3/5 Stars – The Christmas Tree Farm

The Christmas Tree Farm, by Laurie Gilmore. I needed something easy on the brain, and this was available at the library so I picked it up. It is your typical hallmark-esc romance, except r-rated with some sex thrown in. I could not take this book seriously. The part where he found her vibrator in the couch was just hilarious to the point of being unbelievable (in specific, their discussion around it, not the actual act, that part I could see happening). Not a literary masterpiece, but it was what I was looking for. Just a nice simple read.

3/5 stars

3/5 Stars – Dungeons and Drama

Dungeons & Drama, written by Kristy Boyce. This was a YA book chosen by my book club – and it started off really rough with a young woman who had stolen her mom’s car, and without a license, drove it. Her “punishment” was to work at her Dad’s store. Pretty sure if that was me, I would have gotten into a lot more trouble. It was difficult to suspend reality for that. The cover was absolutely adorable, and that’s where my interest in the book stopped.

3/5 stars

2/5 Star Review: A Christmas Duet

A pretty brainless romance, which I was looking for. A city girl heads to the country for Christmas to escape her overwhelming life, meets a fellow musician, then her family shows up with all of their own issues, and even her ex-boyfriend shows up. In true Debbie Macomber style though it all works out in the end and everyone lives happily ever after. It’s basically a Hallmark movie in book format. Not a fantastic earth shattering read, but I wasn’t expecting it to be, so no big deal. Sometimes I just want to shut off my brain for a while.

2/5 stars

FaRoDays – 4

MALLORY DUNLIN

The Gardener and the Water-horse

Fleeing a dangerous wizard, Safira takes a job at a remote, sorcerous Spire in the center of a water-horse’s lake. She expects to be alone, but the elemental creature strikes a bargain with her: he’ll water her garden if she’ll talk to him. He’s beautiful, naive, and hungry for companionship—but behind those ice-blue eyes is a merciless immortal. To touch a water-horse is to become his possession. If she lets herself follow the forbidden lure of his voice, not even a sorcerer can save her. He says all he wants is the sound of her voice. The stories tell a different tale. Words won’t ever be enough. And one way or another, he’ll have her.

Heat Level: Hot **

FaRoDays – 3

S.A. HEIDEN

The Bowyer’s Baker

Hugh Baum is tasked to get approval from the Kingdom to expand the Baum Bowyer business, but the magistrate in charge holds a 50 year grudge against the Fae. Hugh could have found a way to work around it, but when Lisette, the beautiful and fierce baker comes to town, both males are distracted by her presence. The rivalry between Hugh and Acworth intesifies as Lisette tries to dodge their advances and establish her family bakery. She has no interest in a courtship and is having a hard enough time keeping the business afloat. Unfortunately, Magistrate Acworth is a cruel and corrupt Fae, and when his sights are set on Lisette, only trouble ensues.

Heat Level: Smoldering **

FaRoDays – 1

In order to be a bit spoiler-free for anyone else who may be participating in FaRoFeB I’ve decided to post these one day later than the books are received. For anyone unfamiliar with the event, it’s a fantasy romance book give away done in December, much like an advent calendar. It used to take place in February, hence the ‘feb’ at the end, but now there’s lots of different events for FaRo lovers, all year long. It’s a great way to check out new authors and find some hidden gem reads – if you’re into fantasy romance, at least.

The first book of the giveaway is How to Marry a Winged King, by A. J. Lancaster, which is a Cinderella retelling. I’m in the middle of reading something else right now and I tend to only read one book at a time (and one audio book at a time) but we’ll see where this one ends up in my TBR pile. Have you read it before? Let me know in comments! Keep in mind that this is a judgement free zone, it does not matter what people choose to read, so long as they’re reading.

4.5/5 Stars: Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Normally I take a bit of a break between series books, but I enjoyed the 1st book to the Blood and Ash series so much, that I immediately jumped into Kingdom of Flesh and Fire. Poppy has found out that everything in her life was a lie, including her love interest, Casteel Da’Neer.

Watching Poppy come to terms with all of the lies she has been told was a fantastic moment spread throughout the book, and showed her growth from the first book. She’s strong, brave, and doesn’t back down from what she believes in. I’ve finally found a character I can appreciate. I also have my moments of annoyance with Poppy. She repeats herself (and her thoughts) a lot, and portions of the book were a slow read. It built up though, and the final quarter was amazing and over before I knew it.

Kieran is probably one of my favourite characters, despite his smaller role. The bond he has with Casteel and his friendship with Poppy is beautifully written. I’m expecting more of this in the third book – the author is very obviously building up to a threesome, I’m just not sure when it’s going to happen.

Keep in mind all of the triggers from the first book, because those haven’t gone anywhere. There’s a lot of violence, a lot of sex, and a lot of everything mixed together. I’m OK with it but you might not be, and that’s OK too.

4.5/5 stars

4/5 Star Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’m not typically a fan of vampire stories, but the beautifully crafted world created by Jennifer L. Armentrout in this book was definitely worth exploring. That being said, a fair warning: this book deals with some intense themes and graphic scenes. It’s not for the faint of heart, and I appreciated the heads-up from a friend who recommended it to me. Knowing what to expect helped me prepare for some of the darker moments.

The story revolves around Poppy, who longs to experience life but has been raised as the Maiden, a sacred figure forbidden from engaging in much of anything. She spends her days waiting for her Ascension, a mysterious process, until Hawke enters her life and turns everything upside down. The book has a bit of everything—action, violence, passion, romance, friendship, and betrayal.

Initially, I didn’t really like Poppy’s character. She seemed weak, and I struggled to connect with her. However, as the story progresses, Poppy begins to grow and take control of her life. She slowly starts to question the truths she’s been told all her life, and watching her come into her own was satisfying.

The story begins at a slow pace, and I nearly put the book down. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because once the plot picks up, it becomes an engaging read filled with fantastic characters and a richly developed world. I’m now eager to pick up the next book in the series!

4/5 stars

4/5 Star Review: The Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black

If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, I highly recommend starting there before diving into this one. I was incredibly eager to return to the world of Jude and Cardan, and let me tell you—Holly Black did not disappoint.

As expected, the book is filled with fae politics, where conspiracy, deception, and manipulation are at every turn. At the end of the previous book, Cardan managed to persuade Jude to release him from his vows, only to make her his queen and then promptly exile her back to the mortal realm. Naturally, Jude was furious. But when her sister Taryn finds herself in a dangerous situation, she reaches out to Jude for help. Determined to protect her sister, Jude decides to return to the faerie world, hiding in plain sight as she navigates the treacherous landscape to assist Taryn.

The plot is packed with intensity, including themes of revenge, family turmoil, and the underlying tension between Jude and Cardan. Oak, who is still being safeguarded in the mortal realm, also continues to play an important role, adding depth to the storyline. The novel culminates in a thrilling and satisfying finale that ties up the various plot threads beautifully.

Overall, this was one of the most captivating young adult series I’ve read in a long time. The blend of high-stakes drama, richly developed characters, and unpredictable twists makes it a standout in the genre. If you’re a fan of complex fae worlds and intense character dynamics, this series is definitely worth your time.

4/5 stars

4/5 Stars: The Wicked King

This is my first full read of 2024 – there were a bunch of DNF books on my list, which I’ll write about a bit later, but this is the first one I just couldn’t put down.

This is the second book in the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, and I was absolutely ready to continue the story of Jude, and her family. The book moved away from some of the teenage drama that we saw in the first (I was personally glad to see this) and into more politics – which I personally found refreshing.

This is one of those rare books where I couldn’t actually tell you what I thought the twists and turns of the plot would be or where they would end up – which is probably why I found it so fascinating, it has been a long time since a book enticed me in quite that way. Jude has done some growing up – she’s stronger, but she maintains her sense of loyalty at the same time.

Make sure you read the first book to the series before this one, they don’t work as stand alone books and brace your heart.

4/5 stars