cozysabie's Reviews (183)

"Two things are bound into repetition, Gran had written, history and curses."

GENRE: RomCom with a dash of Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Would I recommend to others?: Yes, to those who would like a quick but lovely read that they can enjoy in between heavy books!

Review:
Do Your Worst is one of those books you pick up between two heavy books and you get a breather. I honestly quite enjoyed it & while a 3 star may be low to others, that is a book I did enjoy but was not life altering. Sometimes I find myself reaching for a book that I know it would be a three star but it is a comfort read.

I loved how Do Your Worst was a light read but still addressed some deep themes about self discovery and learning how to accept ourselves, even in the midst of a family that makes you feel like the black sheep.

If you've read my previous reviews, you would know that due to losing my grandmother in 2023, any book that mentions a loss related to this always hits so close to home for me. I loved hearing about Riley and her relationship with her grandmother when she was younger and when she says this quote, I relate to it on a whole other level as even though I am older than Riley was when she lost her grandmother, dont we all have questions we wish to ask our loved ones that are no longer around, whether it be for another recipe or about their lives?

“I still wish almost every day that I could ask her a question, get her advice.”

Again, this book was an excellent light breather between heavy books. The story of Riley and Clark developed in a lovely pace and I didnt feel as if the romance was rushed. It also felt like it could happen in real life but had so many coincidence which were a reference to the curse that was going on.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Arc copy for my honest opinion.

"A Single Twin could be a very dangerous thing."

"Was anyone ever content with the choices they made in youth? Perhaps not, or perhaps it had nothing to do with age. Perhaps we were all fools until life taught us better, showed us what had been before our eyes all along."

"I had warned her, but what did warnings matter if the listener was deaf to caution?

Firstly, thank you to Batnam Books for a copy of the physical Arc in exchange of my honest opinion.

This book came at the perfect timing for me as I've fallen into a hole of obsessively reading Fairy Tale Retellings and this one is based on The Nutcracker. While I've never been too into The Nutcracker fairy tale story, this book definitely did it justice in my opinion. There's a lot of mixed reviews on it and I definitely can see that its not for everyone BUT I would give it a chance if I was you!

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: Physical Arc
Would I recommend to others?: Yes, but it isnt for everyone! Read it if you love fairy Tale Retelling that are Christmas Focused!

I got this book with a letter from the author, which states that she grew up around The Nutcracker but as she got older, started seeing the injustice in it. This book is based on twin sisters: Natasha and Clara, who are destined to be dark & light, respectfully. As they grow up, their destiny given to them by their magical godfather, Drosselmeyer, shapes their whole lives.

The book is divided into Acts, with a title just as it would be in a play and I loved that! Each divison comes with a quote that just feels so Fairy Tale & Christmas themed, lining up with the book's purpose.

Everything changes in a plot twist, when Drosselmeyer re-appears and gives Natasha & Clara a gift, a Nutcracker. Obviously, this is no normal nutcracker and the decisions Clara & Natasha make in this moment change their lives for years to come. With the nutcracker gift, they are transported to a land of Snow & Sugar, where they meet The Sugar Plum Fairy, who grants Natasha a "gift".

To me personally, I liked watching Natasha be the "dark" aspect as she is bestowed with a knowledge her sister isnt but due to life's hardships, she is unable to appreciate this until later on, when she is forced to give the "dark" aspect of her life up. Here is a quote that describes Natasha in a perfect way:

"I could look into a man's heart and know his most terrible secrets. I saw the hidden contempt of husband for wife and wife for husband; the fear of the merchant whose business was collapsing; a mother's jealousy of her daughter's youth. They did not trust me, our friends and neighbors, for they knew I knew them, and people dont wish to be known. They need their secrets, just as they need their illusions"

And Clara, who is the light, definitely lacked a lot of things and the middle of the plot will show some character development in which she grows and matures (this isnt focused on a lot, as the primary focus of the story is Natasha).

And finally, I think The Kingdom of Sweets subtly addresses alot of issues that pop up in the book, such as what women are forced to do, lack of understanding consequences as humans and so on! Here are quotes to show that:

"Of course no one had forced her to marry Father ... but in another, truer sense, we were all forced to it. What else was there for women, for any of us?"

"Perhaps, long before, he had even made such a deal himself, not wholly understanding what it might mean, because of course we couldn't; we were human, unable to see the entirety of consequence."

"Clara had not encountered such problems before, did not know how to meet them and so I began to see that what Drosselmeyer called Dark was actually a source of great strength."

"Perhaps I had been foolish to look for light in a shadow. That was the downside to wishes. They dared you to hope for the impossible, but hurts you deeply if not fulfilled in the desired way. It was in that way I could see how wishes could quickly turn into curses."

"And now it is our turn, We have reaped what so many others have sewn."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Would I recommend to others?: YES!

Review:
This book was wonderful! To start off, it is based on the folklore of the Romanov family, which is actually one of my favourite type of folklore and includes some of my favourite books! To start off, Marissa captivates us with a moment that happened in the past & set the mood for the story. Then, we get introduced to each sibling in the royal family and get to know them and love them throughout the story.

Then, Marissa begins to introduce the magical aspect of the story and this part is amazing as you get to love all the affinities and learn more about the world building. What stands out in this book is that the world building is spaced out and does not feel overwhelming at all! This is true to the plot, character building and magical affinities.

The book is so wholesome in that it has folklore lyrics and here is a part that is just written so beautifully:

"Dance with me, dance with me,
Amidst the tumbling flakes,
The winters are a melody.
It called me to the mountains,
I ran far away."

One of my favourite thing about this book is that Marissa took the time to not only add a map, but also a list of all the realms, the name of the characters and a few drawings of the characters. I loved this book and it was so wholesome BUT still filled with so many twists that you dont see coming!

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy! It has a bit of cozy fantasy in it, found family vibes (& actual family as well!) and a smudge of romance that is delivered in the right time and pace (slow burning for sure!)

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

"Something in the quiet was almost more unsettling, and the feeling of squandering the allotted elongated time before the other shoe inevitably dropped with my ineptitude was eating me alive."

"I cried the tears of heartbreak overflowing into the frost, and wondered if I'd ever be whole again. I hated every drop of emotion surging through me, and even more so, I hated the irrepressible need for releasing it despite my head commanding me to keep it all contained and properly managed."

Thank you to Marissa for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

"But ... you know there could be more for you, don't you? A little blood, a little pain, and you could be free from this place. Haven't you ever wondered what's beyond those mountains? Dont you want to know?"

"Love is a gift. There is no weakness in relying on someone, when they are the right someone. Indeed, there is only strength" - Mira

GENRE: Fantasy Fairy Tale Retelling
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: Illumicrate Special Edition
Would I recommend to others?: YES! Everyone needs to read this beautiful Fairy Tale Retelling

Review:
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved it so much, it put me in the mood to read mainly Fairy Tale Retellings! This book is a retelling on the Hansel and Gretel story, retold in a dark cottagecore fairy tale way. That's the best way I can explain this beautiful book.

Woods start off by introducing the characters and the setting, which is set in Lindenfeld, The Black Forest in April 1650. The setting of the book is perfect, set in the Germanic area during the war and the forest and villages are described so vividly, I felt like I was living with them.

Not only is this book lovely, there is a second mini story going on under each chapter title and then the connection is built and the stories are brought together (the main story & the mini story).

I loved Greta and how she is a responsible daughter, who is keeping her small family together and trying to work out the world around her, who seems to judge her in ways that doesnt allow her to build a life and be part of the community:

"The past hung about Greta like a ragged dress, stained with smoke and witchcraft, threaded with bones and shadows."

The introduction of magic in this book was subtle and built up in a proper way. You get to see what is Green Magic versus Tattermagic and how they differ and watch as Greta navigates her way through learning about Magic, understanding the good and the bad in it and applying it to her own life. NOT ONLY is there magic in this book, but there is a magical witchy book that .... TALKSS! Look at what it says:

"...Old enough to know that Womenfolk have little enough power of their own. That is why they must have their charms and their tricks. Their books and their ink and blood. Their eyes, their smiles, their hips; their lace and silk, their ribbons and thread. These are your weapons, dearie. You must use them as best as you can."

This book, like all fairy tale retellings, deals with women and their place in society and Woods portrays it in a beautiful way! Look at this:

"First-born son always follows the father, and all the rest of it. But what of the mothers? No one says a word about them. I figure I'm my mother's son, too. She was born in a valley like this one. Her father worked the same fields. Her mother, too, and their parents before them." - Christoph

This was a tough read for me to be honest! I usually read YA and enjoy them but this book took me about 60-70% to really get into it and even then, there were a lot of things that truly annoyed me!

My favourite parts were the plot, the actual story line and the twists that came with it! This was done well in my opinion and even when I had just read the synopsis, I was super excited to read this book as it has three POVs (I'm a fan of multiple POVs) and their lives are intertwined. The premises of the story was done excellently and for that, I gave this book 3 stars.

Now, to go on to the parts I didnt enjoy: the dialogue!! It felt like they were a lot younger than their actual age that was mentioned in the book, especially Hannah's dialogue and her hating on Sabina every chance she can get. I still dont understand the reason behind that hate other than Sabrina's social standing but there was no growth behind this (as in, Hannah and Sabina's relationship never fully changed or starting making more sense throughout the book).

I was very close to DNFing the book but pushed through it because, as I mentioned above, I really liked the plot and the actual story. I will most likely be giving book two a chance as well, but I truly hope that the dialogue improves by then.

Thank you to R&R for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.