General Description: Lily finally finds one of her favorite author's website after years of him not having one. Lily reaches out to NR Stricklin and they develop a bond via email, until Lily is ghosted. Lily has alwasy been lonely and a bet to bring a date to her sister's wedding is trying to get her back out there. Enter Nick (NR Stricklin) who becomes Lily's neighbor and agrees to help her with the bet, but not by being her date. He'll help her find someone because he recognizes Lily and doesn't want to reveal himself to her. Can Nick embrace himself and will Lily get a date for her sister's wedding?

ALL the good
- The premise PULLED me in instantly. Messaging your author, starting to build a friendship, then being ghosted? THEN being in the same city? Give me all the rom-com vibes.
- I loved Lily's character progression and coming into herself in this novel.
- Nick's own progression was also one that I was rooting for the entire time.
- Then, combining both Lily and Nick together, I was rooting for them the entire time. The relationship blossomed in a beautiful way.
- I would definitely delve into this world with all the side characters, such as Lily's sisters or Nick's friends getting their own books would be fun as I was so invested in them in this book.

Overall: If you're looking for a lighthearted, bookish romance with plenty of miscommunication, this should 100% be your next read.

General Description: Athena Liu dies and June Haywood thinks it's her opportunity to bring Athena's manuscript to life. Well, June doesn't tell anyone her plan, but she edits the book, so it's more her book right? When June starts to put out the book about Chinese laborers to folks in her life, there are eyebrows raised, but why shouldn't June publish this story? It's important right? Even if she isn't the right author, the story should be out there, and who else will do the work? Can June get away with publishing this novel?

All the good:
- RF Kuang is masterful is engrossing you into this world, I didn't want to leave it.
- The way you can see people fighting against June but being shut down made me enraged. I appreciated all the feelings this book gave me.
- This book provided a way for me to reflect on what other books I read, which I wouldn't have done without the prompting conversation this book.
- The situations in this book felt so real and my jaw was dropping half the time.

The loss of a star:
- The ending was a bit open for me where I could see a sequel, would easily bump my rating up to 4.5 if a sequel is announced.
- It was a slower-paced book, which isn't my favorite pacing for books.

Overall: This feels like a must read this year to reflect on what the publishing industry looks like. This feels like a book for readers and that all readers can appreciate.

General Description: Lark has 3 goals- keep her power to control fear a secret, not get caught by her father who is constantly searching for her, and get to the mythical city of Cagmar. Luckily, she does get to Cagmar, the city of the trollis, pretty quick but it's not like she expected. Humans and Trollis warred for years, so the trollis are wary of humans. However, with Lark's power, the trollis council decide she's more useful to them to keep the monsters away from Cagmar than casting Lark out. Can Lark find true peace in Cagmar?

All the good:
- I felt like the use of trolls was something I personally haven't read before and it kept me engaged the whole time.
- The world was so well thought out and I wanted to live in it forever.
- I really liked Lark's journey with getting into the trollis society and getting such a deep dive into her backstory.
- I need like 4 spinoffs because of how much I loved the side characters in this story.

The loss of a star:
- First half star off would be the extremely slow beginning. I read the first 20 pages in like 
- Second half star off would be the fact of how it ends. I understand it's a standalone, but it's such a unique world with characters you love and it's hard when the ending seems so open and there's no change of a sequel in sight! I would definitely up my rating a half star if a sequel is announced.

Overall: If you want a new fantasy world to delve into surrounding trolls, this is your chance to try something new. Just be aware, it is still just one book, even if it should be a duology :) 

4.5/5 Stars

General Description: Brianna's divorce was tough but necessary for her growth within her life. However, her career gets a bit shaken up when Dr. Jacob Maddox joins her floor. After a not-so-meet-cute, Jacob writes Brianna a letter and then begins their relationship. Through the hardships of medical trauma, divorce, and more, will Jacob and Brianna be able to find themselves and be there for each other?

All the good:
- The communication shown by Jacob in the novel is literally a dream and he's one of my favorite MCs ever.
- The issues both MCs face on their own before coming together felt very real and I appreciated a more grounded read.
- I love how there's more books in this universe and that you could start kind of wherever in this universe. I love interconnected standalones!
- The use of letters, while was one of the more fantastical parts of the book, was actually very sweet and a tactic I've used in therapy before, so I totally get where Jacob came from.

The loss of a half star: There's a trope that I cannot stand and it was in this book. I could've done without it.

Overall: I wish the book ended a bit earlier, but it's one of my favorite romances of this year. If you like romances set in a medical setting, addressing heavier topics, and some miscommunication, this is the book for you.

4.5/5 Stars

General Description: Told from two different perspectives, we follow Brittney, co-host and creator of viral hauntings videos online. She wants to explore the house that changed her mother from abusive to a 'saint' in the eyes of the world, especially since the house has killed people. Enter Daisy, years before Brittney's time, and one of the first people to bring the house back to life. Daisy and her mom gain the house after a relative passes and Daisy's mom wants to use it as an Airbnb to help folks. Daisy knows her mother is hiding something, but can she discover it before the house kills her? Can Brittney uncover the truth of the house before more people are lost to it?

The good:
- This book was SPOOKY. The images described haunted me into my nightmares.
- Liselle always weaves a beautiful mystery that leaves you thinking about it for hours.
- I enjoyed having the dual perspectives over the multiple timelines, it expanded the story in a way I thought was masterful
- The subplots in each person's timeline also keep you engaged throughout this entire book.

The loss of a half-star: I wish I had more of Brittney's perspective. It's like 30/70 Brittney/Daisy and I definitely wanted to delve more into Brittney's backstory!

Overall: If you're looking for a spooky YA read, this is it!

General Description: Io has 2 sisters: one that can start threads of life, one that can manipulate the length of them, and then her, the one that can cut threads of life. When your life thread is cut, you're done. However, Io sees something disturbing: an apparition where the life thread is cut, but they're still able to wreak havoc. Who is creating these monstrosities and can Io stop them in a world that views her as dangerous?

All the good:
- The concept I thought was extremely unique and captivated me from the start.
- The story is extremely fast paced.
- The twists and turns of this book were unpredictable and I loved the journey.
- The romance was not overwhelming and threw in a nice subplot to the overall mystery of the book.

Loss of a star: There is a lot of heavy world building that I feel like will be important later that I had to constantly go back and re-listen to. I definitely think this would be easier to remember the specifics of this world if I read this physically.

Overall: I'd definitely recommend picking up the physical book if you're interested in a fresh mythical world!

3/5 Stars

Description: To Chiamaka, her status at Nievus is everything, to Devon, it's everything his mother wants for him. Chiamaka and Devon from very different social circles, yet both are targeted by the mystery Aces. Aces is revealing secrets about Chiamaka and Devon that are very true but very scandalous. Can these two come together to figure out who is behind Aces and make it through their senior year?

The good:
- I like the mystery overall
- I appreciated the unraveling of the mystery and the greater conversations that can be had outside of the book
- This book was very appropriately marketed at Get Out meets Gossip Girl, which I love to see an appropriately marketed book, I knew exactly what to expect going in.

The loss of two stars:
- The audiobook narrator for Devon was not good in my opinion and really took away from my enjoyment of the story. I do listen at 1x speed and I know many people listen at a faster speed, but it was painful. I felt every 5 words he was taking a breath and I could not stay engaged. 
- Outside of the narration (there are 2 narrators and I did not mind the person who narrated Chiamaka's perspective), it felt extremely slow paced. I would be curious to re-read this as a physical book instead of the audiobook.

Overall: Pick up the physical book if you're interested, I'm sure you'll like it if you enjoy YA Suspense/Thriller Novels.

4.5/5 Stars

General Description: If you could see Death, what would you do? Well, Signa's seen death since she was a child and believes Death follows her. She hasn't been able to keep a guardian. However, after a nasty night, Signa finds herself in the home of her cousins: the Hawthornes. Elijah Hawthorne lost his wife and himself (mentally) on the same night. His daughter, Blythe, is ill and Signa takes it upon herself to protect Blythe from Death. However, Signa gets more than she bargains for. Can she keep the house safe, explore her unique relationship to Death, or will he take her along the way?

The good:
- I don't think I've liked a personification of Death as much as I liked Adalyn's take on Death.
- The world building was accessible and the fantastical elements fit into the world nicely.
- I love a good mystery with five million plot twists, had me on my toes for hours.
- Signa's exploration of herself and learning her place in society/family was complex and kept me engaged the entire time.

The loss of a half star:
- I understand this is a series, but I feel like some plot points were left open that won't be resolved in a future book? Like I feel some earlier plot points from the first quarter of the book should have been resolved but weren't? Not sure if that makes sense, it could be my lack of understanding the writing style.

Overall: If you're looking for a book that explores the relationship with Death in a fantastical world, this fits the bill. I did read this shortly after my own grandmother passed and it actually felt very healing.

3.5/5 Stars

General Description: Welcome to Basgiath, the war college filled with scribes, dragon riders, healers, and boots-on-the-ground infantry folks. Violet's mother runs the whole deal, and Violet must enter the rider quadrant at her command. Violet wanted to be a scribe, but what her mother wants, her mother gets. Violet in the rider quadrant puts her in danger: the dragons, rebels' children, and everyone else who doesn't fall into those 2 categories could want to kill Violet. Will she make it out of her first year alive?

The good:
- The first half of the book to me (pre-romance) felt fresh, I was completely engrossed in learning about the world and the abilities and the DRAGONS.
- I appreciated all the plot twists, it kept me engaged
- I absolutely loved the cast of characters as well (and the ones your supposed to dislike, I feel like were done well too).

The loss of a star and a half:
- Like between 66%-75% of the book, I wanted to throw it against the wall. It felt repetitive with other fantasy series and lost its originality for me.
- Some structures (ex. The Gauntlet) I COULD NOT picture in my head. I am someone who relies on the pictures in my head for reading and there were some aspects that just didn't make sense.
- There's so much packed into here, which I feel is Rebecca's writing style, that it makes me confused at points. Like it's almost too fast-paced.

Overall: I think if this is your introduction to fantasy, it's a great start. However, if you have high expectations for fantasy alone, this may not be the book for you.

Thank you to JD for an ARC! I can't wait to keep following your journey.

4.5/5 Stars (be warned, this book #2 in a series, spoilers are inherent with these books!)

General Description: Ara sees Rogue shift into his dragon form for the first time. He disappears. Ara must search for him, keep Rogue's uncle at the back of her mind as he may attack at any time, and continue to work on her own relationship with her powers. Can Ara embrace her full potential, keep her friends and family safe, and can Rogue learn to control a new side of himself?

The good:
- I feel like the plot was everything. I was completely swept away by the world.
- The cast of side characters are complex and keep the story interesting (I would love spin-off novels)
- The word building is easy to understand and fresh at the same time (love it)
- I loved the increased travel of the lands we got in this novel, it felt like the series is stacking up to be more along the lines of a epic fantasy.

The loss of a half-star:
- I wish there were like half as many spicy scenes just because I had so many plot questions I wanted answered. This is definitely just personal taste, I'm sure this will be a plus for a lot of you!

Overall: If you're looking for your next adult, spicy, romantasy series, this is IT! I would not recommend this as your first book with spice, but once you read a few, this would be a great addition.