Tag: 2021reads

Mistletoe and Mischief by Melissa Ivers

I received a free ARC of Mistletoe and Mischief thanks to the author. I am giving my honest review, which I am under no obligation to provide. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever reiterated that Christmas is my favorite holiday or how much I love it. But it is, and I love it a ton. So when I saw Melissa Ivers had a Christmas Novella available for ARC readers, I jumped at the chance to sign up.

In Mistletoe and Mischief, we follow Jules and Nash as they get through the Christmas season and try their best to be civil with one another while staying under the same roof. Jules is a small town baker and owner of Sweet Pies. She’s unfortunately stuck with her brother’s best friend and her own personal nemesis, Nash, staying at her house over the holidays. Nash is a big-shot lawyer, a playboy with devilishy good looks, and a holiday mission to make Jules’s life miserable. But what happens when a bit of Christmas magic plus close proximity does a little bit of messing with these two and their sworn hatred for each other?

Mistletoe and Mischief: The Breakdown

I love a good enemies-to-lovers book, and boy did this deliver. There’s romance, steam, Christmas, and descriptions of yummy food. 

I loved the Christmasy parts of the novella. It put me in such a cozy mood. I also enjoyed the banter between Nash and Jules. I felt like their enemies-to-lovers scenario was believable with the way they went after each other throughout, teasing and poking at each other. 

It was written in dual POVs, which I really enjoyed because we got into the heads of both characters. There is a bit of language to start out the book, which caught me off guard, but it didn’t deter me from continuing.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re into enemies-to-lovers, Christmas romance, steamy-romance, or just some light-hearted fun. This is my first Melissa Ivers’ book but it will not be my last!

Mistletoe and Mischief is out already, so be sure to get your copy today!

CW: language, sexuality

Mistletoe and Mischief by Melissa Ivers

Let Me Catch You Up

Hey y’all, I apologize for being so quiet on here the last few months. I just wanted to catch you up on what has been going on and give you a brief summary of what I’ve been reading. My actual reviews will follow, but I wanted to also get on here and just let you know why things have been so sporadic from me. I also wanted to apologize for that. I was hoping things this year would be less hectic, with COVID being better controlled and not being under quarantine like last year. However, we’ve had some personal things go on that have made it seem just as hectic.

In the beginning of the year, I felt optimistic about things, both reading- and personal- wise. Then I received some devastating news from my former partner that I’m still trying to reconcile. It threw me for a loop and I ended up not being able to do any reading after that until mid-February. Lately, we’ve had many appointments to go to so our days are still quite busy and exhausting. Some nights I go to bed shortly after my son does, which is pretty early. Also, I’m still dealing with some health issues that I’ve had on and off since June 2020.

Let’s Catch You Up: What I’ve Been Reading

Reading-wise, I’ve been doing alright. I haven’t gotten to as many books as I would have liked. However, I’m still reading a good amount of books. I average about 5 books a month and am on track to finish my Goodreads challenge (65).

Our local library has opened back up and we’ve been frequenting that weekly. My son loves getting books out and it makes this bibliophilic mama’s heart sing. 🥰 It’s also become a contest to see who gets more excited over bookmail: me or him.

I’ve mostly been reading ARCs this year, as I have many to review. However, in May and June I tried to focus my reading on monthly “themes.” May was AAPI Heritage month, so I tried to read mostly books written by AAPI authors. In the same respect, June was pride month, so I tried to read books that were lgbtq+ themed or written by lgbtq+ authors. Unless there was an ARC due that didn’t fit in those “themes,” I think I did pretty well.

I’ll include a list of the books I’ve read this year so far. As I’ve mentioned, reviews will be forthcoming, although some are already up. That’s it: that’s all I have to catch you up. Thanks for reading and bearing with me this year. Y’all are always appreciated. 💛 You can follow me on Instagram if you want more up-to-date reviews. Enjoy your weekend!

Books I’ve Read in 2021 Thus Far

  • July 2021
    • Mistletoe & Mischief
  • June 2021
    • The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling
    • The Prince and the Dressmaker
    • MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues
    • You Should See Me In A Crown
    • Darius The Great Deserves Better
    • Of Princes and Promises
    • The Gilded Ones
  • May 2021
    • My Fate According to the Butterfly
    • The Henna Artist
    • From Little Tokyo, With Love
    • Love From A to Z
  • April 2021
    • On The Spectrum
    • Fox & Rabbit
    • The Dating Plan
    • Spin A Circle
    • The Forest of Stolen Girls
    • The Perfect Daughter
    • The Mary Shelley Club
    • House of Hollow
  • March 2021
    • Zara Hossain is Here
    • She’s Too Pretty To Burn
    • Heroine
    • Firekeeper’s Daughter
    • The Lake
  • February 2021
    • A Shot at Normal
    • The Seelie Queen
    • Yolk
    • Indivisible
  • January 2021
    • What Big Teeth
    • A Taste For Love
    • The Project
    • Amari and the Night Brothers
    • Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

I received a free ARC of Zara Hossain Is Here thanks to Edelweiss and Scholastic (Trade Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. When I sent in my request, I figured it was a long shot, but I just sent so many hopeful vibes out into the universe. You can’t even imagine my excitement when I got the email saying that I’d been approved to read it. 

Y’all, this book lived up to my expectations. It is SO good. It’s timely and poignant. I had so many emotions while reading this. 

We follow Zara who gets targeted at school because she is a Pakistani immigrant. When she stands up for herself things get worse, for her and her family. Things come to a head when an act of vandalism ultimately ends in violence. Because she dared to stand up for herself and speak out against those targeting her, her family may lose the chance to obtain their green cards. Zara is forced to fight to stay in her community, her home, despite the hatred she’s experienced, or face going back to Pakistan, a place she doesn’t remember but where she wouldn’t face racial and xenophobic hatred.

Zara Hossain Is Here: What I Liked

There are so many things to unpack in this story. So many important issues were brought up in this book and I love that Khan didn’t shy away from any of it just because it is targeted for a teen audience.

The characters were likable and the events that happened pulled at emotions, investing the reader from the very beginning. Our MC had supportive friends, which I appreciated, and they were written well. There was nice representation of bisexuality and supportive parents, as well as non-supportive parents for the love interest. There was a clear message in this book: racism and xenophobia have no room here. 

I encourage everyone to pick up Zara Hossain Is Here. Please read this emotionally charged book.

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

She’s Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard

I received a free ARC of She’s Too Pretty To Burn thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I read the synopsis, I was hooked. It sounded super intriguing. I’ll be honest, I’ve never read The Picture of Dorian Gray, so I’m not sure which aspect was done for the retelling or whether it hit the mark.

This book is interesting, to say the least. We have a trio of characters, two of whom are artists, and one who is a lifeguard. Veronica and Nico are artists and best friends, and Veronica meets Mick, a lifeguard and the object of Veronica—and soon to be Nico’s—affections. 

She’s Too Pretty To Burn: My Thoughts

The dynamics of the main relationship did not feel healthy. I had warning bells going off during some scenes because of the way Veronica was acting around Mick and the things that she said. She didn’t listen to Mick when Mick said no, and she would say creepy things to her. It felt very possessive and toxic.  

The parental presence was lacking. Even when there was a parental figure in the storyline, the actions did not seem as that of a typical adult/parent. As a parent myself, I kept saying “That’s really all her mom is going to say?” or “Really? That’s her reaction?” It felt unrealistic that there was such little parental influence during all this time, especially with Veronica’s mom. I won’t say more because I don’t want to slip into the spoiler zone.

I kept trying to understand the motive or the point to much of what happened in the book but I couldn’t. 

Heard’s writing kept me intrigued, though, and I couldn’t put this book down. I still can’t stop thinking about it, despite the few hangups I had. I recommend checking it out—publication is set for March 30th.

She's Too Pretty To Burn ARC cover title page

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

I received a free e-ARC of Firekeeper’s Daughter thanks to Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I’d been anticipating this book since I found out about it’s existence, so when I found out I won an ARC, I was so excited. 

Let me tell y’all, it lived up to the hype. I still find myself thinking about this story, Daunis, and the cast of characters we journeyed with even after the last page has been turned. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter: Strengths

I’m a huge fan of strong female protagonists, and Boulley hit the nail with Daunis. She is biracial and a product of teenage pregnancy. Neither side of her family really embraced her, but she is heavily involved with both. She feels like an outsider but is trying to find her place.

I loved the insight to the Ojibwe community that Boulley weaved into the story. The language and traditions that we learned about was such an important inclusion into the story and an important piece of Daunis’s identity. Another aspect that we see is loyalty. Loyalty is shown in many different ways in this book, but we can see it throughout. Women were loyal to each other during a specific tradition even if they didn’t want to participate. Later, toward the end of the book, we see the elders being loyal to Daunis; I won’t say more as it would be a spoiler. Throughout the book, we see Daunis being loyal to her community during her time with the FBI as she’s constantly wondering whether she should tell Jamie and Ron or keep something to herself for a while.

The storyline itself is so powerful. It covers a plethora of issues including violence (gun, domestic, etc.), drug addiction, grief, sexual assault, racism, unfit parents, corruption, and greed. What starts as an investigation into a drug-operation turns into an eye-opening experience for Daunis into the lives of those around her. We’re taken on a thrilling, dangerous, hope-filled ride as we search for answers with Daunis.

Boulley’s masterful telling of Firekeeper’s Daughter is one that won’t be forgotten. I highly recommend this book. I’ll be keeping Boulley on my radar.

Firekeeper's Daughter ARC Cover Page (blank title)