More Kea and Sora Please

TITLE: The Killing Spell

AUTHOR: Shay Kauwe

PUBLISHER: Saga Press

PUBLISHING DATE: April 14, 2026

PAGES: 288   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble. 

At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes—LA’s most prominent Filipino activist—turns her world upside-down. 

Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?

MY THOUGHTS: I won't lie.  I initially picked this one up because I was interested in reading an Indigenous Fantasy featuring Hawaiian culture. Little did I know that although not a big part of the book, I would meet one of the hottest couples I've met in a long time.  

Kea is struggling to maintain her family's Homestead despite most areas being taken over by the LA area syndicate.  When an prominent LA activist ends up dead, the LA Board comes to Kea for assistance, as it is believed the spell used to kill Angelo is Hawaiian in nature.  Basically being forced to take on the task despite being out of her league, Kea soon has to find the murdered or risk losing her Homestead.  She ends up getting assistance for Sora Kaiser.  An elite and snobby individual also on the LA Board.  The two clearly are not compatible to work together but they manage to somehow and of course, along the way, tension turns to angst and before you know it, Sora is doing everything he can to help Kea succeed.

I am sure I'm doing a really poor job of describing the plot adequately as there is a lot of world-building and political intrigue packed in such a short book.  I loved learning more about the spellsmithing and the importance of languages, both written and oral, in the world Kauwe created.  I loved Kea's family connections, especially how everyone came together to create and protect the life they cherished so much.  And finally, there is the relationship between Kea and Sora.  Definitely a tad of enemies to lovers with slow-burn relationship development and plenty of banter and snark.  Don't get me wrong, this really isn't a romance book, but the extra addition definitely added to my enjoyment.

This book reads a lot like an urban fantasy which is a genre I recognize I love and need to read more of.  My only real issue is I found the pacing a bit slow at first but that may have been because I was trying to get a grasp on the world and the spellsmithing.  If you love fantasy, a good mystery and some angsty tension on the side, please consider picking this one up.  I believe it is a debut from this author, and I will be looking for more from her in the future.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - 10 Things I Hate About Zombies

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

September 10, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: LOVE. SMOOTHIES. ZOMBIES? Smoothie shop owner and perpetual student Zoey has always had a thing for brains. So, when she meets the brilliant yet quirky mushroom farmer Nick at a farmer’s market, she’s smitten – especially when his rare local truffles turn her smoothies into a viral sensation.

But when customers start showing odd side effects – like shuffling and green skin – Zoey brushes it off, until an unfortunate biting incident leaves her craving brains in a whole new way.

Can Nick and Zoey team up to find an antidote before everything falls apart…literally?

A scarily good rom-com, perfect for fans of The Last of Us, Morbidly Yours, and Netflix’s Love and Monsters!

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  This cover and synopsis of this one screams fun so I just can't pass it up.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

So, I Guess Wild Cowboys Can Be Tamed...

TITLE: Wyatt (Lucky River Ranch #2)

AUTHOR: Jessica Peterson

PUBLISHER: Bloom Books

PUBLISHING DATE: August 19, 2025

PAGES: 412   

SOURCE: KU

FROM GOODREADS: Wyatt Rivers is the perfect no-strings hookup—a cowboy Casanova who rocks a Stetson, looks smokin’ hot in his Wranglers, and never rests his head on the same pillow twice. 

He’s exactly what I’m looking for. If only Wyatt wasn’t also my best friend… 

I’m back in my hometown of Hartsville, Texas, for a few months while I wait for my dream job to start thousands of miles away. While I’m here, I hope to end an epic dry spell in the bedroom, preferably with a local cowboy. If the rumors are true, they really do ride harder and stay on longer. 

Wyatt and I have been best friends since second grade, and I’ve been in love with him for almost as long. But he’s as wild and untamed as a colt that can’t be broken—not to mention, totally out of my league with his good looks and heartbreaker reputation. 

Then I get to thinking: since Wyatt is such an expert, why doesn’t he teach me the ropes of how to find a hookup? He begrudgingly agrees, and a little fake flirting suddenly leads to fake dating, which leads to real kissing, which leads to real…well, everything else. 

And let me just say, the rumors are absolutely true. 

Now, I want so badly to be Wyatt’s last rodeo. But I’m leaving town, and even if I wasn’t, I’m not sure Wyatt would ever change his playboy ways. 

I know cowboys can’t be tamed. Apparently, neither can hearts…

MY THOUGHTS: I sometimes wonder if this author isn't trying to see how many tropes she put in each book in this series but lucky for me, it's working and I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to read more (spoiler alert - I've already read the third one as well).

