Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The House With The Golden Door
Author: Elodie Harper
Book Series: Wolf Den Trilogy Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Diversity: Egyptian character
Recommended For...: historical fiction, romance, tragedy, Italian, adult
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction Tragedy
Age Relevance: 18+ (slavery, rape, sexual content, romance, cursing, death, grief, domestic violence, violence, gore, fatphobia, pregnancy, childbirth)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses characters who live in brothels or are contractually bound to other people and also people who are just outright slaves in slavery positions. There is some slight romance, a lot of sexual content, and rape is mentioned. There is a lot of cursing and grief is shown and mentioned. There is some death mentioned. There is one scene of domestic violence, where a character is grabbed by the throat by another character, and there is some violence shown in the book and mentioned. There is also some gore with blood. There is one instance of fatphobic comments about a character being made. There is a pregnancy in the book shown a lot and there is a childbirth scene as well.
Publisher: Apollo
Pages: 472
Synopsis: The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glittering, yet precarious...
Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the town's most notorious brothel, but now her existence depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought.
At night she dreams of the wolf den, still haunted by her past. Amara longs for the women she was forced to leave behind and worse, finds herself pursued by the man who once owned her. In order to be free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is.
Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.
We return to Pompeii for the second installment in Elodie Harper's Wolf Den Trilogy, set in the town's lupanar and reimagining the lives of women long overlooked.
Review: Ok this was a wild ride! In this book we got a little more into the thriller/intrigue aspect of this series. Amara is out of the fire for the most part, but still wishes to make right with her blood oath and to help out the girls still at The Wolf Den. Amara is quickly caught up in a new issue though, as our heroine finds herself haunted by old fears and new concerns. I thought the book did well to keep that epic feel to it. It’s kind of like a drama much like the first one, but it also has that epic feel to it much like The Odyssey or The Iliad, which I guess would make this more of a Tragedy. The character development was well done and the world building was great as well. As a final note before the third book is released, I’m wondering if the series will ever explore the fall of Pompeii or if this is set so far before it that it won’t happen. I’m invested and can’t wait for book 3.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little flatter than the first one and a lot of the plot is stretched out, as the timeframe in this book is much shorter than the first one. I also wished that the plot was a bit more sped up, but overall I enjoyed it.
Verdict: It was well done! Highly recommend!
Book: The House With The Golden Door
Author: Elodie Harper
Book Series: Wolf Den Trilogy Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Diversity: Egyptian character
Recommended For...: historical fiction, romance, tragedy, Italian, adult
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction Tragedy
Age Relevance: 18+ (slavery, rape, sexual content, romance, cursing, death, grief, domestic violence, violence, gore, fatphobia, pregnancy, childbirth)
Explanation of Above: The book discusses characters who live in brothels or are contractually bound to other people and also people who are just outright slaves in slavery positions. There is some slight romance, a lot of sexual content, and rape is mentioned. There is a lot of cursing and grief is shown and mentioned. There is some death mentioned. There is one scene of domestic violence, where a character is grabbed by the throat by another character, and there is some violence shown in the book and mentioned. There is also some gore with blood. There is one instance of fatphobic comments about a character being made. There is a pregnancy in the book shown a lot and there is a childbirth scene as well.
Publisher: Apollo
Pages: 472
Synopsis: The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glittering, yet precarious...
Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the town's most notorious brothel, but now her existence depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought.
At night she dreams of the wolf den, still haunted by her past. Amara longs for the women she was forced to leave behind and worse, finds herself pursued by the man who once owned her. In order to be free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is.
Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.
We return to Pompeii for the second installment in Elodie Harper's Wolf Den Trilogy, set in the town's lupanar and reimagining the lives of women long overlooked.
Review: Ok this was a wild ride! In this book we got a little more into the thriller/intrigue aspect of this series. Amara is out of the fire for the most part, but still wishes to make right with her blood oath and to help out the girls still at The Wolf Den. Amara is quickly caught up in a new issue though, as our heroine finds herself haunted by old fears and new concerns. I thought the book did well to keep that epic feel to it. It’s kind of like a drama much like the first one, but it also has that epic feel to it much like The Odyssey or The Iliad, which I guess would make this more of a Tragedy. The character development was well done and the world building was great as well. As a final note before the third book is released, I’m wondering if the series will ever explore the fall of Pompeii or if this is set so far before it that it won’t happen. I’m invested and can’t wait for book 3.
