Rating: 4 Stars! Genre: LGBT+/Contemporary YA/Mystery Thriller Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: eARC via NetGalley from Simon & Schuster Children's UK Gossip Girl but make it royal – a Black LGBTQ+ royal reimagining full of scandalous secrets, rollercoaster romances and one hell of a mystery. James has been a prince all of his life, and since he was born, he's been thrust into the spotlight as the first Black heir to the throne. But when his father unexpectedly dies, James is crowned king at seventeen. Now, the secrets he could keep as a prince with no real responsibility - namely, his sexuality and hidden relationship - are rocked as his life irrevocably changes. When his boyfriend suddenly goes missing, the royal secrets and scandals that only he knows start to leak online. And when it becomes clear that whoever is behind the messages isn't going to stop anytime soon, James begins to question everyone around him. TW: Death of a parent, forced coming out, racism, homophobia, terrorism. I honestly don't know where to even begin with this review. I just have so much I want to say and talk about but at the same time, know that I can't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it. So, I think the first thing I should say is, please go and read this book so that I can talk about it some more!!
The story starts with James, our protagonist. He's the teenage son of the King of England, and we meet him at the moment he finds out his father is dead and as the realisation hits that he is now the King. James is seventeen years old and very much not feeling up to the task of being King, or of facing the grief of losing his dad. His only solace comes from his very secret relationship with his boyfriend, but when he mysteriously disappears, James is left floundering and not knowing who he can put his trust in. James is an interesting character, and Benjamin Dean has done a fantastic job of making him utterly captivating from the very first page. Instantly James is a character I empathise with, who I connect with, and I want to see him succeed. One thing I had no idea of, from the blurb of The King is Dead, was how much of a mystery-thriller it would turn out to be. I was on the edge of my seat, trying my hardest to figure out who the 'big bad' was behind all the drama, but I just did not see those twists coming, and if there's one thing I love more than anything, it's a book that surprises me, and then keeps on doing it, and Benjamin Dean delivered this in spades. As more secrets and scandals come into the light, and as James has little time to deal with his own grief and his sudden plunge into the firing line, the author does a great job of conveying that feeling of barely keeping your head above water and sheer overwhelm, which only serves to make James more compelling. The thing that I was most conflicted about in this book, which ultimately led to my 4-star rating, was the ending...WHICH I CAN'T TALK ABOUT!!! 😬😬😬😬😬 Without giving anything away, it was an ending that shocked me because it was the first moment in the book where I really lost faith in James, our protagonist, and in some of the characters surrounding him. I also didn't particularly like how the romance element played out. BUT saying all of that, I can understand why the author chose that ending, and I did enjoy the fact that this book is a standalone with a clear ending that leaves just enough to your imagination. For me, this book felt like One of Us is Lying meets Red, White & Royal Blue, but British. It has the pacing and mystery of a really gripping thriller, with enough teen shenanigans and royal politics to inject just the right amount of humour and help juxtapose the darker themes of racism and homophobia. The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean comes out in the UK on 7th July 2022. Rating: 3.5 STARS Genre: YA/Paranormal/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Kingdom of the Wicked #1 How I got this book: Bought Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell that she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems… Review by Sophie.
TW: Murder, grief, self-harm (for spells), loss of a loved one, magical compulsion. “Whatever you do, you must never speak to the wicked. If you see them, hide. Once you’ve caught a demon princes’ attention, he’ll stop at nothing to claim you” I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading this beautiful book! We’re first introduced to Emilia and Vittoria – twins who are also witches, living in secret amongst humans. They’ve been told stories of The Wicked since they were young - a constant warning and reminder of the danger posed by Demons and the underworld. The girls live in Italy with their family and also work at their parent’s restaurant ‘Sea & Vine’. The food described in this book sounded delicious and literally had my mouth watering more than once! One-night, Vittoria is late for work at the restaurant, and Emilia is sadly the one who discovers her sisters mutilated body. I thought the author did an incredible job here of describing the grief of losing a loved one, and how truly consuming it is, the darkness and weight of it, especially when dealing with it alone. “Grief Carved me in half. And fury honed the pieces into a weapon”. Emilia sets out on a hate fuelled mission of revenge to find her sisters killer and deliver the justice they deserve. Unknowingly, she accidentally summons a demon prince. Wrath – the god of war himself, and together they agree to find the killer together. Now, I must say, I’ve never had whiplash from a book like I did this one. The Constant bickering and love/hate relationship going on here is unreal and truly comical in places. “I wanted to offer a twig of trust”. “You mean an olive branch”. “Same concept, Witch” Wrath was by far my favourite character, and I really wish we had even more of him the story, I found him totally compelling, wrapped in all his mystery and darkness. Emilia’s character as we progressed was kind of a downfall for me. There were times where I questioned why she did certain things, and she would lose it and completely flip out over the strangest of things, to the point where I almost found her too annoying. The plot was easily guessable – not something I’m normally good at doing, I just wish Emilia had figured it out sooner too. The ending was a completely horrifying cliffhanger, and I’m now at the point where I can’t stop thinking about it, or the need to start reading the sequel. There are a lot of unanswered questions in here which I’m hoping the second book will shed some light on, and also hoping that Emilia’s character is able to grow into the badass we all know she’s capable of being. The style of writing was easy to read and I jumped straight into the story. Most of the time I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. The mystery and suspense had me gripped from the off, and I loved