Tag: reviews

Grave Flowers: Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: Grave Flowers 

Author: Autumn Krause 

Publisher: Peachtree Teen

Release Date: September 2, 2025

Pages: 400

Genre: YA Fantasy, Gothic, Historical Fiction 

Synopsis:

A twisty, dark royalcore fantasy that takes the courtly intrigue of Hamlet and infuses it with the vicious ambition of the Boleyn family. For readers who love Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

This gorgeous hardcover edition features beautifully designed endpapers and a foil stamped case!

“A sumptuously dark tale of revenge and atonement that beautifully explores the ties both duty and family use to claim us. From the first page to the last, I was dazzled.” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

Marry the prince, then kill him.

Princess Madalina and her twin sister, Inessa, were born attached at the hand and separated right after. That’s the only time the sisters ever held hands. The girls’ personalities have been shaped in the Sinet family’s drive to make their kingdom more than what it is: unrespectable and loathsome, a damp place where deceit fills the palace walls like mold.

Madalina is different from her family. She’s considered the weak one and only finds peace in the garden, tending her magical flowers, which are pejoratively called grave flowers because they are ideal for torture and torment. Secretly, she dreams of escape and a new life.

Then Inessa, who was betrothed to the heir of a wealthy kingdom—Prince Aeric—gets trapped in Bide, a terrifying purgatory, and begs Madalina to set her free. Now, not only must Madalina take her sister’s place as Aeric’s bride-to-be, but she also must finish Inessa’s secret mission: Inessa wasn’t just sent to marry Prince Aeric, but to kill him, too, and solidify a profitable pact with his traitorous uncle.

On behalf of her family, Madalina will need to resist the infuriatingly clever prince—as well as her own heart—if she’s to free her sister and finish the job.

Perfect for fans of:

-Enemies to lovers
-Royal rivalry
-Arranged marriage
-Deadly games
-Dark royalcore
-Reluctant ruler
-Bloodstained family

Review:

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

Grave Flowers is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! From the first page to the last, I was compelled to read. This was the second book I’ve read by Autumn Krause, and her stories are so unique and alluring, that I want to read anything that she writes from here on out. Grave Flowers is the twisty, dark royalcore fantasy that I didn’t know I needed!

The atmosphere in this book is everything. I felt transported to Princess Madalina’s castle in Radix that felt so oppressive and felt her need to be in the garden with her grave flowers. The grave flowers were one of my best-loved parts of the story. These magical flowers are ideal for torture and torment ironically, but each one was so interesting, and I loved learning about them.

The story is so much more than the atmosphere. It’s about family, sisterhood, grief, love and loss. It’s about betrayals and secrets, overcoming trauma, facing prejudice, and becoming your own person. This book also has courtly intrigue, murder and mayhem, beautiful clothing, and lots of angst and swooning. It has it all, in my book!

Grave Flowers releases on September 2, 2025. It was just announced that there will be a sequel, Wilted Crown coming from Peachtree Teen in the fall of 2027. I was literally screaming when I found this out!!

Add to this one to your TBR now! Highly recommend!

About the Author:

Autumn Krause is a writer in Orange County, California, where she can most often be found wearing a black lace dress and boots.

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

Love, Naturally (Rock Bottom Love, #1): Review

Leave a comment

About the Book:

Title: Love, Naturally 

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Publisher: Griffin

Release Date: January 16, 2024

Pages: 320

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.127281652

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?―but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred―so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.

Review:

4

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

I really enjoy Sophie Sullivan’s books, and this was a new one to add to the list! If you like opposites attract, found family and forced proximity tropes, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well. 

Presley Ayers works for a hotel as an accomplished concierge. She’s used to helping others plan their trips and knows where to get the best of the best. Planning camping trips is not her usual forte, as she doesn’t like the outdoors, but she decides to surprise her boyfriend of eight months with a trip to Get Lost Lodge. He decides to dump her instead. Presley chooses to take the plunge and takes the trip by herself.

On the boat ride to the lodge, she meets Beckett Keller. He works at the lodge with his sister, niece and brother. The lodge is taking up a lot of his time and it needs a lot of work. Beck has also had to put his own dreams on hold to help his family. When he meets Presley, he thinks she made a mistake. She doesn’t like fishing, hiking or anything about the outdoors. Still, he and Presley feel an instant pull towards each other that they can’t explain. 

Beck helps Presley to realize that trying new things and going out of your comfort zone once in a while can actually be fun. 

As they spend time together, things heat up more between them. Will Presley have a happily ever after this time? 

I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance! 

About the Author:

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. Ten Rules For Faking It is her romcom debut novel, but she’s had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford. 20344328._UX200_CR0,69,200,200_