Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: “What Happens After Midnight” tore me apart and then put me right back together again! 

 

I was invested in Lily and Tag at the very outset and held on to hope that they would be able to mend their relationship by the novel’s end. Walther’s newest release is written solely from Lily Hopper’s point-of-view as she embarks on one last adventure with the senior class jester, who just so happens to be her ex-boyfriend Tag, in stealing the class yearbooks. As one of the jester’s fools, Lily works with Tag to leave clues hinting at the yearbooks' whereabouts around campus for the senior class president to find. Visiting certain locations on campus trigger memories about her past relationship with Tag, shedding light on the whirlwind romance they once had and what led to their eventual split. Lily vows that once the night is over, she will put her past with Tag behind her. The more time she spends with him, however, the harder she falls for him all over again. Little does she know that Tag orchestrated the whole night in an attempt to win her back. 

 

Walther creates an immersive experience by ensuring that her fictional boarding school is representative of real schools by creating diverse characters that are a part of the student population, which I greatly admired. Walther spreads awareness about diabetes through Tag, who has a type 1 diagnosis, and gives her readers opportunities to see themselves in her characters and their different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. 

 

Like her debut novel, “What Happens After Midnight” is formatted in a unique way. Each section of the book is separated by the different clues Tag and Lily hide as part of their senior prank. Walther also sprinkles in Taylor Swift references throughout the book, further drawing me in and contributing to its playful atmosphere. 

Review: “Fourth Wing” is a romantic, high stakes fantasy novel that will quickly have your heart in its clutches. 

 

Though I had trouble picturing aspects of the world Yarros built, I really enjoyed its complexities. The idea of students of Basgiath War College being divided into four quadrants—Riders, Healers, Scribes, and Infantry—to complete their three year studies is very reminiscent of my favorite books from days of old like “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games.” Violet Sorrengail, the main protagonist, having ties to both the Scribe’s Quadrant, the quadrant her father joined, and the Riders’ Quadrant, the quadrant her mother forced her to join, allows the reader to become familiar with both areas of study and understand just how different they are. 

 

Being a rider, Violet has the opportunity to bond to a dragon—the defenders of Navarre. Yarros introduces many species of dragons living within proximity to Basgiath War College, which was exciting to read about and shares similarities with Cressida Cowell’s “How to Train Your Dragon” series and subsequent film adaptations. I appreciated Yarros taking the time to help the reader distinguish between each dragon and the abilities they are associated with by color and tail shape. 

 

I also thought that Yarros’ magic system was wonderfully crafted. Once a rider has bonded to a dragon, they are able to channel their dragon’s power to generate magic of their own. No two magical abilities are alike, so it was fun to see how Violet’s abilities manifested. 

 

Perhaps my favorite part of “Fourth Wing” is its strong female lead—Violet Sorrengail. Yarros draws from her own personal experiences as a woman with EDS and POTS to inform Violet’s rare disease, which leaves her bones brittle and her ligaments frail. I really appreciate Yarros for providing such great chronic illness representation and emphasizing that just because Violet’s body is built differently than others, that does not mean she does not deserve to be whomever she wants to be. 

 

Xaden Riorson, the most powerful wingleader in the Riders’ Quadrant recognizes this and becomes Violet’s biggest supporter, but not without setting aside his initial hatred for her. I really enjoyed following Xaden and Violet’s relationship development. When the two first meet, they view each other as enemies because of the history between their parents. Then circumstances change when their lives become irrevocably linked. Now forced to keep each other alive with war brewing on the horizon, romantic feelings begin to take root. While the pacing of their relationship moved a little too fast for my liking during the second half of the book, it was impossible not to form my own attachment to them. 

Review: Where have superhero romance novels been all my life?!? 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this new genre of writing that Zapata explored in ”When Gracie Met the Grump.” It was really easy to become fully immersed in the fictional world she created because it is modeled after our own with the only difference being the presence of superheroes. As a huge Marvel and DC Comics fan, I was immediately intrigued by the Trinity, the Zapata equivalent of the Avengers and the Justice League. Gracie’s interactions with The Defender after he crash lands in her yard slowly reveal bits and pieces surrounding the Trinity’s relation to mankind and each other, their unique abilities, and the thinking behind who they choose to save. Zapata’s choice to withhold information until the very last moment maintained a sense of mystery that kept me engaged to the very last page. 

 

Aside from the superheroes, another aspect I loved about the book was the relationship development between Gracie and The Defender. The two start out as strangers and quickly become “temporary friends” when they are kidnapped by the cartel. With The Defender out of commission, Gracie prioritizes his needs over her own to nurture him back to health and increase their chances of escape. Gracie’s willingness to care for him despite her precarious situation is what ultimately convinces The Defender to let down his walls and let her be “best friend number 20” (in actuality, she holds the number 1 spot). 

