this is the third time my loan has been about to run out and i just cannot bring myself to keep reading… i need to experience freedom

I wasn’t clicking with the concept and I didn’t vibe with the writing—the audiobook narrators also started out sounding very distinct, which I liked, but at a quarter of the way through they sounded so similar I thought it had been one narrator doing two different voices. 

DNFed at 61%. 

I was really excited about this one! I love a surprise baby trope, whether it's a hidden pregnancy or life throwing the worst at characters who have to scramble to pick up the pieces, and I liked the sound of childhood rivals to lovers learning to co-parent and deal with loss while balancing an uber-organized type A personality and a chaotic free spirit. Rip and Colby had the potential to be grumpy/sunshine excellence, but nearly every aspect of this book ended up falling short. 

I liked the kids and Colby was fine, but Rip is charting for one of my least favorite male leads of all time. I love a good grump who is an actual grump, but Rip was just cruel to Colby and I didn't feel that the writing properly scaffolded this as a shitty expression of grief that would be remedied in a way that furthered the romantic plot; instead, it came off as vile and misogynistic, and the switch-up of Rip staying home and Colby getting his office didn't hit at all as a proper comeuppance. If he didn't have the secondary POV, I would have expected Banks to be the actual love interest. I might have preferred it that way, actually. 

The writing was also unfortunately lackluster and I felt a lack of tension that kept me invested in the relationships. At 61%, I didn't feel any true will-they-won't-they, even with double secondary love interests in the mix (though on Rip's side, I felt that plot thread was dropped and forgotten). I might be somewhat biased toward slow burns, but especially considering this is a grumpy/sunshine second chance rivals to lovers, they got too close too fast. I also felt Colby forgave Rip way too quick. Simply not enough groveling, considering all this man has put her through. For all the history featured in this book between the high school bully gunning for Rip, their childhood relationship, their failure of a second date, and the couple that united them, very little of it came to the surface and added the weight that would have kept me hooked. Perhaps with a bit less of those moving pieces, this book might have stuck the landing for me? 

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book at all, but thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Not a fan of the humor.

Just very not in the mood for this one. Might return later because book 2 really caught my eye, but this one has been a pain to get through so far :( 

i’m very glad i was able to check this out before succumbing to the tiktok algorithm…

Far more slow-paced than I'm in the mood for and not what I was looking for. Tried both ebook and audio. Audio has a pleasant narrator and got me through a good chunk, but I need to pack it up. I might try again physically as a true last ditch. 

I received an ARC eons ago in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Penguin Teen.

I'm DNFing at 48%, unfortunately. Though I will say, I was reading via audio and enjoyed the performances. Each voice suits the narrator very well and I would recommend it! 

I am really sad this book didn't turn out to be for me, but I did give it an honest try. I like Koffi and Ekon both, and I could grow to like Adiah, but her POV came so infrequently that her growth arc didn't seem to be in pace with the other two, and her perspective was sometimes jarring and frustrating to read. If I had to choose, Koffi would have been my favorite. I liked her chapters best and enjoyed seeing her growth over the part of the story I did get through! 

While I wasn't able to finish this book, it does have potential, and I think it boils down to it just not being for me. It was more slow-paced than I was hoping for, and I was really hoping for the settings to feel more alive to me as places on their own rather than being characterized by the people associated with them, but I do recognize that's a personal preference. I liked the influences present and I would recommend you try if you think this sounds like something you'd enjoy! I was just getting to the point where I was just unexcited to read it, and I want to put my focus on other titles. 

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Tor!

I am a bit sore I have to dnf WHEN AMONG CROWS at 39%, but only a bit, and I think that is unfortunately a sign of a few of the problems I was having while reading. 

This novella has such an interesting premise that really kept me going. I loved the elements of Slavic folklore and how the narrative didn't shy away from them. I also normally enjoy magic centered around pain, but graphic nail gore is one of the few things I just can't read, which led to my very sudden DNF. I liked pretty much every other aspect of the mystical misery, though there was something missing. I wish I was more experienced or smart enough to put my finger on it, but the book didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Dymitr is normally a character I would be obsessed with, but something about the writing didn't dive deep enough into it for me. Ala was very cool, at least. 

Overall, I'll wonder what I missed out on, but I'm okay waiting for a review with spoilers or for someone I know to read this. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and HarperTeen. 

I ended up DNFing ICARUS at 41%. I was going to try and push through to the end, but after careful deliberation, I've decided to shelve this. 

This novel follows Icarus Gallagher, a thief who spends his days muddling through high school and his nights replacing pieces of the wealthy Mr. Black's art collection with his father's masterful forgeries. Across tightly woven short chapters, Icarus meets Mr. Black's son Helios, imprisoned in the manor and desperate for a friend, and against his better judgment accepts a deal that could upend everything he's been working towards. 

I enjoyed the first inklings of their relationship, the layers and metaphors surrounding them, and I greatly enjoyed the prose. But overall, ICARUS felt... well, I'm not sure how else to put it other than shallow. It certainly had breadth, with a large cast despite Icarus' inner focus, and I have a multitude of screenshots of great lines, but I didn't feel any tension or draw to the story. I also found the book startlingly slow-paced despite the short length of the chapters which eventually turned the reading experience into a drag. I wanted to care about Icarus and Helios and their situation, but I didn't miss them or think about this book during my break from it. The story is missing something for me, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. 

I would still recommend this if you're into more slow-paced stories, heists & thieves, and gay relationships with a delicious sprinkling of religious metaphors. There are several quotes I'll be holding to my chest even though I had to give up on this one (and who knows, maybe I'll return to try again if Libby ever gets the audiobook). K. Ancrum is still an author I greatly admire, and I am looking forward to the other books on my list from her.