House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb

"Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.


Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love."

Review

I can't rave enough about this book! Sarah J. Maas has an incredible talent for writing in such a way that I'm instantly immersed in the story and attached to the characters. Even as you plunge into the story and are a bit overwhelmed by the depth of the world she has created, I found myself caught in the current and unable to put the book down.

I love how strong and independent Bryce is and how she fights for what she wants and when she meets Hunt, sparks fly. I won't talk too much about the actual story as I don't want to give any surprises away, but I was completely gripped and went through a kaleidoscope of emotions throughout. There aren't many books which can make you laugh and cry within a few chapters, let alone pages!

This is an incredible new fantasy world and I can't wait to read the next instalment! I give this 5 out of 5.

The Author

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband, son and canine companion.

http://sarahjmaas.com/

The Vow by Debbie Howells

Blurb

"Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.

Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her. He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.

Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.

The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might."

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review

I was really intrigued by the concept of this book but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. I was keen to find out what had happened to Matt but I thought the execution was a bit clumsy and I found the conversations to be quite stilted at times between the characters. Also, one minute the police were being friendly with Amy, then they were suspicious of her, then they were chatting with her like they were friends... it was all a bit odd.

Amy's character has a lot of secrets, even from herself, and I enjoyed finding out her past as this unravelled alongside the main storyline. It was clever that you didn't really know who to believe between Amy and Fiona, the other woman.

Amy's daughter Jess was the best character in the book and her parts of the story kept me engaged. Although Jess' boyfriend Rik seemed a bit unnecessary to the story as she would ask him to look into something but then find it out herself.

I still think the author had a good idea for the story but the writing could have been improved. I really hate to write a negative review but unfortunately this book just didn't work for me.

I gave this 2 out of 5.

The Sight of You by Holly Miller

Blurb

"Would you choose love . . .
. . . If you knew how it would end?

Joel is afraid of the future.

Since he was a child he's been haunted by dreams about the people he loves. Visions of what's going to happen - the good and the bad. And the only way to prevent them is to never let anyone close to him again.

Callie can't let go of the past.

Since her best friend died, Callie's been lost. She knows she needs to be more spontaneous and live a bigger life. She just doesn't know how to find a way back to the person who used to have those dreams.

Joel and Callie both need a reason to start living for today.
And though they're not looking for each other, from the moment they meet it feels like the start of something life-changing.

Until Joel has a vision of how it's going to end . . ."

Published 11th June 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published June 9th 2020)
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review

You would think that being able to see the future would be a useful skill, but for Joel it is a constant torment. He lives in fear of the next dream about someone he loves where the dream predicts something terrible happening. Meanwhile, he is hiding his secret from everyone he knows which is making his life very lonely. I felt really sorry for Joel as he has lost hope for his own future and being able to do anything with his life.

Callie has been putting off following her passions and has recently lost one of her best friends.

As soon as they meet there is an undeniable connection between Joel and Callie but Joel is afraid to let anyone else into his life. He already lives in fear for his family and friends. They way the author writes about their relationship as it grows and changes was really lovely. I also enjoyed the cast of characters surrounding them both.

This was an incredibly moving and heartbreaking story, which is beautifully written between Callie and Joel's points of view. The only thing that I didn't like so much was when some parts of Callie's story were set further in the future than the main story which gave some things away before they happened - beyond the predictions of the future by Joel.

This was a beautiful read. I gave this 4 out of 5.

The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina

Blurb

"We all have something to tell those we have lost . . .

When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami, she wonders how she will ever carry on. Yet, in the face of this unthinkable loss, life must somehow continue. Then one day she hears about a man who has an old disused telephone box in his garden. There, those who have lost loved ones find the strength to speak to them and begin to come to terms with their grief. As news of the phone box spreads, people will travel there from miles around.

Soon Yui will make her own pilgrimage to the phone box, too. But once there she cannot bring herself to speak into the receiver. Then she finds Takeshi, a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of their loss.

What happens next will warm your heart, even when it feels as though it is breaking."

Published June 25th 2020 by Manilla Press (first published January 14th 2020)
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review

Set after the tsunami which devastated Fukushima in Japan in 2011, the story follows Yui who lost her mother and daughter in the tsunami. The story moves back and forth in time between the days immediately following the disaster and the years that follow.

When Yui discovers the phone box hidden in rural Japan where people go to talk to their lost loved ones, she makes the long journey to see if it will help her, but when she gets there she doesn't feel ready to speak yet. She starts to build new connections with the other people who visit the phone box in Bell Gardia who speak into the wind to feel closer to their loved ones. The author tells their stories tenderly and sensitively.

Originally published in Italian as Quel che affidiamo al vento (What we entrust to the wind), the book is based on a real place run by a couple in Japan which can be visited by those who are grieving.

This is a really beautiful novel exploring loss, grief and finding hope when so much has been lost. I gave this 4 out of 5.

The Author

Laura Imai Messina è nata a Roma e si è laureata in Lettere all’Università la Sapienza.

Si è trasferita a Tokyo a ventitré anni per perfezionare la lingua e da allora abita stabilmente in Giappone. Ha ottenuto un dottorato di primo livello in Culture Comparate presso l’International Christian University con una tesi sulla scrittrice giapponese Ogawa Yōko e ha conseguito presso la Tokyo University of Foreign Studies un PhD con una tesi comparativa sul tema della materialità nella letteratura giapponese ed europea. Attualmente è docente a contratto di lingua italiana in alcune delle più prestigiose università della capitale.

Laura Imai Messina was born in Rome and graduated from the Sapienza University of Rome with a degree in literature.

She transferred to Tokyo to perfect the language and now lives permanently in Japan. She obtained a first level doctorate in Comparative Culture at International Christian University with a thesis on the Japanese writer Ogawa Yōko and at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies she obtained a PhD with a comparative thesis on the subject of materiality in Japanese and European literature. She is currently a contract teacher of Italian in some of the most prestigious universities in the capital.

Website: https://www.lauraimaimessina.com/

Blog Tour Review: The Never Have I Ever Club by Mary Jayne Baker

Blurb

"Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life - until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.

Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on - but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.

From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn't take long for Robyn to realise what – or who – her heart truly desires: Will.

There's just one problem: he's Ash's twin brother.

Make that two problems: Ash is moving home... and he wants Robyn back."

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of the book and for allowing me to take part in the blog tour!

Review

Robyn is still really hurt and angry with her ex, Ash, who announced out-of-the-blue that he needed to go "find himself" in Australia and that he hoped they would still be friends. She has spent the last eight months wondering how she could have misunderstood their relationship so thoroughly and avoiding Ash's twin brother Will, who lives next door. She has known the brothers from childhood and they have been friends for years. Realising that she shouldn't lose Will's friendship because of her anger with Ash, they reignite their friendship but they soon realise their feelings may be growing into something deeper. Life gets more complicated when Ash returns and starts trying to win Robyn back. I really felt for Will who was so conflicted in his feelings between his love for his brother and his romantic feelings for Robyn.

Set in a small village, there is a cast of quirky characters who join together for Robyn's Never Have I Ever Club, which mainly involves the local pensioners getting up to mischief and making the younger folk blush! Although the club didn't feel like the main focus of the book I enjoyed the message of making sure you seize the day, especially linked with some more serious topics in the story.

I loved Robyn's aunt Felicity who is a force of nature and a lesson in how to be yourself and live life to the fullest and her best friends Freya and Eliot were fun additions to the story.

This is a hilarious romcom with fun, quirky characters and I highly recommend for light relief in this current climate. I gave this book 4 out of 5.

The Author

Mary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country... and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

Follow Mary:
Facebook: @MaryJayneWrites
Twitter: @MaryJayneBaker

Buy links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bRE036
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2RkFQSY
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2URi4zV

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