"This is a risk. The idea of loving him, of losing him, scares me to death But living safe hasn't made me happy. Hasn't brought me joy. We're on the path. Now we have to keep going. Day by day. Step by step. That's how we'll climb the mountain. That's how we'll get to the top."

GENRE: Romance
RATING:4.75/5
FORMAT:eBook Arc
Tropes:Grumpy x Sunshine, Found Family, Only one Tenet, City Girl x Country Boy, Dislike to Lovers

Review:
If you've been around for a while, you know I love grumpy x sunshine and the reason is that we get to see beneath BOTH of these type of personalities. While they're both on the opposite end of personality types, they stem from the same thing: hiding the vulnerabilities of who we are and eventually, really, it becomes who we are.

Walk this Way focuses on both Angus and Rowan as they meet during their hike that they both need as a breather from life and just stepping away from everything else. These two individuals are looking to heal in this walk set in the highlands in Scotland with beautiful views.

We dive deep in this book in a lot of themes, including grief, mental health, struggling to fit in and accepting who you are and finding your place in the world. There is also discussion of family, how they shape us and how unconditional love may not be so unconditional or at least, it never truly feels that way.

The author does an amazing job of diving into these themes, showing us how heavy some things are in life and how we cope with them. Some of us (Rowan) cope by putting up a front, wearing clothes that are bright and trying to bring them brightness into our lives through that means. Others (Angus) go back home and reclaim the space we always called home, while trying to make it our own.

Essentially, this is a journey of two characters finding each other, learning more about themselves and making their way back to each other when they are both ready, rather than rushing into it. I think it was a lovely book and the fact that it's set in Scotland is a bonus point with a Scottish hiking trip and beautiful description of the Highlands. Oh and the found family/friends they make along the way? So wholesome! I think we get a little insight into all of their lives in a way that doesnt take anything out of Angus & Rowan's story and I enjoyed that so much!

Thank you to the author for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"To those readers, I simply say, look closer. The path to happily ever after is rarely a straight line. And every love story - no matter how predictable - is always earned."

GENRE: Romance
RATING:4.25/5
FORMAT:eBook Arc
Tropes: This one is in the book cover as given by the title (love this!)

Review:
Tropesick was an interesting (in the best of ways) read, one that is filled with emotions and sadness. I'll admit it definitely broke my heart and fixed it, only to have it broken again throughout reading the book.

This is a SAD Romance with a HEA. It's sad because it's true, love stories aren't always easy. Not everyone finds their person and hits it off immediately without life getting in the way and oh, how life got in the way for these two. When it's time to try again, it's difficult because giving anyone a second chance is like saying to them that actually, hey, you hurt me so much the first time but I love you so wholeheartedly that I'll give you another chance so please don't hurt me again

Both Katie and Tyler are hurt and broken from the past, from losing someone close to them and the aftermath of it all. Katie, dressed in all colourful and glitter, is trying so hard to hold it all together and pretending to be normal. She's struggling with grief, loss and so much more after losing her brother. Meanwhile Tyler, who lost his best friend (Katie's brother), has to continue to face his inner demons and we all know those never rest and let us breathe.

And when they come together to ghostwrite for Meredith Bradford? Oh, the sparks that fly. The way they start to be vulnerable and learn who they are again while healing from their past.

There's a lot of emotional heaviness in Tropesick, it's worth ensuring you're in the right headspace before you dive into it and checking the trigger warnings for this book but what's a little Romance and love story if it doesnt hurt in the process, especially if it has a little bit of magic in it?

I will say that while I really enjoyed reading the story, I think the main thing that brought the rating down a bit for me was that the connections between the tropes, the story that Katie & Tyler were writing and their own story was a bit all over the place. We have dual-pov, timeline jumps and two stories happening at once so it was a tad bit a lot at times to keep up but it was a well worth journey at the end of it, to see how their love story folded out.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"In a world without discernment, in the attempt to give everything a chance, you could die without tasting chocolate. I was not sorry."

GENRE: Lit Fic/Romance
RATING:5/5
FORMAT:eBook Arc

Overall Impression:WHAT A BOOK!!! This is the type of book that will linger long after I've finished it, as it breaks down in my head in the best of ways.

Review:
WHAT A BOOK!!!! Okay, I repeat, what a book.

Bad Words is a tale in which we have two different people who come together with all the intentions of hating one another and we watch it blossom into a love story. It's a story in which we meet Parker, the chronic people pleaser as he argues with Selina, our critic who wants to preserve art, criticism and staying honest to oneself.

This book delivers a commentary on two different parts of the Book world: an author and a critic while being witty, funny and just bluntly honest about the reasons humans do the things we do. It shows how criticism is important, and yet with the world we live in today, everyone can comment on anything that's been said and done.

At the same time, Bad Words dives into what it means to be a human and to want to be loved. It delves into the fact that Parker, a people pleaser and a peace chaser, has never felt seen before Selina. He goes through life with a way of fitting in between people, wanting to be loved AND yet, when all is said and done, he cant help but feel that he did a disservice to himself. This results in him realising that people never understood his work and the themes he wanted to deliver with his book.

Selina defies this by sticking to her principles, by being that one corner in the literature world that is honest. There was a beauty in her perspective, the way she loved what she did and was honest to it. The way that she wouldn't sacrifice this just to appeal to people or more accurately, to please them.

We also dive into the affect of social media and how, at all times, if something goes wrong or viral, everyone is going to have an input and without barriers in place, you can get stuck in there and never come out of it. None of us can ever truly know the people we interact with on social media and more importantly, we get to see that anyone who writes (Authors, critics...etc.) put their soul into their work but the interpretation of it is left upon us readers to look into.

I dont know if this review can do justice to how much I enjoyed this book, how I flew through it and how funny yet powerful & emotional it was. Its a beautiful blend of Literary fiction with Romance together in a way that shows us all we really want is someone to rise up to who we are and to see us truly rather than someone who wishes to change us.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"He looked at the photo of Lauren again and thought about all the strange coincidences and seemingly otherworldly things that had happened since meeting Tanika. Was this predestined? Maybe she was right. Perhaps someone was pushing them together. Helping them to write a new chapter in their lives."

GENRE: Romance
RATING:4.75/5
FORMAT:eBook
Tropes:MCs over 40s, Sport Romance, Magical Realism

Review:
Losing Sight is the first book in an inter-connected series and we get to follow the journey of Tanika and Gideon, both older MCs and watch them fall in love while finding the one.

I really enjoyed getting to know both our MCs in here. Tanika is a Sports reporter who is currently struggling because she loss her spot in her Thursday Night football and we get to dive into this throughout the story, seeing how she works and copes with different individuals in her work as a Black woman.

We also get to see her as part of her friend group, which is called Boss Chick Village and see how Tanika fits in with her best friends. Their friendship is a lovely group and you can see the love they have for each other plus the support and trust that is there.

And through her friend group, Tanika meets Gideon, our MMC. Gideon is an optometrist and recently widowed. I think the way we get to know Gideon through his POV was lovely as you get to see him struggle with his grief and balancing that with moving on with Tanika. We get to see him try to build his life after his loss and I think the development that happens throughout the story is done in a way that is very much a reality of the ups and downs of losing someone you love.

And them getting to know each other and learning to be vulnerabilities together? That was a lovely read and journey as we got to know both Tanika and Gideon separately and then together and just watched how they come together and build a life together.

If you're looking for book 2 review, check it out here!

"Bookstores: the one place in the entire kingdom that promise something beside dull conversations about economics and local politics and whatever else I'm meant to be thinking about. Books promise you that your life can change in an instant. And bookstores? Bookstores offer refuge, a home away from home. No matter how far you travel, you can always find a little piece of home inside a bookstore."

GENRE: Cozy Romantasy
RATING:4.25/5
FORMAT:eBook ARC

Review:

I love when we have books about books and Stay for a Spell was a lovely combination of Cozy fairy tale vibes with an FMC that loves books and wants to own a bookshop. Her dream comes to life through a curse, which she can't undo unless she unlocks her heart's desire essentially.

Tandy (our FMC) was lovely to get to know as she moves into her bookshop ins the small town of Little Pepperidge, which again SO cute. This is a tale of Tandy learning to not be a people pleaser and to put herself first for once, despite feeling the weigh of her responsibility as a Princess. As another people pleaser (not exactly like Tandy because I don't have a bookshop), I felt that a lot of this was relatable. She got to slow down and learn what she wants from life, even if it takes her a while to admit it to herself.

We also get to see her blossom in her friendships with Sasha and other characters plus we get to see her blossoming romance and the start of her falling in like with her pirate, Bash. The setting is so fitting for Tandy as a person to allow her to breathe in for the first time in her life and realise who she is and what she wants.

I think the only thing I wanted a bit more of is a bit world building and an understanding of where the various Princes came from and how they differed. I feel we got this a little as we they were all unique and stood out, with some of them being funny, some droopy...etc.

All in all, this was a lovely Cozy book that features a bookshop and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"Cosmic," Bronwyn said, squeezing her friend's hand. "Nothing is a coincidence."

"Our lives are full of these magical moments if we pay attention to them."

If you haven't read the first book in the inter-connected series, check out the review in here first!

GENRE: Romance with magical realism
RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: eBook ARC
Tropes: Women in Sport, Magical Realism, Second Chance & Rekindling

Review:
Can I just say that I really enjoyed Struck Speechless so much? Yes, I know I can in this review but it's worth emphasising it because this book was funny, wholesome and filled with so much warmth and emotions that I had the best time reading it!

I read Losing Sights first and then read Struck Speechless and Tati Richardson has a way of maintaining a perfect balance between the emotional aspects that our MCs go through while adding just the right amount of humour, spice and friendship. Truly, both books would are amazing as books and would be AMAZING as tv shows/movies.

Jackie is the group's "strong" friend. She doesn't need love or anyone in her life, aside from her friends and her dog. She is an independent, strong woman we all strive to be and is not scared to say what she thinks. So the impact of her losing her voice? It's BIG and forces her to deal with a lot of emotions she spends a long time avoiding.

And Antonio? Oh, what a perfect man for Jackie. I loved how we got to see his life outside of Jackie, seeing him interact with his family and the people in his life as well. We get a perfect balance of both of our MCs in my opinion. AND (x2) the way Antonio treats Jackie? So well deserved AHHH!

Essentially, Struck Speechless is a story that allows us to watch both characters explore who they are and be more vulnerable with each other in a fun, humour filled story while focusing on the same concept we had in Losing Sight: That things are destined for us and nothing is a coincidence!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"That's always the problem with watercolor, of course. You have to know when to stop. The temptation to add just one more wash is so strong sometimes..."

GENRE: Horror (Botanical x Parasitic Horror)
RATING: 4.75/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Overall Impression: Honestly? Just read it and enjoy this creepier version of T.Kingfisher's work that has the same humour and wittiness we have come to expect and enjoy

Review:
T.Kingfisher has done it again and this time it's a parasitic x botanical horror and guys? This one is CREEPY in the best of ways with the typical humour that we get in all of the author's book and the wittiness we have come to expect from all of T.Kingfisher's books

Let me start by saying the description of bugs, plants and colours is done so beautifully and lyrically in here. I think this makes it so much more imaginative, even for someone like me who has hypo-aphantasia and could still very much imagine the bugs as well as I could

The story itself is a combination of historical horror with us following Sonia, a scientific illustrator and getting to know her setting, employer and the people she works with. We slowly have the story unravel, as we go through the adventure with Sonia to find out what is happening? And the ending, where we understand what's been happening, was in a lot of ways UNEXPECTED

This is definitely one of my favourite T.Kingfisher books and I love how it slowly builds up over time and delivers an amazing tale for us to enjoy throughout. I think if you enjoyed What moves the Dead, then this one is perfect for you (AND its creepier).

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.

"What good was having a heart if you didn't give it away to every other person you met?"

GENRE: Cozy Romantasy
RATING: 4.25/5
FORMAT: eBook/physical Arc

Review:
I always enjoy cozy fantasy and historical fantasy and when you combine them? I am always down for that, especially when its funny and filled with whimsy. We get introduced to Hilde, Elmwood and a lot of other characters that just make the whole story so fun!

Let me give first start by giving my love to Rollo, who is an adorable dog in the the book and I wish we could have gotten a way to pet him! And now about the book, I really enjoyed the plot in this one and the humour in it. The fact that we get so much excitement and it's more of a adventurous type of cozy romantasy was a fun read! I think the writing and the type of characters we have in here fit so well for the type of plot they are going through.

Elmwood is very much done with life and about to call it quits. He essentially decides he has had enough with life and that it's not worth it anymore. Hilde, on the other hand, is determined to solve the entire world and decides that only she can do so.

Both of our MCs also have Charm, which is our magic bit in here! I really enjoyed learning more about Charm, how it fits into the historical elements of the world and the world building overall. I think I would have liked to have a bit more details into the Charm as it played such a big role in both Hilde and Elmwood's lives but that's just me wanting more of the book really!

I also really enjoyed the interaction between our MCs and how it allows them to look back and to see that they both deserved better overall, whether from themselves or from others around them. I think the book does a good job of diving into how people in the position of power abuse it, whether its with their own family members or for a relationship and this is something we tend to see more in historical fantasy.

In summary, A Widow's Charm is a fun, witty story that shows us we dont have to carry the whole world in our own shoulder alone and we can rely on others to help and support us along the way and who knows? You might fall in love with the necromancer along the way!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the Arc copy in the exchange for my honest opinion.