ARC Review: The Moon That Turns You Back by Hala Alyan

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: March 12, 2024

Rating: 4/5

The Moon That Turns You Back is a collection of poetry by Palestinian-American Hala Alyan. From my personal reading, displacement is the ubiquitous theme in all of the poems. The idea of displacement manifests in different ways in this book. The most common form is of course geographic displacement. But there is also the displacement that takes place within the self and within the self’s body.

ARC Review: At First Spite by Olivia Dade

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: February 13, 2024

Rating: 4.5/5

At First Spite has a glorious premise that I couldn’t turn away from. Athena’s fiancé gets swayed by his older brother and breaks off their engagement. At that point, Athena had already bought a house that was supposed to have been a wedding present for her fiancé. She has no choice but to move into that house by herself…and now she’s neighbours with her ex-fiancé and his disapproving brother Matthew.

Ahhh this book. It’s a romcom that also does a good job dealing with the topic of depression in a realistic, healthy, and relatable way. Athena’s journey really resonated with me. Her struggle with her career, guilt, and depression were all so relatable.

And the romance. Ooooh the romance. Soooo swoony!! I loved Matthew so much 😭 The way he writes down all her pop culture references so he could research them later. The way he is so attuned to Athena and her emotions. The way he takes care of her, listens to her, and tells her the things she needs to hear. And his grovel at the end was the cherry on top. There are so many memorable scenes that live rent free in my brain.

I also really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters that populate Harlot’s Bay and I cannot even begin to explain just how excited I am for Karl’s story!!

Definitely pick this one up if you’re into swoony romcoms with a dose of realism. 

ARC Review: Behind You is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: January 16, 2024

Rating: 3.5/5

Behind You is the Sea is a collection of short stories about Christian Palestinians living in Baltimore. Each story is about a different character within the community. Together, these short stories span years and often intersect with one another through the characters.

ARC Review: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: October 3, 2023

Rating: 1/5

Melody and Beat are the children of two former rockstars who disbanded in 1993. No one knows what caused the rift and the two rock legends refuse to talk about it. They’ve been enemies since the disbandment. In a Parent Trap fashion, Melody and Beat agree to work together to convince their mothers to reunite for a Christmas concert.

ARC Review: Codename Charming by Lucy Parker

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: August 15, 2023

Rating: 5/5

I’ve been waiting for Matthias and Pet’s book since their first meeting in Battle Royal, and oh man, the wait was so worth it. Pet works as a personal assistant to the newest member of the royal family, which means that the giant royal bodyguard Matthias is one of her colleagues. Pet is bubbly and spontaneous and she likes to befriend everyone. Matthias is starchy and rigid and he likes to stick to the rules. When a tabloid photo makes the news headlines, rumours begin to fly. The royal PR team consequently asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship for the cameras to fix the situation.

ARC Review: Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: June 20, 2023

Rating: 4/5

Capture the Sun is the final book in the Starlight’s Shadow series. I personally recommend reading the series in order because there’s an overarching plot that started in book 1 and finally concludes in this book. So the plot might be confusing for new readers if they haven’t read the previous books.

ARC Review: How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: June 13, 2023

Rating: 4/5

Kitty Collins is a social media influencer by day and accidental serial killer by night. She didn’t intend to kill the guy who followed her from the nightclub. It just…happened. That’s how her murderous streak begins. From then on, Kitty takes on the role of women’s saviour and goes on a rampage, killing other terrible men that come her way.

ARC Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: January 17, 2023

Rating: 3/5

The Cunningham family has a notorious reputation. As they gather for a reunion at a ski resort, people start getting murdered.

ARC Review: Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: June 13, 2023

Rating: 5/5

Uzma Jalaluddin made my dreams come true with this Muslim retelling of my favourite Austen book 🫶🏽 I’m a simple gal–you say Persuasion retelling and I am running to read it 🏃🏽‍♀️ This is also a formal plea for more Persuasion retellings, please and thank you.

Six years ago, Nada’s love life and dreams were destroyed in one fell swoop. She has been living like an empty shell ever since. After six years of heartbreak and regret, Nada and Baz are reunited at a weekend conference, where they are forced to interact because her best friend is marrying his brother.

The Countess by Sophie Jordan

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: March 28, 2023

Rating: 2.5/5

I was lured by the delicious promise of a forbidden romance between a Countess and her daughter’s self-made suitor, but I was left disappointed in the execution.