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Stacking the Shelves: 27 September 2025

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Books Added to My Shelves This Week:

This week I went book shopping as a pick me up. It’s been a while since I took my time and explored Barnes and Noble and I added 4 books to my shelves and 2 audiobooks plus an audiobook I’d preordered released this week.

Physical:

I saw someone on Bookstagram saying this was a really creepy read and decided to give it a try.

I’ve been catching up on this series and when I saw my local Barnes and Noble still had the deluxe editions I picked up the ones I didn’t have physical copies of yet.

Audiobooks:

I preordered this one a few months back and I can’t wait to see how this duology wraps up.

I looked at this one at Barnes and Noble and decided to get the audiobook since I had audible credits instead of buying the hardcover.

This was another book I picked up in audiobook to keep my book buying budget in check instead of buying the hardcover.

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

First Line Friday: 26 September 2025

This week I’m joining First Line Friday. First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower! So grab the book nearest you, your current read, or the book on top of your TBR stack and share the first line.

My pick this week is…

Under Loch and Key by Lana FergusonBlurb:

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

And the first line is…

I never imagined that my death would come by way of a sheep avalanche, but as I watch the tumbling mass of floof barreling down the hill toward the stretch of road I am currently stalled on—it occurs to me that it would at least be a memorable way to go.

That definitely paints the picture to set the tone of this book.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Secret Haven

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

Secret Haven (Sparrow Falls Book 6) by Catherine Cowles

Romantic Suspense, Sparrow Falls Book 6

eBook, Paperback, audiobook, 494 Pages

October 21, 2025 by The PageSmith LLC

Blurb:

The first time I met Kyler Blackwood, he was a bruised and battered boy with fire in his eyes and nowhere safe to land.

Since the first time he kissed me, he was my best-kept secret, my quiet rebellion, my haven in the storm.

But fate forced us apart, making us pretend to be strangers because it hurt too much to be anything else.

Years later, time hasn’t dulled what we felt, has never erased the way we fit. And when Kye’s past collides with my present, everything shifts.

It’s a choice neither of us expected.
A bond that never really broke.
A line we were never meant to cross.

We tell ourselves it’s only temporary, that the arrangement is just a means to an end. But with each passing day, the lie feels more like the truth. And with each stolen touch, Kye feels more like mine. Because some things were never meant to be pretend.

And some dangers are closer than we ever imagined…

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I feel like I’ve been waiting on this book since the beginning of the series when I picked up on the vibes and I’m so excited it’s finally almost here!

Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List

Happy Fall! This week’s TTT is all about books on our Fall 2025 TBR. Here are mine…

1. Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeists by Ali K. Mulford and K. Elle Morrison2. Thief of Night by Holly Black3. They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen MacNeil4. It Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson5. Mischief Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein 6. Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding by Emmeline Duncan7. Iniquity by Laurie Buchanan8. Revere by Eva Simmons9. Secret Haven by Catherine Cowles10. Bouchica by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

What books are on your fall 2025 TBR? Did any of mine make your list? For the ones that are already released, have you read any of these?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 22 September 2025

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

I’ve been binging a cozy mystery series lately, I just read a really fun paranormal romance, and I’m getting into all my spooky season reads…

Last Week I Read:Unbearably Yours by Elodie Colliard

I saw this one on Etsy and decided to check it out because I’m definitely in the mood for a fall read. I enjoyed it, although I think the miscommunication trope (which is not a favorite of mine to begin with) could have been avoided and the FMC kind of brought the fallout on herself. Totally avoidable. I would read more by this author though.

A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris

To be honest, the movie adaptation of this one is my least favorite of the movies – I usually skip it – and I felt the same way about the book. I keep feeling like the movies are way better but I’m more than halfway through the series and I plan to see it through.

Last Scene Alive by Charlaine Harris

Another installment that was just okay for me.

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

This was my favorite read from last week. I loved it from start to finish!

Currently Reading:Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris

I’m almost finished with this one. I like it better than the previous two. It would make sense that this main character (the book version, not the movie version) would belong to a club called the “Uppity Women Book Club”

Reading Next:Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford and K. Elle Morrison

I borrowed this one from KU a while back and I’ve been waiting for the spooky season to read it!

What are you reading and loving this week? Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post: Coming Up For Air

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Coming Up For Air

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How is life?

Work has been crazy busy this month. I’ve been working a tough schedule (4 days on, 2 off, 5 days on, 1 off, rinse, repeat ) and I’m definitely feeling the burnout. I just want to curl up with a fall beverage, some comfort movies and books, my cats, and a cozy blanket.

Last Week on the Blog:

Book Review: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 22 September 2025

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Secret Haven

First Line Friday: 26 September 2025

Stacking the Shelves: 27 September 2025

New Book Mail on My Shelves:None This Week

Book Review: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

Under Loch and Key by Lana FergusonBlurb:

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

My Review:

Enemies to lovers, ancient curses, mythical monsters, and a gorgeous setting that is so vivid it bursts right off the page? Sold! This book had me hooked right off the bat.

With humor, spice, and all the emotions I couldn’t tear myself away from this book – and I really wanted to pack my bags and head to Scotland (Spring 2027 is so far away).

I loved Key and Lachlan as well as the supporting characters. Their character arcs both to uncover the past and in Key’s case to learn more about her family was realistic and raw.

For me, I found Key’s storyline to be so meaningful and heartwarming – coming to Scotland to meet her father’s family and overcoming old family wounds to bond with her grandmother and how her grandfather welcomed her so easily right off the bat, I definitely got emotional at times. On the flip side, Lachlan’s longing to save his father after all this time and his strained relationship with his mother also got me in the feels.

This was my first read by this author but I will definitely be checking out her other books and I can’t wait to see what other PNR she writes because I really, truly enjoyed this one!

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Revere

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

Revere (Sigma Sin #4) by Eva Simmons

Dark Romance

eBook, Paperback

November 14, 2025 by Eva Simmons

Blurb:

Blurb to come but this will be Patience’s story and the final Sigma Sin book.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I’ve loved this series since Saint. It’s well written, it’s dark, and it’s sexy. I’ll admit Patience is my least favorite of the four roommates but I’m looking forward to the author turning that around with Revere!

Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Tuesday: Genre Freebie – Favorite Romantic Suspense Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: Genre Freebie – Favorite Romantic Suspense Books

This week’s TTT is a genre freebie and I’m listing my favorite romantic suspense books / suspense books that have a romantic subplot.

1. All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles2. Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts3. Fragile Sanctuary by Catherine Cowles4. Bourbon and Lies by Victoria Wilder5. Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley 6. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter 7. Mind Games by Nora Roberts 8. See How She Dies by Lisa Jackson9. Indelible by Laurie Buchanan10. It Rose From the Ashes by Taylor Fenner (that’s me!)

What did you pick for this week’s prompt? Have you read any of these?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 4 August 2025

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Today is my birthday!!

Last Week I Read:The Note by Alafair Burke

I ended up DNFing this one. It’s about 3 women who have been publicly “cancelled” who play a prank on a couple that stole their parking spot in the Hamptons and then the male half of the couple goes missing. I got pretty sick of all of the author’s references to Covid and the shutdown and the main character’s reason for being cancelled is because she yelled at people on the subway platform for not wearing face masks then overreacted when an African American male said something to her and told him she was calling the police before having a screaming meltdown (the FMC is Chinese American). It was like let’s throw all this hot button soup onto the page and call it a book. The missing guy was almost an after thought and I DNF’d just under 50%.

Bourbon and Proof by Victoria Wilder

This one on the other hand I finished early last week and it gave me a book hangover that I’m just getting over. I need more books with the vibes of this series and can’t wait for the spin-off series!

Currently Reading:The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gilig

I’m about 25% into this audiobook. I don’t love it as much as the author’s previous duology but I can see it having the same loathe to love vibes. I do love the gargoyle though!

Silvercloak by L.K. Stevens

Reading two fantasy books at the same time.. oh my! That’s unusual for my but I was hooked from the first page of this one and I’m enjoying it so far.

Reading Next:A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

I feel like I’ve been waiting so long for this one to release and then to make it to the top of the Libby audiobook hold list for my library. I’m hoping to start it later this week.

What are you reading and loving this week? Have you read any of these?