Author: Robin

Review: You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Unemployed and living with her parents, Noelle Shepherd’s life takes another unexpected turn when her grandmother dies. Adrift in her grief and desperate to connect with her, Noelle explores the pieces of her grandmother’s past, surprised to uncover a love letter and several photographs of Gram and a mysterious man from decades prior. In her desperate attempt to find answers, Noelle goes viral, leading her to connect with the grandson of the unknown man, none other than her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer. Despite her annoyance with having to face Theo, Noelle learns from his grandfather Paul that he and her grandmother had plans to elope, but were prevented, leaving their honeymoon road trip unfinished. The two form a plan to complete the honeymoon road trip, but not without Theo in tow. Between the picturesque landscapes and long car rides, the tension between Theo and Noelle escalates, and completing the long-lost road trip may mean admitting just how unfinished things between them actually are.

I have officially found my new favorite book and summer romance all rolled into one with Jessica Joyce’s heartwarming debut novel. You, with a View seamlessly blends the travel narrative with a slow-burn romance that left me aching for new connections and an extensive summer road trip. Noelle Shepherd’s search for connection after the passing of her grandmother leads her across the United States, where she reignites her passion for photography and finds a new link back to her family’s past. Not to mention a tension-filled relationship brewing with her handsome road trip companion. Joyce infuses this heartrending beginning with majestic landmarks and sweeping scenery that were visually stunning on the level of leaving me with an extreme case of wanderlust. With all that in mind, pretty much everything in this called out to me from the start. Noelle and Theo had far too much chemistry for me not to immediately adore everything about them and stay up all night trying to reach the conclusion of their love story. With my penchant for all the men down bad™ out there, Theo Spencer has certainly become one of my new favorite book boyfriends. There were several lines in particular that had me gasping out loud and fanning myself. Joyce gives us all the longing stares and forced proximity, that develops in the most satisfying way over the course of this novel. Something else I really appreciated in this romance is the way in which Joyce focuses on each character’s emotional arc. Both Theo and Noelle are in different stages on their journey toward healing and Joyce gave them their time to grow and process what they needed to. There are so many feelings explored within this novel and it’s not lost on me how Joyce makes you feel every single one. You, with a View, is hands down one of the best romances of 2023. With magnificent tension and a profound emotional journey, Joyce has established herself as a stellar new voice in romance. 

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: grief, death of a loved one

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Review: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

A brilliant but overlooked sound editor, Montserrat’s work behind the scenes has soured of late. Her closest friend since childhood, Tristán, is a faded soap opera star who spends his days chasing the past. When Tristán discovers that his next-door neighbor is none other than the legendary cult horror director Abel Urueta, the three form a friendship. Many years prior, Ureta was involved in a film production that was rumored to involve imbuing a kind of magic into the silver nitrate film stock, but the film was never completed. Ureta claims this is the reason his career went downhill, and he implores the pair to assist him in completing the final scene. But as Tristán and Montserrat dig deeper, they are drawn into a complicated history of Nazi occultism – a shadowed figure stalks Montserrat, and Tristán is plagued by the appearance of his deceased ex-girlfriend. The more they seek to discover the truth of the lost film, the more likely that magic and sorcery are entangled with filmmaking than they ever could have realized, and they’ll have to break the cycle to survive the consequences.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia transports readers to the silver screen with a heart-pounding thriller that subtly blends the history of cinema with a deep dive into Mexican horror and Nazi occultism. Following two childhood friends as they attempt to unravel a decades-old curse while navigating strange new powers, Moreno-Garcia slowly entangles readers in an age-old struggle with occultism and the powers vying for control. When I first read about Silvia’s newest thriller, I was more than ready to navigate curses and brave new horrors to experience a new book from one of my favorite authors. Silver Nitrate gradually drives the knife in, with a slow-building narrative that never quite makes you feel on solid ground. There is something uniquely cinematic captured here, as we are taken deep into the history of silver nitrate film and the dark magic unfortunately caught up in it. What I’ve come to love about Moreno-Garcia’s work is the historical contexts woven into every one of her stories. Silver Nitrate explores everything from Mexican horror, to movie production, and occultism, and it was all so fascinating to follow. Silvia slowly envelops readers in this world and its characters, jaded sound editor Montserrat, and her childhood friend and soap opera star Tristan, as they delve deep into the past and find unexpected horrors. Montserrat is everything I love about women horror protagonists, a jaded introvert with an unexpected cutting edge. As always, there’s a tidbit of romance present that uplifts the story and plays into the cinematic feel. With her latest, Silvia Moreno-Garcia deftly plots a sound editor’s entanglement with a fabled nitrate film that reaps unintended consequences on all those involved. Silver Nitrate has all the feels of a cult classic with a unique historical context. It’s everything I love about Silvia and her best novel yet!

