I may have left for ~2 weeks in the month of July but I STILL READ SOME ABSOLUTE BANGERS and had a truly solid reading month.
Anyway, below is my breakdown as always, which includes my rating, what I liked, and where to read. I also will earn commissions if you make any purchases from links below, and I thank you earnestly for doing so. It allows me to keep putting together these recaps for you!
Let’s get into this July reading breakdown:
This Blade of Ours
📚 Book 2 in complete This Monster of Mine romantic fantasy duology
❤️🔥 Has spice
My Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (full review here)
My Thoughts: I liked this even more than book 1 which says a lot because I LOVED book 1! There’s so much interesting political maneuvering happening in this duology and a lot of mirrors held up at our current society, which kinda hurts. But in a beautiful way. And then this book digs into a specific character’s backstory SO BEAUTIFULLY. Obsessed.
This duology has: smart MCs, enemies to lovers, politics and scheming, Roman Empire influence
Where to Read:
The Unnamed
📖 Book 1 of the incomplete Book of Names duology
❤️🔥 No spice (yet)
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🎧 Dual-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 (full review here)
My Thoughts: This was a super cool premise that I thoroughly enjoyed, but there was some weirdness in the dynamic of the relationship I couldn’t quite get over. I still had a good time, and I might read book 2 still, but it didn’t QUITE live up to what I wanted it to be.
This book has: themes of colonialism and peoples’ storytelling, Rumplestiltskin retelling, forced proximity, enemies to lovers
Where to Read:
What Darkness Brings
📖 Book 1 of the incomplete Ballad of Beating Hearts romantasy duology
❤️🔥 No spice yet
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
My Rating: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (full review here)
My Thoughts: This is a unique premise and I had a grand ol’ time with it. I will say the catalyst to the whole story felt a little unbelievable in a “girl… what” way but it kind of made sense for her character after that and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
This book has: memory loss trope done well, YEARNING man, slow burn, elves and humans, necromancer, forced proximity
Where to Read:
Harrow the Ninth
📖 Book 2 in incomplete The Locked Tomb sci-fi series
🏳️🌈 Sapphic (but not necessarily all that romantic)
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🎧 Solo-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (full review here)
My Thoughts: I have never enjoyed a book where I had literally no fucking idea what was happening more than this book. Book 1 is Gideon the Ninth and Gideon is the funniest FMC I’ve ever read, so when Harrow took over the main POV I was like “will this keep the giggles coming?” and I can ASSURE YOU she did. She’s crazy and I love her.
This book has: the most insane FMC, space politics, a murder mystery, a really expansive world
Where to Read:
Tempest
📖 Book 1 in incomplete The Lyrian Sea romantic fantasy duology
🗓️ Releases Sep 8
🎧 Dual-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (full review here)
My Thoughts: This was MAYBE my most anticipated book of the entire year (because Red Queen got me back into fantasy) and I can say it did NOT DISAPPOINT. I loved it so, so much and as more time passes after having finished it I love it even more and genuinely want to reread it already. The writing in this is very descriptive with rich worldbuilding and if you like Pirates of the Caribbean there’s truly no world in which I think you wouldn’t also like this.
This book has: pirates, dual timelines, TENSION GALORE, Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, anti-colonialism themes
Preorder here:
The Wolf and His King
📕 Romantic fantasy standalone
🏳️🌈 Queer
☑️ On Kindle Unlimited
🎧 Solo-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (full review here)
My Thoughts: The writing in this is UNDOUBTEDLY absolutely gorgeous. I thoroughly enjoyed that this was an MM take on a fairytale I’d literally never heard of, and it was really just lovely. I will warn you though I think this could be considered a proper Romance (genre), it doesn’t take the standard path. And while I’m completely fine with that, heads up if you’re just trying to find a happy queer story through and through, because this takes some turns.
This book has: queer rep, betrayals, werewolves, longing and sad gay boiz
Where to Read:
Swordheart
📖 Book 1 in the incomplete Swordheart romantic fantasy trilogy
🐉 Based in the White Rat world
❤️🔥 Has spice
🎧 Solo-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (full review here)
My Thoughts: Oh my GOD I LOVED THIS. It’s just so fun, so funny, so silly, so campy, and so lovely. The found family is EXCELLENT and the world is so rich and well explored and this book sent me into a T. Kingfisher spiral that I haven’t exited yet.
This book has: super funny, older MCs (30+), incredible found family, not epic fantasy but not cozy either
Where to Read:
Paladin’s Grace
📖 Book 1 in the Saint of Steel romantic fantasy series
🐉 Based in the White Rat world
❤️🔥 Has spice
🎧 Solo-narrated audiobook
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (full review here)
My Thoughts: Remember when I said Swordheart sent me into a spiral? Well this is where I ended up, once again in the White Rat world. I also loved this. Lighter and funnier despite having some darker themes and elements, but just a damn delight and I will absolutely be plowing through this series.
This book has: dead gods, funny MCs, 30+ ages, not epic fantasy but not cozy eithe
Where to Read:
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