What the Woods Took by. Courtney Gould | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: What the Woods Took

Author: Courtney Gould

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 12/10/24

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Survival Camp, 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they’ve all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn’t be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.

Likes:

+ The main characters in this story are troubled teens sent to a survival camp by their family. They all have interesting, unique, tough stories about what landed them in the camp. There is a lot of trauma that each teen is working through while trying to survive the woods.

+ The camp in the woods is dark, creepy, scary and mysterious. When things happen that leave the kids stranded, they realize there is something menacing in the woods. The reveal was pretty creepy.

+ I like how the kids that are thrown together, work together to survive what is happening in the woods! I thought Devin was the strongest character and her background is especially painful because she grew up in foster care and bounced around. But I felt like she was really strong and the group was really lucky to have her.

Dislikes:

~ The beginning is a bit slow. The characters are all different in personality and have to try to earn one another’s trust, but it’s difficult for a few of them. So there is a bit of that in the beginning.

Final Thoughts:

This one was an interesting read especially when creepy things start to happen in the woods! The beginning was a little slow for me but I think if you like thrillers, you will enjoy this one.

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Stranger Skies by. Pascale Lacelle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods, #2)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 608

Publication Date: 11/5/24

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, LGBT+, Dark Academia

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

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academia fantasy Curious Tides, following Emory, Baz, Romie, and Kai on their desperate quests through space and time!

Opening locked doors has a price—even for those who hold a key. After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the the same verdant world written of in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it. A sinister force has awoken with their arrival, intent on destruction as it spills across realms, and now Emory and Romie must stop it before it reaches their own shores.

Meanwhile, Baz and Kai are desperate to follow their friends through the door to other worlds, but a mishap pulls them back in time instead—where they come face to face with Cornus Clover himself, famed author of Song of the Drowned Gods. Stuck together in the past, they must navigate a very different Aldryn as they unravel the school’s darkest secrets. Across time and worlds, Emory, Romie, Baz, and Kai find their fates eerily interwoven with the heroes from Clover’s book. But when stories can’t be trusted, friendships are put to the test, and deadly enemies are not always as they seem, they must decide who gets to be a hero—and who is desperate enough to see themselves become a villain.

Content Warning: violence

I enjoyed Curious Tides, which is the first book in this series so I was very curious to see where this story went. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like the dual stories going with Romie and Emory in one place and Kai and Baz in another. I think it worked well seeing both worlds happening at the same time. I thought the world building was really good and expanded.

+ There was a little romance stirring in this book between two people that was hinted in book one. I love to see it, but it definitely comes at the end of the book and we’ll see what happens in book three. It’s definitely a slow burn. On the other hand where Emory had all the romance in book one, her relationship with Romie is what needs to be fixed and I liked to see their friendship journey.

+ There is magic, lots of action and so much going on in both worlds. Baz as a Timespinner even gets to go into the past with Kai to the point where I’d say things really changed for these magic wielders. I thought that part was very interesting and realized how large this world building is.

Dislikes:

~ I found this one a little too long and the pacing was off and there were parts that dragged. I do think it’s long because there was so much happening with the story, and lots more characters being introduced. But I did take a few weeks to finish this one.

Final Thoughts:

I did like how this world opens up in this book. There is so much going on and different worlds to explore. There is also a lot more characters introduced but at times I felt it dragged and was a bit too long for me. I think people who love fantasy though will love this one.

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Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wren in the Holly Library by. K.A. Linde | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Wren in the Holly Library ( Oak & Holly Cycle, #1)

Author: K. A. Linde

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 495

Publication Date: 6/4/24

Categories: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romantasy, LGBT+

The instant New York Times bestseller

Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse—a gifted and fearless thief—will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries—and once she joins in, there will be
no escape…

Content Warning: violence, abuse, being drugged

I bought this because of the beautiful cover and sprayed edges. For some reason I had a hard time reading the hard cover – maybe because I’m just used to ebooks right now. So when I saw it was on Kindle Unlimited I borrowed it and I read it much faster. Here are my thoughts :

Likes:

+ I enjoyed the urban fantasy world building. The story is set in a sort of dystopian NYC, where now monsters live among humans. There are turf wars with different monsters and humans and Kierse is a thief who takes jobs to make money. She takes one job that changes the course of her life forever. I liked meeting all the different characters and monsters and some of their back stories. Graves is a very interesting character, but very mysterious until the end.

+ The magic system is interesting and I liked how we got to see how Graves and Kierse used their magic to train for the job. I like an urban fantasy with different creatures living in it because of all the different powers everyone has.

+ I liked learning about Kierse and her found family of friends. She’s had a tough upbringing, but mostly everyone in the book has a story to tell. I did like her bond with her friends, I just wish they were featured more in the story.

+ Everything was going great until 30% into the story. But I did like the LGBT+ representation

Dislikes:

~ One moment I was invested in the world building and then everything got stagnant. Kierse was training to do this job of retrieving a spear for Graves but I wish there was more fight in her. I thought she was too nice, after her friends was targeted and almost killed. I just needed more from Kierse.

~ Speaking of needing more – the romance was not something I loved either. There was hardly any chemistry built up between Kierse and Graves and so when they finally do get together, it’s spicy but I felt nothing. And is there a love triangle brewing? I don’t know. I guess I’m not very sure about how Kierse feels.

~ For the second half the book, the writing was just not working for me and I had to push through.

My Final Thoughts:

There was great world building with this one but it left me wanting way more from the characters from the second half of the book. I think there was too much going on in the story. I also didn’t love the romance, even though this is the type of story where I would be devouring a romance such as this. I didn’t feel it between Kierse and Graves. I’m not sure if I’ll be reading book two but this one did have potential, I’m just bummed it fizzled out for me in the end.

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When the World Tips Over by. Jandy Nelson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: When the World Tips Over

Author: Jandy Nelson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Dial Books

Categories: Young Adult, Mental Health, Contemporary, Magical Realism, LGBT+, Family

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

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

An explosive new novel brimming with love, secrets, and enchantment

The Fall siblings live in hot Northern California wine country, where the sun pours out of the sky, and the devil winds blow so hard they whip the sense right out of your head.

Years ago, the Fall kids’ father mysteriously disappeared, cracking the family into pieces. Now Dizzy Fall, age twelve, bakes cakes, sees spirits, and wishes she were a heroine of a romance novel. Miles Fall, seventeen, brainiac, athlete, and dog-whisperer, is a raving beauty, but also lost, and desperate to meet the kind of guy he dreams of. And Wynton Fall, nineteen, who raises the temperature of a room just by entering it, is a virtuoso violinist set on a crash course for fame . . . or self-destruction.

Then an enigmatic rainbow-haired girl shows up, tipping the Falls’ world over. She might be an angel. Or a saint. Or an ordinary girl. Somehow, she is vital to each of them. But before anyone can figure out who she is, catastrophe strikes, leaving the Falls more broken than ever. And more desperate to be whole.

With road trips, rivalries, family curses, love stories within love stories within love stories, and sorrows and joys passed from generation to generation, this is the intricate, luminous tale of a family’s complicated past and present. And only in telling their stories can they hope to rewrite their futures.

Content Warning: family trauma, family secrets, parental abandonment, parental neglect, sexual assault, profanity

The last time I read a Jandy Nelson book was 10 years ago when she published I’ll Give You the Sun and I loved it. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but I knew it would be emotional. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

The characters are so unique! Dizzy, Miles and Wynton are siblings and dealing with their dad leaving them years ago in very different ways. Cassidy who is living the nomad life with her mother who has some mental health issues that she doesn’t quite understand. Each one of them has a different story to tell and a different journey. I like how real each one of them are.
I think the characters that stood out most to me in this book was Cassidy and Miles. Cassidy’s story is really touching, scary, but touching. Miles is the perfect son, but he’s hiding his true self, and he has a dog that he can communicate with mentally!
This story is made up of so many stories – but one emerges in the second half and it’s the story of Bernadette who is the mother of Dizzy and the two boys. It’s intense.
One thing this book does is make you feel all kinds of emotions – especially in the second half of the story when truths are exposed.

Dislikes:

It was hard for me to get into this story because there are so many characters, and also so many stories. Each character is telling their story and in their own way, then midway into the book there is the story about the Fall ancestors. It was a little too much for me and felt too long.
I struggled with the pacing. When it was Cassidy’s POV, I felt immersed and steady in the story but when it was the other POV’s I was thrown off and there are letters too. I think the whole story was choppy which kind of works because this story is a wild, emotional ride, but it was also frustrating.

Final Thoughts:

I had a hard time rating this book because I struggled in the first part of it but I pushed through and I found some of this story really raw and compelling, especially Cassidy’s. This book is emotional. It’s a book that’s hard to describe but has everything from romance, to magic, to family drama, trauma and secrets. I wish the pacing was better and it was a little long. I don’t think I loved it the way I loved I’ll Give You the Sun but it’s definitely a memorable story and I actually think this would be actually great as a tv series because the characters are so compelling. Overall, this is a compelling read.

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I’ll Give You the Sun by. Jandy Nelson – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Truly, Madly, Deeply by. Alexandra Bellefleur | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Truly, Madly, Deeply

Author: Alexandria Bellefleur

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 328

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+

Sparks fly when a lovelorn romance novelist and a divorce lawyer who has sworn off relationships agree to cohost a podcast series offering dating advice to viewers, in Truly, Madly, Deeply, the next steamy queer rom-com from Lambda Literary Award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.

As a bestselling romance novelist, everyone thinks Truly Livingston is an expert on happily-ever-afters. She’s even signed on to record a podcast sharing relationship advice. Little do they know she feels like an imposter—her parents just announced they’re separating, she caught her fiancé cheating, and her entire view on love has been shaken to the core. Truly hopes the podcast will distract her… until she meets her cohost.

Her first impression of Colin McCory is…hot. But then he opens his extremely kissable mouth. Colin’s view on love just pisses Truly off, even if he does have an annoyingly attractive face. Bickering with a cynical divorce lawyer is the last thing she needs—so she walks out, with no plans to return.

A few days later, Truly is surprised when Colin tracks her down, asking for a fresh start. Truly can’t deny the little thrill she gets from Colin begging, so she reluctantly agrees. As they go from enemies to friends to something else entirely, Truly discovers they have more in common than she ever imagined, including their shared queerness. He’s a genuinely good guy—charming, sweet, and equally as unlucky in love as herself—and there’s something about Colin that drives Truly a little wild. When their attraction reaches a fever pitch, Truly is happy for the first time in years. Yet she can’t help but wonder… is Colin truly, madly, deeply in love with her? Or is it all too good to be true?

Content Warning: toxic family

I went into this one knowing nothing about it but do you guys remember that song in 90’s Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden? Yeah…I saw, the title, thought of the song and said why not borrow this one. Here are my thoughts!

Likes:

Truly is a romance author and Colin is a family lawyer and their first interaction leaves Truly with not a good impression. He’s gorgeous yes, but he gets on her nerves. I loved their interactions and banter and the spice is spicing in this one! The romance is fun.
There is bi-sexual representation with both main characters being bi.
Truly isn’t only dealing with what she feels about Colin but her parents are having a rough patch in their marriage and she’s questioning love in general. I liked how Colin gave her space, even though this man is crazy for her, and he also tried to make her see the realistic side of love and relationships – because of his job as a family lawyer. But I liked his insights and I just like that he gave her time to think about things. There wasn’t games between them which I enjoyed.
I love Truly’s parents who are so quirky and her best friend Lulu who is such a character! They were so funny!

Dislikes:

Colin’s family sucks. And speaking of family the Parent Trap plot line Truly concocted was kind of weak. For most of the book after she think of it – there is no planning or thoughts about it until near the end. So I felt like it wasn’t necessary.
Pop culture reference – I don’t mind Taylor Swift being mentioned in books, but sometimes it can be overkill and I thought this one had too much of it.

My Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun read minus Colin’s horrible family and quick Parent Trap side plot. It’s quirky, funny, spicy and the romance is full of great banter. Overall, I was entertained!

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Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Six of Sorrow

Author: Amanda Linsmeier

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 6/25/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary, LGBT+, Mystery, Magical Realism

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!

Sixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don’t tell you, that’s perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

For most of her life, Isabeau and her five best friends were inseparable—amazingly enough, the six girls even shared a birthday. Then a rift caused their friendships to fracture, and Iz lost everyone except Reuel, the only one who didn’t abandon her.

Until now. The night of their sixteenth birthday, Isabeau leaves Reuel sitting on her front porch and heads home—and in the morning, Reuel is missing. She’s gone for three days, and when she reappears, there’s something wrong with her. She’s sick. Really sick. And she doesn’t remember anything that happened while she was gone.

If there’s any bright side to the situation, it’s that Reuel’s peculiar disappearance brings the six girls back together. Their sisterhood feels as strong as it was years ago, but when another one of them disappears, they all agree that they must have more in common than simply their birthday. They all feel it. Something’s been waiting for them, and that something has come to claim them one by one.

Deep in their bones, they know—it’s just a matter of time until they they’re all taken. And if they don’t save themselves, no one will.

Content Warning: body horror, illness, blood, parental death, underage drinking

This book was giving me The Craft vibes throughout and I love that movie. Obviously, it wasn’t The Craft, because but it had all the vibes – group of high school girls, vows of being best friends, blood vows, things happening to the girls.

Sorrow is a small town, but one with a backstory. There are six girls with the same birthday, if that’s not suspicious, I don’t know what is. Isabeau is one of these girls and there is a feeling these girls once upon a time were close best friends but not anymore, at least not with Isabeau. But something happens on their sixteenth birthday and it’s a race to figure out what is going on with the girls.

There are some heavy issues that are brought up in this book such as lost friendship, family problems, grief, and problematic parent/child bonds. I like how they face their problems eventually though and there is actually a happy ending even though this was a horror story.

Speaking of horror, this is set in a small town with a backstory about a witch named Sorrow. The horror is happening to the girls, where they are disappearing, or going through some illness and bleeding out of their eyes and such.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was pretty entertaining especially with premise of a small creepy town called Sorrow and six girls having the same birthday. What these girls uncover is something dark but the darkness makes way for the light and love of their friendship as they are reunited again. I think that was my favorite part of the book – the friendship. It would have been nice if there was more witchcraft in this book but that’s just for my personal preference!

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Starlings by. Amanda Linsmeier | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Academia, Romance, LGBT+, Witches, Series, Fantasy, Young Adult

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Content Warning: grief, violence

This one has a slow start but I didn’t give up on and I’m glad I didn’t.

I love the world-building where magic is based on when a person is born and under what moon. It had the dark, gloomy academia vibes which was nice. I love the secret societies intrigue. We have two POVs from Emory and Baz. Emory survived a ritual that killed a bunch of her classmates, but she wasn’t even supposed to be there. Baz is the older brother of her best friend, Romie, who was lost in the ritual. They are both back at Aldryn College – a college for magic users, but this time Emory has new powers and she and Baz are trying to figure what went wrong during the ritual that went bad and they uncover so many things about magic, lies they were told, and secrets about other worlds.

My favorite characters so far are Baz, Kai, and Vera. Emory, I didn’t love because she kept making mistakes and trusting the wrong people. I didn’t see her as a good person, especially with how she treated Baz! She leads him on for her benefit and he deserves better. I hope there is growth for her in book two – there was some at the end of this one, but she really needs to do much more to win me over.

The beginning was too slow and repetitive at times but it picks up at the halfway mark and from then on it gets good mostly because of Kai, who I love but it just moves faster and has more action. There is a love triangle which infuriated me because I could tell from the start that Keiran wasn’t trustworthy but Emory had to learn the hard way I suppose, because she is so stubborn.

My Final Thoughts:

I definitely wanted to read this one because of the beautiful cover and I love the whole moon magic concept. It’s also an academia book and I was in the mood for it. I didn’t love Emory, the love triangle, or the slow beginning and the repetitiveness of some things that could have probably been cut to shorten this 544 page book. But once it picks up in the middle, I really couldn’t put it down! I love Baz, Kai, and Vera. I love the world building and magic system. I do hope there is growth for Emory in book two because I do not think she deserves Baz at all. I am looking forward to reading book two because of how this one ended. I’m curious to see these other worlds that have been hinted at!

Quotes From the Book

“The dead move on and so must we.”
Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle

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Flawless Girls by. Anna-Marie McLemore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Flawless Girls

Author: Anna-Marie McLemore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 5/28/24

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Finishing School, LGBT+, Mystery, Horror, 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 Feiwel & Friends for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Soler sisters are infamous in polite society—brazen, rebellious, and raised by their fashionable grandmother who couldn’t care less about which fork goes where. But their grandmother also knows the standards that two Latina young ladies will be held to, so she secures them two coveted places at the Alarie House, a prominent finishing school that turns out first ladies, princesses, and socialites.

Younger sister Isla is back home within a day. She refuses to become one of the eerily sweet Alarie girls in their prim white dresses. Older sister Renata stays. When she returns months later, she’s unfailingly pleasant, unnervingly polite, and, Isla discovers, possibly murderous. And the same night she returns home, she vanishes.

As their grandmother uses every connection she has to find Renata, Isla re-enrolls, intent on finding out what happened to her sister. But the Alarie House is as exacting as it is opulent. It won’t give up its secrets easily, and neither will a mysterious, conniving girl who’s either controlling the house, or carrying out its deadly orders.

Tautly written, tense, and evocative, this is a stunning YA novel by award-winning and critically acclaimed author Anna-Marie McLemore.

Content Warning:

I was really intrigued with the first part of the book, Isla and Renata are sisters and sent to a finishing school that is so supposed to help refine a girl into a proper young woman. The author’s note does explain how Isla is intersex and we do get Isla’s thoughts about feeling out of place which is nice since an intersex character is rare in books.

When Isla goes back to find out what happened to her sister, that’s when things go kind of over my head because I’m just here for the mystery/horror/thrill of it all but what we get are…metaphors about jewels. I get what the author is trying to do and it is poetic but I was not in the mood for it. The message in the book is awesome though and strong because it talks about how this finishing school not only taught the girls how to act and be in the public eye, but it was also teaching them how to cause division between the girls also. I kind of loved the scene of the girls being wild at night when they could let loose. The story talks about the expectations of women and how women have to wear several faces.

I totally get the vision but I think it was too much imagery for me.

My Thoughts:

I like the intersex representation and the strong message about society’s expectations about girls and how we have to live. I don’t think there was much horror in the story except for maybe psychological horror. There is a lot of symbolism and imagery with this book and I totally get it but I definitely had to be in the right mood for 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!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Fragile Enchantment by. Allison Saft | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Fragile Enchantment

Author: Allison Saft

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 1/2/24

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Content Warning: self harm, alcoholism

+ Okay I said maybe I’m over historical romances, but I think if it’s a historical fantasy romance like this particular book then I’m not over it at all. I definitely like how this story had the drama of a gossip sheet (like Bridgerton), the balls, a royal wedding, a romance and a rebellion going on.

+ There’s magic in this book and Niamh’s craft is sewing. I thought it was pretty cool how she could create fashions that evoke emotions. Other characters have magic too like but not everyone has it. It definitely made the story feel enchanted with the element of magic that certain characters could wield.

+ This story has a strong cast of characters from the main ones Niamh and Kit to the rest of the group which consisted of Kit’s future wife, his best friend and his family. I like the LGBT+ representation, Niamh and Kit are both bi-sexual, and other characters are queer as well.

+~ Speaking of romance -I love a good enemies to lovers romance and there is a lot of tension between Niamh and Kit which for the most part I enjoyed. But there was something about their romance at times that frustrated me also maybe it’s the times he’s being rude – but his grumpiness is supposed to be attractive? I just felt like he was being a brat at times.

~ The political conflict in the book didn’t feel solved at the end, and honestly I think Jack and his wife could have their own book where they fall in love with one another and he figures out how to become a better leader.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book and loved that it was historical romance with magic elements I thought the writing was very lyrical and made the story enchanting.