Uncategorized

September Book Releases

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. It is September and that means I am bringing you some of this month’s releases. As usual, this is not an exhaustive list it is simply comprised of a few books I have seen about.

The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig – 2nd September

Aisling Cathedral is in ruins. Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew, and Maude Bauer are rumored to be dead—and the king has taken Sybil Delling as his bride. To show off their union and solidify his power over Traum, Benji proposes a series of tournaments throughout the hamlets. Captive and drugged, Sybil remains determined to vanquished him as she once did the Omens, even if she destroys the kingdom’s faith—and herself—in the process.

But then a mysterious knave rises to the top of the lists, a man with no name and no memory who may just be Sybil’s ticket to undoing Benji’s power. For in a land where stories repeat themselves, where a king can prove as cruel as a god, the only way to truly destroy the Stonewater Kingdom’s faith is to save it.

The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett – 3rd September

From “modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Times, London) Janice Hallett, a follow-up to her blockbuster debut novel The Appeal, featuring the Fairway Players as they put on Agatha Christie’s play The Hollow and find themselves embroiled in murder, blackmail, and betrayal once again.

Welcome back to Lower Lockwood. The Fairway Players return with Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald as committee cochairs. This year, they have chosen to stage Agatha Christie’s The Hollow. But auditions aren’t their only problem: Sarah-Jane’s sister, Nicky-Rose, is suddenly back in town under mysterious circumstances, having sold her home in Barbados, left her business providing entertainment on cruise ships, and moved back into their mother Carol’s house.

As always, they’re short on men, and new Player Fran Elroy-Jones enlists a young married couple and the husband’s cousin to join. But no one wants to play the part of the hated Gerda, leaving Kevin and Sarah-Jane with no option but to reach out to an old member they know would be happy to perform in any role.

As with any production, tensions run high, and our intrepid lawyers Femi and Charlotte are tasked with uncovering exactly what happened on the opening night of The Hollow—and whether the correct person has taken the blame.

Taipei Story by R F Kaung – 8th September

College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home.

Then shocking news Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she’s drawn into a journey of self-discovery—piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection.

Taipei Story What if the diaspora fantasy of homecoming never comes true? What if learning a language can’t bring you any closer to the people you’re trying to reach? What if you search for your family’s history, but your family doesn’t want to share? What if you wait too long to ask the right questions? As Lily struggles for answers, her summer becomes a poignant search for understanding—of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.

Burn of the Everflame by Keziah Cole – 8th September

War has overtaken Emarion. In the north, Ophiucae and his army of bloodthirsty mortals seek to eradicate all Descended from the continent. In the south, the Guardians of the Everflame lie in wait, plotting a rebellion generations overdue.

In Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow, the Crowns are gathering. Caught between two deadly foes, they must form an unlikely alliance to save their people.

But the Crowns have a secret—and a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate.

Hatred reigns. Hope seems lost. With the future in darkness, can a flame emerge to bring the light?

Tempest by Victoria Aveyard – 8th September

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal, amid a brutal war for the high seas.

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea—the question is, what will it leave in its wake?

The Mirror of Infinite Endings by Stephanie Garber – 22nd September

The #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING Once Upon a Broken Heart series continues… Return to the Magnificent North and the BREATHTAKING LOVE STORY that has captivated readers all over the world!

Jacks and Evangeline Fox have finally found their happily ever after.

Everything here in the Hollow is wonderful and perfect.

Nothing is going to go wrong.

No one is keeping a secret . . . except for maybe one.

But don’t worry, it’s not going to rewrite reality or alter history or change the ending of Jacks and Evangeline’s story.

Definitely not.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorite characters and twenty full-page illustrations by Lotusbubble, the newest installment in the Once Upon a Broken Heart universe will immerse readers once again in this beloved, #1 New York Times bestselling series. Because every story has the potential for infinite endings.

