Tag: books

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/9/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Nothing exciting happened this week – I did get my flu shot finally and so I was dealing with feeling a bit feverish afterwards but it coincided with my PMS/hot flashes lol…so I was used to that.

+ Just did the usual cleaning, laundry, blogging, reading and dropping off the kids and picking up the kids. I feel like I’m doing less spending now that the economy is shaky and uncertain. I mean that’s good for me I guess! I did buy an ebook though – Oathbound by. Tracy Deonn. I couldn’t help myself lol.

+ This week my daughter has Market Day at school. The second graders made their own products, my daughter decided to do bookmarks – I helped her cut the cardstock and put the tassels but she’s doing all the artwork for the bookmarks. They get tickets from their teacher to buy stuff from the market also so we’ll see how that goes! I think it’s a fun idea.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Running Point (Netflix) – I love Kate Hudson and this was so funny and also heartwarming.
  • Mayhem – Lady Gaga – What an album! I love it – it makes me want to dance!

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!

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Queen of Shadows and Ruin ( The Nightfire Quartet, #4)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 491

Publication Date: 3/6/25

Publisher: Second Sky

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, 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 Second Sky for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Zarya must become the darkness…

Soaring through the sky to the frozen mountains of Andhera, Zarya knows that only she can save her home from annihilation. Ruthless armies hunt her friends and toxic dark magic spreads through the land, consuming all it touches. To fight back, she and Rabin must find dangerous new allies.

In a palace of black marble, Zarya finally meets her father—the mysterious Raja Abishek. She approaches warily. For years she was told to fear this man, that he seeks to steal her power. But Abishek welcomes her with open arms, with gifts and lavish celebrations.

Rabin is sure the king can help them, turning the tide of war and decay. And when the magic binding Zarya’s heart to Rabin begins to fail, only Abishek can offer a cure. Zarya dreads the thought of placing their lives in his hands… But can she hesitate, when Rabin might be torn from her forever?

As Zarya makes her choice, ancient magic breaks loose, and her world shatters. In a ruined and long forgotten city, her love for Rabin will be tested to its limits. An army of shadows marches against her, destroying all in its path, and everything Zarya loves will be lost, unless she can face the darkness inside her—and release its devastating power.

An absolutely gripping fantasy romance that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and Carissa Broadbent, Queen of Shadows and Ruin is the epic final volume in the Nightfire Quartet.

Content Warning: violence

+ Zarya and Rabin are together but they are visiting with her her father, Abishek, and her suspicions about him are spot on but she’s also trying to keep an open mind. They both have to navigate being in his kingdom, but Rabin is trying to convince himself that Abishek means them no harm. His instincts are very wrong. I do feel like this was the biggest challenge to befell Zarya and Rabin and they come through it all in the end. There are some spicy scenes between them.

+ Yasen, Zarya’s bestie, is with her in the beginning but they do split apart in the book because they he and Miraan have to return to Ishaan because of what’s happening there. So I think it’s nice that Yasen has his own big role in this story.

+ A lot of loose ends get tied up and there is even a few twists in the story.

~ I thought the story was a bit too long and dragged in the middle, especially because Abishek is trying to keep Zarya and Rabin in Andhera, and that was repetitive. Clearly, he was lying to them but Zarya gave him the benefit of the doubt. But I felt like that part could have moved faster.

Final Thoughts:

I think this books was a bit long and the middle slowed down but it does finish off with more action. But I do think this is a good conclusion to the Nightfire Quartet because it tied up all the loose ends. Zarya and Rabin’s love is as strong as ever as they rise to all the challenges against them. Overall, this was a solid addition to the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of Night and Fire by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #1)

Dance of Stars and Ashes by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Nightfire Quartet, #2)

Storm of Ink and Blood by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Nightfire Quartet, #3)

*****

Trial of the Sun Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rule of the Aurora King by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review (Artefacts or Ouranos, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fate of the Sun King by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review(Artefacts or Ouranos, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms Duology, #1)

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Chinese Mythology

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

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


n a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This author is becoming a must-read for me. I love her last series and now this one has started off amazingly. The world-building sucked me in! I love the magic, and martial arts.

+ Àn’yīng has been through some trauma at the hands of the Kingdom of Night which is run by mó (demons). She’s the caretaker for her family now that her father is gone, and to save her mother she takes part in the Immortal Trials in order to win the pill of immortality for her. But it’s a challenge to pass the trials when her competition wants her dead.

+ Àn’yīng meets someone on her way to the trials and the enemies to lovers trope going on between them is so good. Yu’chén is powerful, gorgeous, and gets on her nerves. To make it worse she finds out he is half mó. Àn’yīng hates demons because a demon killed her father and harmed her mother, so she’s warring with her feelings about Yu’chén throughout the whole book. The spice is mild but the angst and tension between them is intense. I loved it from beginning to end. I am rooting for them.

+ The trials taking place gives us more insight into the Immortals and the history of the war going on between the kingdoms. I love the twist and reveal at the ending of the book and it makes me very curious to see what will happen next.

~ The romance seems doomed as things play out but please I hope this does not become a love-triangle. I’m vested in Àn’yīng and Yu’chén, I love the two of them together, but with the way this book ended, it makes me curious as to another character who has gotten close to Àn’yīng.

~ Would love to see some growth with Àn’yīng. I could see why she was angry and distrustful, because of her trauma, but she was always kind of weak in the competition compared to everyone else. With what is revealed at the end, I wonder if she gets stronger when it comes to magical powers? I do love her fighting skills.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and read it in two days. I was hooked with the world-building, the murder mystery, and the tension-filled romance. This was a quick, entertaining read with some twists and I am excited to see what happens in the next book. I have watched K-drama but never C-drama, but as I read this, I could see this being a drama show I would totally watch just to see Yu’chén come to life! Loved it and can’t wait for book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Tigress by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | Blood Heir ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 3/5/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

It’s March! Can you believe it? I’m working on a few books at a time right now, which isn’t the best idea but I’m determined to at least finish Thunderhead and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes this week. I’m trying to do more audiobooks but we’ll see how I do.

What are you currently reading?

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) – 23%

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman – 197/504 – Got a lot reading on this one during this weekend!

Tale of the Heart Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli (borrowed) – 11% – last book in the series.

The Beautiful Maddening by. Shea Ernshaw (arc) – 23% – what the enchanted tulips?! This book is kind of strange, but we’ll see how it goes.

Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland (borrowed audiobook) – 22% found this on Libby as an audiobook!

What have you just finished reading?

One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Time it’s Real by. Ann Liang (borrowed audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Under the Surface by. Diana Urban ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Of Earthly Delights by. Goldy Moldavsky (arc)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Journey to Us by. Lady B ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/2/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My hubby is a federal worker so let’s just say, every week since Trump has been in office has been a circus. He never knows if he will still have a job. So far he does…but he’s stressed. I’m stressed too but as long as he has his job, I try to stay positive.

+ Went to the library to pick up two books: Under the Surface by. Diana Urban and To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn

+ Made some beaded bag charms/keychains for my Etsy shop because I realize I have a lot of beads in my craft boxes. I don’t know if any of you readers are crafters, but you know how you have a little bit of everything lying around? 😅. It felt good to make stuff – I kind of miss it.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

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!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 541

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Series


It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.


Content Warning: death, violence, murder, hanging, death of children

I finally read this prequel to The Hunger Games and this is what I thought:

+ I liked getting to know Coriolanus Snow’s background. Yes…he is who becomes President Snow in The Hunger Games. This is his story, how he is living in Capitol poverty and ashamed of it and trying to hide it. It’s interesting to see how it shapes him.

+ This is in the early days of the first few Hunger Games so it’s interesting to see how different it is compared to when Katniss is a participant. In this book, the Hunger Games isn’t as sophisticated and high-tech yet, but it’s still very cruel – maybe moreso because all they do is throw these kids into the zoo of all places and then try to lure them out with food to kill one another. I did learn more about why the games were started, and why they felt like it was a good way to keep the peace.

+ Lucy Gray is the sunshine in this story. She is quirky, unconventional, she doesn’t seem like someone who could kill and win the Hunger Games but she surprises everyone. The romance between Lucy and Coryo is surprising and yet…not…because he didn’t seem like a psychotic, power-hungry person yet. Not when he was with Lucy and thinking of running off with her. But things change so much.

~ The story was slow moving except for the last part of the book. It took me almost two weeks to finish. I wish it moved faster. Also I didn’t feel like the Hunger Games was as focused on. This was all about who Coryo is and what shaped him.

~ The crazy thing is I didn’t even see Coryo as scary in the beginning. He was ashamed of his station and wanted the best for his family and to survive. Wanting best for your family is a good thing, right? But there was a feeling that the Capitol hated him and he didn’t know why. I was hoping he would actually turn against them instead when he met Lucy and in District 12 but nope, that experience and then some pushed him harder into his convictions about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. He believed the Capitol was right and the Hunger Games were a necessity, unfortunately. Slowly we see him try to justify all his bad actions and even kind of lose it in the end because of Lucy Gray.

Quotes from the book:

“No one would ever let him have enough.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“His terror was a private thing, not meant for public display.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“Who are human beings? Because who we are determine the type of governing we need.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“I’m being erased, he thought. And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“It was never meant to be anything more than theoretical. And who but the vilest monsters would stage it?”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

Final Thoughts:

I expected this one to be fast moving and intense like the The Hunger Games series but it wasn’t so for me it was an okay read. The beginning was slow, even through the games, and it only picks up at the end. I did like getting to know Coriolanus Snow more and I like how Lucy Gray was sunshine to his dark life. I thought this book gave me good insight into the man who will become President Snow in the series but I did expect more.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When the Bones Sing by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: When the Bones Sing

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


From New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies comes a new southern gothic supernatural thriller about a teen girl in a small Ozark town who can hear the bones of the dead.

The past three years have been tough for Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, a small town quietly tucked away in the Ozark mountains. More than two dozen people have disappeared on the local hiking trails; there one moment, gone the next, not a trace left behind, until their buried bodies are discovered.

17-year-old Dovie doesn’t believe in magic even though she comes from a long line of women who can hear the bones of the dead sing, and for the past few years the bones have been crooning nonstop, calling out to Dovie to dig them up.

Some of the old-timers believe that it’s the monstrous Ozarks howler snatching people off the Aux Arc Trail. Well Dovie doesn’t believe in the howler, and she doesn’t believe her best friend Lo when he tells her he is being haunted by dark shadows. All she believes in is her talent that guides the local sheriff to the bones when they begin their song, then reuniting the dead with their families to give them some peace.

Lo doesn’t know peace, though. The shadows follow him everywhere. He soon learns they’re the murdered hikers and they want answers. But the truth of their deaths isn’t buried with their bones; it’s hidden somewhere deep in the hills. And Lo and Dovie must unearth it before anyone else is killed.

Content Warning: death, murder

I really love the atmosphere and setting of this book. It’s set in a small town in Arkansas, and the author does a great job of capturing the mysterious, and complicated that is the Ozarks. I love how the mix of the natural environment and the different types of people who came to live in the Ozarks are represented. There was definitely a Southern-gothic vibe to this book. I could hear the twang in the way the characters talked just by the way it’s written. There is the religious community and then the others that believe in simple spells and spirits. There is even talk about the Howler, a supernatural creature roaming the Ozarks. I think all of this contributed in giving this story a mysterious, creepy and tense feeling.

I did enjoy the mystery about the hikers that were going missing and ending up being killed. Dovie being a person who can find their bones is fascinating and Lo, who can see spirits just added to the vibe of the book. There is a little romance in this story but I don’t think that it was needed, I liked Dovie and Lo being best-friends enough. I didn’t need the mini love triangle that was thrown in.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted more suspense and thrills, but I will say the truth that Dovie and Lo uncovers is pretty awful.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book is the atmosphere for sure! I love the Southern gothic vibes of the Ozarks – it’s mysterious and creepy and perfect for a story like this. I didn’t think the romance was needed but I did like Dovie and Lo’s friendship. Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling, just maybe wanted a bit more thrills.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

One Last Breath by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark and Shallow Lies by. Ginny Myers Sain | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 2/26/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

We are in the last week of February friends – it’s unbelievable! That means I have 3 months until my trip to South Korea with my older sister. It also means Spring Break is just around the cover but we aren’t planning anything special because my daughter wanted to do 3 days of math camp at school (I love that she wanted to sign up!) and then my hubby has to go to Washington D.C. for a work conference during that week also. As for my reading, I think I’m on a roll (don’t want to jinx it lol). I hope all of you have a good week!

