Kiraz

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This is my second book by this author. First being Fake Dates and Mooncakes which I absolutely loved. Just like the first book, this is a YA romance between two boys, very rich in Chinese culture, with a sweet and heartwarming romance.

I liked both of the characters in this book independently, though they're a bit melodramatic at times, I think that comes with the territory of such a story. I was really invested in both of their storylines. Zhen, selfless to a fault; Xian, headstrong. I enjoyed how Xian grows and bends with Zhen's love and learns to be more compassionate.

However, I did have trouble getting into the supernatural aspect of their romance. It's in the name, so this is not really fully the book's fault. I'm not sure how much I'd be into any romance that involves a snake spirit. But let's just say the book didn't really help make it feel less weird, at least in the first half. The romance is pretty much insta love, and it's unclear why these two characters are infatuated with one another past their looks.

When I let myself pretend they were both human, their connection was very delicate and beautifully woven. How their bond strengthens over time and how they start to completely trust each other is truly lovely.

So despite and because of these, by the end, I found myself fully invested in the romance, and was at the edge of my seat trying to find out if they would end up together. There might have been a few tears shed.

The fantasy/action aspects of this book were mostly focused on the second half of the book. A lot of betrayals and twists and at no point did I know who was gonna survive.

I also really enjoyed a bunch of the side characters, especially the best friends of the two main characters. And appreciated that even the side characters got a good amount of growth here.

I do wish there was more urgency at the beginning of the book towards the main character's goals. I think this would have helped with the pacing, since the second half rushes by quite fast, but the first half drags a bit more.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall rating: 3.7 ⭐

Is it close to Christmastime or is it Emily Stone season?

This is the 4th Emily Stone book I've read. This has a lot in common with her other books. A story that deals in grief, that takes place over a year, featuring Christmas in a way. But I think this is her most contemporary romance-like and least heart-wrenching book. It feels like she's melding her own style with what we usually expect from romance books and I LOVE IT!

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is set in Christmas Land. In the world of the book, each holiday is a kingdom, using magic to keep their existence hidden. The King of Christmas decides to match his son, Coal, with the Princess of Easter, Iris, who also happens to be the prince's best friend. The Prince of Halloween, Hex, is invited to court the princess as well. While they have to pretend they're competing for the princess, the two princes get more and more close.

I loved this book! I seriously can't wait for the next one. Something about the writing really resonated with me, sucked me in and didn't let me go. I read it all in one sitting.

The premise is so cute and fluffy, that I thought the book was gonna be a fun and silly (in a good way) read. Which it is, but it's also, so full of passion and love, and it is so evocative, earnest and at times quite deep. While the romance is the main plot, the story is also about family and loss and there are messages in it about the corrupting influences of power and capitalism.

With audiobooks I don't usually highlight sections because it's just annoying. But so many times while listening to this book I had to pause, rewind and replay over and over until I could write them down.

The romance in this is the best. It had delicacy, vulnerability and authenticity. And Coal and Hex are just so frickin cute!! I always love a forbidden romance, with the yearning, the stolen touches and the secret meetings and this was done REALLY well. Their chemistry, banter, and tension, all of it was just so good. Their baggage and misgivings felt very genuine as well.

I loved most of the side characters as well: the Princess of Easter, the other Prince of Christmas, and staff at the palace. I especially loved the brother relationship between Coal and Kris. And together with Iris they make a great trio.

Unlike the movie it's named after, this leans more Christmas than Halloween, in case you like reading books close to their holidays.

Quick thoughts: this was such a cute romance which was low in drama for the most of it. I found it difficult to put down. The only part I didn't enjoy is that the main character gets unbearable at some point but it does kind of align with the kind of person he is. I loved all the Persian food references. It was also really hot

Quick thoughts:
3.5 ⭐
Kind of slow in pacing. Found the main character annoying. The twist(?) was mostly obvious. Loved the mythology and the gender representation. Enjoyed the romance. It would be exciting to see it really develop in book 2. Might read the next one in the series. Didn't really like the audiobook narrator either, in trying to not be monotonous everything came off as it was super exciting.

Quick thoughts: Really enjoyed this one! I loved the stories from both of the timelines, which is rare. I loved many of the characters. Many flawed people. Good weaving of cozy mystery with some suspense. Not super easy to figure out. I liked the small buds of romance in it too. I would absolutely read the next book if it becomes a series.

Whenever I think about this book, I find myself having trouble articulating what this book is about. It's about people, about history in Mesopotamia, about relationships, about the Yazidi people, about the visible and invisible connections between people, about love in its many forms -even ones that harm-, about surviving despite your circumstances and the deep scars that they cause, about prejudices and brutality, about the Epic of Gilgamesh, and it's about a single drop of water.

Elif Shafak is great at teaching me bits of Turkish history I hadn't heard much about. The more brutal and ugly parts of it. But she does so beautifully. My heart broke again and again reading this book, for the characters, for the story, for the people in history who actually lived it. It's also sadly a very apt time for a book involving a genocide, one that is not widely known.

If you're not familiar with Elif Shafak's writing, you're truly missing out. Her writing is always so beautiful and somehow very educational, it borders magical realism at times. She writes about strong characters and weaves a story like a tapestry, once finished, forcing you to take a step back to take in the full picture.

This is no different, a story spanning centuries, cultures and countries. There are three main characters across time. Only by reading will you see if and how they're connected.

This is not a book you will read in one sitting. You'll take your time with it, and it'll steep within you, until you're ready to dive back in.

I read this as a mixture of audiobook and ebook, and really enjoyed the narration as well.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC!

Narration: First person past tense, dual POV
Representation: Set in Ireland, Irish/Gaeilge language, main character with a stutter, demisexual main character

What happens when the epitome of the sunshine of the grumpy/sunshine fame moves next to a funeral home? What happens when the kinda grumpy (mostly introverted) owner of the funeral home melts down his defenses in the face of such insistent sunshine?

Lark is grappling with the loss of her husband and is not ready for a relationship. She feels a bit unmoored at the beginning of the book and throughout, Callum, new friends, and her job help her settle in and grow roots. The exploration of her grief was done very well.

I liked Callum the most in this book. He's very good at pushing people away and usually seems pretty serious, but with Lark he's himself, he's vulnerable, he's adventurous, he can be silly. I love a book partner that let's love into their heart easily. He's so genuinely sweet, it's hard not to love him as the reader.

The two were very sweet together. I loved their interactions, how they're there for one another, how even when they weren't dating, it was clear to everyone else that they were or would be. This is a bit of a slow burn, even after they both realize they're interested in one another, mostly because of Lark's misgivings about being in a relationship. You see them be infatuated then slowly fall in love, you see that love slowly erode their hard edges and you see them grow until they're ready to let one another in.

I liked a lot of the side characters as well, especially the old lady Maeve. I love how she and Lark bond over their losses and how she helps Lark in profound ways.

The villain of the story feels a bit extreme. This whole plotline felt unnecessary as is, and could have been much better if it was handled with more nuance. Neither Lark nor her coworker friends stand up for her as she's being bullied until something very clear-cut happens and that didn't feel right.

I also loved reading about Irish language and mythology!

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Genre: Romantasy
Narration: Third person past tense, single POV
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The Undermining of Twyla is the second book in this world. This is a romantasy book that's heavier on the romance than the fantasy, though it does involve some adorable dragons. Twyla and Frank are the main characters. They've both been in marriages before, they have kids, and are pretty settled in life as marshals. When a coworker is found dead, and dragons are possibly involved, they get pulled into figure out the mystery of both these creatures and the death.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, more than this one.

Note: While this is marketed as When Harry Met Sally I don't see any parallels between these two other than that they're both friends to lovers. This isn't good or bad, it's just is. But don't go into it expecting WHMS vibes.

Read this if you: really liked the first book and want to see the continuation of that story in the same world, love friends to lovers with a slow burn, wanna enjoy a romance with older characters than usual.

A couple breaks up very publicly and gets pulled into a reality show where they have to stay in the same house for a month for 1 million dollars! And they can't touch each other!!

Read this if you like: Too hot to Handle, second chance, forced proximity, reality TV, he falls first, kinda celebrity romance

I absolutely loved this book! It made me kick-my-feet giddy, and put a huge smile on my face. From the beginning to end, any moment I was not reading this book, I was thinking about the next time that I could.

I liked this one better than Forget Me Not, Julie Soto's first book, somehow. It might be my top romance of the year so far. I'm obsessed with the book and Alex. This is not going to be a very coherent review

This book is about an author talking about writing a mystery, and then a murder happens when he's at an author event so in a way you're reading him write the book within the book, while also reading the book within the book, while really, you're reading and trying to solve the main mystery. The fourth wall is practically non-existent in this book while the author always talks to you, the reader, directly, and promises to never hide anything.

The fourth wall is practically non-existent while Ernest, the author, always talks to you, the reader, directly, and promises to never hide anything. He's playing with his cards open. He also gives hints along the way and tells you about how a mystery should be written, while also trying to stick to those rules himself. It's a marvelous journey literally, figuratively and literary-ly.

This is book 2 in a series, I didn't really feel like I missed anything by jumping in at this point. Reading this did make me wanna go back and read book #1 though. And I'll absolutely be reading the next book in the series.

This might be the funniest, wittiest mystery I've ever read. The book is so meta, and the humor is so on point, it was an absolute hoot to read. I laughed out loud at many points throughout the book. The kind of self aware meta-narration + humor this book adopts is so smart, it really tickled my brain in the right spot. I was so delighted while reading it.

This is a must read if you like cozy mysteries. There were many nods to Agatha Christie, starting with The Orient Express. But it also subverts some of those expectations many times, with a wink and a nudge.

The main character is not the most loveable, nor is he the smartest. He's definitely no Poirot, he makes mistakes, makes wrong assumptions. I got annoyed at times because of it, but since he's also always very forthcoming, I can see how the mystery wouldn't be so mysterious if he was brilliant. The author within the book promises to never hide anything, and never lie to the reader so that we can be on the journey with him and try to solve it alongside him.

I solved the mystery about halfway through the book, but there were still a few unexpected twists, and thanks to the way it's written it never felt boring.

This is a really great mystery with a big cast of characters with varying levels of loveability. And the fact that most of them are authors makes it even more awesome, since I always love reading books set in the world of books.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Genre: Fiction
Pub date: April 9
Narration: Third person past tense, dual timeline & POV
Diversity: gay main character
Rating: 3.7 ⭐

This is such a perfect book for book lovers. The story is about a fellowship of puzzlemakers (duh), and actually it has a few puzzles (like cryptograms and mazes) for you to solve along with the characters.

This was a very heartwarming story of found family, sense of community, going after what you want in life, and PUZZLES. All the characters are loveable and quite flawed. The book covers two timelines and perspectives, one, Pippa covering the forming of the fellowship up to the baby on the doorstep, and the other, after Pippa, who's been the abandoned baby's mother figure for 25 years passes away.

I really enjoyed reading this book but it is a bit slow. I think the main reason for it is that the premise of the book didn't fully start until about halfway through. And soon enough it was obvious what the “solution” to the mystery was gonna be, so that plotline never felt gripping, though I enjoyed the journey.

I really enjoyed the non-mystery aspects of the book. I loved reading about the forming and then the tribulations of the fellowship. I loved the romance plotline. I feel like I would have enjoyed the book more if it was just about those relatively mundane things. Though I did appreciate that the mystery forced the main character to get out of their shell and go on a small adventure, open their door to possibilities.

I loved the focus on different kinds of love, and their importance to our lives, like friendship, self-love, familial love...

It was also really enjoyable to read a book about a group of people who are so clearly passionate about their hobbies, and find a community within that. It really made me wish this was a real place I could visit, and real people I could meet.

If you liked books like Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Lost Ticket, and want a slower paced book with puzzles, this is the book for you!

Thank you Vintage Anchor, Doubleday and NetGalley for the eARC!

Genre: YA/NA Fiction (kinda like a romance but make it platonic)
Pub date: TODAY! (April 16)
Narration: First person present tense, dual POV
Diversity: aroace, nonbinary, Chinese American main characters
Rating: 3.6⭐

Dear Wendy is about two students at Wellesley who both give relationship/life advice anonymously on instagram to their fellow students. But one in a sincere and thorough way (Sophie) and the other in a sarcastic and funny way (Jo). They quickly become rivals, while becoming friends in real life. They're also both aroace (aromantic and asexual).

This felt like a nod to many of the romcoms of my life growing up, (Jo's last name is even Ephron!) but in a platonic friendship way. The main story is inspired by You've Got Mail.

I loved that the main message of this book was that you don't need a romantic relationship to have love and fulfillment in your life. How important friendships and the feeling of belonging can be, and how love is not reserved just for romance. This is good to internalize not just for aromantic people but alloromantics as well. I loved how much the two main characters cared about each other, and their budding friendship felt genuine. It also showed how much finding people who are similar to you can make you feel accepted in a special way.

I also really appreciated all the different representations in the book, both a-spec and not. There were trans characters, sapphic characters, demisexual and so on. Sophie has known she's aroace for a while but for Jo it's much newer. This offers nuanced takes into navigating a world that often prioritizes romance.

There were two main aspects I didn't enjoy. But I don't want that to take away from the fact that it's also a very valuable book to read and exist. I'd highly recommend this book, especially if you wouldn't be bothered by the following.

My main issue with it is how much Jo is working against her friends for most of the book. Friendships are incredibly important to me, which is why I greatly appreciated the importance the book gives friendships, but I hated Jo for their thoughts and actions for most of the book. (small spoiler) They do eventually own up to the fact that they messed up, and I think their feelings do make sense with them coming to terms with their aroace identity, but it was painful for me to read those parts.

The other thing I didn't love was their online feud. Especially when it was more one sided, it genuinely felt like bullying and made me very uncomfortable to root for the character(s). Not cute, not funny, just rude. I would have immediately blocked them.

There are other aspects of this book I could nitpick, like some conversations that could have gone a bit deeper, how the third act breakup was unnecessary, but these were smaller issues that didn't impact my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to Macmillan Books, Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for the eARC!

Narration: Third person present tense, single POV
Diversity: transmasc MC and author, mlm romance, anxiety, ADHD.

This was such a cuuuute romance! There's rivals to lovers, there's secret dating, there's so much pining! there's mental health discussions, there's washing each other's hair, there's holding while crying...

If I summarized this book in one word it'd be hope. Letting yourself hope, and having the courage to reach for the things you want.

I loved Gene, the MC. He's a ray of positivity for everyone but himself and wants to make sure everyone else is happy, while struggling with letting himself be happy. There were some parts in the book where he talks about the difference between hoping and wanting, and what he will and won't let himself do. It felt so precious and real.

Luis, is a sweetheart of a love interest. He is a bit shy and keeps to himself, especially because of his anxiety. But despite that, it felt like he was a lot more open to love than Gene was. I loved how even though they both cared for one another, Luis felt like he was ready to commit fully from the get go.

And I loved these two together. It's possible it got a bit codependent at times, but like I'm more okay with that in romances? There was just so much love and support between these two. I pointed out a few instances at the very top, but believe me, they're really cute together.

I also thought the third act breakup was done well and made sense within the story. It didn't make me angry at all!

There's been a murder at an annual block party on memorial day. But who was it? Let's go back a year to see how we got here.

This was a fun mystery that reminded me a little bit of Big Little Lies or One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose. Like BLL, in The Block Party, you know that someone will die by the end, but you don't know who or why. There are a number of affluent families, all with their own secrets, their own problems.

Every new character introduced feels like they could either be the victim or the perpetrator. This is a book with a focus on its women characters. The characters and their journey takes center stage as the mystery is also unfolding. It feels a bit like watching reality TV as all the drama unfolds over a year as things are building up to the murder.

This was a very fun read, filled with flawed characters, and there was really good character growth. I had such a great time reading it, I just could NOT put this down. I read it in one day in practically one sitting.

Listen for the Lie is about Lucy who everyone in her hometown is convinced was involved in the murder of her friend. 5 years later she's now distanced herself from what happened in many ways, until a podcast starts covering the murder, pulling her back in.

What can I say other than the hype is definitely real and well earned. It was not just a great book but a fantastic listening experience as well. I had so much fun reading this book that I was listening to it until 6am the day before a work conference when I'd have to wake up a mere 2 hours later. I just couldn't put it down. It built up and up and I just had to know where it was going.

From the first few chapters I knew this was gonna be a very fun read and I immediately messaged my mystery loving friends to pick it up when it gets released.

First off, I highly recommend reading this as an audiobook. The narration is done really well, easy to distinguish the characters by the various voices January LaVoy and Will Damron gave them but most importantly, the podcast bits feel like a true podcast in the audiobook making it an even more immersive experience.

The main character's wry humor and delivery were fantastic. Beyond being a fun character to read it also really added to all the suspicions and the feeling that she doesn't really fit in. Her grandmother was such a sweetheart and possibly the only character who wasn't highly flawed.

I loved the way Amy Tintera slowly undid the layers of the mystery, having the main character give us tidbits here and there, as well as the many great reveals by the podcast. It's not easy to make an amnesia plotline feel not cliche but this really worked in my opinion.

The twists were twisting and made me exclaim “I knew it!” or “No way!” spontaneously, making my husband jump.

The book also covers many different types of shitty relationships, with parents or significant others, from abuse, to gaslighting and cheating.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

In Right On Cue two actors that had worked together in a movie a decade ago, where their failed almost romance tanked their performances and the movie, end up working together again in a romance. Even though they butt heads a lot initially, and almost ruin the movie once again, as they spend more time on romantic scenes, the romance between the two actors blossoms.

I really struggled with rating this because I had such polar opposite reactions to different aspects of this book. The middle part could have been as high as a 5⭐️ but the end was low as 2⭐️.

This was my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be continuing the series! The Tainted Cup is at first a conventional mystery, but it's set in a fantastical world with a threat of leviathans looming. There is lots of intrigue, some politics and plenty of murder!

Narration: First person past tense, single POV
Diversity: bi main character with dyslexia

The Framed Women of Ardmore House is about Jo who inherits an estate along with its mercurial groundskeeper and is thrown into the mystery of the family history as well as a murder that happens in her new house.

Read if you like: small town settings, British mysteries, ancestral(?) mysteries (I might have made this up), very mild will they won't they, flawed characters
Narration: Third person past tense, dual perspective
Diversity: Autistic main character

This was a very enjoyable read for me. Especially once the mystery started, it was difficult to put down.

This was such a cute fake dating romance (one of my fave tropes) with a sloooow burn. I really enjoyed reading this beginning to end!

Narration: Third person past tense, dual POV
Diversity: both MCs are Indian American with immigrant parents

This was such a cute YA romance filled with found family, music and warmth. Like in any other Tashie Bhuiyan book, there's great mental health representation, and difficult parental relationships, though this one takes the latter much further.

If you have not yet been introduced to Tashie Bhuiyan's wonderful YA romances, you're missing out! Counting Down With You is still my favorite, but this is amazing as well, especially if you like the found family trope or the music world.

A perfect book to curl up with all cozy in the cold winter months (or any other month).

B&B is a prequel to Legends & Lattes which practically started the current cozy fantasy trend. I absolutely loved Legends & Lattes. I didn't love this quiiite as much as Legends & Lattes but that doesn't mean it still wasn't a lovely read. I really enjoyed the commitment to focus on the coffeeshop in L&L and there's a bit more going on in this one than just the bookstore.

It's still a perfectly cozy read so if you're looking for a cozy fantasy read, and enjoyed Legends & Lattes, don't miss this book. You get to find out more about Viv's past as a younger orc.

B&B takes place at a bookstore, as the name would imply, and we get to see Viv discover the joy of reading and spend time and help out at a bookstore while recovering from an injury,. You can't go wrong with a bookstore setting, love of books and indie bookstores. A charming town, the power of community, found family, unique and diverse characters are major characteristics of this book like L&L.

If you haven't read either book, I think I still would recommend reading them in the publishing order rather than chronological order. I feel like this book is more fun knowing where Viv is going to end up. Though the events of this book bolsters the events of L&L and how Viv ends up as a coffeeshop owner in that book.

Baldree does a great job narrating his own book, so you can enjoy this either with your eyes, or your ears and know that you'll be having a good time.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

If you liked The Appeal, this is a great peek into the lives of the Fairway Theater players. It's is a novella sequel to the amazing first book. The format is in the same style, detectives are reading over emails of everyone involved in a mystery and trying to figure out what the mystery and its solution is.

This format is great because it makes you feel like one of the detectives, plus it's also really easy to read. At times it feels like reading a reality TV episode, since you get to hear everything they're up to, what they say behind each others' backs and so on.

Knowing that something will go wrong the whole time (since the detectives are told so at the very beginning) really puts you on edge to try to see when it's gonna happen. However, I do think this is focused on the interpersonal relationships and the troupe drama more than the mystery for most of the book. And there's plenty of drama! So much backstabbing, gossiping, ulterior motives, and everyone wanting to be in the limelight... It's all delicious!

I do wish the mystery was a bit more involved but I suppose it makes sense with the length of the book. As well as the cozy vibes.

This is the perfect fun Christmas read with a sprinkle of mystery and lots of drama, especially for fans of The Appeal or epistolary books.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for the eARC!

I read two books by this author last year. One of them (One Night on the Island) was one of my top reads and the other one (One Day in December) of my bottom reads of the year. But even for the one I liked less, I could recognize and appreciate the beautiful way it was written and the emotional authenticity and depth in it. 

A Winter in New York is another beautifully written book by Josie Silver. I really enjoyed reading it. I was emotionally invested the whole way through, loved all the characters I was supposed to, loved seeing the romance blossom, loved the emotional journeys the characters went through.

A Winter in New York is about Iris who moves to New York to leave her life in London behind. She has lost her mom, survived a relationship that broke her spirit, and had to leave behind a burgeoning career. A series of coincidences to do with her mom's past life leads her to the unique door of a family gelateria and to help them recover their lost family recipe. 


I HIGHLY recommend not reading the actual blurb because it gives away things that happen 80% into the book!