Hotel of Secrets is the charming and lovely story of Maria, successful hotel owner in Vienna. Or she would be, if her hotel wasn’t trying to recover from eight years of mismanagement from her mother. When Maria is given the chance to host a ball that could change the fortunes of the hotel for good, she vows for it to succeed by any means necessary. Even if that means avoiding sabotage, reconfiguring her entire budget, and getting to know the very handsome American spy. Eli is suspicious of Maria from the beginning, but soon finds himself captivated by the incredible feats Maria manages with ease. After several near death experiences, it becomes clear Maria is being targeted. Eli and Maria must work together to pull off the ball and discover who is attempting to take Maria and her hotel off the playing board. 

I loved this book!! I felt completely transported to Vienna and its glittering, entangled society. Maria and her family are characters who it would be difficult not to root for and feel connected to. I particularly loved the relationship between Maria and her grandmother, both of whom would do anything for each other. Eli and Maria had amazing chemistry and I loved the role reversal of power that took place with Maria being more experienced. Maria and Eli go on excellent adventures, with a strong supporting cast of characters who create an ironclad sense of found family. Maria and her chef/best friend Hannah have an enjoyable dynamic similar to Lorelai/Sookie (Gilmore Girls). There is never a dull moment with multiple spies frequenting the hotel to outright sabotage and assasination attempts (plus family drama!). However, the joy and romance remained a steady constant throughout. 

Diana Biller’s writing is incredibly witty, with many quotable lines. There is unquestionable queer representation, and I loved how accepted it was although I’m curious whether this would have truly been the case during the time. Regardless, it was well done and I loved it! Maria is such a strong heroine who is determined not to let her hotel and legacy crumble and instead claws her way back from ruin with the help of her family and chosen family. I was impressed with how creative she was when she brainstormed solutions to keep the hotel afloat. Hotel of Secrets is a world that I was sad to leave and hope to return to!

Hotel of Secrets would be perfect for readers who enjoy historical romance with a touch of danger, readers who enjoy Eva Ibbotson (The Reluctant Heiress), and determined heroines who refuse to let assisination attempts imperil their dreams. 

Thank you so much to Diana Biller, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Hel’s Eight returns to Ten Low, an ex-army medic with dark secrets that won’t stop stalking her. Ten Low must reunite with the crew from book one when she realizes that the forces that impact her life are not done with her yet. Ten will need to rally her allies, gather medical supplies, and try to control her fate in a world that is determined to take her choices from her.

Hel’s Eight is a high-action and dystopian adventure. There is never a dull moment! The supporting cast really helped raise the stakes and define who Ten Low is, a character with a very mysterious past. Ten is intent on making amends for her past mistakes, which was very compelling to watch. I was really interested to learn about the mysterious and often malevolent forces that pressure Ten to make unimaginably hard choices. I’m curious to see this revealed even more in the next book!

Hel’s Eight would be perfect for readers who enjoy Stina Leicht (Persephone Station) and Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth). Fans of Mad Max: Fury Road would also love this book!

Thank you to Stark Holborn, Titan Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to Win a Breakup is the excellent story of Samaya- a talented gamer who just got dumped by her boyfriend, the school’s golden boy. Suddenly, the school is questioning Samaya’s math skills and ability to game. It’s unbearable- so Samaya leaks a picture of her with her online friend. It should be harmless- until she meets them in real life while getting her community service hours. However, some of what her online friend has said doesn’t match with Daniel in real life. Samaya must uncover who she was cat-fished by and why. Luckily, Daniel agrees to be her fake boyfriend to help with the cruel gossip. Samaya is horrified when she starts to develop feelings for the funny and sweet Daniel, which is strictly against their fake-dating rules. Samaya must choose if she will go against the parameters Daniel set for them and decide how much she cares about what her friends think…

Farah Heron is becoming one of my auto-buy authors!! I love how immersive and warm her writing is. Samaya and Daniel both feel so realistic and the type of people you’d want to be friends with. Heron’s writing is witty, while not shying away from important real-world issues such as discrimination, homelessness, and mental health. I loved how the fictional game felt so real! I became so invested in Samaya finding her way and deciding what/who was truly important to her. Samaya’s best friend Cass is another one of my favorite characters! I really enjoyed how they were so supportive of Samaya and also knew when to give her tough love. 

How to Win a Breakup has fake dating, gender role reversals, and excellent representation. This book would be perfect for fans of Emma Lord, Talia Hibbert, and Tashie Bhuiyan. I would highly recommend it to anyone and I can’t wait to read what Farah Heron writes next!! 
 
Thank you to Farah Heron, Skyscape, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
 

The Witch and The Vampire is a stunningly sapphic Rapunzel retelling- if vampires also made an appearance in the original story. Fortunately, this retelling is as compelling as the original! Rapunzel is one of my favorites and I was very excited to see the queer rep. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover.  Kaye and Ava were friends and witches together- before Ava’s mother sent her to study in the country. Except Ava’s mother has been keeping secrets and Ava never left the town. When Kaye realizes Ava and her mother are secretly vampires, Kaye and Ava must work together to survive a ravenous forest. 

Ava and Kaye once had a friendship, which was broken when Ava disappeared. I love how Kaye never forgot about her and spent time looking for her. Ava has endured unimaginable experiments while trapped in the tower and is desperate to escape her evil stepfather and morally-gray mother. It was great to watch Ava and Kaye reconnect and try to get past the differences that divide them. Ava's magic was so interesting and I loved how she was able to harness it even as a vampire. 

Kaye is very intent on doing the “right thing” and soon realizes that Ava is trying to be one of the good vampires (not killing humans). Ava is extremely powerful once she escapes and dedicates her talent to finding out why the forest has become ill and starving. I would have liked a little more background about the relationship between Ava and Kaye, or maybe some more time for them to rediscover the relationship. Still, I loved the progression from friends to enemies to romance. 

I would recommend this for readers who love sapphic fairytales, atmospheric writing, and classic fairytale themes. Readers who are fans of Heather Walter (Malice), Adrienne Tooley (Sweet & Bitter Magic), and Alicia Jasinska (The Midnight Girls) would enjoy The Witch and The Vampire. 
 
Thank you to Francesca Flores, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.