This was a beautiful book — beautifully written, carefully crafted, and a love letter to books and the magic they bring to our lives. The characters instantly bred empathy, and I was completely engrossed in finding out what would happen next. Emma Törzs is definitely an author to watch…

What really made this book was the writing — quick and clever, with strong characters and a plot that actually sort of made sense through the farcical nature of it all. Samuel is quirky and charming, and we root for him all the way through. A bit more on the horror side than I like, but enjoyable regardless. An excellent potato chip book.

Exactly what I always think when watching Midsomer Murders…😂

Completely random grab off the TBR — I didn‘t even look. Can‘t remember when or why I picked this up but when one of the taglines is “Madeline L‘Engle by way of Douglas Adams”, I know I‘ll enjoy it!

This was just FUN — clever and funny writing, with real characters and a uniquely tricky situation. I appreciated the way the real world was neatly redrawn to include magic and magic users, and Mariel‘s struggles with her magic and her abusive family were very realistic. I guessed what was happening pretty early into the story, but predictability didn‘t really ruin the story for me — it was enjoyable to take the journey with the characters.

So-so, mostly because I have never had to suspend my disbelief QUITE this hard before😅 The characters were well drawn, and the spice was…intense, and overall an enjoyable enough romance, but there was just something about the way it was carried out that didn‘t ring true for me. An affair this illicit needs to be a lot more circumspect than this one is — they might as well have put an ad out. I may just be too cynical, but can‘t help that!

This book was very different from what I expected, but not in a bad way. You don‘t get the detective‘s pov until close to the end of the book, but I think it gives more room to explore the characters and their motivations. It did calm the suspense down some, but the mystery was still a good one, with a side of environmentalism that still hits today. I enjoyed it, and I‘d definitely read more in the series.

A gripping tale of heroes and villains, with a dark look at the morality of the pairing. What makes a villain villainous and a hero heroic? Is it just a matter of perspective, or something more? Victor and Eli are a compelling pair, with a richly drawn history and that perfect split that makes nemesises. Schwab keeps the suspense ratcheted tight with changes in timeline and point of view, and every moment and character counts. I loved it!

Next up in escapist reads… (about all I‘m up for atm😅)

This was a bittersweet story, centring on the joy of the ordinary, the magic of change, and the way love can extend beyond boundaries. Molly is wise and knows too much for her years, while Death is impossibly naive and inexperienced, making an odd couple that brings each other exactly what they need. They emphasized the way that we hate change, and yet seek it out every time. Also, it made me cry, despite the end being inevitable, so a win there.

Soft pick? Enjoyable enough, with a decent plot and enough narrative tension to keep it going, and appealing MMCs. Just…it seems better in conception than execution? If that makes sense. That said, it was a fun read, and I liked it well enough to finish it. Lots of romance tropes, with miscommunication, misinterpretation, saviour complexes, and enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers (phew!). I‘d call it a fair cozy except for the spice.

Something light for lunchtime reading…so far it‘s cozy and fun. Not exactly grumpy/sunshine, more grumpy-slightly less grumpy? It should enjoyable…

This was a pretty, sweetly romantic read. I especially liked how the MCs got to know one another a little more slowly and were (almost) always honest and upfront with each other. No miscommunication trope! I thought the way their respective talents and creativity inspired the other and worked together was lovely, and the denouement was satisfying. A good addition to this series!

What a fun read! This book has been criticized for being silly, but I ask you, what to expect from a book about a vampyre and a werewolf, lol. Total fluff, but also with some surprising insights into loss and abandonment and loneliness, as well as conflict and stereotyping and power politics. I liked watching Misery and Lowe get to know each other and build a real LIKING for one another beyond just attraction, and a satisfying ending.

This was a hilarious good time — sharply funny, keenly insightful, tricky and twisty just a leetle bit deceptive. The characters were cleanly drawn, with a variety of personalities that all had hidden depths, and our narrator was self-deprecating and clever — but not TOO clever. I was caught up almost immediately and can honestly say I didn‘t see that last twist coming. Recommend for an excellent mystery and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I was prepped to love this, and feel super let down that I didn‘t. I just couldn‘t engage with the story or the characters, which left no reason to keep reading. I just didn‘t care about anything or anyone. Maybe I‘m just not in the mood for high fantasy, but I gave it 200 pages and then gave up. Too much of a waste of reading time…

👀 This was fan-yourself spicy, like, almost TOO spicy, but managed to carry it off with juuuust enough plot to get by. As a Tristan and Isolde retelling, it may be carrying it off? Mark is incredibly unlikeable, and Tristan just felt like a blank slate, although it also seemed like he was SUPPOSED to feel that way. I‘m glad I read the prequel first so I had a better handle on Isolde. Waiting for the second now…

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs
Thanks for the tag! 😊

1 - Always be polite and kind, BUT don‘t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Also, a paper trail is a valuable asset.

2 - I‘m a marketer at a small educational publishers.

3 - I honestly have no idea. Something COMPLETELY different, something adventurous. With travel.

It took me a while to truly get involved with this book, but when I did, it was pretty engaging. It spoke really strongly of Susan Cooper‘s Dark is Rising sequence to me, with that Old World magic, Dark-against-Light battle. It built its own mythology, though, with plenty of suspense and a wrenching twist at the end. The characters are vibrant, and even the dislikeable ones really live on the page. I‘ll def pick up the next book.

What a thoroughly lovely book! I loved the characters, the setting, the plot…everything. Nora made me laugh and cry (literally like a baby at the end), and fall along with her. The writing was excellent, the sexual tension was peak, and the spice hit just the right note. My first Emily Henry read, but definitely not my last!

This book was a very fun romp — using Greek mythology as a loose starting point (very loose, lol), it just raced through a plot of jealousy and hate and revenge to get to love. The spice was steamy and the characters appealing — gotta love a grumpy MMC who will do anything to protect those he loves, while at the same time struggling with low self-worth. It was a JOURNEY, and a very enjoyable read. Great fluff, and I‘d read more from this author.

I‘d call this less a retelling of Beauty and the Beats and more a fully-fleshed telling. It was an enjoyable enough read, but didn‘t contain anything new or add anything to the bones of the story. There was magic there, but not fleshed out or explained, and the third act climax felt forced. On the other hand, the descriptions and imagery were lush and beautiful. So it all lands somewhere in the middle for me.

Switching out books today — my cold-addled head cannot handle the utter chaos of Black Leopard and am hoping for a more grabby read…

Magic and mystery together — a great combination! I loved the MC and her quirky family, and the way food, tradition, and legend were woven into the story. The mystery was a good one, even if the culprit was a touch obvious. I will agree with others that there were a couple too many branching offs, but then again, the major theme of the book WAS misdirection. Overall, I enjoyed this, and I‘d definitely read more from this author.

This book was just an utter treat to read. The characters ranged from enviably serene to comically inept to hideously unlikeable, and they all WORKED in wonderful ways. A neat little mystery in a suitably isolated setting, and also a rather unique one, made for entertaining and somewhat soothing reading. I didn‘t love the solution, but weirdly, that feels like a small quibble in the scheme of things. The overall ending was still satisfactory.

This was a fun book, with a tricky little mystery and engaging characters. A nice little spark of romance ran through the story for an appealing tension. One thing missing was sufficient world building to ground the story‘s magic system. I‘m all for jumping right in, but don‘t like to be left guessing as to what exactly is going on or how it works. Not sure I‘m compelled to continue the series.

This was a quick read, but an impactful one, particularly in the wake of a viral pandemic. Time and space are mutable, textured, and Eve is vibrant and vital as an MC. Dangers abound, from the infected adults come monsters, the drowned world itself, and AI that is much more than at first appears. Victor Lavalle has a unique way of weaving a story world, and this book was no exception, despite its brevity. I was riveted!

Lil post-apocalyptic comic for a cozy holiday Monday…

This book was entirely bonkers in all the best ways! Pirates flying houses, a secret agency secret even from the government, witches incanting in Latin…and that‘s just the beginning. The writing is relentlessly witty, with an undercurrent of sweetness and p poetic romance that touches the heart. The MCS are an absolute delight, and I rooted for them all the way. An enormously fun read that made me want to read more from India Holton.

What happens AFTER the evil overlord is defeated? FT Lukens answers this question with a sweet and funny romcom of a book, featuring probably all the tropes in the world. A couple of slightly problematic spots, but mostly just a silly romp in a fantasy land where true love is all that really matters. Were the MCs oblivious to the point of insanity? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? Yes. Great palette cleanser of a book!

Reserved pick — even more than the first in the series, this felt a lot longer than it needed to be. The increase in POVs made it a bit much at times, and the plot(s!) was convoluted. That said, I was intrigued by the big reveal, and there still was a lot of action and mystery that kept things going. I think I need a break from SJM tho!

Didn‘t really enjoy this one — apparently revenge plots are not my thing. I just…it was entirely predictable, and the characters weren‘t very sympathetic, and I felt like it went on longer than it needed to. Half the end was clearly a set up for the next book in the series, and the resolution between the two MCs felt really trite. I almost bailed but finished bc I couldn‘t make a decision on what to read instead😅

This was an okay read — it didn‘t follow the path I expected, which was a nice surprise, but I couldn‘t get connected to the characters and I found the one plot twist a little contrived. Glad it was a Prime Read! I‘ve enjoyed other books by this author, so I wouldn‘t avoid another or anything.

A fun read — the “twist” was obvious from about a mile away, but the humour and banter between the two MCs made the book really enjoyable. Not to mention that the tension and spice were off the charts. I appreciated how the epilogue really wrapped up all the stories from the series, too.

Starting this on a cozy Saturday — a gift from a delightful friend. Hoping that I don‘t need to have read the other two previous…

Delightful book haul from the OLA conference yesterday — all ARCs or giveaways, and a very nice compensation for a day on my feet! The TBRnpile grows exponentially 😂😂😂

Welp. I had very mixed feelings about the first half of this book, finding the exposition and world building unnecessarily wordy, repetitive, and too much of an info dump rather than a reveal. HOWEVER. The second half just takes off like a freaking rocket and kept me on the edge of the page right through the end. I guessed a couple of twists, but many had me absolutely reeling, and the conclusion was truly excellent. Can‘t wait to start book 2!

This is an emotional roller coaster, OMG. So many ups and downs I was dizzy, and overall the tone was a melancholy one. Still an engrossing story, and I loved the characters, who were more real and authentic than the previous book. A good read, and I did enjoy it. On to the next in the series!

This book was a VERY slow starter, but I stuck with it since I am buddy reading, and I‘m glad that I did. About halfway through and there‘s a TON going on — lots of intrigue and mystery and just a hint of spice. Very much enjoying.

Was lucky enough to hit TWO bookstores with the best of friends, and came away with a lil haul. A couple I‘ve been wanting to read, and a couple impulse buys that looked really good. A good bookish Sunday!

Phew! This book was INTENSE, with a lot of serious tension, with a thriller as a secondary plot and a lot of surprises along the way. I saw a lot of them coming, but they were enjoyable enough regardless. Quality spice, although I‘m not sure how the two MCs decided they liked each other, when they spent a lot of time yelling at each other. Passion is passion, I guess?

This was such a lovely read! An ode to books and words, and finding yourself in the right pages. At the same time, a study of friendships and love, and being in the right place at the right time, even if it‘s a short time. Viv is charming and bold and a little clumsy, and totally endearing. There‘s just enough mystery to keep the story going, and a wistful sort of atmosphere that‘s hugely appealing. Loved it.

This one was INTENSE, with a ton of tension, sizzle, and of course, misunderstandings. The MMC & FMC are equally stubborn and pushy and fragile, so their battle toward each other is pretty fraught. The setting of Italy was a lovely one, and the cutthroat competition just added to the heavy tension. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I‘m starting to think I‘ll read ANYTHING by Geissinger!

A much cozier read since I didn‘t want to cart my Kindle to work — with what may be the funniest bookmark ever. Viv is as charming and funny as ever so far!

A homemade chai latte and a new buddy read with the book bestie — perfect for a very blustery Sunday afternoon!

This was a strange and haunted and mesmerizing story. I have that hollow feeling, like I‘m still inhabiting its world, although time has passed since I finished it. It‘s was bloody and angry, gentle and beautiful, harsh and unforgiving, all at once. Loss ran as an undercurrent, with the struggle to stay alive pulling in the other direction. I know it will sit with me for a long time.

Picking up a short read for a blustery Saturday — perfect for curling up with a book! I seem to be leaning toward creepy fairy tales these days…

This book was so SWEET, just poignant and a little sad and wistful and all the good things about romance. The FMC was a little wilfully blind, but a sweetheart nonetheless, and the MMC was funny and brash but also vulnerable and kind. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

This was a dark and twisted tale, full of the worst of man‘s desires and needs, and the havoc they can wreak on ordinary lives. The MC, Marlinchen, is both heroine and anti-hero, lost in a labyrinth partly of her own making. I wasn‘t positive of the outcome until it happened, and the gentle horror of it struck a real chord. I feel weighted down with this book, and I think it will stay with me for a while.

This book was a scream — so funny and silly, but with an undercurrent of sweetness and an exploration of finding yourself again after a loss that surprised. Lots of action — some graphic violence, as a warning — and just enough spice. Recommend as a brain refresher after something heavy or dreary.