#netgalley

[bookishfreedom]

For anyone who loved The Raven Cycle, but thought, "that could've been scarier": This book is for you.

Don't Let the Forest In follows Andrew Perrault, returning to the elite Wickwood Academy for his senior year. And although high school has never been easy for Andrew, from the start, this year is different. His twin sister, Dove, is keeping him at arms length, and his best friend Thomas is acting strangely, disappearing into the forest behind the school at night. One night, Andrew follows him, to find Thomas fighting off horrifying creatures. But there's something familiar about these creatures: they look exactly like the ones from Thomas's drawings.

I absolutely devoured this book. It had me up way too late reading, and even though I finished at 3am, I wanted to turn to the beginning and start all over again. (And, at the cost of precious sleep, I did in fact reread the first chapter.)

I would recommend this book to anyone, and it's got me super excited to tackle CG Drews' backlist. The characters leap off the page and sink claws into your heart (in a good way). They're complex and messy and in need of a good hug. Andrew and Thomas are just two kids trying their best to figure out the world, and each other. My heart ached for them both, even when I wanted to shout at them. This story also has some of the best ace rep I've ever read. Andrew's identity is central to the story, and woven into all of his choices seamlessly, in a way that feels natural without distracting from the story.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and came away from the story thoroughly haunted. (It was maybe a mistake to read this in the middle of the night.... walking to the bathroom after was a terrifying experience.) Drews' prose is evocative, equal parts beautiful and macabre.

Thanks so much to Netgalley & Macmillan for the free review copy. Happy to say that I ordered my own copy before I even finished the ARC🖤

and thank goodness I did because do you SEE the barnes & noble special edition??? the DRAWINGS. and the @paperfury annotated chapter?? I’m obsessed

[alliwanttodoiscollectpoetry]

Airborne by Victoria Hutchins

[vkelleyart]

Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) just dropped on NetGalley for WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON!

The Erewhon Team and I put ourselves through the gauntlet to make sure these ARCs included finished illustrations (which is why I’ve been so sparse on Tumblr of late, though I promise I will catch up here soon!), and I cannot wait for readers to meet Benny, Río, and Morgan’s Menagerie! I am rooting for everyone who applies for an ARC to get one, and hope those who snag one will love this book as much as I loved writing it. 💙🧜🏼‍♂️🇵🇷🌊🎟️🗽🎡

NetGalley members can request an ARC as an early reviewer at the link below:

[hayleyreadssapphicbooks]

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli

“Amelia If Only,�� by Becky Alberta is a slow-burn YA novel about a Jewish high schooler, Amelia, who drags her friends on a road trip to meet her favorite YouTuber. Though she thinks she has a crush on him, she ends up meeting and befriending him and realizes her crush is her best friend, Natalie.

By slow-burn, I mean she doesn’t realize her crush until way into the book (at least 80%). Though interspersed throughout the book are her subtle thoughts of her actually falling for Natalie. The book is a sweet YA novel that has an adorable group of friends who are all queer and deeply care for each other. Amelia is a jokester and as the book is in first person, the humor comes across on the page even in her thoughts.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to any readers looking for a YA romance, especially if looking for bisexual or Jewish representation.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the digital ARC!

POV: first person, present tense

Spice: 0/3

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love by Alice Murphy

4.5/5. Releases 5/13/25.

Heat Index: 6/10

—romantic historical AND contemporary fiction

—dual love stories

—two plus size heroines for the price of one

—the grand Gilded Age stage

The Basics:

Budding historian Phoebe has been charged by handsome billionaire Armitage Gallier to trace the history of his ancestor Thomas—and Thomas's illicit affair with stage siren Evelyn Cross. As Armitage and Phoebe grow close in the present day, Thomas and Evelyn work together to bring a legendary vaudeville show to life... and everyone has their hearts on the line.

