Cleopatra - Tumultuous tale of the temptress queen

 Saara El-Arifi pens a mellifluous ode to the sweeping tale of Cleopatra - temptress, pharoah, witch and siren. Narrated in first person, the tale meanders, luxuriating in the Egyptian cities and finding truth, in the elusive politics that make an empress. In a city where the pharaoh is considered God-akin, Cleopatra contends with powerful siblings, her own scholarship of healing, despite not being blessed by Isis, her God Blessed, and the scheming machinations of a young Roman empire.

Throughout the tale, her ruminations and unapologetic frankness for her actions and behavior were brilliant in building the facade of ruthlessness while instilling the guilt of victory over siblings, how every action, every move she made was tied to a male - her living as her own true self made a mockery of by the populace who felt cowed in her confidence and strong sense of self.

Imbued with strong leadership skills and an innate facility to impress audiences, Cleopatra walks a lonely path, where she is scorned and her brilliance never finding the succor it requisites.

"You will never define me, and that is the purest form of freedom I can hope to find in this life I've been cursed to endure."  

My heartfelt thanks to Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with the unique opportunity to peruse the arc! Looking forward to more feminist forward richness from Saara!

Order of Royals - Step into a wonderland of twisted fairytales

 Jude Deveraux's Blue Swan series is a genuine mash up between Alice in Wonderland and Grimm's Fairy tales, a worthy follow-up for fans of Once Upon a broken heart! This mesmerizing tale continues the story from Order of Swans, and moves to Tanek's son Mekos and Princess Aradella, the one who was to marry the odious Prince Nessa.. with reunions galore and more of the political puzzle that the Empyreans present, to solve, this tale moves fast and furious, blazing a trail of convoluted fairy tropes, misunderstandings and reversing plot lines at will! 

The ending reveal was simply masterful and gave the tale a true Matrix like gravitas! I cannot wait for the next book!!! 

The characters are genuine and try to do what's best but end up bungling long drawn out plans.. with themes from snow white, rose red, Robin hood, never [tinkerbell] and complicated family lines [ seriously, it is the most twisted family tree, by far], this book is a salve for lengthy tomes. With its breakneck pace, clueless characters, and mystifying worlds, it is a sanctum for falling back in love with fairy tales!!!

Sprinkle some stardust on yourself and settle down for a soar! My sincere thank yous to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for furnishing the arc!! I devoured it in a day!!! I had to re read Order of Swans again just because!! Do not miss this hitchhikers guide to fairy tales series!!!

The Once and Future Queen - Taut and terrific telling of the Knights of the Round Table

 I loved this broody new take on the Arthurian legend, complete with an emotionally battered heroine and the mercurially motivated Merlin!! What Blood of Hercules is to the Greek retelling, this series is to the Arthurian one - a modern and fresh feminist retelling of Guinevere. 

This is not a tale of world building or revisiting locales in an ancient time, the storyline moves with the mercurial Vera, who is thrust headfirst into ancient Camelot, and weaves her way through scandal, faking amnesia, finding a bestie and falling in love with Arthur. With sub plots entrenched in magical lore and the uncovering of secrets, so very many, layers of secrets - some benign and some turgidly malignant ones. 

Vera is absolutely delightful, thrown between the chaos and big feelings she left behind, and wanting to crave normalcy and fulfil her part in saving the kingdom - the artifices surrounding these events are suspenseful and intense. With the best intentions, Vera tries to fill the shoes of Guinevere and lull the Kingdom to a semblance of normalcy - what she doesn't anticipate is the mores and customs of the English Court and also, unexpected camaraderie and solace in forging a new path, something the Guinevere of old would have shirked from.

Add in a slew of delightful characters, from the fabulous Lancelot, brooding Gawain, perfect Percival, and mysterious Merlin - with each knight and character fitting into the story like fingers into a glove. The way Paula has infused her Arthurian retelling with reams of modernity in the form of gestures and inclusivity is nothing short of genius! The mix of modern-medieval magical mashup has you reeling with the punches and eager for more!

Thank you and high fives to Kensington Publishing and Erewhon Books as well as Netgalley for sharing the ARC! eagerly waiting for the next jousting session with Paula Lafferty!!!

Sense and Suitability - An Austentatious romcom

 If you love Regency romcoms, an unruly sibling owned dysfunctional household, protagonists whose live vicariously through their writings and a case of clear miscommunication, then Sense and Suitability is a marvelous pick for you!!

Fiona Hardingham and Christopher Ashman read alternate chapters and bring alive this odyssey like journey that Simon Ravencross and Emmaline Lockhart experience, with rigid societal norms and their suffusing affection for each other, its a veritable treasure trove of emotions and scenic nods to Austens best!

Pepper Basham does a mash up of Romancing Mister Bridgerton with reminiscences of Sense and Sensibility... you cannot but love Emmaline snd her endeavors at bringing Simon and his family a sense of stability and acceptance that they crave. And Simon, is a revelation, a hard on his luck Lord, governed by the capricious supervision of his Aunt... with wonderful support characters and lots of nods to Austenisms and Gothic novels, this book provides a fantastic segue for a rainy afternoon, paired with tea and biscuits!🫶

Lots of gratitude towards Netgalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan fiction audio for the provision of this audiobook, it was an enthralling experience!! One I would definitely care for an encore!💖 

Persephones Curse - witchy with splashes of melancholy

 If you're looking for an atmospheric book with Little Women vibes, then this one is for you... Katrina Leno pens a gothic tale set in a NY brownstone, brimming with scent of jasmine and wafting with the sadness that tinges separation from a dear one. The story follows the Farthing sisters, siblings descended in direct lineage from Persephone herself - with talents of writing, painting, singing and seeing ghosts. I fell in love with Clara, the youngest, instantly, and her character arc was my favorite! Henry, as the household ghost, was sweet and his connection with each sister was etched out in perfection.

The tale careens towards a sepulchral undercurrent when Winnie banishes Henry and tries various methods to call him back. The themes of depression, melancholy and broken heartedness permeate the tale and you can soak in their heaviness. I love a heavy tale in between my romcom binges to reset my head, and this tale resonated well with that requirement!

My heartfelt thank yous to St Martins Press and Wednesday books as well as Netgalley for furnishing this opportunity to review the Arc!

A lot to Unpack - Clean Christmas comedy caper

 If you love Hallmark movies with their simple rule, the protagonists must fall in love, forget reality, then this book provides the same feels! The book follows Liberty, a lovable, down on her luck, cousin's wedding dreading heroine. She lands a job requiring her to travel to exotic locales and wait. In the interim she experiences the worst bad dates increasing her 'ick' guard - rightfully so!

Finally she learns her mission is to replace contract her boss, Jordan, is carrying - add in some plot twists, a Mr Lovebyte and Typical touristy references from NYC, homages to Carrie Bradshaw, homey Italian restaurants and you feel like you are watching a wholesome Hallmark Christmas entertainer!!

I polished the book off in a day and it was a clean read, especially if you are looking for a facile romance - Happy reading!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this opportunity!

Aphrodite - Satirical, self absorbed and satisfying story of the Goddess of Love

 OMG!! If you loved the irreverence of Blood of Hercules, this is for all the fans of satirical Greek retellings! What a wry, witty and modern retelling of the Greek myths - Phoenicia Rogerson is absolutely masterful in her take-two of Greek legends. Aphrodite is absolutely marvelous - selfish, self serving and completely irreverent!! She is a femme fatale in the greatest way!! i cannot get enough!

The book does not follow a traditional rote but instead follows a journal like renditioning of the key events that shaped the world. I absolutely adore how Aphrodite is infused with teenage angst and uncertainty and Zeus - he's the brat who was raised and praised for being the King. Aphrodite navigates in a world, where her family is incarcerated, her best friend is chained to a rock, and she is forced to wed the unwanted son of Zeus. How she copes in this man's world and claws her way up to the head of Olympus forms the rest of the tale.

I drank in this tale as a famished reader, polishing it off in a couple of days. The tone and delivery of the legend, makes the reading so much more enjoyable.

My Olympian thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for this fabulous opportunity!