The cutest little witchy book. This book is absolutely adorable!! It features so many different types of witches of with their familiars and the diversity is perfection. I love the artwork featured in this book so much and I would absolutely recommend this book for young readers!

*Thanks Netgalley and NorthSouth Books Inc., NorthSouth Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A darling and very sweet children's book about being afraid to step into the limelight and try something new. The story follows Walter, a shy goth moth who usually hides away and dreams about being a drummer. Can he find the courage to seize his dreams and play with his idol, Jitterbug? This was so cute and sweet. The artwork is cute and I had fun reading this.

*Thanks Netgalley and NorthSouth Books Inc., NorthSouth Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Frankenstein meets Fungal horror with a touch of queer romance in this story about two Victorian gentlemen, a botanist and a taxidermist, who have hidden their relationship in a botanical garden and have begun to experiment on creating a "daughter". Simon and Gregor are unusual men, they live together in their own botanical garden, dividing the space for each of their own separate work. Gregor is a botanist who yearns to get a place in the Royal Horticultural Society and has begun working on a new plant... a plant that he uses on a recently deceased corpse... a plant that is growing and becoming "aware." Simon is Gregor's partner and a taxidermist who spends most of his time working on his art in a dark basement. Together Simon and Gregor craft together a "Daughter" from the corpse, they create Chloe, an experiment who is growing and flourishing at an alarming rate... yet there is a cost to this growth and the maintenance of what Chloe is, is only becoming harder. Can Gregor and Simon figure out how to maintain their new daughter and keep prying eyes away... or was it a doomed experiment from the start? This was definitely an interesting fungal horror take on Frankenstein with a touch of queer romance in it. The story definitely had a ton of potential on some parts but other parts were really lacking. I loved the fungal horror and the experiment a la Frankenstein story, but what I really wish was further worked on and fleshed out was the relationship between Simon and Gregor, they might be called romantic partners but they didn't even feel like partners, there was no romance, there was barely any real relationship shown between the two and I just don't think that it works out well in the story without a strong relationship. I wanted their story to be explored, I wanted their strained relationship, their ethical dilemmas and fatherhood mentality to be explored in their relationship, especially since they are two queer men having a forbidden relationship outside the bonds of regular society. I feel like the book definitely is a good read it just isn't a great one and it has potential and fans of Frankenstein should definitely give a go though!

*Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Hunger Games but make it with vampires, witches, and humans! How far would you go to bring someone back to life? Would you enter into a deadly tournament that could kill you? Bly is a seventeen year old girl who lives in a world where witches use blood for magic and vampires need blood for food, and in this world there is truce amongst humans, vampires, and witches. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves and an event known as the Revenant Games occurs. The Revenant Games lets any human play in the games for either the witches or the vampires and the prize is wealthy beyond your imagination and with witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire and in turn, the vampires will offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. Bly has been secretly in love with her childhood best friend Emerson and plans on confessing to him and asking him to run away with her, her younger sister Elise is their mother's favorite, and they are all living in poverty. When Elise helps Bly pick up food to be sold, she accidentally touches a spelled mushroom that was owned by a witch... in turn killing her and Bly feels guilty for doing that. She decides to enter into the Revenant Games to bring back her sister, only before entering Emerson is put under a death curse and now he needs to be turned into an immortal in order to avoid it. They both team up in order to bring back Elise and to save Emerson. Bly finds herself being taken in by the vampire prince, Keirrigan, a handsome prince (along the lines of Carden from Cruel Prince). Kerrigan offers to by Bly's sacrifice to be killed because he is bored with life.... yet the more time she spends with him the more she begins to see underneath his act and that there is a blooming romance between them. But these games are brutal and you can't trust anyone, and when secrets are revealed, can Bly trust those she's put on her team to win or will she have to take out everyone to get what she wants.... if its even what she really wants. This is the first book in a series, and honestly it felt so so similar to the Hunger Games and All of Us Villains, yet lacking the magic of either of those books. I had really high hopes for this book especially since it was advertise as being a mix of All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked (and it really did not feel like Kingdom of the Wicked). I just didn't find myself caring all that much for Bly or really liking any of the characters all that much, I wasn't invested in the love triangle, and I found myself a bit frustrated with Bly's decisions, and yes she is a 17 year old girl but come on, Katniss was young too. The similarities between this and Hunger Games was so glaring it was hard to look past it: older sister of a younger sister who is preferred by their parental figure, in love with her childhood best friend but he's not really the main love interest, a new mysterious guy who cares for her appears and is on her team and is willing to die for her, she's a poor girl fighting against other more powerful sects, like come on. Honestly, the way this book ends with such a HUGE HUGE cliffhanger, really just didn't have me caring all that much and I won't be reading the sequel in the future either. This one wasn't for me and just kind of fell flat of any of my expectations, and I think if you like Hunger games-esque stories, maybe give it a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Two friends reunite years later when a murder happens at a dinner party they both attend... now they'll have to find the killer and figure out the hidden feelings between them. Jane Halliwell dreams about a house of her own, but all her dreams were crushed when her father died and her and her mother were left penniless and cast outside society. She now works as a governess while also trying to write her own book. When her employer is murdered during a house party Jane is forced back into the ton and forced to work with the very same lord who broke her heart all those years ago. Lord Adrian Fielding is consumed with his job at the Foreign Office, he's always been focused on him job yet he has one regret, Jane. Adrian had been close to Jane's family, her father was a mentor and friend to him and when her father died he was forced to go away for work yet regretted never being there for young Jane. When he returned from work he discovered Jane and her mother outcasted into society and it was too late for him to do anything and when he tried to talk to her a few years later she did everything to avoid him despite how much he tried to talk to her. Now he's finally meeting her again, and he wants answers to her icy demeanor and it can't be helped that just being around her has him wanting to protect her at all costs and wanting to be there for her.... and maybe finally realize that despite the fact that she use to have a girlish crush on him and is now cold, he is falling for her. Adrian and Jane will be forced to work together to find out who the killer is and if there is a larger conspiracy at play while the killer starts going after them too. Yet being together after all these years has feelings coming out again and if they can solve the case and survive the killer, they might just have a chance at romance. This was an absolutely adorable historical romance. I adored Adrian and Jane so much, and from the bat you can see how much Adrian is head over heels for Jane (but just wont admit it). I loved the murder mystery element in this and I think this is such a fun book in the series, though you can read it as a stand alone. I've loved this series so much and this one was a great new one in the series!! It's a fun sweet read that will put a smile on your face the entire time.

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

You think family vacations are bad? What if the place you're staying at is haunted by an evil spirit who wants to possess your body and stir up family drama? Anna Pace prefers to be alone yet she has to constantly go to her family's annual family destination vacation. She hates it but she can't get out of it, and it doesn't help when she's considered the family black sheep. The vacation consists of her family: her twin brother Benny and his boyfriend, her older sister Nicole with her two daughters and husband, and her parents. Benny clings to Anna while Nicole can't help but pick at her while her while her mother seizes every opportunity to question her life choices and her dad wants to be left alone. Together, stuck in a beautiful remote villa in Monteperso... the family drama will unfold, and it doesn't help that the villa has something going on with it, from strange noises at night, villagers being afraid of it, and the dark and violent history of the villa itself. Anna knows something is going on and her dreams are being filled with disturbing images... but can she escape both her family and the ghost haunting the villa before it's too late? This book is an ode to anyone who has been trapped in a uncomfortable family vacation. The horror was interesting and the overall ending was good, but like Anna, I kind of was hoping for a bit more with this book. It's not a bad read it just wasn't blowing my mind. I liked the overall haunting and the terrible family tension, and I think it's a fun vacation read for people.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A girl with the ability the forbidden ability to heal, to control, and know the body and control it with a single touch finds herself in over her head when she begins working for a wealthy family to heal their relative... who is the only witness to the murder of their father... and not to mention the strangely antagonistic boy who hides behind a fox masks that knows her secret. Nhika is what some would call a bloodcarver, someone who can alter human biology with just a touch... but what she truly is is a heartsoother, she heals. Yet her healing is illegal and so many people fear people gifted with her abilities. Yet when her latest client outs her and she is kidnapped by the city's criminal underbelly... she is sold to a wealthy girl who asks her to heal her uncle who was in an accident with her father... her father whom she believes was murdered. Nhika is foisted into a world of wealthy society with a complicated family that needs her to solve their murder mystery. It doesn't help that she has to keep her abilities as much of a secret as possible and somebody knows who and what she truly is, and he just happens to be the assistant to the family friend's doctor... and he also happens to be the boy in the fox masked that had initially tried to help her. Nhika can't make out what Kochin wants and what his goals are... he keeps trying to push her out yet he knows more than he is letting on about who she truly is. Nhika will have to find a way to save herself and solve the mystery... but once the killer is revealed... she might be in danger too. Romance, magic, and a murder mystery! This was a really fun world to get immersed in and I really enjoyed the magic system that the author created. This is the first book in a duology and I am so so excited to see where the next book goes ( especially with how this one ends). I always enjoy a fun murder mystery and I love the little bit of romance and the unique magic system that was put there.This is definitely a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a murder mystery with unique magic and an overall really good time!

Spoiler

Nhika and Kochin first met when he was in a fox mask and had tried to get the criminals chasing her off her trail but she was captured. Nhika and Kochin meet again and he keeps trying to warn her away but he fails, it is revealed that the family friend and the person who Kochin works for, Dr. Santo was the real killer who forced Kochin to kill Mimi and Andoin's dad. Dr. Santo found out that Kochin was also a heartsoother (not as strong as Nhika) and threatened to kill his family if he didn't do what he wanted. Kochin saved Hedon (mimi's uncle who was the witness in the accident). Nhika and Kochin work together to try and reveal Dr. Santo as the killer. Dr. Santo wanted Kochin and Nhika's abilities to resurrect his son. He shots both Kochin and Nhika and planned on harvesting Kochin's heart but Nhika stopped him. Kochin is mortally wounded and Nhika uses her abilities to save him, transferring her gift in him (she dies). Before she does they both have confessed their love together. Before facing Dr. Santo they had planned to return to Kochin's family together and find peace and family together. Dr. Santo is sentenced to life and Mimi and her family get justice. While visiting Nhika's grave Kochin decides that he is going to do everything in his powers to find a way to bring back Nhika.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

What would you do if your mother who was presumed missing/dead after mysteriously disappearing 16 years ago suddenly appears alive in the middle of shooting a documentary about her disappearance... and now the question of who did this to her might break apart our own family. Annabel "Bel" Price has lived her life in the shadow of her mother's mysterious disappearance, 16 years ago when she was 2 years old, her mother took her to the mall and then disappeared without a trace. Nobody knows what happened to her and whether she is alive or dead. Her disappearance has become so famous that now a film crew wants to make a documentary about her disappearance... yet to Bel's great surprise her mother suddenly appears again... and something about her story isn't ringing true to Bel. Bel will find the answers as to what really happened to her mother... even if it means revealing the dark family secrets in her own home. I was so so excited to read this as I am a huge fan of the author's previous series, yet this one kind of fell flat to me. I predicted the villain early on and it was so hard to actually even like or root for Bel as a protagonist. I think the most compelling and interesting character in this story was Rachel, I felt for her and from the moment she came back you can tell she was the victim. This book felt like watching a cheesy hallmark mystery thriller movie. Bel felt intentionally unlikable to move the plot and to hold off on the big reveal and twist, yet I felt like this book would have worked so much better off if we got to switch between Bel and Rachel's POV to slowly fleshing out the mystery and who the killer was. Overall it was just not for me but I definitely like the author's style so I can't wait to read their next book. I feel like if you like family mystery thrillers this one would definitely be for you!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

She's a sweet artist who absolutely fears mortality and death and he's her reserved Irish undertaker neighbor, can these two opposites make it work? Lark Thompson hates anything to do with funerals or anything that reminds her of her mortality. She definitely did not expect to be moving into a home next to a funeral home. After the death of her husband, which she still blames herself for, she's getting a new start by accepting a new animation job in Galway, Ireland, far from her old life. She's determined to make the best of her temporary job project and sworn off relationships. Callum Flannelly has one true love in his life, the funeral home he runs, the only issue is that it's his families and his grandfather's stipulation for him inheriting the funeral home is that he has to be married before his. 35th birthday which is coming up fast. Callum know's his chances at finding someone to agree to this is low, especially since he's socially awkward, really reserved, and isn't much of a people person, yet the moment he meets his sunshiny and sweet neighbor he can't help but want to be her friend. Lark and Callum begin a very sweet friendship and Lark promises to help Callum with finding a person to marry him, yet it's becoming very clear that the only person right for that job is Lark and that she's beginning to fall for the one person she never expected. Can Lark find it in herself to move on and find a new chance at happiness or will her grief consume her, and will Callum be able to chase the one woman who has stolen his heart even if he can't inherit his funeral home? This was such a fun and sweet read (with some very fun spicy scenes *wink wink*). You really get to feel the friendship and care that Lark and Callum have for each other and you get to see Lark grow from her grief and chase her own happiness. I really enjoyed this one so much!

A fun and spooky cookbook filled with haunted locations and even more amazing recipes. This book combines eerie hotels, haunted homes, hellish hospitals, and spooky ghost towns with recipes related to each place and fun back ground history too. I had so much fun reading this and looking at the stunning food photos as well as the charmingly creepy stories. This book is a must have for anyone who enjoys spooky things and fun cooking/baking!

*Thanks Netgalley and Harper Celebrate for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*