There's a lot of simple and yummy looking recipes in this one. I tried out the Broccoli Cheese Soup and it was good but I think I messed up the cream sauce a bit. Going to try again. Regardless, I want to own this one to make a lot of the recipes! I love how there's a QR code you can scan too. There's a lot of beginner type recipes so if you are more advanced that you might not like this one.

Only downfall really was that there are no nutrition facts. I'm on a pretty strict diet at the moment so it takes a lot of time to try and figure that out on my own!

Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group and Netgalley for an e-arc to review! 

 

This is exactly how I feel. The Winners was one of my most anticipated reads this year. How could it not be? I love everything that Backman writes. I would read his grocery list. I’m sure with how wordy this book is, he would have some type of powerful message about carrots. I’m at a loss for words right now and it’s a familiar feeling with his work. I’m a bit bummed that this wasn’t five sparkling stars but it was close.

First, let’s get my biggest issue with this book out of the way. I was shocked to see this book is almost 700 pages! Especially, for the last book in a trilogy. Regardless, I went in with high hopes. It took me a while to get into this one. There are many new characters and stories that we get into it. There is a large part of the first half of this book that it’s about the new characters more than our original characters. I get it by the end but it could have been a bit shorter. Even though I struggled with the plot and pacing a bit his characters were SPOT ON.

Backman has a gift at creating some of the most amazing characters that will stay with you, pretty much forever. I was so happy to get more from Benji, Maya, Ana, Bobo, Amat, Peter, and Kira. I am forgetting so many more but you get the point. I have to take a special moment and talk about Ramona. She’s always been one of my favorite characters and it’s insane how vital she is to this town! It’s been two years since our last book and our characters are all over the place. A crazy storm comes in and things happen that have them all coming back. Benji has been one of my favorites from all the books and his character arc is just epic. I can’t say too much more but if you’ve read the first two books then you kind of guess where it goes.

This series is not light-hearted at all. He gets into some very dark subjects- rape, violence, drugs, alcohol, and some heavy family dynamics. In this one he tackles some troubled marriages on top of all that. With this whole series, there is a lot of politics involved, more than you might think. This has never been a story just about hockey but the darker sides of people. Backman explores the line between good becoming evil and evil becomes good. He does it in such a brilliant way too. One of my favorite things about Backman’s writing is the way he has such beautiful and heartbreaking ways to make such clever points. For example, I read this and my heart kind of broke a little bit…

Are you kidding me, Mr. Backman?! He has so many instances of these insights about all different types of situations. It’s what makes me feel this all the more. I don’t know what else to say about this book without giving any spoilers. I will say, it has been a pleasure to read this series and its one that I will recommend and remember forever! There’s so much pain in this book but also healing. There’s always hope. The bear of Beartown was perfection.

Overall, I loved this. It was a heartbreakingly perfect ending to this series. I really could go on and on but I can’t because I don’t do spoilers here! Even if it was a little too long and a bit too slow, I loved seeing more of these characters. If you enjoyed either of his first two books then I think you will this one too. Backman is a genius at telling the most thought provoking stories with fantastic characters. My sweater is full of tears but I have no regrets. Sir, I have loved you since Ove and I will never stop.

Many thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an e-arc to review. 

 

“Nothing comes for free, especially Magic.” This line hooked me when I saw this book come up on my radar. Elspeth has an ancient spirit trapped in her mind called – The Nightmare. I have to admit that I thought this would be a lot darker than it was. It’s not my typical read but I thought I would give this a chance. I’m so glad I did! It’s got its dark and gothic vibes but not too much. I enjoyed it very much.

Elspeth caught the infection when she was a younger girl. Instead of her dad turning her over, he hid her with her uncle and aunt. Yet, he doesn’t play a part in her life and her stepmother and sisters treat her awfully. I got some Cinderella vibes going on there. Not only does her family treat her differently, but so does everyone around her. She stays off the grid and doesn’t leave. She’s learned how to hide and become unseen. It’s so hard not to fall in love with her right away. You just want to hug her but she’s surprisingly strong! She knows how to take care of herself but she’s starting to lose control of the Nightmare. He’s helped her stay safe and hidden but magic comes at a price, what is hers?

Then we have the gang of characters who are the rebels. They all add so much to the story and it’s impossible not to love them. I got attached to so many of them but I wish we could learn a little more about their stories, especially Elm. I think it might be something that comes up in later books. Regardless, Gillig creates a fantasy world with a unique premise. I just wish that we had some more world-building. The whole concept of the providence cards took a bit for me to grasp but it was very cool. They all have their power but there’s always a cost. Learning about how the cards came about and what the cost is was fascinating but left me wanting more. I think that the relationship between The Nightmare and Elspeth is going to be a lot more intertwined than we believe. I can’t wait to find out.

The romance in this book is just perfect! I loved Ravyn from the very beginning! He’s got so much charm and charisma it’s hard not to. I really want to know more about his past! There is a tad bit of enemies-to-lovers going on. It’s not a lot but it’s there and I loved their banter. We also get a fake dating trope which is so much fun! The way he never doubts her and always protects her makes him all the more lovable. The smirking was all over the place and made it so swoon-worthy!!

Overall, this was a brilliant debut! I had no idea it was a debut until after reading it and Julie pointed it out. I buddy read this with her and we both loved it. If you go into this expecting some very dark and gothic vibes just be aware that it’s lacking there. It just barely dips into those vibes and probably why I enjoyed it so much. Regardless, there’s a lot to love here and I cannot wait for book two!!

Many thanks to Orbit for an ARC to review!! 

 

Eternal Rider is a book that focuses on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This was such an interesting idea that worked! I buddy read this with Julie and we both enjoyed reading this one.

This is the start of a series about the Four Horsemen- Ares (War), Limos (Famine), Thanatos (Death), and Reseph (Pestilence). This book is focused mostly on the romance between Ares and Cara. I have to say, I was so skeptical of how this was going to work as a romance! I think that Ione pulled it off. Cara and Ares are from different worlds but end up thrown together. Cara is struggling in her human world after some tragic events in her past. She’s got a touch of something when it comes to animals but she’s got some trauma associated with that. In this book, Pestilence is on the rampage and they are all trying to work together to keep him from breaking anyone else’s seal and starting the Apocalypse.

The world-building was extremely fascinating and so were many of the characters. I enjoyed what all the main horsemen brought to the table. I think that Ares and Cara had a lot of character growth throughout their journey together. Not to mention that this book is SPICY! There are a lot of spicy moments in this one. If you are into that then I think you will love this one. What I did enjoy was the fascinating plot going on too.

Now, I’m going to talk about some of the things that I didn’t love. First, I want to talk about how predictable this one was! Most romances are but this one was a bit too predictable and I was able to figure things out far in advance. There is a point in the book that can be a huge trigger warning: sexual assault. Julie and I both agreed that it was intense and went a bit too far. It pushed a boundary that I was not comfortable with. Lastly, there are many of characters in this one. Since it’s the first book in the series, it is always a learning curve with names. This book had so many that I had trouble keeping them straight sometimes.

Overall, I did like this and found it very fascinating. There are some sneak peeks into who is next and I was so into Limos’s story. I wanted to know so much more once I was teased about it! There are a lot of things to like about this book. Just go in knowing that there is a lot of spice and some triggering things. I am really excited about the next book in the series! 

 You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black

I didn’t know what to expect from Young’s first dip into the Adult world but I was really excited. I buddy read this with Julie from One Book More!

All August wants to do is go back to his home Island and bury his mother. He left everything behind fourteen years ago when he was blamed for Lily’s death. He and his mom left after the town blamed him without actual evidence. They uprooted their lives and he left behind the love of his life- Emery. Of course, when he gets back to town they start to riot. They don’t want to relive the memories and don’t want a killer around. He just wants to bury his mom, sell the house, and leave. Things never go as planned and the longer he stays, the more questions arise. With Emery’s help, they start to look into what else this town is hiding.

This book was fabulous! I couldn’t put it down and the mystery was just so well done. Young did an amazing job creating such an eerie atmosphere. If you love reading spooky and intense books during Halloween, you need this!! It’s the perfect book to capture that mood. I can’t stress how perfectly she does this! Everything was so vivid and clear, it felt like I was watching a movie.

One of my favorite things about Young is the way she can create such compelling characters. From the very beginning, I loved Emery. She’s had such a hard life but at the same time feels stuck. She stopped living after August left and she just can’t seem to move forward. The sparks these two have are off the charts! I loved the way they just couldn’t help but hang onto one another. They had such a tragic love story but I was pulling for them the whole way.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book. This island is scary and I don’t know that I ever want to visit one, ever! The way these characters would go to any length to protect their secrets kept me on the edge of my seat. I remember that Julie and I had several messages back and forth with a lot of exclamation points. It was intense but so good. The only gripe I have about this book is the ending. I don’t want to get into it because I don’t do spoilers here. I just had a lot of issues with it for more than one reason.

Overall, this was a great adult debut for Young. It was different than what I normally get from her YA but I was all for it. She did a fantastic job creating wonderful characters, a creepy atmosphere, and a story that will be hard to forget! If you love any of her work, I think you will love this one too.

Many thanks to Netgally and Delacorte Press for an e-ARC to review! 

 

I have always loved Sherlock and now Enola! I didn’t know much about her until the Netflix show. I’m so excited that season two will be coming out in November, by the way! I saw this on Netgalley and just had to request it! I’m so glad I did.

You get three different mysteries in this book. I didn’t realize this was volume two but now need to get my hands on volume one! If you enjoy the show, Sherlock, or just mysteries then I think you will love this one. Not only, did I love how she was able to capture the mysteries in graphic novel format but the Illustrations are amazing. These illustrations are so beautiful that I slowed way down to read this and really pay attention to the beauty.

There are many themes of feminism and freedom throughout all three of these mysteries. Enola is trying to find her mother at the beginning and ends up going through several different avenues. It brings her to all these cases and by the end, we get some clarity. The growth Enola’s brothers have isn’t the greatest but better at the end. I think they are finally starting to respect her and see that she’s capable. The different disguises that Enola can perfect are very entertaining as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this set of stories and highly recommend them to younger audiences! It’s a bit simplistic but I loved that about it. I’m telling you the illustrations are so gorgeous that it will be hard not to love this for that alone.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an e-ARC to review!

 

 What a lovely surprise this book was!! Immediately, I was immersed in this story and enjoyed the entire ride. You know the feeling you get when you start a book and think, “Oh, I’m going to love this??” It’s exactly what happened to me! This is told in dual timelines, which made me nervous. Fortunately, this one had me invested in both timelines, and I enjoyed them both! I have to admit, I did love Sara’s timeline a little bit more. Jewish match-making? Yes, let’s get into it!! I was so intrigued by it all when I was watching Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (great show)!

Speaking of Sara, she was such an amazing character. Sara’s timeline is in the past- 1910. She’s Abby’s grandmother and we get to learn about her path from a child. She’s got a gift to recognize soulmates and starts matchmaking. Her family is threatened by those that make matches for a living. She starts to do so in secret for years. We get to learn about those matches and her own life. It was such a beautiful story and I was quickly obsessed with Sara and her quick wit.

Many things in Sara’s past were heartbreaking. I was crying for a character I didn’t even know well. The writing in this book is just beautiful and captivating. It was really hard to put down. You keep turning the pages because you need to know what happens. You are rooting for Sara so hard from beginning to end.

Abby is the current timeline in 1994. She’s struggling after her grandmother has just passed away. We get to learn more about their bond with flashbacks of Abby’s past. She’s also had a tough life but she’s made a great life for herself, or so she thought. She starts to learn more about her grandmother’s past and starts to unravel her own life. Abby starts to realize that maybe the great life she’s living isn’t so great after all. She’s lonely and her boss is terrible. I loved her journey from the beginning to the end.

I loved seeing the flashbacks of Abby and Sara. They had such a beautiful relationship that will warm your heart. A grandmother dropping her life in Florida to come to be with her daughter and granddaughters, she’s a gem. I had a really close relationship with my grandpa, who also lived in Florida. It brought back a lot of sweet memories.

I did think some things tie up a little too pretty. It’s okay though because this is fiction and it’s what makes such an emotional story feel so good. There are heartbreaking and intense moments but this story left me with such a smile on my face. It was magical and light heartened in the end.

Overall, I loved this book! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an immersive story that won’t let you go. I am still thinking about it today! I had such a hard time writing this review because I don’t know if I can correctly express myself. I’m saying this- read this book!! It’s beautiful, full of love and light!

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-arc to review.