Killing November by Adriana Mather

Title: Killing November

Author: Adriana Mather
Genre: Thriller
Series: Killing November #1
Hardcover, 368 pages
Publication: March 26, 2019 by Knopf BFYR
Source: Personal Library
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It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counselors, spies, and master impersonators. Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim.

Killing November was a pleasant surprise when it popped up on my radar. I had no clue Mather had a new book out. I read Mather’s first book, How to Hang a Witch and enjoyed it immensely. Still keeping within the YA genre, Mather moved away from the paranormal to thriller with a boarding school full of assassins in the making. Our heroine, November ‘Ember’ woke up in a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, only to find herself with a target on her back. Students and faculties alike had a bone to pick with November and she didn’t have the slightest clue as to why. But things took a turn for the worst when students ended up dead and November was the only common denominator between the murders. With the help of her new roommate, Layla and her twin brother, Ash; they set out to find the murderer before they become the next casualty.

The book started out kind of shaky as the author sets up the characters, motive and stage. I was a couple of chapters in and was not a fan of November. Everyone has their quirks and November’s quirk was announcing aloud the etymology of everyone’s name and breaking down word meaning. Don’t get me wrong, I love etymology but when it was every other sentence or paragraph…it got old, real fast. I almost put the book down for that reason alone, but I trudged along because the overall synopsis was intriguing. And I’m glad I stuck it out because it was a pretty good and entertaining read. Luckily with more pressing concerns, like staying alive, November traded etymology for sleuthing about the campus and dodging flying knives. Small mercies. I also liked learning about the different families and her parent’s Romeo and Juliet-like relationship between the Lion faction and Bear faction.

It was refreshing going into Killing November with little knowledge of the story and no expectations for once. While the book didn’t start out strong it certainly ended strong. I enjoyed it more than I thought. And great news, Killing November is the beginning of a new series! I am excited to see where Mather takes the story next beyond the walls of the school. If you’re a fan of mafias, assassins and boarding schools then I highly recommend making Killing November your next read.

The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard

Title: The Beast of Beswick

Author: Amalie Howard
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Everleigh Sisters #1
Mass Market Paperback, 380 pages
Publication: November 26, 2019 by Entangled: Amara
Source: Personal Library
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Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it's hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.

But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.

Beauty and the Beast has been retold and reimagined many times in various types of media but as a fan of the story; I never tire from seeing others’ interpretation or spin. In its latest reincarnation, Howard brings the classic fairytale to historical romance readers with a headstrong heroine looking to protect her younger sister and a scarred war hero duke who feels too broken for love and society. In my pursuit to read more romance and novels outside my go-to genre; Beast of Beswick is my 2nd romance novel of 2020 and it was fabulous…and steamy!

The Regency era has always been a favorite time period of mine, so it isn’t a surprise that I found myself instantly immersed in the setting and the Everleigh sisters’ lives. Our heroine Astrid is incredibly brilliant, independent and beautiful with a heart of gold but due to an unfortunate coming out season at sixteen and a despicable Earl, Astrid’s reputation gets tarnish leaving her unwed and a ‘spinster’ at the young age of twenty-five. But with Astrid’s younger sister Isobel’s season fast approaching and her only living relatives eyeing their inheritance and dowry; Astrid is willing to do anything to keep her Uncle’s clutches off pawning Isobel off to the next rich Earl. Even it means marrying the Beast of Beswick.

If you’re a fan of Beauty and the Beast, then you have a pretty good idea at how the story goes/ends. Thane, our hero is very flawed; emotionally and mentally. Which I find as a good thing. It made him more realistic and relatable and more times than not I found myself feeling sympathetic with him. Although he is scarred on the outside physically, the real scars were within. The only beastly thing about Thane was his incorrigible nature and saying the first thing that came to mind. I loved Astrid and Thane as a couple and enjoyed their ever-entertaining banter. While their relationship began under less than ideal circumstances, I loved seeing their relationship grow from unbridled disdain/curiosity turn to friendship/love.

I adored The Beast of Beswick, it’s exactly everything I was hoping a fairytale retelling romance would be…and so much more. This is the start of the Everleigh Sisters series and I am so stoked for the sequel with of course features Astrid’s younger sister Isobel who is as much as a firecracker as her sister. If you’re looking for a well-written and engaging story with a fairytale twist, I recommend picking-up The Beast of Beswick!




Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Title: Brightly Burning

Author: Alexa Donne
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Series: N/A
Publication: May 1, 2018 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Personal Library
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Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.

But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.

Brightly Burning was another book that has been sitting on my TBR pile for forever. One of my goals this year was to read more from the TBR stash in addition to review books. Brightly Burning piqued my interest with the comparison to being ‘Jane Eyre in Space’. I love all things Austen and was looking forward to this sci-fi spin on Austen’s classic.

I certainly saw the similarities. In Brightly Burning, the creepy manor is now a creepy spaceship and ‘Rochester’ is a nineteen-year-old boy named Hugo, whom is shrouded in mystique and secrets. Our heroine, Stella is young, savvy and very inquisitive…very much like Austen’s Jane. Donne pretty much did a play by play of Austen’s novel but swapped adults for teens and a rural countryside setting for space. I felt like it was a good attempt for a YA Science Fiction novel but everything from the characters, plot to the world-building fell a bit short. In my opinion, I didn’t care much for the characters nor found them likeable. Stella was kind of annoying and Hugo was oddly off-putting…I just can’t exactly put my finger on the why. And the supporting characters were also underdeveloped and unmemorable. The plot as I said was a play by play, so it unfortunately made everything very predictable. I thought the world-building could’ve been better realized but Donne was more focused on the romance aspect of the novel. All the boys were oddly interested in Stella who was pretty much described as a plain Jane. Super cliché, special snowflake syndrome there. Not a fan.

I initially thought the voice activated technology/ A.I. Rory was cool but then I realized, it’s not so sci-fi because it’s something we have right now with Amazon Alexa or Google Home. But I do like that Donne used the depopulation idea which is relevant to what is happening today in the news. I had high hopes for Brightly burning but unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations. If I can sum the novel up in one word, it’d be: underwhelming.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Title: The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Contemporary
Series: The Kiss Quotient #1
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publication: June 5, 2018 by Dreamscape
Source: Personal Library
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Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

I’ve had The Kiss Quotient on my TBR list since it’s made its way around the blogsphere years ago. I’m not a big romance reader but it’s certainly a genre I want to read more of, and I thought there’s no time like the present to start now. Bonus its by a Vietnamese author. Which is cool, of course, but at the end of the day I’m just looking for a good story and good writing. I honestly feel the whole “need” for more diverse writer and representation is getting tiring and old. Can’t we just read a book because it SOUNDS GOOD? People check it off their list to meet a requirement or something. It’s silly. And when it becomes required reading, then you know it anit fun anymore.

The Kiss Quotient was inspired by the author, Hoang’s own journey with autism.  Which from what I know is far and few in the romance/general book category…I was intrigued. Stella, our main heroine is 30-years-old and has never been in a real relationship. But like most things in her life, it can be learned. So, she thinks. Which is where Michael comes in. Michael is a for hire escort, and Stella has hired him to train her to be better at sex and relationship.

I really like Stella and Michael. I thought they were adorable together and loved how they brought out the best in one another (minus the jealousy part lol). I also liked the supporting characters such as Quan and Michael’s big family (5 sisters y'all!), a good support system while shining a light on the importance of family. Hoang must be somewhat of a foodie too because there were no short supply of Vietnamese cuisine popping up left and right. It made me hungry! The writing was superb, which was no surprise and kept me engaged throughout the entire book.

However, the story wasn’t unique as I'd hope. Its been done before in Pretty Woman and The Wedding Date, I definitely kept getting the feeling as though I already read this story. And my only other critique is that the plot, while plausible was not realistic. Michael was overly understanding when it came to Stella, maybe too much since his younger cousin Khai is also autistic but in today’s world, most people would condemn you for being ‘different’. They’re more likely to comment, sneer and judge before lending a sympathetic ear.  Horrible and as harsh as it may sound, it’s true. Kind folks are out there and all but there are unfortunately more unkind than kind.

Overall I enjoyed The Kiss Quotient and am looking forward to reading the companion novels! I should warn you, this book was way steamier than I thought. Not for the faint of hearts!

 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Title: Serpent & Dove

Author: Shelby Mahurin
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Series: Serpent & Dove #1
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publication: September 3, 2019 by HarperAudio
Source: Personal Library
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Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

I’ve been waiting for a good witch/witch hunter story for ages! Serpent and Dove sounded like the perfect remedy. The synopsis had me right off the bat; a witch marrying a witch hunter? Hell yes, sign me up A.S.A.P! The story started off very promising with the hustle and bustle of the city life as readers are introduced to Lou and Reid our main characters. But suddenly the story took a hard left leaving me lost and confused. It wasn’t till the very end that the story started to get better but honestly, it wasn’t enough to redeem itself from the haphazard middle/execution.

I’m going to start off with what I enjoyed. I liked that the story was centered only on the witches and chasseurs (witch hunter). There were no monsters, vampires, or werewolves to crowd the storyline, just two distinct factions. Although the witches were divided into specific covens, depending on their abilities. In Serpent & Dove, we were introduced to the Dame Blanc and Dame Rouge was briefly mentioned (which will be seen in-depth in the sequel). I also liked that there were many laugh-out-moments. Reid’s reactions to Lou’s outgoing, wild nature was priceless.

Unfortunately, the flaws outweighed the good. With so many amazing reviews, I was expecting to be blown away, or at least get buffy vibes. I got neither. The writing, world building and characters all fell short and left me feeling underwhelmed for most of the book. The writing left much to be desired, it didn’t flow nor have that captivating spark seen in most debut novels. I felt the writing needed more time to develop and given more time I’m sure it would’ve been better. The world building was a hot mess, or lack of a world building. While Mahurin never stated the time period, it isn’t too farfetched to assume that the story took place during the 16th century (time of the witch trials) or latest 17th or 18th century which is when the word, chasseurs was coined…or at least around those time frames. The descriptions of the setting also supported this assumption. Then there was the dialogue…things turned messier. Lou and Reid's vernacular kept bouncing back and forth to 16-17th century and present day. I’m pretty sure they didn’t have words like F*ck or B*tch back then. I could be wrong. I don’t have an issue with curse words, it’s all gravy. But my point was it didn’t sound right. Mahurin should have picked and stayed in one lane because the combination of the setting and language timeline/style was ridiculous and took me out of the story on more occasions than I can count. 

And finally, we have the characters. I’m not a fan of Lou or Reid as you can guess by now. Perhaps Mahurin was going for an independent feminist in Lou but Lou wasn’t likeable, period. She’s vulgar in the worst ways, the kind of girls you see drunk and belligerent at the bars. Which many can imagine, low-class (ironic, since she's the coven princess) trashy and annoying. Reid wasn’t any better. He was all about rules, rules and more rules. He had a stick so far up his ass, I was surprised he was able to run at a drop of a hat at the mention of a witch nearby. Reid apparently had no clue Lou was a witch till the very end. ZERO. I find that unbelievable, especially when it was said countless of times that witch magic gave off an unpleasant odor. And Reid and Lou got personal so many times, I lost count. Give me a break, I didn’t buy any of it.

Serpent & Dove fell way below expectations. The cover, while beautiful and eye-catching did not match with what was inside the book. And if you haven’t read this novel yet, avoid it, especially the audiobook. The audiobook had one of the most annoying narrators I’ve ever listened to. With that said, do yourself a favor and skip Serpent & Dove, this isn’t the witch story you’ve been waiting for.

 

 

Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

 

Title: Snowspelled

Author: Stephanie Burgis
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Harwood Spellbook #1
E-book, 168 pages
Publication: September 4, 2017 by Five Fathoms Press
Source: Personal Library
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Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.

Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.

But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.

To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.

A witty and sparkling romantic fantasy novella that opens a brand-new series for adults from the author of Kat, Incorrigible, Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets.

I love books that combine Victorian Regency setting and magic and Snowspelled had it all. It’s hard to find a book that does it well, having only read a handful in my lifetime. Especially in the vein of Austen which Snowspelled succeeded at. Burgis’s world was an imaginative alternate England, Angland, where magicians were men and they catered to all things magic while the women dealt with the politics and governing society. Our heroine, Cassandra Harwood disrupted these traditions when she became the first woman accepted to The Great Library, a university for magicians. But when a spell gone wrong took away her power, Cassandra withdrew into herself.

When the story begins, we see Cassandra months after the magic accident that took away her powers, withdrawn with a 10-foot wall built around her. At the behest of her sister-in-law, Cassandra reluctantly attends a party. Within minutes of arriving to her destination things turn from bad to worse when she disturbs the trolls and enters a bargain with an Elven Lord. The Elven Lord gave Cassandra a week to find the weather wizard that has been wreaking havoc on the land. If Cassandra fails, then she has to become a part of their court and his prisoner.

Snowspelled gave me all Austen feels. Some similarities to Austen I noted were the sexism and gender difficulties woman had to endure during the regency period, the hate/love chemistry between the leads, Cassandra and Wrexham, to the effortless light British humor and smart dialogue-banter. While I’m not a big novella fan, I’m really glad I read Snowspelled. Despite it being so short, Burgis built a unique world with fully fleshed out characters from the main characters to the tertiary characters such as Miss Banks and Miss Fennel. The plot also was well written and executed from beginning to end. Unlike most novellas I read, Snowspelled’s overall story didn’t feel rush; once the mystery was solved, I felt satisfied with the ending and appreciated there being no loose ends. But the ending did leave an opening for more opportunities and I can’t wait to see more of Cassandra, Wrexham and the future lady-magicians. Overall, Snowspelled was a solid and enjoyable beginning to a series.

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

Title: The Library of the Unwritten
Author: A.J. Hackwith
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Hell's Library #1
Trade Paperback, 375 pages
Publication: October 1, 2019 by Ace Books
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
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Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell....and Earth.

Have you ever wondered where unfinished manuscripts and stories dwell? It’s not tucked away as a binary code in the pits of your computer nor stashed in a folder somewhere in your filing cabinet. Stories are shelved away in the Unwritten Wing in Hell, locked down and overseen by a librarian. Because occasionally, a story gets restless and comes alive in search of its creator hoping to have their stories finished and written.

This is where head librarian of hell, Claire, comes in. She’s been the library caretaker for awhile now and haven’t had any issues, she knows every book like the back of her hand. Until one day a book goes unaccounted for, finding its way to earth. With the help of her muse assistant and a young, newbie demon; Claire sets out to retrieve the rouge book. But the situation goes south when her mission entangles with two archangels hunting for the Devil’s Bible. With time of the essence, Claire and her crew of misfits’ races to find the Devil’s Bible before Heaven gets its hand on it. 

I love the idea of unfinished stories having lives of their own. Even more interesting that these stories were being housed in Hell, of all places. Library of the Unwritten was narrated by a handful of characters; the librarian, a young demon, the muse and an angel; alternating from chapter to chapter. While I enjoyed most of the characters, in general I’m not a fan of multiple POVs or the overlapping, duplicate scene from another character’s POV. It was repetitive. And some character’s POV were less interesting than others, which made the story drag in parts.

The world building and magic system were well thought out and developed. Hackwith did an excellent job in incorporating various religious history with her own unique take on life after death. I enjoyed seeing the characters travel through different realms and portals and their modes of transportation, whether it be through candlelight or a raven’s wing. And no surprise that a library’s weapon of choice is those of words or pen and paper. The battle scene in Valhalla was fun.

All in all, Library of the Unwritten was an enjoyable read. It is first in a brand-new series and I can’t wait to see where Hackwith takes these characters/stories.