Book Review: Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time by PJ Davis

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About the Book:

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Thirteen-year-old Max is a daydreamer. It gets him into trouble at school, but his restless curiosity really turns problematic when he runs into a mysterious professor at his uncle’s bookstore. The old man informs Max that time is being sucked out of the planet by invisible bandits, stolen from unsuspecting people one breath and one sneeze at a time, and is being stored in a central vault. Once full, the vault will fuel a hungry horde of invaders looking to cross into earth, and cross out all its people. What’s more, the professor claims he knew Max’s missing scientist father. With the help of his best friends, Derek and Samantha, Max must harness his compulsive curiosity and find passage to this place called Nemesis to stop the sticky-fingered time thieves and halt their planned invasion. But when the professor goes missing and the clock starts ticking, Max discovers far more than he imagined. Just how much Max is willing to sacrifice hinges on the realization of just who or what he is beyond the bounds of time.

My Thoughts:

I love reading children’s and middle grade fiction because of the immense ability of children to imagine anything and everything.

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time follows thirteen year old Max and his friends as they embark on an adventure to save the world, save time and destroy Nemesis. The children are thrown into the middle of a sinister plot and it is indeed up to them to find the way to save everyone. Though this sounds like a common idea, there is more to the plot. This is a story of friendship, bonds that are strong, and trust among friends when they need it the most. I enjoyed how the story was structured and the writing kept me hooked until the end.

The characters are fun to read about and get to know. Each has their own quirks and bringing them all together makes this a fun read. This book will definitely take the reader on an journey that they will never forget, along with Max and his friends. I am definitely looking forward to more of Max’s discoveries and adventures.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Book Review: The Brothers Finn and the Campus Crawl by Christina Hagmann

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About the Book:

The Brothers Finn are back, and this time, they’re going to college.

Someone is turning college coeds into creatures of the night. Even though Gage and Cooper Finn are still on the run—evading both the Roamers and the police—that won’t stop them from going undercover on a college campus to unravel the mystery.

It’s up to the Finn brothers to put an end to this before it’s too late. With their trademark charm and razor-sharp wit, they’ll be sure to make plenty of friends and enemies along the way.

The stakes have never been higher. Get ready for the ultimate college experience—with a supernatural twist.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the series and follows the Brothers Finn as they hide from both The Roamers and other supernaturals. The brothers are now dealing with some hard truths and strike out on their own to save others. This leads them to enroll in a college, reaching out to old friends and making new ones.

The showdown from the end of the previous book leads to new enemies and old truths in this new book. We meet a lot of new characters, and the brothers once again face new challenges as they race against the clock to save humans and supernaturals alike.

This book is fast-paced and to the point, a quick read that will ensure the reader is hooked until the very end. This book once again ends on a cliff hanger, setting the context for the next book which I am most definitely looking forward to reading!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Book Review: Actually Yours by Belinda Mary

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About the Book:

When Amelia Anderson’s best friend gets married and she finds herself the last single girl left in a room filled with couples, she wonders if it’s time to start dating again.

Enter the Dating Plan. Her helpful friends devise a plan to get her back out there and really, what could go wrong? They have a colour-coded binder to guide them, after all!

What ensues, however, is a string of dates so disastrous, it’s enough to have Amelia vowing to remain single forever.
The only bright side in this dismal dating experiment? Jake Johnson, her ex-boyfriend’s older brother, who keeps coming to her rescue. Making her feel safe, protected…special.

Jake has always been that guy for her. The one who represented everything she was scared to want, so she settled for what she thought she deserved. And now he’s back in her life and is stirring up all these feelings that she’s struggling to ignore. Amelia can’t forget that he’s off-limits for her.

But if that is true, why does it feel that in a sea of all these Mr Wrongs, he may actually be her Mr Right?

My Thoughts:

A dating plan, caring friends and one very curious and every present ex-boyfriend’s brother. What could go wrong with this formula?

Belinda Mary once again brings to us a wonderfully light-hearted romantic comedy, complete with mis steps, funny moments and a swoon worthy romance. I read this book as a part of the author’s ARC team and fell in love with it from the start. This was the kind of book that I read from start to finish in one go, with no stops on the way.

Amelia and Jake brought so much to this story, each with their own quirky thoughts and interesting personalities, with some help from friends we’ve known and loved and feel happy to meet again (this will make sense for those who have read Belinda Mary’s previous books)!

This is a wonderful read, fun and full of laughter, the right kind of book to come out of a reading slump or just to fall in love! Take a chance with our two wonderful MCs as they find love and happiness after a series of disasters of course!

Book Review: The Brothers Finn by Christina Hagmann

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About the Book:

A mysterious murder. A family torn apart. A hunt for answers.

Arrested for their parents’ murder and on the verge of being found guilty, Gage and Cooper Finn, two high school basketball standouts, are aided in a jailbreak. A shadowy organization known as The Roamers recruits the boys to track and hunt down vampires under deep cover so other humans remain as much in the dark about the existence of supernatural beings. Their orders on a new case lead them to an abandoned warehouse and a clue, a young newly-formed female vampire named Jamie, who opens the door to discovering what happened to their parents. It’s a shaky lead, and they don’t know if they should trust the vampire. Things become more dangerous as Gage catches the attention of Sela Winters, the daughter of the leader of The Roamers. Sela’s connections give them access to files that threaten to divide Gage and Cooper as they split up to solve this mystery – if betrayal doesn’t sink its fangs into them first.

Will the brothers find answers before they turn on each other?

My Thoughts:

The Brothers Finn is the first book in the series that follows Gage and Cooper as they navigate being the main suspects in their parents’ murders. Though the story starts abruptly with a sudden shift in timeline after the first chapter, the rest of the story keeps pace and draws the reader right in.

There are hunters on one side, known as The Roamers, who secretly hunt down vampires, thus keeping their existence a secret from the humans. As Gage and Cooper navigate this world, they also try to find out who was responsible for the murder of their parents.

Readers are drawn into a world where the supernatural live among humans but are not known. The relationship between the brothers is strong despite their clear character differences and this makes it all the more interesting to read about their journey. Each one has their own opinion and approaches things differently. The other characters in the story only add to the main plot and thus we have a fast-paced engaging read, with the main characters being forced to re-think all they have known and perhaps even make friends with a vampire.

I really enjoyed reading this book and meeting all the characters and am definitely looking forward to more of their adventures!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Book Review: How We Became Intergalactic Superheroes by Chris von Halle

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About the Book:

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All his life, twelve-year-old Ben Grishop has been practically nonexistent. Hardly anyone knows who he is, he’s not good at anything no matter how hard he tries, and he blends into all chairs and benches. But when he and his friends Joe and Dana are abducted by aliens one fateful summer night, they have the chance to become famous for saving the universe. That is, if they can survive a planet full of giant, man-eating, French-speaking crabs, a pair of tuxedoed, gibberish-spouting men with handlebar mustaches, and the mysterious “immensely powerful, evil force from The Realm Beyond.”

Jampacked with action, humor, and heart, How We Became Intergalactic Superheroes will have middle-schoolers and the young at heart alike hopping the closest spaceship to their own next cosmic adventure.

My Thoughts:

How We Became Intergalactic Superheroes is a quick, fun read for middle-schoolers that will keep them on their toes as they try to find out what happens next. Getting abducted by aliens is one thing, but having to interact with them and outsmart them is a whole different experience.

This is what happens to Ben, Joe, and Dana, three friends who are generally considered normal and boring, but who end up on an unexpected adventure. Though a little confusing at times, there are definitely moments of laughter in the story. Through this, readers will learn simple lessons of friendship, leadership, getting over one’s fears and even standing up for oneself.

I enjoyed reading this book and exploring the galaxies with Ben and his friends! I hope you all do too!

Book Review - Celestial Academy: Essence by Olivia Pharos

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About the Book:

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Orphan. Slave. Drug dealer.

As a Demon-Owned human, in an Afterworld that literally has Hell and Heaven on Earth, I’m the lowest a being can be. My life is one of drudgery, degradation—and mortal danger. And that’s before I started dealing Angelescence. Unlike anything in existence, it’s a drug only I can produce, and everyone would kill for.

With decommission and execution closing in, I’m desperate to buy out my and my best friend’s Indentures. But upping my operations only gets me arrested, and my terrifying captor drags me to the Celestial Court—on a leash—to stand trial. My sentence?

