Bianca

3.5 stars. This was my first Mary Kay Andrews novel and probably won't be my last because I really did think that this was fun and kept me on the edge of my seat at the end. First, let me tell you about the things I really liked. The characters were thoroughly fleshed out and their dynamics were fun. I felt this was part social commentary - with touches on class disparity, race, and homophobia. The middle was a little hard to get through, but the last few chapters - WOW! PLOT TWIST PAGE TURNERS!

Now on to the things that irked me while reading: There were too many characters. After reading some other reviews, it seems this is common for a Mary Kay Andrews novel, so probably doesn't bother her fanbase much. Although they were fleshed out and done well, it was almost too much. Similarly, there were TOOO MANY PLOT LINES! When I reached 50% I was asking myself what this book was actually about?? Romance? Mystery? Just contemporary/women's lit? I think there were parts that went on too long, and a lot of repetitive conversations so that each of the many character could be caught up to what was happening. The romance between the main character and someone else (no spoilers) honestly, didn't add anything to the story and could have been left out completely to shorten things a bit. I think the cover is misleading and the prognosis too, to an extent. It is not a romance beach read. This is a mystery novel with a romance subplot and a lot of other stuff going on. I definitely thought it was a fun read, but a lot to process.

Thank you to Mary Kay Andrews and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook. Pretty writing is the only positive I really have to give? Audiobook is 8 hours, 6 hours of which I will never get back. The entire book happens at the end, most of the family dynamic business in the beginning is way too drawn out knowing what I know now and some of it is honestly pointless. The whole book is less than thrilling. I don't read a lot of thrillers but is it normal to be thrilled for only the 15% of a book? Also, EXTREMELY predictable. Rolled my eyes more than few times. Ithought maybe the final confession by the mom at the end might be the silver lining plot twist, but there was none (maybe ONE but about a real side character). And was this bitch for real covering up for her son again??? He is a grown ass ADULT.. COME ON. And how does the drug addict sister who is obviously struggling and needs love given LESS sympathy from her mother than her MURDERER brother. With that nasty ass death note to her daughter. Seriously? I'm sorry but fiction or not, I can't get on board with something SO far-fetched. Another book Booktok book hyped up that is a disappointment. In summary, this book is boring and predictable and I would not recommend.

“Prickly Company” by Kitty Johnson is one of those books that just grabs you and doesn't let go. It's all about the drama, love, and laughs in this little community, where even the hedgehogs play a part in the story. The way Johnson writes makes you feel like you're right there, living alongside characters like Frances, who's trying to make the world a better place for hedgehogs, and others who are dealing with all sorts of life stuff like rocky marriages, parenting challenges, and the messiness of just being human. I was totally wrapped up in their lives, laughing one minute and getting teary the next. The story's got twists that keep you guessing and moments that warm your heart. It's really about the big, messy, beautiful thing called life, and it's told in a way that's both down-to-earth and deeply moving. Incorporating the story of the hedgehogs, was a fun and meaningful way to show how we really are all interconnected. Plus, they're cute! Do not skip this book in 2024!

Wow! I have been thinking about this book all day after finishing it. It took me a little while longer than usual to finish because the middle did slow down quite a bit. But the ending was perfect. Marissa Meyer captured the essence of the Looking Glass/Alice in Wonderland perfectly, with lyrical and clever prose and characters that come to life. OFF WITH HIS HEAD is my new life motto.

Great short story. I love Silvia's writing style, beautiful prose that is well thought out. The end made me smile.

This was my second Rachel Hawkins book and I enjoyed it even more than the first (The Villa)! Hawkins lives up to the hype of being the queen of gothic suspense. I absolutely love the way she writes the setting. As a NC resident who loves Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains, her descriptions of Appalachia were spot on and done very well. The reference to the MMC's obsession with UNC basketball? Relevant. The plot continued to develop at a great pace. Although you kind of have an idea of where things are going, it is still done in a way where you are still turning pages to confirm your suspicions. I read this in 2 days and couldn't put it down! My only complaint is with the FMC and the first-person multiple POVs. The FMC was annoying at times and the first person narration felt too casual and kind of brought me out of that dark bubble I wanted to stay in, with her annoying chatting and social media obsession. The letters and newspaper clippings were a fun addition. I think if you are looking for an extremely thrilling thriller with tons of twists and turns you might be disappointed. I went into the Villa expecting that and was disappointed. Expect a dark, suspenseful contemporary fiction with 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes and you'll love it. Now that I know what to expect from her books, I am excited to continue to read more of her work!

Now THIS IS A CHRISTMAS STORY. I love these characters so much. This story has family drama, heartache, unconditional love, romance, laughter, and the holiday vibes to tie it all together. Going to the library IMMEDIATELY to get the second book because I need to keep up with this family. ❄️

This was a solid 4 star read, definitely not perfect but enjoyable. Fast-paced, fiery borderline annoying FMC with a ✨perfect✨ MMC to balance her out. I loved Freya at the beginning but she got increasingly more irrational and jumping to conclusions became her favorite hobby which got reallll old. Her character development seemed to move in the wrong direction so I'm hoping that she matures a bit in the next book. Some of the pacing felt a little too fast for such an epic story, I would have appreciated a slow down for some of their journeys and a little more character development and depth. For example, Snorri and Ylva were so one dimensional and I really struggled to understand their motivation. I loved the action scenes and the twist at the end. Looking forward to book 2. Definitely read if you need something fast, spicy, and fun and are willing to not get too bogged down in the details.

This was SO cute. I couldn't put it down. This is a perfect nerdy YA romance. I would have been feral for this in high school but I love it even as a 35 year old woman. The chemistry between the characters was swoon worthy, all of the kids were so sweet and likable, and I loved that the negativity from Sofia's role was actually pretty minimal and the story stayed focused on the romance, a growing friend group, and a girl learning how to navigate her relationship with her father. I was really brought to tears by Riley's relationship with her dad at the end and the friends coming through for each other. I even laughed out loud at some of the banter. This was such a sweet story and worth a read if you just want to be kicking your feet and smiling like an idiot and maybe shedding some heartwarming tears.

I wanted to love this one but it just missed the mark and I struggled to get through it. It had a lot of potential. Based on the dark and brooding cover and the synopsis, I was expecting more of a thriller / suspense / dark gothic feel but the mystery was solved early on and the rest of the book was just the FMC trying to prove to a male-dominated high society that she isn't insane and that her husband is a gaslighter, adulterer, and crook. Like I said, good premise but it didn't deliver. I'm not sure where the twists everyone mentions come about? The narration was extremely robotic. The setting didn't really deliver the gothic vibes I was hoping for. She was hardly at the house it seemed? I wish I had more positive things to say, but I'm struggling to find them.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In “Nobody Needs to Know,” Pidgeon Pagonis delivers a powerful narrative that transcends mere opinion. This book earns a solid 5/5 from me, not just for its compelling storytelling but for the important conversation it ignites. Everyone, regardless of where they stand on any spectrum of belief, has a responsibility to read this book and become educated on this topic. It's about ethical treatment of human beings, perseverance and unwavering strength, and the undeniable importance of listening to voices that have long been marginalized. So, do yourself a favor: read it. Reflect on it. It's important. Just do it.

As someone who doesn't reach for spicy books, I had to try this one because my partner lives to golf. I'm glad I did, what a fun, heartwarming, and hot book!

I think there IS a target audience for this book, it's just not me (and that's okay). I'm not much of a smut/spice seeker and when I requested this book I wasn't expecting A LOT of spice. It took me a minute to get my bearings and Justinian's style of (beautiful) writing and the format of the book. I even had to use the dictionary a few times which is rare for me! Once I did, I enjoyed the story for the most part. I think my biggest issue that was always in the back of my mind was the way that this is being marketed as a Romantasy, with the prognosis hardly mentioning erotica, smut, spice at all. Some of the fellow author review quotes mention it, thankfully. This definitely erotic fantasy with some romance (but mostly lust). I don't think it's fair to the reader to not lead with how sexual the book is. I know the author has been joking on IG about this and There's NOTHING wrong with how sexual the book is; I just think it needs to be obvious from the start so folks know what they're getting into. I think this stands for all authors when you're bordering the line of erotica (and this is far past that line).

So 4 stars for a great story, amazing writing especially for a debut novel, but lack of a star for being mislead. I will definitely keep an eye on this author and would read more of his writing if it was less erotica and more romance and if he never writes that kind of book, that's okay (you do you, boo!) Wish him lots of success as a queer Asian author.

Weyward by Emilia Hart was an incredible feminist witchy story. Told in 3 POVS by women in the same lineage in different decades, it is a story about strength, resilience, vengeance with the perfect amount of supernatural influence. I definitely embraced my inner powerful witch while reading this! It definitely deals with sensitive subjects like rape, miscarriage, and domestic violence but it is done the right way and not just thrown in for the hell of it. The writing and imagery is out of this world. 10/10 recommend - especially around spooky season.

Sorry to my friends who live and breathe for this book but it was just... not good. SPOILERS AHEAD.

First of all, the book is wayyy too surface level and I should not finish a book with the list of questions I continued to add to while reading. I refuse to blame this on the book being YA or a Romantasy. The plot was lazy, that's it.

My questions for anyone to answer, for the love of god:

1. Why does Rune have any inclination that Gideon suspects she's a witch? Solely because he's a witch hunter? She doesn't know that he saw her name on the ship?

2. Why don't we get to see Rune in action? Why are there no flashbacks to how she freed all of these witches? Seems pretty novice, so how did she do it? We also don't even really get to see Gideon hunting witches!

3. she already suspected Gideon of catching on to her, how could she fall for that mine trap? Is she that dumb? Really? You're the “Crimson Moth” who somehow (we don't know how besides her deadbolt spell which she's not even great at?) frees witches from prisons and smuggles them out of the country- but you fell for that trick. Not realistic at all.

4, Why is there no background into the witch community?? Why are they evil? Did all witches support the evil sister queens? Did they contribute any good to society?

5. No further investigation into the ships? Questioning the sailors? Retracing its routes? Just going to ignore this giant piece of evidence?

The rest of the book was repetitive plot lines and narrations. Oh my god the narration.
And the stupidity of Rune. Again, I don't care that this is YA and she's “young”. She is the Crimson Moth and she's a dang idiot leaving all her witch shit out for the world to see. When Gideon asks, “Why did seraphine try to kill you” “I don't know!” Really? Maybe because you were about to kill her? And turned in your grandma? COME ON. She really had no idea Alex was in love with her? Give me a break.

I think I'll stop here. I honestly couldn't wait for this to end. The twist was predictable and the one character who I could stand dies. I won't be reading the second book.

This started off strong as a 5-star read and the way Bailey chose to write Beat's character as a weird love sick puppy changed that. Listen, I am all for a cinnamon roll but this was another level. Did we have to announce how glorious and beautiful Mel is every.single.time she walks into the room? The protectiveness was so excessive in NOT a hot “touch her and die way” but like an anxiety inducing way. His little sex problem related to his trust issues felt like TB was trying to really milk an issue for the sake of the plot and that was also excessive. We honestly could have done without all of that nonsense. This is the second time TB has written an annoying MMC so I hope it's not a trend bc I do enjoy her books. I was loving the plot and this made it much more interesting than just a regular contemporary romance where nothing happens. I was more invested in the band than the romance because Beat turned me off. Also there is nothing christmasy about this book- it could have happened any time of year and the plot wouldn't have been affected at all. Overall, I had a good time and couldn't put it down the last 55%.

I surprisingly really enjoyed this! Sunshine meets sunshine? Yes. Cinnamon roll MMC? More yes. This book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet! The FMC was a little immature for her age at times, the premise of the “Arrangement” fell a little flat, and the third act break-up / lack of communication was frustrating (authors, can we stop with this already?) which is why I couldn't quite give this 4 stars. The story moves at a pretty medium pace and overall, was a nice rom-com and palette cleanser from some of my more serious/dark reads. I will definitely pick up the others in the series!

For the love of all things holy, read this book! It's captivating and a great commentary on the role of the media and the glorification of serial killers. Wonderfully written and not giving the killer a name throughout the book - I AM HERE FOR IT.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This book was perfection. Perfect amount of magic, love, spice, likeable characters and interesting storyline. I kicked my feet, I swooned bc Bowen is 10/10 book husband material like

The Warm Hands of Ghosts will live in my head rent-free for eternity. This is such a hauntingly beautiful book. This is probably top 5 of 2024 for me and I have read A LOT.