Book Review: Sugarcoated by Sarah Epstein

Title: Sugarcoated (Leftovers #1)
Author: Sarah Epstein
Genre: Romance; Young Adult
Publication Date: December 1st, 2021
Publisher: Fourteen Press
TW: Sexual Harassment of a minor; Cheating

Sophie’s sweet plan is about to get complicated.

Bad things come in threes, right? Apparently not for Sophie. It seems like everything in her life is turning sour. Her family’s crumbling, her creative spark has fizzled, and school’s unbearable now that her ex-boyfriend and best friend are sweet on each other.

So when Sophie lands a summer job at Seaside Candy Co, she doesn’t mind swapping beach days for lollipops and jellybeans. She has a plan: earn enough for a plane ticket to her dad in New Zealand and reboot her sixteenth year somewhere new.

But the Sweetest Store on the Coast soon becomes a mixed bag of complications. Like Simon, the buttoned-up work rival she can’t seem to get out of her head. Like trying to figure out if her boss’s extra attention is professional or inappropriate. And what exactly does a co-worker know about Sophie’s family that might just upend everything?

Rating

*A Thank you to BookSirens and the author for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I was in the mood for a little contemporary young adult and Sugarcoated immediately caught my eye. Honestly, I wanted a quick little book to lighten my mood and bring me back from a reading slump I had. Well this book, while a quick read, dealt with harder topics than I thought it had and that is not a bad thing. Epstein has a way of writing a story that, even with heavy hitting topics, it draws you in but doesn’t emotionally drain you. 

I really liked Sophie, she’s a typically teenager whose life isn’t doing so well right now, so she takes the initiative (albeit in a somewhat drastic way) to change it for the best. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really like enemies to lovers, I didn’t mind Simon and Sophie’s interactions. Maybe because they are teenagers and act like it? There are times where I felt a bit frustrated, this mostly had to do with Sophie’s family drama and her family basically keeping her in the dark. I did see where the plot was heading and I just knew things would go awful when Sophie found out. I do like the resolution, even though it is a bit open ended and it makes me curious for the second book in the series.

Overall, a pretty great YA novel.

Book Review: Creatures Most Vile by Chelsea Lauren

Title: Creatures Most Vile
Author: Chelsea Lauren
Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult
Publication Date: October 12th, 2021
Publisher: Zenith Publishing

Stalked by monsters in the woods and her past, Anora finds safety in the quiet comforts of her small town life.

It’s another ordinary day when she’s sent to a Guardian assessment designed to unleash rare supernatural abilities, until she blasts a tunnel of water across the room. Her coach calls her gift a blessing, but Anora knows it’s a death sentence. Now she must train as a Guardian and battle the very monsters that have tormented her entire life.

After being thrown into the arena with a clawed and cackling creature, Anora refuses to accept this new life. She appeals to the Commander and begs her trainers to let her go home. The more they refuse, the more Anora realizes this isn’t a training camp—it’s a prison and they will never let her leave. Now she must escape the camp before the Commander catches on, for if he does, he may turn out to be worse than the monsters lurking in the woods.

Rating

*A Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this, This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

The premise for this book is what really caught my eye as I was interested in seeing what the world of Creatures Most Vile contains. I really love world building Lauren has done and I was very interested in the fact that you couldn’t make noise or else it would attract the creatures, yet everyone still had to go about their day to day life, like attend school and shop for groceries. 

I got to say that Anora was very realistic, here is a girl who just wants to live a quiet normal life, but is suddenly has powers that forces her to change her life’s direction and become a Guardian. She is now torn away (and I mean that literally) from her life to start training, which combined with childhood trauma would drive anyone to their knees. I did sometimes get frustrated with Anora with some of the things she did and choices she made but I had to keep reminding myself that she is just a teenager thrust into something that is very, very unpleasant. I didn’t really like the romance or the love triangle this book was trying to have, but I am not a big fan of love triangles in general.

I do wish I knew why these creatures are here and where they came from, but I am hoping there is a second book that we can find out more, because Lauren has so much potential with this world. Another reason I hope there is a second book is because the ending really felt too open ended and felt like a cliff hanger with no real resolution.

Overall, a YA fantasy book whose world has a lot of potential.

