White Lights

White Lights
by Lauren Kate
 
Book: White Lights #1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Genre: Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate, whose Fallen series has over 10 million copies in print and has sold over 11 million copies of her novels around the world, is returning to the romantasy world of angels that's perfect for Fallen fans and new audiences alike.

When mysterious Rafe de la Cruz rolls into Desdemona’s life to recruit her to the elite film school Acheron, Dez has no reason to trust him—and no other option. A violent attack has just put her brother in the hospital…and Dez is the only suspect. Guilt-ridden and grieving, she finds herself running from the law to chase her longtime dream of making movies, at a school she’s never heard of. Soon, she’s dropped into Acheron’s cutthroat world of seductive intrigue, power on an otherworldly scale, and deadly competition.

Acheron may seem like the ticket to a future Dez has always wanted, but as she delves deeper into the secret work being done there, she finds herself trapped in an existential conflict on a cosmic scale—with more than her heart on the line. 

 

My Review: It's been a while since I've read Lauren's books but it's still just as wonderful as before, now just more adult.

Dez is just going about her night. Closing shift of the dairy barn that her uncle owns. Which is good, because she isn't the greatest employee in the world but least now she has made enough to apply for the film school she wants and will soon be out of there hopefully. 

What's usually a normal closing shift for Dez has now become a nightmare. Her brother at door to be let in, then some guy in a mask right behind him to rob them, then to an accident that left her brother in the ICU. The worst part of it all? No one can find proof of this masked guy and they are shifting the blame to her.  

Then out of no where the guy she ran into is now at the hospital. Giving her a letter to a film school, one that is even better than she could have though of and she would be able to go chase her dreams. 

The catch is, she might either accept and leave tonight or miss her only chance. So she makes a choice and takes this chance, only for it to not be exactly as she was told and there is more to this school than they want to let you believe. 

I really enjoyed this book a lot. There were moments it was a little slow and dull for me, but the pace, details and characters were done well. Though, for me, Dez took a smidge to liking but in the end ends up being one of my favorites. 

There is a lot of lust, especially in the start and while it wasn't bad, it was a bit too much for a pretty early start of the book and well it didn't really need it. 

It was so exciting to jump back into this world again and I'm on the edge of my seat just waiting for the next book!

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Why Book Reviews Matter for Authors

 

In today’s crowded world, visibility matters more than ever. Readers are discovering new books every day, but with thousands of titles competing for attention, how can authors stand out? One of the most effective tools for building credibility and attracting readers is book reviews.

At Lovely Reads Press, we help authors connect with readers through honest, engaging, and impactful book reviews designed to increase exposure and build trust with potential buyers.

Reviews Build Reader Confidence

Readers rely heavily on reviews before purchasing a book. Whether they’re browsing online retailers, social media, or book blogs, reviews help readers decide if a book is worth their time and money.

A thoughtful review can:

• Highlight your book’s strengths
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Increase Your Book’s Visibility

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At Lovely Reads Press, our reviews are designed to help authors:

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Whether you’re launching your debut novel or promoting your latest release, our book reviews can help amplify your voice and connect your story with the right audience.

Ready to get your book noticed? Contact Lovely Reads Press today and let us help bring your book to more readers.

The Alchemary

 
 

The Alchemary 
by Rachel Vincent
 
Book: The Alchemary Trials #1
Publisher: Hyperion

Pub Date: April 7. 2026 
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dark Academia
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop
 
Neither amnesia nor the brothers trying to steer her fate will stop Amber Fallbrook from uncovering the truth about herself, the Alchemary, and the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone.
 
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers, The Shifters) pens a dark paranormal romantasy centered on alchemy magic—and those who dare harness it.
 
Naked, knowing little more than her name, Amber Fallbrook does not recognize the stone tower she’s awoken in, or the vast, glittering ocean outside the window. Turning, she finds a very a different view: the beautiful, nearly naked man in the narrow bed is a stranger. So is the man who barges into the room unannounced, clearly expecting to find Amber alone.
 
Who are they? Who is she? Why can’t she remember?
 
Shocked to discover that she’s in her dormitory room at the Alchemary—the realm’s prestigious university dedicated to the study of alchemy—Amber has no recollection of having been one of the school’s top students for the past two years. The two men—brothers—are her childhood friends, even if “friends” is not the exact energy in the room.
 
