A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J Spann

“The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players…

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book has such a unique premise and format that worked together perfectly. With a plot line that revolves around actors and their theater, it was refreshing to see this book set up like a play itself with acts and scenes instead of chapters. The last half of the book really picked up the pace of the story leading to a shocking but satisfying ending.

Visit Shannon J Spann’s website.

The Beasts We Raise by D.L. Taylor (The Broken Citadel book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Beasts We Bury, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Newly-appointed Prime Mancella is desperate to keep the peace within her realm and within herself. Having recently acquired the power to physically split into separate versions of herself, her identity is beginning to fracture―along with her land, which is on the brink of war. The only semblance of normalcy in her life is her budding romance with thief-turned-confidant, Silver. . . at least until the mysterious Prime Reltas arrives at her doorstep asking, or rather demanding, her hand in marriage.

If Mance wants to avoid a fight that will devastate her realm, she’ll have to consider the proposal. Even if it destroys Silver. But Mance isn't ready to give up just yet. Desperate to free herself from the betrothal, Mance must seek allyship from other Primes and learn to control her new magic. If she fails, her decision to refuse Reltas's proposal will implode the delicate state of affairs across the realms, setting off a catastrophic war―and shatter two hearts in the process.” - taken from Goodreads.

Even though this is the second and final book in the duology, this book reads like a separate story in which you already know all of the characters. This volume contains the POV of both Silver and Mance, as well as four different personalities that Mance can split off with the magic she claimed from her cousin. It is a race against time for everyone as Mance tries to keep from an arranged marriage as well as keep peace between the other Primes. A great ending to the story.

Visit D.L. Taylor’s website.

Six Must Die by Victoria Wlosok

“Twelve months ago, an escape room fire took everything from Steffi Zamekova. In just one hour, she lost it all: her popular blog, her close-knit inner circle, and her memories of the night that killed one of the group’s own… the charismatic (if infuriating) Matt Cesari.

On the anniversary of the bewildering tragedy, Steffi is still desperate to piece together what went wrong. So when she receives an ominous invitation in the mail summoning her to the new escape room across town, she seizes the chance for answers.

Reunited with her former friends, Steffi sees the game as a last chance to uncover the truth behind Matt’s death. But it’s soon clear that each participant has their own cagey reasons for accepting the challenge. And as tensions rise and the players are picked off one by one, it’s a race against the clock for Steffi to uncover their secrets and unlock her own memories before the game’s mastermind ensures that no one escapes the room alive.” - taken from Goodreads.

Steffi hasn't seen her friends since the night her best friend Matt died in a fire that occurred in the escape room that they were attending. Now the six of them have been brought back together at an inferno themed game the night before their high school graduation by an unknown person. Steffi suffers from a traumatic brain injury and hopes that playing the escape room scenario will allow her to remember the events of that deadly night .

What really happened the night of the escape room fire? Can Steffi regain her memories of that night? Who and why has someone brought the six survivors back to another escape room? Readers will be surprised.

Visit Victoria Wlosok’s website.

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith (The Rose Bargain book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Rose Bargain, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.” - taken from Goodreads.

Even though the first book in this duology ended in a cliffhanger, this book was a bit slow to start. Without giving too much away, Ivy, Lydia, and Emmett must find a way to get out from under Bram’s cruel reign of not only England but the Otherworld. The epilogue to the story was great, without giving too much away, I wish it hadn’t been so one sided.

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

Release Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me - The New Republic book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Watch Me, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.

And there’s only one person to blame.

James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.

If only he could convince his older brother.

Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…

Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the

Welcome back to The New Republic.” - taken from Goodreads.

Without giving too much away, the action in this book picks up immediately following book one. Told from James, Rosabelle, and Warner’s points of view, the story continues to flow nonstop up until that unexpected ending that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book.

Book 3 is due in 2027.

Visit Tahereh Mafi's website.

Lights Out by Jenni Fletcher

“He’s a future F1 champion, but she’s making it hard to stay on track…

F1’s resident bad boy Giovanni Bauer isn’t used to losing, but when his non-stop partying leaves his position on the team at risk, he needs to turn his reputation around - fast.

Maisie Evans is a dedicated psychology student, desperate to break into Gio’s competitive world and reignite her dreams of a glittering sports career, but with no clue how to do it.

When Gio and Maisie’s worlds collide, the answer to their problems seems a fake relationship. She gets to travel the world and brush shoulders with sports royalty, and he gets to fix his image by settling down.

But as sparks fly on and off the track, will their ‘relationship’ see them cross the line together, or crash and burn?” - taken from Goodreads.

Maisie Evans is going to college to become a sports psychologist. Her own mountain biking career came to a screeching halt after an accident. Lately her grades have plummeted and she's in danger of having to repeat the term. When she meets F1 racing's resident bad boy Gio Bauer while working at a party, he proposes a solution to each of the problems. Fake date to improve his reputation and provide a research project for Maisie.

As the two continue to carry on their sham, real feelings between the two begin to surface. Can their burgeoning relationship survive Gio’s high speed world?

Visit Jenni Fletcher’s website.

The Rebel and the Rose by Catherine Doyle (City of Fantome book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Dagger and the Flame, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“From a remote hilltop haven, far from the city of Fantome, Seraphine Marchant and her Order of Flames plot to eradicate shade magic with lightfire. But as Sera struggles to control her blooming powers, destiny calls her back to Fantome—and to the assassin who haunts her dreams.

Ransom Hale can’t get Sera out of his head. As their rivalry grows and he grapples with the responsibility of leading the Order of Daggers, he feels himself slipping further from who he wants to be. Is he doomed to a life in the shadows? Or can he forge another path?

Meanwhile, rebellion is stirring in the kingdom, and a dangerous prince grows in power. Forced to work together by order of the king, Sera and Ransom’s conflicted hearts are tested to their limits. And all the while, an ancient prophecy is unfolding that will change the fate of Valterre forever…” - taken from Goodreads.

OK, I went into this massive book of 500+ pages thinking that it would wrap up the story. Boy was I wrong. The action is never ending as the author brings our main characters together in the beginning while setting up for what should be an epic showdown to wrap up this series.

Book three is to be determined. UGH!

Visit Catherine Doyle’s website.