TL;DR: My first five star of 2026 and one of the saddest books I’ve read in a long time. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Wei Yin is caught up in the machinations of court and ends up becoming at first a joke, then a force. Beautiful. Characters: Nuanced and flawed... Continue Reading →
Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan
TL;DR: Overall a really good romance, but two personal gripes kept it from being a five star. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Eve runs to Gatlinburg to escape her troubles and meets a lovely man. Characters: They had some very interesting depth and story to the. I really enjoyed the... Continue Reading →
Oxford Blood by Rachel Davis-Featherstone
TL;DR: A fast paced and incredibly tense YA thriller - perfect for fans of the genre. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: Eva is going to Oxford to interview for a position in the college when murders happen and things get tense, and fast.Characters: The characters were a good mix of relatable... Continue Reading →
Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha Ackmann
TL;DR: A fantastic biography of the one and only Dolly Parton. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Setting: By and far I appreciated the care the author took with East TN in this and how it shaped Dolly and why she lives and loves this area. Readability: This is written for anyone,... Continue Reading →
The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas
TL;DR: A book in halves for me. Half I loved, half I didn’t. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Alba tricks her way into an engagement and then finds herself possessed at a mine. Characters: I really enjoyed everyone here. Setting: A lovely setting but I kind of wish we had... Continue Reading →
The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
TL;DR: Absolutely loved the idea but this needed so much more meat on it's bones. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Take a twisted magical school and put a bunch of very unhinged characters inside. Fun times follow. Characters: They had a lot of potential for me! But ultimately we didn’t... Continue Reading →
Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn
TL;DR: This felt very much like every Romantasy out these days. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: He needs her, he loves her and she’s not like the other girls. Characters: A bit flat for me guys. They read like every other Romantasy couple I’ve seen. Setting: Some effort was made to... Continue Reading →
You Weren’t Meant To Be Human by Andrew Joseph White
TL;DR: Really… what and wow? Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: A transman finds himself pregnant and at the mercy of a worm cult… it was intense. Characters: A mess. All of them.Setting: Dark and atmospheric, it felt somewhat true to the location though I wish we had more. Horror: This checks... Continue Reading →
Lucky Seed by Justinian Huang
TL;DR: A twisted family with tons of fun plots and surprises. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: This one was a knot that I could not solve, but I enjoyed the journey so much I didn’t mind. Characters: A big cast, all of these folks were different and unique. Setting: By far... Continue Reading →
The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez
TL;DR: Not a big hit for me, but it could work for others. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: A girl wakes up knowing her name but being told she’s someone else and has to find her history. Characters: One of my big complaints is that this is a woman vs woman... Continue Reading →