Of Swamp & Sea, Vol. 1 by Mia Jay Boulton; Laurel Boulton

Of Swamp & Sea, Vol. 1 by Mia Jay Boulton; Laurel Boulton

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from 23rd St. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Mercy Gray Harding hired a monster hunter, she thought he’d hunt down the monster that brutally murdered her father. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned, and now she’s possessed by a mist wolf! Now Mercy and the wolf seem to be merging into one, and Jonah is determined to do his best to fix things since it was his hunt that went wrong.

When I picked this up, I didn’t know just how much I was going to love it! We follow Mercy, a young woman who is mourning her late father. Once she gets possessed by the wolf, we see her and Jonah become a team of sorts as the story continues. I really liked how much we began to get to know the two of them while also confirming that Jonah has a lot of layers just waiting to slowly be revealed.

I really like Mercy, so it’ll be interesting to see if she and the wolf possessing her eventually happily merge… or if it’ll go how Jonah fears. I also really liked seeing one of the judgmental folks from town get to discover that Mercy isn’t one to mess with. The budding romance looks promising and I really liked the style of humor as well as the artwork. I’m looking forward to checking out the next volume!

My Instructor Won't Yield by Deme Kingyobachi

 

My Instructor Won't Yield by Deme Kingyobachi

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chiba is a driving instructor with such a shining personality that everyone can’t help but fall in love with him. However, his last relationship ended so badly that he’s sworn off love all together! Everything changes when a nervous driving student, Yaotome, gets in his car. His coworkers call Yaotome the sharp-suited prince, but it turns out he’s an easy going and accident prone guy with a heart of gold. What other secrets are about to come out between this love-scorned driving instructor and his shy student?!

This is such a cute and funny contemporary romance following a driving instructor and his shy student. What starts as a slow accidental friendship slowly blossoms into a sweet romance as Chiba and Yaotome slowly get to know each other. While it’s mostly light and fluffy, we do see their individual struggles and how Chiba became so jaded by romance.

If you like contemporary romances with a touch of humor, I think this will be an excellent read for you. It’s a pretty quick read, but it’s a sweet and funny one at that. Plus, the artwork is nice and helps bring the story to life. You can’t go wrong by picking this up! I liked it so much that I’m excited to check out the author’s other work in the future.

Amigurumi Critters: 25 Imaginative Crochet Designs for All Skill Levels by Amy Ting

 

Amigurumi Critters: 25 Imaginative Crochet Designs for All Skill Levels by Amy Ting

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Cider Mill Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a super cute and comprehensive crochet pattern book, then this is the book for you! Inside, you will find 25 adorable patterns along with a pretty good guide to crocheting. I also like that there’s QR codes included for anyone who needs them, whether it’s yarn recommendations or tutorial videos. Plus, the patterns are well written, have difficulty levels listed, and include multiple photos that will be helpful to crocheters of all skill levels.

My favorite pattern is Perry the Pug. It’s the pattern that really caught my eye and I can’t wait to crochet that up! That said, every single pattern is super cute, and I’m excited to see capybaras included because I’m obsessed with them.

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride, Vol. 2 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru; Midori Yuma

The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride, Vol. 2 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru; Midori Yuma

My Rating: ★★★★★

After spending so many years being used and abused on top of being an outcast abandoned by even her own parents, Nanao still feels like her new life is a dream that can end at any time. However, she’s slowly learning that there’s an entire world out there who won’t consider her a tainted and impure person. It will be a long road to recovering for Nanao, but she’s learning that she has more in common with Yako than she expected. As the man known as the Tsubaki Demon, Yako knows what it’s like to have even your own family look at you in disgust. They will face their past as they try to run full speed ahead toward a better future. It’s just a question of whether or not that is something they will do together.

I absolutely loved the first volume, so you have no idea how excited I was when I learned that the second volume was out already. We pick up right where we left off and learn how deep Nanao’s scars truly run. I feel so bad for her, and I’m so happy to watch her slowly discover that she’s worthy. We’re also learning more about Yako and his past, and how he has more in common with Nanao than even he realized. It’s really great to see them slowly get to know each other and slowly fall in love during the process.

