Lindsey Duga

Set in 1929, this tale dives into a rich, historical world while harmonizing with an exciting mix of monsters, mobsters and a dash of romance.
Colt is a a junior agent, who not only hunts mobsters but monsters as well. But then, he has a special ability; sirens don't effect him. Considering a siren hasn't been spotted in many years, this seems like a useless talent. Eris works as a singer at speakeasy, having no clue that she is a siren. When Colt is assigned the task of bringing her in, both show more are drawn into an unexpected web of secrets concerning Eris' past.
I really enjoyed the world building in this one. The author did a wonderful job at allowing the time period to come to life, making sure that even the details slide right in. The world of mobsters, agents, and crime is already exciting. So, when the crime rings are involved with the smuggling of mystical creatures and experimenting on DNA, things take a unique and exciting twist.
There are quite a few action scenes, which keep the story rolling along at a nice pace. There were a few moments in which I glided over a paragraph or two, but this by no means had me wanting to put the book down, either. The twists and turns were unexpected and swung surprisingly well into the entire historical setting. It was quite fun to read.
The romance works but wasn't quite what I'd hoped for. The struggle between an agent and his target falling in love should offer a delicious back and forth with lots of tension and tons of room for flip-flopping emotions. But this romance, while having some of that, didn't quite pack as much as I'd hoped. Still, it was sweet and pulled through.
All in all, this is a nice read to get lost in and holds several unique twists, which made it an intriguing read. Fans of historical settings, mobsters and enemies-to-friends romances will enjoy this one.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this rich world. show less

"Royal Heirs Academy" was a fantastic read from start to finish. It was thoroughly entertaining and kept me hooked, constantly guessing which of the four teens would be named Heir Apparent.

Set in the prestigious Almus Terra Academy - a boarding school designed to shape the next generation of leaders - Emmeline, Sadie, Titus, and Alaric must compete to prove their worth as the future monarch of Ashland. The competition is fierce, and the stakes are high.

I loved three out of the four main show more contenders. Each had a compelling backstory and a distinct personality. While some showed genuine kindness and empathy, one stood out for being ruthlessly ambitious and borderline cruel, which added an intensity to the story.

With a mix of alliances, betrayals, revenge, and long-buried family secrets, this novel was a gripping and dramatic ride. My only complaint with "Royal Heirs Academy" is that the ending felt a bit rushed, and it ended on a cliffhanger. Now I have to wait until January 2026 for the next instalment, which is both frustrating and exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens next! show less

Princess Ivy is the purest of Royal blood and the magic in her kisses is very strong. Still, she has now lost her fifth partner due to the Forces of Darkness. Losing a partner is hard enough as it is, but to know that her magic did not work was too much to handle. Ivy did not want to be cast aside and moved to the countryside to produce heirs if a new partner could not be found. She wants to help her people and beat the Forces of Darkness so her people and all of the other kingdoms could show more finally find peace. Unfortunately for Ivy, there was really no one left in her kingdom that could match her level of magic.

With the Forces of Darkness growing closer and a threat to her people looming in the background, Saevall’s Kingdom steps in to help. There is a new prince nicknamed The Swordsman’s Prince that is said to be able to defeat hordes of trolls and monsters all on his own without the kiss of a princess. When Ivy first meets Zachariah, The Swordsman’s Prince, she can’t believe for one moment that he is the answer they have been in search of. Zach is like no other prince she knows. He tells jokes, looks like a commoner, is clumsy, doesn’t believe in partnerships, and worst of all *gasp* He is half Romantica.

Ivy is a Royal by blood. She leads by logic and reason, much unlike the heretic Romantica who lead by love and emotion. Ivy can not even grasp the concept of love and does not believe in it. She thinks most people confuse lust for love and she is having none of that nonsense, but yet as much as she tries to deny it, she can’t help but to feel attracted to Zach in a way that scares her. They have a chemistry together that she never had with any of her other partners and it brings out a side to her no one has ever seen before. He tests everything Ivy has grown up believing in.

Zach does not believe in kissing for magic. He can fight monsters and trolls quite well on his own, thank you. He believes kissing is between people who love each other. He does not believe that kisses should be used as weapons. His refusal to kiss Ivy is a shock to the kingdom, but yet his fighting skills are epic and rumors swirl about in the kingdoms of his latest victories. Zach, like Ivy, feels the same connection, but he sets out to show Ivy that there is another world out there that is not just based on logic and reasoning, that magical kisses could do more harm than good and that love is the strongest weapon of all.

OMG! I freakin LOVE this story. Ivy and Zach compliment each other in so many ways and yet, it takes them a while to figure out what truly matters in a world filled with dark forces threatening them at every turn. When they are sent on a mission for the kingdoms, they finally get to know one another. There is a lot of push and pull mostly on Ivy’s part as she grew up believing one thing and Zach slowly chips away at her defenses and beliefs. I sooooo love Zach! He is definitely a force to be reckoned with, strong in his own rights, passionate about his beliefs, and truly wants Ivy to see the other side. I was really, really looking forward to their first kiss, flipping through the pages like “Where is it, oh come on stop teasing me already!” I don’t think I ever screamed at a book like I did this one. Lindsey Duga really knows how to draw you right in and keep you hooked and desperate for that very first kiss.

The world-building in Kiss of the Royal is simply amazing. A world filled with goblins, monsters, and Griffins that all come to life and make you feel as if you can actually see them and feel them. You can see yourself in the forest taking everything in. Kiss of the Royal really brings to life the mythology, lure and magic of the kingdoms in such a way that you actually wish you were apart of it. Duga has a way with words that just draws you right into the scene and it is both magical and fascinating all at the same time. The fighting scenes were absolutely phenomenal and I could feel my heart racing as Ivy and Zach faced danger after danger. I found myself rooting for them over and over again. Ivy and Zach are by far my favorite book couple of the year.

Kiss of the Royal blends magic and mythology with a sprinkle of romanticism and turns it into a fantasy filled with characters you will fall in love with, a story you can’t help getting immersed into, and a blossoming romance you will be rooting for up until the very end. Duga has created a world I wish to live in. I am truly heartbroken that this is a standalone story as I would have loved to see and read more. Lindsey Duga, thank you for being an amazing writer. You have won me over and have taken me into a glorious ride into your fantasy world. I can not recommend this book enough and five stars is definitely NOT enough to express how much I loved this book. A definite add on to my keeper shelf. If Fantasy is your jam, you NEED to be adding Kiss of the Royal to your reading list. show less

Duga's Glow of the Fireflies is a magical tale of nature's wonder, and the true connectedness underlying all things. When Briony's Gran breaks her leg, Briony ends up returning to her childhood home in the quaint Firefly Valley to care for her. It is a place Briony doesn't remember, thanks to retro-grade amnesia after an accident that also leaves her phobic of fire. Her friend Izzie goes along to help with moral support. However, Briony isn't prepared for the emotions the valley brings. And show more when she meets Alder, the confusion only grows. She (re)learns just how special the valley is and learns how to restore perhaps the greatest loss of all, if only she can pay the price.

This may seem like a straightforward quest tale with teen romance. However, I found so much under the surface. It delves into the spiritual notion of layered existence, looking at not just our physical realm, but the energetic layered realms of which the physical is the last and densest. This thinking is part and parcel to my spiritual beliefs, and jibes with what physicists are slowly learning about quantum mechanics.

Interacting with the spirit realm was neat. The ethereal bridging realm to the pure energy astral was so cool. It mirrors our own but contains wonderful critters, and fantastical plants. The region also contains energy gates to the elemental realms. Each has a kick-ass guardian. Briony's tasks to find keys to the gates so made me want to go play one of my Final Fantasy games!

I loved Ashka, the spirit cougar! I felt for her, and her pain at the destruction humans had wrought on the Smokies and on her physical world counterparts. I'm a sucker for big cats of any flavour. We have mountain lions on the mountain abutting our tiny village, and sometimes they come down off the mountain. It is mentioned that this is just one of many points where the spirit realms are strengthened. I'd love to see others, in other countries, with the different spirits that must surely be there. I'd have to also guess that each area has its own gates and guardians and links to its own culture specific elemental deities. (I could be overthinking this -_-)

Briony and Alder were pretty cool characters. Each is hurting, missing something precious. Loss is a big theme in this story. Loss and longing. The need everyone has to feel connected and valued, as they are. I can so grok the sentiments. I really felt for one major special character whose disconnect was just so sad because it seemed mainly due to fear on others' parts.

However, I found her friend Izzie my favourite, followed by Bruley. Izzie is just so bubbly, and so willing to help and trust her friend. Bruley was a spirit black bear. It was so funny that he pretended to be unable to talk for a long time. Briony ended up telling him all kinds of personal things, thinking he was a sprite and not a spirit. Briony's Gran was cool too. She was more in sync with the nature of the valley than most. Then there was Raysh. He actually annoyed me. The spirit fox was to be Briony's guide to finding the keys, but ended up with his own deadly agenda.

Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing/ EntangledTeen for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the FFBC blog tour. show less