Week 51 Review: Just Stab Me Now

From Goodreads:

A desperate mother. A dubious escort. And a deranged author who won't leave them alone.

Caroline Lindley is determined that her new romance novel will be her best one yet. Fantasy! Formal gowns! Fencing! And, of course, a twentysomething heroine to star in an enemies-to-lovers plot with all of Caroline's favourite tropes.

But Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst is a thirty-six-year-old widow with two children, her sole focus is facilitating a peace treaty between her adopted nation and her homeland, and she flatly refuses to take the correct approach to there being Only One Bed.

What's an author to do?

Based on her popular Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts series, Jill Bearup's debut novel brings us the best of worlds both meta and medieval-inspired. Terry Pratchett aficionados will enjoy the political intrigue paired with convivial, tongue-in-cheek satire. And then there's the slow-burn, fade-to-black romance too . . .

If you loved Stranger Than Fiction and The Princess Bride, you will soon find yourself cheering on enemies-to-BFFs Rosamund and Caroline as together they learn what it means to be the hero of your own story.

My Review:


Author: Jill Bearup
Read: December 20th, 2024 
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book and a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Sword Lady Books
Published: February 5th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

From Goodreads:

In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as "old maids" to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age—hardly worth a second glance. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus's heart—needs to hide his sister and her lover from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take the two women into their home. They know what it is like to have a powerful and overbearing brother. But Lord Evan's complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. But it is no easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.                    

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan's past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen's clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will the dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

My Review:


Author: Alison Goodman
Series: The Ill-Mannered Ladies #2
Read: December 20th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Historical Fiction 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley 
Expected Publication: May 6th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Legacy of Chaos

From Goodreads:

The legacy continues…

It's a gritty new world.

Three decades after the events of REAPER, the world is a different place. The secret is out. The existence of demons, vampires, shapeshifters, and angels has been revealed, and humans are struggling to adapt. Out of the chaos, The Aegis has risen to global power on the promise of containing or exterminating all underworlders, even if that means ushering in the End of Days.

Standing in their way is the next generation of warriors, the children of demons and angels and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

See how they become legends in their own right.

Legacy of Chaos

Stryke, son of Shade and Runa, grew up a happy, well-adjusted incubus alongside his four brothers. A supergenius, he took an interest in science and technology at an early age, with a dream of joining NASA…until a moment of carelessness resulted in the death of his little brother. Unable to forgive himself and desperate to prevent a similar tragedy from happening to others, he started up his own anti-demon tech company and sequestered himself behind its walls. Now he's a household name and one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

Cyan, a technomancer who works as a cybersecurity expert for DART, lost her best friend to a weapon designed by Stryke's company. She's hurt, angry, and wants revenge. So when an opportunity to work with Stryke on a project arises, she jumps at the chance to help DART and make Stryke's life miserable.

At first, Cyan and Stryke butt heads about everything. But she soon finds that deep down, he's desperately wounded and willing to sacrifice everything, including his family, to achieve his goals. Can she help him heal before he destroys himself—and everyone around him?

My Review:


Author: Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica Birthright #2
Read: December 20th, 2024 
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge Book!
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Published: December 3rd 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Overgrowth

From Goodreads:

Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has been willing to listen.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what's coming, and just refuse to listen?

My Review:


Author: Mira Grant 
Read: December 20th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Expected Publication: May 6th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Needy Little Things

From Goodreads:

In this debut speculative YA mystery, a Black teen with premonition-like powers must solve her friend's disappearance before she finds herself in the same danger.

Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. This isn't the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she's determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl.

Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja's disappearance. But when Sariyah's mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in.

My Review:


Author: Channelle Desamours
Read: December 20th, 2024
Source: NetGalley  
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: February 4th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: The Last Time We Were Us

From Goodreads:
A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend, and the small town lies that have kept them apart. Leah Konen's The Last Time We Were Us is perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Sara Zarr, and Gayle Forman.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are finally getting invited to all the best parties, and, with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Then Jason Sullivan comes back to town. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd . . . and before he attacked Innis's older brother and got sent away to juvie. All of Bonneville still thinks he's dangerous, but Liz finds it hard to believe what people say about her childhood friend. If word gets out she's seeing him, she could lose everything.

But what if there's more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out? Liz will have to decide if she can trust herself—and her heart—before it's too late.

My Review:


Author: Leah Konen
Read: December 19th, 2024
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded great and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: May 10th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Yes No Maybe So

From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he's behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let's face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie's a choke artist. There's no way he'd ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman's having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn't exactly glamorous, but maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely. 

My Review:


Authors: Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Read: December 19th, 2024
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love Becky Albertalli's writing, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: February 4th 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Reviews: Boy of Chaotic Making, Wizard of Most Wicked Ways

From Goodreads:

A boy like no other embarks on a transformative journey of magic and self-discovery in the next enchanting Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: I am interested in your dog.

It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.