Wyatt is the second Rivers brother the series visits.  He has always been a playboy, on and off the ranch, and in his spare time, loves gambling at the local watering hole in town.  However, Wyatt can't settle down because he is secretly in love with his best friend since second grade.

Sally is the daughter of the local ranch vet.  She went away to school and has worked her way to one of the best large animal vets in the country.  She has just been offered a prestigious job in New York doing what she loves, but deep down, she can't decide if she is living her dad's dream or her own.  Sally hasn't spent a lot of time dating and wants to cut loose one last time before she leaves town.  She has had a huge crush on her best friend for years but believes she is out of her league.  She convinces him to help coach her out of shell by fake dating and making another local cowboy jealous.  What can go wrong?  Apparently, lots but in the end, both may end up right where they belong.

Once again, Peterson takes a spicy romance novel and deepens it with character development and some pretty deep side stories.  Wyatt's mom and dad died when he was a teen, and their deaths hit him really hard.  He continues to struggle with how this incident impacted his life and made him who he is today.  It may also explain why he has such a hard time settling down.  Sally has always been Wyatt's go-to person, even when she was away at school.  I liked Sally as a character but wished she had a little more self confidence in the beginning but then I guess we might not have had such a lengthy book. 

Friends-to-lovers is a trope that doesn't bother me but I'm not always on board for fake dating.  However, it really worked in this book.  Perhaps I'm just still in my cowboy romance era which if you had told me ten years ago it would happen, I might have called you crazy.  I recommend this to anyone looking for a romance with a bit more plot than some and quite a bit of spice.  I still think I enjoyed book one a tad bit more but not by much.  

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

I Cried Like a Baby!

TITLE: Dog Person

AUTHOR: Camille Pagán

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

PUBLISHING DATE: April 7, 2026

PAGES: 336   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Harold may be an aging mutt—but Amelia May, the romance novelist who adopted him, taught him a thing or two about the human heart before she died. And she also left Harold with a final to help her partner, Miguel, find love again. 

Trouble is, the grief-ridden recluse rarely goes out, not even to the bookstore he and Amelia owned together. Now it’s in danger of going under, and when a renowned author doesn’t show up for his event, it pushes the store’s already precarious finances into the red. In a final attempt to save the bookstore, Miguel and Harold set out to find the no-show and insist he fulfill his obligation. But instead, they’re greeted by Fiona, his sunny yet secretive sister. 

Fiona is intent on protecting her brother’s privacy—and to Harold’s horror, she doesn’t like dogs. But her precocious eleven-year-old daughter, who's also named Amelia, immediately befriends Harold . . . who can’t help but wonder if his Amelia was right when she said there are no coincidences in life.

Harold’s quickly running out of time to accomplish his mission, but if he can just convince his infuriatingly stubborn person to let Fiona in, he’s certain Miguel will find something far more important than a missing his own happy ending. 

Uplifting, smartly observed, and hilariously insightful, Dog Person is as undeniably charming as its beloved narrator, Harold, and offers a much-needed reminder that while not all love is unconditional, it is still always worthwhile.

MY THOUGHTS: Why do I do this to myself?  As I sat on the couch last night finishing this book, bawling my eyes out, my initial thoughts are best summed up by what I shared with one of my besties via text. 

•     OMG! I'm freaking bawling...
•     and now I'm worried about Apollo getting old.  I'm a mess 😭😭
•     But it was so good.  And even though the ending was tragic, the author did it so well.
•     All the stars.  But I need to read something stabby fast.

Harold knows he has growing old.  18 months ago his beloved owner Amelia May leaving him and her 14-year-old partner Miquel alone and grieving.  Harold promised Amelia he would help Miquel and make sure he is good even after Harold is gone.  However, time is running out and Harold, who rarely trusts people ever, has given up on ever being happy again. Add in a bookstore setting I would love to visit, a precocious tween named Amelia Mae, a constant reminder to Harold and Miquel of the Amelia Mae they lost, and employees of the store who are not only trying to keep the shop afloat but also pull Harold out of his darkness, and you have a wonderful tale I'm not soon going to forget.

I ADORED this book even though I KNEW it was probably going to break me.  The entire book is told from Harold's POV, and he is definitely going on my list of favorite dog characters ever! Harold is loving, insightful and smart as a tack.  And even though he knows he is slowing down, he is up for one more grand adventure, especially if it means leaving Miquel in a good place.   

My second favorite character is 12-year-old Amelia Mae, which is important because kids usually ignore me.  However, this kid has an immediate attachment to Harold the moment they meet and almost knows instinctively she must work with him to set her mother up with his father. She is independent, head-strong and loves to read to Harold, especially Stephen King books (but not Pet Sematary). 

Part of me wants to warn people that if they read this, skip the last chapter.  The book could have finished without it.  Yet, doing so would mean you would miss the end of Harold's journey and between the tears, it was one of the most touching and heart-warming ones I've read in a long time.  I can't give this author enough credit for how she honored Harold and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work.

MY RATING: 15 BILLION PAWS!

Feed Your TBR - Summer Slasher

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

June 23, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school...

The sleepy town of Cedar Lake Falls is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Michael had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.

Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They've changed since high school—Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy's still stoned—and they're looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?

One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they'd left behind.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I do enjoy a good slasher, especially during the summer, and along with the nostalgic 80s reference makes me super excited for this one.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

Beware Sally Pencilneck!

TITLE: Killarney Lake Massacre

AUTHOR: Kumar Sivasubramanian

PUBLISHER: Self published

PUBLISHING DATE: March 13, 2026

PAGES: 360   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: They bashed their beef, and she bashed their brains! 

Sally Pencilneck, the nunchaku killer, was supposed to be an urban legend out of the past, a campfire story about a horrific woman that butchered people in the goriest of ways for having “impure” thoughts in the woods. But when men start turning up dead after an internet craze inspires them to practice self-love in the wild, whether Sally is more than a myth or not, a host of sinister forces descends upon the small Canadian city of Fredericton, New Brunswick. 

Now, Nandini Rajan’s annoyingly monster-obsessed sixty-one-year-old mother, Aruna, wants to prove that Sally exists, and, out of spite, Nandini is determined to prove that she doesn’t. However, the moment they set foot in the forest, as if cursed, they find themselves at its mercy and have to contend with not only Sally’s return, but also her unhinged leaf-disguised nemesis, weaponized papier-mâché horse butts, an alpaca-sacrificing Black Metal fanatic, demonic frogs, an international conspiracy of sexual degenerates, and energies from another dimension that threaten to tear apart the very fabric of reality... 

Gruesome and outrageous, but also full of touching moments and inappropriate touching moments, Killarney Lake Massacre is the deranged new novel from the author of Weird Crime Theater and Tanuja Hunter-Seeker!

MY THOUGHTS: Wow, where do I begin?  First of all, did I request this ARC because of the cover?  Yep, sure did.  But I DID read the synopsis, and I DID expect something weird, but I don't think anything could have really prepared me for this one.

Sally Pencilneck is an urban legend Fredericton, New Brunswick, who kills people who have "unpure" thoughts.  She does so in extremely gruesome and extremely graphic manners.  Oh, and the murders often involve anatomy.  Nandini's mother Aruna is obsessed with monsters.  So when she hears Sally is once again terrorizing the area, she wants to investigate.  On a good day, Aruna irritates Nandini but even so, she can't think of letting her mother take off alone.  So together then go off into the woods to find Sally and from the start I knew it wouldn't end well.

I have to say one major thing about this book - it is EXTREMELY political.  In fact, had I gotten even a small vibe from the synopsis, I would have never picked it up.  A lot of names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent, and I actually ended up having a lot of good laughs but because of how heavy-handed the author is, I think I will play it safe and say this is one I just can't recommend. 

I did enjoy this though, even though it's not a fave.  I enjoyed the legend of Sally Pencilneck and the relationship between Nandini and Aruna which although not perfect, is definitely reminiscent of a lot of mother-daughter relationships, I am sure.  I also enjoyed the cultural aspects included by the author, who himself is Indian-born Canadian.  This is borderline extreme horror as well, so I know that turns a lot of readers off.  So overall, knowing what I know now I might never have read it but at the end, I don't completely regret the choice.  

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

Feed Your TBR -

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

September 22, 2026

FROM GOODREADS: The Martins need a new home for their growing family. For Alison, Nathan, daughter Dru, and foster child Lailah, it’s love at first sight when they see the house in Tumbling Hills. It even has a cozy attic, which is great for Lailah: she needs a quiet place to be alone when her intrusive thoughts creep in.

(crack an egg into the coffee machine)

The family gets settled. The house is perfect, and so is the timing – Lailah’s adoption will soon be finalized. But as the date approaches, her intrusive thoughts become worse, and bad things start to happen. Lailah fears she’s losing control.

(push your sister down the stairs)

The family is on edge, pointing fingers and taking sides. And even though they love each other very much, the cracks begin to show. Something has got to give.

(burn them alive in their beds)

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I want to know more about these intrusive thoughts, and I do love a good scary kid, especially when they are older and aren't a baby.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???