the whole Demons, Witches and dark magic setting. I'll definitely be reading the sequel to find out what happens next when its released in October this year! “Magic is a living, breathing entity, it thrives on the energy you give it. Like all forces of nature, it is neither good nor bad – but it simply becomes based on the user’s intent. Feed it love and it blossoms and grows. Nourish it with hate and it will deliver hate back to you tenfold. I think this book is perfect for fans of The Underworld Saga – by Chani Lynn Feener. Rating: 4 STARS Genre: Romantic Comedy Standalone/Series: The Naughty Princess Club #3 How I got this book: ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley A struggling antiques collector finds herself falling in love with a millionaire playboy; but can she ever be a part of his world? Meet the Naughty Princess Club, a series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that brings readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that three women fall into once they decide to strut their stuff and bring on their own happily ever after. While her friends have broken free of their insecurities, Ariel Waters is struggling to come out of her shell. Her ex-husband took away her voice and her self-confidence, and Ariel is drowning under a sea of debt to afford the alimony she has to pay him. She refuses to ever fall for a man’s charms again, and is determined to make her own way. When her house and her beloved antiques are taken by the bank after too many missed payments, Ariel finds herself adrift until the infuriatingly charming Eric Sailor comes to her rescue. Although she can’t stand the millionaire playboy, Eric’s kindness and unconditional support reveal hidden depths and a love that Ariel never imagined she could find. But there are outside influences who will stop at nothing to keep them apart; can Ariel and Eric weather the storm and find a way to be together? First of all, just a quick note: This book can be read as a standalone but I really wouldn't recommend it. There's so much in this book that has been steadily built throughout the series that I'd highly recommend reading both At the Stroke of Midnight and In Bed with the Beast first.
This series of modern-day fairy tale re-tellings has been fantastic throughout with hysterical laughs, sweet, tender emotion, sizzling chemistry and 3 strong, powerful women who aren't willing to give up even when they're at rock bottom. I adored books 1 and 2 in this series, and Kiss the Girl was a great finale, even if it wasn't my favourite book of the series. As you can probably gather, this book is about Ariel and is a Little Mermaid re-telling (with a twist). Ariel is the loudest, most-opinionated and mouthy woman of the trio, but even she has struggles and insecurities that she keeps hidden behind her personality. In this book it's nice to see the other side of Ariel, the side she keeps hidden from everyone but Eric. There were plenty of sweet moments between these two characters and a lot of sexual chemistry. I loved the build-up, and how their relationship evolved over the course of the book. Kiss the Girl promises plenty of fun, and even though it's at times a little cheesy, it's a romantic read with a really positive feminist message running throughout. If you're looking for a very unconventional princess with a loud mouth and a blazing personality, a handsome prince, an evil b**** (oh, I meant witch!), strong friendships, several fish and even a hairless cat named Derek, this is the book for you! Rating: 3 STARS Genre: Women's Fiction/Spy/Crime Standalone/Series: Standalone How I got this book: ARC from Bonnier Zaffre via NetGalley Please note: This review does feature more quotes than usual but I've done my best to still keep it spoiler free! Every working mum has had to face it. The guilt-fuelled, anxiety-filled first day back in the office after maternity leave. But this working mum is one of a kind. Meet Alexis Tyler. An elite covert agent within Her Majesty's Secret Service. Her first project back is a high-stakes hit of global significance and the old boys network of government espionage is far from ready for the return of an operational mother. But woe betide anyone who ever tells Alexis Tyler 'you can't'. She will have it all. Or she'll die trying . . . And yes, she damn well will be home for bath time. Okay, so I don't typically read this genre, and that's probably reflected in my review. However, I'm always open to trying new things and when I spotted this title on NetGalley I loved the sound of it. I have a three-year-old little menace and whilst I'm sadly not a spy, the synopsis made me laugh and was still relatable. I love Lex, she's feisty, strong-willed and determined to prove herself in a very masculine world. I love her humour but I do feel that the comedy is specifically aimed at mums and so might not be relatable to a broader readership. "My enemies have got it wrong if they think that becoming a mother has made me weaker. I stare down at her as she holds my little finger. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her. Climb mountains. Fight tigers. Track down and kill every single fucker trying to tear us apart. I will show them all." I liked the initial plot idea but did find myself struggling with the pace a little and I was pushing myself to keep reading after 50%. It was the underlying story of motherhood and Lex's character that kept me going through some of the 'slower' plot moments, and is truly my favourite aspect of the book. The book is a very strong advocate for feminism as the author honestly portrays sexism in the workplace. It was eerie how familiar some of the lines from the male characters in the book felt from personal experience. "'Good. I just had to check. As you know. Hormones.' He twirled a finger round next to his head." I also really enjoyed some of the spy/mum crossover moments such as a scene featuring Lex talking about the strain having a baby can put on the parents' relationship.
"Once a full bottle of expressed milk slipped out of my hand. Upon seeing it pour all over the place I'd collapsed to the floor sobbing. Will's jovial, 'There's no use crying over spilt milk,' had me mentally loading an automatic machine gun and spraying him with bullets." "I may have every now and then thought about killing the father of my child but I never actually did it. Which had to count for something." Overall, I really enjoyed the twist on the traditional male-led spy novel and found the humour realistic and relatable. Recommended for lovers of crime fiction and any mum who needs a little reminder that she's amazing! "...a woman could do anything she put her mind to. And that a mother should never be written off. But put on a fucking pedestal." |
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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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