Meaghan

Thanks so much to NetGalley and BHC press for the ARC! Like many others have noted, the book leans heavily into a “Good Omens”/“Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” vibe in terms of the writing style, plot, and characters. It's quite irreverent and in places this works really well; but it does get tiresome after awhile. I certainly wanted to know how it was all going to fit together, so there is internal momentum to the story, but I have to say that I struggled to connect with it. It's a fascinating premise and clearly, the author is a gifted writer! I'll look forward to following her to see what she writes next.

A classically rendered fairytale retelling! The book opens on Snow, the rightful Queen of Cresilea, who has been living in hiding in a backwater town for seven years. She escaped the Witch-Queen with one of her father's guards, but seems to be struggling with her status quo. When an opportunity arises to return to the capital, Snow takes it and we are plunged into the main action of the story. Note that there is a romance plot line, but it is ‘fade to black' — so, no spice.

I read this book in one sitting - I was hooked into the story and wanted to know what would happen to Snow in each “phase” of the story. It's well-written, though the plot is somewhat simplistic and there are numerous ‘truths' Snow states that at times can feel preachy (and a bit too much showing rather than telling), but that ultimately serve the story.

I call this a fairytale retelling rather than a fantasy novel because (1) characters are ‘good' or ‘bad' and while Snow acknowledges the darkness in her own heart, she never actually seems that tempted by it; this really gives it a fable quality (there are clear morals). And (2) there isn't much in the way of world-building — while we encounter these different magical groups and do get to see some of how they live, there aren't clear ‘rules' to what is possible in the world. Much like a fairytale, we are along for the ride and you never quite know what will be possible on the next page.

This is a great standalone book to devour if you want a classic good-vs-evil fairytale with a happy ending! It's a more sophisticated bed time story for (young) adults! :) Thanks so much to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Buel for the ARC!

The book takes place in a distant future where Neom is an old city obsessed with all things new. Humanity has colonized much of our solar system, and it seems that city-states are the norm. Neom is located in the Arabian peninsula, and we spend nearly all of the book in and around this city and the desert that surrounds it. The story follows a few humans whose lives intersect with several robots who are changing the future for robot-kind. I found the world of the book to be extremely compelling — it feels lived-in and realistic, while also managing to be very creative and unlike any other sci fi world I have read about. I look forward to reading other stories the the author has written in this world.

I finished the book in two sittings — it felt more like a novella than a novel, and it almost seems to be setting up other works. I gave it three stars rather than four for the following reasons. The characters and the plot were a bit thin — it felt like we were building towards an action that never came, or perhaps will come in a future book. I also felt that the writing felt unfinished in places — the author would write a compelling scene in “real time” and then in the next sentence or paragraph, weeks will have passed. I found this a bit jarring and it also made it difficult to connect with any of the characters.

However, the author does an excellent job of setting the scene and making you curious about this expansive world he has created, so I am excited to follow the author going forward!

This was almost a 4-star read for me; I enjoyed the plot and cleverness of the storytelling that much, and I didn't see the twists at the end coming. I liked the light touch world building, and the use of the first person omniscient (it took a chapter or two to get used to, but I've never read another book that used it and I am drawn to narrative novelty). It's definitely a romance novel with a sprinkling of sci fi/magical realism, but that sprinkling is really well-deployed. The reason I bumped it back to three stars are (1) the middle of the book dragged for me (from abt 47% finished to 67% finished in kindle is sex; and it's well-written, but I found myself bored of it — skimming past it to get to more plot), (2) despite the book being written entirely in her voice, I found the FMC to be a bit flat and personality-less, and (3) there were just enough words used incorrectly (close cognates where I could tell what word the writer meant to use, but the wrong one was selected) that I found bothersome. Overall I really enjoyed this book! It was just missing a few key things for me.

Like other reviewers, when I requested this ARC from NetGalley I wasn't aware it was part of a series. However, because of how the story starts — the main character, Callie, has recently given birth and is having some memory trouble — it actually felt natural to be as blind as she was going into this book. There were only a few moments in the book where I really felt like I was missing something because I hadn't read the previous novels, but in nearly all cases, the author quickly explained some of what I was missing as a first time reader. I do find myself wanting to go back and read those earlier books. I thought the author did a great job of making this a standalone story in a lot of ways. It does end on a cliff-hanger though!

I really enjoyed the cozy, witchy community at the heart of this book, as well as the mystery that unfolds. Callie is a relatable main character, though I do wish I had a bit more back story on some of her friends and love interests, as this book is very focused on Callie's experience - she doesn't actually interact with a lot of other characters, outside of her daughter, her golem, and her familiar.

For me, 3 stars is a book I enjoyed and would generally recommend to a friend. The reason I didn't give it a higher star rating is because it did feel like there wasn't much going on in the way of plot until about 60% into the book, and then just when things were getting good we hit a cliff hanger. However, as I've mentioned, I enjoyed the world-building and the characters I did meet, so I am definitely interested in reading more!

(2.5 stars rounded up to 3) I really wanted to love this one. The writing is really atmospheric, the witchiness is wonderful (though I could have used more) and the use of multiple perspectives and time jumps kept me engaged with the story. However, as other readers have mentioned, the characters felt flat and it was often difficult to tell their perspectives apart, and the “reveal” at the end was what I had suspected all along. I also hated the epilogue scene - it felt pointless. Additionally, I found the lack of consistency in the world-building, plot, and characterization too distracting really enjoy it. Let me explain what I mean.

In the opening, Emery mentions how cell service ends as soon as you get off the ferry boat, and how it bothers the tourists. But then, for the whole middle of the book, she and Dutch are calling/texting without issue. There's no mention of wifi. Then, at the end, when it is convenient for the plot, August suddenly has service issues again. She could have addressed this by mentioning that people had wifi, but she went out of her way to talk about how disconnected the island is. I find this to be lazy writing.

Similarly, Lily dies under mysterious circumstances, and even though we are told repeatedly throughout the book how everyone on the island does magic, no one ever seems to mention or investigate this. Given Leoda's perspective at the end, this is probably supposed to be intentional. But Jake has grown up on the island; surely he would at least recognize that the combination of weird details likely means magic was involved? That none of the characters seem to consider this once again feels too convenient, and frankly, lazy again.

There are other examples of this throughout the book. I had so hoped that this would be a favorite read of 2022, so perhaps I am being too harsh; but I was really disappointed with the reading experience.

As a rule, I don't really like contemporary romance. I tend to find them one-dimensional — I prefer my romance with a side of adventure, magic, and/or history.

This is the best contemporary romance novel I have ever read.

Both main characters feel like real people with real wounds. And their love story is taking place within a multigenerational mystery on the plains. There is so much important history and present-day truth incorporated. It is an urban planning and academic romance! There's archival research and a local historical society, discussions of displacement and predatory real estate development, and the importance of community. It's about family and home and everyone pitching in with their skills to save a beloved institution, and to heal some fractured hearts along the way.

Even when I expected some of the twists, this book is so heartfelt and the execution was so strong that I was only delighted to have guessed right in some places.

If it weren't so spicy, I'd recommend it to my planning students :)

I loved this book. I read it cover to cover in one (sick) day. It was exactly the pick-me-up/good cry I needed. I went in basically blind, except that I had corrected my understanding it was a romance novel — while there is a romance in it that much of the plot spins on, it's much more of a story of “found family” and women supporting other women.

Elizabeth is an extraordinary woman who is able to see clearly the social/cultural structures that those around her merely abide by. She calls it like she sees it calmly and rationally, and allows those around her to have temper tantrums without mothering them.

The book isn't perfect — issues of intersectionality/race are touched on only superficially, ambition and work take center stage as what women truly want, and the rational/empirical perspective that Elizabeth takes — while inspiring in the context of the book — is not critically examined. Rationality and empiricism are seen as antidotes to oppressive cultural views, while in reality they are themselves just as much a part of the culture and worldview that Elizabeth so strongly critiques.

Having said that, for me/at the time that I read it, I was able to fully enjoy Elizabeth's certainty that if you treat everyone around you like an independent adult with opinions, ideas, and aspirations of their own (including women, children, and older people) they will surprise and delight you. It is a 5-star book for me because it was exactly the heartfelt read I needed, and I can personally look past some of the critiques I raised above given the quality of the story, characters, and plot.