Reviews – Page 2 – LairOfBooks

December 2019 Monthly Wrap-Up & Book Haul

Yes…Yes I am popping up in your feed with my December Wrap-up & Haul 🙈It was a VERY hectic fast paced end of 2019 but I somehow still managed to read quite a lot along the way. Going into the New Year I will absolutely make it a goal here on the blog to wrap up the month in at the very least a fashionably late manner 😂 at most a week late *pinky promise*

December is my birthday month but as is expected, the Christmas rush is where it’s at haha! January is the month where you finally let out a huge sigh of relief for having made it through the holiday madness. I made great use of my Kindle on the go & also watched some new favorite series on Netflix. I didn’t draft up any end of year posts or resolutions instead opting to just allow the beginning of a New Year with hope. Hope for continued growth in all areas of my life (including this platform), embracing the new, and appreciating every moment of my journey 💜

Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra – ✨4 STARS ✨ (my review) I really enjoyed this modern take on Little Women more than I had anticipated. The March Sisters will suck you into their lives. You’l easily see yourself investing your time into flipping pages just to see how they manage whatever is thrown their way. I hope to see more from this author in the near future 🤞🏽

Mangos & Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera – ✨5 STARS✨ (my review) This LATINX novella based on a F/F romance was everything I never knew I needed & then some. Two very different Dominican Bakers head over to Scotland to participate in a Holiday Baking Challenge. Sparks fly & things gets VERY steamy in & out of the kitchen. I will read ANYTHING & EVERYTHING by this author 💜

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black – ✨5 STARS✨ (my review) I may have waited more than a year to read this book but it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I had a feeling this would be a favorite & I just couldn’t take it if it left me on a cliff hanger which it did. Thankful though to have waited & jumped right into the last installment soon after. I have no doubt in my mind that Holly Black is truly Fae & that no one can write Fae better than the Fae Queen herself.

The Queen Of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black – ✨5 STARS✨ (my review) The conclusion to this trilogy got 5 stars from me even though It truly wasn’t perfect. Mostly, I do feel this one could’ve benefited from being a bit longer. Everything seemed to be happening a bit too quick for my liking yet with that being said…it was a satisfying conclusion.

HARLEEN Vol 2 – ✨5 STARS✨ I don’t have a review written for HARLEEN but I HIGHLY recommend these for any HQ/Joker fans. Besides the fact that the artwork is STUNNING! the storyline itself is A+ if you’ve ever been fascinated or even curious about the descent of Harley from intern Psychologist to Lover/Right hand to Joker then these are a MUST read 🖤

Reverie by Ryan La Sala – ✨4 STARS ✨ (my review) Ahhh! this odd little gem of a book haha! I find that most who’ve read it either hate it or love it. I happen to have really enjoyed this one as a debut YA Fantasy from this author but it isn’t without saying it had plot issues. Ryan La Sala has convinced me of his skillZ & I’m really looking forward to see what he delivers next. A unique & vivid story like Reverie I have yet to read, this one definitely stands out in a good way.

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The Guinevere Deception | Children Of Virtue & Vengeance | House of Salt & Sorrows | Princess Jellyfish Volume 1 | HARLEEN Vol. 3

The Wives | The Secret History | Long Bright River

Its been years since I’ve watched a movie in a theatre at 3am, it happened & gahhh! it was a challenge haha! The fact that I managed to stay awake at that hour though speaks to my personal enjoyment of this flick. The storyline revolves around the truth behind Rey’s parents & her finalizing Jedi training to face Kylo Ren. We see some interesting turn of events & unexpected revelations. Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in my opinion, continues to be the stand out performance & I’m not just saying that cause he’s easy on the eyes haha! I really enjoy Star Wars movies but I can’t say I’m a hardcore fan like say my boyfriend. He felt this film was a big imporovement from The Last Jedi but still left some unanswered questions. All in all, it was a satisfactory conclusion to the Skywalker Saga.

ICONS Lily Tomlin & Jane Fonda have gifted us with 6 seasons of this wonderful series I cannot get enough of! We had Thelma & Louise in the 90’s & now we have Grace & Frankie. This odd couple friendship starts off after their husbands who happen to be business partners, sit them down & let them know after 20+ years of marriage that they’re Gay & in love with each other. They somehow end up moving in together & start a new chapter in their lives. This show is all about friendship, rediscovery, self love, self healing and the shedding of inhibitions. It’s about family & finding your new normal, it’s also beautifully Queer & inclusive. Grace & Frankie has been green lit for a 7th season which will be its last & although it makes me a little sad, I’m glad It found its way into my heart.

