Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus #8) by Katee Robert

Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert

My Rating: ★★

When Icarus chose to sacrifice himself to make sure his sister could escape, he knew what it meant for him. He knows that if he plays his cards right, he may be able to turn being Poseidon’s captive into an advantage…

I was looking forward to reading this because Icarus and Poseidon had crazy chemistry the entire time they were at the dock. Plus, the events of the last book was a really good setup for the non-romance plot, so I was ready to jump straight into this. While they still had chemistry, most of it fizzled out before the romance could truly start. It didn’t help that we were being told basically everything rather than being shown it, so I was bored for much of the book. 

I really struggled my way through this one. I liked Poseidon, but I found Icarus to be extremely fake even in his own head. Between their chemistry taking a huge dip, the plot with Circe vs Olympus moving at a snail’s pace, and feeling like the characters were doing some kind of long-winded almost info dump in their minds, I was just slugging along. There were some interesting parts, but otherwise, I was just bored and waiting for something to happen.

I am interested in seeing the series through to the end because I want to see how everything pans out, so I’m still going to check out the next book. I think this one might’ve just been an accidental miss because I don’t think it was supposed to fizzle out the way that it did. However, I’m going to keep my expectations low and see what happens because I have been looking forward to reading Zeus and Hera’s book.

Elvira's Cookbook from Hell by Cassandra Peterson

Elvira's Cookbook from Hell by Cassandra Peterson

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re an Elvira fan and like to collect anything related to her, then this will be a good book for you! Inside, you will find a variety of spoopy recipes and crafts. While the ARC I received is a 29-page excerpt, I fully plan on buying the book.. From the 29-pages I did receive, it looks like a fun book full of tasty recipes and dining crafts with a spoopy spin on them. While there isn’t anything necessarily new, it’s perfect for the Halloween vibes whether or not you are an Elvira fan.

Stumpwork Embroidery & Thread Painting: Stitch 3-D Nature Motifs by Megan Zaniewski

 

Stumpwork Embroidery & Thread Painting: Stitch 3-D Nature Motifs by Megan Zaniewski

My Rating: ★★★★★

I was recently introduced to stumpwork embroidery, so of course I had to pick up this book when I saw it. Inside, you will find everything you need to know about stumpwork and thread painting along with information on materials, finishing techniques, and instructions for the other stitches used in the patterns. Of course, all of the templates are located at the back of the book.

This book is pretty comprehensive and easy to understand no matter what your skill level is. The step by step instructions and pictures that accompany them are really easy to understand and made me excited to stitch up some 3-D projects in the future. I love that there are some miniature projects featured, which really rounds out the range of patterns featured. All in all, I think this is a great book and it’s really opened my eyes to what’s possible with embroidery.

Loving You When the World Ended by Gene

Loving You When the World Ended by Gene

My Rating: ★★★★

Nuowan was breaking up with his fiance at a fancy hotel when the apocalypse hit. Knocked out for days, he wakes up to find that he’s being cared for by an employee who was with him when the apocalypse started. He and Yu Sen are complete opposites. Nuowan is a spoiled rich guy who has never had to put work into anything, while Yu Sen is an orphan and was previously in the military. Now that it seems like they’re the only two people left alive, these strangers must stick together to survive this new world.

I picked this book up expecting a cute read, and that’s exactly what I got! We follow Nuowan and Yu Sen starting right before the apocalypse starts. While they’re total opposites, they work well together, and slowly fall in love as time goes on. Yu Sen complains about how much work it is to take care of Nuowan, but since we’re privy to his thoughts, we also know he loves it. Meanwhile, Nuowan is not prepared to rough it for his own survival, but he slowly learns to adapt as well as he can. The duo bicker a lot, but it’s so cute to watch them slowly fall in love and see Nuowan find someone who loves him for him and not him and his family’s money.

If you’re looking for a book that dives heavily into the dystopian setting, this will not be the book for you. However, if you are looking for a cute and fun read that takes place in a dystopian setting, you should jump on it. It gets bleak here and there due to the setting as well as Nuowan and Yu Sen’s individual pasts, but it mostly sticks to the light side and will make you laugh. Plus, the artwork is beautiful and really helps bring the story to life.

The Resurrectionist by Kathleen S. Allen

 

The Resurrectionist by Kathleen S. Allen

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Roaring Brook Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dilly Rothbart has always wanted to follow her father’s footsteps and become a surgeon. It’s a path he refused to let her take, but since he died in a terrible accident, she’s determined to pursue her dream. Between entering the world of corpse-stealing and stumbling upon her dad’s journal that reveals the secrets of resurrecting the dead, Dilly’s entire life is about to be turned upside down.

I’m a sucker for retellings of classic literature, so of course I had to read this! In this Frankenstein retelling, we follow Dilly as she begins to figure out how she’s going to afford medical school if she manages to get into the few that accept women. With her twin sister, Dee Dee, by her side, she’s determined to make sure she and her sister both make their dreams happen. Unfortunately, things go awry when a fight leads to the untimely death of her sister, but it’s a good thing she has her dad’s notes on resurrection… It’s too bad Dee Dee came back completely different.

I could not get enough of this book. It’s really well written and had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Each of the characters are interesting, even the supporting characters we don’t learn a whole lot about, and they all felt so real like we were actually meeting these people. The opening of the first chapter had me hooked right away, and there’s a couple of excellent mystery plots weaved throughout the entire book.

If this sounds up your alley, I highly recommend it. It’s a haunting story that takes us on a wild ride as Dilly keeps getting dug deeper and deeper in a huge mess after becoming a true resurrectionist. It’s a book that will make you find yourself still awake and reading at 3am. It makes me really excited to check out what else the author will publish in the future.

The Whisperwood Legacy by Jo Schulte

The Whisperwood Legacy by Jo Schulte

My Rating: ★

I received a copy from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A year and a half after Whisperwood’s closure, the Strauss family is falling apart at the seams. The Strauss  family is known for their long and strange history as well as their popular theme park, but now that Whisperwood is closed, there’s even more public interest than ever. What the public doesn’t know is that the family’s money has dried up without the theme park’s income, and the fighting has begun. Insert Frankie, one of the Strauss grandchildren, who is slowly learning the ropes of controlling the magic that is weaved throughout Whisperwood. When her grandma goes missing, the entire family discovers the real reason Whisperwood closed.

I was really looking forward to reading this, so it’s unfortunate that it ended up being a total miss for me. I think it has an interesting premise, but it had way too many characters and not enough world building. I ended up being far more interested in the few entertaining characters just because the majority of the characters were either extremely bland or very unlikable. I’m also not sure why Uncle Preston cusses almost every time he speaks. It was funny at first just because it was always so out of place, but it just kept taking me out of the story.

I kept reading because it was interesting enough that I wanted to see where the story was going, but Ella and her blog post when her grandma goes missing was the last straw. I finished that chapter, shut the book, and decided I was not going to continue. Her looking to capitalize off her adoptive grandmother’s disappearance was the final straw for me, so I shut the book at 48% and ditched it.

Ultimately, I think this book has an interesting plot, but it’s weighed down by too many characters and random bits of information that didn’t add to the story. We were being told too much and not enough at the same time, and it suffered some pacing issues that the memory flashes didn’t help. I probably would’ve still found a way to enjoy it if there weren't so many unlikable characters and a romance plot with an unsettling vibe.

Dark Restraint (Dark Olympus #7) by Katee Robert

Dark Restraint by Katee Robert

My Rating: ★★★

Ariadne Vitalis knew that betraying her father was going to change things between them forever. What she didn’t realize is that he’d want her dead, and that he’d order the man she loves to do the deed. Now Ariadne has to rely on Hera to keep her end of the deal, which is to keep her safe… for a price. Now she finds herself engaged to Dionysus, but thankfully the marriage will be on paper only. Knee deep in a huge mess, Ariadne must do everything she can to keep her end of the deal as the Minotaur breathes down her neck, and she can’t tell if he loves her or if he’s just getting laid before completing her father’s orders.

I’ve been enjoying this series and was excited to pick up this installment. This time around, we follow Ariadne and Asterion, aka the Minotaur, through their rotating perspectives. It was hard to get into the romance plot because Asterion is a full on stalker even though Ariadne was into it for some reason. At least he respects her boundaries and such outside of all the stalker shenanigans? Otherwise, I was super put off by the romance because Asterion’s possessive streak and stalker shenanigans were really off-putting.

If you’re someone who is into the series, I think that you’ll still like the book if you’re not reading it for the romance unless stalker shenanigans are your thing. I liked that we got to know more of the characters, especially Ariadne, Asterion, and Dionysus. We also got to learn a little more about Hermes, which was exciting! I really enjoyed the non-romance plots as well, and this book does have a lot going for it on that front. It’s made me excited for the next book, especially because we really haven’t seen much of Poseidon until now.