Andrea Valcarcel

The Edge of Falling — Rebecca Serle

“But the thing about lying is that it’s not so easy to stop. Lies need one another, like a school of fish. If you start to separate them, they’ll be killed off one by one. Sometimes the only way to keep lies alive is to tell more of them.”

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses suicide, child death, sibling and parent death, drownings, cancer, nd fires.

“The Edge of Falling” follows Caggie, a rich NYC socialite and high schooler, as she deals with grief and guilt and mental illness after losing her younger sister.

I want to say it was a heavy read, but it really wasn’t. I want to say I loved this book, but I really didn’t. I love Rebecca Serle as an author, but this book really wasn’t it. The characters were only there superficially and to say it was predictable would be an understatement. Caggie was annoying and Astor was as fictional as a character could ever be. In no world would these things happen.

This book kind of reminded me of “Reconstructing Amelia” by Kimberly McCreight, which is actually a book I really liked when I was younger. But I don’t think I would recommend “The Edge of Falling”. The story and characters are bland and in the end, I was left wondering why I even grabbed the book in the first place.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

Maybe In Another Life — Taylor Jenkins Reid

“I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices and they led me somewhere else, led me to someone else. And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn’t end up with you.”

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Mentions car crashes, hit-and-runs, cheating, and miscarriages.

Do you believe things are meant to be? “Maybe In Another Life” follows Hannah Martin through two distinct timelines, both separated by a single, somewhat meaningless, decision. With alternating chapters, this book will show you two different perceptions of Hannah’s reality. So, will things be radically different for her or will things stay fundamentally the same? That depends on whether you believe things are meant to be or not, I guess.

I mean, might as well start off by saying that Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my all-time favorite authors, so she already had that going for her, but I must say this book delivered more than it had promised. Plus, if you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you must know that I am the biggest fan of alternating timelines and POVs. That is to say, “Maybe In Another Life” pretty much started with a baseline rating of 3 stars, so getting to 5 was pretty easy.

One of my Goodreads friends said this was one of their favorite books and I can totally see why. I wouldn’t say I had a favorite version of reality, but I did just want Hannah and her friend Gabby to be happy in both, in the end. I just wanted to know if things would work out either way. And in my opinion, they did. And this brings out some comfort to me, that no matter what we do, things will turn out the way they’re supposed to. Life will take its course into its own hands, and we’re just here for the ride.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy books with alternating chapters/timelines. Well, I’m not even sure if timeline is the word because they’re technically happening at the same time, it’s just different concurrent realities… but you get the gist. Also, if you like Taylor Jenkins Reid books in general, then definitely grab this one as well. I think this would be a really cool gift for the right reader, too, so definitely add it to your lists.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

“For some reason, I think I’ll feel better if things are meant to be. It gets me off the hook, doesn’t it? If things are meant to be it means I don’t have to worry so much about consequences and mistakes. I can take my hands off the wheel.”

Heartstopper, Volumes 1-4 — Alice Oseman

“There’s this idea that if you’re not straight, you HAVE to tell all your family and friends immediately, like you owe it to them. But you don’t. You don’t have to do anything until you’re ready.”

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQIA+, Graphic Novel
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Deals with topics like homophobia, biphobia, outing someone, anorexia, eating disorders, anxiety, etc.

The “Heartstopper” graphic novels, volumes 1 through 4, follow two characters, Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, and their group of friends. Charlie and Nick both attend an all-boys high school, but have had radically different high school experiences. While Charlie was outed as gay and bullied, Nick was a semi-popular rugby player with a bunch of superficial friends. After they’re assigned seats beside each other for one of their classes, they become friends. Well, Charlie develops a huge crush on Nick, but Nick’s straight, so that shouldn’t be a problem… right?

I started reading this graphic novel series because I saw a Netflix series was being produced about it and I just really wanted to get my hands on the novels before seeing the series. And so I did. And I must say I did not love it as much as I thought I would, at the start. The first two volumes are somewhat childish and superficial. Honestly, my rating for this series was very markedly bumped up to 4 stars thanks to the third and fourth volumes, where the interactions between characters started to become deeper and more realistic.

I loved the characters and I loved loved loved the art. The drawings are doodly and flowy. These books were a very fun read that was only enhanced by its Netflix series. I can’t even begin to explain how much more I appreciated that series thanks to the graphic novels. The real motion series almost goes scene by scene as compared to the graphic novel. It was truly a religious experience.

I would recommend this series to anyone trying to get into graphic novels, since these are easy, quick reads. Also, if you like queer romances, close proximity tropes, and books that face difficult topics like mental illness, bullying, and eating disorders, then grab these graphic novels. I can’t wait for Volume 5.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

“Love can’t cure a mental illness.”

A Court of Frost and Starlight — Sarah J. Maas — ACOTAR #3.1

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actually Rating: 3 stars
Content Warning: Explicit sexual content and some violence.

“A Court of Frost and Starlight” follows Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends and family as they celebrate the Winter Solstice. That’s it. It’s just a whole, filler book.

I mean, yeah, we can all agree Sarah J. Maas is a great writer but I don’t know… this book wasn’t really my cup of tea. If I want fluff and puff, I’d grab a YA or New Adult romance novel, not a fantasy novel. And I know they say this book sets the scene for the rest of the series, but I don’t see how that’s possible. Nothing of importance really happened in this book, it was just a filler book if I’ve ever seen one.

I wasn’t even sure about posting this review because I really don’t want to bring down this series that I’ve dearly loved, but I just feel like this side book wasn’t really worth my time. I mean, at least it was short? But I definitely wouldn’t recommend “A Court of Frost and Starlight” if what you’re looking for is magical action. That’s all I’m going to say.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

A Court of Wings and Ruin — Sarah J. Maas — ACOTAR #3

“You do not fear. You do not falter. You do not yield. You go in, you get her, and you come out again.”

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actually Rating: 5 stars
Spicy meter: 5 fire emojis
Content Warning: (Very) Graphic violence and explicit sexual content.

“A Court of Wings and Ruin” is the third book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This book follows Feyre, a mortal-human-turned-immortal-high-fae, as the war against Hybern begins. Feyre joins the Spring Court as a Night Court spy, riddled with anxiety as she doesn’t know if her sisters or her friends at the Night Court are safe. After two Hybern royals try to kill her and Lucien, they run away to the Night Court, now becoming more or less fugitives, and this will only be the start of so many adventures and challenges to come.

First of all, do y’all think Sarah J. Maas planned the abbreviation of this novel? You know how we’ve been shortening the titles–ACOTAR, ACOMAF, etc…– well, this book’s abbreviation is ACOWAR, and it’s pretty much all about a war… so there’s that.

I really enjoyed this book. Probably more than the others. Some aspects of it were very predictable, but others really weren’t. I am actually surprised I liked it as much as I did because I usually find war books to be very boring, but Maas found a way to always keep you on your toes. I loved all the alliances made in this book. I loved how Tamlin was shown as a complex character, not just a pure evil enemy. This is a very stressful read, I cried in 3 different parts, but it was so worth it.

I couldn’t recommend this series enough. Definitely grab this book and series if you enjoy fantasy books, and love magic combat, detailed world-building, and magical war books.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

“It’s a rare person to face who they are and not run from it – not be broken by it.”

ARC — From Bad to Cursed —Lana Harper — The Witches of Thistle Grove #2

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Content Warnings: Mentions graphic injuries, violence, and panic attacks.

“From Bad to Cursed” is the second book in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series, but it does not follow the narrator from the first book, Emmy Harlow. This time around, we’ll be following Isidora—Issa—Avramov, a demon-summoning witch who’s part of the (current) strongest Thistle Grove founding family. After someone tries to sabotage the Beltane Festival with dark magic, people suspect it was her family’s magic at work right away. That’s why she’s appointed to search for the culprit alongside Rowan Thorn, a noble and ethical member of another of the founding families—and who’s most definitely her archnemisis and has been for years now. Forced to work together, will their loathing turn to different types of tension? You’ll have to grab this book and see.

I understand that this book is sold as part of a series, but I honestly feel like it could work well as a stand-alone. Like it wouldn’t really matter the order in which you read these books, you’d be able to appreciate both stories no matter which you’ve read first. But trust me, as soon as you read one, you’ll want to read the other. Thistle Grove is such a cozy, warm setting. I personally wouldn’t mind living there—or reading 10 more stories set in it either. I gave this book a higher rating than the first installment in the series because I liked this plot so much better.

I loved Issa’s ambition, as she wants to divert from her family’s business and open up her own fashion store. I loved Rowan’s consistency throughout the book. I loved how we got a sneak peek of the romance pretty early on, before we were 40% through the book. Sadly, “From Bad to Cursed” does not have the LGBTQIA+ aspect that the previous book had going for it, but I must say the romance aspect of this second installment is still heartwarming and fun.

I would recommend this book to fans of the close-proximity troupe and for all who enjoyed the character dynamics and setting of the first book in this series: “Payback’s a Witch”. And get ready, because this isn’t the last we’ll see of Thistle Grove, as a third book is announced in the end of this one. I am beyond excited.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Payback’s a Witch — Lana Harper — The Witches of Thistle Grove #1

“It’s just like chess; there’s cheating, and then there’s outwitting your opponent. (…) One is dishonorable and vile. The other? Just good strategy.”

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA+
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Has explicit sexual content, curse language, and mentions infidelity.

“Payback’s a Witch” is the first book in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series. Thistle Grove is a magical town, founded by 4 families (the Blackmoores, the Avramovs, the Thorns, and the Harlows), and set up as a whimsical and magic attraction for tourists—who won’t ever know the magic they see is 100% true. This book follows Emmy Harlow, a witch from the weakest founding family and who has actually even lost her magic due to staying away from Thistle Grove. But in a turn of events, she decided to go back and serve as Arbiter—a judge—, in the competition that will decide who the ruling (and strongest) magic founding family will be. The Blackmoores have almost exclusively ruled over Thistle Grove since it was founded… but what if this was bound to change? Gareth Blackmoore has inflicted heartbreak through every single over founding family, so what if the competitor and the Arbiter were to form a sort of alliance? What if the Blackmoores weren’t the center of Thistle Grove anymore? Oh, how wonderful that would be.

