It has been so long since The Stardust Thief! I'm thrilled that Abdullah put a little summary recap in the beginning. It jogged my memory, and it is greatly appreciated! We pick up where we left off in book one.

My favorite thing about this series is the characters! Several characters come together and form a little found family—a heads up to those who love that trope. We delve much deeper into several of these characters, and many have a lot of growth. I loved the short stories throughout the book! They were short, but impactful.

Mazen was a character that probably grew the most since the first book. He comes into his own and makes some huge jumps in his character. I adored his relationship with everyone. He's unsure of himself but constantly leads with his heart. He has come a long way in this book. Qadir takes a step back in this book. He is one of my favorites, so that was a little disappointing. I get why it happened, but I was not happy about it! I did find myself struggling with Aisha's chapters for a while. I know she's struggling to find balance with herself and who she's carrying. I do love her snarky attitude when she's around the group. Some of her lines are pretty hilarious! I want to point out there is no romance in this book!! We get hints of something happening, but you are not getting a romance here. :)

A lot of the beginning and middle were slow-paced. We don't get much movement in the overall plot. There are a lot of new characters, some that I love, but it takes time. It's very character driven, and Abdullah is expanding our world. I loved getting to see more sides to this world she's created. It's not until about 60% that the plot takes off. Even though it's a slower-paced book, I still enjoyed my time with it. The ending was fantastic, and I did NOT see that coming!

Overall, this was a solid sequel with slower-moving parts. The characters had a lot of character growth. I enjoyed their overall arcs. The ending to this was insane and makes me want to read book three now! I did not see it coming, and I'm usually pretty good at figuring stuff like that out. If you enjoyed The Stardust Thief, I think you will enjoy this one too. I do hope we don't have to wait as long for book three!
 
Thank you, Orbit, for the arc!! All thoughts and opinions are my own

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

I first discovered Jessica Jones through the Marvel Netflix series, and she quickly became my favorite. So when I saw this book, I immediately requested it. Given the darker and more intense tone, I knew I had to wait until I was in the right mood to pick it up. I think it was a strong start to the Marvel Crime series! While I’ve recently read a thriller by Lisa Jewell, I'm not completely familiar with her usual style. I thought she did a great job with this one. It's not the best book I’ve ever read, but it was enjoyable.

Jessica Jones is kind of just floating through life, unsure of what to do next. But honestly, that fits her personality perfectly. She jumps from case to case, hiding from her past and trying to live in a sort of oblivion. In this book, she gets tangled up in a strange case that takes her abroad, where she uncovers some unsettling news. While juggling the case, her personal life, Luke Cage, and her bank account, she starts to piece together parts of her life. The mystery itself was a bit confusing at first and it took a lengthy path to the ending. But once it all came together, it made sense.

I’d seen someone mention that this book actually follows Jessica’s Marvel storyline, so I had to look it up. I was surprised to find that it does, and I found that really interesting. The character growth from the beginning of the book to the end was huge. I loved where she ended up and how she found a new lease on life. I know some people are skeptical about therapy, but I really appreciated how it was used in this book.

You never know how books like this will go, but I enjoyed it. I am a little biased since I do love Jessica's character so much. Regardless, I thought it was a good thriller with some interesting character development for Jessica. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series!

Thank you, Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

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

A Duke Never Tells was my first book by Enoch, and it was enjoyable. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought it was fun. Just an FYI, this is a smut-free book. If you can't live without it, this isn't for you. lol

I’m always a fan of a good romance where characters are hiding who they really are. This one had a unique twist: both characters were hiding their true identities. It was such a lovely dynamic because, despite society’s expectations, they got to know each other for who they really were. The way they played this game with each other was fascinating.

That said, with four characters swapping identities, it did get a bit confusing at times. There were moments when they’d switch back to their original names in secret, and it became hard to keep track of who was who. Honestly, that was one of the bigger negatives of the book, and it might’ve been a little too much.

The romances in this book are sweet and pure, with no smut, which is perfectly fine. After reading some of Enoch's reviews, I realize that’s pretty much her style. Honestly, I found myself enjoying the second romance more than the main one! It might be because the characters felt more mature, but it had a lot more going for it. While it was somewhat predictable, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

If you're looking for a fun romance set in the Regency era, this is a solid choice. The book touches on how problematic society and the ton can be, though it doesn’t really delve too deeply into that aspect. All in all, I had a great time reading it, and it was a nice break from heavier reads.

Thank you, Bramble, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

 

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

I was so glad to be back with Vera and the family she’s acquired. I adored the first book, and this was no exception. There are many hilarious moments, but this one took a more serious turn than the first book.

Vera has a way of bulldozing into everything. Some people don’t like that about her, but I think it comes out of a good place. She does it out of love and care, which is nice. Her commentary is hilarious and keeps the mystery entertaining.

We have several new supporting characters in this murder mystery. Social media makes an appearance, and it is comical! I like how Sutanto can bring the old in with the newer times. It makes Vera more well-rounded and relatable. I don’t want to give anything away, but the mystery is about a serious and dark topic. Just know that going in. It was good to have a change in tone because the topic itself is serious. Sutanto handled it so well. I love how she touches so many lives and brings them together. She’s almost a fixer for people and their problems. She’s blunt and honest, which helps in many situations.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Vera! I can’t wait for her next one. Vera is constantly adding to her found family, and I am here for it. You are in for a great time with this series! I highly recommend it!

Thank you, Berkley and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

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

Wow, the plot thickens! I adored the first book in the series, The Tainted Cup. A Drop of Corruption was highly anticipated, and it lived up to expectations.

Ana and Din are such a great duo, and how they work together is satisfying. Din is her eyes and goes to the man. He is the one that does a lot of the grunt work, but he’s also brilliant. He’s starting to come out of his shell more and put his skills to good use. I love their banter and how Din is still so unsure. We learn much more about both of them and see them grow. I loved discovering more about Ana, even if it’s just a glimpse. Her character is hilarious, and I love how she does not care what people think. I liked seeing that they did other cases and have moved around a bit over the years. It wasn’t just jumping from the previous book to this one. Ana is brilliant and always two steps ahead, but she does get stumped in this one. It made her seem a bit more normal and not so robotic, in a way. Her relationship with Din is so lovely. She can be brutally honest and pushy. I love how she let him figure things out on his own.

The women in this book are phenomenal! Robert Jackson Bennett did a fabulous job with all the women he wrote about in this book. I loved them all, even if they were morally grey at times. We got a new character that I adored in this book. I am trying so hard to stay spoiler-free, but it’s so hard with sequels. There were so many twists and turns that you read 20% of the book and don’t even realize it! I was stumped a few times! I am good at figuring things out. The brilliance reminds me a lot of Sherlock Holmes. I love a quirky and brilliant character. We delve much deeper into other parts of the Empire and Leviathans. There is so much room to make a decent series out of this if he chooses. PLEASE choose this option. I cannot wait to jump back into the next one.

I love this series, and it’s addicting. The writing and characters are brilliant. I highly recommend it. I don’t know what else to say except that you should pick these books up because they are amazing!

Thank you, Del Rey and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!