tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62443539632216735322024-03-18T18:08:48.916-04:00Nerdy By NatureBooks and other nerdy ramblings.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.comBlogger824125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-40027136592233185602024-03-16T12:06:00.001-04:002024-03-16T12:06:38.776-04:00Library HaulHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>It's such a beautiful day out and it makes me so excited for spring (I'm not looking forward to my allergies, though 😅)!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLqlAI9BwyGrYQ0txvd0CsGVNZ0CuBbJ8FHhevObShtvUt2VE5lOJvW8YYn_t7pgAt3tHNaJil5DJdr6z-m0OoFDSbQN_czFuoSzlnnbJlJMy9xgOfs2lICJ1gMiqFAsTh2A64OwWfXFCNfnEkEzYahfkFVaEvpadlyv97IIQpX53g3S4e8HpkmXucbWf/s4032/ACS_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLqlAI9BwyGrYQ0txvd0CsGVNZ0CuBbJ8FHhevObShtvUt2VE5lOJvW8YYn_t7pgAt3tHNaJil5DJdr6z-m0OoFDSbQN_czFuoSzlnnbJlJMy9xgOfs2lICJ1gMiqFAsTh2A64OwWfXFCNfnEkEzYahfkFVaEvpadlyv97IIQpX53g3S4e8HpkmXucbWf/w480-h640/ACS_0264.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>1-4. My Happy Marriage, Vols. 1-4</div><div>5. So Let Them Burn- Kamilah Cole</div><div>6. The New Couple in 5B- Lisa Unger</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-87447292620131703242024-03-14T08:00:00.001-04:002024-03-14T08:00:00.359-04:00Blog Tour: Happily Never After Review<p>Hello, all!</p>I will pick up anything that Lynn Painter writes. Her grocery list? Gimme it. The phone book? I'll read every page twice. Her writing is so fun, and I know whenever I pick up her books, I'm in for a good time. So big thanks to the publisher for the copy of her latest release, <i>Happily Never After</i>!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabrelg7Hf683eriIL5XZ0Oop1WyKUoAUweUa1hDy_nbCJatljoCKInq6JcabUnT5YiNRE2uuvjRpXdgtMalveu34MdGLTfg3SBUfs_yxP_VlGCkJQ35nmvRtqJkGfZilA3Yq9dzEq7giOd92BgCkNzKZ8lmiAmwR-v38TLeASjtCFTNU3lp3GjiJfO-EC/s1080/ACS_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabrelg7Hf683eriIL5XZ0Oop1WyKUoAUweUa1hDy_nbCJatljoCKInq6JcabUnT5YiNRE2uuvjRpXdgtMalveu34MdGLTfg3SBUfs_yxP_VlGCkJQ35nmvRtqJkGfZilA3Yq9dzEq7giOd92BgCkNzKZ8lmiAmwR-v38TLeASjtCFTNU3lp3GjiJfO-EC/w400-h400/ACS_0258.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 3-12-24<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Sophie Steinbeck has a hard time believing in love, especially after finding out right before her wedding that her fiancé was cheating on her. Unable to call off the nuptials thanks to her future father-in-law being her dad's cutthroat boss, Sophie has resigned herself to fake wedded bliss until an appropriate time for an annulment. But Sophie is saved by Max Parks, a professional objector whose sole purpose is to stand up at weddings and shout the two words no one wants to hear amid their vows: "I object!"</p>After the almost-wedding ceremony, Sophie and Max spend the night talking all about Max's job, which makes perfect sense to a love cynic like Sophie. The pair decide to join forces and work the wedding scene together, stopping couple after couple from making the worst decisions of their lives. But the more time they spend together, the more they can't deny their attraction. Sophie doesn't believe in love, and Max isn't looking for a relationship, so what could go wrong with a little friends-with-benefits situation? The answer: a whole lot more than they bargained for.<br /><br />My favorite thing about Painter's writing is the characters. They're always so snarky, but in a way that makes them endearing and not assholes. Sophie and Max were smartasses and weren't afraid to push each other's buttons, and I loved it. Their banter was so fun because it felt like I was watching two best friends bicker. The chemistry between them was palpable, and I was alternately kicking my little feet and swooning the whole time. The only thing that stopped me from rating this higher was Sophie. She just rubbed me the wrong way. I found her to be a little too stubborn in her views, making her come across as cold sometimes. Despite that, I still ate this book up and can't wait for whatever Painter comes out with next.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-58205310019635459342024-03-12T08:00:00.002-04:002024-03-12T08:00:00.185-04:00Blog Tour: A Grave Robbery Review (Veronica Speedwell, #9)<p>Hello, all!</p><p>Guess what time it is? It's new Veronica Speedwell time! Big thanks to the publisher for the copy of the latest release, <i>A Grave Robbery</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUpEJhrXH-5Le7e1GcPyRVHx2MzwmH0d7IihSADCIdpbI-6ReXDU-Rpj7Ci4eReOvOsijGKjvm61sCoJo7GYf0l_p2t21JNxp_e46Wx5f3dS7cQeC87lC3J9t3yTPh-hi51ObRJduQDPWQ-hwoTwlkB-w2WPANpkP3WNuA5Yarqce4P7aCA6amYK0sGG5/s1080/ACS_0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUpEJhrXH-5Le7e1GcPyRVHx2MzwmH0d7IihSADCIdpbI-6ReXDU-Rpj7Ci4eReOvOsijGKjvm61sCoJo7GYf0l_p2t21JNxp_e46Wx5f3dS7cQeC87lC3J9t3yTPh-hi51ObRJduQDPWQ-hwoTwlkB-w2WPANpkP3WNuA5Yarqce4P7aCA6amYK0sGG5/w400-h400/ACS_0257.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 3-12-24<br />Adult - Historical Mystery</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since being employed by Lord Rosemorran, Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau, Stoker, have seen many eccentric things while cataloging his vast collection of items. So, neither is very surprised when he brings them a large glass coffin with a wax figure of a woman inside. One of Lord Rosemorran's children is obsessed with the lifelike figures at Madame Tussaud’s and would like Stoker to create her own Sleeping Beauty-like figure by adding a mechanism to make the figure look alive. But when Stoker cuts into the figure he discovers that it's not a wax figure at all, but the preserved body of a young woman.</p>Unable to let this misdeed go unpunished, Veronica and Stoker set out to uncover who the woman was and what exactly led to her being in a glass coffin. Without any clues to work with, the pair seek help from their friends, the intrepid journalist J.J. Butterworth and the often put-out Detective Mornaday. The investigation brings them all over London, from underground laboratories to Stoker's old pals in the traveling circus. Despite their sleuthing, they seem to be one step behind their villain. When things start heating up, Veronica and Stoker must rush to uncover the killer before it's too late.<br /><br />I will never get enough of this series. I would read a hundred more books about Veronica and Stoker's antics. I loved seeing their relationship grow over the series, but I thought it shone here. There were so many passages I highlighted because they were so swoony. Apart from their dynamic, which I could go on and on about, I enjoyed the mystery here. It felt darker and more morbid than any of the others. There was a Frankenstein vibe that captured my attention. It was slower-paced, but it didn't bother me, and I was satisfied with how everything played out. I loved seeing more of J.J. and Mornaday because I think they're so fun together. Also, I liked some new side characters and hope to see more of them. All in all, another solid addition to my favorite series!<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 5/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-15203453129654068242024-03-07T08:00:00.001-05:002024-03-07T08:00:00.137-05:00The Address Review<p>Hello, all!</p><p>I got very into Fiona Davis last year after reading <i>The Spectacular</i> (review <a href="http://www.nerdybynatureblog.com/2023/07/the-spectacular-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>), so I made it a mission to read her backlist, starting with <i>The Address</i>.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Aq8hOQVuEVfeQLHzXPoXa24a2JKlSvEufYE2FT6RnXQaAYZ-CORAEzW1ZjQhCqpXteZAJF7ygOltpNhdBH9wPJFaW-wJHa6U5mcxS3FB5VXkWEaUDjGdfxIPARhSBBLHtfqazlWZRdRpnYKFxCtPE2NMKiEVlQNABkdEfXqqiZHwhfwVsoMRZuGfg25U/s4032/IMG_3900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Aq8hOQVuEVfeQLHzXPoXa24a2JKlSvEufYE2FT6RnXQaAYZ-CORAEzW1ZjQhCqpXteZAJF7ygOltpNhdBH9wPJFaW-wJHa6U5mcxS3FB5VXkWEaUDjGdfxIPARhSBBLHtfqazlWZRdRpnYKFxCtPE2NMKiEVlQNABkdEfXqqiZHwhfwVsoMRZuGfg25U/w480-h640/IMG_3900.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 8-1-17<br />Adult - Historical Fiction</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In 1884, Sara Smythe knew that her meager life as a servant would never amount to much. But after a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, a new opportunity gets presented to her. Camden is an architect working on a new building in New York City called the Dakota and offers Sara a job as its manager. Sara jumps at the chance to move to America and soon finds herself swept up in the lavish lifestyle of the city, and with Theodore Camden. Sara has never related to anyone more than Theodore, and despite his wife and children, the pair can't deny their growing attraction. But will this love affair be Sara's downfall?</p>In 1985, Bailey Camden was fresh out of rehab, homeless, broke, and in desperate need of a break. Despite her grandfather being the ward of Theodore Camden, Bailey won't see a dime of the Camden family's fortune. Instead, her cousin offers her a job renovating her apartment at the Dakota. Bailey disagrees with her cousin's vision of changing the old glamour of the building, but she can still accept the money. As Bailey begins her renovations, she discovers a trunk full of belongings from the Camden family and a woman named Sara Smythe, who will question everything she knows about herself and her family.<br /><br />There's always a chance with dual timeline stories that one will fall by the wayside, but that's never the case with Davis's books. She seamlessly weaves two storylines together in a way that's so cohesive and engaging. I loved reading from both POVs and thought Sara and Bailey were so alike in some ways despite the years between them. Both faced so many hardships and managed to persevere. I liked seeing how they were linked, even though it was obvious how it would play out. While it isn't my favorite of hers, it was still a solid read.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-22984971726734661152024-03-05T08:00:00.001-05:002024-03-05T08:00:00.175-05:00Mini ThoughtsHello, all!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14adZ9m8XTjhiWplb3DasDsU9Y-_miU7audPWMaeyVV-SnS__nsQk1m9DD1cSZ9ecmZmYhG8XZ-wG0trpwvQPLtlgGeowgVtcJMExX5TZGkU5PMYt1nVeSsbO9x4SEQuCBUpepkrArJmVRVMyPCaDvAdArWBa2jAQT4i9WwqpM1UIduUO3woJqV6jNcpA/s1080/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14adZ9m8XTjhiWplb3DasDsU9Y-_miU7audPWMaeyVV-SnS__nsQk1m9DD1cSZ9ecmZmYhG8XZ-wG0trpwvQPLtlgGeowgVtcJMExX5TZGkU5PMYt1nVeSsbO9x4SEQuCBUpepkrArJmVRVMyPCaDvAdArWBa2jAQT4i9WwqpM1UIduUO3woJqV6jNcpA/s320/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBcqP2TtgUBm7RM0Qg2L-k06n2JsBl-1c9cX89KRngGX6Yax12_rxy160U57S6MOQwSosK5_MMDUKv0TSogG4gbbaMwvPfmRM_mp2pTy_WI1y4AJ9QJsqpWeD248TSmdTKtgPP7MwnTUvwRlBV1JL3PIzsW3QdGDTPp2W3pE2ZMm6zykEdreuFo02JLAj/s400/133206531.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBcqP2TtgUBm7RM0Qg2L-k06n2JsBl-1c9cX89KRngGX6Yax12_rxy160U57S6MOQwSosK5_MMDUKv0TSogG4gbbaMwvPfmRM_mp2pTy_WI1y4AJ9QJsqpWeD248TSmdTKtgPP7MwnTUvwRlBV1JL3PIzsW3QdGDTPp2W3pE2ZMm6zykEdreuFo02JLAj/s320/133206531.jpeg" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 1-16-24<br />YA - Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>A Drop of Venom- Sajni Patel:</b> When Manisha was young, her people were attacked by the King and forced to scatter for their survival. Despite wanting to stay with her family, Manisha was sent to work in one of the King's temples as a priestess, biding her time by gathering information on her enemies. While at the temple, Manisha crosses paths with Pratyush, the famed Slayer of Monsters and the King's most prized warrior. Pratyush is tired after years of fighting and wants to settle down and live a peaceful life, one with Manisha if she'd have him. But then, a temple visitor assaults Manisha and pushes her off a mountain. But instead of falling to her death, Manisha lands in a pit of snakes who proceed to bite her all over, infusing her body with venom. When rumors spread about a dangerous monster turning men to stone, the King sends Pratyush to slay the beast. But will Pratyush be able to swing his blade when he finds out the monster he was sent to kill is the girl he wants to marry?</div><div><br />This was one of the most unique Medusa retellings I've read in a while. I loved the incorporation of Indian mythology and thought it added another level to the story. I enjoyed following our two main characters, but, at times, I found their POVs hard to follow due to the different timelines. I don't know if I necessarily believe in the romance aspect between them because we didn't get enough build-up for it to feel real, but I'm hoping it will develop more in the coming books. Aside from that, I enjoyed this a lot and am looking forward to seeing the story progress. Patel's writing was lush and powerful; she never shied away from exposing the harsh realities of being a woman. That said, I would recommend checking out trigger warnings before picking this up.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3.5/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqbJ7NIYa8Ise46fmmVuAo_5eJBLOTwmkw4rvJs_ldt5ocO95cjOSTKu6slDZFIY5ZeCR8WO7E-wIw1STxiepArYYAOaSAMtC0pyMvb7dSy88u7u9E8fu3JGFcAp8lrz5XFN5CQpo7GXVkguGRbLK8PsIdEcgauyGPoajoKdTfOfOfUqNCVCG1ZbnRvA3/s4769/60714999.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4769" data-original-width="3336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqbJ7NIYa8Ise46fmmVuAo_5eJBLOTwmkw4rvJs_ldt5ocO95cjOSTKu6slDZFIY5ZeCR8WO7E-wIw1STxiepArYYAOaSAMtC0pyMvb7dSy88u7u9E8fu3JGFcAp8lrz5XFN5CQpo7GXVkguGRbLK8PsIdEcgauyGPoajoKdTfOfOfUqNCVCG1ZbnRvA3/s320/60714999.jpeg" width="224" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 8-30-22<br />Adult - Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>The Serpent and the Wings of Night- Carissa Broadbent:</b> Orphaned as a child, Oraya was taken in by the fearsome Nightborn vampire king. Being human, Oraya knew that if she wanted to survive in a world of beings who wanted her dead, she would need to grow her own set of fangs. She trained and honed her skills from a young age, but it still wasn't enough to keep her safe. Oraya knows the only way to ensure her survival would be to win the legendary Kejari, a deadly competition held by the goddess of death herself. Against her better judgment, Oraya must ally herself with Raihn, the handsome enemy of her father's crown. As the competition gets deadlier, the pair find themselves growing closer, but war is on the horizon, and Raihn is hiding a secret that will destroy everything that Oraya holds dear.</div><div><br />I've seen so many TikTok girlies going feral for this series, so I wanted to see what it was all about. Gotta say I don't get it. Like, it was fine, but nothing too spectacular. It felt like every other romantasy out there. It was chock full of all the stereotypical tropes, which made it super predictable. But was I still entertained the entire time? Yes. I liked the banter between Oraya and Raihn but thought the chemistry could've used some work. I also liked the competition aspect, but I wish there would've been more background about it because I didn't fully comprehend why they had it in the first place. While it lacked a few key factors for me, it was a fast, fun read, and I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next one.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP9_Qf_Pekv3zof908gLL7OBaK1YT_1KcV6SnE7_AFq__8KB8YL-Q8cWnIzSLM-HeB9qs6etqDMnt-SI3nAULqigPZL5_HnhT2w0NRDcObkjgwDwGL50s4XEWTlZGwQFosAQnvja1WhbSRe7c9Ou-M2OzCgnLNv6i0JpCDIQ1XqkYxA2av1GVW4JYjYnf/s400/54369251.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP9_Qf_Pekv3zof908gLL7OBaK1YT_1KcV6SnE7_AFq__8KB8YL-Q8cWnIzSLM-HeB9qs6etqDMnt-SI3nAULqigPZL5_HnhT2w0NRDcObkjgwDwGL50s4XEWTlZGwQFosAQnvja1WhbSRe7c9Ou-M2OzCgnLNv6i0JpCDIQ1XqkYxA2av1GVW4JYjYnf/s320/54369251.jpeg" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 7-21-20<br />YA - Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking- T. Kingfisher:</b> Unlike the other wizards in her town, Mona isn't using her powers to defend against invaders but to bake bread. Mona's powers can't call down lightning or speak to water, but she can turn a stale loaf of bread fresh again. Mona, and her sourdough starter familiar, is happy to while away the hours working at her aunt's bakery. But when a dead body is found on the bakery's floor, Mona's quiet life turns upside down. An assassin is stalking the streets, preying on magical users, and has his eyes set on Mona. If Mona wants to stop a war from breaking out in her town, she'll have to stretch her powers to their limits and hope her bread army will rise to the occasion.</div><div><br />This was probably the most charming of all the Kingfisher books I've read so far. It was so whimsical. I loved the idea of this wizard who uses her powers to bake and would rather make gingerbread men dance than fight a war. Mona is such a young, naïve character who gets thrust into saving her entire town, and I liked how she did everything on her terms. I liked watching her grow into her powers and gain confidence in her abilities. I loved all the baking elements. Bob, the sourdough starter, and the gingerbread man stole the show. If you're looking for a quick, fun fantasy that feels more middle-grade, I recommend checking it out.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-79692793185221126782024-02-29T08:00:00.009-05:002024-02-29T08:02:24.300-05:00February Wrap-UpHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>Does anyone else binge read romances during February? I feel like you just have to.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31EYFLhCspGP9eIgoSw2GwWdhJMIYZ5jMUOSWQhfJ_ov_RiWEKfREbKzhUbxS_0Y4PyJkn9vcaDXgSFmZLPWsr85fNByNVUHD7u829P1QxQN8-S6UoduENOFVwCORwelpoxcmbQDHrUg2CGzRt628Ctnpk7jbYpMIfKrQBllX1d2cdG9phd0lRQIU2laG/s4032/ACS_0250.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31EYFLhCspGP9eIgoSw2GwWdhJMIYZ5jMUOSWQhfJ_ov_RiWEKfREbKzhUbxS_0Y4PyJkn9vcaDXgSFmZLPWsr85fNByNVUHD7u829P1QxQN8-S6UoduENOFVwCORwelpoxcmbQDHrUg2CGzRt628Ctnpk7jbYpMIfKrQBllX1d2cdG9phd0lRQIU2laG/w480-h640/ACS_0250.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Audio:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The Duke Gets Desperate- Diana Quincy; 3/5</div><div><div>Worst Wingman Ever- Abby Jimenez; 3/5</div><div>The Exception to the Rule- Christina Lauren; 3.5/5</div></div><div>Say You'll Be Mine- Naina Kumar; 2/5</div><div>My Sister, the Serial Killer- Oyinkan Braithwaite; 3/5</div><div>A Love Song for Ricki Wilde- Tia Williams; 3/5</div><div>An Education in Malice- S.T. Gibson; 3/5</div><div>Enchanted Hill- Emily Bain Murphy; 3/5</div><div>Ana Maria and the Fox- Liana De la Rosa; 3/5</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Digital:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Yona of the Dawn, Vols. 36-40; 3/5</div><div>House of Flame and Shadow- Sarah J. Maas; 4/5</div><div>Happily Never After- Lynn Painter; 3.5/5</div><div>The Au Pair Affair- Tessa Bailey; 3/5</div><div>A Grave Robbery- Deanna Raybourn; 5/5</div><div>Rosie and the Dreamboat- Sally Thorne; 2/5</div><div>Mister Hockey- Lia Riley; 2/5</div><div>How to Solve Your Own Murder- Kristen Perrin; 4/5</div><div>The Kiss Countdown- Etta Easton; 4.5/5</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Physical:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Spin- Rebecca Caprara; 4/5</div><div>The Stardust Thief- Chelsea Abdullah; 2/5</div><div>Star Wars: Most Wanted- Rae Carson; 3/5</div><div>Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 3; 4/5</div><div>A Drop of Venom- Sajni Patel; 3.5/5</div><div>But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the '60s Girl Groups- Laura Flam & Emily Sieu Liebowitz; No rating</div><div>Medea- Eilish Quin; 2/5</div><div>Island Witch- Amanda Jayatissa; 3/5</div><div>Vicious- V.E. Schwab; 4/5</div><div><br /></div><div>Some favorites were: <i>How to Solve Your Own Murder, The Kiss Countdown, </i>and<i> A Grave Robbery.</i> My least favorites were: <i>The Stardust Thief, Mister Hockey, </i>and<i> Rosie and the Dreamboat</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>How was your reading month? What was your favorite/least favorite read?</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-54803048208696848892024-02-27T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-27T08:00:00.159-05:00Blog Tour: The Partner Plot Review<p>Hello, all!</p><p>I read <i>The Neighbor Favor</i> by Kristina Forest last year (review <a href="http://www.nerdybynatureblog.com/2023/03/blog-tour-neighbor-favor-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and loved it, so I was excited to get an early copy of her latest release, <i>The Partner Plot</i>. Big thanks to Berkley!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSM435woVT90rgzR-YHmbvfIj9rOwdNDGrCwm1LRC3xaVjL3xVpdxNlOYNMwRHMI0pc-jEdXXj8rNM9Afp5QCJa0V4xcMgFgDOuHIJraMrxzrYD_zPwXF4RCISSuULTiaT6BEsnOkVjIIVBUn2tMwhw6rG_CAAnRmwsvooK35e95fEVFZNsaByymQcf0P/s4032/ACS_0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSM435woVT90rgzR-YHmbvfIj9rOwdNDGrCwm1LRC3xaVjL3xVpdxNlOYNMwRHMI0pc-jEdXXj8rNM9Afp5QCJa0V4xcMgFgDOuHIJraMrxzrYD_zPwXF4RCISSuULTiaT6BEsnOkVjIIVBUn2tMwhw6rG_CAAnRmwsvooK35e95fEVFZNsaByymQcf0P/w480-h640/ACS_0251.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-27-24<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Violet Greene is always on the go. As a celebrity stylist, she's always moving from one thing to another, but the exhaustion is worth it to live out her dreams. While her professional life is thriving, her personal life is in disarray after her ex-fiancé cheated on her right before their wedding. Violet is determined to focus on her career, but one little white lie turns her world upside down.</p>Xavier Wright had big plans for himself when he was a teen. He was going to play ball in the NBA, and he was going to marry his high school sweetheart, Violet. Instead, he's a high school teacher and basketball coach who rarely leaves his hometown. When Violet and Xavier unexpectedly run into each other in a Vegas hotel, they spend the night reliving their youth and wake up with rings on their fingers. Could their impulsive decision be the shake-up they both needed?<br /><br />Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I was ready to eat this up. It was cute and had its moments, but ultimately fell short. I liked the characters. I thought Violet was independent and driven, and Xavier was smooth and level-headed. Their lives are so different, but they complement one another so well. Because they had a history together, the romance felt natural. My biggest issue was with the pacing. It felt too slow, and this is a personal preference, but I don't think romance books should be over ~350 pages. It makes the story feel drawn out. Still, I'd recommend this if you enjoy second-chance romances, but it dragged a little too much for me.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-36542232671273694052024-02-24T11:51:00.000-05:002024-02-24T11:51:24.009-05:00Library HaulHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>How often do you go to the library? As you can probably tell, I go there quite a bit 😂</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6jiY2qgo89NFkc95xGaIrlPbijKrF0X29q0SiVxOOrhWijDAqle2jBAXLzKEIxrPNx0YqNmGXPy2B7dVGPVjppEsx2x-9vTDoJQJGoD08LIRD4PcnqrQTdx5tYF9vIm8-xnXm5gcAaVye3aJoFe_rwqBZtsZB1cz0Ntm2kB8rQG3VTmc0MzFRz0w1ko9/s4032/ACS_0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6jiY2qgo89NFkc95xGaIrlPbijKrF0X29q0SiVxOOrhWijDAqle2jBAXLzKEIxrPNx0YqNmGXPy2B7dVGPVjppEsx2x-9vTDoJQJGoD08LIRD4PcnqrQTdx5tYF9vIm8-xnXm5gcAaVye3aJoFe_rwqBZtsZB1cz0Ntm2kB8rQG3VTmc0MzFRz0w1ko9/w480-h640/ACS_0249.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>1. Destiny's Captive- Beverly Jenkins</div><div>2. Ana Maria and the Fox- Liana De La Rosa</div><div>3. What Feasts at Night- T. Kingfisher</div><div>4. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 4</div><div>5. Medea- Eilish Quin</div><div>6. Island Witch- Amanda Jayatissa</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-19954984121994684952024-02-22T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-22T08:00:00.206-05:00February OwlCrate ReviewHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>The theme for this month was "Treacherous Love." Let's get into it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueJoy0JskniDaC1j_m5Sn2pddTSXbrRpdjmx30NgkrCAoQ1GQ9QnTl2svzO_9wwrstfbUu1zHr0x0lqI1ftB8TUH77yKtkK2Z1L1-UC4xOMBXoowCDIIwq5AQlR7SUnlTGE6BxdqitztmtcBV87genS41iPd2C56c4KCqMMtJdHtNTOip9xiifksKHLj9/s4032/ACS_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueJoy0JskniDaC1j_m5Sn2pddTSXbrRpdjmx30NgkrCAoQ1GQ9QnTl2svzO_9wwrstfbUu1zHr0x0lqI1ftB8TUH77yKtkK2Z1L1-UC4xOMBXoowCDIIwq5AQlR7SUnlTGE6BxdqitztmtcBV87genS41iPd2C56c4KCqMMtJdHtNTOip9xiifksKHLj9/w480-h640/ACS_0226.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>First up was the next in their new Perfect Pairings enamel pin collection. This one is inspired by <i>Belladonna</i>. I love the purple flowers on this one.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAfkoYk1lQQqDrdz0WLh7_Z_37hKocO0ClZYcwsdk2-TJLFYFGaEctOdpIMh5Wi7-6NOF1Ms93A7s54nVPr5W6d7w4ZBgPeNrI1jrglHJt6xHq3Ig_VcZ-_uZxhIS8r3k6ve2wQuuIcm-g5b9mwy0FAD9OJkpB366WKbwLsavQon-7nmuv5x2oAC7LEjx/s4032/ACS_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAfkoYk1lQQqDrdz0WLh7_Z_37hKocO0ClZYcwsdk2-TJLFYFGaEctOdpIMh5Wi7-6NOF1Ms93A7s54nVPr5W6d7w4ZBgPeNrI1jrglHJt6xHq3Ig_VcZ-_uZxhIS8r3k6ve2wQuuIcm-g5b9mwy0FAD9OJkpB366WKbwLsavQon-7nmuv5x2oAC7LEjx/w480-h640/ACS_0225.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Next was this oven mitt inspired by <i>The Scarlet Veil</i>. The design is so Gothic and I love how it's heart shaped.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcEVPwVAtSLRO-aTS1mjjGEUk2bR-erbDl8zRfwuEu_ujeCDU-F94OizmIiKGCLNhy-ZqqKjZznHlOnSfBgxLUzoUS-BAyTNzQ86HpM_WBomlSu3-MuXABO1BDTRDafuCQalo9h9yoi3uxRQf5Q88jhI0mM-6eiMMm1U-z49LrLQ5BvUnUrHhEDqcKqFi/s4032/ACS_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcEVPwVAtSLRO-aTS1mjjGEUk2bR-erbDl8zRfwuEu_ujeCDU-F94OizmIiKGCLNhy-ZqqKjZznHlOnSfBgxLUzoUS-BAyTNzQ86HpM_WBomlSu3-MuXABO1BDTRDafuCQalo9h9yoi3uxRQf5Q88jhI0mM-6eiMMm1U-z49LrLQ5BvUnUrHhEDqcKqFi/w480-h640/ACS_0223.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Then there was this large window decal. It's inspired by <i>Dark Rise</i>, and I know we've had items with this same quote in previous boxes, so I would've liked to have seen something a little more unique.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWs2wIIHQMYqKpJ8ZZNvrO4aLrQakwz47k3R8Kj5x8wxq_RS8ms1bV6umzs6BPGev34pH2ghaBW001diV5j-sbVyv0VTJ41aBX7xquLoFObkVkTFDdK4LRTZOlkVy7a4-GqtJYCw3Xwofic6QBdOs88cah_qtaRUJWk8P5fsVDJgMQw_yhIEvYxbWy3Lv/s4032/ACS_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWs2wIIHQMYqKpJ8ZZNvrO4aLrQakwz47k3R8Kj5x8wxq_RS8ms1bV6umzs6BPGev34pH2ghaBW001diV5j-sbVyv0VTJ41aBX7xquLoFObkVkTFDdK4LRTZOlkVy7a4-GqtJYCw3Xwofic6QBdOs88cah_qtaRUJWk8P5fsVDJgMQw_yhIEvYxbWy3Lv/w480-h640/ACS_0224.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Another <i>Belladonna</i>-inspired item were these little spoons. One says, "Come to stab me again?" and the other has "Hello, little bird." I'm not sure if I would use these, but they're pretty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROb6Zxky5eaBNHl7rr0jnj-afJyMRnoaKs7nk6LWTOocGCPMviYUQ3Q1y1kuR5BFaZe6wNwRim5zPYXyg_a7eYEmuZLwbY8bKhr0Wgpn6MoqgYA1w7pNmxE0OtwGhp2z3gR7U5cUC4g1E5lUufPtOcY2yB5sFuX616VLAD-iLbVTPg37beAln6YfC3q5J/s4032/ACS_0227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROb6Zxky5eaBNHl7rr0jnj-afJyMRnoaKs7nk6LWTOocGCPMviYUQ3Q1y1kuR5BFaZe6wNwRim5zPYXyg_a7eYEmuZLwbY8bKhr0Wgpn6MoqgYA1w7pNmxE0OtwGhp2z3gR7U5cUC4g1E5lUufPtOcY2yB5sFuX616VLAD-iLbVTPg37beAln6YfC3q5J/w480-h640/ACS_0227.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfyBfGhltq7_YAfHV7AQu8E-LNO-IbcwE6rg3eUoaB4kXTvIl19uJJUUpW2XCFIIRe3TAPLRiAB4lqgjAmM2aOAS1IYtuzygudMxIDolZ8n1dDhtl5mFE8KMIjm3p6HIKHQUR7L4PFPAYqNRNdoorXpgIIpnLe1QkDY99X8UAJuCqJXcw6AKz2iYGU4bc/s4032/ACS_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfyBfGhltq7_YAfHV7AQu8E-LNO-IbcwE6rg3eUoaB4kXTvIl19uJJUUpW2XCFIIRe3TAPLRiAB4lqgjAmM2aOAS1IYtuzygudMxIDolZ8n1dDhtl5mFE8KMIjm3p6HIKHQUR7L4PFPAYqNRNdoorXpgIIpnLe1QkDY99X8UAJuCqJXcw6AKz2iYGU4bc/w480-h640/ACS_0228.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Kicking off their new Royalty Drinkware Collection was this mug inspired by <i>The Cruel Prince</i>. The quality is really nice and I love the little acorns on the inside lip.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUxsOavcm7F4dgiWiqINtrLXIA2Vd_PxFY7440wvL15_qh-am4x25hjw0d005AI8giR92k7K1rKAm0wsdLATRRwb_uKabPf5bu0hcxAYoKLxlrChUOTRBcQNFTwgJCVrKFLwGZervQhQS-OWXS3T7sCnsvwP584NU7EXhQ1Jlr5GeBtIYEuWt6A_HPyCR/s4032/ACS_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUxsOavcm7F4dgiWiqINtrLXIA2Vd_PxFY7440wvL15_qh-am4x25hjw0d005AI8giR92k7K1rKAm0wsdLATRRwb_uKabPf5bu0hcxAYoKLxlrChUOTRBcQNFTwgJCVrKFLwGZervQhQS-OWXS3T7sCnsvwP584NU7EXhQ1Jlr5GeBtIYEuWt6A_HPyCR/w480-h640/ACS_0233.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFln9wkB_H66xHgI4_YbN_cwN2WKyEM94EbcvtfXO0faVst7TOwATyBIsMc7cWBJRTjWgxC1e3u6BOf-8YQqyb6bWhbARSOgKAeVCyLxZiN0Mu9HqDXWGKNQPXCbyR6RUQIyP7odOlZ4-1sE2pfZJNerpWIB4uXozBoOeG7nftLhbmNJX22qjCSnIUzd6F/s4032/ACS_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFln9wkB_H66xHgI4_YbN_cwN2WKyEM94EbcvtfXO0faVst7TOwATyBIsMc7cWBJRTjWgxC1e3u6BOf-8YQqyb6bWhbARSOgKAeVCyLxZiN0Mu9HqDXWGKNQPXCbyR6RUQIyP7odOlZ4-1sE2pfZJNerpWIB4uXozBoOeG7nftLhbmNJX22qjCSnIUzd6F/w480-h640/ACS_0235.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaee_-lstdiuUE8LRzmu-3TefeRngXtzDLyQVizS1L24gYiWUCyW6Ke0mqmfHcwMlA76IuEVN31_4yJ9kTZvHUjZTkNhPW4qCZVxdFD0X_7FFzQM9zHG1vUuDSwhdN14IklXrH70yIbnbVkV6POfNz6WvwKZ52lSt7heiChEFr9MJK8e1Jr3r0BAzmbRQ/s4032/ACS_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaee_-lstdiuUE8LRzmu-3TefeRngXtzDLyQVizS1L24gYiWUCyW6Ke0mqmfHcwMlA76IuEVN31_4yJ9kTZvHUjZTkNhPW4qCZVxdFD0X_7FFzQM9zHG1vUuDSwhdN14IklXrH70yIbnbVkV6POfNz6WvwKZ52lSt7heiChEFr9MJK8e1Jr3r0BAzmbRQ/w480-h640/ACS_0230.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwjCw2RuimefsrFflyDhXncS98_cw0vRiwqtR6J0Lfp-VxxHp-PN38g62lZNhvXglevbFi_HiQodtPGdQTaOmiyZPkjEoC1CO4uRJlEJMEtF1YjgvJXLbacn-hs5TJkEwFqXIoXcwOCX1lw_iPFtPKJmHsMxO88Bt5YGhCQm6XsCh8CTbQyID3vQUwv6y/s4032/ACS_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwjCw2RuimefsrFflyDhXncS98_cw0vRiwqtR6J0Lfp-VxxHp-PN38g62lZNhvXglevbFi_HiQodtPGdQTaOmiyZPkjEoC1CO4uRJlEJMEtF1YjgvJXLbacn-hs5TJkEwFqXIoXcwOCX1lw_iPFtPKJmHsMxO88Bt5YGhCQm6XsCh8CTbQyID3vQUwv6y/w480-h640/ACS_0232.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3eZ6-9YVH9NgBp5QnmfpynSwRWthXKlZe6kcbjBXmdBZXeeHYkqFmaASFyvmqlFusnXqqWut-irxT1EPp2aIoMhcmFCN_bnaaI2uKjXSClUvLI76aUyKM7f_e1ALWXhemiH0v6C9d-TTP0-CVMF7BHETwRaQQZnsoF8LGgkdnGPvpUIdQobJT1kuAPD/s4032/ACS_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM3eZ6-9YVH9NgBp5QnmfpynSwRWthXKlZe6kcbjBXmdBZXeeHYkqFmaASFyvmqlFusnXqqWut-irxT1EPp2aIoMhcmFCN_bnaaI2uKjXSClUvLI76aUyKM7f_e1ALWXhemiH0v6C9d-TTP0-CVMF7BHETwRaQQZnsoF8LGgkdnGPvpUIdQobJT1kuAPD/w480-h640/ACS_0234.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2GwrLJdcIGaYBjqqCrtNXB17iWSvtoeV3-oZEfaIe4-CfzM_uxwKtpuMTvRJE4idZycjdgdXoKfJVbirN3cwhtxv0Lg4NtEwJLut0wwOhGEL72v8KGvpuaf7fp7oqF9GbHzOUI0eLUm-RY33KLgtvW1M0F9Oh82dLaG6S8FAEGfhxWPuivMZsJfDrr6t/s4032/ACS_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2GwrLJdcIGaYBjqqCrtNXB17iWSvtoeV3-oZEfaIe4-CfzM_uxwKtpuMTvRJE4idZycjdgdXoKfJVbirN3cwhtxv0Lg4NtEwJLut0wwOhGEL72v8KGvpuaf7fp7oqF9GbHzOUI0eLUm-RY33KLgtvW1M0F9Oh82dLaG6S8FAEGfhxWPuivMZsJfDrr6t/w480-h640/ACS_0231.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuSGkUYnxVP5LD1_L1UzpT7A8eOAxby8t_NWkfxay8hOikZAZ6cUB0Rmb5KynlQRY7e_U-foc0ognlOHoWZw_YIzS3yoikVSATIaCVaFO_yOIVH-1ZISiRfvvmVl2FHCRB4j3OlEy7CfYGHM4fgL1Nzu6aBD2sD4dZoX1Sb2neXX8OfqxDhN9PVlXPIt6/s4032/ACS_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuSGkUYnxVP5LD1_L1UzpT7A8eOAxby8t_NWkfxay8hOikZAZ6cUB0Rmb5KynlQRY7e_U-foc0ognlOHoWZw_YIzS3yoikVSATIaCVaFO_yOIVH-1ZISiRfvvmVl2FHCRB4j3OlEy7CfYGHM4fgL1Nzu6aBD2sD4dZoX1Sb2neXX8OfqxDhN9PVlXPIt6/w491-h369/ACS_0229.JPG" width="491" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The book for this month was <i>Heartless Hunter</i> by Kristen Ciccarelli. This takes place in a land where witches have been purged forcing our main character, Rune, to hide her identity while also trying to protect her kind. When a rescue goes awry, Rune must get the witch hunters off her trail, even if that means courting one of her enemies.<div><br /></div><div>This was on my list of most anticipated releases for this year, so I'm excited to pick it up soon. Let me know what you thought of this months box!</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-23508058149088739552024-02-20T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-20T08:00:00.311-05:00Mini ThoughtsHello, all!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qjxPs_bdU7ba7pfssNe_OFLygkPX8BtNq_nJZvzR1YR0qKupT4VH3opWCx-XAM_qxJHYsyIvNn1BqbuAHX9Ym7xfOKLgGSTlF-wYJC3uuMLXsDWI5NxbUcWLsz2N3UaomHsst_gO6Aa-zJuIXgZizTV63U1t7SPI2wzt-i6EO48JkN9zKNXDbx2jZgEn/s1080/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qjxPs_bdU7ba7pfssNe_OFLygkPX8BtNq_nJZvzR1YR0qKupT4VH3opWCx-XAM_qxJHYsyIvNn1BqbuAHX9Ym7xfOKLgGSTlF-wYJC3uuMLXsDWI5NxbUcWLsz2N3UaomHsst_gO6Aa-zJuIXgZizTV63U1t7SPI2wzt-i6EO48JkN9zKNXDbx2jZgEn/s320/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStrURu_lQmNDJLgDzfH55u7AyX-d0tYlYqH7BORz1YqS-7FXaA6WulA8ZAQOs-7jJAkVG6Il21edyxi7w9x6p2mO2ZZ0LaBt0jIS6_5ozQrPkyas4FmNd05BhGhLTzm8fmXng4xfLCSPwjvQbBL9nbDG-3BeV5cdMRroPGFvkExVt-vwxlBay4_VA5UAc/s445/157979415.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStrURu_lQmNDJLgDzfH55u7AyX-d0tYlYqH7BORz1YqS-7FXaA6WulA8ZAQOs-7jJAkVG6Il21edyxi7w9x6p2mO2ZZ0LaBt0jIS6_5ozQrPkyas4FmNd05BhGhLTzm8fmXng4xfLCSPwjvQbBL9nbDG-3BeV5cdMRroPGFvkExVt-vwxlBay4_VA5UAc/s320/157979415.jpeg" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-20-24<br />Adult - Historical Mystery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Murder in Masquerade- Mary Winters:</b> Widowed countess Amelia Amesbury is used to being in sticky situations. She has gone to great lengths to uncover truths as the secret author of a popular advice column. Her latest escapade led her to join forces with Simon Bainbridge, a marquis and close friend of Amelia's late husband. But now it seems that Simon is the one in need of assistance. Simon discovers his younger sister has written to Lady Agony asking for advice on whether or not to elope with a man her family disapproves of, and he is desperate for Amelia to dissuade her. But when the man is found dead in an alleyway, Amelia believes there's more to the story. With Simon's family's reputation on the line, it'll take all of Amelia's know-how to solve the case.<br /><br />I'm so glad I found this series. It's so fun! The characters are my favorite part. Amelia is so plucky, and I love how outspoken she is. Each chapter begins with her advice column, and her replies are blunt and amusing. And Simon is one of those characters that I dare anyone not to fall in love with. He's charming, handsome, and best of all, goes along with whatever scheme Amelia has in mind. I love how he tries to insist on protecting her but is then like, 'Oh, alright.' They play off each other so well, and I'm impatiently waiting for their romance to finally kick-off. We got little moments in here, but I want more. Like in the previous book, the mystery isn't mind-blowing, but it's entertaining. It's become one of my favorite cozy historical mystery series, and I can't wait for more.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</i></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HCiWzhF6qAbl4WbHDx2GXpq9tA21A8Ce3qCynltudsMKMKilNrBPUHCRU0h8RzHVVzPmakbnwnifqDL4Xws9GVarYnDK-i9-Kpc90fT3nMfTTRJ_LidSPe6vSsvprB8UbFOa6l8QthqFaaK7htluXdgoRBVIaKQjFlDyzR_Ilw-pSpu0Qw-fqbEWJPrb/s500/35533431.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HCiWzhF6qAbl4WbHDx2GXpq9tA21A8Ce3qCynltudsMKMKilNrBPUHCRU0h8RzHVVzPmakbnwnifqDL4Xws9GVarYnDK-i9-Kpc90fT3nMfTTRJ_LidSPe6vSsvprB8UbFOa6l8QthqFaaK7htluXdgoRBVIaKQjFlDyzR_Ilw-pSpu0Qw-fqbEWJPrb/s320/35533431.jpeg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 3-20-18<br />Adult - Thriller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>The Broken Girls- Simone St. James:</b> In 1950s Vermont, Idlewild Hall was the place to send girls no one wanted. The halls were full of girls deemed troublemakers, illegitimate girls, and girls who scared society by speaking their minds. Four girls, in particular, share a close bond, sharing their fears and dreams. But Idlewild also had a reputation for being haunted, and when one of the girls goes missing, the rest are left wondering. Years later, the body of Fiona Sheridan's sister is found on the grounds of Idlewild. Her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted for the murder, but something has never sat right with Fiona. When Fiona learns that Idlewild Hall is being restored, she uses her journalism background to write a story about it. But when a shocking discovery links back to her sister, Fiona begins to uncover secrets that were supposed to stay hidden.<br /><br />I've read a few other books by St. James that I've enjoyed, so I was looking forward to picking this up. I love how all of her books seem to have a paranormal element. It makes for such compulsive reading. The pacing was so well-done, and I didn't want to put it down because I needed to know what was happening. I thought the dual timelines worked well. I liked seeing glimpses of the girls at Idlewild, and I loved following Fiona as she hunted down clues that tied everything together. I've seen a few reviews classify this as dark academia, which I don't agree with. Yes, part of it takes place at a boarding school, but it felt more like a classic ghost story than dark academia. Either way, I thought this was great, and St. James has solidified herself as one of my favorite thriller authors.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NWm_NC3LT5FF2HzgjBLJwFACHbcFa6ZQKwF5dDl-mFCQXbxZucPqx3bveTx1tHcIWPLl-SLYecvjidpWcPDEIRHbxCVxQtyph1HfWa5amJdG25Bg9OC6jrenu-Vh5Qz_MHNkaXJfiC89SFOng6Z6xNqQg4ROAfiWAZoTMCMfHOoFz6S6l9M-X1zTiCGY/s2560/122494718.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NWm_NC3LT5FF2HzgjBLJwFACHbcFa6ZQKwF5dDl-mFCQXbxZucPqx3bveTx1tHcIWPLl-SLYecvjidpWcPDEIRHbxCVxQtyph1HfWa5amJdG25Bg9OC6jrenu-Vh5Qz_MHNkaXJfiC89SFOng6Z6xNqQg4ROAfiWAZoTMCMfHOoFz6S6l9M-X1zTiCGY/s320/122494718.jpeg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 4-18-22<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>In the Weeds-B.K. Borison:</b> Evelyn St. James and Beckett Porter couldn't be more different. She's a social media influencer who never stays in one place, and he's a grumpy farmer who takes in stray animals. Neither has forgotten the incredible weekend they spent together months ago, but they both know nothing between them could last. But what if it could? When her job starts feeling unfulfilling, Evie begins to question when the last time she was truly happy. It doesn't take long for her to realize it was with Beckett on Lovelight Farms. Once she steps on the farm and sees Beckett, Evie knows this is where she's supposed to be. But what happens when real life comes knocking?</div><div><br />I loved the previous book in this series, so I had high hopes for this one. It was even better than I imagined. I loved being back at the farm in this small town full of meddling neighbors. But my favorite thing about this was Evie and Beckett. Their relationship was *chefs kiss*. I adored them together. Beckett is so smitten with Evie from the jump, and we love to see it. The chemistry between them was palpable, but there was also such tenderness. They cared so deeply for each other, and it was sweet watching them do little things for one another. Seeing Evie carrying earplugs for when Beckett gets too anxious especially tugged at my heartstrings. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope, but Borison did it in a way that felt right to the characters, so I didn't mind it as much. I can tell that Borison will be a new fave, and I can't wait to pick up the next book.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-51026622955951789482024-02-19T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-19T08:00:00.156-05:00Stickii Stationery + ReviewHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>If you weren't already aware, I'm obsessed with stationery. Stickers, notebooks, pads, I love it all. So, when I heard there was a stationery subscription box, I jumped all over it. <a href="https://www.stickiiclub.com/" target="_blank">Stickii</a> is a website that has so many different adorable products on it from a variety of artists, and they offer a monthly subscription that comes with 10 different items (7 sticker sheets, 3 stationery items, and it also comes with a storage insert). </div><div><br /></div><div>There are three different styles to choose from for the subscription: Cute (this is described as being for all the kawaii lovers), Vintage (described as being for the old souls), and Pop (described as being for the rebellious and fun). I signed up for the Vintage pack, but what I thought was really cool was that when they announce each month's theme, you can swap to a different pack for that month if you like there's better.</div><div><br /></div><div>The subscription is super affordable for the amount of items you're getting, and I'm so happy with my first package and can't wait for the others. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now, without further ado, let's get into the February pack-- "Patisserie Dreams"!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSHc7527KJ6NB92h0jNk5RdJl3wAaEIjiwAsRZpS8Kq4qTILxxtmcRARO05ET7Ach_va0REMSfloKFeEb5qtsu9wYx83ObR8aUSoqDfBE6CtBH9jg7AuLNsSdw09XoJXCy2oKfdOOzYehOt9YnSuhECgmbcsR0qMNU9izg5ydumlEp2-pcmtvNnysYmZ/s4032/ACS_0240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJSHc7527KJ6NB92h0jNk5RdJl3wAaEIjiwAsRZpS8Kq4qTILxxtmcRARO05ET7Ach_va0REMSfloKFeEb5qtsu9wYx83ObR8aUSoqDfBE6CtBH9jg7AuLNsSdw09XoJXCy2oKfdOOzYehOt9YnSuhECgmbcsR0qMNU9izg5ydumlEp2-pcmtvNnysYmZ/w480-h640/ACS_0240.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn9WW_5BIFp_JJtkxr01pcKTYFBzFWXe9eDIb9fT_iMxpjReEha4fkgZPzur9FZ4k9hy-mav6YQhM1mAN_K4pjrzZ4gb_cJ00m4BvYRF469hjxK9ZzB_1K4ajTs5s21Aekf8kAO2ODo-aqp1KKyvchYDpF07SlM_rgR-k0l_75UnlaWLdXifO4watD3VB/s4032/ACS_0247.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn9WW_5BIFp_JJtkxr01pcKTYFBzFWXe9eDIb9fT_iMxpjReEha4fkgZPzur9FZ4k9hy-mav6YQhM1mAN_K4pjrzZ4gb_cJ00m4BvYRF469hjxK9ZzB_1K4ajTs5s21Aekf8kAO2ODo-aqp1KKyvchYDpF07SlM_rgR-k0l_75UnlaWLdXifO4watD3VB/w480-h640/ACS_0247.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything came packaged in the storage insert. <br />These can fit into any A5 6-ring binder so you can keep them organized! </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP-YWK9LLqFRYPMLsJgZRI_QIWGXKzVl0MF_xXeRFbi18MzVEi0LP5pmEmBIfDsBX28TmpS-WWMmeoBlkWHNEhxpyUlA6a-MfdpC1ctlkE79ShFlp23SNsmkTA1Bqz2qAwVkpdKMl65tAge55Bly4mnZjQAbBhBCOabGNooO-prLBx-2so0oef3wXZspZ/s4032/ACS_0241.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyP-YWK9LLqFRYPMLsJgZRI_QIWGXKzVl0MF_xXeRFbi18MzVEi0LP5pmEmBIfDsBX28TmpS-WWMmeoBlkWHNEhxpyUlA6a-MfdpC1ctlkE79ShFlp23SNsmkTA1Bqz2qAwVkpdKMl65tAge55Bly4mnZjQAbBhBCOabGNooO-prLBx-2so0oef3wXZspZ/w480-h640/ACS_0241.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1g6DnKQu3QEYHHCNEPT4FWNsfdTy3uWjygPURCW9ADR8FFiHpM7XzS_jG-bxTIQJCODYWPZ4k1N0KQMIveYrru2KXMXyn_I9KOuqFJZq05289FA37Sz1PIT08Ee_7Qj5KK967Z8u2Kseu9Au3ylmSALfjEwrJjTHkWUfDnWLPqPtdPvv4IZ_hOxMh2pZo/s4032/ACS_0242.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1g6DnKQu3QEYHHCNEPT4FWNsfdTy3uWjygPURCW9ADR8FFiHpM7XzS_jG-bxTIQJCODYWPZ4k1N0KQMIveYrru2KXMXyn_I9KOuqFJZq05289FA37Sz1PIT08Ee_7Qj5KK967Z8u2Kseu9Au3ylmSALfjEwrJjTHkWUfDnWLPqPtdPvv4IZ_hOxMh2pZo/w480-h640/ACS_0242.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such pretty notecards!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv357scOy3XVGKIR4sJ25xSpN5QdzyzjeqocCRw_gLIlhD4DQ4O7QOALFUCSCE0j9RNSt2jmYyYo5jn-wrs3kjW-mWF2zFq7_LCz7O5mo1WGEvc5ErOVDvnClpIIqaG5oNOoHUKrS6IHcyY5_32Df1cuUpYm4YoPbox0YMnzO3ev8IlpH8MF6MId3i1nQI/s4032/ACS_0243.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv357scOy3XVGKIR4sJ25xSpN5QdzyzjeqocCRw_gLIlhD4DQ4O7QOALFUCSCE0j9RNSt2jmYyYo5jn-wrs3kjW-mWF2zFq7_LCz7O5mo1WGEvc5ErOVDvnClpIIqaG5oNOoHUKrS6IHcyY5_32Df1cuUpYm4YoPbox0YMnzO3ev8IlpH8MF6MId3i1nQI/w480-h640/ACS_0243.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't wait to use this for someone's birthday!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkua5_BF7d3OWLWHlCfm2Ym134ixyi07crqlTiovKpK4PiD_JdA47W0DyjDnzeMM4Fz2e6v51s4GVmNAQrWqRkT0EjVeUpmqW_ursZRXBYqjMQbJmakYuEI9BkOLcSTsiTxNAeCeKcY7ESj5q5OAsauhwyWh6u5nSUtlZpM8DGKCrwbFG5VLw7SnXBQZt7/s4032/ACS_0244.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkua5_BF7d3OWLWHlCfm2Ym134ixyi07crqlTiovKpK4PiD_JdA47W0DyjDnzeMM4Fz2e6v51s4GVmNAQrWqRkT0EjVeUpmqW_ursZRXBYqjMQbJmakYuEI9BkOLcSTsiTxNAeCeKcY7ESj5q5OAsauhwyWh6u5nSUtlZpM8DGKCrwbFG5VLw7SnXBQZt7/w480-h640/ACS_0244.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tuluQKknE5vGq6dbXaV7VAt1qJRUHL-ssRD-QQ57P1GrJovXSay_MyfAsaOIiu9s6C86ISU2y5wJbOaNVULVpYZKfE7seAPPaT89hUx75uFau1SpM-x5wpjqEs7aF4g8Y8LdMmo6xGOXYuItg11x9nkJ5sBE46anKS8fHrjd1-Y-OgiEas2woD5Bkw1R/s4032/ACS_0245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tuluQKknE5vGq6dbXaV7VAt1qJRUHL-ssRD-QQ57P1GrJovXSay_MyfAsaOIiu9s6C86ISU2y5wJbOaNVULVpYZKfE7seAPPaT89hUx75uFau1SpM-x5wpjqEs7aF4g8Y8LdMmo6xGOXYuItg11x9nkJ5sBE46anKS8fHrjd1-Y-OgiEas2woD5Bkw1R/w480-h640/ACS_0245.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI8EwPxKRuAwCNhBi3E7VuSqOxSrRjOJWYLdNgJAoBSrAdpmQOjDC2jMNIhxKI8Ng_AsJUxP5NUV5a8XK3mk8X528HgnB-bAQJ4J1hOvIrKHCay-32gVYQWvrXhWCAde1eKitGeeqR_hGxZjJ4xop3s2THrGqt1zTvXrkV80O_UwosKKkZ-LacGY3ynoK/s4032/ACS_0246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI8EwPxKRuAwCNhBi3E7VuSqOxSrRjOJWYLdNgJAoBSrAdpmQOjDC2jMNIhxKI8Ng_AsJUxP5NUV5a8XK3mk8X528HgnB-bAQJ4J1hOvIrKHCay-32gVYQWvrXhWCAde1eKitGeeqR_hGxZjJ4xop3s2THrGqt1zTvXrkV80O_UwosKKkZ-LacGY3ynoK/w480-h640/ACS_0246.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know this is a bit different from my usual subscription reviews, so let me know if you all like it and I'll keep doing them!</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-7223227736566197502024-02-15T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-15T08:00:00.231-05:00Boy of Chaotic Making Review (Whimbrel House, #3)<p>Hello, all!</p><p>You might remember me gushing over the Whimbrel House series by Charlie N. Holmberg last year. They were some of my favorite reads of 2023 (review of the previous book <a href="http://www.nerdybynatureblog.com/2023/04/heir-of-uncertain-magic-review-whimbrel.html" target="_blank">here</a>), so I was super excited to get my hands on an ARC of the latest book, <i>Boy of Chaotic Making</i>. Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</p><p>*Potential spoilers ahead*</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MWSzyEmN49PbvWHM3iMLmVZV6Oj3s2yRD07sMztI3B4kpf2mvN3Nx8AvfgkOGlYs67VxLpERozRBzv7-iPZH0cI4nOiKa58bjvMnTyep7BpEnvl56RFjFiDahdoPwK28qQxJYINDQ6Cl_bVG_9_U3EXRMqFL2imGd3zo6lFggqrCzUZQWAgxesKcF-bY/s1080/ACS_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MWSzyEmN49PbvWHM3iMLmVZV6Oj3s2yRD07sMztI3B4kpf2mvN3Nx8AvfgkOGlYs67VxLpERozRBzv7-iPZH0cI4nOiKa58bjvMnTyep7BpEnvl56RFjFiDahdoPwK28qQxJYINDQ6Cl_bVG_9_U3EXRMqFL2imGd3zo6lFggqrCzUZQWAgxesKcF-bY/w400-h400/ACS_0217.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-13-24<br />Adult - Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Merritt Fernsby’s life changed dramatically the moment he inherited Whimbrel House. He went from being estranged from his family and feeling alone to having a tight-knit group all his own. Merritt also found love in his fiancé, Hulda Larkin, whose logical demeanor perfectly balances his whimsy. Merritt has also become fiercely protective of his great-times-many uncle Owein, who went from haunting the halls of Whimbrel House to the body of a terrier. It's this little tidbit that throws Merritt and the crew into a whole new adventure.</p>After receiving a letter from the Queen of England showing interest in Owein, the trio find themselves crossing the Atlantic. When they arrive, they discover that, due to Owein's powerful magical ability, the Queen is interested in getting him a human vessel and marrying him into the royal family. It has been so long since Owein had a body of his own, so he's quick to agree to the terms, but Merritt and Hulda have some concerns. Ones that only seem to grow when strange accidents start befalling them. It's clear that someone is against this scheme, but after 200 years of soul-drifting, Owein is willing to do whatever it takes to become whole again.<br /><br />I'm starting to sound like a broken record with this series, but I adore it so much. It's everything I could want in a cozy fantasy series. Interesting magic system? Check. Fun, historical setting? Check. A found family I would die for? Check. I loved exploring a new setting and how it introduced new sects of magic users. I love how the magic is very give-and-take, and you see the different tolls each form takes on its users. Owein has always been a favorite character of mine, so I enjoyed how the plot focused on him. He has this interesting dynamic of being hundreds of years old while still a kid, and I liked watching him grow here. The other highlight of this series for me is Merritt and Hulda. Their relationship is everything. I didn't think I could swoon anymore over them, but I was wrong. My only slight complaint was that the plot was a little slow to kick off, but I was still engaged the entire time, and I'm crossing my fingers, hoping we get more.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-14092826399909997802024-02-13T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-13T08:00:00.170-05:00Fangirl Down Review (Big Shots, #1)<p>Hello, all!</p><p>When you think of sports romances, what's the first thing to pop into your head? Football? Hockey? Probably not golf, right? Well, Tessa Bailey's latest release, <i>Fangirl Down</i>, is here to fix that. Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAEUtJ2TxgyNxhRBGU7cOzGUGDcQkFWlEd78rBZMQNaRr3yvhKrICyXfip5NB9piPmkzu-lDevURivxExK4-eCfmS9rOWMDxGrfkKbQvI1qRZV-9_pUz28VXPSDTESsIElbz93Q12g-MXb8h-73azsmTldMBbcnE1eaAOxc5kt_jK5pgLjlaJ0XsrYQbj/s4032/ACS_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAEUtJ2TxgyNxhRBGU7cOzGUGDcQkFWlEd78rBZMQNaRr3yvhKrICyXfip5NB9piPmkzu-lDevURivxExK4-eCfmS9rOWMDxGrfkKbQvI1qRZV-9_pUz28VXPSDTESsIElbz93Q12g-MXb8h-73azsmTldMBbcnE1eaAOxc5kt_jK5pgLjlaJ0XsrYQbj/w480-h640/ACS_0220.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-13-24<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><p>To say Josephine Doyle loves golf would be an understatement. Her whole life revolves around the sport. If she's not teeing off herself, she's running her family's pro shop or standing on the sidelines rooting for her favorite player, Wells Whitaker. Because Josephine isn't just a regular fan; she's a proud fangirl. Wells Whitaker was once at the top of his game, but now the bad boy of golf is scraping the bottom of the barrel. The only thing Wells can count on now is the optimistic redhead who's always on the sidelines cheering him on despite his poor swing. But when Wells lashes out, Josephine starts questioning if her faith in the golfer is misplaced.</p>Determined to return to her good graces, Wells offers Josephine a job as his caddie and a promise to split the prize money with her. Josephine could use the money, so she agrees, and as the pair travel together, they start to form a bond. Suddenly, Wells is winning again, and Josephine is shocked to find a sweet guy under all that gruffness. With their time on the tour winding down, Josephine will need to head back to her real life, but will Wells be able to let her go when the time comes?<br /><br />Leave it to Tessa Bailey to make golfing hot. I've enjoyed Bailey's recent releases but kept feeling like something was missing, but that wasn't the case here. It had me in a chokehold the entire time. I was giggling and kicking my little feet. I loved the dynamic between Josephine and Wells. She was so bubbly and energetic, while he was surly and hot-headed. Much like Bailey's other male love interests, he had his fair share of "Me, Tarzan. You, Jane" moments, but he was such a simp for Josephine that I almost didn't mind it. Their relationship was very insta-lovey, but I was having such a good time reading it that I didn't care. I'm surprised my glasses didn't fog up with the amount of steam that was in here. I also liked the diabetes representation, as that isn't something I've seen often in romance books. If you're in the mood for a playful, raunchy sports romance, I recommend checking it out.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 5/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-87078380021926124062024-02-10T12:47:00.002-05:002024-02-10T12:47:25.993-05:00Library HaulHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>Another week, another library haul.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSYaCMUv-fX6eKsD80PbEwr9WvINUBaV3ntrMrSZ2bJvZU7IQRVM_kIXLI49N5mNOD6o1PK5K0prXBV6oWDoFeKBFS96K_YilgY5gSi_FXVBza-vcYXnRz8DrCJ47HyvAPjwFqdfgctn6wkZ7aJdadVN13J8HqMQjp4YcxlGFt95GXqUbN6vJd34pa67U/s4032/ACS_0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSYaCMUv-fX6eKsD80PbEwr9WvINUBaV3ntrMrSZ2bJvZU7IQRVM_kIXLI49N5mNOD6o1PK5K0prXBV6oWDoFeKBFS96K_YilgY5gSi_FXVBza-vcYXnRz8DrCJ47HyvAPjwFqdfgctn6wkZ7aJdadVN13J8HqMQjp4YcxlGFt95GXqUbN6vJd34pa67U/w480-h640/ACS_0222.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>1. My Sister, the Serial Killer- Oyinkan Braithwaite</div><div>2. Say You'll Be Mine- Naina Kumar</div><div>3. The Sword of Kaigen- M.L. Wang</div><div>4. Yours from the Tower- Sally Nicholls</div><div>5. A Drop of Venom- Sajni Patel</div><div>6. But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the '60s Girl Groups- Laura Flam & Emily Sieu Liebowitz</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-6114121795888373422024-02-09T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-09T08:00:00.134-05:00Top 5: Romances to Have on Your RadarHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>I haven't done a Top 5 in ages, and with Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought it'd be fun to talk about some upcoming romance books that I think everyone should have on their TBRs.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLfP3o6m9OwH7QrqqKuh3DwVwUf8UQ2DZIwTcv4yoWk7Y_0XpUfb6Aoun16PixkbJTErwE6Zz28PSUx32tSHhKd0SK4U3h7f6skPrXSzkn6L0lrYx_x95R4PYw5zKKKce3b_C33VINcxfcrY5VZRJM7nBP2NppiWATCK2a2OXdniC-gvUmgKDFEEWR6nC/s1080/Pink%20Modern%20Love%20Happy%20Valentine's%20Day%20Instagram%20Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLfP3o6m9OwH7QrqqKuh3DwVwUf8UQ2DZIwTcv4yoWk7Y_0XpUfb6Aoun16PixkbJTErwE6Zz28PSUx32tSHhKd0SK4U3h7f6skPrXSzkn6L0lrYx_x95R4PYw5zKKKce3b_C33VINcxfcrY5VZRJM7nBP2NppiWATCK2a2OXdniC-gvUmgKDFEEWR6nC/w400-h400/Pink%20Modern%20Love%20Happy%20Valentine's%20Day%20Instagram%20Post.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fDjPDJtg3RBHCTccP0GK1uTmqnP_mvphsDTozoKiK6OhfpV_-i2RcqNz7P3XL4Ea33Rq7qnyouTHeH-x9qU8VzSgSBRkhl6vkUqHsWsmTxmUKt7HHJ7npny0tXjpIG6WIYhVExJYIQTuHCC3rwoy0rXVhQirrsCh6NZpgUociTCveW76fRJMobNBFDcz/s3200/182484354.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2075" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fDjPDJtg3RBHCTccP0GK1uTmqnP_mvphsDTozoKiK6OhfpV_-i2RcqNz7P3XL4Ea33Rq7qnyouTHeH-x9qU8VzSgSBRkhl6vkUqHsWsmTxmUKt7HHJ7npny0tXjpIG6WIYhVExJYIQTuHCC3rwoy0rXVhQirrsCh6NZpgUociTCveW76fRJMobNBFDcz/s320/182484354.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><b>1. The Rule Book- Sarah Adams (4/2):</b> If you like tender, heartwarming, non-confrontational romances, then Sarah Adams is your girl. She's my go-to whenever I need something sweet and fluffy. This one follows a football player and sports agent who were once college sweethearts who now have to work together. There's also an accidental marriage of convenience, and I'm already living for it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Hv37w1ftngtUmwDKUqJ_9pBnF1YxcC8TMdk_SZFoFsWUsgeombvAJhyphenhyphenxYEydqx_aqfFdLXLvws_LAtUGszJv5KfOvifpm4Ux7DAnY4anEcMnJ38AhilbskonJFVz-0d-FdyVj_5bi4d9bfCYH6KXY11o25Qc2ipk8kFVRfDtuh792r5VExGXwnE43Jr/s841/195820807.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Hv37w1ftngtUmwDKUqJ_9pBnF1YxcC8TMdk_SZFoFsWUsgeombvAJhyphenhyphenxYEydqx_aqfFdLXLvws_LAtUGszJv5KfOvifpm4Ux7DAnY4anEcMnJ38AhilbskonJFVz-0d-FdyVj_5bi4d9bfCYH6KXY11o25Qc2ipk8kFVRfDtuh792r5VExGXwnE43Jr/s320/195820807.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><div><b>2. Just for the Summer- Abby Jimenez (4/2):</b> This one follows two people who believe they're cursed since every time they break up with someone, that person goes on to find their true love. So, obviously, the only solution is for them to date and then break up, so they cancel each other's bad luck out. Jimenez has a knack for ripping my heart out and then putting it back together again, so I can't wait to see how this plays out. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioi5S2P_3QkBL627Ph7XAfjtOaa5iEraKmB_Ku-eLf-1gGP4i_nBoCZxlAagRrGUjgS6YiY_85Shprf6Y3Y77k6GO3aVTMR1CAWY0gh7IuFFP2X9msM15Hu-XCjNGqhQuj3ogCrISHl47orH9dUVbxrg6et0ONcephphucJTfjzfbjm9ulA9tq7hzF2Pr5/s2560/186872423.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioi5S2P_3QkBL627Ph7XAfjtOaa5iEraKmB_Ku-eLf-1gGP4i_nBoCZxlAagRrGUjgS6YiY_85Shprf6Y3Y77k6GO3aVTMR1CAWY0gh7IuFFP2X9msM15Hu-XCjNGqhQuj3ogCrISHl47orH9dUVbxrg6et0ONcephphucJTfjzfbjm9ulA9tq7hzF2Pr5/s320/186872423.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><b>3. The Kiss Countdown- Etta Easton (4/9): </b>This is a debut following an event planner and an astronaut who fall into a fake dating scheme, and truly, that's all I need to know about it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzkfd0hG_XaNbzPTYuC0jK0UYW_6ZpGosbwhb1ERv4peCQ-ZbS-4H-t40y6TFaIkyAN-aIazleLkNLp3pxkqo_JEwQXchgb7phC-168GObBYyOVxOcttVo0mVKJ6e-CR-mysmXD600-_n76AukZn5ze9Ps3xYzGN_PXstEAndVqQ5VKhH6VoT0Ww5nwXa/s785/194802722.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipzkfd0hG_XaNbzPTYuC0jK0UYW_6ZpGosbwhb1ERv4peCQ-ZbS-4H-t40y6TFaIkyAN-aIazleLkNLp3pxkqo_JEwQXchgb7phC-168GObBYyOVxOcttVo0mVKJ6e-CR-mysmXD600-_n76AukZn5ze9Ps3xYzGN_PXstEAndVqQ5VKhH6VoT0Ww5nwXa/s320/194802722.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div><b>4. Funny Story- Emily Henry (4/23):</b> If this isn't on your TBR's already, then I'm going to assume you don't enjoy two roommates brought together by their exes getting engaged who decide to fake date to get back at them only to fall in love for real. We all know how I feel about Emily Henry and fake dating, so it's already a win in my book.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmt9Ztv_IYkUCVObi5hHi7Y2ePCXAjuWB8tsLrHeug_ZOb9k4fQ8Desvpj4IT3zZdpEVnKvuSK8Tzrgao625FBbRovPyLZSVP49fznN_Ifv2Fx3YunidWNCfPoR719CGlLL6TyfRuqPFsqEsPcqc_c0_dwdk8rvW1IegaPwdcpXCw_fJDhsQBoQHV5Yjr/s392/197510933.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmt9Ztv_IYkUCVObi5hHi7Y2ePCXAjuWB8tsLrHeug_ZOb9k4fQ8Desvpj4IT3zZdpEVnKvuSK8Tzrgao625FBbRovPyLZSVP49fznN_Ifv2Fx3YunidWNCfPoR719CGlLL6TyfRuqPFsqEsPcqc_c0_dwdk8rvW1IegaPwdcpXCw_fJDhsQBoQHV5Yjr/s320/197510933.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><b> 5. Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places- Claire Kann (5/21): </b>This one is for all my paranormal romance fans. It follows a parapsychologist hired to help a production company investigate a haunted house who teams up with one of the actors to uncover the mystery. It gives off the same vibes as The Secret Society of Irregular Witches, so I'm expecting a cute and cozy time.</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-34041158521490321002024-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-08T08:00:00.367-05:00House of Flame and Shadow Review (Crescent City, #3)<p>Hello, all!</p><p>I was counting down the days until the latest SJM release, <i>House of Flame and Shadow</i>, and if you're wondering if I binged it in two days, you'd be correct.</p><p>*Potential spoilers ahead*</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6PR-EEheWYSv_nOdNuD9de3awja2NHwrs_Wl5FFMdy4yh_RHm4BHOBxKrSNCAqhyHi7wmqKI5Jz-5x-ktFrT5IhKR_WXWvxIyR9IAu3DrLCm0ybAZ9ttBVw1zx7EuhHfP8RYG5ihy0K_VWjdC7xwk3L-uS0kxWPnn0LXVtUfkClieEsBZj0rN0gyYCIH/s4032/IMG_3517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6PR-EEheWYSv_nOdNuD9de3awja2NHwrs_Wl5FFMdy4yh_RHm4BHOBxKrSNCAqhyHi7wmqKI5Jz-5x-ktFrT5IhKR_WXWvxIyR9IAu3DrLCm0ybAZ9ttBVw1zx7EuhHfP8RYG5ihy0K_VWjdC7xwk3L-uS0kxWPnn0LXVtUfkClieEsBZj0rN0gyYCIH/w480-h640/IMG_3517.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 1-30-24<br />Adult - Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After facing down the Asteri, Bryce Quinlan knew the only way to save her world was with a leap of faith. Desperate, she flung herself into a Gate, hoping it would bring her to Hel, where she could rally the Princes for aid. Instead, Bryce found herself in the world of the original Fae. It wasn't where Bryce wanted to be, but the Horn in her back and the Starsword knew it was where she needed to be. Aside from being stranded and surrounded by those she's unsure if she can trust, Bryce finds herself facing down the history of her lineage, and it will take everything in her to find her way back home.</p>For a few brief months, Hunt Athalar had it all. He had friends, a purpose, and, most importantly, a mate he would do anything for. Now, he finds himself once again a prisoner of the Asteri, slave brand, and halo marking his skin. Hunt has no idea what happened to Bryce after she leaped through the Gate, but he's determined to find out. When the pair finally reunite, nothing will stop them from bringing the Asteri to their knees. But are they willing to pay the price to wipe the filth from Midgard once and for all? <br /><br />Honestly, I wasn't feeling the first thirty to forty percent of this book. There were certain storylines that I thought were unnecessary. The highly anticipated crossover felt underwhelming. It all felt like one bad decision and one underground cave after another. But then I got about halfway through, and SJM had me eating my words. The action ramped up to such a breakneck speed that I couldn't catch my breath fast enough. Bryce was pulling out Aelin Galathynius-level schemes. The character growth and development here, and not just within Bryce but everyone, was well done. I'm not usually an emotional reader, but moments towards the end had me choked up. I'm unsure where the story can go from here, but I can't wait to find out.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-80001846846317199502024-02-06T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-06T08:00:00.151-05:00Mini ThoughtsHello, all!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5suV6wKO6F7OkPpbtKH1bvlJ_0bI4QHTTh63NFSqIlYRW1HDv0UmYCmQ_nN25HN3azYjWbzuvtu8XdCQoPG0yqvOZBbWrdUjMom12UjWR6gBoprfOE2M1xjG-yOUcpnQuIuoHrV-fMNPIJJuvNlUMQLHKGqPxDuPnwASwfML73LkMMygngRuFcFhNBlRu/s1080/minithoughtsUPDATED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5suV6wKO6F7OkPpbtKH1bvlJ_0bI4QHTTh63NFSqIlYRW1HDv0UmYCmQ_nN25HN3azYjWbzuvtu8XdCQoPG0yqvOZBbWrdUjMom12UjWR6gBoprfOE2M1xjG-yOUcpnQuIuoHrV-fMNPIJJuvNlUMQLHKGqPxDuPnwASwfML73LkMMygngRuFcFhNBlRu/s320/minithoughtsUPDATED.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpSnCglApY6hx8hp9kd2EDsrNi-i-1lzXHSjVJl9TD1WeXDwZAfvWz0TOTIANuU55AfwKm_B-JWp6Ni9V8fD0VmDccGK7LxP-k6oeILDu6e3hpwBwHmATYgepszvP-R-usmo_GMR22mWg0gUn9pJYiYyi6zjeEmjrgvAe4qTqoW52IHkIe6c_2srFEuZf/s500/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpSnCglApY6hx8hp9kd2EDsrNi-i-1lzXHSjVJl9TD1WeXDwZAfvWz0TOTIANuU55AfwKm_B-JWp6Ni9V8fD0VmDccGK7LxP-k6oeILDu6e3hpwBwHmATYgepszvP-R-usmo_GMR22mWg0gUn9pJYiYyi6zjeEmjrgvAe4qTqoW52IHkIe6c_2srFEuZf/s320/bride.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-6-24<br />Adult - Fantasy Romance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Bride- Ali Hazelwood:</b> Misery Lark may be the only daughter of a powerful Vampyre councilman, but she's spent most of her life trying to fly under the radar. She's spent years living amongst the humans, trying to blend in, until she's called upon to help broker peacekeeping ties between the Vampyres and their nemesis, the Weres. Unable to do anything but submit to her father's demands, Misery finds herself married to Lowe Moreland, the Alpha of the Southwest Weres. But Lowe isn't the ruthless, brutal wolf Misery expected. Unlike her father, Lowe rules with fairness, not fear, and despite the lack of trust, neither can deny there's a pull between them. But Misery has her reasons for agreeing to this marriage, and she can't let the growing attraction towards her new husband distract her from her goal of finding out what happened to the only person Misery has ever cared about. <br /><br />Listen... I'm a fan of Hazelwood's, but what the heck did I just read? When I read the premise, I knew it would be unhinged, but good grief. It was like a bonkers Tumblr Renesmee and Jacob fanfiction. There's barely any world-building, so there's no clear sense of what's going on or why there's such conflict between these supernatural beings. The characters are one-dimensional, at best. The romance was so cringey. We can all agree that Hazelwood's writing can be corny when it comes to the steamy scenes, but I was squirming with how uncomfortable they were here. I thought the plot would save it, but no. It was all over the place and left me going, "WHAT?!" on more than one occasion. It's one of those books where you have to go in not taking it seriously and just give in to the camp factor. I applaud Hazelwood for stepping out of the box, but it didn't work for me.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating: </b>2/5</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</i></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIixMhxT7jRwybGLlYaUX5yhWOFoO-DQ_csDg8CvdGmMnpT7GRjCa9-Ob_dQkfu_OQM-MJ1RsEMaEFDUGTwan-cgl7_uqhQdbpfdKSX_Kmgvx6Am_j0IBRjwrOjSAVDD3GOgTHSaboDL5R5gBHjmkM-b6AuyidE9uT1MK6zPRCat-2WhvFHPLf_PkLPr7/s2139/twatw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIixMhxT7jRwybGLlYaUX5yhWOFoO-DQ_csDg8CvdGmMnpT7GRjCa9-Ob_dQkfu_OQM-MJ1RsEMaEFDUGTwan-cgl7_uqhQdbpfdKSX_Kmgvx6Am_j0IBRjwrOjSAVDD3GOgTHSaboDL5R5gBHjmkM-b6AuyidE9uT1MK6zPRCat-2WhvFHPLf_PkLPr7/s320/twatw.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-6-24<br />Adult - Historical Romance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>To Woo and to Wed- Martha Waters:</b> Seven years ago, West and Sophie were about to walk down the aisle, but now they can't stand to be in the same room. The pair were giddy in love, but thanks to West's father's meddling and an almost fatal curricle accident, things fizzled out, and Sophie married another. Now, Sophie is widowed and not looking for romance, but when her younger sister mentions a hesitance at getting re-married due to Sophie's situation, Sophie concocts a plan. Sophie knows the only way her sister will go through with a wedding is if she's also settled down, so Sophie enlists West's help to fake an engagement. The only problem? Neither can ignore the real feelings that still simmer between them.<br /><br />I've been waiting for West and Sophie's story to play out since the first book, and I feel like Waters saved the best for last. West is probably my favorite love interest in the whole series. He comes off a bit dark and broody but has this teasing, dry humor that always gets me. It was so fun watching him and Sophie push each other's buttons. He's also so gone for Sophie, and I love it. I liked the flashbacks and thought they helped give us insight into their relationship. The writing was also brimming with Waters' signature wit and charm. I read the whole thing in almost one sitting because I was so into it. My only complaints were that Sophie was, at times, way too stubborn for my liking, and I thought the plot lost a bit of steam towards the end. Other than that, I thought this was a solid ending to a series, and I can't wait to see what Waters comes out with next. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating: </b>3.5/5</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</i></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUH16A__gxLKZp3i5tYN5FRhso9ouQO8ym_3hTYQvgR5ARjgdZn3z5sTdbruzWMWhi3tU2YsSDJkEKbzz3Cx1emTYf-NMmrNpulnq-LTBIJx0S0Q7boFKi5BmBcAeYizadlhxroMNC-SPvI6cDsEHJd9_83ABJW7sXwbNnv55OU34Hfe87KYvH467B2ox/s720/tgg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUH16A__gxLKZp3i5tYN5FRhso9ouQO8ym_3hTYQvgR5ARjgdZn3z5sTdbruzWMWhi3tU2YsSDJkEKbzz3Cx1emTYf-NMmrNpulnq-LTBIJx0S0Q7boFKi5BmBcAeYizadlhxroMNC-SPvI6cDsEHJd9_83ABJW7sXwbNnv55OU34Hfe87KYvH467B2ox/s320/tgg.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 12-5-23<br />Adult - Historical Romance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>The Gentleman's Gambit- Evie Dunmore:</b> In her boisterous group of friends, Catriona Campbell can sometimes get lost. She's more introspective and bookish and would prefer to advocate for women's rights through her pen rather than her voice. With her failing household, writer's block, and a massive change for women on the horizon, Catriona has little time for much else-- especially not romance. Catriona has been burned by love in the past, so she has a hard time believing in a happily ever after. But after an awkward encounter brings Elias Khoury into her life, Catriona starts imagining a different outcome. Elias Khoury has come to Oxford under the pretense of classifying ancient artifacts, but he's really there to return the stolen goods to his homeland. Elias isn't above trying to win Catriona's favor to sway her to his cause, but he soon finds his desire for her may be greater than his mission.<br /><br />I loved this series when it first came out, but my excitement has waned with each installment. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It landed right in the middle of meh. I think it was more of the plot's fault than the characters. I liked Catriona and could relate to her introverted personality. I also liked her relationship with Elias. They're from two different worlds and cultures, but they blend perfectly. Elias was so swoony, and I loved how gentle and understanding he was to Catriona. What couldn't keep my attention was the plot. I always appreciate how Dunmore throws real issues of the time into her stories, but I didn't care about what was happening at all. It felt less like a story and more like a political history lesson. I liked how Dunmore wrapped the series up with the epilogue, but it wasn't my favorite in the series.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Rating: </b>3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-31454717021508696672024-02-01T08:00:00.001-05:002024-02-01T08:00:00.139-05:00Mrs. Nash's Ashes Review<p>Hello, all!</p><p>Can you believe that we're only one month into the year and I already have two five star reads? That's unheard of for me, but<i> Mrs. Nash's Ashes</i> by Sarah Adler more than deserved it. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV54Hj9bl-m1w7gsCSq5Y7FTV4zKOxkv7Hjm-4pxm5d9UwNXYEP2NPkAB0DCf0kt1t6kMyks-ScUlQUnsg_u0d67hOQWJdBMZpYufcJWAuWbAabtoMaueL-3B42Wuz8Oe7sczjFYnAngOnY7DX1Su2gUik_usjJ9gs8fd85ZeCfD1ZjbmsH6lS9aI2vhNp/s4032/ACS_0211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV54Hj9bl-m1w7gsCSq5Y7FTV4zKOxkv7Hjm-4pxm5d9UwNXYEP2NPkAB0DCf0kt1t6kMyks-ScUlQUnsg_u0d67hOQWJdBMZpYufcJWAuWbAabtoMaueL-3B42Wuz8Oe7sczjFYnAngOnY7DX1Su2gUik_usjJ9gs8fd85ZeCfD1ZjbmsH6lS9aI2vhNp/w480-h640/ACS_0211.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 5-23-23<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Millie is on a mission to reunite her best friend with the love of her life. Well, her best friend's ashes. Mrs. Nash was the best friend Millie ever had, and when she passed, Millie promised herself that she would reunite Mrs. Nash with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago before it was too late. Millie expected to travel from DC to Florida alone. Still, when a computer glitch grounds all flights, she finds herself on a road trip with Hollis Hollenbeck, a fellow stranded passenger and an acquaintance from her ex's grad school program.</p>Hollis does not believe in long-lasting love and doesn't know why Millie would waste her time on such a ridiculous pilgrimage. But as the miles pass and they find themselves contending with deer with death wishes, unique bed-and-breakfasts, small-town parades, and fusion restaurants, Millie starts growing fond of her grumpy companion. For someone who swears to be a selfish curmudgeon, Millie can't help but notice Hollis getting invested in the success of their journey or how he goes out of his way to be kind to Millie. The closer they get to their destination, the more Millie must admit that this trip wasn't about Mrs. Nash's love story but hers.<br /><br />The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I didn't pick it up sooner. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. I knew within the first few chapters that it would be an all-time favorite. I loved everything from the plot to the characters to the writing. Adler's writing was so charming and had me smiling the whole time. Millie was the kind of quirky character some people might find grating, but I loved her. Her humor and pop culture references mirrored my own, so I had a great time following her. And Hollis! That Oscar the grouch-secret cinnamon roll attitude had me swooning from the get-go. Their quest to reunite old loves was so tender, and I loved getting the flashbacks to Rose and Elsie's lives together. If you enjoy road trip stories or the grumpy/sunshine trope, I can't recommend this book enough.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 5/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-59674694863188267402024-01-31T08:00:00.004-05:002024-01-31T08:00:00.246-05:00January Wrap-UpHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>Despite having three five stars (technically two since one was a re-read), my reading year started off pretty meh.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg6UCmkczHxNiwSNMR7EmSQk0dA0EnVKkkWxB6AdTXuCHfJ4y1E9fD4SWV3zCyQlEHcy8W8POSbe35q3AVdBAqSiA5TGOv_AlA1SPgoWchAA7lvhO2lyMWuVCC-toTKoxyEtcKMHEuRNT1Yc_orPgVifjKEGOaiTvwwlSZCyU0HeouuDKeMdMYLdwTQTJ/s4032/IMG_3434.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg6UCmkczHxNiwSNMR7EmSQk0dA0EnVKkkWxB6AdTXuCHfJ4y1E9fD4SWV3zCyQlEHcy8W8POSbe35q3AVdBAqSiA5TGOv_AlA1SPgoWchAA7lvhO2lyMWuVCC-toTKoxyEtcKMHEuRNT1Yc_orPgVifjKEGOaiTvwwlSZCyU0HeouuDKeMdMYLdwTQTJ/w480-h640/IMG_3434.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Audio:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Death and the Sisters- Heather Redmond; 2/5</div><div>Quest for the Hidden City- George Mann; 3/5</div><div>The Reformatory- Tananarive Due; 4/5</div><div>The Man Who Died Twice- Richard Osman; 3/5</div><div>Bookshops & Bonedust- Travis Baldree; 3/5</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Digital:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Fangirl Down- Tessa Bailey; 5/5</div><div>Red String Theory- Lauren Kung Jessen; 3.5/5</div><div>The Partner Plot- Kristina Forest; 3/5</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Physical:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Little Witch Academia, Vol. 1; 3/5</div><div>Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1; 4/5</div><div>Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2; 4/5</div><div>The Fury- Alex Michaelides; 3/5</div><div>Crimson Climb- E.K. Johnston; 3/5</div><div>The Serpent & the Wings of Night- Carissa Broadbent; 3.5/5</div><div>Kingdom of Ash- Sarah J. Maas; 5/5 (re-read)</div><div>Bloody Fool for Love- William Ritter; 2/5</div><div>You're the Duke That I Want- Lenora Bell; 2/5</div><div>The Longest Autumn- Amy Avery; 3/5</div><div>Voyage of the Basilisk- Marie Brennan; 3/5</div><div>Hex Education- Maureen Kilmer; 2/5</div><div>Mrs. Nash's Ashes- Sarah Adler; 5/5</div><div>The Rogue of Fifth Avenue- Joanna Shupe; 4/5</div><div>Pineapple Street- Jenny Jackson; 3/5</div><div><br /></div><div>Some favorites were: <i>Mrs. Nash's Ashes, Fangirl Down, </i>and<i> Fullmetal Alchemist</i>. Some least favorites were: <i>Bloody Fool for Love, Hex Education, </i>and<i> You're the Duke That I Want</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>How was your reading month? What was your favorite/least favorite read?</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-9320334906319235182024-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-30T08:00:00.130-05:00January OwlCrate ReviewHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>The theme for this month was "Enchanted to Meet You." Let's get into it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSYmd1eHuRVcH3hfgJJBosEQeiC-hseTkuYjDXz076pBakPAki-BtQZz0zoL-3nAebPrmzeAGsBW2PDhF359BTL1DKinhcQSTJNQTPm5maLe345UNqWe66AlYAjniW1Th2RSqMNCO1hLlScgWbCzlo_9xrwbkNxCFGiE7MHbhIW7IMAcwde6TAvFWxzo_/s4032/ACS_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSYmd1eHuRVcH3hfgJJBosEQeiC-hseTkuYjDXz076pBakPAki-BtQZz0zoL-3nAebPrmzeAGsBW2PDhF359BTL1DKinhcQSTJNQTPm5maLe345UNqWe66AlYAjniW1Th2RSqMNCO1hLlScgWbCzlo_9xrwbkNxCFGiE7MHbhIW7IMAcwde6TAvFWxzo_/w480-h640/ACS_0208.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>I know I've said in the past that I'm not into enamel pins, but this <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i> one is so pretty. This is the first in their new Perfect Pairings collection, so I'm interested to see what other couples they'll be doing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdltstiQX0plNyhgKODeWke0kyNglDjX_bMmGXkIi-B2OCcghs_KyuYcYgRdO81nENJorggXBoRQcrPMmnz8D2x-xXaiP0r1ZDbDqK-5LUReS9JVWS4BXfaCxpSc0nvoYfeiRLaRKTqXdwh1D7DH6D720WK0fram8ISC6IK8R9k5k4zQPMC5T6y-LCrSIu/s4032/ACS_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdltstiQX0plNyhgKODeWke0kyNglDjX_bMmGXkIi-B2OCcghs_KyuYcYgRdO81nENJorggXBoRQcrPMmnz8D2x-xXaiP0r1ZDbDqK-5LUReS9JVWS4BXfaCxpSc0nvoYfeiRLaRKTqXdwh1D7DH6D720WK0fram8ISC6IK8R9k5k4zQPMC5T6y-LCrSIu/w480-h640/ACS_0207.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Next was this reusable napkin inspired by <i>Strange the Dreamer</i>. I've never gotten an item like this in a book box before, so I like that it's something different. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ_9ehCYpG8FZ7Sazs2ZDTaQyqhJeZ_9qGYRsCyPXQXCE3LFhDxoYaemmP1kpjKQABXlbRnchOLnGd1Hy906eFOTF4lER_c-LnC7dAPN7aKfrvl4WVRgTmBEuUeJqRkYSUHMiZyV4EDxAaRyjxxbF1YnIynGWUPI9vNk3kZhGXB23sWMYj_vDN6tca1Js/s4032/ACS_0209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ_9ehCYpG8FZ7Sazs2ZDTaQyqhJeZ_9qGYRsCyPXQXCE3LFhDxoYaemmP1kpjKQABXlbRnchOLnGd1Hy906eFOTF4lER_c-LnC7dAPN7aKfrvl4WVRgTmBEuUeJqRkYSUHMiZyV4EDxAaRyjxxbF1YnIynGWUPI9vNk3kZhGXB23sWMYj_vDN6tca1Js/w480-h640/ACS_0209.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>You all know how much I love a bookmark, so this <i>Emily Wilde</i> one is right up my alley! I can't wait to use it.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpq8hqp_HwCBrzANU5j3hLiq5sIK19HgY-MUwtig_5UnE8JIB01GRzW0DQVheDrn4EVv2Jm1ju7fN8l_RwnFSym6BGCHZcaFYT1jDA7VyzTmcSJUkmcRSfOhk6pwRGIV9dvlP0OnkLkQI4cSNSJW7U85J7F-OvU5zxNt3JkmlTsdhEsYW6AUvTbn4BC4mB/s4032/ACS_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpq8hqp_HwCBrzANU5j3hLiq5sIK19HgY-MUwtig_5UnE8JIB01GRzW0DQVheDrn4EVv2Jm1ju7fN8l_RwnFSym6BGCHZcaFYT1jDA7VyzTmcSJUkmcRSfOhk6pwRGIV9dvlP0OnkLkQI4cSNSJW7U85J7F-OvU5zxNt3JkmlTsdhEsYW6AUvTbn4BC4mB/w480-h640/ACS_0205.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'm not one for coloring, but I actually think this color pack is so cute. There are three designs inspired by <i>Pride and Prejudice, Outlander, </i>and<i> Bridgerton</i>.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuo59x-odVRLbj5JNeZOtwHno-gdlsWQugwtXrDyak2C_2mSDHoslQK9gukfKqcMrSU0_qCIVNqkdy25ha4NB4T7g6EkE-hLB4PtKDp_Ls015HTNmOgzrPI-MRbq9fQ7e9_ui7_0nLS2PYSb6bq88ZNYex0kE_IMOmlMYbjnpWbMe7pEW0xMeUeR_aEqP/s4032/ACS_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuo59x-odVRLbj5JNeZOtwHno-gdlsWQugwtXrDyak2C_2mSDHoslQK9gukfKqcMrSU0_qCIVNqkdy25ha4NB4T7g6EkE-hLB4PtKDp_Ls015HTNmOgzrPI-MRbq9fQ7e9_ui7_0nLS2PYSb6bq88ZNYex0kE_IMOmlMYbjnpWbMe7pEW0xMeUeR_aEqP/w480-h640/ACS_0206.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>I think my favorite item was this <i>Once Upon a Broken Heart</i> tote bag. I adore the design and it's the perfect size to use as a library tote.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY78I0moPTRBhcZIysOppWjSo9cMGPyTLp1cLXwZ0CIenErrhbB6GJNh8rQVGYPUailUH0_j2Q6WAZmE21nYIg8C7D-THnFG69HG8uNFSNxNehaRr-5XEbvmfuP_UPn2yxFyBm0g3yJgFNrWRK1sM-ff77xMrIaGiumuIZcdYERasGZa2J_MA3cdmgyPsP/s4032/ACS_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY78I0moPTRBhcZIysOppWjSo9cMGPyTLp1cLXwZ0CIenErrhbB6GJNh8rQVGYPUailUH0_j2Q6WAZmE21nYIg8C7D-THnFG69HG8uNFSNxNehaRr-5XEbvmfuP_UPn2yxFyBm0g3yJgFNrWRK1sM-ff77xMrIaGiumuIZcdYERasGZa2J_MA3cdmgyPsP/w480-h640/ACS_0197.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO26GHqrLzNA2FgVBwZZ5cb9KGw6vksyxNo86btHT4x05opbmQdxOlcnA6jyZNfp6L_Urvr9tUqZL6MLUP8_G1V9tc6M9it-MiP7VZaE87nZ2UUDLkwNI9Vl_xVz-GEOa58Sp7ilgm5GCW3w1YyGCVLdFKbbTMfbylQKQ1mh-VkTaVAjzQ0pNYjCUnL99/s4032/ACS_0198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO26GHqrLzNA2FgVBwZZ5cb9KGw6vksyxNo86btHT4x05opbmQdxOlcnA6jyZNfp6L_Urvr9tUqZL6MLUP8_G1V9tc6M9it-MiP7VZaE87nZ2UUDLkwNI9Vl_xVz-GEOa58Sp7ilgm5GCW3w1YyGCVLdFKbbTMfbylQKQ1mh-VkTaVAjzQ0pNYjCUnL99/w480-h640/ACS_0198.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ccHt4oRFb5hgVmSuW_-EnD_rTvgPSlqiF6GeGLlV7ipbIUXZt1gTt-p5HTb6b3baiMjMIaN2lNyHvqWzl3upNqp4AYqtx6Vdf35L2mdVOtVyCBA8zl4VVpOGnBn8D5JwtHoq8UAww1tBy7TQksegLPgAwsqq5ChxqH7qqCxeXuaoQ7MVFwZ8zBTuyiT7/s4032/ACS_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ccHt4oRFb5hgVmSuW_-EnD_rTvgPSlqiF6GeGLlV7ipbIUXZt1gTt-p5HTb6b3baiMjMIaN2lNyHvqWzl3upNqp4AYqtx6Vdf35L2mdVOtVyCBA8zl4VVpOGnBn8D5JwtHoq8UAww1tBy7TQksegLPgAwsqq5ChxqH7qqCxeXuaoQ7MVFwZ8zBTuyiT7/w480-h640/ACS_0199.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIMJPIeMJUEINBx4fpR5CP5dxs7fzBeAo0AxxNXXEHYBsD4lqR-2WFebN5ZrEde7X-p7io8gaoPeq164lUJHVwaS-90_YQ3n4RYiyBsx_a1Cbf8I34gGspTePgY0rWcYJnE6T2stWKFfdPOM799Vcl-1YyTCiZ8WR7_FKBOUxpTStn4bOwOILDnRmfvD3/s4032/ACS_0203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIMJPIeMJUEINBx4fpR5CP5dxs7fzBeAo0AxxNXXEHYBsD4lqR-2WFebN5ZrEde7X-p7io8gaoPeq164lUJHVwaS-90_YQ3n4RYiyBsx_a1Cbf8I34gGspTePgY0rWcYJnE6T2stWKFfdPOM799Vcl-1YyTCiZ8WR7_FKBOUxpTStn4bOwOILDnRmfvD3/w480-h640/ACS_0203.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgE73rxVwWZGdZjGk0hAizyKNjX6IKNKA4xcozXw95ZK5RXhPTik6BJHpUn2UDKy7eFHWdVXkqjUbZJhHFjBSjtbtIwIlRfjWAPyNx1jK_xwR_vpclaygBkue46Xw9lZyOzcoHAmMmpmN3bp2gsa5M12p6AIOvL8N1u2_u66c0mvkMK7qdcCbP4vRvLqit/s4032/ACS_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgE73rxVwWZGdZjGk0hAizyKNjX6IKNKA4xcozXw95ZK5RXhPTik6BJHpUn2UDKy7eFHWdVXkqjUbZJhHFjBSjtbtIwIlRfjWAPyNx1jK_xwR_vpclaygBkue46Xw9lZyOzcoHAmMmpmN3bp2gsa5M12p6AIOvL8N1u2_u66c0mvkMK7qdcCbP4vRvLqit/w481-h361/ACS_0204.JPG" width="481" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This months book was <i>A Fragile Enchantment</i> by Allison Saft. This follows Niamh, a magical dressmaker, who is commissioned for a royal wedding but finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with Kit, the would-be groom. <div><br /></div><div>I've read another of Saft's book that I didn't enjoy, but this sounds cute. I also love this edition. It gives me such Spring vibes, so maybe I'll save it until then. What do you think of this box?</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-10546961109970952972024-01-28T09:35:00.000-05:002024-01-28T09:35:02.614-05:00Library HaulHello, all!<div><br /></div><div>Another week, another library haul.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA_aD2HxxIZYiJN5bGy_488VVXiekUip-K9UfoIas6yPZM_JCs4xArrZmyml0YG4KJ0GbD4F7E42AVZNlbf9QNWh1j3k8VTQ-K5DzOj4SuOgO6WFSlIsK6cz9dSDxzvR49AZnlu2U6U7Uo_SljTXH7ju_TpERkN9vjPXYL3Lgk4UjdJCHF9slA67T3qsY/s4032/IMG_3450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoA_aD2HxxIZYiJN5bGy_488VVXiekUip-K9UfoIas6yPZM_JCs4xArrZmyml0YG4KJ0GbD4F7E42AVZNlbf9QNWh1j3k8VTQ-K5DzOj4SuOgO6WFSlIsK6cz9dSDxzvR49AZnlu2U6U7Uo_SljTXH7ju_TpERkN9vjPXYL3Lgk4UjdJCHF9slA67T3qsY/w480-h640/IMG_3450.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>1. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue- Joanna Shupe</div><div>2. The Tusks of Extinction- Ray Mayler</div><div>3. Pineapple Street- Jenny Jackson</div><div>4. Spin- Rebecca Caprara</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-77977509905201508502024-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-25T08:00:00.126-05:00Currently...<p>Hello, all!</p><p>What are some things you've been loving lately?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRcqNHfhyphenhyphenBChAvdsXh-GSc_BQukv12pxNQfyc5Ty3bjcKYlE908Gpwh0kTd5bwRHtifyHtRVjlaa-UHY0pCzljsfTbsl6ZXKdWaLKywtbj2W3WSxNSNyBkieOQaH-_rOu_rOUWZRKV2t6AVrSnp6dlNKT-ybjzJotGPR88lNmWsZk1OnamfYXbDVXV918/s1080/Beige%20Minimalist%20Beauty%20Word%20Definition%20Instagram%20Post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRcqNHfhyphenhyphenBChAvdsXh-GSc_BQukv12pxNQfyc5Ty3bjcKYlE908Gpwh0kTd5bwRHtifyHtRVjlaa-UHY0pCzljsfTbsl6ZXKdWaLKywtbj2W3WSxNSNyBkieOQaH-_rOu_rOUWZRKV2t6AVrSnp6dlNKT-ybjzJotGPR88lNmWsZk1OnamfYXbDVXV918/w400-h400/Beige%20Minimalist%20Beauty%20Word%20Definition%20Instagram%20Post.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Listening to:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZylr4wZiWnYTu_1qePoQR9O_JyuFnBfonFJga1LTRHU5m2c8qVBWP4s4V7hD2zwskorshorvQNjv3GY7cizFRViTu_J-dOeJWDqv1CAohwKfiKaKEZjPKDWR43-34XUyk_J3dUnnBwV2jfcztnrknfHIHrvUrYoGalZRbg4LzPtu3yCckNBiRTa36bFa/s736/Epic_The_Musical_Album_Cover.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZylr4wZiWnYTu_1qePoQR9O_JyuFnBfonFJga1LTRHU5m2c8qVBWP4s4V7hD2zwskorshorvQNjv3GY7cizFRViTu_J-dOeJWDqv1CAohwKfiKaKEZjPKDWR43-34XUyk_J3dUnnBwV2jfcztnrknfHIHrvUrYoGalZRbg4LzPtu3yCckNBiRTa36bFa/s320/Epic_The_Musical_Album_Cover.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>-Epic the Musical:</b> You all know how I feel about Greek mythology, so when I saw that someone on TikTok put together a musical retelling, I had to check it out. So far there are three parts on Spotify: the Troy Saga, the Cyclops Saga, and the Ocean Saga. </p><p><b>-"Murder on the Dance Floor"- Sophie Ellis-Bextor:</b> Before Googling this for this list, I thought this was sung by Dua Lipa. I also couldn't tell you where it was from. All I know is that the chorus is all over TikTok and repeats in my head at least two hundred times a day.</p><p><b>-"Talk"- Hozier: </b>My love for Hozier knows no bounds, but I've been hyper-focusing on this particular song lately.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Watching:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3sAyA6tYrrOH82j9HG15_-yOB7cQuWb-sVzYFkrqlfg29Mi6s0Bb1QU8bn3fFedZUvFCL2R_cz4DRPwKMlvvf7Q-Yq414Tvi2GUkSYGXgc-vsnIuxRjcr2PO2DSQQkNcXNqGj6olkjMAtq9P-ZVCY8BAz2f7avjS8XxKjIpjwhf4mZ5CjnrTLMRiDCB_/s1200/scale.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3sAyA6tYrrOH82j9HG15_-yOB7cQuWb-sVzYFkrqlfg29Mi6s0Bb1QU8bn3fFedZUvFCL2R_cz4DRPwKMlvvf7Q-Yq414Tvi2GUkSYGXgc-vsnIuxRjcr2PO2DSQQkNcXNqGj6olkjMAtq9P-ZVCY8BAz2f7avjS8XxKjIpjwhf4mZ5CjnrTLMRiDCB_/w400-h225/scale.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>-Percy Jackson Series: </b>I adore Percy Jackson so I was counting down the days until the new series started on Disney+. Let me tell you, I'm obsessed! The casting is superb and I love how they're bringing the books to life.</p><p><b>-Hart of Dixie:</b> This is one of my comfort shows, so I decided to re-watch it after my knee surgery. It's so corny, but I love it.</p><p><b>-RuPaul's Drag Race:</b> I'm such a fan of Drag Race but I haven't loved the last few seasons, so I didn't have high expectations for this new one. I'm happy to report I've been loving it! The queens this season seem so fun, and I already have some favorites so I'm excited to see what's in store.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Misc.:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANrMJUu92dTmnysrwN3rEI4ZN4H_LxGazK6kam7VeETQdoMOSmvRF2ObezqddBUrDVXHTVOPfa2tkqYQ9jsYN9ZNFhghZp2n2CtFfuZU7sTBzl-KZ3A1CpZtgQTCBV1eJeXZePIqs2Z2s9QyHKNPPT574yg6fnen5htZMSckEbqHQKYqjelMVQH1ZjL7v/s4032/IMG_2396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANrMJUu92dTmnysrwN3rEI4ZN4H_LxGazK6kam7VeETQdoMOSmvRF2ObezqddBUrDVXHTVOPfa2tkqYQ9jsYN9ZNFhghZp2n2CtFfuZU7sTBzl-KZ3A1CpZtgQTCBV1eJeXZePIqs2Z2s9QyHKNPPT574yg6fnen5htZMSckEbqHQKYqjelMVQH1ZjL7v/w300-h400/IMG_2396.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><b>-DavidsTea Jelly Donut Tea:</b> If you like pastries and tea, you need to check this flavor out. It's the perfect balance of sweetness and tartiness. </p><p><b>-Crumbl Cookies:</b> Sticking with the food theme, my real obsession the last few months has been Crumbl cookies. One recently opened up near my house and I'm not even joking when I say I go there weekly. It's becoming a problem, but I just can't help myself 😂</p><p><b>-First Aid Beauty:</b> As much as I love my pale complexion, it's highly sensitive and I'm prone to eczema flare-ups, so it's hard for me to find beauty/skincare that works for me. I've always heard good things about First Aid Beauty, and one of my friends got me a little trial kit for Christmas. It has a face wash, toner pads, and moisturizer, I've been using it ever since, and my skin seems to like it!</p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-25417305419521433592024-01-23T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-23T08:00:00.145-05:00Mini ThoughtsHello, all!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04WKvvgEmCepEb63UrS2HU_PoSCvOtFEvGD2p892NqNS8nwRMjiJcpgNlmjtGpC0WWI8t8isLP0KJB68Ma6EPdgeFYkTO48tHo9gyFQRxFHVNb3v4V6h4_rkgeOLWgyllAsgWpbs5bYQl22jqVEm-MxcOFksBuHpb_JLcYQ0_e968Uy23n_OFNJ86vQpV/s1080/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04WKvvgEmCepEb63UrS2HU_PoSCvOtFEvGD2p892NqNS8nwRMjiJcpgNlmjtGpC0WWI8t8isLP0KJB68Ma6EPdgeFYkTO48tHo9gyFQRxFHVNb3v4V6h4_rkgeOLWgyllAsgWpbs5bYQl22jqVEm-MxcOFksBuHpb_JLcYQ0_e968Uy23n_OFNJ86vQpV/s320/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXvNytGBFgnlEpHIHLY5NiatRV0o0edQTGxH4pZnaXr0RXwyO2FarL2ttm2xWkL32HGyy476ggYcompUMqpJz1bFbWrNkSRDiplj_S-EFjDzy0t-ZuKYGY4iIeozcA-DT427YPi7jCrKee5LKhM6CVsllWKxm0xR-vIKFAkDMcDv0UA_IHzZfxpYPUzya/s2475/62919174.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXvNytGBFgnlEpHIHLY5NiatRV0o0edQTGxH4pZnaXr0RXwyO2FarL2ttm2xWkL32HGyy476ggYcompUMqpJz1bFbWrNkSRDiplj_S-EFjDzy0t-ZuKYGY4iIeozcA-DT427YPi7jCrKee5LKhM6CVsllWKxm0xR-vIKFAkDMcDv0UA_IHzZfxpYPUzya/s320/62919174.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 7-25-23<br />YA - Thriller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Their Vicious Games- Joelle Wellington:</b> As a scholarship student at the prestigious Edgewater Academy, Adina Walker has always known that she must work twice as hard to get even the slightest recognition afforded to her wealthy classmates. Adina has always ignored the snide comments of her classmates, knowing that the tiniest slip in her behavior could cause her to lose everything, and it does. After an altercation with another student leaves Adina with no college prospects, her only hope is the Finish, a notorious high-stakes competition hosted by Edgewater's founding family. The Finish is a competition where twelve young women get tested in a series of events, and the last one standing will have the backing to achieve whatever they desire. It doesn't take long for Adina to realize there's something off about the Remington family and that the stakes of the Finish are life or death.<br /><br />I heard someone describe this as a lot like the movie Ready Or Not, and while I can see where they're similar, this stands on its own. I'm already a sucker for books with a competition element to them, but then when you mix in murder? Consider my attention piqued. It was fascinating to watch all these privileged, stuck-up teens turn cut-throat to get what they want. I liked watching Adina realize there are limits to what she would do to secure her future, and wouldn't let herself sink to their level. She managed to survive with her morals (mostly) intact, and I was rooting for her the whole time. You must suspend your disbelief because the plot is wild and over-the-top, and the characters don't feel like teenagers. But it was highly entertaining, and I recommend it if you're in the mood for a quick read.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqg6BrA1Qe2Aay-6ias-_xLfGXFXD2t6RPkb-XsiPvjkpLm0Gk44ImtGSUIZ8bM2V5sRpBMdn9QXbrTaVI6S8OYZGoJ1n2kwiEAxsqARfmKfGx-aLlsVyS4_efE-HkEvOh1G1NpFOmXfBqQs8UveVPlMuj6Z_Rqwqs4yqmNN_tCs_heuPkB-jPE7FzV-Q/s1368/60654349.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqg6BrA1Qe2Aay-6ias-_xLfGXFXD2t6RPkb-XsiPvjkpLm0Gk44ImtGSUIZ8bM2V5sRpBMdn9QXbrTaVI6S8OYZGoJ1n2kwiEAxsqARfmKfGx-aLlsVyS4_efE-HkEvOh1G1NpFOmXfBqQs8UveVPlMuj6Z_Rqwqs4yqmNN_tCs_heuPkB-jPE7FzV-Q/s320/60654349.jpeg" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 2-2-23<br />Adult - Historical Fiction</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Weyward- Emilia Hart:</b> In 1619, Altha awaits trial for witchcraft after the death of a local farmer. Altha's family has a long history of magic tied to nature, but Altha has always been cautious about letting anyone suspect her abilities. But women who are deemed unnatural will always be targeted. In 1942, Violet is trapped in her family's crumbling manor, longing to explore the world. Rumors swirl around her family and how her mother went mad before her death, but Violet finds hidden clues that point to powerful magic lying dormant in her blood. In 2019, Kate fled from her abusive boyfriend, heading for a cottage she inherited from an estranged great-aunt. When she arrives, she begins to suspect there are secrets hidden here that will change her life forever.<br /><br />I thought this would be a mesmerizing story, and I was right. I loved seeing how these three family members were tied together despite the years. Usually, when we're following different POVs, there's always one I tend to like more than the others, but that wasn't the case here. I loved all three of these characters and was captivated by what was going on in their lives. Hart's writing was gorgeous and lush, and I felt fully transported in the story. The magic is subtle, and I love how it encapsulates how nature can heal and harm. I also liked seeing how it manifested for each woman. I found the pacing a little too slow at times, but overall, I thought it was a beautiful story of women reclaiming their power.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJMR4hbFMQTcRHHUrN11D2fnj53GNRtzbQ2PJHV795D4vsOXcEZ_jg6AQxEZLSyim4daLVvm6Q0eo0KjNTJOKSaHX21gdewASz1Qsd5t0iJrntNa86VaV8BPriLHddOXN9ke0mOupmQR9odot_KxiMTuD3YVXBu6xj0wjq4xAvBtOwXZGO2Yi8QsYUFbr/s400/61391814.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJMR4hbFMQTcRHHUrN11D2fnj53GNRtzbQ2PJHV795D4vsOXcEZ_jg6AQxEZLSyim4daLVvm6Q0eo0KjNTJOKSaHX21gdewASz1Qsd5t0iJrntNa86VaV8BPriLHddOXN9ke0mOupmQR9odot_KxiMTuD3YVXBu6xj0wjq4xAvBtOwXZGO2Yi8QsYUFbr/s320/61391814.jpeg" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 3-1-23<br />Adult - Historical Mystery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Murder in Postscript- Mary Winters: </b>Amelia Amesbury may look the part of the dutiful widowed countess on the outside, but inside, she longs for adventure. She wants nothing more than to experience all life has to offer, but, for now, she'll live vicariously through the advice she doles out anonymously as Lady Agony for the local newspaper. Amelia is used to receiving letters asking for fashion tips, so when a lady's maid reaches out believing that her mistress has been murdered, Amelia is determined to help. Amelia enlists the help of her best friend and Simon Bainbridge, a marquis and friend of her late husband, to unravel the mystery. But the more she prods, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Can Amelia track down the killer before she becomes the next victim?</div><div><br />Don't you love when a book just hits the spot? I had zero expectations going into this and ended up loving it. Amelia was outspoken and unpolished, and unlike how a countess is supposed to be. She was so determined to help, and I loved how she never backed down from Simon trying to shield her from the investigation. And Simon? Mr. Tall-broad-and-broody? Yes, please. I instantly loved him. They worked so well together and had great banter. There are breadcrumbs littered through that hint at a romance brewing between the two, and I have a feeling it'll be the slowest of slow burns. The mystery was engaging and kept me guessing. It's more of a cozy mystery, so the stakes never felt too high. My one pet peeve was that Winters did that thing where there's a child character who talks/acts like an adult, which always bothers me. Other than that, I adored this and ate it up in one sitting. Now, I'll be impatiently awaiting the second book.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 5/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-16892753202186628682024-01-18T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-18T08:00:00.135-05:00Mini ThoughtsHello, all!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_ZC9SwtSHNIrjzVYc3I9B7dRjFHOGuXISxMz6fNiwyDyYxt-yCOlHvnin2dQWvYDeCPRf6c8lzC-EVPmujx9dYCIHQMGZYQMBz4ApydId9j6F1JAglUQCFcCuWJUMRY0LygKzjDRMqzCCb8l3n5t84jliqYqVaHLelLSuZMjVSggJzAt1hMAttRSvSnj/s1080/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_ZC9SwtSHNIrjzVYc3I9B7dRjFHOGuXISxMz6fNiwyDyYxt-yCOlHvnin2dQWvYDeCPRf6c8lzC-EVPmujx9dYCIHQMGZYQMBz4ApydId9j6F1JAglUQCFcCuWJUMRY0LygKzjDRMqzCCb8l3n5t84jliqYqVaHLelLSuZMjVSggJzAt1hMAttRSvSnj/s320/Minimal%20Paper%20Coming%20Soon%20Instagram%20Post%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBkiWo1yKXpoBqxFzXq6DhfPl45BeklrNSO4OuHVRxCyLuP7TpKSPxUQOUL0RJxfPD3g-gNk76xdCHwRe5E4hQ7jPFyWrvIRw8QcyMtAzyV8qyFM1mZGxUxUbi5ZVnNgn2jpAJXImhUT2nB1Y0_bNVhj-z3yIeQ2uAe3B28-Kq2WlucSKniYu7AnYmBHU/s400/145624991.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBkiWo1yKXpoBqxFzXq6DhfPl45BeklrNSO4OuHVRxCyLuP7TpKSPxUQOUL0RJxfPD3g-gNk76xdCHwRe5E4hQ7jPFyWrvIRw8QcyMtAzyV8qyFM1mZGxUxUbi5ZVnNgn2jpAJXImhUT2nB1Y0_bNVhj-z3yIeQ2uAe3B28-Kq2WlucSKniYu7AnYmBHU/s320/145624991.jpeg" width="210" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 1-9-24<br />Adult - Contemporary</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>Red String Theory- Lauren Kung Jessen:</b> Ever since Rooney Gao was young, she's believed in fate. She thinks it plays a hand in everything, and influences all her decisions, from work to her personal life. Rooney also believes in the Chinese myth that a red string ties everyone to their true love. This has been such an important part of her life that she based her art career around it. But Rooney finds herself creatively blocked after spending one perfect night with a stranger she never hears from again. Jack Liu believes in facts and would never leave anything up to chance. He believes that everyone has a choice in what happens to them. When the pair unexpectedly reunite and have to work together, Rooney opens his eyes to new possibilities. But can Rooney convince Jack to take a chance on fate?<br /><br />I love the legend of the red string of fate. I like the idea that everyone is tied together with their true love. It's sweet, and that's what this book was. Rooney and Jack were so different from one another. Rooney is bubbly and believes in signs, whereas Jack is more straight-laced and analytical. Still, they complemented each other so well. They each had their way of seeing the world, and I loved seeing them share that. It was also fun seeing Rooney break Jack out of his shell. The discussions around art and science were also interesting. My only complaint was that the pacing needed to be faster. Other than that, I thought this was a delightfully wholesome read.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating: </b>3.5/5</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy42aOrlakZ23N-Oi_5biH5XaYC_ulGZhrtN6jeZJTGcwgk5vbC75fdsUHgDjxJHEAydUn7bZZVyEiqok25eom9Qpsz4Qp8RGC6LquH5v_tO367qEtk3-0Z_C3gbKeoNlh8fGWd-LZMQuu4A1-2wfkkXPdtqaLxPkcDX8QdjvCYXwtt7w5RV_67NJo8cO/s2860/123206645.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="1949" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy42aOrlakZ23N-Oi_5biH5XaYC_ulGZhrtN6jeZJTGcwgk5vbC75fdsUHgDjxJHEAydUn7bZZVyEiqok25eom9Qpsz4Qp8RGC6LquH5v_tO367qEtk3-0Z_C3gbKeoNlh8fGWd-LZMQuu4A1-2wfkkXPdtqaLxPkcDX8QdjvCYXwtt7w5RV_67NJo8cO/s320/123206645.jpeg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 1-16-24<br />Adult - Thriller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>The Fury- Alex Michaelides:</b> Lana Farrar was once a famous actress, but would now rather spend her time walking the Thames than standing in front of a camera. Lana is content with her quiet life. She has a loving son, a devoted husband, and a small circle of close friends. Or so she thought. When Lana discovers some unpleasant news, she invites her friends to her private island in Greece under the guise of a relaxing retreat. But tensions quickly rise, pitting friend against friend, lover against lover, and come morning, one of the group will be dead. But who pulled the trigger and why?<br /><br />I find myself in the middle of the road regarding Michaelides's work. I enjoyed one of his books and thought the other was just okay, so I wasn't sure where I'd fall with this one. I'm leaning more towards the latter. My problem with his writing is that he tries too hard to be clever, making me hate every single one of his characters, and this one was no exception. I couldn't stand anyone in this. Our narrator, Elliot, is one of the most pompous characters I've ever read from. He dangles every bit of information in front of you like a horse with a carrot. The entire narrative also gave me Clue vibes in that we'd read a scene, and then it would be like, 'Well, that's how it could've gone, but he's what actually happened.' I understood the vibe Michaelides was going for, but I found it so frustrating. I still found the story intriguing and appreciated how psychologically twisted it was. I had an idea of how it would end but wasn't sure how it would get there. I think if you're a fan of his work, you'll enjoy this, but the narrative style didn't fully work for me.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</i></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmNw0985ZEIxgMNg-gkODNwNGqWP8LTSj1KFJj_jl1Zu_F3xdTlQSA5Il29yFMMaiOC62wYtMMIRZQARCyjB_luP4-Tp5jOx0gjZzPrUrtd2V14aAczOAEACOqUqpi5karakVv2yUtOiH8sBUwv-SWmlfqCrPXcGtOct4p35fZFAa3XuxF0Gz0Pxk1xne/s2111/62919847.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2111" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmNw0985ZEIxgMNg-gkODNwNGqWP8LTSj1KFJj_jl1Zu_F3xdTlQSA5Il29yFMMaiOC62wYtMMIRZQARCyjB_luP4-Tp5jOx0gjZzPrUrtd2V14aAczOAEACOqUqpi5karakVv2yUtOiH8sBUwv-SWmlfqCrPXcGtOct4p35fZFAa3XuxF0Gz0Pxk1xne/s320/62919847.jpeg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 10-31-23<br />Adult - Historical Fiction</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>The Reformatory- Tananarive Due:</b> It's 1950 in Florida, and twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr has just been sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys for kicking the son of a wealthy landowner who was harassing his sister, Gloria. Gracetown is supposed to be a reform school, but everyone knows of its notorious reputation. It doesn't take long for Gloria to realize her brother got sent there to get back at her family, especially her father, and she's determined to do whatever it takes to save her brother. Meanwhile, Robbie is fighting to withstand the horrors of Gracetown while being haunted by the ghosts of its past, and it'll take everything in him to learn how to survive.<br /><br />I saw this on many people's Best of 2023 lists, so I knew I had to check it out, and wow. It deserves all the praise and more. It was such a dark and harrowing read. I didn't realize until the Author's Note that it's based on a real place and events that happened to one of Due's family members. It made the story that much more impactful and heartbreaking. I think the mash-up of horror and historical fiction was so effective. You could feel the tension building throughout the entire thing. Due crafted a story that needed to be told. She never sugarcoated the evilness that lies in humanity, or the fear and desperation so many face. I think it's such an important and eye-opening read and one I'll be recommending for a long time.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 4/5<br /><br /></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244353963221673532.post-21152481015373552642024-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-16T08:00:00.136-05:00Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands Review (Emily Wilde, #2)<p>Hello, all!</p><p>This time last year I read <i>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries</i> by Heather Fawcett (review <a href="http://www.nerdybynatureblog.com/2023/01/emily-wildes-encyclopaedia-of-faeries.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and loved the cozy light academia-ness of it, so I was thrilled when I got the second book, <i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands.</i> Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!</p><p>*Potential spoilers ahead*</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKaBLnEvnyHSWsnreVtcJ3mSQ3UmRdd6QDKAoZeBb0TUJC95bYKwpwSd_bwbTZn6k04jgH-s5mZifhLTwRsPjoJmGlMmwEecKqVBSjCkuAPlA6nA6Rd9fVLWYS3AdjKFZUYOXY7n0cvHaKsXPdqYuT3rGmJgUO7_UlJoUTqU6JdzrKlzDkMfiTOFLiZWv/s4032/IMG_3257.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKaBLnEvnyHSWsnreVtcJ3mSQ3UmRdd6QDKAoZeBb0TUJC95bYKwpwSd_bwbTZn6k04jgH-s5mZifhLTwRsPjoJmGlMmwEecKqVBSjCkuAPlA6nA6Rd9fVLWYS3AdjKFZUYOXY7n0cvHaKsXPdqYuT3rGmJgUO7_UlJoUTqU6JdzrKlzDkMfiTOFLiZWv/w480-h640/IMG_3257.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Date: 1-16-24<br />Adult - Historical Fantasy</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Emily Wilde is a scholar and one of the most prominent minds regarding faerie folklore. She successfully wrote the first-ever encyclopedia of faeries, which includes information gathered from her many adventures with the help of her colleague, and former rival-turned-sweetheart, Wendell Bambleby. Now, Emily is gearing up for a new project focusing on mapping all the faerie realms, but once again finds trouble at her door.</p>Wendell Bambleby is different from your average Cambridge professor. He's an exiled faerie king on the run from assassins sent by his blood-thirsty stepmother. All Wendell wants is to find a backdoor into his kingdom, and for Emily to finally accept his marriage proposal. Emily knows that certain dangers come with being involved with the fae, but she's determined to help Wendell. With the help of friends, both real and lost in time, Emily and Wendell must race to find the door to his realm before it's too late.<br /><br />The first book in this series was one of my favorite reads of 2023, so I was looking forward to picking this up. I'm happy to report that it more than delivered on the cozy fantasy vibes. Everything about the writing is so atmospheric. I liked getting to dive more into Emily's character. She comes across as cold and grumpy, but it's somehow endearing. It makes me like her more despite how prickly she is. I love the dynamic between her and Wendell, who is essentially like the human equivalent of a cinnamon roll. Their banter is always top-notch, and I loved seeing their romance develop. I also liked learning more about the different types of fae. They add a darker element to the story that helps balance it out. The only slight issue I had was with the pacing of the plot. The beginning felt slow, and it wasn't until about halfway through that I started to feel invested. I still adore it because I love this world and these characters, and I can't wait to continue the series.<div><br /></div><div><b>Rating:</b> 3/5</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11786196001897472235noreply@blogger.com0