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Contemporary

Book Reviews · Contemporary · Romance

Beautiful Setting, Forgettable Romance? All Rhodes Lead Here Review

February 3, 2025May 7, 2025

Starting over is never easy—especially when your whole life has gone up in flames. Aurora…

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Contemporary · Romance · Romance

Is Beautiful Devil Worth the Hype? Here’s My Take

November 6, 2024May 7, 2025

In Beautiful Devil, international bestselling author Rachel Leigh introduces readers to a world where sports…

Read More Is Beautiful Devil Worth the Hype? Here’s My TakeContinue

DIARY OF A READER

Welcome to my blog!

I'm Dominique. As an avid reader and book lover, my job is to inspire you to read my favorite books. So, grab your favorite drink, and stay a while. We hope you find a new love.

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Best Summer Reads for People Who Love to Get Lost in a Book

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diaryofthereader

Book Reviewer | Fantasy, Romance, & Thriller Reviews
Probably Reading
Helping You Find Your Next Obsession
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Brooding. Brilliant. Bloody. Happy #StackSatu Brooding. Brilliant. Bloody. Happy #StackSaturday My Dark Academia stack for the souls who underline in candlelight and chase knowledge past the point of no return. 🕯️📜 I’ve always dreamed of hiding in the campus library after closing, racing the dust-thin margins of forbidden texts while the storm rattled stained-glass windows. Every thunderclap felt like a heartbeat inside these pages. I’m no longer in school, but this stack brings it back. ✒️ House of Marionne – secret societies & simmering power 🎭 If We Were Villains – Shakespeare, obsession, guilt 🌊 Curious Tides – moon-touched magic & whispered plots 🖼️ Portrait of a Thief – art heists as cultural reclamation 🩸 An Education in Malice – sapphic menace at an elite college 🕯️ A Discovery of Witches – alchemy, archives, forbidden love 🏛️ The Will of the Many – empire-driven academy politics 🔮 Ink Blood Sister Scribe – ink-bound inheritance & deadly lore ♟️ Ace of Spades – sabotage in the ivory tower 🐍 Ninth House – Ivy League ritual gone dark This isn’t just a stack—it’s a dark syllabus for the beautifully unhinged. Which one’s calling your name tonight? 👇 Drop your favorite dark academia book in the comments. Let’s build a library worthy of candlelit obsession. #DarkAcademia #StackSaturday #BookStack #GothicReads #MoodyBooks #BookstagramStack #CampusMystery #MorallyGrayMCs #ReadingAesthetic #BookishDarkness #DarkAcademiaVibes #BookInfluencer
✨ You know that feeling when a fantasy world sin ✨ You know that feeling when a fantasy world sinks its claws into you and won’t let go? Yeah… these completed fantasy trilogies do not play. They’re intense, addictive, and best of all — they’re DONE. No waiting. No pain. Just pure binge bliss. I’ve read a lot of fantasy. These? They stuck. We’re talking: 👑 morally gray royalty, I’d die for 🗡️ heroines who don’t beg, they burn 🔥 magic systems that make you believe 💔 and plot twists that whisper “just one more chapter” until it's 3 am If your TBR list needs a little drama, a little danger, and a lot of “HOW did I not read this sooner?” — this is your sign. Trust me — you’ll finish one and immediately need a support group. (Or at least a comment section of fellow wrecked readers 👀) 👇 Tell me which one you’ve read. Which one you’re adding? Let’s cry, scream, and obsess together. #FantasyTrilogies #BookstagramTBR #FantasyBookRecs #CompletedFantasySeries #BookObsessed #FantasyReads #EnemiesToLoversBooks #BingeWorthyReads #FantasyAddict #BookInfluencerApproved #BookRecsThatHit #MustReadFantasy #NoMoreCliffhangers
✨ Dark. Vicious. Addictive. A Debt of Shattered ✨ Dark. Vicious. Addictive. A Debt of Shattered Hope by N. Caceres isn’t just a book—it’s a descent into a Fae realm built on blood oaths, betrayal, and the kind of rage that could burn kingdoms to ash. “I will not tame fate. I will force it to its knees.” And that’s Sóna Mac Raith in one breathless sentence. Shackled, bitter, and hellbent on tearing the Fae world apart—one brutal truth at a time. Enter: the Raven of the Dawn. A disgraced prince drowning in sins, vengeance, and a pull toward Sóna that might kill them both. 🔥 Enemies-to-lovers 🖤 Grumpy x grumpier ⚔️ Morally gray leads ✨ Dark fantasy magic + cutthroat Fae court This is for the readers who crave romantasy with teeth. Who don’t just want tension—they want chaos. If you’ve been waiting for a story that feels like holding a blade to your own heart just to see who’ll flinch first… this one is already calling your name. 📖 Gifted by the incredible @haus.of.fables_pr #ADebtofShatteredHope #NCaceres #FaeRomance #DarkFantasyRomance #FantasyBookstagram #EnemiesToLoversBooks #MorallyGrayHeroes #FaeBooks #GrumpyXGrumpy #HausofFables #BookishObsessed #FantasyRomanceDuet #GiftedBooks #RomantasyReads #BookTokMadeMeReadIt
