Katabasis by R. F. Kuang REVIEW

Summary:

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom. 

My Thoughts:

This was such an interesting take on Hell. While the general story of going to Hell in order to rescue someone you know isn't new, this particular take on it is (at least for me). Alice decides to go to Hell in order to bring back her professor for two reasons: she thinks his death is her fault, and she wants to be able to get a job right after graduation with his good connections. Peter has the same idea of rescuing him, and also believes that Grimes' death is his fault. Despite their shaky relationship, they decide to go together. Parts of hell look like the campus at Cambridge, but the two struggle trying to find their way to whatever section of Hell their professor is in. Throughout the journey, secrets are uncovered that may just turn their mission into something else . . .

While I love the amount of world-building in Hell, the author does not do the same for the world-building at Cambridge. We get character development along the way, but the book mostly takes place in Hell and the life at Cambridge is a mystery for the most part. There are small details revealed, but not enough to fully capture what it was like for Alice and Peter. While I am not a huge fan of Alice, I do love Peter's character, especially when we learn his backstory and the struggles he has with an uncurable illness. Their growing romance seems very real, slow, and not forced. They struggle with socializing due to past incidents and think the other hates them before they realize the truth. Parts of the ending, however, felt rushed. We are led to believe that Peter won't be able to make it back, so how does he make it back? Alice did a spell, yes, but it wasn't really explained on how it was possible.

Overall I did like the book, and will most likely try out some of the author's other works as well.

My Rating: 3 stars

Eat Slay Love by Julie Mae Cohen REVIEW

Summary:

Marina gave up her career as a chef to raise her children, but her divorce has left her harried, lonely, and the black sheep of her family. It’s also left her in dire financial straits.

Opal is a post-menopausal fitness guru who spends her days chasing likes and followers in an industry that worships youth. Even her glossy online persona can’t mask her checkered past.

Lilah is a shy and optimistic librarian who spends her days tending to the stacks, until she wins an unbelievable sum in the lottery. With a growing bank account and a dashing fiancé, life seems too good to be true—and it just might be.

These three women have nothing in common except for one the man who’s been lying to them all . . . and who they are now holding hostage in Marina’s basement. As this shared secret brings them closer together, other, deadlier problems come crashing into their lives. Can they put their differences aside to save themselves—and each other?

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Lilah, a librarian who won the lottery, meets her fiance through a book club. When her father tragically dies in what seems like a robbery, her fiance suggests investing in more security around the house. But when she tries to buy some books to cheer her up, her balance is much less than it should be . . .

Lilah meets Opal and Marina at a coffee shop where she learns the truth - her fiance is Opal's ex and is sleeping with Marina, not to mention stealing her lottery winnings from under her nose. The trio is determined to expose him, but Marina has had enough when he shows up to her home and shoves him down the basement stairs. The three decide to keep him hostage there until they come up with a plan. But more secrets are exposed while he is down there, and nobody is quite like they seem.

At first it was a bit difficult to keep the three stories apart, but it got easier as I kept reading. I grew to adore Lilah, Marina, and Opal throughout the plot, especially when the twists were revealed. The writing is great and the characters are well developed. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

My Rating: 5 stars

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur REVIEW

Summary:

Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell. In less than twenty-four hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she's trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman who claims to be a demon.

Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone insisting she's an evil supernatural entity. She's pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she's here to offer Samantha a deal she can't refuse: six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade - Samantha's soul. There's a glaring loophole in their contract; one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn't have to fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.

Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha's wishes with a twist, so Samantha is forced to make more.

As Samantha's wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha's dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after. 

My Thoughts:

This was a fun and quick read. When Samantha proposes to her influencer girlfriend Hannah, she thinks they'll spend the rest of their lives together. After all, they had discussed getting married before. But Hannah rejects the proposal and dumps her, leaving Samantha barely any time to find a new place to live. Desperate to get her ex back, when Sam meets Daphne in the elevator, she decides to make a deal with her. After all, she only wants one thing - so she won't have to worry about spending all of her wishes. However, each wish comes with a twist, and Samantha slowly realizes that she may not want Hannah back after all - she might just want Daphne instead.

