Happy pub day!! This week’s releases are absolutely stunning. We’ve got trauma-fueled thrillers, obsession-worthy leading ladies, swoony chaos, and a couple that had me side-eyeing my headphones like… are we okay?? 👀

Let’s get into it.

🎧 Audios I Binged

🖤 Victim or Villain
Read or skip: Read (especially if you love emotional thrillers with messy morality)
Rating: 4.25 stars

Gwen Kane??? I’m obsessed.

She’s smart, funny, deeply traumatized, and trying so hard to build a quiet life after surviving something horrific. And then… everything unravels. Fast.

This is one of those stories where you’re constantly asking: what would I do in her position? And the answer is never simple.

The emotional weight here really lands. You feel Gwen’s fear, her rage, her desperation to protect the one place that finally felt safe. And the romance?? Complicated in a way that actually works for the story.

Also I need to talk about the audio:
Stephanie Nemeth-Parker + Teddy Hamilton?? Immediate yes. They brought so much depth to these characters.

Final thought: A morally messy, emotionally intense thriller that keeps you locked in.

🧪 Morbid Curiosities
Read or skip: Maybe skip (or go in with tempered expectations)
Rating: 3 stars

Okay this one HURT because the premise??? Elite science institute + secret experiments + dark academia vibes in a modern setting??? I was so in.

And to be fair, there are things this does well. The science elements feel grounded, the atmosphere is tense, and the narration by Isuri Wijesundara is genuinely strong.

But the execution didn’t fully land for me. The pacing felt uneven, and I never fully connected to what was happening vs. what I wanted to be happening.

There are moments of intrigue (mutations, hidden experiments, unreliable memory 👀), but it never fully clicks into that “I can’t stop listening” mode.

Final thought: Cool concept, solid narration, but didn’t hit as hard as I needed it to.

👑 Leading Ladies I’m Obsessed With

💔 Aphrodite in Pieces
Read or skip: DEFINITELY READ
Rating: 5 stars

I will not shut up about this book. I simply won’t.

This completely redefines Aphrodite. Not just as the goddess of love, but as a woman shaped by how others see her, use her, and judge her.

It’s raw, layered, and honestly kind of devastating in the best way. The themes around internalized misogyny and how women are pitted against each other?? Yeah… it hits.

Final thought: A powerful, unforgettable reimagining that will make you rethink everything.

⚔️ Burn the Sea
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4.5 stars

A warrior queen. Court politics. Sea monsters. Colonization tension. Say less.

Abbakka is THAT girl. Strong, strategic, and constantly forced to prove herself in a world that underestimates her. Watching her navigate power, duty, and survival was everything I wanted.

Also quick reminder: I’m going live with the author on IG 5/1 and I’m so excited for this one.

Final thought: Fierce, atmospheric, and rooted in power + resistance.

💘 Romances That Made Me Giddy

✨ The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4 stars

India Holton truly does not miss when it comes to witty chaos.

Friends-to-lovers but make it magical academia, forced proximity, and absolute banter overload. Watching Amelia and Caleb dance around their feelings while literal chaos unfolds around them?? Incredible.

Also the humor?? Top tier.

Final thought: Smart, charming, and just ridiculously fun to read.

💗 The Blind Date Agreement
Read or skip: Maybe skip if YA drama isn’t your thing
Rating: 3.75 stars

This one is messy in a very YA way.

The blind date setups were hilarious, and I did enjoy the banter, but whew… the drama. I loved to hate a certain character (you’ll know), which honestly kept me invested.

If you like high school chaos, complicated feelings, and friendship vs. romance tension, this might work for you.

Final thought: Entertaining, chaotic, and very much YA vibes.

😱 Books That Made My Heart Race

🩸 The Caretaker
Read or skip: READ (if you like being unsettled)
Rating: 5 stars

WTF did I just read.

This is one of those books that just… creeps under your skin and stays there. The premise is simple (caretaking job from Craigslist), but the execution?? Absolutely unhinged in the best way.

The tension builds so well, and by the end I was fully spiraling.

Final thought: Disturbing, addictive, and genuinely scary.

🎢 The Drop
Read or skip: Read
Rating: 4 stars

Being stuck 650 feet in the air on a roller coaster??? Immediate no.

This is such a fun, high-stakes thriller with a very contained setting and a group of characters with history (aka secrets 👀).

It’s fast-paced, anxiety-inducing, and plays really well with the “past coming back to haunt you” trope.

Final thought: Stressful in the best way. I could not look away.

🚫 The One I DNF’d

🥀 Witch Queen Rising

This one had so much potential.

The worldbuilding? Strong. The premise? Exactly my vibe. Witches, power struggles, paranormal politics?? Yes please.

But the pacing… I couldn’t do it.

At 54% in, I needed more to be happening. It felt very repetitive (meetings, calls, inner monologue), and the urgency of the stakes just wasn’t matching what was on the page.

I also struggled with the writing style; some of the descriptions pulled me out of the story instead of immersing me in it.

Final thought: A great concept that didn’t quite deliver for me, but I would consider trying book two if the pacing improves.

And that’s this week’s stack !

Some hits, some almosts, and a couple that had me questioning my life choices, but honestly?? That’s the fun of pub day.

If you’ve read any of these (or have one you’re excited for), tell me:
❓ which one is going straight to your TBR?