The Review:

There's one word I would immediately use to describe this novel, and it's "cinematic". It really didn't surprise me to find out that Alice Murphy is a prolific screenwriter, because, like? Of course. From the descriptions of sumptuous scenery to the witty dialogue to the way moments flowed into each other, A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love played like a movie in my head. And it was a delight.

Although Thomas and Evelyn's romance in the past takes a bit more of the center stage, Phoebe and Armitage's love story packs a punch. I should be clear and say that while these are love stories, this isn't quite a conventional romance... and at the same time, it's got enough hope and passion to appeal to many romance readers, I'm sure. It reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and The Six (my personal favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid), with this sort of center focus on the complexities of love. And with the degree of metatextual play involved, of course.

Essentially, Phoebe is writing a fictionalized history of Thomas and Evelyn's real romance, right? But she's also interjecting with her own notes, and we're seeing her fall for Armitage in real time. And that's influencing the way she views Thomas and Evelyn's story. It's all very clever, and it adds humor to the bittersweetness of the past. Which isn't to say that Armitage and Phoebe don't have their fair share of angst.

The thing is that Evelyn has the confidence and brassiness that Phoebe wants to have, embracing her fatness and her sexuality with verve and a demand for the love she deserves. And yet... there's still an aching vulnerability to her. A wistfulness. Phoebe realizes this as she gets to "know" Evelyn in this narrative—she realizes this woman, for all that she was an icon, was also a human being.

Don't get me wrong, though—for all that this is deep and complicated, it's also a lot of fun. I felt transported to the theater, like Evelyn's act was at my fingertips. I was swept up in her RIDICULOUS sexual tension with Thomas (and his impressive erection). And there's something rather adorable about Phoebe's interplay with stuffy Armitage, who's clearly obsessed with her from jump, too. You truly get swept up in the emotion in this book, you feel the passion, and God—it's a good time. True escapism with wit.

Sometimes, you want a book with Big Feelings. A book that makes points about our world while telling an epic story. A book that doesn't tell a simple story about people who always make the right decision, but about people who make REAL and human decisions (and mistakes). This is a book for that mood, and it's really good.

The Sex:

While the format of "historian tells the story of a 'real' person" means you don't get like, a ridiculous amount of sex on the page... You still get some ridiculously hot scenes. A few of which depend on the tension, and the aforementioned impressive erections. A few of which depend on... more explicit content. They're all deeply effective.

The Conclusion:

An unusual, all-encompassing, complicated dual love story, A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love packs a punch. It reminds me of everything I love about a romance that isn't straightforward—and comes with sacrifice. And it's an ode to kickass women who refuse to live on the sidelines.

Thanks to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[thegildedfantasy]

This Fatal Kiss in a nutshell. A witch and his two unhinged demons.

[pipperoni32-blog]

“Em,” he said, taking my hand. “You will not have to ride Red Wind if you do not wish it. In fact, once I have retaken my throne, you will not have to do anything if you do not wish it. If you desire to sit in some corner of the castle hunched over your books and notepaper, bestirring yourself only to demand a tour of some brownie market or bottle den, then it will be done.”

I let out a trembling breath. “And what sort of queen would that make me?”

He looked perfectly earnest as he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Mine.”

— Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales

Insanely honored to have gotten an ARC for this. I love these two, and am so excited to see Wendell’s kingdom and everything that lays in store for them!

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: Metal From Heaven by August Clarke Rating: 5/5

I received an ARC of this title through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Marney Honeycutt works in the Yann I Chauncey Ichorite Factory but when their sister leads a workers' strike that turns into a massacre, they are suddenly all alone. Touched in the head by the metal they worked from birth, Marney has to get out of the city. They fall in with a gang of thieves who whisk them away to a mansion high in the hills by the sea. But Marney will come back. Because they are going to kill Chauncey and they're going to marry his daughter to do it.

August Clarke has done it again. I was captivated from the very first page by Clarke's signature dizzying, dazzling prose. I was utterly immersed in this rich world that blends fantasy and science fiction absolutely perfectly. I loved the different cultures, I especially loved the way Clarke emulated butch/femme lesbian culture, I loved that trans-ness was just part of the world and Marney never had to fight to be who they were.

The queerness really was my favourite part. It was so nice to finally read a book about a trans stone butch that feels like the trans stone butches I know. Marney felt and talked and behaved like so many of my friends do and that representation is so sorely needed. I have a list of friends a mile long to recommend this book because I know they ache to see themselves and their lives represented in media. I'm very grateful that August Clarke is able to do that with their books.

And the prose! Clarke has such a specific way of writing that just latches into your brain and doesn't let go. It flows so beautifully but has a staccato edge that I can't get enough of. I especially enjoyed how Clarke intermittently used second person to elevate how Marney was telling the story and the reason why they were doing that became so satisfying as the story went on. It was utterly brilliant.

If you are looking for a truly unique speculative fiction story that centres queerness and working class people in a story of revenge, I implore you to pick up Metal From Heaven and allow yourself to be swept away in this enthralling book. It's an absolute masterpiece.

Metal From Heaven releases October 22nd, 2024!

[hi-there-cat]

🌟Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang - 4.5 / 5 stars🌟

This book has: Androgynous sapphic protagonist, Fantasy, Dragons,

This was great! I loved the world-building, I loved the characters, I loved the narration, I loved the lesbians and the dragon(s). With fantasy novellas I'm always a bit scared that their small length will be a detriment to the world-building, making it feel either rushed or half-baked, but thankfully this story did not fall into the same trap. This was a story that worked well at novella-length and felt complete at the end. The audiobook narration was also well done and helped give each character their own distinct voice, while not overdoing it, enabling a nice and cohesive listening experience. The 'big twist' was pretty foreseeable, but luckily that did not detract from the experience.

---

Thank you to RBmedia for the ALC

[the-atlasofstars]

eARC Review!

The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala

After 10 months away, Ollie and Gracie Veltman return to their home and popular tourist destination, Anchor’s Mercy. Upon returning home, things go south quickly. A suspenseful mystery filled with so many twists and so much secrecy. Can Ollie and his friends save their home?

This book was absolutely brilliant. From the eerie sense that something terrible was going on right outside our allotted knowledge, to the constant whiplash of the plot twists, and the beautiful sense of found family, I was absolutely hooked.

The weepers were definitely a new and interesting concept that chilled me to the bone. Also the losses in this book were absolutely heart wrenching. AND THAT ENDING!!! MY JAW WAS ON THE FLOOOOR! I seriously cannot wait for the next book.

[book-challenger]

Title & Author: Stardust Family by Aki Poroyama

Publication Date: 27th May 2025

Score: 84/100

Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/90cc1ec4-6c38-4c08-84eb-71a83c48fecb

https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/90cc1ec4-6c38-4c08-84eb-71a83c48fecb

Comments: This is a deeply emotional and heartbreaking sci-fi manga set in the future. In this world, inspectors, who are children, determine whether people are fit to be parents, as having children without a license is illegal. The story follows Hikari, an inspector who has just been assigned to evaluate a strange couple that has failed their assessments the last few times.

The book has a really interesting concept, and I believe it was executed well. I particularly appreciated how it highlighted the flaws in the system. For instance, Daiki, the father, comes from a family with terrible parents, despite them having a license, while a random woman who was separated from her child because she didn’t have a license appeared to be doing a good job. I also liked how it showed Hikari struggling with the memories of his past assignments and his beliefs in this story. This story was well executed and deeply moving, and not for the faint of heart.

This story beautifully explores themes of society, family, and grief. And I recommend this book for people who enjoy sci-fi that explores complex ethical dilemmas and societal structures through the lens of a seemingly utopian future.

Thank you Yen Press for providing me this book for review consideration via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[hayleyreadssapphicbooks]

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

Lesbian Hunger Games meets The Last of Us!!

“Fable for the End of the World” by Ava Reid is a post-apocalyptic and dystopian story in the same vein as “The Hunger Games” but with zombie-like creatures called Wends. In the place of New Amsterdam (located in current New York), a single corporation, Caerus, controls every aspect of society, including debt. Once a person goes beyond 500,000 credits of debt, they are nominated for a televised spectacle called the Gauntlet. The debtors can appoint a family member to compete in the Gauntlet instead. Caerus raises and trains “Angels,” young killers, to hunt down those nominated in the Gauntlet, called Lambs. The book is split between the POV of an Angel, Melinoë, and the Lamb, Inesa. Inesa’s mother secretly racked up debt and then gave up her daughter to the Gauntlet.

The setting and world of “Fable for the End of the World” is fascinating. A frightening outlook that feels all too real for our own world to fall into. The real-world references in lakes and places underscore how close we are to falling into the same world of despair due to selfish corporations, a growing divide between classes, and a landscape marred by climate change. Inesa and Mel are on opposite ends of the divide, but we will learn that despite having credits and recognition, Mel is just as oppressed as Inesa. Having both POVs grants the reader the ability to be with each character as they discover themselves through each other and learn to disregard the prejudice taught to them through their life circumstances. Despite the gloomy setting and plot, moments of sweetness and hope squeeze through. The longing and yearning between Inesa and Mel is lovely to read through. Ava Reid does a great job of encapsulating the thoughts and feelings of the characters as they go from enemies to lovers.

Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was how the people and place names were well thought out and often referred to Greek mythology. Of course, interspersed with enough real-world references to make it jarring and unsettling.

As I often feel with good books, I wish this one was longer. The setup was intriguing and I would love to read more about other people in the world and to dive deeper into the corporation and the world, such as more about the Wends. I hope a sequel is in the works!

Even though this book is YA, I think any adult could find value in reading this. The story is engrossing and complex. I loved the sapphic aspect as well, and I think anyone interested in sapphic novels would enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC!

POV: 1st person, present tense, two POVs

Spice: 0/3

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[elliepassmore]

And the River Drags Her Down review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy horror, resurrection, sisterly bonds, came back Wrong

Big thanks to Knopf Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm going to be honest, I think Soojin shows a lot of restraint regarding her sister. The blurb makes it sound like she does ahead and resurrects Mirae right away, but in reality it takes her almost a year before she finally hits the point where she can't imagine continuing the rest of her life without her sister. She knows her dad wouldn't like the resurrection, and she figures she knows her sister's thoughts on it, but at the end of the day, grief is grief, and sometimes it can be too much. If you could bring back the dead...would you?

It's clear from the get-go that Soojin is prickly. But she's prickly because she feels deeply, and life has not been kind to her family. Her mother died when she was 10, resulting in her father retreating into himself for a while, and then seven years later her sister dies and due to her father's work, he yet again can't be around. She also doesn't particularly have a social life, leading to her being very lonely and often just left with her grief. Soojin loves her family, and her sister, dearly and it's clear in the way she's willing to risk everything just to have her sister with her again.

Over the course of the book, we see Soojin start to unfurl a little and open herself up to the other people around her. Part of that is borne from a desire for connection, and part of it is the joy of having Mirae around again. But clinging to the past just makes it that much harder to let go, and when you have a dead girl living in your house, things inevitably start going wrong. A lot of Soojin's journey in this book is about letting go, but it's also about seeing the family dynamics beyond herself and understanding that life has been unfair to her sister as well.

We don't get too much insight into Mirae, but we know that drowning has given her a special connection with water. She enjoys being alive again, getting to experience the delights of food and sunshine, but at the same time, vengeance calls to her. The Han family has been wronged more than once, by people still living happy lives in their town, and newly risen Mirae can't resist the call of revenge.

While this book is, in some ways, about vengeance, it's also about sisterly bonds and family responsibility. Soojin wants her sister back, but Mirae? Mirae wants life. She has since before she died. When Soojin brings her back, the whole family has to contend with their past and the actions they took that lead to where they are today. It was kind of cathartic to see Soojin and her dad finally talk about something of substance. They definitely needed that chat, but it was also a good reminder to Soojin that everyone makes small mistakes, but that doesn't mean they're at fault for the terrible things that happen.

The other character who's featured a lot in this is Mark, a childhood friend of Soojin and Mirae's whom Soojin drifted away from after their mother died. He provides somewhat of a stabilizing and soothing influence for Soojin as she grapples first with her sister's return and then later with the fact that the Mirae who came back isn't quite the same as the one who died. I liked Mark, he's very understanding and is pretty much a go-with-the-flow kind of person. He also is the one who finally puts his foot down regarding Mirae's behaviors, and though Soojin fights him on it, she knows he's right, and I think it was helpful to hear from someone outside the family.

Overall this is an excellent slow-burn horror with sisterly bonds, ancestral magic, and vengeance.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee

4.25/5. Releases 7/29/25.

Heat Index: 7/10

—Persuasion retelling

—K-drama heroine, firefighter hero

—first love to last love(?)

The Basics:

Frederick Nam and Anne Lee were once wildly in love; until Anne left for Korea to become a K-drama star, leaving Frederick bitter and brokenhearted. A decade later, Anne is back in the States, and Frederick is now better than ever. Her feelings linger; he's, despite his best efforts, still resentful... and still longing for Anne. The pain is intense—but so is the wanting. Is that enough to overcome years apart?

The Review:

There are retellings that basically exist to capitalize off fanservice, and there are retellings that exist in name only. Give Me a Reason is neither of those things—it's a retelling that considers and takes into account its modern update (and its focus on Asian leads) while honoring the original. In a lot of ways, this is a better adaptation of Persuasion than a lot of the movies we've seen (it's certainly better than the most recent).

Persuasion is a story about aching longing and regret; it's deeply romantic, but it's also relatable in a way I think some Austen books aren't. This has the same effect. We all have "would've, could've, should'ves" in our lives, and while breaking up with Frederick is Anne's BIGGEST regret, it's not her only one. Because she's in her early thirties now and she can look back on time that feels wasted and choices she would redo, and that is just... so real. I'm about Anne's age, and I'm certainly feeling it!

But the romance of it all is that you don't usually get this kind of second chance in real life, and boy does it hurt so good in just the right way here. This isn't a super plot-heavy novel. For much of the book, Anne and Frederick are both very internal (thank God we have dual POVs) and yeah, they do struggle so spit it out. I know that this is "miscommunication" and miscommunication is apparently a sin, but... It makes so much sense here. You don't end so badly and spend a decade apart and just leap back into love. There's a lot of fear involved! A ton of anxiety!

And so, when Anne and Frederick do get it together, it feels that much more impactful. I'm a hard sell on a slooow burn, but this one is very satisfying, and it's a great blend of complex feelings and the kind of Austenian romance that's very hard to capture in contemporary right now.

The Sex:

You know what's not Austenian? The sex scenes. There aren't a ton, and you do have to wait. But what you get after the wait is GOOD. Passionate and fraught, and mixed with just enough roughness that it feels like two people who've been waiting... and waiting... and just can't wait anymore. HOT.

The Conclusion:

A book of pining and longing and heavy emotion that nonetheless hits the romance beats that will leave you swooning. That's a success in my book!

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[triviareads]

ARC Review of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

Rating: 5/5 Heat Level: 3.75/5 Pub Date: February 4th

Premise:

Dr. Aurora Montalban Wright begins a no-strings affair with Apollo, Duke of Annan and accepts his protection as her underground women's health clinic is threatened by dangerous, powerful individuals.

My review:

THE historical romance of 2025— A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke is poignant, unabashedly political in its unflinching portrayal of the dire necessity of women's healthcare access, and INSANELY sexy.

Apollo and Aurora's chemistry has built over the course of the series, and seeing it in its full glory is EVERYTHING. Apollo was the secret son hellbent upon revenge against his shitty dad, and now he's claimed his rightful place as Duke. Meanwhile, Aurora served as the voice of reason in the last two books, except it turns out she's perhaps the biggest risktaker in her friend group— For one, she's running an underground women's clinic and is being terrorized by men in power for daring to treat women where other doctors refuse to. For another, this book STARTS with Aurora propositioning Apollo for some no-strings fun.

Apollo is *obsessed* with Aurora right from the get-go; they've had this charming, light enemies-to-lovers thing since book 1 and you get a lot more of that here except very one-sided because Aurora doesn't give quarter, even when Apollo is diving head-first between her legs and basically worshipping her pussy... and her. And to be fair, Aurora has been betrayed by the men in her life, and that too at a horrifically young age. Apollo advocates for her in a way that strikes a perfect balance between progressive and old-school *alpha hero*. Basically, if you like a clever, prickly heroine paired with an enormously charming, quite rakish hero with a chip on his shoulder.... this is the book for you.

Plot-wise, a lot of the story involves Aurora's women's clinic and the increasingly precarious position it's in. Adriana doesn't shy away from depicting the specifics of medical procedures (I learnt quite a lot), and more broadly, the systemic suppression and abuse of young women, often women of color, by the men around them. Apollo and Aurora continue their relationship under the assumption there's a deadline, because Apollo has to marry a proper debutante to increase his social and political standing.

Apollo and Aurora are people of color in relatively privileged positions— both are Afro-Latine and Apollo is a duke, while Aurora is from a wealthy family and was educated to be a doctor— but that does not mean they are immune to both systemic and interpersonal racism, both outside and within the community, especially in Aurora's case. Aurora is mostly content with her outsider status, but Apollo is conflicted about whether he should use his privilege for good from the inside, or if he can take on systems of oppression from the outside. And while I don't think all the villains in this story got their comeuppance, Adriana Herrera did a wonderful job of decolonizing Apollo and Aurora's happily-ever-after in a way that doesn't hinge on white acceptance.

The sex:

BONKERS HOT, like, I genuinely to an extent I have not read in a traditionally published historical in a while. Apollo is a little rough and a lot take-charge, but also just super smooth in the way he coaxes Aurora to let go of her inhibitions until she's just as vocal of her desires. There's a lot of biting, a lot of sniffing, a loooot of pussy worship and body worship in general, and Apollo's dirty talk is TOP NOTCH.

Standout scene is probably a jealousy-induced couch bang after Aurora comes across Apollo entertaining a prospective bride... IN THE NEXT ROOM, after which this man cleans her up and pockets said handkerchief and announces his intention to keep it under his pillow because she smells so sweet, like COME ON. No one's doing it like these two.

Also, I do appreciate the use of condoms throughout the book.

Overall:

This book is proof that a book CAN be political and sexy and in 2025, we could do with more of both. I can't recommend A Tropical Rebel enough for anyone looking for a swoony, satisfying romance that packs a punch in all the right ways.

Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[eggcatsreads]

𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩, 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴.

Gory. Terrifying. Haunting.

𝑩𝒂𝒕 𝑬𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 by Kylie Lee Baker is a horror novel that will yank you in from the first page and won’t let up until you’re gasping for air by the end.

Taking place in New York during the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns with a focus on the rising anti-Asian racism - our main character Cora soon realizes that the supernatural might not be the biggest danger she faces.

A juggernaut into the horror genre, I truly believe this book is best gone into almost entirely blind to allow the story to drag you on the journey.

Releasing April 29 in the US, pictured is my Illumicrate Evernight edition!

I was originally given a copy of this novel as a digital ARC - thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing!

[Also posted to my Instagram]