Samia
I absolutely loved this book. Doris Steele is a 17-year-old pregnant girl in rural Georgia who had to drop out of school to care for her sick mother and essentially her whole family. She's never had any real choices for herself, but she makes do with what little she can find and her natural way with words—she's always writing down her thoughts and observations. Her voice is incredibly funny; she's so blunt in her internal monologue and almost childlike in some ways, with the fear of God and religion so deeply ingrained in her that she's completely unsettled by anything that doesn't conform to her upbringing.
This all changes during a secret trip to Atlanta with her former English teacher, Mrs. Lucas, who is originally from there. Mrs. Lucas is almost like a mother to Doris—someone she can confide in and trust because Mrs. Lucas sees Doris for her potential as more than just a homemaker, wife, or daughter. She sees her for who she truly is. Atlanta represents everything Doris's life could have been—educated college men and women, the choice of whether or not to be pregnant, the freedom to love whom you want—all set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, a transformative era in itself. Doris is thrust right into the middle of it when Mrs. Lucas takes her to Atlanta to help her get an abortion from one of her friends. This opens Doris's eyes to what queerness is, what loving or caring for a woman could mean, and exposes her to an entirely new world.
She encounters a mix of historical figures (both real and fictional) who shape her thinking as she tries to figure out what she truly wants for herself, beyond what she's grown up with in the rural South. All around her, change is happening with the movement—young people versus old—and we also see how even though the queer Black community exists, they face discrimination from their own people because they don't "live right." It's a multilayered discrimination that Black queer people endure.
I found this book deeply moving. The main character is incredibly witty and funny, and I felt so proud watching her figure out what kind of woman she wants to be through her internal thoughts as she narrates this transformative weekend in Atlanta. The city really highlights the contrast between how the world was modernizing for certain Black people while others were just getting by in small towns where change hadn't even begun to arrive.
I couldn't put it down. Not only did I love Doris, but I felt this offered such an important perspective on the era, centering around the choice—or lack thereof—that women, especially Black women, have always faced and continue to face today. I learned so much and was able to trace many elements in the book back to real historical events, which made reading this a truly enriching experience. 5/5 stars from me.
Wowowowowowow, the final saga of The Alliance book series...and it was spectacular! In book one we had a lot of set up of our amazing cast, their motivations, their hopes, and what they want out of the endeavors they are facing. And when the pressure hits, who are they really? Book two really solidifies alliances and enemies, diving deeper into the Alliance world and what our squad is going to do to clear Teo's name for the alleged murder of his whole family. Corvus's motives are better understood which humanized him to me since we got to see at the end of the day he isn't an evil genius, he's a broken human being. I really loved the deeper interplay of the characters today with some crazy action packed fight scenes and the TENSION between Haven and Ocean really had me going crazy (in the best way). I also felt like although we are in a scifi world, this novel is so much more about facing the type of person you were, who you are now, and who you want to be and we see almost all of our characters go through some form of "moving" forward, whether its in their careers or from the Alliance or from their own pasts. I loved loved loved it and this world and I really wish there was another book in the series because I could follow this cast forever.
WTF - this was like weirdly not what I thought it would be but oddly I was obsessed with it. We got witches and magic and demons and some serious gas lighting which is wild to me. I really liked the plot line but wished there was more detail on the types of magic and the history of the magical creatures. Overall thought this was an addicting unique read!
Really like this book. It comes off as a bit YA in the begging but I think that works for the mail character Emeline who is known as a Defective (like a defective human). The world building could be a bit better I have so many more questions about how this society came to be and really what does distinguish and Elite from a Defective- which emeline also questions as we see her thrown into this whirlwind of a Mate selection process, a rebellion, and so much more than what meets the eye. The story definitely has some good dystopia vibes with a crazy ending with so much information that I was like “WHHAAAAAA”. So I’m excited to follow this author for the second book!
Thanks for the arc to netgalley
What a brilliant and heart wrenching book that sucks you in until you suddenly realize you're on the last page and you wish you hadn't read it before the second one comes out. My heart literally feels like its been torn from my chest and I am so in love with Maris and Luca and so devastated at what fate has brought them.
This story begins in almost the middle of the end and we find ourselves traveling back and forth form the past to the present as Maris and Luca recount the story of who they were and who they became now and a love that surpassed all expectations that neither of them expected in their life. While at the center of it this is a tragic love story that we may not know the end to, it is more so a fantastic fantasy novel set in the vibes of ancient Rome, where the Gods are revered but also not trusted by many. We haven't met any of these Gods and the story of how some people of Isara got their magic is a dark one. But there is a lot more at play than just the Gods, there is war and a fight between the upper and lower class, along with this intertwining tragedy of love from the two people who seem to be fated to be on opposite sides forever.
I literally could not put this down and became so enthralled by the writing and the world that I feel utterly empty after finishing this and it's not even OUT yet and now I have to wait for who knows how long for the next one??
immediately go get this- even if you don't read anything "romantic" because honestly its so beautiful anyone who loves some good old war and political turmoil will also love this.
🌶️: 1/5
❤️: Infinity/5
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC
Eeeeo this was sick!! This first book has a large cast of characters and sets the scene for what's going to unfold later. There's actually a lot of mystery surrounding our main female character, Ocean. She's a badass, sharp, quiet, yet had the biggest heart which we see through her actions. Her past catches up to her on some level, and her best friend Teo, and they're thrown into a space murder mystery where they're the villains in the galactic story. I found the book witty, well written, and when the action starts up it gets CRAZY!! I'm really excited for the second book because I think that's where we're gunna see all of the action unfold. Challenges have been made, fights have been established, and maybe love is in the air ?? Super hyped for the next one !
This was pretty mid. I liked the magic logic but wish it had been explained better tbh it would have helped. I also wanted to like the main characters but parts of the book felt so rushed and the romance a bit forced. There are a lot of people in this story it's hard to keep up with them all and their relationships just didn't feel as genuine as I had hoped. I thought I would over time get more connected to the characters but it was a little all over the place. Just didn't make me excited tbh. Overall it was okay but I was relieved to finish. Maybe the second one will be better I would definitely check it out at least.
Thank you Simon Books for an Advance copy!
Alright so there's a lot of unpack here. Because this is kind of a horror book but also oddly a book about grief, love, and redemption with a healthy sprinkle of understanding your immigrant parent vibes. And I really liked it I feel like I could re read it and see all the nuances of how a tragedy in a family literally fundamentally changes them. I think this had the right dose of creepy, horrorey, and deep emotion that made me relate to the main character and at the same time think she's a total psycho. Great book very layered and deep !
This is one of the most horrifying and fascinating books I've probably read in my life. Cassandra Khaw knows how to combine dark monster energy with regular academia problems in a genius sort of way I can't even begin to explain. This story explains how effed up a school basically is and doesn't even have a happy ending - it's just like rage and the relationship between people (?) and how to survive and what survival means. There's also immense amounts of blood and gore and horrifying imagery you'll never get out of your head but...I loved it ?? I really did I found it crazy compelling and already wanna re read it again TBH. Great for fans who love the horror yes, but also love exploring how an ensemble of characters become who they are in the darkest of ways. It's jarring and grotesque but also reaches your heart as you realize you've started to love these characters without even realizing it and you're rooting for them to ultimately graduate. -cries-
Special thanks to Tor for an advance copy of this!
WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK I NEED IT NOW!!!! This was such an entertaining and hilarious banter filled piece of joy with a nice mystery and crazy cliff hanger at the end. I'm so into it. We really learn about Aurienne and Osric for most of this book, their likes and dislikes and watch them grow comfortable with each other. With witty banter these two grow close and without meaning to the feels start feeling. I really loved this and wish I could read the second book now to see what unfolds. There's not a lot of spice but honestly I don't mind because it feels like a build up to book two which we now have to wait for
What a brilliant, enthralling, dark, and weirdly cozy novel! I have not read a Tale of Two Cities but this book has themes to it and is slightly based off of the classic. It makes me wanna pick up my copy and actually trying reading for once.
My first impressions of the book was “what is happening here” because we are thrown into the middle of some action with no idea what's going on. But I was so HOOKED! I found the book so captivating and I wasn't able to put it down every time I read a chapter. It's dark and moody in a way where it really shows the complexities of humanity. We see Memory constantly fall down, the most gray area MMC I have ever seen, with very little to like about him- but his heart is truly made of gold. His loyalty and dedication to those he loves and cares for is really remarkable a he fights to save them. The ending is pretty sad and bittersweet, I felt like we could have totally made some changes to help the man who helps everyone, but oh well.
I'm probably rambling but please read it! If you like history, mystery, dark faeries, and intricate plots this will be your book. It's a little slow reading but totally worth it.
OH MY MARS!!! WHAT A CRAZY BOOK!!! There were so many ups and downs here and wow wow wow I don't even know where to begin. We find ourselves really hoping Darrow is okay in this one because definitely gone through it - it's a year into the future and all that's happened with the destruction and war that's been finally started and we get to see through darrows eye how much has changed, how much has HE changed. There's tension between him and the conglomerate of the Rising because he works with Golds (who are allies but haters will hate). Darrow and everyone else here lose a lot on this one it's quite heartbreaking. The best thing I got out of this book was how even when there is a win, it's still a loss. war is and ugly thing and even though the cause may be great, the day to day and the methods aren't and the glory that so many Golds are obsessed with we come to find is really founded in nothing but horror and death.
The ending really killed me though I was just screaming the last five chapters and I'm SHOOK! I think it's a great stopping point for the trilogy leaving a lot of ambiguity but I also totally understand why everyone begged for another book in this series (book begets book begets book) because I'm hyped to move to the next chapter !
HUGE REC FOR ME probably one of the best series I've read in my life so far !
WELL GORYDAMN MY GOODMAN!!!! this is SICK omg I don't even have works right now at all like what on EARTH was that ending ???!
Darrow is really winning in this book and his balance between himself and the society he's hiding in stays true...or so we think. Friendships fracture and Darrow find a himself surrounds by so much support yet he's so so alone. There are some emotionally charged and amazing moments here where we find hope for Darrow and his mission and then it's totally and completely OBLITERATED at the end of the book which is filled with betrayal and despair and literally no hope at all. I'm so stunned and I can't wait to see how this is going to unravel in the next book because I have no words. I just hope Mustang will be on his side and he has some Allie's somewhere because this is so BLEAK.
THE HYPE IS REAL!!
Wow this was so good I literally finished under 48 hours like a psycho. The storyline is great, a bit reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but I have heard the story is different as we go through more books. I love me a good overthrow the Government and “The Man” plot line and the complexities of what it means to love and hate humans is really prevalent in this book. Darrow hates the Golds...right? But slowly we see that he is integrating himself into a society that runs weirdly similar to his own in some ways. It has its good and bad people and he really has to center himself by constantly reminding himself of his mission, no matter how good his bonds are with these people. The rage he feels is so visceral and exciting because we know that this isn't the end game for him it's just the beginning. I really couldn't put it down and already got the rest of the series to eat up!
James Mondesir brings us a book that takes a closer look at a very specific aspect for life, growth, and the very real implications and second changes that COVID-19 brought to several types of people in the world. His novel, Delivered, is about a man who gets a second chance at life by being freed from Rikers during COVID-19. He is in jail for a crime he didn't commit and finds himself starting back at square 1. His feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and so much more unfurl to the audience as he tries to sort out his basic needs and reconcile with life after incarceration. He struggles through his emotions through drugs and alcohol as he tries to decide what type of man he will be. I was really rooting for him throughout the book to figure out his life and find some sort of happy medium. Sometimes it feels like you will never over the top of the hill that is the obstacles of life and you could really tell this theme in this book. But as we see with the ending, life is a work in progress and it's not always about getting over something, its about getting through it to the other side. Very thought provoking read!
What a whirlwind! I really liked this book a lot because we finally get into the backstory of Lor and her family which is what I was very curious about. We also see her and Nadir dancing around the fact that they're obviously connected on a certain deep level. I'm excited for the next book and I hope we finally get to see Lor use the magic.
Literally every single time Iris Lake writes something, I know I need to take off work, cry, laugh, giggle, spiral into delusion—basically go through the full spectrum of ridiculous emotions. That's how magical her books are, and A Vampire Castle in the Sky is no exception.
We return to the world of the Faraway North, but this time we're swept into a haunted castle in the clouds, one filled with whispers of childhood memories, deadly secrets, and the kind of grief that reshapes your soul. At the heart of it all is Thea Valentia—a girl forced to leave behind everything she knew, only to cross paths again with the vampire prince she once called a friend.
What unfolds is a beautifully dark, whimsical journey through vampire society where love tries to bloom in the shadow of grief, betrayal, and a fate that won't let go. This isn't just a reunion story—it's a reckoning. They're not strangers, but they're no longer the people they once were either.
This book made me giddy with joy, laugh out loud from the banter, and ache deeply from the emotional realism Iris Lake writes so well. The story is soaked in grief but glimmering with magic and hope. The darker elements—death, vampirism, bloodlust—are perfectly balanced with cozy, almost fairy-tale-like wonder. It's a gothic fantasy for anyone who wants to feel everything and come out the other side changed.
If you want a story that's rich with emotion, layered with mystery, and dusted in magic and memory—read this.
Highly, highly recommend!
Okay I'm intrigued !!! I think I see where the auntie is going with this. The first book was a little clunky in the writing which is why I took a star off but overall I loved seeing aloe go through these trials! I think this book was kind of a set up to get her integrated into the politics of what's happening in her world after being in prison for so long - but we also come to find out that she's hiding a secret from everyone including her audience. This secrets probably going to be life changing and I don't want to spoil it but I'm pretty sure I know what it is. I like the set up of the characters for the most part I'm very curious to see how things are gunna be in the second book. I think we will see more action there (at least I hope) and more plot development. Overall 4/5 for me this is a great book if you like romantasy and are looking for some adventure! Mild spice in this one (2/5).
Found this to be a cute book with a a different concept - the F1 angle is very sexy and I liked the MMC a lot. I think sharing his story and the FMCs story started off well but I took a star off because I felt that there were inconsistencies in the plot line - sometimes it felt like there was detail there that wasn't needed? But the overall vibes were good and this was a nice chill read.
LOL—nervous, stressed laughter—what did I just read?!
This book is an absolute roller coaster. Disturbing, gripping, and deeply unsettling, Tender Is the Flesh drops us into a world where an alleged virus makes all animal meat poisonous and humans become the new livestock. Cannibalism is normalized, sanitized, and systematized—and we follow Marcos, a man working at a processing plant, as he quietly unravels under the weight of this dystopian nightmare.
The premise alone is horrifying, but what really got to me was the cognitive dissonance—how people cope with this sanctioned brutality. Some become sadistic and desensitized, others live in deep denial, clinging to twisted justifications. The language is chilling; words are stripped of meaning or rebranded to make the grotesque feel acceptable. And Marcos, grief-stricken and hollowed by loss, is hyper-aware of this linguistic manipulation. He notices how people use language to hide, deny, and survive—even as he starts to do the same.
The ending? Shocking... and yet somehow inevitable. This book holds up a mirror to our own selfishness and moral decay. In a world where it's eat or be eaten (literally), Bazterrica reminds us that our humanity is paper-thin when survival is at stake.
It's jarring, uncomfortable, and deeply thought-provoking. I was freaked out—but I think that's the point.
Alright so there are some interesting elements in this book, like the magic and school system, the types of powers, the detail in spells. I also like the main MMC and I'm curious about this family drama and how he is connected to the main FMC. However, the writing is a bit juvenile and I think there should have been more of a dive into the banter between the two main MCs, sone more details on powers, some follow through on the investigation of the attacks and overall a refinement in the writing because it was splotchy and felt like random at times. Especially the spicy scenes could have been done better they felt too odd when these two characters barely talked. Maybe multiple POV would be helpful? I would be down to read the second book to figure out the mystery but honestly would not rush to read this series. I feel like it needs another edit and re-read/refinement. It just made me wish I was reading a better version of the same thing.
I went into this book unsure—ghosts, food, and romance? It sounded like an odd recipe. But Aftertaste completely proved me wrong in the best possible way. This story is tender, strange, moving, and so utterly original that I couldn't stop thinking about it even after I turned the last page.
At the heart of the novel is Konstantin Duhovny, a deeply haunted man—both by grief and, quite literally, by ghosts. After losing his father at age ten and watching his mother emotionally disappear into her own sorrow, Kostya is stuck, drifting through life in a fog of unprocessed loss. But then comes the twist: he starts tasting the ghosts that surround him. Their favorite foods flood his mouth—a strange and magical ability called clairgustance, which was new to me and completely fascinating.
This isn't just a gimmick. Lavelle uses food as an emotional language—each flavor, dish, and meal carrying weight, memory, longing, and love. As Kostya learns that he can reunite grieving people with their lost loved ones through food, he throws himself into the brutal and beautiful world of the New York culinary scene. Watching him struggle, grow, mess up, and reach for something meaningful is where this book really shines.
I was fully immersed in his journey—frustrated with him at times, rooting for him always. He's imperfect and real, and his evolution is so satisfying to witness. What struck me most is how the novel handles grief and love: not as clean or easy emotions, but as messy, tangled, lingering presences in our lives. The idea that food—something so sensory, so rooted in memory—can be a bridge between the living and the dead is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Aftertaste is many things: a love story, a ghost story, a meditation on loss, and a high-stakes kitchen drama. It's sharp, emotionally layered, and full of moments that linger like a flavor you can't quite place but can't forget. I can't recommend it enough.
This was an interesting thriller - I kept wanting to read it addicted to the trad wife lifestyle (is it all real or not will we ever know??) and then the storyline of Brianna got me pulled in too because I felt like that was so much more realistic than the IG stuff. I think it's a good commentary about the irony that tradwives have made their life into a way to make money thereby defeating being a “true” trad wife. I would have liked more suspense and violence for the thriller aspect tho. Overall a decent read!