Category: Book Reviews

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker Review

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“Everyone has terrible parts inside them, even if they pretend otherwise. You’re just honest about it,” Baker, The Keeper of Night.

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker follows Ren Scarborough, who is expected to obey the harsh rules of the reapers society. The reapers do not like her because of her mysterious Shinigami powers and her elusive mother. Ren doesn’t easily reveal her emotions and avoids those who do not like her. Eventually, she can’t control her Shinigami powers and she has to escape London.

She goes to Japan, accompanied by her younger brother and enters the Japanese underworld. She is looking for acceptance in a world that does not accept her. She thinks she’ll find it in the underworld, but even there she has to prove herself. She gets help from her younger brother and a new ally. She doesn’t know whether or not this new ally is trustworthy, and romantic feelings may get in the way.

I really loved this book! The writing was very captivating. Baker used the five senses extremely well which helped put me into each scene. I also thought the character development was exceptional. I could see the growth in Ren as she tried to find acceptance in a world where she wasn’t accepted. She struggled, but she came into herself, with the assistance of a new ally and her brother.

Her only consistent companion her whole life has been her younger brother and as they went on this journey to the underworld together, their relationship evolved, which helped each of them turn into stronger versions of themselves. I think there is a lot in this book for readers to relate to, such as Ren trying to find acceptance and a place for herself in her world.

Annotating is something I just started doing while reading and I highlighted and tabbed so many beautiful passages, which really speaks to the masterful writing. As a writer myself, I know revisiting these tabbed passages will help improve my writing and worldbuilding because the worldbuilding was also excellent!

I can’t wait for the sequel currently set to release on October 4th, 2022. This is a duology I highly recommend, especially for the fall time as it gives off those creepy vibes! Happy reading!

The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager Review

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“You withhold and withhold and withhold until that mental dam breaks and all those bad urges come spilling out, often causing harm in the process.”

The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager follows Casey Fletcher, a widowed actress who is trying to stay out of the public eye and some bad press. She’s gone into hiding at her family’s lake house in Vermont. She spends the majority of her time watching the house across the lake with her binoculars, while drinking (she is an alcoholic). The couple across the lake, Katherine and Tom, keep her captivated. Katherine was a former supermodel and Tom is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Eventually, Casey and Katherine become friends. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems on the isolated lake in Vermont. The setting, Vermont in the fall, provides a character all in itself.

The longer Casey watches the house, the more concerned she gets about what may happen to Katherine. It seems as though Casey is obsessed with Katherine and the house across the lake, but maybe she has reason to be? The few people left in Casey’s life are worried about her current activities. It does seem as though she is unnecessarily obsessed with the home on the other side of the lake.

As the reader, it was interesting to see the mystery unfold. I don’t want to give too much of a summary in a review for a thriller as I don’t want to give anything away, but it needed some description. I thought the plot twists unfolded slowly and with enough intrigue for me to wonder what in the world was going on. I haven’t read many thrillers, but this one had so many twists that made me scoff out loud while reading. It also gave me the creeps as I read it late at night.

Then when I was swimming in a lake the next day, the major mystery that drives the entire plot and story made me scared for a moment and thankful that I had just finished the book and that I wasn’t going to go back inside and finish it that night, after swimming. That’s all I have to say about it.

If you want an atmospheric fall in new England whodunit kind of story with frequent plot twists that will keep you guessing, then I would recommend The House Across The Lake, which I think works as a summer read, despite it taking place in fall. Though, of course, you can read it anytime of year, but it suits both summer and fall.

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan Review

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“May you always have a star to wish on, Abriella, and a reason to believe,” Lexi Ryan These Hollow Vows

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan follows Arbiella, Brie, who wants to avoid making deals with the fae. However, when her sister is captured by the cruel king of the Unseelie Court, she will do anything to free her. To free her sister, she will even betray her old childhood friend and crush, Sebastian, who has secrets of his own that will threaten their relationship.

Brie is a strong character who stands up for what she believes in and will go to great lengths to protect those she loves. However, she struggles with the possibility of betraying Sebastian to free her sister, which she doesn’t want to do, but she sees no other way. These Hollow Vows is a story of family, love, and magic. The world-building is spectacular and kept me on the edge of my seat as I wanted to find out more and more about this new fantasy world. The magic system was intriguing as well!

As I read, I wanted to learn more about how the magic worked in the fae world and how it affected the characters and their choices. The characters rely on magic a lot, almost to their detriment, and it was fascinating to see how they decided to work through their problems, whether by using magic or not.

The pacing of the story was excellent as well. There was hardly a dull moment and while it took me two weeks to read this book, that had nothing to do with the book itself. Whenever I had the chance to sit down and read, I always had a hard time pulling myself away from the book. This book also reminded me of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass, which is one of my favorite series of all time. I’m very excited to find another series that is similar, and yet very different. If you enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, I believe you might really love These Hollow Vows!

I can’t wait for the sequel, These Twisted Bonds. It releases very soon, July 19th!

Book Lovers by Emily Henry Review

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“Sometimes, even when you start with the last page and you think you know everything, a book finds a way to surprise you,” Henry, Book Lovers

Book Lovers by Emily Henry tells the story of Nora Stephens, a book lover and literary agent from New York City whose focus in life is on her work and her relationship with her sister, Libby. Nora eventually agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for a month in the summer with her sister. Libby wants Nora to finally be the lead in her own life, rather than always taking care of her clients. In Sunshine Falls, Libby attempts to get Nora to stop working in the evenings, which Nora struggles with as she is a workaholic. Libby wants to spend quality time with her sister.

Libby is pregnant and has her own struggles as a mom and with her husband. Nora wants to help her sister out, while also trying to figure out what she wants. Eventually, she meets Charlie Lastra, another book lover who works in the publishing industry. He’s an editor and also from New York City. Nora and Charlie’s working style clash, which creates for some great banter between the characters. It also adds to their character development over the course of the book which I found to be a very compelling facet of the story.  

I’ve heard that this is an enemies to lovers story, but I don’t think they were exactly enemies, but rather they just didn’t have the best first impression of each other. They did argue with each other, but they also discovered a lot about each other as they worked together, both on manuscripts and at the bookstore Charlie’s parents own in Sunshine Falls. I’ve read Beach Read by Emily Henry which I enjoyed, however, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I felt similarly about Book Lovers. Maybe it was just that I didn’t want it to end? I understand the hype for this book. It was very much a comfort read. It felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket with a hot cup of coffee or drink of choice. It’s perfect for bookworms and anyone who works with books for a living.

Another aspect of Book Lovers that I really enjoyed was the sister’s relationship. They had some difficult times considering their mother. They do things that their mother did to bring themselves closer to her, like movie nights together—watching their mom’s favorite films. This part of the book reminded me of Gilmore Girls. It’s the warm family scenes that gave me a Gilmore Girls vibe. Overall, I rather enjoyed Book Lovers, especially considering romance isn’t my favorite genre. I’m a fantasy lover, but I enjoyed Book Lovers so much more than I thought I would and I completely understand how it is so well loved! And it just came out a few weeks too, which is amazing that so many people have read it so fast!

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone Review

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“I open my eyes and press my hands deep into the mud. Light blooms at my palms. I am the sun. I am wildfire,” Clipstone, Lakesedge.

Lakesedge follows the main character Violeta, also known as Leta, on a journey to keep her brother, Arien, safe at all costs. He has forbidden magic that is coveted by the Monster of Lakesedge, Rowan. Rowan makes Leta and her brother, Arien an offer: a place to stay at Lakesedge estate, but he gets Arien’s powers, which would hurt Arien and Leta very much.

Little does Leta know, they are not by themselves at Lakesedge Estate. There’s the Lord Under, who is very threatening to Leta and everyone at Lakesedge, but Leta specifically. He is a very intriguing villain and I found myself quite invested in Leta’s relationship with him. I was also enjoying Leta and Rowan’s relationship. Lakesedge does a great job developing friendships between characters and making the reader care what about happens to them.

Leta is a strong character who will do anything to save those she loves, even if it hurts her deeply, which her bargain she makes with the Lord Under will hurt her more than she maybe realizes. Lakesedge tells an atmospheric journey with moments of sadness, but also tells a story of how far family will go to protect each other. The writing is fast-paced and extremely descriptive. I loved the images of the Lakesedge Estate I conjured up in my mind while reading. It felt like I was watching a movie in my head, which is one of the reasons I love reading so much. It’s great when a book is told so well that it feels effortless to read it.

I had a lot of emotions going through me during my reading experience of this book. At times I really felt for Leta and what she was willing to do to save her brother. She was willing to give up so much for him, that I was even more worried about Leta and questioning whether she was really going to make that bargain with the Lord Under. I hope the sequel, Forestfall, which is set to release September 27th, 2022 will answer all of these questions the ending left me with. In fact, when I finished reading the book, I sat on my couch in shock, wondering what in the world just happened. It had a great cliffhanger ending that will leave you wanting more and eager to pick up book 2!

This is already a new favorite book of mine for 2022 and definitely the kind of YA fantasy that I love to read.

Written in Starlight Review by Isabel Ibanez

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Companion to Woven in Moonlight (I suggest reading Woven in Moonlight first)

Written in Starlight follows Catalina Quiroga, a condesa who doesn’t have a country. She is trying to get her throne back after being banished to the dangerous jungle. She has to learn how to survive on her own, however, she runs into an old acquaintance, Manuel. He helps her navigate through the treacherous jungle. In the jungle, the dangers they face aren’t just poisonous plants and predators, but also the Illari, who are trying to figure out why the forest is dying. Catalina has a gift that can help them solve their problems, she just has to learn how to use it.

Catalina and Manuel knew each other when they were children. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other. I really enjoyed getting to know more about their friendship in the past and seeing how their relationship develops in the present. As a main character, Catalina grows throughout the story as she learns more about herself and the world around her. It was nice getting to see Catalina change as she navigates the politics of her world and trying to figure out where she belongs.

The descriptions of the jungle were very vivid and kept me intrigued while I was reading. Some of the explanations of certain creatures were even fairly graphic and had me cringing. It made for a very immersive read! The pacing was also very well done, with the tone of the book shifting about halfway through that made me even more curious about how the plot was going to end!

The banter between Catalina and Manuel was very fun to read. I could’ve used even more of that, but I enjoyed what was there. I was very invested in their story. I was certainly rooting for them as Catalina had to choose between duty and her own heart. Overall, this was a great adventurous read with magic, romance and friendships!

If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced story, I would recommend this one! Though I would say that reading Woven in Moonlight first would be a good choice. Happy reading!