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The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers ⋆ LitBuzz
“Hey! I have just read an amazing book by Ashley Flowers called the Missing Half and you might be familiar with Ashley.She is a famous podcaster for Crime Junkie.It’s her second book and I was really excited to get my hands on it because her first one really threw me for a loop.I really thought I could, you know, do what I usually do and predict what was coming next in a thriller based on the little hints they leave behind.But she’s really good at surprises.That stems from how much true crime is just rattling around in her brain. The Missing Half is about two women who basically become friends simply because they both lost their sister. And one of the women thinks that the cases are connected.And so they begin to work together to try to find out what happened to their missing sisters.One was recognized by the media and one wasn’t really.And so they do a lot of connecting and re interviewing people and the stories start to come together.And ultimately I found it to be a good suspenseful thriller, but also just kind of a wow factor for how far a, you know, a person would go for their […]
Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage ⋆ LitBuzz
Second Chance Romance Finally, we’re here! “Wild and Wrangled” by Lyla Sage will be on shelves and dropping into readers’ ereaders any second! By now, I think all of Lyla Sage’s readers know that Cam and Dusty are end game. Sage has been edging us with teases and glimmers of their history since “Swift and Saddled”. Reading between the lines, I knew something serious had to have gone down between them. Cam’s walls were so high they could compete with the Great Wall of China. I love a strong, determined woman, no doubt about it, but I never forget that there must have been something to push her into being that way. “Wild and Wrangled” is the fourth (and supposedly last, but I’ll never shut the gate on hopes for more from Rebel Blue) stand alone set in Meadowlark. It sure lives up to its name, too. While it builds on the series and we get cameos from our previous favorites, “Wild and Wrangled” doesn’t seem to follow the rules that the previous novels had. For example, some of our other couples (Emmy & Brooks and Teddy & Gus) have some type of history. They knew each other. Meadowlark is […]
"Sweet Obsession" by Katee Robert ⋆ LitBuzz
Welcome Back to Dark Olympus Readers have been on the Dark Olympus rollercoaster for some time now. “Sweet Obsession”, the most recent release from Katee Robert, builds on the power struggles and corruption of Olympus view through the eyes of Icarus and Poseidon. If you are new to the Dark Olympus series, I would recommend going back and starting from the beginning with “Neon Gods”. While each book focuses on one set of characters, each new novel advances the overall plot enough that you’ll feel the missed details starting in the middle. If you’re already a series reader but need a bit of a refresh, you can read my review of “Midnight Ruin” and Jes’ review of “Radiant Sin” at www.thelitbuzz.com. Let’s Get Into It One of the most enjoyable items in the new releases is the ‘catch up’ notes from Muse Watch at the beginning of the story. They’re super helpful “news items” from the fictional gossip media outlet that covers the shenanigans occurring all over town. Titles like “Olympus Under Attack!” and “New Blood in Town!” share details of plot advancement, while other scandalous headlines like “Apollo Finds Love at Last?” fan the relationship rumor mill and the […]
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith ⋆ LitBuzz
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith was a glorious follow up to Phantasma! I wasn’t sure if it would be able to keep up against Ophelia and Salem’s story, but Genevieve and Rowin were next level. Whenever the two of them would let go and just be physical, it was a spectacle. This is especially true of Genevieve. She has no issue with being straight forward about her desires. She is a confident woman, and no one will shame her for being vivacious. What Makes Genevieve Special? Genevieve Grimm is a bad @ss, smart-mouthed, spit fire of trouble. She’s the younger sister in a family with a legacy to uphold. Feeling like the “spare child” she was somewhat neglected growing up. Which causes her to make some risky choices in order to find answers about her specter nature. She was naive when she found Enchantra, looking to find someone who would be just like her. It’s undeniable that she finds precisely what she needs. Another devil, another game. Much like Phantasma, Enchantra is an evil game with dire consequences for Genevieve. The deadly game is orchestrated by a different demon with his own sickening motives. In Enchantra, she finds herself much more […]
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory ⋆ LitBuzz
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory was a light-hearted, friends-to-lovers romance. Avery is a structured woman who knows how to have fun when it’s organized, and planned well in advance. Whereas Taylor is more of a live-in-the-moment type of woman when it comes to her social and dating life. This made for a sweet opposites attract story between friends that slowly realize its their differences that make them a solid match. Taylor agrees to mentor Avery through her launch into the queer social scene. Having been in a long and unfulfilling relationship with a man, Avery shyly admits to Taylor that she is interested in dating women but has zero experience to lean on. Taylor is known in Napa for being the non-commitment type, and a magnet for attractive women. Taylor liked Avery enough as an acquaintance to help her gain confidence in her own skin, and feel at ease talking to people outside of her normal comfort zone. I appreciated that none of the “flirting lessons” felt like a cheesy rom-com. This wasn’t a story of an ugly nerd suddenly changing her wardrobe, wearing makeup, and now she’s worthy of a second look. Avery was already a beautiful and successful […]
The Big Fix by Holly James ⋆ LitBuzz
The Big Fix was a low-level thriller with a twist of humor at the expense of our female MC. Penny is a young university professor hoping to make tenure, and she falls into a messy situation during an estate sale. In reading the synopsis of this book, I had assumed that the adventure would begin immediately upon the shocking discovery during the estate sale. I was a little taken back that “action” would be a slow-burn before it eventually sizzled up. There were a few days of strange occurrences and awkward exchanges between her and him, which kind of fell a little flat for me. This story was entertaining, it just didn’t provide what I expected from a story of two people on the run. Perhaps I was expecting to be a little more like Jason Bourne? In this case, Anthony, our male MC is a little more average. It can be charming at times and fits into the fade-to-black romance storyline. Their chemistry is sweet and believable. Ultimately their survival is based on near-misses and overall luck rather than an action hero save-the-day story. I’d recommend The Big Fix to friends who enjoy light-action with a dash of cozy […]
Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewel ⋆ LitBuzz
I may be a Marvel fan myself; however, anyone who enjoys a supernatural mystery will enjoy this book. Jessica Jones, a former superhero in the Marvel universe, is a private detective investigating a cult-like disease that spreads across continents. She is hired to uncover why two upper class teenagers in New York are suddenly behaving like robots with bizarre “AI” qualities. Jessica’s Marvel backstory is sprinkled throughout “Breaking the Dark” and ties in nicely with the main plot. Teenagers are a natural target for selling “perfection”. One of the strange behaviors of the teenagers is their constant use of the word perfect. Everything they feel is perfect, their mood is perfect, the atmosphere is perfect, and their skin is literally perfect. Their faces appear to be practically airbrushed like they’re wearing a snapchat filter. Clearly, that seems to be impossible, which is why Jessica ends up in a small England town to investigate what happened to them while spending the summer with their father. Throughout the book, we are transported between present time, and another timeline in the past of another family. The other family’s backstory is very mysterious at first, but soon we come to realize what makes them […]
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms) by Amélie Wen Zhao ⋆ LitBuzz
“But meeting the right person at the wrong time, the right love in the wrong life, is a tragedy written from the start.” Amélie Wen Zhao’s, The Three Realms, duology commences with the epic and beautiful story of Àn’yīng’s quest to save her family in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. From its opening lines this richly written and eloquently told dark fantasy transports you to an ancient world where humans are the pawns in a supernatural battle between immortals and demons and magic is the only way to navigate the conflict. With its high-intensity action, forbidden romance, otherworldly location, and extraordinary creatures this saga is reminiscent of the best of chinese period fantasy. Yet within all the grandness is an intimate encounter with an unassuming girl who does exceptional things because of her desire to take care of the people she loves. The trials and challenges she faces in her competition to achieve the pill of immortality pushes her farther than she ever thought possible yet she never imagined that the prospect of a forbidden love would be her biggest obstacle. “I often wonder if it is possible to love someone you’ve never met, someone you aren’t even sure […]
The Paris Gown by Christine Wells ⋆ LitBuzz
“Lifting her chin and straightening her shoulders, Margot looked at herself in the mirror. The young woman staring back was no Cinderella. Her belief in fairy-tale princes had shattered long ago. But that didn’t mean she needed to deny herself happiness where she found it.” Christine Wells threads themes of friendship, self-discovery, and love around an exquisite Dior gown in her novel, The Paris Gown. In the 1950’s a Christian Dior dress was the epitome of class and fashion and the dream of many women of the day, yet very few were fortunate enough wear, let alone own one of these distinctive beauties. Yet, it is a last season Dior gown that becomes the very thing that reunites three friends separated by time and distance and reinvigorates the dreams of their youth. The native Parisan – Claire, American – Gina, and Australian – Margot, became fast friends in their early twenties as they set out to experience life in bustling Paris. Even with such varied backgrounds their inquisitiveness and fondness for each other helped meld their personality differences into a tight-knit friendship. But life responsibilities took them down separate paths leading them to loose track of each other. Unitl years […]
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera ⋆ LitBuzz
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera As I put down my copy of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, I am left breathless by an epic love story. My spine is stronger and straighter as well because of the courage of these two main characters. A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke is the third and final installment of Las Leonas series. I have reviewed A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, as well as An Island Princess Starts a Scandal previously. All astounding and empowering love stories, but I must say this final Leona, will probably mark me for years and years to come. The Premise Aurora is a physician and it’s 1889 in Paris. She is taking a huge risk by running an underground women’s clinic, but her heart and drive to help women is unrelenting, damned be the risks. Out of the three Leona besties she seems like the quiet one, but I had no idea the depths of her intelligence and passion. Insert Apollo who is new to becoming a duke, he is finding out how to navigate the politics and the ton. He is instantly drawn to Aurora and the full SIMP is activated. When […]
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes ⋆ LitBuzz
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes When I think of the ultimate best friends to lovers type of contemporary romance, I will now and forever recommend The Broposal by Sonora Reyes. The Broposal is about Alejandro and Kenny. Two best friends that are clearly each other’s soulmates. Everyone around them knows, except Alejandro and Kenny. Because of the sensitivity of timing with Alejandro’s citizenship, Kenny brings up the idea to get married. For them, its the easiest way to solve the citizenship dilemma. So to make this deal between besties look legit, they must play the part through and through. Family, friends, co-workers must believe this marriage. And since they are besties, lots of the coziness needed to play the part comes natural. All the Feels The Broposal gave me all the feels. You have so many important conversations about immigration, about queer love, about trust. There is so much character growth with both characters as well. Both Alejandro and Kenny work through such big insecurities and find ways to rise through self doubt. Sonora Reyes found away to make me cry, make me swoon, and make me want to hug both leads out of sheer cuteness. If you are in […]
When I Disappear by Amanda McKinney ⋆ LitBuzz
When I Disappear by Amanda McKinney is a page-turner with several surprises. I assumed I knew exactly who was responsible for the murder, but McKinney threw in various angles and points-of-view that had me questioning my detective skills. She provided a few viable options for the identity of the true murder throughout the story, up to the very end. It took me quite a few chapters to piece together the other mysteries of the town, and how they did or did not connect to the mystery of Marjorie’s death. From the premise of When I Disappear, we’re all but certain that someone besides Rhett killed Marjorie. Included in the premise, is that someone is harassing Marjorie’s daughter Sylvia, two decades later that “she’s next”. An unlikely alliance is formed between Rhett and Sylvia to discover who is sending threatening letters to her, and why they decided to draw attention to themselves when they clearly got away with a murder. There’s a lot of players to this story, each of them with their own secrets. More than one crime is discovered in this book, and something that deserves attention is how easily a little misstep can place the wrong person behind […]
Christine Calella ⋆ LitBuzz
When not writing, Christine Calella spends her spare time singing showtunes in the shower, drinking more chai lattes than is strictly necessary, and either over- or under-watering an unfortunate string of houseplants named after sitcom characters. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University, and she lives in New York City. As her romance alter ego, Madeline Bell, Christine also pens adult rom-coms with a bookish twist. KristinKristin lives in the PNW with her husband, and three kids. She loves to read YA fiction, fantasy, and romance. She enjoys a few side-hustles, including creating bookreels/booktoks for authors. The only shows she watches are re-runs, and if she’s not reading a book, she’s listening to one.
Liar's Kingdom by Christine Calella ⋆ LitBuzz
Liar’s Kingdom by Christine Calella is a unique retelling of the classic Cinderella story. There have been many retellings of the original over the years, and I’ve read several of them. This book took a unique approach to how the peasant girl is found by the prince. Ella doesn’t have a fairy Godmother, and she doesn’t attend the royal ball. Yet, when the prince comes to their house, the glass slipper fits! Ella makes a difficult choice to save herself. In an instant, Ella’s life is changed. She decides to pretend that she did indeed attend the ball and that it is her slipper. It’s not easy, as Ella is an honest person by nature; however, she is desperate to escape her abusive stepfamily. What follows is her journey to redeem herself, and earn the love and trust of the prince. It would have been relatively easy if the prince’s best friend and royal confidant to the king wasn’t so determined to prove her a liar. I appreciated this new spin of the heroine’s character. She is no longer a dainty creature with perfect manners and without flaws. Ella is flawed in this story. Despite her good intentions, she continues […]
Lily Braun-Arnold ⋆ LitBuzz
Lily Braun-Arnold is twenty years old. She is a junior at Smith College and works at her local independent bookstore in New Jersey. The Last Bookstore on Earth is her debut novel. KristinKristin lives in the PNW with her husband, and three kids. She loves to read YA fiction, fantasy, and romance. She enjoys a few side-hustles, including creating bookreels/booktoks for authors. The only shows she watches are re-runs, and if she’s not reading a book, she’s listening to one.
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold ⋆ LitBuzz
I’ve read my fair share of post-apocalyptic stories featuring a teenage heroine. It was refreshing to read the perspective of an average teenager whose idea of survival is to simply stay put and see what happens. Liz is seventeen, and hunkered down in a bookstore after losing her family, friends, and most of society to a terrible storm. The Last Bookstore on Earth is a story of an ordinary person trying to live a somewhat normal life in a dangerous new world. Liz has an unhealthy attachment to the bookstore. With her family and friends gone, Liz is processing survivor’s guilt and abandonment issues. There were warnings of the big storm before it tore through the world. Many people (including her family) didn’t take the warnings seriously enough until it was too late. When another survivor warns Liz that another storm is expected, she doesn’t want to believe it, but she knows she has to somehow fortify the store. It may be “easier” to give up and let the storm do its worst. Liz doesn’t believe she should have been spared in the first storm anyway; however, the will to survive is too strong. At times it seems like her […]