"You build what you want to build, offer it as widely as you can to whoever you think will appreciate it, and if other people like it or don't like it ... that's on them. Not you."

GENRE: Cozy Fantasy
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Tropes: A Magical Inn in the middle of nowhere with a fun cast!

Overall Impression: What a cute, funny YA Cozy Fantasy by Sarah Beth Durst!

Review:

Sarah Beth Durst has striked again and this time, it's a YA Cozy Fantasy! We have a magical inn in Vermont or the middle of nowhere with access to other realms and different people for us and Clisa to meet

We meet Calisa, who is running away from a broken heart and a breakup at home by seeking solace in her great aunt's bed and breakfast. When she arrives, it's not what she remembers from the past and then, she starts seeing weird things happening. In the mean time, she meets Jack, the groundkeeper's son and some of the guests as well. The interaction between everyone had me laughing as it was so whimsical and there is a lot of grumpy, grouchy characters with goofy, sunshine characters as well.

We get a dose of everything in The Faraway Inn: Pancakes and other food mentioned with Hot Chocolate (the one in here sounds so heavenly that it made me want my own cup while reading it). We get a mixed of different species in this Cozy Fantasy that we meet with Calisa as she explores the magical side of the world. We also get a wholesome relationship that blossoms between Calisa and Jack, who sees her and accepts her as she is, unlike the boy who broke her heart back home. AND we get to meet Steve, our little cute pet for the journey!

I think another thing that I really appreciated about The Faraway Inn is the lessons that are important here for our YA audience, which then served as a reminder for me as an Adult. It's so so easy to forget these things but we get the message and theme that not everyone will accept what we put out but that's not within our control. We can only do our best and those who accept it will come and love us as we are. This theme and message continues and evolve to show that sometimes, even when we are older, we still need to be shown that we are appreciated and learn to accept love and help as it comes.

As always, I really enjoyed how much whimsy we get in all of the books written by the author (that I've read) and I can't wait to read more! Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy.

"I'd love to figure you out. But I need all the pieces before I can assembly the puzzle."

GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RATING: 4/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Tropes: Small Town, Forced Proximity, Opposite Attract, He Falls First, Reverse Grumpy Sunshine and Slow Burn

Review:

Having read Talia Hibbert's work before, I saw this on Netgalley and I knew that I had to read it! Talia does Autism/Neurodivergent rep in a fun way. I'm reviewing the Edition that is being published in March 2026

If you tell me that a Romance book has Small Town x Autism representation? I know I'm definitely going to be picking it up. I enjoyed A Girl like Her, where we meet Ruth, who is an Autistic FMC and lives in a small town that has cast her out because of her past. This story and Ruth as an FMC has SOO much complexity and layers to it that I truly enjoyed. I thought a lot of the topics were handled well as well

The relationship dynamic between Ruth and Evan was ADORABLE and built up in a way that is so fitting to Ruth as a character. And the fact that it is set in a Small Town? I do want to say that the Foreword from Talia Hibbert explains why she picks Small Town and how the reality is that most small towns actually have teeth and (as is seen in the story) can outcast someone for being different. I think in A Girl like Her, it's very much a story of Ruth reclaiming her town back, not by winning people over but by being herself and finding a community again, who truly accept her.

We also see other elements of Small Towns in Evan, Zach and his mother, how we would think the community would rally behind them but instead it's the opposite. I do think that A Girl like Her depicts the reality of small towns while showing us the hope of what it can be when we aren't out-casting people because they are different.

It's also a story where we watch Ruth grow and learns how to trust again, mainly herself and her own choices and decisions. She also learns to trust others around her and slowly reclaim her narrative after what has happened to her. It's also a story of where Ruth finds someone who accepts her entirely, with her PJs and loves her for who she is not in spite of who she is.

As always, Talia Hibbert continues to write and publish books that hit us close to the heart and I can't wait to read more of her books! Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy

"No one prayed to nay of the Saints anymore. People wanted bread, not sacraments."

GENRE: Gothic Fantasy with Romance
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: WHAT A BOOK!!! I repeat, WHAT A BOOK!

Review:

Weavingshaw is a beautiful Gothic Romance that combines SO many elements in the best of ways! We get a bit of colonisation, language and identity elements mixed in with a slow burn relationship building plus the gothic element of it: Weavingshaw as a House/Mansion and the plot surrounding it all.

Weavingshaw is a story of wanting more, wanting better and yearning for what you cant have. It's a story of not knowing where you fit in but fighting for better anyways. It's a story of wanting to dream bigger but not having anything under your control. It's a story of what happens when greed overtakes. It's a story of magic, gothic and atmospheric story and what a story it is.

