Peasreads- For Ever More Sue Lynn Tan

 

What a great conclusion to Never Ever After. Yining is back home. She is settling in with her family and her people. She is learning the customs and traditions of her people. It is a world that is so unlike the Iron Mountains that she grew up in. While she is settling in, she juggles her feelings and her vow to Jin to help him save his people and his land. And then there's Prince Zixin. Both these male characters are complex. Jin is noble in his quest to save his land; no one can fault him for that. Yining still struggles with trusting him after he made her make the vow to help him. The Prince is ready to fight his sister back for the Kingdom that is rightfully his. Could his story be a redemption arc? After all he did?  Has he learned from the past? Can a person really change? 

Is this a fantasy with romance? Or a romantasy? I can't really say. I do know that I loved the story. I  loved the setting. I loved this conclusion. 

 In For Ever After, this epic fantasy finds Yining on the run and fighting to save her family and her kingdom. 

Order now and receive the SPECIAL FIRST EDITION while supplies last—featuring a designed case cover under the jacket and illustrated endpapers, in addition to shiny foil and embossing. This must-have special edition is only available in the limited first printing.

After the explosive events of Never Ever After, Yining flees the Iron Mountains with her unlikely allies, seeking the truth about her newfound powers amid the secrets surrounding her ancestral home. But with a traitorous queen ruling the Three Kingdoms from a stolen throne, nowhere is truly safe, and Yining must decide whom to trust to keep her family—and her heart—from harm.

Praise for Never Ever After:

“Rich and layered and deliciously transportive.” —Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn

“Tan has crafted a jewel of a fairy-tale retelling and each prism is lustrous with sinister wonder.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of the Gilded Wolves Trilogy

“A lush and effervescent, masterfully crafted fantasy.” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes

“I absolutely adored it and cannot wait for the sequel!” —Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Starlight

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers., and Hatchette book group. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

 

Tesia Tsai has woven a story so beautifully that I read it in two days. A story about duty, honor, love, letting go, and holding on. Fighting for what you love and knowing when to let go is best. Siying is a priestess who is tasked with guiding the deceased to their resting places. She lives in a kingdom that is in the midst of war. She takes on a job to bring a soldier to his home across the border. The soldier turns out to be the missing crown prince. When she reanimates him, he comes to life. Though not completely, she soon finds out that he needs qi to actually stay alive. They set off on a journey to bring him home, gathering purified qi along the way.

I do hope @illumicrate it @fairyloot will do a special edition of this one I can't wait to have a copy on my bookshelves.

Description

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a priestess paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince's head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying's commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won't stay alive for long—not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince's death—secrets that could endanger both Siying's father and their entire kingdom.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Your Soulmail Is Attached A Novel by Joan F. Smith

Your Soulmail Is Attached by Joan F. Smith

Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA

Pub Date Apr 14 2026

What can I say about this book? As described below, this book is about people receiving information about who their soulmate is. The world is changed overnight.  It isn't a hoax, it isn't traceable. The whole concept of a soulmate and there being one person that is out there for you is so mindblowing and unbelievable as it is. Then there is the question of what a soulmate is. The author, Joan F. Smith, must have done a lot of research. I had a very narrow description of what I considered a soulmate to be. Reading different takes on what a soulmate could be, reading how knowing could potentially be both good and bad for a population. It was so very interesting. I found myself going back and forth about how I would feel about knowing, if I would want to know, and what if I didn't like the information I was given? This made the book very interesting to me.

The FMC Olivia is thrust into the limelight as she accidentally becomes a viral sensation, and all of a sudden, all eyes are on her and her reports about Soulmail. Olivia doesn't want to know who her soulmate is. She's faced with many obstacles in navigating this new life and new world. I didn't agree with much of what she did but I could see what drove her to make the choices she made. Her character and history are complex. Navigating a world where information like this is out there is so new and nuanced. Smith did a wonderful job with this engaging, interesting romance that is so much more. Such a unique way to write about soulmates.

Description

What if everyone in the world found out who their soulmates are at the same time?

 

Olivia Adler’s life is picture-perfect: a behind-the-scenes job she loves in a bustling Manhattan newsroom, an engagement to golden-boy Wells, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create the documentary she’s always wanted to make.

 

Then one sleepless night, everything unravels.

 

One message on Wells’s phone shatters her engagement.

 

A second message—an anonymous global email quickly dubbed Soulmail—shakes the world.

 

Delivered to every individual on earth, Soulmail reveals the name and birthdate of their soulmates. Suddenly, love as the world knows it is rewritten overnight, and Olivia accidentally becomes the face of the phenomenon when she reports on the story live and goes viral.

