The fact that October is over already has me feeling discombobulated, but the fact that I read 9 books last month is next level! It's been another rough year and I've noticed that my reading pace has consistently been up to 6 books a month until now. My guess is that I got my hands on a lot of amazing new reads, felt the spirit of my fave season take hold, and my mood was cooperating with me (for once).

Anyway, let's get into my reviews:

(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi

YA Contemporary Fantasy • Novel-In-Verse

(S)kin is a vulnerable yet powerful story that blends Caribbean folklore w/ themes of colorism, self-image, & more.

This story has 2 POVs: 15-year-old Marisol & 17-year-old Genevieve. Marisol moved to Brooklyn w/ her mom who is a soucouyant, a creature who sheds their human skin & flies into the sky as a fireball to seek out a victim to drink blood from. Her mom is stern & controlling which adds to the isolating experience of being a newly arrived immigrant. When her mom suddenly gets a job as a nanny to Genevieve’s twin half-siblings, her behavior becomes stranger. Genevieve’s skin condition had been worsening until the nanny arrived which triggers suspicions too strong to ignore.

This story was short but punched me in the feels! As someone raised by Caribbean folks, I recognized the pain & confusion that can come from seeing an elder show more affection towards one child over another due to colorism.

I feel like (S)kin allows the reader to work through & release these emotions just as much as the characters do.

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado

Queer YA Horror/Thriller

I didn’t want to put this book down! Burn Down, Rise Up is an ode to the Bronx & the people who made it home.

No one can explain the string of mysterious disappearances in the Bronx over the past year which isn’t surprising since Black & Brown folks going missing doesn’t seem to be concerning to the police. When a mold-like disease takes hold of Raquel’s mom & her crush Charlize’s cousin vanishes shortly after, she begins to think they are linked. As the teens question what is really behind it all, they learn that the folks who disappeared didn’t follow the rules of the Echo Game, an urban legend tied to subway systems. Terrifyingly, the friends have to play the game in order to save their community from an evil lurking in a twisted version of their home.

This story is spellbinding, in part because the characters feel so real. Raquel’s parents are divorced, she’s questioning her feelings, & trying to juggle a lot on top of school. I especially love the way Tirado brought the complicated feelings a lot of Caribbean folks have about Christianity vs. religions like Santería & Vudú into the story. There’s so much to explore here, so y’all should get your hands on this novel ASAP!

Blood & Brujas by Mikayla D. Hornedo

Queer Adult Dark Romantasy

Hot Hot Hot! Blood & Brujas is an amazing example of Romantasy done well! It took me a minute to start reading it because the text was a bit small, but the audiobook helped me get immersed in this world & I quickly became addicted.

Dayanara is a badass warrior woman but when an enemy army suddenly decimates the Caldera army of brujas & knocks her unconscious, her mother & Acna offers her hand in marriage to the vampire king to secure peace. Daya wakes to find out that she is bound by a spell that keeps her & the king from harming each other, as much as she would like to knock his head off. Now, they have to convince their kingdoms that this is the best way to preserve the peace.

This all sounds a bit like the typical marriage of convenience trope, but Hornedo is clear that this is a "why choose" story. Daya is headstrong, so she's not the type to just do what she's told, which makes for a really fun & twisted tale.

Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Contemporary Adult Romantasy

This follow-up to The Witch of Wild Things, delivers a spicy romance w/ depth & humor, & compassion.

Teal Flores reaches out to estranged bestie Carter in desperation because she needs a date to her ex’s wedding. The thing is, they are estranged because Teal hopped into a relationship w/ said ex almost immediately after making out w/ Carter a little while back. Of course, She’s incredibly stressed about this situation & hasn’t been able to control her gift for a while. Her emotions keep triggering volitile weather. Carter is aware of it all & decides to make a deal. Teal will become his (fake) wife so that he can receive his inheritance. What could possibly go wrong between 2 people w/ unresolved romantic tension?!

I think that Gilliland handles Teal’s bipolar disorder w/ care & I’m glad it is never seen as something to fix. The focus of this story is on her relationships w/ Carter, her sisters, her mother, & herself. Despite how heavy that is, the author injects a lot of charm & perfectly timed (dirty) humor throughout the story, which I love! If this sounds like your vibe, I encourage you to read both of the books in this series!

Lucha of The Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Queer YA Dark Fantasy

Lucha of the Night Forest was darker than I expected it to be but I loved it! Mejia writes characters with depth & never talks down to readers despite the themes of neglect, poverty, and drug abuse which I appreciated. Kids experience these things everyday & I hope they might feel seen/draw strength from books like this one.

Our MC is determined to keep her family afloat by taking some dangerous jobs. Just when she thinks she can finally walk away from it all, Lucha must make a decision that could lead to her own freedom or begin another fight for her and her little sister’s survival.

This book was addictive & I think there are a ton of things that made it great. I’m a big fan of plant magic in Fantasy, so that was super cool to see, but the lore of their goddess & world-building kept me locked in. The romance between Lucha & the mysterious acolyte was also really tender. I excited to read book 2!

BAIT by Adriana Herrera*

Queer Adult Dystopian Romance Novella

I’m obsessed w/ the novellas from After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection! As a huge fan of Adriana Herrera’s books, I decided to start with her story BAIT & was not disappointed.

In this post-apocolypse story, a huge natural disaster sent people into bunkers for 3 decades.The bunker life is all 29-year-old Alma knows since she & her community have been told that the land & air outside are still lethal. Her world is flipped upside down when an act of defiance gets her pushed outside only to find that they had been lied to. Some of Alma’s loved ones rescue her & her libido goes into overdrive as they travel to their homestead through a once desolate landscape.

While there were a few problems w/ typos & the 2nd half of the plot could have been fleshed out more, I really enjoyed BAIT & would absolutely read a full-length novel version of it. Life in the bunker was vivid & I loved exploring the different versions of life “after the end.” This is a great short read for folks who want a super horny mash-up of Silo, Mad Max, & The Last of Us.

Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond

Adult Supernatural Horror & Alternate Hist. Fiction

Did you feel joy when you heard that the Nottoway Plantation burned down? Did you enjoy Sinners? If so, this is the book for you!

In the 1st novel of Markus Redmond’s Blood Saga, we follow the story of enslaved people on a Carolina plantation in 1710. After Willie’s failed attempt to run away, he finds out that his beloved Gertie is pregnant. Although the couple are excited to create their own family after being taken from theirs in West Africa, they are sobered by their reality; this baby will be born into slavery. Gertie believes that running is futile but Willie refuses to accept their circumstances after meeting Rafazi, a Ramangan (African vampire), who has a plan to revolt.

This novel is brutal but extremely satisfying! There’s so many themes thoughtfully woven throughout the story: We have folks who hope that “good behavior” will some day lead them to better lives while others can no longer submit. There’s discussions of colorism, what love should look like, & solidarity w/ a local Indigenous tribe.

Blood Slaves is a fantastic book that I hope y’all will pick up very soon!

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De La Rosa

Adult Historical Romance

Gabriela And His Grace is a great conclusion to the Luna Sisters Series! I promise, I’m not just writing this because the MC & I share a name

The youngest Luna sister books a trip back to Mexico when a British suitor threatens to ruin her. Unbeknownst to Gabby, the infuriating Duke of Whitfield is heading to her homeland on the same ship. In a desperate attempt to save his family’s estate & regain financial security, Whitfield is visiting a mining project in Mexico that his good friend Sirius (Gabby’s BIL) invited him to join. Despite their years of contention, Gabby & Whitfield find themselves hating each other less & less as their journey goes on.

The tension between these MCs is palpable but their banter & barbs entertained me the most! I loved seeing them put down their verbal weapons and get to know one another. The intrigue surrounding Mexico’s fight against French control grounds the story in facinating history, as well.

I highly recommend this series to readers who love enemies to lovers, period dramas, & revolutionary women.

All Superheroes Need Photo Ops by Elizabeth Stephens (Out Nov 25, 2025)

Adult Contemporary Monster Romantasy

I got an ARC of All Superheroes Need Photo Ops by Elizabeth Stephens & I just wanna start this review by saying...hot damn!!!

Book 2 in the Supers in the City series focuses on Monika, the badass photographer from book 1, & Taranis, the superhero who used to be everyone’s favorite. Taranis hires Monika after seeing her popular photos of the Wyvern but his image becomes the least of her worries when an accidental recording implies that Taranis isn’t actually a “good guy.” Despite this, she is drawn to him. The former golden boy hates humans, but Monika is the 1 person who stirs something inside him that isn’t loathing.

Y’all, this couple is spicy on a whole other level! They’ve got that love-hate relationship w/ undeniable chemistry, mutual respect, & matching kinks. Their dynamic isn’t really my vibe, but I know folks who would eat this up. I enjoyed the action sequences a lot & it was cool getting to know Monika through her interests & family. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!

Here's to another month of good reading!!

*BAIT is a part of the After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection.