books – Page 13 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Fall into Midnight (The Fall Trilogy #1)

Title: Fall into Midnight (The Fall Trilogy #1)
Author: Arden Coutts
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Thriller
Publisher: CEI Media
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 30, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Gyrating to the beat and downing shots isn’t Dr. Hannah Winter’s cup of tea. But when a good friend drags her out of the sanctuary of her sunroom for a rare night out at Club Midnight, a chance encounter with an enigmatic bouncer ignites an undeniable spark of passion she can’t resist. Working at Club Midnight comes with a heavy price that Gray Alexander has grown weary of paying. But even as the treacherous underworld associated with her work threatens to destroy her, the love of a sweet-faced, ginger-haired doctor may be her saving grace. As Hannah and Gray seize their unexpected chance at love, they quickly realize the very place that pulled them into each other’s orbit may inevitably tear them apart…

Review:

Dr. Hannah Winters goes to Club Midnight one night with her best friend and her two bodyguards. Despite not wanting to be there, Hannah has a chance encounter with one of the security guards, Gray, and she can’t get her out of her mind. Gray’s job at Club Midnight also involves getting into dangerous situations with her boss. Hannah and Gray quickly fall for each other, but their relationship is tested when their lives are threatened.

This was such a great, intense romance. Gray and Hannah had steamy chemistry. There was a surprising twist at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming. I’m so glad there are more books in this series because I loved these characters!

Fall into Midnight is a great start to the Fall Trilogy!

Thank you Arden Coutts for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: stabbing, drugging, sexual assault, shooting

Other books in the series:

Fall Into Me (The Fall Trilogy #2)
We All Fall (The Fall Trilogy #3)

Have you read Fall into Midnight? What did you think of it?

Review: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods

Title: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods
Author: Svetlana Chmakova
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Yen Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 16, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets… but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears-It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!

Review:

Ailis and her cousin Na’ya are weirns, witches born with a demon guardian spirit who is bound to them for life. While they’re walking to school through the woods, Ailis sees a mysterious figure. After seeing the figure again, Na’ya’s little brother disappears. Ailis, Na’ya and their friends must go into the forbidden house in the woods to save Na’ya’s brother and the rest of their magic world.

This was a great magical world. It was well developed right from the beginning. Though Ailis and Na’ya went to a magic school where all the other students also had magic, they were bullied by the popular girl. Their bully actually had secrets and insecurities of her own that they discovered in the house in the woods.

Be Wary of the Woods is a great spooky middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Publicity Prose and Yen Press for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon

Have you read Be Wary of the Silent Woods? What did you think of it?

Review: This Was Written For You

Title: This Was Written For You
Author: Anonymous
Genre: Philosophy, Contemporary
Publisher: Explore Unguided
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

WHAT IF THERE WAS A PART OF YOU THAT YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT?

“This was written for you”, is a story that was found in the possessions of a wealthy book collector after their death.

It was a discovery that captivated those who made it.

Typed in a leather journal and discovered next to first editions of very well known works of literature, no other copy of this specific text is known to exist. *This is the first time it has been made available to the public…* Don’t miss your opportunity to read it.

This eBook is an exact transcript of what was discovered in the leather journal – a wild philosophical adventure about an imaginary version of yourself who is jealous that you are real.

Determined to be real too, they begin a journey that takes them to the enchanting fields of an eccentric cult and onwards into a manipulative and dangerous experiment that blurs the boundaries between body and mind. As they discover more about the limits of their existence, they learn something about themselves. Something very strange. Something that they struggle to believe, even though it’s clearly true.

This magical book delves into the profound human desire to understand who we are. Maybe, just maybe, we are far more extraordinary that we ever dared to dream.

“This was written for you” is an extraordinary example of literature that breaks down the barriers between fiction and reality – a story, within a story, where there is no separation between the reader, the writer, the narrator or the characters. Everyone is in the action together and it is written by whoever is reading it, as they read. For some, it is a supernatural book. For others, it is a literary experiment of the most remarkable kind.

Review:

This story is a philosophical journey that happens in the reader’s imagination. The narrator is the reader’s imagination who meets other people who are in the reader’s mind and represent people in their real life. The narrator must figure out who they are and what their purpose is in life.

This was a unique story. The narrator speaks in the second person often, addressing the reader as “you.” The narrator was going on their own self discovery journey, which involved drug experimentation and war. This story will make you think about how your mind works.

This Was Written For You is a fascinating philosophical story.

Thank you Michael Roberts and Bookinfluencerscom for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Content warnings: rape, drug experiments, drug addiction, torture, poisoning

Have you read This Was Written For You? What did you think of it?

Review: Stars, Hide Your Fires

Title: Stars, Hide Your Fires
Author: Jessica Mary Best
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ
Publisher: Quirk Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 11, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer loose on the station. A gripping YA mystery set in space.

As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors.

Her plan is simple:

1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire.
2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball.
3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable.

But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely ally: a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.

Review:

Cass is a thief who decides to go to the Emperor’s ball on another planet to steal a fortune for her sick father and her group of friends. However, when she gets there, instead of announcing the Emperor’s heir, they announce that the Emperor is dead. Someone plants a murder weapon on Cass, and she must join up with a resistance movement to prove she’s innocent.

This is a great sci-fi heist story. Cass was a good thief, but she was realistic because she made mistakes which other thieves caught. There were unexpected twists throughout the story. However I did correctly guess who the real murderer was, but I enjoyed reading the end of the story.

Stars, Hide Your Fires is a great YA sci-fi story!

Thank you Quirk Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent

Have you read Stars, Hide Your Fires? What did you think of it?

Review: Tongue Teasers

Title: Tongue Teasers
Author: Dr. D.W. Knight
Genre: Children’s, Poetry
Publisher: Giggle Spoon
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 24, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tongue Teasers is a collection of illustrated poems written in rhyming verse with hilarious wordplay and outlandish inventiveness imbued with wit, life-lessons and wisdom that transcend age but equally entertain children with zany, memorable characters, making this book a favorite for all ages!

Written and illustrated by Professor D.W. Knight, Tongue Teasers is the foundational body of work that inspired GiGGLE SPOON Laugh-Along Songbooks which is the artistic collaboration of two brothers – one a poet and artist, the other a composer, singer-songwriter and musician. Combining their talents, the brothers create laugh-along songbooks using rhyming verse and catchy original songs, serving up laughter to the kid in all of us!

Review:

This book is a collection of illustrated poems for kids. Some of the poems teach lessons, such as the importance of washing your hands, while others are silly. I think kids would love these funny, rhyming poems.

At the beginning of the book there is a QR code that leads to a website with songs that go along with some of the poems. Those were really fun to listen to while I read the poems because they gave the poems a specific rhythm. That would be great for kids who are reading the book on their own, because it would teach them how to read the poem.

Tongue Teasers is a great kid’s book!

Thank you Dr. D.W. Knight and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Have you read Tongue Teasers? What did you think of it?

Review: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Dream Harbor #1)

Title: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Dream Harbor #1)
Author: Laurie Gilmore
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: One More Chapter
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: August 30, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

Review:

After losing her job after her boss’s death, Jeanie takes over her aunt’s cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor. Logan is a local farmer in Dream Harbor, who has been the subject of town gossip since his last girlfriend rejected his public proposal. Jeanie enlists Logan’s help when things start going wrong in the cafe. Logan is drawn to her, but he’s hesitant to get too attached because he doesn’t want to have his heart broken again.

This was such a cute fall read. The town of Dream Harbor was so much like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I especially loved their town hall meetings and their quirky mayor who used his dreams to make decisions about the town. I would have loved to see more of these funny aspects of the town, so I hope there will be more of them in the next books in the series.

The Pumpkin Spice is a cute cozy fall romance!

Thank you Frenzy Books for providing a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (Dream Harbor #2)

Have you read The Pumpkin Spice Cafe? What did you think of it?

Review: Your Throne, Vol. 1

Title: Your Throne, Vol. 1
Author: Sam
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Webtoon
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A powerful noblewoman has to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival. Your Throne Vol. 1 collects the first 12 episodes of the stunning fantasy WEBTOON comic by SAM, which has over 830 million reads worldwide.

Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros but resolves to do whatever it takes to win back what’s rightfully hers. However, she’ll have to rewrite her entire revenge plan when she wakes up in the body of her sworn rival.

Review:

Lady Medea lost the Crown Prince’s hand in marriage to Lady Psyche. Medea vows to get her revenge, but after a chance encounter, she wakes up in Psyche’s body. They have traded bodies, but that becomes a challenge since they have such different personalities and lifestyles. Lady Medea sees this as her chance to marry the Crown Prince, as long as she can keep her real identity a secret.

I loved the premise of this story. Stories about people swapping bodies and lives are so interesting. The story was a little confusing at times, since Medea and Psyche were in each other’s bodies and some people had figured it out but were keeping it a secret. I really enjoyed this story!

Your Throne is a great fantasy graphic novel!

Thank you Wattpad Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death, parental neglect

Have you read Your Throne? What did you think of it?

Review: The Raccoons: The One That Got Away

Title: The Raccoons: The One That Got Away
Author: Iain McLaughlin
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Candy Jar Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 27, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“One look at this place and you’ll fall in love… The unspoiled beauty of nature.”Bert Raccoon, Cedric and Bentley have a secret fishing spot — a beautiful wild lake, home to a legendary catfish called Old Tom.

This secret spot is so precious that even Cyril Sneer, now an environmental crusader, loves it and won’t trade it for a big net profit.

But it doesn’t remain a secret for very long. Soon, industry wants a bit of the pond, and all of the Evergreen Forest will suffer. But will anyone face the scales of justice?

This is a story of a community coming together to fight for what’s right.

Review:

Bert and Cedric have a secret place that they show to their young friend Bentley. It’s a pond where they go fishing and no one else knows it exists. They insist on keeping it a secret, but the wealthy businessman Cyril ends up using it for a new environmental business idea.

This is a great story in The Raccoons series. Each of the books can be read as a stand-alone. You also don’t have to be familiar with the TV show that inspired these books to read them. I love how interactive these books are, with QR codes that lead to clips from the TV show, a fun crossword puzzle, and pig themed jokes!

The One That Got Away is a great children’s chapter book!

Thank you Candy Jar Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Cry Wolf
Blast From the Past

Have you read The One That Got Away? What did you think of it?

Review: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)

Title: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)
Author: Nita Prose
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mysteryreminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

Review:

Molly Gray always loved celebrating Christmas with her Gran. Now that she lives with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, he is trying to continue her traditions and start new ones. Even though he is being very thoughtful with gifts and traditions, Juan is acting strangely. He is speaking to other women and sneaking around at work. At the same time, Molly is a little apprehensive about the Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Hotel, since she was teased at the last one. Molly must figure out what is going on with Juan, so they can have a happy holiday together.

It was so fun to revisit Molly Gray in this holiday novella! There was a little mystery with what Juan was doing, but I guessed what he was planning early in the story. I loved reading about the traditions Molly had with her Gran and the new ones she was starting with Juan.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a fun holiday novella for fans of The Maid!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Mistletoe Mystery? What did you think of it?

Review: Lady Macbeth

Title: Lady Macbeth
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.

The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.

The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.

But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.

She does not know this yet. But she will.

Review:

Roscille is a seventeen-year-old French girl who was sent to Scotland to marry Macbeth, the Thane of Glammis. Her life in Scotland is very different from what she’s used to. She doesn’t get any help from a handmaiden, and she is married to a bloodthirsty man. Roscille wears a veil over her eyes at all times because her eyes can cause madness in men. Roscille must do whatever she must do to survive in her new role as Lady Macbeth.

This was a tragic story. It wasn’t a retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It follows the true history that inspired the play, while also having fantasy elements. Women were treated badly, but Roscille had to find ways to stand up for herself and survive this brutal world.

Lady Macbeth is an intense tragedy.

Thank you Del Rey for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, stabbing, rape

Have you read Lady Macbeth? What did you think of it?