Review: Robber's Road (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #22) by J.L. Bryan

Title: Robber's Road

Series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #22

Previous books in this series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (#1) | Cold Shadows (#2) | The Crawling Darkness (#3) | Terminal (#4) | House of Whispers #5 | Maze of Souls #6 | Lullaby (#7) | The Keeper (#8) | The Tower (#9) | The Monster Museum (#10) | Fire Devil (#11) | The Necromancer's Library (#12) | The Trailwalker (#13) | Midnight Movie (#14) | The Lodge (#15) | Cabinet Jack (#16) | Fallen Wishes (#17) | Sunset House (#18) | The Funtime Show (#19) | Miracle Mountain (#20) | Mortuary Manor (#21)

Author: J.L. Bryan

Genre: Adult, paranormal, horror

Publication date: September 24th 2025

Published by: J.L. Bryan

Source: eARC for review from author

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Synopsis: According to legend, a ghostly car haunts the old, rarely traveled road twisting through the woods outside town. Those who wish to see it must follow three rules: drive at night, turn off all the lights inside and outside the car, and silence the car's radio or sound system.

Driving in darkness and silence, navigating only by the light of the moon and the stars, generations of teenagers and other reckless thrill seekers have dared each other into trying to see the legendary car. Some have crashed and died, only adding to the road's stories of danger and death.

New problems bring paranormal investigators Ellie Jordan and Stacey Tolbert racing to the scene, where they face a crash course in how to stop a lethal, yet somehow beloved, supernatural legend before it drags more innocent lives across the finish line.

My rating: ★★★★★

It had been so long since I read an Ellie Jordan book. I was really missing her so this book came out at just the right time! And we got another good case! This book had everything: haunted roads, robbers, moonshine runners, and, of course, dumb dares. Lol.

Review: Only Rogue Actions (Galactic Bonds #5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Only Rogue Actions

Series: Galactic Bonds #5

Previous books in this series: Only Bad Options (#1) | Only Good Enemies (#2) | Only Hard Problems (#3) | Only Cold Depths (#4)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, fantasy

Publication date: October 14th 2025

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC for review from author

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Buy it: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis: A WOMAN WHO DREAMS OF THE FUTURE...

Once upon a time, I was Vesper Quill, a lowly lab rat using my seer magic and engineering skills to repair broken appliances at a Regal-owned corporation. These days, I’m one of the most infamous and wanted fugitives in the Archipelago Galaxy, along with Kyrion Caldaren, my partner.

Kyrion and I are hiding out on a distant planet when we are offered a chance to train at a prestigious facility in hopes of better understanding our truebond, the psionic connection that lets us share thoughts, feelings, skills, and more.

Mastering our magic is the only way we can hope to defeat our many enemies and make my dreams of a safe future a reality, so Kyrion and I accept the invitation. But evil forces are at work, and our training exercise is not what it seems, plunging us both into another deadly situation with only bad options.

A MAN WHO CAN’T ESCAPE HIS PAST...

I’ve always been Kyrion Caldaren, a Regal lord with telekinesis, telepathy, telempathy, and other powerful psionic abilities. I might have gone rogue from the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite warriors, but my fighting skills are as sharp and deadly as ever.

Vesper Quill and I need help with our truebond, so we agree to participate in a rigorous training exercise designed to test the depths of our connection. But a new enemy has other plans, and we’re soon separated and confronted with one dangerous obstacle after another.

But my love for Vesper is stronger than any forces set against us, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make my way back to her—and kill anyone who gets in my way.

My rating: ★★★★⯪

This is one of my favorite series because I love the blend of sci-fi and fantasy... and this is also by one of my favorite authors 😆

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #442: Fantasy Detour

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Sunday Post #478: Where Did the Week Go?

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Review: Mortuary Manor (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #21) by J.L. Bryan

Title: Mortuary Manor

Series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #21

Previous books in this series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (#1) | Cold Shadows (#2) | The Crawling Darkness (#3) | Terminal (#4) | House of Whispers #5 | Maze of Souls #6 | Lullaby (#7) | The Keeper (#8) | The Tower (#9) | The Monster Museum (#10) | Fire Devil (#11) | The Necromancer's Library (#12) | The Trailwalker (#13) | Midnight Movie (#14) | The Lodge (#15) | Cabinet Jack (#16) | Fallen Wishes (#17) | Sunset House (#18) | The Funtime Show (#19) | Miracle Mountain (#20)

Author: J.L. Bryan

Genre: Adult, paranormal, horror

Publication date: October 2024

Published by: J.L. Bryan

Source: Purchased ebook

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis: Come get scared... to death!

