Tag Archives: New Adult

ARC — Ticket to You — Florence Fields — Wonderings #1

“We need to figure out what you have for the trip that can work on our shoots. Hiking boots, a warm hat, base layers, that sort of thing. Then first thing tomorrow morning we can go shopping to fill in the gaps.”
“I have a feeling it will be less about filling gaps and more about filling a massive, gaping hole. Like, meteor-sized.”

Genre: Romance, New Adult
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental abandonment, death in the family, and trust issues. Contains sexual content.

“Ticket to You”, from debut author Florence Fields, follows Ophelia Brooks and Adam Abrams, two journalists that objectively couldn’t be more different—Ophelia is all about fashion journalism while Adam writes for an outdoorsy magazine (literally, the name of the publication is Outdoorsy). A mutual friend wanted to set them up at their company Christmas party but they end up having a not-so-cute meet-cute and became instant enemies. So, what happens when budget cuts lands them flying off to an abroad trip together three months later? They have to help each other on their respective endeavors, so will they end up appreciating their separate arts a little more or will their rivalry and annoyance win this one out? Grab this read and find out.

Never had I ever related so much to the fashion industry as I did reading into Ophelia’s thoughts and inner workings—she sees fashion as art and I can now say I agree (although I’ll keep sticking to my jeans and Taylor Swift merch, thank you). Nonetheless, I’m not going to lie, her name really did throw me off. Nothing against any Ophelias out there, but this character’s name just didn’t fit her or her story in my opinion.

Would I change anything else about this book tho? Absolutely not. I legit read it in one sitting. Grab “Ticket to You” if you’re looking for a heartwarming romance with two grown and mature adults and no real third-act break up. It’s a bit of a slow burn but oh, is it worth the wait.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Florence Fields in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 23, 2023

ARC — Something Bright and Burning — Whitney Amazeen

“He does the most dangerous thing a person can do; he lets me hope.
And this kind of hope-the kind that makes me feel like somehow everything’s going to turn out okay in the end-will only end in disappointment.”

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Is all about teenage pregnancy, discusses rape and blackmailing leading to sexual assault, sexual content in general, suicide, underaged drinking, incest, miscarriages, financial hardships, parental death and abandonment, and religious guilt.

“Something Bright and Burning” follows Everly Martin, as she finds out she’s pregnant at 18… and she’s not sure who the father is. Her whole future is ahead of her, she’s taking college classes and working and barely making ends meet. The father could either be Vaughn, the douchebag coworker who’s forced himself on her, or John, the older man she met at a bar. But then there’s also Nicolai, her best friend’s brother, and someone Everly had an instant connection with. In this world, where there are no right answers, will Everly choose to follow what she things if best for her or her baby? Or for both?

Told through journal entries, poems, and a first-person narrative, “Something Bright and Burning” is an ode to hardship and self-improvement. Some characters were a bit cartoonish but, in general, almost all were well-defined, with their diverse personalities, stories, and beliefs.

“I often feel like she willingly allows me to shoulder the weight of our family’s responsibilities. When she leaves the parent role empty, I have no choice but to fill it.”

The only thing I wasn’t 100% sold on was the poetry… It was simply not my cup of it. It was just some instagram-worthy prose, just like the next guy. No poem really spoke to me. It just felt like a little something added to give the main character some hobbies and personality traits.

But oh, was the plot twist so so wild. It has been months, maybe even years, since a plot twist had hit me so hard. Just that plot twist makes this book worth reading. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

This book kind of reminded me of Lauren J. Sharkey’s “Inconvenient Daughter” and maybe even a bit to Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life”. It just undertook some very heavy subjects. It did an amazing job of portraying life, with some of its extreme threats.

I would highly recommend this book. “Something Bright and Burning” is a complex read, with a ton of triggering situations (and therefore a ton of content warnings), but if you find the heart to read through them, you won’t regret it.

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

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishinf in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

“It’s not you, Nicolai. It’s me, I want to tell him. But
those words have never worked for anyone. So, I don’t look back. I grab all my shit, I take a deep breath, and leave.”

ARC — Artemis Made Me Do It — Trista Mateer

“The wolf caught me in his jaws
but when I cried out,
others only said:

I have seen the wolf many times
and he has not bitten me.”

Genre: Poetry, New Adult
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warnings: As given by the author: blood/gore, body image, death/grief, domestic and emotional abuse, rape, sexual harrassment, and probably more.

“Artemis Made Me Do It” is more than just poetry and doodles. Trista Mateer has brought together impressive art that takes countless shapes and forms. Using images and different compositions, a story of hurt and healing is told through beautifully curated words.

“I resent my own resiliency.
I don’t want to bounce back.
I don’t want to be strong.”

This poetry book is heavy, don’t take those content warnings lightly, but it is worth the read. Although it is somewhat Greek-mythology-based, you don’t need extensive knowledge on every single god or demigod. Trista gave a small summary at the beginning of the book about who was who, and that should be more than enough to understand the poems in this collection.

“Grief makes you feel small, though you are not small. Grief makes you feel weak, though you are not weak.”

For someone who is continuously grieving, such as myself, this book was specifically hard. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t speak to my grandma, even though it’s been almost 3 years from her passing. It does make me feel small, but it doesn’t make me feel weak anymore.

I think Trista Mateer did an excellent job at capturing raw emotions through various forms. I would highly recommend this poetry book. It’s beautiful, yet heartbreaking. It touches on important topics and it breaks their mold. I’ll definitely be reading more of Mateer.

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 Central Avenue Publishing (one of the first publishers that trusted me with their ARCs) in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 6, 2022

“I don’t know why
I keep their names
out of my poetry.
They don’t deserve it.

I KEEP THEIR NAMES
OUT OF MY POETRY
BECAUSE I MUST
ALLOW MYSELF
A SAFE PLACE.
I DESERVE THAT.”

ARC — Paper Girl and the Knives that Made Her — Ari B. Colfer

“i think about how we are both paper
but i was the one who got the cuts.”

Genre: Poetry, New Adult, Self-Help
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Given by the author (10/10 for that)— Discusses mental health conditions, suicide/suicidal ideation, self-harm, sexual assault, gun violence, and violence against POC. Briefly mentions body dysmorphia and drug/alcohol use, and other tough topics.

First things first, I must say I came into this book a bit biased. I have loved Ari B. Cofer’s poetry (and illustrations) on instagram for years. I have been on her email list/tender poets club for a while now too. I came in knowing I would love this book. I knew it would be great. But yeah, not even my wildest thoughts could’ve predicted how much this book would move me.

This debut poetry collection does not disappoint. It’ll take you through an emotional rollercoaster, for sure, but it’ll also soothe you with doodles and drawings scattered between the words. These drawings are characteristic of Ari B. Colfer’s work, as can be seen on her social media (@ari.b.colfer on instagram, check her out, you won’t regret it), and they add a special touch to this collection. I know doodles and drawings aren’t an innovation when it comes to contemporary poetry books, but hear me when I say that Ari’s drawing hit different. With their bright colors and harsh words, they bring so much to this book.

Not all poems in this collection are perfect—some are more like a broken down sentence pretending to be a poem—yet I seriously couldn’t recommend this poetry book enough.

I would recommend this book to people who’ve hurt before but are halfway through (or fully) mending now. This book could be a tough read for anyone who’s vividly living through a mental health crisis right now or who is still processing a traumatic event. Be careful when you grab this book. Be gentle with it and with yourself. But grab it once you’re feeling up to it, as it’ll be healing in and of itself.

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 in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Central Avenue Publishing for letting me read an early copy of this book. I preordered a physical copy this morning because 1) I love Ari’s poetry, and 2) It’s just that good and I feel a need for a physical copy even though I’ve already read it.

“you will remind yourself it’s not your fault.
you did not choose to be raped,
the rapist chose to be a rapist,
you’ll remind yourself to let go.”

Publication Date: January 4, 2022