Review: The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a series I would recommend to literally every single person I've ever met, and after her standalone thriller Five Survive proved that she was more than a one-hit-wonder, I was super excited when I heard she was coming out with yet another YA thriller book. The Reappearance of Rachel Price was released on April 2nd, and you can bet I was ready to dive into the book right away.

The book follows eighteen-year-old Annabel 'Bel' Price, whose mother, Rachel, disappeared without a trace sixteen years earlier. The public consensus is that she was murdered, but no body has ever been found. The prime suspect in her murder? Bel's loving father, Charlie. Bel knows her father is innocent - after all, he has a rock solid alibi - and so years after he was aquitted for his wife's murder, the family has mostly returned to normal. But the Rachel Price case is still a hot topic among crime junkies, and the Price family has agreed to take part in a documentary about the mystery surrounding her disappearance.

Then - out of the blue - Rachel suddenly reappears. Thin, dirty and full of scrapes and scabs she tells an unbelieveable story about where she has been for the past sixteen years. The media is in a frenzy over her miraculous return, and Bel's quiet life is irrevocably turned upside down. Bel is in shock, as is the rest of her family. And then Rachel slips up. It's nothing big - just a few small inconsistencies - but it immediately makes Bel suspect that Rachel is not being completely honest. The more time Bel spends around her mother, the more she starts to doubt her story. But if Rachel is lying, where has she really been all this time? With the help of a ridiculously dressed British camera assistant (who she does not find cute whatsoever), Bel sets out to find out the truth about why Rachel Price really has come back from the dead.e

Holly Jackson has done it again! This YA mystery thriller is full of exciting twists and turns that keep you on your edge of your seat. I was so intrigued by where the story was going that I actually struggled to fall asleep when I put the book down for the night. My mind was running at a million miles a minute, going over every little hint and trying to work the mystery out for myself. If that is not a sign of a well-crafted mystery, I don't know what is! Luckily for me (and my sleep schedule), it only took me two days to finish the book.

The main protagonist, Bel, is an interesting choice for a protagonist, largely in due to the fact that she's not very likeable. She has grown up being known simply as Rachel Price's daughter - the toddler who was left behind alone in the car when Rachel vanished without a trace - and her not knowing if her mother left her voluntarily or not has obviously given her some major trust issues. Over the years she has pushed everyone away, and now she's left with only a single remaining friend: her fifteen-year-old cousin Carter. When Rachel reappears and obviously wants to bond with her daughter, Bel is extremely quick to distrust her. She's not even willing to give her mother the benefit of the doubt: Bel is so determined that Rachel is a liar that she actively sets out to prove it almost immediately following her return. She basically just wants her mother to go away again so that things can return to normal, which seems at bit harsh considering her mother claims to have been kidnapped and held captive for the past sixteen years.

Not that Rachel isn't suspicious. Not only does she conveniently reappear just when a documentary about her disappearance is being filmed, but there are also plenty of inconsistencies surrounding her story. She slips up on the details about her escape from captivity, she seems to know details of Bel's life that should be impossible for her to know and she snoops around not only the family home, but also the house of Bel's grandfather. There is clearly a lot more to the story of Rachel Price than we have initially been led to believe. Unraveling her story and her lies thread by thread is what makes this book such a compelling mystery thriller. 

The reason this book is not getting a top score from me, is because of what happens in those last few chapters. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely satisfied with the conclusion of the main mystery (it's sooo good), but not how the events following the big reveal played out. I do think some characters were a bit quick in changing their loyalties, and the whole scenario reminded me a bit too much of the parts of As Good as Dead (the final book in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy) that just didn't work for me. Holly Jackson has to learn that you don't necessarily have to use a crime to cover up another crime, especially not when just telling the truth would have worked just as well in this scenario. Sometimes it is more satisfying to see the bad guys having to actually face charges and jail time for their wrongdoings. Maybe it's just me, but I would prefer to leave innocent characters without the potential of suffering major emotional trauma and PTSD for the rest of their lives.

But all in all this is another solid mystery thriller from Holly Jackson! If this is a genre you're interested in, I highly recommend checking it out for yourself!

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Review: A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene

A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene has been on the list of my most anticipated 2024 releases since the moment I first read the synopsis several months ago. The first book in a brand new trilogy, it only took four key phrases: Romantasy, changeling, curse and dangerous fae lord, and I was sold. And you guys, I think I might have found my next book obsession!

The book follows Fia, who happens to be a changeling. Twelve years earlier the Fair Folk stole the High Queen's real daughter Eala away to the faerie realm of Tír na nÓg, and left Fia behind in her stead. Now at the age of twenty, Fia is not only the queen's beloved adoptive daughter - she's also her best trained spy. When the queen learns of a way to save the real princess from the faerie lands (and from the curse that leaves her stranded as a swan during the daylight hours), Fia is tasked with breaking the curse and bringing her back. Joining her on her quest is Eala's fiancé Rogan - Fia's childhood best friend and first love. Stranded in an long-abandoned castle with the boy - well, man now - who broke her heart four years earlier is not an ideal situation, especially when there are clearly some unresolved feelings between the two of them. 

However, when the pair cross over to Tír na nÓg during the full moon to rescue the princess, it is nothing like Fia expected. She finds herself strangely drawn to the magical and deadly faerie realm, and soon forms an unexpected connection with Eala's captor, Irian. Irian is dark and troubled, and both Eala and Rogan warn Fia to stay away from him. But despite the danger the fae lord poses, he might also be the person who understands Fia the best. And she soon learns that there are bigger games at play both in Tír na nÓg and the human world, games that means she will have to make some tough choices: Should she follow the path the human mother who raised her has set for her, or should she answer the call of her faerie blood and follow her heart?

