The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell

 
The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell
My Rating: ★

I received a copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Luke Tremblay discovered his partner of four years was cheating on him, his life was turned upside down. Then he gets a call informing him that his aunt was killed in a hit and run accident, and that she left her home and business to him. Luke doesn’t know what he’s more shocked by: her untimely and violent death, or the fact that she left her home and business to her estranged nephew. The only thing Luke can see coming out of this is that selling the house and business in Crescent Cove will help him buy out his ex’s share of their townhouse, but then someone gets murdered at his aunt’s house and he’s the number one suspect!

I was excited to pick up this book because I love cozy mysteries and wish there were more LGBT protagonists in the genre. Plus, the book sounded interesting and I was excited to dive into the story. Unfortunately for me, it was a total miss, though I think the basic plot had something going for it. Luke is a freelance investigative journalist who is now saddled with investigating his aunt’s murder, which is connected to the murder of the man who just turned up dead on her property who previously tried to break into her house! However, Luke seems far more interested in selling her house and business even though she just passed away. I don’t know what the laws are in Canada, but Luke is about to list his newly inherited assets for sale when it’s been under two weeks since his aunt’s passing. It took me straight out of the story because I doubt the time frame is anywhere close to the one Luke is working with.

On top of that, Luke’s investigation is pretty careless for someone who is an investigative journalist. I could go into details, but then I’d have to drop some spoilers. Let’s just say that some of the mistakes he makes are pretty big for someone who should know at least a little better. I wouldn’t expect amazing sleuthing skills, but I’m having a hard time believing he’s as great of an investigative journalist as he’s supposed to be based on how about half of his investigation went.

I did like the romance plot, though. It’s a very slow burn and it hasn’t gotten much wind yet, but I think there’s definitely something there. By the end of Luke’s second meeting with Jack, I was rooting for them. I think that there’s a lot of potential here and I really like Jack as a character. In fact, I actually like Jack a lot more than Luke and would like to read a series following him instead. The romance could’ve done without the strange almost love triangle setup. However, it did make me realize who was behind the killings long before there was much information to go on to form a theory, so I guess it did serve a purpose.

Speaking of the characters, I really like Jack and some of the other supporting characters. They each had a lot of personality, including the few that rarely made an appearance. A few of them ran circles around poor Luke, who doesn’t have much of a personality and appears to have checked out some time ago. I almost wish the book was told through rotating narrators so that we got to follow a cast of characters, which would be pretty interesting to read. Instead, we follow Luke, who is pretty bland and lacks any kind of charm that makes one want to follow his perspective.

All in all, there were more low points than high points. I really liked the descriptions of Crescent Cove, some of the supporting characters, the basic plot, and the groundwork for a budding romance. However, Luke isn’t a believable investigative journalist and the mystery just does not add up. There were also several passages that read like it came from a book set on Earth that’s sitting in a UFO somewhere in deep space, which kept taking me out of the story. I think it’s a rocky series opener, but I also think that there could be some potential here if the next book tightens a lot of the screws that are either loose or missing.

Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2) by Katee Robert

 
Electric Idol by Katee Robert

My Rating: ★★★★

After many years in Olympus, Psyche has learned to play the game well. Unfortunately for her, things go awry after she helps Eros treat his injuries. Photographs tell a story that doesn’t exist, and that story makes Psyche and Eros look like they’re having a secret romance right under Aphrodite and Demeter’s noses. When Aphrodite orders her son to deliver Psyche’s heart, Eros comes up with a plan on the spot: marry Psyche and anger his mother all while saving Psyche’s life. Things don’t go according to plan, but Eros does metaphorically take Psyche’s heart as they fall in love… for real.

I can officially say I’ve read the book my friend gave me, and I liked it better than the first book in the series! This time around, we follow Psyche and Eros through their rotating perspectives as they slowly fall in love while trying to save her from Aphrodite. It’s an interesting plot, that’s for sure, but it was a blast to read. I also found Psyche and Eros believable as a couple unlike the previous book where Persephone and Hades didn’t have much chemistry. Psyche and Eros were on fire the second they were alone together for the first time. The chemistry was just sizzling off the pages!

I really enjoyed the plot and seeing how Katee continues to modernize the myths. Psyche is an influencer who knows that image and perception is everything. It was fun to see her craft the image she and Eros were going for and watch Eros be amazed as she set up the lighting and posed them for pictures. Meanwhile, Eros has mostly stayed out of the spotlight so it’s his first big experience having that spotlight straight on him in a fake marriage.

The cast of characters continued to expand, and I enjoyed seeing some of the characters we got to know in the previous book make an appearance again. We didn’t learn a whole lot on the world building front this time, but that’s fine. I am looking forward to seeing how some of the more fantasy elements take hold in this world, but I don’t think it’s time yet. The main theme this time around, outside of the romance of course, was family as we looked at the major differences between Eros and Psyche’s upbringing. It’s great to see Eros discover that he has a family he created in place of the ice cold family he grew up with. I love when books have found families. 

Above all, I’m really excited about checking out the next book in the series. I also see that there’s a novella following Medusa, and I must say that I am very interested in checking that out as well.

The Moth Keeper by Kay O'Neill

 
The Moth Keeper by Kay O'Neill

My Rating: ★★★★★

Anya has always felt lonely and unwanted due to her past. It’s one of the reasons she knew she wanted to be a Moth Keeper. It’s an important job that’s not just for anyone due to the long stretches of time Moth Keepers are flying solo with the moths. Anya wants to make her best friend proud while honoring someone who once helped her more than they know. Now that Anya is a full fledged Moth Keeper, she discovers that it’s not what she imagined. The nights are long, lonely, and a little scary. She keeps thinking about what it’s like to live in the sun, and jumping at the chance to feel the sunlight on her skin leads to utter disaster. What will Anya and her village do if the moths don’t find their way back to pollinate the Night-Lily flower that keeps her village afloat?

I always look forward to Kay’s books because they are so heartwarming in addition to just being amazing stories full of stunning artwork. This book is no different. We follow Anya, a brand new full fledged Moth Keeper who is no stranger to loneliness. While they live in a lovely village where everyone takes care of each other, Anya has always worried about being a burden to others. She’s full of insecurities and is lonely but hides it.

There’s a great cast of characters, but we mainly get to know Anya’s best friend, Estell, who is quite perceptive and has always been able to see what Anya is feeling or thinking. Yeolen, Anya’s mentor, is dedicated and always happy to share his insights and experiences. There’s also Aimoss, a healer, who is happy to mentor young healers and share their memories. There’s more characters and another who is quite important to the story, and they are all wonderful to follow whenever we see them.

Overall, the story is beautiful, heartwarming, and teaches that no one has to be alone and that healing can be a long process. I particularly like that Anya, who has always been alone, learns that she’s not a burden like her early childhood taught her she was. There are themes of neglect, anxiety, and parental abandonment that are brought to light in a slow and impactful way without showing a lot of it. We’re given enough to know what Anya went through and why it’s something she carries with her. While there are heavy themes, the overall story is kept light, which makes it perfect for readers of all ages. I highly recommend this book along with all of Kay’s previous publications!

Witchlings (Witchlings #1) by Claribel A. Ortega

Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

My Rating: ★★★★★

When Seven learns she’s a Spare at the Black Moon Ceremony, she’s mortified. Not only did she not get placed in her dream coven, she’s doomed to have everyone in the other covens look down on her. Spares are treated like the scum of the earth! Seven is living her worst nightmare, but things get worse when the magic circle that seals her coven doesn’t work. Forced to invoke the impossible task, Seven and her fellow Spares, Valley and Thorn, must complete the task or be turned into toads!

I absolutely love this book. We follow Seven, who has spent years dreaming about being placed in House Hyacinth and going on to become a famous journalist. Her dreams are tossed out the window when she gets placed in the one coven every Witchling dreads being placed in: Spare. Spares barely have any rights and are treated like complete trash by many of the witches in the other covens. This is exactly what Seven was worried was going to happen, but it’s even worse because her bully is also a Spare, and then the magic circle that seals them as a coven is not doing a thing. 

We also follow the two other members of Seven’s coven, Valley and Thorn, though not as closely as we follow Seven. Valley is Seven’s bully, but it turns out that things are not as it appears on this friend. Then there’s Thorn, a Witchling whose family moved from another town, and she’s excited to be a Spare while terrified of the impossible task that the three of them have been given.

Above all, this is a story about friendship and discovering that love can grow in seemingly unlikely places. We watch close friendships end all in one night and new and better friendships blossom in their wake. We watch these characters grow and support each other even when they disagree, but they care about each other and the friendships that they’ve formed. Then there’s a huge mystery that throws everything everyone has ever known into question, but we watch these characters come together and fight for what they believe in and what they know is right. This is an absolutely wonderful book with so many great characters and excellent world building and character growth. I’m excited to see where the series goes next!

Tiny Felt Cuties & Creatures by Delilah Iris

 
Tiny Felt Cuties & Creatures by Delilah Iris

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Walter Foster Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking to get into felt sewing or are just looking for some cute patterns, this is the book for you! Inside you will find several adorable patterns that are simple and easy to follow. I got into sewing last year, so I knew I had to check out this book when I saw it. The tools and materials section is pretty straight forward, but I was excited to learn about using tape to secure patterns to the felt for cutting purposes. I’ve been pinning my patterns to the felt, but using tape is going to be a total game changer!

The hand sewing section includes some basic yet essential stitches, and also has a few tips and trips along the way. I like that it includes a tip on splitting the thread because it’s not something I’ve seen in some of the patterns I’ve used from other creators, though I do split the thread the way I do for other crafts. It’s an excellent tip for people who are just getting started that aren’t coming over from other crafts that use some of the same materials.

I’m excited to say that the patterns are just as cute as they appear on the cover. Inside, all readers will find patterns for animals, dolls, things that go with the animals and dolls such as a Mushroom house and a dog bed, and a few cute and whimsical designs such as mushrooms and a tree stump house. All of the patterns are easy to follow and include great pictures alongside the instructions as well as tips and tricks. I think this is a great book that’s good to have on hand for anyone getting into felt sewing.

Neon Gods (Dark Olympus #1) by Katee Robert

 
Neon Gods by Katee Robert

My Rating: ★★★

Perception is everything if you want to stay in power in Olympus, unless you’re extremely powerful to begin with. Persephone is about to find out just how much power and control Zeus has now that she is to marry him. It’s a political marriage Persephone had no idea about, and now she’s fleeing the life that she knows because she’d rather find herself in the clutches of a myth than become the next dead Hera.

A friend gave me the second book in the series, so I figured I’d read the first book rather than starting with the book I was gifted. Told through rotating narrators, we follow Persephone and Hades starting shortly before they meet. One of the things I love about this retelling is that Persephone runs to Hades by choice rather than being abducted. Of course, that doesn’t stop other characters from spinning a story about her abduction. The drama!

The book sucked me in right away because I thought the way it takes Greek mythology and retells it is quite interesting. Rather than the characters being actual gods, some have inherited their political titles for generations while others earn it and wait to be selected. While all of the characters are human, they do possess some supernatural abilities, which keep things interesting. It was kind of weird to hear the most powerful players keep being referred to as the thirteen. I kind of wish there was another name to refer to the most powerful people in this society, though I understand why it’s easier to just call them the thirteen.

I was rather interested for the first half of the book and didn’t want to put it down. The characters and the fantasy setting are so interesting that I just wanted to learn more. Unfortunately, I wasn’t digging the romance, which is the main plot point. Persephone and Hades didn’t have much chemistry and much of what they were up to seemed like it was purely for the shock factor. As far as their romance goes, it seemed more like Persephone was enamored by the bad boy who wasn’t so bad while Hades was interested in the one person who wasn’t scared of him. I just wasn’t buying that they were falling in love.

That said, it is an interesting story with some great characters. I’m excited to see more of these characters as well as learn more about this universe. While none of the characters are gods, there are supernatural elements in play, and I’m interested in seeing how this plays out as we see more and more characters come to life. I can see why my friend is a big fan of the author.

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton

My Rating: ★★★★★

M was once nothing, but then she woke up in Maura’s body with a very excited sister hovering over her. She doesn’t know how she got there or if she was ever anyone before she woke up, but she does know one thing: she is not Maura. With the help of a ghostly Maura, M pretends to be someone else so that Frances doesn’t take her back apart so that she can try to bring her sister back again.

I’m a sucker for Frankenstein retellings, so I knew I had to pick up this Frankenstein inspired graphic novel when I saw the cover. We follow M, who is in the unique situation of being brought to life by a scientist couple. Unfortunately for all involved, they were expecting Maura to return, but they have an entirely new person on their hands instead. Frances hopes that Maura’s memories will return in time, Gin wants to support their wife and M in their current situation going forward, and M is terrified that she will be forced out of this life in exchange for another attempt at bringing Maura back.

I absolutely loved this book from the start. M, Maura, Frances, and Gin are such complex and interesting characters put in a sad situation. It was tough to watch their struggles, but it was wonderful to see them overcome them and gather on the same page and come to terms with the situation as it currently is. Above all, poor M spends much of the book trying to pretend to be Maura, only they don’t have similar interests or even food tastes. Meanwhile, Frances is grappling with the guilt of losing her sister and the possibility that she’s failed her for a second time. It’s a beautiful story that makes me very excited to see what Talia Dutton publishes next.

Camp Sylvania by Julie Murphy

 
Camp Sylvania by Julie Murphy

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie is excited to spend her summer at Camp Rising Star with her best friend. Things are going great until her parents reveal that they’re sending her to a fat camp called Camp Sylvania the night before she’s supposed to leave for a fun summer with her best friend. Maggie’s summer plans just blew straight out the window, and it’s about to get worse now that fat camp is worse than she expected when fellow campers start going missing.

When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. We follow Maggie as her parents are shipping her off to the fat camp her mother once attended now that it’s under new ownership. Of course, Maggie is furious about it, and I don’t blame her one bit. Poor Maggie has been made to feel that she’s not good enough due to her weight, and now this insecurity is thrown in her face as she’s blindsided by the news that she’s not going to theater camp with her best friend.

One of the things I like about this book is that it has a lot of positive messages. We watch Maggie make new friends and start to learn to embrace her weight and appearance. At the same time, we see the camp’s new owner’s own self-hatred and fears come to life through the camp that she now owns and runs. We get to see a combination of characters who are either fat and learning to accept themselves, characters who encourage the kids at the camp to enjoy who they are, and then characters who either hate themselves or are just outright prejudiced toward plus size folks. With a supernatural twist, we’ve got a fun book for middle schoolers with some great messages that teaches one to like and accept themselves.

I will say that the supernatural twist takes a while to get rolling, but the foreshadowing is wonderful and it’ll be fun for middle schoolers to put two and two together as they read. It’s an excellent read and I’m excited to check out more books from the author, especially since it appears that they mainly write stories that follow overweight characters.

Lost Legends of Nothing (Nothing #2) by Alejandra Green, Fanny Rodriguez

 
Lost Legends of Nothing by Alejandra Green, Fanny Rodriguez

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nathan finds himself lost and separated from his friends at the worst time: a war is brewing and Stryx is gaining power faster than anyone could have imagined. Now Nathan and his friends have to find each other so they can figure out how to defeat Stryx, each other, and Nothing.

I loved the first book and was excited to see how the story continues only to find that the story itself could’ve used some polishing. The pacing was slow and the story seemed to flounder for quite a while and made me lose interest a few times. I don’t think it’s a bad book by any means, but I do think it needed more work to really tighten the story because it lacked direction and really dragged for quite a bit.

That said, it was cute for what it was and I enjoyed seeing all the characters again. When the story finally found its direction and started moving along, it was really good from that point on. I was happy to finally feel excited about the story at that point. The artwork is also absolutely stunning and carried the book while the plots tried to get themselves in order.

