Month: January 2026

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Enchanting the Fae Queen (Queens of Villainy, #2)Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Queens of Villainy #2

Release Date: January 27, 2026

The half-fae Queen Lorelei of Balravia has joined forces with Queen Ailana of Nornne and Queen Saskia of Kitvaria to stand against Otto II the emperor of the Serafin Empire. With their magical powers they should easily be able to defeat Otto, but he has a secret weapon – General Gerard de Moireul. Lorelei has matched wits with the General for years and now the time has come to make her move. She kidnaps the General and takes him to Efaelen, the fae realm, thinking her mother, Queen Morgana will be able to assist her in keeping Gerard from leading his troops into battle against her and her fellow Queens of Villainy. But things do not go as planned and soon Lorelei has a new fight on her hands – keeping her emotions in check and her heart in her possession!

After his parents were executed for treason, Gerard de Moireul spent his life being perfect and proving his worth. He has risen through the ranks in the military to become the General of the Empire’s troops and is known throughout the land as the Empire’s Golden Beacon. He has never put a foot out of line and is the total opposite of the wild and irrepressible Queen Lorelei, but despite the fact that they have nothing in common and they are on opposite sides of a coming war, Gerard is captivated by Lorelei and only his careful reserve has kept that a secret. So, when she kidnaps him and they become contestants in the Fae’s Tournament of Leaves, they are forced to work together and walls begin to fall – but will Gerard be willing to give up his hard-won honor for something as fickle as love?

This was well written, cute story with very likable characters and a lot of whimsy. I loved Lorelei and Gerard, they are easy to root for, and their interactions are entertaining without being silly. The story is filled with friendship, magic, glitter, reconciliation, a daring rescue, warm love scenes, witty banter and a happy ending that sets up the next installment. This was new to me author and I liked the writing style, but there were times when I felt like the story veered a bit off track and needed to be reeled in. Overall, it was a fun story, and I was pleasantly surprised by this author. This is the second book in a trilogy, and I hadn’t read the first book, but I was still able to enjoy this story and will definitely be checking out the first book in the series and waiting impatiently for the next installment.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Highlander’s Lady of Loch and Sea by Heather McCollum

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Medieval (1066-1540), Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Tudor Era (1485-1603)Leave a comment

The Highlander's Lady of Loch and Sea (Brotherhood of Solway Moss Book 3)The Highlander’s Lady of Loch and Sea by Heather McCollum

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Brotherhood of Solway Moss #3

Release Date: January 27, 2026

After escaping with three other men from an English prison, Cyrus Mackinnon and his fellow inmates, have been working hard to build an alliance among the clans of the Isle of Skye. To that end, he has engineered a wedding between his sister Grace and Iain Macqueen, the chief of the Macqueen clan. His sister seems happy and adding the Macqueen to the alliance, makes for a stronger Skye. But trouble starts almost immediately when Grace’s wedding is interrupted by an otter! Once the otter is shooed out, Cyrus sees a woman throw a note into the church, a note that warns Grace not to marry Iain. The wedding takes place, despite Cyrus’ unease. Later at the wedding feast, he meets an enchanting woman, and they spend an amazing night together, but he wakes up to find himself tied to the bed and the woman holding a knife to his throat. But instead of killing him, she begs his forgiveness and escapes, leaving him nude and tied to the bed. When he is found by Rory MacLeod, he is determined to find his enchantress and get some answers.

Widow Laria Macqueen is the daughter of a previous chief, but now is the champion of the clan members who have been cast out by Iain. Laria is certain that Iain murdered his mother (her aunt) and that he has an elaborate plan to take over the Mackinnon plan. He promised her aid for the outcasts if she would kill Cyrus. She planned to do it, but after sharing an amazing night with him, she just couldn’t go through with it and leaves him tied up and angry. She joins her outcasts in the woods and isn’t overly surprised when Cyrus finds her. She tries to explain and warn him of Iain’s treachery, yet it is clear that he doesn’t trust her, but she won’t stop trying to make him see the truth. He finally begins to believe her, and deeper feelings develop, but as much as she would like to give into those feelings, she cannot afford to indulge herself when her people are in danger. will they lose everything they have been fighting for, or can they find a way to save her people and keep the alliance?

This installment of the Brotherhood of Solway Moss is a well written, nicely paced story that has a lot going on and a lot of familiar faces. Cyrus and Laria have an amazing chemistry, and you can’t help but root for them. Their story is filled with emotion, secrets, murder, prejudices, steamyish love scenes, heartache, sacrifice, answers to some questions from the previous installments, a lot of new questions, a bit of magic and finally an ending that will warm your heart and leave you wanting more. I am now really looking forward to the final installment and finally learning the truth about Asher MacNicol! This is the third book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone, you will have a much better reader experience if you read the books in order.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *