Search

Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

Open Search

Book Review: Don’t Let the Forest In

Rating: 3.5 stars

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality―Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork―whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster―Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

From beginning to end, Don’t Let the Forest In is a book that had me hooked, eager to know what would happen next. In particular, what drew me to reading this book was the horror that was unfolding, combined with its setting at an academy for wealthy students. I also enjoyed it due to the monsters coming to life were from fairytales that Andrew came up with that Thomas drew. While I feel like there’s never any real explanation given as to why these events unfold, I enjoyed reading about it all to find out what would happen next. There’s just something about monsters coming to life from stories people have written that always draws me in. And this book was no different.

What Don’t Let the Forest In also did well was incorporate themes into the book that connected to what was going on in the story. These themes can be seen throughout the story through Andrew’s character as he struggles to fit in at school and deal with his mental and physical health issues, along with everything that has changed upon his return to school. Even though Andrew wasn’t my favorite character in this book (I’ll discuss that later), I found myself still hoping for the best for him, as he went through a lot in this book.

I also enjoyed the little snippets of the fairy tales Andrew had written that were incorporated at the beginning of chapters, and the pictures of the monsters Thomas and Andrew encountered. I felt like seeing these in this book allowed me to imagine what Andrew and Thomas were dealing with at Wickwood Academy. But it also helped me relate to these characters, as I found I was able to relate to Andrew through his telling of dark fairytales. If anything from reading those little blurbs, I found myself wanting to read the stories Andrew writes to find out what happened in them.

With Don’t Let the Forest In, what I didn’t particularly like was the lack of character development and details in the story. When reading this book, I felt like there was no character development for Andrew at all. Yes, he eventually gets to a point where he’s able to deal with the monsters on his own. But when it comes to everything else that happens in this book, he acts like he can’t deal with anything. And there’s never any discussion around why his character acts this way or anything in the story that explains it. It makes it hard for me to like his character because there’s no growth for him in this book. What also bothered me was the lack of details regarding why these monsters existed to begin with. I figured that as the story went on, there would be an explanation here for why these monsters exist. But if there is one, I didn’t see it because it felt like they just suddenly were at their school. Both these things bothered me as I felt like I was reading a story with missing information that I would’ve liked to have to get more insight into the story.

What I also didn’t like with this story was the sudden twist added to the story and the ending. I felt like the sudden twist that was added to the story didn’t do much other than add shock for the reader and cause Andrew pain. It was also something I felt like was easy to tell had happened, considering how little the character involved was actually in the story. While it did make me feel sorry for Andrew, I felt like it didn’t add anything to the story here for me, other than explain why this character wasn’t as heavily involved in this book as I was expecting her to be. As for the ending, like several of the books I’ve read this year, it was an open ending. And like I said before with previous reads, I don’t mind open endings, but with the way this story was written, I felt like the way it was left made me feel like this story didn’t have a happy ending for these characters. With this book, all I can truly imagine is a grim ending for these characters, which wasn’t at all what I was hoping for.   

Overall, though, I enjoyed reading Don’t Let the Forest In because of the horror in the story and getting to see these monsters brought to life. Also, incorporating a little of the fairy tales Andrew writes and having pictures of the monsters was a nice touch that I enjoyed and wanted to see more of. I just wish there had been more with regard to character development, the twist in the story, and the end of the book, as those were the things in this book that I didn’t particularly care for when  I was reading this. But I still enjoyed it and recommend Don’t Let the Forest In to anyone who enjoys horror stories that take place at an academy.     

0

Book Review: Bring Me Your Midnight

Rating: 4 stars

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches and Wild is the Witch comes a lush romantic fantasy about forbidden love, the choices we make, and the pull between duty and desire.

Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven, but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

I enjoyed reading Bring Me Your Midnight, especially because of how magic is portrayed in the story. The coven Tana is a part of incorporates their magic through the perfumes they use, the tea they make, and they release the buildup of their magic during the full moon. I found all these aspects of their magic interesting because I had never read a story before where magic was used in this way. I also enjoyed the magic Tana learns about from Wolfe because it’s different from the type of magic Tana is accustomed to, and I enjoyed getting to read Tana’s reactions to his magic. The way magic was woven into the story felt magical in itself, and I was excited to continue reading this story to learn more about it.  

Another aspect of this book I enjoyed was seeing the relationships between the covens and the mainlanders. It was interesting to learn about the dynamics between the two different groups of people and learning the importance of an alliance between the mainlanders and the new coven. I also enjoyed seeing the relationships between Tana and the people closest to her. In particular, her relationship with her best friend Ivy and the man she was set to marry, Landon. Tana’s friendship with Ivy stood out to me because I could see how much they cared about each other even when they disagreed. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Landon, too. While he was marrying her more out of duty than love, I felt like I saw potential between them as a couple. A potential that I wish the story had explored further.

I also enjoyed Tana’s character in Bring Me Your Midnight. I felt like she was a wonderful main character for this story, as she was someone you could relate to. A character who pursues what she cares about, stays loyal to those she loves, and remains curious about what she discovers. Even though I couldn’t understand everything she was going through, I felt like I could relate to her when I was reading her story and wanted everything to turn out well for her. Especially her love of swimming, as that’s something I also enjoy.    

What I didn’t particularly like about Bring Me Your Midnight was the relationship between Tana and Wolfe. I didn’t feel a connection between them when I was reading this book at all. I also felt like her attraction to him was due to wanting something different from herself than what was expected of her, and because she enjoyed using the type of magic Wolfe showed her how to use. While I found his magic interesting and wanted to learn more about it, Wolfe’s character didn’t feel all that interesting to me.

What I also didn’t enjoy about this book was the lack of details in the story. I feel like Rachel Griffin does a wonderful job of describing the world Tana lives in. But I feel like there were a lot of details in the story that were never fully explained, which frustrated me. For example, with the decision Tana makes, it’s never explained how her choice will impact her coven’s relationship with the mainlanders. I was also frustrated by the many secrets Tana’s mother kept from the rest of the members of the coven (such as the existence of the old coven and the truth surrounding the moonflowers), and felt like an explanation was needed regarding why their coven didn’t know about these things. However, I wonder if this lack of detail frustrated me simply because I was so invested in the story and wanted more.  

Bring Me Your Midnight is a read I highly recommend. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys young adult literature and is looking for a different type of magic than they typically see. After reading this book, I feel confident that I’ll check out more books by this author in the future, as I enjoyed reading this book and don’t think I’d be disappointed reading some of her other works.               

0

Book Review: Sing the Truth (The Kweli Journal Short Story Collection)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Celebrating 15 Years of Kweli: A must-read collection of bold BIPOC voices.

Hailed as “The Paris Review of BIPOC literature,” Kweli Journal has been a launching pad for many of today’s most celebrated writers. This powerful anthology marks the journal’s 15th anniversary, showcasing 15 unforgettable stories curated by founder Laura Pegram.

With a foreword from award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, the narratives included in this vivid anthology explore the devastation of leaving home and the struggle to adapt to reimagined lives, lost loves, distant families, and buried pasts.

Featuring works from authors including Naima Coster, DéLana R.A. Dameron, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Daphne Palasi Andreades, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and Princess Joy L. Perry, this collection is a testament to the richness and diversity of voices often marginalized in mainstream literature. These stories delve into themes of displacement, loss, and resilience, challenging readers to broaden their perspectives and deepen their understanding of the human experience.

All proceeds from this collection go directly to Kweli Journal, ensuring the continued support of emerging BIPOC writers and the creation of a vibrant literary community.

I received a digital copy of this book on NetGalley for an honest review.

The collection of short stories in the Kweli Journal’s Sing the Truth was an enjoyable read for me. What I liked about these stories is how I felt like I was the person narrating their stories, like I was living their everyday experience. Even though I know I can’t relate to these characters and all their struggles, I didn’t feel that way when reading their stories. I believe a lot of that is due to how real these characters’ struggles felt to me, which is what I was hoping for when I read this collection.

What I also enjoyed reading Sing the Truth was getting to read stories from BIPOC writers. I’m going to be honest, I’m not always the best at reading a diverse set of books. I have a particular set of genres that I really enjoy reading, and I typically stick to reading books within those genres. However, from time to time, I find myself wanting to give other genres in literature a try.  That is when I find myself reading stories I typically wouldn’t, and end up discovering books I enjoy more than I was expecting to.

For me, whenever I read, I usually read books that allow me to escape reality. But I have come to realize, too, that I need to branch out when I read. And for me, that involves reading books outside of the genres I typically enjoy and reading stories that take me out of my comfort zone. As a white woman, I feel like it’s really important that I read stories from BIPOC authors and that I read stories about characters whose voices need to be heard. Stories that are not geared towards someone like me as their intended audience, but that someone like me needs to read all the same, because of the importance of reading about others’ struggles, even if you can’t necessarily relate to them. I also feel like it’s important to read works written by BIPOC authors because I see it as a learning opportunity about other cultures and to acknowledge the struggles people go through just because of the color of their skin. So, for me, I also enjoyed reading this book because of the stories being written by BIPOC writers and having the chance to read about struggles from a perspective I know I’ll never have to face.

What I also found enjoyable about the stories in Sing the Truth was the different themes. A lot of the characters in this collection struggled with loss, feeling out of place, and finances. I enjoyed these stories because they talk about these struggles and how the characters here get through the challenges they are dealing with. I especially enjoyed reading the stories in the collection that focused on loss because of my own experiences with loss that I’ve dealt with. I felt like I could relate to those characters and the choices they made to deal with the loss they were experiencing, even though their loss is different from mine.

There are only two things with this collection of short stories that I didn’t particularly enjoy: the characters and endings. Some of the characters in the short stories I didn’t particularly like. I don’t know for sure if the authors who wrote them made that intentional, but I found some of the characters unlikable. I felt sympathetic for them because of what they were going through, but didn’t like them because of some of the choices they made or how they treated members of their family in the story. The characters, in particular, that come to mind for me are the mothers in most of these stories because of how they used their daughters to get the money they needed. While I understood that they were going through a tough time and needed the money, I wasn’t okay with this aspect in those stories because I felt like the daughters weren’t given a choice in the matter, and the mothers didn’t act like they cared. I also didn’t like the endings for a majority of the stories in this collection. Mostly because I felt like some of the stories ended with no real resolution, or in the middle of the story I was reading, being told. They didn’t make sense to me because they left me feeling like there was more of the characters’ story the author had to tell.

But overall, I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories from the Kweli Journal’s Sing the Truth (link here for anyone interested in checking out their website to learn more about them: https://www.kwelijournal.org/ ). While there aren’t certain stories within the collection that stand out to me to name as my favorite, I enjoyed reading a variety of stories and reading about struggles told by BIPOC authors. Sing the Truth was published on May 13, 2025, for those interested in reading this collection from the Kweli Journal.            

0

Book Review: Out of Air

Rating: 4 stars

The deeper you go, the darker you fall.

Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. On a dive six months ago, she and her four closest friends discovered a handful of ancient gold coins, rocketing them into social media fame. Now, their final summer together after high school, they’re taking one last trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most – scuba dive.

While diving a local reef, Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But when Phibs and her best friend Gabe surface from the cave, they notice that they’re undergoing strange changes. Oozing gashes that don’t heal. Haunting whispers in their heads… Something has latched onto them, lurking beneath their skin, transforming them from the inside out.

When treasure hunters arrive, desperate to find the location of the cave and hold Phibs’ group for ransom, she’ll do anything to keep her friends safe. In the process she learns that, of all the dreadful creatures of the sea, she might be the most terrifying of them all.

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.

Out of Air was an enjoyable read for me. It’s the perfect type of book to read for anyone interested in learning about diving and anyone who enjoys the sea without having to leave the comfort of their home. The imagery the author uses throughout the story to describe where Phibs and her friends were when they went diving made me feel like I was right there with them, waiting to see what they would uncover next. And it made me interested in reading her story to see what would happen with her and her friends.  

What I also enjoyed about this book was the switch between the past and the present. I felt like it was a wonderful way to get to know this group of teens and get an understanding of their dynamics together. I also feel like it gave me a better understanding of what had happened to them six months ago, which had resulted in their little group getting the amount of media attention they received. It also felt like a great way to connect to what was presently going on because you can see how the choices they made then impacted their present.

Out of Air is also a book that has an overall great vibe, as I felt many different emotions while reading it. I feel like this is because, as the plot unfolds, you can feel the tension in the air as you know there’s something bad that’s going to happen, but you don’t necessarily know what. But with each turn of the page, you can feel it, which makes you want to continue reading the story to find out what’s going to happen. The pacing of the story in this book was just perfect for what was going on, so I couldn’t wait to continue reading it.

I even enjoyed the open ending. As a reader, I felt like it allowed me to interpret what I felt would happen with these characters after everything they endured. I do, however, feel like this book ended too suddenly for what was going on. This bothered me because I feel like there was more to their story that could’ve been told. I also feel like a lot of the conflicts in this book were too easily resolved, which could also be a part of why I feel like this story needed more story in it than what I read. The best example that comes to mind for me is when Phibs finds out who in her friend group is the one who kept their coin when she had asked her friends to turn them in. The reason we found out is that this character tells Phibs they kept the coin and tells her why as well. And then it ends up becoming a non-issue once it’s revealed, too, even though she’s been upset about it the whole time.      

If there is anything else with this book I didn’t enjoy it would have to be a lack of character development. Granted, I didn’t mind the story being told from Phibs’ perspective. But what bothered me was that I feel like with this book, what happened to these characters could’ve easily happened to anyone, as I feel like these characters didn’t have much of a personality to me. It bothered me, though, because of how much I enjoyed reading this book, that I wanted these characters to have a little more personality than they do.

But overall, I enjoyed reading Out of Air. It was the perfect read for me as someone who’s always loved the ocean and was curious to learn about diving. It also felt like this book provided the perfect amount of tension in the story, which makes you want to continue to read it to find out what happens next for anyone who likes stories that have tension in them. Out of Air was published on May 13, 2025, for those interested in reading this book.            

0

Book Review: Hades Saga (Books 1-3)

After I finished reading the Hades X Persephone Series, I knew I was going to read the Hades Saga too. I knew I needed to see how this story, told from Hades’s perspective, differed from Persephone’s and see if there was anything different about these books than the others. And this saga didn’t disappoint. Like with the Hades X Persephone Series, though, I’m going to discuss each of the books here so you can get a clear picture of what I think of these books.  

A Game of Fate (Hades Saga #1)

Rating: 4 stars

Hades, God of the Underworld, is known for his inflexible rule, luxurious night clubs, and impossible bargains. Use to control, he is not prepared to discover the Fates have chosen his future wife and Queen—Persephone, Goddess of Spring.

Despite her attraction to the god, Persephone, an ambitious journalism student, is determined to expose Hades for his cruel and ruthless ways.

Hades finds himself faced with the impossible—proving his future bride wrong. Despite his efforts, there are forces who wish to keep the two apart and Hades comes to realize he will do anything for his forbidden love, even defy Fate.

What I enjoyed reading A Game of Fate was not only getting their love story told from Hades’ perspective but also finding out more about the inner workings of the Underworld. In the books from Persephone’s perspective, you don’t get that because she’s never been there until after she’s met Hades. And I enjoyed it because you, as the reader, get to see what it takes Hades to keep everything going in the Underworld.

What I also enjoyed about the story here is that when Hades meets Persephone, there are other things going on that he’s dealing with. I enjoyed seeing this story from his perspective because I got to learn about what other things he has to deal with while he’s simultaneously falling in love with Persephone. I feel like this gives me, as a reader, a better understanding of why he acts the way he does in these books. I also enjoyed reading his thoughts when it comes to her, too, because the author does a wonderful job of putting us in Hades’s shoes.   

What I also enjoyed in A Game of Fate was seeing his interactions with Hecate and Hermes. I feel like this book does a wonderful job of highlighting the dynamics in his friendships with other immortal beings.

If there was anything with this book I didn’t particularly like, which I know I’ll more than likely say with the rest of the books in this saga too, it’s what information he’s keeping from Persephone. While I understand his need to protect her from things she doesn’t fully understand yet, I feel like he can sometimes be a little overprotective when it comes to her. But it feels like in this book, it’s a little too much since the two of them have just met and are still in the process of getting to know each other. Especially with him already knowing that she’s destined to be his wife.

As a whole, though, A Game of Fate was an enjoyable read for me in this saga, as I enjoyed getting to see their story told from Hades’ perspective and getting to see the inner workings of the Underworld realm that Hades rules. Also, just really enjoyed getting to see his interactions with other immortals and seeing his relationship with Persephone bloom.   

A Game of Retribution (Hades Saga #2)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Hades, God of the Dead, does not take sides or bend the rules. He makes no exceptions to these values—not for god or mortal, even his lover, Persephone, Goddess of Spring.

Usually, fear prevents retaliation. But not this time.When Hera, Goddess of Women, approaches Hades with a plan to overthrow Zeus, he declines to offer help. As punishment, Hera sentences Hades to perform a series of labors. Each feat seems more impossible than the last and draws his attention away from Persephone—whose own tragedy has left her questioning whether she can be Queen of the Underworld.

In comparison to its predecessor, A Game of Retribution was a much more enjoyable read for me. I enjoyed it because, as a reader, I continue to see what’s going on from Hades’ perspective. I also enjoy that I get to see hints regarding what’s to come later in this series through this book. I see this through Hera asking Hades to help her with her plan to overthrow Zeus. But when he refuses to help her, she chooses to put his relationship with Persephone through the wringer. You get hints of what’s to come plot-wise in the story through this because it’s apparent how much Hera can’t stand her husband, and we get to see her surrounding herself with the character who’s going to take advantage of that.     

This book in the series is the one where their relationship struggles the most. When seeing what had happened through Persephone’s perspective, I hadn’t understood as much why Hades hadn’t been around for her as much as he maybe should’ve. But after reading this book, I now understand why. I’m not saying, though, that you have to read A Game of Retribution to necessarily know that Hades has problems of his own he’s dealing with. After all, he is the God of the Dead, so it would make sense to me that things are going on that we wouldn’t be privy to. If anything, this just highlights to me how every relationship has struggles. But what matters when it comes to them is how you handle those struggles. And in this book, it’s very apparent how much Hades cares about Persephone with how he fights for them.

What I also enjoyed about reading this book is that I felt like I had more of an understanding of Hades’ character. I felt like I could see how much he cares about Persephone through the choices he makes to protect their relationship from those who want to destroy it.    

The one issue I had with A Game of Retribution is the same issue I had with A Game of Fate: Hades not sharing everything with Persephone with regards to what he’s dealing with in his life. If anything, it was more of an issue in this book for me because of what Persephone was going through. I felt like Hades acted a lot like he didn’t understand why Persephone was upset about losing her friend. I get that since they live in the Underworld, she would get to see her friend whenever she wanted. But with the way she loses her, I felt like Hades should’ve told her what would happen if she were to interfere with fate. I felt like if he had done so, things could’ve turned out differently here than they did. I’m not saying I blame Hades necessarily for how things turned out, but I do think he should’ve had an honest conversation with her about what happens when you try to interfere with the fate of someone when it’s their time to go.

But as a whole, I immensely enjoyed reading A Game of Retribution as I love reading this story from Hades’ perspective. I also enjoyed it because of getting to see the struggles he’s going through while Persephone is dealing with the loss of her friend, and what he’s doing to overcome his problems.

A Game of Gods (Hades Saga #3)

Rating: 3 stars

Hades, God of the Dead, has finally made Persephone his in every way possible. With their wedding on the horizon, the couple should be ecstatic. But Demeter is wreaking havoc on their bliss by battering the whole of New Greece with erratic and dangerous weather. At the same time, Theseus continues with his agenda against the Gods, allying with the hate-group Triad in an effort to bring down all of Olympus.

Hades refuses to allow anything to stop him from securing Persephone as his bride, but he must play a deep strategic game with the Gods of Olympus to safeguard their future. And it is not entirely clear which Gods are truly on his side.

Out of the books in the Hades Saga, A Game of Gods is my least favorite one. What I enjoyed about it is seeing the story being told from Dionysus’ point of view from when he was first introduced to Ariadne. And seeing how what the two of them are doing together connects with what’s going on in Hades’ life with Persephone. I found those chapters interesting because they brought to light some information I didn’t originally have before.

What I also enjoyed about this book was seeing Hades and Persephone’s relationship continue to develop. Seeing how they have overcome a lot of the issues that they have in this series as a whole. I also enjoyed seeing Hades’ relationships with Hecate and Hermes in this book continue to develop.     

However, there was a lot about A Game of Gods I didn’t like. In particular, it felt like, other than the chapters told from Dionysus’ point of view, there wasn’t a whole lot of new information I gleaned from reading this book. If anything, this book just felt like a complete retelling of the events that take place in A Touch of Malice, minus the chapters that are from Dionysus and Theseus’ point of view. Speaking of Theseus, I felt like his chapters in this book were completely pointless, as they didn’t add anything to the story for me and could’ve been completely taken out.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed reading this book. But in comparison to the rest of the books in this saga, it felt like there wasn’t really anything new that it brought to the story with these characters.   

As for the Hades Saga as a whole, I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed getting to see the story told from Hades’ perspective and getting insights into the Underworld directly from the God of the Dead that we never could’ve gotten from Persephone. I also enjoyed it because I learned what was going on in Hades’ life while he was falling in love with Persephone, and seeing their relationship continue to develop. My biggest issue with this saga was how much Hades doesn’t tell Persephone about what’s going on. I get he does it because he wants to protect her, but a lot of what’s happening is things that are eventually going to impact her life, too. So I feel like he just needed to be honest with her and tell her. But overall, as a whole, I enjoyed reading this series too.      

0

Book Review: Bride

Rating: 4 stars

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast-again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans she has been called upon to uphold an historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange. Again . . .

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was . . .

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory . . . alone with the wolf.

As I’ve never read a book by Ali Hazelwood before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Bride. However, I enjoyed reading this book immensely. I enjoyed learning about the world surrounding the characters in the story, especially learning about the dynamics between vampyres and werewolves. It was interesting to see how they would initially interact with each other. I also enjoyed this aspect of the story because I love reading fantasy. It’s one of my favorite genres to read because I enjoy getting to learn more about the world the characters live in and seeing stories told from the perspective of supernatural characters.    

I also enjoyed the overall plot surrounding Misery’s attempts at finding her missing best friend Serena. I found myself sympathizing with her as I wanted her to find her best friend and loved seeing her and Lowe work together to learn more about what was going on. What I also enjoyed about the plot was seeing the dynamics between Lowe and the other werewolves who were in his pack. It was interesting to see how werewolves function in this world, and I loved seeing Lowe explaining things to Misery so that she could understand what was going on.

If there was one aspect of  Bride that didn’t work as well for me, it was the relationship between Misery and Lowe. Werewolves and vampyres are described as being enemies in this book, yet I didn’t feel like Misery’s experience with the werewolves in Lowe’s pack was all that terrible. Even Lowe didn’t treat her all that terribly like I was expecting once they were married. So this book being described as enemies to lovers didn’t feel accurate to me because these two didn’t act like enemies to me at all. Also, while I enjoy Misery and Lowe’s characters, their romance in this book sometimes felt awkward to me. Not with every interaction, but anytime the two of them were being intimate with each other, it felt extremely awkward to read. That’s not to say I didn’t feel a connection between them or anything, but I felt like it was rushed with no time for either of them to truly get to know each other enough to get through the awkwardness that I sensed in their relationship.

