The Davenports by. Krystal Marquis | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Davenports (#1)

Author: Krystal Marquis

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 1/31/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction

In 1910, the Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to.

There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married. . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.

The first book in a breathless new series, The Davenports offers a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked, while delivering a totally escapist, swoon-worthy read. Inspired by the real-life story of C.R. Patterson and his family, it’s the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love.

Content Warning: racism

The synopsis for this book sounded intriguing because my first love is historical romance and being a reader of the genre for many years (not so much now), it always came with a Caucasian cast of characters. So I love that the Davenports are a wealthy Black family in America. This book is set in the 1910 so I could imagine all the outfits and the lavish parties of that time period and the author did a great job at that. The author also did a great job of showing us what Black people were experiencing at that time, in the early 1900’s when there was a community of successful and wealthy Black people. There is more about her inspiration for her story in the author’s notes at the end of the book.

As for the story, I was into it until 25% in and then it wasn’t holding my attention I think because it was told with four POVs and I was bored even though 4 POVs should at least have given me one POV to really root for. The chapters are quick but I felt like I’d have been more engaged if maybe it was Olivia and Helen’s POV since the book focuses a lot on their family. All four young women have relationship dramas to deal with. Olivia and Ruby are best friends and the eldest daughters, so their role is to marry a man with wealth, and status. Helen is the younger sister to Olivia and she has dreams of running her father’s company but according to him, that’s not happening. And Amy-Rose is a servant and daughter of a slave owner, so her romance with John (Olivia’s brother) is almost doomed from the start. She has no wealth or status. And things play out predictably with everyone falling for who they shouldn’t and not everyone having who they wanted.

The story being predictable is not a problem since I love that about romance. But this one was missing something. Nothing was standing out for me. I liked Helen and Ruby the most because they had vibrant personalities, but I do think it was just too many POVs for me. And they were all going through similar romance drama. It took me 3 weeks to read this book, and usually I DNF after one week but I pushed through. I had to skim some parts though. If each girl had gotten their own book, maybe it would have worked out better for me.

Why you should read it:

affluent, wealthy Black families in the 1900’s set in Chicago, American history
4 romances taking place

Why you might not want to read it:

4 romances taking place – for me it was a bit too much
this was almost a DNF for me because it wasn’t holding my attention

My Thoughts:

I wish I had connected to this one more but I honestly can’t say if it’s the story that didn’t hold my attention or the fact that I seldom read historical romances anymore and just wasn’t in the mood. What I did enjoy was learning about prominent Black families in the early 1900’s and seeing them thrive and have success in politics and business. As for the romances, I wish there were less POVs. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel but I think if you like historical romances you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bring Me Your Midnight by. Rachel Griffin | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bring Me Your Midnight

Author: Rachel Griffin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/2/23

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Witches

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

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

Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

Content Warning:

I love stories about witches and this author seems to be writing about only witches. I read The Nature of Witches but haven’t read Wild is the Witch yet. I decided to give this one a chance because I thought The Nature of Witches had so much potential but I just didn’t totally love it.

I like the concept of Bring Me Your Midnight. The story is full of magic, romance, and a difficult choice that Mortana (Tana) has to make. I thought the world building was very interesting and I liked how the townspeople had their own magic that they used for their trade of business. Mortana’s family made perfumes and her best friend Ivy made tea infused with magic. I like how their magic was useful.

Mortana is the chosen witch who is supposed to unite the mainlanders and witches into a unified front by an arranged marriage. Landon seems nice enough but through this book we really don’t get to know him at all. Mortana is a nice girl, a good girl, who falls for a mysterious, handsome boy. It’s a forbidden love she has to give up if she wants to be a dutiful daughter to her parents and her community.

I usually love a good witchy romance story, but I found this one just okay. I wanted more from the characters and I didn’t feel like I connected to anyone except maybe for Tana’s best-friend Ivy who had a really strong voice. There was a lot of angst and longing between Tana and Wolfe but I just felt like something was missing intensity and I just couldn’t get invested in them.

Tropes: forbidden love, duty or love, enemies to lovers

Why you should read it:

you like witches and forbidden love

Why you might not want to read it:

I wanted more from the characters, felt like it was missing something

My Thoughts:

I was excited to read this one because the cover is beautiful and I love stories about witches but this one was just okay for me. I like the concept of the story but I wanted more from the characters. I found it hard to get invested in their story. I did like how Tana had to face a hard choice between duty and love because we get to see her struggle and grow. She also stands strong in trying to get the truth from her mother about their magic, powers and history. So I thought it was nice to see her grow and be able to choose love in the end. This may have fallen a little flat to me but I think a lot of other people will love this story.

Book Links:

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The Nature of Witches by. Rachel Griffin | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Those Summer Nights by. Laura Silverman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Those Summer Nights

Author: Laura Silverman

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 373

Publication Date: 8/23/22

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

After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new summer job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this romp of a rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year.

Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.

On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life.

Content Warning: alcohol abuse

I wanted to read something with a summer theme and saw Those Summer Nights at the library so I checked it out.

This story follows Hannah and is told in the present with flashbacks of her last year when she lost her grandmother and also got an ankle injury that killed her soccer dreams. She’s competitive, she’s grieving, she’s not someone I connected to or liked but she does have growth. Hannah made some bad choices while she grieved her grandma and her soccer dreams and now she’s facing the consequences. She’s pushed away her friends, especially her best friend Brie and she turned to alcohol, partying and hooking up with boys.

Now she has to follow a recovery plan which includes staying away from partying, finding a job and finding a new passion. She finds a job at the local arcade where it seems everyone goes to work for the summer including her younger Joey, his best friend Ethan and even her ex-best friend Brie. Hannah makes some new friends, repairs her relationship with Brie and even falls in love.

I didn’t think the story would be so heavy with the grief aspect and Hannah spiraling but I could tell she loved her grandmother very much. As far as the romance goes, she falls for her brother’s best friend – which is a friends to lovers romance. It’s cute and they have lots of chemistry but as a personal preference I didn’t like that he was younger, especially her younger brother’s bestie lol…but that’s just ME.

Tropes: found family, friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

it’s a good teen story about making bad choices and learning how to fix mistakes
there is a fun found family story with Hannah and her new coworkers
cute romance

Why you might not want to read it:

Hannah isn’t the most likable MC

My Thoughts:

Sixteen year old me would have devoured this book. As an adult I was a little annoyed with how Hannah chose to deal with grief over her competition dreams and the loss of her grandmother. Obviously she was turning to other coping mechanisms like hooking up with boys but I think she’s relatable and she has had a lot of growth. I was expecting something more light-hearted but overall a solid read.

Book Links:

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Bellegarde by. Jamie Lilac | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bellegarde

Author: Jamie Lilac

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 7/11/23

Publisher: Harperteen

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Retelling, Historical Fiction

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

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

Ooh la la! A historical rom-com with a modern twist — perfect for fans of Bridgerton, A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, and She’s All That.

Evie Clement has perfected the art of avoiding attention as she works at her family’s bakery and dreams of a life where she can trade dusting flour for designing dresses. Her focus is on honing her sewing skills–she doesn’t need to be fawned over by some teenage boy.

Least of all Beau Bellegarde–the playboy of Paris, the second son of the ultra-wealthy Bellegarde family, the most popular guy in their prestigious high school. Others may swoon over his rakish charm and winning smile, but not Evie.

Unfortunately for Evie, Beau needs her. His conniving step-brother has roped him into an impossible bet: turn the biggest wallflower they know into the winning Bellegarde Bloom at the annual Court of Flowers Ball, or lose his entire fortune.

Evie can’t understand why Beau has taken an interest in her, but she can’t help but be intrigued…

Can love bloom in the most unexpected of places?

“The She’s All That historical romance retelling of my dreams! When I wasn’t savoring the lush, descriptive prose, I was eagerly devouring the smart, perfectly paced, heart-pounding romance. There’s no doubt about it: Jamie Lilac makes a sparkling debut. — Brian Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country

Content Warning:

I was obsessed with She’s All That when it came out in 1999 so when I saw this was a retelling, I had to request it! I think the story did a great job with retelling She’s All That and I like that Evie is a promising fashion designer, sort of like how Laney Boogs was an artist in the movie. It was fun reading the book, but because I know the movie so well there weren’t too many surprises for me in Bellegarde.

I thought Evie and Josephine were fun characters. The best friends had each other’s backs and seem to have lots of fun together. Beau was just okay – he was definitely a carbon copy of Zack from She’s All That but I didn’t feel anything for him. I kind of wanted Evie to end up with the duke!

As for the setting – I like that it takes a historical fiction approach with it being in Paris, France and the popular kids have titles and wealth. In my imagination I could imagine some opulent scenes if they were ever to make this story into a movie on Netflix. t would be cool to see Evie’s fashion creations come to life. The only thing that was a little bit jarring for me was that the characters spoke in modern speech and it took me out of the story a bit. I thought overall the story was cute and I think it will appeal to younger readers.

Why you should read it:

retelling of She’s All That
teenage drama and romance

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s historical fiction with modern speech

My Thoughts:

I found it fun seeing how the story compared to the movie and it pretty much follows the whole thing minus a few changes here and there. For me it was just okay, but I think this will definitely will appeal to younger readers.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tokyo Dreaming by. Emiko Jean | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tokyo Dreaming

Author: Emiko Jean

Format: audiobook (borrowed) /hardcover (own)

Pages:

Publication Date: 5/31/2022

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Princess, Family

When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only…

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?

Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After

I listened to this as an audiobook and then read the last few chapters (because I read faster lol). But I finally read book two of this series and it follows Izumi who is the daughter of the Crown Prince of Japan. After the events of book one, we find out her mom and dad still had feelings for each other so her mom agrees to go to Japan to see where the relationship would go.

Back in Japan Izumi and her mother have to adjust to royal life and it seems to be going well until some things catch up to them. I don’t know that I loved the love triangle. I think Eriku is a great guy and everything was easy and fun with him but her heart was still with Akio even though he basically disappeared from her life. I didn’t quite feel it for her and Akio though like I did in book one.

But I think Izumi grows a lot and she tries to figure out what she wants to do – college or not? And her mom tries to figure out if the royal life is for her. I did like that Izumi became friendly with her cousins.

Tropes: fake dating, love triangle

Why you should read it:

because you enjoyed book one
It’s like The Princess Diaries but set in Japan

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle

My Thoughts:

I think this one was a sold sequel and if you are into The Princess Diaries type of stories, you may enjoy this one. I also love that it’s set in Japan and we get a peek into the culture and the royal life. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tokyo Ever After by. Emiko Jean | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

10 Truths and a Dare by. Ashley Elston | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: 10 Truths and a Dare (Messina Family, #2)

Author: Ashley Elston

Narrators: Sophie Amoss

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 291

Publication Date: 5/4/2021

Categories: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Graduation, Romance, Teen, Family

It’s Senior Week, that magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, chock-full of gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn’t be more ready. Class salutatorian and confident in her future at LSU, she’s poised to sail through to the next phase of her life.

But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating at all, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family. Volunteering to help at a local golf tournament should do it, but since Olivia’s mom equipped her phone with a tracking app, there’ll be no hiding the fact that she’s at the golf course instead of all the graduation parties happening at the same time. Unless, that is, she can convince the Fab Four–her ride-or-die cousins and best friends Sophie, Charlie, and Wes–to trade phones with her as they go through the motions of playing Olivia for the week.

Sure, certain members of the golf team are none too pleased with Olivia’s sudden “passion” for the game. And sure, a very cute, very off-limits boy keeps popping up in Olivia’s orbit. But she is focused! She has a schedule and a plan! Nothing can possibly go wrong . . . right?

Content Warning:

How did I not realize this is from the same author as 10 Blind Dates until after I read the book?! I loved 10 Blind Dates and I think the author is on a roll with these family themed stories.

This is a really cute, fun and heart-warming coming of age story. Olivia comes from a tight-knit community and an even tighter large family, which made this story very wholesome. I loved the family aspects of the story because I could relate to growing up with all my cousins around me. Plus her cousin Charlie is the life of the party. I love her close bonds with Charlie, Sophie and her boyfriend Wes.

Olivia gets caught in a big dilemma and instead of telling her parents the truth, she tries to fix the situation by making up class hours and lying to them and almost everyone else she knows (except Charlie, Sophie and Wes). It was super funny when it was Charlie’s turn to help her out. And what is up with Olivia’s mom? I thought my parents were strict but maybe it’s a good thing I grew up in the age of no technology because if my mom tracked me back then – I’d be in a lot of trouble lol. I just thought her mom was so overbearing. Also I don’t think I’ve read a book with golf in it!

The romance is cute, the graduation events and parties sound like so much fun, and it ends happily.

Tropes: girl might not graduate from high school

Why you should read it:

you read 10 Blind Dates and want more Sophie’s family
a sweet love story
the family bond

Why you might not want to read it:

I think 10 Blind Dates was better

My Thoughts:

This one has been on my TBR for awhile so I’m glad I get to cross it off my list! I thought it was a cute book about family and graduation. I think I read it at the right time too since it’s graduation time!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | 10 Blind Dates ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Stranger Danger by. Maren Stoffels | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Stranger Danger

Author: Maren Stoffels

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 224

Publication Date: 5/2/23

Publisher: Underlined

Categories: Young Adult, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

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

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

From horror powerhouse author Maren Stoffels comes the next pulse-quickening read! There’s nowhere to hide when three teens find themselves in the middle of nowhere, with no internet and a killer hunting them down.

Don’t think you can get rid of me so fast. . . .

No phones. No internet. No social media at all. That’s what it’s going to take to finally get serious about school and focus on exams. Nova, Vin, and Lotus even rented a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere so they won’t get distracted. After that, everything can go back to normal.

But they aren’t alone. Someone is watching them from the forest. Someone who knows their secrets. Someone who wants revenge. And things will never be the same again.

Content Warning: bullying, threats, student/teacher relationship

Horror and thrillers are not what I usually read but I wanted to delve more into the genre this year and requested this one. Here’s what I thought:

+ I like how quickly the ball gets rolling in this story. I was thrown into, trying to get my bearings and figure out what is going on and things happen very quickly in this book. Plus it’s barely over 200 pages so it’s a VERY quick read.

+ There are three best friends Nova, Vin and Lotus who seem like good kids that are just going to do some major studying at some secluded farmhouse. They have big dreams after graduation so this big study weekend is important but then things start happening. Lotus gets mysterious texts. Nova and Vin get hurt…but who is doing all of this?

+ I thought the twist in the story was clever. I like how as the story moves along we dig deeper into everyones secrets and there are a lot! I felt like the story made me ask who is the real villain?

~ I think at times the story moved way too fast, for example in the beginning – but I think it was to throw the reader off because I assumed all kinds of things between the three friends before knowing the truth. So it did throw me off but it also felt like I missed something as I was reading, which was a little jarring.

~ Definitely for younger readers, minus the whole student/teacher relationship scandal situation going on! At times it reminded me of the movie Scream because they were alone in the house with someone out there messing with them.

~ I don’t think the title matched the story. Who is the stranger here? Because they figure out who was messing with them. I didn’t think the story was super scary, but definitely suspenseful.

Tropes: secluded house in the woods

Why you should read it:

a quick read
if you like movies like Scream, you will like this one – it’s more suspenseful than scary

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s such a quick read you get thrown into the story and then it’s over

My Thoughts:

The story didn’t wow me or give me major thrills and chills, though I did like the plot twist, but I think if you go into it just to have a little suspenseful fun then you will enjoy it. This one is a super quick read and you may enjoy it if you are into Scream.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Last One to Fall by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last One to Fall

Author: Gabriella Lepore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/9/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

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!

Six friends. Five suspects. One murder.

Savana Caruso and Jesse Melo have known each other since they were kids, so when Jesse texts Savana in the middle of the night and asks her to meet him at Cray’s Warehouse, she doesn’t hesitate. But before Savana can find Jesse, she bears witness to a horrifying murder, standing helpless on the ground as a mysterious figure is pushed out of the fourth floor of the warehouse.

Six teens were there that night, and five of them are now potential suspects. With the police circling, Savana knows what will happen if the wrong person is charged, particularly once she starts getting threatening anonymous text messages.

As she attempts to uncover the truth, Savana learns that everyone is keeping secrets—and someone is willing to do whatever it takes to keep those secrets from coming to light.

Content Warning: attempted sexual assault, bullying, toxic relationship, alcoholism

Five teens are a suspect in a murder of one of the most popular boys in school, Raf. He was the ring leader in his friend group but he wasn’t the nicest guy. I like how the story starts off with the incident of Raf’s fall and Savana gets called to the area it happens. Right away we start getting into how these teens are involved by going back to the “start” so to speak. The timeline worked pretty well and I liked that it was told between Savana and Jesse’s perspectives. We are introduced to the five friends, Raf, Jesse, Tara, Freddie and Owen – the coolest kids in school. Savana is not part of the group but she’s close to Jesse who is the boy next door.

I easily read this book in one sitting and I felt like the story moved quickly. I thought Savana was a really good friend to Jesse and even Tara later. There is a mild friends to lovers romance going on between Savana and Jesse – though it takes a back seat with all the drama going on with Raf.

There are some tough topics discussed in this story like alcoholism, divorce, cheating, abusive relationships, bullying, and sexual assault but the story doesn’t go deep into the topics but it does give some suspects a motive for killing Raf.

As for the mystery of who committed the act – it was definitely someone I didn’t expect, but after hearing why the person did it, it made sense. But it would have been nice to have more hints about it throughout the book! Also Savana was supposed to be observing this popular group for a research project she was doing but it didn’t seem that important since we never see her doing any research whatsoever expect for observing the group of friends.

Why you should read it:

it’s a quick read
you like young adult murder mysteries

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s an easy read – it has hard topics but doesn’t go deep into them

My Thoughts:

I like that this was a quick and easy read because sometimes mysteries can get too slow and boring for me. I finished this in one sitting. I thought Savana was a great character as she and Jesse try and figure out what happened the night Raf died. There are a lot of tough topics in the story but it doesn’t get too deep into them. It showed how each character was going through something behind closed doors and even though the five friends were supposedly close – they still kept secrets from one another. Overall, this was an enjoyable young adult mystery.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Something Wilder by. Christina Lauren | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Something Wilder

Author: Christina Lauren

Narrator: Patti Murin, Jon Root

Format: audoiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/17/22

Categories: Romance, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction, Second Chance Romance

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession… or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

Content Warning: violence, death

This book was different from the Christina Lauren books I’ve read so far. It’s a treasure hunting, suspenseful, second-chance romance and it was definitely not what I was expecting!

I liked the setting of Utah which is perfect for treasure hunting since it’s environment can be vast, remote and daunting. Lily Wilder runs an outdoor adventures company but what she really wants is to have her ranch back. Her dad was an infamous treasure hunter named Duke Wilder but she didn’t have the best relationship with him. Lily is in dire straits when one of their retreats go wrong.

There is violence, back-stabbing, death and lots of harrowing adventure in this one. There are also puzzles and codes to figure out. As for the romance, Leo and Lily used to be a couple until some things happened in his life and he left. So here they are together again and the sparks are still there but there is a lot in their lives they have to figure out also. Leo is a good guy – he is the only level headed one in this group when things get a bit crazy. Lily is the type of woman who can rough it in the outdoors so I thought the two of them together made a good team.

