Archive for October 2023

A Study in Drowning

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FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN AND JUNIPER AND THORN

'A love letter to stories - and to everyone silenced or forgotten in their retelling.' Allison Saft, author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She's had no choice. Since childhood, she's been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She's found solace only in the pages of Angharad - a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn't the only one who's made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin's papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author's legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house's foundation isn't the only thing that can't be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

REVIEW

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid was a very highly anticipated read for me. I’d seen SO much buzz for it on Bookstagram/BookTok that I even rushed out to purchase the special sprayed edge edition. Unfortunately, the book didn't quite live up to my high expectations. 😩

It wasn’t a total flop, however, so let’s start with the bits I did appreciate.

The concept and the setting were both incredibly enticing; kind of gothic, dark academia vibes - perfectly suited for this time of year. 🍂

The author's writing style was beautiful - she loves a good simile.

However, my disappointment stemmed from the characters who felt somewhat two-dimensional. Their actions seemed unrealistic; lots of under-reactions to things and carrying on like something totally weird didn’t just happen. And what tiny smidge of romance there was was also totally underwhelming.

So if not character driven, was it plot driven? No. Not for me, anyway. The plot was essentially: who wrote a book. There was more to it than that obviously but I don’t want to give spoilers and honestly that was 80% of the plot.

In the end, while A Study in Drowning had its merits, it fell way short of being the 5-star, amazing read I’d been led to expect. It's clear that Ava Reid possesses writing talent, but the overall execution left me wanting more depth and unpredictability in the story.

3 stars ★★★

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Hex and the City by Kate Johnson

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Things you should know about Poppy:

1. She’s a witch

2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled

3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery

4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until…

…Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.

When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they’ve caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?

REVIEW

Hex and the City was a delightful blend of paranormal romance, quirky humour, and action-packed adventures. I tore through it in two days and since I've been reading at a sloth's pace of late I was really surprised by that.

The story revolves around Poppy, a young witch with possibly maybe sentient hair. She's a little clutzy and clumsy and may or may not have gotten drunk right before the events of this book and cursed a necklace she planned to give to her ex. A pendant that may or may not have accidentally been sold to a customer at her day job in a magic oddities shop.

The male lead, Axl (Alex), is a stage illusionist who initially comes across as a bit of a plonker, no offence. He's a vainglorious showman who's ridiculously good looking and he knows it. He's also a player who sleeps with all his groupies and fellow performers. In the beginning, this made me worried for this book. He was so unappealing to me that I didn't know how I would get on. But as the story unfolds, we discover the layers of his character and the reasons behind his conceited persona.

The plot was a lot of fun. A madcap romp through London and even through time.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, funny, sexy and just all-around fun. Very different than anything else I’ve read recently and the fact it was set in London and the writing and dialogue was very British was just an extra treat.

I gave Hex and the City a solid 4 stars. It's a perfect addition to your Autumn TBR when you're in the mood for something a little bit zany yet still substantial. Highly recommended for those seeking a humourous and entertaining read.

4 stars ★★★★

ARC received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

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When a woman who'd rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha's Vineyard at her family's tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she's tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there's no place Sam, who's dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library's interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he's never known. He's taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can't stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she's always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

REVIEW

Summer Reading was a cute, light-hearted summer romance novel that I admittedly left a little late in the year to read (October 🤭). But honestly, aside from one scene at a beach, this book doesn't especially give off summer vibes so I'd say you could happily read it whenever you please.

The story follows main character Samantha who struggles through life with dyslexia. This was a very unique and thought-provoking aspect of the book. I'd honestly never given much thought to what that must be like but the author did a really superb job of showing just what a daily struggle that would be. Not being able to read a menu, instructions, the back of a food packet... When people ask Sam about reading, particularly novels, her coping mechanism is usually to just pretend to dislike reading and that she would rather watch the movie.

Sam was a pretty cool character and aside from the romance I really enjoyed her personal story with her family, her half-brother, her career worries, etc, and I just generally enjoyed her as a character. She was funny and her banter was on point.

For our male love interest, we have librarian Ben who's pretty instantly taken with Sam. During their meet-cute, she accidentally destroyed the book he was reading which led to a conversation about reading. Initially, she went with her usual white lies about movies being better but as their relationship develops, Ben learns the real reason behind her aversion to reading and I'm soooo glad this aspect wasn't dragged out too long.

In conclusion, Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay is a sweet and heartwarming "summer" romance with a unique focus on dyslexia. It's a pleasant way to pass the time for any romance lover.

3 stars ★★★

ARC received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

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