Sophie Reads YA: November 2025

monthly summary

November Summary

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November

Stacking the Shelves: November 29th 2025

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3 Stars

ARC Review: Fixed Asset (Downrange #1) by Riley Edwards

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Fixed Asset
Series: Downrange #1
Author: Riley Edwards
Published November 4th 2025 by Montlake

Goodreads Synopsis
From USA Today bestselling author Riley Edwards comes a steamy, action-packed romance where danger and desire fuel a high-stakes game neither party is prepared to lose.

Catarina Keys doesn’t play it safe—and to hell with anyone who gets in her way. A free agent now, she takes a risky mission in Honduras, delivering high-stakes intel to a woman with an ironclad reputation. Reckless? Absolutely. But the peril of her current situation isn’t all that’s on her mind. She’s dangerously preoccupied with burning thoughts of him.

After a successful op together last year in Vegas, ex-Navy SEAL Jack Donovan thought leaving Catarina behind was the right move. It wasn’t. Now she’s back in the line of fire, and he can’t decide whether to save or spank her delectable ass. But first, he vows to uncover her mission. And whoever’s behind it.

When their paths cross again, they realize they’re pawns in a much bigger game. Jack’s desperate to protect her, but Catarina won’t give up her freedom. As the heat intensifies, will they play by the rules…or risk losing it all?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Catarina Keys knows what it takes to be a woman in a dangerous job. After all, she's put herself through risky missions time and time again to help other women be safe from predators. However, she may have bitten off more than she can chew on her latest mission in Honduras, and has been kidnapped to boot. Luckily, those who snatched her from the street include ex-Navy SEAL Jack Donovan, who Catarina had worked with in Vegas a year ago. Jack is spitting mad that Catarina has put herself in so much danger, and wants to give her a piece of his mind, or carry her off in his arms - he can't decide. As they agree to work together for the good of the mission, it's harder for them to stay professional.

Oh this was a good book. Definitely not my usual read, but I was invested in the entire gang from the moment they were all revealed. Catarina was such a strong character, but when she showed her vulnerable side with Jack, it was so heartfelt and real. There were times that their relationship was literally relationship goals, just with added danger. This book definitely set up for the rest of the series, and Mason & Calista's story especially. I can't wait to see how they're getting on in Fallen Hero.

Dates Read:
October 25-26, 2025

Rating
3 Stars

3 Stars

ARC Review: Casket Case by Lauren Evans

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Casket Case
Series: None
Author: Lauren Evans
Published September 10th 2024 by Dell/September 12th 2024 by Orion

Goodreads Synopsis
In this warm-hearted debut rom-com, a young woman returns home to run her family's casket business and falls in love with a seemingly perfect stranger. But there's just one problem . . . he works for Death.

Nora thought she was finished with Rabbittown, Alabama, for good. But an unexpected tragedy turned her life upside down, and she's found herself back in her tiny hometown running the family casket business.

There aren't exactly a lot of prospects for a single woman in her thirties in a place like Rabbittown. Until Nora Clanton's ordinary, casket-selling day is interrupted by a handsome stranger wandering into her shop and asking for directions--as well as a date.

Garrett Bishop seems like the ideal guy. He's thoughtful, he's kind, and he has a lucrative job as a logistics coordinator, for which he seems to have a passion. She's not totally sure what "logistics" entails, but she knows it means long hours, lots of travel, and urgent calls in the middle of the night.

When a few of Rabbittown's residents suddenly pass away--a heart attack here, a car crash there--and Garrett is spotted at the scenes of, well, all of the deaths, his frustratingly vague job description starts to become increasingly . . . suspicious. What is it that Garrett actually does for a living?

He's a logistics coordinator for Death.

When Nora discovers the truth, she is unable to reconcile the wonderful man she knows with the unthinkably cruel job he loves. Will she ever be able to understand how he can do what he does, or will she have to lay her best chance at love to rest?

Casket Case is the heartfelt story of a small-town girl who feels surrounded by death--literally and figuratively. This clever, endearing, and romantic debut explores how love and loss are forever intertwined . . . but death might not be as scary as it seems.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Returning home to Rabbittown was not something Nora Clanton ever expected, but the deaths of her parents left her the sole owner of the family's casket business. In her sleepy town, it's not as if she's going to fall in love, when she grew up with all the viable prospects. But then there's a new arrival, who walks into her store and leaves her breathless. Garrett Bishop seems perfect, but is he too good to be true?

Right, this was weird. I'm not saying it was bad weird, but still weird nonetheless. I did know that Garrett worked for Death in some capacity when I started it, but still, it was not what I expected. I liked the whole idea of Death having 'logistics officers' around the world to deal with paperwork, etc., and especially the thought that everyone who died had someone with them to explain what was happening/about to happen. That was a really nice idea, and one big plus for the book. Garrett and Nora did have chemistry, but it was really fast how they got together, spent all their time with each other, and were exchanging 'I love yous'. The ending did make up for it, though.

Dates Read:
August 24-26, 2025

Rating
3 Stars