The Atlas of Us is a searingly beautiful and real story from Kristin Dwyer. Atlas is struggling after the death of her father. She ends up on a community service program where they rehabilitate wilderness trails in the Sierras. Before he got sick, Atlas’ father helped with the program and gave the area special meaning to Atlas. As she wrestles with her feelings of grief, Atlas bonds with her team and does intense physical labor. When Atlas develops a connection with a member of the team, does their relationship have a chance of continuing when the trail ends? 

I LOVE Atlas!! She has all the emotions and I felt them so deeply. Kristin Dwyer is so good at writing about grief and the many ways in which we experience it, including anger. I loved how Atlas is given the freedom to experience her grief however she needs to. Atlas and King are drawn together right away, sparking an intense and captivating connection. Even while doing community service in the wilderness (not necessarily the most romantic place!),  Dwyer creates intricate romantic moments that add tension and depth to their relationship. I loved the supporting characters, especially Books. Dwyer’s writing is hilarious and filled with witty banter. Everyone is on the trail for their own reasons and the team must learn to work together to start to heal. 

This book would be perfect for fans of the exploration of grief and deep emotions from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Kristin Dwyer's writing is delightfully nostalgic, melancholy, relatable, and heartwarming. She's an auto-buy author for me at this point, as I know she will sweep me up in her story and give me all the feels. I can’t wait to read what Kristin Dwyer writes next!

Thank you so much to Kristin Dwyer, HarperTeen, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.  

Never Met A Duke Like You is the latest installment in the Taming of the Dukes series. While they were best friends in childhood, Vesper and Aspen have become estranged in adulthood. One night, Lady Vesper gets caught in a rainstorm near Aspen’s estate. She seeks shelter and becomes reacquainted with the Duke of Greydon in a rather unconventional manner. They strike a deal- Vesper will help Aspen as he tries to hold onto his family fortunes. When Vesper and Aspen start to fall for each other, will they follow their passion or society’s rigid rules? 

Never Met A Duke Like You was a delightful romance! Amalie Howard uses some of my favorite tropes, including: forced proximity, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, and witty banter. I enjoyed book one in the series, but loved this sequel even more! Aspen and Vesper know exactly how to push each other’s buttons and their dynamic is hilarious. They have serious chemistry and Howard expertly draws out the tension between them. I definitely caught themes from Emma and enjoyed seeing Vesper as a matchmaker. 

Both Vesper and Aspen are involved in interesting endeavors- Vesper is very passionate about raising money for charity and Aspen is invested in preventing a grievous wrong from being committed again. I did not know about the Lunacy Acts and was extremely glad to see Aspen working to get an amendment passed to prevent them. Howard weaves in serious themes of mental health and privilege, while creating a captivating romance. 

Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, witty banter, and forced proximity will love this romance! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you so much to Amalie Howard, Forever, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.  

The Feast Makers is the incredible conclusion to The Scapegracers trilogy. Sideways and their coven are back!! As the Scapegracers prepare for high school to come to an end, an important witch trial looms. Madeline must pay for her crimes against other witches, including Sideways. But Sideways has plenty to keep themselves occupied, including college admissions and untangling complicated romantic feelings. The Feast Makers is a triumphant conclusion to this action-packed and creative trilogy. 

I devoured The Feast Makers!! This book is filled with queer found family, excellent LGBTQ+ rep, and queer romance. I loved who Sideways ends up with and how they connected. There is so much to love about this series- Clarke’s writing is witty, uplighting, and delightfully sarcastic. Above all, one of my favorite things is that the Scapegracers is a coven who will always be there for each other. The Scapegracers trilogy feels like a hug, a promise of found family, and the belief that magic happens in community. 

I love each of the characters so much and will miss them! (Especially Sideways, Jing, and Mr. Scratch!) I can’t wait to see what H.A. Clarke writes next. I would highly recommend The Scapegracers to anyone! Readers who seek queer found family, fantastic LGBTQ+ characters, and gritty magic that comes with a price will love this trilogy. 

Thank you so much to H.A. Clarke, Erewhon Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.  

Penny is a witch and member of the thorn coven, which means that on her birthday she will cross the veil between Life and Death. Thorn witches protect the veil between Life and Death and to do so they must burn. When Penny’s sister Ella does not return from a trip to the veil, Penny decides to burn without permission to discover what happened to her. In Penny’s journey, she meets a mysterious man who offers her a contract- he’ll free her sister if she returns to him every night and brings information on the Warden. The Warden is the evil and omnipotent man who rules the lives of the witches. Yet in the shadows, a rebellion lurks. Will Penny join the rebellion or forever bow to the Warden?   

Katharine J. Adams’ debut features witches with incredible powers, LGBTQ+ rep, and a compelling fantasy world. Penny is a lovable character who will do anything for her sisters, including go against her formidable grandmother. Tonight, I Burn is filled with intrigue and betrayal, making it very hard to put this book down. Penny is bi, which I enjoyed because I always want to see more bi rep especially in fantasy. Adams does an excellent job of pacing and it feels like the witches are always on the verge of getting caught. The world-building feels richly detailed and fantastical. I particularly liked the book sprites! 

Both Malin and Alice are mysterious and captivating characters who love Penny. I’m looking forward to seeing more of their relationships and learning more about them. However, the main thing I didn’t entirely love was the open relationship/poly rep. It felt like it came together very quickly without two people in the relationship even meeting each other. I think there is a lot of potential for it to be successful, especially if more communication occurs. I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. I liked the ending twist and am excited to read the next book in this series! 

I think readers who enjoyed Belladonna (Adalyn Grace) will love this book. Readers who seek stories about witches, rich world-building, and LGBTQ+ rep in fantasy should check out Tonight, I Burn. 

Thank you so much to Katharine J. Adams, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.