BBNYA 2025 Finalist Tour: Miss Bennet’s Dragon by M.Verant

March 31, 2026March 30, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Hello, reader!

In 2025, I once again participated as a panelist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award! It was a tough competition but we eventually narrowed it down a group of finalists. Now, those finalists are on tour! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for a Pride & Prejudice retelling that had me gasping and swooning: Miss Bennet’s Dragon by M.Verant!

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, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 17 in 2025) 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’s talk about the book 📚

Title: Miss Bennet’s Dragon
Author: M. Verant
Publisher: Acerbic Press
Publication date: April 28th, 2021
Length: 372 pages
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Age group: Adult

Book Links

Amazon::StoryGraph::Goodreads

War threatens England, but Elizabeth Bennet’s battles are closer to home. She’s managing the family estate for her ailing father. Insufferable gentlemen keep bursting in to propose marriage. And most dangerous of all, she’s hiding a forbidden skill. Elizabeth can speak to draca, the small, fire-breathing dragons kept by gentry as frivolous status symbols.

When Napoleon’s spies attempt to steal draca, the distant war threatens even cozy Hertfordshire. Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Darcy, the proud man whose proposal she once scorned. Amid the breathtaking halls of Pemberley, she discovers the truth: she is not the first woman to speak with draca. But with her secret revealed, the dark history of Pemberley tears her and Mr. Darcy apart.

One hope remains: her dangerous affinity to draca. But does she dare to trust legends and lost songs? And when a terrible betrayal threatens the man she loves, does she have a choice?

Miss Bennet’s Dragon is the first book in the award-winning Jane Austen Fantasy trilogy. For fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and of course Jane Austen.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

March 24, 2026 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

It is officially Spring where I live (though it doesn’t always feel like it…) and that means it’s time to start thinking about Spring reads! That’s the topic for today’s Top Ten Tuesday, but I must confess something. I don’t really do seasonal TBRs… I’m barely with-it enough to make monthly TBRs! So I’ve decided to feature ten Spring releases that I’m excited to read instead. I probably won’t get to most of these during this season, but they are still on my radar.

Now, let me share my Spring list with you!

Spring Releases

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Platform Decay by Martha Wells
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Jul 6, 2022

July 6, 2022July 6, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd9 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I’m gonna be honest and say that I had only the vaguest sense of what this classic was about before I started reading it. I knew that there is a painting that takes on the sins of it’s subject, Dorian Gray. I wasn’t prepared for how terrible Dorian actually is throughout the story! Like… why is anyone friends with this man?! Well, I know why… because he’s rich and handsome. But dear lord, he sucks! Suffice it to say, I’m having a great time reading about this terrible person 😂
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint: Dipping back into Greek mythology retellings with this one and, so far, I’m really enjoying it! I want to fight some people (LOOKING AT YOU, THESEUS) and loads of poor decisions have been made, but I’m liking how we get to see more of who Ariadne is beyond her part in Theseus’ tale. I’m already wishing that this book was a little longer because I would have loved to spend more time with Ariadne when Asterion was a baby. I’m intrigued by their relationship, but it’s a blip in this story. Still, this book is scratching that mythology retelling itch and I’m enjoying it!

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Apr 27, 2022

April 27, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: This is my last official read for the Magical Readathon and, apparently, I like to save the best books for last. I’m completely wrapped up in this book and I find it hard to put it down! I love seeing the myth of Achilles play out under Madeline Miller’s pen. It’s such an intriguing and wonderful story, and surprisingly heartwarming in moments. I know that these moments are there to try and lull me into a false sense of security. After all, I know how Achilles’ story ends. This book is just guaranteeing that it breaks me as much as possible at the end, isn’t it?

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blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir/Illustrated by Myisha Haynes

March 2, 2022March 2, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd10 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours book tour for a middle grade graphic novel that absolutely captured my heart: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir (author) and Myisha Haynes (illustrator)! This book is a graphic retelling of Anne of Green Gables set in modern day West Philly and it is an absolute delight.

Before I start gushing about this book, though, I want to thank some folks. First, I want to thank the team at TBR & Beyond Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. Second, I want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for my participation and an honest review. It is very much appreciated! One last thing; mine is just one stop on this magical mystery tour, so make sure you check out the other fabulous bloggers and bookstagrammers that will be celebrating this beautiful book! You can find the full schedule here.

Alright, let’s get to the post!

Book Details

Title: Anne of West Philly
Author: Ivy Noelle Weir
Illustrator: Myisha Haynes
Publication date: March 1st, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Graphic Novel
Age group: Middle Grade

Book Links

Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Indigo::
Amazon::Goodreads

Synopsis

Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

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book reviews

Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

January 30, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Thriller

Content/Trigger Warnings: Murder, mentions of drowning, blackmail, forced captivity, infidelity, blood, alcohol, alcohol abuse

Rating: ★★★★

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

One Sentence Synopsis:

A young dog-walker named Jane, who has a past filled with secrets, finds her path crossing with the mysterious, handsome Mr. Rochester, who’s past may be just as dark as hers.

Favorite Quote:

“I’ve gone so long trying not to be seen that there’s something intoxicating about letting him really see me.”

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday #19

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

After a brief hiatus, First Lines Friday on the blog is back! Today, in anticipation of the spookiest time of the year, I’ve picked a book that gives proper, creepy vibes. It also happens to be a book I’m planning on reading in the next week or so. Let’s see if the first few lines can make you want to read it, as well!

The Line(s):

“Sweltering heat hit me like the sudden leap of a bonfire when I traded the protection of the mule-drawn cart’s tarp for burning sand. I clutched my satchel, squinting against the dying sun. Heat waves created illusions of life out on the sand.”

The Hints:

This is an Ethiopian-inspired tale…

… featuring a young woman who is an exorcist…

… and is a debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre!

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“What the heart desires, the house destroys…

Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire.

Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi in this Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre.“

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!