When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

Published: May 14, 2024 by Tor Books

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Synopsis:

We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill.

Pain is Ala’s inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

Together they must fight against time and the wrath of the Chicago underworld. But Dymitr’s secrets—and his true motives—may be the thing that actually destroys them.

Rating:

Review:

I am a pretty big fan of Veronica Roth. I really loved her Divergent series and wasn’t nearly as disappointed with book three in that series as other people were. I have been wanting to read this one for awhile because it sounded very different from her other work. In the end it was, fine. Which is worse than I expected but still an enjoyable read.

The biggest hurdle that this book had was how short it was. It was a very melancholy story with a lot of people who feel emotions deeply. But the short nature of the book didn’t allow these things to be fully fleshed out. Add in that we had multiple points of view in the book, which means that we only get a surface level introduction to each of the characters. I wanted to sit with these characters and let them explore their emotions and all of the dramatic events happening around them, but we didn’t get that opportunity here.

I was also a big fan of exploring the Polish folklore. Some folklore is overdone in the fiction world, so this was a nice adventure into a folklore that doesn’t get a lot of time to be center stage. It was a lot of fun for that reason.

I didn’t expect a book so short to have a twist ending, but I wasn’t disappointed. The twist was good. The ending was good. It hooked me into reading the next book. Without that ending I think I would have put this down and forgotten that a second book even existed. The premise was a 5 star. The characters were a solid 3.5-4 stars. World building was a 1 star. It was a fun book and it made me interested to see what happens next.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

Published: February 25, 2025 by Knopf

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Synopsis:

On Oct 25th, after just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” This tweet was viewed over 10 million times.

One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This chronicles the deep fracture which has occurred for Black, brown, indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse.

This book is a reckoning with what it means to live in the west, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countries—America, the UK, France and Germany.  It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands we’re undergoing a shift in the so-called ‘rules-based order,’ a generation that understands the west can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omar’s own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11.

This book is his heartsick breakup letter with the west. It is a breakup we are watching all over the U.S., on college campuses, on city streets, and the consequences of this rupture will be felt by all of us. His book is for all the people who want something better than what the west has served up. This is the book for our time.

Rating:

Review:

When I cracked open this book I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Obviously I knew about the subject matter, you’d have to be living under a rock to not be aware of it. I also knew that this book was heavily divisive almost exclusively along political lines. Which I thought was weird, the situation in Palestine is non-political. It is a human issue. But that view of it was naive on my part. Unfortunately we live in a world where morals are political. Treatment of other humans depends on our political affiliation. And that is where this book got it right.

El Akkad came in with pure, straight facts. He describes Israel as an empire that is determined to treat the people in Gaza like criminals simply for existing. He points out that yes, Hamas is a terrorist organization. But, while western media likes to portray the people in Gaza as willing participants in Hamas’ rule, they are just as much under the thumb of Hamas as they are Israel. He poignantly points out that western democracies ignore these facts and atrocities because it is too politically inconvenient to try and hold an “ally” accountable.

At times the book got repetitive, but I understand why. The author wants to expound on the same point repeatedly to make sure that his point gets across. It also highlights that portraying people who are “Middle Eastern” or Muslim as being less than human is not a new tactic to the west. We’ve been doing it for decades. Which just makes it even easier to ignore atrocities. Because those people are bad. Those people are not like us. So we wrap ourselves in silence and use that as an excuse.

This was an uncomfortable book to read, which is exactly what it should be. If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable then you didn’t get the point. In the end there is nothing earth shattering in here, but it’s a very good primer on the Gaza situation.

Sometimes though, the Muse calls. Other times she stands in front of your face and demands attention.

In this case my Muse was very surly with me and demanded my attention. I had a book that I haven’t been able to let go of for weeks. I am dreaming about it. I am thinking about it constantly. I am plotting it out on scraps of paper at stoplights. And so, I have given in and started a brand new domestic thriller.

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A little tickle of the very rough draft if you like. I have done not a single lick of editing so far, we are writing on vibes only:

Turning off the car once he was safely in the driveway, everything went dark except for the cabin light. The house was dark and his home was set far enough off the street that the streetlamps leaked very little light into the yard. Graham took his briefcase from the passenger seat, put his phone in his pocket, and stepped out of the SUV. The door banged shut behind him and the car beeped into the quiet night as he locked the doors. He walked around the end of his wife’s car to trek down the side of the house. The cans had to be out on the curb by five. There was no point in waiting until morning.

As he walked to the side of the house, he noticed that the gate into the backyard was open. His eyebrows wrinkled together, and he bypassed the cans to go close it. It came about halfway before it stopped. Frowning, he backed the gate up a few inches and tried again. Stopped in the same place. He removed his phone from pocket and turned on the flashlight.

Sweeping it across the grass, he stopped short. He saw something in the grass that wasn’t grass. It was a light golden color. He moved forward and dropped his phone as he screamed. It bounced off the ground and landed with the flashlight pointing straight up, momentarily blinding him. He shouted, “Elise?!” And knelt on the ground.

Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack

Published: February 10, 2026 by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

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Synopsis:

A 32-year-old sex worker has just killed extremist political hopeful Meat Neck. Holed up in an off-the-grid cabin in the woods, she now has only two days, her wits and a high-speed internet connection to save her own life.

Her best bet is to reach out to the wildly popular feminist investigative podcast Justice for Bimbos. In a hastily-typed series of emails, the newly-minted "Murder Bimbo" explains how she was recruited and then trained by a cabal of code-named US agents to take out Meat Neck.

But, when she starts a new set of emails, this time addressed to her ex-girlfriend, we begin to realize that Murder Bimbo might not be the unsuspecting cog she claims to be.

In a time where 'truth' is more flexible than ever before - who really is Murder Bimbo? And what will she do next?

Rating:

Review:

Maybe I would have liked this book more if I hadn’t already read and LOVED Trad Wife. Instead, this book felt like a less well executed story about a similar topic. It tried to harness the same female rage, but it wasn’t as well done.

This book is split into three parts. Each part tells the same story but from different perspectives. In theory this is a really good idea. In practice, it made the story feel repetitive. Essentially the book was telling me the exact same story multiple times with only slight differences. This caused my attention to wander and it was difficult to stay engaged.

The protagonist was well written and I enjoyed her narrative. She is sharp and witty. Blunt and chaotic. You get the sense over and over again that she will only tell you the truth if it suits her ends. A non-binary sex worker who because a political assassin is unique and it was enjoyable to hear her story. Often times unreliable narrators are overdone, but this book struck the right balance in my opinion.

The layover to the currently political climate was too on the nose. It is painfully obvious what the political figure we’re going for is and I would have preferred for the story to be less targeted. I was hoping to be able to imagine numerous political figures in that space but because it is such an accurate layover, there is only one. It felt limiting and doesn’t allow the reader to interpret the political message. Trying to couch the obvious was annoying.

In the end this was an entertaining book with an entertaining protagonist, but it just isn’t interesting enough to tell it three times.

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Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer

Published: February 10, 2026 by Berkley

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Synopsis:

1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.

Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.

Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love....

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Rating:

Review:

Before reading this book, I highly recommend reading the author’s note. This is a heavy book that deals with heavy topics. There are lots of potentially triggering topics, so take care if you plan on reading.

I wanted to enjoy this book, because the synopsis made the premise sound fascinating and compelling. The buzz surrounding this book was widespread and I saw positive reviews of it constantly. So, my expectations on opening the cover were high. The prose in this novel is beautiful and thoughtful. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else of substance.

There was a lot of information dumping and it got boring. I wanted more context on the Maroons in Jamaica, but I didn’t get it. Interestingly the author mentions that she didn’t know a lot about the Maroons either when she began writing. Which is where the problem occurred. She wanted to show us all the interesting things she learned, and so she did. But because it was new information for her also she couldn’t present it in a way that didn’t sound like a Wikipedia page. This could have been a huge world building opportunity, but it passed us by.

The rest of the plot was sparse and didn’t grab my attention. It started to pick up pace in the latter half of the book but by then my attention was too far gone. This is a books with great ideas and great bones, but failed to tell a compelling story.

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Hekate - The Witch by Nikita Gill

Published: September 16, 2025 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Synopsis:

Born into a world on fire, Godling Hekate has never known safety. After her parents are on the losing side of the war between the ruling Titans and new Olympian Gods, Hekate is taken by her mother Asteria to the Underworld, where Styx and Hades agree to raise her. Meanwhile, Asteria is pursued across the world by Zeus and Poseidon and, to escape their clutches, transforms herself into an island in a stormy sea.

Orphaned and alone, Hekate grows up amongst the horrors and beauties of the Underworld, desperate to find her divine purpose and a sense of belonging in the land of the dead.

When Hekate finally uncovers her powers and ascends to Goddess status, she realises that even the most powerful Olympians are terrified of her. But when immortal war breaks out again, threatening to destroy everything from Mount Olympus to the Underworld itself, the Goddess of witchcraft and necromancy is the only one who can bring the deadly conflict to an end. . .

Rating:

Review:

This book seems to be a prime example of “Everyone loved it but me.” It’s very highly rated, and plenty of people clearly connected with it. I started to wonder if maybe I was just in a bad mood, so I shelved it for a few days and tried again. I still couldn’t connect with it. Even after pushing through 50% of the book, I just couldn’t enjoy it. Which is frustrating, because I normally love retellings and absolutely adore mythology.

What I didn’t realize when I picked this up is that it’s written in verse. Frankly, if I’d known that beforehand, I might not have read it. The writing style was incredibly distracting. Unfortunately, what sometimes happens with “in verse” writing is that the author isn’t really writing poetry; they’re just separating sentences into multiple lines. That’s exactly how this book felt. It didn’t read like poetry; it just made the prose feel choppy and disjointed. Combined with some paragraphs that were completely normal, which was equally disjointed and distracting.

The problems didn’t stop there, unfortunately. Hekate was reduced to a whiny child, which I absolutely hated. I love Hekate, and I desperately wanted a different take on her, but this felt insulting to the original myth. This was supposed to be a story about powerful, dangerous women. Instead, it felt like a tale about a simpering, insecure child trapped in the most heteronormative relationship imaginable.

Nearly nothing happens in the first 50% of the book either. I found it desperately boring.

I’d recommend skipping this one.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published: June 3, 2025 by Ballantine Books

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Synopsis:

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.

Rating:

Review:

“Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”

Initially I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about this book. In the beginning chapters I struggled to connect with the story. I didn’t feel like I could connect to the Joan or the other characters and I was struggling with the plot. I found it frustrating that we open with a pivotal and exciting moment and then come to a complete halt to explore the several years preceding that moment. This plot is a slow burn. However, there’s many important reasons to stay focused on the plot because it becomes so instrumental later on.

Once we got to know Joan a little more, I absolutely fell in love with this book. I was expecting more space than we got, but by the middle I didn’t really care anymore. I was so engrossed in Joan and her budding friendships and romance and her relationship with her sister and niece.

I saw a review that said “This book feels like the author is simultaneously breaking your heart and giving you a kiss on the forehead” and I couldn’t agree more. I can’t remember the last time I was aware at 2am and ugly crying to a book ending, but this one was the one. Nail biting tension, sweet tenderness, frustrating familial relationships, heartbreaking outcomes, all contained within these pages.

I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But I will say, this is the easier five stars I’ve ever given. This will undoubtedly be a Top 10 Book of all time for me. I just saw it on the shelf at the bookstore and starting crying again, I am tearing up just writing this review. Seriously, read this book.

“You make my life worth something. And I can promise you with my entire body that you will never be alone. Every day, you can wake up and go to bed knowing there is someone whose heart is bursting, barely able to contain how much they love you. I know you’re my niece, Frances. But you have always, too, been mine.”

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The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

Published: December 9, 2025 by Park Row

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Synopsis:

Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, the quintessential TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter has become distant and Greta’s once-glittering career feels like a distant memory.

When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, Greta wakes in the idyllic make-believe town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?

Rating:

Review:

Once upon a time Greta Parks was a television commercial icon. She starred in an iconic coffee commercial with her husband and her daughter. Everyone remembers her fondly and she has been living in the glory days of that fame ever since. But, things aren’t like they are on television. Now, Greta is in a failing marriage and separated from her husband. Her cute, adorable daughter is now a teenager and behaving…..well, like a teenager. Greta finds herself falling into reminiscing about the way things used to be and how different she wanted her life to be.

Then she stumbles across a coffee shop that promises to make her dreams come true. She can have the life that she wants. Well, for the short term anyway. There are a few rules. She can only visit for a limited time and has to answer a few questions about her experience for the shop owner when she returns. She drinks the coffee and finds herself in the town that her Maple Gold commercials were set in. And she has the wonderful marriage and perfect child that she’s been dreaming about. As her real life slowly falls apart around her, Greta is increasingly drawn to the perfection of Mapleville and wants to never leave.

This book was perfectly cozy and a genuinely fun read. We have all sat and looked at our lives and wondered “What if?” And this book gives us a thoughtful and sweet answer. Perfect might be nice to visit but it can’t replace the real people that you love. If you’re looking for a quick, fun little journey into magical realism then this is highly recommended. My only gripe was that it was a bit predictable. But it’s a cozy, it wasn’t meant to be groundbreaking or shocking.

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Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer

Published: February 10, 2026 by Crooked Lane Books

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Synopsis:

Every #tradwife needs a baby. She’ll get one at any cost.

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband Graham have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy.

When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby. Afterwards, she has unsettling experiences that she convinces herself are angelic in nature, and when she’s visited one night by a strange creature, her wish comes true.

Camille’s pregnancy announcement gets more engagement than anything she’s ever posted—so what if Graham’s reaction is lukewarm? Camille’s life is finally falling into place. Never mind that her pregnancy is developing freakishly rapidly and she’s suddenly craving raw meat. Being a traditional wife is worth it.

Rating:

Review:

In the opening chapters of this book we are introduced to four of the six recurring characters. Camille, Graham, her father and her mother (who died when she was a child). I immediately despised all of them. Which was the point. The only person I had the least bit of sympathy for was Camille. She was raised to believe that being a good wife and a mother was her sole function in life. If she can only manage to be the perfect helpmate then she’ll have a fabulous and rewarding lifestyle. A lot of women can relate to being raised in an environment like this. And being duped into believing that being a good wife is the key to a rewarding life. I felt a lot of empathy with her in her naivety.

And, at first, it works. Her husband is distant but willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money on making sure she can perfectly manicure the #tradwife look for her growing following online. She has the floral dress, the apron, the spotless house, the bread making, the garden, and the home cooked meals ready when Graham comes home. And, even better, they just moved into the perfect farmhouse with plenty of space to grow her trad wife life and her online following.

The only thing Camille doesn’t have is a baby. They’re trying, but it just isn’t happening. How is Camille going to launch herself into the next level of trad wife stardom without a baby? So, she literally visits an old well on their property and wishes for a baby. Then she gets visited by an angel who offers to give her a baby. Well, she’s not really sure it’s an angel but she’s going to pretend that it is. It quickly becomes clear that it was not an angel, but by then it’s too late.

As things progress through the pregnancy and through the plot there is really only one way that things are going to end. Indeed, that’s exactly how it goes. But along the way this tells a beautiful story about the journey of womanhood. The naivety of youth. The anger and despair when you realize that the patriarchy lied to you about everything just to extract your labor and your body for their benefit. Then the absolute rage and desire to burn the system down when you realize that it will never suit your needs, nor even see you as a human being with real needs and wants. This was glorious. It was such a poignant tale of feminism and female rage. I loved every sentence and I wanted it to continue.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Published: July 21, 2007 by Scholastic Inc.

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Synopsis:

It's no longer safe for Harry at Hogwarts, so he and his best friends, Ron and Hermione, are on the run. Professor Dumbledore has given them clues about what they need to do to defeat the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, once and for all, but it's up to them to figure out what these hints and suggestions really mean. Their cross-country odyssey has them searching desperately for the answers, while evading capture or death at every turn. At the same time, their friendship, fortitude, and sense of right and wrong are tested in ways they never could have imagined. The ultimate battle between good and evil that closes out this final chapter of the epic series takes place where Harry's Wizarding life began: at Hogwarts. The satisfying conclusion offers shocking last-minute twists, incredible acts of courage, powerful new forms of magic, and the resolution of many mysteries. Above all, this intense, cathartic book serves as a clear statement of the message at the heart of the Harry Potter series: that choice matters much more than destiny, and that love will always triumph over death.

Rating:

Review:

I have read a lot of series finales with mixed results. Sometimes the ending is awful. Sometimes it’s decent but not earth-shattering. And sometimes it’s absolutely perfect. This is an ending that is absolutely perfect.

Every time I read this series, I am amazed all over again at how layered and nuanced the story and characters are. This book tells the story and history of every character within its pages. I loved getting all of the backstory on Dumbledore, though I still don’t agree with Harry’s continued respect for him. Snape was right when he said that Dumbledore raised Harry like a pig for slaughter. It may have been unavoidable in a certain sense, and Dumbledore believed the ends justified the means—but it was still abhorrent.

Snape gets his moment to shine through the darkness and reveal himself as the true hero of the story. Not the one who stood tall in the spotlight, but the one who worked quietly from the shadows without receiving any credit at all.

No matter how many times I’ve read this book, it still affects me emotionally. I get scared for Harry. I cry when someone is lost. I grieve the choices that Harry must make. I feel compassion for the choices everyone else is forced to make simply because they are associated with him. This is not just a story about Harry Potter defeating Voldemort. It is a story about an entire community looking at Voldemort and saying, “No more. We will sacrifice anything to stop you.”

I just love this world, and I will never get enough of it. From here, I’ll start all over again with a review of the full-cast audiobook series. I’m very excited to get started on those. Those reviews will likely focus more on the audio performance rather than the story, since I’ve just completed my thoughts on the story itself.

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Published: August 8, 2023 by Scribner

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Synopsis:

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will transform into that of a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist's heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband's fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis fully transforms? Then, a glimpse of Lewis's developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with a college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this daring novel is the story of Wren's mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents' crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren's grief eventually collides, and she meets her fears with surrender, choosing to love fully, now.

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Rating:

Review:

This book was not at all what I expected it to be. It was weird, but also beautiful. It was thought-provoking and deeply sad. It was hopeful and shattering. It was familiar and entirely alien. The author took the hypothetical question, “Would you still love me if I were a worm?” and turned it into an entire world where people have genetic anomalies that transform them into animals. It’s so common that there are entire hospitals specialized in their care, along with laws that govern what must happen when a person is no longer sufficiently human or becomes potentially dangerous.

This is where we meet Wren and Lewis. They are newly married and enjoying their lives together when Lewis receives his devastating diagnosis. From there, we’re launched into a story about loving someone you will inevitably lose. They won’t be dead, but they won’t be human anymore. You’ll have to let them go and grieve their loss, knowing that their life continues as an animal without you. Wren is devastated because she went through this with her mother, who turned into a Komodo dragon when she was a girl. And so she does for Lewis what she did for her mother—she becomes his caretaker.

This book is an excruciating look at the toll that caretaking and terminal illness take on everyone in a family. We see the trauma and grief in an unflinching way. This book made me sob many times. It was heartbreaking. Wren struggles to be the strong one while Lewis deals with denial and anger over his diagnosis. Later, Lewis has a chance to be the strong one for Wren after he has accepted his fate, but she desperately wants to save him—or at least believe that someday there will be a cure and she can get her husband back. Their goodbye was one of the most emotional things I have ever read.

“Lewis finally understood the log line of their love story: He was an aimless kite in search of a string to ground him to the world, but instead, he’d found Wren, a great, strong wind who supported his exploration of the sky.”

This book is highly recommended. It will likely be among my favorite books of the year.

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How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley

Published: January 20, 2026 by Pantheon

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Synopsis:

Summer, 1986. The Creel sisters, Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna, welcome their aunt, uncle and young cousin—newly arrived from India—into their house in rural Wyoming where they’ll all live together. Because this is what families do. That is, until the sisters decide that it’s time for their uncle to die.

According to Georgie, the British are to blame. And to understand why, you need to hear her story. She details the violence hiding in their house and history, her once-unshakeable bond with Agatha Krishna, and her understanding of herself as an Indian-American in the heart of the West. Her account is, at every turn, cheeky, unflinching, and infectiously inflected with the trappings of teendom, including the magazine quizzes that help her make sense of her life. At its heart, the tale she weaves is:
a) a vivid portrait of an extended family
b) a moving story of sisterhood
c) a playful ode to the 80s
d) a murder mystery (of sorts)
e) an unexpected and unwaveringly powerful meditation on history and language,
trauma and healing, and the meaning of independence

Or maybe it’s really:

f) all of the above.

Rating:

Review:

Let me start by saying that the primary theme of this book is the exploitation and commodification of brown bodies. It offers a dark account of some of the most horrifying experiences faced by those who inhabit them. The subject matter is heavy and unflinching: racism, CSA, sexual assault, internalized racism, and abuse. If these topics are triggering for you, this may not be the book to pick up.

I found the novel as depressing as it was riveting. The author is a vivid, descriptive writer, and the darker elements are delivered with a gut-wrenching bluntness. For those reasons, I really wanted to love this book. But there were several elements that felt out of place. The teen magazine quizzes, for example, were distracting. I understand they were meant to add a layer of humor or irony, but I found them jarring rather than effective.

There are also a lot of tangents. By the end, it felt like I’d been given thousands of fragments rather than a fully realized story. Georgie has a strong, distinct voice, but I wish it had come through more clearly beneath the meandering structure of the narrative. The book touches on racism, abuse, CSA, bullying, Indian history, sisterhood, and more. It’s a lot for one novel to carry.

Overall, this is a book I desperately wanted to love but ultimately felt disappointed by. It’s not a bad book—it just wasn’t quite what I expected.

Adrift by Will Dean

Published: February 17, 2026 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

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Synopsis:

Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.

With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.

Rating:

Review:

This book shows a lot of promise early on, but it quickly became clear that there were problems with the narrative. Drew is an obvious villain. His cruelty has no complexity, only persistence and inevitability. From the first page, you know you’re dealing with a monster. While he may have gaslit his family into believing he’s a good man, the reader is afforded no such illusion. His nature is laid bare. We don’t even get a glimpse of him pretending to be kind or loving, and based on what we’re shown, I have no idea why Peggy married him in the first place.

When a story presents such an undeniable, overarching villain, it creates an expectation of comeuppance. I spent the entire first half of the book hoping it would end with Drew facing the consequences he deserved. Unfortunately, it also became clear that it wouldn’t. Just as we get no complexity from Drew, we get no real insight into Peggy or any sense of her drive to change her circumstances. The only thing I felt certain of was more unrelenting, plodding abuse. Frankly, I didn’t want to keep reading that. So I stopped and looked up the ending. I was right. There’s no sense of resolution here, and I don’t regret walking away.

While it may be more true to life that some victims of abuse struggle to leave, that alone doesn’t make for a rewarding story.

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It’s Not You by Ramani Durvasala, PhD

Published: February 20, 2024 by The Open Field

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Synopsis:

A transformative guide to protecting and healing yourself from the narcissism you can’t see, from psychologist and preeminent narcissism expert Dr. Ramani Durvasula

It’s not always easy to tell when you’re dealing with a narcissist. One day they draw you in with their confidence and charisma, the next they gaslight you, wreck your self-confidence, and leave you wondering, What could I have done differently?

As Dr. Ramani Durvasula reveals in It's Not You , the answer absolutely nothing. Just as a tiger can’t change its stripes, a narcissist won’t stop manipulating and invalidating you. To heal in the aftermath of their abuse and protect yourself from future harm, you first have to accept that you are not to blame.

Deeply compassionate and revelatory, It’s Not You examines how narcissists hijack our wellbeing and offers a healing path forward. Drawing on more than 20 years of studying, teaching, and helping clients navigate the landscape of narcissism, Dr. Durvasula unpacks the oft-misunderstood personality, showing how to identify the telltale signs that you may be dealing with a narcissist and protect yourself from their toxic influence. Along the way, you’ll learn how to become gaslight resistant, chip away at the trauma bonds that keep us stuck in these cycles, grieve the losses, create realistic boundaries, learn the fine art of discernment, and recover your sense of self after years of invalidation.

Healing and thriving after or even during a narcissistic relationship can be challenging, but it is possible. It's Not You shows that the first step is to stop trying to change the narcissistic person, stop blaming yourself, and start giving yourself permission to foster your autonomy and sense of self outside of this relationship.

Rating:

Review:

Everyone who has had any kind of relationship that left them feeling confused, unstable, doubtful, uncertain, or simply traumatized needs to read this book. Narcissism is one of those conditions that is rarely formally diagnosed, as Dr. Durvasula notes, because many of its defining traits discourage individuals from seeking help. As a result, there are likely far more narcissists in the world than we realize. There is also an important distinction between narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic traits.

Humans are inherently narcissistic at birth. Infants must be this way to survive; they focus entirely on their own needs and comfort, often at the expense of others. As we grow, family and society help instill empathy, and these narcissistic tendencies typically diminish. However, we all display narcissistic traits at times and to varying degrees. Some individuals, though, use these traits to harm others. This is the group the book addresses.

Having encountered people like this throughout my life—in family, work, and relationships—I can personally attest to the damage they can cause. This is what led me to seek out this book: how do you heal from something so harmful? It serves as an excellent introduction to that process.

I appreciated the book’s exploration of the many ways narcissism can manifest. No two harmful individuals are exactly alike, and the book illustrates this well. For example, Mother Gothel and Donald Trump may both be highly narcissistic, but they exist at very different ends of the spectrum. The book helps clarify these distinctions so readers can better identify behaviors that may be causing harm.

The latter part of the book focuses on healing, both for those who can leave a destructive relationship and for those who cannot safely do so at the moment. Both situations are real, yet it’s rare to see a self-help book address them so directly. Sometimes it is safer to leave; other times, it is safer to stay. This book offers guidance for both circumstances.

My only criticism is that the book can feel somewhat repetitive. At times, it revisits the same ideas more than necessary. Still, this is a minor issue that didn’t impact my experience. Your mileage may vary.

First, a little background on the story. I wrote the first draft as part of National Novel Writing Month, a writing challenge with the goal of producing 50,000 words in 30 days. And I did. I wrote this story in just 30 days. While National Novel Writing Month no longer exists, I love the challenge so much that I still do it every year. For me, simply getting words on the page is the best motivation to write.

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After finishing the rough draft, I forbid myself from reading it for at least 90 days. This is typical for me, because I tend to think everything I write is garbage. So I leave it alone long enough to forget much of it. Then I read it from beginning to end without making any edits, just reading. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought! Some parts were actually good.

However, I had always envisioned the story as Micah’s. It’s his story to tell. Somewhere along the way, though, he irritated me so much that I killed him off and promoted a secondary character, Delia, to the lead role. This created a lot of problems, so I ended up doing a complete rewrite to fix Micah’s character and restore him as the main protagonist.

Since then, I’ve done so many rounds of edits that I’ve lost count. I added a prologue, introduced side characters, and built out additional storylines—then removed them, added new ones, and reshaped the narrative again. The usual editing process. Eventually, when it felt finished, I put it away.

Only recently did I bring it out of hibernation to prepare it for querying. That’s when I discovered the problem.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the story. It’s good. Some parts are even great! In fact, it’s the first novel I’ve written that made me gag, which I consider a big accomplishment. The issue is that Micah is still the main character. While he’s much more compelling now than in earlier drafts, Delia is just as compelling, and it feels wrong to relegate her to a secondary role.

So I’ve spent several months trying to decide what to do. Should I rewrite the entire story and make her the protagonist? It would likely be more compelling and much more morally gray—something I love to explore. It could become an urban fantasy with a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners female lead. Who doesn’t love that?

Or should I tell a more nuanced story? Should I split the point of view and give both Micah and Delia their moments? This approach creates an interesting contrast between them: the gritty, no-nonsense veteran and the jumpy rookie who might drop out (or die) but who ultimately surprises everyone.

I think I’ve finally made my decision: I’m going to tell the story through a dual POV. I know this approach can frustrate some readers, and for good reason since it’s often overused or unnecessary. But for this story, it feels right. It gives me more creative freedom and allows me to explore both characters individually and together, which is far more interesting than focusing on just one.

So that’s what I’ve been working on and why I haven’t shared more since posting the prologue. It’s going to be a labor of love, but I believe it will result in a story I truly care about. And I hope you will too.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on some flash fiction that I hope to share soon. I may also share another novel, possibly one still in progress. We’ll see.

I can’t wait to share it all with you. I hope you’ll join me for the journey, whether as a free subscriber or by pledging support for a future subscription. I’m not sure when I’ll officially enable subscriptions (likely when I can commit to a more consistent posting schedule) but if you’re interested, you can pledge now to show your support.

Also, I really appreciate your likes and comments—they help more people discover my work.

Keep writing, keep reading. I’ll talk to you again soon.

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Dig Me a Grave by Dick Harpootlian

Published: December 16, 2025 by Citadel

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Synopsis:

Of the hundreds of murder cases that noted South Carolina attorney Dick Harpootlian has prosecuted, one in particular haunts him. Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins was a serial killer and rapist, a master manipulator who claimed to have killed over 100 people and is known to have murdered over a dozen, including a toddler, and his own teenage niece. Yet it was on Death Row that he pulled off his most audacious murder—killing another inmate with a military grade explosive.

As personable as he was ruthless, Pee Wee defied easy categories. He killed to avenge minor slights as well as for pleasure, using any convenient method—including stabbing, shooting, poison, suffocation, and drowning. Evidence suggested he forced at least one victim to dig his own grave, stand in it, and be shot.

With escalating callousness, Pee Wee murdered acquaintances, friends, family members, and strangers. Yet within his North Charleston community he was well-liked—a family man who took neighborhood kids to the beach and hosted cookouts. Ice-cold within but outwardly charming, he joked with judges, reporters, and Harpootlian himself, but didn’t hesitate to hatch a plot to kidnap the prosecutor’s daughter in order to extort an escape.

Rating:

Review:

Having read a lot of books about serial killers over the years, I was excited to dive into this one. I have not heard of PeeWee Gaskins and found the brief synopsis fascinating. A man who managed to murder someone with explosives while on death row?? Sign me up!

The best part of this book was the actual conversations and discovery of Gaskins. I found Gaskins to be utterly fascinating. He was completely depraved and yet believed himself to be an average sort of fellow. He treated his victims with utter disdain but was perfectly polite when he wanted to be. This kind of contradiction is very appealing to read about and boggles the mind.

Unfortunately the rest of this book was very confusing. Because this is an investigation that took years and continued for a long time even after Gaskins was imprisoned, there’s a lot of people involved. But I had a difficult time keeping them all straight. The author presents the information in a matter of fact way, which I appreciated, but it meant I didn’t connect to any of the characters. They blended together into the background and it left me very confused. This book felt like it had a lot of filler that wasn’t needed. And it impacted how much I enjoyed the book. I fell asleep at one point but didn’t really care enough to go back and listen to what I missed.

If you’re very familiar with Gaskins already then this will undoubtedly add layers of complexity and color to the story that you already know. If you’re knew to the story of Gaskins, maybe listen to a podcast about it first so that you can keep up.

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Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholz

Published: November 18, 2025 by Ace

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Synopsis:

She traded curses for carnations. But old magic dies hard...

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlethwaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer's right-hand witch, she's ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison.

The quiet town of Dragon's Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be...good. Even if her reputation - and her mildly homicidal, sentient houseplant - make that tricky.

Her vibrant bouquets soon charm the locals, but nothing she does seems to impress the grumpy (and infuriatingly gorgeous) Nathaniel Marsh, the alchemist she's forced to share a greenhouse with.

But when a strange blight begins to rot the roots of Dragon's Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together - through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings - to save the town.

And as old secrets start to surface, Violet can't help but does a former villain like her truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

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Rating:

Review:

I often will pick a book based on a pretty cover or a good synopsis. This one pulled me in with both. The cover gave cozy romance vibes but with a fantasy twist. And it is exactly what I expected. It completely met the expectation of being a cozy fantasy with a side of romance. Dragon’s Rest was a great little village to spend time in. I wanted to pull up a cup of tea with the plants too.

This book also had a lot going on. A flower shop trying to establish itself. The apothecary and the troubles there. The blight that threatens the village. Violet dealing with her prior villain status and worry about the town finding out. I felt like we didn’t need a romance. Frankly, it felt a little forced and unnecessary. It seemed to be a plot device to raise the stakes for Violet when her prior villain lifestyle is inevitably revealed. But because the rest of the book was so busy it just fell a little flat. We didn’t have the time to let their romance blossom (bad pun fully intended). The banter was fun. The attraction was cute. But it didn’t add much else to the plot.

I was interested in the story of how Violet would redeem herself. She was a pretty bad person. Slaughtering whole villages level villain. Ultimately though it felt low stakes when it shouldn’t have.

In the end, I can’t really complaint about it nor can I sing its praises. It was exactly what it is marketed to be. A low stakes, cozy fantasy with a side of romance. I enjoyed it.

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Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton

Published: December 9, 2025 by Gallery/Scout Press

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Synopsis:

Kirby Cornell needs a break from everything:

- Her crumbling apartment in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its bucolic countryside and a second-rate serial killer from the ’90s).
- Her dead-end job.
- Her sleazy landlord
- Her messy roommates.
- And, most of all, the terrible thing they all did.

Luckily, that hasn’t caught up with her just yet. Until a new message on their old group chat pops up: Everyone in the group chat dies.

It’s the first text her ex-roommate Esme has sent for ages, but that’s not the really weird thing.

The really weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago…

Rating:

Review:

This book was quite an interesting ride. If I’m being honest, I thought that I might not finish it during the first half. It just wasn’t that engaging at first. Kirby is a thirty-something who lost her job and can’t seem to get her life together. Her roommates are no better. For a group of people in their thirties, they seem to act like teenagers. They don’t know how to adult and come across as very immature.

The story switches back and forth between “then” and “now.” This was handled very well, and the “then” sections were quite intriguing and set the stage for the larger story. But they also highlight how all of the characters were almost exactly the same as they are “now.” That’s not a good thing and only solidified in my mind that they are desperately immature.

However, once we hit the halfway point, this story really started to rock and roll. The pace took off rapidly and never let up until the end. I read the entire second half in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened next. I started to get an inkling that I knew what the ending would be, but it still managed to surprise me. I only partially figured out the twist, and I always enjoy it when a book keeps me guessing.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. The pacing in the second half was fantastic and managed to keep my anxiety high right along with the characters. My biggest criticism was how immature they are—it pains me when grown adults are unable to behave like adults. Based on this book, though, I think I will pick up other books from this author, so they definitely did a lot of things right.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Published: July 16, 2005 by Scholastic Inc.

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Synopsis:

The war against Voldemort is not going well: even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of The Daily Prophet looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Harry struggles to uncover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince, the past owner of a potions textbook he now possesses that is filled with ingenious, potentially deadly, spells. But Harry's life is suddenly changed forever when someone close to him is heinously murdered right before his eyes.

With Dumbledore's guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, and thereby attempts to find what may be his only vulnerability.

Rating:

Review:

I am almost finished with my re-listen to the Jim Dale versions of the Harry Potter audiobooks. I discovered that I love these books for so many different reasons now. I am understanding messages and themes this time that I never noticed before. There are details and storylines that I completely forgot that are just amazingly done. Every time I think I can’t appreciate this series enough, I find another thing to love it for.

Note: this review will likely contain spoilers. If you haven’t been spoiled or read these books since they were published… I don’t know what to do for you. Ha!

I had forgotten the true depths that Rowling went to so that she could hide Dumbledore’s true intentions. Legitimately, I had no idea the first time I read this series what we would uncover in Deathly Hallows. No idea. This book also so thoroughly led me to the wrong conclusion about Snape. In this re-read, though, I noticed that I caught the signs more than ever. The way Snape reacts to Harry, the way Dumbledore says things—these are all clues about what’s to come. It is masterfully done. Honestly, as a writer, if I could set up a red herring path half this well, then I would consider it a success.

Another storyline that I forgot existed was the thorough hatred that the Weasley family has for Fleur. I was delighted and laughing so hard at their antics. They were quite unfair to her and made a lot of assumptions about her character, but it was a great lighthearted diversion from the seriousness of the rest of the book. The rest of this book is so dark and depressing that this lightened the mood in all the right ways.

I still hated Harry’s flourishing romance with Ginny. It’s just icky. This is your best friend’s little sister. You’ve stayed over at their house. Sneaking behind her brother’s back to date her was very cringe, and I hated it. I also don’t think that Ginny really understood Harry. Honestly, it was never spelled out for me why they liked each other at all. I don’t get it. Proximity is the only thing that drew these two together. They barely shared pages prior to this book. It was weird.

Luna Lovegood is the star of the show in this book, and I am astounded at what a great character she is. She has the unique ability to meet Harry exactly where he is. She understands grief and trauma. She understands that sometimes that means he lashes out at people, sometimes he withdraws, and sometimes he wants to be distracted. She recognizes all of those things and judges him for none of it. She is such an amazing friend. Luna is a sounding board, a soft place to be vulnerable, but she is not afraid to challenge him when he crosses the line or refuses to listen to her.

If I had to pick one person who would be a good romantic partner for Harry in these books, it’s Luna. They match each other. He meets her exactly where she is, and she meets him exactly where he is. They accept each other and also challenge each other. They allow the other to show up in the world exactly how they wish. Sigh… too bad I will only ever get this pairing in fan fiction.

Moving on, the discoveries about the horcruxes were marvelously done. Harry being sent to retrieve Slughorn’s memory of Tom Riddle was instrumental. You immediately get the sense that Dumbledore knows that horcruxes exist, and he knows that Tom had an idea of how many he wanted to make… he just needs to know the number. Then we have the cave, which was just as hard to listen to this time as it was the first time. It’s emotionally jarring and wrenching—made worse by the fact that I knew what was to come.

The entire scene with Dumbledore and Malfoy was the best part of the book. Dumbledore knew. He knew that Draco didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to be a Death Eater. Not really. He had thought he did, but he was wrong. And he also felt trapped. My heart absolutely broke for Draco. He felt so desperate to do something he didn’t want to do. It was such a good scene to show his inner turmoil and angst about the choices he has made.

Overall, I will never be able to get enough of this series. It is one of the all-time best. After this, I am going to jump into the full-cast audiobook versions and do it all over again. I hope you join me on the ride.

As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel

Published: November 25, 2025 by William Morrow

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Synopsis:

1592. Cybil Harding is a First Daughter. Cursed to bring disaster to those around her, she is trapped in a house with a mother paralyzed by grief and a father willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of magic.

Miriam Richter is a creature of shadow. Forged by the dark arts many years ago, she is doomed to exist for eternity and destined to be alone—killing mortals and consuming their souls for sustenance. Everything changes when she meets Cybil, whose soul shines with a light so bright, she must claim it for herself. She offers a bargain: she will grant Cybil reincarnation in exchange for her soul.

Thus begins a dance across centuries as Miriam seeks Cybil in every lifetime to claim her prize. Cybil isn’t inclined to play by the rules, but when it becomes clear that Miriam holds the key to breaking her family curse, Cybil finds that—for the first time in her many lives—she might have the upper hand. As they circle each other, drawn together inescapably as light and dark, the bond forged between them grows stronger. In their battle for dominance, only one of them can win—but perhaps they can’t survive without each other.

Rating:

Review:

When I read the synopsis of this book, I wasn’t sure what to think about it. It sounded good but I wasn’t sure if it would draw me in. I loved the cover because I instantly logged that it was meant to look like an unraveling tapestry. I decided to give it a try. I was even a little bit skeptical through the first part of the story because I wasn’t immediately drawn in by the story. That changed quite soon.

The writing in this book is beautiful and raw. It’s definitely not lyrical writing that reads more like poetry. It is compelling and emotional. The writing of the book carries the emotion that the characters are feeling. Cybil is a compelling characters all on her own. And so is Miriam. The two of them together are electric. The sexual tension between the two was off the charts and I loved every second of it. The hatred they had for each other was overpowering and it was epic.

Of Cybil’s incarnations in this book, I enjoyed the last one the most. She had transformed so much from when we first met her as the cursed First Daughter who was trying to find a way to end her family’s curse. She had become an amazing woman and a powerful force in the universe. Miriam is just as compelling but in entirely different ways. She drew me in with her charm and every time I started to forget that she was a demon, she reminded me. She was vicious, angry, charming and everything in between.

Watching these two women interact with each other was one of the best stories I’ve ever read. All of their rage, compassion, love, hate, and fear seeped through every page. I can’t recommend this enough, it was a stunning book.

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