Reviewer: @x_chrissie_reads_x (Instagram)
Within the walls of Thornbrook, Brielle dedicates her life to the Father. A path of peace and tranquility follows her as she forges the blades that bring Tithe to life and murmurs the prayers of the Text.
However, good cannot exist without the tendrils of bad…
As Brielle encounters an injured man in the woods, a mere touch leads her through the dangers of Under and the devilish grins from the fair folk. Within Thornbrook, Brielle is a saint-but as she faces a real god, her soul is enticed by the murmurs of a forbidden touch and most of all, a forbidden love…
The West Wind is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the journey of good and how it took a wayward path.
A mesmerising plot flourished within the pages, an immediate flame. The world-building held a uniqueness that I had yet to experience. One side of the coin was pure and serene, the picture of integrity and faith while the other glinted with perilous shards of lethal seduction–moments weaved with a sensual smirk.
The contrast between Brielle and Zephyrus was a tantalising twirl of lust and imperfection–a wild dance depicted delicately by Alexandria Warwick. Brielle’s journey of self-discovery and growth was purely breathtaking. Amongst a city of innocence, the strings of worldliness tugged Brielle into a whirlwind of the known and the unknown. Her shattered realm held together by the hands of a dishonoured god–Zephyrus became the tether of her soul.
A god with a deceitful past, a veil shadowing his immortal reality, Zephyrus’ character burdened the weight of emotional turmoil and sorrow. His godlike persona that was a thrilling ember in the very first pages was tarnished, however, by a lack of aura that seemed to fade as the book came to close.
An insightful story, The West Wind held the perception of Faith and the faithless in a balanced palm. Zephyrus brought the tale of the unruly to a pleasant thrum that was scaled by Brielle’s unending grace and belief. Alexandria Warwick carefully approached both sides of a controversial view, and made it a sophisticated and captivating tale…
Reviewer: @cair_paraval_chronicles (Instagram)
This modern – gender switch retelling of Ferris Bullah’s day off was so much fun.
I know the movie was a highlight for many who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s – My husband said he watched the movie so many times. The fact that Lewis Hamilton remastered himself into a scene from this movie shows how much sway it really had.
So why not a more modern retelling with a Tesla as our hero car.
The story is told from multiple perspectives – Isa, Grace, Everett and James.
They are all family friends, having known each other pretty much since birth. Jake and Grace are siblings. But as they became teenagers their tight friendship took on a different direction.
In one last ditch effort to reunite the group Grace comes up with a plan….
It is not simple … it won’t be easy but she is certain she can pull it off. After all she is the class president and everything she does always works out.
While the plan is in motion her poor brother (who she left out of the heist) is trying to find out where/what they are up to.
We find out that a dear father figure to all, has passed and it surfaces how each character was affected by his passing.
How does Everett come to terms with his own devastation after all it was his father?
Some love triangles…some family secrets and some reuniting all comes into play before the story ends.
Personally I think the book went on a little too long – could have ended 100 pages earlier – but it was a fun read and I really did enjoy it for the most part.
Thank you for the book!
Reviewer: @fandomsandfiction_(Instagram)
what to expect:
– “manic pixie dream girl” x (tortured) hockey player
– forbidden love
– dirty talk 💋
– v. spicy 🌶️
This was my first Tessa Bailey and probably not the best place to start. Not only is it the third book in a series (which really doesn’t mean much because each can be read as a standalone), but the future stepsiblings and insta-love tropes are not my thing AT ALL. Nevertheless, despite my initial ick, I was given this book to review and review I shall 🙂↕️🙏
From the offset, I could see why Tessa Bailey is such a popular author. Her writing is GOOD. I thought I would cringe my way through – especially during the opening chapters when the tropes were being set up – but I actually enjoyed the writing so much! It was crazy and sensual and chaotic and addictive. Not bad Ms Bailey, not bad.
Beyond the addicting writing style, the standout factor of this book is its sexual tension. I’ve heard that Tessa Bailey has been called the “Michelangelo of dirty talk” and I get it. The brimming attraction, tug-of-war between repression and seduction, and overall spiciness was HOT! If you’re a romance reader for the smut not the story, then you’ll enjoy this one. Pretty sure Sig Gauthier perfected the Praise Kink. Just saying. 👀
Unfortunately, while I enjoy a good chili-hot meal, I need a good story to balance my spice. While the writing was tantalizing enough and the story itself wasn’t bad, it was not enough to satisfy my palate. There was a side of obsession and possessiveness that could be seen as ‘hot’ in fiction (depending on what you’re into) but would very much be a RED FLAG IRL. It soured the taste for me a bit.
That (and my food puns) aside, I didn’t hate this book as much as I expected! I’m just really really grateful it ended the way it did, or I’d probably be singing a different tune. I am eager to read the rest of Tessa Bailey’s work! She’s definitely got talent!
Reviewer: @galaxy_o_honey (Instagram)
Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin is a coming-of-age novel that explores what it’s like to grow up neurodivergent and how to find oneself on this strange planet. Uniquely told in the second person, the story is seen through the eyes of a young girl known as Little Alien.
We meet Little Alien at the age of four-and-a-half. From that early age, she is already berated and made to feel different by her teachers and peers—a pattern that continues throughout her schooling. While I absolutely hated seeing this happen to her, I realised the author is highlighting a reality many people face. What I loved was Little Alien’s passion for learning and languages; she found solace in libraries—an infinite resource of knowledge. Her fascination with the Voynich Manuscript really ignited this love of language and pushed her out of her comfort zone to pursue what she truly cared about. That said, there wasn’t much in terms of character development for Little Alien or her parents, and I was a bit disappointed that her diagnosis process was brushed over.
The novel explores how to find your own path when you feel like you don’t fit in, the power of language, and the magic of libraries. I didn’t enjoy the footnotes, as they often broke the flow of the story. However, the second-person narration really worked for this book—something not everyone can pull off.
Rating: 3.5 ☆ed shame.” – I always hear parents blaming external factors like school and friends when their children do something considered out of line when sometimes they are to blame but are not able to realise that.
Reviewer: @just_reading_no_thandolwethu (Instagram)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reflections: I did not know I needed to journal until I got into this guided journal. I also think I did not know that there was so much I had let go of just as much as there was so much, I was still holding onto. This guided journal was what my soul needed. Surprisingly, I was going through this book while also reading “Parent Yourself First by Bryana Kappadakunnel” and I felt like these two books make so much sense together.
About the book: This book is a 30 days guided journal with prompts that help you explore empathy, abundance, personal growth, self-love and past traumas.
What I loved:
- I loved the cover of this book; it is so colourful and playful.
- I loved that the journaling space given was so much. It really allows you to let it all out and leave no words unwritten.
- I loved that the book provided reflection prompts for both good experiences and not so favourable ones. When having to deal with matters of exploring yourself and your life I tend to always focus only on the bad, but this book focused equally on both. Thus, showing the importance of leading a balanced life.
- I also loved that this book revealed to me that my life is amazing, and I am beyond blessed. Something I can forget at times when the going gets tough.
- I loved the quotes throughout the book, that was such a great “add” to the book.
- Beyond just going straight into reflecting and writing those reflections down I loved the fact that the author prompts you to focus on your feelings in the current moment which I found to be so important. This revealed to me that I might not get as worked out about something now that I used to get worked out by.
- This book really showed me the importance of empathy not only towards others but also towards oneself.
- I loved that overall, this book gave me a fresh perspective on how to engage with others.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone really, but I must say please get into this one when you are in a space of wanting to engage with yourself and are willing to be teachable.
