"We all win, or nobody does." — Saeldian

In order to become a powerful warlock, professional con artist Saeldian Charmhand has sworn an oath to never fall in love. This doesn't bother them in the slightest until they bite off more than they can chew, and get dragged into a high-stakes heist with their best friend, Jubilee. The main problem? One of their new teammates is Kell: a grumpy bard who no longer sings, Saeldian's childhood friend, and the ex-companion whom they had kissed and betrayed (due to certain circumstances) a decade ago.

But Saeldian and Jubilee desperately need the reward to rebuild their home, while Kell and his new druid companion, Lorzok, must take the job too if they want a chance to return to the Feywild. Forced to work together, bitter hearts slowly heal as Kell makes peace with his past, while Saeldian realizes the extents of what they would do for both power and love.

⬦ DnD Campaign-style Cozy High Fantasy ⬦ Non-Binary Warlock MC x Grumpy Bard Love Interest ⬦ Friends-to-True Enemies-to-Lovers ⬦ REAL Slow Burn & Tension & Banter ⬦ Forced Proximity & One Bed

I. LOVED. THIS!!! Although I came for the cozy romantasy and fun heist premise, we get SO MUCH more! 😍 The cast of The Feywild Job were complex, nuanced and beautifully flawed, especially the main characters Saeldian and Kell. As pointed out by the other characters in the story, Kell was always vicious and loud in his (understandable) hatred for Saeldian, to the point everyone in their vicinity knew.

At the same time, Saeldian deliberately swayed both friends and family to their side over Kell’s by making it obvious how unfairly victimized they were by their ex-partner, despite having truly hurt Kell to the core. Beneath the sharp barbs and anger, however, were countless buried vulnerabilities along with old festering wounds that didn't just get swept under the rug.

Saeldian and Kell had to work on themselves until they understood their own hearts, then each other's, before they could start mending bridges. The themes of rediscovering self-worth, granting forgiveness, and the power of love and second chances were woven delicately throughout the story. The prose was lush and whimsical (note: I don't have a lot of DnD knowledge but followed along without much difficulty), the supporting cast was lively and protective, and the heist itself was clever and full of twists!

I was also very appreciative of the queer-normative worldbuilding + Saeldian's rep, especially the way they were accepted and loved no matter how they decided to present themselves to the world. Love, love, SO MUCH love!! 💞 Even though I’m so sad to say goodbye to these wonderful characters and could have read a whole trilogy about them (👀 pretty please?), everything tied up nicely in this standalone. Unforgettable and unique, I can't wait to read C.L. Polk's other works!

"She was beautiful and ferocious. She was Chloe's beginning, middle, and end. She was home." — Chloe

Fae Princess Hyacinth is the magicless youngest daughter of the overprotective Queen of High Fae, whose mysterious father has been missing for fifteen years. Desperate to know more about him and why she has no High Fae magic or wings, Hyacinth enlists the help of her best friend and secret crush, Chloe, for an adventure to the perilous Labyrinth, the last place her father was allegedly headed.

However, unbeknownst to her, Chloe is a human who has been accidentally stuck in the Fae realm for over a year. Desperate to return to her twin sister by all means necessary, Chloe battles her growing feelings for the Fae Princess who could definitely never love a human back. Fortunately, rumour has it that the very last portal to other worlds may be found in the centre of the Labyrinth...

◆ Fae Princess x Human Lady Knight (in-training) ◆ YA Cozy Sapphic Romantasy ◆ Friends-to-Lovers & Yearning ◆ Immersive Worldbuilding ◆ Coffee, A Pocket-Sized Dragon!

As someone who adores sapphic Fae romantasies, The Hyacinth Labyrinth has been such a whimsical and wild ride! The light romance was sweet and charming, and the characters were easy to like. Chloe was protective and brave, always the first to step in front of her princess no matter how dangerous or bleak their situation may be. Hyacinth started off idealistic and naive, but quickly grew into her own strength in order to have the power to save the people important to her. And we can't forget teeny tiny Coffee 🐉 the amnesic star of the show who tagged along for the adventure and always had a wise thing to say to the girls.

I absolutely adored the lush worldbuilding, and really wish I'd read the previous books before this, because there were a few references in the beginning and they seemed like such a fun time too! While a cozy fantasy, there were relatively high stakes involved and I loved how I got to witness our female leads grow, both individually and together, as they overcame epic trials in order to reach their fairytale ending 😍 Looking forward to reading more books in this world!!!

"Promise me you will never surrender your fate to the whims of others." — Exiled Prince Nakir Hasan

After the unexpected passing of her father, Princess Alethea Onasis is forced to tell countless prophecies under her ruthless mother's reign. Incapable of opposing her mother, she's resigned to her fate until a chance encounter with rebel leader and exiled prince of the previous dynasty, Nakir Hasan. One impromptu kidnapping later, everything changed. Faced with kindness, love, and loyalty from Nakir and the rebel camp, after a decade of merely being her mother's tool, Princess Alethea must come to terms with her Oracle magic and budding desires, all while helping her "enemy" plot to take over her mother's throne.

⬦ Spicy Rapunzel Retelling ⬦ 26yo Oracle Princess FMC x 33yo Exiled Prince MMC ⬦ Found Family & Strong Female Characters ⬦ Forbidden Love & Yearning ⬦ Cliffhanger Ending

I feel like it's so rare to see a "softer" romantasy FMC nowadays, so Princess Alethea felt like a breath of fresh air! I adored how the MMC and found family co never tried pushing her to be something she wasn't. And during the process of rediscovering herself, Princess Althea also learnt what it meant to fight for something that matters, while also never losing sight of her ideals.

As for the MMC Nakir, he was somehow BOTH the perfect green flag while also being shades of morally grey, and I loved his witty banter with Alethea. Plus his yearning 👀 ALL the yearning! Not to mention how every member of FMC's new found family was incredibly easy to love, with special shout outs to the very protective Emi and Bal!! (Seriously, Emi can step on me OR fry me with her lightning magic any day 😂)

I also especially loved all the little snippets from letters, academic papers, and other Easter eggs we got between each chapter, they really fleshed out the worldbuilding! With the high stakes chasing them every moment, the pacing felt fast and I basically binged the entire book in a single night. Can't wait for the next book because that cliffhanger was BRUTAL!!! 👀

"You're smart enough to know that you can't turn back time. You can only move forward. But if you want us to have adventures, we can have new ones. If you want us to have a family again, we can make a new one." — Seffy Moreau

After the mysterious and abrupt disappearance of their headmistress, the remaining members of the League of Exceptional Young Ladies have been left scattered to the wind. Rose Moriarty — teenage daughter of Sherlock Holmes' greatest enemy — stews in both her guilt and inability to find her, until she hears word of their last teacher’s impending demise. But Rose refuses to lose another important friend without putting up a fight.

Teaming up with the other daughters of famous villains, the son of Dr. Watson slash her handsome childhood friend, plus the charming vampire Count who had randomly showed up on her doorstep with a mysterious artefact, Rose must go on another adventure to outsmart a god, find a cure, and finally solve the troubles of her own heart.

⬦ Smart FMC & Classics-Inspired Cast ⬦ Found Family & Witty Banter ⬦ High Stakes & Plot Twists ⬦ Light Romance & Multi-POV ⬦ (Satisfying!!) Cliffhanger Ending

This was seriously such a fun read!!! I am in LOVE with the worldbuilding, monster hunting heroines and all the little nods to classic literature, like W. W. Jacob's The Monkey's Paw! 😍 Every character in the main cast was related to an iconic character like Professor Moriarty, Dr. Moreau, and Frankenstein; and they all had so much personality and attitude too! The "daughter" or creation of Frankenstein had to be my favourite, her blunt nature and many non sequiturs were just so hilarious 😆 I also loved the relationships between all the girls and how they evidently cared so much for one another, including the missing headmistress Hina who haunted the entire narrative.

The switches in POV were both numerous yet seamless, while the plot twists kept on coming. Seriously, I was surprised by the amount of plot twists I was blindsided by! I’m usually pretty good at guessing them ahead of time! But everything tied up very nicely, even though it ended with a cliffhanger 👀 I absolutely cannot wait to read the next instalment and see the full League of Exceptional Young Ladies get together again!!

⬦ Exquisite & Beautiful Illustrations ⬦ Intriguing Magic System ⬦ Cast of Likeable Characters ⬦ Engaging Plot & Mysteries ⬦ Fantastical Worldbuilding

In a world where only witches can do magic, MC wasn't born a witch, yet dreams of doing magic. But magic is not actually only limited to witches and her experiments with the magical book from a mysterious stranger results in her mother being petrified into stone. Now she must become an apprentice to a witch to learn how to undo the magic and save her mother, while her new mentor has motives of his own as he tries to hunt down the mysterious stranger who gave her that magical book. As for that mysterious stranger, why did he give her that book and why does he call her their "one and only hope" 👀?

When I read the author's foreword about this story being inspired by a friends comment that "the process of bringing an illustration into the world seemed just like magic", I knew I was in for a treat 😳 As an artist myself, I really love and resonate with how the magic system is based on and parallels art practice. I also adored how MC overcame the trial in her test by applying the tailoring skills she learnt from her mother and creating a different type of magic using a medium she was more familiar with.

MC is so cute and loveable, and has me 1000% rooting for her! The other apprentices are also soooo adorable and I especially love MC's dynamic with her grumpy roommate and would love to see how it develops! The mentor is very intriguing and seems to have mysterious motives of his own, and I'm SO curious about what the mysterious stranger wants with MC.

The translation was clear and easy to read, so I think they did a fantastic job bringing this story to an English audience! I'm also obsessed with the beautiful art style with its intricate inking and delightful compositions! Every panel is a work of art and worth staring at for all the details. This is truly a love poem to illustration and uses it to its full effect for storytelling!

"It was enough to convince Ash that her guileless, star-cursed heart had never fallen out of love with Lucy." — Ashes Steadfast

For countless generations, the Steadfasts and the Prynnes have been cursed to oppose each other. Members of the Prynne family have the ability to lure away a person's soul with their sweet words, while the Steadfasts have sworn to save them. Ex-girlfriends Ashes Steadfast and Lucy Prynne are the newest dancers in this doomed tango that destroyed both their fathers, forced to battle each other endlessly.

For Ashes, these ruthless fights are the only way for her to see Lucy again. Because no matter how tender her former true love seemed, no matter how much she pleaded for Ash to just listen, Lucy's cruel whip and merciless storms meant the girl she had loved was gone forever...

Or so she believed, until Ashes and Lucy reappear again and again in the places that had once mattered most to them. Again and again, with a second chance and a way to break their curse that Ashes absolutely refuses to let go of.

◆ Sapphic Lovers-to-Enemies-to-Lovers ◆ Inspired by The Scarlet Letter ◆ Second Chance Romance ◆ Forbidden Love & Yearning ◆ Best Boy Helegar (an immortal dog)

I was initially hooked by the interesting premise but ultimately stayed for the characters, because omg I loved them all! 😭💘 I especially loved Ashes, who had grumpy black cat vibes, and the way she absolutely adored the sarcastic but sweet Lucy, an angelic woman who was ironically the embodiment of evil. And let's not forget Helegar who remained steadfast in loving all the characters in the story, no matter how many mistakes they may have made.

This started out darker than I expected from the pretty cover, but that's a plus in my book 👀 At its core, this was a beautiful love story with characters you couldn't help but root for. I practically binged the entire book in a single night to make sure they got their HEA! 😂

There were some shifting timelines and flashbacks, but I loved the way it wove in parts of The Scarlet Letter and was so intrigued by all the magical realism aspects. I honestly really REALLY wished the book was like double in length because I still have so many questions about the generational curse, how their magical powers worked, all their ancestors, and if Hector's baby twins were alright?! I know this was a standalone but would love to read a prequel about their ancestors haha!

If you love (spicy 👀🌶) sapphic romances that were inspired by The Scarlet Letter, then this is the story for you!

"Mothers worry about daughters because we know what daughters don't." — Grandmother Hua Yulan

The eldest daughter from the House of Hua are each gifted with the ability to make magical perfumes. Every fifth generation comes a daughter with the most coveted ability of them all: the ability to make perfumes that can bring forth the user's one true love ... except Hua Luling (or Lucy) who ends up being the sole exception to that tradition. Unable to accept her failure to manifest her magic, Lucy flees across the country to open a small perfume shop in Toronto, and only her grandmother's unexpected passing forces her back home.

... And back to her mother, who is adamant that she must find the reason behind her malfunctioning perfume magic. As Lucy is forced to confront her past, her family, and her childhood friend slash crush she never got over, Lucy gradually realizes that, perhaps, her missing magic is not actually the root of her problems.

⬦ Healing Mother/Daughter Dynamic ⬦ Whimsical Cozy Perfume Magic ⬦ Ancient Chinese History & Lore ⬦ Second Chance Childhood Friend Love Interest ⬦ Canadian Setting (Vancouver & Toronto!)

It's a struggle for me to encapsulate everything I felt when I reached the end of the story and had to say goodbye to both Lucy and her mom. I must admit I spent longer than I expected reading The Library of Flowers, because there were so many parts that made me almost uncomfortable at how they hit close to home (which surprised me, as my family dynamic is nothing like Lucy's! 😳). While a dry and sassy narrator, Lucy's self-deprecating personality made her the type of friend I would like to shake a few (many) times while trying to talk sense into her 😂

She was directionless, messy and REAL in a way I appreciated for a character in her early thirties. I also loved all her relationships, such as her sweet friendship with her only friend Ana, her (reciprocated) yearning with her green flag best friend, and her fraught relationship with her stern mother (which was really the highlight of the story). And though it was sometimes frustrating, I also loved how her progress and healing was (realistically) NOT linear.

The fascinating lore behind the perfume magic, insightful flashbacks to the alternative POVs from Lucy's ancestors, and evocative way scent was described in The Library of Flowers was absolutely beautiful. I also loved all the themes on legacy, identity, and a mother's love, along with how the biggest mystery tied up neatly at the end! While I will miss these characters, the hopeful open ending leaves me satisfied that they will probably be alright (and now I desperately need to pick up more of Lily Chu's books! 🥰).

I really, REALLY wanted to love this but had to DNF 😭 This book was marketed as an adult dark academia fantasy but the writing style and characters are more suited to a younger audience. I was incredibly surprised when it was revealed that the love interest was 25 years old, because his behaviour and personality made me think he was in his early teens...

There was also an aspect that was off putting to me as someone of Chinese descent. The way Chinese culture was displayed in certain scenes in the book felt othering, as if it was trying to play up Asian stereotypes to build the characters. For example, there was a scene where FMC calls her mother and she thinks that anyone else would be startled by the tone change, but she's not because her mother is Asian and scolding is her love language.

I found it odd that the FMC would think about it like this, that 'this is just how Asian mothers show love', rather than 'this is just how MY mother shows love'. It felt a bit like the mother was thrown in just to perpetuate a stereotype of how Asian mothers are like rather than having her own characterisation, to the point even her own daughter didn't think much of her behaviour in terms of how she was as a person. My own mother's love language is definitely not scolding, so this among other instances really took me out of the story :(

“I suppose anyone foolish enough to cage a wild bird shouldn’t expect them to sing for their captor.” — Vale

SYNOPSIS: Raven is a notorious bounty hunter who makes a paltry living by sending the accused to Endlock, where prisoners are hunted for sport by the elite in society. However, when her younger brother Jed is imprisoned, she will stop at nothing to break him out ... even if it means entering Endlock to play their vicious games herself.

But survival amongst the wicked is both easier and harder than expected, especially when a handsome guard with molten eyes seems as drawn to Raven as she is to him ...

◆ Insta-love & Forbidden Romance & SPICE 👀 ◆ 23yo MC Prisoner x Mid-20s Guard Love Interest ◆ Sapphic Side Couple & (Potential) Love Triangle ◆ Found Family & Sibling Dynamics ◆ Dystopian & High Stakes & Cliffhanger

I love dystopian books so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this one! There's been a lot of comparisons thrown around, but I'm very happy to say that To Cage a Wild Bird can stand on its own in the genre. The biggest twist I enjoyed was probably the found family angle it went with - I absolutely adored the spunky Yara and her banter with both MC and her partner, I really wish we got to see more of her!

I think fans of insta-love would enjoy this because the romance between MC and her dark and broody love interest was fast-paced, a cherry on top of the prison break plotline. Also, the ending cliffhanger got me and I can't believe I need to wait nearly a year for the sequel 😂 WHY?!?! Send help!

⬦ High Stakes Murder Mystery ⬦ Fantasy Setting with Augmented Humans, Animals & Plants ⬦ Mind-controlling Murder Weapon ⬦ Existential Horror Old Gods ⬦ Societal Ethics of Biotech & Agriculture

I went in expecting a fun murder mystery plot and came out with an epic fantasy involving biotech agriculture and existential horror old gods 😳 In the beginning, I was a bit worried because I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series, but the story does a good job with exposition and explaining the fantastical world to new readers, so it's totally possible to read it as a standalone. The worldbuilding and plot are so well thought out and impressive, with everything tying together! It also kept me guessing, as every time they seemed to get close to the suspect or perpetrator, a drastic development would knock their investigation onto another course.

From around the halfway point, I was super suspicious of one character in particular and reading into every single reaction and dialogue he had. And I managed to guess who the 1st perpetrator was! By 89% in, I had changed my suspects for the main perpetrator and my 2nd suspect actually turned out to be correct!! (Alas, I am still a little bit sad that my 1st suspect wasn't correct 😆 I was soooo sure it was him and my theorising was making so much sense to me!!!) So this is a proper mystery that gives you enough clues to theorise about the perpetrator/s and gives you the AHA moment when you manage to put it all together! A satisfying mystery for sure and absolutely packed with awesome worldbuilding, plot twists and questions about societal ethics.

⬦ Bisexual MC (Friends with Benefits Male Love Interest & Suspicious Frenemy Female Love Interest) ⬦ EVERYONE is Sus (except the dog who is an angel) ⬦ Creepy Paranoia-Inducing Neighbourhood ⬦ A Surprising Lot of Explosions ⬦ Complicated Family Relationships

When MC is down on his luck and on the verge of becoming homeless, he miraculously comes into a substantial inheritance from his uncle. But his uncle’s house also comes with life threatening dangers, with many people desperate to claw the inheritance away from MC...

This was such a fun and entertaining read! It had me hooked from the first few paragraphs as it teased the mystery of how MC ended up in such a peculiar situation. Most importantly, MC is a VERY entertaining and witty narrator, making Killer Vibes an enjoyable and easy read. I also really liked how everyone in the town just seemed SO suspicious to the reader, they seriously gave me the creeps! I was basically questioning everyone’s trustworthiness just like MC as the story progressed. All the characters were memorable, but I have to give a special shoutout to Brutus the German Shepherd for being the goodest boy!!

I do feel that the ending was a little bit rushed and could have been foreshadowed better, but overall, the little teasing hints and clues had me devouring this book!!!

When Annie wakes up in the midst of mermaids and a glittering faerie court, she thinks it's all an odd dream. But one cannot be careless in the land of faeries, and even a simple dance competition can have lethal consequences. Luckily for her, the Summer King's one-handed lady knight, Caesar, is unexpectedly sympathetic and willing to help her return home.

Meanwhile, in the mortal realm, Sebastian is willing to do anything to protect his twin sister ... or the disembodied, sentient hand that's the only thing he has left of her. Even if he has to do some sketchy things for the inheritance in the process.

◇ High-stakes & Dangerous Faerie Bargains ◇ Queer & Disability Representation ◇ Third-person Multi-POV ◇ Protective Twins & Found Family ◇ Standalone YA Fantasy (w/ Hints of Romance)

This was such a charming and whimsical tale with faeries, knights and a clueless trespassing human who DIDN'T end up as a damsel in distress. I came for the explanation behind the mysterious disembodied hand (I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued by that?!) and while I wasn't disappointed by it in the slightest, I 100% stayed for the unforgettable, witty characters who each had their own distinct and entertaining personalities.

Annie is funny, relatable and admirably calm in the face of danger. Sebastian sometimes got on my nerves the way only a dumb brother might, but his deep love, loyalty and concern for his sister warmed my heart. And Caesar!!! OMG I'm soooo with Annie on this because our Lady Knight is damn fine! And while I would never question the strength of the Summer Court's strongest knight, her moments of vulnerability only added to her depth of character. Of course, I also loved how Caesar never really needed any saving (unlike what Sebastian thinks), because she was always strong enough to do it herself.

Absolutely cannot wait to read more of Wiklund's future books because I LOVED THIS!!