Misty (mistysbookspace)

3.5 stars

For the first time ever I believe I have finished the book club book early in the month. This was a new author to me and I thought this novella was ok. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Hero. I'm not particularly a fan of characters who are mean just for the sake of being mean. The further into it I got though I did come to realize that he wasn't meaning it in a mean way he was just being sarcastic and making jokes but still not a fan. Also things moved way to fast and while the chemistry between the characters was believable the romance as a whole wasn't completely believable.

I was very hesitant going into this book because Legends & Lattes ended up being a bit of a disappointment when I read it last year. In my opinion the first book was way overhyped and because of that it ended up just being an ok read for me but Bookshops & Bonedust was so much better. This is what I wanted the first book to be. It's cute, it's funny and we got a little bit of action. I will say Viv made a questionable decision in the end that really made no sense to me and I knew how things were going to play out from there but overall I really enjoyed this one.

If you didn't know Kerri Maniscalco is one of my favorite authors and in my opinion she can do no wrong. I have been waiting to read this book since it was released. I ended up buddy reading this with Destiny and I loved it. I love this world which is introduced in the Kingdom of the Wicked series and just get expanded on in this book. I love these men and the women. I just love every freaking thing about these books. This is her first adult novel but to me this one seemed a little tamer than the Kingdom books but I still say it's for mature audiences. Since the world is pretty much established at this point we get to focus more on the demon princes. This story is about Envy and Camilla. I loved getting to know each of these characters and unraveling each of there secrets. I will say I did guess a couple of Camilla's secrets kind of early on but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book at all. I loved the angst between these characters and the push and pull between the characters and how each of them gave as good as they got. I also love the dynamic between the princes. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book which I have already preordered and I really hope the publisher/Kerri will expand and do stories on all of the princes and maybe even others. I could go on and on about this book so I am going to leave it at that. 

This is the 3rd and final book in the Spark House trilogy. I've enjoyed all of them but this is probably my least favorite in the trilogy. Each of these can be read as standalones because they each follow a different sister. This story follows Harley who I'm pretty sure is the youngest of the 3 sisters. This is a second chance, age gap, friends to lovers romance with a single dad. I liked the romance for the most part but there were things that just didn't work for me. Gavin is a 40 something year old man yet it takes his best friend telling him what he's feeling for him to realize what he's feeling. Also his daughter Peyton acts younger than she actually is in the book. Also the side characters were really bothering me in this book. I get that we needed some drama but this just seem to be done in an overly dramatic way. I did enjoy following there story though and I love how things ended.

This is one of most anticipated releases of this year and it was a buddy read with Malli and Destiny. I started this series last year and have been waiting on Morgan and the Keepers story since reading book one. This book was everything I wanted/needed it to be and more. The Keeper and Morgan haven't had the best of luck navigating their relationship and in this book we learn why the Keeper was so adamant about keeping her at arms length and it's pretty heartbreaking. I loved the banter and the angst oh my gosh the angst is on point. I love each of these characters individually and I love them even more together. I do have to mention there were 2 things that happened in this book that shocked me and at first I was like what? but the more I think on it the more they make sense. I can't really say what they are because it's a major spoiler so I suggest reading other reviews to maybe get an idea of what I am talking about. This is by far my favorite book in this series and it was so worth the wait but now I just want more of Morgan and the Keeper. 

This was my first pick from my Kindle jar that I created for this year to help me read more from the kindle books that I own. Luckily my first pick was a short one so it was a quick read. I say this every time I read a novella but these tend to be hit or miss for me because most of the time I'm left feeling like we didn't get enough. That wasn't the case for this book though. Everything worked really well and I never felt like we didn't get enough back story. It does end on a cliffhanger though which is pretty frustrating. I also have to say I wasn't expecting this to be a Christian Romance. I typically don't read Christian books because usually the religious side of things feels like it's being shoved down your throat and I can't stand that. This was a little heavy handed with the religious aspect but in the end it didn't really bother me all that much and I really want to continue this series. 

