Never a Hero by. Vanessa Len | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Never a Hero (Monsters, #2)

Author: Vanessa Len

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 8/29/23

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Urban Fantasy, Time Travel, Paranormal

This sequel to the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster will take Joan deeper into the monster world, where treacherous secrets and even more danger await.

Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.

But her success has come at a terrible cost.

She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that there is a ruthless and dangerous enemy still out there.

When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in.

As the danger rises – and Nick gets perilously closer to discovering the truth of what Joan did to him – Joan discovers a secret of her own. One that threatens everyone she loves.

Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.

Vanessa Len’s stunning Only a Monster trilogy continues with this second instalment, a thrilling journey where a secret past threatens to unravel everyone’s future.

Content Warning: death

Ah, time travel! I’m always either loving it or hating it and in this sequel to Only a Monster, I was on the verge of hating it. But I’ll get into that.

There are a lot of things I like about this sequel. The story moves forward, though it felt like it was pulling teeth with trying to get answers about anything in this story – but I did like how Joan finally learns more about her bloodline and her powers. Nick, her soulmate is back, but he doesn’t know her anymore because of what she did to him in book one, but that doesn’t matter to soul mates because they seem to be forever drawn to one another. But where was Aaron Oliver? I wanted more of him in this book and we got less. He only really comes into the story halfway in! Is there a love triangle? I couldn’t tell in this book – it seems like Joan loves Nick, but she has a connection to Aaron (maybe a strong friendship? I don’t know. I was rooting for Aaron honestly). I love Tom and Jamie, so I’m glad we got more of them in this sequel.

The story moves fast for a book that clocks in at 528 pages because of all the time jumping but it also feels like the information moves too fast also. Joan is trying to figure out what is happening to the current timeline – and there are multiple timelines being discussed. And it was repetitive too. Also Joan was frustrating me. She can’t stay away from Nick, so then she endangers him and then endangers her monster friends by bringing Nick along because she wants to protect him. I get he’s not a monster killer anymore but after seeing what he did in the previous timeline and watch him kill my family – I would protect my friends and family. Soulmate or not! But I guess it’s hard to resist her love for him. Yet, she remembers feeling something for Aaron in the previous timeline. Though there is angst, there isn’t much romance going on in this one. Anyway, Joan and her friends trying to get information got annoying because a lot of people didn’t know anything or if they did, wouldn’t explain.

I liked the ending which is where a lot of the action is and the unexpected twist in the story makes me want to read book three. But I really wish there was more Aaron, less repetition and more action.

My Final Thoughts:

I think the first book was better and I hope the third book has more of Aaron because that’s who I wanted to read more about in this book. But there was a lot of Nick, so you Nick fans will love this one. I like the ending and will definitely read book three. Overall, this was an entertaining book and I’m curious to see what will happen in the next book after all that was revealed in this one.

Book Links:

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Only a Monster by. Vanessa Len | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Foxglove (Belladonna, #2)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 8/22/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Series, Fantasy, Gothic, Mystery, Paranormal

The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death’s story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

Content Warning: death

I finally read one of my most anticipated reads this year and I will say I did not expect this new direction in the story at all! And how gorgeous is this cover?! I bought the hard copy and this is what it looks like:

Most of this book is set as a gothic paranormal mystery. Signa and Blythe (mostly Blythe) are trying to figure out who murdered the duke. Blythe’s father is the main suspect and she will do anything to clear his name. But we get a new player in town, Death’s brother, Fate! Fate is convinced Signa is his long lost love but Signa is doesn’t believe it when she is so madly in love with Death. But they all have to make deals with Fate to help clear Elijah Hawthorne’s name.

I already loved Signa and Death from Belladonna so I didn’t love Fate trying to come between them. I did like learning more about Life though and of course Signa’s skill for seeing and talking to ghosts lends the gothic paranormal vibes to this book, which I love. I felt like the beginning of the book went slowly because it is a mystery. I also didn’t feel like there was much of Signa and Death in this book as I would have liked only because Blythe has a bigger role in this book.

Blythe really gets the spotlight in this book. She fights for her dad, trying to figure out who could have killed the duke because she believes with her whole heart it wasn’t her dad. She even makes a deal with Fate that would have unknowingly (to her), ruin Signa’s life forever. I loved how she goes toe to toe with Fate. As for Fate – he’s a mysterious character and not very likable but the twist in his fate was fantastic and I’m excited to see what happens in book three!

My Final Thoughts:

I don’t think I loved this as much as Belladonna but I do love how Blythe emerges as a strong character in this book. I think it’s a balanced enough book for Signa and Blythe to share the spotlight in this one but it’s clear in the end the next book will be Blythe’s story. The mystery moved a little too slow for me at first but the story picks up in the second half and I was hooked from there to the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

Book Links:

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Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Name Drop by. Susan Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Name Drop

Author: Susan Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/12/23

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

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

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

New from the author of Seoulmates comes a story of mistaken identities, the summer of a lifetime, and a love to risk everything for.

When Elijah Ri arrives in New York City for an internship at his father’s massive tech company, Haneul Corporation, he expects the royal treatment that comes with being the future CEO—even if that’s the last thing he wants. But instead, he finds himself shuffled into a group of overworked, unpaid interns, all sharing a shoebox apartment for the summer.

When Jessica Lee arrives in New York City, she’s eager to make the most of her internship at Haneul Corporation, even if she’s at the bottom of the corporate ladder. But she’s shocked to be introduced as the new executive-in-training intern with a gorgeous brownstone all to herself.

It doesn’t take long for Elijah and Jessica to discover the source of the they share the same Korean name. But they decide to stay switched—so Elijah can have a relaxing summer away from his controlling dad while Jessica can make the connections she desperately needs for college recommendations.

As Elijah and Jessica work together to keep up the charade, a spark develops between them. Can they avoid discovery—and total disaster—with their feelings and futures on the line?

Content Warning: strict father

I love the cover of this book and that’s what attracted me to request it. I also thought the synopsis would make for a fun romance.

I thought the story started off so well. The mistaken identity trope and switching roles was a really fun aspect of the story. The romance was also a very sweet slow burn, actually, I don’t even know if I can say it burns. It’s very tame but still a relationship that grows into something slowly and I thought it was cute.

The middle of the story started to lose me a bit. I know a lot was riding on Jessica’s success in the internship program but even she should have known the plan was going to have a messy downfall. I found Jessica naive at times but I did like how she was trying to make something of her internship. Elijah was just okay as a character. I mean of course he is gorgeous and rich, but personality wise, there wasn’t anything about his personality that stood out. He’s a nice guy and she’s a nice girl and they fall for each other, but things don’t work out easily when the truth comes out.

I did like the different relationships we saw with Jessica and her dad and Elijah and his father. One is trying to provide for the family and his bond with his daughter is strong. Whereas Elijah’s father is strict and has high demands and puts lots of pressure on Elijah.

I’d like to say the secondary characters are interesting, but I didn’t feel like we get to know them.

Tropes: switching places, mistaken identity, forced proximity

Why you should read it:

a light-hearted, easy, sweet romance
some fun tropes like mistaken identity and forced proximity

Why you might not want to read it:

for me it was just okay, nothing wowed me about the story

My Thoughts:

If you like k-dramas with that sweet romance between the two leads, you will enjoy this book. For me, it was just an okay read but I thought it had a lot of potential.

Book Links:

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As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by. Zoulfa Katouh | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Author: Zoulfa Katouh

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 417

Publication Date: 9/13/22

Categories: Fiction, War, Young Adult, Romance, Historical Fiction

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.

Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.

Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.

Content Warning: violence, medical horror, PTSD, war trauma, attempted rape, bloodshed, bombing, drowning, death

This book gutted me.

I absolutely love the cover and the titles because I have a love for lemons but wow was this book eye-opening, raw, bittersweet, sentimental, and yet still filled with love and hope despite such a heavy topic such as war.

Salama is living a horrific life where as a pharmacist she’s doing the job of a doctor or surgeon on the fly. Her dad and brother were imprisoned or are dead, her mother is dead and her sister-in-law is the only one she really has. That at her imaginary conscience who’s name is Khawf. At times he felt like a villain but in reality, his horrofic warnings saved her life many times. Salama is trying to survive in war-torn Syria who is being pulled apart by the dictatorship and the freedom fighters. It is a revolution, but with change comes so much pain and blood.

There is a lot of blood in this book. A lot of children drying, homes being bombed, horrific injuries, despair, hunger, trauma and Salama tries her hardest to help and make a difference until it’s time to make a decision to leave her beloved Syria so she can survive. So she can stay alive. But along the way she meets Kenan, who in another time, could have been the man of her dreams. But it’s in this violent time, they grasp at hope and even give love a chance.

I was hooked on this story from beginning to end and was rooting for Salama until the end.

My Final Thoughts:

I remember the Arab spring and seeing what was happening in Syria on the news but reading this book places you there in the middle of all the horrific things that was happening then. And it’s an important story to share to the world. Salama goes through so much trauma and didn’t even have time to grieve the life she lost, the family and friends she lost, the parts of her self that was lost. The happy ending was bittersweet but that’s what I cherished about this book, that in the midst of it all there was hope and love still there and waiting for a chance. Salama gets the chance and finally grabs and holds on to it, she never gives up even though she was given multiple chance to do so.

Book Links:

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Flip the Script by. Lyla Lee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Flip the Script

Author: Lyla Lee

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 296

Publication Date: 5/31/22

Categories: Young Adult, K-Drama, Romance, LGBT+, Contemporary

The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead.

As an avid watcher of K-dramas, Hana knows all the tropes to avoid when she finally lands a starring role in a buzzy new drama. And she can totally handle her fake co-star boyfriend who might be falling in love with her. After all, she promised the producers a contract romance, and that’s all they’re going to get from her.

But when showrunners bring on a new girl to challenge Hana’s role as main love interest—and worse, it’s someone Hana knows all too well—can Hana fight for her position on the show while falling for her on-screen rival in real life?

-K-drama lovers will fall for all the fan-favorite tropes that make for a hit show.
-Romance is everywhere in this swoony, joy-filled novel, with fake dating, a secret relationship, and a classic love triangle!
-Visit South Korea as Hana takes readers through popular spots and hidden gems.

Content Warning:

This book has been sitting on my shelf for awhile so I decided it was time to pick it up and read it. I loved Lyla Lee’s first book I’ll Be the One. In Flip the Script, Hana is a K-drama actress who is making her debut, but the ratings are lagging and the studio needs to boost it up so they make her fake-date her co-star, Bryan. But it is really fake dating meaning, Hana has no feelings whatsoever for him because well, she’s bi and have been crushing on her best-friend Minjee for a long time. Minjee is not only her bestie but her acting rival also, they compete for roles and even support one another when they either get roles or don’t. But Minjee doesn’t know about Hana’s feelings for her.

So this book was just okay. I didn’t connect with anybody and the story was boring but it’s a quick, easy read. I did like the behind the scenes looks behind filming a k-drama and the things the actors go through but other than that I wasn’t really feeling it. I also do appreciate that it’s a queer book and set in the world of k-drama. Hana, Minjee, and Bryan can break barriers in the industry with their homophobic views on LGBT+ and I’m so glad they stand up for what they believe in.

Tropes: love triangle (sort of)

My Final Thoughts:

This book was just okay but I did like how it’s a book about k-drama actors who don’t quite fit the perfect mold. I like how Hana and Minjee brave the industry big heads and fight for their right to love who they love. It’s a light-hearted, and a quick read but I just wanted more from it.

