Book Review: Treasured by Tentacles by Mel Braxton

The artwork caught my eye for this one. The beauty of the colors and the adoring looks on the faces of the characters on the cover. All of it just called to me and honestly? Who can resist a title like that?

First of all, Braxton has a talent for giving more than enough about the characters even with the fact that this is a novella, and the course of the book has to move just a little bit faster than it would need. Within pages we know exactly what kind of characters we are following, a woman with the resolve to do what it takes to survive, and a kraken kind enough to visit the last place he saw his brother year after year. Neo saves Marisol and it goes from there. Every moment spent with these characters showed just who they were and how well they worked together. I loved every moment they spent together, learning about each other.

I especially appreciated how Neo did not try to keep Marisol from her wish to obtain the Wishing Sun. Neo was the perfect example of support and love that Marisol needed, basically proof that she had something to fight for in her future, and his love as motivation was moving. The fact that it was not a problem for them to really come together as a potential couple, showing how Marisol could become a part of Neo's community, was something that made me smile.

Overall, this was such a sweet story. I can see the potential for this to continue on with another specific character, and if it turns out that such a book is potentially in the future, I will be quick to obtain a copy of my own. Read this story if you just love "love" stories with characters that deserve to be happy together.

Rating on my Scale: 9.5 Stars. Why? I wanted more time with these characters. I loved it a lot, highly recommended, I just hope to see more from Braxton with this world in the future. 

Book Review: What Lies Within the Willows by Nicole Kaye

I'll be perfectly honest, sometimes I pick books based on their title alone. Something about the music of the words will stick in my head and just makes me think yes, THIS BOOK I need to read. That's what caught my attention with Nicole Kaye's What Lies Within the Willows. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I'd get an eARC but I made sure to pre-order a copy as well because I knew without a doubt, I wanted to read this book. I'm so grateful for the chance I got to read this one because it was MAGNIFICENT!! I love this book, it was everything I wanted and more, it kept me up all night reading and then lived in my dreams when I finally let myself sleep.

First of all, the writing here is superbly done. The book opens up with one lead character on the run and readers immediately learn so much about this character. With one scene alone, the tension was set, stakes were obvious, and the lead was shown to be extremely resilient and determined and I was convinced in that opening scene alone that I would love this book. Kaye has a knack for giving enough information to keep the reader moving with the story while at the same time, holding enough back so that the reader is able to see the many threads woven into the tale that make the reveals hit that much harder when they come. What I also enjoyed was the fact that while the book was written as a dual narrative, the chapters weren't titled with the character names which I found to be an interesting choice. Instead, symbols were used to show whose perspective we were following, sometimes even changing mid-chapter, and I grew to enjoy seeing the symbol for each of our leads when it was their turn to tell us their story. The back and forth kept things moving naturally while we learned more about each character, and each point-of-view helped with learning more about the various townsfolk, so many incredible people who accepted these new characters into their town, just by showing who each lead interacted with the most.

As for the characters, by the time Cassidy and Beckett brought me to the end of this book, I loved both of them equally. I thought Cassidy was amazing for a lead, the tenacity she had and her determination to learn as much as possible to make herself indispensable to the town felt familiar to me. I wanted this girl to find the peace she was looking for and I was so grateful to the people of Bronn, the village she found refuge in, for recognizing her potential and being willing to help her with everything she wanted to learn. As for Beckett, yes, it took me time to love this guy but Kaye made the journey with his struggles worthwhile. In the beginning I wanted to wring his neck or just bash him in the back of the head but the point of his journey was to recognize his trauma and see the efforts he made to change both the way he perceived the world and his place in it. I was proud of the growth he showed and when he and Cassidy came together, I was giddy with the sweetness of their growing care for each other. Their every move showed how far they'd come to be something more than their families thought they'd be able to be and I wanted to wrap them up and keep them safe. For now, I'll content myself with the fact that we will hopefully see them again in another book.

As for the plot, Kaye had a fairly straightforward plot, or at least that is what we were led to think. Cassidy and Beckett have both found themselves in a town where their existence depends on trading for the goods they need. They each need to learn how to help in the town and contribute to the care of everyone that calls Bronn home. Beckett's background means that his time in the town comes with an expiration date and Cassidy's means that she is in hiding. Like I said, seems straightforward enough but there are so many different points that Kaye juggles in this story, like Cassidy's true origin, and the threat that comes with Beckett's previous home. There's also the idea of what both find in the town and the significance of the willows that surround it, the way the title is inspired by these trees and what it means to each lead, what they found within the willows. Suffice to say, when those lines hit, I found my heart struggling to beat. There are so many different ways this story can go from here and I have no idea what will come next but after loving this book, I'm confident the next tale will break my heart and mend it again, in that order.

With the way this book ended, I can confidently say that I will be waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next. I can only hope that Kaye will have mercy on us readers and have something for us soon. I am desperate to know what comes next for our two leads.

Read this book if you like books about learning new ways of thinking, finding true families, and becoming better than you realized you could be.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Beautiful Stars! This book kept me up late reading and I didn't even realize how much time was passing. When my copy arrives, it will live on my shelf of favorites for the rest of all time.

Book Review: Kobra

August kicked me in the teeth and i am so behind on reviews but i finally finished this amazing book and i have one thought screaming in my head:

NO!! IT CAN'T END THERE!!

full review to come once i get sleep.

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Technically, I haven't slept yet. I haven't been able to sleep since the second week of August but I figure, hey, if I'm not sleeping, I might as well write. So Kobra was pitched as for fans of "The Mummy" and "Indiana Jones." I grew up watching Indy (thanks Dad), and I was in the theaters when "The Mummy" was released at the dollar theater because yes, I remember that detail. And guess what? Kobra fits in with those titles easily and manages to stand apart with enough pizazz that I'm still reeling over the loss of that ending. I can only hope book 2 is not that far behind because really, my heart can't take any more breaking.

First of all, the world-building here caught my attention and did not let go. The idea about how the people get their powers and the experiments to figure out how to get certain powers, then the struggle between the countries, ALL OF THIS just hooked me from the start. Wells gave enough information to keep readers moving through the story. The world was established and our characters moved in ways that kept readers engaged. The dual narrative really helped with the whole setup of the book, having most of the events being told as a recount of things from one lead's point-of-view. The back and forth in time also kept me from truly figuring out things before Wells gave us that information and I love when a book can keep me on my toes.

Character wise, I'm not sure who I liked more, Davina or Zephyr. Truly, Davina was a force and I wanted to know so much more about her childhood but I can be patient to see what happens in the next book. I'm not usually a fan of characters that strike out on their own so many times in a row but I was actually charmed by Davina's methods. This is a woman who knows how to accomplish what she sets out to do so hey, she wants to sneak out to investigate? By all means, let's follow her to see what she finds next. As for Zephyr, I greatly enjoyed how the book worked to show his viewpoint in questioning Davina. I loved how quick he was to start to protect Davina, not that she needed it but a guy willing to act on good instincts and has honorable intentions is one to respect. I want to say more but I can't for fear of spoilers but I will say that Wells wielded a deft hand with the detail and I did not see that ending coming. Okay, moving on.

As for the plot, the search for the artifact in question was a great driving point for the story. I wanted to see what would happen when Davina and Zephyr found what they were looking for and while some of that was the focus, a lot of this book also delved into the ethics of what these nations would do with what they found and in turn how it affected their citizens. My heart broke for a particular character and even though she had a happy life in the present of the book, I still think about her in my head, wondering at the people who created her gift and everything that came for others like her. I have questions but while I will have to wait for the next book to get those answers, I'm still very happy with how this book came together in the end.

Read this book if you're a fan of adventures and hidden agendas and strong characters. I can't wait to see how Wells picks up things in the next book.

Rating on my Scale: Yeah, giving this one the whole 10 Stars because yup, I ended up loving this one. I did not see those reveals coming and I am left on tenterhooks waiting to see what happens next.

My thanks to The Nerd Fam and Cris G. Wells for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger

I liked parts of this but overall, I understand why so many have put this down. I wanted to leave it aside but I finally managed to finish it *sighs*

I'll gather my thoughts for a full-length review tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I took a few days to really gather my thoughts for this review. I can honestly tell you that I still remember the moment I found The Time Traveler's Wife on a table display of new releases at my local bookstore. Something about the colors on the cover appealed to my senses and when I read the synopsis I thought, yes, I'll read this book. I had my first part-time so I had money to buy books that caught my eye so I remember picking this book up. I read it in between taking orders at my job, on my lunch break and when I got home. I LOVED it, so when I tell you that Life Out of Order was one of my most anticipated releases for, well, EVER, you can understand why Which is why it breaks my heart to say that I'm waffling between saying I didn't like this at all and it was just okay.

Heartbreaking.

So I'll start the way I usually do, talking about world-building. So the book starts by following Alba, who we know from the previous book is Henry and Clare's daughter. She's heading towards a party, talking about the curfew she's barely going to make when she gets to the house the party is at and she's talking about some kind of mission. And I'm just a bit confused. It's not that far into the future so how did this end up being the world? I understand that the book was upfront about being set in a dystopian world and most of the time, dystopian books don't have to explain how the world came to be this way. However, we know from the previous book that this is OUR world. Various real life events were seen in The Time Traveler's Wife so this book is continuing from there so how does our society fail? I get it, only so much can definitively be said without getting someone angry about the implications but at the same time, I wonder if it would have helped to make up something to explain the state of the world. Instead, the fact that it seems to still be our timeline, I'm left wondering what was the point of showing the world like this? From the way that time travel works, we know that events are mostly set in stone, Alba and also Henry, were not able to change certain events. So is this book a warning or is it just showing us the inevitable end to our society and the planet we live on?

Which brings me to the story format. As I said before, we start with following Alba. So Alba's story starts with how she meets an important man in her life, Zach, and the various back and forth in that happens in Alba's life as a time traveler, which is apparently a condition that has become more widely known since the previous book. And then it cuts to following Clare and showing readers a lot of what has happened in her life since losing Henry. I will say that the section that follows Clare truly felt like the sequel to the previous book but it was only so much of the story. Eventually, the book moves back to following Alba and her struggle between two men she apparently cares equally for and it comes off a little wonky. I feel like the book was a series of vignettes and as such, felt a little disjointed. Maybe as a result of the format, it should have been pushed more as a series of short stories? Clare's section almost feels out of place in the overall story that follows how Alba has grown up and what she is doing with her life.

Now for the characters. I still love Clare and I love that she found Beck. And that is about it. I was not happy with a decision that Alba made and the ramifications that came from that. I wanted to like Zach but I feel like he was given the short of the stick too many times and I still wonder about the childhood he had and why he left the way he did. There were so many side characters that it was hard to keep track of names that kept coming in and out of the story. The few that spent time on the page the longest seemed to be around as a support system for Alba, showing how many of these people know about her ability and are able to shelter her or rescue her when she needs help. But then there are the characters we knew from the previous book, specifically Gomez, who I remember being a bit of a jerk, so why was he someone with this kind of influence on the city? I feel like this needed more development for me to truly believe that Gomez was the authority figure that so many people looked to in this book. I would have thought Charisse was the more likely character to try to become this person of change. So that was a weird detail that still makes me frown because it still doesn't make sense to me. With the amount of names in the cast, I only truly liked two people and that was not enough to make me root for the people in this book.

As for the plot, I don't know what to make of it. I know the first book followed a lot of the love story between Henry and Clare and this book is explicitly stated as NOT being a love story. That being said, it still came across as being focused on the love story. Alba is in love with two men, what is she going to do about this while the world falls apart around her? I'm not sure how this didn't turn out to be a love story with how everything unfolded. Alba has told people several times that she can't change events so readers are just following her around as she falls in love with not one but two men and continues to jump back and forth in time, sometimes seeing her Dad, and mostly talking about the upcoming future, the diseases and the weather and how it continues to culminate in the dystopian world we know is coming. At the same time, I expected more from Alba with the way her situation was handled. The point of a choice is the sacrifice, knowing that the other option exists but you picked one outcome and are content with that. Instead, a lot of this story focuses on how each of her choices is the perfect one for her and we are, I guess, supposed to sympathize with her struggle. Except it didn't feel realistic and the way it resolved just made me think, what was the point?

I did really love Clare's portion of the story. For everyone who knows what she was waiting for, it was really poignant to see that scene on the page. The rest of it, though, continues not to sit well with me. I was honestly, sincerely looking forward to this book but I had to make myself finish it and I really hate to say that. But for those readers who feel the same way, I see you and I hope we can all commiserate together when this book is out.

Rating on my Scale: 3 Stars. I just can't say anything more about what this book was for me. I've been thinking of going back to read The Time Traveler's Wife when I can find the time. I just hope it is everything I remember it to be.

My thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and Audrey Niffenegger for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Fae Captain's Thief by Elle Thrasher

Something about this title called to me and I'm so glad that it did. What is even better is that once this story ended, I was given more titles to read in the same world with just enough information to catch my attention and leave me feeling gleeful because YAY, more books to read. I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first but by the time the ending arrived, I knew I loved these characters and this world and that is a wonderful feeling to be left with at the end of the day.

The Fae Captain's Thief follows Bryn, a thief who decides to follow the legends she's heard about a necklace and has managed to steal it for herself. On her way back home though, Bryn must find a ship that will help her on her journey. But the only ship available belongs to a fae prince she stayed with once before leaving him behind, his compass now joining her collection of treasures. Bryn has to decide if it's worth sneaking onto his ship and risk getting caught or if she should find some other way of getting back home.

World-building was very interesting here. The idea of the fae and the various kinds there are and their magic was intriguing and I wish there was more in this novella to fill in the blanks. For that reason alone, I will be reading the other related books, just so I can find the answers I'm sure are in the other stories. What is given here was enough to keep the story moving but in the back of my mind, I kept wondering about the rest of this world that Thrasher has created, so yes, I'll be going back and reading more about this world. The story felt accessible, easy to fall into as we follow Bryn on her daring heist and everything that comes from it after. Everything flows easily from moment to moment, giving time to let emotions grow and to have characters come together. Everything asked was answered for this book and Thrasher shows a talent for writing a concise and enthralling story with the pages given.

As for the characters, at the start I wanted to wring Bryn's neck. This woman took a lot of risks for treasure and I wanted to tell her there was a time and a place to think about the next daring theft but she grew on me. Thrasher made Bryn strong but sympathetic and the reveals about the character made me want to bash some heads in so yes, I grew to love her. Which brings me to our fae prince, Henrik, a man of infinite patience who was obviously smitten with Bryn from the start. I felt like this was the perfect character to complement Bryn, compassionate and understanding and fiercely protective to those he loves. Henrik proved to be intelligent as a captain and resourceful enough to find ways to keep his crew safe and to help Bryn at the same time. These two together made way for a poignant storyline about finding someone to care for, to protect and keep safe and I loved when Bryn finally started to believe what Henrik was telling her.

As for the plot itself, I am very intrigued by the development this story took about the necklace that Bryn stole. The focus that it took about the origins of the necklace and precisely what it meant that Bryn stole it made me a little heartbroken. Which is why that ending made me smile. I meant it when I said I wanted to bash some heads in for Bryn so the way everything wrapped up made me cackle a little. The whole idea of thievery and how Bryn could actually use her talents as part of something more made me very happy. There's no other way to explain it. Sure, this was a spicy story and the heat between the leads was definitely there but what I'm left pondering the most was the effect the entire adventure had on Bryn and where she'll go with the knowledge she's gained. I hope to see more of these two in future books, you know, once I've caught up with everything set in this book world.

In the end, this was a very respectable read and I'm looking forward to adding the rest of Thrasher's books to my neverending TBR list.

Rating on my Scale: 8 Stars. I don't read novellas often, I'm always left feeling like I wanted more from everything. The good thing about this one is that there are other books in this world so this story has managed to hook me enough to make me want to read everything else so at least there is that. It's short and sweet, and I'll probably love it more once I know more about the books that came before this one.

My thanks to Behind the Pages and Elle Thrasher for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: A Lie So Pretty and Poisonous by Leah Bronwyn

This was such a unique book, something that caught me surprise by the twists and turns it took and the resilient lead of the story. The one thought that keeps going through my mind is that I wish the second book was already available because that last scene is still ringing in my ears. This has so many romantasy elements that will be sure to appeal to a wide range of readers and I'm sure that once this book is released, it will find its way onto so many bookshelves everywhere and I will find people to commiserate to about that ending because seriously, I need book 2.

A Lie So Pretty and Poisonous follows Aurora Alwine, "Rory", a young mother who fled from her mother's home and managed to build a happy life with her young daughter, Cora, in a new town where she works at an apothecary. When one of her mother's lackeys arrives to force Rory and Cora back to her mother's home, Rory's friends devise a way to get the mother and daughter to safety. While on the run though, Rory and Cora end up trapped in a land of demigods where they have been separated from humans on the other side of the continent. Now trapped, Rory has to curb her instincts and play a careful game of keeping up a facade of the delicate noblewoman all while trying to find any information on how to get back home. After forming an alliance with the demigod, Darragh, who has been assigned to protect her, Rory and Darragh's search for a way back home leads them to discoveries that threaten the safety of everyone.

First of all, the world-building is phenomenal. I was so impressed with every aspect of this other world where Rory and Cora ended up trapped. The way that the society was divided and how the religion was woven in made for a delicate situation that Rory found herself navigating. There were so many things that she needed to learn and I was grateful that it allowed the reader to, in turn, learn along with Rory everything that was needed to understand the world as the story progressed. There were a lot of things that kept the tension building for Rory and for Cora and Bronwyn handled each thread with ease, creating a world that glittered but had sharp edges underneath. Every new fact revealed worked in showing exactly what kind of place this really was and by the time everything came to light, I couldn't believe the book was over. Bronwyn has managed to bring readers through every point of this story, investing us in every aspect in a way that only the best romantasy books are able to do and that is an incredible feat.

Next, the characters were everything and more needed for a book like this. I was so happy to see an older FMC who was also a mother as a lead for book like this. The instinct that Cora had to sacrifice herself to keep her daughter safe was something I could identify with and her every thought being how to make sure her daughter would benefit made me love Rory. I thought Cora was an adorable and intelligent little girl, proving herself as the best motivating factor for her mother. Darragh was an interesting character, stoic and unsettling and yet quietly showing in little ways the way he had others interests at heart. I loved the tension between Darragh and Rory and I truly hope to see more development between them in the next book. Bronwyn built this incredible tension between these two characters but also managed to keep this necessary distance between them because of the circumstances of Rory being unable to go home. I also especially loved Anya, Rory's new friend and confidante, who quickly managed to prove herself trustworthy to the Alwines. I loved how she provided observations that Rory didn't have and how she helped Rory through the ups and downs she was going through in her new world. I hope to see much more of her and Rory being friends in the rest of the series.

As for the plot, I thought I had some things figured out but Bronwyn kept all the cards close until the right moments to reveal everything. The idea of trying to find a way home as a driving force was the perfect scenario to have in a story like this. There was enough of a threat hanging over Rory's head as a person in a foreign land to have Rory moving around the kingdom, learning about the world and trying to find a way back. At the same time though, slowly adding in a new threat for Rory to unearth helped with allowing readers become completely invested in figuring out exactly what was going on in this society. Suffice to say, after the way this book ended, I am completely on board for book 2. 

In the end, Bronwyn has created one incredible lead and a world I can't wait to visit again. I desperately need to know some more about the reveals given and I really hope for a happy outcome for Rory and for Cora once the next books are released.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I want more, end of story. I'm still not over that last chapter. The next book is too far away but I will be patient, not because I want to be but because I have to be patient. So there.

My thanks to Rattle the Stars PR and Leah Bronwyn for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Until the Sand Claims Us by Israh Azizi

After the month I've had, I was looking forward to reading a new fantasy novel and Until the Sand Claims Us was everything I wanted and more from a book right now. The world was beautiful, the characters claimed my heart and the twists kept me turning pages until almost dawn. I truly loved the way this story unfolded and I will follow Israh Azizi to every book they write from here on out.

Until the Sand Claims Us follows two leads, Yildiz, a bodyguard for the princess of the south, her cousin, and Dayyan, the prince of the north, also known as the prince of death. The pair cross paths when Yildiz is offered up in her cousin's place for marriage to a northern prince in the hopes of stopping the war that has been raging for years. Yildiz has been given a task by the sultan, kill the princes or face certain death. But her betrothed, Dayyan, is not the villain she thinks he is and he has been forced to follow the shah's every order so that he can keep his family safe. As the two come together, Dayyan starts to realize that he has feelings for his new wife, making her a new target to be used against him and to control him while Yildiz has to wonder if killing the prince would even be the revenge it was meant to be. Their marriage was supposed to be the start of a new peace but various factors are working against them and the pair will have to choose between what they are meant to do or their newfound love in an effort at changing their destinies and the furure of their homelands.

First of all, the world-building here is exquisitely done. There are so many interesting aspects to the world itself, from the the reason for why the North wants to conquer the South and how the people live to how that in turn affects everything that lives in the Khatatian Desert. Azizi provided so many answers to questions I had about the people and stories about how and why the war started. There was also an interesting addition to the start of every chapter and the discovery of what these lines turned out to be just left me feeling a little awed at how Azizi provided this interesting bit to fill in the world just that much more. I loved the development and the way Azizi gave each part of the story the information as it was needed. Enemies to lovers as a trope usually doesn't work for me but it was done to perfection in this novel because I believed everything about the developing relationship between the leads. Their story as a driving force for the novel kept my attention riveted because believe me when I say that I had to finish this book in a day, I couldn't put it down.

The characters in this book were perfection. Yildiz was a girl after my own heart with her fiery spirit and her fighting ability. I knew that Dayyan would be tragic somehow but the way Azizi developed his character into something so strong while sympathetic at the same time made me eager to see how this newly married couple would finally be on the same page together. Thanks to Azizi's writing, I was just as invested in the rest of the cast of charactets, including Dayyan's closest friend Zeki, and Bazmara, Omid and Delara, the siblings Dayyan would do anything for. Every character gets their chance to make an impact on the story and I loved them all by the end of the book.

As for the plot, I found the struggle of choosing between duty and love to be a particularly good driving force for this story. Trying to find a way for two people who have grown up being used as tools by the family that was supposed to protect them to finally accept a true and everlasting love made this just a beautiful story in the end. I wanted these two to grow together and find an understanding and their journey to find a way to be together and help their people made for such a fun adventure to go on. All in all, a very satisfying novel about taking chances and finding somewhere to belong for who you truly are.

In the end, this book was the perfect story that I was looking to read and I'm so grateful to have gotten the chance to meet Yildiz and Dayyan and have a chance to spend some time in this world.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I might have shed or two at a particular reveal so bear that in mind because it's good to know when an author has the talent to make you care that much about the people they have created.

