book reviewer | Ad Librum Aeternam

Tag Archives: book reviewer

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Time Travel, Romance
Number of pages: 416
ISBN: 9780063024748

ASIN: 0063024748

Format: Hardcover, eBook (Kindle, Kobo, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N)
Publication date: August 19, 2025
Publisher: HarperTeen
Type: Novel, Series

Series: Trilogy

Previous books: Once a Villain (#1), Never a Hero (#2)

Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for giving me an e-ARC of Once a Villain by Vanessa Len. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

This adventure all started when I read the first book of the Monsters trilogy: Only a Monster. I must say, it had the best world-building and time travel and angst I had seen in a long while. I became hooked. So much so I’d pre-ordered the second one, Never a Hero, with ALL the goodies (this included a gorgeous bookmark and a few postcards of a few scenes in the book), which I still cherish. Of course, I HAD to pre-order the last one, Once a Villain. But, little did I know that my enthusiastic request for an ARC on Edelweiss+ would be kindly granted by HarperCollins.

Here I am, reviewing the last volume of a trilogy that means so much to me, thanks to HarperCollins giving me the e-ARC of Once a Villain. I can’t thank them enough!

Once a Villain was the book I was most anticipating this whole year!!

Spoiler? It did NOT disappoint. At all. It succeeded my expectations (and trust me, they were high due to my love for this series expertly crafted by Vanessa Len).

How about jumping through book traveling with me to learn about all the ways this book (and trilogy) is really worth your time?

Here we go!

(I swear, you’ll wonder how you didn’t pick it up sooner!)

Blurb

The finale in the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster trilogy from Vanessa Len—which New York Times bestselling authors Holly Black, Chloe Gong, and Stephanie Garber called “delightful," "captivating,” and “unputdownable”—will take Joan into the darkest timeline in the monster world, as she fights to restore the world she remembers.

Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now, Eleanor rules ruthlessly over a new London in which monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Only Joan, Aaron and Nick remember that there was once a better timeline. And now, wrenched between love and rivalry, they must negotiate their fractured pasts as they fight to survive the new world and fix the broken timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with power over time itself?

The sweeping love and high stakes of Divine Rivals meets the intricate worldbuilding and propulsive thrills of This Savage Song in this high-octane, cross-genre finale to the Only a Monster trilogy—where a breathless race against time is the only chance for Joan, Aaron, and Nick to restore the world they love.

The Positive Points

For starters, I really love that all this series is about a mismatched team pulled together due to circumstances. Plus, they all become friends, some warier than others, but the banter is fun and their friendship shows despite their intentions. They clearly care about one another and their team’s survival, although a few of them won’t admit this. It’s cute and much like a found family. It pleases me greatly and reminds me of the lovely Six of Crows gang by Leigh Bardugo (a high compliment on my part). Also, it’s worth noting how each character brings their own skills and thoughts, ideas, and opinions to the gang. Like, they’re ALL useful and interesting in so many different ways. They’re not just… filling up the space, which is usually the case in most stories.

Plus, Tom and Jamie?! DAWWWWW, they’re so freakin’ cute, I love and ship them so much. They remind me of Malec in Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare, and there’s no gay couple I love more than Malec, so it’s a compliment right here. But wow, the heartache poor Jamie goes through (I love this character so much, he’s sweet, intelligent, caring, and poised)… and what about their marriage?! Ugh, anyways, I loved going on a roller-coaster ride with Tom and Jamie, they’re so sweet and loving.

On a another romantic note, the intensity of Nick and Joan’s love is something I love and crave, while the softness, kindness and loyalty of Aaron’s love is so beautiful I could cry.

I have to agree with Joan on a point: Nick is an excellent hero. (But so is Aaron; I always believed he was and could.) I hurt when something happened to Nick… because I might side with Aaron on their love triangle, I still really love Nick’s character. And Nick’s love, devotion, passion and intensity for Joan is unmistakable.

The fact the new horrible timeline and all the other timelines function as characters and worlds of their own. It’s amazing, impressive, and so immersive. It makes me giddy.

Also, this story took a dark turn and kept turning. It’s very good though, but yewwwww, it was nauseating at some point, yep, poor them.

Ah why not kill me again?! THAT’s when Aaron gets his chance?! Aaron is so achingly good and pained and sensible in this desperate situation. Why now, why why why?! Aaron deserves better. But now Aaron’s pain hurts me, so just kill me again yeah?! And wow, finally, for fuck’s sake she admits she’s got feelings for him. I’ve been waiting for three books. She’s not quick on that when it’s not Nick, is she? I know she tried to never think about difficult feelings, pushing it all down, but wow… Aaron really does get the shit end of her thoughts and feelings, right? Also, is she a player?! Because minutes ago she swore her life to Nick and kissed him, and then something really bad happens and she seeks solace with Aaron. And then, ONLY then, does she realize she loves him too and wants him right after that?! She sounds like a cheat to me or just a fucking player. I hated her for most of the book because of this. She does seem to play with Aaron… and I hate it. Gurl, give him to me! I’ll treat him well, like he deserves.

However, Aaron is the first to get a go at something important for her? Sounds about right. That’s redeemable for her. And iiiiiih, I bit my nail and squealed. Yes! Maybe my ship will sail! I spent most of the book being angry at Joan though, while hoping she wouldn’t just go back to Nick like “yeah, it was nice Aaron, but Nick’s back now, so ok bye?” It would have broken Aaron. And NO ONE hurts my baby!

I could ship Nick and Aaron in this new dark timeline, and I kept thinking that (and developing fanfic ideas of them together) while reading a specific chapter. I mean, they were close somehow, and Joan died as an infant there. And also the first word of the cipher is one of their names? Please, babe, we all know you’re in love. And OMG, my SURPRISE. I almost cried with tears of joy and iiiiiih cute feels. It’s beautiful and heart-wrenching. Heeeeeeeeeeeelp! This is glorious! My feels. I ship it. I can smell the fanfics!!! I already have two ideas for fanfics with that Nick and that Aaron, so, yep, I’m ready! All of this is pure gold, thank you very much, Miss Len!

A fun thing is I love that somehow, the dead Nick and Aaron in this dark timeline will help save our beloved gang via what’s left of them. Their messages, plan, etc. It’s awesome, like two timelines helping each other out. It’s brilliant. Plus, I love how neatly the author ties the first volume and timeline to this dark one in ways we hadn’t thought of and which seem so subtle or useless until they matter a lot. Like a certain accessory… What is fun about this series is that the information from the other books is well interwoven into the story. It’s not overwhelming, nor delivered through info dumps. And it’s so lovely to see how actions or details from past events and characters really come through and back in ingenious ways and uses in each sequel, and mostly the last one. There’s an impressive progression for the characters (all of them) as well as the events and possibilities.

Honestly, it’s really fun and satisfying to see Joan get more and more comfortable and at ease with her Grave power. A lovely arc progression. The need to feel the emotions to better control one’s power reminds me so much of a writer who needs to feel in order to write. It’s a crucial part. Power in the monster world and art are so similar. And feeling one’s emotions is at their center.

I love that there was some kind of arc with the Curia Monstrorum (the Monster Court) where we learned of them in the first book, got a glimpse of them. Then, the second volume was more involved with them, but still we couldn’t really see them. And in Once a Villain, THEN we see them. It felt satisfying, like a natural progression and curiosity of “when will we really get to see them and all their powers?” The title, Once a villain, is very fitting to a certain someone. Poor her, though. I understand her suffering and her deep love for her family and how she wanted to bring them back and protect them at all costs. I believe she is the child from the myths of the end of all times who tears into the void looking for their parents, dooming all of the timelines and people… She worked so hard to save her family that she is destroying the timeline, everything.

As for the villain herself, Eleanor is so powerful and so brilliant. She’s a genius strategist; a scary and intimidating villain. One who makes you believe Joan’s gang won’t win against her… It’s perfect. She’s an excellent villain. One of the best I’ve seen. Motivated by love, family, and ego, yet exceedingly cruel and ruthless and brilliant. Plus, I love Eleanor’s plan with Nick’s unpredictability. It adds even more substance to the timelines, and an element of surprise, like and that anything can happen at any moment with and around him.

It’s great that we get to see the Graves’ house. When we first saw it in this new, dark timeline, I hoooooped we’d get to go inside, or at least meet other Graves. Plus, I’m so glad Gran was in this volume too. She’s always been so awesome and kickass. I love her so much. I feared we wouldn’t see her again, but oh yes, we do, thank you! Annnnnd there’s a sweet Grave surprise, which is quite touching. Speaking of which, the “windows” part (you’ll see) just got me going awwwwwww so many times, my mom looked up at me quizzically from her phone. This scene is so touching and sweet. And omg, we do learn why Joan has always had the worst fadeouts ever out of the whole gang. So many explanations now, it feels rewarding as a reader. There are so many surprises, I love it!

A detail I’m so happy about is that this series has parents and grandparents and cousins… Like they matter, like they’re active parts of the story. So beautiful and so rare. Somehow, it’s always teenagers and, at rare moments or in rare series like Shadowhunters, it’s the parents too. But grandparents and other relatives? Fucking rare and I love to see it here. It’s utterly lacking in YA. Just like in movies and TV shows…

And awwwww yes, Aaron is me and I am Aaron. We’re always everyone’s second choice; I’ve been proved it, too. So, I feel him, deeply. His doubts, his jealousy, his low self-esteem of how much he matters to Joan… It’s so sad, yet relatable. And yet again Aaron is me and I am Aaron. I, too, believe I am a piece of shit. Sad truth. I felt for him so much throughout the whole series, but this book almost killed me with feels and emotions for him. I almost couldn’t stand it.

Honestly, the romantic development of this trio is really interesting. I won’t spoil it for you because it’s so worth it, and it satisfies me. It’s unusual, but great to see. And there’s no tearing apart between the two of them… I sided with my favorite (Aaron) all along, but you know what? I’m glad of this ending, of this resolution of their love triangle. I was ready to be mad, hurt, or whatever… (I honestly didn’t believe she would choose Aaron, because he DOES seem like a second choice to her, always beneath Nick…, but in a way, a big one, I was pleasantly surprised!) In the previous books, I had wondered sometimes whether this could happen, and I am so glad the author took that road for her main trio. I support! This endgame is the best Miss Len could ever have written for these beloved characters.

The paaaaaaain near the end, though. I screamed in silence with a hand over my mouth and tears in my eyes (I read the ending in bed at night). I knew he could save the whole world, but no please, no, not him! Not there in the void. No no no, there won’t be another version of him ever. Awwwwwwww, it’s making me nauseous, my feelings. No, why my favorite? Why why why? + Honestly, the emotional pain of what happens to my favorite is so paaaaainful, it’s similar to what I feel in real life when this happens to people I love. This fucking hurts. On a later side note (let’s call it this), the fucking RELIEF I felt. My heart just swelled and I squeezed my eyes shut, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I grimaced a smile. Thank you! The timeline reacted exactly as I thought it would, which is super duper appreciated on my part. And it was rather cute.

Speaking of the timeline itself, Joan did the right thing at the end with it. I hoped she would do exactly that. The good heart of my baby Joan didn’t fail—it never does, and I love her for it. 🙂

Also, the fact that Joan’s power awakened in its worst and most powerful iteration when a specific tragedy happened towards the end makes me really happy. She reacted most violently and heartbreakingly with him than in all the previous times where she used her powers involuntarily whenever she lost someone dear to her. Yes, I took a side, and that makes me pretty happy to see her react this way for him.

Look, this was the culmination of a FANTASTIC story. I devoured all of it. I had so many emotions and feelings (I still do, and always will). I loved the Monsters series SO MUCH so that it now stands beside my favorite series, which is Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare (all of them). I mean it in a metaphorical way—no series could ever surpass Shadowhunters to me, I never even thought one would sit beside it in my heart, but here we are with the Monsters series by Vanessa Len. I talked to my people SO MUCH about it, and cared and loved and hoped and… felt deeply personal with these characters. I love that world. I love them. So, yeah, that’s how much that trilogy is amazing. Now, I’ve got two series I adore and which mean so much to me: Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare and Monsters by Vanessa Len. This is NOT an easy feat. I’m very, veeeeeery picky with favorites. But Monsters just blew my mind, awed me, grabbed my heart, wrenched it, put it back, made it melt, and more. So, it’s won its spot fairly.

On top of that, this Monsters series is SO thrilling and emotionally loaded, and it has so much potential to explore other stories from both the monsters and humans’ point of views, along with historical events in that world, that I would take AT LEAST 15 books of this world! I NEVER say this about any series, except for Shadowhunters (and I’ve been lucky with that one, because Cassandra Clare DID explore a lot of stories within her Shadowhunter world); yet, this series by Vanessa Len deserves the same opportunity. I WANT to know what happened before, what happens next, what happens to that side character or another I haven’t met yet… Please, give me 15 more books of Monsters! Usually, I find most series end where they should, that there isn’t much potential for other stories within that world… But Monsters? Please, YES! I NEED MORE!

Speaking of ending, I love the very end of Once a Villain; it’s like it echoes the “true timeline” (the very first, the OG timeline), and it’s beautiful. Almost poetic.

Lastly, this book (and series) was filled with lovely and crucial themes: Hope, love, family, friends, fairness, sacrifices, grief, survival, despair, evil vs good isn’t black and white, courage, and coming into oneself. What more can you ask for?

The Negative Points

Surprisingly, there are negative points, but they are very few and do not impact my rating.

First, I noticed a big inconsistency: At some point, Jamie was out walking the dog, Frankie, but then he’s back without any notice or mention of his return, and he’s suddenly close to Joan and talking like he never left; he’s way too aware of the conversation going on for someone who was out a minute ago. We didn’t even know he’d been back.

Second, and this one is rather funny, it’s something that the author does in all three books… but in this one, she really went all in with “she released the breath she didn’t know she was holding”, with a variation for Nick at some point. I counted at least three occurrences throughout the book. I mean, it’s not bad, it’s just a tiny bit annoying and so tropey.

I thought it was still worth mentioning, although like I said, they don’t impact the rating.

In Conclusion

Overall, Once a Villain by Vanessa Len mesmerized me (the whole trilogy in fact!), and caught me so tight by my feels. For all the emotions, the awe, the thrills, the amazing world-building, the angst, and the perfect resolution, I give this fantastic book a rating of 5 stars out of 5. I would give it much more, but, well, I can’t go higher. So, a perfect rating it is for a much beloved adventure!

On a side note, I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning (you can start with Only a Monster, then go to Never a Hero, and finally Once a Villain). Otherwise, it could be confusing—very confusing. However, if you’re not too much into series, keep in mind it’s only three books, and it’s sooooo amazing, I urge you to read it!

If you want to learn more about the author, Vanessa Len, you can head over to her website. She also has an Instagram account. You can also follow her Author Page on Goodreads. Don't forget to add Once a Villain–and the whole trilogy while you're at it!–to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin: A Book Review

Book Reviews April 12, 2025 Leave a comment

by Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin's website

Goodreads (Add it to your bookshelves!)

LibraryThing

Fable App

Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of pages: 432
ISBN: 9781335000392

Format: Paperback, Hardcover, eBook (Kindle, Kobo, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Spotify, B&N)
Publication date: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Type: Novel, Standalone

Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

I loved The Last Bookshop in London so much I am thrilled to be able to review her newest book! Thank you!!!

Please note: I received this e-ARC right before my open-heart surgery, so it took a while for me to get this review ready due to my recovery. However, it does not at all reduce my enthusiasm for this title.

Blurb

A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together.

In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job to provide for herself and her beloved daughter, Olivia. But with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her.

When the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, as well as the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and her work forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.

The Positive Points

Ah! The beginning is so poignant and heart wrenching. I love the literary comparison to describe the characters and what's happening. It already puts us right into major elements of this book: love and family tied with a bow of literature.

I’ve got to say, Emma’s father's love for her is resounding and touching. It reminds me of my own mother and her sacrifices and kindnesses for me. The fact that Emma lost everything she knew and loved is touching and I can relate after having lost my grandparents due to natural causes, and the rest of the family because of stupid drama. At least I got my mom, my aunt and my cousin. It's hard, Emma, I know. What a hard but striking beginning.

Also, the vocabulary is respectful of the times with "bob" for "shillings" and “chemist" for pharmacist. And as always with a Madeline Martin book, all the feels. The FEELS, I’m telling you. I cherish her books because of the historical accuracy, their ambiance, and mostly, the feels—and The Booklover’s Library is no exception to that. You can never go wrong with a Madeline Martin book!

The story revolves around Emma, a single mother, who wants to protect her daughter from the oncoming war while also providing for them both by working at the Booklover’s Library. We get to experience her ups and downs, and the hard decisions she has to make.

For example, what a heart-wrenching decision to make for a mother: to send your child away with strangers for an unknown period of time or keep her with you and put her in harm's way. A nightmare. But that’s exactly what Emma has to decide. I still have goosebumps as I remember a few of the scenes, wow.

I particularly loved how Emma pulled her daughter closer into her arms, wishing deeply and feeling as though love could be enough to shield Olivia from all harm, including the war’s.

Such a beautiful way to put it and so genuine. It’s really like that, when you hug someone or keep them close to you, and you want the best for them and feel that your love ought to be enough to protect them! So touching, I can’t get over that part of the book. It resounded to my core.

On another topic, I really like the friendships between the women at the Booklover’s Library. There is one that is sweet and easy and profound and the other one is more difficult, which really shows the range of getting to know people and befriending them.

Moreover, there is always a little something happening… a hinder, a setback or an issue. It’s small, and at other times it can be big, but there is always a new obstacle or event even if small. It’s interesting and it keeps the tale going.

Also, I love that we have subplots with all the characters in Emma’s surroundings. They don’t feel like furniture (which is a rare thing in novels!), but like real people she interacts and lives with. We get to learn about them as Emma does, and it’s heart-warming. Like Mrs Pickering, the landlady; Mr Sanderson, a mysterious and gruffy tenant; Margaret, her kind friend at work… it makes the story a living, breathing book. And I love it there!

There is a glorious uplifting surprise too! I won’t spoil it for you, but I was in a wild emotional state a few days before my second open-heart surgery in October and here came the surprise from The Last Bookshop in London, a novel I just adored and devoured from the library! (I swear I talked—and still do—so much about it my entourage knows it well, haha!) It made me so genuinely happy I forgot about my troubles for a little while. I was meeting with old friends, ok? That was the feeling. And it was wholesome.

I remember very well that my eyes were wet with emotions (lovely feeling in my chest) at the end of the book. If that’s not telling, I don’t know what will.

Honestly, The Booklover’s Library should be retitled: A mother’s love. It’s the true underlying current of this story.

The Negative Points

Alas, there are two downsides to this book (if you’re like me), yet they encompass strengths of their own when you look closely. Unfortunately, it’s rather slow (at 28% of the read and we were still not in the war…). Nonetheless, I think it shows the depth of the characters notably, Emma the main character, and how she behaves and deals with loss and grief, and her job as well as the people around her. Just when I think it’s getting boring there is a little something happening I mentioned earlier, and there we go again into the story!

As I mentioned previously, the war doesn’t happen until later on (after a good 50% of the book), so don’t expect it to like I did. It will slow down your reading experience and seem boring when it’s not; it’s just a different pace to really encompass the life of Emma, her daughter, and her neighbours, and the impact of the stress and the decisions to make in the face of the oncoming war.

When you’re not aware of this, the story does seem way too slow; otherwise, it’s a really good read set at a different pace that serves to show other aspects of the war that are not often deeply tackled in books.

In Conclusion

I give The Booklover’s Library an emotional rating of 4.5 stars out of 5! It took me a long while to get the subtle plotline so I found it to be a bit long. However, it’s also an emotional, cozy, and heart-warming read! I highly recommend it to people who love a character-driven story with a lot of emotions and coziness and being left with a fuzziness in their heart.

If you want to learn more about the author, Madeline Martin, you can head over to her website. She also has an Instagram account. You can also follow her Author Page on Goodreads. Don't forget to add The Booklover's Library to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!

The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily by Karen M Spence: A Book Review

Book Reviews March 26, 2025 Leave a comment

Author's Page on Pen & Sword Books' website

Genre: City Guide, Travel, Nonfiction
Number of pages: 184
ISBN: 9781036116590

Format: Paperback
Publication date: March 06, 2025
Publisher: White Owl
Type: City Guide

A HUGE thanks to Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

When I saw the title of the book, The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily, two things stood out to me: Sicily and the Godfather. Now, I’m quite the Italophile, and I’m also very curious about the mafia. Plus, I have watched all the Godfather movies, and while I’m not a huge fan, I do admit they’re classics and have put a certain standard on movies of the same kind. I was so intrigued I just had to request that book, and thankfully, Pen and Sword Books (an amazing publisher, by the way, go and take a look at their catalogue!) granted me an e-ARC of this book.

Now, I have so many feelings about this book—I was almost certain to enjoy it, but it exceeded my expectations!

Care to discover how so?

Read on, darling!

The Positive Points

The major thing I noticed is that I was always excited and giddy to pick the book back up and resume my reading! And that’s quite telling!

I find this book amazing! Indeed, the reading sessions flew by; I read an hour at a time!! Which is a lot for me who’s used to reading in chunks of 20 minutes throughout the day.

I am really glad there are numerous photos of the movies and the locations included throughout the book. It makes it way more visual and interactive. Also, there are a lot of colours in this book, even in the squares and sections for info tidbits such as film facts and scene recaps (if you forgot a bit of the movie, that was so helpful). There is also insider information as well as Sicily trivia (like how functions the menu and what is the course order in trattorie and ristoranti). It’s fun to learn such tidbits of info in a more informal manner rather than in the overall text. It sounds as though a tour guide is talking to you, being all friendly. It is refreshing and makes for a nice break. I noticed there are scene analyses from the Godfather, too! While I couldn’t remember all the scenes, it was interesting to see them being dissected like that, according to a topic tackled in the text previously.

Moreover, not only does the author talk about the settings in relation to the movies, she expands on their respective history and their relation to the movies and how it stands nowadays. She also tackles Italian and Sicilian customs related to the movies like the “confetti” Apollonia serves at her wedding party.

She also talks a lot about architecture (no wonder since she is an architect!) and art, yes yes yes, it’s lovely and fun!

I love that the whole book, including the trivia and info tidbits, helps see the movie and the Sicilian culture in a new light! It also makes me itch to have a rewatch of the Godfather trilogy haha! I watched the first movie twice and the others once. I love the ambiance and the world it depicts, but I was never a huge fan, yet I find this book exhilarating!

Plus, I love that the author talks about other points of interest like the Museum of the City of Savoca which features a room dedicated to the making of the Godfather movie. If the characters are in a certain setting or go from one point to the next in the movie, the author will mention what you can find in that area or walking the same path as the characters did. It’s really like a tour guide of Sicily and the movies’ locations! And I love it!!

It’s also very fun because there are several anecdotes, facts and unknown stories to us of what really happened while filming these movies. It’s both fascinating and entertaining. Did you know there is a statue of Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola in Savoca? The local artist Nino Ucchini created it to pay tribute to the filmmaker for bringing worldwide renown to Savoca! I think it’s fascinating to learn (and we get pictures of such facts and anecdotes!) This is only one of many, but it shows the impact of that movie trilogy around the world.

And here’s a funny fact about my experience: This book is so interesting that I kept stopping my reading to take notes!! And this is the first time it’s ever happened to me, so WOW!

The Negative Points

Ma che cosa è esso? (But what’s that?)

In Conclusion

I really think The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily is worth a purchase and a read! I am not a fan of the Godfather movies per se, but I found myself to be highly entertained with this book and all I learned in it about Sicily and the behind the scenes of the movies! It also gives interesting locations to visit for tourists looking to recreate the Godfather’s journey in Sicily, or even to just soak into the Sicilian culture and visit a few personal favorite locations from the movie for a special occasion, say a honeymoon or a long-awaited vacation.

I highly recommend this book to the Godfather fans as well as Italophiles like me. It’s a tour guide with an interesting angle for fans all over the world looking to travel from your home or to actually go and visit these places with the book as guide. A gem, I love it!

For all these excellent reasons, I give The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily a fabulous rating of 5 stars out of 5! This book impressed me, and I hope you will feel the same!

If you want to learn more about the author, Karen M Spence, you can head over to her author's page on Pen & Sword Books. Don't forget to add The Godfather Lover's Guide to Sicily to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!

The Day I Left You by Caroline Bishop: A Book Review

Book Reviews February 18, 2025 Leave a comment

Caroline Bishop's Website

Genre: Historical fiction, Women's Fiction, Romance
Number of pages: 368
ISBN: 9781668047279

ASIN: B0CL5FNMF3

Format: eBook (Kindle), Paperback
Publication date: February 18, 2025
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Type: Novel (Standalone)

A BIG thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book! I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

The cover is so pretty and elegant, but I admit it was the title that got me. The Day I Left You, hmmmm, so intriguing, and clearly romantic. Curious, I went to read the blurb, and saw it was about an East German woman leaving her British husband abruptly in the time of the Berlin Wall and Cold War. Say no more! As a huge historical fiction lover, this sounded like my cup of tea! (yes, British… tea… I made a tiny pun, see?)

Honestly, it was my cup of tea!

And if you want to know more, it’s perfect because I’m here to spill the tea!

Just keep reading, loves!

Blurb

For readers of The Secrets We Kept and Jill Santopolo comes an epic love story about Greta and Henry, who by chance meet in 1982 East Berlin and find a love that’s meant to last a lifetime—until Greta vanishes.

I’m sorry. I can’t stay.

East Berlin, 1982. When Greta Schneider meets Henry Henderson, she is instantly smitten. An engineer on a work visa from Britain, Henry offers Greta a taste of the world beyond the Iron Curtain, a world that she yearns to explore as a translator once she finishes university. For Henry, Greta is simply perfect—bold and beautiful, her lively and inquisitive nature adding a vital spark to his everyday life.

But their time together is limited. Henry can’t stay once his visa expires, and Greta is forbidden from going beyond the Berlin Wall. It’s only been a few weeks, but they know how they feel about each other, so when Henry proposes, Greta accepts—and is given permission to start a new life with Henry in England. And for a time, everything is perfect. Until, one day, out of the blue, Greta walks out the door of their Oxford home, leaving a simple note behind.

Decades later, Henry still has unanswered questions. Greta loved him, and he loved her. They surmounted the odds to be together, and in his heart, he knows their marriage was happy. So why did she leave? How well did he really know his wife? When a young mother visits Henry’s antique restoration shop, she unknowingly brings with her a clue that sends Henry on a journey to find out what happened to the love of his life all those years ago.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Day I Left You is a gorgeous, spellbinding story about the nature of love, the memories we cling to, and the hurts we must leave behind to move forward.

The Positive Points

This book is heavy on love and how to go through grief and abandon, as well as how to find yourself and happiness again. It’s sweet. I had the impression this story is a quest for answers and love, and for love. It’s not a coming-of-age story, but it’s one of coming into your own person as you grow older and try to find answers and deal with grief. An interesting take that I rarely see.

The Day I Left You felt much like life. A tale of life, it felt while reading it. It was as though Greta and Henry were at a coffee shop with me, telling me their stories. I loved it!

Something fun is that I love how we see two different ages: when they are young in their twenties; and then in their sixties or so. It’s a real change from only twenty or forty years old in most adult novels. I love this! Also, I love that the present is told in third person, and that the past with Greta is more personal in first person, like we must feel her and understand her more deeply to make sense of her decisions and actions. For it to have the right effect on us, and it does, I can assure you that. And awwwwww, Part 2 really surprised me with a new and modern POV! I wondered if we’d get to see that aspect of the story, and we do! But no more, because no spoilers ;).

I felt like the surprises kept coming and it’s all so much more intricate and entangled than I saw at first. And much deeper, too. Wow! Plus, Greta’s reasons for leaving are totally understandable in her situation. I feel for her. And it shows all the ramifications of the Cold War, too…

This story fits the expression “all in due time” in several ways. I hope you’ll see for yourself. In the end, it was a very rewarding read. It resolves pretty nicely for both of them in very different but plausible ways.

What impresses me is that the structure of the book is so well done; everything makes sense and flows properly. All the chapters fit like building blocks put together correctly. The overall structure follows the internal structure—I mean that while the characters gradually deal with what’s happened between them and the Berlin Wall falling, the overall structure of the chapters and the different POVs reflect that perfectly! It’s a work of art so neatly weaved together, bravo!

My first impression was that the prologue is very gripping and intriguing. Why does Greta have to leave if she doesn’t want to? What’s in her past? It’s emotional too, although the use of the “you” POV for her lover surprised me, but it’s good—it’s more immersive in a way. It is personal, the prologue and the Greta’s chapters in the past. And not because the first person POV in Greta’s past, although it helps, but because of the way she describes her lover and her actions. There is a proximity, a certain closeness in the way she describes things. Like it shows she cares and loves.

Moreover, it’s really fun that we get to see both POVs. One in the past Greta, and now modern Henry. Wait until for a surprise modern POV later… It all adds a little something of enjoyment to the story.

I noticed some language tricks. For example, there are psychological tricks, like how telling a lie or anything in another language feels less committing. I love such details about the complexity of the human mind and heart! In addition to this linguistic aspect, I enjoy that some affectionate words are in German, and product names like wine or celebrations, as well as a few swear words and expressions are in German. I think it’s fun to come across these words and it helps with immersion in Greta’s world and memories. And as a polyglot, I always love to see languages sprinkled in stories.

Now, what about the characters? Honestly, I enjoyed my time with them! I’ll start with Henry because he’s the one I felt for the most. He is so romantic and cute in his feelings for Greta. A lovesick puppy; I want one like him! Henry is lovable and endearing because he thinks about others and injustices, and also, he is calm, intelligent. He is a kind and good soul, it’s lovely. I also find interesting that Henry is a furniture restorer. It’s very different and little heard of in stories.

Lucy Kenny! Ah, my favorite character of the story. I really like Lucy and her rambling and her energy. I really love Lucy Kenny, she reminds me of myself, haha! She’s so proactive, helpful, and kind. And most of all: she’s a real chatterbox with a lot of energy! Can you see that in my writing? I hope you can! Plus, I like that Henry and she develop a sort of friendship, it’s rather cute!

I also really like Ros, Lucy’s mother. She’s funny and down-to-earth and lively as well. I also enjoy her views and opinions on the children and her ex-husband who’s her best friend.

And Greta? I like her; however, sometimes she made me feel sour with her. She is intriguing and interesting, and her dreams and hopes are perfectly valid. Greta, I think, did the best she could with what she had to deal with, honestly. I can’t say any more—I don’t want to spoil the story for you! But know she had her reasons and tried her best in her situation.

As per the story, I love how Greta’s homesickness is tackled and described because it must really feel like that. And also, how everything is not perfect or necessarily greener in Britain than in the GDR (German Democratic Republic). It’s interesting to see that and natural for a young woman raised in East Berlin with the wall to see positives to her old life and be homesick while feeling lost and lonely in Britain and not liking everything like capitalism and always being short on money. The character also said that you’re as free in the West as your wallet allows, and it couldn’t be truer (unfortunately). She feels disconnected from life in Britain and in the West in general. Understandably so what with her background of different experiences under communism.

Henry and Greta both evolve as individuals. For Henry, it shows through his gradual openness with Lucy and her family and his realization that his repair work must not be perfect and still show some scratches and scuffles of life and love. He’s grown into his own after so long, poor guy. And Greta is finally confiding in someone and finding her own happy ending. I’m glad that in the end, Henry somehow gets a family he longed to have, albeit a bit differently than how he’d thought he’d have one. It’s funny that it’s through his search for Greta though, but I am glad. Henry deserves the peace and happiness, and a family of his own in a way. It’s cute. And he also needs a dear friend like Lucy.

I am rather pleased that the author, through Greta, explains how and why there is the Berlin Wall and how they got it with state socialism. It is very interesting and informative. And yes, she also explains what the Stasi are and their dangerous (if not deadly) surveillance. I had deducted it, but it’s good to have a better definition in Greta’s words.

I’m so into it. My emotions are gripped. It’s so poignant and I keep being outraged at what happened to Greta and the threats, and I keep telling my mom all about it in a flurry of emotions and indignation. It’s really good when I’m so gripped emotionally.

While I had an inkling of what Greta’d become, it became freakier as I kept reading! It was very gripping emotionally and felt like a whirlwind of intrigue and difficult choices. I am glad I got to read this book before publication-I had quite the adventure with it!

The Negative Points

The biggest point is that I found it so slow. For a book with such a huge question to answer (why did she leave so abruptly?), it’s really slow-paced, which makes it less thrilling than I thought it’d be (at least for the first half of the book). It’s still interesting, but it seems to take forever to receive a new “hint” at what might have happened. Ah, those hints trickled down every 4-5 chapters or so! They had me rolling my eyes a few times because they’re so few for a long while. (They’re exciting, but still!) After 50% of the book, it the pace picked up admirably and the intrigue took me in like a whirlwind, I’ve got to say!

Also, it annoys me that the person being left is always the one who suffers the most, huh? It shows in this book as well, I noticed… It’s not that I dislike Greta, it’s just unfair for Henry who’s been stuck on her since she left, and because of how she left. While Greta has her nomadic life and a new love… It makes me sour a bit towards Greta, oh well. However, towards the end, I understood more how it’s also been cruel and hard on her. It’s just she seems to move on so easily… But I guess she didn’t have much choice, did she? And that’s a problem: she never really did have a choice in the end.

Lastly, the necklace a certain Lucy wears from her mother is quite an intriguing and effective way to deepen and twist the plot a bit. It would have been more effective, however, if we’d known before that that Greta loved to make jewellery or at least more than implied. Because it’s a good moment, but it lacks a bit of the shocking effect as a reader.

In Conclusion

All in all, I give The Day I Left You a feelsy rating of 4 stars out of 5. Despite its slow start, I ended up loving the book and enjoying my time with the characters while learning more about the intricacies and ramifications of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Plus, if you enjoy slow-paced books, it’ll be a perfect read! I strongly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in the Berlin Wall and the Cold War, as well as historical fiction lovers. To those who love their books with a good dose of intrigue, mystery, and surprises. Also, I recommend it to those who love a good book that gives you feels and grips your emotions tightly, and feels just like you were out for coffee with friends to hear their life stories.

If you want to learn more about the author, Caroline Bishop, you can visit her author website and follow her on her Goodreads Author account, as well as her Instagram account. Don't forget to add The Day I Left You to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves!

My February Book Draw (Draw Challenge)

chit-chatting with Cat, Draw Challenge February 13, 2025 Leave a comment

Hello, lovelies!

I'm sorry I'm a bit late, but here's my Draw in the LuckyDraw app for the month of February. Just to remind you, I am doing a book draw challenge where I use an app to pick a number I wrote on one of six books, and I need to read that book for the month. I'm soon to be reviewing Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig, which was my random pick for January. So stay tuned for my book review!

Now, however, since it's a new month, it needs a new book… So, what did the LuckyDraw app pick as a number?

Here we go!

As you can see, it picked number 5. MAMBO NUMBER 5! No? Okay, sorry.

What is it, what is it?! Drum rolls

And we've got…

La casa de los espíritus by Isabel Allende! GREAT! 😀 Remember, I'd mentioned in the first Draw Challenge article that not all of my books would be in English and I'd added this one to the pile of the Draw Challenge since I do speak Spanish. 🙂 I think it does wonders for diversifying my reading and just keeping in touch with the language and culture, it's lovely. Also, if you'd like, you can watch my unwrapping video on Instagram.

Now, I got a funny story for you: I did read half of this book years ago when I was in university in my Spanish courses. And I thought it was a beautiful story! However, I never finished it… And I vowed to myself that whenever I'd find a copy in Spanish in Canada (I had it on my Kindle, and finding a physical Spanish book isn't easy here), then I'd buy it instantly and read it. So, one day before my surgery a few months earlier, I was at Renaud-Bray with my mother, just browsing the bookshelves aisles and having fun, when I stumbled upon the small but full Spanish section. My joy when I saw La casa de los espíritus!! I simply grabbed it and kept it close to my chest, and I ended up leaving with it. What luck! Spanish novels are so hard to come by here… Wow!

So, I'm ready to start reading it again and up till the end this time around. I've already started it and it's as touching as it was the first time, if not even more now that I'm older and can comprehend some nuances better as well as the language itself.

I can't wait to let you know my thoughts about La casa de los espíritus next month!

See you in March with my new draw and book review, lovelies!

What I’ve Read in January (Reading Wrap-Up)

chit-chatting with Cat, What I'm Reading February 6, 2025 Leave a comment

Hello, lovelies!

I figured it would be fun to share my January readings with you, and perhaps you'd find some inspiration for your own reading! A few days ago, in the end of January, I posted my Reading Wrap-Up on Instagram. However, surprise! I finished one more book on the very last day of the month. So, I adjusted the number here in this article, which is 6 books read in the month of January.

Ready to learn more about the books I've read?

Keep scrolling, dear!

(They're not in order of completion.)

Fairest of All (Villains, #1) – (In French: Miroir, Miroir)

I checked out Miroir, Miroir (the French version) from my local library. I was skeptical about liking this book since I don't like Snow White, although I loooove Disney in general. And unfortunately, I ended up giving the book a rating of 3.5 stars, which was "ok". I wouldn't read it again, and I couldn't wait to get farther in the Villains series to reach Ursula and other villains I prefer (like Gaston and Hades, too!)

Fun thing: the books get way better after this one, you'll see why I know that later on in this article!

The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy, #1)

This book was a book club pick from the first book club I ever joined! 🙂 Not only did I have a blast reading The Bear and the Nightingale, I also had a lot of fun chatting with others in the club! I gave this intriguing, slow-paced story with strongly defined characters in a magical Russian wintry setting a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

You can read my review on Goodreads and Fable.

Now, I can't wait to read the other two sequels!!

The Godfather Lover's Guide to Sicily – ARC

I've had the pleasure to receive an e-ARC of this book from Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley! I've finished reading it in January, and you'll get to know all about it in my review on March 30th! For now, I can tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was like having a tour guide being friendly to me while taking me on a Sicilian and Godfather tour. I learned so many details relating to the movies, as well as information on Sicily, its towns and people and culture.

I might not be a big Godfather movies lover, but I sure am one of this book!

Stay tuned for a review on March 30th!

Teach the Torches to Burn – Draw Challenge

This book has been on my bookshelves for about a year now. A Romeo and Juliet gay retelling? I'm all for it!

So, I randomly picked Teach the Torches to Burn as the first book to read in my Draw Challenge!

I can't tell you much about it now, because I'll soon post the review, BUT it sure defied my expectations (both in good and bad ways) and it gave me my fill of gay romance as well as friendship. It was not what I expected, and I found it slow at the start, but then I began to enjoy it until I would gladly pick it back up to resume my reading. Needless to say, this book surprised me, and for a forbidden historical gay romance, it's really good!

Stay tuned for my review of Teach the Torches to Burn soon in February!

The Conjurer's Wife – ARC

This was the first short story I've read from Amazon Publishing, and it didn't disappoint! Sarah Penner wrote an intriguing plot with a strong main character, Olivia, that I still think about. The plot twist is mind-blowing in my opinion, and I'd definitely take a whole book on Olivia. Also, if you want an Italian historical setting, look no further, because this story takes place in Venice in the 19th century.

I gave this book a grand rating of 5 stars out of 5 in my review.

Honestly, I recommend it to mysterious fantasy lovers as well as fans of historical fiction.

The Beast Within (Villains, #2) – (In French: L'Histoire de la Bête)

Beast Within, The-Villains, Book 2 : Valentino, Serena: Amazon.ca: Books

And surprise! That's how I know the Villains series gets better after the first book. I'd checked it out from my library in French, too. I've finished The Beast Within on January 31st, and I didn't stop reading it for a whole week. I was simply pulled back in every time I wanted to read. It was crazy! Not only is this book very entertaining, it also gives us behind-the-scenes to the Beast's past and experience as a Beast. I loved the cameos, and his friendship with Gaston is so lovely AND tragic; it explains a few scenes in the movie, too. However, I do think the ending is too cheesy and well rushed… Still, this book is worth a 4.5 stars out of 5, easy.

P.S.: I'm now reading Poor Unfortunate Soul with Ursula, yay! And let me tell you, it's quite amusing and informative about her.

In Conclusion

Tah dah! That makes my reading wrap-up hit 6 books in January! I think that's pretty awesome, since I usually read up to… two or three books. Of course, I have still been recovering from my open-heart surgery, and I was not working yet. So, that sure helps!

I hope these books have inspired you to try a few of them, or guide you into the direction of your next read, loves!

Is there one that caught your eye? Why? Do leave a comment!

See you next post, darlings!

The Conjurer’s Wife by Sarah Penner: A Book Review

Book Reviews January 15, 2025 Leave a comment

Sarah Penner's Website

Amazon CA

Goodreads (Add it to your bookshelves!)

LibraryThing

Fable

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Number of pages: 40
ISBN: 9781662526213

ASIN: B0D6RSVHLR

Format: eBook (Kindle), Audiobook (Audible)
Publication date: January 01, 2025
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Type: Short Story

A HUGE thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book! I get no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

The delightful cover which spoke of spectacle and ancient times what with the clothes and braid of the woman really caught my eye. But what intrigued me was the title, The Conjurer’s Wife! A conjurer? Interesting! And his wife… She’s clearly much more than what she appears to be at first.

I had to read this short story by Sarah Penner! Not only does it occur during the 19th century, but also in Venice, with a backdrop of illusionism and spectacles. I love everything magic and that relates to the arts of the scene.

So, I was kindly granted a digital copy, and honestly I read it so fast. When I had to do something else, I would keep thinking about the story and Olivia, the main character, until finally I could resume my reading.

This sounds like your cuppa too?

Keep reading, loves!

Blurb

In nineteenth-century Venice, a young woman’s marriage to an illusionist hides secrets that go deeper than his spectacular acts. The stage is set for transformation in a mesmerizing short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary.

In 1820s Venice, world-renowned magician Oscar Van Hoff confounds sold-out crowds with his astounding manifestations. Even his beautiful wife and assistant, Olivia, is mystified. Her job is to smile and recite her lines—onstage and in society. But the thankless routine is bringing out her rebellious side. Then, on the eve of what promises to be Oscar’s greatest performance yet, Olivia uncovers a secret with the power to shatter all her husband’s illusions. Now the finale belongs to her.

The Positive Points

The prose is straightforward and includes much information in short sentences and fewer words than one would think. I love it! You know all you need to in a swift and direct way. The descriptions are succinct, yet they tell everything you need to know: like how common the clearing of throat is before a show as a spectator, and how the theatergoers are drunk, notably before it happens in the holidays and on a Friday evening. The author doesn’t shy away from less-than-agreeable truths and descriptions, and I appreciate it.

Also, I love the integration of gaslight system which is from that time period—it is accurate and well-thought of.

Plus, you can feel the tension between Oscar and Olivia right from his entrance! He doesn’t seem wholly good… what has he done in the past? It seems Olivia thinks it’s high time for a little rebellion of her own. I am intrigued about what truly happened to Olivia before the injury and what Oscar might have done to her… used her for his shows? Lied and manipulated her to wed her?

As I kept progressing in my reading, something clearly didn’t seem right about this whole thing and Oscar, was Olivia the magician before and then he met her and used her talents to become popular? Maybe he stole magic by causing her head injury… Argh, I didn’t know, but something was definitely wrong in this picture! He seemed to have no trick to his shows… which as a magician is highly improbable! Almost impossible. So what gives?

I love the scene with Olivia and the painting. It is much more important than we know at the moment!

Omg, the plot twist was great! I wasn’t expecting that plot twist until the very last minute. Fantastic and chilling at the same time. A grand number in the author’s show! The ending is excellent and rebellious—just like Olivia in the beginning. dang how I love her character! I would read a whole book about her.

Lastly, this short story reads like a show. I mean, it’s like I am watching a theater play or a tv show—it’s really entertaining and captivating.

The Negative Points

How can she be sure that thing (no spoilers here) is magic? She simply assumed when she saw it. Perhaps Oscar plans his shows with it? This would be more logical than assuming it’s magic right away. This seemed a bit illogical and it bothered me, jumping to conclusion like that—the right one at that, and much less plausible than anything else!

In Conclusion

Overall, I give The Conjurer’s Wife by Sarah Penner a grand rating of 5 stars out of 5 for how excellent the storytelling is, how captivating and engrossing the story is, and also how much I love Olivia as a character and the amazing plot twist! Honestly, I would really read a whole thick book about Olivia! This story is genuinely that good.

I recommend this short story to all lovers of magic in all its forms, art, and spectacles, as well as those seeking to be captivated by a story and characters and taken aback by a plot twist cleverly crafted!

If you want to learn more about the author, Sarah Penner, you can visit her author website, and follow her on her Goodreads author account, as well as on her Instagram account. Don't forget to add The Conjurer's Wife to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves!

Vilest Things (Flesh and False Gods #2) by Chloe Gong: A Book Review

Book Reviews December 28, 2024 Leave a comment

Chloe Gong's Website

Simon & Schuster's Author Page

Goodreads (Add it to your bookshelves!)

LibraryThing

StoryGraph

Fable

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance, Adult, Retelling
Number of pages: 372
ISBN: 9781668055014

ASIN:1668055015

Series: Flesh and False Gods (#2)

Format: Paperback, Hardcover, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N, CD)
Publication date: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Saga Press
Type: Book, Novel, Series, Sequel

*A HUGE thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Saga Press for a physical galley of this book! I get no compensation whatsoever, and I write this book review willingly.*

Fun fact: When I requested Vilest Things by Chloe Gong, all I knew was the blurb (which grabbed my interest right away!) and that it was a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Honestly, I had not read the first book, Immortal Longings, but the description of Vilest Things captivated me so much I asked for it and I am fortunate enough to have been granted a physical galley of it! So, of course, I rushed and purchased a copy of Immortal Longings to know what happened prior to the second book. I was NOT disappointed, as it shows in my bookstagram review.

But what about Vilest Things?

Well, I was pleasantly surprised, and while it was different than the first book, it was nonetheless a great read!

Want to find out how so?

Just keep on reading, loves!

The Positive Points

The characterization in this book is excellent! Calla is not becoming a better person per se, but there is some character development to her. She is softer with orphans now and kids (who clearly remind her of when she used to be one), and she has a bit more trouble maneuvering the twin cities from a high standpoint since she reintegrated the royalty. It’s also interesting to note she admits to be at ease with some people while she would never admit this in the first book. She’s still not likeable person, yet she is as interesting as before, if not more as we discover more of her personality and past.

The angst is angstin’ so much in Vilest Things (even more so than in Immortal Longings, the first book)! There is such pressure on Calla and Anton, and between them, wow! The tension, ish! It’s chef’s kiss, so deliciously painful.

There is the truth. There is her pulsating heart, pulled bloody from her chest and harvested for the threads of deceit she wove into it herself. – Calla Tuoleimi (p. 57, Vilest Things)

The angst between Calla and Anton is strong in this story. And I love how it’s mostly Calla’s fault for it all, and that she admits it, at least to herself; this drives the story in Vilest Things, in my opinion.

Calla Tuoleimi has ruined him, so he’ll have to ruin everything in return. – Anton Makusa (Chapter 17, p. 177, Vilest Things)

As for Anton Makusa, this quote explains very well how heart-broken he feels, how vengeful, and how he altered his behaviour due to strong conflicting feelings. He loves her, and that’s part of the problem. So, he wants to take vengeance on Calla by ruining everything… except her, it seems. Because he’s a lovesick fool, and it’s so adorable AND angsty.

The main antagonist is a certain surprise someone from the ending of the first book: Otta Avia. Yes, that one… At least, to me, she seems like the villain throughout most of the book (of course, it doesn’t help that we’re mostly on Calla and Anton’s side as readers). When I learned something important about her though at the end of the book, my perspective wavered: she is the enemy, but for an excellent reason. She’s shrewd, and pulling the strings of everyone (yes, even Calla, and mostly Anton) like a master puppeteer. Otta is a little bitch, and she’s a pest, meddling in things she shouldn’t (or so we think) just for a grand plan of hers we don’t know anything about. Also, she loves to make trouble for Anton and Calla, and kind of puts herself between them sometimes, as well as against them. She’s also dangerous and well-versed in qi feats previously unknown to us as readers and to the other characters. In addition to that, or because of all these reasons most likely, she’s a very interesting character. I love to hate her, you see. It is clear Otta Avia’s got several aces up her sleeve… and so far, they’ve all blown my mind! Just who is she? 😉

On another note, I love that despite Anton having taken August’s place in his body, the author still uses Anton’s name in the descriptions. I’ve read books where the author uses the disguise’s name instead and it’s a bit silly because we KNOW who the character really is, and can sometimes be confusing. So, kudos!

Also, I’ve never read Antony & Cleopatra by Shakespeare (one of his rare works I haven’t read yet!), so I can’t talk much about the retelling aspect of the story. However, I am a big admirer of Cleopatra and what she did to save and help her kingdom. Thus, I noticed something: I love how the author cleverly weaved in Cleopatra’s story into the country of Talin in Vilest Things! It is both fascinating and entertaining, as well as it brings even more depth and intrigue to the story at hand. I can’t tell you how, it would be a spoiler. But remember this while reading the book: it’s about a great queen who was about to lose the war, and knew she had to do something about it.

This sequel really delves deeper into the question of identity. Who is Calla Tuoleimi? What happened to the real Calla, the child who was invaded by the Calla we know? Who is Anton Makusa, the guy who always jumps, never in his own body? Who does that make you when you jump and are not in your birth body anymore? What about it? The question is threaded throughout the book, and is strung tight with intensity, right up until the end for one of the biggest reveals I have EVER read (similar to the shock I had with Maven Calore in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard)!

Moreover, Vilest Things doesn’t read like an ARC. What I mean is that I focus on details and take notes for ARCs to write up my reviews, but with this book I read it like any other excellent book on my bookshelves! I picked it up and read through, it’s so intriguing and engrossing, a lot of times pleasantly forgetting to focus and take notes. So it did writing up this review a bit more difficult, haha, but the reading experience was fluid and so thrilling! It might have been slow in the beginning, but once things get in motion, omg, it’s exciting and pleasantly confusing the more you read because you learn things and connect the dots and it’s astonishing what is happening! Plus, some events occur that I was surprised by since it seems unbreakable rules in the first book. I won’t say which implicit rules, but it’s to do with the characters and their own limits. There were SO MANY surprises in Vilest Things! A captivating read that left me breathless, just like Immortal Longings! Now, when’s the third book coming out?!

The Negative Points

The story is slow compared to Immortal Longings. It takes a long while to truly become exciting and intriguing. It does, but it’s not the big fighting mess of the first book with threats and stakes around every corner. It’s more subtle, and more political. I like it, don’t get me wrong, but since I was expecting it to still be as thrilling with the fighting mess, I was surprised, so it needs to be mentioned. The intensity just shifted—it turned into severe angst between Anton and Calla, the return of Otta Avia, and Anton being the new King under the guise of August. So, like I said, it’s more subtle, yet it grows more intriguing and exciting as you read through the book.

A point that really bothered me is how Galipei, who clearly loves August romantically (I am sure, don’t tell me otherwise!), takes sooooo long to realise that August is in fact… Anton now, because Anton jumped into August. I understand there was no flash of light or anything they stand by as rules for jumping, but when you love someone, you notice how different and weird they sound as another, it seems to me… Yes, he does know something IS off with his August, but… it’s not enough. He doesn’t seem to be really taking action about it or truly trying to seek him out in private (I know he did try, but it’s only mentioned, we don’t see it). This annoyed me because Galipei is not an idiot, and he obviously loves August, so this should be obvious something is wrong with his love… But he acts just a bit different with August, more worried and more distant, as we see in his own chapters. However, he does plan things behind August’s back, which is interesting—but it never mentions that he knows it’s not August, it’s always as though he thinks something is off but nothing more. At last, a great thing is that Galipei now has his own chapters, yay!

In Conclusion

Overall, I give this gripping and exciting read with a bit of a slow start a solid rating of 4.5 stars out of 5! Vilest Things is an excellent sequel to Immortal Longings, and I can’t wait to read the third book! Please please please, will it be out soon?!

If you want to learn more about the author, Chloe Gong, you can visit her website, follow her on her Instagram account, her Goodreads Author Page, her Tumblr account as well as her Pinterest (you can view her boards for her books! <3). You can even listen to her series' playlists on her Spotify! Don't forget to add Vilest Things to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves!

Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood: A Book Review

Book Reviews December 22, 2024 Leave a comment

Sarah Underwood's Website

HarperCollins' Author Page

Goodreads (Add it to your bookshelves!)

StoryGraph

Fable

Genre: Historical fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance, Retelling
Number of pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0063234529

ASIN:B0CRQG9R8F

Format: Hardcover, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N)
Publication date: October 01, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Type: Book, Novel, Standalone

Trigger Warnings: Emotional and physical abuse by a parent.

*A HUGE thanks to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book! I get no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.*

As soon as I saw the cover and the blurb for Gentlest of Wild Things, a sapphic Ancient Greece story, I yearned to read it! I’m so delighted HarperCollins Canada offered me an e-ARC of this book, iiiiiiiihhhhhh!!! It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I am proud to bring you this review! 😀

Do you want to know why I’m so thrilled about Gentlest of Wild Things?

Read on, loves!

Blurb

On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire―love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.

Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire’s thrall. Until Leandros’ wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.

Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly―something hungry―stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood . . .

The Positive Points

What a thrilling beginning chapter! I wasn’t expecting that chase. The prologue is confusing, but in a thrilling “I need to know MORE” kind of way. Honestly, the more I kept reading, the faster I read it and I couldn’t stop thinking about this story. I was so enraptured by this book! Another great thing was how the gods were mentioned in expressions such as “Damn her principles to Hades and back”, and other times Eirene thinks about the gods and how she works and none has ever helped. Like, they’re here and alive, but she only believes in them and doesn’t know they’re real. Like it’s a hint to us, readers. About what’s to come and how the story is more supernatural than we think at first.

As for the characters themselves, I must say that both Eirene and Lamia are loveable in their own ways. Their first meeting was explosively dramatic, emotional, and fun as a ready. I wasn’t expecting that to go this awry! It was different from the usual “I like you already” or “love at first meeting” that is prevalent in so many stories it’s become bland. Eirene is so cute and protective, I love her! She is the strong determined sister to protect her sister Phoebe, weaker in health and in a bad situation. On a side note, I love how each girl has a passion. For Eirene, it’s plants and herbs. For Phoebe, it’s weaving. And for Lamia, it’s drawing. It’s more realistic and it’s nice to see they have something, a hobby, to hold onto, something they love. Lamia is such a cutie! Poor her though, she is so ignorant of the world and abused for the villain’s own riches. She was brainwashed into thinking what her father was doing was good… I love her, she is so kind-hearted and caring, and, poor her, innocent, too! What Lamia has as a special gift, I thought it was just so beautiful and poetic, and well handled throughout the story, with an evolution tied to the character’s arc. Wow! Her character arc is where she becomes more assured and grounded in reality. It was beautiful to see! And the fact that Lamia tried so much to save and help Eirene even if it meant she might run away… Awwwwwww, my FEELS! Plus, there is some closure I wasn’t expecting for one aspect of Lamia’s life later on which echoes the very first chapter. What a great thing to weave into the story!

As for the villain, wow, he’s very dangerous just like I thought before we actually met him. Even with Lamia, his own daughter! He emanates shrewdness, danger, and violence. He is so cruel and abusive, both with Lamia and Eirene, mostly with words, and threats, and mean tricks and lies, but also with physical violence and manipulation. I’m sure he’s a beast—at least, to me.

Speaking of Eirene and Lamia, the sapphic romance is sweet and easy to follow. I love how Eirene is rebellious with boys and wishes not to marry, while Lamia is all compliments and admiration for Eirene. Great ways to show them being sapphic before getting to know each other and falling in love. It’s innate even though they don’t know what it is or means. Their little attraction and romance is so cute. It’s soft and sweet by moments, throughout the big problematic mess they’re in. It’s also really sweet how their affection grows naturally and you can notice it through thoughts, awkward touches, and words like “Our Lamia” when Eirene is proud, and more. For example, it is romantic and soft and sensual per moments with them discovering they desire each other. Like how being close to the other feels, and wishing she would just lean over and kiss her… I also let let out a gasp when I learned that Eirene’s goal is in direct conflict with Lamia herself and her affection and love for her. Ouch! You’ll see! The longing was real, I was so waiting for them to get together, iiiiiiihhhhhh! It was very satisfying! This is a story of love (in many shapes), and also of a void of loneliness being filled by someone you come to love.

Fun fact: I didn’t know wrapping a bandage could be so sensual and romantic, but wow, it is, and it’s beautiful.

Awwww, I love when FMCs cut their own hair. I did it twice too for the unease I felt with my long hair and I was at a time where I couldn’t pay for a haircut, so I tried to cut my hair and felt thrilled and wild. And it wasn’t so bad. I love when the FMC feels the same and tries the same thing. It’s also an act of rebellion and to seek wellness in one’s body.

Oh, and I love how Eirene discovers the source of Desire. I have been waiting for their two storylines to merge like this for the intrigue to have its answer. The “how” took me by surprise because I wasn’t waiting for it anymore. Fun!

Gentlest of Wild Things is a clever retelling in ancient times of Psyche and Eros, but make it sapphic. It’s lovely and magical. It’s also a strong “do it yourself” story, which I always love.

Every one of Eirene’s task was fun and exciting, but the last one was the most thrilling and exciting, and full of magic and mythology. What a retelling, and what turn it took! I noticed, like I mentioned earlier, that Lamia underwent the most changes in her arc. Eireine’s is more subtle, yet still there.

This story respects mythology, like the path to Hades not being for mortal eyes, and more. Also, same respect with the time period, like with men acting out the plays.

Lastly, this is a doubtlessly a story of women who stand up to men who abused them in more ways than one. It’s powerful. As for the conclusion itself, it was veeeery satisfying and had me feeling all warm and fuzzy and giddy, rocking my legs and smiling.

The Negative Points

Hm, let’s skip this, shall we? None was to be found, whatsoever. The writing, the character development, the intrigue, everything was great!

In Conclusion

All in all, Gentlest of Wild Things was excellent to the end! It is a feminist, and cutely romantic sapphic tale! And the villain gets what he deserves… Mythology was well mixed with magic and romance as well, it was so nice! I give Gentlest of Wild Things a rating of 5 amphoras out of 5, because it was such a great read and sweet from the beginning to the end with strong emotions, thrills, and a soft romance. I loved all of it! Honestly, I would take a dozen more books like this one!!

If you would like to learn more about the author, Sarah Underwood, you can visit her website, follow her on her Instagram account, and on her Goodreads Author page. Don't forget to add Gentlest of Wild Things to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves!

The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom: A Book Review

Book Reviews December 5, 2024 Leave a comment

K. J. Holdom's Website

Simon & Schuster CA's Author Page

Goodreads (Add it to your bookshelves!)

StoryGraph

Fable

Genre: Historical fiction
Number of pages: 352
ISBN: 9781668045398

ASIN:B0CV27P1LW

Format: Paperback, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook)
Publication date: November 05, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Type: Book, Novel, Standalone

Trigger Warnings: Rape is mentioned and alluded to in this story, Murder, Death, Bullying.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for a physical galley of The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom! I write up this review willingly and without any compensation whatsoever.*

I remember seeing this cover and being intrigued, then reading the blurb and knowing I had to review it! I was so excited to read this book—it was my most anticipated read of fall!

It made my whole season having it to read and review!

I mean, a story inspired by true events of a Hitler Youth Camp teenager who escapes with his best friend? To find his mother, who’s also struggling in her own way—against a Nazi officer keeping her prisoner under threats?

YES, YES, definitely!!

Want to know how enjoyable it was, and what surprises I encountered during my reading experience?

Read on, lovelies!

The Positive Points

The best point about this book is how unique a point of view this is; it’s like being inside Germany during the end of the war. It’s rare that we get to see and experience this. There are few books tackling this topic, like The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. And it’s even based on a true story, wow!

As for the writing, there’s a certain poetry in description, and a strong imagery, mostly in setting.

I like the structure of the book: the backstory is told through the character’s POV in italics in big chunks (but not info dumps) inside the chapters. They’re memories, distant yet part of the present, like in italics in the text. A clever and fun way of doing this. Furthermore, I noticed there a lot of anguish and fleeting thoughts from previous scenes on Max’s part, one of the two main characters.

Plus, the research was thoroughly done and it shows through things like the black bread they ate, and people’s customs (such as how in France back at that time, high-born families never said, “bon appétit”) and events.

Max saved a cat—or a Horst (a character in the Hitler Youth Camp), which makes him more lovable. By siding with Horst, a “loser” in the Hitler Youth Camp as seen by his superiors and colleagues, I got attached to Max. His heart is sweet and soft and in the right place. Also, I love that he’s half-French, and half-German. This complicates things for him and unveils a different side of History we're not very knowledgeable about.

Speaking of characters, I fell in love with Max and Hans’ friendship right from their first scene. They’re so cute! Their friendship is everything, aw, my heart! So pure and true, right up until the very end of the book. Friendship is a huge theme, vital in this story.

As for the mother, Marguerite, she has some spike and fight in her! I like her and find her funny. I’m attached to her and what happens to her. Marguerite is a strong character, but rather fearful. She’s realistic, as not everyone has great courage. Yet, she cares for her children above all. I thought stuff like : “Awww, poor mother…” because she feels guilty of sending Max to that Hitler Youth Camp, and she wants him back to her side now, to protect him somehow. Truthfully, the mother’s worry and guilt towards her children is understandable. And mostly how she now wants a simple life for them, but at least a life where they’re safe and not in the middle of a bloody war. So they can at least live.

In my opinion, both POVs are survival stories, but in very different perspectives. Max is on the run, trying to survive the harsh reality of war and nature as he tries to reach his house with his best friend Hans. Meanwhile, the mother, Marguerite, is endeavoring to survive her time with her captor, a high-ranking nazi officer, and also trying to keep her daughter, Anna, safe.

Once the author used the title as a sentence, and gosh, was I happy! 😀 I love when they do that. Also, the author always leaves us with tension, questions, or cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. It’s fun! And very intriguing.

“The world pulls away. It feels as if she has lost her footing and been hurled into the air, weightless, staring at the endless glory of the stars, all the time bracing for the smack of bone on ice.” (Marguerite's POV)

This quote exemplifies really well how reading this book feels like: it’s tense, and like I need to know more, but at the same time, I know I’ll be smacked hard with shock and feels with what happens next, what truly happened, and the information given as we move forward! The End and the Beginning reads like a psychological thriller—it’s enjoyable!

Something that totally impressed me is that he side characters are not furniture like they are in most stories! They have lives and agendas of their own in this one. One even helps Marguerite without her knowing until the act is done, and bravo! So realistic, and fun to bring a side character’s secret agenda in like this against the Nazi keeping them prisoners.

My heart ached, and I was tearful in the last chapter with Max. So unfair for this little boy. But hadn’t Germany been unfair to most?

Moreover, I love that the author tells us how her research went and how she learned of Edmund’s story through generous relatives and more at the end of the book. It’s very fascinating and insightful to know, both for other authors and readers alike. She also added her sources, yay! I always find this so thrilling because I love to read more about captivating topics.

Lastly, I am glad this novel exists, if only to tell Edmund’s story, and also to talk about how it was inside Germany and with their indoctrination.

The Negative Points

Unfortunately, I noticed there were a few French errors… I speak French as my first language, and I am an editor, so it’s quite easy for me to spot those. I really hope a French-speaking editor worked on these sentences before publication.

Also, I think I had a bad timing with this book. It’s quite a heavy read in terms of topics and emotions, and I’m recovering from an open-heart surgery and it’s hard. So, two heavy things at the same time weren’t perhaps the best pairing in my life at the moment because it turned out hard to read…

I am not a fan of slow-paced reads, and according to the blurb, I imagined there would be more action. But all that is subjective, and while this is a heavy read, with a sense of impending doom written throughout, don’t let it deter you from reading this original book! These reasons are personal, and you might find this book at the right moment, and love the slow character-driven focus!

I am taking away one star because the blurb really made me think it would be action-filled, or at least told at a rapid pace. Also, because of the French errors—there weren’t many, but I really hope they’ve been checked by a French-speaking editor before publication.

In Conclusion

All in all, I really enjoyed this book’s structure and the agency of the side characters, as well as the thorough research. While it was a hard read for me due to timing, it was nonetheless very unique and interesting. I give The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom a rating of 4 stars out of 5! It’s an original debut book, and I hope you will give it a read!

If you want to learn more about the author, K. J. Holdom, make sure to head over to her website, her S&S author page, as well as her Goodreads author page. Don't forget to add The End and the Beginning to your wishlist, your cart, or your digital bookshelves!