Suz Duvall

Started the book before I researched the author. 
Wab Kinew is both sides-ing the genocide of Palestinians and supported Israel's “right to self defense” big ew

Elizabeth has a way of drawing me into her characters lives that surprises me every time. Every book of hers I read grabs me and refuses to let go. Absolutely obsessed

Cute but not my favorite. 

this is possibly the most true 3 star book i've read. i kinda loved it but was also equally disappointed. so far Anna-Marie McLemore's books have been Hit or Miss for me and Venom & Vow was both a Hit and a Miss, so let's get into it!

What I loved:

• The main characters 
  •  Cade and Val were great characters in my opinion. they were fun and i love them individually and think that they both had good individual growth.
• The trans storyline
  • absolutely phenomenal. I loved that we got Cade who was confident in himself and his identity and had known he was trans from a young age. Then we had Val who was still figuring out their identity and come to terms with what that would mean for them moving forward. 
• The disability rep
  • The dopamine hit of having not one but TWO disabled MCs was magical. 

What I didn't love:

• The writing was very much tell and no show. for me this really hindered the emotional moments that i wanted to connect to. 
• The fantasy plotline was..... not there? It was felt like it wanted to be a political fantasy plot but it was riddled with plot holes and consostency issues and overall i'm still confused about what it actually was lol
• The romance. HEAR ME OUT okay! so did i like the romance? yes. but i also feel like it was rushed. The tension was trying but it just didn't hit and then they all of a sudden just start being friends? the transition from enemies to friends to lovers was not smooth in my opinion. I do think that i can see Cade and Val falling in love but the big I Love You moment just didn't feel genuine to me. 

I absolutely loved this book. Very hallmark after dark but in the best way. The character development was fantastic and I love that the platonic friendships were just as important as the romantic relationship of the MCs

Deranged and adorable. It's emotional, funny, and i was immediately hooked. 

Adorable and smutty. It's perfect for what it is.

So fun

A love letter to deconstructing, to breaking down walls, to change, to rebuilding, to finding yourself and what that means in a fun, queer romcom package. 
Every character (main, side, random one time appearance) was crafted so wholly and  each personality shined. I love character driven stories especially when the characters feel so real. They were messy and nervous and chaotic and so full of excitement and energy and so easy to relate to. 
While the main relationship focus was the romantic one I love that the platonic love of the friendship didn't fall by the wayside and Mel found a way to make sure all of her relationships were being tended to.
I do wish we had a bit more time with Kade and had more on page of  getting to know them but it didn't take away from the experience for me. 
I love how communication had such a big focus and it wasn't just something that came naturally. It was hard sometimes (because it is) and they all had to find the ways they communicate best. 
Anywho, all this random brain dump means is that I LOVED this book. I love the characters and their story. I love the emotion and care they took with each other. I love the little jokes, the insecurities, the growth, the friendships, the lovers, all of it. I love Mel, Bebe, Kade, and Daniel. They hold a special place in my heart now and as far into the future as they can

Parings: 
FX, FF, FFX
Tags and tropes:
Non-monogamy/polycule, “my girlfriend's wife”, service workers and service tops, idiots to lovers, queer af, forced proximity, insta lust,  sarcasm is a love language, Bebe is the Drunk People Whisperer, get in we're gonna go overthink this, scary but in a hot, artistic way, no 3rd act break up, communication is key, this is just sex I'm definitely not gonna fall in love, oh shit I think I'm in love

big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own

Dark romance meets hallmark movie, and I'm in looove!!!
✍

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HOT AND FAST READ. THIS IS FOR YOU.  VERY SURFACE LEVEL IN THE WAY THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE CHARACTERS?? IT WASN'T BAD THOUGH. I'LL PROBABLY STILL READ THE WHOLE SERIES.

Angel is the book boyfriend of my dreams!
I was hooked just by the dialogue alone! their banter is top tier and I love them so much. This was my first official Regency Romance Read and I am so glad I found this series. the characters and that PLOT TWIST. ugh. if I were a re-reader I would definitely be rereading this.

“So when are you coming home?” 

Who gave Aaron the right to make me cry like this. Queer coming of age stories just hit different when you're a 30 yr old who's still figuring their shit out  apparently.

tldr– I adore everything about this book and you (everyone) should read it and cry with me)

Sometimes it feels like the teens in YA books are polished up to the best versions of themselves but not here. Quique is a chaotic mess. He does messy, teen things. He's real and unfiltered and it was beautiful.

I'll never understand how people can say they can't find anything to relate to in books about people different to them because even though I'm white, it felt like I was looking in a mirror. So many parts of Quique are also parts of me. Growing up in a working, lower class family and dealing with the struggles and mindset that creates. Struggling to find yourself while also measuring yourself up against [literally] everyone you see.
But the most relatable was his struggle with his mental health and learning to recognize when you need to ask for help. It took me a lot longer to figure out than it did for him. 

I love how friendships were portrayed and how platonic love with his friends was just as important as his want/need for romantic love and lust. 

I was worried I wouldn't be able to fall in love with Saleem since he isn't present for a good amount of the book but I did. He showed up and stole my heart. 

I do wish we had been able to have a little bit more time with saleem and be able to see them fall in love a bit more but that might just be because I love them so much 

I felt every emotion on the spectrum during this read. Every. Single. One.The world-building, the characters, the plot, the way it had me literally screaming at all of the twists. This was magnificent. I am emotionally invested in every single character and I NEED to know what happens next!

Poor Gareth just wants to look at bugs and wander the marsh but ends up in the middle of Smuggler Wars. 

I am not really a suspense reader but THIS BOOK! The characters and the plot and the spice! it was all amazing

So so so so cute. 

Cute, a lot fluffier than I anticipated, I wish there had been more emotion.

I cried so hard I'm not sure how I have tears left. 
The storytelling is amazing and heartbreakingly beautiful with bitsof hopefulness sprinkled in. While there are some supernatural elements the real horror elements and monsters are the humans and white supremacy.

If you're looking for a story that is fun, cozy, and full of trans joy this is for you! 

What I loved

• The found family was amazing
• The banter! 
• The friendships
• Gene's family
• Dodger (Luis's dog) 
• So much trans joy!!!

I also fell like we never got a clear answer as to why Luis stopped talking to Gene? 

Rating: 3.5
tldr;Netherford Hall is a fun read and though I had some issues I will still recommend it and will continue reading the series. I'm invested in the characters individually and hope to see more interactions and growth in the coming installments!
What I loved 

• The characters — all of the characters were whole and individual. They all had wonderfully different personalities and felt very real! I'm so invested in them individually that it's the reason why I can't rate this lower than 3 stars!
• The imagery — everything was so wonderfully described and made it so easy to feel like I was there. Could be seen as a bit flowery but not overly so in my opinion 
• The setting — I adore that this took place completely in the country. Not many historical or regency tales take that route and it was very refreshing. 
• The magic — the magic and magic system felt very similar to other magics but also completely unique in the way it was approached and I think as we get to see more into the magical world it will get even more interesting 

What I didn't love

• The pacing — it was very slow. I do think there were many scenes that could have been replaced with something else to help move the plot forward 
• Multiple storylines — I think that this is the crux of my issues. There were simply too many stories and plot lines to be fully explored in a novel of this size. The story technically has three main characters: Edith, Poppy, and Auden (who isn't even mentioned in the blurb but gets his own POVs and romance storyline). There are internal and external conflicts for all three to face and not enough time to expand on any of them. 
• Not enough time to build the romance — at the end of the novel we are supposed to believe that three couples have fallen in love. I do not. I believe they could fall in love but I don't believe them to be so when such confessions are made. The story was so focused on all the the internal and external conflicts of the characters that there were not nearly enough interactions between the love interests themselves in order for such strong feeling to have been formed. 

spoilers, please to not read unless you've finished the book!

The only thing I'm actually concerned about is the relationship and romance between Viola and Silas. He's supposedly in love with her and vice versa but we only saw their initial interaction and so I think if the second book picks up where book one of ends then it's going to be very difficult for Barron to make their romance believable for reader's

NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP 💃🕺 

I LOVED THIS BOOK! As a fat it is magical to see a fat MC that isn't filled with internalized fatphobia. While this was a fun and fluffy book on the surface it also had a pretty direct storyline of the racism and stereotypes that Black women face in everyday life. Seressia did a good job of banancing the fluff with the drama and i'm excited to read more from her

Wow. Not me crying over a horror novel. 
I wish I had the words to explain how deep and moving I found this story. It was somehow the perfect blend of creepy, gore, twisty, and beautiful. 

Got bored

This was a lot of heavy topics in a spooky shell. I think the author handled the topics really well and the narrator was amazing