Consecration (The Divine Bonds #1)

I want to be more.

Available at Amazon.com

Consecration
Laura M Roberts
The Divine Bonds, book one
ebook, 466 pages
Published November 20, 2026
ASIN B0HG3XJ9MN
ISBN 9798997376109
ARC


Aleia Tiverre has only ever known blackened, decayed earth.

That is, until she escapes the prison of her home and stumbles into a colorful forest blooming with life. As long-forgotten history becomes her new reality, she is discovered by Lord Theo of House Aseter—her family’s detested enemy.

But the Spirit Guardians have awoken.

These ancient beasts of the gods save her from Theo’s wrath, and declare her an integral player of a greater game. Now, Aleia must make a choice: bond her soul to a divine beast, or watch the world die.

Aleia and Theo must learn to wield their ancestral powers in tandem and destroy the dark being that has stolen their land for far too long—all the while trying to ignore the all-consuming passion sparking between them.

For the fate of Aliteda rests upon their souls: the Fire Lord and the Harbinger.

Consecration is the first installment in The Divine Bonds series, a fast-paced romantic fantasy for fans of the high fantasy world of Daughter of No Worlds and the magical romance of Heavenly Bodies.

Books like this are why I read fantasy fiction.

Read it.

Read it for the plot. The gods control the board, and all the rest are merely pawns. Consecration is a slow-paced series opener that lays the groundwork for a world war centuries in the making, with gods who have been betrayed and those they have abandoned. Magic and prophecy are heavy influencers of the story.

Read it for Aleia. She's a soft-hearted young woman who craves knowledge and is, at times, reckless, but she's driven by a moral code to forsake just about anything to do what's right. Loved Aleia. The only lass I might have loved more was Drunk Aleia.

Read it for Theo Aseter. He's everything I want in an MMC. Not the golden retrievers. Not the cinnamon rolls. Give me the alpha. The infuriating hero. The stone wall that crumbles only for the FMC. Theo is all that and more. Even when he’s wrong, he’s right. He's willing and capable of making the tough decisions, and also prepared to apologize for the harm those choices may cause. I would read this all over again from Theo's POV.

Read it for the romance. It's not just a mild Slow Burn that spans installments, but a gradual, meaningful kindling of true friendship and found love. The stages of Enemies to Reluctant Allies to Partners to Friends to Lovers are clearly defined.

And lastly, read it for the twist ending that I dare you to see coming.

4.5 out of 5 stars. 4 stars overall, and a half star for the twist ending. Thank you to the author and BookBuzzPR for providing an eARC. 

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/53

The Vixen (Puppets & Property Book 2)

You give me whiplash.
I can’t tell if you're horny, pissed, or insane.

Available at Amazon.com

The Vixen
Nicole Cypher
Puppets and Property, book two
ebook, 304 pages
Independently published July 31, 2026
ASIN B0H9FFRWV8


A dark descent into obsession where the line between captor and captive no longer exists.

He was supposed to break me.

Instead, he learned just how dangerous I can be.

Sawyer Hansley built his life on manipulation, and now that he knows I’m capable of playing his game, he’s determined to win. I’m determined to make him regret trying.

The lengths we go to deceive each other border on obsession—and obsession is a dangerous thing for two people whose sanity depends on control. The more we spar, the more respect we earn, until punishments blur with pleasure, and hateful words lose their bite.

As secrets unravel and the Shadow Sanctum tightens around both our throats, another line begins to blur. We both remember how this game started.

Neither can remember how it’s supposed to end.

A note from Nicole: The Vixen is book two in the dark romance series Puppets & Property. It picks up weeks after the ending of book one, The Puppet Master.

“Sawyer, no.”
“Luna, yes.”

I expected Luna to challenge Sawyer in this sequel. I *wanted* Luna to strive to break him.

And although that never happened, these two gave one hell of a ride. Sawyer is incapable of yielding and Luna doesn't seem to mind. Much.

Thorne is ever present to keep him in line as, starved and beaten in the mines, Sawyer waits for his revenge.

