The Marriage Hex by Sarah Blue

The Marriage Hex by Sarah Blue -- 305 pages

It was a stupid wish. One that’s come to haunt my doorstep fourteen years later. When I made a pact with my best friend to marry each other if we were both still single at thirty, I had no idea it would be magically bound… by me. Time and circumstance have separated us, and we’re no longer the naïve teenagers we once were. I’m thriving with my coven and Silas is the newly appointed Alpha of the local shifter pack. Which is why this marriage will never work.

The Celestial Coven and the Moon Walker Pack have had an ongoing feud that spans generations. My former best friend has now become my sworn enemy. Unfortunately, my magic hasn’t gotten that memo and my nemesis/husband is now living under my roof and walking around my house topless in gray sweatpants. I don’t want him. I shouldn’t want him. But why do I find myself stalling at figuring out a counter curse?

Wolf Blood by Lola Glass

Wolf Blood by Lola Glass -- 399 pages

The werewolf who's been keeping me alive with his blood for the last few months just declared me his. He also says he isn't mine, so that's fantastic. At least we're not soulmates. Yet. Being a turned vampire has been rough for me, but I'm determined to survive long enough to make sure that my best friend has a support system of some kind when I'm gone. It doesn't help that my mother is somehow behind the murders that nearly took her out, though. Or that the wolf who's claimed me isn't willing to let me go. Somehow, I have to keep myself sane just long enough for everything to fall into place… and I have to do it without falling for a werewolf.

The Shortest History of Scotland by Murray Pittock

 The Shortest History of Scotland by Murray Pittock-205 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/4

From clan castles and conflict to Hadrian's Wall and BrexitScotland is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Its territory has remained fundamentally unchanged since the fifteenth century, and its southern border with England has barely altered– with the exception of Berwick and a few square kilometres of 'debatable' land – since 1237. And yet Scotland – a country with a global brand – is not a state at all. The Shortest History of Scotland argues that its very ambiguity is what has made the nation a central part of the global story.

Starting at the very beginning with a Scotland before Scotland – a tribal society connected closely by sea to Ireland, before becoming a place defined by being the part of an island beyond the Roman wall – Pittock ranges with dazzling expertise through the defining episodes of Scottish history up to the present.

Thoughts: Pittock weaves a compelling narrative of Scotland's history from the Roman era to present day. I learned more than simply facts and dates (although I did learn a bit of that). I also learned about the social history of Scotland and what it means to be Scottish (both historically and in modern times). I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a great overview of Scottish history.

Bleach, Vol. 3 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol. 3 by Tite Kubo

Bleach, 192 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ichigo Kurosaki was a little boy when his mother passed away. One rainy day, Ichigo, whose ability top see the undead is a blessing and curse, tried to stop young girl from drowning in a nearby river. His mother, Masaki, ran after them, frantically trying to rescue her only son. Then everything went black, and Ichigo awoke only to discover his mother dead and the little girl gone.

It's the anniversary of Masaki's death, and the entire Kurosaki clan, along with former Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, head to the cemetary to pay their respects. Sleeping demons rarely ever stay still and pretty soon Ichigo confronts the Grand Fisher, the Hollow that may be responsible for his mother's demise.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

240 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer

While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer | 450 pages | 2025

Brynja spent her childhood as a captive performer in Tenebris, the imposing mountain palace of King Kallias. Every night she risked death for the king’s entertainment until his rebellious son, Prince Ballast, helped her escape. Now twenty, Brynja has never forgotten the brutal king. Or forgiven him. Under the cloak of a three-month-long Winter Dark, Brynja is returning to Tenebris for revenge.

Accompanied by a rival court, including the alluring Prince Vil, Brynja poses as diplomatic royalty to barter peace between nations. No one is better equipped to infiltrate the palace than Brynja―she remembers every hidden passage like a bad dream. But her quest to destroy Kallias is complicated by her feelings for Prince Ballast, whom she isn’t sure she can still trust. And Kallias’s own quest to mine a catastrophic weapon of war buried in the mountain’s heart will threaten them all, and force Brynja to face the darkest parts of herself.

The lives of everyone she loves depend on the choices she must make. So, too, does the fate of the world.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

There was a lot to love here - court politics, an interesting pantheon, some top notch yearning, and a twist that genuinely shocked me (which feels rare these days). I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy with a tiny bit of a dark bent.

Sweet Blood by Lola Glass

Sweet Blood by Lola Glass -- 522 pages

A werewolf showed up to investigate a murder in my office building—then bit me, and accused me of being the killer. When I'm proven innocent, he admits the truth: We’re soulmates. Unfortunately for both of us, I’m a vampire. Our people are mortal enemies, so we have no choice but to ignore the connection we share until it eventually fades. The only problem? His instincts won’t let him walk away, and he isn't trying to fight them. When I’m nearly offed by the murderer myself, all bets are off. My werewolf will take out the killer and make me his… or we’ll both die trying.