All in all, I wish the book had more direction and used more of its time to tell the story rather than going around in circles when so much of the story was already established. I did enjoy it, but I can’t picture myself rereading this installment while I would reread the series opener.

Slip by Marika McCoola, Aatmaja Pandya

Slip by Marika McCoola, Aatmaja Pandya
My Rating: ★★★★

Jade is excited for a month away at the summer art intensive with other artists. It’s an exciting time where she gets her own workshop and the chance to win college scholarships. Unfortunately for Jade, she learns that her best friend attempted suicide just as she’s about to leave for the month. With her mom’s encouragement, Jade takes her place at the summer art intensive only to find that her mind is elsewhere.

When I picked up this book, I wasn’t expecting it to be as moved by it as I am. We follow Jade shortly after she learns that her best friend, Phoebe, has attempted to take her own life and we see how heavily it weighs on Jade. She goes through so many emotions and feels guilty about growing as an artist, making new friends, and even finding romance. The more she tries to run away from her problems and the guilt she carries because she feels like she’s leaving Phoebe behind, the more she finds that the problems are not leaving her alone. It’s a beautiful story that shows how much Jade struggles with her own mental health but also how she views her friendships. I like that she grows during this time and that eventually facing everything leads to her learning a lot about herself in addition to strengthening her own relationships.

I think that this is one of those stories that can be difficult to read, but I also think that it was handled very well. Since the story follows Jade, we watch her journey as she deals with the aftermath as well as her own struggles and discovering that she needs more support than she’s getting. If the story followed Phoebe, we would be following her struggles with her mental health as she’s recovering and it would be a different but equally as powerful story. However, since we’re following Jade, we’re watching her go through a different journey full of different raw emotions.

From an artistic standpoint, the artwork is absolutely beautiful and really helps communicate the different emotions Jade is going through before she can even say anything about it. I also love how much focus there is on Jade’s journey as a ceramic artist, and I enjoyed watching her work progress as she unknowingly starts to put her feelings into her work. Watching ceramics come to life through this medium was also wonderful. It also made me miss ceramics more than I already do.

Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2) by B.B. Alston

 
Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston

My Rating: ★★★★★

Just as Amari Peters thinks things are finally going well for the long-run, someone freezes time, and now it’s all out war against magicians like herself. Now it’s up to Amari and her friends to figure out who froze time and how while under the new Head Minister’s prejudiced thumb. As if things couldn’t get more stressful, Amari also has to deal with The Great Game, which will leave the loser without their magic. What is Amari to do as the clock ticks faster?

I absolutely love this series. I couldn’t wait to start the second installment and I was glued to every single page from the second I started the first chapter. This time around, we follow Amari and her friends as she’s getting ready to start her second year as an agent in training. Of course, things can never go well for long, and Amari is faced with one stressful summer as people continue to try to paint her as being secretly evil and out to get everyone. Along the way, we watch her and Elsie face their first major friend fight as well as see people continue to pick sides as the new Head Minister makes things harder and harder for Amari.

First off, I absolutely love the relationships throughout the series. Amari and her family have such strong relationships and it’s so wonderful to see them continue to strengthen, but it’s also great to see her friendships strengthen as they overcome their first major hurdles. Amari and Elsie’s friendship is now among my favorite friendships I’ve seen in a book. I also really enjoyed seeing how much Amari and other friends interact, including an old face I won’t mention due to the risk of spoilers.

It was also exciting to see the supernatural world continue to expand. It was neat to see new things emerge, friendly and not so friendly characters with interesting abilities emerge, and watch this entire world continue to expand as the book continued. The ending of the book didn’t go as predicted, but I mean that in a good way. I love how there are always twists and turns in this series, and some aren’t predictable but make complete sense to the story and make things interesting. While it appears this series will be a trilogy, I’m still excited for the final book to come out sometime this year even though it is most likely the final book in the series. I look forward to following Amari and company in the interesting and thrilling conclusion of the series even though I’ll be sad when it comes to an end.