Every. Single. Book. I have read by LJ Andrew’s I have LOVED.

Broken Souls and Bones was no exception.

The representation in the book. The characters. The entire story and the world was just chefs kiss. I loved everything about this book and I am foaming at the mouth for book 2.

LJ has done it again! Broken Souls and Bones has such a unique world and magic system, and she does a great job of bringing all the pieces together in a conclusion that had my jaw on the floor. I absolutely loved the found family surrounding the main characters, as well as the unique cultural dynamics and world building. I’m afraid if I get started on how much I love Roark Ashwood I may not stop, but just know that he rivals my love for Erik Bloodsinger and Jonas Eriksson…and that is saying something. Lyra is a dynamic, relatable FMC and I was rooting for her the whole time. She loves fiercely and is ready to fight to the death for those she loves. The cliffhanger has me ready for more immediately!

3.5 ⭐️

Things that I liked about this book were the realm of the dead it was very interesting to read about it every time these scenes were in the book. Also I love the disability rep in this book. And the magic system was amazing.

This book had an excellent beginning and from the looks of it was painting to be an excellent enemies to lovers. But in the end it wasn’t. Almost right after the MCs met the guy was already very protective of this girl and in my opinion this doesn’t scream enemies to lovers at all.

The plot twist I saw it coming from miles away so it didn’t come as a surprise when everything was revealed.

The book reminded me a little of the book A fate inked in blood and with that ending the more so.

This one was so unique in the way Roark communicates because he signs and doesn't speak. And I absolutely LOVED that (I studied sign language in college for a bit, and it is such a beautiful language!) As the mom of 2 boys who use alternate communication skills, this was so amazing to read. *tap tap tap* This book will be in my heart forever. The magic system is so cool and unique, definitely outside the popular booktok tropes. And I ate this book UP. I can't wait for book two (lookin' at you LJ, my email is looking mighty lonely 😂)

And the absolute biggest thank you to @aubs_reads for sending this book in honor of Scotty and spreading sunshine. LJ's community has saved me in unexplainable ways in the last year, and I can't thank this community enough for being such a safe space. I love you all 💙

Okay, I think that's enough gushing for now 🙈

All Lyra wanted was to live a quiet life and avoid magic. Then Roark discovers her long kept secret and invades her village. In order to save her friends she is forced to reveal her abilities and is immediately take to be claimed by the magic obsessed king. She is to become the next melder a position that is both feared and revered but is honestly just a slow death sentence. Lyra must learn to control her magic and hope to find a way to free herself. Roark is assigned to be her personal guard and they continue to grow closer even though they should hate each other. there are secrets that threaten to tear them and the kingdom apart.

This is a great start to a new series. I loved all the characters and the found family aspect to it. The magic system in this book is super interesting and I enjoyed learning about it. The world and the characters are fun and complex. I can't wait to see what happens next.

LJ Andrews did it again!

The world building and magic system is so beautifully done, pulling on Nordic/Viking mythology but also making unique elements to this world.

I am a sucker for a Dual POV so I enjoyed being able to see both viewpoints for Lyra and Roark. The pain and tragedy they’ve experienced and how it fits into their intertwining story was so devastating.

The endingggggg!!! Cliffhanger warning ⚠️

I loved the concept of this as a fantasy! Having the sign language representation was amazing and loved the development throughout the book! The beginning of this is a little slow, but it is so important as it builds up the story that you're about to embark on with these characters.

This is an enemies to lovers, Captor/captive, forced proximity, slow burn, and so much more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC.

Y’all… if you love dark fantasy romance, Vikings, enemies to lovers, political intrigue, touch her and die, and a man who would burn the world down for his love get ready to fall (and crawl on your knees) for Roark.

He’s the mute sentry with three taps that’ll claim you as his and trust me, you’ll want to be claimed.

The world-building? Immaculate. The characters? unforgettable. The plot twists? Had my jaw on the floor I am unwell. I felt like a detective piecing it all together, and when my theory hit? I SCREAMED.

This is hands down one of my top reads of the year. And do yourself a favor: LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK. The narrators are so damn good, you’ll thank me later.

Oh my God this is my new favorite book! I could scream it from the rooftops (I literally read this on a rooftop and it took everything in me NOT to scream about it!). In this romantasy, Lyra Bien has been living her life in a quiet coastal town, in hiding from the King who wants to use the unique magic she has to build an unstoppable army. But a betrayal leads the Prince’s personal sentry, Roark, to find her and claim her as the King’s melder. But being the melder is no easy task, as the magic slowly drives the wielder mad. Lyra is determined to free herself, and finds a surprising ally in Roark, and together they work to find freedom.

I am obsessed with this book! It was such a unique magic system and plot. People can have magic - or craft - and will either have blood, bone, or soul craft. Melders are a unique type of magic user who possesses all three. I loved how this was explained throughout the story and it was done in a way that was engaging without just spoon feeding the reader. This story was also filled with a lot of mystery and intrigue! I was trying to make predictions and guesses the whole time about what was going on. It had me locked in and was so well paced! There was such a good blend of action, plot development, and character/relationship building. It really built up solidly until an epic conclusion!

The characters in this were SUPREME. Lyra was such a fascinating character and I loved how strong she was throughout. She is literally ripped from everything she knows and loves and still continues to work her hardest to protect those who need it. She also has a best friend who is a man and I just want to say THANK YOU to LJ for having this role not be a whiny love interest like they so often are. He was just a good friend and gave the platonic love and care she needed.

I will worship the group Roark walks on. That man is SO HOT. I loved the inclusion of his character not speaking verbally, but using hand gestures instead. His story was so intriguing and I loved getting to uncover more about his past through this story too.

This was a fantastic slow burn and EXACTLY what I am looking for when it comes to enemies to lovers! They have some kind of connection that is mentioned but they hate each other and have all this pent up anger before we really see them being attracted to each other. They keep feeling drawn to one another, but not romantically at first. Then they slowly begin to trust and fall for one another. God I love a well done slow burn like this! And once the burn happens it burns SO GOOD.

I listened to a lot of this one on audio and it was so well done! Lindsey Dorcus and Will Thorne both had excellent accents and were really captivating as narrators. Will’s voice was so scrumptious and I loved hearing his internal monologue and all the things he couldn’t verbally express to Lyra, but the reader still got to be aware of. There was one slight thing with Lindsey’s narrating that took getting used to for me, in that she spoke with an accent out loud, but had no accent when her character had internal thoughts. It threw me off a bit with the change between her thinking and speaking voices, but I got used to it quickly and enjoyed her performance otherwise!

I just have to reiterate again how much I loved this book! If you love Norse mythology, bodyguard romance, enemies to lovers, unique magic, and political intrigue, you are going to love this book!

Thank you Berkley and PRH audio for copies of this book!

“My soul was tethered to hers and I would slaughter anyone who tried to break it.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Forced Proximity x Enemies to Lovers
-Body Guard Trope
-Found Family ❤️‍🩹
-Sign Language & LGBTQ Rep
-You’re Mine x Touch her & Die
-Slow burn 🔥

Highly recommend for people who loved A Fate Inked In Blood or fans of The Last Kingdom.

For all my Viking Lovers, Broken Souls & Bones by @authorljandrews is for you! I was immediately hookedwhen the MMC Roark Ashwood is sent to hunt down the FMC Lyra for her magical abilities. Forced into the king’s service as his new and only Bone Welder, Lyra tries to ignore her feelings for Roark when he is assigned to be her guardian. The more the king forces Lyra to use her dark magic, the more it takes a toll on Lyra’s life & soul while drawling in their enemies. With the help of their friends Roark and Lyra must find a way to escape using her power further and with the help of their friends. The magic system in this book was so unique but I was so intrigued by it and invested in where Lyra’s journey would take her and was living for Roark’s POV. I was so sad to finish because I knew it was going to end on a cliffhanger being the first in a new series and those last 6 chapters really did a number on me 🤯 Thank you so much to @netgalley and @berkleypub for allowing me to review this ARC. Broken Souls & Bones is available now!

Broken Souls and Bones by LJ Andrews is an immersive and atmospheric read. The magic system is unique, the romance is swoony (um…and spicy), and the plot is twisty. If you like brooding MMCs, found family, enemies to lovers, and the beloved “touch her and die” trope, then this Viking-inspired novel needs to be on your radar. Oh and one more thing, Our MMC is non-speaking so he signs his sweet nothings against her cheek. He’s so good with his hands

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔.”
✧ I think I’d like to see yours ✧

📚 Broken Souls and Bones
✍️ L.J. Andrews
🏛️ PRH | 📅 APR 29, 2025
Book 1 in the Stonegate Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (obviously)

Once again, L.J. Andrews has kicked me directly in the heart and called it a plot. And I said “thank you.” Because THIS BOOK??? God tier. I’m not okay and I don’t want to be.

I was first introduced to LJ when I toured with BOMM (RIP to a real one 😭) for The Ever King, and when I say we collectively lost our minds over her storytelling, I mean we were obsessed. Every DM was just us screaming. Her worlds, her morally gray men, her unique magic systems, her banter—everything she writes just hits.

The magic system in this book, rad as hell. There are three crafts—soul, blood, and bone—and the fmc Lyra is a melded, a rare wielder of all three. She ends up kidnapped to serve a power-hungry king. And who’s in charge of her? None other than Roark, a brooding, non-verbal bodyguard who would rather be anywhere else. Their hatred is palpable. The tension? Off. The. Charts IYKYK

⚔️ I AM FERAL FOR THE BODYGUARD TROPE.
I will never emotionally recover.

Roark is such a standout MMC—not only is he a fierce protector with deep emotional layers, but he also brings beautiful non-verbal representation to the page, I LOVE TO SEE IT! He uses gestures and still somehow manages to serve god-tier banter and tension. HOW? Read it. You’ll get it.

(Also, thank you LJ for this amazing rep 🖤)


🌪️ Tropes I’d sell my soul for:
✨ Bodyguard
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Forbidden Romance
✨ Found Family
✨ “Touch her and be unalived”
✨ Viking energy
✨ Everyone’s morally gray
✨ Did I mention the bodyguard thing???

This is everything I want in a romantasy and more. Massive thanks to L.J. Andrews & PRH/ACE/BERKLEY for the SIGNED PHYSICAL ARC — I’m still crying. It’s my most prized possession and I will be buried with it. xoxo

I really wanted to enjoy this more. It took me forever to get to 50% when I finally started to get interested in really seeing our strong silent MMC Roark. We do love a silent possessive protector in a romantasy.

I think I just couldn’t get on board with our FMC Lyra. I thought she was weak when she could have been brave. In the end her lack of pushback in all the situations made more sense but dang it took forever to get there.

Thank you to NetGalley and ACE for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

📚ARC Review

✨Broken Souls and Bones by LJ Andrews✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🗓️April 29, 2025

Everyone knows I LOVE LJ’s work, so I was super excited to get this ARC. And it did not disappoint! Usually world building in fantasy books can be complex but LJ makes it easy to understand. I loved everything about this book from the characters to the banter to the twists and turns that had my jaw drop. Every time I see “tap tap tap” now, I’m like 🤭. This book was an excellent start to LJ’s new series and I can’t wait for the next book! If you like books that include forced proximity, enemies to lovers, touch her and 💀, secret identities, sign language rep, and magic, give this book a shot!

Thank you so much LJ and NetGalley for this ARC! Broken Souls and Bones is available now!

If LJ writes it, I read it. And I loved this book! It has everything you need for the perfect fantasy series….a captivating plot, immersive world building, a unique and cool magic system, the best found family, and of course a morally gray MMC. The angst and action were chef’s kiss and the twists and turns blew my mind! Prepare to enter the world of Stìgandr and meet your next book boyfriend, Roark 🖤.

LOVE LOVE LOVE anything LJ writes I will read it. Refreshing new story. Plus the magic so so freaking cool!

This one was not for me. It was too slow for me in both the plot and the romance. I loved the idea of the magic and the bone melding. I LOVED the non-speaking MMC who used a signing language and made that so sexy. I love how I couldn’t full tell who was the villain and the demon who seemed like the villain was actually someone you could root for. I did not like how slow the plot progressed and how there was all this perceived danger and urgency but it wasn’t full displayed while until you get bits and pieces. And the romance was way too slow for me. There is slow burn and then there is this. 75% until any action (a kiss!) in a book this long is just too long. I did like the drama that made the romance a bad idea, but by the end I wasn’t invested enough.

Broken Souls and Bones introduces a fascinating magic system with necromancy vibes. Like our main character, Lyra, we’re learning more about the craft as the story progresses.

What I loved:
The dual POV is fantastic, especially as Roark is trying to make sense of his new feelings that put him in a difficult position. I am so happy to see sign language rep in BSaB, and my heart hurt a little bit seeing how few people bothered to really learn how to communicate with Roark, and how special it was that Lyra picked it up so quickly.

The found family was fun, and we learn that all is not as it seems. Secrets are revealed, memories start to come back, and by the end, there are even more questions about what’s truly happening. I am eager to find out what happens next in book 2!

If you like vikings, unique magic systems, and bodyguard/forced proximity, then I think you’d enjoy this book!

What fell flat for me:
- The twist at the end had no breadcrumbs to even hint that it was going to happen, and felt like it came out of nowhere.
- I normally don't get caught up in plot holes, but Baldur's bone was bound to the king, so he should have known when he died and that the current Baldur was not who he said he was.

A Viking romantasy? Say no more. I love romance, I love Vikings, and I enjoyed LJ Andrews' Ever King series, so I admittedly had some higher expectations for this one. And while I was overall entertained, I don't think this book was memorable or unique in comparison other romantasies. I think I've read this story several different times in different books, and the characters felt cookie cutter. The magic system was cool, but I don't feel like I have a good grasp on it. A lot of things confused me, and I couldn't bother myself with trying to figure out the details.

I will say that I enjoyed the forbidden romance aspect, and the last couple chapters had me reeling with all the reveals. I think for these reasons I'll pick up the second book to see where the story goes.

Writing: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 3
Setting: 3
Emotional Impact: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Berkley, for the arc!

Content: several open door

LJ Andrews does it again! There’s a reason she’s an auto-buy author for me. From the first page to the last, I couldn’t get enough. The characters are incredible, the world building is *chefs kiss*, the magic system is so intriguing and the romance had me melting. Be prepared to laugh, swoon, and pace the floor while urging your eyes to read faster when you get your hands on this book! So many things at the end had my mind reeling and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Roark Ashwood is here to stake his claim in the running for LJ’s most loved mmc and I’m here for it!

Thank you so much for the ARC LJ Andrews, Netgalley, and Berkley 🖤 This book was amazing and I’m so thankful.