magic

Wished

By Sarah Ready

Coming October 1, 2024

(4 / 5)

Anna has been in love with Max since she first met him 3 years ago. The problem is that he doesn’t notice her at all, she’s just one of the hired people cleaning his house. When she makes a wish on an heirloom necklace, an unexpected turn of events ensues.

Wished is the 4th book in Sarah Ready’s Ghosted series. Since there’s very little references to the previous books, it could easily be read as a standalone, though there are some possible spoilers in the epilogue if you intend to eventually read the earlier books.

I thought this was an enjoyable read. It’s not surprising that we experience some insta-love along the way, given Anna’s love at first sight and then reality changing from a wish. There’s some pretty intense feelings involved that turns up the spice. I enjoyed some of the philosophical aspects that the book explores, such as the impact of changed realities, freedom of choice, and the things that make people happy. There was at least one aspect of the scenario that was never really explained, though given the magical/paranormal aspect the story is based on, that might be explanation enough for most people. This book definitely brings a rollercoaster of emotions.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles and NetGalley for the free review copy of Wished! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

By Ransom Riggs

Coming August 27, 2024

(4 / 5)

Seventeen-year-old Leopold “Larry” Berry is completely average. After losing his mother when he was twelve, Leopold became obsessed with a TV show he found on VHS with his mother’s things. But then he begins to see strange things from the world in the show, Sunder. Is he losing his mind, or does Sunder actually exist?

Sunderworld, Vol. I was my introduction to author Ransom Riggs, and I was impressed at how readable the book felt. I’m not the fastest reader, but I felt like I was flying through this one. Leopold, the main character, felt very relatable, and I enjoyed watching him gain confidence over the course of the book. Sunder, the magical world, introduces some bizarre experiences, though entering that world wasn’t as strange as I thought it might be. I enjoyed the sense of adventure and mystery this book brought, with a decent amount of action along the way. I did feel like the book ended somewhat abruptly, leaving most things that were going on unresolved. I still have so many questions! I think this was a strong start to a new series, and this first book left me anxious to find out what will happen next.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Dutton Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

August 7, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

This Will Be Fun

By E. B. Asher

Coming September 10, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Ten years ago, four heroes saved the realm, an event that is joyously celebrated by the Queendom… except for the heroes themselves. After losing their leader in the battle, the remaining three heroes split on bad terms. Now the queen is getting married, and the heroes must face each other again for the event.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It’s more character driven than plot driven, which wasn’t quite what I was expecting. For the first half, it felt like not a lot was happening, and there was a lot of eluding to past events without completely revealing what exactly happened (until around the 40% mark). Things did pick up a bit maybe around the halfway mark, but I wasn’t really feeling either of the romances. The magic in this world led to a lot of modern-world parallels – chain coffee shops, riding sharing, tabloids, social media, video streaming, etc. It made the story a bit quirky, though for me this magic almost felt a little too convenient at times. In the end, this book didn’t capture my interest as well as I thought it would, but I could see how others might really enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the free review copy of This Will Be Fun! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

July 26, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance 0

The Blood Traitor

The Prison Healer #3

By Lynette Noni

(4.5 / 5)

The Blood Traitor is the third book of the trilogy, The Prison Healer, and it didn’t disappoint. I really liked the sense of adventure this book had, exploring so much more of this fictional world than we did in the previous books. The different kinds of relationships that developed between characters were interesting and sometimes surprising. There was a good amount of action and drama, keeping me engaged and wanting to read to the end. After the previous books, I’d come to expect some interesting twists along the way, so there were some things I suspected before they were actually revealed, but I still managed to get surprised too. This was a worthy ending to a series that I really enjoyed reading and hope to read again in the future.

June 26, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

The Gilded Cage

The Prison Healer #2

By Lynette Noni

(4 / 5)

After how The Prison Healer ended, I went into the 2nd book of the series with the thought “I have a feeling this won’t end well.” Once again, we are following Kiva, joined by some familiar characters from the last book and some new ones as well. I definitely had some strong feelings and intuitions about some of the characters that turned out to be validated along the way. Kiva faces some tough decisions in this book, and honestly, I sometimes was cringing at her choices, even though it’s also what I was expecting. Over the course of the book, I made a lot of theories about reveals that might happen later in the story – some of those turned out to be right, some not quite, and a couple complete surprises along the way. The Gilded Cage was a book that thoroughly kept my interest, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next in the 3rd book!

June 23, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

The Prison Healer

By Lynette Noni

(4.5 / 5)

This one was a reread for me, and I think I may have liked it even more the second time around. Knowing how it ends, it was interesting to see all the clues that lead up to it from a new perspective. Here’s my original review from when I first read The Prison Healer a few years ago…

The Prison Healer is a young adult fantasy that follows the story of a teen, Kiva, who has been locked in a prison for 10 years. Written in the 3rd person, the book follows Kiva’s point of view, giving us a deep insight of her thoughts and memories while she serves as the prison’s healer. Through Kiva’s eyes, we meet an interesting cast of characters inside of the prison setting.

I overall enjoyed the book and the story it had to offer, with its immersive setting and characters that felt real. While it did feel a little slow at times, there was also plenty of excitement along the way. Kiva’s thoughts could be a little redundant at times, but overall, she is a likable and relatable character. And while some things don’t seem to quite make sense along the way, it comes together by the end (sometimes in an unexpected way). I’m glad I had the chance to read this book and am looking forward to the sequel to see what happens next!

I received a free review copy of the book. All opinions are completely my own.

June 21, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

Fated

By Sarah Ready

Coming July 16, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Fated is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series, though it takes place before the other books, so I think it could easily be read as a standalone. In this story, we follow Fiona, co-owner of her family’s famous watch company in Geneva. She has some abandonment issues and is afraid to fall in love. When she is gifted a family heirloom that will let her dream her desires, she is introduced to a different life on an island, with a husband that might be a chance for her to love.

I wanted to love this book… the premise was interesting, with beautiful settings and great descriptions. The pacing felt a bit slow for my taste, and I think I would have liked to see more of Fiona in the real world. The dream world definitely had more drama and complications than I was expecting. I think I felt a little uncomfortable with the premise of Fiona basically living the life of another person (Becca) in the dream world, who seemed to have different intentions when Fiona wasn’t there. Meanwhile Fiona is dating her friend, Max, in the real world while she falls for Aaron in the dream world. All that said, the end of the book really takes a turn that tugs at the heartstrings and kept me more invested in the story. I was happy about how it ended and like the hints toward the next book in the series.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles, Sarah Ready and NetGalley for the free review copy of Fated! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

May 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

It Started with a Book

By Camilla Isley

Coming July 5, 2024

(4 / 5)

After getting ghosted yet again, Leigh is fed up with dating. A mysterious romance book turns out to be the perfect escape, and her dreams bring her back to the fictional world and the gorgeous billionaire cowboy, Killian. But one morning, she wakes up to Killian physically there in her apartment. Is it too good to be true?

First off, I loved Leigh as a character, and I felt an extra special connection to her as a fellow avid reader, book reviewer, and woman in computer science. I went into this book knowing that I’d have to suspend reality a little bit, but I really enjoyed the interesting experience of “book character comes to life.” I liked the story within the story aspect and how it all became intertwined. This book hits on just about every romance trope you can imagine, but it doesn’t feel cheesy at all because the characters are actively pointing it out and joking about it. I loved watching Killian and Leigh adapt to their crazy situation. The romance is definitely a slow burn, but I think the character development along the way validates it. It was great to see Leigh gain a sense of trust and the ability to speak up. This was just an overall enjoyable, quick read from an author who doesn’t disappoint!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of It Started with a Book! The opinions in my review are completely my own.

May 15, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

The Husbands

By Holly Gramazio

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3 / 5)

Imagine coming home one night, where you live alone, only to be greeted by a strange man who turns out to be your husband. It’s a different reality, and with the mysterious husband come other small differences. When the husband goes into the attic, a different husband appears, with a different reality…

I wanted to love this book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I didn’t really feel a connection to Lauren, the main character, so I think that was a lot of it. The beginning of the book was a bit too impersonal for my taste, since I knew very little about Lauren and the husbands were rapidly changing. We do end up getting to know Lauren a lot better as the story progresses, but I just never felt a real connection. The premise was definitely a unique and interesting investigation into “what if,” with the paranormal twist of the magic attic, seeing how ending up with different spouses changed Lauren’s life in different ways. I think I was secretly hoping for something that was more comedic or romantic, so this book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It wasn’t a bad read, just not quite the right book for me.

Thank you to Doubleday Books | Doubleday and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Husbands. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 25, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Literary Fiction Women's Fiction 0

The Last Bloodcarver

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 19th!

After reading a 2nd time, I’ve decided to up my rating to (5 / 5).

In the city of Theumas, 18-year-old Nhika has been completely on her own for the past 6 years. She must hide the fact that she’s a heartsooth, with the ability to heal by direct touch, but also feared because the ability can be used to hurt or kill. Her people have essentially been wiped out, and she may just be the last of her kind. When she is captured and sold by black market “butchers,” she is introduced into a different part of society with its own dark secrets.

I really enjoyed reading The Last Bloodcarver, which is the first book in a duology. This book was written so well, it’s hard to believe that it’s the author’s debut novel! Nhika, the main character, was interesting and felt relatable. Her abilities as a heartsooth/bloodcarver were unique yet explained in a way that felt intuitive and understandable. I was easily pulled into this world, which has both a fantasy and technological feel to it. Bonus points for the map included at the beginning at the book, which helped visualize the city and how it was laid out. I really enjoyed the various side characters with their own stories and quirks. With a possible murder to solve, it gives this book a bit of a whodunit feel, and while some things were easy enough to guess, others came as a surprise. This is a book I would read again, and I definitely plan to read the 2nd book when it becomes available!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and BookishFirst for the free copy of The Last Bloodcarver! All opinions in my review are completely my own.