4.5/5

General Description:
Holly is in an emotionally vulnerable place in her life. She is her grandmother's hospice nurse and she knows her grandmother's time is coming to an end. She has hardly had time to herself, and on Valentine's day, someone leaves a free sex coupon on her car. She leaves a note back to whoever left it saying it was placed on the wrong car. To her surprise, the person who left the coupon writes back. Can Holly actually form a friendship or relationship during this time, or will the note writer wait for her?

The goods:
- Holly's character growth even in this short time is beautiful.
- The relationship between Holly and her grandmother warmed my heart and broke it like no other.
- John's backstory kept me engaged as well.
- I love this specific meet cute scenario and the physical meet cute you get too!

The loss of half a star:
- It was honestly just too short. Maybe I'm not a novella reader, but I definitely wanted more. 

Overall, if you're ready for a more emotional, quick romance read, this should be your next read.

General Description:
When Callum attempts to email a teacher, he accidentally emails T. Over 10 years, they email each other happy valentines day. They begin to develop a relationship via email, but it never seems like it's the right time. However, when the timing seems to align, T (Terra) begins to have a relationship with her TA. Who will Terra choose in the end?

The goods:
- I loved the email exchanges, they were extremely cute.
- The entire concept that spans years is a trope I love to see.
- The puzzle pieces falling together at the end was extremely satisfying
- the use of social media was not overbearing and I think a touch that will stay relevant instead of being cringy

The loss of a star:
- I feel like there was an attempt to add some spicier scenes and for me, with these novella books, it just felt out of place and took away from the overall story. I just feel it was already a short story and trying to add a spicier scene made it feel even shorter. 

overall, if you're looking for something quick to get into a romance reading book, this fits the bill!

Note: This is the 2nd book in a series, so there are inherently spoilers.

General Description:
- Zelie has brought magic to even more people than anyone was expecting. However, the magic is in the hands of the elite called Titans, who have wilder and stronger magic than the traditional maji. Amari wants to try to bring everyone together, but when the elites have this magic, they won't just bow to anyone anymore. Can Amari take her rightful place? Can Zelie keep the maji safe from these stronger elites? Who will make appearances that we thought were gone forever?

The good:
- THE ACTION in this book is done so well, I can see it all clearly in my head.
- I loved seeing all clans of magic explored in this book, the lore is deep in this series and I am here for it.
- The exploration of the friendship between Amari and Zelie is truly tested in this book and I loved the added depth.
- The side characters you meet in this book truly steal your heart and I can only hope to see them again.

The loss of a half star:
- It was a bit slower paced in the beginning for a sequel, a lot of additional world building took place that slowed down the vibes of the book.

Overall, if you read Children of Blood and Bone, how could you stop?! Definitely pick this up. 

3.5/5 stars

General Description:
Taking a dark spin to the Wizard of Oz story, we follow Evie, the mastermind behind a drug in her crime riddled family. Nick is tasked with going undercover in the family business and finding out who the drug supplier for the family is. Nick and Evie unknowingly spend a night together, making their introduction when Nick is undercover interesting. However, Evie doesn't put the puzzle pieces together right away. When they develop a physical relationship, there's seemingly resistance but not as much as once they start to emotionally connect. When secrets get revealed, will their relationship survive?

The good:
- I did love the twist on the wizard of oz, it kept me engaged with all the easter eggs while making it very modern.
- The twists this book take within the crime world was thrilling to read about
- The side characters (specifically dorothy) added a layer that I feel like I haven't seen in the other 2 books in the Never After series. It really felt like everyone was a villian of some sort in the family and I enjoyed it.

The loss of 1.5 stars:
- I use the term milked in here and that's an instant half star off for me. Sorry
- Some of the spicier scenes I felt like took away from the plot, which is just something I know happens in spicier books, but I'm not sure I'll ever enjoy the divergence from the plot.

Overall: I still think this is better than Hooked, so if you like Emily's style of storytelling, I'd say continue with the series, but I don't think this should be the first book of hers you read. Read Scarred then determine if you enjoy Emily's style.

General Description:
Josh is ready to cook for his girlfriend at her apartment for the first time. However, his girlfriend doesn't let him in. It's the annoying canvasser who attempted to get him to donate money early. Ari does get that donation as she lets Josh get into the apartment she shares with her roommate, who she does occasionally hook up with. There is immediate tension as Josh judges Ari and Ari judges Josh for their different ways of living. However, over the years, Josh and Ari continue to run into each other. When Ari turns to Josh for friendship, they learn a lot about each other and themselves. However, will they be able to sustain a relationship when they are so different?

The good:
- I love the friendship that's found in this book. The development of the relationship playing off dislike for each other, then friendship, then more was done nicely
- The multiple 'meet cutes' you get over the years were super fun to read
- The depth of conversation was engaging and had me reflecting on my own viewpoints of relationships
- Josh's family was a nice touch into the storyline 

The loss of a star:
- The dialogue was a bit cringy throughout the book. I'm not sure if everyone would feel that way, but I feel like anytime I read a book with a comedian main character, sometimes I don't click with the dialogue.

Overall: If you're looking for a quick, quirky romance read, this would fit the bill!

Note: This is the 3rd book in a trilogy, there will inherently be spoilers. 

General Description:
May Bird is now 13 years old. She's been away from the Ever After for 3 years. When she receives a phone call where she swears it's Pumpkin, she has no choice but to go back. However, the Ever After is more deserted than ever. Can she and Somber Kitty find their old friends and take on Evil Bo Cleevile?

The enjoyable:
- I love the Ever After as a world, I would go back into that world any time.
- We get to explore more of the Ever After than we ever have and the side characters you meet, and the descriptions of the world, are thrilling.
- It was pretty quickly paced.

The loss of 2 stars:
- I don't really feel this is a great resolution to a series. It felt like a disjointed story.
- This also felt very rushed. We hear about Bo Cleevil for like all the books and the showdown between May and Bo lasts I think less than 10 pages, which I just don't think does it justice.

Overall: If you're okay with open endings, you could just skip this book and stick with the first 2 in a series. However, if you do want to finish the trilogy, I think there's no harm in reading it.

Note: This is the 2nd book in a duology, there are inherently spoilers :)

General Description:
Shiori has finally made her way to the land of the dragons to 'return' the pearl she received. However, she knows she must return the pearl to the true owner, the Wraith. The Wraith does not exist in the dragon's world as he is elsewhere., but Shiori doesn't exactly know where. Will Shiori be able to get out of the dragon's world safely, with the pearl in toe, find the Wraith, and return him with his pearl? And there's something going on at the mountain Shiori patched up in the last book...when will that come into play?

The goods:
- The world just expands and gets more beautiful.
- Shiori's personal growth in this book was completely thrilling.
- I really believed I knew where the story was going, but Lim truly takes you on a journey you're not expecting between the side characters introduced, the dialogue, and the lore you gather along the way.
- Everything does tie up pretty nicely overall (besides some background on her stepmother, but I assume that's why there's a prequel) but...

The loss of a star:
- There were a lot of storylines opened in this book that I didn't think need to be explored. The book felt just a tad long based on some of those storylines.

Overall, if you like Six Crimson Cranes, there's no reason to not finish the duology!

General Description:
Elliot Chase joins his famous ex-movie star friend Lana, her friend Kate, her husband and kid, along with their house help, to a remote island. However, as the wind traps this group on the island, a murder occurs. Who is murdered, who is the murderer, and can those left alive figure it out before it's too late?

The good:
- DEFINITELY the twisty mystery book Alex has produced and I love it.
- The weather relating to the action we see in the book made the vibes of the book seep into my bones in the best way.
- The short chapters made it easy to continue reading and not put down. 
- Each character had a unique voice and I hope we get to see a few of them again down the road.

The loss of a star:
- I feel like we had a lot of characters and it muddled the book a bit, especially given that the attention on these 6 characters was not even throughout the book.

Overall, if you're looking for a page-turning mystery that continues to surprise you, pick The Fury up next time you're in a bookstore.

General Description:
Viv suffers an injury while hunting a necromancer that leaves her trapped in a little town. After befriending the bookshop owner, Viv works to breathe life back into the bookshelf, while also exploring a relationship with the local bakery owner. However, when the necromancer starts to show since that they're around again, will Viv want to go back to a violent lifestyle, or embrace all she's built with the bookshop?

The good:
 - I loved seeing Viv again. I was curious how we'd get back to her cozy setting after seeing her in Legends and Lattes, and I loved how we got here.
- FERN has my absolute soul. Once again, Travis rocks it with the side characters in this down.
- the romance aspect of this book was tasteful and sweet
- I feel like we saw more magic in this book than Legends and Lattes, which made the world seem more expansive and fun to read. 

The loss of a star:
- this felt less cohesive overall compared to Legends and Lattes. It did not feel as seamless over the plot, a bit more like vignettes put together than one storyline from page 1 to the end.

Thank you to Holt Company for sending this to me in exchange for an honest review. Note: sexual abuse is heavily discussed in this book. If this is something you cannot read about, please do not pick up the book. 

General Description: Tessa has climbed the ranks to become a respectable defense barrister. She defends anyone who comes across her desk and does whatever she can to keep her clients out of jail. Tessa's inspiration comes from her homelife; however, once she's assaulted by a co-worker, her perception changes and she finds herself on the other side of the table: fighting for her own right to put away the man who violated her. What will she learn about her profession along the way now that she sees both sides?

The good:
- I really liked how the book remained in Tessa's perspective the entire time and you fully got engrossed in her voice.
- Learning about a different criminal defense system outside of the US was enlightening.
- The overall message especially at the end was very empowering.
- the side characters were not the highlight of this book, but when they did appear, they were great additions to the story.

The loss of a star:
- Very character-driven and non-linear timeline makes it a bit slow and disjointed.

Overall, if you're looking for a book that makes you think beyond the pages and after you put it down, this is the next book for you.