Tag: new blog

Is Wings of Olympus Book 1 Worth the Read?

Wings of Olympus would be a great read if I were in middle school. This had everything I would have wanted: Greek mythology, horses, and bits of adventure.

The Book:

Cover of Wings of Olympus, forest background and a girl in white dress petting a white pegasus with black tipped wings, White scripty font saying Wings of Olympus
Wings of Olympus cover pulled from Goodreads.com

Title: Wings of Olympus

Author: Kallie George

Series: Wings of Olympus #1

Genre: Middle-grade, Fantasy, Mythology

Pages: 240

“High on the slopes of mighty Mount Olympus, among the sun-splashed meadows and sparkling waters, glide the winged horses of the ancient gods. Here up high is normally no place for a lost, parentless girl like Pippa. But once every hundred years, the gods and goddesses descend to the mortal realm to choose jockeys for their winged horse race—and Pippa is one of the lucky children chosen to ride.

With her undersized, impetuous winged steed, Zephyr, by her side, Pippa has to confront the greatest challenge of her life: achieving victory in a race across the sky.

No one expects Pippa and Zephyr to win, or even finish, this death-defying race. A poor orphan who’s spent her life working in stables, Pippa doesn’t seem to belong in the world of the gods. And while she loves Zephyr with all her heart, he’s smaller than the other winged horses racing. But if Pippa and Zephyr don’t find a way to win, the gods will separate them—forever.

To stay with Zephyr, Pippa will have to work harder, train longer, and dare more bravely than her competition. In a race filled with petty, jealous gods and goddesses and a host of ruthless riders, Pippa must prove that love is greater than might.” –Goodreads

My Review:

I wish this book had just a bit more stuff to it. It was a bit underwhelming. A common wish in this review is that I wish there had been more stuff. I wish I had had more plot, more character building, more worldbuilding, etc.

Plot:

The plot for Wings of Olympus was neither exciting nor boring. It was so-so. I didn’t have anything super crazy that I liked about it. It was a good premise. I think there could have been more “challenges” but from a 240-page book what more could I ask for?

The fates made an appearance, but they didn’t really aid to the story. I thought that there would be more about them since they were like the introduction to the story, but they existed in a half a chapter.

Characters:

The main character, Pippa, was so sweet. She, like me, has a love for horses. Pippa seems to have a strong sense of not feeling like she belongs, and I feel as though many middle-grade readers can find themselves in this character.

The side characters were unmemorable, except for one boy character (who I do not remember the name of and don’t really want to search to find) who helps Pippa out.

I love how all the Gods came off exactly how I expected them too. Ares was arrogant and Aphrodite didn’t really seem to care about her competitor. Hades attempted to cheat. It all worked.

Setting:

This takes place in Olympus and honestly, I wish there was more worldbuilding. The whole thing is a mountain (duh), but what kind of mountain was it? I don’t know. Was it rocky? Was it snowy? Was it full of luscious green grass? I have no clue.

Quality of Writing:

The quality was middle grade. I do think the audiobook made the story more fun. Middle grade books sound less middle grade when they are read aloud, in my opinion.

What I Liked:

  • Horses!
  • Winged horse races!
  • Lovable child character

What I Didn’t:

  • Needed more worldbuilding
  • Short
  • I wish I could have gotten to know the characters better

For a middle-grade book, it was great. As someone who reads more complex novels daily, it was so-so. I wish we had gotten more, but there is a second book. I am just waiting for it to get to my online library.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 3

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Read This If You Love:

  • Horses
  • Greek mythology
  • Middle-grade
  • Non-romance books
  • Pet bonding

Repost: Worth it? Books Tik Tok Made Me Read Part 2

Hey!

I want to share with you an article I wrote for Her Campus for my school. I wrote about which books I see on Tik Tok are worth it or not. I have included an excerpt from the post. To view the whole post, click here.

“SORCERY OF THORNS BY MARGARET ROGERSON

Literally the best book ever

Now this book is first because it is amazing. If you don’t listen to anything else I say, listen to this: read this book! It is so good. I was addicted to this book. I loved the main characters. The plot was exciting and unique. The world that you enter is so vivid and has a little bit of everything for everyone. It is a slow-burn romance that made me swoon hard. It has adventure and intrigue. It is dangerous and heartfelt. I love this book. It deserves so much more hype.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION BY EMILY HENRY

If you want to

This book was good. I wasn’t blown away, but it was better than Beach Read by the same author. It really had nothing remarkable about it, but I did like how we jumped around on the main character’s vacation timeline. the story is also very cute and has some steamy elements to it.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY BY MATT HAIG

A sort of must-read

This book was definitely a must-read, but by the end, it really just drags on. The main character becomes annoying, because the end was pretty predictable, and I wished I could strangle her to make the right decisions. I still recommend this book, just be warned.

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS

Must-read, but please stop talking about it

I am a huge Maas fan, just her work not her. A Court of Thorns and Roses or ACOTAR and the rest of the series is so overtalked about. If I were to guess, it is mentioned in one out of every three videos. It deserves some hype, but not all it is getting. It is definitely not her best work; I am a huge fan of Throne of Glass. Feyre and the main love interest (not going to spoil who) are amazing. It is definitely worth the read, but it doesn’t need to be in every book recommendation video.”

Check it out!

As always thanks for reading,

A Bookie

You’re So Dead: A Review

The Book:

Title: You’re So Dead

Author: Ash Parsons

Published June 15th 2021 by Philomel Books

Genre: Mystery, YA, Thriller

Pages: 400

“Plum Winter has always come in second to her sister, the unbelievably cool, famous influencer Peach Winter. And when Peach is invited to an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxurious art and music festival for influencers on a private island in the Caribbean, Plum decides it’s finally her time to shine. So she intercepts the invite–and asks her two best friends Antonia and Marlowe to come along to the fest with her. It’ll be a spring break they’ll never forget.

But when Plum and her friends get to the island, it’s not anything like it seemed in the invite. The island is run-down, creepy, and there doesn’t even seem to be a festival–it’s just seven other quasi-celebrities and influencers, and none of the glitz and glamor she expected. Then people start to die…

Plum and her friends soon realize that someone has lured each of them to the “festival” to kill them. Someone has a vendetta against every person on the island–and no one is supposed to leave the island alive. So, together, Plum, Antonia, and Marlowe will do whatever it takes to unravel the mystery of the killer, and fight to save themselves and as many influencers as they can, before it’s too late.” -Goodreads

My Review:

So, I had no clue what this book was about when I first started reading it. I am notorious for not reading the synopsis. I saw this on my Libby app and it seemed popular, so I checked it out.

The first chapter ruined this book for me. It really did. It gave away that the book was about murder and that the main character would be one of the people who could be killed. It made all the suspense at the beginning of the book disappear. Had the first chapter been removed, the book would have had suspense and thrill when the first person dies.

And you, reader, might be saying, “Well if only you read the synopsis-“

NO

I do not care. I went into the book blind and I can say that it would have been 46% better if they had left the first chapter out.

The characters were dull. Plum Winters and her friends are irritating, to say the least. They are just three teenage girls who somehow can lead this group of celebrities better than the ex-military man in their group. I think not.

The premise of the book was really cool so the book won major points for that. Fyre Festival, if you don’t know, was a huge festival that basically flopped in 2017. (There is a really good Netflix documentary on the event. Definitely go watch that!) This book piggybacks off that idea with the Pyre Festival in the book.

Because of my background knowledge of this festival, I sort of thought the book was interesting. It turned a real-life event into an even greater sh*t show. The murder aspect of a social media festival was a fun twist.

I am really getting into mystery books this summer and I think this will be good for the fall and the chilly weather.

I will say, as far as mysteries go, this one was not the best. It did not have a huge amount of suspense. The culprit and the events leading up to the ending were interesting. The ending just seemed really random and also finished up really quick.

I cannot talk anymore about this book. Please, never ask me about it again.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 2

Rating: 2 out of 5.

My 2021 Books:

This year I read 64 books. This was a huge accomplishment. I am so excited to be able to publish this list as a post.

