Wit and Sin: Nalini Singh

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Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Review: Archangel’s Eternity by Nalini Singh

Archangel’s Eternity by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 18
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780593550052
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

A thousand years.

It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.

But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain…at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.

It’s been a thousand years since a human Guild Hunter crossed swords with an enigmatic archangel. Neither Elena nor Raphael could have imagined the turns their lives have taken since that first meeting. And readers, since first picking up Angels’ Blood, could not have guessed the wild ride Nalini Singh would take them on through eighteen full-length novels. Archangel’s Eternity brings the Guild Hunter series to a close in a sweet, satisfying way.

While there have been many wonderful characters and romances throughout this series, Raphael and Elena are at the heart of it all, so it’s fitting that the series end with them. I enjoyed seeing how their love has grown and stays strong over not just decades but a millennium. Now they have a new adventure to face and though it’s not hard to guess what that is, I’ll leave it for readers to discover. Suffice it to say that it’s delightful and brings them new challenges and even greater happiness.

Archangel’s Eternity is light on plot, serving mostly as a love letter to the series and the vast and varied cast of characters Singh brought to life. There is some tension with a potential war brewing between two archangels and simmering madness in another, but nothing like what we’ve seen throughout this series. I admit, the first half of the book was slow for me. As much as I adore all the characters, the step-by-step visits felt a little. Things did pick up in the latter half of the story; it brimmed with life, love, and even a few moments that made me tear up. All in all, I found this to be a lovely end to the Guild Hunter series. Singh started the series with blood and ends it with joy; a wonderful bow to tie up all the angels, vampires, and other beings readers have come to know and love.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Best Books of 2025

By Kimberly 2:00 AM // No comments

2026 has fluttered in like a freshly opened hardcover—pages crisp, spine unbroken, and possibilities tucked into every chapter. Before I race off toward shiny new releases, towering TBR stacks, and the inevitable comfort re-reads, it’s time to pause, dog-ear the past, and look back on my 2025 year in books.

Over the course of the year, I read 68 books, including a handful of beloved re-reads that felt like curling up with old friends—familiar, comforting, and just as magical as ever. I also took a chance on 27 debut or new-to-me authors, discovering several absolute gems whose backlists are now whispering my name from the shelves. While I’m setting aside the A to Z Reading Challenge after sixteen years in favor of a little more reading freedom, 2025 was still a year full of delightful surprises, unexpected favorites, and plenty of bookish joy worth revisiting.

Just like last year, I’m once again sorting my top reads into two carefully curated stacks: Best Books of 2025 (Published in 2025) and Best Books of 2025 (Published in Years Prior). Every book on this list was a first-time read—otherwise a few much-loved authors and perennial comfort books would simply take up permanent residence on my year-end roundup. To keep things fair (and to save myself from endlessly reshuffling the list), the books are alphabetized by author. Any other approach might have had me second-guessing every choice until 2027, and I’d much rather spend that time discovering a new favorite book

Best Books of 2025 (Published in 2025)

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
My Review

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Archangel’s Ascension (Guild Hunter, Book 17) by Nalini Singh

My Review

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Best Books of 2025 (Published in years prior)

Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance, Book 1) by Karina Halle

My Review

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Murder in Highbury (Emma Knightley Mysteries, Book 1) by Vanessa Kelly

My Review

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Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, Book 1) by Rebecca Yarros

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Review: Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 6:20 PM // No comments

Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 9
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780593819524
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could’ve been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love…

It’s a race against time to both catch a killer and save a protagonist in Atonement Sky. It’s almost the end of the line for J-Psy Eleri Dias. After multiple reconditionings, she’s almost at the point of Exposure. Before she goes, she wants to atone for an action she didn’t take when she was just an intern. An action that let a killer go free and broke the heart of the one man who was meant to be hers.

Eleri is both strong and fragile, her shields almost gone and no hope for her. Her personality is muted which makes the start of the story a bit slow. Adam Garrett, Wing Leader of WindHaven, is a falcon who is strong of heart. He’s bruised by what he sees as a betrayal from years ago, but he comes around and is a wonderfully protective hero. He and Eleri have a connection neither can deny, but – for lack of a better way to explain it – it didn’t feel as earned as other Nalini Singh couples’ bonds have. I enjoyed their love story, but it was missing some of the depth I’m used to in Singh’s stories.

There are two plotlines that work with the romance but are more prominent: the hunt for a serial killer and the inevitable degradation of shields Eleri and many other Js face. Eleri comes to Raintree to track down the killer and the hunt was entertaining. What was more of a mystery, however, was how Singh would manage to create a happily ever after when one half of the couple is running out of time. The twists and turns the story took were intriguing and the solution a satisfying one that I didn’t expect. The ramifications are sure to be felt as the series goes on and of course, familiar faces join in with the newer ones to solve the problem.

I went back and forth on how to rate this story a bit because I wanted more from Adam and Eleri’s romance, but overall I did thoroughly enjoy Atonement Sky. Singh is a wonderful writer who continues to draw me in and the world she has created is vast, fascinating, and full of unique personalities. While I could happily spend forever with DarkRiver and SnowDancer characters, the WindHaven characters absolutely drew me in and I hope to see more of them in future Psy-Changeling Trinity books.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Archangel’s Ascension by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 7:08 PM // No comments

Archangel’s Ascension by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 17
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Male/Male Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780593550038
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Aodhan and Illium. Adi and Blue. Sparkle and Bluebell. Friends become lovers, their future a wild unknown.

Finally reunited in New York, they must now learn to navigate the monumental shift in their relationship. But for these two members of Archangel Raphael’s legendary Seven, there is no time to rest. As they investigate a case for the Tower that echoes the darkness from Aodhan’s past, they will be forced to confront not only the scars that mark them both, but the promise of a vast power that flickers in Illium.

The threat of ascension has haunted and troubled Aodhan’s Blue for too long, the forces of change immutable and without mercy...and uncaring of Illium’s fierce wish to remain part of the Seven. Change is a constant in an immortal’s life, and this new horizon will bring with it both terrible heartbreak and a joy extraordinary enough to reverberate through time…

Archangel’s Ascension is a breathtakingly romantic story of friends who have become lovers who are now becoming something even more, something that will stand strong and true through millennia. Nalini Singh completes Aodhan and Illium’s love story in a romance that is tender and achingly beautiful.

Archangel’s Ascension picks up where Archange’s Light - the beginning of Adi and Blue’s romance – left off. Singh takes readers back and forth from the present into the far future as the two men’s lives change and grow together. That Bluebell and Sparkle were made for each other, are meant to be best friends and partners, is never in question. But Illium still has fears he needs to confront, buried wounds from abandonment both intentional and not from those he holds close. And Aodhan…artist, warrior, and survivor, still bears scars from his imprisonment and assault. A case he and Illium take on brings those memories to the forefront and helps Aodhan move his healing forward. What makes this story special to me is how tender and open Illium and Aodhan are with each other. There are so many layers to their love that it makes scenes with them captivating. There are countless romantic moments but also ones of brightness and fun, showing the lightness between the two that comes from their centuries of causing mischief together.

Adi and Blue are the heart of this story, but their hearts contain so many others beloved by fans of the Guild Hunter series. I loved seeing their relationships with their loved ones, from Raphael and the rest of the Seven to the vampires, angels, and mortals who have made this series so wonderful. There’s so much depth to the world and that’s in large part to the connections between all the characters. What the future brings I don’t want to spoil, though the title and everything leading up to this book do tell readers what they’re in for. But uncovering when and how things happen and what goes into it was such a joy that I’m going to avoid spoiling the experience. Suffice it to say that Singh makes the journey a rewarding one and I was enthralled every step of the way. And while this book would make the perfect end chapter the Guild Hunter series, never fear that we’re saying goodbye to the characters we love. Singh has written that the series will continue and I very much look forward to more of this world.

Archangel’s Ascension is a gorgeous story that filled my heart with joy. The completion of Aodhan and Illium’s romance was worth the wait and their love story is one I can’t wait to be swept away by again and again.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 12:00 PM // No comments

Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 8
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780593440735
Release Date: July 23, 2024
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Daughter of two ruthless high-Gradient telepaths, Auden Scott is not the child her Psy parents wanted or expected, even before her brain injury. Her thoughts are scattered, her memories fuzzy—or just terrifyingly blank. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must protect her unborn baby…a baby she has no recollection of conceiving and who draws an unnerving depth of interest from her dead mother’s closest associates.

Leopard alpha Remi Denier is a man driven by the primal instinct to protect. Protect his pack, protect his allies…and protect the mysterious woman who has become a most unlikely neighbor. With eerie eyes that see too much and a scent that alters in ways disturbing and impossible, Auden Scott is the enemy…but nothing about this strange Psy is what it seems, and Remi’s feline heart is as fascinated by her as his human half.

