Tag: book reviews

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/27/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ It was a weird week for my kids school schedule – my 12 year old had SBA testing for 2 days and ended school at 11am (lucky him!). Then my daughter had a waiver day on Friday so they both got a little bit of a break I’d say.

+ The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders went live this week. I had my calendar as it being on Thursday but I had a brain fart and didn’t realize that meant it would go live earlier in Hawaii on Wednesday, at 6pm. I only realized this at 6:45pm when it was trending on Twitter, I was so mad at myself. It was pretty much sold out everywhere but I told my son we had a chance for Gamestop the next day. But while my hubby was on Best Buy’s site and in a queue waiting for 30 minutes, I decided to hop onto Best Buy on my laptop and I waited maybe 5 minutes before I got to order! 🙏🏽. Here I was freaking out and my son said he was never worried. Oh how nice for him! 😅 But I knew how bad he’s been wanting this Switch so I really wanted to get a pre-order for him. He paid for it with money saved up but yeah, my job was just to do the pre-order.

+ I was supposed to be on a book buying ban but I got invited to sign up for the YA box for Fairy Loot. I’ve never had a Fairy Loot subscription and honestly I have been eyeing all their books on bookstagram and had book envy. 😩 I actually wanted the adult book box but who knows how long I have to wait for that. If I get that then I’ll cancel the YA one. But yeah…books are getting me through this year – it’s like book therapy. 😅 So I’m excited, maybe I’ll cancel Kindle Unlimited? Maybe…only because I have so many arcs to read this year. UM nevermind, I came to my senses after seeing the cost of shipping SMH. I can buy 3 books with the price of that subscription box so I cancelled it. LOL😅

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished:

The Never List by. Jade Presley

The Amalfi Curse by. Sarah Penner

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by. Kylie Lee Baker

All Paths Lead to Paris by. Sabrina Fedel

Currently Reading:

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

The Twisted Throne by. Danielle L. Jensen

Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox

Firebird by. Juliette Cross

His Mortal Demise by. Vanessa Le

Wandering Wild by. Lynette Noni

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Some of the NFL Draft – not really invested but also had nothing else to watch.

Videos I Posted to Youtube:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/20/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ It was a short week for the kids which is nice. Didn’t do much except the usual stuff.

+Took my daughter to an Easter Egg Hunt yesterday nearby our house. Isn’t it sad when the kids get older? My son is too old for an egg hunt he says but I said, hey they did have a 9+ age group 😅 – he’s 12 and he’s not big on candy anyway but still. There were a lot of kids but it was a quick egg hunt! We used to hold the Easter Egg hunts at our house but now with the lack of street parking in my neighborhood it’s hard for our guests to find parking so we haven’t held an egg hunt since the pandemic I think.

+ Happy Easter to all that celebrate!

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished:

Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven

Deep End by. Ali Hazelwood

Nightweaver by. R.M. Gray

The Floating World by. Axie Oh

Currently Reading:

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by. Kylie Lee Baker

The Amalfi Curse by. Sarah Penner

Firebird by. Juliette Cross

His Mortal Demise by. Vanessa Le

The Never List by. Jade Presley

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Coachella – Ed Sheeran was there on the Saturday set list and I enjoyed it!

Videos I Posted to Youtube:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/13/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Did nothing too special this week – just the usual, cook, clean, blog, take care of the kids and run errands. Took my son to his piano lesson yesterday. I’ll be missing his piano recital in June because that’s when I fly out to South Korea but at least his dad is here now to take him.

+ I’m happy this is a short week, kids have Good Friday off.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished:

Sunrise on the Reaping by. Suzanne Collins

Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith

Rose in Chains by. Julie Soto

Currently Reading:

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

The Floating World by. Axie Oh

Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • I’m going to see Lady Gaga in July so I definitely had to watch her Coachella set on youtube! It was AMAZING. 🤯. The theatrics, the stage, the drama, her vocals….I was blown away.
  • I also watched these Coachella sets or some parts of it:
    • Djo (parts of their set) – caught that song I love “End of Beginning”, but I enjoyed some of their other songs I didn’t know.
    • LISA (full set) – she did so good for her Solo show!
    • Benson Boone (parts of his set) – he has an amazing voice
    • Missy Elliot (parts of her set) – her set reminded me of my clubbing days 😅
    • Weezer (parts of their set) – takes me back to my teen years also, mostly college days! 😭
    • Jimmy Eat World (was going back from Weezer and them, but mostly Weezer) – caught my favorite song from them at the end!
    • Charli xcx (full set) – SO GOOD, wish I could have gone to see her on tour to dance my ass off.
    • ENHYPEN (part of their set) – wanted to see who they were, but then realized I know a few songs of theirs because of the kpop radio station! I could hear the girls in the crowd screaming so loud.
    • Green Day (full set) – man did they take me back to my teenage years! 😭 That band raised me. They rocked that stage and still have so much energy!
  • Hoping to watch today on Coachella:
    • JENNIE
    • beabadobee

Videos I Posted to Youtube:

Just a fun little video of my making bookstagram photos (which I hardly post these days 🫠 and mostly because I forget to do it)…

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/6/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Well…what a week right? More stress and anxiety about the USA economy? Sigh…we can’t have a week without chaos. My son was so excited about the Nintendo Switch 2 and now pre-orders will be delayed because of the economic situation happening with the tariffs. He was on an emotional roller coaster – like he was so excited, and then now he’s nervous about how much it will cost. 🫠

+ I did manage to score Lady Gaga tickets for Vegas in July. And let me tell you I was hesitating so bad to buy them because of the uncertainty with our economy. They weren’t face-value tickets, but ticketmaster resale since that was all that was left but it wasn’t horrible because it is Lady Gaga and my hubby and I have wanted to see her forever. I just cannot believe how much tickets go for now and I’ve been going to concerts for 2 decades. I mean I even saw Michael Jackson and I had to call on the phone to ticketmaster to get those tickets LOL…I feel so old. Those tickets were cheaper than these but it was a different time! A very cheaper/affordable time. Fees are so ridiculous now smh…I’m supposed to be ecstatic I’m going but I feel anxious – like what will things be like in July? Will we be struggling with HIGHER inflation – how much more can we be squeezed?

+ Speaking of Vegas – before that I’m going to South Korea in June! That’s only 2 months away and I don’t feel like I’m excited for that one either because of everything happening. 😦 I’ll probably get more excited when we go to our tour luncheon next month to meet all the other people in the group and when we finally get our plane tickets etc…

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished:

The Frozen River by. Ariel Lawhon

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan

Murder Between Friends by. Liz Lawson

Currently Reading:

Sunrise on the Reaping by. Suzanne Collins

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

The Floating World by. Axie Oh

Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith

Love Spells Trouble by. Nia Davenport

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Kids wanted to watch A Minecraft Movie – so we went to watch it! I found it hilarious – definitely a movie that is silly but honestly it was nice to watch something and not think too hard.

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/30/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Kids are back in school but we had a state holiday on Wednesday to honor Prince Kuhio who was Hawaiian royalty here in Hawaii. So that was nice, we had a chill day and it’s been a chill week.

+ This week is BIG for my kids…the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is on Wednesday (4/2) and it airs at 4am Hawaii time, kids have school that day but my son insists he is waking up early to watch it! Then some game he loves, Katamari, is coming out as an ipad app this week and the Minecraft movie comes out (4/4) but we probably won’t watch that until they have a free day on the weekend. Big week for the gaming kids huh?

+ The volcano has been erupting again, so we’ve had a few gray cast, voggy days. I try to take my claritin when I know it’s going to be bad and it helps but my nose still drips, I get a sinus headache and my eyes itch.

+ Also I have broken my book buying ban…I was buying my most anticipated ebook of each month but I have to REALLY want it like I did for Rebel Witch and Oathbound. But the pretty sprayed edges that are on so many books now are making me break my willpower – and only if I have a gift card to use and there is a sale, but STILL…I am weak for these sprayed edges and now they are everywhere it seems. 😩 And I want them all!😅

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished:

Love Dark and Deep by. Elisa A. Bonnin

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland (audiobook)

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by. Sarah Adams

Booked For Summer by. Kathryn Freeman

Currently Reading:

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

The Frozen River by. Ariel Lawhon

Murder Between Friends by. Liz Lawson

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Adolescence (Netflix) – what a show (hits me as a parent)
  • eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead | Ariana Grande – so good!!! 💜

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle, #3)

Author: Tracy Deonn

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 656

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series


Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.


Content Warning: violence, kidnapping

I took my time reading this book and let me tell you, even at 600+ pages, I didn’t want it to end.

+ The characters and relationships that are built between them are so good. New characters were introduced, Elijah (he’s okay) and Zoe. I enjoyed her growing relationship with Zoe who was hostile with her at first. There are multiple POVs in this book and I really loved Mariah and Natasia’s perspectives! I even think the Shadow King is an interesting villain.

+ There are a few things going on in this story. Bree is with the Shadow King, and is there to help him get his crown but also, girls with Rootcraft magic are going missing. There are things happening with the Scions also and the Morgaines and then there is Sel going through demonia. I remember thinking in book two that I really wished Bree had someone to help her with her powers and this books gives her that but in the most dangerous way ever.

+ Bree has really been through hell and back in this series so far. This story is her turning point – she’s in a place where she needs to heal and figure out what to do with all this power she has. Does she embrace it or throw it all away? Bree is a complex character and I actually have to remind myself she’s still young, she’s 17! So does she make some mistakes? Yes, she still does and some people like Valec call her out on it. Is she better at controlling her emotions? For the most part, I think so.

+ And yes because there is so many characters, let’s talk about my favorite boys: Nick and Selwyn. 😩 First Selwyn – he has his own hellish path he’s on, and wow…he is barely in this book but the ending is…🤯. As for Nick, when he reunites with Bree, I screamed I think lol. They are apart for half of the book but when he is with her, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness, Nick! He is her person in every way, but I can’t forget about Sel even though he was hardly with Bree in this book. From Legendborn, I have been team Selwyn but Nick is such a sweet guy! I swear this is the one time I was thinking, maybe they can be a throuple? 😅. But who knows what will happen with Sel after that ending!

~ I need Selwyn’s perspective. He was barely in this book but he will have to be in book four more because of what happened at the end of this book but please…I need more Selwyn! It was interesting to have his mom’s POV as she observed him, but I just want his perspective.

~ The beginning of this was a little slow but I forced myself to not rush and settle into the story. There is a lot of information to absorb and if you didn’t re-read the series like me, I had to get my bearings but that was easy enough the more I read and was immersed into this world.

Quotes From This Book:

“Greedy men collect what they cannot understand, and weak men destroy what they cannot control.”

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn

“Bree isn’t the thought; she’s the action.”

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn

“We’ve kissed enough that I know how you like to be kissed.”

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn

“It is a rare being who keeps wading into the war of life with a fractured weapon.”

Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn

Final Thoughts:

This one started off a little slow for me because I had to get used to the different POVs which was kind of unexpected but then I loved it as I read more. I love the relationships these characters have with one another – it is so good. Bree’s journey has never been easy has it? And it isn’t easy in this book also but she’s finally come to a place of healing and I can’t wait to see what book four has in store for her. She’s strong and her growth has been amazing. As for the romance – I’m rooting for both guys 😅. I’ve been team Selwyn because I’m an enemies to lovers kinda girl but Nick made me swoon in this book. Sel is kind of scary right now and who knows what will happen with him in the next book. As for the next book though, I need Alice to be okay. I’ll be waiting patiently for the next one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Legendborn | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bloodmarked by. TracyDeonn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Frost Bound by. Frost Kay | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery Book, #1)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: ebook(KU)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 2/13/25

Categories: Monster Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Romantasy

Dahlia Skysinger has managed to survive the underworld of Astera her whole life through clever deals, selling her voice, and never staying in one place too long. When her little brother is caught stealing from the crown, Lia is forced to make a cruel bargain with the royals.

Her life for his.

To regain her freedom, Lia must impersonate the princess, marry the monstrous frost giant king, then spy on and . . . kill him.

Taking a human bride is King Neve’s last chance to secure peace for his people. Promised a frail mortal princess he could lock away and forget about, the last thing he expects is a woman with a sharp tongue and a reckless amount of courage. Lia might be the key to avoiding war, but he doesn’t trust a single word that falls from her pretty lips.

And so the wicked game of trickery and survival begins.

But what happens when an assassin starts to have feelings for her target, and a king’s icy heart begins to melt for his little human bride?

Book One of The Entangled in Trickery Series

Perfect for romantasy readers who enjoy fiery enemies to lovers romance, arranged marriage, learning to love yourself, epic fantasy adventure, sexy monster villains, slow burn with ALL the tension and angst, and mythical sidekicks.


Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Frost Kay book in awhile but I was attracted to this on Kindle Unlimited because of the book cover. I thought the premise was interesting also and wanted to see how this arranged marriage, enemies to lovers romance would play out.

The thing I found really interesting is the world-building because Dahlia, or Lia, is about to marry a frost giant, Neve. The frost giants have blue skin, full black eyes, and the men have horns on their shoulders. I found them fascinating.

It’s definitely a slow burn (super slow), monster romance, with just a little bit of spice that happens near the ending of the book. There are a lot of tropes I enjoy in this book like the arranged marriage, and enemies to lovers. Neve really hates humans and the fact he’s bound to this marriage grates on his nerves but he finally starts to feel something for Lia when the cliffhanger ending happens! I thought Lia was an even-tempered but strong character as she takes on this task of impersonating the princess.

The story itself isn’t that original but I still found it enjoyable because of the monster romance aspect of it.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a quick, binge-able read and if you like books with the tropes I mentioned above then you will like this monster romance. You might want to wait for the second book to come out because of the cliffhanger ending though.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Mini Reviews } The Tainted | The Exiled | Dominion of Ash Series by. Frost Kay ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Fallout | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | The Hunt (The Twisted Kingdoms, Book #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/23/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Daughter had math camp – which was only 90 minutes a day for 3 days. Kids had an eye dr. apt, and my daughter needs glasses. Just for a little far-sightedness.

+ Hubby went on his work trip to D.C. – I definitely feel for him, he had to fly across the Pacific Ocean and the USA just for a 2 day conference. The jet lag sucks but not as bad as when he was flying back and forth from Japan.

+ It’s been a chill spring break which is fine, we saved money. We did go to the pool last Sunday, it’s been in the high 70’s-low 80’s here and the day was beautiful – no volcanic vog in the air, it was gorgeous. I love when the sky is so blue blue. 💙

+ My parents wanted to try out this new Japanese restaurant near our house so we went and we enjoyed the food. A little pricey but what isn’t pricey these days?😒

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

These Summer Storms by. Sarah MacLean

Currently Reading:

Love Dark and Deep by. Elisa A. Bonnin

Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turhan

The Rivaled Crown by. Holly Renee

Four Ruined Realms by. Mai Corland (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – such a good album!
  • I Said I Love You First -Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – I actually love how mellow this one is.

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: To Shatter the Night (Mistlands, #2)

Author: Katherine Quinn

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 12/3/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series


Welcome back into the Mist…in the astonishing sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller To Kill a Shadow…

Some fear the darkness. It’s the place where horror hides, concealing its rank, sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. But there is no darkness more feared than that of the mist that’s overtaken the kingdom…and its brave—and ultimately doomed— soldiers.

Except for Kiara Frey.

She has nothing to fear from the night. Not anymore.

Driven by the fury of her splintered heart, Kiara knows that the answers—and the only possible way to a future with Jude Maddox—begin with the realm’s most notorious thief, the Fox. Together, they hunt down the path to breaking Asidia’s dark curse, but in the shadows, something more horrifying than the mist lies in wait. Watching. Willing Kiara to find the game pieces set in place long ago.

As Jude and Kiara are lured to a sacred temple—a shrine that is the home to both exquisite dreams and chilling nightmares—Kiara’s newfound powers flourish but her shadows threaten to consume her.

Because here in these cursed lands, it’s not the darkness that destroys the soul…it’s love.


Content Warning: violence

This is the conclusion to the Mistlands duology and it picks up where it left off in book one. Kiara and Jude are separated but they find their way back together.

I always thought the concept for the book was interesting, there is no daylight in this world of the Mistlands but there is a prophecy and now they know Kiara and Jude is a part of it. Jude goes through some tough moments in this book but Kiara does her best to go find him and that’s an adventure in itself. I liked Kiara’s relationship with her best friend Jake. I thought their friendship was fun. There is a lot of action in the second half of this book because Kiara, Jude and their group need to complete a dangerous quest.

The romance is nice, they finally admit what they want from each other but it was always insta-love from book one. They even have a bit of a little spicy moment.

Final Thoughts:

I found this story to move quickly with lots of action, and adventure. Plus it has the romance even though it was kind of insta-lovey in book one and the found family was nice. I think this was a great conclusion to the duology.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

To Kill a Shadow by. Katherine Quinn | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/16/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My daughter’s Market Day happened and she sold 3 bookmarks. She was kinda bummed but I had to point out that’s what happens with a small business plus the “market” was flooded with bookmark sellers. I think 5 of them in her class made bookmarks! And that was only HER class, there are 80+ second graders so who knows how many made bookmarks. She was able to buy some really interesting crafts like air dry clay keychains, air dry clay coasters, and there were services too – she got her shoe “shined” lol – I thought that was cute. And another kid was doing removable tattoos. Cool right? Also she bought 3 bookmarks from her other friends. I was very proud of her!

+ My daughter also had her school’s annual Songfest and I loved their performance. The theme this year was Cultural Diversity – and I love it especially with what is happening in our government that their school is not afraid to embrace diversity and inclusion. Hard to not embrace it here in Hawaii where we are a very diverse population here. It was a fun show and it kicked off Spring Break!

+ We are not doing anything special for Spring Break. My daughter has math camp for 3 days, just 90 minutes a day at school but yeah…we are just hanging out. Also my hubby does have to fly into DC this week for a 2 day conference.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – I’m obsessed!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!