Tag: 7 Rating

Kate’s Review: “The Lightning Bottles”

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Book: “The Lightning Bottles” by Marissa Stapley

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC24.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: The author of New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick Lucky returns with a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and star-crossed love, following Jane Pyre’s road trip around Europe as she attempts to find out what really happened to her partner in love and music, who disappeared without a trace years earlier, leaving Jane to pick up the pieces.

Jane Pyre was once one half of one of the most famous rock ‘n’ roll duos in the world, The Lightning Bottles. Years later, she’s perhaps the most hated (and least understood) woman in music. She was never as popular with fans as her bandmate (and soulmate) Elijah—even if Jane was the one who wrote the songs that catapulted The Lightning Bottles to instant, dizzying fame, first in the Seattle grunge scene, and then around the world.

But then Elijah disappeared and everything came crashing down. Even now, years after Elijah vanished, Jane is universally blamed and reviled by the public. In an attempt to get some peace and quiet, Jane rents a house in a remote part of Germany where she knows she won’t be disturbed. But on the day she arrives, she’s confronted by her new next-door neighbor, a sullen teenaged girl named Hen who just so happens to be a Lightning Bottles superfan—and who claims to have a piece of information that might solve the mystery of what happened to Elijah, and whether he is, in fact, still alive and leaving messages for Jane after all these years.

A cross-continent road trip about two misunderstood outsiders brought together by their shared love of music, interwoven with flashbacks to the beginnings of Jane and Elijah’s love story and meteoric rise, The Lightning Bottles is a love story, a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll, and a searing portrait of the cost of fame.

Review: Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

I was a bit young to really get into the grunge era of music, but I do remember some of my elementary school classmates listening to Nirvana, and some of my tween friends worshiping Kurt Cobain in middle school a few years after his death. But by high school I was very much aware of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love and their short lived, dramatic, but ultimately true romance, in part due to the fact I was hyperfocusing on The Sex Pistols and there were lots of comparisons between Sid and Nancy and Kurt and Courtney. So I was very familiar with the pop culture zeitgeist around that when I heard a description of “The Lightning Bottles” by Marissa Stapley at the Simon & Schuster Fall Preview panel at ALAAC24. I loved the idea of a road trip mystery as a former rock star goes on a journey to perhaps find her husband and musical partner who disappeared, and to come to terms with the way that fame shaped and in some ways destroyed them both. Especially since it sounded like it was going to perhaps do some unpacking of Kurt and Courtney through the characters of Elijah and Jane.

I had been expecting more of a mystery, but what I got was basically “Eddie and the Cruisers” meets Kurt and Courtney. And that’s not too much of a complaint! I do enjoy the idea of a mystery of a beloved rockstar disappearing, and his controversial wife/bandmate going on a journey to try and see if he is still alive (with scrappy teenager in tow), and “The Lightning Bottles” does deliver an interesting plot with lots of twists and turns. But this book is more about artistry, the price of fame, and how sometimes love isn’t enough to keep two damaged people from causing more damage towards each other. Stapley definitely takes inspiration from Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and his marriage to Hole frontwoman (and perhaps one of the most hated women in music) Courtney Love, but Elijah and Jane, Jane especially, stand on their own two feet. I liked learning their love story through the flashbacks and the transcripts of their chat room conversations, and while I don’t think I got to know Elijah as much as I did Jane (which is to be expected given it’s really her story at its heart), I REALLY got to know Jane, and I really loved Jane by the end. I do wish that there was a little bit more mystery at the forefront though. Even “Eddie and the Cruisers” had some tense moments in regards to what happend to Eddie, even if it was ultimately about Tom Berenger rediscovering himself.

And that may be my one complaint in this book; Stapley may be a little TOO forgiving of Jane, and in turn perhaps her inspiration (an author’s note makes it fairly clear that Stapley really wanted to champion Courtney Love). Please don’t misunderstand me, I absolutely believe that a lot of the animosity towards Love, especially when it comes to Kurt Cobain, is unfair, unfounded, and steeped in misogyny, especially since we’ve seen this kind of thing before in rock and roll narratives of a horrible woman ruining a band when that’s just not founded at the end of the day (Yoko Ono comes to mind). I love that Stapley wanted to be sure to show that Jane was so wholly misunderstood, and that it was very unfair that Elijah’s problems were never laid upon Elijah and only on Jane. Especially when those problems were causing JANE problems in her own right. But that also makes Jane a little less interesting by making her flaws easily explained away, when her real life counterpart is VERY flawed for reasons that go waaaay beyond the bullshit she had to endure in regards Cobain. And I felt that by denying Jane some flaws that had some bite, it denied her some more complexity that she probably could have used.

As a whole I enjoyed “The Lightning Bottles”. It’s a love letter to a musical era, it’s an enjoyable love story, and it has some emotional beats that caught me off guard.

Rating 7: I was expecting more of a mystery but instead found a compelling love story about fame, music, and the highs and lows of being in love as an artist on the verge of greatness, or tragedy.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Lightning Bottles” isn’t on many Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on “Best Rock and Roll Novels”.

Kate’s Review: “Dearest”

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Book: “Dearest” by Jacquie Walters

Publishing Info: Mulholland Books, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from a panel at ALAAC24.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A new mom in need of help opens her door to her long-estranged mother—only to invite something much darker inside—in this “fast-paced and frightening debut” (Rachel Harrison) about the long shadows cast by family secrets, perfect for readers of Grady Hendrix or Ashley Audrain.

Flora is a new mom enamored of her baby girl, Iris, even if she arrived a few weeks early. With her husband still deployed, Flora navigates the newborn stage alone. But as the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur.

Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up: Flora’s own mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more Flora’s mother isn’t telling her about the events that led to their estrangement?

As stranger and scarier events unfold, Flora begins to suspect the house is not as empty as she once thought. She must determine: is her hold on reality slipping dangerously away? Or is she, in fact, the only thing standing between a terrifying visitor and her baby? 

Review: Thank you to Mulholland Books for providing me with an ARC at ALAAC24!

I’ve touched on here about those early days of being a new Mom and how stressful it can be. I was actually very lucky during those first few months of being a new parent, as I have a great support system in town, my husband was able to take a fair amount of time off of work, and we were able to split care up pretty evenly between us (though once COVID hit a few months after she was born the isolation and stress did get to be a bit much!). But I know that I was very lucky, and that even though it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t a nightmare, like it can be for some. I love that more books are talking about this, especially horror novels, and “Dearest” by Jacquie Walters is one of the newest to take motherhood and turn it into a horror story.

There is a bit of a supernatural bent to this book that I don’t really want to spoil, but I will say that this was surprisingly the weaker thread of the novel. That’s not to say that it was bad or poorly done. I did enjoy the way that Walters brought in these elements and how she built it up, specifically an element regarding sleep paralysis and Night Hags, and how she wove them into the story at hand. It also led to a pretty well done twist that I didn’t see coming at all, which made me go back and look for the clues. But I do think that it undercut the power of the horrors that were about Flora dealing with a newborn as a new mom while also dealing with her estranged mother whom she called for help, and who has always had a cruel streak that is popping up again as they reunite.

But what really worked for me were the themes of postpartum depression, the stresses of new parents, specifically mothers, and generational trauma that can fester and pass down from person to person. I found Flora’s experiences as a newly postpartum mother with a newborn and little to no support (as her husband is deployed and delayed getting home) to be heart wrenching, incredibly tense, and in some ways pretty relatable. Walters shows how much it can be a struggle, and how mothers feel like they aren’t supposed to see it as a struggle and therefore it just gets worse and worse until, in some very tragic instances, the unthinkable happens. She also puts very realistic problems like the pressures to breastfeed (even with painful infections), the way that some people dismiss a mother’s stress, the sleep deprivation, and the societal pressures to be a perfect loving mother from the jump, at the forefront and pulls out the tension and the horrors of simply being a new mother in a culture that doesn’t offer as much support as it could. Add in the way that Flora’s mother, whom she reaches out to in desperation, needles, picks at, and has damaged her adult daughter, and it made this reader very, very tense. I’ve said it many times in the past couple of years, but with many women in this country being forced into pregnancies and motherhood due to a lack of reproductive rights, these kinds of stories are especially chilling these days.

Overall I enjoyed “Dearest”. I would have liked a little more, but it’s another effective horror story about motherhood.

Rating 7: A haunting tale of motherhood, generational trauma, and how a lack of support can drive a mother to do things she’d never dream of, “Dearest” is a tense book that felt all too real at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dearest” is included on the Goodreads list “September 2024 Horror”.

Kate’s Review: “The Night Guest”

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Book: “The Night Guest” by Hildur Knútsdóttir & Mary Robinette Kowal (Translator)

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.0rg | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Hildur Knutsdottir’s The Night Guest is an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary Reykjavík that’s sure to keep you awake at night.

Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven’t revealed any cause.

When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same ― have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.

Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .

What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

Earlier this summer I went into the doctor for some weird symptoms that seemed to come out of nowhere. I was experiencing head spinning and elevated heart rate at times, mostly when driving, and I was worried that something was wrong. But after running tests and even putting me on a heart monitor for two weeks, the doctor wasn’t able to find anything out of the ordinary (and the symptoms generally resolved), and I ended up having to basically chalk it up to anxiety (and given that I had a massive anxiety episode a couple months later that was probably the case). But in the moment I was very stressed about symptoms that weren’t really explainable no matter how supportive my provider was (and she was!). So there were some aspects of “The Night Guest” by Hildur Knútsdóttir that were personally very relatable to me, what with the question of medical mysteries and the stress that comes with it. Luckily I can say that the relatability ended there, as this novel was supremely, SUPREMELY, creepy, and just got creepier as it went on.

I loved how weird and creepy this book is. We are following the perspective of Iðunn, a woman living in Reykjavik who has been exhausted and feeling poorly, although her medical tests are coming up without any answers. But after she buys a watch with step counts, and the counts over night are in the tens of thousands in spite of her thinking she’s asleep, the first person POV novella slowly spirals as she becomes more and more incoherent and unhinged. Knútsdóttir really captures a deeply disturbing tone, starting with the already kind of upsetting (but also too real) scenario of a woman dealing with medical issues that no one else can really explain, and how hopeless that can feel, and going deeper and deeper int weird territory as phantom steps, weird injuries, and other odd things begin popping up that feel connected to Iðunn. Since it’s in the first person we really get into Iðunn’s mind and slowly learn her backstory as her perspective is crumbling more and more. I absolutely loved how bananas this descent was, and how we do learn things about her and her background and part of what may be driving her mental state as these bizarre things are happening to her. It’s very much an unreliable narration story, but Knútsdóttir hits the exact right notes to make it abjectly horrifying the longer is goes on until even the reader feels like they are going mad.

One qualm? I did find the ending to be a little confusing and perhaps a little too quick. There is always a risk of going too deep into the weeds with an unreliable narrator that is perhaps losing their mental faculties, and I think that’s what may have happened here. It’s a hard balance to strike when trying to keep a consistent tone to a character, but also having to maybe explain SOMETHING as the story wraps up. I didn’t feel like we really got that there, though I do understand that it may be a bit difficult to do so with the trajectory that Iðunn took and where she was by the ending. But that being said, it kind of made the ending more of a thud than a stuck landing.

But at the end of the day I found “The Night Guest” to be really weird and unsettling in a really good way. Should more of Knútsdóttir’s works be translated I would definitely seek it out, what a strange and unique story this was.

Rating 7: Super creepy and very unnerving, but a frantic and confusing ending bumped my score down just a little bit.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Night Guest” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “The Phoenix Keeper”

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Book: “The Phoenix Keeper” by S. A. Maclean

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job…

She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species – and her love life – now rests on her shoulders.

Review: There was a lot to like about the summary for this one. The concept alone sounded intriguing and unlike anything I had read before. Add in a dash of romance and some fantasy creatures, and my interest was thoroughly piqued! I’m also on the never-ending quest to hone in exactly what makes certain cozy fantasies work for me while other don’t. This one may have clarified one factor for me!

Unfortunately, that clarification fell on the more negative side. But let’s start with some positives! Overall, I very much enjoyed the concept of this book. The ins-and-outs of that fantastical zoo were all interesting and exciting to explore. For a book that is light on plot, the author took great advantage of all the unique aspects of her setting and the magical creatures that populated it.

I also enjoyed the main character, Aila for the most part. I thought the depiction of her introversion and social anxiety were done well, neatly exploring both concepts without reducing Aila to nothing but these traits. There wasn’t necessarily a lot of new depth to these topics, however as they are both, especially social anxiety, topics that have been well-covered recently. This is, of course, a decided improvement on the past where characters like this were never seen on the page. However, it does present a challenge to authors going forward to distinguish their own characters and stories from a more dense market. This one wasn’t bad, by any means, but it also did not stand out from the crowd.

The romance was also perfectly serviceable. It hit all of the predictable points that one expects from an “enemies to lovers” romance, and the two characters had good chemistry. That said, while I think romance stories like this often follow distinct patterns, this one was a bit too predictable. That, combined with the lighter plot, did make the entire reading experience feel a bit thin.

And, finally, for my revelation about cozy fantasies (and perhaps cozy-any genre): I think it’s the day-to-day aspect that I personally struggle with. I can think of several authors who write cozy fantasies that I very much enjoy. But when I think about the stories themselves, they all are still heavy on plot while deploying an overall “cozy” style to the writing and world-building. On the other hand, cozy fantasies like this, which are light on plot and tell a very day-to-day story are more of a struggle for me. Of course, this is a very subjective take, and there are readers out there who enjoy this sort of book. But while I like the vibes of cozy fiction, I do still need an actual story attached. And this, like others in the same subgenre, had very little of that to speak of. What action we did see was confined to the last quarter of the book and very predictable. The rest of the book was devoted to the minutia of Aila’s life and, frankly, often bored me.

So, I think readers’ enjoyment of this book will very much come down to their personal feelings on day-to-day type stories. If you like them, this is the book for you (though I still think there are better options to be had, even in this sub-sub-genre)! If you don’t, not so much.

Rating 7: The book accomplishes what it sets out to do: tell a day-t0-day cozy fantasy/romance. However, it fails to bring anything new to the subgenre or the themes its attempting to cover.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Phoenix Keeper” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best books of August, 2024

Kate’s Review: “Haunt Sweet Home”

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Book: “Haunt Sweet Home” by Sarah Pinsker

Publishing Info: Tordotcom, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: On the set of a kitschy reality TV show, staged scares transform into unnerving reality in this spooky ghost story from multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Sarah Pinsker.

“Don’t talk to day about what we do at night.”

When aimless twenty-something Mara lands a job as the night-shift production assistant on her cousin’s ghost hunting/home makeover reality TV show Haunt Sweet Home, she quickly determines her new role will require a healthy attitude toward duplicity. But as she hides fog machines in the woods and improvises scares to spook new homeowners, a series of unnerving incidents on set and a creepy new coworker force Mara to confront whether the person she’s truly been deceiving and hiding from all along―is herself.

Eerie and empathetic, Haunt Sweet Home is a multifaceted, supernatural exploration of finding your own way into adulthood, and into yourself.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novella!

Well, Summer is pretty much over, and while I do admit I will miss the pool and other outdoor activities as the temperatures drop, Autumn is my favorite season and it’s no contest. I am also one of those weirdos who decides that Halloween Season begins the moment that Labor Day ends, and what better way to celebrate that than with a spooky book? And if you are looking for a spooky book that isn’t TOO spooky, well then do I have a good title for you: “Haunt Sweet Home” by Sarah Pinsker! Are you kind of interested in getting in the Halloween mood, but don’t want to dive in too deep, either because you aren’t a lunatic like I am or because you like your horror a little on the lighter side? Then look no further.

This is a novella, so it’s a pretty quick read, but for being quick it hit all of the correct beats and parsed out an engaging and at times eerie ghost story while also effectively taking on mediocre reality TV shows. I never got into home improvement shows, but I do have some experience with ghost hunting TV, and “Haunt Sweet Home” nails the false pretenses of reality TV and the way it can manipulate those who participate and those who consume. We follow Mara, a twenty something who hasn’t found her lot in life yet and is convinced to join her cousin’s incredibly successful reality TV show where he not only renovates and makes over houses, but also investigates hauntings. Mara becomes a lower rung PA and finds out how the sausage gets made on a show like this, but also encounters some strange, and perhaps otherworldly, characters along the way. It’s a ghost story that has a genuine self discovery theme, and I found it to be honest about the frustrations of not knowing your path as well as honest about the faux imagry of reality TV. I especially liked the way that Pinsker frames the novella with excerpts of pivotal episode transcripts for “Haunt Sweet Home”, and how they seem to show one thing, but then slowly reveal something else as the story goes on. As someone who doesn’t watch a lot of reality TV but is also deeply fascinated with the genre and how produced it actually is I really enjoyed the peek behind the curtain here.

And while I didn’t find this book particularly scary, I don’t think that being scary was the goal. And that worked in its favor, as the coziness of this tale is hard to deny and the journey of self discovery is pretty well done. Mara’s encounters with the supernatural are pretty clear if you know what to look for from the jump, and even when they are revealed its less a surprise and more of a puzzle piece that helps explain her motivations going forward, and a fairly enjoyable arc for our somewhat aimless protagonist. It’s the kind of spooky-esque read that would be perfect for people who don’t really like super scary stories, but want something to pick up during Autumn as the leaves turn and Halloween creeps up upon us. Mara had a tendency to be a bit frustrating at times, but I don’t think that was unintentional, and because of that it worked pretty well for the narrative.

Overall, if you want a more gentle and cozy horror tale for the upcoming spooky season, “Haunt Sweet Home” is a pretty good option. It’s quick, it’s charming, it has vibes for the Halloween fiends who want gentler fare for sure.

Rating 7: An introspective ghost story about bad reality TV and self discovery, “Haunt Sweet Home” is a quick read perfect for the upcoming Autumn season.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Haunt Sweet Home” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in with other Cozy Horror books.

Serena’s Review: “Mistress of Lies”

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Book: “Mistress of Lies” by K. M. Enright

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he’s drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he’s worked so hard to avoid – and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan’s plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.

Review: This is another case where I’ll admit that I was initially drawn in by the unique cover art. Even without the book description or the title, it’s pretty easy to understand the general tone of the book with one simple look! And after looking into it further, I found a lot of other elements that typically intrigue me. Morally grey heroines! Spies! Revenge tales!

To start with the pros, I did like some of the original world-building elements of this story, especially its use of vampires. Not only are vampires one of the most popular supernatural beings to pop up in fiction for centuries, but they are having a bit of a resurgence here in 2024, with numerous titles releasing this year focusing on vampires in one way or another. So to introduce a fresh-feeling take on a society in which they exist is worth noting and praising! I really enjoyed learning about this society, with the Blood Workers, blood magic, and the lowly unblooded. If anything, I’d say that the strength of these ideas was let down in the rather lackluster focus that was given to them. For having one of the main characters being unblooded himself, I felt like we were still left with very little insight into the actual lives of these people.

In a similar vein (ha!), I found myself liking the idea of many of these characters more than the characters themselves. For one thing, the story quickly fell into the trap of telling the reader a lot of facts and traits about the characters, but then proceeded to roll out a plot in which the reader never saw any of this in action. The most obvious example is Shan herself. The story opens with an action-packed bang, with Shan finally committing step one of her plan for vengeance. It’s exciting and sets Shan up as an interesting character with much more to come! But, unfortunately, that very first scene is ultimately the peak of her entire arc. We’re told repeatedly that she’s a mastermind, but as the plot bottoms out towards the middle, the reader is left to reconcile what they’ve been told to believe about the character with the reality of Shan’s very poor decision-making throughout.

This is a polyamory romance, as well, which I think requires even more skill from the author to properly set up and convey. Personally, I don’t love polyamory romances, but that’s a “me thing” as far as my own preferences for the types of love stories I enjoy and thus I didn’t factor this into my rating. That said, I do think that, again, the reader is often told that these character have chemistry, rather than showing it in any meaningful way. There seems to be insta-lust every way one looks, and I couldn’t buy any of these characters as truly having deep feelings for one another, in any combination.

Overall, this was a bit of a lackluster reader for me. There was a lot of potential in the world-building, and the entire thing started out on a high note. But as the story continued, the plot began to feel thin on the ground and the character inconsistencies became difficult to ignore. If you’re a bit fan of poplyamory romances, this may be worth checking out (again, as I don’t love this sort of romance novel, I don’t have a lot of comparison to bring in to my evaluation). But as a general fantasy title, I think there have been better vampire novels all around.

Rating 7: An exciting start and a creative world were let down by some lack-luster characterization in its protagonists.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Mistress of Lies” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Vampire Renaissance and Queer Polyamory.

Kate’s Review: “Practical Rules for Cursed Witches”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Practical Rules for Cursed Witches” by Kayla Cottingham

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, August 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC24.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Magic is in Delilah Bea’s blood. Her absentee father is the world’s most famous cursebreaker, while all the women in her family are fated to never find true love. So when Delilah graduates her magical training and must complete her Calling, she has the perfect task in mind—to break the Bea family curse.

But Delilah’s Calling is hijacked by Kieran Pelumbra, a member of the wealthiest and most powerful family in the country, and breaking his curse suddenly becomes her official assignment. Every generation, a pair of Pelumbra twins are doomed, with one twin draining the other of their life and magic. Each day, Kieran grows weaker while Briar gets closer to…something monstrous.

As Delilah and the twins set out on their quest, they quickly realize that breaking the Pelumbra curse isn’t going to be simple. For one, the Pelumbra family doesn’t actually want their curse broken—and they’ve sent hunters after them to ensure they fail. Secondly…it’s Briar. There’s just something about her that gets under Delilah’s skin and makes her want to kiss the perpetually grumpy look off her face. But with time running out for the twins and Delilah’s own curse getting in the way, they may not stand a chance of finding their Happily Ever After.

Review: Thank you to Delacorte and Penguin Random House for giving me an ARC at ALAAC24!

One of the books that I was very much on the hunt for at ALAAC24 (there were many, mind you) was the newest novel from Kayla Cottingham. I really enjoyed their previous two YA books, which were both horror stories with some Sapphic romance themes, and I found them both to be engaging and well done. When I heard that their next book, “Practical Rules for Cursed Witches”, was going to be witch centered I was very excited, for obvious reasons to those who know me. What I didn’t expect was that it was going to be a departure from the horror genre completely, and instead would be a cozy fantasy romance. It didn’t make me less excited, but it did make me wonder if my expectations were going to be a bit dashed. And the answer to that is ‘yes’. But not in a bad way!

The first thing that stood out for me is that even though I don’t usually gravitate towards fantasy, the coziness of this one really worked for me. It’s not too shocking given that I have liked other cozy fantasies as of late like “Legends and Lattes”, and much like that one this book just felt really comforting and filled with a certain whimsy. Our protagonist is Delilah, a young witch who wants to make her Calling (a final trial to fully come into her powers) about breaking her family curse (in which the women in her family are doomed to be forgotten by their romantic partners), but has it hijacked by Kieran Pelumbra, who has his own family curse he wants rid of. Delilah is the daughter of a well known Cursebreaker (though she never met him), and Kieran wants her to break the curse that is siphoning his powers to his estranged twin Briar. I’m already into it in terms of the basic groundwork, and Cottingham easily builds this magical world and all of its systems, making all of it easy to f0llow and easy to invest in. The magical society is well established and I really enjoyed all of the witchy moments in this book.

I also really liked the ‘found family’ aspects of this story, as well as the way that Cottingham writes the romance between Delilah and Briar. It checks a lot of boxes for my romance preferences, as I really liked the antagonism between the two at the start and how they slowly start to understand each other because it makes for a very satisfying pay off. Cottingham’s biggest strength in their works is how well they piece together characters and relationships, and I so loved seeing this group of friends come together to try and save Kieran and Briar from their family curse, and finding connections with each other along the way. These kinds of themes are the things that really make fantasies work for me, and this one is SO sweet and so charming. It strikes me as the kind of book you would want to read in the Fall when you are trying to find some of the homier and cozier aspects of the season, and I’ve said ‘cozy’ so many times because this is just the epitome of that for me. And while it’s true that this being a fantasy story means that it does have personal drawbacks for me as a reader, I know so many people who love the genre who would probably love this book. I’m thoroughly impressed that Cottingham jumped so easily from horror to this story.

“Practical Rules for Cursed Witches” is a sweet novel that showcases Kayla Cottingham’s talents as an author beyond their usual genres (or at least the genres I’m used to). I love being surprised by a book and this one really achieved that.

Rating 7: A charming cozy fantasy romance from a YA author I really enjoy, “Practical Rules for Cursed Witches” is the perfect read if you want a cozy fall book!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Practical Rules for Cursed Witches” is included on the Goodreads lists “Sapphic Fiction 2024”, and “August 2024 Romantasy Releases”.

Joint Review: “The Seventh Veil of Salome”

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Book: “The Seventh Veil of Salome” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publishing Info: Del Rey, August 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate received an eARC from NetGalley;

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine — but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.

So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.

Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.

But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.

Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.

Kate’s Thoughts

I am always game to read a new book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, as she has truly proven herself to be a literary powerhouse who can easily jump from genre to genre. She has done horror, fantasy, Sci-Fi, romance, thrillers, she really nails every genre she takes on. Because of this I was very excited for “The Seventh Veil of Salome”, as not only was it a historical fiction novel, it also had a focus on 1950s Hollywood and all the glitz, glamor, and tragedy that comes with it. As someone who loves that kind of thing, I went in with very high hopes.

I can safely say that this was a bit of a mixed bag for me in spite of my high hopes. But that has a bit less to do with execution and more to do with my expectations, I am willing to bet. Mostly because I have absolutely no background knowledge of the story of Salome, being someone who grew up with no religion in her life and no experience with even the Biblical epics of Hollywood from this time (no I haven’t seen “The Ten Commandments”, or “Ben-Hur”, or “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, or anything like that). I had never even heard of her until I picked up this book, and I feel like that made the parts of the book that followed her not as interesting as they could have been. I had no way to understand what Moreno-Garcia was doing with her story and how it was subverting or reinterpreting the original story, and I found myself skimming those sections. That said, I REALLY enjoyed the parts of the book that followed Vera Larios, a recently discovered actress from Mexico who is set to play Salome in a 1950s Biblical epic, as Moreno-Garcia really captured the way that Hollywood was such a fantasy, but also cutthroat, racist, and misogynistic, especially in the time of the studios having lots of power and morality codes running amok. Watching Vera rise and fall, due to the nastiness of those surrounding her, was compelling and incredibly engaging.

So while some of “The Seventh Veil of Salome” was a bit lost on me, the Hollywood plot was really well done. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again!

Serena’s Thoughts

In the funny way that these things tend to work, I had the opposite experience of this book while also coming to the same ultimate conclusion! In the end (as you’ll see), I rated this one the same as Kate did, as certain parts worked well for me, but other didn’t as much. The opposite part is that I was much more invested in the Biblical story of Salome than I was in the Hollywood story! Even with a fairly thorough understanding of Bible stories, Salome is not a character who is often explored. She has a throw-away scene that is rarely explored in any depth, which makes her the ideal character for a story such as this that attempts to flesh her out into a more actualized character. I found her entire story fascinating (though I’ll admit that having familiarity with Bible stories and history will likely help readers in this part). I also enjoy historical fiction, so simply genre-wise, this was the part of the story that connected with the type of book I often gravitate towards.

However, the Hollywood story was a bit more of a mixed bag. It seems that Moreno-Garcia is on a bit of a kick with old-time movies as her last book also focused on the history of Mexican cinematography. Unfortunately for me, I’m not really interested in these topics, so they don’t hit as well for me as they do for fans of Hollywood and cinema history. That said, I was pleased to see the return of Moreno-Garcia’s classic POV villain. She excels at writing characters you love-to-hate, and here was another classic example! That said, like Kate with the Salome story, I did find myself skimming through some of the Hollywood story lines.

I think the take-away here is that there is no denying this author’s talent, especially at genre-hopping and taking on obscure stories and points in history. This one is a combination of two very different storylines, so parts may work for certain readers, and other parts for other readers. Or you’ll be that unicorn reader who has been on the look-out for a book that covers lesser-known Bible characters AND Hollywood history!

Kate’s Rating 7: I really enjoyed the Hollywood parts, but the actual story of Salome dragged a bit for me at times. All in all, a solid historical fiction tale from a literary chameleon!

Serena’s Rating 7: On the other hand, I really enjoyed the Bible characters parts, but struggled more with the Hollywood storyline. However, the author remains an incredibly solid writer and I can’t wait to check out her next title!

Reader’s Advisory

“The Seventh Veil of Salome” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Hollywood and Theatre Fiction”, and “Anticipated Literary Reads for Readers of Color 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “Apprentice to the Villain”

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Book: “Apprentice to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publishing Info: Penguin, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from a marketer!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: From the creator of the viral TikTok videos about the sunshine assistant to the evil villain and their unexpected romance comes the second book in the hotly-anticipated fantasy romance series.

Review: This one might come a bit as a surprise, as I didn’t review the first book when it came out last summer. But I did read it! I just didn’t have that many thoughts to add to the conversation. I mostly thought it was fine, verging on having a lot of potential with some of the snappier moments of writing. With this in mind, I was excited to check this one out when the marketer contacted me about reading and reviewing the sequel this summer! Let’s dive in!

I will say, now that I have read this book, I feel that a review for the first book is even less necessary than it was before! In that, many of my opinions from that book transferred over to this one. This was probably most notable in areas that were frustrating in them both, but some of the aspects that I thought were strengths came even more into their own here. For one thing, I think the writing is very fun and engaging. Even when I was perhaps suppressing an eyeroll or two, I was still compulsively reading at break-neck pace! That was true in the first book and was just as true here. In fact, I’d say the writing improved overall. Most notably, perhaps, I think some of the comedy aspects of this one landed better. (Though, I’ve had a rough summer with comedic fantasy novels, so sometimes I worry that I may just be desperately searching for one that works at all!)

However, I still struggled with the characterization of the female main character, Evie. Look, I enjoyed the “grumpy/sunshine” romance trope as much as the next person, but there is a very fine line between writing a “sunshine”/optimistic character and writing one that comes across as a rather air-headed child. And unfortunately, both in the first book and here, that’s the case for Evie. Some of this comes down to word-choice on the author’s part, often using turns of phrases repeatedly, such as “scrunches her nose,” that does nothing to portray Evie as a serious character. When paired with the romantic hero (generally a better written character, especially in this second book), it leads to a bit of an “ick” factor. If we weren’t given an age, Evie could read like a 13-year old girl with the way she is described and her incredible levels of naivete at points. While I think the more plot-focused approach that this book took helped it some in comparison to the first, I still found myself disappointed by this portrayal, and due to this, the romance itself.

All of this said, I know that the first book was wildly popular, and as this one is much of the same, I have no doubt that it, too, will be well-received. If you’re looking for tight plotting or deeper character arcs, I don’t think this series is for you. But if you’re wanting a fast, at times quite fun, ride than you might enjoy this.

Rating 7: If you enjoyed the first book, this one will be for you. But many of my personal struggles there carried over here as well, particularly with regards to the child-like characterization of the heroine.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Assistant to the Villain” can be found on these Goodreads lists: In Her Villain Era and Witchy Fall Vibes

Serena’s Review: “The Coven”

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Book: “The Coven” by Harper L. Woods

Publishing Info: Bramble, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate. My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University―where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment.

There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen.

Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove’s victims don’t kill them first.

Review: So, I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous going into this one, because based on the description alone I was getting strong “Gothikana” vibes. And we all remember how I felt about that… That said, there was a reason I picked that book up in the first place, and it’s the same one that drew my interest in this book: dark academia! I’m also always down for gothic vibes and romance. Though, I’m always a bit concerned when we venture too far into the realm of “student/teacher” type love stories. But let’s see how this one did!

Well, I did struggle a bit with this one, but it was definitely not the complete dumpster fire that was “Gothikana,” so at least we’re moving in the right direction! For one thing, this one was simply better written. The prose flows fairly well and, for the most part, the dialogue feels natural. And since we’re starting with writing, I’ll say that the spicy scenes were on the better side as well. This, of course, is very subjective, but I often find myself cringing during many authors’ approach to intimate scenes, but these seemed to be on the better side, avoiding many of the pitfalls I personally struggle with.

I also enjoyed the start of the book and meeting the main character, Willow. Her magical abilities were interesting and her backstory for why she was coming in to the school late felt like it was leading to a good arc. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the male main character, Gray. Not only does the book lean hard into “insta-love” between these two, but Gray is a fairly unlikable character all around. Now, to be fair, the author did provide a note in the beginning of the book about this character’s villainous tendencies, so I can’t say that I wasn’t warned. At the same time, he’s truly unlikable! There’s a fine line between writing a love interest who falls on the darker side of things, and then writing one who is just a manipulative jerk and a walking red flag. Gray is definitely the latter. So much so that I felt even more attached to Willow purely on a maternal level in that I kept wanting to dive into the book and be like “Girl, no!”

The plot was also all over the place. Things were happening, sure, but at times it felt almost random. Plot points would be introduced, dropped, re-visited and discarded at any given moment. It was incredibly difficult to know what exactly I was meant to be focusing in on at any moment, and this erratic approach to plotting left the pacing very off. I found myself becoming more bored than I should have been, given the amount of action that was taking place. But if all of the plot pieces are as disconnected as these, it’s almost the same as having no plot in the first place.

Overall, this was just an ok read. I’ll probably check out the second one, just because I’m trying to give more authors/series a second chance, but I do have concerns, based on this book. There is potential here, but the balance between the “romance” (insta-love) and the actual plot of the story felt off. I’d say readers who enjoy very villainous, dark romantic leads are the most likely to enjoy this one. But if you’re at all wary on that front, probably best to pass this one up.

Rating 7: There was potential in the main character and some of the fantasy elements, but I hated the male main character way too much to bump this one further up.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Coven” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best Romantasy Books from Indie Authors in 2023 and Red Flowers – Covers.