Overall though, Bride was enjoyable to read. I enjoyed the story and found myself continuing to read to find out what happened next, enjoying the characters and the world they live in and learning more about the supernatural characters that made up this world. I just wish the story had fully delivered on the enemies-to-lovers premise and that the intimacy between Lowe and Misery wasn’t so awkward to read.  

0

Book Review: Hades X Persephone Series (Books 1-4)

So technically, there’s a total of seven books written by this author in this series if you include the Hades Saga too. However, as I haven’t read those books yet, this is my review of the books in this series from Persephone’s perspective, which is called the Hades X Persephone Series. I decided to read this series starting with these books first because it made sense even if it means I’m not reading these two series together in what’s considered the proper reading order. I also out of the two was more interested in hearing Persephone’s side of the story over Hades as well, which is why I decided to read these books first before reading the Hades Saga, which I plan on reading too soon. So below is my review of the four books in the Hades X Persephone Series, starting with A Touch of Darkness.  

A Touch of Darkness (Hades X Persephone #1)

Rating: 4 stars

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring by title only. The truth is, since she was a little girl, flowers have shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hopes to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible.

After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.

The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.

What I enjoyed reading A Touch of Darkness was seeing the love story unfold between Hades and Persephone from Persephone’s perspective. I especially enjoyed this retelling of this mythology because it’s a more modern take on their story with Persephone looking to become a journalist and have a normal life. And I enjoyed that because it was interesting to see where things would go. 

Seeing everything unfolding from Persephone’s perspective and reading her thoughts on what’s happening is interesting because you can see her character development. When she first meets Hades, she already has preconceived thoughts about him and publishes a story about him going off what her mother taught her to believe. But as she gets more engrossed in Hades’s world and learns more about him, she realizes everything her mother Demeter told her about this God is wrong and starts to question everything Demeter has taught her to believe. I enjoyed seeing her character development in A Touch of Darkness because you see her learn from the choices she makes and realize that not everything is what it seems.

What I also enjoyed about reading this book was the characters. I enjoyed seeing Persephone’s new friendships with nonmortals such as Hermes and Hecate and seeing her interactions with her best friend Lexa and other mortals that she starts to befriend, like Sybil. I also enjoyed seeing her interactions with the dead souls in the Underworld and Hades’s dogs. I feel like in this book, her character is working on finding her place in this world after being kept hidden by Demeter for so long, and am happy to see it through her interactions with those she considers her friends.

What I also enjoyed about reading A Touch of Darkness was getting to read about what the Underworld is like from Persephone’s perspective. I enjoyed every time she went there because it felt like there was always something going on but also because it doesn’t seem like all that bad of a place to go once you die. It also has always sounded like an interesting place to me even before I started reading this series so maybe that could be why I was interested in reading what it was like there.     

If I have anything I don’t particularly like about A Touch of Darkness it would have to be the lack of plot in this book compared to the others in the series and how quickly Hades and Persephone’s romance develops in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing Persephone trying to fit in as a mortal and going to the Underworld to try and make life bloom there. But in comparison to the rest of the books in this series, there isn’t all that much that happens here. I still enjoyed it because it gave a good starting point for these characters and what’s going on in their lives. But in comparison to the rest of the books in the series, the plot here is lacking to me. I also wasn’t as fond of Hades and Persephone’s romance in this book because I was expecting their romance to develop slowly between the two of them, but it felt like they were instantly attracted to each other instead. While I don’t necessarily mind that whenever I read stories with romance in them, I just didn’t feel like it made sense here because of Persephone’s upbringing and everything she was told about Hades before she met him. Granted, I know she realizes her mother lied to her a lot, but I still didn’t think she would immediately develop a romance with Hades. I figured their romance would start differently than it does.

But as a whole, I enjoyed reading A Touch of Darkness and found it to be a good start to this series about Hades and Persephone. It was a combination of mythology and romance that I found endearing and was excited to continue reading the next book in the series, A Touch of Ruin to see what would happen next.

   A Touch of Ruin (Hades X Persephone #2)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Persephone’s relationship with Hades has gone public and the resulting media storm disrupts her normal life and threatens to expose her as the Goddess of Spring.

Hades, God of the Dead, is burdened by a hellish past that everyone’s eager to expose in an effort to warn Persephone away.

Things only get worse when a horrible tragedy leaves Persephone’s heart in ruin and Hades refusing to help. Desperate, she takes matters into her own hands, striking bargains with severe consequences.

Faced with a side of Hades she never knew and crushing loss, Persephone wonders if she can truly become Hades’ queen.

Reading A Touch of Ruin made me glad to continue reading this series as I felt like you got to see here Persephone faced with a lot. From her relationship with Hades being discovered and published in the mortal realm, to her looking to write about another one of the Gods to get justice for a friend, Persephone’s life disguised as a mortal takes quite a turn.

What I enjoyed with Persephone in this book is that I could relate to her character. She goes through a lot in A Touch of Ruin that I honestly felt like I could relate to as the loss she goes through is one I know all too well and wouldn’t wish on anyone. In this book, she felt more mortal than God with everything she struggled with, and I found myself feeling for her in everything that happened. Yes, she didn’t make some of the best choices, but I felt like I understood why she made them as she wanted to save her closest friend. And that’s something I found I couldn’t blame her for even though it ended up causing more harm than good in the end.

What I also enjoyed in this book was getting to meet Apollo. He starts here as not an enjoyable character due to the circumstances he’s introduced. But then once Persephone gets into a bargain with him, I found myself liking his character because he very easily could’ve not helped her after what she tried to do. Instead, though, I felt like we saw a side to him I wasn’t expecting, and it made me want to see how things would turn out with him and Persephone becoming friends.

What I also enjoyed reading A Touch of Ruin was seeing the obstacles Hades and Persephone had to deal with in their relationship. Most of these obstacles were due to the world knowing about their relationship and finding out that Hades was keeping things from Persephone. I felt that their relationship going through struggles here was needed though because I wanted to see what happened with their relationship whenever things got bad between the two of them. And I wasn’t at all disappointed as I felt like their relationship grew from the struggles they dealt with in this book.

If I had to choose anything with A Touch of Ruin I didn’t particularly enjoy it would have to be the plot surrounding Persephone’s secret admirer. It’s not because of who it ends up being, I just personally felt like she was already going through a lot in this book I didn’t feel like she needed something else to deal with along with everything else. I’m glad about the way the situation ends because I didn’t feel like she should have trauma to deal with too along with her grief but just wish this wasn’t included as a part of her story. I get why considering the character and making it align with the mythology, I just personally felt like Persephone went through enough with losing her closest mortal friend and didn’t need something else to deal with along with coping over that loss.

Overall though, I would say A Touch of Ruin is probably my favorite book in this series. Because I found what Persephone was going through relatable to me so I felt like I could relate to what was happening in this book more as I felt like I was seeing her have human moments and see her and Hades go through struggles in their relationship that resulted in only making them stronger.

A Touch of Malice (Hades X Persephone #3)

Rating: 4 stars

Persephone and Hades are engaged. In retaliation, Demeter summons a snowstorm that cripples New Greece, and refuses to lift the blizzard unless her daughter calls off her engagement. When the Olympians intervene, Persephone finds her future in the hands of ancient gods, and they are divided. Do they allow Persephone to marry Hades and go to war with Demeter or prohibit their union and take up arms against the God of the Dead? Nothing is certain but the promise of war.

I feel like I enjoyed A Touch of Malice because it’s the book that for me does a good job of explaining what will lead these characters into war. This book does a wonderful job of setting the story for what will happen in the last book in this series as you start to see as this book goes on Gods picking sides when it comes to Hades and Persephone’s relationship. I feel like seeing them pick sides here gave me a good indicator as to what would happen once the war started. I also enjoyed it because I finally was introduced to the other Olympians, and you get to see the dynamics between all of them in relation to Hades.

What I also enjoyed with this book is I felt like you got to see Persephone’s character develop. She begins to truly learn how to harness her magic but also learns how to handle herself when it comes to interacting with other Gods. I especially enjoyed seeing her relationships with both her mortal friends and the Gods she’s friends with. Seeing her friendships in this book was nice as I felt like with everything that happened in the last book, she needed to have some moments with those she cared about to take her mind off her grief and the trauma she endured.

If I had to choose anything with A Touch of Malice I didn’t enjoy it would have to be the ending. I feel like all the conflicts that occurred in this book that would lead these characters into war didn’t truly build up until the end of this book and it all felt extremely messy and disjointed. Especially the big fight that occurs between Persephone and Hades against the Olympians, which ended up not being that much of a fight at all. But what bothered me about it was that it felt like the Olympians attacked her for no reason other than feeling threatened by her magic now that she was married to Hades. It also bothered me because it wasn’t much of a fight either as I was expecting casualties or for the organization that was attacking Gods to show up and start hurting characters on either side of the fight. It also just didn’t make sense for it to occur to begin with as it didn’t lead to anything significant happening other than discovering which Gods were on Hades and Persephone’s side in the fight, which wasn’t all that surprising to me. I felt like this fight could’ve been taken out of the book completely with how little it added to the story to me and the ending would’ve been much better without it.

The rest of what happened at the end of A Touch of Malice concerning Theseus didn’t bother me quite as much because, with everything that happened, it made sense to me. As the leader of the organization that was attacking Gods, it made sense to me that we would see more of his character and that he would bring about the war that has been talked about since the beginning of this book. The only thing that bothered me was what Persephone ended up doing. I’m not going to say more in case anyone reading my review of this book reads these books other than I felt sad for her with everything that happened to her and Hades. But at the same time, it made me ready to see what would happen in the next book too.

Overall I enjoyed A Touch of Malice because it set up the story of what was to happen next concerning the war and enjoyed continuing to see Persephone’s character development through the use of her powers. While I didn’t enjoy the battle between the Gods at the end, seeing how Theseus’s character is involved in what’s been going on was an interesting twist that made me excited to read the last book in this series to see how this series concludes.

A Touch of Chaos (Hades X Persephone #4)

Rating: 3 stars

Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never guessed a chance encounter with Hades, God of the Underworld, would change her life forever—but he did.

A fight for humanity and battles between gods, it’s a world Persephone never thought she would see. To end the chaos, she must draw upon her darkness and embrace who she’s become—Goddess, Wife, Queen of the Underworld.

Once, Persephone made bargains to save those she loves, now she will go to war for them.

While I enjoyed reading A Touch of Chaos, there were a lot of loose ends with this book that made it not as enjoyable as the rest of the books in this series. I will say though that I did enjoy the pacing in this book because events transpired quickly in each chapter. From the first page to the last, a lot was going on. I felt like I was on edge while reading, waiting to see what would happen next.

What I especially enjoyed here was continuing to see Persephone’s development through her powers. I especially appreciated it when she used her abilities to defend the souls in her home from the threat Theseus unleashed on the Underworld and when she went to get Hades back. I loved seeing her come into her powers as a Goddess and embracing them to help those she cared about be safe. There was also a lot of character development for her in this book with how she dealt with the deaths of those she cared about too, which made sense considering the number of characters that end up dying by the time this book is finished.  

I also enjoyed the introduction of Dionysus and Ariadne into A Touch of Chaos. I especially enjoyed seeing their relationship with each other as you could see how much Dionysus cared about Ariadne when I made it to the chapters told from his perspective. I wasn’t sure what the importance of their characters was here originally until Ariadne helped Persephone save Hades in the maze and you found out about her sister and Theseus’s obsession with Ariadne.

