So, this was an interesting find! The narration and writing were both lovely, and this was an interesting, unique take on a portal fantasy. The (very) slowburn romance was well executed with solid chemistry & tension, but fair warning, this book doesn’t really stand alone. While this world and magic system was obviously lovingly crafted with fantastic imagery, I personally had some trouble appreciating the concept of Ruhaven’s mechanics, Roe’s ups and downs were a little frustrating to me, I was a little disappointed by the lack of satisfaction in the ending, and I found the pacing tested my patience (though take that with a grain of salt, because, as a rule, I like short, fast-paced reads and I’m definitely not a fan of cliffhangers.) That said, if you’re interested in an atmospheric fantasy that takes its time as it bridges worlds with solid side of slowburn romance, then I’d give this one a try. Thanks to the author for the audible code!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even if this one was a little long for me, I *always* love getting audible codes.
So I usually try to include my writing updates in my bi-annual author newsletter (which you can sign up for here), but it’s been a while since I dropped one in the blog, and I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, I figured I’d post a little recap.
As of this writing, I currently have ten books published.
The 5-book Odriel’s Heirs series is complete. Reading order: Odriel’s Heirs, Burning Shadows, Idriel’s Children, Night of Ash, Time’s Orphan. And honestly, I’m actively trying to step away from further investment in this series in the way of time or promotion. (It’s hard because I do love them so much, but I’m trying to look forward.) They’re all free to read somewhere, and Odriel’s Heirs pretty consistently lives in the top twenty of Amazon’s Free Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy ebooks and Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy ebooks. It’s downloaded regularly and has over Amazon 200 ratings with a 4.5 star average, so I’m pretty happy with that.
The Gatekeeper of Pericael remains as my only upper-middle-grade adventure, and again, I’m trying to actively step away from further investment. Also permafree, it still gets downloads on a weekly basis, and some reviews trickle in. An agent once told me, “You’ve written a beautiful book, but I have no idea how to market it,” and I completely agree with her. I love the creepy little monsterific book, but its target audience is strong middle grade readers who are looking for a good scare in their fantasy… which is a hard group to reach. As someone who was a horror-loving middle-schooler myself, I do absolutely love it though when it finds its way into the hands of the right reader. *So satisfying.* Strangely this “middle-school boy fantasy” is the only one I’ve sold out of at book signings, so that’s pretty cool too.
The 5-book Into the Churn series is also on the verge of completion. Reading order: Into the Churn, Into the Fire, A Churn in the Dark, Into the Abyss, A Churn in the (Virtual) Society. That last one now available for preorder and will release on September 16th. Since this is still a very new completed series, it’s currently the one I’m marketing most, and with Amazon ratings creeping up (184 now) I finally feel like it’s finding its audience. Overall, I’m super proud of this series, I can’t wait to hold that 5th book in my hands, and see what readers think of our last adventure in the Casolla system.
So where are we going here? Well, this year, my coauthor (E.P. Stavs) and signed a 2-book deal with Charlesbridge Publishing for Midnight Falls, our YA Paranormal Mystery (think of it as Gilmore Gils + Spirited Away + Addams Family.) But that won’t be coming out until Fall of 2027. Erin and I have two more Paranormal Adventures in that same universe—Borrowed Magic & Other Catastrophes (complete and with our agent) and A Witch’s Guide to Mischief and Moonlight (hoping to complete the first draft in June)—that we’re hoping to package together into a magical tourism series, but we’ll see how it goes.
But what about a 2026 release?! Well… I may have a little secret up my sleeve. It’s a little too early to say for sure, but I’m thinking my other Paranormal Mystery (think Veronica Mars + Bride + The Office) maybe be launching into the world in September 2026. The first draft is complete, but I’m still working on the first revision before I send it off to the powers that be. If all goes well, the official announcement will go out in October, and that will be part of a trilogy slated for 2026, 2027, & 2028 release. Fingers crossed!
But what about all of these other books you talk about? Indeed, dear reader, indeed. The traditional publishing pipeline is a long one with many ups and downs. My contemporary YA romcom, Inky & Heater IRL (think You Got Mail + Falling Into Your Smile), is technically on sub, along with my creepy YA Paranormal, The Ninth Circle (Stranger Things + Supernatural + Buffy), but we’ll be pivoting our energies to focus on my other WIPs ready to launch into the sub trenches.
Most notably, Codename: CNDRLA (Ever After + Mission Impossible) is the newest penguin to jump off the iceberg into the unpredictable waters of submission, and my agent (Kristen Terrette) and I are super excited for it!
Exit Seats (When Harry Met Sally + Fangirl) is next in line. And then I also have a *dark* NA Fantasy, House of the Chosen, (Gideon the Ninth + Phantasma) that I’m hoping to send my agent at the end of the summer.