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Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten Most Recent Additions to My E-Reader

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This weeks topic is “The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf” which I’ve amended to those that I hauled to my e-reader cause they deserve some love too. I’ll admit some of these I already own physical copies to, but its just easier nowadays to read from my tablet. Ok, this list here is QUITE the mixed bag which pretty much speaks volumes on my undying love for mood reading. These also happen to be the books I’ll be using as palette cleansers as I make my way through my ARC spreadsheet, a lot of which are Fantasy.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman – Our MC works in a bookstore and is pretty much a happy introvert who thinks she’s an only child. When she finds out the father she never knew has passed away & that she’s one of many siblings, her whole life makes a huge turn. Add to this a unexpected romance with her trivia nemesis, I’m all IN!

Kushiel’s Dart (Phèdre’s trilogy #1) by Jacqueline Carey – I’ve heard SO much about this series & finally got my copy. It’s a dark sexy Fantasy where the MC is trained as both a spy & a courtesan. When she stumbles across a plot against her homeland, she sets out to save that which she loves.

“Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel’s Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.”

The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient #1) by Helen Hoang – this well loves contemporary is about a MC with Aspergers who hires a Vietnamese/Swedish professional to help her in all things dating & bedroom. This eventually turns into more & I’m really just way overdue to read this one.

The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang – The sequel to The Kiss Quotient cause lets face it, I will most likely fall in love with TKQ & crave this one! $1.99 on Kindle last time I checked (1/19/2020) is a steal. Following characters from TKQ, this time our MC is a Vietnamese Autistic guy who feels he’s incapable of loving after experiencing a loss. The MC’s mother travels to Vietname to see if she can find him a bride. The love interest is a Bi-racial (Vietnamese/White) single mom who is willing to take his mom up on her off to marry her son in hopes for a better life.

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite – a F/F Historical Romance that comes HIGHLY recommended by some of my closest bookish buddies. Here we follow Lucy who is hoping to get the job translating a groundbreaking French astronomy text by a deceased Scientist. Recently widowed, Catherine isn’t expecting to fall in love as Lucy spends her nights translating scientific text.

The Queens Of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton – A land drained of it’s magic by a mad King who Is obsessed with property is being circled by enemies who want control over its ideal port for trades. The King must choose an heir on the longest night of the year. His three daughters care not to leave this decision to rituals & instead choose to go to war. Having really enjoyed Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton, I’m really hoping to LOVE this one *fingers crossed*

GUAPA by Saleem Haddad – A coming of age story following a Gay man in a unnamed Arab country during much political and social upheaval. In the course of one night his whole life changes. Caught in bed with his lover by his Grandmother, our MC heads out only to find three of his closest friends to be missing. Ashamed to return home he sets out to find his missing loved ones which takes him throughout the countries seediest slums.

The Walflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare – It wasn’t until I sat down to draft this post that I realized this is book 3 in this series SMH! however, it does seem like it can be read on its own as a stand alone. This one features a wealthy ruthless MC who just wants his neighbor to clear out all of the furry animals she’s keeping next door. Lady Penelope Campion however, cannot truncates away any animal in need. She strikes a deal with the Duke, if he can find homes for all of her wounded charges the & only then will she clear out her home. THIS should be innneresting haha!

The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) by Evan Winter – “Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people’s only hope for survival.”—> This is an African inspired EPIC Fantasy I’ve heard good things about. I am ALWAYS looking for Diverse/Own Voices high Fantasy reads & so this was a MUST!

Shadow Frost (Shadow. Frost #1) by Coco M

“IN THE KINGDOM OF AXARIA, a darkness rises.

Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.
Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.
Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.

Not one has ever returned.” —>This is a YA Fantasy I caught wind of last year. Having heard it features a cast of very funny characters, that’s just about all I needed to know I’d give it a go.

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SMUTATHON WINTER 2020 READATHON WRAP-UP

What better way to start the New Year than with a little Smut? amiright? 🤗 #SMUTATHON is a Readathon hosted by RileyMarie & GingerReadsLainey where we read any & all things Romance/Smut. This round of #SMUTATHON ran from January 4th through January 11th 2020 & it was EVERYTHING I never knew I needed 🙌🏽 after having a mediocre reading year in 2018, this was a nice way to start 2020. This time around they included a Bingo Board with 9 challenges which I layered up on since reading 9 books in one week, personally would be very challenging.

The Loner’s Lady by Jesse Kane -✨ 3 STARS ✨ This was truly like nothing I’ve ever read before 🙈 a HUGE age gap romance where our female MC is 18 & traveling with her gay BFF to see his dad who he hasn’t told he’s gay. They pretend they’re dating each other because the 40+ year old dad is former military & quite intimidating. It wasn’t the age gap so much as how it all wrapped up that didn’t make this a winner for me. Also, the dad comes off as a bit primal #jussayin

The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz -✨ 5 STARS ✨ On the steam scale this one is a whole lot tamer than anything I read this week. It’s Gothic vibes were hella atmospheric, set in the 1960’s this one takes place in a all boys school. Our female MC gets into a car accident and ends up working as the new English teacher at the school. There’s a bit of mystery surrounding the school & its inhabitants I enjoyed unraveling. The whole English man look & accent also really worked for me ☺️ I’ve been recommended to read The Rose which is based on Greek Gods Mythology.

