New Adult

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

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Rating: 4/5

The Darkness Outside Us tells the story of Ambrose and Kodiak, two sworn enemies having to stick their dislike and animosity towards each other aside if they want to survive. Ambrose, was sent into space to find answers of what happened to his sister, Minerva was the first human sent to colonize Saturn’s moon. The two men must put their differences aside and work together to find answers while also uncovering dark secrets behind their mission.

Wow! What a delightful, entertaining, and interesting book! There is so much that I loved about it and I didn’t even intend on reading it and I’m glad that I picked it up. The two leads, Ambrose and Kodiak stole my heart with their banter and I love their contrasting personalities and felt like they were very developed and easy to empathize with. Kodiak was closed off while Ambrose was open and warm and the more the two men are around each other, the closer they become. The romance was well done, I didn’t feel like it was rushed or lacking any development and it felt right. The story and the pacing was incredibly beautifully written and I felt invested to the end. It was a really entertaining and heartfelt story about two people realizing that they aren’t that different than they thought.

The book is actually marketed wrong in my opinion. It’s more adult sci-fi than young adult so a lot of people are missing out on this fantastic book! Even if you don’t like sci-fi, I feel like you would still enjoy the book because of the other aspects of it. Sci-Fi is my go to genre but it’s becoming more of a genre that I read more and more.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

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Rating: 4/5

“If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.” 

A retelling of a very old tale between Persephone and Hades and one that will leave you begging for more. Society darling, Persephone Dimitriou is ready to leave the ultra modern city of Olympus and start over from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses but when her mother throws her into an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind the city’s dark facade, she is desperate for a way out. She flees to the forbidden city, where she makes a devil bargain and is thrust into a world that she never knew existed along with a man she believed to be a myth.

This book was super steamy and I loved every minute of it. This book wasn’t originally on my tbr at all until I started hearing the buzz about it and decided to check it out and I am so glad that I did. Not only did I love the smut but I loved everything about the retelling of Persephone and Hades. I am fickle on retellings of this tale because it’s been done so many times so I was a little skeptical but the characters, the world-buidling, the writing, and of course the smut drew me in. I liked how the author was still able to weave in the gods aspect because the way it was done in this retelling added to the story in my perspective. I could actually see this world existing in my head and wondered what it would be like to experience it.

I can’t wait for more!!

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

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TW: Abuse, Violence, Accidents, Loss of loved ones etc.

Rating: 4/5

“You can bargain with anybody, spirit or human. All you need to know is what do they want and what are they scared of. That’s all.” 

Black Water Sister follows the story of Jessaymn, a young woman who is moving back to the Malaysia, her childhood home where the past that she left behind comes back in a way that she didn’t expect. When she arrives back, Jess begins to hear voices and at first she chalks it up to stress but then she comes to realize that the voices hears is that of her estranged grandmother, Ah-Ma. In life, she was a spirit medium, the avatar of mysterious deity Black Water Sister and now she’s decided that Jess is gonna help her settle the score with a gang leader who offended the god. On the journey, Jess is thrown into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, she finds that making deals with spirits is a dangerous game and she may not make it out alive.

What a compelling read! Not only did I enjoy the characters, the storyline, and the dynamics within the world that Cho created, but I really enjoyed learning about the culture. I laughed, cried, and didn’t want the book to end but sadly it did. This is the first book that I’ve read from Zen Cho and I will definitely be checking out more by her because of her writing and how she gives a beautiful backdrop into the south east asia culture. I learned quite a bit while following Jess on her journey and what witty, sassy, fun, and sarcastic protagonist. Jess was an absolute delight and I loved learning more about her and seeing her grow in this journey. One that is about self-discovery and not only figuring her place in the world but feeling secure with her identity and taking command of that narrative.

The supernatural elements were great, I really enjoyed Cho weaving that into the story and it really added more to the story. I don’t mind gore or horror but it can be a lot for others that something to think about as there are a few scenes that a bit graphic but for the most part, it was more haunting than anything.

This was such a fun, mysterious, haunting, and enthralling read so if you’re looking for an enjoyable urban fantasy with a witty, fun-loving, and relatable character while being spooked and entertained with Cho’s storytelling then this is it!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Heard

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Rating: 4/5

“But most of us are too scared to even ask what we want, in case we can’t have it.” 

The book follows Poppy and Alex, two best friends who literally couldn’t be more different. Poppy is free spirit, wild, and loves traveling and being spontaneous where Alex is perfectly content with staying home and reading a book. Yet, ever since that fateful car ride home years ago, they are still the very best of friends. Well, they were up until two years ago where they ruined everything and haven’t spoken since.

Now having everything she could want, you would think that Poppy is truly happy,? But she’s stuck in a rut and she knows the only thing that can make her truly happy. But, she knows it’s impossible unless some kind of miracle happens. Much to her surprise, he agrees to spend a week with her and she has exactly that much time to fix things. Will she be able to fix things or will she lose him forever?

This was a fun read! Before this, I had read Beach Read by the same author and enjoyed it. I’m not surprised at how much I enjoyed this as it’s opposites attract, friends to lovers, and second chance trope which I love. I loved Poppy, she was a lot of fun and I did enjoy her dynamic with Alex, they’re so different yet they fit so well with each other. They had really great chemistry and that’s always a plus while still being their own person. What really drives the story are the characters, Poppy and Alex and I was just rolling along with them wanting to know what would happen next.

If you’re looking for a fun and cute read, this is it!

Written In The Stars

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Rating: 5/5

“Life would be a lot better if we all spent a little more time staring at the stars.”

Darcy is a nonsense, analytical, by the books and Elle is free-spirited, fun, and is one of the authors of a very popular astrology twitter page. But, when Darcy’s brother who also happens to be Elle’s new business partner spills his happiness about their first date being a success, Elle is sure he’s confused. Darcy begs Elle to go along with it and she agrees but on one condition: Darcy has to help Elle navigate the holidays with dealing with overbearing family. What happens a fake relationship starts to turn into something real?

Holy shit, this book was so good! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and it was done so well here. I loved everything about this book especially the relationship with Darcy and Elle. It really was believable and I loved seeing their feelings change for each other throughout the book and the smut was hot too. In addition to that, I really enjoy Darcy and Elle step out of their comfort zones and deal with issues that are relevant and it felt very real. They came over their own fears and insecurities and learn that not only do they need to love others but also themselves.

Overall, this was a really fun book so I definitely recommend it especially if you like sapphic novels. This was a real delight!

From Blood and Ash (#1)

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Rating: 5/5

“Bravery and strength do not equal goodness.”

Well, this was worth the hype for me. I had been hearing about this series for months but hadn’t really looked into it until I started getting more into book blogging. I was hoping it would be worth the hype because sometimes they aren’t and it’s utterly disappointing. But, this was a delight and I was enthralled throughout the book. The writing and characters are what stood out to me the most. Poppy is such a fierce and strong heroine and I love her romance with personal guard, it felt real and the more I read about them the more I loved it. Romance isn’t the only thing in this series as it’s packed with bravery, loyalty, suspense, rage, and friendship.

Some plot points were predictable but I felt like they weren’t done in a disappointing way as with other fantasy novels. The story really has everything that fits my requirement for a five star review and I was really glad that I took the time to read it. I already finished book 2 so be on the lookout for that soon!!

May TBR

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At first I was trying to decide what I would post about but after some thinking, I decided that I wuld post about my upcoming tbr for the month of May. I’m very excited to start these books.

May TBR:

  • Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 
  • Divine Blood by Michael Beck 
  • Cinderella is Dead by Kaylon Braylon 
  • From Ash & Blood by Jennifer Armentrout
  • A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire by Jennifer Armentrout
  • The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer Armentrout
  • Prodigy by Marie Lu
  • Champion by Marie Lu 
  • Crown of Feathers by Nikki Pau Preto 
  • Those Violent Delights by Chloe Kong 
  • The Song of The Marked by S.M. Gaither 
  • The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • Anxious People by Fredrick Backman 
  • Namesake by Adrienne Young 
  • Shattered Kingdom by Angelina J. Steffort 
  • Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang 
  • The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
  • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 
  • The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman 

So there is my TBR for next month! I will be reviewing each book here and sharing my thoughts and I’m excited for y’all to read them.