly

I only just discovered S.J. Tilly’s books this weekend but I already can’t recall how she came up on my Amazon FYP. Or maybe it was my Twitter FYP? Either way, I’m happy that I followed my curiosity and checked out these titles (happily they are on (UK) KU if you’re keen to check them out)! TL;DR: These first two books in the Darling Series were steamy, funny, quirky small-town age gap romance reads and for the most part, I enjoyed all the characters and their stories. I can’t wait for this series to continue! 😍

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ARC Review: Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee

Special thanks to Montlake for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nine Tailed (Realm of the Four Kingdoms #1)
Publisher:
Montlake
Pub Date: 1 August 2024
Genre: Adult Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

An enemy on her tails, an innocent at her side, and a dangerous power within her that could destroy them all. Jayci Lee melds Korean folklore with modern Americana in this fiery new series.

In a race to stop an ancient evil from destroying the worlds as they know them, Sunny comes to a startling, heartbreaking if she chooses love—everything will burn.

Sunny Cho aspires to be the dullest, least interesting person in any given room, which can be challenging for a nine-tailed fox spirit. So she drifts from city to city—staying clear of any and all attachment—and keeps her fox buried deep inside her. It is better this way. She would rather live as half of herself than risk losing control of her terrible powers.

Ethan Lee, a friend she left behind eight years ago, is a brilliant and distractingly hot PI. When he tracks her down and asks her to help him find his brother’s murderer, Sunny knows her uneventful life is about to be turned upside down.

Traversing the mortal realm and the world of gods, Sunny and Ethan discover their quest is much more dire than mere vengeance, and their friendship might be…more. An ancient evil is stirring, and Sunny is faced with an impossible save the worlds from annihilation or claim the love fated by the heavens.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, violent deaths of family members (recounted), murder, gore, on-page sex

TL;DR: I love romance and fantasy, but until now, I don’t think I’ve read a book inspired by Asian mythology that isn’t in the YA category. So, I was very excited about getting my hands on a copy of Nine Tailed, and while there were elements I enjoyed a lot, I admit that not all of it worked for me. The world-building inspired by Korean mythology was fantastical and I also loved that the author’s enthusiasm for the mythology and characters came through in the writing. I also think the romance and interplay between the MCs will be favoured by those who love Maas and JLA’s romance fantasies and this will be most enjoyed by those who loved their books.

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Book Review: Heartless by Elsie Silver

Heartless (Chestnut Springs #2)
Pub Date: 14 October 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me.

Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes.

He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist?

But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him.

Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms.

My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months.

But my heart says this is forever.

TL;DR: I can honestly say that I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. I wasn’t a big fan of Cade in book one—as let’s just say his actions and words didn’t inspire much attraction—but this book flipped that script and boy howdy, did I love it! 😍 Their chemistry was great, the banter had me giggling, the romance was sexy and sweet, and a wonderful family dynamic shines through in this book. My favourite in the series thus far!

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