Tag: Book blog

Book Review: Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Crystal Seitz
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Belladonna meets Norse mythology in this gorgeous dark fantasy debut that follows a teen who accidentally awakens an imprisoned draugr and must follow him into a deadly magical forest to rescue her grandmother.

Never go beyond the stave church.

Within Tiveden Forest, bloodthirsty monsters known as draugr lurk behind every tree, and secrets run through the soil like twisted roots. When her grandmother vanishes into the forest, Astrid won’t let Crohn’s disease get in the way of finding her. But in searching for her lost loved one, Astrid soon uncovers an even greater mystery:

A conflict that’s haunted her village and family for generations.
An ancient blood oath her ancestor made to protect them.
A deadly draugr imprisoned for centuries…who Astrid accidentally awakens.

Newly revived, Soren first mistakes Astrid for her ancestor, his ex-lover turned enemy. Astrid can’t tell if he would rather kill her or kiss her. But Soren knows the forest better than anyone, and Astrid quickly realizes that she’ll need his help to rescue her grandmother.

The deeper they venture into Tiveden, the closer Astrid gets to the cold, alluring Soren and the truth behind her grandmother’s disappearance. To save her home, a dark ritual must be performed before Midwinter—and only Astrid can fulfill her ancestor’s blood oath…or break it.

That is, if Soren—or the forest—doesn’t break Astrid first.

NEEDS MORE LOVE.

I really enjoyed this book y’all and at present, I’m the only one I know who has read it. Help me change that!! I loved the audiobook narrator but I will say that there’s some flashback aspects to this and the distinguishing narration was barely visible and at times I was confused on which time period I was listening to.

For a standalone though, this packed a lot of content and wrapped up the story well. I was surprised it was a standalone and I think the length helped contain aspects of the world building and character relationships needed to shine. I enjoyed the FMC, Astrid, and the Crohn’s disease rep too.

The romance was a little bit of a miss for me (I think I needed a bit more to be convinced), but it wasn’t a big issue. It’s a bit gruesome and dark and full of good twists and steady pacing.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: loss of a parent, grief, ritualistic self-harm, allusions to cancer and suicide

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ARC Book Review: Lady Anna’s Favor by Karen Tuft

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Karen Tuft
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: November 26th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

London, England, 1814

Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsome but sometimes infuriating Mr. Jennings, who just might steal her heart.

Lady Anna Clifton has arrived in London with a purpose known only to a few. Her soldier brother has been reported wounded and missing in France, and if he is dead, his title and their family’s estate will go to a horrible distant cousin, and Lady Anna will be homeless. Desperate to find her brother alive, she contacts old family friends, the Bledsoes, who vow to help her in any way they can. However, Lord Bledsoe’s efforts come up empty, except from the Duke of Aylesham, who offers his yacht to carry her to France when Anna decides she must look for her brother there herself.

James cannot board the Duke of Aylesham’s yacht to take him to France fast enough. After his sister’s rushed marriage to the duke himself, James wants nothing more than to enjoy a relaxing journey back to Paris before rejoining England’s diplomatic war efforts against Napoleon. When he boards the ship, he cannot deny his instant attraction to the strikingly beautiful young woman who will be joining him across the sea. But when he receives only a cold reception from her, James dismisses her outright—until he learns the tragic reason she has set out on such a perilous journey. As infuriating as Lady Anna’s brash behavior and indifference to him is, her search seems much too dangerous for a young lady of the ton to undertake alone, so James reluctantly offers to assist her in her quest.

Together, they embark on a search that will take them across the sea and through France to uncover the truth all while trying to reconcile their differences and the preconceived notions they have about each other. With every step, they come closer to solving the mystery surrounding Lady Anna’s brother’s disappearance—but each step also pushes their hearts closer together.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

WELL?

I liked the ending of this book a lot. The last 20% is where I felt charmed and was much more engaged. I don’t know if the “dreaded cousin” trope has been played out too much for me recently but I didn’t like that aspect here. It felt predictable.

What wasn’t predictable was the chaos of the middle. Anna on a journey through Paris with James led to all sorts of meetings I wasn’t expecting. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’m not sure it was good either. For a shorter book it seemed as if too much was being stuffed in that didn’t truly add to the plot.

The romance is sweet. A little bit of insta-love but it takes some time for things to happen. I liked that it didn’t have a third act break-up and that the resolutions for the story and romance came together well. The audiobook narration was good too!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Gothic Fantasy Romance
Length: 378 pages
Author: Ava Reid
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

ENJOYABLY DARK.

I didn’t know quite what to expect when I picked this up but I’m very glad I did! It ended up being a great dark academia read and the romance had me pretty smitten.

I loved the themes of being a survivor and the ups and downs that that journey can take you on. Things are never linear and this was a good example of those struggles. I appreciated seeing Effy find healing and love and someone to trust in her life that truly believed her. The romance was a slow sub-plot with a rivals atmosphere that I couldn’t get enough of.

The fae aspects were intriguing to me. I love seeing how different authors portray them in books. This was a twisted and haunting version that left me begging for answers until the final conclusion.

A really solid read and one I would not hesitate to recommend for the fall season!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Dark Academia
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: one brief open; low explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: grooming by a teacher, sexual abuse (very little detail)

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Book Review: The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction + Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Noelle Salazar
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The discovery of a hidden label on a famous gown unearths the story of a talented young seamstress in this glittering novel of family, love, ambition, and self discovery by the USA Today bestselling author of The Flight Girls.

2023, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer’s label, leaving her to wonder—who is Zora Lily?

1924, Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.

When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening—with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It’s a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she’s always dreamed of. But as Zora’s ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she’ll learn that dreams come with a cost.

LOVING THIS AUTHOR.

This is my third book by Salazar and I can easily say I have genuinely enjoyed everyone of her historicals. I loooove that this was set in the 1920’s. The speakeasy’s, Hollywood, and all of the design content was amazing.

I was very much attached to the slow burn romance and watching it unfold. I adored Zora and Harley. They were this match you weren’t expecting but had fantastic chemistry and conversation from the get-go. I do wish I could have seen a little more conversation between them in those closing chapters so I felt like I had some deeper understanding of the third act.

Watching Zora find her place and get the things she had worked so hard for was inspiring. She was a fantastic main character and one that you wanted to see shine. I love the side characters and friends, I loved her big family and the story really kept me captivated.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction
  • Language: low
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, illegal alcohol consumption, loss of a sibling, depictions of alcoholism

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