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.
*******
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.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Autumn Blake for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A fiery witch… Ember Belle is a total mess. When she’s not partying with the local shifter pack or causing mayhem around New Orleans with her three sisters, she does anything to avoid confronting her out-of-control fire magick and the grief from losing her parents. However, when an opportunity arises to obtain a magical item that could solve all her problems, she decides to take her life into her own hands.
A cold-as-ice demon… Killian Inferno’s only desire is to spend his final weeks of freedom in New Orleans, away from his duties as the future Lord of Pride. What he doesn’t expect, is to be summoned by the amateur witch who has been haunting his dreams. A seductress who needs his expertise to solve a recent murder by any means necessary. Even sorcery.
Ember now has no choice but to enter a demon pact with Killian. The terms are simple: remove the spell she may have cast on him before Samhain, or return to Hell with him, kicking and screaming. Can the two enemies set aside their animosity to uncover the city’s secrets and unlock Ember’s true magical potential, or will they be undone by the enemies they didn’t see coming?
Bewitched Shadows is Book 1 in the sizzling, new Wicked Belles series.
Content Warning: slut shaming, violence
I love this book cover – the colors are some of my favorites and I saw it was about a witch and a demon so I requested it. Here is what I thought:
+ I like a good urban fantasy with paranormal creatures and this is set in New Orleans which I always feel is the perfect setting for paranormal romance. There are werewolves, vamps, witches and demons. In this story, it centers around one particular witch and a demon.
+ There is attraction from Ember and Killian from the start. But though there is a lot of attraction between them I felt like this was a slow burn and the sexy scenes came later in the story. Ember is kind of a mess – she is definitely living life to the fullest but can’t control her powers yet. Killian is the son of the devil so he knows about responsibilities and pressures – but they balance one another.
+ I enjoyed Ember’s family. She has a bunch of sisters and a grandmother who is strict. They are witches so I like how they have their rituals and let go of their inhibitions, it’s what I expect of witches! Her sister Jade actually is getting her story told next.
+ I did like that Killian was trying to investigate a few murders happening around the city or else the story would have been just about their attraction to one another.
~ As much as I enjoyed the setting and that it was a paranormal romance, I felt like I didn’t connect much to the characters. I did like Ember and her family and I did sympathize with Killian and his situation with his father but I felt like I wanted more from both of them.
~ I loved that Ember was confident in her sexuality and loved sex. Too bad the werewolves were always slut-shaming her!
Why you should read it:
you like urban fantasy filled with witches, demons, vampires and werewolves and it’s set in New Orleans
feels like a slow burn but it does get spicy
familiar storyline, quick read
Why you might not want to read it:
didn’t connect much to the characters
familiar storyline, nothing new
My Thoughts:
I thought this was a pretty good book and if I was ever in the mood for a paranormal romance, now I have another author to add to my list. This was a quick read with familiar storylines, a witch is attracted to a demon, and the demon is fighting with his father. I just wish I connected more to the characters. I know a lot of readers will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Berkley Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.
After losing her job and being on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans finds herself with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But there are no jobs to be found, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.
Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. She is shocked when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.
Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. She finds herself at a loss for what to do, given that he doesn’t remember her. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.
Content Warning: mention of death of a parent
A single dad and the nanny? I was definitely interested to see what would happen here especially since the nanny had an OnlyFans account. Here’s what I thought:
+ If you like steamy, hot scenes – this book is definitely for you. From the recollections of Cassie’s OnlyFans sessions with her favorite client to her and Aiden getting it one. Oh boy…this one is on fire!
+ The single dad trope I thought was done pretty good. He’s busy and needs some help and Cassie is definitely qualified.
+ My favorite characters in this book are Sophie who is definitely a typical 9 year old, playing on her Switch and thinking kissing is gross. She’s had some trauma and a busy dad so I totally understood her reservations. Also Wanda, Cassie’s best friend, an elderly woman with so much spunk is hilarious.
~ As much as I enjoyed the smutty scenes and I like that Aiden and Cassie have a connection. I wanted them to connect on a deeper level. I just didn’t feel it and honestly, I did feel like Iris (Sophie’s aunt) was correct to be worried that Aiden didn’t do enough for Sophie. He barely spent time with his daughter in this story and if he did, and was a bit more protective of her, even when it came to Cassie who was new to their family – I have been more endeared to him I think? I give him credit for trying but as a character – I felt like he was not putting enough effort. And you’d think as a chef with a famous restaurant he’d at least cook something good for Cassie but he never does! I was waiting for some amazing meal scene or something along those lines.
~ The conversations between Aiden and Cassie got repetitive at times and lacked the kind of banter I love in a romance. It would start off okay and they do well in the bedroom but outside of the bedroom I felt like they needed better communication skills.
~ Cassie is a sweetheart but honestly, sometimes she got on my nerves because she knows what sleeping with her boss would do and especially in the eyes of Iris. I’m glad Wanda was there to tell her what is up because that girl needed some guidance. Also when Cassie decides to leave – did she not think how that would affect Sophie who’s mom just died? So leaving without a goodbye is a good decision? Just little things like that bugged me.
Tropes: single dad, dad and the nanny, one house
Why you should read it:
hot sex scenes
single dad trope, live-in nanny romance
Wanda is the best character
Why you might not want to read it:
repetitive and need better communication between the characters
My Thoughts:
I was not expecting the blush factor in this book, it’s got some steamy scenes which I enjoyed! I just wish the two main characters connected better outside of the bedroom as well as they did inside of it because as much as I enjoyed the smut, I was skipping a few of it at the ending because I wanted the emotional parts of these two characters. Also their conversations felt repetitive. My favorite character is Wanda, Cassie’s spunky friend who is the closest thing to family that she has. She brought a lot of the humor into the story. Overall I thought the book was still enjoyable despite the some of the issues I had with it.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Graydon House for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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.
Content Warning: holding someone against their will
I am always intrigued by books by Hester Fox, so I requested this one right away. Here is what I thought:
+ The writing is lush and engaging. I could envision Ivy going to Yorkshire to live in this haunted, old abbey. There were moments the story gave me the chills and creeps. It had all the gothic vibes I was expecting from this author.
+ I like the twist in the story because it was totally unexpected. There is a sentient, evil library – which I thought was pretty cool. I was afraid for Ivy because even I didn’t know what was going on until it was explained, but I could sympathize and feel her confusion and terror when certain things start happening to her.
+~ Ivy is an unreliable narrator which is fascinating and frustrating at the same time. By the middle of the book, I was so irritated with her decision making! There is an explanation to her behavior but you have to keep reading.
~ Though this is a quick read, there is so much information withheld from Ivy it was very frustrating. I just was wishing someone would tell her something to help her out. I just kept judging her and saying she was very naive but there is more to the story that I can’t reveal.
~ There were some parts to the story that felt disjointed. The romance didn’t quite work for me, it could have, but the way the story is written – it just didn’t work for me. And after the explanation about the Abbey’s library – everything felt rushed from then on to the end. I wish there were more creepy scenes, and more incidents with the library books!
Tropes: sentient library
Why you should read it:
you like gothic, historical fantasy
the atmosphere of the Abbey, the library, the writing is engaging
Ivy is an unreliable narrator
Why you might not want to read it:
some parts of the story is rushed, romance didn’t work for me
My Thoughts:
I’m always picking up a Hester Fox book because I know the gothic vibes will be there. I love how her writing captures a setting, in this case, Yorkshire and the Abbey. I love the creepy vibes and wish it were creepier! I enjoyed the twist in the story about the library and wish there were more instances where we got to see the library in action. The romance didn’t work for me and I do think the ending was rushed but I still found it entertaining.
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?
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 