Organza Hoop Art: Embroidery Techniques and Projects for Sheer Stitching by Sarah Godfrey

 
Organza Hoop Art: Embroidery Techniques and Projects for Sheer Stitching by Sarah Godfrey
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Fox Chapel Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this book and was fascinated because I’ve never seen embroidery on organza. As a newbie embroiderer, I was even more fascinated because it looks absolutely stunning. The opening introduces us to everything we need to know about stitching on organza. One of the most important things is the fabric. Sarah thoroughly explains what to look for in organza as well as what she likes to use. Then she continues to set us up for success by giving us some tips that will make the process easier on ourselves, such as stitching over a bright surface and avoid making knots. One of the most important pieces of advice is to practice and that not even her first piece on organza was perfect. It's good to remind people that it takes practice even if you’re skilled when working with other fabrics.

One of the things that I like about this book is that it goes through everything you need to embroider, so it’s perfect for people who have never embroidered before. There’s a pretty nice stitch glossary in addition to a list of supplies and why you’ll need them for your organza pieces. I also think that it’s nice that the stitch glossary shows a step-by-step process of each stitch on organza, which is great because I’ve never stitched on it before and it’s great to get a visual on what to expect the process to look like.

There are 12 patterns included, which each have instructions as well as tips to aid reader’s stitching. I also like that there’s photos showing a bit of the process for each pattern with instructions on the type of stitches used for the section of the pattern shown in the pictures. I think this is a great book and I’m inspired to pick up some organza the next time I’m at the fabric store so I can give this a go.

The Hellion's Waltz (Feminine Pursuits #3) by Olivia Waite

 

The Hellion's Waltz by Olivia Waite
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Avon and Harper Voyager through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Roseingrave’s lives were turned upside down when they became the victims of a conman, causing them to lose their piano company. A year later, it still hurts Sophie to so much as look at a piano. Now that Sophie and her family have relocated and are trying to start over, playing the piano is almost completely out of the question because it just brings back the shame of what happened in full force. Then she meets Maddie Crewe, a beautiful yet suspicious woman who is running a con. Sophie is torn between what her mind and body are telling her until she finds out that the Maddie’s con has heart behind it.

While this is the third book in the series, each book follows a new cast of characters, so each book can be read as a stand alone without any confusion. I started this book expecting a good romance novel and quickly discovered that it exceeded my expectations. There’s romance, friendships, good family relationships, and breathtaking worldbuilding. I will be checking out the first two books in the series for sure.

The characters are absolutely wonderful and fun to follow. I loved the Roseingrave’s family dynamic, especially the relationship that Sophie had with her parents. They’re just wonderful, supportive, and talented people who care deeply about their children. I kind of want to hang out with them! I particularly loved Sophie and her dad’s relationship, which pulled a bit on my heartstrings without actually being sad. I also love Maddie, her friends, and how much she cares about the other women working in the textile industry.

I thought the con that Maddie and company were running was interesting, especially because it was to take down a greedy and vile character who is all about making money at other people’s expense. She’s doing it for the greater good with revenge mixed in, which I found to be an interesting plot. I enjoyed watching it develop and eventually reach its peak.

All in all, I think this is a wonderful read and I’m excited to check out the other books in the series. If you’re looking for an LGBT historical romance, I think this is something you’ll want to pick up.

Extraordinary: A Story of an Ordinary Princess (An Ordinary Princess #1-3) by Cassie Anderson

Extraordinary: A Story of an Ordinary Princess by Cassie Anderson

My Rating: ★★★★

Each of Princess Basil’s sisters were blessed with extraordinary talents at birth by fairies. Whether it’s beauty, music, dancing, or humor, they each have something that draws people in. Then there’s Basil, who feels cursed because she was doomed to receive a blessing from a grouchy fairy. Her blessing? To be 100% ordinary. Her family have tried everything they could think of to spruce her up, but she always ends up feeling useless and ignored. Everything changes when Basil decides to hunt down the fairy who blessed her with being ordinary, leading her on a quest to become extraordinary.

