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.
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.
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
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
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
Not going to lie I was super excited when I saw that Never Saw Me Coming was on sale because I have been wanting to read this book since it first came out last year. It had me at a group of "psychopaths" being murdered and Chloe wanting to kill Will.
At first it started out strong like I was on the fence about Chloe (let's face it I still am even after finished reading it), I adored Charles and Andre (and kept my fingers and toes crossed that Andre did not get killed due to his being Black. I won't say if he does or not because that would be a massive spoiler). I also loved how the author played with different types of psychopaths and one of them was faking being one which made me laugh because they did not realize what they had signed up for.
My main issue is that Chloe's whole character is based off of killing Will and she did not have much substance past that. I also do not love that there was all this build up and when it finally gets to the big things it was so anticlimactic that I forgot this was the huge things that it was building up to. I felt like the author knew where she wanted to go, but not how to end the big things. It felt rushed the finales of the massive things. It was kind of a let down.
I will give the author props though because like the title you will never see the killer coming because they get little page time compared to most characters (there now you have three people to try to figure out who it is).
The book was good, but it took me a lot longer to get through because I struggled with Chloe especially the reason why Will has to die and it is her revenge. Why couldn't she have normal revenge and completely destroy his life without killing him? Like wouldn't that be more satisfying? Also, it is really easy to get on Chloe's kill list.
⭐️4
💧6
Fair warning you that when you see this 🤭 its to cover up cussing because I feel so strongly about this book that I might have to censor myself.
Oh my 🤭 Word, this book stabbed me in the chest with the feels. I think being kicked by horse would hurt less. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster, I went from blushing fiercely because 🤭 Cooper. I laughed at Quinn and her Virgin Quest and the lengths that girl will go to. I raged and hurt for Quinn when everyone kept putting her down because she has a bad streak of luck (she'd fit in well with my family). Also, I could relate to some things like I have gotten better but I still have days where I trip over my own feet or everything falls on me despite having it propped up so it wouldn't. I could relate to Coop with not liking the taste of seafood because it is 🤭 (apologies to anyone who does like seafood, but I cannot deal with the texture and sometimes taste of seafood).
I was awing when Cooper took Quinn to sushi on their first date because he was willing to try it again and 🤭 I wanted to shout "marry me" at the screen of my kindle because I am so 🤭 sold. Like yes please (men take note).
I know the break up is inevitable in romance books, but it 🤭 ruined me especially the reason why he broke up with Quinn and the sibling moment between Quinn and Noah like 🤭 slayed.
Okay I will stop before this post is overrun with this 🤭, but this book is so good and the characters are 😘. The chemistry between Cooper and Quinn is 🤤💋🔥. And as a bonus, you do not have to be a football fan or expert to enjoy the book. Need more incentive to read this book? Do you like Garrett from The Deal by Elle Kennedy or Clay from Blind Side by Kandi Steiner? If you answered yes, this is Cooper.
Please read this book.
⭐️all of them
💧all of them.
Moments in Time is an absolute delight. It is a roller coaster with the same vibes as Up in the Treehouse, which I adored so it is no surprise that Moments in Time is making me want to read all the other books in the series. I need me some more of those Bexley brothers.
There were a couple of inconsistencies in the book like the twins age. If Ty was born in 1995 then he couldn't have died before their 17th birthday if he died 2010. It would have to have been 2011 to make it consistent, but then it also said the other twin was going to be turning 28 which is a lie because the twins are the same age as me, so in order for him to be turning 28 he would have to have been born in 1994. I'm just pointing it out, but it hurt my brain trying to math it out, so I let it go. It has nothing to do with the star rating.
Jami is going to be added to the list of reason why I have unrealistic expectations with real men. I mean he would set the world on fire if it helped Violet. I adored the chemistry between Jami and Violet like my heart is ripped out and set on fire before being stomped on and embedded with broken glass and I am willing to do it all again just to read those two (and Battleship😈). Brayden is adorable and I love how the characters all interact with him like it is priceless and so precious.
Read this book before I go into book girl speak in an attempt to articulate how incredible this book is. And if you have read it please feel free to respond with your thoughts in the comments. I love hearing from other people whether you love it or hate it or indifferent to it.
⭐️all of them
💧all of them.
I have wanted to read this book since it first came out and it did not disappoint.
It was not like a wow book, but for what it was it met my expectations except the romance because it took me a long time to be like I can see them together. I think my main issue was that I had no clue if it was supposed to be a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers because they were somewhat friends a long time ago. And it is a little heavy handed with the miscommunication trope which is not my favourite thing.
The worldbuilding was great, but I kind of wished it built on the details we were given instead of a reiteration of what we were told repeatedly by different characters. I have no idea why everyone hates everyone because from the sounds of it everyone did, and I struggled with following along.
I loved the characters and I will admit I did not see the one twist (I only got it partly right).
Definitely recommend for fantasy lovers.
⭐️4
💧8
This book was so much fun to read because it is here to have fun and poke fun at things. The chemistry between Val and Zav is😘. My only issue with the book is that I could not pronounce any of the names (some of their full names are quite something) and so I kind of lost track of who was supposed to be who.
Honestly, I loved the book far more than I thought I would and won't say much more except if you read it let me know because I would love to talk about it or any books.
⭐️5
💧8
Unfortunately this book was not for me, which sucks because I love dragon books and the fact that she is supposed to be a dragon-kin should have sold it for me.
I felt nothing for the characters and could not distinguish the difference between the teenagers and the adults because they were all so immature and it is supposed to be a YA, but it read more like a middle grade book.
If you want to take a chance on this book than feel free to do so.
⭐️1.5
💧1
Holy Clay, this book is incredible and it is spice that is for sure. Clay is another fictional man I can add to my list of why I have high expectations of real men. I mean he reads her books so he can learn what she likes like 😋.
The best part is I do not understand football but it is okay if you don't because like her book The Wrong Game (which if you have not read it or any of her books you should fix that error especially if you love books with angst and will grab you by the feels) the football is not the main part of the plot it does not detract from it, which is great because I have read a few where the author seems to think it is not a sports romance unless they place every term known to that sport in it and bog down the story. Kandi Steiner does a perfect blend of enough terminology that you know it is a sports romance without bogging down the storyline.
If anything else you need to read the book for one reason: Clay Johnson. But if you need more how about fake dating, virgin nerd and experienced jock trope, he gives her "lessons" (hence the books), if you have read her books this has more of the spice and angst that you love in fact it might be her spiciest book I have read from her.
If you love The Deal by Elle Kennedy then you will love this book. Now go grab yourself a copy (its free if you have a kindle unlimited) and go make Clay your new book boyfriend (he takes studying very seriously when it comes to a certain someone).
⭐️5
💧10
The Witch Collector steals more than witches that is for sure. I laughed, cried, raged, sighed, rejoiced, and felt every emotion with the characters. There is a little spice in this book but it is not part of the plot (as in it is not the sole plot). There is so much that goes on in this book and the subtle foreshadowing in this book blows my mind.
I will keep this review short because you should have stopped reading this by now and be grabbing a copy for yourself. If you have read this post and have read the book feel free to drop a comment about your thoughts in the comments.
(Makes me feel like this is worth keeping a blog if I get some kind of interaction from people. I promise I do not bite or suck out souls like the Prince of the East).
I need to go pester more people to read this book so bye buy.
⭐️all of the stars in the sky
💧all of them.
I would like to thank Catherine Cory and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review.
The Hardest Blessing was way better than I thought it would be. Definitely has Cassandra Clare vibes, so if you love Mortal Instruments you will love this book.
I had to warm up to Harper because she annoyed me at the beginning of the book, but I loved Demetrius because he is such a sweetheart (and also one of those people who will hurt anyone who goes after his woman).
This is a quick book like I finished it in an hour and would be curious to continue the series. I need to know who will be Demetrius's 1,000,000 (10,000?) soul. At the beginning of the book it was 10,000 souls and then it suddenly went to 1,000,000 souls he needs to save (which is in the blurb so I am going to assume that was the right number).
For anyone looking for a quick read with gargoyle shifters (Cursed), Mortal Instruments vibes, and cocky characters.
⭐️4
💧6
I would like to thank Text Publishing, Kate Emery, and NetGalley for allowing me to review a copy in exchange for a honest review.
The Not So Chosen One sounded like it would be a hilarious rom-com. Unfortunately, the title was the only thing hilarious about the book. I had to DNF at 11% because I could not stand Lucy who is the main character. She was so whiny and annoying and woe is me that I could not deal. I needed multiple breaks from the character because I could feel no sympathy for her especially when she kept going on about being a pregnant teenager trying to hide it from her mother.
Was not the book for me but maybe it could be for you because humor is subjective and I felt like the book was trying maybe too hard to be funny.
⭐️2
💧2
I would like to thank HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to review an e-arc for free in exchange for an honest review. I will try my best to keep this spoiler free, but please be aware that there might be things that I don't view as a spoiler but you might.
Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia is one of those books where the first page is confusing and it never stops. I was excited about this book because I don't read a lot of horror but they were making it out like it was the horror book of the year. Either I am broken or they have a different definition of horror. It felt too cliche and I kind of wished they had not mentioned B horror movies because that's what this felt like.
I struggled to connect to the characters because I had no idea what was going on or who was who especially with those who were changed. I have a love hate relationship between the present chapter and the memories because it felt like nothing that should matter to the present. If one can call it the present it is questionable and I cannot say anything without huge spoilers so I will only say that.
I also love how the copy had the content warning at the end of the book when it is too late so for those who are triggered by: bullying, eating disorders, death, gore, blood, random acts of violence, shootings (I feel like that should have been a triggered but I know why they didn't and sorry for the huge spoiler, but y'all need to know that it's a part of the book especially with what is going on in the world.)
WTF was the ending. Seriously, that ending was so weak it should be illegal because it is criminal how she ended it and the reason for them being locked in School. There were so many routes she could have gone and she chose that as an okay reason like no and I cannot tell you guys about it because it will spoil everything and I want to leave the option open for those who are interested.
I mean it is a good book but if someone like me who cannot read horror and gets squeamish when reading even someone cutting themselves off was completely detached from what occurred like body parts were being ripped off, but it felt like a cheap horror movie.
The only reason this book is getting the star rating it is is because of Jefferson. Jefferson has my heart and soul and they did him dirty in the book. I wished he had more of a role in the book or we got his perspective as well especially with the drama between his brother. I had a love hate relationship with Cat only because she was so repetitive.
Also, I am pretty sure they brought one of the characters back from the dead (well there were several, but one of them was not like the others I just won't say who because I am cruel like that).
Overall, I question calling this horror because horror should not have you laughing half the time and confused the rest (okay I am positive I never stopped being confused since the first page, but I accepted it or thought I did until the ending).
Katzenjammer has got to be the weirdest book I have ever read and I have read plenty of strange books. There is no rhyme or reason to any of the things that happened in this book and I am almost convinced the author only wrote it for the fun of it and was like no one would care if it makes no sense let's find some silly reason to tie it all up together. Okay, I might have a little rage toward the ending and might want to rip it out of the book and set it on fire before burying it deep deep in the ground where the magma can get it.
⭐3
💧5 (mostly rage and confusion).
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy in exchange for a honest review. This review might contain spoilers so please read at your own discretion.
Well, this is disappointing because I thought this book would be five stars because I adore Elle Kennedy's off campus series. (If you have not read that series or Briar U series you should because those books are incredible).
All I can say about this book is: 🚩🚩🚩💔😦. Seriously, the fact that everyone is telling you that your relationship is toxic and major red flags and you are all it's okay. I cannot even ship Evan and Gen because honestly their relationship makes me uncomfortable. I had to DNF this book about twenty percent in because I could not do it anymore. How can they think that their relationship is okay?
I liked Copper and Mackenzie because they get it. They are the voice of reason in this book too bad nobody listens to them.
Yeah, this is the one book from Elle Kennedy that disappointed me. I am not even sure if I can in good conscience recommend this book. I mean if extremely toxic relationships are your thing then do not let me stop you. Knock yourself out.
⭐️2
💧1
I would like to thank Butterdragons Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of Just a Bite by Boris Bacic in exchange for an honest review. This review might contain spoilers so please read at your own risk.
Synopsis (as taken from NetGalley)
I feel them moving and crawling inside of me….
When I left the house that day, I never expected to find myself in this kind of situation. A day like any other – work, casual conversation, then an exciting date with her long-time crush. What could possibly go wrong? Well, nothing much if you stay away from stray dogs and their bites, but I didn’t.
So much pain. So many weird occurrences. What was with all these strange cravings?
Trying to go through my days, as usual, ignoring what was happening to me as best I can. Will I ever figure out what is happening to me? Surely, I will find something or someone to help me before it's too late – not just for me, but for everyone around me. I don’t know how much longer I can pretend I am okay...
Will someone save me before it’s too late?
Does that not sound spooky and like it would be an incredible horror book? Unfortunately, I never got to the whole something crawling inside her because I had issues with the author's writing. It did not feel like it was natural and more like the author felt it had to be there or it became too rushed. Also, Melanie got on my nerves too quickly for me to continue reading it. I tried I really did because I was in the mood for nauseating horror stories. This felt like something I have read in any dystopian novel ever.
2.5⭐️
4💧
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. This review might contain spoilers read at your own risk.
I am not sure what to make of this book because I loved all of the characters except Mallory who is the main character. At first it was cute with the whole let's blame all screw ups on the bump on my head and everyone will believe her and accept it. However, it got annoying listening to the same song over and over again like first few times okay I will buy it, but after that you should learn how to blend in better. I also got annoyed when Mallory was patting herself on the back for doing such a good job blending in when everyone kept giving her confused looks for every word that fell out of her mouth.
I did love how all of her stereotypes and assumptions were proven wrong, but I couldn't help but feel like maybe the author was forcing it and it didn't feel natural. Also, as someone who grew up near Vancouver my entire life there were a couple of things that had me wondering what Vancouver the author knew. Also as a side-note: Canadians can be just as nasty as the rest of the world and I really don't like when people try to pass it off as Canadians are so sweet and polite. The only difference is we know how to say sorry we just might not mean it. Also, how the Frick is someone supposed to know that saying sorry means you're Canadian? There were so many little things in this book that made me pause and even after two days of finished reading it I am still questioning it.
Reasons why I love Isla: she is one of the few characters who will bother to investigate and ask questions from the experts on whether a bump on the head can change personalities. She is willing to believe the impossible even with little proof because some of that proof cannot be obtained. She does not take crap from anyone despite having everyone trying to treat her like she is made of glass. Isla is willing to take matters into her own hands (without always thinking it through, but she does it because she wants to help). She is resourceful and I felt so sorry for her because of some of her past relationships.
Reasons why I like Duncan: he has reasonable reactions, he has had to deal with a crappy hand being a person of color and an illegitimate child. He does not let his wealth influence him and he is more than happy to help his sister out. Family is everything to him especially his sister, Isla. He is passionate about what he does and everything that he does is to help other people even when they do not think they need it.
The book felt a tad bit predictable but it did pick up at the 60% mark because before that it was slow and I think banging my nails into my head would have been less excruciating which is slightly disappointing because I love Kelley Armstrong's books. The ending felt too abrupt, but it has me curious for the rest of the series. I want to know what Mallory will do. I only hope we get different character's pov's because I can only spend so long in Mallory's head before I want to throttle her.
If you do read this book be prepared to suspend all disbelief because this book gets ridiculous with some of its antics or more like Mallory shouldn't be as believable as she is portrayed.
3.75 ⭐️
6.5💧
Hoo boy, Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer is a doozy that is for sure. I have read all of Twilight and Life After Death plus the short novellas. All I can say is the world gets better and better while the characters seem to get worse. Or more accurately I start to see a lot of Stephanie Meyer as I read the world of Twilight and none has been more glaringly obvious than in Midnight Sun. This is why I love it and I loathe it at the same time because it was fascinating more about the characters and I have a smidge more respect for Edward (I had none in Twilight). On the other hand, the religion felt a little forced like wow Edward way to assume that Bella is religious (oh wait never mind that was just the author). Seriously, I dare you to read it and knowing that she is religious (hence the whole no sex before marriage, pure body crap) and let's just say she couldn't quite hide her racism with the whole vampires are pale corpses (clearly some of the vampires did not get the memo). However, that is not the only inconsistency in this book, if I am reading it right then that means Edward spent as many years drinking human blood as he did being a human. Don't ask me the numbers kept being changed to the point I gave up trying to understand how many years he was a vampire. All I can say is Edward why did it take you seventeen years to realize you were unsatisfied with human blood and wanted to go back to animal blood? What on earth is wrong with you?
Midnight Sun was both painful and entertaining to read because we get to be more into characters heads and let me tell you it becomes obvious how similar the characters are. I also feel bad for Tara because I do not remember her in Twilight and I am positive she was only a plot point to be all look how kind and good Bella is 😒. It was nauseating how many times you get it pointed out to you how good and kind Bella is like (excuse my language here, but) bitch please she does absolutely nothing. Bella is useless and this book only proves it, but somehow all the boys are bloody golden retrievers around her and all the women are catty bitches. I thought this book was supposed to show why Edward was in love with Bella (because I sure as hell cannot figure it out) instead, it starts comparing Bella to Persephone and I was like how dare you bring Persephone's name down to this nobody's level? You insult me with this. Seriously, Bella gets compared to Persephone as many times as you can get told she is good and kind. Why did I originally like Bella in Twilight I have questions (mostly about the state of my 13-year-old mind at the time. Granted I am questioning the state of my 27-year-old mind as well because as much as I hated this book goddamnit I loved it as well.)
Edward is psychotic but at least he can admit it, which is why I have respect for him because admitting the problem is half the battle. I howled with laughter when I found out the reason why he started watching her sleep was (are you ready for it) a meteorite. He was worried that with her bad luck a meteorite would fall and crush her so he had to save her from the imaginary meteorite 🤣.
No matter how many different Twilight books get written I will always love Alice and Jasper and I thought they would be in this book more than they were. I need more Alice and Jasper in my life like I swear they could murder everyone in the world and I will still love them. They made the book for me and I would gladly read any book from their POV.
I do not know how to articulate this dark and bizarre book, but all I can say is read at your own risk because it is a rabbit hole.
Date Started: April 27, 2022
Date finished: May 8, 2022.
Number of pages: 658
Stars: 3.75 (I waffled between 3.5 and 4 constantly so I decided to split the difference).
💧: 7.5
I received a free copy (e-arc) from the authors via Bookfunnel in exchange for an honest review.
Once Upon A Name is an interesting anthology with a little bit of everything for fantasy lovers. My main problem is that some of the stories are predictable and feel like something I have already read.
For the most part, I enjoyed the stories and some of the names are interesting that's for sure. It was interesting reading stories from authors new and old to me.
Soulless was an interesting twist on wraiths. It felt too short for me because I wanted to stay in the world and learn more about wraiths. 4/5
Forged in Fire had me laughing because she tried to achieve her goal but she never stopped to think of the repercussions. And the talking rabbit foot 😂 4/5
In the Mist made me smile because the lengths people will go to to keep travellers safe. I also loved Kelcy's stubbornness (it is relatable). 4.5/5
Ghost of the Night Dolls this gave me such Coraline vibes it's not even funny. 4/5
Goddess of Smoke and Steel by Alice Ivinya is a cute story, but it confused me because it didn't follow the format of the other stories and maybe it changes in the actual book, but it was just there. That's why it's also the one with the author's name because it deserves better. 4.5/5
Salty Sweet is one of those stories where its like you've read one of them then you've read all of them. It is a cooking competition (I'm sure you can figure out the rest of it if you've read one of them). 3/5
Baroness of Blood and Bone is intriguing. It's like a wolf motorbike gang (that's the best way to describe it). 4/5
I'm struggling with reviewing the books because they are super short and we are not allowed to spoil the stories.
If any of these have you intrigued though please grab a copy for yourself. All proceeds goes to Book Aid, so you get a book and help a good cause, which is a win-win in my books.
Total average of stars: 4
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review might contain: Spoilers, incomprehensible words, abbreviations, mild swearing, and incomplete/run on sentences as I try to put the magic of this book into words. Reader discretion is advised.
A colossal thank you to the authors: Roshani Chokshi; Sandhya Menon; Evelyn Skye for writing Three Kisses, One Midnight.
My mind is blown. It has happened lovelies, a book from this publishing company has received the elusive all stars from me.
When I first read the blurb I thought the book would be a fantasy-fantasy book, but it is more like a urban fantasy almost. It has quality writing that if I did not know any better would say was written by one writer instead of three.
First, we have Onny's story which is a one-sided enemies to lovers trope. OMG, I love Byron Frost. He completes Onny perfectly and when only starts to realize it *swoon*. The first story was perfect because it is full of magic and wonder and hope and enough romance to make a hopeless, helpless, hapless romantic like me to swoon and have a gigantic goofy smile. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much and near the end when Onny realizes that she does not have feelings for Alexander the Great Looking (yeah I am not making that one up. I wish I was because its a groaner for sure) I had my hand under my chin with a dreamy sigh on my lips. I won't say what they did to reach the conclusion that they did because its too magical to spoil.
Ash, dear sweet Asher. He is a giant lovable mess and I wanted to give him a big hug when he was trying to figure out how to talk to Cassidy Rivera. OMG, why are they so freaking cute together? I found myself crossing my fingers in the hopes that they would get together, especially when the evil person tried to getting in the way of their love like how dare he he should know better than try to get in the way of true love, and I would have picked up a pitchfork and torches wormed my way into the book to take him out (I warned you about these kinds of sentences I even put commas in so you lovelies can take a breather from my mess of a melted heart).
True, oh my word, I fucking cried with this story because Bradley almost completely destroyed her from realizing that she was never the problem in relationships. And Orion, bless his soul, thank him for sticking with True and helping her realize that she is worth it. And all the little things she tried to rationalize because she is a skeptic.
This book wrecked me (if you don't believe me you clearly have not read the review and should read it again). My heart has been ripped out of my chest, stomped on repeatedly, set on fire, and given back. Here you go book you can have it back again because it is worth it.
How do I put this book into words that would accurately describe the magical feeling like discovering a book for the first time or looking at the full moon for the first time. It is like being in an open field away from the city and seeing the starry sky and realizing how infinitely big the universe is. It is lying on the field next to a soul mate pointing out cloud shapes and having fingers touch. it is like greeting old friends after not seeing them for over a decade. It is being a child when it rains during sunshine looking for a rainbow.
I willingly took the love potion because I am completely in love with this book and all of its characters and the world of Moon Ridge with its ghosts and fables. With love potions and discovering true love and the coveted kiss at midnight.
I am crying because I am on a book ban and I really desperately want a copy of this book. So if you are smarter than me you can go preorder a copy, it comes out August 30, 2022. Get a copy so I can live vicariously through you. 😭
Thank you again to St. Martin's Press/ Wednesday Books for inviting me to read this book. It's been a while since a book has left me this much in a mess to the point that autocorrect has decided to take over.
It is so good that I even created a reading playlist on Spotify for it. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2etggrKnhF7VyqmnSAieg8?si=4695deb8833d4732
PS: do not worry I made sure the songs were tame because I sometimes listen to wild songs that not a lot of people know exist. See introduced to a new book and songs.
I 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000% recommend this book.
★☆✡✦✧✩✰✵❂✬✪✯⭐🌟🌠 all of them.
💧all of them.
I received an e-arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Lainey for writing this book.
Unfortunately, this book was not my favorite out of all of her books. It has nothing to do with the author or the book. This is entirely a me thing as I loved the MCs as side characters more. They felt too childish to me in this book and I was not fond of the problem because I feel like Hanako, Mathias, and Connor deserve to have a cpmpletely different and new problem. It felt like a problem that is a cross between the Lavender Club Duet and (I believe the eighth book is the hospital one) The Series of Unfortunate Events plus almost every mystery thriller book I have ever read. I wanted them to have a more original problem to solve because those three deserve the stars and moon.
Upon further inspection, I think the reason why I loved them as side characters more is because the main characters would always have this need to protect them without realizing they were stronger than they got credit for. I did not get that so much when they became the main characters.
I did love that Mathias and Hana's relationship grew into what it became. I loved the relationship that Hana had with her mother and that her mother was very accepting of her daughter's relationships with the men and even trying to add more men to it 😏 it was my favorite part of the book and still makes me chuckle. I also adore that Hana was starting to embrace her heritage and culture. I loved how diverse the characters were and watching them embrace themselves.
⭐3
💧6
I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Chamber of the Heart: Speculative Stories by B. Morris Allen is a good anthology as it has a little bit for everyone who likes fantasy and sci-fi. The stories have great diversity from m/m to m/f to f/f relationships (although the latter one is more of the unrequited love variety). It has aliens that look completely human to a girl who slays dragons to collect their tears. Whether you are in the mood for serious thoughtprovoking stories or want something lighter you will find it in here.
My favorite stories were Full of Stars, and Dragons I have Slain. Full of Stars is a short imaginative piece of hope, wishes, imagination, and the wonder that comes with being a child. It’s short but poignant with emotion. Dragons I have Slain, I mean if it didn’t have you at dragons. I am a sucker for unrequited love and this story has it in spades and the best part is that it’s not in your face like most male authors do when they write a love interest from a female perspective. It has enough hints that you can decide for yourself if she is in love with her female friend or not.
Chamber of Hearts gave me Edgar Allen Poe vibes which I loved, the only reason it’s not in the favorites is I had a hard time picturing where we were supposed to be in the story. Blush reminded me of Oryx and Crake with the whole baby genes being altered for perfection.
The only story I did not like was Buried on Sand for the sole reason that my tired brain couldn’t keep track of all the names being thrown at it. It was a struggle trying to get through the story because I had no clue who was being talked to or who was the one talking.
It is a great collection of stories and I would recommend picking up a copy (it comes out April 16, 2022).
⭐️4
💧8
Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review (and having it in the Read Now section last year). This review contains spoilers read at your own discretion.
Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli is an urban fantasy, but somehow the cover fooled me into forgetting that it is not straight fantasy.
Oh, and do not worry if you forget what kind of boots Emeline is wearing (Blundstone boots) because it will be the most repeated detail in the book. Also, at some point in the book her boots were off and I never realized until she put her Blundstone boots back on (I am preparing you peeps for the book. if you survive the review you can mostly survive the book). Honestly it feels like the only thing I can mention is the boots and I wonder if the author got a paid endorsement from the shoe people because no books should have Blundstone boots mentioned as much as this book. I almost want the author to do me a favour and go to her manuscript and search for the term "Blundstone boots" then delete half of what comes up (even then it will still be too much). I thought the boots were supposed to be magical from the fact that it is the only article of clothing that is capitalized (my older sister had to explain to me that they were a brand).
Also, be aware that the pacing is slow like you had better hunker down with no distractions because you will be easily distracted from the book. Granted I finished this in one day because I did not want to spend another day reading it.
I loved Hawthorne even though there were some definite creepy vibe moments like Emeline finding the sketches of her being nude and yes it was explained away, but yeah gave me a moment to pause.
I do not like Emeline but unfortunately, the entire book is in her POV. I kind of wished that we had Hawthorne's POV as well because there is only so many times I can listen to her lament about her job and how she cannot lose her dream. Do not get me wrong there is nothing wrong with pursuing dreams, but she casts everyone else aside.
I also found it hard to suspend my disbelief in this book because in the first chapter I had no clue what genre this book was supposed to be what with the Blundstone boots and the real fire (I could have done without the real because then I found myself asking as opposed to what? A holographic fire? A painted fire? I wished the author trusted her readers more to understand that logs next to a crackling fire is a good indication it is real).
Honestly, I liked the book, but I could spend a good hour ranting about it because the author could have done so much with the fae and the Wood King and the King's City, but no lets focus on Emeline and how she needs to get the grandfather she abandoned out of the king's tithe and get back to her career. I love fat books which is why I wanted to read it well that and also the cover. It will be a cover buy and the promise of fae that will lure people in that is for sure.
If you do not mind whiny main characters and blatant product placement then this is the book for you.
3.5 ⭐
5 💧
Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review.
Do not get me wrong all of the authors in this anthology were amazing. I picked this up in the Read Now category because a) it's an anthology its rare that they are on a site like NetGalley, and b) I was really hoping I had gotten over my weird lets call it an issue with sci-fi.
It turns out that nope I still have my issue and I don't know why even those sci-fi books that I adored I cannot stand reading them.
This is entirely a me thing I am sure you will enjoy it because like I said the writing is incredible. Just personally like all books that involve space I could not get into it.
3 🌟
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review. This review might contain spoilers so please read at your own risk.
Thank you to Allison Saft for writing A Far Wilder Magic it is one of the better books I have read from this publishing company.
Full confession: I skipped the first chapter after the second page because it read like a checklist to me. Margaret does this? Check. Margaret complains about weather? Check. Did she start cutting wood? Check. Honestly, if I had not skipped it I would have despised the book and Margaret, but thankfully it gets better after the first chapter. Also, the name Wes is ruined for me (if anyone else has watched Nailed It from Netflix then they will probably understand why).
I love Wes and Margaret together especially when they start to realize that they have *shudder* feelings for each other. I also adore that he did not find Margaret attractive at first sight even though by every other books definition she would be seen as beautiful. I also laughed when he was wondering what was wrong with him when the most beautiful girl in the world was right beside him but all he wanted was Margaret (all together now... aww). His name might be ruined for me but he will have a piece of my heart.
The things I did not quite love about the book and the reasons for why its not five stars is because of the religions. I would have loved the religions to be something newer because its pretty much everyday religion and so it got me confused if this was supposed to be one earth or some other world. I thought the actual Hunt would be longer, but we spent more time on the preparation of the Hunt and the Hala than anything else and when it finally got to the Hunt all the excitement was gone.
Perfect for those who love alchemy or female MCs who finally find a way out of the shadows or male MCs who don't care what people think about them but will do anything for the ones they love even if it makes them appear selfish.
4 💫
6 💧
Thank you NetGalley and Phoenix Reign Publishing for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.
And a huge thank you to Stacey O'Neale for writing this book. I was hooked from the first page because curses, witches, a sleeping prince, forbidden forest, wolf leader like hello.
I loved this book so much and will definitely be buying a copy of this book. It does not disappoint if you like fairytale retellings, gender reversed Sleeping Beauty, or witches.
I finished this book in a hour because I needed to know what happened.
This satisfied my fairytale loving heart.
Go get a copy for yourself.
5 stars
9 feels
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review a copy in exchange for a honest review.
This is not a love story. There is no romance it is all a lie. If you are reading this book for romance then don't, but if you are one of those people who don't mind little to no romance then this is the book for you.
I'm one of those people who was mislead by the title and the summary that it would be a romance. Oh my word, I was bored out of my skull reading this book and speed read it just to get it over with (hence why it took little time to read it).
1.5 stars.
1 feels
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
And another Wednesday Books that makes me think I might give them another shot and it will be a five star book.
Sadly, this is not the case with this book. Sena gives me as much emotion as a dead fish because it is not until the last two chapters where I start to feel something for the book because I thought the wolf was going to die and Sena was actually caring about somebody else for once.
Oh, and in case you miss it it will be told to you about five hundred times that her moms died in the race and everyone abandoned Sena. She is all alone (poor baby) she had an aunt who was not an aunt who tried to help her and gave her a roof over her head even though the poor aunt had many problems.
Also, there is a lot of time spent on the fights and wolves fighting each other, but all Sena cares about is money and getting off the planet. Like I lost respect for Sena with this because you have to be a heartless bitch to watch animals in a cage and you have the chance to heal them and help but all you have to do is complain that it reminds you of the race that made you lose your moms (did I forget to mention that this gets mentioned a lot because I think half the book is her lamenting about the race killing her moms. Also, what is this magical planet where two women can get pregnant without any sperm? There is literally no mention of a sperm donor or Sena wondering who else helped bring her to the world like what kind of world is this?).
I read this book because wolves (who doesn't love them?) but I feel like the book did an injustice to them because for a book title Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves (or if you are like me and could never remember which order it went Night Wolves) it does not spend a lot of time on wolves. I would much rather learn more about the wolves and vonenwolves than about Sena losing her moms. I'm sorry but it gets old really quick and I was ready to DNF this book so many times, but I persevered because some people claimed it was the best book they ever read and others told me it gets better.
People died and Sena had little emotion over someone who fought tooth and nail to make sure she was okay but nope lets turn it all back to Sena and how everyone dies around her because her moms died in the race and she's been struck with bad luck and decisions ever since (if you are annoyed I am only preparing you for the book because this happens a lot).
I wanted to love this book but excluding the last two chapters it felt like kissing a dead fish.
2.5 stars
3 feels
I received a copy of A Christmas Promise by Abby Everheart from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to Abby for writing this darling book. It is an absolute delight, heartfelt, and feels like the making of a Hallmark movie.
You will root for the characters as they navigate through their past hoping to find a better future, and you will definitely be rooting for Juniper that lovable ornament stealing dog to cause as much drama as possible. And if that is not enough drama then do not fear Riley will have you covered because he is the assistant who will put a smile on your face with his antics.
Chris and May's first meeting is so freaking adorable and it is a great precedent for what their characters are going to be like and how they grow as people. My heart is melting into a pile of goo just thinking about those two.
The thing I love the most is that all the characters have issues and it is not just the main characters and the main characters actually try to help the side characters. It is refreshing.
My only complaint is that the person behind the whole sabotage was obvious from the moment we are introduced. I would have liked it to be a little more whodunnit, but for what it is the book is (insert adjective).
all the stars
all the feels
1000% recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review a copy of All the Tommys in the World by Javier Gombinsky.
This book gave me chills and is an excellent zombie thriller book. I'm not a huge horror fan and this is stepping out of my comfort zone and I am glad that I did.
4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review a copy of The Fallen Guardian by Anthony Chaveleh.
To be honest, I picked this book because dragons. I love books with dragons in them, unfortunately, I never made it past the prologue because between the map, pronunciations, and the massive info dump in the beginning it felt like my brain was going to be fried.
If you love info dumps more than dragons read this book, if you love dragons more than info dumps than maybe skip something at the beginning.
3 ⭐
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of The Death Reaper in exchange for an honest review.
It's an interesting story, but seeing as how I read it over a week ago and cannot recall a single detail except it was interesting. It was not memorable to me (I even read the blurb again as a refresher).
Maybe you will have better luck than I did because this is totally a me thing and has nothing to do with the author.
3 out of five stars.
Feels: 2
