The Red Palace by. June Hur | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Red Palace

Author: June Hur

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 1/22/22

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance

To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood…

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, seventeen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Content Warning: Death, Murder, Violence, Misogyny

Mystery is not the genre I reached for first but I heard so many good things about this book so when I saw it available on Overdrive online library, I had to borrow it.

I found this story intriguing and I was engaged throughout the whole book. I love the writing and how the story is written. It’s great story telling. Sometimes mysteries can bore me, but the pacing of this one is perfect. I had no clue who to suspect in the killings and that was a nice surprise!

Hyeon is a uinyeo which is like a nurse, or a medical woman, and there has been uinyeos being killed at the palace. There is talk about the Prince being a killer because he has an uncontrollable temper, so he remains the number one suspect until Hyeon investigates. And no she isn’t a detective and there are already people on the case, one young man in particular, Eojin, but she feels she owes it to find out who the real killer is to clear the name of her mentor.

I liked Hyeon’s determination and how Eojin how helpful she would be to the investigation. I thought Hyeon’s home life was sad with her mom basically neglecting her and her dad being so cruel. It’s part of the reason she was so deep into this investigation.

It’s a fantastic mystery that moves quickly, keeps you on your toes and there is the most innocent of all romances blossoming in the middle of it.

Why you should read it:

you love mystery
Korean historical fiction
sweet romance

Why you might not want to read it:

you are not into historical fiction/mysteries

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot and the writing is so good that I have the urge to read all of this author’s previous work. The fact that it didn’t lose my attention, especially when I’m not a big reader of mysteries, is because the writing is so great. I was engaged in the story, wasn’t sure who the killer was and adored the sweet romance story that was taking place in the story as well. Overall, a great book!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“He moved my hand into his, and as our fingers intertwined, it occurred to me that love wasn’t all that I’d feared it to be. I had imagined that it was a wildfire that incinerated everything in its path. Instead, it felt as ordinary and extraordinary as waking up to a new day.”
― June Hur, The Red Palace

“That was my life’s goal, to never err. My life had been a mistake—born a girl, and on the wrong side of wedlock. I had no room to make more errors.”
― June Hur, The Red Palace

“I would not love, unless I was loved first and loved the most.”
― June Hur, The Red Palace

Beasts of Prey by. Ayana Gray | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beasts of Prey

Author: Ayana Gray

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 9/28/21

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

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Magic

Magic doesn’t exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome and magical creatures to pay off her family’s debts and secure their eventual freedom. But the night her loved ones’ own safety is threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand–and the consequences are dire.

As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six–an elite warrior–and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, a fire upends his plans. In its midst, Ekon not only encounters the Shetani–a vicious monster that has plagued the city and his nightmares for nearly a century–but a curious girl who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior.

Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani down and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani and selling it for a profit could be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon–each keeping their true motives secret from the other–form a tentative alliance and enter into the unknowns of the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.

Content Warning: Death, Drug Use, Violence

I finally got to read this book which I saw everywhere in 2021. I love the cover!

The beginning was a bit slow as the story is being set up and the characters are introduced. Koffi is with her mom and they work for Baaz in the Night Zoo. The Night Zoo houses rare, scary beasts. Koffi and her mom are indebted to Baaz and have been working hard to be free from him. Ekon is a young man who is close to becoming initiated as one of the Son of Six but his ceremony is interrupted and he falls short of his goal. He is close to his brother and they both lost their father years ago to a beast called the Shetani. Adiah is training to be a daraja because she can already manifest splendor (magic).

I liked Koffi and Ekon the more I got into the story. They both have their own struggles. When they get together they are always bickering but I thought it was cute and funny and of course you could tell there was some growing affection between them. They agree to work together to find the Shetani, which is a monster that has been supposedly killing and terrorizing the people in the city. Koffi wants to find it so she can barter it to the Night Zoo owner in exchange for her mother and Jabri, a boy who is like a brother to her. But Ekon wants to kill the Shetani to prove to the Sons of the Six that he is worthy to be part of their group. Both journey together into The Greater Jungle and encounter other vicious creatures which brings on the action, which is my favorite part of the story. I actually wish the part in the jungle was longer.

I enjoyed the mythology and learning about the gods and the splendor (magic). The reveals at the end were good and sets up the sequel.

As I mentioned earlier, the beginning was a little slow for me maybe because there are multiple perspectives. Adiah is an important character who gets introduced right away. She starts off the story but her role is a bit of a mystery and we only learn how she ties into the story later. So for awhile I couldn’t connect to her and was more interested in Koffi and Ekon’s perspectives.

Why you should read it:

there is magic, scary beasts, mythology and a jungle
Pan-African fantasy
lots of action and full of adventure

Why you might not want to read it:

beginning is a little slow
would appeal to teen readers more

My Thoughts:

I can see why this book was optioned for a movie because it has all the elements that would make it good on screen: mythology, magic, scary beasts, a jungle, adventure, and characters that play off one another very well. I can definitely see Koffi and Ekon in action and encountering wild beasts – it would make for an exciting show! Overall I enjoyed the story once I got past the slower parts and I look forward to see what happens next.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Our Violent Ends by. Chloe Gong | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Our Violent Ends

Author: Chloe Gong

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 494

Publication Date: 11/16/21

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Categories: Young Adult, Gangster, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Forbidden Love

Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

Content Warning: Death, Violence, Whipping

I finished off this duology series – yay to me! And what a series it is.

I feel like retellings can be overdone and Romeo and Juliet is a tale as old as time, or it feels like that, but this whole duology is fresh and such a good way to keep Romeo and Juliet modern.

I love Juliette – she’s still cutthroat and has no F’s to give, especially if someone is messing with her man, Roma. She knows herself, she is comfortable around violence and also feels good dealing it out. Roma is trying to kill her, but we know he can never do that, these two are crazy in love with one another. They just have to decide once and for all if it’s them against one another or them against the world. But we all know what end game is in Romeo and Juliet, so obviously there is no questions to Juliette and Roma’s love.

Now the confession I was waiting for finally happened and it melted me. Benedikt and Marshall was the best. This book had a great forbidden love theme going on, in honor of Romeo and Juliet I’m sure, but it was wonderful because we had Benedikt and Marshall in agony too. Yes, to fighting for love because it’s worth it.

All the other characters were great as usual and the civil war erupting around them upped the stakes and drama. I love how tension was happening altogether in each faction: between the lovers, the city, and the gangs. It was well done.

Now my only problem with this story? I got confused with the Kathleen/Celia thing – I didn’t reread book one and so when Celine popped up, I was like WHO?! 😅 🤦🏻‍♀️ Also I kind of wanted more from Roma? I mean we know who runs this show though, Juliette.

Why you should read it:

romeo and juliet retelling, set in Shanghai 1927, gangs, forbidden love
Juliette and Roma are end-game obviously, but ugh Benedikt and Marshall melted me
great action, tension and conflict to the end

Why you might not want to read it:

you know the ending of Romeo and Juliet? lol…well this one was just a tad different and kinda open ended but if you don’t like those kinds of endings, you may not like this one

My Thoughts:

What a wonderful conclusion to this duology! Honestly, the series as a whole is fresh, full of action, has angsty forbidden love and a great cast of characters. I think this was a unique take on Romeo and Juliet and the writing just flowed so well. I look forward to reading this author’s next book!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

“These violent delights have violent ends, you have always known this.”
― Chloe Gong, Our Violent Ends

“I’ll say it however many times you want. I’ll romance you until you get sick of me. I am horrendously in love with your dreadful face, and we need to go now.”
― Chloe Gong, Our Violent Ends

“They had always been two mirrored souls, the only ones who understood the other in a city that wanted to consume them whole, and now they were joined, mightier when together.”
― Chloe Gong, Our Violent Ends

BLOG TOUR} A Forgery of Roses by. Jessica S. Olson | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for A Forgery of Roses by. Jessica S. Olson!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Forgery of Roses

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 3/29/22

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Gothic Fantasy, Horror, Murder Mystery

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

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

From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with an art-based magic system, romance, and murder…

Myra has a gift many would kidnap, blackmail, and worse to control: she’s a portrait artist whose paintings alter people’s bodies. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone. But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son.

Once she arrives at the legendary stone mansion, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. A killer stalks these halls–one disturbingly obsessed with portrait magic. Desperate to get out of the manor as quickly as possible, Myra turns to the governor’s older son for help completing the painting before the secret she spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

Content Warning: Gore, Violence, Kidnapping

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I enjoyed what I read a lot.

The magic in this story is quite unique. Myra can alter or heal someone through her paintings. She paints the person on canvas and then infuses it with her magic. It does come with consequences though, she will feel the pain the person is going through. She is what they call a Prodigy and although her magic can heal, it is forbidden in her town to have such powers. With both her parents gone she is a caretaker and mother to her thirteen year old sister, who is very ill. I love her relationship with her sister, the love between them is so beautiful. They don’t have the money for good care and though Myra can heal injuries, she cannot heal a disease in someone. But when the governor’s son dies, his wife wants Myra to bring him back to life…but can she?

The story unfolds as a murder mystery and it comes with a few twists which was really nice! I love the scary tone of the story, the creepy house the governor and his family lives in, the story of the 5th floor being haunted, and grotesque paintings on the wall. Whoever painted those was sorely unwell, but who did them?

There is some romance in the story as well. Myra and August (the governor’s oldest son) befriend one another and try to solve the mystery of his brother’s death. August is an interesting character who suffers from anxiety and his father, who is a hard man, has no patience for it. I was happy to see his growth and also fight for his right to feel safe in the space he’s made for himself. There were times Myra would tell him how to overcome his struggles and he really stands up to her, explaining how she can’t expect him to change overnight. It’s easier said and done when it’s not something she herself struggling with. He definitely had some fight in him even when he was afraid of his family’s reaction.

Why you should read it:

it’s a story filled with mystery, romance, danger, and magic
there’s a good twist in the story
Myra’s unique magic skills

Why you might not want to read it:

not into gothic fantasy

My Thoughts:

This story was a real treat and I enjoyed the unique magic, anxiety rep, the romance, the creepy and thrilling parts of the story, and the twist at the end. I haven’t read a book by this author before, but I’m looking forward to reading more from her.

📚 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten (2021) and A Forgery of Roses (2022).

https://www.jessicasolson.com/

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Dark and Shallow Lies

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 8/31/21

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Paranormal, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult

A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.

This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World–and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey’s best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can’t believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something–her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou–a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town’s bloody history–Grey realizes that La Cachette’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn’t know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent–and La Cachette’s dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.

Content Warning: Death, Abuse, Murder

My favorite thing about this book is the setting of La Cachette, a very small town in Louisiana filled with people who have different psychic powers. I love seeing the cultures that thrive in Louisiana, from Creole to Cajun and everything else in the mix. The author immerses us in the language, food and the way of life in La Cachette. One year ten babies were born, they were known as the Summer Children. All of them, except Grey, it seems, has some powers whether it’s hearing spirits, or being an empath. But there are dark secrets in this murky town and it’s a race to uncovering them with a storm bearing down on them. When Grey’s best friend, and twin flame, Elora is lost and most likely dead, Grey needs closure to find out what happens but she uncovers a lot more than she was expecting.

The tone of this book never loses its mysteriousness. I was immersed in the humidity and dark waters of La Cachette! I could only imagine living in a place where I’m running barefoot in the mud, and the humidity is nasty along with the mosquito bites. I already live on a tropical island and I thank God when there are trade winds blowing! But the setting is perfect for a story like this. I found the people with psychic abilities fascinating and once again, the setting of Louisiana is the prime place for a story like this.

I had my suspicions of who could have killed Elora, and what one of the secrets could be and I was right. The secrets revealed are pretty shocking and uncomfortable – ooo those small town secrets! I thought it was funny how no matter how creepy the scenes are Grey kept going outside at night! lol…like what is she thinking?! I get she felt safe in her small town but with the rougarou (werewolf) stories and that Dempsey Fontenot creepy song and urban legend about him – I’d be freaking out going out in the dark, especially with gators around and snakes, plus maybe a killer on the loose.

It seems like not a lot happens in the story though. Grey is trying to find out what happens to her best friend but the weeks go by with her not finding out much at all. You would think a town full of psychics and such would be helpful, even Grey’s powers as they manifest would have been helpful if she could understand it. But they don’t help a lick except for keeping town secrets apparently.

Why you should read it:

fantastic setting and atmosphere – felt like I was in La Cachette, Louisiana being eating up by mosquitos l
the psychic abilities by most of the town was fascinating
you like little towns with dark, dark secrets – creepy

Why you might not want to read it:

there is a lull in the middle of the story
some uncomfortable topics, dark read

My Thoughts:

I absolutely enjoyed the setting in this one: Louisiana mud, rivers, getting around on boats, dark nights, fireflies, muddy feet and mosquitos, humidity, psychics, and a hurricane. As for the characters, most of them were interesting but not a lot happens in the middle of the story, fortunately the story does end with a bang. For the most part I enjoyed this one and I hope to read more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book

It may not be what you were expecting, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t what you need.”
Ginny Myers Sain – “Dark and Shallow Waters”

Knowing is hard…but it’s a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It’s the secrets that fester.”
Ginny Myers Sain – “Dark and Shallow Waters”

It hits me hard how every single one of us – everyone in the whole wide world – is walking around with missing pieces.”
Ginny Myers Sain – “Dark and Shallow Waters”

Lore by. Alexandra Bracken | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lore

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 1/05/21

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Categories: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Romance

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

Content Warning: Death, Cancer, Violence, Sexual Assault, Implied Pedophilia, Murder

This a story where my mood reading kicked in. I borrowed this book as an ebook on my kindle app a month ago and 21 days later it expired with me only getting through 5 pages. Yes…I was not in the mood to read it at all. A month later, I’m at the library and browsing the shelves and see Lore staring me in the face. I tell myself this time I WILL read it in time, and I read it in one day! Why now? I’m not sure…

Let me say what I always say about books that deal with Greek Mythology. It’s easy for me to get lost because I don’t relate much to the Greek Mythology even though we’ve had to studied some of them in high school. The stories are epic sure, and I remember Troy the movie because Brad Pitt is in it but other than that – I can’t keep all the names straight, except Zeus. So reading Lore, I had to be patient with the info dumping of bloodlines and such – there are A LOT. Once my brain got situated with some of the characters, it latched on for the wild ride of this story.

In this story, Zeus created these games the Agon, that commences every 7 years and the hunt takes place during 7 days. Anyone who kills a god in these 7 days will gain their power but if they accomplish this task, in the next Agon, they will be hunted next and so forth. The last time Lore experienced an Agon she was only 10 and something traumatic happened that haunts her every day. She’s learned to channel that fear and rage onto the fighting mat where she takes down opponents with her fighting skills. But the new cycle of the Agon is about to start and this time, they have found her.

I enjoyed all of the characters in this story. Lore with her warrior, kick-ass skills and rage- she has a lot of trauma she’s living with. Miles her best friend who is Korean and queer and knows NYC like the back of his hand. Castor, Lore’s best friend from long ago who is now the new Apollo. Van, Castor’s best friend who is the tech-genius and queer as well. Athena, the goddess who is trying to win the Agon by making an alliance with Lore. All the characters were fleshed out and I loved their interactions. I like how each of them had their own beliefs of what happiness was to each of them whether it meant being with a friend through thick and thin, vengeance, freedom, pursuit of a Father’s love, pursuit of power, or just trying to understanding a gift that is given. The story explores themes of sacrifice, power, friendship and love.

It’s a fairly long book at under 500 pages, but I felt like it moved fast because there were a lot of action scenes. Be warned, this is a dark story with lots of violence, blood shed, necks and other body parts getting chopped off, these are warriors, gods and hunters fighting one another. There is implied pedophilia and these archons run a Patriarchial society where females can’t even become archon of their own bloodline, although they have gods like Athena and Artemis. I did like how the villains were written though.

There is a little bit of romance, but it is not the main focus of the story but it is sweet. Like I said before it’s greek mythology so there can be a bunch of info dumping at times, there were a few times I googled certain names! The point of the Agon is confusing in the first few chapters but I grasped the concept the more I read.

Why you should read it:

if you like urban fantasy and greek mythology, you might like this one
Lore’s character arc
lots of action, fighting

Why you might not want to read it:

lots of info dumping with so many greek mythology characters thrown into this story
confusing concept at first

My Thoughts:

My first attempt at reading this book was a no-go. I didn’t think I’d pick it up again, but I guess the time was right and I wanted to delve into greek mythology right now haha. I enjoyed the characters a lot and uncovering Lore’s secret and past life kept me reading. The action kept the story moving quickly. The villains in this story are absolutely villainous and done well. The romance is a sweet best friends to lovers trope. I felt Lore’s sense of a found family with Miles, Castor and Van. I enjoyed it despite some confusion in the beginning and a bunch info-dumping.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book

It’s not always the truth that survives, but the stories we wish to believe. The legends lie. They smooth over imperfections to tell a good tale, or to instruct us how we should behave, or to assign glory to victors and shame those who falter..”
Alexandra Bracken – “Lore”

Monsters lived in the shadows. To hunt them, you couldn’t be afraid to follow. And the only way to destroy them was to have the sharpest teeth and the darker heart.”
Alexandra Bracken – “Lore”

I was born knowing how to do three things – how to breathe, how to dream and how to love you.”
Alexandra Bracken – “Lore”

Love From Scratch by. Kaitlyn Hill | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Love From Scratch

Author: Allison Saft

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/05/22

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Food, Rivalry, Contemporary

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

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

This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She’s landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern–and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese’s plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet’s newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown–while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.

Reese can’t deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner…

Content Warning: Sexism, Cyber-Bullying

All you rom-com foodies will enjoy this book! First the book cover already gives you a glimpse of what is going to come in the story. Two interns out of high school are competing for a spot on a food network. They are randomly thrown together for an amateur series but the big suits of the company want to make it competitive. Reese is from Kentucky, she’s a southern belle with food knowledge that she learned in her grandma’s kitchen. Whereas Benny is almost a cooking pro since his family owns a restaurant.

The banter between them is the cutest and you can feel the chemistry! Also – there are so many food puns. I liked how they have chemistry on screen and yet are rivals and also friends. I mean how can Reese resist Benny when he’s so good-looking, charming and can cook!

The challenges between them come because of the food network throwing them into a competition for the internship. They both have their reasons for wanting it but we see how Reese gets treated because she’s female in comparison to Benny. The story touches on sexism in the industry and of course the cyberbullying/trolling that comes with fame from something that goes viral. The men/bosses around Reese give her inappropriate looks and say things they shouldn’t and of course the online comments are the worst. The fans of the show peg Reese as a girl who’s bitchy, ugly, someone sleeping her way to the top and it really gets her down but I’m glad it doesn’t totally destroy her. She has her best friends on standby and they are her biggest cheerleaders.

Miscommunication comes between Reese and Benny so the conflict isn’t major but this is a very cute, light hearted rom-com so I think it works for the tone of the story. Also these two characters haven’t exactly had hard lives, they are just two regular teens out of high school trying to decide what the next step will be and hope they succeed.

Why you should read it:

you love a foodie romance story, lots of food puns
light hearted, cute and sweet romance
Benny and Reese’s banter and chemistry

Why you might not want to read it:

not into food and romance

My Thoughts:

This was a cute read and if you love food and romance, you will definitely enjoy Love From Scratch.

📚 ~ Yolanda

This May End Badly | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This May End Badly

Author: Samantha Markum

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 4/12/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Prep School, Fake Dating

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!

When a high stakes boarding school prank war leads to a fake dating scheme, two teens must decide if they are ready to take the ultimate risk — falling in love.

Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.

To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.

As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.

This May End Badly is a story about friendship, falling in love, and crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do.

Content Warning: sexual harassment/assault

I’m a sucker for prep school stories so I knew I had to request this one.

The thing I liked most about this story was Doe and Well’s relationship. They have fun together and their interactions kept the story lively. They fake date to get under the skin of Three (Doe’s arch enemy and Well’s cousin) but of course feelings get involved by the end of the book and Doe has to figure out a bunch of stuff. The romance was cute and I was invested in their relationship.

The characters are all flawed – Doe being our main character seems to be the most flawed. She is self-centered and selfish especially when it comes to keeping her school non co-ed. She’s spent her whole time at The Weston School pranking her rival Three and the Winfield boys. Wells, who is Three’s cousin, and Doe’s fake boyfriend has his own reasons for trying to get under Three’s skin and we learn that his upbringing wasn’t exactly perfect. Both Wells and Doe have messy families and I think that’s why they get along so well.

I like the diversity of Doe’s friends and I thought it was good of them to call her out on how she was acting. But I also liked how they tried to work things out afterwards. It shows Doe’s growth when she owned up to what she did and tried to fix things. When things are good between the girls though, they are a fun group!

Outside of Doe’s rivalry with Three, there are important issues being discussed in this story like feminism (Doe’s strong inclination to keep Weston an all-girls school/woman power) but other issues were brought up to like the rights and feelings of LGBT+ students on both Weston and Winfield campuses. Also how being a co-ed school could benefit the student body. Another pressing issue in the story is a teacher who is a predator and girls voices not being heard.

Kind of wished that with the teacher being a very known predator on campus, Doe and friends would have done something about it much sooner. I know it’s because they didn’t have concrete evidence and they probably didn’t think their complaints would be heard by higher-ups and that’s a sad reality – because it IS real. The administration in the story definitely came out saying it was a bold accusation against a staff member – predictable, realistic – but in this story, at least the girls and boys finally come together to take this teacher down. I wish it happened that easily in real life but as we know…it doesn’t happen that way.

Doe has tunnel vision and it’s focused on Three and making him as miserable as possible. I thought she was a bit obsessive about it and wish she would have let up a little but I’ve never hated that one so much before so maybe it was just hard to let go for her. Because what is she without the pranks and hating Three? Doe is scared to find out but she does…and grows from learning more about herself.

Why you should read it:

you like prep school rivalries
a cute, fake dating romance
I like how Doe grows and learns from her mistakes (it takes awhile though) but I like that she faces the consequences.

Why you might not want to read it:

you are not into prank wars? lol…I can’t think of a reason

My Thoughts:

This story really held my attention and I read it in one sitting. It’s a a great story about friendship, falling in love, letting go of anger and channeling in into a cause that can rally everyone on both campuses.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Always Jane by. Jenn Bennett | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Always Jane

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/29/22

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Music

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

Thank you to Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A chauffer’s daughter finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with the sons of her boss’s wealthy next-door neighbors in this delightfully romantic story from the author of Alex, Approximately, Jenn Bennett.

Love—and Fen Sarafian—do not care about your summer plans.

Eighteen-year-old chauffeur’s daughter Jane Marlow grew up among the domestic staff of a wealthy LA rock producer, within reach of bands she idolizes, but never a VIP. Every summer, Jane and her father head to the Sierras to work at the producer’s luxury lodge at Lake Condor—a resort town and the site of a major musical festival.

The legendary family who runs the festival are the Sarafians, and Jane’s had a longtime crush on their oldest son, Eddie—doltish but sweet. So when a long-distance romance finally sparks between them, she doesn’t hesitate to cross class lines.

But Jane’s feelings about Eddie are thrown into question after she returns to the lake and reconnects with his alluringly intense brother, the dark horse of her placid summer plans. A fellow lover of music—and hater of the game—Fen Sarafian has been ousted from the family and is slumming it at a vinyl record shop. He burns for Jane like a house on fire and will do anything to sabotage his older brother, even if it means taking a wrecking ball to a multi-million-dollar music festival. Or Jane’s heart.

Content Warning: Drug Use

First off – the cover of this book does not match the story. I get that the main character Jane loves pink but I feel like the cover should’ve matched the aesthetic of other Jenn Bennet book covers.

Right away I was intrigued with this story of a girl who has a brain injury because of an accident – she ends up dating one of the guys who was there at the time of the accident but then ends up liking his brother. Yes, beware, this is a love triangle that involves brothers but I have to point out Eddie and Jane’s relationship is pretty flimsy and it’s not a serious love triangle.

Jane wasn’t a character I could say I really connected to but I like that we see how her life is affected by her brain injury, aphasia, and also we get a glimpse into her life as a domesticate worker for a music mogul, Mad Dog. Her dad is the chauffeur so her whole life has been in the employ of Mad Dog. There is a rumor though that Jane may be Mad Dog’s child – but it doesn’t matter, she knows who was her dad is and who took care of her from when she was a baby. I did enjoy Jane’s relationship with her father, they are so close to one another. Jane is eighteen and not sure what she wants to do with her life, if that means moving in with her boyfriend Eddie or keep working for Mad Dog. When she returns to the place she had her accident, she meets Fennec/Fen, Eddie’s brother and she realizes she has more in common with him than Eddie. I did like to see Jane’s growth by the end of the story.

Fennec comes off as the ‘dark horse’ in his family compared to the ‘golden boy’ Eddie but we learn that isn’t true – he is a young man who loves his family, loves music and loves Jane. He is not afraid to speak out against his brother, even if it gets him kicked out of his own home. I thought he was the more interesting character between him and Jane but he is definitely filled with a lot of angst. Fennec comes from a bigger family who are always involved in each other’s lives. Fen’s mom was very interesting and seemed to run the household even though Fen’s dad is the head of the family. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his dad.

Now as far as how the romance unfolds – Jane is Eddie’s girlfriend and he is on a business trip. I got the feeling right away that he wasn’t into the relationship like Jane was and that made me feel so bad for her because she didn’t know much about him but she was ready to move in with him! She learns more about him through his brother Fennec. Jane and Fen have so much in common especially when it comes to music. They go from enemies, to friends, to more than friends but obviously Fen has been crazy about Jane since before her accident.

Overall, I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I’d like, and I think there was a bunch of things going on in the story that didn’t make it flow as easily as her other books. Jane is trying to decide her future and get out of being a domestic worker, she’s trying to navigate her feelings about the rumors about her real dad being Mad Dog, she’s an assistant to Mad Dog’s daughter Velvet and trying to deal with her drug using antics, and she’s supposedly in a relationship with Eddie but falling in love with Fennec. Jane grows and learns to stand up for what she wants out of her life by the end, even though it means to do it without Fen.

Why you should read it:

you love Jenn Bennett’s books
Jane and Fennec bonding over music – he’s so in love with her
Jane’s growth

Why you might not want to read it:

I didn’t connect as much to the characters as I would have liked
seemed like there was too much going on in the story

My Thoughts:

This is not my favorite Jenn Bennett book but the signature imperfect characters are present in this book. It’s what I adore about Jenn Bennett books. I just wish I connected to the characters more and there was less going on when it came to Eddie’s drama, and maybe Mad Dog being Jane’s father (which didn’t matter because her dad was there from day one). Jane and Fennec are both eighteen years old kids who are trying to figure out life, obsessing about music, dealing with some family drama and falling in love.

📚 ~ Yolanda

What We Harvest by. Ann Fraistat | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: What We Harvest

Author: Ann Fraistat

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 3/22/22

Publisher: Delcorte

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Alchemy, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary

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

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

For fans of Wilder Girls comes a nightmarish debut guaranteed to keep you up through the night, about an idyllic small town poisoned by its past, and one girl who must fight the strange disease that’s slowly claiming everyone she loves.

Wren owes everything she has to her home, Hollow’s End, a centuries-old, picture perfect American town. Tourists travel miles to marvel at its miracle crops, including the shimmering, iridescent wheat of Wren’s family farm. Until five months ago.

That’s when the quicksilver mercury blight first surfaced, poisoning the farms of Hollow’s End one by one. It began by consuming the crops–thick, silver sludge bleeding from the earth. Next were the animals. Infected livestock and wild creatures alike staggered off into the woods by day—only to return at night, their eyes, fogged white, leering from the trees.

Then, the blight came for the neighbors.

Wren is among the last locals standing. And the blight has finally come for her, too. Now, the only one she can turn to is the last person she wants to call: her ex, Derek. They haven’t spoken in months, but Wren and Derek still have one thing in common—Hollow’s End means everything to them. Only there’s much they don’t know about their hometown and its renowned miracle crops. And they’re about to discover that miracles aren’t free.

Their ancestors have an awful lot to pay for, and Wren and Derek are the only ones left to settle old debts.

Content Warning: Gore, Violence

You can kind of tell from the cover of this book that something sinister is going to be happening in this book.

Wren lives in a special town, where four founding families have situated themselves over a few generations and grow their miraculous crops and animals. Wren doesn’t know how it came to be her family grew rainbow wheat but she is next to inherit the farm except that now the farms are ruined with Blight. But this blight isn’t ordinary – it doesn’t only kill crops, it turns people and animals into zombie like creatures. So it’s a race against time before Wren can figure out not to get infected, turn into one of the Blighted, and save the farm – her family’s legacy.

This story is creepy, especially because the Blighted come out once the sun goes down. It has a lot of action too which was fun! There is even romance between Wren and boy next door or boy from one of the other founding families – her best friend since childhood, Derek. But they have broken up and now they have to rely on each other to stay safe and also to save their loved ones. There is also a f/f relationship with Derek’s sister Claudette and her girlfriend, Angie.

I liked the reveal of how the families got their source of magic to keep their farms growing the way they did. It’s horrific but I love that Wren does everything she can to undo it. The conclusion wraps everything up pretty good except for the parts where we don’t know what the government learned about the blight and what they will do with the information.

There were some parts that frustrated me about the book, like when Wren kept getting people hurt. That was partly Derek’s fault too but I was getting annoyed with her decision making. I mean I get she was half zombie at that point and couldn’t quite control herself though haha. I’m just glad things worked out!

Why you should read it:

story is creepy, thrilling and filled with action – I liked the reveal and conclusion
a quick, engaging read with just a few horror/gory scenes
zombies

Why you might not want to read it:

you are not into lite horror and gore or zombies

My Thoughts:

This is a gripping read and I was engrossed with seeing how everything played out with Wren and the blight on the farms. The tone was perfectly creepy, especially when the sun went down. If you like books like Small Favors and Burn Our Bodies Down, stories that take place on farms – you will enjoy this one!

📚 ~ Yolanda