May Wrap Up

Hey everyone! 😺

I thought it was time for me to start doing monthly wrap ups for all the books I’ve read for the month!
Mainly because I don’t always review everything I read, and some of my books get lost along the way.

Honestly, I put a lot of pressure on myself to review everything, and sometimes I need to remind myself to just stop.
This website is something I do for me, it’s my passion, my hobby, and I don’t have any expectations from it so why am I punishing myself when I don’t have time or it’s been so long since I’ve read the book I’m then forcing myself to read it again just to finish the review. It’s stupid. So monthly wrap ups seemed like the way to have the best of both. I get to blab about everything I’ve read without putting too much pressure on myself and you get to be inspired to add some more books to your own reading list. BAM! Two birds!

..Just so you know, I got through quite a few books this month as I was off work for over two weeks, so you’ll probably find over the next few months less books on my monthly compared to this. I’m happy to report that it’s brought me ahead of my goodreads reading challenge so it was a good month to start!

So, here we go! A list of all the books I’ve read this month from my personal best to worst with a small review to summarise!

1. A Curse so Dark and Lonely
2. A Touch of Darkness
3. Uprooted
4. Just The Way I Am
5. A Deal with the Elf King
6. A Palace of Lost Memories
7. The Secret Diamond Sisters
8. Voyage
9. The Beautiful
10. Stolen Goblin Bride
11. Love and Lockdown
12. Lights Out Boys #2

A Curse so Dark and Lonely

First book on my list this month has to be A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A beauty and the beast retelling that was so much more than the typical fairytale we’ve all come to love – me in particular as they are a guilty pleasure of mine.
It had all the right pieces; a prince who becomes a beast and a girl getting caught up in it, both trapped in an enchantment created by an evil sorceress that can only be undone with the power of love. So what happens when you know that love isn’t going to be the answer and it’s the last chance to break the enchantment on the kingdom that’s been suffering for so long? Help the people while you still can. This is exactly what they do and it was so empowering and unique that I don’t even want to put it in the same bracket as a fairytale retelling because it told a story of it’s own. The characters are relatable with their individual weaknesses, the plot will keep you on your toes as the curse counts down to zero, and the overall world building was absolutely fantastic as we go from modern day DC to a fairytale kingdom. I loved every part of this book and it hit my favourites list instantly. I honestly don’t feel the need to read the next part of the trilogy because I was content enough to have this as a standalone. Check it out! You’ll find the full review on my website here.

A Touch of Darkness

Second on my list, we have; A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

I’m having a real Hades and Persephone month, I can’t seem to get enough of their retellings. This one is a modern tale with greek gods still running the show as well as other beings and creatures wandering around that was perfectly accepted. The gods are praised by what they do for humanity and make their presence known around the city to be around people – such as in nightclubs, which is where our story begins. Hades runs a nightclub full of sin, gambling and a way to get lost in oneself. It’s also where you’ll have a chance to make a deal with the devil himself, there is always one who feels like they can beat Hades in a deal, but the risk is always the same – losing your soul to the underworld. When Persephone goes behind her mothers back and joins her best friend for the chance to see inside the nightclub, she had no idea she would find herself at a table with Hades himself, even worse, realises too late she made a deal that will tie her to the underworld for the next 6 months – if she fails, she’ll be trapped there forever.
I adored this book because the characters felt so relatable, I loved watching Persephone come to grips with her feelings about the god of death, and I was completely smitten with Hades as he fell in love with her and already made a place for her by his side before she really knew what was going on. Deal or no deal. It was magical, romantic and I can’t recommend it enough!

Uprooted

Third on my list, we have; Uprooted by Naomi Novik

A mix of rapunzel meets beauty and the beast in this wonderfully well written fantasy retelling. You either love it or you hate it and I absolutely loved it. Whilst I actually read this book a few months ago, it took me a while to write the review so I ended up re-reading most of it this month and so it hit my May list.
The story was fantastic and I could not put it down! Whilst I didn’t fall over head heels in love with the characters I still liked them a lot, and the plot of the story was so absorbing didn’t let it faze me and still hit 5 stars. It was beautiful, enchanting and dark in all the right places. The characters were well written, unpredictable and surrounded in mystery, the storyline was fantastic you never knew what was going to happen around each corner, and the overall scenic atmosphere was perfect whether the characters were in a small cosy village, in the tower, in the city or in the cursed wood, the world building was spot on. To sum up the plot, a wizard known as the Dragon choses one girl from the village next to the wood once every ten years before releasing her, only for her to never be the same after. When he comes to collect the next girl, Agnieszka is sure he’s going to take her best friend Kasia, so when he stands in front of her claiming his choice, everyone is just as shocked as her. She’s a nobody with no skills or talents, but the Dragon sees something more.
If you didn’t pick up on it – I loved this book!

Just The Way I Am

Next up! I give you; Just The Way I Am by Jo Watson

I felt I was reading too much fantasy lately – and then quickly realised my reading challenge is like.. 75% fantasy, so I decided I needed to change it up a little with some romcom. Jo Watson has already become one of my favourites with her book Love To Hate You and I was keen to explore more of her work.
This book hit me in all the right places. I was in love with this story and it had me in tears by the end, it was unpredictable in all the right places and complete predictable where it mattered. The story is centred around two main characters, and it’s enough. Whilst the additional characters have a heartwarming purpose, they don’t need more than a few pages to get the job done. The build up around the main character is where it’s at, and it will be everything you want for a woman rediscovering who she is after losing her memory and her childhood. It will make you laugh out loud, cringe, swoon and cry with an ending so perfectly full circle you’ll keep wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed going through the changes Zoe experiences with her second chance at life and I for one cannot recommend this book enough for someone looking for a sweet romcom to fill their evening. My full review can be found here.

A Deal with the Elf King

Next up; A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova

Yet another Hades and Persephone retelling, but this time it’s more subtle with an Elf King who manages the magical world and it’s barrier of the world of the dead, and a human girl born with elven powers that balances the natural world and the magical world with life. Both characters tied together to create a balance that has been diminishing for the last three thousand years. Luella will likely be the last Human Queen to sit on the magical throne that draws in the power of life to the magical world. The pull is too strong and her life force will be pulled from her the more she tries. When she comes up with a plan to destroy the magical treaty between worlds in order to save her and all future Human Queens, the Elf King makes a deal that if she can find a way to keep life in the magical world without the Human Queen’s magic before her coronation, she will be free to leave, if not, she will stay by his side for the rest of her life.
I loved this story, it felt so unique in its own way, the characters were great, the world building was brilliant, and the magical elements were really cool. The storyline felt rushed at times and you always felt you were one step behind the main character and her thought process, but I still enjoyed the plot. You can find my full review here.

A Palace of Lost Memories

The next book on my list; A Palace of Lost Memories by C.J. Archer

I’m becoming a big C.J. Archer fan after reading the Glass and Steele series and the Freak House series. She always has me wanting more of her historical fiction with her damsels being far from distress as they push against the limits of society. Each series has their own magical aspect that is wonderfully unique and brilliantly written. It didn’t surprise me to find me loving After The Rift series too.
A palace suddenly appears out of nowhere full of royalty and servants – non of them with any recollection of who they are or how they suddenly came to be near their quiet seaport village of Mull. Add a dash of romance and a murderer, it became a story I wanted more of.
Josie is the daughter of the village doctor, the best in the kingdom. She knows everything there is to know as his assistant, but can only take the role as midwife for her own since women can’t be doctors.
When she takes it upon herself to help one of the guards who was shot by an arrow from the mysterious palace that appeared out of nowhere three months ago, she finds herself getting caught up in the secrets of the palace and all those living there. With so many secrets going around, Josie teams up with the captain of the guard, Hammer, to uncover the truth.
Check out my full review here for more information!

The Secret Diamond Sisters

Next I give you, The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow

I actually came across this book from another book lover whilst browsing their reviews, the cover is different, I’m stuck with the UK kindle version, but I still like it. I watched a lot of Netflix during covid last year, a LOT of Netflix. I ended up watching a few seasons of Gossip Girl and whilst it isn’t usually my thing, I found it to be a nice distraction at the time. This book is basically Gossip Girl with the perspective of four teenage girls living the highlife in Vegas. Three poor extremely different sisters discovering their father is in fact a billionaire and find themselves struggling to fit into their new rich lifestyle whilst having the world judge them on every decision they make. One being a rich princess wannabe who quickly realises the sisters are here to stay and will do anything to push them out the way to stay in the spotlight.
15/16/17 years old, I couldn’t put too much hope in the main characters, they are childish, immature and whilst they’ve been living it rough their whole lives to give them an independent practical view of the world, it doesn’t take them very long to quickly get lost in the extravagant lifestyle in their own individual way – whether it was boys, shopping or forbidden romance. There was too much romance, too many guys, and too many changes they go through that the girls just seem to accept. I still liked it in a way. There is more to the story and their past than meets the eye and I’m keen to find out more. The full trilogy is available on Kindle Unlimited for those who have it

Voyage

Next up! Voyage by Camille Peters

I’ve read a couple of Peters’ now, standalone books but all part of The Kingdom Chronicles. Inspired fairytale retellings and such that are quick easy reads about romance and adventure. They are sweet and innocent and are all about building up the characters to better themselves rather than an evil villain messing everything up. The romance is sickeningly sweet and sometimes goes a bit overboard and overpowers the adventure, you’ll come to hate the words ‘I love you’ by the end of it. It’s a romance, we get it, but I can’t deny it’s charming and endearing that will give you the warm and fuzzies.
I really liked the adventure in this one, a lonely princess known for her cold temper who’s duty is to marry for an alliance to a prince she’s never met in a kingdom she’s never seen across the ocean. Captain Ronan is the first person who treats her like a normal person and refuses to go by her title, even though he’s already announced that he’s her intended Prince Ronan, she laughs it off as she can’t believe a Prince and a Captain could be one in the same. Instead of taking her to her new kingdom to form the alliance, they find themselves on an adventure following a magical map that will take them to a treasure island.
If you’re keen to discover more, I’ve found the chronicles are available on Kindle Unlimited, there are seven books total and each one with a lovely romantic story like this one full of adventure.

The Beautiful

Next up! The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Whilst I actually read this book a month ago, I didn’t review it up until now so it made my May cut, especially since I ended up reading most of it again anyway for my review. I tend to do that a lot. You’ll find the full review on my website here.
You could call this a vampire romance, but in honesty – there aren’t many vampires to begin with. The main female protagonist is human, the dark mysterious man in charge is human, and the group that surrounds him are what I’ve described as mystical beings, since they are a mix of the occult that are described as illusionists or mentalists with various skills that are also vampires – I think – since they drank the blood of a man on a rooftop once, but it isn’t made clear throughout the entire book. Even the murderer, who you get to delve into the mind of with his own perspective occasionally, isn’t clear who or what he is, just that he is undead, immortal and a demon who had power over other demons. It’s a confusing cocktail of historical fiction based in New Orleans in 1872, unclear fantasy, romance that lacks passion and mystery where we already have the answer. I still loved it though. It created a fantastic foundation to the story that I can imagine only gets better with book 2!

Stolen Goblin Bride

Almost there, hang tight! Next, I give you; Stolen Goblin Bride by Emma Hamm

This cute little book popped up on my goodreads recommendation and I was curious as to why it did. I didn’t expect the blurb to be so off from the story which was slightly irritating. Our main character Esther did not steal anything from a goblin, it was given to her freely as a gift from the sweet rat goblin Lux, although she made the mistake of giving him money for it thinking she would be cursed if she didn’t – not aware that it’s the other way around. Esther finds herself taken away from her sister Freya into the magical fae world, she would have put up more of a fight if it wasn’t for the fact that she saw it as a wish come true to live in the fae world and naively prepares herself for a new life filled with adventure. Even when she discovers she is in fact Lux’s bride as per the rules of the goblin curse, she’s pretty open to the idea. She’s completely full of innocent optimism this one.
It’s a sweet short story that is definitely more suited to being in the children’s section than young adult, what started off as a ‘kidnapping’ ends up being happily ever after with happy go lucky feelings all over it. Nothing goes wrong, decisions are from the heart, and true love is found from the unusual happenstance that brought them together. Our sweet Lux is NOT the guy you see on the front cover, he looks more to be the fae king described with his silver skin and dark long hair.. so no idea what happened there. This entire story is the prequel to the ‘Of Goblins Kings‘ series where we get to explore the fae world with Freya and her association to the goblin king when she comes to find her sister.

Love and Lockdown

Almost done! Next, Love in Lockdown by Alyce Caswell

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley for an honest review. I thought it was appropriate for my time in self isolation this month. It was cute and reminded me of home. A lovely light romance that will make you remember the good times and the bad from covid as well as feel grateful for finally seeing it from the other side. I’m looking at you UK! Japan is still in the middle of it and I can’t wait to go home to some normalcy!
It’s a story about Angela, a woman who becomes jobless and very soon will be homeless as her savings have officially run out. Since her boyfriend isn’t up for her moving in with him, she has no choice but to go back to her parents. That is, until her neighbour Colin finds out about her predicament and offers her his spare bedroom. She quickly takes him up on his offer even though she would usually go out of her way to avoid him – right now she would do just about anything to avoid moving in with her mother.
The story is also told in Colin’s perspective, a radio show host who needs a new story. When his listeners find out about his new good deed in giving his neighbour a place to live, they are all ears for a potential romance situation. Not knowing how to keep his boss happy with this new development, he turns to Angela for help to create a lockdown romance the world wants to listen too.
The characters were sweet but didn’t blow me away, the romance was heartwarming but not swoon worthy, and the overall plot was predicable for a romance, but I liked the additional characters that pushed the story along.

Lights Out Boys #2 (Caught by the Bad Boys #4)

Finally – Lights Out Boys #2 by Raathi Chota.

This book flat out destroyed me. I’m so disappointed with it. I’m sure you’ve seen my first two reviews of the Caught By The Bad Boys series if you follow my blog, well this is essentially book 4, the finale of the series. Not only did I have to hunt it down and read it online because the author hasn’t published it, is it called a different name to the original trilogy which doesn’t make any sense is it’s literally the end to the Caught By The Bad Boys #3 cliffhanger. It LITERALLY follows on from the story.. So why is it called Lights Out Boys #2?? Just WHY?! So much rage.
*SPOILERS* Since the book is only available on inkett, it’s full of grammatical errors that appear everywhere, it’s messy and the ending makes you wonder what the hell was the point in the entire story. The author has spent three books building up this large group of friends surrounding our main character Lana, has given us at least four boys who are in love with her (Blake, Levi, Carter and Benny), built up a dangerous drug dealing murderer who wants to destroy her for ruining his plans, there are secrets, suspense, and you know something big is coming but you don’t know what. In book 4, YES BOOK 4 CUS THAT’S WHAT IT IS, after months of being in a wheelchair after the fire, Lana finally finds herself broken up from Benny who finally accepted she deserves more than him, and at Yale, her dream, with Carter by her side who still looks at her from across the room. You want something to happen since she’s now single but it never quite goes there. Fine. Friends forever 🧡. She had this trip with Blake that makes you wonder whether he will finally get the chance since she asked him to wait for her and we all know he will.. but then nothing happens. Fine. Friends forever 🧡. Levi shows up on her doorstep and literally takes her off her feet and they finally get together. Perfect. Swoon worthy perfect 🧡. THEN SHE GOES TO JAIL. THE END. Seriously?! What was the point in the whole drug dealer when she could have just been attacked by a homeless man and used self defence in book #1, because the outcome would have been exactly the same. WHAT WAS THE POINT. The bullet hole in the body didn’t matter. I totally saw it coming – but I repeat – IT DIDN’T MATTER. The entire drug dealers association didn’t matter. All the suspense and build up literally lead to nothing. N.o.t.h.i.n.g.
Like I said.. so much rage. I had such high hopes for this book but it let me down in every way possible. Almost felt like the author gave up by this point. She literally didn’t want to add this book to her ‘trilogy’ it was that bad. Argh.

So, there you go! My first monthly wrap up!

Let’s see what books I get my hands on for June!
I’m not going to do a monthly TBR list, because I never plan what I read – even with my reading challenge. I don’t understand how people do tbh. I guess normal people buy books and plan their blogs around them. I just read whatever I’m in the mood for at the time or if anyone recommends something great! That goes to show how many books I’ve currently got downloaded on my kindle.. yeah.. it’s a lot.. plus access to kindle unlimited keeps me busy. Anyhow..

Thanks for reading 🙂

See you next month!

The Palace of Lost Memories

Title: The Palace of Lost Memories
Author: C.J. Archer
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA
Source: Author Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: “Trying to keep an eye on me, Captain?”
“You require both eyes.” He headed up the stairs leaving me staring at his broad back and shoulders, wondering if he’d been flirting with me or threatening me.”

Josie can’t help but be curious about the palace that showed up in their land. It happened too fast, there were no signs to indicate anything was happening, no builders coming for supplies, no mention of a king showing up in their lands, and barely any time had passed from there being a piece of grass land to a palace bigger than her entire village of Mull suddenly appearing no less than five miles away. No one from her village has been near it in fear of magic, it was the only possibility after all, but they were still curious.
When Josie comes across one of the guards who had been shot by an arrow, she put her profession above everything to help him and quickly finds herself and her father as the palace doctor when they discover someone has been poisoning the kings guests. Josie is left to stay with the patient at the palace and decides to check in on the guards in the garrison where she begins to uncover the secrets within the palace walls – no one can remember anything before the palace showed up in Mull three months ago. Everyone’s memories are completely gone and they have no idea why. With help from the handsome captain of the guard, Josie is determined to discover the truth behind the poison attack as well as the cause behind their missing memories. With her knowledge of the village and Hammer’s knowledge of the palace, they team up to help uncover the truth once and for all. Little did she expect, she’s more involved in the poison attacks whether she likes it or not when the person responsible comes knocking on her own door.

“And what did you tell them in return?” Hammer asked darkly.
“Nothing,” Brant mumbled. “I tell them nothing. I’ve got nothing to tell, have I?”
An oppressed silence filled the room, weighing me down as if it were a tangible thing. It wasn’t so much the silence that worried me, it was the look in each man’s eyes. Something made these strong men deeply, desperately sad, and it had to do with their pasts.
“Where are you all from?” I asked carefully.
Some of the guards appealed to their captain, others stared at the table or into their tankards. Hammer’s jaw firmed. He scrubbed a hand over it and I thought he would speak, but he didn’t. The silence deepened.
“We don’t know,” Brant finally said. “That’s the whole fucking problem.”

Archer does it again with another great historical magical fantasy series. I love her writing style, it’s easy to follow with great mystery that will have to guessing at every corner. I love how each main character of her series is a strong female protagonist who fights against the limits of society by pushing the boundaries with their skills, whether it’s a talented watchmaker in her Glass and Steele series, a fire starter in her Freakhouse series or a doctor who isn’t allowed to have patients in After The Rift series. You’ll come to remember these characters for their strong willed determination that sets them apart from the rest.

I really enjoyed the plot to this book, although it felt messy at times. There was occasionally too much going on that distracted you from the main story of the book. I appreciate that the entire series is going to be based around the whole magically appearing palace and the mystery behind the missing memories, so obviously there needs to be some additional storyline to keep the reader more involved – in this case, a palace full of nobles and elites, a murderer and an emotional twist to make you more invested in the protagonist. I just felt like I would have preferred more about the palace and the magic than someone poisoning guests. I was getting a bit tired of ‘Josie, we need you at the palace straight away’ for some small poisoning related reason or another. It felt flat even though the author was able to keep the mystery going until the very end. I honestly didn’t guess who the murderer was so that was something! It just missed the spark I was looking for, but then it’s only the first book of the series, I can only hope it gets better. I guess I’m just used to Archer bringing more of a ‘damn propriety’ attitude to her historical romantic love interests from the very start.

Josie is a great example of a strong female in historical fiction, although she does have her flaws. Even though she’s 24, she acts young and innocent, so while she is book smart and has the knowledge only few can hope to gain at her age, she can be naive. She doesn’t think about the dangers around her most of the time as she’s set on helping people no matter their station, whether it’s the mysterious king of a magical palace, a high ranking guard, a servant or someone from the Row – a dirty rough area of the village known for it’s dark deeds, homelessness and whores. Josie is the type of character you build on through out the series, who becomes more mature and responsible as the books go on (one would hope) so the first book is bound to have you frustrated with her at times.
Everyone at the palace can’t make up their mind whether to confide in her as an outsider to their world, or push her away. It gives her some freedom to travel back and forth to the palace no questions asked, but as she becomes more involved with the palace secrets, she suddenly expects to know more and be involved in everything. She often finds herself in situations that she shouldn’t be in – with help from Hammer, the handsome captain of the guard who she can’t make up her mind about since he’s so closed off but always looking to seek her out. Whilst she mentions feeling more for him a few times, it would have been nice to see more romance between the two of them to really create a spark, it felt lacking the best of times.

“I don’t understand you, Captain. You seem to want to confide in me then suddenly you don’t. You seem to be willing to trust me then you don’t give me proper answers when I ask a simple question.”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m an enigmatic mystery. We all are.”
“You are not funny, either.”

Hammer was intriguing with his standoffish demeanour. As a personal guard to the king, he is determined to discover the truth behind their lost memories. While the rest of the castle would rather keep the secret to themselves, Hammer is under no illusion that their secret is unique and a threat to the kingdom, he also knows that outside help would help bring some perspective on their situation. He confides in Josie in a way that will keep you wanting more as their connection grows. He’s trustworthy but you know he only reveals what he choses too when it comes to Josie and his men. Hammer is drawn to her in a way he can’t understand, even when trying to put his duty first, he can’t help but get involved with everything connecting to her. His protectiveness is sweet and heartwarming, even when she goes behind his back at times to be more involved in the action. With only Josie’s perspective throughout the story, it’s difficult to see more of Hammer’s character. Let’s hope it improves as the series goes on!

One of my favourite characters was definitely Lady Miranda. She was a breath of fresh air in the palace surrounded by stuck up nobles. While she was the kings favourite, she wasn’t interested in becoming his wife and the status it would bring her. She preferred her quiet carefree life with her family and her kind attention to Josie made me love her all the more as she felt more relaxed with her than anyone else. Miranda doesn’t look down on anyone and treats Josie with respect only a true friend would, I enjoyed their banter and Miranda’s desire to be free from expectations and etiquette.

Overall I’m keen to read more of the After The Rift series to discover more. There isn’t much reveal on the secrets of the palace and we are no closer to figuring out the reason behind the missing memories. The king may or may not be more involved than others would like to believe, it’s all left hanging. I can tell this is going to be a long series to get ready to strap in if it’s something you’re interested in reading. I’ve already got my hands on the second book – The Echo of Broken Dreams.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:
The king’s magnificent palace was built in a matter of weeks. No one saw the builders, no villagers are allowed beyond the gilded gate, and only one servant has ever left. The haunted look in her eyes as she was recaptured by the palace guards is something Josie, daughter of the village doctor, has never forgotten.
For Josie, the palace is a mystery that grows more intriguing after she meets the captain of the guards, a man known only as Hammer, as mysterious and captivating as the palace itself. Whispers of magic fuel Josie’s desire to uncover the truth, but an ordinary girl like her can only dream of ever being invited inside.
When the king decides to take a wife from among the eligible daughters of the noble families, the palace gates are finally thrown open and the kingdom’s elite pour in. In a court where old rivalries and new jealousies collide, the king’s favorite is poisoned and the doctor is summoned. As her father’s assistant, Josie finally sees inside the lavish walls, but she soon learns the palace won’t surrender its secrets easily, for not a single resident, from the lowest servant to the king himself, has a memory from before the palace existed.
In the search for the truth, Josie is drawn deeper into danger, and the answers she seeks might shake the very foundations of the kingdom.

Just The Way I Am

Title: Just The Way I Am
Author: Jo Watson
Genre: Fiction/ Romance
Source: Kindle Recommendation
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘You are strong, stronger than you know, and one day everything is going to be okay.’

‘Jane Doe’ can only remember two things after her accident. One, she hates hospitals. Like REALLY hates hospitals. Why? She doesn’t remember, but the deep scars on her body probably have something to do with it. Two, she remembers Noah. The paramedic with the blue eyes who held her hand and made her feel safe and calm. Without him around, she feels nothing but fear, claustrophobia and panic. It just so happens that Noah mentioned his address on a phone call at the hospital, giving her a place to run too. He’s just as shocked to see her standing outside his door, and decides to take the role as her official guardian until her memories come back.
She tries to piece together her life by trying things for the first time all over again, making a list as she goes of her newly discovered likes and dislikes. Her new life is full of colour, excitement, spicy food, chocolate and Netflix with Noah whilst making new friends along the way. It doesn’t take long for the detective to knock on the door giving her her life back on paper. Her name – Zenobia – or Zen for short, doesn’t fit her at all. Zoe on the other hand feels just right. She’s excited to visit the place she’s called home for so long expecting it to be full of colour, plants and fun vibrant clothing, only to discover the complete opposite. Her old life is beige, empty, bland and the only colour she can find are the bottles of disinfectant on her shelf. How could she be so wrong? This isn’t her, so who is she?

‘How could I have been so wrong about something like this? Something so fundamental, like who I really was. I’d been convinced that in the last few days I’d managed to piece parts of myself together, but it was clear from this place that I’d been sorely mistaken. The picture I’d had of myself had been utterly incorrect. Fundamentally wrong. ~
I collapsed onto the couch, utterly defeated. Everything that had made me feel alive and buoyant only a short while ago had been sucked out of me by this place and the realisation that I was nothing like the person I thought I was. My head fell forward and I put my elbows on my knees, unable to hold up the weight of this realisation on my own.’
“This is who I am,” I said, hanging my head even lower as the invisible weight pushed down on me. “I’m not the person on my list.”‘

This book hit me right in the feels. One of my favourite fiction romance books ‘Love To Hate You’ was written by Jo Watson so I was already expecting it to hit the right spot for me. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. It made me laugh, it made me cry and I craved more of the witty romance that came to life in this story. It took a while for the story to really build up and felt a bit slow to start with but it created a great purpose for character development.

‘Zoe’ was a great protagonist. After waking up in the hospital after the accident, she didn’t know who she was, where she lived, whether she had any family or even what her favourite colour was. She only knew two things – she hates hospitals and Noah; the paramedic who held her hand and made her feel safe. I loved her character build up, a scared 29 year old living life for the first time all over again to rediscover herself. She opened herself up to every opportunity in front of her and created a new life for herself as a creative, colourful, friendly person. After discovering her life is actually a lonely, scared, colourless woman with a desk job in the basement across the street with no friends, her more recent memories start to come back to her and it isn’t a life she expected to find or wants to continue as she tries to get back into a rhythm of her past self. Zoe goes through so many changes over the course of the book that you’ll come to love and understand her all the more as she begins to see life as a second chance.

‘We plunged into darkness and my shouting turned to laughter, which echoed in the tunnel. It smelt of warm chlorine, fiberglass and coconut sun screen. I think it was the best small I’d ever smelt before. This was the smell of all the things I had missed growing up. This was the smell of hot, sticky summers spent by the pool, of friends’ birthday parties and eating too much cake, of running through sprinklers laughing and going on merry-go-rounds until you’re so dizzy that you fall over. I wanted to bottle it and keep it because it now reminded me of joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.’

Noah was the type of love interest we all want in our romance novels. He’s kind, thoughtful, chivalrous and utterly romantic when he finally allows himself the chance to give in to his feelings. He’s there for Zoe every step of the way as her guardian and friend as she goes through her rediscovery and connects to her on a level that you’ll come to understand more at the end – be prepared for some tears cus mine were real when the story came full circle. You’ll come to love him all the more as the story continues, his character doesn’t change and doesn’t have too, he will still melt your heart every step of the way.

I adored the additional characters in the story, it didn’t matter that you only had a few pages with each before moving on – some didn’t even have names, it was the impression they left behind with Zoe that was important. As Zoe goes through her transition to finding who she really is, the friendships she makes along the way give her a new perspective on life that she really needed, and that was knowing she wasn’t alone, with or without her memories. There is a reason she has no friends around her, another one of her fears she’s had since she was a child, so the impact the additional characters make along the way are sweet and heartwarming.

‘How could I be worried, with this night, the sea, the stars above me, and the wind blowing, causing goosebumps on my skin, and all the laughter. So much laughter. Coming from so many different people who I didn’t even know but for some strange reason felt a camaraderie with. Was this what it was like? Having friends? Having fun? Throwing all your worries and cares out the window, I was beginning to think it was. And this made me feel two things. Whilst I was happy, exhilarated, even, it was also making me sad. A deep sadness in the knowing of all the things I had lost growing up and missed out on in my life.’

This book was just what I needed to break apart from the fantasy and reading challenge I’ve set for myself. It had all the right pieces that fit perfectly well together and only got better along the way. As a romance that focused on Zoe and Noah’s characters, we all knew how it was going to end, but I did not expect the additional circle level of fate that came their way that made me emotional. It was perfect and gave the book the push I wanted to be 5 star.
Definitely pick this one up if you’re after a lovely romcom to fill your evening, it won’t disappoint!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:
Has Fate given her a second chance?
‘Zoe’ is having a very bad day. As if getting trapped in a faulty elevator wasn’t bad enough, losing her memory has made it much worse. If there’s one piece of luck, it’s that the paramedic on the scene, Noah, is both kind and a handsome distraction…
Now a completely blank canvas, with the help of Noah, ‘Zoe’ is excited to fill her world with colour, creativity and sweet and spicy food. She just knows from the tips of her toes, right to her fleek brows, that these things were all part of her make-up.
But when her identity is traced, the life ‘Zoe’ was living before the accident bears no resemblance to that of the person she’s convinced she is. What happened to make her world so narrow and colourless?
And now she has the chance to start over, is it time to let the real Zoe out?

A Deal with the Elf King

Title: A Deal with the Elf King
Author: Elise Kova
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Romance
Source: Kindle Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘Nature requires balance.
It’s because of me that the seasons will turn in Midscape – there can be life itself.
“You are my antithesis, Luella. You are the queen of life.”
“And you are the king of death,” I whisper, staring up into his frozen eyes. “Good to know that we were never meant to get along.”
A flicker of amusement alights his eyes.
“So you understand, now,” he says. “You cannot be free of this any more than I can. We are held in tandem, you and I.’

Luella worked hard to be where she is, a qualified herbalist in medicine to help the people who have given so much to see her succeed. With her shop full of medicines and her endless patients relying on her help, she has no time to think about anything else. Even the inevitable Elf King and the agreement her kingdom has to the world beyond the Fade. A woman born of magic every hundred years must stand by the Elf King and become the Human Queen to keep the balance and unity between both worlds.
Except the one that has been born of magic has yet to emerge, and the Elf King is becoming impatient.
No one expected him to show up to collect her himself, and no one expected him to set his sights on Luella who has passed the age of magic. Discovering her magic was being hidden and suppressed by an enchantment surprises the both of them, but when Luella find herself pulled away from her family and patients who have relied on her for too long, she can’t help but feel her duty divided when she quickly realises her new role in the elven world is more than to be a pretty face at the side of it’s King.

‘”I should keep many things in my castle under control yet they seem to delight in trying my patience.” He brings his eyes back to me. “Magic is not that difficult. I expected you to have a little command.”
“Really? Because I didn’t expect to have magic at all.” I meet his eyes again.
“Your magic is weak and the fact nearly killed you. Luella, you are a beacon of life in a world that is closer to the land of death. Midscape draws ever closer to the Veil and the Beyond than it does the Natural World. That makes you an easy target here – we all desire that which we cannot have, even magic itself. And you are the embodiment of all that has been taken from this world.”
“I would’ve appreciated this explanation from you earlier,” I mutter.
“It is not usually the king’s job to give.”
“Nothing about this is usual!” I throw out my arms and gesture to the room around us.’

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS*
I’ve read quite a few Hades and Persephone retellings lately, which is probably why this book came up on my recommendations, and I have to say, I was impressed. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen around every corner. I loved the idea of the worlds divided, the ‘natural world’ full of life, the ‘beyond’ full of death and the magical world in between full of elves, fae, vampires, mer and other mythical beings with the Fade as a barrier between worlds. The idea that the Human Queen herself is life and the Elf King is death, and together they sacrifice part of themselves to bring balance to the worlds around them since it was divided by their ancestors three thousand years ago. You get it, right? Of course you do! It sounds friggin’ awesome.

I loved the scenery and how it was brought to life through Luella’s eyes, how natural the human world is, how dark, cold and grey Midscape is without her magic, and the void in between filled with darkness. The world building is brilliant and I would have loved to experience more of it. With the talk of the vampires in the mountains, the fae in the forest and the mer folk in the magical waters, it was disappointing that we never got the opportunity to see any of it, even with magic all around them.

‘”They say that the Veil that separates us from the Beyond was made by the first Elf King to give order to the living and the dead. In doing so, he severed the elves from the immortality they were given by the first gods. For this, other races bent the knee to the elves. They honoured the sacrifice of all the elves to give the final rest to everyone and proclaimed the Elf King the king of kings – ruler of all mortals.”
“So, in a way, the elves are guardians of the dead?”
“You can think of it like that. It’s part of why we were granted the ability to find the true names of people, beasts, and things.”
“Finding the names.. that’s the Knowing?”
“Yes, and it is the strongest power in Midscape.”‘

The story itself was fast paced with the urgency that Luella had three months to find a way to end the cycle of the Human Queen in order to bring back life to Midscape as the ancient power was fading, or she would never get the chance to go back to her normal life that she was fighting so hard for. So much so that it was too fast paced at times. Three months flew by and yet it just felt like she was just always in the right place at the right time to come to her conclusions along side a lot of reading. You always felt like you were left in the dark with the Elf King when it came to her discovering something new which fell a bit lacking at times. I wanted to be more involved, more engaged with their findings and I wanted it to be harder. For a three thousand year old magical treaty, it was too easy to break the void between worlds with little consequence. It was easy to predict how it would end, it was the how that kept me going.

Luella was an interesting character, she knew what she wanted and went for it. She studied hard and earned the respect of those around her, always putting others before her and making it her duty to pay back everything they’ve given her, was her dream, her purpose. She spoke so much of duty yet continued to fight against her new role at every turn in order to go back, even when she knew she was a part of something bigger than herself and felt it justified for the future of all Human Queens. It was easy to sympathise with her since she had no time to adjust to her new life, never having the chance to prepare for being Queen, but occasionally you just wanted her to grow up and accept her new role and the role of others around her. She claimed to want respect, but did little to earn it herself by belittling the King whenever she had the chance. It was annoying and childish but I understood it well enough to let it go, knowing the author was after a love hate relationship to start with. I enjoyed it when she explored with her magic, even if it made her look weak after, she was determined to show the world otherwise which I liked about her character.

‘”Any compassion and effort you exert to know someone is nothing more than a ruse to get what you want out of those around you.”
“I am above compassion and relationships,” he seethes. “I do not have a reason to lower myself to the emotions of the rabble. I walk above them.”
“If you’re always walking above people you risk walking on them, Eldas. And that’s how you make enemies.”
“I won’t be lectured by a human who entered my world days ago. And certainly not by one who has never ruled a day in her life.”
“Good,” I say. “Because I have no interest in lecturing a man who won’t listen.” I spin on my heel and start for the door again.
“You will respect me!” Eldas shouts.
“Be someone worthy of respecting first!” I slam the door behind me.’

The Elf King was as you would expect, a dark, handsome, controlling ruler who is above it all, but underneath is a lonely man locked away in a castle looking for hope. He’s spent his entire life knowing he would be matched with the next Human Queen, what he didn’t expect was to wait around for her and having to drag her back to his castle a year late, causing the rest of the magical world to think him weak and unfit to rule. His loneliness pulls at your heart as you slowly uncover more about him and his determination to follow the traditions of the Elf King. When he finds that the one person he’s waited for his entire life doesn’t plan on staying by his side, he losing control of himself as life around him suddenly becomes unpredictable. I’ve see a lot of people dislike his character as dull and boring but honestly, I found him refreshing and more interesting for his shy inexperience at being in a relationship and trying to gain control only to lose over and over again as he spends more time with Luella. Wife and Queen or not, it’s sweet when he’s surprised to find something more than a title in her.

But you wanna know who I loved most through all of it? Hook. A playful wolf who enjoys cuddles and belly rubs, travels through the void only to rush back to protect Luella in the wild magical world she’s found herself in. A fantastic addition to the story that was heartwarming, creating a lovely bond between them that I absolutely adored.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and whilst I loved it, the chemistry between the main characters was sometimes lacking and the story missed some finer details, I would still recommend it to others who enjoy a good retelling.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:
The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.
Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.
To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.
That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.
Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.
The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Curse so Dark and lonely

Title: A Curse so Dark and Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Fantasy/ YA/ Fairytale Retelling/ Fantasy
Source: Goodreads Recommendation
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”They need me. Can’t you understand that? That they need me? Can you?”
I press my forehead against the door. Her pain reaches me through the wood, tightening my own chest and dredging memories of my family. “Yes. I can.”
“No!” Her voice is fierce, her rage pure. “You can’t!”
“I can,” I say softly.
“How?”
“Because I need you.”‘

Harper hasn’t had it easy, her father ran away after he got involved with a group he owed money too, leaving the debt and danger to her family and her brother left doing the dirty work for those who threaten them. Her mother is now bedridden with cancer and Harper herself left feeling weak with her cerebral palsy in her leg, her role is to be a look out for her brother and nothing more. When she sees a girl being kidnapped by a man whilst on a job, she can’t help but get involved and throws herself at the man with her crowbar even if it does little to stop him. The next thing she knows, she’s transported to a world outside DC, a castle in summer surrounded by winter, musical instruments that play themselves, and a prince that claims to need her help. No matter how many times she tries to escape, she quickly realises that she’s stuck as the last hope for a curse that threatens to destroy the entire kingdom around her.

He stops, but his sword remains in his hand and he doesn’t take his eyes off the girl. “Do not think,” he tells her, his voice fierce, “that this means I will allow you to attack me again.”
“Don’t worry,” she snaps. “I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”
“She attacked you?” My eyebrows rise. “Grey. She is half your size.”
“She makes up for it in temperament. She most assuredly was not my first choice.”
“Where am I?” The girl’s eyes keep flicking from me to him to the sword in his hand. Her knuckles are white where they grip the bar. “What did you do?”‘

This was one of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings I’ve read and I don’t say that lightly – I’ve read a lot of them. I adored the characters, the magic, the curse, the monster – the original fairytale was all there but it was just so wonderfully unique that it was one of it’s own. Part of me doesn’t even want to call it a fairytale retelling because the story was so individually different.

The story was told from both perspectives of Harper and Prince Rhen which brought the story to life through both their eyes.
Harper was a fantastically well written main character with a believable backstory, physical flaws that she won’t allow to get the best of her, a brave instinct that often gets her in trouble although she never regrets her actions. The build up of her character is delightful, she knows her own strengths and weaknesses and pushes through both to help a strange Prince in a land that’s unfamiliar laced with a curse, a lie and a monster just so she can ensure the people around her are safe and looked after. She’s passionate, kind and doesn’t back down from a fight, whether it’s against armed soldiers, scary Grey or an argument with a cursed Prince. She hits my top favourite heroines list without a doubt.

‘He doesn’t act like a man who’s trying to fall in love. He plays this whole thing like a game, where underneath his pretty words is a man full of cunning and guile. He acts like a tethered animal that’s learned the limits of its chain – but knows how to lure prey to its death. That’s why I don’t trust him. After the showdown in the snow, I realise he doesn’t trust me, either. Somehow, despite the fact that he trapped me in Emberfall, his distrust seems to run deeper.‘

Prince Rhen was an interesting character which we get to see inside and out. It’s easy to see why he thinks the way he does seeing everything as a strategy being raised as a Prince to rule a kingdom, why his personality is completely pessimistic and why he’s suddenly so caught off guard around Harper. Even as an isolated Prince with only Grey to keep him company, he still holds his authority well around others, and expects the same from her, only to have her argue against him at every turn. It’s confusing, frustrating and frankly just refreshing for him to have someone challenge him after so long, it’s not difficult to understand why Harper brings a new sense of hope to him where there was none previously. Even when it’s clear she will not feel for him the way he needs her too in order to lift the curse.

I really liked Grey, the last remaining person to survive the monster attack that stands by Prince Rhen’s side no matter what. His loyalty shows no bounds and his sweet interactions with children and simply just the way he is around Harper is endearing for a lonely soldier who has lost everything for so long. It’s the small moments with Grey that make you like him all the more, from playing cards in front of the fire, teaching Harper how to throw knives, his need to feel productive in his role and the way you can just simply trust him brings so much meaning to his character.

‘Grey stares after him. “I had almost forgotten what this was like.”
“Having someone to order around?” I say.
“No.” Rhen looks past me at his guard commander. “Being part of something bigger.”
Grey nods. “Yes. That exactly.”‘

I loved the plot, the scheme Rhen and Harper come up with to show the neighbouring countries that their kingdom has not been abandoned by their royalty. It brings more than just a Beauty and the Beast romance to the story and is entirely captivating, I couldn’t put the book down. You really get to see the characters change around each other as the go from focusing on the curse in an empty secluded castle to a being part of something greater as a kingdom united with its people to fight in a war for power.
The additional characters that join them along the way are all individually unique and flawed in their own way they are easy to follow along and help build up the story. I loved how Freya became a strong mother figure that Harper needed and a comfort she gave herself into. I loved how their new lieutenant had a missing hand to show that flaws are not a sign of weakness and I loved that Zo was a woman who wanted to be a soldier and so became a solider because Harper showed them that any woman can be just as strong as a man, no matter what her size. Each character had meaning, a purpose and a goal to fulfil without it being too complicated or overcrowded as the people of the kingdom joined together around them.

As you can tell, I absolutely adored this book and I couldn’t recommend it enough for anyone who loves a great fairytale retelling.

Goodreads Blurb:
Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Girl Online

Title: Girl Online
Author: Zoe Sugg
Genre: Fiction/ YA/ Blog Writing/ Romance
Source: Shop
Rating: 3/5

My favourite quote; “Do you know what an inciting incident is?’ Noah says as he turns off the engine. I shake my head. ‘It’s the point at the start of a movie where something happens to the hero that changes their life forever.’  Noah looks down in his lap, like he’s embarrassed. ‘I think that’s what you might be to me. My inciting incident.’ I glance at him. ‘What do you mean?’ I ask, hardly daring to believe what I think he means. ‘I mean, I think this might be the start of something.’ We sit in silence. ‘I think you might be my inciting incident too,’ I say with a small smile.”

A wonderfully sweet written teenage romance that I knew I would instantly fall in love with. I’m not going to lie, I’m a sucker for teenage romance. Stories told from a young perspective that will make you fall in love all over again.

When I first heard about Girl Online, I knew that I needed to hunt down a copy and read it, but at the time, it was only out in America, and I couldn’t get my hands on it. The fact that it had such amazing reviews from the day it was released, definitely peaked my interest.

Penny is a 15 year old klutz who would rather blend into the background with her camera than be in front of it. As most teenage girls, she has a great level of insecurity that makes her believe she is not worth anything, has unknowingly fake friends, and a crush on the ‘boy-band-meets-athlete perfect’ popular boy. It doesn’t make life easier when she finds herself having occasional panic attacks after being in a car accident with her family.
Writing a blog is the only way she can express any feelings she has from school, friends, family and her panic attacks without feeling like she is being judged for her opinions. It surprisingly takes off, soon providing her with thousands of followers that all relate in some way or another. As Penny begins to feel like she isn’t the only one who suffers in silence, a humiliating video of her tripping up and exposing her underwear goes viral through the internet, her world becomes a bit crazy. Her family and best friend decide it’s best for her to get away to clear her head and she soon finds herself whisked away to New York for the holidays.

Whilst helping her mum on the wedding job that initially took them to New York to begin with, she meets a mysterious stranger playing guitar in an empty room of their hotel, Noah. He’s charming, sweet and has taken a keen interest to find out more about her. They find themselves off on a ‘Magical Mystery Day’ in a mission to get a victorian tiara for the bride, and Penny quickly discovers that she doesn’t have to pretend to be someone else around him.
You can’t help but feel their excitement when they are both told Penny could stay in New York for an extra week over Christmas, and that they get to spend it together.

When it’s time for Penny to finally leave New York and arrives back home, she soon discovers that her Noah is actually a famous singer, who appears to the world to be in a relationship with another famous singer. This puts a heartbreaking halt to the story as she calls it off with him in frustration. As if her luck couldn’t get any worse, Penny also finds that her identity as GirlOnline is leaked and that the world seems to believe she knew who Noah was and that she intentionally went after him for fame and money, knowing full well that he was in a relationship.

Don’t worry though.. of course it ends happily ever after! You’ll just have to read it to find out what happens!

Goodreads Review:
Penny has a secret.
Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family – and the panic attacks she’s suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love – and capturing every moment of it on her blog.
But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover – and her closest friendship – forever.