Surviving (The Adventures of John Harris: Book 1) by A.J. Newman

This is a weekly meme where anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. This meme was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

This is a post-apocalyptic story about how a hero, John Harris, leads a group of people in rebuilding the country after a major nuclear and EMP attack. A coalition of Islamic Terrorists, Drug Cartels and rogue US Government thugs kill over 200 million people in the USA and Western Europe. John leads the fight against the rogue Department of Home Land Security and Mexican Drug Cartels while the remnants of the US military deal with the terrorist countries overseas. There is no electricity and food and water are running out. Looting, rioting and gang violence are the rule of the day. John’s team fights for survival against very long odds, but John is a hard man for hard times. The four book series spans from 2020 to 2048.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: September 17th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.

First Line:

Sylvia was in the river again. Lorelei didn’t need to see her to be certain of it.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of A Dark and Drowning Tide alternated between slow and medium.

POV: A Dark and Drowning Tide is told from Lorelei’s 3rd person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: A Dark and Drowning Tide has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Death
  • Murder
  • Antisemitism
  • Eugenics
  • Colonization
  • Grief
  • Loss of Sibling
  • Blood & Gore
  • Violence
  • Dead Body
  • Injury Detail
  • Drowning
  • Drugging
  • Fire
  • Vomit
  • Alcohol Consumption

Sexual Content: There are sexual situations in A Dark and Drowning Tide. They are not graphic.

Language: There is mild swearing in A Dark and Drowning Tide. There is also language used that could be considered offensive to people.

Setting:  A Dark and Drowning Tide is set in Brunnestaad, Albe, Ebul, and The Vanishing Isle.

Age Range: I recommend A Dark and Drowning Tide to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Lorelei is a folklorist who is the cohead of an expedition to find a fabled spring for the king of her wartorn country. As the expedition starts, her beloved mentor is killed, leaving her in charge. That enrages other party members until they are reminded why they are there. Lorelei is desperate to find the spring before her fellow expedition members make good on their threats to kill her. But she soon discovers there is more to the expedition than finding the spring. And that includes the tentative partnership with Sylvia von Wolff. Can Lorelei find the spring before they decide to kill her? Will she be able to prove herself to the king?

Main Characters:

Lorelei Kaskel (folklorist)—Lorelei was a tough character to like. She presented as very defensive and had an acid tongue on her. But, as the book went on, I began to see why Lorelei was the way she was. The hatred that she dealt with from certain party members was awful. She was on edge the entire time. However, her character started softening when Ludwig got cursed, and I liked her by the end of the book.

Sylvia von Wolff (naturalist)—I liked Sylvia but found her almost too naive. She acknowledged her friends’ faults, but at the same time, she protected them. I got very frustrated with her during the last half of the book. Even in danger, she still believed that her friends would do no harm. But, she did rise to the occasion during the critical battle scene.

Johann zu Wittelsbach (medic)—II couldn’t stand Johann, but at the same time, I pitied him. He was molded into what he was by his abusive father. In some parts of the book, the author conveyed that a part of him hated what he became. His death was one of the more gruesome ones in the book.

Heike van der Kaas (astronomer and navigator)—Heike came across as someone you didn’t want to mess with. But, as the book went on, she mellowed out. I figured out that she was all bark and no bite.

Adelheid de Mohl (thaumatologist)—Besides Ludwig, she was the kindest on the boat to Lorelei. So, when things went sideways, I was shocked at her role.

Ludwig von Meyer (botanist)—I liked him and wished he had more page time. But, the author took him out fairly early in the book.

My review:

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a wonderfully dark fantasy lesbian romance. When I read the synopsis on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read this book. So, I wished for it and was thrilled when I got the email that my wish was granted.

The main storyline of A Dark and Drowning Tide centers entirely on Lorelei and the journey to find the Ursprung. This storyline was wonderfully written. Lorelei and the team have to make trips that are intense and strange. They have to contend with dragons, mermaid-like creatures, forests that move, curses, and other obstacles. Those obstacles also include what they feel towards each other, whether hate or love.

The fantasy angle of the book was perfect. I enjoyed reading about how the magic works in this work, the different magical beings portrayed, and the various lands that they traveled through. I enjoyed that the magic wasn’t all sunshine and roses but had a darker element.

The romance angle was all right. It may be overshadowed by everything else that is going on in the book. It also seemed forced in some sections. But, overall, I enjoyed seeing Lorelei and Sylvia fall in love.

The mystery angle was interesting. I thought I had figured out who killed Ziegler. I wasn’t wrong; there was more to that than what the author initially let on. I was shocked when Lorelei figured it out in the middle of the book.

