As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything—mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I’d rather run for the hills. It doesn’t even have to be my family.

So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron’s mom and pop was a good idea.

Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I’ve got a bigger problem. Students of his family’s renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds—and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus…and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived.

Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we’ll protect the students.
And Aaron’s parents too, I suppose. If we have to.

When Alyx Eris convinced him to become a keeper of the watch, Chase Walker knew he gained the ability to traverse the twelve dimensions.

He knew there were others—the hunters—who would do anything to put an end to the watches’ existence.

He knew his status as a keeper was completely binding until his nineteenth birthday.

Most importantly, he knew he’d be spending the year by Alyx’s side.

What he didn’t know was that in this dimension resides a ruling mage that poses more of a threat than the hunters ever could.

He didn’t know that magic-born hybrid beasts lurk in every corner of the surrounding forests.

And he didn’t know that nothing—and no one—is what it seems in the mystical world of Dimension 8.

Home is where the heart is ... or the hatred.
You can feel the love and care someone puts into their home just by walking into it. Equally, you can feel the hatred and malice when you step into a home where dark deeds have been done.

Alex and his team of so-called paranormal investigators are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they are able to film inside one of the most haunted, and cursed, locations in their area.
The Jackson Mansion.

The thing that makes this mansion truly unique is that it is built completely underground. Determined to uncover the dark secrets of the mansion's past, and prove himself a notable investigator, Alex doesn't care what it takes. The mansion, however, has other ideas, as well as some rather restless occupants.

To Wake the Dead
Sarah Lampkin
(Dead Dreamer #2)
Publication date: October 8th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Brenna Whit teeters the line between the living and the dead. Now that she’s back for her sophomore year at Nephesburg College, she’s determined to focus on the waking world. But when her own soul is trying to kill her and a new Dead Dreamer is fighting for power, Brenna is dragged back into the world of the dead.

The Gatekeepers are doing everything they can to restore the power they once held over the town of Nephesburg. With a mysterious set of twins arriving in town to help them prepare, Brenna must decide what’s important: continuing to hide her secret or reveal herself and fight for what she believes is right. The decision could end up leading to a permanent death for Brenna so she must choose wisely.
Classes have begun…

The battlefield is set…

Let the fight for the Fade begin.

How are you doing with your reading challenge? 

I still haven't picked all my books. The good news is I'm about a third of the way through my bingo blackout! Not as far as I'd hope to be, but I'm such a mood reader so I've jumped around a bit and haven't stuck just to my planned reads. I still haven't gotten bingo yet either! 

There's still time left to join! Remember, you don't have to do the entire board. Bingo is only four books so see what your TBR looks like and jump in!

Feel free to reach out to me if you need a book rec or are wondering if a book fits the category enough! You're also welcome to create your own post and use the graphic (here) to keep track of your own bingo card!

Happy Reading!

Click here for the updated 2022 board and rules. 

Dark Unicorn

Horn Sworn Book 1 

by Taylor Haiden & Angela Kulig

Genre: Epic Fantasy 

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard, Dark Unicorn is the first of the new and mysterious adult fantasy series Horn Sworn.

Princess Wrenyve knows her oath to return her Kingdom’s missing artifact, the Heart of Spellshallow, means one of the King’s children will die. Even if Wren is cunning, fast, and strong enough, there’s a good chance it will still be her.

Without the Heart, magic will flee the land faster than the night flees the day. Without the Heart, Spellshallow, and everything in it will cease to exist. As her brother’s shameful thievery is uncovered, Wren must swallow her pride and accept help from allies whom she knows she can’t trust: 

- Thackery is the ambitious son of the richest and most powerful councilman—her very ex, scorned lover—and the wounds Wren caused him are still raw.

- Calen isn’t a boy at all. Trapped in human form after a hideous defeat, Calen may have lost his horn, but is still a unicorn—a self-serving, treacherous scoundrel, as dangerous to any man who crosses him as he is to the innocence of every fair maiden.

- Luckily for Wren, she was already doomed.

