This book didn‘t grab me from the start. Although the writing is witty, I did not like Bettie at all - she‘s self absorbed and spoiled. Hall is a lot like Buddy the Elf, but soon, we see how these two learn from each other. I‘m glad I hung on… this is a cute, heartwarming holiday grumpy-and-sunshine story.

Started my holiday reading with this one. It was cute. I liked Colton more than I liked Gretchen, but it‘s understandable why she had a lot of baggage. The complicated relationship with her family certainly kept this book from being fluffy or too lighthearted.

This was a cute, quick read. I grabbed the copy at my local library, not that I don‘t have shelves upon shelves of unread books at home.

The relationship between Cassie and Frederick is cute. They‘re both a little quirky, and I think that‘s what makes it work. If you like rom coms, I recommend trying this one out. There‘s a little spice, but not much. It‘s just a fun, fluffy story, like the TikTok cat videos Cassie likes to watch.

This was very interesting… I liked the atmosphere. Appropriately creepy as an October (well, technically November) read.

This was a cozy read, albeit slower paced than I typically prefer. I liked Gigi, and I loved the relationship between Sadie and Seth. My favorite parts were in the last third when we got to see the extended family.

Hard to believe I had never read this classic. It was a cute story, although I had some trouble with the Yorkshire dialect.

As others have shared, this book is light and fun - a bit of cotton candy on your shelf. That said, there are some very funny, laugh out loud moments, like this one that made it very entertaining.

While I enjoyed The Lost Apothecary more, this was still an entertaining read. I think my biggest complaint was Lenna. She wasn‘t super likable, in my opinion. She immediately turned on her sister and Vaudeline whenever any small thing gave her doubt. In that respect, I felt she wasn‘t very loyal, and they were generous to quickly forgive her harsh worlds. It was an interesting overall with two murders to solve.

Silly Evangeline. Why did she not stay forever in the cozy inn with Jacks and the baby dragon? This book was so fun with twists and turns. It left me grateful that I only have to wait a few weeks for the conclusion. Also, how amazing are these preorder dust jackets? I can‘t wait to get the third one, too.

Stephanie Garber had me at a series that features Jacks. I loved him in Legendary, but I adore him ever more in these books. Evangeline is his match in so many ways, and I love that he nicknamed her “Little Fox.”

I will take more of Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne any day! I love that this series is continuing, and new characters are being introduced. I hope we get to see a book from Nash and Xander‘s POV someday too. Of all the brothers, Nash seems the least flushed out to me. Maybe it‘s because I‘m the oldest that I‘d like to know the oldest brother a little more. At any rate, I can‘t wait for the next installment. Game on!

“Something‘s coming. Something with teeth.”

This was a creepy, atmospheric read. I enjoyed the relationship between DeLaney and Colton, and there were interesting side characters, too. It‘s nice to see a main character with a disability as well. Highly recommend this one.

This is a book about a magical apartment, about who we are today, who we were in the past, and who we will be in the future. With themes of love, forgiveness, grief and fulfilling your dreams, I could not put it down! Every time I think the last book by Ashley Poston was my favorite, she comes out with a new one that steals my heart. I also loved getting a little Easter Egg glimpse at the characters from The Dead Romantics.

I see the hype - it has the addictive quality of Twilight and Divergent. In fact, I saw a LOT of similarities to Divergent; of course, under any entirely different premise of a fantasy world and dragon wings instead of factions. My favorite characters were actually side characters: Rhiannon and Liam. I also loved the dragons, because DRAGONS! I‘ll be interested to see where book 2 goes, and this time, I‘ll get the early edition since I preordered.

First, I looove these covers! The pop art style is gorgeous and eye catching. I read both of these books yesterday and they were so fun! I love the representation in these books from a variety of body types (with positive messaging), ethnicity, and LGBTQ rep. The alternating POV between Ada and Lauren really allows us to get to know each character. I hope there are more books like these coming from the author!

Finished Foxglove this morning and can‘t stop thinking about this series. The personas of Death and Fate are so interesting. Signa is smart, independent and yet full of love and empathy for her family. The plot is fast paced and intriguing with lots of twists and turns. Some I saw coming, some I did not. I can‘t wait for the next book, Wisteria, and already ordered the Barnes & Noble edition to match these beauties.

Reading Foxglove by firelight…

“Why would you settle for average when everything upon your tongue could taste of ambrosia?”

…my bourbon and I agree. 🤣

This book is simply adorable! I loved Gracie so much, as well as the banter between her and Sam. I hope the author gives Fangli her own story, because she deserves it. Oh, and Gracie‘s best friend, Anjali, deserves a story too. Even the side characters are lovable and awesome (except Todd. Boo, Todd!)

