Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for the advance copy of this book.

While I do love both the Nutcracker and fantasy books, this one wasn't for me. I absolutely LOVE a dark take on a traditional topic, and also really like how this was organized into acts like a ballet. I don't think I'll be able to watch this ballet the same way again after reading this! Some of the ideas/topics were repeated too much (I think to drive the points home), none of the characters are likable, and overall I felt that it was too long. This one is for you if you're into sinister retellings and fantasy + mystery/thriller genres.

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books for the advance copy of this book!

This Vicious Grace was in my top fantasy reads of 2022, and I immediately preordered This Cursed Light. The magic system is so unique and you honestly just can’t beat the Italian setting!

This Cursed Light is a great end to this duology. There’s mystery and adventure, a carryover of our beloved characters and romance, but also new characters and a new setting that propel this story toward its end. The banter is SO good and I loved the second romance storyline that developed in this book SO MUCH.

Note that while this is YA, it’s closer to NA and may not be totally appropriate for the younger YA crowd!

4.5 ⭐️

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the ARC!

“It was a sobering thought. The Nile knew everything, has seen the best and worst of Egypt.”

I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid, so this book is RIGHT up my alley.

It’s such a fun adventure to follow Inez from Buenos Aires to Egypt, trying to unravel the mystery what happened to her recently-deceased parents. You’ll feel like you’re right alongside Inez on the journey experiencing danger, love, adventure, and magic as she sails down the Nile, navigates Cairo, and tries to uncover Cleopatra’s tomb. Inez is extremely headstrong and I loved her character, as well as Whit’s. Their playful back-and-forth was done so well!

The ENDING of this book, on the other hand, was infuriating because I DON’T HAVE BOOK TWO IN MY HANDS. That’s right, folks, this is not a standalone read, and there is a huge cliffhanger. I need more ASAP.

Thanks to Cindy Steel for the advance copy of this book!

I absolutely loved Cindy’s last book, Faking Christmas, and knew I’d HAVE to read The One with the Kiss Cam. It starts off with the best opening scene at an Utah Jazz basketball game when two strangers end up on the kiss cam together. They can’t deny their chemistry, but Nora’s moving to another state, so they part ways… until three years later.

This book is so FUN and so FUNNY. I love when I’m reading and have a smile plastered on my face. The banter was just so good, and this is absolutely a workplace romance done right. There’s also a lot of depth to the main characters, who each have toxic parents, but use their experiences to build each other up in amazing ways. With the side characters and ending also on point, you can’t go wrong with this read.

Read if you like:
- Smiling your way through a rom com
- Workplace romance
- Clean romance (no open door scenes)
- Witty banter and great chemistry
- Dr. Pepper