Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

Title: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 1, 2008
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose… 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price..

Review:

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, and the students are going on a ski trip. The trip is mandatory for everyone this year, because of a Strigoi attack on one of the Royal families. A number of guardians are brought into the school, including Rose’s estranged mother. Rose is in a love triangle, which gets more complicated when the new guardians join the trip. When Rose gets a tip on where the dangerous Strigoi are hiding out, she can’t keep it to herself, leading to a dangerous trip across the country that not everyone will survive. 

This is a great sequel! I loved that the story is quite different from the first book and a complete story in itself. There were some intriguing new characters that I’m excited to get to know in the next books. Though it had a tragic ending, I’m looking forward to reading the next book. 

Frostbite is a captivating Vampire Academy story!

What to read next:

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Other books in the series:

Have you read Frostbite? What did you think of it?

Review: Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)

Title: Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1)
Author: Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Blazer + Bray
Source: Litjoy
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Review:

Wren Greenrock has been trained her whole life to take over her twin sister’s place on the throne. However, her twin sister, Rose, doesn’t know Wren exists. Wren and her friend Shen break into the palace and kidnap Rose, leaving Wren in her place. Wren enters a world where she’s destined to marry a prince and be controlled by the Kingsbreath, who is ruling in place of a King. Meanwhile, Rose enters the world of witches, who she has been taught to fear and hate. Both sisters want to have control of the throne, as their eighteenth birthday and coronation day approaches, but they must defeat the Kingsbreath who stands in their way. 

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I saw the cover. YA fantasy about royalty is my favourite kind of book. There were a few moments in this book that reminded me of The Parent Trap, which is one of my favourite movies, but as if one of the twins didn’t know the other existed. That situation made some great tension and twists throughout the story. 

Twin Crowns is a fantastic YA fantasy! I can’t wait for the sequel next year!

What to read next:

Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Have you read Twin Crowns? What did you think of it?

Review: The Dead Man in the Garden (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #3)

Title: The Dead Man in the Garden (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #3)
Author: Marthe Jocelyn, Isabelle Follath (illustrations)
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 7, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

For young detective Aggie Morton and her friend Hector, a spa stay becomes a lot more thrilling when TWO dead bodies are found in this third book in the Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series, inspired by the life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot.

Aspiring writer Aggie Morton is ready to enjoy an invigorating trip to a Yorkshire spa, where her widowed mother can take the waters and recover from a long mourning period. Having solved yet another murder and faced extreme peril with her best friend Hector over Christmas, Aggie’s Morbid Preoccupation is on alert when rumors abound about the spa’s recently deceased former patient . . . and then another body appears under mysterious circumstances. Together with Grannie Jane, and often in the company of George, a young patient at the spa, Aggie and Hector take a closer look at the guests and staff of the Wellspring Hotel, and venture into the intriguing world of the local undertaker. Has there been a murder–or even two? As Aggie and Hector ignite their deductive skills, their restful trip takes a sudden, dangerous turn.

Review:

Aggie Morton goes on a trip to a spa in Yorkshire with her recently widowed mother, grandmother, and friend Hector Perot so that her mother can recover from her mourning period. When they arrive, Aggie and Hector learn that a woman who was staying there died the previous week. As they start investigating that death, another client of the spa dies under mysterious circumstances. Aggie and Hector join together with their new friend George to investigate these deaths and figure out what is going on at the spa. 

This was another great Aggie Morton mystery! Aggie Morton is like a young Agatha Christie. Her friend, Hector, is similar to Christie’s character Hercule Poirot, and Aggie’s grandmother is like the Christie character Miss Marple. I love seeing these nods to her classic characters. 

This mystery kept me guessing until the end. The answer was right there the whole time, but it was someone who I didn’t suspect. I’m always pleased when the solution to a mystery surprises me. 

The Dead Man in the Garden is a great middle grade mystery! 

Thank you Tundra Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelyn, Isabelle Follath (illustrations)

Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Dead Man in the Garden? What did you think of it?

Review: Some Dukes Have All the Luck (Synneful Spinsters #1)

Title: Some Dukes Have All the Luck (Synneful Spinsters #1)
Author: Christina Britton
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Ash Hawkins, Duke of Buckley, no more wants to marry than he wants a stick in his eye. As the owner of a gaming hell, he is all too aware the odds of a happy marriage are against him. But raising his three rebellious wards alone is proving more than he can handle. He needs to find someone who stands to benefit from a marriage of convenience as much as he does. Someone logical, clinical, and rational. And in a stroke of luck, he quite literally stumbles over just such a woman.

After years of ridicule for being more interested in bugs than boys, Bronwyn has accepted that she’ll never marry for love. Her parents, however, are threatening to find her a husband. Bronwyn doesn’t need any scientific research to show her Ash has secrets. But his proposal would give her the freedom to continue her entomology research and perhaps finally get published. Just as long as she can keep her mind on her work and off his piercing eyes, broad shoulders, and wicked, wicked tongue.

Review:

Ash Hawkins, the Duke of Buckley knows he never wants to get married. He has enough trouble looking after his three rebellious wards. When two of them run away to his family’s other home on the Isle of Synne, Ash goes there after them. The two little girls meet Bronwyn Pickering, a young woman who is more interested in entomology than getting married. However, her parents insist that she marries someone with a title. After seeing how well Bronwyn gets along with his wards, Ash decides he should marry her so that she can help look after them. The marriage works for Bronwyn, by making a match that her parents approve of. However, their relationship becomes more complicated when they form real feelings for each other. Ash and Bronwyn have to decide if they will give in to love or live separate, unhappy lives. 

This was a fun regency romance. Ash and Bronwyn had a marriage of convenience that worked out to fill the things that each of them needed, but they had great chemistry right away. I was able to figure out the twist at the end before it happened, but it was a cute family story. 

I’m looking forward to the next book in this series next year!

Some Dukes Have All the Luck is a great regency romance. 

Thank you Forever for sending me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard

Have you read Some Dukes Have All the Luck? What did you think of it?

Review: Lord of the Fly Fest

Title: Lord of the Fly Fest
Author: Goldy Moldavsky
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Horror
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: Once Upon a Book Club
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 30, 2022
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

One of Us Is Lying meets Lord of the Flies meets Fyre Fest in this wickedly addictive and funny YA thriller.

Rafi Francisco needs something really special to put her true crime podcast on the map. She sets her sights on River Stone, the hearthrob musician who rose to stardom after the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend. Rafi lands herself a ticket to the exclusive Fly Fest, where River will be the headliner.

But when Rafi arrives on the Caribbean island location of Fly Fest with hundreds of other influencers and (very minor) celebrities, they quickly discover that the dream trip is more of a nightmare. And it’s not just confronting beauty gurus-gone-wild and spotty WiFi. Soon, Rafi goes from fighting for an interview to fighting for her life. And, as she gets closer to River, she discovers that he might be hiding even darker secrets than she suspected . . .

Review:

Rafi Francisco has a true crime podcast called “Musical Mysteries.” For season 2 of her podcast, she decides to explore her theory that heartthrob musician River Stone killed his girlfriend and lied that she mysteriously disappeared. Rafi goes to Fly Fest, an influencer festival on a Caribbean island where River will be performing. However, there isn’t anything set up on the island when everyone arrives. There are no buildings, no food, and almost no Wi-Fi. Rafi convinces everyone to stay so that she can get her interview with River, but she discovers what lengths influencers will go to to have a good time at the festival. 

This story was more funny than I expected. The influencers who were on the island with Rafi were caricatures of influencers, going to extreme lengths to make it look like they were having a good time. I loved the quote: “People would rather live in a lie utopia than in a true dystopia.” So much on social media is a lie made to look much better than real life. I’ve done that too. When I’ve been having a bad day, I’ll post a positive, happy post rather than something that reflects how I’m really feeling. This story took it to the extreme where the influencers made it seem like they were having a great time while it was actually a disaster. 

I was expecting this story to me more dark and graphic, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t that dark. It had a creepy atmosphere on the island, but everything that happened had a logical explanation. There were some gross scenes, but there were so many funny parts that made up for it. 

Lord of the Fly Fest is a fun YA story.

What to read next:

You’re So Dead by Ash Parsons

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

Have you read Lord of the Fly Fest? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – November 8

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath

Luminary: A Magical Guide to Self-Care by Kate Scelsa

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman

White Out by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

The Q by Amy Tintera

The Secrets We Keep by Cassie Gustafson

Children of Ragnarok by Cinda Williams Chima

Black Internet Effect by Shavone Charles

Cursed by Marissa Meyer

Charm by Tracy Wolff

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Mihi Ever After by Tae Keller, Geraldine Rodríguez (illustrator)

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

Blue Like Me by Aaron Philip Clark

Nubia: The Awakening by Omar Epps, Clarence A. Haynes

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin

The Duke in Question by Amalie Howard

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: The Witch Haven (The Witch Haven #1)

Title: The Witch Haven (The Witch Haven #1)
Author: Sasha Peyton Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards.

In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of her brother months prior. Everything changes when she’s attacked and a man ends up dead at her feet—her scissors in his neck, and she can’t explain how they got there.

Before she can be condemned as a murderess, two cape-wearing nurses arrive to inform her she is deathly ill and ordered to report to Haxahaven Sanitarium. But Frances finds Haxahaven isn’t a sanitarium at all: it’s a school for witches. Within Haxahaven’s glittering walls, Frances finds the sisterhood she craves, but the headmistress warns Frances that magic is dangerous. Frances has no interest in the small, safe magic of her school, and is instead enchanted by Finn, a boy with magic himself who appears in her dreams and tells her he can teach her all she’s been craving to learn, lessons that may bring her closer to discovering what truly happened to her brother.

Frances’s newfound power attracts the attention of the leader of an ancient order who yearns for magical control of Manhattan. And who will stop at nothing to have Frances by his side. Frances must ultimately choose what matters more, justice for her murdered brother and her growing feelings for Finn, or the safety of her city and fellow witches. What price would she pay for power, and what if the truth is more terrible than she ever imagined?

Review:

1911: Frances Hallowell is a seamstress in New York, still mourning her brother after his mysterious death months ago. When she’s attacked one night by her boss, he ends up dead with her scissors in his neck. Before she can be arrested for his murder, she’s whisked away to Haxahaven Sanatarium, which is a school for witches disguised as a tuberculosis sanatarium. Frances learns how to use some of her new found magic, but she wants to learn more. She’s lured out to the forest to meet her brother’s old friend, Finn, who promises to teach her more magic and find out who killed her brother. As Frances learns more, she must figure out what’s most important to her: Finn, her new witch friends, or discovering her brother’s murderer. 

This was a great witchy story. I loved the spooky atmosphere of New York in 1911. There were people being mysteriously murdered and incurable diseases. Indigenous racism was also addressed a bit, as one of the witches at the school was abused at a residential school. 

There were some great twists at the end of the story. I suspected the big one before it was revealed, but I was still surprised with how the story ended. I’m glad the sequel is out now so I can read it soon!

The Witch Haven is a great witchy story.

What to read next:

The Witch Hunt by Sasha Peyton Smith

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Other books in the series:

  • The Witch Hunt

Have you read The Witch Haven? What did you think of it?

Review: Love from Mecca to Medina (Love from A to Z #2)

Title: Love from Mecca to Medina (Love from A to Z #2)
Author: S.K. Ali
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart. 

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable. 

Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.

But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?

Review:

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, trying to find work as an artist while his MS isn’t bothering him. Zayneb is in Chicago, trying to find an apartment while she studies and has to fend off accusations from her school’s newspaper. They are both looking forward to spending a week together in England, but when Adam is offered a trip on the Umbrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, he has to take the opportunity while he’s feeling well. They change their plans to go on the Umbrah together, but their relationship faces the ultimate test on this spiritual journey, making them question if they’re meant to be together. 

This was another fabulous S.K. Ali book! It was so nice to be reunited with these familiar characters. There were also characters from the Saints and Misfits books, which was fun to see all of the characters together. The characters were college age, so they had to deal with more adult problems than in a young adult novel, but it was nice to see the characters grow up in this story. There were some chapters from the perspective of Bertha Fatima, Adam and Zayneb’s cat, which were so entertaining. 

I didn’t know anything about the Umbrah or Mecca and Medina so I learned a lot in this story. It inspired me to look up some of the terms and places to be able to picture them. The story was detailed and described the entire trip so I got a full picture of this experience. 

Love from Mecca to Medina is a great story! 

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

The Eid Gift by S.K. Ali

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

Other books in the series:

Have you read Love from Mecca to Medina? What did you think of it?

Happy Pub Day – November 1

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelyn

Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria

Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho

Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore

Wait for Me by Sara Shepard

Kiss Me, Catalina by Priscilla Oliveras

Ex Appeal by Cathy Yardley

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer

She’s Gone by David Bell

Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston

The Hunger Between Us by Marina Scott

The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

Sugaring Off by Gillian French

The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz

The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey

Love in the Age of Dragons by Fatima R. Henson

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick

Blood in the Water by Caleb Roehrig

The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb

A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match

Title: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match
Author: Sally Thorne
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction
Publisher: Avon Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game Sally Thorne comes something a little unexpected… a historical rom-com that imagines Victor Frankenstein’s sheltered younger sister, and her attempts to create the perfect man. 

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor’s ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own.

When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau (named Will for the moment) has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity. Trying to ignore their heart-pounding chemistry, Angelika reluctantly joins the investigation into his past, hoping it will bring them closer. But when a second suitor emerges to aid their quest, Angelika wonders if she was too hasty inventing a solution. Perhaps fate is not something that can be influenced in a laboratory? Or is Will (or whatever his name is!) her dream man, tailored for her in every way? And can he survive what was done to him in the name of science, and love?

Filled with carriages, candlesticks, and corpses, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match is the spooky-season reimagining of the well-known classic that reminds us to never judge a man by his cadaver! 

Review:

Angelika Frankenstein is the assistant to her brother Victor in all of his experiments. When he wants to bring a man back to life, Angelika joins in on the fun. She hasn’t been able to find an appropriate suitor and now she’s run out of men in her town, so she decides to choose her own corpse to bring back to life. However, the man who she revives is more focused on figuring out his identity from before he died than being her husband. Though he is her perfect match, Angelika does everything she can to help him discover his former life. 

I loved the premise of this book, but it wasn’t executed as well as I expected. The romance between Angelika and Will, her creation, was stilted and forced. One minute they would be kissing, and the next minute he would tell her why they couldn’t be together. This happened over and over again, so it was tiring to read. 

The other characters tried to be quirky but I didn’t feel that they stood out on their own. Some of the side characters didn’t really serve a purpose to move the plot forward. Those storylines could have been cut shorter to make the story more concise. 

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match wasn’t what I hoped it would be. 

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for giving me a copy of this book.

Have you read Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match? What did you think of it?