Review: The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft

The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft by Romuald Giulivo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Boom! Studios, all opinions are my own.

While I enjoyed the art, I felt like the story was not for me. I feel like this will be a big his for fans of Lovecraft's work and those who know more about his life and backstory. As I don't know much about him and his history other than he wrote some weird fiction that inspired an entire subgenre of horror, I didn't connect with this. The story felt almost like A Christmas Carol as HP Lovecraft faces ghosts from his past during his final hours. Instead of changing his miserly ways, he must face his humanity, choices he made, and the legacy he is leaving. While this graphic novel is fiction, it feels almost like a graphic memoir as it pulls facts from Lovecraft's life and stories into the pages.

While this wasn't for me, I think fans of Lovecraft's work or Lovecraftian horror will enjoy this.

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Review: Immortal Rose: A Novel by Alexandra Bracken

Immortal Rose: A Novel by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique romantasy featuring a perfumer and a spymaster.  Viola has fae heritage and not only does she make wonderful perfumes but she is also able to make scents that have magical properties. Hugh is a high born aristocrat, but he's also a spymaster who likes to know all of the secrets of the kingdom.  

There is alot going on in this book in addition to the slow burn romance that develops between our  main characters.  This starts out slow, then it picks up and there is so much happening.  There is political intrigue, espionage, a fun cast of side characters, and a unique magic system.  Viola has an impossible task to perform in makin a perfume no one knows how to make with ingredients no one can get.  With Hugh's help, she must source the rare ingredients putting her in danger.  While she typically makes perfume to heal or make people feel good, she encounters those who make it to harm.

I will say that the perfume as a magic system didn't feel completely developed.  Viola has the natural ability to smell the scents around her which is helpful in her line of work, but the magical part of her work isn't well explained.  As the last remaining member of her family there isn't anyone to train her, I am hoping that we learn more about her magic and the fairy aspect of the perfume industry in this world in the next book.

This ends on a huge cliffhanger.  It sets things up for the next book and I'm anxious to see what happens next for our couple and those around them.  There are tons of unanswered questions and so many plotlines open.  I thought this was a nice mix of tropes and none outweighed the other. 

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Review: The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun by Eli Snow

The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun by Eli Snow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows the head gardener at the Divine Gardens and an aspiring gardener will ill intentions.  Cyprin longs to enter the gardens to find the man who abandoned her in her time of need, but she also longs for the beauty of the gardens.  Purcell aims for perfection in all that she does, and the pressure is on now that she is head gardener and sees directly to god.

I found this to be confusing at times as the chapters jump from Cyprin to Purcell's POV, but they weren't always seamless.  There are parts of the plot that I still really don't understand and felt like weren't explained well.  The world is unique and the author uses alot of quirky descriptors throughout the book that sometimes made sense and other times didn't quite work.  As for the plot, there is supposed to be a budding romance between Purcell and Cyprin, but they don't like each other.  Saying "she's hot" does not build chemistry or a relationship, and I found that was the case here.  At no point did I feel that they ever truly liked one another.  All of their motivations seemed to be about one upping the other to push the plot forward.  We don't actually get to understand what is really going on with the world and the religious system until the end of the book, then things started to make sense.  

Overall this story just wasn't for me. 

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Review: Make Me: A Second Chance, Marriage of Convenience Romance by Adriana Locke

Make Me: A Second Chance, Marriage of Convenience Romance by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This follows former flames Mira and Hartley.  They were mentioned or side characters in the prior books, but this reads as a complete standalone.  If you want to get to know the other couples and characters mentioned I highly recommend reading the previous 3 books as they are all equally great!  I love the series and the setting of Sugar Creek.

Mira has moved away and runs her own social media business.  Hartley runs his family farm and hasn't really left their hometown of Sugar Creek.  Losing her parents at a young age has caused a sense of wanderlust in Mira that she hasn't been able to shake.  She never truly dealt with her grief and doesn't really want to or know how.  Her wonderful grandmother, who has always been able to see what Mira needs, decides to meddle a bit and decide to leave Mira an inheritance she can't refuse, but there is a catch.  She and Hartley have to marry and stay married for 1 year.  Grandma is hoping that Mira finally deals with her grief and feelings for Hartley.  Harley has never stopped having feelings for Mira, and the whole town has been trying to get him settled down since Mira left.

I love it when Addy writes a grandparent character into her books, and this one was hit.  Mira's grandma was loving while being funny at the same time.  Because Hartley and Mira grew up together and had a romantic relationship previously, I didn't mind that things picked up quickly when they reunited during their marriage of convenience. It never felt like insta-love or insta-lust, it felt like they naturally fell back into something that was always there after desperately trying and failing to stay apart.  You always knew that they would fall back in love and I appreciated that there wasn't a third act breakup and no miscommunication trope.  This had the authors trademark banter, humor, lovable main and side characters, with a sprinkle of seriousness mixed in.

I loved the narrators.  They were both new narrators for me, but they were wonderful as Mira and Hartley.

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Review: Mary Sue by Meghan Fitzmartin

Mary Sue by Meghan Fitzmartin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Boom! Studios, all opinions are my own.

This is a compilation of volumes 1-5.  The art is stunning.  The storyline follows introverted teenager Cassie who loves to write fanfiction about her favorite show.  She has has dedicated online fans who love her work and give her feedback as well as friendship that she lacks in real life.  Her mom is worried about her and her school mates think she is strange.  Things do get a bit strange when the main character of her fanfic, a vampire named Jessica shows up in real life and things take off from there.

I'm not a big fanfiction reader, but you don't have to be to enjoy this.  The creators do a great job with the storyline and art to explain what you need to know about fandoms, tropes and anything else to understand what is going on.  I appreciated that they took familiar tropes and character arcs and explained the history of the Mary Sue character and created a whole fantasy world around it.  There is more to this graphic novel than just fanfiction, there is friendship and self-reflection as well.  This does end on quite the cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to seeing where things go with Cassie and Bennett in the future.

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Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the series, and while you could probably read this as a standalone, I do recommend reading the series in order as there is information in the first two books that will be helpful in understanding Din and Ana and their abilities and the world they operate in.  Their investigations however are unrelated.  

This particular investigation sees our quirky investigators on a murder investigation that seems cut and dry.  At first glance it doesn't seem to warrant the skills that our pair possess, but given the location of the crime and the families involved they are sent to deescalate and provide an unbiased eye.  The very simple case becomes very convoluted and complex as Din begins asking questions.  Ana's ability to uncover the unseen and strange in a crime uncovers a strange plot involving fungus that no one could have imagined.

I love Din and Ana, and this series just keeps getting better and stranger.  The author masterfully crafts this strange world with wonderful characters.  It is weird and dark at times with just a touch of humor.  I love getting to know Din and Ana a bit more in each book and watching them work together.  We get to know him a bit better in this book as we meet his sister and learn a bit more about his family.  Ana is such a strange character, but she makes me laugh and she is always able to put everything together so neatly in the end.  

I absolutely love this series and can't wait for another installment!

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Review: Jem and the Holograms Book One

Jem and the Holograms Book One by Kelly Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and Boom! Studios, all opinions are my own.

When I saw this as a review option on the monthly offerings from Boom! I knew I had to read it! As a child of the 80s, I loved Jem and was a loyal watcher of the animated series. This graphic novel takes the beloved characters and storyline and brings it into the present day while giving nods to some favorite pop-culture nods to the 80s. Fans of the 80s and those like myself who grew up in the 80s will appreciate the references to other 80s series and movies.

This begins as an origin story for Jem and the Holograms and sets up the rivalry with the Misfits another already established band. The storyline keeps alot of the elements of the original show, while adding some unique twists and bringing the band into the present day. We have social media and the internet that wasn't even a thought back in the 80s. There are lyrics present on the pages to represent the music we used to get in the show. The graphic novel delves into the relationships between the characters in each of the bands, the music, and the developing rivalry between the

I absolutely loved this. Jem was a staple in my after school routine in the 80s. The art style captures the bright colors from that time and captures the darker punk style to represent the Misfits and the lighter pop rock style to represent the Holograms. This graphic novel made me so happy! I loved the storyline and I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume.

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