Release Day Review: Selling Sunset by T.L. Hauser

Book link 🔗 

https://amzn.to/4zYyGY0

Blurb

Their romance was written for the cameras—falling for each other wasn’t part of the script.

Piper Pierce built her career writing happily-ever-afters.

But finding her own? That’s a different story.

When her bestselling romance novel is adapted into a major Hollywood film, Piper is flown to California to help bring her beloved story to life. It should be the opportunity of a lifetime—sunshine, movie stars, and the chance to watch her words become something bigger than she ever imagined.

There’s just one problem.

Ben freaking Hartman.

A-list actor. Hollywood heartthrob. Professional pain in her ass

Her plan to actively avoid him falls apart when the studio decides their off-screen tension would make the perfect publicity stunt. Suddenly, Piper and Ben are cast as Hollywood’s newest It-couple—at least until the premiere.

But between late-night confessions, red carpet chaos, and unscripted moments that leave them breathless, they start to wonder if the story they’re selling might be more real than either of them wants to admit.

When the cameras finally stop rolling and the lines between fiction and reality blur, they’ll have to decide if what they have is just another Hollywood performance…

Or the kind of love worth going off script for.

 

 

Review 

Selling Sunset by T.L. Hauser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is just so easy to fall into! Somehow, during the quiet moments of Saturday's chores, I devoured 24 chapters.

I sat in a boring DIY car park while my hubby looked at wood... meanwhile, I was escaping into the story of Piper Pearce’s book being turned into a film—and her delicious love-hate relationship with Ben, the leading man! I’ve honestly never enjoyed being stuck in a car babysitting a chop saw and workbench so much. 🤣

We had leftovers for dinner, and thankfully hubby was on his laptop so I could keep watching the sparks fly between Ben and Piper. 😁 I won't spoil what happens, but I thoroughly enjoyed every high and low of their "fake relationship" becoming something more.

Overall, this is the perfect beach read or cozy under-the-blankets book with Christmas music in the background, as the storyline spans across both seasons. (Being in New Zealand, I can actually do both since Christmas is in summer for us! 😂)

The ending was sweet, and the final page was such a neat idea to wrap up the story. Plus, the epilogue leaves you desperate for book two in this series of interconnected standalones.

A quick FYI: In the author's notes at the end, there are links to real-life locations featured in the story. I loved clicking through them after reading—especially the beach!

This was my first book by T.L. Hauser, and I will definitely be checking out the next one when it's published.

Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts on Ben and Pipers story

View all my reviews

Author Bio 

T.L. Hauser is an emerging author writing romance-driven stories that blend suspense, heart, and a touch of chaos. Her books range from edge-of-your-seat thrillers to feel-good rom-coms and romantic fantasies.

She is a wife, mom of two, baker, musician, and avid reader. When she’s not writing, she enjoys aggravating her husband (who begs to stay off-page) and smothering her children with love in their small North Carolina hometown.

https://tlhauser.com/

The Eighth Lineage by Claudia Gabanich Review

 

The Eighth Lineage (The Aster Legacy)

Author by Claudia A. Gabanich 

Release Date: September 3, 2026

Book Link 🖇️ 

https://amzn.to/4irk8dr

BLURB 

Trust is a weapon. So is she.

Vespera Astor has trained her whole life for one mission: infiltrate Aster Academy — the castle fortress where seven ancient bloodlines rule the world from the shadows — and bring it down from the inside. She has a forged name, a flawless cover, and no memory of ever being anyone else.

What she doesn't have is a plan for Aldevar Voss.

Heir to the most powerful lineage at Aster. A Senate member at twenty-two. Brilliant, watchful, and far too good at seeing the things she's built her life around hiding. Wanting him isn't just dangerous — it's a betrayal of everything she was made to be.

Then a first-year turns up dead, her final recording cut short by a scream, and the trail leads to a lineage struck from every record. A name no one will speak.

The eighth.

The deeper Vespera digs, the closer the truth comes to her own reflection — and the more she fears the enemy she was sent to destroy may be the only family she has left.

Some secrets are written in blood. Hers was written before she was born.

Perfect for fans of:

The Atlas Six meets Fourth Wing — secret-society dark academia, a deadly conspiracy, and a slow-burn forbidden romance.

Tropes:

Dark academia · secret-society castle academy

Enemies-to-lovers · the spy who falls for her target

Hidden identity · lost heir

Age-gap power imbalance · first-year × Senate Inheritor

Slow burn → one open-door payoff

Possessive, protective hero with a fated-mates undertone

Murder mystery · conspiracy

Morally gray, indoctrinated heroine · found-family thread

Heat:

Spicy, open door (~4 of 5). One explicit on-page scene; emotionally driven, not wall-to-wall.

The Aster Legacy begins here.

 REVIEW

  The Eighth Lineage by Claudia Gabanich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 / 5 Stars)
Promising Premise with High-Stakes Potential

I will be giving my honest thoughts on the ARC I received from the author.
This ARC was not the final version and therefore I have based my review on my thoughts of the story as a whole, the worldbuilding and the characters.

The book delivers an intriguing high-concept premise. Filled with noble house politics, ancient bloodline mysteries, and an intriguing forbidden romance between a hidden spy and a Senate Inheritor, the book has all the foundational ingredients for an immersive dark fantasy.

Pacing & Narrative Focus
The story shines brightest when focusing on the dynamics between Vespera, Aldevar, and the core secret of the Eighth Lineage. The atmosphere is rich with lingering scents and cold stone aesthetics that establish a distinct mood. Streamlining some of the repetitive internal monologues and transitional scenes in future edits will give the plot room to move faster, bringing the undercover spy craft and the disappearance of Iola Drakos straight to the forefront.

World-Building & Continuity
The world-building presents a unique blend of tech and traditional fantasy—pairing classic candlelit halls with what felt like a steampunk style machinery. The Academy is often described with an epic /synesthesia style, you could almost feel the coldness of the mountains coming through the pages.

Final Verdict
There is a tight, deeply engaging dark fantasy core inside this book. The foundation built around the Eighth Lineage is genuinely intriguing and I saw a story within the ARC that will truly shine, and I look forward to reading book 2.

Thank you to the author for providing an advance copy for an honest review.

View all my reviews

PROPERTY OF PROPHET by Kathleen Kelly NOW LIVE

 “Lily and Prophet were EVERYTHING… FIVE HUGE STARS” – Goodreads reviewer

 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/05YpsQOl
Universal: https://books2read.com/PropOfProphet
B&N: https://t.ly/QUQE9
Kobo: https://t.ly/t5HjJ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/462jbRk
Goodreads: https://t.ly/wNkDs
 
He fell from the sky. She should have left him there.

For five years, Lily has lived alone in the Alaskan wilderness, hiding from a world that taught her trust is dangerous and love is worse. Her cabin, the snow, and the silence are all she needs — until the night the sky explodes.

The stranger she pulls from the snow is injured, beautiful, and has no memory of who he is.

Bringing him home is a mistake.

He fills her cabin like he owns it. His touch ignites her skin. His gaze tracks her every move, every instinct in him demanding he protect and claim what's his.

Then his memory returns and with it, the truth.

His name is Prophet — fallen angel, and Chaplain of the Kings of Anarchy MC. His brothers are searching for him. But the light that ripped him from the sky was no accident. It was divine intervention — a beacon drawing an ancient enemy closer with every passing night. And when they find him, they won't care who's standing beside him.

Lily has spent five years hiding from her past. Now the only man who's ever made her believe she deserves a future is the most dangerous thing that's ever found her.

Property of Prophet is a dark, steamy paranormal MC romance featuring a fallen angel biker, forced proximity, isolation in the Alaskan wilderness, fated mates, a fiercely possessive hero, found family, and a love powerful enough to rewrite destiny itself. Book 3 in the Kings of Anarchy MC series.
 
Also available in the Kings of Anarchy MC: Alaska Chapter series
 
#1 Property of Blade https://a.co/d/07vUHZUx
#2 Property of Vex https://a.co/d/0h7pIzXP
 
Coming soon
 
#4 Property of Fury https://a.co/d/03eY8IeU

 

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The Release Day Review of The Mortal Trials by Casey L Bond

 

Title: The Mortal Trials

Author: Casey L. Bond

Genre: New Adult Epic Fantasy  

Editor: Stacy Sanford/ The Girl with the Red Pen

Cover: Melissa Stevens/ The Illustrated Author Design Services

Publication Date: Sept. 7, 2026

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb

In a game of gods… If you win, you lose. If you lose, you die. 

Callalie Ryan came home from war in pieces—her body broken, her name smeared across headlines, and her family in ruins. When the goddess Morrigan drags her from her desert home and orders her to Olympus, Callalie is forced into The Mortal Trials: five brutal contests staged by gods who find delight in mortal suffering, hosted by Ares, Greek god of war.

With a rusted prosthetic that shrieks with every step and a family the gods use as leverage, Callalie must outlast god-conjured beasts, shifting rules, and posturing pantheons long enough to secure a divine champion. But she’s not the only one paying the price… She soon learns that many of the other contenders have been drawn into the games by their connection to her.

How do you play a game where every victory is a punishment and showing mercy might get you killed? As heroes fall and tentative alliances are tested, Callalie must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to sacrifice to survive the gods betting on her ruin. 

Welcome to The Mortal Trials, where victory is just another kind of death.

NOW LIVE & AVAILABLE ON KU!

Review

The Mortal Trials by Casey L. Bond

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is no better feeling than starting a book that instantly breaks a reading slump.

From chapter one, The Mortal Trials completely hooked me with vivid worldbuilding, seamless pacing, and characters that immediately come to life.

The story follows Callalie, a soldier on leave after losing a limb in battle. When fellow soldier Niall arrives with orders from their commander—the Celtic god Morrigan—we quickly realize he’s the last person Callalie wants to see. However, their personal friction is put on hold when both are drafted into the deadly Mortal Trials and whisked away to a mysterious island off the coast of Olympus on the back of a giant raven 🐦‍⬛.

This visual had me completely hooked by 27%. Think 'The Hunger Games' meets 'Percy Jackson', with a international cast of Deity's - the glossary and pronunciation list at the front was extremely helpful. Callalie is an incredible FMC —she’s dealing with profound grief over losing her sister, plus the physical trauma, dealing with a prosthetic leg that is second hand and worn out 🦿, Callalie faces impossible odds without ever giving up.

The author has created her characters - Mortal and Deity alike and woven them into the storyline beautifully, as you read on, you begin to learn about the characters and more importantly why they were chosen. Koda quickly became a favorite, also Daedalus, he was definitely dealt a bad hand by Ares! Even several characters who initially hated Callalie ended up growing on me. As the story progresses, alliances are made, and the reason why Callalie didn't want to be around Niall is revealed.

The Villain of the story, Ares has always been portrayed as a brutal, jealous, and unstable deity toward mortals, which has been consistent in Greek literature since ancient times, and the author's depiction was just perfect.

I was as cheering as Callalie continues to thwart his machinations to bend her to his will. The whole story structure keeps you engaged and championing Callalie, August and her allies.

What truly elevated this book for me, though, was the slow burn romance between Callalie and August. Instead of relying on insta-lust which is very popular right now, the author lets their connection grow naturally out of genuine character development, shared trauma, and political tension as the storyline develops.

The Mortal Trials delivers non-stop engagement, rich dynamics, and a heroine you can't help but champion.

I’m ready to volunteer to be a tribute for Book 2, The Mortal Games! 💫🏺📜

Thanks to the author and Lady Amber's Reviews & PR for a copy of the book for my honest opinion.

