As Pride Month approaches, I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite YA romances that’s perfect for Pride Month: And They Were Roommates by Page Powars. I finished ATWR in 2025, and it remains one of the funniest, most delightful, and most welcoming stories I’ve read. 🥰

The paperback of ATWR just released on May 26, and Page’s next YA romcom, But I Hate Him, releases in August. It’s the perfect time to pick up ATWR for your Pride Month TBR (and preorder But I Hate Him!). 🥳

Thank you to Fierce Reads and Ro Romanello PR for sending me free copies of And They Were Roommates and But I Hate Him!

Let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished and where the world can take us!

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote Bonne, a horror fantasy releasing this October!

Cracks by Kristy Park Kulski, a literary horror releasing next April! (name change soft launch)

I’ve been thinking a lot about what might come next and I’m adding a couple of more categories! Here is what I’m interested in:

Indigenous Authors- horror, thriller, romance, coming of age or cozy mystery

Horror written by women of color

Horrormance! (Friends, I read Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe and I need more of this!)

Thrillers! written by women of color

Let me know down below what would excite you!

(Sitting on a manuscript? Email me)

🖤 Anathema is dark, gothic romantasy by Keri Lake, the first book in The Eating Woods series.

🖤 Maevyth is a human, but strange occurrences are happening with her. She knows not to venture into the misty trees, but one day situation forces her to. Life has been cruel to Zevander since birth. He is now the most calculated assassin. What happens when he captures Maevyth and things suddenly become very different.

🖤 The book has some good dark, gothic, eerie writings. The prologue itself made me shiver a little. The book is divided in 3 parts - their introduction, them meeting and the end. I liked part 1 and all the elements it introduced/described. Second and third could have had a faster pace. Also, I would have instead enjoyed part 2 about them getting to know each other, than it being due to mate bond.

🖤 3/5

🖤 Book is available on KU and all book sellers. I actually found it easier to read it on KU/digital format as it is a 600 page + hardcover. Sturdy shelf copy, but you may prefer your reading device if you read while sleeping like me :P

🖤 Author - @kerilake

🖤 Publisher - @read_bloom . Thank you so much @sourcebooks for this wonderful copy.

🖤 Dark gothic book recommendations • dark romantasy • Keri Lake • booktok • bookstagram •

Hi nerds,

One of my "fun facts" about myself is that I am red/green colorblind. According to AI-pilled Google, only 0.5% of the colorblind population are women. This is because it is an X-linked recessive trait, which women are highly unlikely to inherit it as they must inherit a mutated gene from both parents, rather than just one. Yeahhhhh not brag but I'm mutated!

I actually can see shades of red and green (what I see as red and green at least lol), but have trouble with pinks usually or muted sage-y greens. Fun! All of that to say Harrison Gerard and I have schemed on a new shirt (inspired by our mural) and we need YOU to pick the color way for us.

I love all of our children equally and color as much as the next guy but know from looking at our sales records that white/cream shirts sell the best so if you vote for the green ones you better buy one okkkkayyyyy!

#1, Match with rusty red type

#2, Cream with taupe type

#3, Pine with slate type

Happy voting and sorry for spoiling the new merch surprise :-).

Love,

CJ

Another week is upon us and I have a new set of books ready to go.

Last week I was able to finish out Accumulation, Trad Wife, Nowhere, and As Told Under The Moon.

This week I'm diving into...

Home Sick by Rhiannon Grist

Tamsin starts over in a remote cottage far away from her old life. But the cottage of her dreams is actually a split house with a very thin wall separating her from her neighbor. Her very odd neighbor...

Going To The Six by A.C. Hessenauer

A found footage horror book following a documentary crew investigating the wreck of a ship in Lake Superior.

What Hunger by Catherine Dang

A coming of age story about the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant as she faces loss, generational trauma, and feminine rage.

What are you reading this week?

Hiya friends and Happy Tuesday!

I have some very exciting news! I have been plotting behind the scenes on a few particular things, and one of the things, has come to fruition! On my very first post, I posted a poll (Still live, if you're reading this and didn't vote) what are some things you would like to see from Not A Phase Books... and the top was a Quarterly Book Club, which has been implemented, and the runner up was Author Interviews/Chats! Which, as of today, begins JUNE 16th!!!

