Tag: ARC

ARC Review: Temping Is Hell by Cathy Yardley

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Special thanks to Literary Media Tours and the author for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Temping Is Hell (Necessary Evil #1)
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

WORST. JOB. EVER. Kate O’Hara can’t wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic drama queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and it’s so boring and pointless it makes her skin crawl. Even working with temptation-on-legs CEO Thomas Kestrel won’t sway her — he’s a billionaire with a rep for being ruthless, and as far as she’s concerned, that’s a hard pass. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, she’s out of this corporate cube farm. Or so she thinks…

WHAT THE HELL? Next thing she knows, she’s accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And she’s discovered Thomas’s real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get his—now his and Kate’s—souls back.

IT’S NOT JUST A JOB. IT’S A MISADVENTURE. From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot boss and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her out—permanently!

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gaslighting, cancer, death (recounted, on-page), suicide, blood, violence, attempted murder

TL;DR: Temping Is Hell was a wild paranormal fantasy romcom romp! 🤣 It was definitely a bit bonkers but I mean that in a good way because it was so entertaining and I had a great time reading it! Kate, with her completely unfiltered chaos brain, and Thomas, the billionaire who needs to get his act together, were such an unlikely pairing, but I loved how her chaotic good energy grounded him. The ‘sold-my-soul-to-a-demon’ plot kept me completely engaged and it was fun learning about what happens when you do something like that—it’s not good, that’s for sure! I enjoyed the friendships, the banter, the sarcasm, and the chaos. Overall, this was a fun and humorous read that I would recommend if you’re looking for a paranormal romcom, especially for the spooky season~!

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ARC Review: Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Special thanks to the Rachel Quin for providing me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4)
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: 9 September 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating sports romance about a playboy hockey rookie and the disciplined softball pitcher completely immune to his charms.

Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor” is his roomie—and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher, girl least likely to take anyone’s bull…and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie might be dazzled by the badass pitcher, but Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him.

When he discovers she’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend/love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?

Through a series of contests that require them to trust each other, Robbie and Skylar grow closer and closer until their fake relationship starts to feel like the realest thing they’ve ever known and the sizzling lessons in sensuality burn out of control.

But it’s all just pretend…right?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Near drowning incident (on-page)

TL;DR: Pitcher Perfect wound up being a surprisingly fun fake-dating time?! I really enjoyed the banter between Robbie and Skylar but I also loved the sweeter, quieter, and more intimate (non sexual) moments between them. Skylar didn’t need anyone to rescue her, but she could’ve used someone vocal in her corner, and that’s exactly what she got from him. He was a surprisingly great cheerleader and I loved how hard he believed in her and how quickly he recognized how amazing she is and how lucky he got. While some of the steamy scenes had me cringing a fair bit, and I wish that we got to see more interactions with side characters, this gave me a giggle, made me blush, and I had a fun time with it!

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ARC Review: Embrace the Serpent by Sunya Mara

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Embrace the Serpent
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 24 June 2025
Genre: YA Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In this sweeping romantic fantasy, a dangerous deal binds a young jeweler’s apprentice to the mysterious Serpent King in a marriage of convenience, thrusting her into a deadly game between the cunning, fearsome ruler and his rebellious huntsman. Perfect for fans of The Wrath & the Dawn and Once Upon a Broken Heart!

The Serpent King has come to find his bride, and with his arrival festivities sweep through the city. Inside and outside the Rose Palace await women from across the six kingdoms determined to become his new bride-to-be—all except for eighteen-year-old Saphira.

After escaping life as a palace ward under the cruel djinn Lady Incarnadine, Saphira now works as the apprentice to the unscrupulous jewelsmith Galen. Out of fear of being discovered, she hides her rare gift for harnessing the magic in gemstones and lets Galen take credit for her craft.

But when Galen makes a boast that ruffles the court, Lady Incarnadine punishes him with an impossible task—one that threatens to drag Saphira back into Incarnadine’s grasp. Desperate to avoid this fate, Saphira strikes a dangerous deal with Rane, the enigmatic huntsman sent by the Serpent King to find the best jewelsmith in the empire.

Rane promises that if Saphira crafts a mysterious piece for his master, the Serpent King will grant her a new identity and freedom. But when their plans go awry and the only way out is to marry the Serpent King, Saphira becomes entangled in the dangerous affairs of kingdoms and empires—caught between the cunning, handsome Rane and her cold, serpentine husband.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of a parent (off page, recounted), violence, war themes, blood, poisoning

TL;DR: Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high but I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t end up loving this more. I rarely say this, but I think Embrace the Serpent could’ve benefitted from being a duology for more detailed world-building, better exploration of the magic system, and deeper character arcs/relationship development. That said, I think it was a fairly solid YA romance fantasy with a unique magic system, and interesting settings and characters. I would recommend this for fantasy readers who aren’t looking for in-depth world-building and magic exploration, but enjoy being reeled in with a simple and unique system, plus those who love an innocently sweet romance with fairly decent stakes.

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ARC Review: The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC via Valentine PR in exchange for an honest review!

The Bad Boy Rule (Hellcats Hockey #1)
Publication Date: 12 June 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A deliciously sexy, bad boy/good girl, hockey romance from Amazon Top 20 bestselling sports romance author, Maren Moore.

Lennon

Saint Devereaux has a reputation that precedes him.
Orleans University’s resident bad boy on and off the ice.
And I know to stay far away. Until there’s a mixup and we’re forced to share our ice time.
I can’t stand his cocky attitude, or how annoyingly attractive he is.
He’s the reason the Bad Boy Rule exists.
Because guys like him will break your heart.
But the more time I spend with the hot, tattooed enforcer, the more I realize that being bad… has never been so much fun.

Saint

Lennon Rousseau plays the role of a high society socialite well.
She’s the definition of a good girl.
Valedictorian, president of the esteemed Social Club, a purity pact with her friends.
And I want to ruin her the way that her father ruined my life.
I can think of a hundred ways to dirty her up, and getting her beneath me is the perfect place to start.
I thought she might be the answer to getting my revenge, but now I’m beginning to wonder if she’s the one who’ll bring me to my knees instead.

The Bad Boy rule is a standalone in the Hellcats Hockey series which takes place in the Orleans University world.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Emotional and physical abuse by a parent (mostly off-page), drug and alcohol abuse of a secondary character, toxic familial relationships, chronic illness of a child (briefly mentioned, very minor secondary character), fighting/physical violence (on page), explicit sex scenes (on page)

TL;DR: The Bad Boy Rule is a great start to a new hockey romance series from Moore and I’m excited to see whose story comes next! This was a great hate-to-love romance featuring a good girl x bad boy combination that set my Kindle on fire. Once Saint and Lennon open up to each other and see beyond the personas they’ve perfected for the public, their connection was so good and their chemistry was intense! If you’re looking for personal growth and emotional vulnerability alongside many wickedly steamy moments, plus, no third act breakup then I think you’ll enjoy this romance!

That said, I would recommend checking out the author’s content warnings for the book as it does cover topics that may be triggering for some readers.

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ARC Review: The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

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

The Raven and the Dove (The Raven and the Dove #1)
Pub Date: 9 March 2020
Genre: YA Romance Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde!

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blackmail, infidelity (recounted), death of parents, violence, blood, description of injuries, description of injury from fire, kidnapping, fade to black sex scene, stalking

Okay, I will admit that I’m impressed. Pushing aside the fact that it took me 5 years to finally get past the first chapter (all other attempts didn’t take and this time it took me 3 days to pass it), I ended up devouring the rest of the book in a day. Admittedly, I skimmed some of the longer overly descriptive scenes that didn’t seem to add anything other than splendour to the story. That said, this turned out to be more than I expected! Let’s get straight into what did and don’t work for me and what was in between:

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ARC Review: Sliding Home Jaqueline Snowe

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Special thanks to Jaqueline Snowe for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sliding Home (Out of the Park #2)
Publication Date: 6 May 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Two years ago, she pushed him away. Now, he’s back… and he’s not giving up.

Michelle Benning has no time for distractions—not when she’s juggling school, two jobs, and a past she refuses to look back on. Love? It’s never been part of her plan. So when Brooks Madsen, the rising baseball star she once almost let in, walks back into her life, she’s determined to keep him at arm’s length.

Brooks never understood why Michelle ran, but he’s never forgotten her. Their connection was real—fiery, intense, and impossible to ignore. And now that he’s back in town, he wants answers. But for every step closer he gets, Michelle puts up another wall.

She thinks she’s protecting herself. He knows she’s running. And when the past she’s been hiding from comes crashing back, Michelle has to decide: keep running… or finally let Brooks be the one person she trusts to stay.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Child abuse (recounted, minor detail), substance abuse/addiction (secondary character, mentioned), extortion/black mail, stalking, parent with dementia (on page, detailed)

TL;DR: Sliding Home is a great second-chance romance featuring two tough MCs who are easy to like and whom you almost immediately want to root for! Michelle and Brooks were great characters individually but together, their romance gave angst and a whole lot of (delightful) tension! I loved their “will-they-won’t-they” dance and found myself fully invested in their HEA. While this is very character driven, there was also a mini-suspenseful plot that made sense to the story, but I found the reasoning behind the third-act to be a bit frustrating, even if I did understand how it fit into their story. Overall, this had the character depth I feel I have been missing in a lot of the (indie) romances I read these days, and I loved it! If you’re looking for a non-sports heavy “sports romance”, a second-chance romance where the characters work to reach a good place, and plenty of open communicative moments, then I would recommend checking this out.

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ARC Review: In A Rush by Kate Canterbary

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

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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ARC Review: I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

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

I Am Not Jessica Chen
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 28 January 2025
Genre: YA Contemporary

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

After getting rejected by every single Ivy League she applied to and falling short of all her Asian immigrant parents’ expectations, seventeen-year-old Jenna Chen makes a wish to become her smarter, infinitely more successful Harvard-bound cousin, Jessica Chen—only for her wish to come true. Literally.

Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blackmail, academic cheating, bullying, anxiety

Okay, can we take a minute to appreciate this cover? It’s already one of my favourites this year so far!

TL;DR: This was my first YA contemporary by Ann Liang but it won’t be my last. I now understand why her books are so well-loved and always come highly recommended. This had strong characters, was packed with emotion, and had a high degree of relatability that I think will apply to all readers. In “I Am Not Jessica Chen”, Liang perfectly captures the highly competitive high school and academic experience, including the pressures teenagers face to do better and achieve more as they equate it to success. Jenna is a complex, relatable and realistic character and I enjoyed watching her journey of self-acceptance unfold. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to all readers!

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ARC Review: The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Special thanks to Storytide (HarperCollins Children’s Books) for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilde Trials
Publisher: Storytide
Pub Date: 21 January 2025
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From the acclaimed author of The Rosewood Hunt comes a thrilling new mystery about a high-stakes competition packed with shocking twists, second chances, and deadly deceit, where allies—and enemies—are the people you’d least expect.

Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.

But the competition is fierce, and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the Trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.

Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a lifechanging prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.

Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder (recounted), multiple murder attempts, bullying, blackmail

TL;DR: The Wilde Trials was a great young adult mystery/thriller. It’s been a minute since I read YA in this genre but this made me want to pick up more of them! The setting of the Wilde Manor was perfectly atmospheric, the puzzles fun, the mystery intriguing and even the teenage drama was entertaining. Overall, if you’re looking for a well-paced mystery with empathetic characters who are easy to root for, I would recommend checking this out.

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ARC Review: A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

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

A Language of Dragons
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 7 January 2025
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gun and knife violence, physical assault, classism, speciesism, sexism and misogyny, police (Guardian) brutality, murder

TL;DR: A Language of Dragons took me on a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions. This fantasy world where humans and dragons co-exist had a fascinating premise and overall, I think the author executed it well. This has a little something for everyone—an in-depth exploration of linguistics and the power of language, political intrigue and subterfuge, romance, and dragons, and I think its comparison to Babel and The Hunger Games (or any other dystopian YA) is apt. Despite being a historical fantasy, it explores evergreen themes of social inequality, redemption, forgiveness, and justice, among others. The main struggle I had was dealing with the wildly negative feelings our protagonist, Viv, brought out in me as she’s one of the most flawed and unempathetic YA characters I’ve ever read. Upon reflection, I appreciated what the author did with Viv and how it made her eventual growth more satisfying—even if I didn’t reach that level of acceptance while reading, lol. If you’re affected by unlikeable protagonists then you might not enjoy this but if you can have patience, I think you’ll come to appreciate Viv too! Overall, this was a solid debut and I can’t wait to see where Williamson takes the story next!

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