The Nora Theory

November is the month of giving thanks, and while I actually really dislike Thanksgiving (besides making pies), that doesn’t mean I can’t take a step back and see how much there is to be thankful for in life. Personally, I’m thankful for enemies-to-lovers plots, unhinged characters, the proliferation of spicy literature in general, and above all, Kindle Unlimited and my local library for allowing me to enjoy all of these things without bankrupting myself and all my descendants. This month, I read a bunch of books that I am so thankful for, and some others that I could have gone without.

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

Lights Out by Navessa Allen, like so many popular dark romances with questionable themes, has been the subject of much online discourse. I saw one post comparing it to H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline, defending the book’s dark subject matter, and without knowing anything else, I knew this was one to read. Based on the discourse, I thought this book would be much darker than it actually was. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got its moments, but overall I found this book to be clever and sweet, as well as dark and kinky. It strikes a perfect balance for an exciting, fast-paced read.

Verdict: Love It

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco is the sequel to Throne of the Fallen, in her Princes of Sin series. It is a sweeping romantasy that can be read as a standalone, with different protagonists and an entirely different storyline than the first book. Because this series is set in a Regency-era sort of universe, the characters use a lot of Bridgerton-esque language, which is so unique in a fantasy setting. Miss March, the main character’s pen name, is giving Lady Whistledown, and I could not possibly love this vibe more. Throne of Secrets is even better than Throne of the Fallen. It builds and expands on the world with characters that are a joy to read. I would read hundreds more pages of these two bickering. The Regency dialogue and demonic magic make for a unique and enchanting read perfect for any romantasy lover.

Verdict: Love It

Don’t Let The Forest In by CG Drews

Don’t Let The Forest In by CG Drews is a fantastical and lyrical horror story that follows two teen boys as they battle monsters at their elite boarding school. It is a psychological tale that is both beautiful and quite disturbing, dealing with terrifying monsters, mental illness, and sexuality in a way that is as alarming as it is moving. The plot in this book has moments that are not so much twists as they are a yanking pull, dragging the reader to the missing pieces of the story. It feels harsh but perfectly fits the tone of the story. The final ‘twist’ is devastating, leaving the reader with unanswered questions. If you like your stories wrapped up in a bow at the end, this book is not for you. It made me cry, and upon finishing this book, I needed to touch grass, far away from any dark forests, and reacquaint myself with reality.

Verdict: Love It

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware is another mystery with a reality TV show as a framing device, a trope in the genre that I’ve just recently discovered and adore. There is something about reality TV that lends itself so well to the darkness required for a good murder mystery. It is a brutal book with a brutal beginning, middle, and end. It is both captivating, fascinating, and encapsulating of the awfulness of the human condition. It has some disturbing and quite accurate things to say about society while staying fast-paced and easy to get through. Despite its flaws, this book was still an engaging read.

Verdict: Love It

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy set in the small Vermont town of Christmas Notch. But don’t get it twisted, this is not your typical holiday rom-com on the Hallmark Channel. It has porn stars and brooding, grieving pop singers. It has references to threesomes and a strip club called the North Pole. It is filled with the spirit of Christmas, but a raw, real version with toe-curling spice. A Jingle Bell Mingle is a comforting, cozy romance but one that doesn’t shy away from the heavier aspects of life, love, and loss. It hit me in all the feels. My heart broke for Issac and Sunny which made their happily ever after all the better. Anyone looking for a festive read will love Christmas Notch.

Verdict: Love It

Anathema by Keri Lake

Anathema by Keri Lake is a dark romantasy that is the first in The Eating Woods duology. The story contains a timely warning of the injustices of oppressive religious societies in the beginning, and later takes a turn and interweaves with classic romantasy tropes. The result is a rich, deeply layered story that requires patience to read but is well worth the investment by the time you turn the final page. I was skeptical in the beginning, with slowly acclimating to this world, but when I closed this book, I was so glad I stuck with it. It was spectacular, and it ended on quite the cliffhanger, leaving me starving for the second book. Eldritch, the next and final book in the duology, is rumored to be out in April of 2025, but no preorders have been officially announced yet.

Verdict: Love It

Skyshade by Alex Aster

Skyshade by Alex Aster is the third book in the Lightlark series, a YA fantasy series set in a sweeping fantasy world, with an enemies-to-lovers love triangle that persists throughout the series. I almost chucked my Kindle at the wall when I finished this book. I thought it was the last in the series, and evidently, that is not true. It ends on a cliffhanger, a wild one at that. This series should have been a trilogy. There is simply no need to keep dragging this out. I still love this world, and I still love some of these characters (okay, just Grim) but this third book in the series seriously dulled the shine. As much as this book frustrated me, I’m still going to read the fourth book because I just have to know who this damn girl picks, although it feels like an obvious choice to me, I can’t leave this one unfinished.

Verdict: Leave It

The Last One At The Wedding by Jason Rekulak

The Last One At The Wedding by Jason Rekulak is part mystery, part thriller, and part family drama. It explores complicated family dynamics and the dark side of unlimited wealth, all within the framework of a twisted wedding weekend. Every single one of these characters behaved badly in some way, and therefore all were mildly suspicious. Even Frank, the protagonist, this supposedly loving father character, was ridiculous and stubborn much of the time. He’s difficult to root for, but so is everyone else. The Last One At The Wedding kept me entertained and engaged, for the most part, but none of the characters spoke to me. Nothing really hooked me. It was fine. 

Verdict: Leave It

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas is a Greek myth-inspired post-apocalyptic fantasy set approximately a century in the future. It’s not a straight retelling but instead a loose reimagining, with a complete creative overhaul of the pantheon and their powers. This book was so engrossing that I completely forgot to annotate in any way because the story just took me to another world, and I loved every second of it. If you like Fourth Wing you will love this book. I sound like a broken record when I say this, but once again the only issue with this book is the agonizing wait for the next book in the series. I’m confident that when October 2025 rolls around, the wait will have been worth it. This book is incredible and the series is off to an impeccable start.

Verdict: Love It

Plier + Tourner + Sauter by Jane Washington

These three books constitute the first part of the Ironside Academy series, a series that follows Isobel Carter through her journey at a magical academy. It’s a why choose romantasy in the subgenre that imagines a society of “Gifted” people born into Alpha, Beta, Omega, and Sigma classifications. The series features ten love interests, which is too many, at least in this story. It is damn near impossible to keep them all straight and distinguish them from each other. It’s also completely unnecessary. Does the group really need two broody professors? No, no it does not. There is also very little plot that will hook most readers, and what is there moves very slowly. The first two books could have easily been one. I’m still hoping that the rest of the series surprises me and turns this around, but so far this series is a miss, although it gets significantly better in the third book.

Verdict: Leave It, but the verdict on the rest of the series is still TBD

Variation by Rebecca Yarros

Variation by Rebecca Yarros is not exactly what fans of her romantasy work might expect. Instead, Yarros is switching it up, giving readers a contemporary romance, but with all the same trademark spice and emotional turmoil. It had a fast-paced, accessible writing style perfect for any romance reader. It was so sweet and so well written, with a plot that was both emotional and deeply sexy. This is an excellent book. 

Verdict: Love It

The Pretty Psycho by L.K. Reid

St. Vasili’s Academy is a duet of contemporary romances, The Pretty Savage and The Pretty Psycho, set at an elite academy for assassins. Book one in the duet was on my to-be-read list for months and I was excited for the second to release so I could binge them both. I had high hopes, but this duology left a lot to be desired. The characters were bland archetypes that were flawed in their construction, and the writing was borderline unreadable, in desperate need of an editor. It had such a promising premise, and I really wanted to like this book, but the writing just hit far too many unforgivable sins for me to get past.

Verdict: Leave It