Tag: get underlined

Book Review: Tidespeaker by Sadie Turner

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sadie Turner
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A girl with the power to command the tides has her life changed when she secures a job serving a wealthy noble family—only to learn upon arrival that the last person to fill her post mysteriously died, and her new employers are hiding dark secrets—in this haunting and lush debut fantasy.

Corith Fraine is a Floodmouth—her words can control water. Yet for those born with her rare elemental ability, paths forward are few, and Corith is one of the lucky ones. She has spent most of her life in a prestigious magic institution, training to one day achieve the highest possible honor for a member of her kind: the chance to serve one of the hundred noble houses.

When Corith learns she’s secured a post working for House Shearwater, a reclusive noble family living on a wave-battered island, she thinks her hard work has paid off. Until she discovers that their previous Floodmouth—Corith’s closest friend—mysteriously died in their service. And Corith is her replacement.

To learn the truth of her best friend’s accident, Corith must unravel the dark conspiracies at the heart of Bower Island. Yet doing so will require contending with the island’s deadly tides and her enigmatic new employers—including the family’s brooding youngest son, Llir, who she finds herself equally drawn to and repelled by. With her loyalties pushed to breaking point, these treacherous waters may well pull Corith under…

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

WELLLLLLL.

I don’t know quite what to do with this book because I was interested, and then I got bored, and then it kind of picked back up again? But I’m trying to write this review only a day after finishing it and I can barely remember anything so the sticking power for this book is unfortunately low.

Some of my confusion is surrounding the fact that I don’t know if this is a standalone or not. I don’t think so? Purely based off of the ending but I’m not 100% sure. I think that frame of reference would have helped because I spent half the book wondering how it was going to wrap up the new things that kept being revealed as it went on.

I did really like the FMC, Corith. The anxiety and turmoil is relatable. Her decision making skills are a bit iffy but that’s okay. There was an attempt at a romantic plot line, without enough leverage for me to be on board. It was one of those, toss it out completely or add in a bit more to make sense, situations.

Maybe I’ll read book two? I’ll keep going with the audiobook route at least.

OH. I did love the gothic watery atmosphere. It was very haunting.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: physical altercations, near death experiences, loss of life.

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Room to Breathe by Kasie West

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 272 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the critically acclaimed author of Sunkissed comes a new swoony YA romance. Indy and Beau’s friendship is shattered, but getting accidentally locked in a bathroom together just might be what’s needed to reconnect.

When the walls close in, the truth comes out.

When Indy’s life came crashing down, she made a no one could know. To the world, she’s still the same Indy—cool, calm, unshaken. But behind the scenes? It’s chaos.

Her tight-knit crew—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—were once her everything. Now they’re strangers she can’t seem to reach—especially Beau. And the only person she talks to these days is Cody, a skater-boy she used to think was so not her type. Funny how everything changes when your world flips upside down.

And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, Indy finds herself literally stuck in a school bathroom with Beau. After months of silence, and there’s no escape. If they want out, they’ll have to face the messy truth about what happened between them and find a way back to what they once had. Or maybe even more.

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted ARC and PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

FABULOUS.

Oh Kasie West has done it again y’all. I feel like I’ve mostly phased out of YA contemporary romances and West is one of the few authors I will always come back to read. I love the way she makes relatable high school aged characters. As an adult, I of course, feel frustrated, but I think it’s on par for the age group which is easy for me to understand. Alongside no spice and very little language I appreciate that this fits right into the true YA category.

I would have loved just a little less time spent stuck in the bathroom. I think it did lend to some necessary conversations BUT I wanted to see Indy and Beau connect more outside of their too. I did like the flashback chapters!! Which is a hard sale usually but only added to the book here. You could feel the inevitable crash-out coming and it brought the romantic angst.

I loved seeing Indy find herself again after going through some hard things at home. I was grateful to see her work through things with her friends and reconnect with them too. All hope isn’t lost in these valleys.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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ALC/ARC Book Review: Better in Black (Shadowhunter Chronicles) by Cassandra Clare

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance Novella Collection
Length: 464 pages
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: December 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ten original love stories by the reigning queen of romantasy, featuring fan-favorite couples from her #1 New York Times bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles—one of the most popular series of all time, with more than 50 million copies in print worldwide!

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger.

Jace and Clary, seeking out an exiled Shadowhunter and learning that love can save the world—or destroy it. Will and Tessa, honeymooning in Paris when a séance sends them down an unexpected path. Simon and Izzy, observing increased demonic activity around New York, on a hilarious urban romp.

These are just a few of the beloved couples whose romantic escapades will have you on the edge of your seat across time and storylines from Cassandra Clare’s expansive Shadowhunters series. Don’t miss a chance to reunite with:

• Anna and Ari
• Emma and Julian
• Kieran, Mark, and Cristina
• James and Cordelia
• Thomas and Alastair
• Sebastian and the Seelie Queen
• Jocelyn and Luke

A love letter to every fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, this riveting story collection also includes a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!

Thank you PRH Audio and Get Underlined for the gifted audiobook and physical copy.

I LIKED IT.

I feel like I haven’t read a Shadowhunter book in a hot minute and it was fun to be back in this world with so many of my favorite characters.

Each novella felt like a mini story and brought a swoony edge each time. I think even some of them might be hinting at future things to come? [There’s another series coming right??]

I’m not sure I’d say this is 100% a necessary book to read but I do think you’ll enjoy it if you’ve been a fan of the Shadowhunters over the years.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance Collection
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: For No Mortal Creature by Keshe Chow

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Keshe Chow
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A teen girl with the power of resurrection must venture into the afterlife, but to survive the death realm, she’ll need the help of her two mortal enemies–both of whom she is inexplicably drawn to–in this romantic, gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights.

When Jia Yi suddenly finds herself alive again after being stabbed through the heart by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power: the ability to move between the living realm and the shrouded world of ghosts. Ghosts including Lin, her ex-best friend and former love, whose betrayal she still hasn’t recovered from.

At first, Jia wants nothing to do with Lin, or any ghosts–metaphorical or otherwise. But when her beloved grandmother abruptly passes away, Jia is forced to travel into the afterlife to save her.

To survive the treacherous death realm, Jia will need to rely on both Lin and her longtime enemy, the cold and enigmatic Prince Essien Lancaster. Only, she isn’t sure whether she can trust either of them. With tensions high and new and old connections blooming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past…or risk becoming one herself.

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted finished copy.

OH ALL THE THOUGHTS.

I will start with this though, I loved this much more than The Girl with No Reflection. If you’ve been interested in this author, start here instead!! I was way more engaged and wrapped up in the story telling. The plot was extremely interested with moving through different realms of the afterlife and how the power of resurrection was used to further move the story along.

I also really liked the complexity of the love triangle. It didn’t bug me, EXCEPT for the ending. Without spoiling I will say it ends well, there’s a HEA. But I think I ended up on the wrong side of the triangle??? And I don’t hate the other guy I just had a very specific idea about the ending. I don’t know.

Anyways, solidly good book. I’m so glad I gave this one a chance and I look forward to future books from Keshe Chow. I appreciate that they are standalones too so everything gets wrapped up in one story.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: many instances of death, loss of life, grief

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