Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

After reading Legends & Lattes I have been on a hunt for more cozy fantasy and this book was exactly what I was looking for!

SYNOPSIS

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

BOOK INFORMATION	BOOK LINKS
Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea Author: TJ Klune Publisher: Tor Books Publication date: 17 March 2020 Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Magic, Romance	Goodreads Amazon Barnes&Nobles Book Depository

THOUGHTS AND RATINGS

“A home isn’t always the house we live in. It’s also the people we choose to surround ourselves with.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a creative and beautiful fantasy story about real-life themes of belonging and found family. The story begins with Linus Baker, a 40-year-old caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth who has just been assigned a top-secret case to go to Marsyas orphanage and investigate the six magical children – Lucy, Talia, Theodore, Phee, Sal, and Chauncey – which were under Arthur Parnassus care.

When Linus steps onto the island, the story takes on a soft and cozy feeling as we meet all the heartwarming characters who have found a safe haven there from people who misunderstand and feared them. All of them were so vibrant and lovable that I just wanted to be part of their family. They also played a huge role in Linus’ change and made him realize that there is more to the world and that he shouldn’t be stuck inside his own bubble. Arthur might be my favorite out of all of them. He was lovely, patient, and very understanding of all the children. I loved his interaction with them and of course the SLOW BURN romance between him and Linus.

I not only LOVED the characters but also the setting of the book. When we got to the island everything just turned so magical. Everything about it was so well written that you feel like you were there and don’t want to leave. I felt like I was on vacation while reading this and it was the best I had so far if I say so myself.

But while the story does provide escapism for the readers, with its magical surroundings and a cast of extraordinary characters, the message still very much resonates in the ‘real world’. It’s like a fairy tale for adults, with a moral message at its core.

On the surface, the House in the Cerulean Sea is a feel-good fantasy novel but in the end, it’s about so much more. Highly recommend and I will pick up the rest of TJ Klune’s books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company.

His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.

🔥Author Website 🔥Amazon 🔥Goodreads 🔥Instagram

Book Review: Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard

My childhood friend has been pushing me to read a Linda Howard book for months now and I finally caved.

SYNOPSIS

Bailey Wingate’s scheming adult stepchildren are surprised when their father’s will leaves Bailey in control of their fortune, and war ensues. A year later, while flying from Seattle to Denver in a small plane, Bailey nearly dies herself when the engine sputters — and then fails.

Cam Justice, her sexy Texan pilot, manages to crash-land the aircraft. Stranded in the wilderness, and struggling to douse her feelings for the ruggedly handsome man by her side, Bailey begins to wonder whether this was a mere accident. Who tampered with their plane? Who’s trying to reunite Bailey and her husband in the afterlife? Cut off from the world, and with little hope of rescue, Bailey must trust her life — and heart — to Cam, as they battle the harsh elements to find a way out of the unforgiving wilds and back to civilization … where a killer may be waiting to finish the job.

BOOK INFORMATION	BOOK LINKS
Title: Up Close and Dangerous Author: Linda Howard Publisher: Ballantine Books Publication date: 29 April 2008 Genre: Romantic Suspense, Survival, Mysterty	Goodreads Amazon Barnes&Nobles Book Depository

THOUGHTS AND RATINGS

“You can,” he interrupted. “You’re going to. We’ll take things slow, ease you into the concept. I understand you’re dealing with childhood baggage, and that’s the kind that’s hard to unpack. But sooner or later you’ll trust me, and accept that someone cares about you.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bailey is a 32-year-old widow from Seattle with huge walls around her heart. She was involved in a brief marriage of convenience and when her husband died she was forced to deal with his two very spoiled, irresponsible, and pain-in-the-ass adult children – Seth and Tamzin. To take a break from them she decided to go to Denver for a much-needed vacation. She then made the decision to use a private plane from J&L Executive Air Limo where we finally meet the handsome and sexy as hell PILOT Cam Justice.

Bailey and Cam don’t really have a good opinion of each other… well they HATED one another. Bailey considers him a grim sourpuss while Cam thinks she’s cold and stuck up. So none of them were very thrilled about being stuck on a long flight with each other. Then lo and behold, something happens with the engines, and they crash into the middle of nowhere and only have one another to depend on.

I loved the connection that grew between Cam and Bailey as they struggled for days to survive. As Cam got better (after almost dying) he started making moves both verbally and physically on Bailey which was very fun to read to since at first, they hated each other and when all the misunderstandings were gone, they started to understand each other. Cam was a kind; funny, caring guy and perfect for Bailey because he didn’t give up on her and encouraged her to open up to him without pushing her to her limits. When she finally realized that she was feeling love towards Cam it just felt so satisfying to read after everything they went through but I felt like I needed to see a little bit more of the romance between them. I was hoping for an epilogue of some sort where they get married and so on cause it felt a little rushed in the end.

I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I started it. When I read the synopsis I was expecting it to have more mystery and suspense with them thinking about who the culprit was and so on. But I actually really liked the survival concept that this had. When the plane crashed in that cold mountain I felt like I was there almost freezing with them. Also, the revelation at the end shocked me cause I DID NOT see that coming.

Up Close and Dangerous is the 1st book I’ve read from Linda Howard and it certainly won’t be the last cause I am intrigued with her other books and I can’t wait to get to the rest of them (since I practically got 13 books of hers for free.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.

Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.

⛰️Author Website ⛰️Amazon ⛰️Goodreads

Book Review: Wicked Walking by Claudia Cain

A huge thank you to the author, Claudia Cain, for sending me an Advance Copy of her book Wicked Walking (Fallow Creek #2) in exchange for a honest review.

SYNOPSIS

After killing a monster and dragging herself home from another world, Cassandra Reilly has become more than a witch – she’s a hero. Sure, she can’t sleep through the night and she’s haunted by what she saw, but things should be looking up. Right?

Except something followed her out of the woods that day. And despite her best efforts – and the help of Merich, the handsome Fae Warden – Cass has failed to find any trace of it. Vanishing entities rarely bode well, but maybe no news is good news. And with a ticket out of town and her future on the horizon, Cass could really use a lucky break.

She’s not going to get one.

BOOK INFORMATION	TRIGGER & CONTENT WARNING
Title: Wicked Walking Author: Claudia Cain Publisher: Black Sheep Books Publication Date: 30 August 2022	☪Profanity ☪Mild Gore ☪Depictions of Injury ☪Violence, Death, Mild Body Horror ☪Mentions of Suicide ☪Depictions of Anxiety
BOOK LINKS	Amazon Goodreads

THOUGHTS & RATING

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“Then I’m a selfish person.” “To want to be free of all this.”

“Cassandra,” he says. “There is nothing selfish about knowing what you want.”

Wicked Walking was one of my most anticipated release for this year and I absolutely enjoyed it more than the first book which is saying a lot cause I loved the first one so much.

Once again we are transported back to the dark and mysterious world of Fallow Creek where the story continues with Cassandra together with the rest of the characters – Theo, Pen, Aunt Louisa and of course our very flirty fae Merich – in another mission to hunt the “Sixth Child” who followed her out of the veil when she rescued the missing children’s in book one.

Just like I mentioned in the first book I really liked Cass’s character. After everything she has experienced and after making the decision to finally leave town she still had a strong sense of responsibility to capture the Sixth child. She was brave and willing to do everything she can to make things right, but you can also see her fears and vulnerability which makes her more relatable as a character.

More tensions also ensued between her and her family in this second installment. Questions I had in the first book about the rite, the Witch and why her Aunt was pushing Cass to be one were answered here BUT when one question is answered a new one arise.

I also got to see more of Merich here which was very much appreciated! We got to know him a bit better without losing the mysterious aura in him. I also felt like this has more romance than the 1st book but not to the point where it overshadows the main plot of the story.

This is definitely more darker, creepier and gruesome than the first one. It had my pulse racing to the point where I was reading it at 3AM and had to stop cause I was feeling a bit paranoid and kept imagining something might pop out of somewhere.

Wicked Walking is the perfect blend of magic and paranormal. From the dark and vivid imagery to the very relatable set of characters, creepy plotline with body possession, mystery, murder and epic fight scenes which will have you in the edge of your sit wanting to either fight or run for your life.

Claudia Cain has a way of making you feel like you are inside the story. Her writing style made me feel a lot of emotions from the first page. I read this in one sitting and I felt scared, heartbroken (a million of times!), anxious and giddy the whole time which made me not put the book down at all. Highly recommend for someone who loves thriller and horror.

Another cliffhanger for this second book which makes me crave the 3rd book so much more! I need a release date!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claudia Cain is the author of the Silver and Bone trilogy, bringing together crime and fantasy in a supernatural San Francisco.

She currently lives in New Zealand and can usually be found either writing or reading. She owns more books than strictly necessary, and loves fantasy, animals, and dark humour.

☪Author Website ☪Amazon ☪Goodreads ☪Instagram

Book Buying Habits Tag!

I have been on the hunt for another fun tag and saw this over at Zezee with Books blog and thought it would be perfect for someone like me. 🤣 Actually I am proud of myself (for now) cause I haven’t been buying any books for the past months so this will be interesting to answer.

~This was originally created by Megan Olivier on youtube but I wasn’t able to find the original video for it.~

So without further ado, let’s get on with the questions shall we?

Where do you buy your books?

Majority (if not all) of my books I got from Fully Booked, which is one of the most famous bookstore here. This is where I go to get brand new releases and/or books by famous authors and so on. On the other hand, for my historical romance books I get them on booksale and/or FB marketplace. This are the stores that sell secondhand books for a very cheap price BUT still in good condition.

do you ever preorder books and if so, do you do this in store or online?

I have never tried to preorder any books actually. I feel like when I do I’ll be more impatient on getting them knowing that I have already paid for it and all. 😂 I am very impatient when it comes to books.

on average, how many books do you buy in a month?

If you have asked me this before I might have answered 4 to 5 books but now that I am trying my best not to just buy books spontaneously maybe about 1-2. This still depends if I do have anticipated books arriving in that month if not, I don’t buy any.

do you use your local library?

I would love to but I never got the chance to. And it is a bit far from where I live.

IF SO – HOW MANY BOOKS CAN YOU/DO YOU BORROW AT A TIME?

If I do have the chance I think 1 would be enough for now cause I don’t think I’ll be able to get to a lot of books cause of work and stuff. 😅

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON LIBRARY BOOKS?

I did enjoy visiting my college library back in the day and they do keep the books in very good condition which I am happy about.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CHARITY SHOPS/SECOND-HAND BOOKS?

I LOVE them! Biblio and Booksale are the top Second-hand bookstores I visit a TON of times before the pandemic. I love looking around and discovering hidden gems on the shelves. I get all of my historical romance there and even though they are second hand books they are still in very good condition some even looks brand new.

DO YOU KEEP YOUR READ AND TBR PILE TOGETHER/ON THE SAME BOOKSHELF OR NOT?

I do. If I don’t, a few of my series would be separated from each other and that will bother me a bit so might aswell keep them all together.

DO YOU PLAN TO READ ALL THE BOOKS YOU OWN?

Absolutely. I have given away books that I don’t plan on reading or rereading and the only once left in my collection are the books I am 100% sure am going to read… which is still a lot.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BOOKS YOU OWN THAT YOU FEEL YOU’LL NEVER READ/FELT YOU DIDN’T ENJOY?

Sell them or give them away. When I declutter books from my shelf I always have the thought that it’ll be better to give them to someone who WOULD enjoy them rather than it being stuck on my shelf collecting dust.

HAVE YOU EVER DONATED BOOKS?

Ummm.. I haven’t actually. I think i’ll try that next time. But first, I need to know where to donate. 😅

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A BOOK-BUYING BAN?

YES! SO MANY TIMES! Some have worked and some… not really.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU BUY TOO MANY BOOKS?

Nowadays not really. I always have a long talk with myself before deciding to buy a book. A lot of questions arises in this conversation like if I really want it or is it just the hype or how long would it be stuck in my shelf and so on. But I do try to read 1-2 books from my shelf before getting 1 book. This has worked for me before and fingers crossed it’ll work again.

And that is the end of this tag. If you are someone who loves and enjoys buying books this is the tag for you so feel free to do this! Until next time. 💜

Reading Preference: Does it really change?

So this idea popped into my mind while I was stuck at home for a week cause of an ear infection. 😂

There I was… sitting in my room, staring at my shelves then the ceiling then back to the shelves and then it hit me. I have given away so many books in the past months… does that mean I have changed? Did my preferences changed from when I started to now? How did this affect me as a reader? Pros? Cons? Discoveries?

With all that questions in my mind I then decided to make this post. It took me awhile to start it cause I had to gather my thoughts and remember how I really was when I first discovered I loved to read. So… let’s go back to my highschool days shall we?

I was an avid reader of ROMANCE books way back. Besides Percy Jackson I wasn’t able to get into a book without romance in it. Maybe it’s the teen side of me but I really loved the cheesy young adult romance books like Anna and the French Kiss, My Life Next Door, The Fill-in Boyfriend and many more.

Then I discovered Young Adult FANTASY. Fantasy for me back then was a very challenging genre to get into. So a requirement for me to read a fantasy is… you guessed it. Romance. I could get into a fantasy book or series when the main focus is the romance between the 2 characters. That’s when I started to read Twilight (who wouldn’t want a shimmering boyfriend, right? 🤣), Darkest Power series (which I LOVED), Vampire Academy series, Hush Hush series etc.

Now we go to my College days. This time I do still read a lot of YA Fantasy romance but another genre I got into was Historical Romance. This was the time I discovered Book Sale and there wide variety of HR books. I started collecting books from different authors like Victoria Alexander, Stephanie Laurens, Lorraine Heath, Cathy Maxwell and so on.

More years passed and I was slowly introduced to the genre I am currently in love with… High Fantasy. I was introduced to this genre by the awesome Brandon Sanderson which is now my all time favorite author. The Mistborn series was what I considered to be the turning point of my reading preference. I was changing from reading books that were centered on romance and instead looked for the thrill of adventure in the story. I started to get interested in authors like Patrick Rothfuss, VE Schwab, Michael J Sullivan, Jim Butcher, Robin Hobb and many more.

By this time I realized that I was slowly starting to fall out of love with YA. Maybe because I was growing up and the themes doesn’t really match with me anymore or the characters felt to young for me to connect with them. I still do read YA by favorite authors but when it comes to new releases I tend to be hesitant to read them cause I didn’t want to be disappointed (cause oh boy… I had been… more than I thought I would).

Presently in my collection I have a variety of books from 4 genres. High Fantasy, Mystery/Paranormal, Historical Romance and New Adult Romance (kindle).

Mystery/Paranormal was one of the genres I didn’t think I would love but when I read A Discovery of Witches as well as The Year of the Witching I started to look for more books like them. I do tend to read majority of my paranormal books during the fall season. On the other hand, Historical and New Adult Romance books are my life saver when I feel like I’m getting into a huge slump after reading a bunch of Fantasy books OR when I just want a feel good and romantic read.

With this I conclude that my reading preference DID changed as time went by. But not as drastic as I thought. I do still have the love for romance but it just got altered from YA to adult. I did discover new genres, authors and books that would be part of my collection for a long time. I ALSO did give out all of my YA with the thought that someone out there might start to love reading when they get this. Cause basically… this is where it all started.

How bout you? Did your reading preference change? 🤔

Book Review: A Nordic King by Karina Halle

This is my first Karina Halle book and it features one of my new favorite tropes – Single Dad and Nanny romance. ♡

SYNOPSIS

A widowed father of two little girls. The beautiful nanny he’s hired to raise them. A forbidden romance unlike any other. A Nordic King is the newest standalone royal romance from the New York Times Bestselling author of The Pact and The Swedish Prince.

When I first applied for the job I thought it would be like all the others: working as a nanny for an aristocratic family. Then I got the job and found out how wrong I was.

Now I’m the new nanny for two adorable little girls who happen to be princesses.

