A frozen-court political mystery with a genuinely fun sapphic marriage at its center, held back by a slow middle and a heroine a lot of readers wanted to shake. Our evidence-led review of Claire Eliza Bartlett’s YA standalone.
Heather Walter closes the Crimson Crown duology with a satisfying finale for Snow White’s wicked queen. Readers love the ending and Ayleth. The middle is a different story.
Our evidence-led review of Earthbound, the final Faebound book by Saara El-Arifi: a satisfying, emotional finale for Yeeran and Furi, held back by stakes that resolve too easily.
Jenny Frame sends Brogan through a portal and into a slow burn with a Map Keeper on the run. Big world-building and a sweet romance, crowded by too many POVs and a rushed ending.
Eli Snow’s plant-magic dystopia has a funny rivalry and a god who is just some guy, but a slow first half, late romance and cozy-looking cover split readers. Our evidence-led review.
Verdict: A cheerful, pun-heavy river adventure that doubles the sapphic couples and improves on book one in readers’ eyes, held back by low stakes, a baggy middle, and a main couple who spend much of the book watching someone else’s romance. Best for: Readers who loved Kianthe and Reyna in book one, who want a … Read more
Verdict: A warm, adventurous YA curse-breaking quest with a lovable airship found family and a sweet rivals-to-lovers romance, held back by a younger register and twists that readers see coming. Best for: Teen readers and adults who love cozy YA fantasy, who want found family as much as romance, and who are happy with kisses … Read more
Verdict: A witty, inventive Regency fantasy with a scene-stealing fae narrator and two starred trade reviews, held back by that same narrator keeping readers at arm’s length from the romance and a second half that loses momentum. Best for: Readers who love comedy-of-manners voice and Austen pastiche, who are happy to watch a romance through … Read more
Updated on October 9, 2026 Verdict: A strange, sensual Iphigenia-and-Artemis retelling set in modern Sydney, with a genuinely original ace-and-kink take on a goddess sworn to chastity, held back by a slow first half and a romance that starts at full devotion instead of earning it. Best for: Readers who want Greek myth reworked rather … Read more
Updated on October 9, 2026 Verdict: A feminist sapphic Hansel and Gretel with a beloved found family and a genuinely satisfying revenge arc, held back by a romance that starts already finished and a past-present structure that jolts more readers than it rewards. Best for: Readers who want witchy found family, fairy-tale anger turned into … Read more