I keep a list of the book I read as a page on my blog, but now this list must go to make room for my 2022 list.

I did not want this list to go away, so I have decided to post the list.

Also, I wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who follows my blog and who likes and comments. I appreciate everyone and cant wait to see where this blog goes in the next year.

Book I Read:

  • Empire of Storm by Sarah J. Maas
  • Lucy by Jamacia Kincaid
  • What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera 
  • Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
  • Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
  • Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
  • We a BaddDDD People by Sonia Sanchez
  • Love Poems by Sonia Sanchez
  • homegirls and handgrenades by Sonia Sanchez
  • Into the Wild by John Krakauer
  • Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
  • Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
  • Caraval by Stephanie Garber
  • And I Darken by Kiersten White
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
  • Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
  • Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  • Legendary by Stephanie Garber
  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
  • Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s “Girl Stunt Reporters” by Kim Todd
  • Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
  • The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic
  • The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
  • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
  • Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan
  • Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
  • The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
  • White Magic by Elissa Washuta
  • The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
  • You’re So Dead by Ash Parsons
  • The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith
  • Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, etc.
  • Finale by Stephanie Garber
  • Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
  • She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
  • The Diabolic by S.J Kincaid
  • Layla by Colleen Hoover
  • The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry
  • Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
  • The Vanishing Stairs by Maureen Johnson
  • The Hand of the Wall by Maureen Johnson
  • From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Arementrout
  • Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
  • American Animals by Eric Borsuk
  • The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms
  • The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
  • A Veil of Truth and Trickery by Analeigh Ford
  • City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  • City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
  • Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
  • City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
  • Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
  • Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
  • The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
  • Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
  • Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
  • Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
  • Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

A Two Book Colleen Hoover Review

Here, I review Without Merit and Layla by Colleen Hoover

The Books:

Title: Without Merit

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published October 3rd 2017 by Atria Books

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 385

“The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antique shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.” -Goodreads

Title: Layla

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published December 8th 2020 by Montlake

Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Pages: 301

“When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.

Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them. “ -Goodreads

My Reviews

For the first book, I am going to review Without Merit.

I listened to this book on audiobook this past week. I enjoyed the audiobook and the reader.

I thought the book was well done. Certainly, not her best work and it was not her worst.

The premise of the story was good, but I felt like it was a little bland. When I read the synopsis, I thought there would be a grad escape plan that would come to a crashing halt. Forgive me, Colleen Hoover, for assuming this.

When I say ‘bland,’ I don’t necessarily mean boring, because it wasn’t. I just mean that it did not have the OOMPF that most of Hoover’s books had. It did not have that spark. The story still had drama that kept pulling me into the story more and more.

The main character was honestly annoying but in a good way. Her family was even worse, but that was kind of the point.

I think the romance in here was a charming addition to the story. I think it added some suspense and some drama.

All in all, the story was good. Not high on her list but still a good read. I do not know how she comes up with all of the ideas for her books. Everyone I have read has something different in it than the next.

Hoover is a queen.

Star Rating: 3

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This next book, however, is my least favorite out of all of her books.

I don’t know if it was the ghost or the fact that it was from a male’s POV.

The paranormal aspect was way out of the left field for a Colleen Hoover book. There was a good bit of suspense. I sometimes felt like I had to hide under my covers, but that was short-lived.

The male lead was horribly dull. Leeds was honestly boring. There was no development in his character. Every time he spoke, I wanted to kick him in the face. That was pretty hard to get past since the entire book is in his POV.

I could not get into this story. I also listened to this book and it was so hard for me to press play. I would listen for moments in the mornings, but it would not pique my interest enough to play it in the car or elsewhere.

I honestly don’t have much to say.

Nothing was necessarily bad with the book. The writing was great. The story was unique and interesting. I just did not vibe with it.

Star Rating: 1

Rating: 1 out of 5.

I hoped you enjoyed my two reviews. I am so behind on reviews, I would have the next two months planned out if I did every single review, hence the combination of these two.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Finally Reading the Mortal Instruments

Let me just say, the early 2000’s YA books were wild.