I felt bad for Ariadne in this book because of her sister and how he treated her and what happened to her and her sister in this book because of Theseus. What Theseus did to Ariadne in this book made me hate him even more than when I started this book so much that I couldn’t wait for him to die. Especially since I had to read about it from his perspective. As a warning, what Theseus does to Ariadne is extremely traumatic and the author does have a content warning at the start of this book concerning the traumatic things that happen within this book’s pages. So if you’re reading this post and decide to give this series a read, please make sure to read the content warning so you’re prepared for what’s to come.  

There were so many things that happened in A Touch of Chaos that while interesting, resulted in this book having a lot of loose endings, which made this book not as much of an enjoyable read for me. For example, I didn’t truly understand why Dionysus went looking for Medusa. With everything else that was going on, finding her didn’t seem like it should’ve been a high priority in the story as once he finds her nothing happens with her character in this book. I also feel like we don’t get any closure concerning what happened with a lot of the characters in this book. Like now that Ariadne and Dionysus are reunited, what’s going to happen with their relationship, and how is Ariadne going to recover from the trauma she endured from Theseus? Another example has to do with the Gods that are now dead. What’s going to happen now with these Olympians dead? Who’s the God that’s going to keep things going after everything that’s happened?  

I also in general wanted more of an epilogue with the characters that made it to see how their lives were after everything that happened as what we got while it was enjoyable to read, wasn’t enough. I felt like there was so much about what happened that was never discussed as it felt like everything just returned to normal once the fighting was over. I also wanted to see what happened with Theseus now that he’s one of the souls in the Underworld as his death wasn’t nearly as satisfying to me as I first found it when I originally read it. I wanted to see justice enacted against him in the Underworld and wanted to find out what they decided as his punishment there.

What I also found disappointing with A Touch of Chaos was the fight scenes. I felt like all the fights save what happens in the maze were easily resolved. Even when it came time to take down Hades’s father, it happened way too easily, which made me feel like something else could potentially happen to him later on. I also feel like there should’ve been something that happened with Persephone due to her taking someone’s life before their thread was cut, but that’s never truly addressed here either.

Overall what I enjoyed about A Touch of Chaos was how fast-moving the story was, Persephone continues to grow in development with her abilities, and the introduction of Dionysus and Ariadne into the story. Nothing else only because there were too many loose ends and because none of the characters truly get a resolution to what happens to them after the events in this book. As a whole though, I truly enjoyed reading the Hades X Persephone Series. I felt like this version of their romance was enjoyable to read as it was a unique take on mythology and can see myself reading these books again in the future once I’ve gotten to read the Hades Saga. Maybe the next time I decide to read this series, I’ll follow the recommended reading order to see what reading the books in that order is like.

1

Book Review: Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary #4)

Rating: 4 stars

Freedom never tasted so bitter.

A stolen love. A strangled curse. A heart of sin. And a fate touched in moonlight.

My men weave a tangled web around my soul, and I’ve formed a pack that will go to death and back for me.

The moon hangs low over my heart as the call of the endless sky draws me closer and I find myself lost in the abyss that was waiting for me out here.

Fate has left a bitter taste on my tongue, the haunting echoes of the past mocking me at every turn. But I’m not a pup anymore. And I won’t let another ten years pass without mending the rift in my heart.

Darkness draws near enough to devour me but I have forged a pack of wild creatures at my back and I won’t be pulled into the grip of despair.

I’ll find the stars in this endless night and force them to hear me howl.

I am Rosalie Oscura and I will claim my happy ending, even if I have to claw it from the hands of destiny itself.

This is the final installment in the Darkmore Penitentiary series.

This series is set in the world of Solaria five years after Zodiac Academy and ten years after Dark Fae and book one was previously published as Darkmore Penitentiary. There is some character crossover but all series can be read independent of each other without spoilers. The female lead will end up with more than one love interest.

I reread the previous books in this series before I read this last book, Wild Wolf since it had been a while since I had picked up the Darkmore Penitentiary series. And I’m glad I did as this book does a wonderful job of bringing you back into the world of its characters and the story told within its pages. Like with its predecessors, this book didn’t disappoint as it was a good way to end this series that I had come to enjoy.

What I enjoyed about reading Wild Wolf is that there was quite a bit of character development between all of the guys Rosalie cared about. I felt like they were all starting to get along once they were out of the prison, like they finally understood why Rosalie cared about each of them. I felt like I saw this through all of the guys working together to help Roary with what he was going through and then once again when they all fought together against the main antagonists. I especially enjoyed seeing Cain and Roary develop a good relationship with each other as the book went on because I wasn’t expecting it, so it was nice to see. I also enjoyed the connection between Sin Wilder and some of the characters from Zodiac Academy as it was a twist in his character that I wasn’t expecting but was happy to see as I felt like Sin deserved to find out where he came from and I’m glad that was included here.

I also enjoyed seeing the connection between Cain’s past and Zodiac Academy concerning the main antagonists involved. It made me feel like with this last book in the series, the authors were connecting all of these series together that are set in Solaria, and I enjoyed it immensely. I will say though that I was disappointed in how easily the antagonists are defeated here because I was expecting more of a fight than what ends up happening. But I am glad with how things turn out in this book.

What I also enjoyed with Wild Wolf was the story itself. I was curious to find out what would happen once they got out of prison and this book didn’t disappoint. Yes, what happens to Roary is terrible and I wish it didn’t have to happen after everything he had already been through in these books. But at the same time, I’m glad it did because it brought all of the characters together when I wasn’t sure how that was going to happen. I also felt like there were a lot of good moments in this book with these characters that made this book even more enjoyable for me to read and I was glad that I decided to finish reading this series.

If I had to choose anything with regards to Wild Wolf that I didn’t particularly enjoy it would have to be with how Hastings’ character is portrayed. I initially liked his character in this series but didn’t like that his character was in this book to provide comedic relief. Especially because I felt like his chapters weren’t necessary as they didn’t add anything to the plot of the story. I felt like he was just in this book as a distraction from what was going on and I feel like nothing he did help Rosalie and the rest of the characters. If anything, I feel bad for him in this series because he gets used by Rosalie while she’s in the prison and then once he leaves the prison, he is used again as a way to distract from what Rosalie and the rest of the characters are going through. Don’t get me wrong, I overall like his character. Just not the way he ends up portrayed in this book like he’s weak and can’t handle doing things on his own.

What I also didn’t enjoy with this book is what Roary goes through as I feel like saving him and helping him get what he’s lost takes over as the main plot of this book. Yes, I enjoyed it because his struggle here results in deeper character development for Cain, Sin, and Ethan. But at the same time, the focus ends up being on saving him with what’s going on versus stopping the antagonists from doing what they did to him to others. And I feel like it doesn’t end up mattering anyway because while he gets what he lost back, he also has something else that none of the other characters in this world have and I feel like it’s never explained what this truly means.

But as a whole, I enjoyed reading Wild Wolf. It was a good last book for this series, and it was nice to see all of the characters working together and to see them all get the happy ending they truly deserve. 

0

Book Review: At Last Sight (Witch City #2)

Rating: 4 stars

At Last Sight, book two in the Witch City series, follows Imogen, a reluctant clairvoyant on the run from her past, and Cade, the stubborn detective determined to give her a future…

Imogen Warner has spent ten years running scared.

After a childhood in the spotlight, the clairvoyant left home at fifteen without looking back. In the decade since, she’s moved from place to place like a ghost, keeping her head down, her powers hidden, and her name out of the newspapers. But anonymity is no longer an option when she finds herself in Salem, Massachusetts.

Despite Imogen’s initial determination to hold everyone at arm’s length, she’s quickly caught up in the unique magic of the town — and its eccentric residents. She feels at home for the first time in… forever. At least, until an annoyingly persistent — and annoyingly handsome — local detective demands she use her unique abilities to help solve his latest case.

Cade Hightower never runs from a fight.

The decorated detective thrives on a challenge, whether it’s with the case files on his desk or the women in his bed. He’s instantly captivated by the beautiful new arrival in his town — the one with the witchy eyes and the mysterious past. The more he interacts with Imogen, the more he wants to peel back her layers one by one. (And, while he’s at it, peel off her clothes piece by piece.)

Too bad he’s got no time for either. Cade’s top priority is tracking down the young trick-or-treater who vanished seemingly into thin air on Halloween night. And he’s willing to use any tactic — even Imogen’s unconventional ones — to bring the child home before it’s too late.

Tensions — and tempers — run hot in this opposites-attract romance set in the infamously witchy city of Salem. At Last Sight is a total standalone romance of 140,000 words, balancing a fair bit of suspense with spicy scenes, spooky moments, and lots of laughs. (Note: while the story is a total standalone, it does contain some crossover characters and settings from book one, Bad Luck Charm.)

Like I enjoyed reading Bad Luck Charm last year, I enjoyed At Last Sight just as much. This second book in this series reminded me why I enjoyed reading these books so much, from the witty back-and-forth banter between Imogen and Cade to Imogen’s interactions with the residents in Salem. What made this book stand out from its predecessor was that as a reader, we could see the story told from the perspective of someone freshly arriving in Salem, Massachusetts. So when Imogen was explaining what this place was like, we were able to see the quirkiness and charm of this place vividly.

I also enjoyed Imogen as a character. Yes, she has quite the baggage which results in a lot of trauma that her character hasn’t fully healed from due to her always being on the run. But as the book goes on, you see the immense character development of her character as she starts to realize that Salem is where she wants to be, and she learns to trust the people of Salem when she usually struggles to trust anyone. I also found her to have quite a bit of personality through her interactions with Cade. When seeing these two characters together, I already knew there was something there as it was very apparent from the moment Cade came up to her car and offered his help. So I was excited to see how things would unfold between Imogen and Cade as I continued reading their story.

What I also enjoyed about reading At Last Sight was getting to see the same characters from Bad Luck Charm play a role in Imogen’s story. Which makes sense since Imogen got a job at Gwen’s shop. But it was still nice getting to see Gwen, Florence, Desmond, Sally, Agatha, and Graham again even though Imogen’s story seems to take place shortly after the events in the first book in this series. I enjoyed this too though as it feels like this book picks up where its predecessor left off but with different characters as main characters. I also loved how these characters welcomed Imogen into their lives even with her initially hesitating in opening up about her past. It was nice because it was obvious how much Imogen was struggling with wanting to make friends in Salem since she was initially planning to leave as soon as she could.

I especially loved the romance between Imogen and Cade and the other story that’s happening while their romance takes off. Like I said earlier, from the moment Cade helped Imogen with her car, I felt like I could see the connection between the two of them. As the story goes on, I find myself loving their relationship more and more because you can see how much they care about each other. I also loved the story here with regards to the missing boy that was happening while you get to see Imogen and Cade’s relationship develop. I enjoyed this aspect of the story because you get to see Imogen’s character develop as the characters in the story want her to use her gift and trust that she’ll be able to help save him. I feel like this helps Imogen realize she has a home in Salem, and she doesn’t have to run from her past anymore because she’s gained some friends in her life that will support her.

If there was anything with At Last Sight I didn’t particularly enjoy it would have to be how easily the conflicts in this book were resolved. The best example that comes to mind for me is Imogen’s past with her ex-boyfriend Adrian and her uncle. I felt like the aspects of Imogen’s past that she was running away from were just easily resolved in this book. A lot faster than I was expecting whenever Imogen starts talking about her past with the friends she’s made in Salem and Cade. It almost made it feel like her story was far from being told or like the trauma she was running away from was something that could be resolved with only a few words. This bothered me only because I felt like these aspects of her story should’ve been fleshed out a little more than they were.

As a whole though, At Last Sight was a wonderful read and I enjoyed it immensely. It was nice to see all of these characters again and to see Cade have his happy-ever-after with Imogen. Can’t wait to read the next book in the Witch City series, Worst Laid Plains whenever it comes out as I know I will enjoy it.   

1

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