During my last newsletter, I spoke about two books I had read this month and could not shut up about. I also mentioned I was still stewing on some things about The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf by Dr. Kaila Story and I needed a physical copy to really delve into the information I was receiving via audiobook. The reasoning, you ask? (Besides the fact that I'm a nerd and love to annotated?):

I present to you all lovely people, my first Not A Phase Books interview is with the incomparable Dr. Kaila Story, author of The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf. This interview will take place Tuesday, June 16th from 12-1pm CST/1-2pm EST. I will do my best to record it for those of you unable to attend.

I told y'all I could not shut up about this book, and I meant it! It's such a necessary, much needed book, especially for white people in the LGBTQIA+ community. If you haven't heard of it, now is your time to get it! It's available on libro.fm here. If you need to annotate a physical copy like me, or just like an immersive read with both formats, you can also find it on my Bookshop affiliate page here.

I am truly, so excited to be speaking with her about not only this book, but the white washing of Pride, the commercialization of Pride, and honestly, all things queer related.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask, pop on over to my discord (for free) and leave them for me to ask in our discussion.

I will be posting the Zoom information within the coming week. (Please do not share it with anyone.)

I cannot wait to talk about this book, Pride, and all the things with you. Chat soon!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

I’m currently reading The Knight and the Moth and this might be the perfect book to deep read.

It's a gothic romantasy set in a more historical world (no phones, horse riding, all that) and HIGHLY detailed.

Earlier this year, I tried the audiobook first and had to DNF because I genuinely couldn’t follow 😭 the language is so dense that you HAVE to slow down and actually sit with it.

I honestly never 'deep read' fantasy books, but if I was, I’d be tabbing:
– foreshadowing ( I feel like she's dropping so many hints)
– little details that feel important
– imagery
– character growth

this is one of those books where everything feels very intentional. No detail is just haphazardly thrown in.

I lowkey wanna go back and tab the prologue because I just know there was a ton of important info there… it didn’t really make sense at first, but now that I’m deeper in the story, I can tell it’s one of those “it all comes together later” situations.

This book is very mysterious, you kinda just have to keep reading and let the details build until you get the full picture.

I’m reading it casually right now, but I already know I’m probably missing things that would’ve been so good to annotate 😭and I don’t think every book needs to be annotated or tabbed, but this one?? this would be SUCH a good series to do that with… especially since it’s a shorter duology.

I’m not even done yet and it’s already a 5⭐️ for me… I might even like it more than One Dark Window

This week’s new releases lineup somehow managed to give me emotional romances, chaotic fantasy politics, middle-grade adventure energy, queer campy chaos, and books that made me irrationally angry because they had so much potential and still missed the mark.

🎯 The Final Target

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 4.25 stars

This book felt like classic romantic suspense in the absolute best way.

The tension builds so gradually and effectively that there’s this constant underlying sense of dread running underneath even the quieter moments. Every interaction starts feeling slightly dangerous, and the psychological aspects of the stalking storyline become genuinely unsettling at times.

What surprised me most though was how emotionally grounded the story still felt despite the escalating suspense. The relationships never feel overshadowed by the thriller elements, which made the stakes land even harder.

Also I NEED to talk about the audiobook because January LaVoy absolutely carried this thing on her back. This was technically single narrator, but there were multiple moments where I genuinely forgot it wasn’t full cast because every voice felt so distinct and immersive.

Final thought: Tense, addictive romantic suspense with phenomenal audiobook narration and escalating danger that keeps you fully locked in.

⛵ Dolly All the Time

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 5 stars

This book felt like emotional comfort food.

It has that very specific kind of small-town warmth where everyone knows each other’s business, family dynamics are messy but loving, and even the frustrating characters still feel deeply human underneath it all.

The relationships completely carried this for me. Whether it was romance, friendship, family tension, or community dynamics, every interaction felt layered with history and familiarity in a way that made the emotional moments hit harder.

There’s also something very nostalgic about this book without feeling overly sentimental. It just understands the weird complicated feeling of trying to figure out where you belong while life keeps changing around you.

Final thought: Cozy, heartfelt, emotionally layered, and the literary equivalent of being wrapped in a blanket during a rainstorm.

🏳️‍🌈 This Must Be the Place

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 3.75 stars

I ended up loving the emotional core of this book far more than I expected to.

At first glance, this feels like a story centered around saving a queer bar, but the story becomes so much more about legacy, grief, identity, and preserving spaces that allow people to feel safe and understood.

The conversations surrounding queer history and community were honestly the strongest parts for me because they gave the story a deeper emotional weight beyond just the romance itself.

There’s also a really lovely found family element running throughout the story that made everything feel warm and hopeful even during the more emotional moments.

Final thought: A heartfelt, community-centered YA romance with a surprisingly emotional story about legacy and belonging.

⚔️ Berserkers

Read or skip: Maybe read
Rating: 3.5 stars

This feels EXACTLY like the kind of chaotic adventure story that would’ve completely consumed my personality as a kid.

The pacing is nonstop, the treasure-hunting adventure elements are genuinely fun, and the entire book feels very cinematic in a way that makes it easy to imagine as a movie adaptation.

I can absolutely see why people compare it to The Goonies because it has that same energy of kids getting pulled into increasingly ridiculous danger while trying to hold onto friendship and home.

That said, the narration style didn’t always work for me personally, and some of the humor/stereotypes became repetitive over time.

Still, underneath all the adventure chaos, there’s a surprisingly emotional story about change, growing up, and the fear of losing the people and places that define your childhood.

Final thought: A fast-paced, cinematic middle grade adventure that fully commits to its nostalgic chaos.

🕊️ The Dove and the Rogue

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 5 stars

This book knew EXACTLY what I wanted from a historical romance and delivered every single second of it.

Emotionally unavailable rake accidentally becoming pathetically obsessed with his wife almost immediately after their marriage of convenience begins? Incredible. No notes.

The chemistry between these characters was ridiculously good because it balanced emotional vulnerability, humor, longing, and tension so well throughout the story. And I especially loved that the romance never relied on tearing down the FMC’s independence to make the relationship work.

Also David being completely down horrendous for his wife while trying to pretend he’s still emotionally detached? Elite behavior honestly.

Final thought: Sweet, emotional, spicy historical romance with incredible chemistry and an MMC who falls first, fast, and HARD.

🤖 Ode to the Half-Broken

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 5 stars

This book felt like a warm hug wrapped inside an existential crisis about humanity, grief, identity, and the end of the world.

And somehow I mean that as the highest compliment possible.

If you’ve ever wished cozy post-apocalyptic sci-fi had a little more plot, emotional intensity, and political depth while still maintaining that hopeful reflective core… this absolutely delivers.

The strongest part of this book for me was the character work, especially Be as a protagonist. They carry so much loneliness, shame, anger, fear, compassion, and fragile hope all at once in a way that made them feel deeply human despite not technically being human at all.

Their journey throughout the story genuinely felt healing. Not in a neat overly optimistic way, but in a very honest “learning how to keep living after pain changes you” kind of way.

I also loved how atmospheric this world felt. The story unfolds like a long reflective road trip through the ruins of society, slowly revealing different communities, political systems, survival ideologies, and ways people adapted after collapse. There’s this constant underlying conversation about ecology, technology, grief, morality, and whether humanity is capable of building something better after destroying itself.

And despite how introspective the book is, it never feels emotionally hollow. The found family dynamics throughout this were SO good.

That said, this is definitely more of a reflective character-driven sci-fi than an action-heavy one. The pacing meanders intentionally at times, and the ending felt slightly rushed compared to how thoughtfully the rest of the story unfolds.

But honestly? I didn’t even care by the end because I was so emotionally invested in these characters and this world.

Final thought: Hopeful, thoughtful post-apocalyptic sci-fi filled with incredible character work, emotional healing, found family, and robots trying to figure out what it means to be whole.

🦴 Bone of My Bone

Read or skip: SKIP
Rating: 3 stars

This is one of those books where I can completely see why other readers are loving it even though it ultimately didn’t fully work for me personally.

Because honestly? The atmosphere here is fantastic.

A nun and a peasant girl traveling through a war-torn Bavarian forest carrying the skull of a saint while encountering supernatural horrors along the way is objectively an incredible setup. And the folklore horror elements throughout the story were genuinely some of my favorite parts.

The historical atmosphere feels grim, immersive, and emotionally heavy in a way that really worked for me. The body horror imagery, religious themes, feminine rage, and wartime desperation all create a very strong tone throughout the story.

I also actually enjoyed a lot of the secondary storylines, especially Otto’s descent throughout the book, which honestly ended up being one of the more emotionally compelling arcs for me.

But where the book lost me was the central romance itself.

I just never fully understood why BOTH FMCs needed to romantically fall for each other because their relationship honestly felt more emotionally powerful to me as two deeply traumatized women trying to survive unimaginable circumstances together.

The insta-love elements also made it harder for me to fully connect emotionally because I wanted more development both individually and within their relationship dynamic.

That said, Elsebeth absolutely carried parts of this book for me because she somehow manages to be funny, emotionally resilient, and surprisingly charismatic despite the horrors happening around her.

Final thought: Atmospheric folklore horror with incredible historical vibes and body horror imagery, but the central romance and emotional development didn’t fully come together for me.

🐉 A Curse of Beasts and Magic

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 4.25 stars

This ended up being such an addictive fantasy romance read.

The strongest part for me was how balanced everything felt. The story manages to juggle supernatural politics, romance tension, monsters, hidden magical worlds, and action without ever becoming confusing or overly dense.

And the central concept here absolutely worked on me because “Beauty and the Beast but Beauty is the terrifying monster” is objectively a fantastic setup.

The emotional conflict also landed really well because the story spends a lot of time exploring fear, control, identity, and what it means to feel monstrous even before the external danger escalates.

Final thought: A highly bingeable fantasy romance with strong worldbuilding, addictive tension, and monster-girl emotional damage.

🤵 The Tuxedo Society

Read or skip: Skip if you don't like camp humor; read if Naked Gun is your thing
Rating: 3 stars

This book is genuinely ridiculous and I mean that both positively and negatively.

The entire story operates on camp logic, which means your enjoyment is going to depend entirely on whether you’re willing to fully surrender yourself to the absurdity of what’s happening.

Once I stopped trying to take anything seriously, I definitely had more fun with it. The humor is chaotic, over-the-top, self-aware, and constantly escalating into increasingly bizarre situations.

Not every joke landed for me consistently, and there were moments where the story felt a little too committed to the bit, but overall this was still entertaining in a very “what on earth am I reading” kind of way.

Final thought: Campy, chaotic spy nonsense that will either really work for you or absolutely exhaust you depending on your humor tolerance.

🌿 Behind Five Willows

Read or skip: READ
Rating: 4.5 stars

June Hur continues to emotionally ruin me with alarming consistency.

This Pride & Prejudice retelling is filled with so much restrained emotional tension that even the smallest interactions somehow feel devastating. Every conversation feels layered with things left unsaid, which made the romance incredibly compelling for me.

But beyond the yearning, the themes surrounding censorship, storytelling, and preserving knowledge are what really elevated this story emotionally.

There’s something incredibly powerful about characters risking their safety because they believe stories matter and that people deserve access to them.

Also this absolutely reads like a historical K-drama in the best possible way.

Final thought: Atmospheric, yearning-filled historical fiction with beautiful emotional tension and powerful themes surrounding stories and censorship.

🔥 A Kiss of Crimson Ash

Read or skip: SKIP
Rating: 3 stars

This honestly feels like a book that had several strong ideas but never figured out how to execute them in a compelling way.

The premise itself had so much potential, especially because Indian-inspired fantasy romance still feels relatively underrepresented within the genre right now. Unfortunately, the actual storytelling constantly undercuts that potential.

The pacing drags despite the shorter length because the writing spends so much time overexplaining instead of allowing scenes, relationships, or worldbuilding to naturally unfold. Almost everything feels told to the reader instead of experienced alongside the characters.

I also struggled heavily with the political intrigue because none of it feels remotely subtle. The book clearly wants certain reveals and alliances to feel surprising, but most readers are going to see everything coming extremely early on.

The characterization also felt inconsistent throughout, particularly surrounding Taara. The story establishes her as the queen of a matriarchal society, yet she spends most of the book allowing everyone around her to control her decisions without much resistance, which made her characterization feel disconnected from the worldbuilding itself.

And unfortunately, the book includes an on-page sexual assault involving one of the MMCs that feels deeply mishandled and largely exists for shock value rather than meaningful character exploration.

Final thought: An interesting fantasy romance premise ultimately weakened by shallow worldbuilding, weak intrigue, and frustrating execution.

And that’s the wrap-up for this week’s new releases. As always, let me know which of these you’re picking up first!

Our newest immersive reading experience has officially arrived and we are so excited to share it with you.

If The Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards completely swept you away with its emotional storytelling, Irish rebellion backdrop, wartime romance, and unforgettable atmosphere, we created these kits to help you dive even deeper into the story.

📖 The Moonlight Runner Book Club Kit

Perfect for full book clubs and group discussions featuring:

• Deep-dive discussion questions

• Themed activities

• Irish-inspired menus and recipes

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• Door prize ideas

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✨ Individual Book Club Member Reader Guide

Designed for individual members to use while reading and preparing for discussion with:

• Reflection prompts

• Character tracking pages

• Favorite quote sections

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🌙 Deep Dive Solo Reader Kit

For readers who love immersive solo reading experiences:

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🤝 Deep Dive Buddy Reader Kit

Perfect for buddy reads and reading partnerships featuring:

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There are some historical fiction novels that quietly unfold across the page, and then there are the ones that completely pull you into the chaos, heartbreak, and danger of another era. The Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards was absolutely the second kind for our book club.

From the very first chapters, our group found ourselves immersed in post-World War I Ireland, a country still reeling from war, disease, political unrest, and unimaginable loss. The atmosphere in this novel felt heavy in the best possible way. You can practically feel the cold sea air of Donegal Bay, the fear simmering beneath everyday conversations, and the desperation of people fighting for freedom while trying to survive grief and uncertainty.

A Heroine Who Carried the Story

One of the biggest discussion points in our group was Rynn Carmichael herself. At only twenty-two years old, Rynn is forced into impossible circumstances, yet she never feels unrealistically fearless or invincible. Instead, she feels human. That vulnerability made her journey even more compelling.

As a nurse caring for wounded soldiers after the Great War, Rynn already carries emotional scars before the story truly begins. When she overhears the British officers discussing the ambush planned for Irish gunrunners, her decision to act launches her into a dangerous political world she never expected to enter.

Our club especially appreciated that Rynn’s bravery wasn’t written as glamorous. Every decision came with consequences, fear, sacrifice, and emotional weight. Watching her navigate loyalty, survival, and love while Ireland itself stood on the edge of transformation created a deeply emotional reading experience.

The Historical Setting Was the Real Star

If your book club loves richly detailed historical fiction, this novel offers so much to discuss.

Karen Robards paints an incredibly vivid picture of Ireland in 1918. The aftermath of World War I, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the growing Irish rebellion all collide in ways that make the story feel urgent and immersive. Our group spent a long time discussing how effectively the novel captured the uncertainty of the time period.

The settings themselves almost felt cinematic. One moment readers are in a quiet coastal village, and the next they are navigating glittering London ballrooms or tense Dublin alleyways filled with danger. The constant shifts in atmosphere kept the pacing engaging while reinforcing the instability of the era.

Several members of our club mentioned that the political conflict added a level of emotional intensity that elevated the romance and suspense elements. Even readers who typically avoid war-centered historical fiction found themselves invested because the story stayed so grounded in personal relationships and emotional survival.

Romance, Loyalty, and Impossible Choices

The romance between Rynn and Donal sparked some of the liveliest conversations in our discussion.

Their relationship carries years of history, longing, and unresolved emotion, but the political turmoil surrounding them constantly threatens to tear them apart. Some members of our group loved the sweeping emotional devotion between them, while others found themselves frustrated by the difficult choices both characters made throughout the novel.

What made the romance work for most of us was that it never overshadowed the larger themes of sacrifice, identity, and freedom. Instead, the relationship became another layer of emotional risk in an already dangerous world.

The novel also raises difficult questions that made for excellent book club discussion:

• How far should someone go for their country?

• Is personal happiness possible during political conflict?

• Can love survive when survival itself becomes uncertain?

• What sacrifices are justified in the pursuit of freedom?

These morally gray questions kept our conversation going long after we finished the book.

What Our Book Club Loved Most

Our group especially enjoyed:

• The immersive Irish historical setting

• The balance of romance, suspense, and political drama

• Rynn’s emotional character arc

• The cinematic pacing and atmosphere

• The morally complicated decisions throughout the story

• The exploration of resilience during devastating times

A Few Mixed Opinions

Not every reader connected with the story in the same way, which actually made for better discussion.

A few members felt certain side characters could have used more development, particularly given the large emotional and political scope of the novel. Others occasionally wished the pacing slowed down enough to explore some emotional moments more deeply before moving into the next dramatic event.

Still, even readers with critiques admitted they remained emotionally invested throughout the story, which says a lot about the novel’s ability to keep readers engaged.

Final Thoughts

Overall, The Moonlight Runner delivered exactly the kind of sweeping, emotional historical fiction experience that creates memorable book club discussions. It combines political rebellion, romance, grief, danger, and hope into a story that feels both intimate and epic in scale.

For readers who love immersive historical fiction with strong emotional stakes, morally complex characters, and richly layered settings, this is a compelling choice for a group read.

If your book club enjoys novels that blend history, romance, and survival while asking difficult emotional questions, The Moonlight Runner is definitely worth adding to your reading list.

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