Book review: High By the Beach by Wren Amari

I got the chance to read this eARC and I am so grateful. I was notified about submitting an application to read this book and I am so happy about that because this book was so lovely, heartbreaking but beautiful.

High by the Beach is about Brielle, a young woman holding in her grief about a horrible loss and dealing with it in unhealthy ways while her parents ignore their loss and pretend that everything is fine. Brielle and her family decide to stay somewhere next to the coast for the summer while they try to move on. The first night there, Brielle sees someone swimming out in the water and decides to try staying underwater in an attempt to get over her fear of swimming. She's rescued by Carson Eli, who takes one look at Brielle and decides that she is a spoiled party girl and wants nothing to do with her. But as days go by, Brielle is brought into Carson's orbit by his friends and the more time they spend together, the more they both start to realize that they don't know everything about each other. And the more they learn, the more they want to know about each other.

This was romantic. There is no other way about it. This is one of those slow-burn romances where the leads have to learn everything about each other while falling in love and the development was just wonderful. Brielle is such a sweet and tragic young woman. I wanted to force her to eat and sleep and make sure she had a safe place to cry and mourn her horrible loss. I wanted to drag her parents over by their ears and force the whole family to talk because their methods of dealing with their loss were obviously not working but the point of the book is the journey, and they get to a happy, or at least a happier point, eventually. Carson was a bit quick to jump to conclusions but I was happy to see how fast he started to learn to communicate with Brielle. His devotion to his sister was so sweet to see and the quiet ways he took care of Brielle showed how he was able to listen and learn about what she needed as situations came up. 

The side characters are all very well developed. I want to know more about Aspen and Dylan and Reese so if it is possible for Wren Amari to give readers more about them, I will gladly read their books. It feels like the setup of what could become a series so I'm going to sit here with my fingers crossed and hope that something involving those characters eventually gets written. Also, I have to admit that there was a moment where I teared up reading this book which for me meant that I was emotionally invested in these characters. If a book has the power to bring out those kinds of emotions, it is definitely a good thing.

Rating on my scale? I'm doing 9.5 Stars only because there were a couple of things in the story that I'm not a fan of in romance novels like miscommunication, for example. And I'm not a fan of a certain romance beat that happens in the third act of these books but I can repsect the why behind this one. Still, this book is worth the read. Wren Amari has the talent to be truly brilliant and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Book Review: The Swan's Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

I've been sitting on this one a few days and have come to a few conclusions.

The first? This was a wonderful, BEAUTIFUL book.

The second? I must read more books by Roshani Chokshi. I have the Gilded Wolves trilogy and Pandava series, so I'll be fixing that soon.

I'll admit, besides the author name I recognized, the stunning cover art caught my attention. There are three things that can guarantee I pick up a book: author name, cover art and the final point? An intriguing synopsis. And this book had one very intriguing synopsis.

The Swan's Daughter follows Demelza and Prince Arris on a quest to find independence and a happily ever after. Prince Arris is the latest descendant of a long line of kings that have ended up with shortened lives thanks to a wish made by one of his ancestors. Marriage for Prince Arris means he most likely will die on his wedding night because all his bride needs to rule the Isle of Malys is his literal heart and hand. Demelza is the youngest daughter of a wizard and a veritas swan, and as a veritas swan herself, Demelza can force people to tell the truth by singing to them and asking any question she wants. At the start of the story, Prince Arris's mother has put together a competition to find a bride for her son. Demelza makes a deal with Prince Arris in exchange for a safe place to stay. Demelza will question every bridal candidate, weeding out each one with murder on her mind so that Prince Arris can have a chance at a long, happy life. As the two work together, they come to find that the possibility of a happy life with love could be something they both can find in ways they would not have considered until their partnership.

Honestly, I'm still thinking about this world. Chokshi came up with the most unique setting, filled with so many interesting locations and creatures and people. I hope the official book has a glossary with explanation for every animal in this book, every plant, every location and information on all the different people. And a map! A book like this needs an elaborately detailed map. I would study it for hours with a magnifying glass so I could understand this book that much more. It was just so beautiful, I was in awe half the time reading because of everything that was in this book. 

The story itself is so sweet. Demelza and Arris are young and hoping for something more than the hand that fate has dealt them. Demelza has been trying her whole life to be as important as her sisters and when she finally gets the attention she wants, it is for the wrong reasons. She's independent enough to fight for herself which leads her to joining the competition for marriage to Prince Arris. She's awkward but willing to learn, happy with the chance to finally make some friends with people she would not have had the chance to meet while being kept alone at home with her parents. Prince Arris is a daydreamer, wishing for a true love match that would mean he could live long enough to try everything he want while he is alive. With so many candidates to choose from and unable to discern their true intentions, Arris has resigned himself to dying young. Putting Demelza and Arris together, they make an interesting partnership, working together as friends as they get to know each other while working to keep Arris alive. Their relationship develops carefully, making their ending feel earned and this reader smiling happily while hugging her phone.

Each of the side characters are so much fun in this book. There is the reigning King and Queen, who have managed to keep their relationship going strong while the Queen has fun trying to kill her husband every few months, just to keep him on his toes. Arris's twin sister, Yvlle, is a force to be reckoned with, working with every resource she has to keep her brother safe. Ursula and Talvi, Demelza's first friends are endearing, and if there is a chance for more from this world, I hope Chokshi gives readers more about those two characters, with a lot of Yvlle thrown in. I loved every character in this world, from the mean girls trying to win the competition to the wizard Prava, Demelza's father and a trickster of a character with his own evil machinations driving portions of the story from the sidelines. Everything is so detailed and developed, I'm still sitting here sighing and thinking how much I loved this book.

Rating on my scale? 10 Stars. I am still not over the way this book unfolded, from the characters to the worldbuilding, and everything in between. Read this if you want something that feel like Howl's Moving Castle, which has been on my mind lately, especially as I was reading this book.