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Book Review: Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians #6) by Brandon Sanderson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: MG/YA Fantasy
Length: 304 pages
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Starscape
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, the thrilling conclusion to the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians saga.

As a Knight of Crystallia, I, Bastille, swore to protect the Smedry clan from the Evil Librarians. (And believe me, screwups like them constantly need protecting.) But when Alcatraz Smedry got strapped to an altar of outdated encyclopedias to be sacrificed to the dark gods, I arrived too late―and instead his father took his place.

Now Alcatraz is a blubbering mess, so it’s up to me lead the charge against his father’s killer: Biblioden, founder of the Evil Librarians―I was sure he died centuries ago!―who’s back to complete his goal of world domination. Now he’s going to use the dark powers he gained from that sacrifice against everyone not under Evil Librarian control. Being burned up from the inside is not how I plan to die, so I’d better figure out some way to stop him or we’re toast!

I know Alcatraz is wrong when he swears he’s no hero. But when a hero falls short, that’s the time for everyone else to step up and do what needs to be done.

BEAUTIFUL CONCLUSION.

I adored this series y’all. I shouldn’t be surprised. Brandon Sanderson can craft so many types of stories across age groups and genres and I am here for them all. I loved the lasting themes and messages and getting Bastille’s perspective turned out to be wonderful! I love her stabby personality and the way she and Alcatraz work together and provide support for each other.

There were some good turns in listening and the audio is seriously the way to go for this. Easy to fly through, always enjoyable and wrapped up everything I needed to feel satisfied with where things landed.

Overall audience notes:

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

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ARC Book Review: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Abby Jimenez
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: April 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC from Netgalley.

YUP. I’M CRYING.

Why do Abby Jimenez books hit so hard every time????? I am an emotional wreck after this one.

As someone who did long distance for a year, I felt the roller coaster of emotions and situations that come up when you can’t be physically present. It’s tough and seeing Samantha and Xavier work through that was really something. They wanted their relationship so deeply that they almost sacrificed too much and I loved seeing them communicate the hard things and find balance and peace.

The care giving aspects (to Samantha’s mom who has dementia) hit on so many levels. The raw and often desolate waves of situations and feelings that come out you when every day feels one step closer to permanently cracking. It’s trauma heavy but I think worked well in the story (I don’t qualify this as a rom-com, there’s some humor but it is settled around heavy themes).

AND HANK??? BLESS THAT MAN.

I binged this faster than I could blink and you could catch me crying in my reading chair waiting for those final moments to come together at last.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 1-2 brief open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: taking care of a loved one with advanced dementia, abusive parents (recounted and some on page depiction), mentions of animal abuse and neglect

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Lady Knight (The Diamonds #2) by Amalie Howard

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Historical Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: April 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Bestselling author Amalie Howard delivers the unputdownable companion novel to Queen Bee, Lady Knight, which follows the daughter of a duke defying the rules of high society in regency-era London with the help of friends, including the resident rake.

Lady Zenobia “Zia” Osborn, a duke’s daughter, is frustrated that her entire life has been predetermined. What good is skill or intelligence if one is forced to suffocate it because of one’s sex? She’d much rather make her mark on the world than bat her eyelashes for the ton.

Zia only comes alive in the Lady Knights, a clandestine social club for rebellious girls. In it, she is free to compose music, fence, read controversial literature, and save orphans from destitution by any means necessary. Aside from her closest confidantes, no one knows about Zia’s indecorous other life. . . .

Until Mr. Rafi Nasser, a rogue with secrets of his own, finds out. Shocked yet intrigued by his best friend’s younger sister, he agrees to keep Zia’s secret—if only to help her avoid utter scandal.

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

I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.

Let me tell y’all what I loved most about this book…any time Rafi and Zia were on the page together. Off the charts chemistry, incredible banter, and the best kind of heated interactions. I loved loved loved them so much. Their time together continually saved this book for me.

Now for what bugged me, the side quests and most of the rest of the plot. The themes were kind of shoved down my throat rather than woven in and it felt like the only thing anyone could talk about. And all of the Frankenstein commentary was boring.

There were some good scenes scattered throughout I enjoyed about friendships and family connections and following what makes you happy. I did love all of the painting and music composition aspects.

This was my first book by this author (I haven’t read the first book in this series and had no issues. This can easily be read as a standalone), and I’m unsure if I’ll pick up another?

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: March 2025

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I finally see the sun! And I am no longer a husk. I made it through another wide range of books and survived getting all 15+ ARCs read and posted about on my pages!

Happy reading y’all.

  • Of Song and Darkness by Jessica Spruill
  • [ARC] A Dance of Lies (A Dance of Lies #1) by Brittney Arena
  • [Novella] En Route to Romance by Laura Langa
  • Dawn of Vengeance (The Droseran Saga #2) by Ronie Kendig
  • Magnolia Parks (Magnolia Parks Universe #1) by Jessa Hastings
  • [ARC/ALC] Beautiful Exiles (Sparrow Falls #4) by Catherine Cowles
  • Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan #5) by Elle Cosimano
  • [ARC] Love Bites (Timber Creek #2) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
  • Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle #3) by Tracy Deonn
  • [ARC] All’s Fair in Love and Blackmail by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Sword of Kaigan by M.L. Wang
  • It All Comes Back to You by Melissa Wiesner
  • [Reread] The Winner’s Curse (The Winner’s Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski
  • If I Never Remember (Remember Me #1) by Meagan Williamson
  • Something Like Fate by Amy Lea
  • [ARC] Petals and Plot Twists (Only Magic in the Building) by Jenny Proctor
  • The Cupid Chronicles (Only Magic in the Building) by Courtney Walsh
  • [Reread] The Winner’s Crime (The Winner’s Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski
  • [Reread] The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski
  • [ARC] A Time Traveler’s Masquerade (A McQuivey’s Costume Shop Romance) by Sian Ann Bessey
  • Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett
  • Things I Wish I Said by Gracie Graham
  • Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale #1) by Christina Baehr
  • The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson
  • Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker
  • Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff
  • Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana #1) by Jacquelyn Benson
  • [ARC] What Blooms From Death (What Blooms From Death #1) by S.M. Gaither
  • [ARC/ALC] Lady Knight (The Diamonds #2) by Amalie Howard
  • Off the Hook (Never Harbor #1) by Julie Olivia
  • The Deathly Grimm (The Forest Grimm Duology #2) by Kathryn Purdie
  • Misfortune and Mr. Right (Only Magic in the Building) by Savannah Scott
  • [ARC] Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
  • Tomb of the Sun King (Raiders of the Arcana #2) by Jacquelyn Benson
  • [ARC] The Voice We Find (Fog Harbor #3) by Nicole Deese

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