My thanks to Behind the Pages and Israh Szizi for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Has-Been by Wren Riley

It's been a while since I found a really good sports romance to read which is why I took the opportunity to read The Has-Been by Wren Riley. I've usually found sports romance to be charming, showing the pressures of being a professional sports player and how the lead has to figure out the balance of making a relationship work with their career. What makes The Has-Been different is that fact that it follows a couple where the lead MMC is a year out from a career ending injury with no hope of being to return to his sport and the future he envisioned for himself going pro. Instead, this book focuses on the fall-out of losing that dream and the future you put years of your life into and the ramifications that come from that loss and that was something that I found both unexpected and unique as it is not a subject matter I've seen covered as much in the genre. In the end, I really respected the way the various subjects were dealt with and the realistic approach to rebuilding your life. My only wish is that I would have wanted the book to spend more time with the couple once they are finding their peace in present after spending our time watching them deal with their grief.

The Has-Been follows former hockey player Liam Anderson, who has returned to school at Delleth College after taking a year off to deal with the career ending injury he suffered from and the many trials he went through after, including a break-up with his girlfriend. Liam is trying to take on enough of a course load to allow his to make up his junior year and still graduate not far behind the rest of his class. On the other hand, the book also follows Aubrey Vaughn, a student at Delleth College who has been dealing with her own issues after choosing to break up with her boyfriend, Liam, after she realizes that she could not help him with his trauma and health. The two of them are brought together again once they have to start doing clinical hours with the hockey team for the degrees. As they continue to spend more time together, the former couple have to deal with the feelings they still have for each other while also trying to deal with grief over the issues that drove them apart in the first place.

First of all, I really enjoyed the way that Riley set up the world here. It had the perfect small town vibe with its easy to find main areas to see the main characters, like the hockey rink and the local bar, alongside a full cast of characters that will most likely be seen in various other installments for the series. I love when a series opener does this, allowing the readers to learn the world and the various people in it, seeing the connections between other potential matches and showing just where the series might go next. Riley has developed a believable world and the people that populate it are complicated and realistic, filled with hope and grief and I am looking forward to see who will be the focus of book 2.

As for the characters, I wanted to give Liam and Aubrey big hugs because of everything they had to go through. The mental health representation was done beautifully here, showing the realistic way that depression and anxiety and other issues manifest in various ways and the ups and downs they take people through. It was gut-wrenching at times but Riley was able to give these issues the respect they needed as the story progressed. There was no shying away from the reality of these situations and Riley was able to use a deft hand in showing just how much these characters were worth with their emotions and the way they came through to the other side to find something they could want again.

As for the plot, second chance romances are a favorite of mine, the whole right person at the wront time leaves hope and this book had that and more. Readers get to see a couple who are still figuring out themselves so they can figure out how to be their new selves together and I love stories like that. This was wonderfully done and I can't wait to see what Wren Riley has in store next for this series.

Read this book if you like sports romance stories with a healthy dose of real issues and couples that learn to communicate and understand themselves and each other again.

Rating on my Scale: 8.5 Stars. I wanted more time with this couple but I'll just hope we get to see a little more of Liam and Aubrey in the next book.

My thanks to Rattle the Stars PR and Wren Riley for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: How to Survive Camping: The Ancient Things by Bonnie Quinn

I used to read a lot of horror back when I was in school. I started drifting away from it over the years, frustrated with villains that felt like they were one step away from twirling a mustache or monsters that didn't do enough to make the scares haunt my dreams. I stayed away from it for years but horror has always had a special place in my soul and I knew that one day I'd make my way back to the genre. So I made it a point to start seeking out more horror books this year and I found How to Survive Camping: The Lady in Chains on a list of titles to look out for in 2026. The title caught my ear and I looked up the book, realized it was a book 2 and promptly got the first book, The Man with No Shadow, from my library. I stayed up all night reading that book and by the time I had reached the last 50 pages, I had already gone online and ordered copies of the whole series. I loved the book and its sequel so much I bought copies of the first two books for my Dad to read. Cozy horror is a genre I had no idea would be a balm for my soul because something about these books just resonates with me. I've sat down to read each one and been done before going to sleep the same day. Without a doubt, these books are absolute favorites and the latest installment, The Ancient Things, is no different.

How to Survive Camping: The Ancient Things returns to follow camp manager Kate, who runs a campground that is also a home (or a cage) to otherworldly inhabitants. In an effort to keep her campers safe, Kate has compiled information into rules for a pamphlet that she sends to her campers entitled, "How to Survive Camping." Now the land is turning ancient and the threat is leaving the campground. Kate has every inhuman on her land eager to get rid of her so that they can take control of the land but Kate is going to fight back, hunting those that are after her and killing anything that is a threat. When the ancient land draws an ancient thing to the campground that has it out for a particular inhuman, Kate has to find a way to help that will leave the campground safe before it is too late.

I've loved this series from the start and a lot of that has to do with the writing. This book follows Kate's narration and the tone it takes is so matter-of-fact and no nonsense that it works perfectly to convey her character. This book works because of the tone it takes, it wouldn't work any other way. There's nothing flowery about the language which helps to drive home the fact that this character, Kate, has had to deal with things no one should have had to, and that goes for the inhuman inhabitants of the campground and the residents of the town who know what happens at the campground. This woman has a spine of steel and calculating mind and she needs that, so every word is concise, every reason makes sense, and every move is well thought out and every word in this books shows that. Each book follows the seasons of the year, from when the campground opens until it goes back to out of season and it is separated into parts to show that so everything follows a linear course. Readers get a sample of the "Rules" Kate has put together and as the book unfolds, readers get to see exactly what happened to inspire certain things. All of this just clicks together and feels so well-developed that it's easy to feel like this could be a real place and that the things Kate is telling us could save our lives. Quinn has made something really unique here and I love the research that is so easily woven into each story. I always end up with a few things that I want to research for myself once one of these books is done and this one was no different. I'm still in awe a little with the development that this book had.

As for the characters, I have loved each of them from the start and all the old favorites have returned for this installment. I love Kate, just completely love her, and I know she herself states that she can be difficult but I actually feel that sometimes she has too much patience for what happens on the campground so obviously she and I are two peas in a pod. I love the Old Sheriff and while he wasn't in this book as much, his presence is enough when he does appear, his wisdom and his patience and his genuine affection for Kate making him as important to readers and he is to Kate. I loved how this time around, Quinn gave us a little more about some of our recognizable names from previous books, like Bryan and his pack of dogs and the Children with No Wagon. Quinn has created so many interesting characters that when the time is taken to really delve into them in a book, the impact hits a little harder because we are already familiar with these faces and now we are given more and a lot of the time, what we learn is heartbreaking. This time around we also got to spend more time with Kate's brother, Tyler, and his family, which really shows more about the family dynamic as Kate and her brother were growing up and how they are together in the current timeline. By this point in the storyline, we love these characters and Quinn has developed a well-rounded cast that continues to make every moment of these books worth reading.

As for the plot, Quinn has been moving towards this development, the land turning ancient, for some time now and the way it was dealt with had me turning pages as fast as I could. Besides the fact that land is turning ancient, there are two inhuman inhabitants of the campground that are in a battle and the outcome of that fight will decide the fates for a lot of the inhabitants of the campground and it was fascinating to read. This is where I wanted to do some of my own reading because of the conflict between these two inhumans. I want to know more about this and the fact that Quinn used this folklore was impressive to me. All of the folklore that Quinn uses in these books appeals to me as a reader and sincerely, these books feel like they were made for readers like me. Also, I saw that the book originally had a different subtitle and I understand now why it was changed to The Ancient Things. It works a lot better without giving too much away and a lot of the plot works because of the discovery about the two inhumans and their battle and the whys for the fighting. In the end, I can't wait to see how all of this wraps up with the next book because we have seen and learned so much already and we care so much for Kate and her family that I am counting down the days to see what happens next for them and the campground and the town.

I can't repeat it enough, I LOVE this series. I am planning to read them all again once my Dad starts reading the books so we can go over every detail and just marvel over the world-building and the characters. Read this book if you love folklore, horror and the people who choose to stand between us and the monsters hiding in the dark.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Brilliant Stars!! I can't wait to see what happens next with these characters. Seriously, I'm camping out with my books while waiting for the next one to be released. Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later because I really need to know what happens next.

My thanks to NetGalley, Saga Press Books and Bonnie Quinn for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig

I remember the first time I was introduced to music from the Phantom of the Opera. Once upon a time, a friend had gifted me a snow globe, something with a wizard and a dragon in the glass with the base being this intricate castle set in the clouds. When I realized it had music, I quickly wound it and was mesmerized by the tune it played, a portion of the song, Music of the Night. It haunted me and I finally looked it up and listened to Michael Crawford sing this amazing piece of music. It's still a favorite of mine, decades later. When I heard that one of my favorite authors was going to write a Phantom of the Opera inspired book from Christine's point-of-view, I knew I had to read it. I wanted to be swept away by the story but unfortunately for me, I didn't fall in love with the book.

Our Strange Duet follows Christine Daaé, a young soprano who works at the Paris Opera House. She catches the eye of the masked figure that lurks beneath the place, a mysterious person who has, for years, made demands on those that run the Opera House. He falls in love with Christine and decides to do whatever is necessary to help nurture her singing ability and get his music out into the world.

The writing was extraordinary, there was never any doubt in my mind about that. It was haunting and atmospheric. I could see every location so clearly in my mind from the way it was described in the book to the dusty room that Christine was moved to where the Phantom first makes contact to the lake hidden down in the depths beneath the Opera House. Everything seemed so beautiful, drawing the reader in with the setting, and I was so impressed with all of the visuals. Craig was able to make the characters sing when they were hitting their cues, the connection between Christine and Erik, the opera ghost, being a little more believable than the connection to Raoul. When Christine and Erik were together, I could see how much Christine wanted to believe in Erik as her Angel of Music thanks to the way that Craig wrote them, showing the growing tide of emotion overtaking Christine in a way that felt like the best of romances. 

What bothered me was the characters. I was looking forward to a story showing everything the way that Christine saw it but in the end, I didn't really like her as a character. It felt like her choice in Erik or Raoul changed with a flick of her hand. I didn't believe her passion for either of them being a lasting thing, something she truly felt had changed her in the deepest parts of her being, because it felt like she kept choosing the one who could better her situation for the moments she considered her choices. Erik was an option because of the way he could help her with her music and singing. Raoul was an option because he made her remember a past where she was happy when her father alive. I believed she felt desire for them in the moment but it didn't seem to last once she was on her own. They both felt like horrible choices for her, one being a murderous villain and the other thinking he could make Christine want a life as just his wife, and I wanted the story to end with her choosing herself and leaving the both of them behind. If neither of them was truly making her happy, what was the point?

Also her friendship with Meg seemed very surface level. Christine would reminisce about Meg, how they were very best friends, almost sisters, and that they shared everything together but they were barely together on the page. Then when they were together, they were working on their parts in the opera production or they were out with a group. Christine would lament the loss of Meg and I would just shake my head because the relationship was not developed enough for me to believe that Meg was actually important to her. It felt like we were constantly being told that this was the truth but Christine never did anything more to keep the friendship she had with Meg strong so I didn't believe her when she felt "bad" about the distance growing between them. It almost felt like her constant lamentation was to convince herself that she was a good friend and not someone who would leave behind what she once treasured in order to gain something out of reach.

That brings me to the pacing. It felt like there was so much that was glossed over with words like "months" or "weeks" placed somewhere to indicate the passage of time. One moment we're meeting the Angel of Music for the first time and the next page, it has been months of lessons where Christine has been developing her singing voice, getting stronger under the tutelage of her teacher. At another point, Christine is staying with Raoul while the Opera House is being repaired and it has been weeks since Christine tried writing to Meg. I was surprised when Christine woke up and it was actually the following morning. It felt like the focus was too much on hitting the points made in the opera leaving only so much time to fill in the in between bits with Christine. With the issues with pacing, I felt like the development of the tragic love story didn't have the time it needed to expand correctly on the page. I didn't care for Christine in the end, I thought she was a bit selfish and extremely, if not naive, then at least foolish for continuing to back and forth with the two men she was stringing along. She knew the truth about the both of them and yet somehow, kept going back to them both, and I didn't believe her when she claimed she couldn't bear to be apart from either of them.

I wish I loved this more. There is no easier way to say that. There were some brilliant moments in the book and that final line almost made me reconsider my entire view of the story. Still, I had too much swimming in my head about the characters and the pacing to make me change my mind and believe me when I say, no one is more heartbroken about that fact than me.

Rating on my Scale: Solid 5 Stars. I still love Erin A. Craig and will continue to follow and read every book that Craig writes unto the end of time. This one, however, will not be the favorite I was hoping to read.

My thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, Delacorte Press and Erin A. Craig for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen

I still remember the first time I found a book by Sarah Addison Allen. I was browsing a table of discounted titles and found a hardcover of The Sugar Queen. I took it home and read it over the course of a weekend, falling in love with the way that Allen spun her words, the images she created, the magic that infused her words and her world. I kept buying her books from there and went back to find Garden Spells when I realized there was a book released before The Sugar Queen. The Girl Who Chased the Moon is my favorite though, that book left its mark on my soul, it was beautiful and enchanting and just absolutely everything. I check every year if there will be a new Sarah Addison Allen book and when I saw that Paper Ghosts was being released, my heart lurched and then got lodged in my throat. I NEEDED  to read this book and yes, it is another brilliant addition for Allen fans. Paper Ghosts was haunting and magical, so much so that I wish there was more to it, more time for us to spend with these characters. 

Paper Ghosts follows two separate storylines, one focused on Willamena Wester in 1976 and the second focused on Bailey Wester in present time. Readers are introduced to the Wester women, who have lived in their house for decades and who the town avoids because somehow, the Wester matriarch, Willamena's grandmother, seems to know things that she shouldn't, things that keep the order she likes with a simple whisper in the right ear. Willamena ends up falling for a stranded musician, something she needs to keep secret, something that is just for her, at least until her grandmother finds out and she is forced to make a decision that changes everything. In present time, Willamena is trying to change things for her granddaughter Bailey, making new choices and hiding things about the Wester family. Trying to keep history from keeping her granddaughter stuck in their house, she forces her out into the world even though all Bailey wanted was to stay with her grandmother. Now things are changing again and Bailey has returned home for the answers and the secrets that have been kept from her.

First of all, Allen has done it again, creating the perfect small town world that feels like the kind of place that would be the setting for something magical. Allen has a way with creating a town that has a twist of difference, where readers can feel at home and where wondrous things could be possible. In this town, the people feel real because of their struggles and their secrets and their pain. I loved the little traditions that Allen added to the town, where people could get tea-themed ice cream at a local shop and apparently everything was named with a chicken theme in mind because of the town's name. All of these details added whimsy and yet at the same time, felt like it could be a real place. Every setting in Allen's books are like this and when opening this book, I knew I was coming in to a place where something more was possible again and it's something that I always look forward to when it comes to an Allen book. Every turn of phrase can conjure images, weaving an almost fairytale quality to the writing. Allen has always been a talented writer and does not disappoint with the talebshe has woven here.

The characters this time around though were a little more tragic for me than usual. I felt so sad for Willamena and the dreams she had and the control that was used to decide every part of her life. I wanted her to achieve everything she wanted and I loved when she took a chance and fell for a musician. At the same time, I felt so sad for Bailey, living with the Wester name in modern times and with maybe not so much overt control as had been seen with Willamena but still being led down a certain path by her grandmother, as had been done before. I felt so much heartache for these women, wishing for different things and suffering consequences for things outside their control. I wanted these characters to have more and because of that, I feel like this book left things on a quieter note for them. Not necessarily happy but maybe more at peace with the way things turned out. Still, I wanted more time with them, for readers to spend more time with them and for Willamena and Bailey to have spent more time together on the page. Unfortunately, it felt like these two spent more time apart, talking about each other while doing other things rather than spending that time together and that made me feel a little disappointed.

This leads me to the plot. It felt like the kind of story that was geared more towards quiet contemplation by the time the ending hits. I thought it was interesting to show how determined Willamena was to be different from her own grandmother, only to turn around and change things she thought she had a right to do, repeating the past for her own granddaughter and understanding that enough to try to change it again before Bailey becomes a permanent fixture in the house. But after spending the time that we did with Willamena as a teenager and then Bailey growing up, I thought the book would then go through a segment where we see both characters in present time together, working through what it meant to be a Wester and how Willamena wanted Bailey to be able to finally escape their town. Bailey has had to return home, something she is only doing because of the circumstances that are calling her home and I thought it meant that she would spend more time with her grandmother, working through the heartache she felt at losing the life she thought she wanted and what she thought being a Wester meant. Instead, after all the development that we were given about the Wester women, their legacy and the particulars of these specific Wester women, Bailey only spends a few days having tea with her grandmother and then something happens and is revealed and then POOF, we're done with the book. My lasting thought is still, "That's it?" The book just kind of ends, with only a little hope left for the characters and it feels incomplete. I still love these characters and the ideas that Allen put in this book, I just wanted to spend more time with them. The book just ends and because of that, while I love the book, I didn't LOVE it.

Still, this is a quietly moving book and for that alone, I am grateful I had the chance to read it. I loved the town and the people that were in it, just like I expect to do when I open an Allen book. That being said, I wanted to stay in this town longer. I wanted to force Willamena and Bailey to finally talk together. As a result, I feel like I'm left holding some threads of the book that didn't get the finish I thought they would and that leaves me a little dissatisfied overall.

Rating on my Scale: 7.5 Stars. This is a very respectable entry for Allen's shelf of magic but it hasn't taken down my favorite from its pedestal. Read for the usual magical prose and settings that fill Allen's books. I hope that Allen might go back to this town again and gives us another chance to spend time with the Wester family.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Addison Allen for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Four Women in the River by Theo St. John

It's been a while since I read a thriller, one that keeps me turning pages and ruining my eyes while reading until the text blurs and I can't see anything anymore. I have read a few but I mostly stick to watching thrillers and I've always enjoyed the gathering of clues and the way my mind whirs, processing details and picking a villain until the ending arrives and I find out if I'm right. Four Women in the River started strong and just kept getting better, keeping the pages turning while the gears in my head ran down all the possibilities about what would happen. I'm still going over the book in my head, hours after staying up way too late to see what would be revealed and I'm happy to see that there is another book in this universe already published because I need to read more of Emily Watson and I'll be working my way through more of Theo St. John's books as soon as possible.

Four Women in the River follows journalist Emily Watson, called to Japan by veteran reporter, Reina Kubo, after four women have been pulled out of the Sumida River and are called suicides. Reina believes differently and so does Emily, who agrees to help with the investigation. In just a few days after her arrival, Emily has evidence of drugs that link the victims together, proving the suicide story false. As Emily works with her allies, trying to find justice for these women, she starts to realize that these four women were only the start and the men who are behind this are now watching her.

I have to hand it to St. John, this book is so well-written, the turns of phrase, the tone, everything is so very succinct, precise, even meticulous with the writing and the unfolding of this story. The way the information hits, the stark details, helps with the characterization and the threat that is hanging over the heads of the leads. This reminded me of some of the best thrillers I've watched in recent years, sincerely so well-developed with every piece of this story. Every word is carefully considered and each carries so much weight, making this such an enthralling read.

As for the characters, I want to read more about Emily Watson, I want to know what goes on in her head and where she came from. The way this woman was able to calculate her risks, to understand the threats and come up with ways around the obstacles she faced was incredibly impressive. I enjoyed spending the time with her as she worked to figure out how far up in government the threat went as to who had not only ordered that these women be removed but was also covering up how they'd done it in the first place. Emily had her journalist friend Reina for help, showing us the way these two worked to find their sources and how they used the information in their writing and I thought she was a great ally for Emily, showing the lengths these two were going through to find justice. There was also Tetsuo, who worked almost as a conscience for Emily as she kept pushing herself to try riskier things to find the truth, and Detective Haruka, a source of Reina's that started to work more and more with the group as the investigation continued. Each character had strong contributions, their risks felt palpable on the page and the tension kept ratcheting as reveals were made. Even the victims were given time, to learn who they were, who cared about them, why they had become victims in the first place and it made everything a little heart-wrenching to think about as they were gone. St. John wrote characters that felt like people and these people were worth caring about as they worked to find justice.

For the plot, it seemed straightforward enough, find who was responsible for ordering the deaths of four women, but it evolved into so much more before the story was over. Emily comes from a family with a lot of history and the things that she learned from her parents had a lot of bearing on the way Emily handled the investigation and the lengths she pushed herself to and it was all so cleverly plotted. It was chilling to consider exactly what was going on in this story and the way it unfolded kept me riveted to the page. I can't wait to read more from Theo St. John in the future.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I'm just so impressed with everything in this book. I want to see more of these characters so this is me, getting comfortable and waiting to see what comes next.

Book Review: Suhwa: The Guardians of the Dawn by S. Jae-Jones

I've been a fan of S. Jae-Jones since Wintersong and had been waiting for ages for a new book by the time Zhara was announced. I was determined to read it and while it wasn't an instant favorite, I still loved the fact that Jae-Jones was writing and publishing again so I kept going with the series. So of course, it turned out that each book was better and better than the one that came before it and overall, I LOVED this series and Suhwa was exactly the book I needed to close out the whole storyline.

Suhwa follows the title character, Min Suhwa, a young woman with a gift for illusions who has been living in a convent for the last decade. When the Bangtan Brothers come to a town not too far from the convent for a performance, Suhwa decides to take the chance and sneak out to go see them. Except Suhwa has walked into a world that is more than what she expected as the Morning Realms are in a civil war and Hunstmen are occupying towns, searching for magicians and the Guardians of Dawn, the fabled elemental warriors. Suhwa ends up almost captured by the Huntsmen and flees into the forest to try to figure out her next move and stay safe. The story also follows Zhara, Ami and Yuli, the Guardians of Dawn, who are trying to keep the north from claiming the throne and destroying all magicians while at the same time, trying to find a way to defeat the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. The Guardians are on a quest to reach the Azure Isles to find the Guardian of Water so that they may save the Morning Realms and bring balance to the world.

Writing style wise, Jae-Jones has a way with words that make these books fun to dive into with each story. I was trying to find the time to read the first three books again but that plan quickly went up in flames so when I opened Suhwa, I was happy to see an opening that summarized the first three books, giving key story details that were needed to be able to read this book and yes, THANK YOU, I needed to read that, just a little refresher, no big deal. At the same time, Jae-Jones has created this entire world that is so easy to step back into, to recognize the aspects of the fairytale that is woven into and then also see all the various details that were made to make the Guardians of Dawn world its own creation. Everything felt familiar because of past books and gave a sense of comfort because, let's be honest, if you're reading book four of a series, you already know that you want to step back into this world and see what comes next for the characters you've come to know and love and it was just a delight to see how everything was finally going to be settled once and for all in this final installment. Jae-Jones had so many threads to weave for the overall plot and each was handled expertly, giving details when they were needed and hitting reveals at just the right moment to keep the pages moving.

In terms of characters, I grew to really love Suhwa over the course of the book. Knowing what I did because of the other stories, I was a little frustrated with her when she decided to leave the convent for a performance despite having been warned of the danger but she quickly grew on me. I loved how she was this girl who really wanted to know people her own age, to experience the world and have new adventures and I couldn't fault this kid for having big dreams and then trying to finally have a new experience. Then we get to see the rest of the Guardians and their banter is just as fun as I've come to expect because each girl is so unique and the way they meld together makes for a joyful reading experience. I loved how each girl was so strong, with Zhara trying to find a way to lead them, Ami working on her translations to find a solution to their problems and Yuli being a little brash at times but still so loyal to her friends and loved ones and the addition to Suhwa to their mix was just the right amount of a new level-headed and thoughtful personality to make these girls complete. I loved seeing all our previous leads back, Han, Gaden, Xu, and Jiyi, amongst others, and it goes to show how much each of them are essential to the outcome of the whole series that they are all back in this book. Each character had a role to play, a way to move the storyline where it needed to go and while the cast is kind of a lot, there was not a single unnecessary character in the bunch. When you have a cast this big, it takes talent to make each one important in their own way and I loved that about the way Jae-Jones developed these books.

I'm just going to go right out there and admit this now, this book made me tear up. There's a point in the story where everything seems to be going wrong and Jae-Jones takes a step back and only describes the characters and what they are doing without naming names and it was this moment that just made me choke up a little because I have spent so much time with these characters, years at this point, that those little details to explain who each person was and what they were doing to fight just filled me with so many emotions. I know who these characters are, I don't need their names anymore, and the imagery that those lines evoked just felt so all-encompassing in a way that I was just a little overcome because they were going into the end of the story, the big battles were culminating and I, hand to heart, got misty-eyed. The whole of this adventure had so many highs, so many reveals and twists and moments of triumph coupled with unexpected lows and I was just happy to be along for the ride one last time. I wanted to see how everything would play out and the entire journey was just, as I said before, exactly what I needed to close out this series. I love these girls and while I could have spent a little more time with Suhwa on her own before she joined the rest of the group, I can't complain about how this book manages to wrap everything up.

Read this book if you like fairytales, Sailor Moon and people trying to save the world all mixed together.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. It made me cry, automatic 10 Stars when a book does that. I tested it, actually, and went back to read the scene again two more times and yep, still get teary. So there you have it, the end of a series of great adventures. I really hope S. Jae-Jones has something else in the works because I am ready for more books by one of my favorite authors.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and S. Jae-Jones for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Halls of the Dead by S.M. Hallow

It's an exceedingly shallow trait of mine but sometimes cover art is what catches my attention and convinces me to read a book. I found The Halls of the Dead on a list of horror releases for 2026 and I immediately placed it on a list of books to schedule and plan out when I could pre-order my copy. Every aspect of this book was intriguing and I enjoyed every reveal that came about throughout the whole story. I have words swimming in my head, unique, enthralling, distinct, engrossing, and yet I still have not found the word that encompasses everything I think about when I look at this book. It made me really think and consider the ideas that were put forth in this story and when a book leaves me with that deep thought-provoking feeling, I know it was a worthy read.

The Halls of the Dead follows Irene Haley, a woman who has dedicated her life to necromancy. Necromancy is a form of magic that is forbidden and if caught, means death for the accused. Irene, alongside her undead husband St. John, has devoted her life to trying to rebuild the crypt, where the grimoires made of human skin that contained the spells of the necromancers were once housed before they were burned and the necromancers hanged. After Irene's love, Agnes, is hanged for witchcraft, Irene decides to try a spell that has not been successfully attempted in thousands of years, a true resurrection for her love to return to her. Irene manages to bring Agnes back into her body but Agnes is not the same. She craves human flesh and another malevolent spirit tied itself to Agnes before she left the Halls of the Dead. Now Irene needs to find a way to save Agnes, to help her be truly free, while trying to keep herself, her husband and her love safe from the man that sentenced Agnes to death in the first place.

First of all, hats off to S.M. Hallow because the way this was written was just awe-inspiring to me, just the amount of research and the ideas and the way everything unfolds, I am just left a little wowed because this is a debut novel. You can bet your bottom dollar I will be following Hallow to every other written work from here on out. I loved the set-up of this story, the ideas of the magic and how it was another side of what are commonly known religious aspects in society. The way this took something familiar and changed it just enough to keep it familiar and yet at the same time so wholly different BUT still entirely believable was something that made me grin a little because I could completely believe the magic of this world. It made so much sense to me and because of that, it was easy to learn the ins and outs of what Irene and Agnes could do and then what St. John was capable of, as well, because his being undead made his magic different from the necromancy that his wife and her love were able to do. Then there was the format of the book with separate chapters from each of the three leads, some going back in time to show the childhoods of Irene and Agnes, others showing what made St. John what he was as the undead. Then there were the quotes from some familiar names to open some chapters while others had lines from the grimoires mentioned that Irene and St. John had been trying to recover and when it is all put together, I'm kind of marveling over every well-thought out piece of this book. Hallow had an idea and the many different moving parts of the writing showed a clear understanding of the vision for this story and the end product proves that Hallow is a true writer, able to execute their vision with a clever hand and produce a truly respectable read.

As for the characters, I can't say enough about Irene, Agnes and St. John because each was so essential to the outcome of the story and each had their own individual, independent story arc of their own aside from the main story and I cannot see this book working without all of these characters. I loved Irene's determination and the strength she showed to take back Agnes from the fate she was given. This woman worked with blood and pain to make her magic work and the sacrifice it took to accomplish what she did left me in awe of her. I wanted to save Agnes from her life and I wanted to help her to truly be happy and I was so impressed with the turn her character took over the course of the story, the way she became her own force and was just as essential in getting the answers they needed to get their villains to get their comeuppance. St. John was this pillar of strength and devotion, ready to serve his wife and her love without question and then at the same time, a reckoning of his own to contend with and his background as the undead was a story I wish we'd gotten more of but what is on the page is still pretty much perfect.

The three of these characters together were already enough to keep the pages turning but then readers learn more about Irene's family life with her sister, Willa, and her parents and what it was like for Irene to grow up trying to learn necromancy in a household that forbade it. Then there was Agnes and her life with her brother who had a gambling problem and controlled every move that Agnes made and then there was St. John and the very many necromancers he'd known over the centuries he'd been undead and there are just so many threads to this story with the people in it and every moving part makes the whole of this book glitter with ingenuity, I'm still sitting here a few hours later wishing I could read this again a little bit slower so I can really appreciate every nuance of this book. It's just so well-done with the people and the magic and the ideas that I just really loved this story. 

As for the plot, I always believe that when a book puts for a question, it needs to be answered by the end of the book and this book had so many questions, I wasn't sure where the story was going to go by the time we reached the end. That being said, every question was answered, some in ways that were wholly unexpected and it was those moments that just elevated the story for me as each reveal was made. I knew some things would happen, certain characters being revealed, various acts of revenge coming to fruition, but Hallow turns the tables a bit with each given answer and it was those more moments that made the book so impressive to me. The way this story wraps up, it left me feeling so content with where the story left everything and that is a wonderful feeling to have after completing a book. I want to pass this story around to other readers. I want to read more by S.M. Hallow and I want to get this book and actually highlight my favorite lines because so much of the writing, the turns of phrases, the observations and the revelations, were the kinds of things I feel would be almost inspiring to read on their own when you don't have the time to read the whole book again. I will repeat myself, this is such an impressive, respectable read and a wonderful gothic/horror novel addition for readers everywhere.

In the end, I keep thinking about these three leads and I feel like they managed to create a new world for themselves in this story, something that would benefit the magic of the world for the future. The fact that it left me feeling like it was completely, uniquely it's own perfect whole is something I am so grateful for and I sincerely hope to read more from S.M. Hallow for years to come.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I can't say anything more about this book to convince people to read it. I thought everything was so interesting and impressive and I wish I could really delve into all the specifics that Hallow came up with but the discovery of each aspect is part of the fun of this book. Read if you like stories that take the familiar and turn them on their head, showing the darkness and the people who are daring enough to want something more.

My thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and S.M. Hallow for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Back For Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II: An Indigenous Horror Anthology edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

I have the first book to this series so when I saw that there was supposed to be a Part II with a more horror edge, I jumped at the chance to read and review it, despite the fact that I haven't read the first one. Still, I am a horror fan and I thought I'd take a shot at reading a short story collection of just that type of writing. Some of these stories were amazing but, truth be told, I did not end up loving this as much as I thought I would. I'm pretty confident that this is an entirely me and not the book sort of situation as I'm just starting to realize that maybe the short story format is not the right fit for me. Still, I would like to go into detail on some of my favorites in this book so here we go.

Miss Cherokee Princess 1996 by Jessica Doe was the perfect opener for this collection and it definitely grabbed my attention. My note for this story simply reads, "Whoa." That's it, that's what I made a note of and I can still remember the detail of this story this many days later while writing this review. The ideas behind what someone thinks will make them more of anything, especially to win a pageant, and what they will do to get those things made my stomach turn in the best way. I'll be looking into more writing from Doe just because of this story.

Animal Dumb by P.C. Verrone made me feel a little heartbroken for the characters. The lead's struggle and then the way it ended made me wish I could have spent more time with these characters.

Civilized by A.J. Eversole was unsettling, the ideas behind it and the maybe reveal are still in my head and I'm left wondering about the ending. At the same time, it speaks volumes about what was hidden away when no one cared about the victims of violent crimes.

Footprints by Sonia Maria Barry was a another devastating and heartbreaking bit of horror. The fact that this could happen and did happen just makes my stomach turn and my heart twist. This story will live in my head for probably the rest of time.

My last favorite was Toothjar by Ramona Emerson, an unsettling look at what happens to the world when a virus starts killing people off. I'm not sure when it was meant to be set but the idea felt familiar and it was that fact that made it resonate for me as I read this story. I could understand why things went the way that they did and I know this story will stay in my head. I have questions but I think this was left at just where it needed to be, without all the answers placed on the page.

I will be following each of these authors to their other works. These are the stories that will stay with me and I really loved these tales.

Some of the other stories were interesting but I feel like a lot of them could have benefited from being expanded on just a bit more. Some of the stories also felt like too much like the "creature of the week" vibe, building up to a monster reveal only for the story to end a page or so later and I wasn't really unsettled by the monsters that were seen for the little page time that they had in each story. Also, there were a few stories that just felt too out there for me, leaving me confused about what a few of the stories were even about, and one or two even left me confused about who was even talking.

In the end, I respect what was chosen for this installment but, for me, I wasn't scared by these stories so the overall effect of the book is lost on me. I still plan on reading the first book, as I'm sure I will find a few gems that will lead me to more writers to follow. Again, I am fairly certain this is all on me as a reader and that this book will be adored by many, many readers who will love the monsters and the horror and the unsettling images placed on these pages.

Rating on my Scale: 6.5 Stars. I think the sad truth is that I'm not a fan of short story anthologies. I might need to continue to try them to see if I can start to appreciate them more but for now, I'll leave this book to the readers I'm sure will love and adore it the way it should be loved.

My thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: A (Dead) Thing Like Me by E.G. Young

The title drew me in, I'll admit that from the start. Then the cover art was eye-catching and I needed to know the plot of the book. A (Dead) Thing Like Me convinced me to read it with a mention of a ouija board and banana peppers, easy as that. As I was reading, I was intrigued by everything, every moment between Hot Dog and Logan, drawn in to their story of friendship and their learning about each other. I'm glad I took a chance on the book with the coffin on the cover because now I'll be following E.G. Young to their next book, just to see what else comes out of a mind that created such an intriguing premise as a debut novel because seriously, very respectable read, I truly believe that.

A (Dead) Thing Like Me is about a ghost called Hot Dog, a teenage ghost that haunts a hot dog stand outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hot Dog has been trying for so long to get the owner of the stand to see her until one night she's summoned through a ouija board to a party in Florida and now everyone can see her. Everyone runs away except for Logan, the artist that was trying to summon her dead best friend and got Hot Dog instead. Hot Dog, who has stitches holding her mouth shut and a dress that chatters, wants to be Logan's best friend and is determined to prove she can do everything that a real live girl can do. But Hot Dog is not a human girl and something is following her. It has a place in Logan's house where it wants to drag Hot Dog through and in order to get it to leave her alone, Hot Dog will have to remember who she once was and how she died. If not, the thing that wants Hot Dog won't stop with just Hot Dog, it will take Logan too.

Young has created an interesting world here where Hot Dog exists just a little beyond the normal scope of things. She sees everything as it is and desperately wants to be a part of the world again, she yearns to be a normal girl and that emotion made her feel familiar. It was easy to move with Hot Dog, to watch her with Logan and to see how Logan knew about ghosts and easily accepted Hot Dog into her world. At the same time, Young added in these truly unsettling and sometimes beautiful additions to show what is a part of Hot Dog's afterlife. We see things that would explain why Hot Dog doesn't remember who she was and it was an interesting way to show how the dead lose things when they lose their body. I also loved the way Hot Dog held on to things that were important to her, the idea of being able to go back to those things the way she did was a really heartwarming aspect of the book. Young has so many interesting and unique ideas with Hot Dog and the journey through the book to see all of it was a treat.

Hot Dog and Logan felt so familiar, easily believable as teenage girls in the world today. They had recognizable concerns and griefs and their yearning to understand everything made them girls that I wanted to help and protect. Their pain made them tragic and yet they kept going, trying to figure out the truth about Hot Dog and trying to help Logan process her grief over the loss of her best friend. When these two were together, I could see how well they worked to make the other try to be more, especially with Hot Dog as she discovered more about just what she was capable of as a ghost. Their back and forth was charming and their growing friendship showed how they were growing together as characters that were changing for the better. Hot Dog was desperate to be Logan's new best friend, to prove that she could be normal, but it turned out that the things that made Logan want to talk to Hot Dog were the things that made her weird and different, aside from the fact that she was dead. In the end, I wanted to keep these girls safe and the reveals at the end of the novel were both unexpected and exactly what I thought was going to happen and those together were the perfect way to leave these girls.

As for plot, I was sure of some reveals but there were some unexpected turns that this book took that left me with my jaw hanging open because wow, that hit hard. The whys about what is following Hot Dog and how it was created were so devastating in nature. What started as trying to figure out who Hot Dog once was turned into why did Hot Dog do all of this to hide her truth from herself. Every clue led to something else, to explain something more that expanded the world and filled in a little more detail about Hot Dog until everything was revealed and when the truth was discovered I felt vindicated and then heartbroken for her. I want to say more but I will continue to avoid spoilers with soon to be published books so this is where I will end this review. I will add though that I still have some questions about the story and certain characters and I'm sure it's just me being nitpicky that those questions still ring in my head when I think of this book. I loved so many different parts of this book, I just don't think it's going to live on in my head for years and years.

In the end, I think E.G. Young is an extremely talented writer and I hope to be able to read more books by them in the future. If you like books with unsettling imagery and ghosts trying to be your new best friend, look no further, because Hot Dog is the ghost for you.

Rating on my scale: 8 Stars. I wanted to love this and there were many parts that awed me. At the same time, I am left with questions about different things. I feel like there were things that were left unexplored, maybe for a good reason, so if there's another book in the future in this world, most likely I will up the rating on this book. Either way, this was a great read and it introduced me to a writer I'm sure I will love in the future and that makes it worthwhile for me.

My thanks to NetGalley, Holiday House and E.G. Young for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.