Hi Friends,
Welcome back to my cozy little corner of the internet! I’m doing the Mid-Year Book Freakout tag today. I really enjoy doing this tag each year, and getting to share how my reading has been in the first half of 2025. So get comfy with a warm beverage and let’s talk about my reading year so far.
I’m going with Penn Cole’s Spark of the Everflame. The story follows Diem, who is a healer. Her mother was a healer, so she has trained to be one since childhood. She lives in a kingdom ruled by descendants of gods. They’re rather cruel. Then one day her mother goes missing, and that’s when the story really starts. With her mother gone, Diem stops taking her medication, and soon after, she develops strange abilities. Plus, I was obsessed with the enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance. Also, my description doesn’t do this book justice—I highly recommend giving it a read.
Related Post: Spark of the Everflame | Book Review
So far this year, I haven’t read many sequels, but Trisha Levenseller’s The Darkness Within Us is my favorite. It’s the follow-up to The Shadows Between Us. In the first book, we followed Alessandra Stathos. This time, we get Alessandra’s sister Chrysantha Stathos’s story. She’s a strong, independent character who spent years pretending to be a dumb, naive girl, believing it was necessary for social advancement. After her elderly husband passes away, she inherits everything. But when a long-lost relative shows up to take it all away, she refuses to back down. Having worked so hard, she’s determined not to let a man steal her fortune. This book was fantastic. It was fast-paced with an amazing enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
I picked two books for this question since there are so many new releases I haven’t read yet. Nightweaver by R.M. Gray is a pirate fantasy romance. Don’t tell me that plot doesn’t intrigue you! Our Infinite Fates by Laura Stevens is about two characters who are connected in every life. I believe they always fall in love and then kill each other. This time, the female lead wants to live because she needs to save her sister, and I think she needs her love interest to help her do it. I’m really looking forward to this story and hoping I’ll enjoy it!
I’m really excited about tons of books coming out, but there are two that I absolutely cannot wait for! Adalyn Grace’s Holly is number one. This story is part of her Belladonna series, which I adore. I own numerous copies of the trilogy — like, an unhealthy number of copies. I will always rave about that book series. And it seems like Holly is a holiday story, which makes it even better! I’m also really looking forward to Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck. All I know about the book is that it’s a romance. But I read You, Again by this author, and I loved it! So, I’m expecting a lot from this book.
Related Post: Belladanna | Book Review
Related Post: You, Again | Book Review
Sadly, it’s Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett. I truly enjoyed the first book in this series, but I didn’t enjoy the second book, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, nearly as much. Unfortunately, this conclusion to the trilogy just didn’t hold my attention. The writing wasn’t my cup of tea, and the story felt a little too slow. Plus, I don’t love Emily as a character, which probably had a negative impact on my reading experience.
Related Post: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries | Book Review
That has to be Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams! Having disliked the first two books in this small-town romance series, this one was a welcome surprise. The first book, When in Rome, is a celebrity romance; the second, Practice Makes Perfect, features the bad boy/good girl trope. Those stories failed to excite me, and I disliked the small-town element because it felt like the author was trying too hard to recreate Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. However, I loved Beg, Borrow, or Steal. It might be because I really identified with the main character, Emily. Plus, the banter between her and her love interest was top-tier! The book was amazing in every way.
Related Post: When in Rome | Book Review
Related Post: Practice Makes Perfect | Book Review
Ashley Herring Blake, the author of the Bright Falls series, is probably my new favorite author. I loved the first book in the series, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care. Actually, I loved the entire series! They’re all amazing, spicy, sapphic romances. I’m so excited to read more of their work! They’ve become an auto-buy author for sure.
Related Post: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care | Book Review
I’d definitely pick Vale from Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent. He was a great character. Vale is this super hot, broody vampire, and yeah, I’m totally crushing on him. Guess I just have a thing for vampires. He’s definitely my latest fictional crush.
Related Post: The Serpent And The Wings Of Night | Book Review
That’s gotta be Astrid Parker! I’m a sucker for the tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside character type. I enjoyed her character immediately, and her growth throughout the Bright Falls series was great!
Related Post: Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail | Book Review
It’s probably Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams that made me cry the most. But I’m an emotional reader, so lots of books make me cry. Still, of all the books this year, this one tugged at my heartstrings the most. I don’t know why, but it really got to me.
Laurie Gilmore’s The Cinnamon Bun Book Store was such a feel-good read. I thought the story was really cute. It’s an age-gap romance that’s fun, quick, and easy to read. We have a bookseller and a fisherman, and their romance is super sweet. It’s also really spicy, so keep that in mind before you pick it up. To put it simply, this book made me happy.
I pick up so many pretty books, but a stunning one I haven’t heard anyone talk about is River of Spirits (The Underwild #1) by Shana Targosz. I think it’s middle-grade fantasy story. The book has a stunning cover, and the sprayed edges are beautiful too. I feel like this is among the most beautiful books I’ve purchased this year.
I’m hoping to read Fearless by Lauren Roberts and Bloodmarked by Tracy Dion before the year is over. Fearless wraps up the Powerless trilogy. I’ve put this book on so many TBR lists; I just have to read it. It’s a big book, nearly 600 pages, which is daunting, but I’m curious about how the series ends. Bloodmarked is the follow-up to Legendborn, which I thought was great. I’m nervous to pick up this book because Legendborn put me in a bit of a reading slump when I read it. I’m scared this one will do the same, but it’s a series I’d like to get back into.
Related Post: Powerless | Book Review
Related Post: Legendborn | Book Review
That’s it for my Mid-Year Book Freakout tag! Tell me how your reading’s been going in the comments! What’s the best book you’ve read this year? What book let you down the most? I want to know! Also, liking and sharing this post would mean a lot to me. You can sign up for my mailing list as well to join my cozy little community.
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny
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