#Book Mini Review #ARC – Inside Your Japanese Garden; J. Cali and S. Yasumoro

Another book caught in the bottleneck—there are 5-6 of them, I think—and I’m sorry because Inside Your Japanese Garden deserves the highest praises. No one rated it on GoodReads yet, I mean, which. A crime, let me tell you.

#Book Review – Truly, Darkly, Deeply; V. Selman

So if you’re wondering why I’m reviewing books at a slower pace, here’s your answer, and Truly, Darkly, Deeply is one of those novels caught up in the bottleneck. Is it a bad thing? Well. Not really, because the delay made me realize something: I couldn’t remember the plot anymore less than a month after shelving it. If you’re grimacing right now, I wouldn’t blame you–alarm bells and the likes.

#Book Review – Atomic; N. Aland

First thing first, Atomic is hilarious. I’m not talking about an open guffawing, belly-laughing kind of hilarious here, no; the humor is there, it’s often subtler than you’d expect it to be, but it’s well-executed regardless. Does said humor border on crass territory here and there? Sometimes. And it’s a good thing. A spade is a spade, and I appreciate a lot more someone willing to call it by its name rather than coating it with a PC layer. 

#Book Review #ARC – Peach Blossom Spring; M. Fu

Let me be as clear as possible here: Fu’s stronger point is her style. It’s beautiful, with a unique pacing and a rhythm that amazed me from start to finish. It’s lyrical, almost poetic, and yet precise. I mean, I can’t believe Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel: Fu proves to be a top-notch wordsmith already, achieving quality levels other authors can only dream of—yeah, even the more experienced ones.

#Book Review #ARC – And There He Kept Her; J. Moehling

Wow. And I mean, wow. And There He Kept Her is a straight five, no questions asked; it’s also going to be in my 2022 top ten list—yeah, it’s that good. Also, it's a debut. I'm sobbing here

#Book Review – The Cabin Sessions; I. Blackthorn

I’ve been warned from the very beginning that The Cabin Sessions was a slow book. Other reviewers seemed to confirm it, so I wasn’t expecting anything fast-paced or ripe with action when I dived in.

#Book Review – Adonias Low; D.A. Watson

Watson doesn’t beat around the bush. The language and the setting are historically appropriate, a detail that never fails to cheer me up: watered-down or censored versions of history may be fine and dandy for some, just not for me. Accuracy is the name of the game here, what I value the most in a story like this one, and accuracy is what I got. Sweet.

#Book Review #ARC – Savage Indulgence – S. Raquel

Oh my. This is a peculiar story, one I decided to read on a whim and that left me with a satisfied feeling. As I already said once or twice in previous reviews, sometimes a good horror is just what the doctor ordered. First of all, I’m so pleased to see an elderly woman as 1. the MC 2. the villain and 3. the narrating voice. I know I’m not wild about first POVs; I’m also able to praise them when they’re done well. Plus, Raquel gives Joyce a powerful voice and an impressive personality.

#Book Review – Resistance #2 – Equality; E. McGinness

The second installment in the Resistance series, Equality brings back our favorite French couple, Sabine and Hérisson. Still double POV, and once again both characters have powerful voices. This time I prefer Hérisson’s arc because his character growth is even more pronounced than it was in Liberty. Sabine, though! Sabine reads as the core of the story, and I love her ability to face every issue with bravery. Her spirit is the real backbone of this book.

#Book Review #ARC #Book Tour – The Downstairs Neighbour; H. Cooper

The Downstairs Neighbours is a thriller I picked almost as an afterthought. I had no expectations going in and I ended up being surprised—in a good way! Cooper’s debut is a captivating read, featuring mystery and secrets in equal measure.