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.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by. Rati Mehrotra ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

With or Without You by. Eric Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: With or Without You

Author: Eric Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

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

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!

New from Eric Smith comes a delightful YA rom-com about two teens caught in the middle of their families’ orchestrated rivalry between their Philly cheesesteak food trucks.

All’s fair in love and (food truck) war.

Everyone knows Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other.

According to many viral videos of their public shouting matches, the Plazas and Ortiz families have a well-known food truck rivalry. Jordan and Cindy have spent all of high school making cheesesteaks and slinging insults at each other across their shared Philadelphia street.

But the truth? They’re in love, and it’s all just an act for the tourists.

When the fake feud lands them a reality tv show pilot, Jordan and Cindy find themselves having to lie on a much bigger scale. Trapped between pursuing their dreams or their love, can they find a way to have their cheesesteak and eat it too?

Content Warning:

I have a husband who was born and raised in Philly so I love books that are set there because I get to learn more about the city and culture. We get a lot of the culture in this book through Jordan who is a Philly boy and then the other perspective through his girlfriend, Cindy, a transplant from Boston, MA. They both run a food truck and they have a rivalry going on between them when they are outside but in secret they have been together for awhile. When a television company wants to do a show on the rivalry, things start to unravel.

Jordan and Cindy already have an established relationship, so I thought this book did a good job showcasing the different challenges a young relationship could face when both parties are about to start their lives after high school. Jordan has a dream that he and Cindy will do a road trip together and run a food truck. But Cindy has dreams of actually returning to Boston, her hometown, and go to college. With all the secrecy going on, trying to hide their relationship from the public – they realize they were keeping secrets themselves…well actually mostly Cindy. I felt bad that these teens couldn’t be together without lying to the public and on camera. I don’t read a lot of books where the couple is already together so I thought this was different but in a good way. Thing is you don’t get the falling in love feels in this book, but more the -“I love you, let’s fight for our relationship” vibes instead.

I did wish Cindy could have told Jordan right away what she was feeling but it’s not always easy. And I was surprised with Jordan – yes he should have listened to Cindy and realized the food truck business was not her passion, but he was pretty forgiving of her after some things went down. I felt like that showed both of them were pretty mature for their age and were in it for the long haul, which is heartwarming. I like how they made it work in the end.

There are other themes in this book other than Jordan and Cindy’s relationship. The story explores how their families went into debt from their small businesses and how they dealt with that challenge. Some of that burden falls on Jordan and Cindy’s shoulders, but they deal with it in different ways, just like their parents.

Tropes: secret lovers, family rivalry

My Thoughts:

Instead of a falling in love type of romance, we get an established relationship between two teens who hit a few road bumps in their relationship, but they decide to fight to make it work. I loved that the story is set in Philly, and that it’s a story based around one of their favorite foods, cheesesteaks. It definitely made me hungry! All the characters are vibrant and unique and I liked the themes about family, debt and belonging. I like how both Jordan and Cindy are coming of age and really have to make some big decisions about their lives, with or without the other. I enjoyed this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR} ARC Review | Don’t Read the Comments ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR} You Can Go Your Own Way by. Eric Smith | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: King of Pride (Kings of Sin, #2)

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 358

Publication Date: 4/27/23

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Opposites Attract

She’s his opposite in every way…and the greatest temptation he’s ever known.

Reserved, controlled, and proper to a fault, Kai Young has neither the time nor inclination for chaos—and Isabella, with her purple hair and inappropriate jokes, is chaos personified.

With a crucial CEO vote looming and a media empire at stake, the billionaire heir can’t afford the distraction she brings.

Isabella is everything he shouldn’t want, but with every look and every touch, he’s tempted to break all his rules…and claim her as his own.

***

Bold, impulsive, and full of life, Isabella Valencia has never met a party she doesn’t like or a man she couldn’t charm…except for Kai Young.

It shouldn’t matter. He’s not her type—the man translates classics into Latin for fun, and his membership at the exclusive club where she bartends means he’s strictly off limits.

But she can’t deny that, beneath his cool exterior, is a man who could make her melt with just a touch.

No matter how hard they try, they can’t resist giving into their forbidden desires.

Even if it costs them everything.

King of Pride is a steamy opposite attract, forbidden billionaire romance. It’s book two in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.

Contains explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature readers only.

Content Warning:

I have finally read King of Pride which is the second book in the Kings of Sin series and follows Isabella and Kai from book one! It took me awhile to finish this one not because it’s bad but because of my mood swings. So here’s what I thought:

+ I was intrigued by Kai and Isabella in book one, King of Wrath, because we get introduced to them there and there is definitely some interest between them – especially on Kai’s part I think. These two are complete opposites! Isabella is vivacious, a bit flighty, still searching for her path in life. Kai is controlled, sticks to his goals, doesn’t show much emotion and likes to win.

+ I like how Kai wasn’t a total alpha male. I felt like he gave Isabella space even though there were times he would feel some jealousy. And honestly once he admitted to himself how he liked her he was all in. Also he was a comforting figure when Isabella didn’t believe in herself. He’s smart, open to trying new things (with Isabella) and honestly this man was not afraid of his feelings for her which I appreciated! It was Isa who was afraid.

+ Isabella is a Filipina which is cool! Love the representation and I could totally relate to her family dynamics.

+ Their love story is sweet and spicy. The conflict was mostly about their separate lives and how to bridge it but I thought it was cute seeing them grow as friends and then taking the leap as lovers. And yes there are very spicy scenes that I was not expecting out of Kai! lol…he does seem like someone who is straight forward but I like how he had his little kinky moments.

~ I know Isabella having low self-esteem and struggling through life is realistic but the story of her ex boyfriend was a little dramatic and I kind of laughed because it was so out of left field! It’s not a funny story but – Like, what girl?! You’ve been hiding that story in you all this time? 🤦🏻‍♀️ It wasn’t needed and was only mentioned once! She was having enough trouble just figuring out her career and path in life and comparing herself to her successful brothers.

~ I felt like this book didn’t have that romance angst as the first one so it didn’t seem as passionate as Dante and Vivian but I still enjoyed it. There were no games between Isa and Kai – I really do love that about them.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked how different Isa and Kai are from Dante and Vivian and honestly Kai is a great guy. He’s the boring, driven, but caring guy who goes all in for the woman he loves! If you like the opposites attract trope then you will enjoy this one. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Throne of the Fallen by. Kerri Maniscalco | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Throne of the Fallen

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 627

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Adult

Sinner. Villain. Wicked.

The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other…

Virtuous. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.

Content Warning: violence, blood drinking (vampires)

We return to the Underworld and the domain of a few familiar naughty demon princes. This is Prince Envy’s story and it’s quite a story.

+ I like being back in this world that we were introduced to in Kingdom of the Wicked. I feel we get a better feel for kingdoms outside of Hell. In this story we get to venture to Faerie and even the domain of the vampires (which was kind of my favorite part of the book). I felt like the world building was much more rich in this book which I enjoyed. It was interesting how the book sort of read like a regency romance! It mentioned the gossip papers (very Bridgerton) but I think it worked for this story.

+ I’m so glad this book is in the adult genre – which I think KOTW should have been as well, at least New Adult. But I think it sits perfectly in the adult genre because now the author can write as many sex scenes as she wants without shocking her audience.

+ Camilla is a woman with lots of secrets. What is she? That was my question throughout the whole book but I think I figured it out halfway through since it only made sense. Camilla and Envy were quite a match. She was strong when she needed to be, but you could always kind of tell her secret meant she had hidden powers. Envy was interesting but oh so stubborn. I like how he cared for his people and his interactions with his brothers are always funny. I did like how Camilla and Envy were always testing one another and trying to push the other’s buttons when it came to their attraction, it brought heightened tension between them but I really was annoyed with Envy’s one night rule. As if he could stick to that rule with Camilla. Ha! This one has the spicy scenes that the KOTW was missing but it definitely builds up to it.

+ This story was centered on a game that was being played and Envy had to win to save his people. Camilla is also pulled into the game and you don’t quite know who the other players are until something happens to reveal them. But it did keep me reading to see how everything would play out.

~ This book was long and it took me 3 or 4 days to finish which was fine. I don’t mind reading a book slowly but I think because it was a story about a high stake game, I wanted it tighter and a faster paced. But this reads more like a mystery (which isn’t my favorite genre because of the slowness) so if you like mysteries you will enjoy this one.

~ I adore Camilla and Envy together but something was missing for me. Maybe because Envy’s sin is just jealousy which is fine…but hello Price Sloth! A house full of books? He’s the prince I want! Anyway no hate towards Envy I did like how he cared for his people.

My Final Thoughts:

This is a great edition to the world of KOTW and I wonder who’s book we will get next. I think Prince Lust and Sloth are the ones that intrigue me a lot but looks like Pride’s story would be next?

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kingdom of the Wicked | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kingdom of the Cursed by. Kerri Maniscalco | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kingdom of the Feared by. Kerri Maniscalco | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hunting Moon by. Susan Dennard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Hunting Moon (#2)

Author: Susan Dennard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 11/07/23

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Series, Mystery, 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 Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries by New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

Content Warning: violence

I loved the first book of The Luminaries because Winnie’s test to become a luminary made this book exciting. This sequel felt slower and a little more like a filler.

I did love that Jay and Winnie’s relationship gets somewhat resolved, but it’s slow to get there. There is some complicated feelings between them and some things that has to be said out loud but I was happy that there was progress between them because I just want them together.

Winnie is trying to figure out clues maybe her dad has left her but it’s a challenge for her. And the community is still looking for the werewolf, while Winnie still is insisting there is a Whisperer creature on the loose. Her family has now earned their right to come back into the fold and she doesn’t want to jeopardize anything but when she finds out something about Jay, she puts everything on the line.

The first half is slow, but the second half picks up and just as I was invested in the story it ends abruptly. I was actually shocked that it was over. But I did enjoy the second half of the book more than the first.

I probably went in with high expectations because I loved book one. I did enjoy some parts of it but it does slow down and becomes more of a mystery with Winnie trying to put all the clues together.

Tropes: slow burn romance, friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

you enjoyed book one, but this one is more of a mystery and slower
Winnie and Jay’s angsty romance
a few things happen, but at the end

Why you might not want to read it:

abrupt ending and shorter than I expected, wanted more

My Thoughts:

I had high expectations which this sequel didn’t quite meet mostly because mysteries are too slow for me and this becomes a mystery that Winnie is trying to solve. It’s definitely not a high stakes challenge anymore for her. I did love that FINALLY she and Jay make some headway into their slow burn romance, because it was frustrating seeing these two not being able to communicate. I’ll definitely read book three after that ending – but I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt and the book was longer.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Luminaries by.Susan Dennard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All That Consumes Us by. Erica Waters | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: All That Consumes Us

Author: Erica Waters

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 10/17/23

Publisher: HarperTeen

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Suspense, Mystery, Secret Society, Dark Academia, LGBT+

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!

Everyone knows the students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. So when Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she takes it.

But once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory the academy calls home, something strange starts to happen. She finally has the chance to write, but her stories are dark and twisted. When she’s not sleepwalking, she’s dreaming about being trapped in a coffin, buried alive. And she’s starting to feel an unseen presence stalking her through the halls of her dorm.

As Tara slowly loses her grip on everything she’s ever known, she discovers a terrible secret at the heart of Magni Viri, one that just might turn her dreams into nightmares, one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.

All That Consumes Us will pull readers into a hypnotizing, utterly lush and gothic reverie that blurs the lines of reality and shows that the addictive nature of ambition, and its inevitable price, always claim their due.

Content Warning: death, self-harm

I’ve read only one other book from this author called The River Has Teeth and I enjoyed it a lot. When I read the synopsis for this book it sounded so intriguing I had to request it.

I like that this book is set in college because I feel like there isn’t many young adult books set in college, but so many things happens to a young adult after high school. And we see it in this case with Tara who is trying her best to do good in her classes, hoping one day to be a novelist but she is a young woman who has to pay her own tuition and make things meet. Tara doesn’t have a wealthy family to help her pay for school so when she is invited to the secret society, Magni Viri, she feels this is her one chance to realize her big dreams.

The secret society gives the whole story its mystery. There is a backstory with the founding fathers of Magni Viri and we learn about it with Tara who is new to it all. The twist in the story is a good one and so unexpected. I found it creative and definitely gave all the dark academia vibes! Tara lives in a Victorian dormitory, there are woods around her and a graveyard. She also feels like she’s being haunted and obsessed with writing this novel – she feels like she’s becoming someone else which becomes really creepy.

I like the diverse cast of characters but I wish I felt like I could connect to them but I didn’t. I do like how each student had lofty ambitions and being part of Magni Viri was a chance to reach those goals – but at what cost? And was it all worth it to be so consumed by their passions that they would do anything to make their dreams come true.

Tropes: secret society

Why you should read it:

you want to read a modern gothic horror story
good twist in the story, dark academia vibes with ghosts, obsessions, strange things happening

Why you might not want to read it:

not into horror

My Thoughts:

I thought this one was fairly entertaining but maybe a little too slow for me in the beginning and I wish I could’ve connected to the characters. Once everything starts unraveling for Tara is when I got more engaged and I was trying to figure what was going on with these Magni Viri kids. I like that it’s a college setting and it has a diverse cast. I thought the twist in the story was good and I like how the characters question if everything they are doing to achieve their goals are worth it.