A Young Adult novel by Louisa Onomé, Twice As Perfect follows a Nigerian Canadian girl dealing with an estranged older brother, helping her cousin plan a huge Nigerian wedding, and pressure from her parents about her future. The only things worth doing are those that will lead to success.
For seventeen-year-old Adanna Nkwachi, life is all about duty: to school and the debate team, to her Nigerian parents, and even to her cousin Genny as Ada helps prepare Genny’s wedding to Afrobeats superstar Skeleboy (“Skeleboy me, Skeleboy this money, everything na Skeleboy…that Skeleboy!”). Because ever since her older brother, Sam, had a fight with their parents a few years ago and disappeared, somebody has to fill the void he left behind. Ada may never know what caused Sam to leave home, but the one thing she’s certain of is that it’s on her to make sure her parents’ sacrifices aren’t in vain.
One day, chance brings the siblings back together. Although she fears how their parents will react if they find out she and Sam are back in touch, Ada’s determined to get answers about the night Sam left—Sam, who was supposed to be an engineer but is now, what, a poet? The more she learns about Sam’s poetry, the more Ada begins to wonder if maybe her own happiness is just as important as doing what’s expected of her. Amid parental pressure, anxiety over the debate competition, a complicated love life, and the Nigerian wedding-to-end-all-weddings, can Ada learn, just this once, to put herself first?
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Seventeen year old Adanna Nkwachi has had her future planned since she entered high school: get into law school to become lawyer–it’s what she’s good at. Now in her senior year of high school, with everything set for herself and a goal in mind, nothing will sway her decision… that is until she discovers that her long-lost brother who she’d been told had run away from home is performing in town at a poetry show.
As Ada learns more from everything her brother’s been doing and grapples with some truths, she’ll have to decide if becoming a lawyer is truly what she wants, or if it’s her parents wishes making her want it.
This was a pretty decent read! Although I mainly wanted to get it over with because I was bored, the story itself was interesting.
I do really like the message it was sending, and lots of issues here were very much a mood. I think I may have gone through an existential crisis or two.
I found myself understanding how Ada was feeling and I’m really glad with the decision she made about her love life, because otherwise I would’ve been annoyed💀 I must admit though, Ada as well as all the other side characters… I didn’t really feel much towards them, they were just there as characters. minus tayo because my god the hatred i had towards this shallow guy I will say though that the poetry aspects in this book were pretty neat!
Overall, other than being bored for majority of the book and the ending being a bit underwhelming, this was a pretty alright story.
Thank you Harper Collins CA for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.
Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.
Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?
Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
grumpy but sweet bodyguard love interest, touch that can kill, wholesome romance, stunning character development—ALL OF THIS <33
I had zero expectations going into this like I genuinely thought it’d be a boring book and look how wrong I was??? IM IN LOVE. Everything about This Vicious Grace was spectacular.
“She might be but one stitch in the tapestry, but every stitch had a purpose, and threads couldn’t become art without them.”
For years, Alessa has been known as the Finestra—a figure blessed by the god Dea with powers meant to fend off demons who will attack her island on the day of Divorando.
This power though… well her touch can kill anyone it comes in contact with so it’s not really a blessing she considers.
Alessa must find the right partner who can contain all the power that’s stored in her and so far she’s killed all three of her potentials. With little time remainining until Divorando, Alessa must find the one for her asap while also worrying about being assassinated by her own people, and dealing with her ✨dark and alluring✨ bodyguard, Dante👀
“And you keep saying you aren’t the hero.” “I’m not. You’re the hero. I’m just asking a girl to hold my hand.”
GUYS THEM. ALESSA AND DANTE ARE EVERYTHING. I adore them so so much. Each are unique in their own way and just how they support one another ohmygod the love I have for these two is unexplainable.
Alessa’s longing for physical contact and even just being able to talk to someone🥺 My heart broke for her so much especially with the way people feared (and some hated) her, my precious girl didnt deserve any of that. The way she bloomed into who she wanted to be was so beautifully written and I couldn’t be more proud. She’s such a relatable character and it’s not a “throw-in-your-face” kind of relatable but written so naturally of the feelings many of us had at times. Alessa is actually just so kind, funny and bold I love her so much ❤
Dante !! Literally from the moment he appeared I knew I’d love him. He was acting all grumpy in the beginning but even then he was never actually a jerk but instead it was the little things he did that were so sweet and caring. And my love just grew from there. Dante is basically that one person who keeps saying “Im CrUeL” but literally all his actions and what he says are the exact opposite.
“Sympathy, kindness, love, and friendship—all those precious human experiences that made for a full life—those were for other people, not her.”
THE ROMANCE. THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THE CHEMISTRY. THIS. I swear it’s the definition of precious. I didn’t realize how much I loved two characters just cuddling until I read this book. I was literally dying of happiness and squealing like a fangirl as if thats not what i am in all their cuddling and interactions with one another.
That moment where Dante offered to give Alessa a hug knowing how much it would mean to her after not having contact at all with anyone for years and him pretending that he was grudingly offering this hug but we all know he wanted it just as much—that. my friends, was one of the sweetest moments I’ve ever read.
OH and then Dante and Alessa getting drunk together and playing truth or dare + Alessa blatantly ogling shirtless Dante >>> PLEASE there were too many funny moments with these two I literally reread these scenes like 10 times. An excerpt:
“Ever since you called yourself stale bread, I’ve had wicked cravings.” He paused, shook his head, then pushed back up. “I adore bread. Especially baguettes. Long, thick, hot and slathered with—” He hit the ground, shaking with laughter. “Enough. Mercy. You’re a champion of lewd baking metaphors.”
I could go on forever talking about every amazing scene + the bantering with these two but I’m sure you get the idea and plus you’ll want to see them for yourself hehe
The side characters were also super interesting, and my opinion changed on many of them compared to first impressions cough thinking of two people especially. I adore Kamaria and Kaleb ksdhfksghs also I feel like I sense something between two characters that might develop (??) in the 2nd book.
Now the only reason why this didn’t get 5 stars was because even though my heart stopped for second because of that ending… some of the things that happened were pretty underwhelming? It also felt sudden and kind of rushed thinking about the build-up that led to that moment. But something small like that wasn’t really a big deal for me hence the deduction of 0.5 stars.
ANYWAYS EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY THIS. If me gushing about the romance didn’t convince you (although how could it not smh) then go for the character development in Alessa or miss out on falling in love.
If This Vicious Grace is only a debut novel I can only imagine how amazing the author’s future books will be.
(4.5⭐)
Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!
Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Well that was pretty bad.
I think I’m just going to stick with Schwab’s fantasy books because this??? This was not it.
There was no plot whatsoever (until like over halfway), but in general I don’t even care 99% if there isn’t one as long as I’m invested in the characters. Which wasn’t the case at all here.
“Safe does not mean happy, does not mean well, does not mean kind.”
For so long, Olivia has longed to be wanted, especially in a place like Merilance… until one day she receives a note from her uncle, Arthur Prior, about coming to live in Gallant–a mysterious, large estate. However, once she gets there Olivia realizes Gallant is not all what it seems to be and there was a reason her mother warned her away from it…
And then goes the page descriptions of the house for almost 200 pages yay! Honestly who doesnt love reading about how a house looks like?? If you don’t, you have no taste.
In all seriousness, if you asked me what happened in this book I couldn’t tell you. It literally feels like nothing happened at all the first half. I almost fell ASLEEP reading it and that never happens to me?? Never in my life have I ever almost fallen asleep reading a book. Gallant is the first to ever do this to me.
Just why.
Why did it take until the 60% mark for the villain to appear and something to happen LIKE WHAT💀 There was so little page time of the *villain* so of course I didnt feel spooked or rather anything towards them.
This book really is the definition of pretty writing, bland story. Like sure the writing was very descriptive and fancy but??? I was bored out of mind?? I could care less about the characters, story, plot (haha what plot) and everything else. I don’t care if you have the most beautiful writing in the world. If the story doesn’t capture my attention, then I don’t like it.
I genuinely do not see the point of this book and I’ve never said this about any book before but really do not see it here.
I will say though that it was very interesting to have a main character who couldnt speak! This is my first book seeing that and it was pretty interesting. I also saw some similarities between this book and Coraline so maybe some may love that a lot.
Other than that, nothing about Gallant appealed to me. It’s considered horror but??? What horror, there was literally nothing spooky about this. Gallant felt like it was written by a completely different person but maybe it’s because of the shift in genre?? I don’t know but I literally adored Schwab’s Shades of Magic series and Addie Larue so I was really hoping to love this too. Instead, I was dying of boredom.
Nothing hurts more than having one of your most anticipated reads by your favourite author be a disappointment. This is probably a just me thing, so to anyone reading this don’t let my review deter you from reading this! i have many super unpopular opinions sooo
Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez.
Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school’s cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can’t fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste.
Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college, or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own Spring Break plans (Operation: Lose Your Virginity) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she’d never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is.
On a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara’s secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
This was actually pretty okay, like not bad but not good either. I wasn’t really attached to the characters though and the plot was alright but I got bored during some scenes. I don’t have really much to say, so I’ll put all my thoughts of the book in point form.
➼ I definitely loved the diversity !! And it was interesting to see each of the sisters’ journey they went through.
➼ The sibling dynamic was well done and very realistic, I could definitely understand the feelings Lulu had.
➼ Lulu and Milagro had very distinct personalities and you can really see just how different the two are — but also the ways they could actually be really similar in some ways.
➼ The side characters were also really underdeveloped and either bland or the stereotypical mean girls.
➼ The ending was definitely believable in my eyes and it was nicely wrapped up in a way that left the reader wondering what would happen next but at the same time allow for us to imagine how everything would turn out for the characters!
Overall, I think for anyone who generally enjoys reading contemporaries and teens who (especially ones with siblings) want to feel like they can relate to characters that you’d enjoy it!!
_
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
The ancient world of magic is no more. Its heroes are dead, its halls are ruins, and its great battles between Light and Dark are forgotten. Only the Stewards remember, and they keep their centuries-long vigil, sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns.
Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. When an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, Will is ushered into a world of magic, where he must train to play a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark.
As London is threatened by the Dark King’s return, the reborn heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war begin to draw battle lines. But as the young descendants of Light and Dark step into their destined roles, old allegiances, old enmities and old flames are awakened. Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this so much like just wow this was amazing??? THE WAY IT GOT SO DARK TOWARDS THE END OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
“The bright star holds, even as the darkness rises.”
This was my first C.S. Pacat book and it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t believe it took me this long to read one of her books especially with how much I’ve seen her name going around. Dark Rise started off pretty slow but as I read it kept getting better and better.
I love the way how the beginning made me think it was just the typical good vs. evil but then changed so dramatically. Like I predicted the plot twists but it was the type of plot twist that I was hoping would happen and am so happy it did.
The characters had so many layers to them *thinking about two characters specifically* like the moral grayness in this book was *chef’s kiss* I’m so very much in love with them.
“We don’t choose the moment. The moment comes whether we will it or not, and we must make ourselves ready.”
I wasn’t sure about Will at first. He wasn’t really interesting but then I began to like him which eventually turned to love. His character is actually super interesting. The calm demeanor he has, being really careful and logical with the decisions he makes + very intelligent in a quiet like manner. It’s insane how he’s able to come to the right conclusions so often?? And I can already tell that there is still so much we don’t know about Will, I’m so so excited to learn more about him.
“Her world, all her dreams, narrowed down to this cell, her false lives stripped away to show the truth: she wasn’t wanted.“
This is one of many times where I wish I could give a character a big hug. VIOLET DESERVES SO MUCH LOVE ANYONE WHO HURTS HER FACES MY WRATH🔪🔪 Literally want to murder so many characters for daring to bring her pain. She’s such a strong and loyal friend, I adore her so much. Violet and Will’s friendship was LITERALLY EVERYTHING. Like the loyalty they have for each other and their protectiveness🥺 It makes my heart swell with love, I really hope this relationship isn’t destroyed in any way because I will be heartbroken.
“I think what people were is less important than what they are. And what people are is less important than what they could be.”
JAMES OMG JAMES I LOVE YOU. Is it really any surprise that I ended up loving James in this book?? He’s definitely the character that had the most depth. So many revelations I wasn’t expecting from him and he too made my heart hurt from the pain. And can I just scream about the tension between him and Will??? I read in other reviews that theyre all prepared to wait many books for the main ship to get together and oh no😭😭 I’m ready to go crazy over all the angst and with the way this book ended- *incoherent screaming*
“Dark times lie ahead. But even in the darkest night, there is a star.”
There’s one more character who I really came to like and honestly wasn’t expecting to with the way they were introduced. Cyprian is definitely an interesting character and though he didn’t have many appearances in here, I can so see that he’ll play a bigger role in book 2. And I see the potential for a new ship to sail👀 but we’ll have to see for ourselves in the sequel. I would certainly love to see how it develops hehe
“Dark times lie ahead. But even in the darkest night, there is a star.”
All in all this was such an unexpected delight and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Dark Rise also gave me The Infernal Devices vibes–especially in the beginning. Once you get past the beginning with its world-building, it gets super good. There’s so much potential for this series and I can’t wait to see how it all develops from here on out.
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I got some Skyward vibes from this and I just loved it so much.
