You've heard of: My Roommate is a Gumiho, now get ready for My Roommate is a Vampire.

If I could describe this book in one-word it would be: adorable. The book is a low stakes fun romance. We start off with Cassie needing a place to live and responding to Frederick's advertisement for a roommate. Cassie moves in a romance ensues. For a bit of the book they communicate with notes, written to each other which I really liked! It allowed for there to be insight into Frederick without a dedicated POV or paragraphs on their state of mind. I also liked that Frederick just bought Cassie a whole new kitchen basically, and if I knew how to cook I'd like for someone to buy me a new kitchen too.

Things didn't pick up romantically till about 70% in, which I really like I think it gave Levine the ability to set the scene more, and to have a more friends to lovers arc in my opinion as Cassie begins to teach Frederick how to order coffee and generally adapt to the new world. From then it was quite fast-paced but then again it had to be because there was only 30% of the book left, but it meant that plot points were going to have to emerge and be settled quickly too, because of that you kind feel either happy that you weren't in this conflict plotline for long, or you wonder 'maybe this was solved too quickly' leaving you feeling unsatisfied. I didn't mind, as I watched my kindle percentage progress I made peace with this type of conclusion.

Overall, I thought it was low stakes fun romance and worth a read, especially during the summer.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

 Fair Rosaline is a retelling if you will (runs in parallel to the original play) of Romeo and Juliet from Rosaline's perspective - remember her? The one who didn't die.

My favourite thing about this books was Rosaline and how realistic Solomons had written her. Knowing the time period and having read the play, I went in with this idea that Rosaline was pretty much going to have no character traits outside of well saving Juliet but for the wrong reasons. But I was gladly proved wrong. Rosaline was fleshed out to have interests, to have personal relationship (that weren't just superficial), she had a voice and she wasn't afraid to use it!

Not only that but Solomons uses Fair Rosaline to move away from the tragic romanticism that Romeo and Juliet makes us believe when we're young. Highlights the creepiness of Romeo going after thirteen year old Juliet, Friar Lawrence and his relationships with the star-crossed lovers and the abusive power dynamics of the whole thing.

To note a few things, Solomons' writing blends the Shakespearean and the modern, making Fair Rosaline more accessible which I really liked. I think that there's this perception that Shakespearean works is difficult and that you need a specific sort of background to really be able to understand the nuances of the language. You don't. Also, I liked that it turned into this whole other thing, I think it delivered exactly what it said it would: a retelling, taking the original text and then doing something completely different. Just don't get too attached to the original play and take it seriously.

To read or not to read? There is no question, please give Fair Rosaline, a fair go.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK, Manilla Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Having read book one: Daughter of Darkness last year I was excited to get into Queen of Gods.  I'm going to include the same sort of warning or PSA that I put in my last review, that this book "is what I would call Greek Mythology adjacent - in the same camp as Percy Jackson. It's not a retelling which I liked about this book, the Corr sisters make it their own." 

Queen of Gods, picks up where Daughter of Darkness leaves off - a cliff-hanger. But it dives straight in, we pick up immediately with Deina, Nat and whole group. In the spirt of trying my best to keep this review spoiler free but also entice you in, there is a love triangle. Now if you aren't a fan of triangles you will be a fan of the God of Death Thanatos who is a participant in this love triangle. Personally, I never liked Theron so there's that.

I was kind of fifty-fifty on the storyline, it went slightly all over the place for me at times and I felt as though I was losing sight of what actually we meant to be feeling, reading and what end we were trying to achieve. 

Overall, Queen of Gods wraps up the House of Shadows duology, and now that is it complete you can binge read both books!

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK, Hot Key Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a YA retelling of Persephone and Hades, is book one in a three book deal. I was drawn to this because I love Greek Mythology, but also because Fitzgerald was very clear that she had done her research and it showed! I thought the book was wonderfully researched and you knew where Fitzgerald had made conscious choices for example to not have Hades and Persephone be related. 

Other than that the book is very YA which is great, it does what it says on the cover. Persephone runs away to escape an arranged marriage (well jumps). There's an emphasis on how Persephone is wilful, strong-minded and if Hades just let her plan it would be really great. And Hades is the supportive character wanting her to succeed. This is very much a ' YA girl boss' retelling but without the modernisation of a present day setting.

Overall, would recommend, Fitzgerald was accurate as possible whilst retelling the story of Hades and Persephone in her own way. My Waterstones exclusive edition is on the way, excuse me while I go wait by the window for it.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s UK, Penguin for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Immortal Longings is Chloe Gong's debut Adult Fantasy inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Princess Calla Tuoleimi is in hiding; feeling after murdering her parents to liberate the people of Talin and has one person left on her hit list: her uncle King Kasa. Calla enters the games as the victor is given the opportunity to great the King. 

From the get go, you'll definitely feel The Hunger Games 'vibes', two people - boy and girl, competing in a deadly game, become entangled and have to choose what they're fighting for under a tyrannical king... but I would say that's where the similarities end. Gong places an emphasis on the world building and making the world her own and bringing the reader in. The world building is info dumping at some points but I would say that it's necessary to isolate the world in it's own right (as I originally thought the book was related to Gong's other works), however it was a tad inconsistent perhaps if the information had been spread more evenly throughout the book? But also I prefer having all the information from the start, so I suppose it's personal preference.

I also think is book was not an Adult Fantasy, more new adult. When I think of Adult Fantasy I think of Tide Child, I think Robin Hobb, not really word for word but the style of writing is more Adult, the language in conversations is more mature. I can't really put my finger on it but I've read Foul Lady Fortune and to me both that and this have a similar essence.

Overall, I thought Immortal Longings was a great adult debut, and I look forward for my copy arrive and eagerly await book two.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.