Tag: Book blog

Book Review: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction / Gothic / Romance
Length: 364 pages
Author: Hester Fox
Publisher: Graydon House
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two centuries after the Salem witch trials, there’s still one witch left in Massachusetts. But she doesn’t even know it.

Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences but those around you, as well.

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end.

WHAT?

That’s mostly how I felt after finishing this book.

It’s a bit creepy, definitely disturbing, and it does hit that Gothic vibe well.

Those were basically my good thoughts. And the audio was good. I’ll give it that too. I love an atmosphere read and I was spooked out here and there with this one.

But the struggles.

Oh my gosh I hated her sister. That was probably the point, which is fine, but what drove me wild was that the main character Lydia, kept letting herself be walked all over. And even when Catherine (the sister) KEPT BEING AWFUL, Lydia kept feeling like she needed to defend her and believer her? I’m sorry, once bitten, twice shy, STOP TRUSTING HER ALREADY. Lydia was a fool.

The romance was good when you focused on Mr. Barrett and Lydia. Unfortunately this pairing turned into an odd love…pentagon? I don’t know. There was a triangle at one point, then someone else would get throw in, then taken out, AND I JUST COULDN’T KEEP UP.

I did think it was written well, and the mystery was interesting (even if obvious). I liked the setting and some small scenes here and there. Most of the characters honestly weren’t that bad. The awful ones were just glaringly obvious.

Overall audience notes:

  • Gothic Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical altercations, dueling, incest, suicide, miscarriage, death of a child, animal death

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ARC Book Review: The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Mara Rutherford
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: December 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Outsiders are always given a choice: the Forest or the lake. Either way, they’re never heard from again.

Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla.

When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what she’s supposed to do. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice.

Discovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself. 

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC.

NEEDED SOMETHING.

I wanted to love this. I went in hoping I would, buuuut here we are. I liked it, it just wasn’t a favorite.

It did have a very distinct YA fantasy feel. And I know that can be a winner for a lot. For me, I felt like I needed more. Something that added an edge, something I hadn’t read before. I don’t know. Within a few chapters I knew exactly what was going to happen and I wasn’t surprised by how it ended.

I did love Leelo as a main character. She has that strength and loyalty that I always appreciate in a FMC. I love that she was open to changing her opinions and took time to understand the new information that was being heaped upon her. Leelo handled a lot of things really well.

The romance is a bit much on the insta-love side. I was hoping for to see them connect over more things before confessions of love started rolling out. Leelo and Jaren were charming and easily sweet on each other.

I loved Leelo’s Mom and Brother. They were some of my favorite side characters and helped me enjoy and look forward to scenes with them. I liked the conclusion and do think it wrapped up things pretty well.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, loss of loved ones, poison, weapons violence, murder, physical altercations

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Book Review: Digging Up Love (Taste of Love #1) by Chandra Blumberg

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Rating: ★★☆ (2.5)
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 345 pages
Author: Chandra Blumberg
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: January 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From debut author Chandra Blumberg comes a playful, heartfelt romance about chasing your dreams and finding love in the process.

Alisha Blake works her magic in the kitchen, creating delectable desserts for her grandfather’s restaurant in rural Illinois. Though Alisha relishes the close relationship she has with her family, she can’t help but dream about opening a cookie shop in Chicago. She may be a small-town baker, but Alisha has big ambitions.

Then a dinosaur bone turns up in her grandparents’ backyard. When paleontologist Quentin Harris arrives to see the discovery for himself, he’s hoping that the fossil will distract him from a recent painful breakup. Instead, he finds Alisha—and sparks fly. The big-city academic and the hometown baker seem destined for a happily ever after.

But Alisha is scared to fall in love. And Quentin’s trying to make a name for himself in a competitive field, which gets even more complicated when the press shows up at the dig site. For love to prevail, the two may have to put old bones aside—and focus on the future.

WENT DOWNHILL.

This started off so well, and left me entirely at odds by the end. UGH.

I immediately knew I had to read this from the premise. A baker and a paleontologist? SIGN ME UP. I loved the worlds colliding aspects and how everything mixed together between the couple. Alisha and Quentin had a lot of positives and I did feel that immediate connection type of romance. It kind of comes off as insta-love, but I honestly thought it was written really well.

What I struggled with was the lack of angst. There was wayyyy too much drama at the end, but all leading up to that was a very straight forward relationship. An exact breakdown of the dates they went on, texting convos, etc. that was all nice in theory, yet didn’t give the fireworks between them time to spark. Pretty swoony kissing scenes mixed in there were a pleasant touch.

the pacing dropped so low I had to skim to feel like it wasn’t going to take me days to finish. All in all, plenty of sweet things and some good moments. Just left wanting towards everything else.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, micro-aggressions, parental abandonment

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Book Review: The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy #1) by Chelsea Abdullah

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Author: Chelsea Abdullah
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: May 17tn, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Neither here nor there, but long ago…

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

LOVED.

Wow did I love everything about this. It is my kind of fantasy checklist that I knew would be a five star almost from the get-go.

I loooooove the setting. Jinn and magic, relics that cause all sorts of chaos. A wild adventure through shifting sand dunes with even shiftier people. I could barely stay afloat as new betrayals were tossed towards me. I love not seeing things fully coming and watching as the author weaves an incredible debut.

The characters were my favorite part (no surprise here). I love solid character stories and they were in abundance for each POV. Distinct personalities that left you wanting to shake them and hug them all in the same breath. The rag-tag/found family aspects had my heart singing and I need MORE of them all. Do I also peep potentially sub-plot romances?? I sure hope so.

I almost feel like it’s harder to put into words a five star read when there’s so much to touch on. Basically I think you MUST READ THIS BOOK and thank me after. It’s a new favorite and I need to get my own copy ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: possession, kidnapping, weapons violence, murder

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