JULy WRAP Up

Hey! This has been a super great month and I was able to read a lot more than I thought so I’m excited to share with you!

A Song of Silver and Gold by Melissa Karibian
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Beneath The Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Enemy by Sarah Adams
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella
Review: Here

Rating:4/5

Float Plan by Trish Doller
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Review: Here

Rating: 3/5

Harvest Moon by Annabel Chase & Tana Grey
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella
Review: Here

Rating: 3/5

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
Genre: Adult, Horror, Gothic
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Magic of Found Objects by Maggie Dawson
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

One of The Girls by Lucy Clarke
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Pink Moon by Annabel Chase & Tara Gray
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Sentence by Louise Edrich
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 3/5

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

The Beach Trap by Ali Brady
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Shorefall

“Remember the plan,” said Sancia. “I just also remember there’s a lot of spots in the plan that say, ‘Sancia improvises a bunch of shit.’ Which is not, you know, comforting.”

Having narrowly saved the metropolis of Tevanna from destruction, Sancia Grado and her allies have turned their next task: sowing the seeds of a full on magical industrial revolution and if they succeed, the secrets behind scriving, the art of imbuing every day objects with sentience will be accessible to all the citizens of Tevanna, much to the displeasure of robber-barrons who were keeping this knowledge all to themselves. They must act quickly as an enemy of Sancia’s is pursuing a desperate gambit to awaken an immortal figure straight out of legend known as the heriophant and if awakened, he’ll stop at nothing to rebuild the world in his horrifying image.

The more and more I read of this trilogy, the more I love it. This one was just as exciting and fun as the first book but with more action and heartwarming moments. Sancia and her allies are so kind hearted with wanting to give back to the people of Tevanna who have lived in under fear and terror with it’s current regime. The author does a really good job with the parallels between this world and real life and I think that’s what makes this trilogy so good. I’m on the last book now and I’m taking my time with it because I don’t want it to end but I will checking out more of the author’s books because their writing is so good. The magic system is so interesting, so much of it is rooted in science that I felt confused and would’ve liked to be more alive but along with the world-building it’s hard to put this series down. A really fantastic and wild ride from beginning to end!

Book Review: FoundrySide #1

“Do you feel free? Or do you feel, perhaps, like you have stolen yourself?”

If there is anyone who is good at being a thief, Sancia Grado is the best and her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But, what she doesn’t know is that she has been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The houses who control this magic have already used to transform Tevanne into a remorseless, capitalist machine but if they could unlock the artifacts secrets they will be able to rewrite the world for their aims.

This is such a fucking fantastic series, I am totally obsessed with it and I’m currently working on the third book right now. They’re so well written and the world-building is just incredible, I feel like I’m actually there and that’s always one way to get to invest in the story. If it doesn’t have good world-building then I’ll mostly like DNF it unless the characters are really well done. The first book had me hooked from the get go and I do love how Barrett made this universe so real as the people who want the artifact only want it so they can have more power and control of millions of people and that is very relevant in today’s world. It just felt so real and I loved all of the characters especially Sancia, she’s so fiery, brave, compassionate, and willing to take on the task so matter how dangerous and deadly it is. I will have a review of the second book out soon so be on the lookout!

BOOK Review: ONe Of The Girls

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It was supposed to be the perfect weekend vacation for Lexi’s upcoming wedding that was just around the corner and all the girls were excited about spending it soaking up the sun, drinking martinis, and having fun while trying not to get into too much trouble. But, beneath the dangerous undercurrents, suspicious between the women began mount as each women is hiding a secret and someone is trying to make sure that Lexi’s wedding never happens and that one of them doesn’t leave the island once the trip is over. If the women don’t put aside their suspicious before it’s too late, there may not even be a wedding.

While the start was pretty slow, it picked up towards the middle and I was hooked till the end. The writing was what really helped me stay invested and I loved how well throughout the characters were and Lexi and Bella were the ones I liked and related to the most. It was a little challenging with so many POV’s and some weren’t as interesting as the others but I got used to it. There were surprises that I didn’t see coming which is always a good sign of a mystery living up the hype and being true to the genre. A lot of times there are books that I’ve read that were proposing but I could tell early on what was going to happen. So all in all, it was a fun and exciting thriller!!

Book Review: The Enemy

“I feel my heart physically crack a little. It’s both painful and healing at the same time.”

It’s been twelve years since June Bug saw Ryan Henderson, the man who outsmarted her in a game of wits. If she had her way, she’d never cross paths with him again but all that fails when she gets news that Ryan will be showing up for her best friend’s wedding. A lot of time has passed since that fateful day and June is a different person, she’s owns a successful bakery and plans to rub that in his face. If all goes to plan, June will have her revenge on Ryan but fate has other plans in store for June.

Originally, I was going to write a review for this because it was so bad but I changed my mind. The summary made me believe it was enemy to lovers which is one of my favorites and it was a poorly attempt at it because they were pining for each other while not liking one another and that’s not what the trope is. So that was a bummer but that’s not what I disliked the most about this book. At first, I liked June who is one of the main characters as I found her interesting but quickly she began to really annoy me with how she was acting towards Ryan. While I do understand her hesitancy with future relationships because of her past, she came off as very immature at times not willing have to communication in a n effective way so there wouldn’t be anymore misunderstandings. She was being petty and annoying and this is where I started to lose my invested in the book, she was very unlikable and not in a good way. The romance also felt very forced so it was hard to really believe that they really liked each other, it was not a good book. I’m bummed because this trope is one of my favorites and when it’s poorly done, it makes me sad.

BOOK REVIEW: JUST LIKE HOME

“This house, the house her father built, the house where her mother would die—this place was safe. This place knew her. This place was where she belonged.”

As much as Vera wanted to disobey her mother’s words to come home, she knew that she couldn’t continue to run anymore. She had to face the memories that she had buried deep never to think about them again, to the home that she grew up in and the home of a serial killer. To make matters worse, she’s not alone as there is a parasitic artist is living in the guest house while also stripping up her childhood home. Even though he swears, he’s not the one writing letters in her father’s handwriting, she can’t help but be on her guard a bit more when he’s around. In order to deal with her past, she must face the secrets that will be discovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder house.

This book was so fucking creepy but at the same time so freaking good. I was on the edge of my seat as I turned the page as I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t think it would be this creepy. The writing really helped set the mood and I found myself very invested from the beginning and even though it was slow in some parts, I felt as though the pacing was right. Vera is quite an interesting and intriguing character and I did feel for her especially during the parts about her childhood in particular the relationship with her mother. I think that’s something I strongly related to her as I’ve had my own problems with my mother but not to this extent. It’s always hard to read about relationships like this and I thought the way the author handled it was very well done and cheesy. Vera’s family is incredibly complicated, I mean what do you do when you’re the child of a infamous serial killer? This is a spooky and fun book that will leave you wanting more so I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Juniper and Thorn

“Magic is the first sip of good wine that makes the edges of your vision blur. Magic is the cool breeze of the boardwalk at night and organ music in the air. Magic is landing a grand jeté and nearly going deaf with hate crowd’s applause. Magic is the low flicker of tavern lights and the girl your courting leaning close so you can kiss.”

Spending most of her time with her sisters, Marlinchen who longs for adventure in the big city has spend most of days trying to please her transphobic and tyrannical father who keeps the girls under his close guard. But, one fateful night is about to change all that as Marlinchen finally convinces her sisters to come with her on a night out and experience what they truly long for with being away from their father. This is where Marlinchien meets a mysterious dancer who captures her heart and soon her visits become more frequent and feverish and the longer this goes on, the more risky it becomes as her father, Oblya starts to become more suspicious. But, before anyone can make their move, a threat is looming and Marlinchen must figure out what path she wants to take before it’s too late.

This book was wild and I’m still not sure how I feel about it overall as there were parts were I felt like what was happening was more for shock value and not having anything to do with the plot. So that did take away from the book but I did enjoy the other aspects of it. I don’t really read a lot of horror so this was a nice surprise and I did enjoy the writing and how the author created this magical world with excellent world-building because it made me feel like I was really there. That’s something that I need to be able to invest in the story because when it’s not there, I lose interest very quickly which can take away from the entire novel itself. Another part that was a bit much for me is that it felt like the characters especially Marlinchen and Sevss were always wanting to jump into bed with one another. While I do like smut, I like it to be realistic and it just felt like she was adding it without any real purpose for it. I feel like I would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t for these flaws but I know other people will so it all works out in the end.

Book Review: Something Wilder

“He’d loved Lily so deeply that it changed his biology. Standing here now, it seemed his love for her hadn’t gone away, it had just been vacuum-sealed and stored. Back in her presence, the physical memory of his infatuation was released in a deluge, gasping to life, and adrenaline flooded his bloodstream.”

Growing up as the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father, Duke Wilder left, Lily without much patience for the profession or money in the bank. But, as always, she will find a way to make things work she does just that. Finding a way to pay her bills but also continue carrying on the legacy of treasure hunting, Lily is looking forward to this new found journey. If only, Leo Grady didn’t show up with his new band of friends, things would be perfect and now she has to deal with the man she once loved, the man who broke her heart and if she had her way she’d take him out to the desert and leave him there. But, as fate has other plans for Lily and Leo.

While I didn’t character for the romance, I loved the other parts of the book especially the characters, Lily and Leo. I honestly would’ve preferred Lily on her own because there was something about Leo that felt off and I did find her very relatable. The romance takes a back seat in this novel and it;’s more of an adventure which I liked, the author is known for romance in her books and she’s very good at it. The pacing and writing helped moved the story along and I was into the adventure more than the romance so it all worked out! This has adventure, love, hope, danger, and romance so if you think this is up your alley then I would give it a try!

Book review: The Sentence

“I’d taken a pink eraser to my childhood and blurred the pain.”

As this tale of loss, grief, shame, and hope unfolds, the main character Tookie finds herself in the middle of a mystery that she didn’t sign up for. Working in a bookstore as a seller, she must try to solve the haunting of the bookstore from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store’s most annoying customer, Flora who won’t leave the store. While trying to sort out this mystery, she also has to come to terms with the mistakes that she’s made in the past in order to move on to a life full of content, happiness, and peace.

This book was so good. I was hooked from the beginning to the end, the plot was super interesting and how the author developed the story along way made me glued to the page. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, it went in a completely different direction. Tookie was an interesting character and one that I didn’t like right away but as the story developed, I started to warm up to her after reading her backstory and seeing her development through the book. It has to be very challenging to navigate life after being incarcerated for such a long time, there’s so much that changed while being locked up and it can be overwhelming for people being released and trying to form a new life. While confronting Fiona on why she refuses to leave, Tookie has to face her past memories that are filled with grief, shame, sorrow, and anger and begins to realize that maybe there’s a reason why she’s the one who is trying to solve the mystery. I enjoyed how the story progressed and nothing rushed and the writing was beautifully written and it made me feel like I was in the bookstore. This is a really interesting and unique tale that will make you glued to the page and wanting more. Oh before I end this, the story does intertwine with real life events going on at this time with the pandemic and the George Floyd protests so please keep that in mind if you plan to read it since that was a difficult time for many people.