Grading Curves by Naima Simone – ✨ 4 STARS ✨ Naima Simone has made a true fan out of me! 🙌🏽 Good Lawd this steamy scenes had me all shades of red on my early morning train into work. The female MC walks into a tattoo parlor & ends up really hitting it off with the tattoo artist. Things get steamy & the next morning the male MC walks into the college classroom she’s teaching. My ONLY wish was that this was a smidge longer, the ending felt rushed. The writing however is legit off the meter steamy & sexy, LOVED IT!

The Kingmaker (All the King’s Men Duet #1) by Kennedy Ryan– ✨4.5 STARS✨ This author deserves all of the high praise they receive 🙌🏽 I got so much more than I expected from this story 💓This is a dual POV between our MC’s Lennix & Maxim who meet when Lennix is a underage activist protesting a pipeline that is being built on sacred Native American grounds. Maxim is the son of the man behind the pipeline however father & son share no common interests. We follow Lennix & Maxim through a span of time from teen years through Lennix’ 20’s & 30’s. I LOVE stories that span over time because we get to see growth in character & how life has shaped them in their adult lives. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written with a spotlight on such relevant hard hitting issues like the disappearance/murder of Native American women. The only reason I docked it half a star was because that ending was a bit left field & I’m still unsure how I feel about it but overall its’s a high quality read I’d recommend.

Beautiful Dreamer by Melissa Brayden – ✨ 5 STARS ✨ a F/F romance written for the stars! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book to pieces! a beachside dual POV story that left me wanting to leave the city & relocate in a small beach town where everyone wants to be your friend haha! We meet Elizabeth who is very friendly & outgoing, the town sweetheart who owns a odd job business she runs from her garage. Elizabeth is watching over Jill who has just experienced a life threatening car accident. She reaches out to Jill’s sister Devyn who is a BIG time real estate broker in Philadelphia in hopes she can get her to come out to Dreamer’s Bay. Devyn leaves Philly to be by Jill’s side & slowly starts to fall in love with Liz & the town she left behind after her High School graduation. Liz & Devyn are polar opposites but it’s their differences that make this romance work. Quirky, fun, heartwarming are just a few of the words that describe this read. Liz will forever be one of my favorite fictional characters 💓

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Book Releases for the First Half of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This weeks topic was a walk in the park cause I’m sure a lot of us have already started compiling & organizing our Goodreads shelves with 2020 titles. This will be the first year my list includes multiple genres & that’s because YA hasn’t been my primary focus. I still consume a fair amount of YA Fantasy however in an effort to continue reading what brings me joy in the new year, this list will be a mixed bag 😉

P.S. I sure did throw in 2 additional titles cause I just couldn’t stick to 10 #noregrets

The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) by Mark Lawrence

Releasing on 4/30/2020 is the next adult Fantasy series by the King himself Mark Lawrence! That cover is EVERYTHING! Mark Lawrence is one of my auto-buy authors. I don’t need to know much about the book & prefer to go in on good faith. I read just the one line on Goodreads that gave me all the chills & solidified its place on this list…

“In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown.”

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Releasing on 3/3/2020 is Sara J. Maas 1st Adult Fantasy & for those of us who’ve read Maas YA Fantasy, the anticipation is pretty HIGH!

The story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

This one can go either way, Maas can either really kill it in Urban Fantasy or leave much to be desired. Either way, I will be picking up a copy to see for myself.

Wild at Heart (Wild #2) by K.A. Tucker

More Calla & Jonah?!? ummm YES PLEASE! 3/3/2020 is going to be one EPIC release day <3’s! The Simple Wild (my spoiler free review) was one of my TOP favorite reads in 2019. I’ve been a K.A. Tucker fan for the past 4 years & there hasn’t been anything she’s written I haven’t enjoyed. Take me back to Alaska & I will unplug myself from reality for these 400 pages 😉

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

I came from a generation where little girls watched telenovelas with grandma & it was perfectly normal haha! I myself have some really fond memories in fact of watching Spanish stories with G’ma & so seeing this cover stopped me dead in my tracks. “Perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin & The Kiss Quotient” this Own Voices Contemporary Romance is exactly what I would LOVE to see more of in the bookish world *fingers crossed* this book will hit shelves on 7/7/2020.

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

6/16/2020 We head over to Fictional Key West to follow the lives of three women in the aftermath of a powerful hurricane. Set in the 1930’s this is one historical fiction stemming from the Cuban Revolution I am eager to read. I have copies of Next Year in Havana & When We Left Cuba I still haven’t read but are at the VERY top of my TBR for 2020.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find — her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.”

