Category: Tracy’s Reviews

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, First Person Narrative, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Something Wicked (Idle Reputations, #1)Something Wicked by Falon Ballard

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Idle Reputations #1

Release Date: December 2, 2025

Callum is the son of the recently dethroned king, and in the running to become the first elected president of the country of Avon, but to do so he will have to do the unthinkable. He is drawn into the deadly political game and is torn between his sense of duty and his conscience. His ability to complete his mission hinges on enlisting Lady Caterine’s magical, emotion-manipulating talents. The attraction between Callum and Cate is instantaneous and passionate, despite his disregard for the “gifted”. Can he work with her to save Avon or will he lose all?

Lady Caterine is a courtesan at the La Puissance pleasure club and has the unique ability to manipulate emotions of those she is intimate with. She too has a mission and at first it seems simple, distract Callum from the election. She never expected to fall for him, but when she does will she be able to complete her task or will she listen to her heart?

Confession – I requested this book because the cover was giving me nostalgic Barbara Cartland vibes, sadly I finished this book feeling the cover was the best thing about this book. Overall, this story plunges readers into the tumultuous nation of Avon, where a dangerous political contest and a shadowy world of magic and desire collide. The story centers on a high-stakes challenge: contenders for Avon’s leadership must kill their deposed monarch, setting the stage for intrigue and emotional entanglement. While the premise is intriguing and the Moulin Rouge-meets-Macbeth theme adds flair, the novel ultimately isn’t able to deliver because it fails to give the reader fully developed magic and world-building. Add to that the story is written in dual first-person narrative making it harder for me to connect deeply with the story. However, if you are just looking for a fantasy romance with lots of steam and political intrigue, you will find it in this book!

*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. *

Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Go, Rogue (The Mavericks Book 2)Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Mavericks #2

Release Date: December 1, 2025

On the day she is supposed to marry, Lady Catherine West instead leaves her groom at the altar and stows away on Andrew McGann’s ship, The Elphame bound for Boston. She knows Andrew thinks she is more trouble than she is worth and clearly wants nothing to do with her, but boarding his ship gives her something she desperately needs, a new start far away from the gilded cage she has been trapped in. Can she win over the stern captain and finally find the happiness she has been longing for?

Andrew McGann has fought for his place in the world; he is half Scottish/half Jamaican and carries the stigma of being born on the “wrong side of the blanket” and he has finally realized his dream of owning his own shipping company and after years of servitude to the East India Company and then four more years landlocked in England. He is finally back on the water, but within moments of setting sail, his peace is ruined thanks to “the menace”. He wants nothing more than to get rid of her, but for now he will have to keep her at a distance. But when things start going wrong, keeping Catherine at bay becomes impossible and the sparks will fly!

When I finished this book, I was left with mixed feelings. Andrew was the definitely the star of the show and I appreciated that the book didn’t shy away from the racism he faced, or the emotional wounds left by his family, he was a grump, but I loved him. He kept me turning pages, but some things didn’t quite work for me; primarily was author’s use of present tense narrative, which made it hard for me to stay immersed in the story, add to that was my mixed feelings about Catherine, she was strong, but she was also a bit self-absorbed and had more than one TSTL moments. Overall, if you enjoy opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine or forced proximity romance tropes, you might enjoy this book, but for me, while the story had a wonderful hero and a bit of steam, it ultimately wasn’t what I was hoping for and not a book I would read again. This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading the books in order so you can better understand the initial tension between Catherine and Andrew.

*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. *