The Girl with Seven Lives

Vikas Swarup brings back the storytelling, mystique and masquerade that defined Slumdog Millionaire. 

A swift passage, navigating through the dregs of society, the grey areas that you never want to acknowledge and the banality of scams in the Indian subculture are all woven through this tale in a crossover between the 1001 nights with a moral compass a la Jeffrey Archer's earlier tomes.

Devi is our spirited FMC, who matter-of-factly meanders through India, life and ruminates on the potholes she encountered at various points to a kidnapper who holds her for ransom in a bidding war amongst those thirsting for revenge - a bidding war based on the worst mistakes of your life! Truly a fascinating premise which has translated into a thrill a minute ride, across mores, cultures and the indignities suffered on the softer gender in each avatar that Devi keeps reinventing herself, as she seamlessly shifts and sheds names, charting a course through the length of India, enabled by her quick mastery of language and study of customs, she reads like a modern catch me if you can sans a dedicated policy inspector on her trail.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Indian twang Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar added to the narrative, her matter of fact recounting of Devi's escapades really was juxtaposed against how numbing life can be when you lose ground in life. My namastes to RBmedia and Netgalley for providing me with the ALC.

#Thegirlwithsevenlives #grittyanecdotalread #archerreminiscenttales

Tracking Snow - A guttural twist with a slasher Snow

Holy freaking fairytale retelling!!!

Forget the apple, forget the white skinned princess, Holly Roberds gives this beloved fairytale a brutal proverbial twist, with Snow, as the cheery do-gooder, fighting the streets of Boston to keep all magical beings safe! With her quick learning skills and her appletini serves, Snow slays and sashays her way into our heart, throwing swift daggers and deadly smiles. All she craves is belonging - enamored by magic and being the only human in the wild and wonderful Lost Girls collection - she is sooo darned adorable!

The Seven, I mean, what in the world!!! a split personality, magical infused mutant of a hero - who suffers from delusions of being infected with magic - bringing us full circle to where Red stood at the opposite end...The multiple change overs and personalities was like a why choose? So much bluster, insecurity and them claws came out to slash and hurt and then the remorseful puppy love that ensues - one of the BEST from the Lost Girls IMHO

And oh my, the teasing with Rap and Ryder - hold you horses folks - this could get plenty spicy!

I polished this off in a 3 hour binge fest and am going back in for sloppy seconds! read at your own peril! My heartfelt thank yous to Holly for providing me with the ARC to one of my absolute favorite series!!! this was such a fantastic, seductive and sensational retelling!!!

Styx - the River : Solitude, solace and synonymous with oaths

 A nymph who dared, the firstborn of the titans, she who was singular - this book follows the story of Styx, in Nikta Gill's prequel series of Greek retellings. Having read Hekate, I was able to appreciate the tale and the links to the characters from Hekate's perspective - Styx and Pallas and the relationship with her mother, Asteria.

Styx, is the firstborn of Oceanus, and helps her father build oceans and seas and waterways around the world, which are handed off to her brothers in the male dominated household. Her craving for solace and silence leads her to Asteria's cave, where they both discover their abilities. What follows is an aggrieved tale of a nymph and a goddess of fallen stars, who strive to build something of themselves, despite the rigid impositions of Gods and their tempestuous moods.

Bonded through friendship, nurtured through marriage, and tested through motherhood, these brave women, overcome and survive, in a society that leave them marginally handicapped and not acknowledging their true power. The depiction of modern Greek Gods was very different in this tale and really brought to fore the doom that change brings with each age.

She walks alone, the eldest, lonely until,

she found a fallen star, a cozy haven built,

through marriage she found a creator, a meeting of minds

through her choices, her legacy, she defined

My humble thank yous to Little Brown Books for young readers and Netgalley for providing the arc!

#refreshinggreekretelling #Styx #Netgalley #Septemberreads

A Snake among Swans - Courtly power ballad to the new Queen

 Bold, brutal and brilliant!

This book by Hannah Kaner, truly brought it - if you loved the maniacal power struggle from She who became the Sun, the political maneuvering that defined Game of Thrones,, then this one is an absolute MUST READ! A reverse swan fairytelling tale, where the swans rule the world, in sheer display of authority.

