**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Note: This is the fourth book in a series that must be read in order.
If you are new to the Stranje House series, check out my review of book one, A School for Unusual Girls HERE, my review of book two,  HERE, and my review of book three HERE
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Harbor For the Nightingale is the fourth book in the Stranje House series by Kathleen Baldwin. The Stranje House series is my absolute favorite alternative history (with a fantasy element) series of all time. Stranje House is the school that our main characters attend, and it is basically a secret spy school for young ladies with impressive talents. Each of the books is told from one of the five Stranje House girls point of views. Book one was Georgie, book two is Tess,  book three is Jane, and book four is Maya's story. The series follows a single timeline and the events of the books take place one right after another, so the series must be read in order. But from each book we get to see the next set of events unfold from a different perspective. It is brilliantly done, and I am loving how all of the stories weave together. Kathleen Baldwin has become an auto-buy author for me.

Harbor For the Nightingale is Maya's story.  Without spoiling the details of the plot, because as I have said, this is a series that needs to be read in order- Maya's story felt a little different for me than the first three books. Maya has a very interesting inner conflict going on. She is both fierce, yet fragile, and that theme played it self out beautifully throughout the story. Kathleen really is a master storyteller. I love her writing style and character development. Maya learns of a conspiracy, and she has to enter Napoleon's ranks as a double agent! Maya's story was exhilarating, with plenty of action, twists, turns intrigue, and all the wit, charm and bits of romance that I have come to love from this series. Maya's loyalty throughout the story is one of the reasons why I love her so much. Plus, her "ability" is awesome! 

The Stranje House series is quickly turning into one of my favorites. I love that it blends different genres effortlessly. It is part historical fiction/alternate history, party magic, and part secret spy school. I have never read another book quite like it. I can't wait for Sera's story. It is one I have been looking forward to from the beginning. I love that none of the girls are standout stars. They are each so fascinating, and valuable in their own regard. A true sisterhood. I love watching them all work together. The ending of Harbor the the Nightingale left me breathless for more. I need the next book right now. 

Overall, Harbor For the Nightingale is a fantastic addition to the Stranje House series. This is a series for readers and lovers of all different genres. I think everyone should read this series. There will be something in between these pages that you will fall in love with, I'm more sure of it with each book that I read. I said it in my review of the last book, and I will say it again- I hope that this series is longer than five novels. It is one of my favorite series of all time. Kathleen Baldwin is a mastermind just like Lady Jane, and she has me eagerly waiting for more. Bring on Sera's story!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Baking me Crazy is the first book in the contemporary romance, Donner Bakery series by author Karla Sorensen. Not only did I really enjoy this book, but I am so completely in love with the idea behind the book's publisher- Smartypants Romance. Smartypants Romance is one of my favorite author's new publishing company, and the coolest part of this company is that they are doing something I have never seen done on this large of a scale before. As you know, Penny Reid is one of my favorite romance authors, and a lot of her stories feature characters in and around the town of Green Valley. (The Winston Brothers series) Smartypants romance is bring on several new authors to write their own series, all set in the Penny Reid universe! See the picture below for all of the series that will be coming out set in the Green Valley world. I love this idea so, so much. It is perfect for new fans and old fans because we get all new story lines and characters, but we get to see plenty of character crossover. I imagine that the smarty pants studios has a giant wall chart of Green Valley all laid out with all of the characters, and where they are located in the town. (I'm not sure if they actually have this or not, but wouldn't it be awesome if they did?) 

Baking Me Crazy takes place in Jennifer's bakery, so we get to see a few Cletus cameos, which you know I loved! I really enjoyed Baking Me Crazy. In this story we meet Joss, our heroine, and her best friend Levi. I fell so hard for Levi. Levi's family has an interesting curse placed upon the men. Each of the men in his family are cursed with falling in love at first sight with the woman they are meant to be with, and then never loving another woman for the rest of their life. Levi thought he had avoided the curse until the moment he laid eyes on Joss. Then he was a goner. He even asked her out, but she turned him down and friend zoned him. Our story takes place 5 years after their initial meeting. 

I loved Levi and Joss' friendship, and I loved their romance even more. I have no idea how Joss did not fall for him sooner. I would have been trying to woo him since day 2 of our friendship. I love how kind, patient, understanding and supportive Levi is. He always seemed to be going out of his was for Joss and trying to anticipate what she would need before she needed it. He gave me major heart eyes for sure. I can't wait to read more books from Karla. Her sweet romance really hit the spot for me. I am really hoping that Joy (Joss' co-worker) gets a story in the Donner Bakery series. I love how much of a romantic she is. Bring on more Smartypants Romance!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

Loved this re-read just as much as the first time! Now on to book 3

Rules of Engagement is a standalone contemporary romantic sports comedy by J.T. Geissinger. This book had so many elements that I enjoy. I love romantic comedies. I love sports romances when they are done well. And I love matchmaking stories. And this had all three in spades. Rules of Engagement is such a fun read and is great for when you are looking to take a break from a longer series or an intense read, and read a standalone that is a great romance that will put a smile on your face. I really enjoyed Rules of Engagement.

In Rules of Engagement we meet our main characters, Maddie and Mason. Maddie is a matchmaker and owner of her own company-Perfect Pairings matchmaking service, and Mason is a professional football player. When bad boy Mason’s agent decides he needs to clean up his image, and that finding him a wife is the perfect way to do it, he hires Maddie to play matchmaker. Maddie and Mason spark right away, and this is definitely a story of opposites attracting. Honestly, these two really are polar opposites. Mason is the epitome of a player and Maddie is…not. she is quiet, and infinitely more practical than Mason is. Some might even call her uptight. (Mason would at least) I love this trope because it normally leads to some great bantering, which I am always here for.

Rules of Engagement is a very fun read. The romantic comedy element in this novel is strong and had me laughing out loud several times, but the story of the two characters was also really sweet. Watching the two of them figure out what the other one added into their own lives was a really satisfying element of the romance. One that I always enjoy. If you are a fan of matchmaker tropes, opposites attract and watching true love strike down a “bad boy” then Rules of Engagement is going to be an irresistible book that you do not want to miss. This romantic comedy was just as funny as it was heartfelt. I really enjoyed it.

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

It has been so long since I have read a good magical fantasy book that reminded me of Harry Potter. But not a Harry Potter rip-off. That is key. I loved the magical school atmosphere and I loved that it was mixed in with the stories of king Arthur and Camelot. Henge is the start of what I am sure is going to be a very loved series. There is something for every fantasy and magic lover. Awesome magic, a fantastic plot line that is detailed and twisty as they come, and a dark and suspenseful characters and storyline that will have you guessing who the bad guy is and just what exactly is going on until the last page. I loved Henge. I am not ini love with the cover, but don't let that distract you from the gem of a story found within its' pages.

Morgan is one of my favorite female main characters that I have had the pleasure of meeting in a while. She is so perceptive. I loved how shrewd, but still kind she was. She knew when to be distrustful of people, even when she didn't want to be. You could tell that she longed for some real friends, but because of events in her life she has always been kind of isolated. She is so powerful, but I can't wait to learn more about her powers. Specifically, how her powers interact with her emotions. They seem to feed off of the more negative emotions and I want to learn why that is.

Merlin, Gwen and the whole secondary cast also captured my attention. I was bummed when one of them deceived me, but I soon learned to follow Morgan's instincts. She was almost always dead on, even when she didn't know why or didn't want to be. She got it wrong a few times, but overall she was so impressive in her ability to read people and pick up on subtle clues.

The elemental magic in Henge was great. I loved watching the water and fire users. I am still unsure of just what my feelings are on magic and camelot and Mordred but I look forward to finding out more about all three in the next book. The setup is all there for this to be an amazing series, and Henge was an epic first installment. If you liked Harry Potter and want another magical story that is not just a cheap imitation, but rather has a life of its' own, you need to check out Henge!

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

We Regret to Inform You is a young adult contemporary by Ariel Kaplan. I wanted this book to work for me so badly. I have an interesting history with this novel. I first picked it up when it was sent to me for review in 2018. I started it, really disliked the main character and put it down. Several times. I thought it would be a DNF for me. I just couldn't connect with the main character Misha. But then I fast forwarded to January 2020 when I was browsing goodreads for some books from my TBR that I wanted to add for my Tackle my TBR 2020 reading challenge, and somehow came across We Regret to Inform You. And I started seeing all of the awesome ratings from people that have pretty similar reading tastes to mine, and I was intrigued by this book all over again. So I decided that I would try to pick this one up again. I started it over from the beginning, and again I could not connect to the main character at the start. I just didn't find her to have very much substance, but then as I read on, a different problem presented itself.

The book took a different turn that I was expecting. It became a mystery, which on one hand made Misha a little more interesting, but on the other hand disappointed me immensely. Let me back up and explain what We Regret to Inform You is about. Misha is a model student. Excellent grades, killer extra curricular, wonderful prep school education. All in preparation for an ivy league college. But when Misha is rejected from all of the Ivey's she is super bummed. But then when she also gets rejected from her safety school, she is completed crushed. I thought the book was going to be about How to pick up the pieces when you are let down or when you don't succeed at something. Which in the world of college admissions, I think is super relevant and interesting. I was so there to see some awesome character growth from Misha. And to be completely honest, I could believe why she was rejected. Everything from the way she described her accolades to her inner monologues seemed flat, uninteresting and completely cookie cutter. There was nothing for a school to be able to distinguish her from the thousands of other Misha's applying.

And yes, I saw the line in the summary about her thinking her transcript could have been hacked, and her enlisting the techie group- The Ophelia Syndicate, but I honestly thought that was going to be a part of her character growth story ARC. Something to show that there is more to prepping for college than extra curricular "padding". So truthfully, I was kind of bummed with the turn the story took. The mystery plot was fun, and I really did enjoy The Ophelia Syndicate, but it wasn't what I was looking for in this novel. I did finish it the second time around, but I was left feeling pretty meh. I didn't end up connecting with, or liking Misha any more than I did with my first go around. I did enjoy the mystery plot; however, I felt like it was a big missed opportunity for the author to make a really great book about college rejection. So be forewarned, this is not that book. But it is a fun mystery. If you are interested in that, then you may enjoy We Regret to Inform you more than I did. And I hope you do. This was not the book for me, but that is ok. It might be just what you are looking for!

This book was FANTASTIC!

Full review to come. Until then, I will just say...I LOVE nubbie...I mean, Phoenix. ::sigh::

4.5/5
All the Stars and Teeth is the first book in the young adult fantasy series, called All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace. This is Adalyn Grace’s debut novel, and I really, really loved it! I am already excited for the next novel in the series. Fans of fantasy novels are going to want to add this book on to their TBR’s right now. I loved the strong main character, and I am always here for a rakishly handsome pirate. Not to mention a really fascinating world, and great writing. All the Stars and Teeth featured all of that, wrapped up in a story that sucked me in almost immediately and kept a rapt hold on my attention until the very end! I do not know how I am going to be able to wait until the second book.

In All The Stars and Teeth we meet our main character Amora, who is going to be become heir to her families kingdom,Visidia. In order to officially become the heir, Amora had to do a showcase of her soul magic. When it goes awry Amora is forced to flee, which is where our adventure really begins. All the Stars and Teeth is an epic tale where Amora has to try and save her kingdom. I loved Amora. She is fierce and determined, and she is exactly the kind of character I love reading about. She felt like a real friend of mine. And then there is Bastian, the mysterious pirate that Amora runs into. They strike a bargain, and in doing so they both completely wormed their way into my heart. I loved Bastian so, so much. He was the perfect amount of surly and swoony. I really loved the interactions of not only Amora with Bastian (oh the tension! and the Banter!) but I also loved Bastian with Ferrick, a stowaway on their ship. All of the characters stole my heart.

My favorite part of the story was the adventure that Amora sets out on, because the story really unfolded in surprising ways. I loved learning about the magic structure of the world. Most of the royals practice soul magic, but there are other kinds. And Amora learns about a new kind of magic out on her journey. There are six kinds of magic in the world (seven with the new magic that Amora finds on her journey.) Learning about each of the magic types, was so much fun. Some of the magic uses blood or bones…or maybe even…teeth? It was an interesting magic structure for sure.

Adalyn Grace does a fantastic job of make her characters, and their emotions jump off he page. I felt like I was right there beside everyone on the adventure with them. All the Stars and Teeth felt like an immersive reading experience for me. One that I thoroughly loved from start to finish. If you are a fan of fantasy that feature great characters, a great romance, and a great magic system with excellent world building, then you need to read All the Stars and Teeth. This is a book you do not want to miss.

This book wasn’t really for me. It was a quick read and I didn’t have any problems with the writing, but neither the characters nor the plot captured my interest at all. I was kind of bored.

Now, I should point out that I have not read the other books in this series, so I was not familiar with the characters but I went into this book because I was told I didn’t need to read the others to understand this novella. And I didn’t have any problems understanding the plot, it just didn’t capture my interest very much.

Fans of this series or author: what are your favorite books? What should I read next?