Open now through Halloween, Mortuary Manor is a walk-through haunted house offering frights and fun for those seeking a serious scare. The dead have taken over this lunatic labyrinth of a funeral home that's absolutely guaranteed to make you scream! (No refunds.)

Don't forget to visit our ghoulish gift shop and supernatural snack stand, if you dare!

UPDATE: This attraction is temporarily closed. Rumors of strange disturbances and injuries to our valued customers and scare actors have been greatly exaggerated, but we've brought in local experts to help with the recent problems. We'll reopen as soon as possible, and we'll be thrilled to resume tormenting you with the most terrific terrors anywhere in the greater Savannah area.

My rating: ★★★★★

I loved this book so much! I mean, I love this series in general, so it's really not that surprising. Lol. But in this book, it's Halloween season and Ellie and Stacey are investigating a haunted haunted house!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #441: The Supernatural Vibes Continue

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Sunday Post #477: Some Good Things, Some Bad

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #440: Readathon Wrap-Up

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Sunday Post #476: Two Readathons in One Month

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2025

This has been my best reading month, and it has all been thanks to doing two readathons. Lol. In October, I read 8 books for a total of 2130 pages. That's 1300 pages MORE than the previous month!

• 6 were full-length novels, and 2 manga
• I started 1 series, finished 1, and caught up on 2
• 6 were part of a series, and 2 were standalones
• 4 were finished copies, and 4 were ARCs
• 4 were physical books, and 4 were ebooks
• 1 was a 5-star read, 5 were 4-star reads, 1 was a 3-star read, and 1was a 2-star read
• 6 were traditionally published, and 2 were indie published
• 5 were by authors I've previously read, and 3 were new to me
• 4 were adult books, and 4 were YA
• 1 was sci-fi, 2 action, 2 horror, 1 historical fantasy, 1 cozy mystery, 1 splatterpunk

Relax & Read-athon: Spooky Edition

I have nothing going on this Halloween weekend, and then I saw Jane's readathon post on All She Wrote, and I thought that would be a fun thing to do! The funny thing is that she was inspired to do a readathon after she saw me do a readathon a couple weeks ago... and now here I am! 😂 It's a never-ending cycle of readathons, and I'm okay with that 🤣

I know I've mentioned it before, but I love a readathon! Especially right now, when I'm struggling to read, because they really hold me accountable and force me to read. Which would usually be a bad thing, but I'm already in a reading slump, so how much worse can it get 😭

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #439: Halloweentown

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Sunday Post #475: My Current Hyperfixation

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #438: What I read during the Readathon

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Sunday Post #474: Readathon Weekend

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Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon: October 2025

It's time for another readathon! I keep doing these readathons in hopes of getting me out of this never-ending reading slump, but so far, no luck 😩 Anyway, this readathon starts tomorrow at 5am (for me), and ends on Sunday at 5 am. Idk if I'll wake up early for the readathon. I might, but I'm not sure yet. But I'll tell you now that I am not going to be staying up through the night for it. Lol. (You can find more info on the readathon HERE and on their IG HERE.)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #437: Preparing for a Readathon, Perhaps?

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Sunday Post #473: Spooky Nails

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Sunday Post #472: Book Shopping in Portland!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: September 2025

Not gonna lie, I forgot about this post 😅 But better late than never! Lol. Anyway, still having a terrible reading year, but I have been reading... ish. I'm on week 3 of trying to read a little bit every single night, and so far so good! Anyway, this month I only read 3 books... yeah, it's bad 😅 That was about 830 pages, 817 pages LESS than the previous month.

