Category: Reviews

Spoiler Free Review: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: Family Lore

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Pub. Date: August 1st 2023

Genre: Contemporary/Fiction/Latinx

Format: DRC

Publisher: Ecco

Pages: 371

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

One of my MOST highly anticipated reads of 2023 by one of my all time favorite authors, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! and since I’ve always listened to Acevedo’s books while reading along, I couldn’t break tradition. If you haven’t done so already, you should absolutely treat your ears to Acevedo’s narrative style and join the many readers who simply adore this author’s storytelling/voice. This is Acevedo’s first adult fiction debut and we follow the six women of the Marte family in past + present timelines between Santo Domingo and New York City. Sisters Flor, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila have gathered to organize a living wake for Flor. The Oldest of the sisters has always had a close relationship with death, experiencing premonitions at a very young age that predicted which family members were close to passing. After watching a documentary of a man having a living wake with his loved ones present, Flor decided she would have one for herself. This story is slow paced as we get to know the sisters and some of their offspring, cousins Ona and Yadi also have chapters of their own as they navigate their mother/aunts live funeral. 

There’s something comforting in reading one of Acevedo’s books and I believe it’s because family is always at their core. Also, as a Latina woman myself having grown up in a large family there is one universal truth and that is…everyone is deeply invested in everyone elses lives for better or worse. Matilde is dealing with a husband who is always having an affair and this time has taken his extra marital activities much further. Pastora is tired of seeing Matilde put up with her philandering husband and wants her to end her marriage. She’s also trying to get to the bottom of the reasoning behind Flor’s live wake. Camila is the youngest and most forgotten of the sisters and she’s grown tired of that. Flor’s daughter Ona is struggling with fertility issues and wanting more than anything to have a child with her husband. Pastora’s daughter Yadi has her world rocked when her boyfriend from her teenage years returns after having been in prison for some years. 

I found some of these women’s stories to be  more compelling than others but can appreciate what Acevedo set out to achieve. It was during the scenes that took place back in Santo Domingo where you can see where and why these ladies have unhealed generational trauma and wounds to heal. Although they’re all deeply woven with one another, six lives to follow can get chaotic and sometimes I found myself getting lost. I felt some women were better developed than others and this led to some blending in of voices and difficulty keeping the story lines straight. Even though we Know Camila is sick of being the forgotten one, I still felt she pretty much was forgotten in this story which seemed like a missed opportunity. If you enjoy reading slower paced stories with a strong focus on family dynamics paired with a unique storytelling voice, you can’t go wrong with Elizabeth Acevedo. 

Favorite POV’s: Matilde and Yadi

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Spoiler Free Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Title: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal (Las Leonas #2)

Author:Spoiler Free Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Pub. Date: May 30th 2023

Genre: Historical Romance/Latinx/LGBTQIA+

Format: DRC

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press

Pages: 368

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

First Impressions: Manuela + Corazón are on my shelf of forever loved characters! It’s going to be tough choosing a favorite Leona 🌈

I’ll start this review off by saying Adriana Herrera can do no wrong in this corner of the interwebz! I simply love this author to pieces! This time around we get introduced to Manuela who has to be hands down the liveliest character I’ve come across on the page. She’s so much fun and not even the fact that she is set to enter a loveless marriage to a wealthy business man in Venezuela can deter her from her last adventure in Paris. It’s 1889 and Paris is having its Exposition Universelle, Manuela who is also an artist plans a trip with her two Leona besties. Her mission is simple: to get into the naughtiest of troubles, preferably with a beautiful woman. Manuela is marrying because it’s what will continue to allow her family to live a life of luxury but her truth is that she is attracted to women. On her trip to Paris, Manuela meets the sexy and enigmatic Corazon Kempf Bristol the Duchess of Sundridge while visiting one of the pleasure clubs. Their attraction is instant but they walk away not knowing whether they’d meet again…

Corazon Kempf Bristol has spent some time in Paris making a name for herself as an intimidating yet well respected businesswoman amongst mostly white male counterparts.She has been keeping her name out of any scandalous headlines after a romantic affair that saw her exit London in a less than graceful manner. Determined to acquire a piece of land that would allow the completion of a railroad system, Cora arranges to meet with the owner of that land in hopes of convincing them to sell. When she discovers Manuela to be the owner and hears her proposal, she knows she’s headed for a world of trouble but it’s too late because Manuela has fully captivated her. Manuela wants Cora to give her a summer in Paris filled with passion and escapism in exchange for the sale of her land. Try as she might to resist Manuela’s flirtations and tempting invitations, she simply cannot.

I’m torn between Luz Alana Heith-Benzan from A Caribbean Heiress in Paris and our Leona in this story, Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan! I don’t think I can choose because I love them for very different reasons and that just speaks to how well crafted/developed Adriana Herrera writes her leading ladies. This was fun, flirty, steamy and also full of depth. Manuela thinks she’s committed to this life back in Venezuela and just needs to get one more adventure out of her system before getting married. She never once considered the possibility of living her truth and finding others who have pursued their passion and made a life for themselves. She creates paintings that up until this trip haven’t really received the praise they deserved. In a city where the rules are more lax, we see Manuela give into the deepest of her desires and allow herself to imagine what if…

If I could write an entire appreciation post for Corazon I would but I’d be here all day, that woman exudes confidence. She’s hot even when she’s trying to remain calm cool and collected. I think the harder she tries, the hotter she is SMH! Adriana Herrera is giving us the empowered female characters we need. While reading this book I felt all the warm familiar vibes you get when you have a full cast of characters that vibe off each other, a good time was had! It also doesn’t hurt that those steamy scenes were 10/10 perfection! Don’t think you can pick this one up in public and not get a case of blushed cheeks haha! I’m beyond ready for our next Leona, my curiosity is piqued and if it means more time with my faves making appearances then I’m all in. 

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Spoiler Free Review: The Haunting Of Alejandra by V. Castro

Title: The Haunting Of Alejandra

Author: V. Castro

Pub. Date: April 18th 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction/Horror/Retelling

Format: DRC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 272 / 10hrs + 13 min 🎧

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

When we meet Alejandra she is a wife and a mother living her days feeling invisible, under appreciated and unloved. She’s in a dark place and any moment of solace she comes across allows her the introspection that otherwise she doesn’t have time for. Mother to three children, Alejandra struggles with the feelings she’s having towards motherhood as a whole. Her third child was unexpected after a tubal ligation didn’t prevent her pregnancy.  She’s not exactly in a loving marriage, her husband dismisses her cries for help and feels she should be satisfied in the life he has provided her with. Her adoptive parents (father) were just as dismissive of her struggles with mental health while growing up, as her husband is now. No one seems to really understand or want to acknowledge that Alejandra is not ok and is struggling daily with some dark thoughts. Soon enough she starts seeing a woman crying  in ragged white gown, always catching glimpses as she leaves or enters a room. When her daughter mentions having seen the woman in white to a teacher, Alejandra is called in to discuss these dreams her child is having. This gives Alejandra the push she needs to seek therapy for herself.

In what feels like kismet, her therapist is also a Mexican Curandera and she knows all about the legend of La Llorona. As she begins to delve deeper into her family history, track down her biological mother and get in touch with her roots and spirituality, Alejandra discovers some truths. She is not alone in her struggles, the women in her lineage have all been haunted by La Llorona who is an angry vengeful mother who killed her own children. La Llorona has appeared to all of the women in her family and pushed them into dark places in an attempt to take them with her. This is one generational curse Alejandra will need help with breaking before she too has a tragic ending.

This was an audiobook read although I was also very lucky to have been granted a DRC from Del Rey. Immediately when I heard Alejandra’s voice narrated my first thoughts were this woman is tired. This woman is haunted. The bathtub scene in the first few pages where she’s just trying to get a few more minutes alone but her very young children need her and her husband is not trying to help was tough. Readers should really take care to look into content warnings, suicide ideation is prominent as is depression. This story is told in alternate timelines between present day Alejandra’s POV and one of her ancestors. Personally, I did find myself wanting to spend more time in the chapters told by her ancestor who was waging her own war against the patriarchy and reclaiming her body. These chapters have a different tone overall and gave me the break I needed from being in Alejandra’s main story line.

I appreciated how learning of her ancestors gave Alejandra the motivation to take the reigns in her own life. The road to this discovery however is heavy with the thoughts of a woman who is close to losing her mind. It was interesting to see the way V. Castro wove in themes of body autonomy or lack thereof for all of the women being haunted by La Llorona. I was expecting this story to lean in a bit more into the horror vibes tied to the Mexican folklore of La Llorona. We still get a healthy dose of the legendary woman in white but it’s definitely taken up a notch towards the end of the book. This could just be me since I do not watch horror movies AT ALL but do enjoy reading the genre, so I was surprised when I didn’t really find myself spooked whenever I was reading this story. I’d recommend The Haunting Of Alejandra to readers who enjoy psychological horror, motherhood explored, folklore, spirituality, and stories of breaking generational curses.

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Spoiler Free Review: Lone Women by Victor Lavalle

Title: Lone Women

Author: Victor Lavalle

Pub. Date: March 28th 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Random House/One World

Pages: 285

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

This is turning out to be my year of reading dark atmospheric books in the Summer and so far I’m loving it. Victor Lavalle’s feminist tale of a woman traveling to Montana with nothing but an old steam trunk builds the tension and mystery from the very first page. We meet Adelaide Henry minutes before setting her house on fire with her parents in it. Immediately I’m thinking will she prove to be an unreliable narrator orrrrr did this really just happen? and what could possibly motivate her to do this?

The year is 1915 and the United States is offering homesteading opportunities to groups otherwise denied a chance to own home/land in order to develop the frontier. Adelaide finds and advertisement with an offer and begins her travels which lead her to an area in Montana with other single women. She was looking to keep a low profile after leaving her burning childhood home but what she found was others like her looking to keep their secrets buried. Adelaide’s steamer trunk is padlocked, we don’t know what’s in it. We just know that Adelaide is attached to whatever is in it and that if it were to get out, it would most likely spell trouble for whoever is around it. The mystery of the trunk paired with the opening pages make it hard to put this story down for too long.

WHAT’S IN THE TRUNK ADELAIDE?

Victor Lavalle’s books have always been on my radar so when the DRC widget showed up in my inbox, I was hyped up. That being said, I took some time to gather my thoughts for a review simply because I wanted to make sure I got the vibe right. Slow paced and atmospheric this tale will have you sitting in your thoughts and doubting whether you can trust our MC. I found myself going back and forth on Adelaide’s motives and just plain theorizing. I also had a chuckle or two over her desire to be left alone but also quietly enjoying the small group of women that like it or not are all in her business…this would 100% be me! c’mon cold Montana with its natural challenges couldn’t have been easy, it makes sense they’d want to look out for one another. That the group also included another black woman who helped her with her hair was truly a heartwarming moment. The importance of community specifically between women is a theme we see woven throughout. Our MC had that in her small childhood community amongst other black families, the sense of loss and disconnect is deeply conveyed.

Recommended for:

📜 Book Lovers who crave a Historical Fiction with horror in the mix

⚒️ Slow paced reads

📜 Character driven stories

⚒️ Atmosphere over plot

📜 Lastly, bad ass women holding it down and staking their claim on the land

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Spoiler Free Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Spoiler Free Review: Love, Theoretically

Author:Ali Hazelwood

Pub. Date: June 13th 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC + ALC

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

Pages: 389/12hrs  33 min

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☆☆ARC + AlC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER, netgalley, and librofm IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

*•.¸♡ “𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝” ♡¸.•*

Theoretical Physicist Elsie Hannaway is an adjunct professor hoping to make tenure in order to pay her bills and get medical insurance. Her day job(s) don’t cut it despite what her family thinks and as a type 1 Diabetic, she doesn’t have the privilege of slumming it. Elsie and her quirky roommate Cece have joined a fake dating site which works for Elsie who is comfortable as a people pleaser. She learns her client and their situation in order to convert herself into whomever they need her to be at family functions, parties, or corporate events. This all changes when her favorite client’s older brother begins to suspect that something just isn’t right, he’s not buying their relationship and begins to press Elsie. The hate to love trope is activated and we see Jack Smith truly get under Elsie’s skin simply for seeing right through to her. Navigating family functions becomes a game of cat and mouse as they circle one another. Elsie tries to avoid getting caught not being able to answer questions about her client aka Jack’s younger brother. She’s sold everyone the story of her being a Librarian with no mention of what her career actually is but things take a turn and she soon sees herself exposed.

Elsie is about to begin an intense interview process for a highly coveted professor gig at MIT when she finds out that Jack Smith is on the committee in charge of hiring the candidate to fill the position. They are BOTH taken by surprise when they lay eyes on eachother and Jack now has more reason to believe his brother is dating someone he should not trust. Elsie who takes the privacy of her clients very seriously can’t speak freely so she decides to focus on impressing the rest of the board and getting the job.

I first started reading my DRC of this book when I decided to switch to the audiobook I downloaded as an ALC from Libro.FM, best decision I could’ve made! the narrator did their thing and I was fully engaged laughing, smiling and or grinning throughout the story. Having read all other books by Ali Hazelwood and thoroughly enjoyed them, I was really hoping this one didn’t follow the formula of its predecessors. Happy to report that certain things were scaled back a bit (obsessive ogling of male love interest’s body) and new themes were explored. Also, THIS is actually a hate-to-love! not a 5 second I thought I didn’t like you but really do love you type story. The first 32% of the book is cat & mouse and I enjoyed every minute of it. As a Diabetic myself, it was also cool to see it not being thrown around like a judgment call or joke. Our MC has type 1, she was born with it and brings to light the reality of just how expensive it is to be insulin resistant. On the academia front the author goes more in depth with the inner politics that have shaped STEM to be a field dominated by those who are cis white males. We see more women side characters in STEM who wish to see others also join the field and balance out the odds. I found the inner workings to be interesting, especially when the relationship between student and mentor is explored. The fact that not all mentors can be trusted drives home the point that the odds are def stacked high for the women interested in this field.

The ROMANCE my loves! steamy AF and fun! Jack is all about pleasing Elsie who has made a whole side hustle out of people pleasing. She doesn’t know how to be cared for and her frustration at not being able to figure out what Jack wants/needs is real. That last 30% of the book was LOTS of sexual tension and exploration, not for the faint of heart haha! I’ll say it here, Love Theoretically is better than Love On The Brain 🤷🏻‍♀️ and for those who love seeing their faves pop up in later books, I won’t say which couple but it is my fave duo who make an appearance! 💞

🔬🧪💞
*•.¸♡ ωнαт ι ℓσνє∂ ♡¸.•*
🧪Women in STEM
🔬Hate-to-Love that’s believable 🧪Diabetic female lead bringing awareness to the steep price tag on insulin/Glucometer
🔬ACE Representation from a side character
🔬Academic settings/inner politics of Academia
🧪discussion on post grad financial challenges
🔬Steamy slow burn romance/sex scenes

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Spoiler Free Review: Blood Debts by Terry J benton-Walker

Title: Blood Debts

Author: Terry J. Benton-Walker

Pub. Date: April 4th 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Tor Teen

Pages: 416

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

New Orleans is where this story begins, the city is rife with tension between the magical and non-magical communities. We follow 16 year old twins Christina and Clementine in dual POV as they learn of their family’s painful history. Thirty years ago their grandmother was accused of murder, removed from the throne as queen and lynched alongside her husband, the twins grandfather. Flash forward to present day where Chris and Clem have recently lost their father leaving them to look after their sick mother. Or so they thought. When a voodoo doll is found under their mother’s bed, they realize they’re the target of the same magical council who dethroned their grandmother and a war for the throne is on the horizon. Told in dual POV this is a YA Fantasy centered around the Trudeau family and their generational magic. There are some mystery elements that play into the overall arc as we see Christina search for answers to her family’s tragic past and present day. Who is trying to kill their mother? did a spell Christina cast indirectly cause their father’s death? will Christina ever practice magic again? will the crown ever return to its rightful heir in the Trudeau family?

What I Loved? the strong presence of the twins elders, grief explored, necromancy, queer main character and side characters, and last but not least Clementine’s POV. I absolutely LOVED being in Clem’s mind who is loving, hopeful and has a strong desire to unite his family and help them get past their differences. This is a spoiler free review so I won’t go into detail but Clem’s story line definitely broke my heart and got me to shed some tears. It’s why I am absolutely picking up the follow-up Blood justice next Spring 2024. 

What I wanted? More of the city/setting, it’s New Orleans only because it’s stated but it’s not really shown. More of their mother’s POV, after all she is the rightful heir to the throne, lastly a slightly less morose Chris. She’s a force to be reckoned with and her powers are hinted at having the potential to be huge but she lives in perpetual guilt until about the last 10% of the book. That being said, I have a ton of respect for Christina who has her boundaries set firmly in place. Non-consent is discussed when magic is used for a love spell, seeing Chris firmly oppose this was one of those moments that stand-out and give you insight to her character. We also get introduced to a few side characters, some like the necromancer are very interesting. I’d love to see them explored more in the next book, especially because it was giving Frankenstein vibes and that is one my all time favorite classics. Given that the last 20% of the book was fast paced, violent and bloody…I predict Blood Justice will be delivered swiftly and mercilessly. High hopes from this Book Lover 🤞🏽

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Spoiler Free Review: A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Title: A House With Good Bones

Author:T. Kingfisher

Pub. Date: March 28th 2023

Genre: Gothic Horror/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Tor Nightfire

Pages: 247

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

╰☆☆ “𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.” ☆☆╮

This is now my second T.Kingfisher (the first was Nettle & Bone) and I’m quickly surmising that this author can’t be boxed into just one genre. Genre blending authors have all my respect (think Silvia Moreno-Garcia), if done well you just know you’re in for a wild ride. This southern Gothic Paranormal story is centered around a house that seems to be haunted by our MC’s racist grandmother. Sam Montgomery is an entomologist returning home to visit her mom in North Carolina, her brother has given her the heads up that their mom is acting a little funny. When she arrives, she isn’t met by the warm wallpaper and cozy vibes her mother is known for. Instead, she sees plain white walls and finds a jittery version of her mom who startles easily and can’t stop looking over her shoulder. One thing hasn’t changed, her grandmothers prize-winning rose bushes. However, Sam’s whole life is the study of insects and what she doesn’t see in her mother’s garden is a single bug in site. With enough red flags to get her going, Sam begins digging for answers all the while noticing the crows circling the house at all hours of the day.

This one is a bit slow paced up until the 60% mark at which point you realize that it’s intentional. I don’t think I would’ve been as genuinely creeped out for Sam and her mother if it weren’t for how Kingfisher slowly makes the haunting seem real. I actually stopped my read overall since it was the book I chose to take with me to the mountains and I kid you not, I did not sleep well that night startling at every single creak of the wood floors. The ambiance in the book is perfection and our MC is comes across as relatable, easily someone you’d know in real life. She’s witty, funny and has a pretty cool relationship with her mom. All Sam wanted to do was come home with a box of wine and spend time with her mom on the couch solving murder mysteries on tv. What she gets instead is a haunted house and a slew of paranormal encounters thanks to the racist grandmother who has a tight grip on the house and her mom. The last 40% of the book revs up the paranormal aspects and the revelations will make your skin crawl. I honestly feel this is one author that has written books for every reader, I’m enjoying making my way through their backlist. A dedicated post ranking my favorites is definitely in the future.

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Spoiler Free Review: Ana María AND The Fox (A Luna Sisters Novel)

Title: Ana Maria And The Fox

Author:Liana De La Rosa

Pub. Date: April 4th 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Latinx

Format: eARC + audiobook

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352/10 hours + 43 minutes

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

This Latinx Victorian era slow-burn Historical Romance follows Ana Maria Luna’s arrival in London alongside sisters Isabel and Gaby. The Heiress and her sisters have been shipped off by their father during the French occupation of Mexico to seek refuge with their uncle Arturo in London. Their domineering and controlling father has already arranged Ana Maria’s marriage upon her return but in the mean time gives them instructions to keep a very low profile and their family name/affiliation a secret. Uncle Arturo has other plans for the Luna sisters, he sees an opportunity to help Mexico by having them act as ambassadors. By winning over the British peoples love and admiration, Arturo hopes they can rally their support to oust the French from Mexico. For Ana and her sisters this is the first time they’ve experienced freedom from their father’s control. They all have a sense of duty to their mother country and are willing to socialize with politicians and the elite in hopes of gaining favor to their cause.

