Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (Wayward Children, #9)by Seanan McGuire | ARC Review

Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Blackwell’s | Bookshop 1.) Every Heart a Doorway ★★★★★2.) Down Among the Sticks and Bones ★★★★★3.) Beneath the Sugar Sky ★★★★4.) In an Absent Dream ★★★★★5.) Come Tumbling Down ★★★6.) Across the Green Grass Fields ★★★★7.) Where the Drowned Girls Go ★★★8.) Lost in the Moment and Found ★★★★★ ARC provided by Tor – thank you so much !! “The door wasn’t there because…

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Okay did the whole future rouge/celestial gate arc give anyone else chills or was it just me?😭 the fact that we got a glimpse into what would’ve happened had future Lucy not warn the past, aka the present, Lucy and the guild was lowkey bone chilling for me. And then the whole guild greeting her in fuckin heaven killed me fr.

THEN if Ultear had not went back in time by one minute literally a lot of major characters would’ve died? The fact that Gray actually DID?? Christ I was so nervous😭 the longer the GMGs went on the eerier it got, because we all knew there was a great looming over them but we didn’t know when exactly it would happen!!!

Overall the GMGs arc is probably my favorite of all time, so good even though it left me with multiple heart problems in the end💀

ARC Review: The Chosen One's Best Friend by Lynette Bacon Nguyen

4.5/5 ⭐: A trope -twisting story about boundaries, friendship, and respect

I've reviewed several books by Lynette now and she's continuing to write great fantasy protagonists that scrutinize the standards of their genre. Definitely check out this book if you want some side -character love and urban fantasy shenanigans! You can read the full review on my blog.

Ranking MHA Arcs

Vs. Hero Killer Stain: A 9/10 arc. It had great tension, character development, character interaction, and villain. The friendship between Iida, Izuku, and Todoroki felt 10x more genuine than it ever did with Bakugou. The only thing I would change is maybe make Tensei not so virtuous. Maybe he made mistakes in the past or contributed to toxic hero society in some way. Perfect way to develop both Iida and Izuku

Shie Hassaikai: Again, just a great arc. Great villain and tension and love how the LOV are involved but aren't the current enemy. I love Mirio and his sacrifice for Eri was done perfectly, and him rejecting OFA made me love him even more. One of the only arcs where anyone cared about how Izuku was doing (love Iida and Todo forever). The only reason I'm putting it at #2 is Nighteye being a pretentious prick who pissed me off the whole time.

Battle Trial: One of the only arcs where Bakugou's actions aren't depicted as okay. Also calls out his behavior by making him lose because of it. Izuku's actions are recognized wholly, both what he did wrong and what he did right. Back when Momo was analytical and sharp. Also, evil Iida kills me every time. Just a pretty solid arc overall, good balance of tension and humor. There's only one thing I hate and it's that Izuku felt so guilty that he told Bakugou that he inherited his quirk

Meta Liberation: The only saving grace of season 5. The LOV was so well-written and Shigaraki's progression into a leader was so well done. I would have made it top three if it wasn't for Shigaraki's autonomy immediately being taken away by him wanting AFO. Kind of ruined the whole point of the arc

Entrance Exam: I had to make it top 5. It perfectly captures what made early MHA so great. It's so inspirational to everyone whose dreams have ever been discouraged. Some things could have been handled better which is why it isn't higher, but in general I love it

Sports Festival: I've talked about what I do and don't like about the Sports Festival before. There were a lot of good and bad things about it. Uraraka and Todoroki had great development, Izuku's and Tokoyamk's were okay, and Momo's was terrible. But what really keeps it out of the top 5 is the Bakugou pandering. It's the first arc that really starts to do this and it really ruins what could have been a really good arc

Hideout Raid: Again, the only reason this isn't higher is because it's so centered around Bakugou. If it wasn't just an arc pandering to him and his "development," it'd be a lot better. But I'm putting it at 7 because of the awesome fight between All Might and AFO. Easily one of the best in the series. And how that saved Bakugou was pretty damn cool ngl

UA School Festival: Gentle Criminal is tied for my favorite MHA villain with Stain. Not only is he relatable as fuck, his quirk is so unique. He was just so enjoyable. The festival was cute, though I felt as though this arc could have focused more on Eri's trauma. It's great that the festival was something for her to look forward to, but there could have been more done here. Also, Aizawa blaming his students for the other students being resentful and making them take accountability. Also, Bakugou being good at the drums for no reason

Paranormal Liberation War: As far as major arcs this one is okay. I feel like some parts of it were too drawn out, but it wasn't terrible. I liked Dabi exposing Endeavor, and Mirko chasing down Garaki like a bat out of hell was funny. Hawks' fight with Twice was also very impactful. BUT it also felt like a lot of the pros were useless. Like, Mount Lady struggling so much with Gigantomachia felt odd. She should have been more effective imo. I also wasn't a fan of how Midnight died in the manga, that felt unnecessarily brutal

USJ: This arc does a great job of introducing Shigaraki... And not much else. Like, I don't think it's bad at all, but it was a little boring. It does get points though for Tsu casually drowning Mineta, little moments like this make it watchable

Quirk Apprehension Test: The only reason this arc isn't lower is because of Izuku proving that he belongs at UA as much as anyone else. That was a great moment for him. But the QAT is quirkist and honestly just mean-spirited. Why would you humiliate a student in front of their classmates like that? Not to mention that Aizawa was blatantly singling him out with it. Just the beginning of Aizawa being a bad teacher

Provisional Hero License Exam: I struggled where to put this arc. Because honestly? It was good for the most part. I liked seeing how the kids each handled their tasks and opponents. Bakugou failed (I know I've said that this is undercut by Todo failing too, but it's still satisfying) and it really got into the nuances of rescue work. I liked it... Until Deku vs Kacchan Part 2. This fight ruins the entire arc for me. Bakugou fails because he couldn't stop being a dick for 2 seconds and decides he's allowed to take it out on Izuku? Then he trauma dumps on him while playing victim. And then coerces him into a fight. And then is rewarded from throwing this temper tantrum by being given what he wants (knowing about OFA). This was the arc where my feelings towards the series really soured. I really debated putting it at the bottom, but I didn't want to dismiss the good things about it so easily

Forest Training Camp: Only good thing about this arc was Izuku's fight with Muscular and his relationship with Kota. But after that it's Bakugou making bad decisions and everyone else having to suffer for them. I do appreciate Kota slapping Mineta though

Dark Hero: Just... So much potential. But it feels like we never really go below the surface with Izuku. This is supposed to be his arc and it barely focused on who he is. He should have spoken with the vestiges more. Also, while I can understand where they were coming from, 1A ambushing and then antagonizing him was terrible and Bakugou's bum ass apology was even worse. The only reason it isn't lower is because of my unhinged love for Lady Nagant. She's one of the best written characters in the series and I adore her. Unfortunately, it feels like Hori doesn't allow her to influence the overall story

Pro Hero: So this one is just... Weird. I mean, I don't think I hate it? The fight was pretty cool. I love seeing Hawks' quirk in action because his use of it is so creative. I don't like him and Rei being used to prop Endeavor's development though. I just don't think this arc was that good

Joint Training: So I mentioned this in a reply somewhere, but Bakugou's flawless win felt so unearned. He hasn't put any work into getting along with others and working with a team (all the "progress" he made was others- Izuku- doing the work for him). The fact that he didn't so much as struggle like everyone else was just bad writing. Momo losing even though she did put in the work to learn to strategize better and cover her bases just felt like a slap in the face to her character. Every time it feels like Hori wants to do right by her character, he ends up making it worse but had no problem propping Bakugou up every five minutes. I liked Uraraka being the unsung star of this arc, Monoma's team underestimating her and then living to regret it was nice. It's one of the only times the progress she's made as a hero is ever acknowledged. This arc didn't do a good job of making me care about Shinsou though, no substance to his character. Monoma was pretty entertaining

Endeavor Agency: Boring ass arc. It wasn't funny or entertaining and had zero character development for our main characters. Natsuo is antagonized for calling out Endeavor and poor Fuyumi gets yelled at by Bakugou in her own home for sharing her feelings. And then Izuku's bs "i tHiNk YOurE geTtINg REaDy tO fOrGiVE hiM." Like I love him but wtf is that line? Hori trying to force Endeavor's redemption down our throats

Final Exams: This arc is all kinds of bullshit. Sero takes a hit for Mineta and is incapacitated and fails. Yet Bakugou is continuously uncooperative, attacks him teammate, and is also incapacitated and passes? Not to mention it's all on Izuku to be the one to teach him how to work with others when that's supposed to be Aizawa's job. Every other match was also useless. The only one that has real development and interaction was Tododoki and Momo. Todo gets humbled and learns to stop acting above his classmates (even if he didn't do this with the intent of being harmful, he still did it) and Momo gets more confidence and agency. But no one else really learned anything or improved. This arc just proves how bad a teacher Aizawa is tbh

Remedial Course: I feel like this arc is evidence that Bakugou would suck as the main character. I was bored to tears during the entire thing. It felt like forced Bakugou and Todoroki interaction first of all. And truth be told I didn't know that kid was supposed to be mini Bakugou, I thought he was representative of Monoma. He was nowhere as bad as Bakugou was as a kid and felt a lot more chill. Also looked more like Monoma. Idk if this is how Hori wants us to see kid Bakugou or what but we know this isn't how he was. And then Bakugou gives him this whole lecture only to turn around the next arc and still treat Izuku like shit. Fucking hypocrite. Camie telling him to shut up was the only good thing about this arc (stan Camie)

And that's the list! I'm only doing these arcs because they're the only ones I've read/watched completely. I don't want to make judgements about the next three arcs without fully knowing what I'm talking about. Though the leaks for the Final War don't bode well for its ranking.

So what do we think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

• ARC Review: Check & Mate •

If you watched The Queen’s Gambit and thought, “wow, I like so many things about this but really wish we could have a story where a woman’s genius isn’t tied to her being clinically insane and incapable of receiving a happily ever after” then, Ali Hazelwood has written the book for you!

Check & Mate follows Mallory, an 18yo who gave up chess at 14 despite her talent for it, and is now supporting her mother – who has rheumatoid arthritis – and two younger sisters. But when her best friend begs her to play in a chess tournament for charity, Mallory ends up casually beating Nolan, the number one chess player in the world. Who is 20. And very hot, naturally. And then she goes viral, and the chess world and all its money comes knocking.

As Mallory re-enters the world of chess, the story navigates a plethora of coming-of-age growing pains (friendships, family, keeping secrets, unresolved emotional trauma, trying to be an adult when you don’t feel like one) while also tackling the privilege, misogyny and sexism of professional chess. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but Ali Hazelwood does it well, expertly balancing the sports and Big, Dramatic Feelings aspects.

And of course, there’s also the slow-burn romance between Mallory and Nolan as they move from opponents to something more. Though this is technically YA, it is very sex positive – Mallory is bi and very experienced, and the topic is not taboo in her family. So if you’re looking for Ali’s specific brand of spice, you’ll still get it here – even with a fade-to-black scene, little is left to the imagination.

It’s a very fun read, full of delightfully brainy characters, lightning-quick banter (fair warning, there are *lots* of pop culture references, which I don’t mind but I know a lot of people do!), a satisfying love story, and, of course, a ton of chess.

And don’t worry if you can’t tell the different between a rook and a knight – you’ll still love this.

4.5🌟

1.75🌶️

♟️An enormous thank you to Penguin Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Check & Mate!💕

Looking for ARC Readers!

“You are my charge while you are on this ship, and I will tend to all of your needs.”

Mini blurb: When two horrifying creatures emerge from the woods hell-bent on capturing her, Gaia has choices to make — all of them revolving around what will keep her alive the longest. And are those... tentacles? Perhaps there are a few more decisions than she thought there were...

Vrauma’s Menagerie is a sci fi alien romance novella with a HEA

🦑Multiple POV 🦑Alien aliens 🦑Why choose (two aliens + FMC) 🦑3+ spicy scenes

Vrauma's Menagerie is overall lighthearted, but there are some darker scenes. Content warnings here.

ARCs will be sent out on April 21 and the novella will release on May 21

If you’re interested in signing up as an ARC reader, check out more info below!

Book Review: Late Bloomer

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Late Bloomer was such a cute book! It satisfied all of my cottagecore, sapphic fantasies from the special interest in flowers to the sprawling farm in Asheville. It was an adorable comfort read straight out of Taylor Swift's folklore music album. One of the characters buys the other character greenhouses… What is more classic than that?

I loved Opal and Pepper's story. I deeply enjoyed the character development alongside the romance. For example, I thought (at first) that Opal was going to be a major pick-me with all the people-pleasing tendencies, but I was completely wrong. As the plot progresses, we see what a strong, smart, and loyal person she is to the people she loves. That was a refreshing arc! Both characters are neurodiverse (though Opal isn't sure what label fits her exactly), which was very relatable to an autistic person like me.

If there is a cozy, comforting (sapphic) version of Gilmore Girls, then this is it. Every detail was spot-on from autistic sensory issues to shoe art to niche special interests. (I loved Opal's fleeting special interest in the Victorian era. I felt seen.) The epilogue was so perfect! I wish I lived in Opal's and Pepper's world! If you like sapphic romance, this will pander directly to your most iconic and cottagecore princess fantasies!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at St. Martin's Griffin for my e-arc! I hope Mazey Eddings keeps writing sapphic romances, because I will most definitely be reading them all.

BIG NEWS! New look, same great taste for the Smoke and Shadow series!

I would love to get this post boosted around the community, and will be forever grateful for your reblogs 💜

I am so very thrilled to be announcing this new set of covers and I would LOVE to have some help celebrating. If you're interested in joining my street team to help out with this reveal on social media, you can find the form here. There's also a place to sign up for ARCs with The Wings of Shattered Fire coming 11.30. You also don’t have to join the team to help with this reveal 💜

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About the series: Chunky character driven tomes featuring multiple POVs, elemental magics, politics and snarky humor. Features found family, enemies to lovers, strong friendships, queer rep, and a polyamorous relationship.

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Street team perks: being your awesome self and helping out an indie author, private Discord channels, swag, sneak previews, and more! I hope you'll join me as I celebrate this new release!

Hi, everyone! This week, we dive into a review of The Hampton House Mystery, the newest installment in Ellen Alexander's Dinswood Chronicles! Hope you enjoy!

Early Reviews Are In!

My first indie novel "The Scientist, The Spaceman, and The Stars Between Them" - a queer, slow burn cosmic eco-horror story about a mortician and their husband - is in the hands of ARC readers! So far, I've had some really great feedback and amazing praise, and I had to share some of my favorites with you all!

You can get a signed copy of my novel from my publisher Timber Ghost Press - and doing so get you a bonus short story zine, too! You can also add it to your TBR on GoodReads! The book releases on May 24th, 2024!

ARC Review of The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera

Rating: 4/5 Heat Level: 4.5/5 Publication Date: April 16th

Premise:

An MMF poly romance set in the 1920s; when the ship she's hiding in is hijacked by bootleggers, Rosalía is willing to do anything to get in the good graces of bootlegger Cam and gangster Enzo in order to secure her passage to New York City.

My review:

This is a revised, expanded version of the short story Adriana Herrera wrote for the Villain I'd Like to F... anthology in 2022. I had a lot of fun reading this queer, poly romance that not only has racially diverse characters and an interesting setting we rarely see in historicals (the Caribbean), but it was also SUPER hot. There's nine chapters plus and epilogue, and it doesn't take the characters very long to act on their attraction towards one another.

This story was initially a part of an anthology about villains so obviously Cam, our bootlegger and kidnapper, has few qualms about accepting Rosalía's offer to have sex with him in exchange for passage to New York City. And Enzo, my favorite bratty nepo baby gangster and bane of Cam's existence, has only a few more scruples. But Rosalía isn't passive in all this; she isn't afraid to express her wants and desires, and she keeps pushing when she doesn't achieve her ends. I loved the dynamic between the three of them— there's this great mix of dirty moments peppered with sweet. And while the book is relatively light on external plot, it does build up to a quick, final heist before the three of them can settle together once and for all.

The sex:

There are multiple sex scenes, all high heat and on the rougher end. I loved the initial instances of voyeurism (particularly Enzo tragically jerking off when he hears Cam with Rosalía early on lol) and a sex act near the end when they're all together that's relatively rare even in poly romances.

Rosalía is a woman who knows what she wants and I do appreciate when an fmc gives as good as she gets in terms of dirty talk. And the dirty talk is BONKERS HOT all around; the degradation, the praise, plus immaculate use of pet names, from Cam calling Enzo "boy" (derogatory) and "brat" (mostly affectionate) to Enzo's tender use of "belleza" for Rosalía.

Also, I love that Enzo is a *brat* and tbh so does Cam even if he doesn't want to admit he's into it until after multiple up-close-and-personal confrontations. Between Enzo and Rosalía, they keep Cam on his toes, like, the vibe there definitely "I can't leave you two alone, can I?" (He can't, and he shouldn't).

Overall:

I really enjoyed this book! I'd recommend it to any romance reader looking for a a quick, high-heat read that is refreshingly diverse as far as historical romances go.

Thank you to Adriana Herrera and her team for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ARC Review: Death in the Spires by KJ Charles

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Publication Date: April 11, 2024

Synopsis

The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered. 1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth. Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer? As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby's killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger? Some secrets are better left buried… From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review and Favorite Quotes Below the cut.

My Review

This was incredible. I have long loved KJ Charles' books and this one, while a mystery rather than a romance, is no different. I love it just as much. Her romances have long contained mysteries, so this wasn't *that* much of a departure from her usual fare. I found the story, told alternately between past and present, to be completely gripping in both timelines for the entirety of the book. I had no idea who murdered Toby, and like Jem I vacillated between which of the former friends I most suspected up until the end. I like that it didn't end there. I liked that it was a complex issue. I really liked all the themes explored. The friend group was charming and wonderful and terrible and I slowly fell in love with each of them over the course of the novel. I love the way everything wrapped up, and I loved the healing and growth that happened at the end. It was everything I wanted. The setting of Oxford was so tangible and concrete. Despite never having been myself, I felt Jem's ambivalence for the place, the way he loved and hated it, and the way it had such a hold on him. It felt real. For that matter, each of the characters felt real and three-dimensional and present. The writing was stellar as always and it was a joy and a pleasure to read. I will absolutely be reading any and all future mysteries KJ Charles chooses to write, in addition to her romances. *Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes

He wondered as he walked if he would stand at the pillar box hesitating, if he'd walk up and down, plagued by doubt and fear and second thoughts, but in the end, it was too damned cold, so he just dropped the letters in.

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Ignore any knocking; it will be students, thus unimportant.

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Jem didn't know anyone else who'd use semicolons in a brief scrawl, and he hadn't realized how much he'd missed that sort of thing.

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He could put on his coat and shoes over his night things to go and ask; he'd look highly eccentric, but this was Oxford.

Faebound

Note: my review is as vague as possible because I don't want to spoil anything!

I was completely hooked and enamored with Faebound by Saara El-Arifi pretty much from the very beginning. I found both the world-building and the magic system to be so creative that I could not put it down.

Normally when I'm reading a new fantasy, I struggle with the first hundred or so pages as I learn the new world and characters. I didn't have that problem with Faebound at all. In fact, I read that first hundred pages in one sitting!

This is a really well-paced, exciting, and wonderfully diverse fantasy. The characters are complicated and likeable and every relationship had me hooked. The loyalty of the two sisters is beautiful and I love both of their romantic relationships too.

Faebound a fantastic setup for a new series and I can not wait for book two! This is an early contender for my Best of 2024 list!

Tags for the book: fantasy, romantasy, queer, sapphic, enemies to lovers, magic, fae, elves, slowburn, spicy (both straight & sapphic sex scenes)

Faebound comes out on January 23, 2024!

Happy release day to Children of the Earth!!

Amanda Auler is an author I know through Instagram and I had the privilege of doing an ARC review for the second book in the Mothmar Trilogy. This might be one of my favorite books I've read all year and I highly encourage you checking it out!!

Over The Dragon's Gate by Juliana Jones & Riley Sanderson

While ‘Over The Dragon’s Gate’ starts off a little slower than I’d usually like, this co-written story gives you enough hints, enough clues, and enough thoughtfully teased out tidbits to keep its readers engaged and invested.

Much like one of our main characters, Treya, there’s an underlying sense that there’s more to this than meets the eye, and the authors cleverly reveal it all to the reader alongside Treya as he discovers the parts of himself that he’s forgotten.

All the while Treya is rediscovering his past, he’s learning about his future and the possibilities that his friendship with Eli opens up for him.

‘Over The Dragon’s Gate’ is a delightful read, full of magic and touching moments of humanity in the face of darkness we can all find ourselves facing. It had me scowling at the villian, and grinning at the clumsy exploration of teenage affection, and by the last lines I found myself smiling at the screen.

It’s a feel good book, that I immediately have a handful of people I want to recommend it too, and future stories from either of these authors will be getting added to my TBR piles.

I received a free copy of this book from the authors and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

• Review: What the River Knows •

I'm not quite sure how Isabel Ibañez has done it, but she has taken one of my least favorite plot devices – withholding information to purposefully keep someone ignorant of a situation – combined it with the chronic folly that is being a teenage girl, and turned it into an addicting tale that you'll want to devour in one sitting.

The story follows Inez, a railroad heiress who has spent her life in Buenos Aires while her parents largely live in Egypt, funding her uncle's excavations. But when she receives a magical artefact from her father and then the sudden word of her parents’ mysterious deaths, Inez goes to Cairo and inserts herself into their world – only to find that her uncle absolutely does not want her there, and there is Lots of Scheming afoot.

And of course, there is Whitford Hayes, a charming, rakish, British gentleman who works for her uncle. Inez knows she can't trust him, but she is outrageously attracted to him anyway.

Though none of the twists and turns here necessarily came as a surprise to me, Ibañez creates an evocative world of magical realism, and characters that are easy to love – Inez, though young and too trusting, is audacious and amusing, and Whit is very swoony, if a complete mess.

Set during the archaeological boom in Egypt, What the River Knows is an intriguing read that seamlessly blends historical fiction with magical realism, adventure, and a strong dose of mystery. Though the book will likely frustrate you to no end as Inez tries to learn the truth about her parents' fate, what her uncle is up to, and who she can trust, it's a hard book to put down.

And the epilogue? It'll have you screaming.

4.25🌟

0.5🌶️