Book Review: The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West

Title: The Bitterwine Oath
Author: Hannah West
Genre: Horror; Magic; Mystery; Witches; Young Adult
Publication Date: December 1st 2020
Publisher: Holiday House

San Solano, Texas, is a quaint town known for its charm, hospitality, and history of murder. Twice now, twelve men have been brutally killed, and no one knows who did it. A shadowy witch? A copycat killer? Or a man-hating murderess?

Eighteen-year-old Natalie Colter is sure that the rumors about her great-great-grandmother’s cult of wronged women are just gossip, but that doesn’t stop the true-crime writers and dark tourism bloggers from capitalizing on the town’s reputation. It’s an urban legend that’s hard to ignore, and it gets harder when Nat learns that the sisterhood is real. And magical. And they want her to join.

The more Nat learns of the Wardens’ supernatural history, the more she wonders about the real culprits behind the town’s ritualistic murders. Are the Wardens protecting San Solano from even darker forces? There are shadows in the woods, bones on the outskirts of town, and questions Nat needs answered.

But everything becomes more urgent when people start getting marked as new victims–including Levi Langford, the boy whose kiss haunted Nat for a year. With Levi in danger, doing nothing would be harder than fighting back.

Nat knows that no one is safe. Can she and the sisterhood stop the true evil from claiming their town?

Rating

*A Thank you to edelweiss + for allowing me to read this. This is my fair and honest review*

Due to the synopsis I had pretty high expectations for this book unfortunately it did not deliver. For me, the book just took way too long to start. I was about 33% in before anything remotely interesting happened. It was because of this that when the book had it’s interesting moments I was not as invested as I felt I should have been. 
This also took me way too long to read because I kept stopping and switching to other books that could hold my attention. I did not mind the characters but none of them really stood out to me too much. Natalie and Levi were a bit bland to me, but I did enjoy the “flashback” scenes and fictional book inserts. Surprisingly for a book about witchcraft not a lot of spells and magic until the end.

Overall, Not a bad book just not my Cup of tea, but it might be yours.

Book Review: The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo

Title: The Sweetest Remedy
Author: Jane Igharo
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books

Hannah Bailey has never known her father, the Nigerian entrepreneur who had a brief relationship with her white mother. Because of this, Hannah has always felt uncertain about part of her identity. When her father dies, she’s invited to Nigeria for the funeral. Though she wants to hate the man who abandoned her, she’s curious about who he was and where he was from. Searching for answers, Hannah boards a plane to Lagos, Nigeria.

In Banana Island, one of Nigeria’s most affluent areas, Hannah meets the Jolades, her late father’s prestigious family–some who accept her and some who think she doesn’t belong. The days leading up to the funeral are chaotic, but Hannah is soon shaped by secrets that unfold, a culture she never thought she would understand or appreciate, and a man who steals her heart and helps her to see herself in a new light.

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

 Hello Fellow Readers,

I was really excited to see that Igharo had another book coming out, since I really liked the Ties that Tether. So I pretty much jumped at the chance to read this. This book, like Igharo’s previous one, not only gives you a spicy romance but has a lot of other themes including family. The main character Hannah just recently lost her absentee father, a product of an affair she makes the decision to fly to Nigeria and meet her half siblings. She also meets the very sexy Lawrence who is single.

This book is much more than a romance, Igharo gives you a peak into the Jolades family. While Hannah is a main character each of her half siblings do have a POV as well as Lawrence. Despite the multiple POVs I was never lost on who was talking, each character had their own distinct voice and characteristics, admittedly some more than others.

 I did have a small problem with the romance as it seemed like instalove which did bother me a little. Also, some conflicts seemed a little cliche and I was able to guess a lot of the plot, which took away from it a little bit. I really loved Hannah though, she was very real and honest which endeared her to me. 

Overall, a solid book about finding family with a good romance thrown in.

Book Review: Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Title: Much Ado About You
Author: Samantha Young
Genre: Contemporary; Romance
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Berkley Publishing

At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling’s life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she’s passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There’s no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she’s drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can’t deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I really wanted to love this book, it seemed to check off a lot of my wants; Literature loving main character (Evie), small town feels and vibes, plus DOG! I thought it would have been a match made in romance heaven for me, but sadly I just couldn’t get into it. There was just one main problem. Evie. I just couldn’t click with her. 

