Tag: fiction

Book Review: Our Strange Duet, by Erin A. Craig

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Title: Our Strange Duet     
Author: Erin A. Craig 
Genre: Fantasy, YA      
Rating: 4 out of 5

She was never just the voice he shaped . . .

A rising soprano with a gift she is only just learning to embrace, Christine Daaé has moved through the glittering world of the Opera Populaire longing to find her purpose. Instead, she finds herself caught between two men who refuse to let her slip quietly into the chorus.

One is Raoul, her childhood friend turned devoted admirer, offering her a future filled with warmth, safety, and a love that feels like sunlight. The other is a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Opera House: The Phantom. His brilliance, obsession, and dangerous devotion to nurturing Christine’s talents ignites a dark and complicated passion in her heart.

As Christine’s star ascends, so does the tension between Raoul and the Phantom. She must decide who she is when the curtain falls—and what she’s willing to risk for the life she wants.

I’ve never read or seen The Phantom of the Opera, so I came to this read with basically zero knowledge of the original story. I’m not sure what to say. This was a very atmospheric read, dark and glittering at the same time. I liked Christine, although the hints of mental health issues were scattered throughout the narrative did seem pretty obvious to me. I loved reading the behind-the-scenes stuff of the opera itself, but Erik was pretty creepy to me. I don’t know. This was well-written, but it was pretty dark.

Erin A. Craig is a bestselling author. Our Strange Duet is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Best I Never Had, by Amy Buchanan

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Title: The Best I Never Had
Author: Amy Buchanan      
Genre: Romance      
Rating: 4 out of 5   

Thea Pappas has always been the storm in her own life—fiery and unpredictable—traits that led her and her younger sister, Addy, through a series of foster homes. But with Addy’s whirlwind engagement, Thea is determined to be the perfect maid of honor, even if she finds it odd that she hadn’t heard of the fiancé until the ring was on Addy’s finger. She believes she can survive a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a group of strangers without causing any trouble.

But upon arrival, Thea realizes these aren’t strangers. Among the familiar faces is Owen Hayes—the man who, three years ago, paid her to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. Now, he’s looking at her with the same panicked expression.

Owen’s life has always been about control—managing his mother’s matchmaking schemes, his family’s expectations, and the career path he never truly chose. Thea was his one rebellion, a beautiful lie that ended with a “heart-destroying” fake breakup. Now, with his younger brother’s wedding underway and his mother on the prowl, Owen begs Thea to reprise their roles. One week. Same fake breakup. No feelings.

But as old sparks reignite and the lines between pretense and reality blur, Thea and Owen will have to choose: carry on their greatest performance yet or admit the truth—that it was never fake at all.

The family issues in this story were over-the-top—like the Pappas family in general. I actually loved the family as a whole and how they showed up for each other was fantastic to see. Owen’s mother was pretty horrible, though. The layers of manipulation and emotional abuse that woman dished out made me want to scream.

Thea is like the embodiment of my inner voice: she blurts out the first thing that pops into her head, without even a half second’s pause for thought, but her feeling of being unworthy/less than is probably how a lot of us feel. And Owen is also entirely relatable. I loved seeing them grow out of their old selves and into their new, stronger selves together.

Amy Buchanan lives in Florida. The Best I Never Had is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review.)

The Gods Will Sing Our Song, by Autumn Krause

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Title: The Gods Will Sing Our Song
Author: Autumn Krause              
Genre: historical fiction, YA   
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

A divine favor can change everything.

1942. War rumbles across the world, gods stir in the wind, and two lives are set on a collision course that will change them forever.

Seventeen-year-old Ren Hamada has always been defined by his troubled past, while Violet Aratani has only ever worried about keeping her straight-A grades and helping her parents run their beloved print shop. The two have little in common beyond the old magic that thrums in their worn family relics—and the fact that they’re Japanese American in a country determined to cast them as the enemy.

Forced out of their homes and into ramshackle wooden barracks in the California desert by the US government, Ren and Violet collide. In a barbed wire world where everything they thought they knew is upside-down, the magnetic pull between them is the only thing that makes sense.

But there’s more than just desert dust swirling in the air. A god walks among them, his mortal form tethered to the camp, and only Violet and Ren hold the key to freeing him—an act that would earn them an immeasurable reward. Yet with tensions rising and their lives on the line, is even a divine favor powerful enough to save them?

I do love World War II-era historical fiction, but this dealt with something I haven’t read much about. Parts of it were horrifying and sad. Parts of it were inspiring, magical, and full of hope. I loved both Ren and Violet and found the mythology in the story fascinating. Even the secondary characters were vivid and had me emotionally attached. This is a solid read that I enjoyed very much.

Autumn Krause is from L.A. The Gods Will Sing Our Song is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Hawk & Sparrow, by Ayana Gray

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Title: Hawk & Sparrow
Author: Ayana Gray             
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of The Basalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.

While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking scene: the murdered body of a man she had spoken with just minutes before. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.

Max soon makes Vesper a tempting offer: Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one catch: In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.

Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met . . .

I thoroughly enjoyed the world this was set in (except for the lack of women’s rights). It felt like the 1920s, which is a favorite of mine. I actually found Vesper’s disdain for anyone in high society a bit off-putting:  not that she didn’t have some good points, but she was guilty of the exact same kind of prejudice she accused all of them of.

I enjoyed the mystery of trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind everything, and there were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. I loved the interactions between Max and Vesper and how they both influenced each other. This was a solid, engrossing read.

Ayana Gray is a bestselling author. Hawk & Sparrow is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Balzer + Bray in exchange for an honest review.)

    

Book Review: The Lion & the Deathless Dark, by Carissa Broadbent

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Title: The Lion & the Deathless Dark
Author: Carissa Broadbent            
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4 out of 5

Some blood tastes like vengeance. Some blood tastes like grief. Some blood tastes like nothing at all.

Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike – and she is still desperate for vengeance.

Her only chance at survival – and revenge – is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final to slay the gods themselves.

Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.

But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series/world, but I did not have trouble following. I liked Kyrene quite a bit: she was deeply flawed but still so determined to persevere. The mythology was a tiny bit confusing, since I came in late to the series, but I still found it interesting. And a bit horrifying, Still, this was a solid, engrossing read.

Carissa Broadbent lives in Rhode Island. The Lion and the Deathless Dark is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Tor Publishing Group | Bramble in exchange for an honest review.)

What I Read in August (2026)

Books Read in August: 12
Books Read for the Year:  108/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Alchemised, by SenLinYu (audio): This was a looong audio book. I still haven’t made up my mind about the book itself.
Maybe It’s Fate, by Heidi McLaughlin (TBR): This was a decent read. A little sad.
The Twelve, by Justin Cronin (TBR): i need to stop reading this author. his style just doesn’t work for me.
The Faith to Flourish, by Christine Cane (faith): Interesting read
Uncomplicate It, by Hosanna Wong (faith): This was a fantastic read! I’ve heard this author speak, and I love how her books are just as conversational.

For Review:

Fishbone Cinderella, by Elizabeth Lim. This was beautifully written, but…pretty sad.

The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. This was a fun, enjoyable read.

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz. This was a cute cozy fantasy read! (I only realized recently that was even a thing.) I enjoyed it and would happily read more in this world.

A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is the oddest setting I’ve ever read in my life, but the two main characters are fascinating.

The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen. This was not a period in history I’m particularly interested in, but I was engrossed in this story from the very beginning.

The Lion & the Deathless Dark, by Carissa Broadbent. Despite not having read any of the other books in this series, this was surprisingly easy to get into. An interesting story—and I’m interested to read more.

Just Because:
Seeing Beautiful Again, by Lysa TerKeurst. This was a great devotional!

Left Unfinished:

Pride Comes Before a Fall, by Virginia Heath. This MC just did not catch my interest at all. I usually like this author’s books, but this wasn’t working for me.
Spellcast, by Sophie Jordan. I thought the first book in this series was decent, but I’ve DNFed the other two, so I’m going to stop trying. I found this boring and didn’t really care about the MC.
The Tomorrow Tree, by Carolyn Brown. Yeah…I just couldn’t care about these people.
A Single Captive Spark, by Emberly Ash. This felt like it jumped around way too much.
Too Perfect to Die, by Juliana Goodman. The MC felt very flat, and all of the characters were one-dimensional.
I’ll Stop the World, by Lauren Thomas, Mindy Kaling: These characters got on my NERVES.
The Iron Hex, by Victoria S. Walsh. This felt very juvenile and surface-level, more like an outline than anything with depth.
Queen of Shadow, by P.C. Cast. I used to love this author’s work, but now…this felt like a juvenile telenovela.

Book Review: The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen    

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Title: The Women in White
Author: Sarah Pekkanen             
Genre: Mystery  
Rating: 4 out of 5

Extrasensory perception.

The Gift.

A Sixth Sense.

Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era – no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines – Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women – old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

On one hand, this was a great read. Not my usual historical fiction era, but I enjoyed it—except for the expectations and controlling of the men in the novel. That was absolutely infuriating. The writing was excellent, and I loved all the characters. The experiments in the story were horrifying to me, but believable. I loved how Riley came to figure out what was going on and apply the lessons from Betty’s past to her own life.

Sarah Pekkanen is a bestselling author. The Women in White is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett  
Genre: Fantasy, mystery
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.

The books in this series have the absolute weirdest setting I have ever read. Ever. And I’ve read a lot. But I find the two main characters—Ana and Din—to be fascinating. Each in their own right—not to mention their partnership. I felt like I had no idea what was going on the vast majority of the time, but I was eager to see what oddity revealed itself next. An excellent read—as long as you don’t mind the weird.

Robert Jackson Bennett is an award-winning author. A Trade of Blood is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #385

My life continues to be chaotic, so I only wrote one book review this week, Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz. I’m tired and completely out of energy, so it’s unlikely any fiction writing will happen this weekend, either.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz

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Title: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
Author: Emily Krempholtz             
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4 out of 5 

She traded curses for carnations. But old magic dies hard…

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlethwaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand witch, she’s ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison.

The quiet town of Dragon’s Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be…good. Even if her reputation – and her mildly homicidal, sentient houseplant – make that tricky.

Her vibrant bouquets soon charm the locals, but nothing she does seems to impress the grumpy (and infuriatingly gorgeous) Nathaniel Marsh, the alchemist she’s forced to share a greenhouse with.

But when a strange blight begins to rot the roots of Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together – through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings – to save the town.

And as old secrets start to surface, Violet can’t help but does a former villain like her truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

This was a nice cozy fantasy read. Was it high stakes? No. Did I ever feel like the characters were truly in danger? No. And you know what…that was actually kind of nice. There’s enough high-stakes imagery in the real world. I don’t always need it in my fiction. I enjoyed all the fantasy creatures, the myths, the magic…and the flowers. Violet was a great character, and I loved watching her grow and thrive. Definitely a sweet, fun read.

Emily Krempholtz is a bestselling author. Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Ace in exchange for an honest review.)