This was a fun urban fantasy with a unique dual POV between Riley, a shifter waiting to come into her powers, and Riley’s mom, who’s searching for Riley’s dad after he’s been abducted. The magic and world of the shifters and elementalists seamlessly fits into our own, and I really enjoyed Riley’s authentic YA voice as she she struggles to understand her powers and the people around her. The dynamics between Riley and the other characters kept me guessing and definitely made me curious to see what would happen next. There were a few times I did get frustrated with Riley, but there was a clear explanation of why she was acting that way. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced YA Urban Fantasy that’s easy to get into.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thumbs up for this YA fantasy, and definitely curious to read more by Shelby Elizabeth!
It’s my great pleasure to be a part of the cover reveal for The Great Forest (Lucky Diamond #3) by Valinora Troy. I’ve read the first two books of the series (The Lucky Diamond & Revenge of Queen Rose) and can wholeheartedly recommend them for fans of classic, middle grade fantasty, so I’m excited to see what book 3 brings! Find out more for yourself below and big congrats to Valinora Troy!
The Great Forest
“Everything here hates you. The trees long to consume you, the ground to swallow you, the plants to poison you, and as for the creatures who live here… Your only chance of survival is to do exactly as I say. Clear?”
Twins Cathy and Alan are thrilled to be asked by the king of the Diamonds to enter the Great Forest on their eleventh birthday to complete the cleansing of the land. After all, Queen Rose is dead and all darkness gone from the trees. But when their home is attacked by a horde of vicious boars, and Alan and Cathy unwillingly taken to the Great Forest, the twins realise that evil remains there. Now they are faced with a terrible choice: escape from their captors and take their chances at survival, or find out who is waiting for them in the centre of the forest, and why?
Cathy and Alan are about to face the deadliest battle of their lives, against the forest, the monsters, … and each other.
The exciting conclusion to The Lucky Diamond trilogy
About the author
Valinora Troy has been writing since she was a child. Her first story popped into her head when she was 5 or 6, about a little girl who found a magic diamond. Recently she completed a M.A. in Creative Writing, specialising in Children & Young Adult fiction. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous venues. She has also served as a panellist for the CYBILS award, visits schools and libraries, and occasionally run writing classes for talented young authors. She hails from Blackrock, Co Louth, Ireland, and after living in Dublin for a number of years, recently returned to Louth to live in a magical writing cottage. Find out more at Valinora Troy – Children’s Fantasy Writer
Cover Art by Phan Duy
The Great Forest will be published on 21st June 2023. The ebook is currently available here for pre-order at a special price of .99 cent/.99 pence!
Loved this one! Totally sucked me in. The voice is fun and light, and I loved the main characters, Jess and River. Their romance unfolds naturally, and the premise of the science-based matchmaking company added with the fake-dating trope was so fun. I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but it does pose an interesting question that got me thinking and the ending was capital-A Adorable. I liked (but not loved) some of Christina Lauren’s other books (like the Unhoneymooners and Josh & Hazel) but this has by far been my favorite, and had me scrambling for more books by her. 100% recommend to anyone looking for a cute romcom, and I’m SO here for a movie adaption – just saying.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am HERE for a good romance, and that last scene? SO friggen cute.
Another fun middle-grade adventure with the same elements that made the first one so enjoyable. There’s adventure, magic, a fantastical world, and quite a few twists and turns to keep the characters on their toes. I did miss the journey element from the first book, but I liked continuing to get to know the large cast and seeing all of their adventures weave together through their different POVs.
So after loving The Soulmate Equation, I jumped for more Christina Lauren audiobooks at the library. This second-chance romance didn’t really do it for me though. The characters were cute, but the circumstances of their initial parting were very convenient. Everything just felt a little to cliché for me, and I feel like the big reveal at the end wasn’t as satisfying as I would’ve liked. Overall, a decent listen to pass the time, and if you enjoy western adventure vibes in your romances, you might want to give this one a try, but it felt like there wasn’t a whole lot that set this one apart.
⭐⭐⭐½
I love me a good trope… but this one was too cliche for me.
I fear I might’ve been in a bit of a reading slump when I started Dyrwolf, but I did like all the elements. Strong female MC, sweet love interest, great writing, lots of action, interesting world dynamic between the Dyr and humans, and interesting political intrigue—but I think there was just something about the pacing and possibly the chemistry between Lea and Henrik that threw me off just a smidge. Even so, I definitely enjoyed this action-filled fantastical adventure, and would recommend to anyone looking for a fun YA fantasy with a wolfy twist.
I think this book has convinced me that I’m *really* not a paperback person. I’m always losing them, and after spending hours editing, revising, and beta-reading, I really just want to have someone read to me on an audiobook. While I’m not saying I’m moving exclusively to audiobooks… I think the paperback life might be behind me. Which feels weirdly bittersweet for some reason.
It’s been a while since I’ve read the Truly Devious trilogy, but I remember liking it (except maybe one thing… but I can’t remember what it was—oh well) so when I saw the audiobook pop up in the library, I picked it up. And for the first 50% I was so thrilled with it! Stevie is fun, Nate is my favorite EVER, the writing is voicey and FANTASTIC, and I love the way the present and past intertwine to build the mystery of the cold case.
Then at around 75% I remembered EXACTLY what I didn’t like about the first trilogy, and his name is DAVID. Ugh. While I don’t exactly hate David, I hate how Stevie acts when she’s around him, and honestly I think they make each other worse. The conflict between them seemed a little manufactured, and then I feel like we really didn’t have a resolution to their relationship plotline. Blah.
BUT! Everything else was still excellent. So while I won’t be picking up book 5 (because, ew, David) I’ll definitely be looking into what Maureen Johnson writes next, and I’d still recommend this to fans of the first three books (especially if you don’t mind David.)
I’m not going to lie. I was scared to read this book, because I don’t trust sequels. I loved Defy the Night SO much, I was so scared the sequel wouldn’t live up to it. But, it did NOT disappoint. Tessa and Corrick are back and facing new troubles in both the kingdom and their relationship that flow well from the first book and make a lot of sense. The new adventure takes us onto a ship (which I love) with a dashing captain (who I also love), and intrigue and twists to spare. The only two things that fell a little flat for me were the third POV (which I won’t spoil) and I did wish that Tessa had more of a stronger role in this book. I felt like she played more of a supporting/pawn role here than in the first book, but I think it’s set up perfectly for her to come into her own big time in book 3. I also loved the narration of the audiobook—couldn’t put it down—and look forward to the third!
I loved Katherine Macdonald’s Thief of Spring duology, so I was absolutely ready to pick up another book for hers. A Curse of Hope and Shadows kind of reminds me of a cross between Beauty and the Beast and Downton Abbey. The romance is sweet and slowburn, and the plot closely shadows the source fairy tale, but (and this is a personal preference) there wasn’t quite enough tension for me. Adeline and Dimitri fall pretty steadily for each other throughout, although at times, I feel like Adeline was a bit motherly toward Dimitri. But as per usual, Macdonald’s writing is gorgeous and her characters are both likable and showcase a lot of depth. I would totally recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, character-driven Beauty and the Beast retelling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Give me the frightening, monstery beasts that are something to fear.
Okay. THIS BOOK. This was another one that I came into with big expectations. The hype has been CRAZY, and I loved Beach Read (though not People We Meet on Vacation, so this was an Emily Henry tiebreaker for me.)
And boy, did she deliver. The characters are likable and relatable, they had great chemistry, the concept is fun, and the twists fit perfectly like missing puzzle pieces. One thing I love about this book and Beach Read is that while it is, at its core, a romance, it goes so much deeper than just the relationship and I love the growth her characters undergo in her novels. Her writing is beautiful as she peels back the onion layers of her characters, and I am so here for every word. Also the audiobook narration is fantastic. There is some steam and language so if you’re not into that, beware, but otherwise, I’m recommending this one to all romance fans, and I’ll definitely be picking up Emily Henry’s next book, whatever it is.
My favorite read of the year so far. Five glittering stars.
Hayley Reese Chow 