Categories: Adult Fiction, Second Chance Romance, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Avon Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
From the author of Loathe at First Sight and So We Meet Again, a fun rom-com about a young Korean-American woman having to return to college after discovering she’s a few credits shy of completing her degree—only to find one of her TAs is her old college boyfriend.
Lily Lee is a bestselling author of the How to Be a Supernova At Work series, and her editor wants her to strike while the iron’s hot with a new book, How to Land the Perfect Job. But when Lily is offered a coveted position at a top firm, the employer background check reveals she’s short a few college credits and never actually completed her degree. Unbelievably, her worst nightmare has come true.
Lily returns to her alma mater, reliving her senior year of college ten years later. She enrolls in classes, gets invited to frat parties, eats most of her meals with “dining dollars,” and to make things even more weird and chaotic, she discovers that her computer science TA is her old college boyfriend, Jake Cho.
As Lily and Jake reconnect, she sees that her ex has done well for himself: the handsome, charming grad student appears to have his life together while Lily’s so close to losing her dream job opportunity and her book deal.
Things aren’t so simple the second time around.
The Do-Over is a delightfully warm and hopeful story about second chances in love and life, and how the future we want may turn out far different than we imagined.
Content Warning:
I thought the synopsis of this story was interesting an alum having to go back to college because they didn’t officially graduate? I sometimes have that nightmare where I didn’t graduate college and it’s an anxiety dream so I can totally relate and wanted to see what happens. Here is what I thought:
+ I like Lily as our main character. She is in her early thirties, has some success but trying again and realized she didn’t actually get her BA degree. Mistakes happen right? I like that we get to delve into her history with her family. She is Korean American and as an Asian American myself I can understand the family pressures. I like that no matter when things went south for her, she did something about it or at least tried and never gave up.
+ Lily and her best friend, Mia, have an amazing bond. I love Mia and their new friend, Beth who is Lily’s new college roommate. I loved the friendship aspect of this book – it is probably my favorite part.
+ I thought the book had a lot of messages going on but I did appreciate the fact Lily stood up for herself when her younger self wouldn’t. I like that we see her growth and how her journey inspires others around her.
~ I don’t think the romance worked for me which is a bummer! I like the whole second chance romance, I just wanted more chemistry between them. There is no steam in this one…maybe I wanted a little steam.
~ I thought it was funny when Lily always mentioned her creaking knees at 32…I’m 13 years older than Lily and I kept thinking while reading, yikes, try being 45! 😅 I admire anyone who can go to college after their 20’s. I don’t think I can do it (I say that, but I probably could…but would I WANT to? lol…I don’t know.
~ If you want a rom-com, this is not it. The friendship part is funny but everything else is more women’s fiction and Lily’s career and mental health journey.
Tropes: found family, second chance romance
Why you should read it:
the friendship between Mia and Lily is great, and then add in newcomer Beth
it touches on issues like anxiety and being raised with high expectations in an Asian American household
Lily’s journey
Why you might not want to read it:
the romance part didn’t wow me, this is not a rom-com
My Thoughts:
I was intrigued by the synopsis and I can say even though the romance part disappointed me, I read this in one sitting. Also I fell in love with Lily and her friendship with Mia and Beth so even though the romance between her and Jake wasn’t amazing, at least her friendships were! I also liked how the story touched on Lily’s upbringing and her anxiety because I could relate so much to her on that level. Overall, I enjoyed the story and was invested in Lily’s change in career path and how everything was going to fall into place.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
I got some books come in from Book Outlet (my last order was lost in the mail – boo!). I also got some online library books that became available to me so I’m trying to read those before my borrowing time is expired. Did you get any good books this week?
What are you currently reading?
Night of the Raven , Dawn of the Dove is an audiobook I’m listening to and I’m 63% done. I still have a hard time concentrating on details especially when my kids start making a ruckus while I’m listening lol. But at least I’m almost done with it!
What have you just finished reading?
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a DNF for me. I got to about 20% in and was just not in the mood! I don’t think I’ll pick it up again – it’s not for me.