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, murder, drug abuse, racism, xenophobia

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Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

College sweethearts Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple for decades until one day they weren’t. Six months to the day since the breakup, the two still have yet to break the news to their best friends. The group’s yearly getaway to a cottage in Maine approaches and inevitably the two hatch an unwanted scheme: to pretend to be together for the length of the week, avoiding any inquisition from their friends and confrontation with one another. But the cottage is for sale, meaning this is the penultimate trip for the group, and may very well be the last time they are all together. Moreover, distance has not dulled the ache between Wyn and Harriet, and they walk a fragile line between everything they are pretending and everything they could be. Keeping up appearances will mean continuing to lie, not only to their friends and each other but to themselves.

Happy Place is absolute magic, bottled up and delivered in the form of saccharine summer days, happiness, teary moments, and newfound longing, and I loved every single second of it. With her fourth novel, Emily Henry extends upon the brilliance of her previous three works, both narratively and in scope of character. Its wonderfully unique friendships and signature blend of past and present merge to deliver a truly unforgettable romance. Through her first attempt at the second chance storyline, Emily Henry delivers a romance that completely altered my brain chemistry. An established history grounds the story and instills lingering tension that builds and builds as Henry swings us back and forth between the past and present day. It’s a romance that slowly crept up on me, as Henry takes a fragmented retrospect narratively, but nevertheless makes you feel every cutting moment and longing glance. Where this novel really sunk into my bones is the simultaneous developing and rekindling romance between Wyn and Harriet. There’s magic wrapped up in this love story and these friendships, centered around the changes in life that they have all weathered together. For that matter, Happy Place stands apart from Henry’s first three novels, specifically because of its friend group. Unresolved feelings run deep with our main couple, but close friends also harbor secrets. Couples deal with their own issues and losses, as Wyn and Harriet navigate their own. It feels very found family, particularly with Harriet shouldering a difficult upbringing with friends that have very much become her family. Various griefs and unresolved trauma intersect this renewed love story imbuing such depth into the second-chance romance. Wholeheartedly intimate, sensual, and vulnerable, Happy Place is an open window into the burdens we shoulder and the connections that give us strength. No doubt Emily Henry’s best romance novel yet and proof that she is only going to get better from here.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: grief, infidelity

My Blurb for Happy Place is an Indie Next #1 Pick

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Review: A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Robin2 Comments

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Sam Montgomery pulls into her mother’s North Carolina Suburb with the knowledge that something is wrong, her brother’s forewarning that “mom seems off” lingering in her mind. When she enters the house her greatest fears are realized. The walls have been repainted, her mother’s signature flair abandoned, and deep in the recesses of the backyard buried in the dirt is a jar full of teeth. Worse, vultures fly overhead circling the property in ever-growing numbers. Her mother is fidgety, worried about something that couldn’t possibly be there, so Sam takes the couch in between her murder mystery binges and cataloging of various insects for her job. But something is entering the house in the night and whispering in Sam’s ear, shattering glasses and pulling down artwork during the daytime. The more strange occurrences she can’t explain, the more frightened her mom gets, until Sam is willing to believe the impossible and dig where she shouldn’t to set things right.

I’ve come to expect the weirdly bizarre and extraordinarily creepy from T. Kingfisher since diving deep into her backlist this previous fall. I read Nettle & Bone, The Hollow Places, and What Moves the Dead all in the span of a week and was left craving more weird stories. With that in mind, A House with Good Bones is the pinnacle of all the bizarre writing T. Kingfisher has achieved so far in her writing career. A chaotic combination of vultures, entomology, enchanted gardens, and one family’s hidden legacy with magic. Through the perspective of Sam Montgomery, an entomologist on leave, Kingfisher entangles the reader in a sinister struggle between the hidden powers below, and an unlikely pairing of people determined to stand their ground. Kingfisher establishes the plot superbly, with a sinister aura that becomes more fully grounded as we learn more about what’s going on in the house and its roots in the family history. It feels very similar to The Hollow Places, with a disquiet shrouded over the minds of all the characters each with their own fragmented understanding of the playing field, none of whom realize what’s truly at stake. Kingfisher does an excellent job untangling her strange web and placing readers directly in the path of her peculiar reality – pulling forth this world that lies above with what has been lying in wait below. It’s oddly fitting that this bizarre underbelly is uncovered by Sam, a scientist with a rational approach to every aspect of her life. Her first thought isn’t that ghosts or magic are responsible for the strange stuff occurring, but that there’s a logical explanation. Sam’s own transformation is surreal in its own way and adds so much to the developing storyline. Honestly, there’s not a thing I didn’t love about this one. T. Kingfisher crafts a suspenseful Southern Gothic horror novel draped in dread, with an underbelly that pricks sharper than any thorn. Whenever I’m yearning for the strange and otherworldly, there’s no doubt that Kingfisher will continue to deliver.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Trigger warning: blood, fatphobia, racism, child abuse

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Lets Talk: My Favorite Books of 2022

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My top reads of 2022, are coming at you four months late, but as Harper Collins workers advocated for a fair contract these past several months, It was necessary to delay this. Looking back at 2022, I am left feeling like there were so many books that I didn’t get around to reading. Nevertheless, this year was very successful for me. I read a whopping 373 books which is the highest amount I have ever reached since I started documenting my reading, and a majority of these were 4-5 star reads. 2022 marked my deep dive into historical romance and fantasy, two genres I feel I had not been reading enough of prior to the start of the year, and as these were my two most prevalent genres in 2022, I can definitively say that went off without a hitch. Narrowing down my favorite reads of the year presented quite a challenge, but I managed to decide upon my top twelve. Given that I started bookselling this year I thought it would be fun to present them with the shelf-talkers I display at the store. It’s safe to say that there were many books I left out of this, but expect some romance and fantasy features in the coming month!

Top Reads of 2022

Joan by Katherine J. Chen

A revitalized look into the life and times of Joan of Arc, from her startings in Domrémy France, to her martyrdom and eventual rise to sainthood. Katherine Chen has created a version of Joan of Arc completely unheard of in our time, emphasizing the woman beneath the image, flawed and unyielding. With as much of a focus on the history surrounding the Hundred Years War as its central figure, this story slowly enraptured me. Joan is perfect for fans of historical fiction, or even readers wanting to take a stab at the genre. A brilliant novel for the ages.

Trigger warnings: blood, violence, war

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The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Roshani Chokshi breathes life into this gothic novel centered around fairytales, myth, and the treacherous secrets of a marriage. Wandering the halls of the crumbling House of Dreams, Chokshi spins her tale, interweaving fairy tales into the central narrative amidst broken promises and childhood dreams. Expertly crafted, with lush writing and an unsettling undertone, this is everything you could possibly wish for in a gothic novel. The way it slowly approaches the final act will leave you breathless in its downfall.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, violence, murder

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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

In a secluded estate far removed from the conflict on Yucatans peninsula, Carlota Moreau lives an isolated existence. That is, until the arrival of two strange gentlemen dissolve her fragile world into chaos. Layering in themes of colonization, class, and subjugation, Moreno-Garcia examines possession and the relationship between creator and subject. This is her best work by far. Wonderfully romantic and intense in its resistance.

Trigger Warnings: violence, blood, abuse, death, gun violence, suicide, experimentation

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Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

Last of the true witches in all of Oblya, Marlinchen and her sisters spend their days tending to their clientele, and placating the unending appetites of their cursed wizard father. A chance connection spells freedom, but at a price that may be too monstrous to pay. Gorgeously gruesome and brutal in its design, Juniper & Thorn is a twisted gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, imbued with memory, a poignant examination of abuse, and survivorhood in all forms.

