A new retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma with a splash of Bollywood? SIGN ME UP!! Kamila Hussain lives a nearly perfect life, from her weekly elaborate Bollywood movie parties, a dog that is instagram famous, a super fun job as a party planner that she loves, amazing friends, and a childhood friend who is always there for her. Kamila does have a favorite activity besides planning events... and that is matching her friends... despite not looking for a perfect match for herself. Lucky for her she has Rohan Nasser, longtime friend of the family who is not only kind, handsome, and perfection but someone who knows her. Rohan has always treated Kamila like she was just a friend but when Kamila starts feeling more... things start getting complicated. Especially when her longtime nemesis Jana, who is annoyingly perfect comes back into town and Rohan starts spending more time with Jana. Kamila’s life slowly starts to unravel and she finds herself having to question what she really wants in life and what she will do next. Complicated feelings, misunderstandings, and romance all in one. This was a wonderful retelling of Emma but with it’s own unique flavor. I loved getting to know Kamila and her struggles and seeing her grow. A sweet and fun story and perfect for fans of Jane Austen’s Emma!

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

One apartment, various people, and a lockdown thats going to change them all. This is a story about make ups, breakups, relationships, friendships and everything in between in the time of quarantine. When the residents of an apartment receive a notice telling them that they are going to be locked in due to a seven day quarantine things are about to get rough. The story follows a large cast of people: Ethan, Charlotte, Zach Serena, Liv, Isla, Danny, Imogen, and Nate. This is a cozy read perfect for fans of The Dinner List, The Flatshare, Love, Actually, Just Last Night, The Kissing Booth, and Love In The Time of Corona!

*Arc received in exchange for an honest review*

The daughter of a witch who can see creatures and a blue-eyed winter demon known as Death find themselves intertwined in this beautiful story seeped in folklore and magic. Vasilia is the last daughter her mother has before dying and has grown up listening to her nurse’s fairytale in a home at the edge of the Russian wilderness. She is content to just live her life but she yearns for freedom and to explore. However all her actions are seen as being too rebellious, too unnatural, and to curb this her father thinks that she needs a new mother figure... and in doing so takes up a new wife. Vasilia’s new stepmother is fiercely devout and forbids the family from honoring the household spirits, but Vasilia knows better. As more creatures begin appearing and a strange priest comes into town stoking the fear of the people Vasilia soon finds herself faced with the option of being forced into a marriage or going into the woods where the frost demon Morozko awaits Now Vasilia knows she is the only one able to stop the demon bear that has infected her home and threatens to destroy her loved ones but that means facing the gifts she has kept hidden and opening herself up to the magic that has always called to her. This was a gorgeous story that pulled me in. I loved the world and the atmosphere it built and it definitely is a wonderful winter read! Vasilia was a great protagonist, I loved how strong she was and how despite everything she reamined true to herself.

The sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, the story picks up where the last one left off but this time also follows the perspective of Vasilisa’s brother Sasha (who had left to become a monk in the first book) and Olya (who left because she was getting married). Vasilisa is now forced to decide where her life will go next since she cannot seem to find a place for herself, for she cannot stay with Morozko but she cannot also be with her people since they think she is a witch. Resolved to become a traveler she finds herself running into her siblings 10 years after they had left... and they meet when Vasilisa is dressed up as a boy and saving children. Her brother is now the hand to the prince and her sister has many children. When Vasya’s deeds get her recognized by the prince, soon she finds herself in the world of men, the freedom and respect they receive and can’t seem to tear herself away from the lies she has told and her new found freedom. Yet with this comes the threat of bandits kidnapping children, a mysterious new stranger who threatens to destroy the kingdom, and the complicated relationship that has grown between Vasya and Morozko. Vasya’s secrets once again threaten the lives of those she holds dear and magical dark forces are threatening to tear the world apart, and underneath it all is the budding romance between an immortal who was never meant to love and a girl who never wanted to fall in love. This story was ANGSTY, while the first one was about growing and freedom and just a soft read this one was pain, hurt, complicated relationships, and the ordeals that Vasya had to deal with, as well as the facing the consequences of her own choices? Brutal. This was a great sequel to the first book and I can’t wait to see where the second one goes. (Also cheers to my favorite frost demon Morozko, I fall deeper in love with this character with every book).

The final book in the Winternight Trilogy. A war is on the loose and Moscow is in danger, Vasya must face difficult choices and make alliances with unlikely people and choose for herself her own path. Picking up after the events of the second book, Vasya is now alone since she severed her bond with the winter king Morozko and must find a way to get him back all the while dealing with politics and the priest who is obsessed with her as well as discovering family secrets. Vasya must find a way to not only save Moscow but to survive herself as more people are after her and a difficult path lays before her. She must make Morozko remember her and also make alliances with his brother The Bear and unlikely allies in the magical world as she discovers her path. This was a beautiful ending to the trilogy and I absolutely enjoyed reading this trilogy so much. The ending was perfect and I loved Vasya and Morozko so much. This is seriously the perfect winter time read for fantasy and folktale lovers!