View all my reviews  

Casey Bond lives on a rural farm in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She writes phoenixes – gloriously flawed and morally gray characters that fiercely rise from the ashes of their circumstances. World building is one of her favorite hobbies, along with stamping metal jewelry, swimming, and enjoying the beauty of nature. She thinks thunderstorms are better than coffee and that watching a meteor shower is the closest thing to magic you might ever see. She’s a firm believer that every amazing book needs a world you want to wrap yourself in, a character you want to win, and a love you would fight for.

 

Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, Gravebriar, and House of Eclipses.

Author Links: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Pinterest | Amazon | Bookbub | Bond-Tourage | Newsletter

NOW LIVE & AVAILABLE ON KU!

Review of As Death Loves Me—A Grim Reaper Romance by Hannah Bronwyn

 

Book Links 

https://amzn.to/4hlbaOf

Blurb 

THE GRIM REAPER expected the flowers to wilt when he walked past. To bend their heads and shed their petals, marking a life of endings. His purpose intertwined with the force that brings life to death. He certainly did not expect the day when A MORTAL would defy these odds while he reached for her hand.

As the newest restoration specialist at the New Haven Museum, Birdie Priest's job is simple: preserve the pieces, find their history, and go home. Then a portrait she uncovers has no face. A broken pocket watch starts ticking, and Birdie dies. This should be the end. Instead, she finds herself tethered to Rip, a grim reaper with a dangerous attitude and no memory of who he used to be.

Only by unraveling what’s buried in her soul can she set herself free?

Bound under the weight of a hollow eternity, Rip has spent his existence ferrying souls and working in the town’s library. Now, during the one death that goes wrong, he's pulled into a stranger's unfinished life and forced to confront everything he doesn't understand about his own. Even despite their inexplicable bond deepening, a lurking darkness plots his undoing.

However.

There's more to this town than meets the eye, and some truths might cost them both everything they have left.

As Death Loves Me is a slow-burn paranormal romance for fans of grumpy immortals and stubborn heroines who refuse to sit idly by and accept their fates. Beneath the cover is a cozy small-town mystery, a found family worth fighting for, and a love that defies death itself.

Review 

As Death Loves Me—A Grim Reaper Romance by Hannah Bronwyn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of As Death Loves Me, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review!

This book kicks off with a thought-provoking prologue set in 1844 that immediately hooks you in. I completely misread who the prologue was describing until the very end, but it did a fantastic job of compelling me to keep turning the pages.

From there, we jump to the present day following Birdie (Benevolence Priest), an art restorer moving to a new job at a museum in New Haven, Indiana. Birdie is a bit of a quiet art nerd who mostly keeps to herself. Her background was a little confusing to piece together early on, but everything made much more sense as her history and mysterious flashbacks unfolded.

The side characters really added flavor to the spooky, mysterious atmosphere:

🔻Sal: The ancient security guard who is the only one to give Birdie a warm welcome on day one.

🔻Kane: Gives off decidedly creepy vibes right out of the gate.
🔻Gabby: A potential friend with a secret past who puts Birdie through a hilarious (and cringey ) blind speed-dating scene.

Then, of course, there is the Grim Reaper himself—whom the author humorously named Rip (R.I.P.—loved that touch!). Rip is classic morally grey: disillusioned with his immortality, rude, and carrying a heavy burden. While he starts off cold and resistant to any connection, the tether drawing them together eventually forces him to realize how much he cares for Birdie.

Note for romance readers: this is a slow-burn/low-spice dynamic where the connection builds alongside the plot.

What worked well:
The overall concept, blending paranormal elements, gods, and museum mystery.
The town’s spooky history and the mystery behind the damaged painting Birdie is restoring.


The epilogue, which tied up several lingering questions and gave us the happy ending. But I wish that the actual rediscovering of each other was given instead of telling us the outcome.

Final thoughts:

It's a solid 3.5-star read with a really intriguing premise. With a bit tighter line editing and plot pacing, it could easily be a 4+ star book. If you enjoy urban fantasy, paranormal mysteries, and a slow-burn romance, it's definitely worth checking out!