• All 3 were full-length novels (1 of those was a re-read)
• All 3 were part of a series
• I started 1 series and caught up on another
• 2 were finished copies and 1 was an ARC
• 2 were physical books and 1 ebook
• 1 was a 5-star read and 2 were 4.5 stars
• 2 were traditionally published and 1 was indie published
• 2 were by authors I've previously read, and 1 was new to me
• 2 were adult books, and 1 was YA
• 1 was horror, and 2 were sci-fi fantasy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #436: Slow Progress

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #435: I'm Trying...

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Sunday Post #471: Bookish Holiday

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Sunday Post #470: A Couple Vacations Booked

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Sunday Post #469: Already Making Plans

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Monthly Wrap-Up: August 2025

It's been almost a week and I feel like I'm still trying to adjust to NOT being on vacation 😂 That being said, I'm looking at plane tickets tomorrow because I'm going back to Mexico in December 😆 Anyway, in August, I read 8 books, for a total of 1674 pages, which is about 200 pages less than the previous month, but this is still one of my better reading months!

• 2 were full-length novels (1 of those was a re-read), 1 was a novella, and 5 were manga
• All 8 were part of a series
• I started 1 series and finished none 😅
• All 8 books were finished copies
• 7 were physical books and 1 ebook
• 1 was a 5-star read, 3 were 4.5 stars, and 4 were 4-star reads
• All 8 were traditionally published
• 6 were by authors I've previously read, and 2 were new to me
• 1 was an adult book, and 7 were YA
• 5 were action, and 3 were horror

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #434: Well, That Didn't Go As Expected

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Sunday Post #468: I'm Back, Unfortunately Lol

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Review: Overgrowth by Mira Grant

Title: Overgrowth

Author: Mira Grant

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror

Publication date: May 6th 2025

Published by: Tor Nightfire

Source: eARC for review from publishers via Netgalley

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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org

Synopsis: Day of the Triffids meets Little Shop of Horrors in this smart, charming, harrowing alien invasion story about being human, by a Hugo-award winning author.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has believed her.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what's coming, and just refuse to listen?

My rating: ★★★⯪☆

I have really enjoyed Mina Grant's books, and while I didn't love this one as much as those previous books I've read, I still did end up enjoying it for the most part.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #433: What I'm Reading On My Trip

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Sunday Post #467: Hello From Mexico

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Review: A Touch of Treachery (Section 47 #3) by Jennifer Estep

Title: A Touch of Treachery

Series: Section 47 #3

Previous books in this series: A Sesnse of Danger (#1) | Sugar Plum Spies (#2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: August 26th 2025

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC for review from author

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Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep serves up a new, action-packed adventure in her Section 47 urban fantasy world. This series features secrets, lies, and superspies with amazing magical abilities, along with dangerous missions, double crosses, and a swoon-worthy romance. Perfect for fans of Alias, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Nikita, True Lies, and Netflix’s Bodyguard.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS . . .

My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m on a mission to capture my nemesis. As an analyst for Section 47, a secret spy organization, I use my magical form of synesthesia to track down paramortal criminals, but one villain keeps eluding me—Henrika Hyde.

Henrika claims to have answers about my father’s death on a Section 47 mission years ago, and she has also created a horrific new weapon capable of killing even the strongest paramortals, which makes her my number one target. Helping me is Desmond Percy, a powerful galvanist who is my partner both inside and outside Section 47.

Desmond wants to take Henrika down just as badly as I do, but our mission quickly goes sideways, and soon we’re surrounded by enemies on all sides with no idea whom we can truly trust.

A TROUBLING FUTURE . . .

The name Desmond Percy is well known inside Section 47, since I’m one of the organization’s top cleaners, aka assassins. Charlotte Locke and I have been tracking Henrika Hyde for months, and when we finally get a lead on her location, we jump at the chance to take down the weapons maker once and for all.

I’m determined to help Charlotte get the answers she is so desperately seeking, as well as taking my revenge on Henrika for killing my best friend.

But the deeper Charlotte and I dig into Henrika and her murky motives, the more dangerous our mission becomes. Henrika is playing her own spy game, and Charlotte and I are just the pawns she is using to achieve her own evil ends—caught up in a deadly legacy of treachery.

