danimae1981

The Swan’s Daughter

A Possibly Doomed Love Story

by Roshani Chokshi

coming January 6, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

I’m sure this book has its audience, but honestly it wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt slow and took a long time to get to the part of the plot I was expecting. I did enjoy the world building and descriptive nature, and at first it had me feeling like I was reading a fairy tale. As I read more, though, I started to lose interest, and then I never really recovered from that. The author’s style felt verbose to me, and I think sometimes I got lost in the words and missed what they were actually trying to say. The romance in the book wasn’t really what I was expecting or hoping for either. In the end, the book had its moments that I enjoyed, but it wasn’t really for me.

The Kiss Bet

by Farrah Penn

Based on the graphic novel by Ingrid Ochoa

coming February 3, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I’ve read The Kiss Bet on WEBTOON, so it was really fun to read this novel based on the comic. It actually follows the comic pretty closely and had a very similar feel.

The book was a quick and easy read that I overall enjoyed. There’s a lot of high school drama so it might not be the right fit for readers looking for something more mature, but I think teens and fans of the web comic will enjoy it. At times Sara, the FMC, felt annoyingly impulsive and irresponsible, but I also couldn’t help but root for her. Most of the characters felt similar to their comic versions, though I think I liked Patrick more in this version, maybe because I was able to understand his viewpoint better.

This novel covers season one of the comic, so it does end on a cliffhanger. Hopefully there will be more novels to continue the story!

November 18, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

An Academic Affair

by Jodi McAlister

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of An Academic Affair! All opinions are completely my own.

An Academic Affair brings us to Australia, where we follow academics Jonah and Sadie. The two have been rivals for years, but a potential job opportunity leaves them considering the ultimate truce.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it very easy to read, making it hard to put down. Our main characters, Jonah and Sadie, both have some complex challenges in their personal lives that they are dealing with in addition to difficulty in finding full-time academic work. I thought both were relatable and I especially liked their dynamic together. While they have been fighting each other for years, I liked that they still seemed to respect each other. It was nice to see how much their ability to communicate and work together improved. While this book is primarily a love story, it also takes a hard look at academic careers and how difficult the industry can be. It was eye opening, and I was pretty shocked at how toxic the workplace was for our characters. Unfortunately I couldn’t really appreciate the numerous literature references throughout the book, but it didn’t really take away from the story for me. I think I would’ve like to see a bit more of the story before it ended, but maybe I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. That said, I feel like maybe this book will be the start of the series, since I picked up on some possible connections between side characters that I’d love to see more of.

November 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Never Seen the Stars

by Kate Korsh

(4 / 5)

Many thanks to Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I went into this book knowing it was going to pull at the heartstrings. How could it not when our main character, Hattie, has just lost her friend in a drowning accident and she’s struggling with the fact that she will eventually go blind, just like her dad. The first chapter starts with a funeral and feels very somber, though the mood does pick up as the book continues. The main characters took some warming up to… Hattie was pretty angsty and Mason struck me as a bit obnoxious, but then it also felt realistic for teenagers and gave room for the characters to grow. I was happy to see how much Hattie improved communicating with others and facing her grief. The book focused heavily on different kinds relationships between both peers and adults/teens, and I thought it was done in a positive way. I liked the representation of vision impairment and how people might react to going blind. When I found out that the author has retinitis pigmentosa herself, it made that part of the story feel even more authentic.

November 6, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Love 4 a Walk, Vol. 1

by Nuria Sanguino

coming November 4, 2025

(5 / 5)

Thank you to WEBTOON Unscrolled and NetGalley for the free review copy of this graphic novel! All opinions are completely my own.

I’ve actually read this comic on WEBTOON a couple times, so it’s nice to see it in a graphic novel format! I really like the art style, and I can’t help but love the characters, Pam and Tyler. They are both dog owners and you can just feel their love for dogs. It’s cute to see the dogs’ antics and how they bring Tyler and Pam together. There’s a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and while it’s a romance, it’s very slow burn. This volume ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves me wanting to continue reading.

November 4, 2025 by danimae1981 Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Romance 0

The House Saphir

by Marissa Meyer

coming November 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

Thank to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The House Saphir! All opinions are completely my own.

This book is a retelling of Bluebeard, which I honestly wasn’t at all familiar with. You don’t need any background knowledge to enjoy the story. From reading summaries I can definitely see the roots of this story, but it’s different enough that already being familiar with Bluebeard shouldn’t spoil anything.

I enjoyed this book and thought it did a good job giving a spooky and mysterious feel. Sometimes the first half felt a little slow, but it was fun to see how all the pieces started to fit together as we got farther into the story. I was making a bunch of my own theories along the way, some of which I got right. Other times I was caught completely off guard. The action really picked up toward the end, which kept me invested in the story and unable to put it down. I was happy with the way things progressed through the story and how it ended. I’m reminded why I enjoy this author’s work so much!

October 30, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Torchfire

The Torch Trilogy #2

by Moira Buffini

coming October 28, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Storytide, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Torchfire! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Torchfire continues the story from Songlight and is the 2nd book in a trilogy, so you’ll definitely want to read the first book before this one. I really enjoyed this book! It packs in the drama and felt very immersive. Sometimes things moved in unexpected directions or caught me by surprise. I was very invested in the story. We’re following six different points of view, which sounds like a lot but actually works really well. It’s interesting to view this world from different angles and see how it all intertwines. Sometimes it’s a while before we come back to a character, but I think it allows us to see what’s going on without feeling redundant or drawn out. The character relationships are complicated, and I like seeing how different characters react to their circumstances even if their choices are frustrating at times. This story is very much not over, leaving us at some cliffhangers when the book ends. I’ll be watching for the next book, because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

October 22, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Songlight

The Torch Trilogy #1

by Moira Buffini

(5 / 5)

Songlight tells the story of a futuristic dystopia in a post-apocalyptic world where society as we know it today has collapsed. It reminded me a lot of The Handmaid’s Tale but still felt different, especially with multiple characters having songlight, which is essentially a type of telepathy.

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The characters were in such desperate situations that I could really feel. There’s a lot of characters, including 5 different protagonists, but I was able to keep things straight well enough. I especially enjoyed seeing how our different protagonists’ stories were intertwined yet gave us very different perspectives on this world. The story really packs in the drama too. I can’t wait to read the next book!

October 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Xolo

by Donna Barba Higuera

illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

coming November 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Levine Querido and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of Xolo! All opinions are completely my own.

I went into the book with not much knowledge about Aztec mythology, so this was a fun way to learn about it. The artwork in the book looks Aztec-inspired, and I liked how colorful it was. The gods had their actual Aztec names, which I wasn’t very good at pronouncing some of them, but otherwise the story was easy to understand.

This book is retelling a story about Xolotl, one of the Aztec gods. Xolo was a relatable character. I think his story provides some valuable lessons, like how an outcast or perceived monster can actually be a hero. I also liked how it tied in to dogs and their special connection to humans.

I think this book would most appeal to children, probably in older grade school. The pictures keep it from feeling overwhelming while providing more substance than a picture book.

October 8, 2025 by danimae1981 Children's Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Middle Grade 0

Julia Song Is Undateable

by Susan Lee

coming October 28, 2025

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

Julia Song Is Undateable is a love story that follows Julia and Tae, two Korean Americans who grew up as neighbors. When Julia agrees to let her family set her up on three dates, she asks Tae to be her dating coach.

At first I was a little unsure about this book, but I became more invested the farther I got into the story. The book was very readable and kept my interest well. I liked the glimpse at Korean American culture. The book dives into mental health which was portrayed well and really gave the story meaning. There were plenty of lighthearted moments as well that helped balance the story. Both Julia and Tae were relatable characters and made a cute couple that I was rooting for. I loved watching how much they both grew and evolved over the course of the book.

October 6, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0