Book Links:

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I’ll Be the One | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Midnight at the Houdini by. Delilah S. Dawson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Midnight at the Houdini

Author: Delilah S. Dawson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/5/23

Publisher: Delacorte

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Magical Realism, 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 for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A girl discovers a surreal hotel where no one ever leaves. When the clock strikes midnight she’ll be trapped there forever unless she’s able to break free from magic that in turn breaks all her rules. Perfect for fans of Caraval and The Starless Sea!

The night is perfect and glorious and sparkling, too beautiful to be real. Like magic.

Anna may have grown up in glitzy Las Vegas, but she’s determined that no one will ever call her shallow. While her older sister Emily is the star of the family, Anna is the diligent stage manager, making sure that both their lives go perfectly to plan. But when Emily reveals a startling betrayal, Anna flees in the middle of a raging storm and takes shelter in a boutique establishment she’s never seen before: The Houdini.

Inside, Anna discovers a magic hotel . . . and a magical boy. Earnest, curious Max has lived his entire life inside the Houdini. Over the course of one surreal evening, he becomes Anna’s guide to the curious building. For the first time in her life, Anna is center stage, in a place that anticipates her every desire, with a boy who only has eyes for her.

But that’s because the Houdini has no other guests. No one ever enters the Houdini . . . and no one ever leaves. When the clock strikes midnight, Anna will be trapped in the Houdini forever. If Anna’s ever going to find out who she is on her own in the real world, she’ll first have to make an impossible escape. But will she be able to do it if it means leaving Max behind?

Content Warning:

This book was a little mix of everything and not all of it worked for me. It’s set in Las Vegas, where Anna has just finished helped with her sister’s wedding. She’s in a car with her dad (a hotel mogul) and his two friends (who were kind of like uncles to her, but kind of jerks). They get caught in a freak tornado and end up taking shelter or trying to find help at one of the hotels they own, The Houdini.

Inside the Houdini is something else. There is a boy named Max who’s never left the Houdini and his mom Phoebe who’s the villain of the story. The Houdini is like Alice in Wonderland strange, and yet the tornado reminded me of the Wizard of Oz…this story is quite a whirlwind and I couldn’t quite find myself being invested in the story even though I thought some of the elements were interesting.

The story moves so fast, so at least I didn’t struggle with that but this wasn’t for me.

Why you should read it:

you like magical realism and magical hotels

Why you might not want to read it:

the mix of everything just didn’t work for me

My Thoughts:

This one isn’t for me. I thought the concept was strangely cool with the hotel being magical, but the story failed to hold my interest.

Book Links:

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Sign of the Slayer by. Sharina Harris | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Sign of the Slayer

Author: Sharina Harris

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 8/29/23

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Vampire Slayers

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

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

Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries in this fun and clever dark academia series…

High school is supposed to be about studying, socializing, and marching-band practice. Not fighting vampires. Then one night flipped my world inside out―now, my life sucks. But it isn’t all bad. I’m at a slayer academy, learning things like the real origin of vamps and how to make serious weapons out of thin air.

Every last one of them will pay for what they did. I’m doing great.

Until I come face-to-face with the actual vampire prince…and I’m not sure of anything anymore. Vampires are supposed to be soul-sucking demons. But Khamari is…something else. He’s intelligent and reasonable―and he seems to know things about me that could change everything.

He’s also hiding something big, even from his own kind. And when a threat from an ancient evil is so extreme that a vampire will team up with a slayer to take it down, it isn’t just my need for revenge that’s at stake anymore.

It’s the whole damn world.

Content Warning: violence, blood

Raven is just a regular girl, riding a bus when all of a sudden she and her friends are attacked by vampires. From there Raven is thrusted into the world of vampires and vampire slayers. She’s a vampire slayer apparently and a powerful one at that.