One brother claims to want to protect her, and the other to help her recover her memory, but Amber soon realizes that nothing is at it seems at the Alchemary. Not the intentions of her classmates and faculty, not the stunning, labyrinthian campus, not the two brothers she’s increasingly attracted to—maybe not even herself.
 
Despite her memory loss, Amber rejoins her classes and prepares for the deadly Alchemary Trials alongside the other Mastery-level students. But as invigorating as the flowing language and symbology of alchemy is, she can’t help but notice that for an institution shining light on the quest for human perfection there are a lot of dark shadows in its winding corridors. 
 
 
My Review: EHH. 
 
I was expecting a lot from this book. Given I've read many of Rachels books, the blurb for this book, it was all aimed to have high hopes.
 
Well....I had to put this book down and come back to it in order to finish it.
 
While I didn't hate the book, I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped.
 
I liked Amber. She was a good character and developed well throughout the book. Especially for someone who woke up to sudden amnesia with no clue or cause as to why this happened, she takes it in stride.
 
Amber wants to know what happened, will her memory come back, fight to stay and earn her spot back as the top student and get through the trials.
 
At one point, they think this whole issue is kept under wraps until Amber is basically threatened/blackmails by Pryce who knows she can’t remember and how easy it’ll be to beat her now.  Give you a moment to pause and think, could it be him? Mayne he is just this kind of jerk. Plus he knew she was waiting on Wilder and kind of sort of made it so would be delayed. Yeah, jerk he is and not a fan of this guy.
 
There were many aspects that I loved about this book and many that could’ve been improved on. The pace was horribly slow and made it feel so boring you had to step away to avoid being angry at it.
 
It took about the halfway point before it finally got my attention enough to finally want to continue the book and be glued to the pages.
 
Plus that ending was fabulous! Finally what I needed and now I'm actually holding hope that the second book will turn out to be better and keep me glued in from the start.

My Rating:

✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Fake Marriage Trope

 

Terms and Conditions

Declan

I’m destined to become the next CEO of my family’s media empire.

The only problem? My grandfather’s inheritance clause.
Fulfilling his dying wish of getting married and having an heir seemed impossible until my assistant volunteers for the job.
Our marriage was supposed to be the perfect solution to my biggest problem.
But the more we act in love for the public, the more unsure I feel about our contract.
Caring about Iris was never part of the deal.
Especially not when breaking her heart is inevitable.

Iris
My plan to marry Declan was simple in theory.
Move in together. Throw a wedding. Have a baby.
We set rules to prevent any kind of issues.
Ones that were never meant to be broken, no matter how much Declan tempts me.
But what happens when our fake relationship bleeds into our real one?
Falling in love was never an option.
At least not for me.

Get it Here

 

Burn for You

The marriage is fake. But for a sassy chef and an arrogant billionaire, the sparks are real…

Jackson “The Beast” Boudreaux is rich, gorgeous, and unbelievably rude to the staff at Chef Bianca Hardwick’s New Orleans restaurant. Bianca would sooner douse herself in hot sauce than cook for Jackson again, but when he asks her to cater his fund-raiser, Bianca can’t refuse, knowing the cash will help pay her mother’s medical bills. Then Jackson makes another outrageous request: Marry me. The unconventional offer includes an enormous sum—money Bianca desperately needs, even if it does come with a contract — and a stunning ring.

The heir to a family bourbon dynasty, Jackson knows the rumors swirling around him. The truth is even darker. Still, he needs a wife to secure his inheritance, and free-spirited, sassy Bianca would play the part beautifully. Soon, though, their simple business deal evolves into an emotional intimacy he’s built walls to avoid.

As the passion heats up between them, Bianca and Jackson struggle to define which feelings are real and which are for show. Is falling for your fake fiancé the best happy ending… or a recipe for disaster?

Get it Here

Promise Me Always

I should know better than to let Tessa McDaniels pretend to be my fiancée.

I’m a dark, dangerous disaster who leaves destruction in his wake.
But when she offers to pretend to marry me to help me get my kids back, I can’t refuse. They are the one thing I have left to fight for.

Milo Hendricks found me at my lowest.
Battered and broken by my ex with no place to call home. When he insists I stay at his cabin with him, he sparks the feelings I’ve tried to suppress.
He’s only supposed to be my friend, but every time he comes in the room, he makes my knees weak.
This gorgeous, tatted, mountain-of-a-man who’s riddled with secrets.

Tessa is everything I crave but can’t have.
I shouldn’t touch her.
Shouldn’t make it real.
But she’s a red-headed flame I can’t resist, and I can’t help but take her to my bed.

Now we’re falling into an abyss of passion and need.
Loving her is easy.
Only we’re tied in ways we don’t know.
I’ll do anything to protect her, but it’s my past that might destroy her in the end… 

Get it Here 

The Auction

 

The Auction
by Sadie Kincaid
 
Book: Wages of Sin #1
Publisher: MIRA
Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Genre: Adult, Dark, Romance, Mafia
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop

I was trained to be a pawn, but I will rise as a queen.

My life has never been my own. After the death of my parents, I was saved by my grandfather, with the promise that he would turn me over to the Brotherhood on my twenty-first birthday.

I was kept away from the outside world so I could one day be sold to the highest bidder—pure and unsullied. Penance for my parents’ alleged crimes.

That’s how I come to be sold at an auction.

And who buys me but the reclusive billionaire, Lincoln Knight?

Some say that he’s a monster, more dangerous than any of the evil men from the Brotherhood. That he wears a mask to cover his scars. But I believe he’s hiding more than just his face behind his mask.

My fate is sealed when he takes me to his crumbling mansion deep in the woods. I’m trapped. Entirely at his mercy.

I have to escape.

But something here isn’t what it seems.

Lincoln isn’t what he seems. Maybe he’s not a monster at all. I’m drawn to him in a way that I can’t explain. Until I discover that his secrets go far beyond his mask.

He’s everything I’ve been taught to fear, but what if everything I’ve ever known has been a lie?

 

My Review: WOW. This book was so damn good. Seriously, it kept me up late into the night, I just couldn’t put it down.  

Imogen, Lincoln and Pierre are done so well. I just wanted to hug them all. Imogen for all that she has been through and having to learn to that life is over now and she really is safe. Pierre being a good friend to Lincoln and being a friend to Imogen especially when she’s never had one and it made such a difference for her. Lincoln for wanting to rid the world of those evil men and saving every woman he's come across when dealing with them and give those women a chance at a much better life.  

It starts with Imogen and other women lined up to be sold and Imogen being the star prize of it all. She can do this; she is strong and knows how to survive. She just hopes it’s not that Lincoln Knight guy with a bad reputation.... well uhhh it Kinda does end up being him.  

Once sold, Imogen is prepared for whatever he may demand if her. But he doesn’t. He gives her a safe place, free roam of the house (minus some areas), the most comfortable she’s had, clothing, food, etc. Whatever she wants, she need only ask. Imogen is free, but it takes her a while to notice it. She thinks he’s just waiting or buttering her up until he has use for her. Oh if she only knew the truth. 

Lincoln is fighting to shut down the brotherhood behind it all. To make it all finally end. While also fighting his feelings for Imogen. Spending time with her during a storm to listening about her favorite book and tracking it down for her. To the way he thinks about her in all the ways. Even if he is trying to be distant and tries to push her away at times. Deep down he is this good guy. 

Overall, it's one of the best books this year alone. Despite all the trigger warnings and darkness of it. It hits a lot things but also shows someone willing to fight to make things better. It’s truly worth the read. 

But do keep in mind the warnings with this book before diving in.  

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

If We Were Perfect

If We Were Perfect

by Ana Huang
 
Book: If Love #4
Publisher: Bloom Books
Pub Date: August 6, 2024
Genre: Adult, Romance, Second Chance
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop

Two exes, one house. What could go wrong?

Olivia had a plan: MBA, Wall Street VP by thirty-two, marriage and two children (preferably twins because #efficiency).

Not in her plan? Losing half her belongings in an apartment flood and being forced to turn to her ex for help.

Definitely not in her plan? Moving into said ex’s house and watching him walk around shirtless, bake her cupcakes, and look at her with those smoldering—

Wait, what was she talking about again?

***

Between his bakery and meddling family, Sammy had enough on his plate without bringing the ex he’d never been able to forget into the mix.

But when Olivia asks for his help, he couldn’t say no. He could, however, make her regret breaking his heart—as long as he doesn’t do anything foolish, like sneak into her room and kiss her senseless…

As passion slowly replaces their dislike for each other, Sammy and Olivia discover their past isn’t what it seems and their future is anything but certain. Can they overcome their pride and give love a second chance, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

If We Were Perfect is a steamy second chance/roommate romance. It's book four of the If Love series but can be read as a complete standalone.

Recommended for 18+ due to explicit content and adult language. 

 

My Review: OMG I wanted to shake these two so bad. 

Olivia and Sammy drive me insane for the longest time, it wasn't until closer to the end that I was finally able to fully enjoy this story.

Oliva at times can be a lot. Her super extra over the top organizing, lists, etc. Having her life planed out to a T and everything in between. Sure, its a great thing and I loved it as much as the next person, but Oliva was on a level all her own. 

Her family though? HATE them, out with them all. I couldn't stand her mum in this at ALL. Maybe it's because I know what it's like to face a lot of the same things but woah did that bring so much anger for this lady and wanting to protect Oliva from her.

Then you have Sammy, who didn't drive me as bonkers, but there were still moments. Sammy is doing great in life right now. He has a home, his bakery is very successful, with the plans for another one on the way. All is just fine, minus his mum constantly trying to marry him off to have kids already and kinda can't let go of his grudge with Oliva. Especially when the truth behind that day comes out and didn't turn out to be what he really thought it was. 

So let's put them together as roommate shall we? That couldn't go wrong at all...and well despite some issues they actually finally cave into each other and give this thing between them another chance. 

However, the best part was nearing the end when FINALLY they stuck for good, and settled down to make a life for themselves and the fun surprises that came along as well. NOW that was the romance I was waiting for and then I was glued until the end. 

I've read many other books by Ana and while I like this series a lot, its not really my favorite. Her Twisted and Kings of Sins series however, are so worth it.  

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - ARCs So Far

 

Pretty Vicious 

Laurel just wanted to survive college, keep her father fed, and fly under the radar.

Delivering pizzas was supposed to be the safe kind of side hustle, until the night she witnesses a murder at Ashford House, the most elite and secretive fraternity on campus.

Now she’s a prisoner of The Order, a blood-bound society that controls everything from politics to police. They rule with ritual, obedience, and violence, and they’ve decided Laurel doesn’t get to leave.

At the center of it all is Carrson Ashford, heir to the powerful Ashford legacy.

Cold. Commanding. Infuriatingly magnetic.
Under the rules of The Order, he “bonds” her, marking Laurel as his.

Body. Mind. Soul.

But Laurel isn’t here to be claimed. Not without a fight.
To save her father and her future, Laurel must navigate a twisted realm of initiation rites, brutal secrets, and a bond that may destroy them both.

In this world, there’s one rule: obey or die.

But love doesn’t follow rules. And neither does Laurel.

My Review

On the Brink of Bliss
A sizzling single mom, fake marriage, heroine in danger romance from New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author, A.L. Jackson

The last thing I expected when I found the trespasser bathing in my river was for it to be her…

Daisy Adair has always been my dream girl. From when we were best friends in high school to finding her now.
A gorgeous mother who shows up on my property with three kids in tow.

But I became a recluse for a reason.
The life I chose is full of wickedness and peril. The last thing I need is the object of my every fantasy invading my space and risking her life because of me.

Only when she tells me she’s on the run from her ex, I promise to do anything to keep them safe, even marry her to protect her kids.
That single kiss at the altar rips through every barrier, our passion unleashed.
Now, living under the same roof blurs the lines I’ve drawn.
Each glance of her down the hall and I am splintering.
Each brush of her hand and I am brought to my knees.
Our future—bright, hopeful, and almost within reach—hovers on the edge of becoming real…

Until we discover the threat surrounding her is grimmer than either of us imagined.
Now I’m fighting to save her and her children before our second chance at forever is burned to the ground…

My Review

Even If We Last
I’m what people call a charmer. Maybe it’s the drawl, maybe it’s the dimples, or maybe it’s the entire ex-Special-Forces package. Either way, I’ve never met a woman I haven’t been able to sweep off their feet . . . until Mallory Monroe. The only female on our team, she’s all fierce words, brave actions, and impenetrable walls around her heart. She’s also the only girl I’ve ever loved.

After burying my feelings for over a decade, I’m not surprised I dream of waking up married to her. Except, it isn’t a dream; the certificate claiming we’re husband and wife is real, and neither of us remembers a thing. Dream come true or not, I never wanted this. Not when my new bride looks horrified, accuses me like our situation is my fault, and demands we “fix it.”

But while I’d do almost anything for her—including taking a bullet for her, again—leaving her, in any sense of the word, isn’t one of those things. And when Mallory makes no move to annul our secret marriage, even months later, I decide to test the waters by attempting to date my wife.

My Review

The Fox and the Devil
An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in an immortal sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires—up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to Anneke, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman, after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

My Review

Cupid Is A Liar
I thought the worst thing that could happen on Valentine’s Day was getting stood up.

I was wrong.

When my date ghosts me and I decide to confront him, I don’t expect the night to spiral. I don’t expect danger and I definitely don’t expect the quiet, intense man from down the hall to step in and change everything.

Damian Salvanti is calm under pressure.

Terrifyingly observant.
And far too willing to put himself between me and the world.

The more time I spend with him, the more unsettling the truth becomes.

He knows me.
My routines.
My fears.
The things I want but never say out loud.
Because Damian hasn’t just been watching out for me.

He’s been watching me…

Cupid Is a Liar is a dark, fast-paced Valentine’s romance featuring an obsessive, morally gray hero who falls first, a heroine who chooses danger over safety, and a love story that blurs the line between devotion and obsession.

My Review

The Astral Library

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

My Review

Enchantra

 

Enchantra
by Kaylie Smith
 
Book: Wicked Games #2
Publisher: Forever
Pub Date: April 8, 2025
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Gothic
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon  Bookshop

Ready or Not meets Throne of the Fallen in a spicy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, where an Italian getaway turns deadly after a young woman is trapped in her host family's cursed game.

Ready or not, the game has begun.

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother's invites her to Italy, she accepts. She arrives at his grand palace, expecting passion and magic, decadence and luxury... perhaps even a midnight ball.

She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell... until the competition begins again.

Genevieve must either join the hunt or forfeit any hope of escaping. But to her dismay, her best chance of survival lies with Rowin. Since lovers may play as a pair, Rowin and Genevieve agree to form an alliance under the guise of a fake courtship. However, as they race through the game's elaborate labyrinth, trapped among gleaming gold and shining marble, their loathing gives way to irresistible attraction. Only Rowin is keeping secrets, especially when it comes to his ruthless family, and Genevieve can't help but wonder if she's trapped in two treacherous games: Enchantra and the one Rowin is playing with her heart.

 

My Review: I'm so excited to get back into this series!

I will have to say though, it did take me longer to get into and enjoy story where with he first book I loved it right from the start. 

The start was a little bit slower for me. It was also kind of boring at points where I nearly considered putting the book down and maybe coming back to it at a later time. But, stick with it because we eventually got there and I was once again hooked into this world.

This time its focused on Genevieve. She's exploring Italy and Ophelia even made her a list for while she was there. It was supposed to be her escape and to find someone else who may be like her. Thus, her plan to visit an old friend of her mums even though its kinda under false pretenses in a way. 

When Genevieve makes her way to the home that she was invited to, its not the warm and friendly welcome she was thinking of. In fact, more than once she was told to go and couldn't come in. So uh...she lets herself inside in her own way. 

Welp. Now she goes from wanting in so badly, to now not being able to leave even if she was able to, having to explain to head of the home that he was talking to her and not her mum and so on. So now she has gotten herself into quite the pickle. 

What's even worse? She is now forced to play into a deadly game, suddenly isn't single, ends up finding more than she could ever want and then it's all gone.

The ending of the book was definitely, my favorite part. Watching Genevieve and Rowin was amazing, especially when they finally cave into their feelings. Then watching them start all over again and seeing just what Rowin was willing to sacrifice for her. 

I really hope there is more, this series is a new favorite of mine. 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