Ok so everything about this author screams READ ME! & I’ve collected a couple of their books but I think I’ve allowed myself to be creeped out into thinking the writing might be too scary. Whelp! I simply can’t pass this one up with THAT cover! Set in Mexico, this MC doesn’t exactly scream rescuer material & yet I’m so down to see the type of amateur sleuthing sure to ensue in this Mexican countryside house. Still…this one does creep me out a smidge & I will be reading during the day.

The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna

“The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice.”

Releasing on 5/26/2020, The Gilded Ones looks absolutely promising! This one features a female army all of which have powers like our MC training to defeat the empires biggest threat but nothing & no one is as they seem. Super curious seeing as I’m a HUGE fan of both Children of Blood and Bone & Black Panther to which this new series has been compared.

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She’s got five.

But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.

This fellow New Yorker CANNOT wait for 3/26/2020! N.K. Jemisin is yet another author I am prioritizing this year.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Mermaids and Pirates! oh my! legit two of my very favorite fictional beings. I know a few close friends have already reviewed their copies (I’ll be reading mine this month) & are giving it HIGH praise. After getting a taste of a underwater kingdom in Holly Blacks The Folk of the Air trilogy, I was left wanting more. I’m hoping this is the start of a new expansive underwater YA Fantasy, either way 4/4/2020 we take to the treacherous waters!

Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Bromance Book Club was a 2019 favorite for me & now we get more as we follow Braden mack & Liv Papandreas. This time around the club is not reading a regency romance, instead they’ll be reading a romantic suspense novel that ties in with this couples story. STOKED! I was blessed by the Book Gods with an early copy before its 3/10/2020 release date.

INCENDIARY (Hollow crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

Zoraida Cordova is quickly becoming a favorite auto-buy author, she won me over with her Brooklyn Burjas series & now this cover has blown me away! this one follows a female MC who has the power to steal memories which set the King upon her & her people. Now a rebel, our MC is helping others escape the Kingdom. When her love interest gets captured she has to maintain control of her need for vengeance while she infiltrates the Kingdom. I’m ready for 4/28/2020! *Heart Eyes*

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo stole my heart with her raw narratives! This is one I CANNOT wait to get my hands on, 5/14/2020 cannot come soon enough. This time we follow two teens girls brought together by grief. One lives in the Dominican Republic & the other in NYC when they find out their father has passed away (ooooF! this will be triggering for me but if anyone can handle this with sensitivity it’s Acevedo) & that they’re sisters! Dual narrative POV’s, I’m pretty sure I’ll also be getting the audiobook to accompany my physical copy cause if ya didn’t know, Elizabeth Acevedo narrates her own books & she’s AMAZING! *STOKED*

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November Monthly Wrap-Up & Book Haul

Hello Bookworms! a smidge late here…Ok very late here but tis’ the season amiright? haha! November was FULL of family happenings but I’m happy to report that I still managed to read on the go. These wrap-ups are where I share a bit of everything bookish & life related to give you all a glimpse at the gal behind this blog. This month was a bit eventful, the boyfriend & I met each others families…it was just a little nerve-racking but also VERY different and better than I could have ever expected. Both families were friendly & welcoming which of course made us breathe a HUGE sigh of relief!

In between attending family birthdays, baby showers, Thanksgiving & my first Sunday Football game there were some new fave reads. I also learned my lesson with library holds during the holiday season after having them ALL come through in one shot…not the way to go Lol! I was also left feeling unsure about one of my highly anticipated reads but here goes my wrap-up (my reviews linked down below)…

The Last True Poets of the Sea (4 STARS) A friendship story at its core, this one is set off the coast of Maine. There are definitely some triggers for suicide and drug/alcohol abuse as well as talk of panic attacks & anxiety to look out for. The MC can be seen as unlikeable but the bonds formed here make this one worth the read

The Bromance Book Club (4.5 STARS) The more I think about it, this can easily be a 5 star read cause I still think of the characters here & there. Also, I haven’t read anything like this or had this much fun reading PERIODT! haha! I enjoyed it enough to request the sequel coming out Spring 2020 & the Book Gods delivered with an ARC 🙂

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (5 STARS) The one audiobook I listened to in November that had me gripped to the very end. I loved listening to this SUPER slow burn romance, nodding my head whenever the two MC’s had scenes together. Both have very different love languages but the chemistry is A+!

The Starless Sea Ok..SOoo I was REALLY looking forward to this one having LOVED The Night Circus so much. Also, my boyfriend knew how much I wanted this book & went out of his way to surprise me with a signed copy *eeeK* that being said, I’m still unsure where I stand with it. I opted out of giving it a rating or writing a review. This was such a strange whimsical read that I truly enjoyed & yet it left me hella confused. It may have gone over my head but ummm…no regrets here *shoulder shrug*

The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch #3) | Dirty Letters | A Girl Like Her: A Small Town Romance (Ravenswood #1) |Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) (ARC)

This Netflix series about a Cuban American family has become my go-to for mood lifting & comfort. Set in Los Angeles we meet a Veteran single mother with PTSD, her two kids and mom as they manage day to day life. Bonus: Her mom is played by none other than RITA MORENO! *clutches pearls* an ICON to say the least. This show has flown under the radar yet it’s the MOST relatable. Not to mention it’s LGBTQIAP+ friendly & socially aware making it a top favorite of mine.

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays Luvs!

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Spoiler Free Review: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Title: The Bromance Book Club (The Bromance Book Club #1)

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Pub. Date: November 5th 2019

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

I’m typically the bookworm who can get enticed by a nice cover but this plot is what immediately got my attention. We get introduced to Gavin who is the Nashville Legends Second Basemen as he finds out his wife Thea has been faking her orgasms for the majority of their marriage. On the brink of divorce, Gavin is brought into a secret club comprised of Nashville’s top elite alpha males. The Bromance Book Club are a group of husbands, boyfriends, and fiancés who at one point or another have faced the possibility of divorce. They discovered a love for Regency Romance books because they offered up a old school way of courting their significant others that actually works. The guys in the club begin to coach Gavin on the ways to save his marriage but ultimately it requires getting down to the root of the matter. Both Gavin and Thea will have to figure out what truths they’ve been avoiding & decide whether a second chance is worth putting in the time and effort for.

Thea- Our female MC is a former art school student who fell in love with our male lead Gavin. She gave up her studies to become a full time supportive wife to a major baseball player & mom to two adorable twins. In the process, she lost herself and the passion she had for the things that bring her the most joy. Think of Ruby Rose shedding the leather jacket & bad gal look to instead don pastel sweaters and life planners. Every minute of her life now scheduled on a white board. We get to see her reclaims her lost self.

Gavin- Our male MC is a pretty big deal in baseball, he has just found out on the biggest night of his career that his wife has been faking her orgasms. He reacts poorly to this revelation which triggers their separation. Gavin won me over & this is one lead I’d use to start my book boyfriend Pinterest board 😂 I don’t think I’ve ever found someone so endearing on the page & I just wanted him to win his lady back. Gavin has a stutter, a part of him he had to grow comfortable with…something Thea embraced wholeheartedly. An amazing father to his twins & ultimately a husband who was willing to go the distance to save his marriage.

Liv- Reminded me so much of my own little sister! Liv is fiercely protective of Thea & the twins. She’s an amazing sister & aunt who quickly stepped up to the plate in offering Thea her support. Liv has Thea’s back & having had a rough childhood, they face their issues of abandonment together. Side note: Liv will be getting her own story line in the upcoming book Undercover Bromance (The Bromance Book Club #2) & this Gal is STOKED!!! 🤗

Twins- I had to include them if only to say they are the cutest little girls on the page! both their personalities so different & well fleshed out. We see the effect separation can have on children which was a bit triggering for me but very well depicted.

The Bromance Book Club- These guys SMH 😂😎😍 I LOVED being invited to their meetings! Del, Mack, Yan, Malcolm, and The Russian have all been where Gavin and Thea are. They all recognize toxic masculinity for what it is and through Regency Romance novels have managed to save their relationships. These meetings are hillarious but also how cool would it be if more men felt comfortable coming together to support one another on personal matters? Their Bro Code is one I can get behind 🙌🏽

Lyssa Kay Adams not only gave us a book about a Bromance Book Club, she also sprinkled a bit of Regency Romance throughout the book. Told from dual POV’s, we toggle between Gavin and Thea which really helps the reader paint a picture of what led up to their separation. My heart went out to both characters for very different reasons & never once felt either of them were self serving. They both wanted each other & their marriage to work but they had some baggage to unload. The more serious passages are broken up with well timed humor and passages from the actual romance book the club has chosen for Gavin to read & study. I laughed & at times also self reflected seeing as I’ve been in Thea’s position. I’ll admit there were times it felt a bit preachy with the commentary on toxic masculinity however, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. The news of Liv (side character) getting her own story line in the upcoming book Undercover Bromance has me STOKED to continue with this new Romance series 🖤

Content Warnings: Divorce, mention of miscarriage, depiction of abandonment issues in children

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October Monthly Wrap Up & Book Haul

Pardon me while I bust out in a little dance cause I read 8 books in October!!!! I broke a record seeing as 2019 has been a bit of a slumpish year for me I’ll count this as a major break through *whoop whoop* I’ll admit I was a bit all over the place in my books this month because I simply was picking up whatever I was in the mood for at the time. I can also see this being the case for the rest of the year. Once January comes around I will be buckling down just a smidge because I have acquired some new arcs I’m really excited to get around to in the New Year. I may have a post in the works with those highly anticipated arcs I managed to get a hold of 😉

We can all use a lil Rosie Perez in our lives! *Queen* ❤

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh ✨4 STARS✨ (my review) polarizing in the bookish community, this book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea but it def was mine! ❤ more than anything, I’m STOKED at the hints of what’s to come.

Dear Girls by Ali Wong ✨5 STARS✨ (my review)

I listened to the audiobook & laughed my a** off at all hours of the day/night. Ali Wong won me over when I first saw her in Always be my Maybe but listening to Dear Girls led me down a rabbit hole. I watched Baby Cobra on Netflix as well and Hard Knock Wife which really rounded out the audiobook experience. These stand-up series are mentioned in Dear Girls and it was nice to go back & see those after. This book also got me wanting to start my own letters to my two tiny humans.

The Never Tilting World by Ron Chupeco ✨4 STARS✨ (my review)

A WILD RIDE!!!! I was not sure what I was expecting going in after reading & loving The Bone Witch series but this was unique and chaotic in the best way. I tried to gather my thoughts as best as possible in my review haha!

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo ✨5 STARS✨ (RTC)

I have ZERO excuses for not having a review up just yet but I promise it’s coming & it will be a RAVE review 🙂

Can’t Escape Love (Reluctant Royals #2.6) by Alyssa Cole ✨4 STARS✨ (RTC)

This novella is absolutely my MOST favorite addition to the Reluctant Royals series! Nerd love at it’s finest & most cutest! GAHHHH! I need more! I will save my thoughts for the mash-up review I have coming for this & the other novella in this series Once Ghosted, Twice Shy #2.5

American predator by Maureen Callahan ✨5 STARS✨

I did consider writing a review for this SUPER creepy read but opted not to. I rated this one a 5 stars simply because the amount & quality of research really jumps off the page here. This is a real life story told from the perspective of the killer who has been captured. He is absolutely remorseless & only confessing certain kills in order to ascertain the death penalty for himself cause he just can’t live with himself anymore.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Baron ✨4 STARS✨ (my review)

I’m so happy there will be more books in this series/trilogy & even more excited to one day see it hit the big screen. This West African inspired Fantasy reads more like an Adult Fantasy as far as world building & complex character development. I’d love to see more YA Fantasy fleshed out in this way where the author fully trusts the reader to take in the world they’ve imagined on the page.

Paper Girls Volume 1 ✨3.5 STARS✨

This one was recommended to me because I love Stranger Things & all things Goonies. Paper Girls gives off the weird sci-fi vibes I love & for that reason alone I’ll be continuing with this graphic novels series. However, there are a lot of triggers for homophobic slurs, homophobia, violence, and alcohol abuse. Even though these issues align with the time period this takes place in, I’m seriously hoping this isn’t a theme in the volumes to follow.

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The Grace Year | The Bone Houses | The Water Dancer | Imaginary Friend

My October haul was a bit on the humble side seeing as I unhauled give or take 60 books. I wasn’t trying to spend much on books but I was focused on reading from my shelves. Two of these were my monthly Book Of The Month picks (my referral link) & the other two were highly recommended. November however is already turning out to be shelf luvin’ & I’m not complaining 🙂

Joker ✨5 STARS✨

This movie will forever be seared into my memory for its depiction of mental health & the real need for discussion and resources for those that are struggling. I wasn’t expecting for it to be as hard hitting as it was but it only deepened my appreciation for this portrayal. I feel Joaquin phoenix performed exceptionally & frankly left me in awe.

LEGACIES ✨4 STARS✨

The Originals spin-off is highly addictive & full of bad a** characters you can’t help but get invested in. Hope Mikaelson truly feels like a piece of Klaus was gifted to us & I cannot wait to see her growth in this series. We follow Hope in this school for supernatural beings that has a very X-Men vibe I love. It was almost a full 5 stars if it hadn’t been for the meh last episode haha! still though, as a whole this is one show worth checking out if you followed its predecessors & are looking for your paranormal fix 😉

October was such a great quality reading month that i’m hoping it continues into november. with all of the major new releases i think that’s a safe bet. i’m enjoying the cooler weather, bookstore dates, & coffee breaks with good company and books.I hope you’re all having a great start to this Autumn season <3’s!

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Spoiler Free Review: The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Title: The Never Tilting World (The Never Tilting World#1)

Author: Rin Chupeco

Pub. Date: October 15th 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBTQIAP+

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 496

Format: eARC

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

I’ll admit when I first heard this book described as Frozen meets Mad Max I was very intrigued at how uniquely strange this came across. Whoever came up with this description hit the nail on the head! We have a world literally torn in half. Aranth is shrouded in darkness, frozen over & surrounded by a raging sea. While The Golden City sees only daylight under a scorching sun & is plagued by desert cannibals. At the center of the story are two sisters/Goddesses who are divided by a broken prophecy. Each one of them holds secrets & each one of them also have a daughter. It’s made known from the very beginning that these “daughters” are actually twins being kept apart. Odessa & Haidee are destined to meet, this is the story of their journey to their fated union. All they know is that there are higher powers at work pulling them towards one common direction, much else isn’t known. Both Haidee & Odessa set out on a quest to try and repair the damage that has been done sine “The Breaking” or splitting apart of their world. This was a WILD ride! & having read The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco I can also honestly say that this is a big departure from the style of world building we see in those books. There’s more chaos in this world & at times I wondered at just how odd this book really is…but it works!!! 🙌🏽 I often felt I was watching a movie play out in my head as we alternate between the two sides of the world. Although it’s a Fantasy, we see environmental ramifications that hit close to home in the real world. This blend of Fantasy with reality made for a surreal reading experience.

Content Warning: Death of a loved one, panic attacks (PTSD related), mention of sexual assault, violence, torture

Odessa daughter of Asteria & heir to the throne, Odessa is Lesbian & a lover of romance novels

Haidee daughter of Latona also expected to one day rule, however she truly has no interest. Haidee is a Mechanika with a soft spot for animals. Haidee is my new FAVE fictional character! 😍

Lan Bi-sexual, a healer & travel companion to Odessa. Lan & Odessa’s relationship is complicated to say the least 🤷🏻‍♀️ Lan also suffers from PTSD & is my second FAVE character. I felt a bit overprotective of Lan & at times felt the interactions with Odessa were very toxic.

Arjun A no-nonsense orphan with Fire gate abilities, he is disabled by way of a missing hand. Arjun falls for Haidee even though he set out to hate her for the sins of her mother.

Rin Chupeco has pretty much solidified her spot in my very top fave authors of all time. The change of pace in this new series had me blown away & also unable to pull myself away from this world. This series may not be everyones cup of tea because of how chaotic & high octane it truly is but I just can’t deny that the writing skills are top notch. Just when I would begin to feel as if I were going to start favoring one twin over the other, something would throw me back to uncertainty. You spend just enough time with each character so that you never tire & can quickly return to your faves if you wish. The only reason I docked it a star was because I felt I still did not have enough clarity on the secrets Asteria & Latona are keeping. This however did not hinder my enjoyment of this story & I hope we’ll get some questions answered in the follow-up. Rin Chupeco gave us Goddesses, demons, cannibals, sand dolphins, elemental magic, discussion of climate change & its effects, and a bit of romance in the background! 🔥 The Never Tilting World was a WILD RIDE! I’ll be on the look out for the sequel 🖤

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Spoiler Free Review: Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron

Title: Kingdom Of Souls (Kingdom Of Souls #1)

Author: Rena Barron

Pub. Date: September 19th 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 496

Format: eARC

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron is exactly the type of YA Fantasy I look forward to reading whenever I pick up a debut author. On the YA scale this definitely leans more towards darker & more mature, it will appeal to those who enjoy adult Fantasy. Inspired by the authors West African ancestors, the world in which Kingdom of Souls is set in is very expansive. The magic system & world building is detailed and complex, the characters are multi-faceted as are their deities. At the center of the story we have Arrah who is the daughter of a High Priestess & Witch Doctor. In this world you come into your magical abilities between the ages of 0-16. However, Arrah hasn’t seen not even a stirring of her magic and fears that this will make her an outcast.

“I’m sixteen, near grown by both kingdom & tribal standards. My time is running out. No daughter or son of any tribe has come into their gifts beyond my age. if it doesn’t happen this year, it won’t happen at all.”

The five tribes in this land were said to have been gifted their magic by Heka who is their God. We follow Arrah as she attends celebrations for those who are coming into their powers in hopes she too will blessed by Heka. Her entire family carries powerful magic within but it’s her mother Arti alone who cannot accept Arrah’s lack of magic. Their strained and toxic relationship plays out throughout this book in a way I’ve never seen written before. We see Arrah have a very different & nurturing relationship with her father who tries to get her to understand that magic is not the end all be all. In the midst of it all we learn of children that have gone missing and a Demon King who is rising. This all serves to give Arrah an intense sense of urgency. She sets out to find other more dangerous ways to obtain magic in order to defend & protect her people. This of course bears a steep price to pay, an unknown amount of years shed from your life in exchange for magic. Arrah is determined to do whatever it takes to stop children from going missing & the Demon King from from fully coming into power.

This year has seen many debut YA Fantasies hit the shelves with all sorts of original stories & diverse sets of characters. I LOVED that this world although fantastical, is West African inspired with a cast of all black main characters. I also have a very HIGH appreciation for authors who steer clear of info dumping & instead deliver complex world building in a way that says they trust their readers. I never got tired of the story or lost interest, the only thing I would’ve liked to have seen is an index of some sort to keep track of all the tribes in this world & the deities. I can easily see (or at least I hope) this being a ongoing series because of how rich the world building is. I also loved seeing how much support Arrah really had even when she thought she was alone. I did NOT see that last portion of the book coming! it left me reeling for days wondering where these characters will go from here. It did not surprise me one bit to hear Kingdom of Souls has been picked up by Warner Brothers studios (see here) & will be produced by Michael B. Jordan. I will definitely be picking up the next installment in this trilogy.

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July 2019 Wrap Up

How are we already in August?!? 😱 I guess what they say is true, time flies when you’re having fun 🙌🏽 admittedly this means my reading took a hit cause I’ve been really enjoying life & having some amazing experiences I’ll never forget 💓 As we approach the end of Summer, the itch to pick up my books has struck & I’m sOoO ready to give in! 🤗 I was recently blessed by the Book Gods to gain access to some EPIC 2019/2020 ARCS so it’s looking like I have my reading cut out for me. That being said, I’m still going to mood read my little heart away cause it really has made me a much happier bookworm. I have fallen a bit behind with reviews 🙈😂 but I’m working on choosing one day of the week where I focus solely on drafting reviews. In the month of July I found myself reading more than any other month this year thanks to audiobooks. Yes audiobooks count & I will die on that cross! they’ve helped me get into a more steady workout routine (LIVIN MY BEST LIFE🔥), now I tell myself one more lap = one more chapter ✔️ They’re also amazing when I’m in the kitchen learning new dishes to make for my two tiny humans 🤗

A Princess In Theory (Reluctant Royals #1) by Alyssa Cole ✨5 STARS✨Both Naledi & Prince Thabiso stole my heart with their hate to love romance set in NYC. This book featured a strong, intelligent, sexy black female in the STEM field who is very relatable. Ledi has an internship, side jobs, and student loans to manage all the while giving the sexy Thabiso major side eye for his more than obvious interest in her haha! LOVED this so much! RTC

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho ✨5 STARS✨I can see now why bookworms have linked this to K-Dramas, this was ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE! Miyoung is a Gumiho who feeds on the souls of evil men in order to continue living a immortal life. This all changes of course when she saves Jihoon from a Goblin (there are other supernatural creatures in this world) & then starts to fall in love. LOVED the Mythology & got deeply invested in these characters lives, HIGHLY anticipating the sequel 🤗 RTC

With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo ✨5 STARS✨(BOTM) My FAVE read of the month! I listened to this audiobook in one whole day as I worked from home, cooked, and then worked out for about an hour. I could NOT stop listening to Elizabeth Acevedo’s raw authentic narration of Emoni’s story as she navigates school as a teenage mom with a natural born talent for cooking. I was sucked into Emoni’s story from the very first page where she remixes ingredients from recipes her aunt emails her. HIGHLY recommend! 💜 (My Review)

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager ✨3.5 STARS✨(BOTM) although I do own a physical copy from BOTM, after my Twin Soul ChicNerdReads raved about the audiobook performance, I knew that was the way to go. The performance itself was ON POINT! Gothic vibes in NYC, I listened to this one in a day. Very entertaining & it may just be because I don’t read very many thrillers but it did keep me guessing till the very end. However, there were parts that dragged throwing off the pacing and making me lose interest here & there. I’ve heard from others who have read Riley Sager’s other books that this was their least favorite. I will definitely be giving the other books a chance since I do already own copies 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 #noregrets

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo ✨3 STARS✨ I had the privilege of reading this ARC a few weeks ago thanks to an awesome friend. I was 100% aware that this is a adult paranormal book with some hard hitting themes (*Content Warning: Drugs, mention of overdose, statutory rape, graphic violence, kidnapping, physical abuse, death of a loved one, fear of abandonement, use of a magical drug for date rape). It took me about a month to get through this book & it wasn’t because I was triggered, it was very much based on scattered pacing. The first half is very info dumpy & the last 200 pages are where all the action takes place and you finally get hooked into the story. This is the first book in a series & LOL! I’ll be honest & say I wasn’t planning on continuing but I might just give the next book a shot. RTC.

The Lion King is tied for 1st place as my favorite Disney movie of all time with Aladdin. However, unlike the AMAZING Aladdin remake we got earlier this summer…I wasn’t over the moon in love with this remake & that breaks my heart. It’s a STUNNING movie, a real feast for the eyes but it did lack the emotion we got in the original. I’ve watched the original dozens of times & still cried each & every time but that just wasn’t the case here. What I loved? The voice actors did a FANTASTIC job & the soundtrack is truly beautiful! 😍