Amazon reviews Katereviews.
Friday, April 3, 2026
Peasreads: Your Soulmail Is Attached A Novel by Joan F. Smith
Friday, October 3, 2025
Peasreads- Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson
Oh this book was so fun to read! I'm laughing, clutching my pearls, and hungry for more. What a great take on on the Greek Gods and Aphrodite's story. I loved the writing style, and the "footnotes" from Aphrodite herself were hilarious. This is the first book I have read by Phoenicia Rogerson, but it won't be the last.
Pub Date Nov 11 2025
From the award-winning author of Herc, an enrapturing feminist tale that brilliantly reimagines the story of Aphrodite and how she transformed herself from a lowly outsider to the darling goddess of love, for readers of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint.
Aphrodite saw the gods on Mount Olympus and decided she wanted a piece of what they had. Only problem is, she’s not a goddess, just a lowly being who's supposed to remain in a distant cave, keeping the threads of Fate woven neatly. But Aphrodite’s never let anyone tell her what to do…
Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, she convinces everyone she’s the goddess of love and that her rightful place is among the Olympians, who lord it over everyone else at the top of the world, but under the stifling rule of Zeus. For the first time, she has the best of everything, as well as friends, peers, even loved ones. Only, being a goddess isn’t quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she’s had enough…
#Greek #greekmythology #aphrodite #ares #zeus #currentRead #TBR #readme
#instabook #instaread #booktok #BooksOf2025 #ToBeRead #read #reading #Peasreads #reader #books #fantasy
Amazon reviews Katereviews.
@hanoversquarepress @NetGalley for this egalley. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Peasreads: A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox
Set in the Dutch Golden Age this story has the fun storytelling, magic, and folklore woven into the reimagining of The Little Mermaid. Smart and beautifully done.
Clara, the main character, was likeable and I cheered for her. I could relate to her and understand the reasoning behind many of her decisions. Her people, her wonderful nursemaid, I liked them. Without giving any spoilers away, I think if Clara knew from the start how her beautiful home was procured she would have been a force to be reckoned with from the start. The great thing is that with the knowledge learned along the way, she was smart, brave, and resilient. She loved her people, but she could also see the wrong done to others for her to have the life she lived. Maurits is the other main character. I enjoyed his charm and care, until he just got sappy. Yes, be in love, but be smart about it. His flowery words were almost too much for me. I could see how his being so enamored by the human world made things easy for his brother, the antagonist. Maurits was irresponsible, and it was hard to reconcile my feelings for him with how things turned out. I would have liked him more if the book were longer. If more time were taken to develop his character, and give him more depth and maturity. The magical creatures and folklore were such great additions. This story is an entertaining, fun read. It is also a read that makes you think about climate change, slavery, and oppression. Hester Fox didn't write the topics of climate change, slavery, and oppression into the book in a glaring way; they are woven in seamlessly, and they are the foundation of how the town was built and how it thrived. They are what the wealthy stand on. There is no way to gloss over that.
Description: Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lu rsheimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton’s The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar.
The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill omen: a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn’t believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule.
When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family’s estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.
But Maurits isn’t who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.
Lush & Enchanting
Gender-swap of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid
Historical Fantasy
Set in 17th Century Netherlands
Family Secrets
Atmospheric Vibes
Amazon reviews Katereviews.
I received this egalley from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own.
Friday, January 10, 2025
Peasreads: I Am Not Jessica Chen -Ann Liang
I finished this in one day. One.
Are the MCs in highschool? Yes.
Am I in my late forties? Yes.
Was it still a great read for me? Absolutely yes.
This book was sad and eye-opening not only as a parent but personally. So many times we try to live up to other people's expectations. We never can. We also try to live up to the strict expectations we put on ourselves. These expectations are impossible at any age. The MC Jenna had expectations put on her by her parents, but she also heaped on even more impossible expectations for herself. We so often do that. Not realizing that those who love us, truly love us as we are and that they too are imperfect.
As a parent reading this book broke my heart to hear about how these students feel in these situations where it's all about how your grades are, if you're in enough extracurriculars, are they the right extracurriculars, I just felt so bad for these kids. I wanted to scoop them up and comfort them. I also was angry at the environment that was made for some to succeed regardless of the effort they put in, while also being a place for others to potentially succeed if they don't rock the boat.
From the Publisher
Harlequin Teen, Jan 29, 2025 - Young Adult Fiction - 384 pages
Jenna Chen has spent her life in the shadow of her flawless cousin. Jessica Chen is so smart she gets the top score on every test. Jessica Chen is so beautiful people stop in the hallway to stare at her. Jessica Chen is so perfect she got into Harvard.
And Jenna Chen will only ever be a disappointment.
So when Jenna makes a desperate wish to become her cousin, the last thing she expects is for it to come true — literally. All of a sudden she gets to live the life she’s always dreamed of...but being the model student at cutthroat Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she’d imagined. Worse, people seem to be forgetting that someone named Jenna Chen ever existed. But isn’t it worth trading it all away — her artistic talent, her childhood home, even the hope of golden boy Aaron Cai loving her back — to be Jessica Chen?
HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins | Harlequin Teen
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Peasreads: The Book Swap Tessa Bickers
This is such a fun refreshing read. I liked the writing style. The story is unique. Each of the characters grew with the story. The care that was taken to address trauma. The love for books and writing.
Thank you Tessa Bickers for sharing this one with the world. I've already recommended it to do many of my reader friends.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.
Amazon reviews Katereviews.
I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.






