3.5/5

"Enchantra" follows Genevieve, sister of Ophelia from "Phantasma" as she travels to Italy and accidentally enters a deadly game, or "hunt", with siblings who have been tied to the hunt for eternity where the loser must serve the devil in Hell.

The games were cool, some characters were hilarious, buuuuut the insta-love was a bit icky and Genevieve was childish and insufferable at times. It is marriage of convenience but goodness. I enjoyed "Phantasma" more.

The narrator for the audio book, Laura Horowitz, did an amazing job. She channeled each character well and kept the journey fun.

Thank you NetGalley, Second Sky Books, and Bookouture Audio for providing me with this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025. I am so honored to have been able to read this early. I think this author has a great formula for writing stories about wicked games and swoon worth book boyfriends.

While I felt a deeper connection to the character Ophelia in Phantasma due to my struggles with OCD, I really enjoyed reading Genevieve's story at Enchantra and being introduced to the Silver family. At first it was a lot of characters to keep track of but I quickly was able to get to know their different personalities. I am hoping to see more of these characters in future books and get the answers to some open ended questions.

Here are the things I loved most about this book:
-I really enjoyed the familiar's and thought that was a unique spin on the paranormal beings in this world.
-The forced/arranged marriage trope
-Rowin and Genevieve getting to know each other through two truths and a lie.
-A good amount of spice
-A large cast of characters
-Genevieve's journey to find a purpose and watching her growth in the story.

The audiobook narrator was great. Her voice was very clear and easy to listen to.

I look forward to reading more books from this author. I would give this a 4.5/5 stars due to my stronger connection to book one and those characters and a 2.5/5 on the spice scale.

I am still in shock that NetGalley and Second Sky Books selected me for an advanced copy of Enchantra to review! Thank you so incredibly much!

This series has been so fun. I may have even liked this book better than Phantasma. I enjoyed that we got a little bit of Ophelia and Salem towards the end of course.

The different game this round was a neat concept. Vivy is so incredibly stubborn, but that made for a good time. I enjoy that everything comes at a cost whether it be healing Vivy or saving the fox from the deadly fish. Everything truly came together at the end, and I’m a sucker for a good epilogue.

I think I’m really beginning to love the marriage of convenience trope as well as a found family.

I seriously cannot wait for book 3!

#Enchantra #NetGalley

A demonic and spicy game of Hide & Seek awaits you in Book 2 of Wicked Games. While you could read this as a standalone, it would be best in order. Enchantra was a fun ride with Genevieve, our sunshine FMC alongside a diverse cast of characters.

Tropes:
💍Fake Relationship
💞Enemies to Lovers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Dysfunctional Family
⚔️Trials/Games
🌞Sunshine FMC / Morally Grey MMC
🌶️🌶️ Spicy

AudioBook:
Narrator: Laura Horowitz
Length (it's pierced, you're welcome😜): 11 Hours 57 minutes default
Same narrator from Book 1 - Adore her! She does the different voices so well and has the perfect amount of sass for me. Laura gives me Megara vibes - forever a fan.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, Second Sky Books and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

“Does that mean there are strings now?” “As many as you want Mrs silver. And tie them down as tight as you want” 🥹🥹🥹

Ughhh my heart ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹

I wasn’t sure how this would keep along the same vibes as phantasma with a “game” of some sort but it was so good!

Rowan🥹🥵😭 poor tortured soul but a romantic possessive shadow daddy! Say less!

I love getting to see a deep dive into Genevieve and her personality, thoughts, trauma, and life that we missed but was hinted at in book one.

I'm not going to lie, this had a bit of a slower start than Phantasma, but I actually liked the plot of this better. The idea of siblings trapped and hunting one another in a house was absolutely wild.

I remember seeing that Laura Horowitz has won an award for her narration of Phantasma, and I sure hope she'll receive even more for this sequel, because she outdid herself!

Compared to Phantasma, Enchantra sadly fell flat for me!
I was kindly gifted an ALC by the publisher and NetGalley and, although the narration was excellent the storyline just didn’t grip me in the same way Phantasma would.

Enchantra follow’s Genevieve, Ophelia’s sister from the first Wicked Games book, who finds herself in an unexpected marriage of survival situation and another set of deadly games.

Unfortunately, I found the chemistry between the FMC and MMC in this book lacking and the games weren’t as exciting as those in Phantasma. However, I did enjoy the found family aspect and I am intrigued by the Silver siblings.