At first I was sympathetic, she just got passed up for a promotion even though she probably deserved it (I hear you Evie!) She also gets stood up on a date, which is tough but is it enough to completely swear off men? No, especially when she has only been talking to the person and has never actually met them. Evie then makes a spontaneous trip to run a bookstore for a month in another country, yep we all need a change of scenery once in a while. This is understandable.

She then meets Roane when she saves his dog from being hit by a car. He’s sweet and funny and so very obviously into her but since she has sworn off guys…basically this is where I lost any connection with her. Any conflict that arose between her and Roane was of her own making, she was basically her own worse enemy. I was hoping for Evie to develop character grown but everything just felt so forced. At the end of the day this book just didn’t live up to what I hoped it would be.

Overall, not my cup of tea but it may be yours.

Book Review: When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Title: When We Were Infinite
Author: Kelly Loy Gilbert
Genre: Coming of Age, Contemporary; Romance; Young Adult
Publication Date: March 9th, 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuester
TW: Emotional & Physical Abuse; Suicide

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends — Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou — to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has — even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

This book is so much more than a coming of age young adult book, and explores so many themes that I’m surprised they all fit into this book. I wish I read this book as a teenager or at least very early adulthood but since I am much older than the target audience it didn’t make as big as an impact as it should. This does not mean that the book is bad, quite the opposite actually.

Gilbert has a magical way of making you feel everything that Beth (the main character) is feeling from the very beginning which sucks you in. Considering the contents of the book and being so invested in the emotions of Beth will make some parts very hard to read and get through for some readers. They were times however that I found Beth to be a bit irritating, not sure if that was the adult in me but certain actions or times (especially around her mother) which made me want to reach in a pull her out to explain that she should stop. I had remind myself multiple times that Beth is just a teenager and combined with her neglectful father, picking a college, and being faced with what’s going on in Jason’s life, this is a very tumultuous time in her life. She is not always going to make the most logical decisions and what may seems obvious to us won’t be for a teenage girl who has no reason to rely on anyone but her friends. 

 Overall, this is a very powerful book.

Book Review: Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

Title: Ink & Sigil
Author: Kevin Hearne
Genre: Magic; Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Publisher: Del Rey Books

Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails – and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with magically enchanted ink and he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheons, especially the Fae.

But he is also cursed. Anyone who hears his voice will begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for Al, so he can only communicate through the written word or speech apps. And his apprentices keep dying in peculiar freak accidents. As his personal life crumbles around him, he devotes his life to his work, all the while trying to crack the secret of his curse.

But when his latest apprentice, Gordie, turns up dead in his Glasgow flat, Al discovers evidence that Gordie was living a secret life of crime. Now Al is forced to play detective – while avoiding actual detectives who are wondering why death seems to always follow Al. Investigating his apprentice’s death will take him through Scotland’s magical underworld, and he’ll need the help of a mischievous hobgoblin if he’s to survive.

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for a honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Reader,

First of all, let me just say that you don’t have to be well versed in the Iron Druid Chronicles series to be able to enjoy Ink & Sigil. Does it help? Yes, nit while it takes place in the same world it can be read as a standalone. It’s been a long time since I have read a book where the protagonist is a senior citizen, which is also true about fantasy reads.

Al, was an absolute sweetheart. He’s been through so much, that it’s a little heartbreaking, but also makes him think through his choices rather than let his emotions guide him. I also particularly enjoyed those around him and with names like Saxon Codpiece, Buck Foi, and Gladys who has seen some shite, who wouldn’t? Nadia was my favorite by far and while she doesn’t have too much of an interesting name, she still kicks major ass and takes names.

I’ve always enjoyed Hearne’s writing in the Iron Druid books and I did like it but in Ink & Sigil I found the pacing a little slow. Also, everything with D.I. Munro seemed a little unnecessary, like it was only there to show off what Al can do. If this is a standalone it was great, but if it eventually becomes a series I wouldn’t mind as I would love to see more of Al and his merry band of misfits.

Overall, If you enjoy fae Urban Fantasy this is for you. 

Book Review: When We’re Thirty by Casey Dembowski

Title: When We’re Thirty
Author: Casey Dembowski
Genre: Contemporary; Romance
Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Two friends. One pact. The performance of their lives.

Hannah Abbott is stuck in a dead-end relationship and at a job she loves but that barely pays the bills. The four walls of her tiny New York City apartment have never seemed so small. She’s barely toasted her thirtieth birthday when her old college friend Will knocks on her door with an unexpected proposal.

Will Thorne never forgot the marriage pact he made with Hannah, but he also never imagined he’d be the one to initiate it. One ex-fiancée and an almost-career-ending mistake later, however, he finds himself outside Hannah’s door, on bended knee, to collect on their graduation-night pinky promise.

With both of their futures at stake, Hannah and Will take a leap of faith.

Now, all they have to do is convince their friends and family that they’re madly in love. As long as they follow the list of rules they’ve drafted, everything should go smoothly. Except Will has never been good with rules, and Hannah can’t stop overthinking the sleeping arrangements. Turning thirty has never been so promising.

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I went into this book expecting a slew of fake dating tropes and hi-jinx, but it became very apparent early on that this was not going to be the case. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed by this as fake dating is my favorite romance trope but for Will and Hannah it was known pretty much from the start that they wanted each other. 

This doesn’t mean that they didn’t have their fair share of hurdles like; scheming fathers, disapproving mothers, ex-fiances, and a brother betrayal. So, they already had their fair share of things going on. The one thing I can definitely say I did not like was the conflict, which could have been avoided had they just communicated with each other from the beginning. To me it seemed a bit ridiculous that it went on for so long. 

Overall, a pretty solid romance

Book Review: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

Title: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
Author: Crystal Maldonado
Genre: Coming of Age; Romance, Young Adult
Publication Date: February 2nd, 2021
Publisher: Holiday House

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS

Rating

*A Thank you to Edleweiss+ for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

Sorry for my absence this week but it’s been busy here for me. This weekend I had to move my library, and convert it to a nursery so it was a bit bittersweet. We also had to do a lot of spring cleaning and it’s a lot to do for being 6 months pregnant but it needs to be done. Anyway enjoy the review.

I was very excited to read this book, not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous but the story seems so relatable and Charlie was such a breath of fresh air. A nice, fun and (once again) relatable teenage. Of course, Charlie is self-conscious, this is due to her fitness and health obsessed mother who is constantly drawing attention to the food Charlie is eating and her weight. Charlie is also comparing herself to her best friend Amelia and a very pretty, athletic girl who is constantly being chased by boys (including Charlie’s crush). Plus, Charlie has never had a boyfriend much less never been kissed. 

What I loved about this story was that the romance was cute, but Maldonado gave equal time to Charlie’s friendship and focused, also, on the relationship with her mother. I love when authors are able to balance their characters and plot well. Maldonado’s writing is fun and easy, although I really did not like the argument between Amelia and Charlie which was the reason why Charlie had strife with Brian. Also, I felt we didn’t get too much in the way of closure with Charlie and her mother.

Overall, a very delightful coming-of-age story.

Anthology Review: A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: A Universe of Wishes
Edited by: Dhonielle Clayton
Authors: Samira Ahmed; Libba Bray; Zoraida Cordova; Tessa Gratton; Kwame Mbalia; Anna-Marie McLemore; Tochi Onyebuchi; Mark Oshiro; Natalie C. Parker; Rebecca Roanhorse; V.E. Schwab; Tara Sim; Nic Stone; Jenni Balch
Genre: Anthology; Fantasy; LGBT+, Short Stories; Young Adult
Publication Date: December 8, 2020
Publisher: Random House Children’s Book

In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I love to read anthology books, it’s easy for me to read a short story and put the book down to process before starting the next story which I love. Typically really good fantasy anthologies are hard to come by but I was amazed at some of the stories in this one. In only a couple of pages these authors managed to craft, amazing worlds with unique magic systems and characters that catch your eye.

Like most anthologies some stories you do invest a bit more into stories than others, a few times I found myself saying “I wish they would keep going” or “Aw why did they have to stop it there!”. This could be a good or bad thing depending on how you think. 
Overall A Delightful anthology.