Jerry Cooke
4.75⭐️ - A charming sapphic cosy fantasy that shows that small magics can have the biggest impact!
Certainty Bulrush has not just an unfortunate name, but also weak magic compared to her peers. Her niche magical power, that of the ability to talk to the 'object mind' of magical and non-magical objects alike, is one that has some minor practical applications, but it's very flashy. After six years as a novice and with two failed attempts to pass the mage trails, she's close to giving up. That is, until wild magic starts to spread through the Mage's Guild, caused by the build up of magical artefacts. The High Mage decides that the best place for these to go, to reduce those levels is the small village of Shpelling, where the mage wars left the area void of any magic.
With her ability to identify magic items, and seeing an opportunity to avoid time and money on identify spells, the High Mage things Certainty is the best person to sort and log all the minor magical items. However, she can't go alone, so she's assigned Mage Aurelia - colloquially known as 'the ice queen' but Certainty's peers. Cold and standoffish, Aurelia isn't any more pleased with the pairing than Certainty, but it's made very clear it's mandatory. There's also the rather sizeable carrot of an upgrade to 'mage' status for Certainty if the quest goes well, so it's fair to say she's motivated. What they find in the village is more than they could have imagined and it transpires that they're far more use to each other and to the village than they thought.
This was another beautifully adorable story by Julie Leong. It's in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, but stands on its own just fine without having read the first book. The romance is adorably awkward and unsure, the towns folk, are distinct and interesting, and the magic items are super fun. There's everything from a mirror that sends you to the beach, a magical pasta maker, a box that produces cats, and a kettle that will make you a perfect cup of tea, but only if it can talk your ear off for the time it takes to boil. All in all, it was such a well made magical world and I loved it!
4.75⭐️ - A charming sapphic cosy fantasy that shows that small magics can have the biggest impact!
Certainty Bulrush has not just an unfortunate name, but also weak magic compared to her peers. Her niche magical power, that of the ability to talk to the 'object mind' of magical and non-magical objects alike, is one that has some minor practical applications, but it's very flashy. After six years as a novice and with two failed attempts to pass the mage trails, she's close to giving up. That is, until wild magic starts to spread through the Mage's Guild, caused by the build up of magical artefacts. The High Mage decides that the best place for these to go, to reduce those levels is the small village of Shpelling, where the mage wars left the area void of any magic.
With her ability to identify magic items, and seeing an opportunity to avoid time and money on identify spells, the High Mage things Certainty is the best person to sort and log all the minor magical items. However, she can't go alone, so she's assigned Mage Aurelia - colloquially known as 'the ice queen' but Certainty's peers. Cold and standoffish, Aurelia isn't any more pleased with the pairing than Certainty, but it's made very clear it's mandatory. There's also the rather sizeable carrot of an upgrade to 'mage' status for Certainty if the quest goes well, so it's fair to say she's motivated. What they find in the village is more than they could have imagined and it transpires that they're far more use to each other and to the village than they thought.
This was another beautifully adorable story by Julie Leong. It's in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, but stands on its own just fine without having read the first book. The romance is adorably awkward and unsure, the towns folk, are distinct and interesting, and the magic items are super fun. There's everything from a mirror that sends you to the beach, a magical pasta maker, a box that produces cats, and a kettle that will make you a perfect cup of tea, but only if it can talk your ear off for the time it takes to boil. All in all, it was such a well made magical world and I loved it!
4⭐️ - A sweet and steamy story of stolen moments and a small-home school bus!
Lane is about as commitment averse as it's possible to be, her past family traumas and loss making falling for somebody seem like a path to pain. Therefore, despite the obvious attraction, the report they have, and one very good New Years kid, she keeps her friend Matt at arms length. That is, until she buys a school bus on a whim to turn into a travelling tiny home - because Matt is the only person she knows with the commercial licence required to drive the thing. Cue a long road trip to collect the thing and many hours working in close proximity to make it liveable. With all that time in small spaces together, it becomes harder and harder to resist what's right there.
This is the second book in Hannah's 'Next' series, following on as a direct sequel to Next of Kin, and it was so lovely to see Chloe, Warren, Willow, and Em again. The main focus is on Lane and Matt though - the former Chloe's old college roommate and friend, the latter Warren's co-owner and colleague at their auto shop. Lane's commitment-phobia (as well as her at times debilitating agoraphobia) are at odds with Matt's large family and clear desire to make a life with somebody and it was so lovely following their story. It's such a good romance and very relatable, super worth a read, especially if you've read Next of Kin.
One sad thing is that it states, at the end of the book, that the next entry in the series would be out in 2023.. this clearly never happened. It was due to be Warren's brother Luke's story with Matt's sister Tabitha - I'd have adored reading that.
4⭐️ - A sweet and steamy story of stolen moments and a small-home school bus!
Lane is about as commitment averse as it's possible to be, her past family traumas and loss making falling for somebody seem like a path to pain. Therefore, despite the obvious attraction, the report they have, and one very good New Years kid, she keeps her friend Matt at arms length. That is, until she buys a school bus on a whim to turn into a travelling tiny home - because Matt is the only person she knows with the commercial licence required to drive the thing. Cue a long road trip to collect the thing and many hours working in close proximity to make it liveable. With all that time in small spaces together, it becomes harder and harder to resist what's right there.
