I was doing good in August until this last weekend since it was my son’s birthday weekend! Hawaii has been back to school since the beginning of August and we are going through another COVID wave here. 😒 So…it’s been stressful. Anyway, here is what I read in August:
Categories: Gothic Fantasy, Young Adult, Dark 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 Henry Holt & Co. (BYR) for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.
There are monsters in the world.
When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.
There are monsters in the woods.
As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…
There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.
Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.
I had to request this book because of that cover! It’s gorgeous and dark, it gives off gothic vibes right away.
Lakesedge is really in its gothic element with the setting of Lakesedge estate and the owner Rowan who is thought to have drowned his whole family. The lake is black and creepy, the estate is large and old, but empty. Then there is sister and brother, Leta and Arien. Shadows haunt Leta’s brother Arien and you just know something isn’t right in this town – but what is going on? What are these shadows and why does Rowan want Arien and his shadows so much?
Rowan has hired an alchemist, Clover, and now needs Leta’s brother as well to help get rid of the darkness and blight that is overtaking Lakesedge and neighboring towns. Rowan is a brooding, tortured character at first but he does open up to Leta who is his opposite. She is light, stubborn, equally as damaged but her love for Arien eclipses everything. We learn about Rowan’s mysterious past and his deal with Lord Under, and his dangerous blood tithes. But then Leta has a secret too and it throws Rowan’s plans off course.
Rowan and Leta’s love is surrounded in darkness. It is bleak, it’s filled with longing, but steamy nonetheless! Leta is not afraid of him even when she should have been, his monster side should have made her afraid. But also, what is up with Lord Under? I got Persephone/Hades vibe with him and Leta. Is there something between them or is this purely business on Lord Under’s part? I don’t know.
I enjoyed the side characters, Arien because he is a sweet boy and Leta’s only family and I wanted to see him saved. And the alchemist, Clover, was fun, an LGBT rep and she brought a light-heartedness to the crew that was missing, I also liked learning how she used alchemy.
Triggers: self harm, abuse by a parent, grief, drowning, death, suicidal ideation
This is a dark story so there is self harm with Rowan’s blood tithes to the Corruption and other situations that might be triggering.
It has a cliffhanger ending – to the point I was confused. I was frustrated that it ended that way especially not knowing if there was a sequel or not. So be aware – cliffhanger ending!
There is a steamy scene between Rowan and Leta but it is beautifully written.
Why you should read it:
gothic vibes get you into the Halloween/fall/dark mood
dark romance: very broody, lots of longing, emo, sexy and with teeth (haha)
Lord Under – just to find out what is going on with him and Leta
Why you might not want to read it:
dark story
cliffhanger ending
My Thoughts:
This one sucked me in with Arien’s mysterious dark shadows and rumors about Rowan drowning his family in the lake! I read it in one sitting because the writing lured me in but that cliffhanger totally frustrated me because I wasn’t sure if it was being set up for a sequel. Overall this got me in a dark, gothic mood and it hit the spot. This would be a perfect read for spooky season or for whenever you to read a dark fantasy romance. I look forward to reading the next book.
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:
Fictional Crushes
Lazlo Strange because he’s so smart and love books and learning.
Faolan because he’s a sexy Fae. 🤷🏻♀️
Santiago – he’s surly and broody, but he can cook and he’s hot. 🍳
Marcus – enough said.
I’m team Grayson! I bet she ends up with Jameson though…sigh…does she? Don’t tell me. 🙁
Raidyn is a Paladin. A Paladin! He’s a knight and rides a gryphon. Be still my heart!
Why do I always like the bad boys? I definitely have a crush on Selwyn.
Jase is the most loyal of all men. Love him!
I love Reykin!
Kalen…😭❤️ ugh…I love him.
I’m definitely into the dark, brooding, strong kind of guy fictional crushes. 🤷🏻♀️❤️ Who are your crushes? ~ Yolanda
Can you believe we are at the end of August? Wow! Pumpkin and spooky season, here we come. There are a few books coming out in September that I want so I’m excited for that. Happy book birthday to today’s new releases!
A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.
When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She’s going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.
That’s where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex—he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she has just started to understand herself. However, when tragedy strikes Anna’s family she takes on a role that she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves.
TO BE BORN OF THE FOREST IS A GIFT AND A CURSE.
Rora is a shifter, as magical as all those born in the wilderness–and as feared. She uses her abilities to spy for the king, traveling under different guises and listening for signs of trouble.
When a magical illness surfaces across the kingdom, Rora uncovers a devastating truth: Finley, the young prince and her best friend, has caught it, too. His only hope is stardust, the rarest of magical elements, found deep in the wilderness where Rora grew up–and to which she swore never to return.
But for her only friend, Rora will face her past and brave the dark, magical wood, journeying with her brother and the obstinate, older prince who insists on coming. Together, they must survive sentient forests and creatures unknown, battling an ever-changing landscape while escaping human pursuers who want them dead. With illness gripping the kingdom and war on the horizon, Finley’s is not the only life that hangs in the balance.
The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.
In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.
Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.
Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?
That’s all I got today! All of these are on my TBR list – what else came out today that I missed? Please leave me a comment. 🙂
#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:
2021 Books You Bought Because of the Cover
Truthfully I haven’t bought many books in 2021 because I bought so many during the pandemic! So I’m on a book budget this year and thankfully my library opened up. Yay! So This are books I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited, my public library or book I got approved to read on NetGalley. But yes…I was attracted to the covers!
I do so few book tags lately so here’s one I recently got tagged in by dini @ dinipandareads. She has the best blog graphics and amazing bookish content so please go check her out. The original tag was created by booktuber Marc Nash (thanks Dini for finding out that info!).
Let’s get started!
THE LAST BOOK I GAVE UP ON:
The whole parent trap situation was not for me and I couldn’t stand all the CAPS being used by one character.
THE LAST BOOK I REREAD:
I always reread this once a year because I miss Reykin 😭 and the third book in the series was just not good – even though I had rated it 5 stars at first read – it was mostly because Reykin and Roselle finally got together. But looking back at how crazy the story was- (sigh) it’s more like a 2.5 star read (5 stars for Reykin though haha). 😢
THE LAST BOOK I BOUGHT:
I bought this as an ebook. I’ve been on a hardcover book buying ban all year since I went crazy buying books during 2020 when we were in lockdown.
THE LAST BOOK I WROTE IN THE MARGINS OF:
And this was YEARS ago…I never write in margins. 🤷🏻♀️
THE LAST BOOK I HAD SIGNED:
It was for my daughter lol…and Kristi Yamaguchi there at the event so why not? Do any of you know who she is or am I showing my age? She’s an olympic gold medal figure skater and hey…figure skating was so huge back in the 80’s and 90’s, I was such a big fan. And hello she looks amazing, like she hasn’t aged!
THE LAST BOOK I LOST:
I have no answer for this! I really don’t remember the last book I lost.
THE LAST BOOK I HAD TO REPLACE:
I think it’s kind of crazy how low the reviews are of this book in Goodreads lol – I read this back in 1991 when I was 12 and young adult books weren’t what they are now. Goodreads was not around lol. I was obsessed with this series so much that the cover finally fell off and I had to get the combined copies just for nostalgia sake – this was the book that made me obsessed with vampires. And it did kick off the show The Vampire Diaries so…Damon and Stefan was born in this series. Sure it doesn’t stand up next to young adult books today but wow this was made 30 years ago. YIKES, I’m old. I also had to replace The Secret Circle series by the same author – honestly all her series could be tv shows. I think they tried with The Secret Circle but the show didn’t last? But Dark Visions and The Forbidden Game also? Teenage me was obsessed with this author!
THE LAST BOOK I ARGUED OVER:
I don’t argue much with anyone – except with my hubby! So very unpopular opinion – and I don’t know why but Harry Potter did nothing for me. And I reread this book twice, first when I was in my twenties, second time in my forties and it still didn’t do anything for me. I did read it the second time because my hubby told me to read it again. I think if I was in grade school reading this it might have interested me? I don’t know.
THE LAST BOOK I PRE-ORDERED:
But I will be preordering Steelstriker by Marie Lu because that cover belongs on my shelf and The Hawthorne Legacy by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes because I need to know what happens.
Categories: Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Political Intrigue
When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.
But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end.
This has been sitting on my shelf for a good year. I bought it during the pandemic on clearance and only picked it up to read now. The covers for this duology are really beautiful. Now the story itself is very interesting – I did enjoy the first book in the series, The Beholder, although it was a like mix of fairytales, historical fantasy and the bachelorette combined! Fascinating mix right? Well in this conclusion, Selah had found her true love… or has she? And can she finally help her crew do what they had planned to do (without her knowing) and finally go home?
I’m glad Selah had different challenges in this one – other than having guys fall for her and trying to decide who she loves. I mean…yes I can see that being a problem since she has to wed, but with everything else going on – she has bigger problems to fix. And Selah gets into it with Baba Yaga herself – a cold hearted killer who has taken a liking to Selah.
Obviously Selah found her true love in Torden – but why was Lang now a prospect? Out of sight, out of mind? Come one Selah – I wasn’t happy with Selah about this but I like Lang a lot. Or I like how he doesn’t cave into her demands. The secondary character came shining through in this one. Cobie is awesome and so loyal, Selah is so lucky to have her. I also loved seeing more of Anya as well. Aleksei surprised me and had some growth so that was promising.
I think the fairy tale infusion is what kept me reading. I love the reference to the 12 Dancing Princesses and of course Hangel and Gretel. thought the world of Baba Yaga was appropriately, cold, harsh and scary. Selah went through a lot being imprisoned there with her friends but it was good to see her rise to all the challenges.
Triggers: violence, abuse
My biggest issue with this book and it’s definitely a me problem is that Selah and Lang have a moment. I don’t remember her being with Torden much – I know she fell for him hard but honestly, I was liking the friction/attraction she was having with Lang. But she doesn’t deserve him – how did she get mad at HIM for not being right there to rescue her when he was helping the tribes and doing other things in the fight/rescue mission. I mean…🙄. I’m glad she now knows what she wants is someone selfishly in love with her (Torden) but come on…to be mad at Lang about that? He deserves a happy ending, poor guy.
Why you should read it:
if you liked The Beholder – definitely pick this one up
it mixes fairy tales and historical fiction, fun world building
if you are team Torden then you will love this one
Why you might not want to read it:
if you are team Lang haha – like me
not into love triangles
not into Selah flip flopping between boys
My Thoughts:
Selah – you boy crazy teenager, you! She was so frustrating haha but young and hey I remember being unsure about a guy. What I really like about this series is the creativity with the mix of fairy tales and historical fiction. I thought it worked in a strange way (they travel by wooden ship but have radios…🤔). Overall I was entertained by this series, I just didn’t like who Selah ended up with but I guess he was the best choice for her.
Title: Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic, #2)
Author: Elise Kova
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Pages: 374
Publication Date: 8/19/21
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Fae
She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.
Katria swore she’d never fall in love. She’s seen what “love” means through the cruelty of her family. So when she’s married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she’s leaving. Feelings are off the table.
But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.
As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.
Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings – magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne – and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.
The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?
A Dance with the Fae Prince is a complete, *stand-alone novel*, inspired by the tales of Psyche and Eros, as well as Cinderella, with a “happily ever after” ending. It’s perfect for romantic fantasy readers who enjoyed of A Court of Silver Flames and An Enchantment of Ravens. A Dance with the Fae Prince features a slow-burn romance, swoon-worthy couple, and steaminess that ranges from simmering to sizzling.
I am really loving this series of stand-alone novels set in this fantasy world infused with romance and fairytale and mythology references. Elise Kova is on a roll with these books!
What’s not to like in A Dance with the Fae Prince? We have a girl, Katria, who is basically Cinderella and has an abusive step-mother and step-sister. She is given to a mysterious Lord as a bride in exchange for a book her late mother owned. But this mysterious Lord is no human lord at all but a Fae Prince trying to become king.
We are transported to the land of the Fae. If you read the first book in the series, A Deal with the Elf King, you do get some of the background of how the lands were split. We get Fae history, world building, an explanation of what powers they have and how they work their ritual magic.
Katria is basically Cinderella who doesn’t believe in love, or who believes love is harmful. She is sheltered but with a wild spirit that years to run free. She finds herself falling in love with Midscape and the people, finally feeling like she belongs – but all she thinks Davien wants is the magic inside her so he can be king. Davien isn’t an aggressive alpha male, he doesn’t know how to rule and lead but he is learning. He grew up away from the the fae world so he himself is trying to find his place. But he is patient with Katria, Slowly and surely, they find their places with one another. I enjoyed their slow burn romance because they get to know one another and in a stand-alone book, that’s hard to do sometimes.
The secondary characters were great also, I loved Shaye and Raph. I was rooting for Davien and his friends to win and the twist in the end was sweet even though I suspected it all along.
Triggers: abuse
Katria is abused by her stepmother and stepsister. Even her dad had watched her stepmother do something to her which was why she couldn’t understand what love was without pain. The Fae at Midscape give her a glimpse of what love between friends, family and lovers could be like. It is a very emotional and eye opening journey for Katria.
Why you should read it:
lovely slow burn romance
great world building
a very complete stand alone novel
Why you might not read it:
it’s a stand alone but set in the same world as the other book in the “series”
you are not into slow burn, fantasy romance
My Thoughts:
So far I’ve really love the books in this series even though they are stand alone novels. I think because the stories are set in the same world, there is a continuity to them, but they are different enough to keep it interesting. I love romance in my fantasy books so this series is perfect for someone like me. I’m already looking forward to the next book!
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 just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
I’m actually in the middle of reading a few books. I’ve just putting them down for a bit to get into the mood to read them! I hate when that happens lol because now I have a bunch of books to finish. But I’m glad my Netgalley list has a dent in it. Woohoo!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 