Trigger warnings: violence, emotional abuse, gore, blood, death, murder, body horror, cannibalism, eating disorder (bulimia), vomiting (graphic), sexual assault, antisemitism, xenophobia, drug use 

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A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

In an isolated manor on the edge of town, sharpshooter Margaret Welty lives alone. When she spots the legendary Hala in the woods one evening, she knows that the annual halfmoon hunt is about to commence. The only problem? She appears to be short a partner. Allison Saft’s sophomore novel is purely evocative, with hunts in a moonlight wood, an exquisite exploration of loneliness, and a rediscovery of love lost. Full of words that drown you in their depths and a striking fantasy atmosphere, I loved every second of this (Margaret + Wes forever have my heart).

Trigger warnings: blood, gore, emotional abuse, neglect, antisemitism, xenophobia, nationalism, animal death and injury, ableism, parental death (mentioned), PTSD

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Babel by R.F Kuang

What can I say about this extraordinary book that hasn’t already been said? Babel is one of those books that slowly leads you through a flawed world and characters seeking to make it better and then leaves you to grapple with its legacy. R.f Kuang explores the longevity of empire and whether or not violence and sacrifice have become the only translatable actions. Through the eyes of a translation student at Oxford and five acts, Kuang conducts her discordant symphony and four students’ slow descent into disillusionment. I needed a whole month to recover from this (as well as several scones) and you will too.

Trigger warnings: racism, racial slurs, death, murder, war, slavery, colonization

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A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

There’s so much I could say about Rebecca Ross’s Elements of Cadence duology that would fall woefully short. This duology is a raging fire of community, belonging, love, and sacrifice that slowly rekindled my adoration for enemies to lovers and slow-burn fantasy. This series follows a suffering bard and his childhood enemy-turned-wife as they navigate clan wars, mysterious illnesses, and a world thrown out of balance. There’s so so much yearning and desperation to understand the world and our place in it. I’m absolutely obsessed with the main two couples in this book and I’m begging everyone to give this series a try.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, violence, grief

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The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

Declared the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa by the prophet of the nameless god, Malini wages war to get back what was taken from her. Meanwhile, Priya faces an unsettling situation back in Ahiranya. This follow-up to The Jasmine Throne stole my heart and destroyed my soul with a slow and delicate grace. Intensely ruthless and brutal at its core, The Oleander Sword is an astonishing sequel that blooms with betrayal, romance, and unintended sacrifice. Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdoms is an exemplary fantasy series, altogether epic and expansive.

Trigger warnings: death, violence, war, suicide

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The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

In a world where the color of your blood determines your standing, two young women switched at birth to ignite a failed revolution reunite in an effort to achieve what they both desire. This is easily one of my favorite fantasy debuts of the whole year — ruthless and entirely ambitious. El-Arifi has poured her soul into this expansive story where loyalties are tested and history is not as truthful as it appears. Do yourself a favor and pick up this epic and queer fantasy debut.

Trigger warnings: blood, addiction, child abuse

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The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

When her father is discovered dead in his office at the New York Public Library, in possession of the very map that tarnished her reputation and destroyed their relationship, Nell Young is drawn into an investigation with greater consequences than she could have ever imagined. Peng Shepherd draws together an incredible narrative of belonging, secret societies, personal history, and magic. I flew through this in one afternoon and could not stop thinking about it for weeks afterward. This book is unexpectedly ingenious and I could not put it down.

Trigger warnings: death, grief, murder, violence

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Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

Amy Lea’s follow-up novel to Set on You quickly flew to the top of my radar. Romance novel obsessed Tara Chen has had more than her fair share of heartbreak. After an inspiring interview, Tara gets an idea: revisit all of her past romances and reevaluate them with the hope of securing the time-honored trope, the second chance romance. Amy Lea has written the romance heroine of my dreams and one of my all-time favorite friends-to-lovers romances. A true love letter to every romance aficionado out there, and funny as hell!

