Let’s talk Elin Hilderbrand. For years, I didn’t have time to read bestsellers. I found it to read hers. I’ve got a short, but growing, list of authors who write books that I'd buy without reading a single review. Hilderbrand was the first on this list for me—many, many years ago. And I suspect there is a long list of readers who, like me, fell in love with Nantucket, Massachusetts because of her books. Hilderbrand’s work priorities place and setting, more importantly, showcases how places can make us feel. In fantasy reading, we talk about “world building” - which I imagine is quite difficult - but the world-showing that Hildebrant does in every one of her books is stunning. Even in fiction, these stories can make a real place - one you’ve never visited- feel familiar…feel like somewhere you’ve been. I don’t know about you - but that’s the exact thing I love about reading. She is committed to this tiny corner of the world in Massachusetts - and the result has always been magic for me. Her final Nantucket novel, Swan Song, is the most highly anticipated release of 2024 for me. (And also the most dreaded as I'm not ready for the Nantucket Era to end.)

“It’s not always enough to go looking for the place we belong. Sometimes we need to make that place.” - Sangu Mandanna. The coziest of books. Potions and tea. A chill in the air. An old house (with a library!). Lots of baking. Delightful? Absolutely. Romantasy? Only in the loosest sense. Readers: this is light on the Fantasy and on the Romance. The book doesn’t need either - which, I think, speaks to the success of Mandanna’s story. We do have a grumpy, distrustful MMC (with a heart of gold) who loves books, though. Do with that what you will. I’d recommend this to anyone as a first step —the smallest step — into the world of fantasy reading. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is about family and community, the love we choose to give…and accept. I challenge anyone to think of a sweeter, stronger “found family.” Where others have danger or tragedy that brought them together, this crew rallied around three orphaned witches to give them a home.

“The place I go when I feel trapped inside myself. When I’m terrified that all my happiest moments belong to the past. When my body is humming with too much of something, or aching from too little, and life stretches out ahead of me like a threat.” - Emily Henry, Happy Place. Just so you know…Happy Place isn’t strictly “happy.” It’s one of Henry’s saddest, but in the best way. In the end, this book made me happy, it brought the kind of joy one expects from a Henry read. But, along the way, Happy Place asks some incredibly haunting and uncomfortable questions about the passing of time and the nostalgia we can’t escape. Happy Place was heartfelt throughout, adorable at times, and heartbreaking in moments. Emily Henry is a master at witty banter and this book is no exception. The characters in this book were complex, relatable, and likable. You’ll laugh and smile, but there is also a profoundly familiar sadness to this story - one that forces you to think about growing up and the ways people and friendships evolve - like it or not. Harriet was, for me, the most relatable character I’ve read in a long time. If you are an overachiever and over-thinker (or as Taylor would say “a pathological people pleaser”), you’ll love this book…and be called out by it. And, as a New England girl at heart, I adored the coastal Maine setting and little details sprinkled throughout this story. Perfect for book clubs. A fast read. A book to share with your bestie(s), recent and past. It’s another hit from Henry.

If Fourth Wing is a black Morningstar dragon, Iron Flame is a nondescript green one. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a "good" read - and you should pick it up if you liked Fourth Wing. However, while some on this app finished it in a day - I definitely could put this one down (in fact, I finished three other books before completing this one). The main issue here is the dialogue, which was incredibly repetitive and made me less invested in these characters. Iron Flame was also too action-packed. Do you remember Barney Stinson’s “Get Psyched” playlist on How I Met Your Mother? “All rise” (no fall)? That’s what we have here. As a reader I couldn’t regroup after action and suspense in nearly every scene. And, as a result, I got used to this chaotic pacing and stopped really caring about the story. If everything is suspenseful, nothing is suspenseful. That said, the last 100 pages were the best part AND the ending was unpredictable. Overall, I’m still invested in this story, this setting, and these characters - I’m glad I read the second installment and I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next for Navarre. I just hope Book 3 reads more like Fourth Wing.

We love a debut novel and a reformed-bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold around here. 😍 DONE AND DUSTED offers everything readers are looking for in a cowboy romance. It was sweet and heartfelt, and super spicy. Backward ballcaps and Southern drawls. Brother’s best friend who doesn’t flinch at her panic attack. Mental health representation so well done it made these characters much more relatable than other books in this same space. It’s been a hot second since I stepped away from Romantasy reads, but this was perfect. Definitely recommend for romance readers (or romance readers, like me, currently swept up in fantasy TBRs).

This book begins the most stunning fantasy series I’ve read. The best series in the Maas universe. Yet, it is worth noting that The Assassin's Blade is the weakest book in the series. As a prequel, I don’t hold it to the same standards. This is scene-setting, it’s planting seeds. It’s the definition of “trust the process.” Again, what I love about Sarah J. Maas is that her books get better the further you get into a series. If you are wondering where to begin the Throne of Glass series, what order to start in: Read. The. Assassin’s. Blade. First. I’ll say it again for the people in the back – this is a hill I’ll die on (a White Fang Mountain, in fact) – go for the narrative’s chronological order, not publication date, with this one. While writers might be interested in the process of narrative development and publication history, I think readers owe it to themselves to commit to the narrative’s chronological order – most of the time. I’ll be honest with you - the payoff will take a while. Some might say a long while. The Assassin's Blade introduces a new world and new kind of FMC (very different from ACOTAR’s Prythian and Crescent City’s Midgard). As a standalone book, it’s hard to follow and it’s—I think, purposefully—disjointed. Stick with it anyway. You know Maas, everything comes back around. Throne of Glass, as a series, improves with each book – but you need the history offered in earlier works to appreciate it fully. Just like you don’t get A Court of Mist and Fury without A Court of Thorns and Roses, you don’t get leveled by Kingdom of Ash without first finding your way into and through The Assassin's Blade. It’s an essential read, but not a great one. And we have to be okay with that.

Let's start out with the obvious - this book is nowhere near Maas' best. But, because of the triumph that is the Throne of Glass series, I trusted the process --and am so glad I did. You've probably heard it before - A Court of Thorns and Roses starts slow. But it sets the stage for a series that has taken over social media. I think when people criticize ACOTAR, they often do so in the context of the four other books in this series. Of course it doesn't stack up against A Court of Mist and Fury, but what is does do is introduce a world, its characters, and lays the groundwork for an incredible reading experience that so many of us who've read this series wish we could experience again. Personally, I love that Maas' series get better and better with each book - so many authors start out with their strongest work and fall short with the next installments. Often, they don't know when to wrap up a universe. Maas leaves us wanting more every time (as evidenced by those of us counting the days until Crescent City 3). And that's why you should read this book. So, yes, I would recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses. But don't you dare stop here.

5 STARswords Okay so let’s start with: I think this is a 5-star read with 3-star energy. And I think there are going to be a lot of people disappointed by this book - I’m not one of them. I think this is our Tower of Dawn moment…the set-up novel. Remember there are 4 Houses in the Crescent City world. We’ve had a book for three of them now. Buckle up, Maas fans! As for HOFAS, it’s a must-read. I think we all went into it with high expectations. It was well plotted but didn’t give everything we wanted (and honestly, everything we reasonably expected based on the teasers). This book was SO DARK, y’all - which definitely took away from my enjoyment overall. I winced my way through this one—but it is Flame and Shadow. It’s got ACOTAR’s “under the mountain” overall vibe/heaviness throughout and it’s got torture scenes as bad or worse than Kingdom of Ash. You’ve been warned. That said, while I think the storyline is so good that it doesn’t need all the gore (felt a bit cheap), it’s a thrilling read. Questions are answered. New ones are asked. The stage is set for CC4. Bring it on! I, like many of you, was disappointed at some of what we DIDN’T get. But wow did we get a promise of it for the next book. So yep, this was slow and dark. 800 pages of “not quite what I wanted” but when the goosebumps hit you at Chapter 94…that's the 5⭐️ energy.

“Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives— or to find strength in a very long one.” - V.E. Schwab Addie joins so many of our favorite literary heroines with these words. Jo March. Elizabeth Bennet. Even Emily Dickinson said as much. This book is a profoundly beautiful story about the time we have, the stories we try to tell—and, yes, the ones we read and how they make us feel. It’s for the readers and the writers, those of us haunted by words. Addie reads to escape her reality. And she reads to be somehow more present to the world and wonder around her. I suspect many of us do, too. Five stars from me. It is well researched and written. It is for the artists and the “dreamers.” I cared about these characters. I couldn’t predict the ending…didn’t want there to be one. It’s haunting still. If you’re looking to try out a fantasy read, this is your book. The magic, if you can call it that, is subtle. It’s history and art—and a story to get lost in. An easy five stars from me.

Look you don’t need me to review these two books. If you read and love fantasy, they are simply a must read. What I will say is that House of Earth and Blood (CC1) was a tough start that flirted with my DNF line. To that I will say…just keep going. Maas has earned your trust. For what it's worth, I also preferred CC1 to CC2. But NEVER, reading House of Earth and Blood, would I have thought I’d be anticipating the next Crescent City book more than another ACOTAR, but here we are. That’s the magic of Maas. ✨ What she has achieved with this storyline (in the larger sense) is incredible. Just last month, we all held our breath waiting for January 30. Some of us for over 600 days. If you haven’t started these books (or others in the SJM catalogue), don’t worry - just start now. While I agree that the ideal order is (1) ACOTAR, (2) ToG, and (3) then CC - you do you. Of course you can read House of Flame and Shadow if you’ve only read Crescent City 1 and 2. Do I recommend it? Well, no. But is it still going to be a great reading experience? Absolutely. It’s a question of taking a shortcut or the scenic route - but both lead to the same place.

Look. This book is worth the hype. If you are looking for a really—and I mean really—good story to get lost in, this is it. If your childhood included Harry Potter release parties, this is your next read. If you found SJM on Tik Tok during the pandemic and already love the romantasy genre, this is your next read. And, if you’re new here, I still recommend Fourth Wing. Sure, there may be easier places to start reading in this genre - but, I’m not sure there’s a better story out right now to get you hooked. And hey, we were all okay in '97 when Sorcerer’s Stone was released. Fourth Wing strikes (pun intended) a great balance between conflict/action and scene-setting/character work, between fantasy and romance, and between gravity and levity. It’s one of the most addictive books I’ve read in years.

It’s very rare that I can say this: but I can’t think of a single reader in my life that I wouldn’t recommend Divine Rivals to. This was one of the most stunning YA books I’ve come across in years. Stunning at the level of sentence and craft. The prose was beautiful. It had to be—because this story is about writing stories. A topic like that introduces more challenges for the writer—and a bigger risk—but Ross pulled it off beautifully. She also gave us a FMC we can actually root for. Iris was fearless and vulnerable. Independent when she had to be, but also the friend you’d want in your corner every time. Readers, this is not high fantasy. In fact, the magic system (if you can call it that) and “divine” (read: god) elements didn’t really advance this plot, which may leave some readers—including me—confused at first, but wanting more in the end. Note: the epilogue promises we’ll get it in Ruthless Vows. For me, this is a fantastic story that doesn’t require the label of “YA,” “fantasy,” or “romance.” It is all these things in small ways, but, taken as a whole, Ross’ work is much more than the labels it’s been given across social media, even among those who love it as much as I did. Five. Stars.