Hello everyone! I was on vacation for the past week so I promise I’ll get to all the comments I’ve received while I was gone! I also have whole bunch of reviews sitting in my drafts that I need to finish 🙈 There were a few books that I really enjoyed, but for the most part this was a pretty mediocre reading month. Hopefully August will be better!

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MARKSWOMAN: I had been really looking forward to reading this, and while I think the plot and characters were great, the story moved very slowly. The setting and world-building was unique: it’s a post-apocalyptic world set in south Asia, but reads like a fantasy. As much as I was interested in the plot and characters, the pacing was too slow for me to really enjoy the book.  ★★★

 

THE FRAGILE ORDINARY:  This is a perfect read for the summer. It’s light, fast-paced, and engaging from start to finish. I read Samantha Young’s previous novel The Impossible Vastness of Us last year and was absolutely blown away by how much I loved it, so I was really looking forward to this. I enjoyed reading about the characters, their struggles, and the romance. I was also intrigued by the dynamic between Comet and her parents: it was so heartbreaking and it added depth to her character. I’m excited to read more from this author in the future!  ★★★½

FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS: This is my first Did Not Finish of the year. I am absolutely intrigued by the story, which is a Chinese retelling of The Evil Queen. I really enjoy reading villain backstories and books where the main characters are morally grey. However, this book dragged. I had to literally sit down and force myself to read another chapter. I really want to know how it all ends, but life is too short to read boring books.  DNF @ 62%

TOO WILDE TO WED: This was one of the more entertaining Historical Romance novels that I’ve read in a long time. I adored this. My favorite part about this book was that the hero, North, knows what he wants. Typically in HR books, we have heroes that avoid marriage and love at all costs, thus the conflict. However from the very beginning North is not shy about his love for Diana and his wish to marry her. The uncertainty lies with the heroine instead, and it was so refreshing! I loved the relationship and dynamic between these two character and the scenes with them were so steamy!  ★★★★½

THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED: The book kept me captivated the entire time I was reading. It was a fast read and I was definitely intrigue by some of the “secrets” that were eventually revealed. My favorite part about this book was the focus on the victims, and how the truth is not always what is reported. I also loved that the identity and any information/motive about the shooter remained a mystery. It was a good read overall, but there was still some emotional depth that was missing.  ★★★½

THE LANTERN’S EMBER: I really wish I had enjoyed this so much more than I had. The first couple of chapters had me falsely excited for an eerie story full of supernatural creatures. The combination of the characters, writing, and plot ultimately caused the story to fall flat for me. None of the characters felt fleshed out or had any kind of character growth as the story went on. The book is written in third person omniscient, which I think heavily contributed to the fact that the characters didn’t have much depth. The plot itself didn’t have much substance to it either; it was predictable, boring at times, and many of the conflicts were resolved a little too conveniently.  ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  [review]  ★★

ONE SMALL THING: The thing I love about reading Erin Watt’s books is that they’re always light, easy reads that keep me captivated from beginning until end. The story was entertaining, although there were a few aspects that became redundant after a while. The characters were not terribly complex, but they were interesting and I enjoyed following their story. Books like this are the perfect summer read!  ★★★

SADIE: This book was damned good: it’s a brilliant, gripping YA thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time you’re reading. The story is told in two separate parts: it alternates between Sadie’s POV following the murder of her sister and in the form of podcast episodes as the host attempts to find Sadie, who has since gone missing. I think it worked well for the story being told and that Courtney Summers executed it perfectly. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy listening to podcasts like Up and Vanished or Serial.  ARC provided by the publisher.  [review]  ★★★★★

FOUR DEAD QUEENS: I loved this. First of all, we need more standalone books in the YA fantasy genre. The story is a combination of fantasy and murder mystery, and it was executed perfectly. It was well written, had great world-building, and the characters were wonderful. The book was fast paced and I couldn’t seem to stop reading. The ending has a couple of twists that caught me by surprise and really heightened by enjoyment of the book. I think a lot of people are going to love this and I know it’s going to popular when it comes out!  ARC provided by the publisher.  [review]  ★★★★

STAR-TOUCHED STORIES: Roshani Chokshi has quickly become one of my favorites authors. Her writing is incredibly beautiful and her storytelling is always mesmerizing. I didn’t realize how much I wanted/needed these short stories from the world of The Star-Touched Queen until I started reading this, and now I want a hundred more. All three stories were magical and the perfect compliments to The Star-Touched Queen and A Crown of Wishes.  ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  [review]  ★★★★★

MY PLAIN JANE: Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classic novels, so I thought I would absolutely love this. The book started out strong, but I kept dropping off stars as I read on. The humor was the same light-hearted and silly jokes and quips as it was in My Lady Jane, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also really loved having Charlotte Brontë as a second character and Jane’s best friend. My biggest issue was the ending in regards to the romance. I won’t spoil anything, but it really irked me.  ★★★

SHADOW OF THE FOX: There was so much to love about this book. The Japanese folklore and magic was heavily present, and it was truly amazing. The story is told through alternating chapters, and I really enjoyed both of the protagonists. There were a couple parts where it seemed the main characters were able to resolve conflict a bit too easily, but other than that I had a great time reading this and I can’t wait for the sequel!  ARC provided by the publisher.  [review]  ★★★

ESCAPING FROM HOUDINI: I adore this series. I was bit nervous going into this because I kept seeing mentions of a love triangle. For those worried like me, let me assuage your fears: there kind of is, but there really isn’t. It makes sense in the context of the story and it all works out by the end. My only two issues with this was that I was annoyed with some of Audrey Rose’s actions, and that there wasn’t enough Thomas Cresswell. Kerri Maniscalco has mentioned that she changed the ending, so I’m super intrigued by what will be different!  ARC provided by the publisher.  ★★★★

OTHER

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