The only issue I had with the book is that it felt a little flatter than the first one and a lot of the plot is stretched out, as the timeframe in this book is much shorter than the first one. I also wished that the plot was a bit more sped up, but overall I enjoyed it.
Verdict: It was well done! Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I bought this finished copy but I did originally have an e-arc of it and this is my first reread. Thanks! Support your authors! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mythology, mermaids, fantasy, slight Little Mermaid references
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, death, gore, slavery, suicide, animal death)
Explanation of Above: There is violence mentioned and shown as well as death. There is some gore involving blood shown. Slavery is mentioned and shown in the book and there is a theme of the mermaids being created from people who were thrown overboard slavery ships and it plays an important plot point in the story. There is an attempted suicide shown in the book. There is animal death with a cow mentioned.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
Synopsis: Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I loved this book so much! I love the magical-ness of this book and how action packed it is for being so short. The pacing doesn’t feel weird and I love how original of a mermaid tale it is but that it keeps some of the callbacks to Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid tale. The book includes CWs in the front of it which I very much appreciate. The character development and the world building was also well done and I loved the magic system in this one.
The only issue I had with the book is that the flowery language of it kinda messed with my head. I wished it didn’t have as much fluff and was a bit more straight forward, but it was good regardless.
Verdict: It’s so good! Highly recommend!
**Previous Review:
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Brown
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, mythology
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, enslavement, death, suicide TW)
Explanation of CWs: There is violence and gore in this book. The book talks a lot about Black people being enslaved and shows the act. There is lots of death and the main character’s role centers around death. There is a suicide attempt shown.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The book is very lyrical and so well written. It’s the type of book you can get lost in, as it has amazing world building and character development. The book is also full of culture and mythology and history and they all blend together in this beautiful work. I also love that the author put a content warning at the beginning of the book.
However, I did feel like the book was slow paced and that there was a lot of time spent going to places in the book rather than actions at the places. The book has a lot of travel and travel sequences and if you’re here for the journey of a story, then this is a great book for you. However, if you’re looking for the action, this one is a little lacking. I also sometimes had issues following along to what was going on because the words were too poetic that I felt drowned by them.
Verdict: It’s a great book, just a little not for me.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Bowen
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, mythology, mermaids, fantasy, slight Little Mermaid references
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 15+ (violence, death, gore, slavery, suicide, animal death)
Explanation of Above: There is violence mentioned and shown as well as death. There is some gore involving blood shown. Slavery is mentioned and shown in the book and there is a theme of the mermaids being created from people who were thrown overboard slavery ships and it plays an important plot point in the story. There is an attempted suicide shown in the book. There is animal death with a cow mentioned.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
Synopsis: Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I loved this book so much! I love the magical-ness of this book and how action packed it is for being so short. The pacing doesn’t feel weird and I love how original of a mermaid tale it is but that it keeps some of the callbacks to Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid tale. The book includes CWs in the front of it which I very much appreciate. The character development and the world building was also well done and I loved the magic system in this one.
The only issue I had with the book is that the flowery language of it kinda messed with my head. I wished it didn’t have as much fluff and was a bit more straight forward, but it was good regardless.
Verdict: It’s so good! Highly recommend!
**Previous Review:
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Skin of the Sea
Author: Natasha Brown
Book Series: Skin of the Sea Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Black MC and side characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, mythology
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, enslavement, death, suicide TW)
Explanation of CWs: There is violence and gore in this book. The book talks a lot about Black people being enslaved and shows the act. There is lots of death and the main character’s role centers around death. There is a suicide attempt shown.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 336
Synopsis: A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The book is very lyrical and so well written. It’s the type of book you can get lost in, as it has amazing world building and character development. The book is also full of culture and mythology and history and they all blend together in this beautiful work. I also love that the author put a content warning at the beginning of the book.
