Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies! How has your week been so far? Have you read any good books lately?
September was a very good reading month for me: I read eight books which is about double what I normally read. One reason I had more reading time is due to doctors' appointments' wait times and recovering from minor surgery.
Most of these will be mini reviews because I don't want the post to be massively long.
This is the last of my summer decor in our family room. On the table is a fun romcom my daughter sent me: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle.
Shanley Belle wanted me to read this romcom because Sarah Hogle is known for her humor. Y'all, this book is laugh out loud funny! Hogle is a genius when it comes to witty dialogue and outlandish internal monologues.
According to Goodreads:
When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.
Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.
Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.
But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
My Review:
This is the funniest romcom I've ever read. Normally I don't like the enemies to lovers trope, but these two, Naomi and Nicholas, start out very much in love. Things make a bad turn for the worse once they become engaged, and Nicholas's overbearing mother starts planning their wedding. His mother is truly awful. Each is trying to force the other to end the engagement because a lot of money has already been spent on the wedding paid for by the Roses (Nicholas's parents). Naomi's thought processes are hilarious, and although she might not be as educated as Nicholas, she more than makes up for it in wit and grit. When one of the two makes a grand romantic gesture that catches the other completely off guard, things start to evolve. Obviously this is a romance, so we know going into it that they will get their happily ever after. I admit I had my doubts because these two pull out all the stops to harass each other. The ending is so sweet: these characters have actually stuck with me, and I think they will for a long time. Sarah Hogle is that good and deserves all the hype she gets.
Have you ever heard about BookTok? I'm not on TikTok, but BookTok is a very popular thing on TikTok. Many authors have been "discovered" on the platform, and I think some editors are getting lazy by not reading books submitted by literary agents. Why take a chance on an unknown when one can find an author with a popular following on TikTok who already has built-in fans? The two books above by Laurie Gilmore are TikTok sensations and are tremendously popular this fall. I purchased both books and the fun autumn-themed bookmarks and stickers from a fun online store called Wildflower Fiction. The girls and I have enjoyed some of the fun bookish things from this shop. The Pumpkin Spice Café was published first and is Book One in the Dream Harbor Series, so I'll review it first.
According to Goodreads:
A spicy small-town romance and TikTok phenomenon, perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and Stephanie Archer.
When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
The Pumpkin Spice Café is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
My Review:
I liked this one a little bit better than The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore. Logan has built walls around his heart because he has suffered a lot of loss, and he really doesn't appreciate how the folks of Dream Harbor love him and want to protect his heart. Although Jeanie is a quirky character, she has suffered an unusual trauma, so both characters are guarded for good reasons. I like that this one has a mystery that Logan helps Jeanie investigate, and although I could see the third act break-up coming from a mile away, the ending is super-sweet. This is strictly brain candy, y'all, with Gilmore Girls "Stars Hollow" and autumn vibes.
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore
According to Goodreads:
From the author of the Sunday Times bestseller and viral TikTok phenomenon, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes a brand new spicy romance set in Dream Harbor!
When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.
Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!
Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!
My Review:
This book was much more spicy than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, and I didn't like the story as much. But what I did like about the story is the "scavenger hunt" plot point. Hazel, the manager of the bookstore, notices a romance book out of place. While reshelving it, she sees that not only had someone dogeared a page, they had also highlighted a line from the book. Basically the clues are activity suggestions intended to encourage Hazel to have an adventurous summer ( riding a ferris wheel and enjoying a day at the beach are two examples). Hot fisherman Noah has had a crush on Hazel for months, so he jumps at the chance to spend time with Hazel while she acts on the suggestions in the books. As the summer progresses, Hazel becomes suspicious that Noah is behind defacing the books, and Hazel has absolutely no inhibitions with Noah. Both need to grow up for different reason, but will they mature and remain a couple by Hazel's deadline of September 28th (her thirtieth birthday)? This one has a very sweet ending, no pun intended.
I read three fantasy romances, or "romantasies" during September, and they were all very well written. I will review Bound By Gravity by Jenny Hickman first.
According to Goodreads:
They were never meant for happily-ever-after.
They fell in love anyway.
She thought he was dead.
Four years after the disappearance of her beloved prince, Lady Allette Rittey returns to the fae realm to find Prince Senan very much alive—and on the verge of marrying a bloody princess.
Desperate for answers, Allette poses as a servant to gain access to his castle. But the wedding bells are ringing, and she’s running out of time before she loses him forever.
Prince Senan Vale has problems.
A lot of them.
Most pressing, an arranged marriage not to the woman he was meant for, but the princess of a neighboring kingdom.
When the king refuses to call off the engagement, Senan loses all hope.
Then his long-lost love returns from the grave.
Senan and Allette learn the truth of what kept them apart, discovering they have been betrayed by those closest to them.
The only way to be together is to flee the kingdom.
But first they must escape a castle full of traitors.
Bound by Gravity is the first in a series of fantasy romance duets that features fated mates and forbidden love.
My Review:
I received Bound By Gravity as a "blind date with a book" subscription from Wildflower Fiction. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised. Jenny Hickman has created a strange fairy world where fae power comes from sunshine, so the upper classes have built high towers above the clouds to recharge. There are portals where the fairies (human-sized with real wings) can enter the human realm on Halloween (or Samhain) and interact with them. Allette gets left behind and almost murdered in the human realm, and it takes five years before she's rescued. Her Prince Senan thinks that she's dead until she reappears, but unfortunately he's betrothed to a princess from another kingdom. His brother the king is horrible, and he would never approve of a union between Allette and Senan because it wouldn't benefit him or his kingdom politically. The biggest issue with the impending wedding is that Senan knows Allette is his mate. What I love about this book is the unique world building, well-drawn characters, and intensity of Senan's love for Allette. It's very well-written, the plot moves at a fast pace, and the plot twists are shocking. The court intrigue and traitors are the main forces propelling the plot, and I hope that Senan and Allette have more control over their fates in the future. What I don't like is having to wait until March for the sequel: Freed From Gravity. Both books are part of a duology.
Next I'll review The Wren in the Holly Library.
According to Goodreads:
Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.
Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.
In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce...of sorts.
But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library...not knowing it’s the home of a monster.
He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.
Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.
But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape...
My Review:
I rarely read dystopian fiction, but I made an exception with this one because it has the urban fantasy element in it, and I admit that the book with its pretty stenciled edges caught my eye at Barnes & Noble. The monsters in the book are mostly those from lore like werewolves, vampires, sirens, etc. The main character Kierse breaks into a mansion to steel an artifact, and she breaks one of her rules by not getting out quickly enough. Instead she's lured into a stunning library where she's caught by a monster named Graves who resides there. She broke the Monster Treaty, so he could've killed her with impunity. But instead he hires her because he knows that she has powers she doesn't even know she has. Although Graves is a bit of an enigma wrapped in a mystery, so is Kierse. Supposedly he's some sort of warlock, and a big part of the plot is determining what the two main characters are. I won't post spoilers, but there are a couple of scenes that I didn't care for, and I don't think they were necessary for the story. Of the three fantasy books I read, this one was (only slightly) my least favorite, but I do recommend it if you like urban fantasy and the enemies to lovers trope. I will read the sequel The Robin On the Oak Throne, and I believe that this series is a duology.
The third fantasy I read was Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling.
According to Goodreads:
Princess. Prisoner. Runaway. Queen.
Elowen Atarah, Princess of Imirath, came into the world like a firestorm made flesh. A princess with a link to five dragons should have been a blessing to her kingdom, but her blessing became her curse. The little girl in shackles became a knife wielding woman with a thirst for retaliation.
Now, Queen of Aestilian, a secret kingdom she forged through strength and survival, Elowen needs a way to feed her rising population. She never thought she would have the force to take on Imirath, but when the snarky Commander Cayden Veles of Vareveth, her father’s enemy kingdom, offers her a deal she’s been dreaming of for years, how can she not take it? Even if he ignites her temper like no other, nothing unites two begrudging allies more than a common enemy.
The pair of them, along with three accomplices, will navigate their partnership, politics, and attempt to pull off the greatest heist their world has ever known. Five people, all united through revenge, will have to transcend the odds stacked against them and infiltrate the impenetrable castle if they want to reap their rewards before someone reaps their souls. Putting aside their differences to accomplish a common goal because everyone knows…vengeance is a promise signed in blood.
My Review:
I received an ARC of Fear the Flames via a Goodreads giveaway. I'm so lucky I won it because I might not have read it otherwise; I tend to prefer cozy fantasies over high fantasy. I really love the main characters Elowen and Cayden, the world-building, and the fast-paced plot. I could not put this book down!
Elowyn and Cayden both suffered terrible losses as children. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I can discuss what's already in the Goodreads synopsis. Elowyn was born a princess, and upon her birth she was gifted five dragon eggs and a dire prophecy: either she would be a savior to her kingdom, or she would basically burn it down. That's quite a burden for a child, yet the dragons were blessings to her and her constant companions: They shared a unique, magical bond. Everything was fine until things went terribly wrong, and she and her dragons were separated and imprisoned. She barely escapes as a young child, and her strength, determination, and will enables her to build a secret kingdom in a cold and remote area. Her subjects are refugees, and her little kingdom loves their Queen Elowyn.
Elowyn and Cayden's "meet cute" happens quickly in the story, and it's quite dramatic. Both are on missions, Elowyn as a spy, and Cayden as the military commander looking for Elowyn. Cayden wants to use Elowyn to steal/rescue her dragons to help him and his kingdom defeat Imarath, Elowyn's old kingdom. Cayden, along with his brother and sister, and Elowyn with her adopted brother, work together to form a plan to breach Imarath's impenetrable fortress. Their plan involves several quests, each a component that will facilitate their goal of releasing the dragons. The friendships forged are a large part of the book, and the reader learns much about Cayden and Elowyn via these friendships. Cayden and Elowyn develop feelings for each other, but both have trust issues, especially Elowyn. I'm becoming a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, especially how Darling interprets it!
Olivia Rose Darling's world building is excellent: These characters are definitely not of our world. Yet, I don't feel lost or too overwhelmed with the different kingdoms and settings. The magical creatures and monsters are also a plus for me. I liked how the characters are in a forest and all of a sudden a monster of some sort appears and wreaks havoc.
The plot is paced perfectly for me, and it completely maintained my attention for the entire book. There were several surprising plot twists I was not expecting which I loved. I was a bit skeptical about the bond between Elowyn and her dragons because the separation she suffers from them is a constant source of pain for her. I think I've been won over as a dragon fan, and I can see why they are such a popular element in high fantasy books. I highly recommend it, but be forewarned that Fear the Flames is book one in a four part series. Thank-you, Goodreads, for hosting the giveaway, and thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
Finally, here are my reviews for my two book club selections for September.
I'm reviewing Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson first.
According to Goodreads:
Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.
I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.
Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.
Who was it?
Let's get started.
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE
My brother
My stepsister
My wife
My father
My mother
My sister-in-law
My uncle
My stepfather
My aunt
Me
My Review:
We read Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone for an Instagram book club, and it is brilliant. It's a murder mystery set at a family reunion in a remote Australian ski resort during a snowstorm: No one can leave the mountain, and no one is coming up the mountain to help the investigation. The narrator Ernie is fantastic: He writes books on how to write mysteries, so he's a shoe-in already for solving the crime. The book is organized in sections, and each one focuses on a family member. In these sections we learn more about the suspects including a little of their histories and the circumstances surrounding their crimes of murder. Some of them are very surprising, and of course a couple of the murders occur at the reunion.
At first it was difficult for me to keep apace with all the characters, but the way the book is organized helps. Eventually I learned who was who. I love Ernie's voice: I felt like I could trust his narrative, and he is very endearing: I was pulling for him the entire book. If you want to read a very unique, extremely well-written murder mystery, then you must add this to your TBR immediately. I checked this book out from my local library (there was a wait list), but I'm planning on purchasing it and sharing it with my family and friends. The ending is shocking, and oh, so good! I love this book!
Now I'll review Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen.
According to Goodreads:
he startling, witty, highly anticipated second novel from the critically acclaimed author of Atmospheric Disturbances.
The story begins in 1618, in the German duchy of Württemberg. Plague is spreading. The Thirty Years' War has begun, and fear and suspicion are in the air throughout the Holy Roman Empire. In the small town of Leonberg, Katharina Kepler is accused of being a witch.
Katharina is an illiterate widow, known by her neighbors for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It's enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favors by being out and about and in everyone's business.
So when the deranged and insipid Ursula Reinbold (or as Katharina calls her, the Werewolf) accuses Katharina of offering her a bitter, witchy drink that has made her ill, Katharina is in trouble. Her scientist son must turn his attention from the music of the spheres to the job of defending his mother. Facing the threat of financial ruin, torture, and even execution, Katharina tells her side of the story to her friend and next-door neighbor Simon, a reclusive widower imperiled by his own secrets.
Drawing on real historical documents but infused with the intensity of imagination, sly humor, and intellectual fire for which Rivka Galchen is known, Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch will both provoke and entertain. The story of how a community becomes implicated in collective aggression and hysterical fear is a tale for our time. Galchen's bold new novel touchingly illuminates a society and a family undone by superstition, the state, and the mortal convulsions of history.
My Review:
I like historical fiction, and I also love math. So I was very excited to read Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch for my "in person" book club because it's based on the witch accusations and trial of Johannes Kepler's mother Katharina. Riva Galchen based her novel on letters, books, and court records. Kepler is only a minor character in the novel, and this was perhaps my only disappointment in the book, that Kepler didn't play a larger role. One thing this does emphasize, though, is that he didn't have as much influence as one would think regarding his mother's predicament.
What I love about the book is Katharina's personality: She is witty, strong, rational, and she has a penchant for accurately bestowing nicknames on many in the village who deserve them. It was fascinating to me reading about ridiculous accusations, things that prove beyond a doubt whether or not a person is a witch and in cahoots with the devil. Throughout the book there are witness transcripts from when they were questioned for Katharina's case. Each section begins with a warning that if the witness lies, God will throw them into hell with the devil. Clearly many of the witnesses did not fear God nor this warning, because the accusations get increasingly outrageous as the investigation progresses.
If you're interested in the history of the witch trials in Europe during the early seventeenth century, you will enjoy this book. I recommend it strictly because of Katharina's character. Her interactions with villagers, her family, and her interior monologues are so much fun. Her mind is a very entertaining place to be!
Thank-you for reading my blog, especially this long post! Which one of these books intrigues you? Will you read any of them? What did you read during September?
Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill
