Beautiful Villain by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beautiful Villain

Author: Rebecca Kenney

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 7/16/24

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Categories: New Adult, Romance, The Great Gatsby Retelling, Vampires

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 Casablanca for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he’s back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn’t want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn’t long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed―culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn’t until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends’ lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.

Content Warning: abuse

I never read The Great Gatsby but I did watch the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio mostly because of that Lana Del Rey song, Young and Beautiful.

Daisy is a young adult who is out of college, doesn’t have much direction, she broke up with her abusive ex-boyfriend, and just got invited to an infamous party thrown by some mysterious guy people refer to as Gatsby. The name is familiar to Daisy and wonders if it’s the same Jay Gatsby she was best friends with when she was younger, before she moved to a new town.

I thought this was a fairly quick read because I wanted to see how the vampire element would fit in the Gatsby story and I thought it did it pretty well. I like that the explanation about how vampires are created is different from the usual lore. Jay is such mysterious, wealthy young man, that it makes sense he would be a vampire.

Daisy and Jay’s attraction happens very quick and things get spicy between them almost right away. Their feelings for each other from when they were younger resurfaces but they do make an effort to get to know one another since so much has changed – especially with Jay.

I can’t say I connected to anyone in this story. Also, there is a lot of pop culture references in the book – if you aren’t into that, then just know it’s there.

My Thoughts:

I thought this one was okay. I did think it was a pretty good retelling of The Great Gatsby only from what I saw and remembered from the movie. The vampire storyline worked pretty well but I just didn’t connect to the characters. I think I wanted more drama and maybe have it be a little more darker because sometimes it felt like a young adult story just a very spicy one.

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Dragonfruit by. Makiia Lucier | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dragonfruit

Author: Makiia Lucier

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/9/24

Publisher: Clarion Books

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Mythology, Pacific Islander

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

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

From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt … gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time – hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

Content Warning: violence

I was attracted to this book because of the book cover and it’s inspired by Pacific Islander mythology which is so rare to see in books! And since I live in Hawaii, the premise really called to me and I wanted to see how dragons fit into this story.

The seadragons and the lore about the dragonfruit eggs were pretty interesting. Hanalei has a connection to them and everyone is hunting these dragon eggs. The sentient tattoos turning into animals was also really cool. I think the world-building was very creative and I liked seeing the Pacific Islands represented in the characters and landscape. There is a lot of adventure as they searched for these eggs, they even have to deal with pirates.

As far as the characters though, I can’t say I connected to anyone. I did like Sam and his relationship with his grandmother, because family is important in Pacific Islander culture, so I liked that it was present in this book and nice that the Tamarind throne is ruled by a matriarch.

It’s promoted as romantic fantasy but I felt like there was no romance at all, so this one felt like it would be perfect for teen readers and younger young adults or those that like minimal romance in their fantasies.

My Thoughts:

This story has great world-building and the story is filled with adventure with seadragons and pirates but I was left wanting more. I didn’t really connect to the characters and I really wish there was more to the romance since it’s billed as a romantic fantasy.

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The Poisons We Drink by. Bethany Baptiste | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Poisons We Drink

Author: Bethany Baptiste

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 3/26/24

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Witches, Politics, LGBT+

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!

In a country divided between humans and witches, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.

Then an enemy’s iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother’s killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.’s most influential politicians.

As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it’s hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.

Content Warning: violence, racism, language, death

There were some really cool things that stand out in this story like the world-building. I love that it’s a world where witches and humans don’t get along. The witches we follow are Venus and Janus Stoneheart who are young women who brew potions. I liked that the witches in this book actually did a lot of witchcraft! Another aspect I liked was the theme of family and the complicated relationships we can have in one. The really loved the familial bond the sisters had with their cousin Tyrell. There is a also romance taking place with Venus and her ex-best friend Presley, which was a nice addition to the story. I love the diversity being represented!

Venus is a potion maker but she’s also fighting this dark sentient being inside her who wants to unleash violence. She’s also trying to figure out who killed her mom and there are a lot of political undercurrents happening between the witches and humans. I found Venus to be a really strong character who was always looking out for her sister.

My attention started to drift in the middle of the book and I can’t really pinpoint why – it could have just been my mood.

My Thoughts:

My favorite parts of this book was the witchcraft, world-building and family themes. Also I really do love the cover! I thought it was an entertaining read except for the parts in the middle which dragged a little. There is a lot of profanity in this one so if you don’t like that, this isn’t for you. If you like to read young adult urban fantasy books about witches and politics, you will like this one.

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The Last Bloodcarver by. Vanessa Le | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last Bloodcarver

Author: Vanessa Le

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/19/24

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Science, Medicine, Romance, LGBT+

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!

