'Never Saw You Coming' by Erin Hahn

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive - even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself. "

Review:

Wonderful YA/NA contemporary about self-discovery. Readers follow Vada’s bestie, Meg, from ‘More Than Maybe’ and newcomer Micah on their paths to self-discovery and finding happiness with each other. Both have had their worlds forever shifted by their parents’ actions and are figuring out how to balance expectations put on them by their families, their church communities, and society at large.

‘Never Saw You Coming’ can stand on it’s own, even if you haven’t read Erin Hahn’s excellent ‘More Than Maybe.’ You also don’t need to be part of a church community to enjoy this book.

Grab a copy on September 7, 2021. 

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' by Hannah Moskowitz

4 stars

Book Blurb:

"Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things.

She’s my best friend.

She’s the center of attention.

She is, without fail, the hottest girl in the room. Anytime. Anyplace.

She has freckles and dimples and bright green eyes, and with someone else’s energy she’d be adorable. But there is nothing cute about Ivy. She is ice and hot metal and electricity.

She is the girl who every lesbian wants, but she has never been with the same person twice. She’s one-of-a-kind but also predictable, so I will always be Andie, her best friend, never Andie, her girlfriend.

Then she meets Dot, and Ivy does something even I would have never guessed—she sees Dot another day. And another. And another.

Now my world is slowly going up in smoke, and no matter what I do, the flames grow higher. She lit that match without knowing who or what it would burn.

Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things.

But falling in love wasn’t supposed to be one of them…unless it was with me.”

Review:

 'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' features an all-queer cast and incredibly tasteful disability and mental illness rep, and is the perfect New Adult read for every introvert (or somewhat quiet extrovert) with a loud and flashy extrovert best friend.  This story is all about Ivy, beautiful and desirable Ivy, with her one-night stands and her new maybe-relationship with Dot, and the family issues she hides from almost everyone - narrated by Andie.  

Best friends since childhood, Andie loves that she is the only person allowed to see the real Ivy, to know the family drama and all the complicated things that make up Ivy, rather than the fake show Ivy puts on for everyone else.  She's even in love with Ivy and firmly believes that once Ivy gets certain things out of her system and is ready to settle down, it'll be Ivy + Andie forever.  Reader, if you've had a loud and flashy extrovert best friend, you may see where this is headed.  You may very well know how Andie feels at certain parts throughout this book.  This is well-written, relatable content (even if you did not have a crush on that extravert bestie.)

'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' will be available on June 1, 2021

#TheLoveSongofIvyKHarlowe #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'Temper the Flame' by Jade Church

 

Book Blurb:

"A curse. A betrayal. A love that could break her.  

When Ivy is taken to a compound outside of London to meet with a group of angels, she thinks she's going mad. Faced with the truth of powers she never knew she had and a world much bigger than she realised, her life couldn't be more complicated. Or so she thought. When Devlin crashes into her life, Ivy must decide what is more important: finding the love, passion and adventure she'd never allowed herself to dream about, or protecting her heart. She could have everything she never knew she wanted... if she only dared to let someone in. Caring makes us vulnerable, but when everything Ivy believes is pushed to the limit, who will be by her side to see her through the dark?"

Review:

A solid entry in the New Adult Paranormal Romance genre, 'Temper the Flame' sets a fast pace as a feisty psychic gets wrapped up in the hidden world of fallen angels and their goal to prevent Earth from being destroyed by the same angel-gone-bad who cast them out of Heaven. Buckle up for this one!  

'Temper the Flame' will be available on June 20, 2021.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. 

‘Shattered Souls’ (Flames of Time #3) by Erica Lucke Dean

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

 “Don’t miss the explosive conclusion to the Flames of Time trilogy.

Ava Flynn walked through flames to erase the past and bring her little brother, Josh, back from the dead. But the reboot doesn’t come without strings. While navigating her new reality, Ava must avoid Maddox... without fracturing the timeline. If she fails, she may never find Laith again.

With her own heart at stake, Ava scours time for the key to unraveling the curse binding her soul to both Laith’s and Maddox’s. One brother is the love of her life. And the other... Not even death will stop him from keeping them apart.