Tilde, the last heir of the Kithwood dynasty, is sold to their captors, to be bride to their aging KIng Liran. With six sons and a daughter besides, Liran rules his court with an iron fist and has his sons competing for power. Elise, his sole-surviving daughter, has learnt her lesson and is forced to be meek and submissive. Tilde enters the treacherous court, armed with her intellect, and her unwavering pursuit in bringing those who wrought her siblings death to account - as long or as painful an ordeal that comes to be. For Tilde has a secret, but then, so does the preen of swans that abound the court...

From grand machinations to the little powerplays to influencing the 'perception' of power by the common folk. Hannah plays piper to the tale, dragging us along skipping, wincing or dancing to her tune, as the song turns melancholy, the pursuit of revenge is bloody and you often lose yourself in its headwinds. Tilde forms an entendre with Elise, who also comes to her own, but the tale galivants across the kingdom, pitting princes, dukes, and princesses to bring their worst in this massive powerfest!

I scrummaged through the tale in 2 days and my effusive thank yous to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me the opportunity to participate in the Hunt!

She came, a viper to a swan's nest,

In green and brown, she came blessed,

Siegebreaker, the one to whom rebels knelt,

The Wing, to her, the kith woods bent,

Blessed be she of raven hair, the black swan queen, just and fair!

#AvonandHarperVoyager #Septemberreads #Asnakeamongswans #Powerplays #Courtlyintrigues

The Pumpkin Bride - Novel Shrek retelling

 If you enjoy the sunshine of fairytales and the reflection of what it is to truly live in one, with magic and curses and creatures, locked in an autumnal wonderland, then you will absolutely cherish this rendering by Fiona Buttercup!

Will Watt and Moira Quirk alternate their reading of chapters, in this honest to goodness, delightful retelling of a princess breaking a curse with true love. First off, the story is soo STINKIN CUTE! Absolutely loved the intrepid and intelligent princess Marigold and her grief over Bram. And Jask, as her cursed true love, forced to hide himself from her - such agonizing and torturous attraction - LOVED IT! Add in the mysterious neighours, the cider, the pumpkin patch and building a community - you have a beautiful, whimsical tale to cocoon yourself in for the fall season!

Usually narrators alternate characters, but in this one they read alternate chapters, if I was more partial to Will Watt's Jask and Moira's Mare - that may just be my short-hearing-ness. they pulled the magic into the air with this fairytale retelling of sorts.

The wide eyed princess, lost her knight,

Who found himself cursed, to cruel Crispin's delight,

Stuck on a farm, in the aspect of an ogre,

He mulled his lost love, over and over,

Until she, one day, escaping a sinister plot,

Turned up at his door, he could believe it not,

They muddled together, each trying to hide,

Their true love beckoning them to each other's side...

My jack-o-lantern thankyous to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for proving me with an ALC! I listened to it in a day! it was soooo GOOOD!

#Shrekthrowback #Pumpkinbride #Fairytalerespin #Septemberreads

She who was once the Sea: Undulating novella around mermaid lore

 If you are looking for a quickie bookie that enmeshes modern and age old legends, kotowing a fine line of curses and cycles, if the prospect of curse breaking, enemies to lovers and fall hard, fall fast, appeals to your inner romantic, then pick up this one from Dana Shea.

Being a novella, this does miss the coup in terms of explaining the nature of the curse breaking and i felt the technological aspects could have been more pulled out in research instead of libraries - i mean I love google and am spoilt by it... 

Marella and Garett are poles apart on the power scale and yet come together in an effusive, effervescent and refreshing take on siren lore. the lyrical aspects of the ocean being her home, the waters speeding fast and dark while also comforting, are all brilliantly played! I also enjoyed the moral code followed by the trapped sisters, although one wonders why they didn't band together and went separately instead, as if they could not stand each others downfall...

All in all it was a happy, fast paced and completed 3 hour session with this book! My effusive thank yous to the author and Netgalley for sharing the work!

#Septemberreads #sirenlore #enemiestolovers #novella

Hawk & Sparrow - Old fashioned detective work meets magical mayhem

 If you love a good old fashioned detective story with more of hitting the pavement than google, if magical mysteries and slow, bumbling misunderstood feelings play well with you romantic inclinations, if class divides, rich vs poor and not too many backfills also turn your pages, then this book will be an absolute delight to read!

I loved Ayana Gray since I had the pleasure of I, Medusa - this book is a completely different genre - think back and white detective spiels with magicians and a convoluted plot. I think a star was lost as I felt the gaps could have been filled better, but for the offered storyline, it certainly merits a breezy read, which I completed in 2 days.

Vesper and Max are unique characters driven by prejudice and fearful to trust, the way they build their bonds, uncover each others secrets and work around the societal mores and the challenges thrown their way by the enigmatic mastermind are great to follow. I loved the twists in the storyline, when they take 2 steps in deduction, they are set back and reset and restart, which i quite enjoyed!

My thank yous to Macmillian Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this opportunity to read!

#Septemberreads #Hawk&Sparrow #Retrodetectives #Murdermystery

The Wolf Queen's Curse - Pack Dynamics and Political intrigue

 Kaylee Archer follows her series opener with a sequel that doesn't disappoint in the least. This book boasts of Cordelia Levine coming into her own as the Alpha's mate, and watches Bishop and Julius rally support and navigate the complicated machinations of the other London werewolf packs. The threat of Beryl Levine hangs over the reduced Albion group and the newly freed wolves and maidens have to work together to pilfer errmmm, make do until they are able to return to their homestead.

Along the way, they gather allies, old, exiled, forgotten, but potent, as Cordelia learns the more salacious details of Bishop's past. The introduction of Rufus, the progression in Ann's status within the pack and her coming into her power, Bishop and Delia finally bringing their sizzling interactions to a full blown forest fire and the mechanics of pack politics and the various mores and norms in various packs are explored brilliantly.

I feel this book has its fair measure of gotcha's and the ending is, of course, brilliant - looking forward to the third installment to be akin to the ACOTAR, third book - sooo exciting!!!

My wolfish thank yous to St Martins Press and Netgalley for keeping me part of the pack!

#Septemberreleases #thewolfqueenscurse #stmartinspress #packsandpolitics #magicalwerewolves

Immortal Rose - Masterful opening to a thrilling series

 Hands down THE BEST series I have kickstarted this year!! The art of romantasy is that exquisitely fine line between magical systems, slow burn, plot twists, reveals and a villain everyone would love to hate, with a hint of Bridgerton - Alexandra Bracken brings EVERYTHING!! 

If you lived the high stakes heists of Locke Lamora, the thrill a minute from Quicksilver and also adore the art of lyrical storytelling from Wherl of Time, then this book is an absolute must read!!! The perfumery is explored as a source of banned fairy magic, in a kingdom where patricians access it, without qualms and the common folk are incarcerated, the illegal heir to the Rosenbaum estate, Viola, finds herself caught in the crossfire..

Between developing a perfume to save the King, retaining her freedom, and escaping assassins and finding peace with who she is, we are drawn into a beautiful tale - lush in description, rich in history and winsome with its neck breaking turns!!

Hugh Thornton is her brilliant counterfoil, who deals with his demons and each of the supporting characters are unique and masterful in their abilities and their contribution to the unfolding chapter. I found myself holding my breath plenty of times! And the villain - the Duke of Glenmoor is a gorgeous villain - evil, soulless and one step ahead,  bringing a constant near panic to each chapter!! Loved every minute of the agonizing suspense!

I paced myself to relish this and found myself constantly re reading chapters abd gave ordered the physical copy as well!

My incandescent gratitude to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for granting me this opportunity! And my essence of old paper, ink and faded pressed lavender to Alexandra to hasten her next!

#Augustreleases #theimmortalrose #foundfamily #heistbased #forbiddenattraction

Rider of Dragons - Girl power meets illegal dragon races

 Does the rash racing with dragons, flames and a no holds barred contest thrill your senses? Does women representation in a male dominated sport appeal to your sense of justice? Would you love mixed signals, complicated family dynamics and a sizzling romance? Then this offering from A.T. Qureshi would be right up your alley!

Ginny Sterling has longed to join the illegal dragon races, but since the death of her brother Danny, her family have become over protective and refuse to support her training or indulge in her ambition to follow in her brother's footsteps. She reaches out to the black market for a trainer - the enigmatic Qais, who promises her a win, as long as she parts with the prize money.

