Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I am bringing you my book review for the book A Grave Inheritance by Felicity Epps. Have any of you read this book? If you have, let me know what you thought of it.
Blurb/Synopsis:
A Waterstones YA Book of the Month! Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Laura Wood.
Mysterious deaths in the family. A young woman left to inherit a fortune. Was it ghostly intervention… or murder? The Society of Free Spirits invites you to investigate, in this YA crime series with a supernatural twist.
After her father and older sister both die suddenly, Dolores is left with the family’s inheritance, and a large house she’s sure is haunted. Teaming up with her occult-obsessed neighbour, Ada, and the mysterious spiritual medium, Violet, the three girls plan to dispel the bad spirits from Dolores’ home.
But when Dolores uncovers a clue that suggests her sister Edith’s death wasn’t due to natural causes, what starts as an investigation into ghostly apparitions develops into the unravelling of something far more sinister. . .
Ghosts. Murder. The patriarchy. One should never underestimate what a trio of free-spirited young women can handle.
My Review: 4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Now, this book. This book was brilliant. It is listed as YA, which I guess fits with the age of the characters within the book – the main group of girls anyway – but it does not feel like YA. The writing is mature and gripping. I was hooked as soon as I saw the description for this book, murder, possible ghosts, seances. Yes, that is just the type of thing I like. I have developed a great love for books that have a gothic tone to them and this book provides that from the very first line. In this book you follow Delilah. As a main character she is interesting. At the beginning, as in the first few chapters, you wonder why she is the focus of the novel as she seems to be struggling and it is hard to see how she gets herself into a position to lead the story, but that was the great thing about this book. As a reader we get to watch as Dolores takes back her life and the strength she musters. You also get to see her developing relationships outside her natural set up – a little bit of a found family element which I loved. This was my favourite book that I read in March and I would honestly recommend it to everyone.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day today. I am bringing you my review of the first in the Gabriel Ward mystery series, the first book being called A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith.
Blurb/Synopsis:
The first in a delightful new mystery series set in the hidden heart of London’s legal world, introducing a wonderfully unwilling sleuth, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Nita Prose.
When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case—the disputed authorship of bestselling children’s book Millie the Temple Church Mouse—that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.
But even he cannot fail to notice the judge’s dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London’s legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now . . .
The police can enter the Temple only by consent, so who better to investigate this tragic breach of law and order than a man who prizes both above all things? But murder doesn’t answer to logic or reasoned argument, and Gabriel soon discovers that the Temple’s heavy oak doors are hiding more surprising secrets than he’d ever imagined . . .
My Review: 4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I was not sure about this book to begin with. I was intrigued by the blurb but in general books that featured lawyers heavily haven’t been my favourites although those have all been thrillers, except for the series by Rob Rinder which I do love. So I was worried that the main character in this novel would be off-putting and a bit info-dumpy. However, I was proven wrong. I like Gabriel Ward, he is very logical and organised both in his character and his mindset and therefore, the way the crime and the subsequent investigation is presented is also very logical and organised. I don’t think that will work for everyone but it did work for me and it was his personality that drew me in very quickly. I thought the murder itself was very unique and intriguing. Each lead took me in a different direction and I couldn’t predict where the story was going to go next which was something I loved about this book.
Have any of you read this book? What did you think of it?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a lovely day today. As I do every month, today I am going to share some of the book releases happening this month. Just to say, this is not a complete list only a few that I have seen around and the dates I give are based on the UK release dates.
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – 2nd April
A page-turning, unforgettable fantasy set in a city peopled with ruffians, spies, malcontents and murderers. Experience out-of-this world adventure and dangerous politics as Maggie tries to survive waking up in her favourite fictional world.
A heart-pounding epic from No. 1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.
When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren. It’s a city she knows intimately from the pages of a famously unfinished dark fantasy series – one she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading, while waiting years for the final novel.
Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic and mayhem? Her encyclopaedic knowledge of the plot, the setting and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love – a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to return home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes – and attentions – of duelling princes, dukes and villains. This all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the ending she’s seen on the a cataclysmic war.
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse writing duo Ilona Andrews. For fans of Samantha Shannon, Sarah J. Maas, Danielle L. Jensen and isekai portal fantasy.
Release Me by Taherah Mafi – 8th April
The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.
Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her mind and body; it’s the only way to survive the surveillance state of Ark Island. But lately her heart has been beating harder; her thoughts are spiraling; her defenses are coming undone.
And there’s only one person to blame.
James Anderson had a plan. Now he has nothing but problems. Rosabelle might be the ally they need in a fight against The Reestablishment, but no one wants to trust an enemy assassin. It doesn’t help that Rosabelle’s not much of a talker, doesn’t work well in groups, and kills people on instinct. Taking her side has cost James nearly everything—but keeping her alive might help save his world.
If only he could convince his older brother.
Aaron Warner Anderson has a headache. Something dark is coming, and Rosabelle’s arrival is just a prelude. In her, he sees shades of himself he can’t trust, and he can no longer get a read on the girl. She’s a dead battery, emanating no emotional feedback. At least not until James walks into a room…
Volcanic tension, breathless reveals, breakneck action—and a dystopian world that never stops raising the
Welcome back to The New Republic.
Flirting With Murder by Amanda Sellett – 21st April
The Agathas meets Thursday Murder Club in Amanda Sellet’s latest 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 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.
The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire by India Holton – 23rd April
When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.
Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.
The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…
Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.
The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton-Smith – 23rd April
Wed to one brother. In love with the other.
Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.
Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.
But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.
To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.
Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.
Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan – 23rd April
Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.
Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.
In the wake of World War I, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.
When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.
It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh…for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.
How To Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin – 28th April
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series
Some secrets are deadlier than others
1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington–a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.
Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.
Annie is no stranger to murder–after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.
As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next. With her mother’s life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it’s too late?
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all doing well today. It is April and that means it is time to talk about what books I am hoping to read in April.
What are you planning to read this month?
APRIL TBR:
Pages and Co: The Last Bookwanderers by Anna James
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T A Wilberg
Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by C L Miller
Blackthorn by J T Geissenger
The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is the beginning of April, where has the time gone, and that means it is time to reflect on last month’s reading. March was an emotional month, a lot of ups and downs, but I managed to get a nice amount of reading done. Fingers crossed, but so far this year overall the books I have been reading have been great and I have found new favourites so hopefully, this will continue for the rest of 2026.
How was your reading in March? Did you have any stand out reads?
What I read in March:
From my TBR:
The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster – I did start to read this but about halfway through I did soft DNF it. Not because there was anything wrong with the book, there wasn’t. I was actually enjoying the story but it was a little slow going and at the time I had a lot going on in my life so it was a combination of pacing and outside of reading events that led to this DNF. I am sure I will finish it in the future though.
Death and the Harlot by Georgina Clarke – I did read this. This was a book that I wasn’t sure about, the premise sounded intriguing and I love a period mystery but it did take a minute to get into the action of the story. Once it did though I read it in one sitting and I really enjoyed it.
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith – I did read this. I have recently discovered that a trope I enjoy in books is following a character who is a lawyer. This was such a fun mystery book and I am really looking forward to the second book.
A Grave Inheritance by Felicity Epps – I did read this. Not only did I read it, but it turned out to be my favourite read of March! I had no five stars this month but A Grave Inheritance and A Case of Mice and Murder were both very close.
The Burning Issue of the Day by T E Kinsey – I did read this. The next installment in the Lady Hardcastle mystery series, and another solid book for the series. (spoiler: I read another two of this series in March)
Murder on the Prince Regent by Irina Shapiro – I did read this. Actually it was one of my favourites in the Tate and Bell series so far. I do enjoy a mystery set on a boat.
A Game of Scandal by Laura Wood – I am currently reading this book and I am enjoying it but not as much as the second in the series.
Outside of my TBR I also read: A Fatal Obsession by Faith Martin, Death Beside the Seaside and The Fatal Flying Affair both by T E Kinsey, and I read Message Not Found by Dante Medema.
That means I did complete my TBR this month and I managed to read 11 books this month. I am very pleased with that amaount.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. I thought it would be nice today, to bring you a few books that I wholeheartedly loved and recommend, in particular books that I don’t see get a lot of attention or a lot of people talk about.
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, tasked with cleansing the bodies of the dead so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a hunger for the living. When her convent is attacked, Artemisia defends it by awakening a revenant. Wielding this ancient spirit’s extraordinary power almost consumes her – but only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a revenant, has any chance of saving Loraille.
As Artemisia unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy may require her to betray everything she’s been taught to believe – if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.
The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis
Yorkshire, 1845, and dark rumours are spreading across the moors. Everything indicates that Mrs Elizabeth Chester of Chester Grange has been brutally murdered in her home – but nobody can find her body.
As the dark murmurs reach Emily, Anne and Charlotte Brontë, the sisters are horrified, yet intrigued. Before they know it, the siblings become embroiled in the quest to find the vanished bride, sparking their imaginations but placing their lives at great peril . . .
Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon
A room with a view… to murderJune 1933. Independent young Kitty Underhay has been left in charge of her family’s hotel, The Dolphin, on the tranquil English coast. She’s expecting her days at the bustling resort to be filled with comfortable chatter with chambermaids as they polish the mahogany desk and glittering candelabras of the elegant foyer. Everything must be perfect for the arrival of a glamourous jazz singer from Chicago and a masked ball that will be the cultural highlight of the season.But when several rooms are broken into and searched, including Kitty’s own, she quickly realises that something out of the ordinary is afoot at the hotel. Soon rumours are flying in the cozy town that someone is on the hunt for a stolen ruby. A ruby that Kitty’s mother may well have possessed when she herself went missing during the Great War. And when the break-ins are followed by a series of attacks and murders, including of the town’s former mayoress, it seems the perpetrator will stop at nothing to find it.Aided by ex-army captain Matthew Bryant, the Dolphin’s new security officer, Kitty is determined to decipher this mystery and preserve not only the reputation of her hotel, but also the lives of her guests. Is there a cold-blooded killer under her own roof? And what connects the missing jewel to the mystery from Kitty’s own past? A classic page-turning murder mystery! Fans of Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Edmondson and T.E. Kinsey will love this unputdownable whodunnit.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888.
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police now believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.
The Lady in the Tower by Marie-Louise Jensen
Spring 1540 I am afraid. You are in grave danger. Mother, will you run away with me if I can free you? The servants call it the Lady Tower: the isolated part of the castle where Eleanor’s mother is imprisoned after a terrible accusation. For four years Eleanor’s only comfort has been their secret notes to one another. A chance discovery reveals a plot to murder her mother. Now Eleanor must free her before it is too late. But with danger and betrayal at every turn, she can trust no one. Especially not her father. Eleanor must use all her cunning to survive. For she soon realises that it is not just her mother she needs to save . . .but also herself.
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
London, 1799. Dora Blake lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents’ famed shop of antiquities.
When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle’s suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. For Edward, the ancient vase is the key to unlocking his professional future. For Dora, it’s a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle.
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it…
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries trilogy is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.
When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.
Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.
Three of Jane Austen’s classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy.
Pride and Premeditation is followed by Sense and Second-Degree Murder, in which aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne, a budding detective, work together to solve the mystery of their father’s murder.
Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore
The mythical Vase of Venus Aurelia hasn’t been seen since 1932, but Margot Rhodes is determined to change that.
Drawn by the vase’s supposed magical properties, Margot embarks on her school’s archaeological trip to Pompeii. Sure, it’s her first time holding a shovel, but she’s got something no one else does: lost teenage explorer Van Keane’s journal.
Poring over the poetic entries that serve as a map to the vase’s missing shards, Margot finds herself falling in love with the boy who wrote it a century ago. She’s shocked when her search leads her to a statue that looks exactly like Van, and then the statue comes to life.
Catapulted into the present, Van is nothing like the wordsmith Margot imagined. He’s all sharp edges, intent on retrieving the relic for all the wrong reasons. But it takes two to survive Venus’s death-defying challenges, and, together, Margot and Van must excavate the treasure—and their buried pasts—before their story ends in ruins.
With a blend of humor, magic, and love, Rachel Moore crafts another stand-alone adventure rom-com full of double- and triple-crosses, hilarious shenanigans, and frustration-fueled banter, where the best treasure is true love.
Agency For Scandal by Laura Wood
An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery to unmask a villain.
Eighteen-year-old Isobel Stanhope is keeping a lot of secrets. There’s the fact that she’s head over heels in love with a Duke who doesn’t know she exists; there’s the fact that her family is penniless but nobody in society knows about it; and then there’s her job at the Aviary, an investigative agency run by women that specializes in digging up scandal on powerful men.