Happy #StackSaturday Is it a TBR or a cry for hel Happy #StackSaturday Is it a TBR or a cry for help? Because honestly… I might be in my “just one more stack” era. ⠀ Paperbacks teetering. Hardcovers hiding. A sequel with no sign of book one. These stacks aren’t curated — they’re confessions. ⠀ Unread books I forgot I bought. Books I swore I’d read “next.” And a few that just stare back at me like, really? Still nothing? ⠀ Some titles peek through, and others stay buried — but that’s the best part of being a reader. Sometimes, the story finds you when you’re finally ready to meet it. ⠀ 📚 I’ll go first: One book in this stack has been haunting me since 2021. I’ve started it. Abandoned it. Moved it to three different shelves. Your turn. What book have you been skipping… but can’t let go of? 👇 ⠀ #UnreadBooks #TBRStack #BookStacksOnBookStacks #ReadingConfessions #BookishChaos #BookLoversUnite #BooksEverywhere #ReadersLife #StackSaturday #BookishVibes #WeekendReads #BookAesthetic #InstaBooks #BookObsessed #ReadersOfInstagram #BookFlatlay #BooksBooksBooks --
Let’s talk about Ascension by St. Gibson — a 2 Let’s talk about Ascension by St. Gibson — a 2025 release I couldn’t stop thinking about the second I turned the last page of Evocation. If you’re into character-driven fantasy romance with just the right amount of chaos, longing, and emotional devastation... this one belongs on your TBR immediately. Rhys is now High Priest of a secret society in Boston — powerful, complicated, and haunted by both demons and desire. Moira is his witch wife, the grounding force he doesn't always deserve. And David? David is temptation incarnate. Their dynamic is electric — a triangle that twists, burns, and bleeds with feeling. What I love most about Gibson’s writing is how it mirrors her characters. The prose spirals, seduces, and cracks at the edges — just like Rhys. This isn’t just fantasy. It’s a feeling. It’s obsession. It’s what happens when power and love pull you in opposite directions. If you’re craving something messy, magical, and emotionally immersive — Ascension is the one. 🖤 Queer dark fantasy 🖤 Found family meets secret society 🖤 Emotional slow burn 🖤 Witchcraft, demons, love triangles 🖤 St. Gibson is one of my auto-buy authors ⚡️Full review up on my blog! Thank you so much to @angryrobotbooks for sending me this stunning ARC to review. #Ascension #StGibson #FantasyRomance #BookReview #DarkFantasy #SecretSociety #BookstagramRecs #QueerBooks #WitchWife #2025Reads #BookTokMadeMeReadIt #BooksWithMagic #CharacterDrivenStories #TheDiaryOfAReader #BookReview #Ascension BookReview
APRL READING WRAP UP Here’s everything I read i APRL READING WRAP UP Here’s everything I read in April, told in feelings, not just stars—because that’s how we really remember books, right? 🧛‍♀️ Bound in Blood by Sadie Kincaid 5 stars — Vampire. Why-choose. Brutal and blood-soaked with a kiss that ruins you for mortal love. I didn’t read this—I devoured it. 💠 Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham 4.5 stars — A thriller that crawled under my skin and whispered, "What if you’re in danger?" Still haven’t caught my breath. 🪄 Ascension by S.T. Gibson 4.5 stars — Gothic. Sensual. A high priest, a witch, and a love that bleeds guilt and grace. This one tasted like sin and silk. 🌙 Give Up the Night & Draw Down the Moon by P.C. & Kristin Cast 2.5 stars — Potential whispered on every page, but too many threads unraveled before they could become tapestry. 🐺 Crescent Kingdom by Tessa Hale 5 stars — Fate doesn’t ask—it claims. Soulmate romance with energy that scorched me in the best way. 🚢 Harbinger by T.D. Chase 3.5 stars — Not perfect, but a smutty good time. Demons and chaos that made me smile more than I expected. 🚢 Grandstand by T.D. Chase 3 stars — A fast, high-stakes game with secrets, strategy, and shifting alliances. Like chess with heartbeats. 👻 Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson 3 stars — A love story haunted by more than ghosts. I wanted it to go deeper, but it still lingers like a soft ache. 🌟 A Court Bright and Broken by Amy Patrick 3 stars — Beautifully built, but I never quite belonged. Like watching a fairytale unfold behind frosted glass. 🎨 Under the Paint by James Michaels 3 stars — Marketed as dark romance, but felt more like it whispered dark. I missed the obsession I came for. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd 3 stars — Haunting and philosophical. A dystopian question mark about memory and identity, but my heart stayed just outside the story. Question: What book let you down—but still won’t let you go? PS: Save this for the next time your TBR feels like it’s missing teeth, twists, or truth. Hashtags: #AprilReadingWrapUp #BookstagramRecap #MonthlyReads #BooksThatHauntYou #VampireRomance #ThrillerBooktok #RomantasyReads #BookishFeels #DarkRomanceReads #TBROverflow
✨ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: ANA HUANG ✨ 💥 You ha ✨ AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: ANA HUANG ✨ 💥 You haven’t lived until a fictional man by Ana Huang has ruined your standards. From the emotional chaos of first love to the explosive tension of forbidden desire—Ana Huang doesn’t just write romance. She wrecks you in the most beautiful way. Whether you're new here or ten books deep, here's your reading roadmap: 📚 Start soft with the If Love series—where longing lingers, heartbreak hits deep, and second chances feel real. 🔥 Crave the heat? Enter the Twisted Series—four antiheroes, four jaw-clenching slow burns, all dangerously unputdownable. 🖤 Need darker? The Kings of Sin are waiting—ruthless, addictive, and written to destroy your last shred of emotional stability. Ana writes the kind of stories that stay under your skin. Her characters haunt you—because they feel like versions of the love you never dared to want out loud. So tell me: Which Ana Huang series lives rent-free in your head? And if you haven't started yet—what’s holding you back? ⬇️ #AnaHuang #IfLoveSeries #TwistedSeries #KingsOfSin #RomanceBookstagram #BookRecs #SpicyReads #BookTokRecs #BillionaireRomance #FriendsToLovers #EnemiesToLovers #AuthorSpotlight #SlowBurnRomance
You ever read a book and think—“This is brilli You ever read a book and think—“This is brilliant… but maybe not for me right now”? That was Buried Heroes by Beth Ball. It’s giving: druids, titans, shifters—yes, all in one world. The kind of immersive, deep lore fantasy that doesn’t rush to impress you—it lets you earn your place in the story. Beth Ball’s writing? Elegant and immersive. The druidic magic and layered politics gave me everything I didn’t know I was craving. It’s fresh. It’s slow-burning. And it’s complex in a way that serious fantasy lovers will devour. But here’s my truth: I wasn’t in the headspace to give it what it deserved. The story’s intricate threads and dark undertones need presence. Focus. The kind of attention I just didn’t have this time around. Still—I felt its brilliance. I saw the craft. This is one of those books that finds its reader. And if that’s you? You’re in for something powerful. Save this if you love: — Slow burn epic fantasy — Political + magical tension — Intricately woven ensemble casts — Worlds that unfold like ancient maps Drop a “YES” if you’re a mood reader who’s ever shelved a book to come back later. Because same. Thank you so much to @hiddenhollowbooktours and @bethballauthor for sending me a copy of Buried Heroes To review. #BuriedHeroes #BethBallBooks #EpicFantasyReads #FantasyBookReview #BookstagramThoughts #MagicAndPolitics #DruidFantasy #SlowBurnReads #FantasyTBR #BookCommunityLove
HAPPY BPUB DAY TO KING OF ENVY by @authoranahuang HAPPY BPUB DAY TO KING OF ENVY by @authoranahuang What happens when the villain writes the rules— and you're the prize? Just Dropped: King of Envy by Ana Huang Morally gray. Obsessively possessive. A slow burn that tastes like sin. This isn't your typical love story. It's dangerous, delicious, and unapologetically dark. He doesn't care about redemption. He wants power—and maybe… he wants you too. If you've been craving a billionaire who burns slow but hits hard, this is your next obsession. ❓️Question: You get one night with a billionaire villain. Do you run… or play his game? #KingOfEnvy #AnaHuangBooks #BillionaireRomance #MorallyGrayMC #NewBookRelease #RomanceBookstagram #SpicyBookRecs #SlowBurnRomance #RomanceTropes #BookTokMadeMeReadIt #AprilBookReleases #EnemiesToLoversBooks #DarkRomanceAddict Flat lay of Ana Huang’s King of Greed, King of Sloth, and King of Envy arranged aesthetically on a neutral background, showcasing the covers of the Kings of Sin series in a visually cohesive, moody palette.
🌸 New May Book Releases That Will Ruin Your Sle 🌸 New May Book Releases That Will Ruin Your Sleep (In the Best Way) 🌸 Tell me why May’s book lineup feels like a personal attack on my TBR — and honestly? I’m ready to surrender. 🤭📚 If you live for fresh book releases, must-read 2025 debuts, and that heart-racing moment when you hold a brand-new story in your hands, this post was written for your soul. 🖤 ✨ This month’s lineup is STACKED with: — enemies-to-lovers romances that will wreck you — thrillers darker than your coffee — fantasy worlds you’ll wish were real (but maybe without the dragons) ⚡️Pro Tip: Save this post so you can flex your book haul later. ⚡️Tag a book bestie who needs to lose sleep with you. 🖤 Bookish question: Which May release would you sell your soul to read early — and why? (I’m collecting receipts. 👀) #MayBookReleases #NewBookReleases #May2025Books #UpcomingBookReleases #TBRPile #BookstagramRecs #BooksOfInstagram #FantasyBooks #RomanceBooks #ThrillerReads #BookAddict #BookCommunity #ReadersOfInstagram #BookLover #BookishLife #BookObsessed #BookInfluencer
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