Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read Kissed by the Gods by Caty Rogan

โ€œi know what it means to be broken into pieces and still be dangerous.”

caty rogan

Series: The Eternal Wars #1

Release Date: September 25th 2025

Publisher: Requited

Genre: Adult Romantasy

Page Count: 544

Source: I received a review copy of this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in collaboration with Toppling Stacks Tours. Thank you!

Summary: Leina has spent a lifetime submitting. Kneeling. Enduring.

Then soldiers come for her brother, and divine fury surges through her veins. She expects execution for the bodies she left in her wake. Her people have met bloody ends for far, far less.

Instead, Ryot, a godsworn warrior born to privilege and raised in order, drags her into a world that was never meant for her. One of divine armies and death demons, winged war horses and monsters, sacred power and royal secrets.

A kiss from a goddess changes everything.

No longer a criminal, Leina is a prize. The kingdomโ€™s most powerful men want what the goddess touched. Leina wants only one thing, though: freedom for her people. And sheโ€™ll trade herself for the strength to destroy the kingdom that broke them.

Conscripted into a war she never asked for, fighting for gods she doesnโ€™t believe in, Leina must decide how far sheโ€™s willing to go and what sheโ€™s willing to lose. Because her power is more than a threat to the kingdomโ€™s buried secrets.

Itโ€™s a death sentence.

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1. The main character is a badass.

Leina is brave, determined, and protective. She fights for those she loves regardless of what it may cost her. From fighting against trained soldiers to climbing a mountain similar to Everest all by herself, Leina is a fierce main character to follow.

2. There are winged war horses that bond with their riders.

One of my favorite trends in romantasy, this book features fantasy creatures that bond with humans. The faravars are winged horses that choose their riders and slowly build a bond with them. With some faravars having special abilities, it makes the creatures even more charming to read about.

3. There are warriors with special gifts.

Not only is there an elite people with incredible enhanced abilities, there are people who have gifts. From shield makers to talented healers to a gift that hasn’t been seen in 700 years, the characters have so many things to learn about them throughout the journey.

4. There is found family.

Found family can be one of the most powerful tropes in a book. Showing readers that building your own family can create bonds just as strong, if not stronger, than those who were given to you at birth. The found family created in this book is one of its best dynamics.

5. There are twists you’ll never see coming.

From twists of political intrigue to twists about characters themselves, this book left me breathless multiple times. As a usually discerning reader, I was blindsided in the end.


About the Author:

At the seasoned age of five, Caty Rogan wrote her first storyโ€”armed with crayons, dramatic flair, and an unshakable belief that the Power Rangers were actually the bad guys. Shockingly, no publishers came calling.

So, she traded crayons for deadlines, earned a journalism degree, and started chasing stories across the globe. Somewhere along the way, she collected a few investigative journalism awards and a deeply unhealthy reliance on coffee.

These days, Caty writes the kind of spicy romance novels she used to inhale on long-haul flights. She lives for a badass heroine, swoons for a he-falls-first kind of hero, and survives almost entirely on caffeine, cheesy popcorn, and chocolate.

When sheโ€™s not neck-deep in fictional drama, sheโ€™s wrangling her two boss-girl daughters with the help of her husbandโ€”her very own he-falls-first heroโ€”in the Arizona desert.

Website | Tiktok | Instagram | Goodreads


Check out the other tour stops for this bookย here! And a very special thank you toย Toppling Stacks Toursย for hosting all of us on this tour!

Goodreads | Storygraph

Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

โ€œand Iโ€™m not afraid to be alone, but iโ€™m tired of being the one left behind.โ€

rebecca ross


Series:ย Letters of Enchantment #1

Release Date:ย April 4th 2023

Publisher:ย Wednesday Books

Genre:ย Young Adult Fiction | Historical Fiction | Fantasy | Romance

Page Count:ย 368

Source:ย Purchased

Goodreads Summary: After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring againโ€ฆ

All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Irisโ€™s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

But when Irisโ€™s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands โ€“ that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper โ€“ an unlikely magical connection forms.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

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Thoughts:

there are some books in this world that i’m convinced hold a touch of magic in them.ย divine rivalsย is undoubtedly one of them. with its backdrop of a war of the gods featuring recruitment reminiscent of the draft,ย divine rivalsย is thrilling from beginning to end. ross immediately draws the reader’s heart to the FMC’s woes as she struggles to make her way in a war-torn world with a brother fighting at the front and a mother who drowns her worries in alcohol. setting up a rivalry between the FMC and LI, the chemistry between the characters is palpable from the start as they both endeavor to win a columnist post at their local newspaper. but when magical typewriters create a bond between the rivals as they start to send letters anonymously to each other, their chemistry deepens into a romantic, charming tale that drowns the trials in their lives. when they both leave for the front as war correspondents, the plot propels forward, tugging at your heartstrings as the characters experience the tragedies of war. this book beautifully handles a plethora of relevant themes: the cost of war, guilt, grief, addiction, abandonment, poverty, parental disapproval, hope, love, friendship, and so much more. and its unique blend of historical fiction and fantasy romance offers so much to many types of readers. this is a solid favorite of mine and something i can see myself returning to over and over again as a comfort read.

Rating:

Goodreads | Storygraph

Time Travel Thursday #2

Itโ€™s Time Travel Thursday! Hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog, this is where you get to relive all those bookish memories! Take a look back at what you were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before thatโ€ฆ) and compare it to what you are reading now!

2025 was a pretty sparse reading year for me as I was pursuing my Master’s Degree, so I’m going to jump back to 2024 for this series.

This time in 2024 I was reading:

Summary: If he had been with me, everything would have been differentโ€ฆ

Autumn and Finn used to be inseparable. But then something changed. Or they changed. Now, they do their best to ignore each other.

Autumn has her boyfriend Jamie, and her close-knit group of friends. And Finn has become that boy at school, the one everyone wants to be around.

That still doesn’t stop the way Autumn feels every time she and Finn cross paths, and the growing, nagging thought that maybe things could have been different. Maybe they should be together.

But come August, things will change forever. And as time passes, Autumn will be forced to confront how else life might have been different if they had never parted waysโ€ฆ

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating: 2 stars

Currently I am reading:

Summary: Daphne dreams of Mr. Darcy. Finn serves up pints and rock music. Can opposites attract when a tea shop princess meets her pub-owning rival?

In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She’s built her life–and her late grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme–around all things delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door.

After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He’s looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn’t matter that she’s ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn’s heart is not open to being broken again.

But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled–Wisteria hasn’t seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat.

When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship–and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry.

Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever?

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance


Comparison:

I picked up If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin from my library around this time because the collector’s edition of the book was coming out, and I wanted to see if it was something I wanted to snag because it was gorgeous. For me, this reeked of John Green vibes with an attempt at a quirky teen protagonist that really just didn’t work for me. I still sometimes think about how the FMC would wear a tiara to school every single day. Needless to say, this is not something I purchased a physical copy of, and I did not continue the series when the second book dropped.

This year I’m reading A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham. A Brewed Awakening is an adult contemporary romance with nods to Jane Austen and an enemies-to-lovers romance. I’m really enjoying this so far, especially the humor and banter between the MCs. I’ve really turned away from the Young Adult genre in the past year or so simply because my reading tastes have changed. I can still see myself reading upper-YA, but I can’t see myself ever picking up something like If He Had Been With Me in the near future.


Have you read any of these titles? What were you reading this time last year?

Goodreads | Storygraph

Review: The Regency Switch by Helen Gaskell

“you have made my world brighter with every part of you.”

helen gaskell


Series:ย Standalone

Release Date:ย February 26th 2026

Publisher:ย HQ Digital

Genre:ย Adult Fiction | Historical Fiction | Regency | Contemporary Fiction | Romance

Page Count:ย 312

Source: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: Etta Moore expects nothing more from a Tuesday than another dull day in the office. But when her morning commute ends in Regency England, she is forced to accept the she and her ancestor Miss Henrietta Bainbridge โ€“ or โ€˜Mad Hettyโ€™, as sheโ€™s known amongst the ton โ€“ have switched bodies.

Suddenly Etta and Hetty must get to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. For Etta, itโ€™s goodbye to dating apps and the daily commute and hello to the list of things โ€˜Ladies Do Notโ€™ do. Luckily the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of faux pas.

Meanwhile Hetty, who has always felt unseen and unknown, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and the most welcome attentions of her rather beautiful Adult Learning teacher, Stella.

Two hundred years away from everything theyโ€™ve ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found a place where they each truly belong?

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Thoughts:

interesting, witty, and full of life, this book puts a quirky spin on the classic historical romance novel. featuring two FMCs that couldn’t be more different from each other, it was fascinating to read as they learned to navigate the new time period they found themselves in after The Switch. the pacing of the novel was seamless, bouncing between the Regency time period of 1817 and the modern time of 2023 at the perfect intervals to reconnect with our FMCs. the romances gave a great variety, with one featuring an electric chemistry while the other featured a sweeter romance. the novel also provides commentary on societal expectations, mental health, and human rights. some of the characterizations were a bit frustrating, particularly the way etta spoke at length multiple times about her love of historical romance books and shows, yet she committed multiple faux pas that she should have known wouldn’t be appropriate in the time period she found herself in. it also felt a bit offputting that the FMCs don’t respect bodily autonomy and make life-altering choices in bodies that do not belong to them. if you can set aside the bits of the novel that don’t really make sense, this is still a quick, engaging read for someone who wants a spin on a classic Regency romance.

Rating:

Goodreads | Storygraph

Review: Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson

“i guess all i can say is, nash fills a specific place in my life that nobody else can, and when heโ€™s not around, a part of my life is lacking.”

melissa ferguson


Series:ย Standalone

Release Date:ย February 17th 2026

Publisher:ย Thomas Nelson Fiction

Genre:ย Adult Fiction | Contemporary Romance | Cozy Mystery

Page Count:ย 336

Source:ย I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: When a mystery writer mysteriously dies on a cruise filled with rabid fans, his protรฉgรฉ (and personal assistant) teams up with a rugged cowboy and fellow writer to crack the case. One part Only Murders in the Building, one part Book Lovers, and a whole lot of laughs, Without a Clue will keep readers guessing and swooning until the very end.

If there’s one thing Penelope Mae Dupont prizes most, it’s her composure–her ability to stay calm in the face of stress. It’s a vital trait in her job as a personal assistant to renowned mystery author Hugh Griffin. But when Pip organizes a book cruise featuring The Fabulous Seven–seven celebrated authors from different genres who have supported each other through thick and thin–her famed composure is in danger of sailing away. One boat, hundreds of devoted readers, and seven Big Personalities. What could possibly go wrong?

Disaster strikes when, on the second day of the cruise, Hugh is found murdered. And, in the face of gross incompetence by the on-board security force, Pip realizes she’ll need to be the one to discover who did it. With the ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic and no help on the horizon, it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Along with her friend Nash–a dreamy Western author who’s just as rugged as the cowboys he writes about. As Pip’s composure starts to sink faster than a leaky dinghy, Nash becomes her anchor in a storm of clues and red herrings.

With Nash at her side, Penelope dives into the murky depths of the mystery, navigating treacherous waters filled with unexpected twists and turns. No one, not even a desperately hopeful mystery sleuth named Pip, could anticipate the wild ride ahead. Whether she likes it or not, she is on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find love along the way.

In this laugh-out-loud funny Clue-meets-Emily-Henry rom-com, Penelope Mae Dupont is about to find out that in the world of mystery and romance, you have to risk going overboard to find the truth.

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Thoughts:

this book absolutely delivers its promise of clue-meets-emily-henry rom-com. with a colorful cast of 7 hugely popular authors who are experts in their respective fields, this whodunit was filled with hilarious moments as the FMC attempts to solve her boss’s murder. ferguson is a pro at creating quirky, distinct characters, and the slightly campy feel to the Magnificent Seven suited the vibe of this book so well. following the format of a classic mystery novel, this book pays homage to its predecessors in a charming plot that will have the reader giggling at the recognized subtleties. the backdrop of a bookish cruise delivered the perfect setting for a cozy mystery and will leave every reader pining for the reality (minus the murder). the romance was sweet, capturing the movement from friends to lovers effortlessly. and if you are more of an audiobook person, i highly recommend giving this book a listen as the narrator delivers its humor perfectly and captures each character’s distinct personality.

Rating:

Goodreads | Storygraph

Review: A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski

“do you expect us to be spending much time together, my lord?” she asked.

he offered her his arm. “the rest of our lives, i should think.”

chelsea bobulski


Series:ย London’s Most Eligible #1

Release Date: April 7th 2026

Publisher: Haven

Genre: Adult Fiction | Historical Fiction | Edwardian | Romance

Page Count: 304

Source: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you!

Goodreads Summary: Sheโ€™s running from Londonโ€™s marriage mart. Heโ€™s running out of time to save his estate. Neither planned on falling in loveโ€”but their hearts have other plans.

American heiress Calliope Hart is thrust into Londonโ€™s high society against her will, all because her mother is determined to marry her off to an aristocrat. Despite being named โ€œthe debutante of the seasonโ€ back in New York, Calliope wants nothing more than to avoid becoming another pawn in the social game.

Edward Chase, the Earl of Hayward, is on the brink of financial ruin. To save his estate, he must marry, and Calliope Hart is his last hope. When he boldly declares his intentions, she swiftly rejects him, making it clear she has no interest in marrying for convenience. Undeterred, Edward offers a deal: He will escort Calliope to all the best sights of London that sheโ€™s been dying to see if she agrees to visit his estate and consider what they could accomplish together.

What begins as a business arrangement soon sparks something much more complicatedโ€”an undeniable chemistry neither can ignore. But as their hearts begin to soften, both must confront their fears: Can Calliope trust Edward with her heart, and can Edward truly win her love when sheโ€™s convinced he only wants her fortune?

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Thoughts:

this is a sweet romance featuring charming characters with chemistry that jumps off the page. set in the Edwardian period (1901 – 1910), this book captures that small snippet of history that still held so many societal traditions before industry started to change the daily way of life. the FMC is a refreshing addition to historical romance, bringing not only her American spin for independence but also her unique interests in history and her passion project of preserving historical sites within her home city of New York. the LI’s plight of endeavoring to pull his hereditary estate out of debt and provide for his tenants who depend upon him while battling with grief of the death of his father brings a relatability of struggling with your circumstances that many readers can identify with. with an opening of enemies-to-lovers, the FMC and the LI have amazing banter that demonstrates their connection from the moment they meet. and as they both fulfill the terms of their deal, the way their feelings change towards each other is organic and endearing. this is a great addition to historical romance and the perfect pick for someone looking for a sweet romance over spice.

Rating:

Goodreads | Storygraph

Time Travel Thursday #1

Itโ€™s Time Travel Thursday! Hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog, this is where you get to relive all those bookish memories! Take a look back at what you were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before thatโ€ฆ) and compare it to what you are reading now!

2025 was a pretty sparse reading year for me as I was pursuing my Master’s Degree, so I’m going to jump back to 2024 for this series.

This time in 2024 I was reading:

Summary: Friends becoming something much more in this hilarious romantic comedy from author Ann Marie Walker. A whirlwind trip to Ireland is supposed to end with a suitcase full of wool sweaters and souvenir pint glassesโ€”not a husband you only just met!

After one-too-many whiskeys, fledgling screenwriter Cara Kennedy takes a page out of someone elseโ€™s script when she gets caught up in the Irish tradition of women proposing on Leap Day. She thought she might have dreamt everything until she woke the next morning with a hot guy in her bed and a tin foil ring on her finger. Her flight is in four hours, her clothes are all over the room, and she has the most important meeting of her career in exactly two daysโ€”and on top of everything else, her husband has a dog who thinks Cara is a perfect surrogate mother, despite the fact that she has never been much of an animal loverโ€ฆ

Deciding to work things out stateside, Finn and her new fur baby accompany her to LA, where Finn spends his days going on auditions and his nights charming his new bride, leaving Cara to wonder whether this is real love, or if Finn is another aspiring actor just after her Hollywood connections? With limited time on his tourist visa, will Finn be able to convince Cara that sheโ€™s the right girl for him, or will time run out on their Hollywood ending?

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating: 1 star

Currently I am reading:

Summary: Sheโ€™s running from Londonโ€™s marriage mart. Heโ€™s running out of time to save his estate. Neither planned on falling in loveโ€”but their hearts have other plans.

American heiress Calliope Hart is thrust into Londonโ€™s high society against her will, all because her mother is determined to marry her off to an aristocrat. Despite being named โ€œthe debutante of the seasonโ€ back in New York, Calliope wants nothing more than to avoid becoming another pawn in the social game.

Edward Chase, the Earl of Hayward, is on the brink of financial ruin. To save his estate, he must marry, and Calliope Hart is his last hope. When he boldly declares his intentions, she swiftly rejects him, making it clear she has no interest in marrying for convenience. Undeterred, Edward offers a deal: He will escort Calliope to all the best sights of London that sheโ€™s been dying to see if she agrees to visit his estate and consider what they could accomplish together.

What begins as a business arrangement soon sparks something much more complicatedโ€”an undeniable chemistry neither can ignore. But as their hearts begin to soften, both must confront their fears: Can Calliope trust Edward with her heart, and can Edward truly win her love when sheโ€™s convinced he only wants her fortune?

Genre: Adult Historical Romance (Edwardian Era)

Summary: When a mystery writer mysteriously dies on a cruise filled with rabid fans, his protรฉgรฉ (and personal assistant) teams up with a rugged cowboy and fellow writer to crack the case. One part Only Murders in the Building, one part Book Lovers, and a whole lot of laughs, Without a Clue will keep readers guessing and swooning until the very end.

If there’s one thing Penelope Mae Dupont prizes most, it’s her composure–her ability to stay calm in the face of stress. It’s a vital trait in her job as a personal assistant to renowned mystery author Hugh Griffin. But when Pip organizes a book cruise featuring The Fabulous Seven–seven celebrated authors from different genres who have supported each other through thick and thin–her famed composure is in danger of sailing away. One boat, hundreds of devoted readers, and seven Big Personalities. What could possibly go wrong?

Disaster strikes when, on the second day of the cruise, Hugh is found murdered. And, in the face of gross incompetence by the on-board security force, Pip realizes she’ll need to be the one to discover who did it. With the ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic and no help on the horizon, it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Along with her friend Nash–a dreamy Western author who’s just as rugged as the cowboys he writes about. As Pip’s composure starts to sink faster than a leaky dinghy, Nash becomes her anchor in a storm of clues and red herrings.

With Nash at her side, Penelope dives into the murky depths of the mystery, navigating treacherous waters filled with unexpected twists and turns. No one, not even a desperately hopeful mystery sleuth named Pip, could anticipate the wild ride ahead. Whether she likes it or not, she is on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find love along the way.

In this laugh-out-loud funny Clue-meets-Emily-Henry rom-com, Penelope Mae Dupont is about to find out that in the world of mystery and romance, you have to risk going overboard to find the truth.

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance + Cozy Mystery


Comparison:

My love of romance continues through the years. I meant to pick up Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker around St. Patrick’s Day in 2024 since the book takes place in Ireland, but ended up reading it later than I planned. This is an adult contemporary romance that I expected to take a spin on the 2010 film Leap Year, starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, but it did not deliver. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fond of the characters or the pacing, and felt the writing was a bit too cringey at times.

This year I’m reading two books at once, A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski and Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson. A Deal with a Debutante is an adult historical romance set in the Edwardian era (1908). Without a Clue is a cozy mystery with a romance angle added in. Pretty different genres compared to 2024, and I’m enjoying these two books far more than their predecessor. If Without a Clue sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend picking up the audiobook version of it. The narrator has done an amazing job bringing the characters to life and has captured the humor laced throughout the storyline.


Have you read any of these titles? What were you reading this time last year?

Goodreads | Storygraph