I liked that the story is fast paced and filled with a lot of action and vampire slaying. I thought the cast was a nice diverse set of characters and the story about Alexander the Great being the King of Vampires is a fascinating take. But I think there were a few things that was rushed and there was definite insta-love or should I say insta-lust? But it’s a forbidden love between a vampire and a slayer, which is always a fun trope. I’d have liked a bit more world-building. I thought it was so quick how Raven went from being attacked on a bus and then boom, accepting her fate as a slayer and being a leader. I didn’t feel as connected to the story but I thought this first book has so much potential.

As for Raven she does kick ass and she has a strong personality but I want to see some growth. It would be interesting to see what happens to her in the next book.

Tropes: forbidden love, insta love

Why you should read it:

you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer
there’s a lot of action

Why you might not want to read it:

not into vampires

My Thoughts:

There is a lot to like about this one especially if you are into Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think teens and young adults will enjoy this one a lot and it’s a great read for Fall!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Together We Rot by. Skyla Arndt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Together We Rot

Author: Skyla Arndt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 8/29/23

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Suspense

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

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

A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend…in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

Wil Greene’s mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed–they claim she skipped town and you can’t find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn’t just leave…and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.

Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday–in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He’s not his father’s successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he’s grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.

Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she’ll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.

And there’s a reason they need Elwood’s blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn’t sure if she can save the boy she can’t help but love.

Content Warning: violence, horror, parental abuse, grief, alcoholism, parent neglect

I love this book cover and I was intrigue by the title, Together We Rot. Right away you can tell there will be horror elements to it but I still wasn’t sure what to expect.

You are immediately thrown into this story where Wil, a teenage girl is angry because her mom has been missing but the town is about to close the case. She has a feeling her ex-best friend’s religious/cultish family is the reason for her going missing but she has no proof. Elwood, her ex-best friend is a boy who’s dad is the leader of the Garden of Adam, a religious cult, and he’s being abused by both his father and mother. Elwood is a timid and frightful boy but inside him is something dark.

In one night of desperation Elwood takes one night before he’s about to “leave” and parties with his friends like he never has. But things go haywire and he realizes something is wrong with him and maybe Wil’s suspicions about his family is correct. What happens next is quick and soon Elwood and Wil is on the run and hiding from his family and the sheriff and things take a turn for the worse.

The horror is when things about the church is revealed and mostly in the end when there is body horror when it comes to Elwood. I thought the ending was bittersweet though. Elwood had to accept some things about himself in order to make peace with what was happening.

It’s a quick read and I wasn’t sure how it would end but I did find it fairly entertaining! I also found the second-chance romance between Wil and Elwood kind of sweet. And I did enjoy the secondary characters, Wil and Elwood’s friends.

Tropes: best friends to enemies to lovers

Why you should read it:

it’s a quick read
fascinating story with two main characters with a history, a missing person mystery, a religious cult and something dark inside Elwood

Why you might not want to read it:

there are a few heavy topics with parental abuse and neglect
some pacing issues – slow start and then quickly picks up and rushes to the end

My Thoughts:

This one is a dark and unexpected story but with a sweet kind of second chance romance in the midst of it all. I love Wil and Elwood’s history and how they struggle through some truths to fall in love again. It’s their love that in a way saves Elwood. The horror mostly circles around the parental abuse and religious cult, and definitely around whatever darkness that lives in Elwood. So I found this book to be more of a mystery and suspense/thriller than horror (except the ending). I think if some things weren’t so rushed in the book my rating would be way higher. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Book Links:

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House of Marionne by. J. Elle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: House of Marionne (#1)

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 8/29/23

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, 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!

RICH IS THE BLOOD OF THE CHOSEN.

17 year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city, in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.

Until someone discovers her dark secret.

To hide from the assassin hunting her, and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.

If caught, she will be killed.

But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and— assassin in training.

When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.

Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.

Brimming with ballgowns and betrayal, magic and mystery, decadence and darkness, House of Marionne is perfect for readers who crave morally gray characters, irresistible romance, dark academia, and a deeply intoxicating and original world.

