Between Tides & Thunder: The new, dangerously addictive standalone romantasy that has readers obsessed

M. Rose

What a STORY

"✨Between Tides and Thunder✨ Man, that hurt! And I knew it would hurt because she said it would and all the reviews confirmed it. And they were all right! And equally correct in that it was ALL 👏 WORTH 👏 IT 👏. I read this in 24 hrs because I HAD to know how it could possibly end in our HEA lovers’ favor. In BTAT, we follow a singular POV from our FMC, Mayah, who is our compassionate, healer princess afraid of storms and being sold off to the neighboring warring country in hopes for peace. When her betrothed sends his brother in his place to escort her to his country, Mayah finds herself face to face with the Dark Commander, aka the lord of storms, aka the murderer of her people, aka Zev. It is on this difficult and perilous journey back that a romance begins to blossom. One that is just to DIE FOR. But, y’all, there are secrets and political intrigue and hidden powers and sooooo much action and mystery that abounds and is revealed throughout these pages. Not to mention a surprise for our arranged marriage- in the best way! We experience heartbreak, betrayal, comfort, loss, support, feeling seen, and desperation: to love, to be loved, to carry that love even when it might not be returned. I knew by 50% that I was in for a heartbreak when I felt like things were moving so beautifully and WHOA DID LEENA ROCK MY WORLD. I did NOT expect those reveals and my temper had me HOLLERING at Mayah to open her eyes and get with the broody, thunderous program. 🤣 But she tied it all up with such a feral, passionate bow that I forgive her. 😘 …and I can’t wait to read more from her. Tropes you may find in BTAT are forced proximity, arranged marriage, plot twists, broody thunder daddy, soft for only her, wound tending/comfort, “eyes on me”, he falls first, betrayal, hidden powers, plot twists, action-packed, low spice (open door but minimally descriptive, focus on emotions), and a HARD EARNED HEA. ["

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March 31, 2026 Verified Purchase

Spencer

Five star standalone read!

"I went into Between Tides & Thunder by Leena Kazak not knowing what to expect—and wow, I was completely hooked from the very first pages. This was my first time reading her work, and it absolutely will not be my last. This book is fast-paced in the best way. I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and suddenly I was deep into the story, completely unable to put it down. The world building is rich without being overwhelming, and the elemental magic system is so creatively done. The way the elements are used—especially in battle—felt fresh, clever, and genuinely exciting to read. And the characters… Zev and Mayah have my entire heart. Zev’s protectiveness and the way he falls—fast, fiercely, and without hesitation—was everything. Watching their relationship evolve from true enemies to something deeper was so satisfying. The tension, the banter, the emotional pull—it all felt so earned. But Mayah? She truly shines. Her fierce loyalty to her people and her deeply compassionate, healing heart make her such a powerful and admirable heroine. She carries so much strength, not just in battle, but in the way she cares, protects, and continues to choose others even when it costs her. That balance of softness and resilience made me love her even more, and it added so much emotional depth to the story. This is real enemies to lovers, with an arranged marriage layered in, and a slow burn that pays off beautifully. While the spice is lighter for most of the book, it builds in a way that feels natural to the story, and when it finally hits, it hits perfectly. But honestly, the emotional connection and intensity between these two carried everything. The second half of this book completely took me out. The twists had me genuinely shocked—I had to stop and process more than once. And the way everything ties together at the end? Absolutely seamless. It’s one of those endings where you just sit there like… yeah, that was done right. What really stood out to me is how complete this story feels. You get the romance, the action, the magic, the tension, the payoff—and it’s all wrapped up in a standalone, which is so refreshing. If you love: • enemies to lovers • arranged marriage • slow burn romance • elemental magic • high-stakes battles • emotionally rich, character-driven stories …this book delivers on all of it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ without hesitation. ["

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March 31, 2026 Verified Purchase

Monica Caro

2.5-3 stars

"Rounding up here because this suffers from my least favorite structural problem within a book but it’s so difficult to find a standalone these days. I despise deliberate misdirection by writers for the sake of a plot twist— most especially when the book is told in first person point of view. At best, it’s lazy writing and at worst it means the author didn’t know how to actually lay the ground work or set up a situation properly. This also contributed to the entirety of the book feeling very YA, from character dialogue to the basic plot and lackluster spice after quite the buildup... ["

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May 6, 2026 Verified Purchase

Janelle

it’s a good read

"I’m barely starting to read book and this one was the second book that I read and surprisingly I liked it. It’s for sure a slow burn book and it’s very cute. It would be a book I would recommend if you want to read a good easy slow burn book with drama. ["

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May 19, 2026 Verified Purchase

Patched

I'M OBSESSED!!!

"I can't even BEGIN to tell you how badly this standalone romantasy destroyed me. From the slow burn to the unique magic, to the tension and emotional depth, this book delivers a powerful journey of love, loyalty, and choice. I shed a few tears at the start thinking that'll be it, but I was straight up SOBBING from the 60% mark up until the end. It was so intense!!! I was truly suffering with the characters & easily connected with them. I love Zev and Mayah so much, and even the side characters are great. I felt like I was on the receiving end of everything that was happening to them and I'm afraid my feelings will never recover 😭💔 I'm utterly destroyed. My husband knows it, he had to ask me what's wrong after he caught me sobbing my eyes out 😭😭😭 With that said, it's truly a testament to Leena Kazak's writing! I was so immersed in the story and could not put it down, could not stop thinking about it. I feel like this book will stay with me for a long time 💙 I appreciate that it's a standalone, but I can't help but wish for more!!! This book is out everywhere NOW! No notes, no crumbs, it's absolute perfection. 5 stars all around! Please check it out! 💙 #betweentidesandthunder #irisinfluencersociety #romantasybooks #indieauthorsupport #indieromantasy ["

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May 1, 2026 Verified Purchase