If it wasn’t for the final chapter of the book intriguing me about the continuation of the series and where the storyline may go, I don’t think I would have picked up the next book in the series, which I’m sad to say because I really enjoyed Phantasma!

ARC Review

Enchantra
By Kaylie Smith
Publish date: April 8, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much @secondskybooks for sending me the ALC copy to listen too and review. I screamed when I saw I was auto-selected for this amazing book as I loved Phantasma so much!!

This is book 2 of the wicked games and follows Ophelia Grims sister Genevieve Grim after the Phantasma games as she enters Enchantra and back into the world of death and games.

I was so excited so see that Genevieve was getting her time to shine. I loved getting to know her more and see how vulnerable she is throughout. Her sass had me laughing constantly. The marriage of convenience was chef kiss perfect with the tension and spice.

Rowin was 🤤🥵 rude, mysterious, drool worthy and perfect match for Genevieve.

The games were so much fun!! Each round was full of mystery and suspense.

The narration was done so well where you could tell the different between the characters even though there was only one narrator.

Kaylie has a way of keeping you captivated throughout the book. I just ate this book up and it left me wanting more.

That ending with the twist threw me off and left me surprised! I need book 3 ASAP.

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Kaylie Smith and Bookouture Audio for allowing me the chance to listen to this book ahead of release day! This book had everything I would want in my romantasy book! It gave me tension, banter, magical beings, annoying siblings and an over protective MMC any girl can swoon over. Enchantra had a lot to live up to with the hype and Phantasma. But this book lived up to all of it. Genevieve meeting Rowin and Rowin’s family was beyond extremely entertaining. The understanding that Genevieve went out to go find herself even in the most controversial way possible was something I could connect with. The games that had to be played within the siblings were atrocious. Understandably, as the games were held by the devil himself, Knox. To be able to listen through Rowin go from not caring about Genevieve to her being his entire world is beyond swoonworthy. Genevieve didn’t make it easy of course wit( her sass and wit but Rowin sees through all of that just as she sees through his hard exterior. This book does end of a cliffhanger which only makes me want to (impatiently) wait for book 3 in the series!

Right now, in this moment, all I can say is WOW!

Laura Horowitz nailed the narration of this book. The characters all had a voice (which is a must), the flow was contagious and I was constantly itching for what to come next.

I am so happy that Genevieve got herself her own book with her own Wicked Game adventure. While we didn't get much of her first Wicked Game in Phantasma, this adventure tested who she was or (becoming) and the importance of family.

There was so much banter and loathing, enemies to lovers plus touch her and d!e, which is my favorite tropes. The FMC really proves who she is in this story and what she will overcome to find out more to the story of her mother Tessie.

Genevieve knows not to bargain with the devil, but will she to find the truth?

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Before you, I was going to spend my eternity alone, in the darkest parts of Hell. I’d much rather spend a single lifetime in your light. Or, at least, for however long you’ll have me.”

Enchantra is the second installment in the Wicked Games series. Just like the first book, I absolutely devoured this in one sitting. I have zero regrets about any of this because it was that good. This statement alone amazes me because I didn't like Genevieve one bit in the first book. So, it was a nice surprise to end up liking her in this one. It's probably due to Rowin if I'm being honest.

Okay, if you have read the first book, Phantasma, then you know who Genevieve and Rowin are. If not, it's okay. I might judge you, but it's fine. Anyways, these two work together in the games. Each round, in a way, brought them a little bit closer together. Sure, romance was in the air, but that's to be expected when you get married. Even if it was supposed to be "fake," I knew it wasn't going to stay that way for long.

Out of the two, Rowin was definitely my favorite. He's our friendly little shadow guy who can be completely terrifying and overprotective when needed. It's just that, I mean, well... he could be a better communicator. I get why he wasn't, but when these two would get closer just to push each other away constantly, it annoyed me. We all knew he was keeping secrets, and I just needed things to get better for them both.

I also really enjoyed the family reunion at the end. Ophelia getting mad at Genevieve was just so realistic for a sibling relationship. I'm also really happy with how it all ended. I had a feeling about how she and Rowin would get reunited again. There was no way it was going to end with them not seeing each other like that.

Now I just have to figure out how to patiently wait for the next book to come out.

NOTE: While you can read this book as a standalone (without reading book 1), there are slight spoilers about Phantasma woven into this book. Do not continue reading if you do not wish to see spoilers.

If you loved Phantasma...just you wait for Enchantra!!! Can you fall in love with someone you met only a few days ago? Shoot, if Love is Blind cast members can do it...so can Genevieve and Rowin!