 

While he still gives Gracie a hard time on occasion with his grouchiness, The Defender proves to be a big softie by the novel’s end. I love how protective he is of Gracie, how he goes above and beyond to ensure she feels safe, and how he finds ways to make her dreams come true after living such a sheltered life. Most of all I love how Zapata took her time establishing the intricacies and depth of their friendship before gradually delving into their romantic relationship. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review: Adams proves that guys with tattoos named Will make the best heroes!

“Practice Makes Perfect” alternates between Annie Walker and Will Griffin’s points-of-view. At first glance, Annie is a kind and sweet woman who lives a happy and quiet life in the close knit town of Rome, Kentucky where she opened the flower shop her mother had always dreamed. Deep down, however, Adams reveals that Annie’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems. She feels as though something is missing and with the help of her future sister-in-law’s bodyguard and dating tutor Will Griffin, she learns that it is not a perfect someone, but actually her sense of self. 

Through her actions and mannerisms, the reader discovers that ever since the death of her parents, Annie has been willing to prioritize the needs of her siblings over herself. As a result, she feels pressure to maintain the goody two-shoes, angelic persona thrust upon her, adding depth to her character. 

Luckily, Will gives Annie the space to be her unapologetic self on their practice dates. What starts out as an arrangement to help Annie alleviate her social anxiety while she is looking for her dream guy quickly turns into something real and mutually beneficial.

Like Annie, Will put his needs in the backseat to provide his brother with stability growing up in a household that was anything but stable. He initially swears off love and shies away from establishing connections, romantic or otherwise, with people, but Annie manages to break through his walls. She is the first to fully know him like he is the first to fully know her. 

I loved watching Will and Annie come that realization and slowly give into their feelings. Their development from strangers to friends to lovers is beautifully written and enjoyable to read!

Thanks too Forever Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Julie Soto’s debut novel is guaranteed to give you all the feels.

“Forget Me Not” is a second chance romance starring Ama Torres, a wedding planner, and Elliot Bloom, a grumpy florist. When Ama is hired to plan the largest wedding of her career, she quickly discovers that it won’t be all sunshine and roses. Elliot Bloom, her ex, has been contracted as the wedding floral designer and there is no working around him. Left with no choice but to put their complicated pasts behind them, the pair attempt to plan the perfect wedding. With love in the air, however, it’s hard for both Ama and Elliot to deny the chemistry between them.  

From the very beginning I was rooting for Ama and Elliot to rekindle their romance and live out their happily ever after! Their alternating viewpoints allow the reader to piece together how they first met, the moment their workplace relationship turned into something more, and what ultimately led to their separation. Despite the rift between them, Soto makes it clear that the two still feel deeply for one another no matter how hard they try to limit their interactions during  the planning of the wedding. I appreciated how Soto naturally intensified these feelings over the months they spent in proximity to each other. Though I was an emotional wreck while they slowly learned to love each other again, it was worth it just to read the epilogue! 

Aside from Ama and Elliot’s romance, I enjoyed exploring Ama’s complex feelings about marriage. Soto adds depth to her character by slowly revealing that Ama, a wedding planer, believes that love does not last. Through Ama’s point-of-view, the reader traces this belief back to her mother, who has been married sixteen different times and views love the same way. This detail adds intrigue and gives much needed insight into the thought behind Ama’s every decision. I appreciate Soto taking her time with Ama’s character development as she changes her perceptions of love. Even more so I appreciate Elliot for telling Ama that she did not need to change everything about herself just to be with him.

I cannot wait to read Soto’s next book in 2024!

Review: “Of Light and Shadow” is an epic Indian fantasy romance! 

 

Bhathena draws inspiration for her novel from Indian bandits throughout history—specifically from the famous female bandit Phoolan Devi. As someone who was not familiar with Phoolan’s historical impact before reading the book, I enjoyed learning about her through Bhathena’s fictional protagonist Roshan Chaya. Roshan closely resembles Phoolan in that she, too, was wanted for robbery and kidnapping after capturing Prince Navin during a raid. Despite her crimes, Roshan is beloved by Jwalian villagers—just like Phoolan was greatly admired by the people of India— because she does what she can to fight for their rights. 

