wrap up

March 2023 Wrap Up


Hello, reader!

Look who is finally wrapping up her March reading! Yes, I know it’s the last day of April and I’ll soon need to be doing that wrap up, but better late than never, right? That’s what I’m telling myself ๐Ÿ˜‚ In March, I participated in the Trope-ical Readathon, which usually corresponds with me reading a ton of books! This March, however, I found myself in a weird, kind of reading slump. Like, I was enjoying most of what I was reading, but the urge to read was super low. Still, I managed to get through 8 books and I ended up with two five star reads! I’m gonna count that as a win.

Now, let me wrap up all my reading for last month.


Books Reads


  • Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano: I read this book for the Literally Dead Book Club. It was the February pick and I vastly overestimated how quickly I could read it, haha. That being said, I had a good time with this book but I think I would have benefitted from not binging all the books in a row. This is the third book in a mystery series and, though I loved the concept at first, but this third book it was starting to get a little too absurd, haha. I still love Finlay and Vero, but the things they get themselves into (and out of) are starting to really stretch my suspension of disbelief. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next book… perhaps with a little time between reading about these characters will make me like it a lot more. โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…
  • Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie: This was my first Trope-ical Readathon read and I enjoyed it! Hercule Poirot books are just a comfort read, at this point, because they’re so easy to get into and entertaining. I’m always a little put out when it takes forever for the famous detective to make an appearance in the story and that is definitely the case with this book. Still, I liked the mystery, I liked the investigation, and I liked the reveal. This was a solid addition to the series and I ended up having a good time reading it. โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…
  • The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill: I participated in the TBR & Beyond Tours book tour for this middle grade graphic novel and I absolutely loved it! K. O’Neill’s art is always gorgeous and this graphic novel is no different. This was a beautiful book containing and important story. It’s about a young girl who has been tapped as her community’s new Moth Keeper, a very important job because the people really depend on the moths she’ll be protecting. It talks about loneliness and burnout; topics that I think it dealt with in a wonderful and accessible way. You can read my full review here. โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…
Continue reading “March 2023 Wrap Up”
blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA 2022 Finalist Tour: The Reaper’s Quota by Sarah McKnight


Hello, reader!

Today, I have another blog tour for one of the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) 2022 finalists! I’m sharing my thoughts on one of the books I was privileged to read as a panelist last year. The Reaper’s Quota by Sarah McKnight is a “weird little book” (direct quote from my notes, haha) that I quite enjoyed!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let me tell you more about this book!



  • Title:ย The Reaper’s Quota
  • Author:ย Sarah McKnight
  • Publisher: Self-published
  • Publication date:ย November 10th, 2020
  • Length: 190 pages
  • Genre:ย Dark Humor/Satire
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Slightly graphic to moderately graphic descriptions of death

B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



Meet Grim Reaper #2497. Behind on his work, he must complete his quota of thirty Random Deaths or face termination in the worst way. Faced with an insurmountable task and very little time to complete it, Reaper #2497 struggles to hang on to the one thing he’s not supposed to have – his humanity.

Continue reading “BBNYA 2022 Finalist Tour: The Reaper’s Quota by Sarah McKnight”
book reviews

ARC Review: Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah


Title: Where Darkness Blooms

Author: Andrea Hannah

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Genre: Horror/Supernatural Thriller

Age Group: Young Adult

Content/Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault (implied, later revealed), stabbing, death, sex (implied), gaslighting, violence, blood, underage drinking

Rating: โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…

Book Links:ย 
Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads


Goodreads Synopsis

Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.

The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And womenโ€”missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothersโ€™ much-delayed memorial.

With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she canโ€™t bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney’s twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah’s boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. Sheโ€™s sure of it.

Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls donโ€™t know is that Bishop was founded on bloodโ€”and now it craves theirs.

Continue reading “ARC Review: Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah”
blog tour · book spotlight

Blog Tour Spotlight: They Lie Here by N.S. Ford


Hello, reader!

It’s time for another blog tour hosted by The Write Reads! Today, I’m spotlighting a mystery that promises secrets and danger: They Lie Here by N.S. Ford. Not only does the synopsis sound intriguing, but the cover absolutely pulled me in!

Before I jump into my spotlight, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the lovely people behind the scenes for allowing me to participate in this tour! It is, as always, very much appreciated.

Alright, now let’s get to it!



  • Title:ย They Lie Here
  • Author:ย N.S. Ford
  • Publication date:ย November 4th, 2022
  • Genre:ย Mystery/Thriller
  • Length: 271 pages
  • Age group:ย Adult

Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading “Blog Tour Spotlight: They Lie Here by N.S. Ford”
book tag

The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag


Hello, reader!

