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I feel like I was in the minority of the DoH series' readers; I was more interested in hearing about Kathryn's journey and letting Leena + her men take a back seat for a while. So I was hyped when Rosaline announced The Yacht and I loved every second of this emotionally thrilling ride.

Kathryn is next in line to run the Hearts gang but there is a bittersweet note for her. She wants to make her father proud, but she has some resentment towards Leena for basically leaving and never looking back. She pays for her name and position when she's kidnapped and taken aboard the aforementioned yacht. Her captor? The swoon-worthy Asher, a man with his own vendetta against Kathryn's father and determined to figure out with the Ace of Cups are planning. The two have an immediate attraction but fight against for several reasons.

It took me a while to embrace Kat, only because she was naive to the world around her, even though she's a Mafia princess. You expect more out of her, but she grows into herself as the story continues.

I loved Asher as soon as I delved into his POV. His own backstory makes you sympathetic and understanding towards him. He and Kat were perfectly complementary and made each other stronger; he emboldened her to become more confident and show her strength while she showed him that it was okay to be vulnerable and slowly trust again.

The pacing was a bit off in certain parts, like the ebb and flow changed, but the story was electrifying. I liked Asher's friends and crew as they provided that found family aspect and lightened the darker moments of the book. And of course, the spice was well-written but I expect nothing less from Rosaline. Overall a great addition to the Deck series and I can't wait for the next book!

*Thanks to Rosaline Jay for the early copy!

I really wanted to like this book, especially after finding it on Threads but some parts were so cringy that I kept pausing the audiobook. The constant mention of pregnancy and wanting a family kept my eyes rolling in annoyance but the chemistry between Alex and Elijah had me tuned in. They had cute moments like their dinners together and getting to know each other/sharing their past traumas. The ending felt so rushed but the HEA was decent. A good attempt but some parts fell flat for me.

The audiobook was great though due to the actors' performances.

First fantasy read of 2026 and omg am I glad to have read Queen of Sorrows. From the lush world building and visuals to the memorable characters, this book should be on every fantasy reader's TBR.

QoS follows human Deirdre who was born with a peculiar birthmark that tells the world that she is the Child of the Prophecy, destined to marry the fae king and basically help the realm achieve peace and keep evil at bay. She lives quietly but happily with her husband but when the fae king Kane arrives to claim his prophesied wife, Deirdre fights back until the first bit of Sorrows happens.

The story really picks up when Deirdre and Kane arrive in Saol, the place for the surface fae and the political struggles had me intrigued. The rifts between Kane and some of his people, the (loving) meddling from the pixies... Ugh this book was so good. I probably looked foolish as I read the end, with my mouth agape, but the choices that the characters made and the cliffhanger is so engaging that I'm anxious for book 2.