Tag: ARC

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

I received a free copy of Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche thanks to Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

I’ve never read any of the Enola Holmes books before, but when the publicist reached out and asked if I’d like to be part of the Blog Tour for the newest Enola Holmes book, I agreed. From what I had previously seen of the newest book, it sounded like a fun read and I’m always up for a good mystery. Luckily, you didn’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. 

In Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, we follow Enola as she helps Letitia “Tish” Glover find out the truth of what happened to her twin sister, Felicity “Flossie” Glover Rudcliff. Tish has just received a short letter saying Flossie died. Tish doesn’t believe Flossie has really died and has come to the Holmes’s for help. Working with her older and famous brother Sherlock Holmes, they gather clues and hatch a scheme hoping to solve the case.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche: Read it or Leave it?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick but entertaining read. It’s set in 1800s London, and you have to remember that, because the viewpoints are of those during that era. I love our headstrong main character Enola, who goes against what’s proper and travels alone, doesn’t stick to societal norms of domesticity, etc. but instead focuses on writing and solving cases. The interaction between her and Sherlock was a great addition to the book. I love that her strong personality challenged his and also made him rethink some of his pre-conceived notions about women and society. They made a great team in this story and I look forward to reading more about them.

This book has humor, mystery, and a great cast of characters. I kept thinking about them long after putting the book down. I will definitely be picking up the previous books in the Enola Holmes series. Thank you once again to Wednesday Books and Nancy Springer for my review copy and inviting me on this book tour!

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche releases August 31st, so be sure to pick up your copy! 

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

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

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer

I received a free ARC of The Perfect Daughter thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I saw this book all over and the description was so enticing. A thriller about a girl who may or may not have multiple personalities and may also be a murderer? Sold. I was lucky enough to be approved to review an advanced copy and let me just say, this was a treat.

We follow Grace as she tries to prove her daughter Penny is innocent regarding the murder of Penny’s biological mom. There was plenty of evidence but no motive and Penny can’t seem to remember what happened. Grace also needs to find a doctor who agrees that Penny has Dissociative Identity Disorder, or they will say Penny is lying about her multiple personas. As Penny spends her time in a psychiatric hospital under the guidance of Dr. Mitch McHugh, new information comes to light. And this new information could change everything Grace thought she knew about Penny.

The Perfect Daughter: Why I Loved It

Y’all, this book was good. It had me staying up until 3AM just to find out what happened. 

I’m a sucker for an unreliable narrator and we got that with Penny. Which persona was telling the truth? Were they real or was she deceiving everyone? Just from the synopsis I knew this was going to be a great element of the novel if executed well, and Palmer pulled it off.

Although I enjoyed the whole book, the parts of the book where we see Dr. Mitch counsel Penny were my favorite. I liked that he used different techniques to appeal to the different personas. I think he was my favorite character. 

And that ending! It shouldn’t have been such a surprise in hindsight, but then again, hindsight is 20/20. It was a shock and I loved it. Basically, y’all need to just read this book.

This was my first D.J. Palmer book but it definitely won’t be my last. Pick up your copy of The Perfect Daughter today!

The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer

The Seelie Queen by Kortney Sizemore-Gallagher

I received a free eARC of The Seelie Queen thanks to the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

From reading the synopsis on Amazon, it’s unclear to really get the complete gist of the book. It is not inaccurate: this story is about a teenage girl, Adella, at her third new school in a year having to deal with extraordinary challenges. But it doesn’t let us know that we will be dealing with magical and mythical beings, contrasting and perhaps conflicting kingdoms, and so much more. I think this definitely should have been included, as it’s very important to the story but also so intriguing! 

I’ll be honest: stories about Fae and the like typically aren’t what I read. There isn’t necessarily a reason why, I’ve just never really gravitated toward them. After reading this story, however, I’ve started to rethink my choices.

The Seelie Queen: What Did I Think?

I really liked that Sizemore-Gallagher centered this on a female character. I love my strong female protagonists and not only did she make Adella her protagonist but she made her “sidekick,” Anna, a strong badass too! Anna was actually my favorite character. She was strong, smart, and her personality felt recognizable. 

There were a couple of points in the story that didn’t quite make sense to me or were confusing. Some seemingly important plot points were not mentioned again. At the end when the narrator was switched, it took me a minute to realize this because it wasn’t indicated.

I really liked the worlds that were created in this novel. I thought the concept of people drawing energy from contrasting sources was so unique. Also, the fact that one person could have both qualities or share aspects from both kingdoms was so interesting. I would have liked to have learned more about them both, however. They’re such an important part of the book and how the characters live and interact. I hope that we get more about the magic in the second book, if there is one.

Overall, I enjoyed this story involving seemingly friendly kingdoms with magical beings and teenage drama that became a little too live or die. I hope after that cliffhanger at the end, we get a second book so we can find out the fates of Adella and her friends.

The Seelie Queen is available for purchase, so be sure to pick up your copy!

The Seelie Queen by Kortney Sizemore-Gallagher

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen

I received a free e-ARC of A Taste For Love thanks to PenguinTeen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I loved this book. I usually don’t like rom-com books because I find them too cheesy, but I knew I’d enjoy this one. What’s better is that it is a retelling of my favorite book: Pride and Prejudice! How can you not win with that?!

So what’s it about? We have Liza Yang, a seemingly perfect high school student. Except for the fact that she dates non-Asian guys, that is. Liza’s mom would prefer if she dated Asian guys—the more traditional and suitable partner—but Liza refuses. When Liza gets to help her mom judge the baking competition they host every year, Liza realizes her mom has set her up: all of the contestants are Asian American men. Will Liza go along with it? And what happens when she starts to fall for one of the contestants?

A Taste For Love: Recipe for Success?

This is such a light fun read. I loved all of the descriptions of the food and baking. Although this was a light contemporary read, one thing that I really appreciated was the dynamic between the family. The relationships between different family members felt real. The tension and inability to see eye-to-eye was so relatable. While it did have a unique cultural aspect, I felt like it could be recognizable to others outside of the Asian cultures. 

There was one thing that I did find a little bit confusing. Mrs. Yang, Liza’s mom, hosts the competition and picks the contestants. I was a little surprised at the caliber of the contestants that were participating in the competition, especially since there was such a big turnout. It just seemed like the competition would have been a little more stiff.

One thing that I found a little bit eye-roll worthy was that, of course, James was perfect. The rest of the book made up for this, though, and it was so minor that I was able to overlook it. 

Overall, this book was a hit. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fun contemporary reads, food, or who wants to read a twist on a classic. A Taste For Love is out today, so be sure to pick up your copy! 

A Taste For Love by Jennifer Yen
Picture From my Netgalley Shelf