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

Late to the Party by. Kelly Quindlen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Late to the Party

Author: Kelly Quindlen

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 4/20/20

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Friendship, Coming of Age

Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined.

She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world.

So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.

But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia.

The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it.

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.

Late to the Party is about Codi who is tired of feeling “boxed in” her life and mostly by her friends. She’s had the same best friends, Maritza and JaKory for years and here they are, the summer before Senior year and they want to live a little. Her best friends want to be kissed, want to date someone or at least to know what it feels like to do any of those things. Codi wants it too but she doesn’t know how to go about changing her life until she runs into Ricky. He’s a year older, lives in her neighborhood and he doesn’t know if he is gay or not. Codi and Ricky bond together and it becomes a summer of changes – in ways unexpected.

Codi is a teenager, wanting a different kind of life, outside of what her best friends perceive her to be and I definitely went through that as a teenager. How do you know who you are if you are always with the same people? Especially if you don’t feel like who they think you are is not how you feel you are inside. So this story is about growing and Codi goes through a lot of it especially with her new friendship with Ricky.

Ricky is a great mirror for Codi, I adore him. He tells her things straight up and coming from a “stranger” who is a new friend and not her old friends, it’s a new voice telling her what she needs to hear. He shows her she can have fun and not be on the outside looking in all the time.

Codi and Lydia’s budding relationship is sweet and occurs naturally without too much drama which was nice to see. There is a lot of queer relationships in this book which was lovely. I also liked how Ricky wasn’t sure if he only liked guys or girls and guys – his confusion and anxiety and talking about everything with Codi was a breakthrough moment in their friendship.

Triggers: drinking alcohol

I didn’t quite connect to Codi, even though I could relate to her feelings of feeling trapped in a persona she wasn’t sure was truly herself. I just didn’t understand how she could ghost her best friends most of the summer and lie about hanging with Ricky and his friends. There were parts of her that seemed selfish but that was her point actually, she wanted something to be selfish about but it affected her relationship with her best friends and even her younger brother.

Why you should read it:

f/f and m/m relationships
nostalgia of those awkward teen years
very quick read

Why you might not want to read it:

nostalgia of those awkward teen years (lol)

My Thoughts:

This was a very quick read with a lot of queer representation and teens being teens – awkward, insecure, finding their way as they should be. Codi make mistakes and tries to fix said mistakes. Overall, it was an enjoyable story despite me not connecting to the main character as much as I would have liked.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Mixtape by. Brittainy Cherry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Mixtape

Author: Brittainy Cherry

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 333

Publication Date: 7/1/21

Publisher: Montlake

Categories: Romance, Musician/Rock Star, Contemporary, Diverse

Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.

Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.

Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.

He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?

This book definitely fulfilled my craving for a rockstar romance. The rock star or R&B star in this instance is Oliver & Alex Smith, who are twins and best friends. But Alex tragically dies and Oliver is left in grief. Emery is a single mother trying to make things meet but she is struggling and she has hardly any support. When Oliver and Emery meet, it starts as a friendship and into something more.

I really liked Oliver and Alex even though Alex was only in the book for a little bit. You can feel their tight brotherly bond and it’s so sad when he dies. Oliver grieves and out of the two brothers he was the quiet and introspective one so dealing with this event is hard for him. But I love how he opens up especially when he meets Emery. He is in a toxic situation with his girlfriend and just in life in general after Alex’s death. Emery is a wonderful character – she loves her daughter, loves her sister and she’s strong despite her toxic upbringing. I love her strength and her softness despite her hard circumstances.

The romance is a slow burn but when they do get together, oh does it burn between them. Don’t be surprised by the sweetness of their relationship because in the bedroom it gets steamy fast. Oliver and Emery start off as friends but they grow closer and Oliver bonds with her daughter which is so adorable. I love the theme of family in this book. Oliver has supportive and caring parents, but Emery has strict parents who withheld affection, even hated her which is truly awful. I liked how it shows how families can be toxic but there is always a chance to stop the cycle and create new, healthy family traditions.

Triggers: mentions of rape, parental neglect/manipulation/verbal abuse, grief, death, post-partum depression, depression

The story is a little predictable when Emery becomes his personal chef, but I didn’t mind that at all. Also just because she’s a personal chef, this wasn’t a foodie book at all. They say her food is amazing but we don’t necessarily get all the food descriptions like we do in more food oriented romance stories.

The sexual parts are quick scenes but pretty hot and descriptive, so if you aren’t into that – this may not be for you.

Why you should read it:

fan of R&B music star falling for regular girl trope
slow burn, steamy love making scenes, sweet romance
emotional story of two people overcoming sadness and struggle in their lives
quick read

Why you might not want to read it:

musician trope
predictable story

My thoughts:

I don’t read a lot of rock star trope stories but once in awhile I get a craving for it. I loved that this was about an R&B star because it’s one of my favorite music genres and this is a diverse read with a beautiful black man and woman as the lead characters. The story is emotional, sweet, and deals with a hard topics like grief and a toxic family. But our couple comes out shining and filled with a new outlook on life and love. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

📚~ Yolanda

A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen #1) by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Title: A Lair of Bones

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 7/13/21

Publisher: Alchemy

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sirens

A deadly contest. A vaulting ambition. How far will one cyren go to win?

Mighty cyrens have ruled the ancient lair of Saddoriel for centuries. A cavernous fortress, a subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and levels, powered by magic and music…

From the moment she was born, Roh, the daughter of an infamous criminal, has been despised by her own kind. Restricted to the Lower Sector and forced to work as a common bone cleaner, she has always believed she belongs above: where lies adventure… and power.

Opportunity arises in the form of the Queen’s Tournament, a treacherous set of trials that could see the victor crowned ruler of the entire lair. Up against the most cunning, dangerous cyrens in all the realms, does Roh stand a chance?

A Lair of Bones is the first gripping book in the dark fantasy quartet, Curse of the Cyren Queen.

I went into this story kind of blind. I love how dark and ominous the cover looks and I don’t usually read many books about Sirens or Cyrens as they are spelled in this series, but I was needing something different and I’m glad I borrowed this one.

Rohesia, or Roh is the daughter of a criminal so it’s only natural that she wants to know why her mother did what she did, what really happened, and to do anything to get out of the Lower Sector. She can do all these things if she joins the Queen’s Tournament and wins it all – the winner becomes Queen. But the trials are not easy and she is assigned a human to keep alive at the same time. But Roh has it in her to win, even if she has to hurt the people she loves to do it.

Roh is a morally gray character – do I like her? I like the reasons for her ambitions but I also worry what power will do to her as well. I don’t know if I quite trust her fully to do the right things, since she shows she’s willing to do some wrong things to get her way. Her ambition stems from how she was brought up, at orphan, despised, marked and kept down in the lower sector. She wants more than that…as she should. The way she goes about it is suspect though but I’m hoping for more character growth…she’s already starting to get there with Odi, her human by her side. They have an interesting relationship and I want to see what happens with them and I don’t mean that in a romantic sense – there is no romance in this book, but if there somewhere in the next book, I won’t mind at all! Usually I need romance in my fantasy novels but I like this story as is right now.

I love the characters we meet in this story from Roh’s mom, her best friends, Odi, the Queen and even Roh’s foes. It just makes the story so interesting.

The story itself is creative and I enjoyed the world building of this world of Cyrens. I love how music was incorporated with the Cyrens kidnapping human musicians. I was engaged with how Roh was going to carry out her plans and see if her ambitions would make her do whatever it takes to win or she would learn other ways to accomplish her goals.

Triggers: death

Roh is a morally gray character so you either like her or you don’t. She is ambitious, but she has a fascinating backstory, or at least her mother does and I really know what Cerys’ story is. Odi seems to be changing Roh in some ways, softening her up when it comes to human interactions at least. Will she able to mend her friendship with her best friends though? I hope so.

I liked the trials of the Queen’s tournament but I think there could have been more intensity to it. At least with the first two. I did like the twist of the second trial, but the third was the most action packed of them all. I hope the series gets more intense with the second book and the next quest Roh embarks on.

It would be nice to have some kind of romance? But that’s a ME issue haha, because I love romance.

Why you should read it:

fascinating world of Cyrens (Sirens), detailed world building
a tournament to win the throne, competition
interesting characters
morally gray character

Why you might not want to read it:

no romance
some trials lacking in intensity

My Thoughts:

This is a really great start to a series and I’m surprised I loved it even with no romance in it. Roh’s journey is not over and I hope we get to learn more about the other characters in the book. They all stand out in their own way and I love that about the stories. I especially love this dark world of the Cyrens that the author has created and I eagerly look forward to reading the sequel.

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Lesson in Vengeance by. Victoria Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Lesson in Vengeance

Author: Victoria Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/3/21

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dark Academia, Mystery, Thriller, Witchcraft, LGBT+, Mental Health

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

For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.

Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.

Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.

It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.

And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.

The vibe in A Lesson in Vengeance is dark and it’s done so well. Our setting is Dalloway School which is a boarding school for girls but the school comes with a history of murder and witchcraft. The girls who come here are intellectuals, I mean I had to google some big words in this one. They talked like intellectuals, dressed like it, smoked like it too (Ellis did at least) and these are teenagers! How are they so sophisticated?

Felicity has a dark past at Dalloway, her ex-girlfriend, Alex, died there. Ellis Halley is a new student, a novelist at seventeen and the two girls become friends. Felicity is dealing with grief and guilt because of how Alex had died. She has seen a therapist and was on anti-depressants but being back at Dalloway is getting to her. Felicity feels like Alex is haunting her. She thinks that maybe her intense research into the witchcraft the Dalloway Five had practiced years ago lead to an evil presence on campus, that she herself is cursed when she delved too deep. But Ellis wants to prove to Felicity that magic isn’t real and the deaths of the Dalloway Five were straight-up murders instead. It helps that Ellis is a novelist and doing research to write a story about murder anyway – so the girls set out to replica certain events of the past. But these girls are not who we think they are. They play off one another so well – two mysterious, very intellectual girls, one with a hidden agenda, the other just trying to keep up.

There is blood, tarot and tea readings, secrets, history, research, books (so many books) and events that make you question everything.

The setting of Dalloway is so dreary and gloomy with fall turning into winter as shadows creep on this old campus. I really enjoyed it and this would make a wonderful book to read in the fall.

This book is twisty! I found myself surprised at some of the twist and turns and it made me read this book in one sitting. At one point the beginning reminded me of a female cast of Dead Poets Society. Felicity is an unreliable character dealing with her past with Alex, and it made me question a lot of things and even her sanity. Ellis is mysterious and we only know so much about her until the end where a lot of reveals take place.

Triggers: death, self-harm, killing of animal, drowning

I like how the story progresses, the twists and turns, but the ending was a little anti-climatic for me. It built up nicely but then it resolves quickly, like it was that easy for Felicity to fix everything yet we do learn why…which was another mind blowing moment – but I almost missed it. I caught it and re-read the passage a few times to make sure I wasn’t misreading but it was rushed.

The pacing was okay, the beginning is slow, and the ending is rushed. It’s supposed to be slow and atmospheric I guess because we are being immersed in the setting, we get lost in Felicity’s thoughts because she is lost in grief, guilt, obsessed with the witchcraft history and wondering if she is being haunted. There were times I wanted that part to speed up, I wanted to know was it murder or witchcraft? Both?

This one kept me interested from start to finish and I enjoyed it a lot despite some issues. I can’t say I read a lot of dark academia but this definitely opened me up to this genre and it’s aesthetic. The atmosphere and setting was well written and the twists were shocking and fantastic. Felicity and Ellis are two very smart girls, but in the end we figure out who was the more clever one, I suppose. If you like eerie settings, an unreliable narrator, twists and turns that make you question what you are reading, then you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda