What a lovely historical romance with some whiff of Bridgerton!
If you love girly books, and I don’t mean that in a negative wayAudiobook Review
4 stars
What a lovely historical romance with some whiff of Bridgerton!
If you love girly books, and I don’t mean that in a negative way, this might be your next find!
Not only do we indeed have romance but Evelyn’s weapon being dressed in haute couture, we’ll have plenty of talk of fabrics. Silk, organza, gauze, in every colors like amber, silver blue, lustrous dark green… We’ll talk about corsets and petticoats, hats and hairstyle! It was a real delight and helped truly “see” the characters.
But The Siren of Sussex is not a superficial romance as you also have societal issues broached in that story.
Feminism for one as women could not talk about breeding horses nor having a contradictory opinion! Their sole prospect was to marry well to advance or save their family. That’s what is expected of Evelyne as her older sister fled with her lover, leaving her younger sisters to fend for themselves. And no nonsense, dutiful Evelyne is determined to make a good marriage to offer her sisters all they deserve.
Racism and social fight is another topic. Ahmad is half-Indian. Born in India and arrived in England at fifteen. He had to care for his younger cousin, Mira and served as bullyboy in a brothel for many years. Now he is working as a tailor and dreams of buying a shop to become a dress-maker. But being a foreigner and an attractive man at that means that many rich ladies feel entitled to his body. It was enlightening and disgusting to see how he had to stay silent if he wanted a future as dress maker! Even if he was a genius with clothes, when Evelyn and Ahmad dreamt of a future together, it seemed impossible due to her rank and his race.
Both characters are very lovable. Evelyne is a no nonsense kind of girl. She is also aware that she is no great beauty, or rather she thinks she isn’t, and her strategy to seduce a husband is carefully planned to exploit her best asset: her riding skills. She is also very protective and loyal to her family and friends. Evelyn has a generous heart. And she also is a very intelligent woman, determined to learn the true story about colonization and what it did to local people.
Ahmad is also a character you can’t help but love and admire. He respects women, all women and never complains about life being hard or unfair. Courageous, he works tirelessly to make a brighter future for his cousin and himself. Prideful, he won’t accept to debase himself in accepting advances from his rich clients. He was also very protective of Evelyn, a trait I truly admired.
If you love historical romance with very likeable characters, a “love conquers all” feel and Bridgerton vibes, this is for you! ...more
I had first read All the Dangerous Things, the second novel of Stacy Willingham. That book impressed me so much that I decided Audiobook Review
5 stars
I had first read All the Dangerous Things, the second novel of Stacy Willingham. That book impressed me so much that I decided to go back and read A Flicker in the Dark.
Knowing that this book was a first work makes me respect Stacy Willingham even more! You don’t have many flaws in the story even if I had guessed “who was doing it” and some major twist.s I guess reading more thrillers and crime, I become better at the guessing game.
But the use of Chloe as an unreliable narrator had me second guessing everything!
A Flicker in the Dark is a psychological thriller full of atmosphere and impending doom. After all, girls keep disappearing again so it’s a race against he clock to catch the copycat!
What’s a Flicker in the Dark about?
Chloe Davis, now thirty-two and a psychologist will be sent back into her past nightmare, to a time where girls kept disappearing and her dad was found guilty of their crime. She was twelve and her family exploded right after. Her dad in prison, her mother sinking into depression, she was left with her older brother Cooper. He was fifteen and she was twelve. Facing the hate of the town’s people, the insults after what her father did.
It took many years for Chloe to feel somewhat in control of her life again. Her career’s choice, psychology, has been motivated by what happened. Why does someone become a killer? And how does someone live with the idea that a family member is a monster?
But now she has a perfect fiancé and will marry in six weeks. She is back on track. Until girls begin to disappear again, in the same fashion as twenty years before. For Chloe, it’s hell again, especially as she tries to help the police but her past does not make her the most trustworthy person.
Slowly reverting back to using medicine to calm her anxiety, Chloe’s discoveries and findings won’t seem very reliable to the reader.
From the very beginning, we feel a tense and threatening presence lurking in the shadows, and that put me on edge instantly. If I had indeed guessed the killer correctly, this was still such a game of smoke and mirrors that I revised my theory a lot of time! Let’s also add that the characters were well fleshed-out, complex and the relationships were extremely realistic as well. Finally, the family drama hit just right in the face!
I warmly recommend that book if you love thriller/crime stories and the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker is an excellent choice! ...more
I was so happy when Hodderscape gave me access to that e-ARC on Netgalley because Only a Monster has been one of my favorite books from 2022! T5 stars
I was so happy when Hodderscape gave me access to that e-ARC on Netgalley because Only a Monster has been one of my favorite books from 2022! That was a formidable debut and I wanted to know what would happen to Joan, Nick, Aaron and the others “after”.
Warning: if you haven’t read “Only a Monster” but plan to read it, don’t read further as this review will certainly contain spoilers for the first book! What’s “Never a Hero” about?
Never a Hero is the sequel of “Only a Monster” and begins soon after we left Joan when she had “unmade” Nick. She is now somewhere on another timeline, a new timeline, where Nick is simply human and does not know Joan. Her family does not remember the past events either and I couldn’t help thinking that it must be excruciating for Joan to remember all these things while no one else did. She went through a lot and couldn’t even talk about it. Joan was sad and lonely yet happy to know that her family was alive.
I had no idea how Vanessa Len would twist the story, what trope she would choose but I must say that I was impressed once again! She succeeded in having us follow our favorite characters again, in a mad dash to escape people, again and save the world…again without any of it feeling like a wash out copy of the first book! We will discover more about that world, about Monsters power and history, delving deeper into concepts of timeline while also getting some short history lessons as we’ll be time traveling through London more than once!
Joan didn’t expect her actions to have consequences yet it did. She did her best to avoid Nick but the timeline does not intend to let them live apart. And in one dramatic turn of events they’ll be allied, running for their lives. Only Nick doesn’t remember anything, has no notion of what makes a monster travel in time. What will happen if he discovers the truth again?
And when Joan will be faced with Aaron, working for the “enemy”, that will hurt a lot too as he doesn’t remember their friendship either!
There is a lot of torn feelings and conflicted emotions in this sequel. From Joan but also Nick and Aaron. Joan is still “half”. Half Chinese and half British, half monster and half human. Whatever her choices, she’ll always be “with” one side and against the other side. That made her decisions very hard and more than once did I want to shout and urge her to make a different choice. That was equally frustrating and understandable.
Nick might now be a “simple” human, he still has all the qualities of a king of old. Noble, loyal, courageous and charismatic. Someone you’d follow in a heartbeat. And even if he does not remember Joan, both are still very drawn together, trying to protect the other at all cost.
And as for Aaaron, he still is the golden boy, beautiful beyond understanding and yet an outcast among monsters. We’ll learn more about his past and his family and honestly, I just wanted to hug him. The way he has been treated…broke my heart. We don’t have a “real” love triangle per se but even so, I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite.
Between kidnapping, evasion, mad dash through London of the past, gathering friends and amassing enemies, we follow Joan and her allies at a brisk pace, heart beating, conflicted emotions overflowing while they try to prevent a very bleak future to happen for humanity. I read that sequel in record time and … I need the next book as it ends on a huge cliffhanger!
I never saw the twists coming either so, bravo Mrs Len, you surprised and enthralled me once more! ...more
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas Henry
4,5 stars
The story is narrated by two women: Amanda and Pippa. Both alternating between “before” tNarrated by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas Henry
4,5 stars
The story is narrated by two women: Amanda and Pippa. Both alternating between “before” the death and “after” death occurred. It’s centered around the question of: “Do you really know your partner and what he is capable of?”.
All along, switching point of view and tense, we’ll learn more about who these characters are, what they are capable of, what their backstory was and finally, what really happened the night Amanda died falling from the cliff. Did she jump? Fall? Was she pushed?
On one hand, we are following Gabe and Pippa’s story. How they met, their high and very low too. How they became parents of two adorable little girls and…their connection to the dead woman. Gabe was someone prone to extremes. He felt everything tenfold. He could be the greatest husband and then hurt Pippa in the most abject way, yet being so remorseful that Pippa ended up forgiving him and reassuring him. Gabe was exhausting to live with.
On the other hand, we also follow Max and Amanda. How they met, how they married in a very sensible way. Max’s success story is ruthless. He was full of contradictions: fighting to prevent suicide yet eliminating all threats to his business. And Amanda was there for the ride, carefully protecting her heart as she didn’t want to make the same mistake as her mother.
Even if I guessed nearly all the numerous twists and reveals in that story, I had a good time listening to the audiobook.
The pace is steady, just right to fit the mood of the story. I loved many things: -the cute little girls; -Gabe being an amazing dad; -Pippa’s family, so devoted to her; -Max’s hurt that pushed that ruthless man to fund help for suicidal people; -Gabe’s dedication to help others, always; -Amanda and Pippa’s back stories -the tension slowly mounting.
That certainly won’t be my last book from that author! ...more
I think that book suffered from the "after" syndrom. It came after I had read an amazing book and I had a huge book hangover.
The writing was good, the I think that book suffered from the "after" syndrom. It came after I had read an amazing book and I had a huge book hangover.
The writing was good, the characters flawed and well fleshed out, the concept of saints giving powers to their descendents was original but it took me an extremely long time to appreciate the book because it was very depressing (war for years, ungifted citizens being exploited, loss of a parent etc)....more
“But I will not run. I wouldn't be standing here if I'd quit every time something seemed impoAudiobook review
ALL THE FREAKING STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!!!
“But I will not run. I wouldn't be standing here if I'd quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome. I will not die today.”
GAAAAAWWWWD!
I don’t know how I will write this review to explain how mind-blowingly good that book is!!! Expect a long review ahead #sorrynotsorry.
Just to give you an idea: the audiobook (narrated by the excellent Rebecca Soler) is 20 hours. I listened to it in four days! And I never speed up my audiobooks. I did all the chores and gardening possible, I went for long walks, I even went early to bed staying up late just.to.keep.listening! I have read Rebecca Yarros’s other books (romances) and I loved that author but with Fourth Wing she is on a whole other level! RESPECT!
That book is my best read of
In Fourth Wing, you’ll find many of my favorite tropes/elements!
1) An underdog/with chronic illness main character. As the synopsis is saying, Violet Sorrengail had prepared all her life to become a scribe and not a rider like her mom, brother and sister. And that’s because Violet suffers from chronic illness that has her bones breaking easily and her joints in constant pain! But, surprise, surprise, mommy dearest will make her enter the riders school! The brutal, bloody riders school! Where all the other kids prepared and trained for years when Violet has…not. That means that Violet has a huge disadvantage compared to others and she’ll have to work twice as hard just not to die! Lucky for her, she is also the smartest of the bunch and she has a huge heart.
2) A war academy to make dragon riders Basgiath War college is brutal and pitiless! Dragons don’t respect weakness and incinerate the weak. That means that Violet will have a huge target on her back and some of her classmates (total sickos) will want to eliminate her as she is seen as the weak link in the squad! “Your arm is shot, Sorrengail,” Tynan hisses, his face pale and sweaty. “I’m used to functioning in pain, asshole. Are you?” I raise the dagger in my right hand just to prove that I can despite the blood that runs down my arm and drips from the tip of my blade, saturating the wrap across my palm. My gaze drops meaningfully to his side.” The opening sees Violet who has to overcome the first ordeal: the parapet! As all aspiring riders, their first test is to enter the college! And you do that walking on a very narrow parapet, hundreds of feet above the ground and with blasts of wind! And of course, no wall or rail! You fall, you die. Every day of their education, students died. And their death was commanded to the god of death. But Violet having a big heart also means that Violet feels deeper than others and can be crushed by friends death. "People die, it's going to happen over and over again. It's the nature of what happens here. What makes you a rider is what you do after people die." See why such college is especially hard for her? That also means that we have lessons in dragon history, fight classes, agility tests (and again, you can fall to your death) and if you make it to that point, riding lessons. Where you can also die falling from your dragon. Needless to say that with her illness, Violet is in for a hell of a challenge! Honestly, my thoughts at the beginning were that Violet made me think of Spensa in Skyward. And that’s why I loved Violet so much! She may have a weak body but she has a will of iron! She is one of my favorite FMC EVER! I loved her confidence and her faith in her own abilities! She bet on her countless time, even when others told her she was weak and that she would die! That girl is BADASS!
3) Dragons The dragons in that story were incredible! Spectacular, lethal! They were so fierce and would incinerate any student who looked afraid of was deemed unworthy. "It seems.... cruel, but the first rule of living at Basgaith is never question a dragon. They tend to cremate anyone they find rude." If you love books where dragons are not just an accessory but a centerpiece, this is THE book for you! Also, that Presentation Day had me trembling for Violet and her friends! But when you bonded with your dragon, you had…. “Presentation Day is unlike any other. The air is ripe with possibilities, and possibly the stench of sulfur from a dragon who has been offended. Never look a red in the eye. Never back down from a green. If you show trepidation to a brown......well, just don't." -Colonel Kaori's Field Guide to Dragonkind.”
4) Magic There were all sorts of cool powers that the student were granted once bonded with their dragon. And no way to predict what your powers would be beforehand!
5) Rebels We learn that there was a past rebellion brutally quenched with all rebels killed and their kids forced to enter Basgiath to become rider. As we’ve stated that becoming a rider is very dangerous, it was akin to a death sentence for most.
6) Romance! It’s not a romance first kind of book. It’s a romance second kind of book. But it’s a slow burn, enemies to lovers kind of love story. With the love interest being intense, commanding and sexy as hell! And if you love your scenes sexy and spicy, you won’t be disappointed! Same if you don’t like books where sex is overcrowding the story. You have heat BUT as support to the main epic story.
7) Found family Despite everything her sister told her, Violet can’t help but help her classmates. She’ll always defend the weak. And that will lead her to find friends at the academy. A real second family. All the side characters were very well developed and gave a new depth to the story.
And of course, there is also betrayals and lies and big BIG twists!
I won’t detail more as it would go into spoiler territory.
Just know that Fourth Wing is an epic story of a girl whose death seemed nearly inevitable due to her illness but she’ll more than raise up to the challenge! Violet had my heart, my soul and my undivided attention! I feared, swooned, cheered, cried, …I went through every emotion possible! And ended up with a huge book hangover.
And with that big twist at the end, I NEED the second book NOW!
Do me a favor would you? READ THIS BOOK and you won’t regret it. ...more
Many thanks to Hodderscape for my gifted advanced reader copy through Netgalley! This has no influence on the honesty of this review.
5 stars
Oh My God Many thanks to Hodderscape for my gifted advanced reader copy through Netgalley! This has no influence on the honesty of this review.
5 stars
Oh My God ! That was a fun one with a prickly and sassy heroine!
When the synopsis depicts Lady Jing or Jing as “half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sassh0le”it’s exactly our heroine!
So we have Lady Jing, an immortal of soon to be hundred years and considered as a child not so long ago (the aging and adulting of immortals are different I guess). We learn early on that her mother “pawned” her to the king of Hell, Big Wang and she had the audacity to die soon after, leaving Jing in Hell. And Hell is what Jing will raise. As I wrote in my notes early on: “Jing is prickly, abrasive insolent and has anger management issues”. But honestly, as many sees her as a “mongrel” and treat her as an outcast, I guess she wants to give them a run for their money! She was all alone and so often humiliated. My heart hurt for her.
It’s too bad I can’t quote some parts of the book, as this is an ARC because there are priceless quips from Jing that had me snickering! Jing lives in Yin Shanghai, the Shanghai for deities and half demons, mirror of Yang Shanghai. The mortal Shanghai. And the king of Hell wants to establish a bank, hence enrolling the aid of a mortal specialized in finance: Mr Lee.
From the moment Jing will be charged to retrieve Mr Lee in a mad dash around Yin Shanghai because of a faulty talisman, she’ll describe the human as having “doe eyes”. He even reminds her of an overgrown puppy. What a pair these two will form in that’s story! She certainly was the grumpy to his sunshine! She was a little minx and loved ruffling Mr Lee’s feathers, leaving him all flustered! That was so good to read!
Accustomed to being lied to, being humiliated especially by her grandmother’s handmaiden , Jing didn’t know what to do with Mr Lee and his kindness. His sweetness was disarming.
And we’ll see that slowly but surely, Jing will mellow thanks to Mr Lee and other acquaintances that will prove being her friends, to Jing’s utter astonishment.
Jing’s growth was very interesting to witness but I also loved how the author mixed Chinese folklore and deities with the “modern” Shanghai from the 1930ies. It was clever to have Jing keeping her calm thanks to too see rolls and caramels, discover saxophone in a nightclub but also realize all the foreigners who wanted to claim Shanghai. Said deities were also very quirky characters, with a dragon loving to talk cryptically, bodyguards dead set on teaching Jing some decency since her childhood, the conniving Lady Soo… every character had his own personality and painted a very colorful and vivid story.
And of course, let’s not forget that I wanted to know if the plot against Big Wang would be stopped and the villains punished!
Jinx was an irreverent character and her story certainly entertained me a lot! ...more
“She was the next act of my play after the interlude that I’d seemed to be stuck in for years.”
5 stars
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Brittainy “She was the next act of my play after the interlude that I’d seemed to be stuck in for years.”
5 stars
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Brittainy C Cherry and this story reminded me of Loving Mr Daniel as we have a “nearly teacher”/student forbidden relationship. That book was a rollercoaster of emotions, that had me snickering at the banter one minute, swooning at the romance the next and then bawling my eyes out like a baby at how unfair life treated Milo!
When Milo met Starlet at a party, the goody two shoes Star will let loose with bad boy Milo as she had been betrayed by her boyfriend. The attraction is immediate! Milo was the dirty talking bad boy, offering mind blowing sex to Starlet. And even if it was only a one night stand and even if Milo postured as a confident womanizer, Starlet couldn’t help see something else. Something sad. “He was the most attractive person I’d ever seen, with eyes packed with such sorrow. I wondered if he knew that his eyes looked like that—so painfully sad.”
When they’ll meet again later, Starlet has been tasked with tutoring Milo who is struggling in high school! Star is in her last year of college and Milo is in high school… talk about the forbidden fruit.
But of course knowing Brittainy, we have other tropes than teacher/student romance.
That book is heavy with grief.
Starlet has lost her mother as a teen and Milo has lost his mother one year ago. She was his world and he is completely drowning in grief and depression. To complicate matters, his father has turned to drinking to forget his loss. Milo has no mother and an absent father.
It was hard reading about Milo’s despair. He is adrift. Numbing his sorrow in sex, alcohol and recreational drugs sometimes. I just wanted to hug Milo so hard! To tell him that everything would be ok in the end.
And that’s when Starlet will be his guiding light. This is also a beloved theme to Brittainy. How the woman can save a man. And she writes that trope to perfection!
We will see bad boy Milo bloom thanks to Starlet, feeling joy again, thinking about the future and wanting to finish high school. These two will be absolutely adorable together. “Before you, I was sleepwalking through the coldest winter of my life.”
But life is not finished throwing lemons to Milo and there is another big ordeal ahead, one that had me screaming! It was so unfair! “He was learning how to breathe again. How dare the world try to make him drown once more?”
I won’t say more about the story, just know that as usual with Brittainy, it’s full of heart and emotions. Switching between tears and smile, swooning for these adorable lovebirds , I crossed all my fingers and toe, hoping they get their HEA.
I also loved the humor in that book and the hint at Mr Daniel’s story : ““Sorry, but, uh…you slept with your student! I’m pretty sure I read a romance book about this.” She rubbed the side of her chin. “But don’t worry, it ended with babies and a happily ever after.” I giggled when I read that!
Honestly, Brittainy at her best!
“I believe we don’t need to live a perfect life to be happy. We only have to live a real one.” ...more
I would never have discovered that jewel of a book if I didn’t see it on Mogsy’s blog! And I am so gAudiobook review
5 stars
Narrator: Imani Jade Powers
I would never have discovered that jewel of a book if I didn’t see it on Mogsy’s blog! And I am so glad that I visited her that day because that book is an absolute treat! I couldn’t help thinking of Disney’s Rapunzel reading that book. Not because Elodie escapes a tower but because like Rapunzel, she takes her fate in her own hands and does not wait for the prince to save her.
I have seen mixed or bad reviews on Goodreads on that one and I guess it depends if you are the targeted audience or not. I am not a teenager but I still adore YA books and Disney movies. I guess that explains why I adored that story.
This is a clever twist of the classic fairytale where the prince is the villain and the princess is in a deadly predicament. Elodie will literally be thrown by the prince into the dragon’s lair without any weapon to defend herself! Said dragon has been alive undefeated for centuries. There was a bargain made with the people of Aurea and each year three princesses have to be sacrificed to the dragon. We don’t have the classic warrior princess that we see in many stories! Elodie was never trained in weaponry or hand to hand combat. With a sprained ankle, in a wedding gown complete with a tiara, she will truly have to use her wits and obstinate will to live if she hopes to survive. That made the story riveting and very refreshing!
Elodie is a character you can’t help but love. When we met her, we can see that she cares deeply for her people of Inophe. Her isle is poor and Elodie has a golden heart. That’s why she is ready to marry a prince she has never met: to insure her people’s future. She also has a deep connection with her younger sister, Flora that she raised since birth. That sisterhood warmed my heart all along Fortunately, Elodie is no meek flower. She was always climbing trees, racing horses, building houses to the utter despair of her mother in law who wants Elodie to be a “proper lady”. That tomboy upbringing and her games of designing mazes for her sister to solve will be Elodie’s greatest asset in this story! She might not be trained in war but she is far from powerless.
We will see all the ordeals she went through in the dragon’s lair, all the burns she got, twisted ankle, dislocated shoulder and more! Her pugnacity was remarkable truly! I was rooting for her all along, wondering how she was still standing after all she went through. This was brutal, desperate but Elodie was so determined!
Another thing absolutely incredible is the language of the dragon! Evelyn Skye explained how that invented language is fully functional and was created by her 13 years old daughter, linguist prodigy! If you are interested, we have tons of explanation, grammar etc at the end of the book. Congrats to the narrator for her pronunciation too!
And I absolutely adored the ending! How not only her intelligence but also her empathy will be crucial to Elodie’s salvation.
I have learned that this will become a movie or a show on Netflix and I can’t wait! ...more
The Ashes and the Star Cursed King begins right where the Serpent and the Wings of Night left us.
Don’t read further if you haven’t read the f4,5 stars
The Ashes and the Star Cursed King begins right where the Serpent and the Wings of Night left us.
Don’t read further if you haven’t read the first book and plan to do that else you’ll be spoiled.
Raihn is now king but his nobles don’t want an ex slave, a turned human for king. He will not only have to fight the Hiaj for the throne with the help of the Bloodborn vampires but dissent reigns inside his own people. And there also is the matter of shaking off the Bloodborn’s hold on his house… He might be the heir and a formidable warrior, seizing and keeping power is no picnic! Raihn also has to convince Oraya that he is on her side. That together they can create something worthy of their dreams, protecting humans and not only vampires.
Oraya had an incredible growth . From the human afraid to leave her rooms in the first book, always wearing leather and armor, she will now prowl with confidence castle halls and city street’s in nothing else than common clothes. If vampires were ravenous for her blood before, seeing her as prey, now with the mark of heir, they fear and admire her. And there is even a surprise to her growth but I won’t talk about it. Just know that it was so amazing and unexpected!
She is a real badass, saving big bad Raihn ‘s “behind” more than once. Ha! Talk about a half human saving the vampire warrior. And always protecting humans, craving the kill of predators.
We’ll also have pretty deep and complicated grief feelings in this book. Vincent is dead and Oraya discovered that he hid so many things from her. She doesn’t know who she is anymore. Vincent loved Oraya and yet he allowed his vampires to feast on living humans presented like offerings at banket tables. He saw human life as little worth, even if he always protected Oraya. She will feel rage against Vincent, betrayal, disgust and yet pain and love. “Vincent had ruined me. He had saved me. He had loved me. He had stifled me. He had manipulated me. He had made me everything that I was. Everything that I could be. Even the greatest parts of my power, the parts he never wanted me to find, were his. And now here I was, poring over every wound he gave me. And no matter how much they hurt, I never wanted them to heal, because they were his. And I missed him too much to hate him the way I wanted to.”
That made for a very realistic combo, one that I could believe in.
That story is packed with action, battles, betrayals, secrets and sacrifices. Oraya will have to reach for the stars, to take everything and go head first into battle to seize power. “Power hurts. It requires sacrifice. Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Climb the bars until you’re so high no one can catch you. I told you that once. I know because I did it, my daughter. I know.”
And of course, let’s not forget the love story. “Let me make you the queen that you are. Let me guard your body, your soul, your heart. Let me spend the rest of my fucking pathetic life at your mercy. If I need to die, then let me do it by your hand. Please.” Raihn was completely dedicated to Oraya, adoring her prickly side. If you love romance, you’ll be smitten with that book.
This was a very good romantasy, filled with vampires, competition, fight for a kingdom, secrets, battles and betrayals. There is never a dull moment! ...more
4 stars. First part was worth a 4,5 stars, the second part 2 stars (purely because I despised the character narrating that part) Audiobook mini review
4 stars. First part was worth a 4,5 stars, the second part 2 stars (purely because I despised the character narrating that part) and the last pert/ending was a 5 stars with all the twists and turns!
This is my second book by Freida Mc Faddan. The first being The Housemaid.
And in each book the author had her character make a choice that didn’t work with me. Or rather that I found hurtful and selfish. Hence I skimmed some parts in both books.
But now I know that it’s a very deliberate choice from the author and that what does not sit well with me in fact always serves a purpose and propels the story in a new direction. So, respect for the author, even if she makes me uncomfortable at some point in her stories.
As this is a mystery I will just sum the story up. Millie, our housemaid, needing a new job to pay college. As she has a criminal record, finding a job is not easy. So when Douglas Garrick asks her to clean for him and his wife, she readily agrees. But soon, Millie will realize that the door she can’t open hides Douglas’s wife and that he is abusing her. If there is one true thing about Millie it’s that she can NEVER let someone being abused without trying to save them. After all, that’s what landed her in jail for years.
So this will be us following Millie trying once more to help an abused woman.
We have a first part, told by Millie where we see that she not only will try to save Wendy but she also has a boyfriend, Brock, ready to marry her. Millie is constantly toying with him, standing him up when Brock was a really great guy in a “golden retriever” kind of way. Seeing Millie stringing him along had me FURIOUS!
The second part is told through someone else’s POV and that’s the part I refer to as very maddening to read because I despised that character!
And the third part is told through both POV, full of shocking twists and unexpected reveal. Brilliant really! I was on edge the whole time!
I can’t wait to read more about Millie’s adventures! ...more
All along while reading that story I couldn’t help but thinking of Gotham and I swear I hadn’t read the blurb before! B5 stars and read in one sitting!
All along while reading that story I couldn’t help but thinking of Gotham and I swear I hadn’t read the blurb before! But that gave me a real “Batman/Gotham” vibe with a city filled with monsters , a mayor election on the run and corruption everywhere, even among the police!
Imagine fearing to fall asleep because you nightmare could come to live and you could become you nightmare! A giant spider , a killer cockroach, an hybrid King Kong/dragon… anything! That’s Ness’s world for you.
And since her big sister morphed into a giant spider and ate her father alive, Ness is traumatized and fearing every nightmare! She has found refuge among the Friends of the Restful Soul, a questionable organization/cult because that’s the only place that makes her feel safe, resting in a closet!
But Ness is on the verge of losing her shelter, that’s why she must prove herself to her boss. And that’s the moment where everything will literally blow up for her. Ironically, she’ll escape death thanks to a nightmare boy.
And soon after, she realizes that killers are after her and she’d better discover who and why!
I loved that story! I found so refreshing that the main character was a literal coward! Yes Ness has been traumatized but the thing she excels at when confronted with danger is run, and run fast! That’s a nice change from all the fearless heroines!
I also really liked the universe, set in that corrupt Newham city, full of skyscrapers, dirty cops, sleazy mayors, monsters and so much more!
Of course, you don’t write a story with the main character alone! And the side characters were a real delight as well as the friendships! From her best friend Priya frosting at the mouth when seeing a dangerous nightmare, ready to kill it and prove herself worth of joining the Nightmare Defense association to the nightmare boy with a marshmallow heart and so sad that he has no friends anymore.
“I look at him, bathed in the moonlight, pacing forward, his green eyes sad, lost somewhere in the past, and I wish I could make myself less afraid. Because I think I’d actually like to be his friend.”
The pacing is just right, not too fast but not too slow either, with never a dull moment and everything meant to further the plot.
There is also an incredible character growth as Ness will have to overcome her fears when her life will be turned upside down.
That story was just a pure delight, even if it’s far from a genre I am used to read and I hope we’ll get a sequel! ...more
“She would take it. She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade.”
What an adventure!
Reading Song of Silver, Flame like Night remin5 stars
“She would take it. She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade.”
What an adventure!
Reading Song of Silver, Flame like Night reminded me of The Poppy War with its theme of white people invading China. They had their metal weapons (here viewed as metal magic for the purpose of the fantasy universe) and the traditional magic from Chinese masters, manipulating qi.
I truly had a grand time and I didn’t want to stop reading it.
At the beginning of the story Lan, our heroine, witnessed the invasion of her home and the death of her mother. We guess that her mom must have performed some kind of magic but we won’t know what before a long time.
Then the story switches to Lan, orphaned and working at a “teahouse” , a brothel really, just to see it invaded by the Elanthian once again. They are led by the winter magician who is dying to capture Lan and get “something” from her that her mother hid!
Lan will be saved by a mysterious handsome stranger Zen, who will lead her to the last school of magic in the empire.
I will stop here for the plot.
What I loved in that story:
-Lan. And Zen too. Both are survivors from massacres by the Elanthian. And it’s hard to go on living when everyone you loved is dead. “I know how it feels,” he said quietly. “I know how it feels to have everything taken from you. And I know how difficult it is…to continue to live.” Lan has a huge character growth. At the beginning of the story, she is feisty and irreverent. With a lot of spunk. And grumpy too ...more
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise (that we’ll call TMTSOTAL because that title is a mouthful to write) is a roadtrip Audiobook Review
5 stars
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise (that we’ll call TMTSOTAL because that title is a mouthful to write) is a roadtrip book with two mismatched characters: a 21 years old college dropout an 84 year old woman. It’s full of heart, joy and surprises. Tanner 21 and Louis 84 are thrown together because of Louise’s fall that has her unable to drive and because Tanner has nowhere else to live after one too many disputes with her mom. Tanner has now become the prime caretaker, oh sorry, driver ...more
Reading Maame reopened old wounds and felt sad, hopeful and cathartic at the same time.
I decided to listen to Maame after seeinAudiobook Review
5 stars
Reading Maame reopened old wounds and felt sad, hopeful and cathartic at the same time.
I decided to listen to Maame after seeing many readers boasting about the book. I had a vague idea about the plot but didn’t really know what to expect.
Right after finishing the book that made me alternatively annoyed, rolling my eyes and then slowly crying my heart out, I looked for Jessica George’s life experience. The tone in that book felt so authentic that I couldn’t help but think the author drew inspiration from her own life.
What’s Maame about?
Maame is about the impact of a nickname on your life. It’s about complicated family relationship and sense of duty. It’s about love for your kin. How it can weight you down or lift you up. And it’s about discovering life, all written in a conversational tone that leaves room for the reader to breathe.
In Maame, we follow 25 years old Maddie. She is a late bloomer as she has yet to experience many “first” in life. First real job, first boyfriend, living on her own, first night out… Maddie’s father has advanced Parkinson disease and she has been left the prime caretaker. Her mom is one year in Ghana, one year in London. Her big brother never answers before the second call and is always traveling. Being nicknamed “Maame” meaning wife or woman from a young age has pushed Maddie into the role of the responsible and dutiful daughter. The one caring and thinking for others. “We grow up fast. Not by force, but because we are needed.' 'I think sometimes we're needed for the wrong reasons.” She adores her dad and puts much care in helping him with his Parkinson but she can’t help resent her mom and brother for leaving her all that responsibility. She wants a life. She wants to feel light. Because Maddie feels so heavy. And sad.
That sadness is a living thing in this story. I wished for Maddie to find joy. But before becoming light again, she’ll have to go on a whole journey and take care of her mental health, acknowledging that after something dramatic happened that hurt her deeply, she might well face the new Maddie. “Thing is, you don't ever go back Maddie, to life before, and my advice is to accept that. To accept that you're not the same person you were (…) and you can't be again. Accept that your life is different now because of this monumental, irreversible change and that it's okay to feel guilty one day and indescribable happiness another. This is life now. This is how you live.”
I said that story has a conversational tone to it, like reading a journal, and I won’t lie: at the beginning I was feeling bored and annoyed. Maddie’s life for all her unfortunate predicament felt pretty boring to read about. But then, slowly, thanks to lots of room left for the reader to experience everything through Maddie’s eyes, I began falling for Maddie, realizing all the depth of that story.
If you have funny moments, like Maddie living her life thanks to Google’s advice on “When do you have sex for the first time?” , or “What is expected from a third date” etc you also have deep topics like : -culture representation and home. Where is your home? Is it defined by your roots and DNA or is it where you are born and live? I also really loved learning more about Ghana and its culture; -racism. Maddie is tired of being the only black woman at work, among friends. Tired of the misconception and expectations. “Everyone talks about the importance of standing out but never the benefits of fitting in.” -being a people pleaser and hating to disappoint others, even at the risk of missing out on your life; -grief. That made me google (in true Maddie’s fashion) Jessica George because that part resonated the most with me. And Jessica did a fantastic job explaining grief, how it affects people, how we have to go through it.
To conclude, I’d say that I began Maame bored and ended it with puffy eyes and a smile.
Welcome to 1920ies Virgina were State laws were of low import and what was followed were the local laws passed by men like Duke Kincaid. People 5 stars
Welcome to 1920ies Virgina were State laws were of low import and what was followed were the local laws passed by men like Duke Kincaid. People are poor and survive paying their rent in “whisky” or rather, moonshine to wealthy Duke Kincaid. Prohibition you said? Oh well, that law was voted by greedy politicians, far away from the small people. The sheriff is Duke’s brother in law so if the Duke is getting paid in moonshine, no one will make a fuss.
Enters Sallie Kincaid, the Duke’s second daughter from a second marriage. She was a little girl when she was cast out, sent to live in a poor house with her aunt Faye because of an honest mistake that nearly cost her baby half-brother’s life. It was just the occasion for her mother in law to get rid of that rambunctious daughter who reminded her of the previous Missis Kincaid.
Sallie will grow up being a strongheaded girl, with a big heart and a spine of steel.
Once her mother in law died, Sallie has been called back to the big house to help raise her brother. But reclaiming her place is not easy as many hope to get some crumbs of power wielded by the Duke. And soon, he’ll come back with yet another bride, threatening Sallie’s place and use.
That book read like a family saga, full of secrets and hidden children, cast out women once they have no longer any use to powerful men. Jannette Walls sure knows how to write complicated grey characters and familial dysfunction! The social injustice is also very present in that story, be it that of the persecution of people of color or the vulnerability of women in society. They were at the mercy of their father and then, their husband. And the Duke certainly was a prime example of that unfairness.
When Sallie was threatened once again in her “use” to the Duke, she offered to collect the rents from his tenants, driving the whole day and bartering with poor people. And later on, when time was dire, she became a ruthless rhum runner and bootlegger. Sallie had all my love and admiration! I was in awe of her resilience, her determination to survive and thrive. She certainly forged a path for women, refusing to be less than the men, earning their respect and loyalty.
For two days, Janette Walls made me live in rural America of the bootleggers, where tough times needed tough people like Sallie and where you took care of your family and your people the best you could, even if you had to skirt the law and fully live in morally grey territory.
This was an excellent historical fiction and I know that I’ll read other books by that author. ...more
I disliked this book profoundly. Except the ending.
And as ratings are meant to reflect our like or dislike, I chose two stars.
The writing is be2 stars
I disliked this book profoundly. Except the ending.
And as ratings are meant to reflect our like or dislike, I chose two stars.
The writing is beautiful, Roshani knows her craft that’s undeniable. It’s certainly gothic as the synopsis said and I adored Roshani’s other books and yet… I was feeling nauseated while reading that story. Ironically, that also means that Roshani did a very good job at weaving that dark tale. But this is a terrible tale and I am not a fan of terrible tales, rather I am a fan of fairytales.
I also need to love the main characters to like a book and I despised Indigo. She was manipulative, possessive, entitled and a real bully. She was cold, haughty and the more she grew up, the more strange and violent she felt.
I didn’t like how she went to play with Azure to play Azure. She betrayed her best friend in the most horrific way.
As far as Azure is concerned, she was the most likeable of the two, even if I had a hard time comprehending how she could believe in such games for such a long time.
I also didn’t feel any love in the romantic sense between the bridegroom and Indigo. Their encounter was more carnal than anything but by playing all sorts of games and fantasies, never connecting on an honest and profound level, I couldn’t believe they loved each other, even if they claimed their love. Roshani didn’t convinced me. I needed more proof than that.
The atmosphere is a real success at being gothic, weighty and oppressive with the tension slowly rising. Yet it just succeeded to oppress me but never seduce me.
I also saw the plot twist for a long time.
Should you avoid this book?
Certainly not if you don’t need to love your main character as I do. As I stated above, Roshani knows her art and has written a solid atmospheric and terrible story. It just wasn’t for me. I much prefer seeing the playful side of Roshani Chokshi with the great banter she graced her YA books with. That proves once more that reading is certainly a personal experience and what so many justly adored in that story simply put me off....more
Quelle aventure ! A la fois fascinante et glaçante.
The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond FRENCH REVIEW!
Chronique pour les éditions FIBS.
4,5 étoiles
Quelle aventure ! A la fois fascinante et glaçante.
The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond nous transporte dans le Sacramento du XIXème siècle, à une époque où le mouvement spiritualiste faisait rage mais aussi, où les femmes n’avaient aucun droit et étaient à la merci de leur père, frère ou mari.
En marge de l’aventure dans laquelle Edie et Violet vont être embarquée, j’étais fascinée et horrifiée à la fois de découvrir la condition de la femme à cette époque. Nous oublions vraiment le chemin parcouru ! Non seulement le droit de vote dont nous disposons maintenant était hors limite des femmes mais en plus, le moindre prétexte fallacieux permettait aux hommes de faire enfermer leur épouse ou fille à l’asile « pour leur propre bien » ! C’est absolument horrifiant ! D’autant plus que les méthodes prônées à l’époque pour « traiter » ces pauvres femmes étaient des plus farfelues et dangereuses ! Ces faits dont l’autrice nous parle abondamment dans le livre contribuent à installer le suspense.
En effet, Violet et Edie, deux sœurs jumelles et nos héroïnes, ont échappé à l’asile auquel leur père les destinait à la mort de leur mère. A présent en fuite, les deux jeunes-fille de presque dix-huit ans tentent de survivre en ayant rejoint une troupe de femmes organisant des séances de spiritisme. Si la plupart de ces femmes prétendent avoir le don de parler aux esprits, ce n’est pas le cas de Violet et Edie.
Violet peut réellement contacter des esprits et Edie peut traverser « le voile », l’endroit dans lequel les esprits résident un certain temps avant de rejoindre l’au-delà.
Raconté du point de vue de Edie, nous comprenons vite que celle-ci se sent responsable de la mort de sa mère qui était occupée à essayer de faire traverse un esprit dans l’au-delà lorsque Edie est intervenue. L’esprit en question est entré dans le monde du vivant et toute l’intrigue va être de le retrouver pour le neutraliser avant qu’il ne dévore d’autres âmes.
Alors que de jeunes femmes disparaissent mystérieusement et qu’un journaliste fouineur ne lâche pas Edie d’une semelle, le temps est compté pour nos deux sœurs.
Mélange de fiction historique et fantasy, soutenue par deux héroïnes déterminées et sur un fond de menace permanente, cette histoire m’a complètement captivé.
Je la recommande vivement à tous les amateurs de fantasy/thriller....more
That story has been recommended by a friend (Vladi) who has the same taste as I do in stories and audiobooks. What Bite size audiobook review
4,5 stars
That story has been recommended by a friend (Vladi) who has the same taste as I do in stories and audiobooks. What sold the story to me was the narrator Sarah Zimmerman who has become a recent favorite!
And I am glad that I listened to that story as I learned new facts about WWII! I am a huge fan of historical fiction happening during WWII and what I love most is learning about new historical facts. That’s why I love authors like Ruta Sepetys and Kate Quinn as they always choose less known facts to build their stories upon.
That was Soraya M. Lane’s choice too as I had no idea that the women had such crucial role piloting Spitfires and big bombers during WWII, ferrying these planes from the factory to where the pilots were settled, enabling them to go fight the nazis!
We will follow three main characters, the flamboyant, brash and bold American Lizzie; the petite, discreet but terribly talented English Ruby and the solid, responsible and very dedicated May.
All these women will give their best to contribute to the war effort, using their ability to fly but they will all deal with numerous obstacles linked to their gender! The men were so not ready to concede their planes to women, until they had no more choices if they wanted to use their pilots to fight the Germans. Yet that will be done with a lower pay, no instruments to navigated the plane and no radio.
What all of these pilot women accomplished is even more awe inspiring then their male counterparts as they had only their instincts to fly these huge beasts, while the men had all the technology available to help them! And yet their casualty rate luckily was very low.
I loved following each of these women, each with very distinctive tempers but all highly loveable and easy to fall for. I loved that “band of sisters” atmosphere and all the historical facts interspersed in the story.
What a grand adventure! That left me with a huge book hangover and I don’t get these easily!
First, Id’ like to praise de narratAudiobook Review
6 stars
What a grand adventure! That left me with a huge book hangover and I don’t get these easily!
First, Id’ like to praise de narrators! Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal did a splendid job to bring larger than life and roguish Amina Al Sirafi (and her scribe) to life!
Choosing a forty something heroine to live an epic adventure at sea was as brilliant as it was refreshing as we usually have younger females in the leading role. And as a woman of over fifty I found it just perfect! Amina may be retired and has eyes for her daughter Marjana only, she can’t resist when presented with one last adventure: retrieving the daughter of a former crew member who has been kidnapped. All that to earn a fortune. No more leaking roof for her.
But she has lent her beloved ship the Marawat to her former navigator so the first step would be retrieve her ship and her crew. That’s when we’ll meet Delilah the mistress of poison whose touch can literally be deadly and who has more than one trick in her bag. Once Delilah rejoined Amina’s side, they’ll have a new ordeal as her former navigator and his crew have just been thrown into prison and are soon to be killed. Of course for someone like Amina, it’s a walk in the park to free these men from their prison and make a daring escape by sea, threatening to capsize the military vessels trying to stop them in the lagoon!
And that sets the tone and brisk pace of the story.
With flamboyant escape, survival against all odds, the reappearance of old foes believed dead, sea monsters and more, we’ll follow the incredible adventures of Amina like we’d follow the legendary tales of Sinbad!
Amina is strong, fiercely protective of her crew, courageous and…has a bad knee after all these years. She is a Muslim, is sexually liberated and she is very ambitious,. Amina has always dreamt of becoming a legend even if now a mother she tries to take less rash decisions and stay more on the narrow side of things.
Her trusted friends add an amazing layer of camaraderie with some being grouchy, Delilah being cunning and smart as a fox and all that merry band of former pirates dashes from one adventure to the other in their quest to retrieve the “kidnapped” daughter.
Shannon Chakraborty has once more what an epic storyteller she is! She has woven a tale full of magic, adventures and served by the best larger than life mature heroine. I truly had an exceptional and jolly time listening to that fabulous audio and I recommend the story and the audio wholeheartedly! It will be one of my best reads of the year, I have no doubt! ...more
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