What I liked:
The MCs were likable
The premise was interesting
What I disliked:
The pacing just felt a little too slow for me
I didn’t feel like we got as much closure as I wanted
I feel like the big twist was too heavily foreshadowed
Recommended for anyone looking with a YA thriller with an interesting premise.
⭐⭐⭐ ½
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I picked up this one on the recommendation of a friend, and I would describe it as Sherlock meets a paranormal-flavored Doctor Who in the late 19th century. It’s a fun premise and was a quick read, but the characters just didn’t quite shine for me. This is one of my friend’s favorite though, so if the premise calls to you, I recommend you give it a look!
⭐⭐⭐½
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My kindergartner picks out 3-5 books to read to me a week as part of his advanced reading program. Most of them just kind of blur together, but this one stood out with whimsical writing that a child can still read, simplistic yet beautiful illustrations, and a really sweet, timeless message. It was totally a joy to hear him read this one, and I’d definitely recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Wow. This book totally blew me away. The emotional journey Rayne goes through hooked me from the start, and I was totally entranced as I followed along with her journey of loss and acceptance. I also incredibly appreciated the insight from the author’s note on her own story, and the choices made to bring Rayne’s experience to the reader. The audiobook narration was amazing, and after being in a reading slump for most of the year, I devoured this one in two days. A fantastic middle-grade for all ages that I highly recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Duuuuddddeeee. This one is intense. Exactly what enemies to lovers fantasy is meant to be. I have been in a *serious* reading slump, and DNF’ed my last like 4 reads, but this one kept my attention from start to finish.
What I liked:
– The darkness and intensity of this book are pitch-perfect
– All the main characters are complex and interesting
– The set-up for book 2
– An ACTUAL enemies to lovers (I feel like so many books these days are like dislike or annoyance-to-love, this one is no-kidding justified hatred.
What I am still mulling over:
– So, I like Gideon and Rune as people, but for some reason their chemistry as a pair wasn’t quite right for me. Like, I don’t think I’m really rooting for them or against them, but I am *extremely* curious to see how it turns out. This could be the reading slump talking, or it could be that maybe, at the heart of it, I haven’t been converted yet from the “enemies” to “lovers” camp… Emphasis on the “yet.” Which also has me googling when book 2 is getting here, because I need it yesterday.
Also, a side note on the audiobook. This story has dual POVs (which I ADORE), but only one narrator. While the narration was amazing, I’m still hoping book 2 might have two narrators for the two POVs? Pretty please?
Which is all to say, you should definitely check out this read and then lemme know what you think, because it’s definitely one of my top reads this year so far.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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So I enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, but wasn’t really into Love on the Brain, and it’s been a *long* time since I’ve read a vampire or werewolf book, but this was so fun! Definitely my favorite Ali Hazelwood book so far. Misery’s voice totally pops—both light and relatable, and I found the dynamics of this world to be super interesting. I also really liked Lowe’s character and enjoyed watching them grow together. Overall, just a light, fun read (with werewolf-flavored steam, so beware) that I would definitely recommend to romance fans, and I’m totally hoping for a sequel!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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What I liked:
– Adam & Juliette have a super cute relationship
– I like how the mystery of Juliette & the world in general kind of unfolded
– The writing style and format had a intensely emotional/lyrical feel
What I didn’t like:
– In many ways, this plot is super simple
– While I thought it started out unique, the ending I found to be very much… not.
– This book doesn’t really stand on its own – I think it requires the sequel to flesh things out
– I’m pretty sure a pair of good gloves could’ve solved most of Juliette’s problems.
Overall, recommend for anyone looking for an engaging YA dystopian with a heavy side of romance and a distinctly X-men flavor.
⭐⭐⭐¾
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So this one was a quick-paced crime novel with an element of mystery. From the blurb and the title, I was honestly expecting more of a thriller centered around discovering the Nagy’s son’s fate, but it actually took a different path from the first chapter.
This book really encompasses two intertwining stories unfolding in parallel – one of the events leading up to the fire and one of the events that unfold after as the characters involved piece together the story from different angles. It’s interesting because we almost get a spiral effect as we drill down from a big picture of the events to a more personal level with the myriad of characters involved. The writing and story were both easy to follow and held my attention, and I was definitely invested in the characters throughout.
Recommended for those looking for a broad-scoped crime novel with likable characters and a satisfying conclusion. Thanks to the author for the advance copy! What Happened to the Boy? is out today (🎉 And yes, I’m also really proud that I posted this review on time. 🎉) and you can grab it here!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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So I picked up this this book on the recommendation of a friend and it is *exactly* what it says it is. If you can’t stomach darky-dark scenes, unhinged main characters, stomach-turning gore, or intense spice, turn back here. This book is like a super R-rated Dexter meets a RomCom and it states its trigger warnings up front.
All that said, I surprisingly enjoyed the read. I thought the concept of two serial killers of serial killers meeting up with romantic sparks, banter, and deranged creepy little competition. This book did *not* shy away from the darkness of the main characters, but at the same time balanced those super intense moments with super sweet ones and intense passion. The narration was fantastic, and interesting in that the male narrator reads all the male dialogue in both POVs, and the female narrator reads all the female dialogue in both POVs.
I’m a “could take it or leave it” spice person, but while, um… intense, the frequency didn’t overwhelm the plot, and I liked the tension leading up to it. So all that said, I recommend this book (especially the audiobook) for those looking for a super dark (but also kind of weirdly light?) quick romcom read. And though this book is satisfying on its own, I think I’ll be picking up the sequel too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
**Note, I picked up the sequel and had to DNF. It just didn’t work for me. It also didn’t work for weird friend #1, so it wasn’t just me.*
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I loved A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking as well as SwordHeart, so I think this officially marks me as a T. Kingfisher fan, and I’m pretty sure I have another three or four of her books downloaded at this moment.
What I liked:
– Quirky characters with a fun voice
– Interesting magic/horror elements
– Quick read
– The writing style is both fun and interesting, (and at times, revolting in a horror-y way) keeping me engaged from the first page
What I didn’t like:
– This was a short book, but I feel like I would’ve like a little more from all of the support characters (but mostly the handyman)
Totally recommend for anyone looking for a quick, fun read with a fun main character and little pops of horror and magic. And I’m looking forward to my next read from Kingfisher.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
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Hayley Reese Chow 