When Izzy finds herself pulled into a case that involves gaslighting, blackmail, and missing jewels, as well as the Duke who holds her heart, can she and her friends untangle the web of secrets and lies to uncover the truth and protect the innocent? And when the stakes are so high, what happens when the crush she’s been hiding begins to turn into so much more?
‘Incredibly charming’ Sophie Irwin, author of A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting
Bridgerton meets Charlie’s Angels – the most romantic, exciting, empowering YA of the year.
A smart, charming, brilliantly plotted and swooningly romantic story about a collective of bold women changing their world.
Madwoman by Louisa Treger
In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take.
But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell’s Island. There, she will work undercover to document – and expose – the wretched conditions faced by the patients.
But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will – but will she ever get out?
An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world.
Happy Monday Bookish People! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is the end of February, for being a short month a lot has happened. I won’t share all the details but I will say that because of everything that has happened this month, my reading took a big dip around halfway through the month. Which is a shame because I am excited for a lot of books so hopefully I can get back to reading soon. In saying this, the first half of the month was great – I made progress on my goals for the year of enjoying the books I am reading and also reading down my series’.
How has your reading been in February?
Let’s get onto the books I managed to read this month!
From my TBR:
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson – I did read this! Finally, after putting off this final book in the series for so long I did read it and I enjoyed it, though I was shocked by how dark it was for a YA book.
A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett – I did read this which brings me up to date with the books that I own in this series, I believe there is one more after this that is out already but I don’t yet own it. This was one of my favourites from this series so far.
Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco – One of my most anticipated books of 2026, I am currently reading and loving this book. Prince Sloth! I have been waiting forever for Sloth’s book. His castle is literally one massive library.
Murder on Platform Four by Irina Shapiro – Book five in the Tate and Bell investigation series. I did read this.
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo – another series complete because I did read this. This one I was also putting off, I didn’t love the first book in the series but I did enjoy siege and storm and I liked this one overall.
The Midnight Carousel – Oof! I did technically read this… I read 100 pages or so before I ended up DNF’ing it. It was just boring and there were time skips that didn’t make sense, it just was not for me.
Outside of my TBR I read: Gallant by V E Schwaab, A Picture of Murder by T E Kinsey and the fourth and fifth installments in the Pages and Co series by Anna James.
This means, I read all six books on my February TBR (yay!) and I read another four books outside of it which gives me 10 books overall for the month. That is actually a lot more than I thought it would be because of how my life has been this month but I am very happy with that. Currently, my favourite read this month is Gallant by V E Schwaab but… this could change as I am not very far into Throne of Nightmares yet.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well! It is almost Valentine’s Day and I am sure many people will be celebrating. Personally, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. This year I wouldn’t anyway as the relationship I was in, ended in December but even if we were still together it’s not an event I usually celebrate, I think if you want to show you care for someone you should do it any day of the year not just a socially sanctioned day.
Anyway, today I am answering a Valentine’s Day Book Tag that I found on Booksare42.com, just for a bit of fun. Let me know some of your answers too!
Name a stand alone book that you love
Honestly, I don’t read that many standalone books. Most of what I read are series. As with many of these questions I am going to go with the first book that came to my head and that is Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson, it was one of my favourite books of last year and I still find myself thinking about it at random times throughout the day. It definitely captured a piece of my soul.
Name a dystopian book that you love
For this question, I’m quite predictable. I was there for all the Hunger Games and the Divergent era. I loved both of them. In terms of more recently what I have been reading, I only recently started reading the Shatter Me series by Taherah Mafi which I think counts as dystopian and I am really enjoying that, I am currently reading book four Restore Me.
A book that you love that no one else talks about
Lets see, I really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner and I never see anyone talking about that book. It was short but pulled me in from the very first page.
Your favourite book couple
This is probably the hardest question here. I love a lot of book couples: Feyre and Rhysand, Xaden and Violet, Thomas Cresswell and Audrey-Rose Wadsworth. The list could go on forever. I think my top choice though, has to be Julian and Scarlet from Caraval by Stephanie Garber, I adore this couple. They’re not perfect but I love them to pieces.
Name a book that other love but you haven’t read yet
Ah, there are a lot of these. I’ll go with an obvious one, Alchemised. I own it, thanks to my friend who bought it for me for Christmas. Fun Fact: I only had to pick it up in its wrapping paper and I knew what book it was from the weight of it. I am put off by it being fanfiction originally and being said to be so dark but I do want to give it a fair chance.
A book with red on the cover
It probably came to my mind first because it is on my February TBR but Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo has some red on the cover. I am excited to finally be finishing the series this month, I didn’t love the first book but I did love Six of Crows so I decided to continue with it and I did enjoy the second book, so now I will finish the series.
A book with pink on the cover
Probably not the best choice for a romantic, loving day but I suppose it is technically a romance? But Butcher and Blackbird was the book that came to mind first with pink on the cover. Honestly, I don’t have very any pink books so I’ll have to stick with this one. I haven’t read it yet, I’m a bit scared about the serial killer element but I have heard good things so I will eventually read it.
If you had a box of chocolates which fictional boy/girl would you give them to?
Ooh, tough question. Same as choosing a fictional couple, there are so many choices for me. I think I am always going to have to go with my favourite man though, Thomas Cresswell from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. He wouldn’t appreciate the chocolates, he’d probably pull a face and walk away but I’d still try.
If you are single on Valentine’s Day which book will you read and which TV show/Film will you watch?
I will be reading one of my February TBR books, most likely A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett, the fourth book in her Majesty the Queen investigates series. I am currently rewatching old Merlin episodes so that’s probably what I will be watching that day too.
Finally, if you were in a bookshop and shot by Cupid’s arrow, what new release will you love?
I already know the answer to this one! As I am writing this I am waiting for my pre-order of this book to arrive. I will read absolutely anything this author puts out. It is of course, Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the third book in the Princes of Sin series, the spin off to the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. Each book in this series follows a different prince of sin, we have had envy and gluttony so far I think, but this one is Sloth! He has a castle full of libraries and books, I have been waiting not at all patiently for this book. I am literally going into hospital for a big operation two days after it releases so I will be taking that one with me to take my mind off everything.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is time to share some of the books that are coming out in February. As usual, this list is not long or inclusive of every title that is being released, it is just a selection of the books I have seen.
Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco – 10th February
A princewho prefers games of the head to those of the heart.
Prince Sloth hates leaving his enchanted library. But when a forgotten deity threatens the very fabric of the Underworld, he’s thrust into a race against time. He must find the Book of Nightmares – an ancient artifact that has the power to break worlds – before it unleashes a deadly game to free its master, the Goddess of Night. When a betrayal leaves him marked, and desperate, his path collides with a young woman who possesses the legendary Phoenix Tear – a portal stone unlike any other.
A librarian who is all sweet sunshine . . . until she burns.
Lore Brimstone has always loved getting lost in a book – but she never meant literally. Yet, after visiting a traveling caravan, she quickly finds herself transported to a terrifying but oddly familiar world – with a calculating prince at her side. Realizing they are living out her favourite novels one by one, they face off against an increasingly dark magic as they try to survive the story.
A twisted tale that means they can’t trust themselves – or their hearts.
As Lore and Sloth navigate the pages of her beloved novels gone wrong, she must channel her inner main character to defeat the Book of Nightmares before the wall between the gods and mortals comes crashing down, dooming them all.
A Dark Forgetting by Kristen Ciccerelli – 12th February
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Crimson Moth (published as Heartless Hunter in North America) weaves an epic love story of a magical girl, the boy she left behind, and a deadly curse.
‘Lush, dark, and romantic. I could have remained lost in the woods forever’ Isabel Ibañez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What the River Knows
‘A tale comprised of deep emotion, sizzling romance, and a gripping mystery’ Tricia Levenseller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadows Between Us
Sing us a song of the forest, of the Wood King who rules there, and the tithe he demands…
No matter how far Emeline Lark runs, the song of the forest reaches her, luring her away from her dreams of the stage and back to her small town and its superstitions.
But every superstition is rooted in truth, and when her grandfather goes missing Emeline will be forced to return to Edgewood and the forest beyond.
There, even Hawthorne Fell, a brooding tithe collector, cannot dissuade her from her path – a path that will lead her into the court of the fabled Wood King himself – and into a bargain with the deadliest price.
A Stage Set for Villains – 13th February
The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players . . .
The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.
When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime – a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality – Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.
