The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (The Marlow Murder Club #5) by Robert Thorogood

 

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When a new killer starts up in Marlow, the Marlow Murder Club is ready to find out who is going after celebrities. At least, part of the club is because Judith is out of it thanks to a surprise from someone linked to her past. To make matters worse, Tanika has been suspended, so they’ve lost the only person officially on their side. Will the trio figure things out, or does this spell the end of the Marlow Murder Club?

I’ve mostly really enjoyed this series, so I was a little sad to discover that this was almost a miss for me. This installment fizzled out fast and felt like two books smashed together for the first half of the book. I was honestly just bored unless it pertained to Judith’s past turning up at her front door or if someone was being questioned for the investigation. I really struggled my way through and almost gave up a few times during the first half, especially because of the lack of cohesion.

Thankfully, things picked up halfway through and I really enjoyed the majority of the second half of the book. Everything started pulling together and it was pretty solid. It also felt like the early books in the series, which was really nice. I enjoyed seeing all my favorite characters, though it sucked to see Tanika sidelined for the entire story.

While I ultimately enjoyed the book, I feel like this was a read for big fans of the series. I honestly would’ve ditched it if I wasn’t a big fan going back to its debut, but I’m really glad I stuck with it because it really pulled together around chapter 18. I’m not sure if this is the final book in the series, but it sure felt like it, so we’ll see what happens!

Breaking Up Was the Plan, the Duke Falling For the Villainess Was Not! Vol.1 by Kotoko, Ataka

 

Breaking Up Was the Plan, the Duke Falling For the Villainess Was Not! Vol.1 by Kotoko, Ataka

My Rating: ★★★

When Grace was reincarnated as the villainess in one of her favorite books, she’s determined to make sure things go according to plan so that her OTP can get together! Now she’s on a mission to appear as mean as the Grace everyone in this world knows without actually hurting anyone. Things begin to go off the rails when she saves a character who doesn’t survive in the original story, but nothing prepares her for Zane to fall more deeply in love with her than she intended. How is he supposed to meet his true love if he won’t let Grace break things off?!

I really enjoyed following Grace as she tried to keep the original story on track. It was interesting to see how she got along with others before she had “amnesia” as well as seeing who was truly on her side as this new and reformed Grace! However, I had a hard time believing she was an adult in her original life because she came off as a very sheltered teenager suddenly thrown into her favorite book. I understand having a lack of dating experience, but she seemed to be 100% naive and lost in every single area.

That said, I did enjoy the story. It did get a little boring around the middle, but then it picked up again and hit the ground running. I’m loving all the characters, the world, and just the story itself. I just wish Grace wasn’t basically a very sheltered teenager rather than an adult from our world. However, the story is funny and even heartwarming at times, so it’s worth checking out if you can get past the inconsistencies with Grace in the present vs who she was in her former life.

Magical Karina, Vol. 1 by Coyuri Tono

Magical Karina, Vol. 1 by Coyuri Tono

My Rating: ★★★

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

When Karina’s grandmother passes away, she barely has time to start grieving because there’s a monster on a mission to feed on her! Some guy called Zen hopped in to help, but he’s calling on her to transform, and she doesn’t want to get involved. Unfortunately for her, she needs to transform to survive the monster’s attack, and Zen just got eaten?! Now she’s on a mission to save Zen from staying dead, but she’s going to have to squeeze it in between work and school. There’s only so long she can outrun her grief even when it’s not intentional, and it’s lurking around every corner no matter where she goes.

I haven’t read that many magical girl stories, but I thought this was an interesting one since Karina doesn’t really want to jump into that life. She’s got enough on her plate between school and work, and that’s not even including the fact that her grandma just passed away. Karina is also riddled with guilt because while she loved her grandma, she’s also relieved to escape the person dementia turned her into. Due to the heavier plot, this may not be a story for everyone, but I think the author is handling it well so far.

Not everything is bleak, because there’s a fantasy plot where Karina can transform into a magical girl and fight evil, even if it’s just for now! Though, it’ll be interesting to see who is really evil, who falls in the middle, and if Karina and her friend Yuni will have to choose a side depending on what gets revealed later. Speaking of Yuni, she turned out to be my favorite character. I’m looking forward to seeing what she uncovers while helping Karina and being the voice of reason. Something isn’t adding up, and Yuni isn’t going to let Zen fool her.

While I think the series has a lot of potential, I also think that this volume was unintentionally chaotic. There’s a lot going on to set up the series, but it was a little too much in one go. I’m hoping it settles down a little in the next volume so we can really see the author’s vision and watch the story unfold.

The Failure at God School, Vol. 3 Modomu Akagawara (Artist), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Story), SEIKAISHA (Character Design)

 

The Failure at God School, Vol. 3 Modomu Akagawara (Artist), Natsu Hyuuga (Original Story), SEIKAISHA (Character Design)

My Rating: ★★★★

Now that midterms are sneaking up on her, Nagi is stressed but determined to do well. Once she learns Touta has the best test scores, she seeks him out in hope that he can help. Unfortunately, things go awry once Touta sees the plushie her brother uses to stay in touch with her! Things make even less sense when he tears the plushie apart, revealing there’s a curse doll inside. This turn of events becomes illuminating in ways Nagi never could’ve predicted.

I’ve been enjoying this story a lot, so I was excited to finally pick this up! This time around, we pick up right as Nagi thinks she can relax only for her to discover that mid-terms have snuck up on her. Things take an unexpected turn as we begin to dive deeper into Touta’s story while also expanding things on the mystery front. I’m not going to say much about the mystery because that’d be spoilers, but things took a big jump and the details don’t quite add up. However, I’m willing to suspend belief on that unless it turns into a major plot hole at some point.

Otherwise, I was fully absorbed in the story. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes and how the mystery plot will play out now that there’s been a big jump on that front. I’m also excited to get to know more of the characters since each volume has let us see behind the exterior of various folks.

Spellfire by Agatha Willow

Spellfire by Agatha Willow

My Rating: ★

I received a copy from Harper 360 through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Bryn graduated from the Grimoire Academy, she thought she’d never return. She has a love/hate relationship with the old school, especially after her first girlfriend publicly humiliated her there. Unfortunately for Bryn, she’s back on campus since her favorite professor passed away and left her their entire personal library. It also requires her to return to campus to pack up the collection and potentially run into Amelia, her former crush and now headmistress of the academy!

It’s a cute story with a lot of potential, but it reads more like it’s really Bryn’s diary without the diary format. Unfortunately, the longer I read it, the more I had a hard time believing these two characters were 23/24. They read more like two 18-year-olds while having roles that didn’t match up to that. I didn’t make it past the 20% point because I just got bored with how technical it was about Bryn’s work details. I also just feel like the character’s ages don’t match up with how the characters thought and acted, which kept taking me straight out of the story. I’m looking forward to seeing what Agatha publishes in the future, but this sadly turned out to be a miss for me.

Betrothed to My Sister's Ex, Vol. 1 by Chikage Nakakura, Tobirano

Betrothed to My Sister's Ex, Vol. 1 by Chikage Nakakura, Tobirano

My Rating: ★★★★★

As the second daughter, Marie was always considered the ugly and useless daughter doomed to be her family’s servant. Everything in her family is skin deep, and Marie has never met their standards. Even at what was supposed to be her own birthday celebration, her older sister Anastasia was set to take the spotlight from the start! Little did she know that she’d accidentally meet Count Kyros at the same party, or that it would lead to his engagement to Anastasia?! Unfortunately, the count confused which sister he fell in love with because he never got Maria’s name! In a crazy turn of events, Maria finds herself engaged to the count, and has a chance to escape her abusive family.

I can never pass up a Cinderella retelling, so of course I had to pick this up! My heart absolutely broke for Marie. She grew up with verbally and physically abusive parents, and her older sister silently went along with it even in her adult life. The verbal abuse and Marie having absolutely no self-esteem hits a little too close to home, so I feel really close to Marie because I completely understand her. I’m also curious about Anastasia because we really didn’t see much of her, but apparently she was nice? I guess we’ll see if it turns out she did indeed fake her death like I think she did, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out she went through a different kind of abuse from their parents.

All in all, this is among my favorite reads for the year. The story is well written, there’s a range of characters to both love and hate, and there’s so many ways the story can move forward as Marie slowly unpacks everything she’s gone through and begins her healing journey. I can’t wait to pick up the next volume and eventually check out the light novels and the manga! I have a feeling that this will become one of my favorite Cinderella retellings.

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind, Vol. 1 by Jun Hareta, Yahiro Arase

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind, Vol. 1 by Jun Hareta, Yahiro Arase

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

Ever since Nicole met her fiancé, she’s felt nothing but stone-cold rejection. Keios only has eyes for his childhood friend, Princess Caroline, and barely even pays attention to her even when she’s sitting in front of him. After many hurtful encounters, Nicole decides that enough is enough. If Keios is going to ignore her even when they eventually marry, then she’s going to embrace her interests and do what makes her happy! Unfortunately for Keios, the entire academy has noticed every time she turns up solo around town or to an event, and happier than they’ve ever seen her! He can’t figure out what she’s doing or why. Will he lose her before they ever have a chance, or will he face the music?

I was 100% sold on this story from the moment I started reading it. As soon as Nicole realized she was worth so much more than Keios and what he was putting her through, she chose herself over destroying herself for someone who has never shown they care. 5 out of 5 stars? This was 10 out of 5 stars; no notes. I wish I could somehow send this book to teenage me even though my situation was completely different because I really needed to see a character like Nicole back then. I can’t wait to see how Nicole continues to blossom as the series continues, but I’m also looking forward to learning more about some of the supporting characters!