Fat Stack Friday December 12, 2025

Check out what I've gotten since last week!

NetGalley/Edelweiss/Booktrovert:

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

I already have the Kindle version of this one but I was excited to get the audio, too, so I can read and listen along! I had the audio version of She Doesn't Have a Clue  from her and really liked the narrator.

Catch Her If You Can (Big Shots #5) by Tessa Bailey

I love me some Bailey. Her romances are always so much fun. I cannot wait to see where this one leads. I'm not a big baseball fan but I know it's about one of the characters from book #4 so I need to see where it goes!

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell is pretty much an auto-read author for me. I was excited to request this one and receive my approval within just a few hours. Cannot wait to see what kind of ride she takes me on with this one!

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Anything by Katherine Center goes on my list immediately and becomes one of my most anticipated reads. I actually requested this on on Edelweiss but was declined. I wrote to the publisher to ask for a copy as I saw lots of people in my NetGalley group getting a widget and was told if more copies became available I would be considered. Of course I was disappointed as I've reviewed her last two books. But then it went up for read now and you can see I jumped on that!

The Summer of Second Chances by K.L. Walther

I just saw The Summer of Broken Rules at Five Below and was tempted to buy it but didn't. I came home and this one was up for read now, so I figured it was kismet and grabbed it. I'm hoping I've found myself another auto-read author.

The Crowned Mystic (The Royal Insights #1) by Lauren Kutney

I'm really loving Booktrovert and their book offers. This one already published 12/1/25 so it's not super high on my priority list, but I'm hoping to get to it soon!

In The Mail:

Her Hidden Fire by Clidhna O'Sullivan

The publisher contacted me to see if I wanted a hard copy arc of this one. I do have a Kindle version but I like when I can get things in physical form.

Kindle:

Not Just a Crush by Helena Hunting

This freebie came in Hunting's newsletter. I'm always looking for cute novellas to break up my longer books. Hoping to get this one in before the new year comes!

Better in Black by Cassandra Clare

I will forever buy all the shadowhunter books. I love this world so much. And I love Clare's writing!

What did you get?

 

ARC Review: Next Level Love by Shameez Patel

 

When your favorite player turns out to be your very real boss, the rules are a lot more complicated.

Elizabeth Gordon-Bettencourt is rebuilding her life on her own terms, starting with a new internship, a shot at her dream job as a civil engineer, and a whole lot of distance from her family’s drama. With her life full of change, the one constant is @theanswerisno, a charming gamer who seems to just . . . get her. Even if he has no interest in meeting her in real life.

Elizabeth would feel a lot more confident about her job if her new boss wasn’t so hard to read. Lincoln Carden is quiet, demanding, and adamant about avoiding small talk—especially in the office. What she doesn’t know is that online, he’s someone else entirely: quick, confident, and a little bit flirty. And his favorite player to team up with is @pancakesareelite, the one person who never makes him feel like he has to try so hard. As their two worlds start to collide, Elizabeth and Lincoln start to wonder: with their careers on the line and their online friendship at risk, is a romance IRL worth it? 

Title: Next Level Love

Author: Shameez Patel

Publisher: Forever

Expected Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

How cute is a romance about two online friends who flirt and interact and end up actually knowing each other in real life but not knowing it? I love the mystery there and how much fun things could be for these two. And, while this book had such a great concept it was just ok for me.

So much potential kind of wasted here. The characters were interesting enough. I liked the ADHD representation for the male main character, Lincoln. I could feel his anxiety and how hard it was for him to be social. He had a fair amount of depth, which I appreciated. But I also felt like I really didn't know him well. For the female main character, Elizabeth, I couldn't really find it in myself to care much about her. She's barely developed despite her having a background that could have truly leant to her growth and development. She has some trauma in her past and we're made aware of it, but the interactions she has as a result of it just don't jive for me. I needed her to have more anxiety, more fear. And it just wasn't there. Plus she lets people just step all over her and never tries to defend herself or stand up for herself in any way.

The side characters were fun. I did love how much Lincoln's friends supported him and tried to honor his ADHD and what it meant for their interactions with him.

The pacing is slow in this book and ended up taking away from the plot for me. I originally loved the text message exchanges between the characters. I really thought they would give lots of great insight into the characters and their relationship. But in the long run they really didn't lend much to the story. I needed the texts to really show their friendship and what kind of role it played in them forming the bond they had. But it just gave snippets here and there of their snarky, silly conversations. I also usually love women in STEM but this book just made her seem wishy washy as she was surrounded by men who thought it was ok to treat her as if she were below them and not as smart as them. Is this a theme I see in STEM, yes, because it's often a bone of contention. But the way it was done here didn't lend much to the story line and there was no true resolution of it. The author paints the FMC as less than throughout the book and I just don't understand why you would present a character in this way.

Overall, it was cute but just did not hit the mark for me. I ended up giving it 2.5 stars but have rounded to three for the purposes of this review.

Author:

Shameez Patel was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. She lives there with her husband, child, and three cats. During the day, she juggles her time between her daughter and working in STEM, but at night, she escapes to new worlds that often include magic and monsters and always have someone to fall in love with. Shameez fell in love with fiction, especially fantasy fiction, at a young age. Her parents fondly recall receiving her first handwritten story before the age of ten, titled The Treasures of Zombie Island, which surprisingly featured no zombies at all. She has been writing ever since.

ARC Review: Tidespeaker by Sophie Turner

 

A girl with the power to command the tides has her life changed when she secures a job serving a wealthy noble family—only to learn upon arrival that the last person to fill her post mysteriously died, and her new employers are hiding dark secrets—in this haunting and lush debut fantasy.

Corith Fraine is a Floodmouth—her words can control water. Yet for those born with her rare elemental ability, paths forward are few, and Corith is one of the lucky ones. She has spent most of her life in a prestigious magic institution, training to one day achieve the highest possible honor for a member of her kind: the chance to serve one of the hundred noble houses.

When Corith learns she’s secured a post working for House Shearwater, a reclusive noble family living on a wave-battered island, she thinks her hard work has paid off. Until she discovers that their previous Floodmouth—Corith’s closest friend—mysteriously died in their service. And Corith is her replacement.

To learn the truth of her best friend’s accident, Corith must unravel the dark conspiracies at the heart of Bower Island. Yet doing so will require contending with the island’s deadly tides and her enigmatic new employers—including the family’s brooding youngest son, Llir, who she finds herself equally drawn to and repelled by. With her loyalties pushed to breaking point, these treacherous waters may well pull Corith under…

"A lush and atmospheric fantasy that readers will devour. Set on an isolated island with elemental magic and a tension-filled slow burn romance, TIDESPEAKER drew me into its current and refused to let go. A spectacular debut from an exciting new voice." - New York Times bestselling author Rachel Griffin

"Awash with intrigue and characters with morals as grey as its mist-shrouded isle, Turner’s masterful debut delivers evocative prose, explorations of injustice and violence, and an exquisite slow-burn romance. Corith is the deeply relatable autistic heroine I needed as a teen." - Leanne Schwartz, author of To a Darker Shore and A Prayer for Vengeance

Title: Tidespeaker

Author: Sophie Turner

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Expected Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Review:

Thank you to RandomHouse Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Nothing pains me more than a book with a fabulous premise and high potential that does not hit the mark. Not only is the world in this book interesting, but there was so much room for fabulous character growth and development. Alas, this did not happen for me.

I was initially drawn to the book because of the gorgeous cover (yes, I do often choose books by their cover). And then the blurb was just so intriguing: a world where a girl has the power to command the tides? Sign me up! I had it on my list for potential request and then it popped up as read now, so I took my chance.

First I need to address the characters. While interesting, they just didn't spark anything for me. I didn't really care about them or who they where. In all honesty, I was often confused by who was who and had to keep flipping back pages to remind myself. The main character, Corith, was someone I initially figured I could grow to love. She had potential to become a badass heroine for me but she just fell short. She came across as more whiny than anything else and when I really needed her to step up and become the strong woman she could have been. I also would liked to see more about her relationship with her best friend, Zennia. The author tells you how close they were but you never really see it because she's out of the picture during the most important time in the book, the beginning. Flashbacks or something would have really been a great way to build this relationship for me so I was invested in it.

The world has such a great concept. But the way it's presented is slow, boring, and not explained clearly enough to be easily understood.  I really struggled to understand it and the politics surrounding the world. And I don't get the sense of what it is truly like. Cold, maybe wet, but overall I needed more of the world building to get me invested in why the story was so important in the first place. I needed more of the magic, more of how it worked, more of why it was necessary in the world being presented. 

The story started out strong for me but lost it's momentum by about 25% and I had to push to get through. I feel like the book could have used a bit more polishing and would have been a bit stronger had this been the case. I won't be moving on to the second book in this duology.

Author:

Sadie Turner grew up in the Welsh Borders and now lives in Hampshire, not far from the former home of one of her biggest inspirations: Jane Austen. She is a copywriter, mother of two, and author of gloomy, romantic, neurodiverse YA Fantasy. When she can find the time, she loves reading, cooking, and classic CRPGs, and is rarely seen without a cup of tea on hand.

Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday December 9, 2025

Here's what I'm looking forward to seeing release this week.

Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

I've liked this writing couple for the most part, though their last story was just ok for me. I got to read this one early and it was cute. I liked the supernatural part of it. You can see my review HERE.