This is the second book in Hannah's 'Next' series, following on as a direct sequel to Next of Kin, and it was so lovely to see Chloe, Warren, Willow, and Em again. The main focus is on Lane and Matt though - the former Chloe's old college roommate and friend, the latter Warren's co-owner and colleague at their auto shop. Lane's commitment-phobia (as well as her at times debilitating agoraphobia) are at odds with Matt's large family and clear desire to make a life with somebody and it was so lovely following their story. It's such a good romance and very relatable, super worth a read, especially if you've read Next of Kin.
One sad thing is that it states, at the end of the book, that the next entry in the series would be out in 2023.. this clearly never happened. It was due to be Warren's brother Luke's story with Matt's sister Tabitha - I'd have adored reading that.
3.75⭐️ - Opposites attract in this cute tale of two people banding together to keep their siblings out of the care system.
When Chloe gets a call to say that her estranged birth mother has given birth out of the blue, that's a big enough surprise for one day, but when they ask her if she'll take on the care of her baby sister, her life is thrown for a total loop. As a recent graduate and a blood relative, she ticks all the required boxes except one - money. Thankfully, she's got a three bedroom apartment (her roommates having headed home now they're all done with college) and there just so happens to be a new scheme to pair guardians up to share resources. This brings Warren, a surly mechanic with a deaf brother, Luke, in to her life. Any expectations she has for the situation (and first impressions she made of Warren) quickly crumble when it turns out they get on better than she could have hoped for.
This was a really cute story and while I didn't enjoy it as much as Out on a Limb/Out of the Woods, I shed many a happy tear at the found family that arises around the pair. It highlights, in Hanna's wonderful way of describing trauma, the way in which the care system - and particularly inconsistent birth parents with substance abuse - can cause significant walls to be built up against further harm. With all her accustomed tenderness, she shows us just how healing is possible when you open up to those around you and it's beautiful to see!
3.75⭐️ - Opposites attract in this cute tale of two people banding together to keep their siblings out of the care system.
When Chloe gets a call to say that her estranged birth mother has given birth out of the blue, that's a big enough surprise for one day, but when they ask her if she'll take on the care of her baby sister, her life is thrown for a total loop. As a recent graduate and a blood relative, she ticks all the required boxes except one - money. Thankfully, she's got a three bedroom apartment (her roommates having headed home now they're all done with college) and there just so happens to be a new scheme to pair guardians up to share resources. This brings Warren, a surly mechanic with a deaf brother, Luke, in to her life. Any expectations she has for the situation (and first impressions she made of Warren) quickly crumble when it turns out they get on better than she could have hoped for.
This was a really cute story and while I didn't enjoy it as much as Out on a Limb/Out of the Woods, I shed many a happy tear at the found family that arises around the pair. It highlights, in Hanna's wonderful way of describing trauma, the way in which the care system - and particularly inconsistent birth parents with substance abuse - can cause significant walls to be built up against further harm. With all her accustomed tenderness, she shows us just how healing is possible when you open up to those around you and it's beautiful to see!
4.25⭐️ - A twisting cyberpunk adventure in a sprawling dystopian world!
In a world where rising waters and raging viruses have pushed the population to abandon the real word for the virtual and where the nations of Medaluo and Atahua have been in Cold War for decades over control of the systems, two Medan orphans of the conflict must serve Atahua's NileCorp. Eirale is a recent graduate working for their private forces 'down country' (in the real world) and Lia is finishing her last year at the prestigious Nile Military Academy. As they both get pulled in new directions, they find that there's much more going in their world than they previously suspected - with circumstances pulling them on a converging path.
This was a wonderful step into a world of cyberpunk themed virtual reality - with really well thought out systems that felt true to the genre. The parallels between the struggles in that far(ish) future world and ours are stark right now and it's makes for somewhat chilling reading through that lens. The complex relationships and obvious secrets between the various groups makes for a really twisty fun ride and that trauma keeps on being loaded on them in a really compelling way.
Super fun and I'm really excited to see where Chloe takes this in the sequel (because this is a planned trilogy!) ^-^
4.25⭐️ - A twisting cyberpunk adventure in a sprawling dystopian world!
In a world where rising waters and raging viruses have pushed the population to abandon the real word for the virtual and where the nations of Medaluo and Atahua have been in Cold War for decades over control of the systems, two Medan orphans of the conflict must serve Atahua's NileCorp. Eirale is a recent graduate working for their private forces 'down country' (in the real world) and Lia is finishing her last year at the prestigious Nile Military Academy. As they both get pulled in new directions, they find that there's much more going in their world than they previously suspected - with circumstances pulling them on a converging path.
This was a wonderful step into a world of cyberpunk themed virtual reality - with really well thought out systems that felt true to the genre. The parallels between the struggles in that far(ish) future world and ours are stark right now and it's makes for somewhat chilling reading through that lens. The complex relationships and obvious secrets between the various groups makes for a really twisty fun ride and that trauma keeps on being loaded on them in a really compelling way.
Super fun and I'm really excited to see where Chloe takes this in the sequel (because this is a planned trilogy!) ^-^