The Plight Before Christmas by. Kate Stewart | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Plight Before Christmas

Author: Kate Stewart

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 12/16/21

Categories: Holiday Romance, Adult, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

Clark Griswold was onto something, at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.

When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.

Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.

Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.

I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.

I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.

I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.

I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.

Fa la la la la la, FML.

I picked this one up before Christmas and I thought it was perfect as a holiday romance. Whitney is in her late 30’s, the single one in her family who has no boyfriend, no kids and just lost the promotion at work.

I really love Whitney’s family in this story. They gather at a cabin for a family Christmas. Her parents are funny and her siblings act like siblings. They love and fight and love some more, it’s so heart warming. Whitney is a wonderful aunt to her niece and nephews and you can just really feel her love towards them. She knows her time to becoming pregnant is ticking down fast and she sees no future in it.

By strange coincidence, her ex-college boyfriend apparent works with her older brother now and has come along to the cabin to be with them for Christmas. Whitney is caught between present day Eli, and the memories of their past. I thought it was interesting how everyone was dealing with their own stuff. Whitney’s older sister, Serena is having a rough patch in her marriage, her brother and his wife seem to be doing well but it’s not all roses and then there is her and Eli. Her parents seem like they have had the perfect marriage (in Whitney and her siblings eyes) but even they had rough times. These issue are so relatable and I’m glad it didn’t paint relationships as this perfect thing – these are what relationships look like after the wedding and maybe a few kids.

Eli and Whitney have a past and there are many flashback memories of that past. It seems like Eli is there to apologize for breaking her heart but Whitney doesn’t want to heart it. There is a happy ending for them though because it’s Christmas! lol…no that isn’t quite the reason why, but Eli being around Whitney’s family makes him realize a lot of things about Whitney.

Content Warnings: death of parents, illness

As far as Whitney and Eli are concerned – they only dated 8 months and that was years ago but it really took a toll on her outlook on relationships. He was her first love and heartbreak. Their flashbacks gives us a good glimpse of their past but my issue with Eli was he couldn’t just tell her what he wanted to say. We learn why near the end of the story and there was so much to unpack about him – but I felt like he and Whitney dragged on a bit too long. We get all of the answers at the end, but most times I was more invested in Serena/Thatch’s relationship because I could relate to being with kids, and being sassy like Serena.

Why you should read it:

fun family Christmas shenanigans – family cabin/snow
second chance romance plus other family relationships in trouble
heart warming story about family and relationships

Why you might not want to read it:

push/pull from Whitney and Eli kind of took too long for me

My thoughts:

I just needed a holiday romance and the cover of this intrigued me! What I got was a heart-warming story about close family, working through and fighting for relationships, fun Christmas traditions and family bickering, a second-chance romance and all the holidays feels. Glad I picked this one up!

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Iron Widow by. Xiran Jay Zhao | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Iron Widow (#1)

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/21/21

Categories: Sci Fi, Romance, Young Adult, Feminism

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

I did not know what to expect with this book but wow, it was refreshing and unique!

To start off, Zetian is not shy about her thirst for vengeance and how much she hates her family for the way they have treated her and men in general. She’s so bent on revenge that she doesn’t even fear her death. She’s a girl with clearly nothing to lose…so she makes her dreams come true with all the violence and anger she can muster.

The world building is very unique! It’s got historical Chinese inspiration but with a sci-fi twist. There are battles between Huaxia and the Hundun (invaders/enemies) using giant robots fueled by the ying/yang chi of the female and male pilots in them. The way the chi is used to power up the robots and the technology is very fascinating. In a way it reminded me of the movie, The Matrix, with how the pilots are hooked up to the mind realm and such, it was a mind-bend for me. Also it reminded me of The Hunger Games where the battles are televised. Pilot pairings have reputations they have to maintain, favors they have to win from the army and the public to be or stay successful.

The triangle is a strong shape, as Xetian says in this story…and it sure is between the romance she has going on with supposed bad boy Shimin and beautiful soft boy Yizhi. It’s not a love triangle but a polyamorous relationship. Shimin and Yizhi have something between them growing as well, and they are all okay with it, no drama there.

The writing is like a punch in the gut because Xetian doesn’t hold back. She’s supposed to be this quiet, obedient, good girl and she’s the opposite. She talks back to her family, talks back to men, and gives herself to two boys instead of just one. Xetian’s family has broken her feet, she has watched the women in her family be abused and domesticated, and now she has uncovered the truth about the female pilots that are dying in service to their nation. This girl is mad and she wants to change the system that keeps killing girls. Talk about woman power and abolishing the patriarchy – it’s all over this book!

Content Warnings: violence, abuse, torture, addiction, suicidal ideation, foot binding, threat of rape

I remember doing a research paper in college about Chinese foot binding. It’s just another horrifying example of women’s history how society has mutilated women for the sake of some standard to make a girl more marriageable. There are a lot of dark topics in this book and it gets heavy and yet, Xetian’s anger moves the story forward. I wanted her revenge to be successful but I also wanted to get to know her past her quest for revenge and her anger. She’s badass, with a high qi level, she kills someone on live television and I think Yizhi brings out the softness in her, but I wanted more with her connection to Shimin.

Even though the polyamorous relationship is refreshing, I did have some issues with it. I felt like Shimin and Xetian didn’t really have chemistry besides the fact they were paired together. She was so afraid of him, for good reasons but when she finally lets her guard down around him, I felt like it was forced. Maybe I needed to see more interaction between them where it wasn’t such a struggle all the time.

For the most part I was engaged in the story and it moves quickly but at one point it lost it’s hold on me because of Shimin and Xetian’s lack of connection. Also sci-fi isn’t my most favorite genre and I swear I have such a hard time visualizing some of the concepts in this book like the robots and qi. I need a visual. So if this was made into a movie or series, it would be awesome.

Why you should read it:

unique world-building, action packed, fighting robots powered by qi
badass female trying to take down the patriarchy
polyamory relationship
exciting plot twists

Why you might not want to read it:

lots of dark topics – see content warnings
this one is a series so maybe you want to wait for the other books to be out

My thoughts:

This book is like a punch in the gut. It is entertaining and raw. Zetian as a character came to life and definitely kept me engaged with her quest for vengeance and how far she was willing to go to take down whoever was in her way. I was cheering her on to tear down the patriarchy and her polyamorous relationship with Shimin and Yizhi was a beautiful thing of acceptance. I did wish Zetian and Shimin’s had more of a connection but it is what it is – we shall see what happens in book two.

📚 ~ Yolanda

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

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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

Author: Willa Nash

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 165

Publication Date: 11/4/21

Categories: Contemporary, Holiday Romance, Single Dad

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

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

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

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

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

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

Content Warnings: divorce

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

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

Why you should read it:

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

Why you might not want to read it:

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

My thoughts:

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

📚 ~ Yolanda

House of Eclipses by. Casey L. Bond | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: House of Eclipses

Author: Casey L. Bond

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 378

Publication Date: 8/13/21

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

Capture his heart.
Steal his crown.

Noor is the unwanted, unloved third born of the Aten, chosen vessel of the sun goddess, Sol. While she has no chance at inheriting her father’s title, what she truly longs for is peace from his unrelenting hatred. Hope builds that she may finally be able to claim that reprieve when a missive arrives from the House of the Moon.

The new Lumin, chosen of the moon god, Lumos, seeks to broker peace with the Kingdom of Helios for the first time in ages. He envisions open trade routes and an end to archaic rivalries. His dedication to this cause extends to visions of a union between the two families by marrying one of Aten’s daughters, if one of the matches is a fit.

Driven by his own twisted agenda, Noor’s father is willing to sacrifice his daughters as pawns to steal the crown for him to further his despotic reign, pitting sister against sister in a brutal battle for power. But Noor must come out the victor, either by capturing the Lumin’s heart or stealing his crown. For whomever wears the crown of moonlight, holds the power of the moon itself. With such strength at her command, she could finally defeat her tyrannical father.

Yet this endeavor cannot be accomplished without great sacrifice. As Noor learns more about Lumin Caelum, guilt over her betrayal consumes her, burning hot as the sun itself. If only he wasn’t kind, and selfless, and exactly what she wanted. If only she had greater dominion over her heart…

Can Noor carry out her plan and end her father’s vile reign? Or will unlikely alliances allow a new day to dawn?

First off, it was the book cover that enticed me into reading this book!

This is the first Casey L. Bond book I have read and now I’m curious to read her other works. I found the story and world building unique with its inspiration being the sun and the moon. People of Helios, are sun worshippers. As for the Lumin, they worship the moon of course because it is all they see. There is a whole mythology/back story as to why the sun and moon stopped revolving which makes the story even more intriguing. I loved learning about both cultures.

Noor’s father, the leader of their kingdom is a horrible, power hungry man. He sets up a plan to have one of his daughters marry the Lumin and steal their moon crown. The owner would rule the world. Growing up with an abusive father and sisters that didn’t love her, made Noor into someone who was desperate to own the crown herself. She is an Atena (basically a princess) and a third daughter. Her father for some reason we don’t know until way later, hates her the most.

Noor is a resilient character, who is fearful of the father that abuses her but very defiant towards him as well. She’s strong, confident and knows she is beautiful, but she is also honest and kind. Of course I wanted Caelum to pick her over her scheming sister. Caelum is a nice, handsome, good guy. His family and people love him. I liked his brother, Beron, a lot because he had a more playful personality and he is a Wolven shapeshifter, which made him more interesting.

I thought the romance between Noor and Caelum was sweet. He has to choose between the two sisters but it was obvious who he favored and at times Noor gave mixed signals – which is to be expected since she and her sister are there to do her dad’s bidding. Love was the last thing on Noor’s mind, plus, she hasn’t really been around people with healthy relationships – love was no part of her plan when she knew deep down inside, she could have power instead. But I liked how she and Caelum got to know each other and eventually fell in love.

Triggers: abuse, violence

Noor’s father is a hateful man – maybe he wasn’t always that way but the way he was with his daughters is horrible. And then there are Noor’s sisters, Zarina and Citali, both trying to please their father because they are abused in their own ways as well but I am very interested to see what happens to Citali. Yes she was evil and irritating at times but now we know why she was that way and I’d like to see if there is some redeeming quality in her. Plus, I need to see what happens to her and Beron!

It’s a cliffhanger ending. But here’s the thing – the ending of the book has a “To be continued” and Chapter 1 of House of Wolves (book two) and let me just say…I’m ready for it!

I wasn’t a fan at first of Caelum having to choose between two sisters, because that would only cause even more drama between the them. But it was obvious who he was smitten with from the beginning.

The world building is great but a lot of the story is of Noor and Citali traveling to Lumin and getting to know Caelum and the Lumin’s ways. There isn’t much action until the end but I still enjoyed it.

Why you should read it:

unique world building
sweet romance, happy ending, Noor gets Power and her man 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
sister drama

Why you might not want to read it:

abusive father
cliffhanger ending

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure if this would hold my attention but the world building sucked me in – I was intrigued. Noor’s family drama made me keep on reading. I kept wondering how she was going to get out of it and if she would get her happy ending. Plus Caelum is a good man from a nice family and Noor deserved happiness. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to book two which I can tell will be spicy because of Citali’s temper and Beron’s frustration with her already! I look forward to reading book two.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Hawthorne Legacy by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/7/21

Publisher: Penguin

Categories: Young Adult, Inheritance, Puzzles, Riddles, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary

Intrigue, riches, and romance abound in this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Inheritance Games perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.

Well, well, well…the twists keep on keeping in this series, doesn’t it? Avery, the Hawthornes and friends are on the move to break the case of Toby Hawthorne and how Avery fits into the inheritance Tobias Hawthorne left her. So did they figure it out?

I love the puzzles and riddles of course and it’s what made me love the series in the first place. We get more of it here, but more like a scavenger hunt because they have to travel places to find things. This book is fast pace – by the end of it, I was like wait…is it over? Book three can’t come soon enough.

I love Max! Max is Avery’s best friend and honestly I’m so glad she was here for book two. I love her humor and penchant for substituting her curse words. Speaking of friends – Libby who is Avery’s sister doesn’t have a huge role here but I still love that she is Avery’s only family really.

We do get to know more about Toby’s past which is great! There is a whole backstory there and this is the sequel to tell it.

My team Grayson standing did not go well for me in this book! 😔 But that’s okay – I felt like Avery was busy finding clues than concentrating on romance which is understandable. Jameson is fine, but yeah I was over the love triangle between Avery and the brothers in this one. I don’t mind love triangles but when there is two brothers involved? It sucks! Also I didn’t feel like Avery had much a connection to either them, almost like either them will do – until the end, of course.

There was too much going on. I felt like there were too many characters to keep up with and plot points! I think in book one, we were being introduced to them so I could keep it straight but add Toby’s back story and I need a white board and pen to make some diagrams on who is connected to who! There were so many twists ad turns, I got a bit dizzy.

How many times are they going to talk about invisible ink? Haha…that was super repetitive.

Why you should read it:

if you read the first book, read this one to learn more about Toby Hawthorne
To find out who will win Avery’s heart
To get more time with Max because she’s fun

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle with brothers
too much filler, too much going on

My Thoughts:

Even though I had my little issues with the book, it’s a second book in the series and I’ll let it slide because I was still entertained. I still flew through the book quickly and I’m looking forward to book three!

📚~ Yolanda

Sixteen Scandals | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Sixteen Scandals

Author: Sophie Jordan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 256

Publication Date: 5/25/21

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Categories: Historical Romance, Young Adult

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

In this irreverent regency romp by New York Times best-selling author Sophie Jordan, newly minted sixteen-year-old Primrose Ainsworth finds herself on a wayward birthday adventure through London with a mysterious hero—perfect for fans of My Lady Jane.

I’ve read Sophie Jordan’s adult historical romances so I really wanted to see how a young adult romance would work out. I thought the Sixteen Candles twist to it was cute, since it’s one of my most favorite movies of the 80’s.
Prim definitely takes chances by sneaking out of the house and going to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. I think it’s important to remember in history and historical romances, girls got married at 16+. So Prim sneaking out, really had the risk of being caught in a scandal that could ruin her life.
Her family life is drama-filled with her sisters and a mom who is laser focused on getting each girl married, except Prim, of course, it’s like she’s too tired to care about Prim, poor girl. Glad Prim doesn’t let that hold her back though.
The romance is sweet and cute. Prim and Jacob get to know each other all in one night, but the sparks are definitely there by the end.
It’s a happy ending for Prim, thank goodness because her mom’s plan for her life was pretty harsh.

This was a quick read – and it’s meant for teens. As an adult reading it, it wasn’t for me. But this would be definitely perfect for teens – it has a little romance, adventure, and a girl trying to live her young life. I had a hard time trying to stop comparing adult historical romance and this one meant for a younger audience.
And being a Sixteen Candles fan, where was Farmer Ted?! Haha, I mean Jacob obviously is Jake (the duke). The story takes place all in one night, just like the movie, but I think because of the amazing supporting cast in the movie, Prim and Jacob’s one night escapade in this book fell so short. It had some action, the kind you would get in a pleasure garden haha.
Everything comes to such a predictable and anti-climatic ending.

I do wish there was a little more to the Sixteen Candles retelling like having more of a supporting cast like the movie did. Other than that, the story is quick and the romance is sweet. This one is perfect for teen readers who want to read a historical romance story.

💜 ~ Yolanda

When We Were Infinite by. Kelly Loy Gilbert | Book Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: When We Were Infinite

Author: Kelly Loy Gilbert

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 3/9/21

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Friendship, Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Identity, Contemporary

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends — Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou — to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has — even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

This story starts off so happy and then it’s a slow descent into heartbreak and then healing. It starts off as this story about a tight knit group of five friends, most of them Taiwanese except for Grace who is Japanese American, and Beth who is half-white and Chinese, who has no deep to connection to either side of her cultures. These kids are smart, goal oriented, talented and have everything going for themselves, their futures are so bright and they all seem so perfect – on the outside. Their friendship is a beautiful thing but even though they are the closest and most supportive of friends, there were things they couldn’t prevent. Through Beth we see that as their time comes to an end in high school, pressures start building, more for Jason the boy she’s in love with, and a series of events happen that shakes their tight knit group.
But let’s talk about Beth. We are in her head a lot and I was scared at times being in that head because some things I could really relate to. She’s the most quiet among her friends, and so talented with a violin. She is that type of person ready to appease everyone, at least she is with her friends. Beth lives her life in a way so that she won’t repeat the mistakes of her mother who she blames for the divorce and making her dad leave. As a teen, I would have understood Beth a lot with the anger at her parents. Now that I am a mom and way older, Beth was breaking my heart blaming her mom for everything. She comes off selfish (when it comes to her mother) but so unselfish when it comes to her friends and Jason. The story comes around full circle from Senior year in high school to them being in college which I’m glad about because there were so many things Beth needed to learn about herself, she needed to actually grow without these amazing friends of hers and she does. It’s not easy, but she does it, little by little.
Mental health is a big topic in this story. From the very high expectations of immigrant Asian parents (I know how that feels but not to the extent of what Beth and her friends are going through), abuse in a family and is it considered “abuse” and should you tell anyone, dating someone with mental health issues, and seeking help when you do have mental health episodes among other things.
I love how music is interwoven into the storyline because of Beth and her friends being in the school symphony club. The place Beth is her true self is with her violin. Music is what brings her back to life that is worth living.
This story is written beautifully and I hope to read more of this author’s work. I was really drawn into this story of perfect friends as thing unraveled. By the end of it, I wanted them to all be fixed and the ending made me cry. I think I was just so happy that Beth and Jason were okay despite everything.

Triggers: attempted suicide, anxiety, divorce, abuse, panic attacks

This is heavy reading material and so very triggering. Beth’s anxiety chaffed at me, it gave me anxiety. I wanted to shake sense into her because I’m an adult now but I saw some of myself in her. Jason’s withdrawal made me nervous for him. I felt helpless for both of them. I felt quite drained by the end of this book, so read at your own pace if any of these topics are a trigger for you.
The romance between Jason and Beth in the end becomes a beautiful thing but the beginning of it is toxic. It’s a bad idea, but Beth is diving into it head first, she is all in without a care for her own well-being. To me their love story wasn’t something comforting to me at all when it began…but by the end of the book, I was tearing up because they both did a lot of work to meet each other half way.

When We Were Infinite is an emotional journey about at a time when the transition from high school to college is full of pressure. It’s a story about Beth, who seems okay at the beginning of the book and we slowly uncover all the layers to see she is not doing okay at all at home, or at life in general. I was invested in the story the whole way through and saw parts of me in it that made me uncomfortable but seen, which I appreciated. This is a powerfully layered story that will stay in my head for awhile.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

The Cousins | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 330

Publication Date: 12/1/20

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Family, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Romance

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

This is a fun book and much needed after reading so much fantasy and romance lately. There is a little bit of romance in this one but this one is all about family and the secrets we keep.
I liked the three perspectives told by the cousins: Milly, Aubrey and Jonah. They had distinct voices – I love them all. They worked well as a team trying to figure out why their grandmother disinherited their parents and never had an interest to get to know her grandchildren.
The setting of an island on the east coast lends it that mystery feel. We know the Story family has money and the kids lived in privilege but what happened to make Mildred Story, the matriarch of the family cut her kids out of their life. Were they that awful? It’s Milly, Aubrey and Jonah’s job to find out and make amends but soon they are surrounded by Story lore, scandals and fame.
I was definitely engaged in this story from the moment I met the cousins because I liked learning about their parents and learning what happened. I loved the twist at the end.

I loved the three perspectives but I wish Allison’s perspective (Milly’s mom) came in just a bit earlier in the book. We get to know the kids and it builds up as we get to know who they are, their parents and personalities but once they get on the island it’s still a big mystery as to why their grandmother reached out in the first place. There’s a time period where they are getting settled in and nothing really happens except them working. Not even Grandma Mildred makes much of an appearance.
The ending is the big reveal where the dots are connected. But for the most part the story keeps it all a mystery.

This was a lot of fun to read and I loved how it kept me in the story by tossing some clues here and there, a little romance, revenge, parents acting badly, family secrets and then the big reveal. i enjoyed the characters and how Milly and Aubrey now have each other. Great read if you are into young adult mystery/thrillers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire | Book Review

My Rating: 2/5 Stars

Title: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 637

Publication Date: 9/20/20

Publisher: Blue Box Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice…

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

Glad that Casteel has redeemed himself after book one. He seems sorry about lying to Poppy and motivated to help his people so it’s just getting those two things on the same page which is a challenge for him. At least the truth is out there now (most of it) and Poppy can do what she wants with it.
Kieran and Poppy have a growing friendship and…something else? Are they a threesome? I don’t know but there were some scenes that made me think it might eventually be that way? We shall see – no judgment here (at least on that aspect haha), but I like Kieran, I say he deserves his own loves story.
Since Poppy and Cas/Hawke went backwards in their relationship at least by the end of this book there is forward movement again.

Triggers: violence, death

I am not connected to any of these characters (Kieran is probably my favorite) and unfortunately this was a chore to get through. I skimmed a lot because I didn’t care what they were doing or what they were talking about. It is over 600 pages long…and not much happened. I was bored but pushed through, which made me realize…I won’t be reading book three.
Nothing about Poppy and Casteel gets me excited to read about their relationship struggle. There are a lot of trust issues on Poppy’s part, understandably. As for Cas, he is trying to make amends which involves a lot of sexy time because that’s what they are good for…”pretending” the bad stuff between them didn’t happen. I was annoyed with the pretending – why pretend? I wanted Poppy to just deal with it and see Cas for who he really is. Also, he likes when she’s violent and points it out constantly – I love a good enemies to lovers romance but the characters never usually have to tell each other they are violent and love it, repeatedly. Can Cas just give her heated looks because I’m sure we’ll know what that means when she starts stabbing people. 😂
Poppy’s gift…what is so amazing about her knowing everyone’s feelings? The healing part is great but the feelings? What is the point, how does it help anyone, she won’t even use it to gauge Cas’ feelings! I think her healing and fighting skills alone is a good balance and show of strength.

I usually crave an enemies to lovers romance fantasy novel and I’m in the minority here but this one is not it for me. I think the first book was way more enjoyable because of Hawke’s undercover persona and Poppy’s too (she was literally under cover!). In this second book, the both them are pretty much unveiled and honestly…they were both more sexy undercover.😅 So I understand how it’s the middle book, and Poppy is struggling to come to terms with the truths being revealed, but I have no patience for it. The steamy scenes were probably the best parts because at least there was some kind of action going on! I think this would have been less of a struggle to read if the slow and repetitive parts were edited out. It needed to move faster, especially since these characters love violence, okay then let them fight and keep fighting, press the gas, not the breaks. Needless to say, I’m not going to finish the series – the next book is 625 pages and I can’t deal with Cas telling Poppy again that she turns him on when she’s violent. We know, Cas, we know. I do want to find out about Kieran, but I’ll read the spoiler reviews for that. 😜

📚 ~ Yolanda

Firekeeper’s Daughter | Book Review

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: Firekeeper’s Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Format: eBook and hard cover (own)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 3/16/21

Publisher: Henry, Holt and Co.

Categories: Mystery, Young Adult, Romance, Family, Friendship, Drugs, Native American, Suspense, Thriller

Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

What drew me to this book was the cover first, the description second because I love that it was a young adult story about a native teen. I haven’t read many books about Native Americans in all the decades I’ve been reading and it’s about time, or more like overdue. We need more books like these.
I’m not a big fan of mysteries and didn’t realize this story was a mystery at first. But I was sucked into Daunis’ history, and her story of owning her identity. We learn Ojibwe tribe history, customs and current issues natives go through in their communities. We get to see them experience discrimination, racism, drugs, the role of the elderly, and just how their communities are so tight. I learned about the casinos on reservations and how enrolled tribal members earn per cap and how someone can even be enrolled as a member ~ I learned so much from this story.
Daunis’ life is complicated but she navigates her life using her tribe teachings and it really centers her when things get rough. And things get dark and sinister in this story which I didn’t expect. Another thing about Daunis which I adored was her intellect and scientific mind. Her western science knowledge and tribe healing practices collide in this story to help her with the investigation and I thought that was really cool to see.
I love all the family aspects in this book, as complicated and as hurtful as they are, Daunis stays very strong in the face of criticism and hate. I also loved so much how this story features the elderly community because they really should be honored and taken care of. It reminds me of how in my filipino culture the elderly are taken care of by family members, young and old, and I loved that. It made me realize how fortunate I was to be able to grow up with one set of grandparents and help take care of them before they passed. Daunis reveres the elders in her family and community and it is beautiful.
I thought the ending was beautiful and bittersweet. ❤️ Daunis is the best of her community, she embodies all the complications that natives and half natives live and feel day in and out. And no matter what challenges come, she deals with them with intellect, grace, strength, bravery, respect and knowledge from her Anishinaabe kwe upbringing.

Triggers: drug use, suicide, homicide, sexual assault, rape, kidnapping

Everything about this story is complicated including Daunis’ love life which is a fake relationship with blurred lines. I think it ended realistically since in reality she didn’t even know Jamie’s real name ~ I LOVE how Daunis was so mature enough to know that both of them needed time to grow a but before maybe pursuing something. And I adore the dream prophecy about her future as well.
This story is full of trauma. There are family scandals, tribal scandals, drug use/abuse, suicide murder, sexual assault, the history of native kids being taken to boarding schools without their parents consent, stories of women being abused, so much grief and trying to just heal from the injustices native people have endured for so, so long.
There is mention about Hawaii (a James Michener book I read in high school), and then UH Hawaii at Manoa and I loved seeing our state college get mentioned!

Everything about Daunis’ story in the Firekeeper’s Daughter drew me in and I cared about her and her family, no matter how complicated it was because the love is real. I love that we get to experience life through Daunis, a half white/half native young adult who wants the best for all the people she loves and the best for her community. I learned a lot about native life, some of the cultural aspects like pow wows and tribal council votes, casinos and per cap payouts. But underneath all that information you feel the struggle native americans feel to try and exist on the land their people had stolen from them with violence and oppression. I hope we get more native stories in books, tv and movies because their stories are important and need to be told. This is an honest and powerful story that is multi-layered, and must be read.

🔥 ~ Yolanda

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