Kumara - the Prince of Shadows - Indian Fourth Wing

 You know when you are soo into a book, you dread its ending... that is how AMAZING this tale was to me!!

I am a HUGE fan of Fantasy and this one with the south Indian twist was absolutely divine to read - my heartfelt thank yous to Anita for penning this without creating religious zealots or culture protectors and instead shaping a world which seamlessly blends the beliefs and an immersive fantasy enmeshed with myths and legends form my childhood! The use of Indian words like kumara / vahana seamlessly into a modern fantasy layout was just mesmerizing and made it feel that much more tangible and Such a delight - if you are unsure about picking it up, the glossary more than compensates for unfamiliar terms!!

In a world where the Lunar driven dynasty rules Lunaris and the Solar dynasties are bound to Solaris with the Mortal realm hanging in between, cracks are appearing in the inter realm gates, bringing with them demons. Whilst the Moon court are driven by strategy and wield magic, the Sun Court are driven by instinct and move with power. They have centuries of misconceptions to overcome in order to work in coordination to bring peace to all realms without the loss of life.

The Kumara, Kaeden of the Sun Court, started off as a rules driven, strict and hard core cultural activist, however, I really warmed up to his character arc and his interactions with Mira were endearing. Selena as the scholarly and driven theorist who envisions the encompassing of all realms in a protective shell, is the perfect foil - the chapters with his and her viewpoints were soooo sizzling!!! LOVE!!!

The circle of friends, the myths and legends guiding their quest and the sizzling chemistry between the lead duo - ugghh!! I can go on and on... this was an Indian Rebecca Yarros Fourth Wing comparable for me - genuinely and truly worthy of a comparison.

My humble namaskarams to Anita Rahman and Netgalley for allowing me this moment of marvel and utter satisfaction!!! 

How the story goes - bookish but clean romcom

 Andrew Forrester has penned a stunner of a debut novel!

If you like wholesome small town romance, with a large helping of good old bookish, an exploration and melding of creative writing styles and techniques, a scandal that is about to explode, exploring themes of grief, numbness and the grandiosity of acceptance of the way things are, then this tale is right up your alley!! Add in a flustered, newly widowed dad trying his hand at completing his late wife's beloved children's fantasy and a struggling writer whose innate voice has been silenced by constant criticism, who needs to accept her worth.. toddling between lines of forgiveness, exploring the meaning of being happy while also missing the past, but not numbed by it - Andrew drafts these themes into a heady concoction, one I was able to breeze through in a couple of days.

I love that certain revenge tropes were not explored, no bitterness or resentment encumbered Merritt, and I love leaving some tropes like wanton miscommunication where they need to be, the editing does a LOT for this book! Its clean, wholesome and absolutely refreshing for any booklovers...

My fantasmic thank yous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy this book, I am now hankering for tea and maybe a biscuit, cushioned by my favorite blanket looking for something equally cozy to read....

The Beckett Effect - Taming of the movie critic in 3 acts!

 If you already worship at the altar of Lynn Painter's teen romcoms, this one hits best! 

10 things I hate about You x pop culture references x sassy FMC x prince charming MMC x every fund teeny bopper movie you ever watched!!

Nashae Jones has dones fabulous job in marrying the teenage x movie lover genre into its own dreamscape for the angry, willful and sassy Wren Richardson, whose scene cuts are laugh out loud escapades to escape the drudgery of reality. I mean, as booklovers, are we any different? Do we not also dive headfirst into the pages of a book to outrun our emotions? 

With that deep analysis, I will stop. This book was BRILLIANT!! Between the sisterhood of Kennedy and Wren, the brocode of Jeffrey and Beckett, the friendship bonds that bound Chelsea and Wren, everything was perfect!! From delving into her own personal hell, to the unpacking of the change in her mom post the divorce, to being her sisters' keeper and her wonderful obstinacy to not see the obvious, Wren is a character after my own heart! And Beckett plays her foil as the mischievous, dreamy and often soulful friend, who listens and reciprocates with kindness and grace despite his social status defining him as a womanizer and the rumors that abound.... The only miss was where am i supposed to get the mini raspberry croissants????

My wicked thank yous to Simon and Schuster Childrens Publishing and Netgalley for this opportunity. This was a delicious and sweet escape!!

The Duke's Got Mail - Bookish bridgerton renaissance romcom

 Do you love books? Does the use of a well placed font type send your heart racing? Do colors appeal to you and speak to the sunny side of life itself? Have you longed to be unmatched in your work ethics and be revered by your peers, in a league of your own? Eleanor Wright, is the perfect heroine, witty, smart, ambitious and a strong moral compass to boot. With her friends Lillian and Mabel, she rules the compositors in London.

All until, Peter Montgomery, the Duke of Strafford shows up, with his Linotype machine, ready to cause upheaval in her carefully constructed dominion. With jobs lost, unions in collapse and the Duke smirking all the way to the palace, Eleanor relies on her pen pal, the Captain, to sustain her emotionally fractured self through this turmoil, as she shares her booklore, interesting factoids and other soul searing insights as the BookLover. 

All's fair in Love and war,  especially when the Duke realizes that the BookLover of his dream is the angry, passionate young woman who strictly objects to his progress. 

You had me at the premise, and to watch Peter shed his Duke persona, and embrace a personality that embodies all of his interests, his observations and his fears, made me warm up more to him than I ever wanted to.. In discarded letters, thoughts and just simple actions, this beautiful love story comes together a la an Austen-tacious revel!

So wear your favorite rainbow hues, twirl your skirts, be unapologetic about organizing your bookcases by color and savor this escape into a Bridgerton inspired Bookish renaissance!

My heartfelt thankyous to Forever and Netgalley for sponsoring this romantic read!

The Serial Killer Support Network - Severely slick and stimulating read

 D B Stephens - you absolute beauty!!!

If you derive your satisfaction from a taut, slick thriller with noir undertones and plenty of angst and tension driven chapters - this is absolutely up your alley! I read this as a standalone, but am piqued to go pick up the Serial Killer Support Group, just because.

The Caretaker is a symbol of resilience and retribution against those males whose systematic abuse - physical, mental and otherwise, brings the ladies to domestic violence programs. You have to Love strong, opinionated FMCs who are able to articulate their thoughts and rationalize their emotional and mental states - Jess and Sophie are head of the packs. Jess, coping with survivor syndrome, and Sophie reeling from past mistakes which have caught up with her. 

Looming large is the caretaker, whom Jess is sworn to protect and Sophie, sworn to bring to justice - you could not ask for a better premise; with multiple chapters, the messaging and network caper are all well done, just the way I like my serial killers served. If you are looking for something to replace criminal minds as your binge watch, do pick this up - you will NOT be disappointed!

My support group extends its hearty gratitude to the sponsors of this read - Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley! This reader also extends her gratitude to D B Stephens for the perfect storm in a woman-centric hook! well played!

The Arachnid - Tense, languid predator vs prey sequel

 This books BRINGS it - the premise of prey versus predator and the cat and mongoose chases, the thrill of being hunted and the chase of the hunter. Whilst a tad slower paced than its prequel, the character growth, evolution and resolving past hurts or just coming to grips with them are exceptionally crafted. 

In New York, Alina has carved out a Nest for herself, where the Hosts are paid and cared for by the Viperon. They charge amounts whilst Alina carries out her experiments with poison and numbs herself from facing her fears. The cost of destroying his family's Nest has cost Silas as he brokers new Nest with the newly turned and best predators in attendance. To survive, they need to band together and overcome their history, prejudices and reforge alliances with a view to the future. Whilst the growth of new norms in society is encouraged, the past has its way of clawing in...

All this culminates in a marvelously unanticipated turn of events, as in its predecessor...

My thank yous to Simon Maverick books and Netgalley for this opportunity!

Burn the Sea - Culturally Rich and Immersive experience

 This spectacular, stunning and culturally immersive experience of a book is a MUST READ!

Mona Tewari has seamlessly woven mythology, history and the beauty of South Asian religion, food and just plain old flavor. She brings to life the coastal lands, the spices and agriculture that govern the prosperity of a port kingdom. The nuances of managing rumors, political maneouvering and scholarship amongst the royalty are all built into the texture of the story.
The throwback to the young Abbakka and her conversations with the sage Matanta are sheer brilliance - the statecraft, responsibility and gender biases are all lushly embedded into the warm monsoon driven tale. Filled with familial bonds, miscommunication and a wonderfully driven heroine who refuses to bow down to evil machinations and her undying wish to be Queen of Ullal is just so satisfying! Her bonds and distrusts and her wilful non compliance are the stuff of legend!!
I cannot wait for more form the pen of Mona Tewari and my question to Matanta would be when will the sequel be coming out?
My eternal gratitude to Bindery Books and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy this ARC!