An Archive of Romance by Ava Reid

I absolutely love this series and was so excited for this compilation. I was lucky to get an early copy to read. Definitely do not read this one if you have not read the series as it will spoil things and the short extra at the end will do the same. See my thoughts HERE.

Born of Flames and Sacrifice by Scarlett St. Clair

I haven't read this series by St. Clair yet, but it's on my list. I really liked her Hades & Persephone/Hades saga so I'm looking forward to starting this series.

What are you looking forward to seeing?

 

ARC Review: Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

 

This limited deluxe edition is printed with gorgeous stained edges, stunning foil on the case, and striking printed endpapers!

A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath.

Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.

But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.

With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.

Title: Queen of Faces

Author: Petra Lord

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co/Macmillan Audio

Expected Publication Date: February 3, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have to say, the blurb for this book pulled me right in. It had such great potential for being a totally epic fantasy book with a unique world and concept. And I had not listened to any of the narrators so I was ready to hear new voices and see what they brought to the story. Plus, the cover definitely shows me I would chose a book for its being pretty!

What really drew me into this book was how it was exploring fluidity and transgender identity. It had such potential to take a subject that is hard for many and explain it in a way all would understand. And, while it does address much of this, it was very confusing in the way that it was done. There was nothing particularly unique about each individual character. I was glad for the titles with the character names at the beginning of each chapter or else I would not have known which character I was listening to. I really didn't find myself caring about the characters, their lives, their relationships, or their challenges.

I was bored most of the time and found myself speeding the narration up so I could get through the chapters. Even by 75% I really didn't understand what the point of the story was. And the amount of telling rather than showing was just too much. It made the story very hard to read and the pacing was very uneven.

I love dark academia. Another thing that drew me to this book. But it truly wasn't explored all that much. I needed it to be more central to the story, since magic and the schooling is important to the characters. But it was just kind of background noise rather than lending anything substantial to the story line. And the story line was confusing much of the time. I needed more background and world building. I needed more development of the characters within their society. or just development of them in general. They never learned throughout the story. No growth anywhere. The story just never came together for me.

I'll give the author props for interesting writing and prose. And I could see myself liking the narrators individually or perhaps in other stories. But I also had a hard time with the narration and genders and just identity in general. Also I did enjoy the found family aspect and the uniqueness of the magical system.

I really think the story has such great potential but the execution failed to bring it to fruition. It was a wasted opportunity to educate others on the trans community and the struggles within. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing on with this series.

Author:

Petra Lord is a biracial trans author. She has a BFA in TV Writing from New York University, which she uses to recommend TV shows to her parents and predict the endings of movies.

She's currently based in Los Angeles, where she feeds her dual addictions to hot pot and Korean barbecue and sustains herself off videos of her cat. Queen of Faces is her debut novel.

Represented by Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park, Fine & Brower

For foreign rights, please contact Kat Toolan at Park, Fine & Brower. For film/tv rights, please contact Debbie Deuble Hill at IAG.

Fat Stack Friday December 5, 2025

 

Here are my goodies I got this week!

Kindle:

If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting

I really like Hunting and this was a freebie so I grabbed it!

Stocking Stuffer by Various Authors

This one was in one of my author emails (I cannot remember which one) and it was free. Should be fun leading up to the holidays!

NetGalley/Edelweiss/Booktrovert:

Infinite Shores (Drowned Gods #3) by Pascale Lacelle

This is my most anticipated book of 2026. I absolutely adore this series and I cannot wait to see how it all ends!

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

The publisher sent me an email with this widget. It looks like a fun book. I love Meyer but this is a different genre for her so I hope I like it.

The Witch Season by Julia Bianco

Read now, of course, from Atria. This one looks like it should be a fun read.

Libby/Hoopla:

Alchemised by SenLin Yu

I've heard mixed reviews about this story. I have a pretty FL copy but I won't read that one because it's too pretty to break open! So audio it is. I have the Kindle version, as well. So maybe I'll listen and read along!

What did you get?

ARC Review: The First Time I Saw Him (Hannah Hall #2) by Laura Dave

 

Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall’s pulse-pounding journey in the riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, The Last Thing He Told Me.

Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them.

But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.

Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.

A gripping, rich, and deeply moving novel about the power of forgiveness, The First Time I Saw Him picks up right where the epilogue for the “genuinely moving” (The New York Times) The Last Thing He Told Me left off, giving listeners the eagerly awaited and absolutely exhilarating sequel to Dave’s global blockbuster.

Title: The First Time I Saw Him (Hannah Hall #2)

Author: Laura Dave

Publisher: Scibner

Expected Publication Date: January 6. 2025

Review:

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will admit, I started reading this book and could not for the life of me truly remember the first book. This is definitely an important piece when reading this title. So if you have not read the first book, do not read this one. I went back and re-read the first book (in less than 24 hours, mind you, because it's THAT good) and it was so much better when I started back with this one.

This book picks up 5 years after the first one. If you read the first book, the very last chapter is actually the prologue of this book. Makes perfect sense since the first one did end on somewhat of a cliffhanger. Hannah and Bailey have adjusted to life without Owen. Though they never have him far from their thoughts. Suddenly, Hannah and Bailey are thrown into the fray once more when it is announced that Bailey grandfather, Nicholas, has died and the organization has decided not to honor the agreement made between him and Hannah.

Dave has done it once again. I could not put this book down. It is fast paced and full of action and emotion. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I didn't know what would happen next or where the characters would end up. It had me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding so many times I was actually afraid to read what would come next. I didn't want to see any of the characters harmed. Ok, well, maybe I wanted to see a few of them harmed (no names because I don't want to spoil anything).

What I really loved about this installment of the story were the flashbacks. This one is told in then and now alternating chapters. This really dove into the hows and whys of the first book. You see the relationship between Hannah and Owen and also Hannah and Bailey. But you also see the relationship between Nicholas and Owen, which I was not expecting at all.  I loved watching the depth of the relationships between the characters. It leant so much more to their development even though we already knew most of them from before. This format gave an especially in depth look at Nicholas, which was definitely worth having!

I was so invested in this book. I will say, I didn't love the very ending. I kind of wanted more from the resolution. But I still loved the story. I'm not sure if Dave plans to write more with the resolution that took place. There is some room for it but it could also be seen as the wrap up.

Sometimes sequels are a disappointment. This is not one of those times. If you loved the first book in this series, you're going to adore this follow up and the resolutions it brings. I can't wait to read more from Dave!

Author:

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have sold more than six million copies and have been translated into thirty-eight languages. She resides in Santa Monica, California.

ARC Review: Only On Gameday (Game on #5) by Kristen Callihan

 

An all-new GAME ON sports romance from BookTok sensation and New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan with high emotional stakes and a slow-burn, steamy heat level.

A ‘fake’ wife is just the trick to help a bad-boy football player clean up his image and let his career take off. Trouble is, there’s nothing ‘fake’ about the way August feels about his pretend wife. Game on.
August Luck, known to fans as “Luck”, is on the brink of top draft pick, tons of money heading his way, talent galore, but he keeps messing it up with bonehead moves and looking out of control in public. Problem is, he can’t get out of his own way. To clean up his image and calm him down, his agent decides Luck needs a temporary ‘wife’.

Penelope Marrow, the girl next-door he's known since they were kids, is the safe option. Pen is the only person who's ever put him in his place, and she disapproves of him, so there's no chance she'll cling. He didn't count on wanting her to stay. Question is, will she play ball? Just the idea turns his knees to jello.

Game on...

The GAME ON series by Kristen Book 1: The Hook Up Book 2: The Friend Zone Book 3: The Game Plan Book 4: The Hot Shot Book 5: Only on Gameday

Title: Only on Gameday (Game On #5)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publisher: Mira

Expected Publication Date: January 6, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have been waiting years for Callihan to write this story! I absolutely love her Game On series. I even re-read it last year when I heard she was going to be publishing #5. And it was just as fun the second time around. While I was expecting this one to be tied more tightly to the others, it was not. This book can absolutely be read as a stand alone, whereas the other four do have character overlap. As a matter of fact, it didn't seem to be tied in at all to the other books other than the football vibes. There is a wink to a character in another series Callihan wrote, but if you didn't read that series you would never know. As a matter of fact, this book took on a life of it's own with all new characters, including siblings who, can I say, should all get their own books!

August Luck and Penelope Marrow grew up together  but were never really friends. They floated around each other. As a matter of fact, each though the other disliked them because they never did spend time together. When August proposes a plan to Penelope that will help him get his act and image together and help her save her grandparent's home, they dive in. They don't expect to become friends. And they certainly don't expect to catch feels!

Can I just say I love August. He is just so sweet. Gruff NFL player exterior with a mushy heart that just craves love. And he treats Penelope with so much respect and adoration. It was fun to watch their relationship and chemistry  grow throughout the book. One of the tropes I love best in romance books is when siblings are close and support each other. This book had that and more. The family dynamics were a lot of fun to watch. There was great banter and sarcasm between all the characters with so many tender moments in between. All the moments moved the story along at a great pace. There are some moments of flashback which become important to future points in the book and I appreciated them for how they helped the story and characters grow.

Callihan does hit on some important topics including loss and grief, coming into oneself, allowing others to care for you when you need it, and keeping your heart open.

If you enjoy books with fake engagement/dating, childhood friends, and family antics, pick this one and give it a try. 

Author:

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer's Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine's Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.