I thought the narrators did a great job with telling the story!

Tropes: second chance romance, opposites attract

Why you should read it:

you like a treasure hunting adventure kind of story
second chance romance between Leo and Lily
there is lots of suspense and the story takes a dark turn

Why you might not want to read it:

not into treasure hunting

My Thoughts:

This one wasn’t what I expected from these authors but I love that they tried something new. I found the story entertaining and Leo and Lily a great couple once they worked things out. If you are interested in reading a romance book with a treasure hunting adventure set in the wild west of Utah, then you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Kingdom of Blood and Salt by. Alexis Calder | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of Blood and Salt (#1)

Author: Alexis Calder

Format: ebook (KU)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 3/30/2023

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Shapeshifter, Vampire, Political, New Adult

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Raven Kennedy, and Sarah J Maas.

After spending years training to defend my people from our enemies, I never expected that my enemy would be the one keeping me alive.

Athos is the last human city. A treaty with the Fae keeps the fae, the vampires, and the wolf shifters at bay, while we fight against the dragons at our border. Being a human in this world is dangerous and we all make sacrifices to survive.

When the delegation sent by the Fae King arrives to claim the human tributes required by our treaty, I never expected to forge a connection with their leader.

Ryvin is as dangerous as he is handsome. I know he’s my enemy, and I know I’m supposed to hate him, but with each passing day, he’s more difficult to resist.

But things are changing in Athos. Humans no longer want to bend to the Fae King.

Alliances blur and centuries of lies begin to unravel.

And I’m faced with a choice.

No matter how much I hate him, Ryvin might be the key to preventing war.

But it may mean sacrificing everything….

Kingdom of Blood and Salt is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy with fae, vampires, and shifters. This enemies to lovers series contains violence, mature language, and spice. This is a NA/adult fantasy romance and steam level will increase as the series progresses. Mind the cliff.

Content Warning: violence, sexual assault

I wanted a Fae story and I got one with some vampires and shapeshifters on the side.

So this is the typical romantasy – an illegitimate human princess, Ara, meets a tall, dark, handsome stranger, Ryvin, who turns out to be part of the delegation from the enemy Fae kingdom of Konos. The attraction between them is instant. This is an enemies to lovers romance, and the animosity and desire between Ara and Ryvin was the most entertaining part of this book.

There wasn’t really anything new in this story compared to other books that are similar to ACOTAR and this genre. Ara is trying to be a dutiful princess, and out of all her sisters, she’s the one training to be a warrior but when secrets are unveiled, her world is shattered. Ryvin is the typical charming, possessive, sexy, shadow-wielding, Fae (or I think he’s Fae?). I enjoyed the sparks between them! She’s sassy and he can’t help but be attracted to her resistance of him. I think my favorite part was whenever the two of them were together and aggravated with one another.

There is spice but for some strange reason I felt like it could have been spicier? I think because their fighting was so good I just felt like the sex should have had a better pay off. But I think there is hope for it in the next book. I know it’s because they agreed it would be just the act and no feelings (even though there is definitely feelings!).

I also enjoyed the sisterhood between Ara, Cora, Lagina and Sophia. It would be nice to get to know all of them better. That goes for Ryvin and the kingdom of Konos. I will be reading book two just to learn more about Konos and maybe eventually the other kingdoms.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, princess is a sacrifice, shadow-wielding death Fae

Why you should read it:

you like stories about the Fae
enemies to lovers romance

Why you might not want to read it:

not into stories that are inspired by ACOTAR

My Thoughts:

I found this one entertaining but I often love stories about the Fae even if they are starting to sound alike! I enjoyed the bickering and spice between Ara and Ryvin because I like a good enemies to lovers romance with my romantasy stories. I think Ryvin is still mostly a mystery though, as is the kingdom of Konos. Another thing I liked is the relationship between Ara and her sisters. I didn’t feel like this book had anything outstanding and unique about it but I enjoyed it regardless.