Belladonna by Adalyn Grace ~ Review

Title: Belladonna

Author: Adalyn Grace

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Number of Pages: 408 

Release Date: August 30th, 2022

Blurb: Death waits for no one . . . except for her.

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her wellbeing - and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy.

Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family's waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother's restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

Signa's best chance of uncovering the murderer, though, is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he's made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful - and more irresistible - than she ever dared imagine.

My Thoughts: This book starts off with us meeting Signa Farrow who can not die no matter what happens to her. Everywhere she goes people around her die so she thinks she's cursed. After her latest guardian dies she's sent to live with the Hawthorne family. They have their own set of issues they are dealing with. Blyhe is sick like her deceased mother. Elijah is still mourning his late wife and Percy who has a chip on his shoulder. Just who is Sylas Thorly? A stableboy with delusions of grandeur or something else? 

This book started off so slow. Like I almost gave up on this book because it was so slow but I'm glad that I didn't. After the intial boringness I quite enjoyed the book. I can't wait to start Foxglove and dive more into Signa and Death's relationship. 

Rating: 4 stars

A Far Better Prospect by MJ Stratton ~ Review + Giveaway

Title: A Far Better Prospect 

Author: MJ Stratton

Genre: Pride and Prejudice variation

Publisher: self-published

Number of Pages: 991

Release Date: July 11th, 2023

Blurb: Louisa Bingley had never defied her mother in her life until she found something she wished to fight for. In love with a man with close ties to trade, Louisa refuses to give him up when her mother demands it.

But Mrs. Bingley is not to be reckoned with and through despicable means manages to force her daughter into a much more appropriate marriage to a gentleman named Mr. Hurst.

Married to a man she does not love and finding herself in increasingly desperate circumstances, the newlywed Louisa Hurst must learn to navigate her husband's expectations and demands while still trying to hold on to the threads of herself. Through all of this she must also survive the malice of her younger sister Caroline when the responsibility for her care is thrust most unwillingly upon her.

Convinced contentment in life is all that she can expect, Louisa finds herself quite unexpectedly released from her unwanted marriage and free to pursue her own happiness. But does she dare take the chance at allowing herself to feel again?

Along with Jane and Lizzy and all our favorites, Louisa Hurst gets her own happy ending in this Pride and Prejudice Vagary.

My Thoughts:  I had no idea about this book until I was contacted to see if I wanted to be part of the author's blog tour. I said yes because a book about Louisa Bingley sounded interesting. We get to see the story of Pride and Prejudice through Louisa's eyes. Her early married life with Hurst was very rough and he only stopped giving her grief when she finally managed to carry a child full term. I have to say that Mrs. Bingley was a horrible mother and I wasn't sad when she left the world.  I liked that Louisa had a love interest before she was forced to marry Hurst and that she ultimately ended up with her true love in the end. Caroline is still a piece of work and in the end gets better than she deserves. Also, Bingley is the best brother ever. Louisa and Elizabeth become friends and due to her friendship with Elizabeth events unfolded differently than the original book. 

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it is extremely long. My Kindle said it was 991 pages. I do recommend this book if you're looking for something different though. 

Rating: 4 stars

*****

MJ Stratton is generously giving away 3 ebook copies of  A Far Better Prospect. To enter just use the Rafflecopter form down below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig ~ Review

Title: House of Roots and Ruin

Author: Erin A. Craig

Genre: Fantasy Thriller

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Number of Pages: 544

Release Date: July 25th, 2023

Blurb: In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to the charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .

My Thoughts:  This book is the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows. I remember loving that book when I read it. You don't have to read the first one to enjoy this book. There are some hints to what happened in the first one so that's nice.  Almost everybody in the Laurent family is just horrible. There are deep family secrets and experiments, and they are just horrible. Alex is the only exception to that. He had no idea what was going on supposedly. Verity and Alex end up getting married after his brothers, his father, his mother, and his grandmother are all killed. They all had it coming. Except the epilogue sets up a third book. I will be reading it when it comes out. 

Rating: 4 stars

*I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Bride of Lycaster by Perci Jay ~ Review

Title: The Bride of Lycaster

Author: Perci Jay 

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Publisher: Fable House Press, LLC

Number of Pages: 454

Release Date: July 22nd, 2023

Blurb: When you are brought up to be only a bride, you are nothing until you are married. Then someone else decides what you are.

Serafina Ravenwood is a liar. Caught between bloodthirsty giants destroying her homeland and a cruel Duke who shatters her family, Serafina only has one option to survive—marry the heir to the Dukedom of Lycaster.

Serafina spends seven years charming and deceiving him into securing her place as his wife. As her promised marriage was within her grasp, a notorious half-giant known only as “the Beast” crushes her plans.

But the half-giant is only the beginning. She learns the glittering life of Lycaster’s court is nothing more than a world of beautiful lies. To survive in the endless labyrinth of deceit, Serafina must become more than just a bride. She will shed her white dress and transform into a plotter, a lover, a manipulator, a rival, and an assassin—or else her fate is sealed.

The Bride of Lycaster is the first book in the Lycaster series, a heart-wrenching romantic fantasy full of magic, twisted fairytales, and dark family secrets.

My Thoughts: This book starts with our main character and Lord Hyon's son meeting seven years before they are supposed to. Sera starts a seven-year scheme to marry the future Lord of Hyton. However, her dreams are squashed when The Beast chooses her as a bride. Because of a stupid rule and magic Sera and Riyan only have until the next full moon to consummate the marriage. The problem is that she is only four feet tall and he's NINE feet tall. Do you see the problem here?

