BBNYA 2025 Finalist Tour: Miss Bennet’s Dragon by M.Verant

March 31, 2026March 30, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Hello, reader!

In 2025, I once again participated as a panelist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award! It was a tough competition but we eventually narrowed it down a group of finalists. Now, those finalists are on tour! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for a Pride & Prejudice retelling that had me gasping and swooning: Miss Bennet’s Dragon by M.Verant!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 17 in 2025) and one overall winner. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let’s talk about the book 📚

Title: Miss Bennet’s Dragon
Author: M. Verant
Publisher: Acerbic Press
Publication date: April 28th, 2021
Length: 372 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Age group: Adult

Book Links

Amazon::StoryGraph::Goodreads

War threatens England, but Elizabeth Bennet’s battles are closer to home. She’s managing the family estate for her ailing father. Insufferable gentlemen keep bursting in to propose marriage. And most dangerous of all, she’s hiding a forbidden skill. Elizabeth can speak to draca, the small, fire-breathing dragons kept by gentry as frivolous status symbols.

When Napoleon’s spies attempt to steal draca, the distant war threatens even cozy Hertfordshire. Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Darcy, the proud man whose proposal she once scorned. Amid the breathtaking halls of Pemberley, she discovers the truth: she is not the first woman to speak with draca. But with her secret revealed, the dark history of Pemberley tears her and Mr. Darcy apart.

One hope remains: her dangerous affinity to draca. But does she dare to trust legends and lost songs? And when a terrible betrayal threatens the man she loves, does she have a choice?

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the first book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy trilogy. For fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and of course Jane Austen.

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: March 30th, 2026

March 30, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Goodreads Monday/TBR Monday is a bookish meme hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog invites you to post about what books are on your Goodreads “to read” lists or TBR lists, the progress you have made on your current books and reading challenges, and any other bookish news!

Hello, reader!

Monday is upon us and that means it’s time for another Goodreads Monday! Time to search through my Goodreads TBR and pluck a random book from within to judge. I’m currently sitting on 832 books and I feel like that is up from the last couple of weeks… At least it’s just a digital TBR and not a physical one!

Now, let’s see what the random number generator pulls for me.

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
House of Earth and Blood

Author:
Sarah J Maas

Publisher:
Bloomsbury Publishing

Publication Date:
March 3rd, 2020

Pages:
803

Genre:
Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis:
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday: March 27th, 2026

March 27, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re sharing on social media, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve arrived at the end of the work week and you know what that means. Time for another First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a novel that I found out existed only a few years ago. My 80s kid heart was thrilled! I’ve had this on my bookshelf for awhile and I think it’s time to finally give it a read.

Now, we’re gonna if the first line can help suck me in.

The Line(s):

“This inscription could be seen on the glass door of a small shop, but naturally this was only the way it looked if you were inside the dimly lit shop, looking out at the street through the plateglass door.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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reading project

Project Library Love: March Visit

March 26, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s time for a check-in on one of my 2026 reading projects, Library Love! Gonna be honest, I didn’t do as well in February finishing all my books before they had to be returned to the library 😅 That’s because my reading these past few months has kind of slowed down from my surge in January. Life has been throwing a lot at me lately and it is definitely affecting my reading. Still, I made a point to get back to the library, even if my haul is a bit smaller this month.

Now let’s recap February’s books and talk about what I picked up in March!

Last Month’s Stack

In February, I ended up checking out seven physical books, one audiobook, and one book in both audio and physical form.

My physical picks were:

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayborn
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
How to Kill A Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Last First Kiss by Julian Winters
The Love Audit by Lucy Eden
One by One by Ruth Ware

My audiobook pick was:

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

And my audio/physical pick was:

All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

As I said, I didn’t do quite so well reading all my library books in February. I ended up reading three of the physical books, one audiobook, and the combined audio/physical checkout. I definitely focused on reading book club books cause I got all of those done! I started All of Us Murderers physically, but ended up switching to the audiobook because my Libby hold came in.

I ended up returning both Last First Kiss and The Love Audit back to the library without reading them. I suppose I just wasn’t in a romance mood last month. And I still have A Curious Beginning and Entangled Life checked out! I’ll probably have to renew them (again…) but I do really want to read them. We’ll see if that happens, haha.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

March 24, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

It is officially Spring where I live (though it doesn’t always feel like it…) and that means it’s time to start thinking about Spring reads! That’s the topic for today’s Top Ten Tuesday, but I must confess something. I don’t really do seasonal TBRs… I’m barely with-it enough to make monthly TBRs! So I’ve decided to feature ten Spring releases that I’m excited to read instead. I probably won’t get to most of these during this season, but they are still on my radar.

Now, let me share my Spring list with you!

Spring Releases

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Platform Decay by Martha Wells
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: March 23rd, 2026

March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s the beginning of the week, which means I’m bringing you another Goodreads Monday post! It’s been rainy and gross where I live and my energy level has been in the absolute toilet. Which is why it has taken me so long to sit down and write! We’re here now, though, and it’s time to see what book on my Goodreads TBR I’ll be judging today.

Join me on this ride!

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
Stolen by the Shadow King

Author:
Alisha Klapheke

Publisher:
Self-published

Publication Date:
January 11th, 2022

Pages:
342

Genre:
Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis:
When the vicious king of the shadow elves drags Maren to the Underworld and claims her as his fated mate, she fights to escape.

But when Maren learns she is the legendary seer of the Underworld, everything changes. She discovers a magical poison spreading, and the only way to save both realms from complete destruction is to bind her power with the king’s to heal the land through their union.

Maren isn’t heartless. Of course, she’ll sacrifice herself to save her beloved family and the world. And her feelings for the protective, mercurial shadow king are changing…

When another shadow lord steals the key to the king’s power and demands Maren’s hand in marriage, she realizes what evil truly looks like in the Underworld.

Now, she must either fight alongside the king and hope they don’t run out of time to save the realms, or surrender to the evil lord and stop the poison’s spread before it’s too late.

Maren can still save the realms, but it will require a true sacrifice of the heart.

If you like steamy-sweet, enemies to lovers fantasy romance loosely inspired by Hades and Persephone and Pride and Prejudice with brooding love interests, feisty female leads, and powerful friendships, this book is for you.

Dive into this rich new world today!

*This duology is set in the same world as Kingdoms of Lore and Dragons Rising but readers can easily start with this book.

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: March 18th, 2026

March 18, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman: I feel like such a traitor because I keep not reading this book! I’m planning on getting back into it this evening before bed. I’ve even placed it on my bedside table! I need to lose myself in this world again… I find I kind of miss it! Perhaps my brain can settle down enough to let me.
The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton: I just started this e-book yesterday and I’m having a great time so far. I can already tell that this is going to be a book that explores grief in one way or another and I think that might just be perfect for me right now. I’m loving the worldbuilding and I’m intrigued by our two main characters. Looking forward to continuing!
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: Okay, I’m listening to the audiobook for this one and I think I’m realizing why this is one of the big hitters when it comes to mystery/thrillers. I am so invested in these random women’s lives and all I know so far is that someone died and all these people have kids that go to the same school. There’s already so much drama and I’m eating it up.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Green Book Covers

March 17, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Hello, reader!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I honor of today’s very green-themed holiday, this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about books with green covers. I don’t pay much attention to the colors of covers of the books I’ve read, but apparently I’ve read quite a few that sport a bit of the grassy hue. Today, I’m going to share a few of my faves.

Come see which green books I’m featuring!

Green Book Covers

Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Glunda the Veg Witch by Keith W. Dickenson
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: March 16th, 2026

March 16, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

I’m spending my Monday trying to get back home after an impromptu visit to my parents’ house in Georgia this weekend for a family emergency. Currently stuck in Baltimore and just hoping that my flight doesn’t, once again, get canceled 😭 Wish me luck, y’all.

To distract me, I figured I’d do this week’s Goodreads Monday post! Less thinking about planes and rain, more thinking about books. Time to hit that randomizer and see which book on my Goodreads TBR is either staying or getting chucked.

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
Wonder Woman: Warbringer

Author:
Leigh Bardugo

Publisher:
Random House Children’s Books

Publication Date:
August 28th, 2017

Pages:
369

Genre:
Fantasy/Superheroes

Synopsis:
Daughter of immortals.

Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mortal. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl, and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world.

Daughter of death.

Alia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together.

Two girls will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

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book reviews

Book Review: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse

March 12, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Title: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022
Edited By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Publisher: Mariner Books
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Age Group: Adult
Format: E-book
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Goodreads::Storygraph

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and guest editor Rebecca Roanhorse and series editor John Joseph Adams select twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explore the ever-expanding and changing world of SFF today.

Today’s readers of science fiction and fantasy have an appetite for stories that address a wide variety of voices, perspectives, and styles. There is an openness to experiment and pushing boundaries, combined with the classic desire to read about spaceships and dragons, future technology and ancient magic, and the places where they intersect. Contemporary science fiction and fantasy looks to accomplish the same goal as ever—to illuminate what it means to be human.

With a diverse selection of stories chosen by series editor John Joseph Adams and guest editor Rebecca Roanhorse, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 explores the ever-expanding and changing world of contemporary science fiction and fantasy.

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