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RISINGSHADOW BOOKSHELF

Chelsea K

Librarian

Legendary· Level 83

I enjoy reading Fairy Tale Retellings, Jane Austen Retellings, Alien Romances, Paranormal / Supernatural Romance as well as a few other genres occasionally. 

THE READER’S VOICE

Book Reviews

Chelsea K’s own thoughts on books they have read. These are reader-written book reviews, separate from Risingshadow’s editorial reviews.

559 book reviews
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A Filling of Fables and Firelight

BOOK REVIEW

A Filling of Fables and Firelight

Sarah Beran

10/10Written Jul 10, 2026

I loved this Retelling of 1,001 Nights and getting to know Kamaran & Rana. The two animal companions Spot (tiger) and Zade (Rana's fennec fox) were both amusing and entertaining characters. This story has a lot of fun scenes and the fun banter I have learned to expect from a Sarah Beran story and the epilogue was really sweet as well.

Steam Rating: Glimpses and Kisses 

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book from the Enchanting Confections ARC Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Beauty and the Stone Beast

BOOK REVIEW

Beauty and the Stone Beast

Lisa Carlisle

10/10Written Jul 8, 2026

This was my first book by Lisa Carlisle and I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast Retelling between Hadrien (Gargoyle) & Lilia (Green Witch). I thought this was a very well done retelling and thought it was creative how the curse affected Hadrien's Gargoyle abilities as well as the various nicknames he uses for Lilia. The epilogue at the end was sweet and I look forward to reading the upcoming Red Riding Hood Retelling Red and the Gray Wolf.

Steam Rating: Explicit Open Door

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Curse of Silence

BOOK REVIEW

Curse of Silence

Erin Halbmaier

10/10Written Jul 7, 2026

This is the first book by Erin Halbmaier that I have read and I thought this was a really fun Retelling of The Goose Girl full of interesting characters that worked well as a standalone but is probably even better when you know the world better. I loved getting to know Raoul & Daphne in this story and their relationship while Daphne was River- Bug and unable to tell Raoul who she really was was entertaining. I look forward to exploring this series more and hope to discover the truth about what happened with Daphne's brother.

Steam Rating: Glimpses and Kisses 

The Orc's Protection

BOOK REVIEW

The Orc's Protection

Alana Khan

10/10Written Jul 4, 2026

This is the first book in this new series of standalone stories and I enjoyed the introduction to the world this series takes place in. This book centers around Vraag & Riona and I really liked both their characters and seeing how the two of them worked together as well as how they helped one another grow as individuals. The children in Riona's class were fun and I loved their interactions with Vraag. I look forward to continuing this series and reading about Kragen in the next book The Orc's Gift.

Steam Rating: Explicit and Plentiful

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 3

BOOK REVIEW

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 3

Yuki Kodama

9/10Written Jun 5, 2026

Chapters 11 - 15: I am really enjoying this series and getting to know all the characters and how they interact with one another. I am looking forward to reading the next volume and finding out who that new character at the end was.

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 2

BOOK REVIEW

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 2

Yuki Kodama

10/10Written Jun 5, 2026

Chapters 06 - 10: This volume was really good and I enjoyed getting to know the white wolf Kirito as well. This series has several interesting characters and a unique plot about self discovery that I look forward to reading more about. I look forward to reading the next volume and many more in this series.

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 1

BOOK REVIEW

Wolf's Daughter: A Werewolf's Tale Vol. 1

Yuki Kodama

9/10Written Jun 5, 2026

Chapters 01 - 05: This seems like it's going to be a really interesting series and I am enjoying getting to know the characters so far. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Return of the Alien Warrior

BOOK REVIEW

Return of the Alien Warrior

Honey Phillips

9/10Written Jun 3, 2026

This was another enjoyable standalone story in the Treasured by the Alien series and took place on Ciresia. Becsul & Melissa have a rocky beginning but managed to overcome it along with tackling the obstacles that faced them. I enjoyed seeing how Becsul interacted with Melissa's three month old son Robbie and how quickly their bond formed. The epilogue of this story was really sweet and I look forward to reading the next book in this series Bride of the Alien Warrior later this year.

Steam Rating: Explicit and Plentiful

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries

BOOK REVIEW

A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries

A. G. Marshall

10/10Written May 25, 2026

This was my first novella by this author but I had enjoyed a couple much shorter short stories by her previously and had high hopes for this since it sounded fun. This book met my expectations and was a really enjoyable Retelling of Cinderella full of fall vibes, wonderful sounding desserts, and interesting characters. I loved getting to know both Celine "Cinder" and Mouse and seeing Celine realize her growing feelings for him. This story also has a lot of fun side characters including the other baker's in the competition. Celine's step mother as well as her step sister Eugenie were extremely unappreciative of all Celine did for them but her step sister Felicity wasn't as bad. The epilogue was a fun look into the future and I plan to read more by this author.

Steam Rating: Glimpses and Kisses 

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book from the Enchanting Confections ARC Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A Taste of Tea and Tenderness

BOOK REVIEW

A Taste of Tea and Tenderness

Gabrielle Landi

10/10Written May 21, 2026

This was a really sweet story about Conrad & Linnea. This story can be read as a standalone but it's nice to have a little more familiarity with the town and background characters. Conrad & Linnea were really cute together and I enjoyed seeing the two of them find their HEA. I didn't see a lot of Thumbelina references but may have missed them but either way I loved the story. I look forward to reading more books in this town including Guinevere and Gideon's upcoming story Once Upon A Bear.

Steam Rating: Glimpses and Kisses

The Galamere Chronicles Series
Tales of Cake And Comfort: A Cozy Fantasy Omnibus: Thea & Nathaniel
Once Upon An Apple: Sophia & Lord Caspian Rendon
Once Upon A Rose: Beatrice & Lord Alexander Dunham
Once Upon A Pumpkin: Dietrich & Ella
Once Upon A Cat: Thea & Nathaniel
Once Upon A Bear: Gideon & Guinevere

Also Connected:
Beastly Dreams (Displaced Fairytales Series): Roan & Abigail

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book from the Enchanting Confections ARC Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Satyrday Night Fever

BOOK REVIEW

Satyrday Night Fever

Honey Phillips

10/10Written May 19, 2026

This was a really enjoyable standalone story set in the small town of Harmony Glen that focuses on Thallos (Satyr) & Marigold (Human Florist). Both characters have complicated emotional issues from their pasts that they help each other work through and I enjoyed seeing how they developed as individuals as well as how they developed as a couple. This story also features characters from previous books in this series but it isn't necessary to have read them to enjoy this story. The epilogue at the end was a lot of fun and I look forward to reading many more books by Honey Phillips in the future.

Steam Rating: Explicit and Plentiful

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Gamble on a Gargoyle

BOOK REVIEW

Gamble on a Gargoyle

Maggie Mayhem

10/10Written May 4, 2026Edited May 8, 2026

This was a really enjoyable story that can work as a standalone although I am sure it's even better if you are more familiar with the side characters. I haven't read much from this series yet but am adding several more to my TBR list after reading this. I enjoyed getting to know Graham & Meera in this story and seeing how everything came together for them. The epilogue at the end was a lot of fun and I hope to read more about Emmett and his daughter in the future.

Steam Rating: Explicit and Plentiful 

I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.