Leena, our FMC, is stubborn and strong. She continues to live and try to handle everything in her family while helping her brother, Rami. Getting to know her throughout the story is a lovely journey, one where we see how she struggles with being a Refugee and struggles with accepting that she doesn't fit in anywhere. She struggles with this through language

"...she had grown up speaking Algaraan like a foreigner, in the same way many of the immigrant children born in Morland did, stumbling in and out of both languages, not being able to find a home in either. While her Algaraan had been heavily accented, she had learned to read Morish in the schoolroom with ease, and spoke it eloquently as if Morish - and not Algaraan - was the language of her heart."

Meanwhile, St Silas, the MMC in Weavingshaw, is a complex and layered character, written in a way that is truly fitting for this Gothic Fantasy. I can't say much without spoiling anything but the dynamic between Leena and St Silas builds up throughout the story and this is a true slow burn. I think, ultimately, what connects me to Weavingshaw and the MCs to each other is standing out in their own community and never truly fitting in.

Another part that I loved about Weavingshaw is Heba Al-Wasity's ability to weave in lyrical prose with the plot that makes it flow beautifully. All in all, Weavingshaw is a beautiful story, filled with a lot of dark, atmospherical moments that lead up to certain revealtion throughout the story. I can't wait to read more and see what happens going forward.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"Everything you think you know about love is wrong ... It always falls apart, like everything, like the whole damn universe will if you leave it spinning for long enough."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4/5
FORMAT: eBook + Physical Arc

Overall Impression: The Apple and the Pearl is a magical tale that focuses on all the characters in a ballet spanning their lives over one day and this is more of a mixture of magical realism x poetical fantasy that I thought was done in a lovely manner

Review:
The Apple and the Pearl is a tale that takes you through multiple character's point of views. It weaves their stories together and brings the magical element on the All Souls Day that we get to see through all their eyes.

I quite enjoyed this and I think Rym Kechacha did a beautiful work of intertwining all the character's lives together in a way that shows the impact of the magic, the darkness and really, life and all the struggles we deal with. While you do see the point of view from so many different characters, the story comes together in a way that lets them stand out uniquely but ties them together in that they are obliged to complete their pledges in the magical train and complete the show.

I think this one is perfect for a few different people, like those who enjoy Ballet, magical realism and beautiful lyrical prose. I enjoyed it for so many reasons, including the fact that it ponders and questions why we are the way we are and the sacrifices we are willing to make in order to get what we want. Not only that, it questions why we create art and why we continue to dedicate time, energy and effort especially when the audience in The Apple and the Pearl are not your typical ones, those that truly appreciate the beauty of your show.

I did want a little more though as there were sections that combined multiple characters and joined it from a POV of multiple casts. I felt we could have added a bit more connection and bringing them together to deliver the themes and message home. All in all, this is a beautiful, lyrical and atmospheric book that shows why we continue to make art and how that differs between each individual in here.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"By the time the city pulls away, houses replaced by stretches of bright grass, well-manicured trees, a widening road, I've stopped trying to place myself in Niawa the story. I don't belong here anymore."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: At the heart of it, A Day of Breath is Fantasy story that explores what it is like to have faith in a system vs to never believe in it and question it through an adventure of our MCs. This debut is done in a good way, combining conspiracies and relying on a system while navigating through your own personal life

Review:
A Day of Breath is a fast-paced story, that starts a bit before Day of Breath and ultimately focuses on a span of one day and how the lives of our MC changes over time. Oly, our Champion, is crowned and sent to live on the Edge so that she can protect the kingdom from the demons that come through a rift between the realms. She also experiences Anxiety and we go through it with her, see her thoughts and how she faces life as the longest standing Champion as well.

We also have Heir Fallon, one of the heirs, who we meet early on and is entirely satisfied with the system in place. He sees Oly become a Champion and then we start his adventure with the fact that he wasn't the chosen next ruler for the throne. Heir Fallon is a complicated character, one that you can see is entirely relying on the system. He fails to question why things are the way they are and is satisfied with his life as it is. Throughout the story, we see character development and see him change as he learns so many new things.

We do get to meet other MCs as well but ultimately A Day of Breath is a story about what happens when we question the system vs when we never question it and accept what we are told as facts. It is a test to see if humanity in the book can survive having their world shaken and they are left with nothing that they used to believe in. It questions whether those who rule are willing to put the community and their people first and foremost, no matter what. And finally, it questions is it worth saving what we have built and fix it or should we start from scratch?

A Day of Breath is going on my Fantasy Books list that I keep and call "Burn it all down" because ultimately it is about questioning the system you put your faith in and never fearing to do so. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book and the exploration of the characters, their own personal lives and how they fit into the bigger picture and the system itself.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"It was strange, she thought, that a person could look so lost in their own home."

GENRE: YA Fantasy with Egyptian Mythology by a SWANA Author
RATING: 4.5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: Ungodly Chaos truly lives up to the name, from chaotic adventures to being chaotic teenagers living in a chaotic world and I really enjoyed every moment of it!

Review:
Ungodly Chaos is a YA Fantasy that is set in our world and the underworld, or Duat, is a perfect balance of adventure and understanding who the MCs are as a YA book. I think the adventure was a fun, fast paced story that kept me hooked till the end of it and I wanted to see what would happen next.

We get to meet Amira and the story is mainly told from her POV but we also get a few chapters from other MCs like Kaiden, Zain and Layla (which I always enjoy as we get to see a different POV from the characters). I loved getting to know more about the different descendants described in the story, though I do wish we got more details on this.

I also really enjoyed the exploration of identity and where we fit in. As teenagers (whether you're early, mid or late teenager), fitting is and finding your place in the world is HARD. We get to see this perspective through Kaiden and Amira, who are both struggling to fit in differently. Kaiden, who has parents from different background (won't share more so as to not spoil anything), struggles with this and it comes across through the story really well. Amira, who has never really fit in anywhere, finds her own place as they go through their adventure together.

I think as a story, this dives into adventure and action while still keeping it realistic for the ages of the MCs, with their focus spread across so many things mentally. We get adventure and some Egyptian Mythology unique to the story. I can't wait to read more from the author, Selma Soren, in the future!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

"A Cat is the Soul of a House."

GENRE: Cozy Fantasy
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: I'd give this more than 5 stars if I could, Heather Fawcett never fails to disappoint me and Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter was no exception to this!

Review:
WHAT A BOOK! This is a beautiful Cozy Fantasy that talks about finding joy and love in having a cat shelter (as you would expect from the title) and dives into grief, relationships and building a cat shelter in the middle of mayhem!

I loved everything about the story truly. I loved how we get to meet Agnes and see her interact with all the cats, how she treats them and how she has her own cats as well in addition to the strays she puts up for adoption. I love how we also get to see the personality of each of the cat that we meet throughout the story. I also love seeing the sisterhood between Agnes and Eloise and how their dynamic is a fun way to shed light at how supportive they are to each other.

I also love how ultimately, this is a story of giving people a chance and hoping they show you the best side of them. Agnes gets told that she always sees the best in people and this is discussed throughout the story, how she believes that and only sees the good in people. This how we get to see the situation between Agnes and Havelock evolve and read about their adventure. Agnes believes that the good in people eventually wins out and we see this in the way she interacts with people in the story.

And another aspect I loved is the grief that is mentioned throughout the story because Agnes lost her husband, Robin. I think this played a lovely part in the story, and it shows how our love for someone stays, no matter where we are or how we have to move on for grief is often thought to be love that has no place/person to go to anymore.

Also not Agnes saying she cries as easily as she blushes because same honestly LOL. All in all, this was a fun read AHH, Emily Wilde is one of my favourite series (I've read book 1 and 2) and I knew that the writing and whimsy of Heather Fawcett was going to carry over in here (and it did). I can't wait for more Cozy, Whimsical reads from the author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy!

What a beautiful Anthology, filled with collections of stories from Palestinians that have been experiencing Genocide and sharing their experience. It is stories that will break your heart. It shows how different people are experiencing the same Genocide, how varied their experiences are. It shows Palestinians resilience against the oppression and how some of them are holding on to the things that they love, like Coffee.

In the very beginning, Susan Abulhawa writes an introduction of each of the writers, what she encountered of their will and what made them write their story. I enjoyed reading the introduction to every author before starting their story in English and Arabic.

This Anthology is bilingual, with both Arabic and the translated version in English included and I enjoyed reading both of them, comparing the language and the way it was translated. It was interesting to see the choices of the words, how the message conveyed can be achieved in so many different ways.

I think this is a story that everyone should read, hear the words from different people who experienced the genocide first handed and how it changed their lives. Thank you to Susan Abulhawa and the entire team that made this anthology possible. Thank you for carrying the words and stories of Palestinians in the ground, for sharing their words with us and thank you for letting me read an eArc through Netgalley.