summerpy's reviews
49 reviews

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

Summary: Earl Crush follows Lydia Hope-Wallace, wealthy spinster and political writer, as she travels to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience to an earl that she’s corresponded with for years via letters. However the earl has no idea who she is. They find out that she had been writing to his brother the whole time under the earl’s name. His brother is up to no good and had stolen something from his estate. Together Lydia and Arthur have to track him down and retrieve the item.

I love Lydia and Arthur as the main characters. Lydia is intelligent and loyal and Arthur is a sweet caring marshmallow. Some of the events seem over the top but it’s managed well with dry witty humor. I would highly recommend for readers looking for a delightful romance romp with fun hijinks and some mystery.

The Crack at the Heart of Everything by Fiona Fenn

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

So this is a debut novel?? I ate this book up in less than a day, no sleep or breaks required. The witty dialogue and snarky characters are perfection. It really reminded me of a rpg quest game type of narrative - gradual development, love able specialized crew. And some awesome character building moments.

We have our main character Orpheus, a grumpy, angsty, dungeon lurking mage oops dark wizard. He is banished from the castle he helped secure and sent out into a wasted world that he had helped destroy. On his journey, Orpheus learns that the friend he helped set up as ruler is not who she seems, his rival/enemy/pain in the ass soldier Fenrir is not who he seems, and the society outside of the castle is not what he believed it to be.

There is a great cast of secondary characters that I really got to care about. And some really cool monsters and beasts.

I also really enjoyed the world building. It seems to be set up in a futuristic steam punk type post apocalyptic world. But there are references to Earth cities and to some King Arthur lore. So fascinating. Fantasy elements: A+, no complaints, nailed it

Some tropes:

redemption arc done well
Grumpy/sunshine
Rivals to lovers
Lovable angsty main characters

Thank you Netgalley and Tiny Fox Press for the e arc. I absolutely enjoyed it. Pub date: 11/12/2024

The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst

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emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Elisa is a girl who can’t stay anywhere for longer than 10 months. The women in her family are cursed - they stay longer than 10 months and their skin turns into bark. They turn into trees. Elisa has just lost her mother Lori to the curse. She is alone traveling from place to place and then one day, she stumbles into a town that is also cursed. No one there can leave. But that’s not it. The townspeople are charming but maybe a little off? And maybe Elisa’s curse is also not what she thinks it is.

A few pages in and I saw a line - “I planned to visit the coffee shop first, but the bookstore has a cat.” And that’s when I knew Elisa was my girl and I would root for her forever. Books, cat, and coffee. Yup, you got me.

This book deals with some great themes: the need for inclusion, generational trauma, fear of letting go, miscommunication. I could feel Elisa’s yearning for connection. There is a moment about a green crayon that was short but so sad. I also felt terrible for Lori, Elisa’s mom.

There is a delightful cast of secondary characters and some Broadway/literary references that my nerd heart appreciated.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc. This is a wonderful read. Absolutely recommended.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

This fae romantasy story follows Bristol Keats, a small-town girl who lives with and takes care of her sisters after the death of their parents. They’re struggling, barely getting by. Meanwhile they keep getting mysterious letters from someone claiming to be their long lost aunt. Needing money, Bristol reluctantly agrees to meet. Her world is turned upside when she discovers the world of fae and monsters and the mysteries of her own family and parent’s connections to this other world.

Loves: The narrator captures the banter between Bristol and Tyghan (grumpy fae lord) really well. Loved the different tones and personalities for different characters. Done REALLY well and engaging. I also enjoyed the fun cast of likable secondary characters. We gotta love a grumpy fae boss. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with fae in my tbr but actually loved the fae in this book!

Dislikes: Bristol was a little frustrating and her dialogue got repetitive at times. I really wanted to shake her occasionally. The romance between her and Tyghan happened really fast. Hoping book 2 will focus on them a bit more. I do think the story could have easily been a hour shorter.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook. I really enjoyed it overall. This has the feel of a book one type of book. There’s still so many questions. And the ending was crazy.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

4.75

The Sirens opens with journalism student Lucy coming out of a violent dream to find that she has sleepwalked over to her ex lover’s dorm room and was choking him to death. She stops herself and flees to coastal town Comber Bay to her sister Jess’ apartment. Jess is missing however and Lucy has to piece together several mysteries. She uncovers the town’s dark history while dealing with her own water allergy and still having dreams of two girls, Mary and Eliza, in the 1800s. The story oscillates between the two time periods.

Emilia Hart interweaves the two storylines together beautifully. I felt so much for these women who are so resilient, but personally and especially felt for Lucy who is so isolated physically/mentally and struggling to find real connection. Five stars from me for the journey. Don’t skip the beginning historical note - it provides some valuable context on what happened in the 1800s. Thank you Emilia Hart for this amazing story and Netgalley for providing the e-arc.

Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

I was so happy to receive this ebook after finishing Thieves’ Gambit last year which I loved. This new book takes place 6 months after and Ross and company are back! There is some alliance shifting, some trust issues going on. There are more heists and spy games and it’s just as fun as the first book. Overall I really enjoyed it! A fun, fast paced follow up that’s hard to put down.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

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emotional funny medium-paced