It doesn't take long for Luna to collect him. She names her price. He refuses. Push and pull until they ultimately reach a bargain built on lies and manipulation.

Is Luna worse than Sawyer? I'm not sure.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Luna's power is threatened. Decisions are made. Even when she's being pummeled into the floor, she's convinced she has the upper hand. Gotta love a strategic, confident woman.

Sawyer has found his limit. And processed his regrets. Every move is calculated, though, and I have no idea if these two will save each other or damn one another in the end.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook

Previously in the series:

2026/52

Bride of Stone

There is no shortage of wanting here.

Available at Amazon.com

Bride of Stone
Lisette Marshall
The House Averre standalone
Paperback, 135 pages
Independently published October 13 2027
ASIN B0HFGS1NLV
ISBN 9798160946573


She's a princess married off against her will. He's the guard delivering her to the altar.

The powerless sister to a volatile crown prince, Estegonde Averre has spent her whole life surviving at court. But when her brother's schemes leave her betrothed to a vicious nobleman, she must leave her cutthroat family home and travel to the estate of her husband-to-be – accompanied by his most dutiful guard.

Gon knows she shouldn't trust a man loyal to her horrendous betrothed. But Errik Eirikson isn't the brute she expected: he's quiet, ruggedly handsome, and uncannily determined to tend to her every wish even when she tries to guard her heart. Worse, he saves her life the very first night of their journey, when a mysterious assassin comes for her head.

As the royal family turns against itself and rivals move to eliminate Gon before her wedding can take place, Errik soon becomes the last man she can trust. And the more she learns about the secrets behind his unreadable grey eyes, the harder it becomes to ignore the dangerous attraction between them.

But Gon is promised to another. Errik is sworn to obey his lord. Falling in love would be treason … and to the House Averre, treason means death.

Bride of Stone is a standalone princess x bodyguard romantasy taking place in the world of the Runewitch Saga, thirty years before the events of The Death-Made Prince. While it's as slow a burn as possible for a shorter story, it does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.

Refreshing.

Evidence that, yes, you can have a book about fighting the patriarchy without the pages bleeding of misandry.

5 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback

Previously published by this author:

2026/51

The Sweetest Fiend (Played by the Piper #1)

I make the fucking lines.

Available at Amazon.com

The Sweetest Fiend
Raven Kennedy
Played by the Piper, book one
Hardcover, Goldsboro edition, 479 pages
Published September 22, 2026
ASIN B0H66FR2FW
ISBN 9780063453296


It’s time to pay the Piper.

Our world cracked open like an egg. Power burst out, and with it, nine monstrous Banes ready to destroy everything. The powerful Core fae finally slayed them all, but each Bane left a Plague to punish us.

But that’s not the only thing they left behind.

I’m half Bane, half fae, and wholly hated. Survival means enduring every vicious glare and cursed outbreak. Until one day, a Plague descends upon my city that means certain death.

Then he comes. The Pied Piper.

He rids my city of the Plague, but it comes at a cost. One hundred and thirty people are taken as payment. Including me.

I don’t know what he’s going to do to us, but I know I have to get home. My family’s lives depend on it. But the Piper won’t let me go, and something wicked stirs between us. The sweet scent in my veins beckons him, while the seductive lure of his magic sinks under my skin.

I have to escape before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, it’s not just my heart at risk…

But the entire world.

Pied Piper reimagined. This dark fantasy is full of romance and secrets, with mature themes and explicit scenes only suitable for adults. This is book one of a duology. • Forced Proximity • Captive Romance • "Who hurt you?" • Only one bed... and horse...and tent! • So. much. banter!

I tried to wait until my hardcopy arrived before beginning this read. Alas, Goldsboro made the unfortunate business decision to ship out orders a whole two weeks after release and I couldn't stand it anymore.

For the first half of this book, I could not put it down.

For the next quarter or so, I was bored.

The ending? Fantastic. Excited for book two.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook | Goldsboro edition

2026/50