The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace – 22nd September

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Kiss of the Black Flame by Helen Scheurer – 22nd September

Some bargains are sealed with blood…Others with fire…The deadliest are sealed with a kiss…

Saige Grayson has always believed stories could heal—even when her own body refuses to. As the most promising bookbinder in the capital, she’s learned to work through chronic pain and crushing debt, restoring other people’s treasures while trying not to fall apart herself. But when the man she owes decides her rare talent is worth more than her payments, Saige is traded to the Azkari—an immortal race forged by the gods for war—and imprisoned in their ancient stronghold.

Her only chance of survival lies with Archer, a fallen Azkari general imprisoned beside her —cursed, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. He offers her a way out, and in return, Saige must help him retrieve and restore an ancient book. But the book is made of living magic, powerful enough to stop a great evil—or unleash it. And as Saige works with Archer, the tome begins to awaken something dark and dangerous—both in the realm and within her.

As their enemies close in and buried memories resurface, Saige and Archer must decide what they’re willing to their freedom, their fragile trust…or the spark that could ignite the world.

The Sweetest Fiend by Raven Kennedy – 22nd September

It’s time to pay the Piper.

Our world cracked open like an egg. Power burst out, and with it, nine monstrous Banes ready to destroy everything. The powerful Core fae finally slayed them all, but each Bane left a Plague to punish us.

But that’s not the only thing they left behind.

I’m half Bane, half fae, and wholly hated. Survival means enduring every vicious glare and cursed outbreak. Until one day, a Plague descends upon my city that means certain death.

Then he comes. The Pied Piper.

He rids my city of the Plague, but it comes at a cost. One hundred and thirty people are taken as payment. Including me.

I don’t know what he’s going to do to us, but I know I have to get home. My family’s lives depend on it. But the Piper won’t let me go, and something wicked stirs between us. The sweet scent in my veins beckons him, while the seductive lure of his magic sinks under my skin.

I have to escape before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, it’s not just my heart at risk…

But the entire world.

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros – 29th September

The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson – 29th September

Return to the world of Truly Devious as Stevie Bell and her friends travel to New York to solve a murder in the next standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

Stevie might be the greatest teenage detective Ellingham Academy and the world has ever seen, but even she can’t figure out what happened with her boyfriend, David. What she needs is a distraction: a good old-fashioned murder. Stevie is much happier dealing with dead people. They’re a lot less confusing—they don’t send cryptic texts and make out with other girls in British pubs.

But then Stevie gets exactly what she wanted when a dead body turns up in the middle of a Manhattan apartment complex, and this one is . . . complicated. Caught in a web of messy alive-people feelings, Stevie finds herself questioning all human connection. Is magnetism only manipulation? Can you trust anyone? Does anyone realize that they’re joining a cult—before it’s too late? And are things with David really over?

Monthly TBRs

September TBR

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well! Today I am sharing with you my TBR for the month. I’ve put quite a few books on it so that will be a challenge but I am very excited for all of them. If you’ve read any of them let me know what you thought of them.

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

A Deadly Scandal by Felicity Epps

A Game of Scandal by Laura Wood

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Gothikana by RuNyx

Bells of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass

Graves of Whitechapel by Claire Evans

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

How to Kill A Guy in 10 Dates by Shailee Thompson

A Secret in the Garden by Jeneane O’Riley

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

Till Death Us Do Part by Reverend Penny Stephens

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell

The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker

Monthly Wrap Ups

August Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you have all had a great start to your September. And I hope you all had a wonderful August. Mine was pretty busy with my nieces and hospital things going on. I also had great news come in which is that I finally got the confirmation of passing my PhD. I am officially a Doctor. It’s taken a while but I have got there in the end.

Now with all that said, I did get quite a bit of reading done in August. Of course I am writing this a little before the end of the month, 8 days or so, and I will get a few more books read from my TBR as I am going away for a week tomorrow and it is a car journey so I’ll be reading in that time.

How has everyone’s reading been in August? Any new favourite books? I started the Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson, loved it, immediately read the sequel and got the third so I could read it soon.

