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bookishntea's reviews
41 reviews
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
โจ ๐
๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ: Bride by Ali Hazelwood โจ
Tropes:
๐ Forbidden love
๐ฉธ Fated mates
๐ Found family
๐ฉธ Marriage of convenience
๐ Forced proximity
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.5โญ
________________________________________
A plot heavy, page turner fantasy but in set in today's world. I enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood, it was different than most fantasy books I've read that tend to lean towards more historical references and world building set seemingly in the past. The plot deepens in the most interesting ways and continues throughout the book keeping the reader intrigued and guessing.
The story is that of a Vampyre and a Werewolf who find themselves forced to marry for their own seperate reasons. Eventually though they find themselves with a strangely common predicament that solving together may be their only chance to put the pieces together. At the same time they also must try to manage another predicament, their growing feelings for one another.
I loved the female characters in this book. Misery said she could fight multiple times on page and she shows up! The women in this book are not sitting back waiting to the men to figure it out, they're smart and cunning and take control and the lead in multiple instances.
Lowe is selfless alpha werewolf who protectively looks after everyone except himself, especially when it comes to his wife. He, however, definitely needs some better communication skills. Lol ๐ I enjoyed his charscter as well and how he grows and opens up throughout the book.
Bride is spi-cy! But I don't feel like the spice took away from the plot instead it thickened the plot and the feelings of lust, love and betrayal. In my opinion it was written well but there was a lot of it.
I wish the book had more of an enemies to lovers tripe in it because based on events between the two different species our main characters should be enemies but there is not much in regards to enemies in this book. I feel like that was something the author could have explored a bit more. There was quite a bit of understanding between the characters on very dense themes that you'd think would normally cause quite a bit of strife.
Overall, I really enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood and will definitely miss the characters! I feel like this book should not be a standalone there are so many events that I would love another book to explore. One can dream right?!
โญ4.5โญ
Tropes:
๐ Forbidden love
๐ฉธ Fated mates
๐ Found family
๐ฉธ Marriage of convenience
๐ Forced proximity
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.5โญ
________________________________________
A plot heavy, page turner fantasy but in set in today's world. I enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood, it was different than most fantasy books I've read that tend to lean towards more historical references and world building set seemingly in the past. The plot deepens in the most interesting ways and continues throughout the book keeping the reader intrigued and guessing.
The story is that of a Vampyre and a Werewolf who find themselves forced to marry for their own seperate reasons. Eventually though they find themselves with a strangely common predicament that solving together may be their only chance to put the pieces together. At the same time they also must try to manage another predicament, their growing feelings for one another.
I loved the female characters in this book. Misery said she could fight multiple times on page and she shows up! The women in this book are not sitting back waiting to the men to figure it out, they're smart and cunning and take control and the lead in multiple instances.
Lowe is selfless alpha werewolf who protectively looks after everyone except himself, especially when it comes to his wife. He, however, definitely needs some better communication skills. Lol ๐ I enjoyed his charscter as well and how he grows and opens up throughout the book.
Bride is spi-cy! But I don't feel like the spice took away from the plot instead it thickened the plot and the feelings of lust, love and betrayal. In my opinion it was written well but there was a lot of it.
I wish the book had more of an enemies to lovers tripe in it because based on events between the two different species our main characters should be enemies but there is not much in regards to enemies in this book. I feel like that was something the author could have explored a bit more. There was quite a bit of understanding between the characters on very dense themes that you'd think would normally cause quite a bit of strife.
Overall, I really enjoyed Bride by Ali Hazelwood and will definitely miss the characters! I feel like this book should not be a standalone there are so many events that I would love another book to explore. One can dream right?!
โญ4.5โญ
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Tropes:
๐งน Second chance love
โจ Enemies to lovers
๐งน Slow burn romance
โจ Witty Banter
๐งน Dual POV
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
________________________________________
Those TROPES though! I loved The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling this was a fun, easy read, with the most loveable characters and a fun, turning high stakes plot.
The Ex Hex was just simply fun, a sweet ode to girls night after a breakup but gone a bit haywire when the curse Vivi recites, to her surprise, actually takes form. The girly poking fun at the ex is just hilarious and so relatable. I mean haven't we all poked some fun at an ex and somewhat wished we could send them some bad juju? ๐๐
Then enter Rhys, Vivi's hot, charming, love to hate him, perfect, ex fling. Rhys' character is so loveable, I found myself feeling his charm very quickly in the book. I do wish the author may have worked Rhys' aloof but somewhat cocky side a bit more at the beginning of the book. I wanted to really feel he deserved to have a hex put on him for his mishap but I felt like Vivi just fell in love too quickly.
Even so, the attempt at reconnection between these two characters was so sweet. I was rooting for their reconnection throughout the whole book. The author gives us what the reader wants, a problem that two unsuspecting previous lovers must work together to solve.
The only irk I have with The Ex Hex was that I found myself feeling not so intrigued sometimes, there were some lulls in the story that felt like I was just pushing through. Also there was so many great opportunities for world building that just weren't, in my opinion, taken compelete advantage of.
Overall, completely enjoyed The Ex Hex and I would recommend it for a fun, light Halloween, witchy romance read.
โญ4.0โญ
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
๐งน Second chance love
โจ Enemies to lovers
๐งน Slow burn romance
โจ Witty Banter
๐งน Dual POV
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
________________________________________
Those TROPES though! I loved The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling this was a fun, easy read, with the most loveable characters and a fun, turning high stakes plot.
The Ex Hex was just simply fun, a sweet ode to girls night after a breakup but gone a bit haywire when the curse Vivi recites, to her surprise, actually takes form. The girly poking fun at the ex is just hilarious and so relatable. I mean haven't we all poked some fun at an ex and somewhat wished we could send them some bad juju? ๐๐
Then enter Rhys, Vivi's hot, charming, love to hate him, perfect, ex fling. Rhys' character is so loveable, I found myself feeling his charm very quickly in the book. I do wish the author may have worked Rhys' aloof but somewhat cocky side a bit more at the beginning of the book. I wanted to really feel he deserved to have a hex put on him for his mishap but I felt like Vivi just fell in love too quickly.
Even so, the attempt at reconnection between these two characters was so sweet. I was rooting for their reconnection throughout the whole book. The author gives us what the reader wants, a problem that two unsuspecting previous lovers must work together to solve.
The only irk I have with The Ex Hex was that I found myself feeling not so intrigued sometimes, there were some lulls in the story that felt like I was just pushing through. Also there was so many great opportunities for world building that just weren't, in my opinion, taken compelete advantage of.
Overall, completely enjoyed The Ex Hex and I would recommend it for a fun, light Halloween, witchy romance read.
โญ4.0โญ
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
โญ3.25โญ
I had high hopes for this book, but I felt like the majority of the book was very predictable. I was not surprised at any moment, I never felt that "oh my goodness I need to know what happens in the next chapter" moment.
It took quite a while for me to really get into the book. As someone else here said and I am inclined to agree that at the 80% mark is where it picks up a bit more. The beginning of the book starts out fantastic though but that energy doesn't follow through the middle of the book in my opinion.
I loved Abitha and hated the villain in this story but other than that I felt little towards the other characters. Thus I felt the character development was a bit lacking.
Regardless the story was dark, quirky, and creative which I enjoyed. The world building was good. I just wish there was more tension and more climatic events.
I had high hopes for this book, but I felt like the majority of the book was very predictable. I was not surprised at any moment, I never felt that "oh my goodness I need to know what happens in the next chapter" moment.
It took quite a while for me to really get into the book. As someone else here said and I am inclined to agree that at the 80% mark is where it picks up a bit more. The beginning of the book starts out fantastic though but that energy doesn't follow through the middle of the book in my opinion.
I loved Abitha and hated the villain in this story but other than that I felt little towards the other characters. Thus I felt the character development was a bit lacking.
Regardless the story was dark, quirky, and creative which I enjoyed. The world building was good. I just wish there was more tension and more climatic events.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Pumpkin Spice Cafรฉ by Laurie Gilmore
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
โจ full review coming soon โจ
A Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
โจ ๐
๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ: ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ By KW Forester โจ
Tropes:
๐ก๏ธ Second Chance Love
๐น The Chosen One
๐ก๏ธ Powerful Ancient Artifacts
๐น Reluctant Hero
๐ก๏ธ Love Triangle
๐น Mental Health Rep
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ3.75โญ
Notable Quotes:
"Your past is just a story, Aelia. Anytime you wish, you can start a new chapter."
"He placed his hand over his heart. 'Peace is here. Within yourself."
- A Curse of Breath and Blood
________________________________________
The plot was great and the story A Curse of Breath and Blood was telling was intriguing. I enjoyed that we got a glimpse into Aelia's past and how that affected her present situations.
Mental health representation was really nice to see as we don't see a lot of that especially in romantasy books. It was refreshing and it made Aelia feel more relatable and her struggles with her past made me want to root for her even more.
The book lacked some world building and some more character and some relationship development. While the "bones" of this book are great, I needed some meat on the bones so to speak. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters besides Aelia and Gideon.
Hoping future books in this series will focus a bit more on the relationships among the characters and building those relationships up while keeping true to the plot. I am also very interested in what is going to happen with this love triangle and if the characters have officially chosen their new paths or if paths will end up crossing again.
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Tropes:
๐ก๏ธ Second Chance Love
๐น The Chosen One
๐ก๏ธ Powerful Ancient Artifacts
๐น Reluctant Hero
๐ก๏ธ Love Triangle
๐น Mental Health Rep
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ3.75โญ
Notable Quotes:
"Your past is just a story, Aelia. Anytime you wish, you can start a new chapter."
"He placed his hand over his heart. 'Peace is here. Within yourself."
- A Curse of Breath and Blood
________________________________________
The plot was great and the story A Curse of Breath and Blood was telling was intriguing. I enjoyed that we got a glimpse into Aelia's past and how that affected her present situations.
Mental health representation was really nice to see as we don't see a lot of that especially in romantasy books. It was refreshing and it made Aelia feel more relatable and her struggles with her past made me want to root for her even more.
The book lacked some world building and some more character and some relationship development. While the "bones" of this book are great, I needed some meat on the bones so to speak. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters besides Aelia and Gideon.
Hoping future books in this series will focus a bit more on the relationships among the characters and building those relationships up while keeping true to the plot. I am also very interested in what is going to happen with this love triangle and if the characters have officially chosen their new paths or if paths will end up crossing again.
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
โจ ๐
๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ: ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ โจ
Tropes:
๐ด Unique Magic System
๐๏ธ Enemies to Lovers
๐ด Monsters
๐๏ธ Secrets
๐ด Paying the Price
๐๏ธ Gothic Medieval Setting
๐ด Fake relationships
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ3.75โญ
"The Hawthorne tree carries few seeds. It's branches are weary, it's lost all its leaves. Be wary the man who bargains and thieves. He'll offer your soul to get what he needs."
- One Dark Window, Rachel Gillig
_________________________________________
One Dark Window was a book that I both enjoyed and struggled with a bit. It was beautifully atmospheric, the characters were amazing and the plot was setting itself up to be incredible. However, for me it fell a little flat due to predictability and pacing.
We are immersed into the world of Blunder, where 20-something year old, Elspeth Spindle, was plagued years ago with a highly feared disease causing a forbidden magic to creep through her mind and body. She's kept her magic and the creature that lives within her a secret for years up until now when she finds herself amongst others who, in part, she allows to see her for who she really is. Although she still keeps some of her magic to herself, there now exists a use for what she believes is her curse. They embark on a treasonous quest in search of magical cards in an attempt to break Blunder free from the clutch of an ancient bane.
The book is a dark atmospheric read in which the reader can easily imagine the setting, castles, mist, and ruins. I found the world building to be well done and interesting. With a complex magic system and interesting magical cards this makes the book incredibly unique and the occasional rhyming laced with well chosen words gives the book an eerie, sinister feel.
The characters were also well developed in my opinion. I despised the villain and loved the FMC and the MMC. I enjoyed reading about the flourishing and struggling relationships and friendships. I would have liked if we could have seen more development or destruction of these relationships, especially one relationship in particular that was supposedly very detrimental to the FMC. Yet maybe there is more development of this relationship in the second book of this duology.
