Next on my TBR List

My current tbr list: January-February 2022

This list is constantly changing, as my current tbr list on Goodreads is 250+ books long!

I review arcs for NetGalley & publishers, so I add those as I gain access to them because they often need to be read and reviewed (honestly) in a timely manner!

Currently Reading

To see an updated list of what I am currently reading (it changes daily), please check my Goodreads by clicking here.

TBR List for February-March

(pink = finished reading)

The Wedding Season (arc) by Katy Birchall

The Wilde Card (arc) by Ashley R. King

On Schedule (arc) by Summer Dowell

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar (arc)

Together We Burn (arc) by Isabel Ibañez

How to Fake it In Hollywood (arc) by Ava Wilder

The Lies I Tell (arc) by Julie Clark

Silk Fire (arc) by Zabé Ellor

Things We Do In the Dark (arc) by Jennifer Hillier

The Stars Between Us (arc) by Cristin Terrill

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (botm)

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

If we Were Villains by M.L. Rio

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J. Maas

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (botm)

The Magnolia Palace (botm) by Fiona Davis

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (botm)

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

TBR List for January

(brown = finished reading)

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - (click here to see a review of this book)

Hooked by Emily McIntire

After the Plague by Imogen Keeper (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

My Significant Nobody by Stevie D. Parker - (click here to see a review of this book)

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong - (click here to see a review of this book)

These Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim (arc)) - (click here to see a review of this book)

Little Bird by Tiffany Meuret (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (botm) - (click here to see a review of this book)

A Coin for the Ferryman by Megan Edwards (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

Relic and Ruin by Wendii McIver (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough et al. (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

Lost World & Mythological Kingdoms by John Joseph Adams et al. (arc)

Young Oracle Tarot by Suki Ferguson (arc)

Death at the Manor by Katherine Schellman (arc) - (click here to see a review of this book)

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (DNF)

The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (click here to see a review of this book)

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - (click here to see a review of this book)

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (arc) (click here to see a review of this book)

Thanks, Carissa, by Ruining my Life by Dallas Woodburn (arc) (click here to see a review of this book)

Blind Eye by Anna Holmes (arc) (click here to see a review of this book)

Malice by Heather Walter

Misrule by Heather Walter (arc)

Equinox by David Towsey (arc) (click here to see a review of this book)

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari (arc) (click here to see a review of this book)

The Greenbrier Resort (arc) by Joy Callaway

The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare (arc) by Kimberly Brock

Serenity: Poems by E.S. Yousaf (arc)

Do you have a book for me to read and review?

I review arcs on NetGalley and offer honest reviews of everything I read. If you are an author and would like me to review your book, please message me or subscribe with more information!

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Book Review: Relic and Ruin (arc)

Relic and Ruin (2022) by Wendii McIver

YA | Teen | Fiction | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

The Banshee and the Wraith. They have the power to save the world—or destroy it.

In a place unlike any other, two brothers set off an ancient, epic, and never-ending battle. This world is controlled by the Necromancers and Reapers—one side pulls people back up through the earth, and the other cuts them down again. One ancient family, the Laheys, have been tasked again and again with keeping the balance between the worlds. And Nyx Lahey, born a Necromancer, but raised a Reaper, is on the front lines. Lately, though, Nyx is wrestling with her identity as she's thrown into an adventure filled with prophecies and the kind of danger you can cut down with a giant scythe.

While chasing a creature that's killing young girls, Nyx runs headlong—and gun drawn—into Erebus Salem. A hunter who has the ability to turn into a raven to escape danger, Erebus also harbors a secret: he's not alive. He lives in Dewmort, a world in-between, where the souls of the dead reside, and where memory is all but erased. With no memory of who he is, his only connection to the past is a locket which ends up in Nyx'she's hands. Determined to get it back, Erebus and his friends set watch on the Laheys, but they aren't the only ones.

Other beings are lurking in the shadows. They know the truth about Erebus and Nyx. They know that the pair are the Relics, the only two powerful beings in the world capable of taking down the greatest evils known to any kind. Soon, Nyx and Erebus become the hunted, and must try and escape the evil plans of the warlord, Bellum.

Bellum wants the Relics for his own purposes. He needs them to raise his father, the original Necromancer, Neco. With his father by his side, Bellum believes he can rule the world—all of them—and destroy the Reapers once and for all.

Can Nyx and Erebus master their newfound powers, and even if they do, can they survive?

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

Right from the start ("In the Beginning"), I knew this book was going to be a fast-paced book that I wouldn't be able to put down. And boy, was I right! Relic and Ruin is an exciting adventure that I had no problem sliding through.

This book fits into the YA and Fantasy categories perfectly. So if that is what you are looking for, then read on! Now I need to add the author's other books to my tbr.

The Good Things

1. The main characters are all written well.

2. I want to mention that the relationships between the necromancers and reapers are intriguing and definitely add a bit more dimension to the overall book. It's an interesting relationship dynamic and certainly one that I have not seen written before.

3. I also love the monsters and zombies that are mixed into the chaos. Talk about exceptional world-building.

4. The book is fast-paced and action-packed.

The Bad Things

1. I sped through this book, which in MY opinion, is a good thing! Others may see it as a bad thing, as they may want a book with a bit more UMPH that isn't so rushed.

2. Some of the supporting characters are a bit lackluster.

3. The last chapter was NOT my favorite. However, it did leave me wanting to read the next book in the series! I suppose that is the point, though.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - to be posted once the book is released)

Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this arc, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: The Ex Hex

The Ex Hex (2021)

Fiction | Fantasy | Romance | Paranormal | October 2021 BOTM

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

"Probably would be more metal if I weren't wearing my pumpkin jammies, but what can you do?"

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My Review

I've been wanting to read this book for months (it was one of the botm choices for October 2021, so it was super popular around last Halloween) and finally got around to it because a small online book group I'm a part of, as we picked it for one of our January books! I am so glad that we did because I definitely shouldn't have waited to read The Ex Hex.

I liked what Sterling did with her story and characters. In the book, Vivi and Rhys's relationship dynamic is great and different from most romance books I've read. The two of them, throughout the book, are essentially forced to get to know one another as adults, rather than lovesick teenagers.

I'm giving this book five stars because I honestly think it deserves it. The quote above perfectly sums up the cozy and cute atmosphere of this witchy book, and I absolutely LOVE it. Plus, can we please talk about that amazing cover? A+.

The Good Things

1. The relationship dynamics between all of the characters are fantastic!

2. Vivi is the ideal main character. Sterling wrote her exceptionally well!

3. As someone who grew up LOVING Hocus Pocus and all things Halloweentown, I'd very much like to live in Graves Glen, thank you very much.

The Bad Things

1. I'm having a very hard time finding anything bad about this book. I suppose if I was really trying, I could say that it is a tad cheesy in some places, but it's SUPPOSED to be!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- this book. I would love to hear your thoughts!