View all my reviews

Author Bio 

Hannah Bronwyn is an emerging author and pop culture enthusiast with a love of spring, soda in glass bottles, baking chocolate chip cookies, playing dominoes, and crafting bookmarks — when she isn't writing, she's probably thinking about writing, or texting her friends about zodiac signs and saying “that is so true” until she falls asleep when she should actually be writing. Find her socials here 

★ THE SEDUCTION PACT by PENELOPE WARD COVER REVEAL! ★

 ★ THE SEDUCTION PACT COVER REVEAL! ★

Surprise cover reveal from Penelope Ward!

THE SEDUCTION PACT will be released into bookstores nationwide on April 13, 2027.

Sourcebooks Casablanca acquired the World English print rights. (It will still be independently published in ebook and audio with a separate model cover for those digital versions to be revealed much closer to release.)

This deluxe print version with the GORGEOUS lighthouse-sprayed edges will only be available for the first print run, so preorder it now! 

Cover Design: Mariana Tomaselli 

Penelope says you’ll want to definitely avoid spoilers for this one! A fun, suspenseful ride if you go in blind. 

PREORDER HERE: 

Amazon:

https://amzn.to/4ypLmpu

All other book sites:

https://tinyurl.com/355pr67e

SYNOPSIS:

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new standalone novel…

She makes a pact to seduce one man. She never plans to fall for another.

When Laken Viera comes to Breakers Island—a place known for cliffside mansions and old-money families—she’s looking for a fresh start after the worst year of her life. Her friend Portia scores her a summer job at her family’s lobster business. What Laken doesn’t expect is Rhett Jordan—a cocky, infuriating deckhand who seems to take pleasure in getting under her skin.

Their constant arguments on the dock turn into late nights, dangerous chemistry, and hot rides on the back of his motorcycle. The more time she spends with Rhett, the more Breaker’s Island starts to feel like where she belongs.

There’s just one problem: the job wasn’t the only reason she came to the island.

Laken made a promise to her friend Portia—to get close to Rhett’s wealthy boss, the man Portia believes was responsible for her brother’s boating accident, and find out what really happened that night.

It was supposed to be simple. Temporary. Just a favor for someone who’d once come to her rescue.

Rhett was never part of the plan.

Keeping her word could mean losing Rhett. Breaking it could cost her both the man she’s falling for and the friend who brought her to the island in the first place.

But on Breakers Island, secrets don’t stay buried—and sometimes love changes even the best-laid plans.

New Release: The Challenge by Penelope Ward

 

Title: The Challenge

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Single Dad, Second Chance, Forced Proximity

Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Found Family

Release Date: August 30, 2026

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

Nothing says welcome home like accidentally moving in with your first heartbreak…and his little girl.

Coming back to my small Wyoming hometown was supposed to be temporary. I only planned to stay long enough to help my ailing mother and sort through the mess of my family’s old belongings.

Instead, I somehow ended up living in Evan Ricci’s house. The single dad now owned a bunch of properties and one of them was the place I’d rented. He’d taken it off the market and moved in before I got there. I just never got the memo. Unfortunately, there was no other place in town available, so Evan let me stay.

Evan—the guy my parents took in years ago after his mother died.

The same Evan who used to dare me into ridiculous challenges that somehow always made me stronger—a game we’d dubbed The Challenge.

The same guy who ultimately rejected me before I left for college after I’d finally garnered the courage to shoot my shot.

Now Evan was a rugged single dad with an eight-year-old daughter, a cocky attitude, and a dangerous ability to make me forget every reason I should still hate him.

Sharing a house with him should’ve been unbearable. Instead, it felt dangerously familiar, nearly making me forget that I had a life and a job to get back to in Chicago. I realized the biggest challenge wasn’t surviving living with Evan Ricci.

It was not falling in love with him all over again.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

Special release price of $3.99

for a limited time only!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

DUET AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

SINGLE DAD

SMALL TOWN

FRIENDS TO LOVERS

SECOND CHANCE

FORCED PROXIMITY

FOUND FAMILY

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM

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