Xmas Break by J E Rowney

 I received a copy of Xmas Break: A Christmas Thriller by J E Rowney in exchange for a honest review.

I feel like the best way to put this is that if you are looking to branch out into thrillers this is a simple enough book to dip your toe into the genre. However, if you are like me and have read a lot of thrillers this might not be enough of a thrill for you.

There was nothing to make me want to keep reading because you know who it is from the moment it happens and reading the characters being absolutely idiotic did nothing for me. Honestly, I wouldn't even do the chapter a day thing because the last two chapters feel like filler like let's explain what happened after. In my opinion, I could have done without the last two chapters especially since it's a thriller book not a feel good rom-com where things need to be tied up in a bow.

This really is the book for novice thrill readers because it is very generic and the side characters were better than the main.

⭐️3

💧1

Scars by Stefanie Jenkins

 I would like to thank Stefanie for allowing me to read an arc of Scars in exchange for a honest review.

This book is for the ones who love to ugly cry because it will make you ugly cry and I am talking splotchy faced, snot running down, puffy red eyes, and pressing your palms to your mouth to quiet the ugly sobs. Do not read in public if you want to save your dignity because Cooper, Riley, Austin, Ace, Sutton, the Hayses family, Coach Benson and the entire cast will suck you in if Meadow Ridge does not. I love how its not the typical small town vibes because yes everyone will come together and help and yes the gossip will know what you did before you even do, but they can also be hurtful during hard dark times. Yet at the same time they are quick to forgive or at least some are.

I want someone like Coop who sees Riley's scars and kisses every single one of them because she gained them when he was not there and oh no I am crying while writing that because that moment broke me and kept me crying throughout the book.

This book deals with loss, death, talk about self harm in the past, overcoming demons, guilt, grief if any of these are triggering for you please use caution when reading. I do highly recommend reading this book. 

It comes out on April 12, 2023.

⭐️all 

💧all 😭

PS make sure you have plenty of water and tissues if you read this book because you will need it. Now excuse me while I go ugly cry.

The Devil You Know by P J Tracy

 I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review.

The Devil You Know kind of left me numb because I thought it was a mystery thriller book, but it took forever to set up the premise for me. Maybe I just was not in the mood for it like I thought I was, but it could not hold my attention.

I was hoping for more of a mystery than I got from it.

Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livington

 I would like to thank NetGalley and Zando Projects for allowing me to read a copy of Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livington in exchange for a honest review.

I feel like this should not be a book to read when your brain is not all there because it bombards you with so much information at the beginning.

It was too much and I wound up skimming the book. If you love books where they cram as much information at he beginning then this is the book for you.

Mayatte's Catharsis by Jack E. Mohr

 I received an e-arc of Mayatte's Catharsis by Jack E Mohr in exchange for a honest review.

If anyone is looking for a quick YA Fantasy read then I would recommend this book. Like with most novellas it must be taken with a grain of salt and things to consider like if the author took a few more sentences to explain something would you be able to call it a novella anymore. 

I think my main issue with the novella is that the blurb I was given was that foreigners come and Naña the fmc in the story makes contact with them and they wind up finding resources on the island and try to take over the island. She feels bad because it was all her fault. It reminded me of Pocahontas which is what intrigues me about the book except it did not happen until the very end of the novella. Speaking of the ending it was very vague about what actually happened.

I think there was also an attempt at romance except Naña refused to get off her high horse to even think of the idea that love could be a part of Mayatte. And if it isn't then how do the people come into existence? I feel like there were more questions than answers in the novella. I am keeping in mind that this is a novella and is probably trying to set up for a bigger series, but on it's own I feel like it could have been longer and more fleshed out like expand on why her skin changes color, expand on their religion and the other islands, expand on the magic or whatever you want to call it that prevents people from seeing the native inhabitants and how Zeke lost his clothes because I must have missed that part.

It is told in third person with mostly being Naña's POV, but it will randomly switch to Zeke which took me out of the story because I always had to pause to figure out at what point we started getting his perspective.

The novella has a lot of potential and the characters are intriguing it's just the pacing is too fast like you blink and suddenly someone is dead or they are in a new location with no indication of how we got to that point. I think if the author slowed it down or made it a proper novel it could be an easy five stars.

As it is now though:

⭐️3.5

💧7.5

Time's Orphan 💀❤️

I received an e-arc of Time's Orphan from the author in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you Hayley for writing this book. And for allowing me the opportunity to read it.

Y'all this might be my favourite book from the series. Watching Emara grow into her power was so special and heartwarming because I love watching characters grow into themselves and reaching their potential. It felt like greeting a long lost family reading some of the characters from the other books (and congrats to Makeo and Aza for being so dang cute together). And if anybody has read this series (which you should if you have not) y'all we get Shad's story *excited squeals and happy dance*. And OMG, the banter between him and Emara 🥵 it did not disappoint.

I could probably go on about this book, but I will be bound to slip and spoil something and I do not want to do that, but I will end this review with a warning. Whatever you do to not get attached to characters because no one is safe. I swear I only had two modes with this book: grinning like a loon or pretending I was Alice from Alice in Wonderland and trying to drown myself in tears or an odd combination of the two (so I guess its actually three modes?).

Seriously, go read this book if you love clean romance, fantasy, found family, sort of one bed trope, watching characters grow into themselves, complexities of good and evil, grumpy magi, HEAs (sort of 😉)

⭐️all of them

💧all of them

Meara by Anya Wylde

 I received a free e copy of Meara by Anya Wylde via the author in exchange for a honest review.

First off, thank you to Anya Wylde for allowing me to read a copy and for writing the crazy ride that is Meara.

Secondly, despite its insane pacing where it went from zero to sixty to sixty to zero, too many things happening at once, and the characters having similar sounding names (Meara, Keera, Dara etc.) I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and world so much that I bought a paperback copy (oh, and the ebook is free on Amazon at the moment. I do not know how long it will be on sale for so if you want a copy now is the time to do so). I also hope there is a second book because I seriously want to know if the characters are okay because some characters had pretty much everybody betray him.

I adore Kamraan and he can be my villain any day. I practically was like marry me when he told Meara he would rather be the villain and watch the world burn than be the hero and lose her. Like hello. I mean he already had me but that cemented it for me. The romance is slow burn and not a lot of spice. I mean it is not clean and wholesome by any means because Kamraan is controlling and protective and technically her enemy. Oh yes, there are a lot of tropes crammed in this book like when I say a lot happens I mean a lot happens that sometimes you feel like yelling at the book to calm down and let me catch up. Give the poor characters a break.

Fortunately, the mythology is lovely and makes up a huge chunk of the book and is a mixture of different cultures that you learn along with Meara. I kind of wished there was a glossary to keep track of all the creatures and terms because I did not know half of it and after one of the great betrayals we stopped getting translations of what it is. And did I mention that beginning gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes? Because it did except instead of a father its a little sister and instead of her being attacked by wolves its shadow men that I still have no clue what they were.

I had no expectations going into this book and for what it is it is enjoyable. If you love slow burn romance, villain gets the girl, fantasy, mythologies, different dimensions then this is the book for you.

⭐️4.5

💧9