The end of A Dark and Drowning Tide was heartbreaking but enlightening. I liked that there was a HEA for Lorelei and Sylvia. The last chapters, detailing life after the expedition, were what I thought they would be. I was surprised by what was asked and the reaction it got.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Allison Saft for allowing me to read this ARC of A Dark and Drowning Tide. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to A Dark and Drowning Tide, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Allison Saft

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: September 10th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Gothic, Retellings, LGBT, Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Lesbian

Publication Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this epic and seductive gothic fantasy, a vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love.

Her name was written in the pages of someone else’s story: Lucy Westenra was one of Dracula’s first victims.

But her death was only the beginning. Lucy rose from the grave a vampire, and has spent her immortal life trying to escape from Dracula’s clutches–and trying to discover who she really is and what she truly wants.

Her undead life takes an unexpected turn when, in twenty-first-century London, she meets another woman who is also yearning to break free from her past. Iris’s family has built a health empire based on a sinister secret, and they’ll do anything to stay in power.

Lucy has long believed she would never love again. But she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris, while Iris is mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by forces from without. Iris’s mother won’t let go of her without a fight, and Lucy’s past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl again.

Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?

First Line:

It starts the moment you look out the window.

Important details about Lucy Undying

Pace: Medium

POV: 2nd person (Dracula, Lucy (Client Transcript)). 1st person (Iris, Lucy, Lucy (her journal), Mina), 3rd person (Dracula)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Lucy Undying contains themes that include violence, blood, murder, gore, misogyny, emotional abuse, death, stalking, death of a parent, body horror, sexual assault, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationship, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, child death, homophobia, mental illness, medical content, gas lighting, sexual harassment, anxiety, anxiety attacks, depression, alcohol consumption, dead bodies, grief, blackmail, cults, attempted murder, torture, and war themes. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: Lucy Undying contains explicit swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderately graphic sexual content in Lucy Undying.

Setting: Lucy Undying is set in various locations: United States, England, France, Transylvania, Nigeria, and China.

My Review:

When the invite for Lucy Undying showed up in my email inbox, I almost deleted it. I have read enough takes on Dracula to not want another one. But, after reading the blurb, I decided to change my mind. I am glad I did because this was one of the best books I have read this year.

There are two main storylines in Lucy Undying. One revolves around Lucy and is told through diaries and voice transcripts and is mainly told in the past. The other storyline revolves around Iris, her mother’s company/cult, and the secret that Iris has and is told in the present. Both storylines were well-written and were able to keep my attention. The author added secondary storylines (with Mina and Dracula) in various parts of the book. Those storylines help explain certain events that happened in the past and present.

The storyline with Lucy was fascinating. It was told in the first person but through a journal/voice transcript. The storyline details Lucy’s life, which includes her unrequited love for Mina (her governess). The storyline also details Lucy’s travels and her eventual meetings with other vampires (or Brides of Dracula, as one of her earlier companions called them). Each interaction with the other vampires adds a different element to the book and depth to Lucy’s character.

The storyline with Iris was interesting. The author deliberately kept Iris’s background under wraps until about halfway through the book. I admit I skimmed over some of Iris’s chapters at first. I don’t recommend doing that. I ended up having to go back and reread those chapters because of what is foreshadowed.

Usually, I wouldn’t say I like it when a book flips from past to present and back again. But, in this book, it worked. I liked seeing Lucy in the present day versus what she was like in the past. The author also did that for Iris but on a smaller scale. Also, Iris’s forays into the past show how she was shaped into the person she was.

Lucy was my favorite person in the book. She did much growing throughout the book, but she remained the shy, sweet girl who trusted and loved the wrong person (sorry for the minor spoiler). Even when she was with Iris, you could see her naiveness showing through.

I liked Iris, too, even if she got on my nerves during parts of the book. She also did a lot of growing during the book. The Iris at the beginning of the book was not the Iris at the end. I found her a little headstrong and impulsive (going after Dracula alone wasn’t exactly the smart thing to do).

The romance between Iris and Lucy wasn’t a slow burn, even if it felt like it. I loved their connection from the minute they met (Iris was almost run over in London). There was a moment when I thought that Lucy’s unresolved feelings for Mina would cost them everything.

The horror angle of Lucy Undying was well-written and gave me chills. The author didn’t hold back on the violence, sex, or blood involved with being a vampire. Just a heads up: There is a lot of gore and blood.

The end of Lucy Undying was action-packed, and a couple of twists took me by surprise. I loved seeing justice served, but I was surprised by who was behind everything (including Lucy becoming a vampire). I was also shocked by the very end of the book. There was an exciting memo and reveal that made me smile.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Kiersten White for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Lucy Undying. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: September 3rd, 2024

Genre: Romance, Queer, Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Fiction, MM Romance, Contemporary Romance, Gay

Publication Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Fall for Him by Andie Burke, seven-hundred-fifty square feet isn’t enough for the home-renovation-fueled hatred and the building sexual tension.

Dylan Gallagher’s hot neighbor loathed him from the second he moved in, and causing a flood, falling through the floor, and landing directly onto that same neighbor’s bed probably means that’s unlikely to change. The poorly timed “It’s Raining Men” joke didn’t help.

Meanwhile, ER nurse Derek Chang’s life is a literal when-rains-it-pours nightmare. A man he hates dropped into his life along with an astronomically expensive problem originating from Derek’s own apartment’s plumbing. Also, the local HOA tyrant has been sniffing around trying to fine him for his extended, illicit banned breed dog-sitting.

Since Dylan also wants to keep the catastrophe quiet, he offers to fix the damage himself. Dylan’s sure he’s not Derek’s type, so he focuses all his ADHD hyper fixation energy on getting the repair job done as quickly as possible―avoiding doing anything stupid like acting on his very inconvenient crush. Meanwhile Derek tries to ignore that the tattooed nerd sleeping on the couch is surprisingly witty, smart, and kind, despite the long-term grudge Derek’s been holding against him. But will squeezing all their emotional baggage plus a dog into a tiny one-bedroom apartment be a major disaster…or just prove they’re made for each other?

Fall for Him combines banter, hijinks, and heart in a story of finding out what it means to fix things after your life crumbles.

First Line:

The only warning had been a millisecond of ominous crunching before the kitchen floor collapsed beneath Dylan Gallagher’s feet.

Important details about Fall for Him

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Dylan, Derek)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Fall for Him contains themes that include alcoholism, death, homophobia, death of a parent, workplace violence, anxiety, anxiety attacks, blood, physical injuries, grief, physical assault, and bullying. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: Fall for Him contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderately graphic sexual content in Fall for Him.

Setting: Fall for Him is set in Frederick, Maryland.

My Review:

When I got the invite for Fall for Him, I was excited to read it. I had read Fly with Me and enjoyed Olive and Stella’s romance, so I was giddy when I realized that this was Derek’s romance. Derek was one of my favorite secondary characters in Fly with Me, and I was hoping he would get his own book.

While these books are technically not in a series, I recommend reading Fly with Me before reading Fall for Him. That first book gives a lot of background about Derek (which should have been my first clue there would be a book 2). The author goes over everything rather quickly in Fall for Him. However, the nuances and relationships are fully explained in Fly with Me.

The main storyline of Fall for Him centers around Dylan and Derek and their romance. The book literally begins with Dylan falling through the floor onto Derek’s bed and taking off from there. I found the storyline to be well-written, funny, and often sad.

The romance angle of Fall for Him was slow. While Dylan and Derek had feelings for each other, some major misunderstandings kept popping up. The most major one (and the one that broke my heart) was Dylan and Derek’s relationship with Olive’s deceased brother. That relationship and what Derek thought he knew about it almost derailed Dylan and Derek’s romance. Besides that, it was fun to see a relationship that was true to life.

Dylan’s mental health issues were also a considerable part of the book. As the mother of a daughter who has severe ADHD, I applaud the author for her true-to-life depiction of ADHD. Everything that Dylan experienced in the book mirrored things that my daughter has experienced. It was refreshing to read a book where ADHD wasn’t demonized or put down.

A secondary storyline runs throughout the book involving a nosey HOA president. I couldn’t believe her audacity and the power trip she was on because of that title. I will give a small snippet of what Carol did:

  • Tried to tell Derek that renovating an apartment was against HOA rules (it wasn’t)
  • Broke into Derek’s apartment with a spare key given to her (it was in case of an emergency)
  • Tried to have Dylan’s younger sister arrested for breaking and entering.
  • And my favorite
  • Accused Dylan of making porn in his apartment.

And that isn’t even all of it. Carol made me mad and even more determined not to end up in a building or house with an HOA.

The author also touches upon workplace violence (Dylan is an ER nurse) and sibling bullying (his father and brothers mercilessly bully Dylan). It is essential to understand that both happen, but only workplace violence gets any attention if brought up. Seeing how Dylan was treated by his father and brothers was heartbreaking.

The end of Fall for Him was perfect, and the epilogue had me laughing and crying. I will never hear “Death to the Patriarchy” again without picturing Dylan’s niece. I am also looking forward to seeing if there will be another book.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Andie Burke for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Fall for Him. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: August 27th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Academia

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Assistant professor Clara Fernsby is nothing if not driven. She’s wanted to teach history since she was fourteen, and she hasn’t let anything stand in her way—not even the love of her life. And it all paid off in the end, because she landed a well-paid position at a private liberal arts college fresh out of grad school, and this year, she’s finally up for tenure.

When Theodore Harrison is brought on for the fall semester as a visiting scholar, it’s an unwelcome blast from Clara’s past. She hasn’t spoken to Teddy since a falling out ten years ago. Now that he’s here, she’s reminded of their shared history at every autumns spent at a sleepaway camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she traded battered books and burned CDs with a quiet, dark-haired boy—and fell in love with him.

That boy might’ve been her best friend, but the man teaching HIST-322 is a total stranger. But as they spend evenings working on a shared project and brainstorming over drinks at a college bar, Clara realizes she’s at risk of falling all over again. Given their history, she knows there’s every chance he’s not interested. But history’s all down to interpretation, and this time around, she’s got no intentions of repeating it.

First Line:

I might’ve been on time, were it not for the parking meters.

Important details about Given Our History

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Clara)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Given Our History contains themes that include injury, injury detail, death of a parent, sexism, misogyny, alcohol consumption, and grief.

Language: Given Our History contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in Given Our History.

Setting: Given Our History is set in Baltimore, Maryland.

My Review

Given Our History is a second chance, dual storyline book that I had no strong feelings for. It is infrequent for me not to get strong emotions about any book genre, and it is even rarer for that book to be a romance. I love romance in all shapes and forms. So, when I got the widget for this book, it was going to be something that I enjoyed. Instead, I was “meh” about it.

Don’t get me wrong; I thought the storyline for Given Our History was interesting. It tracks Teddy and Clara’s friendship from their early teens attending a camp catered towards homeschooled kids in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the event that caused them to stop talking to each other and eventually work at the same college. The author covered everything perfectly, with the main storyline split between the past and present.

I did like Clara. She was a quirky person trying her hardest to be considered for a tenured position at the college. Clara also had a lot of baggage; some centered around Teddy, but the rest centered on her home life. I loved that she was a history nerd, and the random facts that the author integrated into Teddy and Clara’s conversations (when they were teens) had me googling them. But, at the same time, I felt that Clara was too stuck on Teddy and didn’t allow anyone else in her life. The beginning scene in the prologue is where she bumps into Teddy and his girlfriend at a deli (where she is meeting a professor) and acts like a child. That theme repeated throughout the book and wasn’t a good look for a character that I otherwise liked.

I also liked Teddy. The author wasn’t as forthcoming with his life and issues as she was with Clara’s. In some spots, getting any information about Teddy other than what she shared was almost painful. Like Clara, he was a huge history nerd and had a home life that wasn’t the best.

The romance angle of the book was very slow-moving. There was a point in the book where I was mentally urging them to go faster because it was starting to bore me. I also raised an eyebrow at how old-fashioned Clara was around her younger sister (who was super spoiled). But the romance did eventually heat up, but even then, it was lukewarm.

The secondary storyline about Clara trying to get tenure made me see red when it was wrapped up. I did agree with Clara and her immediate actions after that meeting, but still, it made me so angry.

The end of Given Our History was your typical HEA. I liked that Clara and Teddy finally got together.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Kristyn J. Miller for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Given Our History. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Given Our History, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Kristyn J. Miller

Shock and Paw (Cat Cafe Mystery: Book 8) by Cate Conte

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Series: Cat Cafe Mystery

Cat About Town—Book 1

Purrder She Wrote—Book 2

Tell Tail Heart—Book 3

A Whisker of a Doubt—Book 4

Claws for Alarm—Book 5

Gone But Not Furgotten—Book 6

Nine Lives and Alibis—Book 7

Shock and Paw—Book 8

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.Beware the cats of Christmas past…It’s the holiday season on Daybreak Island, and Maddie James is looking forward to stepping out of the limelight, watching the island’s Christmas decoration competition from afar, spending time with her boyfriend and family, running tours for visitors as part of the festivities and spreading holiday cheer through cute cats in jingle bell collars.But trouble hits close to home when word gets out that Donna Carey, the publisher of the island’s only daily newspaper where Maddie’s best friend Becky is editor, may be selling the business. Becky is a diehard journalist and to her, selling the only newspaper on the island is a fate worse than death. She publicly opposes the potential sale, wreaking havoc on her relationship with her big boss.Maddie is sympathetic, but she has her own problems – like getting pulled into a role on the Christmas event committee despite her best efforts to stay far removed, and solving the case of a mysterious cat breeder trying to sell expensive designer cats as holiday gifts on the island. But then Donna winds up dead—electrocuted by her own Christmas decorations—and it appears to be more than an accident. To make matters worse, Becky becomes suspect number one. Maddie is thrown into another murder investigation in order to save her best friend from a Christmas behind bars.

First Line:

“I swear to God if I find the person who’s putting these flyers up, I’ll murder them.”

Important details about Shock and Paw

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (Maddie)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Shock and Paw contain themes that include cheating, alcohol consumption, dead bodies, hospitalization, medical treatment, physical injuries, grief, loss depiction, strangulation, electrocution, murder, attempted murder, organized crime, physical assault, animal cruelty, animal abuse, and animal injury. Please read carefully if you are triggered by any of these.

Language: Shock and Paw contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Shock and Paw.

Setting: Shock and Paw is set on Daybreak Island, Massachusetts.

My Review

Shock and Paw initially caught my attention because of the title. It was a charming play on Shock and Awe. When I read the blurb, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this series was centered around a cat cafe. So, I decided to read it. And I am glad that I did. This was a mystery that kept me on my toes.

Shock and Paw is the eighth book in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone, but to avoid the confusion I encountered while reading, I recommend reading the first seven books before picking this one up.

The main storyline of Shock and Paw revolves around Maddie, the Christmas competition, the murder of the town paper’s owner, and fliers that promise designer cat breeds by a backyard breeder. It is up to Maddie to control the Christmas competition, solve who killed the paper owner, and determine who is responsible for breeding designer cats.

Shock and Paw did rub me the wrong way at the beginning of the book. I was slightly turned off by how preachy the author was about not breeding and adopting only. Listen, I rescue cats myself and fall into the adopt when you can category. I have seen the effect that cat overpopulation has. I have also seen what happens when irresponsible owners don’t spay/neuter their pets. But I agree with responsible breeding (aka breeding to breed standard with breeders who are checked often). So, to repeat myself, I was turned off by the dialogue between Maddie and her friends in the first chapter. Thankfully, I don’t judge a book based on what I initially read.

The storyline with Maddie and the Christmas competition was amusing. I felt for Maddie being pulled into it against her will. I also felt for her mother having to deal with someone who was not only new to the island but also new to the committee. Thankfully, Maddie was able to help smooth things over for the competition.

The storyline with the flyers advertising the breeding of designer cats was interesting. I won’t go into my feelings (see above), but I liked seeing Maddie’s commitment to discovering who was breeding and hoping to educate them. I will say that I was shocked at who it was and how it was tied into the murder.

The storyline of the newspaper owner’s murder was interesting. I did kind of figure out who the murderer was, but the motive wasn’t clear. Maddie’s best friend’s red herring was just that—a red herring—but it did add some extra context to the storyline.

The end of Shock and Paw was exciting. I liked how Maddie tied everything together, and I was truly surprised at not only who the murderer was but also how it was tied to the flyers. I also liked that the author ended the book on a positive note.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Cate Conte for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Shock and Paw. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Shock and Paw, then you will enjoy these books:

Other Books by Hannah McKinnon

How to Fall for a Scoundrel (Her Majesty’s Rebels: Book 2) by Kate Bateman

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Adult, Mystery

Series: Her Majesty’s Rebels

Second Duke’s the Charm—Book 1 (review here)

How to Fall for a Scoundrel—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two unlikely allies team up to solve a case in this novel filled with Kate Bateman’s signature sparkling voice, exciting adventures, and steamy chemistry.

As a founding member of King & Co., London’s most successful private investigation firm, studious Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, “Charles King,” Ellie knows he’s lying, but accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking her new case and recovering a priceless manuscript.

“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” as he asks to be called—claims his criminal past is behind him, but a man who steals and seduces with such consummate ease can never be trusted. As the investigation draws them deeper into danger and desire, Ellie’s infuriated to realize she’s developed feelings for her law-breaking accomplice. How can she love the scoundrel when she doesn’t even know his real name? And what will happen when Harry’s past finally catches up with him?

First Line:

Eleanor Law had not expected to kiss anyone at Lady Chessington’s annual Christmas boil, let alone a charming, anonymous scoundrel.

Important Details about How to Fall for a Scoundrel

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Henry and Eleanor)

Content/Trigger Guidance: How to Fall for a Scoundrel contains themes of gun violence, injury, injury detail, and death of a parent. Please read carefully if any of these trigger you.

Language: How to Fall for a Scoundrel contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is explicit sexual content in How to Fall for a Scoundrel.

Setting: How to Fall for a Scoundrel is set in Regency-era London, England.

My Review

As most of you know, Regency-era romances are one of my favorite genres to read. And, if you have been following me for a long enough time, you know that I love Kate Bateman’s books. So, when How to Fall for a Scoundrel came across my email, it wasn’t even a question of me reading the book. It was an automatic acceptance on my end.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel is the second book in the Her Majesty’s Rebels series. You can read it as a standalone, but I highly suggest reading book one first. It provides a more in-depth background of the main characters and how their detective agency started.

The main storyline of How to Fall for a Scoundrel is centered around Ellie and Harry. Ellie is 1/3 of the owner of King & Co., a detective agency that the Queen uses. Harry is an ex-con who wiggled his way into her life by claiming to be her fictional boss, Charles King. Ellie and Harry are forced together when King & Co. is approached and asked to find a stolen priceless manuscript. But Ellie isn’t aware that Harry has secrets that revolve around his past. What happens when Harry’s secrets come to light? Will their fledgling relationship be able to withstand them?

I loved the chemistry between Ellie and Harry. I wasn’t expecting that because it was an Instalove-type deal, and usually (in my experience), Instalove doesn’t have the chemistry that these two did.

I liked Ellie. She certainly didn’t take any shit from Harry, that’s for sure. I loved watching her interact with him. It was a healthy blend of skepticism, lust (later love), and amusement.

Harry was an enigma. When he introduced himself as Henri, my attention was caught from the beginning. The author did an excellent job of keeping his identity a secret, but I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed. I also liked that Harry was very much in tune with his feelings. He acknowledged what he felt for Ellie before she even began to admit it to herself. And for a Regency-era man, I thought that it was refreshing.

The storyline with the manuscript was exciting, but it was more of a backdrop for Ellie and Harry’s romance. I liked the shenanigans that they got into, and I loved watching them fall for each other.

Toward the end of the book, a secondary storyline revolves around Harry. This interesting storyline involved Harry’s eyes (he had heterochromia). Other than that, I can’t get into the storyline because there are some major spoilers, and I don’t want to give anything away.

The end of How to Fall for a Scoundrel was a HEA. I liked how the author wrapped up Ellie and Harry’s love story, solved the manuscript mystery, and solved the secondary storyline with Harry. I cannot wait for the third book in this series to come out!!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Kate Bateman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of How to Fall for a Scoundrel. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to How to Fall for a Scoundrel, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Kate Bateman

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, Translated by Jessie Kirkwood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Japan, Japanese Literature, Cats, Asia, Asian Literature, Animals, Novels

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon.

This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives veered off course.

Because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist and a technologically challenged website designer, the coffee shop’s feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. For there is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them…

First Line:

It was early April and my apartment windows were wide open.

Important details about The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Mizuki, Akari), 3rd person (Takashi, Satsuki)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains themes of infidelity and death.

Language: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains no swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Setting: The Full Moon Coffee Shop is set in Kyoto, Japan.

My Review

I am a sucker for books that contain cats. Recently, I have also become very interested in reading Japanese literature. So, when I read the blurb for The Full Moon Coffee Shop and saw that it contained cats and Japanese literature, I knew I wanted to read it. And I am glad I did because this book was a cute read and a little strange.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop’s synopsis centers around four individuals (Mizuki, Akari, Satsuki, and Takashi), their current lives, and how they ended up at the coffee shop. The book was very well written, and I had zero issues following the storyline.

I warn that you might wonder how everything is connected (I certainly did wonder). The author does a beautiful job of gradually explaining the connections between the people. The connection between the cafe and the main characters isn’t fully explained until the end of the book.

The main characters were flawed, but not in a way that would ruin the book. The author did have each character have an awakening of sorts, which carried over into the other storylines.

The cats and the astrology made the book. I liked that the cats were named after the planets. I also liked that the author included drawings of each person’s astrology chart. It was nice to see a layout of what each cat (and there were four that gave the main characters TED talks) was talking about. I was able to visualize it. Also, I liked that the author didn’t fundamentally change the cats. Instead, they were furry creatures who stood on their hind legs, did astrology, and served up custom-made coffee/tea/desserts to the shop patrons.

The end of The Full Moon Coffee Shop was interesting. The author shows how the main characters changed because of their interactions at the coffee shop. In addition, the way the main characters met and the good deeds that they did together were explained. I was in tears reading that. They weren’t sad tears but happy tears. I wish I could tell you all more!!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Mai Mochizuki for allowing me to read and review The Full Moon Coffee Shop. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Full Moon Coffee Shop, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Mai Mochizuki

Agony Hill (Franklin Warren: Book 1) by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: August 6th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

Series: Franklin Warren

Agony Hill—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Set in rural Vermont in the volatile 1960s, Agony Hill is the first novel in a new historical series full of vivid New England atmosphere and the deeply drawn characters that are Sarah Stewart Taylor’s trademark.

In the hot summer of 1965, Bostonian Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, to take a position as a detective with the state police. Warren’s new home is on the verge of monumental change; the interstates under construction will bring new people, new opportunities, and new problems to Vermont, and the Cold War and protests against the war in Vietnam have finally reached the dirt roads and rolling pastures of Bethany.

Warren has barely unpacked when he’s called up to a remote farm on Agony Hill. Former New Yorker and Back-to-the-Lander Hugh Weber seems to have set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside, but things aren’t adding up for Warren. The people of Bethany—from Weber’s enigmatic wife to Warren’s neighbor, widow and amateur detective Alice Bellows — clearly have secrets they’d like to keep, but Warren can’t tell if the truth about Weber’s death is one of them. As he gets to know his new home and grapples with the tragedy that brought him there, Warren is drawn to the people and traditions of small town Vermont, even as he finds darkness amidst the beauty.

First Line

The day was hot and clear, the sky overhead a thick blue traced here and there with ragged wisps of stringy clouds that reminded Sylvie of the bloody scratches she got when pruning brambles.

Important details about Agony Hill

Pace: Slow but does pick up to medium by the end of the book.

POV: 3rd person (Warren, Alice, and Sylvie)

Series: Agony Hill is the 1st book in the Franklin Warren series.

Content/Trigger Guidance: Agony Hill contains themes that include homelessness, poverty, classism, sexism, misogyny, dubious consent scenario*, adult-minor relationships*, emotional abuse, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, blood, cancer*, dead bodies, death of a spouse, grief & loss depiction, death of a parent, fire & arson, gun violence, conscription*, war, murder, and animal cruelty. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Dubious Consent Scenario: Sylvie remembers her first sexual encounter with Hugh. She was pressured into having sex because it was her wedding night.
  • Adult-Minor Relationship: Hugh was thirty-five when he met and married Sylvie, who was in her mid-teens.
  • Cancer: Alice goes and visits a neighbor who is dying of cancer during her investigation into who stole bullets and framed a friend of hers.
  • Conscription: The draft is mentioned at various points during the book. Sylvie interacts with a young man who is a draft dodger.

Language: Agony Hill contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Agony Hill.

Setting: Agony Hill is set in 1965 in Bethany (a fictional city), Vermont.

My Review:

I enjoy reading police procedural novels. I have been reading quite a bit of them, and I am always fascinated by the work and time that goes into solving a case. My fascination grows even more when the book is set in the early days of forensic science. Agony Hill is one of those books.

I was also pleased to see that Agony Hill takes place in Vermont. I can count on one hand the number of books set there in the past year.

Agony Hill is the first book in the Franklin Warren series, but it can also be read as a standalone.

Agony Hill takes place in 1965, and the author mentions the Vietnam War and the draft. The author does explain in her note (at the beginning of the book) that she didn’t use the spelling that most small-town papers used for the war (they separated Vietnam into Viet Nam). She didn’t want to confuse people; I am happy she did that. I am also glad there weren’t too many scenes with anti-war protests (actually, there was a brief scene of a veteran marching against the war in the parade).

The main storyline of Agony Hill is centered on Warren (a recently hired detective from Massachusetts), Sylvie (the wife of the victim), and Alice (an amateur detective who is more than she seems). The book is slow. Usually, I’m not too fond of it when books start and stay slow, but in this case, it worked. It allowed me to digest the clues that Warren uncovers, try to figure out who Alice was and the motive behind Hugh being killed. It took me a long time to read, but I enjoyed it.

I have never read a book in which people were so happy to see someone die. I get that Hugh Weber was unlikable, but to have no one, not even his wife or children, mourn for him was a bit much. Of course, the more Warren uncovered about this unpleasant man, the more I could understand why people felt that way.

I liked the main characters (Warren and Sylvie). Each had a compelling backstory, which added mystery to the main storyline (Warren’s background and everything about Sylvie).

I do want to mention Alice. I loved her. She was the epitome of your busybody, widowed neighbor. However, as the author got into her background, it was surprising to discover that she was so much more. Alice has a lot of layers to her, and I feel that the author isn’t done yet with this character.

The mystery angle was well written. The author kept me on my toes about who killed Hugh and why. I had several suspects on my list but started mentally crossing them off as Warren began talking to people. I was shocked at what happened and even more surprised at what Warren did. But, having thought about it, it was the right call.

The end of Agony Hill was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped everything up, but I also liked how she left a little room for the next book. I have a feeling that Bethany, Vermont, is going to be a hopping place now that Warren is there.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Stewart Taylor for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Agony Hill. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Agony Hill, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Ami (Guardians of Dawn: Book 2) by S. Jae-Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: August 6th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, High Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Queer

Series: Guardians of Dawn

Zhara—Book 1 (review here)

Ami—Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon |B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When the Pillar blooms, the end of the world is not far behind.

Li Ami was always on the outside—outside of family, outside of friendships, outside of ordinary magic. The odd and eccentric daughter of a former imperial magician, she has devoted her life to books because she finds them easier to read than people. Exiled to the outermost west of the Morning Realms, Ami has become the sole caretaker of her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings may be more than mere ramblings; they may be part of a dire prophecy. When her father is arrested for trespassing and stealing a branch from the sacred tree of the local monastery, Ami offers herself to the mysterious Beast in the castle, who is in need of someone who can translate a forbidden magical text and find a cure for the mysterious blight that is affecting the harvest of the land.