 

Bhathena successfully weaves magic into her narrative to add intrigue. In the world of “Of Light and Shadow” there is life magic, death magic, and soul magic. The reader learns more about life magic and death magic through Roshan’s perspective. As a life magus, Roshan uses her energy to heal rather than harm. Though she saves many lives, the papers villainize her for being an outlaw. I for one found her character to be very admirable. She is a strong warrior who only wants the best for her clan. She does not shy away from a fight and knows how to hold her own, which is refreshing to see in a female protagonist. 

 

Prince Navin’s perspective offers readers insight on soul magic and palace life. In addition to using his voice to manipulate emotions, Navin’s soul magic allow him to see the aura of those who are bonded to him. But his powerful magic does not come without cost. As a soul magus, Navin is subject to painful mouth blisters when he overexerts himself. Up until he was held hostage by the Shadow Clan, palace hakims, healers, were at his beck and call whenever he used copious amounts of magic to avoid his responsibilities as the spare prince. 

 

At the beginning of the novel, the pair consider each other enemies. However, the longer Navin spends time with his captives while they wait for the queen to meet the clan’s demands, the more he begins to realize that his people are suffering under his grandmother’s rule. I loved watching Roshan and Navin butt heads while they worked together to enact change and struggle to deny their romantic connection before ultimately acknowledging their feelings.

Review: Mahurin’s debut novel took me out of a reading slump and reminded me what it feels like to simply read for fun! 

One of my favorite aspects of “Serpent & Dove” is the relationship development between Lou and Reid. At the beginning of the novel, the pair truly despised each other, Lou hating Reid for being a Chasseur (witch hunter) and Reid hating Lou for leaving him with no choice but to marry her or risk his reputation being tarnished. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives because the alternating chapters allowed me to see how their forced proximity resulted in undeniable attraction. Lou and Reid ultimately learn to put their differences aside, proving that love conquers all. 

Mahurin’s world-building in “Serpent & Dove” further captured my interest. In an interview, Mahurin shared that the inspiration for “Serpent & Dove” was an episode of the television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander.” As a fan of the show, I definitely drew parallels between it and “Serpent & Dove.” Though Claire, the protagonist from Outlander, was called “La Dame Blanche,” she did not actually possess any supernatural abilities. Mahurin does, however, create a fictional world where the reader is invited to imagine a world where Dames Blanches are real witches. Lou, a Dame Blanche herself, channels her magic through the land by manipulating patterns of magical golden cords. Her friend Coco, a Dame Rouge, gets her magic from blood. I appreciated how Mahurin made the two different types of witches distinct from one another, even going so far as to create rules that the Dames Blanches must abide to (nature demands balance) that the Dames Rouges do not. 

Aside from being populated by witches, the Chausseurs call the city of Cesarine home. The presence of witch hunters within the novel creates conflict, tension, and as previously mentioned, the perfect foundation for an enemies to lovers romance. 

As I was reading, I thought the plot would be pretty straightforward and I was delighted to be proved wrong. There were many shocking reveals that I did not see coming and found immensely entertaining. 

Review: Maniscalco’s young adult debut is a gripping murder mystery with a heartwarming romance. 

 

I appreciated reading from the perspective of Audrey Rose, a strong and progressive female lead. Throughout the story, Audrey Rose fights against conforming to traditional gender roles that confine women to the domestic sphere. What makes Audrey Rose’s character so powerful is her determination to pursue her passion regardless of whether or not that passion align with society’s expectations of her. Yet, even Audrey Rose could not have anticipated working on one of the most notorious murder cases of all time—the Jack the Ripper case. Still, she rolls with the punches and proves that women make great detectives. 

 

The plotline of “Stalking Jack the Ripper” itself is very reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about Sherlock Holmes, which I enjoyed as a fan of murder mysteries. The shocking reveal of the killer’s true identity paired with Maniscalco’s subtle clues leading up to the novel’s end made for a thrilling read! I especially loved Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell’s relationship dynamic, which mirrored that of Sherlock and Watson’s. Their playful banter made me laugh out loud and their building romantic attraction made my heart race. 

 

Though “Stalking Jack the Ripper” takes place during a real time in history, Maniscalco goes to great lengths to build an immersive world to avoid the drabness associated with textbooks. Much of the novel takes place in London, specifically the Whitechapel district, when Jack the Ripper was an active serial killer. Maniscalco does a fantastic job engaging the reader with her detailed descriptions of the region’s dreary atmosphere and the medical instruments used by scientists in the late 1800s. She also provides real photographs from the time period in relation to the content of some of her chapters and weaves facts of the Jack the Ripper case into her fictional narrative as a means of further exploring the past. While the real Jack the Ripper remains unidentified, I loved unmasking one of Maniscalco’s characters as the culprit and receiving a sense of closure as a result.