Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced eARC for an honest review. 

I didn’t like this one. 

There were too many subplots going on that I think took away from the main plot. 

Sylvie and Jack
Dominic and Pen
Jessie and Patrick 
Rosie and Johnny
The Royal cake competition 
The Operation Cake show 
Sylvie and Dominic 

This focused way too much on the baking show which brought nothing to the story. I also think a more entertaining story would have been forcing Sylvie and Dominic to design the royal cake together, forcing them in proximity, which is how they end up together. 

The writing style didn’t work for me either. There were too many references to British pop culture that I had no clue about since I’m not from England. 

She is one of my favorite authors who does magical realism so well. 

Another gut punch of a book. 

I wanted Henry’s story to be more than what this was. Oh well. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced eARC and an honest review. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this. At all. And I’m not sure if it’s because the overall story felt flat and very slow, or if I felt incredibly triggered as a Black woman while reading it, or both. I didn’t find any of the characters to be likable, but the main character, Rachel, was the most insufferable of them all. 

This book explores the harsh realities of what happens when you’re Black and in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this case, Claudia, the Black nanny to the affluent Corbin family, is accused of a horrible accident. Rachel, the narrator, is a manipulative 17 year old who develops a very intense obsession with Claudia and becomes “casually violent” towards Claudia when things don’t go her way. 

I’ve been on the receiving end of a white woman’s unmitigated wrath when I didn’t do something they felt I should do, wanted me to do, felt entitled to it. In that regard, I sympathize with Claudia, but only then. 

I’m not entirely sure of what the author is doing here, but if causing a trigger is it, she was successful in that regard. 

Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to this eARC for an honest review.

I really wish this was a Netflix, Max, or Hulu show. I really don’t care which streaming service, just give me this series now.

This was too quick of a read that has me wanting the next book. I enjoyed reading it because I’m interested in what happens with Diana, Oliver, and Jasper, as well as how Diana is going to come clean about her “side hustle.”

Parts of this felt rushed at times, especially that ending and there wasn’t really much to indicate how time was passing through the book .

I’m interested to see how the story develops in next book.

This is my third Ali Hazelwood and I didn’t hate it. It was very informative 😬 and entertaining. I really enjoyed the male narrator’s voice, which made the listening experience better for me. 

Back in November, @kennedyryan shared the dedication for Hendrix’s story. It reads: For the ones who have used your magic to lift, protect, and illuminate everybody else…rest is our new resistance. Rest & shine, my loves. Rest & shine.”

I knew from that alone, that Hendrix’s story was going to hit in a way that the others hadn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I found community with both Yasmen’s and Soledad’s stories, but before reading, I knew something about Hendrix’s would hit me to my core. 

Hendrix was a mirror to my own identity. 

Childfree by choice - ✅

Auntie to friend’s kids - ✅

Ambitious and driven - ✅

Hyper independent - ✅

A little thug, but a lot of sweetheart - ✅

110% giver - ✅

Loyal friend - ✅

Funny and a little crass - ✅

But here is the similarity that rocked me to my core. Hendrix’s mom’s name is Betty. Just as my sweet mother’s name. The same mother I lost unexpectedly in 2018. It was in the prologue of the book that I first saw mention of Hendrix’s mother and upon discovering, I immediately paused. I knew I would need to process the grief that still lingers and that would naturally rise when seeing my own mother’s name in print while reading of Hendrix’s struggles with taking care of an aging parent. 

For me, this book was way more than Maverick and Hendrix. Don’t get me wrong, I loved seeing Maverick love Hendrix out loud and boldly. It’s something that like Hendrix, I sometimes do not think will happen to me. But to its core, this book is also a love letter between mother and daughter. And while I did not have the privilege of watching my mom grow as old as Hendrix’s mom, I did have the opportunity to be reminded of the good times, the memories, the sweetness of her, the loudness of her laughter, the warmth of her soul, the essence of Betty. 

So, once again, I’m thanking Kennedy for writing books that not only tackle tough issues, but also for writing book that can speak to the core of one’s soul. In her books, I’ve learned not only the importance of romantic love, but also the platonic love for friends and colleagues, and most importantly, the love that you SHOULD give to yourself. 

I want to start out by saying that I acknowledge there are gaps in my understanding of what it is like being Nigerian, Nigerian and homosexual, Nigerian and religious, and Nigerian and transgender. 

If fiction is mirroring real life of those experiences to some extent, then this book paints a clear picture of the dark complexities making up the fabric of each of these characters in a treacherous and unforgiving world. 

I don’t think there is a positive ending for these characters and if anything, I finished this book feeling painfully empathetic at each of their choices and resolutions. 

You should read this book for Quan and Quan alone. 

No, but seriously. I didn’t know what to expect from this and naturally become skeptical when I see books labeled as the “Black Harry Potter” or “HBCU Hogwarts” — anything comparing them to Harry Potter. My preference is for books to stand on their own and not get caught in a comparison trap. 

I like the idea is this book. Young women on a quest to understand their identity and magical background. I even like the addition of Quan, a man trapped in a cat’s body. I found myself definitely laughing out loud at his dialogue, but also appreciating the insight to his perceptiveness about things/people around him. I found Asha to be annoying at times, but her background, along with Souxie, is the most interesting of them all.

The relationships between teachers and students are a bit questionable, but having read part of Zodiac Academy, I didn’t balk too much at it. 

Overall, I’m interesting to see how this murder mystery ends and how these characters develop. I mostly want to see Quan turn human and see how that might change group dynamics!