Shattered by Anna Hawke

Synopsis:

Six legions. Two immortals. One secret that could kill them both.

Centuries ago, the immortal world shattered. The Queen was murdered, the royal bloodline lost, and the six ruling legions have been slowly crumbling ever since. Without the Queen, their magic corrupts—and their people with it.

Jade has spent her life fighting for control—of herself, her business, and the world around her. When the ruthless CEO who engineered her downfall is revealed to be an immortal from a rival legion—and her fated mate—everything she built threatens to come undone.

Niko has one goal: slay the First Legion’s leader and avenge the past. Destroying Julian’s corporate interests should have been simple—until he discovers his sworn enemy’s fiercest defender is also the woman fate marked as his. Torn between duty and desire, Niko must decide whether his thirst for revenge is stronger than the soul-deep bond he was born to claim.

Bound by passion but divided by loyalty, Jade and Niko are enemies by birth ... and something far more dangerous by fate.

My Review: 5+ Stars!

Y'all. I do this to myself all the time! I know better than to start a book by Ms. Hawke during the week, but does that ever stop me? Nope! Your girl here just kept right on reading. Of course, my week seemed to drag on with very little reading time. But once my day off rolled around, all bets were off! I stayed in bed late into the morning because I just had to finish this book!

There's just something special about Jade and Niko. These two certainly don't make things easy on each other, and I loved watching their relationship unfold. Their strong personalities made for some entertaining moments, and I enjoyed seeing what would happen whenever they were together. But there's a lot more standing between them and their HEA. Jade has some difficult truths to face, and these two have plenty of obstacles to overcome. There's a whole lot at stake, and seeing how these two navigate it all kept me turning the pages.

With revenge, divided loyalties, and secrets that could change everything, there's so much more to this story than meets the eye. I loved how the story kept unfolding and revealing more along the way. There's definitely more to this world than we see in this first book, and I'm curious to see what comes next!

This book was a phenomenal start to what I already know will be an AMAZING series! I have adored every single one of Ms. Hawke's books and I don't see that ever changing. There's a reason she's a favorite and an auto-buy for me. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! But I'll definitely wait for the weekend before I start it... 😉

His Faith by Kess Avalon

Synopsis:

She was his calculated move. Until she became his only weakness.

Faith
I never planned to become anyone’s wife.
Definitely not his.
But when my father tries to sell me off to clear his debts, I'm left with one choice… choose my own husband.
Ethan Blackwood is ruthless, controlled, and dangerous in ways I don’t fully understand.
Our marriage is supposed to last one year.
I never planned on him being someone I’d never want to leave.

Ethan
Marrying Faith Dalton was a calculated move. Nothing more.
Then she looked past the name, the power, and the reputation—and saw something I couldn’t afford to let matter.
Now nothing is going according to plan.
Because I’m learning the most dangerous thing to enter my world…
Is her.

My Review: 5+ Stars!

What happens when you're dying to read His Faith, but you're behind on your 2026 reading goal? I don't know about you, but I lock myself in my room, spend an entire day reading nothing but novellas and eating just enough so my body will stop demanding sustenance. That's it. Absolutely nothing else got done. That's how invested I was to dive into this book.

And y'all. I'm SOOOO glad that I did! How many ways can you say perfection? That's exactly what this book was for me! I was kidnapped and held hostage from beginning to end. And even then, I didn't want to leave Ethan and Faith.

The journey towards their happily ever after is a long and grueling one but oh so heartachingly beautiful. The emotions enveloping me the entire time were palpable. I felt every little thing that they felt, and my heart kept breaking into a million little pieces for both of them.

I absolutely loved the self-discovery journey they both went through. Each choosing the other. Each of them helping to strengthen the other in the way they needed it the most. The love was there before they put a voice to it. They were there for each other when it mattered most and refused to give up on each other. They were fiercely loyal to each other and did everything in their power to be there through the darkest times. They were the light that each other needed to get them through whatever life threw at them.

They chose each other. In their own time, at their own pace. They chose what forever looked like to them.

Y'all. Be prepared for the rollercoaster of your life. This story has so many twists and turns that you'll never see coming. My suggestion? Sit down, buckle up, and enjoy the ride. It will NOT disappoint!

*dreamy sigh*

This. Book. Is. AMAZING!

Ms. Avalon has officially made it to the top of my favorites list. The moment I open one of her books, the world around me ceases to exist and I'm immersed into whatever world she has created. I absolutely love every moment I spend devouring her books. They are just that good!

I wasn't going to do a casting... but I couldn't resist. These two are seriously perfect in my opinion. *dreamy sigh*