Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Ladies of the House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Sense and Sensibility, set in contemporary Washington D.C. This novel explores themes of family, scandal, and societal expectations, drawing parallels to Austen’s work while presenting a fresh perspective. The Details The story revolves around the Richardson sisters, Daisy and Wallis, and their mother, Cricket. The family’s comfortable life is upended when…
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A Curse of Blood and Wolves
A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Curse of Blood and Wolves in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan presents itself as a dark and gripping fantasy tale, but unfortunately, it falls short of its ambitions. It leaves one feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. The Details One of the main issues with the novel is its lack of originality. The story follows the tired tropes of the fantasy genre without bringing anything new…
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These Feathered Flames
These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of These Feathered Flames in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist These Feathered Flames invites readers into a lush and magical world where elemental powers and complex relationships take center stage. This young adult fantasy weaves together themes of duty, sisterhood, and the enduring power of self-discovery. The Details The novel introduces readers to twin sisters, Asya and Izaveta, who possess opposing elemental abilities—fire and ice. Overy deftly explores the dynamics of their relationship, creating characters with depth and…
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The Cold is in Her Bones
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Cold Is in Her Bones in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale is a solid addition to the young adult fantasy genre. The novel, while engaging, falls into the familiar territory of fairy tale retellings and coming-of-age stories. With a foundation rooted in classic themes of curses, folklore, and self-discovery, the narrative builds a world that is both enchanting and ominous. The Details The characters are well-crafted, and the author successfully explores themes of isolation and the consequences of…
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The Code for Love and Heartbreak
The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of The Code for Love and Heartbreak in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist So, I have been staring at the computer screen for a good 20 minutes. I checked my Facebook three times. Trust me, I don’t have enough friends to see new content every time I log in. And I have checked my email so many times, I’m starting to feel really sad and lonely. Still, I have no clue how to write this…
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Brightly Burning
Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Gist I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am a sucker for space stories. Throw some young adult plots with a sprinkle of classic literature retelling and I’m a very happy reader. Brightly Burning is all that. It is a retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre…set in space with quite a bit of young adult drama. Yes, please! The Details As with the author’s other retelling (The Stars We Steal) I was excited trying to figure out what character was based on the characters in the original classic and also what changes were made to…
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The Wendy
The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky My rating: 2 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was really excited about this story and I thought it had a good beginning, but somewhere along the way it lost its path and me along with it. without further ado I will get to the main part of my review before I forget what I was going to say. The characters were interesting, to say the least, not interesting in a way that would hold the reader’s attention, but interesting as to their motivations for acting the way they…
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The Stars We Steal
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne My rating: 5 of 5 stars So, I read this book in two days. I was obsessed with it. I wanted to know what would happen, even though I was fully aware that this was a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Anyone, who has been following my reviews for the last year knows by now that I did my graduate thesis on Austen’s six major novels, which included Persuasion. It was never my favourite of the six, but I still loved it, nonetheless. So, to come across a retelling of Persuasion set in space had me intrigued from the start, because I do…
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The Raven’s Tale
The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winters My rating: 3 of 5 stars I finally had the chance to read Cat Winters’ new book The Raven’s Tale. I found it to be extraordinarily dark, making my skin crawl with every page. I don’t know much about Edgar Allen Poe. I had to analyze one of his shorter stories, Ligeia for my Gothic Literature course last fall, I read a manga version of The Tell Tale Heart and obviously saw The Simpsons version of The Raven many years ago, but Poe has always been a creator of dark tales that I could only stomach in very small dosages. And this comes from…
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Last of Her Name
Last of Her Name by Jessica Khoury My rating: 5 of 5 stars I had this book from the library probably almost two months before I had a chance to read it (I had the option of renewing it many times; the overdue fines would have been outrageous). I was not emotionally prepared for the story. Ever since the weather turned a bit warmer, I have been in a mood to read stories similar to Kaufmann and Spooner’s series Starbound, but had trouble finding stories with good world building and worthwhile plots and characters. Well, this was pure gold. Even now almost three weeks after finishing the book, I’m still…
