Blog Tour} The Catch by. Amy Lea | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Catch (The Influencer, #3)

Author: Amy Lea

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 379

Publication Date: 2/13/24

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Adult, Romance, Small Town Romance, Social Media Influencer, Contemporary

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 for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A grumpy lobster fisherman tosses a fashion influencer’s impeccably curated life overboard in the next romantic comedy from international bestselling author Amy Lea.

In a last-ditch effort to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing scarier than nature itself? The burly and bearded bed-and-breakfast owner and fisherman, Evan Whaler—who single-handedly disproves the theory that Canadians are “nice.”

After a boating accident lands Evan unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his welcoming yet quirky family, who are embroiled in a long-standing feud over the B&B. In a bold attempt to mend family fences, Mel agrees to fake their engagement for one week in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content.

Amid long hikes and campfire chats, reeling in their budding feelings for each other proves more difficult by the day. But is Mel willing to sacrifice her picture-perfect life in the city for a chance at a true, unfiltered love in the wild?

Content Warning: mention of parental abandonment, parental death, depression

+ I didn’t read the first book in this series yet but I read book two and loved it. So when I was offered to join the book tour for this book I was excited to do it. Amy Lea is fast becoming a must-read author for me.

+ Evan is grumpy and I can’t say Mel is actually miss sunshine but she is confident, she’s a go-getter and the two of them do not hit it off at first. Which makes this story so fun! The story is set in a small fishing town where everyone knows everyone but the people are nice and it’s the first time Mel gets to feel a sense of community and family in her life. Evan’s family drama is a big part of the story which leads to a fake dating/engagement scenario.

+ The romance is fun because Evan and Mel do not get along but there is something brewing underneath the surface of their arguments. When they finally do something about it, the scenes are sweet and spicy. I like that Mel is a social media influencer and we get to see her perspective on her job – which people thing isn’t a job, but through Mel we do see it is work, no matter how frivolous some people find it to be. I also like that Mel isn’t perfect but is always striving for perfection because of her job to be on social media and how Evan shows that he likes her even in her most natural state.

~ It’s insta-love. Evan and Mel barely know one another and she’s at this airbnb for only a week.

~ I felt like Julian’s story wasn’t really complete. He is Mel’s brother and mental health and depression are tied to his story. He gets introduced to us in the beginning and then barely anything throughout the story, except for Mel’s thoughts about him, then everything is okay for him at the end. I did like the themes about family – for Mel it was Julian and Evan has his close cousin, Lucy and then his family drama.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a cute, small town romance with grumpy and sunshine characters who start off as enemies and move onto lovers…kind of fast! There romance is a bit spicy and sweet which was nice. I liked the themes of family and Mel finding a place that she could experience family and community and I also appreciated her confidence. Overall, I didn’t love this as much as Exe’s and O’s but it was still an entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Woke Up Like This by. Amy Lea | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exes & O’s by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Author Bio:

Amy Lea is the international bestselling author of romantic comedies for adults and teens, including Mindy Kaling’s Book Studio selection Woke Up Like This. Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.

When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 951

Publication Date: 1/30/24

Categories: Adult, Series, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fae, Sci-Fi

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

Content Warning: violence

I had to process this book for a day or two and still there is so much to think about.

+ I have so many thoughts and let’s see if I can get to all of them. This is book three in the Crescent City series but if you’ve read Sarah J. Maas books then in this book you will find that all her books have interconnected in THIS one book. It’s wild, it’s crazy with the world-building – like I just want to see her white board with all the notes and all the lines connecting this character arc to this character…etc…it was pretty genius and maddening at the same time because if you don’t remember who is who from a certain book, you kind of have to wing it and go with the flow which is what I was doing since I did nor do a re-read at all before this book. But yes…the world-building is fantastic. Also, I was getting some sci-fi feels in this book because the Asteri being intergalactic parasites, definitely not what I was expecting!

+ With a world-building as large as this series and the other series combined since it did crossover here…there are SO many names to remember. I kept trying to figure who was who and why they were important in the series. 😅 I think I did pretty good considering how many characters there are. My favorite characters? Lidia/the Hind. Nesta and Azriel in their parts of the book were outstanding because I love them and ACOTAR is my first love compared to Crescent City so I loved seeing them in the book.

+~ My favorite parts of the book were when Bryce was with Nesta and Azriel. I loved everything to do with Lidia also! She is so badass. The ending had some pretty good action and something was finally happening against the Asteri. But books this large lose me in the middle, which kind of sucks. Act 1 was fantastic – I was so into it. Act 2, I was struggling through (this happened in the last book also)…seriously, my interest dropped when Bryce left Velaris. I could not for the life of me care about the wolves for some reason, and then Tharion? I don’t know what happened with him. I was like…can we go back to Velaris which made me acknowledge that my love for the ACOTAR series is way stronger than this Crescent City series.

+ I’m happy the “my mate” overuse was really cut down in this one. I felt like the romance really took a backseat in this one which was kind of nice? And that’s weird for me to say since with SJM books, the romance is what I’m usually there for. I did love Lidia and Ruhn’s story though there was a lot of drama between also but totally understandable after what they both went through. I think they deserved their own book!

~ Bryce was frustrating me throughout the whole book and I was questioning a lot of her decisions. When she asked something from Nesta I was like, no Nesta, don’t even entertain Bryce’s request because I didn’t even trust her lol. She was arrogant and I just didn’t like her. But after reading book two I think I knew I was just not a Bryce girlie. And also Bryce and Hunt do nothing for me! Maybe because their love is pretty set and there was nothing to really fix? That’s why I loved Lidia and Ruhn, because there was a love growing there and it was beautiful to see them find happiness together after the stuff they went through individually.

~ The way it’s written with it jumping from POV’s in one chapter, but not having a line or something indicating it’s switching to another POV kind of ruined the reading experience for me because I had to go back and see if I missed a section or something. I did read this as an ebook so I don’t know if I would have had that problem reading the hardcopy. I do feel like with it written this way it was building up suspense, which is great because this big chunky book needed to have something motivating me to read, but something to indicate a change in POV would have been just helpful! To be honest I skimmed some of the parts with Tharion, Ithan and the other boys because I was not interested or maybe I forgot who they were?

My Final Thoughts:

Could this have been made into 2 books? Yes…or 3? Make it a 6 book series! But for the most part I was entertained by the first and last parts of the book. The middle was where I struggled. I loved Lidia and Ruhn, they were my favorite in the book and of course, Nesta because ACOTAR is my first love. I didn’t care for Bryce at all. I will say I was amazed as usual by the world-building and cross-over. SJM always does a fabulous job luring us into these amazing worlds that she creates and having it cross over just makes it really cool. If you loved the series already then you will love this one. It’s not my favorite of her series so my rating may seem a bit lower and I think my expectations for this one was super high, especially after the long wait for the book, but I did enjoy the book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) – 4 stars

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review – 3.5 Stars

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars

A Court of Frost and Starlight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

A Court of Silver Flames by. Sarah J. Maas – 5 stars

Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas – 3 stars (surprising but I just thought this first was okay when it came out in 2012)

Crown of Midnight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Heir of Fire by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Queen of Shadows by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Empire of Storms by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars

Tower of Dawn by. Sarah J. Maas – 2 stars (wow I did not like this book huh? lol - I wish I wrote reviews on Goodreads back then so I could remember why I didn’t like it!🤦🏻‍♀️. My guess is it was super long and by the 6th book and waiting for the book my interest had waned or I grew out of this series? Not sure but I do know I loved Manon. That’s all I remember lol.

A Fate Inked in Blood by. Danielle L. Jensen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Fate Inked in Blood (#1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 2/27/24

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Norse Mythology

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

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

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

Content Warning: violence, misogyny, animal sacrifice

Danielle L. Jensen is an auto-read author for me and now she’s going in a different direction with this new series A Fate Inked in Blood. What I love about her books is her writing. I am always immersed in the worlds she builds and the characters in her books that I start to care about.

This book takes us to the northern hemisphere where the setting is brutal and the lifestyle is harsh. Here, the Norse gods are revered and they call for blood. Freya is married to a man, who is blessed by a god, but that doesn’t make him a good person. But then she runs into a handsome young man who awakens something inside of her, more than what she bargained for. Events take place beyond Freya’s control and she reveals that she is blessed by a god too, though a minor one. Freya is now the one every man wants to own or kill because it is prophesied that the Shield Maiden is a king maker. This is a story about the battle between power hungry men, the Gods, and one woman who is trying not to be a pawn in this game – or lose herself to the power also.

I like Freya. She’s beautiful yes, but she’s fierce and not afraid to get her hands dirty. I hate that she’s married to a horrible man, and I hate what happens next to her but she endures. Freya endures everything. Bjorn is charming and powerful in his own right since he is also blessed by a god. The two of them have chemistry right away but their circumstances are unfortunate – especially Freya’s. So theirs is a forbidden romance for most of the book, which I didn’t totally love. I know her marriages were just a union with no love in them but I really wish she could flirt with Bjorn without being a married woman. I hope it gets better for Freya in book two.

I’d say this is the darkest book from this author because there is no nice feelings between anyone in this environment. Freya can’t even get trust and affection from her own family. Bjorn definitely doesn’t get it from his own family either, but his background is very intriguing and I think we’ll get to learn more about it in the sequel. There are no friendships in this book either except between Freya and Bjorn. So I felt like it was void of the usual things I come to love about DLJ’s books but I still look forward to book two because I know this is just the beginning.

Tropes: slow burn, forbidden romance

I read this one the moment the arc hit my NetGalley shelf and I was immersed in an adventure with battles, harsh surroundings, hard characters and forbidden romance. I didn’t love it as much as The Bridge Kingdom but I am looking forward to seeing what happens to Freya and Bjorn in the next book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon |

Book Review: Dark Shores ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Skies | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores, #3) | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Bridge Kingdom ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Traitor Queen |Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Inadequate Heir by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Destroy the Day by. Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Destroy the Day (Defy the Night, #3)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 550

Publication Date: 1/23/24

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Romance, Fantasy, LGBT+

Left for dead, but desperate to survive . . . they have one last chance to save their kingdom.

Prince Corrick is out of options. Held captive by the vicious Oren Crane, he’s desperate to reunite with Tessa, but will need to ally with the rebel leader Lochlan, who until now wished him dead. An unlikely but deadly pair, Corrick and Lochlan must plot their next moves carefully.

An island away, Tessa Cade is heartbroken and angry. Grieving Corrick, and unsure how to find a way back to Kandala, she doesn’t know who to trust. Until Rian—the man she trusts least—makes an offer: aid in a plot to finally oust Oren Crane and see what the future holds . . .

Meanwhile in Kandala, Harristan is dethroned and on the run. He’s struggling to unite the rebels in his fractured kingdom, but he finds support—and maybe more—in unexpected places.

Can Harristan be the king his people need? Can Corrick and Tessa find their way back to each other? As outside threats loom and the fires of revolution burn from within, time is running out to save their kingdom.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Defy the Night series, Brigid Kemmerer crafts heartrending twists and devastating turns that will keep readers breathless to the very end.

Content Warning: violence

+ I found this series addicting since book one and I think what makes it good are the characters! Yes, I was mostly reading it because of the romance between Corrick and Tessa but they are mostly apart in this book. And when I say apart…I mean up until the last few chapters of this book! But just because Corrick and Tessa weren’t together doesn’t mean there were not any meaningful relationships in this book. There are actually surprising friendships made along the journey of this story.

+ One surprising partnership in the story that was entertaining is Corrick and Lochlan – especially since they do not like each other. But being on the verge of death changes everything between them. Another pairing is Harristan and Quint which if I may say, was the romantic highlight of the story since Corrick and Tessa were apart. I loved that for Harristan and Quint. And lastly, Tessa and Rocco had to stick to one another.

+ There is a lot happening in this book with it being told through three POVs: Corrick, Harristan and Tessa. Everything is happening with the goal of all of them coming together in the end. There is action, there is danger, there are some plot twists.

~ I was intrigued by Rian in Defend the Dawn, he was mysterious and a little shady. He didn’t turn out so great in this book and to top it off was hardly in this book at all when he was mostly in book two. I was disappointed in his character because I thought there was potential there to make things interesting and not in a way where I wanted Tessa to be with him. I wanted him to have his own story and liked how he called out Corrick on Kandala’s troubles but in the end he was just a not so great guy. So if you loved Rian in book two – this book is not for you. Honestly this happened to me in her other series, Cursebreakers, where I loved book one and then things veered off the track I was hoping it would take and never did.

~ There is a new character named Ellmo and honestly…it made me think of Sesame Street Elmo all the time lol.

~ I don’t know if I love the ending, it’s bittersweet.

My Final Thoughts:

This book didn’t go in the direction I was hoping it would but it was still entertaining and the relationships are my favorite parts of the story. This wasn’t my book favorite of the series but this is a solid conclusion.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Defy the Night by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Defend the Dawn by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by. Brigid Kemmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Heart so Fierce and Broken by. Brigid Kemmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by. Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Forging Silver into Stars by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Letters to the Lost by. Brigid Kemmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

More Than We Can Tell by. Brigid Kemmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Place for Vanishing by. Ann Fraistat | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Place for Vanishing

Author: Ann Fraistat

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 1/16/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary, Mental Illness, Insect Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

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

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

A teen girl and her family return to her mother’s childhood home, only to discover that the house’s strange beauty may disguise a sinister past, in this contemporary gothic horror from the author of What We Harvest.

The house was supposed to be a fresh start. That’s what Libby’s mom said. And after Libby’s recent bipolar III diagnosis and the tragedy that preceded it, Libby knows she and her family need to find a new normal.

But Libby’s new home turns out to be anything but normal. Scores of bugs haunt its winding halls, towering stained-glass windows feature strange, insectile designs, and the garden teems with impossibly blue roses. And then there are the rumors. The locals, including the mysterious boy next door, tell stories about disappearances tied to the house, stretching back over a century to its first owners. Owners who supposedly hosted legendary masked séances on its grounds.

Libby’s mom refuses to hear anything that could derail their family’s perfect new beginning, but Libby knows better. The house is keeping secrets from her, and something tells her that the key to unlocking them lies in the eerie, bug-shaped masks hidden throughout the property.

We all wear masks—to hide our imperfections, to make us stronger and braver. But if Libby keeps hers on for too long, she might just lose herself—and everyone she loves.

Content Warning: insect horror, body horror, attempted suicide

+ I really enjoyed the author’s other book What We Harvest and so I wanted to see what A Place for Vanishing would be about and I was not disappointed. I was horrified with all the insects in this book! It’s entertaining as heck but I was grossed out with so many scenes.

+ The place Libby and her family have moved to is called the House of Masks. Thing is, it was where her mom grew up and it’s eerie and creepy! It’s an old house, and each room has a theme, and a mask. As the story goes on we find out more about the history about the house and how it used to be a place for séances. It has a dark history as Libby finds out through research and help from a new friend, Flynn.

+ I like that the story brings up Libby’s bi-polar III diagnosis and the reasons they had to move away from their old town. Her mom and younger sister are coping with it in different ways but I like how it touches on the challenges that come with mental illness. Of course, living in a house this scary, only makes Libby feel even more off-kilter but she actually finds strength in figuring out what’s happening in the house and helping to save her family.

~ Bugs. If you do not like insects (ants, beetles, cockroaches, centipedes, etc…) do not read! I live on a tropical island so I can’t get away from insects but oh man did this book trigger so much horror for me because I hate cockroaches, centipedes, praying mantis’ and wasps. And the bugs in this book get life-sized – ugh. I’m actually surprised I finished the book!

My Thoughts:

I think the horror fans will like this one – especially if you like insect horror! I found the House of Masks very fascinating and wanted to see how the story would end despite me cringing in horror at some of the scenes. I think What We Harvest was more my speed – this one was a bit too horrifying for me but I’ll definitely read more books from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

What We Harvest by. Ann Fraistat | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If I Promise You Wings by. A.K.Small | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: If I Promise You Wings

Author: A.K. Small

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 1/16/24

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Grief

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

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hold Still meets You’ve Reached Sam in this lyrical novel about one young woman’s journey through the Paris fashion scene as she chases promises, overcomes grief, and falls in love. Seventeen-year-old Alix Leclaire dreams of becoming a renowned feather artist, creating statement pieces that define glamour and high fashion. As an intern at Paris’s premier feather boutique, trained by the alluring Raven, she works with the staff to construct wings for the dancers at the Moulin Rouge.

But with every feather she sews, the grief Alix has been evading looms. Her best friend, Jeanne, died months ago and ever since, Alix has felt compelled to live as Jeanne did, taking risks she never would have before. Alix begins stealing feathers for her own use—a serious offense at the boutique—and loses herself in a passionate affair with Raven, who makes her his muse. Even when Blaise, an old schoolmate, offers solace and healing, she pushes him away.

Echoing the chaos and division in her heart, the wings that Alix creates take on a frightening and wild beauty. Living like Jeanne has given her everything she ever wanted—but at the risk of losing it all.

Content Warning: neglectful parent and abandonment, death, grief,

+ I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book because it is very lyrical, and we are in Alix’s head a lot. Alix’s mother left her and her dad, her dad is a neglectful parent and her best friend just died. Alix finds herself being brave enough to ask to apprentice at a feather artist shop. I thought her growth in the story was inspiring. I loved Alix’s connection to feathers and how working at the shop helped her open up to people, and to her own art.

+ My favorite part of the story I think had to be about the feathers! Mademoiselle Salomé is a premier feather artist in Paris. I went to the Moulin Rouge during my honeymoon so I was actually fascinated about the setting and theme of this book. I could really envision these feather works of arts that Mademoiselle Salomé and her team would create and loved the drama behind the scenes with the other staff at Mille et Une Plume. I liked the secondary characters in the book also, they had so much character.

+ The romance is a bit of a love triangle. Alix is caught between two boys. She starts hooking up with one boy, Raven and then starts befriending the other boy, Blaise, as they both grieve over Alix’s best friend. You could kind of tell how it would play out and honestly, I didn’t mind it because Alix is a broken soul. And if she’s looking for love because she doesn’t even have parents around to be there for her, then I was there rooting for her on this journey – even if it meant her trying to fix some relationships.

~ This is all part of Alix’s growth but she is very timid at times especially in the beginning and I just wanted her to do the right thing, when she did the wrong thing. She doesn’t know how to communicate how she feels and that was frustrating at times. Like I said, she learns eventually to come clean, so there is growth in her character.

~ There is a lot of French words and I didn’t know what they meant but it didn’t make it hard reading. I just hoped I was saying them correctly in my head – but I’m pretty sure I was wrong!

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a beautiful story about personal growth and how an obsession with feathers helped keep Alix afloat during her grief of losing her best friend and even losing her dad, who leaves her in a time when she really needs someone to stay with her. I love how Alix finds a family with the staff at Mille et Une Plume and she learns a lot about fashion, and actually expressing herself. The secondary characters really bring the story to life and the romance, though a love triangle, I thought had a beautiful ending. By the end of the book I was as obsessed with the feathers as Alix was.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Atlas of Us by. Kristin Dwyer | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Atlas of Us

Author: Kristin Dwyer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 1/29/24

Publisher: HarperTeen

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Grief

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

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

Atlas James has lost her way.

In a last-ditch effort to pull her life together, she’s working on a community service program rehabbing trails in the Western Sierras. The only plus is that the days are so exhausting that Atlas might just be tired enough to forget that this was one of her dad’s favorite places in the world. Before cancer stole him from her life, that is.

Using real names is forbidden on the trail. So Atlas becomes Maps, and with her team—Books, Sugar, Junior, and King—she heads into the wilderness. As she sheds the lies she’s built up as walls to protect herself, she realizes that four strangers might know her better than anyone has before. And with the end of the trail racing to meet them, Maps is left counting down the days until she returns to her old life—without her new family, and without King, who’s become more than just a friend.

Content Warning: grief, injuries, cancer death

+ This book is about grief. Atlas James is lost – her life is a mess especially her dad dies from cancer and the only way to get her out of this situation is her mom has her attend a wilderness retreat. She goes without a cell phone for a month and hikes her dad’s favorite trail while learning about the area, surviving in the wild and how to care for the environment. It’s a sad story and tough but it’s a story about moving on and being vulnerable and having a found family in your teammates.

+ Atlas is an imperfect character. She’s dropped out of high school, doesn’t have friends, doesn’t have anything to look forward to and she’s drowning in the grief for her father. She’s a good liar but what she really is – is hurting. This is her journey to work through her grief, open up to strangers, believe in herself to survive for a month and take on responsibility and accountability. It’s a pretty heavy journey but very touching.

+ I love the found family and the friendships that grow from her experience. None of the people in her team really has a good life, each one of them has a past and not the best at making friends. But through their trials in this one month and after…they hold onto one another and try to make their friendships work, which I loved.

~ There is a romance that happens on this hiking trail between Atlas and King, who is their group leader. It’s kind of instant and I can see the attraction between them being believable especially in a stressful situation like this hike – plus Atlas seemed like someone just looking for a connection. But I kind of didn’t like the back and forth between them because of the secrets they were keeping. I understand the secrets and the angst between them but it did get pretty intense for knowing each other only for one month. I did root for them afterwards though, I think at least that was realistic and I like how they rebuilt their relationship after all the secrets are revealed.

My Thoughts:

This was a good read for me because I was reading so much fantasy and needed something contemporary but different and I liked that this was more of a personal journey through grief than a straight romance. It’s a heavier read because of the grief but Atlas overcomes a lot of things and in the end she comes out stronger than ever and I really love that.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Festive Feud: Special Edition by. Maren Moore | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Festive Feud (Strawberry Hollow, #2)

Author: Maren Moore

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 222

Publication Date: 11/13/23

Categories: Adult, Romance, Spicy Holiday Romance, Contemporary, Novella

My family is famous for two things in our small Our annual Christmas party And…. Our feud with The Pearce family. Our families hate each other. It’s a tale as old as St. Nick himself. So, imagine what happens when a harmless little argument with Jackson Pearce ends with us both behind bars for the night. As if that wasn’t bad enough… The punishment for our crime? The only Christmas party we’re allowed to have is one together. At Town Hall. But… It gets worse . That means that I’ll be forced to spend time with Jackson and his enormous ego while we plan this party and somehow keep our families from strangling each other with tinsel this holiday season. It doesn’t help that he is annoyingly attractive and goes out of his way to push my buttons.
With his old, dirty, work boots, and his stupid veiny forearms, he works his way into my perfectly organized life and leaves everything in disarray.

Will we actually be able to survive this… Festive Feud, or will we end up back where we started?

Content Warning:

If you’re looking for a super quick, spicy holiday romance – this is it! But how did I jump into book two and not even know there was a first book? 🤷🏻‍♀️

+ Even though this is a second book in a series, I didn’t feel lost at all. This is a super quick read, so it gets to the point! There is a family feud going on in the small town of Strawberry Hollow and an incident between two members of the opposite families cause an incident. The punishment? If they want to throw their family holiday parties – they have to do it together! So Jackson and Emma try to put their differences aside but their attraction to one another ignites – despite being enemies.

+ I think Jackson and Emma’s relationship is cute and their sexual activities? Spicy! They don’t waste time on their feud and really get down to business.

+ It has tons of fun tropes like one bed, enemies to lovers, family feud, small town and even miscommunication (between the families). The chapter titles are pretty funny!

~ The feud didn’t seem so bad. We hear about some of the antics but when we learn more about what really happens, it seemed like something super trivial to start such a feud.

My Final Thoughts:

If you want a fun, spicy quick holiday story filled with the usual romance tropes – you will love this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Knockout by. Sarah MacLean | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Knockout (Hell’s Belles, #3)

Author: Sarah MacLean

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 404

Publication Date: 8/22/23

Categories: Historical Romance, Series

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the next Hell’s Belles novel about a chaotic bluestocking and the buttoned-up detective enlisted to keep her out of trouble (spoiler: She is the trouble).

With her headful of wild curls and wilder ideas and an unabashed love of experiments and explosives, society has labeled Lady Imogen Loveless peculiar…and doesn’t know she’s one of the Hell’s Belles—a group of vigilantes operating outside the notice of most of London.

Thomas Peck is not most of London. The brilliant detective fought his way off the streets and into a promising career through sheer force of will and a keen ability to see things others miss, like the fact that Imogen isn’t peculiar…she’s pandemonium. If you ask him, she requires a keeper. When her powerful family discovers her late-night activities, they couldn’t agree more…and they know just the man for the task.

Thomas wants nothing to do with guarding Imogen. He is a grown man with a proper job and no time for the lady’s incendiary chaos, no matter how lushly it is packaged. But some assignments are too explosive to pass up, and the gruff detective is soon caught up in Imogen’s world, full of her bold smiles and burning secrets…and a fiery passion that threatens to consume them both.

Content Warning: violence

This is book three in the Hell’s Belles series and I was looking forward to Imogen’s story!

+ I love that Imogen is fearless, smart, science-minded and brave! She’s not a damsel in distress which is why I love this series – these ladies are not timid! Imogen makes and handles explosives…like that is pretty amazing!

+ I think Tommy is a great match for Imogen. He’s a big bearded man who is a detective, which automatically makes you think he’ll be the one to dominate the relationship but nope – Imogen could stand toe to toe with him and their chemistry is great in and out of the bedroom! I like that they both are inquisitive in their own ways.

~ I don’t read a lot of historical romances anymore because I was getting tired of the “formula” but I still read Sarah MacLean books. I will continue the series but even though I loved Imogen in this book I do feel like I really might have outgrown historical romances in general – it just doesn’t excite me but I was trying to hang on to my past love for it.

My Final Thoughts:

If you love historical romances and Sarah MacLean books you will really love this one because Imogen is a smart and vibrant character. Her romance with Tommy is a fun one. I think this is a great addition to the series!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Daring and the Duke | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: Brazen and the Beast ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Heartbreaker by. Sarah MacLean | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bombshell by. Sarah MacLean | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Flower and Thorn by. Rati Mehrotra | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Flower and Thorn

Author: Rati Mehrotra

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 10/17/23

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Historical Fiction

One girl. One boy.
A promise broken.
A magic stolen.

Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily–said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army–Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

Irinya’s fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she’s done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she’s not sure she’ll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she’s left behind.

Content Warning: violence

I was definitely intrigued about this title because it’s cover – it’s so beautiful!

+ I thought the world-building was very unique with the magical flowers! I love that Irinya is from a nomad group and I enjoyed seeing the community between her kul. There is a tiny bit of romance, it’s not the center of the story. It didn’t even need to be in the story but it did make me question some of the men in Irinya’s life.

+ There is some historical fiction in this story which was another interesting and eye opening. It brings up how the Portuguese was on India’s coasts and trying to take over the country. Something I didn’t realize because usually I think about how the British colonized India, and didn’t realize that the Portuguese did as well.

+ The story moves quickly and is a stand alone book. The story has themes about power, and familly/community.

~ I did find Irinya’s penchant for falling for a guy a bit quick. I don’t blame her for feeling all these new feelings for guys she’s just met but it really sets off a series of events that harms the people she care about! For the most part she was a strong character which I loved, except when it came to the guys that came into her life.

My Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but after reading two of this author’s books I have to say I like how her characters engage with one another and I like the action in her stories. I thought it was a nice treat to have some historical information about India and I came away learning something new along with being intrigued about the magical flowers. If only flowers had that much power! I look forward to reading more from this author.