February was short, sweet, and a little chaotic. We got a puppy, his name is Titan.
Yes, a real one. Yes, he is perfect. Yes, he absolutely ate into our reading backlog and no, we regret nothing. Yes there are pictures below.
Despite the adorable disruption, we FINALLY caught up to our ARCs. There was a cozy romcom that instantly became a new favorite, a friends to lovers that knocked People We Meet on Vacation off its throne (a big deal in this household), a Viking fantasy that had us completely feral, and one that had a great premise but just didn’t land for us.
With the ARC backlog cleared, we can finally dig into some of our long awaited books in our TBR. Let’s get into it.
But before, as promised: here’s Titan.
Books We Finished in February📚
If Only You Knew
Description
Summer Prescott and Parker Woods have been best friends since they were three years old. Now thirty, neither of them feels like they have a good handle on adulthood. While their friends are coupled up and thriving, they’re struggling through career crises and disastrous dates, and frequenting the same old bars and surf spots they’ve been going to for years—until, on a whim, Summer decides to hand over her love life to Parker. After all, who better to help find her soulmate than the person who knows her best?
But when the date Parker introduces her to goes from husband material to dead end in one publicly humiliating swoop, Summer is so devastated that she breaks up with both men. And she decides to embrace a fresh start away from home by entering a surf competition that’ll have her chasing waves around the world.
Parker soon realizes the troubling truth—he’s spent nearly thirty years by Summer’s side and has only just realized that he’s in love with her. Now he’s on a mission to win back not just her trust but her heart, before she slips away for good.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Step aside People We Meet on Vacation, we have a NEW friends to lovers champion. This book was so good. Summer and Parker are one of my favorite couples of the year so far. It is the golden standard for me for what a friends to lovers romance should look like: the best slow burn and peak repressed ✨ YEARNING ✨. Ruin the Friendship was playing in my head the whole time.
The banter’s witty. Summer’s self sabotage and Parker’s mental health are portrayed very realistically and actually make you think. The characters grow together, the plot is fun, the spice feels earned, and two people who are made for each other finding their best selves and choosing to be together is the center of the book.
An absolute, unilateral yes from me. If you love friends to lovers and have never read Ellie K. Wilde, run, don’t walk.
Dawn of the North
Description
The lost Volsik heir has finally returned to the people of Íseldur, and even with the warrior who’s captured her heart standing by her side, Silla’s task is monumental. She must earn the loyalty of the northern jarls to drive Ivar Ironheart from the throne and restore peace in the kingdom. But the secret she vigilantly guards threatens to ruin all her plans: A shard of a god lives in her mind, twisting her thoughts and deeds to His will.
Meanwhile, held captive on the mysterious isle of Zagadka, Saga Volsik fights to return to her sister in Íseldur. But when King Ivar sets his sights on the Zagadkians, she’s forced to make an impossible choice: fight for the man who stole her—and is now hell-bent on marrying her—or let the innocent people of his kingdom die.
As a poisonous mist threatens the realm, the sisters will delve into the unknowns of their magic to battle against evil. Return to the land of ice and fire, where a god awakens, a queen finds her power, and sisters must unite against the darkness threatening their realm.
Thank you to Ballantine, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Dawn of the North is a great middle book that moves the plot forward, deepens worldbuilding, and prioritizes long term setup instead of introducing more new characters.
The story is faster than Kingdom of Claw, with multiple storylines running in parallel.
Saga’s story in Zagadka is a beautiful journey of finding who she is outside of Íseldur, and an ode to HORSE GIRLS EVERYWHERE.
Silla’s story is mature, confident, and all about her figuring out how to be both Eisa and Silla.
The romance stays impeccable, as Kassandr and Rey continue to be the most devoted, unhinged, grumpy men in fantasy, ready to cut down anyone who looks at their women wrong.
I found some of the plot a bit too fast paced, and Saga’s character growth a bit rushed, but I understand that this book can’t be 1000 pages (or can it maybe? I’d love to spend more time in this world).
All in all, I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. It cannot come soon enough.
And Now, Back to You
Description
Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.
Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal. If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With an undiscovered chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.
But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains, stay in the mountains?
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A wholesome, cozy contemporary romance full of emotional warmth and banter. Who doesn’t love forced proximity, one bed, and an excessive amount of weather puns? Delilah feels like a real version of what’s often portrayed as a manic pixie girl, while Jackson, the grumpy guy who falls first and has severe anxiety whenever he’s on stage, steals the show every time he appears.
A super cute, character driven romcom with lots of mushiness grounded in reality, and an excellent example of what a modern romcom can look like.
I absolutely adored the interludes and the side characters, especially Adeline and Penelope. More of the twins next book, please. Speaking of, we have to be getting Maggie and Orion’s book next, right? RIGHT?
Wicked Onyx
Description
You don’t graduate Nightbridge Academy—you survive it.
Born into a sorcerer bloodline, cursed, and cut off from my power, I was accustomed to being an outcast. For generations, my bloodline carried the weight of a crime committed by our ancestor. But my mother’s death changed everything. She left a clue that could prove our an ancient text hidden deep beneath Nightsbridge Academy.
The Academy is a fortress of power, housing the most dangerous incantors and sorcerers, conscripted to keep Horrors and Echoes at bay. And as the last surviving Onyx, I’m owed admission.
My plan is simple—find the book and expose the Imperium as the liars they are.
But I didn’t plan for the whispers that haunt my dreams. Or the complication of feelings I shouldn’t be capable of—stirred by two men bound to the very institution I’ve come to destroy. One sees too much yet says too little. The other is steady, protective, and always in my corner.
I can’t have either.
Yet when I’m in their presence…my curse begins to crack.
If they discover my true purpose, I’m dead.
But some truths are worth dying for.
The Imperium cursed my bloodline. Stripped us of our magic. Branded us as traitors. And now they will pay.
Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Wicked Onyx has a strong premise and a gorgeous cover. The idea is there, but the execution didn’t quite work for me. The book feels rushed, with too many plot threads that I would have loved to see paced out over multiple books. The cast also feels too big, which made it difficult for me to really settle into the world.
Anamaya is the familiar edgy, badass FMC, which will probably appeal to some readers, but it’s something I’m personally burnt out on. The romance has solid tension, and I really enjoyed the interactions, but I often felt confused about how the story got us to those moments.
Anamaya’s main motivation for attending the academy doesn’t guide the first book in a meaningful way, and the plot overall feels fractured.
The worldbuilding is creative and unique, but I think it may feel overwhelming or confusing for some readers, especially with so many plotlines running at the same time.
Overall, while I do think there’s potential for this series to become something really strong, the first book tries to do too much, too fast.
Books on our March TBR
Below are our March hopefuls!
The Vegas are still standing and the heirs are still feral, as they should be 👑🔱
Fated Thrones said here is your heart and also here is the floor 👑💀
Caught between a wolf king and a night prince and I am not okay 🐺🌑
Carl and Princess Donut said four castles fifteen days and I said godspeed 🎮🐱
Welcome to the sixth floor where the hunters become the hunted 🎭⚔️
Chris is the best friend’s boyfriend and the most painful green flag in fiction 💛🐶
Garrett and Hannah’s son plus John and Grace’s daughter equals absolute chaos 🎵🌊
March is looking absolutely unhinged and I mean that in the best way. We’re finishing up Zodiac Academy now that we’re no longer drowning in ARCs, diving into The Night Prince which I’m already listening to and it’s fantastic, team Blake forever, and I have a stack of books I’m genuinely losing my mind over.
The puppy will probably try to eat at least one of them. We’ll report back.
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