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:
Indie/Self-Published Books
In a world where magic means power, a “small” gift is a curse.
Thea was not blessed with power. Her gift of devouring plants and absorbing their hidden abilities does not make her stand out among her peers. Until a young man from the other side of the river sees something in her that no one else has seen before. When his family mercilessly strikes at her pride, he makes a point to ease the sting.
Alistair is not like his family. He has no interest in magic or wealth. He can see through the veil of the world into the faerie realm, and that has no use in his family. He never understood the desire to write to the girl across the river, but she turns his world of grey into a life of color. At the first opportunity, he meets with her. The second, he falls in love. And the third, he knows he wants to marry her.
Until the cities across the river go to war. Their lives are shattered, ripped apart, and thrown asunder. Then, ten years later, a chance meeting brings them back together. He needs a secretary. She needs a job. Neither realized they were about to be thrown into each other’s arms once again. And this time, he doesn’t intend to ever let her go.
Dark Academia meets, falls in love with, and then keeps Goblincore. For fans of witches, slow burn romances, and a little bit of magic, this page turner will wrap you up in a warm hug, snuggle you in a blanket, and hand you a hot cup of tea.
The Bachelor meets the Hunger Games. Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King’s heart.
Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King’s rule. Her only desire is to get free and pay him back for every moment of misery.
When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight when she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she’ll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge.
But Lor doesn’t belong in the Sun Queen Trials. She doesn’t understand why she was freed, and she isn’t a citizen of the Sun King’s court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is wiped off the gameboard, permanently.
Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she’ll be sent back into the hands of the Aurora King.
This glittering fae romance is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer Armentrout, and Raven Kennedy. Trial of the Sun Queen is the first book in a trilogy with an eventual happy ever after.
Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters.
With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.
The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.
All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.
Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?
If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.
Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.
Rags to riches is supposed to be a nice fantasy. Going from a cheap London hovel to an elite fae institute should be amazing, especially when it involves a medieval castle.
It’s just not so great when the aristocratic jerks in the Tower want to crush you.
It starts when a lethally gorgeous fae–Ruadan–hunts me down. He’s known as the Wraith, and he’s taken a vow of silence to snuff out illegal magic. Fae magic that I possess. The Wraith lets me live on one condition: I have to earn my place at the Court of the Shadow Fae. I’m a survivor. I think I can manage the competition.
Too bad the posh recruits have it in for me. Worse, I’m forced to share a room with the silent Wraith, who is as sinister as he is hot. All it takes is one slip up, and I’m out. And at the Court of the Shadow Fae, failure means death.
This series is linked to the Sea Fae series but can be read in any order.
A continuation in the world of Honey and Ice . . .with new characters, new loves, new enemies . . .
Underhill is my ruthless mother. Her realm is my deadly home. The brutal creatures here are both foe and friend.
But the group of fae that just attacked me? They’re all foe. Dragged from my game of hide-and-seek with a dragon, and my home of twenty-one years, I’m thrust into a weak, ugly realm.
Earth.
Something is taking the fae children of the Irish court, and an Oracle has declared I must find them. Nope. Not my problem. Bye. Except a three-year-old girl they suspect is the next Queen of All Fae was taken too. She’s crucial to the success of my mother’s work and the wellbeing of all, including these simpering fae who’ve forgotten who they are.
Now they have my attention.
The child-snatching darkness flickers in and out of sight, spreading in secret, reaching through cracks and fissures to seize and steal the innocent. Yet I earned each breath in my life by understanding that which seeks to kill me. I will learn the ways of this enemy and find its lair, ideally without the Seelie and Unseelie males who only slow me—even if they’re not quite as stupid as most Earth-dwelling fae.
All I’m sure of is that Underhill is testing me. My mother is testing me in her typical, brutal fashion. And I will not fail.
Freedom is her desire. Vengeance is his price.
Slip into this scintillating tale of a young royal whose loyalty is torn between the prince she was sold to and the tempestuous knight determined to ruin her.
Imryll is unfit to be a princess. Everyone has always told her so. So when the king stuns everyone by crowning her the prince’s consort, her life is completely upended, crushing any lingering dreams of a future away from the suffocating Rhiagain court.
Still reeling from the news, she meets Drazhan, the formidable, mercurial knight who wins the right to be her personal guard. But when he defiantly refuses any show of respect, a dangerous spark ignites between them, one she doesn’t know how to extinguish. Worse, she’s not sure she wants to.
The dark knight’s licentious midnight whispers linger over her, commands she feels inexplicably called to obey. His dangerous promises spread their tendrils over her desperate, failed attempts to embrace life with the prince, her childhood best friend. They take her apart and put her back together, piece by agonizing piece.
Yet she can’t shake the sense Drazhan is hiding something important. He refuses to explain why he surrendered a life of privilege to become her guard. The roaring vengeance burning in his heart, scorching him from the inside out, is a painful mystery Imryll can’t solve.
But she will.
Because Drazhan’s revenge doesn’t just start with Imryll.
It ends with her.
On the night of the blood moon, the Vampire Lord must die.
Floriane’s position as the forge maiden of Hunter’s Hamlet is one of reverence, for it is her skill that arms and protects the vampire hunters. She knows her place and is a faithful servant to the Master Hunter and her community… until the night of the blood moon. Until her brother is dying at the hands of the Vampire Lord Ruvan.
Wanting to defend her home at all costs, Floriane fights the vampire lord, ready to give her life if it means taking his. But Ruvan doesn’t want to take her life… he wants her.
Kidnapped and brought to the vampire castle, Floriane is now blood sworn to the vampire lord. She is bound in mind and body to her worst enemy. But Ruvan isn’t the fiend she thought he was. She learns the truth of the vampires: They are not mindless monsters, but a proud people, twisted and tortured by an ancient curse.
Ruvan believes that Floriane might be the key to ending his people’s suffering. All Floriane wants is to defend her home. Loyalties are tested and the lines between truth and lie, hate and passion, are blurred.
When her dagger is at his chest, will she be able to take the heart of the man who has claimed hers?
I couldn’t think up 10 or I was to lazy too but 7 is a good number! I haven’t read two authors from this list, Emma Hamm and Sarah M. Cradit but I definitely want to! Have you read any of these?
Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. Shadow and Bone meets Lore in this epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
From the author of Loathe at First Sight and So We Meet Again, a fun rom-com about a young Korean-American woman having to return to college after discovering she’s a few credits shy of completing her degree—only to find one of her TAs is her old college boyfriend.
Lily Lee is a bestselling author of the How to Be a Supernova At Work series, and her editor wants her to strike while the iron’s hot with a new book, How to Land the Perfect Job. But when Lily is offered a coveted position at a top firm, the employer background check reveals she’s short a few college credits and never actually completed her degree. Unbelievably, her worst nightmare has come true.
Lily returns to her alma mater, reliving her senior year of college ten years later. She enrolls in classes, gets invited to frat parties, eats most of her meals with “dining dollars,” and to make things even more weird and chaotic, she discovers that her computer science TA is her old college boyfriend, Jake Cho.
As Lily and Jake reconnect, she sees that her ex has done well for himself: the handsome, charming grad student appears to have his life together while Lily’s so close to losing her dream job opportunity and her book deal.
Things aren’t so simple the second time around.
The Do-Over is a delightfully warm and hopeful story about second chances in love and life, and how the future we want may turn out far different than we imagined.
A series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!
Tamsin Lark didn’t ask to be a Hollower. As a mortal with no magical talent, she was never meant to break into ancient crypts, or compete with sorceresses and Cunningfolk for the treasures inside. But after her thieving foster father disappeared without so much as a goodbye, it was the only way to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.
Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian vanished with a powerful ring from Arthurian legend. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.
As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitors in the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers’ nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .
In post–World War I England, a young woman inherits a mysterious library and must untangle its powerful secrets…
With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she’s descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.
The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own.
Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey’s previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library’s mysteries in order to reclaim her own story—before it vanishes forever.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall meets Crazy Stupid Love in a YA second chance romance from fan-favorite author couple #Wibbroka!
Seventeen-year-old volleyball star Kaylee Jordan lives a life of player rankings, constant training, and a carefully curated social media full of followers watching to see if she’ll go pro out of high school like her famous mom. Her one refuge, and the thing she looks forward to every summer? The vacation her family spends in Malibu with the Freeman-Yus. This year, there’s only one problem: Kaylee and their son, Dean, dated for the past three months, and Kaylee just unceremoniously dumped him. Hoping to spare them the worst summer ever, Kaylee comes to Dean with her unconventional solution: she’s going to walk him through her rules for getting over an ex. When Dean grudgingly cooperates, Kaylee’s got her work cut out for her. But helping Dean follow her own rules starts becoming difficult when the pressures of Kaylee’s family legacy and perfect life start to feel less like a plan and more like a prison…and amid warm California nights and stolen laughs, Kaylee feels herself falling for Dean for the same reasons and some new ones. With their trip coming to an end, Kaylee has to make the complicated choice between doing what’s expected and taking a (second) chance on love.
Award-winning author Laekan Zea Kemp’s heart-wrenching novel-in-verse follows two teens who must come together to heal the pain from their pasts, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Nicola Yoon.
Danna Mendoza Villarreal’s grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade, and Danna’s not sure her plan to help him remember through the foods he once reviewed will be enough to bring him back. Especially when her own love of food makes her complicated relationship with her mother even more difficult.
Raúl Santos has been lost ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated two years ago. Playing guitar for the elderly has been his only escape, to help them remember and him forget. But when his mom unexpectedly comes back into his life, what is he supposed to do when she isn’t the same person who left?
When Danna and Raúl meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal her grandfather…and themselves. Because healing is something best done together—even if it doesn’t always look the way we want it to.
“I am not his conquest. I am not his to claim. I am my own castle.”
Freed from the golden clutches of the Sun King, Lor now finds herself in the hands of Nadir, the Aurora Prince. Convinced she’s hiding something, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her talk. But Lor knows the value of secrets—she’s been keeping them her entire life—and she’s not letting hers go without a fight.
When Lor and Nadir team up to search for a lost item that holds the key to her past and her future, she isn’t sure if she can trust him. All she knows is she won’t fall for his promises and make the same mistakes again.
Lor also hasn’t forgotten her vow to destroy the Aurora King. As Atlas hunts her across Ouranos, Lor plots to bring down the Imperial Fae who took everything. But she soon realizes the future of the continent is about so much more than just her shattered legacy.
The Rule of the Aurora King is the second book in the Artefacts of Ouranos series and combines romance, intrigue, action, and adventure. If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, and fake dating, don’t miss this exciting next installment!
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.
A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?
Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!
Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBT, Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult
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!
Maude is the daughter of witches. She spent her childhood running wild with her best friend, Odette, weaving stories of girls who slayed dragons and saved princes. Then Maude grew up and lost her magic—and her best friend.
These days, magic is toothless, reduced to glamour patches and psychic energy drinks found in supermarkets and shopping malls. Odette has always hungered for forbidden, dangerous magic, and two weeks ago she went searching for it. Now she’s missing, and everyone says she’s dead. Everyone except Maude.
Storytelling has always been Maude’s gift, so she knows all about girls who get lost in the woods. She’s sure she can find Odette inside the ruins of Sicklehurst, an abandoned power plant built over an ancient magical forest—a place nobody else seems to remember is there. The danger is, no one knows what remains inside Sicklehurst, either. And every good story is sure to have a monster.
Content Warning: violence, death
The cover on this book caught my eye really quick. It’s gorgeous! As for the story, this is what I thought:
+ This is a dark fairy-tale and some parts of it reminded me of the book, The Hazel Wood. There are modern and fantasy elements and there are monsters and violence.
+ Maude is an unreliable narrator and a pretty good one meaning I couldn’t tell if what she was remembering was a dream, hallucination or a memory. As the story unfolds and the story comes together, it starts to make more sense. I did like the concept of the story.
+ I found the magic system intriguing and the world is unique. Maude is from a line of witches and magic in the town seems like it’s a forbidden thing. I also liked the fairy-tale characters that come to life, they were interesting!
~ The pacing didn’t work for me. Most of the action takes place in the second half of the book.
~ It took too long for me to feel like I understood the world. It’s contemporary with fantasy elements but in the beginning of the story I was trying to figure it out because it had some modern things like the power plant and the way the characters talk. I didn’t feel settled into the story until almost the end. I think if it was pure fantasy it would have worked much better for me.
~ I didn’t connect to the characters but it kept me hooked enough to finish because I wanted to see how Maude would fix things. Maude was a bit obsessed over Odette but I guess that’s something she was working out with her other issues about losing people in her life.
Tropes: unreliable narrator
Why you should read it:
you like dark fairytales, unique world building and interesting magic system
unreliable narrator
Why you might not want to read it:
slow beginning, got interesting in the end
My Thoughts:
I love the book cover and I love the concept of the story. I think the dark fairytale aspect of the story with the unreliable narrator was enough to keep me interested. The thing that was a miss for me was the pacing, which was too slow in the beginning with flashback memories that made the story feel like a dream at some points. Also the characters were interesting but I couldn’t connect to anyone. It seems like there will be a sequel but I’m not sure that I will continue the series. I think people who like dark fairytales like The Hazel Wood.
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, New Adult, Magic
Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.
After Abriella’s sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn’t get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making - loving two princes and trusting neither – things are not quite as clear as she once thought.
As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn’t even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don’t lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm – whether she likes it or not.
Content Warning: violence
I finally got to read this book! Here is what I thought:
+ I honestly forgot what happened in These Hollow Vows – but the sequel did a good job in reminding me of past events. I did remember that this had a major love triangle and it continues in this conclusion. There is a choice made though, thank goodness. I was definitely there for the romance but I have more thoughts on that below.
+ I enjoyed it because I love Fae stories. It’s got a lot of the tropes I love: fake dating, love triangle, one bed, etc…and also it’s got some sexual situations which is always surprising because I always see this cover and think young adult. But this New Adult.
~ I think I would have eaten this book up in my 20’s. In my 40’s I was tired of her going back and forth between her feelings. And I always enjoy love triangles but I hate it when it’s between brothers because I tend to like both brothers! So yes 20 year old me would’ve given this 5 stars but 40 year old me has no patience lol.
~ I love chosen one stories but why is Brie so special? I was rolling my eyes when another Fae King started flirting with her. Like come on! And because of that, this book could have been 100 pages less. This is an always 500 page book. There is a lot of angst on Sebastian’s part – ugh….Sebastian. Actually there was a lot of angst going around – Brie was was blaming herself. She’s the special one but she doesn’t know why (I didn’t either) and she kept saying everything was her fault.
Why you should read it:
all the tropes, Fae, romantasy
you want to complete the duology
entertaining
Why you might not want to read it:
love triangle, angst, blame game
My Thoughts:
Like I said above, I would have eaten this up in my 20’s. In my 40’s I’m a bit less patient about the love triangle (and I usually like love triangles) and the angst, along with the blame game. Also it was maybe 100 pages too long. But I did find the story entertaining because I like romantasy and especially when there is Fae involved, so I’m glad I got to take this off my TBR list!
My kids have only 8 more weeks of school, which means our trip to Okinawa is 8 1/2 weeks away. I got a dog/house sitter (yay!) and I’ve never had one who wasn’t family or a friend so I hope things go well with my dog and the sitter. We’ll be gone for 14 days. Today my kids Sunday school will having a Passover Seder for the kids so we’re doing that today. I don’t even have plans for Easter yet – why is there always too many things to do?
