Book Review: Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

 Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the Advance Reader copy of Threads That Bind for an honest review.

Threads That Bind follows Io one of the three Ora Sisters each descendents of the Fates and blessed with a different gift. One to weave, one to draw and one to cut the threads that connect people to things they love and to life itself.

Io is a private investigator in Alante and her latest job leads to an unpleasant discovery, women are being abducted and their life threads are being maimed turning them into wraiths wreaking havoc in the city.

She is hired by the city's famous mob queen to work alongside her right hand Edei Rhuna who she just so happens to share a fate thread linking them as soul mates.

However things get personal when Io's main suspect happens to be her older sisters new fiance. Io must unravel all the dark secrets of the city before it is too late.

Firstly I found this book to be such an original idea and concept. The whole magic and world building was quite unique and original and that drew me into wanting to read the book.

The story had me gripped throughout with the twists and turns that the plot takes. There were so many subplots running alongside the main plot that added to the world building and gave us an insight into the main characters development. I felt this stories wove together really well and that the plot was well crafted.

Io was an interesting character to follow and her growth in self confidence was well written throughout the plot.

The ending left us with such a cliffhanger after a big reveal and I guess now I will have to wait to get my hands on book two.

A really well written enjoyable read! 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

 If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

The story follows Cara Tang who has ghost speaking powers but doesn't want to be haunted. Particularly because her overbearing mother does not want her talking to ghosts and wants her to surpress her power and be the perfect daughter.

Cara keeps getting into fights with the local golden boy Zacharias Coleson who irritates her incredibly. Then she stumbles across Zach's dead body in the woods and she is the only one who can see and save him.

With the help of her grandmother who also happens to be a ghost she agrees to help resurrect Zach putting her at odds with her mother. Cara and Zach travel together into the liminal world relying on each other to survive and Cara starts to think she might not hate Zach as much as she first thought.

I started this book and initially I wasn't sure it was for me I felt abit older than the demographic this seemed aimed at. However once the characters entered the liminal world I felt a bit more invested in the story and seeing how it turned out and that turned this from a 3 to a 3.5 star for me.

The perfect cosy fall read ready for Halloween for those who like spooky but not too spooky.

I enjoyed some of the magical elements throughout this story however there were aspects that seemed to wrap up far too easily for the characters. Again though this could be the fact that I am older than the demographic for this book.

Overall I found this an enjoyable cosy read and would recommend this for a fall read. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

The book follows Effy Sayre who has always believed in fairy tales. This is because she has been haunted by visions of the fairy king since she was a child. Effy found solace in the works of Emrys Myrddin particularly his story Angharad where a mortal girl falls in love with the fairy king and destroys him.

When Mryddin's family announce a contest to redesign his house Hiraeth Manor she feels certain this is her destiny. However Hiraeth Manor turns out to be an impossible task it is decrepit and edging ever closer to the sea. Also when she arrives she happens to find another student at the manor literary scholar Preston Heloury who is studying Mryddin's work trying to prove that he is a fraud.

The two end up working together to investigate the authors legacy which leads them to uncover dark forces conspiring against them.

I really enjoyed this story in fact it got me out of a reading slump at the time and I happened to finish it within a couple of days.

I really enjoyed everything about this book from the magical elements, the gothic vibe and the mixture with fairy tales.

The story also deals with elements of important topics such as misogyny, trauma and mental health.

Overall a captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Travel: A Day Trip to Mostar

A Day Trip to Mostar

Back in May 2022 me and my boyfriend had a holiday to Dubrovnik in Croatia, this is the perfect spot for day trips and sightseeing. From here we took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina this included a guided tour of the city and entrance to multiple sights. Below is what I would recommend you do on a day trip to this wonderful country.

Visit an Ottoman House... Part of our tour included a visit to a traditional Ottoman House. These have been preserved as museums showcasing traditional furnishings such as rugs and ceramics. On this tour we received a free drink at the house in the courtyard I opted for a peppermint tea and my boyfriend bad a traditional coffee. The house was a really interesting part of the tour and really painted a picture of the culture and way of life in the past.

Travel: Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

Kotor, Montenegro Day Trip

While in Dubrovnik another tour we booked onto was a trip to Kotor in Montenegro. This was an excursion booked for our holiday through TUI called The Best of Montenegro with a guided tour of the old town. 

I must admit that we skipped out on the guided tour due to our tour guide having lost her voice and therefore it was difficult to hear the tour. 

Overall these are what we recommend for the day trip to Kotor:

Travel: A Mykonos Getaway

 A Mykonos Getaway

Hotel - Myconian Korali

For our stay in Mykonos we picked the Myconian Korali Hotel, this hotel is rated 5 stars and the service did not disappoint. You are taken care of from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. The hotel upgraded our room free of charge to a Rinia with a balcony and side sea view. This room was spacious and very modern with a bathroom intergrated into the large room with two mirrors and sinks and a giant freestanding bath.

Book Review: Zhara Guardians of the Dawn by S. Jae-Jones

 Zhara Guardians of the Dawn by S. Jae-Jones

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This books was described as Cinder meets Sailor Moon a book and a series that I love! Sign me up!

Zhara Guardians of the Dawn follows Jim Zhara born with powers that she does not know how to control and forced to hide them as magic is forbidden in the morning realms. Magicians are called abominations and are sentenced to death.

The only person who knows about Zhara's magic is her stepmother and she has to bow to her every whim caring for her blind younger sister.

However there are whispers of monsters in the marsh re-emerging and a chance encounter with a young man named Han introduces Zhara to the Guardians of the Dawn, a secret magical liberation society.

Together they discover a secret magical plague that is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei. Zhara must come to terms with her powers and unleash the warrior within to restore harmony.

I will start by saying there were many aspects of this story that I found enjoyable. The numerous nods towards Sailor Moon gave me much joy, I really enjoyed the plot of the book and felt the characters were well fleshed out.

The reason however for my lower score is that the book read abit more juvenile than I expected it too and I must admit the nicknames they two main love interests used made me cringe and I got abit sick of reading them.

Those things aside this story was enjoyable and I didn't struggle to finish it at all. I would be intrigued to read the sequel but I believe I might not be the right age demographic. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna levine

 My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone for the advance reader copy for an honest review.

My Roommate is a vampire follows Cassie Greenburg a struggling artist in dire need of a place to live. She stumbles across an advert on Craigslist for a roommate in an incredibly reasonably priced apartment.

The apartment belongs to the incredibly good looking Frederick J Fitzwilliam who works nights and sleeps all day.

What could be the catch? Turns out that Frederick is a vampire. Recently awoken from a long coma who needs help reacclimatising to the 21st century.

This is a light and fluffy easy romance book. I got through this very quickly and felt it had a lot of sweet and funny moments that gave the story it's charm.

The only issue I felt was that the main hurdle in the story was resolved very quickly and easily. I think that might have been the aim of the book hut it felt a little anti climactic to me.

However overall if your looking for an easy spooky read for the autumn time this book is one I would recommend. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust for an honest review.

This is the prequel to Legend & Lattes and follows a younger Viv currently a mercenary with Rackham's Ravens. However things aren't going quite to plan when she is injured in battle and has to rest up to the sleepy beach town of Murk to recover.

With so much time now on her hands Viv finds herself spending time at the local bookshop with its foul mouthed owner.

However adventure isn't far away for Viv when a suspicious traveler in a gray cloak appears. Juggling that a summer fling, a gnome insistent on getting Vivs help to join Rackham's Ravens and a vast number of skeletons, things aren't quite as quiet as they seem.

This book was just as cosy as the first with a tad more action involved.

I felt this story was abit more fleshed out than Legends & Lattes and we got an insight into Viv' s backstory and her time as a mercenary but with the perfect addition of a cosy bookshop.

Travis Baldree has a way with writing a great dynamic between his characters and the world building is also really well done. You could feel like you were there inside the bookshop laughing and joking and helping tidy up.

This book was very enjoyable with good twists and it gave me that perfect cosy evening read after work.

If you enjoyed Legends & Lattes you are going to love this prequel. 

Thanks for Reading!

Book Review: Upon a Frosted Star by M. A. Kuzniar

 Upon a Frosted Star by M. A. Kuzniar

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Stories for an advance reader copy of this title for an honest review.

Upon a Frosted Star follows struggling artist Forster who finds an invitation to an evening of magic and bewitchment. He becomes determined to find out more about the mysterious host a ballerina who has overtaken his dreams.

The invitations always arrive without warning around the city to what is usually the party of the year.

However when the party is over Forster discovers an abandoned Manor house and a cursed woman who wishes to be set free.

The book is themed around Swan Lake and definitely has this vibes it kept reminding me of the swan princess film which of course was also based on Swan Lake however this gave me such joy and nostalgia.

This book is beautifully written from the characters to the magic and imagery. I could actually imagine myself within the scene from the descriptions given and the descriptions of the foods made me hungry!

I will admit initially it took me a few chapters to get into the story but once Detta was involved more and her POV was added I was hooked. 

It was interesting to see how Forster and Detta found something within each other through their art and dancing and how their relationship grew despite the curse.

A beautiful tale of first love and tragedy with an ending most wouldn't expect.

Very well crafted and I am going to read more of Kuzniar's books following this one.

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

 Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC of this book for an honest review.

Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail originally meant for the Scribe Quadrant and a quiet life among books. Until her mother the Commanding General forces her to joint the dragon rider candidates.

Only a few issues she is smaller than everyone else and her body is brittle and fragile. Dragons are known to take out the weak candidates and with fewer dragons than ever bonding most would kill for a spot. Alot would kill her just for being her mother's daughter one example being wing leader Xadan Riorson.

She going to have to use everything available to her too survive. It's either graduate or die.

Firstly the hype for this book was well deserved I loved this book it was very much a dystopian fantasy mix giving me vibes of Divergent and even Game of Thrones. However this is definitely an adult fantasy book. 

Violet is a badass and a great example of a character written with inclusivity in mind. 

Xadan is the enemies to lovers love interest who initially wants to kill Violet because her mother led to his father's death. 

The world building is well done and easy to understand and very much had a more adult version of Divergent vibe which gave me such nostalgia. 

The ending also left us with a massive cliffhanger ready for book 2.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it fully deserves the hype it has been given well done to Rebecca Yarros. 

Thanks for Reading!