this book was sooo good, especially the romance. Astra is royalty but wants nothing more than a life away from the courts and the expectations that comes with her position. she’s always had an explosive personality and it ends up landing her in exile, which she actually enjoys for the freedom it grants her. she has many abilities but her premonitions end up bringing her back to her court where she’s later encouraged to make a deal of marriage with a rebel king named Mirquois. Astra can’t help but be drawn to his commander, Luxuros, making things more difficult as they all try to prevent chaos breaking loose between the courts and the gods above.

when i say i was absolutely obsessed with Astra and Lux, it’s not an understatement. this book is a great example of slow burn and yearning done PERFECTLY. there’s an element of dreams that Astra has where Lux can enter them (sometimes whether he means to or not) and those moments were some of my favorite. i also really liked the side characters too and Astra herself was such a powerhouse, i found her personality so refreshing. i also want to mention the fact that both Astra and Lux are older (30s & 40s), which is something i wish to see more of in my romantasy books. the only reason this isn’t rated higher is cause we’re just thrown into this world and i never got a solid grasp of all the different names and places. the ending had me sort of confused for bits of it but i do think it left off in a good place and i’d gladly read a sequel, no questions asked.

First off, thank you NetGalley, Emrae Publishing and CB Woods for an early copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

The Rift by CB Woods is a brand new fantasy novel, set to be published on February 25, 2025. Astra is an exiled Lunar demi-goddess, who dreams of a world where titled and ranks mean nothing. While exiled, she spent the last few years far away from the court’s and her mother’s suffocating expectations and enjoying it thoroughly. Until she was urgently summoned by her mother, the Lunar Queen, to return home. Upon arrival, she was quickly thrust back into court and forced to return to a place where she never felt welcome. She realizes quickly that her mother has her own ulterior motives for requesting her return, such as, using her as a bargaining chip to strengthen alliances with the human court. But her mother should have known that Astra was to set in her ways to revert back to the court’s standards. She has decided to take control of her own fate and plans to wed the charming and rebellious King of Mercury. A dangerous game begins to unfold and Luxuros, the King of Mercury’s commander, has luckily been assigned to keep her safe and out of harm’s way.

My First Impressions:
The Rift is definitely a fast paced fantasy read that I fell in love with instantly. What drew my attention to the book was the enemies-to-lovers aspect, but also, the unique setting of the novel. This was the first book that I have read that has taken place within the solar system and it was too unique for me to pass up. Not only did the synopsis of the novel draw my attention, I absolutely love the cover - it is breathtakingly beautiful!

Plot & Pacing:
I instantly fell in love with Astra – a women who is not afraid to stand up for her beliefs and what she believes is right or wrong. She is such a strong and amazing women, choosing to spend her time in exile to restore good into her realm rather than swallowing in self-pity. As for Luxuros, he was a determined and honorable man that Astra was lucky enough to be forced to spend time with. He was funny and their banter made me laugh out loud way too often. The plot was so original, and I loved getting immersed in the world building, and experiencing the different planets right alongside Astra. However, I did at time struggle with remembering all of the characters and who exactly was talking in certain situations. The story doesn’t necessarily leave off on a cliff hanger which I am extremely grateful for, but that does not mean I am any less invested in figuring out what CB Woods has in store for us in book two (I can’t wait until 2026!)!!

Characters & Development:
Like I mentioned before, Astra and Luxuros are by far my favorite characters from this novel, and the banter was perfection! Whether it was during training sessions or just being forced to interact, they were always complaining about each other and giving each other a hard time. It was refreshing and extremely entertaining.

As for the other character relationships, they were developed out perfectly too – whether it was Astra’s family members, past intimate partners, and close friends. Everything tied in beautifully and I honestly like I was always Astra’s shadow throughout the whole book. At times, I felt like I was figuring out things at the same time as some of the other characters were, and it was truly enjoyable. Growth was present throughout the entire novel and so perfect.

World-Building & Setting:
Like mentioned before, I have never had the pleasure of reading a book like this one before. The world-building was breathtaking, and I felt like I was able to close my eyes and envision it all. CB Woods did a fantastic job in describing the other planets and the Above & Below worlds. And unlike other books that I have read, the world building was not the entire premises of the first novel. While building upon the world, you are able to truly enjoy the plot while everything unfolds, and it was absolutely fantastic.

My Final Thoughts & Recommendation:
If you are a fan of immense world-building fantasy reads yet heavily plot focused, this would be perfect for you. There is everything you could want in a fantasy read, from fated mates, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, only one bed, high stakes, battle for the crown, and many more. I was immediately intrigued by the setting of the book – I loved the fact that it was set in the solar system!!

I would highly recommend this book for readers who are just starting to get into fantasy, or even for the readers who solely only reads fantasy. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more, and I can’t wait to see out what CB Woods has in store for us.

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

"Make whatever you desire of me, As. Make me your sunlight, make me your darkest secret. Make an irreparable mess of me."

A celestial-themed slow burn Fantasy Romance with dragons and high-stakes political intrigue. HELLO?? This book was made for me and SHE WAS STUNNIN'!! 🤌🏻

Rift was so unique and had the most delicious slow burn. The banter and tension between Lux and Astra was perfect. The world-building was easy enough to follow, but also super unique. I was hooked within the first few chapters and the twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat the rest of the book.

“That, Commander, is the kind of love gods tear rifts through time and space for.”

I will definitely be reading whatever CB Woods writes in the future, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

Add to TBR if you Enjoy:
🌠 30 yo FMC, 40ish MMC
✨ Princess x Commander
🌠 DRAGONS
✨ Unique World Building
🌠 Magic
✨ Banterrrr
🌠 Slow Burn

Thank you to CB Woods, NetGalley and Emrae Publishing for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rift was an absolute delight to read. The intricate world-building and magic systems were engaging and easy to navigate. The slow-burn romance between Astra and Lux blossomed from a foundation of witty banter and deep longing, culminating beautifully. Additionally, the relationships among the female characters were exceptionally crafted. I loved the depth of friendship portrayed among them all. The story's conclusion felt immensely satisfying. I’m ready for the next book!

This new romantasy book should definitley be on your TBR list.

Favorite aspects:
💕 FMC x MMC banter
💕 unique magical abilities
💕 betrayal that has great resolution
💕 satisfying plot twist
💕 FMC that wants to make a difference

Overall Rating:
5 ⭐️
.5-1 🌶️


Thank you to Net Galley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Please, Princess. I've bled for you before, I've no problem doing it again"

I went into this book coming off of a little reading slump, so it took me a little bit to get into it - but omg once I did I couldn't put it down!!

Rift is a celestial romance with a strong female lead, Astra, a Demi-goddess who wants to create a better world. She finds herself caught in a world of fated mates, and her connection with Lux *chef's kiss*. There are so many twists that I really had no idea what was coming next.

I'm not kidding when I say I was sat here with my feet kicking & giggling like a school girl the whole time reading this book lol! I cannot wait for the next one!!

Thank you to NetGalley & CB Woods for the ARC!

I've thought long and hard for two days on how to write a review to do this book justice, and I've finally come to the conclusion that there is no review that I could write that would give this book the credit that it deserves. If I could shout my love of it from the rooftops I would.

I guess I'll preface this by saying I feel like you always take a chance when you read a book by a new Indie author. I've read both good and bad, but this far surpasses even the best that I've read. This book feels like it's written by an established, traditionally published author. Both the writing and the editing is top notch, and I wouldn't be surprised to find Ms. Woods courted by traditional publishing houses after this book is released, it's that good.

Now to the book itself: Rift has all the Romantasy tropes that we know and love but with imaginative new twists that were a breath of fresh air for a reader who almost exclusively reads the fantasy/romantasy genre. Rift takes place mostly in the Lunar Court, one of the Between courts who are celestial in origin. It is described as an enchantingly beautiful place; with a lavender sea and inhabitants whose hair coloring is in a pastel spectrum it evokes peaceful feelings that match the general vibe of the court. The court runs on magic, but the focus is on intuition and feelings, and things like tarot readings. The Lunar Court is also a female driven court, with its monarchy being inherited from Queen to Queen, with the King having more of a consort type position than a leading role in the court's happenings. I really enjoyed seeing the females of the court kick butt and take names, with some supporting male characters rather than the female characters taking a back seat to their male counterparts. The main characters themselves are also older than we typically see in a lot of Romantasy novels - our main characters are in their 30s instead of being late teens or early twenties.

The story moves very organically. Although it does start out a bit slow, it serves well the purpose of introducing us to our main heroine, Astra Leona, and gives us rich descriptions of the Lunar court. The story quickly picks up pace after the first few chapters and the action does not stop. I appreciated that the world building was given to us in pieces that made sense to the story at the time, instead of cramming a large amount of information into our heads within a few short chapters.

For those who may be wondering about the spice level in Rift, I would classify it conservatively at 2.5 chili peppers. This book is a delicious slow burn, without us seeing any sexy action until the second half of the novel, but the romantic tension is so deliciously done and there is so much action going on with our main characters that I didn't even find myself missing more sexy scenes. When we do have sexy scenes, they aren't as graphically written as some, and there are some mentions of closed-door romance between characters so Rift would be perfect for those fantasy readers who aren't as comfortable with graphic sex scenes in novels.

Rift is one of the few books that I've read where I think I can say I enjoyed every single character, from the most minor to our lead heroine and hero. I felt that each character, even those that are more minor, showed character growth. I was definitely left at the end of story wanting more of these characters. I absolutely can't wait for the next installment in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and CB Woods for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave a good cast of characters, I loved the FMC Astra and her journey throughout the story was intriguing. Her family dynamic was rich and complex which hooked me into the story. The rift gave a refreshing angle and the magic was used in an interesting way. I loved the fated mates angle to the story and it was nice to see this play out in different ways amongst the characters.
This was a refreshing read.

Thank you Netgalley, Emrae Publishing, and CB Woods for the eARC!

This is the first eARC that I've received from an author that I was unfamiliar with and I am so happy with the outcome. After reading the description of the book, I was immediately hooked and the book did not disappoint.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the plot of the book, I do wish the magic system was explained a bit better. I think we get a good understanding of Astra's powers, but I would be interested to know more about everyone else's powers and how they are all interconnected.

Now, let's talk about Astra and Lux because man do I love them. The book advertises them as an enemies to lovers, but I do find that to be a bit misleading (this seems to be very common with fantasy books). While these two bicker a lot and definitely don't see eye to eye, they never felt like true enemies. To me, this wasn't a big deal because of how much I enjoyed watching them develop. Their characters and relationship were written well and it kept me interested in their story. With that being said, it is a slow burn and they have such great tension and banter that is very enjoyable.

One last thing I want to note about this book is that there is a lot of focus on the political state of her world, which I LOVED. If you like court scheming and politics in a fantasy book, then I think you would really enjoy Rift. There is a great balance of plot and romance in this book which I really appreciated, because some romantasy books feel like they are straight romance with a side of fantasy.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one to release! I am very thankful to have received this eARC as it has introduced me to a knew author that I love :)

“I thought Fire Queen was just a nickname, but here I am, burning in your presence.”

“Whoever you are, whatever you are, Astra Leona, the gods did not craft you to hide in the shadow of the night.”

This book was a unique and interesting twist to romantasy. There were a few twists that I did not see coming, which was super refreshing. The beginning is slow and it’s a bit confusing because I think there’s more world building needed. But once you start meeting characters and learning the system, it becomes a page turner. I loved the celestial elements, though it’s hard for me to imagine how this world exists. Are they separate planets or more like continents? As the book went on I imagined them more and more as separate planets.

Another thing I loved was the representation! Let’s give it up for a bisexual FMC 👏🏻 There were other LGBTQ+ characters as well. I also loved the diversity of the characters! We had characters that were lavender, blue, bronze and fair skinned. I absolutely loved this aspect of the book. I have never read a Romantasy with a bad ass, snarky, unashamed bisexual woman and I fear I need more books like this in my life.

I loved the characters in general. Lux completely stole my heart, he’s a wonderful MMC. He gives broody, golden retriever energy with trauma. The banter between them was good, I loved their back and forth. Overall, this was a great time. The magic is unique, the world is unique and the romance is great. I definitely recommend giving this a read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and CB Woods for allowing me to read this book! I loved getting to read this book!!!

THE PLOT?! THE WORLD BUILDING?! THE ROMANCE?! THE TENSION?!

Ugh this book!!!

Honestly might just be one of my favourite reads! The twists and turns were absolutely amazing. I love this world so much and love the characters!

The level of tension between As and Lux!!! Ugh so so good!

Astra?? Such a strong and powerful lead i absolutely loved her and reading about her journey. She’s such a badass!!!!

Lux!!! THIS MAN. The tension between these two! *chefs kiss*

I NEED the next book!!

Sadly, DNF at 35%

I really wanted to love this one. The prose is stunning—C.B. Woods has a beautiful way of crafting imagery, and the writing feels almost cinematic at times. But unfortunately, that’s also where I struggled. The language is so lyrical and metaphor-heavy that I kept finding myself rereading passages just to make sure I understood what was happening. It’s definitely not the kind of book you can read in quick bursts (which is how I read most of the time).

The world itself is super unique, but I needed more explanation to really settle into it. Normally, I’m not someone who asks for info dumps, but in this case, I wouldn’t have minded a little extra clarity. There’s a lot to take in at the start—characters, setting, magic system—and I found it a bit overwhelming without enough grounding.

Plot-wise, I was intrigued but not fully hooked. Astra’s decision regarding the Mercury King felt a little sudden, and I wish we’d gotten more of her inner thoughts to help it feel more natural. That said, her banter with Lux? Loved it. If I could have just followed their dynamic without getting lost in the writing, I probably would have pushed through.

What I liked:
✔️ Older protagonists (yay for characters in their 30s!!)
✔️ Astra seemed to have some real depth, which I appreciated
✔️ The concept and magic system were genuinely cool

What didn’t work for me:
✖️ The prose was a little too dense—so much show and not enough tell
✖️ The world felt a bit under-explained, which made it harder to get invested
✖️ The pacing and character decisions didn’t fully click for me

That said, this isn’t a bad book at all—it’s just not my kind of read. I know plenty of readers will love the lush, poetic writing and immersive style, but I personally prefer a more direct approach. If you love dreamy, intricate prose and don’t mind working a little to piece things together, this might be right up your alley!

Thank you NetGalley, Emrae Publishing & CB Woods for providing me with an ARC of this book

4.5 ⭐️

I was completely swept away by this book! The writing is beautiful and ethereal with vivid world building and a unique magic system. I wanted to live in this universe! CB’s writing truly pulls you in and captivates you. The characters are multidimensional and relatable, and the politics are nuanced and suspenseful. This felt like such a fresh and unique story I am excited to see where it goes! I loved the feminine rage and the strong female characters. Astra is head strong, spunky while still so kind and caring for her people. The romance was beautiful- the concept of Tethers was an interesting and unique take on soulmates. The romance was slow burning and well paced with a perfect amount of banter. I was a huge fan of the the dream sequences and astral traveling. The ending of this book will leave you wanting more and sets the stage perfectly for the next installment!

🌙 Fated Mates
🌠Gods & Goddesses
🌙 Enemies to Lovers
🌠 Princess x Commander
🌙 Court Politics
🌠 Unique Magic System

I loved everything! Both characters are relatable and well developed , and the world building is so well done that i’m amazed that this is only the author debut!

“Whoever you are, whatever you are, Astra Leona, the gods did not craft you to hide in the shadows of night.”
I don’t even know where to start! This book was absolutely brilliant and what’s even more impressive is that it’s written by a first time author! I didn’t want to put it down and loved all the characters that were perfectly written. The banter between Astra and Lux was so fun to read and there was never a dull moment between them. I was extremely surprised by the ending and wouldn’t have been able to guess it. Definitely recommend!!

This book was given as an advanced readers copy for an honest review.

This was a really good what I would consider a YA romantasy. I feel like there was a lot of filler. But at the same time, the story felt very organic. Both main characters are relatable and easy to picture yourself being in their shoes if we lived in this type of world. But some of the world building got me a little lost. I gave this three stars just because it sometimes was hard to see the trees through the grass. But I am excited to read the next book and would I recommend this to a romantasy reader yes because this is a book that I think people should read in between releases of their other favorite romantasy books.

I really enjoyed this one!
This is a new author for me so I didn't really know what to expect but the world building was beautifully done, the system of celestial courts had me really intrigued and was like nothing I've ever read before, and so was the concept of fated mates for the main characters and how their relationship developed.
I will definitely be waiting for book two to come out!

I would like to thank CB Woods, NetGalley and Emrae Publishing for the opportunity to review this advance reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It has an interesting plot, a strong willed FMC & Broody MMC, unique magical elements, political intrigue, and a slow burn forbidden romance. It started out a little slow and took me some time to figure out the world & courts…but I’m glad I stuck it out and I’m excited to see how the story evolves in book 2!!

I found the plot of *Rift* to be both engaging and novel. The lore explanations felt insufficient as new elements were frequently and unexpectedly introduced.

I was invested in the characters and their growth throughout the story. In my opinion, however, Ameera’s involvement appears to have been an afterthought. The smut was very entertaining!

The writing quality was a major problem; it felt forced and overworked in the wrong areas that disrupted the story’s flow. It could undergo one more round of edits as the plot alone justifies a four/five-star rating given the genre, tropes, and target market.

I love a good romantasy, so when I saw this I had to add it to my TBR. I was not disappointed, I loved the characters in this book. The slow burn romance was well done, it didn't feel rushed or forced. The plot though, I still can't get over it and will probably give this a reread sooner rather than later because it was well done. It did take a minute to orient myself and get into the world, but that happens going from one book to another, so it could have totally been me and not the book itself. Definitely recommend :)

Romansty with SciFi elements
Enemies to Lovers
Fated Mates

🌶1.5

This book that CB Woods has given us is overall a delightful journey that delves into the Rift and what adventure lies with it. The main characters Lux and Astra give readers an enemies to lovers trope with humorous banter.

The world building aspect of Rift is given in detail and is plentiful throughout the story. Readers should not worry about if they will get stuck in this adventure as Woods gives us a fast paced plot and adventure.

At first I was not sure of the plot, however once the characters stories were developed and the stage was set, I could not put my kindle down!

If unique world building, a well thought out plot and loveable characters are up your alley, Rift is the book for you. Readers will not be disappointed! Personally the sequel is already on my TBR.

Thank you to CB Woods, NetGalley and Emrae Publishing for an ARC.
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