My rating: ★★★★★

I think it goes without saying that I loved this book. Jennifer Estep is my favorite author, so I can definitely be biased 😆 But it really was good! We haven't had a new book in this series for quite some time, so I was particularly excited about that, especially because urban fantasy remains my favorite genre to this day. And this series is filled with spies, assassins, and a ton of really cool magic! I love it!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #432: Assassins and Killer Clowns

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Sunday Post #466: FINALLY!

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Review: A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement by Julia Huni

Title: A Dragon Rider's Guide to Retirement

Author: Julia Huni

Genre: Adult, cozy fantasy

Publication date: August 5th 2025

Published by: IPH Media

Source: eARC for review from author

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Buy it: Amazon | Julia Huni's store

Synopsis: They survived the war. Now they just have to survive retirement.

When dragon rider William Ordell is grounded by a battlefield injury, he trades conflict for peace and purchases an abandoned lighthouse on the island of Safe Haven. But quiet doesn’t suit a man used to action. After a series of mysterious fires, William finds himself launching the island’s first fire brigade—with help from the local sea dragons.

Calantha Stormbringer has left war behind, along with the last sparks of her fading magic. She retreats to Safe Haven to rebuild her late aunt’s dusty bookshop—and maybe herself. Restoring the shop will require patience, intelligence, and gold. Calantha figures two out of three isn’t bad.

What neither of them wants? To run into each other. Again.

Old grudges, magical dragons, and one cozy, nosy village—what could possibly go right?

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy filled with magic, mischief, and a slow-burn romance that won't steam your glasses. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Cursed Cocktails, and J. Penner’s Adenashire series.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I love Julia Huni's cozy sci-fi books, so I was super excited when I found out that she was going to be writing a cozy fantasy! In general, the cozy fantasy genre just doesn’t sound like it's for me. I'm a girly who loves her plot-driven books with lots of exciting action. But like I said, I love all of this author's books, so of course I was going to give this one a shot! And I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it! And maybe this will be my gateway into more cozy fantasies. Who knows?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #431: Bounties and Lots of Death

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Sunday Post #465: So Many Fun Bookish Things!

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #430: Back to Fear Street

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Sunday Post #464: When It's Not One Thing, It's Another

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Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2025

How is it the end of July already? I don't even know how we got here. Lol. Anyway, this month I had a much better reading month. I read 6 books and a total of 1643 pages, which is about 700 pages MORE than last month! Two things that really helped this month: short books and a readathon.

• 4 were full-length novels (2 of those were re-reads), and 2 were manga
• % were part of a series, and 1 was a standalone
• No series were started or finished this month lol. I did catch up on 1 though.
• 4 were finished copies and 2 were ARCs
• 4 were physical books and 2 ebooks
• 1 was a 5-star read, 2 were 4.5 stars, and 3 were 4-star reads
• 4 were traditionally published and 2 indie published
• All 6 were by authors I've previously read
• 2 were adult books, and 4 were YA
• 2 were action, 2 horror, 1 cozy fantasy, and 1 urban fantasy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #429: Am I Back?

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Sunday Post #463: Haunted Farmers Market

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Last Half of 2025

There are so many books I am looking forward to reading this year, I just hope my mood decides to cooperate... and soon! 😭 Anyway, here are some of the books I'm excited about that will be released in the last half of 2025.

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2025 (So Far)

Continuing with this year's trend of being late with posts, today I'm talking about my favorite books of the first half of 2025 😂 This was oddly diffcult and easy to do this year because as I've mentioned many times before, I feel like I've had a terrible reading year so I haven't actually read that many full-length novels. I feel like most of these are 4-star reads, which isn't a bad thing, but it does make me sad that I've read so few 5-star reads this year 😢 I'll let you know which books below were 5-stars for me though.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #428: Omg I Read a Book...

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Sunday Post #462: Readathon Weekend

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Dewey's Reverse Readathon: July 2025

I don't think I did a readathon AT ALL in 2024. It was honestly probably because I had a pretty good reading year overall. Lol. I tend to do readathons more when I'm struggling, as I have been this year 😆 Unfortunately, every time one of these comes around, without fail, I have something going on 😂 It's crazy! There was one in April that I wanted to do, but I wasn't able to because I was in California on vacation. Well, this readathon starts today and ends tomorrow, and I have a cousin coming into town tomorrow 😂 I'm gonna see if we can do something on Sunday instead. Lol.