Also Zetian, please marry me.
↪ The Hunduns who are dangeous creatures and are trying to destroy society which lies in the Great Wall ~ the Krell who are also dangerous and mysterious creatures trying to destroy the human race/
↪ Fighter pilots who use Chrysalises (aka mechas) to battle against the Hunduns to defend their home ~ Pilots who use fighter jets to battle the Krell and defend their land
↪ Society is against this one girl who managaes to kill one of their pilots and has too much power ~ society is against this one girl whose father was branded as a coward and now view her as one too.
Seriously, if you loved the plot of Skyward, then I definitely say you’ll probably love this too! The similarities I saw sdfgsdfs it was so cool but I have to say that the idea of giant mechas was even more interesting than what Skyward had. And like the fanart designs??? THEY LOOK EPIC. Design by Setodra
I will say that the only reason this didn’t get five stars was because of that I was a bit confused in the beginning with the information given but that could just be me and my dumb brain and some pacing issues throughout the story but other than that !! EVERYONE MUST READ THIS.
“But I have no faith in love. Love cannot save me. I choose vengeance.”
So before reading this I actually had no knowledge of footbinding, so finding about it here in this book… oh god. Just shows another way with how cruel society can be to women istg. And seeing Zetian with this disability and not letting it define her?? I love it. Of course, there were still moments where she did admit to needing help due to her feet and she wasn’t embarrassed about it at all, not being stubborn about the whole situation which made me respect the queen even more.🔥
“If we want something, we have to push back against everything around us and take it by force.”
The way Zetian had men fall at her feet (literally) made me cackle in delight. They all had it coming and deserved so much worse ❤ Xiran created such an amazing female protagonist like I would fall at Zetian’s feet gladly all day, every day. SUCH A QUEEN.
Also can I just say how much I wheezed reading so many scenes where this book made fun of other typical cliche tropes?? yes, i say this liking said cliche tropes I loved it so much pleasee. A glimpse:
“Do you honestly expect me to believe you’re some misunderstood, secretly sweet guy?”
wheezing now isnt that the case always?? and i love that trope
“Yes, because love doesn’t solve problems. Solving problems solves problems.”
oh how other YA protagonists wouldn’t agree
“You’d better not be tangled up in a love triangle.”
I CANT PLZ I LOVED THIS BAHAHAHA
Anyways, Xiran is such a legend and if this is only just their debut, I can’t wait to see more of their books!! AND THE WAY THEY ENDED THAT BOOK- THAT IS ILLEGAL HOW DARE YOU, XIRAN. You’ll be paying for my therapy bills if I think what happened at the end actually truly happened 🔪🔪
ALSO CAN I JUST SCREAM ABOUT THERE BEING A POLY RELATIONSHIP???? I LOVE THEM ALL SO CUTE UGH. Yizhi and Shimin are such cinnamon rolls sdfdsgs plus Zetian the queen, I swear they’re perfect it hurts. And the fanart I’ve seen on Xiran’s page isn’t helping at all😩
Zetian and Yizhi by 辞客ck
Shimin and Yizhi by Guilu
Zetian and Shimin by 妄猫Sama
All I feel is pain, please give me book 2 right now. * sobbing *
__
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!
Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”
The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.
After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.
Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.
Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I am an empty shell of my former self 😃 Chloe you’re paying for my therapy bills ❤
This is the 2nd time in my life that I’ve been this heartbroken over a book. Literally it was a full out sob-fest for me reading this.
I don’t think I will ever truly recover and really I should’ve known better but of course I foolishly hoped. My heart has been stomped on, torn into pieces and thrown into an explosion. I actually wasn’t expecting to be this heartbroken like WHY did I go ahead and fall in love with every single one of these characters?? I was literally setting myself up for pain * sobs * But oh, isn’t that the beauty of reading? To fall in love only to have your heart broken.
Just the way I got trolled so badly, like some of the events actually had me thinking otherwise but oh no no🤡 I am now and forever depressed™
I can literally imagine this was how Chloe was when she wrote OVE: The monster of Shanghai who?? I only know Miss Chloe Gong * sobbing *
“A rose is a rose, even by another name. But we choose whether we will offer beauty to the world, or if we will use our thorns to sting.”
1927 Shanghai and the city is at the brink of complete chaos. Sightings of monsters have re-emerged, the Communists have grown more bold, and the two gangs ruling the city have gone at each other out for more blood than usual.
Meanwhile, Juliette Cai is having to watch her every step in the face of Tyler–her cousin just waiting to find reason to declare Juliette a traitor and become heir to the Scarlet Gang–and watch for Roma Montagov who is out for revenge after the death of Marshall Seo. Oh and also worry about the appearances of monsters and state of the city. Life is stressful for Juliette 😦
I won’t go into anymore details of the plot because ✨spoilers✨ BUT OMG THE WAY IT GRIPPED ME FROM THE START?? It took me a while to get into TVD but this!! Literally there wasn’t a moment in this book I didn’t love. I was a ball of anxiety the whole time. of course my heart was also dying because of the wholesomeness and very few precious scenes And like I actually dropped my expectations for this because I thought and feared it wouldn’t be that good but oh how very, very wrong I was.
The characters were so much more fleshed out here?? I already liked them before in TVD but I was just so so in love with them all here to the point where I’d straight up be PRAYING they’d survive😭 Benedikt, Marshall, Kathleen… I didn’t think it was possible to adore them all so much, my heart is so full of love. And don’t even get me started on the two stars who went from enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies in TVD sdfsfgs THE ANGST.
“She was not fighting for love. She was protecting her own, everyone else’s be damned.”
THIS QUEEN. Did I believe it to be possible for Juliette to be even more of a queen than she already was? No. Did it happen anyways? HELL YES. All the pain she had to go through, making Roma believe that she had actually killed Marshall and subjecting herself to his hatred * sobbing * And it was all to protect him and the city. And then also having to deal with that bastard Tyler along with her own family and people having not so much faith in her ugh. Juliette hiding away any signs of weakness because people were always watching was so heartbreaking. She couldn’t give her people any more reason to doubt her then they already do. Kathleen being the only one she could be herself with, always there for her🥺
You know that moment when you have so much to say that you don’t know how to write it all out? That’s me right now. Just know if you loved Juliette before, you will definitely love her even more now.
“And maybe he was a coward. He was a coward who wouldn’t stop loving a wicked thing.”
ROMA, MY LOVE. Oh my god, he’s such a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs. The hatred and love he felt towards Juliette hurt my soul. Even after seeing Juliette “kill” Marshall, a small part of him believed that there was more to it AND HOW RIGHT THAT FEELING WAS. Of course, Juliette tried as hard as ever to extinguish that feeling but still sdfdgsgds THE ANGST BETWEEN THE TWO.
“Only he knew if he screamed I hate you, what he really meant was I love you. I still love you so much that I hate you for it.”
Enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies at its peak😩 The first book’s romance wasn’t a really big focus BUT HERE?? God, the tension was literally killing me. So many times my heart stopped because of these two😭 The two heirs of rival gangs who dared to love one another ❤
(credit: @polarts_)
“And if you are gunned down because you want to fight a war that doesn’t belong to you, I will never forgive this city. I will tear it down to pieces, and you will be to blame!
When the ship is in a heated argument and then one of them breaks and yells “because I love you!” sdfsfgsgs MY HEART I LOVED THIS SCENE SO MUCH IT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED. (view spoiler)[The only crime was that IT TOOK SO LONG for the confession😭 like the last 70 pages?? that is just too cruel (hide spoiler)]
The amount of pain I was in during this whole book like not only did I have suffer watching Roma and Juliette BUT ALSO BENEDIKT WAS SO BROKEN IT HURT. Believing Marshall to be dead completely destroyed him and the whole time throughout I was just screaming “he’s alive Benedikt, he’s alive!!” That was honestly just true torture knowing Marshall was alive. Benedikt being so reckless about his life like no Ben what are you doing😭
And meanwhile, there’s Marshall — AKA MY PRECIOUS BEAN — who missed everyone, but of course Ben the most🥺 The two being apart pained me so much, like why can’t everyone just be happy?? Is that too much to ask for?? Stan BenMars forever ❤
(credit: @Kirisy_art)
Also let it be remembered that Benedikt is and forever will be the only sensible one of the whole group. (view spoiler)[He literally stopped each and everyone of them (in terms of Roma, Juliette, and Marshall) from trying to kill themselves please he really got sick of the self-sacrificing😭 (hide spoiler)]
“Keep fighting for love. It is worth it.”
ALSO LET ME JUST SCREAM ABOUT JULIETTE AND MARSHALL’S FRIENDSHIP. It was so beautiful, sweet, and just everything omg I loved it so so so much. Their banter was like one between siblings and the way my heart was about to burst😭 IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. Literally all the relationships between the characters were so so amazing, I can’t choose a favourite it’s impossible.
“And yet wasn’t that the root of all hatred? Wasn’t that what made it so vicious? There was never a reason. Never a good one. Never a fair one.”
Kathleen Lang, please marry me. She’s literally such a genuine and kind-hearted person just how?? Such a morally good character and the development she went through by the end of this book???🥺 I was actually about to cry. Also, Juliette and her just have the most wholesome friendship ever, there was moment between them that made me so emotional, get a friend like Kathleen😭
Also this is totally off-topic but I’m WHEEZING at how I said at the end of my These Violent Delights review how my loyalty will forever lie with the Scarlet Gang… HAHA no the Scarlet Gang can go to hell 🙂 Correction: My loyalty forever lies with Roma and Juliette ❤ They are true leaders.
↓ MAJOR SPOILERS FOR OVE IN THIS SECTION ↓
═══.·:·.☽✧ ❀ ✧☾.·:·.═══
“Keep fighting for love. Juliette had wanted to be selfish, had wanted to run. But this was their love—violent and bloody. This city was their love. They couldn’t deny their upbringings as the heirs of Shanghai, as two pieces of a throne. What was left of their love if they rejected that? How could they live with themselves, look at each other, knowing they had been presented a choice and gone against who they were at the core.”
I legit can’t even write their names without tears blurring my vision. LIKE I’M ACTUALLY STRUGGLING WRITING THIS RIGHT NOW TRYING TO SEE. It’s so heartbreaking my heart physically hurts. All they wanted was to live happy, alone and free from the blood feud ohmygod AND THEY EVEN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN AWAY, but oh Roma and Juliette were too noble for their own good and I both love and hate them for that. They just wanted to love each other freely. They just wanted peace, and they couldn’t even have that. I’M SOBBING. They gave up their lives for the city that caused them so much pain. PLEASE HOW ARE ROMA AND JULIETTE SO GOOD??
And like obviously it shouldn’t have been a surprise they were going to die considering it was a retelling of R&J. Like even the foreshadowing made it obvious BUT I STILL FOOLISHLY HOPED CHLOE WOULD SPARE OUR HEARTS. It wouldn’t have been an accurate retelling if she hadn’t followed through BUT STILL😭😭 It pains me so so much and I just want to crawl into a hole and die because those two so deserved all the happiness in this world.
I WANTED BENMARS AND ROMAJULIETTE TO LIVE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, HAVE KIDS, AND GROW OLD TOGETHER HAPPY THIS ISN’T FAIR, THIS PAIN IS ILLEGAL. I love that Roma and Juliette got to at least die together holding hands and knowing that both of their cousins were dead at least but omg I will never recover from this. And the gangs were disbanded because of their deaths so at least that’s something😭
They were only married for one day before they died * sobbing * Chloe you’re too cruel.
“In this life they had been born enemies. In this life they had blood for miles between them, wide enough to run a river, deep enough to forge a valley. In the next, maybe there would be peace.”
═══.·:·.☽✧ ❀ ✧☾.·:·.═══
This review was a chaotic mess, so you can tell just how much this book destroyed me. It’s been months since a book made me feel this way and I don’t know if I should be thanking or cursing Chloe. Either way, STAN THIS QUEEN FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE THIS. I will forever remember each of these lovable characters and absolutely can’t wait for Foul Lady Fortune which hopefully won’t break me as much as OVE did. lies, the masochist in me hopes for that
Now, time to go through the stages of grief… except in this case, I’ll never get to the 5th✌
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All quotes in this review are subject to change upon release date.
Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation.
Summer 1958—a string of murders plagues the Midwest. The victims are found in their cars and in their homes—even in their beds—their bodies drained, but with no blood anywhere.
September 19- the Carlson family is slaughtered in their Minnesota farmhouse, and the case gets its first lead: 15-year-old Marie Catherine Hale is found at the scene. She is covered in blood from head to toe, and at first she’s mistaken for a survivor. But not a drop of the blood is hers.
Michael Jensen, son of the local sheriff, yearns to become a journalist and escape his small-town. He never imagined that the biggest story in the country would fall into his lap, or that he would be pulled into the investigation, when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to.
As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I am officially spooked™
“All these bodies without blood.”
Our narrator is a 17-year old future journalist named Michael who recounts his view of The Bloodless Murders case. The one person at the scene of the crime declares that they’ll only tell their story to him and him only — for some unknown reason.
These murders have been terrorizing the whole country and now the case of the century is at the hands of Michael. He just needs to prove that Marie – the suspect – was only the accomplice and the true murderer is still out there. Easy.
Except… sometimes the facts aren’t as easy as they’re made it out to be and Michael soon discovers that.
“Tell the truth and shame the devil. I always thought that would be easy. But what do you do when the truth that you’re faced with also happens to be impossible?”
Michael as a narrator was… interesting to say the least. I’m impressed at how he was able to separate his emotions from the horrors he saw at times like wow I could never.
But also sometimes he could be such an idiot like if someone was literally pointing a gun at you and about to shoot you — when you manage to get away the first thing you do is tell the cops/parents right??? MICHAEL DIDNT DO THAT🤡 and its not like he was threatened or anything by them, he just decided not to tell anyone?? * sigh *
That was probably the only really stupid decision there well that and him wanting to break a murderer out of prison
I must admit that one thing I did find done well was the murder mystery being pretty spooky and interesting — but at the same time, it was also kind of boring?? I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s how I felt. It was really easy to guess who the culprit was and this is coming from someone who sucks at guessing that.
And the ending to it all was really underwhelming to be honest. That ending didn’t reveal everything clearly and actually left me with more questions than answers.
Anyways overall this was pretty decent. I’ve read way better mysteries but this wasn’t bad.
__
Many thanks Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
I know I disappeared for the millionth time but oh wow how I didn’t expect school to be so hectic the first month😔 September was just me focusing so much of my time on school and when I did have free time, I’d watch anime and read mangas. Oh but how I miss reading books.
I’m still in my slump which is nothing new😭 but THIS MONTH I WILL FORCE MYSELF OUT OF THIS 3 MONTH LONG SLUMP IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO😤
So I’m going with a very ambitious TBR hehe
The Bronzed Beasts – Ever since the ending of The Silvered Serpents, I’VE NEEDED THIS BOOK LIKE I NEED AIR. I’m so scared, I need my babies to be okay and happy😭 Let’s see if I remain unscathed by the end of this book. And I’m gonna be buddy reading this so we’ll suffer together xoxo <33
Kingdom of the Cursed– This has been one of my highly anticipated reads ever since this was announced to be in drafting (aka even before Kingdom of theWicked came out). IM SO HYPED TO READ THIS. and maybe, just maybe… this will be the book to save me from this cursed slump
Starsight – The 3rd book, Cytonic, is coming out next month so you better believe that I’m reading this before that. Everyone I now keeps talking about the ending of Starsight and I’m terrified😭 but at least I’ll only have to wait a month rather than 2 years like so many others did😂
Elantris– Another Sanderson book I must read. I started it back in August but because I was in a slump and didn’t want that to ruin the experience of this (because the book’s like really interesting), so I took a break. Now it’s time to read this once again😌
All These Bodies – I originally didn’t plan on reading this but I got a physical ARC as a surprise so now I definitely have to😂 It looks so creepy and I do enjoy mysteries so I can’t wait to see how this turns out!
Dark Rise– Another physical ARC I got AND I’M SO HAPPY BECAUSE I’VE BEEN SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. Like the main character is named Will and the love interest is James??? And it’s set in London, England?? I’m getting TID vibes and I’m sooo hyped.
When Night Breaks– Another book I’m really hoping won’t disappoint!! I got an eARC of Where Dreams Descends and absolutely adored the book. The cliffhanger was too cruel sdfdsfsgs I really need answers. Also Jack better get a happy ending.
A Shadow in the Ember– My feelings are conflicted on this one… I used to be super excited for this but these last few months my excitement died down and I’ve grown to dislike the author, especially after certain events a few months ago. I have no idea what to feel, but JLA is definitely no longer a favourite author of mine.
The Hawthorne Legacy – I saw so many mixed reviews for THL and now I’m worried😭 I loved The Inheritance Games, so if I don’t enjoy this, it’ll be so heartbreaking * scared * but other than that worry I NEED MY HAWTHORNE BROTHERS.
I can’t believe its come to the point where I find reading 9 books in a month a lot💀 I miss my old self who could read so much haha * cry *
Anyways, I’m going to kick this reading slump out of my life and hopefully love every one of these books😎
From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.
Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.
Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie’s only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.
Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
My hatred for the main character and other love interest overpowers my enjoyment of the story😶
Literally from page 50, I’ve predicted the outcome of this love triangle and I swear to god if it actually ends like that- 🙂🔪🔪
Once upon a time, a golden faerie princess fell in love with the shadow king, but their kingdoms had battled for hundreds of years and her parents were sworn enemies of the king and his kingdom . . .
In this world, the Fae are viewed as many things. For some, they are loved and worshipped. For others, they are feared and subjected to their slavery. And then there are those humans who carry a deep hatred towards their kind–Abriella (or Brie) is one of these people.
After failing to pay back a long-overdue debt, Abriella’s sister, Jas, is sold and taken to the King Mordeus aka the Unseelie King of the Fae Realm. Brie will do anything to get her sister back, making a bargain with the king himself to retrieve 3 ancient artifacts in exchange for her safe and alive.
All she has to do is take place in a sort of ‘competition’ between other girls altho is it even a competition?? in which the Prince chooses who he wants as his queen. Brie must hold the Prince’s trust and capture his heart in order to gain access to these artifacts and give them the Unseelie King. Do that and she’ll get her sister back.
But of course there are many complications and a rebel group lead by the Unseelie Prince and trying to guard her heart from the two ~seductive~ Princes, etc, etc.
The main character, Abriella, is nOt LiKe OtHeR gIrLs because she doesn’t want to marry the Seelie Fae Prince for some ridiculous notion like love and she’s ~speshul~ because she has powers that nobody else in the world has. Fae would straight up say to her “You’re special” and continue repeating it ahahaha cursed laugh
Sebastian is a cinnamon roll (but i dont love him) and deserves better than Abriella. And just because he’s a cinnamon roll, I can bet on my life that Abriella is going to end up with the dArK aNd BrOoDiNg prince i say this like i dont fall for them too half the time I usually like dark and brooding love interests but only if they’re secretly soft/a cinnamon roll and respect the MC, but in this case… haha no. Finn is an arrogant, disgusting pig that treats the main character in a condescending way and is such a rude jerk, yet the main character says that she feels like she has a cOnNeCtIoN with him-
I hate Brie bc of how annoying she is, so maybe those two are perfect for each other. Sebastian deserves someone better🥺 but he’s also really sus sooo… Finn can go die in a hole. Abriella can go with Finn if she loves him so much.
Sebastian isn’t really all that great either but he’s a thousand times better than Finn. It’s always the cinnamon rolls that are never chosen in a love triangle but maybe the author will prove me wrong😔 doubtful This dude here at least is sweet, kind, considerate, soft, and must deal with the MC’s stupid decisions and dramatics smh. idk how Sebastian does it. [but he’s also a deceiving piece of trash so maybe he does deserve to deal with all of this ¯_(ツ)_/¯ // basically i hate all these characters.]
I can see how this is compared to The Cruel Prince but really the only similarity is that just like how Jude was involved in some spying within the court, Abriella is too, but that’s about it. Cardan Greenbriar cannot be compared to either of the love interests. He’s leagues away from these fools who call themselves Fae.
Now for where it’s like A Court of Thorns and Roses… I dont see it??? idk maybe my brain’s just not working right now but I don’t see anything ACOTAR related unless the main character going to the Fae world was supposed to be the similarity…? Or maybe how like Feyre had to go through 3 trials, the MC has to retrieve 3 artifacts??? hmmm idk. I did get some Tamlin vibes from Sebastian which is when I’d despise him, but I can’t really think of anything else.
Seriously though, the Fae here are a joke. They don’t even feel like Fae honestly like??? They speak and act just like humans and je n’aime pas. They’re so lame and there was a certain battle scene at the end that has to be one of the most ridiculous outcomes of a battle I’ve ever read in my life.😭🤚 I guess I expected more from the supposed villain ahaha and this is Fae we’re talking about-
They’re more like humans trying so hard to act like Fae but failing miserably. Maybe if this is your first Fae book then you won’t mind them, but I’ve read too many about them to believe that the ones here were actually written well.
Also I realized that always in Fae related books there has to be a some sort of scene where the MC drinks some faerie wine/fruit and becomes intoxicated/delirious and soon after that is there some sort of intimate scene😶 the one here was chokes awful.
Oh and the amount of scenes that made me cringe ahahaha💀 but the world isn’t bad, it’s pretty interesting at the very least. That ending though has to be one of the most abrupt ones I’ve ever read like wow. Also, I did not expect that plot twist at all. How can I both hate and enjoy a book? trashy fun.
Overall, this wasn’t completely bad, I guess. The story itself kept me engaged and I was able to finish this really fast in about a day, but even that wasn’t enough for me to like the book bc of its other faults mainly the characters. I think that if you don’t mind the characters then you’ll most likely enjoy the book. I probably would’ve given this a higher rating if Finn didn’t exist.
But yes, I’m going to read the next book only to see who she ends up with.
(2.5⭐)
Thank you HMH Books for sending me an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
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