Trigger warnings: sexism, gaslighting

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Happy Place by Emily Henry

Happy Place is absolute magic, bottled up and delivered in the form of saccharine summer days, happiness, teary moments, and newfound longing, and I loved every single second of it. Its wonderfully unique friendships and signature blend of past and present merge to deliver a truly unforgettable romance. Prepare to fall in love with Wyn, Harriet, and a friend group together across the years. Emily Henry is the master of the romance novel and Happy Place is her best one yet!

Trigger warnings: death, grief, alcohol consumption

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And that’s a wrap on my favorite reads of the year. So many amazing reads marked my journey through 2022, and I can’t wait to see what I get to in the coming year. There were many of my favorite reads that did not make the final cut (gone but never forgotten) and I will be highlighting those in a future post or collection so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I’d love to hear if any of these were on your list and what books really impacted you in 2022.

Review: The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Bookish Tansy Adams has always found comfort in managing her family bookstore handed down after the passing of her late father, rather than the real-world romantic encounters she can’t seem to parse. When her family refuses to let up on the romance front, Tansy invents a girlfriend, Gemma, inspired by a gorgeous cover model featured on dozens of romance novels. Tansy’s lie is put to the test at a wedding, when in walks Gemma van Dalen, cousin of the groom, and the very person around whom she created her lie. Heir to the family’s newspaper empire, Gemma is on the brink of obtaining everything, except for the clause that says she must marry before the year is out or the inheritance defaults to her cousin. When confronted with Tansy’s lie, Gemma plays along, and a modern marriage of convenience is born. Tansy and Gemma make quite the unconventional couple, yet they have an undeniable connection that could lead to something real, provided they survive the family determined to oust their engagement as a farce.

Alexandria Bellefleur pens another effortlessly charming contemporary romance, harkening back to god-tier romantic comedies, and a multitude of Taylor Swift references. After falling head over heels for Count Your Lucky Stars this past winter and the entire Written in the Stars series, there wasn’t a force on earth that could stop me from sinking my teeth into Bellefleurs newest as soon as possible. I mean, an indie bookseller who agrees to a fake marriage with a newspaper heiress turned romance cover model?? I was sold. Bellefleur writes the romances I’ve dreamed of reading my entire life, and there’s a magic captured in her original trilogy that perfectly translates over to her newest novel. Reading The Fiancee Farce feels perfectly familiar, through its black sheep heroine taking desperate measures, and a bookstore on the verge of being sold, much to the chagrin of its owner. These are the tropes and storylines formulaic for countless romances, yet the proposed solution to the novel’s central problem is where Bellefleur makes her twist– through a queer modern-day marriage of convenience. Everything about this shines, through the open vulnerability between leads Gemma and Tansy, and the overbearing family intent on driving them apart. These two have such an honest chemistry that is only intensified against all of the meddling and disorderly plans that ensue. The little dates and domestic moments contained in the midst of it all only made me all the more smitten. From its impeccable setup, right up to its emotional conclusion, The Fiancee Farce is pure chaos combined with all the romantic tropes and twists I could ever yearn for in a romance novel. Bellefleur continues to outdo herself with every passing year and I’ll be anxiously awaiting anything that she does next. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: sexual harassment, slut shaming, death of a parent

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Review: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Deep within the catacombs of the city of Dellaire, a young girl with power over death is raised by the Night Sisters, guardians of the tomb of the buried goddess. When she is thirteen, Lore flees from the world she knows to the city above, where death magic is considered heretical, and everyday people flirt with it through the power of Mortem, magic born from death. Many years pass, and as Lore grows older she takes on the role of a poison runner, taking part in an illegal trade that allows her basic survival. After a standard run ends with Lore revealing her power, she is taken captive by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior monks that give her an impossible task: find out why hundreds of villagers in the outskirts of the city are turning up dead. Someone in the court is responsible for this atrocity, and as Lore is led deeper into the intrigue of the King’s Court, she stumbles upon something that could reveal a misguided plot or a truth about her own divinity.

