My Sister Took My Fiance and Now I'm Being Courted by a Beastly Prince, Vol. 1 by Kiduki Hoshikawa (artist), Yū Sakurai (author)

 

My Sister Took My Fiance and Now I'm Being Courted by a Beastly Prince, Vol. 1 by Kiduki Hoshikawa (artist), Yū Sakurai (author)

My Rating: ★★★★

As the eldest daughter of a count, Cordelia grew up with a very strict education befitting her family’s status. Unfortunately, she also grew up in the shadow of her extremely spoiled younger sister, Priscilla. The sisters couldn’t be any more different, and their parents are too busy doting on Priscilla to notice that their entire family’s reputation is in the trash. Priscilla has always taken anything her older sister likes, but even Cordelia was stunned when she discovered that included each of her fiances! Four broken engagements later, Cordelia is resigned to life as a spinster. What she didn’t expect was to accidentally catch the eye of Prince Leonhard!

I picked this up looking for a semi-light read and got sucked in right away. We follow Cordelia as her latest fiance is about to leave her for her younger sister. At this point, she’s accepted life as it’s always been for her. She’s carrying a lot of hurt, trauma, anger, and resentment thanks to the way her parents and sister have treated her for a long time. Cordelia’s healing journey hasn’t begun yet, and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to her feelings and responses to both positive and negative attention.

Despite the heavy layers to the story, the author balances it out with their world building, a touch of humor, and positive characters and plots. It may not have been the light read I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. There’s an excellent cast of characters, and Prince Leonhardt crashes into the picture with a positive force. He’s also got the heart of a lion. Literally! Their interactions also bring in some hilarious moments that had me cracking up.

All in all, I’m looking forward to picking up the next volume. I really liked the characters, the world-building was excellent, it has a lot more depth than I was expecting. Plus, the artwork was beautiful and really helped bring the story to life.

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2) by Brigitte Knightley

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

My Rating: ★★★★

When Osric finds out he’s in need of some specialized healing, he manages to bribe Aurienne to let him be her experiment. What the unlikely duo never expected was for this experimental healing to actually start to work, or that they would fall for each other along the way. While Osric and Aurienne avoid sorting out their feelings, they also begin to look for who is behind the pox outbreak. Something weird is going on and lives are at risk, especially if Aurienne and Osric get caught!

While I enjoyed the first book, it wasn’t exactly my favorite. However, I liked it enough that I was really looking forward to reading this when it dropped. I’m excited to say that I ended up loving it! We follow Aurienne and Osric through their rotating perspectives as they fall in love and prepare for a war they just discovered is coming. The romance itself was a pretty slow burn at first. I was pleasantly surprised when it eventually began picking up speed and busted a move from that point forward. I think my favorite part about this romance is the emotional connection between Aurienne and Osric. This is my favorite type of romance, but it also made a lot of sense for the characters.

I also really liked the world building and getting to know some of the other characters more. Plus, the humor cracked me up this time around, which I really enjoyed since some of the humor in the previous book felt forced. That said, I did reach the end of the book and felt like the story was a little incomplete. I don’t think it’s actually incomplete, but that we spent so much time leading up to the start of the war only for the story to wrap up seemingly early into that plot point. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this enough that I will likely reread it in the near future. The romance and humor went hard this time around, but the emotional connection was really top tier. I do wish we saw more of the supporting characters, and I don’t think we needed all three epilogues, but I ended up really loving the story.

The Alien Jungle Warlord's Bride (Starfallen Brides of Xytheos #1) by A.V. Wilcott

The Alien Jungle Warlord's Bride by A.V. Wilcott

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from NMZ Fantasy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When war threatens Elena Parks and her friends' lives, they’re forced to flee New Terra on an ancient spaceship that’s barely running. Lucky to make it out alive, the twenty survivors find themselves crash landing on Xytheos and getting married off by the Concord Stone. Now Elena’s married to Rythar, the Warlord of the Green Reach, and she’s about to be split up from the rest of her friends. Pissed about her predicament, she’s determined to hate Rythar while taking off to save her friends and regroup. The only problem? It’s hard to make a run for it when you don’t know anything about the planet you’ve landed on, and Elena’s discovering that she’s more attracted to Rythar than she wants to admit.

We follow Elena, an engineer and trauma nurse, from the moment she’s about to flee New Terra. We also occasionally follow Rythar, but we mostly follow Elena. I do wish we switched off to Rythar’s perspective more often, but I’m happy with the chapters we got. I really loved both characters and enjoyed all of the world building as well as some of the supporting characters that we got to know. There was also a lot of information to take in, but it never felt overwhelming because we never got too much at once.

My only complaint is that for someone who is supposed to be so smart, Elena kept getting riled up and jumping into action without properly formulating a plan. It bothered me because she seemed to learn from how going from A to Z without much planning never panned out, but then would do it all over again. Otherwise, she was a great character to follow. I just wished we got to see Elena learn from her mistakes when she’s supposed to be the leader of her friends.

That said, this won’t be a book for everyone. Elena is from New Terra and was part of the breeding program since humans are dying out. Xytheos is facing the same problem, and while they are genetically modified to the point that they’re no longer human, technology can’t cure the high infertility rates or low birth rates. The Concord Stone selects its so-called perfect matches with the best chances of success at procreation in mind, so think fated mates meets sci-fi. While the relationship that Elena and Rythar slowly build is based on communication and consent, the marriages happened because of rules that Elena and her friends had no say in. Check your trigger warnings before picking this up so you can pass on it if you need to.

Goodbye, Horrible Fiancé, Hello, Fun Magic School Life! Vol. 1 by Mashimesa Emoto, Akane Nitou (Illustrator)

 

Goodbye, Horrible Fiancé, Hello, Fun Magic School Life! Vol. 1 by Mashimesa Emoto, Akane Nitou (Illustrator)

My Rating: ★★★★★

When Misha von Ritual’s fiancé reveals that he’s been cheating, everything from her previous life in another world comes flooding back to her. Double as mad, Misha makes sure to throw hands before calling off the engagement. Now that she’s not working herself into an early grave to take care of her two timing ex-fiancé, she has a chance to think about what she wants to do with her life. Misha always wanted to go to magic school, and now she finally has a chance to make it happen!

This was such an enjoyable, cute, and light-hearted read. We follow Misha from the moment she realizes that it’s finally time to live for herself. She has a heart of gold and is always happy to help if she can. I loved most of the characters, but Misha’s familiar, Gem, turned out to be my favorite. We don’t know too much about them yet, but I loved seeing them hanging out and working with Misha. Gem has such a great personality that it was hard not to love them!

While this is a light and fun story, I really enjoyed learning about the world Misha lives in. The magic system is pretty interesting so far, and the characters are more complex than they seem on the surface. There’s also a bit of mystery, and anyone who knows me can tell you that I love mystery plots. Plus, the artwork that comes up every so often is so cute. I’m looking forward to checking out the next volume and seeing where the story goes from here!

Fleet of Wonders (Fleet of Wonders Duology #1) by Erin Hànyù Lynch

Fleet of Wonders by Erin Hànyù Lynch

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Eliza’s abusive parents throw her out, she decides that it’s time for her and her best friend to finally get out of the slums. She and Jules just have to pose as foreign nobles and compete in the naval competition with prizes worth the risk of trapping themselves on a ship with their teammates. It’s how they find themselves on the Belladonna where they make enemies, find romance, and quickly discover that this competition doesn’t care who makes it out alive.

We follow Eliza and Jules through their rotating POVs as they work their way toward the front of the competition that asks them to face death at the hands of their rivals. They face racism at every turn in a world inspired by different points in history that you will quickly recognize. This story heavily deals with racism, diaspora, verbal and physical abuse, parental death, and deportation.

I loved Eliza and Jules in this medium paced steampunk historical fantasy. I also found Eliza’s smithy abilities interesting, so I’m interested in learning more about the magic system all together. The challenges were kind of all over the place whenever they were actively solving a riddle or building something, which kept taking me out of the story. Otherwise, it was an excellent read that was often character driven, which I really enjoyed. While I love my fast-paced books, I always really enjoy reading character driven stories. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next, especially after that cliffhanger.

Pupposites Attract, Vol. 3 by Hono Natsuna

 

Pupposites Attract, Vol. 3 by Hono Natsuna

My Rating: ★★★★★

When Kiyotaka and Chiharu spend some time at a relaxing and dog friendly bed and breakfast, they manage to make new friends along the way. Is romance in the air, or is that just Kiyotaka and Chiharu starting to fully realize they have feelings for each other? It turns out it’s more than just them because Chako has a longtime crush on Kiyotaka’s brother, and she’s been mistaken as his friend!

I really enjoyed reading this volume. It was cute and fun, but we also got to know Chako and her best doggy bud, Aniki! I really enjoyed learning more about her and how she’s always struggled with making friends. I also liked learning about her relationship with her grandfather and how she and Aniki became so close. While the focus of the volume wasn’t them, I really liked getting to know them better and seeing how they’re going to fit in the story as it continues.

This is such a heartwarming series. It’s really nice to see the series start to really blossom now that we’re three volumes in. If you like slice of life stories with slow burn romances, this will be an excellent series for you. Plus, the artwork is stunning and I love seeing all the dogs! I’m really excited to pick up the next volume and see how all of the characters will continue to develop.

Between the Veil (Between the Veil #1) by Zoe Zeman

Between the Veil by Zoe Zeman

My Rating: ★★★

When Auden lost her parents, she was sentenced to a lifetime of beatings and nightmares for reasons she doesn’t understand. Despite that, she’s managed to build a life with her two closest friends who make life worth living. Everything changes when the blood sucking immortals from another kingdom arrive claiming it’s time to take her back with them. It’s also when she learns she’s trading one prison for another, and that the only true thing she’s ever known is the prophecy that’s haunted her every step of the way.

For some reason, I wasn’t expecting this to be a slow-paced story, but I really enjoyed it. We mainly follow Auden as her life gets turned upside down, but we also get rotating POVs of Everette and Azriel along the way. I really enjoyed following Auden and Azriel, but not really Everette. I found he has next to no personality and I really ended up just disliking him the longer I read. I also wish there was more world building early into the story, which would’ve made it easier to get into the story. I just felt more in the dark than Auden was for the first 10 chapters, and she didn’t even fully learn what was going on until toward the end of the book.

I knew there was going to be a love triangle, but I wasn’t expecting to have absolutely no interest in Everette. He and Auden have no romantic chemistry, and their friendship felt super forced. This becomes even more glaringly obvious when Azriel enters the picture because he has excellent chemistry with everyone, and the romantic chemistry between him and Auden is fire. I just couldn’t take the friendship or romance between Auden and Everette seriously, especially as we got deeper into the story and we learned more about the real reason he was there. We kept being told how close their friendship was when it felt forced, and how in lust the two were with each other when that also felt forced.

Despite my issues with the love triangle and lack of world building, I really did enjoy this. I liked a number of the characters and was interested enough in the premise to keep reading even when the world building was lacking. I’m obviously not a fan of the love triangle, so I’m hoping Auden ends up with Azriel because I honestly don’t see a single reason why she’d choose Everette in the end. I don’t want to say too much about the prophecy or who Auden is, but I think it was worth the wait to get some big answers. I’m hoping the next book is more polished than this one, but I did enjoy reading this debut novel from the author.

The Bone Altar Bride (The Blood Oath Cycle #0.5) by E.C. Gregory

 

The Bone Altar Bride by E.C. Gregory

My Rating: ★★★

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

When Liora Hale’s name was selected as the next sacrificial bride, she’s numb. It’s a Blood Moon, and if the Unnamed King doesn’t get a new bride, her village will go through a rough year for disobeying the curse. However, Liora knows the truth behind her name coming up, and she’s desperate for answers to questions she’s always been lectured for daring to ask. When it turns out the Unnamed King and the curse are completely different from what she’s been told her whole life, Liora is ready to fight back.

I thought this novella sounded pretty interesting, and the first half had me totally hooked! We follow Liora from the moment she’s about to learn she’s been selected as the latest bride. I think the plot was an interesting concept, and I really did enjoy seeing all the lies unravel. However, I think it would’ve worked better as a full-length book rather than a novella. There just wasn’t enough time to properly build up a romance, so it ended up falling completely flat on that front.

That said, I really did enjoy the first half of the novella. It had a lot of potential and I think it would’ve worked really well as a full-length book or a novella without the romance plot. Unfortunately, I’m on the fence about checking out the first installment when it comes out. By the time I reached the final page, I had forgotten that this is the opening to a series rather than a stand-alone romantasy novella. The story wrapped up pretty well for me, so I’m not feeling particularly drawn to continuing, but we’ll see what happens.

Breaking Up Was the Plan, the Duke Falling For the Villainess Was Not! Vol. 2 by Kotoko, Ataka

Breaking Up Was the Plan, the Duke Falling For the Villainess Was Not! Vol. 2 by Kotoko, Ataka

My Rating: ★★★★

When Grace was reincarnated as the villainess in one of her favorite books, all she wanted was to make sure that Zane and Charlotte got together. What she didn’t plan for was for things to go completely off the rails when she saved Zane’s sister! Now he’s fallen crazy in love with Grace and is refusing to let her break things off. What’s worse is that something is strange about Charlotte, and Count Gardner is putting in his best effort to try to seriously court her. Poor Grace. Nothing is going right!

I almost dropped this book during the first chapter because I was just not vibing with it, but I’m glad I stuck with it! I was fully sucked back into the story by the end of chapter two and ultimately really enjoyed reading this. However, Grace is unnecessarily dense, and some of the things Zane has said and done are quite alarming. Those are my only real complaints about the book.

Otherwise, it’s an enjoyable story. I like several of the characters, and the world building is pretty interesting. Haniwa is my favorite character, and I really want to see what happens as their abilities get stronger alongside Grace. There were some things about a few characters, Charlotte included, that were confirmed for me as well. It’s made me more interested in seeing how one particular plot will unfold, so I’m excited to pick up the next volume.

Cozy Kawaii Christmas: 50 Adorably Festive Coloring Pages by Editors of Cider Mill Press

Cozy Kawaii Christmas: 50 Adorably Festive Coloring Pages by Editors of Cider Mill Press

My Rating: ★★★★★

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

If you’re looking for the perfect cute and cozy Christmas coloring book, then this may be the book for you! Inside you will find 50 festive coloring pages depicting a range of scenes with adorable animals featured in each scene. The festive pages are on the more detailed side, so this may be a coloring book for middle schoolers and older. I love that the coloring pages are printed on only one side of each page, so I won’t have to choose which page I want to color in and which page will be sacrificed to my alcohol markers bleeding through. All in all, it’s an adorable coloring book!

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind, Vol. 2 by Jun Hareta, Yahiro Arase

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiancé Can Twist in the Wind 2 by Jun Hareta, Yahiro Arase

My Rating: ★★★★★

Now that Keios has learned that he accidentally rejected Nicole at every turn, he’s doing everything he can to win her back. Unfortunately for him, every time he tries to make things right, everything goes completely wrong! Meanwhile, Nicole is as happy as can be now that she’s put her expectations on the table. She’s discovered her independence and is content with the future she sees for herself, and it doesn’t involve romance… or possibly Keios at all?!

I’ve been really enjoying this series so far. This time around, Keios has learned the error of his ways and is trying to fix it. Along the way, we get to know some of the characters a little more, especially Keios and the reasons behind his previous actions. It was another fun volume! I especially loved watching Nicole really embrace doing what makes her happy while Keios chases after her.

What I enjoy most about this series is that there aren’t any quick fixes that magically make everything better. While it’s fun to see things run a lot more smoothly than they do in reality, it’s always good to see someone have to actually try to learn from their mistakes and put in the work to fix things with the person they hurt. I also love that Nicole has moved on, so it’s going to be pretty hard for Keios to mend things. It’s been fun watching his misadventures while Nicole is living her best life with the support of her peers the whole way. I’m looking forward to checking out the next volume!

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!

Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) 1 by sometime, Suoh

 

Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) 1 by sometime, Suoh

My Rating: ★★★★

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

When Clarice sees an opportunity to save her noble family and her younger sister, she jumps on it without a second thought. Of course, this means she’ll have to marry the super scary Dark Knight who can punch through walls and defeat even the scariest of monsters! Who needs romance when the Dark Knight can pay for the medical treatment her sister needs while also saving her family from complete financial ruin? Clarice has a plan, but it all flies out the window as soon as it turns out the Dark Knight is disguised as a man thanks to society refusing to allow women to become knights. Now Clarice is on a mission to get to know her new spouse and make sure her sister is saved!

I picked this up because it sounded like it would be fun, and I’m happy to confirm that it met my expectations! We follow Clarice as she embarks on a journey to make sure that her sister receives the medical treatment she urgently needs while also saving her family from entering the final stages of financial ruin. Of course, the Dark Knight doesn’t make it easy for her to get close to! Once Clarice stumbles onto her secret, she’s faced with certain death or making things work even if Frost makes it difficult.

Personally, I really enjoyed this. Despite the reasons behind Clarice jumping face first into a political marriage even her parents didn’t want to agree to, it’s a light and hilarious read. I really needed something light and fun, so it was the perfect pick-me-up read. Plus, there’s an interesting cast of characters that I can’t wait to get to know as the series continues. I’m curious to see what the Dark Knight, aka Frost, is like once she eventually lets Clarice see past the surface.

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from Margaret K. McElderry Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ellinore is more than ready to retire from her adventurous life as a quester. It’s too bad that fate has other plans for her because her twin brother, Zig, will lose his life if she doesn’t get her hands on the horn of a mythical Elder Beast! The problem? Her entire questing history is a lie! Ellinore always finds a way around killing the beasts on her quests, but now she has to put off her retirement one last time and go on a quest with her brother and Princete Aven or risk losing her brother forever.

This is one of those books that I really enjoyed while also struggling to read it. It had a really fun and upbeat vibe with a fairly slow pace, and the two didn’t quite align for me. That said, it was really enjoyable to follow Ellinore as she embarked on her final quest. Unlike her previous quests where she occasionally had her good friend and dragon, Dave, by her side, she has two people she wouldn’t choose to take with her: Zig and Aven. If there’s one thing I love, it’s people going on an adventure with people they wouldn’t choose and then seeing the shenanigans start to unfold.

There are some truly excellent characters. Dave, Zig, and Aven were easily my favorite characters. I personally feel they really brought a bright light into the story. There were other characters that I loved too, like Farrah and Rylan, but what I loved most is that there was such a range of characters that really added to the story. Honestly, I almost wished this was told in rotating perspectives over just following Ellinore because that’s how good several of the characters are.

All in all, this was a fun read. The humor was excellent, I had my favorite characters, and I just enjoyed watching everyone come together. My only issue came down to the pace, which didn’t really match the overall vibe. Otherwise, if this sounds up your alley and you don’t mind modern slang being used in a fantasy universe, then it might be worth picking up.