I buddy read this with Destiny and Erin. Destiny and I started the Crowns of Nyaxia series last year and when we saw that this was a standalone that takes place in the same world we really wanted to read it and Erin ended up reading it with us. This review is going to be somewhat spoilery so if you are interested in reading this I would suggest skipping my review. I loved being back in this world with different characters. I loved seeing it from a different perspective. I also really loved the enemies to lovers slow burn relationship. Overall it was an enjoyable read but there were 2 things that bothered me. One being the ending. Everything was resolved way to easily. I felt Atrius was way to ok with Sylina's betrayal. Like we are told that she could feel his anger but once everything was resolved he had forgiven her already. I think there needed to be some groveling and apologizing on Sylina's part. The thing that bothered me the most though and what I just couldn't get past was how from the very beginning it's made clear that Sylina is blind and she walks around with a blindfold around her eyes all of the time but yet she can still see and is able to describe exactly what something looks like or know when someone is making a face at her or whatever. She's not seeing like someone who isn't blind but she can still see. This made the whole being blind seem kind of pointless. Also in the end she finally takes the blindfold off and oh wow she can kind of see although it's blurry and whatever she is looking at has to be really close for her to make it out. I know it has to do with the magic but for me at least it just wasn't explained very well and every time it's mentioned which is a lot by the way it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I did enjoy everything else about this book and I look forward to seeing these characters again in the Crowns of Nyaxia series at some point

This was this months pick for the Lost in Romance Book Club that I cohost with my friend Michelle. I can't remember the last time I read a book where the characters pissed me off so freaking much. When I first picked this up I was intrigued and I wanted to know how things were going to play out. I will say that it was a bit repetitive which was annoying and I went back and forth on whether or not I liked the characters. One minute I would like them and the next they were driving me crazy. Selene oh I wanted to shake her and be like wtf is wrong with you. She definitely made some questionable choices. And Memnon don't even get me started one him he's the one that pissed me off the most especially in the end. By the end of the book I hated his character. I'm not sure how or even if he is going to be able to redeem himself after all of that. Also this book ends on a cliffhanger which just added to my anger because I hate cliffhangers especially when not everything gets wrapped up in the book. You would think that I really hated this book but while it drove me crazy I couldn't help but be sucked in and I can't wait for the next book. 

3.5 stars

This is a friends to lovers romance and man the angst in the first half of this book. I actually preferred the first half of this book to the last half. In the first half we get the will they want they back and forth and I was loving that despite really wanting them to finally get together. The last half is where they finally get together and the way they went about it really didn't sit right with me and I really pretty much hated every single side character. I know you are meant to cheer for the hero and heroine but I hate when the authors make every other boyfriend/girlfriend horrible. Like why? I loved the characters together and I enjoyed reading this but it didn't fully work for me. 

3.5 stars

This was a quick easy read and I thought it was cute and steamy at times. I was into this while I was reading it but something kept me from being fully sucked in but I don't really know why. There was something that just wasn't working for me but I don't know what that something was. This is an age gap friends to lover romance with a single dad. I loved all of that about this book. I even really loved the kids. Normally the kids are the reason for the 3rd act breakup in stories like this but as much as the hero wants to blame everything on the kids that was not the case at all. I loved that the kids were ok with this relationship the whole time. 

Ok so here is yet another buddy read I did with Destiny this month. Honestly me and Destiny have a lot of plans for this year so y'all might as well get used to me mentioning her all of the time. Anyways onto my actual thoughts on this book. I'm torn between thinking ACOMAF is still my favorite book and this one being my favorite book from this series so for now we will just say they are tied as favorites in the series. I know a lot of people hate Nesta and I get it I really do but I never once hated her while reading any of these books. Yes she can be horrible at times and I probably should hate her for some of the things she did and said but I just got her. I knew where Sarah was going with Nesta's story and I think it was beautiful even the not so nice parts. I think Nesta might be my favorite character even over Feyre who is still a favorite. I really can't explain my love for her and this book. I just got her on a deeper level and I loved seeing the journey she went through and how she came out the other side better for it. 

4.5 stars

Destiny and I set a schedule for us to read this to hold us accountable but we did read it with several people in a Discord group that we are a part of. If you couldn't tell by the rating I really enjoyed this one. It took a bit to long for things to get going but once they did man was it a ride. I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was to come. This one is pretty gory and descriptive so be aware of that going into it. This is random but this town and the adults in this town reminded me of the adults in the movie Footloose with how adamant they were about the kids behavior. When it comes to the adults I thought it could be a little over the top at times but overall I really enjoyed the time I spent with this book and I can't wait to pick up the second book next month. 

I was immediately interested in this book because of the title. If vampires are involved I will most likely read it. Of course I had to read the synopsis first and after that I was sold. This was a fun and sweet book with a little bit of steaminess thrown in. I thought this was so cute and adorable and it had me laughing so much while reading it. It's a bit cheesy but in a good way and the resolution in the end was a bit too easy but that didn't stop me from absolutely loving it. Frederick is an 18th century vampire who's been in a coma for the last century so he needs to learn how to navigate the 21st century. Lets just say this creates some awkward yet hilarious moments. This is a debut book which I didn't realize when I first picked it up and there is another book set to be released sometime this year which again I wasn't aware of at first but I can not wait to read that one too. This was also a buddy read with Destiny. 

2.5 stars

This was my first book of the year as well as my first buddy read with Destiny. We both went into this book expecting to love it but unfortunately that was not the case. I didn't really care about any of the characters or the plot. The characters weren't even all that likable either. The only thing that kept me from DNFing it was the fact that it was a buddy read and I really did like the banter between Emily and Bambleby. I also liked the world but other than those 2 things this one was unfortunately a fail. 

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and it didn't disappoint. I love how this series deals with difficult/important topics in a serious but hopeful way. There are trigger warnings so look into that before starting this series. I just love Nick and Charlie so much as well as all of the side characters. I can't believe there is only going to be one more book in this series. I just need more of Nick and Charlie forever. 

3.5 stars

Ok so when I started this one I was loving it. I loved the characters names Beat and Melody. When the book club group mentioned the names I thought it was going to be cringy but it actually works. I also loved how they instantly had a connection and the banter. I thought the first half was hilarious. Then I got to the second half. I was still enjoying it but a little less than what I was to start with. Once it got into the steamy scenes it just felt off to me. Like kind of cringe but not. Maybe that has to do with the male narrator I'm not sure. Also the male main characters “kink” wasn't as bad as it was made out to be and I needed a little more backstory on that because I'm not really sure why that became his vice. I did like this book but it's not a favorite. 

This was a book I buddy read with Destiny and it was our last buddy read together in 2023. This was my first time reading this and it was also my first book by this author. It had been on my TBR for a while so I am glad I finally read it. I ended up loving this so much. There were some things I wish would have happened differently but that's just personal preference. It was perfect just the way it was. I could definitely see myself rereading this one.

I've read a few books by this author at this point and I have enjoyed all of them to different extents. I did enjoy this one but I had some issues with it as well. 

This is a best friends to lovers romance and I loved that about it. Both characters have anxiety that manifests itself it totally different ways and they both have their own share of baggage (I hate calling it that). This is a short quick read and I felt like that actually worked really well. I didn't think I was missing anything but at the same time it would have also been nice to get a little more time with both characters. 

My biggest complaint is about the lack of communication. At first it seemed like they were going to do the mature thing and actually talk to each other but at the last minute they pulled out which lead to so unnecessary heartache for a few pages. Overall this was a cute read and I'm glad I read it. 

This was Decembers pick for the Lost in Romance Book Club that I cohost with my friend Michelle. I am so glad she suggested this one because I hadn't heard of it before she mentioned it so there's no telling if/when I would have read it. 

This is a single dads grumpy/sunshine m/m romance. I thought it was really cute and I loved how Christmasy it was. I will say I had a hard time at first keeping the dads straight in my head I think because the names were kind of similar. One was Baxter and one was Paxton after a while though I was finally able to keep them right in my head. Also some of what was said during sexy time I found to be a little cringe.

Overall a really cute holiday read and I've already picked up the second book in the series to hopefully read this time next year.

I went into this book a little bit hesitantly because a lot of people haven't like this one and I understand why they feel that way however I really enjoyed this one. Once again thanks to Destiny for buddy reading this with me. 

My advice to people is to not go into this expecting an action packed high stakes book because that's not what you are going to get. This book takes place after the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin. I can see why people think this is a pointless story in the grad scheme of things but for me personally I liked getting to see these characters finally getting to enjoy some time without all the drama and death. 

Of course they still have a lot to do but in this book they were essentially taking some time for themselves to enjoy each other and the little things and I really loved that. Is it as great as the first 3 books no but that doesn't mean it isn't great for what it was meant to be.

This books follows Holly Gibney who has made appearances in several of Kings other books. Don't hold me to this but I think she first appeared in the Bill Hodges trilogy which I have yet to read but I have read the other books that she's in. I do enjoy her character overall but this book was just ok to me.

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this book. I liked Holly as well as the majority of the characters that make appearances except for the ones you aren't meant to like of course. I don't know if I am just getting burnt out on King or what but while I was intrigued enough to want to finish it it also didn't have me gripped the whole way through and it got to the point for me where I was just wanting it to hurry up and be over with. 

If you are interested in this book I highly recommend you take my review with a grain of salt and maybe read others reviews because I seem to be in the minority I also always recommend you read something you are interested in even if it didn't work for me completely. 

This has been on my TBR for a while now and I can't believe I put off reading it for so long because I loved it. Thanks to Destiny for buddy reading this one with me. 

I don't think I have ever read a romance like this before. This was such a perfect portrayal of a heathy romance. They meet not knowing they are meant to be marrying each other and they are brutally honest with with each other about how they find the other unattractive. Ildiko is human and Brishen is not human. Honestly I don't really know what Brishen is. From that encounter onward they are have a mutual respect for each other and I loved watching them grow into a friendship to eventually falling in love with each other and from the very start they are always honest with each other even if they find themselves in awkward situations. I also loved that there is no 3rd act breakup. 

The only complaint I have is that the cover to me doesn't depict what's inside the book. The book goes on and on about how Brishen is hideous with these tusks. Maybe it's just me but aside from his gray skin on the cover Brishen looks human and attractive. This really doesn't have an affect on my rating I just found it annoying. I can't wait to carry on in this series. 

Before I get into my review I have to give thanks to Destiny for finally getting me to carry on with this series. 

I can't really say a whole lot because this is the 3rd book in the series and I don't want to spoil anything even though I am pretty sure I am the last person who hasn't read this series yet. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I want to say this might even be my favorite of the series so far although I really loved ACOMAF so maybe it's a tie. 

There is a lot of character development for several of the characters in this book as well as several twists I didn't see coming. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and it will probably rip your heart out a few times in the process too. It did pull at my heartstrings but surprisingly I never ended up crying. I'm so loving this series and I can't wait to pick up the next book. 

This book was so far out of my comfort zone but I've been wanting to read more horror so I decided to give it a go because at the time I was part of a group that read horror novels and this was one of the books picked one month. 

Honestly I don't really know how to review this book. I don't know what to say. I will say to take my review with a grain of salt and would highly highly recommend you read other reviews since I'm new to this genre. As I said this was out of my comfort zone 1 because it is horror and 2 because it is literary fiction. Two genres I don't tend to read that much or at all really especially when it comes to Literary Fiction. 

This is the author debut novel and I have to say I enjoyed his writing. He was able to pull me in despite me having no idea what to think of it. We get 4 different POVs and with each POV we got the less immersed I became. The first POV was the best in my opinion. This is a story about grief and how everyone handles it in different ways and at different times. Had I personally been able to understand all the metaphors and such I could have enjoyed it so much more. I just think me and literary fiction aren't meant for each other because the couple of times I've read a book labeled literary I end up feeling stupid.

I say this every time I review short story collections but they are hit or miss for me. Luckily this one was a hit. I buddy read this with Destiny. 

I loved getting Cardans POV in this collection and I loved how we got more of an insight into his past and why he is the way he is. I also loved that all of the stories kind of had a plot that carried through all of the stories even though each of the stories happen at different times in Cardan's life. The illustrations were also a nice added bonus. 

I don't think I have ever enjoyed a short story collection as much as I enjoyed this one. I'm so glad I have finally read this and in doing so have finished off another series.