Ryan and Avery by David Levithan (audiobook)

 

Pages: 322

Publisher: Electric Monkey 

Narrator: Jamie K. Brown 

Released: 12th of September 2023 

When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance–a queer prom–both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection. Follow them through their first ten dates as they bridge their initial shyness and fall in love–through snowstorms, groundings, meeting parents (Avery’s) and not (Ryan’s), cast parties, heartbreak, and every day and date in between.

What I Have to Say 

This book was pure queer joy. It was sweet, it was romantic and it was filled with the joy of new relationships. I loved Avery and Ryan so much as characters, balancing their lives in high school with their relationship despite the roadblocks that Ryan's parents put in their way. 

It was really really good to see a trans boy in a queer romance book. Trans representation is still sorely lacking in LGBTQ+ fiction and it's really good that in the last year there've been a couple I've come across. It makes me hope that we're making progress. 

Honestly, this book was just so relaxing to read. The narration was wonderful, really fitting the characters well and it was just a great audiobook to curl up and listen to. 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Electric Monkey for providing me with a gifted copy of this audiobook for review. 

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

Pages: 352

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books 

Released: 22nd of February 2024 

From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

What I Have to Say 

With a vivid and detailed world and a ragtag cast of characters, this book is a gripping and fun to read. I enjoyed learning about White Roaring and the humans and vampires that make it home. I loved the idea of Spindrift, a teashop that turns it's hands to feeding vampires after dark and the Athereum, an elite club for White Roaring's vampire residents. 

As the title suggests, the is a theme of tea in this book. I was worried it would be lacking, but tea came up enough times to satisfy me. I enjoyed the tea snobbery that the characters in the books showed, as naturally they would know the correct way to brew tea. 

There were surprises in this book that I really didn't see coming. The twists and turns in this book really made it. There was one particular moment at the end that I didn't see coming at all but when it was revealed, a whole lot of things made sense. It was one of those moments that I love about reading. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Macmillan Books for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Pages: 382 

Publisher: Atom 

Released: 16th of January 2024 

Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She's a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbours.

When she's forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn't expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon-or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron's desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other's lives, as well as the fate of their world.

What I Have to Say 

So this was a really interesting book for many reasons. For one, it dealt with characters who had been chosen ones in their backstories. It showed a main character who had been chosen by the gods, gone to war and then come home along with a hidden queen who had discovered her heritage and been pushed onto the throne at a young age. It was really interesting that the author decided to have these things in the past and gave me echoings of a gifted child to disaster teenager storyline. 

It also felt at times very much like a queer Forth Wing. Which was fantastic because Queer and dragons is definitely the genre for me. I really enjoyed the complexity of Elara's relationship considering the bond that ties her to both the dragon and her love interest and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it develops in future books. 

This book was also such an easy read. I got caught up in the story so fast and both Elara and Faron's voices were easy to relate to. The politics was interesting and exciting and didn't bog down the plot one bit and I just really enjoyed the story as a whole. 

4.5 stars 

My thanks goes to Atom and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

Pages: 352

Publisher: Penguin Books 

Released: 6th of July 2023 

In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

But the investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.

What I Have to Say 

This is honestly one of the most interesting interpretations of Greek mythology I've ever seen. I was interested from when I first heard about it because the author herself is Greek and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint! The world she created was so fascinating and so fun to read. 

I was especially interested in the fact that this was showing a different side to Greek mythology. I've not seen much fantasy that has been written about the children of the Fates before. I loved the creativity that went into how Io and her sisters viewed the threads. With that and the other powers that people had, it was just a really interesting world to explore. 

I liked the characters and the plot was really tense. It was one of those books that has a lot of cliff hangers on the ends of chapters though, so be warned! You won't want to stop reading! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Pages: 352

Publisher: Pushkin's Children's Books 

Released: 14th of November 2022 

Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.

When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen.

What I Have to Say 

I've really enjoyed reading this duology. I really liked Daughter of the Pirate King because it introduced me to a character I really liked. Alosa is strong, ruthless and has the intrigue of having her Siren side as well as her pirate side. I'm pleased to say that she was just as brilliant in the second book as the first. 

I really liked Alosa's duel nature. The fact that she struggles with her siren nature while still finding it useful in certain situation. I think struggling with aspects of ourselves is something we can all relate to. I was glad to see that this was built upon in this book and that part of her story was that she faced that head on. 

One thing I would have liked to be different was that I felt like there was no build up to her disillusionment with her father. He was an abusive bastard, but she carried on being happy to follow his orders until one singular thing changed and I would have liked a build up of things instead. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Pushkin's Children's Books for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Sisters of Sword and Shadow by Laura Bates

Pages: 400

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's UK 

Released: 9th of November 2023 

What if the Knights of the Round Table had been women?

This afternoon Cass's older sister will be married. Soon she will be too. Gone will be days of running through fields and feeling the earth between her toes. So when a beautiful leather-clad woman rides up and offers to take her away, Cass doesn't hesitate to join her.

Cass is introduced to the Sisterhood of Silk Knights - a group of women training to fight and working to right the wrongs of men. Cass is drawn into a world of ancient feuds, glorious battles, and deadly intrigue, where soon discovers she holds a power that could change the destiny of her sisterhood.

'An interesting thing happens, when a man is defeated in combat by a woman.'

'He tells nobody.'

What I Have to Say 

I enjoyed this a lot, but I felt at times that it could have been stronger on the plot. It felt more character focused with Cass going through her training as a squire. At the end, it was easy to see where it led up to, but while reading I was left wondering where it was going sometimes. 

I really liked the characters. Cass was possibly not the strongest, but some of the older knights had more defined characteristics and it was fun seeing them interact, especially with the world around them. I loved how they used stereotypically feminine traits almost as a weapon to use against the men that would threaten them. 

The ending intrigued me and I can't wait to see what happens with that, but I do wish it could have come a bit earlier in the book, if I'm honest. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

 

A Curse of Salt by Sarah Street

Pages: 340 

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 

Released: 25th of May 2023 

A heartless king trapped by a curse

A brave sister searching for answers

And a love so strong it will drown the raging sea ...

THIS FAIRYTALE IS CURSED

Prepare for stormy seas and swoony romance in this addictive retelling of Beauty and the Beast set on board a cursed ship where love blooms in the darkest of hearts ...

A heartless beast

A sister's sacrifice

And a love so strong it will drown the raging sea ...

THIS FAIRYTALE IS CURSED

In a kingdom that fears the sea, Ria Lucroy longs to be brave.

Bodies are washing ashore and everyone knows who's to blame. Legends of the Heartless King shroud the continent in fear; they call him a pirate, a monster, a god. When his mercenaries raid her father's merchant ship, Ria's family is faced with a horrifying demand. They will spare his life, in exchange for one of his daughters.

Determined to save her sisters, Ria launches herself into the world of pirates. Face-to-face with the Heartless King, she finds he is far more than the stories told. He is a man, with a human name and blood-stained hands, bound to the seas by a centuries-old curse. As their chemistry blooms into something more, Ria finds herself caught in an ancient web of secrets.

Battling creatures of the deep alongside those that reign its surface, Ria discovers how to love a heartless man and that some curses aren't so easy to break.

What I Have to Say 

What could be better than a version of beauty and the beast set on a pirate ship, I really loved this book. I have read so many retellings of beauty and the beast, but they always manage to surprise me. And this one is completely unlike any I've ever read.  The addition of pirates to this fairy tale just made it perfect for me. 

Ria is a wonderful character. I really liked her loyalty, her daring and her pluck. She was everything I love in a YA main character. Pairing her with the Heartless King and fitting her into the rest of the crew, made for just the perfect cast of characters. I loved every single one of them and it really felt like they fit together as a good crew. 

The prose in this book was beautiful, making it a joy to read as well as being just a damned good story. 

I want more adventures from this crew and this ship!! 

5 stars 

My thanks goes to Hodder and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Mermaids Never Drown ed. Zoriad Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

Pages: 320

Publisher: Titan Books 

Released: 26th of September 2023 

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown - the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker - exploring mermaids like we've never seen them before!

A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon's son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain.

Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page! Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms.

Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

What I Have to Say 

This was a really strong short story anthology. It had many different types of stories and many different styles of writing, all featuring mermaids, sirens or the cultural equivalent! I had a great time reading it and really enjoyed some of the stories. There weren't any stories I absolutely hated in this one, which is always a good sign! 

 Some of my particular favourites were The First and Last Kiss by Julie Murphy, The Merrow by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker and Jinju's Pearls by June Hur, but there were many other good ones that really stood out for me! 

I liked sirens a lot, so it made me really happy to see Sirens feature so much in this book. I was glad that they really went into the dark sides of myths as well as having some lighter stories. 

If there's a mermaid obsessed reader in your life, this would be the perfect book for them! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

Pages: 320

Publisher: Hodder's Children's Books 

Released: 21st of September 2023 

A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own investigation, but all she managed to do was scare off the police's only lead and earn a stern once she turns eighteen, more meddling means prison-level consequences.

Then, a year later, the unthinkable happens. Iris's ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing, too-just after dropping the polarizing last episode of her true crime podcast all about Iris's sister. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from solving these disappearances.

But with a suspicious detective watching her every move, an enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe-more to contend with, and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, it's a race against the clock for Iris to solve the most dangerous case of her life.

What I Have to Say 

I really enjoyed this. Iris had a good voice and there was a good cast of characters to back her up. My favourite was her former best friend who just had such a distinct personality as the plucky journalist who just wanted to be friends with Iris again. 

The Sapphic edge on this was naturally what I was most interested in. Having all the detective agency characters be Sapphic in some way (the main character is pan, one is a lesbian and the other I think is a non-binary lesbian though I might be wrong about her orientation) was a good idea. It really gave this an edge up on the other mystery books I've read. 

Though with teen detectives, you often have to suspend reality on what they would actually get away with and what they wouldn't, I thought the teen angle was done well here. Iris doesn't have years of experience to fall back on. She's just a kid, trying to do what she can. I really liked that authenticity in our plucky young heroine. 

If you like detective stories and sapphic characters, give this one a try! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Hodder for providing me with this copy for review. 

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude

 Pages: 368

 Publisher: Penguin 

 Released: 11th of May 2023 

We Are Okaymeets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

Avery Byrne has secrets. She's queer; she's in love with her best friend, Cass; and she's suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to live: an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

If Tomorrow Doesn't Come is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.

TW: Attempted Suicide 

What I Have to Say 

I really enjoyed this book, but the trigger warnings were not up to scratch. I was really glad I'm not triggered by suicide anymore because the opening which shows her about to commit suicide was definitely more than the "discussions of suicide" that the trigger warning implied. I would really recommended that anyone who is currently suicidal or is still in a fragile state skips the entire first chapter. 

The story was beautiful though. I was worried it would be too much of showing her how to live again, but it was a lot more subtle than that. The romance between Cass and Avery was so sweet and tragic and I wanted to read it forever. 

I loved the flashbacks as well. It was nice seeing the story of Cass and Avery build up and grow. 

This was a very sad book and had a lot of comments on society and religion, but I really enjoyed reading it. It was the kind of sad that makes an impact on you and you remember for a very long time. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q Sutanto

 Pages: 320 

Publisher: Electric Monkey 

Released:  7th of December 2023 

Seventeen-year-old Kiki Siregar is a fabulous gamer girl with confidence to boot. She can’t help but be totally herself… except when she’s online.

Her secret? She plays anonymously as a guy to avoid harassment from other male players. Even her online best friend―a cinnamon roll of a teen boy who plays under the username Sourdawg―doesn’t know her true identity. Which is fine, because Kiki doesn’t know his real name either, and it’s not like they’re ever going to cross paths IRL.

Until she transfers to an elite private school for her senior year and discovers that Sourdawg goes there, too.

But who is he? How will he react when he finds out Kiki’s secret? And what happens when Kiki realizes she’s falling for her online BFF?

What I Have to Say 

Okay first off I want to say I think this is a really great book. It had great characters, a strong plot and a good message of feminism and standing up to bullies. The only reason I'm rating it so low is because it hit really really close to home with me and I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. 

The main bulk of this book is about school trauma and misogyny. It showed a very real situation in a school that had a really toxic environment. It really sheds light on the situation that exists in many Asian schools, where standing out or making waves is punished harshly. I really respect the author for taking a stance on this. 

The friendships in this book were my favourite part. Not only the main friendship between Kiki and Sourdawg, but the female friendships she has before the novel. It really shows a feeling of girls banding together and sticking up for one another. 

I'm really sad that I couldn't enjoy this book because of my own trauma, but I want to emphasise that this is a really good book that everyone should read. 

3.5 stars 

My thanks goes to Electric Monkey and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

Pages: 355

Publisher: Bantam 

Released: 30th of November 2023 

Light and dark - this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed on them by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favourite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister's shadow.

 But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has returned and brought with him the Nutcracker, an enchanted present which offers entry to a deceptively beautiful the Kingdom of Sweets.

In this land of snow and sugar, Natasha is presented with a power far greater than the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is also a giver of gifts . . . and a maker of dread-filled bargains. As Natasha uncovers the dark destiny laid before her birth, she must reckon with powers both earthly and magical . . . and decide to which world she truly belongs.

What I Have to Say 

This was so deliciously dark. It was full of murder and betrayal and revenge and the Sugar Plum Faery was the perfect dark fae full of bargains and darkness.

I really liked Natasha's character. I liked how dark she was, how fixated on revenge. She's not exactly a hero but it worked because from the start it made it clear that this wasn't that kind of book. I loved how her actions changed the story of the Nutcracker from being an adventure story to being a dark bitter tale of fae. 

If you're looking for a faithful retelling of the Nutcracker, you will be really disappointed because this book takes the characters and the worlds of the Nutcracker and changes it into something completely different. At least half of the story was just a completely different story. But I really liked that. I liked that it surprised me. I like that it played with the characters of the original story without sticking to it faithful. 

I honestly just really, really loved this story. 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Bantam for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Pages: 400 

Publisher: Rock The Boat 

Released: 4th of May 2023 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter comes a thrilling YA mystery about a Native teen who must find a way to bring an ancestor home to her tribe.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artefacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.

What I Have to Say 

This book made me so angry on behalf of all of the Native American tribes who's artefacts and ancestors are hoarded away in museums and private collections instead of safely with the tribes where they belong. I am sicken on behalf of all the indigenous people's of the world who have had so much taken from them by western greed. 

I loved Perry's character so much. I loved the toughness and the sarcasm, but underneath how much she cared about her ancestors, her tribe and her friends. The fact that Team Misfit toys were so willing to help her out even with her illegal activities even though she hadn't known some of them that long is a testament to friendship and found family. 

I haven't read much about Native American Tribes and only this about Ojibwe so that's something I would really like to read more about. I knew they were treated really badly and I've heard about residential schools and other things like that, but this book showed me that it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the abuse they've faced in history and are still facing in modern times. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Rock the Boat for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard (audiobook)

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Macmillan Audio 

Released: 7th of November 2023 

The highly anticipated sequel to The Luminaries by New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard.

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

What I Have to Say 

I love this series so much. Winnie's humour is everything. The books are witty, funny and with a well thought out plot to boot. 

This was my first time audioing this series and I have to say, the voice actress did an amazing job of capturing Winnie's voice. I sank into this book with so much ease just enveloping myself in Winnie's voice like a blanket and it was so much fun. 

I really liked the interpretation of loyalty in this book. Winnie's family have a motto of loyalty, but Winnie doesn't show it as it would be expected - loyalty to the clan. Instead she's incredibly loyal to her family and friends (especially Jay)  and her absent father who has left her a mystery to solve. 

I really cannot wait for the next book to come out as this one added so much more stuff to the mystery and I really want to know what happens next! 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Macmillan Audio for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle (audiobook)

Pages: 480 

Publisher: Electric Monkey 

Released: 12th of May 2022 

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister's place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents' murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn't quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn't have a habit of causing trouble...

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other's lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

What I Have to Say 

I had high expectations for this, and it was good, but not as good as I hoped. The setting didn't feel as vibrant as some of the other fantasy that I've read recently. I really liked the characters and the magic system though, so while I was a little disappointed, I really did enjoy the book. 

One of the best things about this book was that I couldn't see what the characters would do next. The ending was completely unpredictable for me. I'm really interested to see what happens in the next book because the ending really changed things for the plot. 

I think I liked Wren better than Rose, but I think that's because Rose is a bit more sheltered. I love a tough girl who can defend herself, it's just part of my preference. I think now that Rose knows more about the world around her, she'll feel a little less innocent. 

A great read for people who like a good story and a good princess switch! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Electric Monkey for providing me with this copy for Review. 

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

Pages: 336

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Released: 9th of February 2021 

“YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME…”

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat from a time before Faery began. A threat that brings him face-to-face with a new enemy…himself.

With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. Evenfall is coming, and with it a reckoning that even their combined powers and wits may not vanquish, as a shadow falls over the lands of Faery and the world slips into chaos.

What I Have to Say 

I love Puck so I was really excited to read this one. The only reason it took me this long was that it was my dyslexia got really bad during lockdown. 

This had all the elements of a great Julie Kagawa book. Adventures, Puck and Ash at each other's fronts, a little helping of Grimalkin and even a bit of Meghan! It was nice to see the old gang all back together again, even if they've changed so much since the first book. 

I really liked Nyx a lot. I love the concept of the forgotten and having a sexy moonlight powered assassin just added some icing to the top of a really interesting cake!! 

Can't wait to read on to the next book! 

4 stars

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this copy for review. 

I Loved You In Another Life by David Arnold

Pages: 339 

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 10th of October 2023 

A sweeping romantic novel from NYT bestselling author David Arnold about the power of soulmates and love

Evan Taft has plans. Take a gap year in Alaska, make sure his brother and single mother are taken care of, and continue therapy to process his father's departure. But after his mum's unexpected cancer diagnosis, and as Evan's plans begin to fade, he hears something - a song no one else can hear, the voice of a mysterious singer ...

Shosh Bell has dreams. A high school theatre legend, she's headed to performing arts college in LA, a star on the rise. But when a drunk driver takes her sister's life, that star fades to black. All that remains is a void - and a soft voice singing in her ear ...

Over it all, transcending time and space, a celestial bird brings strangers from an escaped murderer in 19th century Paris, to a Norwegian cosmonaut in low-earth orbit, something is happening that began long ago, and will long outlast Evan and Shosh.

 I LOVED YOU IN ANOTHER LIFE explores the history of love, and how some souls are meant for each other - yesterday, today, forever.

What I Have to Say 

I enjoyed reading this, but it didn't take my breath away. I liked the characters, the story was sweet with all the flashbacks to their past lives, but I don't know, I expected more. 

The thing that I think I liked most about this was how much it normalised therapy. Evan has a therapist in the book and quite a few chapters were set in his appointments talking about various things that were happening. It felt refreshing in the way that it wasn't such a big thing, it was just an ordinary part of his life. As it should be! 

I also liked how some of the flashbacks to the past lives showed gay relationships. Although I feel that more could have been done with the different types of people shown in these bits, it was good to see a nod to the LGBTQ+ community. 

I definitely liked this book, but ultimately I don't think it will be one that stays with me. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for Providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

Pages: 368 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's UK 

Released: 4th of October 2023 

Winner takes all: a cutthroat competition for the world’s best thief and the girl who must beat the odds to save her parents’ lives. 

Rosalyn Quest was raised by a legendary family of thieves with one rule: trust no one. Trapped in a glamorous world of riches and double-crosses, she is about to escape the family business when her parents are kidnapped.  Her only chance to save them is to win the Thieves’ Gambit – a deadly competition for the world’s up-and-coming thieves, where the victor is granted one wish.  To win, she must outwit all of her backstabbing competitors, including her archnemesis. But can she take victory from the handsome, charming boy who makes a play for her heart? The one who might be hiding the most dangerous secret of all?

The most highly-anticipated YA launch of the year from Kayvion Lewis and soon to be a major movie, are you ready to join the Thieves' Gambit?

What I Have to Say 

A cut-throat deadly competition full of danger and betrayal, but make it a heist? I'm in! I loved a good heist book and this was a very good heist book. It was also really easy to read and just sink into and enjoy. I could hear the main character's voice in my head really clearly. 

I loved the characters and the found family vibe I got from it. Even though I knew that none of the characters could be trusted, I was glad that Ross found some illusion of friendship throughout the book. I didn't think much of her family, so it was really satisfying that she found something outside of that. 

And that ending. I expected some twists and turns, but this was something else. I was watching the percentage I had left to read go down and down and getting very worried! It honestly kept me hooked right up until the very last line. 

5 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Pages: 425

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin 

Released: 14th of May 2019 

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which the First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends...

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

What I Have to Say 

I can't believe I waited this long to read this, it was so cute. I loved the characters and the romance so much. I kept up with most of the American politics in the way it was relative to the story, though I can't say I didn't get a bit confused by it at times. 

As this was an American writing about a British prince, the Britishness was sometimes overexaggerated. I didn't find it too bad for most of it as Henry is a stuffy old prince and more likely to speak in an overly posh manner. But the one bit that did make me cringe was when he used the word "innit" which is very much not a word that someone as posh as Henry would ever used. We definitely need to educate Americans on that word because I hear it too much in American fiction. 

I loved Alex's family, especially June and Nora who were very much my kind of characters. And the friend group widening to include Henry's friend and sister was very endearing. There was such a strong sense of friendship and family in this book. 

Read for fake friendship, dashing royalty and a lot of gayness. 

5 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (audiobook)

Pages: 236 

Publisher: Quercus 

Released: 7th of September 2023 

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

What I Have to Say 

This is my second time reviewing this book. The first review can be found here. 

I wanted to reread this book so when I saw the audiobook up for request, I jumped at the chance. I feel like a lot has changed since my first read. I wasn't so swept up in the humour and the comfort of it. I still think it's written in a very light-hearted style but man this one plays with your emotions. 

I liked the narrator a lot, she had a good voice for the character and her terrible accents for the English characters didn't grate on me as much as I thought they would at the start. I don't have much to say about her beyond that, but I would definitely read another book narrated by her. 

One thing I did pick up on, which while being a bit of a mistake, I find really funny is the times in the book. At the start of each chapter the time is said in each time zone that the book takes place in, but while it's summer in the book and therefore the British time should be in BST, it's not, it's written in GMT. 

I maintain my comment from the earlier review that this book would be absolutely perfect for a plane ride. 

5 stars 

My thanks got to Quercus and Netgalley for providing me with a gifted copy of this audiobook to review.