The Foxglove King is a knife-sharp amalgamation of court intrigue, high fantasy, and forbidden romance that captured my heart and held it captive until its glorious finish. Hannah Whitten first seized my attention back with her debut series, The Wilderwood Duology, and from that moment on I knew that I would be hanging on to anything else she wrote next. Now that I’ve made my way through her latest novel, I can unequivocally say that it has surpassed her previous work on so many levels. For the longest time, I have been craving a fantasy series set around court politics, romance, and magic, and The Foxglove King delivers that down to the last mark. Whitten plays to her strengths, detailing the misguided loyalties and strained influences of the Sainted King’s court and the unstable balance between politics and religion. Its central heroine Lore is admittedly very fitting. As someone who has been living in hiding for the death magic she possesses, Lore comes to embody the ongoing power struggle occurring within the court more than she realizes. She’s selfish and fearless to the extreme, two traits I both admire and crave more of with women in fantasy. Misfits make great company, and Whitten takes that into account with the chaotic trio she establishes in the novel. Gotta love a debauched prince, a duke turned warrior monk, and a powerful outsider trying to uncover a conspiracy while denying their feelings for one another. Now I know some people love a good love triangle but I think that this is going in a different direction. The overall plot and romantic development were well-balanced, leaving room for a stunning conclusion that threw me for a loop and left me to pick up the pieces. With the Foxglove King, Whitten establishes a world split apart by magic and godhood, and showcases the very nature of humanity to seek to control a dangerous power. It’s got messy bisexuals, court intrigue, morally grey characters, and an established romantic tension that is only going to get better from here.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: blood, violence, gore, death, animal death, parental abuse

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Review: Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Ever since the death of her mother, Beck Birsching has struggled to stay on course. Ellery Birsching was an investigative reporter who spent years digging into a strange town in Arizona and never found the answers she craved. When a strange note arrives from her mother with the instructions to ‘Come find me,’ leading to the very town she investigated for so long, Beck travels south with her sister to Backravel, Arizona, where the past is more present than ever and the presence of their mother refuses to dissipate. Yet something strange is happening in Backravel. There are hardly any people present, no graveyards, and a strange center at the top of the hill offers treatment for any ailment. Everyone seems to be in a haze, and as Beck investigates the truth behind the town, its connection to her mother threatens to drag her under for good. 

Courtney Gould has written another sapphic masterpiece, about strange towns, sisterhood, and the relentless hold of grief. Wandering the backroads south to Arizona, Gould draws us into the mind of Beck Birsching, a grieving young girl trying to piece together the legacy of her deceased mother while struggling to keep herself together. The latest of Gould’s wonderfully weird locals is a seemingly innocent town that has ensnared many victims, drawing them into its thrall and feeding off of their desperation. Backravel Arizona becomes the site of emotional toil, eerily mirroring the mental state of our heroine and taking on a role that is truly terrifying the deeper Beck digs into her mother’s past. While many novels have endeavored to construct a web of claustrophobia within the narrative, none have managed it quite like this one. Right from the start there is a stark feeling of wrongness, that slowly closes in on the reader until they too are trapped in Backravel with Beck and the townspeople. Gould’s sophomore adds a moving investigation into sisterhood and motherhood. Two sisters that are divided not only in the way that they grieve, but in the way they viewed the profession of their late mother and how to navigate a future without her. I love a journey narrative, specifically ones that blend physical displacement with mental transformation. Where Echoes Die gives us exactly that, a trip between two sisters not ready to leave the past behind and who have yet to navigate a way out of their grief. Less at the forefront, but still poignant is the open discussion of queerness, seen through Beck’s coming out to her mother and other characters like Avery that were never given their time. Courtney Gould has gone two for two with books that have made me cry and I think this might be my favorite from her. Where Echoes Die breaches the past to prove the longevity of grief upon generations, and the universal struggle of the human experience. I’ll be keeping a weather eye out for more weird towns and badass Lesbians from Courtney Gould and basically anything she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: death of a loved one, terminal illness, violence

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Review: Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Romance novel obsessed Tara Chen has had more than her fair share of heartbreak. Ever since her most recent breakup, adding to a long line of men that dumped her because of her supposed clingy tendencies, her love life has grown sour. Tara wants to find love more than anything, but with the growing popularity of dating apps, a modern meet-cute is out of the question. Luckily, an insightful interview gives her an idea: revisit her past exes and reevaluate the relationship in an attempt to earn one of the most time-honored tropes, the second-chance romance. In her quest to reconnect with her past relationships, Tara enlists the help of her standoffish roommate Trevor, who couldn’t be any more against commitment. As the two venture deeper into Tara’s past, the closer they become, and though the disappointments grow even higher, finding the love she’s been looking for may not lie in the past at all, but in the everyday details.

