Darkly by. Marisha Pessl | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Darkly

Author: Marisha Pessl

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 11/26/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Game

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What would you kill for?

When an ad for an internship with the Louisiana Veda Foundation poses this question, seemingly every high school student in the country rushes to apply. Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the late game designer whose obsessive creations have attained a cultlike status, ever since she and her mom played Disappearing Act—but Dia has never won anything in her life. So she’s shocked when she’s chosen as an intern, along with six other teenagers from around the world.

Little is known about Louisiana Veda. Her game-making empire, Darkly, was renowned for its ingenious, terrifying toys and games, rife with hidden symbols and secrets. But after Veda’s mysterious death, Darkly went bankrupt, and production was discontinued. The remaining games are priced like highly sought-after works of art, with the rarest and most notorious items commanding tens of millions of dollars at auction.

Now the interns are thrust into the enigmatic heart of Louisiana Veda’s operation, and Dia immediately questions everything: Who are these other kids? Why do they all seem to have something to hide? And why was she really chosen? It soon becomes clear that this summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.

Content Warning: violence

I saved this arc to read for Fall and honestly after reading it, it was the perfect book for spooky season:

Likes:

+ There is a famous, mysterious game maker named Louisiana Veda. Her board games are rare and highly coveted. So when a chance to win one of these games presents itself to Arcadia Gannon, she takes it. The whole history and mystery about Louisiana Veda is very fascinating and interesting! It kept me hooked to the story because of the lore about her life and the unique games she created. It made me want to see one of these games in real life! The story is dark, and thrilling with some good twists.

+ There is a group of kids who are chosen for this internship but they realize their internship is actually an investigation! One person will win the grand prize if they can help the company who manages Louisiana’s empire with their quest – so who will win? Can these kids trust one another? There are many instances where I didn’t trust any of the kids and I liked that it kept me guessing.

+ I love the atmosphere and how spooky the island is where the kids have to stay during their quest. It’s the island where Louisiana Veda lived and her game factory which is all boarded up now. It’s dark, creepy and these kids are always trying to go in there in the dead of night. And speaking of creepy – the game itself where the kids have to participate – is straight out scary (if I ever had to encounter that in real life).

Dislikes:

~ There is a love triangle that wasn’t needed but since it’s there, I wish was more developed.

Final Thoughts:

This book was really entertaining especially because of the game-come-to-life concept and how dark the lore and history is about Louisiana Veda. I was intrigued from start to finish loved all the chills and thrills I had while reading this! You won’t find me playing Valkyrie haha, but I would definitely want to see these board games because they sound amazing. I hope there is a sequel to this book because I feel like there’s more to be explored in this fascinating world of Darkly!

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The Half King by. Melissa Landers | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Half King (#1)

Author: Meliisa Landers

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 409

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Entangled: Red Tower Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A king by day. Shadow by night…

The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.

One with perilous beauty.
One with destructive knowledge.
One with insatiable bloodlust.

But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.

Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.

Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.

Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.

But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.

Content Warning: violence, self-harm, death

Cerise is a second born acolyte who’s powers haven’t manifested yet and it seems like anyone who’s tried to “see” her path hasn’t been successful at doing so. So she’s sent to the Mortara kingdom to serve the king, Kian. He’s a half-king because he is solid in human form by day, and shadows by night.

I thought the world-building was really interesting. Their allied realm worships a goddess Shiera, but an event happened that cursed the people. Kian’s curse is to turn into shadow until one day he disappears altogether. But Cerise and Kian’s best friend, Daerick, are trying a way to break all curses. They made a good team and I thought with Kian in their group they were a pretty funny trio. Their investigation takes them on a quest filled with magic, danger, and some romance.

Cerise, was an interesting main character. She is sunshine personified – talk about someone who never really let things get her down. She came off as naive at times but I liked her heart and that she was not afraid to love. I’m so used to reading about strong females, that Cerise was kind of refreshing because it kept this story sort of light-hearted, in a way. There are dark times and themes in the book, especially with the priests at Mortara who self-harm themselves or believe in women having less power, but I like that she questioned things even though her faith in her religion was very strong.

The romance starts off slow, but there is a steamy scene and yes they both fall fast for one another but I felt like their romance fit the story. There isn’t too much drama between them and if there is, it’s solved with communication.

