Book Review | Call It What You Want

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Call It What You Want

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 374

Categories: Young Adult, Family, Contemporary, Suicide

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

This book was not a light read, but I love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing and before I knew it, I was done with it in a few hours. It covers some heavy topics like failed attempted suicide, cheating at school, pregnancy and stealing from people. Yeah, that’s a lot right?

Rob used to be one of the popular boys in school until his dad was involved in a financial scheme that resulted in a failed suicide attempt and losing the trust of the community. Maegan, a policeman’s daughter, got caught cheating on the SATs which meant her reputation at school wasn’t stellar either. They pair up for a calculus project and things start change for the both of them.

I felt for both of these kids. Rob is suffering from his dad’s mistakes and Maegan is suffering from her own, but they eventually learn it’s not only about them. Other people out there in their school, and in their families are going through something tough times too.

Rob’s home life is not pretty. What his dad did and its ramifications on their family is not glossed over in this story. People think Rob is not trustworthy and he’s lost friends, his social life, and soon his home. Maegan’s life is different, she actually has supportive parents, but she’s dealing with the pressures of having a sister who takes the limelight and who returns home taking the attention again. But Maegan is not a vindictive sister or person in general. She’s really nice and made a mistake. I like how real these kids lives are – families are complicated. Life is complicated, everyone makes mistakes and nothing is picture perfect.

I love how friendship builds between Rob and Maegan, kind of shakily, but eventually a mutual attraction occurs that turns kinda steamy (but there is no sex, FYI, haha). But I get the feelings of desperation between Rob and Maegan, the need for one another because they felt like such outcasts. They were tired of being alone. As things escalate, Rob has to figure out what’s going on with him and some of his actions. Maegan’s sister has to decide what to do about her baby and Maegan has to decide if Rob is a good person, or not, is she in a place to be judgmental? Truths are revealed and nothing is black and white.

There is a bittersweet ending, and I was relieved for Rob and Maegan. This is the third contemporary young adult book I’ve read from Brigid Kemmerer and she does so well writing about complicated characters dealing with conflicted emotions. I start to care about the characters and I always root for a happy ending for them!

I look forward to reading more books from this author, she’s becoming one of my auto-buy authors or should I say auto-borrow, since I borrow more than buy. 😊 Definitely an author who’s books I always look forward to reading.

ARC Review | Cilka’s Journey

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Cilka’s Journey

Author: Heather Morris

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Categories: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Gulag, Rape, Survival Story

Disclaimer: I won a copy of this ARC from Bookishfirst for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.

After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Bookishfirst for giving me a chance to win an arc of this book, Cilka’s Journey.

I did not read The Tattooist of Auschwitz but it is on my TBR list. I had a chance to win an arc of Cilka’s Journey and was pleasantly surprise to see I did win a copy. I knew right away this would be a difficult read. My husband is Jewish through his father’s side, and from what I’ve learned, his ancestors from that side of his family came from Russia. So this is a part of my kids history now…but anyway…I knew this would be a hard subject to read.

We follow Cilka out of Auschwitz, and being someone who didn’t read the first book, I believe I followed pretty well because this book has flashbacks of Cilka’s time in the concentration camp. All of it is horrible. Everything she went through, what she had to do to survive, what it does to her psyche, and how she stays strong to keep on living. But she leaves Auschwitz and ends up a prisoner (accused of sleeping with the enemy-Nazis) and ends up going to the Gulag in Siberia. Like how much worse can things get for Cilka?! I wanted to scream at the heavens for this woman.

She’s not at a concentration camp but she is at a prison labor camp, where she is still raped by strange men, still fighting for survival in the hierarchies that are formed within the places she tries to survive, whether it’s in the hut she’s condemned to live it, or the place she’s sent to work at. This is not an easy journey for Cilka. And I kept wondering as I read, will it get better?

This book is an engrossing and quick read but I read it in three days because I needed a break from the horror. I would stare at my kids while they slept, wondering what part of them someone could hate…😢💔. There were many moments my heart hurt so bad reading this book.

What makes this story incredible is how she survives, because I don’t think I could have. Her will to survive and search for hope is beyond admirable. And though she questions herself quite often, she finds a way to keep going. Did her looks save her? Her curse and her luck was her beauty. But I love how smart she is, she is a survivor, works hard, cares for others even when most people would have given up or been past caring.

She survived Auschwitz. And the Soviet Gulag in Siberia. After the story there are also notes in the back of the book that I continued reading. There is more information about the Gulag which I was interested in reading because it’s a part of history we don’t hear a lot about.

Stories like Cilka’s Journey are vital. It reminds us of a horrible time in history, reminds us so we hopefully never end up there again. Now I have to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz because Cilka’s life starts there but I really felt like Cilka’s Journey is pretty complete as a standalone.

This a story of hope and the human spirit’s will to survive the very darkest of times.

BLOG TOUR | ARC Review | Unspoken

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Unspoken

Author: Celia McMahon

Format: eBook

Pages: 402

Publisher: The Parliament House

Publication Date: September 17, 2019

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

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

Princess Isabelle of The New Kingdom has lived her entire life in the confines of her palace. She spends her time hunting for the poverty-stricken Voiceless-people of the Old Kingdom who warred with her kingdom and ultimately lost-and dreaming of a world beyond the walls of her home. As the only remaining child of the king and queen, she is to be married off by her eighteenth birthday.

When Izzy witnesses the use of forbidden magic in the woods outside the palace, she is attacked, and saved by an unknown man. Soon after she discovers her rescuer is a Voiceless servant in the castle named Fray, she befriends him to seek out the magic users who tried to kill her. Fray agrees to help, but not before Isabelle discovers the servant boy harbors a secret the king has tried to bury-that he is a Gwylis, people of the old Kingdom who made a pact with the demons of the underworld for the power to transform into giant ferocious wolves. But to shift into a beast, Fray must be able to speak the words to do so. If he is to thwart the attackers from killing her entire family, Izzy needs to cure the ailment that took away his voice.

But curing Fray holds more danger than she ever thought possible. The lies of her parents and the risk of putting her own life on the line deems as destructive as falling for the servant boy. If Isabelle is to save herself and Fray, she’ll need to face enemy Gwylis, cross paths with usurper kings and princes, and decide what side she is on-human or wolf-or lose her kingdom forever.

Thank you to The Parliament House for giving me a chance to read an eARC of Unspoken.

Princess Isabelle, or Izzy, is not your conventional princess. Yes, she has to do her duty by making a promising marriage when she turns eighteen but thing young lady has a mind of her own. She was my favorite character in this book because she is spunky, sassy and lively. Her relationship with her best friend was so fun to see until some events take place to change that. But there was a lot of conflict Izzy had to sort out in this story as lies and truths are revealed bit by bit.

Now a very fascinating and intriguing part of the story was the Voiceless. The Voiceless cannot speak because of a curse. They communicate with sign language which Izzy picked up by hanging out in their community. We find out more about that curse and her family’s role in it. The world building seems comparable to other worlds that usually involve a rebellious princess and hidden magic. The New Kingdom opposes the presence of magic that was used in the Old Kingdom. So basically magic was taken away, or just repressed, by the rulers of the New Kingdom. The one aspect of the world building that stood out though was the shape-shifting in this story. It is different because words have to be spoken in order for someone to shift into a wolf. It is creative and it made sense then that people from the Old Kingdom had to be silenced.

There is a hint of a love triangle happening in this book but it was quickly obvious who Izzy was attracted to. I mean who are you going to go for, the seemingly perfect prince, Ashe, from a neighboring kingdom or the servant, Fray, who turns into a wolf? 😅🤷🏻‍♀️

I truly enjoyed watching Izzy coming to terms and dealing with the truth of her family and trying to undo the wrongs of the past. She remains vibrant throughout even her most conflicted times, she is a warrior. If you like a strong female lead, a creative story with shape shifters, magic and warring kingdoms then you will definitely enjoy Unspoken.

You can get your copy of Unspoken here: http://www.parliamenthousepress.com/unspoken

ARC Review | Marrow Charm

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Marrow Charm

Author: Kristin Jacques

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 333

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Horror,

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

‘In his pursuit of the occult, the Third Reich opened the Gate to a realm of magic and brought the world to ruin. The Gate was eventually closed, but They were already in our world and They were hungry.’

-The Lost History, Library of Avergard

Azure ‘Azzy’ Brimvine lives in a world decimated by magic, where humans have retreated underground from the overwhelming dangers of the surface. But Below is no safer than Above.

Magic borne plagues continue to eat away at the remaining human cities, a sickness that doesn’t merely kill, but creates aberrations from the stricken: people twisted by magic into something dark, dangerous, and powerful. It is an existence of fear and constant dread. When Azzy’s brother, Armin, is infected and cast out into the Above, she sets out after him, determined to be there for him no matter what he becomes.