The tantalizing romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver, the first in a two-book debut — with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.

When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she’s captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.

But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her…though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.

When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And — if she’s willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears — to save herself and the ones she’s vowed to protect.

Content Warning: death of animals, violence, death of parents, medical horror

I went into this book with no expectations and once I started reading, I could not stop. Nhika posses a gift to heal people, but with that same gift she could hurt and kill them as well. She is what is knowm as a bloodcarver and it’s generally a bad thing to be. But in her upbringing she was called a heartsooth, and someone who took pride in her abilities. Nhika finds herself alone now, and bought to help a family who is grieving the lost of their father who they think was murdered. They need Nhika’s help to confirm this though and she agrees, only to find herself in a dire situation.

I like Nhika even though she doesn’t seem like someone anyone can easily connect to. She’s not warm or kind, she’s had to survive on her own for years – she’s been alone. Nhika lost her whole family and she’s trying to stay alive in a heartless world who looks down upon bloodcarvers. I like that she isn’t polished and I especially love that her heart always wants to do the right thing, even when people don’t seem to deserve her help. I connected with her through her love of the family she has lost. I love her memories about her mother and her grandmother teaching her the craft of heartsoothing. It reminded me of my own grandmother and so my heart ached for Nhika even if she didn’t have time to dwell on her feelings about grief.

There is also a found family trope in this story although at times I felt not so happy about it because Nhika was on the outside looking in and at one point they didn’t trust her.

The world building is interesting because it mentions Theumas being a technocracy and yet they used rotary phones. I did read that this was Vienamese-inspired and the politics going on in the story shows that. The magic system is great because it blended science and magic! I love all the medical stuff and anatomy and everything about the healing craft that Nhika learned through her grandmother. Also this story is part murder mystery but I felt like it never really slowed down, which I appreciate it, since mysteries always move too slow for me. The story moves quickly and I liked the actions scenes we do get, even if the last one is a bit gory!

There is even an enemies to lovers romance happening with Nhika and Ven, a doctor’s assistant. For the most part of the book Nhika is trying to figure him out and what his motives are. But when more information in reveal it’s a big twist in the story and makes them see one another with different eyes. I didn’t mind the romance, for me I think it works – may seem to fast for some people but I totally get how Nhika was so lonely and finally she finds someone who she doesn’t have to hide from. I love them together and it made me tear up at the end because everything happening was unexpected and I just wanted the best for Nhika who really deserved some happiness in her life after everything has been taken away from her.

I didn’t even realize it’s a duology but I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

My Thoughts:

There was so much to love about this book – the world-building, magic system with magic/science/healing, the romance, the murder mystery and a good plot twist. The ending was unexpected, especially with how intense it was and it left me heartbroken. I can’t wait for book two!

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One Last Breath by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: One Last Breath

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/5/24

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

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller, LGBT+, True Crime, Paranormal

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readersfor giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies delivers another chilling supernatural thriller filled with murder, romance, and a decades long mystery that haunts a small Florida town.

The perfect blend of Natasha Preston, Krystal Sutherland, and Delia Owens, with a paranormal twist.

Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things.

The spectre of Bailey and Celeste’s murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Sometimes, it seems like she knows the long-dead Bailey, feels the dead girl in her bones. Now she’s supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders – and the death of her own sister – invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep, 100 feet below the surface of Hidden Glen Springs, that she can breathe.

When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can’t resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.

As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio…along with their other-worldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red.

Content Warning: death, alcoholism, violence

This was an interesting read with a few twists in the story but it is a slow burn of a mystery. I felt like the first half was so slow but I did feel the setting was pretty immersive. I could feel that Florida humidity and mosquito bites just from the descriptions. It’s definitely a summer vibe kind of book and does take place before Tru is supposed to go off to college. Tru comes from a broken home, her father is a deadbeat, her mom is grieving and dealing with it through alcohol and her older sister, Dani was killed years ago in a hit and run.

Tru does have a bit of a awakening as she is steadfast in love with her best friend since forever, East, but then meets a girl Rio who intrigues her. There is a twist to their attraction though.

And throughout this story this town is the place where murders that happened years ago that people are obsessed with, including Tru. When Rio comes along, the both of them do some digging and find out the truth. I think I caught on quick who was the suspect and I was right. There is a lot that happens in the second half of the book which is what helped hold my attention. Also I don’t know that the paranormal aspect of the story worked for me

My Thoughts:

Overall, this one was too slow for me but the ending is where most of the action happens. I thought the twists were interesting but I didn’t quite vibe with the paranormal stuff going on. I think if you love mysteries you will really enjoy this one but for me it was just okay.

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Dark and Shallow Lies by. Ginny Myers Sain | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bad Like Us by. Gabriella Lepore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bad Like Us

Author: Gabriella Lepore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 281

Publication Date: 3/5/24

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller, Teen Readers

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!

Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars

Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered

Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”

At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.

When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.

Content Warning: death

I’ve read two other books from this author and enjoyed both but this one feels made for lower young adult readers. It’s definitely for the teen readers.

A group of teens go to a remote location for Spring Break, but things get out of hand when one of them ends up dead. This is a short book, coming in at under 300 pages so it’s a quick read. A lot of the story happens during their time at the private beach lodge but there are flashbacks leading up to the spring break trip which gives us insights into some of the main characters. There is a lot of suspicion between the characters as they try and figure out if one of them is the killer. My guess was mostly right but there was more in the reveal that I didn’t expect.

It was an okay read, but I wanted more thrills and suspense.

My Thoughts:

This was a quick read and I think it would appeal to teenagers. I do wish there were more thrills and suspense but overall it was an okay read.

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

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

The Summer She Went Missing by. Chelsea Ichaso | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Summer She Went Missing

Author: Chelsea Ichaso

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/5/24

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller

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!

Last summer, they searched for Audrey Covington. This summer, they’ll search for the truth. Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in Clearwater Ridge, with lazy days sunning at the waterfalls and nights partying at the sprawling houses of the rich families who vacation there. The Covingtons are one of these families, and beautiful, brilliant Audrey Covington is Paige’s best friend. And last year, when Audrey’s crush-worthy brother Dylan finally started noticing Paige, she was sure it would be the best summer ever. Except Audrey didn’t seem quite like herself. Then one night, she didn’t come home. Though Audrey wasn’t the first girl to disappear in Clearwater Ridge, she left behind more lies than clues. Now, one summer later, her case has gone cold, and nobody, least of all Paige, can make sense of what happened. When Paige stumbles across a secret hidden in Audrey’s room, however, it changes everything she thought she knew about last summer. She and Dylan set out on their own investigation, discovering things even the police don’t know about the people of Clearwater Ridge. But tracking down missing girls―girls who might be beyond saving by now―means entering a world far darker than Paige has ever imagined. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll become the next girl to vanish.

Content Warning: missing girl

This is a mystery about a girl that goes missing and her case goes cold but her brother, Dylan and her best friend, Paige decide to do their own investigation and find out what happened to Audrey. They realize there are a few cases that may tie into Audrey’s disappearance so they follow the clues.

There is a twist in the end that I did enjoy but I felt like most of the book didn’t do anything for me until that part. I didn’t really connect to the characters but I thought it was cool that Paige and Dylan teamed up together since they’ve known each other for so long. Overall, this was just an okay book for me.

My Thoughts:

Mystery lovers will enjoy this one, but it didn’t do much for me.

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Snowglobe by. Soyoung Park | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Snowglobe

Author: Soyoung Park

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 2/27/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Suspense

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!

In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart.

Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.

The residents of Snowglobe have fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life.

Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.

Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean.

Content Warning: death

I have to start off by saying this is translated from Korean to English and for the most part it’s a pretty good translation with some words here and there that were a little off.

I haven’t read in a dystopia book in awhile and this sounded interesting! Famous and wealthy people live in a place called Snowglobe and everyone else lives outside of it. But people get to watch what happens in Snowglobe on their tvs. Plus Earth is in a deep, deep frost so everyone outside of Snowglobe is dealing with freezing temperatures and life is a struggle. Chobahm is one of these people who lives outside of Snowglobe and works in a factory with her family. She gets a chance to go there, she takes it without knowing what she is getting into.

When I started reading this book I didn’t know what was going on and then I told myself to think of it like the k-dramas I watch and I got into the story! I think what I really enjoyed were the twists in the story that come past the halfway point. The twists really surprised me and I was hoping for a resolution to the story but this is only the first book in a series it seems.

I don’t know if I will read the second book only because like I said some of the translations felt off but the twists were really pretty good and makes me want to find out what happens next.

My Thoughts:

This one was really interesting but some of the translations were kind of off which made some of my reading experience not the smoothest. I did love the dystopian atmosphere and the twists in the story though, and thought this would make a pretty cool K-drama show or series. I’m not sure if I will read the sequel but I do want to see what happens next, so we shall see.

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Compass and Blade by. Rachel Greenlaw | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Compass and Blade

Author: Rachel Greenlaw

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 2/27/24

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sirens, Pirates

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!

This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.

On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.

When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.

With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.

Content Warning: violence

+ I feel like this story started off strong. Mira and her friends and family on Rosevear are wreckers. When a ship wrecked on their shores, they pillaged the ship for survival. The world-building is interesting because it’s a world of survival in the seas and islands around Rosevear. There are pirates, magic and sirens.

+~ I liked the found friendship Mira has with the crew that takes her on her journey but again it would have been nice to get to know each of them more. The story needs more character building.

+~ The story moved quickly but at times I think too quickly. I wanted to learn more about the wreckers but Mira leaves the island right away into the story, so she can help save her friend and her dad who were caught by the watchers and are about to be hung. So she basically island hops in order to find this treasure her mother left for her and she thinks whatever this treasure is, can help her save her dad. I wanted to learn more about the Sirens but I just think we needed more world-building in general.

~ Mira was an interesting character until we had to follow her on this journey to find the treasure and she just came off so naive in so many situations. She falls for a boy she hardly knows – this story takes place in the span of one week – and her feelings for him puts her in the worst situations. Not to mention, he betrays her multiple times and she forgives him the first time! This girl had no business going on this journey without anyone she could trust, but she wanted to be a hero. And also she feels other things about another boy so yes there is a love triangle brewing. I was pretty frustrated with her as a character by the end.

My Thoughts:

This book had so much potential because I like a good pirate book but the more I read, the more Mira, the MC seemed so naive and clueless. I think she has a chance in book two to really embrace the side of her that will wreck vengeance on her enemies but yeah this book was just okay. I did feel like the writing is for a younger audience but there is a sex scene. Anyway, this was somewhat entertaining despite the love triangle, and the issues I have with the main character. I would love for more world-building and character building in the next book but I’m not even sure I want to read the next book!

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A Tempest of Tea by. Hafsah Faizal | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea, #1)

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 2/20/24

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Peaky Blinders, Vampires, Heist

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

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance, revenge, and an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Content Warning: violence, blood drinking, fire, death

+ I love when a book totally catches me off guard and surprises me. This book was full of surprises! How do you combine King Arthur, Vampires and Peaky Blinders (never watched it though I’ve always wanted to) together and make it work? I don’t know but this author just did it! I also loved how she adds historical fiction to the mix as she covers the colonization of countries liked Ceylan (in our reality that would be Ceylon-now Sri Lanka). This story is set in Ettenia which I’m assuming is England. And the vampires are just a race of people that live among them. This book just had everything I wanted, things I didn’t even know I wanted in one place and I loved it all. There are a lot of twists and turns in the second half of the book and that cliffhanger ending left me wanting book two now.

+ I am in love with Arthie and Jin. I love their story, their friendship, their love for one another – even though this story had hints of a romance for Arthie (a love triangle even that never came to fruition-an no it didn’t involve Jin), the love between Arthie and Jin appeased my soul. I also loved that this was told in multiple POVs because Jin’s voice was important to this story. He is Arthie’s right-hand man and I loved that he was the lightness in their relationship. They are found family, they are to one another the siblings they never had, they are soulmates and I knew they would have each other’s back no matter what. Also, I need Jin to have a happy ending, that guy deserves the world!

+ Because this story is about a heist, there are other characters involved and part of the crew. Flick, Matteo and Laith. All of them intriguing and we do get Flick’s POV but not Matteo and Laith who are very intriguing and added to the story in various ways. I like how they all have complex backgrounds.

+ Arthie is a complicated character which I love. She’s had trauma and holds a lot of secrets, not only her own but she’s a phoenix who basically rose out of ashes. I love that she was smart, and still allowed herself to love (Jin and Spindrift) even though she doesn’t open herself to anyone else. She is flawed. I love that she is a business woman and she’s the leader of their crew.

~ I can’t call what was in this book a true love triangle. There is flirtation, there is desire that Arthie doesn’t want to explore because she is a person who is in control at all times. But I think it makes her mistrust even more heightened. She has a crew of people she doesn’t totally trust (except Jin) and her weakness was a good-looking mysterious man. She isn’t perfect, she can only hold so many of the right cards in her hand and I honestly loved every part of whatever romance was building for her because the tension between them was delicious!

~ I think Flick’s POV was the weakest and she seemed like the weakest link because she’s not like the rest. She grew up in luxury as a lady’s daughter but she has her own agenda. Out of all of them I felt like I didn’t trust her the most because all she wanted was to please her mother and she had such a shiny upbringing.

My Thoughts:

Why was I surprised that I loved this book? I loved the We Hunt the Flame series. The writing is so good, the slow burn in the romance is enticing and the relationships are heartfelt. Honestly, Arthie and Jin, they have my heart. It might be a slow build in the beginning as the pieces are set on the chessboard but I was riveted from the moment I started the book. Once the pieces started moving, it was a fun, twisty, emotional ride to the end. And then of course we get a crazy cliffhanger that made my jaw drop! I need the second book asap and this book solidifies that this author is a must-read for me.