Tag: berkley

ARC Book Review: The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Horror + Historical Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Author: C.J. Cooke
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy (Berkley Partner) and PRH Audio for the audiobook.

WELL THIS FREAKED ME OUT A BIT.

I am in my horror reading era apparently and have found myself enjoying another one! This went back and forth between past and present and I liked waiting for that moment of collision where all the pieces made sense. This is definitely on the darker side and doesn’t shy away from some awful things that made it hard to listen to at times.

The pacing did drag somewhat and I spent a lot of time waiting for the other foot to drop. I did like the atmosphere and it is perfect for the spooky season. It covers a lot of ground and leaves you feeling haunted.

Overall audience notes:

  • Horror Historical Fiction
  • Language: moderate
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: persecution of women (including torture, false imprisonment), abuse, cult behaviors, loss of life, murder, extensive burn wounds

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ARC Book Review: Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Paranormal Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lucy Jane Wood
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: September 17th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while, either.

Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books with protecting it from her toxic boss, who’s running it into the ground, and all the while concealing her witchcraft from the non-wicches around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriatingly handsome) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

With found family, slow burn romance and an uplifting message about self-love, this is the cosy, autumnal read that you’ve been waiting for.

Thank you Berkley Pub for the gifted copy (Berkley Partner).

WELL.

I think this ended up mostly being a me issue. I’m realizing I’m more hit/miss on cozy reads. I think this needed a bit oomph, just something else to break up the day to day monotony of Belle learning how to use her magic. I didn’t find it as charming as I believe it was inteded.

There’s nothing wrong with the writing. It accurately paints a picture of a cozy fall vibe. There’s a bookstore, quirky side characts and a little bit of self growth. I did enjoy seeing Belle finally stand up for herself in the end. I wish the little sub-plot of romance had a bit more time in the light too.

It’s got good bones and the core of the story is good. There’s a bit of a pick up towards the end when some truths and mysteries are solved. It stands well as a nice standalone for the fall.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fiction
  • Language: low
  • Romance: flirting
  • Violence: low

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ARC Book Review: How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Emma Noyes
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy’s Girl.

On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother’s wedding, Eliot Beck hasn’t seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there’s a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.

Eliot thinks she’s prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway.

Manuel’s presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn’t careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy.

THE OCD REP.

This has got to be on the best and most raw representations I’ve ever read of someone with OCD. And as someone who has loved ones currently looking at potential diagnosis for OCD I was feeling all sorts of emotions. I was crying by the end which clearly means it gets five stars and a shout to say READ IT.

I loved the soft sub-romance too. Manuel was THERE. And he fought for Eliot. Those moments also made me cry. There were many heart wrenching moments. And the complicated family dynamics were incredibly well written. It was dramatic without feeling DRAMATIC. The variety of which that doesn’t cause me to roll my eyes but rather feel deeply engaged to the core issues that having a family + life’s knockdowns can cause. There’s grief and heartache and emotional turmoil woven throughout with quiet moments of levity and love.

I don’t tend to pick up books that don’t lean heavier to the romance plot line, so take that as you will for if you should read this book (you should though). It was profound, well balanced, with amazing mental health rep. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low-moderate, scattered throughout
  • Romance: 1-2 brief open door
  • Content Warnings: OCD representation (throughout, main theme), loss of a sibling, grief and depression depiction

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Book Review: Play for Me by Libby Hubscher

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Libby Hubscher
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When her new job takes her to a New England boarding school, she’s surprised to find her roommates are all men – including a very handsome one who plays by his own rules. 

Sophie Doyle has her dream job as the head athletic trainer for her favorite baseball team (go Red Sox!), a handsome boyfriend, and easy access to the finest cannoli in Boston. When she loses all three and the World Series to boot, she’s forced to apply for the open trainer position at an arts-focused boarding school in New Hampshire. The only available room is a glorified closet in an apartment with three guys: Jonas Voss, the aloof and attractive orchestra teacher, and his two rambunctious roommates.

Sophie knows that training a bunch of privileged high school kids whose idea of a play is A Chorus Line instead of a walk-off homer is going to be a big change from the pro athletes she’s used to. She wasn’t expecting that these students would have big-time talent and even bigger-time problems. Sophie has troubles of her own—Jonas is a full-fledged grump who clearly doesn’t want her near him or the precious piano he never plays.

With sunny optimism, Sophie sets out to win over Jonas and help the kids she’s growing attached to. But when her relationship with Jonas moves to the major leagues and plans change at the end of the season, they have to choose whether they are playing for keeps.

NOTHING MAJOR.

I will first say though that I am very well versed in athletic training and I was going to have a big issue if this was misconstrued. BUT WHAT DO YOU KNOW. It wasn’t. And I super appreciate the author clearly being knowledgeable about the subject. Added another level of enjoyment for me.

The romance grew on me. Though I felt overall a bit meh towards it. I don’t know, some kind of lack of chemistry? I loved that there were great conversations and some really sweet moments and I just wish I could pin down that last missing component. I think the entire book needed MORE romance. It read a bit like women’s fiction (which is fine, but not what I was after when I picked this up).

I adored all of the side characters from the other teachers, to the students, and especially Sophie’s Dad. There’s cute and heartfelt moments mixed in with the pain of an aging parent and losing the job you loved. I thought the ending wrapped things up well and I was smitten with the sweetness.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a Dad with Parkinson’s, allusions towards an abusive father

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