The Dagger and the Flame - Catherine Doyle // Book Review

   

The Dagger and the Flame
Catherine Doyle || Publication Date - 02.10.2024

Seraphine witnesses her mothers murder, over a commodity believed shouldn't exist...

Fantasy | Romance

In Fantome, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers - the thieves and the assassins.

On the night of her mother's murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, her heart is set on revenge. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before...

As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome's underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic, and the deadly spark that keeps drawing them back together...

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

For a young adult fantasy novel, I was surprised that I had found myself really enjoying the story. It's definitely not a genre I actively seek out much anymore as I am no longer the target demographic, however, sometimes something like this comes along and it truly is a gem.

It is definitely playing off the age old 'Romeo & Juliet' style enemies to lovers trope. Two factions, both fighting for control and distinctly do not like one another. Seraphine is a Cloak, one of the thieves and Ransom is a Dagger, an assassin. Both are forced into investigating an insurgence of monsters plaguing the city of Fantome and eventually end up fighting an enemy no one had seen coming.

What I loved was how easy it was to read, and the 500 pages felt like absolutely nothing at all. Catherine's ability to world build and draw in atmosphere was what sold me to continue reading the series. It had everything I would have expected for a novel towing the line between typical enemies to lovers and deep underground crime influences shaping the way these characters see and interact with each other. There's a history of bad blood between the two factions and you can see this being played out even as the main protagonists know there is something far deeper going on than a simple gang feud.

Overall Thoughts

It took me a while to get into this book, however, once I hit that tipping point I loved it. I enjoyed the story, and the characters were compelling. Most of all though, I enjoyed the descriptive writing that Catherine brought to the table. The scenes and events within the book were beautifully written and I thoroughly applaud Catherine for her ability to set the atmosphere. It really made immersing myself in the world a lot easier and most of the time I truly felt like a fly on the wall.

I look forward to reading future novels by Catherine, as I'm very excited to see what comes next!

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Ghosted - Amy Hutton // Book Review

 

Ghosted
Amy Hutton || Publication Date - 30.09.2025

A haunted house, an ex-flame and $10,000 for a job well done, would you do it?

Romance | Supernatural

Holly has an interesting style of day job. Not only are ghosts real, and people are haunted, but she has the ability to see and banish them from the mortal world. Her disdain for ghosts doesn't stop when her job is done either. One ghost in particular has been impossible to move on from her life... her ex-boyfriend Callum.

Unfortunately for her, he pops up again randomly asking to collaborate with her on a job he's been contacted for. An old manor house which is allegedly haunted by a woman who died over 200 years ago. The family estate want her gone, Callum has accepted to investigate and Holly is the only one who can move her on to the afterlife.

With this job however, brings up past feelings and unexpectedly a mystery which may link Holly to this house more than she could ever have imagined.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

Amy Hutton keeps getting better and better as an author. I was a little skeptical going into this novel based on a few issues I had with 'Love From Scratch', however as I'll elaborate below these writing/editing errors appear to have been rectified.

Once again, the characters Holly and Callum are a delight to be with through this journey. They have a genuine feeling of awkward tension between them which perfectly makes sense for the story and what had happened 2 years prior to the events of this book. Their fractured relationship is taking its time to heal and I love that Amy is giving Holly her moments to actually think if this is what she wants. She is grieving multiple different relationships within her life and her future with Callum was one of them. That being said though, I do not think that Holly and Callum are a good fit. He definitely cares for her and wants more than anything to reconcile with Holly, however I feel this is entirely because of her paranormal gift. I do believe if she was a 'normal' person, her ghosting him for 2 years would surely have caused him to move on. I believe his excitement to reunite with her was purely out of an anticipation for closure, considering he got frustrated when he thought she was going to bring it up and didn't.

One of the main issues I had with Amy Hutton's previous novel was the time skipping. To quote my previous words:

I did at times think the editing might have chopped off bits of the story haphazardly. We would be reading about one scene and immediately the following paragraph could be hours or even the next day later. It was quite jarring and took me out of the book. 

For 'Ghosted' I am pleased to note that this has not happened once while reading. The time flow of the novel is significantly more balanced and the way the story moves is a lot more fluid. Not necessarily a distinctive element for the book as a whole, however, it is to me as someone who came into this novel with the above a genuine concern.

With the above, this novel is set in America, with the narration of American characters and Amy Hutton is an Australian author. There had been a few slip up's with American spelling having been overlooked. It is not so much of a huge deal, but something worth noting. Another error which had been noted while I was reading was the use of 'hung' instead of 'hanged' when speaking about people who were executed.

I feel nitpicky about the above, however these are mistakes which I feel should have been picked up and corrected during editing.

Overall Thoughts

While I really do like Amy Hutton as an author, I believe there is a lot of work to do with the writing she puts into her characters and their development. I appreciate the FMC's in her novels are aspiring women who have and can easily function on their own, but in turn this does make them come across as childishly stubborn or in the case of Holly, completely emotionally deaf.

While I believe everything is moving in the right direction in regards to her novels and her art as an author, some things are standing out to me as unpolished. I will continue to follow her novels as I genuinely believe in her and her writing. She's a fun author and writes contemporary romance which inherently doesn't make me cringe. I just hope that she continues improving and I'm looking forward to continuing to support her each and every release.

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Throne in the Dark - A. K. Caggiano // Book Review

  

Throne in the Dark
A. K. Caggiano || Publication Date - 28.09.2022

Damien will not let anything stand in the way of his dark destiny, except maybe her...

Fantasy | Adventure | Romance

Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne, his resume runs thick with dark and evil musings. He is the spawn of a demon lord, a prince of darkness, prophesized realm destroyer and saver of kittens. His latest creation is a tool to command, which inevitably he will be using to ensure the release of his father from banishment. That is until Amma comes along and tries to steal it.

Unfortunately for Amma, this tool for control is a single use item, which has now been absorbed into her body. The only way Damien can get it back to use it for its intended purpose is to kill her. However, he doesn't particularly like the mess that would cause and Amma understandably has an aversion to death.

There may be another way to free Amma from this artifact without the inconvenience of dying, which takes this reluctant pair over the realm in attempts to save her life, and allow Damien to unleash his father.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

I specifically waited until the 3rd book in this series was published by Sourcebooks to be able to publish this review. Not only do I ADORE the new covers for the series, but there is now worldwide distribution physically for 'Throne in the Dark' and I couldn't be happier. What a series A.K. Caggiano has written...

Firstly I need to get my gushing out of the way. If you're looking for a review which is not tainted by absolute love for this series, I'm afraid this writing will not be for you. The premise is very standard Fantasy, the son of a demon lord and a thief meet in less than stellar circumstances. What ensues is a literal rumble through every single quest objective ever known to anyone who has played a Fantasy RPG. There's witches & wizards, werewolves, cults, vampires and a slew of various other races and enemies fondly detailed within the genre.

There is adventure and humor in spades throughout the novel. Ashley's writing and characters are beautifully detailed. In addition to the writing, there are over 400 pages of quests, escapades, fights and plot to get through. Generally longer Fantasy novels burn me out, especially if I feel there is not enough within the book to sustain the amount of pages. However, with 'Throne in the Dark' I felt this length was not a negative at all. The full narrative had not been explained within these pages, and I had spent a lot of time not reading the book imagining all the ways it could be going. All those theories on my part were very wrong.

I also cannot leave without speaking about the dynamic between Amma and Damien. This romance is incredibly slow burn, almost to the point of torture. If you like fast pace relationship development, this will not be a series for you. There's plenty of tension, banter and steam which develops naturally over the time the characters spend together. It was pure joy experiencing their reluctant friendship grow and pure frustration simply wanting them to FUCKING KISS EACH OTHER...

Overall Thoughts

With the above all being said, if you're looking for an adventure full of wit, funny characters and some truly absurd quest hooks, then look no further. I've never wanted to go back through and re-read a series when I've completed it and A.K. Caggiano has inevitably ruined that sentiment forever. I can see myself going back to this world and these characters over and over again.

I've personally purchased this series twice, once on Kindle and the other being the new Sourcebooks published copies to have for my trophy shelf. It is available on Kindle Unlimited for those who have it, and if you do I would highly recommend giving it a go.

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A King's Trust - S. E. McPherson // Book Review

     

A King's Trust
S.E. McPherson || Publication Date - 24.03.2025

Every mistake I've made was worth it for this.

Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+

Beau is a Prince, the spare, the one who was never meant to be King. Beau's older brother Char was a model Prince and would soon make a model King. His beautiful Queen by his side and competently ruling the land as it should be. This was all until Char died. Beau's life came to a shattering halt. He has lost his brother, he has lost his freedom and he has lost his family's respect.

What comes now is Beau picking up the pieces to a kingdom which is under siege, supposed hidden magical artifacts have been stolen and may be in the enemies hands, and worst of all he has to marry. The biggest roadblock is that Beau is in love with his excruciatingly loyal personal guard Elias. Becoming a King when he was never supposed to couldn't be more difficult when the lives of the ones he loves are on the line.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to the author for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

In respect to this novel, I had a very good time. It took a little while to get into the swing of things, as it was painfully obvious that the main character Beau was insatiably in love with his guard Elias. To a point where the comments were getting on my nerves with how frequent they were. I get it Beau, your guard is a hot piece of ass and you want to ride him home through the sunset. As the book went on and the story started to gain momentum, the comments prevailed but were less irritating.

What I did love about this book was the integration of polygamy. Whether it is, or can be, an accurate representation of relationships under that umbrella I would have absolutely no clue. However, the nonchalant nature of Penny coming into the picture and accepting that Beau was in love with Elias before she was even an option was randomly wholesome? If only the real world could have the same level of tolerance and understanding as the newly crowned Queen of this novel.

I'm hoping the sequel broadens the world more and integrates the political nature which was shadowed in this story. I love a political structure within a Fantasy setting and would love to see it expanded and brought to the forefront. There is also an entire magic structure that was touched on during the novel which I also can't wait to have fully explained.

McPherson's writing was honestly very good! The characters felt very fleshed out and I loved how they communicated with each other. Banter between the characters felt natural in my opinion, however, the interactions with Penny's little sister felt very 'modern' compared to how everyone else was communicating. Almost like she had a smartphone and was on TikTok, while everyone else wasn't. I wish more time was put into the descriptions of the environment. Theatre of the mind really took the wheel here as a lot of it was briefly glossed over. The characters were so crisp, their setting almost felt like a blurred background.

Overall Thoughts

As this is the first experience I've had with McPherson as an author, I am delighted to be pleasantly surprised. The novel was very well paced and definitely didn't feel too long or too short for the story it wanted to tell. I loved the characters, especially after the half way point when all the mystery and intrigue finally cleared. The magic system has me wanting to continue the series and I'm very grateful to have been given a copy of the 2nd novel by the author to dive straight into.

I would recommend this if you enjoy medium to fast paced political Fantasy's which integrate magic and LGBTQIA+ relationships. I would also happily recommend this as a stand alone as well. The closure received at the end of the novel felt complete and left it open for readers who want to continue in the series.

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Books & Bewitchment - Isla Jewell // Book Review

 

Books & Bewitchment

 Isla Jewell || Publication Date - 03.02.2026

Inheritance, magic and moving to a town you swore you would never be seen in...

Fiction | Fantasy | Romance

Rhea Wolfe is down on her luck, living pay check to pay check in a dead end job that she's spontaneously made redundant from. She has two younger sisters who are similarly life challenged and Rhea feels a lot of responsibility to be the role model big sister they deserve since their parents passed away.

One boring weekday, Rhea is given the news that her estranged grandmother has died - and she's inherited everything as the oldest direct descendent. Finally things are starting to look up, and this may be the ticket she and her sisters needed to get a boost to their finances and situations.

The only barrier between Rhea and this inheritance is that she has to go back to Arcadia Falls, in which she had promised her late mother she would never do...

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

When I requested this book, I was very excited to read it. It seemed to have all the elements for a cozy style romance that I would be looking for. However, everything in this novel fell flat to me. I don't know whether that was a me issue or an issue for the book overall. The characters were basic and uninteresting, the MMC honestly was kind of weird, and the grandmother was obnoxious to the point of infuriating.

I believe that a lot of this book could have been edited out. Most sentences and passages only added to the word count and nothing valuable to the story as a whole. There was a lot of explaining to the reader, when it was easy enough to decipher what was being alluded to and I do believe the book could have ended perfectly two chapters before it did. It felt like a natural end to the story, and the final two chapters were, again, only adding to the word count and brought nothing new or interesting.

One thing I disagree with in the official blurb is that there is no immediate danger to the town or its residents.

As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’ magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birth right and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late. - NetGalley & Goodreads

Unfortunately the way this book is being marketed is that it has significantly higher stakes than there is. Nothing has been a glaring issue for the other magical inhabitants or their safety, and Rhea coming to town does not inherently save anything.

There's also the pressing issue of the overly used puns and dad jokes. This was honestly brutal to read through, and made it very difficult for me to power through. I lost count how many times I nearly DNF'd this book because of the forced humor.

Overall Thoughts

I did feel this novel was trying too hard to be a quirky addition to the 'Cozy Fantasy' bandwagon which has been flooding the market recently. I have the same opinions as I did with 'The Baby Dragon Café', there was a lot of content in this novel which I felt did not need to be there and believe this would have been better digested as a novella.

My sentiment stands that if you're a specific fan of these types of books, you may enjoy this one. It's a closed door romance, with little description of spice and features a lot of tropes which have been common within the genre. Throw in a small town where everyone knows everyone and voila, cozy. There's also the benefit of being incredibly low stakes, despite what the blurb may wish you to believe.

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The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang // Book Review

  

The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang || Publication Date - 30.05.2018

An amazing debut romance novel showcasing how logic cannot predict love.

Contemporary | Romance

Stella Lane is a woman who works in STEM, where she loves her job in data analysis. Unfortunately one thing she does not love is physical contact. Diagnosed with Asperger's, Stella never had much luck feeling any enjoyment when with a romantic lover. It always felt like a chore and came with many comparisons which were definitely not very sexy. So, she drafts up a step by step plan from learning to kiss to many other things done behind closed doors, determined to finally enjoy her sex life.

To help her with this plan, Stella contacts an escorting agency to be matched with someone who can guide her through her list. In steps Michael Phan, a gorgeous and patient gentleman. A contract is drawn up and what pursues is a journey of understanding, overcoming barriers and learning to accept differences.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

I thought this was very much an enjoyable read. It had a good amount of spice, the characters communicated (mostly) like adults and I felt a genuine connection between Stella and Michael.

Two big stand outs come to me from this novel. Firstly, Stella has been diagnosed with autism. I don't have anyone in my family or within my friends diagnosed on the spectrum so I learnt a lot from Stella. I feel this was explored in a way which was compassionate and at times quite funny. Normalising neurodiversity is important, which I believe Helen brought a wonderful character in Stella to life.

Secondly, Michael's affection towards Stella was adorable. I loved their interactions, and his patience with Stella while she learns to process her feelings and emotions in a safe and comfortable space was heart warming.

Helen did an amazing job of writing her characters emotions. I truly felt happy, sad, angry and awkward at times which made it easy to connect and invest in the story. Very much looking forward to exploring her other two novels in this series and I can't imagine how those books will make me feel if her writing had gotten better!

Overall Thoughts

If you are in the mood for a light hearted and heart warming romance which explores self acceptance and the challenges of navigating a romantic relationship, I could easily recommend this novel. Especially if you're looking for representative stories told through the lens of someone who is neurodivergent.

It will leave you smiling and happy for a couple that doesn't even exist!

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Juniper & Thorn - Ava Reid // Book Review

   

Juniper & Thorn

Ava Reid || Publication Date - 21.06.2022

A young witch fighting for her independence against an oppressive father who has never given her a chance. A retelling of "The Juniper Tree".

Fantasy | Historical | Romance | Horror

Marlinchen, a young witch imprisoned in her own home with her two older sisters by her father. They spend their days making money for their home using their magical gifts on the normal humans who come to see them.

The three young women sneak out of their home to attend a newly opened ballet theatre, where one of the performers quickly and sharply captures Marlinchen's heart.

As Marlinchen continues to defy her father and sneaks out at night to see this man, her town is turned to horror when a monster is skulking around at night. She has a choice to make, continue to be trapped under the tyrannical rule of her father or, uncover the secrets of her terrorised city to expel this evil for good.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

This book hit a lot of really good marks for me in terms of genre and writing. I also feel that in terms of length, it was spot on. My quarrel with rating this higher than I did comes down to the opening of the book and how it overall made me feel.

The characters were good, and I enjoyed the dynamic displayed between the sisters and their abusive father. Unfortunately the opening to this book in my opinion just tried too hard in terms of the prose and descriptions. It took me a few chapters to get used to the writing style, which is not the fault of the author, and it felt like everything needed a comparison description rather than it just being what it is.

For example:

“Magic is the first sip of good wine that makes the edges of your vision blur. Magic is the cool breeze of the boardwalk at night and organ music in the air. Magic is landing a grand jeté and nearly going deaf with hate crowd's applause. Magic is the low flicker of tavern lights and the girl your courting leaning close so you can kiss.”

Why do we need 4 sentences to describe to us what Magic was like? There were also times the descriptors of items, environment and feelings tried to be too clever and ultimately sounded silly.

The relationship between Marlinchen and Sevas also seemed very hollow. Sure enough they were attracted to each other, which I don't think Marlinchen could say anything else about Sevas other than how attractive he was. Sevas also seemed to like her for some reason. Other than being attracted to her kindness and physical body, there didn't seem to be much more there either. Another relationship which could have had depth and gave it more of a place in the story, but never did.

Overall Thoughts

Ultimately I felt the writing was very strong as I got used to it, other than my points mentioned in terms of descriptors going too far. The premise and story did not overstay its welcome in terms of length and it was creative for a retelling, but did not blow my mind.

I do not feel the genres given to this book or it being nominated on Goodreads for "Best Horror of 2022" are warranted. There was a small instance of the monster attacking people which could be considered horrific, but this book had no indication of horror at all.

I am very keen to read more from Ava as I felt she has an amazing mind and one day she will, without a doubt, write something which will be my next favourite book.

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The Duke & I - Julia Quinn // Book Review

The Duke & I
Julia Quinn || Publication Date - 05.01.2000

Thank you to Netflix for enlightening me to the formidable regency drama series - Bridgerton.

Romance | Historical

I would like to introduce you to the 1813 summer season. Families are rushing to have their freshly 'come of age' daughters fussed and dressed in the latest fashions ready to promenade around London. Bachelors are sighing as they're attending social events in the hopes that one of these pretty damsels will become their wife and carry on their estates.

One of these women is none other than Daphne Bridgerton. A newfound woman who is intent on finding a good husband and marrying to start a large and boisterous family of her own. Maybe even one to rival that of the one she grew up in.

On the other side of this coin is the Duke of Hastings, Simon Bassett. A man of contrary nature to our feminine protagonist, he is hell bent on never marrying, never settling down and never EVER having a child of his own. As his boots touch down back in London after a while travelling the world, he is /basically/ forced to attend a ball held by the honorable Lady Danbury in which the events of our novel take fruit and blossom into the romance which captivated audiences 20 years earlier than Netflix.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

While I enjoyed the book for what it is - there were a lot of times I really wanted more. It started off very promising, and I thoroughly enjoyed Daphne and Simon's mannerisms together, especially their back and forth banter towards each other and their surroundings. I was quite disappointed that as the relationship came into fruition, this aspect of their relationship fell away. It was even more disappointing that this happened close to half way through the book.

I do however, enjoy the book from a character development standpoint. I felt all the characters, even the side characters, were very well stationed in the book. They felt like well rounded people and even though some had points which made me dislike them, I appreciated them for who they were.