I've seen so much hype and I wanted to love One Dark Window but I felt like the pacing was a bit slow. I wanted more events, more action, I would have gladly read another 100 pages if I could have had more epic edge of your seat moments. In my opinion, it had all of the right elements to become a fantastic read but for me it felt a bit predictable, especially the ending.
Overall, I think One Dark Window was worth the read but for me it didn't live up to the expectations that the internet hype created. It had all the parts to be an epic read, atmospheric, great character development and story so I still do plan on reading Two Twisted Crowns and I am hoping that the second book peaks my interest more.
___________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Tropes:
๐ด Unique Magic System
๐๏ธ Enemies to Lovers
๐ด Monsters
๐๏ธ Secrets
๐ด Paying the Price
๐๏ธ Gothic Medieval Setting
๐ด Fake relationships
Spice level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ3.75โญ
"The Hawthorne tree carries few seeds. It's branches are weary, it's lost all its leaves. Be wary the man who bargains and thieves. He'll offer your soul to get what he needs."
- One Dark Window, Rachel Gillig
_________________________________________
One Dark Window was a book that I both enjoyed and struggled with a bit. It was beautifully atmospheric, the characters were amazing and the plot was setting itself up to be incredible. However, for me it fell a little flat due to predictability and pacing.
We are immersed into the world of Blunder, where 20-something year old, Elspeth Spindle, was plagued years ago with a highly feared disease causing a forbidden magic to creep through her mind and body. She's kept her magic and the creature that lives within her a secret for years up until now when she finds herself amongst others who, in part, she allows to see her for who she really is. Although she still keeps some of her magic to herself, there now exists a use for what she believes is her curse. They embark on a treasonous quest in search of magical cards in an attempt to break Blunder free from the clutch of an ancient bane.
The book is a dark atmospheric read in which the reader can easily imagine the setting, castles, mist, and ruins. I found the world building to be well done and interesting. With a complex magic system and interesting magical cards this makes the book incredibly unique and the occasional rhyming laced with well chosen words gives the book an eerie, sinister feel.
The characters were also well developed in my opinion. I despised the villain and loved the FMC and the MMC. I enjoyed reading about the flourishing and struggling relationships and friendships. I would have liked if we could have seen more development or destruction of these relationships, especially one relationship in particular that was supposedly very detrimental to the FMC. Yet maybe there is more development of this relationship in the second book of this duology.
I've seen so much hype and I wanted to love One Dark Window but I felt like the pacing was a bit slow. I wanted more events, more action, I would have gladly read another 100 pages if I could have had more epic edge of your seat moments. In my opinion, it had all of the right elements to become a fantastic read but for me it felt a bit predictable, especially the ending.
Overall, I think One Dark Window was worth the read but for me it didn't live up to the expectations that the internet hype created. It had all the parts to be an epic read, atmospheric, great character development and story so I still do plan on reading Two Twisted Crowns and I am hoping that the second book peaks my interest more.
___________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child death
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
โจ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉโจ
Tropes:
๐ฑ Unique Magical Characters
๐ช New Beginnings
๐ฑ Going Home Again
๐ช Found family
๐ฑ Small Town Setting
๐ช Reluctant Heroes
Spice level: None!
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
"Some people are like that. They derive joy from sapping other people's joy. The trick is to not let them. Just keep playing your own song." - The Spellshop, Sarah Beth Durst
_________________________________________
The Spellshop is the book equivalent to a cozy sweater on a rainy fall day, sitting fireside with a hot tea and pumpkin bread in the oven. It is the coziest of cozy fantasy novels complete with magical creatures, community, love and friendships, and with enough action and plot to keep you intrigued. Think Netflix's "Virgin River" meets Heather Fawcett's "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries".
We follow Kiela, a studious librarian, and her talking spider plant, Caz, who find themselves obligated to start their lives anew after tragedy strikes. Kiela has convinced herself that their new life at her childhood home is a temporary situation and they will live a solitary life until they can get back to their library. All that is thrown to the wind when life happens, a cฬถuฬถtฬถeฬถ "nosy" neighbor stops by, and Kiela begrudgingly finds herself having to meet the townsfolk in order to survive.
The action and plot in The Spellshop was written perfectly. It wasn't too much where it dismantled the warm fuzzy feelings but it was just enough to peak readers interest. The action allowed for the development of community in the book and further development of the characters as well.
Community, friendships and love in The Spellshop were equally important themes. Sometimes I feel like authors can overlook community and friendships in the name of love but not Sarah Beth Durst in The Spellshop. I enjoyed that love was part of the book but it didn't take over the whole story it was more of a subplot. I was still rooting for the characters most deserving of love but I was also seeing the beautiful development of friendships, found family and a community willing to risk everything for those they considered their own.
The magical creatures in The Spellshop were creative and gave the book a fun spin. They were everywhere and I loved it! They were explained in sufficient detail that I could imagine what they might look like and their personalities were very apparent in the way they spoke (or didn't speak).
Overall, I really enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst's " The Spellshop" it was exactly what I needed when I was searching for a cozy fantasy novel. I hope it will be the read that everyone is cuddling up with and talking about as this year's cozy fall read! Now if you don't mind, I'll be on the lookout for a talking spider plant and a cactus to call "Meep"... ๐
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Tropes:
๐ฑ Unique Magical Characters
๐ช New Beginnings
๐ฑ Going Home Again
๐ช Found family
๐ฑ Small Town Setting
๐ช Reluctant Heroes
Spice level: None!
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
"Some people are like that. They derive joy from sapping other people's joy. The trick is to not let them. Just keep playing your own song." - The Spellshop, Sarah Beth Durst
_________________________________________
The Spellshop is the book equivalent to a cozy sweater on a rainy fall day, sitting fireside with a hot tea and pumpkin bread in the oven. It is the coziest of cozy fantasy novels complete with magical creatures, community, love and friendships, and with enough action and plot to keep you intrigued. Think Netflix's "Virgin River" meets Heather Fawcett's "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries".
We follow Kiela, a studious librarian, and her talking spider plant, Caz, who find themselves obligated to start their lives anew after tragedy strikes. Kiela has convinced herself that their new life at her childhood home is a temporary situation and they will live a solitary life until they can get back to their library. All that is thrown to the wind when life happens, a cฬถuฬถtฬถeฬถ "nosy" neighbor stops by, and Kiela begrudgingly finds herself having to meet the townsfolk in order to survive.
The action and plot in The Spellshop was written perfectly. It wasn't too much where it dismantled the warm fuzzy feelings but it was just enough to peak readers interest. The action allowed for the development of community in the book and further development of the characters as well.
Community, friendships and love in The Spellshop were equally important themes. Sometimes I feel like authors can overlook community and friendships in the name of love but not Sarah Beth Durst in The Spellshop. I enjoyed that love was part of the book but it didn't take over the whole story it was more of a subplot. I was still rooting for the characters most deserving of love but I was also seeing the beautiful development of friendships, found family and a community willing to risk everything for those they considered their own.
The magical creatures in The Spellshop were creative and gave the book a fun spin. They were everywhere and I loved it! They were explained in sufficient detail that I could imagine what they might look like and their personalities were very apparent in the way they spoke (or didn't speak).
Overall, I really enjoyed Sarah Beth Durst's " The Spellshop" it was exactly what I needed when I was searching for a cozy fantasy novel. I hope it will be the read that everyone is cuddling up with and talking about as this year's cozy fall read! Now if you don't mind, I'll be on the lookout for a talking spider plant and a cactus to call "Meep"... ๐
_________________________________________
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
Petals for Vicious Secrets by Martha Monteval
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ฌ by โจdebut novelโจ
Book no 1. in the Panom Saga
Release date: 07.18.2024
"May the light enfold your strength. May the darkness accept your weakness. May the world cherish your mind. May the Cardinals guide your soul. May the Fifth unleash your magic."
"...you have the fearless heart of those who change worlds. I chose you, because I can see who you are behind the walls you insist on putting for everyone to see. I chose you, because even if you have accepted that everyone who should love you has given up on you, I know you are worth fighting for. I chose you, because I know you can be as powerful as I am, if not even more. And I chose you, sweet fire, because you are absolutely insufferable and I can't get you out of my mind."
Tropes:
โด๏ธ dual POV
โด๏ธ magic system
โด๏ธ found family
โด๏ธ fierce friendships
โด๏ธ strong FMCs
โด๏ธ enemies to lovers
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
__________________________________________
Petals for Vicious Secrets is a novel with a dual POV narration between two fierce ladies, Hope and Lenna, that come from two completely different worlds but unknowingly have a few seemingly common goals. There's betrayal, secrets, found family, strong friendships and a few really high stakes moments for these beloved characters.
We follow Hope and Lenna through their personal difficulties of their opposing worlds. Lenna comes from a very privileged, royal world and Hope comes from an impoverished discarded world. There are a few plot twists that thus affect these worlds and the lives of the main characters and bring these two together.
Hope and Lenna are blazingly defiant and fantastically willing to challenge whomever attempts to obligate them to yield to social pressures and the ideologies of their contrasting worlds. Whereas, the male characters personalities seem to develop more and grow on you as the book goes on. The reader really sees the development of relationships and friendships with these male characters truly through the eyes and hearts of the FMCs.
One of the FMCs I personally liked over the other one at first because I felt like her personality and story was more interesting than the other. However, at the end of Petals for Vicious Secrets I would say I liked them both the same. I didn't deduct any stars due to this as this was just my personal opinion.
I did take one star off because while the ending is very edge of your seat worthy there were some parts of the book that I struggled a bit through. Overall, I enjoyed Petals for Vicious Secrets and I look forward to reading about Lenna and Hope's future endeavors. There are a lot of questions that I still have and absolutely need answers to! Book two is called Petals for Deadly Powers. ๐ฅ
__________________________________________
Preorder now at https://marthamonteval.com
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
Book no 1. in the Panom Saga
Release date: 07.18.2024
"May the light enfold your strength. May the darkness accept your weakness. May the world cherish your mind. May the Cardinals guide your soul. May the Fifth unleash your magic."
"...you have the fearless heart of those who change worlds. I chose you, because I can see who you are behind the walls you insist on putting for everyone to see. I chose you, because even if you have accepted that everyone who should love you has given up on you, I know you are worth fighting for. I chose you, because I know you can be as powerful as I am, if not even more. And I chose you, sweet fire, because you are absolutely insufferable and I can't get you out of my mind."
Tropes:
โด๏ธ dual POV
โด๏ธ magic system
โด๏ธ found family
โด๏ธ fierce friendships
โด๏ธ strong FMCs
โด๏ธ enemies to lovers
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ4.0โญ
__________________________________________
Petals for Vicious Secrets is a novel with a dual POV narration between two fierce ladies, Hope and Lenna, that come from two completely different worlds but unknowingly have a few seemingly common goals. There's betrayal, secrets, found family, strong friendships and a few really high stakes moments for these beloved characters.
We follow Hope and Lenna through their personal difficulties of their opposing worlds. Lenna comes from a very privileged, royal world and Hope comes from an impoverished discarded world. There are a few plot twists that thus affect these worlds and the lives of the main characters and bring these two together.
Hope and Lenna are blazingly defiant and fantastically willing to challenge whomever attempts to obligate them to yield to social pressures and the ideologies of their contrasting worlds. Whereas, the male characters personalities seem to develop more and grow on you as the book goes on. The reader really sees the development of relationships and friendships with these male characters truly through the eyes and hearts of the FMCs.
One of the FMCs I personally liked over the other one at first because I felt like her personality and story was more interesting than the other. However, at the end of Petals for Vicious Secrets I would say I liked them both the same. I didn't deduct any stars due to this as this was just my personal opinion.
I did take one star off because while the ending is very edge of your seat worthy there were some parts of the book that I struggled a bit through. Overall, I enjoyed Petals for Vicious Secrets and I look forward to reading about Lenna and Hope's future endeavors. There are a lot of questions that I still have and absolutely need answers to! Book two is called Petals for Deadly Powers. ๐ฅ
__________________________________________
Preorder now at https://marthamonteval.com
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea