2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

In 2023 I'm going to try some different reading challenges.  I'm adding The Alphabet Soup challenge hosted by Dollycas to my repertoire this year.

You can sign up and find all of the info on Dollycas' blog post here.  This one sounds really fun and encourages using books you are reading for other challenges for the 

I'll be posting updates as I finish titles.  I always try to plan out my books in advance, but if the Popsugar and Book Riot reading challenges have taught me anything, it is that I almost never read what is on the plan.  Anything with a link has a review posted, so feel free to check out my thoughts.

Link to my google spreadsheet

A - The Angel Maker by Alex North

B - Begin Again by Emma Lord

C - Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati

D - Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

E - Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

F - Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

G - The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

H - Hex You by PC and Kristin Cast

I - Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

J - Joy by Mike Bond

K - Kiss Me Forever by Anna B. Doe

L - Letter Late Than Never by Lauren Connolly

M - Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman

N - The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert

O - Only You by Samantha Young

P - Phaedra by Laura Shepperson

Q - The Quiet Tenant: A novel by Clémence Michallon

R - Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

S - Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long

T - This is How We Do It by Kevin Hart

U - Unseelie by Ivelisse Houseman

V - The Vinyl Frontier by Lola West

W - The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

X - Ex Libris by Matt Madden

Y - You Wouldn't Dare by Samantha Markum

Z - Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

Review: Broken Romeo by Katana Collins

Broken Romeo by Katana Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the Author and LiterallyYours PR, all opinions are my own.  I did purchase a copy on release day.

This is the first book in the Shattered Hearts series and follows Kate and Holden as they navigate Broadway as well as deal with the fallout from their days acting in college where they met. I didn't realize there is also a prequel Shattered Juliet, which I have not read yet. I do plan on reading that soon to gain additional perspective. Broken Romeo is told from Kate's perspective in the present and 5 years ago from Holden's perspective via his journal.

Kate is a down on her luck actress. She's never really broken onto the scene despite being extremely talented. She's gotten some small parts, but she is at her breaking point. She is broke and about to get evicted when her agent calls about one last audition that might just be "the one". When she finds out her ex who singlehandedly broke her heart and ruined her career is directing the show she isn't so sure about the role. Holden has had a ton of success on the stage despite the fact that he was never destined to act. As a senior and a football player, he was short on credits and took a theater class to get an easy A and the credits he needed to graduate. There he meets innocent freshman Kate and gets the lead in the production of a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Kate and Holden have chemistry both on and off the stage, and we learn through his journal entries about his developing feelings for her and the expectations put on him from his parents. Present day we are told upfront that Holden betrayed Kate at some point during their time in college but we never find out what exactly he did. When they reunite 5 years later during his directorial debut, Kate and Holden still have that same chemistry but it is fueled by her rage at what he did. We slowly get bits and pieces of the backstory with more to come in the next book.

This first book gives us insight into both characters in the past and where they are at today. Kate's character only just begins to show backbone I wanted to see from her when book 1 ends. I hoping we see more of that from her in book 2 as things are sure to heat up as the show progresses and more personality conflicts arise. The same goes for Holden. We've got alot of conflict brewing and he is in the middle of all of it. I'm looking forward to seeing how their characters develop in the next installment.

This does end on a cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Rebel Romeo, which comes out in February 2024. Fortunately we don't have to wait very long to find out what happens to our star-crossed lovers.

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Review: We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull

We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I listened to the audiobook as I did with book 1. As with all of my reviews, all opinions are my own.

This picks up a few years after No Gods, No Monsters with the world still reeling after the revelation that the supernatural monsters from myth do exist in the real world. Activist groups form for and against monsters living within society and the politics parallel what we see today regarding various minority groups. The author does a great job using the supernatural and horror elements in this series as allegory to discuss very real social commentary issues. The world building is very well done.

This is told in a non-linear fashion as the story unfolds and isn't always told in the same dimension as the author uses the concept of the multiverse to tell the story. I'm not sure if there is another book, I hope there is because I have alot of unanswered questions. You absolutely need to read the first book before diving into this book, as the world and way the story is told is complex. There is also a large cast of characters to keep track of so wouldn't start in the middle. I had a harder time keeping track of what was going on in this second installment as I did in the first book. The storyline keeps getting more and more complex. The ending is a bit open ended for my tastes, but I do believe this is a trilogy so I will patiently wait to find out how things play out. Turnbull is a masterful writer who uses fantasy and horror in a unique away to tell a powerful story.

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Review: Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both an e-ARC and an Audio arc of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I appreciated having both formats available as there is alot going on in this book. There are multiple points of view and alot of characters to keep track of. Having the e-book handy to clarify plot points

This book is told from multiple points of view, and the audiobook is narrated by a male and female narrator who switch on an off depending on which POV. I think they both did a good job narrating their different parts and they did justice brining the creepy atmosphere that Markert dreamt up.

I jumped at the opportunity to read this early as I loved The Nightmare Man. This has that same creepy vibe and a balance of horror and thriller that I really like. If you are a fan of Stephen King like I am, I think you will really enjoy the way this novel is put together. While the story isn't a copycat in any way of one of King's novels, the way the book is constructed, the horror elements, the strangeness factor, etc remind me alot of some of my favorite King books. Why did I only give it only 3 stars you ask? The ending...the ending felt a bit rushed to me and unfinished. As we approach what I'll call the final battle, I had check if this was book 1 of a series because there was no way things could wrap up with only a small amount of pages left. While the book does end, I don't feel closure I like to have at the end of a book. Up until the last pages, I was really enjoying this book.

This follows Gideon after returning from a tour on active duty to his home town where strange things happen around the old train tunnel. Many a townsfolk have been maimed in and around the tunnel and no one can explain why. Gideon's own brother has been in a coma for years after entering the tunnel. Beth the local Deputy Sheriff is trying to explain the local uptick in violence in town related to the tunnel. Teddy hears voices that tell him to do bad things and along the way to do those bad things he collects others who do bad things. Teddy, Beth, Gideon and others who are all part of the story that culminates in the town of Herrod's Reach all have a part to play as the tunnel brings nightmares to life in this atmospheric and creepy story.

Overall, I thought the plot was unique and original. I really liked the use of the various creatures from mythology with relation to dreams an nightmares. The worldbuilding was well done and I enjoyed the interaction between characters. This is the type of horror book I enjoy where there is a sense of unease and a creep factor throughout. The only thing that kept me from giving this a higher rating was the ending. Perhaps there is more to this story, perhaps it was left more open ended on purpose for the reader to imagine what happens to the characters. I prefer to leave a novel with a sense of closure and I didn't get that here.

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Review: Flame by Adriana Locke

Flame by Adriana Locke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Valentine PR, all opinions are my own. I immediately dropped this book and didn't put it down until I finished. I read it in two sittings and it delivered on all of the things you would have wanted from a series finale. It has all of the feels and spice to boot.

This is the long awaited series conclusion of the Carmichael Family series where we finally get to see the elusive Foxx Carmichael in his natural habitat. Foxx is the eldest of the Carmichael siblings, and while you don't have to read all of their books first, you are going to want to so you understand their family dynamics and all of the inside jokes. This is a complete standalone, so if you start here you will be perfectly fine. Those of us who have been longtime fans of the series, have been waiting to get to know the broody silent brother for quite some time. We met Bianca briefly in The Proposal as she is Renn Brewer's sassy sister. This is also where we get some major insight into what Foxx does all day when he isn't being tormented by Banks shenanigans. Don't worry you don't need to read that book either, but I highly recommend it!

This book opens with a classic Banks prank, if you know you know. If you don't know Banks, lets just say he lives for pulling pranks on his brothers, this time it is Foxx's turn. Foxx is saved by his best friend Jason and his sister Bianca. Foxx and Bianca have a complicated relationship which is code for they are attracted to each other but because of personal and professional relationships they haven't moved out of the friend zone. Bianca and her family have been dealing with the fallout of some very bad and possibly illegal decisions their father made and as acting president of the company she is very stressed and the target of those decisions gone wrong. Jason and Foxx convince her to stay with Foxx for a pseudo vacation while things calm down at home and she will be out of the spotlight. Her legal team is busy going over all of the contracts her dad drew up and they find one requiring Bianca be married by her next birthday or the family business she worked so hard on will be majorly impacted. She never wanted to get married, but when Foxx demands she marry him to protect herself it doesn't sound so bad. They agree to a marriage of convivence but quickly come to realize that their feelings for each other aren't so fake after all and things quickly heat up.

Foxx and Bianca were such a fun couple. He is broody and quiet, while she is talkative and goes a mile a minute. They perfectly balance each other. Their relationship took off really quickly, but they had a backstory so this doesn't have an insta-love feel to it because they were friends prior and know each other well. We've been waiting for a long time to get to know Foxx who typically communicates in grunts or one word sentences, and it was so nice to see him open up and have actual conversations with Bianca. At the same time Bianca is this powerful CEO who has her own personal struggles. She is strong supporting everyone else and the company and forgets to take care of herself, it was so nice to see her be embraced by Foxx's family unit and find the support she didn't know she needed. They had great chemistry and the spicy scenes will not disappoint. There were a lot of other great scenes but I don't want to spoil anything.

This was a great ending and a nice crossover book with the Brewer series with the next book out at the end of December. I loved the appearances with the other Carmichael siblings and their partners as well as their parents who are lovely. Damaris also finally gets her couch which I loved!
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Review: Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie

Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the Berkley Besties program and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

This is a fast paced mystery/thriller following Syd, an archeologist working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  She uncovers tribal artifacts and remains and returns them to their tribal leaders to ensure they are handled with care and proper burial rights are performed.  She is reassigned from her current regional work to one closer to her hometown in Oklahoma when remains are found with her internship ID attached to them.  Syd has no desire to go home and revisit the trauma from her past, but upon her return she finds that her sister is missing and things just aren't adding up when she starts asking questions.

Syd lives with a lot of survivor guilt and rage from a traumatic event that occurred when she was a child.  She is driven by a sense of justice and vengeance in her adult life because she couldn't stop what happened that awful night.  Her sense of justice helps her with her day  job, bringing lost things back to their rightful owners and lost souls back to their families so they can gain closure and peace.  When she goes home, however her rage and need for revenge take over and her ability to think rationally are kind of thrown to the wayside.  I had a hard time connecting with her on that front, but I've never been in that kind of situation.  I think it is hard to say what I would do if I lost a loved one like that or dealt with some of the things she had to deal with.

I thought this was a captivating and well written story.  I did find it hard to follow at times as there are many characters to keep track of.  I also thought there were too many plot points to keep track of., however the author did a good job brining things together in the end.   I do appreciate that this novel is base in reality and it is horrible that drugs, crime, and corruption plague the indigenous tribes.  This does have a more true crime feel to it, so if you enjoy thrillers based on true stories this is a great read.  

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Review: The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. I did end up listening to most of this book via audio via Hoopla in an effort to get my review up relatively close to release data. This book was released in early October, so my review is about a month late.

This book is a mashup of historical fiction and fantasy. It has an interesting magic system based on alchemy and historical alchemical practices. If you have read Baker's previous works, they are geared toward the young adult reader, however there are some dark themes and her work is not devoid of gore and violence. There is also a bit of a horror element to this much like there was with The Keeper of Night. There is a bit of a romance element, but it wasn't front and center and I didn't really feel the chemistry between the love interests.

This follows Fan Zilan, an aspiring alchemist from poor family and a poor village. Zilan was adopted by her aunt and uncle and she wants nothing more than to become a Royal Alchemist to send money home to support them and help them rise from poverty. She and her two cousins who she thinks of as her siblings, must travel to the city of Chang'an and take their civil service exams in the hopes of rising to a higher station and sending money home to their parents. Her cousins want to become scholars and Zilan who is self-taught wants to learn everything she can from the other alchemists. Upon arriving in the city they quickly learn that they can't trust anyone and that something strange is afoot at the palace.

I thought the characters were very immature at times. Zilan was insecure and reckless, then guilty about the outcomes. The Crown Prince, Hong, is also quite immature despite being next in line to be emperor and constantly in danger. I think younger readers will connect with these characters a lot more than I did. The world building was very well done and Baker did a great job on that front describing the alchemy and the monsters. There was quite a bit of court intrigue and she did a good job painting the picture of what was going on inside and outside the palace.

This does leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, which sets us up for book two nicely. I do feel that we got closure for the most part with the storyline for book one, but this does leave us with some open questions on where the empire is headed and what Zilan will do next. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

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