And that’s basically the long and short of it. To sum up: 10 books published 1 book scheduled for September 2025 release 1 book planned for a September 2026 release 2 books planned for 2027 release 2 books planned for a 2028 release 3 books on sub 1 book with agent 2 books on route to my agent this summer
So where is my energy concentrated right now? – Promoting the Into the Churn series – Bagging that September 2026 contract – Crossing my fingers SUPER hard for Codename: CNDRLA (like SUPER hard. It’s seriously one of my favorite book children)
Anyways, thanks for coming on the journey with me! And if you want to make sure you hear about my releases, remember to sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Amazon for notifications when I have another book published!
If you’re looking for ways to support me and enjoyed my books, ratings & reviews help a ton.
Picked this up on impulse at the recommendation of a friend who was also reading it.
What I liked: – A fun, paranormal flavor
What I didn’t like: – I just felt like there wasn’t a whole lot else that stood out for me here. I don’t even feel like I disliked anything in particular, but more like that it just didn’t stand out for me, and to me, a few of the plot points felt contrived.
Recommended for those looking for a light paranormal with friendly enemies-to-lovers and some spice.
⭐⭐⭐½
Eh, not really for me, but my friend liked it enough to recommend it, so it might be for you!
A smart, techy sci-fi adventure with big Star Trek & Battlestar Galactica vibes & side of slowburn romance. Skyla was definitely my favorite POV, and I loved the idea of the connection with the ships. (Also, I loved that she had Fenrir – think big, epic doggo!) Definitely recommend for sci-fi fans looking for a space opera with big military & science elements.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We definitely need more sci-fi romance in the world!
What I liked about this book: – Great narration – A bubbly, engaging YA voice. – A sweet childhood friends-to-lovers mixed with a touch of rivals-to-lovers. (It’s very clear from the beginning that Sebastian is head over heels for Sadie and waiting for her to catch up. But it’s very sweet to watch them overcome past misunderstandings for their relationship to evolve into love) – A quirky college campus that we’d all definitely want to live in – The first 25-30% drew me right in – Sebastian was super sweet and popped off the page.
What I didn’t like: – This one felt about 3 hours (~30%) too long for me for a single-POV, light romcom, and I felt like the second half dragged. – The many side characters, while fun, all kind of blended together for me – While I started off liking Sadie, she grated on me in the second half – especially in some of the high-tension moments with Sebastian. – Overall, the main plot felt a little lower stakes than my usual preference
Overall, if you’re looking for a light, sweet college romance with a YA flavor and great narration, you might want to check this one out! Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m not sure how I feel about single POV romances anymore. I NEED BOTH OF THEM!
This was a sweet college romance with strong mental health representation and a dash of the fantastical. Both Elle and Christopher were easy to root for as they navigated the very beginnings of adulthood and navigated both family complications and their own challenges. I especially enjoyed the speculative concept of “Readers” and the extra dimension it brought to their story. Recommended for readers looking for a sweet romance with an almost cozy feel and a uniquely paranormal world element!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A sweet college romance with strong mental health rep!
So I picked this at random from Audible as a complete series before a marathon of roadtrips. If they hadn’t been linked together, I don’t think I would’ve gone beyond book one, but I will say I was entertained on the drive. But please keep in mind, I’d never actually read a reverse harem before this, but I can now say that it’s not really for me. And honestly, I think I realized I’m not a shifter person either, so very obviously, I probably shouldn’t have picked this one up. That said! I liked all the characters individually, and I found the writing, narration, and plot super easy to follow. And though I found the spicy scenes somewhat repetitive, if you love shifter romances and reverse harem, I think you’ll enjoy this series.
This book was written for a very specific reader, I think. It was not for me, but it could be for you!
Another complete surprise! I stumbled on this book when I was on a road trip searching Libby for an audiobook to read and picked this one up at random without knowing anything about it. Based on the cover (not the one featured here… but the others), I honestly thought it would be too spicy for me, but it was so fun! It basically felt like Dexter except with more romance and if Dexter was a girl out for vengeance and also falling for the FBI agent that’s on her case.
Super fast paced with spice and some darkness, I’ll totally be looking for book 2!
This was another audiobook I picked up from Libby on a road trip. And I actually thought I was going to DNF it at 40% (I legit returned it.) but then I ended up checking it out again because I didn’t feel like looking for another book to read. Buttttt I probably should’ve. Though the world was interesting, I found Persephone’s character grating. And while I enjoyed her character growth, I wasn’t super into the relationship between she and Hades.
Trust your gut feelings, friends. If you’re thinking about DNF-ing, then DNF and find a book more suited to you
What I liked: – Cozy Romantasy Vibes – Likable protagonists – Fabulous Audiobook Narration – Magical forest hijinks – In general, just a sweet fun story – Nice tension throughout. I honestly found myself worrying (in a good way) if it would have a satisfying ending or if I’d have to wait for the sequel.
What I didn’t like – The pacing of the last 25% or so didn’t quite fit for me. In some ways, it feels like they’re having the same communication for a little too long.
Recommended for those looking for a fun romantasy with likable protagonists and a pinch of spice. And I’m totally game for book 2!
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Why yes, I’ll take a cute romance any day of the week, please and thanks.
Hayley Reese Chow 