This book just checked all the boxes for me! I even enjoyed the love triangle, which is a rare occurence for me. Fia was such an intriguing main character. I could really feel her inherent loneliness in being a fae being raised among humans - she has never really fit in, but she desperately wants to. Despite her origins, Fia is more human than most actual human beings. Unbeknownst to her, she was raised to be a weapon for her so-called mother, but she still has so much love and compassion inside her. Her biggest flaw is her hunger for love and acceptance, something that makes her pretty easy to manipulate. We see this not only with her mother, but also when she meets her adopted sister, Eala. I really enjoyed how Fia slowly came to realize that she was being used as a pawn in the greedy schemes of the people around her, and how she came to understand that she should trust her own judgement. Better late than never, as they say.

The romance(s) in A Feather So Black were beautifully done - even the love triangle. There is so much history between Fia and Rogan - he is her best and only friend, in addition to being her first love. We quickly understand that their separation four years earlier was not due to a lack of affection on either side, but because Rogan put his duty as heir to his kingdom before his own happiness. And he still does. It was a bit frustrating how he kept pursuing Fia romantically, while at the same time being adamant in his plan to marry Eala. Fia deserves so much better than being his mistress, but despite his obvious love for her, he is not willing to yield. And I get it - I really do. He wants what's best for his kingdom, and he will not be able to provide for his people unless he marries the true princess. Rogan is young - he wants to have his cake and eat it too. But that is not fair to Fia, and I'm glad she realizes that their time together has come and gone even if Rogan refuses to accept it. You don't always end up with your first love, but I'm glad they had a second chance to explore their relationship.

Fia and Irian makes a lot more sense. He sees her for who she trully is, and accepts every single thing about her. Instead of being disgusted by her magic like Rogan is, he is in awe of it. Irian may be dangerous and shrouded in dark magic, but he is also so so lonely shut away in his own little corner of the world. He puts on this tough and indifferent mask for the world to see, but on the inside he is just as desperate for love as Fia is. The two of them together is pure magic. Rogan who? I will gladly die on my Fia and Irian hill, thank you very much!

Lyra Selene's writing is gorgeous and descriptive. I have seen some reviews mentioning that their biggest complaint about this book is the pacing, but honestly it was not a big issue for me. As Fia and Rogan can only cross over to Tír na nÓg on the night of the full moon, there are a lot of chapters in between of them just doing mundane things around the castle. I did not mind reading about Fia putting the old greenhouse back in order (it gives her a chance to reconnect with her nature magic) or searching the castle for clues on how to break Eala's curse. For me this just heightened my expectations for the chapters that actually did take place in the faerie realm. There was so much happening in the Tír na nÓg chapters that I liked getting a little time in between to simply slow down and process what we learned. 

I cannot wait to see where the next book in this series takes us. Now that a new villain has clearly been defined (I was not suprised to see this character actually being the true antagonist of the story), I am excited to see what happens next. One thing is for sure; it promises for some interesting dynamics in the books to come!

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Hallowed Games by C. N. Crawford

I was looking for a new romantasy series to get into, and came across a post mentioning Hallowed Games by C. N. Crawford. This the first book in an indie published fantasy series, and while I tend to read more traditionally published books, indie is definitely is a subgenre I'm interested in exploring more. There are so many excellent writers out there who has yet to be discovered by the big publishing houses, and there is something exciting in reading something before it is plastered all over BookTok. 

In Hallowed Games we follow Elowen, a young woman living with a dangerous secret. Nine years earlier she was cursed with deadly and forbidden magic, and ever since her very touch has been lethal. Her secret is known only by a few, and Elowen will gladly live out her days as the Baron's personal assassin as long as the little orphan boy she cares for is safe. But when she is betrayed by Lydia -the Baron's daughter and Elowen's former best friend - she is captured by witch hunters and thrown into a deadly game for survival. A game that will only leave a single person standing in the end.

Against all odds she finds herself intensely attracted to Maelor, the head of the witch hunters, and he returns her interest. By any logic he should not be able to touch her, but to Elowen's great surprise her touch does nothing to harm him. That is because Maelor has a secret of his own: He is a vampire, and thus immune to her lethal touch. Elowen does not understand why the Maelor has taken such an interest in her, or why he seems determined to help her overcome the deadly trials that await her in the games, but slowly she finds herself relying on him. He might be the only one who can help her reunite with Leo, the little boy whose life and safety depends on her. But can she really trust the man known as the Raven Lord - a man who has devoted years of his life to hunting people with magic like her? 

Whenever I read a synopsis of a book that mentions a deadly game with a single survivor, I immediately think of The Hunger Games, and my expectations automatically goes through the roof. One part I really liked is that Elowen takes the time to get to know some of the other pentinents, because it leads to her leading her own little ragtag bunch of misfits. None of them are there because they want to be, and so it makes sense for them to team up to get through the first couple of challenges. While I found the first trial to be really high-stakes and exciting, the second trial was a bit of a let-down. It was basically just Elowen being horny as fuck. It would have been a lot more interesting if the authors had chosen to have her hallucinate about unleashing her powers instead, because that could at least have lead to some interesting character development.

I did like the chemistry, pining and sexual tension between Elowen and Maelor, but it did lead to some questionable decisions made by said characters. They literally sleep together for the first time while on the run from people who wants to kill them, and by that I don't mean that they are racing across a vast world with their enemies following in their footsteps. No, the enemy is literally within the same freakin' castle walls going from room to room looking for our main couple, and Elowen and Maelor just decide while hiding in a tiny storage room that this is the perfect time to get down and dirty. What the heck? There's a time and place for everything, and this was probably not it. It just seemed like such a stupid decision made by otherwise smart characters.

As for the story itself, it does have a rather exciting twist near the end. Former enemies will have to team up to take down the main villain, and I am interested in seeing how these relationships will develop in the next book. Because of where the first book leaves off, I am a little worried that we might have to deal with a love triangle in subsequent installments in this series. I might be way off base on this, but there are a few times a certain other character reacts rather strongly to Elowen's obvious dislike of him, and I fear that his reactions might hint at some complicated feelings lurking beneath the surface. I really hate love triangles and changing love interests from one book to another (looking at you, Sarah J.), so I really hope I'm just imagining things. It was also strongly hinted at in Hallowed Games that this character knows exactly why Elowen was cursed in the first placed, and I was kinda frustrated that specific question was not answered in the first book. Just gives me another reason to check out the next one when it's released, I suppose.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Fun fact: Every Easter the whole country of Norway goes crazy for crime/mystery thrillers. While it might sound strange from an outsider's perspective, it is actually based on a 101 year old tradtion. Back in 1923, a Norwegian publisher decided to market one of their new releases by printing a fake news article about a train robbery (the plot of the book they were advertising) on the front page of a national newspaper. Press ethics were obviously not a thing back then, but the marketing stunt turned out to be a big hit, and the book became an instant bestseller. And ever since, we've been obsessed with reading crime fiction during the Easter holidays. I'm no exception, and this year I decided to check out Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - a 2015 release that has been on my radar for literally years now.

The book follow Claire Scott - an upper class housewife in her late thirties whose somewhat mundane existence crumbles when her loving husband of eighteen years, Paul, is stabbed and killed right in front of her eyes. This is not Claire's first brush with tragedy. Twenty-four years ago her eldest sister, Julia, disappeared without a trace after a night out on town with friends. Losing Julia tore her family apart, and now tragedy has struck again. Newly widowed and grief-stricken, Claire struggles to cope with her husband's untimely death. When she discovers some shocking video recordings on his computer - videos that may very well be linked to the recent disappearance of another young girl - she is shook to her very core. The more she looks into it, the more she comes to realize that she might not have known Paul at all. And the deeper she digs into this dangerous world of depravity and murder, the closer she gets to discovering what happened to her older sister all those years ago.

The first thing you have to know about this book is that it goes to some extremely dark places. Of all the thrillers I've ever read, I do think this is by far the most graphic one. The book describes the torture, mutilation, rape and murder of young women in sickening detail, and if you are squeamish, this is definitely not the book for you. There were several times I actually had to put the book down to process what I had just read before continuing on. It was extremely disturbing. I felt so angry and disgusted while reading it, which I suppose was what the author was going for in the first place. However, it did make me hate the main antagonist so much that his ultimate downfall brought me great pleasure, so at least there was some joy to be had at the end.

Family is obviously a bit part of the story, as the trauma of what happened to Julia still haunts Claire's family all these years later. Her other sister, Lydia, has been completely estranged from her family for many years, ever since she launched some shocking allegations against the now deceased Paul. Lydia was struggling with a serious drug addiction back then, and so her own family did not trust her to tell the truth. She has since turned her life completely around, raising her seventeen-year-old daughter with the help of her supportive boyfriend. Seeing the two sisters reuniting and start trusting each other again was pretty heartwarming. Even though there's plenty of bad blood between them, and even though they have not spoken for years, Lydia still shows up for her baby sister when she needs her. I liked seeing how the family finally had each other's back after years of being torn apart by secrets and lies.

Despite leaving me with quite a bit of trauma, Pretty Girls was actually a very good read. This is my first Karin Slaughter book, but she is obviously a very experienced and talented mystery thriller writer. The story was super exciting, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. There are multiple POV's throughout the book (Claire, her sister Lydia and their father's letters addressed to Julia), and the different characters all had distinct and recognizable voices. The mystery of what happened to Julia twenty-four years earlier was worked seamlessly into the current-day mystery, and once all the secrets were finally out in the open, I caught myself audibly gasping. Safe to say I did not expect that twist!

If you're in the mood for a well-written mystery thriller with an engaging mystery (and if you have a strong stomach), I highly recommend this one. I will be checking out more Karin Slaughter thrillers in the future.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

I have seen Butcher & Blackbird (the first book in The Ruinous Love Trilogy) by Brynne Weaver all over Bookstagram lately, and for every post and every review I came across, my curiosity only grew. Described as a serial killer dark romantic comedy, it certainly sounded unlike anything else I have read before. 

In this book we meet Sloane 'The Orb Weaver' Evans and Rowan 'The Butcher of Boston' Kane - two twenty-something young people who also just happens to be serial killers. They both specialize in hunting down and killing the scum of society - other serial killers, pedophiles/child molestors and drug dealers - and so it is only natural that their paths would one day cross. When a chance encounter leads them to meet face to face, Rowan proposes a friendly competition: An annual game of hunting down and disposing of an unknown monster chosen by an objective third-party. And so their bloody game begins. What neither of them expected was finding their soulmate along the way. But who better to understand a serial killer... than another serial killer.

The first thing that meets you when you crack this book open is a mile-long list of content and trigger warnings. These include (but are not limited to): Cannibalism, amateur surgery, eyeballs and eye sockets, skin ornaments and questionable use of a mummified corpse. That alone should probably tell you that this is no ordinary book. I was a huge Criminal Minds junkie back in the day, so I was not scared off by the promise of gore and messed-up murders. And while I understand that these triggers will probably scare off quite a few people, remember that the book is a romantic comedy. For instant, I cackled like a madwoman when I came to the scene with the questionable use of the mummified corpse. It was hilarious! And the unorthodox proposal scene? Pure comedy gold.

Because at the end of the day, this book is just a pure delight! I did not expect to have this much fun reading about two absolutely unhinged characters finding each other, but here we are. Butcher & Blackbird manages to be both cute, funny and romantic, despite the backdrop being anything but. Make no mistake, Sloane and Rowan are as batshit crazy as they come (Sloane's nickname 'The Orb Weaver' comes from her making these intricate webs of strings lined with skin pieces and eyeballs from her victims, and Rowan's 'Butcher' nickname does not come from him leaving neat murder scenes), but you just find yourself rooting for them anyway. Their chemistry is on point, and at one point I may or may not have screamed at my book to just let them kiss already. When they finally do get together, they're absolutely adorable (and also a little bit kinky - there's plenty of smut in this book).

The murder acts themselves were actually quite fun to read about, despite being a little gory. Am I allowed to say that? Because it sounds so wrong! I just mean that part of me enjoyed how creative the scenarios leading up the individual murders actually were. The yearly hunts were so silly and funny, and I can only imagine how much fun Brynne Weaver must have had when she planned out the individual cases - one of them more absurd than the next. The guy in the wall? The cannibal? Chainsaw dude? While I certainly do not condone murder in real life, I apparently don't have those same reservations when it comes to fictional book characters, because those guys definitely had it coming! And that is probably why it is so easy to root for Sloane and Rowan despite their weird, mutual hobby: They do not hurt innocent people.

With this being the first book in a trilogy of interconnected standalones, we are introduced to our other two couples in this book. The second book in the series, Leather & Lark (to be released on June 4, 2024), will be about Rowan's oldest brother (Lachlan), and Sloane's best friend (Lark), while the third book will follow the youngest Kane brother (Fionn) as he gets involved with a circus motorcycle performer (Rose). If you wonder if these characters knows about their friend's/brother's unconventional and murderous hobbies, the answer to that is yes. And from the hint we get throughout this book, it is pretty safe to say that these characters are no angels themselves. 

I'm ready for more murder and mayhem, so bring on Leather & Lark already!

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher

Like I said in my Can't-Wait Wednesday post a couple of weeks ago, I've been a fan of Ashley Schumacher's writing since her beautiful debut novel, Amelia Unabridged. When I read the synopsis of her newest YA novel, In the Orbit of You, I was immediately intrigued. 

When they were children, Sam and Nova were inseparable. As the self-appointed king and queen of a little bug hollow they named Snailtopia, the two spent all their waking hours playing together by the hole in the fence that separated their yards. Growing up with alcoholic and physically abusive parents, Sam's only bright spot was Nova. Then he was suddenly sent away to live with his aunt and uncle, but not before he got to say goodbye to Nova and make her a promise: He would come find her when they turned eighteen.

Fast forward twelve years: Seventeen-year-old Nova lives a semi-transient lifestyle, moving from city to city because of her mothers job. When Nova starts her junior year at yet another new high school, the last person she expects to run into is her former childhood friend. Sam has built the perfect life for himself in his small Texas town: The perfect family, the perfect high school football career and the perfect cheerleader girlfriend. Despite having this gnawing feeling that he's not really happy, he does not want anything to change. Then Nova blows back into his life like a whirlwind, and suddenly he has to reevaluate everything. Nova is the only person who has ever truly known him, but is getting close to her again worth possibly upending the stable life he has built for himself? 

One of the things I really liked about this novel were how real the characters felt. Nova and Sam are both highly flawed characters with tons of personal issues to work through. For Sam this has has a lot to do with his traumatic childhood - he tries to go along with what everybody else wants for him, because not rocking the boat is how he survived as a young child in an abusive household. He has built up the life that he thinks he should have to please the people around him, not the life he truly wants for himself. Nova also struggles with figuring out who she really is, but for her this is largely because her mother keeps moving them around every few months. She has been to so many different schools, and tried out so many different styles, hobbies and social cliques that she is confused about her own identity. The thought of choosing a college major - choosing that one single path for her future - terrifies her. And this part of their individual characters really make sense based on the lives they have lived up until this point.

The relationship between the two of them has that magical meant-to-be feeling. You understand why these two people are so emotionally connected to one another, and you just find yourself rooting for them to work out their issues and get together. But boy do they play that push-and-pull game. I can't count all the times one of them tries to pull away from the other, only for them to immediatly go back on that. It's like they're planets constantly orbiting around eachother (which I suppose is where the title of the book comes in), or like magnets constantly being drawn together. It's raw and it's beautiful, but there's always this clock counting down to the end of their time together, as Nova is only staying at Sam's high school for two short months before her mother's job takes them away again. 

The side characters are wonderful, especially Sam's girlfriend Abigail. It can not be easy for Abby to understand Sam's relationship with Nova when he basically refuses to tell his own girlfriend anything about his past, but instead of acting catty like you would expect from an YA novel, she welcomes Nova into their circle with open arms. Even when she finds out about Sam and Nova's romantic entanglement, she acts super classy about it. She is just a genuinely good person, and I think we need to see more characters like her in fiction targeted at teenagers and young adults.

I was a bit scared when I reached the end of the story, but then the epilogue came along and made my heart whole again. And while the story technically is left open-ended, it is not difficult to guess what comes next for these wonderful characters. 

In the Orbit of You might not have usurped Amelia Unabridged's place as my favorite Ashley Schumacher novel, but it was a solid read that will stay with me for a long time.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

Cowboy romance books looks to be the current big thing among romance readers, and one of the latest books to blow up all over BookTok is the Rebel Blue Ranch series by Lyla Sage. Having read (and somewhat enjoyed) the two first books in Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series, I have had some previous experience with the cowboy romance genre. Still, I will admit that I was mostly drawn to Done and Dusted - the first book in Sage's Rebel Blue Ranch series - because of the beautiful retro-inspired cover. Just look how stunning that is! 

The book follows Clementine "Emmy" Ryder, a twenty-seven-year-old who has spent her years on the professional barrel racing circut ever since graduating college. But now Emmy has hit some bumps in the road both professionally and personally, and so she returns home to her family's ranch in Meadowlark, Wyoming in hopes of starting over. While there, she has some run-ins with her older brother's best friend - charming bad boy (with a heart of gold) Luke Brooks. Emmy and Brooks have never seen eye to eye, but to their mutual surprise they feel instantly attracted to eachother. But it is one thing Luke Brooks knows, it is that his best friend's younger sister is definitely off limits, so they can never act on that attraction. Or can they? 

Now, if you read that summary and thought to yourself "Hey, that sounds like the plot to that mediocre Hallmark movie my mom was watching a couple of months ago," you would be absolutely right. I know a lot of people really liked this book, but I was unfortunately not one of them. I tried to get into it - I really did, but there was just so many things about this book that didn't work for me. For one thing, the romance felt very superficial and insta-lovey. Emmy walks into a bar (there's probabaly a joke in there somewhere) in a short skirt, and Brooks immediatly wants to jump her bones. Sure, they have known eachother for years a this point, but he's never seen her as anything but his friend's annoying younger sister, but all of a sudden she's HOT, so naturally he wants her more than any other woman he's ever met. They almost kiss the second time they interact after she returns home. That's way too fast for my taste. I like my romances to be slow-burns, thank you very much.

Another thing I absolutely couldn't stand was Luke's excessive use of the pet name/nickname 'sugar' (he calls her that a total of 49 times - I counted). I'm sure the author wants us to imagine him saying it in a super sexy cowboy drawl, but every time he says it my brain unfortunately conjures up an image of a fifty-something diner waitress named Pam, who asks me what she can get me. No offence to Pam - I love and appreciate Pam - but she's not exactly who you want to imagine there in the bedroom with them whenenver Emmy and Luke goes to Funkytown. Sugar needs to stay in the kitchen! Sidenote: Luke uttering the words "ride me, sugar" near the end of the book is probably the least sexy thing I've ever had the misfortune of reading. It makes me think of that "suck me, beautiful" scene in American Pie. I cringe just thinking about it.

I wish I could say that the plot was outstanding, but it was the same old story I've seen a million times before: Girl returns to her hometown. Girl meets person from her past (in this case her brother's best friend), and they reconnect. Girl and boy fall in love, but they have to keep it a secret for some strange reason. Secret gets out. All hell breaks loose. Problem is resolved. Happy ending. There's just nothing original about it whatsoever.

There were a few things I did like, though. One of them is Emmy's best friend, Teddy, who is that fun and loyal BFF we all wish we had. I also really liked Emmy's dad. There were horses. I do like horses. The writing is not completely atrocious. Oh, and the smut is pretty good, except for that 'sugar' stuff. Lastly, the cover is really pretty. It's not enough for me to give it a higher rating, but at least it's something.

Check out other reviews on Goodreads, or buy the book at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Blackwells

Review: The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

When I created my list of most anticipated releases of the first quarter of 2024, The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers was definitely on that list. Despite my anticipation for this late January release (and one absolutely stunning FairyLoot edition just sitting there on my bookshelf), it took me a good two months to actually pick it up. But a couple of days ago the mood struck, and so I sat down to read.

The Everlys are a cursed family - once a generation an Everly has to walk into the unknown never to be seen again. Violet mothers, Marianne, was intended to be the chosen one, but one day she just disappeared in search of a way to end the curse, leaving her only daughter to be raised by her two brothers. And so Violet Everly grows up with her uncles, raised in absolute secrecy and kept away from the rest of the world. But no secret lasts forever, and when Violet is eleven a mysterious woman named Penelope shows up at the Everly house. Accompanying her is Aleksander - a young boy with eyes the color of grey sea-glass who shows Violet something that should be impossible. The woman has come to claim her debt, but she agrees to a deal: She gives Violet's uncles ten years to track down Marianne. If they can't find her, she will take Violet instead.

Violet always believed her mother would come back for her, but as the ten year limit approaches, there are still no signs of Marianne. When she learns of the secrets her uncles have kept from her for years, she is furious. But Aleksander - recently back in her life after nearly a decade of no contact - has told her of another world exisiting parallel to our own, and Violet is convinced the secrets of her mother's whereabouts lie in the mysterious city of Fidelis. And so, with only one year left until the curse will claim its victim, Violet sets out to do what her mother could not: Find the key to the City of Stardust, and break the Everly curse once and for all. 

I really wanted to love this book, and for a while I did. The writing was lyrical and beautiful, and the premise itself really pulled me in. The time skips in the first part of the book felt natural and organic - just small glimpses into Violet's life while growing up inside the confined walls of the Everly house. Unfortunately things began to change once Violet left home in search of her mother. My main problem was the pacing. She leaves home to go on this epic adventure all over the world, and all of a sudden a year has passed and she's seen all this things and met all these people, but we don't actually get to see her do any of those things. I don't know, there was just something about the pacing in this part of the story that felt a bit off to me. I would have liked more insight into what the last year has actually been like for her.

There is a romance brewing between Violet and Aleksander throughout the book, but for the love of me I couldn't figure out why they were so drawn to eachother. They met once as children, only for him to pop back up in her life when she is nineteen at which point they chat a few times. And then he betrays her multiple times to the woman who literally wants Violet dead, but still she forgives him time and time again. Why? Because he's pretty (she keeps mentioning that he is unfairly good-looking)? To be competely honest, I felt more chemistry between Aleksander and his books (and also between Violet and Caspian) than I did between him and Violet. Their connection just didn't feel real. But romance is always a plus for me, so I'll let it go.

Despite the story dragging a bit in the middle, I do feel like it picked back up again towards the end of the book. The action really ramped up, and at this point the mythology behind the Everly curse is more thoroughly explored, and we finally understand the main villain's motivations a bit more. I was happy with how the story ended. Most of the major plot points are neatly tied up in the final chapter, but there are one or two elements of the story that are left open-ended. An epilogue shows our characters again after some time has passed, but there are still some questions that are just never answered. I didn't mind not having all the answers, but I can see how this could be a bit divisive among readers. 

All in all, this is a solid debut from Georgia Summers, and I am excited to see what this author does next.

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Review: Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is mostly known for her fun and steamy STEM-romances, so I will admit it caught me by surprised when she announced she was diverting from her usual fare and making a foray into the paranormal genre. She is one of my auto-buy standard romance authors, so even if paranormal romance is not a genre I generally go for, I was intrigued. I will admit that I had my reservations, especially when the early reviews started mentioning a certain physiological phenomenon more often found in fiction of the Omegaverse variety, but I figured I should just face my fears and give it a go anyway. And after finishing Bride, I'm glad I did.

Our main character, Misery, is a Vampyre who has spent the majority of her life trying to lead a anonymous existance within the Human community. When her father, a powerful Vampyre councilman, asks her to partake in a marriage treaty that will secure peace between the Vampyres and their mortal Were enemies, Misery plans to refuse. That is, until she hears the name of her intended. Because her best and only friend is nowhere to be found, and Misery's only clue to finding her is the note Serena left behind with a single name scribbled on it: L. E. Moreland.

Lowe Moreland is the new Alpha of the most powerful Were pack in North America. After hundreds of year of animosity between the different species, Lowe is ready for a change. And what better way to secure peace than to marry one of their mortal enemies. The marriage is purely a political arrangement, a symbolic alliance meant to last a year and not longer. His pack do not trust his new bride for a second, but Lowe cannot help but being drawn to her anyway. Something about Misery calls to him, and when he finds out about her reasons for agreeing to the marriage, he realizes that it's in their mutual best interest to work together. Because there are bigger games at play, and certain truths hold the power to shake the fragile peace between the species to its very core.

Despite my initial reluctance, I really enjoyed this book. Ali Hazelwood is a highly educated woman, and her intelligence shines through in her writing. Although this is not a STEM romance per se (Misery is a computer engineer with a minor in forensic sciences, but except for her using her computer/hacking skills a few times, it is not really a major part of the story), we get scientific explanations of various biological differences between the three species. Learning all this small, somewhat believable information about the various species - from Were's having extra glands to the Vampyre species' inability to chew and digest most human foods - just makes the story seem more realistic. You know, despite its obvious paranormal elements. As for that physiological phenomenon I mentioned earlier, it makes its debut in the last few chapters of the book, and I am happy to report that it wasn't as traumatizing as I initially feared it would be.

Misery is a delightful main character. She has spent a large part of her life being used as a pawn in her father's games, and I enjoyed how the experience has shaped her into the person she is today. Not really belonging anywhere, she is initially quiet, aloof and unassuming, because that is who she had to become to fit in among the Humans. But she is also snarky, fun, brave and fiercy loyal - as seen in the lengths she's willing to go to to find her missing friend. I enjoyed seeing the Weres gradually warm towards her, and genuinely start to respect her as Lowe's partner. Lowe is also a very interesting character. He's got that tall, handsome and slightly threatening Alpha part down to a tee, and you can basically feel that quiet authority oozing from his very pores. He is also an actual decent human - well, Were - being, who cares a lot about his pack. The chemistry between the two of them is on point. Lowe was a bit hot and cold for a while there, and so I was on pins and needles just waiting for them to give in to their mutual attraction. When it finally happened, I certainly wasn't disappointed (though I was a little weirded out).

Although the romance between Misery and Lowe is definitely front and center of the story, there are intriguing political elements to the storyline, as well as a couple of interesting mysteries going on in the background. All these storylines mainly work to bring Misery and Lowe closer to one another, but they do all have satisfactory resolutions by the end of the book. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, and at around 400 pages it is a pretty fast and easy read. The end of the book leaves an opening for another story set in the same world, and if that happens, I will definitely read it.

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Review: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

If you read my review of The Bridge Kingdom, the first book in this series, it should come as no surprise that I was a little apprehensive of picking up this second book merely a day after almost ripping my own hair out in pure frustration over the female main characters blind loyalty to her mission. However, the tiny bit of character growth we saw in Lara in the second half of the book (as well as the shocking cliffhanger we left off on) was enough to convince me that this story had potential, so I decided to give The Traitor Queen a go. 

I am happy to report that Lara is a lot more tolerable in this book. Determined to make up for the fact that her stupid actions threw Ithicana into a bloody war - causing thousands to die, and her beloved husband Aren to be captured by her villainous father - Lara seeks the help of the very people she betrayed. The Ithicanians want her head, but Aren's twin sister, Ahnna, knows that working with Lara is their best chance of getting their king back alive. With help from Ithicana, Lara sets out to locate the subjects of her very first betrayal: Her ten remaining warrior sisters. 

Meanwhile, Aren is being hold captured in the heart of the Maridrinian palace by Lara's father, King Silas. Chained to a table in the harem courtyard, he is forced to witness to the death of Ithicanian after Ithicanian, and has more than enough time to curse himself for ever falling for Lara's lies. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and even if he knows that Lara brought him and his kingdom to ruin, he still can't seem to want her dead. Maridrina and Ithicania may be at war, but to Aren's great surprise there are some very unlikely allies hiding withing the palace walls. And unbeknownst to Aren, Lara and her sister are coming for him.

So let's start with the obvious: Lara and Aren's relationship is really put through the wringer in this installment of the series. Hardly surprising when you think about everything her betrayal has cost him. She knows Ithicana will never forgive her, but yet she wants to do all she can to right her wrongs. And Aren claims not wanting anything to do with her, but we all know that is a big fat lie. And this leads to pining. A lot of pining. So much pining! Speaking of Lara, I am so glad she has gotten her act together in this book. This is the heroine I wanted her to be all along: Strong, independent, fiercly loyal and most of all - intelligent. She takes an active stand against her father, and is majorly involved in a lot of the planning and tactics going on in the book. A large part of the book consists of her saving Aren's ass from various perilous situations, which is quite refreshing (he saves her at one point as well). I do actually like her now. 

Another part of the story I found interesting was getting a better look at the dynamic between Lara and her sisters. We were briefly introduced to one sister in the first chapter of the first book (and another one later on), but this is the first time we've been able to see all of them together and observe their relationship. Despite Lara's actions in the first book, they all show up for her when she needs their help. That's what family does, isn't it? Even though some of them were mere background characters, you could really feel the love and support they all had for one another. There were also some new and interesting characters introduced, and as far as I know, a couple of those new characters are the new main characters in the next couple of books in the series. I am definitely interested in knowing more about them.

The story was action-packed and fast-paced, and there was not a single part I found boring. I enjoyed all the plotting and planning going on behind the scenes, and there was several times I questioned how Danielle L. Jensen would manage to give us a satisfying ending to Aren and Lara's story. Did I think the resolution was a bit too simple? Yes, maybe, but it made perfect sense according to the lore and customs of Ithicana. However, I do think it all happened a little too fast. One minute the citizens of Ithicana wanted her dead, and the next thing we knew they had suddenly stopped referring to her as the Traitor Queen. Just like that? I might have accepted it if we'd had a bit more time to digest this sudden change in behavior, but as this all happened in the very last chapter, we were not given anything of the sort. An epilogue would probably have been a good idea. 

All in all, this has been a pretty good read. I will probably check out the next books in the series as well, but I do think I need a little break from this world before diving back into it.

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Review: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

I first read The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen shortly after it was first released back in 2018. If you've read my review of A Fate Inked in Blood by the same author, you already know that it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience for me. It was by no means even close to the worst book I've ever read, but there was just something about it that didn't work for me. However, after recently giving the author's newest release a solid five star rating, I decided to give The Bridge Kingdom another shot to see if the problem back then was the book or if it was just me.

The book follows Lara, one of twelve princesses trained from early childhood to one day infiltrate the court of Ithicana (also known as the Bridge Kingdom) - the neighboring nation of her native Maridrina - as a bride to their ruthless king. The girls all know Ithicana is the enemy - the country hoards their wealth and restricts access to the bridge that allows for trade between the various kingdoms, causing the innocent citizens of Maridrina to face starvation and poverty. Lara is neither the most beautiful nor the most intelligent among her sisters, but she is probably the most cunning one, and when she learns of her father's plan to have all sisters but one killed off to protect a plot fifteen years in the making, she forces his hand by making sure she is the only woman left standing. And thus her father is left with no other choice than to send Lara off to be wed to the king of Ithicana.

Lara's instructions are clear: She has one year learn all of Ithicana's secrets, and she is to report everything she learns back to her father. When the time is right, his forces will attack and take control over the bridge. But Aren, the king of Ithicana, is nothing like the brute Lara had expected. Instead of a tyrant, she finds a troubled young king who loves his country and its people more than anything, and who wishes for nothing else than for Ithicana and its neighboring countries to live in peace. The more time Lara spends with her new husband and his citizens, the more she starts to doubt her mission. Torn between being being the traitorous spy she was raised to be or being the real queen of Ithicana, Lara has to ask herself some important questions: What if Ithicana has never been the enemy? What if the real villain has been someone else all along? 

This is a difficult book for me to review. On the surface the book has everything I want in a story - a strong plot, political intrigue and a forbidden enemies to lovers romance - but there's just something about the story that doesn't grip me as much as I want it to. I think the main problem I have with the book is that I just can't stand Lara for the first half of the book or so. I get that she grew up being super sheltered and knowing nothing of the real world, but why is she just taking every word out of her father's mouth at face value? Her father straight up wanted to murder her and ten of her sisters! He doesn't exactly strike me as a particularly trustworthy man! However, Lara is so brainwashed that she just goes along with all of his plans without even raising an eyebrow. I just wanted to reach into the pages and shake the stupidity out of her. Fine, so she does eventually come around, and by the end of the book I even kinda like her, but that does not make up for the fact that I spent 50% of the book hating her traitorous guts. 

Aren, on the other hand, is a wonderful marshmallow that needs to be protected at all costs. I really enjoyed the chapters from his point of view, as he is just an all-around decent guy trying to hold his country together. Although he makes some dumb decisions when it comes to Lara, he is always giving his all to protect his people, and that makes me like him a lot.  

Despite my gripes about Lara, I enjoyed the story itself. Ithicana was described in a beautiful way - a wild country full of dangerous tropical storms, shark-infested waters and lush jungle islands populated by deadly snakes and gigantic spiders. And of course the gigantic bridge intersecting it all! It is probably not a place I would want to visit myself (because of the aforementioned snakes and spiders), but it did make for an interesting setting. I don't think I've read another book with a similar setting before. I liked the side characters, especially Ahnna and Aren's Nana. She's a firecracker that one! The plot was high-stakes, and once I started actually liking Lara, I really enjoyed the direction in which the story was heading. Her lies and deception (and stupidity) had to catch up with her at some point, and when it finally happened, I was at the edge of my seat! The betrayal! The tension! 

While I cannot give The Bridge Kingdom a higher rating because of Lara's lack of character development in the first half of the book, I have no complaints about the writing itself. Danielle L. Jensen has an excellent way with words, and now that I am finally really feeling the story, I am very excited to see what happens in the next book in the series. 

I am ready for Lara's redemption arc, so please don't disappoint me!

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Review: The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but there are some covers that just makes you all the more interested in reading the book. The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright is definitely one of them. Just look how stunning that is! Not that I wasn't already interested in the book - from the moment I first read the synopsis I was intrigued enough to add the title to my ever-growing TBR list. There's few things I love more than a cozy fantasy, and this book promised just that.

The book follows three different characters - Ffion, Taliesin and Dafydd - as they race to restore magic and save the Welsh kingdoms from a devastating attack.

Ffion is the last hedgewitch in the village of Foxhall. Once an prospective initiate of a the powerful Foxhall coven her mother and sister belongs to, she chose to break with both the coven and her family two years earlier due to their differing views of magic use. She refuses to sacrifice any living things to fuel her magic, instead living off what the land can freely offer her. When the Foxhall coven's destructive magic has devastating consequences for Ffion, she teams up with the shrewd (but distractingly handsome) prince Taliesin to stop the attack that is prophesied to kill his father and plunge the kingdoms into war. By helping Tal, Ffion hopes to restore the fading magic of Wales and bring back what was lost to her. 

 

Prince Taliesin does not trust magic, and he couldn't care less if it disappeared forever. But his father has pitted him against his older half-brother, Dafydd, in a quest to find a way to stop the prophesy from coming to fruition. The winner gets the throne. The loser gets nothing. Tal has his own reasons for wanting to rule, and so he reluctantly accepts Ffion's offer to help. But the more time they spend together, the more he finds himself drawn to the half-wild witch girl. Meanwhile, prince Dafydd is struggling with his role as his father's favorite and preferred heir. He has never wanted the throne in the first place, but he finds himself unable to refuse his father's request. But when he sees Tal with Ffion, he wonders if he shouldn't just fight for the thone - and the girl - himself.

Okay, let's get this out of the way first: There is a love triangle in this book. I usually hate love triangles, but I didn't really mind this one as much as I thought I would. Partially because the love triangle itself is introduced pretty late in the story, and by then you can pretty much guess how it will end up, and partially because both Tal and Dafydd are decent guys. I do think one of the guys should have given up a little earlier than he actually did, as it was clear from the get-go who Ffion had her heart set on, but I suppose you can't really begrudge a guy for giving it his all even if it was doomed from the beginning. But it makes me wonder if that third POV was really necessary, as I wasn't as interested in this character as I was in the other two.

I discovered after reading it that the story is actually based around real events from Welsh history, and there is a lot of Welsh mythology sprinkled throughout the story. This is of course a fictional (and magical) retelling of actual events, but it is just a fun little detail to consider. The story itself was whimsical and magic. I loved how Ffion's magic was so clearly connected to the land itself, and how gently she coaxed it out with her singing. She really had that good Earth witch energy, as opposed to some of the other witches/magicians who used more extreme methods to connect with their magic. Her little fox familiar was also really adorable. I also enjoyed how Ffion and Tal bickered like they'd already been married for fifty years from the moment they first met - her constantly making fun of him for his fancy, expensive, over-the-top coat was really funny.

Familial relationships are also an important part of the story, and I enjoyed seeing how the different character's stories played out. Even though they are currently at odds with eachother, it is made very clear that Ffion has voluntarily distanced herself from a family that still loves her a lot. Tal would do anything to protect his mother, even if it means constantly trying to impress his indifferent father. And although the relationship between Tal and Dafydd is fragile, the latter clearly cares about his brother's well-being more than he cares for himself. These interpersonal relationships and how they changed throughout the story was one of my absolute favorite aspects. 

The events of the final chapters were quite fast-paced compared to the earlier chapters, but I suppose that is to be expected from what in many ways is an epic 8th century road trip story. I was very satisfied with where our characters ended up, and with how the story ended. In the end, it was the only ending that would have made sense in this cute, cozy fantasy book.

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Review: The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers for Holly Black's The Folk of the Air, as well as for The Stolen Heir - the first book in this duology. If you have yet to read these books, I would advise against reading any further.

After finishing The Stolen Heir yesterday, I was eager to dive right into the final book in this duology. Luckily for me, it was a Sunday, and so I had all the time in the world to read. And read I did. I actually read this book in a single sitting. 

We last met prince Oak, heir to the faerie kingdom of Elfhame, shortly after he had been thrown in jail for betraying his childhood friend and quest partner from the previous book, Suren (Wren). The once disbanded Court of Teeth has risen from its ashes, and a reluctant Wren is forced to take up the mantle as the new queen of the Court she spend most of her life running from. Oak still cares deeply for Wren. He sees what toll her destructive magic takes on her, and he is desperate to save her before it is too late. Even though he knows he has single-handedly shattered the trust she once she had in him, he is desperate to get it - and also her - back. 

But the High Court of Elfhame will not let the imprisonment of their heir go unpunished, and Oak's sister Jude - the High Queen - will do anything to get her younger brother back. When Oak learns of a plan to break him out of prison - a plan that may just end in a war that will destroy everyone and everything that he loves - he comes up with a plan of his own. All he has to do is convince Wren to play along. To his great surprise, she agrees. Before long Oak, Wren and their retinues are on a boat heading towards Insmire, the capital of Elfhame. Oak is hopeful this will give him a chance to make things right with her, as Wren is the only person who has ever seen him for who he really is. But Wren has her own demons and agenda. Before long, Oak finds himself torn between his family and the girl he has always loved - and war is on the horizon.

This was a solid ending to a beautiful duology, although I didn't love the book as much as I thought I would. I loved the insight we got into Suren's mind in the first book, and how the first-person narration allowed us to really understand the depths of her character. In The Prisoner's Throne the point of view shifts from Wren to Oak, and at the same time also shifts from a first-person to third-person narrative. Oak is a fascinating character, and we do get to know him a lot better, but I didn't really feel as connected to him as I did to Wren in The Stolen Heir. I find the budding relationship between the two to be the most interesting part of the storyline, but sadly they don't have as many meaningful interactions in the latter half of the book as I wanted. Fans of the original series will however be thrilled to have old characters like Jude, Cardan and Madoc back, and get a glimpse into what they have been up to for the past eight years.

The supporting characters are delightfully morally grey, and there were plenty of times I suspected innocent characters of some kind of nefarious plots. The political intrigues and maneuvering in this book are more reminiscent of what we saw in The Folk of the Air, and it is something Holly Black does rather masterfully. I did like how the author kept us guessing as to where the story was going. There is a lot of tension and mistrust between the High Court and Wren's faction, and as the end of the book got closer, I was seriously worried as to how the story would wrap up. In the end I was satisfied with the ending, but I do wish we had gotten a little more time with our main characters after the final conflict. 

There is definitely a new story being set up by the very end of the book, and Holly Black has also confirmed she's not done with this world just yet. All I can say on that is: I'm here for it!

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