Conscription to Celestial Academy.

As the most powerful nephilim in history, Godric is Heaven’s most ruthless soldier and assassin. And he’s been assigned with discovering the root of my unprecedented ability to capture Angel Essence.

We both hate our forced proximity—and each other. Especially since we’re seething with explosive emotions and cravings that neither of us ever thought to experience, and can’t possibly afford. Anything between us isn’t only forbidden, it’s disastrous. Potentially for all of existence.

But being embroiled in our passionate war becomes the least of our worries as he unearths even more terrible mysteries within me. Meanwhile, lethal trials loom at mid-term, and a devastating internal war as well as another Apocalypse are brewing…

…and I’m at the center of it all.

Are you a fan of Crescent City, The Mortal instruments and Zodiac Academy? Ever wished you found a book that merged their elements and magic?

Look no more! You have found your next book obsession!

One click now and dive into this binge-worthy, new-adult contemporary fantasy world, brimming with unforgettable characters, soul-searing enemies-to-lovers romance, agonizing slow-burn passion, edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense—and apocalyptic stakes.
You will never want to leave.

The series is intended for mature readers 18 and above, for violence, language and explicit scenes.

Wen’s epic trials in the world of Celestials and Supernaturals continue in NULL, book 2 in the AFTERWORLD series.

My Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and here is my honest review.

I love reading fantasy fiction and the premise of this book drew me in. I liked the idea of supernaturals, angels, demons, magic all put together. The book started rather abruptly and it took me some time to understand what was happening. The setting of the book is a dystopian world that could do with a little more description, especially how this world came to be and the hierarchy of the people (both supernatural and human).

I did not easily connect with Wen, though I like that she was looking out for Sarah, her best friend and the one she considered family. I was not a huge fan of her snark nor did I enjoy reading about Godric as much as I would have liked. However, Lorcan, Jinny and some of the others more than made up for this.

The story did pick up about one-third in and started to get more interesting. This helped to read on and soon things started to make sense. Even though I was not a huge fan of Wen, I was interested in her story and origins. I wanted to know what would happen and the ending was a twist I didn’t see coming. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, NULL, and I hope that I get more answers to the background and characters.

Book Review: Life Is Abracadabra by Baisakhi Saha

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About the Book:

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‘I think people are afraid to dream because they don’t want to be disappointed,’ she told the Belgian guy . . .

But what if there was a way to co-create our dreams with the universe? And what if the universe responded to us in a tangible way?

At the tender age of seventeen, Baisakhi left her home to pursue higher studies abroad. Since then, she has dwelled in different continents―from Asia to Europe to Africa to South America to North and Central America―studying life through myriad mirrors of reality. She has lived with local families―eating their food, adopting their lifestyles, contributing to their economy, negotiating extreme realities and belief systems, and navigating diverse traditions and religions for several years to answer life’s most pertinent questions. Coming from a conservative family in India, she had to overcome all limitations to fly!

This book narrates the magical adventures and marvellous encounters of an ordinary girl who believes in extraordinary possibilities as she traverses the globe to fulfil her destiny. Life Is Abracadabra is peppered with true anecdotes of hope and faith, of meaningful coincidences and miracles that will make you perceive life from an altogether new dimension. It is about noticing the signs and synchronicities strewn on our paths and acting on them. Because when we do, life will be on our side too.

My Thoughts:

This review has been a long time coming!

I am so glad to have gotten the chance to read this book and join the author as she narrates some of her adventures and mis adventures, all the while maintaining hope and having faith in her dreams.

This book gives us glimpses into the author’s life as she navigates almost impossible situations, makes new friends, faces adverse conditions and comes out stronger in the end. This is a story of resilience, facing the impossible and strength, exploring new countries and learning life lessons along with new cultures.

I loved reading this book, even though some parts of it just scared me. The author’s experiences are unique (though it is possible that many have faced similar situations, but have not been able to talk about it). This book is a conversation starter, a chance for people to know that they are not alone, but also to know that the proverb “try and try until you succeed” actually works.

Without sounding as though she is preaching, Baisakhi shows us that there is indeed magic in the world. If there’s one thing I learnt from all this, it is that there is goodness in friendship and sometimes even strangers can become family (a kind of found family). Baisakhi’s journey is one to know about, one to learn from and I believe that though each person’s take away may differ, one thing will remain common, and that is the agreement that Life is indeed Abracadabra!

Book Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry (May BOTM read with #obsessedbuddyreads)

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Book Blurb:

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A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

My Thoughts:

Let me tell you a Funny Story about Daphne and Miles! This is a refreshing new romance that follows Daphne and Miles, brought together by the fact that their respective exe’s are engaged to each other. Wow! That is a lot to say and think about, the circumstances aren’t ideal, but jealousy and to some extent betrayal, can bring people together in the most unexpected of ways!

Thus begins the Funny Story! Daphne and Miles set out to prove that they are okay without their respective exes and end up spending more time with each other while figuring it out. This is a summer romance that has tropes of opposites attract, roommates (forced proximity to some extent), and friends to lovers. I loved reading this book which was a light, fun and breezy read, another perfect summer romance!

A quick read, I finished the book in one sitting and absolutely loved the banter between the MC’s. There is a little of everything and a whole lot of drama that is just fun to read! This is a wonderful summer read, perfect for fans of light romance and endings which just seem right!

This was a BOTM read for May 2024 with #obsessedbuddyreads!

Book Review: Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison

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About the Book:

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‘A lovely mystery evocative of the period from a talented writer.’ Helena Dixon, bestselling author of the Miss Underhay mysteries
Someone’s been read their last rites…

1915, London: Working in the dusty bookshop that her Aunt Violet mysteriously inherited, Hannah Merrill is accustomed to finding twists in every tale. But discovering her beloved best friend Lily-Anne – with a paperknife through her heart – in the middle of the bookshop, is not a plotline she saw coming.

The case is anything but textbook. With the discovery of a coded German message, and Hannah’s instinct that Lily-Anne’s husband is keeping secrets, she determines to get to the bottom of it.

She can’t do it alone though. To crack this case, Hannah will need the enlist the help of her outrageous, opinionated, only-occasionally-objectionable Aunt Violet.

They think they’re making progress until one of their chief suspects is found dead. And Hannah realises that she is herself now in the murderer’s sights. Will the final chapter be the ending of a killer… or just a killer ending?

A totally addictive, WW1-set cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey, and Agatha Christie.

My Thoughts:

Murder in the Bookshop, as the title suggests is a murder mystery set in a bookstore against the backdrop of WWI. The story follows Hannah, the protagonist who manages her aunt’s bookstore and holds her own against men who try to put her down. What intrigued me about her was her tenacity and inquisitiveness. She also had an eye for detail, perhaps developed through her love for books.

When her best friend is found murdered with a knife in her chest, it is all Hannah can do to stay away from the investigation. As she starts to ask questions, she uncovers a plot that goes beyond just the murder in the bookshop with bigger implications to the on-going war itself.

With help from her Aunt Violet, a little crazy but an absolute delight to read about, she embarks on her own little investigation to find the truth. Though the story seemed to drag on a little in some parts, I enjoyed it on the whole. It is a typical cozy mystery, set to intrigue the readers with strong female main characters and a good plot. The story comes together in the end, providing closure and a satisfying conclusion. I recommend this book for fans of cozy mysteries set against a historical backdrop with layers that the readers slowly peel away!

Book Review: The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

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About the Book:

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Christina Lauren, returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

My Thoughts:

I read this book as a part of a buddy read and devoured it in a day!

When Anna finds out that she is still legally married to Liam, his request for help is something that she did not expect. Now complicit in a web of white lies, the two main characters have to find a way to convince Liam’s family that they are in love and happily married all this while.

The two main characters will grow on you, their moments together and of getting to know one another are delightful. I enjoyed reading about all the characters and the family dynamics that are brought out on this little island.

What starts off as a small lie, ends up in each character owning their truth and finding their way and even themselves. Though the story focuses on Anna and Liam, the other characters play important roles in the events that unfold in paradise!

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, filled with crazy moments and banter among the characters that just stayed with the reader until the very end! This is a perfect summer read and the kind of light read that makes one smile always.