Nocticadia by Keri Lake is a dark, gothic, forbidden romance with horror-esque elements. This novel begins with background from the island itself where Dracadia University sits upon, and we immediately begin to follow our spicy FMC, Lilia. She's been through a lot, including witnessing her mother succumb to a mind altering and mysterious illness. With the determination to figure out what happened, she is more than pleased when she receives an acceptance letter to Dracadia. This campus has many whispers and rumors, some creepy and some haunting, but the one the most daunting is about a brilliant professor, Devryck Bramwell. Why is his nickname Doctor Death? Despite the horrific rumors that follow him, Lilia is determined to get into his midnight lab and not just because his dark gaze speaks of the delicious things he'd do to her.

With similar tones of Mary Shelley who wrote well-known Frankenstein, Keri Lake does a magnificent job of combining multiple elements: dark academia, gothic, forbidden romance, science fiction, and more.

This check-in feature our recent, current, and future reads. Listen for recommendations from all of us, all genres! We give quick reviews of each one and add to our own TBRs. Let us know what you add to yours!

In Camera Shy by Kay Cove, our FMC, Avery, gets dumped during her thirtieth birthday. That sucks on its own, but especially when she thought she was going to get proposed to. After staying with her best friend and realizing she needs some space for thinking, she receives an unexpected opportunity that is right on time. House sitting for a client leads her to a summer in Las Vegas, which ultimately, leads her to our MMC, Finn. He's the next door neighbor, and all I'll say is that the water isn't the only thing that gets hot in the hot tub.

Kay Cove creates realistic characters that work through insecurities, past trauma, and self-esteem while also telling a compelling story. Join us in dissecting the layers of the characters and the story!