A Barren Clan

A Vow of Blood and Sap is a book that pulled me in from the very first page. Princess Valia is smart, strong, and relatable, and the slow-burn romance with the mercenary is genuinely compelling. The worldbuilding is rich, the magic feels fresh, and the tension kept me reading.

Minor gripe; the beginning can feel a bit slow at times. It takes a little while for the story to fully pick up, and some of the exposition about the world can drag. But once the plot kicks in, the danger, romance, and intrigue more than make up for it. All in all this, this was a really great, immersive romantasy that left me excited for the next book in the series!

The Client by Kat Goss will be quite a discovery for all psychological thriller lovers. The author’s way of building the tension up to THE FIRST BIG TWIST might feel a bit slow, but the TWIST will make the wait worth it. Amid Natalie and David’s relationship, I might’ve gotten suspicious about how the story was going to unfold. And yet, I was pleasantly surprised that the author twisted my suspicions in such an unpredictable way.

One more thing that I loved about this book was the ending, which by the way gave this review its title. I’m genuinely satisfied that for once the female lead breaks the status quo with her final decision. Without giving away too much, I’ll just say that, as ambiguous as it may seem at first, that’s how this story would probably end in real life! I think it’s fair to name the ending THE SECOND BIG TWIST of the story!

Closing Zone Rouge felt like waking up from a fever dream you weren't entirely sure was just a dream. Alphonse Schaller doesn’t just scare you; he introduces these things – creatures with lamprey teeth, parasitic vampires (yep, you read that right), folks losing their minds and memories stuck in suffocating darkness – that feel profoundly off, like reality sprung a leak somewhere and something truly bizarre slithered through. It’s not always loud horror; often it’s this quiet, creeping dread, the kind you get reading about occult principles like NORTH that hint at forces we absolutely should not mess with, or realizing someone's heart could literally be held hostage outside their body (that Amy story? Let's just say it gave me the heebie-jeebies). These tales burrow under your skin, leaving you feeling a bit shaky and maybe side-eyeing shadows, questioning the edges of what's real. If you enjoy horror that unsettles you on a fundamental level, plays with cosmic dread, and isn't afraid to get visceral in ways that linger long after the last page, this collection is definitely for you.

This book didn’t just talk about forgiveness—it made me feel it in a way I hadn’t before. It met me exactly where I was, not forcing an easy resolution but gently guiding me through the complicated emotions I’ve carried for years. The honesty in its approach was what stood out most—no sugarcoating, no clichés, just a real, compassionate conversation about what it means to let go. What I appreciated most was how it balanced understanding and accountability. It validated the pain of the past without insisting that forgiveness means forgetting. Instead, it offered a way forward that felt like a gift to myself rather than something I was doing for anyone else. The practical exercises were a game-changer, making the concepts more than just words on a page. By the time I finished, I felt lighter—not because everything was magically resolved, but because I had new tools to stop letting old wounds dictate my present. If you’ve ever struggled with resentment, this book provides a path—not easy, not instant, but real and freeing.

I wasn't really expecting to like this book. The cover didn't grab me, and as a therapist, I'm dubious about books written about relationships that aren't written by professionals. BUT, I absolutely loved this book!! In fact, I'm thinking about buying it for both of my young adult sons. Basically the author gives 14 "rules" for having a happy relationship. Of course, you could find an entire book on any one of these rules, if you want to delve further into conflict, communication, or whatever. But honestly, I can't think of anything I would want a client to know about healthy relationships that ISN'T in this book! If you want a great, concise, easy to read book about the fundamental building blocks of having a successful and loving relationship, this is your book.

Over my 30-year career in government jobs (in the USAF, Veterans Hospital, and FDA) I learned an unsettling work reality: those that do poorly are “punished” with being given less work [people don’t want to depend upon or work with them] while those that have a reputation for doing good work are “rewarded” by being given yet more work. While this keeps us good workers very busy, it can quickly become overwhelming. Of necessity, I learned a number of tactics to cope with the escalating duties, many of which are very clearly laid out in this excellent book. What’s proposed here is truly effective. Plus, the points are proposed very realistically: noting the positives and negatives of various strategies plus their being options not necessarily applicable to all situations. The good news is that it is possible to fight back against the overwhelming tide of work to create a healthy balance in one’s life without necessarily being fired or overly offending one’s coworkers. I particularly liked the sections here on the following topics: how to tactfully say “no”; how to create and maintain healthy boundaries; what it really means to “work smarter”; the prioritization matrix for determining whether to “do, delegate, decide, or delete”; and the three key questions to answer before agreeing to a particular task. For anyone wanting to sort through their internal motivations for taking on extra work, this short book is a real eye-opener. Highly recommended!