Luminous by. Mara Rutherford | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Luminous

Author: Mara Rutherford

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/5/21

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

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

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

From the author of Crown of Coral and Pearl comes an immersive new fantasy about a witch who must learn to harness her power–or risk losing her loved ones forever.

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos–and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.

I definitely requested this from NetGalley because of the cover. It’s not colorful, but I love the aesthetic of it. Also the premise of the story sounded so unique!

Liora has a very interesting and unique power, she is as bright as a star but she doesn’t know much about her powers at all. Her family has kept her hidden to keep her out of danger though so she is very sheltered. The warlock Darius though recognizes her for who she is and interestingly enough, he is the one who can give her clues about her power and it’s origin.

I think the most fascinating thing about this story was Margana, the weaver. She created the Queen and Prince with her powers. That’s pretty amazing and unique. I could see why Darius kept her under his thumb.

I did like the theme of family. Liora did everything to help save her family from Darius’ threats. Evran, Liora’s love interest and Margana’s son, did his best to try and save his mother. So the theme of family is strong in this story.

The romance is sweet, Liora and Evran were friends that turned into lovers.

Triggers: violence

I did not connect to Liora. The most fascinating character for me was Margana because her powers were so unique. Liora is very sheltered and doesn’t know much about the world outside her town – she does grow a bit because she has to save Evran and deal with Darius but I felt like I needed more from her.

Why did Darius remind me of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone? Maybe because he’s lived for a long time, and Liora’s power is light and he wants her for that? Anyway, it kept giving me images of the Darkling.

I wanted more world-building and explanation of the magic system. Evran doesn’t know much about his power, Liora doesn’t either so I just felt like it was vague at times. The ending felt like it was making room for a sequel, but I think this is a standalone.

Why you should read it:

  • Shadow and Bone fan – this has similar themes and villain/Darkling traits
  • easy, quick read – perfect for teens
  • cool magic (my favorite is the weaving)

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s a standalone and I think the ending felt like it was left open
  • it’s too similar to Shadow and Bone
  • needs more world building and explanation of magic system

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a fairly enjoyable fantasy despite the issues I had with it. I wish I had connected more to the characters but I thought Margana’s magic was very cool. I think it’s a fantasy that young adults and younger can enjoy because the romance is sweet and the themes center around family.

📚 ~ Yolanda

WWW Wednesday | 9/8/21

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

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?


What are you currently reading?

What have you finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I got no reading done this past weekend and it was a holiday weekend! I chilled and relaxed with my family, was playing Roblox with the kids (Pet Sim X and Adopt Me anyway? LOL…I grind so I can give my daughter pets. 🤦🏻‍♀️). Then on Labor Day (Monday) which is a holiday in the USA, we had a water balloon fight and slip and slide. It was a busy weekend. Hopefully I make headway on She Who Rides the Storm (not really feeling it) and When Night Breaks (it’s good so far)

What are you reading? ~ Yolanda

City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1) by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/13/21

Publisher: C.N. Crawford

Categories: Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Fake Dating

I never thought I’d be singing happy birthday to myself in a dungeon. And yet when a sinfully sexy demon crashes happy hour, that’s exactly what happens. He’s known as the Lord of Chaos, and he’s mistaken me for my succubus doppelgänger.

Happy birthday to me.

When he tastes my blood, he finally understands I’m mortal. And I realize we have something in common: we both crave revenge. So we make a deal: I can stay in the forbidden city to hunt for my mom’s killer. In return, I’ll help him get the vengeance he craves. I just have to pose as a sexy succubus. One problem–he’s my number one suspect.

And that’s increasingly hard to remember as he teaches me my role: seduction. With each heated touch I drift further into peril. And if I fall under his seductive spell, death awaits me.

Rowan is trying to make ends meet as a nineteen year old who is on her own. She has a best friend who is attending University in the forbidden city that is inhabited by demons. Rowan wants in but how? This is where the Lord of Chaos, Orion, comes in as he mistakenly thinks Rowan is Mortana, a succubus from the past with a bad, bad, bad reputation. Of course Rowan isn’t this Mortana he accuses her of being but she puts a proposition to him – she will act as Mortana and find out what Orion needs to know in order for him to exact his revenge. This helps Rowan get closer to achieving her ideas of avenge against her mother’s murderer also – if she can find out who it is.

I found Rowan a typical main character found in these types of new adult, urban fantasy books, especially the ones from this author. Rowan is down on her luck, trying to better her life and then she run into a major complication that can actually help her situation – as long as she plays along. But we learn a few things about Rowan that made the story much more interesting…is she Mortana? Or a descendant? Who killed her mom? I’ll definitely be reading the next book to find out.

Orion, Lord of Chaos, is all kinds of temptation and mystery. He’s devastatingly handsome, rich, and powerful. I love how snarky he is! The chemistry between them is off the charts. I mean…he is an incubus! 🔥 It’s his job to set her and everyone else raging with arousal.

These books are short and sweet and usually the next installment is released very soon, but it seems like book two will be released in January 2022! I hope it gets released sooner.

I just finished the last series from this author and there was a whole situation with the mc being possessed by another spirit and I really hope this series doesn’t follow the same formula. It would be cool just Rowan to be a descendant or something but we shall see what happens.

Why you should read it?

  • world building with demons
  • escapism
  • quick read/addictive, fake dating

Why you might not want to read it?

  • too short and next book comes out in 2022
  • not into demons

My Thoughts:

I think this is a pretty solid start to a series. I like the world building and enjoyed getting to know Rowan and some of her mysterious background. I love Orion of course and not because he’s a handsome demon but he is snarky and I love snark. I hope this turns out to be a good series and I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.

📚~ Yolanda

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 9/7/21

Happy book birthday to these new releases!! I’m definitely getting The Hawthorne Legacy and then there is a bunch more added to my TBR list. It seems to be never-ending at this point haha. What are you going to pick up this week?

Intrigue, riches, and romance abound in this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Inheritance Games perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.


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

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

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

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

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


New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with The Last Legacy, a captivating standalone about family and blood ties, reinventing yourself, and controlling your own destiny.

When a letter from her uncle Henrik arrives on Bryn Roth’s eighteenth birthday, summoning her back to Bastian, Bryn is eager to prove herself and finally take her place in her long-lost family.

Henrik has plans for Bryn, but she must win everyone’s trust if she wants to hold any power in the delicate architecture of the family. It doesn’t take long for her to see that the Roths are entangled in shadows. Despite their growing influence in upscale Bastian, their hands are still in the kind of dirty business that got Bryn’s parents killed years ago. With a forbidden romance to contend with and dangerous work ahead, the cost of being accepted into the Roths may be more than Bryn can pay.


Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive – even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself.


Jenny Han meets The Bachelorette in this effervescent romantic comedy about a teen Korean American adoptee who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a competition for her heart, as orchestrated by her overbearing, loving family.

Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college—all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new.

But…what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.

The plan is simple: use Jasmine’s graduation party as an opportunity for her to meet the most eligible teen bachelors in Orlando. There’s no pressure for Jasmine to choose anyone, of course, but the family hopes their meticulously curated choices will show Jasmine how she should be treated. And maybe one will win her heart.

But with the family fighting for their favorites, bachelors going rogue, and Paul wanting her back, the Jasmine Project may not end in love but total, heartbreaking disaster. 


A literary historical novel detailing the horrors faced by institutionalized women in 19th century Paris—soon to be a major film with Amazon Studios

The Salpetriere Asylum: Paris, 1885. Dr. Charcot holds all of Paris in thrall with his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad and cast out from society. But the truth is much more complicated—these women are often simply inconvenient, unwanted wives, those who have lost something precious, wayward daughters, or girls born from adulterous relationships. For Parisian society, the highlight of the year is the Lenten ball—the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere dressed up in their finery for one night only. For the women themselves, it is a rare moment of hope.

Genevieve is a senior nurse. After the childhood death of her sister Blandine, she shunned religion and placed her faith in both the celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Charcot and science. But everything begins to change when she meets Eugenie—the 19-year-old daughter of a bourgeois family that has locked her away in the asylum. Because Eugenie has a secret: she sees spirits. Inspired by the scandalous, banned work that all of Paris is talking about, The Book of Spirits,Eugenie is determined to escape from the asylum—and the bonds of her gender—and seek out those who will believe in her. And for that she will need Genevieve’s help . . . 


Going toe-to-toe with a brooding Scotsman is rather bold for a respectable suffragist, but when he happens to be one’s unexpected husband, what else is an unwilling bride to do?

London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted “just” three things in life:

1. Acclaim as an artist.
2. A noble cause.
3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman.

Why then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain’s peerage? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she’s stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the end of her ambitions….

When the daughter of his business rival all but falls into his lap, Lucian sees opportunity. As a self-made man, he has vast wealth but holds little power, and Hattie might be the key to finally setting long-harbored political plans in motion. Driven by an old revenge, he has no room for his new wife’s apprehensions or romantic notions, bewitching as he finds her.

But a sudden journey to Scotland paints everything in a different light. Hattie slowly sees the real Lucian and realizes she could win everything—as long as she is prepared to lose her heart.

Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile on Your Face | Top Ten Tuesday | 9/7/21

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:

Books Guaranteed to Put a Smile on Your Face

Every time I do one of these that look for books that make me smile, or make me feel happy I look at all the books I read since I started my blog and realize I read some heavy books. Haha…I need more light-hearted, happy books that make me smile so I look forward to seeing your TTT!

Oh and honorable mentions because I have kids and love reading books to them – this one ALWAYS makes me and my daughter smile…

~ Yolanda

As If on Cue by. Marisa Kanter | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: As If on Cue

Author: Marisa Kanter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 9/21/21

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Contemporary

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

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

Talk about enemies to lovers….Natalie and Reid are straight-up hating one another. At least that’s how we see it through Natalie’s perspective. Natalie and Reid have been rivals since they both started being clarinet pupils under her dad’s tutelage. The competition between them became so fierce that it included pranks and then rules to curb their behavior. Now they are both in high school and their relationship is beyond tense.

I enjoyed how this story was written – it flowed so well and the characters were really fleshed out and strong. I loved Natalie’s friends, Henry and Fitz who are amazing. Natalie and Henry’s platonic best-friend relationship is super sweet and Fitz is just fabulous, bi and a fashion trendsetter. When Natalie’s in her core group, we see her shine even when she doesn’t feel like she has a voice. There is a lot of growth to her character especially when she is forced to turn the play she has written into a musical. She is pushed past her comfort zone, and becomes aware of how intense she can be. This whole venture also makes her confront the issues she has with her dad.

The part I had fun reading about was the making of the musical, Melted. We see all the hard work that these teenagers go through with making music, auditions, and just all the effort they put in because they love the arts (music, performing, etc…). I loved how the story progressed as we get to opening night.

I really connected to the message the author was trying to convey about Natalie not knowing what to do after high school. She’s still a Junior but already she’s wondering if pursuing a passion (for example the arts) and giving it your all is a bad thing because she sees her mom, a writer, struggle with writer’s block and the emotions of trying to put out work to help pay the bills. Her dad is a music teacher and that doesn’t pay well either plus all his time seems to be devoted to the band and Reid. Natalie weighs the options of pursuing a passion or doing what other people do and find something stable and play with your passion on the side. Everyone has their own path but Natalie really struggled with her vision of the future.

Triggers: microaggressions, antisemitism

I love an enemies to lovers romance, it’s my favorite trope but Natalie and Reid take it too far. I will say, Reid didn’t do anything for me in the beginning of the story, because I was getting Natalie’s side of this story. I did not like him and even blamed him for coming in between Natalie and her dad – I was wondering what was his deal? Like lay off the animosity buddy…but then we learn more about Natalie. She’s intense, she doesn’t listen to others and she distrusts Reid. Natalie does something in my opinion, that isn’t forgivable and the fact that Reid does forgive her…he must love her a lot. But I was not impressed with her actions, though I’m glad she fixed the problem.

The issue with Natalie and her dad is a big thing to Natalie and her dad seems oblivious. Again, I didn’t like how her dad seemed to say brush off her concerns. Natalie isn’t good at communication with Reid and her father. She just wanted her dad’s attention, outside of anything to do with the clarinet/band and I can see why Natalie hated Reid for that. Natalie had to do some serious soul-searching to do on the issue and tell her dad, which she eventually does.

When all is said and done and Natalie and Reid finally communicate is when they were the best together. The pranking, the miscommunication, the distrust caused some major problems between them to the point I thought they were not a good fit for one another. It caused great tension though which is a must in an enemies to lovers romance. I did enjoy the message about career paths and fighting for the things you love and believe in. My favorite parts were just reading about the whole crew trying to turn a play into a musical, that was fun! Overall, I enjoyed the story and read it in one sitting.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Outside of Books | Etsy Shop Labor Day Sale

Hi everyone! I’ve had a lot of things happening outside of books. For awhile my Etsy shop has been slow – it’s been slow since the pandemic began but that’s okay. When I started my Etsy shop 9 years ago I started with selling macrame bracelets and then I got into hand stamping metal. The five years I did hand stamping metal was really good to me and it really became a busy part-time job for me. Then I had my second child and I decided hammering metal was not the best idea with a newborn around. So I closed my shop for 2 1/2 years and only came back last year because I started doing resin.

Resin is so much fun but wow…it really can depend on weather since you are relying on a chemical to create your products. I live in Hawaii and I need to work outside because the fumes from the resin. I did it indoor, in my laundry room for like 2 months but honestly…the smell of fumes lingered. So, back outside I went – but if the weather is too hot, my resin hardened too fast. If I didn’t cover things well, bugs got stuck in the resin and lint. A lot of my items selling on Etsy are B grades because of all the ways it didn’t turn out good. But it’s so pretty when the final product is cured…you get to play with color and glitter and I just love it. I wish I had the space to do it indoors. 😔

Right now a hand-stamping customer of mine, bless her heart, just ordered 265 keychains from me. So I have ordered the material and will be doing that in the next 2 weeks. With the holidays coming, I’ll be adding more hand-stamped items to my shop, including ornaments. And with that said, I have a Labor Day sale happening this weekend at my Etsy shop! 😬

Here are some things I still have in my shop:

Click on the photo to go to my shopping site!
Click on the photo to go to my shopping site!
Click on photo to go to my shopping site!

There are a few bigger pieces too but these are some of the cute keychains that I have in my shop right now. I’m going to do some resin next week, as long as the weather cooperates with me and try to add more phone grips.

I’ll be adding more hand stamped keychains as well and hopefully bookmarks soon!

Thanks for reading and let me know what you like to do outside of reading and obsessing over books. 😀 ~ Yolanda

Dark Bite (Vampire Hunter Society, #1) by. Leia Scott | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Dark Bite (Vampire Hunter Society,#1)

Author: Leia Stone

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 262

Publication Date: 8/29/21

Publisher: Leia Stone

Categories: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Vampires are the spawn of the devil. Evil to the core… or so I thought, until one of them saves my life.

As a member of the House of Rose, a division of the Vampire Hunter Society, I’ve got one of the highest kill records on file. I track my mark and don’t stop until the job is done.

That is, until my mark saves my life. Luka Drake isn’t like the vampires I’ve been hunting for the past five years, and despite the fact that he’s a vampire prince fresh out of Magic City Prison for committing God knows what crime, I can’t kill him.

My only other option is to walk away and pretend our paths never crossed. I’m about to pull it off but Luka pulls me back, and in the worst way possible, in a way that changes everything.

This is a full-length slow burn paranormal romance for readers that love Jaymin Eve, Linsey Hall and K.F. Breene. 

I’ve read some other works by Leia Stone but I did not read the Wolf Girl series that precedes this Vampire Hunter Society series – but even without reading it, I got introduced to some characters from Wolf Girl and didn’t feel lost. But now I might need to go read the whole thing.

I really like how much happens in this first book of the series. We meet Aspen who is a vampire hunter from the House of Rose, she gets assigned to take out a royal vampire, Luka Drake but things don’t go as planned. What happens instead is a hunter and vampire gets bonded together and things get very complicated!

The plot twists were good and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series just to see what happens to Aspen and her best friend/sister Liv. Aspen is nineteen years old and is a strong vampire hunter, but when things get complicated she realizes she doesn’t know everything about the vampire hunters. There are secrets she has stumbled on, very deadly ones!

Luka is a royal vampire but I like how he isn’t such an alpha male. He shows some vulnerability, at least with Aspen through their bond, and it will be interesting to get to know him better in the next book when we are in vampire territory. Yes there is an attraction between Aspen and Luka which is instant because of the fast moving events that took place in the beginning of the book, but it’s still a slow burn because nothing has really happened between them except for a kiss, a hot kiss!

Triggers: violence

The biggest issue I have with these types of books is the cliffhanger and how short they are BUT…I see the next book comes out at the end of September – thank goodness! I can wait 30 days.

The vampire hunters, especially the ones from the House of Rose such as Aspen and Liv are very religious. I thought it was interesting since bonding with Luka made her question a lot of things outside of her hunter scripture.

Why you should read it:

  • you love vampires
  • it’s a quick read, addictive and the sequel comes out very soon
  • a few twists in the story that make you want to find out more
  • Luka and Aspen

Why you might not want to read it:

  • cliffhanger ending (but the wait for next book isn’t long!)
  • Aspen is a bit naive but she is 19 and a devout hunter (she does grow a little in this book though)

My Thoughts:

I totally escaped into this story as it caught my interest right away. There is a lot of action, it is fast paced and I love a good vampire story! Tt will be interesting to see what happens in book two. I found Luka’s friends to be really cool and I will probably now read the Wolf Girl series just to see how he gained their loyalty. Great start to a new series!

📚~Yolanda

Fictional Schools/Universities You’d Like to Go to | #SixforSunday | 9/5/21

#SixforSunday is… it’s really just that. You choose 6 books (normally) that you’d choose to fit whatever the prompt is that week. This meme is hosted by A Little but a Lot and you can follow the link to find the prompts for July to September.

This week’s topic:

Fictional Schools/Universities You’d Like to Go to

Obviously I’d fail if I went to an elite summer program like the one in Kisses and Croissants – but I’d want to be there because it’s in Paris.


Another book with a French setting but this time it’s purely fictional – a cozy town with a school called University of Brume and it’s full of secrets!


UNC at Chapel Hill is a real college in North Carolina and a very popular one. I don’t know that I’d ever want to attend there because it’s so far from Hawaii but if I get to meet Selwyn Kane then hey – sign me up!


I felt like Lara Jean’s school was pretty cool because they had a ski trip. Seriously – my school never did anything like that!


As a human it would be pretty scary to go here but if I was a vampire – this is where I’d want to be!


I’d definitely go to the school in this book just for the cooking classes!


What do you have on your list? ~ Yolanda

Dial A for Aunties by. Jesse Q. Sutanto | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Dial A for Aunties

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 299

Publication Date: 4/27/21

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Rom Com, Murder, Mystery, Family, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!“—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

I finally got a chance to read Dial A for Aunties after seeing it all over my bookstagram feed a few months ago. I love the cover and the synopsis is definitely intriguing! It had me at Asian aunties.

The best thing about this book is learning about the immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family and their wedding customs. I love how they switch from Mandarin, Indonesian and English. There was even a word I was familiar with which gave me a very good laugh. The word in Ilocano (a Philippines dialect that my family speak) for eggplant is tarong and in Indonesia it is terong. I thought that was so cool and funny because of how they were discussing eggplant.

The humor with all the aunts was funny and yet chaotic, and at times even triggering – reminding me of my family and their mini dramas. I don’t know how Meddy could deal with being at their mercy though. But family is family and they definitely had on another’s backs in this scenario. Meddy really is a good daughter, she was patient with her aunties and even gave up her dreams of the future for her family.

There is an accidental murder and then a mystery at the wedding in this story. Try hiding a dead body at a wedding? Yeah…you’ll have to read the book to see how that pans out! It reminds me of an 80’s movie called Weekend at Bernie’s combined with Crazy Rich Asians! I could definitely see this book as a movie.

Trigger: sexual assault, car accident, murder

This book is not realistic – at least I hope it never is because we hope Meddy who is in an accident and messed up situation does the right thing and report the body…right? Haha…I was waiting for that moment to happen. But Meddy freaks out and goes to her family instead who come up with some crazy plans on how to dispose the body. It’s wild but it works – like I said above, I could see this as a movie.

What I really wanted more of was Nathan and Meddy getting back together. I loved their back story. So if this had been just a second chance romance minus the dead body – I would have loved it more.

Why you should read it:

  • quick read, light read, chaotic, humorous, fun
  • learn about Chinese-Indonesian immigrants and their culture
  • Nathan and Meddy’s love story

Why you might not want to read it:

  • hiding a dead body and trying to win back your ex sounds crazy and not cute? lol very weird mix
  • too many things going on at once

My thoughts:

Suspend your disbelief for this one! Once you do that, it’s wild and chaotic, and sometimes funny. You get to learn a lot about the Chinese-Indonesian immigrant family, which I enjoyed a lot. I also loved Nathan and Meddy, and their second chance at romance and really wished the story was more about that than hiding a dead body but it was entertaining at least. After doing a search it looks like this will be a Netflix movie and I look forward to watching it!

📚~ Yolanda