But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.
Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.
And Riven’s might end in blood.
I’m Not the Only Murderer in my Retirement Home – 17th February
RETIREMENT WILL HAVE TO WAIT.
When former serial killer Carol takes her place in a luxury retirement home, she begins to find her feet with a small new group of friends. If she can only keep her past hidden, maybe she has a chance at happiness.
That’s when she discovers that, absurdly, every other one of Sheldon Oaks’ residents was involved in the law somehow. It’s not long before her true identity is leaked, and when a former police commissioner resident is murdered, naturally all eyes turn to her…
Now she must solve the case to prove her innocence – just as her new friends start their own investigations into whether there is more than one killer at Sheldon Oaks.
Murder at Sea by Helena Dixon – 23rd February
A glorious ocean liner setting sail, sunset on the horizon, and champagne on deck. All seems shipshape… until Kitty discovers a body on board. Time for some sleuthing!
Devon, 1938. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a well-deserved rest when her very upset cousin Hattie suddenly bursts in. She sobs that the gentleman she had been seeing, Richard Westonholme, seems to have vanished, taking all of her jewellery with him. As Hattie describes Richard, he sounds eerily familiar, and Kitty and her husband Matt board a ship in hot pursuit – only to find him lying in a lifeboat… dead.
As they’ve set sail, the murderer has to be on board too, but there are suspects as far as the eye can see. Could Richard’s wife have something to do with the murder? What about the rich heiress and her guardian? And is the steward hiding something fishy?
Kitty and Matt are all too aware that the clock is ticking while the suspects are trapped with no escape. Can they net the killer before the ship docks? Or will one of them be dead in the water before they reach dry land?
Cleopatra by Saara El Arifi – 26th February
YOU KNOW MY NAME.
BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.
Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love’s thrall.
Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.
Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.
How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.
Death will silence me no longer.
This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett – 17th February
From Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Heather Fawcett comes a healing and heart-warming fantasy with magic shops, rescue cats and a second chance at love.
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. .
Books and Bewitchment by Isla Jewell – 3rd February
In this warm-hearted, witchy rom-com a young woman works to create the bookstore of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist. Perfect for readers of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.
Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life in small-town Alabama with her pet cockatoo, Doris. But when her estranged grandmother dies, leaving everything to her—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear never to set foot in. When she plans to turn the defunct video store she’s also inherited into a bookstore, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. It’s just too bad he’s the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn rival in witchcraft.
Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. 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 birthright and harness her newfound powers… before it’s too late.
The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin – 17th February
There once was a village so far north that most considered it the top of the world… and in that village, the Sun fell in love with her Starmaker. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes a whimsical and sweeping romantic fantasy.
Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the village of Reverie is a small miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.
Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle and far from everything she’s ever known.
The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the mountain itself, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle alone. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. But a deadly frost approaches and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. It is February and that means it is time to discuss what I read in January. I had my Phd Viva exam in the middle of January (which I passed!), so I was worried that I wouldn’t get much reading done this month but I was happily surprised that I had a good month of reading, sprinkled with some disappointing reads too.
From my TBR:
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber – I am currently reading this, I am only a few chapters in so far but I am curious to see where the story will go next.
Restore Me by Taherah Mafi – I have not yet read this, but I still have a week until the end of January as I am writing this so I should have plenty of time to get this one read also.
A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey – technically, I did read this. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me quite quickly as the main character was too unlikeable for me to become invested in the story.
A Matter of Murder by Tirzah Price – I did read this, it was my first full read of January and I very much enjoyed the conclusion to the Lizzie and Darcy duology.
A Season for Scandal by Laura Wood – I loved this book, it is my first and so far only five star read of this year and I am excited to continue with the rest of this series.
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead – I did read this, it was a nice, quick reread for me.
Book of Night by Holly Black – Again, technically, I did read this. This was another DNF for me, it was taking too long to get into the story and I was losing any enthusiasm for it.
The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood – One of my most anticipated reads of the year, it did not disappoint, it was a strong read for me this month.
The Mythmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I read this.
Outside of my TBR I also read: In the Market for Murder and Death Around the Bend, books 2 and 3 in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series by T E Kinsey. This means I managed to read 9 or hopefully if I can read Restore me in time, 10 books this month.
What books have you read in January? Which ones did you enjoy?
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