I’m also really excited to learn more about the supporting characters and see their friendships in action. Plus, we’re learning more about Nanao’s cousin and how deep her jealousy runs, so it’s also nice to see that karma is knocking on her door. Reito isn’t an ounce better than his wife, so I think they deserve each other. There’s so much going on that I can’t say because they’re spoilers, but phew. It looks like everyone from Nanao’s past is about to have a lot of in-fighting.

All in all, this was another amazing read and I can’t wait for the next volume. There are so many layers to this story that I truly cannot recommend it enough.

Creepy Cross-Stitch: 25 Spooky Projects to Haunt Your Halls by Lindsay Swearingen

Creepy Cross-Stitch: 25 Spooky Projects to Haunt Your Halls by Lindsay Swearingen

My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re a cross stitcher and love all things spoopy, then this is the book for you! Inside, you will find 25 wonderfully spoopy patterns classified by dearly departed, haunted homes, dark florals, spooky rooms, creature feature, or vintage Halloween. Plus, there’s a comprehensive materials and techniques section that will help newer cross stitchers!

Other than loving the patterns, I’m particularly happy that the pattern charts are in full color. However, it won’t be hard to transfer them into black and white patterns yourself if that is your preference. I bought the ebook, and the majority of the patterns are single page patterns in the ebook. All in all, I am really happy with this book and am excited to get into the full Halloween spirit with it!

A Crochet World of Creepy Creatures and Cryptids by Rikki Gustafson

A Crochet World of Creepy Creatures and Cryptids by Rikki Gustafson

My Rating: ★★★★

If you’re a crocheter who enjoys making amigurumi and loves cryptids and other mythical beings, then this is the book for you! Inside, you will find 40 wonderful patterns separated into the following sections: cryptids, man-eaters, creatures of the deep, forest dwellers, mischief makers, and winged beasts. There’s a little bit of information on each being before the pattern, which I love!

I wouldn’t say that this is a beginner friendly pattern book, but there are patterns that will be easy for beginners to follow. However, the patterns do not have experience levels listed for anyone looking for that. If you’re newer to crocheting but still want to pick up this book, I say do it. You can determine which patterns will come easier to you based on your experience level after looking at the finished project photos and reading the patterns. Of course, you can always choose to challenge yourself based on what experience you have and what you’re ready to take on! Otherwise, you just have to be aware of what your typical gauge is using the same types of yarn the author uses because they did not include the gauge for the patterns.

All in all, I love this book and am excited to pick up some yarn to make some of these patterns in the future. The patterns are well written and easy to follow, and I never thought about painting safety eyes for my projects. I learned something new when I didn’t expect to!

A Vampire in the Bathhouse by Niko Izuki

 

A Vampire in the Bathhouse by Niko Izuki

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Luka is not one to admit he’s suffering from a terrible hangover. He’s a vampire, and he’s way too powerful and regal to let alcohol get the best of him! So what’s his response? Well, a nice trip away from the demon world is in order! That’s how Luka finds himself taking a nice, rejuvenating dip at a bathhouse. His clothes may have gone missing when he was sent from the demon world to the human world, but now he needs to bond with someone so that he has more control over his vampire powers during his stay. What could possibly go wrong?

I picked this up hoping to find a cute and funny story, and that’s exactly what I got. What I didn’t expect was for it to also be a heartwarming story! We follow Luka and Sakura during their adventures during this fun story. Luka is a vampire in need of a vacation, and Sakura is the grandson of the bathhouse owner who works hard to take care of the bathhouse and his little brother. Together, hilarity ensues!

Throughout the story, we get to know the small cast of characters and what makes Sakura’s family bathhouse so amazing. We get to watch Luka discover their town’s sense of community all while growing close with Sakura and his family. I really loved the sense of found family we get in this story, but it’s also absolutely hilarious. If you’re looking for something sweet and funny, I urge you to pick this up.