A Fire in the Sky by. Sophie Jordan | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Fire in the Sky

Author: Sophie Jordan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Avon

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons

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

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

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, whipping

I haven’t read a Sophie Jordan novel in years but I got asked to read this one so I was curious. I think I read one YA novel from her and a few historical romance books but like I said it’s been awhile.

Tamsyn is a whipping a girl. Yes, she is the girl who gets the punishment meant for the royal princesses. It’s an awful situation for her but because she’s an orphan, it is actually a better station than Tamsyn could have ever dreamed of, at least that’s what she thinks or is trained to believe. She’s a part of the royal family but also, not.

Fell, is a hardened, ruthless warlord who believes his hard work defending the borders deserves a price and what he wants is to marry one of the princesses. I think you can guess what happens in this story at least for the first part. The first half of the book is predictable but the second half had some interesting surprises!

I was definitely entertained by the steamy attraction (very instant attraction) between Tamsyn and Fell. There are a few spicy scenes between them. Unfortunately, I think that’s the only thing they had going for them as a couple – the physical chemistry, because I didn’t think there was enough time for their relationship to grow at all in this story. And although I read this book in one night, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. There is also someone in Tamsyn’s life from the royal court, Stig, who was a close friend and is in love with her. But, I wasn’t feeling Stig’s point of view in the story since she never really considers him or has any romantic feelings towards him. I would have rather had like more chapters devoted to Tamsyn and Fell getting to know one another.

I definitely liked the dragons but again, it comes mostly at the end of a story and sets things up for a sequel.

My Thoughts:

This story had me hooked even though I wasn’t connecting much to the characters. I was into the drama of the arranged marriage and wanted to see how that was going to turn out. The first half was predictable but I think the second half got me intrigued because that’s when the dragons are actually introduced. I think I may continue the series just because the ending was quite a cliffhanger and I want to learn more about the dragon shifters.

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Fear the Flames by. Olivia Rose Darling | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fear the Flames (#1)

Author: Olivia Rose Darling

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/17/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, Series

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!

An exiled princess teams up with the last man she thought she could trust in the start of a dazzling and unforgettable epic fantasy romance series.

As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.

Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.

As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.

An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling.

Content Warning: violence, death

I thought this started off strong but I think it fizzled out for me in some parts. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

It’s a romantasy. I love romance with my fantasy. It’s an enemies to lovers situation. Cayden is a Commander with a ruthless reputation and Elowen is a Queen of her own kingdom but she is hunted by her father. Cayden makes a deal with Elowen to help protect and get her dragons while she helps him by standing with Vareveth in the coming war.
The banter between Cayden and Elowen was entertaining. I liked their banter and of course they are attracted to one another. There are a few steamy parts.
Elowen is bonded to some dragons but have been separated them since she was a child. I was excited that this story had dragons.
Elowen’s relationship with her best friend was cute.

Dislikes:

Not enough dragons! It’s mostly at the end of this book.
I felt like I wasn’t invested enough in Elowen’s turmoil about her past, her present with leading her secret kingdom and then her bond with her dragons. I think because she’s such a strong character, it felt like everything was handled and she didn’t really need help. I just didn’t connect to her.
The story didn’t flow well for me.

My Thoughts:

I think this one was okay. I loved that this story had dragons but it’s really only a little glimpse of them. I did enjoy the romance aspects of the story but I do wish I connected more to the characters. Overall, if you like dragons and romantasy definitely give this one a try.

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Can’t Help Falling in Love by. Sophie Sullivan | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Can’t Help Falling in Love

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 9/17/24

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fall Romance, Holiday Romance, Fake Dating

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

“Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for.” -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

Content Warning: death of parent, grief

Lexi is in her mid-20’s and is struggling a bit through school, jobs and keeping everything together after her dad passed away. I really felt for Lexi because you can see she is trying hard and she’s patient with her mom who is in a period of grieving to the point she doesn’t want to get out of bed sometimes. When Will comes into her life accidentally and they agree to fake date, I felt like everything seemed to work out well for them like their chemistry, their attraction and there wasn’t really any conflict between them besides Lexi being fearful of falling in love and losing that love.

This was a cute, quick fluffy read and perfect for the holidays! I love how the story happens around fall but I thought even if this was a Christmas holiday romance, it would have worked because by the end I was left with happy feelings as they celebrated Thanksgiving. I really liked the insightful things about life, love and loss that we get from the story. Lexi doesn’t have it all together and she thinks everyone around her does until she finds out everyone is struggling with something. I think that was really relatable.

I do think because there isn’t much conflict between them it felt like too light a read at times in the beginning, but I think we get some depth when Lexi gets fearful as things get more serious between her and Will. Also this happens in a span of six weeks – the fake dating to falling in love, so not exactly insta-love, but kind of.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a fun, sweet, quick, fluffy romance! This story is heart warming with family and friendship themes and I think perfect for the fall holiday season.

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Other Books by This Author:

A Guide to Being Just Friends by. Sophie Sullivan| ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Thirteenth Child

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Horror, Gothic, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy

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!

This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

Content Warning: body horror, death, violence, illness, neglectful parents, poison, grief

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but I love this author’s work and this did not disappoint at all. It surprised me and made me fall in love with Hazel and Merrick. This might be my favorite book of 2024.

I had to look up what this book was a retelling of and found that it’s a retelling of The Brother’s Grimm story called Godfather Death. I had never heard of it so I was invested in Hazel’s story right away. She’s the thirteenth child in a family who was too poor to take care of her. Three different gods come to offer to take care of her, but it’s Merrick, God of Death who has the honor of being her godfather. Their story is so complicated, yet morbidly sweet. He takes care of her the only way how an immortal god knows how and it’s endearing and strange because everyone is afraid of death. But not Hazel.

He gives her the life he promised her bio parents but it’s not an easy life. She is needed in the community for her healing talents and power, but because death is inevitable in a mortal’s life, she also has to make hard decisions like helping her patients seek peace by ending their lives. Hazel experiences love, friendship and even a found family but betrayal and making mistakes of her own to the detriment of her already fragile and strange relationship with Merrick. She also learns about the consequences of her actions.

The romance is sweet, the secondary characters all provided something to the story and I just enjoyed how the story made me think about and question things about life like love, death, parenting, power, religion, grief, making decisions and facing consequences. This book really has everything – it has paranormal elements, fantasy, romance, and even body horror (it’s gross but I think tolerable). And it made me cry at the end because there is just something about Merrick and Hazel that touched my heart. Him yearning to fill a void in him (as her godfather) and her needed a void to be filled because her birth parents neglected her.

My Thoughts:

I love this book so much and I’ll have to buy a hardcopy to have on my shelf so I can reread it again. It’s beautifully written and moved me to tears by the end. It’s my favorite book of 2024 so far!

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House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Guava and Grudges by. Alexis Castellanos | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Guava and Grudges

Author: Alexis Castellanos

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 9/4/24

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Forbidden Love, Family Rivalry, Food 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 Bloomsbury YA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ana Maria Ybarra dreams of becoming a world-famous pastry chef, but dreams have a cost. Her family can barely keep the family business running, let alone pay for culinary school. Ana Maria helps out at the family bakery, Café Y Mas, whenever she can, but they are struggling while the rival Cuban bakery across the street, Morales Bakery, is doing better than ever with their Instagram famous desserts. Ana Maria’s only hope is winning a recipe competition, which has a grand prize big enough to pay for culinary school. But then the ultimate distraction shows up in her small town: Miguel, a boy she spent one magical day with six months ago, and who she never thought she’d see again. Ana Maria thinks maybe fate has brought them together again for a reason– until she learns the horrible truth that Miguel is a Morales.

A Ybarra cannot be associated with a Morales-let alone fall for one. But when Miguel offers to help Ana Maria with the competition, she is so desperate to win she can’t turn him down. All she needs to do is keep Miguel at arm’s length and keep their deal a secret from their families. After all, teaming up with Miguel is just business, nothing more…right?

Content Warning:

Star-crossed lovers and Cuban bakery goods? I was definitely intrigued by this synopsis and here’s what I thought:

Likes:

Two teens from two different families that hate one another, meet and fall for one another. I thought their romance was sweet, but sadly so difficult because of their families. I do like how the family rivalry is resolved.
Ana Maria’s struggles are relatable to teens. She’s decided on skipping college and maybe going straight to cooking school instead – but how does she tell her parents that when her dad is always saying she will be taking over the family business? Or when her mom is pressuring her to look at different colleges? Ana Maria is secretly competing for some college money and that’s how she and Miguel bond.
I’m glad Ana Maria had help from her best friend and eventually was able to talk to her parents about her decisions.
The mentions of Cuban food made me want to try everything!

Dislikes:

The story didn’t feel unique especially with the rival bakery idea. So it felt like I had read a story like this before but it was still fun.
Would have liked more of the rivalry between families to be featured in the story.

Final Thoughts:

I think teens will relate to this one especially because Ana Maria is that girl trying to please her parents, help her family but also want to forge a new path for her future. The romance between her and Miguel is a bit star-crossed because they come from rival families but I thought they were cute together. This was a cute read with mentions of delicious Cuban foods.

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The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Monstrous Kind

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic, Paranormal, 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 Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in a Regency England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story.

Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie.

Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness.

Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

Content Warning: violence, death, loss of a parent

I went into this one not knowing it was inspired by Sense and Sensibility until after I read it. With that said, I loved how it is written because I felt like it was regency era inspired so I think the author did a great job capturing that era and the gothic vibes.

As for it being inspired by Sense and Sensibility, I can definitely see that with a few twists here and there. The world building and history is interesting with this encroaching fog that kills people, so over generations it has pushed territories to defend and protect their borders. Merrick’s family has had a change in head of household with her father’s death and her sister is the named the next lord of their manor. What I found fascinating in the stories was the relationship between the sisters and how complicated it is. Bottom line is both girls are trying to survive and keep their house in order but one is head of household and the other has to marry. It’s not so easy to do either though when their borders are being breached, and they seem weak.

I did enjoy how the story unfolded though it can feel slow at some parts because a lot of it is a mystery until all is revealed. I loved the gothic atmosphere. I mean the fog has Phantoms (zombies?) that kill people! It took me only two days to read but I can’t say I loved Merrick. She is pitted as the most vulnerable of the sisters because she has no power, and has to marry to survive but she seems willing to fall for any guy who pays her attention. Is that survival or is she just too trusting? Especially when she has a cousin-in-law, Cressida who is trying to teach her to be more aware of the games the people in power play? I just wanted Merrick to be a little more smarter about some situations. But as a comparison to Marianne from Sense and Sensibility then I can totally see that she stacks up well to her. I did want more from Essie also.

My Thoughts:

Regency era mystery, gothic vibes, zombies in the mist, and inspired by Sense and Sensibility – I think the author pulled it off. I do wish I loved the characters more though and the romance had a chance to take off, but is there a book two because the ending did feel like it was left open? Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Shadow of Perl by. J. Elle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Shadows of Perl (House of Marionne, #2)

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Magic

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

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

The dazzling romantic fantasy world of House of Marionne continues in this dark and deadly sequel full of forbidden magic, devastating lies, and broken hearts.

A must read for fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, and Alex Aster.

Unleash the darkness. Claim your power.

Quell Marionne’s explosive final Rite of Induction to House Marionne sent shockwaves through the magical world, unearthing long buried secrets and her own deadly power. But she paid a steep price: her family and her love. Fleeing Chateau Soleil for House of Perl, for once Quell is celebrated instead of shunned. She has finally found somewhere to belong. But secrets lurk in every House, and Quell’s quest to find her mom threatens to lead her deeper into the shadows.

Assassin Jordan Wexton, second-in command of the Dragun brotherhood, must protect the source of all magic, the Sphere. Yet the biggest threat to the Sphere is Quell Marionne—the girl he loved, until she claimed the deadly, outlawed toushana. As the Sphere cracks and war brews among the Houses, can the only way to save the world be to kill his own heart?

Now, these two lovers-turned enemies must confront their competing ambitions and conflicting loyalties. Or die. The future of magic hangs on their decision.

Content Warning: violence, loss of a parent

This is the second book in the House of Marionne series and with the way it ended in book one, I was excited to see how this sequel would turn out.

Likes:

I liked when Yagrin was in the story because the first book ended with him and it got me excited to see what would happen to his character.
The troubled romance between Quell and Jordan goes through more turmoil here. They hate one another, but underneath it all, they still feel strongly for one another. So I did like when they finally had scenes together – it was my favorite parts because I love romance in my fantasy books.
There is a lot of movement in the book since Quell is on the run and there is a lot of action at the end. I liked the political drama and Jordan coming to realize what the order demands of him.

Dislikes:

This was too slow for me and it was hard for me to get into it because it starts off with Nore and I was clueless as to who she was. So I was a bit lost in the beginning of this book and was trying to get my bearings and remember things from book one.
I couldn’t connect to the characters.

My Thoughts:

I think this book does move the series forward but it took me awhile to get into. My favorite parts were when Quell and Jordan finally confront each other but I did also like all the political drama happening with the houses. I think if you liked book one, you will enjoy this one.

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Book Links:

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Other Books By This Author:

House of Marionne by. J. Elle | ARC Review (House of Marionne, #1) – 3.5 stars

Wings of Ebony | ARC Review (Wings of Ebony, #1) – 4 stars

House of Thorns by. Isabel Strychacz | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: House of Thorns

Author: Isabel Strychacz

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 8/20/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sentient House, 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 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the vein of The Haunting of Hill House , a teen returns to the mysterious house from her past to search for her missing sister and uncover the truth of Brier Hall in this atmospheric and eerie modern gothic novel.

Lia Peartree is haunted—by memories, by her past, by secrets, by the ones she left behind. Five years ago, the Peartrees fled their home—the infamous ancestral Brier Hall—and never looked back. But her oldest sister went missing that night, and there’s been no sign of her since.

In the aftermath, the Peartrees are traumatized and get by however they can. Lia’s remaining sister Ali says yes to any bad idea, and Lia tries so desperately to be the perfect daughter that it’s tearing her apart. But as the five year anniversary of the night they left nears, Lia begins seeing her missing sister everywhere, and memories of Brier Hall won’t leave her alone.

When Ali disappears with no warning except a cryptic phone call—“don’t follow me when I’m gone”—Lia is sure she’s gone back to Brier Hall. Lia must go home one final time and face what haunts her in an effort to find her sisters and uncover the truth of her past.

Content Warning: missing/death of a sister

This one was very interesting. There is a haunted house called Brier Hall that the Peartree family inherited but the story starts after an event that took place with the family there five years ago. There are hints about it being haunted, a Peartree sister going missing or died, another Peartree sister is on drugs and not coping well in their new town. Lia is trying to move on and forget when her sister Ali comes and says maybe their sister Avery isn’t missing or dead at all. They go back to the town where Brier Hall stands and will try to find Avery one last time.

The vibes are creepy, especially when they are back in the house. There are some memory flashback and we also get a second person, point of view from the house itself which is very creepy especially since I was reading this at night.

It’s a short book at 304 pages and the story moves on quickly to Lia and Ali being at the house but all the speculation of what they saw as kids growing up there and the mystery of it all was losing my attention and making me impatient for some big reveal. I thought the reveal was interesting but I wasn’t totally invested by then. I did like the sisterly bonds even though they had complicated feelings about one another which is normal in any sibling relationship.

My Thoughts:

There were some things I liked but I think I just wanted more. Maybe I’m not the right audience or just wasn’t in the right mood, but if you like sentient houses and lots of creepy vibes, you might like this one. This actually would be a good read for spooky season.

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The Champions by. Kara Thomas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Champions

Author: Kara Thomas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 8/27/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, 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!

From the author of The Cheerleaders comes another dark YA thriller set in the same town of Sunnybrook. When a mysterious accident befalls a member of the all-star high school football team, the town’s deadly history stands to repeat itself—and the price of discovering the truth is higher than anyone could imagine.

It was the deaths of five cheerleaders that made the town of Sunnybrook infamous. Eleven years later, the girls’ killer has been brought to justice, and the town just wants to move on. By the time Hadley moves to Sunnybrook, though, the locals are more interested in the Tigers, the high school’s championship-winning football team. The Tigers are Sunnybrook’s homegrown heroes–something positive in a town with so much darkness in its past.

Hadley could care less about football, but shortly after she gets assigned to cover the team’s latest championship bid for the school newspaper, one of the Tigers is poisoned at a party, and almost immediately after, Hadley starts getting strange emails warning her to stay far away from the football team.It’s becoming clear Sunnybrook’s golden boys have secrets, and after a second player is mysteriously killed, Hadley’s beginning to suspect that someone wants the team to pay for their sins. Or does this new target on the football team have something to do with what happened to the cheerleaders all those years ago?

As an outsider in Sunnybrook, Hadley feels like she’s the only one who can see the present clearly, but it looks like she’s going to have to dig up the darkness of the past to get to the bottom of what’s happening now. Luckily, there are still some Sunnybrook High grads who never left–people who were around eleven years ago—and if she can just convince them to talk, she might be able stop a killer before another Tiger dies.

Content Warning: underage drinking, death, mention of hazing, mention of rape

I never read The Cheerleaders but always wanted to and then I got the arc for The Champions and thought I could jump into the story without reading the first book and I think I caught up with everything pretty good.

Hadley is an outsider at Sunnybrook high school which has a winning and popular football team. She’s new to the town so she wasn’t there when the five cheerleaders died there in the past but of course she’s heard of it. She wants to go into the journalism and belongs to the school newspaper when she gets a chance to interview the football team but gets embroiled in something deeper.

This is a story about a school covering up the bad deeds of some of the popular boys in class and how things get unravelled and Hadley being in the middle of it all even if she is an “outsider”. She’s not best friends with any of the popular kids but they know her and talk to her so she’s not ignored at school.

I liked that the story moved fast and I didn’t get lost even though I didn’t read The Cheerleaders. It is the typical story of a cover-up in the athletics department of a popular school and kids getting hurt or killed because of this secret. I do think at times there were too many names for me to follow and I kept having to remind myself who was who.

My Thoughts:

This is a pretty solid, quick read! I was invested in finding out what the football team was covering up and it’s pretty bad but I’m glad in the end there was some justice.

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That Weekend by. Kara Thomas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Break-Up Pact by. Emma Lord | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Break-Up Pact

Author: Emma Lord

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 8/13/24

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

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

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates.

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers – until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they’ve barely spoken in years.

But, after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups that spread like wildfire online, a photo of them together has the internet convinced they’re a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire by pretending to date. After all, that will help June’s shop stay open and make Levi’s ex realize what a mistake she made.

All they have to do is convince the world they’re in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time. Then they can happily go their separate ways with no regrets . . . right?

Content Warning: grief, death of friend

I usually love Emma Lord books but I have to say this might be my least favorite of her books. Let’s start off with the things I did love. I loved when June and Levi finally get intimate with one another – the steamy scene was good. I also like this little beachside community that June, Levi and their friends grew up in – most of them stayed, some left and came back like June. But I liked that whole issue about leaving your hometown and maybe coming back after you’ve been out there in the world. Also, yes these people are in that time of their lives where they are settling down, or trying to figure out what their careers will be and all that, so that is relatable.

It’s got some fun tropes like fake dating and friends to lovers.

What I didn’t enjoy was the miscommunication between June and Levi which just created this huge riff between them. Life comes between them, they date other people, coincidentally they both get humiliated online and it goes viral – not sure how relatable that is, but Levi is still holding out for the girlfriend who cheated on him. That’s the current state of things in the story for most of the story which was frustrating. There is some fake dating, which gives us a chance to see the chemistry between them grow but honestly, I wasn’t feeling the fake dating and didn’t connect to the characters.

My Thoughts:

I’m bummed I didn’t love this one but I just wasn’t connecting with the characters and something was missing for me. I just wanted more from Levi at some points. The miscommunication trope has to be one of my least favorite in any book and it frustrated me in this one for sure. The story had some cute moments and even a good steamy scene but everything around that was complicated. Not my favorite but I’ll still be reading any books she writes!