BOOK REVIEW: "Splinters of Scarlet"

This book, with its beautifully lush world   hinting of forbidden magic and its focus on two orphans as they move into a mansion, will trick you into believing it's a fairytale. But you'd be wrong because this historical fantasy is so much more than that!

There is so much going on in this story, there are no comfy lulls. It is a story of the love that binds siblings and makes a family, of loss and hope, and greed and sacrifice. All told with an undercurrent of unsolved mystery and sliced through with bright ribbons of danger. Told from 2 points of view, you are swept along the kept guessing until the end. 

The story takes place in the 1800's in Denmark, and the master himself, Hans Christian Anderson even makes a cameo appearance. The descriptive writing style brings it all to life, to the point I could see the places our characters visit, and could even smell the pine and smoke, and taste all the warm, flaky pastries while watching the snow fall outside.

The characters were wonderful and they all contributed to the story. And I really enjoyed the relationship growth that happened between Merit and Eve. And this book actually made me shed a tear, so it's a five-star read for me! This is an awesome stand-alone YA fantasy and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: "The Circle'

"Welcome to The Circle"⁣⁣

The Circle is a secret society of uber rich members who have everything they could ever want...to the point that they seek other ways to feel truly alive, and what better than life-and-death games of murder?

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Everyday good guy Doug Goodwin finds himself ensnared into The Circle, and he quickly realizes that his life options have been boiled down to just 2: kill or be killed.⁣ ⁣

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This book was a non-stop wild ride! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, the author not only pulled the rug out from my feet, he rolled me up in it, and tossed me in the trunk! Twists upon plot twists kept me compulsively turning the pages.⁣

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The characters were well-developed, and I was almost instantly invested in Doug's predicament. The writing was fast-flowing and easy to read, making this book the perfect getaway into a world full of thrilling suspense!  There's a reason why it's been nominated for so many book awards!! 

Thank you to the author for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: "Opium and Absinthe"

A killer is on the loose in the late 1800's, and it looks like victims are bled and have puncture wounds in their necks. Could it be the work of a vampire, a creature described in the newly published book "Dracula"?

As a Dracula fan, and general vampire lover, this premise really snagged me.  Unfortunately, it was not so much a paranormal mystery as it was a drawn out description of a young lady's struggle with opioid addiction.

The MC Tillie is supposed to be an intelligent headstrong and independent young lady, very much outside of the social norms of the day. She wants to investigate the deaths, while at the same time battling a drug addiction. However, she just ends up just making illogical decisions which place her in danger all the time, which was very frustrating for me.

The other characters seemed to be very one-dimensional/stereotypical of the times and societal norms and were not engaging or interesting.

For me, the majority of the book dwelled on Tillie's opioid use and not on the murder mystery. Although this type of addiction was a common occurance during this time period, I feel that too much time was spent describing this, and it slowed the story way down so it was difficult for me to stay engaged. ⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: "Boyfriend Material"

This is a "fake dating" trope, so it's pretty obvious what's going to happen, right? I mean, I was totally prepared to be underwhelmed, but I ended up completely charmed!

Our MC Lucien is a freaking hot mess. I really wanted to not like him, but he quickly grew on me and I absolutely fell hard for him! And dude has jokes! Like, I seriously laughed and snorted my way through this book listening to his stream of consciousness! And the quotes!! So many profound and witty statements in here, I love them all!!

And Luc's relationship with perfectly flawed Oliver was such a nice slow burn and achingly sweet and just <sigh>!

So yeah, predictable, but the ride was oh so fun! The supporting cast was amazing, the witty banter was superb and just everything added up to such an entertaining and light read! Absolutely loved it!

Pub date: July 7

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks Casablanca for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: "Cinderella is Dead"

The premise of this book, that a young girl fights to overthrow the patriarchal kingdom 200 years after the death of Cinderella promised a captivating story.

The alternate telling of the Cinderella story was very creative, and the final twist to the story was surprising.

However, the story was told through 16-year old Sophia. She is dead-set on escaping her fate of being married off at the mandatory ball that all young women in her kingdom must attend.

She is supposed to be rebellious, but comes off as a selfish brat, with no forethought going into her vague plans for escape. Not surprisingly, this supposedly strong character ends up being a damsel needing saving. And, her savior ends up being the person she falls for instantly, despite the fact Sophia has been in love with her childhood friend for years.

The dialogue between the characters is unnatural, since it is mostly a vehicle for info dumping history and preachy feminism ideals. Therefore, the characters don't feel "real", and I couldn't connect with them. Even when characters die, it is of little consequence.

The pacing was slow, with no real tension in the story to help it along. 60% into the book, all that has happened is that Sophia she went to a ball, ran into the woods and met a witch. 

Unfortunately, for me Sophia was a shallow character, ruled only by emotion and was thoughtless, impetuous, and reckless; she doesn't exhibit any growth or intelligence.  She takes unnecessary risks that result in predictable results where others pay for her actions, which was really frustrating to me.

This book could have been fantastic had the characters been more believeable and sympathetic. But the twist in the Cinderella story was truly unique and is worth the read.

⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.