What Sleeps Within the Cove

Of Flesh & Bone #4

by Harper L. Woods, Ava Lucas (Narrator), Liam DiCosimo (Narrator)

From New York Times bestselling author Harper L. Woods comes a brand new, highly anticipated novel in her Of Flesh & Bone series, What Sleeps Within the Cove.

Once, I bartered my soul for my mate.

Offering Mab my bound allegiance was the only way to save Caldris’s life—the only bargain I could make to keep us both from the Void. After cruelly murdering the King of Summer, her own brother, Mab became unhinged and there was no telling what she would do. Caldris is safe for now because of my sacrifice, but at a cost. Queen Mab only wants one thing from me.

Then, I was banished to Tartarus, from where few ever return.

Mab has demanded a tribute—a snake from the crown of Medusa. Navigating through the horrors of Tartarus, I must pass the Trials of the Five Rivers to prove my worth to the primordials and steal the unthinkable. All without my magic.

Now, I must embrace my darkness, my past.

To survive, I must discover who I am—who I’m fated to be. Human, and Fae, and something … other. Embracing all the sides of magic, light and dark, is the only way to escape Tartarus and get back to Caldris. I will save him, the Fae, and the humans from Mab.

Even if it kills me.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Fae, Dark Romance, Audiobook

15 pages, Audible Audio

First published May 13, 2025

About the author

Harper L Woods A pseudonym used by Adelaide Forrest. Harper L. Woods is the fantasy romance pen name for USA Today Bestselling dark romance author.

Reviews

[Kiara McGowen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can we talk about the fact that this author published chapters on their Patreon? There are barely any updates about the book's release date, but somehow, they have about 46 chapters of the book up on a platform that requires monthly payment. Like, I mean, get your bag, but it seems gross to me to post full chapters of a book people have been waiting for. Rather than, I don't know, waiting and publishing the book. I'm unsure if I'm in the wrong for voicing this, or if authors are doing this now, but it just seems like a gross cash grab to me. I've been waiting for this work, and paying monthly just to keep reading it would cost more than just buying the book at this point since it's 25 or 30 dollars a month.

[Kristy Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need October to get here already! Or I need an ARC so that I can sleep knowing what happens next. Book 3’s ending has given me a complete anxiety attack! I’m not ok 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally still getting over the end of book 3. I need this one ASAP. I need my babies to have a happy ending!

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The delays in releasing this really removed a lot of the momentum for me. I found that the tension and danger were lost while they’re in a different setting. there’s also no romantic tension at this point in the series which is such a detriment.

I loved finally getting answers about Estrella’s bloodline (even though it was very predictable). Caldris is a possessive and obsessive simp still.

I just don’t feel as invested in this series as I used to.

Thank you Bramble/Tor for the arc!

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally don’t rate/write reviews prior to the book being released but after finding this author’s instagram I’m upset and disappointed. I truly think this won’t be published at this point seeing that she has hardly communicated the barriers to getting this book published but is still posting chapters to Patreon and is actively working on other projects. I remember really liking this story but at this point I will have to do a reread before the 4th book comes out (if it comes out). I’m also seeing this is going to be a 6 book series?! So I can expect to finish this after 2030? Rant over I guess.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, unimaginative, and repetitive. So, so repetitive.

The trials were lazy. Must every romantasy's FMC be required to complete some stupid trials??

Yet again, Estrella is the Chosen One because...she just is. She believes in herself! Oh wait she doesn't. No no, she definitely does! Nah, she can't accept herself. Get a grip.

I just hate how much the author wants us to believe that Estrella is a badass heroine. She's just so strong and such a shining feminist! Yet she can't function without Caldris' dick. Of course he's a feminist ally because he constantly tells her he doesn't need to receive oral sex, only she deserves that. As if respecting women simply boils down to occasionally forgoing getting your dick sucked. What a real team player he is. And because we needed further confirmation of Caldris truly not being a feminist, of course he spends significant time trying to sneak into Tartarus to "help" Estrella. Good sir, you are useless. Everyone knows that. Keep away please!

Also, they complete the mating bond in front of her mother? Medusa telling everyone to clear the room so the daughter she met yesterday can get it on with Caldris? It's just tacky and embarrassing. Nothing screams sexiness like mom giving you a wink before you get fucked.

On the Medusa line of thought, when the hell was Greek mythology a part of the prior three books? Am I even reading the same series? Four books in and the author is adding a whole Greek myth layer to the world. Did the publisher just want to cash in on the Greek myth retelling trend?

Sadly, I will not be continuing with this series. The first two books were sexy and fun, but the rest of the series is just a drag. I don't care what happens. The characters don't feel the same. They've just regressed into annoying caricatures.

I want my time back from reading this. Ugh.


Rating system:
1 star: the absolute worst and potentially DNF
2 stars: did not like and forgettable
3 stars: casually liked, not unique, and probably forgettable
4 stars: really liked, might reread
5 stars: phenomenal, will reread, will continue to think about

[Cassandra]

I am both THRILLED AND SAD. YAY FOR MORE BUT LEAVE MY FAVES ALONE

[Alice Harker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why in the world would you stretch a book into six books when the story could have been better told in 3-4 books

[Bookish Equestrian {hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot happens and yet the story doesn’t progress at all…
_____

This book dragged me through Tartarus—literally—and emotionally, I’m not sure I made it out. Estrella, having already sacrificed just about everything short of her favorite mug, gets yeeted into the Greek underworld to steal a snake from Medusa’s crown. Why? Because love, obviously. Caldris, her extremely broody fae soulmate, is still recovering from the end of book three, so Estrella takes matters into her own hands. The catch? She has to complete the Trials of the Five Rivers (yes, those rivers—Lethe, Styx, etc.) without her powers. It’s all very intense, very mythological, and sometimes very exhausting.

I liked the concept. The fusion of fae lore with Greek mythology was genuinely cool, and I appreciated that the trials weren’t just physical challenges but deep emotional reckonings. Estrella confronting her grief, fear, and identity through the rivers was a clever narrative device, even if by the third one I started wondering if I, too, was losing my will to continue. The prose is moody and atmospheric—think emotional fog with occasional sharp poetic daggers—and Caldris’s chapters added some much-needed soul to balance Estrella’s spiraling. That said, the pacing dragged. Each trial started to feel a bit formulaic, and I wish the side characters had a little more presence beyond being dreamlike or vaguely threatening. Also, the cryptic god-tier dialogue from beings like Khaos and the Morrigan sometimes veered into parody—if I had a dollar for every vague prophecy, I could fund my own underworld quest.

By the end, there’s payoff, sure—emotional closure, a deeper connection between Estrella and Caldris, and the promise of healing—but I wouldn’t call it a satisfying adventure so much as an emotionally symbolic trudge through magical trauma. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, but I did feel it—deeply. If you like your fantasy soul-heavy and your romance drenched in existential dread, this might be your thing. For me, it was a solid middle-of-the-road read with some standout moments and a lot of emotional weight, but I just wanted it to move.

[Cece ❀Rants, Raves &Reviews❀]

I just gotta know how it ends

[Marjorie]

Expected release date of August, then October and now NOVEMBER! And google says December and Amazon says January. UGH. Come on I need this book :(

[Alex Holben · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 89% 🫣
I simply refuse to torture myself any longer. This series should have been a trilogy. Ugh. What a disappointment.

[༻rach༺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly can’t think of another book I read this slowly. This was soooooo disappointing. I honestly should have just dnf’d but I really don’t like doing that. I loved this series, and I had been waiting for this book for so long with it getting delayed. I enjoyed the journey to Tartarus and watching Estrella figure out who she is but this was boring. There were no high stakes like in the other books, the romance was lacking, the spice was predictable, there was no longing. This book was a filler and a boring one at that. I’m so disappointed with this, there were some parts I liked about this like the familiars and the perspective into Estrella’s upbringing but overall it was just massively disappointing.

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book never should have existed. It should have been a trilogy and is clearly just a money grab at this point. Sadly, it reads like a money grab as well. There is little to no movement in this book and it just felt like poorly-timed filler. It's sad because I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but at this point, I'll have to wait for the series to be done and see if it's worth slogging through the filler to get to the good parts of the story.

[Alondra Taliaferro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another filler book…yay…nothing significant happens and it ends with another cliffhanger

[Abigail | Pages in the Passenger Seat]

Hey I'm confused, Goodreads keeps giving me notifications about Book 4, but it also says this has (yet again) been pushed back to August 2025??? Can someone tell me if that's right? Because if so, then why do I keep getting notifications about it?

[Kristen Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

"If you love Rhysand you'll love this book" no a court of thorns and roses will not help this book series. Nice try.

[SAMANTHA. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨.

I am currently grieving… and will forever be grieving (at least until What Roams Beneath the Stars drops 😉). That ending? Absolutely wild. 🫣😬🥴

Gah! I adore Caldris and Estrella — it felt warm, cozy, and a little magical to be with them again. 🥰 What Sleeps Within the Cove was a beautifully crafted adventure — a journey of growth, healing, and rediscovery for Estrella. It felt intentional and thoughtfully paced, and I loved walking alongside her through it all.

We meet some new “friends” (emphasis on the quotation marks 😅) and reunite with familiar faces too. We’re warned not to trust too easily… and still, I was duped. 😂🫣 The familial dynamics were a highlight for me — I always appreciate ‘parental’ involvement in fantasy stories, since so often it’s just a bunch of 18-year-olds out here saving the world solo. I also really liked the mythology woven throughout, it felt smooth. Mab, of course, has lost her entire mind… but what else is new with that crazy woman? 🤷🏽‍♀️

This was such a solid, emotional, and satisfying read. I laughed, I wiped away tears, and I loved every step of the journey.

[jess.readstoomuch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder Books and Harper L. Woods for the ARC.

"Go back to where it all began..."

I am extremely sad. I hate writing less than positive reviews, especially when I've been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read a book early. But this book wasn't it.

This series should've just been a trilogy. There, I said it. This book had minimal movement, the pacing was off and it just didn't flow. It reads like a filler book which I guess is what it is now that the series has been extended to 6 books.

It was nice to read about Estrella's past, even if it was pretty predictable, and how she has grown into herself more. And don't get me wrong, this book had one hell of an ending but it was the journey to that ending that makes me give this book 2.5 stars.

The first book was my absolute favourite. Book two was pretty good as well. The third was good too but when I read the ending I knew this series was going to drag out. I hope I don't have to slog through another filler book before finally getting an ending to this story.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly kind of mad. I finished it but boy it was a slog. First 1 star review and also the first time I think I actually don’t care about finding out what happens to the characters. I’m going to put this series to bed and call it a day.

Trying to think of something good to say but I don’t think I can.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Mab sends her on a mission to the depths of tartarus, Estrella must face a set of trials to prove her worth and gather a serpent from Medusa’s crown if she wants to escape alive. But things are not what they seem as on her journey she uncovers many truths that were kept about her origins, her identity and her magic.

In this book, we have character growth from Estrella’s character as she is confronted with her past and her decisions. We not only learn her nature but the role she must play in the world and at the hands of the fates as well as the identity of her parents.

The world building is stronger in this book, as we learn more about the primordials, the gods and their roles.
I love books with well crafted world buildings and this installment showed me glimpses of a great one.

The bond between Caldris and Estrella is getting stronger and stronger, (there’s still a lot of spicy scenes in this one) and I feel like they could achieve a lot together, but that cliffhanger of an ending was so frustrating, I don’t know what to think.

I feel like this series is getting better as you read it and I can’t wait to know what the author has in store for us.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Hodderscape or this ARC!!

[AlexTRBG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly only started this audiobook bc I was so stressed/depressed at work and this was the only thing available on my libby. I truly forgot what this was even about but it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on. This was just entirely too long and reminded me of from blood and ash. There was just so much going on (but nothing at the same time) and the fact that there’s another book after this is crazy lmao 😅

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I should absolutely have re-read the first three books or read a recap of them because two years is far too long between books and I was a bit lost at the beginning.

So big things happen in this book and it has a hell of an ending but it takes a while to get through everything. The pacing dipped in places that made it drag and I can't help but feel that another edit might have helped keep the pacing up without losing the important points.

My main complaint, however, is that the spice we know and love from the first three books just wasn't really there. Where was the spice?! There were a couple of moments but they were missing the spark from the first three books.

This is definitely a set up for the final book in the series, so I'm glad I read it as I think the last book is going to be exciting. It just didn't have the same vibe as the first three books.

[Pink Babe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read this one to know the rest of the story. and AGAIN it's still not over. another stupid publishing money stunt. this one was supposed to be the last one. then they pushed it out again to make more money from more books.

for fucks sake I am tired of this series.

I don't really even like this author.

I just wanted to know the rest.

all these foreign words and places are just confusing. ugh. maybe it's just time to put this to bed and DNF.

[Hannah Delano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series because each book somehow tops the previous one! This is my favorite yet. Most of this book is spent with Estrella in Tartarus, which added some freshness to the story with new plot lines and characters. It almost felt like a separate story from the other books, but everything is so vital to the series overall. There is still a heavy dose of Mab’s cruelty and the events going on at her palace in Tar Mesa. Although it doesn’t seem possible, Mab becomes even more unhinged and it will make her (hopefully) eventual downfall even more satisfying.

I’ll say it, I wasn’t a huge Caldris fan in the first book but his character growth throughout the series has been phenomenal. Estrella brings out the best in him and helps him see the world in a new light, but we also still get our “he’ll burn the world for her” morally grey MMC. I was worried we wouldn’t get much of Caldris & Estrella in this book, but rest assured there are plenty of both tender and heated moments between them!

I want to shout from the rooftops about so many things, but it is hard to say much without giving major spoilers since we don’t know what happens after Estrella jumps into the cove at the end of book three. I will say I love all of the mythology references used in the world of Tartarus, including characters like Medusa & the Morrigan. Woods does an excellent job setting the scene in Tartarus with vivid writing that had me picturing everything while I read.

And let me just say the TWISTS and reveals in this book left me kicking & screaming with my jaw dropped. I am so glad there will be at least two more books because I am not ready for this series to end!

And thank you to Harper L. Woods for this lovely message in the acknowledgments that really resonated with me:

𝘛𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 . . . 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴.

Thank you to Bramble & Tor for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG ARE YOU TELLING ME I NEED TO WAIT UNTIL FEBRUARY TO KNOW IF MY BABIES ARE OK?? 😩😩 Well that was one hell of a cliff hanger ending 😭

Side note - loving all the exhibitionism in this series 😙👌

[Muffin~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series has completely fallen apart. Each book is shittier than the last. The fourth book it's a slog. The plot is a scattered mess, the pacing is all over the place, and the characters feel like hollow versions of who they used to be. It’s like the author just gave up and hoped readers wouldn’t notice.

Then comes the cringe-worthy “suddenly over-powered female lead” twist, tossed in like it’s supposed to make everything meaningful. It doesn’t. It’s lazy, overused, and painfully forced.

If book five isn’t the last, then book four is the last for me. I’m not dragging myself through more of this disaster. If you’ve clearly run out of ideas, do us all a favor and just end it.

What a disappointment!

[Janelle]

I NEED IT NOWWW 😭😭😭 OCTOBER IS SO FAR AWAY AHHHHH
Edit** Now ima cry seeing its coming out in Feb 💀💀✌ LMAOO.

[Talia Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO NO NO HARPER L. WOODS YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT TO MY HEART. Omg ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I am so impatient for the next book. This series is perfection. I am crying.

[sherbereads ✧.* ᰔᩚ🍉]

DNF 🙂‍↔️ I forgot I told myself I wasn’t continuing this series . I forgot what percent I was at when I stopped. But oh well- maybe I’ll try again later in time