The world Above is full of monsters, both wild and cunning, some more human than Azzy was led to believe. Armin is captured and bound for the Auction block of Avergard, a ruthless city of inhuman lords and twisted creatures. To reach him, Azzy must brave the perils of the Above and the chaotic life forms created by the Gate. To reach him, she must find allies and forge new bonds in this broken world.

And Azzy must reach him, before Armin’s new power is used to open the Gate once more.

Thank you to The Parliament House and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I requested this book on NetGalley because of the cover, I love it. I guess I’m in a very dark mood lately with the change in seasons coming. The blurb sounded fascinating, and I love the words around the title, “as above, so below”. I have to say that intrigued me. By the way, I am NOT a horror fan usual, but I love this book.

The book blurb begins with some lost history of Avergard, but I forgot about the blurb when I started reading and I don’t remember anything about the Third Reich being mentioned in the story, unless I just missed it? 🤔 What did catch my attention was the writing. This is a beautifully told story, the words seeming effortless to describe this detailed world of the Above and Below. But let me just say, this is a dark tale.

The world in Marrow Charm is divided into the Above and the Below. Azure, or Azzy, has always lived below. And ohhhh boy did I not want to live there with her. Azzy grew up hearing about the monsters that live Above. But…as above, so below. There are scary things below! I was terrified for her life! And mine…even though I didn’t live there. 😂 Now I was trying to figure how to categorize this book…fantasy? But it seemed post-apocalyptic as well, so it is an interesting mix of both I suppose.

The world building is detailed and there was always something new to learn up until the last chapters when we actually get to Avergard. For most of the story we navigate the Below and Above with Azzy, as she tries to find her brother Armin. The separate journeys of Azzy and Armin in this book is harrowing, painful, suspenseful, and heart-breaking. But it’s not only Azzy and Armin trying to find their way, we meet secondary characters along the way that make this tale feel so rich with personalities, danger, mistrust, and hope.

Did I already mention this is dark? There is violence. There is a lot of blood, and despair and but I believed in Azzy. That girl is a survivor with powers we don’t fully understand yet. She is so determined to find her brother and I have to hope she will. And speaking of powers, this is a world of magic, especially in the Above where it seems valued in Avergard. Below, having skills like being an apothecary was very important. I loved learning about Brixby and his skill as an apothecary.

The story is emotional due to the relationship between Azzy and Armin. You can feel the love between them as siblings and I just pray Azzy can reunite with Armin. I just want it all to work out in the end for these characters I fell in love with. Is there a romance? A slight infusion of it with Azzy and a journey companion she meets. I hope to see where that storyline goes.

The story ends in the city of Avergard and once more I feel like there will be a lot to learn about this city. There is so much to uncover in this world of Marrow Charm, it seems to be unending, which I love. I love the layers I got to dig into with this story. I can’t wait to read the next book!

There are witches, shape shifters, high lords that rule with fear and we will most definitely learn more about them in the sequel. The thing I need in the sequel is to know the history of The Gate. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and went looking to see where I could find a hardcopy or paperback for my shelf but so far I only see it in ebook form? It’s an amazing book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Review | These Witches Don’t Burn

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: These Witches Don’t Burn

Author: Isable Sterling

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Categories: Witchcraft, Young Adult, Romance, LGBTQIA+ , Mystery, Contemporary Fantasy

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

What better way to get into the fall spirit than by bingeing on witchy themed books! These Witches Don’t Burn, is fun but also filled with mystery and suspense, I mean it can’t be witchy without some darkness to it right?

Hannah is a witch in Salem’s only coven and she’s been good at keeping it a secret among the Regs (non-witches) around her like her best friend, Gemma. Her ex-girlfriend Veronica and fellow coven member is trying to get her back but Hannah is trying her best to resist her.

Enter new girl Morgan, who makes Hannah believe she can like someone again, someone who isn’t Veronica. The two of them getting together is cute but Hannah takes some time in the story to really sort out her feelings about her ex and the new crush. So romance and feelings are present in the story but it is not the focus, nope, there is a Blood Witch – or so Hannah and Veronica thinks – in Salem. Apparently Blood Witches are scary, but Morgan isn’t the only newbie in town. A Detective Archer is also in Salem as well…suspiciously around the time events start happening to Hannah and Veronica. The coven must find who is the Blood Witch before someone gets really hurt. Speaking of covens and witches, I love that this is a contemporary fantasy book with witches because I feel like most of the books I read with witches are historical fantasy, but I really love the modern day witches too! It felt fresh, and fun even with the danger and suspense. I like that the teenagers in this story were being teenagers.

I thought this was going to be a light fluffy read, but no, there is suspense, mystery and so much danger. I’d say about halfway into the book, I suspected who the villain was and sure enough I was right! But that didn’t take away any enjoyment I had reading the book. The ending was sad though and I didn’t expect that. ☹️

Overall this is such a good debut novel and yay to all the queer characters represented in the book! 😍 If you want to get into a witchy mood, this is the book for you.

ARC Review | Diamond City

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Diamond City

Author: Francesca Flores

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: January 28, 2020

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Violence, Drug Abuse

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

At twelve years old, Aina Solís was pulled off of the streets she slept on and trained to be one of the most feared assassins in Sumerand, a kingdom founded by immigrants and built by magic―and in recent years transformed by an industrial revolution. When Aina is given the most lucrative and dangerous job of her career―killing a wealthy industrialist named Kouta―she knows it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave her impoverished roots in her past once-and-for-all: the payout is enough to free her from under her boss Kohl’s thumb. But when the job goes wrong and Kouta escapes, she is left without a penny to her name and in the crosshairs of Kohl, who is eager to show the world what happens to those that fail him.

With Kohl on her heels, Aina is running out of time to find Kouta and finish what she started. But the closer she gets to killing him, the more she begins to ask the questions assassins are never meant to ask: who wants Kouta dead? And why? In a city full of half-constructed subway tunnels, hidden magical dens, secret weapons markets, and wolf-sized spiders, Aina discovers a conspiracy that could rewrite her city’s history and―if it isn’t stopped―sink her country into a catastrophic war.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I am a sucker for female assassins and here we have Aina Solis, a Blade, who works for the Blood King. Aina kills whoever the Blood King tells her to kill and her specialty is with knives. She has a history with the Blood King, Kohl, who runs the city with his motley crew of spies and assassins. Kohl molded Aina into the killer that she is, but is that all she is?

Aina is a survivor in Sumerand, a kingdom torn apart by war, rebuilt with industrialization controlled by the Steels. The world building is interesting. There is conflict between the Steels (industrialists) versus the Inosen, a sect of religious followers that believe in using magic from long ago. But in a kingdom where Steels rule, magic use is outlawed so it creates secret worship places and a black market for raw diamonds used for magic use. So far the book talks mostly about how the magic can be used to track people and also do healing spells.

Kohl presents Aina with a big contract hit, to take out one of the most untouchable and wealthiest Steel in Sumerand. The money she can make from the hit can bring her dreams to fruition – but what happens when everything goes wrong? Here is when I kept on reading, because Aina’s world starts to crumble and she’s trying to survive again. I wonder if she could do it and if she could get out of this book alive! Seriously at some parts, I was like, oh she’s dead – she’s so going to die! 🤭

There is an interesting relationship brewing in this story between Aina and the brother of the man she’s supposed to kill. I wasn’t sure this would work out for either of them and it was even somewhat sort of unbelievable how Ryuu handles the events that take place. I don’t think I’d be as forgiving as he is! Like…really?! 🤔 She also has a best friend in this story, Teo, who’s luck is as bad as Aina’s but he’s a really good friend. And around these men she finally makes some female friends too – because seriously, she needed that too.

The story is violent with lots of action, blood spilling, body counts and fighting, which I enjoyed because I love female assassins kicking butt. But there is also the issue of Aina’s past drug use and her unhealthy relationship with Kohl. I think it’s believable that it’s hard for her to break away from Kohl, because he manipulated her to get what he could from her. It was frustrating to see her waver though, stay strong Aina! But Aina, poor girl, she just seriously needs a break! I want to see her just take back herself and her power!

Overall, this story sucked me in and it’s a fantastic debut. I look forward to reading the sequel just to see if Aina can redeem herself and kick more butt.

Book Review | Fake It Till You Break It

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fake It Till You Break It

Author: Jenna R. Nguyen

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Categories: Young Adult, Romance

Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought…

Sometimes I just need a light read and this was it!

Enemies to fake dating to lovers. I think the fake dating trope is so much fun especially when the two characters can’t stand each other, like Mia and Jake in Fake It Till You Break It. They are neighbors, their moms are best friend, they’ve known each other since kids and are best friends without knowing it. It doesn’t help that their moms are trying their hardest to make them fall in love.

Of course they conjure up a plan to give their moms what they want and then break up so they will stop throwing them together. What ends up happening is pretty predictable as with most fake dating tropes, there is a happy ending. But I loved seeing them eventually get there.

What I liked most about this book was Mia and Jake’s interaction with one another. I love how Mia tells Jake things straight up and she can be her messy self around him. And as much as Jake antagonizes her, he knows everything about her. They are just too cute and funny together, I was happy for their eventually happily ever after!

I read this book in a few hours. It is light-reading, adorable, and it left me smiling at the end. ☺️

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Salt and Sorrows

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 416

Categories: 12 Dancing Princesses Retelling, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

In a Top Ten Tuesday topic about childhood favorites, I listed the Twelve Dancing Princesses as one of mine. House of Salt and Sorrows was exactly everything I wanted in a retelling of one of my favorite childhood stories.

But let me talk about the cover first! I got the OwlCrate version and it’s lovely. I love how the inside cover is black with a octopus and masquerade mask design in gray. It’s gorgeous. This totally spoke to the island girl in me with the tidepools and the tentacles on the cover.

Quick personal story: My dad had a boat when I was young, I mean it’s Hawaii so he loved to fish, many people do. He’d be out with our neighbor fishing in the early morning and he’d come back with so many kinds of fish, limu (seaweed), crab, and octopus. He sold some to our neighbors, gave some away to relatives and freeze the rest. One of the chores my sister and I had to do was help clean…everything. I hated cleaning octopus because some of them were huge and still alive and my dad would hold it as I would watch it wrap its large tentacles around his arm. Then my dad would show me its teeth, which looks like a little black whole. As a child I was so afraid it would eat my finger! 😩 So instead he let us clean the baby octopus, and we cleaned it with….SALT. I’ve come to respect octopus and love how beautiful they are, tasty to a lot of people, but they are just awesome, smart creatures. Slimy though. The octopus is the crest for the Thaumus family in this book – which I adore!

House of Salt and Sorrows was the perfect book to get me into the fall season with Halloween around the corner. I am a wimp and when this book went into creepy and horror territory, I vowed to only read it in the day time! Yes…I did start off reading it at night until a few scenes in the book gave me the spooky tingling feeling. 😅 And one sister’s name is Lenore?! A name I love because of Edgar Allan Poe. I LOVE IT. I am trash for Poe. This whole book was a vibe that I was looking for!

Annaleigh is one of twelve sisters, but four sisters have lost their lives, leaving her, Camille, the three Graces, and the triplets. These sisters are close and have a special bond which I love. I would want them to be my sisters! They live on an island surrounded by the sea. When someone dies they return them to the Sal, to the sea. I enjoyed learning about the rituals of the Salann Islands.

I wish this book had a map because the other parts of this world sound fascinating! The world building was intriguing with its own mythology, similar to Greek but except Poseidon ruling the seas, the god of the sea in House of Salt and Sorrows is named Pontus. We learn about a few other gods and goddesses in the book, but I want more. I want to learn about all the other parts of this world that was mentioned in this book: People of the Bones in the Cardanian Mountains, People of the Stars in Versia and so much more.

Now let’s talk about the mystery, just like in Twelve Dancing Princesses, Annaleigh’s father asks that someone uncover the truth about the princesses ruined slippers. I loved the mention of it and I loved the twist! I seriously thought I was losing my mind along with Annaleigh at one point, but the reveal at the end was good!

And the horror? One scene involving a bathtub scared me, which was why I decided to read it in the day time. Yes, I’m so weak! 🤣 Horror is not my favorite genre. But I could totally see this story as a horror movie! There were other scenes in the book that gave me even more nightmarish vibes but it’s so fun. Scary fun!

Of course, because there is a little bit of everything in this book, there is romance! It’s not one that the book centers on, but I loved it because it was a little shining light in Annaleigh’s life which up to that point was just mired in death, curses, nightmares and….madness. It was sweet!

This has to be one of my top favorite books this year! I really hope we get to visit this world again, even if it’s just to follow where the surviving sisters go. I want more mystery/horror/romance stories set in this world! Basically I want to read whatever this author writes next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastic debut novel that surpassed my expectations. 😍

ARC Review | The Particular Charms of Miss Jane Austen

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Author: Ada Bright & Cass Grafton

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 313

Publication Date: September 12, 2019

Categories: Time Travel, Romance, Jane Austen, Friendship, Mystery

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

When a time travelling Jane Austen gets stuck in modern-day Bath it’s up to avid Janeite Rose Wallace to save her… because she’s the only one who knows that Jane exists!

Rose Wallace’s world revolves around all things Austen, and with the annual festival in Bath – and the arrival of dishy archaeologist, Dr Aiden Trevellyan – just around the corner, all is well with the world…

But then a mysterious woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to the great author moves in upstairs, and things take a disastrous turn. Rose’s new neighbour is Jane Austen, whose time travel adventure has been sabotaged by a mischievous dog, trapping her in the twenty-first century.

Rose’s life is instantly changed – new home, new job, new friends – but she’s the only one who seems to have noticed! To right the world around her, she will have to do whatever it takes to help Jane get back home to write Rose’s beloved novels. Because a world without Mr Darcy? It’s not worth living in!

Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eArc.

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen was a light-hearted and cute read about a time traveling Jane Austen but it focuses a lot on a character named Rose Wallace.

I love that it was set in Bath – I visited on my honeymoon and I absolutely loved it. I wish I had more time to spend there, but it was only a quick afternoon stop. 😕 The book is set during the Jane Austen festival which sounds like something I’d love to partake in one day! 😍

Rose Wallace lives in Bath and is a Janeite (Jane Austen fan) who has an American friend named Morgan. The history of their friendship is very cute and it resonated with me more than the romantic storyline of Rose and Dr. Aiden Trevellyan. I think I wanted more romance in the story but I didn’t get much of it until the time travel occurs. Even then the mystery of Jane Austen was the focus of the story.

I’m sure everyone has speculated how Jane Austen would be in real life and we all have our own ideas. In this book I thought she was what a time traveling Jane Austen would be like, she stays in character, adapting a bit here and there but pretty much knows her person and does what she wants. The mystery about the time travel was interesting and it does make you think, what if Jane Austen never existed. Oh the horror! I can’t imagine a world without Pride and Prejudice in it, can you? 🥺

It took awhile for me to get into this book, not sure why, maybe I was waiting for Jane Austen to show up right away but the story focused more on Rose. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, I think you will enjoy this charming story about Jane Austen and the cast of characters that help her get back to her time so that we can always have Jane Austen in our lives.

Book Review | Nocturna

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nocturna

Author: Maya Motayne

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 480

Categories: Latinx, Fantasy, Young Adult

Set in a Latinx-inspired world, a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince must team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed.

To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks.

As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.

After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.

But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.

I finally read Nocturna! It’s been sitting on my shelf for a few months. I got it in my first book crate box subscription with LitJoyCrate and I just had to many other books ahead of it to read. But I finally picked it up.

First off, the cover is gorgeous. It’s a reversible dust jacket with a design on the inside but the front cover is just my favorite part. The colors are so vibrant. 🔥 I also love that it is a Latinx fantasy novel. Latin culture is so rich, it’s the perfect setting for a fantasy novel.

As for the story, we meet Prince Alfehr, who is returning home to Castallan. The seat of their kingdom is in the city of San Cristobal. He has been reluctant to take his place after the death of his older brother Dez, but he does. We learn about the magic of this world, which seems pretty on par with other books of this genre. There didn’t seem to be a difference in it that stands out.

My favorite character is Finn Voy who is a very talented thief and I loved her magic to change her appearance. Her character just comes alive from the get go, she likes to say maldito…a lot. 😂 Prince Alfie, on the other hand is the opposite. It was kind of fun watching Finn go toe to toe with Prince Alfie because she is just so vibrant which is opposite to Alfie’s control on his emotions. I just wanted him to open up a bit more though.

There is a hint of maybe a romance to come between them but that is it. There is no romance in this book at all, so if you expect one – don’t. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Honestly I was hoping for a little more heat between them because this book cover is so fire! 😅

The pacing did make me pause the book a few times, there were some parts action – and yes, I loved the gruesome parts, it just added to the evil they were trying to fight and contain. Other than those parts and the ending, the story was kind of lackluster and I found myself skipping a few parts.

Overall, I wish the book matched it’s cover, but it fell short for me. I’m not sure if I will be picking up the sequel, I might do it, just to see if I can learn more about Prince Alfie and if Finn can get under his skin more. But we shall see…