thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
this book has the famous enemies-to-lovers trope and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
the book starts when the exiled princess Astra is called back to her mother's kingdom in order to perform her awaiting duties. after that, the chaos begins: a marriage of convenience, a grumpy hottie, an unexpected tether, war, adventure and so on.
i loved the plot, but i think it lacked some information regarding the lore. i expected more explanations to be honest because i had a hard time keeping up with everything. and, when i was under the impression that i understood what's happening, new things were coming up. do not get me wrong, it was interesting and original all in all!
the characters' development was respected, though, and i got attached to them. one thing i want to point out is that i think Ameera was a bit forgotten in the background. it felt that she was showing up only for her presence to be there and to carry trays to Astra's room, that was all. wish i could learn more about her and her affairs (wink) because she showed up in many important scenes.
finally, the smut was spot on!! props for that, hehe.
thank you again for the opportunity to read this book and i'm looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley for an Arc copy of this story. The following is an honest review.

Astra is a princess in exile. After a heated instance that caused her powers to burn hot she’s landed herself far away from the Lunar court. Astra has made a satisfying life for herself and isn’t unhappy to be away from stifling court duties. She was never one to uphold the inequitable ways of monarch life.
When an unwelcome summons forces her hand she must head back to the Lunar Court.

Rift has a unique feel to many aspects of the story!

One of the biggest appeals was the fascinating magic capabilities of Astra herself. The capabilities of an empath brought to life as a true power, instead of the burden it’s often painted as! It was empowering to see that empathy is a gift, if you can learn the necessary skills to use the colors presented to you!

The celestial settings, and the idea that many magical deities exist in a between space, allowed for a beautiful landscape, I loved that.

I absolutely adored the ups and downs of the mother daughter relationships that were depicted. So many mothers make silent sacrifices, that will never see the light of day!

There were so many interesting side characters, with a lot of stories that could be fun to dive into!

The main romantic relationship of the story has a major hang up that keeps it coming to fruition. This hang up feels thin. Like the weight given to the cause for them not to be together is unfounded. Basically, political propaganda keeps a wedge between them. The stakes didn’t feel like enough to warrant them being apart, for me. I don’t hold stake in something someone else tells me to believe. To Astra’s credit, she didn’t hold onto the notion much either.

The pacing of the story didn’t feel steady. More often than not, I was waiting for something of weight to happen, especially in the beginning of the book. This is definitely a slow to start type of story. Things pick up at the end, but it was a struggle to get into.

I felt lost when it came to the transitions of character’s movements within the book. One moment a character is in one location in a room and there’s no indication that they’ve moved. The next sentence has them not in a chair, but where they’d have to be in a bed. I found myself going back over paragraphs more than once to see what I missed. As a visual reader it through me off. A few POV issues did as well.

Overall this is an enjoyable Romantasy with plus sized bi representation! We can never have enough of that! If you’re into celestial vibes and have a rebel spirit you’ll enjoy this book!

Thank you CB WOODS, Emrae publishing & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this e-arc.

The Rift followed the popular tropes of arranged marriages, enemies to lovers, and several others. It was a fun and easy read. I think it was easier to understand from a “witchy” perspective of knowing the lunar, solar type names, knowing where the names originated from.

Following Astra, Lux, Mirquios, and Lunelle on their adventure of finding that life may not be exactly as it seems was a fun trip. They questioned everything they were taught and eventually came across the age old thought every adult ponders is beliefs and whether what they’ve been taught is right (or not) and why.

For me, it was a very easy read & it sucked me in from page one. I love that Astra was the essential black sheep of her family, the non-conformist. As I relate (also being the black sheep IRL) it was just an enjoyable book for me. I couldn’t put it down, so I read it in one day. It was the perfect fantasy read, for me. The world building was elaborate. While some of it felt familiar because it’s been done before, other parts were very original and fresh feeling.

This is a fun, easy read that makes you think but isn’t super heavy. I think we can all relate to their experiences, no matter what our walk in life happens to be. It did have some mild love scenes but mostly left to imagination. So I’m going to call it pretty smut-free. I believe this was geared towards adults but I think anyone above the age of 16 would enjoy it. It had a tiny bit of cursing, but compared to most fantasy, I think it was fairly mild.

Let me start by saying this book that I was approved by netgalley as an arc and it’s one I really wanted to read. This book did not disappoint. The characters were really good and the plot made you wonder what was next. I love the journey the FMC goes through and how there was so much to learn and discover on her way. Little did she know that not only did she find herself on the path to not just save her family but her people. It’s a book of the start of a huge change needed in a world of lies and the addiction of power. The importance of not being selfish and choosing the path that might not be the easiest but the right one. The pace of the book was good and I love her relationship with the male love interest. The ending wasn’t what how I thought it would end but it leaves the book off leading to the next part of her journey. I’m looking forward to it.

i love astra so much, she's such a badass. loved the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, so nothing felt too rushed. my only problem is that i feel like the writing can be a lil confusing at times, especially in the beginning. but once you get through it, it gets better.

⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An exiled princess, lunar magic and courts, kingdoms on the brink of war, and a marriage of convenience. And, of course, enemies to lovers. The SUPERIOR trope. I will take ZERO argument on that. All things that sound like so much fun in a fantasy and instantly make you want to read it.

I did like this book, but I just could not get that invested for some reason. In the actual storylines or the characters. And I do not know why.

You do get lots of background and development on these characters' relationships, which I really enjoyed. I just think maybe the pacing is what made this not perfect for me. You're kind of just thrown into the story at the very beginning and I think that's something I struggle with, I need a tad more explanation first, before getting into the thick of it.

This was still a very fun read and I would definitely recommend it if any of those things I listed at the very beginning interest you. Especially the celestial-inspired kingdoms! So cool!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

What an amazing read!
We begin by meeting Astra, a Lunar Demigoddess Princess, as she’s hung called back home by her mother the Queen of the Lunar Court. After living in exile for the last few years, Astra feels like an outsider within her own court, often dreaming & pushing for a better world for her people. It’s these feelings that spark her to engage in a deal with the King of Mercury & bring us deeper into the politics of her world as Astra & her friends work to dismantle all that they know at the risk of angering the Gods.
This story is not without romance, in fact it’s full of it! The romance was so beautiful & well written. It was intense & you could really feel the yearning.
Aside from romance, the relationships between all of the side characters were amazing as well! Everyone seemed well fleshed out & played an important role in furthering the story in some way.

I also really enjoyed the ending, the author did a great job tying up enough loose ends to have a satisfying ending without a cliff hanger, but with still plenty more to tell! I can’t wait for the next book!

First off, I would like to thank you guys deeply for allowing me the opportunity to read this lovely book. I absolutely enjoyed it! The world building concept was super interesting. I do have to admit that I was a bit lost in the beginning and felt like I was missing information and needed more context to understand what was happening, but as the story continued, I gathered enough information to really enjoy the entire book and believed the story flowed super well!

One thing that I will mention that isn’t on my Goodreads review (simply because it may just be a personal preference on artist choice) but the third-person point of view left certain scenes during the book confusing or a feeling of detachment from the characters.

The romance factor I felt was also executed super well, personally I’m a huge fan of a good romance that also has a good plot, and I felt like the romance didn’t cut into the plot which I loved. Overall will definitely be reading more from CB Woods and look forward to what comes next!

Thank you NetGalley, Emrae Publishing and CB Woods for an early copy of this book for review.

Astra is a Lunar demi-goddess who dreams of a world where of equality and rid of titles. Following a (literal) fiery incident, she is exiled to Ellume by her mother, the Lunar Queen. When she is called home to the Lunar Court by her mother, she is quickly thrust back into a world of politics where she has always felt out of place. She must make the difficult decision to make peace in a world she doesn’t feel she belongs or follow her intuition which has always gotten her in trouble.

A celestial-themed, magical world with political intrigue, bonded pairs (aka Tethers), strong female relationships, and a main character who just wants to make a difference? Sign me up.

I genuinely enjoyed watching the story unfold. I could feel the work that went into creating this world that feels like nothing I have read before. I loved that the main characters are all older, as in 30+ years which is rare in the fantasy world. I loved that the tension, the slow burn, the growth of each character. I loved that none of the characters lost themselves.

Astra is a relatable character despite wielding magic in a fantastical world. She spent her life feeling misunderstood and alone in a world that wasn’t ready for her, overwhelmed with a power that everyone tried to stamp out of her. And despite all the hurdles, all the times she was made to feel small and foolish, she pushed through the pain and made a difference. And when she got pulled back into the world that quickly threw her out years before, she still made a deal to marry the Mecurian King if it meant continuing to better the world. Astra has my heart.

This story explored the complexities of family dynamics, both blood and found families. The relationships were well written, thoughtfully developed.

The relationship between Astra and Luxuros was a slow burn with bickering and yearning and everything in between. They went through all the varying stages of a developing romance and at no point did it feel rushed.

My only issue with Rift was the writing, it felt overworked at times. If my rating was solely based on story this would have been a quick and easy 5 star, but the writing left something to be desired. I think this could easily be fixed with an extra round of edits and a more critical eye to make the story flow a bit better. I will absolutely be following this series because there is no way I’m missing out on the rebellion.

*Rift* is a stunning romantasy filled with court intrigue, forbidden power, and a love that defies fate. Astra, a fierce Lunar demi-goddess, wants nothing to do with the throne—until she’s forced back into a world of political games, family betrayals, and an arranged marriage that entangles her with the brooding and secretive Luxuros.

The slow-burn romance is *everything*—full of banter, tension, and aching longing. The celestial world-building is lush and immersive, with moonlit forests, glittering courts, and powerful gods pulling the strings. And the twists? Absolutely devastating in the best way.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, fated mates with a twist, and high-stakes drama, *Rift* is an unmissable read.

Wow, wow, wow! The world building, the magic, the banter, the suspense! I ate this book up! I feel like this might be the next big thing! I absolutely loved this story so much!!

This book had me jumping up and down and screeching like a.....bog witch!

This was the slowest of slow burns! The yearning,the misery, the stolen touches!

It genuinely broke my heart at times and made me legitimately cry with sadness and eventually eventually joy!

Everything about this is perfect: the world is so fascinating and new, the magic is so cool, and the characters are dynamic and are fleshed out - I actually liked all of them, ALL OF THEM! their backgrounds, their personalities, the mystery and tension, everything was written so well!
You can really tell a lot of thought and love went into creating this world.

100% a five star read!
I cannot wait for the rest of the books in this series, novellas and otherwise!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Emrae Publishing and CB Woods for the ARC copy of this book.

When I saw the tension and yearning in this book had me CLAWING at my kindle, honestly. I’m a slow burn girlie and the burn was burning slowly (in a good way)

This is a great adventure, fantasy, magic, dragons, and the world building was perfect.

The FMC is relatable and strong and the banter is SO good.

I was a bit slow with the first 25% or so of the book but once I hit a certain point I just FLEW and devoured it in less than 2 days

I would like to thank NetGalley, Emrae Publishing and CB Woods for the ARC copy of this book.

Synopsis:
Astra, Princess of the Lunar Court is in exile because of her uncontrolled magic. Years later, her mother calls her back home when the courts are at the brink of war. She agrees to marriage of convenience to attempt to take control of her life and help her kingdom. Adventure ensues.

Rift was a fun adventure into a magical land. The dragons, magic, and unique world building got me interested. The complex family problems, court intrigue, and romance kept me hooked!

I enjoyed the various relationships that we encountered on Astra's journey; a complex mother/daughter who are at odds with another, sisterly bonds, and close friendships. The romance was well developed and interesting. Overall, this was a well paced story that I could not put down. I look forward to reading the next installment!

so grateful to have received an ARC of this book, it did not disappoint!! THE TENSION THE YEARNING ugh yes

the FMC, Astra, is so relatable and also just such a badass all at the same time. she’s trying to find her place in the world, make a difference, find love, navigate her CRAZY family dynamics, control her powers and intuition, and manage anxiety

the BANTER the TENSION the SLOW BURN between her and Lux is just everything - forbidden love AND fated mates done just so well. the spice is not overly descriptive or in your face, so if you are not a huge fan of spice, i feel like you would still love this world!

the world building was rather straight forward without having major info dump paragraphs which i loved, but it felt clunky at times in the beginning that felt confusing for a small percentage of the book. once i hit 30% it was smooth and so action packed that i finished the last 70% in one sitting

i love the astrological vibes, the characters, the dragons and the magic here so i can’t wait to see how these characters grow and continue on their journey

Rift by CB Woods is a thrilling, slow-burn romantasy that hooked me from the first page. The story follows Astra, a character whose development is as compelling as it is heart-wrenching. From the start, the tension between Astra and Lux builds slowly, creating the perfect enemies-to-lovers arc that’s so satisfying to watch unfold. Their dynamic is filled with suspense, emotion, and chemistry, and the slow-burn romance between them makes each moment feel earned.

The plot is a rollercoaster ride—full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The stakes are high, as Astra and her allies are revealed to be pawns in a larger game orchestrated by the gods, adding layers of intrigue and mystery to the story. The foreshadowing is subtle but well-placed, making it easy to anticipate certain events while still being blindsided by unexpected turns. Each twist kept me guessing, and I couldn’t put the book down.

The unique magic system is another standout element of Rift. It’s rich, intricate, and adds a fresh layer to the world-building. The way magic interacts with the characters and their growth is fascinating and gives the story a unique feel that sets it apart from other fantasy books.

The only downside? The agonizing wait until 2026 for the next book in the series. But even with that looming, I’m already eagerly anticipating the next installment. If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, divine intrigue, and complex world-building, Rift is a must-read.

Great from beginning to end. Such a great job from world building to the suspense, romance, drama. I’m already looking forward to the next one!

WOW! This book had me hooked from the first page! I absolutely loved the magic system in This and the plot/world building and romance per perfectly paced! I couldn’t fault this and I will definitely be pre ordering! I can’t wait to find out what happens next :)

Thank you for the Arc NetGalley