I liked how the story was questioning religion, and making certain choices. I also love the twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting.

I categorized this as YA and NA mostly because it felt like a YA book but the sex scene pushes it into NA. But there were a lot of times in this book I felt like it was very young adult. Maybe because of Cerise’s naivety? She acts young, as does Daerick and Kian but they ARE young (Kian is just shy his 21st birthday!) so it makes sense. I think I was hoping for them to act a bit older.

Final Thoughts:

This was a pretty quick read filled with mystery, romance, friendships, a quest, and a twist. I thought Cerise as miss sunshine was the perfect compliment to Kian’s shadow self. I do wish at times the characters were older but it wasn’t a huge issue. I look forward to reading the next book.

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Hate Mail by. Donna Marchetti | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Hate Mail

Author: Donna Marchetti

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 355

Publication Date: 3/14/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Penpals, New Adult

Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting…

But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.

It’s been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.

But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.

Content Warning: stalking

I’ve been seeing this all over my Amazon page and it was on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to read it. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Penpals! Do people still do that? I’m old enough that people did that back in the day. I thought how Luca and Naomi wrote letters to each was so funny because they were both so mean to one another. I love their dedication to trolling one another for years! Like why were some of their insults so dark?

+ Yes, Naomi gets into a bit of stalker behavior trying to find out what Luca’s address. I don’t think I would ever fly all over the USA to find info on a guy, but I thought her relationship with her bestie, Anne, who joins her on these adventures is so much fun! I like that we get to see their work relationship and friendship.

+ The romance, after all the wild stuff taking place, is actually really cute. It’s an enemies to lovers romance, sort of You’ve Got Mail-ish (minus the emails) – I love that this was all done with snail mail. I mean, who writes letters anymore?! So I love that it was featured in this book. Obviously, there was a lot these two had to work out once they realized what was happening but I liked the way it turned out.

Dislikes:

~ There was a point where Luca’s stalking behavior was creeping me out. I mean, they lived at the same complex! Obviously, he knew her and if he just actually told her who he was from the get go, so many of this drama would have been avoided. I know, she was the same and the whole flying to different cities to find out more about him was stalker-ish too but I think hers was genuine curiosity!

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it, minus some of Luca’s behavior with the not-telling-her-the- truth-right-away part. Overall, I thought it was cute that two penpals who basically hated one another since they were kids, found one another like it was fate for them to meet.

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The Whispering Night by. Susan Dennard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Whispering Night (The Luminaries, #3)

Author: Susan Dennard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Urban Fantasy, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?

Content Warning: violence

I have finally finished this series! Here is the last book in the trilogy and here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Winnie and Erica work together finally which was nice to see. Winnie is thrown into the spotlight in this book and I liked that for her. There is more growth for her character.

+ I think a lot of questions were answered especially about the Dianas. There was a lot of action too but mostly in the second half.

+ When Jay was in the book, I thought he and Winnie were the sweetest couple. I just wish there was more of them but I know she had to have her personal journey.

Dislikes:

~ I felt this one was slow in the first half, kind of like book two, and then it picks up. But it took me awhile to get into this one, unfortunately. This one is mostly mystery in the beginning and just not something that was hooking me.

~ Jay mostly appears in the second half, which again, I wish he was there throughout the book. I was missing him and Winnie together.

Final Thoughts:

I loved book one of this series, but by this third book, I feel like I aged out of the series? If that makes sense. I do think the people who loved books one and two will love this third book! It’s a great conclusion.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

The Luminaries by.Susan Dennard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hunting Moon by. Susan Dennard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Stranger Skies by. Pascale Lacelle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods, #2)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 608

Publication Date: 11/5/24

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, LGBT+, Dark Academia

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academia fantasy Curious Tides, following Emory, Baz, Romie, and Kai on their desperate quests through space and time!

Opening locked doors has a price—even for those who hold a key. After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the the same verdant world written of in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it. A sinister force has awoken with their arrival, intent on destruction as it spills across realms, and now Emory and Romie must stop it before it reaches their own shores.

Meanwhile, Baz and Kai are desperate to follow their friends through the door to other worlds, but a mishap pulls them back in time instead—where they come face to face with Cornus Clover himself, famed author of Song of the Drowned Gods. Stuck together in the past, they must navigate a very different Aldryn as they unravel the school’s darkest secrets. Across time and worlds, Emory, Romie, Baz, and Kai find their fates eerily interwoven with the heroes from Clover’s book. But when stories can’t be trusted, friendships are put to the test, and deadly enemies are not always as they seem, they must decide who gets to be a hero—and who is desperate enough to see themselves become a villain.

Content Warning: violence

I enjoyed Curious Tides, which is the first book in this series so I was very curious to see where this story went. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like the dual stories going with Romie and Emory in one place and Kai and Baz in another. I think it worked well seeing both worlds happening at the same time. I thought the world building was really good and expanded.

+ There was a little romance stirring in this book between two people that was hinted in book one. I love to see it, but it definitely comes at the end of the book and we’ll see what happens in book three. It’s definitely a slow burn. On the other hand where Emory had all the romance in book one, her relationship with Romie is what needs to be fixed and I liked to see their friendship journey.

+ There is magic, lots of action and so much going on in both worlds. Baz as a Timespinner even gets to go into the past with Kai to the point where I’d say things really changed for these magic wielders. I thought that part was very interesting and realized how large this world building is.

Dislikes:

~ I found this one a little too long and the pacing was off and there were parts that dragged. I do think it’s long because there was so much happening with the story, and lots more characters being introduced. But I did take a few weeks to finish this one.

Final Thoughts:

I did like how this world opens up in this book. There is so much going on and different worlds to explore. There is also a lot more characters introduced but at times I felt it dragged and was a bit too long for me. I think people who love fantasy though will love this one.

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Games Gods Play (The Crucible, #1)

Author: Abigail Owen

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 634

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Categories: Greek Mythology, Romance, Fantasy, New Adult

Percy Jackson for adults meets The Hunger Games with a slow burn romance between a contestant and Hades himself.

Every hundred years, the gods toy with us mere mortals.
And we let them.

The gods of myth are alive and well.
Once every century, they select a new ruler in a cutthroat competition, pushing mortal players to the limit. But this year, Hades is done sitting on the sidelines. And he’s picking a champion no one expects—in this modern mythic romantasy, she’ll fight for her life…
for the god of Death.

Content Warning: violence, death

I’ve wanted to read this book since it came out but for some reason – maybe the reason being I have to get into a MOOD to read anything inspired by Greek Mythology – it took me to get into this one but I finally pushed through and finished! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The Gods hold a tournament called a Crucible every one hundred years and they each pick a mortal to represent them in the games. Lyra is picked by Hades but one thing about Lyra is she’s been cursed by Zeus to be unlovable. Lyra is pretty capable because she is a thief and a somewhat good one. There are a lot of Labors – that’s what each tournament is called, each God creates their own Labor and winner gets a prize to help them in the next Labor. I thought the Labors were interesting and entertaining, the action was good!

+ The Gods are hot, of course. And who doesn’t love the story of Hades and Persephone though I thought it took an interesting twist in this story that works for me. There is no denying an instant attraction between Lyra and Hades and it’s a very slow burn, especially with this book (at least the ebook version) is over 600 pages! There is a spicy scene between them but it’s almost at the end.

+ I did enjoy the cast of characters like the Gods and the mortals fighting in the tournament. Alliances have to be made but who can Lyra really trust? I loved Cerebus of course, since he’s basically a 3 headed, scary dog.

Dislikes:

~ For some reason, throughout the story I kept asking myself why is Hades obsessed with Lyra so soon? What is it about her that is amazing to him? It’s a bit of insta-love, or more like insta-attraction. She’s a thief and yes she helped out the other mortals throughout the Labors which shows she has a good heart but other than that, I was left wondering. I didn’t really connect to her, I thought she was okay as the MC – she’s unlovable, which is sad, but it’s made her close herself off to people and it shows. Not even her relationship with Boone showed more of her personality and I think that’s what was missing. I needed more from Lyra and also I kept thinking she was a teenager but she is 23!

~ I think I had a hard time really getting invested in the book at first because of the massive cast of characters. Once I made myself buckle down to keep reading and learn the characters, I did get more invested but still – so many characters between the Gods and mortals.

~ This book needed to be a bit shorter. There are so many Labors and maybe some of them could have been showcased in book two? But I get how the ending of the book is setting up book two to get in the next direction. Still, it could have been shorter.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this was entertaining despite the issues I had with it! I think I’ll read book two, if I’m in a Greek Mythology kind of mood and hopefully it’s a shorter book.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read from This Author:

The Liar’s Crown by. Abigail Owen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stolen Throne by. Abigail Owen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️💫

Filthy Rich Fae by. Geneva Lee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Filthy Rich Fae (Filthy Rich Fae, #1)

Author: Geneva Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 392

Publication Date: 6/25/24

Categories: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Paranormal

“You made a bargain…
Your soul for his—and now, you are mine.”

Cate Holloway knows the unspoken rule of New avoid the powerful Gage crime family at all costs. Of course, that was before her brother got caught in their chaos. Now

Cate has no choice but to confront the dark and forbidding prince of New Orleans himself and beg for her brother’s life.

But Lachlan Gage is as lethal as he is beautiful…and the only currency he’s interested in is her soul.

Because Lachlan isn’t just some ruthless criminal. He’s fae. And he has his own secret reasons for binding her to him.

Tricked and desperate, Cate is torn between humanity and the breathtaking Otherworld. A place filled with shadows and secrets, with members of each fae court plotting against her just as her captor’s motives for trapping her become more mysterious.

And if she can’t break this sinister bargain in the next thirty days, she’ll be bound to the inscrutable yet infuriatingly tempting fae prince and his deadly world…forever.

Content Warning: violence, mentions of sexual assault/rape

I saw this book on Kindle Unlimited, loved the cover and also wanted to read something with Fae and so I borrowed it. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Pleasantly surprised that this was an urban fantasy set in New Orleans! There is just something so dark and mysterious about New Orleans and I can definitely see vampires, fae, and all the other monsters living there.

+ I like Cate and her need to help people even though she barely has anyone in her life. She is an orphan who was passed around in foster care and got close to Channing who is now her brother. She tries her best to look out for him but his choices in life has gotten him trouble with the Gage family, who run New Orleans.

+ The cast of characters are great! I like that even though Lachlan Gage is a dangerous man, he has a dysfunctional family who Cate gets kind of close to, especially with his sister.

+ The romance is the slowest burn ever and I will say I thought with a title with the word “Filthy” in it, I thought it was going to be super spicy but it actually wasn’t! That was surprising, but there was spice but I found it pretty mild or not as detailed as I thought it would be. But I did love the connection that was growing between Cate and Lachlan, even with all the drama happening around them, and the slow burn between them. Their banter was fun and I love how she never backed down with him.

+ Love the twist at the end and look forward to book two!

Dislikes:

~ Just wanted a little more spice! It’s a closed door kinda story.

Final Thoughts:

I think this hit the spot for what I was craving for at the moment which was an urban fantasy story with a sexy Fae, lots of banter, some Fae politics, found family, and a MC with a secret background. All the tropes I love in one place! I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

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Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Wisteria (Belladonna, #3)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 419

Publication Date: 8/20/24

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Gothic, Young Adult

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers’ hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this series and definitely wanted to continue the story. Also how could I resist this book cover? It’s one of the prettiest book covers this year! I finally finished the book and here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Blythe and Aris take center stage in this story. There is so much animosity between them, it’s amazing they both can stand to be in the same room together. Aris is such a grump though, I could see why Blythe was frustrated with him all the time.

+ The story is beautifully written – from the world building, the setting and just how the characters are fully fleshed out. We already know Blythe from when she was introduced in the other books but this is her story. I love how strong her character is even with an illness.

+ The love story is tragic and bittersweet. There are some moments of heat between them but very few.

Dislikes:

~ I think their love story is too tragic, which is fine – I mean the love between Fate and Life is sad. But I wanted more romance between Blythe and Aris since they spent most of the book fighting and hating one another. Especially because I love how much they hated one another – I wanted the payoff but I didn’t feel satisfied.

~ I didn’t love Chaos but that is what “chaos” does, it disrupts everything but still, I just didn’t love the ending.

Final Thoughts:

I’m a little bummed this one fell short of my expectations but I think the whole series overall is great. Blythe and Aris deserved a story and I think that Fate and Life finding each other again and again is beautiful and bittersweet.

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Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Winter Wish by. Emily Stone | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Winter Wish

Author: Emily Stone

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/15/24

Publisher: Dell

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Christmas Romance, Holiday Romance, Travel

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Dell for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime—in this heartwarming holiday novel from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

When Lexie learns of her father’s death, she doesn’t know how to feel; they’ve barely spoken in the last ten years. And she’s even more confused when she discovers he’s left her half of his holiday travel company, a successful niche business specializing in trips that explore the holiday traditions of cultures all over the world.

Meanwhile, the other half of the company has been left to her father’s handsome but bad-tempered young executive, Theo. And the will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.

Lexie intends to leave once the year is over, even though, as a wanderer herself, she finds the company’s mission more compelling than she first thought. And a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.

There may have been some snap judgments made about each other. But mixing business and pleasure isn’t always a good idea.

Content Warning: death of parent, strained family relationships

I felt like this story was a little more than a holiday romance. Did it have elements of Christmas in it? Yes, but what I really love about it is the travel destinations the characters take in this story and the story about mending relationships. Lexie’s dad has died all of a sudden and is leaving her his travel company but she doesn’t want it because she didn’t have the best relationship with her dad. He left their family, remarried, and she basically cut him off from her life. His death makes her revisit memories of her childhood with him, and how her love of travel actually stems from him. Lexie has a fear of commitment because of her dad but her stance is questioned when she meets Theo, who seemed to be close to her dad and worked for him.

Lexie has a lot of issues to deal with when it comes to her dad’s memory, her half-sister Rachel, and this new guy Theo. I love how the company becomes a found family for her though and maybe Lexie didn’t have a relationship with her dad, but she has a best friend in her mom. I enjoyed how the author tackled the issue of commitment and wanting to be free to move around as opposed to staying put in one place.

I thought the romance was cute and progressed nicely from rivals, to partners and to something more. I actually loved how they would travel to destinations together – I was thinking what a cool job to be working in a travel company!

Final Thoughts:

This was a fun, heart-warming, holiday romance story and I look forward to reading more from this author!

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Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Storm of Ink and Blood (The Nightfire Quartet, #3)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 469

Publication Date: 10/4/24

Publisher: Second Sky

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Second Sky for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dark magic courses through Zarya’s veins—magic that could save countless lives… or doom her world.

Shattered by Rabin’s betrayal, Zarya vows to leave all thoughts of him behind. In the dangerous city of Ishaan, she joins an ancient struggle for freedom.

Ishaan is a city of violent contrasts. Nobles and scholars live in golden luxury. But thousands of vanshaj workers are born into magical slavery—in punishment for a crime forgotten centuries ago.

Zarya is outraged, and certain that the fate of the vanshaj is linked to her own forbidden magic. She joins a band of rebels battling for their freedom, and with Yasen at her side she throws herself into the fight.

On a deadly raid, Zarya uncovers the key to freeing the vanshaj for ever. But to use it, she must harness a power that could tear her apart.

Only one person can give Zarya the strength to reach her destiny. The one who ignited her magic. Who brings her more pleasure and more pain than any other. The last person she wants to see right now. Rabin.

With searing chemistry, a stunning world, and heart-racing action, The Nightfire Quartet is a fast-paced and addictive fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, and Rebecca Yarros. If you love slow-burning passion and razor-sharp banter, dive in to discover your new fantasy obsession.

Content Warning: violence

This is book three in The Nightfire Quartet and here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Zarya and her bestie Yasen are back and bringing the humor. I love their friendship and love that they would still follow each other anywhere even if Zarya has her Rabin.

+ Zarya is in a new city and helping a rebellion so it’s a new adventure for her. She gets a glimpse and some interaction with her half-siblings and it’s not the kind of reunion she was expecting. She’s also working on her powers to break the tattoo collars on the people who have them. I did like that they were somewhere new and we get to meet new characters.

+ The romance was rocky at the end of book two and so Rabin and Zarya needed to try again to make things work. Thing is Rabin has to get past her defenses and make it up to her. He is patient with her and they do have a few spicy scenes but I’m worried that her father will test their new found bond again. It does seem like this time they have really let each other in and they took steps to solidify their bond as best as they can but I am still suspicious about her dad and I question Rabin’s loyalty to him.

Dislikes:

~ This one might have been a tad bit too long. Zarya spends a lot of time trying to work on her magic and trying to break the tattoo collars and for the first few time it’s interesting but it got repetitive.

~ There were times I thought Zarya was just so naive about things and wish she had a little more growth.