August Wrap Up:

from my TBR:

  • Wildewood by Jessica Thorne – This is one of three books that I am taking away with me so I should definitely get this book read by the end of the month.
  • Library of the Dead by T L Huchu – I did read this. Honestly, I thought the plot itself was interesting but the writing style was a problem for me and I did find myself skimming it rather than reading by the end.
  • The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton – This is the second of three books I am taking away with me so I should get this read by the end of August also.
  • Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch – and this is the third book I am taking away with me and should read by the end of August.
  • Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher – I did read this. I loved her book Tea and Alchemy earlier in the year and I enjoyed this one also.
  • Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany – I did read this. I got this book in a blind date with a book. I thought it was good but I don’t think I would pick up the rest of the series.
  • Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas – I did not get around to reading this. I want to read all her books in preparation for ACOTAR 6 but I want to read other books more at the moment so we shall see if I get around to it or not.
  • No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead – I am currently reading this.
  • The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – I did read this. I am glad I have made progress in the Truly Devious series. I liked this book but not as much as the original trilogy.
  • A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales – I did read this. Another book I thought was good but I am unsure if I would like to continue in this series or not.
  • Henry Tudor Must Die by Gillian Laine – I did start reading this but I soft DNF’d it at 100 pages. I think I will try it again but I’m not sure.
  • The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego – I DNF’d this book within a few chapters. The writing style was not for me.
  • Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon – I did read this. Another solid book in the Kitty Underhay series.

Outside of my TBR I read: Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon, Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson.

Overall, including the three I will have finished by the end of August, I have read 15 books in August.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. Today I am bringing you my review for Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. If you’ve read it let me know what you thought of it.

Blurb:

All strays are welcome here.

Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organization skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster.

But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard.

Havelock is everything Agnes doesn’t want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . .

My review:

I have a very love hate relationship with cosy fantasy novels. I picked up this book because I enjoyed Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series and I saw people were loving this book. I wanted to know if I would enjoy this one too. Yes, I did. I loved it. I loved the cats. Actually I felt very betrayed by one of them. IYKYK. I loved the character of Agnes and her sister throughout. It’s nice to see a different sibling dynamic to what is usually shown. I also like how this author does romance. It’s there and it makes you feel, properly feel, but it is very subtle and not in your face. I think this author may become an auto-buy for me.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Flirting With Murder by Amanda Sellett

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am bringing you my review for Flirting with Murder by Amanda Sellett. let me know if you have read it and what you thought of it.

Blurb:

The Agathas meets Thursday Murder Club in Amanda Sellet’s next YA novel, a cozy mystery with a splash of romance.

Some people visit Florida for theme parks and beaches. High school junior Virginia Tillis is there for murder. Accidents, electrocution, tainted hand lotion: every victim meets a different end at her grandmother Lainey’s rococo pink condo. Such is life (and death) when you roll with a crew of theater retirees who roleplay murder mysteries from the comfort of their own home in a game they fondly call Killing Me Softly.

But this summer, fictional murder has given way to the very real death of the building’s beloved owner and his dramatic last testament has the vultures circling, from estranged relatives to sleazy property developers, dead set on getting the most from his will.

Adding to the tension for Virginia is the appearance of Felix, the cute guy she met at the airport who turns out to be the grandson of one of the condo’s residents. With his charm and musical theater chops, he’s the person Virginia most wants to beat at Killing Me Softly. That is, until the day they discover an actual dead body while playing the game, forcing them to work together to figure out whodunit.

In this comedic mystery about finding the Watson to your Holmes, Virginia and Felix must banter their way from rivals to co-detectives in time to save their eccentric grandparents from a shocking disruption to the community they’ve always loved.

