Reviewer: @cair_paraval_chronicles (Instagram)
Ha ha ha what a hot mess our main character is! Poor Flo it seems that nothing can ever go right for her although she tries her best.
This book was written diary style with dates and times for each chapter….
She was once in a girl band and due to circumstances she left the band life but the band life never left her – late nights, mismatched clothing, bad lasting impressions and bad choices in men all lead her to an unfulfilled life.
Her only joy and constant is her son, Dylan, who is schooled at a posh private school where “all the other mother’s hate her” or do they?? It comes to light that Dylan’s father pays his tuition here.
Dylan is a lonely child – who doesn’t fit in with the posh boys at his school. Cue the bully – the red head – and the kid who goes missing.
Events unfold and Flo does not know who/what to believe and to keep the suspicions away from Dylan she proceeds to uncover the truth behind Alfie’s disappearance.
The story took on a wild train wreck from here where there seem to be more crimes to solve and a weird connection between all of them.
This book was a quick read that I am still trying to make sense of to be honest – there were some laugh out loud moments and if nothing else it was a fun read.
I wouldn’t add this to my best read of the year category but like I said it was fun to read.
@reading.pages.cara(Instagram)
5 Stars
2 Smut
I can’t believe this book is over. Man, Vuk is my guy. I really want to buy one of him too. Where can i purchase myself one of him?
Sigh. I really enjoyed this story and the banter was really good. I also loved that he had this mysterious air about him and that he treated Ayana very well.
I loved the parts where he was pinning after her and also his envy toward what was happening. It was such a fun and exciting read that i won’t forget it soon.
Why can’t we have real world man like Vuk. His love for Ayana was just the best even if he didn’t know it at the time. I do have to say i didn’t expect him to like animals but well we all see sides of him thay we didn’t know he had. He’s definitely on my Book boyfriend list and won’t be coming off anytime soon
Thank you @jonathanballpublishers
For a copy of this amazing book😍
Reviewer: @comfortlibrary_ (Instagram)
I Bet You’d Look Good In A Coffin By Katy Brent – ☆☆☆☆
This book follows Kitty Collins, a woman who’s trying really hard to live a normal life away from the chaos of social media. Oh, and she also has a habit of killing bad men. But she wants to stop that and settle down with her boyfriend. Totally normal, right?
Now let’s talk about Blaze Bundy, an online figure who’s not only the worst kind of man but also starts posting things that push Kitty over the edge. He targets her and now Kitty’s desperate to figure out…Who is Blaze Bundy really? 👀
Things get messier when Kitty receives an invite to her mother’s wedding. Who she hasn’t seen for years. (family secrets?🤫) and Blaze just happens to be heading to the same Country. The suspense, chaos and secrets!
This book is fast-paced, and filled with humor. It had me laughing, raging, and honestly just fully obsessed. I’ve been in a reading slump all month and this book pulled me right out of it.
It also touches on some heavy topics, so please make sure to check the trigger warnings, but if you’re into dark humor, modern social media drama, and a chaotic but lovable main character you’re going to love this book.
Thank you @jonathanballpublishers for sending me this book.
Reviewer: @roelia_reads(Instagram)
#BookReview The Pretender by Jo Harkin (full review on my #bookblog)
✨ Five Reasons You Need to Read The Pretender by Jo Harkin ✨
📖 A hidden gem of historical fiction, The Pretender takes a real-life footnote in history and turns it into an unforgettable adventure. Why should you pick it up?
Here are five compelling reasons to dive into “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin:
👑 A Fascinating Real-Life Story – Based on the little-known historical figure Lambert Simnel, this novel takes a footnote in history and turns it into an unforgettable tale of identity, politics, and survival.
👑 Richly Drawn Characters – From the clever and ruthless Joan of Kildare to the quick-witted Beatrice, the novel is packed with strong personalities who bring the past to life.
👑 Wry Wit & Sharp Humour – Despite the weighty themes of betrayal and war, the book is filled with bawdy, crass humour, making the journey entertaining as well as thought-provoking.
👑 Immersive Historical Detail – Even if you’re unfamiliar with 15th-century English politics, the writing makes it accessible, weaving in real figures and events while keeping the story engaging.
👑 A Coming-of-Age Adventure – At its heart, “The Pretender” is about a boy forced into an extraordinary life. Watching him grow, change, and fight for control of his own destiny makes for a gripping read.
Reviewer: @mr.pink.ink(Instagram)
I’ll start with a confession: I’ve never read Gregory Maguire’s original Wicked novels. My only real exposure to the land of Oz beyond Baum’s classic is through the blockbuster stage musical (and its recent movie adaptation), with all its soaring songs and Technicolor charm. So diving into Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, I was equal parts intrigued and apprehensive. What I found was a book that feels written almost exclusively for existing fans of Maguire’s Oz — and even then, it doesn’t offer much that’s truly magical.
Elphie drops us straight into the thick of things, assuming a familiarity with this grittier, more morally ambiguous Oz. There’s virtually no hand-holding world building here. Instead, we meet Elphaba as a small, prickly green child, trying to navigate life under the roof of her pious father Frex and her restless, pleasure-seeking mother Melena. The family dynamic is fraught and fascinating in its dysfunction — Melena’s dissatisfaction simmers dangerously close to the surface, while Frex’s rigid devotion feels as much a burden as a moral compass. Then there are Elphaba’s siblings: saintly Nessarose, whose arrival stirs all the usual childhood jealousies, and Shell, a younger brother with a knack for small cruelties.
In these moments, Maguire captures something painfully relatable about growing up feeling both fiercely loved and never quite understood. Elphaba’s earliest friendships are similarly thorny — tentative lifelines from a family that seems perpetually on the edge of unraveling. Yet even with all this interpersonal intrigue, the story remains surprisingly ordinary. There’s hardly a trace of witchcraft or ominous destiny here; just a peculiar girl with green skin, trying to survive her childhood.
This was perhaps the most jarring part for me. Coming from the vibrant, defiant Elphaba of the musical — complete with soaring duets and literal flights of fancy — this more muted, amoral, cunning young Elphie felt almost like a stranger. The differences between the two versions of Oz were so stark, it occasionally felt like reading about an entirely different world.
And then there’s Maguire’s writing style. Dense, labyrinthine, and almost purposefully oblique, it took me ages to acclimate — I very nearly put the book down for good. Eventually, I adjusted enough to push through, but it always felt like I was working to keep up, rather than sinking naturally into the story.
In the end, Elphie is likely best appreciated by those already deeply invested in Maguire’s dark, complicated Oz. For newcomers (or those coming from the musiccal alone), it’s more drab than dazzling — a coming-of-age tale that never quite stirs the cauldron. I wanted a glimpse of the witch to come; what I got was simply a green girl, muddling through childhood like the rest of us.