Their father is the widowed King of Denmark. And my new home? The royal palace in Copenhagen. Adjusting to my new life isn’t easy but the hardest part hasn’t been the girls who still grieve over the loss of their mother.

It’s their father.

Cold, mysterious and moody, with an icy stare that seems to penetrate your soul, King Aksel may have hired me to take care of his daughters but he wants as little to do with me as possible.

Yet the longer I share these palace walls with this man, the more that I’m drawn to him. His chiseled face and sexual swagger are only part of the package. It’s in the long, intense glances at the dinner table, the way we’ll brush up against each other in the halls, the rare glimpses of the man deep inside, like the sun passing through clouds.

But no matter how I feel about him, we can never be together.

You think it’s bad enough being in love with your boss?

Try falling in love with a king.

BOOK INFORMATION	BOOK LINKS
Title: A Nordic King Author: Karina Halle Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing Publication date: 20 September 2018 Genre: Contemporary Romance, Royal Romance, New Adult	Goodreads Amazon Barnes&Nobles

THOUGHTS & RATING

“I’ve waited forty years to have a home,” he says softly.

“I’ve waited for you.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I have discovered that I am slowly becoming a fan of books with single dad’s so when I read the synopsis of this and found out that not only is it a single dad story but it’s also a single dad and nanny slow burn romance AND (it doesn’t end there) it is also a story with royals in it. I mean who wouldn’t right?

This story is about Aurora who just resigned from her recent nanny job in Paris and is looking for a change of pace. She thought that it might be better to take a break from her previous work BUT her advisor, Amelia, has a very good job offer for her with a “prominent” family in Denmark. After working for a lot of influential and famous families Aurora didn’t think twice and accepted the offer not knowing that she will be taking care of the 2 daughters of Aksel which is… the King of Denmark.

This story really hit me with that prologue. I felt so much emotion from Aksel (which I won’t be talking about cause I don’t want to spoil anyone) which made me understand more why he is acting the way he is around people, especially Aurora.

Aksel and Aurora had such a good chemistry. They balanced each other so well since Aksel was very grumpy and closed off while Aurora was a badass and outgoing character that was very infectious at times (maybe that’s why she was a very good Nanny). This was a slow burn romance but you cannot deny the sexual tension between them.

There is an age gap between the 2 of them but Aurora throughout the story felt very matured because of her experiences while growing up. They both had very dark past and approached it in different ways. Their characteristics and attitude were very opposite from each other but this made them more perfect for one another.

I also liked that it didn’t just focus on the romance but also tackled the aftermath of what happened and how it affected the relationship Aksel had with his 2 daughters, Clara and Freja, and the rest of his family and friends.

This story started strong for me but it did fell a little flat and rushed at the end. There was also a time where I asked myself where they started to REALLY like each other and not just in a friendship kind of way.

But overall it was a very good read. It tackled so much emotion that ranges from guilt, disappointment, lost then feeling loved again, acceptance and being part of a new family that you would do anything to hold on to.

Felt like a roller coaster ride with all this characters and I will be picking up the first 2 books in this series very soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, a former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of The Pact, A Nordic King, and Sins & Needles, as well as sixty other wild and romantic reads.

She, her musician husband, and their adopted pit bull, Bruce, live in a rainforest on an island off the coast of British Columbia during the summer, and in Los Angeles in the winter.

Halle is represented by Root Literary and is both self-published, and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Penguin, and Montlake. Her books have been published in numerous languages around the world.

🌊Author Website 🌊Amazon 🌊Goodreads

🌊Instagram 🌊Twitter

October Wrap Up & November TBR

It has been awhile since I’ve posted a wrap up AND a TBR so today I have joined them together for this post!

October Wrap Up

I’ve only read 4 books this month which is better than I thought I would do cause A LOT has happened. 😅

But I am still very happy with this month cause I have posted 2 reviews for the 2 books I have read AND I have been pretty active here which I am happy about. Now… shall we get to the books?

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan ☆☆☆☆
A Nordic King by Karina Halle (Nordic Royals #3) ☆☆☆
Feed by Aveda Vice (Hunger Duet #0.5 ☆☆☆
Lovely, Dark and Deep by Claudia Cain ☆☆☆☆

November TBR

Earlier today I have chosen 5 books from my TBR jar of prompts for November and I think I need all the luck I can get cause I have 2 thick books in here. 😅

Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3) by Kerri Maniscalco “cover features your favorite color” – purple
Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1) by Maureen Johnson “book by an author you haven’t read from”
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson “highest rated” – looked at my Goodreads for this and I was not surprised
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas “Goodreads Choice Award”
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls #1) by Joanna Shupe “most recent purchase”

So that is it for todays wrap up and tbr post. Luckily I have started 2 books on this pile already but I still have a long way to go (especially with The Way of Kings). Wish me luck!

Book Review: Lovely, Dark and Deep by Claudia Cain

A huge thank you to the author, Claudia Cain, for sending me an Advance Copy of her book Lovely, Dark and Deep in exchange for a honest review.

SYNOPSIS

It’s a beautiful day in autumn, and a little girl has gone missing…

She’s not the first.

Hannah Hendricks is the fourth child to disappear from the small town of Fallow Creek in the past two months. Search parties comb the woods and vigils are held, yet there is no trace of the missing children, as if they have vanished off the face of the earth.

Cassandra Reilly is certain there is magic involved, but few people trust the word of a witch, and fewer still want her help. As an outsider to the rest of the town, it seems there is little she can do – until Hannah’s parents arrive on her doorstep, begging for magical aid.

Cass is tired of doing nothing, but agreeing to help is more dangerous than she knows. Something evil is at work in Fallow Creek, and if she isn’t careful, she’ll lead it back to her own door.

BOOK INFORMATION	TRIGGER & CONTENT WARNING
Title: Lovely, Dark and Deep Author: Claudia Cain Publisher: Black Sheep Books Publication date: 5 November 2021	🍁Profanity 🍁Mild Gore 🍁Mentions of Suicide 🍁Animal Death
BOOK LINKS	Amazon Goodreads

THOUGHTS & RATING

“Have you ever met someone who made you feel seen? he asks quietly. “When nobody else did?”
“Once you do, it’s hard not to get attached”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s a glorious autumn afternoon, and the woods are about to swallow a girl whole.

When a book starts with that kind of sentence be ready for the most exciting (and creepy/scary) adventure of your life!

Lovely, Dark and Deep follows the story of Cassandra a witch who lives with her siblings, Theo & Pen, and her Aunt Louisa at the edge of the wood of Fallow Creek. When 4 children had gone missing Cass thought that it’s about time she does something and stop hiding from everything.

I loved Cass’ character. She was the person who would risk everything for anyone who is in need and doesn’t ask for anything in return. She does doubt herself throughout the 1st part but when she realized that it is possible for her to do something and bring the kids back home safe she never hesitated to go through with it.

Her relationship with the rest of the characters were also well rounded and I felt like it was all so realistic that you could relate to the drama they had. Broken family, controlling aunt, favoritism, being the golden boy or the black sheep of the family, A LOT of expectations and misunderstandings. Everything just felt so real and that made it all the better.

Merich was also one of my most memorable character. When he first came out I was literally scared sh*tless cause he was mentioned to have black eyes and my imagination just went over the roof. Then we find out he was actually a Fae (which I am a sucker for) and the Warden of the Woods. Him and Cass didn’t really liked or agree with each other and they always have this banter going on but when they started to work with one another it felt like they do have a special connection even though it was not fully opened or mentioned in the story.

Since reading The Year of the Witching last year I have been on the hunt for a good witch book that involves the woods or a forest and this gave me what I want. I LOVED how atmospheric and magical everything was and while reading I got so immersed in the story and the world that I felt like I was connected to everything. The writing style was well paced and the plot was solid all throughout the story. Upon starting you think of a ton of questions and they slowly gets answered as you read on.

This was a very short but epic story that is perfect for Fall. It was a mixture of drama, magic, mystery, paranormal and creepy/unsettling vibes that will keep you on the edge of your sit and wanting more. AND with that cliffhanger?! (which makes you list out more questions to be answered) I’m glad 2022 is almost upon us and I can’t wait to go back to Fallow Creek in the next book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claudia Cain is the author of the Silver and Bone trilogy, bringing together crime and fantasy in a supernatural San Francisco.

She currently lives in New Zealand and can usually be found either writing or reading. She owns more books than strictly necessary, and loves fantasy, animals, and dark humour.

🍁Author Website 🍁Amazon 🍁Goodreads 🍁Instagram

Books I Want to Read Before 2021 Ends?!

Anyone here who makes a list of books they want to read/finish before a specific year ends and then the year DOES ends… and you finished nothing. 🙋‍♀️ Now I am doing another list and putting it out here and HOPEFULLY it encourages me to get to even half of them.

So I separated this into 2 sections: the 7 Priority TBR books and 5 “if you still can” books. Majority of the books in the priority pile are very thick and intimidating so… Goodluck to me. 😅 Shall we get on with the books?

7 Priority Books

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson – Page 275 of 1007.
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – Page 437 of 830.
Escaping the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3) by Kerri Maniscalco – Page 232 of 416. Currently Reading
Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan – Page 202 of 649.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson – Page 51 of 622.
The Bitter Kingdom (Girl of Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson – Page 150 of 433.
Scent of Magic (Healer #2) by Maria V. Snyder – Page 20 of 414.

As you can see I have already started all of this and stopped at some point cause… I got distracted by unnecessary things. I’m sorry! 😓

5 “if you still can” Books

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

This are the books I will be reading when I do finish my priority books. If that won’t be possible this will be the first set of books I go with next year.

And that is it. Now that I have put it here I feel…. more pressured. I have a very packed reading/reviewing schedule for this month so hopefully when November rolls by I can start tackling my priority list. I am very excited with all the titles though and I just need to plan my reading schedule well.

What do you think I should read first?

The Currently Reading Tag!

I have been in a roll of posting here on my blog since I got my new computer and hopefully this continues. 🤞

So today I have a book tag and I saw this while searching for a bunch of blog ideas to do and I don’t really remember where but this was created by Charly Ray over at YouTube so don’t forget to check her video here.

Without further ado let’s get on to the questions! 🙌

1. how many books do you usually read at once?

If you had asked me this question before I would definitely answer you with this… 1. 😅 But as time went by I could handle 2 books at once. (Honestly can’t understand how other people read 4-5 books at once! Still not on that level and not sure when I would be.)

2. If you’re reading more than one book at a time, how do you decide when to switch to reading the other book (do you read a certain amount of pages in each?)

What I usually do is read one book at work (on break of course) and the other when I get home. I don’t usually set a certain amount of pages to read in each but I read more at home since I have a lot of time before going to bed (until midnight specifically).

3. Do you ever switch bookmarks while you’re part way through a book?

Nope. It takes me awhile to choose a bookmark when starting a book so I feel like it will be a hassle for me since I have to choose another one that would feel right for my current read.

4. Where do you keep the book you’re currently reading?

Either on my desk or on my bed under the pillow or blanket cause my cat loves to chew on the side of the covers.

5. What time of day do you spend the most time reading?

At night until midnight… or until 4 in the morning.

6. How long do you typically read for in one go?

When at work during my break I usually read about half an hour since my break only lasts for an hour. At home if in one go… an hour and a half to two hours.

7. Do you read hard covers with the dust jacket on or off?

Off! I feel like when I leave it on somehow I would rip it or worse my cat gets to it and THAT would definitely be a nightmare cause hardcovers aren’t cheap people.

8. Which position do you mainly use to read?

9. Do you take the book you’re currently reading with you everywhere you go?

Yes and no. I will definitely bring it on vacation, overnights or a coffee shop but when I go to work or hang out with friends I usually just bring my kindle cause it’s smaller compared to a physical book.

10. How often do you update your progress in the book you’re currently reading on goodreads?

When I remember to. 🤣 But I really want to make this a habit and update it everytime I am done reading for the day/night.

11. Who would you like to tag?

Angele Reads Books

Misty’s Book Space

Bookish Luna

and anyone else who wants to do this tag!