Then Auden asks Remi to help her shatter the wall of secrets that is the Scott bloodline. What they unearth will reveal a nightmare beyond imagination. This time, the battle is to the death…

Primal Mirror is a story of survival and of love conquering evil. Auden Scott is the daughter of two former Psy Counselors, but her abilities weren’t the telepathic kind her parents wanted. She has survived her parents, but didn’t come out of it unscathed; something was done to her brain that causes blank spots and times where it feels like she’s not entirely herself. She is also pregnant and desperate to save her baby from whatever plans her mother had set in motion before her death.

RainFire alpha Remi Denier doesn’t quite know what to make of his new neighbor. The first time he meets her she’s eerily blank, then next time a heavily pregnant woman ready to fight for her unborn child. Remi is a protector at heart and he and his pack will do anything, risk anything to help Auden and her child. But Remi’s drawn to Auden on another, far more personal level. What will happen to the two of them as her mother’s plans are uncovered? And how can they fight an threat that is taking place inside Auden’s mind?

Remi is a hero who is easy to fall for. He’s kind, protective, and has worked hard to make his new pack strong and whole. Auden is more complex. Her brain injuries and what was done to her make her unpredictable. Primal Mirror is a bit slow to start because Auden isn’t always herself. The mystery of what was done to her and why unravels over the course of the story and I was rooting for Auden to beat the odds and destroy the evil plan her mother put in place. Remi and Auden are characters whose core is love – they will fight for those they love until their last breath. They make a great couple but their love story is understandably slow to build, given Auden’s mental state.

Primal Mirror isn’t just about Auden and RainFire’s survival. It’s about the survival of the whole Psy race. The PsyNet is continuing to fail and it’s incredibly tense throughout the story as characters we’ve come to love over the course of the series struggle to save as many people as possible. It’s doomsday time for the Psy and there’s a pall cast over the story by the imminent threat of millions of lives lost. How things work out and what the future looks like, I won’t spoil, but I am curious to see how Nalini Singh continues things for the Psy race.

Primal Mirror is the eighth book in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series and while you don’t have to have read all the books to enjoy Remi and Auden’s story, you definitely need to be familiar with the world to follow what’s happening in the overarching storyline of the Psy. In Primal Mirror, Singh continues to weave an intricate web of characters, connections, and powers that is utterly absorbing. I adored Remi and Auden and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where Singh takes the Psy-Changeling world next.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 9:56 PM // No comments

Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 16
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780593550014
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first ever year of true peace. No war. No horrors of archangelic power. No nightmares given flesh. Until…the earth beneath the Refuge begins to tremble, endangering not only angelkind’s precious and fragile young, but the very place that has held their most innocent safe for eons.

Amid the chaos, Elena’s father suffers a violent heart attack that threatens to extinguish their last chance to heal the bonds between them and make sense of the ruins of their agonizing shared history.

Even as Elena battles grief, Raphael is torn from her side by the sudden disappearance of an archangel. But worse yet is to come. An Ancestor, an angel unlike any other, stirs from his Sleep to warn the Cadre of a darkness so terrible that it causes empires to fall and civilizations to vanish.

This time, even the Cadre itself may not be able to stop a ticking clock that is counting down at frightening speed…

It has been a time of peace in the world and Raphael and Elena are finally feeling able to relax just a bit. Then tremors rock the Refuge and it seems the world is once again in danger. Only this time it isn’t a mad archangel or some other identifiable threat, but something far more unpredictable…

Archangel’s Lineage is a wildly addictive read full of interesting worldbuilding and fascinating characters. It’s classic Nalini Singh in a way that I truly enjoy and I absolutely hated to put this book down.

We’ve taken another time jump in the Guild Hunter world and Raphael and Elena have now been together for about two decades. Their love and passion for one another is just as strong but there’s a settled quality to their relationship that is just as enjoyable to read about as their tumultuous beginning. I loved seeing them together and the strength of their relationship shines even when they’re apart. The world is in danger in Archangel’s Lineage, but there are also personal stakes. Elena’s father has a heart attack and it brings home not only her strained relationship with him but the realization of how little time the immortal angel has with her mortal loved ones. There’s a bittersweet quality to parts of this story; I really liked seeing Elena come to terms with the knowledge that not all of her friends and family will be with her forever, and that’s okay.

As for the more global threat of natural disasters and the Refuge being in danger…well, this is a plotline I don’t want to say too much about. Much of the fun of the story is experiencing the twists and turns as our beloved characters take them. Singh’s worldbuilding continues to delight and I liked seeing how she brought everything together. Singh perfectly balances the energy of the primary plot while allowing her characters room to breathe and be enjoyed. The result is a wholly satisfying read that ends one chapter of the Guild Hunter series while leaving room for new ones to begin. I absolutely adored Archangel’s Lineage from first page to last – it’s action-packed, romantic, interesting, and completely engaging.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 9:56 PM // No comments

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Thriller

ISBN: 9780593549766
Release Date: November 21, 2023
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
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Seven friends.
One last weekend.
A mansion half in ruins.
No room for lies.
Someone is going to confess.
Because there should have been eight…
They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago.

They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost…

There Should Have Been Eight is a tense, claustrophobic thriller that is incredibly addictive. I have mixed feelings about the mystery, but I have to give Nalini Singh high marks for making this a real page-turner. Her writing is dark, evocative, and the mystery is compelling though your milage may vary on how you like the resolution.

Luna has had the same group of friends since she was a teenager, but now the group of eight is down to seven. Bea, bright, shining, beautiful Bea who Luna was obsessed with is long gone. At a get-together in a remote estate, things start to go wrong. And as they’re trapped, the past comes rearing back to life as secrets, betrayals, and a twisted web of deceit comes to life.

Luna is an interesting narrator. Her obsession with Bea remains strong, even years after her death. How she views her remaining friends – Darcie, Ash, Nix, Kaea, Aaron, Vansi – plus Aaron’s fiancée, Grace, isn’t quite objective. She’s a photographer, and though the lens gives her some distance she isn’t unbiased and her obsession with Bea makes her dig into old wounds. Luna is also losing her sight, and the impending loss of her vision has her questioning what she sees in the shadows, in some expressions. The questions she has around Bea’s death come raging back during this trip as the ghosts of the past are stirred up.

Luna isn’t the only one fixated on the past. Things start happening, pranks that escalate to true harm, as the storm that locks the group in at the estate rages on. Some of the group are blameless, some are not, but all are in harm’s way; no protection of innocents in this story. Singh starts off easy then ratchets up the tension until the climax. The revelations come fast at the end as the tale spins slightly out of control. For such a tightly written novel the way everything came together (key in a mystery) felt a bit off. The ending didn’t quite work for me, but that could be chalked up to reader preference.

There Should Have Been Eight drips with gothic mystery and Singh’s talent for writing an engaging thriller is on display. Not every bit of the story worked for me, but I found it wholly compelling nonetheless.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 9:06 PM // No comments

Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 7
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780593440704
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

StoneWater bears Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since birth, but now Pavel’s life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath—and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.

This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel…for Arwen…for Yakov…and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.

A low-Gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history—an unregistered rehabilitation Center established by their grandfather.

Places of unimaginable pain designed to psychically wipe minds, leaving the victims shells of their former selves, the Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race’s Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth—in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov, who isn’t about to take a Marshall at face value…especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.

Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer…and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night…

Family, the good, the bad, and the in-between is at the heart of Resonance Surge. I find Nalini Singh’s StoneWater bears oh-so-delightful so it was with great pleasure that I dove into the Stepyrev twins’ book.

The descendant of a powerful F-Psy, Yakov Stepyrev has dreamed of his mate for years…and now dreams of her blood. When the woman of his visions appears before him, Yakov is determined to change her fate. But Theodora Marshall isn’t one to make it easy on him. Theo has survived her abusive, powerful grandfather and in the aftermath of his death is determined to find answers about an unregistered Psy rehabilitation Center. What the two discover, I will leave readers to find out. The evil of some who rose to power under Silence is not to be underestimated. Each piece of the puzzle Theo and Yakov find leads to more and the picture they unearth is anything but pleasant.

As dark as some of the subject matter is, there is also plenty of light to be found in Resonance Surge. The bears like to be underestimated and sneakily play up their fun sides, which is always charming. And the romance between Yakov and Theo is at the center of the book, giving that edge of love and hope to overcome the darkness. Theo has only ever been able to trust her twin, Pax, and she’s hesitant to lean on him too much, afraid of being a drain. StoneWater assigns Yakov to assist her investigation and the handsome bear changeling quickly becomes someone she can depend on. Yakov gets under her defenses right away and she under his. Singh also dives into an ongoing romance that has been at the very edges of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series: that of Pavel Stepyrev and Arwen Mercant. The other Stepyrev twin and his oh-so-fashionable E are dancing around mating. Their relationship was so sweet I ached to see more of it and wish they’d had a bigger part of the story.

Resonance Surge mostly takes a breather from the larger overarching series plotlines, focusing instead on the romance and a mostly contained set of issues. I loved seeing more of the StoneWater bears; anytime spent with them is a good time. And for fans of the series there are appearances from a few other past heroes and heroines which is an added treat. Singh wraps up Theo and Yakov’s story in a satisfying manner, but also manages to put readers on tenterhooks with the ending, waiting to see what will happen next.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Best Books of 2022

By Kimberly 12:00 AM // No comments

2023 is here and I cannot wait to see what awaits (it has to be better than the past few years, right?)! But before I dive into a year of wonderful new reads and re-reads, it's time to look back at my 2022 year in books. In 2022 I read 100 books, including a few re-reads that I fell in love with all over again. I tried 29 debut/new-to-me authors and discovered some wonderful authors whose backlists I cannot wait to dive into. And finally, I participated in my lucky thirteenth A to Z Reading Challenge, a fun challenge that usually leads me to at least a couple of books I might not have moved to the top of my TBR pile otherwise.

I read a number of excellent books last year, but below are my top three reads of 2022. All of the books on this list were first-time reads because re-reads are generally books that are already favorites of mine.

Wit and Sin's Best Books of 2022

1. So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens
My Review
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2. Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 6) by Nalini Singh
My Review

Review: Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 3:52 PM // No comments

Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 15
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780593198162
Release Date: October 25, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

For thousands of years, the passion between Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, burned furious and bright, seemingly without end. But to be an archangel is to be bound to power violent and demanding. Driven by its primal energy, Alexander and Zanaya fought as fiercely as they loved, locked in an endless cycle of devotion and heartbreak. It is only Zanaya’s decision to Sleep that ends their love story.

Eons later, the Cascade of Death wakens them both. The passion between them a flame that yet burns, Alexander and Zanaya stand together in one last battle against the ultimate darkness. But even a warrior archangel cannot win every war. Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls, broken and silent . . . only to rise again in a miracle that may be a devastating curse. For is it truly the Queen of the Nile who has been resurrected?

Only one thing is clear: This is the last beat of their passionate, angry dance. The final song for Alexander and his Zani…

What happens when love isn’t enough to keep two angels together? That’s the question in Archangel’s Resurrection. Archangels Alexander and Zanaya have loved each other for millennia, their passion as furious as their breakups. It’s an endless cycle of love and heartbreak until Zanaya Sleeps, leaving Alexander alone. Now a Cascade unlike any other wakes Zanaya and Alexander is there. That eons have passed makes no difference in their love, but they can’t continue on like they have always done. For this time is their last chance to get it right.

Nalini Singh delivers a love story of two stubborn souls who have to learn from their past in order to make a relationship work. I absolutely loved seeing Alexander and Zanaya from youth to present. They are Ancients and their history is vast and complicated. It was a delight seeing Alexander as a young angel; how he learned, formed friendships that lasted through time (including that with Caliane). Zanaya, though centuries younger than her love, has just as long and storied a history. I was delighted by the first half of the book, getting to see their pasts and just the sheer history of their lives. They are millennia older than the angels we’ve come to know and love and I was fascinated by the worldbuilding Singh did. Both Zanaya and Alexander have a different perspective from the other angels we’ve seen so far.

Whether their love can survive is never a question for Alexander and Zanaya. It’s if they can live with each other. The natural repellant that comes from two archangels being in such close quarters is not their only problem. They clash as fiercely as they love and now, in the present, after Zanaya is deeply wounded in battle it has come to the final chance for the lovers. They have to work at their relationship; sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not. No matter how stubborn they both are, I liked that they worked for their happily ever after. They own up to their faults and learn to grow. And through it all is a core of love that shines bright.

There’s a darkness lingering in the background thanks to the aftermath of Lijuan’s reign of terror, but that comes second to the love story. I won’t spoil the overarching plot except to say it’s OK but not incredibly exciting if you’ve been reading the series. For me personally, I’ve had about as much of Lijuan as can hold my interest and I’m more than ready to move toward something new. I was far more interested in the new characters we meet who are near and dear to Alexander and Zanaya. And I definitely enjoyed getting a different take on the archangels and their nature from the perspective of two Ancients. I finished Archangel’s Resurrection a well-satisfied reader and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where Singh takes the Guild Hunter series next.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Storm Echo by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 2:33 PM // No comments

Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 6
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780593440674
Release Date: August 9, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain—a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he’s kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant…but that was before he met Lei.

As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace…until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.

Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness…till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.

But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race…

Storm Echo is sensational! It’s romantic, entertaining, and deeply interesting. Nalini Singh’s latest Psy-Changeling Trinity novel is the kind of book that makes you want to cancel plans so you can keep reading – it’s that engaging.

Ivan Mercant knows love and absolute loyalty thanks to his grandmother and cousins. But even with them he’s often an island unto himself – the knowledge that he carries a toxic power in him so deeply embedded that he’s wary of ensnaring anyone in his web. Then he meets Lei, a changeling who bursts into his world with brightness and color and laughter…before she disappears in an event of violent madness. Over a year later Ivan comes face-to-face with Soleil Bijoux Garcia, a changeling whose human side doesn’t know him, but whose cat can sense an unbroken bond between them.

Ivan is a Psy whose cold exterior covers a vulnerable heart that absolutely melted me. He’s dominant and protective, but so sweet I could swoon. Soleil is a healer who backs down from nothing and no one. She’s a changeling who needs pack but has been isolated for most of her life. I won’t spoil what happens when she comes to San Francisco looking for answers, but suffice it to say it’s satisfying. Fans of the Psy-Changeling series will know that given the location of this book they’re sure to meet old friends again. I loved that Singh incorporates both the Mercant and DarkRiver worlds in this book. It’s a true treat see these two packs/families that are so different yet so similar.

At the heart of Storm Echo is the love story between Soleil and Ivan. These two fit like lock and key and I was swept into their romance from the first. Ivan is a man with titanium shields but they’re no match for his cat’s claws. Soleil has a spine of steel that won’t let Ivan go and the way they just gripped each other, so to speak, grabbed my heart in turn. There’s such love, care, and passion in their romance that it makes me smile just to think about it. I dare you not to fall in love with these two protective souls.

The overarching series mystery of the denigration of the PsyNet and the damage caused by the Scarabs is at the forefront of this story and it’s fascinating. I love how Singh brought about more questions and answers, her worldbuilding top-notch as we delve deeper into Psy minds and powers. I can’t say much about this plot without spoiling things so I’ll leave it by saying that I finished Storm Echo desperately eager to see what Singh will do next. I cannot recommend Soleil and Ivan’s story highly enough. Nalini Singh is in top form in this thrilling, romantic tale!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Best Books of 2021

By Kimberly 12:00 AM // No comments

2021 was…a year… and I can’t say I’m not glad to leave it behind. But 2021 did bring with it some wonderful reads and it’s pure pleasure to look back on them before I dive into an exciting new year of books. In 2021 I read 121 books, including a few re-reads that I fell in love with all over again. I tried 35 debut/new-to-me authors and discovered some wonderful authors whose backlists I cannot wait to dive into. And finally, I participated in my twelfth A to Z Reading Challenge, a fun challenge that usually leads me to at least a couple of books I might not have moved to the top of my TBR pile otherwise.

I read a number of excellent books last year, but below are my top five reads of 2021. All of the books on this list were first-time reads (and not necessarily published in 2021) because re-reads are generally books that are already favorites of mine.

My Top Five Books of 2021

Review: Archangel’s Light by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 2:38 PM // No comments

Archangel’s Light by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 14
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Male/Male Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780593198148
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Nalini Singh returns to the world of the Guild Hunters for the most highly anticipated novel of the beloved series—a love story so epic it’s been half a millennia in the making…

Illium and Aodhan. Aodhan and Illium. For centuries they’ve been inseparable: the best of friends, closer than brothers, companions of the heart. But that was before—before darkness befell Aodhan and shattered him, body, mind, and soul. Now, at long last, Aodhan is healing, but his new-found strength and independence may come at a devastating cost—his relationship with Illium.

As they serve side by side in China, a territory yet marked by the evil of its former archangel, the secret it holds nightmarish beyond imagining, things come to an explosive decision point. Illium and Aodhan must either walk away from the relationship that has defined them—or step forward into a future that promises a bond infinitely precious in the life of an immortal…but that demands a terrifying vulnerability from two badly bruised hearts.

Archangel’s Light is a story of love, friendship, and a bond greater than anyone could imagine. I’ve been waiting for years for Illium and Aodhan’s book and these two angels take such an emotional journey I devoured this book in one sitting, unable to put it down until I reached the very end.

The biggest question longtime Aodhan/Illium fans will want to have answered is “Is this a romance?” Yes and no. It’s an epic love story spanning half a millennia and the beginning of a romance I desperately hope will be continued in the next book. Nalini Singh has earned my trust as a reader so I’m confident we will see more of their romance and because of that confidence I was completely satisfied with this love story as the foundation of the romance.

At its core, Archangel’s Light is about Illium and Aodhan’s bond. Singh takes us from the moment they meet all the way to the present and the “yesterday” chapters are absolutely necessary to establishing just how all-encompassing their love is. We see the fun moments of mischief as children, the heartbreaking moments of loss Illium goes through, the horrors of what was done to Aodhan, and the support and love of those who are their family born and made. Through it all, Aodhan and Illium are together in a way that defies description and I wouldn’t dream of spoiling readers’ enjoyment by trying to go into detail.

Aodhan and Illium’s bond is fragile at the beginning of this book in a way it never has been. Aodhan is spreading his wings and Illium’s need to protect those he loves is stifling Aodhan’s need to grow. They love each other, but they’re also hurting each other by not being able to understand what the other needs and why. Illium has lost those he loves the most and he has a crushing need to give, protect, and hold on to those people. Aodhan feels stuck in a cage, feels like others – Illium in particular – are treating him like he’s broken and has not recovered. I hated seeing them at odds and how much it hurt them to be so, but it had to be done for them to confront the past and present and become who they want to be separately and as a couple. I loved their journey, how they are truly matched and perfect for one another in every way. The love story runs through this entire book but the romance only starts at the very end. And oh, did that ending make me want more.

Running through the present day storyline is also the newest mystery of what the crazed archangel Lijuan left behind in her wake. Aodhan is acting as Archangel Suyin’s second and he and Illium are tasked with finding out what happened in an eerie hamlet near Suyin’s base. The mystery and the horrors they uncover help drive both this story and the overarching Guild Hunter novels forward and it will be interesting to see what happens next, particularly in China. I absolutely loved Suyin and her friendship with Aodhan and I do hope we get to see the newest archangel more.

Archangel’s Light is epic in every sense of the word. Singh truly makes Illium and Aodhan shine by diving so deeply into their lives. Their love story is captivating, emotional, and beautiful to watch unfold; I cannot wait to see what comes next for Adi and Blue!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Last Guard by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 7:09 PM // No comments

Last Guard by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 5
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781984803658
Release Date: July 20, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Termed merciless by some, and a robotic sociopath by others, Payal Rao is the perfect Psy: cardinal telekinetic, CEO of a major conglomerate, beautiful—and emotionless.

For Canto Mercant, family and loyalty are everything. A cardinal telepath deemed “imperfect” by his race due to a spinal injury, Canto cares for the opinions of very few—and ruthlessly protects those he claims as his own. Head of intel for the influential Mercant family, he prefers to remain a shadow in the Net, unknown and unseen. But Canto is also an anchor, part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. Now that critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it.

To save those he loves, Canto needs the help of a woman bound to him by a dark past neither has been able to forget. A woman who is the most powerful anchor of them all: Payal Rao. Neither is ready for the violent inferno about to ignite in the PsyNet…or the passionate madness that threatens to destroy them both.

Delve beneath the surface of the PsyNet in Last Guard. Psy Designation A gets its first true time in the spotlight as Nalini Singh expands the already vast and engaging world she’s built. I loved seeing beneath the surface to the twisting world of the Substrate where As keep the PsyNet from falling apart. But the As are stretched thin; there are too few for such a vast space. And the As that have been born were often seen as imperfect under Silence and eliminated before their A status became known. The problems stretch back before Silence and it’s utterly fascinating to see how this oft-forgotten designation plays such a crucial role in the survival of the Psy. There is a lot of information in Last Guard that goes into the history of Designation A, what went wrong, and what is continuing to fracture the PsyNet.

Canto and Payal are both hub anchors who had a brutal childhood that bonded them. Canto was nearly killed before his mother’s family found him. The Mercants never let go of one of their own so they took the angry, injured boy and gave him the love and support he needed. Canto has grown up to be a shadowy figure in the Mercant family, but a powerful one nonetheless. Abelists who think the grumpy Psy is imperfect have a shock coming when they see the power of this brilliant, caring man. Payal grew up in a nightmare and it’s a testament to her inner strength that she became someone good, honest, and true. She’s seen as a robot by many, her Silence perfect even in after its fall, but they don’t see the struggle behind the mask and the wear of having no truly safe space. Payal is at war with herself and she broke my heart more than once. She also has to deal with monsters every day in the form of her father and brother. She and Canto are bonded by shared horrors and their childhood connection has remained. Though they’ve been separated for decades, that bond does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the romance. There’s so much going on in the world around them that the romance often takes a back seat, but nevertheless Singh made me believe in their happily ever after.

Last Guard takes the Psy-Changeling/Psy-Changeling Trinity world in new and interesting directions. The major players of the Ruling Coalition make appearances and as always it’s nice to see them. It was even more of a delightful surprise to revisit Sophia (of Bonds of Justice) who isn’t a character that pops up very often. There are many difficult topics broached in this book and it’s a testament to Singh’s talent that the book never drags because of it. There are also lighter moments, thanks in large part to the StoneWater bears, the clan that Canto’s cousin Silver mated into. The bears never fail to make me smile and oh, I do hope Singh has at least a novella planned for Arwen Mecant and his bear.

Last Guard is interesting from beginning to end. It goes more into the technical aspects of the PsyNet which may make the book a bit of a dry read for some. Payal and Canto are unique, well-drawn characters and I’m interested to see what comes from them as the world continues to build. Singh knows how to keep her characters – and her readers – on their toes.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh

By Kimberly 5:35 PM // No comments

Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Thriller

ISBN: 9780593099100
Release Date: February 23, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

My mother vanished ten years ago.
So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.
Thief. Bitch. Criminal.
Now, she's back.
Her bones clothed in scarlet silk.

When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband. But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighborhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that’s housed the same influential families for decades.

The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier. And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night ten years ago. Her son Aarav heard a chilling scream that night, and he’s determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance…but no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.

Even the dead aren’t allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

Quiet in Her Bones is a dark, evocative thriller set on the edges of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Ten years ago, Aarav Rai’s mother disappeared without a trace. Now her car has been found in the dense New Zealand bush, her bones the only remnants of the once vibrant Nina Rai. Aarav, recovering from an injury at his father’s house, is determined to uncover who in their small, exclusive neighborhood killed his mother. As Aarav digs deeper into the past the suspect list grows and the ugly secrets wealth and privacy have hid come to light.

Nalini Singh takes readers on an intriguing journey filled with twists and turns. It’s hard to guess where Quiet in Her Bones will go next because Aarav is an unreliable narrator. His mind is an even bigger puzzle than the mystery of who killed Nina. I admit I’m not the biggest fan of the unreliable narrator as it feels like sometimes the red herrings that come from it aren’t as well earned; but that’s personal preference so take it for what it’s worth. The Cul-de-Sac where Aarav grew up is small but almost everyone is a suspect. Shades of Rear Window creep up as Aarav, healing from multiple injuries, watches his neighbors, searching for clues. I enjoyed learning everyone’s secrets and Singh wasn’t afraid to dive into the ugliness hidden behind the picture-perfect exteriors. Beauty can be hiding a lot of brokenness in this book.

Aarav is an interesting protagonist, scarred from his parents’ brutal marriage, tormented by his complex feelings toward his mother, and haunted by more memories I won’t spoil. The story takes a lot of switchbacks as we journey through the mystery as Aarav’s mind seems to be deteriorating. His thoughts are scattered, which is logical for all that’s going on, but it got a bit repetitive in the middle of the book, making the story drag a bit. In those moments it was the two bright spots of unreserved kindness – Aarav’s stepmother and half-sister – that kept me going. I’m glad I did; the book’s climax was exciting, sucking me in and making it difficult for me to put it down. Singh’s lush prose makes Quiet in Her Bones stand out from the crowd and I’d recommend this book to all thriller fans.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Best Books of 2020

By Kimberly 12:00 AM // No comments

2020 was a horrible year in many ways and I can’t lie and say I’m not glad to leave it behind. However, 2020 did bring with it some wonderful reads and it’s pure pleasure to look back on them before I dive into an exciting new year of books. In 2020 I read 146 books, including a few re-reads that I fell in love with all over again. I tried 56 debut/new-to-me authors and discovered some wonderful authors whose backlists I cannot wait to dive into. And finally, I participated in my eleventh A to Z Reading Challenge, a fun challenge that usually leads me to at least a couple of books I might not have moved to the top of my TBR pile otherwise.

I read a number of excellent books last year, but below are my top ten reads of 2020. All of the books on this list were first-time reads (and not necessarily published in 2020) because re-reads are generally books that are already favorites of mine.