Dogs and Punching Bags by Kaori Ozaki

TL;DR: An engaging story about finding your place and community, even in the darkest parts of your life. Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher! Plot: Nichiko returns to her home island, a tiny place, to find herself. There she meets Chimaki and their stories blends. Characters: I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nichiko.... Continue Reading →

Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki

TL;DR: Oh my god, this scared the pants off of me. Genuinely, I was vibrating I was so unsettled. Source: Netgalley - Thank you so much to Kodansha! Plot: Hiroshi Mori helps a woman out, against his better judgement, and things go very badly. Characters: No one here is particularly lovable but you still REALLY... Continue Reading →

Barbarian’s Heart by Ruby Dixon

TL;DR: Another installment in the ICP series - this is the one that’ll probably make you cry. Source: NetGalley and I have pre-ordered my own copy! Plot: This takes place almost immediately after the end of the last book follow Stacy and her mate who has amnesia. It’s very melancholy for a good portion of... Continue Reading →

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

TL;DR: A completely unpredictable fantasy with a complex and lovely world. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: This one, like the setting, went all over the place. We started out with one task and ended up with another and it was a ride. Characters: At times infuriating, and other times fantastic. The... Continue Reading →

The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee

TL;DR: Very cute, and an improvement on the first book for sure! Source: Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Jessica breaks down outside Peach Blossom and ends up at Vini’s shop. She’s visiting friends in town and the two strike up a relationship. Characters: My biggest gripe with this is with the characters Setting:... Continue Reading →

The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard

TL;DR: Quite a disappointment. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Randomly chosen women are made to compete for a prince’s hand in marriage, and it gets spicy. Characters: Honestly, no thank you. I didn’t enjoy them at all. Setting: We got the flavor of our inspiration here, but it was lost entirely... Continue Reading →

Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada

TL;DR: What a fantastic single volume romance - I loved this. Source: Netgalley - Thanks so much to the publisher! Plot: Two neighbors meet during the covid lockdowns and slowly fall in love. Characters: The characters felt very grounded, and considering the length I knew and cared about them a lot. Setting: Most of the... Continue Reading →

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