How We Fall Apart by. Katie Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

Title: How We Fall Apart

Author: Katie Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 8/17/21

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dark Academia, Prep School

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

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Students at an elite prep school are forced to confront their secrets when their ex-best friend turns up dead.

Nancy Luo is shocked when her former best friend, Jamie Ruan, top ranked junior at Sinclair Prep, goes missing, and then is found dead. Nancy is even more shocked when word starts to spread that she and her friends–Krystal, Akil, and Alexander–are the prime suspects, thanks to “The Proctor,” someone anonymously incriminating them via the school’s social media app.

They all used to be Jamie’s closest friends, and she knew each of their deepest, darkest secrets. Now, somehow The Proctor knows them, too. The four must uncover the true killer before The Proctor exposes more than they can bear and costs them more than they can afford, like Nancy’s full scholarship. Soon, Nancy suspects that her friends may be keeping secrets from her, too.

How We Fall Apart is a look into Asian students at Sinclair Prep, trying to stay on top of the pack with perfect grades. When top girl Jamie Ruan is found dead, someone accuses her closest four friends of committing the crime. But who really killed Jamie and why?

This story is told by Jamie’s best friend/nemesis, Nancy Luo. Nancy isn’t rich like her other friends. Her mom was the maid for the Ruan family so Nancy always envied Jamie’s power and wealth – but was that enough to be a motive for her to kill her? I liked how we didn’t really know who could be the killer. “The Proctor” is dishing out secrets on Jamie’s best friends and the secrets are juicy and scandalous – Nancy’s being the worst, I think.

I think we get a good glimpse of the issues between Asian students – rich and poor, the competition, the pressure to succeed that is put upon them by their families. There was also the issues of Asian students dealing with their peers who are not Asian, who had prejudices against them because of their race – like automatically being “smart” because they were Asian. I liked how Nancy felt anger about that, knowing how hard her parents worked to put her through school.

I liked the second half of the book more than the first because the secrets were being revealed and the story moved faster. There’s a twist at the end that explain this Incident that Nancy and her friends keep mentioning but never goes into detail about and it was nice to finally know what happened during that event. It wasn’t what I expected which was good.

Trigger: suicide, murder, drug use, bullying, teacher/student affair, abuse, mental illness

I wasn’t connecting to any of the characters until the second part of the book. I found Jamie the typical rich girl bully who gets her way, Nancy is her shadow. Akil, Krystal and Alexander were there to round it out but this story is mostly about Jamie and Nancy. I think I wanted more from Nancy, but that really doesn’t come into play until the last few pages. So for most of the story she was a bit lackluster to me.

The ending is left open for a book two. Is this where Nancy really reveals her personality? That would be intriguing. It did make me curious about what The Golden Trio did that Alex knows about.

The teacher/student affair was a no for me. I get it was deliciously scandalous though, Nancy’s secrets were the most dangerous ones. But Peter needs to be taken down.

I think this book will appeal to a lot of people who like dark academia with all the scandals taking place at Sinclair Prep, it definitely is a story that keeps you on your toes. I did like how it addressed some issues that Asian students deal with in a prep school setting, the crazy pressure and competitiveness they experience on unhealthy levels. We get a glimpse of all the darkness that comes with trying to stay on top like abuse, drug use, and parental neglect. It just shows money can’t buy everything. I do wish it had a little more intensity because it’s a thriller and I did want more from Nancy as well. But overall it was a quick read with an interesting twist at the end and a lead up for book two.

📚 ~ Yolanda

House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Hollow

Author: Krysta Sutherland

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 4/6/21

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

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Magical Realism

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

Now this was a very interesting story to read before bedtime! The closer I got to the end, the more horrified my face looked and my husband had to ask me what was wrong. 😅 I said the book was a little disturbing.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this story but House of Hollow is dark, mysterious, eerie, filled with disturbing images of death smelling flowers and bugs coming out of bodies.

Iris Hollow and her sister’s Vivi and Grey are famous for an event that took place when they were children. They disappeared and reappeared a month later with a scar on their neck. Iris and Vivi have no recollection of what happened in that month they were gone, but Grey knows. Now they are older, and Grey has gone missing again – what happened to her, and what happened to them when they were children?

We get to know the infamous Grey as her sisters investigate clues about her life so they can find her. It is apparent these girls are close and love each other a lot. I loved how each girl was very different, they had their own style and personality. The mystery is about the disappearances – it’s one thing if people stayed missing but to reappear again with no recollection of what happened? That was suspicious. The other thing that I enjoyed was Tyler, Grey’s boyfriend who brings the humor to this dark tale.

There are many female empowerment themes in this story. It mentions the dangers of girls walking out after dark or finding themselves alone with a man and getting unwanted attention. Iris is the most docile of the sisters and afraid to use her power, whereas Grey will threaten and manipulate people to do her bidding.

I couldn’t put the book down and needed to know what was up with these Hollow sisters, even if horror is not my favorite genre to read. The clues they were finding about Grey really kept my attention and a few twists in the story shocked me. Thankfully I didn’t get any nightmares after reading this because the imagery was really good, even though if it’s something I didn’t really want to “see”. It reminded me a bit of The Hazel Wood.

Triggers: missing children, suicide, mental breakdown, violence, bugs (coming out of body parts), grief

It’s horror so the ending was shocking and disturbing but overall so fitting. It just made me sad because the grief was triggering and it made me angry to learned what really happened to these girls.

The ending is left open – so will there be a book two?

The imagery in this story is so good but again, this is horror so flowers and bugs coming out of bodies kind of images. 😝

This is the type horror I can read, because it had a bond between sisters that is powerful, a mystery that kept me on my toes and magical realism to keep things even more bizarre. It’s a dark fairytale that revolves around grief and asks the question what would one do to save the people that they love. For me, the story is heart-breaking on both sides of the situation. This one is perfect for those who like dark fairytales.

📚 ~ Yolanda

BLOG TOUR } The Right Side of Reckless by. Whitney D. Grandison | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for The Right Side of Reckless by. Whitney D. Grandison!

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: The Right Side of Reckless

Author: Whitney D. Grandison

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 7/13/21

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Inter-racial Romance

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

When a bad boy in need of a second chance meets a good girl who is off limits, sparks fly and forbidden friendship forms in this edgy own-voices romance, perfect for fans of Katie McGarry and Kristina Forest.

They were supposed to ignore each other and respect that fine line between them…

Guillermo Lozano is getting a fresh start. New town, new school, and no more reckless behavior. He’s done his time, and now he needs to right his wrongs. But when his work at the local community center throws him in the path of the one girl who is off limits, friendship sparks…and maybe more.

Regan London needs a fresh perspective. The pressure to stay in her “perfect” relationship and be the good girl all the time has worn her down. But when the walls start to cave in and she finds unexpected understanding from the boy her parents warned about, she can’t ignore her feelings anymore.

The disapproval is instant. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless…

Guillermo is the “bad boy”. I really liked watching Guillermo grow and do his best to turn his life around after what happened in his past. I grew up with male cousins with bad tempers who got into lots of fights at school and out of school. There were a few times I thought Guillermo was going to fall into his bad habits but he really came out inspiring others, which is really nice to see.
Regan is the “good girl”, who listens to her parents, has the mostly popular athlete at school as her boyfriend but she’s basically pleasing everyone else. It takes Guillermo’s friendship to help her realize the things others want for her, isn’t what she wants for herself. It was cool to see her grow from that and stand up for what she wants in the end.
Malika is an awesome best friend to Regan. I like how she was straight up with her about Troy and she said one thing in the book that I was thinking myself, where she told Regan she didn’t need a guy to be happy. True. As for Guillermo and his friendships, it was a goal his therapist gave him and I think he really did well befriending different types of people like Avery who was awkward and shy, Jenaya who had a bad reputation and Rav, the soccer player. It was a big turn around from the kinds of friends he had in the past.
I liked seeing Regan and Guillermo’s relationships with their parents. Regan’s parents are more supportive but she really had to speak up for herself. Guillermo’s parents are wary of him but eventually they see he is really trying to do the right thing.
Regan and Guillermo have chemistry and like Regan says, he asks for permission and what SHE wants. I can see why Regan falls for him!

Triggers: family pressures, violence
Story was slow in some parts especially with the Troy/Regan/Guillermo triangle.
Troy is a star athlete and on the outside, he and Regan have the perfect relationship. But in their relationship it definitely isn’t perfect. I wasn’t invested in their relationship from just the way he treats her from the beginning and wished they would just break up since we know Guillermo is who she wants. But their relationship drama drags on, I get that Regan wasn’t someone who stood up for herself though…until Troy messes up. It isn’t an easy thing to break up sometimes, especially when families are invested in the relationship too!

The main message I got from this story is that people can change and that’s a great message. I love that Guillermo really had a lot of ground to make up for his mistakes, but he does it for his family and for himself. On the other side, Regan finally figures out what she wants because someone (Guillermo) finally asks her what she wants. That’s important too – as parents, we want the best for our child and even want to lay the path out for them but we have to listen to what they want also. And lastly, the message of consent is so relevant as well. I think this is a story many young adults can learn from!

📖 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Whitney is dedicated to telling stories about teens of color and teens in difficult but relatable situations. Some of her works can be found on Wattpad, one of the largest online story sharing platforms, where she has acquired over 30,000 followers and an audience of over fifteen million dedicated readers. Outside of writing, she is a lover of Korean dramas, all things John Hughes, and horror films. Whitney currently lives in Akron, Ohio. She is the author of A Love Hate Thing and The Right Side of Reckless.

Visit Whitney’s website www.whitneydgrandison.com and follow her on

Twitter: @whitney_dg

Instagram: @wheadee

Crave by. Tracy Wolff | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 1/2 Stars

Title: Crave (#1)

Author: Tracy Wolff

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 592

Publication Date: 4/7/20

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Dragons

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

I love vampire books so when I saw this series and it had many reviews I decided to finally read it. Yes the cover is so Twilight-esque but I loved Twilight so I was looking forward to see how different Crave would be. I think this one is different enough that it keep me reading it…until I started skimming it in the end.

I liked the hot, brooding vampire boy Jaxon, of course. He definitely fit that role. I really liked that this one has dragons in it, because usually paranormal stories stick to the usual: vampires, shifters, and witches storyline, but this one has dragons and one in particular named Flint who is so mischievous – love him too.

For the most part I thought the story was interesting because Grace was clueless about the “monsters” – she knows something is up, but she doesn’t really know for sure. The story is written for teens though and I would have devoured this book if I was fourteen. It has the hot guys, the one friend/cousin that Grace has who has her back, it has a villain and boarding school life.

Triggers: violence

I started to skim the last 25% of the book because I was a little over Grace being so hypnotized by Jaxon, which means I think this book could’ve been 200 pages shorter. I get it, Jaxon is hot, he’s a vampire and she loves him. They love each other, a lot and this happens in what…a week? She’s new to the school and missed a few classes because all the events going on so I’m pretty sure it’s insta-love. I don’t mind insta-love but this one made me roll my eyes.

Grace – she is special, we just don’t know why so there’s that trope. But she still needs a lot of saving and they all watch over her because someone is trying to kill her. Her being coddled gets kind of old.

I giggled in so many parts of this book and did the face palm or rolled my eyes so in that way I found it entertaining lol but so many cringe worthy moments.

I can see why people would enjoy this story, I mean it made me laugh because of the cringe moments. It’s filled with many common YA tropes which I actually enjoy. There is the nostalgia aspect and the hot, brooding vampire that I love. I liked the addition of dragons and yes this is an outright, unashamed homage to Twilight, Jaxon even gifts Grace a copy of the book haha. It’s not a series I will be continuing because I think the writing just didn’t hold my attention. It’s definitely a book I would have been very into if I was a young teenager though.

📚 ~ Yolanda

These Hollow Vows | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: These Hollow Vows

Author: Lexi Ryan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 7/20/21

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult/New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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

From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie’s only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

I am a sucker for stories about the Fae so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. This was like a combination of ACOTAR and Cinderella. I love the world building with the Fae world and the history between the humans Fae.
Brie has a problem – she needs to save her and her skills as a thief is the only want to help her. She gets caught in a power struggle game between the Unseelie and Seelie court and there is deception everywhere. But who can Brie really trust? I honestly didn’t know who to trust either as I read the book.
I liked the second half of this book way more than the first half. It had much more intrigue, reveals and twists that I wasn’t expecting. Also that part in the blurb that calls this book sexy…yeah well, things do get sexier in the second half!
The Princes – oh for Brie to be caught between two handsome fae princes? Lucky girl. Did she choose the right one? I still don’t know!

I got bored in the middle of the story, because of the love triangle and mistrust – it was a lot of angst and drama. I just didn’t care for the “Cinderella” or The Selection vibe to Prince Ronan finding’s a bride.
Love triangle (Think Tamlin/Rhysand from ACOTAR). I don’t blame Brie but she kept reminding herself she loved Sebastien. Does she really if she has to keep reminding herself?

I think this will definitely appeal to fans of ACOTAR because it has so many similar themes. I had trouble connecting to Brie but the story does get juicy at the end when some secrets are revealed. Will I be reading the sequel? Most definitely after that wild ending. It will be interesting to see how this story concludes.

♥️ ~ Yolanda

Kate in Waiting by. Becky Albertalli | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Kate in Waiting

Author: Becky Albertalli

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/20/21

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Categories: Romance, Young Adult, Friendship, LGBT+

Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theater rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off script. Matt Olsson is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship.

How cute was this book? I haven’t read anything from this author but this looked like it would be a fun read and it didn’t disappoint me.

First off, this is a love story, a platonic love story between two best friends who have the same crush on Matt Olsson. Kate and Andy have been best friends for a long time, he’s the boy next door, he’s the boy she first kissed and she was the first one he came out to. They are tight as can be and the most adorable platonic couple ever. They made me laugh, they made me feel warm inside with all the affection they shower upon one another. They are each other’s hype person and we all need that someone! But their friendship is tested when the crush they have on Matt gets deeper. Personality wise, I love how Kate and Andy balance each other out. Kate is that romantic, head in the theater clouds kind of girl, with some bouts of anxiety when she starts over thinking things. Andy is super confident, funny, and says what he means.

Communal crushes are a bad idea – because someone is going to get hurt. But Kate and Andy thought they were stronger than that, and I loved their communication. They hit a bump in their friendship because of Matt but in the end, their friendship really wins out. I love that about the story a lot.

There is so much diversity in this book. Andy is gay, their other theater squad member, Raina, is transgendered and so much more.

I think books with theater kids are so fun to read. Maybe because theater is all about drama and it brings that natural to the story.

I thought Noah and Kate’s relationship was also cute. She’s very judgmental about jocks, though her older brother is one and his best friend, Noah. Kate was traumatized by an incident that involved being teased and bullied by jocks and since then she has judged them harshly but she gets to know Noah more than him just being her brother’s best friend.

Triggers: bullying, online bullying

Kate is judgmental when it comes to jocks. She and her squad refer to them as f-boys. (Insert 4 letter F word there, haha). If they are a jock and play a sport they automatically get categorized an F-boy or F-girl which I think is kind of harsh. It’s the popular, party kids that get labeled that but of course, not her dear brother, even if he is a jock. Noah is an f-boy until they decide he’s chill. So Kate had to open her eyes a little just to see Noah as something more than a jock.

I read this book in one sitting because I was in love with Kate and Andy despite their communal crush on Matt. You already know it’s a bad idea from the start but their friendship is everything and it stands strong against hurt feelings. I love the diversity in the story and how easily the story flowed. I enjoyed all the characters, even her brother Ryan who was pretty mellow and seemed like someone without much of a personality – but he cares for his sister in his older brother kind of way and that seemed realistic. This was a feel good, heartwarming, funny book that made me fall in love with friendship.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Queen Will Betray You by. Sarah Henning | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: The Queen Will Betray You

Author: Sarah Henning

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 7/6/21

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Political Intrigue

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

Thank you to Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

To stay together forever, Princess Amarande and her stableboy love, Luca, must part: Amarande to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers, and Luca to raise a rebellion and find his destiny. Arrayed against them are all the players in the game of thrones for control over the continent of The Sand and Sky. Facing unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds, their only hope is the power of true love…

In this sequel to The Princess Will Save You, the political chess continues! Ama and Luca are separated throughout most of this story but they reunite near the end. Amarande has really uncovered a lot of secrets about her family, some good and some bad. Luca also learns more about his past. They achieve what they planned to do and maintain their sweet love for one another throughout because it’s true love! The Princess Bride fans will know what that refers to!

Now the person I thought was the most intriguing in this story, which surprised even me because he’s a villain, is Prince Taillefer. He did some vile things to Luca and obviously he’s in it for his own gains but he had no qualms playing the long game to get his kingdom even if it was against his own mother. That whole family was pretty toxic but as a character, he was the most fascinating.

There is a lot of action in this sequel, especially towards the end and that was fun to read.

Triggers: violence, death

The Warlord in this sequel is brutal and quite unexpected because for the most part it reads like a light young adult fantasy novel (to me at least). I welcomed the brutality from the Warlord just to lend the story some intensity but yeah, it definitely showed the depths the Warlord was willing to go to show her power.

Speaking of warlord, there are a lot of villains and political intrigue in this story. I thought it definitely kept the story moving as we uncover betrayals and personal motivations from the players in this fight for kingdoms. Not even blood ties can keep you safe, like in the case of Prince Taillefer and his family. Who can really be trusted? Even Ama and her own mother had history to deal with.

Ama and Luca get their true love moment and even Prince Traillefer gets his way in the end . It leaves everything fair and square and the bigger villains vanquished. I think as a duology it was fairly enjoyable, with some parts that resembled The Princess Bride. I found the villains fascinating and the love story sweet. Overall, if you like political intrigue and a dash of true love – you may enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Six Crimson Cranes by. Elizabeth Lim | ARC Review

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: Six Crimson Cranes

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Format: ebook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 7/6/21

Publisher: Knopf

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairytale, Family, Romance

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

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

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

I was hooked from the first chapter and never let go. This is the second series I’ve read from Elizabeth Lim and I will say it again, she writes beautifully. I love how her stories read like fairytales. The story is beautifully written and flows so nicely. As the author states, this is a reimagined story of “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Anderson but she wove other Asian folklore into the story which makes it so rich and such a fantastic adventure.

Shiori is the youngest of seven children and being the only girl, she’s been protected and indulged. She loves her family, her six brothers, her doting dad and once upon a time she even loved her stepmother. It’s this tense relationship with her stepmother that sets Shiori on an unexpected and challenging journey. Shiori really grows from being cursed – she sees how she took a lot of things for granted, and how much she loves her family. Now it’s her turn to do her part in saving her brothers. She realizes too late though the person who has betrayed her is the very one protecting her.

There is magic in this book and dragons, especially a dragon named Seryu who has a lot of personality. This is a story about family and the bond they share through thick and thin. There is betrayal. There is also an evil enchanter who wants to free the demons trapped in a mountain and events that take place to ensure it from not happening but the plan goes haywire. And of course there is romance which made my heart melt a little. This book really had everything and I could not put the book down once I started.

Remember how the Spin the Dawn series had demons? This is set in the same world as Spin the Dawn! I loved Spin the Dawn but I didn’t love Unravel the Dusk so I am hoping so hard that the sequel for Six Crimson Cranes doesn’t disappoint me. The ending sets up another amazing adventure for Shiori and I can’t wait to see who the dragon pearl really belongs to!

This is the kind of fantasy I’ve been craving to read lately and it checked all my boxes! An asian retelling of a western fairytale but with dragons, demons, brothers that change into cranes, family love, betrayal, a girl who has magic but is cursed, and a girl who is falling in love with the boy she had been avoiding all her life. I couldn’t put down the book and I already need the second one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

This Coven Won’t Break by. Isabel Sterling | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: This Coven Won’t Break (These Witches Don’t Burn, #2)

Author: Isabel Sterling

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 321

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Young Adult, Witches, Romance, Duology, Paranormal, LGBT

In this gripping, romantic sequel to These Witches Don’t Burn, Hannah must work alongside her new girlfriend to take down the Hunters desperate to steal her magic.

Hannah Walsh just wants a normal life. It’s her senior year, so she should be focusing on classes, hanging out with her best friend, and flirting with her new girlfriend, Morgan. But it turns out surviving a murderous Witch Hunter doesn’t exactly qualify as a summer vacation, and now the rest of the Hunters seem more intent on destroying her magic than ever.

When Hannah learns the Hunters have gone nationwide, armed with a serum capable of taking out entire covens at once, she’s desperate to help. Now, with witches across the country losing the most important thing they have—their power—Hannah could be their best shot at finally defeating the Hunters. After all, she’s one of the only witches to escape a Hunter with her magic intact.

Or so everyone believes. Because as good as she is at faking it, doing even the smallest bit of magic leaves her in agony. The only person who can bring her comfort, who can make her power flourish, is Morgan. But Morgan’s magic is on the line, too, and if Hannah can’t figure out how to save her—and the rest of the Witches—she’ll lose everything she’s ever known. And as the Hunters get dangerously close to their final target, will all the Witches in Salem be enough to stop an enemy determined to destroy magic for good?

This series reminds me of the paranormal books that started my obsession with the genre and everything in it since I was a teenager. It has the witches and witch hunters who are enemies. The beauty of this one that the books I read as a teenager didn’t have is the lgbt romance.

I didn’t re-read book one but I could kind of remember what happened in it just by jumping into book two. Hannah is now with Morgan, a Blood Witch – the kind of witch even Hannah’s coven looked down upon for ages. But Hannah and Morgan make it work because they are seriously into one another.

The story is a light, quick read, with a race against finding the poison the witch hunters have concocted to remove magic from all witches. Hannah also has to figure out what has happened to her magic and why Blood Witch magic can actually help her and not harm her.

Triggers: violence

I did enjoy the first book more than this one but I still think this was a solid conclusion. I mentioned it was nostalgic and reminds me of paranormal books from the years ago and yes it gives me that fun, light, thrilling vibe where we are in it with the characters to stop disaster from happening. It would make a fun tv show!

I thought Benton turning around to help Hannah in this one seemed like a stretch. Yes he was conditioned and brainwashed by his parents and then all of a sudden he realizes it wasn’t all supposed to happen this way? He wasn’t supposed to burn her at the stake? I wouldn’t have forgiven him so easily haha. And the betrayal at the end by the true villain felt rushed.

I’m all for witch stories and this one is not only witchy but it has a lot of LGBT representation. The f/f romance is sweet, now that Hannah is over her ex Veronica. Overall, I thought this was a light, quick read and a solid ending to a fun, paranormal duology.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Year of the Chameleon 3 by. Shannon Mayer | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Year of the Chameleon 3 (Shadowspell Academy, #6)

Author: Shannon Mayer

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 302

Publication Date: 2/26/21

Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

You Don’t Choose the Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

Broken, bruised, and battered beyond anything else, I’ve survived what I shouldn’t have.

But my day isn’t done yet. We finally have the key to stopping Frost—literally. Even if we don’t know how to use it.

One last time my friends and I have to scour not only the city but the supernatural world to find the pieces of this final puzzle—and we have three days to do it.

One final showdown brings us back to where it all began, and I face off against the woman who killed my brother. Who hunted my mother down. Who broke my uncle’s spirit.

If I cannot find the final pieces, then I will fail. And if I fail, Frost wins, and we are all doomed.

No pressure.

No pressure at all.

This book picks up right away from the last one and Wild and her friends are in the thick of things. It’s a fast-paced story and doesn’t let up until the end of the book.

Rory finally realizes he loves Wild so I’m glad that finally was resolved. We knew from the start they belonged together, right? It was just a matter of him realizing it.

The gang is back and ready to help Wild take down Frost. One of the best things about this series was about the friendship and found family Wild has with all these kids from different houses. This stays true to the end of the book.

I’m glad this series is over since I was already feeling impatient with it in the last book. Book five and six could have been combined basically but I know that’s not how it works. I’m glad we get Rory and Wild finally together. Wild and her friends find a way to accomplish their goals and overall it was a fun series, my favorites being the first three books.

📚 ~ Yolanda