Tegan

This was a book I picked up at a book fair. It looked like a good, casual read as I love historical fiction. What I didn't anticipate is how the characters would become so dear to me. It took me a bit to get into it and I thought it was a fairly enjoyable book up until a certain character dies. Upon reading about their demise I was filled with a sudden (and surprising) surge of schadenfreude and happiness that they had received their just desserts. This book quietly took up space in my heart and I was hooked without realising it. This is one of those books where I was genuinely sad to have to close the last page. I loved most of the characters and had grown attached to them. The epilogue was perfectly executed for wrapping up a few loose ends but I selfishly wanted more just to stay in that world a bit longer.

TLDR: no notes, beautiful story, engaging characters, highly recommend if you like historical fiction

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic, 10 out of 10, loved this book. I loved it so much that when I finished the book I actually flinched in disappointment, something that has never happened to me before. I was captivated by the story and characters and fell head first into the world so easily. I love that we start after a big event happened and dealing with some of the fallout from that. I feel like I've never read a book with that framing device before and it was refreshingly enjoyable.

I will definitely be getting the next book in the series when it comes out in Dec 2024. This book gets bonus points for being a good representation of LGBTQIA+ people and relationships. My only con for the book is I wish it was longer! There's a sneak peek of book 2 at the end of this book which will tide me over.

#NetGalley #TwistedMagic

Absolutely terrible. Don't waste your time. I read this book two pages at a time while pooping and it was still was barely readable. Don't get me wrong - reading it two pages at a time only improved on the plot.

I'm in a unique position because my mother did a similar thing to Leslie with one significant detail changed - the baby was taken from her instead of her abandoning it. So I can tell you from experience that these characters are garbage and their motivations are ridiculous and not at all rooted in reality in any respect. Specifically, the part after Leslie reconnects with the baby she abandoned who is now grown up. I could go on in more detail as to how awful this book is but it would be a true waste of my time.

At the back of the book there was an interview with the author. They said they wrote 75% of the book with no end in mind and boy, does it show.

I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF as I didn't vibe with that type of writing. The ARC I received had a few missing words on the first page but I chalked that up to it being unpolished which is normal for an ARC. The style of writing wasn't horrendous or odd but it didn't grab me. It's almost as though the author is stating things instead of weaving a story.

I could be biased as I finished a great fantasy ARC last night so perhaps I'm subconsciously comparing the two when I shouldn't. It's a pity because I've read that it's a good story that people liked. To me this reads more like a first or second draft than the near-to-final draft. I like to hear an authors ‘voice' through the story they construct and I feel that wasn't there in this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this and apologies to the author for not being able to finish it.

#NetGalley #AWitchesGuideToBusiness

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It took a chapter or three to get going but I thoroughly enjoyed it once it was in motion. The level of detail for the combat sequences was very satisfying. I only got lost once and I think that was due to being excited and accidentally skipping ahead too far. The characters were great, the mystery was engaging (especially as it unfolded more and more), and the world felt built up just enough that there something solid to hold onto while we navigated new waters. MC has a touch of ‘the chosen one' trope sprinkled with ‘the reluctant hero' trope but it wasn't cringey or annoying in the least. The MC is a grounded character which helps a lot. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book!

#NetGalley #ChroniclesOfSwordAndFang

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and their publishers for sending this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

I went in blind (aka my ADHD erased the blurb from my brain) and I think it was better that way. I kind of knew where it was going based on the character interactions but it was fun to ride that tension until it was said out loud. So, if you haven't read the blurb yet, don't do it and try to go in as unspoiled as possible!

In saying that - there's very mild spoilers below.

I enjoyed this! The first quarter of the book was hard going because the whole time I was thinking 'Chris, you are an idiot. Chris, what are you doing?? Seriously, Chris??' which I guess is a good thing. Better that than a character that doesn't evoke any emotions I suppose! A bunch of stuff happened and I was so shocked to see I was only 25% of the way through! The pace didn't slow down too much which was good. I read the other 75% in one sitting and there was a tipping point for the twist where I still didn't understand what the twist was

Note: I received this book for free as an ARC from Netgalley.

