Ming & Flo: Fight for the Future Book Review
Ming & Flo Fight for the Future is written by Jackie French.
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Twelve-year-old Ming Qong is convinced that girls must have changed the world, even if they are rarely mentioned in history books.
So when Ming gets the chance to go back in time, she imagines herself changing destinies from a glittering palace or an explorer’s ship. Instead, she ends up in Australia in 1898, living a tough life as Flo Watson on a drought-stricken farm.
Luckily, Ming is rescued by Flo’s Aunt McTavish. Wealthy Aunt McTavish belongs to Louisa Lawson’s Suffragist Society, who are desperately and courageously fighting for women’s rights. And Ming is determined to get involved, to make a difference.
But change is never easy, so how can one girl change the world?
REVIEW
This book is an empowering and exhilarating look at the girls and women of the past and they say they shaped the world. It was a fantastic read by Jackie French.
The concept of the book is illuminating and sharing a side of history that isn’t always considered. Being set in Australia, the story aligns with many educational themes that are a perfect fit with the target audience of 10 year olds or older.
As a reader you experience a time around the first referendum that was denied and then the beginning of the suffragette movement. I would love to see this book into school libraries and into classrooms as well. I’m looking forward to the next book.
5/5 stars
The Love That Grew Book Review
The Love that grew is written by Sarah Ayoub and illustrated by Mimi Purnell.
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I thought I could not love another,
not a sister, nor a brother.
But just like magic, my love then grew
when I was blessed with more of you.
REVIEW
A beautiful story from all mothers to their children. It highlights how love is magic and power that can not be stopped and stronger that anything in the world. It is beautifully illustrated and perfect for growing families.
League of Liars Book Review
League of Liars is written by Astrid Scholte. It is a mystery thriller which was one of my anticipated reads.
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Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal–to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.
But when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension–where all magic comes from.
REVIEW
All I can say is wow. I loved this novel. I’ve recently gotten into mystery novels but this is my first thriller and I loved that it had fantasy backdrop.
This an extremely fast paced plot which hooked me from the start with such an interesting group of characters.
I would love for there to be a sequel.
4.5/5 stars
Only A Monster Book Review
Only a Monster is written by Australian author Vanessa Len.
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Don’t forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.
Only a monster would kill a hero. Right?
Every family has its secrets, but the summer Joan Chang-Hunt goes to stay with her Gran in London, she learns hers is bigger than most. The Hunts are one of twelve families in London with terrifying, hidden powers.
Joan is half-monster. And what’s more, her summer crush Nick isn’t just a cute boy – he’s hiding a secret as well; a secret that places Joan in terrible danger.
When the monsters of London are attacked, Joan is forced on the run with the ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family who are sworn enemies of her own. Joan is drawn deeper into a world that simmers with hostilities, alliances and secrets. And her rare and dangerous power means she’s being hunted. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .
. . . she is not the hero.
REVIEW
I absolutely loved Only a Monster. It has everything I want in a book! Such a great magic system and an underworld, all set in the urban world. I am really getting into urban fantasy novels.
The character dynamics are fantastic and I loved the soulmate aspect to the story. I can’t wait for the second book. I need to know what happens.
5/5 stars
Anticipated reads of 2022
I’m going into 2022 with some books that I’m excited to be readings. Most of these are a part of series that I’ve already started reading, others I’m going to picking up the series at some point this year.
These books are going to be in order of release date and will include the blurb if it has been released.
January 1 (AUS) – Electric Idol by Katee Robert
In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there’s always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake…or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.
January 4 – The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya may be siblings, but they’ve never been close or even liked each other that much. Torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken, only one thing can bring them back together: the search for the Ivory Key, a thing of legend that will lead the way to a new source of magic. Magic is Ashoka’s biggest export and the only thing standing between them and war with the neighboring kingdoms and as long as their enemies don’t find out that the magic mines are nearly depleted.
January 5 – Luminous by Mara Rutherford
Liora has shone from within ever since a star collided with her house when she was a child. Since that day, she has spent her life indoors, only venturing out on the brightest days when her magic can’t be detected. For discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power.
But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, and Darius discovers her, she’s not the one taken. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him to work under his watchful eye. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving Liora with no one to turn to.
To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.
January 11 – Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice — where love vies with honour, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
January 18 – Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.
The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.
The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
January 18 – Beyond the end of the World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Time to do the impossible. Time to find a way between worlds. Time to find each other again.
Both Nimh and her enemy, Inshara, have been sent to the cloudlands. Above, Nimh has no memory of her past, only an aching, undying certainty that she has left something – someone – behind. But while she struggles to recall her identity, an impostor wields her name with deadly purpose. Below, North looks to the sky, desperate to join the ones he loves and return to his world. But with only a traitor willing to help him, and others clamouring for him to take Nimh’s place, the journey seems more impossible than ever. Enemies lurk in each world, and tragedy looms as the cloudland engines falter and mist rains terror on the surface. In their desperation to reunite and save their people, Nimh and North face one ultimate question: Can they defy their love and their destiny to save their homes? Or will the spark between them ignite their worlds and consume them altogether?
February 1 – This Woven Kingdom by Tabereh Mafi
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom –and the world.
February 15 – House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar have made a pact. As they process the events of the Spring they will keep things – platonic – until the Solstice. But can they resist when the crackling tension between them is enough to set the whole of Crescent City aflame?
And they are not out of danger yet. Dragged into a rebel movement they want no part of, Bryce, Hunt and their friends find themselves pitted against the terrifying Asteri whose notice they must avoid at all costs. But as they learn more about the rebel cause, they face a choice- stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.
February 17 – Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
Joan Chang-Hunt has no idea she’s part monster until she’s thrust into a battle between the boy she has a crush on and one of the most ruthless monster families of London.
February 22- League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and caught up with the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak.
February 22- The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.
But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…
March 1 – Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal — which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home — to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant — but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unravelled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
March 15- The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable. And born of mortal flesh…Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way–because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace. A great primal power rises…Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear–to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be–what she fears the most.
March 29 – The Might by Siri Petterson
Hirka prepares to meet the ruling house of a cold, hierarchical world where contempt for weakness is paramount. Reluctantly, she accepts her fate, hoping to keep Rime alive and Ymslanda safe. But the dead borns thirst for the Might is absolute and Hirka realize that war she wanted to prevent, is inevitable. An awareness that will soon challenge everything she ever believed in and fought for.
May 3 – Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
What if you had one year to save everything you loved? ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love. TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences. THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself? FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.
May 3 – Book Lovers by Emily Henry
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…
May 31 (June 14 US/UK) – The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni
She’d failed them. All of them. And now she was paying the price.
Kiva thought she knew what she wanted – revenge. But feelings change, people change . . . everything has changed.
After what happened at the palace, Kiva is desperate to know if her friends and family are safe, and whether those she wronged can ever forgive her. But with the kingdoms closer to the brink of war than they’ve ever been, and Kiva far away from the conflict, more is at stake than her own broken heart.
A fresh start will mean a perilous quest, forcing mortal enemies and uneasy allies together in a race against the clock to save not just Evalon, but all of Wenderall. With her loyalties now set, Kiva can no longer just survive – she must fight for what she believes in. For who she believes in. But with danger coming from every side, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, does she have what it takes to stand, or will she fall?
June 7 – For the Throne by Hannah F Whitten
Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red’s beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally–though it’s one she’d rather never have to speak to again–the rogue king Solmir.
Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods’ dark, twisted powers for themselves.
June 21 – Fake it till you Bake it by Jamie Wesley
A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance
July 19 – These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan
Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.
August 30 – The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
September 27 – The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
Spring 2022 (Fall US) – Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
Top 50 books of 2021
2021 is coming to an end and I want to finish off the year going through my top 50. I’ve actually put them in order. All these books were I’m pretty sure all 5 star reads for me or books I would read again.
50. The Rot by Siri Petterson
YA Fantasy novel filled with mythology, Book 2 in the Raven Rings series.
49. Odin’s Child by Siri Petterson
YA Fantasy novel which is a high fantasy based in mythology. Book 1 in the Raven Rings series
48. The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
New Adult/Adult contemporary romance novel which is a standalone.
47. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
New Adult/Adult contemporary romance standalone novel.
46. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Mystery contemporary fiction novel set in Scotland.
45. The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
YA Fantasy novel. It is a historical fiction and a retelling.
44. Shrouded in the Dark by Aspen Black
New Adult paranormal fantasy romance.
43. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Young Adult fantasy. Think dark Hogwarts. Book 2 in the series
42. Lightfall by Tim Probert
Middle Grade graphic novel. A fantasy adventure with beautiful illustrations and message.
41. Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City by Rob Biddulph
Middle Grade novel.
40. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
New Adult/Adult contemporary romance set in college.
39. Jackaby by William Ritter
Young Adult Fantasy, historical fiction with the supernatural. Book 1 in the series
38. The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May
Young Adult fantasy with steampunk and fae. Book 3 in the series
37. The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
Young Adult fantasy with steampunk and fae. Book 2 in the series
36. The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Young Adult fantasy with steampunk and fae. Book 1 in the series
35. Eros by Carly Spade
Adult fantasy romance with Greek mythology. Book 4 in the series
34. Apollo by Carly Spade
Adult fantasy romance with Greek mythology. Book 2 in the series
33. Ares by Carly Spade
Adult fantasy romance with Greek mythology. Book 3 in the series
32. Hades by Carly Spade
Adult fantasy romance with Greek mythology. Book 1 in the series
31. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
Contemporary fiction and Japanese literature with magical realism
30. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Young Adult fantasy. It is a mythology retelling with romance and magic.
29. Midnight in Everwood by M.A Kuzniar
Young Adult Fantasy. It is a retelling of the Nutcracker.
28. House of Wolves by Casey L. Bond
Young Adult fantasy and it is the final book in the duology
27. The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
Young Adult Fantasy with romance, adventure and pirates.
26. Blindsided by Amy Daws
Adult contemporary sports romance. This surrounds soccer.
25. From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
Adult contemporary sports romance. This surrounds ice skating.
24. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
New Adult/Adult contemporary sports romance.
23. Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
Young Adult/New Adult fantasy romance with magic and witches.
22. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
New Adult/Adult fantasy romance. It is a Greek mythology retelling.
21. House of Eclipses by Casey L. Bond
Young Adult fantasy and the first book in the duology.
20. Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
Young Adult fantasy. It is a high fantasy retelling with romance, adventure and magic. Last book in the duology
19. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Young Adult fantasy. It is a high fantasy retelling with romance, adventure and magic. First book in the duology
18. Close Quarters by Kandi Steiner
New Adult/ Adult contemporary romance.
17. Someone You Love by Kristen Granata
New Adult/Adult contemporary sports romance.
16. For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whiten
Young Adult fantasy. It is a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood.
15. Gravebriar by Casey L. Bond
Young Adult fantasy with romance, magic and witches.
14. Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
Young Adult fantasy. It is a contemporary retelling of Peter Pan.
13. Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Adult contemporary fantasy romance. It is a Greek mythology retelling and book 1 in the series.
12. Namesake by Adrienne Young
Young Adult Fantasy with adventure, romance and pirates. It is second book in the duology.
11. The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffen
Young Adult Fantasy. It is an urban fantasy with witches and romance. A refreshing take on how the magic system works.
10. Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
Young Adult fantasy. It is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin with romance and horror elements.
9. The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni
Young Adult Fantasy romance with magic. It’s book 2 in the series.
8. The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
Young Adult Fantasy romance with magic. It’s book 1 in the series.
7. A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout
New Adult/Adult high fantasy romance. It is book 1 in the series.
6. The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
New Adult fantasy romance. It is book 3 in the series.
5. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
New Adult fantasy romance. It is book 2 in the series.
4. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
New Adult fantasy romance. It is book 1 in the series.
3. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Adult contemporary romance with fantasy elements. It also has LGBT representation.
2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Adult contemporary romance with fantasy elements. It also has LGBT representation.
And number…
1. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber.
Young Adult Fantasy romance with magic. It is book 1 in the series and is within the world of the Caraval series.
This year it was so hard to rank them in order and I could always move some books around but I’m quite happy with how these books are ranked. I read over 200 books this year so these are definitely my top 50.
Looking forward to what books I read in 2022.
The Chime Seekers Book Review
The Chime Seekers is by Ross Montgomery, published by Walker Books Australia.
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Step into a world of faerie tricks and hidden danger…
When an evil faerie steals Yanni’s baby sister and swaps her for a Changeling, Yanni is swept into a dangerous race against time to get her back. For faeries delight in tricks and rescuing her won’t be easy. With the help of his cousin, Amy, and the reluctant Changeling, Yanni must travel to goblin palaces and battle-swept oceans, discovering ancient treasures and secrets along the way. Yanni will need every drop of courage and even a few tricks of his own, if he’s to outwit the faerie and save his sister…
REVIEW
Such an interesting read. I enjoyed the setting of two worlds: human and faerie as well as the characters kids will be able to relate to, especially those with young siblings.
