Susan

This book is one of the best Bookish Surprises I have ever I received and, without a doubt, one of the most original books I have ever read. This book, and Tama, has lived in mind on so many levels since the first page! I mean how many books can you say are narrated by a magpie from the time it is hatched. Tama is a total scene stealer and he is everything that creates a wonderfully vivid and mythic character that is like the Trickster god Loki has taken form to live in New Zealand.

If that reminds you of the awe and wonder that you felt when you were younger reading Peter Rabbit or Charlotte's Web, then you know right where you I am coming from. However, just as all these stories have a deeper darker edge that you only saw in retrospect after growing up, then you are homing in on how I still feel after finish The Axeman's Carnival a while age.

This book is filled with emotion. There is such sadness and longing for family by every character in this book that you feel as if you are walking beside each of them in turn and, I am no sure hiw Chidgey did but but every farm yard animals is a living and breathing character, despite not being able to speak like Tama. This book will have you rooting for rain fall and grow them grass to eat. And, as much as there is a character here that I didn't want to feel for - no spoilers - Chidgey's story presents each one in a way that will break your heart in so many different ways because of their human-ness. But always at the heart of the story is Tama with his spoken words that draw you back and make you smile and laugh despite yourself and the circumstances that the characters find themselves in.

Tama's voice is one that cannot be replicated and one that will transport you to the New Zealand Highlands.

This was an amazing book filled with all the tension and other worldliness that I think of when I think of a Witchy Read. Ciccarelii has written an Enemies to Lovers romance that truly sets the bar for what can be done with this trope, especially when blended in with the Brothers Best Friend subtrope. With World building this vivid and detailed I cannot wait to see how the author will build on this for the nxt book.

Thank you St Martin's Press and Net Galley for sharing this arc with me!

This is a book that I literally devoured in two sittings. Told with a keen eye for detail and in a writing style that will transport you, Hawkins' The Heiress is a book that will make you rethink your next family gathering and cause you to keep a keen eye on you family...because this book shows that you never really know the whole story of what motivates the people around you. I loved the way the storylines converged and showed different aspects of the moments as a reader I thought I knew.

One sentence review: This is story of twists and turns that has the best gothic feel that would make Willie Collins proud...if dysfunctional families, backstabbing and conveying relatives, and plot twists around every corner make your fingers itch to open a cover, this is a book you don't want to miss.

This is a real and achingly powerful book that will linger in you mind long after you close the book. Not only is this a beautifully written book, but it has been exquisitely translated from the original French by Hildegarde Serle. This book was a powerhouse of emotions that struck very close to home as a caregiver to my aging parents who has spend many hours in care homes and hospitals around the aged. The presence of the narrator throughout this book drew me into her story and showed, with such awareness of the value of life and the power of compassion and empathy, that life is to experienced in Life and In Storytelling. Told in a dual aspect style, Justine is trying to find her way through life as a 21 year old orphan who lives with her family and works in a care facility where she meets Helene, a 100 year old resident, and begins to follow the story of the older woman during the war. With the eye of a writer and her blue notebook to capture the stories she hears, Justine captures and shares with the reader Helene's story. This is a story told with all the bleakness and devastation of the war on the lives, bodies, and emotions of French, but it also shows the glimpses of love and hope and moments of joy that were found there as well.

To be honest, this book has left me thinking about the power of connection between us all and the need we have share our stories before they, like Helene, just fade away before our eyes almost without notice until we stop, ponder, seek out connection. With our individual story threads held fast in our own hands they are tenuous, precious, and isolated from support; however, once we bring those threads together and begin to plait and weave them together do those fragile threads become part of a collective, powerful and age defying story told via tapestry of our shared humanity. To remind us of what us good, rejoice in what is gifted. Mourn what is lost. And guide to reflect that all this IS what is to be human.

Haunting. Powerful. Compelling. Beautiful. Human. These are qualities of Perrin's story and Serle's translation that make this a book that will linger in my mind for a long time

Thank you Eeuropa Editions for an amazing international read that is a permanently on my shelves.

Blake and Jess were such a cute couple and I love that Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen did more than simply fall back on common tropes to write their story, because they deserve so much more than that. I had not read the prior book where Jess was introduced, but I had no problem falling into this book and following their story, and the banter and humor I was able to follow that quite easily. I may have missed some in jokes but nothing central to the storyline itself..

This book was so much fun and a great getaway from my family during a stressful pre-Holiday day!