Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Blade of Secrets

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.

Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims’ secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.

Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.

A teenage blacksmith with social anxiety accepts a commission from the wrong person and is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made.

Content Warning: Anxiety, Violence

I finally got my hands on this book and I think my expectations were too high. It turned out to be an enjoyable book regardless of my expectations though.

What I love the most about this story is the group of four traveling companions: Ziva, her sister Temra, Petrik the scholar and a mercenary named Kellyn. Ziva is a magical blacksmith – she has the power to infuse weapons with magic, which I love. I love characters who have a trade or craft skill. Temra is her younger sister and assistant, who is also a sword fighter. Petrik has lived mostly in a library so he has no fighting skills, but he wants to know about Ziva’s magic. Kellyn is confident with his sword skills and looks. Put them all together and we have an engaging group that bring humor to this story. I really love them.

Now Ziva isn’t only a blacksmith, but she has anxiety. We see her struggle in social events, or just even talking to new people. She second guesses herself in this situations, which is the opposite when she is working alone on a blade. Her anxiety is relatable. Having Temra by her side as her sister and assistant helps her a lot, and she can’t imagine a world without her.

The romance between Ziva and Kellyn is a slow burn because of her anxiety, which is great because it fits her character.

As for the story, I enjoyed the world-building and getting to know the kingdom of Ghadra but it’s not as detailed as I wanted. We meet a warlord who is power hungry and wants to take down the current rulers but we haven’t met the rulers yet. I’m hoping in the sequel we get more. Ziva and her friends go on a journey across Ghadra to run from this warlord and hide the blade so there is a lot of action in the book that keep the story moving. At times I thought the story felt like a light fantasy, maybe because the characters are so funny together, but then the fight scenes would have Kellyn cutting someone clear in half, making Ziva queasy. Even her sister gets pretty hurt…yet the story lacked intensity to me.

Why you should read it:

fun cast of characters
Ziva is a great anxiety rep, I could definitely relate
slow burn romances

Why you might not want to read it:

I just wanted the story to have a little bit more intensity but that’s a personal preference

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story about Ziva and her sister and new found friends as they try to do the right thing and keep their kingdom safe. There is action, humor, romance, friendship and so much room for this story to grow. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“I hate feeling as though I don’t fit right in my own skin. As though the anxiety takes up too much space, pushing me aside.”
Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller

“I am more than my fear and weaknesses, but so much of the time, they’re all I can think about.”
Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller

“As for not liking people, that’s fine. I don’t really like people, either. Maybe we could not like people together.”
Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller

Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Counting Down with You

Author: Tashie Bhuiyan

Format: eBook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: Romance, Family, Contemporary, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fake Dating

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.
How do you make one month last a lifetime?

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

Karina is my girlfriend.

Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.

T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?

Content Warning: Anxiety, Family Pressures

All immigrant families want is a better life for their children and Karina knows this with all her heart. Her parents want her to be a doctor but she wants to major in English after high school and she is trying her best to make them happy. Karina gets a breather when her parents go to Bangladesh for a month.

First off, this story is relatable to a lot of immigrant or first generation American children. Parents uproot their whole lives in their motherland country to give their children a better life somewhere else. My parents were very strict as well, so I related to Karina a lot in that aspect. I love that she had her dadu for support and telling her she’s a good kid and loved – that’s so important because it’s so easy for teens to fear disappointing their parents and think they are loved less because they don’t stand up to their standards. Being a perfect child is so hard and such an unreasonable expectation. I loved that this story was about a Bangladeshi and Muslim girl and we got to see her family dynamics. Also Karina has major anxiety because of these family pressures and it was good to see how she suffers and deals with it. **I can’t comment much on the Muslim representation, I see a lot of reviews on Goodreads marking this book a low rating because of it. **

Karina had her dadu for support and her girlfriends. They are a tightly knit group of three girls just surviving high school and everything that comes with it.

She also has support from her new fake boyfriend and guy she’s tutoring for English, Ace. He’s popular, white and rich. Ace being white though wouldn’t fly with her parents but the heart wants what it wants. For a romance story I thought it was teen appropriate and so emo. Cheesy emo at times but this is definitely the kind of book I would have eaten up as a teenager! The whole fake-dating aspect was the main focus of this book, it was cute but nothing serious.

My favorite parts of this story was when Karina and her dadu were together. When Karina finally tells her parents that she doesn’t want to study medicine her dadu’s support made me want to cry because grandparents are just so amazing that way. I love how dadu stood up for Karina and made her parents listen to her.

Why you should read it:

teens can totally relate about dealing with family pressures
Bangladeshi and Muslim representation, anxiety rep
it’s a very teen romance, has fake dating but that’s not the focus of the story

Why you might not want to read it:

might appeal more to teenagers

My Thoughts:

The beginning of the book reads like a teen romance with the whole fake-dating trope thrown in but the real story for me was Karina dealing with the pressures from her family and trying to please them and yet want a little happiness for herself too. I love her dadu and the unconditional love and support she gets from her, it makes me wish I had someone backing me up that hard when I was Karina’s age. My grandparents were amazing but pretty much stayed out of my family dramas – they had enough drama I suppose with their own grown children! This story is relatable and perfect for teens who can relate trying to deal with family pressure.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“I’m expected to be this perfect daughter that I don’t know how to be.”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

“I am not Atlas, born to carry the weight of the world I am Icarus, wanting and wanting and wanting at the risk of exploding when I fly too close to the sun…”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

“Nothing I ever do is enough.”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

““The older I am, the more I realize it’s not worth it to prioritize things that make you miserable…”
Counting Down with You by. Tashie Bhuiyan

Edgewood by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Edgewood

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/01/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.

With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.

Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.

Content Warning: Dementia, Alzheimer’s

This was an interesting story and at first I wasn’t sure it was working for me. It’s about a girl who’s a musician but she comes from a place called Edgewood where everyone knows the woods are enchanted – she grew up with stories about the forest, even neighbors had visited the court of the Wood King so this is very much contemporary fantasy.

As a character, Emeline is a musician and independent. She is on her own trying to make a big splash in the music world. She seems to have issues with guys, always having a new boyfriend to push away whatever memories or feelings she feels like she is running from. Her grandfather is her only living family and he has Alzheimer’s. When he is tithed to the Wood King, Emeline goes to rescue him but bargains with the Wood King herself.

My favorite part of this story though was how it unraveled and the romance between her and Hawthorne Fell. It at first starts off as an enemies to lovers romance but then we dig deeper and find out the truth of what happened and it comes full circle. The reveal at the end was magical and unexpected.

World-building wise I thought it was pretty good but lacking on details of the faerie court, which I generally look forward to because I love the Fae. But it’s a standalone book so I can understand why it wasn’t so detailed.

The beginning was slow as we get to know Emeline and her musical ambitions but it definitely picks up when she returns to Edgewood to rescue her grandfather.

Why you should read it:

contemporary fantasy with a forest that takes you into the world of the Wood King
Emeline and Hawthorne’s love story
love how music and memory was entwined with the story

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning

My Thoughts:

This story grew on me and I couldn’t put it down even though I was doubting how I felt about it at the start of the book. But by the end I was captured by the romance story of Emeline and Hawthorne and how it was revealed.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Heartbreakers and Fakers by. Cameron Lund | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heartbreakers and Fakers

Author: Cameron Lund

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 6/8/21

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, High School, Fake-Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Coming of Age

From the author of The Best Laid Plans comes another fresh voiced, hilarious rom-com perfect for fans of Tweet Cute and The Rest of the Story.

Penny Harris just ruined her life.

As one of the most popular girls in school, she’s used to being invited to every party, is dating the Jordan Parker, and can’t wait to rule senior year with her best friend, Olivia. But when Penny wakes up on Jordan’s lawn the morning after his first-day-of-summer bash, she knows something went terribly wrong the night before.

She kissed Kai Tanaka.

Kai, her long-time nemesis. Kai, Olivia’s boyfriend. Penny can’t figure out what could have inspired her to do it–she loves Jordan and she would never hurt Olivia–but one thing’s for sure: freshly dumped, and out a best friend, the idyllic summer she pictured is over.

And despite the fact that Jordan seems to be seeking comfort (and a whole lot more) in Olivia, all Penny can think about is winning him back. Kai wants to save his relationship too, so they come up with a plan: convince their friends that they really do have feelings for each other. After all, no one can resist a good love story, and maybe seeing Penny and Kai together will make Jordan and Olivia change their minds.

But as summer heats up, so does Penny and Kai’s “relationship,” and Penny starts to question whether she’s truly faking it with Kai, if he’s really as terrible as she always thought he was, and if the life she’s fighting so hard to get back is the one she really wants.

Content Warning: Bullying

Penny is that girl who wasn’t always popular but once she became best friends with Olivia, the queen bee at school, she’s been her number two girl and she tries her best to keep her spot. This makes Penny a follower, and not the most likable character but she is relatable because she used to be the one who was bullied. It makes sense she doesn’t want to be bullied anymore but being friends with Olivia makes her a bully too.

As far as the romance, it’s an enemies to lovers, fake-dating situation where her enemy is the one who came up with the name she was bullied with! It’s natural that Penny hates Kai, but as they get thrown together, they finally get to know one another and in essence both of them was trying to survive being picked on in school. The story has a lot of high school drama but in a way I could understand Penny’s fears. Who likes to be bullied? No one.

Penny does grow by the end of this and I’m glad about that because it was hard to watch her try to find her way back to Olivia’s side when clearly Olivia is not a nice person and a worse friend at that. I like that Kai teaches her to let go a little and not be afraid to be herself. But it’s high school and people can change.

I do like how this author writes complicated and not automatically likable characters. They are flawed, make messy decisions, they are kids in high school who think everything matters in that very moment when as adults reading we know something bigger is coming their way. Bills. LOL…just kidding, but not kidding. 😅

Why you should read it:

fake dating, enemies to lovers
you like high school drama
realistic characters, even though not exactly likable, relatable high school situations

Why you might not want to read it:

you are not into the mean girls high school drama

My Thoughts:

Penny isn’t perfect, she is friends with a mean girl, and then she becomes one of the mean girls to survive. Penny and Kai’s enemies to lovers fake-dating situation helps them really get to know each other and pushes Penny to take a good look at who her friends are, and who she is without Olivia. Navigating high school is not easy and trying to figure out who you are in high school won’t happen overnight. Most people find ourselves after high school. This was full of messy high school drama, and as an adult I enjoyed it because it’s relatable. This one would appeal definitely appeal to teen readers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the book:

“If you make a bad choice, you have to try to fix it. You have to put in the work to make things better.”
Heartbreakers and Fakers by. Cameron Lund

“The truth is high school is such a small blip on my timeline. Life is too short to waste the whole thing worrying.”
Heartbreakers and Fakers by. cameron Lund

“Who cares if people are staring? The fact is, they probably aren’t even looking my way at all.”
Heartbreakers and Fakers by. Cameron Lund

Bound by Firelight | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Bound by Firelight (Wickery, #2)

Author: Dana Swift

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 1/18/22

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic

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!

After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa’s punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante… but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already… Now, can they save themselves?

Content Warning: violence

Book two of the Wickery series picks up immediately after the major event that happened in the first book. Adraa is pegged as an enemy and imprisoned. The amazing world building and magic is back. Jatin and the crew are going around town reminding me of the Avengers. It was nice to see the old crew back.

The story is told between Adraa and Jatin’s perspectives but I think the one with more of a journey and lots of growth is Adraa because she is separated from the group and thrown in prison. She faces many challenges and fights, literally – to the death. We see Adraa out of her comfort zone fighting in prison without her magic and we see her try to relearn how to make magic with some help.

What I found fun about the first book was Adraa and Jatin’s friends helping them on their missions and becoming a group of superheroes. They are back in this sequel, doing what they do best!

I think one thing I missed about the first book was Adraa and Jatin’s enemies to lovers romance because of course, now they are together with no qualms about their love for one another. And they were kept apart for most of the story so I did miss them interacting with one another.

Why you should read it:

a solid duology with lots of magic and romance (mostly in book one)
Adraa goes through a lot of challenges and growth
magic wielding superheroes and lots of action

Why you might not want to read it:

not a lot of romance
couple was spent apart for most of the book

My Thoughts:

Although not my favorite between the two books in this duology because I miss all the romance, I think this was a solid conclusion to this series. I enjoyed all the world building, magic and camaraderie between Jatin and his friends. Adraa goes through a lot in this sequel shows but she rises to the challenge which is very inspiring.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Naughty, the Nice, and the Nanny by. Willa Nash | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Naughty, the Nice and the Nanny (Holiday Brothers, #1)

Author: Willa Nash

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 165

Publication Date: 11/4/21

Categories: Contemporary, Holiday Romance, Single Dad

One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.

Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.

Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.

I forgot how perfect novella length holiday romances are when it comes to getting straight to the point. This is a cute holiday romance about a nanny, Natalie, who takes a week long job to help take care of the child. The father of the child is a guy she went to school with and had a crush on (like every other girl in school).

The story takes place in Montana which gives it that cozy, small town (but a growing small town) feel. Maddox Holiday, the single dad comes from a tight-knit family and has two other brothers. They are wealthy and successful but still down to earth. Violet, Maddox’s daughter is a terror, but Natalie knows how to charm and connect with her which makes the story heart-warming. Natalie is also down-to-earth and doesn’t let a child terror scare her off, she is determined.

The chemistry between Maddox and Natalie is quick but they have a slight history so they aren’t completely strangers. And when they get to the sexy parts, well…they have so much heat between them they could melt snow.

Content Warnings: divorce

Violet has to deal with an absent and neglectful mother which sucks. But that was another area Natalie could relate with her.

I know it’s a novella so things get crammed in so it’s insta-love because come on, things have to happen in a week since it’s a short story! But at the epilogue a year later, they are married with a baby coming along?! Talk about rushing things lol…I’m just being nit-picky though.

Why you should read it:

a super quick holiday romance
story of Violet and Natalie bonding is heart-warming

Why you might not want to read it:

insta-love but it’s a novella length so it’s expected
too short

My thoughts:

This short holiday romance was actually pretty balanced and I enjoyed seeing Natalie and Violet’s relationship grow. Maddox and Natalie was just bonus haha…but it’s a quick read, and gives you all the holiday romance feels. Not sure if I will read the whole series but I’m interested in reading a full length novel from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Nature of Witches by. Rachel Griffin | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Nature of Witches

Author: Rachel Griffin

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Categories: Contemporary , Fantasy, Young adult, Romance, Nature, Environmental, Coming of Age

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

I love witch stories and this one sounded very different. The witches in this story are helping with weather disasters and trying to combat climate change – present issues we are dealing with! I thought it was a very unique take on what witches powers could be useful for in our present day.

Clara is an Everwitch – her seasonal powers don’t wane, she is powerful in all seasons as oppose to other witches who are powerful only in their season. But she doesn’t want this gift. People she love have died around her, because she can’t control her gift so she is at a school for witches to learn to control her powers. But what’s holding Clara back is herself. She meets a boy who finally teaches her to calm her insecurities and fears and to control her magic. Her journey comes full circle and we do get to see Clara embrace herself.

Sang is amazing and I loved his Spring affinity and talent with plants. He was the balance Clara needed and I loved watching their relationship go from friendship to more. The romance is so sweet. Clara is bisexual and we also get to meet her ex, another witch, Paige. There is some hard feelings between them but there is closure at the end also.

Content Warnings: death, grief

Clara is deep into her self-loathing and it takes up much of the story and it got repetitive – this whole story is about her journey to break through her fears and insecurities…I just wanted something more to happen. It would have been cool to see more severe weather events that affect shaders (non-witches) and the witches helping out. But this story is about Clara’s journey and it just takes too much of the first part of the story. The second half is much better because we see Clara grow and learn to control her power finally.

With Clara’s doubts and insecurities she lashes out a lot at her instructions and superiors. Everyone was an enemy to her and it got a little tiresome.

Even though the beginning lagged for me, there were some really good moments in the books. One of my favorites were how she and Sang communicated after they were in the middle of a break from one another. I thought in the essence of the romance story, Sang and Clara’s relationship was beautiful.

Why you should read it:

unique contemporary fantasy witch story – the witches are helping to combat climate change and maintain the environment – they tackle natural disasters
sweet, emotional romance story
Clara’s journey ends on a happy note

Why you might not want to read it:

Clara’s attitude – she’s going through a lot of emotional turmoil but she comes off selfish and stubborn
some parts are repetitive, especially when it comes to training Clara

My thoughts:

I keep going back and forth on my rating of this one. I loved the ending and the romance Clara has with Sang. I totally love how this is a unique witch story because they help with climate change which is a very important issue right now. I understand Clara’s grief and reluctance to use her power because it’s killed people she loves but I also wanted to shake her to see that a gift like hers cannot be wasted. She is the chosen one who doesn’t want to be chosen but it got tiresome. Despite my issues with it, I look forward to reading the next book from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

When You Get the Chance by. Emma Lord | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: When You Get the Chance

Author: Emma Lord

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/4/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Contemporary, 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not the “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, always at maddeningly inconvenient times. Millie needs an ally. And when a left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do. She’s going to find her mom.

There’s Steph, a still-aspiring stage actress and receptionist at a talent agency. There’s Farrah, ethereal dance teacher who clearly doesn’t have the two left feet Millie has. And Beth, the chipper and sweet stage enthusiast with an equally exuberant fifteen-year-old daughter (A possible sister?! This is getting out of hand). But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one, without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?

Emma Lord has lately become a must read author for me. I enjoy her young adult contemporary stories very much! This book cover totally grabbed me with the colors and when I saw it was an Emma Lord book, I had to request it.

This one is for the broadway lovers. I love broadway shows but Millie Price LOVES broadway because her dream is to be a Broadway star – and this girl is not taking no for an answer. Millie is bold, vivacious and just so full of energy – her character pops off the page. Millie takes an intern job but she has an ulterior motive – she’s trying to find her mom. Yes…this is definitely like the broadway show Mamma Mia!, except instead of finding a dad, she tries to find her mom and has three candidates in mind because yes….she read her dad’s journal. Ha! I thought it was fitting.

The romance between Millie and Oliver is really cute. Oliver can’t quite stand Millie and vice versa but they are thrown together for the internship. It takes some time but the relationship grows into a truce, a friendship and then something much more. By the end I was invested in their relationship.

Millie’s search for her mom is the main part of the story and I thought the reveal was great and emotional. Not in that there were tears and what not between them, but there are a lot of revelations and a lot that Millie learned about her dad, her aunt, her bio mom and herself.

It took me awhile to get into this one and I can’t pinpoint why. It might be that I wasn’t in a Broadway kind of mood? I love Mamma Mia! and broadway but for some reason I couldn’t connect to Millie at first. But I’m glad I kept reading – I’m just bummed that I was struggling to get into the story because in the end, I did enjoy the second half of the book!

Why you should read it:

you love theater and broadway
a cute romance
reverse gender Mamma Mia!

Why you might not want to read it:

you don’t care for broadway
slow first half of the book

My Thoughts:

This one is not my favorite Emma Lord book but if you can get past the slow first half, it finishes off strongly with emotion and romance.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Vespertine by. Margaret Rogerson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Vespertine (#1)

Author: Meghan Quinn

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 10/05/21

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Spirits, Saints, Magic

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

I love the world building with the nuns (Gray Sisters) and other clergy wielding relics that contain spirits in them. The story gave me a sense that the setting was in some place that resembled France in a time when the clergy was in power, game me Joan of Arc vibes at times. We learn about how the relics, spirits and revenants (spirits) are used and contained. There is also some history about the spirits as well and information about their ranking or order. The spirits are listed in order in the book if you get confused, I only saw it at the end of the book but it is helpful! There was a good amount of action in this story and the story moved quickly.

Artemisia is not an open character at first. She comes off as someone who wants to be alone and not good in social situations. People think she is different because of her past and how she survived being possessed by an ashgrim. It left her with burned scars on her hands, a tendency to not want to be close to people and with a high tolerance to handling a relic. When things take a turn for the worst she is entrusted with the care of a relic that holds a highly powered revenant and she has no training with it whatsoever. But she trusts her instincts and for the most part she finds ways to work with her revenant to help defeat other spirits. Also she learns how to let others in to help her when things get too tough.

Her revenant, Rathanael, is mean, grouchy but hilarious. At least, he was funny to me even as he was berating and insulting Artemisia every chance he could get. Their partnership is unconventional but they are perfect for one another.

Leander was poised as a villain but we don’t understand his motivations until way later in the book. He is a very private guy as well and it was hard to get a good read on him in the beginning other than him trying to control Artemisia. Is there a potential for a romance there? I’m not sure. This whole book didn’t have any romance in it but I felt like it hinted at something between Leander and Artemisia. We shall see.

Content Warnings: self harm, violence, death, PTSD, anxiety

It took me a few days to get through the first chapter because I needed to get into a nun mood? If that makes sense haha! But once I grasped what was going on and was immersed into the world-building, I found my bearings. I will say it can get confusing with the relics and revenants and unfamiliar terms, so use the spirit order/ranking list in the book.

There is no romance, and I was hoping for some but it was okay without too. The main relationship is between Artemisia and her revenant and it’s pretty entertaining.

Why you should read it:

fascinating world building
lots of action with nuns, soldiers, and knights trying to fight spirits
good character growth

Why you might not want to read it:

sometimes confusing, with the ranking or classification of spirits, unless you keep checking the list
nuns fighting spirits isn’t appealing to you 🤷🏻‍♀️

My thoughts:

Once I got into the story I was hooked and love the world-building (might be the Catholic upbringing in me). I enjoyed Artemisia’s growing, if reluctant, relationship with her revenant. I found them entertaining. I’m also interested to see where book two goes and if Leander comes back into the story a changed man! I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Not So Meet Cute by. Meghan Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Not So Meet Cute

Author: Meghan Quinn

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 404

Publication Date: 11/02/21

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Fake Dating

How did you two meet?

The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.

My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.

He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.

And that’s when we bumped into each other.

There were no sparks.

Not even a hint of blossoming love.

But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman–minus the frisky behavior.

We’re talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?

The absolute audacity.

But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.

My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.

The best thing I liked about this fake dating romance is the humor especially when it came to the fake pregnancy – the pregnancy classes were just too funny! I did laugh out loud. It kind of had a Pretty Woman (the movie) vibe except Lottie is not a prostitute, etc…but Lottie does reference the movie a lot.

Lottie is desperate – she got fired. She is 28 and still lives at home with mom and step/dad but they hint at every chance they get that she needs to basically move out. Her sister Kelsey is already living on her own and has a small business that is about to take off and Lottie has no prospects except maybe finding a rich husband? Maybe?

Huxley Cane is a rich businessman who deals in real estate and he wants a certain property but the owner won’t cut a deal with him. Hux isn’t relatable enough so what does he do? He lies to get an in with the guy but the lie involves having a pregnant fiancee on short notice. What a predicament. That’s where Lottie runs into him and a plan and contract is set. They will fake date until Hux wins the contract.

These two are opposites attract in a nutshell. Lottie talks and babbles a lot, she says what is on her mind. Her emotions can be all over the place, especially when it comes to Hux who has tunnel vision on this deal like a man obsessed. He doesn’t show any emotions, he likes to be in control and in charge. It worked for the most part and the physical attraction between them was definitely there. When they finally cross the fake dating line, the scenes are steamy.

Kelsey, Lottie’s sister is what keeps her grounded. Same as Hux who has brothers that nag him to loosen up. I liked that they had supportive family. Their siblings are their besties.

I think this book was a tad bit too long. I don’t know why but I thought I could finish this in one sitting, it was funny, Lottie and Hux had sparks, in and out of the bedroom, the story was moving a long…or so I thought. At the 80% mark I was like…this isn’t over yet? lol…by then Lottie and Hux were getting it on, yet it was taking forever for Hux to close the deal with Dave.

It’s an opposites attract relationship but Lottie at first seemed like this lost soul, kind of a doormat because her toxic friend fires her from her job and she doesn’t fight back. Then she turns into this sexual spitball, but only when she is around Huxley. Guess he made her work extra hard to open him up because let’s talk about Huxley. He’s rich and handsome and underneath his cold gaze he actually cares about his workers, his companies and mostly his brothers but seriously…I was irritated with him demanding Lottie be a certain way when it was his big lie in the first place. 🤦🏻‍♀️ He got on my nerves sometimes. They both did, haha.

Why you should read it:

there are some pretty funny moments
lots of steamy scenes between Lottie and Hux
opposites attract and fake-dating tropes

Why you might not want to read it:

at times the couple got on my nerves, mostly Huxley
this story could have ended at the 80% mark…so pacing is an issue

My thoughts:

This one was almost a hit and then it was a miss at some parts so I think my rating is a happy medium with how I felt after I read it. I wish Hux could’ve lightened up a bit sooner in the story because I wasn’t feeling it by the time he had to fix things and make everything better. I enjoyed the humorous parts of the story a lot and that’s what will make me remember the book.

📚 ~ Yolanda