Overall I felt this book was perfectly within the realm of the story it was trying to tell and the characters it was telling it with. Despite the 2nd half of the book, which to me was the most unenjoyable, it still made me want to read the other books in this series. Other characters are elaborated on and ultimately it is the Bridgerton family that I am invested in and not necessarily who each of them end up with in their respective novels.

Overall Thoughts

Ultimately I believe this book is worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction/romance, if not simply to enjoy the older 3 Bridgerton boys (Anthony, Benedict and Colin) and their constant commentary. If you prefer your romance to have a lot of smutty scenes, this will not be one for you. However, if you enjoy watching two people overcome struggles within their relationship (somewhat controversially to be honest) this would be a good one to add to your TBR pile.

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Roll For Romance - Lenora Woods // Book Review

Roll For Romance

Lenora Woods || Publication Date - 17.07.2025

Romance budding between D&D characters and their players - Yes please!

Fiction | Fantasy | Romance

Sadie is down on her luck. She's been fired from her job, and has now left the loving bustle of New York City for a small town in Texas. Her long time best friend, Liam, has offered to house her while she gets back on her feet and finds another job. Unfortunately, Sadie is far from ready to throw herself back into the corporate world so soon.

For something to do, Liam invites Sadie and a small group of people to play a campaign of Dungeons & Dragons. They're all new players, and people she may have met in town should she have ever left the house for longer than 5 minutes. One that strikes her interest is a ruggedly handsome bartender at the new local hotspot 'The Alchemist'.

As the campaign progresses, and the groups friendships grow, Sadie has a choice to make. Does she go back to a life of corporate servitude in the big city? Or does she leave that all behind to grow roots in this quaint small town?

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

I need to gush over how this novel is written. I'm loving the split between the out of character normal lives of Sadie and the other players, however, also having the in game scenarios being played out by all their player characters is so much fun. My only gripe with the scenario is that the characters are acting as if they are experienced D&D players, whereas the table is formed by players new to the game. For storytelling reasons this makes sense, however as an experienced TTRPG player myself I found it a bit odd.

I'm not particularly a fan of the beginning of the romance. It's giving very instalove and for me this isn't my favourite. I can definitely appreciate being attracted to someone from the get go, but he is kind of a bit creepy with it. Sadie is a bit more realistic with her attraction at least telling herself to cool off... As they progress through the novel it becomes so much more wholesome and sweet, thankfully and I found myself rooting for them. Especially when they decided to role play as their D&D characters out of game. That was so freaking cute!

I enjoyed the 3rd act drama in this novel as well. It wasn't miscommunication, thankfully, as both characters actually spoke about their concerns and their plans. They were okay with a type of relationship which was 'we will see where we end up', even though secretly hoping they end up together. It was refreshing and realistic and I loved how they navigated the challenges this type of relationship can bring up.

Overall Thoughts

I loved this novel, it was so much fun! The characters were awesome, the D&D Campaign scenario which was played through the novels characters was like a mini story all on its own and it was a wholesome romp the whole way to the end. If you like romance, I would recommend this book. If you like fantasy, I would recommend this book. And if you like D&D, I would recommend this book! It ticks so many boxes for me that I will definitely be buying a physical copy to go back and re-read when I need something fun to dip back into.

Thoroughly keeping my eyes on this author and I'll be buying their next release if/when it's available because I could easily see them becoming a new favourite author.

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Love From Scratch - Amy Hutton // Book Review

Love From Scratch
Amy Hutton || Publication Date - 05.06.2024

Babysitting for an upcoming A-List Celebrity isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Fiction | Contemporary | Romance

'Love From Scratch' is a delightful rom-com that will take you away to the glistening beaches and film sets of my home country, Australia. Meet Ethan James, a charming movie star with a newfound love for dogs, and Hazel, a talented chef on a forced hiatus.

Their worlds collide when Ethan needs someone to care for his anxious dog, Harry, while his time is taken up shooting a film. After hosting interviews and his original choice for dog-sitter falls through, Hazel, reluctantly agrees to the job.

Exploring the nuance of following career dreams, or listening to your heart, you'll be sure to experience a series of humorous and heartwarming events.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

I wanted to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Ethan and Hazel couldn't be further in career paths. He's a budding movie star and she's a down on her luck chef. While Ethan is preparing to film his next movie, a sequel to the hit romcom 'Sit, Stay, Love', he requests some professional pet minding assistance for his dog Harry. While interviewing potential candidates, he is introduced to Hazel, and from then on their lives become acquaintances to friends to head over heels for each other.

When going into this, I didn't realise this novel was a sequel, and even if I hadn't known, it reads perfectly as a stand alone. I loved Ethan's character, I loved Hazel's character and together I loved their banter. They sounded like a genuinely fun couple to write and it made me very happy to see Ethan find love after his supposed shafting for another man in the first instalment.

There were some issues towards the beginning of the book with how choppy I felt the writing to be. It didn't seem to flow very well and was quite robotic in tone. However, as the novel progressed, I noticed this less over time as more dialogue was introduced into the book. Amy has a great way with writing characters conversing and I found myself laughing with all of her characters witty comments.

I would also really like to personally thank Amy for giving her characters a pet name and NOT OVERUSING IT! It's a huge peeve of mine and the nicknames felt really sweet, deliberate and personal. As they should!

I did at times think the editing might have chopped off bits of the story haphazardly. We would be reading about one scene and immediately the following paragraph could be hours or even the next day later. It was quite jarring and took me out of the book. This book is split POV, but not per chapter, so both characters perspectives and described events are concurrent.

Overall Thoughts

'Love From Scratch' was an enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a cosy and light-hearted romance. There are some plot devices which seemed to be disjointed due to the writing style of my copy - I am hoping this has been edited and amended in the final published copy of the novel.

I enjoyed the narrative and Amy's character writing so much that I have gone out and purchased her first novel in this series 'Sit, Stay, Love' to capture the beginning of this world and explore how Ethan ended up as he did at the beginning of this novel.

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The Baby Dragon Cafe - A.T. Qureshi // Book Review

  

The Baby Dragon Cafe
A.T. Qureshi || Publication Date - 16.01.2025

Baby dragons, a cafe, and a cozy feel good read for everyone!

Fiction | Fantasy | Romance

Saphira loves baby dragons, the only problem is, is that she was not lucky enough to have one of her own. With the recent passing of her beloved Grandmother, the promise she made, and a little help from her inheritance, Saphira has created her dream cozy space in the world with 'The Baby Dragon Cafe'. The only place you can get a dragon-roasted coffee, a cheerful smile, and a treat for your little 'draggo' all in the one location.

As much as Saphira adores her cafe, she is constantly faced with the financial burden of letting babies that can breathe fire into her business. Unfortunately time, and savings are running out to continue replacing damaged chairs... and very, very expensive coffee machines. Thankfully, from what seems like a chance meeting, Saphira is introduced to Aiden. A grumpy local heart-throb, with his own baby dragon in serious need of training.

Can she help Aiden with his baby dragon problem? And can Saphira manage to keep her treasured cafe afloat?

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Firstly I would like to acknowledge and thank the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an early eARC of this novel.

As much as I loved the premise for this book, and was enjoying the world which was briefly explored throughout 'The Baby Dragon Cafe', I didn't think too much of it. I believe the main reason this novel wasn't a hit for me was the writing. It's very matter of fact, which to me doesn't flow well and creates an impression that the editors didn't bother to restructure sentences to make them read more naturally. An example is quoted below:

This style also follows into the conversations between characters in the book. I have found, personally, that I can have issues keeping track of who is saying what in written conversations. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about that in this novel, because each dialogue line is followed, or started, with the character that spoke, or, will speak it. To me this feels like the other end of the spectrum where I don't need my hand held completely reading a book. I'm a big girl, I can figure it out... It did get a little better as the story went on, but by that point I was already annoyed.

I enjoyed the world more than the characters. Saphira is kind of boring. There's nothing particularly interesting or over the top about her, which can be refreshing when everyone in a romance book is a bombshell. Aiden, on the other hand, has as much personality as wet cardboard. I'm not a huge fan of the 'Instalove' trope, and that was where this novel kicked off. It doesn't feel genuine (to me) when characters are instantly infatuated with each other, I like my characters to suffer. 😊 There's also the weird dynamic that Aiden is from a prestigious family of 'Dragon Riders', and then Saphira's impromptu employer. Saphira notices that his actions are kind of weird, and props to her because yeah... it kind of is. But who cares when he's hot right? 😩

Overall Thoughts

In my honest opinion, I felt like this should have been a novella. There's a lot of writing here which is repetitive and unnecessary padding out scenes. The 3rd act drama appeared to have taken place 100 pages into a 320 page novel. Not to mention the ending of the novel was rushed and out of place.

I agree with the sentiment that if you're a fan of books like 'Pumpkin Spice Cafe', 'Legends and Lattes' or even 'Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies', this will hit the same spot. It was cozy, it was very easy to read, and didn't take a lot of thought to enjoy the story being told. I would also forward this book onto readers who enjoy Fantasy, but don't want to be overwhelmed with the nuance of the genre, and Romance readers who don't like a lot of spice in their reading.

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Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros // Book Review

  

Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros || Publication Date - 02.05.2023

Basgaith, a war college where you either graduate... or die.

Fiction | Fantasy | Adventure | Romance

Violet Sorrengail begins her journey vehemently reiterating to her sister how she wishes to follow in her father's footsteps and enrol as a Scribe at Basgaith War College. She wishes to continue meticulously listing the history of the war college, noting down heroic Riders and strategies which have won or lost battles along their protected land.

She is instead, however, being pushed to become a dragon rider by her mother who is the General of the Rider's Quadrant. Understandably she is terrified. There is only one way to measure success within this area of the college, by students surviving, or dying.

Despite her fears, she emerges on the other end of the parapet as a Rider. What comes next is a variable onslaught of studying, training, and dodging death as she makes her way becoming a force to be reckoned with. A force that is ensnaring her greatest rival, Xaden Riorson, who holds the key to blowing apart all she understood about their world and what could possibly be existing outside Basgaith's protective boundaries.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

It has been so long since I've read a Fantasy like this. It was gripping from page one, the premise was interesting, the characters were amazing and the entire world was shadowed and mysterious. I loved how the characters were all challenged in different ways. They all had their strengths and weaknesses which made it interesting to see how they would overcome their struggles, or simply die. I appreciated that Violet from the beginning is actively dealing with a chronic illness that affects the way she achieves her goals at Basgaith. Not only was she resourceful as a character, but she also didn't let her condition impede her success. This further cemented Violet as the feminine warrior I was really hoping for going into this series.

Rebecca's writing is fabulous. She has an amazing writing style that is easy to follow and explains the world, magic, dragons and action scenes very well. There is also just enough put out by the story that things remain very obscure, until they're revealed, and everything clicks into place smoothly. It was very satisfying!

There was no sugar coating how this college operated and I appreciated the blunt nature of a lot of the characters in this novel. It was very matter of fact, living where death could take anyone at any time, especially with the training and dragons. There was a real sense of uncertainty through the novel and it only made the final words of this book all the more impactful.

After finishing Fourth Wing, I genuinely sat on my couch staring into space for a good 10 minutes before I registered what I had just read. I then immediately pre-ordered Iron Flame and had been waiting impatiently for November 2023 to roll around so I could continue this series.

Overall Thoughts

What do I think of this novel? Almost certainly one of my top books for 2023. If you love fantasy, a strong female lead, dragons and great characters I won't even hesitate to ask you to read this book. I've recommended it to everyone I know who loves Fantasy.

I do want to warn you, this book put me into a HUGE hangover after finishing it and also put me into a slump. It took me a month of mediocre reading afterwards to get back into normality. Nothing felt as amazing or as polished as Fourth Wing until I had read another amazing Fantasy later that same year (review incoming).

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