As Ava’s present collides with the brothers’ pasts, she discovers that breaking the curse might have unintended consequences. And this time, her soul isn’t the only one on the line.”

Review:

Such an amazing conclusion to this trilogy!  ‘Shattered Souls’ will shatter your heart and then put it back together again, in the best way.

I loved being back in Ava’s world, following as her story re-set to the beginning, to when readers first met her.  She retains the memories of what happened before she walked through flames to re-set her timeline but no other characters do, not even her time-traveling soul mates.  Having knowledge of the future could be an advantage, but it only gets her so far, since she makes different choices and has a different goal than before.  Watching these differences play out is one of the things I enjoyed most about this trilogy’s conclusion.

My absolute favorite thing about this book is that it is partially narrated by Laith.  Author Erica Lucke Dean chose perfectly which scenes to share Laith’s thoughts and feelings with readers.

The careful planning and attention to detail that went into crafting the story of these soul mates is clear for readers to see.  I love how creative Dean got with the curse, the timelines, and the characters, throughout the entire series, and how beautifully everything comes together in its conclusion.  At long last, the details of the curse are all laid out and explained to Ava, and it is worth the wait.

I enjoyed ‘Shattered Souls’ so much that I read it through once, then re-read certain key scenes and character interactions.  After re-reading ‘Splintered Souls’ and ‘Shattered Souls’ to refresh my memory before diving into the trilogy’s conclusion, I am happy to say that everything checks out; the time-travel math adds up perfectly, and Ava got the perfect ending she deserved after all she’s been through.

As usual, Erica Lucke Dean’s writing flows wonderfully.  In the days since I finished this book, I’ve missed both her writing style and these characters.  I can’t believe the Flames of Time series is over and I will definitely be re-reading this trilogy in the future.

‘Shattered Souls’ will be available on May 18, 2021.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ by K. L. Walther

5 killer stars!

Book Blurb:

“Meredith Fox has been going to Martha's Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith's sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin's big wedding.

Unfortunately, Meredith's longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.

But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She's determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can't help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Katie Cotugno, this is a story of loss, romance, and the time it takes to become who you really want to be.”

Review:

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ has so much to offer, I hope this review can do it justice.  It is brilliantly written with witty banter, clever dialog, a fully fleshed-out whirlwind new romance, and so much more.  Author K. L. Walther creates the perfect storm in which Meredith and Wit become tangled up in each other’s lives and it’s so easy to root for them as they fall for each other.  Walther expertly entwines the detailed threads of young love, self-discovery, large family gatherings, and a wide-spread game of Assassin, with all the best parts of a summer vacation.

I love being inside Meredith’s head – love her narrating through memories of prior summers, the loving moments between sisters including snarky moments, her feelings towards her family, friends, and her crush on Wit.

This book is also a wonderful illustration of how loved ones who’ve passed away too soon are “always with us.”  There are numerous ways in which Meredith feels her sister Claire’s presence, both on her own and with the help of family and friends pointing it out to her.  This is a truly lovely way to share the story of a main character who is still reeling from losing her sister, but is starting to find her way back to joy – with the memory of her sister by her side helping her find happiness, rather than despite her recent loss.

This book handles grief over a loved one spectacularly well without taking anything away from the light-hearted, comedic, or romantic aspects of this book.  Meredith’s older sister, Claire, had passed away approximately a year and a half before this story begins, and so while we don’t see Meredith and her family process fresh, brand-new grief, we do follow how they’re doing after some aspects of life have gone “back to normal.”  Grief does not go away overnight, and this book handles that beautifully.

Claire is in Meredith’s every memory of the island they’ve spent all their summer vacations on.  Claire is in her thoughts in every chapter of this book, and is discussed between characters many times throughout.  Meredith discovers that Claire is, indeed, still with her in most things she does on the island.

Claire was the reigning champion of the family’s massive summer game of Assassin played each year.  This year’s game is dedicated to Claire and will be played to honor her memory during a busy week of festivities leading up to a cousin’s wedding.  By strategizing and taking a more active role than usual, Meredith finds greater enjoyment in the game and feels closer to her sister.

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ brought back wonderful memories of summer moments, and can do the same for you!  We follow Meredith through many scenes on hikes, at the beach, a pond, a nearby town, driving over sand in Jeep-type vehicles – there’s a scene for every reader to connect with and fondly remember our own joys under the sun.

While the scenery is a wonderful jog down memory lane, the fully fleshed-out characters and plotline are even more amazing.  The attention paid to the little details, such as side characters with their own goals and relationships, help bring the summer atmosphere to life.

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ will be available on May 4, 2021.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘Tink and Wendy’ by Kelly Ann Jacobson

5 stars

 Book Blurb:

“What happens when Tinker Bell is in love with both Peter Pan and Wendy? In this sparkling re-imagining of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling finds the reclusive Tinker Bell squatting at the Darling mansion in order to care for the graves of her two lost friends after a love triangle gone awry. As Hope wins the fairy’s trust, Tink tells her the truth about Wendy and Peter—and her own role in their ultimate fate. Told in three alternating perspectives—past, present, and excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother—this queer adaptation is for anyone who has ever wondered if there might have been more to the story of Tinker Bell and the rest of the Peter Pan legend.”

Review:

I spent most of a Saturday devouring the entirety of 'Tink and Wendy' and really enjoyed this re-telling of 'Peter Pan'.  Readers get to follow Tink’s actions and thoughts in the modern day real world, as well as memories in both the real world and Neverland.

This is a deeply emotional re-telling; there are fun adventures in Neverland, flirting and young love, but this tale also has some somber aspects, including grief and mourning of loved ones.  Though there’s a happy ending, it takes most of the book to get there.  It takes a swift kick in the butt from Hope Darling, for a moody and depressed Tink to get there.

The story is told through three alternating perspectives, including both past and present narrated by Tink in third person subjective.  The third perspective, “excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother” provides light-hearted and sometimes humorous world-building, and explains how Neverland, with its magic and traditions, came into existence. 

 Trigger warning for grief and mourning of loved ones.

‘Tink and Wendy’ will be available on October 26, 2021.  Highly recommended LGBTQIA YA Contemporary re-telling of ‘Peter Pan.’   

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘One Last Stop’ by Casey McQuiston

 

5 stars
 
Book Blurb:
 
“For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
 
But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.
 
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker. She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all.”
 
 
 
Review:
 
Casey McQuiston has delivered yet another brilliant, 5-star book with a fun and relatable LGBTQIA+ cast.
 
I love that most characters, if not all, are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and that differences are celebrated.  August discovers a truly amazing “found family” in her 3 roommates.
 
Though there was no time travel involved, August’s love interest, Jane, is displaced from the 1970’s and has been riding the subway every day since that displacement.  Jane’s collection of ‘stuff’ stored in her backpack brings a touch of history to this book.  Also, Jane is absolutely adorable when trying to figure out how to use a cell phone.
 
There’s a lot to love here; the found family, the mystery of who Jane is, everyone pitching in to save a beloved neighborhood diner.  I can feel the sense of community and belonging just jumping off the pages, it’s quite comforting.
 
Highly recommended LGBTQIA New Adult Contemporary read.
 
‘One Last Stop’ will be available on June 1, 2021 – run, don’t walk!
 
#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'That Way Madness Lies' by Dahlia Adler

5 stars!

Blurb:

"Fifteen acclaimed YA writers put their modern spin on William Shakespeare’s celebrated classics!  

West Side Story. 10 Things I Hate About You. Kiss Me, Kate. Contemporary audiences have always craved reimaginings of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. Now, some of today’s best writers for teens take on the Bard in these 15 whip-smart and original retellings!

Contributors include Dahlia Adler (reimagining The Merchant of Venice), Kayla Ancrum (The Taming of the Shrew), Lily Anderson (As You Like It), Patrice Caldwell (Hamlet), Melissa Bashardoust (A Winter’s Tale), Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (Much Ado About Nothing), Brittany Cavallaro (Sonnet 147), Joy McCullough (King Lear), Anna-Marie McLemore (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Samantha Mabry (Macbeth), Tochi Onyebuchi (Coriolanus), Mark Oshiro (Twelfth Night), Lindsay Smith (Julius Caesar), Kiersten White (Romeo and Juliet), and Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (The Tempest)"

Review:

All of the Shakespeare re-imaginings were quite good. My favorites:  

The Tempest - "Severe Weather Warning" by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka 

Taming of the Shrew - "Taming of the Soul Mate" by K. Ancrum 

Merchant of Venice - "I Bleed" by Dahlia Adler 

Romeo and Juliet - "Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow" by Kiersten White - this entry had me laughing so hard!

'That Way Madness Lies'

Cover Reveal: 'A Bargain of Blood & Gold' by Kristin Jacques

A Bargain of Blood & Gold by Kristin Jacques
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication date: June 15, 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance 

Synopsis:

A novice vampire hunter with a mission. A three-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by otherworldly creatures they must save.

When Johnathan Newman arrives alone in the isolated lumber town of Cress Haven, Maine, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by the Society, a clandestine league of vampire hunters, to investigate a string of murders and disappearances among the town’s young women, the grisly state of the recovered bodies most certainly points to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathan’s attempts to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with the alluring Vic, the town’s most eligible, if enigmatic, bachelor.

As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vic’s own secrets come back to bite him. Revealed, the vampire fights his growing attraction to a man trained to destroy him at whatever cost. But he is not alone. Johnathan’s confusing emotions land him in the middle of forbidden desires. Forbidden not only by those who created him, but by his heart itself. Even if Vic isn’t the murderer Johnathan seeks, how can he yearn for a creature who should be his natural enemy?

With an evil presence creeping through Cress Haven and inhabiting its citizens, the two men must suffer their feelings and walk together into the unknown. As Vic leads Johnathan into encounters with terrifying beings straight from children’s stories, Johnathan learns that not only is the world far stranger than he knew, but that the Society he has trusted has far more disturbing intentions for the invading creatures than he imagined. Intentions that will place hunter and vampire at the center of a conflict between realms.

Unfortunately, Cress Haven holds far more sinister secrets than its resident vampire, a secret so great, it could unleash Hell itself. 

For fans of Gail Carriger’s Supernatural Society, The Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio: 

Kristin Jacques is an author from small town New England. She grew up in the sticks, surrounded by river wildlife and various swamp inhabitants. Somehow she managed to keep all her toes, despite a run in with a snapper or two. 

She lives with her husband and sons in another small New England town. She is mighty attached to them. When not writing, she is likely reading, watching a terrific B-Horror flick, or further spoiling the family cats. Sometimes she has blue hair.


Author Links:
Kristin Jacques website
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter

'Where It All Lands' by Jennie Wexler

5 stars

Book Blurb:

"Stevie Rosenstein has never made a true friend. Never fallen in love. Moved from city to city by her father’s unrelenting job, it’s too hard to care for someone. Trust in anything. The pain of leaving always hurts too much. But she’ll soon learn to trust, to love.

Twice.

Drew and Shane have been best friends through everything. The painful death of Shane's dad. The bitter separation of Drew's parents. Through sleepaway camps and family heartache, basketball games and immeasurable loss, they've always been there for each other.

When Stevie meets Drew and Shane, life should go on as normal. 

But a simple coin toss alters the course of their year in profound and unexpected ways.

Told in dual timelines, debut author Jennie Wexler delivers a heartbreaking and hopeful novel about missed opportunities, second chances, and all the paths that lead us to where we are."


Review:

Heart-wrenching in a good way, 'Where It All Lands' follows Drew, Shane, and Stevie through both potential results of the coin toss used to determine who would get to ask out the new girl. Thankfully, the majority of this book follows one of the boys' coin toss win, and then the other boy's coin toss win; it is only in the ending chapters where the 2 alternative time lines are spliced together, revealing a little at a time and switching back and forth quite often. Recommended to anyone who enjoys exploring what-if's and alternative time lines.  

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'Where It All Lands' will be available on July 6, 2021