This was interesting. There's SA of a minor in the first chapter so watch out for that. The author doesn't describe the SA beat for beat, it's more of an ‘off-screen' implied thing. It does have its purpose for being there in relation to the story but it is still upsetting. If partially described SA is too much for you I recommend skipping the first chapter. It's referenced/mentioned enough times during the rest of the book that I don't think you would be missing vital context by skipping it.

Other than that this book is enjoyable. The mystery captured me enough to keep reading. The tech stuff made me giggle at times especially at the end. There were a few steamy scenes that genuinely made me hot under the collar which is a rarity for me. The relationship between the protags was a bit far fetched but that matched the plot so I didn't mind.

My only critical feedback about it (apart from the SA) is the rushed ending because it gets into a bit of deus ex machina territory to resolve a dangerous situation and the loose ends are very rapidly tied up in the last two chapters. The pacing at the end of the book didn't match the pace of the previous chapters. It was a bit jarring and silly (in the laugh out loud sense) to me but I still liked it.

I would recommend this book to others who like lighter reads that focus on mystery elements. The plot doesn't get too bogged down in details which helps it move along at a good clip (until the super speed ending). The protags are nuanced enough that they're not clichés and the mystery piqued my curiosity enough to keep me engaged even when I had minor issues with the plot or characters.

I don't usually re-read books but I could see myself reading this again on my commute or while travelling.

Merged review:

Note: I received this book for free as an ARC from Netgalley.

This was interesting. There's SA of a minor in the first chapter so watch out for that. The author doesn't describe the SA beat for beat, it's more of an ‘off-screen' implied thing. It does have its purpose for being there in relation to the story but it is still upsetting. If partially described SA is too much for you I recommend skipping the first chapter. It's referenced/mentioned enough times during the rest of the book that I don't think you would be missing vital context by skipping it.

Other than that this book is enjoyable. The mystery captured me enough to keep reading. The tech stuff made me giggle at times especially at the end. There were a few steamy scenes that genuinely made me hot under the collar which is a rarity for me. The relationship between the protags was a bit far fetched but that matched the plot so I didn't mind.

My only critical feedback about it (apart from the SA) is the rushed ending because it gets into a bit of deus ex machina territory to resolve a dangerous situation and the loose ends are very rapidly tied up in the last two chapters. The pacing at the end of the book didn't match the pace of the previous chapters. It was a bit jarring and silly (in the laugh out loud sense) to me but I still liked it.

I would recommend this book to others who like lighter reads that focus on mystery elements. The plot doesn't get too bogged down in details which helps it move along at a good clip (until the super speed ending). The protags are nuanced enough that they're not clichés and the mystery piqued my curiosity enough to keep me engaged even when I had minor issues with the plot or characters.

I don't usually re-read books but I could see myself reading this again on my commute or while travelling.

4.5 stars!

This was an enjoyable read! I ended up contacting the author directly because of a tech kerfuffle with the ARC and she couldn't have been nicer about it! Top notch customer service to go along with great writing!

Anyway, to the review. I liked this book a lot. The FMC is younger than I usually like my main characters to be (she's 16) but it is a young adult novel after all. Her age only cropped up a couple of times, mostly for being idealistic or naive.

I read the first half of the book in one sitting and liked the character development. It was around chapter 20 when it got a bit dicey for me. Characters were acting, well... out of character and that annoyed me a little. I could go into detail but I'm trying to keep this spoiler free so let me just say that some characters made decisions or justified actions in a way that didn't jive with their established personalities. It wasn't bad or broke my focus, more confusing than anything.

The plot was interesting and for the most part didn't pull punches. I love an underdog story especially one centred on magic and forbidden practices. There was a teensy bit of the ‘chosen one' trope towards the end but I didn't mind it too much.

The end was a bit too neat for my liking but on the flip side if x and y hadn't been addressed I would have been more annoyed and/or disappointed. I kept waiting for something to happen to thwart the resolution (one character I didn't trust at ALL) and I'm surprised it didn't happen. I'm glad that it didn't and I suppose my anxious feelings about it are a testament to the author creating such tension with those characters previously.

I'm glad it didn't end on a severe cliffhanger. It's a small cliffhanger (a hillhanger?) with enough resolution that I'm not irritated that the second book isn't out already. I did yell in my head at the FMC a few times towards the end of the book about how she handled a few things/didn't put the pieces together but remembering she's only 16 helped tamper that frustration down. I feel like the author did a great job at writing a teenager going through all of this without making her too adult.

I loved the queer rep (despite it being so chaste but it's not like the rest of the book was smutty in any sense of the word) and that it wasn't a Big Deal. The magic system was fascinating and I liked that there were still things to discover about it towards the end of the book.

One thing I didn't like and don't think was necessary was the use of the f slur to describe a bundle of sticks. You know the one. It happened twice and I was shocked to read it and I'm not someone who is easily scandalised. I understand the usage of it as it's not used as a slur but to describe something but ultimately I don't think it was necessary to use that word.

One additional note about the plot and characters - I like how the plot and actions of FMC subverted my expectations. I'm thinking of one scene in particular (haystack, IYKYK) and I found the FMC's response and actions so refreshing.

This is getting overly long so I'll cut it short here. Great book, some issues with it but I enjoyed it overall. I will definitely read the next book in the series whenever that comes out!

Thank you to the author for letting me read their novel before the publish date! All opinions here are my own and this review was left voluntarily.

I read this book almost 20 years ago and I still think about it. I haven't re-read it since then, mostly due to the fact I don't want to be emotionally eviscerated again, and yet I remember it so clearly. For someone with ADHD that has issues with converting short term memory to long term memory - it really says something that I remember a book I read when I was 16.

Hannah's story impacted me so much at 16 years old (in a positive way) and those effects are still with me today. If you can handle the heavy topics of child cancer and child death, I recommend it.

I'm typically not a hetero romance reader but this was great! A good start to the series and the perfect length for the story. Not a sentence was wasted so I applaud the editing for keeping it tight. Really quick read at 10k words.

Tropes:
Small town
Enemies to lovers (kind of)
A touch of fake dating
A sprinkle of forced proximity
A heaping of spice

I received this book without purchase via the authors ARC team and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I only made it 4 chapters before DNFing. The writing isn't for me due to the writing in general but also because the plot moved so fast within those first 4 chapters. So fast that I had to check to see if this was a short story collection that I mistakenly thought was a novel. I skimmed ahead a bit and it went in the direction I was hoping it wouldn't, at least not so soon especially given the characters histories with each other.

Ultimately this book isn't for me and I couldn't get past the writing and the errors in order to finish it. I wish I was able to finish it as I am usually of the opinion that things that are confusing in the beginning need to be given the chance to be explained. However, other reviews have stated that the main focus of the book isn't explained so that cancelled out my usual reason to stick with books I'm not enjoying - curiosity.

Edit: the errors were getting increasingly stranger so I downloaded the sample from the Amazon listing and it is free of the errors I mentioned previously (which are now deleted). Something must of gone wrong in the conversion for the ARC that was fixed before publication. There still are some formatting errors in the Kindle version (e.g. large chunks of dialogue and regular text stuck together without paragraph breaks) which are annoying but compared to the previous errors it's not a deal breaker for me.

I'll go into detail about the plot below with spoiler warnings.

Tropes:
- age gap
- second chance
- damsel in distress
- protector/saviour
- insta love/lust
- billionaire (apparently? Didn't get that far)
- forced proximity
- hidden secrets

Triggers:
- violence on page
- unresolved trauma from shared history
- vague medical situation involving a young child
- dubious consent in a sexual encounter

SPOILERS BELOW
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Plot (as far as I got into it): A matchmaker (FMC) has been receiving threats and it's implied the threats are due to a poor matchmaking experience from a previous client. FMC's assistant hires a bodyguard to protect her which the FMC doesn't believe she needs. The bodyguard turns out to be her ex from 12 years ago who left her without a word. FMC is still very upset about this but keeps him as her bodyguard. FMC is attacked by assumed kidnappers which the MMC fights off. MMC drives her home, they share a kiss, she invites him up, decides it was a bad idea, instantly forgets that decision, they have sex, he refuses to answer questions again, and he leaves.

I assume the plot will go further into why she's being targeted and the whole billionaire thing but I couldn't read any longer.

What I didn't like:
- FMC didn't fire MMC after seeing it was her ex (conflict of interest, anyone?)

- FMC was a damsel in distress and didn't have a sense of self preservation during the attack scene (why did she just sit there and not lock the doors or run like the MMC yelled at her to do several times??) and it felt like she didn't have a sense of agency at all. I understand trauma and being frozen but she had multiple opportunities to leave but didn't and clearly wasn't in panic mode as she replied to the MMC twice in a non-agitated manner

- She has 12 years of resentment for him leaving her without warning over a decade ago and in the fourth chapter they're already boning (presumably it wasn't that big of a deal for her despite conveying how hurt she was and is by it?)

- He didn't answer the direct question of why he left multiple times (which is one reason for why she should have fired him)

- Reasons/decisions/reactions are brought up and thrown away without explanation (e.g. FMC is desperate to get her lost necklace back but not so desperate that she'll put off sex and then the matter is dropped even after he leaves)

- Apparently he's only a bodyguard between office hours because he goes home after the sex (I guess the people who tried to kidnap her only do crimes between 8am - 5pm?)

- MMC abused her traumatic vulnerabilities for sex and then left without explaining anything AGAIN after acknowledging to himself and her that he hurt her in the past by not explaining anything

Things I didn't find out:
- Why was a billionaire working as a bodyguard?? It couldn't have been to get close to her as he is surprised to see her in the first meeting as much as she was and he describes it as fate throwing them back together

- Why did she accept him so readily after 12 years of resentment and no contact? Why make a decision to ask him to leave only to change her mind one second later?

- Why was she being targeted? A mismatch in love cannot be the only reason.

I may end up reading the rest of the book to answer these questions but it's very likely that I won't.

This book was a tough read for me but probably not in the way you'd think. I loved the spooks, the writing was excellent, the characters were great (flawed and realistic), the mystery was engaging, the red herrings were good... but the detailed descriptions of abuse was super triggering for me. They were essential to the plot and the characters so I understand their place in the book despite me not liking them.

I ended up switching from the audiobook to the ebook to finish the story because the verbal descriptions were getting to me. The narrator is too good! She was perfect for the tone of this book and really got the emphasis needed in certain situations. The kind of grudging acceptance of the situation dotted by moments of clarity before being pulled back down to self gaslighted reality... Those moments really hit me hard because I have been there and my sister is currently there. The silver lining to switching formats is that I read the rest of the book in the characters ‘voices' that the narrator gave them. I knew the cadence the MC spoke and thought with which was essential in some areas (as sometimes one word in a sentence gave more weight to the situation). I would have missed that if I read it via ebook from the beginning.

If I wasn't reading this for a book club I may not have finished it but I'm really glad I did. I got a lot of positive vicarious feelings from the sequence towards the end of the book and that alone made the first half of the book worth it. The amount of satisfaction I got from reading that part surprised me and I think it was the perfect way to end the book given the sub-text.

If you're going to read it and need CWs for a few topics - look them up but don't look any further than that. I'll tell you now that you don't need to worry about SA appearing.

The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is due to the mental health spirals (plural) it caused me to have. Having that happen highlighted some things for me that I need to address so thank you to the author for that.

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. As of 21/5/24 all the books are available on Netgalley and I urge you to read them!

This book was fantastic! I've never been a fan of fiction about the fae (I'm not sure why) but this had me captivated! I read it all in one day and LOVED it. The drama, the romance, the action, the banter... It was all top notch. Didn't end the way I had guessed and a bunch of things happened that I couldn't have predicted. This ARC copy one had one error (last paragraph of Chapter 30) but I'm sure this has been fixed now. I'll be diving immediately into the next book (and cursing that I have surgery tomorrow so I can't spend all day reading) and I'm so thrilled about it! Five out of five stars!

#BloodofaFaeSeries #netgalley

Holy shit. It's nearly midnight and I just finished this book and all I can say is.... Holy shit. This horror novel whips so much fucking ass. It needs like a ton of CWs but I can't think of them now due to being overwhelmed by this book. Immediately seeking more books by this author and Google tells me she has 15 or so.

If you can tolerate body horror (I usually can't but this book is different to the body horror I've seen/read before) get this book. It has queer themes which I was very happy about and doesn't pull punches. I had no Idea what would happen from one chapter to the next and I loved that.

If I could get the entirety of a book tattooed on me this one might be it. There's so much what the fuck but it's GLORIOUS.

All my book friends, read this. If I could give this book 10 out of 5 stars, I would. Once I'm down from this book high I'll be able to delve deeper into why I love this but for now I'm going to ride this wave