Genre: Romance

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

I wanted so so much to like Bright Smoke, Cold Fire with the same fiery passion as I liked Crimson Bound. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out for me. Bright Smoke, Cold Fire has the feeling of a book that wants to do too many things. There are two POVs in this one – Runajo and Paris, and both are trying to accomplish the same thing – save the city. In one POV, we learn about the inside of the religious order of the city – in the other, the reader experiences the correct underground. Either view could have been interesting enough in […]

Posted August 15, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

I always get sucked in by books promising a fabulous multi-verse. It’s a really complicated theory for a book, where there’s a limited amount of space and a lot of explaining to do. I feel pretty confident in saying that from the scientific, worldbuilding POV, Tandem is the best YA multi-verse I’ve ever read. It’s such a complicated subject to get across and explanations need to justify suspension of disbelief, not just ask for it. I think Anna Jarzab did a really good job in that respect. Unfortunately, because of the immensity of worldbuilding required – not just one, but two, and […]

Posted August 14, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

You know that feeling when you read a book or watch a movie and feel like you’re found a kindred spirit in the creator? That’s how I feel about Mackenzi Lee and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. There are so many bits and pieces that I really loved about this book… both its content and the writing itself. Okay so first of all, let’s talk about the language Mackenzi Lee used. It’s perfect. Both the dialogue and the narrative flow expertly. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is completely immersive. Mackenzi Lee has gone the extra mile to use […]

Posted August 7, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

Mini Reviews: Tess of the Road, Daughter of the Burning City, & The Game of Love and Death

I know I rarely do mini reviews (read: never) but every once and a while, I do humor myself and re-read a book that I’ve read before. For posts like these, I don’t think that a unique, standing review is strictly necessary. After all, I’ve already outlined all the good stuff about these novels. However, experiences differ between an initial read vs. a reread, and I still want to talk about these books. To solve the repeat-book dilemma, I’ve decided that every time I collect 3 re-reads, I’m going to give y’all a set of mini reviews! Not as much of a […]

Posted July 30, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Woah. I am honestly still just reeling from that unexpected ending. This book was NOTHING like I thought it was going to be and it far exceeded my expectations. I should also note – I did listen to the unabridged version. Definitely listen to the unabridged version! There are so many hints and clues. After reading the blurb, I really expected Rebecca to be a sort of sweeping, sappy romance. For a lot of the book, the reader is led to believe this is true. But then everything shifted and it was a murder mystery and there was plotting and so help me […]

Posted July 28, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

I loved this book and I hated this book and literally nothing in between. Rather than have a completely ranting review, I’m going to try and sandwich the good and the bad together so we end up with a towering sandwich of Scooby Doo fame. First of all, the book talk. I loved all the conversation about books. There were phrases and sentiments I related to so thoroughly, I wanted to reach out and embrace Jenny Colgan for just getting it. There was a moment where Nina reflected back on her childhood, and how her parents used to usher her out of the […]

Posted June 20, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //