The High Mountain Court by. A. K. Mulford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The High Mountain Court (The Five Crowns of Okrith, #1)

Author: A.K. Mulford

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 312

Publication Date: 8/10/21

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Fated Mates, Fae, Witches

A red witch in hiding…

Gripping and action-packed, The High Mountain Court is an adrenaline-filled, high fantasy with fae courts, powerful witches, and a diverse cast of characters, perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Holly Black.

Thirteen years fleeing witch hunters and the looming threat of death. Nineteen-year-old Remy knows she is possibly the last red witch alive, and she is determined to stay that way. The Northern Court King has slaughtered her home court and placed a bounty on red witch heads.

When four fae warriors enter her tavern refuge, Remy tries to flee, but her magic isn’t strong enough to stop a fae prince on a mission. The handsome Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom wants to stop a war with the Northern Court before his kingdom befalls the same fate as Remy’s. He needs a red witch and Remy may be the only person alive who can help him. Can she really trust Prince Hale? Can her fallen court be resurrected from the evil clutches of the Northern Court King? For the chance to save herself, her people, and help defeat the Northern King, Remy must put her faith in Hale and his companions on a dangerous quest to find lost relics.

The High Mountain Court is the first book in the thrilling fantasy saga, The Five Crowns of Okrith. Expect danger, intrigue, and thrilling passion as Remy journeys to save the kingdom she holds most dear.

I picked this one up over the weekend just because I was craving a faerie storyline. I had no real expectations going in and I was surprisingly entertained!

I enjoyed the world building with faeries and witches. Remy is supposedly the last red witch alive so she is basically living on the run, with two loyal companions who are brown witches. She runs into Hale, who is a fae Prince from the Eastern Kingdom. He’s been looking for a red witch to help him find some magical artifacts. These magical artifacts would supposedly lead him to a missing heir of the High Mountain Court who can wield the treasures and fight the Northern King who is trying to overtake all the kingdoms.

Remy as a main character was just okay at first. She’s special, but we don’t fully know why until way later. I did love finding out the secrets she was hiding. There was something emotional about Remy too – she’s an orphan and has had some trauma in her past. She travels with two companions who are clearly devoted to her, and you see by the end just how far that devotion goes. Remy grows a lot in this story – she learns to fight, she learns to embrace her fears and she gains courage from her new fae friends.

The cast of characters are great and diverse. I especially liked Carys and Bri – fae who take her in and help her grow into a stronger young woman, they were fun. I liked that there was lots of action in the book, especially in the end and the twists were good too.

The romance between Remy and Hale is nice and it builds. I like that at first it grows from animosity to friendship and then eventually something they both can’t deny. It gets pretty steamy between them. I was definitely rooting for them and their happily ever after.

Triggers: violence

My biggest issue with this book was the moment they realized they were each other’s Fated Mates. From then on the phrase “fated mate” or “fated” or “mate” was everywhere and it ruined it for me! I love the fated mates trope – but do I need to be reminded they are fated on every other paragraph? Nope. I think I know they are fated – you had to tell me only one time. lol…it became so repetitive I was cringing.

Would have love to learn more about the witches!

Why you should read it:

you like fated mate romances
interesting world building of fae courts and witches
lots of action and some emotional parts too

Why you might not want to read it:

the word “fated mates”, and “mate” are repeated a lot in the last parts of this book

My Thoughts:

I honestly just picked this up because I needed something light and easy to read that had faeries and romance in it. To me this was a fun read with enough action and emotion to keep me invested in the characters. It actually ticked off all the boxes in what I was looking for in a book until the fated mate stuff. I love a good fated mates story, but I really don’t need to be reminded every five minutes they are fated. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I will still read book two because it’s going to be about another set of characters but I hope there is WAY less of the phrase “fated mate” or “mate”.

📚~Yolanda

A Dark and Starless Forest by. Sarah Hollowell | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: A Dark and Starless Forest

Author: Sarah Hollowell

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 9/14/21

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Diversity, Magic, Paranormal

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

Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When her siblings start to go missing, a girl must confront the dark thing that lives in the forest—and the growing darkness in herself—in this debut YA contemporary fantasy for fans of Wilder Girls.

Derry and her eight siblings live in an isolated house by the lake, separated from the rest of the world by an eerie and menacing forest. Frank, the man who raised them after their families abandoned them, says it’s for their own good. After all, the world isn’t safe for people with magic. And Derry feels safe—most of the time.

Until the night her eldest sister disappears. Jane and Derry swore to each other that they’d never go into the forest, not after their last trip ended in blood, but Derry is sure she saw Jane walk into the trees. When another sibling goes missing and Frank’s true colors start to show, feeling safe is no longer an option. Derry will risk anything to protect the family she has left. Even if that means returning to the forest that has started calling to Derry in her missing siblings’ voices.

As Derry spends more time amidst the trees, her magic grows more powerful . . . and so does the darkness inside her, the viciousness she wants to pretend doesn’t exist. But saving her siblings from the forest and from Frank might mean embracing the darkness. And that just might be the most dangerous thing of all.

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I love the cover and also the premise for the story sounded intriguing. I got approved for the arc last minute, but the book is a quick read so I’m glad I got to finish even though it just published!

I love the mysterious and dark atmosphere of this story. We meet Derry and she has eight siblings (not by blood). They live in what seeps like am isolated house bordered by a forest and their caretaker is a man named Frank. Everything about that just made me suspicious about Frank from the start! Apparently these girls have magic or powers, Derry’s magic is related to nature, things bloom on her body.

Derry is our main character and she is a plus sized girl compared to her sisters, she loves her sisters and is very afraid of Frank. She doesn’t have the best control of her magic. When something happens to the sister she is the closest to, Jane, this pushes Derry to break Frank’s rules, no matter the consequences and she meets something in the woods that makes her question Frank and his methods. I like when Derry finds out the truth and we see her become stronger.

The sisterly bond is great since they are all isolated together. You can feel the love between them and it’s their chosen family bond that helps defeat Frank. Also they are diverse, which was nice.

Triggers: abuse, manipulation, death, violence

Frank is straight up evil and I was so happy when Derry stood up to him! It honestly gave me satisfaction with how Derry dealt with him. But who are Franks “friends” that he kept going to see when a girl went missing? I’m very curious about that.

I think the magic system confused me in the beginning though it makes sense in the end when more of the mystery about Frank is solved. When they called themselves “alchemists”, I was waiting for them to do alchemy but their powers didn’t work that way. It really was magic within them, magic they were born with.

There are nine of them, Derry and eight siblings, but I swear I kept forgetting who was left when a few went missing. I felt like the only ones I really knew were Derry, Jane and Elle – they seemed the more fleshed out of the girls.

Why you should read it:

it’s a story about girls taking back their power and magic, mostly Derry’s journey
diverse cast
suspenseful, creepy vibes

Why you might not want to read it:

dark story with themes of abuse and manipulation
not a happy story, ending is bittersweet

My Thoughts:

It took some patience to get my bearings in the story when I started the book, but my curiosity kept me reading. I wanted to know who Frank was and what was in these creepy woods. Though it is a dark story, I was glad to see Derry rise up against the man who was hurting her and her sisters. I can definitely relate to that! This was a quick read filled with diversity, a strong sisterly bond, magic and empowerment.

📚 ~ Yolanda

BLOG TOUR} This is Why We Lie by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for This is Why We Lie by. Gabriella Lepore!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: This is Why We Lie

Author: Gabriella Lepore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 9/21/21

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Murder Mystery, Young Adult, 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 Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Riverdale meets One of Us Is Lying in This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore, a standalone thriller following two teens who discover a body off the coast of their seaside town. As they search for the killer, they will learn the students of both the local prep school and the nearby reform school will do anything to protect their secrets.

Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.

When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.

Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.

As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.

As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.

This one starts off right away with a dead body and throughout the rest of the book we try to figure out how Colleen died – was it suicide? Was it murder? We uncover secrets with Jenna and Adam who are the narrators of this story. Jenna went to school with Colleen and hung out in the same circle. Adam is from Rookwood reform school where the Preston Prep girls liked to party. Both Jenna and Adam are trying to protect someone they care about, but what really happened the night Colleen died?

The story is told in the present but with past flashbacks, in that way we get to know how these girls meet this Rook boys and how much time Colleen was spending with them.

Jenna is the girl who stayed out of the drama between the girls and not much of a partier. Her best friend Hollie is implicated in the murder of Colleen but she knows her friend couldn’t have done something like that so she tries to find out what happened the night of the murder. Jenna is also friends with Serena, who is the queen bee of Preston Prep School, but they aren’t as close as before so Jenna wasn’t always at these Rook parties. Jenna tries to piece together information and gathers things she’s missing so she can help Hollie.

Adam’s friend Max, who seems to be the leader of their little clique is dating Serena. But at the parties, Max seems a little flirty with Colleen. Adam doesn’t know what really happened to Colleen that night she died but he is going to do his best to protect himself and his friends – he is already on his “second” chance by attending this reform school and he can’t afford to get into deeper trouble.

The other players in this story all have a roll to play and I did figure out who the murderer was halfway through the story, but I did enjoy trying to piece things together.

Triggers: drinking, drug use, death

This is a quick read and I did sort of get confused when the story jumped to the past and showed how Adam and Jenna met before but when they meet again it doesn’t seem like she knows him at all. I guess in a way it adds more suspicion to the story but it made me pause a bit.

I kind of wished there was more to the ending, it was a little rushed.

Why you should read it:

prep school girl/reform school boy trope
quick read
entertaining trying to figure out what really happened

Why you might not want to read it:

lacking character development
rushed ending
past/present timeline

My Thoughts:

This was a very quick read and I enjoyed trying to find out what was going on. I do wish there was more character development and the ending wasn’t so rushed but I think if you just take this story as is, it’s quick, entertaining and if you like the rich girl/bad boy tropes you will enjoy this one.

📚~Yolanda

About the Author:

Gabriella Lepore is a YA author from South Wales in the United Kingdom. She lives in the countryside with her husband James and daughter Sophia. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found exploring the coastline. She enjoys cups of tea, bookstore coffee shops, stormy beaches, and autumn days.

Twitter: @GabriellaBooks

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Luck of the Titanic by. Stacey Lee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Luck of the Titanic

Author: Stacey Lee

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Family

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and making a life for herself as a circus performer in New York. Much to her surprise, though, she’s turned away at the gangway; apparently, Chinese people aren’t allowed into America.

But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother, Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is on board, as is an influential circus owner. Thankfully, there’s not much a trained acrobat like Val can’t overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, audition for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val’s dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.

Stacey Lee knows how to write young adult historical fiction where we care about the characters. I especially love that she writes about Asian characters because I am always learning something new! I was a sophomore in college when Titanic, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio came out and I watched it three times in the theater and countless times after on tv. It is ingrained in me. But Luck of the Titanic tells the tale loosely based on the fact that there were Chinese men and women on board the Titanic. That was news to me so I went into this book very interested.

Valora is half English/half Chinese and is looking for her twin brother. She hitches a plan to get onto the Titanic and does find her brother. The reunion between them is great and this is how we meet the other Chinese men on board and what a cast of characters they are. They grew on me as we learned some of their back stories. The story also mentions The Chinese Exclusion Act which I knew nothing about or if I did learn that in history class decades ago, I have forgotten. But this law didn’t allow Chinese immigrants into the USA for a long time, even though they found other ways to go around it. We get a taste of the discrimination and racism directed towards the Chinese from both the upper class and lower class passengers.

Valora and Jamie’s relationship is the main focus of the story as she tries to persuade him to go to America with him. They have been apart for a long time and with their parents both gone, they only have one another. Valora gets to know Jamie’s friends and they become their own chosen family. Of course they are on the Titanic though…and we know the Titanic means tragedy. So if you are looking for a happy ending, this book is not it.

The whole cast of characters were great and it’s the Titanic so there were all kinds of people on this huge ship. I think we got a glimpse of it in this book.

This was a very fast read, even as it starts slow, you know it’s building to a tragic end with the Titanic about to sink. In the span of time Valora, Jamie and their friends spend on the Titanic they become a family, Valora even experiences the beginnings of what could be love, the twins are united and even perform acrobats like they did as kids – they have a time on the Titanic before tragedy strikes.

Triggers: racism, death

The Titanic movie is ingrained in me so there were times, it reminded me of the movie! Valora getting on the ship by any means like Jack did, Jamie falling for an upper class passenger like how Jack and Rose fell for one another.

It’s a slow beginning with Valora finding Jamie and then Valora trying to convince Jamie to join the circus and move to America with her. I was waiting for the Titanic to hit ice halfway through the book because that is the exciting and tragic parts of any Titanic story but it comes more towards the end. So the ending felt rushed.

It’s a sad ending, bittersweet – there were some happy endings so that’s a good thing, but overall the whole tragedy of the Titanic is sad.

Why you should read it:

The story honoring the 8 Chinese onboard the Titanic is important
you learn a lot
it’s a lovely yet tragic story about family

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning, Titanic doesn’t hit ice until way late in the book
sad ending – the whole Titanic tragedy is sad

My Thoughts:

I ended up reading this book very quickly despite the slow beginning. I think because I know the Titanic story through the movie, I was waiting for the action and the moment the ship started to sink. In the book it doesn’t come until later so I was racing through just to get to it. Though slow, the story about Valora and Jamie is a beautifully sad one about family. When Valora befriends his crew, then the story also becomes one about chosen family. This one is tragic, but beautifully written and we learn more about what the Chinese went through in the past. Stacey Lee is a great storyteller and I look forward to her next book.

📚~ Yolanda

City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1) by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/13/21

Publisher: C.N. Crawford

Categories: Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Fake Dating

I never thought I’d be singing happy birthday to myself in a dungeon. And yet when a sinfully sexy demon crashes happy hour, that’s exactly what happens. He’s known as the Lord of Chaos, and he’s mistaken me for my succubus doppelgänger.

Happy birthday to me.

When he tastes my blood, he finally understands I’m mortal. And I realize we have something in common: we both crave revenge. So we make a deal: I can stay in the forbidden city to hunt for my mom’s killer. In return, I’ll help him get the vengeance he craves. I just have to pose as a sexy succubus. One problem–he’s my number one suspect.

And that’s increasingly hard to remember as he teaches me my role: seduction. With each heated touch I drift further into peril. And if I fall under his seductive spell, death awaits me.

Rowan is trying to make ends meet as a nineteen year old who is on her own. She has a best friend who is attending University in the forbidden city that is inhabited by demons. Rowan wants in but how? This is where the Lord of Chaos, Orion, comes in as he mistakenly thinks Rowan is Mortana, a succubus from the past with a bad, bad, bad reputation. Of course Rowan isn’t this Mortana he accuses her of being but she puts a proposition to him – she will act as Mortana and find out what Orion needs to know in order for him to exact his revenge. This helps Rowan get closer to achieving her ideas of avenge against her mother’s murderer also – if she can find out who it is.

I found Rowan a typical main character found in these types of new adult, urban fantasy books, especially the ones from this author. Rowan is down on her luck, trying to better her life and then she run into a major complication that can actually help her situation – as long as she plays along. But we learn a few things about Rowan that made the story much more interesting…is she Mortana? Or a descendant? Who killed her mom? I’ll definitely be reading the next book to find out.

Orion, Lord of Chaos, is all kinds of temptation and mystery. He’s devastatingly handsome, rich, and powerful. I love how snarky he is! The chemistry between them is off the charts. I mean…he is an incubus! 🔥 It’s his job to set her and everyone else raging with arousal.

These books are short and sweet and usually the next installment is released very soon, but it seems like book two will be released in January 2022! I hope it gets released sooner.

I just finished the last series from this author and there was a whole situation with the mc being possessed by another spirit and I really hope this series doesn’t follow the same formula. It would be cool just Rowan to be a descendant or something but we shall see what happens.

Why you should read it?

world building with demons
escapism
quick read/addictive, fake dating

Why you might not want to read it?

too short and next book comes out in 2022
not into demons

My Thoughts:

I think this is a pretty solid start to a series. I like the world building and enjoyed getting to know Rowan and some of her mysterious background. I love Orion of course and not because he’s a handsome demon but he is snarky and I love snark. I hope this turns out to be a good series and I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.

📚~ Yolanda

As If on Cue by. Marisa Kanter | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: As If on Cue

Author: Marisa Kanter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 9/21/21

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Contemporary

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

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

Talk about enemies to lovers….Natalie and Reid are straight-up hating one another. At least that’s how we see it through Natalie’s perspective. Natalie and Reid have been rivals since they both started being clarinet pupils under her dad’s tutelage. The competition between them became so fierce that it included pranks and then rules to curb their behavior. Now they are both in high school and their relationship is beyond tense.

I enjoyed how this story was written – it flowed so well and the characters were really fleshed out and strong. I loved Natalie’s friends, Henry and Fitz who are amazing. Natalie and Henry’s platonic best-friend relationship is super sweet and Fitz is just fabulous, bi and a fashion trendsetter. When Natalie’s in her core group, we see her shine even when she doesn’t feel like she has a voice. There is a lot of growth to her character especially when she is forced to turn the play she has written into a musical. She is pushed past her comfort zone, and becomes aware of how intense she can be. This whole venture also makes her confront the issues she has with her dad.

The part I had fun reading about was the making of the musical, Melted. We see all the hard work that these teenagers go through with making music, auditions, and just all the effort they put in because they love the arts (music, performing, etc…). I loved how the story progressed as we get to opening night.

I really connected to the message the author was trying to convey about Natalie not knowing what to do after high school. She’s still a Junior but already she’s wondering if pursuing a passion (for example the arts) and giving it your all is a bad thing because she sees her mom, a writer, struggle with writer’s block and the emotions of trying to put out work to help pay the bills. Her dad is a music teacher and that doesn’t pay well either plus all his time seems to be devoted to the band and Reid. Natalie weighs the options of pursuing a passion or doing what other people do and find something stable and play with your passion on the side. Everyone has their own path but Natalie really struggled with her vision of the future.

Triggers: microaggressions, antisemitism

I love an enemies to lovers romance, it’s my favorite trope but Natalie and Reid take it too far. I will say, Reid didn’t do anything for me in the beginning of the story, because I was getting Natalie’s side of this story. I did not like him and even blamed him for coming in between Natalie and her dad – I was wondering what was his deal? Like lay off the animosity buddy…but then we learn more about Natalie. She’s intense, she doesn’t listen to others and she distrusts Reid. Natalie does something in my opinion, that isn’t forgivable and the fact that Reid does forgive her…he must love her a lot. But I was not impressed with her actions, though I’m glad she fixed the problem.

The issue with Natalie and her dad is a big thing to Natalie and her dad seems oblivious. Again, I didn’t like how her dad seemed to say brush off her concerns. Natalie isn’t good at communication with Reid and her father. She just wanted her dad’s attention, outside of anything to do with the clarinet/band and I can see why Natalie hated Reid for that. Natalie had to do some serious soul-searching to do on the issue and tell her dad, which she eventually does.

When all is said and done and Natalie and Reid finally communicate is when they were the best together. The pranking, the miscommunication, the distrust caused some major problems between them to the point I thought they were not a good fit for one another. It caused great tension though which is a must in an enemies to lovers romance. I did enjoy the message about career paths and fighting for the things you love and believe in. My favorite parts were just reading about the whole crew trying to turn a play into a musical, that was fun! Overall, I enjoyed the story and read it in one sitting.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Dial A for Aunties by. Jesse Q. Sutanto | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Dial A for Aunties

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 299

Publication Date: 4/27/21

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Rom Com, Murder, Mystery, Family, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!“—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

I finally got a chance to read Dial A for Aunties after seeing it all over my bookstagram feed a few months ago. I love the cover and the synopsis is definitely intriguing! It had me at Asian aunties.

The best thing about this book is learning about the immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family and their wedding customs. I love how they switch from Mandarin, Indonesian and English. There was even a word I was familiar with which gave me a very good laugh. The word in Ilocano (a Philippines dialect that my family speak) for eggplant is tarong and in Indonesia it is terong. I thought that was so cool and funny because of how they were discussing eggplant.

The humor with all the aunts was funny and yet chaotic, and at times even triggering – reminding me of my family and their mini dramas. I don’t know how Meddy could deal with being at their mercy though. But family is family and they definitely had on another’s backs in this scenario. Meddy really is a good daughter, she was patient with her aunties and even gave up her dreams of the future for her family.

There is an accidental murder and then a mystery at the wedding in this story. Try hiding a dead body at a wedding? Yeah…you’ll have to read the book to see how that pans out! It reminds me of an 80’s movie called Weekend at Bernie’s combined with Crazy Rich Asians! I could definitely see this book as a movie.

Trigger: sexual assault, car accident, murder

This book is not realistic – at least I hope it never is because we hope Meddy who is in an accident and messed up situation does the right thing and report the body…right? Haha…I was waiting for that moment to happen. But Meddy freaks out and goes to her family instead who come up with some crazy plans on how to dispose the body. It’s wild but it works – like I said above, I could see this as a movie.

What I really wanted more of was Nathan and Meddy getting back together. I loved their back story. So if this had been just a second chance romance minus the dead body – I would have loved it more.

Why you should read it:

quick read, light read, chaotic, humorous, fun
learn about Chinese-Indonesian immigrants and their culture
Nathan and Meddy’s love story

Why you might not want to read it:

hiding a dead body and trying to win back your ex sounds crazy and not cute? lol very weird mix
too many things going on at once

My thoughts:

Suspend your disbelief for this one! Once you do that, it’s wild and chaotic, and sometimes funny. You get to learn a lot about the Chinese-Indonesian immigrant family, which I enjoyed a lot. I also loved Nathan and Meddy, and their second chance at romance and really wished the story was more about that than hiding a dead body but it was entertaining at least. After doing a search it looks like this will be a Netflix movie and I look forward to watching it!

📚~ Yolanda

The Boundless by. Anna Bright | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Boundless ( The Beholder, #2)

Author: Anna Bright

Format: Hardcover (own)

Pages: 491

Publication Date: 6/9/20

Publisher: HarperTeen

Categories: Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Political Intrigue

When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.

But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end.

This has been sitting on my shelf for a good year. I bought it during the pandemic on clearance and only picked it up to read now. The covers for this duology are really beautiful. Now the story itself is very interesting – I did enjoy the first book in the series, The Beholder, although it was a like mix of fairytales, historical fantasy and the bachelorette combined! Fascinating mix right? Well in this conclusion, Selah had found her true love… or has she? And can she finally help her crew do what they had planned to do (without her knowing) and finally go home?

I’m glad Selah had different challenges in this one – other than having guys fall for her and trying to decide who she loves. I mean…yes I can see that being a problem since she has to wed, but with everything else going on – she has bigger problems to fix. And Selah gets into it with Baba Yaga herself – a cold hearted killer who has taken a liking to Selah.

Obviously Selah found her true love in Torden – but why was Lang now a prospect? Out of sight, out of mind? Come one Selah – I wasn’t happy with Selah about this but I like Lang a lot. Or I like how he doesn’t cave into her demands. The secondary character came shining through in this one. Cobie is awesome and so loyal, Selah is so lucky to have her. I also loved seeing more of Anya as well. Aleksei surprised me and had some growth so that was promising.

I think the fairy tale infusion is what kept me reading. I love the reference to the 12 Dancing Princesses and of course Hangel and Gretel. thought the world of Baba Yaga was appropriately, cold, harsh and scary. Selah went through a lot being imprisoned there with her friends but it was good to see her rise to all the challenges.

Triggers: violence, abuse

My biggest issue with this book and it’s definitely a me problem is that Selah and Lang have a moment. I don’t remember her being with Torden much – I know she fell for him hard but honestly, I was liking the friction/attraction she was having with Lang. But she doesn’t deserve him – how did she get mad at HIM for not being right there to rescue her when he was helping the tribes and doing other things in the fight/rescue mission. I mean…🙄. I’m glad she now knows what she wants is someone selfishly in love with her (Torden) but come on…to be mad at Lang about that? He deserves a happy ending, poor guy.

Why you should read it:

if you liked The Beholder – definitely pick this one up
it mixes fairy tales and historical fiction, fun world building
if you are team Torden then you will love this one

Why you might not want to read it:

if you are team Lang haha – like me
not into love triangles
not into Selah flip flopping between boys

My Thoughts:

Selah – you boy crazy teenager, you! She was so frustrating haha but young and hey I remember being unsure about a guy. What I really like about this series is the creativity with the mix of fairy tales and historical fiction. I thought it worked in a strange way (they travel by wooden ship but have radios…🤔). Overall I was entertained by this series, I just didn’t like who Selah ended up with but I guess he was the best choice for her.

📚

Second First Impressions by. Sally Thorne | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Second First Impressions

Author: Sally Thorne

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 4/13/21

Publisher: William Morrow

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

Distraction (n): an extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.

Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.

Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.

Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin.

Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.

This was a fun book that involved a 25 year old girl who dresses like the residents at the retirement home she works at. It doesn’t help that she lives there on site, will she ever get out of Providence? The elderly residents, especially Renata, are wild – as wild as she can get in her scooter! I used to work at a retirement home so I felt like these residents were spot on with the humor and boldness – not sure I knew a resident who wanted to torture boys so much though! 😅 Then comes along a long-haired, charming, gorgeous young man, Teddy, who is basically punished to live there but turns out it’s what the retirement home needed!

I love how fleshed out Ruthie is – she is a pastor’s daughter, estranged from her parents- trying to make a living working and living at the retirement home. She’s nice, organized, neat, loves lists and is 25 going on 95! Most people would say she is bland, but not Teddy – apparently she’s his type! Ruthie doesn’t have a social life but she is kind, always very giving and chill, even though she also sometimes has panic attacks. I enjoyed her interactions with her coworker Melanie, I had a few laughs! She is awesome and probably my favorite character in this book. Renata is funny as heck and I love what she reveals in the end.

Speaking of laughs, my favorite scene in the whole book was the thrift shopping scene. So much chaos, it had me cracking up!

Teddy is not the usual, brooding love interest. No, this boy has player energy with the hair, the smiles, the jokes – he is full of charm, charming Renata of all people who is basically torturing him (he is her errand boy!). Teddy is disorganized in life, which makes sense why Ruthie would want to take care of him right? He was fun but I can see why Melanie was trying to scare him off of Ruthie haha.

I think the love story between Teddy and Ruthie is sweet because really they became friends before lovers. I like how Teddy is attracting to her because she’s basically his opposite and he wants to take care of her. And Ruthie wants to take care of him but is aware he isn’t the type to stay…so she was brave enough to jump into the uncharted waters for him.

Although Teddy is beautiful with his tattoos and long hair, and he is super funny (like he’d seriously be someone I’d hang out with) he is definitely the kind of guy I wouldn’t trust or would lose patience with because he is so flighty! He is always joking, it’s hard to know if he is sincere at times or selfish and trying to manipulate others to get his way. I was team Melanie on this all the way – I wanted Ruthie to stay far away from him!

There is a happy ending and Teddy even made up with his sister Rose – that wasn’t quite believable to me though. It happened so fast!

Why you should read it:

it’s a sweet love story/opposites attract
the secondary characters are so much fun
happily ever after feels

Why you might not want to read it:

Teddy comes off as a player and that kind of guy who needs to be taken care of (it annoyed me a little lol)

My Thoughts:

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I saw reviews saying that it isn’t as good as The Hating Game. So I guess having no expectations of this book was good for me? I enjoyed Ruthie and Teddy’s budding relationship. Melanie and Renata were my favorite parts though, they were so funny. Teddy is that kind of guy who would turn me on with his good looks, humor and charm but turn me off with his lack of direction and commitment but overall I thought the story was cute!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Bombshell by. Sarah MacLean | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Bombshell (Hell’s Belles, #1)

Author: Sarah MacLean

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 385

Publication Date: 8/24/21

Publisher: Avon Books

Categories: Historical 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 Avon Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with a blazingly sexy, unapologetically feminist new series, Hell’s Belles, beginning with a bold, bombshell of a heroine, able to dispose of a scoundrel—or seduce one—in a single night.

After years of living as London’s brightest scandal, Lady Sesily Talbot has embraced the reputation and the freedom that comes with the title. No one looks twice when she lures a gentleman into the dark gardens beyond a Mayfair ballroom…and no one realizes those trysts are not what they seem.

No one, that is, but Caleb Calhoun, who has spent years trying not to notice his best friend’s beautiful, brash, brilliant sister. If you ask him, he’s been a saint about it, considering the way she looks at him…and the way she talks to him…and the way she’d felt in his arms during their one ill-advised kiss.

Except someone has to keep Sesily from tumbling into trouble during her dangerous late-night escapades, and maybe close proximity is exactly what Caleb needs to get this infuriating, outrageous woman out of his system. But now Caleb is the one in trouble, because he’s fast realizing that Sesily isn’t for forgetting…she’s forever. And forever isn’t something he can risk.

In classic Sarah MacLean fashion, we have a woman who has a mind of her own and in this instance, a lot of bravery. Lady Sesily Talbot has found a group of woman that are like-minded. They are done with men trying to keep them down and have decided to do something about it.

Caleb Calhoun is an American who is trying to stay away from Sesily but then promises her older sister to watch her. Their attraction is undeniable and when they are together, it is steamy. Sesily is not a blushing virgin, she’s already thirty years old and knows what she likes and Caleb is there to give it to her (with some resistance at first, of course). But Calen and Sesily have a little history and they’ve been pining for one another since they met.

Sesily is fantastic. She fights, she’s a fantastic aunt (and she doesn’t want kids and is happy with that), she is smart and charming, and sexy as hell since Caleb can’t seem to resist her. I love that she was open to her friends about everything.

I think this is a great start to a new series about strong women who go after what they want! I liked that there was even a Samoan character, which was such a nice surprise.

Triggers: violence

It will be fun to learn more about the other women in Sesily’s crew. I love how they were all different, smart, brave and each with their own talents.

I’m sure I read the book where Sesily and Caleb met but it was so long ago and for the life of me, I cannot remember what happened in it. But I don’t think you need to necessarily read it to know these two want each other badly.

I think this is a great start to a new series about feminist women in a historical romance setting. I love Sesily and Caleb’s chemistry, they are amazing when they stop fighting one another. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

📚~ Yolanda