My review:

I picked up this book because I have read a romance by this author before and really enjoyed that so when I saw they were writing a cosy crime novel I had to get it. Once I had it, I found I was hesitant to actually read it because I thought the mystery side might be lacking to get the romance good. This was not the case. Both the romance and the mystery shone in this book in my opinion, I was very invested in both sides of it. The end of the mystery was also a big surprise, not something that I imagined and I am looking forward to seeing more of this kind of novel from this author.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am bringing you my book review for The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. If you have read this book let me know in the comments what you thought of it.

Blurb:

Cold cases get hot in this unputdownable mystery from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, no.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified programme that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realise is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved murders – especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive . . .

Born smart. Born tough. Born FBI.

My Review:

The Naturals is one of those books that I have heard great things about for years, especially from people who love similar books to me. I was hesitant to read it because I didn’t love this author’s other series, The Inheritance Games. I did enjoy reading this book. It is a quick, easy read. The plot and the mystery itself was very middle of the road for me. I didn’t find it shocking or twisty, it was quite predictable in my opinion. But I did love the way the author builds the characters and their relationships to each other within this book. I have since bought the next book in the series and I do want to continue.

Uncategorized

August Book Releases

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. Today I am bringing you some of the August releases. As always this is not an exhaustive list, it is a few of the books I have seen and some that I am interested in.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett – 4th August

An unthinkable crime. A fatal conspiracy. A suspect without a trace.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in his victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

If the great detective Ana Dolabra – along with her assistant Dinios Kol – cannot save him, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, plunging the Empire into famine and chaos.

But this murder is only the latest in a subtle web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

Ana and Din have faced terrible crimes before. But as they pursue their adversary through wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, even they are not prepared for the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers . . .

Eccentric yet brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man’s innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with the award-winning The Tainted Cup.

The Unknown by Riley Sager – 4th August

A hundred years ago, five women disappeared. Now, it’s happening again . . .

Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major film about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont.

New Avalon isn’t an ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums – until, in 1926, they vanished. The only trace of them left was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree. One for each missing woman.

The stories say that when a séance went wrong, something supernatural took them all.

One by one . . .

When Marin and her castmates visit the island, they begin to realise that even now all is not right with New Avalon. Strange noises are heard in the night, and mysterious symbols are found, left by the island’s previous occupants.

And then the disappearances begin again.

One by one . . .

As panic and superstition rise, Marin must uncover the island’s terrifying secret to prevent its dark history from repeating itself . . . and escape the island alive.

Adversary to the Villain – 6th August

HR Update: The position of “adversary to the villain” has been filled. Evie Sage does not recall applying.

Evie has always tried to be helpful, loyal, and only mildly involved in treason. But with a dangerous prophecy threatening the very magic of Rennedawn – not to mention the race to claim its necessary artifacts before King Benedict does – things are starting to feel… less like a career path and more like a serious problem.

The prophecy won’t stop pointing in Evie’s direction. The Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. And honestly, if you’re going to be accused of evil anyway, you might as well commit.

Unfortunately, the more Evie leans into her alleged villain era, the more her boss starts acting like the hero of a completely different story. Trystan is getting closer – closer than is wise, advisable, or even remotely professional – and looking at her like she’s already chosen a side. His.

Which is deeply inconvenient, because if Evie can’t save the kingdom’s magic, she might just become its greatest threat.

Cross Check by Chelsea Curto – 26th August

Amelia Green is making a name for herself as an assistant coach in the NHL. A woman who isn’t intimidated by the people who try to pull her down, she handles the attention on her without batting an eye. What she didn’t account for was the hockey player who keeps showing up in her life.

Grant Everett is the newest player on the DC Stars roster and adjusting to life in the NHL. A guy who loves his teammates, he’s never one to break the rules. But after an accidental run-in with the league’s most talked about coach, Grant can’t stop thinking about Amelia no matter how off-limits she is.

He should stay away from her. He’s supposed to stay away—she’s older. She’s not looking to date, and he’s someone who wants to settle down.

Years of friendship and fighting their feelings turns to something more after one night together, and they never look back.
Except… hiding a relationship from the league isn’t easy.

Between secret meetups and Amelia landing a new job as the head coach of the league’s newest expansion team, she and Grant are forced to confront their future. Is there a chance their relationship can withstand the scrutiny from those on the outside, or are they a quick cross check away from disaster?

Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken – 22nd August

From Alexandra Bracken, the New York Times bestselling author of Lore, comes a stunningly original adult fantasy. Set in a sumptuous world ruled by magical perfume, this achingly romantic, slow-burn love story will shatter your heart and leave you breathless.

Members of the ancient Rosebourne family have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.

When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.

Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life – and fortune – that should have been hers.

As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them – especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.

But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom – and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.

Bedeviled by Laura Thalassa – 18th August

the Bewitched series, a deliciously witchy romantasy.

“My queen, my wife, my lovely Selene… You who saved me, died for me. Waited eons for me so we could exist in this moment… I am yours forever.”

It’s been two thousand years since Selene Bowers first fell in love with Memnon Uvagukis, the sorcerer king of the Sarmatians. So when, at present, an unbreakable vow forces Selene to marry this soul mate she once died for, it is in many ways a dream made real.

Unfortunately for her, neither she nor Memnon are able to bask in the moment for long. Not when demons keep ambushing her, and her husband’s magic appears to slowly be consuming him. And not when, despite eliminating the prior threats to Henbane, the coven still teeters on the brink of shutting down.

And then of course there’s Eislyn, an age-old menace who lurks somewhere in the shadows. She led to Selene and Memnon’s demise long ago, and now she threatens their existence once more. It seems she wants something from them, something she’s been waiting millennia for, and if Memnon and Selene don’t figure out what that is and stop her for good, she just might get it―and destroy them in the process.

Wings of Reverie by Anna Bright – 4th August

Centuries after the events of the TikTok sensation and #1 New York Times bestseller Wings of Starlight, comes a new lush romantasy, where two fairies must battle a dangerous magic – and their growing feelings for each other – in order to save their home in the Winter Woods.

One day when Pixie Hollow frost-fairy Periwinkle travels too close to the forbidden border where Spring meets the Winter Woods, she unknowingly discovers a thread of a lost magic and, for the first time, begins to dream. While Periwinkle’s dreams start sweet, they slowly morph into more disastrous visions of the Pixie Dust Tree destroyed.

One night, deep in the Winter Woods, after waking from sleepwalking, Periwinkle is confronted by a sparrow man who says he knows two secrets: one that Peri has been dreaming and two that the Winter Woods is in terrible danger. Weaver claims to be a dream-talent, the last of his kind in Pixie Hollow, and with Periwinkle’s help he says he can spin her dreams into dream-thread which can save the dying Pixie Dust Tree. In order to do so, the two will need to embark on a quest to find a magic spindle and scissors in the legendary lost fairy workshops of dream-talents past.

Peri begins a reluctant journey with Weaver, the infuriatingly handsome stranger. Together they will face obstacles, monsters, and an unspeakable danger deep within the Winter Woods. Along the way, Peri will begin to question everything she thought she knew. But in Winter even beautiful things can hurt you, and Weaver is no exception.

Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon – 18th August

A stream of bikes speeding along the road in the annual cycle race. And one in a ditch upside down, wheels still spinning… with a body lying next to it. Can Kitty Underhay get to the bottom of this?

England, 1938. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a stroll in the Yorkshire town where she and her husband Matt are visiting his family. As she stops to take in the rolling hills, she suddenly sees a most unexpected sight. There’s a bike in the ditch just along the road… and the cyclist is dead.

Abandoning her plans for a picnic with Matt, the pair start to piece together what happened. But there’s more than meets the eye to the man now pushing up daisies. The victim is no stranger; it appears he has unexpected Devon connections. Why is he here? And who is behind his murder? Has his ex-girlfriend hit the brakes? Or could it be the woman he was courting in secret? And the other cyclists aren’t faultless either…

But just as Kitty and Matt set the wheels in motion and the investigation picks up speed, there’s another murder, shaking up the quiet country town further. Then Kitty and Matt realise that they too have been marked by the killer, and the duo need to unearth the connection between the two murders immediately…

Can Kitty and Matt catch the killer before they get to the finish line? Or will it be game over for both of them by the end of the race…?

A Deadly Scandal by Felicity Epps – 27th August

Sisterhood, séances and solving murder, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Laura Wood!

An occult device leaving threatening messages. A dinner party featuring a fatal main course. Was it a tragic accident, or is something foul at play? The Society of Free Spirits invites you to investigate, in this YA crime series with a supernatural twist.

17-year-old Ada Hawthorne would much rather be hunting for ghosts than for a husband. So when the Society of Free Spirits is invited to host a séance investigating the Spirit Hand – an occult device haunting its owner with threatening messages – Ada can’t wait to show off her spiritualist talents to London’s elite.

But then a guest is fatally stabbed with a hatpin during the séance, and Ada ends up with more on her plate than a fancy dinner!

The society’s reputation is hanging on by a thread, and Ada can’t afford her family name being dragged through another scandalous gossip column. But when visions of the ghost appear and demand that the murder be solved, Ada and her friends have no choice but to engage in some less-than-ladylike behaviour to uncover the mystery. They’ll soon learn that in high society, everyone’s watching – including the ghosts.

Monthly TBRs

August TBR

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. It is August and that means it is time to share the books that I hope to read this month.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon

Library of the Dead by T L Huchu

Wildewood by Jessica Thorne

No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead

Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany

Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Laine

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Monthly Wrap Ups

July Wrap Up!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. How is everyone’s summer going so far? It is now the summer holidays in the UK so my family all have some time off in the next few weeks which will be nice.

How was your reading in July? Mine was one of my worst months so far this year but at the same time significantly better than I thought it would be.

This is my wrap up for the month of July.

From my TBR:

  • The Cut by Richard Armitage – I did read this. Well, I read some of it. I DNF’d it around 100 pages because it is told in split perspective and within 100 pages I had been in at least five different people’s heads and it is told in two different times, one present and one past. It was far too confusing.
  • Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett – I did read this and my review for this book is coming on the 20th August.
  • When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker – I did not get to this book in July. I have kept it on my TBR cart though as I would still like to read it soon, maybe even in August.
  • The Antique Hunter’s Murder at the Castle by C L Miller – I did read this. Another solid book in this series.
  • The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I did read this and my review is coming on the 13th August.
  • I Know You Did It by Sue Wallman – I did read this. I thought it was quite good but not one of my favourites of her books.
  • The Dreadfuls by A Rae Dunlap – I did read this and loved it. It is definitely a new favourite book. It puts an interesting spin on the retelling of Jack the Ripper.
  • Flirting With Murder by Amanda Sellett – I did read this and my review is coming on the 17th August.
  • The Sinister Booksellers of bath by Garth Nix – I did read this and although it has taken me a while I am glad I have finally read another in this series.
  • The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs and The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs – I did read these two books. The final two books in the Miss Peregrines series and both of them I gave five stars to.

Outside of my TBR I also read: Murder on Devil’s Ridge by Irina Shapiro, The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon and Death on the Lively Sea by Katy Watson.

This means I read all but one of my TBR and altogether I read 13 books this months which I am very pleased about. My favourite read of July was a toss between The Dreadfuls and Flirting With Murder. My least favourite read was obviously The Cut.

What were your favourite and least favourite reads of July?

Uncategorized

Books/ Covers That Make Me Think Of Summer

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all well today. As we are getting to the summer months I wanted to share some of the books that make me think of summer and some covers that do the same.

As it turns out all of the books in this list are actually murder mysteries. I didn’t realise that as I was writing it but it does sort of make sense to me. I love a quick, fun, cosy mystery in the summer.

What books make you think of summer?

Murder at the Palace by N R Daws

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey

Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liana Moriarty

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

The Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon