allbookedupblogstuff

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Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

TL;DR: A completely unpredictable fantasy with a complex and lovely world. Source: Netgalley – Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: This one, like the setting, went all over the place. We started out with one task and ended up with another and it was a ride. Characters: At times infuriating, and other times fantastic. The author really convinced me on these characters and their personalities.…

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The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee

TL;DR: Very cute, and an improvement on the first book for sure! Source: Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Jessica breaks down outside Peach Blossom and ends up at Vini’s shop. She’s visiting friends in town and the two strike up a relationship. Characters: My biggest gripe with this is with the characters Setting: Peach Blossom sounds lovely in what we get but unfortunately that’s…

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Confession by Kaiji Kawaguchi, Nobuyuki Fukumoto

TL;DR: A dark and twisty story, very atmospheric and dark. Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: Two men are stranded together after a mountain climbing accident. One confesses a dark secret to the other, but circumstances change… Characters: You aren’t in this for these characters, both of them are horrible, but a well done horrible. Setting: Cold and snowy, it’s well drawn and…

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The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard

TL;DR: Quite a disappointment. Source: Netgalley – Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Randomly chosen women are made to compete for a prince’s hand in marriage, and it gets spicy. Characters: Honestly, no thank you. I didn’t enjoy them at all. Setting: We got the flavor of our inspiration here, but it was lost entirely to the modern slang and plot that hurtled forward with little to no…

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The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso

TL;DR: This one caught me by surprise but it’s SO creative! Source: Netgalley – Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Kembral comes to a party to relax and that’s not at all what happens. Characters: The characters were fun, sometimes over the top but not the strongest for me. Setting: This was where this book shined. The different settings and where the party ended up? 10/10, I couldn’t wait to…

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Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada

TL;DR: What a fantastic single volume romance – I loved this. Source: Netgalley – Thanks so much to the publisher! Plot: Two neighbors meet during the covid lockdowns and slowly fall in love. Characters: The characters felt very grounded, and considering the length I knew and cared about them a lot. Setting: Most of the story stays within the two apartments and they’re a very important part to…

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Miss Amelia's List by Mercedes Lackey

TL;DR: A bit slow, but a truly cozy Regency fantasy. Source: Netgalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Amelia and her cousin head to England from America for business and to possibly find a match! Characters: I genuinely came to love all of our primary characters, especially Amelia and her cousin. By the end I was sad to see it end and went looking hoping the next book would follow…

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Sisters in Science by Olivia Campbell

TL;DR: This one had me tense, sad, and fascinated all in different turns. A very good read. Source: Netgalley – Thanks so much to the publisher! Plot: We follow four women (who are mostly forgotten by popular history) who fled Nazi Germany. Subjects: These three women were all fascinating and important to scientific history. I’d like to read more about them. Setting: We stayed primarily in…

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Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole

TL;DR: Have you ever wanted to shake a main character so badly, but you can’t stop reading because what on earth is going to happen next? Yeah. It’s this book.Source: Thank you so much to the publisher via Netgalley and I have also been following and own these myself! Plot: Starting up right where book one left off we see Diem forced into a new place she never thought she’d be in, and how she…

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Blacklight Born by Alexander Darwin

TL;DR: A fantastic start and finish with a muddy middle. The ending was also… unexpected. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher. I also purchased my own copy. Plot: This one wraps up the trilogy in a way that I didn’t see coming. I’m not entirely sure how to feel about it either. Characters: A bit all over the place for some and others were great. A mix bag here. Setting: Again,…

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The Twice-Sold Soul by Katie Hallahan

TL;DR: A very strong start that lost me a little at the end. I’ll probably continue the series as it shows a lot of promise. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: McKeena, who has been on the run for ten years, is hoodwinked by an ex to return home… and things get messier. Characters: I really liked the cast here, they were diverse and interesting. I did see the twist with…

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The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

TL;DR: Another great look at reciprocity that was first introduced in Braiding Sweetgrass Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! I also did purchase my own copy as well. Premise: I really liked this as a short little essay to read at this time of the year (Thanksgiving to Christmas) I thought it was relevant and well done. Readability: Robin Wall Kimmerer is a little bit denser…

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A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley

TL;DR: Cute with some very good moments but overall nothing mind blowing. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: August ends up famous on Social Media for being a feminist and Sloane just so happens to need a job. It was very convenient. Characters: Interesting but nothing standout. I did like the brief appearance of August’s ex. She was interesting. Setting: We mainly…

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The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

TL;DR: This one was a surprise in many ways, all lovely. Source: NetGalley and a physical copy via the publisher Plot: Sai ends up forced on a journey by the Emperor to find the last dragon and along the way he finds a lot more. Characters: I enjoyed all these characters and could see them vividly. I genuinely felt for them as well. Setting: A beautiful Asian inspired world, I will keep a lot of…

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Adventures in Volcanoland by Tamsin Mather

TL;DR: While this one wasn’t entirely for me, I do think there is a lot to be gained for people who are interested. Source: NetGalley via the publisher, thank you! Structure: This one is billed as part memoir, which I don’t think is accurate. It’s more a study of the different volcanic events. It does flow well though. Science: She made this fairly easy to read and visualize so it’s not too…

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The Road of Bones by Demi Winters

TL;DR: After a few days away from this I think this is a hard pass for me. Source: Netgalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Silla has to run to a far off town for safety after her father is killed and of course she makes all the mistakes you’d expect. And shocker – two hot dudes appear! Characters: Unfortunately… none of these characters worked for me, especially the main character.…

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What the Chicken Knows by Sy Montgomery

TL;DR: Sy Montgomery is a go-to nature writer for me. This was fantastic. Source: Netgalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Our author talks about chickens, facts and her life with them. It’s short and sweet, an easy one sitting read. Sources: For a short book Sy Montgomery had quite a few sources listed as well as plenty of personal stories. Readability: This is part of the appeal of…