Can I give a book 1,000,000 stars? Because if I could I would. This book absolutely blew me away and I did not want it to end. Kristi Strong used her knowledge and experience as a trauma-informed therapist to craft a beautiful and thought-provoking story about grief, healing, and learning how to experience life.

The "Balloon Days" Center is a unique treatment facility created by Dr. Heller. When patients come, they enter a room and are put in a lucid-dream-like state where they can relive memories, create healing visions, process experiences, rehearse an upcoming challenging event...

But as we see the three POV characters begin to experience their Balloon Days, you begin to wonder if something about the lucid dreams and this treatment center is just not quite right....

From the 1st page I was completely hooked to this psychological fiction novel. The author explored mental health and recovery concepts through such a fascinating premise. All of the characters were soooo beautifully flawed and well written. I wanted to hug them all and see them heal from the many wounds they faced. You could tell this book was written by someone who very much understands the complexity of being human.

I'll be raving about this book forever! Read it read it read it!!!

Last year I was lucky enough to win a copy of Monarch, Alexandra Vincent's debut poetry novel.

The art and poems blew me away, so I was really excited to learn that she had a new collection coming out!

I love how Alexandra captures vivid images and aesthetics through her poems. I have pictures in my mind that will stick with me like "waterfalls of honey," "embers dancing in the dark," and "maple woods catching the dreamer."

Sugar Too Sweet is broken into three parts: Golden Era, Mad Honey, and Bittersweet. In each part, Alexandra takes you through an emotional journey of grief, self-discovery, and acceptance. Just like in Monarch, the art on the pages beautifully adds to the story. I had to go back and read some of her prose a few times to let the images sink in.

Thank you so much to the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kerath is a fractured world terrorized dangerous creatures. Breaks in reality called fractures appear throughout the land, threatening to slowly consume the world.

Caet is a powerful and dangerous Mi'Cra who can seal these fractures with her abilities to manipulate energy. But Mi'Cras are being hunted by Bloodbearers. And three Bloodbearers have just shown up at Caet's door...

Things I loved:
⚡The slow-burn relationship between Caet and Wraith, an ancient Bloodbearer who holds secrets and regrets from his past. I didn't want the scenes between them to end! The tension was perfect!

⚡The three Bloodbearers were such fascinating characters - I got major "Originals" vibes from the Vampire Diaries. Loveee!

⚡Caet's relationship with her sister was heartfelt! I connected with Caet's protective instinct. Caet was a very loveable character and I was intrigued by the "half-truths" she kept trying to push down

⚡ The MAGIC. Ciar created such beautiful imagery of Caet's energy abilities, the reality fractures, and her "flower bud" energy source. I loved the battle scenes.

⚡ Topics related to grief, family conflict, and fears were handled really well.

This book was so easy to read and the world drew me in! I can't wait for the next one to see what else Ciar has in store.

WOW. What a beautiful and emotional book. This will stay in my mind and heart for a long time ❤️

Cinderella x Robin Hood??? YESS. This book was so well-written, fun, and absolutely satisfying. Seeing characters you love from two fairy tale classics get mashed together was amazing.

I initially thought Cinderella would MEET Robin Hood, but the best part was that Ella WAS Hood!!

Such a powerful memoir. Everyone should read Chanel's message.

Super helpful book with a lot of tangible ideas that I'm already putting into practice.

A fun and fast read! Imagine Harry Potter x Avatar the Last Airbender. I loved the friendships, the mystery, and the adventure. The author did a great job creating memorable characters even with a big cast! Lots of sweet, laughable moments and positive messages.

Some of the plot points in the first half felt similar to HP, but the story came into its own through the second half with an intriguing maze in the mansion and a missing box that holds the power of the five elements. There were a lot of fun, new inventions and world building details. It was so easy to just keep reading!

The author laid down so many interesting clues and mysteries related to Aliyah's family and the magic in the world. Well done, Lucy!

I couldn't put this book down! The Prince of Terrana is a romantasy that I absolutely devoured. The love was slow-burn, which is really the only kind of romance I enjoy - it has to feel EARNED!

All of these characters felt so real. It wasn't as though they were far away people in a fantasy world - their emotions, personalities, and struggles were very relatable and grounded in being human.

Relaina was a fantastically strong and bold female lead. While I sometimes have trouble connecting to male characters, Darren was such a sympathetic lead alongside Relaina. Even the side characters were memorable with their own stories! I could empathize with everyone's goals, grief, and growth.

Two of my favorite characters were Fabian and Jeremiah, and I was so excited to learn that there is a short story about their journey from 20 years ago. I wont spoil anything