Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
If you liked campy, early-2000s SyFy shows, then this is the book for you. The premise was entertaining, and I loved the whole monster-of-the-week vibe it had going on. The writing was fast-paced, but a little clunky. There were some turns of phrase and dialogue that felt stilted, and some of the characters' choices felt out of place. Alexys and Nic's dynamic was a bit childish, with the pair constantly pushing each other's buttons, and the romance felt rushed, but I still liked them together. There are some interesting developments with Alexys, and I hope that they are explored further as the series progresses. While it's not a new favorite, I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next one, and I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick palate cleanser read.
Weavingshaw- Heba Al-Wasity: Three years ago, Leena Al-Sayer started seeing the dead. She doesn't know how or why, only that one day she woke up and started seeing ghosts. Leena has kept this secret to herself for fear of ending up locked away in an asylum, but when her brother falls ill, she has no choice but to barter her secret for a cure. Leena has heard tales of the Saint of Silence, a cruel merchant who trades in secrets, and knows he would pay handsomely for hers. When she offers her secret, St. Silas accepts, but with a deadly price: she will find the ghost of Percival Avon, the last lord of Weavingshaw, or lose her freedom forever. As Leena and St. Silas begin their search, they discover Weavingshaw Manor isn't just hiding secrets, but a dark force that demands its sacrifice.
There's been so much hype surrounding this book lately, so I wanted to check it out. The vibes were a 10/10. I loved the gritty, dark atmosphere, though it didn't scream 'Gothic' to me. The characters are what carried this book for me. Leena and St. Silas were so interesting. I kept wondering how the romance would work between them since they truly loathe one another at the start. The romance is extremely slow burn (as in, barely any), but I was eating up every crumb thrown our way. I liked watching them gradually soften towards one another. Their interactions were my favorite part of this. When it came to the plot, it felt like Al-Wasity was trying to do too much. There is a lot of info-dumping when it comes to the politics and world-building. The writing and pacing felt clunky, and there were a few times I just wanted it to get to the point. The cliff-hanger didn't leave me desperate for more, but I'll probably still pick up the next book when it comes out.
I had read another book by Drews that I didn't love, so I was a little hesitant going into this. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed it. I liked the premise of this strange, wealthy family hoarding secrets, and their sickly ward who has no recollection of his past. It made for a very tense and eerie plot. I thought Evander was super interesting. He had this murky past, and I was intrigued to find out what it was. I also couldn't help wondering what the link between him and Laurie was. You find out early on that they were friendly as children until Laurie tried to kill Evander, so I couldn't help but be invested in their rather toxic dynamic. I think parts of the story were easy to figure out, but I liked how Drews brought everything together. If you like a Gothic feeling horror with botanical elements, then I would recommend checking it out.
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| Pub Date: 8-6-26 Adult - Fantasy |
(Mostly) Human Resources- Grace Viall: Alexys's father was a Warden for a company called Entity, which specializes in categorizing and managing the monsters and cryptids of the world. After he passed away on an assignment in the Appalachian Mountains, Alexys decided the best way to honor his legacy would be to join Entity, but in a less dangerous capacity. As part of the Human Resource department, Alexys keeps track of Wardens and their case files, but when one of her new team members goes missing on an unsanctioned search for a dangerous being known as the Hollow Walker, so does her chance at a promotion. Alexys made a promise to herself that she would never let a family go through what she did, so she takes it upon herself to go out into the field and find her wayward Warden. To her dismay, she's joined by her work nemesis, Nic, who is chomping at the bit to be the first to discover a new entity. But as they investigate, they discover dark secrets lurking in the mountains.
If you liked campy, early-2000s SyFy shows, then this is the book for you. The premise was entertaining, and I loved the whole monster-of-the-week vibe it had going on. The writing was fast-paced, but a little clunky. There were some turns of phrase and dialogue that felt stilted, and some of the characters' choices felt out of place. Alexys and Nic's dynamic was a bit childish, with the pair constantly pushing each other's buttons, and the romance felt rushed, but I still liked them together. There are some interesting developments with Alexys, and I hope that they are explored further as the series progresses. While it's not a new favorite, I'm intrigued enough to pick up the next one, and I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick palate cleanser read.
Rating: 3/5
*Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!
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| Pub Date: 2-24-26 Adult - Fantasy |
There's been so much hype surrounding this book lately, so I wanted to check it out. The vibes were a 10/10. I loved the gritty, dark atmosphere, though it didn't scream 'Gothic' to me. The characters are what carried this book for me. Leena and St. Silas were so interesting. I kept wondering how the romance would work between them since they truly loathe one another at the start. The romance is extremely slow burn (as in, barely any), but I was eating up every crumb thrown our way. I liked watching them gradually soften towards one another. Their interactions were my favorite part of this. When it came to the plot, it felt like Al-Wasity was trying to do too much. There is a lot of info-dumping when it comes to the politics and world-building. The writing and pacing felt clunky, and there were a few times I just wanted it to get to the point. The cliff-hanger didn't leave me desperate for more, but I'll probably still pick up the next book when it comes out.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 10-28-25 YA - Fantasy |
Hazelthorn- C.G. Drews: Evander has been a ward of reclusive billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall since he was a child, and has lived by very strict rules: he's not to leave the grounds of the Hazelthorn estate, he's not permitted in the gardens, and most importantly, Evander must stay away from Byron's grandson, Laurie. When Bryon unexpectantly dies, Evander is shocked to discover he is the sole heir to his fortune, much to the dismay of the rest of the family. But Evander senses something is off about Byron's death and takes it upon himself to investigate, and Laurie might be the only sane person around to help him. As Evander delves into the mystery, family secrets are unearthed, and something sinister begins to grow in the garden.
I had read another book by Drews that I didn't love, so I was a little hesitant going into this. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed it. I liked the premise of this strange, wealthy family hoarding secrets, and their sickly ward who has no recollection of his past. It made for a very tense and eerie plot. I thought Evander was super interesting. He had this murky past, and I was intrigued to find out what it was. I also couldn't help wondering what the link between him and Laurie was. You find out early on that they were friendly as children until Laurie tried to kill Evander, so I couldn't help but be invested in their rather toxic dynamic. I think parts of the story were easy to figure out, but I liked how Drews brought everything together. If you like a Gothic feeling horror with botanical elements, then I would recommend checking it out.
Rating: 3/5
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