The planner theme was fabulous, as I‘m one of those people who is still seeking the perfect system to organize my life. Read it, you‘ll love it!

This is a book that everyone should read to understand how institutions work, to empathize with those who are failed by the system, and to be aware of their own outlook on their fellow human beings. When you consider yourself superior to another person for whatever reason - race, gender, ability, religion, etc., you may justify all kinds of horrible behaviors. It‘s a cautionary tale that‘s also woven with resilience and hope.

This is a super cute romantic comedy appropriate for all ages. I loved the dual points of view and found both Jack and Lucky to be charming and hilarious. The chemistry between them was very believable. It‘s a fun read!

I didn‘t realize this was a duology when I started reading it… I am both happy, because I get to revisit characters I‘ve grown to love, and sad, because I have to wait until the sequel releases at the end of the year. Rebecca Ross‘ writing is a thing of beauty - poetic, flowing and memorable. I loved how the relationship developed between Iris and Roman. The ugliness of war was contrasted with the resilience of human spirit. Ah-mazing!

Cute, spicy romantic comedies centered around a brother and sister duo who are heirs to a Napa Valley vineyard.

Both have opposites attract themes, but the witty banter and quirky personalities of the main characters really make these books shine.

If you‘ve enjoyed other Tessa Bailey novels, you‘ll like these!

WHY DO PUBLISHERS REDESIGN THE COVERS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SERIES? I love the original illustrated covers, now for the new 3rd book, they‘re using real models. I wish they would at least offer a matching dust jacket.

What do others think? Does this bother you?

I purchased the gorgeous Fairyloot edition of this book, because I felt like it would go better with my LitJoy Folk of the Air set, and I loved the Oak and Suren artwork on the cover. It is very pretty with gold edges, gold foiling on the case, and illustrated end papers of Suren.

I‘ll have to do a re-read before The Prisoner‘s Throne comes out.

Page 211 - People never got to stay in their Wonderlands, did they? Alice and Dorothy and the Darlings, all dragged back to the mundane world and tucked into bed by their handlers.
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(Sigh) Reality comes for all of us, sooner or later!

Page 165 - Once we have agreed that true love exists, we may consider its nature. It is not, as many misguided poets would have you believe, an event in and of itself; it is not something that happens, but something that simply is and always has been. One does not fall in love; one discovers it.
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This quote speaks to me on so many levels!

This was a quick summer read. I liked the anxiety rep and the fact that Hallie as the female lead is maybe not the traditional tall, lithe heroine, but she‘s confident of her body. Julian was very emotional and passionate, and I love the way he is a protector of those he cares for.

There were parts I really loved about this book: Cassandra and Clytemnestra are strong women in a male-dominated world. However, for as much as I liked them, I could not connect with Elektra or Helen; in fact, I‘m sympathetic to Clytemnestra for being related to such selfish women. The story was a little slow, and I found myself paging through some chapters quickly, especially those in Elektra‘s POV.

This was a cute follow up to Go Hex Yourself, and I really like Will and Penny. There were a couple blatant errors in the beginning. His suit changed from green to blue to green in one scene, and her POV went from 1st to 3rd person. From there, I either got so sucked into the story that I stopped noticing or the editing got better. Overall, a very fun, quick read!

This was such a fantastic end to this duology. I loved the two main couples even more, and seeing the spirit world was an exciting element. The pacing was fast and kept me turning pages. I‘m a little sad to leave this world and characters behind.

Rebecca Ross is a master of words. Each of her books beautifully unfolds a story of bravery, loyalty and love. I completely adored all the characters in this book, especially Jack, Adaira, Torin and Sidra. The concept of an enchanted island and nature spirits was so cool. I can‘t wait to read A Fire Endless!u

Also, this Illumicrate version is so gorgeous! I wish I had the exclusive sequel.

Just finished this one. It was cute, although there were times I got frustrated with both main characters for their poor decisions. Overall, I enjoyed it and I always like seeing the characters from the previous books as supporting characters in the current read.

The cover on the left is the stained cover. On the right is the preorder gift with purchase cover that nods to classic romance novels. Which do you prefer?

I love a good rom com with a snarky heroine. This one checked all the boxes. Did it have the meddling mother? Fake dating? Misunderstandings and a reluctance to admit true feelings? Yes, yes and yes, but it was so fun! I hope we get stories about Rose and Olive too, and Harper, because she is an amazing best friend.

I proceeded to spend my Sunday afternoon finishing Cursed and loved how this duology ended. While very satisfying, I could continue in this world and would love to know how these characters spend the rest of their lives. I did love Serilda and the children, Gild and the gods. This was such a rich and explorative Rumpelstiltskin retelling.

Completely in love with this gorgeous silver foiled Fairyloot edition of Cursed. It goes so nice with the gold foiled Gilded. I had to wait many months to receive it, but it‘s well worth the wait. Started the book last night and loving it so far. Marissa Meyer has a gift for pulling the reader in and not letting go.

This was a sweet story, but the pacing is s-l-o-w. I found myself skimming paragraphs at a time where nothing really happens. It picks up in the last third, and some of the characters: Grands, Peach and Julius really are memorable. I also liked the historic building itself and the idea of treasures within it. It would be a dream come true to be able to start a bookstore because I found first edition books in amazing condition in my house!

Excellent conclusion to an amazing series. I read these books so fast. I love the Lockwood & Co team, although I think Skull is my favorite character. His lines made me laugh out loud!

On to book 2… I think this whole series will be a fast read!

I binge watched Lockwood & Co over 2 days with my husband, immediately wished for a season 2, and went out and bought the original hardcovers of all five books. I‘m curious how many of the books were covered in season 1. For sure, we saw book 1 and book 2 (which I‘m about 25% into right now.) I love paranormal, and these characters are so fun!

Started this on the flight home from San Antonio. I loved “The Hating Game” so it was an easy to purchase this one. It‘s one of my favorite classic-inspired stories. Angelika, her brother Victor and the other characters were fun and well described. The goofy premise of building your ideal mate made my laugh, and the antics that take place throughout the book were pure entertainment. Well done, Ms. Thorne!

I don‘t often read historical fiction, but this book pulled me in so completely that I read it on one sitting. It spoke to the will of the human spirit and how powerful, intelligent women influenced history but were often unnamed and unremembered in favor of their male counterparts. I will look for more works by this author… an unforgettable story!

This was an interesting book… it read very much like a fairytale, with lovely movements and moments of horror such as the poison lake that eats its victims like acid and a sentient, bloody thirsty forest. I did like Leelo and Jaren, although the end felt a bit too much like buttoning everything up. All in all, I enjoyed this story.

“By the time Alex managed to get the blood out of her good wool coat, it was too warm to wear it.”

What a first line! 🤣 Excited to dig into this one as my next read of 2023. I have the Barnes & Noble edition of Hell Bent waiting in the wings.

This was a cute, fun read. Rosie has had a crush on her best friend‘s cousin - she‘s never met him but follows his Instagram account. Lucas is dealing with recovering from a terrible accident, and while I don‘t wish a terrible accident on anyone, I do like that this makes him human, because otherwise he reads as the perfect man: romantic, a great cook and dancer, and attuned to the woman before him. Try this is you like rom coms!

I prepared for this release by re-reading The Folk of the Air trilogy and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories. Going from seeing Oak and Suren as kids to now young adults made reading this book all the more enjoyable with that background fresh in my mind. I did figure out parts of the plot early, but it didn‘t diminish my love for this tale. Oak and Wren have great chemistry, and it was fun to see new courts like the Court of Moths.

I started 2023 with a re-read of one of my favorite series! The LitJoy exclusive Folk of the Air set is gorgeous, and it was fun to read Holly Black‘s annotations throughout the series. Cardan remains one of my favorite male leads, and Jude is also a favorite female lead. So much to love about these books!

I loved Andrew and Molly‘s story. The way each past flight was woven throughout the book. The adorable and mishap filled adventure to return home for the holidays and be with family. It was such a lovely friends to lovers romance, and I‘d really like to see a second book that continues the tale.

Finished “Long Live the Pumpkin Queen” last night. The Barnes & Noble edition is very pretty. I enjoyed the book, although I‘m still trying to determine why there was a Fourth of July tree… not really a holiday that fits with with rest since it‘s U.S. only.

Also. this is my last Bones coffee bag from their Nightmare Before Christmas collection. The packaging is gorgeous, and the grounds smell amazing. To me, the flavoring is subtle.

2 of my 3 vacation reads… missing is “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”

I enjoyed them all, but Something Wilder was my favorite. Kingdom of the Feared was my least favorite. I love a good romance book, but I get bored when plot slows with too much sex or sex obsessed thoughts by the characters. This one had that in droves. I‘m not quite sure how it even is classified as a young adult book.

This was an interesting premise, but the execution fell a little flat for me. The ending was pretty strong, so I‘d consider reading other works by this author. If you like tales of the Headless Horseman, you may enjoy this book.