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Intriguing and Relevant: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
May 28, 2020
I

Series: Standalone

Release Date: January 15, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned.

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

<strong>Ending</strong>

Bittersweet HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Asian main character
• Black supporting character
• Immigrant supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Mild Violence
• Death
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>

• Teen Pregnancy
• Allusions to an extra-marital affair
• Psychological effects of an airborne virus being loose in your town
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Flirty Yet Aggravating: By A Thread by Lucy Score

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
May 26, 2020
F

Series: Standalone

Release Date: April 23, 2020 

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me.

Dominic
I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that on her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother.

So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father.

She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.

Ally
Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face.

Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA with Extended Epilogue (Children are grown)
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Allusions to sexual assault
• No OTT sad parts
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have OW and OM
– Heroine goes on a date and flirts with a fashion designer throughout story
– Ex-girlfriend of Hero is on cover of magazine and Hero meets up with her and her house
• Does have the Hero pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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Fantastical Yet Tropey: The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
May 18, 2020
F

Series: The Hundredth Queen

Release Date: June 1, 2017

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
He wanted a warrior queen. He got a revolutionary.

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.

But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.

Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC main, supporting and side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes

• Allusions to rape and sexual assault
• Violence
• Discussions of incest (no incest actually happens)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM
• Does have the Hero pushing away
• Does have a brief separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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Refreshing and Romantic: The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
May 11, 2020
R

Series: Everleigh Sisters*

Release Date: November 26, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew in this laugh-out-loud and heartfelt Regency romance.

Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it’s hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.

But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• POC Author
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Sexism
– The Heroine is a victim of the ton’s inclination to believe a man over a woman when it comes to being “ruined”–the Heroine rejected a love interest in her youth and in revenge, the man ruined her standing in the ton, and is working on marrying her younger sister
• Harsh words exchanged between the Hero and Heroine
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

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A Vindication of Twilight?: Re-read 10 years later

By Sarah
In Opinion
April 24, 2020
A

Note: There will be spoilers discussed below.

First Impressions

The last time I read Twilight I was 12 years old and loved it. Now, currently in the midst of finishing my feminism dissertation on patriarchal norms in popular culture, and currently self-isolating, my curiosity was peaked: is the Twilight I remember one that was read through naive rose-tinted glasses? Does it actually have an anti-feminist rhetoric? Over the past two days, I have read Twilight (note only the first book in the series) and have taken notes of my thoughts while reading.

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Tantalizing Yet Disappointing: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
April 15, 2020
T

Series: The Young Elites

Release Date: October 7, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumoured to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

<strong>Ending</strong>

Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Asian Author
• BIPOC supporting characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• Disabilities
– Partially blind main character
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Violence (including, torture, abuse and murder)
• Domestic abuse
• Heroine was emotionally, psychologically and physically abused by her father, while her sister was showed in love
• Death (including, death of a past lover)
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Allusions to sex (including, in the context of an escort service)
• The Hero is grieving the death of his fiancée
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 3/5 stars

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Enchanting and Atmospheric: The Beholder by Anna Bright

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
August 5, 2019
E

Series: The Beholder

Release Date: June 4, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

<strong>Ending</strong>

Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Heroine suffers emotional abuse from her step-mother
• Heroine’s mother died (off-page)
• The Heroine’s father is ill
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Allusion to violence
• Heroine is 18 and looking for a husband
• Romantic relationship between adoptive siblings
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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Thrilling and Introspective: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
July 25, 2019
T

Series: Sands of Arawiya

Release Date: May 14, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Death
• Violence
• Abuse
• Emotional torture
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• The Hero is dealing with the emotional and psychological torture of having his past love interest punished for loving (and being kind) to him by his father
• The Heroine’s best friend is in love with her, and she’s considering taking it further
• The Heroine is haunted by the death of her father
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Why I’m So Done with “Bad Boys” in New Adult Romances

By Sarah
In Opinion
July 8, 2019
W

Note: There will be spoilers mentioned below.

Anyone else just done with certain types of “bad boys” in new adult romances? I’ve decided to start something new on my blog called an opinion piece which targets issues I’ve discovered in literature and where I use a specific book (In this case After by Anna Todd) to demonstrate my point. I have come to believe that the propagation of certain types of cliched “bad boys” should not be romanticized; what are the damages of rationalizing behaviours that are demeaning, womanizing and, in the context of this piece, abusive? Please remember this is my opinion and you’re welcome to disagree!

Books are works of fiction but at their core, they can reflect the realities of society and therefore what we’re taught as “dismissible behaviour.” Therefore, I think it is worth discussing the impact of the cliched bad boy when they’re depicted in certain ways as media in all forms is such a huge influencer in our lives.

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Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
February 28, 2019
S

Series: Standalone

Release Date: December 26, 2018

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone…

I’m the second-most hated person in Amber Springs.

First place honors go to my twin, Ethan; however, hate isn’t a strong enough word to convey how people feel about him.

Not that I blame anyone—some days, I hate him too. Mostly, I’m just lost and afraid, drowning in a sea of betrayal and guilt, wondering how this happened right under my nose.

There’s no choice but to leave. To move clear across the country in a last-ditch attempt to start over.

Transferring to a new school midway through senior year is hellish for most people. For me, it’s a welcome relief—until someone discovers our secret and now everyone knows.

The pointing, whispering, and scathing looks follow me around again, and I’m back to square one. Except, this time, I’m not alone.

Axel, Skeet, and Heath took me under their wing from the minute I arrived here. I’ve no idea why three of the hottest guys in town took any interest in me or why they continue to have my back, but I’m so grateful to have them in my corner.

Because, right now, they’re the only reason I’m not following my brother into an early grave.

This is an upper YA/NA reverse harem STANDALONE contemporary romance. Due to sensitive content, sexual situations, and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged 18+. Full length novel.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Side characters with a disability
• Main character struggles with depression
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Gun violence (School shooting)
• Sexual violence: Gang-rape (Discussed but no flashback)
• Bullying
• Suicidal ideation
• Suicide attempt
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a significant separation (1.5 years) between the Heroine and Heroes (One hero is celibate, and another is also celibate, although he attempted to hook-up with an OW but couldn’t at the last minute. The last hero is NOT celibate, at all.)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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