What Wakes the Bells: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: What Wakes the Bells

Author: Elle Tesch

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: March 11, 2025

Pages: 332

Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Inspired by an ominous Prague legend, What Wakes the Bells is a lavish gothic fantasy by debut author Elle Tesch.

Built by long-gone Saints, the city of Vaiwyn lives and breathes and bleeds. As a Keeper, Mina knows better than most what her care of Vaiwyn’s bells means for the sentient city. It’s the Strauss family’s thousand-year legacy―prevent the Vespers from ringing, or they will awake a slumbering evil.

One afternoon, to Mina’s horror, her bell peals thirteen times, shattering the city’s tenuous peace. With so much of the city’s history and lore lost in a long-ago disaster, no one knows the danger that has been unleashed―until the city begins to fight back. As the sun sets, stone gargoyles and bronze statues tear away from their buildings and plinths to hunt people through the streets. Trapped in Mina’s bell, the soul of a twisted and power-hungry Saint festered. Now free of his prison, he hides behind the face of one of Vaiwyn’s citizens, corrupting the city and turning it on itself.

Time is running out, and the only chance Mina has to stop the destruction and horrific killings is finding and destroying the Saint’s host. Everyone is a suspect, including Mina’s closest loved ones. She will have to decide how far she’ll go to save her city―and who she’s willing to kill to do it.

Review:

 

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

Beautiful and atmospheric, I thought this was a great debut by Elle Tesch! This gothic fantasy was such a unique concept. The city that the story takes place in was built by Saints long ago, and it lives, breathes and bleeds. The main character Mina and her family are in charge of the Vesper bells which protects the city from the Bane. Mina’s worst nightmare comes true when the bell rings 13 times and shatters the city’s peace. The clock is ticking, and Mina must stop and destroy the Bane’s host.

I loved how this story explored Mina’s relationship with her mother which has been tenuous since the passing of her father.

I definitely recommend and hope to read more from this author in the future!

About the Author:

Elle Tesch has lived just east of Vancouver, British Columbia her entire life. Surrounded by forests and mountains, it was inevitable that she would daydream about what might lurk in those trees. She twists places she loves and writes what she knows best: hungry monsters, casually cruel villains, and ace-spec girls in the stories they deserve.

Elle is the author of the forthcoming novel WHAT WAKES THE BELLS, publishing March 11, 2025 from Feiwel & Friends.

When not writing, Elle can be found reading whatever she can get her hands on, wrestling with her current cross-stitch project, or re-watching Pride & Prejudice (2005) for the 72nd time.

Our Cursed Love: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: Our Cursed Love

Author: Julie Abe

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Release Date: December 12, 2023

Pages: 304

Genre: YA fantasy, YA Romance, YA Contemporary

Synopsis:

Julie Abe’s OUR CURSED LOVE is a magical 50 FIRST DATES meets LOVE AND GELATO set in Tokyo, Japan―about destiny, the impact of the choices we make, and the magic of true love.

Six days to remember.
Love or lose him forever.

Remy Kobata has always wished she was destined to be with her best friend, Cam Yasuda. All the way from being neighbors from birth to mixing up magical prank potions together to their “just friends” homecoming date during their senior year in high school, nothing’s a secret between Remy and Cam―except for how much she is in love with him.

Remy is trying to work up the courage to confess her feelings during their winter break trip to Japan, when she gets selected for a mystical tea leaves reading and it reveals that they’re not meant to be together. After they stumble upon a secret magical apothecary in the back alleys of Tokyo, Remy and Cam are offered an ancient soulmate elixir, created before all love potions were banned by the magical government. They each have their reasons for wanting to take it, but what could go wrong with finding your soulmate a little earlier?

Except, after they drink up, their senior year trip flips into the worst vacation Cam has forgotten who Remy is. If she can’t help Cam remember her by midnight New Year’s Eve, they’ll both be cursed to forget each other. To unravel their past and rewrite the future, Remy and Cam must travel through Tokyo to rediscover Cam’s memories and make new ones―and maybe even fall in love all over again.

Review:

 

* I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher for review. Thank you for the opportunity. All thougts are my own*

After reading and enjoying The Charmed List, I was excited to read this one. This is a contemporary romance, while also being a magical fantasy. I loved how these two elements were combined. I loved the setting as well.

One of the main tropes of this books is friends to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I tried to connect with the main characters Remy and Cam, but I just didn’t feel the emotions that usually come in a friends to lovers romance. It just kind of foundered for me. I kept putting the book down and picking it back up and it took me a long time to read it, as it wasn’t really holding my interest very well.

About the Author:

Julie Abe is the author of the EVA EVERGREEN, SEMI-MAGICAL WITCH middle grade fantasy series; the middle grade fantasy ALLIANA, GIRL OF DRAGONS; and the young adult novel THE CHARMED LIST. She has lived in Silicon Valley, spent many humid summers in Japan, and currently basks in the sunshine of Southern California with never enough books or tea, where she creates stories about magical adventures.

The Bone Above (The Bone Below: #2): Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: The Bone Above

Author: Sylwia Koziel

Publisher: Conquest Publishing

Release Date: February 25, 2025

Pages: 325

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

As tensions rise, will Nelka be able to handle it all, or will she finally make the ultimate choice that prioritizes her?

Nelka has now been crowned Queen of the Nidora-Lecit Commonwealth alongside her husband King Andrius. However, he views her as nothing but her pet, making her a prisoner with no autonomy once again.

After learning of her husband’s harrowing plans, Nelka knows the peasants need her more than ever as they prepare to rebel against the nobility. Nelka is forced to use the few allies she has made in her time at the castle to get her foot through the door, so when she ultimately kills Andrius, the people trust her to rule on her own.

What she doesn’t expect is for her sister, Olesia, and her once-secret lover Eva—a local lord’s daughter—to arrive at the castle as honored guests. Everything becomes even more complicated when Kazimir ends up on the castle premises, desperate to be with her no matter the cost.

In the sequel to The Bone Below, Nelka is tested. Expectations of her are at an all-time high as she tries to please her family, her people, and her heart.

Review:

* I received an e-arc via StoryOrigin for review. Thank you for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own*

I thought this was a great conclusion to the duology! I loved the political intrigue, the characters, and how the author brought everything together with the dual timeline. I enjoyed watching Nelka grow throughout the story. She started out as a really sweet character, but she is forced to hone herself into the sharpest of blades due to the circumstances she finds herself in.

I definitely recommend this duology and I’m excited to see what this author writes next!

About the Author:

Sylwia is a born and raised Chicagoan, spending her days exploring the city, one train stop at a time. She currently works as a media planner at a large media agency where she daydreams of the day when a slack notification no longer makes her heart jump in fear.

Sylwia writes all sorts of genres that have strong romantic subplots. She enjoys character driven stories where the main character is on a journey of discovering themselves and learning to let go of the expectations weighing on them.

On top of publishing her debut duology, The Bone Below and The Bone Above, with Conquest Publishing, she is also in the early drafting stages of self publishing a series of novellas under her pen name KC Silver.

The Bone Below, a first installment of The Bone Below series, will hit shelves in April 2024.

The Otherwhere Post: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: The Otherwhere Post

Author: Emily J. Taylor

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: February 25, 2025

Pages: 400

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Romance

Synopsis:

The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with another glittering dark fantasy about a deadly mystery that spans worlds and a teenage girl who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.

Review:

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher for review. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

Amazing sophomore novel by Emily J. Taylor! I was hooked from start to finish with this amazing fantasy, dark academia, with a script based magic system. I really enjoyed Emily’s debut, Hotel Magnifique but she brought her A game in this one, I loved it! She packed a lot into a standalone and it left me completely satisfied.

Highly recommend!

About the Author:

Emily was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She’s lived in four states and two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales.

Follow Emily on Instagram @emilycanwrite
https://www.instagram.com/emilycanwrite/

A Language of Dragons: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: A Language of Dragons

Author: S.F. Williamson

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Pages: 432

Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realizes that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

Review:

* I received an e-arc via Netgalley for review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own*

I loved A Language of Dragons and thought it was a fantastic debut for S.F. Williamson! It was fast paced, takes place in 1920’s England, has slow burn romance, and last but certainly not least, dragons! I really thought the world building was done well, and I enjoyed the whole aspect of linguistics being included in a fantasy novel. I found it quite fascinating! 

I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel after that ending! 

About the Author:

S. F. Williamson is fascinated by the way languages are born and was surrounded by them long before she undertook a degree in French and Italian.

From her Grandma’s rolling Scottish R’s and her Nan’s ability to slip from English to Welsh, to the dialect spoken in the French village she grew up in, Steph has always known that languages are creatures that live and move and breathe.

As a child she learned that speaking them meant accessing ideas, traditions and people she would only otherwise know from a distance. Her debut novel, A Language of Dragons, is inspired by her work as a literary translator and the fact that no matter how intimately a linguist knows their languages, some meaning is almost always lost in translation. A graduate of Bath Spa University’s MA Writing for Young People programme, Steph now lives in France with her husband and two cats.

A Bachelor’s Lessons in Love: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: A Bachelor’s Lessons in Love

Author: Sally Britton 

Publisher: Pink Citrus Books LLC

Release Date: April 30, 2025

Pages: 287

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency

Synopsis:

A reluctant guardian. A determined spinster. A battle of wits that might just end in love.