But after two hundred years of being cursed to drift, Owein is determined to chart his own destiny. He’s ready to defy whatever chaos is coming. After all, Owein is the master of chaos, and with Merritt and Hulda’s love and magical support, he can overcome anything.

From Goodreads:

When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend him off, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves; one way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.

My Review:


Author: Charlie N. Holmberg 
Series: Whimbrel House #3, 4
Read: December 19th, 19th, 2024
Source: Ebook.bike, NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Books! 
Publisher: 47North
Published: February 13th 2024

Expected Publication: March 7th 2025

Boy of Chaotic Making:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Wizard of Most Wicked Ways: 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Dead Post Society

From Goodreads:

The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they've encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they'd decided to take a chance on a property where two murders have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property have been repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer had no use for the headmaster's house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining a mystery to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure's demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! I love this series, and a lot happened in the previous book in their personal lives, which carried over into this one. This mystery in this book, that happened so long ago, was interesting to investigate, since it happened before she was even born! I think this is the one that takes place over the longest period of time, which made sense given how long ago the crime happened. 

This is the first book where the main project isn't really connected to the mystery. Sure, it used to be the same plot, but the house flip is the headmaster house, and they're helping her uncle with the school for more ost the book instead of the headmaster's house, which is the focus of mystery. So that was interesting.

How it was solved was really interesting, with the slow gathering of what evidence might still remain after all this time, with interviews, and putting the pieces together! That ending was pretty shocking, but satisfying to read! 

Of course there's updates in their lives, with the birth of Buck's baby girl, and her and Collin being married, with questions about when they'd have a child of their own, but you know, they haven't been married for a year yet. At least not until the end of the book! That ending was so sweet! 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Diane Kelly! 

Author: Diane Kelly 
Series: A House-Flipper Mystery #7
Read: December 19th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Expected Publication: April 1st 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: The Crimes of Dorian Gray

From Goodreads:

This gripping fictional true crime podcast delves into the story of the enigmatic Dorian Gray, a vigilante who changed the world, rewriting history in the blood of her victims. Her targets were the titans of their era—billionaires, movie stars, politicians. Dorian said they had one thing in common: they had all committed crimes against women. They were rapists, abusers, master manipulators. Dorian left evidence of their heinous offenses with their bodies, and then she vanished without a trace.

To some, Dorian was a feminist icon, a #MeToo crusader who single-handedly rebalanced the scales of sexual power. To others, she was the worst terrorist of the 21st century. But who was the real Dorian Gray? A demon or an avenging angel? Was she even human? How did one woman manage to take down the most powerful men of her generation and win?

These and other burning questions echoed through the internet since Dorian's disappearance, until now. Speranza, a relentless young journalist, is determined to unravel the pure and simple truth on her podcast, The Crimes of Dorian Gray. Unfortunately for Speranza, the truth is seldom pure and never simple.

Written and directed by Arvind Ethan David and produced by Prodigal, The Crimes of Dorian Gray is a radical reinvention of Oscar Wilde's gothic masterpiece, exploring the question he asked 150 years ago: what does it mean for the powerful elite to live without consequences? What does it say about the society that allows them? Executive Produced by Milena Govich, Amanda K. Price, and Lexi Underwood, the show's extraordinary cast includes Lexi Underwood, Lara Pulver, Richard Schiff, and Neil Brown Jr., and an original song by ASCAP winning composer Erran Baron Cohen, performed by Olivier Award winner Lara Pulver.

My Review:


Author: Arvind Ethan David 
Read: December 19th, 2024  
Source: Audible 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a 2024 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Audible Originals 
Published: April 18th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: The Beasts We Bury

From Goodreads:

Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

Will he steal her heart or her chance at the throne?

Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella's father's reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he'll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she's been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he'll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he's falling for.

My Review:


Author: D.L. Taylor 

Series: The Broken Citadel #1

Read: December 19th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication: February 4th 2025 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Save Steve

From Goodreads:
Steve Stevenson is an asshole. That might not be a cool thing to say about someone with cancer, but it's true. Yeah, he throws legendary parties and is the most popular guy in school, but he also loves humiliating pranks, Cardi B, and doesn't recycle. Worst of all, he's dating Kaia—the girl of nice guy Cam's dreams.

But when a desperate Kaia asks Cam to help her raise money to pay for Steve's experimental treatment, Cam offers to organize the biggest, most viral fundraising campaign—SaveSteve.com. Maybe then Kaia will finally see Cam as the perfect, thoughtful, altruistic, good guy for her. But Steve's no fool. He's totally on to Cam's plan. And to stop him from stealing his girlfriend, he's going to do whatever it takes to make Cam's life as miserable as his own.

From Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant, comes a quirky, funny story about the pressures of who others expect you to be and what it really means to do the right thing.

My Review:


Authors: Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Read: December 18th, 2024
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and it's a Sophomore Challenge Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: September 1st 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars