Happy New Year

 Here’s hoping 2026 is the best year yesterday!

Sophia Rose and I will see you next year!

Sophia Rose Reviews: School For Love by Christina Dudley

 

School For Love by Christina Dudley

#3 Hapgoods of Bramleigh

Historical Romance

Publisher:  BellaVita Press

Published:  10.30.20

Pages:  409

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Hugh Hapgood, cousin to Squire Richard Hapgood of Bramleigh, finds himself alone after the death of his first wife and scrambling to care for his three motherless children. He must see to their care and education, and yet he feels he hardly knows them. Those around him believe he should choose a second wife to assist him with the burdens of life, and, it seems, nearly everyone has just the person in mind for him! But will the fates allow Hugh to have the woman his own heart chooses?

Sophia Rose Reviews: The Last Wizard Ball by Charlaine Harris

 

The Last Wizard Ball by Charlaine Harris

#6 Gunnie Rose

Alternate History, Fantasy

Publisher:  S&S/Saga Press

Published:  7.22.25

Pages:  272

Rating: 3 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the sixth and final installment in the critically acclaimed Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia must face their fates at the last Wizards’ Ball.

Lizbeth Rose’s sister Felicia attends the Grand Wizards’ Ball, and as one of the most powerful—and beautiful—death wizards in a generation, she is highly sought after as one of the belles of the ball.

However, war and violence are on the rise in Europe as German and Japanese wizards are also courting Felicia…and some are refusing to take no for an answer.

As the façade of genteel wizard society turns deadly, Lizbeth must learn to not only protect her sister, but also navigate the arcane world that is pulling her sister and husband into a dangerous dance with death that could change the world as they know it.

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a murderous and magical family drama in this sixth and final installment to the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series.

Merry Christmas

 From my home to yours I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas 

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly

 

A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly

Historical Fiction, Holiday

Publisher:  Shadow Mountain Publishing

Published: 9.23.25

Pages:  169

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ARC

Source:  Shadow Mountain Publishing and Austenprose

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Catherine Dickens, wife of Charles Dickens, experiences her own Christmas Eve transformation as she magically travels through her cherished memories to rediscover her lost love of Christmas.


By 1851, all of London has fallen in love with A Christmas Carol, heralding Charles Dickens as “the man who invented Christmas.” But for his wife, Catherine, Christmas is less of a reason for celebration and more of a burden. Between hosting lavish parties, decorating her home, and caring for her eight children—with one more on the way—she feels more like Scrooge than herself this year.


But everything changes after a chance encounter with a kitchen cook, who reminds her that Christmas can be a time of miracles and magic, if she is willing to open her heart.


Armed with a magical sprig of holly, Kate embarks on three transformative journeys into her past, hoping to reconnect with the love she once felt for the holiday—and with herself. But can these memories be enough to reignite her Christmas spirit? Or are such miraculous transformations only meant for the characters in her husband’s beloved tales?


Inspired by real individuals, A Carol for Mrs. Dickens reminds us that the true spirit of the holiday lies in love, faith, and the joy of giving.


Catherine Dickens struggles with the burdens of Christmas despite her husband’s success with A Christmas Carol. A magical sprig of holly leads her on three journeys into her past, rekindling her faith and holiday spirit. This heartwarming tale celebrates love, faith, and the simple joys of Christmas.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: While It Was Snowing by Julia London

 

While It Was Snowing by Julia London

Contemporary Romance, Holiday

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  10.28.25

Pages:  328

Rating: 4 stars

Format: trade paperback

Source:  BerkleySellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Under the mistletoe, a single mom and a professional athlete realize they have more in common than the lake house they unexpectedly have to share for the holidays, in this heartwarming romance from New York Times bestselling author Julia London.

All Amy Casey wants for Christmas is to paint. She needs five new paintings for the holiday show at her local art gallery, but between her two teenage sons, her needy ex-husband, and her overbearing parents, she hardly has any time for herself. Luckily, her best friend has the perfect a vacant family lake house in North Texas, all hers for two weeks of distraction-free painting. Or so she thought.

Turns out professional golfer Harrison Neely also rented the lake house so he can spend the holidays rehabbing the injury that has put his career—and life—on hold. Despite the booking snafu, both Amy and Harrison (along with Amy's old blind dog and the army of child-sized nutcrackers residing in the living room) agree to share the festive lodging.

When an impending snowstorm has the two cozying up by the fire, sparks fly in more ways than one, and they open up to each other, unwrapping secrets and stories they’ve never shared before. But Harrison is expected back on the tournament circuit after the holidays, and Amy's family needs her. As their departure date looms and her family and his manager press them for answers, they’ll have to decide if this December to remember has been a fun holiday fling, or if they’ve found a Christmas miracle at true love.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie

 

Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie

#3 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Dark Owl Fantasy

Published:  2.8.19

Pages: 281

Rating: 4 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Synopsis:

Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.

I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.

So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?

Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the job description.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

 

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

#1 Isle of Wyrd

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Ace

Published:  11.11.25

Pages: 528

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads 

GoodReads Synopsis:

A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

Sophia Rose Reviews: Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David by Charles Ferguson

 

Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David by Charles Ferguson

Non-Fiction, Political History, Biography

Publisher:  Prometheus Books

Published: 11.4.25

Pages:  216

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Hardback

Source:  The Globe Pequot

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Behind the gates of Camp David—where presidents find solitude, forge diplomacy, and shape history in absolute secrecy.

The Presidential Retreat Camp David is shrouded in mystery, and rightfully so. The hidden retreat atop the Catoctin Mountains is the one place the President, First Family, and invited guests can gather in absolute secrecy for relaxation, rejuvenation, and world-changing decisions. Because of this dedication to privacy, and a desire to maintain the mystery and exclusivity of the last bastion of solitude for the President, few comprehensive accounts exist detailing the storied history of Camp David and the role the “Spirit of Camp David” plays in world affairs.
 
Presidential Seclusion provides an exclusive account of the mysterious and storied retreat. Extensively researched from Presidential Archives as well as from the pages of Presidential memoirs, this non-partisan, informative account weaves exclusive stories into a tapestry revealing the importance of Camp David on diplomacy and world history. Written by the former Camp David Historian, this personalized tour of the exclusive retreat makes tree-shrouded trails, majestic vistas, and rooms where history happened over the last 80 years accessible to everyone. As you read, the “Spirit of Camp David” is revealed to infuse everyone who works and visits the President’s private mountain retreat, mainly how Camp David personally affected its primary guests, the fifteen First Families fortunate to call the private retreat a second home.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

 

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

#2 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Self-Published

Published:  11.16.18

Pages:  308

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here.

It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender--but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?

Then my favorite guild members--three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages--asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.

So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago.

Why did I agree to this again?

--
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris, narrated by full cast

 

All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris, narrated by full cast

#5 Gunnie Rose

Alternate History, Fantasy

Publisher:  Graphic Audio

Published:  3.31.25

Time:  6 hours 5 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Dramatized Adaption

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brothers Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.

Following the murderous events of the “gripping…thrill-ride” (Karin Slaughter) Serpent of Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband’s younger brother Eli in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia’s burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother’s family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.

Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies’ plans for revenge come to fruition. In this fifth installment in the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a family drama of murderous and magical thrills.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours. This year I'm so thankful for my family who continue to support me, for my friends who are the family I choose and for my very special blog partner Sophia Rose who keeps this blog going.

I'm also thankful to have read my first book in over a year.

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving 

and don't eat too much Turkey :)

Sophia Rose Reviews: Talk Cowboy to Me by Carolyn Brown, narrated by Brian Hutchinson

 

Talk Cowboy to Me by Carolyn Brown, narrated by Brian Hutchinson

#4 Lucky Cowboys

Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  4.22.25

Time:  8 hours 54 minutes

Speed: 1.2xs

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source: won

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

For Remington Luckadeu, The Double Deuce Ranch is the perfect place to raise his two boys. But some fiery woman is fighting him for it, and Remington is not sharing—no matter how the sparks fly when he and Adele O’Donnell are together

One cowboy. One cowgirl. One ranch.

Who will win the Double Deuce by the Fourth of July?

When Double Deuce Ranch has two prospective buyers, owner Walter Jones decides to let the two run the ranch together to see who comes out on top. Adele O’Donnell and Remington Luckadeau roll up their sleeves for the fight of their lives.

Ready to battle it out over cleaning stalls, milking cows, and training horses, neither expects the attraction that grows between them. Can the two of them change from enemies to more than friends? And what happens when Walter returns to find the two have come up with their own solution for who gets the ranch?

Sophia Rose Reviews: Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

 

Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

#3 Lily Bard

Mystery

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.24.09

Time:  6 hours 37 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source:  library

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads 

GoodReads Synopsis: 

Lily Bard heads home for the holidays.

Lily heads to her hometown of Bartley for her estranged sister's Christmas Eve wedding. But there is something in the air besides holiday cheer—there's murder. And Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister promises to love, honor, and obey a killer.

Sophia Rose Reviews: Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

 

Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

#9 Wrexford and Sloane Mysteries

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington

Published:  9.30.25

Pages:  368

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Beyond the gilded ballrooms and salons of Regency London lurks a sinister web of intrigue and deception, and when a murder occurs within the scientific community, Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are the perfect pair to unravel it . . .

A welcome interlude of calm has descended on Wrexford and Charlotte, though with three lively young boys in their care and an unconventional circle of friends and allies, quiet rarely lasts long. And sure enough, in the dead of night, an old acquaintance appears and asks for help. His
brother-in-law has been accused of murdering a fellow member of the prestigious Royal Society at their London headquarters, Somerset House. 

Wrexford agrees to investigate, and with a little unexpected help from their young charges, discovers that what seemed a simple case may be part of a darker, more dangerous plot, where science, money, and politics collide. A mysterious new technical innovation threatens to ignite a crisis throughout Europe, with frightening consequences for London’s financial world.

There is also personal upheaval for Wrexford and Charlotte, when a shocking secret from the past brings a profound change to their family, testing the bonds of loyalty and trust as never before . . .

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Very Plain Young Man by Christina Dudley

 

A Very Plain Young Man by Christina Dudley

#2 Hapgoods of Bramleigh

Historical Romance

Publisher:  BellaVita Press

Published:  5.26.14

Pages:  382

Rating: 4 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

The anticipated follow-up to THE NATURALIST, a Regency romance described by Austenprose.com as "a literary feast for any Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer fan...If you read one Traditional Regency this year let it be The Naturalist." Book One of the series The Hapgoods of Bramleigh, THE NATURALIST was also a finalist for Best Romance in the 2013 PNWA Literary Contest.

In Book Two of the series, A VERY PLAIN YOUNG MAN takes up the story of Elfrida, the most beautiful of the Hapgood sisters, as well as the most practical. If she must marry eventually, she intends to choose a husband not with her eyes, nor even with her heart, but with her common sense. He must be respectable and steady--not given to gambling or wenching or idling like her scapegrace uncles. So naturally, Frederick Tierney, the rakish brother of her new brother-in-law, will never do. Not only is his chequered past not entirely in the past, but he is too handsome for his own good and takes delight in unsettling her. But when another offer comes her way which meets all of her supposed requirements, Elfrida finds choosing duty over desire not as simple as she imagined.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Three Mages and a Marguerita by Annette Marie

 

Three Mages and a Marguerita by Annette Marie

#1 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Self-Published

Published:  9.14.18

Pages:  312

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

GoodReads:  

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview - to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they...offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-sh*t bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course - with a pay raise.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

 

The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

#4 Gunnie Rose

Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, Alternate History

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.15.22

Time:  8 hours 53 minutes

Rating: 5 stars

Format: Dramatized Adaption

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

GoodReads:   

GoodReads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.

Felicia, Lizbeth Rose’s younger half-sister and student at the Grigori school within the capital of the New Holy Russian Empire in San Diego, is caught between secrets and powerful family struggles. As a distant relative to the Tsar, she provides an essential service to him by providing blood transfusions for his hemophilia, and she is thus given rare access and dismissed as if cattle. At the Grigori school she is seen as a charity case, a poor orphan with no prospects and no sign of magical prowess—the latter which Felicia keeps purposefully hidden. And yet, when a kidnapping attempt is made upon Felicia her past and her future crash together in violent ways.

Continuing immediately after The Russian Cage, this fantastical fourth book takes a side step, exploring the Holy Russian Empire while also showcasing the dynamic depths of magic within Harris’s alternate North America in curious mysteries. Felicia, it turns out, is far more than the Russian-Mexican waif Lizbeth rescued, and the journey of discovery she is on is filled with magical assassins and desperation, but above it all is her courage to never give in to the limitations imposed upon her.

Sophia Rose Reviews - A Moment’s Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

 

A Moment’s Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

#8 Verity Kent

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington Books

Published:  8.26.25

Pages:  389

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: Goodreads 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate.  But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin,  A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .