A prelude to Secret Invasion, one of those big Marvel comics crossover events that I'm about to tackle next! I have read a few Secret Invasion stories here and there, but I liked getting to see where it all kicks off. Unfortunately, this storyline was botched in the MCU (maybe they'll revisit it!), but I'm interested in seeing where it goes next!

As a Michigander who lives on the West side of the state, loved the references to Grand Haven. It's so rare to see that in a big name book! Overall, this was a sweet romance, though maybe not my favorite of Blake's books. The mis/no communication trope isn't always my favorite, but it does work for these characters. Plus, there's a great cast of side characters that really help make the story! 

Definitely really enjoying this group of kids being superheroes. Always been a sucker for teenage superheroes, though (hence why I enjoy Spider-Man so much). This collection felt like more of a filler than something that actually moves the story forward, and that's totally okay with me. I liked each of the characters getting their own story that was woven together with the other characters. While I wasn't necessarily a fan of each of the art styles, overall this was really enjoyable.

Review to come!

I mean, there are a lot of these Civil War stories featuring different groups of Marvel characters, and I would say most of them read pretty much the same. However, I did like the chemistry between the characters in this one, as it made the story a bit more interesting. 

Not sure how much this will play into future Young Avengers stories, but Civil War overall is sure to have an impact. Onto the next thing!

A delightful little Christmas romance! "The Santa Clause" was one of my favorite movies growing up, and this takes that sort of premise and makes it unique. I also appreciated that this focused on Patrick and Quinn's already established relationship and how they could make it stronger moving forward. They both learn a lot about themselves and each other through the whole Santa experience, and it works well overall for the story.

Some of the magical elements weren't quite fully fleshed out, but I found I didn't mind because the focus was more on their relationship and their personal growth than the other aspects. I always enjoy Janovsky's work, and this definitely hit all of the right holiday notes.

I've read a few Young Avengers stories, but I don't think I ever started from the beginning. And this was an overall great origin story! You get to see a lot of characters that have become important in later Marvel stories, and I'm hopeful that these will get translated to the big screen soon as many of them have already been introduced into the MCU. Plus, we love a good group of teenage superheroes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz to review! I downloaded this one because the premise sounded like a good time, and I definitely wasn’t wrong. This book will add a ray of sunshine to what is a dreary month (January).

While Amelia, our star, is a well-developed, well-rounded character, the cast behind her was as well. One of the highlights is Amelia’s interactions with her family, who are all trying to give her dating advice. Even though none of them have technically had a successful romantic relationship. It works together to create some great rom-com moments.

In addition, we get to learn more about Amelia by going through her past relationships with her. Not only do we get to see how she’s grown in the past, but also how she’s growing throughout the course of the story. All the characters and plot points really work well together to create a funny, well thought-out story.

All in all, if you need a fun rom-com to get you through the winter season, definitely pick this book up in January! 

---
Review to come!

The only problem with trying to follow characters in the Marvel comic universe instead of following storylines is that sometimes, you're dropped into a larger storyline with no context. Which is what I had with this one, in trying to read where Wiccan was first introduced (even if the way he's included in this volume is a bit disturbing).

You do get to see Wanda's decent back into the villain of the story, which eventually leads to the House of M storyline. Which I have read most of! I am excited to move forward with the Young Avengeres, though. Some of which I've read, but I'm excited to read more!

Honestly, these books are always a good time. This is about Mary Read re-imagined as part of the Little Mermaid, and it's a fun sea adventure from beginning to end. Sometimes in multiple pov books there's one character that you aren't a fan of, but each pov was great in this one! Mary, Tobias, and Jack all add to the story, especially as the action ramps up at the end.

If you like re-imagined history with fantasy twists, you should definitely check out this series!