The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

BLURB

The Night Empire will rule all. Nothing can stand in the way of its might and power. Little by little, year by year, the Hurricane Wars take more and more from those who resists the empire’s supremacy. And yet, there is hope in the darkness. One lone light stands against the empire.

Talasyn was left on the steps of a Sardovian orphanage as a baby. All she has ever known are the Hurricane Wars, as her people fight for freedom from the tyranny of the Night Emperor Gaheris. But are they her people? Talasyn dreams of one day finding where she comes from – her true place, family, and the source of the Lightweave magic that flows through her veins like sunlight.

Alaric of House Ossinast, Master of the Shadowforged Legion and Gaheris’s only son and heir has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating the Sardovian Allford alliance with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, all Alaric can see is their extinguish all threats to the empire. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. He tries and fails to kill her, his now greatest enemy slipping through his fingers. But a greater threat is coming. One that will overshadow the Hurricane Wars. Will these mortal enemies be able to come together to confront it or is everything that has been fought over for so long about to be destroyed?

REVIEW

I've found a new obsession ladies and gentlemen. This was right up my street! Such a wonderful collection of all my favourite tropes in one book!

As you might have seen, this book had its beginnings in Reylo fanfiction which is just...say no more! Sign me up!

And please don't let the word fanfiction worry you about the writing quality because it was absolutely excellent.

In case you're currently scrolling Goodreads because you're struggling in the first quarter with the worldbuilding and specifically the names of places and characters, you're not alone! It almost requires a notebook by your side as you read. But honestly, if we can all figure out the names of the dragons in that other book that shall not be named, we can figure this out too. And the payoff is 10000000% WORTH IT!!

Okay, so what can you expect from this book? An amazing slow-burn romance brimming with genuine conflict set in a fantastically original world full of magic, dragons, airships and political intrigue.

And tension. By crikey the tension!

What I loved:

Both the FMC, Talasyn, and the MMC Alaric, were real and fully fleshed-out characters. They just unfortunately are on completely opposite sides of a decade-long war. It was fascinating to watch the slow build of their relationship, complete with emerging feelings that cause guilt and confusion. It was very much one step forward, two steps back which I thought was very realistic. A lot of the time with the enemies-to-lovers trope as soon as they start to fancy each other all previous animosity is forgotten. That's not the case here. There's too much to forgive and they both think their side was the "right" side. I can't wait to read more in this series (a trilogy, if I'm not mistaken) because I do believe one side in particular has been lied to about the justifications for the war and if I'm right that realisation will be...bad.

I also really enjoyed exploring themes of family and wanting to belong. Both the MMC and FMC have childhoods where they've felt alone and unloved. It might have been under different circumstances but the mirroring of their pain was undeniable and it was great to watch them realise the similarities.

As I mentioned up top, the writing in this was fantastic but unlike other books I've read recently (like A Study in Drowning zzz) it wasn't pretty writing at the expense of a good plot and characterisation. I especially enjoyed the flow from one POV to another. It was so seamless rather than a more choppy chapter-by-chapter format and I thought it was great.

Honestly, this had it all. As you can see from my rating I have no real complaints except how hard the names were to remember. I guess I'll just have to read it a few more times until they sink in. 🤪

The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but it did leave me wishing I had the next book because I just wasn't ready to leave yet. I can't wait for more to come from this series. Literally SO excited.

Advanced Reader Copy provided in exchange for my honest review.
5 stars ★★★★★

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

View this book on Goodreads
Buy The Hurricane Wars on Amazon

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch

View this book on Goodreads

Buy Night of the Witch on Amazon

BLURB

A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

REVIEW

I've read a couple of witchy books this spooky season. Some were good, and some were not so good. This is one of the good ones. Maybe the best one.

(The other contender for the top spot would be Hex and the City by Kate Johnson. But that was a mad-cap rom-com with the craziest plot and characters so honestly couldn't be more different in vibes to this one which is why you can't really compare them. I loved both but for very different reasons.)

This one is a blend of history and fantasy, set in Germany in the late 1500s. The witch hunters are called hexenjägers as you might have noticed from the blurb and it's a take on the Trier Witch Trials which, unfortunately, were all too real.

I had an absolute blast with this one. It's fast-paced and action-packed which I love. It had great, realistic and sympathetic characters, amazing world-building, a fantastic villain and really high stakes (this may or may not be a pun).

If your main enjoyment in books is the romance part - it has that too! Enemies to lovers would be the trope although it's not long until our pairing realises they might not exactly be on opposite sides as they initially assumed because Otto is a man with a plan, working undercover within the hunters to avenge his mother.

I really enjoyed the romance aspect and it really helped drive the plot, although as I've already mentioned, the plot is very action-packed and page-tuner-y anyway! I would only say the switch from enemies to lovers was a little too sudden for me personally. One minute she's fighting like a hellcat next minute she's winking at him. It seemed a little abrupt for this slow-burn fanatic but in the end, I loved the romance that blossomed so it's all good.

Sidenote: I don't know what it is with publishers consistently listing books that read as Adult as YA...but this is another example of that. It has on-page sex and violence and it's a book for adult readers.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars ★★★★

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch

View this book on Goodreads

Buy Night of the Witch on Amazon

A Study in Drowning

View this book on Goodreads

Buy A Study in Drowning on Amazon

BLURB

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 ★★★

View this book on Goodreads

Buy A Study in Drowning on Amazon

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson

View this book on Goodreads

Buy Hex and the City on Amazon

BLURB

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

View this book on Goodreads

Buy Hex and the City on Amazon

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

See this book on...

Goodreads

Amazon

Gripping and action-packed, Crowns is perfect for fans of thick plots with aching romance. This is a compelling first volume to a deliciously twisting trilogy that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Return of a Lost Heir…
The kingdom of Mercia has been at war with the Shadow King and his dark army for ten years. To escape the seer’s vision of her capture, Mercia’s heir to the throne, Princess Norah Andell, is secreted away by her father to keep her safe. But when he dies in battle, so too dies the knowledge of where she’s hidden. She’s lost to the world—until three years later, when she’s found with no memory of who she is or the kingdom that now rests on her shoulders.

A Conflicted Duty…
Loyal and fearless commander of the Mercian army, Alexander Rhemus, has protected the realm against the threat of the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Not only does she hold the fate of the kingdom, but also his heart. However, when she’s found, he discovers she has no memory of him, or what was once between them. With war still looming, Norah is expected to wed and secure an alliance—one Mercia desperately needs to stand against the Shadow King. Now, with Mercia’s future at stake, Alexander finds himself torn between his duty and his heart.

A Twisted Fate…
Norah is thrust into a world she doesn’t know, in a role she’s unprepared for, to save a kingdom she doesn’t remember. Under the hardship of winter and a dark enemy against them, Mercia is on the verge of breaking. As things start to unravel, the Shadow King draws Norah down a path of twisted fate—and it could cost her everything.

Praise for North Queen:

"The political intrigue of Outlander or Game of Thrones with the magic and thrills of A Court of Thorns and Roses."
- US REVIEW

REVIEW

Queen o' the Norrrrth.

This was buckets of fun. Incidentally, I read it right after finishing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros which is currently popping off absolutely everywhere on Booktok and Booktube, but I personally had a much better time with THIS book.

In "North Queen," Nicola Tyche takes readers on a pretty wild ride. I thought I knew where this book was going in the first quarter and was happily on board with the general set-up, then whoopsie! Not so fast!

To give you a spoiler-free flavour of what it's about, or at least how it starts... Our protagonist, Nora, wakes in the Wild woods with no memory of how she got there or who she is. Also, there's a fox looking at her weirdly. Very shortly after, she's discovered by someone who seems to know her as Nora, the lost princess of Mercia, who's been missing for 3 years after being secreted away by her father the King. She's brought back to the castle and thrust immediately into a world of expectations, pressures, and prophecies - of which she is a central figure.

I really liked Nora as the main character. She is 25. She's spirited, strong and determined. She's not bad with a blade but still maintains the qualities you'd expect of someone raised as a princess.

I loved the plot too, though it's quite an angsty read that occasionally hurt my feelings. I'm not complaining, though. A nice gut punch in the feels never hurt anyone! Or rather, it did, but they probably liked it. 😈

For some reason, I'm also a sucker for a memory-loss plotline. You just never know who to trust or who knows more than they're saying. I mean, where the heck has she been? Three years is a long time!

I won't say much more about the plot because going in blind means you'll know exactly as much as Nora - nothing.

To sum up here: If you like a medieval-style fantasy setting, a strong heroine, romantic tension, plot twists, warring kingdoms and prophecies, then definitely check this one out. It's on Kindle Unlimited and book two comes out next week! What have you got to lose?

4 stars ★★★★

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

See this book on...

Goodreads

Amazon

French Holiday by Sarah Ready

One (crumbling) French castle. Two enemies-at-first-sight. The holiday of a lifetime.

Merry DeLuca has a problem—a big problem. Her sister just married her best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. Her life is rapidly spiraling down the drain and she doesn’t have an escape plan.

So when Merry is offered a three-month holiday living in a romantic castle in the French countryside she leaps at the chance. Merry knows her French holiday will fix everything—there will be mouthwatering pastries, delicious (meaningless) flirtations, and languid strolls through vineyards at sunset. Her holiday will be perfect.

At least, Merry believes that until she arrives and finds Noah Wright—the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man she’s ever known—staying in her castle.

Famous travel documentarian by day and arrogant devil by night, Noah refuses to leave the castle. Which means that Merry and Noah are stuck together in France, in a crumbling castle, in a holiday where nothing goes right. Not for Merry and not for Noah.

So they strike a truce—they’ll live as cohabitating friends for three-months, and then they’ll amicably part ways, never to see each other again.

But the thing about friendship? Sometimes secrets are uncovered. Mysteries revealed. Hearts laid bare. And friendship can start to feel a lot like caring. A lot like love. It can even make you wish that the holiday never has to end.

********

Review:

Exactly what a romantic comedy should be, French Holiday by Sarah Ready was a true delight.

Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, one bed trope, gumpy/sunshine...am I talking your language yet?

Well, "enemies" might be a touch too strong of a descriptor for the simmering animosity between our two main characters, Merry and Noah, but friends they are not.

As per the blurb, the story begins with Merry's younger sister walking down the aisle with Leo, the man Merry has been secretly in love with for the last 4 years.

Not. Good.

And it doesn't help that his surly best friend, Noah, has noticed her pining and longing looks and has told her she needs to "get over it".

Freaking. Rude.

Well, she's going to get over it because she's moving to France! So there! Well, for the summer, at least. After all, she can't be expected to stick around and watch the man she loves in the honeymoon phase with her own sister. But luckily, her godmother offers her the chance to get away. She's bought a chateau in France that needs checking up on and so it would kill two birds with one stone to have Merry go there for a few months.

Couple of problems though.

1. The chateau is in crumbling disarray, basically inhabitable.

2. Noah has been told he can stay there too! (He's a somewhat famous travel documentarian).

From here, what follows was an absolutely delightful rom-com with a lot of charm, romance and French flair. We have a few slightly over-the-top comedy moments with a lively lobster, but this book also had quite a lot of depth, introspection and character growth as well.

It even kinda sorta had a bit of a mystery to it, too!

And I guess if we're being really technical about the tropes, this is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, which is quite the journey to go through with our two main characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I found it to have the perfect balance of heart and heat and I really enjoyed the French setting.

I listened to the audiobook which had fabulous narration by Kelly Navarro.

Thank you to Netgalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing for providing the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've also posted a quick Booktok review (link below).

https://www.tiktok.com/@lynseyisreading/video/7226448542880075035

Check this book out on Goodreads

Synopsis:

Goodreads Choice Award

Nominee for Best Fantasy (2022)

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for...

Review:

This was a very cosy and quaint witchy tale featuring a grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn romance.

Our main character is called Mika Moon who I'm totally casting as Simone Ashley for the great movie in my mind.

And then the love interest was grumpy librarian, Jamie, who has a Northern Irish accent so if you can read this without picturing Jamie Dornan… then you're a better woman than I. 😜

Now in this world that the author has created, witches are advised not to congregate together because their magic will “build up” and that could draw attention of the unsuspecting population of non-witchy folk.

Naturally, then, Mika is really surprised to find out that there are three young witches living together in the same house who are not only unknown to her coven’s leader, but who also have had precisely no training whatsoever. A very dangerous combination.

And this is, of course, where Mika comes in.

Now, I did really enjoy the characters in this book. It was quite an eclectic bunch and they were all really quite charming. The storyline, however, was a little bit too tame for my personal taste. It was more of a cosy fantasy vibe whereas I tend to prefer action, explosions, chases etc., and if there's going to be magic there should be MAGIC, you know? This was more like… let’s make a magical potion or a cup of magical tea, that kind of magic.

For the romance element, the slow burn was good but its culmination didn't burn very brightly if you know what I mean.

This book did manage to make me cry at one point, however, so it's not like the storyline didn't affect me at all. it’s simply that, overall, this was just a little bit too cosy and quaint for my particular tastes.

I settled on three stars but I still do really recommend this book because it was very sweet and might be just the sort of feel-good cosy fantasy vibes with a dash of romance that someone is looking for.

3 stars ★★★

Find on Goodreads