February went by quick and was filled with so many activities and some illnesses but for the most part the month was good. As for books? I got some re-reading done and I was just working through arcs which for the most part were just okay reads. I have less arcs to read in the next few months so I hope I can read other books. But I had some really good reads in February which is nice!
We are officially three months into the year and I really wished I had booked that Spring Break trip to Tokyo! I am itching to go somewhere. I go no where for 10 years while my babies were babies and now I want to just go go go! 😅
This week went smoothly which is nice. But my daughter get another cold in the 2nd half of the week, so she stayed home from school. Did I get some reading done? Barely! Am I in a slump? Maybe? lol
A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas (re-read)
Currently Reading:
The Last Bloodcarver by. Vanessa Le
Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:
Doctor Slump (Netflix) – so cute!
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller, LGBT+, True Crime, Paranormal
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readersfor giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies delivers another chilling supernatural thriller filled with murder, romance, and a decades long mystery that haunts a small Florida town.
The perfect blend of Natasha Preston, Krystal Sutherland, and Delia Owens, with a paranormal twist.
Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things.
The spectre of Bailey and Celeste’s murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Sometimes, it seems like she knows the long-dead Bailey, feels the dead girl in her bones. Now she’s supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders – and the death of her own sister – invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep, 100 feet below the surface of Hidden Glen Springs, that she can breathe.
When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can’t resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.
As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio…along with their other-worldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red.
Content Warning: death, alcoholism, violence
This was an interesting read with a few twists in the story but it is a slow burn of a mystery. I felt like the first half was so slow but I did feel the setting was pretty immersive. I could feel that Florida humidity and mosquito bites just from the descriptions. It’s definitely a summer vibe kind of book and does take place before Tru is supposed to go off to college. Tru comes from a broken home, her father is a deadbeat, her mom is grieving and dealing with it through alcohol and her older sister, Dani was killed years ago in a hit and run.
Tru does have a bit of a awakening as she is steadfast in love with her best friend since forever, East, but then meets a girl Rio who intrigues her. There is a twist to their attraction though.
And throughout this story this town is the place where murders that happened years ago that people are obsessed with, including Tru. When Rio comes along, the both of them do some digging and find out the truth. I think I caught on quick who was the suspect and I was right. There is a lot that happens in the second half of the book which is what helped hold my attention. Also I don’t know that the paranormal aspect of the story worked for me
My Thoughts:
Overall, this one was too slow for me but the ending is where most of the action happens. I thought the twists were interesting but I didn’t quite vibe with the paranormal stuff going on. I think if you love mysteries you will really enjoy this one but for me it was just okay.
Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller, Teen Readers
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!
Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars
Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered
Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”
At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.
When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.
Content Warning: death
I’ve read two other books from this author and enjoyed both but this one feels made for lower young adult readers. It’s definitely for the teen readers.
A group of teens go to a remote location for Spring Break, but things get out of hand when one of them ends up dead. This is a short book, coming in at under 300 pages so it’s a quick read. A lot of the story happens during their time at the private beach lodge but there are flashbacks leading up to the spring break trip which gives us insights into some of the main characters. There is a lot of suspicion between the characters as they try and figure out if one of them is the killer. My guess was mostly right but there was more in the reveal that I didn’t expect.
It was an okay read, but I wanted more thrills and suspense.
My Thoughts:
This was a quick read and I think it would appeal to teenagers. I do wish there were more thrills and suspense but overall it was an okay read.
Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, 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 Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Last summer, they searched for Audrey Covington. This summer, they’ll search for the truth. Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in Clearwater Ridge, with lazy days sunning at the waterfalls and nights partying at the sprawling houses of the rich families who vacation there. The Covingtons are one of these families, and beautiful, brilliant Audrey Covington is Paige’s best friend. And last year, when Audrey’s crush-worthy brother Dylan finally started noticing Paige, she was sure it would be the best summer ever. Except Audrey didn’t seem quite like herself. Then one night, she didn’t come home. Though Audrey wasn’t the first girl to disappear in Clearwater Ridge, she left behind more lies than clues. Now, one summer later, her case has gone cold, and nobody, least of all Paige, can make sense of what happened. When Paige stumbles across a secret hidden in Audrey’s room, however, it changes everything she thought she knew about last summer. She and Dylan set out on their own investigation, discovering things even the police don’t know about the people of Clearwater Ridge. But tracking down missing girls―girls who might be beyond saving by now―means entering a world far darker than Paige has ever imagined. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll become the next girl to vanish.
Content Warning: missing girl
This is a mystery about a girl that goes missing and her case goes cold but her brother, Dylan and her best friend, Paige decide to do their own investigation and find out what happened to Audrey. They realize there are a few cases that may tie into Audrey’s disappearance so they follow the clues.
There is a twist in the end that I did enjoy but I felt like most of the book didn’t do anything for me until that part. I didn’t really connect to the characters but I thought it was cool that Paige and Dylan teamed up together since they’ve known each other for so long. Overall, this was just an okay book for me.
My Thoughts:
Mystery lovers will enjoy this one, but it didn’t do much for me.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas – 20% in – trying to complete my re-reading of this series at least up until the 4th book since I already did a review for ACOSF.
Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:
A Fate Inked in Blood by. Danielle L. Jensen
A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.
Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.
Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.
This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.
On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.
When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.
With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.
In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart. A groundbreaking Korean novel translated into English for the first time!
“ The Hunger Games meets Squid Game in Soyoung Park’s dystopian thriller Snowglobe ” – Entertainment Weekly
Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.
The residents of Snowglobe have fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.
Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life.
Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.
Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.
The gorgeous first edition hardcover of Snowglobe will feature two covers in one (a beautifully illustrated hardcover underneath the stunning jacket) and foil-stamped interior papers at the beginning and end of the book!
Change your fate—or kneel to it. The Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her. Her only consolation—Corayne now has Taristan’s sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world. But Taristan and Queen Erida will not be defeated so easily. Both will burn the world to bring down Corayne—and bring forth their demon god, What Waits, ready to claim the realm of Allward for his own. In a final clash between kingdoms and gods, all must rise to fight—or be destroyed. Everything has come to this. Prepare for a larger-than-life, unforgettable finale to the instant New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker series, where a shattered alliance must rise from the ashes to make their final stand against a ruthless enemy…and the demon god who looks to shroud the entire world in darkness.
From the beloved author of Just My Type and Lease on Love comes a new romantic comedy in which a former actress-turned-screenwriter finds herself back in the spotlight, only for her romantic lead to be the one man she can’t stand.
Hollywood darling Emmy Harper is considered the queen of writing romantic comedies. That is, until tragedy struck and she swore she’d never write another happy ending again. After some time away, and lots of encouragement from family and friends, Emmy is finally ready to dive back into the genre with her latest project. But more is riding on this movie than just her return to the big screen. This time, Emmy’s also been convinced to star as the lead, dusting off acting skills she hasn’t used in over a decade.
Emmy’s nervous, yet excited, to give performing another shot, until a last-minute injury benches her trusted co-star. With filming about to start, there’s only one other actor available on such short Grayson West. A blockbuster action star known for his mega-watt smile and impossible abs, Grayson is anyone’s dream of a romantic lead. Anyone except Emmy that is, who still blames him for her disastrous first movie and the early end to her acting career.
As filming begins, the friction between Emmy and Grayson is palpable and it’s anyone’s guess if it’s unresolved awkwardness or simmering sexual tension. The two are pushed to get their acts together—and quickly—or they risk tanking the entire movie, but if working things out leads to sizzling chemistry on screen, what might happen when the cameras stop rolling?
Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.
To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…
Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.
Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?
From one of fantasy’s most exciting new voices Eliza Chan comes a modern, myth-inflected story of revolution and magic set against the glittering, semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, perfect for fans of Jade City and The Bone Shard Daughter . Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.
A library with a deadly enchantment.
A Fae lord who wants in.
A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power.
In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu’s village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile—her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn’t been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.
She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she’s after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.
As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she’s forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she’s not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is: Love Freebie
Covers/Titles with Things Found in Nature
Heartless Hunter by, Kristin Ciccarelli
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by. Heather Fawcett
House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland
You Have a Match by. Emma Lord
Flower and Thorn by. Rati Mehrotra
A Holly Jolly Ever After by. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Title: All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom, #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Format: ebook (own)
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 2/5/24
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Devil, Jinn
The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.
As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.
Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.
Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.
Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge…
Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling This Woven Kingdom series.
Content Warning: violence, blood magic
I am kind of irritated that this is not the final book! I was assuming it was, which is my mistake.
+ I needed to read this just for Cyrus and Alizeh alone. I need them to have a happily ever after and this book was serving so much angst between them, and not even one real kiss – there is a spicy scene in the book but it was a dream?! I felt Cyrus’ anguish…like what more does this man have to endure? I need a full on real life spicy scene between them asap. 😅
+ What I didn’t expect was the found family/friendship happening with Kamran, Hazan, Huda and the rest of their crew. There were some funny moments between them and some growing animosity between Kamran and Huda which may turn into an enemies to lovers romance maybe? Anyway, I thought this group of characters together were kind of funny because the whole story is so angsty and filled with beautiful prose because of Cyrus and Alizeh and then Kamran and Huda will start fighting or Deen and Omid will interject with something so random.
+ I liked learning more about Cyrus, because he is more than what we know so far. And I cannot believe this man is going to risk it all for Alizeh – he is so in love but their story is so tragic right now.
~ Nothing really happens in this book, which is what I said about the previous book! Where is the plot?! How can there be two books about nothing but angst between Cyrus and Alizeh? And why am I eating it up? 😅 This book barely moves the story forward and yet it boggles my mind that I was fully invested in it so much that I couldn’t put it down and I will admit that investment was just to see if in any part of the book Cyrus and Alizeh would at least share a kiss. I felt as insane as Cyrus was feeling throughout the whole book. Still, I wish there was more to this story about maybe revealing a way to outwit the devil or something. Like was there really a need to make this book more than a trilogy?
~ There is something about Alizeh that I don’t quite totally love on her own, which has been my complaint since book two. I love it when she and Cyrus are together but as an emerging Queen to her people she is soft, not hardened at all, and maybe that’s a strength for her? But for me, I don’t see it yet, she is naive and maybe it’s just all due to character growth that is coming. I’d like to have seen some of that growth by now in book three though.
My Final Thoughts:
Did I devour this book? Yes I did and yes I admit it was all because of Cyrus. Or I kept reading to see if something more would happen between Cyrus and Alizeh. Kamran was a jerk, Alizeh at times was just too soft so Cyrus was my favorite. There is a spicy scene and every other scene between them is filled with so much angst and tension – which I really love and why this gets a 3.5 instead of a 3. Nothing happened to move this story forward which was how I felt about the last book so I was hoping this third book would have been finishing the series, but I was wrong. Am I still going to read book four, yes, because I need to see Cyrus and Alizeh be endgame but is it frustrating as hell? Yes. They better start trying take the devil down in the next book! Anyway, I don’t know what magic spell this book has put over me but I’m here for the romance.
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 