Rating: 4 Stars Genre: Paranormal M/M Comedy Romance Series/Standalone: Medium Trouble #1 How I got this book: Bought via Audible Hiro Though I was born with the ability to see the dead, I struggled with it until my brother was killed and his ghost was left behind. Now, I’m determined to figure out who is responsible for his death… the problem is that Detective Maddox Booker, the one working the case, is a grumpy and stubborn man who wants nothing to do with me and definitely doesn’t believe in ghosts. It doesn’t help that I keep finding myself looking ridiculous in front of the detective, thanks to interfering ghosts who enjoy laughing at my expense. Still, the more I’m around Maddox, the more I realize that beneath that surly exterior is a kind and caring man who will do anything to help. Maddox When another man dies, I know we have a serial killer on our hands—the same murderer who has remained elusive for a year and a half. To add to my frustration, I keep running into Hiro at crime scenes only to hear him claim that he can talk to ghosts. The words of the dead could lead us to the serial killer and even tell us who is next, but ghosts? There’s no such thing as ghosts. Hiro is determined and charming, and no matter what I do, I can’t stop letting him get involved. He's definitely snagged my attention, but when he nearly winds up dead, I know he's getting closer to the truth—and if I don’t do something soon, he might be next. TW: Murder, attempted murder
Ever since listening to A Villain for Christmas by Alice Winters, narrated by Michael Lesley, I've been meaning to listen to more of this author's books. So, when Audible recommended Ghost of Lies, I was instantly intrigued. I seem to be on a bit of a paranormal kick just lately and a funny rom-com with a ghost-y twist sounded perfect. Ghost of Lies is narrated by Greg Boudreaux, who I don't think I've listened to before, though I can't be sure because he has an extensive catalogue, also narrating under the name Greg Tremblay. It was actually the narration that fully sold me on the book and I loved (almost) every moment of it. This book was so much fun! It starts with a really great scene where we meet both characters. Hiro is in the middle of a dangerous situation, which he seems to have a penchant for, as he tries to help a murder victim find peace. Then, in walks grumpy Maddox to "arrest" Hiro for tampering with yet another crime scene, and the fun ensues. The characters of Hiro and Maddox, and the supporting characters all have very distinct and different voices. I love how the narration really brought them all to life, and I particularly loved the sarcastic banter between all of the characters. The chemistry between the two main characters was sweet and sort of a grump meets cinnamon roll kind of trope. I liked how the relationship built in a bit of a slow burn but found the sex scenes a little more cringy than steamy. Honestly, there's only so many times I can hear the word 'cock' in the space of around 2-3 paragraphs 😅 The pacing was great and kept the story moving forward as I tried to guess who was behind the string of murders, and I enjoyed not being able to figure it out. I love it when a book surprises me...even though, in this case I felt it was a bit of an odd choice. I really enjoyed how the author blended the paranormal with reality, but overall I felt the humour was the strongest part of the story. It's a story that isn't meant to be taken seriously and is instead an over-the-top romp perfect for fans of A Villain for Christmas by Alice Winters and The Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Klune. Rating: 5 STARS! Genre: LGBTQ+/Contemporary/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention. How low will the candidates go to win? Buckle up for some serious shade, scandals and sleazy shenanigans. It isn't long before it's National Coming Out Day - for everyone's secrets! But when the group faces an expected threat - and a big opportunity - can the club members put politics aside and stand united? TW: Homophobia/Queerphobia/Transphobia, homophobic language, hate-fuelled violence.
Simon James Green does it again! It wouldn't be (almost) summer if Simon James Green wasn't releasing another LGBTQ+ YA novel for me to become obsessed with! Gay Club! is everything I've come to expect from an SJG novel - funny, witty, inclusive and quintessentially British. But where this book differs from those that came before is that it hits the nail on the head much, much harder. Barney Brown is certain he's going to be the next president of the LGBTQ+ club at school. After all, 2 out of 3 of the other members are his best friends, so surely it's in the bag? That is until his rival opens the vote to the whole school and suddenly there's politics, underhand shenanigans, and the school's golden boy causing trouble and ruffling Barney's feathers. "Here's my gay agenda: we're all voting for this, right? So let's make the whole school the gay club." Gay Club! has all of Simon James Green's classic humour and realistic British high-school antics that keep the plot fresh, fun and moving forward. Barney and his friends are diverse, relatable and leap off the page. They have great chemistry and it was impossible not to root for them. So much so that I devoured this whole book in just a day, desperate to find out what would happen next and how it all would end. One thing that felt very different in this book, compared to Simon's previous novels, was the queerphobia, which is an undercurrent throughout the novel. Simon tackles this head-on, in a no-nonsense way that was both really powerful and really difficult at times to read, but which goes to show exactly how resilient, strong and beautiful the LGBTQ+ community is as a whole. I love the messages in Gay Club! of standing up for what's right and being true to yourself and, as always, through Barney, Simon James Green has given us another sweet and entirely relatable main character that I'm pretty sure we can all see parts of ourselves in. I think Gay Club! is a fantastic book for everyone, whether you're gay, trans, bi, lesbian, questioning, straight - if you enjoy sweet, loveable characters, OTT British high-school drama, a little romance, and friends who're more like family, Gay Club! is the book for you! #VoteBarney "You don't have to come out to come in" Perfect for fans of Sex Education, Heartstopper, Jack of Hearts and Other Parts, and any of Simon's other YA books. Fans of Noah Can't Even should also look out for a familiar face popping up in Gay Club! Rating: 4.5 Stars Genre: YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source. Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways. Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him? TW: Grief, Mild Horror, Murder, Paranormal Fantasy
I didn't actually read the blurb for this book before I bought it. I read the first page, and from that moment I was hooked. "When he opens his hand, there is nothing left but a streak of ash and rot and a few white teeth, little bigger than seeds. He tips them out onto the wasted soil and wonders what will grow." Now, this could be me being an absolute wet lettuce, but I actually found this book really quite scary and creepy. I will admit that I don't read horror at all, and while I wouldn't categorise Gallant as horror per se, it did make me jump a couple of times. The tension in Gallant is palpable, so much so that I found myself holding my breath and quite literally on the edge of my certain at certain moments, and I adored the mystery and ominosity surrounding Olivia's parents, and Gallant and it's inhabitants. I found Olivia's character really compelling. She's strong-willed, independent and incredibly brave, even when she's afraid. Abandoned as an infant on the doorstep of an orphanage for girls, and without a voice, Olivia has to defend herself with her actions. She has such a loud presence and strong inner voice that I felt an instant connection with her. I don't think I've read a book containing, or at least not centring around, a non-verbal character before, and while I can't speak for how accurate the portrayal was, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Olivia and reading a story that was delivered more through visual language and imagery than through dialogue between characters. V.E. Schwab's writing pulled me into the story quickly, and I love the imagery she conjures with her words that sits so beautifully next to the illustrations by Manuel Sumberac. The book itself is incredibly visual with journal pages and ink drawings throughout, which really help bring the story to life. While dealing with bullies, in the form of other girls and the matrons, at the Merilance School for Girls, Olivia receives a letter from an unknown relative inviting her to Gallant, her home, something she's always craved but which her mother warned her to stay away from. Suddenly faced with her hostile cousin and ghouls lining the corridors, Olivia must discover whether this "home" is one worth fighting for when death comes knocking at the door. “Perhaps you are haunting me. What a comforting thought.” I think, for me, the big twist in Gallant was the ending, which I hadn't expected, even though I don't think any other ending would have worked. It's definitely a book that I adored, and V.E. Schwab is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers. Rating: 4.5 STARS! Genre: Adult Fantasy/LGBT Series/Standalone: The Nevernight Chronicle #2 How I got this book: Bought Assassin Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending Consul Scaeva and Cardinal Duomo, or avenging her familia. And after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself. When it’s announced that Scaeva and Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end them. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between loyalty and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world. If you're looking for a bloody spectacle of a book with more 'boobs and blood' (Jay Kristoff's words, not mine) than its prequel, you'll love Godsgrave. At the beginning of this book, we rejoin our heroin but not where I expected to. The first half of the book jumps between the present day and four mounts prior and leaves you doing a lot of guesswork as to what's going on and why. Mia is still on her quest for vengeance and blood and it leads her in new directions and to new, shocking revelations. What I love most about Mia is her 'couldn't care less' attitude and I think, in particular, the way that Jay Kristoff writes her sexuality (and her self-discovery) is really beautiful (not a word often used to describe this series) but the fact that when Mia recognises her sexuality and just accepts it, without a thought of what anyone will think, it's just perfect and personally, I want more bisexual heroines like this. I'd waited a while since finishing Nevernight to read Godsgrave (I wanted to read it closer to the Darkdawn release - more on that later) and I was so excited to get back to the characters that I'd grown to love in book one, but what I hadn't expected was so many amazing new characters that really made this book something special. I'm going to start with my absolute favourite new character Sidonius who is an absolute legend. I love him and his crass, no filtered mouth and personally, after reading this book I just want someone to be proud enough to call me a 'magnificent little bitch!' The author introduces several other characters; Maggot, Bryn and Byern, Wavewalker, Bladesinger, Furian, Arkades and Dona Leona - all fantastic (and terrible) in their own ways and fantastic additions to the cast. I loved each and every moment with these characters including the unexpected surprises they delivered at the end. Now, I have rated Godsgrave at 4.5 stars instead of 5 and that's simply because I enjoyed Nevernight more. Nevernight blew me away, I'd never really read anything like it and it both shocked and thrilled me. With Godsgrave there were certain parts, and please don't hate me for saying this, that felt a tad predictable and a few revelations that I'd already guessed back in book one and so, whilst the characters themselves deserve the full 5 stars, for me at least, the book itself didn't grab me quite as much as Nevernight but it was still an immersive, thrilling second book of the trilogy and I'm both excited and terrified of what's yet to come. A Conversation with Jay Kristoff in ManchesterLast night was the Manchester stop on Jay Kristoff's Darkdawn book tour and I was lucky enough to grab two tickets for my partner (also a huge Jay Kristoff fan) and I. Let me just say that the 1.5 hour drive to Manchester was not enjoyable in the slightest, neither is driving in central Manchester - why do pedestrians just walk in the middle of the road and where the hell are the road markings??? Anyway, after holding our breaths as we dodged pedestrians, trams and other vehicles, we finally made it to Deansgate Waterstones in time for the event. Listening to Jay Kristoff was a slightly surreal experience. I've read a few of his books (admittedly not that many); Nevernight, Godsgrave (which I finished at 1:30am the day of the event) and Illuminae (which is incredible) and I was almost nervous to meet him if that makes sense; you know what they say about meeting your heroes. But Jay was fantastic, he was incredibly funny, intelligent, kind and witty and hearing about his methodology (writing Godsgrave in Venice), his inspirations (Roman history/politics and Ludovico Einaudi) his funny anecdotes (like the time he almost died in Venice, and getting his wife to proofread his sex scenes) and gaining a little insight into the mind behind these incredible books was a fantastic experience and well-worth the wait, even if we sadly couldn't get any of our books signed due to the massive wait time (5 year old girls will wait for no one, even someone as talented as Jay Kristoff). Now I'm off to try and pry Darkdawn from the hands of my partner who stole it while I wasn't looking! Rating: 4 STARS In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison. Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace--someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding. Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything. I was so excited to receive an early, exclusive copy of this book in the June 'Rebels in Ballgowns' FairyLoot box. The book itself looks really beautiful, which is always a bonus!
This is one of those books that just gets better and better as you keep reading. When I first read the synopsis it gave me sort of Hunger Games vibes, and in terms of the sisterly bond and the island it definitely delivered. I love the characters in this book, the two sisters who are so different, and all of the fantastic females we meet along the way. Serina is by far my favourite character. For me, she's a stronger character than Nomi, her personality and conviction are what drive the book forward. The mystery, the deception, the shock, awe and terror, this book is full of it, and at it's core is an exceptionally strong feminist message, an uprising if you will, which you can gather before you even start reading, from the dedication itself... "For every woman who has been told to sit down and be quiet...and who has stood up anyway." I love that about this book. I love the power play, the gender roles, the pushing back against societal norms, and the realisation that you don't have to just accept the life you've been dealt and the choices that have been made for you. I did see pretty much all of the 'twists' coming but that wasn't actually a bad thing, because it was what I wanted. I wanted these certain things to happen, to throw the character's into new situations and to see how they'd react. Whilst this book does have smatterings of romance, I was mostly pleased with how it was handled. Particularly how the subject of consent was handled and demonstrated. Seriously, all men should be given this book so they can see how a man should behave when a woman says no i.e. by backing off and not being a complete a-hole!!! By the end of this book I just wanted more! The ending was amazing (truly my favourite part of the book) and it leaves the story in a perfect place to continue and I want it desperately! I NEED MORE!!! Overall, if you're looking for a strong, feminist story set in a rich world filled with greed and pain, where characters must do the unthinkable so that they can discover their true strength and purpose, this is definitely the book for you! Grace & Fury releases on July 31st, so look out for it and remember that you can click on the book cover image above to add to your Goodreads TBR! What do you think? Is this book on your TBR? |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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