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Since then, I've been trying to find some kind of light in the darkness of what happened, but I think I maybe the light will never be in my reach and I need to accept that." -Genevieve

"The light isn't something you need to chase, Genevieve. The light is wherever you are." -Rowin

"You've ruined me. All I've ever wanted was freedom from this wretched game and I didn't even hesitate for a second to give it up...I'm convinced you were made by the king of devils himself to torture me for my sins." -Rowin

"Shadows can only be seen in the presence of light." -Rowin

"You're my favorite f*cking flavor." -Rowin

After Genevieve Grimm's mother is killed, she goes looking for answers. She receives a letter to Enchantra and Rowin Silver greets her at the door. Set on a beautiful and enchanted Italian estate with a hedge maze, Genevieve finds herself in a marriage of convenience with Rowin. She is a sassy/feisty, plus-size FMC and he's a brooding shadow daddy (he's literally a shadow wraith). They are forced to enter a deadly game of hide and seek with all six of Rowin's cursed siblings. They are ruthless and the games get spicy. This is important to people - there are also animal companions/familiars (and although one gets hurt, they survive).

Tropes or things you might be interested in:
🗡forced marriage/fake dating
🗡loathe to love/enemies-to-lovers
🗡touch her and die
🗡dysfunctional family/family curse
🗡found family
🗡healing from previous traumatic relationship
🗡amnesia
🗡he's large and pierced "down there"
🗡he calls her "Trouble"
🗡"my wife"

CONTENT WARNINGS
Per the author's website: This book contains lots of blood, death, drugs, heavy alcohol use, light gore, and explicit sexual content that includes magically-induced horniness. There is a brief scene that depicts on-page withdrawn consent that is not immediately acknowledged and may be triggering for some and is explicitly recognized as assault by the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio | Second Sky for the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Listener's Copy (ALC) in exchange for my honest opinon/review.

P.S. I'm calling it now that the next book is probably something like Nocterna (something to do with Nox) or Demonica!

I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the advanced audiobook of Enchantra.

I've been super excited for the next book in the Wicked Games series since finishing Phantasma. I've absolutely fallen in love with the world and characters Kaylie Smith has created. It is an instant 5 star read for me- especially with the way the narrator potrayed all the different characters.

I was curious to see how the author would give us the same compelling story in a different environment. She absolutely nailed it! This story brought the same mystery and excitement from Phantasma but in an amazingly different way.

We met Genevieve Grimm in the previous story. She feels lost after Ophelia took over as head of the family, but to her being different (not a necromancer) and is looking to find her place in life. After writing some correspondence to an old friend of her mother's (under the guise that she's her mother) Genevieve is invited to their grand mansion in Italy. Little does she know that's where the trouble begins.

Let me just start with Genevieve, she’s got female friendships, personality, curves, confidence, a stubborn streak, a messed up backstory, likes a party. This shines through in all her actions and interactions during this book.

As the synopsis says: "She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake." She finds herself in the middle of a game when she turns up earlier than expected.

A game of hide and seek where only one can win- and the competitors? The children of the owner of the mansion. The only way for her to compete and potentially win? A marriage of convenience with Rowin Silver- tall, dark, and exceptionally rude.

The problem? Rowin is keeping secrets, some that are potentially detrimental to Genevieve. Leading her to be trapped in not only the dangerous game of Entchantra, but one where Rowin is playing with her heart.

I am super excited to see what comes next in the Wicked Games series especially after being introduced to all of Rowin's siblings.

Rating: 4.25
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Laura Horowitz (LH is a fantastic narrator for all characters! Same author as book 1 too.)

What I liked:
-Better romance than book 1
-Great banter between Genevieve and Rowin
-More deadly games!

What to expect when you read Enchantra:
-Curvy FMC representation
-Shaddow daddy
-Found family
-Marriage of convenience / fake dating
-Touch her and die vibes

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books for an ALC of this title!

I loved every minute of this audiobook. Genevieve was a fabulous FMC, I loved that she is not just curvy but full of confidence. The plot was solid and I loved the banter between Genevieve and Rowin and between his siblings. The author writes a great spicy scene, but I would have loved to see at least one more! Overall, I think if you loved Phantasma you will definitely love this. Personally I prefer Enchantra because Genevieve and Rowin were, in my opinion, stronger main characters.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the gifted ALC!

I have seen nothing but glowing reviews for this book and it makes me feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else? The formula was largely the same as Phantasma's (and I LOVED that book) but this one just didn't deliver for me. I wasn't into the game aspect at all.

I also had a really hard time with Genevieve. As a character she felt very contradictory and naive, but damn it if you were gonna treat her that way.

The story did get a tiny bit of redemption at the end for an unexpected twist. Considering how long the rest of the book was, though, it wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking, and left something to be desired. Nevertheless, I'm fairly certain the series will continue, and I'll continue to read it.

Enchantra pub date is April 8.

Oh my goodness okay, so where do I even begin?! If I could rate this higher than 5 stars, I would do so in a heartbeat, for Kaylie Smith has just gone and knocked it out of the park yet again!

In all honesty, I think I preferred this to Phantasma; when I heard we were getting a Book 2 with Genevive as the main character, I was trying to avoid pre-reading as much information about the plot as possible, but my pre-construction notion was that it might have just been Phantasma but from her POV. This story is set after the games of Phantasma when Genevive accepts an invitation to a house in the Italian countryside in the hopes of finding out more truths about her mother and introduces an entirely new game, new sets of characters, and delightful dynamics and twists. From the moment I hit play I was completely addicted and on the edge of my seat with every new round of The Hunt.

I hope this isn’t the last time we get to encounter the Silver family, I would love to know so much more about several of the siblings (in Book 3 perhaps??) - the banter and complex relationships they have with each other, both in and out of The Hunt was incredibly intriguing, and it would be super interesting to see what they all get up to after the end of the story

Nearly screamed in excitement when I saw I had been approved for an advance copy of the Audiobook - Laura Horowitz was truly phenomenal in Phantasma, and just as brilliant in Enchantra. Her pacing was perfect, and the way in which she created a distinct and unique voice for each character, both female and male, only helped to bring me further into the world.

Kaylie Smith has such a beautiful writing style, and her ability to craft such a unique setting and plot is just unparalleled. I was already incredibly excited for the release of this book, but it has officially taken the number one spot of 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Oh, this book was IT. From the very first chapter to the last, I was completely HOOKED. When Genevieve Grimm receives a mysterious letter (addressed to her mother) inviting her to an enigmatic place in Italy, she goes, hoping to uncover more about her past. What she doesn’t know is that this decision will completely change her life.

Upon arriving, Rowin 🤪tells her she must leave and never return, but she sneaks in anyway. Once inside, she realizes the grave mistake she’s made: she’s entered a dangerous competition, a twisted game that feels like hide and seek, where only one can win. To survive, she must join the hunt. The catch? She has to form a courtship with Rowin, as lovers play as pairs 🤭. As the story unfolds, their bond intensifies…

I won’t spoil too much, but this was such a fun, unique read. The hunt kept me on the edge of my seat, and the Silver family was everything, I’m dying to know more about each of them. The chemistry between Genevieve and Rowin was off the charts, and I loved how protective he was of her. But honestly, I just adored how much of a badass Genevieve is. She’s one of my favorite FMCs, strong, independent, and fully confident in herself. This book had a little bit of everything, and I loved every moment of it.

-enemies to lovers (kinda)
-forced proximity
-fake dating
-crazy competition

thank you to the publisher for the audiobook, the narration and the story was exceptional!

“Shadows can only be seen in the presence of light. I worry when you leave there will be no one left to see me.”

I loved this even more than Phantasma! Other than knowing it was Ophelia’s sister from book 1, I went in pretty blind. This book follows Genevieve and Rowin and takes place after the events of Phantasma. Like book 1, Enchantra centers around a deadly game where Genevieve is literally fighting for her life. Sprinkle in some fake dating and forced proximity and this ticks off so many boxes for me. FWIW, one is more slow burn than Phantasma which I prefer.

While it isn’t absolutely necessary to read book 1, I would highly recommend since there are references to that book and the characters in them. They do make some cameos as well.

I listened to the audiobook for Phantasma and was lucky enough to get an ALC for the audiobook of Enchantra. If you like audiobooks, def check these out. Laura Horowitz does a great job with both.

Thank you so much for NetGalley and Kaylie Smith’s team at Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books for the ALC.

I listened to the audio and enjoyed it. The book was fantastic, the games were fun to listen to and the fox named umbra had my heart.(I just kept picturing umbreon from Pokémon). The spice was good, and the characters very well developed. I enjoyed listening to the different voices the audio narrator made with the demons in hell especially. I only wish there was a male narrator to help some of the guy parts. Over all looking forward to the third book