DNF @ page 120
I'm as surprised by this as you

DNF @ page 75

Me at sexism

now I'm not totally sure why the book has the content and characters that it does...and the publisher gave it these covers. Strong girl fighting against the roadblocks sexist society have put in her way while joining the suffragettes and working on her art career
Publisher: put a white girl in a dress without a face

I loved the main characters and the romance. I loved her passion and maneuvering at each road block. She's smart and determined...which is why I hate that cover more.

Okay this was actually adorable. It has a lot of elements of other big series like A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Box and the Dragonfly and even some Sherlock Holmes. Max is a really likeable character who just loves finding solutions to things. His grandma is an interesting character too. I know their disappearance I'd the mystery but I just found the little bit of time where we got Max's parents was so interesting. I wanted more of them! All of Max's surrounding cast were enjoyable. Def picking up the sequels soon.

Plot: yassssssssss
Cover: ...ehhhhhh...

Actual review:
This book should have been left with the title The Red Bridge Wars. It made sense. It was tied into the book and setting. The cover looks cheap and flat. They should've incorporated a stag with a tattoo or something.

I liked the end of this but the whole thing was destroyed by the awful and unnecessary romances. Everything was rushed through and I wasn't given enough time to get attached to anyone.

First of all...you cannot convince me Red is not Jamie Fraser. He is. Just facts.


I loved this book. Chloe & Red were awesome and both flawed but good for each other. I loved the handyman trope. I'm tres down for that plus the struggling artist...just yes for me.

Now I am not an own voices reviewer but my interest in this was SUPER PEAKED when I first heard about it because of the chronic illness rep. I know quite a few people who struggle with that but haven't read a book with that rep in this. Hearing from one of them that she got teary eyed at the rep because she'd never seen herself in a book like that...it's good. I love that we have this "diverse books are needed" attitude now but we need to expand diversity from sexual orientation and race.

Rep: chronic illness & black own voices, plus size & male domestic abuse survivor rep

gosh this was adorable and has...just a TON of elements from pop culture in my childhood.
Neglectful guardian aunt & uncle
Vague blurry memory of parents death
Inexplicably sent to magical place
Makes friends with smarty pants
Weird kinda sketchy Headmaster--I mean...Hotel Director that watches from a distance and helps when needed.
Random magic around Hogwart--I mean...hotel
*stares in Harry Potter*

I really loved the two kids. They're curious and smart and kinda odd balls with kids their own age but find this home at the hotel with these fellow weird adults. The mystery itself was actually a bit more dark than I was expecting. I loved the concept of the Winterhouse hotel a lot. I'm curious how they're going to flesh that out over the next couple books.

RTC

3.5/5

This was a weirdly interesting book with a very abrupt ending. I liked the scary stories all the evil professors told but I think my ultimate favourite was the one about the guy who married and kills his wife for her land. Some of the stories were just meh and I wasn't particularly into the dinner scenes for some reason. There was also weird changes in the formatting with some sections italicized and others not but...without any obvious reason.

Gosh this was a beautiful book. I loved January. I loved this fantasy tie in but also the establishment of the historical side so we know the conflicts of race since they very much do play a roll. I don't know that I 100% comprehend the traveling and magic that January has but it was cool and it all made sense. This is definitely a book I'll come back to and notice something new every time.

Rep: Black rep