I’m trying another audiobook! I’m listening to Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove – hopefully I can complete it.
Shows/Movies I Watched:
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!
I saw this readathon on Mauve Mumblings and found that it’s hosted by Clo @ Cuppa Clo (check out both these amazing blogs!) and I thought finally a readathon that I think I want to try out. I haven’t done a readathon in all the years I’ve been blogging. I haven’t done one EVER, I think. But I love astrology and planets and thought this would be super cute and fun to do. I also like that it just started on March 20, 2023 and I have until March 20, 2024 to finish. I hope I can do it! Go to Clo @ Cuppa Clo to read the rules of the readathon if you are interested in doing it!
Let me just say though I do NOT like to follow any TBR lists. I’m bad at it because I am such a mood reader, so I tried to pick books on here that I already have and will have to read because they are arcs or they are collecting dust on my book shelf. And I feel like listing them here will give me more motivation to finish them.
Zodiac Prompts
This one looks amazing and I’m excited to read it when it comes out in July!
*****
Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.
Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.
Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.
Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.
Every time I see this book cover I’m in the mood to read and I finally got a hardcover copy for my bookshelf so I will be reading this one very soon. I know I’ll definitely complete this prompt for this readathon.
Another book on my shelf that I’m eager to knock off my TBR list. This one is dual POV.
*****
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Wilder Girls in this unique, voice-driven novel from Kelly McWilliams.
Agnes loves her home of Red Creek–its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town’s strict laws. What she doesn’t know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet.
Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn’t a sin. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?
As the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. But it isn’t safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate. As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But in a world where faith, miracles, and cruelty have long been indistinguishable, will Agnes be able to choose between saving her family and saving the world?
Because House of Roots & Ruin is coming out in July, I need to reread House of Salt and Sorrows since it’s been awhile! It came out in 2019! So I’m glad I have a copy of it on my bookshelf. I’ll start rereading this one soon!
I’m in love with this book cover! But this feels like it’s a chosen one vibes kinda book – I have an arc for it which I’m excited to read!
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Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.
Magic flickers. Love flames. Chaos reigns.
Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.
Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.
In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.
I’ve been wanting to read this one for a very long while now but I don’t know why I haven’t picked it up even though I read Circe which is written by the same author. I think it’s because Greek mythology has been hit or miss for me lately and I’m kind of trying to steer away from it. But this is one book I’ve always wanted to read so I hope this is the year I will finally knock it off my TBR list!
I’m actually listening to the audiobook for this one right now but from the synopsis it sounds like this is going to have an opposite attracts kind of romance!
All the characters in this series are morally grey! But I only read book one, so I do want to see what happens next in the series. A lot of the characters in the book are not exactly likable but I find them very interesting because they are morally grey. So hopefully I get to knock this one off my list this year!
This one takes place in Ireland! It sounds like a cute read.
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On the road to love, you don’t need a GPS…
Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.
Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.
Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.
I read one book from this author and I loved how family and friendship was woven into the story even though some of the family situations were challenging. So I think this would be a book that will be about family also.
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Danna Mendoza Villarreal’s grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade, and Danna’s not sure her plan to help him remember through the foods he once reviewed will be enough to bring him back. Especially when her own love of food makes her complicated relationship with her mother even more difficult.
Raúl Santos has been lost ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated two years ago. Playing guitar for the elderly has been his only escape, to help them remember and him forget. But when his mom unexpectedly comes back into his life, what is he supposed to do when she isn’t the same person who left?
When Danna and Raúl meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal her grandfather…and themselves. Because healing is something best done together—even if it doesn’t always look the way we want it to.
I know this one came out awhile ago and it was a very hyped book but I never got a copy until last year. And since then that copy has been on my book shelf gathering dust lol. No, but really, I was going to take it on my East coast trip last year but didn’t feel like packing more things so I brought my ipad instead. So this is still on my shelf and I should read it this year!
A romance writer is definitely creative and I have this arc!
*****
Broke up with, broke, and with a vicious case of writer’s block, romance writer Gracie Landing is a hot mess. She can hardly be blamed for drinking one (or a few) too many cocktails when out with her besties in an attempt to cheer herself up. Sometime in the foggy wee hours, she recklessly emails her unrequited high-school crush, Colin Yarmouth, who is now a successful attorney harboring regrets of his own. When she receives an intriguingly friendly (not to say flirty) response, her acute embarrassment is overcome only by her fervent curiosity―what would a hottie like Colin be like as a grown up? The two forge an unlikely friendship that’s unmistakably headed for more. Colin’s tales of his own woeful break-up become fodder for Gracie’s fertile imagination and her current work-in-progress takes off. With the deadline looming and her checking account dwindling, Gracie has no idea that borrowing Colin’s story could wreak havoc on her life, her career, and her own chance at happily-ever-after…
Planet Prompts
I love fantasy, especially romance fantasy so I’m excited to read the second book of this series which comes out very soon.
I think this will hit me in the feels because JACK. Also this is the conclusion and this can either hit me in the feels in a good or bad way but I am going to be hoping it will be GOOD feels. All the kinds of feels I expect Jack to always give me lol.
I honestly didn’t think the last book for this series would ever be written and yet here we are in 2023 and finally it’s here. The last book was written in 2018 and honestly…I don’t remember what happens. I just wanna know if Evie will end up with Jack or Aric and I think I’m team Aric? See – I don’t even fully remember. I read this series so long ago but I do remember it’s so filled with drama and the tarot cards which made it pretty cool. I think there will be tons of communication/miscommunication in this one.
If you’ve read a Rebecca Ross book you know that she is so good at writing about the relationships between characters. So this one I think will fill this requirement because I read book one and loved the relationships in that one. This being the continuation in the series makes me confident the relationships in this book will take center stage.
This series is full of major conflict and action. The Bond Shard Emperor is book two and I know book three is out this year so I really need to get this one read soon or sometime this year if I want to complete the series.
I’m always intrigued by dark academia books but it’s not my go-to, first reading pick. I really have to be in the mood for it so maybe I’ll be able to pick this up in the fall when I’m very moody when it comes to the books I read. This looks like it will be a good fit! Plus I’ve always wanted to read this one and just haven’t gotten a copy yet – so maybe this will push me to finally knock it off my TBR list.
I just got this book on Book Outlet and I’ve been wanting to read it since it came out last year. This is a great time to finally dig into it for this prompt!
This series is one of those collecting dust on my book shelf and it’s not because I didn’t love the first book, I did – it’s a 5 star read for me. But I hardly read sci-fi/dystopian books and so I have to really be in the mood to read this genre. And I guess I haven’t in the mood for a couple of years lol. But I hope because I have this on my list, I’ll finally read it this year.
This one revolves around art and love so I think this will be a cute read!
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In the tradition of Jenny Han and Emma Lord, Jennifer Chen’s Artifacts of an Ex is a story of love, art, and finding your way when everything you know has changed completely.
When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, her first instinct is to throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers’ break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Opening night is going great, until she spots Daniel Kwak illicitly filming his best friend’s reaction to his ex’s box. When she tries to stop him, an intense discussion ends up launching a creative partnership and friendship… and a major crush for Chloe.
There’s just one problem: Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound.
Five times he’s been the guy who makes the girls he’s dating realize they want to get back with their ex. And he refuses for there to be a sixth. She insists she’s over her ex, but when he shows up unexpectedly with his new girlfriend, it turns out Daniel was right. She isn’t ready for a new relationship.
She throws herself into making Heartifacts successful, but flashy influencers threaten her original vision of the exhibit. To create the exhibit she’s always wanted, Chloe needs to go back to basics, learn to work with artists in a more collaborative way, and discover what love can be. Only then will she convince Daniel she’s truly ready for everything they could be to one another.
This is a fantasy book I’m looking forward to and is coming out really soon! So I know for sure I’ll finish this prompt.
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 