Queen of Shifting Sands: A Book Review

This book has all the elements of a fantasy I love: a desert setting, forced-proximity romance, secrets to uncover, hidden identity, and political tension. And have you seen the cover?! It's no surprise that this was one of my most anticipated releases this year. 

Right away, this book starts out with a ton of tension. Lystra's whole world turns upside down, and I appreciated her journey with feeling her grief but also leaning on her strength for the good of her people. I love loyal, strong characters. Elerek's world also turns upside down, and I love his underdog story. I also appreciate how different he is from other male main characters in other books with being in a wheelchair and being untouchable from his curse. His trials add a deeper layer of complexity to the plot and the romance. 

Overall, I think this is a great debut. The tension did drag a bit in the middle, and I do wish there was more romance (Elerek being untouchable did not help the romance lol). I hope there's more romance to come in the next book. Otherwise, I love the writing style, world building, and unique characters. I can't wait to see where the next book leads us, especially after that cliffhanger ending!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Whimsical Publishing, for the gifted ebook!

Releases March 12, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: fighting violence and death

A Feather So Black: A Book Review

What I loved most about this book is its atmosphere. It has a lot of One Dark Window vibes mixed with a similar plot with Swan Lake. I'm always on the lookout for a good Swan Lake retelling, so I loved that the plot centered around this! I also liked how all the characters had secrets. It gave the story some good tension. 

Unfortunately, I didn't love the pacing. Nothing much happened. The action scenes were few and far between. The pacing felt disjointed with the characters entering the fae world only once a month for a night, and then all they did was talk. And even with all the talking, I feel like there should have been more reveals and more clarity on the fae world and its history. I got too confused with the info dumps. 

As for the characters, I found Fia to be an interesting character who's battling a nature versus nurture aspect of herself. But I didn't like how her love triangle (maybe love square?) developed. I usually enjoy love triangles, but this one felt weird and awkward. Alas, this wasn't the book for me.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Orbit, for the arc!

Releases March 12, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, mild self harm, child abuse, child kidnapping, a few open door scenes

A Story Spun in Scarlet: A Book Review

No one is more surprised than I am. I really, really wanted to like this. I've heard such great things about Dugan's books, and almost everyone I know loves this book! I just didn't click with the writing style. There are tons of long-winded, flowery descriptions for even the most basic things. It repeatedly pulled me out of the story and put me to sleep a couple times. I also thought some of the sentence structure was really confusing, and I had to reread at times. I also struggled with the pacing of the action scenes. The stories told during the action gave me whiplash, and I had trouble switching from the story in italics to the characters' actions. As a result of struggling through the writing, I didn't feel any empathy towards the characters and their goals. 

Obviously, I am the odd one out with this book, so take my review for a grain of salt. I'm DNFing it for now.

A Knitter's Year: A Book Review

A Knitter's Year is without a doubt the prettiest knitting book I own. I love how the patterns are separated into seasons, making it super easy to find the style of pattern I want. The pictures are whimsical and lush, perfectly highlighting distinguishing features of each knit. The patterns seem to be clearly written as well.

I’ll update this review once I try a few patterns!

Thank you, Search Press, for the review copy!

This Could Be Us: A Book Review

I liked this one even more than Before I Let Go! The plot gets incredibly tense right away, with high stakes and an interesting set up with the enemy-like relationship of the main characters. I could barely put it down with all the plot and romantic tension!

I also appreciated the autism rep with Judah's sons, and Soledad's realistic relationship growth with her daughters through tough times. I can always count on Kennedy Ryan to explore tough subjects within realistic families and circumstances. And there's always an undercurrent of hope and trust and growing through hard times.

My only critique for this book is I got impatient with Soledad's growth. I appreciated her journey of self love in the beginning, but I felt like it carried on for a bit too long. This is just my opinion though!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Forever, for the arc!

Releases March 5, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: swearing, cheating, cancer, divorce, multiple open door

A Heart Sufficient: A Book Review

Whatever I was expecting for this book, I didn't expect the utter BEAUTY and DEPTH of this romance. Oh my goodness, my heart. This is one of the best romances I've ever read that shows true maturity, true growth, and the true meaning of love. I just want to give this book and its characters the biggest, warmest hug.

What I love most is the story's focus on the male POV. Even though we have Isolde's POV too, Tristan's growth is forefront, and being in his head through his villain phase and beyond is a true gift. I don't think I've ever read a romance with the series villain being a main character, but Nichole Van blew this story out of the water. I highly recommend reading her earlier books to get the full view of Tristan's past, all leading up to a beautiful end in A Heart Sufficient.

I'll always remember the beauty of this story, with the greatest character growth in a romance I've ever read. And the chemistry in Tristan and Isolde's romance is UNPARALLELED. Goosebumps all over my body. I will be rereading this book over and over again. It's a true masterpiece. 

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Nichole Van, for the arc!

Releases February 7, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: mild swearing, closed door

A Fate Inked in Blood: A Book Review

This book has ALL the Viking vibes! It reminded me a lot of the TV show Vikings with its Viking culture, battle scenes, and discussions about power and fate. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I love when the MC is the chosen one, and right away I wanted to root for Freya. I appreciated her character journey of trying to control her fate when so many difficult things happen to her. 

The romance in this is a slow-burn forbidden love, and I think it balances well with the epic plot. Both the romance and the plot have lots of twists and turns that held my attention, and I can't wait to see where the next book goes. 

I had some reservations about Freya as a character. Some of her decisions (or lack thereof) annoyed me. And I wanted more of an emotional-focused relationship with Bjorn, not just lust. But I think that relationship growth will come in the next book, and I sincerely hope Freya finds more strength and stubbornness too. 

Overall, this is an entertaining Viking fantasy, one that both Danielle L. Jensen's beloved readers and new readers alike will enjoy. Definitely give this one a try if you love Sky in the Deep, The Shadow of the Gods, and The First Girl Child.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Ballantine and Del Rey, for the arc!

Releases February 27, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: fighting violence and death, gore, sacrificing animals, swearing, several open door scenes