The Book

Title: The City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments #1

Published September 1st 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (first published May 27th 2007)

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Pages: 486

“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…” -Goodreads

My Review

The Mortal Instruments has been out for ages and was one of the original YA fantasy books. I am going back in time to read them because I never did as a kid.

I am shocked, disgusted, but also… happy?

You got Clary, who is a total “I am not like other girls” girl learning she has a crazy dark and mysterious history. She find this out because she met…you guessed it, a boy.

This book series is going to ruin me, and I mean this in a bad way.

The whole thing is gross. It has racist jokes, gay stereotypes, and politically incorrect words up the wazoo. Not to mention the (spoiler) incest plotline???

The negatives aside, the book was pretty good. If I had read this book back in 2010, I would definitely would have liked it.

By the end of the book, I found myself rooting for Clary. I hated her the whole book and now I am ready to read the second to see how it all plays out.

I think that is all I have to say for this book. I can’t compare it to anything recent because writing has evolved so much over the past ten or so years, which I am thankful for.

As always, thank for reading,

A Bookie

Star Rating: 3.0 (It would have had four, but I dont stand for the bigotry scattered throughout this.)

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Red Queen: My First Aveyard

Hey guys! I am trying out a new format with my blog so bear with me…

THE BOOK:

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #1

Published February 10th, 2015 by HarperTeen

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Sci-Fi

Pages: 383

“This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.” -Goodreads

MY REVIEW:

Plotwise this book had everything. Characterwise this book had everything. Romancewise this book had everything. This book was everything I wanted and more!

Before reading this, I was in a total reading slump. I had five books on my book cart begging to be read, but they did not entice me. I thought, “Okay, let’s try one more attempt at recovery.” I grabbed the first book on my shelf, something new, something fresh. I had never read Aveyard’s work before. I had attempted to read this one a long time ago, but it became overdue at the library and I had no care to continue on.

But damn how I have missed out!

From the moment I picked up this book, I devoured it. I began reading it last week and then just finished today. I have not finished a book in a week since Summer. School has been kicking my butt and this was the perfect escape.

The plot was exciting. Aveyard is a temptress. She brings you into the story with vivid details and then smashes your face into the Silver’s diamond walls with twists and turns. I got to see the seedy underbelly of the elite in this society, and I want more.

Whenever I started getting comfortable with the storyline, thinking: “What else could possibly happen?” I was thrown into a whole new hole and sunk deeper and deeper into the story.

The graphics in my mind were so amazing. Aveyard found the sweet spot when it came to describing the setting. It wasn’t overcontrolling but it wasn’t so little I could have thought of anything and it would fit. The imagery wrapped around me like a nicely fitting glove.

Mare Barrow, the main character, excites me, infuriates me, and charms me in every word of the story. She goes from peasant Red in rags to noble Silver in silks. We, as readers, see the internal struggle she feels working with her enemies. We feel all of her emotions as we go through the story.

The kind, sweet-hearted Maven was my favorite character. Emphasis on the was. I was really rooting for him throughout the book. I wanted the second child to get some sort of recognition in this book. He was handsome, smart, and emotionally available for Mare. Again, emphasis on the past tense.

Cal infuriates me. Yeah, I said it. He is annoying and I do not root for him. He stands against everything Mare stands for, which I am always going to be on Mare’s side, and that makes him a little punk in my mind.

The other side characters were amazing. Everyone was well developed, no matter who they were and if they only showed up once or twice. I got to love almost everyone in this book.

I think this book was super entertaining. I have heard that it might be made into a TV show or movie. I would die! I think that it would be so cool to see the story of Mare Barrow brought to the big screen.

Go check out my Twitter and Instagram @abookiesbooks

As always, thanks for reading

A Bookie

MY RATING:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Blackout: A Must Read

Title: Blackout

Authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Published June 22nd, 2021 by Quill Tree Books

Genre: Contemporary YA, Romance

“A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.” –Goodreads

My Review:

This is going to be short, I am just trying to catch up!

I read this book in the summer. And clearly, I am posting this review in the fall. I am sorry. I have been doing a whole lot of reading and not a lot of blogging. Blame it on the various ways I am able to read books these days. Audiobooks have made it so I can literally read without my eyes open.

That is how I read this glorious book.

Let me tell you, I love these short story books by multiple authors. This is similar to the winter My True Love Gave to Me book. Except it is even better.

It is about black teens of all different sexualities in New York City. It has representation and New York City. What more can I ask for?

I don’t have a lot to say about this book other than it is really good. I think that everyone should read it. If you like romance and short stories that you definitely should read this book.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

Rating: 4 out of 5.

What am I reading this week?

For those that dont know, WWW is a meme and this meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. And it involves answering the 3 Ws!

What am I currently reading?

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Veil of Truth and Trickery by Analeigh Ford

*If you want to see the whole list of my current reads, my Goodreads is listed in my sidebar of this blogsite.

What did I recently finish?

Layla by Colleen Hoover

What am I reading next?

Beach Read by Emily Henry

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie

The Vine Witch Series: Trilogy Mini-Reviews

Title: The Vine Witch

Author: Luanne G. Smith

Series: The Vine Witch #1

Published October 1st 2019 by 47North

Genre: Fantasy, Witches, Romance

Pages: 263

“A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy of betrayal, vengeance, and self-discovery set in turn-of-the-century France.

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.” -Goodreads

My Review:

As the first book in this series, I saw it as I scrolled through Kindle. I took as chance and began reading it. I was immediately intrigued and pulled into this book series. I had never heard of it but I was looking for something different to read than my normal smutty books.

I was first intrigued by the details. It was incredibly detailed. I always could see everything that was happening around me. The smells and tastes of everything was so vivid, I felt as though I was Elena.

Meeting Elena was a magical moment. She was a cunning and relatable character to read about. I think there was little character development on her throughout the series, which was a little disappointing. I do love a good character shift but she stays pretty stagnant. She is very likeable. She always does the right thing and is always there to lend her friends a helping hand.

Elena and Jean-Paul do give this book a bit of romance that gives it a push into the romance genre. It is not a lot, however, and is kind of in the background. I almost didn’t even notice.

I would say this book was a little slow to start and the romance was a little lack luster but the ending was thrilling and made up for my dislike of the beginning.

Star Rating: 3.0

Then came the next book…

Title: The Glamourist

Author: Luanne G. Smith

Series: The Vine Witch #2

Published June 9th 2020 by 47North

Genre: Fantasy, Witches

Pages: 282

“Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.

Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?” -Goodreads

My Review:

The Glamourist was everything the first book was not. It had suspense. It had multiple POVs of our main characters of the series, Yvette, Elena, and Sidra. This book mainly focused on Yvette’s story with Elena to back up the story with side plot.

Yvette was awesome. I liked her a lot. I believe there was a bit of development in this story with her character. The whole story centers around her finding her true identity.

Smith wrote this story even better then The Vine Witch. The senses were even more stimulated. I now really want to go to Paris to try some of the food and smells they talked about in the book.

This book was definitely my favorite in the series. It was just so much action and struggle. I felt so connected with the characters.

Star Rating: 3.1

Title: The Conjurer

Author: Luanne G. Smith

Series: The Vine Witch #3

Published January 12th 2021 by 47North

Genre: Fantasy, Witches

Pages: 241

“Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home—a French village renowned for its perfume witches—with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.

On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.

Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?” -Goodreads

My Review:

I really enjoyed this book like the others. But there were some downfalls.

Like the first, Sidra did not have a lot of character development. Smith also had Sidra hide a lot of things from the reader even in the third person limited she wrote in. I feel like we could have had a little more insight with out spoiling too much in the grand scheme of things.

Also, the plot up until the end was not as flushed out as I thought it could be. At times it was confusing and just seemed like they were passing time till they were leading up to their final battle.

But, the ending, like the first book, made it all worth it. I was tearing up at the end of the last line. It was a pretty good ending.

Star Rating: 2.8

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed my mini-reviews of the series. I am pretty backed up on my reviews so I wanted to flush some out as fast as I could. I am doing a lot of reading but not a lot of writing. So this post was to make it a bit easier on myself. I would definitely go check this series out. I thought it was really good and well written.

As always, thanks for reading,

A Bookie