Amy Lea did not hold back with this wholly magnetic and exquisitely tender slow-burn love story. I mean I heard the words “and they were roommates” and immediately dropped whatever I was doing to go and read this. Exes and O’s has a lot going for it, what with its central protagonists, an emotionally unavailable fireman, and a nurse with a tendency to romanticize, falling for one another under the guise of a search for a second-chance romance. Lea quietly constructs a simmering slow burn, with close-the-book level tension and enough going on that I never wanted to stop reading. Plot aside, the strongest part of this novel is its leading characters, Trevor and Tara. Not only was there enough set up to establish an emotional conflict that never became overbearing, but both character arcs intersected and complemented one another in increasingly fascinating ways. Out of the two main leads, Tara has to be my favorite. She’s the romance novel aficionado and book-lover heroine we deserve, and her inner struggle really resonated with me. I know many people appreciate dual POV in romance, but with a slow burn in mind and the characters in question, I loved the fact that we only got Tara’s. It helped make the pining almost unbearable and the undercurrent of the whole will they won’t they vibe. Throughout Tara’s entire emotional arc, Lea illustrates the importance of learning to be yourself wholeheartedly when it comes to love while continuing to hold onto your dreams and ideals. It’s obvious that friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and I think this one might be at the top of that list. Exes and O’s is a novel dedicated to all the romance-obsessed daydreamers out there, entirely charming, swoon-worthy, and vulnerable.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc.

Trigger warnings: sexism, gaslighting

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor of Dryadology who surrounds herself with her books, her work, and the faeries she has built a life around studying. Deep in research for her first encyclopedia of faeries, Emily journeys to the remote village of Hrafnsvik, Scandinavia to learn about the local faerie lore and endeavor to uncover an age-old mystery. The last thing she expects when she arrives is having to win over the numerous townsfolk and appease unfriendly attitudes. Incidentally, her arrogant and charming colleague Wendell Bambleby has taken it upon himself to hijack her research and charm the very townsfolk who have given her the cold shoulder. Someone is abducting villagers in the night, and despite everything, Emily wants to find out why. Bambleby undoubtedly knows more than is letting on, and as they journey into the wilderness for answers, their combined knowledge may be what saves them both, and could possibly be what opens her heart for good.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries surprised me with its cozy atmosphere and scholarly inquiry into the world of the fae. Combining fantasy, mystery, history, and romance elements, this is a one-of-a-kind story, unlike anything I’ve read concerning faerie so far. Written retrospectively through the form of an open diary, we journey into the strange corners of the Hrafnsvik wilderness as Emily conducts her research and befriends the fae folk both friend and foe. Settling into the story, the narrative structure takes some getting used to at the onset, but it’s ultimately an inventive way to visualize the world and portray character point of view. It’s unique to be able to read character reflection on a situation and see that situation being dictated all at the same time, and Fawcett delivers this flawlessly, interspersed with fae lore and the occasional Wendell journal entry. In town, Emily battles a much closer adversary, the wary townsfolk that deeply fear the fae on their borders. This core struggle joins with the slow build of the narrative, weaving in layers of whimsy and adventure as Emily’s reluctance to open up and make connections begins to thaw. Shifting between her fieldwork and time in the town seizes the humanity at the heart of academic research and the relationships we can close ourselves off to when we try to protect our hearts and peace above all else. The slow-burn romance between Emily and Wendell was on the lighter side, but much like the novel, it’s a quieter romance that takes hold like some kind of faerie spell. I really loved their romantic arc, which was obviously complete and utter chaos with a side of banter that was the epitome of sassy. Witty and delightful, I can only pray for more Emily Wilde, Wendell, and the fae world in the upcoming sequel. Fawcett debuts a delightful academic fantasy that bridges boundaries and leaves behind a yearning for love and an appreciation for the ostensibly insignificant details of the everyday.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this review copy

Trigger warnings: blood, injury, self-inflicted amputation, murder, death, violence

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