To find the Heart and restore the magic, to retrieve the lost horn, Wren and her unfortunate travel companions must survive three separate realms—each more deadly than the last. Unknown enemies and strange magic hinder their way, and yet the most perilous thing is what lies within their own hearts. 

Helix
Mary Ting
(International Sensory Assassin Network #2)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: September 10th 2019
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Alliances are forming. The resistance is growing. Everything is about to change.

With her memory still fragmented, Ava returns to the International Sensory Assassin Network (ISAN) to find the twin sister she never knew she had.

But as Ava hunts for information, she finds herself tangled in a web of yet more lies and conspiracy. The Helix serum may not be required to access her superpowers, and the number of male assassins—previously considered too volatile to tolerate Helix—is growing in every territory.

The more Ava uncovers, the more of a threat she becomes to ISAN. Her only salvation may be to join the rebels—if she isn’t killed first.

Now that the rules have been announced, let's get to the BOOKS!

I'm using the Scaredy Cat Bingo challenge as a way to clear out my TBR and I hope you are too! Most of mine are coming from Netgalley. (Hi, my name is Valerie and I have a problem.) Others I've already had downloaded or I've picked up from KU at some point. This is a good way for me to clear out what I already planned on reading at some point anyway and since I'm also a procrastinator, yay! I'm also less of a planner and more of a mood reader so creating a list and sticking to it is kinda difficult. I've tried to give myself a variety of books: both UF and horror, along with some short stories to keep it from getting too monotonous. Since I'm trying for a blackout, I don't have all my books filled in yet, so I'll be coming back to fill as I find them. 

Hopefully, my list will give you some ideas. Feel free to reach out to me if you need a book rec or are wondering if a book fits the category enough! You're also welcome to create your own post and use the graphic below to keep track of your own bingo card!

Happy Reading!

Click here for the updated 2022 board and rules!

Rites of Spring
J.V. Speyer
(Rites #1)
Publication date: September 10th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Suspense
Cameron has built a good life for himself despite his rough start.

He can’t trust enough for romance, but he’s okay with that. He’s got good money coming in as a graphic designer and just inherited a duplex in Plymouth from his estranged grandfather, so he doesn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over his head. He likes his tenants, he has friends, and he’s content with that.

When two guys claiming to be paranormal investigators show up on his doorstep tell him the tenants contacted them about “phenomena” in the house, he knows they’re con men right away.

For one thing, they claim he was the tenant. He sends them packing. It doesn’t matter that one of the con artists is the hottest guy Cameron has seen in years – if anything, that just makes Cameron more suspicious.

Then things go wrong in the house, things he can’t shrug off or ignore. The past Cameron has worked so hard to leave behind is coming for him, and it’s angry.

The Necromancer’s Bride
Kat Ross
(Gaslamp Gothic, #4)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: May 31st 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retelling


Forgiveness is not Gabriel D’Ange’s strong suit.

A self-appointed soldier of God with a penchant for ruthlessly punishing his enemies, he vanished after Anne Lawrence stabbed him with his own dagger.

The smart thing would be to let him go.

Unfortunately, Anne’s life isn’t just lonely without Gabriel. It’s insufferably boring.

Determined to heal the rift between them, she goes in search of her tempestuous former lover, black parasol in hand and daeva magic crackling at her fingertips. But Gabriel has his own plans afoot and Anne finds herself drawn into one of his tangled webs, much against her better judgment.

Gabriel’s nemesis has reappeared in Brussels, a vile slaver who’s plundering the Congo Free State with the blessing of King Leopold. Gabriel might be willing to give Anne a second chance, but not until Jorin Bekker’s head is lying at his feet.

Back in London, the quasi-reformed necromancer Balthazar sets his sights on the same quarry. He holds a very personal grudge against Bekker — and killing him might be the only way to keep Gabriel D’Ange from Balthazar’s own throat.

When the hunters collide at a lavish gala thrown by the king, Anne learns just how far she’ll go to save the man she loves.

Note: The Necromancer’s Bride is the sequel to A Bad Breed, which should be read first.