A demon kissed girl, an adventure of a lifetime, gods and monsters, and finding her place in the world. Miuko has never fit in, she has always been a bit too much for everyone but she has been content to just be living with her father and taking care of their inn. One day she is kissed by a demon and finds herself taking on a curse to become the Lady of Death... and then she begins to run into other demons and monsters. She is thrust upon a new journey to stop the demon king, reverse her curse, and survive long enough to get her life back. Joining her for her journey is a thieving magpie spirit and a demon prince who is obsessed with her. Miuko will have to outsmart trickers, escape demon hunters, make deals with gods all to find a way home again. This was such a fun story to read! It is one girl’s journey of discovering not only what she wants for herself but the being given the freedom she has never had before. It was filled with magic and adventure and just an all around great read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Clarion Books (formerly HMH Children's Books), Clarion Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A mortician finds that the dead body in her morgue has come back alive... and that he is a very handsome vampire. Ginny Lynn is a funeral home director and has always lived and a lonely life. When one of the bodies she is scheduled to work on comes back alive she suddenly finds herself face to face with the handsome vampire prince Jonas Cantrell. Jonas tells her he has to erase her memories of them meeting, but Ginny states that since he’ll erase her memories they should get to know each other just for tonight... but soon one night turns into many and the two can’t seem to keep away from one another. Things get out of hand when another vampire has started coming after Ginny’s life and Jonas feels a strong need to protect her. Throw in a forbidden romance, life threatening situations, and an unexpected romance through time. This was an overall cute story that can be read as a standalone despite being part of a trilogy. The story is told mainly through Ginny’s POV but there are 2-3 chapters from Jonas’s perspective. Overall a cute paranormal romance!

Miss Cleopatra Lewis is determined to be a wallflower, avoid marriage, and pursue her business dreams. Jacob Astor Addison wants to acquire a business to help his theaters.... and his competition for said business just happens to be the most stubborn and infuriating woman he has ever met, Miss Cleopatra Lewis. Cleo and Jacob are opposites and they are exactly what the other is not looking for. However Jacob soon finds himself falling for Cleo while Cleo has made it clear she has no plans of settling down. Jacob will have to find a way to convince Cleo that he is the one for her and that what truly matters to him is her and not just their business competition. Throw in costume parties, picnics, witty banter, and cute breakfast dates. This was such an adorable read! I loved both of these characters and their romance was so sweet! The overall story was great and I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a cute romance read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A vampire slayer and a vampire... a complicated past in Vegas and family alliances that threaten to destroy everything. Roksana is the heiress to the vampire throne however she’s having a hard time killing her targets, especially since they’re mostly her friends and the one guy she has a hate/love thing with. Elias use to be a SWAT team member but one weekend in Vegas, he runs into Roksana and also gets turned into a vampire.. suffice to say it was one hell of a weekend. Elias and Roksana have a complicated history... being that they both want one another but the fact that Roksana believes he killed her friends and the fact that Elias can’t tell her the truth because it would crush her.... only makes having a relationship a bit difficult. When Roksana’s mother calls her again and offers her redemption, with the caveat being she has to finally kill Elias.. will the truth finally come out and will Roksana and Elias be able to finally open up to one another? Continuing where the first book left off, this one focuses on the new couple. It meshes events from the past with the current time line and the relationship between Roksana and Elias was something I was definitely more invested in than the previous couple. I would have to say this one was a better read than the first book for me. Their complicated past and the love they feel for one another despite the difficulties in their relationship was really sweet and overall a great read.

A girl steeped in the magical waters in the river, a angel of death, and a boy searching for his friend are all tied together in the brewing war and revolution during WWII in Budapest. Csilla’s parents were murdered by the Soviet police and she fears for her life and the life of her loved ones, she is planning to escape as soon as possible... but thing’s dont always go according to plan. Azriel is an angel of death who guides souls and comes when he is needed. Tamas is searching for his friend and lover in a time where being gay is punishable by death. All their paths collide and soon they find themselves all participating in an oncoming revolution and the magical river that binds them all together. This was such an interesting read as it is set in 1956 and during the Hungarian revolution in post-WWII Communist Budapest. It’s an adventure, its tragic, and bittersweet, and courageous and so much. I loved the gentle poly/triad relationship depicted in this story between the three characters. They all genuinely cared and loved one another and that was so sweet. They had so little time together but what time they had, it was beautiful and wonderful. This was quite a nice take on history and magic mixed in together and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers and YALL FEST for sending me an arc!*