This is such a sweet story about a princess who is ordinary and feels left out and looked over. However, it turns out that being ordinary is not such a bad thing because Basil holds her fate in her hands instead of having it chosen for her. I think sends a great message to kids because it’s real easy to feel left out, ordinary, and even dumb. However, what people see doesn’t define you and you’re just as special as anyone else. You just have to find what makes you feel great and shine.

While most of the characters are one dimensional, we do see some character development for Basil and her new friend, Hudson. I wasn’t expecting a super detailed and deep as this is a story aimed for kids middle school age and younger. That said, I do think there was a good amount of character development and world building that’s not overwhelming for the age group this is meant for. I do have a few questions, but they aren’t anything that the intended audience will have after reading.

Overall, I enjoyed the story as well as the artwork. I also enjoyed the concept art in addition to seeing the original few pages of the story that eventually lead to this novel. I think this is a great book for kids, especially any kid that feels like they don’t fit in due to their appearance or abilities compared to their peers.

Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo

 
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
My Rating: ★★★★

Just when Alina and Mal think they escaped The Darkling’s clutches, they discover he’s been hunting them and only a few steps away all along. Now that they’re back in his hands, Alina is miserable and stuck watching Mal from a distance at sea. The Darkling is determined to control her, but Alina has something to say about that. She is not going down without a fight. It’s why it shocks The Darkling when she takes off with the mysterious privateer, Stormhond, and takes his place as the leader of the second army.

I absolutely love this installment. The issue I had with the lack of descriptions in the first novel is thankfully not something that continues. That was probably the most exciting thing because that was the big issue while reading the first novel. This time around, there wasn’t a single moment that left me wondering what just happened or thinking I somehow skipped a paragraph for a hot second.

The world building was absolutely wonderful. It was quite interesting seeing where Alina and Mal went before they found themselves back in Ravka. I could vividly see where they were traveling like I was there. Though I was sad to see Alina floundering and suppressing her powers out of fear of being discovered while on the move, which also affected her health just as it did before she knew she was Grisha.

We have a cast of new characters in addition to getting to know some older characters better. I particularly liked Stormond, Tamar, Tolya. They added a new dynamic to the story in addition to being great characters that I’m excited to see again in the final installment. Without spoiling anything, I feel so bad for Genya. You’ll have to read the story to find out what’s going on, but ugh. I was so excited to see her only to get slapped in the face with the reality of the situation. I feel incredibly bad for her.

The character development was excellent this time around as well. While I’m sad to see Alina become power hungry, she’s aware of what she’s becoming and is both afraid and full of desire. She’s obviously going to become an extremely powerful contender in the next book, but I’m really interested in seeing if the darkness she thinks The Darkling placed inside her blooms or if she’ll be able to stick to what she knows it right. I was disappointed that she was able to become the head of the second army when she doesn’t have the experience, it did make sense given that was the terms she threw down when returning to Ravka since she was already craving power.

The entire ending of the book had me reeling. It went from zero to one-hundred and was so packed with action, revelations, and one hell of a cliffhanger. I’m excited to start the final book in the trilogy soon.

The Noble and the Nightingale (The Sisters of Sarras #1) by Barbara Ann Wright

 

The Noble and the Nightingale by Barbara Ann Wright
My Rating: ★★

I received a copy from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bridget Leir is an ex-spy who narrowly escaped a search party looking for her. Now settled in Sarras, she gone into hiding as a bard until she can figure out her next move. Things take a turn for the better when she meets Adella del Amanecer, a noblewoman and diplomat who doesn’t think romance is in the cards for her. Bridget is smitten with Adella and game for a little romance that eventually becomes something more to them both. It’s too bad Bridget’s true identity will land them both in hot water, especially when she gets involved in a murder mystery.

When I saw this book, I thought it sounded pretty interesting. A LGBT fantasy following an ex-spy in hiding and a noblewoman? I was ready! Unfortunately for me, it turned out that this book wasn’t my cup of tea, so I had a hard time getting into it. I neither liked or disliked Bridget and Adella, but I did like the world building. I could vividly see the world they lived in and would love to see it on screen one day.

The romance developed rather fast. I was surprised given how Bridget is in hiding and would be seen as the enemy if she was found out. Though, I do think it made sense for Adella to fall fast and hard for Bridget. She didn’t think romance was something in the cards for her given how busy she is. Then she meets Bridget and she’s down to make a romance work.

I thought the murder mystery was fun for a bit. Then the actual mystery was spoiled, which took the mystery straight out and I was back to square one reading along while not that interested in the characters. The ending was a bit rushed, and I wished Bridget was more of a badass spy than (in my opinion) a bumbling one, but I don’t think it was necessarily a bad read. It just turned out to not be up my alley. I think this would be an enjoyable read for anyone looking for a high fantasy novel that also feels like an alternate universe.

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My Rating: ★★★

Alina Starkov has never fit in anywhere, nor has she ever been particularly good at anything. Small, lonely, and permanently tired, she’s just barely scraping by as a mapmaker’s apprentice. When her regiment is tasked with going into the Shadow Fold, Alina is terrified of encountering the man-eating monsters who lurk within. Things take a turn for the worse when her best friend, Mal, is nearly fatally attacked. Alina does everything she can to save him, revealing a rare and dormant power that not even she knew she had. Now that it’s known she’s a Sun Summoner, she’s torn away from everything she’s ever known and forced to face the soul crushing pressure to become powerful enough to destroy the Shadow Fold all alone.

I loved the Netflix adaptation of this book along with another book from the Grishaverse, so I knew I had to read the books the series is based on. I rather enjoyed this book and thought it was interesting to see the differences between the book and live action adaptation. I will say that I like the Netflix adaptation more so far, but I did really enjoy this book and learning a little more about the world as well as the side characters.

I think Alina is a great character to follow, especially because she is lonely and struggles to truly believe in herself until toward the end of the book. I think she’s extremely relatable in that regard. Even though this is a fictional fantasy world, it depicts things such as self-confidence and growing into who you are as a person is not something that happens overnight is extremely realistic. I look forward to following Alina’s journey and seeing where the book takes us as the story continues.

While I enjoyed the book, I do think that it is lacking in descriptions. I wonder what I would’ve thought about it if I hadn’t already been supplied with a lot of information and visuals from the show. I know that, overall, I would’ve enjoyed it, but it was seriously lacking descriptions from time to time. There were a few times where I thought I somehow accidentally skipped a paragraph because an event was built up and then was over before it begun for me as a reader. Alina went through it and was either enjoying or struggling with the aftermath depending on the event, but I saw very little actually happening as a reader because it suddenly jumped from A to Z, leaving me feeling a bit confused. I hope that this is something that gets better as the series continues.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

 
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Delphine ditched her soloist position in favor of learning to choreograph ballet with her boyfriend in Russia, she thought everything in her life was finally falling into place. Several years later, she returns to the Paris Opera Ballet as a choreographer and ready to kickstart her career. Everything will be the same as it was when she left, right? Except everything is different, and Delphine faces setback after setback as old secrets begin to surface. 

Told in dual timelines, we follow Delphine from the time she first meets her two best friends in ballet school leading up to the present as we also follow Delphine in the present after her life begins to implode. In the past, we see how close she once was with Margaux and Lindsay as well as how her friendship with them eventually became the distant and bitter friendship she has with them today. I thought it was an interesting story full of drama between friends and family while facing the pressures of the ballet world.

While this is described as a mystery, it is actually a contemporary adult fiction novel with a smidge of mystery thrown in. The core of the story are the lives of Delphine and her two best friends as well as how the dark side of ballet drove them to become the people they are in the present. I really like that many of Delphine’s relationship problems with friends as well as her mother figure are the result of her own actions. While she does have problems due to other people’s actions, it was good to see her face the results of her own actions and force herself to try to make a change if she wants to keep these relationships. It was also quite interesting to see the number of characters who are not what they seem in both good and bad ways.

All in all, I think I would’ve been disappointed about this not actually being a mystery novel if I didn’t like the story so much. At some point, I forgot that this was supposed to be a mystery and was fully enjoying the story for what it is. If you’re looking for a good contemporary novel that’s heavily character driven, I think this will be a good read for you. However, if you are looking for a contemporary mystery or a something that is primarily a mystery novel, I would recommend passing on this.