Category: New To Me Author

Wench by Erynne Rivers

On By TracyIn Debut Novel, Fairytale Retelling, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Movie / Story Retelling, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

WenchWench by Erynne Rivers

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone (?)

Release Date: July 16, 2026

After her father arranges her marriage to the Sheriff of Nottingham, Marian is sent through Sherwood Forest on the way to her unwanted future. When her carriage is attacked and she is taken by the Merry Men, Marian is forced into the world of the fae she has always been taught to fear. As the Sheriff’s men search for her, the story builds around Marian’s conflict between returning to the life chosen for her by her family and choosing a different path among the fae.

This retelling blends Robin Hood elements with romantasy, fae politics, gendered power dynamics, and a romance that develops while Marian reassesses what she believes about humans, the fae, and herself. Her exposure to Sherwood Forest, the Merry Men, and “Lox” who is the fae version of Robin Hood (with antlers). Marian begins the story resistant and distrustful, while Lox is presented as protective, mysterious, and closely tied to the forest and its people. Marian slowly begins to change her stance on the fae thanks to Lox and his Merry Men and her experience with the magical community, which finally gives her a chance to form her own opinions and make her own choices.

Overall, I thought Wench had an interesting premise and had the potential to be a unique Robin Hood-inspired romantasy, but it did not fully work for me. I struggled with Marian at the beginning because her prejudice toward the fae made her difficult to connect with, and the romance felt too rushed for me to feel fully invested in it. I also didn’t like the present tense limited third person narrative, because it made the storytelling feel more distant and harder to sink into, especially in the first half. While the book was easy to read and had some engaging ideas, I wanted more depth from the characters, more development in the romance, and a stronger resolution to the conflict with the Sheriff. In short, I wanted to be wowed and I wasn’t.

*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. *

A New Chapter at Midnight by E.W. Andersen

On By TracyIn Contemporary, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

A New Chapter at Midnight (Midnights On the Square, #3)A New Chapter at Midnight by Emily W. Andersen

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Midnights on the Square #3

Release Date: July 13, 2026

Aurelia Lyndham is the owner of a very special bookshop that she inherited from her Aunt Marigold. The shop is magical and each night at midnight characters from the book appear to Aurelia and she is able to interact with them, but she is the only one who can see them, so she has kept this information to herself, not wanting anyone to think she is insane. Keeping the secret from her friends and family has been hard but keeping it from her fiancé Oliver has been the hardest of all. With her wedding day drawing closer, she is determined to tell him the truth, but the time never seems right.

But all that changes when her teenage niece Julia comes to visit and is able to see the characters, presumably because she will one day own the shop. Aurelia tries to explain to Julia why it is important to keep the magic of the shop secret, but Julia can’t keep this to herself, first telling her mother, Aurelia’s sister Antonia, which leads to her coming to the shop, which leads to Oliver learning about it. It takes some doing to get Antonia and Oliver to believe them, since they are not able to see the characters, and while they do eventually accept it, Oliver is very hurt that Aurelia kept this from him and it puts their relationship in jeopardy.

I requested this title without realizing it was the third book in a series, but the author did an amazing job of giving enough backstory to let new readers jump right into the story with no problems. This story was a gentle read; there was not a lot of drama, not a lot of magic, and not a lot of romance – but somehow, it works and ends up being a very satisfying read. If you are looking for story with a bit of magic, close family ties, a little romance, and a happy ending – Read this book! I am happy to recommend this title, and I will definitely be reading this author’s previous books as well as her future work!

*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. *