Reviews · Matcha · Recommendations
A personal space where I share what I love, what moves me, and what I would recommend without hesitation.

I read in the margins of the day — before work, on trips, sometimes late into the night. I'm drawn to stories that make my heart race and change how I see things. Here I write honestly about what I read: what I loved, what challenged me, and what I'd read all over again. Always with a matcha nearby.

Lana Ferguson
Contemporary RomanceMackenzie Carter has been on the worst dates of her life for months. Out of options, she blurts out that she already has someone — and the name that comes out is the last one she expected: Noah Taylor, the big grumpy wolf from Denver General.

Sirens of Hyvenmere · Book 1
Andrea Andersen
RomantasyShe's the sidekick. He's the villain. Vanessa Wilson cherishes her quiet life running her coffee shop in a cozy beach town and sharing a condo with her somewhat absent best friend, Audrey. Things get complicated when Vanessa is attacked by otherworldly creatures, and Audrey shows up out of nowhere to save her. All the secrets Audrey has been keeping from Vanessa over the years come to light, including the powers Audrey harnesses and the magical realm she discovered. But Vanessa has no business in the magical realm; she’s only human. While Audrey is focused on fulfilling a prophecy and bringing peace between the realms, Vanessa will do anything to keep her best friend alive. This includes trekking through the mystical land of Hyvenmere, encountering creatures she’s only read about. Creatures like fae, nereids, and a seven-foot-tall murderous siren who seems to have one thing on his mind: Vanessa.But men are the same no matter what realm they are from, and Vanessa has no desire to team up with someone who is known for leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Yet here she is, determined to protect the person she loves the most. Can an ordinary woman with nothing but a death glare and supportive pats on the back keep her best friend safe? Or will she fall victim to Hyvenmere—and its most notorious killer?

The Darkest Dance · Book 1
Jagger Cole
Mafia RomanceHe knows what I saw. Now he owns me.Carmine Barone is a monster no one sees but me. A beautiful villain with a cold, black heart and a body honed for violence. But when I stumble into a world I was never meant to see, the ruthless mafia heir becomes something else, too: My husband. Now, I’m trapped in a forced marriage to a man who hunts in darkness. A man who plays games with lies and deception. A secret predator who wants to feast on my darkest most immoral desires. And the only thing worse than being chased by a psychopath?Wanting him to.

Elle Kennedy
Contemporary RomanceAfter a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen. With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast. They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces. But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.

Bratva · Book 1
T.J. Maguire
Mafia RomanceThe Bratva rule Las Vegas The Cosa Nostra rule New York City What happens when they merge their families? A new King and Queen of the Mafia are born. Illayana Volkov and Arturo De Luca have a long road ahead, with enemies around every corner. They'll have to protect and trust in one another to survive. With a brutal betrayal and danger lurking in the shadows, who can they really trust?

Shield of Sparrows · Book 1
Devney Perry
RomantasyThe gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel. I’ve spent my life kneeling to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king. I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood. But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life. Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know. Everyone wants me to be something I’m not a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated? And what if for the first time I reached for it?

Venomous Gods · Book 4
Jagger Cole
Mafia RomanceI taunted a monster. Now I’m caught in his claws. He was only supposed to be a faceless fantasy.A masked man from the app to enact my darkest, most depraved impulses with. But I played games with the wrong stranger, and caught the attention of a psychopath. Because Kratos Drakos isn’t just Greek Mafia royalty. He’s not just lethally powerful, physically massive, and dangerously gorgeous. I’ve seen what lurks beneath his mask: a beast with a primal taste for chasing, catching, and corrupting. Now, to stop a mafia war, I’m being wed to that very monster. But the deeper I’m drawn into Kratos’ twisted reality, the more I realize one thing: The most dangerous game you can play with a psychopath isn’t running away. It’s falling for one.

Villain Series · Book 2
Rina Kent
Dark RomanceThe first time I met Yulian Dimitriev, it was hate at first sight. He’s brash, chaotic, and a violence-junkie.In short, everything I disregard.As heirs to two notorious mafia organizations, we were shoved together in an unorthodox setting. The more I learn about Yulian, the deeper my loathing seeps. Until I truly see the person within, and something forbidden sparks between us. But our coexistence is cut short when tragedy strikes.Yulian and I go back to our respective, parallel worlds that shouldn’t cross. But they do.And once again, I’m dragged into the orbit of a man I shouldn’t want. Two men can’t be together in our world. But Yulian blurs every limit I thought existed until everything is in jeopardy. Our hearts included.

Hannah Bonam-Young
Contemporary RomanceWinnifred “Win” McNulty has always been wildly independent and not one to be coddled for her limb difference. Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. With some minor adjustments, she’s done just fine. Hooking up at a costume party with the incredibly charming Bo changes everything. Win finds herself pregnant—and decides to keep the baby. While Bo is surprisingly elated to step up to the plate, Win is unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge. Together, Win and Bo decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more while they embark on this parenting journey together. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.
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Reading with Matcha · Made with love by Ari