ARC Review: “Persephone Made Me Do It” by Trista Mateer

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Title: Persephone Made Me Do It

Author: Trista Mateer

Genre: Poetry / Mythology / Feminism

Pages: 176

My rating: ★★★★★

Read from: 11.12.23 – 29.12.23

The E-Arc of Persephone Made Me Do It was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis:

Following her previous work in this series, Mateer weaves together mythology, tarot, poetry, and conversation to reveal a new side of a very old story. Alternating between the perspectives of poet and goddess, Persephone’s lore is explored, related to modern issues, and ultimately reclaimed.

“You want to talk about duality? You want to talk about love? Let us speak instead of chaos.”

In this new collection of art and feminist verse from Trista Mateer, Persephone might have flowers in her hair—but she is out for blood.

My Review:

This was phenomenal! My favorite thing about this poetry book was the mixture of poems and pictures, the whole collection felt very explorative in its style. I have always felt drawn to Persephone’s myth, and I definitely feel like this poetry collection does her justice. The poems are emotional, they are unforgiving, and they bring us on a journey. Mateer explores Persephone’s story and relates it to the realities of modern girlhood and womanhood. Reading Persephone Made Me Do It was truly a wonderful experience, and I am definitely going to continue reading Mateer’s poetry. If you enjoy feminist poetry, Greek myth, or even better – both, then you should check this book out!

With one hand you must hold on to the girl you used to be, and with the other hand you must embrace whatever you are becoming.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “Eighty Days” by A.C. Esguerra

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Title: Eighty Days

Author: A.C. Esguerra

Genre: Graphic novel, LGBTQIA+, Romance, Historical fiction, Fantasy

Pages: 328

My rating: ★★★★☆

Read from: 12.04.24 – 12.04.24

The E-Arc of Eighty Days was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis:

“Map A Course, Arrive Safe Home. That’s The Measure Of Your Achievement.”

A pilot wants nothing more than to fly. Or so he thought, until he crosses paths with a mysterious thief whose tricks draw him into unchartered territory and new adventure. In a life where the truth changes as quickly as clouds in the sky, the pilot must decide for himself what freedom really means. Award-winning cartoonist A.C. Esguerra presents an unforgettable love letter to flight, the quest for freedom and the greatest adventure of all – love.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this! The artwork is beautiful, even though it is at times difficult to read (especially fighting scenes). Do not be fooled by the stunning and colorful cover though, this is a darker story that has war and oppression as its backdrop. That being said, the main focus of the story is the blossoming love and the hopeful quest for freedom.

I found the story captivating. I was immediately intrigued by the pilot Jay and his growing relationship with Fix, a thief turned radio operator. I also really loved Sable’s character and following her as she rose in the enemies’ ranks. The war used as a backdrop for the story seems to be based on WW2, and the organization AVO who has replaced governments and who controls the skies reeks of fascism. I think the author blended the love story at the heart of it all with the rally against oppressive governments and the fight for freedom really well! I highly recommend this graphic novel.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “The Pumpkin Spice Café” by Laurie Gilmore

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Title: The Pumpkin Spice Café

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Genre: Romance

Pages: 267

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Read from: 07.10.23 – 15.10.23

The E-Arc of The Pumpkin Spice Café was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

My Review:

This was a very cute little small town romance. It has wonderful fall vibes and fits perfectly into the season of pumpkin spice everything. It has the typical plot of a character who moves to a small town from the big city and discovers a different way of life, which is something I enjoy reading about every now and then! Surprisingly enough, the story also has an element of mystery where the café Jeanie has taken over seems to be haunted. However, the main part of the book is definitely the romance. It was a little too insta-lovey for me, but there was enough tension and spice that I found it compelling nonetheless!

The thing that has me keeping the rating down at a 3/5 is mostly the communication between the main characters. There’s a little bit of the miscommunication trope, which I loathe. I also found the third act breakup to be both painfully obvious and incredibly stupid. It should not have happened.

The book is definitely not a complex, deep story that needs analyzing. It’s a feel-good fall romance, with an enjoyably tropey and cheesy story. So whenever you’re in the mood for the latter, I recommend giving this one a go!

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “War” by Laura Thalassa

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Title: War

Author: Laura Thalassa

Genre: Fantasy romance

Pages: 502

My rating: ★★★✭☆

Read from: 02.06.23 – 21.07.23

The E-Arc War was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

The day Jerusalem falls, Miriam Elmahdy knows her life is over. Houses are burning, the streets run red with blood, and a traitorous army is massacring every last resident. There is no surviving this, especially not once Miriam catches the eye of War himself. But when the massive and terrifying horseman corners Miriam, he calls her his wife, and instead of killing her, he takes her back to his camp.

Now Miriam faces a terrifying future, one where she watches her world burn town by town, and the one man responsible for it all is her seemingly indestructible “husband”. But there’s another side to him, one that’s gentle and loving and dead set on winning her over, and she might not be strong enough to resist.

However, if there’s one thing Miriam has learned, it’s that love and war cannot coexist. And so she must make the ultimate choice: surrender to War and watch humankind fall, or sacrifice everything and stop him.

My Review:

This is the second book in a series, but this review will be spoiler-free for both books. The only thing I will say is that War didn’t quite live up to my expectations after reading and loving Pestilence.

I struggled a little with this story, it didn’t feel as engaging as the first book and I didn’t like War very much. However I have to admit that by the end of the book I was bawling. This is one of those books where the ending makes every earlier struggle so worth it! Seeing War slowly but surely change and gain insight into what humanity should look like and can look like was wonderful. War, similarly to Pestilence, is a book about the human condition and how humanity can still prosper even in the darkest of times. That is what I love most about these books!

I found War’s character very interesting, once I got over my initial dislike for him. He is supposed to have grown from every war there’s ever been, which means that all he knows of humans is how they are during war. This again has had a direct impact on his own personality. He therefore has a very bleak image of humans, which means that our fmc Miriam had her work cut out for her if she wanted to influence War’s campaign at all. Even though the story felt like it dragged a little in the beginning and middle, I still really enjoyed it! I would honestly rather have it drag a little than have a rushed plot, or a rushed romance.

If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend checking it out! With how much I have enjoyed the first two books, I’m really excited to continue the series. I hope it keeps exploring humanity’s quest of self-preservation and our deep capacity for goodness even in the face of all that we fear!

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “Bewitched” by Laura Thalassa

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Title: Bewitched

Author: Laura Thalassa

Genre: Fantasy romance

Pages: 443

My rating: ★★★✭☆

Read from: 09.05.23 – 17.05.23

The E-Arc Bewitched was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Come to me, Empress …

At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene’s magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.

Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon’s help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.

My Review:

I have to start this review with what I loved the most: the world-building and the magic! Selene suffers memory loss every time she uses her magic. The amount of memories she loses depends on how strong the magic she uses is. This means that every time she wants to use her magic, she has to consider whether it will be worth losing some of her memories. This made for a very interesting twist on a story about a witch trying to get into a coven where she might study magic. I have also always enjoyed reading about witches and other supernatural creatures, which means that I enjoyed this a whole lot, what with there being werewolves around the school area as well!

I also really loved the plot of the story. The suspense around witches at campus suddenly dying and this perhaps ancient evil Selene has awoken made for a fast-paced story! There’s also other intriguing things to learn as we read, but I won’t mention any spoilers. The cast of characters could have been a little wider in my opinion, but Selene’s best friend almost makes up for it by being such a wonderful side character to have!

The thing that dragged this book down a bit for me was the anti-hero himself: Memnon. At first I loved him and the mystery surrounding him. But as the story progressed he kept doing horrible things, which I can excuse up to a point because I love villains and anti-heroes. Sadly he crossed the line in my mind and did something unforgivable, to the extent that I now hate the fact that there’s a romantic subplot between him and Selene. Which doesn’t bode too well for a fantasy romance. I don’t know yet if I’ll continue with the series. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. But, I have seen lots of other reviews where people love Memnon and where they don’t think he crossed any lines, so it’s definitely up to interpretation! You might not hit the same wall as me.

If you love fantasy romances, witchy stories, ancient evils, and anti-heroes, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “The Ghosts of Sherwood” by Carrie Vaughn

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Title: The Ghosts of Sherwood

Author: Carrie Vaughn

Genre: Fantasy, novella

Pages: 112

My rating: ★★✭☆☆

Read from: 08.04.23 – 09.04.23

The E-Arc The Ghosts of Sherwood was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Everything about Father is stories.

Robin of Locksley and his one true love, Marian, are married. It has been close on two decades since they beat the Sheriff of Nottingham with the help of a diverse band of talented friends. King John is now on the throne, and Robin has sworn fealty in order to further protect not just his family, but those of the lords and barons who look up to him – and, by extension, the villagers they protect.

There is a truce. An uneasy one, to be sure, but a truce, nonetheless.

But when the Locksley children are stolen away by persons unknown, Robin and Marian are going to need the help of everyone they’ve ever known, perhaps even the ghosts that are said to reside deep within Sherwood.

And the Locksley children, despite appearances to the contrary, are not without tricks of their own…

My Review:

I have to preface this review with saying how little I apparently remember of the story of Robin Hood. I fear my reading experience with The Ghosts of Sherwood is colored by the fact that I didn’t know who many of the main characters even were, such as the infamous ghost of Sherwood after whom the novella gets its name. I also haven’t actually read any stories about Robin Hood, all my knowledge comes from the animated movie. This means that my rating is most likely much lower than it would have been if this novella had allowed me to return to a well-known and well-loved story.

The novella is quite short, which means that it’s a fast read. This works partly in its favor, because the story doesn’t drag and it kept me interested throughout. But it also works disfavorably, because I wanted so much more than it was able to give. I only barely got to know these wonderful and brave children of Robin Hood before the story was over. I also think it was a little too messy to shift povs in such a short story, rather than focusing on just one character. That being said, I did find the story and the characters engaging and I would have loved to read more about them! I definitely think this novella could be a hit for a younger audience who is familiar with Robin Hood’s story. Sadly, that audience was not me.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “Pestilence” by Laura Thalassa

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Title: Pestilence

Author: Laura Thalassa

Genre: Paranormal Romance, New Adult

Pages: 416

My rating: ★★★★✭

Read from: 15.04.23 – 17.04.23

The E-Arc Pestilence was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They came to earth–Pestilence, War, Famine, Death–four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him.

And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she’ll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

My Review:

I was caught off guard with how much I loved this book! I had not read anything by Thalassa prior to this novel, but I’d had her on my radar, so when I got approved for this arc I was very excited to give it a go. Suffice it to say I will be reading the entire series, wow.

What I loved most about this book is the way it deals with themes of religion and suffering. Pestilence travels the earth spreading his plague, not caring about all the people who die because of him. Until, as the book progresses, we get to witness humanity’s effect on him and the way he grows as a character. Similarly, we get to witness how traveling with him changes Sara and how her perspective on life is challenged by him. I’ve always been interested in the four horsemen and the idea of humanity being so far gone that god himself sends them to wipe us out, I feel like it echoes a lot of today’s issues with man-made climate change, war, etc. It will also be exciting to see how Thalassa deals with hope and the struggle of redemption as the series progresses and more horsemen start roaming the earth.

The relationship between Pestilence and Sara is positively swoon-worthy. Pestilence is very much a character who experiences adoration and lust completely against his will, which I love. The emotional turmoil of Sara’s growing feelings was also appreciated, it made the romance feel believable and kept Stockholm syndrome at bay (in my opinion). Watching Pestilence try to navigate how relationships work was also very entertaining. Generally watching him try to understand how being human works was fun.

This story had everything! Excellent pacing, enemies-to-lovers, character growth, interesting themes, and emotional turmoil both for the characters and for me. I highly recommend this to any romance lover, especially if you love paranormal romances.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “In the Lives of Puppets” by T.J. Klune

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Title: In the Lives of Puppets

Author: T.J. Klune

Genre: Fantasy, sci-fi, queer, adult

Pages: 432

My rating: ★★★★✭

Read from: 12.02.23 – 22.03.23

The E-Arc In the Lives of Puppets was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots–fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio – a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

My review:

I’m a huge fan of Klune’s whimsical fantasy stories, so I had high hopes for this one, and it definitely delivered! I immediately fell in love with the cast of characters, my favorite probably being Nurse Ratched. I loved their interactions and the way they all worked to support each other and lift each other up!

This was much more of a sci-fi adventure than the cozy fantasy I was expecting, and I didn’t connect as deeply with the story as I was hoping, which is why it gets a 4,5 rating instead of a full 5 stars. However, the heart of the story and the emotional depth that I’ve come to love from Klune is definitely present. The story explores both what it means to be human and what having a heart means. There are plot twists (that I didn’t even see coming, which was nice) and the story has a good drive to it!

This book is beautiful and profound. I wholeheartedly recommend you check it out! Especially if you’ve enjoyed Klune’s earlier work, or if you love emotionally wrecking fantasy/sci-fi adventures.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here

ARC Review: “The Holiday Trap” by Roan Parrish

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Title: The Holiday Trap

Author: Roan Parrish

Genre: Romance, christmas, queer

Pages: 428

My rating: ★★★★☆

Read from: 26.12.22 – 28.12.22

The E-Arc The Holiday Trap was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, even if they don’t always understand what it’s like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. She desperately needs space to figure out who she is.

Truman Belvedere has just had his heart crushed into a million pieces when he learned that his boyfriend of almost a year has a secret life that includes a husband and a daughter. Reeling from this discovery, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far, far away from New Orleans.

Enter Greta and Truman’s mutual friend, Ramona, who facilitates a month-long house swap. Over the winter holidays, each of them will have a chance to try on a new life…and maybe fall in love with the perfect partner of their dreams. But all holidays must come to an end, and eventually Greta and Truman will have to decide whether the love they each found so far from home is worth fighting for.

My review:

After reading some reviews about this on Goodreads, from people who gave the book 2-3 stars, I was a bit hesitant going into it. But it positively surprised me! I found both of the storylines engaging and I really liked seeing how both Great and Truman worked to better themselves throughout the book and tried to clean up some of the messier parts of their lives. Admittedly, The Holiday (the movie) is not something I have a strong relationship with, nor do I properly remember how it goes, so the trope of swapping houses with a stranger felt somewhat fresh to me, which I enjoyed. I loved seeing how Greta responded to New Orleans and how she realised she could thrive there. I also really loved seeing Truman exploring Maine and stumbling upon a little personal mystery. For the way the book resolved Truman’s mystery, I also really enjoyed the epilogue!

I think the book handled sensitive topics in a nice way, especially the way it handled toxic and/or difficult family situations. I won’t go into spoilery details, but I especially loved how Greta grew and the way her perspective on her family changed throughout the story. I feel like almost all the characters learned something new about themselves and grew as people during the course of this story, which was really nice! I’m a sucker for character growth. The only person I didn’t feel that from was Carys, but I didn’t feel like she did anything wrong either, so that didn’t change my feelings about the book.

All that being said, there is a reason this didn’t get the full 5-star rating from me. That reason is how both relationships in the book felt less developed, or perhaps the characters felt a little less complex, than they might have if the book only focused on one of them. I feel like the story could have delved deeper into the depths of their relationship dynamics, and I wished it did. But I can also understand how that would be impossible with a story like this, where we follow two separately growing relationships in two very different places.

I’d say if you’re looking for a holiday romance where the holidays/christmas plays a very central part and drives the plot forward, this will not be it. I kind of forgot it was set during the holidays. Rather, if you’re looking for a queer romance story with character growth and two very different relationships maturing at the same time, this might be for you! I recommend giving it a go.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

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ARC Review: “Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop” by Rebecca Raisin

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Title: Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Genre: Romance, christmas

Pages: 315

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Read from: 24.12.22 – 25.12.22

The E-Arc Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

‘Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe…
Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?

Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.

Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?

My review:

I was 4% into this e-arc before I noted how much I already disliked the main character. I found her so far from mature and she seemed to lack retrospective abilities. This sadly continued throughout the entire novel, I didn’t feel like she grew much as a person. She kept being surprised at facing consequences for her own actions and choices, which got on my nerves to the point where I started hating the book for it, which was really sad. She did not respect boundaries or rules at all, and she acted as if the world owed it to revolve around her. The example I can think of to include, which does not contain spoilers to anything, is that at one point she gets to go dog sledding with a man and his huskies. She asks if she can pet the dogs and he tells her no, because they are working animals currently at work. She then proceeds to pet a dog when he turns his back. Later we learn she petted a lot of the dogs and even went so far as to remove the harness from one of the dogs in order to better pet it. It is worth mentioning that the man did not get angry, nor did she get any consequences for this, but I found it ricidulous that neither of those things happened because I was fuming! It is not funny or quirky to ignore boundaries and do something you were told explicitly not to do.

Rapid fire of some other things that bothered me:

  • I also hated how Flora, our main character, insisted on changing the male love interest, whilst also being constantly told by friends that she did not have to change for a man. I’m sorry???
  • The author also consistently called mulled wine glögge, which I have not been able to find exisiting in either nordic language. I have never heard a single person from Scandinavia call it that, and the book is supposed to be set in Finland.
  • The male love interest is consitently described as a Norse god, but he is Irish?? I was so ready for a Finnish love interest.
  • Flora did not solve a single of her own problems, couldn’t she at least have figured something out on her own? She felt so passive because of this.
  • I could not think of a single reason why the male love interest should have been interested in or intrigued by Flora.
  • One of the characters consitently remarked how the love story was following the Hallmark blueprint, which I found a huge mistake to push down our throats, it just made it even more obvious how the story simply followed a script and things happened for no good reason other than to further the plot or give the main characters time together.

I’m so sad to not have enjoyed this holiday romance, it sounded so lovely from the synopsis. But, take it from me, if the personality of the main character sometimes gets on your nerves and ruins books, steer away from this.

❀ Mathilde

You can find me on Goodreads here

Or on Bookstagram here