I think the best way of explaining my newfound love for Sad Nuggie is by relaying the notes I took while reading this precious little book. So, please enjoy the following sampling of my thoughts.

(Contains very minimal spoilers).

1. Oh my god sad nuggie is so relatable but I also don’t want sad nuggie to cry!! 
2. SAD NUGGIE IS HAVING ADVENTURES! 

3. Legitimately scared the goose is going to eat Sad Nuggie 

4. NOOOOO THE ICE CREAM 

5. Nuggie, that’s not how therapy is supposed to work 

6. Clearly mini-golf is a universal experience of either this or unparalleled success and there is no in between 

7. Chicken nugget affirmations for success is something literally everyone needs to read 

8. Having just come back from work, Nuggie’s office/work experience is excruciatingly correct 

9. DON’T YOU DARE EAT SAD NUGGIE, SEAGULLS 
10. Did not have Sad Nuggie accidentally making macabre statement art on my bingo card 

11. Oh my god, how great would salsa class be if that’s what it was? 

12. Omg not the dating app being called Tender 

13. Am… am I Sad Nuggie? 

In conclusion (to this extremely weird way of leaving a review), I have to say that this quick, lighthearted trip into the world of Sad Nuggie is truly delightful. It is so cute and irreverent, and the illustrations are precious. Either from just observing Sad Nuggie's progress in therapy or seeing yourself in Sad Nuggie (and realizing all the things you want Sad Nuggie to do to take care of themself also applies to you), I highly encourage anyone and everyone to read this. It's a very sweet romp that'll make you smile, and sometimes, that's all we can ask of ourselves.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrew McNeels Publishing for the digital ARC!

This is such a sweet, tender book. The graphics are lovely, and the writing is very soothing. While primarily being an illustrated book about the thoughts of her cat, George, author Caroline Bell's words really leave you in a relaxed mood. The metaphors and word choices just feel cozy. I'm not sure if there's a better way to describe it. The book offers you a warm feeling, even if you just want to look at the cute illustrations of George. Some pages are repetitive, but I'd argue that they could also be viewed as meditative, if you're just slowly reading the book in your own company to slow your day down.

If you want something different to calm down any cat-lover in your life (you, yourself count!), I'd definitely suggest picking this up! I mean, there's a picture of George as a knight in here. I don't think you can get much cuter than that.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for the digital ARC! 

And thanks to Caroline and George, who clearly have life figured out :)

Oh, my god. That cliffhanger is CRIMINAL. 

Night Shade was a bit of a detour for me. I’ve been leaning heavily into fantasy lately, as contemporary fiction hasn’t grabbed me as much. But, WOW, did this book grab me and not let go. 

Ophelia is determined to get revenge on behalf of her parents. Their murder was covered up so thoroughly that it’s like they simply went missing. Now she’s taking the last lifeline she has—a free ride to a university her parents thoroughly warned her away from, and the site of their murder. Getting information on the man who helped carry out the hit and cover it up is all Ophelia can think about. So it’s rather unfortunate that upon her arrival, she immediately runs into the perpetrator’s obnoxiously attractive (and just obnoxious) son. But she should be more concerned by the fact that her new roommate keeps threatening her life, and that she seems to have a mysterious stalker determined to drive her insane. 

I. Am. Feral for the MMC in this one. He has an incredible morality despite being fundamentally morally grey in his goals, and he and the FMC are so perfect for each other. Their relationship builds in a way that actually feels natural, and their banter is truly top-notch. The book does have the sort of drama you’d find in a darker teen TV show, but it hits all the right notes. The location is unsettling, the lore of it eerie, and the cast of characters (read: fellow students) littered with the untrustworthy and untouchable children of the world’s elite and despicable. Simultaneously, these same people gain depth even in the periphery of the main characters. I’d have liked to see even more of them, but the chemistry between Ophelia and Alex is so good that I’m happy to focus my attention on them. 

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, if dark, read. It’s filled with romance and conspiracies and I cannot wait until the second book comes out. 

So many thanks to NetGalley and Zando for giving me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really tried to like this book. Especially coming off of a drawing class where I studied and attempted to make a copy of a Monet, I found the characters' discussion of learning by forging masters' works very interesting. Similarly, I enjoy art and history, and it's clear the author really loves and knows quite a lot about the subject. That said, the occasional insertion of mini-lessons on history, both of art and war, while relevant, kept me from ever getting fully immersed in the story. Perhaps it's also because I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction (largely do to a history of reading the genre for school and being inundated with lessons that similarly take me out of the story itself), but at times there were several historical figures whose names I didn't specifically know. I could infer what their roles in WWII were based on context, but it also made me feel as though I may not be intelligent enough to "get" the story if I couldn't follow every single mention. I can't think of a particular time I've ever felt rather condescended to by a book, aside from the occasional dry textbook I may have had in school.

The two main characters also frustrated me. While they did gain more dimensionality as the story progressed, I simply became more and more confused by their backstories as things unraveled. Once it was revealed (I believe) who the forgery was completed by a bit before halfway through the book, I felt some vindication for being correct in my assumption, slightly annoyed that the revelation had come so early, and unsure of what to think about how it changed what I'd previously read. Perhaps it is meant to be some big plot twist, but it sadly fell flat for me.

Truly, however, my decision to stop reading came very shortly after a surprise appearance of Pierce Brosnan. That name drop itself startled me enough, and forced me to examine if I truly cared to discover how the rest of the story unfolded when I was so dissatisfied with the progression of the main characters. 

I will attempt to pick this up at a later date, and I believe anyone who is either in the art world or loves art history will find this book very interesting. While it did not capture my imagination in the way I'd hoped it would, I know The English Masterpiece will be a source of joy for many readers who'd like a little mystery in their art. 

Current rating: 2 stars

This is so silly. I love books like this; ones that celebrate the absurdity of life and of our minds. The illustrations are lovely, the titles often reminiscent of my own thought process, and it’s quick to get through. 

It’ll certainly make you examine how your own brain works, even if you’re just there for the irreverence and the art. 

I started this on a whim. I’d seen the Fairyloot edition, was curious about the story, and ended up finishing the book in one night (well, at 3 AM, to be more specific). And I’m really glad I took a chance on this book I’d otherwise not known about. 

The Glittering Edge is a witchy YA novel centering around the generational feud between two families, and the girl who’s inadvertently brought right into the middle of it. The magic and mystery of the feud itself was fascinating. The three main characters trying to navigate the complete unknowns facing them (Alonso, whose magic could condemn his entire family, Corey, whose curse and planned future rule his life, and Penny, whose mother has become the latest victim of Corey’s family curse) feel very real. The traumas they’ve experienced and the dangerous nature of their interactions weigh heavily on them, but their collective strength and tribulations are written so well. They feel extremely relatable, in spite of the magic of it all; however, because I am well past being a teenager, I couldn’t quite relate to them myself. But that shouldn’t take away from the story at all for anyone else. I’m just about fifteen years too old to relate properly with a 17-year old. (Insert likely outdated and “cringy” emoji here). 

If you’re a fan of family blood feuds, conspiracies, trying to understand the inherent magic of love and coming of age stories, I highly encourage you to pick up this book!

This Princess Kills Monsters takes fairy tales and their tropes, mixes them into one world, and turns them on their head-- and it's hilarious. The overarching theme of stories and the power of them and how they're told really resonated with me.

Melilot's keeps going on impossible quests. The most recent of which relies on Melilot getting past three sphinxes determined to eat her, but not before she solves some riddles and listens to some bad poetry. But that quest is rendered null and void when she comes across her half-sisters Calla and Jonquil, who've already completed said quest. Melilot is understandably annoyed; not at her sisters, really, but at the evil nag of a queen (her stepmother, naturally) who keeps assigning her tasks while still showing blatant favoritism to her own daughters. Melilot's rebelled before; but that didn't end well. So when her stepmother announces she's to go to another kingdom and marry their King, there's not much that she can do about it. So she's off to meet her appointed fiancé when her carriage is attacked by bizarre hybrid monsters and she's rescued by six (of twelve) identical masked men. It's clear nothing around her can be trusted, so Melilot pretends to be her own handmaiden to try to get to the bottom of this latest ridiculous quest, and hopefully avoid death or a loveless marriage.

This book has the absolute funniest prologue I think I've ever read. I was literally crying from laughter. I don't really annotate books, but I highlighted SO many funny parts on my digital copy to amuse myself again later. Ry Herman's prose also intricately weaves all sorts of fairy tales and folktales together seamlessly, so you immediately appreciate the ridiculousness of various tropes and scenarios. With the juxtaposition of the two kingdoms, they show how both extremes can be utterly nonsensical, from Skalla's magical yet convoluted land in which all tales exist simultaneously and in unexpected ways, or with Tailliz's mundane, conservative nature where fear and tradition rule. 

I really enjoyed the first half of the book; sadly, once Melilot

turns into a lake

, the sequence of events became far less clear to me. It was harder to follow and understand what exactly was happening until the climax, which was rather jarring. I'd also have preferred to have the characters fleshed out a bit more, so it felt like the stakes were higher. 

All of that said, I still found the book a fun read, and would 100% recommend it to anyone who can appreciate the chaos of fairy tales and nursery rhymes while also acknowledging they're inherently ridiculous. If you loved Disney films and fairytales growing up and can laugh about it now (and think Enchanted is one of Disney's best works), this is a great book to pick up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Kierse is not just a thief--she's an incredible thief. Probably one of the best in New York. After learning her trade the difficult way (with a violent mentor who envied her skill), she's settled into a routine, living with her best friends Gen and Ethan at Gen's mother's brothel. Her jobs help provide her with a safety net, living in post-Monster War New York, now ruled by gangs and the extraordinary wealth gap between citizens. When she takes on an especially difficult mission, she's surprised at how easy it seems... until the owner of the house she's been hired to steal from confronts her... and offers her a deal that could give her the ability to get revenge for her ex-girlfriend's kidnapping, and to take her, Gen, and Ethan to a newer, safer home.

I devoured this book. The weaving of Celtic mythology, paranormal elements, and post(supernatural)war setting was very well executed, and the plot was thrilling. The heist aspects of the story are the most prominent, but the relationships between the characters are what really make the book shine. Despite the short time period in which it takes place, Kierse and Graves' relationship still feels honest, as they're both victims of various traumas, both external and self-perpetuated. The world that KA Linde has created, as well, is lush, dark, and hauntingly beautiful. Different gangs and goings-on in different boroughs and areas of the city made me feel that much more immersed in the locale, lending a supernatural/monstrous version of NYC more believability (keep in mind I do not live there and am not the biggest fan of the subway system, but Linde still makes it feel accessible in the book). While certain aspects of the story (read: certain hidden identities) felt obvious to me, other reveals were quite unexpected. The cliffhanger may seem light, but I absolutely NEED more. This universe clearly has so much to offer, and I can't wait to get further into it!

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When I first saw a description of this book, I immediately added it to my TBR. This was months before I joined NetGalley and started leaning into review writing. Being accepted to review it as an ARC was an unexpected joy. And after completing it, I have to say reading it was worth all of the anticipation.

Whisked Away is my first foray into the Omegaverse, and it absolutely delivered. The story revolves around Reiyana, the newly-awakened Omega princess of Aethonia, one of the nine kingdoms of Issoirea. She despises the caste system in place in the world that now renders her future desires moot. Alphas are invited to a contest to prove their worth, at the end of which, she is to declare one of them her future husband. Her now-abandoned relationship with a Beta male, Castiel, grates, and she refuses to see any Alpha as anything but what she's known them to be her entire life: cruel, unrelenting, and violent men who do not care for the safety or choices an Omega may long for. When half-brother Alpha princes, Kaelendrin and Alarik, win the competition on a lark, everything changes. Reiya is almost immediately forced to confront the future she's wanted and the reality she's been given, and nothing of the world is what it seems.

I greatly enjoyed this one! While some elements that I've heard of in the Omegaverse aren't quite to my liking, this was a great introduction, as it reads like a standard romantasy with a sweeping backstory and intricate worldbuilding. It's clear there's so much more to unravel in the series, and I am very eager to discover what's coming next. 

So many thanks to NetGalley and the Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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If you read Fourth Wing and wished it was mythical birds instead of dragons, or simply want a cure to your Fourth Wing hangover, this is the book for you!

Taking place in a world inspired by the Roman Empire, Feathers of Ash and Hope is a compelling, but familiar, romantasy. It is set in a magical academy for skyriders: those who bond to a mythical bird to help protect the borders of their world, marked by mists that swarm with monsters and other enemies. 

Ara has spent her life with four overprotective brothers and a secret that could get her and her whole family killed for harboring her. She is cursed; magic-resistant and damned by decree as a result. But she and her family have kept her safe for twenty years, and she’s ready to shed the upcoming expectation to be married off. She then decides to join one of the aeries in the kingdom and become a skyrider, but to protect herself (and prevent her brothers from finding out), she enrolls with a false name and pretends to be a boy. Of course, she’s not the only one at the academy with secrets, and running into her childhood crush also wasn’t in her plans.

Even if some things are slightly predictable (mostly the Binding-related reveal that I won’t spoil here), I had a great time with this book. Unfortunately, that also meant I was so invested that I read until I finished it around 3am this morning, but my life choices are irrelevant. Feathers of Hope and Ash is clearly just the start to what I’m sure will prove to be another hit romantasy series. 

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Edwyn Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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