Five things I loved about The Fixer Upper:

1. From the very beginning, this book felt like a 90s/00s rom-com, to the point that I would lie awake at night trying to cast it. (Coincidentally, who IS the British version of Kate Hudson?) It was comfortable without being totally predictable. A HEA was practically guaranteed, but the path wasn’t obvious or boring.

2. The cast of supporting characters was wonderful. The business partners turned best friends, the parents with a messy history, the social media star girlfriend, the horrible boss, Helena Bonham Barker… each fit their respective role perfectly. I hope Tola gets her own story, because her fearlessness and drive were pretty mesmerizing.

3. The girl power! I thought to portrayal of women in the workforce was amazing, particularly how they have to wade so carefully through any interaction that may be seen as emotional. There is a whole women supporting women undercurrent that didn’t feel forced or gimmicky, and that’s not always easy to pull off!

4. Dylan. I don’t think words can express how much I adored this love interest. He was messy and earnest and fantastic. Together, Dylan and Aly were perfectly idiotic marshmallows and I just freaking love them.

5. Aly is a hell of a heroine. There is a fine line to walk where an assertive character is charming vs. overbearing, made even more complicated when that character is a woman. Aly had a plan— multiple plans, in fact!— and stuck to procedure as much as possible… until she couldn’t. When things went wrong was truly where Aly’s vulnerability came through, and I thought it was done incredibly well. Aly in control and Aly out of control were both equally lovable characters.

I am incredibly stingy with 5-star ratings, but The Fixer Upper earned that particular accolade and then some. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved everything. I cannot wait for this book to be released, so I can hold an actual copy in my hands. Until then, thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being unfamiliar with Rachel Griffin’s previous work, I went into this book with very few expectations. Sometimes a story with an interesting sounding plot delivers the goods, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Wild is the Witch delivered, and then some.

I think I loved every single aspect of this story: the writing, the setting (a rainy PNW forest wonderland, just what my parched soul needed!), the magic system… but most of all, I loved the characters. Pike was an absolute dreamboat of a cute nerd, with his ability to switch from sarcasm to tender observation at the drop of a hat. But Iris, our heroine, spoke directly to my heart. As somebody who lives with generalized anxiety disorder, I related so strongly with Iris’s struggles. Anxiety isn’t always panic attacks; it’s often a quiet, constant doubt, making you question every move. This isn’t always well represented in media, but I think Griffin did an incredible job with Iris’s anxiety. It felt very real, in a way I have read only once or twice before. I truly felt myself falling head over heels for these characters the more I read, and I know this story will live with me for a very long time.

Thank you so much to the punisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC of this book!

Clara Johnson can commune with spirits, acting as a reluctant intermediary between her world and Over There. When things start to go terribly amiss in Clara’s neighborhood, she enlists both friends and new faces alike for a heist that ends up being a lot more than anybody bargained for!

The writing of this story was absolutely incredible. Author Leslye Penelope writes with a strong voice that adds to the story immeasurably. The characters, main and secondary, were all fleshed out in a way you truly don’t see that often. Any member of the heist crew could easily have their own story after the solid foundations Penelope gave them. Zelda in particular, whose backstory included being sold to a circus as a sideshow act, could have been a set dressing with quippy one-liners like a lot of best friend characters tend to be. But she had this whole big LIFE and actually added a great deal to the story besides comedic relief. Most of the characters struggled with the repercussions of ill-fated deals, and the emotions that wrought were almost palpable at times. The setting— Washington, DC in the 1920s— was also really well done. Penelope mentions in the author’s notes that she had originally planned to set the story in New York City, but I really liked the muggy DC atmosphere and am glad she chose it.

I’ve seen a few reviews that characterize this as a fun, quick heist novel, but I’m not sure that characterization is 100% accurate. Yes, it was quick paced and certainly fun at times, but a lot of the story centers on racism and classism. There are also instances of police brutality, abandonment, death, and assault. Penelope tackles very real issues that many people deal with today, and some readers may be sensitive to that. This book is wonderful and I recommend it with my whole heart, but I don’t want anybody to be caught unaware.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Redhook Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a contrary heroine and a prince who hates how much he loves her. Add in some deception (okay, A LOT of deception!) and a sprinkling of fairytale magic, and you’ve got yourself a winning story! Eagerly awaiting book 2!

The Drowned Woods is a retelling of the Welsh myth of Cantref Gwaelod, which I had never heard before. It’s hailed as the Welsh Atlantis, which I can see: Cantref Gwaelod is a kingdom lost to the sea. In the old tale, Mererid is a maiden who neglects a well that then floods the land; in The Drowned Woods, Mererid is a frigging hero!

So what do a water diviner, a fighter who doesn’t want to hurt people, the heiress to the thieves guild, a man of mysterious origin, a scholar with debts, and an ex-spymaster have in common? A heist, of course! This ragtag team bands together to find the magic well in order to steal the treasure found in its depths. But obviously things are complicated and plans go awry, otherwise this would have been a very short story.

This book is a fast, easy read full of action. As somebody who maybe empathizes too strongly with fictional characters at times, I found myself genuinely shocked at some of the outcomes. I also full on sobbed towards the end, so maybe have a few Kleenex within reach. Overall, The Drowned Woods was really fun and full of Welsh mythology that was brand new to me. I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

The problem with writing reviews sometimes is that my feelings can be best expressed through various screeching noises. I finished reading The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy last night and have theoretically had HOURS to collect my thoughts into some semblance of coherence, but I just want to scream and scream and scream…



I loved this book, full stop. At what my Kindle said was 3% of the way through the entire story— so not even done with chapter 1 yet— I set aside everything and preordered a signed copy. 3%! I was hooked IMMEDIATELY. From the absolute beginning, the banter between Hart and Mercy was flawless. The “you’re incredibly hot but I hate your guts” vibes were immaculate. Leonard the dog was perfect.

I think maybe what was so exciting about this book was how unexpected it was. I don’t know if I just didn’t read the blurb correctly or what, but I was expecting something… Victorian, maybe? More prim and proper, but with this seedy dead body situation, kind of like Anatomy: A Love Story. So when I got You’ve Got Mail but with zombies and demigods and a Wild West sort of feel, it was a complete surprise. And then it veered into tender and heartbreaking and hilarious and sweet, and my world was rocked yet again. I wish I had the ability to describe in words exactly how much I adore this world and these characters, but even now I’m on the brink of tears thinking about it. The only complaint I have about the whole thing is that I wanted the epilogue to be 400x longer so I could bask in the ending until my heart was ready to say goodbye. Honestly though, that probably still wouldn’t have been long enough.



Thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this incredible book. You have my undying love and devotion.

This book broke me for a hot minute. You sort of get lulled into a false sense of security-- yes things are a mess, but there's a fairly clear path forward and it will be fine. Then the two squishy idiots in love go talk to freaking Queen Mab of all people (fae?) and suddenly you're texting your husband while he's at work to tell him that the world is ending and also can he bring home some Gatorade because you're for sure dangerously dehydrated from all the crying. Lexi Ryan really threw some hairpin turns into this series, which I appreciate but also hate because WHY WOULD SHE DO THIS TO ME. It's fine, everything is fine. I really enjoyed this book and thought it tied up the series nicely. Now if Ms. Ryan could please give Misha his own book and include exactly 0 moments that make me sob uncontrollably, that would be great!

This book was an absolute joy to read. The family dynamics and depiction of grief were wonderful, but the romance between Florence and Ben stole the freaking show. I adore a good grumpy/sunshine story, and this was that trope x100000. Ben was so straight-laced and serious, but secretly harbored a big soft heart. Florence was quirky and fun without straying into manic pixie dream girl territory (ick). I just loved them so much, and I loved this book, and everything is wonderful when it comes to The Dead Romantics.