Here Lie All The Boys Who Broke My Heart - Riotous romcom mystery

 Eeegadd!!! This absolute wreck of a book!! 

Emma Simmerman totes a beautiful line between Good Girls guide to murder meets the suspense of Freda McFadden's Housemaid series in a worthy conclusion that will knock your socks off!!! Think of it as a murderous spoof of To All The Boys I Ever Loved 💀🔪

Consider a messy messy protagonist, a riotous group of college going amigoes who drink themselves to stupor on a regular basis, and oh, a journal of ex-eulogies which is coming true!! Sloane Sawyer never recovered from her rebellious teenage phase, damn the consequences.. being a literature major who had an affair with her professor, a DUI charge and countless other notches in her cap, she hides her infactuation with awes from her friend group to nornalize.. She gallops headfirst into situations and often indulges in alcohol to escape her feelings of guilt. You hate her, but you understand the ease of making stupid decisions and ruing the web they leave in their wake. 

This tale was a whoduunit with sensuous scenes and amazingly apropos Netflix references for the win!! If you are craving a book which feels like a Netflix binge watch but in half the time, pick this up- you won't be disappointed.. 

My sincere thank yous to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing this opportunity to relish this guilty pleasure!💥💯❤️‍🩹

Songbird of the Sorrows - sweeping symphony of redemption served with a side of sass

 If you loved the angst of Assassin Trilogy by Robin Hobb, the forbidden magics and slow burn of Throne of Glass and are a ducker for a fast paced read with twists at a breakneck pace, then look no further... 📚

Be it the assassin but also princess trope, the love is forbidden but can trust ever sustain amidst secrets trope, or the challenges based on myths - this tale breathed life into all of them!! 👑🗡🐦‍⬛The Rollercoaster of emotional damage this book does is unshakeable!! The found family vibes and protectiveness of the protagonist is firmly cemented throughout her journey and her realization that in choice lies true power, damning the consequences. You cannot, but help, love Starling Aella and cheer her on, despite the zillion red flags she endures❤️‍🔥

And the cliffhanger note it ends on, is unforgiveable!! Where is the rest!!?! Aaarffgg

My eternal thank yous to Netgalley and Random House for this gorgeous tale!! And a special Grecian bow to the author for her fabulous effort!! I cannot wait for the sequel...

A fast paced, sweeping adventure of redemption, self discovery and change with Greeky vibes and political scheming- what more can a reader ask for... sigh

Stolen Midnights - Soft stolen slow burn romantasy

 Imagine a world where magic is bestowed to the powerful, as a gift on their birthdays - these gifts can be stolen and repurposed. Wren Hayes missed her gift, and instead the thief find his portrait in her locket. What ensues is a whodunnit, replete with dual POVs, jaded lords and ladies, a younger generation aspiring to elevate the society from the current stasis, all wrapped in a slow burn romance.

You can't help but love Wren for acknowledging her privileged upbringing and adore Damien for masking his agony in swashbuckling heroism. Together they pave the way ahead for the tale that unfolds. It hinges on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to see how this fantasy unfolds.

The book is a quick read, perfect for an iced winter storm weekend!

My thank yous to Delacorte Press, Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for providing the ARC, it was an unexpected gift to start the magic season for 2026!

The Poisoner - promising premise

 The poisoner starts off with a strong promise of Victorian goth, a strong FMC who stands up for the unfortunate, and her nemesis who escapes her poisoning attempt.

Alina Lis is a quiet, intellectual amd driven heroine and I really missed her backstory.. coming back into society after the death of her father, she takes over his apothecary providing poisons to victims unable to fight back...

In comes the creature, the chase and love hate relationship between the two is exciting and scary and furious!!

While a novel endeavor, the tale suffers from lack of strong backgrounds for the key characters and rushes headlong to an abrupt ending with the opening chapter of the duology providing some relief.

Overall the book was a unique read and my thanks to Netgalley and Simon Maverick for the ARC!

Until the Clock strikes Midnight - Mesmerizing, magical read!!!

 Imagine an oooey gooey warm chocolate chip cookie, not with those sugar free miniscule chocolate chips, but one laden with real chocolate chunks, like someone with a real sweet tooth made one.. Imagine you bite into it, savoring the soft chewiness from the brown sugar, the crispness from the white sugar and the glory of the melted chocolate and then, aah then you taste the fleck of salt - sudden, unexpected and yet invigorating the entire experience of being wrapped in a warm hug... that moment when your sense of taste can make you weep at time lost, snuggle cozier into your comforter or just smile at a long forgotten memory, or just inhale the treat...

This book by the talented Alechia Dow is JUST as delicious, warm, salty and ooey gooey melt your senses kind! Be it the protagonists and their challenges or Lucy's dreams, Minerva's wants.. Favie and Mrs Arconia were winners in their small but mighty roles... The tussle between choice, stability and happiness, need and want and ultimately how we strive to break free from bad patterns - all of these are explored in a clean fuss free book which I absolutely devoured!!

Darling Sparkleton and Calamity Blight are two extremes in the magical spectrum - with darling embodying a push for Happily Ever After and Calam nudging clients towards a more stable Ordinary Ever After. The exploration of being seen, choice and community shine bright in this Disney-esque caper, replete with a slew of unique perspectives and internal challenges embodying the real spectrum of personalities and prejudices faced. You cannot help but fall in love...

My whimsical and magical thank yous to Macmillians Children's Publishing House, Feiwel and Friends and Netgalley for poofing this ARC! It was a warm hug, a cup of tea, biscuits and a scented candle kind of solace, making me feel the sparkles in the air!

Sibylline - dark academia, lost in translation

 I have been a fan of Melissa de la Cruz from when I stumbled on her Cinder and Glass Cinderella retelling. It was whimsical and a beautiful read. This book had me going based on the premise - three magically gifted friends from various spectrums, rejected by the elite magical institute and worm their way into the institution to solve a mystery.

The opening prologue has you hooked, but what follows could have been better executed. Dorian and Atticus have families depending on them but other than Raven, neither contacts or mentions their family at all. Dorian's having never touched anything also seems unfaithful to the narrative. The tale suffered because the nature of the magic system is not explained in detail. There is umbrage around the institution's less than stellar bookish acquisitions and a secret society (i was soo excited by this) - neither of which was fully explored.

On the plus side, the book was a quick read, I managed to complete it in a day and the FMC is imperfect - with proper pride in her capabilities and sometimes blind to the effect it has on the other 2. The friendship and heartache themes are explored as well.

My thank yous to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing the ARC!

Graceless Heart - Beauty and Beast retelling - Italiano style

 Graceless Heart is a whimsical fantasy, located in Florence, with cameos by actual historical figures but entwined with the boundless imagination of Ysabel Ibanez. This book was a retelling of beauty and the beast, replete with curses, conjectures and a ruthless pope who stifles magic and magical users. Thrust into this medieval setting, is Ravenna, who can manipulate nightfire. Caught between the powerful Luni famiglia and the despot Pope, she must use her wits, magic and , mostly, herself to bring about her happy ending.

Cons: The book fell short of perfect as the romance between the protagonists felt forced and I missed the explanation of the magic system and classification of magical users - they are available but the details are towards the end, It would have helped if other magical users in hiding had been introduced as well.

Pros: Loved the FMC - genuine, never give up kind of lady, who knows her way with a mallet! The mystery with the Pope, his lover and his obsession with magical and revulsion were also exquisitely managed. The supporting characters have some chapters which lend depth to the storyline.

All in all, this is a good book, perfect for a stand alone read, especially if you've recently visited Italy. Grab some limoncello, biscotti and get reading!

My exalted thank yous to St Martin's Press and Saturday Books as well as Netgalley for furnishing me with an arc to enjoy!