Hmm. The Duke and I. Where to start…

I, like a reported 62,999,999 other households around the world, binge-watched and fell in love with Bridgerton during the Christmas-New Year void. Everything about the television show ticked all my boxes, and I absolutely loved it. The first series is based on The Duke and I, which tells the story of Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter and fourth child out of the eight Bridgerton siblings in Regency England. Due to her over-protective older brothers she is struggling to find a suitable husband when she crosses paths with the rakish Duke of Hastings, her eldest brother’s best friend, who is determined not to marry. They decide to fake a courtship, and we can all imagine what happens next.

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When I started The Duke and I, I was instantly sucked in. The world was vivid and exciting, the dynamics between the characters were riveting and fascinating, and – at the start, at least – Daphne was a much more enjoyable character to read from than she is to watch from. I couldn’t put it down, staying up every night until I was nodding off over my Kindle and instantly opening it again the next day. Was it particularly well-written? No. Was I completely invested in Daphne and Simon’s romance? Absolutely.

And then…

Once they actually got married, just past halfway through the book, it took a sharp downturn for me. The best part about Daphne and Simon is their scheming, their marginally-forbidden romance, the way they trick the whole of London society into thinking they’re in love when we all know they actually are. Not only was it infinitely more dull to read about the two of them arguing in a castle in the middle of nowhere, with (unlike the show) no side-plots of sibling shenanigans, but it exposed the problems in their relationship that were never really addressed. They both lied and manipulated they other and yet, because they truly love each other, it all worked out?

I was actually quite relieved when it ended, grateful for no more contrived plot lines about toxic relationships, only to find a lengthy second epilogue which added absolutely nothing to the original story. I read it for completion’s sake, although I almost wish I hadn’t.

All of that being said and done, will I watch the next series of Bridgerton? Yes. Will I carry on reading the series? Yes. I enjoyed the world, I enjoyed the premise, and I’m sure that once I can move on from Daphne and Simon I will enjoy the series.

“I want to give you the kind of love that’ll make even the gods cry”

When No One Is Watching is a collection of poems by Linathi Makanda that tell a story of love, passion, loneliness, trauma, and empowerment. Lots of the reviews and promotions compare Makanda’s work to that of Rupi Kaur, and while their poetic styles are similar, there is something about this collection that drew me in, taking me on an emotional journey through every twist and turn.

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Unlike many poetry collections, there is an overarching narrative that connects the poems, telling an incredibly personal story that grabs you by the heartstrings. The book is divided into four sections: Love Rising, Love Lost, Internal Uprising, and Hope Rising. In Love Rising we are drawn in by a passion that is both uniquely personal and universal at the same time. In Love Lost we feel heartbreak, both our own and Makanda’s as we get a glimpse into the past. Internal Uprising opens our eyes to the trauma of sexual assault, and how it impacts every relationship – of every kind – that someone has in their life. Finally, in Hope Rising, we not only see the poet make an active choice to respect and prioritise herself, but she gives the reader a space to do so too.

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say I don’t think I’ve ever been so affected by a collection of poetry this much. Makanda has an incredible talent with words, crafting them with such care but also such apparent ease. Her voice was so assured while still conveying an intense vulnerability, yet she still found a way to give a voice to not only the reader but to generations of silenced women. However, it is the power of the individual that is at the centre of Makanda’s message, and more specifically, the power we have over our own lives and our own individuality.

Within a few pages I knew I was fully committed on this poetic journey, and by the final chapter I felt like I trusted the poet implicitly. There were times when I wanted to cry, and times when I wanted to punch the air with joy and pride. I immediately wanted to go out and buy a copy for every single person I know, to force them to sit down and read it so they could go on this reading experience with me. This is definitely a collection I will be returning to time and time again and I highly recommend you pick it up.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I AM NOT OKAY
I just
So many feelings
So much happened and it was all so perfect
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

I debated whether to give 4 or 5 stars, but at the end of the day all of my requirements for a fantastic book were achieved: I was hooked, I was invested, and I believed it.

There truly is an element of magic to Carrie’s writing that sweeps you up into the story, and by the end my heart was pounding. I got chills at the Big Reveal - the kind that make your heart go cold - and while the beginning was strong, it got stronger as it went on. I think it’s the strongest of all of her books so far, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Me at 12:30 a.m.: Ah, time to settle down, maybe read a chapter or two before I go to sleep...


Me at 2:30 a.m.: I NEED SLEEP SO BADLY BUT THIS WAS WORTH IT


It was original, surreal, and completely off-the-wall, but I was just absolutely hooked; which, if you ask me, is the mark of a good book.

The writing itself was good; stronger in some places in others, occasionally cringe-worthy, and the opening could have done with a lot of work, and that is why it has 4 rather than 5 stars, but that was the only thing that let it down at all and, as I said, it was good enough to keep me reading, which is all that really matters.

I wish this book had been twice as long as it was. It felt like Carrie knew each and every one of these characters inside-out, and it almost seemed a shame that we didn't get to know more about them (although obviously the book was about Evie. Sequel please? Pretty please?) I felt like every single character, even those that only appeared in one or two pages, had a whole story already written about them somewhere else, and I desperately want to read them all! The only character that felt a bit two-dimensional was Evie's mother, who is a straight-out-of-Disney horrible, but I especially want to know more (more, more, please please please more!) about Eddie and Clementine.

I won't go into more details about the individual parts of the plot, but (with the exception of the opening couple of chapters) I thought it was brilliant and original, if a bit surreal. I haven't read much magical realism and I'm still unsure about how I feel about the genre as a whole, but once I'd got myself into the mindset of the world that this story was set in I thoroughly enjoyed it.