However, I did feel like the book was slow paced and that there was a lot of time spent going to places in the book rather than actions at the places. The book has a lot of travel and travel sequences and if you’re here for the journey of a story, then this is a great book for you. However, if you’re looking for the action, this one is a little lacking. I also sometimes had issues following along to what was going on because the words were too poetic that I felt drowned by them.
Verdict: It’s a great book, just a little not for me.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Blackwater
Author: Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Book Series: Blackwater book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican asthma user MC, Black character, poc characters, chronic autoimmune disorder character who is an ambulatory wheelchair user
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, fantasy, werewolves, ghosts, LGBT, queer
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (bullying, revenge and negligence, dead animal, animal gore, abelism, cursing, violence, homophobia, abelism)
Explanation of Above: There are scenes of bullying, homophobia, and abelism. There is a huge scene of abelism initiated by revenge and the negligence could have led to someone getting severely hurt. While I felt the character who caused it to be remorseful, that should have been shown more explicitly in the book and proclaimed as wrong because younger teens reading this might not realize that the action could potentially kill someone. There are also scenes of dead animals (deer) and animal gore (deer). There is some cursing in the book and some very slight violence as well.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the story overall and I thought it was pretty good. The world building was decent and it highlighted the atmosphere well. The book had a good beginning story and I’d like to see more.
However, I have concerns about the book. To start with: the book is way too short and the plot was just beginning when it ended. The book did good to show abelism and then try to show how the characters were atoning for it, but I think that should have been more pronounced in the book, especially for the particular scene where one character almost caused another to die. I would have also liked to see more character development, especially for a book that claims to be a queer romance but not have a single frame of romance between the two characters.
Verdict: It was ok, but there should have been more.
Book: Blackwater
Author: Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham
Book Series: Blackwater book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Puerto Rican asthma user MC, Black character, poc characters, chronic autoimmune disorder character who is an ambulatory wheelchair user
Recommended For...: young adult readers, graphic novel, fantasy, werewolves, ghosts, LGBT, queer
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Genre: YA Graphic Novel Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (bullying, revenge and negligence, dead animal, animal gore, abelism, cursing, violence, homophobia, abelism)
Explanation of Above: There are scenes of bullying, homophobia, and abelism. There is a huge scene of abelism initiated by revenge and the negligence could have led to someone getting severely hurt. While I felt the character who caused it to be remorseful, that should have been shown more explicitly in the book and proclaimed as wrong because younger teens reading this might not realize that the action could potentially kill someone. There are also scenes of dead animals (deer) and animal gore (deer). There is some cursing in the book and some very slight violence as well.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed this graphic novel. I liked the story overall and I thought it was pretty good. The world building was decent and it highlighted the atmosphere well. The book had a good beginning story and I’d like to see more.
However, I have concerns about the book. To start with: the book is way too short and the plot was just beginning when it ended. The book did good to show abelism and then try to show how the characters were atoning for it, but I think that should have been more pronounced in the book, especially for the particular scene where one character almost caused another to die. I would have also liked to see more character development, especially for a book that claims to be a queer romance but not have a single frame of romance between the two characters.
Verdict: It was ok, but there should have been more.
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Lost Legends
Author: Cait Marie
Book Series: The Nihryst Book 1
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended For...: Young adult readers, new adult readers, fantasy, sea-faring, pirates
Genre: NA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 18, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 358
Recommended Age: 14+ (Parent death, Grief, Violence, Sexual innuendo, Attempted sexual assualt, Romance, Sexual content, Abuse, Plague)
Explanation of CWs: There is parental death which is a key point in the book and sometimes the grief that the main characters hold for that is mentioned. There is some violence and a couple of instances of attempted sexual assault shown on page. There are only a couple of sexual innuendos and the romance level of this book is very mild. There is some sexual content, but for the most part it is fade to black. There is also one shown event of abuse between a father and daughter and a plague is central to the storyline.
Synopsis: A plague. A prophecy. A centuries-long curse.
All her life, Princess Adalina heard tales of the legendary, immortal warriors known as the Nihryst. Cursed and bound to a deck of tarot cards by her ancestors, the Nihryst were stranded on a remote island nearly a century and a half earlier.
Her brother, Prince Shane, is destined to rule the kingdom of Detmarya. Though preparing for this role has encompassed his entire life, control of the kingdom may come sooner than expected due to their father’s sporadic behavior.
Discovering the king's plan to set a war in motion with a mass assassination, Ada unwittingly joins a crew of pirates in search of the only beings powerful enough to stop him: the Nihryst. Meanwhile, Shane and a group of underground rebels make a haunting discovery of a plague infecting the streets of Detmarya.
With a looming deadline to save multiple kingdoms and thousands of innocent lives, both royal siblings join quests worthy of Ada’s beloved fairy tales.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. I am always up for a good pirate seafaring book mixed with princesses and stuff like that so this book was totally up my alley. I like the story behind it a lot and the prophecy and I thought the use of the prophecy trope was really well done. I also really like the character development and the world building.
However, I really felt like the book was really fast-paced. That worked well for me for the most part but it really quickens the plot and I can see where it will not work well for a lot of people. I think that the writing should have been slowed down a little bit and more time taken to look at the surroundings and I think more dialogue between the characters could have helped as well. There's also a large amount of characters in this book and at a certain point they all kind of blend together a little bit, which made it a little bit confusing for me to put it down and then come back to it.
Verdict: I loved it!
Book: The Lost Legends
Author: Cait Marie
Book Series: The Nihryst Book 1
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommended For...: Young adult readers, new adult readers, fantasy, sea-faring, pirates
Genre: NA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 18, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 358
Recommended Age: 14+ (Parent death, Grief, Violence, Sexual innuendo, Attempted sexual assualt, Romance, Sexual content, Abuse, Plague)
Explanation of CWs: There is parental death which is a key point in the book and sometimes the grief that the main characters hold for that is mentioned. There is some violence and a couple of instances of attempted sexual assault shown on page. There are only a couple of sexual innuendos and the romance level of this book is very mild. There is some sexual content, but for the most part it is fade to black. There is also one shown event of abuse between a father and daughter and a plague is central to the storyline.
Synopsis: A plague. A prophecy. A centuries-long curse.
All her life, Princess Adalina heard tales of the legendary, immortal warriors known as the Nihryst. Cursed and bound to a deck of tarot cards by her ancestors, the Nihryst were stranded on a remote island nearly a century and a half earlier.
Her brother, Prince Shane, is destined to rule the kingdom of Detmarya. Though preparing for this role has encompassed his entire life, control of the kingdom may come sooner than expected due to their father’s sporadic behavior.
Discovering the king's plan to set a war in motion with a mass assassination, Ada unwittingly joins a crew of pirates in search of the only beings powerful enough to stop him: the Nihryst. Meanwhile, Shane and a group of underground rebels make a haunting discovery of a plague infecting the streets of Detmarya.
With a looming deadline to save multiple kingdoms and thousands of innocent lives, both royal siblings join quests worthy of Ada’s beloved fairy tales.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. I am always up for a good pirate seafaring book mixed with princesses and stuff like that so this book was totally up my alley. I like the story behind it a lot and the prophecy and I thought the use of the prophecy trope was really well done. I also really like the character development and the world building.
However, I really felt like the book was really fast-paced. That worked well for me for the most part but it really quickens the plot and I can see where it will not work well for a lot of people. I think that the writing should have been slowed down a little bit and more time taken to look at the surroundings and I think more dialogue between the characters could have helped as well. There's also a large amount of characters in this book and at a certain point they all kind of blend together a little bit, which made it a little bit confusing for me to put it down and then come back to it.
Verdict: I loved it!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker
Author: Marilyn Bordelon
Book Series: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Japanese descent character, Demisexual MC, Gay MC, Gay characters
Recommended For...: romance, mafia romance, LGBT, MLM
Publication Date: December 18, 2022
Genre: Mafia Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, violence, murder, grief, death, parental death, homophobia, romance, child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, torture, sexual content, religion, underage alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are scenes of violence, including gun and other weapon violence, torture, murder, and death. There is grief displayed in the book as well as parental death mentioned. There are some scenes of homophobia and the book discusses coming out a little bit. There is romance and some small mentions of sexual content. There are mentions and small scenes of child abuse and neglect. There is one scene showing drug abuse, mentions of underage alcohol consumption, and one scene of alcohol consumption. There are a couple of mentions of Christianity and one scene with a prayer shown.
Publisher: Spectrum Publishing
Pages: 310
Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Ambrose Romano happens across someone from his past, an individual who had once meant the world to him. When that person doesn’t recognize him at all, Ambrose makes it his mission, against his better judgement, to help him remember.
Twenty-four year old Callum Brecker cannot recall an entire year of his life. When he comes across an alluring man who insists that they know each other, he feels a renewed curiosity of the past. Despite being warned to stay far away from him, Callum can’t help but follow Ambrose, determined to uncover his lost memories.
Embarking on this journey proves to be exciting and dangerous. Through it, Callum learns that he inadvertently got involved with the Mafia and that he fell in love with the son of a prominent member. People close to him were hurt and he even committed a heinous crime to protect the man he was falling in love with.
Now he has to decide—is it worth it, after all, to travel into the past? Is it worth it to remember the person he was?
Review: I thought this was a fun little beginning to a great series. The book is in part a Mafia Romance and in part a thriller. The book revolves around our MC Callum and their memory loss. They’ve lost a year of their life. Our other MC is Ambrose, who is the former boyfriend of Callum except that Callum doesn’t remember them anymore. The book explores their relationship in a past/present format and the reader sees how they started their romance and where it was headed in the end. The book is Duel POV and does well to discuss coming out and finding yourself.
However, I did wish that some of the world building and character development was a bit more fleshed out. The book felt a little confusing at times with the back and forth method as well.
Verdict: It’s good! I recommend if you’re looking for a non-erotic Mafia Romance.
Book: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker
Author: Marilyn Bordelon
Book Series: The Lost Memories of Callum Brecker Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5
Diversity: Japanese descent character, Demisexual MC, Gay MC, Gay characters
Recommended For...: romance, mafia romance, LGBT, MLM
Publication Date: December 18, 2022
Genre: Mafia Romance
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, violence, murder, grief, death, parental death, homophobia, romance, child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, torture, sexual content, religion, underage alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are scenes of violence, including gun and other weapon violence, torture, murder, and death. There is grief displayed in the book as well as parental death mentioned. There are some scenes of homophobia and the book discusses coming out a little bit. There is romance and some small mentions of sexual content. There are mentions and small scenes of child abuse and neglect. There is one scene showing drug abuse, mentions of underage alcohol consumption, and one scene of alcohol consumption. There are a couple of mentions of Christianity and one scene with a prayer shown.
Publisher: Spectrum Publishing
Pages: 310
Synopsis: Twenty-five year old Ambrose Romano happens across someone from his past, an individual who had once meant the world to him. When that person doesn’t recognize him at all, Ambrose makes it his mission, against his better judgement, to help him remember.
Twenty-four year old Callum Brecker cannot recall an entire year of his life. When he comes across an alluring man who insists that they know each other, he feels a renewed curiosity of the past. Despite being warned to stay far away from him, Callum can’t help but follow Ambrose, determined to uncover his lost memories.
Embarking on this journey proves to be exciting and dangerous. Through it, Callum learns that he inadvertently got involved with the Mafia and that he fell in love with the son of a prominent member. People close to him were hurt and he even committed a heinous crime to protect the man he was falling in love with.
Now he has to decide—is it worth it, after all, to travel into the past? Is it worth it to remember the person he was?
Review: I thought this was a fun little beginning to a great series. The book is in part a Mafia Romance and in part a thriller. The book revolves around our MC Callum and their memory loss. They’ve lost a year of their life. Our other MC is Ambrose, who is the former boyfriend of Callum except that Callum doesn’t remember them anymore. The book explores their relationship in a past/present format and the reader sees how they started their romance and where it was headed in the end. The book is Duel POV and does well to discuss coming out and finding yourself.
However, I did wish that some of the world building and character development was a bit more fleshed out. The book felt a little confusing at times with the back and forth method as well.
Verdict: It’s good! I recommend if you’re looking for a non-erotic Mafia Romance.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Mysteries of Thorn Manor
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Book Series: Sorcery of Thorns Book 1.5
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Tall MC with anxiety. Bisexual character who uses a mobility device.
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, demons, bookish book, novella
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (romance, parental death, death, language, torture)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot more romance in this book than its predecessor. There are mentions of death and parental death. There is one instance of cursing. There is torture mentioned.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 184
Synopsis: In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a good sequel novella. The novella picks up sometime after the events of the first book and discusses how there is some magic afoot that is causing our characters to become trapped in Thorn Manor. They all take a deep dive through Nathanial’s family history to figure out how to undo the spell. The book was a pretty fun little novella that offered some great backstory to not only Nathanial’s family but also some to Silas. The book further develops Elisabeth and Nathanial’s relationship as well. I thought the world building was great and the pacing was very well even.
The only issues I had with the book is that it felt like the character development was a bit lacking and overall it felt kind of unnecessary for this book to exist? I thought the first one ended perfectly and this one, while a fun and amazingly cute novella, just left more questions than answers for me.
Verdict: It was great! Loved it!
Book: Mysteries of Thorn Manor
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Book Series: Sorcery of Thorns Book 1.5
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Tall MC with anxiety. Bisexual character who uses a mobility device.
Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, demons, bookish book, novella
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 14+ (romance, parental death, death, language, torture)
Explanation of Above: There is a lot more romance in this book than its predecessor. There are mentions of death and parental death. There is one instance of cursing. There is torture mentioned.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 184
Synopsis: In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a good sequel novella. The novella picks up sometime after the events of the first book and discusses how there is some magic afoot that is causing our characters to become trapped in Thorn Manor. They all take a deep dive through Nathanial’s family history to figure out how to undo the spell. The book was a pretty fun little novella that offered some great backstory to not only Nathanial’s family but also some to Silas. The book further develops Elisabeth and Nathanial’s relationship as well. I thought the world building was great and the pacing was very well even.
The only issues I had with the book is that it felt like the character development was a bit lacking and overall it felt kind of unnecessary for this book to exist? I thought the first one ended perfectly and this one, while a fun and amazingly cute novella, just left more questions than answers for me.
Verdict: It was great! Loved it!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Tale of Two Princes
Author: Eric Geron
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Gay MC, Queer (mostly identified as gay, but also as queer) MC, Gay characters, MM romances, Black non-binary gender-nonconforming character, Queer characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, alternate reality Canada, queer, LGBT, romance, retellings, Gay, MM romance
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 14+ (cancer, parental death, homophobia, death, anxiety attack, animal slaughter)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of cancer and parental death. Homophobia is shown and mentioned throughout the book. Death is discussed and talked about. There are a couple of scenes where an anxiety attack is shown. There is a mention of animal slaughter with cows once in the book.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 448
Synopsis: Edward Dinnissen, Crown Prince of Canada, loves getting the royal treatment at his exclusive Manhattan private school and living in a fancy mansion on Park Avenue. But despite living a royal life of luxury, Edward is unsure how to tell his parents, his expectant country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.
Billy Boone couldn’t be happier: he loves small-town life and his family’s Montana ranch, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. But this out-and-proud cowboy is finally admitting to himself that he feels destined for more . . .
When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?
Review: This was a cute book and I loved the alternate reality of it. The book, which follows two twin princes as they navigate suddenly finding each other and handling the passing of the monarchy from one twin to another, takes place dually in Canada (where the monarchy reigns) and America. I liked the story, it reminded me a little of the Prince and the Pauper, but also had a lot of Princess Diary and Sister Sister vibes to it. The book had a great feel to it and it flowed pretty well. The character development was great as was the world building.
However, I had a couple of issues with the book. I thought that the character of Pax was a bit too stereotyped in a few places, but I’m not an ownvoice reviewer in that aspect so please refer to ownvoice reviewers about their thoughts on the character. I also absolutely hated everyone in this book except for Billy (and Pax mostly). Every character rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t help but feel for Billy the most, even though he was blamed the most. It infuriated me to say the least and I don’t know if it was my personal feelings on the matter or the book’s writing that caused me to feel like this.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: A Tale of Two Princes
Author: Eric Geron
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Gay MC, Queer (mostly identified as gay, but also as queer) MC, Gay characters, MM romances, Black non-binary gender-nonconforming character, Queer characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, alternate reality Canada, queer, LGBT, romance, retellings, Gay, MM romance
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Age Relevance: 14+ (cancer, parental death, homophobia, death, anxiety attack, animal slaughter)
Explanation of Above: There are mentions of cancer and parental death. Homophobia is shown and mentioned throughout the book. Death is discussed and talked about. There are a couple of scenes where an anxiety attack is shown. There is a mention of animal slaughter with cows once in the book.
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 448
Synopsis: Edward Dinnissen, Crown Prince of Canada, loves getting the royal treatment at his exclusive Manhattan private school and living in a fancy mansion on Park Avenue. But despite living a royal life of luxury, Edward is unsure how to tell his parents, his expectant country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.
Billy Boone couldn’t be happier: he loves small-town life and his family’s Montana ranch, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. But this out-and-proud cowboy is finally admitting to himself that he feels destined for more . . .
When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?
Review: This was a cute book and I loved the alternate reality of it. The book, which follows two twin princes as they navigate suddenly finding each other and handling the passing of the monarchy from one twin to another, takes place dually in Canada (where the monarchy reigns) and America. I liked the story, it reminded me a little of the Prince and the Pauper, but also had a lot of Princess Diary and Sister Sister vibes to it. The book had a great feel to it and it flowed pretty well. The character development was great as was the world building.
However, I had a couple of issues with the book. I thought that the character of Pax was a bit too stereotyped in a few places, but I’m not an ownvoice reviewer in that aspect so please refer to ownvoice reviewers about their thoughts on the character. I also absolutely hated everyone in this book except for Billy (and Pax mostly). Every character rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t help but feel for Billy the most, even though he was blamed the most. It infuriated me to say the least and I don’t know if it was my personal feelings on the matter or the book’s writing that caused me to feel like this.
Verdict: It was good!
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The ones We’re Meant to Find
Author: Joan He
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian main characters and side characters
Recommended For...: ya readers, sci-fi lovers, dystopian readers, thrill seekers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (suicide TW, grief, terminal illness, violence, gore, drowning, choking to death, sex mention)
Publisher: Roaring Book
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.
In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.
Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
Review: This book. Oh my goodness. This book is my favorite read of April! I absolutely loved the characters, the world building, and everything about this book. The book is a perfect mix of thriller and sci-fi and dystopian and it makes my heart so so happy! The characters were so well developed as was the world building. The book also had a great plot and it kept me reading the book until the very end.
The only issue I had (and I’m only saying this because I have to put one) is that some moments were a bit slowed down and I felt that the book focused too much on the sci-fi elements and not the thriller ones, but other than that it was absolutely perfect for me.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
Book: The ones We’re Meant to Find
Author: Joan He
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Asian main characters and side characters
Recommended For...: ya readers, sci-fi lovers, dystopian readers, thrill seekers
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (suicide TW, grief, terminal illness, violence, gore, drowning, choking to death, sex mention)
Publisher: Roaring Book
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay. Determined to find her, Cee devotes her days to building a boat from junk parts scavenged inland, doing everything in her power to survive until the day she gets off the island and reunites with her sister.
In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara is also living a life of isolation. The eco-city she calls home is one of eight levitating around the world, built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return.
Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But as the public decries her stance, she starts to second guess herself and decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
Review: This book. Oh my goodness. This book is my favorite read of April! I absolutely loved the characters, the world building, and everything about this book. The book is a perfect mix of thriller and sci-fi and dystopian and it makes my heart so so happy! The characters were so well developed as was the world building. The book also had a great plot and it kept me reading the book until the very end.
The only issue I had (and I’m only saying this because I have to put one) is that some moments were a bit slowed down and I felt that the book focused too much on the sci-fi elements and not the thriller ones, but other than that it was absolutely perfect for me.
Verdict: Highly recommend!
