"...that's a thing you don't want. You have a lot of things you dont want. You don't seemt o have a lot that you want."

GENRE: Fantasy/Satire about Coporate World RATING: 3.75/5 FORMAT: physical ARC

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Review: This was a fun, humorous story that takes us through a magical vs human versions of corporation world with Morgan, Luke and all their friends (or enemies or scary bosses...etc.)😂

I had fun reading Startup Hell, which carried the humour you'd see in The Grimoire Grammar School and a similar writing style as well. It was fun to get to know both Morgan and Luke, see the contrast and similarities between a demon's version of the corporate world vs the human world (and can we guess which one ends up being worse? Is it both or one of them?👀)

My favourite part has to be the discussion of wants and our desires. There is a few discussions about how Humans want and if we achieve something, is it truly ever enough? I liked how we got to explore this from a few perspective and comparing it between the big things we want and the smaller things that would satisfy us. It does bring up the question: are we content when we get what we want or will we always want more?

Where Startup Hell fell a bit short for me was with how much the book was trying to deal with. We had ALOT going on and sometimes it was done just right but sometimes, it was just a lot and sometimes, it felt like there were a few gaps between certain plot points/themes. This wasn't that big of a deal to me but I do think that because the book is meant to be a humorous satire about the corporate world, at times it didn't flow as smoothly as the way the author wrote The Grimoire Grammar School.

I definitely am looking forward to my next Caitlin Rozakis story, in which we get humour, satire and a fun time. I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

"It hurt, craving something so badly, especially when you didn't know if you'd never get it."

GENRE: Contemp. Romance with Magical Realism RATING: 4.25/5 FORMAT: eBook ARC Tropes: Set in Ireland, Strangers to Lovers, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, He Falls First

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Review: In Every Possible Way is for the dreamers because it's such a cute, wholesome story about how two people find each other and love with the help of a little magic

I was really excited to read this book as I'm new to Magical Realism in Comtep. Romance and it was such a fun read! Jess is a dreamer and that is the best way to describe her. She grapples with the fact that she is one and wants to stop hoping for things she has no control over (very relatable Jess, it's a common dilemma we all share).

And as soon as she decides to be realistic, life hits her in a strange way. Enter Eamonn, and oh what a journey that was. They get to know each other in a slow and fast way simultaneously as they both know they only have so much time together (they do both think it's for different reasons)

And somehow, the way they get to know each other kind of feels like they've spent a lifetime getting to discover who their soulmate are. It's a beautiful, tender journey and you know it's the start of something beautiful. And while both Jess and Eamonn do have a different perspective in life, they share the same mentality of wanting to appreciate the smaller moments and finding beauty in it.

I do wish we got to dive a bit deeper into some of the things that we read from both Jess and Eamonn as they both brought up a lot of heavier things from their past. I know that they only had 48 hours together and so we get the version of them starting together and if they were a real couple, we'd know they'd be happy together

I will say that even though I did know this was a Romance and HEA are granted, I was SO scared they wouldn't work out and that we wouldnt get a happily ever after for both Jess and Eamonn but perhaps I should take a page out of Jess's dreamer book and learn to be a bit more hopeful as it all worked out🥹

I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

"I was a woman, a psychic and fortune teller. I had to face my fear, the feeling. I wanted to. The Spark was a tantalizing possibility of what I could be and do. It was like recovering a lost piece of myself. My affinity, whole. Me, complete."

GENRE: Historical Fantasy & Mystery RATING: 4.75/5 FORMAT: eBook & physical ARC

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Review: Olseya Salnikova Gilmore never fails to enchant me magically with her books and this one is no exception. I am a huge fan of her debut, The Witch and the Tsar and so when I heard she had a new release this year, I was super excited for it.

The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is a beautiful tale that mixes Fantasy, Historical Fiction and Mystery while adding touch of magic throughout the book. I had a specific tab annotated to all the auras that Zina could see and the magical moments we get throughout the book. I think the strongest strength of the book is how beautifully Olseya writes, in a way that blends all different parts and makes you feel that you're in Paris with Zina, Baba Valya and everyone else.

We do get a deep dive into the story of immigrants, leaving your own home country and growing up somewhere else. Zina's POV shows us what it means to be from two different cultures as she is both from Paris and Russia. She describes this as one foot in each culture and the way that you see her go from one area in Paris to another based on where she felt she needed to be shows how so many of us are a blend of different cultures now.

We also get other character's POV and Baba Valya is a beautiful POV, with her role shifting from being a mother to a grandmother. She truly reminded me of my own grandmother, wanting to serve traditional tea, desserts and always prioritising family.

Oh and the twists and mysteries in the story? It does take you on an adventure, one that is filled with all the themes I've mentioned above and still focusing on solving the mystery of it all.

I can't wait to read Olseya's future releases and dive into the beautiful worlds she always creates.

I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

“If each person only corrects the crimes that they have committed themselves, then the world will be full of pain, because evil men do not care about injustice, and so never correct their own.”

GENRE: Historical Gothic Fantasy RATING: 5/5 (would be 6 if I could give it 6 stars!!!!) FORMAT: Physical ARC

Overall Impression: What a story like honestly, WHAT A STORYY!! This would get 6 stars if I could give it that and what a beautiful ode to Historical Fantasy with retellings, gothic and horror elements.

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Review: I hope this review does the book justice but this is literally a beautiful lyrical, well-written book that has so many different parts all blended together to bring us the story of Mercy Chan. It's set in Hong Kong around the time of World War II and more specifically in Kowloon Walled City.

We have mythical creatures, ghosts, action, politics and just people being human after all. We start off with Mercy in her 50s being a ghost hunter with a cat spirit as her sidekick animal and as we continue, this becomes a story of generational trauma in Mercy's family. We see the impact of a few people in one family and how it can change history and lives overall.

Not only is this book written so well but it combines political elements while showing us what happens due to war and colonisation. It shows how things continue to be impacted by it long after it finishes.

“War does not finish,” he said heavily. “It is not a game that stops when enough players quit. It is a wound, sinking into flesh, leaving scars and rot for a long time.”

But perhaps, most importantly, the message here is that hurt people will continue to hurt people. It shows that one pain can multiple and continue to do so until it is dealt with and if you choose to never deal with it? Well, history continues to repeat again and again till we address it. We also see how people that are self-serving and don't function to better themselves and the community are harmful to everyone around them and also inflict pain, whether intentionally or not.

Honestly, what a book. Sunyi has said that it took her a few years to write The Girl with a Thousand Faces and you can tell she poured her whole heart into it. She took so many narrative choices that we don't see a lot of (like second POV) and did it SO well and so fittingly for the story. I truly cannot wait to read more by Sunyi and go back and read The Book Eaters.

I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

"I wasn't built to break easily ... I was built to fall apart only when the time came."

GENRE: Botanical Horror with Welsh Myth (Blodeuwedd) RATING: 5/5 FORMAT: eBook & physical ARC

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Review: When I found out Honeysuckle is a Botanical Horror story with Welsh Mythology focusing on Blodeuwedd, I knew I had to read it and I did not expect the way it would go (in the best of ways)

While Honeysuckle is definitely a tale that focuses on the Myth itself, the story is about autonomy, consent and control. We get both POV, Rory and Daye and guys? The way the story progresses, you definitely want to hear less from Rory and almost wish his POV would cease throughout the book.

With both POV, we get to see the way Rory would exert control and justify his actions continuously. The way he would avoid speaking about what was happening with people in the city because he knew he would be judged and yet, he doesn't stop any of his actions. Interestingly, despite the fact that he continues to champion the fact that Daye is her own person, he is the one robbing her of her autonomy more than anyone else in the story.

I was definitely on the edge of my seat for this because it was uncomfortable in the way horror books are. Rory's POV gives you that creepy, unease feeling that you wish you could stop reading it but there is no way to find out what happens except to continue. Don't get me wrong, his POV is definitely essential and the feeling of being uncomfortable comes with the Horror genre. It was done so well that you truly just want to throw the book away.

And Daye, oh what an emotional way to process through this story. There are many versions of the retelling of Blodeuwedd and in most of them, Blodeuwedd has a companion that helps her through but in this story, Daye is different. We watch her journey, see how isolated she is and how truly alone she is in every level. We see her change every season, going from Autumnal Daye, with apples, acorns and yarrows to Winter Daye, with pine needles, holly berries and winter honeysuckle. Truly, Daye's POV help us build such a connection with her that you aren't only rooting for her to survive but hoping she gets to thrive.

And what supports Honeysuckle as a good story is the writing. Botanical Horror and Mythology are both sub-genres that can lean into poetic, lyrical prose and Honeysuckle definitely did that. You truly get to feel the different seasons, the way it all changes and how it impacts the story.

I was provided a free advance reader copy and I’m sharing my honest thoughts.

Having just finished Kindling, just returning here as I never wrote a review to say that Eiley and Warren are my FAVOURITE and their dynamic was so fun to read

OH And Warren calling Eiley Mo Ghaol?🥹

I also think the one thing that stuck with me is how we get to explore how Eiley felt growing up and how she was always an outsider. This theme was done so well in Fireworks and I know we get more books in the series but I can always dream of us getting another novella for Eiley and Warren! OH AND Eiley is a reader and Warren starts to get into it too for her🥹

"The quiet that had fallen upon them was disarming once she crawled out of her busy brain for long enough to become aware of it. Harper couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so at ease. It wasn't just being here. His presence offered peace, like he was an anchor grounding her into the here and now."

GENRE: Romance RATING: 4.25/5 FORMAT: eBook Tropes: Set in Scotland, Autumnal Romance, Small Town, Cozy Cabin, Grumpy x Sunshine

Review: I have to start by saying that I did read Fireworks (book 2 in this inter-connected series) and then read Kindling next so I did a reverse order of it but I did not feel like I missed anything both times.

I was really excited to read Harper and Fraser's story after getting to know them in Fireworks and this did not disappoint! We do have a dual POV but we get to focus more on Harper throughout majority of the story.

I love how this starts with a reluctant two MCs that are not willing to let anyone into their lives for various reasons and they eventually (and slowly) let down their walls! And on the way, they both learn about themselves. Harper learns how to value and love herself by not seeking external validation. She slowly finds who she is and what she wants to do during her trip. And Fraser learns that he doesnt have to hold the whole world in his shoulders.

I really enjoyed this book and I am loving the series🥹 I also have to say that I really do enjoy the way Bonnie writes different type of Romance dynamics because both her books in this series were different (and rightfully so as the characters are different too) and yet you feel they all belong to the same found family and world.