Fraught with angst, painful memories and complicated relations, the emotional pull on this one is off the charts! The challenges and the entire racing calendar is laid bare - ruthless and painful in each phase as Ginny learns to use her daggers and gains lessons in pain! With the other riders and the schemes and interplay to funnel through a no rules contest - absolutely brilliant!! and the ending is like a sucker punch to the gut - aaargghhh - how COULD you???

My heartfelt thank yous to Harper360 and Netgalley for allowing me to soar with the dragons and bleed with the certainty that completing the race to finish the book was glory! My doffed hat and curtsy to the infernal A.T. Qureshi for vexing me with this ending and causing my nails irrevocable damage with the tumult of emotions in this book - you better be hard at work on the next!

#Sepetemberstellars #RiderofDragons #Illegalracingdragon #emotionalrollercoaster

The Golden Citadel - Dystopian YA thrill seeker

 This is a novel take on a dystopian society ruled by classes of magic with the undefined relegated to the lowest for maintenance. After a destructive world war, individual colonies are ruled by AI entities who have written up their peace treaties. The setting was uniquely poised in an era where AI is having an onslaught in all fields - melding AI and magic systems seems rudimentary, if you consider it

Lily Inkwood pours her love for the underdog, the never say die attitude and the abject humiliation of Ellie, who treats the AI, Stella,as her personal bestie - the use of technology, magic and the dystopian vibes are all grey and all consuming. The bonding of the top Warrior team and the history, interplays between them is also very well wrought. The quests, the team rankings - this is like hunger games on AI mode with a whiff of the matrix - what is not to love?

I enjoyed the book and look forward to more!

Thank yous to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC!

#Augustreleases #hungergamesxmatrix #thegoldencitadel #dytopianYA

The Queen's Bodyguard - Racy slow burn built of respect

 If you love a slow burn with plenty of power play, if rituals and social classes fan your flames and if political gimmicks and a glimpse of normality instigate your imagination, then this racy novel is a perfect companion!

Lauren Blackwood introduces us to Theora, the new queen, who has had to rule the kingdom or colony after a ruthless attack from their neighbors. That she is magicless is a well kept secret. Invited to peace talks with their violent neighbor, Queen Pyre, Theora enters into a marriage of convenience with Argos, a warrior of renown, to protect her during the meetings in a neutral territory.

What follows is a slew of dominant behaviors, adjusting to trust and accepting all of one's aspects, not just what the royal decorum demands. Drawn from their respective circles, Theora and Argos, claw, fight and snipe their way to build understanding of what constitutes respect and honor and above all, be of service to the Arneans.

My battle paint filled salutes to Ballentine, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for this opportunity!

#Augustreleases #multiculturalinterest #powerplay #slowburn 

Court of Lies and Deceit - Outplaying the Unseelie King - Isera style!

 Does your heart thrum with magical villainy and the ruthlessness of protecting your own, do you find yourself caving in to the powerful and reveling in new found magical abilities, does a dark flashback - gutting and emotional, always get your heart thumps going, does outplaying a powerful foe who loves games but never plays, sing to your sense of justice, then come on in and let the games begin.....

This book is the third in the series by Marion Blackwood and follows right after the previous one's cliffhanger, with Selena broken and suffering, Draven reaches out to the Unseelie Court's ruler, Orion to save her. Accompanied by Lyra, Galen, Isera and Alistair, they find their way barred as they weren't paying attention to the bargains they made. Orion's court is trapped in its borders and to pacify the restlessness in the kingdom, he hosts games with players - with an ultimate boon being bestowed, and he wants this team to play.

The story rushes forward with the speed of a juggernaut with twists and turns - hope, glory and Isera - in shining bold neon highlight!!! Jacosta, is well cast, as their trainer and the games themselves are an adrenaline rush - with strategy, entertainment and bloodlust - think gladiator x hungergames x dragonshifters

I LOVE how Selena accepts her gifts and comes to terms with her connection with Draven, while also accepting the truth that her powers make her uniquely qualified for a ruthlessness that the upcoming battles will bring forth!

My soulstealing thank yous to Scarlett Press, Netgalley for allowing my shameless bingeing of the ARC! Looking forward to the next rollercoaster this saga will strap me to!

#Netgalley #ScarlettPress #CourtofLiesandDeceit #GladiatorxHungerGames # Augustreleases

Halloween Town - Charming tale of friends to lovers in a quirky town

 Prepare to be bewitched! by crisp clean country air, flashy Halloween decor, the town skeptics versus the believers, nosy ghosts, found family who just don't quit, a uniquely propositioned mayor and her teenage sidekick and a most cozy love story of friends to lovers.

Welcome back to H-Town, this story picks up from Summerween, and follows the tale of Thom and Poppy, two young, giddy children who were best friends as kids and now come back to their security blanket - Solstice Deep, in their hour of need. Together, they sift through their memories, identifying what each meant to the other and realize they are no longer in the same bubble, while also managing their spritual beliefs - add in one farting dog, two best friends, a teenager with psychic abilities, and a meddlesome godmother of a mayor and a town teeming with Halloween celebrations that bring the community together, you have a cozy read that is MADE for autumn and pumpkin spice!

My witchy thank yous to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to indulge with the ARC! this one is best savored with freshly brewed coffee, twizzled with a cinnamon stick!

#Augustreleases #witchyreads #halloweentown

Alchemy of Souls - dystopian society with a magical imbalance

 Room of Requirements based mystery set in dark academia vibes, with a feisty found family trope looped in for fair measure..

Adriana Mather brews a potent magic in this magical setting, in a dystopian society where magic and its practice is rigorously controlled and the elite are able to wield all four magics while the laborers struggle to get their one magical class assignment. It all depends on their performance in the Academy's entrance exam. but deep in the hallways of magic something incongruent occurs when the star pupil and lowly laborer are assigned each other's faces instead of the magical class they truly belong to, and especially when they produce the mystical archive key. Issued a two week reprieve from the Chancellor, Grayson and Eloise stumble their way through the typical and atypical teenage mores of societal adaptation, fake dating and living high stakes, lie-based and life and death variety of excitement, with the undercurrent of fatal attraction.

Eloise and Gray traipse through the hallways of the academy, fending off spies, testing their magical synchronicity and finding their own selves and acceptance to the way things work and what they are willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals. Add in a nefarious and tyrannical uncle, a sister who sings all the time, backstories with sorrow at their heart and finally, a poetic reveal on how magic operates...

My absolutely favorite was Maggie - utterly and bewitchingly wonderful!!! More than Eloise herself, I fell in love with the brash, brutal and frankly scary Maggie!! 

My alchemical thank yous to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing the ARC! best read with spicy pumpkin chai under a warm and cozy blanket with a tart, of course!

#Augustreleases #alchemyofsouls #darkacademia #dystopianfix #rebellion

Fields of Asphodel - Moving retelling on trust, bonds and family

 Ravishing and lyrical ode to the trending Greek myths focusing on the lesser known deities! If you loved Circe but wanted a more youthful countenance with some quests thrown in, then this is the marvelous coming of age story for the youthful flower goddess who claims back everything she thought she had lost at birth, with agonizingly thoughtful quotes and remonstrations.

Callie Rowland bears spotlight on Thanatos, the gentle god of Death and Asphodel or Del, the Flower Goddess and child of Persephone and Hades. Del, raised by her maternal grandmother, Demeter, has spent her life knowing a curse was placed upon her at birth - to never love a God from the Underworld, by her mother Persephone. Under the ministrations of Hecate (Cate) and Demeter (Yaya), she has learnt potion making and tending of her Isle, where she reigns supreme and no one can question her absolute control. Wary of her parents, she remains a third wheel in their family, attending only feasts and plotting with Demeter on how to disenchant Persephone and bring her back into the light.

Things go awry when she is informed of her betrothal to Thanatos, her father's loyal lieutenant, erstwhile God of Gentle Death, beloved teacher to her triplet siblings, and more a member of her family. Her rage and frustration lead her to kidnap Thanatos to her Isle, and what follows is a beautiful tale of trust, betrayal, loss and understanding. 

Drawing on themes of family, cycles of vengeance, seasons of resentment and blossoming of trust and companionship, the story unfolds leisurely, like a walk along a sandy shore, collecting shells in an infinite world of possibilities. There is definitely some sizzle involved, but the tale itself was like the timeless compositions that make Greek retellings romanticized!

My heartfelt thank yous (Styx swear) to 47North and Netgalley for providing me with the arc!

#greekretelling #comingofage #calliemrowland #fieldsofasphodel #augustreleases

Immortal Game - Deadly fae chess competition where the winner takes all

 Atmospheric, intense and all consuming!!! For anyone who thought a chess match could be anything else - dare you to read this and be unmoved!

Allison Saft brings to fore the pressure, the preparation and, finally, the nerves to be held in a simple game of chess, where lives, loves and lost ones are at stake. The book is absolutely CRUSHING, whether you know chess or not, you will get sucked into the vortex of plays, counter plays and psychological warfare and a brash of power plays that hits you anew - and harder than any battle scenes with the faes. The strategic, tactical and psychotic plays employed by these players of the immortal game just bring the competition to unhinged levels!

In the background are bargains with the fae, littered with loss and found family tropes, united by their supreme levels of confidence in ruling the 64 squares and finding joy in the play. Daniil was my ultimate favorite - he brought back memories of Artemis Fowl with his obscene intelligence, attitude and wealth! Ciara and Shae are caught in a web of causal loss, obsessing over each other's moves and their slow burn is beautifully wrought from the sheer joy of chess!

Shae - unsure, yet determined, Shae finds humility, acceptance and finally joy in just being and playing the game, one that has haunted her life, since her sister was taken six years ago. Her growth and her quirky interactions with the prickly players was absolutely delightful! Her equation with Eideen and her real life, the snubs from her mother (who I adore for her willful acrimony) and the way they find each other is also a lyrical closure to this marvelously thrilling tale

My checkered thank yous to St Martins Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to revel in the arc!

#ImmortalGame #StMartinsPress #Netgalley #slowburn #faecompetition #dastardly

A Court of Venus - Novel magical system and burning love

 If your mind races with new magical systems, and your inner scientist loves a mélange of astrology and magical abilities that wax and wane, if your heart chases for political intrigue, belied by an aging king and a cutthroat court waiting to take over, if prophecy and death light your fires and a sizzling undercurrent of past and present lovescapes frame your mood boards, then look no further!

Bel Banta builds an absolutely epic opener with a nest of vipers in the Court, where Biance Mortlake aka mouse, goes back to unravel the mystery of prince Hal, her best friend since childhood. Her powers come from the moon magic and include transformation and the ability to guide or remove emotions - her nemesis is the current Lord Chancellor - Roland, whose Venus magic allows him to read emotions and manipulate lust. 

While the larger arc spins about Hal's murder and its mystery, the trouble brewing with an aging and cruel king and his power plays and the general ambience at the royal chambers are fraught with danger and an undercurrent of coups. Roland and Bianca are coerced to join forces to ensure Alvion does not fall - with a magician tourney ongoing, they battle loyalties, emotions and ultimately face off their worst fears about themselves to rise above the tide.

The growth of Bianca from the fearful mouse to the moon blessed siren was nothin short of EPIC! Samantha Hydeson lends her tones to bring out the various magics and planetary systems at play. Her emoting of the scenes between Roland, Hal and Bianca were gutting and rivetting all at once! The audio production leaves nothing to be desired and lends support to a fascinating tale, which I cannot wait to hear more of...

My Venus infused thank yous to Macmillian audio and Netgalley for providing me with the ALC!

I would be remiss if I didn't call out the absolute cracker of the ending! It was unexpected, exhilarating and the perfect cliffhanger to jump to the next book in the series!

#Septemberreads #Thecourtofvenus #macmillianaudio #romantasy

Tradwife - hynpnotic, static and disturbing

 Hypnotic, disturbing and wildly addictive....

I know what you did last summer X Stepford wives

Michelle Brandon crafts a unique thriller, which focuses more on the traditional wife concept and the expectations to live upto in a small town where everybody knows everybody and being seen is being judged. With a picturesque, all knowing neighborhood, we meet the main group, who each harbor secrets and leverage that information. More than the thriller, the montage of bread, sandals next to the body and the chapter on the body itself were more riveting, in my opinion.

The tale is choppy and cuts in and out - like static affecting the storyline, it added to the psychotic overhang and i enjoyed it the same way... If you are interested in a proper mystery - this may not satisfy that itch but if you, like me, enjoy a book for what it offers, then this is an unapologetic look into modern day organic momhood, its demands, pitfalls and impact on all the tradwives, especially when facing a modern world and when their role is cancelled.

My sourdough thank yous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the arc! this book is best enjoyed with homemade jam, or a clean mocktail...

#augustreads #avonharpervoyager #tradwife #thriller