I can’t believe June has already come and gone, and with it goes the last holiday I have before the end of the year. ๐คญ We held the annual Bali family summer holiday mid-June to celebrate my nan’s 94th birthday and this year we also had family photos (*shudder*). My sister flew down from Japan, and the rest of family flew in from where we’re spread out globally. These years, family holidays feel less and less like a ‘holiday’ due to overly hectic schedules and trying to pack everything into a 1-2 week period, but it’s always lovely to see everyone. Even though I came back feeling the need for a holiday from my holiday, it was also nice to get a break from work!
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
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)
๐SYNOPSIS
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-beโall 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 taskโone that threatens to drag Saphira back into Incarnadineโs 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 empiresโcaught between the cunning, handsome Rane and her cold, serpentine husband.
โ ๏ธCONTENT/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 Iโm a little disappointed that I didnโt end up loving this more. I rarely say this, but I think Embrace the Serpent couldโve 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 arenโt 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.
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.
I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday in bed reading The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman. This is the third book in The Thursday Murder Club Series and I’m buddy reading it with Leslie. Just a few chapters in and I love how easily I’ve slipped back into this setting and story with these oldies. They’re so wonderful and entertainingโI love them! ๐
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and myself! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each otherโs posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.
This week’s topic is:
Mid-Year Check-In
Prompts: Now that weโre halfway through the year, letโs check in! How has your reading year been so far? What reading/blogging achievements are you most proud of? Looking forward, is there anything you want to change up for the rest of the year?
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 Universityโs resident bad boy on and off the ice. And I know to stay far away.
Until thereโs a mixup and weโre forced to share our ice time. I canโt stand his cocky attitude, or how annoyingly attractive he is. Heโs 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 badโฆ has never been so much fun.
Saint
Lennon Rousseau plays the role of a high society socialite well. Sheโs 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 Iโm beginning to wonder if sheโs the one whoโll 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.
โ ๏ธCONTENT/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 Iโm 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 theyโve perfected for the public, their connection was so good and their chemistry was intense! If youโre looking for personal growth and emotional vulnerability alongside many wickedly steamy moments, plus, no third act breakup then I think youโll enjoy this romance!
That said, I would recommend checking out the authorโs content warnings for the book as it does cover topics that may be triggering for some readers.
Happy Wednesday, book lovers! This is coming out a bit late, but it’s time to announce the โจJuly 2025 LTB Topics!โจ I can’t believe we’re already past the halfway mark of the year, can you?!
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
dinipandareads 