 

With millions watching her every move, Olivia resolutely refuses to open her Soulmail. She’s not ready for fate to make her choices—especially not now. But when she crosses paths with her childhood best friend—the boy she loved and lost—everything she thought she knew about destiny, timing, and love comes into question.

 

Is true love written in the stars…or something we choose for ourselves?

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Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

Now THIS is how a reimagining is done well. I want to feel the emotions and see the stories that lead up to how a character is shaped. I want to know their story and I want the story to make me understand, or at least give me a glimpse. This is a love story. Whether her actions were correct or not, Lady Tremine loves her children. Was she evil? Was she misguided? Was she a product of society and the time she was living in? At what lengths will a mother go to secure her children's futures in a society where women have so few rights afforded to them? 

Once Lady Tremine's plan start falling into place and her children's futures seem secure she discovers that the royal family is hiding a dark secret that could bring harm. Will she look the other way to cement a place for her girls in society?  This book was very good and I will re-read it.   

#LadyTremaine #RachelHochhauser @stmartinspress

#StMartinsPress  

Description

A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic "evil" stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children

Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband’s title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters’ future through marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes. 

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and St Martin's Press I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- 108 Asian Cookies Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Kat Lieu

 

It's hard to review a cookbook. This one is beautiful. The photos are beautiful, the food looks yummy. I reviewed a digital copy. So I don't know what the print copy looks like. Some of recipes are very unique. However some of them are just regular cookie recipes with a few ingredients that were changed to make a cookie "Asian" like the salt to miso or soy sauce, and added some MSG to some.

I liked the section on traditional cookies the best. So nostalgic.

All the photos were beautiful.

One note of warning, this book doesn't do well on the kindle app on your phone.

I will be attempting to bake some ube cookies this weekend.

Description

From the IACP award winner and bestselling cookbook author comes a first-of-its-kind collection of irresistible cookie recipes inspired by Asian flavors and techniques to excite home bakers.

Growing up as a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American, Kat Lieu sought comfort in the flavors of her youth like taro and black sesame. But she struggled to find a home for herself as a third-culture baker in American bakeries, online, or in cookbooks. In the auspiciously titled 108 Asian Cookies Lieu honors the varied and rich tapestry of Asian cultures and ingredients that inspired these recipes. And along with members from Subtle Asian Baking, the online baking group she founded, are a diverse array of original and member-submitted drool-worthy recipes for cookies and bakes incorporating ingredients from the diaspora including gochujang, ube, miso, fish sauce, sambal, tahini, matcha, and MSG stirred into each batter and dough.

 

Bakers will learn how to whip up both classics and entirely new desserts such as:

 

Spicy chai cookies

Amaretti cookies with pandan and pistachios

Taiwanese snowflake crisps

Milk and cashew burfi

Salted egg yolk corn flake haystacks

Mochi brownies

Matcha and wasabi drop cookies

And even instant ramen and pho cookies!

 

At many Asian tables, “not too sweet” is the highest compliment one can give—so whether these recipes are comfortingly familiar or new discoveries, 108 Asian Cookies will be sure to delight even the most discerning “not too sweet” kitchens for years to come.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company | VoraciousI was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads-The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A. T. Qureshi

 

I purchased the first two books in the series so I could read them before reading The Baby Dragon Bookshop. I almost DNF'd this book. I DNF'd the second. My review for the first book is below. This book is about Emmy a dragon rider, and Luke, her enemy. He happens to ride a Chimera. The reason Luke is her enemy is because (SPOILER ALERT) he dated her sister for a week. Luke decided that he didn't like Emmy's sister and told her so.  He didn't cheat on her, he didn't abuse her, he didn't lie to her. He simply didn't like her after one week of dating. Emmy finds out and gets Luke to like her. Sleeps with him. Then dumps him. I'm sorry, but YTA here, not Luke. For years, Emmy has been rude to Luke every time she sees him. Somehow Luke still likes her. Her sister is happily married and has moved on. Not Emmy because she's the oldest sister, and she takes care of everyone. Like what?

(SPOILER ALERT) Another thing that happened in the book that boggled my mind. There is a character named Flint who runs illegal dragon racing. Flint is known to have spiked a drink of a girl who is like Luke's younger sister. Emmy doesn't know Flint's history. Flint strikes up a conversation with Emmy and gives her a hot chocolate. Not spiked. Luke sees and comes in seething. Rightfully so. However, he's too mad to tell her why he doesn't want her speaking to Flint. They stay mad at each other. So. There's a predator, you know about him. You see him talking to a woman, and he's giving her a drink in an open container. WHY didn't he just TELL her that? "Yes Emmy, I am angry but you should know that Flint is a predator." Seems like the decent thing to do no? What's worse is that later on in the book Emmy finds her young 18-year-old cousin talking to Flint. Emmy doesn't tell her cousin. WHY!? Flint is a bad person. Other than "he deals with dragon racing," which is illegal. She doesn't tell her teen cousin. Her female teen cousin. I get that the dragons might smell something off with the drinks and protect their riders, but why was this glossed over. It seems ick. Things like this left a bad taste in my mouth. 

Like the first story a lot of what happens is juvenile to me. If it weren't for the spice, which was awkwardly written. It could have been for teens. 

Emmy is the oldest adult child in an Asian family. I get it. So am I. She does take care of everyone. She doesn't mind it. She does get too much on her plate. It is sweet that Luke sees that and wants to take care of her. They are supposed to be strong, smart business owners. The story idea is also a great idea. It just wasn't executed well. But that's just my opinion; many people love this series. I don't plan on reading any more by this author. 

This book, along with the previous ones, has a system similar to a caste system. Those who ride dragons and are a part of the four main families. No one else can ride dragons. The people who have Chimera live on a different side of town. Dragons and Chimera don't get along. 

Will romance be the plot twist?

Emmy has an enemy, and his name is Luke. The good news? She rarely sees him. The bad news? When she does, she (and her pet dragons) are reminded just how handsome he is.

Besides, Emmy is too busy focusing on her dragon-fuelled business to have time for love. But when both she and Luke approach the same local investor for funding, she’s suddenly unable to avoid him. The kookie investor insists they must compete for the cash by working at the local failing baby dragon bookshop to prove their magical business knowledge.

Determined to win the funding, Emmy dives into the task. But making a very flammable bookshop fit for baby dragons is no small feat, and it seems these rivals may need to join forces. Could Luke and Emmy’s fiery animosity spark something more between them?

Tropes:

Enemies-to-lovers 🌞

Bookshop

 romance 📚Small town 🍂

Book 1 review

I read this so that I could read an e-galley of the third one. 

I love cozy romantasy and this had so much potential. However, there were numerous plot holes. There were problems that the author set up to be hurdles in the story.  Only for them to magically turned out to be non-issues. It felt like the author had an idea for a problem or hurdle in the relationship, but didn't know how to solve them, so they magically turned into non-issues.  For instance, FMC mother died dragon racing. They are not a Drakkon family, so that was a no-no. MMC didn't want FMC to know this because his family of dragon riders are supporters of the races, even though they are illegal and bad?  Later MMC tells FMC and that's it. Nothing. Oh okay. Mom made a mistake. MMC has been lamenting over the fact that he doesn't want to get attached to his dragon.  MMC doesn't believe in dragon racing, even if it's important to his family. He finally tells his parents, and it was so important to their family that they disowned him. Just kidding, they didn't. All the parents said was "no big deal". 

There is also a section where the two MC pretend to be married because there is this big secret ceremony that only dragon riders can go to, and FMC is not a dragon rider. They go, pretend to be married. The lady performing the ceremony is supposed to be an upholder of tradition and a hard ass about it. Of course, it turns out that it's a non-issue. The woman knows that the MMC and FMC are not married, but it's easily explained away. 

It could have been a teen book were it not for the spice, which was poorly written. I don't normally read spicy books, but even I know this wasn't good.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Avon Books UK | Avon. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: Selkie by Nataly Gruender

More Selkie books please! I like Selkie lore and this one is from the author of Medusa which I really enjoyed (so good!). This wasn't as good o ONLY because it was a little rushed in the end and I didn't want it to end! From the start I if course was angry for Quinn, I saw red when she was held against her will. I understood her feelings towards those adults around her. It made me sad. Reading her journey was so so good though. This didn't end like I thought it might, I'm sad about that but also happy with how it ended for some of the characters. Not happy for others. It was a quick read. I started it yesterday. Finished it today. 

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this egalley. I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions are my own 

Description

From the author of Medusa comes a beautiful and emotional story featuring a selkie: a mythological creature who can turn from a seal into a human. 

Seven years ago, Quinn finally dared to transform from a seal into a human and took her first steps on land. As a selkie, she is both a daughter of land and sea. But when a human stole her pelt, he stole her freedom as well, forcing Quinn to become his wife and bear his children. As legend tells, capturing a selkie will bring you luck, and she became a coveted prize.  

Constrained to a life that was no longer her own, Quinn longed for nothing more than to find her pelt and seize her freedom. Then one day, her eldest daughter hands Quinn her pelt and without a second thought, Quinn snatches it and escapes to the sea. But she's no longer used to swimming and doesn't know where her herd has gone. And after an almost disastrous encounter with her former husband, leaving her severely injured, Quinn doesn't have the strength to go searching.  

Instead, she finds herself taking shelter on a nearby island with a lighthouse and three lighthouse keepers. Quinn doesn't trust humans anymore and wants to stay hidden from the keepers. But she can't survive on her own. Can she learn to trust these humans and shed her hatred of all humankind? Or will she give into her fears and accept the monstrous fate that others have bestowed upon her? 

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Peasreads: Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter

 

3.75 stars! 

When I first saw this book, I thought, "meh, another billionaire trope". It'll be entertaining if nothing else. The thing is, it WAS entertaining. It was fun. and funny at times. Was it just too much of a coincidence that Abi just happened to have the same name as Abby? Sure. Let's face it though: how else do these stories start? Two people have a dilemma; they can both help each other out, and so they do. You know they will get together in the end so it's about the journey. This journey was cute. The only thing is that when it did end, I wish there was some explanation as to how they got together to their family and friends. 

Description

A millionaire and a house cleaner are a match maid in heaven in this sparkling new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happily Never After.

As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a building-wide outbreak, she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn’t have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn’t consider it, but he’s literally never around (she hasn’t even met him). It goes great…until one morning she finds two strangers in the kitchen. They’re the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they’ve heard all about Abi—not as their son’s maid, but as his girlfriend.

Declan Powell has always put his career first, working his way up to become an executive at his company, but he still has his sights set on the next level. When his parents mention that they met his girlfriend, “Abby,” he all but chokes on his escargot. As wonderful as it sounds that she was just darling, he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend—he made her up to get everyone off his back. When Dex finds out who Abi really is, he makes her a proposition: pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs during their little arrangement. What harm would it do? It’s purely business, no pleasure…right?

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Peasreads: The Floating World by Axie Oh

I already have this book on pre order and I just finished this e galley.  

This is a beautiful reimagining of the Korean legend of the Celestial Maidens. 

Axie Oh builds amazing worlds and has such interesting characters. The setting:The Floating World, the Underworld, and every where in-between in this book are detailed in description, unique, yet also familiar. Children playing in the streets, a favorite noodle house, buns being sold during a festival. It's all magical but also familiar. 

 The MC are both so likeable. Ren and Sunho were mature, brave, kind. Their friendship grew without drama from pettiness. It was refreshing and so healthy. The side characters were also likeable. Other than the bad guys that is. 

Such a great book if you liked The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Castle in the Sky, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. You'll love this one. 

I cannot wait for the second one. 

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Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for this egalley. I was not required to leave a review, all opinions are my own.

Peasreads: The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei

 I had so many emotions while reading through this book. It was such an emotional ride. The hardships of family, the breaking and healing of hearts, loss and gain. I couldn't put it down. I read straight through. 

I believe this is a debut author. I can't believe it. I suspect this book will be much talked about in 2025

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this e galley. All opinions are my own.

From the publisher.

In this dazzling debut, Stegner Fellow Jemimah Wei explores the formation and dissolution of family bonds in a story of ambition and sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Before Arin, Genevieve Yang was an only child. Living with her parents and grandmother in a single-room flat in working-class Bedok, Genevieve is saddled with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears, the shameful legacy of a grandfather long believed to be dead. As the two girls grow closer, they must navigate the intensity of life in a place where the urgent insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. Knowing that failure is not an option, the sisters learn to depend entirely on one another as they spurn outside friendships, leisure, and any semblance of a social life in pursuit of academic perfection and passage to a better future.

When a stinging betrayal violently estranges Genevieve and Arin, Genevieve must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love, home versus the outside world, and allegiance to herself versus allegiance to the people who made her who she is. In the story of a family and its contention with the roiling changes of our rapidly modernizing, winner-take-all world, The Original Daughter is a major literary debut, rife with emotional clarity and searing social insight

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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

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I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: The Sirens by Emilia Hart

 This book is so good.  It is a story of familial love, secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness. With a little more that makes it magical. Mermaids? Shipwrecks? Mystery?  Magical realism.? Resilience? Sisterly love and strength? Check. Check. Check. All the checks.

I liked these characters. I could relate to them in ways. I could empathize with them. Even when I thought I had the whole story figured out I couldn't find that last puzzle piece. That last piece did end up making me lose some respect for the person but in the end it tied everything together. That's the realism for you.  All in all a good entertaining read. 

From the publisher:

A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea. 

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I received this book from NetGalley and Macmillan. I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: The Enchanted Greenhouse- Sarah Beth Durst

 

I was enchanted by Sarah Beth Durst's world and writing from The Spellshop. The Enchanted Greenhouse is a standalone book that takes place in the same world. It tells the story of a librarian, named Terlu Perna. Terlu uses a spell to create a friend, a certain sentient spider plant named Caz from the first book. The spell is harmless but there is a problem. All magic is forbidden unless you're a sorcerer. The punishment was both swift and harsh as Terlu is transformed into a statue. The story picks up after a brief history of that incident to when Terlu awakens from her punishment in a strange place she's never been. There she meets the caretaker of enchanted greenhouses. He's the only person on the island and he doesn't really have any answers. Just questions of his own to a pretty big problem. The Enchanted Greenhouses are failing. One by one. He needs a sorcerer, but Terlu isn't one. Is there a way she can still help though? She is willing to take the risks as she and her new friends tackle the problem. 

I fell in love with The Enchanted Greenhouse and all its amazing rooms. I want to go back to this world. I hope we all get the chance to. This is the kind of cozy Cottagecore we all need for 2025.

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

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I received this book from NetGalley and Macmillan/Bramble publishers. I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

 

Before We Forget Kindness written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi tells stories about people who have come to a mysterious cafe to travel back in time. I have not read any books by this author but will definitely look for the other four in this series. This book can be read as a standalone.  Each of the characters are introduced and developed within the corresponding stories. There are four stories within this book, four people who want to time travel.  Each for their own reasons. Each story is heartwarming and heartbreaking in many ways. This review does not do justice to this book. It is one of my favorite reads of 2024. One of the very few five-star reads this year. 

From the publisher:

In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series translated from Japanese, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests:

- The father who could not allow his daughter to get married

- A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one

- A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents

- A wife holding a child with no name . . .

They must follow the café's strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. Another moving and heartwarming tale from Toshikazu Kawaguchi, in Before We Forget Kindness our new visitors wish to go back into their past to move on their present, finding closure and comfort so they can embark on a beautiful future.

Find more book reviews here under Peasreads.

Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard

This book is such a fun read. I loved seeing through a cat's eyes. Alex Howard tells the story of Grimalkin and his witnessing life in a 120 year span. There are beautiful touching moments and funny moments. I love the footnotes sharing the history of the times. I would recommend this book to cat lovers, dog lovers (me), anyone who likes historical fiction with a touch of magic and whimsy 

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I was under no obligation to leave a review.

 

  Find more book reviews here under Peasreads.

Amazon reviews Katereviews.

Goodreads reviews.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

I received this book from NetGalley. Like all the other books I have read from NetGalley, I am not obligated to write reviews. I liked this book so much I preordered a copy for my shelves. 

It is inspired by one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. 

Readers who enjoy historical fiction, strong female, and male characters, slow burn clean romance, Ancient China, and Chinese legends will love this book. It is about what it means to be a woman, a person. Where your value and worth lies. It is also about duty, war, revenge, and seeing both sides of a coin.

I truly enjoyed it.

Peasreads: Glass: A Cinderella Tale by Kathryn Lasky

 

From the Publisher:

Newbery Honoree and New York Times bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series Kathryn Lasky delivers an enchanting prequel to the Cinderella story from the perspective of a young fairy godmother.

In a grand glass house, there was a girl named Bess whose power would, one day, change the fate of her family. . . Bess Wickham has always felt like a bit of an outcast among her family of extraordinary glassblowers, but then an immense, magical power that’s lain dormant in her bloodline begins to emerge. So, when she suspects her family’s business has taken a sinister turn, Bess must find the strength to defeat dark magic and save a certain cinder girl. But will she shatter under the weight of such evil or get her happily ever after?

Peasreads: The Spellshop

 My thoughts: 

The Spellshop is such an enchanting, funny, entertaining read. I loved it! It is categorized as romantasy but it's so much more. I didn't feel like romance was the main theme. Which was refreshing.

This story is about loss, belonging, found family, love, friendship, and the power of community. Set in a world where magic is outlawed to everyone but the sorcerers appointed by the empower. There is a revolution to take back knowledge. MC Keila a librarian and keeper of Spellbooks flees the capitol city as revolutionaries burn the library down with as many books as she can save. Afraid of what might happen if she's found with the books Keila hides them in her childhood cottage. Her plan is to hold on to them until she can return to the city. In the meantime, she plans to keep her head down and speak to as few people as possible. Her hometown however is not as she remembered it. It is run down, the weather is completely unpredictable and dangerous due to magic being misused in the capital. Keila wants to help the town, but in doing so she may risk the discovery of the books.