Gideon Fox is your classic grump at a distance, he’s a man of Parliament with an agenda of his own. He’s the son of a slave woman who has had to work very hard to get to where he is now in a society where the color of his skin marks him an outsider. Gideon however has one goal he is working very hard towards, securing the votes he needs to eliminate the Transatlantic slave trade. This is his life’s purpose and all is on track until he meets Ana Maria on the Ballroom floor. He’s not one to easily get distracted but there’s something undeniably intriguing about the oldest sister who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s beautiful and alluring that even while trying to minimize their interactions he quickly realizes that there isn’t a room Ana Maria walks into where everyone isn’t instantly drawn to her including himself.

Book Lovers if a slow burn romance with a meaty historical subplot is your thing then Ana Maria and The Fox is here to deliver! Our leads are undeniably attracted to each other which we see when Ana slips up and compliments some body part or other while Gideon silently yearns for Ana every time he hears her laugh. I had myself a good giggle whenever Ana tried and failed to get her mind off how attractive Mr. Fox is, this is the type of girl you want in on your girls night! loved her! Our girl knows that she does NOT want to back home and be married off only to be treated like cattle. Ana seizes the opportunity to carve out a new life path for herself in London. Although the Luna sisters miss their homeland dearly, it isn’t safe for the to return while it’s under french occupation.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ana and Gideon’s story because of how well they complimented each other mentally. They each have Philanthropic mindsets and it was nice seeing how they listened to one another and truly supported each others cause. Above all they understood that neither would be sidetracked and neither wanted the other to put their goals to the side. This is a ship I can get behind! If you enjoyed Adriana Hererra’s A Caribbean Heiress In Paris, you may slo find yourself enjoying this Latinx Historical Romance. I’m looking forward to reading the other Luna sister’s story arcs, fellow book loving sister Isabel seems to be the next one *fingers crossed*

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Spoiler Free Review: Take The Lead by Alexis Daria

Title: Take The Lead

Author: Alexis Daria

Pub. Date: Re-Published on February 14th 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Latinx

Format: eARC + audiobook

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Pages: 368/11 hours + 10 minutes

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

Gina Morales has BIG dreams when she hops on a seaplane to Alaska to meet her partner in the next season of The Dance Off. In the four season of being a contestant on the show, she has yet to make it to the finals. She’s hoping to get paired with an Olympian who is agile and can easily learn the choreography. Who she meets when they dock in Alaska is not what she expected. Tall Rugged Outdoorsman Stone Nielson signed up as a contestant for The Dance Off to help out his family but a dancer he is not. He does however have some experience with reality tv since his parents and siblings are known for their show based on outdoor living in the Alaska wilds. When these two meet and realize just how big the differences are in the lives they’re living, they question whether this can workout. To the shows producers, their differences are exactly what makes them the ideal dance couple to have a “Showmance.” A storyline to fee the public and get them invested in Gina and Stones on screen chemistry is a tried and tru way to boost up the ratings. Neither one wants to fake a romance but they both have a lot to lose if they don’t. For Gina, it’s her last shot at fame and really jump starting her career. It’s the reason why she left the Bronx and moved to L.A and she doesn’t want to throw in the towel just yet. For Stone who is hiding a family secret, this show can grant him the money he needs to help them. This may not be his comfort zone but he’s up for the challenge.

This was a tandem read between my eGalley copy and audiobook which may be the reason why I didn’t rate it a bit higher. It took me a bit to get into the narrators style but I’d say two hours in is when elements of the show started taking off and I started to get into the story. It’s fast paced with what can be called instalove but considering the whole setting is this episodic dance show, we get to see Gina and Stone’s romance develop along the way. This wouldn’t typically work for me but that’s because I’m just a slow burn girlie, I actually felt the instalove worked in this story because of its dance show theme. Alexis Daria did her thing with scene and dance descriptions that brought excitement to the page. The competition aspects were woven in perfectly and because some of the dances practiced/performed are sensual, our couple had a ton of close proximity moments where it was just 🔥🔥🔥

As a fellow Latinx woman I loved seeing Gina address the stigma attached to many Latinx women. How in the entertainment industry, Latinx women are often seen as spicy, feisty and seductive. Taking care of her image and maintaining her professionalism is something she takes seriously because of these stigmas. This is definitely a romance but first and foremost we get a strong goal oriented Latina who knows herself and what will make her happiest is this career she’s nurtured. Stone is also very true to his roots and Alaska is his home, we see him getting real with himself and redefining his wants/needs. I loved these two together, they’re polar opposites yet their differences compliment each other so well. If you love dancing, choreography, and high stakes competition with a big dose of close proximity/steamy scenes then pick this one up! 

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Spoiler Free Review: The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Title:  The Adventures Of Amina Al-Sirafi

Author: Shannon Chakraborty

Pub. Date: February 28th. 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Format: eARC

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 483

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

╰☆☆ “𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚗: 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍. 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍.” ☆☆╮

When I first heard we were getting a story with a middle aged single mother who was a renowned fearless Pirate…I smiled, nodded and paired it with a fist pump! We get a healthy balance of plot + character growth in this seafaring adventure full of excitement and world building. Admittedly the first 40% is a bit slow + that’s because our girl is in retirement! After several husbands, backstabbing rogues and an actual demon…she’s spending time with her child and mother on some remote island far away from all of the enemies she’s accumulated over the years as a Pirate in the Indian Ocean. When the mother of a former crew member finds her and pleads her case for aid in finding her kidnapped grandchild, Amina sets out to get the old gang back together again on her ship. Dalila, Majed, Tinbu, the Scribe and another character (I won’t mention their name as it is spoilery) make a phenomenal supporting cast. The queer representation felt organic and I personally would love a Tinbu novella *fingers crossed*

We follow Amina as she recruits her crew members back and it’s been 10 years, they’re all feeling a little worse for wear. That being said, they also share one thing in common and that’s that they miss the high seas/high stakes adventures that comes with Amina at the helm. This job also comes with a promised hefty pay-off, one that  can truly secure their retirement. In this world there are stories of Djinn and Gods/Goddesses and before venturing out on this last journey, that’s all they were to Amina…Just stories. The life of a Pirate has enough challenges but things get all the more interesting when those stories filled with magical beings become your reality. 

Slow to start while the troops are being rallied, This is one you just have to trust that you’re in for a good time. I thoroughly enjoyed Amina seeking out each of her crew members out from their hidey holes (haha!) because it provided the opportunity for their backstory. This led to each crew member being well fleshed out and easily imagined with personalities that are quite distinct from one another. Amina is at the very start telling her tale to a scribe and with that come challenges to decisions she made that probably weren’t the best. That is where the humor shines and we get GRADE A SNARK! Amina dishes it out and I ate it up! In fact I’ve heard that the audiobook narration really delivers on those one liners our girl Amina was quipping. I will absolutely be doing a tandem read with the audiobook when it’s time for a re-read. Also, as a Fantasy reader I love jumping into a freshly made up magic system and setting like the rest of us. However, I have found that I enjoy a Fantasy ten times more when it draws inspiration from History or recreates it as best possible. In the preface, Chakraborty states that she tried to stay true to the history of the 12th century Islamic societies of the northwestern Indian Ocean but it’s still Fiction. I loved seeing the representation of various religious beliefs in her characters, religion as a whole is an important theme in this story. Amina is a Muslim woman trying to get back on track with her religion and acknowledges where she falls short. Her crew members have their own differing religious beliefs and we see Amina try and respectfully understand theirs as they respect her own. It truly was beautiful to see this found family not only co-exist with one another but also honor each other’s beliefs. I am eagerly anticipating another adventure with Amina and her crew!

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