His life consumed by work, Nokoru is rocked by a single night of good sleep. And it’s this paradoxical freedom that finally alerts Natsu to her neighbour’s existence. I’ve been wary of the inevitable turn to pandemic stories but romance’s willingness to tackle it makes perfect sense. Romance is about discovery, about growth and the grounding and rooting of its characters. Nokoru’s rediscovery of his childhood loves – forgotten not because they stopped mattering, but because he was forced to prioritise other things overtop of them until they were lost. How fitting that he falls in love with an archaeologist! 

I really enjoyed Natsu from the moment she swept in and upended his world with her cheer and friendliness. How could you forget someone saying your name ‘sounded tasty’? But without falling into quirky, manic pixie dream girl territory. In one of my favourite moments Nokoru apologises, sensing he’s said something that has hurt her. It’s sweet on his part but it also gives her an air of mystery that is followed through on. Nevertheless I do wish that we were allowed to get to know Natsu more. 

Their courtship is so lovely. The reason I love his apology so much is because they have a great awareness of one another but it’s so hard to choose a favourite aspect of their relationship. There’s this wonderful little flow of gifts back and forth that shows they’re thinking of each other. I love fantasy and romcoms but once the great threat or the wacky shenanigans end, it can be hard to imagine what they’re like day-to-day but their relationship is so sweetly domestic. That said, there is an in-between of that and a first date being a visit to a grocery store, but to me this is perfect. 

I believe she calls him proper at one point and it’s great for comedy. He can be totally wrecked by something innocuous and it’s as funny as it is sweet. I would call it a cosy read. Despite being a pandemic book its limited setting doesn’t come across as claustrophobic – though it does have its moments. The ability to mute and rage and an incompetent coworker is so satisfying. The way it makes you dwell on the little things. However that can just as easily be read as romance reasons. 

Unfortunately, despite some good uses, when it does decide to engage with the pandemic is when it’s at its weakest. I loved its atmosphere dearly so the sudden pivot to higher stakes thrown in at the end did take me by surprise. It was an abrupt shift in tone and it also sped up the pace so it came across like a race to the end. But it ended in the perfect place. I still have it five stars and it’s one of my favourite reads this year. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for this review copy. I leave this review voluntarily. 

 

You can see why Mel and David were good for one another. Why she would think of him when she needs somewhere safe. At first there’s a lovely sense of care and lingering love that seeps into their interactions that help you to understand why David stands by her even as his understanding of her comes undone. Theirs is nonetheless the least interesting dynamic, well done though it is. Family Trust presents a fantastic and complicated tangle of relationships and Mel and David are easily outshone. Rachel especially was so compelling. And no matter the twists of narrative it was hard not to think on her. 

I was surprised by the wide stretch of time encompassed by the book but it soon became one of my favourite elements. I loved seeing the seeds planted. It allowed for some excellent exploration of characters and was enticingly voyeuristic though the catch up in between the larger time skips could be clunky. 

Unfortunately some more care could have been taken with the editing. Errors like ‘piped her interest’ or ‘adjourned the walls’ come up every few chapters and as its intrigue heightened they only increased. I understand that the timeline settled towards the end but the sub-heading being dropped in conjunction with the rise in errors felt like the effort had become too much. It was David’s criticism of the family’s reaction that was most frustrating though. It’s not by itself a bad choice to have them behave this way but their calmness is at odds with the tension which it does dampen. Even so, I enjoyed Family Trust. 

Thanks to iRead Book Tours and Peter Wilson. I leave this review voluntarily. 

My Way Home is a fun adventure in a wonderfully illustrated world. What I love about the legends of little folk is both the awe of a world so much bigger than you and the danger that comes with it. Heaton strikes the balance well. Take the fox. Her orange-red fur is beautiful and vivid but when she catches Kit in her sights it’s clear how much danger he’s in. Or the sight of Kit at the base of a tree bigger than anything in his world.

Quick-witted and determined, I enjoyed seeing how Kit worked through obstacles. I was surprised by some of his strategies but they felt natural to someone who lives as he does.

But I can’t emphasise enough how beautiful this book is. There are various styles of composition used through the book but my favourite are its borders that show off the kind of wildlife to be found in the environments that Kit finds himself travelling through. It made me want to go out and see what might be living around me.

Thanks to iRead Book Tours and Holly Heaton. I leave this review voluntarily.

 With the synopsis focused on Blair’s arrival to Trudeau High I had expected The Bad Luck Nickel to be a more conventional story. Instead we’re thrown into the middle of conflict, Blair not only already in the band but the other members blowing off a show to get back at him. It’s an interesting place to start. The beginning took me a moment to orient myself but I do appreciate the choice. The book’s greatest strength lies with its characters’ relationships – a tangled and delicate web wrought with all the turmoil and overwhelm of teenagerdom. 

Even so, I do find myself disappointed that Marco’s complexity isn’t reflected in his sister. Not long after her introduction she says another girl ‘has nothing of substance’ which only served to highlight her own lack. And that isn’t confined to her. Vicky’s characterisation is also boy and addiction focused. Done well, in my opinon, but overall more simplistic than the boys. I would unfortunately say the same for Bianca, and especially Rainbow. But it was also disappointing when this was the case for its antagonists who were very flat and one dimensional and that difference was stark and ill-fitting in the face of its complicated and complex cast. 

There’s a willingness to deal with complicated subjects to varying degrees of success. Parental abandonment is handled well. Grief. Girls who date grown men not so much. And even less Blair’s relationship with Rainbow. At least there’s some aspersion cast on the grown men. The fire storm that falls on Blair was conspicuously missing mention of that. While not always tense, however, I really liked its portrayal of addiction. The weakening of the effectiveness and subsequent need to increase the dose to maintain its effectiveness. Both the reckoning with the effects and the support extended to the girls. I do feel it wrapped up too neatly though. 

In the narrative there were moments which were skipped over and then related back. These were some of the tenser moments and this undercut them. But mostly I enjoyed the shape of the story. Sprinkling interviews through it kept focus without pulling too far from its main cast and provided intrigue. It also contributed to the fantastic and fascinating representation of Blair as both focus and outsider. 

Thanks to iRead Book Tours and Matthew Leslie. I leave this review voluntarily.