There was fantastic world building and I didn’t want to put the book down. There were parts where the story got a little dark but nothing too scary.
This book is thrilling, exciting, nerve-wracking, mysterious with the introduction of fantasy lands and a villain that they will detest.
5/5
The Warrior in my Wardrobe Book Review
The Warrior in my Wardrobe is by Simon Farnaby. It is another hilarious time-travelling adventure.
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Join Rose, Merdyn the wizard and Bubbles the guinea pig in another hilarious time-travelling adventure. Rose must save her kidnapped brother from a Dark Ages Warrior!
Merdyn is the greatest wizard of the Dark Ages. Obviously.
Rose is his 21st-century descendent. Lucky her.
And Vanheldon the vandal warrior is FURIOUS! After all, last time they met, Merdyn turned his army to stone.
Seeking revenge, Vanheldon comes up with a way to kidnap Rose and transport her back to Dark Ages Transylvania, set on luring Merdyn into a terrible trap. Except – whoops! – his magical minion kidnaps Rose’s teenage brother Kris instead.
Rose, Merdyn and Bubbles the guinea pig must team up to save the day. But can they rescue Kris without creating historical mayhem? Will Rose’s wizard ancestor even remember her? (And want to help them?) And will Bubbles ever stop pooing?
REVIEW
This was a fantastic read and from the beginning Farnaby drew me in thinking about the Dark Ages and the possibility of magic. The main characters of Merdyn and Rose balanced each other out and I loved reading from each of their perspectives. I loved the added tension with trying to save Kris from a dark wizard.
Just like the Wizard in my Shed, younger readers will absolutely love The Warrior in my Wardrobe. The use of rhyme was fantastically used to add detail and whit to the end of some chapters.
5/5 stars
A Heartfelt Christmas Promise
A Heartfelt Christmas Promise is by Nancy Naigle.
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Vanessa Larkin was supposed to be spending Christmas in Paris, France on a business trip she hoped to enjoy as a working vacation. Instead, she’s been assigned to Fraser Hills, North Carolina–home of the Best Fruitcake in the USA–to convert her company’s property into warehouse space and shut down Porter’s, the fruitcake factory. Offering retirement packages and selling locals on new job opportunities may not spread holiday cheer, but Vanessa believes she’s helping secure the town’s future. Mike Marshall’s family founded Porter’s.
For decades, the factory served as the lifeblood of the community until his grandfather sold the business to a Chicago corporation. The sale cost the town its independence–and the Marshalls their family ties. A horse farmer, Mike was never involved with his grandfather’s company, but still felt Fraser Hills lost part of its identity. And as a widower raising a teenage daughter, he’s suffered enough losses in one lifetime. News of the factory’s closing means losing another piece of the town’s legacy.
Far from the skyscrapers and rapid pace of the city, Vanessa finds herself enjoying the easygoing rhythms of rural living. With Mike as her guide, she learns to appreciate the simple pleasures found in shared holiday festivities among friends. Fraser Hills is a town she is growing to love–and Mike is someone she is falling in love with.
Now all Vanessa needs is a Christmas miracle to give her newfound friends and home a gift they’ll cherish for many New Years to come.
REVIEW
I absolutely loved reading A Heartfelt Christmas Promise. This is a perfect holiday read for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The characters were great and I loved their interactions.
Definitely reading again closer to Christmas.
4/5 stars
A Shadow in the Ember Book Review
A Shadow in the Ember is the first book in the Flesh and Fire series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
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Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.
However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania–she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission–one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.
Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit–it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.
REVIEW
I absolutely loved returning to the world from the Blood and Ash series and meeting the characters that were mentioned in The Crown of Gilded Bones. The world and character building was fantastic and dived deeper into what we learned already form the Blood and Ash series. A Shadow in the Ember is a passionate romance with suspense and full of action.
Seraphena is such a strong character and I loved how she never gives up as well as having the weight of her people’s survival on her shoulders. Her interaction with Ash reminds me of Hades and Persephone which is one of my favourite characters. She is stabby just like Poppy and her relationship with Ash reminds of Casteel and Poppy.
Nyktos was amazing and I need more! I can’t wait for the next book.
5/5 stars
Em Reads 