In total honestly, I only read this book because I was approved in Netgalley to get the advanced readers copy (ARC) of the second installment in this series, but I am so happy I grabbed this book. It is SO good. It definitely has a YA feel to it and it’s so entertaining. Is Thistle Grove a real place? Because I really want to go there.

This book is lighthearted, adventurous, and very very witchy-spooky. I was surprised most of my Goodreads friends didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did, but I stand by it: this first installment in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series is amazingly entertaining, charming, and captivating. I was essentially in a reading slump and this book is entirely responsible for me getting out of it. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, which will be released next week.

I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy LGBTQIA+ romances, witchy books, and who like series like Riverdale and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This book is fast-paced and dynamic, you’ll definitely finish it in one sitting if you have the time.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

A Court of Mist and Fury — Sarah J. Maas — ACOTAR #2

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness (…), you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actually Rating: 5+ stars
Content Warning: (Very) Graphic violence and explicit sexual content.

“A Court of Mist and Fury” is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This book follows Feyre, a mortal-human-turned-immortal-high-fae, as she explores her relationships with the High Lord of the Spring Court, the High Lord of the Night Court, and, most importantly, with herself and her new-found immortality.

I write mostly spoiler-less reviews, but OH GOD, how hard it is to not gush about everything that happened in this book. Yes, it’s a long book, but it’s not slow-paced at all, something is always happening. I loved it. I loved the action, the quests, the romance. This book was definitely spicier than the first installment in this series. There was mist and there was fury, alright? Our girl Feyre really did step up for herself.

I can’t wait to see where this series goes. I would recommend this book and series to readers who enjoy fantasy books, and who love fae, magic combat, detailed world-building, and potential magic wars.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

“I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again. I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.”

“Don’t let the hard days win.”

ARC — Every Summer After — Carley Fortune

“I can’t trust that you’ll love me forever when I don’t even know if you’ll love me next month.”

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Mentions cancer, parent death, cheating, bullying, slut shaming, and panic attacks.

“Every Summer After” follows Persephone—aka Percy—and Sam—just Sam, not short for Samuel or anything like that—, two childhood-friends-turned-high-school-sweethearts who, abruptly, stopped talking 12 years prior. But now Persephone is back in the town that brought them together—the town where Sam grew up, the town where Sam’s mother’s funeral will be taking place—and she will have to face Sam again after all these years. Told through different timelines, Carley Fortune built a story that’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming (but don’t I say that about all the books I love? Apparently I’m a fan of emotional books that tear me apart). The ending was the sweetest of them all. But it wouldn’t have been as sweet if it has been an easy way there.

The characters were lovely and well-defined, all with their peculiar personalities and ways of talking and acting. I am not sure what brother I loved more, Sam or Charlie, but I must say I loved them both. I am not the biggest fan of books where cheating is involved, but in the end I was very engaged with the plot and—although unjustifiable—I could empathize with what each character did under the circumstances they did it in. We were all kids once upon a time, we all messed up.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy alternating timelines and to fans of Colleen Hoover books, especially those who have enjoyed books like “It Ends With Us” and the “Maybe Someday” series.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 10, 2022

“Betrayals don’t cancel each other out. They just hurt more.”

A Court of Thorns and Roses — Sarah J. Maas — ACOTAR #1

“I love you, (…) thorns and all.”

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actually Rating: 5+ stars
Content Warning: Graphic violence and some sexual content.

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” is a fantasy novel that takes place in a world where humans and faeries are mortal enemies after fighting a deadly war against each other. Within this world, Feyre is a human young woman who hunts out of necessity. When, by mistake, she kills a faerie while hunting, she is given two options: either be killed on the spot or be taken to the faerie kingdom, back to one of the Faerie realms called Prythian, to live out the rest of her days. This is how she meets Tamlin, a High Fae who’s the High Lord of the Spring Court, and who’s become her captor? Of sorts? It didn’t feel like any normal prison to Feyre… But that’s for her to experience and for us to read.

Oh wow. This book is something else. It broke me and brought me back together. The world-building and plot were immaculate. The romance wasn’t as spicy as I expected, but I’ve been told it gets better with time (props to Nicole for recommending this series, I can already tell these will be some of my favorite reads of 2022).

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” is an action-pack, fast-paced read. Yes, it’s long, but trust me when I say it’s fast-paced, it’s only so long because so many things happen within the chapters of this book. It’s amazing how I fell in love with all characters, even with the villains, throughout this story. Filled with descriptive narratives and dynamic interactions, there’s really nothing I would change about the first installment in this series.

I would recommend this book to anyone willing to commit to reading the rest of the series. It’s not even that they leave us in a cliffhanger or anything, it’s just that you’ll end up wanting more after finishing this read. So, if you like fantasy books and faeries, then this is the book for you.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.