Review for Jill Shalvis' "FALLING INTO YOU"

 

FALLING INTO YOU
Contemporary Romance

 

 

AUTHOR:
Jill Shalvis

RELEASE DATE:
July 14, 2026

PUBLISHER:
Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9781464261060

RATING:
4.5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.jillshalvis.com/

 

 

Hazel Pierce owns Pierce Custom Woodworks, a business she started after returning to Star Falls. On her way to a job site, a wasp sting causes her to crash her van into a river. The man who comes to her rescue is the last person Hazel wants to see. She and Tucker have history – one she has no desire to revisit or repeat. However, things do not go as Hazel plans. Will she find a reason to remain in Star Falls? Or will her complicated feelings for Tucker send her running once more?

Tucker Colburn is a firefighter for Star Falls. Between shifts, he also helps at his brothers’ restoration company as their project estimator. Tucker is the one who finds Hazel after her accident and rescues her. He knows that things between them are complex and unresolved. But Tucker cannot help his instinctual need to protect her. Can he trust his heart to Hazel? Will Tucker convince her to stay? Or will history repeat itself?

Hazel and Tucker both endured painful childhood. Tucker grew up with an abusive father and the loss of his mother. Hazel found herself spiraling out of control when her mother passed, which caused her to do some things she later regrets. They truly are kindred spirits.

Hazel’s sarcasm and sass is her defense mechanism. What I truly like the most about her is the way she makes up for her teenage mistakes. She does it willingly. Tucker has defenses of his own. He feels this need to rescue people. I love how Tucker has always believed in Hazel, even when their relationship becomes strained. He always wanted the best for her.

FALLING INTO YOU is the third and final book in Jill Shalvis’ contemporary romance series, COLBURN BROTHERS. The story can standalone. However, reading the first two books will help readers understand the Colburn’s dynamics. The past that continues to haunt all four. Why they feel like they are defected and broken. I love seeing the couples from the prior two books play important roles throughout the story. It made it feel like an extension of their own stories.

Generally, I am not a fan of the second-chance trope. However, I like how Shalvis handled this one. The beginning of their second chance begun in the background of the first two books…

The only nitpick I have is I wanted Kiera to have her own book. Sadly, that does not look like it will happen. Her “romance” feels like a loose end that is pushed into the story, a side note. Honestly, I feel like Kiera got cheated.

 

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author (Jill Shalvis) for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Review for Jeffe Kennedy's "BLADES, BOOKS AND THE BANDIT"

 

BLADES, BOOKS, AND THE BANDIT
Fantasy Romance

 

AUTHOR:
Jeffe Kennedy

RELEASE DATE:
May 14, 2026

PUBLISHER:
Brightlynx Publishing, Inc

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9781958679890

RATING:
4

AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.jeffekennedy.com/home

 

 

Bandit has been secretly pining for her fae princeling since their inevitable parting. When she learns that Azul has been abducted, she sets out to rescue him. The only hitch? The Citrine realm is unchartered territory where few humans have gone and returned. If she has any hope of succeeding, Bandit must rely on her smuggling partner, Goldilocks. However, she soon realizes that the situation is not as it seems. Will Bandit be forced to say a final goodbye to her fae love?

Bandit’s carefree and rowdy personality is subdued in this volume. Glimpses of her former self do appear, occasionally. She feels like a pale simile of the person we met and enjoyed in book one. I understand the reason Bandit is like this, the whole “once you go fae, you can never go back to mortals” ideology. I like how she is willing to risk everything, even daring the unknown, to rescue Azul.

Azul does not appear until halfway through the book, which is both understandable and a bummer. The reason for his forced engagement remains a mystery. We do, however, get a small clue near the end. I hope book three finally provides answers and a resolution. I still enjoy the snarky, innuendo-filled banter between Azul and Bandit.

BLADES, BOOKS, AND THE BANDIT is the second book in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy romance series, THE FAST AND THE FAE. The story picks up where book one leaves off. So, it is necessary to read LOVE, LIES, AND LEY LINES before venturing into this one. It (LLaLL) introduces the author’s world, the dynamics between humans and fae, how Bandit and Azul met, and other important details.

I did not get a movie vibe from this one like I did with the first. There is no question about the Smokey and the Bandit vibe with LLaLL. If there is one for BBatB, it went over my head. Or I either did not watch the movie or liked it (big possibility).

Side note: In the first book, I had a small nitpick about a certain term used a lot in the book. The author calmed down on its usage in this book. I still have a difficult time taking it seriously… and it still throws me off. But, that is a me problem I will just have to deal with.

Review for Fuyumi Soryo's "MARS 30th Anniversary Edition, Volume 1"

 

MARS 30^th Anniversary Edition, Volume 1
Romance. Manga

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Fuyumi Soryo

RELEASE DATE:
June 16, 2026

PUBLISHER:
Kodansha Comics

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9798888777848

RATING:
4.5

 

 

Rei Kashino lives a fast-paced, reckless life. He skips school, gets into fights, womanizes, and races his motorcycle. Rei happens upon Kira at a park when he asks her for directions. He later recognizes her at school the following day. Rei cannot help but be drawn to the timid girl, thus starting their unorthodox friendship.

Kira Aso is a withdrawn, unassuming girl - who spends most of her time drawing. She encounters Rei in the park. He is the epitome of everything Kira distrusts. Instead of answering him, she draws him a map on the back of an old drawing. Kira’s opinions of Rei change as they slowly get to know one another. She even dares to ask him to model for her.

Kira and Rei are complete opposites, especially in personality. Rei is popular and recalcitrant. He likes to do things his own way and on his own terms. Kira is introverted and timid. Her timidity often leads people to take advantage of her. For all their differences, Kira and Rei are both wounded souls, damaged emotionally and mentally. I like how they seem to help each other confront their demons. Kira finds confidence while Rei decides to come to terms with his past.

The art style is clearly old school – which I found refreshing. The manga was first released, in English, in 2002. And it has been out of print for decades. I never heard of it until I saw it available on Netalley. I wanted to try something a little different than what I generally read.

The story’s plot is easy to follow. Yes, there are some trigger warnings, such as bullying, suicide, sexual assault and harassment, and violence. I found Kira and Rei easy to like and connect with (but then I am a sucker for the wounded/tortured types. I would love to continue with the manga… Enough to buy the hardback version once it releases? Now that is a stretch. I would if it came into omnibus format.

Review for Kumosoku "WHAT IF I SAID, "I LOVE YOU"? Volume 1

 

WHAT IF IS SAID, “I LOVE YOU”?, Volume 1
Boys Love, Manga

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Kumosoku

RELEASE DATE:
June 30, 2026

PUBLISHER:
Kodansha Comics

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
9798888778203

RATING:
3

 

 

Kazuho and Tokio have always been close friends. As they enter high school, everything shifts. Kazuho realizes his feelings for Tokio are romantic, not platonic. He worries how Tokio might react if he learns the truth, so he begins to distance himself. Will Kazuho find the courage to confess his feelings? And what will Tokio’s answer be?

I am still on the fence about this manga. The storyline just did not invoke much interest in me. I would have liked a little more on Tokio’s point-of-view. It would have allowed the story to flow a little better and to allow readers to connect with him better. It felt one sided, like everything centered around Kazuho.

Volume One reads more like a one-shot. So, I am curious yet not so curious, what the mangaka plans for the next volume.  And for readers who like the steamy, raunchy sex scenes will be disappointed. It is mostly Kazuho agonizing over his feelings and yearning for Tokio. His angst that it will be unrequited.

Review for Kinley MacGregor (Sherrilyn Kenyon)'s THE FORSAKEN

 

THE FORSAKEN
Historical Romance

 

 

 

AUTHOR:
Sherrilyn Kenyon (under the alias Kinley MacGregor)

RELEASE DATE:
May 12, 2026

PUBLISHER:
Oliver Heber Books

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
B0GY5KNSLK

RATING:
4.5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

 

 

Draven de Montague, the Earl of Ravenswood, is known for his reputation on and off the battlefield. When his neighbor accuses him of raiding their villages, he consents to his king’s solution. Draven assures his sovereign that he will not lay a hand on his guest-slash-hostage in anger or lust. However, she tests the boundaries of his resolve. Can Draven resist Emily’s amorous pursuit? Or will he forsake his honor to have her?

Lady Emily is the youngest daughter of a powerful earl. She yearns to leave her father’s household and to start her own family. When she becomes a political hostage for a year, Emily decides to seize her chance. Tempting Draven to the altar proves to be a difficult endeavor, but Emily refuses to relent. Can she breach the barrier surrounding Draven’s heart? Or will another obstacle stand in Emily’s way?

Kenyon is the reason why I am a sucker for the wounded/tortured hero types. She writes them incredibly well. And Draven did not disappoint me. He has survived a traumatic childhood full of emotional and physical abuse. My heart bled for everything Draven underwent from his father’s hand. I can understand why he chooses to shut himself off from others and distrust them. What I love the most about Draven is how Emily helps him overcome his demons. It is not instant progress but a slow, agonizing one.

At first, she is afraid of him because of his reputation and her father’s prejudiced. However, Emily’s opinion of Draven changes as she spends time in his presence. She starts to see the good that others either ignore or overlook. I adore Emily’s determination to show Draven the love he never got to experience as a child. She never gave up on him. What I admire the most about Emily is how she openly rebukes her father for his cold treatment of Draven.

THE FORSAKEN is the first book in Kinley MacGregor’s historical romance series, BROTHERHOOD OF THE SWORD. I have been a fan of this author’s works (as both Kinley MacGregor and Sherrilyn Kenyon) for about seventeen years now. Originally released in 2001 as MASTER OF DESIRE, this is one of the author’s earlier works I have not read. I am ecstatic that she re-published it. I hope Kenyon plans to do that with the rest of her out-of-print titles.