Reviews
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Friends to Lovers: Callum and Lark’s Story
Morbidly Yours Review
Information:
- Goodreads: 3.97 out of 20,343 Ratings
- Genre: Romance
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: Love in Galway, book 1
Summary:
Lark has moved to Ireland instead of facing her issues within her life after her husband has died. Callum works as a mortician and has to marry by his 35th birthday in order to keep his family’s funeral home. They quickly become friends, but also quickly develop feelings that just friends don’t have and the adorable chaos ensues.
Review:
I have a hard time reviewing books solely about a romance because I never feel like I have all that much to say. I liked this book. I had a great time reading it. Callum is precious. I love when the man falls first and falls harder. But more than that, I love how he is not perfect. He’s socially anxious, often says the wrong thing, and has a stutter. I don’t feel as if a love interest often has things like that in a lot of romances I’ve read – though maybe I’m reading the wrong ones. Emily Henry really does a great job with it, too. I’m also not sure I’ve ever read one where the male love interest has to fall for someone before comfortably having sex with them – before even imagining having sex, really. Callum’s stutter doesn’t magically get fixed or go away, he still has it even in the epilogue and it’s never made to be a big deal for anyone who isn’t an asshole in the book. I love that.
Lark is okay. I definitely liked Callum more. Lark’s husband has passed two years and she’s taken on a lot of guilt about their last conversation before he died. I like seeing her progress, learning that she’s allowed to love and miss her husband while also being able to love Callum and treat him the way he should be treated. She begins their story knowing she’s leaving Ireland soon and only working on a friendship with this lovely and sweet human being. Lark has sworn off of ever being in a relationship again because she doesn’t feel as if she’s responsible enough to be in one. I loved getting to see her realize that’s not accurate.
Their story is super cute and made me realize that I’m kind of into friends to lovers romance. It was so sweet watching them have dates that weren’t dates. They built a friendship first and the love and lust came later. It was wonderful. And neither of them gave up what they needed for the other. I just wish we could’ve had more time to watch them fall in love with one another. It all felt too quick for what I felt like Ivy was going for – a slow burn of watching these two people develop a friendship and feelings. It was truly beautiful though and I can’t wait to see what Ivy comes out with next.
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The Inklings Digest 10
Currently Reading
I have been in a strange mood. I can’t tell if I’m in the mood for romantasy, epic fantasy, or a good and juicy thriller. I’ll start reading a book and then put it down a few chapters in because I’m not feeling it at the moment. I am currently reading Revenant-X and The Songbird and The Heart of Stone and really enjoying it. I find that reading one sci-fi horror and one romantasy is hitting the spot, as I can easily switch when one isn’t working out.
Recent Reads:
Easy peasy, I just read one book. I read Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks. It was so cute. We follow Callum, a socially awkward mortician with a stutter and Lark, an outgoing and grieving widow. Callum has to marry before he’s 35 to keep his family business and Lark quickly becomes his best friend, but doesn’t tell him her reason for being single for the rest of her life is because her husband recently died and she feels the blame is on her. The match between these two is perfect. I love them. Callum is so sweet and so worried about being made fun of because of his stutter. It was so cute. More to come about this couple, though, as there will be a blog about the book this week.
This Week’s Plans
I’m really excited and feeling great this week. I’ve been going to the gym and consistently making 10 thousand steps a day – not pushing myself but as a fun challenge to see if I can make it. I’ve found that reading on my treadmill is a ton of fun. I do plan to figure out a few series I want to either continue or finish up between this month and next so that I can lower that number and/or not feel guilty for starting a new series. I’ve also recently gotten into boxing and have fallen in love with it. I have scheduled 2 sessions per week starting off, which I’m really excited about. I likely will see a decrease in reading until I figure out how I can fit reading into the other activities I’ve taken up. I have no idea how much reading I’ll finish this week, but I should at least finish up the two I’m currently reading.
Thanks for checking in today! I’ll talk to ya later this week.
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Satara’s Delusion: A Dive into Horror and Revenge
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.21 out of 154 ratings
- Genre: Horror
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: No
Summary:
Dean’s life flashes before Satara’s eyes when she finds out he is cheating on her with her best friend, Lilah. Naturally, as one would do, she kills him. It’s not like she hasn’t done it before, calm down. And she has great plans on remarrying, starting over. Sure, she wants to get with another married man and that does seem hypocritical considering the hatred she holds for Lilah. But, here’s the difference – Lilah was her best friend. Satara isn’t pals with this man’s wife. Unfortunately, Lilah is hot on Satara’s trail with a goal of showing the world was Satara really is. And so we dive into Satara’s world as everything is crumbling around her but its totally okay because she has witchcraft on her side.
Review:
I don’t even know what to say about this book. I think I liked it. I also think I hated it. Hear me out. Satara is interesting. Her delusion is fun to follow and I was reminded a bit of Pearl. Actually, I feel like the first portion of this would be a cool A24 film. We’re following Satara as she slips into her delusion more and more, learning more about her past murders and seeing her justification of all of them. You can almost see and understand her perspective. The first man absolutely deserved her outrage. Pearl just wants fame and love and Satara just wants love, but no one can ever live up to what love is to her. She lives very oppositely towards her own morals – such as actively pursuing a married man while being angry at Lilah for sleeping with her husband – and it was fun seeing how she justified that difference – it was wrong because Lilah is her best friend but she’s not friends with this man’s wife.
I’m all down for reading about a serial killer woman losing touch with reality and dabbling in drugs and witchcraft. I was down for watching Pearl go on a murder spree and also lose touch of reality. Pearl had a great ending though. There were no weird twists to piece together, she just was. The writers seemed content and comfortable enough to know that Pearl could carry the story on her own with her own delusion and face a bit of reality when her husband comes home – though we know that isn’t for quite so long. We do get to see Satara continue through her delusion. We get to see how she justifies every action she takes, how her world continues to crumble around her and how she thinks she’s successfully maneuvering it. But with Satara, it felt like Mia Ballard felt as if she had to add in more twists and turns. Satara and her delusions weren’t allowed to carry it all on her own and I feel that the story suffered for it.
Instead, we learn that her love spells aren’t actually working (shocker) and there has actually been a 6 year long investigation hoping to catch her for her past murders. Hear me out: I know killing five people is a lot of people. Is it 6 years worth of an undercover investigation that has multiple cast members? That’s where you lose me. Not only is Lila actually her first victim’s fiancé – who doesn’t care that he groomed and raped a 15 year old – everyone else for the last 6 years of Satara’s life with the exception of maybe 2 people were also in on it. It’s one thing for me to follow one person’s delusion, it’s another to just not believe in the world we’re in. And I know Lilah/Stacey is also unhinged, I could get behind these two delusional assholes duke it out. I would love a fun cat and mouse between two women full of rage and complicated feelings. But that’s not necessarily what we got. Or, not only what we got. We have these, with Lilah doing ungodly things to make sure she catches Satara. We also get a whole office, community, and police department willing to engage in this weird ass investigation/delusion. It doesn’t sound like it would check out.
It felt like the first half had the potential of capturing an audience the same way Pearl did and I mean that in the best way. Mia Ballard’s mind and writing for this portion were outstanding. It’s just the last portion that stumped me and made me go from a 5 star to a 3. And then the epilogue came in and I was back in. We were given what I wanted – two Pearl’s now engaged in revenge against one another. I just wish it was given the permission to stay with that, because it truly could have been one of the best of the year.
Also, that fucking cover is amazing. I’d love to know you’re thoughts if you’ve read it yet and thank you for tuning it!
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Falcio and the Greatcoats: A Journey of Heart and Magic
Information:
- Goodreads: Average of 4.24 out of 13,300 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Fantasy
- Series: Greatcoats book 2
Summary:
Within the first book, we meet Falcio, Breast, and Kest, three Greatcoats that are trying to follow their late king’s last orders. Without knowing it, they’ve been hunting for King Paelis’ heir, a young girl named after Falcio’s Wife. Finding her doesn’t mean their task is done, though. Now they have to protect this girl from everyone who wants her dead (basically everyone) all while Kest is dealing with his new title, Falcio is paralyzed for longer and longer, and knights, assassins, and basically every other obstacle one could imagine stands in their way.
Review + possible Spoilers:
There is so much that I love about this series and Sebastien’s writing in general. He has a way of making me actually giggle and then completely and totally ripping my heart out. I laughed reading this and cried reading it. Castell somehow writes in a very lighthearted manner, but is still able to convey all the emotions.
I cannot explain in enough detail how much I love Falcio, Kest, and Brasti. Falcio is so singularly focused on following through with his King’s commands that he can’t tell just how many people follow him – not because of his King but because of who he is. It’s so interesting to see a main character who isn’t the fastest and strongest. Kest is a better swords man. Brasti has better eyesight. But Falcio is able to talk things out and think them through. It’s so fun seeing how they work as a team because they each know exactly what they’re able to offer. And I like getting to see that the king, despite Falcio’s Rose tinted view of him, was still just a man. He was not perfect. In fact, he was weak and occasionally conniving. He made calls that were for the better of the population but not the one going on the mission. Which is a great quality for a King to have, but not a quality of someone who is perfect and fair and just 24/7. What happened to Dalianna wasn’t fair. But it made sense strategically.
I will say, though, that I do not like the ‘romance.’ I do not like Ethalia. You want me to get behind the woman who raped this man in the first book? Yeah, he liked it later, but that doesn’t change how he still said no. Repeatedly. And, because it was what was ‘best’ for him, she ignored his rejection. I didn’t enjoy that scene and I don’t enjoy her character now. I’d much prefer him with Valiana instead, if there has to be a romance at all.
The world is so interesting. I would like to know more about the magic within the world, but Falcio hates magic, so we’ll only see bits and pieces. Its still interesting. I especially want to know more about Saints and Gods. What makes up the difference? I hope Kest is still able to be the Saint of Swords. I love that the power can’t seem to make up its mind now that he’s missing a hand.
I’m definitely curious to see what the rest of the series holds. The Greatcoats Lament was heartbreaking. Things seem to relatively (kind of, maybe) be settled as far as who the heir is. But now Valiana has a new role she is playing and numerous dynamics have changed. I loved it. It was fantastic. I cannot wait to read the second.
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Margo’s Got Money Troubles – Breaking Stereotypes: A Mother’s Choices in Challenging Times
Information
- Goodreads: 3.97 out of 31,626
- Age category: Adult; New Adult
- Genre: Contemporary
- Series: None
Summary
Margo was a regular college student when a stupid, yucky boy who was also her professor starts sleeping with her. He’s just out here very casually cheating on his wife. And then Margo gets pregnant and he thinks he gets a say on whether or not she keeps the child (aka throwing her life away) or terminating the pregnancy and living her best life. As you guessed, Margo does not make the decision Mark the professor wanted her to.
Have you ever sat in your apartment and wondered what the hell you were going to do to put money on the table? Have you ever genuinely wondered if OnlyFans had the potential to give both you and your child a place to live? Have you ever wondered if you were a good person/mom/daughter if you make a certain choice that would upset your parents? If you answered yes to anything, this book is for you.
Review
Content warning: substance use, OnlyFans work, Motherhood, power imbalance relationships
This book is full of people you’ll love and hate. Fuck Mark and Margo’s mom, honestly. So much of what Margo is going through is so relatable and interesting. She’s a young mom with one absentee + drug addict parent and the other is obsessed with image without ever actually connecting with Margo. Oddly enough, after Professor Mark’s mommy made Margo sign an NDA, it’s the drug addict parent that ends up helping Margo during this.
We get to see as Margo and Jinx (her dad) begin to build a relationship after years of him not being around. Jinx is able to talk about why he wasn’t around, kind of. He’s dealing with substance use disorder, with his drug of choice being Heroin. Jinx is also a retired pro-wrestler who is in constant pain, resulting in an incredibly real loop of becoming clean, getting hurt, going to the doctor and being prescribed pain relievers, abusing those pain relievers, then relapsing on heroin. Jinx’s story is something I feel a lot of addict could relate to. He does eventually get on methadone, with multiple characters saying that methadone is basically trading one drug for another. I am happy to say it was a relief seeing characters within the book arguing against that. Methadone treatment has a success rate of 60-90%, allowing these individuals to have their basic needs (housing, food, safety, etc) met in order to learn the coping skills needed for longterm abstinence. Everyone has a different opinion on being on Methadone indefinitely, but that doesn’t change the success rate with utilized as a medication assisted treatment.
Throughout the story, Margo bonds with her baby and decides to begin doing OnlyFans for work to keep them safe and happy. Because of that, everyone in her life has so much to say, always. And Margo is left wondering, what the hell is wrong with the job that keeps food on her table? The book explores how so many people feel as if the two things cannot be true at the same time: a Mother can have an OnlyFans and she can be a safe and secure person and environment for a child to be around. As soon as professor Mark hears about her job, Margo’s job is put under scrutiny. Sure, he cheated on his wife often and without remorse and had a secret baby who he admittedly reports having looked at as Margo’s baby that just happened to have his DNA. But no, Margo is the one who is unfit to be a mother. And of course someone close to Margo calls CPS on her for her job. And, to add onto the bullshit, of course CPS would tell Margo her baby will be taken if her father, a recovering addict, continues to lives with her while on Methadone.
This is a story of society’s outcasts. The people we love to make fun of (look at that crackhead on the corner) and the people we love to look at (how many OnlyFans accounts have you made in secret?) are the same ones we’re ashamed to know personally. This book doesn’t glamorize substance use or having OnlyFans as a job. It details different ways OnlyFans can be harmful. And we all know how substance use can impact someone’s quality of life. But it does ask why we instantly feel the need to look down on these people when they’re someone we know. Jinx and Margo have my heart. Margo is selling photos of her body and she is a great mom and intelligent and creative. Jinx was an absent father in active use and now he is a present grandfather in recovery. I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough.
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The Inklings Digest Part 3
Currently Reading
I goofed. My last update, I mentioned that I was finishing some books up and I still have almost all of those on my currently reading. I’m reading the Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky, a Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist, A Tide Of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan, and The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle.
Recent Reads
I don’t feel like I had the best reading week. I read Wrestling with Werewolves by Hazel Mack, Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh, and I finished the Lake House Children by Gregg Dunnett (Review on the blog). I loved Hazel Mack’s Cozy Monster romance series so much, but wrestling with werewolves wasn’t it for me. I’m not sure if it was the characters or if I just wasn’t in the mood for a cozy monster romance but it didn’t do what I needed regardless. Slave to sensation was fine, but still not something I’ve found myself thinking about or raving about to be honest. It’s a paranormal romance, which has never really been my thing. I’m not typically fond of how paranormal romances tend to be very episodic and following a different couple every book. I’m a no new friends type of gal and I always have a hard time with that. As for the last house children, I was sorely disappointed. I’d encourage you to check out that post to see the details if you’re curious. I’ll sum it up here as a really big expectations vs. reality issue.
This Week’s Plans
I swear I will finish most of my current reads this week. I have a few reviews scheduled for this week and, after talking to my aunt, have decided on a course of action for my podcast – she’s going to be joining me! We’re going to record a few episodes over the weekend and then we will see how it feels from then on. I love recording the podcast and have so many ideas I’m super excited about, but have found it to be so awkward recording by myself and realized that, for what I want it to be, one person isn’t really the route that I can go with it. So, we’re expecting the first episode to be out on Friday the 13th (9/13/24) and I’m super excited about it.
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll see ya next week.
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Why This Thriller Missed the Mark: A Review of The Lake House Children
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.26 out of 81 Ratings
- Genre: Thriller??
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: None
Summary:
The Police are interviewing Kate for a fire that killed four people. They’re hoping to figure out who did it, but get more than they bargained for. One clearly thinks Kate’s lying – her story is outrageous – but the other thinks it may be so outrageous that she might just believe it to be true. Kate believes her son is the reincarnation of her nephew – and her son has information about how he died. We follow Kate’s story as she leads us up to the fateful night when everything went to shit.
Review:
So much about this could have worked. A police investigation into a suspicious fire that happened to a strange family filled with coverups and bad behaviors? What isn’t to love about that? I thought I was going to get an interesting investigation following complex people. I was so excited to see what in the world was going on with this weird kid. First, Netgalley and Goodreads have two different synopsis’ for this book. I only read the Goodreads one, which talks about one of our detectives as he can’t get this weird case out of his head. Netgalley full on talks about how Kate’s son Jack is actually her nephew, Zack, who has been reincarnated. The Netgalley synopsis full on gives away the most interesting aspect this book. Regardless, the plot had such a great concept, but failed to deliver on it. We only get snippets of the detectives talking to Kate in the interview; most of the story is her talking about her son. Which could have been interesting, if done differently and done right.
None of the characters felt like they had anything to them that made them special. They all felt wooden. Within the first time meeting each character, you know how they’re going to turn out. There was not a single plot twist that I did not guess by 25% through the book, which very much hindered the amount of fun I was able to have while reading it. Of course Jack is Zack. Of course Aaron killed him. Of course Amber was sleeping with Neil and covered up her son’s murder. I don’t even count this as spoilers because it’s all so obvious. I couldn’t get a sense of suspense because I could easily figure out what was going on -and that’s not bragging. I’m dumb, I can’t ever guess what’s going to happen.
I did like the prose. The story is written in 3rd person when the detectives are interviewing Kate, but written in 1st person when going over the actual story line. I like and appreciate it. It’s reads like Kate talking to the detectives. If it had been paired with interesting characters ( who even knows anything about Aaron’s twin sister, Kate’s dad, Brock, or Tris), and was a little more like the way it was marketed, it could have been a great story. All the material is there, but it doesn’t feel like it’s been used.
If you’ve read this book, I’d be curious to know what you thought. It’s set to come out September 17th, but I certainly won’t be purchasing a physical copy or recommending it to many people.
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Exploring Postpartum Horror: A Character Study in Dearest by Jacquie Walters
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.34 out of 127 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Horror
- Series: None
Summary:
Flora is a new mom with her beautiful baby girl, Iris. It should all be bliss. She’s got her baby and everything should be okay. But she’s alone. She’s got intrusive thoughts and repeatedly seeing horrible ways her baby could get hurt. Her husband is deployed. Her dad and his wife just left. She can’t even breast feed right. Things are quickly going to shit. And then her mom comes. And it just gets worse.
Review:
This book, to me, is a full on character study. What happens when a new mom with a traumatic past is left alone with her newborn baby and postpartum depression? Read and find out. Spoiler alert: it is not a fun and fresh time.
Walters writes about postpartum depression in a hypnotic and haunting manner. There’s distinct imagery and quotes that left me breathless. There are moments when, in the middle of a sentence, Walters interrupts it with a quick and very intrusive thought that felt so realistic. Each chapter ends with a dictionary definition of new worlds moms learn, each of them showing more and more how moms just cannot have a fucking break. Reading this made me feel nauseous in certain moments – not necessarily because of the imagery but because it was so relatable to some of the worst moments of my life that were supposed to be the best.
Every single character in this has a distinct purpose. It never felt as if anyone were going to waste or easily replaceable. Our main focus is Flora, but each character is heartbreaking. And I am so happy Christopher was not the generic husband in a horror that just denies everything his wife says. Yes, what Flora is going through is difficult to understand, but he does put in an effort, as does Flora’s father. Each person shows what failure looks like, but they then get back on their feet.
This is a love letter to motherhood and all the fucked up complications it can come with. We get a first person perspective as Flora struggles through this in such a horrifying way. I’ve always believed horror is the best genre to explore mental health through and I still stand by that.
There are absolutely issues with this book. There’s moments when it drags or doesn’t make sense. Yet, postpartum isn’t something that is always fast paced or ever really makes sense anyway, so I can personally look past those issues. The ending could feel weird or rushed, but I felt it was perfect and wouldn’t change anything about it. I cannot wait to hear what others have to say about this one!
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The Inklings Digest
Hello, all!
I am sick this week. I have the flu, unfortunately. I’m not one of those people who can read a ton while sick. It’s more like I wander through my house aimlessly or lay in bed and stare at the wall. Regardless, this is week three of Battleathon, a super fun readathon hosted by Mel Lenore Reads on YouTube. It’s been a ton of fun, I just wish I was able to actually read right now.
This past week has been interesting. I’ve viewed a building to potentially open a bookstore, finished a few books, and have been looking into the ins and outs of owning my own business. It’s a ton of fun, but also kind of intimidating.
This past week, I’ve finished 5 books. I read an ARC of Dearest by Jacquie Walters (review coming), Vengeful by VE Schwab, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao, and The Ever King by LJ Andrews.
I’m still currently reading an ARC of Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky and The Claw and The Crowned by Sarah M. Cradit. I have not a single clue what else I’ll pick up this week.
I’d love to know what you’re getting into this week!
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Nightstrider – Sophia Slade
Information
- Goodreads: 4.28 out of 463 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Fantasy
- Series: Nightstrider, book 1
Summary
Para Warwick, a night terror, dreams up nightmares to serve him in the Reverie. His right hand man, Nightstrider, decides she’d rather have revenge. Throughout this story, we follow Wren (Nightstrider), Ila, Caine, and Alaric. Ila is a queen forced to marry Caine, who happens to be Warwick’s mortal son in the Wake. Ila is also a weaver – someone who can cross the boundary at will and is solely focused on protecting each world and a specific little girl who has the power to stand against Warwick himself. Ila finds herself working with Caine, Wren finds herself working with Alaric, and the two pairs find themselves all working towards the same goal. This is an interesting world with interesting magic that I hadn’t quite seen before.
Review
I thought this was going to be a fantasy romance – and there does seem to be two couples beginning that process – but the ‘romance’ is not the main focus. And I loved and appreciated that. Instead, we focus on each of these characters, the world we’re in, and the job we’re trying to do: save a little girl who’s trapped in a box.
The character work is so interesting and fun. Caine, Warwick’s oblivious son, is paired with Queen Ila, a weaver who is desperately working against his father. We get to see Caine come to realize what kind of person his father actually is and we get to see Ila realize that not everyone is as bad as she thought they would be. Each of them faces their bias’ at the hands of the other. Caine is a sweet cinnamon roll though.
Wren (Nightstrider) is paired with Alaric. Wren is Warwick’s right hand man seeking revenge while Alaric used to be his right hand and rebelled. He’s been assumed dead. Wren is grieving someone who was taken from her and so is Alaric – you can definitely figure out the twist that this becomes, but I don’t think that made it less impactful. I genuinely teared up. Alaric fights for the rebellion, but they still see him as just a nightmare. He finds someone like him in wren and wants to give her a chance at a better life, but she just wants to die. This is my favorite pairing, obviously.
That being said, there were a few times when the characters made such dumb decisions that I was so confused because it did not align with their reputation. For example, Alaric is a big baddy, okay? You can’t become the Para’s right hand man without being badass. Now riddle me this: how did this badass get so flustered watching Wren fight that he lost the one thing he was told to protect at all costs? There were a few times like that where I felt pulled out of the story because it just didn’t make sense.
I love this world. It’s new and interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything dealing with night terrors or nightmares in this way before. And throughout the story, it leads to people questioning what exactly makes a person. Just because Wren and Alaric are nightmares, does that make them less than Ila? Kips, which are dream beings who aren’t Luminae (hero’s of a dream) or nightmares, are often viewed as expendable because they don’t have anything ‘special’ to them. There’s also play around who is specifically bad or good. A lot of people have a hard time seeing the grey area – Luminae, Dream Breakers, and Weavers can all be bad people despite often being pegged as the hero’s. Just like Nightmares can be good, despite constantly being pegged as bad. That being said, some of the nightmares are so creepy and unsettling. I loved it.
The mission to save this child was interesting and fun to read. It almost made me think of playing hot potato. Hear me out. This child is literally in a box. And this box gets passed from hand to hand as each side desperately tries to snatch it. We grow to see that there’s an even bigger plot going on and our main four are in the center of this. But then we get to the end and the ending makes it all feel almost useless. We spend the whole book with one single goal – and fail. Horribly.
I am definitely curious to see the next box. I’ll admit, I’m already desperate for it. Despite not quite liking how it ended, I still have to admit that I utterly fell in love with each and every character and the world and do really want to know what happens from here.
I’d love to know your thoughts if you’ve read the book!