Meet Romance Author M. J. Hughes!

The Books We Checked Out In 2025!

Our annual, spoiler-free Reading Wrap Up is here! We each share 3 favorites and 3 flops of fantasy and romance books that we read this year, along with our DNFs & reading stats! 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠  📖 Books Mentioned: * Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros  * The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig * Scythe and Sparrow - Brynne Weaver * Tourist Season - Brynne Weaver * Off To The Races - Elsie Silver * Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo * The Blood Traitor - Lynnette Noni * The Will of the Many - James Islington * Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang * Morning Star - Pierce Brown * Good Spirits - B.K. Borison * Eldritch - Keri Lake * Anathema - Keri Lake * Nocticadia - Keri Lake * Never Keep - Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti * Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson  * The Emperor Sol - Brandon Sanderson * Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez * The Strength of the Few - James Islington ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:02:52 Onyx Storm 00:06:06 Knight & the Moth 00:08:02 Scythe and Sparrow 00:09:35 Tourist Season 00:11:12 Off to the Races 00:13:58 Top 3 Books of the Year 00:14:07 Six of Crows 00:14:39 The Blood Traitor 00:16:14 The Will of the Many 00:18:16 Blood Over Bright Haven 00:19:16 Morning Star 00:20:41 Good Spirits 00:21:59 Top 3 Kiss Marry Kill 00:25:13 # of DNFs 00:29:05 2025 Reading Stats 00:36:00 # of Audiobooks 00:37:25 Average Ratings 00:40:17 Book Journaling

Ruminating On THE STRENGTH OF THE FEW by James Islington | Spoiler Review

The Strength of the Few was a chaotic & suspenseful sequel & we discuss it all in this review! 🏛️ We dive deep into the layered world building, complex character development, political tension, & that unforgettable ending. We ponder theories & what’s to come, so tune in to hear our honest thoughts! (P.S. this review contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout [https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout]  📖 Books Mentioned: * The Strength of the Few - James Islington * The Will of the Many - James Islington The Strength of the Few Synopsis: "OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM. The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am. But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore. I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again. I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone. Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why. I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can." Timestamps: 00:00:00 the strength of the few review! 00:01:50 our ratings & initial thoughts 00:05:00 split POVs, time skips & confusion 00:19:00 obiteum plot walk & giggles 00:27:00 hannah's fav obiteum scene 00:30:00 mad's fav obiteum scene 00:33:00 thoughts on ka 00:37:00 crazy theories - caeror, ostius & will 00:50:00 luceum plot walk & sweet little deaglan 00:54:30 vis's dad makes us cry 00:58:00 hannah's fav luceum scene 01:00:00 mad's fav luceum scenes 01:05:00 res plot walk 01:08:05 the most shocking death 01:14:00 ostius analysis 01:17:00 hannah's alupi theory 01:20:50 mad's fav res scene 01:22:10 the truth of the concurrence 01:35:00 final thoughts

Meet Romance Author M. J. Hughes!

Romance author M. J. Hughes is joining us on the pod to talk all things writing & publishing of her spicy, college, hockey romance standalone series, A River Road Series! 🏒 From behind-the-scenes writing stories to navigating indie-publishing, this episode is packed with honesty, inspiration, & all the bookish chaos we love. M. J. shares how she went from passionate reader to self-published author & the reality of balancing work full-time with writing & content creation. Also expect the full scoop on her hockey romance world of Barker University & future stories & audiobooks releasing soon! Whether you’re a hockey romance lover like us or just curious about what it takes to be indie-published, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss! 🤍 CTB Links: ⁠⁠ https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout 🤍 M. J Hughes' Links: https://linktr.ee/mjhughesauthor [https://linktr.ee/mjhughesauthor] * https://authormjhughes.etsy.com?coupon=CHECKTHISBOOKOUT [https://authormjhughes.etsy.com/?coupon=CHECKTHISBOOKOUT] Use code CHECKTHISBOOKOUT for $5 off! 📖 Books Mentioned: * What If - M. J. Hughes * What Now - M. J. Hughes * What Next - M. J. Hughes #booktube #romancebooks #romancereader #bookrecommendations #bookreview

Tidings of GOOD SPIRITS by B.K. Borison

The weather is getting colder, the books are getting cozier, & this paranormal romance by B.K. Borison suits the season perfectly ❄️ In our review of Good Spirits, we cry (literally), laugh, & gush over everything that made this book so special to us. The characters, magic, & emotional depth tucked into the quaint city of Annapolis left us dreamy & eager for more B.K. Borison paranormal romances in the future! (P.S. this episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links!: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠⁠ 🖋️ Good Spirits Synopsis: Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future. Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected. With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection? 📖 Books Mentioned: * Good Spirits - B.K. Borison * First Time Caller - B.K. Borison * Lovelight Farms - B.K. Borison * Grim Tidings - B.K. Borison * Holidaze - Christina Lauren * Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez * The Will of the Many - James Islington * The Strength of the Few - James Islington * Prison Healer - Lynette Noni * Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry ⏱ Time Stamps: 00:00:00 good spirits by b.k. borison! 00:01:10 christmas disclaimer 00:2:20 out of hannah's comfort zone 00:3:20 our ratings + book overview 00:8:20 b.k.'s writing style 00:11:00 magical realism & paranormal elements 00:15:20 character dimension & trauma 00:20:00 the setting 00:22:00 the meh hook 00:25:00 the perfect pallet cleanser 00:28:00 visceral emotional reactions 00:33:00 harriet's first memory 00:34:30 sweet sweet soulmates 00:40:30 the boat scene 00:45:50 matched loneliness 00:47:30 hannah's first pod tears 00:51:00 thoughts on dual pov & dialogue 00:53:50 the spy cat 00:56:00 the next books 00:58:00 2025 wrap up foreshadowing 01:02:20 we loved harriet & magic 01:08:15 goodreads choice awards nominations 01:18:00 outro

Decoding THE WILL OF THE MANY by James Islington (Part Two)

We're back with Part 2 of our deep dive into The Will of the Many! 🏛️ We’re unpacking everything that makes this book so addictive: the writing, the world, the politics, the twists, & that jaw-dropping ending. (P.S. This episode contains spoilers!) 🤍 CTB Links!: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/checkthisbookout⁠⁠ 🖋️ The Will of the Many Synopsis: "AUDI. VIDE. TACE. The Catenan Republic – the Hierarchy – may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus – what they call Will – to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do. I tell them that I belong, and they believe me. But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart. And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family. To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me. And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me." 📖 Books Mentioned: The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1) - James Islington The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) - James Islington The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy #1) - James Islington Empire of Storms - Sarah J. Maas The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss ⏱ Time Stamps: 00:00:00 intro 00:01:50 festival of the ancestors 00:06:00 adventure to the 2nd ruins 00:09:20 vis adopts a dog 00:11:20 caeror’s letters 00:13:15 creepy ghost theory 00:17:30 cataclysm theory 00:23:30 the duel + aequa deep dive 00:30:00 madeline cries lol 00:31:30 vis goes home 00:37:00 dynamic duo - military and anguis 00:37:50 the perfect theory book 00:40:00 emissa's 00:42:15 vis is a chess king 00:52:20 crazy synchronism theories 00:58:20 the iudicium deep dive 01:11:00 is it a prophecy? 01:16:00 the rest of the iudicium 01:27:00 outro