 I noticed that like almost everybody in this book is treated like shit. Riyan though just gets the worst of it because of his size. Even his own family mistreats him. I enjoyed it when Riyan and Sera eventually started getting along. But it didn't last long as Riyan fell and destroyed part of the fortress and killed his grandmother, which in turn killed his grandfather. The new Baron and Baroness start on a journey to return Riyan to normal size so they can fully start their marriage which abruptly ends. I don't want to give too much away with this book. 

I was just scrolling through Tiktok one day when one of the author's posts showed up promoting this book, which sounded very intriguing. So when the chance to be an advanced reader popped up I jumped on the opportunity to read it. I'm glad I did because I extremely enjoyed this book. Perci Jay did so well with her debut book. I'm excited to read The Sorceress of Lycaster when it's released hopefully later this year. 

Rating: 5 stars

*I received an advanced copy of the book from the author. All opinions are my own. 

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russell ~ Review

Title: The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses

Author: L.V. Russell

Genre: Historical Horror

Publisher: Quill and Crow Publishing House 

Number of Pages: 194

Release Date: May 17th, 2023

Blurb: Theodora Corvus can hear the whispers of her crumbling family home. She can hear the whispers of Kingsward Manor, her place of employment. She sees the watchers by the lake, black-eyed and waiting. But Broken Oak is silent. Broken Oak is empty.

When Theodora takes the job as governess to young Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the stern eye of the foreboding housekeeper, Theodora quickly navigates the dark and winding corridors of Broken Oak, only to find herself irrevocably drawn to the mysterious lord of the manor. But someone walks the hallways late after nightfall, their footsteps leading to the attic. The only place in the sprawling house that does not remain silent.

As her scandalous feelings for Cassias Thorne grow, Theodora fights to unearth the secrets of Broken Oak. Who wanders the house at night? Where is the Lady of the Manor? What lies behind the attic door high up under the eaves of the house?

“Where is Lady Thorne, Cassias? Where is your wife?”

My Thoughts: At first I thought this was going to be a Jane Eyre-inspired book and in some ways it sort of was but I never saw that twist coming.  The lord of the manor and the governess start falling in love but he keeps mentioning his wife. Theodora keeps hearing footsteps outside her door at night and she's told not to go to the attic. So can you blame me for thinking that? I really thought this book was sort of boring but that twist at the end I didn't see coming. Eleanora Thorne got what she deserved at the end but I do wonder how long it took for her to get justice. 

I'm going to admit this was going to get an average rating from me but that twist got me. So it's getting a higher rating now. I definitely recommend this book if you love historical horror. 

Rating: 4 stars

*I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

Prevailed Upon to Marry by Mary Smythe ~ Review

Title: Prevailed Upon to Marry

Author: Mary Smythe 

Genre: Pride and Prejudice variation

Publisher: Quills & Quartos Publishing

Number of Pages: 274

Release Date: June 12th, 2023

Blurb: To love and be loved in return—what more could any rational person wish for?

THE NEWS OF ELIZABETH BENNET'S ENGAGEMENT hits Fitzwilliam Darcy with all the force of a runaway carriage. That she is set to marry her toadying cousin, Mr Collins, only makes the travesty worse. But what can he do?

ELIZABETH BENNET DOES NOT wish to throw herself away on Mr Collins, but with the hedgerows looming ever closer, she has not much choice. When Mr Darcy arrives at Longbourn just in time to present her with an alternative, she has to ask herself—is he truly the last man in the world she could be prevailed upon to marry? Or is it Mr Collins? The answer is a simple, if surprising, one.

HOWEVER A JILTED BRIDEGROOM is not so easily put aside, particularly not when it is Mr William Collins, and so Darcy and Elizabeth are required to flee to Scotland, taking the daring step of eloping together. With conflicted feelings between them and determined pursuers hard on their heels, the road to matrimony has never been bumpier but the happily ever after promises to be sweeter for it.

My Thoughts: This story starts with Mr. Bennet being told he has long to live so he makes Elizabeth accept Collins when she doesn't want to. Darcy shows up on the day of the wedding and proposes to her. She accepts and due to circumstances, they elope to Scotland. Lady Catherine and Collins chase after them but Collins is the one who finds them after he is abandoned by her. They arrive at Pemberley after marrying but don't have a marriage on English soil after Scotland. That's just weird to me. There was really no conflict in this book at all except Collins and Lady Catherine chasing after them and honestly they weren't that much of an obstacle. 

This book was extremely fast-paced and I would have enjoyed it was drawn out more with more of an obstacle to their marriage. I really would have enjoyed it if Collins and Lady Catherine would have had more consequences for their actions than what they received. It's an alright book if you are looking for a fast-paced and light read. 

Rating: 3 stars

* I received an advanced copy from the publisher through Booksprout. All opinions are my own. 

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas ~ Review

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Release Date: May 2nd, 2017

Blurb: Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

My Thoughts: I read this book when it first came out but apparently I forgot everything that happened in this book over the years. It was nice to read it with fresh eyes. So much happened in this book. The war started in earnest and yeah that was fun. Nesta and Elain were dealing with what happened to them when they were turned into High Fae by the Cauldron at Hybern's hands. Feyre returned briefly to the Spring Court at the beginning of the book to basically spy and turn Tamlin's army against him. Feyre made bargains with Bryaxis and the Carver to fight for them when the time came while Rhys secretly made a bargain with the Weaver to fight for them. I'm glad though that Ianthe finally got what she deserved. I also didn't see sweet Elain and feisty Nesta being the ones to actually kill the King of Hybern.  

I really enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to rereading the next two books in the series. I would have finished this book faster but I got distracted by Tears of the Kingdom. That's my bad but I don't see the obsession waning anytime soon. 

Rating: 4.5 stars