lgbtq representation

Any Trope but You

by Victoria Lavine

coming April 1, 2025

(4 / 5)

Margot is a romance author who was recently canceled after a personal file was leaked publicly. In hopes of saving her career, she goes to remote Alaska to write a book in a new genre.

Any Trope but You was a fun book to read. As the title suggests, it’s full of romance tropes. It might be a little ridiculous, but the fact that the characters are pointing it out makes it more comedic than cheesy. I really liked both main characters, Margot and Forrest. I thought Margot felt especially real with all her mishaps and really being out of her comfort zone. The relationship that develops brings on a decent amount of spice, so if that’s not your thing, you may want to give this one a pass. Plot-wise there wasn’t anything all that surprising along the way, but it wasn’t something I was expecting either. Bonus points for the great setting in the Alaskan wilderness! It made a nice wintertime read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Any Trope but You! All opinions are completely my own.

The Encanto’s Curse

The Encanto’s Daughter #2

By Melissa de la Cruz

Coming March 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

The Encanto’s Curse is the 2nd book in the The Encanto’s Daughter duology and takes place a few months after the first book left off. I found this story had a similar feel to the first one, though it had more romance involved. I’m not sure if I was completely a fan of the love triangle aspect, but it added a bit of mystery about how who she would end up with (though I had a pretty good idea of how that would go). I thought the ties to Filipino folklore were interesting, with the manananggal sounding downright terrifying. The book definitely didn’t lack in action and excitement, so it kept me engaged and interested in the story. I was happy with how this series ended and liked that there were some directions the plot went that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Encanto’s Curse! All opinions are completely my own and voluntary.

February 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

His Mortal Demise

The Last Bloodcarver #2

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 18, 2025

(5 / 5)

His Mortal Demise is the 2nd book in The Last Bloodcarver duology, and you definitely want to read these books in order. I’ll apologize in advance that my review will be a bit on the vague side, but I want to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book yet.

This book follows the perspectives of two different characters in different points in time. From the start we know that something miraculous has happened, and while one character tries to figure out what happened, we follow the other character through the months leading up to it. This all gave the story a mysterious feel, and it sometimes took directions that I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m not going to lie, there could be a very dark feel to this story at times, with grief, war, sacrifice, and questioning morals along the way. But there was also substantial character growth that was beautiful to watch. I’m glad that we were able to see many of the characters from the first book again and explore even more of this interesting fictional world. The last chunk of the book was especially packed with action and almost had a cinematic feel to it. And let’s not forget the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I experienced along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this duology, and I look forward to seeing more from author Vanessa Le in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of His Mortal Demise! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Break-Up Pact

By Emma Lord

(3.5 / 5)

June and Levi were close childhood friends who have had minimal contact for the past 10 years. Each has been in a long-term relationship that recently ended, quite publicly. When a photo starts circulating of the two of them, assuming they are dating each other, they decide to “fake date” to help draw business to June’s tea shop and make Levi’s fiancé jealous.

The Break-Up Pact was set in a small, tight-knit beach town where everyone seems to know each other. We follow several things that are going on beyond the main storyline… June’s tea shop struggling, Levi writing a book, June’s brother is getting married, and June’s friend Sana is trying to write an article worthy of being in a big magazine. There’s a bit of a sad undertone to the story due to June’s sister (and Levi’s friend) Annie passing away two years ago, and I think both characters are still processing the grief of her being gone. The main characters were overall likeable, though sometimes I found it a little frustrating how much June tended to push Levi away. Both characters have been living in situations that are more to fulfill the dreams of other people instead of themselves, so there was some good character development as June and Levi figured out what they actually wanted for themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Break-Up Pact! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Our Infinite Fates

By Laura Steven

Coming March 4, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

Our Infinite Fates had an interesting premise: two people, originally known as Evelyn and Arden, are fated to be reincarnated and find each other in every lifetime for hundreds of years, but each time one ends up killing the other before they turn 18. In present day Wales, Evelyn is determined to break the curse this time so she can save her ill sister.

From the beginning, I was drawn to the beautiful descriptions the book provided. Much of the story is set in the present day, but every couple chapters we visit a previous lifetime of Evelyn and Arden’s, gradually going farther back in time. It was interesting to see how their lives changed through different times, genders, and parts of the world yet other aspects of them stayed very similar. At times the book did feel a bit long and tedious – present-day Evelyn is repeatedly trying to understand why both of them must die before they turn 18, and while the past lives provide more variety, we know how it’s always going to end. Things do pick up a lot toward the end, and I was actually surprised how it all originated. As expected, this book had a lot of sad moments, though I was happy with the way it ended.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Our Infinite Fates! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

She Doesn’t Have a Clue

By Jenny Elder Moke

Coming January 21, 2025

(3 / 5)

She Doesn’t Have a Clue combines mystery and romance when an author, Kate, attends a wedding on a remote private island. Kate writes a mystery series, and when the mystery that she encounters parallels the plot of one of her books, she tries to channel her fictional character to solve it. Meanwhile, the groom at the wedding is Kate’s ex-fiancé, and her former friend/crush, Jake, is also in attendance.

The premise of this book seemed interesting, but unfortunately, it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I struggled with the beginning of the book, I think because we are meeting so many sketchy characters that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. The narrative would also occasionally switch to the book that Kate wrote, which threw me off even more. It was obvious from the start that Kate had history with Jake, but the references were vague, and I felt a bit out of the loop (it was eventually explained, but not until much later in the book). Things did get more interesting when Kate realized that one of the wedding guests was up to no good, and there’s a mystery to solve. I figured out the culprit about 70% of the way through, though it wasn’t super obvious, and I think other readers might be kept guessing for a while. In the end, the story kept my attention well enough, but I feel like I never really connected with Kate and the story was a bit too chaotic for my taste, so it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a free copy of She Doesn’t Have a Clue! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 27, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Romance 0

Ex Marks the Spot

By Gloria Chao

Coming December 31, 2024

(4.5 / 5)

It’s always been just Gemma and her mom, with no other family or connections to her heritage in Thailand. When she finds out that her grandfather has recently passed and left her a trail of clues that lead to Thailand and a possible inheritance, Gemma can’t pass up on the opportunity. But the only way to get there is to ask for help from her ex and biggest rival, Xander.

Ex Marks the Spot was one of those books that I just couldn’t put down and really enjoyed reading. At first I thought Gemma, our main character, felt a bit young and was a little petty in her rivalry against her ex, Xander, but it allowed for an incredible amount of character growth. I really enjoyed the treasure hunt feel of the story, with various puzzles presented along the way. I couldn’t fully appreciate all of them since I don’t know Mandarin, but since Gemma doesn’t either, it didn’t take away from the story at all. I loved all the vivid descriptions of landmarks and food in Thailand, and found myself looking up more information along the way since it all sounded so amazing. While there’s a romance that develops along the way, I think the themes of finding heritage, learning family history, the true meaning of family, learning to understand others, and figuring out who you are were the shining themes of the book. I also enjoyed the story within the story while Gemma learned about her grandfather’s past and the challenges he faced in life. After reading this book, I definitely want to read more by author Gloria Chao.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Viking Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Ex Marks the Spot! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

November 8, 2024 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction Young Adult 0

A Cruel Thirst

By Angela Montoya

Coming December 17, 2024

(4 / 5)

Lalo has been turned into a vampire, but he is determined to undo the curse and not lose his humanity. Carolina wants to hunt vampires with the rest of her family, but her parents would rather arrange a marriage and life of safety for her. Will the two be able to work together to rid the world of vampires?

I enjoyed reading A Cruel Thirst. It integrates a lot of common vampire lore while also providing explanations for its origins, stemming back to gods and the first vampire. I liked both of the main characters, with Lalo being rather dramatic and terrible at being a vampire while Carolina was strong, spirited, and independent. The relationship that develops between them had the right amount of push and pull to keep it believable and interesting. I thought the Latino background of the characters was enhanced with the use of Spanish words throughout the story, but in a way that someone who doesn’t know the language can still understand the meaning. Overall, I felt that this story was done really well, and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for the free review copy of A Cruel Thirst! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

October 13, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Heist Royale

Thieves’ Gambit #2

By Kayvion Lewis

Coming November 12, 2024

(4 / 5)

Heist Royale is the sequel to Thieves’ Gambit, taking place around 6 months after the events of the first book. It has the same fast pace and nonstop thrills that kept it interesting and exciting. I was happy to see the return of several characters from the first book while still meeting some new characters too. I did find that I didn’t love this book quite as much as the first one… I felt like a few parts of the book just didn’t seem to piece together like I thought they should. Plus, some of the reveals were things that I saw coming, so it just didn’t have the shock factor. By all means, Heist Royale was still a good read that I enjoyed, but maybe my expectations were a little too high going into this one.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Heist Royale! All opinions are completely my own.

October 7, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

If I Stopped Haunting You

by Colby Wilkens

Coming October 15, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Four months after rival authors Pen and Neil have a rather public fight that results in one throwing a book at the other, they find themselves on the same writer’s retreat in Scotland. With the castle they are staying at rumored to be haunted and feelings between them getting complicated, can they survive the whole week together?

If I Stopped Haunting You was an interesting combination of spicy romance with paranormal activity and some horror elements. The settings gave the story a creepy undertone that was fitting, and I enjoyed the detailed descriptions. The story begins with Pen acting a bit childish and impulsive, which doesn’t give the best first impression, but I ended up enjoying her character anyway. I liked that the book alternated between the points of view of both of the main characters, which helped me understand and like them both better. For the most part I liked the story, though it lost some momentum for me for maybe the last third of the book – characters seemed to make some illogical choices given the circumstances, and the ghost mystery was resolved in a way that left me a bit underwhelmed. A few things seemed to go unexplained too, though I can see how it adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Of note, I appreciated the insight into the experiences of Indigenous authors, an ongoing theme throughout the story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the free review copy of If I Stopped Haunting You! All opinions presented in my review are completely my own.

September 29, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0