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The Threads That Bind Us Together
Under Her Spell follows a woman who explores her magical abilities, causing an unexpected disaster that leads her to return to the place she fled, and the man she left behind with a broken heart and no explanation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
At first, I was just enjoying the fantasy of the brother’s best friend trope, the tension of an age gap and where the nerd gets the girl lol. It’s one of those dynamics I’ve always loved reading. But as Yasim’s character arc started to take shape, the story became deeper and far messier than I expected. It turned into one of those complicated, aching loves we love to read about, the kind that lingers even when everything’s gone wrong. I wanted to explore what it means to leave someone behind without explanation… and what it takes to face them again when life forces your paths to cross. So yes, there’s magic, but at its core, it’s about heartbreak, healing, and all the unfinished things we carry with us.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
The idea for 2100 London started with a simple concept: what if tech and nature didn’t have to be enemies? So many sci-fi or futuristic books paint this doom-and-gloom picture of the future, but I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to show that people, and the world, deserve a redemption arc. That’s where the idea of NexaGreen came from. It actually first appeared back in Book 1, but I ended up building the world around it. It became a symbol of balance between chaos and peace, past and future, destruction and healing. As I kept writing, the setting grew more layered. NexaGreen became not just a place, but a reflection of the characters’ emotional journeys, especially for someone like Niamh, who’s caught between who she was and who she’s becoming.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
The way we love. The way we break. And the way we keep trying, even when we don’t know who we are anymore. I think the most powerful stories are the ones that don’t shy away from the grey areas, when characters make bad choices, carry guilt, act out of control, crave things they’re scared to name. Vulnerability, shame, desire, forgiveness… those are the raw threads that bind us together. And when fiction taps into that, it hits different. It feels like truth, it feels relatable even in the most magical settings.
Now that you have completed the Whispers of Destiny series, what is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
So first, Hers to Tempt, the first spin-off novella, is already out in the world, and I’m honestly still blown away that it won the Literary Titan Gold Award in July. That story holds a special place in my heart.
Right now, I’m working on another spin-off that follows Lucio (Diedra’s brother) and Kaiko (Kairos’s sister). Their connection was undeniable in Inked Into Your Soul, and I knew I had to explore it more. It’s messy, intense, and full of heat, but there’s real emotion driving it too. Kaiko’s trying to start fresh(and far away from someone) in London with her son, but her past, and Lucio, won’t stay quiet for long. I’m aiming for a similar length to Hers to Tempt, and if everything goes according to plan, readers won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on it. Hopefully, before the end of this year.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Two years ago, Niamh packed her bags and fled to Ireland, leaving Yasim – her brother’s best friend – behind with nothing but heartbreak and unanswered questions. She thought burying herself in her family’s history and learning to control her powers would be enough to move forward.
She was wrong.
When an experiment with her magic causes an unexpected disaster, Niamh has no choice but to leave Ireland. The only place she can turn is NexaGreen in London, and the only person who can help her is Yas – the man she left behind without so much as an explanation.
Thrown back into each other’s lives, the tension between them is impossible to ignore. As Niamh tries to repair the damage her powers have caused, she’s forced to confront the feelings she thought she’d buried. But as danger looms, she realizes this is about more than just fixing what’s broken… it’s about fighting for what matters most.
Grief, Identity, and Found family
Inked Into Your Soul follows a spirited, passionate woman whose life is shattered by tragedy and slowly rebuilt through love, art, family, and hidden heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Diedra and Locran’s story started revealing itself during the first book. There’s a moment when Locran sees her through the tattoo shop window, and something just clicks. That one glance stayed with me… it was magnetic. At first, I hesitated to go deeper because I didn’t want her to feel like a “diversity token.” I wasn’t sure I knew enough about the cultural heritage she represented, and I wasn’t willing to do it halfway. But their story wouldn’t leave me alone. It kept unfolding in my mind. It was/is steamy, complicated, beautiful, and I knew I had to honour it. I wanted their connection to be more than just physical or magical. I wanted it to feel real. Their issues, their struggles, their love… they’re rooted in the kind of emotional truth that makes characters feel like they’ve lived a life before the first chapter.
Your characters go on a deeply emotional and transformative journey in your novel. Is this intentional or incidental to the story you want to tell?