Former military officer Edward Halstead never imagined his quiet bachelor existence would be upended by the unexpected guardianship of a spirited young lady. When his late comrade’s daughter, Daphne Price, is placed in his care, Edward is faced with a challenge unlike any battlefield he has ever encountered, especially with her fiercely protective aunt, Felicity Price, staying in his home to ensure he doesn’t fail in his duty.

Felicity has dedicated her life to her beloved niece, and she has no intention of leaving Daphne in the hands of a gruff and emotionally distant bachelor. If Edward Halstead believes he can simply house, feed, and marry off her niece without regard for her well-being, he is sorely mistaken. Felicity will remain at Briarwood House as long as necessary to ensure Daphne’s future and to make certain Edward doesn’t ruin it. After all, she doesn’t want her niece to end up a spinster…like Felicity.

With Felicity and Edward at odds over Daphne’s upbringing, propriety, and the girl’s future, tension sparks and tempers flare. Yet, beneath the clashes and differences of opinion, an undeniable attraction grows. As Daphne’s entrance into Society looms and Edward’s past resurfaces in unexpected ways, Felicity and Edward must decide if their partnership is merely one of convenience or if love has been the lesson they’ve both been waiting to learn.

Perfect for fans of witty banter, slow-burn romance, and fiercely independent heroines, A Bachelor’s Lessons in Love is a Regency romance filled with heart, humor, and unexpected love. Part of the Bachelors of Blackstone’s series, the books may be read and enjoyed in any order.

Review:

*I received an e-arc from the author for review. Thank you for the opportunity! All thoughts are my own*

This was my second book I’ve read by Sally Britton and it did not disappoint. I loved A Bachelor’s Lessons in Love! If you enjoy a slow burn romance, witty banter and strong female characters set in the regency era, this one is for you! 

Bachelor Colonel Edward Halstead unexpectedly finds himself the guardian of his former comrade’s daughter. His ward, Daphne Price, is much older than he originally anticipated and is about to make her debut into society.  Her spirited Aunt, Felicity Price, has accompanied her to be sure that Halstead does not fail in his duties.

Felicity and Edward start out at odds and are continually arguing over Daphne’s upbringing, propriety and her future. They both have past experiences that have shaped their strong opinions. For the sake of Daphne, they decide to work as a team. The more they work together, an attraction sparks between them. 

Is their partnership simply one of circumstance, or something more?

I fell in love with Edward, Felicity and Daphne! Both Edward and Felicity took their roles as Daphne’s caretakers seriously and worked hard to help her make her debut. It was great watching Daphne’s relationships with both of these characters change and grow. It was also amazing watching the romance blossom between Edward and Felicity.  I found myself laughing out loud throughout the story, and I also cried at a couple of parts. Very heartwarming! 

I highly recommend! This beautiful story is out today.

About the Author:

Sally Britton is sixth generation Texan, received her BA in English forever ago, and reads voraciously. She started her writing journey at the tender age of fourteen on an electric typewriter, and she’s never looked back.

Sally lives in Oklahoma with her husband, four children, and their overly energetic Australian Shepherds, cat, and snake named Nancy. She loves researching, hiking, and eating too much chocolate.

 

Miss Austen Investigates (#2): A Fortune Most Fatal: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: A Fortune Most Fatal

Author: Jessical Bull

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery

Synopsis:

A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid sleuth—the second installment in the Miss Austen Investigates series.

When Jane Austen arrives at Rowling House to visit her wealthy brother, Neddy, she hopes that some time away will distract her from her broken heart and the dashing Tom Lefroy’s lackluster proposal. Little does she know that her sister-in-law Elizabeth has other plans to help Jane come out to society and find a respectable husband of good status and wealth.

Meanwhile, when a mysterious foreign princess is taken in by Mrs. Knight, Neddy’s adoptive mother, Jane and her family fear that Neddy’s inheritance could be at risk, jeopardizing them all. Jane is determined to unmask the beleaguered princess as a con artist and reveal her true identity. But when Jane’s sleuthing leads her to believe that Neddy is involved in an unspeakable crime, she must try to save a traumatized young woman. And she must do it without destroying her wealthy brother, whom all the Austens rely on.

Review:

*I received an e-arc via the publisher and Netgalley for review. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you also to @austenprose for having me on the tour.  All thoughts are my own*

After reading and enjoying the first book in the series, I was thrilled to be able to read the second book. It did not disappoint and has endeared this author to me even more. I love how much research and thought were put into the story. I really hope there are more books coming!

In book two, Jane travels to her brother Edward “Neddy” Austen’s home to look after his children as his wife is expecting their next child. Her sister-in-law hopes to find Jane a husband while she is there. Jane however hopes to further her writing whilst visiting. She soon realizes that she must help her brother’s adoptive mother discover the identity of her houseguest claiming to be a princess, before she is swindled out of her fortune. The Austen’s have come to rely upon this much-anticipated inheritance, so it is imperative that Jane solves this mystery.

All in all, a compelling historical mystery that fans of Jane Austen will enjoy! I definitely recommend.

About the Author:

Jessica Bull lives in South East London with her husband and two daughters. A former librarian and communications consultant, she studied English literature at Bristol University and information science at City, University of London. Miss Austen Investigates; The Hapless Milliner is her debut novel.

You can find her on…

X, formerly Twitter: @NovelistJessica

Instagram: @jessicabullnovelist

Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1): Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: Heartless Hunter 

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Release Date: February 1, 2024

Pages: 424

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy 

Synopsis:

A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

Review:

* I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

I wish I could have gotten to this book sooner rather than later, but life happens. Heartless Hunter was definitely worth the wait, and it lived up to all the hype! I just loved this one! It was fast paced, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. 

The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was sizzling. There was so much angst, and I was here for it! 

If you love enemies to lovers, a slow burn romance, magic, and a game of cat and mouse then this one is for you.

Highly recommend! I can’t wait for the sequel, Rebel Witch. I think Kristen is going to destroy me!

About the Author:

Kristen Ciccarelli grew up on a grape farm, dropped out of college, and worked various jobs before becoming an author. Some of her previous trades included: baker, potter, bookseller, and NGO worker. Kristen lives in Canada’s Niagara Peninsula with her husband and daughter. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Heartless Hunter (Book 1 in The Crimson Moth duology), as well as Edgewood, and the internationally bestselling Iskari series.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: She Doesn’t Have a Clue

Author: Jenny Elder Moke 

Publisher: Minotaur Books 

Release Date: January 21, 2025

Pages: 336
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Cozy Mystery 

Synopsis:

With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen―from murder to a second chance at love―in Jenny Elder Moke’s half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.

A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.

Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.

As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.

Review:

 

 

* I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

3.5 rounded up to 4

This is Jenny Elder Moke’s adult debut, and it was a fast-paced fun read! Its mystery combined with romance and sprinkled with a dash of laughs. 

I loved the main character, Kate. She was hilariously funny, clumsy and sometimes awkward and I appreciated that about her. Jake was also a really likeable character and added his own charm to the story. 

 I buddy read this one, and we both agreed that the inner monologue between Kate and her fictional character Loretta really was distracting and took away from the story. I also felt that the spicy scenes felt a little bit unrealistic considering that the characters were dealing with an actual real live murder.

If you like mysteries and romance, this is a cute one! 

About the Author:

Jenny Elder Moke is the award-winning author of children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. Her adult mystery rom-com mashup debut, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, comes out January 21, 2025.

Jenny lives in Denver, CO.

To contact Jenny, sign up for her newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/jemnewslette… or visit Jenny on Instagram @jennyeldermoke.

A Sea of Unspoken Things: Review

2 Comments

About the Book:

Title: A Sea of Unspoken Things 

Author: Adrienne Young 

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Pages: 288

Genre: Adult Mystery, Fantasy, Fiction 

Synopsis:

A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow 207677131

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life. 

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved. 

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

Review:

5

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and Delacorte. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

Wow! I just loved this one! Adrienne Young did it again with another hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric read. Filled with mystery, suspense, magical realism, and a gorgeous small town setting, this is one that you won’t want to miss.

James and Johnny Golden have only had each other. For as long as James can recall, her connection with her twin Johnny has gone so deep, she can actually feel what he feels. Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, and James knows even before she gets the phone call, that he is gone, and she is well and truly alone for the first time.

When she arrives in her hometown to settle Johnny’s affairs, she is forced to face some hard things from the past that she and Johnny shared. And she must finally talk to Micah, the only other person who truly knows. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved. 

James soon discovers that the connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone like she originally thought. As she spends more time in the place she grew up, she has more questions about her brother, the person she thought she knew. She finds herself trying to figure out what Johnny was up to leading to his accident. 

I enjoyed these characters and this setting so much and I hope that Adrienne continues to write more stories like this one. If you enjoyed Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow, I think you’ll like this one too.

Highly recommend! 

About the Author:

Adrienne Young is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Sky and Sea duology, the Fable series, and Spells for Forgetting. When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.16640489

For information on release, appearances, ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content, sign up for the newsletter at https://adrienneyoungbooks.com/

Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks