If B. K Borison has one fan it’s me.

Heavenly Bodies is an otherworldly adventure with stunning world building all contained in a romantasy novel. 

I enjoyed Heavenly Bodies, I didn’t think I would, there was one line at the start that made me cringe inside but I carried on and I was reworded. Erriu strikes a perfect balance between romance and fantasy, creating a rich world with an interesting mythology, detailed world building and a magic system you want to be a part of. But at the same time it’s very easy to understand, you’re not struggling at all reading Heavenly Bodies with Erriu easing you into all the concepts.

Enzo is just perfect, I love an MMC that is just totally obsessed with his girl, I’m a sucker for the whole “will do anything for her” energy that he exudes. Enzo and Elaras relationship is also so cute and in my opinion well done, there’s a level of trust in the relationship that makes it so believable.

I’m so angry at myself for not finding this book when it was indie published, because that ending… I don’t know what to do.

Thank you to Penguin, Imani Erriu and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I cannot put into words how much I love this book. When B K Borison wrote at the back that they wanted to write a love letter to love they meant it. I’m just in love with love and First-Time Caller. Easily, the best romance I’ve read this year, followed closely by Lovelight Farms which I immediately went to read after finishing this. I don’t think I’ve ever had a crush on an author before but I am crushing hard on B K Borison.

In a few words: “First Time Caller is utter perfection”.

First Time Caller is a perfect romance inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, if you can please read it!

Thank you to B. K. Borison, Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so fun and cute. Exactly what I need to get me out of a slump.

I first came across this author through her fanfiction 'In Silence and Submission' which is a dramione fanfic, then read 'The Gallows' and now 'Ruin'. Gillian Eliza West can write and I will read everything she writes. Ruin is wonderful, it brings the themes and character interaction that I remember fondly from her fan fiction into a world that is truly her own. The romance between  Oralia and Renwick is to die for and the world building is chef's kiss the mythology West explores creates a world you can map out in your mind to the dot. I'm beyond excited for book 2.

I'm sorry but if I told my man, don't tell people x, y and z and then he went and told everyone x, y and z I would dip so fast.

There is so much to love about Thirst. I can’t begin to tell you just how well written it is, there’s this air about where the language pulls you in from the beginning and you are hooked straight away. There are two POVs in Thirst, first belongs to our vampire who remains nameless throughout the novel, and Alma, a mother to Santiago and daughter to a dying mother.

I should also note that I highlighted a quote straightaway that sat with me, that people through the statues and sculptures in mausoleums and on graves, “pay for the right of poetry in death”. 

The first part of the novel focuses on the 18th century, we follow our vampires journey as she eats her way from creation in Europe to modern day Buenos Aires, where her story intersects with Alma. There is so much to adore about part one. The way Yuszczuk explores the vampires personal history twined the history of Buenos Aires is brilliantly translated, with parts feeling almost tangible in your mind. The vampire’s past whilst brutal is expertly explored, her conflict with her thirst but also with the people around her and her agency. 

The second part of the book followed Alma, who has separated from her partner and is a mother to a young boy named Santiago, she contends with her dying mother throughout the second part. It was fairly obvious how their lives were going to intersect by the end of part one but it didn’t make the meeting any less interesting. Seeing the way that time had and hadn’t affected the vampire was nice, the vampire was still a slave to her baser instincts but continued to have substance to her. I admit I did think Alma was too easily swayed by the vampire and the ending in my mind didn’t make sense that Alma would choose to walk, but as the ending was opening I like to imagine her turning around.

I would very much recommend this, I think it achieves its goal of being a feminist Gothic Vampire novel, the ending won’t please everyone but you can’t deny that Thirst is brilliantly written.

Thank you to Marina Yuszczuk, Scribe UK and Nicola at Scribe for the review copy. All opinions are my own.