Daphne is such a fun and interesting character, and I loved learning about her past and how she became a demon. Sam, on the other hand, is extremely one-dimensional, which made it kind of difficult to feel for her, other than when the proposal went wrong. We barely know anything about her, other than the facts that she loves Hannah and is a chef. It's easy to see why and how Daphne falls for Sam, but since Sam has very little depth, it's hard to see how she falls for Daphne.

While the novel was a lot of fun to read, it is difficult to give this a high rating due to our main character being extremely surface level with little to no development.

My Rating: 2 stars

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan REVIEW

Summary:

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo's apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He's hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan's house isn't as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seems more ominous than artful. Perihan's group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there's something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan's diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript. But he might not survive long enough to write it.

My Thoughts:

What started out slow turned into a creepy, atmospheric horror. Riccardo is a writer who is struggling to pay his bills. When the electricity turns off in his apartment, he gets a visitor: Maurizio. An old friend of his grandmother, Maurizio brings him news of her death. Estranged from his family, Riccardo is unsure that he will attend the funeral. But with his editor breathing down his neck about his non-existent manuscript, he decides to go. Maybe he'll get part of the inheritance, or at least inspiration to have his big break. As Riccardo returns, he is greeted with Perihan's villa; an old and eerie shell of its past. Looking through his grandmother's room, he finds a journal addressed to him. Curious, he brings the book back to his room and starts to read. What begins as a journal turns into something almost fantasy-esque. Angels, butterflies, and the ability to come back after death. But the increasingly odd staff start acting more suspicious, even drugging him a few times to find a lost book for a ritual. The twist? Perihan isn't dead, she is waiting to put her soul into Riccardo's body to live longer and pick up where she left off in life.

I do really like the glimpses in the past of Riccardo growing up, and the explanation for why his mother abandoned him with his grandmother to never be seen again. It showed a different side to why he is the way he is. Perihan's manuscript is boring at first, but it turns the story into what it is. That is a double edged sword - it is useful, but it takes away from developing other characters and takes up most of the book. I am annoyed that Riccardo never even started writing his book or at least making ideas since he was clearly inspired by his grandmother's story, and to be honest that was the majority of his character - a struggling writer with an estranged family. That's his entire personality in this novel, which was also not great, since the only developed character was Perihan. The only reason she was developed at all is because her journal takes up the majority of the book. 

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this novel. I liked it, but there were a lot of flaws as well that stopped me from truly loving it.

My Rating: 3 stars

The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee REVIEW

Summary:

For Dani, life is a juggling act. As a single mom devoted to her son and family, she barely has a moment to herself. But when her sister announces she's moving out of the house, the ache of loneliness creeps in, and Dani can't help but wonder if there's something else she's been missing in her life . . .

Zoey came to Peach Blossom eager to start her new job as the town's librarian and to do a little research for her next book. Yet she never expected to find inspiration in fellow book club member Dani, whose captivating brown eyes tell a story of their own. Before they know it, lingering glances over their favorite fiction turn into first dates and sizzling nights.

As their connection deepens, the two women must decide if they should turn the page on what their lives used to look like, or if this thrilling plot twist is the happily-ever-after they've been chasing all along.

My Thoughts:

This was a cute read. Dani, a single mom who's dedicated to her son and family, finds herself needing to go out and do things for herself to help the burnout and loneliness she's feeling. When Zoey, the librarian who runs a video game club her son goes to, asks her to join a book club, Dani hesitantly agrees. They start to notice an attraction growing between them, but Dani is unsure whether to pursue it due to her duties as a mother and the fact that this is the first time she's been attracted to a woman.

The fact that Dani's sisters are gay and their father is totally accepting of them was a nice touch. Instead of being afraid to come out to her family, she is afraid because she is a late bloomer. This was a nice 180 from the usual LGBT storylines that are frankly overused in romance novels. However, it also uses the will-they-won't-they and third act breakup trope, which definitely knocked down my rating for this one. I did like the amount of time the book spent showing Dani caring for her family and standing up/being there for her son when he was having a crisis though.

My Rating: 3 stars