Stats

Total books read: 9

BOTM: 1

eARCs: 1

2024 releases: 6

Fall vibes reads: 6

 

Reviews

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (4.5 stars) – I absolutely love a Pride and Prejudice retelling; it’s one of the few stories that for me never gets old. After reading and loving Emma of East 83rd Street last year, I was so excited to see that Elizabeth was up next. The original story’s characters, plot, and themes are all translated into a modern Hamptons setting effortlessly and in a way that makes perfect sense and creates excellent fun; Mr. Wickham as a Fyre Festival-esque scammer was a particularly great touch. The central romance had all of the tension and banter that we’ve come to expect, but was still contemporary enough to feel fresh. I also enjoyed the appearance of Emma and Knightley from book 1, as well as hints that book 3 will be based on Persuasion.

I received an eARC of Elizabeth of East Hampton from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, I loved it enough that I also purchased myself a physical copy.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (4 stars) – Ali Hazelwood does an excellent job with coming through with a great read. Although I didn’t love Bride as much as her contemporary romance novels (three of which I’ve rated in the 5-star️ range), this paranormal romance still delivered on the chemistry, tropes, and addictive writing style that makes me want to pick up anything she writes. The worldbuilding wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it, and I do hope she comes out with a sequel romance starring the side characters that was hinted about at the end.

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio (4 stars) – Since If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is solidly on my list of favorite books, I was always going to pick up whatever she wrote next. I wasn’t expecting a multiple perspective horror novella that takes place over a single night, but I thoroughly enjoyed Graveyard Shift nonetheless. The moments I was able to pick up this book during my brief Italy trip remain some of my favorites.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (4 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (4 stars) – The Pairing was a great book to read right as I was leaving on a trip to Europe; it flows through France, Spain, and Italy on a food and wine tour that had me reminiscing about featured places I’ve been to and stoking excitement about places still on my travel goals list. It’s a very sweet second chance romance between two people who are very deeply in love with and obsessed with one another, and I thought the audio was performed very well with the many accents and frequent dialogue in other languages.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis (4 stars) – Dreadful was a satirical and humorous take on fantasy featuring an amnesiac evil wizard who doesn’t actually want to be evil now that his memories are gone; a resourceful kidnapped princess; scarier, evil-er wizards that are also more than they appear; adaptable townsfolk figuring out how to eke out a living in the shadow of a malevolent castle; less than bright heroes; and a background cast of delightful goblins. I love fantasy that interrogates and questions the tropes and conventions of the genre while turning them on their heads, and therefore found this a very fun read.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree (4 stars) – I enjoyed returning to the adventures of Viv the orc in this cozy fantasy prequel; for me this as well as Legends & Lattes were definitely enjoyable reads but didn’t necessary strike as impactful a chord as they seem to with many readers.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis (3.5 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann (3 stars) – This contemporary paranormal romance had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the writing, and therefore the characters and plot, fell flat for me. I liked the premise and early aspects of the mystery, but ultimately this didn’t work well for me.