Kate Robb - This Spells Love

Kate Robb - This Spells Love 

4 ⭐

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary, Fiction 

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher:  Penguin 

Date Published: 5th December 2023 

Huge thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy.

 

Book Blurb: 

A young woman tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, but she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut.

What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?

My Review: 

This Spells Love was such a cute romance with fantasy and magical realism elements. I consumed this book in less than a day because it was so addictive. A comfortable read and perfect for any season, however, I do recommend reading it during Autumn as it has that Autumn magic vibes. Also, it is best friends to lovers and although it might not be my favourite trope, in this book it just worked so perfectly!

The story follows Gemma, who healing from a very recent breakup from a long-term relationship. She starts questioning whether she wasted years on a relationship when she was actually in love with her best friend Dax…Gemma wishes that she could go back in time and start all over again, but this time to also make things right. Her wish might be granted by an old spell book, a drunk girl's night in and a kiss…

I loved how witty and cute this book was. I also adored the main characters, even though at points Gemma’s chaotic energy was a bit too much. The chemistry between Gemma and Dax was also undeniable, yet all the funny and awkward situations they got into were just as captivating and entertaining. The book has two timelines that were fleshed out quite well in comparison to the Rom Coms that I have read before.

My only negative about this book was that I wanted to get to know Dax in the present timeline, as most of where we see him was in the other timeline, in which he was supposed to be ‘different’. Plus there were times when Gemma was chaotic, annoying and selfish, which led her to some very cringe-worthy situations.

Overall: Very unique, cute and captivating romantic comedy with fantasy and magical realism elements as well as that ‘What If?’ element. If you want something cosy and easy to read, yet at the same time entertaining, well-written and funny, then this book is that. 

About the Author: 

Kate Robb is the author of This Spells Love. She dated a lot of duds in her twenties (amongst a few gems) all providing excellent fodder to write weird and wild romantic comedies. She lives just outside of Toronto, Canada, where she spends her free time pretending she’s not a hockey mom while whispering “hustle” under her breath from the bleachers, a Pinot Grigio concealed in her YETI mug. She hates owls, the word “whilst”, and wearing shorts and aspires to one day be able to wear four-inch heels again.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2280786/kate-robb/

Matt Haig - The Humans

 

Matt Haig - The Humans 

4⭐

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Contemporary 

Pages: 285

Format:  Paperback

Publisher:  Canongate Books 

Date Published: 9th May 2018

A huge thank you to Canongate Books for sending me a copy of this book. 

 

Book Blurb: 

When an extraterrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a leading mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor wants to complete his task and return home to his planet and a utopian society of immortality and infinite knowledge.

He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, and the wars they witness on the news, and is totally baffled by concepts such as love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this weird species than he has been led to believe. He drinks wine, reads Emily Dickinson, listens to Talking Heads, and begins to bond with the family he lives with, in disguise. In picking up the pieces of the professor's shattered personal life, the narrator sees hope and redemption in the humans' imperfections and begins to question the very mission that brought him there--a mission that involves not only thwarting human progress...but murder.

My Review: 

This is my second Matt Haig book and I must say I enjoyed it much more than the How To Stop Time. It was so well written and easy to read, with very multidimensional characters and a captivating storyline. I also loved how societal issues that we as humans face are presented by someone who is an outsider, which makes a reader look at them from an outsider's POV, too, to see them differently. I enjoyed the issues discussed in this book and how they were presented together with humour and wittiness. Although for some the plot might feel unrealistic, the book itself is entertaining, funny and yet full of important lessons to learn and philosophical statements and thoughts that are important to address, especially in the 21^st century.

The story follows an ET from a faraway planet who was sent to Earth on a mission. His mission is to kill a famous mathematician Professor Andrew Martin from Cambridge University and delete all of the breakthrough work that Andrew worked for throughout his career. The knowledge that Andrew uncovered might tell humans too much about other planets in the universe and the planets from which ET is, cannot allow that to happen. Thus ET takes over Andrew’s body and slowly learns about human nature, the way they talk, dress, love, and communicate. For him, all of these emotions and societal rules are very weird and rather disgusting. However, he meets some people who slowly start to change his opinion and he realises that humans aren’t as bad as he once thought.

Overall: This review is short because I don’t want to spoil anything from the book, and I will do so if I start discussing it in depth. However, it is a very well-written, unique funny, and at times silly book, with loads of important issues discussed in a very simple and entertaining way. My favourite of Matt Haig’s so far! 