I’ve been rather MIA for the last few days, haven’t I? I thought I’d make that up to you by participating in a book tag! We are already a quarter through 2023 which blows my mind. Like… how is it already the end of April?! That being said, I thought this would be a great time to do The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag! I was tagged by the wonderful Dini @ dinipandareads and it looked like too much fun to skip! Also, if you haven’t checked out Dini’s incredible blog, please go give it a look. Not only does she have great bookish posts, but her blog is just so aesthetically pleasing ๐Ÿฅฐ

This original tag was created byย Roisinย @Roisinโ€™s Readingย over on BookTube, so make sure to go check out her channel, as well!

Alright, now let’s get to the tag.


How many books have you read so far?

I’ve managed to read 34 books so far in 2023 and I’m pretty stoked about that! This is the first year that I’ve been bold enough to set my goal at 100 instead of a lower number even though I’ve read over 100 books for the last two years. I dunno… there’s something about those triple digits that made me nervous! But, as you can see, I’m currently five books ahead of schedule and going strong. I’m excited to see if I can beat my number for 2022!


Have you already found a book you think might be a 2023 favorite?ย If not, what was your favorite book you read that wasnโ€™t quite five stars?

Oof, that’s always a tough question for my undecisive-self, haha. Of all my five star reads so far this year, I think the two top contenders for ‘favorite of the year’ would be Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury and Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amรฉlie Wen Zhao. Both were so incredibly written and completely swept me away when I was reading them, though they certainly have very different tones. I have a review for Delicious Monsters and I’m working on one for Song of Silver, Flame Like Night.


Any 1-star books / least favorite book of the year?

No shade to the people that love Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. I know this is a pretty beloved romance. I, however, hated this ๐Ÿ˜ฌ The characters made me want to shake them. One is a straight-up stalker and I will never be convinced that it was cute or okay! The other is bad at communicating (well, they both kind of are) and it’s so frustrating! Mix in the twist that made me want to toss the book across the room and this just did not work for me. The only reason it got two stars instead of one is because I loved the fact that both of the main characters were bookish.

Continue reading “The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag”
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Classics


#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunterโ€™s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that weekโ€™s theme. If youโ€™d like more info, head over to the announcement post!


Hello, reader!

It’s another Monday and time for another 5 On My TBR! This week’s theme is calling me out a wee bit. It’s all about classics and I have such a hit or miss relationship with those, hence why I have so many on my TBR. At some point, I should really go through and remove the ones I just know I’m never going to read. Too many books, too little time, ya know?

Either way, I have picked five that I do really want to read sooner rather than later, so let me share them with you now!


#1. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

I’ve read a couple of books by Thomas Hardy and found that I quite enjoyed both of them. That’s how this book first found it’s way on to my TBR. When I find a classics author whose writing doesn’t make my eyes roll into the back of my head, I tend to stick with them, lol. I also enjoy how this author writes women in the context of the time period where he was writing. I’m eager to give this one a go!


#2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

It’s honestly embarrassing that I haven’t read this Black classic sci-fi yet. I think my hesitancy comes in two parts. I’m sure this is going to deal with Black trauma quite heavily and I gotta be in the right headspace to read that. And I did read a different Octavia E. Butler and… wasn’t a huge fan. Though I think that was mostly due to the audiobook narrator. Either way, I still want to pick this one up eventually.

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blog tour · book reviews · Uncategorized

Blog Tour: Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy


Hello, reader!

Today, it’s my stop on the tour for Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy hosted by Hear Our Voices Tours! This bookish romance had me entranced from page one and I can’t wait until it is out in the world so more people get to enjoy it.

Before I get to my review, though, I have people to thank. First, a big thank you to the brains behind Hear Our Voices who gave me a spot on this tour. Second, thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC so that I could read and participate. It is, as always, very much appreciated!

Also, if you’d like to check out any of the other fabulous posts done by the incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers and BookTubers on this tour, you can check out the schedule here.

Now, let’s get to my post!



  • Title:ย Zora Books Her Happy Ever After
  • Author:ย Taj McCoy
  • Publication date:ย April 25th, 2023
  • Publisher: MIRA Books
  • Length: 336 pages
  • Genre:ย Romance
  • Age group:ย Adult

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



Zora has committed every inch of her life to establishing her thriving DC bookstore, making it into a pillar of the community, and she just hasnโ€™t had time for romance. But when a mystery author sheโ€™s been crushing on for years agrees to have an event at her store, she starts to rethink her priorities. Lawrence is every bit as charming as she imagined, even if his understanding of his own books seems just a bit shallow. When he asks her out after his reading, sheโ€™s almost elated enough to forget about the grumpy guy who sat next to her making snide comments all evening. Apparently the grouch is Lawrenceโ€™s best friend, Reid, but she canโ€™t imagine what kind of friendship that must be. They couldnโ€™t be more different.

But as she starts seeing Lawrence, and spending more and more time with Reid, Zora finds first impressions can be deceiving. Reid is smart and thoughtfulโ€”heโ€™s also interested. After years of avoiding dating, she suddenly has two handsome men competing for her affection. But even as she struggles to choose between them, she canโ€™t shake the feeling that theyโ€™re both hiding somethingโ€”a mystery sheโ€™s determined to solve before she can find her HEA.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy”
blog tour

BBNYA 2022 Finalist First Impressions: Cursed in Love by Zoe Ashwood


Hello, reader!

It’s time for another blog tour for one of the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) 2022 finalists! Today, I’ll be talking about our 6the place finisher which is one I heard a lot about during the competition. Cursed in Love by Zoe Ashwood is part paranormal romance, part adventure story and all enticing!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let me tell you more about this book!



  • Title:ย Cursed in Love
  • Author:ย Zoe Ashwood
  • Publisher: Self-published
  • Publication date:ย June 23rd, 2021
  • Length: 340 pages
  • Genre:ย Paranormal Romance
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this bookโ€™s page onย BookTriggerWarnings.com

B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



Iโ€™ll do anything to protect my family, even con my way into the most dangerous treasure hunt in the magical world.

With three men by my side, I embark on a mission to save my father and siblings from the same horrible illness that took my mother.

I need a guide into the Egyptian desert, and my ex is the best man for the jobโ€ฆeven though heโ€™s an irritatingly sexy vampire.

The strongest curse breaker I know just happens to be my best friend, who Iโ€™ve been crushing on for years.

And to finish off our team, a mysterious stranger I canโ€™t stop thinking about is also our fiercest competitor.

We can only win the game if we trust each other completely. No secrets, no pretense, no lies.

But not everyone plays by the same rules. And if Iโ€™m not careful, that might cost me my heartโ€ฆor my life.

Cursed in Love is the first book in the finished paranormal RH trilogy that will take you on a magical adventure around the world. Curl up and enjoy this steamy romance in which the heroine doesnโ€™t have to choose between her three heroes – she gets to have them all.

Continue reading “BBNYA 2022 Finalist First Impressions: Cursed in Love by Zoe Ashwood”
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Title Starting With ‘D’


#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunterโ€™s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that weekโ€™s theme. If youโ€™d like more info, head over to the announcement post!


Hello, reader!

Happy Monday to everyone! The weather is starting to warm up here in New England and it makes my soul happy! I’m not made for cold weather, y’all. And, yet, I willingly moved to Massachusetts… make it make sense ๐Ÿ˜‚ Anyways, enough about my excitement about warmer temps. It’s time for another 5 On My TBR! This week, I’ll be featuring five books that have titles that start with ‘D’ that are high on my TBR pile. I have a lot more than five, but these are the ones that I’m the most excited about at the moment.

With that said, let’s get to the list!


#1. A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

I’m a little embarrassed that this book is still on my to be read list. When it came out, I was so hyped to pick it up! Though fae stories are not typically my thing, this one is queer. Color me intrigued! Also, there’s a woman with a sword on the cover looking like she could murder me with a thought. What more do I need to be excited to read this? Now I just need to actually do it, haha.


#2. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Now that I’ve finally dipped my toes into Blake Crouch’s writing, I’m eager to read more. I thoroughly enjoyed Upgrade, so I want to get to more of his backlist books. Dark Matter is actually the first Blake Crouch book to end up on my TBR and yet I still haven’t picked it up. Because of who I am as a person ๐Ÿ˜‚ Either way, I’m excited to read this sci-fi thriller and continue my Blake Crouch journey!

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Title Starting With ‘D’”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Dark Eyes, White Lies by M.R. Noble


Hello, reader!

It’s time for a blog tour! Today, I’m participating in the tour hosted by The Write Reads for the sequel to a book I read (and enjoyed!) through a different tour hosted by the same company in 2021. Dark Eyes, White Lies by M.R. Noble picks up right where the first book leaves us and it’s even more of an intense, wild ride!

But, before I get to my review, I have people to thank. First, thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! Second, thank you to the author for providing me with a free e-copy of the book so that I could participate in this tour. It is, as always, appreciated!

Now, let’s get the post!



  • Title: Dark Eyes, White Lies
  • Author: M.R. Noble
  • Publication date: March 29th, 2023
  • Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, torture, blood, death, sexual assault (implied), drug use, gore

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads



Blackmailed into espionage, Karo must lie to one man while she fights her cravings for another. As spy partners, Karo is forced to work with Andre, the vampire she swore to never trust again. The accidental vampiric bond they have threatens to bend her into submission. But is her will actually weak, or does she want an excuse to give in?

Romanโ€™s patience teeters on Karoโ€™s deception. Bitter, desperate, and vengeful, Karo dutifully completes her missions while withholding data from her uncle Loukinโ€™s operation. She swore to get out from under his thumb, even if she has to break a few hands. Each assignment brings her closer to uncovering his goal, and using it against him, but she also draws closer to new foes. And they all want the same thingโ€”Karoโ€™s secrets.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Dark Eyes, White Lies by M.R. Noble”