What are you currently reading?

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) – 1% just started!

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman – 14% – my ebook copy expired so I have to read my hardcover now. So that might go a little more slowly.

A Journey to Us by. Lady B (gifted to me) – 11%

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins (borrowed) – 26% – I’m determined to finish this one since Sunrise on the Reaping is coming out soon!

Of Earthly Delights by. Goldy Moldavsky (arc) – 5%, just started!

What have you just finished reading?

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Thrashers by. Julie Soto ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/23/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Kids had a 4-day weekend, lucky them! So we went to see the Dog Man movie (we have all the books because my son was reading them in elementary school and then gave them to his sister, who loves the whole series). The movie was…wild lol…I was laughing because I felt like the humor was geared towards adults, but my daughter found it funny as well.

+ I had plans for this weekend, a birthday party for my cousin’s daughter at the water park, but my daughter pulled a neck muscle on Wednesday, at school. Poor thing, she had a hard time bending her head to the right, she was crying in the health room and I get it because I’ve had a stiff neck before and it takes days to loosen up. I used to be a massage therapist, so I’ve been working on it, been using a hot pack on it and trying to encourage her to do stretches. I think she may have slept on it funny or she does a lot of coloring at school and home, and sometimes her right arm gets tired, so it might have been from that. So she only went to school twice this week, but at least her school was closed on Friday.

+ Can you believe we are at the end of February?

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • American Murder: Gabby Petito (netflix)

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!

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by. Breanne Randall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things

Author: Breanne Randall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Dell

Categories: Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Witches, Paranormal

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

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


A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she’s willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required.

Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget. Forget the mother who left them without a trace. Forget the cracks in her relationships with her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, and her distant middle sister, Eurydice. Forget about the very cost of her magic. And most of all, forget the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens in their town, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to an annoyingly handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power.

Battling a sizzling chemistry to a man she can’t trust, Calliope needs to confront her sisters and the painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to keep the town and all she loves safe. But will she have anything left of herself?

Content Warning: violence

+ This book gave me a combination of vibes of different shows/movies like Charmed, Practical Magic and Pride and Prejudice. Three Petridi sisters, Thalia, Calliope and Eurydice, who’s mother left them, are conflicted about magic. They have a history in their family as being Lightcraft witches and their purpose is to protect the Dark Oak, a tree that is holding enormous power. Out of all the sisters, only Calliope still practices magic, but they are cursed because using magic requires sacrificing a memory.

+ I love the sisters and their bond even though it’s complicated and they fight. It’s real. Calliope is the main character and she is the wild one. She’s bi-sexual, she’s a free spirit, impulsive, messy, and chaotic. But she loves her family and will do anything to protect them.

+ The romance is great because Calliope accidentally binds herself to a Shadowcrafter named Lucien. He’s gorgeous, worldly, powerful, her total opposite and he too loves his sister and will do anything to protect her. Their romance is full of bickering, and tension, which makes the spice all the more satisfying. He comes off as a Mr.Darcy with some of the way he professes his feelings to Calliope (which I loved because I recognized but weird because Lucien is not Mr. Darcy). And the ending is totally from the Pride and Prejudice movie!

+ There is a diverse cast of characters in this small town, which was fun.

~ There were too many times things became convenient in the story. Like spells just came to the sisters (the ones who haven’t used it in years), because it’s rooted in them – which is great but believable? Not sure about that. There were a lot of things the characters didn’t know but then everything happened to work out.

~ The ending gets a little wild and had too much going on. I honestly didn’t understand the “strings” at some point but I went with it. And no, I would never forgive Malik, if I was Lucien! Like how can your friend betray you and then all is well afterwards?

Final Thoughts:

Calliope embodies exactly how I felt reading this book – kind of wild. I love the small town vibes and the sisters’ bond. I enjoyed the romance between Calliope and Lucien with their opposites attract, her being messy and him needing control. She’s sunshine and he’s grumpy so I loved them together. But the story had a lot going on especially at the end and I found some things happening that was a but too convenient. For the most part, I found this story really entertaining because it was kind of chaotic and yet a little bit cozy at the same time, if that makes sense.

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