Turning Pages

This book, folks. This. Book. It was probably my favourite romance that I read during my romance readathon at the beginning of January. If you have a weakness for hate-to-love romances, you need this book in your life.

It’s sweet, it’s sexy, it’s funny. It’s got banter and communication (omg I love it when characters learn to communicate). Lina and her family are diverse characters and we get some lovely insight into their culture. I really enjoyed that, and seeing Max learn more about Lina’s culture too. You can feel how much Sosa is celebrating the culture and family in this book, and that makes for a story that’s full of heart. Lina makes some important points about women of colour in particular being judged for showing any sign of emotion. It was powerful and so, so relevant.

Lina is such a compelling, well-rounded character. She’s a business owner thriving but facing struggle. It’s great to see her surrounded by supportive friends and family. All of them are fun to read about, and the interactions add so much life to the story. She’s got a past emotional trauma, and she’s confronted with that again with the job opportunity and seeing Max again.

Max is sexy, sweet, and dealing with his own personal baggage. He’s a hardworker looking for some recognition at work, and looking to step out of his brother’s shadow. I shipped him and Lina, even as I was frustrated with them. But hooo boy the banter and the steaminess makes up for that.

Okay, before I get into the review can I just say THAT COVER IS GLORIOUS. Like, wow I didn't think it was possible for me to love a cover more than I loved the covers of the first two books of the series.

This review is gonna be really hard to write without spoilers, so bear with me while I avoid spoilers like Jude avoids her feelings.

What I think I enjoyed the most about this book is seeing how the characters have changed over the course of the trilogy. Politics and power games are fun until they aren't. It was interesting to see characters realize that power is important but is it worth everything? Is it worth sacrificing your morals? Is it worth sacrificing others? We see Jude grapple with this the most. It felt like an interesting and rewarding issue for her to contemplate, since her goal when we met her was power at all costs. It's cool to see what's changed and what hasn't changed.

Cardan is, of course, a fun character. We get to see a bit of a different side of him in this book, but I felt it was a breath of fresh air. To me, it made him more complex. I know not everyone will agree with me about the character growth, but I didn't mind it in the case of our two mains.

Some other characters, however, felt like they needed more page time to justify their changes. It didn't feel believable for some, and that was a little jarring.

The power games and politics still play a big part in the story, and of course they're just as fun to read about. I did feel that the short page count meant we lost some complexity, though. The plot twist near the end was also very out of place. It kind of threw me for a loop, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. There are a lot of people saying this book was a let down, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. I didn't love it like I loved The Wicked King (review here), but I did like it.

October was the month I wanted to absolutely delve into all spooky books, and Winterwood was high on my tbr. It's the perfect book to read during fall, and it was one of my favourite reads in October.

The language and storytelling is so, so beautiful. Ernshaw crafts a narrative that honours nature, shows love and respect for it. You can't help but to feel drawn into the book, with the lush and atmospheric descriptions. I felt an immediate connection to the book, and that feeling never faded. The writing style is almost lyrical, but most definitely magical.

Nora, our main character, is so fascinating and well crafted. We feel her hopes and her fears, her weakness and her courage, over the course of the novel. She's largely an independent young woman, who wants to embrace her magical heritage and also help Oliver. She undertakes this on her own, a daunting task in an isolated area surrounded by danger.

Oliver himself is interesting, and there's mystery to unravel about him. I liked guessing what had happened, and the twist was well-done. It made me even more invested in the story, and it made me emotional.The romance is sweet, and though for some it can be considered almost insta-love, on the page it mostly felt like a deep connection formed because Nora saved Oliver's life.

The magic and the mystery are two of my favourite aspects of the story. The mystery of how Oliver ended up in the woods is intricate, and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed trying to piece together what might have happened, and the reveal was intense. All of the pieces of the story came together to make for a riveting and rewarding ending. I honestly can't stop thinking about it. The book is interspersed with background on witches from Nora's family, and I loved that insight into the history of these women. The magic is very rooted in nature; I enjoy seeing that particular type of magic, and I think that magic made the setting come alive even more.

Historical mysteries are my bread and butter. My cup of tea. My homemade pizza. My dream books. Stalking Jack the Ripper was a dark, sexy, and witty novel; it was with much excitement that I settled in to read the finale. Hold onto your hats, folks. Because this book was a wild ride.

First and foremost, the main driving force of this book is, unsurprisingly, the romance. I love their banter, their support for one another, and their passion for one another. I love seeing how their relationship has grown since the first book. I didn't love some of the relationship drama present in the book, as the way they handled it felt a little out of character. It frustrated me a bit. But overall, I ship them so hard you guys.

The mystery in this one is a bit more comple and drawn out. I love that Maniscalco ties in fiction with some people and places from history to give the book that much more of a creepy vibe. I love historical fiction, so these little inclusions and nods to history interest me and make the story more compelling.

Maniscalco writes in such a way that draws you into the story, and keeps you guessing. It was fun to slip into this world once again. I also enjoyed trying to guess who the killer is. It's so easy for me to immerse myself in the book, to totally zone out into it. And for me that means it's well written.

As usual, some of the characters make frustrating decisions, and I won't lie: that detracts from my enjoyment of the story. As I mentioned above, the romantic drama was not my favourite. Indeed, I felt it hindered the book a bit.

When I first read the synopsis for The Grace Year, I got sooo excited. Here, I was promised a book tackling the way men sexualize women from a young age. Here, I would see a dark feminist tale of young women on the verge of adulthood grappling with the situation these men have put them in year after year.

The concept of the book is so, so interesting. Once again, we see women blamed for the way men behave around them. Once again, we see women belittled and controlled, only valued as wives and mothers and pretty ornaments. Tierney is vocal about what she wants and doesn't want out of life, including her desire to work instead of become a wife. To her, becoming a wife - chosen by some creep from the village without her say - is a fate worse than death, it's the ultimate cage. And she wants to escape it. I felt so much for her and for all of the women. Regardless of whether they have resigned themselves to marriage or would rather have marriage over work, etc. I felt for them for being taught that it's an honour and a duty to be selected for a wife and bear children.

The romance in the book isn't quite fleshed out as much as I'd like, but I did enjoy it just the same. I love some of the things that happened, and I'm still a little divided over the ending. But I can see what the goal was in doing it this way.

Something else that kind of detracted from my enjoyment of the book was also that there could've been so much more done with these women forced together in isolation. I can't say much without spoiling the book, but I think that the way things unfolded took away from the overall message of the book in favour of focusing on a kind of dystopian-type plotline.

I sold my soul for an ARC of Ninth House, and I have no regrets. The benevolent rulers at Raincoast saw fit to bestow this great work of art upon me. I squealed and hugged the book when I opened the mailer. I looked at my towering stack of library books, and turned my back on them. I chose to read Ninth House at the start of October, and I'm so glad I did.

This book is such a perfect Autumn read. The setting, the characters, the magic and mystery. It's so atmospheric, and the setting only serves to add mystery, drama, and darkness to the story. It was so easy for me to get lost in the book. I didn't want to put it down. I counted down the hours til my shift would end and I could go back to reading. When I could, I curled up with a mug of hot chocolate and slipped back into the story.

I love love love Alex. She's such a compelling character, and I was with her and rooting for her from the moment I met her on the page. She's vivid, flawed, brave, and so much more. She's a fantastic main character, and she absolutely is one of the biggest reasons why I enjoyed the book.

Darlington, Alex's mentor in the magic world, is also such an interesting character. He's well-rounded and complex in his own right, and I enjoyed his POV very much. It never felt like I was taken out of the story when a chapter was told through his POV. Together? Together him and Alex make for an interesting and dynamic pair. The minor characters were also all compelling, and I enjoyed getting to know them.

The magic is pretty cool, but also often dangerous and creepy. It only added to the dark feel of the book, which is what Bardugo was going for. This book is very much a serious, dark tale. I love a good murder mystery, and of course fantasy/paranormal, so it isn't a surprise to me that I ended up enjoy it so much. I followed along, breathless, as Alex tried to solve the murder all the while coping with magic and the secret societies.

A lot of people have been talking about the graphic content, and indeed there is that. I chose to read a list of specific trigger warnings before reading, and I think that helped me. Yes, there are some sad, hard things to read. But I don't find that they're there simply for the sake of being shocking. I think that they help us understand backstory and characters. And I think it was handled fairly well. If you're hesitant to read the book because of things you've seen on social media, I really recommend visiting the link I included at the start of the review.

2019 has been my year of getting into graphic novels. Saga, anyone? But sometimes, I just want something a little less intense and a little more fun. A graphic novel set on Halloween, with all of my favourite Autumnal things and art by the fantastic Faith Erin Hicks? YEEEEES.

I’m in love with Hicks’ art, and I think it totally elevates the story. It’s whimsical and cute and fun and vibrant. It was such a joy for my eyes to feast on, and I’m not even ashamed to say I was as into the lovely art as Deja is into seasonal food at the pumpkin patch. Art can make or break a graphic novel, and Hicks’ art definitely made it. I love seeing a fellow Canadian doing great things. She’s previously illustrated graphic novels for Dark Horse and First Second (check out her website here).

The story itself is simple — almost too simple — , but a real treat for those of us who love Autumn and Halloween. So, basically, this book was MADE FOR ME. Autumn is my season, folks. I think where the simplicity hinders the book is the romance. It needed to be a little better fleshed out, since it seemed to be resolved too quickly at the end. I wanted more from it, and I wish I didn’t feel that way because overall this book is such a mood-booster.

Deja is a fantastic character, honestly. She’s part of the lgbtq+ community, and it was nice seeing that organically show to us through interactions with her exes. Deja is described as having a magnetic personality, and you can totally see that. She comes across as comfortable and confident in herself, joyful and smiling in almost every scene. And when facing obstacles in the novel, she handles it in a humorous and honest way. She’s queen.

Josiah is also a nice character, a shy cinnamon roll we’re all rooting for as he tries to work up the courage to ask out his longtime crush. His interactions with Deja are really nice; it’s good to see a healthy male-female friendship. He’s a little frustrating at times, and Deja tells him so. (Again, Deja is QUEEN). But I think the way crushes are explored is interesting.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I really came to enjoy Adrienne Young's debut, Sky In The Deep (review here). Despite my review rating being 3.5 stars, I actually kept thinking about the book months later, and that made me feel like the book was actually a 4 star read. So, when the companion novel was announced it quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of 2019.

First of all, this book is being called a companion novel - and supposedly you don't need to read the first one to read this one. While I do technically agree with that, I think you'll enjoy The Girl the Sea Gave Back much more if you read Sky In The Deep first. Not only because we see characters from the first book, but also to fully understand the viking tribes and how they came to be in their current status.

What I really enjoy about Young's books, and this one is no different, is how much she draws you into the setting. She focuses a lot on nature, particularly the sea. The author's love of nature is clear, and it made me feel rooted to the story. Her descriptions are vivid and lush, and it makes the story so easy to fall into. It's so atmospheric, I can see this being a great read in Autumn.

Once again, this book tackles hate and greed. The tribes have a tentative peace, but we see that tested again and again. We also see characters grappling with isolation and being judged based upon their tribe. It's interesting that a novel so connected to nature also explores how humans connect, and how those connections are affected or not by beliefs and societal judgement.

I enjoyed seeing my favourite characters from the first book, but it almost made me want a sequel showing the years in between this book and the first one.

The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn, bordering on very very subtle. I think I liked that the book doesn't try to force a romance for the sake of romance. It felt more organic that way. I liked the main characters Tova and Halvard. I did struggle a bit with them in that they didn't quite feel fleshed out enough.

The pacing of the book is actually slow too. That combined with the short page count means the book feels like it could've used some more length to it. I also felt that the message in this book was a bit repetitive, and not executed quite as well.

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you'll know I've read a lot of Christina Lauren books. I really enjoy them, with their humour and romance. I was super excited for their latest release, but sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed their other books.

I think my biggest issue with the book is that I wasn't personally grabbed by the story. The pacing is a bit on the slower side, and as its a more series book, it made the story drag a bit for me. We first meet the characters when they're young adults, and I kept waiting for the story to progress into their reunion. The thing is, that took awhile to happen on the page. We stay with them as young adults for a good chunk of the book, and the second half therefore seems like it didn't get enough time to develop.

I adore the two main characters, I really do. Tate is feeling stifled when we meet her, and as she's on the verge of adulthood and independence, she's hungry for new experiences. This includes falling in love for the first time, and having her first time. She's a well written character who we vey much root for. But I feel that as an adult, there's a lot of questions left unanswered.

Sam is the same, really. As a young man, he's kind and thoughtful, flirty and sexy. He's a bit of a mystery, but also not a mystery. It's very clear why they break up in their youth. This book is very much about forgiveness and a second chance at love. I loved how it was done in Persuasion by Jane Austen, but here the ending felt too open. As this is a modern story, I couldn't help but wonder why it ended the way it did. And where things would go after the book ends.

The book tackles some complex topics, like trust, love, family, and more. I was drawn to the power of love, which is a big theme in the book for various relationships. I enjoyed seeing how each relationship functioned, and how family plays such a vital role.

What do you get when you mix hate-to-love, humour, politics, and passion? Red, White & Royal Blue. It's a good recipe, and if you at all enjoy romcoms, this will be your cup of tea.

People have been raving about this book, and for good reason. Most romcoms are, shall we say, the opposite of diverse. The romance genre is getting better, and this book is one of the reasons why. It's an m/m romance, with characters that have different sexual orientations within the LGBTQ+ community. That alone is a big draw for audiences.

As I was discussing this book witha friend, we appreciated how the lgbtq+ romance was handled, specifically how one character realizes their sexual orientation. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say more. Suffice to say, it was well done.

The romance itself? Oh boy, it's good. It's dramatic, yet sweet. I liked getting to know the characters, and getting to see how they grew close and changed due to their relationship. I ship Alex and Henry so hard, and they're the driving force behind the book. The book is definitely very character-driven, but with such compelling characters it's a joy to read.

This book is also sexy af, and hilarious. Like, laugh out loud funny. Bold. To see characters so comfortable in their own skin, and comfortable around each other is amazing. Their confidence is captivating.

Sometimes, there were cliches or little inconsistencies or some drama that I felt wasn't quite there. But overall I have very little complaints about the writing itself.

K.A. Tucker's The Simple Wild made an impact on me, and I've even re-read it since. So when I heard about Say You Still Love Me, I felt like I needed to read and review it. While I did enjoy it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped to.

What Tucker does well is, in my opinion, craft such compelling characters. Piper and Kyle leap off the page. Piper is a great main character, and I liked her from page one. As an adult, she's struggling against misogyny in the work place. As a teen, she's making friends and stepping outside her comfort zone by being a camp counsillor with people outside her wealthy social circle. I loved that the book tackles feminist issues and class issues.

Kyle is also an interesting character, though as an adult the character wasn't fleshed out as well as I'd like. As a teen, though, it's easy to see the chemistry between him and Piper. I shipped them so hard.

I think my main issues with the book is, actually, the reason why they lost touch as teens. It was one of the reasons I was guessing, and I was disappointed beyond belief when I was right. It felt like it did the book a disservice. I also felt like the romance when they're adults doesn't shine as much.

If you're looking for a feminist novel with politics, romance, and sisterhood, this series is for you. I was recommended the first book in the series, Grace and Fury, by my bestie. And thank god she shoved that beautiful book into my hands. I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC of the sequel, and once again I found myself riveted and fired up.

The first book in the series is inspiring, and this book is no different. In it, we once again see women coming together to fight those who seek to control them and harm them. To keep them 'in their place'. It's incredibly powerful, especially given how much women still struggle for equality today. The love and respect these women have for each other is beautiful. Even if they don't always agree, they support one another. That's the kind of feminism we need, not toxic feminism.

The anger the women feel towards the men who want them to be silent, obedient, and uneducated is palpable. The book makes you THINK, and it makes you angry. I consider it to have a profound message, and as such I think everyone should read it.

Serina grew a lot in the first book, and that growth continues. She makes some mistakes, but in the end she's there for her sister and the women of Mount Ruin. She's gains some clarity and self-awareness, and she realizes she may always struggle with the way she's been conditioned to act around men. Nomi is just as compelling, as she now realizes she judged the Graces too harshly. She's also reeling from Asa's betrayal, and angry beyond measure.

I think where I struggled with the book was, firstly, with the romances. I didn't care for Serina's love interest this time around. I'm not sure if it's due to some inconsistant writing, or whether my opinion of him suffered because his input about something had consequences. Nomi and Malachi had a sweet romance, though not fleshed out as much as it should be.

If you're looking for a book filled with magic, family, and political intrige, you might want to check this book out! It's a short, quick read that I didn't want to put down. Lately I've been feeling burnt out on YA fantasy, so that's a good sign.

The magic in this book is so awesome! Crows that have different abilities, and certain people who ride them (sometimes into battle). I wish this had been fleshed out a bit more, but nevertheless I enjoyed this aspect quite a lot. The crows themselves have fun personalities, which I love seeing in bookish creatures. The writing style is easy to read, and the descriptions of food made me hungry if I'm honest lol.

I found that sometimes the plot kind of meandered away from the goal of the characters in order to focus on the romances. This means that the progress was a little slower sometimes, and the ending was fast paced to pack a lot into the short length of the book.

The romance isn't a clear cut as you'd expect, but I didn't mind it. I think it's nice that we're a surprised with the way the romance goes, because it definitely plays with and goes against some common cliches. There's also some good lgbtq+ rep, which is nice. None of the main characters seem to be lgbtq+, but it's definitely widely accepted within the kingdoms in The Storm Crow.

The relationship between Anthia and Caliza is lovely to read. They struggle, as is natural when a family experiences loss. I would've liked to see the book mention grief and PTSD specifically, rather than placing it under the blanket term of depression. As someone who has experienced grief multiple times in my life, I'm also wary of how it's portrayed. I'm glad, however, that the book mentions depression anyway because mental health is important and shouldn't be a taboo topic.

The Storm Crow is a good book, and I enjoyed reading it. It has its weaknesses, but mostly I feel excited about where the series could go next.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Biology and a degree in English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay Area and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW is her debut novel.