When Emmy returns to her small witchy town, she's facing a traumatic past she thought she left behind. Her ex-boyfriend, who is the reason sh 3 stars
When Emmy returns to her small witchy town, she's facing a traumatic past she thought she left behind. Her ex-boyfriend, who is the reason she left town, has also been making waves with some other women in the town. That's when Emmy teams up with them to get revenge. Among the wronged women is Talia, who Emmy is immediately intrigued by. As they work together, sparks begin to fly.
This book was solidly "okay" for me. It was a cute, small town, Hallmark-y vibe story and I can already see myself forgetting it in a couple of weeks. I liked it, but nothing really stood out to be as very special. I liked Talia a lot, and some of the trials and challenges near the end of the book. I do think the cover is stunning and would like to see more covers light it rather than the weird cartoon characters that are popular as of late....more
Beatrice wants to be a sorceress, but due to societal standards she is expected to marry and wear a collar to curb her power forever. When s 4 stars!
Beatrice wants to be a sorceress, but due to societal standards she is expected to marry and wear a collar to curb her power forever. When she meets the Lavan siblings, each one of them offers a different path: one with magic, and one without.
I want to start this out with addressing all of the Goodreads reviews saying this is a young adult, it absolutely is NOT. Not only is this catalogued in public libraries under adult fiction, it is sold in adult fiction in stores marking the intended audience for this book.
That being said I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had fun listening to the audiobook. Nadi was a mood, who doesn't want to be a spirit that craves sweet treats and dancing and running on the beach? I will say some of the slavery metaphors and a lot of the misogyny were anxiety inducing but that was the intent. And I will forever say Beatrice had more sexual chemistry with the Lavan sister and not the brother (I listened to the book and cannot find spellings, forgive me)....more
I.... yeah. I don't like this new trend of witchy books with cutesy covers, they almost always disappoint.
Mariel is supposed to be an all po 2 stars
I.... yeah. I don't like this new trend of witchy books with cutesy covers, they almost always disappoint.
Mariel is supposed to be an all powerful witch, except she hasn't mastered her power. When she accidentally summons a demon, the two are trapped together until they can figure out a way out of a bargain for her soul. As time goes by, the two must fake date and end up catching feelings.
There were many times when I was listening to this book that I verbally said out loud "wow this is bad" or made ick faces at some of the dialogue and sex scenes. Because I was reading this for a book discussion, I didn't quit like I normally would and it did get a little better in the second half. I wish we had gotten more of the dying nature storyline than we did the annoying family.
I wish I had liked it more, but when a book that unalives a chicken that way in the first few pages to be funny(?), I knew right away it wouldn't be for me.
PS: the audiobook narrator was terrible at male voices. That probably didn't help me not enjoying this book....more
Teenage witch Emsy’s world is thrown askew when her parents abruptly move her from the west coast to upstate New York. There they rejoin with 3 stars
Teenage witch Emsy’s world is thrown askew when her parents abruptly move her from the west coast to upstate New York. There they rejoin with their coven of witches, of which three members were recently killed and Emsy’s parents are there to protect the coven and figure out what happened.
This one started out strong and then fizzled out quickly. The storyline went all over the place and it felt very rushed; this book could have a series instead of a standalone (and I rarely say that). I really liked the characters and their dynamics, only for some plot points introduced to be shoved aside in the last fourth of the book. I loved the artwork in this though, I thought it was brilliant and would love to see more by this illustrator....more
It’s been a while since I dived into anything Grishaverse, but this was a great graphic novel. Based on a short story previously written in 4 stars!
It’s been a while since I dived into anything Grishaverse, but this was a great graphic novel. Based on a short story previously written in 2013, this is the origin story of the Darkling when he was a young man. Traveling with his mother and hiding from hunters, they end up in a small Grisha village that they hope is safe.
Beautiful illustrations and a captivating story, I devoured this book in two sittings. It gives a lot of insight into why the Darkling became who he was, not necessarily a “villain” origin story, but a story about survival and the things people need to do to stay alive. The colors and imagery were fantastic, frames conveyed big messages in a simple yet beautiful way....more
One of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon spends her life hiding her true identity and not making meaningful connections. Mika was orphaned at a yoOne of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon spends her life hiding her true identity and not making meaningful connections. Mika was orphaned at a young age and raised by strangers; she’s used to being alone and keeping her head down. Mika is shocked when she receives a message from a stranger asking her to travel to a place called Nowhere House to raise three orphaned young witches. While there she becomes entangled in the lives of not just the children, but a handful of eccentric adults including a brooding and handsome librarian…
I’ve been hearing lots of buzz on this book and I am beyond glad it lives up to the hype. Reading this book felt like snuggling under a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea, it was cozy and heartwarming. It is very similar to Klune’s Cerulean Sea book, but I honestly thought this was way better. I loved Mika as a main character and how she grew to love everyone in Nowhere House. Just as much I loved how the three girls reacted to her presence and grew to love and trust her.
Jamie the grumpy librarian was just the chef’s kiss addition to this book. I loved the friendship and then romance that grew between him and Mika, and how the relationship relied on trust in order to grow. There were some twists that I didn’t expect but that made sense when I really thought about it. And I think everything tied together nicely by the end with minimal angst....more
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of 4 stars!
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of her relatives to survive. When Don Rodolfo offers to marry her, she takes it right away even with the rumors surrounding the death of his first wife. But when Beatriz arrives at Hacienda San Isidro she can tell right away there is something rotten inside the house. And that dark something in the house, doesn’t want her in it.
I really enjoyed this book which is funny because I almost quit when I began listening. But after an hour or two of the audiobook it took a turn for the better and I became enthralled by the story. It’s marketed as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca and that’s pretty accurate, it’s less gory than Mexican Gothic (thank god because I am a wimp) and it’s similar to Rebecca but with more supernatural involved. The story was the perfect amount of creepy to listen to at the start of spooky season and I could still sleep at night so there’s a bonus.
I really liked the main character Beatriz, even though I think she made some stupid decisions (I understand why, but horror genre is filled with people making dumb choices) and I really loved the character of Andres, the priest who helps her. Both characters had great chemistry and motivations to drive the story and it all came together really well.
This is a book worth reading and I will be recommending it a lot....more
The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blam 4.5 stars!
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The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blamed. The mistress of the local vampire seethe calls on Mercy and the Pack to find Wulfe or the alliance between them will be broken. The more Mercy and the Pack investigate, they realize that all the vampires in the local area have gone missing along with a few white witches.
The Mercy Thompson series has been one of my favorites for years and I love every single installment. This one took me longer to read but mostly because life got busy and I didn’t have much time for it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, but I do feel it was slower paced than the last book. Still, it has a good mystery, ghosts, fae, werewolves, witches and vampires so my urban fantasy cravings were satisfied.
I loved revisiting with characters that feel like family, I could easily get lost in this world that Briggs has created. I just wish I wasn’t caught up on this series and Alpha and Omega, I want to spend more time in this world! Maybe a reread is sooner in my future than I figured…
If you haven’t read this series yet, please do. You are missing out on something special!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not influence my thoughts or feelings on this book. ...more
In a fantasy version of Edwardian England, Miles Singer works as a doctor veteran’s hospital, hiding his magic while trying to heal his pa 4.5 stars!
In a fantasy version of Edwardian England, Miles Singer works as a doctor veteran’s hospital, hiding his magic while trying to heal his patients. When a murdered patient exposes his healing gift, Miles must work with a handsome stranger to find out who murdered this man and why.
I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but after the first fifty pages this book flies. I loved falling into the worldbuilding and the mystery, CL Polk truly created a magical world. The characters were all great, if not developed as much as I like in my books. But that’s made up in the plot and pacing and again, the world building. This book is a commentary on slavery, independence, choice and freewill, and class privilege. I could see this book play out in my head like a tv series and I really hope it becomes one someday....more
I really need to pay closer attention to trigger warnings. And I read them, I did! But when everyone was saying this book was brutal I didn 2.5 stars
I really need to pay closer attention to trigger warnings. And I read them, I did! But when everyone was saying this book was brutal I didn’t listen for some reason? And yeah, this book was too brutal/gory for my liking. Just a little bit too much where I’d put this book more under horror than fantasy but that might just be my feelings about it.
The Wolf and the Woodsman is the story of Evike, a young woman with no magic who is betrayed by her village and sent off to be a sacrificial magic wolf girl for the king. While with a group of Woodsman, they are attacked by creatures in the forest and Evik finds herself one of the survivors along with Gaspar, a one eyed woodsman who turns out to be a disgraced prince. Together they must survive the creatures of the forest despite disliking each other.
I thought this book dragged. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style and while I found some of the story to be interesting, the pacing was really off. I would get into one part of the story and then they were off doing something completely different or retelling a myth in the middle of the book. I’m not sure what to pin point, but I really didn’t connect with this book. I read it all the way to the end so I did have some enjoyment of it but probably wouldn’t read more by this author unless I knew the books were different....more
You know a book really isn’t working for you when it takes over two weeks to finish it. I love the cover, I love the author, I did not love this book.You know a book really isn’t working for you when it takes over two weeks to finish it. I love the cover, I love the author, I did not love this book. The pacing and plot were all over the place to the point where I was wondering why this book was 350+ pages. I think it would’ve worked better as a short story but that’s just me. Too cutesy, not enough meat to the story. ...more
“The ending doesn’t matter. What matters is how we get there. To face what’s ahead with as much dignity as we can muster and make the mos 3.5 stars
“The ending doesn’t matter. What matters is how we get there. To face what’s ahead with as much dignity as we can muster and make the most of the time we have left.”
The Witch’s Heart is a norse mythology fantasy novel. Angrboda has lived two lives, and after the last one left her burned and with her heart removed she flees deep into the woods into a cave. There, Loki finds her and returns her heart to her and the two develop a special bond. But Angrboda cannot hide in her cave forever, as there are those who seek her and want her to do their bidding.
“My heart is so much more than it once was, even if it now beats outside my chest.”
I really loved the first hundred pages of this book, they were so compelling and I was devouring the book. And then, after that things started to get… weird. I would say this book is the norse version of Circe by Madeline Miller, probably the best readalike out there. I’m not as familiar with norse mythology but I was able to follow the book for the most part and enjoyed it. I just didn’t love the second half of the book (with the exception of Skadi) and I thought the pacing was off.
A great debut novel from this author, I liked it and would be willing to read more by her.
“It doesn’t really matter where we came from, does it? We’re here now. We’re ourselves. What more can we be?” ...more
Nightfall is a revamped (heh, see what I did there?) version of LH Cosway’s earlier books originally called Tegan’s Blood. It follows a you 3.5 stars
Nightfall is a revamped (heh, see what I did there?) version of LH Cosway’s earlier books originally called Tegan’s Blood. It follows a young cashier who meets two vampires while working in a grocery shop and her life takes a dramatic turn just from that one encounter.
I am conflicted. LH Cosway is one of my favorite authors and while I liked this book, I am not sure if I want to read the rest of the series. Cosway always creates characters that are amazing, but the plot and worldbuilding in this book were seriously lacking for me. That coupled with a weak romance, is it even worth it to continue? Hmm....more
After reading this book I cannot decide if I want to wrap Patricia Briggs in a big old hug, or strangle her. I’m kidding, kind of. Let’s j 4.5 stars!
After reading this book I cannot decide if I want to wrap Patricia Briggs in a big old hug, or strangle her. I’m kidding, kind of. Let’s just say she left us hanging a little bit at the end like she usually does and I am already anxious to read the next book.
Wild Sign follows Anna and Charles as they investigate a community in Northern California that just completely disappeared, and no one knows why. The case is given to them by the FBI as the land is owned by a member of the pack and seems to fall under their jurisdiction. Anna, Charles, and a third wolf Tad, try to solve the mystery together.
I friggin love Patricia Briggs. This world she’s created with these books, I honestly want to live in it (despite it being very dangerous). The world building is so expertly done, and the characters all feel so real. I loved the concept of this book, of a hidden creature that has power through song and music.
I loved that we got to know a little bit more about Leah. And honestly at this point, I kind of thing we the fans need to demand a Leah and Bran spinoff series. I feel like even though I love Anna and Charles, the relationship I want to dive into the most is Bran and Leah. They’re both so layered.
The Alpha and Omega series and the Mercy Thompson series are some of the best urban fantasy books out there. Somehow, they consistently get better with every book even when I don’t understand how that can be possible....more
I kind of wish I had just stopped reading the series at book 13. Harrison ended it so perfectly. While I was excited to get back into The Hol 3 stars
I kind of wish I had just stopped reading the series at book 13. Harrison ended it so perfectly. While I was excited to get back into The Hollows, my mind is screaming “not like this”. When I started this book it felt really good to be back in The Hollows with Rachel and the gang, but halfway through I realized this book was waaaayyyy too long winded and the plot was all over. I ended up kind of skimming until the end, which I also somewhat hated. Not sure if I will continue this series if there are more books, I should have let it be. ...more
You all may murder me, but I 100% prefer the television series to the books
I didn't mind the writing style of this book, even with it being translat You all may murder me, but I 100% prefer the television series to the books
I didn't mind the writing style of this book, even with it being translated from Polish to English, but I've never been a big fan of the collected stories format and that's what this felt like to me. I didn't feel a real structure of a story and and that was really hard on me.
There were parts where I couldn't put the book down, and parts where all I wanted to do was skim. Overall, this book was okay for me, so I am rating it 2 stars. No intention of reading the other novels, but I will definitely be watching the show....more
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