Meanwhile, as signs of magical corruption arise throughout the Morning Realms, Jin Zhara begins to realize that she might be out of her element. She may have defeated a demon lord and uncovered her identity as the Guardian of Fire, but she’ll be more than outmatched in the coming elemental battle against the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons…unless she can find the other Guardians of Dawn. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood with power over life and death in order to defeat the revenants razing the countryside.

The threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms larger by the day, and the tenuous peace holding the Morning Realms together is beginning to unravel. Ami and Zhara must journey to the Root of the World in order to seal the demon portal that may have opened there and restore balance to an increasingly chaotic world.

First Line:

On the eighth day of the osmanthus month, Ami’s fairy tree unexpectedly produced a miniature flower.

Important details about Ami

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Li Ami, Jin Zhara, the Beast)

Series: Ami is the 2nd book in the Guardians of Dawn series

Content/Trigger Guidance: Ami contains themes that include gore, mental illness, kidnapping, grief, death of a parent, deadnaming, refugee experiences, body horror, dead bodies, loss of autonomy, scars, fire & arson, and physical assault.

Language: Ami contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Ami.

Setting: Ami is set in the Morning Realms.

My Review

I was very impatient for this book to be published. I had loved Zhara, but with how it ended, I needed to know more about the characters, the world, the romance, and everything else connected with this world. Surprisingly, I was surprised when the publisher sent me a widget. Why was I surprised? Well, I thought the book would be published next year (and that was my assumption). Then, I was thrilled. I was curious who the Guardian of Wood was. Well, Ami more than answered my questions. But it also raised new ones, which I am sure will be answered in the next book.

Ami is the second book in the Guardian of Dawn series. It cannot be read as a standalone; you need to read book 1 to understand the backstory and events that lead into book 2.

Ami’s main storyline is centered around Li Ami and Jin Zhara. The storyline with Li Ami did make me sad. Ami had to deal with so much (her mentally ill father, her magic, and her feelings of inadequacy). She worked hard to overcome her feelings, tried her hardest to suppress her magic, and cared for and shielded her father. Ami even pleaded to take his punishment (when he stole a branch from the Pilar). By the middle of her plotline, though, I began to see the girl she’d become at the end of the book. She became more assertive and less shy but still suppressed her magic. It wasn’t until the end of the book that her full character emerged, and I loved her.

The plotline with Zhara was interesting. Her travels with the Bangtan brothers and Han (her love interest) were a little more exciting than Ami’s. In this storyline, the zombies were first shown in action, and a possible explanation was given for why they were being created. Yuli (the Guardian of the Wind) did make appearances (Zhara is her BFF), but she was dealing with a whole lot of shit at home.

Ami and Zahara’s storylines merge a little after the middle of the book. I liked the instant connection that they both felt to each other. But I liked the most that Zhara took the time to get to know Ami and her companions. She also doesn’t push Ami past her comfort zone but stresses the importance of their mission (to find and stop the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons, to stop the zombies, and to heal the Pilar).

I did like the LGBTQ+/nuerodivergent rep that the author incorporated into Ami. The book has autistic, lesbian, nonbinary, and asexual characters. The author did a great job of introducing and portraying those characters and the people around them. I felt nothing was forced or fake, and she didn’t play into stereotypes.

The fantasy angle of the book was well written. Ami, Zhara, and Yuli’s powers were enough to keep me reading. But then she added the other fantasy elements, and I was hooked. The whole zombie sub-storyline was interesting, as was how they were created (the explanation is wild). I also absolutely loved the storyline to save the Pilar (and what was eventually revealed). I also was curious about Gaden’s magic and how they used it. It was introduced mid-book and did cause Gaden some issues with Ami (and the rest of the group).

There is a romance angle in Ami. There were two. Zhara and Han’s romance continues in this book. Gaden and Ami’s romance, which made my day when I read it, was pure and sweet, and it was what I wanted to read in a fantasy book. Because of their scars, Gaden didn’t think they were worthy of love. That was until Ami saw beyond the scar to the person underneath.

There are a few twists in Ami that raised my eyebrows. The first is the confession of Ami’s father while he was in his right mind. That confession explains a lot about the Guardians and what Ami had to keep her power hidden. The second was about Gaden, and that caught me by surprise. I was not expecting Gaden’s true identity to be what it was. I also wasn’t expecting (even though, in hindsight, it did make sense) Gaden’s utter lack of caring about their true identity. There is a twist about the portal and the Pilar and Gaden’s connection to both.

I had mixed feelings about the end of Ami. On one hand, I was pleased with how everything turned out for this book. I liked that the Guardians (with Yuli being there in spirit, literally) were able to resolve the issue of the zombies and how they were being created. But on the other hand, I really wanted Yuli to be there in person. I was also very curious about the Guardian of Water because that epilogue wasn’t enough.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and S. Jae-Jones for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Ami. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Ami, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by S. Jae-Jones