About the Author:

Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include  the award-winning How To Stop Time, The Radleys, The Humans and the number one bestseller The Midnight Library.He has sold over three million books worldwide.

http://www.matthaig.com/

Cassandra Clare - Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1)

 

Cassandra Clare - Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane #1)

3⭐

Pages: 604

Format: Hardback

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

Publisher:  Tor Books 

Date Published: 10th October 2023

 

Book Blurb: 

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

My Review: 

So Cassandra Clare wrote a book that is not a part of the Shadowhunters universe and the book is also for adults and not YA? I was really excited about this book as I love Shadowhunters universe and those books basically defined my teen years. However, I was quite disappointed by this book, mainly because it just felt so long (600+ pages), it dragged and there was so much information, that by the end I didn’t care. Also, there wasn’t much action happening, and even those little bits of action were for more information dumping. Honestly, more than half of the characters were mentioned once and then never seen again.

The story is set in Castellane, a city that is always in search of wealth and power and where nobles are rich and crime is heaving…We meet Kel who is an orphan but is taken by the royal family to become a Sword Catcher for their son Prince Conor. Over the years they become best friends and brothers, yet Kel knows that his only future is to serve and die for Conor. We also meet Lin, a young Ashkar girl who lives in a community of oppressed people and who still possesses some leftover magic healing powers. She is a healer who wants to help her friend to survive, and who by accident, together with Kel gets immersed in the criminal Castellane’s underworld, whilst also learning that Castellane is not as politically stable as it once was and now is filled with corruption and betrayal.

Characters: well apart from the three main characters, everyone else felt very one-dimensional. The only character that I really cared about was Lin, as her story was somewhat interesting. I didn’t really like Kel, yet was intrigued by Conor and wished there were chapters from his POV.

Romance: I expected some more romance but there was barely any romance in this, just felt like I was reading about the politics of the land and people trying to outsmart each other. Honestly, felt like I was reading the Wish.com version of The Folk of the Air trilogy.

Plotline: Nothing happens throughout the book. Yes, we get a lot of information on different characters and we see the whole worldbuilding, yet nothing big happens. Not even a cliffhanger at the end. Just felt really underwhelming, especially when you invest time to read a book that is over 600+ pages.

Positives: Cassandra Clare definitely knows how to write and writes very well, and that’s really the only reason I persevered with this book. Secondly, it is the first book in the series so I kind of understand the too much information and nothing much happening, but it could’ve been done in less than 600 pages surely. Lin’s storyline is very intriguing and interesting, and I enjoyed her as a character. I felt the emotional connection to her character, yet none of the others sadly.

Overall: The book series has a lot of potential, so I hope that the next book is filled with action and less information. However, Sword Catcher for me was a bit underwhelming, as it lacked action, something that I expect from an adult fantasy book, especially from an author like Cassandra Clare. 

About the Author:

Cassandra Clare was born to American parents in Tehran, Iran and spent much of her childhood travelling the world with her family, including one trek through the Himalayas as a toddler where she spent a month living in her father’s backpack. She lived in France, England and Switzerland before she was ten years old.

Since her family moved around so much she found familiarity in books and went everywhere with a book under her arm. She spent her high school years in Los Angeles where she used to write stories to amuse her classmates, including an epic novel called “The Beautiful Cassandra” based on a Jane Austen short story of the same name (and which later inspired her current pen name).

After college, Cassie lived in Los Angeles and New York where she worked at various entertainment magazines and even some rather suspect tabloids where she reported on Brad and Angelina’s world travels and Britney Spears’ wardrobe malfunctions. She started working on her YA novel, City of Bones, in 2004, inspired by the urban landscape of Manhattan, her favourite city. She turned to writing fantasy fiction full time in 2006 and hopes never to have to write about Paris Hilton again.

Cassie’s first professional writing sale was a short story called “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” in a Baen anthology of humor fantasy. Cassie hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines.

City of Bones was her first novel. Sword Catcher is her most recent novel.

http://www.cassandraclare.com/

Cynthia Hand - Nezemiskoji (Nezemiskoji #1)

Cynthia Hand - Nezemiskoji (Nezemiskoji #1) 

5⭐

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Books Series, Supernatural 

Original Title: Unearthly 

Original Language: English 

Translated by: Aurelija Kuzbariene 

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Alma Littera 

Date Published: 1st June 2012

 

Book Blurb: 

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees...
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My Review: 

Ok, so the Unearthly book series were my favourite when I was a teen… In 2013 I was obsessed with this book and I probably read it like 10 times if not more. So, I thought it was time to put my nostalgic cap on and re-read it again, just to see if after nearly 10 years I still like it as much as I did before. Honestly speaking, I did like it a lot, maybe not as much as I used before, but for me, it is still a solid 5-star book and one of the best paranormal/fantasy YA series about angels and demons.

In this first book, we meet Clara, who recently learned from her mother that she is a part angel. Her angel blood allows her to have special powers, but at the same time as an angel, she has a purpose, a task, that she needs to complete. However, figuring out what that task is, is not easy. There are no instructions or manuals on how to be an angel. Thus, Clara must figure it out herself, whilst seeing visions of a mysterious guy in a forest fire. This leads her to a small town where she meets a guy from her vision. Yet, it's not as simple as it seems, Clara will have to face dangers, lies, drama, and deceit in order to figure out her own purpose and task, and how the mysterious guy is related to all of it.

I loved how easy to read this book was. I also loved that the romance part of the book isn’t presented until more than halfway through the book, which allows readers to get to know Clara, her powers and her family better. I felt that the main characters of this book were very well presented and developed from the get-go of this book. I really liked Clara, as although, she is smarter and stronger than everyone else, she also doesn’t shy from her flaws and is very humble. Additionally, I liked the mystery effect of not telling the readers much about the angels and their purpose on Earth at the start of the book, but slowly revealing crumbs and bits of information throughout the book.

Overall: Still one of my favourite books/series from my teen years, and I can’t wait to reread the other two books in this series. It was such a nostalgic read. 

About the Author:

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, MY CALAMITY JANE, MY CONTRARY MARY, and MY IMAGINARY MARY (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, THE HOW AND THE WHY, WITH YOU ALL THE WAY, and the upcoming TIMELESS and MY SALTY MARY (also with Ashton and Meadows). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two cats, one crazy dog, two kids, and mountain of books.

http://www.cynthiahandbooks.com/

Sarah J. Maas - A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1)

Sarah J. Maas - A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR #1) 

4⭐

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA, Book Series

Pages: 420

Format: Paperback

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Publishing 

Date Published: 2nd June 2020

 

Book Blurb: 

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

My Review: 

I finally braved it and read the first book of the ACOTAR series. Now, I see what the hype is all about really. I must admit, it is a great book, with excellent world-building and great writing. Yet, for me, it was just a tad too long. I know, I know, it’s a first book and the author needs to set the world and its premise to the reader, but still. It felt like at least 100 words could have been cut and the book would have been still as great. It was supposed to be a The Beauty and the Beast retelling but again I didn’t feel it.

The story follows Fayre, who is a very resourceful hunter who by accident kills a disguised faerie. Tamlin from the faerie world comes to take Fayre as a captive until her debt is paid, a.k.a., her whole life. Feyre doesn’t know much about the lands of Prythian, but she knows they are dangerous to mortals like her. So although she adopts to her new home with Tamlin, she notices that something is very wrong with the faerie world and that something dark is about to be unleashed. Whilst all of that is happening her feelings towards her captor grow, but whether it is wise in the midst of all this darkness growing?

I liked it, especially how well-fleshed the characters in this book are. I don’t have a favourite yet, but there aren’t any particular characters that I dislike either. Yet, anyways. I, however, didn’t feel much chemistry between Feyre and Tamlin, but maybe that was just me.

Oh, the setting, world-building and descriptions of the different courts and the fey world are amazing in this book. However, there were parts that I felt that I was reading a YA and not a Young Adult fantasy book.

Overall: Very interesting, beautifully written with amazing world-building and a very well-developed set of characters. I really enjoyed reading this, even though for me it didn’t feel like a Beauty and the Beast retelling and at times it did feel a tad on the YA side of fantasy. I would be interested to read the rest of the series and see if I enjoy the rest of the books more than this first one. 

About the Author:

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.

https://sarahjmaas.com/

Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Before We Say Goodbye (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #4)

 

Toshikazu Kawaguchi - Before We Say Goodbye (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #4)

4⭐

Genre: Fiction, Mystical Realism, Asian Literature, East Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Short Stories, Book Series, Translated Books, Fantasy, Paranormal

Original Title: さよならも言えないうちに

Original Language: Japanese 

Translated by: Geoffrey Trousselot 

Pages: 192

Format: Paperback Proof

Publisher: Picador 

Date Published: 14th September 2023

Huge thank you to Picador for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

Book Blurb: 

The regulars at Café Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with the whimsical ability it grants them to take a trip into the past—as well as the strict rules involved, including that each traveller must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to get cold. In Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s previous novels, patrons have been reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family and visited loved ones. Now readers will once again be introduced to a new set of visitors.

The Husband with Something Important Left to Say

The Woman Who Couldn’t Bid Her Dog Farewell

The Woman Who Couldn’t Answer a Proposal

The Daughter Who Drove Her Father Away

In Last Chance to Say Goodbye, which is translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot and features signature heartwarming characters and wistful storytelling, Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: What would you change if you could travel back in time?

My Review: 

I adored Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series, as well as I love Japanese literature, and this book is no exception. It was so amazing to come back to the Funiculi Funicula café and reunite with the café’s owners, and its regulars, yet at the same time immerse myself in new stories about people who chose to travel back in time for various reasons.

In this book, there are four more stories of people who decided they want to travel back in time. We met a husband who wanted to tell something very important to his wife who is in a coma. We also met a woman who wanted to say goodbye to her dog but didn’t have a chance before. There was also a story about a girl who couldn’t say yes to her boyfriend’s proposal until it was too late and we learn about a daughter who regretted pushing her father away and wants to set wrongs to rights.

I didn’t think all the stories were as strong as in the first three books, but I particularly enjoyed the one about the girl wanting to meet her father and say what she actually felt before she pushed him away. It was such a great story that linked to a significant event from a recent Japanese history and was perfectly intertwined with the main point of the café – to say what you want to say but didn’t have a chance before it is too late.

Overall: I really enjoyed being back with the characters that I grew to love over the last three books and the stories themselves were unique, different to one another and very heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I just wish there were more than four stories in each of the books as I love the style of writing, the mystical realism and how well the main characters are developed throughout this book. Truly recommend! 

About the Author:

Toshikazu Kawaguchi (in Japanese: 川口 俊 和) was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed, and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time. The novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold is adapted from an 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is his debut as an author. It has become an international bestseller and has been adapted for the screen in Japan.

https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/toshikazu-kawaguchi/28093

Dustin Thao - You've Reached Sam

Dustin Thao - You've Reached Sam

3 ⭐

Genre: YA, Romance, Mystical Realism, Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 296

Format: Paperback

Publisher:  Macmillan 

Date Published: 26th May 2022

 

Book Blurb: 

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

My Review: 

This book was really sweet and easy to read, but I expected so much more, as it had raving reviews on Booksta and BookTok. It had so much potential yet was really underwhelmed with the unlikable heroine. I liked the writing and really loved the premise of the book, especially the mystical realism aspect, yet I didn’t feel connected either to the characters or the plot.

This book follows Julie, who is grieving her boyfriend Sam. She also feels guilty, as the reason that Sam was in an accident in the first place, was that he was going to see her. One evening she receives a phone call and on the line is Sam. He explains that they can now have limited time to speak on the phone and say their goodbyes to each other.

I liked how this book didn’t shy away from exploring different ways in which people deal with grief and how they cope with losing a loved one. However, apart from that I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. Julie for me felt very insensitive to others and lashed out at everyone who tried to support her. It felt like she thought her grief is the only one that was truly valid, even though other people loved Sam just as much. Julie's personal development and growth during this book also for me felt a bit flat. Additionally, Sam’s character wasn’t developed either. True, it might be because we see him through Julie and their phone calls, but I didn’t feel much chemistry and love between them both.

Overall: Sadly, for me this book wasn’t what I expected it to be, although it covers topics that I am interested to read about. It was really sweet and easy to read, but apart from the writing and exploration of grief, I didn’t find much connection with the characters, their development and the plot. Maybe I just wanted a bit more deeper emotions than this book provided me with. 

About the Author:

Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese American writer based in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University. He writes contemporary fiction, and his debut novel You’ve Reached Sam will be published November 2021 with Wednesday Books.

https://twitter.com/Dustin_Thao

Alice James - Grave Danger (The Lavington Windsor Mysteries #2)

 

Alice James - Grave Danger (Lavington Windsor Mysteries #2)

5⭐

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Humour, Crime, Horror

Pages: 298

Format: Paperback

Publisher:  Solaris, Rebellion Publishing

Date Published: 23rd May 2023 

 

Big thanks to Alice James for sending me an e-copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

Agatha Raisin meets Sookie Stackhouse, with love, heartbreak and zombies.

More murder. More mayhem. More champagne.

Toni Windsor is failing at ‘happily ever after,’ but it really isn't her fault.

All she wants is true love and the perfect wardrobe, but it doesn't look like they are coming her way any time soon. Instead, there are murders to solve and zombies to raise, and she’s broken her phone again.

Worst of all, her shiny new boyfriend turns out to be a jerk; maybe dating a vampire wasn’t her best decision ever?

My Review: 

This book is even funnier and quirkier than the first one. It is also even more sarcastic and witty than the first one. Oh, and it has even more sexy vampires. What’s not to like? James’s writing is brilliant! A perfect blend of witty, crazy and humorous tones mixed with seriousness and complexity. All this makes each of the characters, especially Toni, not only fun but also portrays how complex each of them are. Basically, I am trying to say that life is complex and James writes her characters with a perfect balance of seriousness, crazy and funny. 

In the book, we follow Toni, who is asked to assist her brother in yet another murder case. There are several suspects, but no one knows who did it, not even zombie Bella after Toni raises her from the dead. On top of that, Toni has to deal with her boyfriend Oscar, who, let’s say, is getting on her nerves and pressuring her to do things she doesn’t want. She also is pushed around by Benedict, who she has to run errands for. Oh, and Toni also has to deal with the forever-growing line of people that wants to kill her…The girl can’t seem to catch a break…

This book felt both, a murder mystery and Toni trying to find her way, as well as make sense of her newfound life with vampires at such proximity. She is not only asked to find out who Bella’s murderer is but also needs to sort out her own (messy) love life and keep herself safe from vampires and other creatures that are trying to kill her, whilst also juggling whatever the Assemblage tells her to take care of. 

I loved how Toni grew as a character throughout the first two books, especially in this book. I just love her attitude and her outlook on life. I feel I could learn a thing or two from her, yet at the same time, she feels like a familiar character to whom I can relate. 

I love how the story is progressing too. There are still so many questions unanswered, but this book built such a great foundation for all of those to be answered in the next instalments. 

I am just going to go and cry about how frustrating Peter’s situation is… and laugh about Oscar…if you know, you know…#TeamPeter

Overall: Brilliantly written story, with so many great characters that I fell in love in the first instalment and don’t want to let go. Like I need the third book now! The suspense! Why did the book have to finish on such a cliffhanger!!! Honestly, can’t wait to see what crazy situations Toni will get herself into in book three. 

About the Author:

Alice lives in a converted chapel in Oxfordshire, England, with three cats and many house plants. She works as a writer, specialising in finance and travel. She was previously a journalist and TV presenter for Bloomberg before becoming press and PR director of a $1 billion US hedge fund for 18 months. That turned out to be the worst period in history for hedge funds, so she retired wounded. Alice has a degree in Maths from Bristol University – and half of a diploma in silversmithing from UCE University because it turns out that making the ladies’ version of the One Ring is a lot harder than she thought.

Alice’s first novel, Grave Secrets, is a whodunit with zombies, vampires, romance and croquet and you should definitely read it. Today.

https://www.alicejames.co.uk

Susan Dennard - The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1)

Susan Dennard - The Luminaries (The Luminaries #1)

4⭐

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Horror, Paranormal, Mystery, Supernatural.

Pages: 304

Format: Digital Proof Copy 

Publisher: Daphne Press 

Date Published: 7th March 2023 

 Huge thank you to BlackCrowPR for sending me a proof copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.

An Instant New York Times Bestseller

A Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick

An Indigo Best Teen Book of 2022

A Junior Library Guild Pick

An Indie Next Pick

A Goodreads Most Anticipated YA Book

Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

My Review: 

I am slowly getting myself back into YA Fantasy and Fantasy in general, and reading The Luminaries displayed why I want to go back into reading more fantasy. This book for me was really enjoyable. I loved the setting of Hemlock Falls, enjoyed the history and explanations about each clan and its nightmares, and I liked the characters, too. Yes, this book felt a bit slow at times and there wasn’t a lot of action, but it presented a perfect foundation for the series and storylines to be expanded over the next instalments. I also really enjoyed the cliffhanger at the end of this book, which made me feel super excited for the second instalment.

The story follows Winnie Wednesday who grew up in Hemlock Falls, a magical town surrounded by a dangerous forest, where the nightmares and the spirits that create them, live. All the different clans in town train to be hunters that hunt nightmares every night and Winnie’s biggest dream is to become one of the hunters. Though, for Winnie to become a hunter will be much harder than for others in town. She and her family are the outcasts, due to her father’s betrayal of the Wednesday clan more than four years ago. Winnie comes up with a plan on her 16^th Birthday, she will attempt the hunter trial, not only to become a hunter but also to prove her loyalty and make sure that her family are no longer outcasted.  However, she soon realises that there is something really dangerous lurking in the forest that might not only affect her hunter's trial but could be potentially very dangerous for everyone at Hemlock Falls.

Firstly, I loved the setting of the forest and the world-building that Dennard did in this book, especially how she weaved so many mythological and paranormal creatures together as inhabitants of one mystical forest.

Secondly, this book was so easy to read and as I was so invested in Winnies stories, I just flew through the short chapters. And I also wanted to know more about the mysterious Jay and some other characters more, hence I couldn’t put this book down.

Finally, the book finished on such a cliffhanger and some really important questions weren’t answered in this book (which hopefully will be answered in the next instalments). I still feel there is so much unknown about the Dianas, Winnie’s father and the town itself (as in why they don’t speak to the outside world about The Luminaries or the forest).

My only negative thing was that there were romantic feelings and loads of tension between the two main characters but nothing has been done to address it…I wish that romance was explored a bit more in-depth.

Overall: A very promising and exciting story, that reads very quickly with characters and a plotline that captures the reader and doesn’t want to let go. Honestly, enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait for the sequel. 

About the Author:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Witchlands series as well as the Something Strange & Deadly series. When not writing, she can be found slaying darkspawn on her Xbox or earning bruises at the dojo.

https://susandennard.com/

Jessie Mihalik - Hunt the Stars (Starlight's Shadow #1)

Jessie Mihalik - Hunt the Stars (Starlight's Shadow #1) 

5 ⭐

Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction 

Pages: 425

Format: Paperback Proof 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Date Published: 1st February 2022

Huge Thank You to Harper360YA & Harper360 for a copy. 

Book Blurb: 

Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.

The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.

My Review: 

So, I am not a huge fan of Sci-Fi books, but Hunt the Stars was amazing! Such an easy, entertaining and well-written read! I loved the writing, the characters were very well-developed, there was some mystery element to it and of course, it had tension and romance (with some mild spice). This a great recipe for an excellent book!

The book follows Octavia a former war veteran who is currently a bounty hunter across a galaxy with her team. Octavia loves her job and her team, as well as enjoys being as far away from politics and talking about war as possible. However, General Torran Fletcher from Valovia asks her to take a special mission to catch a thief who stole his family's heirloom. He also offers an amazing sum of money for this mission, which makes Octavia very conflicted about whether she wants to work for an enemy…Yet she needs money desperately to keep her crew and ship going, thus she agrees to work with Torran and his team to find the missing heirloom. However, soon it becomes apparent that for this mission to succeed, both crews have to put their differences aside and work together.

I liked the setting of this book, especially the explanations of Valovians and how humans got into a war with them. It also explained quite well how humans became excellent at travelling through the galaxies and fighting in trans-galactic wars with human-like creatures. In my opinion premise of this book was good and it is a very solid foundation for a series, as I know there are two more books in this universe.

I also really enjoyed the characters. All of them seemed very well developed and added something to the book and plot. There wasn’t a character that wasn’t needed in this story. The friendships and relationships, as well as the development of both between the characters, were also very well thought out.

There was some romance and smut but it wasn’t at the forefront of the book, which was interesting and made the premise of the book, the mission, more entertaining but also intense and suspenseful. I enjoyed the tension and passion between Octavia and Torran…as it made the main mission so much more entertaining, yet scary, as I was rooting for both of them to make it out alive and finally be together…

Overall: I was very sceptical about reading this book, mainly because I am super picky about Sci-Fi books, but this book was just amazing! It had all the right ingredients for me to not only enjoy it but also love it! Honestly, I wish I read it sooner, and it is going to be in my top 10 books of 2023! I am definitely picking up the rest of the series because I need to know what happens next with Octavia and her crew, as well as Torran and his Valovian counterparts.

 

About the Author: 

Jessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full-time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves.

The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.

The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.

https://www.jessiemihalik.com/