Content Warning:

I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis of this book and of course I love the beautiful cover. The synopsis touted balls, secret societies and balls and it definitely had all those things plus romance. I liked that it was a magic school where Quell, the main character, had to figure out how to use magic but she’s hiding a secret, she has forbidden magic in her that she has to struggle to suppress so no one knows.

It has the typical magic training school tropes, which I always enjoy. I love the whole magic school atmosphere. Quell is new so she has to catch up to the other students. Some become her friends, some resent her for being the long lost Marionne heir who has come back into the fold and the favorite of the headmistress, who is her grandmother.

There is a romance between Quell and Jordan, who is part of another House but training at House Marionne. Jordan is her mentor. He’s someone who is all about his duty, which make them sort of opposites but they have a lot of things in common too.

I did like Quell but there were times I found her really naive for someone who is a seasoned runaway. I just felt like she would listen to her instincts more. But I think I’m judging it from an adult point of view because if I read this as a young adult I’d probably relate better to her. Quell is also separated from her mom and her relationship with her grandmother is new and felt false. It makes for some interesting family dynamics. This book is great for teens and young adults.

Also I felt like the beginning just throws you into the story without much build-up. We go in blind just as Quell does when she finds her grandma and learns about this secret society. I found the story entertaining and I liked the ending where we learn about Yagrin. He’s a character introduced in the beginning and we get bits of his perspective here and there, but the ending reveals a bit more and makes me want to read book two!

Why you should read it:

magic school, secret society, family, romance

Why you might not want to read it:

might read too young for some adults

My Thoughts:

I’m a sucker for magic schools, and a girl training to use powers she never knew she had but also hiding the secret of the supposedly bad powers she does have. I felt like this book had all the elements I love in a young adult urban fantasy, including the romance between Quell and her mentor, Jordan. Some people might find this reads young and Quell is a naive and clueless in some aspects but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. I also liked the ending which makes me want to read the next book in the series. Overall, I found this to be an entertaining story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Wings of Ebony | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Forestfall by. Lyndall Clipstone | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Forestfall (World at the Lake’s Edge, #2)

Author: Lyndall Clipstone

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/27/22

Categories: Gothic, Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Series

Some oaths can never be broken…

The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption. To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead.

But this world of souls and mist hides many secrets. And when Leta realizes she is still connected to Rowan by a tethering spell, she will risk everything— even her soul— to try and reach him.

Torn between power and love, life and death, Leta struggles to keep hold of her humanity as she falls further and further under the spell of the world Below… and the Lord Under.

Content Warning: self harm

I am sadly disappointed with this one since I really enjoyed the first one, Lakesedge. Leta is in the underworld with Lord Under and Rowan is above and not willing to let Leta go. Rowan doesn’t believe she’s dead and he’s kind of right.

The thing I did like about this story is that it is a dark fantasy. It’s got all the elements with the blood magic, Gods in the underworld, dark forests, a dark lake. It’s got the angst and emotional longing of two people who love one another and will do anything to be together, even making deals with the devil (so to speak). I even liked the dark Gods.

What I didn’t quite enjoy was Leta’s relationship with Lord Under, who she hates but…loves? But she LOVES Rowan…I get she was trying to find a way to get back to Rowan but I didn’t want a love triangle. I wasn’t connecting to Leta in this one whereas in the first book, I liked her character. I did get tired of the angst between Leta and Rowan, it was repetitive, the back and forth.

Tropes: love triangle

Why you should read it:

you like Lakesedge and now want to explore the world where Lord Under thrives
dark themes, dark gothic fantasy

Why you might not want to read it:

I couldn’t connect to any of the characters
had to push through and eventually skim a few chapters to finish

My Thoughts:

This series had so much potential but this sequel falls flat and I’m sad about it. I can say that this would make a great read for Fall, near Halloween. Maybe it would have made me enjoy it more? Mood reader problems! Anyway, at least I can say I completed this series.