Book Review: Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia

Love Felt Like This
by Julie Olivia
Sept 8, 2026
Genre: Fake Dating, Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction
A grumpy rock star and a joyful children’s show creator revive television magic in this standalone, cozy small-town romance.

Griffin Harvey lives his life in the spotlight. Reluctantly. The brooding famous singer-songwriter is on the cusp of composing his sophomore album . . . if only he could find the notes. But after gaining custody of his two-year-old daughter, the only music he’s writing is about shapes and counting to ten.

Enter Beverly, who lives her life in the background producing children’s television and laughter. Except joy is hard to find when her nonprofit loses funding. She sinks all of her savings to revive the children’s show by herself, but when her variety show appearance collides with Griffin’s, their banter and chemistry is caught on live television.

Suddenly, Griffin is singing a new tune. He needs a muse, and Beverly needs all the help she can get. With his secret daughter in tow, they hide out in her cozy mountain hometown, attempting to script, compose, and revive television magic. Their dynamic shouldn’t work. He’s all harsh tattoos and rough hands while she’s bright colors and gentle touches. Once their three months of work are done, they’ll return to their separate worlds. But what happens when it seems the true magic might be found in each other? 

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This was my kind of book- romance, funny, poignant, and just a great read you want to continue and get more information on the lives of the characters before and after the "epilogue".  

This was a first time read for this author, I did not want to find a stopping place so I could put the book down, and now what do I do- I want to read more of her books. Ms. Olivia has a way with words, and without words in dealing with each character.  They came alive and you felt their feelings- happy and sad- inside your heart also.  

I give this book 5 Baaarts, and a big Baaah.   

 

 

Grandma V.

About the Author:
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Julie Olivia writes cozy love stories filled with humor, spice, and close friend groups that feel like a warm hug. She is a roller coaster fan, avid romance reader, and rainy day enthusiast.

Julie lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and their very opinionated pets.

The Runt and the Warlock (Healing Fate Book 6) by Asha Nyr

The Runt and the Warlock (Healing Fate Book 6)
by Asha Nyr
Expected Release Date: October 31
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Interconnected Standalone

“Innocent” warlock MMC
Omega wolf-shifter FMC
Spice
One cave
Humor balancing trauma
Amnesia
Found family
Banter
Complicated duck
New original lore

Soley, a packless submissive wolf-shifter and the Vessel of the Sun God, is struggling to find her place in her new home and the world in general. The Lunar Coven offers a healthy space for her to grow, but she can’t seem to focus without her fated mate by her side.

Koray, human and Key to the Realm of the Gods, has been training with the fae to become a better protector for Soley. His secret project to fulfill her dreams makes their reunion all too brief, and when she’s abducted without a trace, he drops everything in a panic.

With a warning from his goddess that the Sun God has gone silent along with the vessel’s disappearance and the knowledge Soley has lost her memories, the young man threatens to raze all in his path to find her, knowing what lies ahead may be stronger than any deity.

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About the Author:
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Know, as you step into this feral place, that I never meant for this to happen.

The raw fantasy, the self-exploration, and the intimacy were all for exposure therapy. The beasts kept it at a safe distance.

My stories were free; I didn't want to be alone in my journey. Readers came in like a flood, joining me on the road to healing, and a family was born. They learned the 'why' as I wrote and grew to know me by the book. Unexpectedly, unfortunately, some could relate. I grew to love them all.

This shifter family asked me to publish. Perhaps this is where I am meant to be, and perhaps this is where survival can be. Perhaps that survival can turn into thriving. This could be my nest, my safe place, to grow and flourish.

Since my novels are therapy-turned-product, they are heavy, explicit, but they come from a thoughtful place that yearns for peace. If my books help anyone who has felt the same, perhaps that could be the biggest reward of all. Ultimately, I have not been travelling alone on this road like I'd feared, and I owe my shifter family for that.

Starlight preserve you,
Asha Nyr

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When the Magic Comes (A Grimm Medieval Mystery Book One) by Shereen Vedam

When the Magic Comes (A Grimm Medieval Mystery Book One)
by Shereen Vedam
October 13, 2026
Genre: Cozy Epic Fantasy Mystery
Publisher: Shereen Vedam
ISBN: eBook 9781989036464
ISBN: Paperback 9781989036471
ISBN: Audiobook 9781989036488
ASIN: B0FVYCWP33
Number of pages: 240
Word Count: 62,000
Cover Artist: Suzie O’Connell from Sunset Rose Books

Magic. Prophecy. Murder.

It’s been said that Kennard of Grimm is destined to be the first in a long line of warriors who battle evil with magic.

Just one problem: he teaches magic at a prestigious university, but he has no magical abilities.

What he has is a dangerous curiosity, piercing instincts, and a responsibility for a baby dragon named Tala. Normal chaos rules Kennard’s life until a student is murdered, and another is blamed. Convinced the accused is innocent, he sets out to find the real killer.

To further complicate Kennard’s life, his mother and sister visit him, sparking Tala’s protective instincts. Then things turn more dangerous when a second body shows up.

The killer’s audacity is mounting.

Kennard must stop the murderer and soothe his indignant dragonet or risk death and destruction on a much larger scale.

If you enjoy your mystery with a hint of fairy tale, you’ll love meeting Kennard of Grimm and his dragonet, and sharing in their epic adventure as amateur detectives in a magical medieval fantasy world.

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Excerpt
This is who I am. I’m the widow of a knight. My father was the Baron of Grimm. I’m the eldest of four. And my brother is the first Grimm to insist he can see magical creatures. My name is Violet.

On this November day, in the year of our Lord 1312, an unusual crime was committed at Edensa University, where my brother lives. There had been no warning that this event would be life-changing for both him and me.

As Master of Magical Theory and History, he soon became entangled in the event, for it had magical undertones. I intended to keep him out of harm’s way. But then I became worried, as I wondered if his convictions were not just the result of an overactive imagination.

What if there really are invisible monsters?

* * *

“Surely magical creatures are naught but myths, sir?” Gazi spoke from a bench two rows back. “They don’t exist.”

This late-night class, the first Kennard had held this autumn, would hopefully be the last. It had made for a long day.

The lit torches shadowed Gazi’s strong features, giving him a devilish cast. He suspected the clever lad of being deliberately provocative. At fourteen, he was only seven years Kennard’s junior, yet Gazi might as well have been a mischievous child of eight, the way he sometimes acted.

Kennard addressed his students. “What do you think of Gazi’s question? Is it worthy of our consideration?”

“No!” Fanil lounged on a bench to Kennard’s left and flashed Gazi, his arch-nemesis, an over-the-shoulder smirk. “But such creatures are present in Bernada,” he added, snapping on the bait despite his avowal to the contrary.

Two vociferous rivals for the class fool.

“As if you would know.” Gazi chuckled. “You’ve never been to the sorcerers’ kingdom. No mortal has.”

“Our queen has,” Elspera countered, one of only three lasses registered for his class, and the only one of them present tonight. She sat directly across from Kennard, her favorite spot.

Her maid sat by the door, head tilted, eyes closed, and mouth half open, while releasing soft snores.

Elspera pointed at a portrait of our fair monarch on the wall. Her long sleeve slid down as she raised her arm, revealing a pale hand and wrist covered in intricately painted, darkly dotted patterns.

Gazi straightened on his bench, running a hand through his hair. “I grant, unlike us, God bestowed Queen Amity with exceptional powers. Yet, even she’s never spoken of magical creatures, not in our lands or even in Bernada.” His tone grew soft as his gaze rested on the fair maiden. “Also, this topic is about magical creatures, like ogres, griffins, and water spirits. Not sorceresses.”

“As a sorceress,” Elspera argued, “the queen could be considered a magical creature. If you seek further evidence, what about religious texts, which mention behemoths, demons, and even dragons? They do not lie.”

“My pa says it is blasphemous to discuss witchery,” a lad said from the last row. “The church forbids it.”

Though Gregory had addressed his comments to the class, his gaze lingered by the doorway. Was he hoping he could be anywhere but here? Possibly. Kennard glanced toward the doorway, where Elspera’s maid, having awoken, sat straight and blinked tired eyes. It had been a long day.

His attention returned to Gregory, who hailed from a small village in Greece. Normally, a quiet lad. Why a religious boy wished to attend sacrilegious lessons had once troubled him when the lad’s family applied to enroll him in this class.

Had the Church sent this “little bird” to Edensa to report on Kennard’s teachings, so they could smear his father’s name? For the Baron of Grimm had spoken out against the Pope a time or two.

Kennard’s fist had clenched at the possibility of his behavior being used to attack his father. In the end, he met Gregory, and his instincts insisted the lad had good in him. So, deciding an enemy close at hand was worth three in the bush, he’d admitted him. Time would prove if he’d been wise or not.

About the Author:
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Once upon a time, USA Today bestselling author Shereen Vedam read fantasy and romance novels to entertain herself. Now she writes heartwarming tales braided with threads of magic and love and mystery elements woven in for good measure.

Shereen's a fan of resourceful women, intriguing men, and happily-ever-after endings. If her stories whisk you away to a different realm for a few hours, then Shereen will have achieved one of her life goals.

Book Review: Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches Book 3) by Avery Flynn

Hexy Beast (The Sherwood Witches Book 3)
by Avery Flynn
September 8, 2026 
Book 3 of 3: The Sherwood Witches
Genre: rom-com, paranormal romance, shifters
An impulsive witch and a buttoned-up werewolf discover love is its own beast in this spicy rom-com from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

As the eldest daughter of the magical Sherwood family, I’m supposed to have everything together. Well, joke’s on them—I, Effie Sherwood, am chaos incarnate, and you’ll never be able to guess my next move.

Like jumping on the back of Darius Aetos’ motorcycle. Not only is Darius grumpy, gruff, and hot, he’s also the head of the Aetos werewolf pack.

My spur of the moment decision has quickly become a much bigger commitment, because a pack elder is convinced this hunk of a man (or wolf, depending on the hour) is my fated mate.

Even though I’m a witch and he’s a werewolf, we’re stuck together until we can find our way out of the tricky pack politics. But under the light of the blue moon, it’s almost starting to feel like Darius doesn’t want to stay away from me. And I’m not sure if it’s my magic going haywire or the starlit skies, but I can’t imagine leaving his arms either. 

Amazon

Also reviewed by KD 

This is not my normal read or style, but I enjoyed it. This was the first time read for Ms. Flynn. The "heat" part was definitely in order (or should I say over order), and the banter, comedy, and characters were the best.

The story was very good, and Ms. Flynn made you believe that all werewolves and witches were just normal and every day.

I give the novel 4 Baaarts, but I think if one of her followers read the book, it would be 5 Baaarts.

 

 

Grandma Vivian Dalton

About the Author:
website
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has sold more than a million books, which have been translated into multiple languages. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives outside of Washington DC with her family and a pack of five dogs all named after food. If she’s not reading romance or binging reality TV, she’s most definitely plotting to take over the world so she can banish Crocs from existence. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Join her reader Patreon for special sneak peeks, chats, book boxes and more!

Teen & YA: An Auction of Souls by Amber Chen

★ A Kirkus starred review says, “Filled with action, adventure, and magic, this is an exciting, Chinese mythology–inspired tale. Moments of humor, darkness, and deep emotion keep the story engaging…[I]mmersive…A magical, captivating story of myths and morality.”

An Auction of Souls
by Amber Chen
October 20, 2026
Genre: Teen & Young Adult, Asian Cultures, Historical Fantasy, Fantasy Action & Adventure
Book 1 of 1: An Auction of Souls
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A start to a new duology from Of Jade and Dragons author Amber Chen, this sweeping fantasy full of magic and danger follows a girl and her two unlikely companions on an adventure through fantastical lands in pursuit of answers to a centuries' long mystery.

Meng Lingxi and her grandmother run a legendary auction house, Meng Wu—the House of Dreams. But when a mysterious traveler arrives bearing a fragment of a soul, all that Lingxi knows changes in an instant. Her grandmother mysteriously vanishes, and restless spirits descend upon Meng Wu.

Then two unlikely allies—Yan Jun and Yan Shan, guardians of hell itself—come to Lingxi's aid, revealing a shocking secret about the only home she's ever known: Meng Wu sits upon the gateway to hell, and her grandmother serves the god of the underworld himself.

Soon, Lingxi joins her two companions on a perilous journey to find her grandmother and unravel the mystery behind the dangerous fragment of soul. Along the way, the trio must outsmart humans, gods, and demons alike who try to stand in their way—before hell is let loose on earth.

Amazon 

About the Author:
website
Amber Chen is the UK #1 bestselling author of the YA silkpunk fantasy novel, Of Jade and Dragons. She is currently based in sweltering Singapore and spends much of her free time living within Chinese fantasy novels and dramas. She also drinks one too many cups of bubble tea. One of her webnovels, The Cutting Edge, has been adapted for television.