So many words. So little time.
Category: book review
This week, I only wrote one book review, Midnight on the Celestial, by Julia Alexandra. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I also wrote my February reading post, and the best books I read in February.
I also outlined two scenes in the fiction project and wrote 1k.
Happy writing!
Title: Midnight on the Celestial
Author: Julia Alexandra
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5
Roe Damarcus has never been afraid of the dead. Her power to summon spirits has awed the guests of her esteemed family’s galas for as long as she can remember. Her future is certain, and her gift will be another shining jewel in the Damarcus legacy.
But when she fails her realm’s trial to keep her magic and is deemed too dangerous for society, she faces a harrowing choice: give up her gift or serve a punishment sentence aboard the Celestial, a luxurious magical cruise ship where staff members compete for guest votes to earn a coveted retrial.
As a concierge, Roe juggles the demands of affluent guests, cruel bosses, and the suspicion that an infuriatingly handsome silks performer, Ivander, is determined to keep her from a retrial.
But the true dangers surface after her shift ends when the Celestial transforms into halls of nightmares that kill staff members after dark. Faced with the reality of serving aboard, Roe begins to question the ship, trials, and the system that put her there. But the moment Roe sinks into the ship’s dark history, she’s wrongly framed for a guest’s murder. Vowing to conjure her own second chance, Roe will use whatever power she has to uncover the secrets of the ship, her family, and their entwined bloody past… before she becomes the Celestial’s next victim.
I really enjoyed this! I was drawn in from the first page because of Roe’s voice. The world was fascinating—and the Celestial was terrifying. Roe was a character I could relate to because of her faults and her determination. I loved how she made friends on the ship and how resolutely she pursued her goals. The magic system is interesting , and I really liked this world and would be happy to read more.
Julia Alexandra lives in Florida. Midnight on the Celestial is her debut novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Primrose Murder Society
Author: Stacy Hackney
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5
Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house—and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond’s palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.
Soon after Lila’s arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building’s splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She’s certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered… and Lila becomes the prime suspect.
Now Lila needs to solve both murders to avoid jail, and even worse, losing her daughter to her snobby in-laws. To catch a killer and clear Lila’s name, she and Bea must rely on their elderly neighbors—Jasper, a shy former detective, and Evelyn, an opinionated socialite—along with Nate, a good-looking reporter who keeps appearing at the most inconvenient moments. As the amateur sleuths expose the truth about the Primrose, Lila hopes she can also unravel the trickiest parts of her own life and start fresh.
This was a cute read! Lila has been through a lot, although some of it was because she chose to ignore some glaring red flags. At the beginning of this, Bea was such a brat and needed a spanking (or two) to help get her sorted out, but she eventually settled down—when Lila stopped being so passive.
The residents of the Primrose were such a hoot! I truly enjoyed their antics, although a couple of them were just plain ugly people. The interactions between Bea and Lila were believable, and Jasper and Evelyn added both humor and a foil for the docile Lila.
Stacy Hackney lives in Virginia. The Primrose Murder Society is her first novel for adults.
(Galley courtesy of William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review.)
In February, I read 10 books, bringing my total for the year to 20.
I also DNFed nine books in February, bringing that total to 15 books. No wonder I’m so behind on my Goodreads goal.
Of the 10 books I read in February, several were really excellent reads.
Love Does, by Bob Goff. Not the first time I’ve read this. Goff’s voice is fantastic, so relatable and personable, that each chapter is a pleasure to read. And the lessons on how to love people can’t be beat.
The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe, by Jenni Allen. This really resonated with me. Again, very relatable. And this makes talking about some hard truths just a tiny bit easier. I believe we all have lies that we’ve believed about ourselves.
Dirty Work, by Devon Monk. I thoroughly enjoyed this final book in the Broken Magic series. It was good to see Allie and Zayvion (and their daughter) again, and I loved how the book was resolved with all of these familiar characters.
Title: The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe
Author: Jennie Allen
Genre: Christian
Rating: 5 out of 5
If there was a core lie sabotaging your life, wouldn’t you want to know what it is?
And wouldn’t you want to find the way to be free?
Most of us have been living inside a lie so long it feels like the truth. It has quietly shaped our identity, our relationships, and even how we see God. Until we see it, we’ll keep circling the same frustrations, the same shame, the same thoughts of I’ll never change. But freedom is possible. In The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe, Jennie Allen pulls back the curtain on the enemy’s oldest trick—and shows us how to dismantle it with the spiritual authority we already have in Christ. She guides us through how to:
-Spot the three core lies everyone believes—and name the one running your life.
-Trace the moment your lie took root and how the enemy’s been using it to keep you stuck.
-Cut ties with your old narratives so they stop shaping your choices.
– Challenge lies in real time and replace them with God’s truth.
This isn’t about behavior modification. This is about transferring your life out of the enemy’s kingdom of lies and into the kingdom of light—where joy, peace, and strength aren’t fleeting feelings but your everyday reality. Freedom starts here. Take hold of it.
I felt like the author was talking directly to me. The topic really resonated, and I feel it will with most people (and all people, if they’re being honest). This is well-written, with a personal tone, like you’re chatting with a smart friend or an older sibling. It’s a powerful topic, and the author handles it well, with grace and love.
Jennie Allen is a Bible teacher, author, and visionary. The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe is her newest book.
(Galley courtesy of Nelson Books | Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)
Books Read in February: 10
Books Read for the Year: 20/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare, by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock (spiritual). I don’t think I’d read this before.
Love Does, by Bob Goff (re-read). Loved this. Again.
The Butcher’s Masquerade, by Matt Dinniman (audio). I kind of hate that I’m loving these audiobooks so much.
Tea & Alchemy, by Sharon Lynn Fisher (TBR). This was a decent read, nothing spectacular.
Dirty Work, by Devon Monk (TBR). I loved the ending of this series!
The Curious Secrets of Yesterday, by Namrata Patel (TBR). I enjoyed this, once the MC started thinking for herself.
For Review:
The Lies You Don’t Know You Believe, by Jenni Allen. This was a powerful read.
The Sun and the Starmaker, by Rachel Griffin. This felt like reading a fairy tale. I didn’t quite understand how the setting worked, but I enjoyed the read.
All In Her Hands, by Audrey Blake. Apparently I missed the second book in this series, so I’m going to have to go back and read that, because I loved the first book, and this one was also a solid read. I do love historical fiction.
The Primrose Murder Society, by Stacy Hackney. This was a cute read with a unique setting, and I enjoyed it.
Left Unfinished:
Voyage of the Damned, by Frances White. I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but…the MC was so childish and immature. No, thank you.
The Astral Library, by Kate Quinn. Alix got on my nerves a bit, but I was okay with that, until I hit about 35% and the author’s politics got to be too much. It was the “all men are evil and destroy everything” shtick that did it for me.
Weavingshaw, by Heba Al-Wasity. After starting this, I didn’t have time to read this for a couple of days…and I was NOT eager to get back to this. So if it’s not keeping my attention, why bother?
Where the Wildflowers Grow, by Terah Shelton Harris. I read 5% of this and always felt disconnected from the MC and bored.
The Wicked and the Damned, by Rebecca Robinson. I liked the first book in this trilogy quite a book, but the opening of this one dragged and meandered in circles, and I got bored.
The Fall of Iris Henley, by Jennifer Graham. I liked this at first, but then it was all social media drama and lies and teenagers being hateful, and I just don’t want to read about that.
A Good Animal, by Sara Maurer. The writing was great, but the pacing was too slow for me.
The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts, by Kim Fu. Save me from passive people who never do a thing for themselves. They just hide and let things happen to them, while being all woe-is-me-whatever-shall-I-do? I cannot. Eleanor got on my nerves about five minutes into this, but I forced myself to read 15% before throwing in the towel.
Lies We Tell About the Stars, by Susie Nadler. Celeste was a selfish brat, and I didn’t like her.
This week, I only wrote one book review, The Primrose Murder Society, by Stacy Hackney. I also wrote 1,000 words of fiction and outlined two scenes. It’s not a lot–but it’s better than I did all of last year.
Happy writing!
Title: All In Her Hands
Author: Audrey Blake
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
One woman physician. A group of talented midwives. A deadly disease spreading.
1849. Dr. Nora Gibson is the only female surgeon in London. In all of England, even. After earning her medical degree and overcoming the prejudice of those who wished to see her fail, she’s finally earned her place at the Great Queen Street Hospital alongside her newlywed husband and her eccentric but ailing adoptive father, the great Dr. Horace Croft.
But peace is hard to come by as a physician, and for one like Nora, it’s almost impossible. When Nora takes up the fight to bring midwives into the medical field, her already fragile reputation comes under fire by colleagues and London society itself. And if the possibility of losing her rights to practice medicine wasn’t enough, a dangerous enemy has made itself known: the deadliest cholera epidemic in over a century. It’s a swift disease that wreaks havoc and tragedy across the city, especially amongst the working classes, and Nora will do anything she can to help. Soon, she finds herself on the frontlines of the disease, and as those around her begin to fall, she’ll have to find the strength to stand alone and maintain her greatest oath: to save lives. Whether she’ll make it through, though, is up to fate.
I read the first book in this series and somehow missed the second, so I was excited to read this. It did not disappoint. Parts of this were so hard to read—the extreme prejudice that Nora and the midwives were treated with by the doctors, society, and even her in-laws really infuriated me.
I love Nora herself, although her stubbornness bordered on self-harm in a couple of places. Her determination to help others and to bring respect to a group of women devoid of it was inspiring, and I really enjoyed this read.
Audrey Blake is the pen name for Jaima Fixsen and Regina Sirois. All in Her Hands is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)
I wrote about 1k on the fiction project. Work was very challenging this week, and I actually DNFed four books this week. I’m not sure if it’s because my reading time is limited so it has to be really solid to grab my attention, or the books I’ve been picking up lately are just that meh, but that’s 15 books I’ve DNFed so far this year.
The ones this week were A Good Animal, by Sara Mauerer (I couldn’t take the leisurely pace.), The Fall of Iris Henley, by Jennifer Graham (I made it about 35% through when the social media toxicity and everyone being nasty started, and I just couldn’t.), The Wicked and the Damned, by Rebecca Robinson (I really liked the first book in this series, but I just couldn’t make myself care here.), and The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts, by Kim Fu (I cannot stand passive, woe-is-me people, so, NO.).
Happy writing! (And reading, for that matter.)
Title: The Sun and the Starmaker
Author: Rachel Griffin
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 4.2
Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.
Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.
The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.
I found this to be a unique and enjoyable read! I loved how the myth was just part of the story, and it felt very believable, not shoehorned in like I’ve seen before. Aurora…I was on the fence about her. Sometimes he really got on my nerves with her wishy-washy and childish behavior, sometimes I really felt for her. I really like the Starmaker, though—and the immortal rabbit. This was a solid fantasy read!
Rachel Griffin is a bestselling author. The Sun and the Starmaker is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Fire in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 