Very intentional. I’m obsessed with character growth, especially messy, non-linear growth. Life rarely gives us clean arcs, and I wanted my characters to reflect that. They cry, they rage, they screw up, they love too hard, and through it all, they transform. Not because life hands them answers, but because they dig through the pain and choose to evolve. That was the heartbeat of the story for me. Plus, if you have been betrayed by someone whom you loved, you know that it is very hard to come back from that. So, Diedra might come off as dramatic at times, but her heart is fighting with logic… and that can be chaotic.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Grief. Identity. Found family. The fear of being too much and the ache of not being enough. This book is about surviving the fire and realising that sometimes the version of you that rises from the ashes is the most powerful one. It’s also about how love, romantic or otherwise, doesn’t save you, but it can be the thing that reminds you you’re worth saving.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
I see them still healing, but thriving. Dee doesn’t just survive her past; she reclaims it and uses it as fuel. She and Locran have this fiery, chaotic love, but they’re learning how to soften with each other too. The rest of the characters? Let’s just say their stories are far from over. There are bonds still forming, and secrets waiting to be unearthed. So yes, Inked Into Your Soul ends, but the journey is still unfolding.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Meet Diedra, a tattoo artist with a rare gift hidden beneath her ink, and Locran, a high-profile lawyer with a shadowed past. Their worlds intertwine in an unexpected dance of fate, where ancient legacies blend with the city’s futuristic pulse.
As secrets unravel and emotions intensify, they find themselves at the heart of a mystery that defies time and logic. Will the enigmatic forces that drew them together become their salvation or their undoing?
In a world where technology meets mysticism, “Inked into Your Soul” weaves a tale of passion, mystery, and the unbreakable bonds that form when two souls are destined to collide.
Ash of the Fallen Star
Ash of the Fallen Star follows Caelin, a restorationist in the ruined city of Lowen’s Fall, as she uncovers ancient glyphs, haunted memories, and a strange connection to a forgotten divine past. Her dreams are filled with wings of violet flame and a voice calling a name that isn’t hers. As mysterious symbols react only to her, and relics stir with unsettling familiarity, a long-dead guardian named Lucan awakens from his tomb, bound to her by a soul-mark and a forgotten vow. The book weaves two stories. Caelin’s cautious descent into myth and Lucan’s desperate rise from death into a tale about memory, loss, and love that spans lifetimes.
The writing is lush, sometimes lyrical, but it fits the world Novane built. It’s dense with memory and layered. I loved how the city itself felt alive, rearranging itself, holding its breath. The glyphs, the rituals, the Restoration Society, all felt real, like they existed before the story even began. Caelin is cautious, observant, and deeply lonely, and her quiet unraveling was as fascinating as it was heartbreaking. Her slow realization that something inside her remembers things she had never lived was powerful. And Lucan, oh, Lucan. His resurrection was brutal and beautiful, and watching him cling to his identity while unraveling was one of the most moving parts of the book for me.
There were moments when the prose felt a bit heavy. At times, I felt the abundance of sensory detail and metaphor made it hard for certain emotional beats to land as sharply as they could have. The dual POV added depth and intrigue, but now and then it slowed the emotional momentum just a touch. Even so, these are minor things in the grand scheme. They didn’t take away from the overall power and beauty of the story. The story had weight, and the emotional threads between Caelin and Lucan, tender, aching, restrained, left me feeling wrung out in the best way.
I’d recommend Ash of the Fallen Star to readers who love fantasy steeped in mystery and mood. If you enjoy the quiet build of The Broken Earth trilogy, the tangled timelines of The Starless Sea, or the intimate scale of The Night Circus, this book will feel like a gift. It’s for those who like their stories soaked in ruin and wonder, with characters who carry the weight of ancient promises and unspoken love. I’m still thinking about the final chapters.
Pages: 280 | ASIN : B0FHJCJ8K1
Under Her Spell (Book 3 of the Whispers of Destiny series)
Under Her Spell is book three in the Whispers of Destiny debut series by author Ava Rogue. Under Her Spell is a genre-blending tale that merges contemporary romance, fantasy, and emotional trauma into a rollercoaster of passion, power, and healing. At the heart of the story is Niamh O’Sullivan, a woman who discovers her magical heritage rooted in ancient Irish myth, just as her emotional world is torn apart by forbidden love and buried secrets. Parallel to her journey is Yasim Fletcher, her brother’s best friend and a man marked by a haunting past and complicated desires. Through their tangled connection and the people surrounding them, the story dives deep into themes of trauma, longing, grief, and self-discovery, all tied together with the force of magic, both literal and metaphorical.
I reveled in the emotional rawness in Rouge’s writing. It’s intense. The flashbacks to Yasim’s childhood are gut-wrenching, especially the scenes that tackle abuse and betrayal. I felt like I was grieving with him. Niamh’s awakening, both mystical and emotional, unfolds in a beautifully chaotic way. Rouge does an exceptional job of showing how complicated people are, and how love can be both liberating and destructive. The prose isn’t polished to perfection, but that rawness works in its favor. It feels like a story someone needed to tell, not just wanted to write.
Some of the dialogue can be dramatic, and certain scenes lean into melodrama. There were moments I wanted to shake the characters, particularly Niamh, for making reckless decisions. But maybe that’s part of what makes it real. People mess up. They lash out. They run away from what they want. And in the end, Rouge captures the messiness of being human in a way that’s strangely comforting, even when it hurts.
Under Her Spell is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a story soaked in passion, trauma, and supernatural intrigue. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy angsty, character-driven romance with dark themes and a touch of magic. If you’re looking for a neat, tidy love story, this isn’t it. But if you crave emotional grit and vulnerability paired with the unknown, this book might just get under your skin in the best way.
Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0DN1TW889
Inked Into Your Soul (Book 2 of the Whispers of Destiny series)
Inked Into Your Soul is book two in the Whispers of Destiny debut series by author Ava Rogue. Inked Into Your Soul is a bold and genre-blending dive into romance, trauma, identity, and mysticism. Set across vibrant backdrops like Cuba and London, the story follows Diedra, a spirited, passionate woman whose life is shattered by tragedy and slowly rebuilt through love, art, family, and hidden heritage. Told from multiple perspectives, primarily Diedra and Locran, the brooding Irish law student, the novel weaves erotica with ancestral spirituality, exploring Santería, grief, sexuality, and soul connections in a deeply intimate way. It’s part romance, part coming-of-age, part spiritual revelation, with plenty of fire.
Rouge doesn’t hold back in this second book in the Whispers of Destiny series. Whether it’s a sex scene, a panic attack, or a mystical vision, the emotions hit hard and fast. Some moments felt downright cinematic, vivid, and aching. I admired how the sensual scenes didn’t just feel like shock value; they were often layered with tenderness, vulnerability, or power. Some chapters soared while others took their time as it meandered through the weight of its own emotional intensity. The dialogue occasionally slipped into melodrama, and while the characters were distinct and layered. I found myself swept up in Diedra’s journey and rooting for her, flaws and all.
What I appreciated most, though, were the themes Rouge tackled head-on. This wasn’t just about love or lust. It was about healing intergenerational wounds, reclaiming spiritual heritage, and standing firm in one’s power. The Santería elements weren’t tokenized; they felt personal, reverent, and textured. I didn’t expect a story that started with beachside sex to also make me think about cultural erasure, ancestral responsibility, and the complexity of grief. There’s something gutsy about that. I also liked how Locran’s own trauma mirrored Diedra’s. They were two souls shaped by loss and pulled together by something they couldn’t quite explain.
Inked Into Your Soul is messy, passionate, and unfiltered. And that’s its strength. It’s not a story that tries to be neat. It just tries to be true. I’d recommend this book to readers who love steamy romance but also want depth, character-driven stories, and a touch of the mystical.
Pages: 335 | ASIN : B0CTYLC6CK
The Keeper’s Code
Barb DeLong’s The Keeper’s Code, the second book in her Keepers of Magic series, is a romantic urban fantasy that mixes danger, desire, and a secret magical world just beneath the surface of Manhattan. It follows Skye Parker, a determined journalist with a haunted past, and Ash Hunter, a reluctant magical enforcer tasked with protecting the secrecy of the mage society. When their paths collide after a strange street incident and Skye begins investigating her mother’s suspicious death, they become entangled in a web of secrets, surveillance, magical politics, and unexpected feelings. The story builds on DeLong’s rich world of modern magic, complete with familiars, portals, memory wipes, and a hidden society trying to stay off the grid in a world of nosy journalists and viral videos.
I really enjoyed the character work here. Skye is fierce, smart, and emotionally raw. Her skepticism, fire, and relentless need for truth make her so easy to root for. I liked how DeLong let her flaws stand alongside her strengths. Ash, on the other hand, is this brooding, conflicted mix of noble and guarded. The dynamic between them felt fun, a little sexy, and believable. They get under each other’s skin in all the best ways. The writing is snappy with flashes of humor, especially in the dialogue, and I found myself smiling often. Soot the cat was a quiet standout for me, witty, magical, and the emotional glue in a lot of scenes. The pacing moved fast, sometimes almost too fast, but never dull. The romance had that slow-burn, “we definitely shouldn’t but we definitely will” vibe that I love.
The magical world-building can get a little heavy with exposition. There were a lot of terms, secret bureaus, memory wipes, shadow organizations, and portal jargon that could overwhelm readers not familiar with the first book. The story doesn’t shy away from pain and moral gray zones, either. Ash’s internal battle over saving lives versus staying hidden hit hard, and Skye’s grief is raw and real. DeLong didn’t just write a love story; she wrote a story about choosing what matters most when the stakes are personal and magical.
The Keeper’s Code is a great read for anyone who enjoys magical realism, romantic tension, and stories with hidden societies and ethical dilemmas. I’d recommend it especially to fans of Leigh Bardugo, Deborah Harkness, or early Buffy vibes with more grown-up edge. If you love snarky banter, a healthy dose of longing, a bit of mystery, and magic that crackles just beneath the surface of reality, then this book is for you. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book three.
Pages: 318 | ASIN : B0DZ6X6FJ1
Wishes in a Bottle
Wishes in a Bottle, by Allie McCormack, is a romantic fantasy that weaves together ancient magic, eternal longing, and the power of selfless love. Julian DiConti, a mage from plague-ridden Italy, becomes bound to a mystical bottle after a spell goes wrong, cursed to grant wishes until three truly selfless ones are made. In modern-day New York, his fate collides with Alessandra Taylor, a hospice worker with a compassionate soul, offering him the first glimmer of hope he’s had in centuries. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of pain, healing, and a magical bond neither of them expected.
What struck me most about the book was how real Julian felt despite the genie-in-a-bottle premise. He’s six hundred years old, yes, but his pain is fresh, raw even. The opening scene, in which a selfish woman squanders her final wish on a necklace rather than saving a dying child, was deeply unsettling and emotionally jarring. You can feel Julian’s frustration. I loved that the author didn’t sugarcoat his weariness. He endured centuries of witnessing individuals squander extraordinary opportunities, all while being powerless to intervene. The emotional depth of that experience was profoundly affecting.
Then there’s Alessandra. I adored her. She’s fierce in a quiet, grounded way. Her love for her nephew Bobby and her simmering resentment toward her emotionally absent brother-in-law felt so authentic. There’s a scene where she storms into the hospital after hearing about Bobby’s worsening condition, angry, grieving, full of fire, and yet the moment she sees her sister, she softens immediately. That complexity made her so relatable. When Alessandra meets Julian, there is an immediate sense of connection, marked not only by chemistry but also by trust, skepticism, and genuine curiosity. Their relationship develops gradually, avoiding the trope of instant infatuation, which makes the unfolding of their bond all the more compelling and rewarding.
The magic system is subtle but beautifully handled. It’s not flashy spells and fight scenes, it is ancient rules, quiet consequences, and emotional toll. I especially liked how Julian is punished by pain for bending the rules, like when he visits Bobby without a wish being made. That added meaningful weight to the magical framework, grounding it in emotional consequence. While the middle section leans heavily on dialogue and introspection, it enriches the characters and their relationships. The warmth and underlying tension between them kept the narrative engaging and made it difficult to put down.
Allie McCormack’s Wishes in a Bottle surprised me. It’s not just a love story. It’s about redemption, choice, and the agony of wanting to do good when the world keeps getting in the way. I’d recommend it to fans of character-driven romance with a supernatural twist. If you liked The Time Traveler’s Wife or works by Nora Roberts with a magical edge, you will enjoy this unique romantic adventure.
Pages: 376 | ASIN : B07KXYJM3Q
A Wedding To Remember
A Wedding to Remember is a delightful blend of romance, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. Set in the picturesque town of Blue Cove, the story follows Jessie, a bookstore owner with the unusual ability to communicate with spirits, as she navigates the complexities of planning her wedding to the love of her life, Matt, while also facing mysterious threats that put their future in jeopardy. With a host of colorful characters, both living and spectral, the novel is as much about love as it is about overcoming the unexpected.
Blue Cove feels alive with its blustery autumn winds, charming shops, and a cemetery that holds more than a few secrets. I loved how the town became a character in itself, and the opening chapter beautifully set the tone with Jessie watching a red leaf dancing in the wind—a small moment that echoes the balance between tranquility and turbulence in her life. Morrison’s prose is warm and inviting, though at times, I felt the descriptions leaned a bit heavily on exposition.
Jessie is a relatable and endearing protagonist. Her relationship with Matt, however, is the emotional anchor of the story. Their chemistry is tender and believable, whether they’re sharing quiet moments or weathering chaos together. A standout scene for me was when Jessie intercepted a threatening phone call at her bookstore. The mix of humor, dread, and resolve captured her duality—someone both ordinary and extraordinary, just trying to make it to her wedding day without catastrophe.
One aspect I found both fascinating was the integration of the supernatural elements. Jessie’s interactions with ghosts and fairy-like guardians added an intriguing layer, but some moments felt overly whimsical and disrupted the mystery’s tension. That said, Gina’s spectral presence, as the first ghost Jessie encountered, provided a heartfelt throughline about how the past shapes the present.
Morrison also shines when exploring themes of community and purpose. Jessie’s reflections on using her “gift” to help others—whether solving murders or giving voice to the voiceless—are thought-provoking. The chapter where she dreams of meeting the spirits she’s helped over the years was particularly moving for me. It’s a poignant reminder of how small acts can ripple outward, affecting lives in unexpected ways.
A Wedding to Remember is a cozy and heartfelt read with a unique blend of romance, mystery, and magic. It’s a story with a lot of heart. I’d recommend this book to fans of small-town mysteries, light paranormal romances, and anyone who enjoys tales with a whimsical twist.
Pages: 295 | ASIN : B0DYF72Z1Y
LITERARY TITAN 