February Reading Round Up

Hi friends! It's the end of the month so you know what that means! Time to go through our reading round up! I'm going to be sharing with you the books that I read in the month of February and what I rated them and why! There will be the Goodreads synopsis in this (and sometimes it can contain spoilers, so please be aware whilst reading!) as well as the Goodreads average rating. If you want to see the full review for the book I will leave the hyperlink of the post in the name of the book (if I have one!). I read 8 books in February so let's get into them!

If He Had Been With Me | Laura Nowlin | If He Had Been With Me Book 1

"If he had been with me everything would have been different...

I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts. What they do not know - the cause of the argument - is crucial.

So let me tell you.."

My Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.83/5 stars

Oh boy what a book to start the month off with. This book absolutely broke me. I really enjoyed it however it was a little juvenile at times which is why it's only a 4 star for me.

ARC | Go Lightly | Brydie Lee - Kennedy

"WHO IS ADA?

With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.

With stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.

With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.

But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be... right?

A funny and tender twenty - first century story of family, friendship, love - and how getting it wrong is sometimes the only way to get it right."

My Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.10/5 stars

Release Date: 14th March 2024

Overall I actually really enjoyed this ARC and feel like it's such a nice queer contemporary read. The only reason it didn't get a 5 star is because as much as I enjoyed this book it just wasn't perfect and there are some things in the book I could have delt without being in there.

Beautiful Darkness | Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl | Caster Chronicles Book 2

"Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchaness, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harboured ancient secrets beneath its moss - covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life - altering events happen.

Sometimes life - ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems."

I have absolutely adored reading this series and actually rated the first book in the series 5/5 stars. The only reason this wasn't rated 5 stars is because I actually wanted more of Lena in this book than we got but I still enjoyed the book a lot!

ARC | In Search Of Ethel Cartwright | Tom Winter

"Norman Cartwright, an eighty - six - year - old man living in a small seaside town of Clacton, Essex, has kept his cross - dressing a secret his entire life. A trucker by trade, his lipstick and wigs were donned only in the lonely confines of his lorry, as he sat in lay - bys and drove along empty roads on long trips away from his wife and children. After years of judgement, abuse and fear, Norman no longer knows how to embrace this side of himself, or if anyone would accept him if he did... When his teenage granddaughter, Florence, turns up unannounced, it's obvious that she, too, has secrets she's not yet willing to share. As they grow closer, however, the truth bubbles free and life starts to change in profound and unexpected ways, both for them and everyone around them. In Search Of Ethel Cartwright is a moving story of family, love and courage that reminds us the importance of being true to ourselves."

My Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Release Date: 7th March 2024

I really enjoyed this ARC and found it to be the cutest little contemporary read. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone but there is some language used inside which lets it down just a small bit which is why it wasn't a 5 star!

Beautiful Chaos | Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl | Caster Chronicles Book 3

"Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record - breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's been haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending."

My Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.92/5 stars

I have been absolutely loving this series and have been picking it up when I have spare time which is why I've read two of the books this month. This book absolutely tore my heart into pieces and I can't wait to read the last book in the series!

Tokyo Ueno Station | Yu Miri

"Born in Fukushima in 1933, the same year as the Emperor, Kazu's life is tied by a series of coincidences to Japan's Imperial family and to one particular spot in Tokyo; the park near Ueno Station - the same place his unquiet spirit now haunts in death. It is here that Kazu's life in Tokyo began, as a labourer in the run up to the 1964 Olympics, and later where he ended his days, living in the park's vast homeless 'villager', traumatised by the destruction of the 2011 tsunami and enraged by the announcement of the 2020 Olympics.

Akutagawa - award - winning author Yu Miri uses her outsider's perspective as a Zainichi (Korean - Japanese) writer to craft a novel of utmost importance to this moment, a powerful rebuke to the Imperial system and a sensitive, deeply felt depiction of the lives of Japan's most venerable people."

My Rating: 3/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.48 stars

This was a book club read and honestly as sad as this book is it was just kind of boring to me? There were definitely good parts but for the majority of the book I wasn't entirely interested in reading it. The saving grace for this book is how beautifully this author described grief and sadness.

ARC | All The Devils | Catelyn Wilson

"Dark academia meets horror in this YA fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's NINTH HOUSE and Netflix's WEDNESDAY

---

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrols at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it is not just good grades that drives these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet...

Soon Andy realises the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined."

My Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.17/5 stars

Release Date: 19th September 2024

I'm not going to lie friends, I ate this book up. I really loved the story and I'm so excited for this book to come out because I think it's going to be a HIT on booktok. Chefs kiss.

ARC | The No - Girlfriend Rule | Christen Randall

"Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends and a shot at real, swoon - worthy love.

Hollis Beckwith isn't trying to get a girl - she's just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a Chris. Their relationship isn't particularly exciting, but it's comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she's a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris's favourite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery - but his unfortunate 'No Girlfriends at the Table' rule means she'll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Gloria Castaneda and her all - girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria's cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in - game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armour, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in - game crush develops between Hollis's character and the bard played by the charismatic Aini Amin - Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis's stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants... or if she's content to just play pretend."

My Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.74/5 stars

Release Date: 7th March 2024

Another book that made me cry a lot but honestly most of the tears were happy tears. Another bop of a book that I think it's going to pop off on booktok. I adored this and will definitely be ordering it when it comes out.

And that is everything I read in the month of February! I think 2 books a week is really good and I cannot wait to see what we dive into in March!

What did you read in February? What's on your TBR for March? What would you recommend for me to read in March? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | The No - Girlfriend Rule | ARC Received by Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The No - Girlfriend Rule" by Christen Randall. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends and a shot at real, swoon - worthy love.

Hollis Beckwith isn't trying to get a girl - she's just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a Chris. Their relationship isn't particularly exciting, but it's comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she's a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris's favourite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery - but his unfortunate 'No Girlfriends at the Table' rule means she'll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Gloria Castaneda and her all - girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria's cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in - game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armour, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in - game crush develops between Hollis's character and the bard played by the charismatic Aini Amin - Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis's stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants... or if she's content to just play pretend."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

How I read this book: eBook.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw the description of this book on Netgalley and as a fat girl who loves D&D with an anxiety disorder I knew I had to read it. This book made me cry SO MUCH. Please note, only once it was sad tears, the rest was just happy tears about how beautiful the characters friendships turn out to be throughout the book and the development that happens not only with Hollis but with her S&S party too. We got another book with a diverse cast of characters which was very exciting to see! I feel the reason I fell in love with the friend group within the book is because it genuinely reminded me of my little D&D group and how supportive everyone is towards each other. I love seeing a group of women being strong and powerful but also not afraid to show their emotions towards each other and being able to be there for each other. It was such an incredible journey to see the woman that Hollis becomes by the end of the book and I'm so glad I was able to read it. It was beautiful to see so much representation of someone who is like me within a book. Another thing I really loved was the discord chats between the characters. I will say though, the moment you see a link in the book, put it into your browser you will not be disappointed. I hope we get more books from Christen because I genuinely would read her shopping list if she let me.

My Favourite Characters:

The whole S&S group: Before we go into individual characters I just want to take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this friend group is together. They uplift each other so much and it made me so happy to read their story.

Hollis: Okay, yes, Hollis is the main character, but I genuinely saw so much of my younger self in her and it made her so easy to relate to. I loved her

Iffy: I ADORED the friendship that formed between Hollis and Iffy especially. Iffy was constantly there for Hollis and I loved her so much.

Aini: Aini is true to herself and is so full of confidence and I just loved her so much for it. She was constantly honest with Hollis and I adored her so much.

My Least Favourite Characters:

Landon: If you've read the book this will be of no surprise to you. Landon is a very accurate representation of the types of boys that gatekeep anything that's even a little bit geeky for themselves. I'm pretty sure every woman I've met within the geeky community has met a Landon. I genuinely wanted someone to slap him.

Chris: Chris to me is a bigger piece of shit than Landon is. Even if he wasn't doing what Landon was doing constantly, he was allowing it to happen. It's a no from me.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads.

This book is going to be released 7th March 2024!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

What I Read Last Week | 19th - 25th February

Hi friends, so today we're going to be getting into what I read last week and how much of the book I read each day! This will include the Goodreads synopsis (which can sometimes contain spoilers!) and my overall rating if I've finished them during the week!

ARC | All The Devils - Catelyn Wilson

"Dark academia meets horror in this YA fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's NINTH HOUSE and Netflix's WEDNESDAY

---

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrols at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it's not just good grades that drives these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet...

Soon Andy realises the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined."

Monday: 115 pages

Tuesday: 56 pages - Finished

Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars

ARC | The No - Girlfriend Rule - Christen Randall

"Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon - worthy love.

Hollis Beckwith isn't trying to get a girl - she's just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a Chris. Their relationship isn't particularly exciting, but it's comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she's a girlfriend worth keeping. Hollis decides to learn Chris's favourite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery - but his unfortunate 'No Girlfriends at the Table' rule means she'll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Gloria Castaneda and her all - girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria's cosy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in - game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armour, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in - game crush develops between Hollis's character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin - Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis's stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants... or if she's content to just play pretend."

Wednesday: 26 pages

Thursday: 26 pages

Friday: 90 pages

Saturday: 158 pages

Sunday: 36 pages - Finished

Goodreads rating: 5/5 stars

And that is everything that I ended up reading last week! Have you read any of these books? How quickly did you get through them? What are your thoughts and feelings about them? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | A Good Girl's Guide To Murder

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" by Holly Jackson. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how will they go to keep Pip from the truth?"

How I read this book: Physical copy

There are some triggering topics in this book, so please be advised to read up on the trigger warnings before reading this book

So the reason I wanted to read "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" is because this book has been hyped up all over booktok and I wanted to know whether the hype was worth it or not. The hype was 100% worth it and I'm so glad I picked this book up. I found it really hard to put this book down and felt consumed by it for the best part of 2 days. I loved learning more and more about the characters and seeing the characters develop throughout the book. I loved seeing that there were real repercussions for the characters and what they did within the book also. I was also ecstatic when we got not just one but two twists!! This book also is supposed to be a YA book but I did not feel like it read like one. There's also two more books in the series which I will definitely be reading but I do not understand how they could continue from this first book as we weren't left on a cliff-hanger and everything was wrapped up very nice and neatly. I'm excited to see what this series holds in the future and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery.

My favourite characters:

- Pip: I know Pip is the main character but I really loved her. She truly is her own little true crime girl boss and is very much relatable.

- Victor: Victor is Pip's step dad and I really loved seeing him being such a healthy father figure throughout the book. Kind of wish we got a little more of him because he constantly brought that reassurance as well as some comedic relief.

- Ravi: I love how fleshed out Ravi is as a character, he's funny and gentle and the author made it very easy to feel sorry for him but also love him.

My least favourite characters:

- Stephen: Stephen is just a literal piece of shit. If you read the book you'll see exactly what I mean.

- Stanley Forbes - Stanley is a very small character in the book (Which I'm glad about) and is definitely put there to show the reader how the media can be biased and cruel. The author did a very good job at portraying what reporters and reports CAN be like in the real world.

- Max: Max is just another piece of shit character. Once again, if you read the book you'll see why.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | All The Devils | ARC Received by Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "All The Devils" by Catelyn Wilson. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Dark academia meets horror in this YA fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's NINTH HOUSE and Netflix's WEDNESDAY

---

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrols at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it is not just good grades that drives these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet...

Soon Andy realises the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

How I read this book: eBook

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw the description of this book on netgalley and being in my fantasy girl era knew that I wanted to read it so I requested the book. Let me tell you this book was a RIDE. First of all the writing in this book is beautiful and the way that Catelyn world builds really puts you into the space without being too overly descriptive. The cast of characters was really diverse and is so refreshing to see. Catelyn made it so easy for us to love and feel empathy the side characters even if they weren't in the book as often as I would have loved them to be (I'm looking at Munia). The start of this book was a little slow but once you push through the first two chapters you really get immersed into the storyline and I found myself really pulled in. The only reason this took me a little longer to read that it normally would is because I wasn't very well last week. However I still wanted to pick it up at every chance I got. I was also not expecting the twists and the turns throughout this book, every single one of them caught me off guard. I'm hoping we get more stories between Andy and Jae and I cannot wait to see what comes next!

My Favourite Characters:

- Munia: In all honesty when we first met Munia I thought she was a little standoffish when in reality she was just mimicking the way Andy was being towards her. I loved how much she cared for Andy even though Andy gave her NOTHING in return and I genuinely wished we got more of her in the story.

- Jae: I adore Jae so much and I loved getting to find out more and more about his character. I cannot wait to see what is next for him.

- Andy: Listen, I know Andy is the main character but she's actually such a badass. I loved her so much.

My Least Favourite Characters

- Luciano: Luciano is an egotistical prick and that's all I've really got to say about him.

- Regina: Is also an egotistical prick but is also really condescending throughout the book.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads.

This book is going to be released 19th September 2024!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

What I Read Last Week | 12th - 18th February

Hi friends, so every week on booktok I've been doing a video about what I read the previous week and I thought it would also make a cool blog post. Monday's blog posts are going to be what I read last week and how much of the book I read each day! So let's get into what I read last week. (Please note these will include the Goodreads synopsis and sometimes it can contain spoilers!)

Tokyo Ueno Station - Yu Miri, Morgan Giles (Translator)

"Born in Fukushima in 1933, the same year as the Emperor, Kazu's life is tied by a series of coincidences to Japan's Imperial family and to one particular spot in Tokyo; the park near Ueno Station - the same place his unquiet spirit now haunts in death. It is here that Kazu's life in Tokyo began, as a labourer in the run up to the 1964 Olympics, and later where he ended his days, living in the park's vast homeless 'villages' traumatised by the destruction of the 2011 tsunami and enraged by the announcement of the 2020 Olympics.

Akutaga - award - winning author Yu Miri uses her outsider's perspective as a Zainichi (Korean - Japanese) writer to craft a novel of utmost importance to this moment a powerful rebuke to the Imperial system and a sensitive, deeply felt depiction of the lives of Japan's most vulnerable people."

Monday: 197 pages - Finished

Goodreads Rating: 3/5 stars

ARC | All The Devils - Catelyn Wilson

"Dark academia meets horror in this YA fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's NINTH HOUSE and Netflix's WEDNESDAY

---

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister's elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrols at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it's not just good grades that drives these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet...

Soon Andy realises the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined."

Tuesday: 59 pages

Wednesday: 49 pages

Thursday: 59 pages

Friday: 21 pages

Saturday: 0 pages

Sunday: 25 pages

And that is everything that I ended up reading last week! Have you read any of these books? How quickly did you get through them? What are your thoughts and feelings about them? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Three Series Where The Last Book Ruins It For Me

 Hi friends, have you ever had a series that you really loved? Where the last book in the series just ends up ruining it for you? Today we're going to be talking about 3 series that I loved where the last book in the series just ended up ruining the series for me. Please note, this blog post will contain spoilers, so if you see a series that you have not read please skip past this blog post!

Series 1: The Hunger Games Series - Suzanne Collins

Okay, so I know a LOT of people loved this series, myself included. However I cannot get over the fact that they killed of Prim in the last book. To me I just felt like we went through the whole point of Katniss saving her sister just for her to die in the end anyway. It made her going through the hunger games pretty pointless and I feel like we still would've gotten the desired effect without Prue dying. Will this stop me reading "The Ballad Of Songbird And Snakes"? Absolutely not.

Series 2: Fallen Series - Lauren Kate

So I really loved the Fallen series when I was a teenager, to the point where I read the first 3 books in about a week, and then waited a whole year for the last book in the series to come out. I felt like Lauren Kate gave us such a beautiful story and put us through such an amazing journey, and then in the last book decided that Lucinda and Daniel were going to forget everything that happened to them in hopes that they find each other in a mortal life. I had nothing against them turning into mortals, my biggest issue was them forgetting everything. It made it feel like the journey we went through as readers was all for nothing. They did find each other as mortals, but what if they hadn't?

Series 3: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth

Like everyone else when these books came out I was very much into dystopian fiction, so this book series was exactly what I wanted at the time. I really adored the series and the storytelling and going through the journey with Tris and Tobias, which is why I kept coming back for more. I was just so disappointed when they ended up killing of Tris in the last book. They made her go through such a transformation just to kill her off? I know for a fact I'm not the only one who disliked this ending.

Overall, I did enjoy these series as and when they were coming out. I just feel like we could have had much better endings for these characters.

Did you have any series where the last book ruined the series for you? Do you have any series you'd recommend for me to read? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | American Gods

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be a review on "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there..."

How I read this book: Physical copy

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I was really enjoying the Amazon originals series they did based on the book which was cancelled. I genuinely just wanted to know how this all ended and I really thought I was going to enjoy the book, boy was I wrong. I'm going to get the first thing that bothered me about the book out of the way and that is the amount of slurs that was in this book (and before anyone comes for me and was like "this book was wrote in 2001, it was a different time back then" I read the tv series tie in which was wrote in 2017 because Neil Gaiman wanted to add things in and even back in 2001 we knew it's not okay for a white person to use the N word at the very least). I would've genuinely thought that being an author who is known for being diverse with his characters we would not have had that many slurs in a book, but I guess I was wrong. Secondly, Neil Gaiman very much over- described every single last detail within the book, for me as a personal preference this is something I don't enjoy, I understand why it has to be that way in high fantasy but we're literally talking about America throughout the book. Also after reading a bunch of books where the chapters have been 3-10 pages going to one where they're 20-40 pages was very daunting, but once again, that's a personal preference. Overall it's really disappointing because I did actually enjoy the story as a whole, especially the twist at the end, I just can't bring myself to get over the language that was used that didn't need to be used.

My favourite Characters

- Shadow: I know Shadow is the main character but I truly did love him. He was just a big himbo at times but really sweet and sincere at others.

- Sam: Sam was my favourite character throughout the entire book, she's such a strong female character and I loved the sarcasm and sass about her.

- Chad: Chad helps Shadow out a lot whilst in the book and is genuinely just a caring person. I loved the chapters that he was in and I wish we got more of him.

My Least Favourite Characters:

- Laura: Laura's just a really selfish character and I can't say too much else without spoiling the book, so we shall leave it at that.

- Mr Wednesday: Mr Wednesday is just a manipulative character throughout the book and as much as Neil Gaiman tried to make us feel sorry for him it never really happened for me.

I gave this book a 2/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Paris: The Memoir

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Paris: The Memoir" by Paris Hilton. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"A MILLION MEANINGS IN A SINGLE NAME...

Heiress. Party Girl. Problem child. Selfie taker. Model. Cover girl. Reality star.

These are labels that have been attached to Paris Hilton by others.

Founder. Entrepreneur. Pop Culture Maker. Innovator. Survivor. Activist. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mom.

These are roles Paris Hilton embraces now as a fully realized woman.

Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton Hotels empire, but cultivated her fame and fortune as the It Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning twenty - four - hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as 'famous for being famous'. With tenacity, sharp business acumen, and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, become a truly modern icon beloved around the world.

Now, with courage, honesty, and humour. Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context, and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD and teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked - and perilous - decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child's life, Paris's mother and father had her kidnapped and sent to a series of 'emotional growth boarding schools' where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the 'troubled teen industry', Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn't touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion - dollar reality.

Recounting her perilous journey through pre - #MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity, and just the right amount of sass, Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at it's leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own. Welcome to Paris."

How I read this book: Audiobook

There are a bunch of triggering topics in this book, so please be advised to read up on the trigger warnings before reading this book.

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I fell in love with Paris Hilton when I watched her documentary that she put out on YouTube 2 years ago. Paris Hilton was another woman that I grew up watching her be in the spotlight for both the right and wrong reasons as a teenager. When I finished listening to "The Woman In Me" Everand recommended Paris's book as an audiobook and I dived straight into it the next day. Paris's story is truly heart-breaking and it's genuinely scary to see how everyone treated her in her teens and young adulthood. It very much brings to light how differently we treat situations now compared to back then but also the similarities too. Paris was the one to read this book to us and it genuinely felt like she was sitting down talking it through with us as if it was an informal interview (a lot more friendly than a normal interview but not necessarily as if talking to a friend). Something about listening to these memoirs written by the stars we loved as children definitely brings a lot into light that we, as the public, just did not know. I'm genuinely so proud of these women, and this book was a really saddening but inspiring read. I can't wait to see what's next for Paris Hilton and I hope she takes us on her journey.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe

Short AF Book Review | In Search Of Ethel Cartwright | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "In Search Of Ethel Cartwright" by Tom Winter. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Norman Cartwright, an eighty - six - year - old man living in a small seaside town of Clacton, Essex, has kept his cross - dressing a secret his entire life. A trucker by trade, his lipstick and wigs were donned only in the lonely confines of his lorry, as he sat in lay - bys and drove along empty roads on long trips away from his wife and children. After years of judgement, abuse and fear, Norman no longer knows how to embrace this side of himself, or if anyone would accept him if he did... When his teenage granddaughter, Florence, turns up unannounced, it's obvious that she, too, has secrets she's not yet willing to share. As they grow closer, however, the truth bubbles free and life starts to change in profound and unexpected ways, both for them and everyone around them. In Search Of Ethel Cartwright is a moving story of family, love and courage that reminds us the importance of being true to ourselves."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

How I read this book: eBook

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw the way that it was described on Netgalley and instantly knew that I had to read it so I applied to get it. I am so incredible happy that I did receive this book and I am so shocked about the amount of emotions I felt whilst reading this. This is a beautiful story about an 86 year old crossdressing man who's teenage granddaughter turns up out of the blue to visit him. This was such a heart warming story of Norman coming to be comfortable with himself with the help of his granddaughter. I really like that this book not only is set in the present but has little moments where it flashbacks into the past to give us more detail about the characters we're reading about. This story is so much more than just about Norman and his granddaughter, Florence, but about how things have changed so much between the ages of Norman being a young adult and now, as well as how much things have also stayed the same for some. One thing I will say about this book, is there is some language in it that isn't okay to use in this day and age, however the way it is used is not to be offensive, but in a way to show that Norman is as old as he is and is quickly corrected by his granddaughter, I still found it a little jarring though. I found myself crying both of happy and sad tears throughout this book, and there were so many happy moments that filled my heart with joy. There were also moments which showed people can be cruel, but those were few and far between. If you want a nice little contemporary about a cross dressing grandad coming into his own with the help of his granddaughter please, please pick this up when it comes out! You won't be disappointed!

My Favourite Characters:

- June: June is an amazing side character to this story and I loved her so much. I appreciate the amount of effort she went through to make sure that Norman would be okay.

- Florence: Florence is a beautifully written character and I'm so glad that she was able to help Norman in all the ways that she did as well as finding out the truths for herself.

- Rex: Rex is another amazing side character and I genuinely wish we got a little more of him. I loved the moments we had with him.

My Least Favourite Character:

- Sally: I actually put in my notes "Sally is such a nosey old cow", because that is exactly what she is. She was too much in everyone's business and truly needed to mind her own.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads.

This book is going to be released 7th March 2024!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | The Woman In Me

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Woman In me" by Britney Spears. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"The Woman In Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice - her truth - was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman In Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey - and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candour and humour, Spears's groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love - and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last."

How I read this book: Audiobook

There are a bunch of triggering topics in this book, so please be advised to read up on the trigger warnings before reading this book

.So the reason I wanted to read this book is because like almost all 90's children I grew up listening to Britney Spears's music, watching her movie Crossroads, and genuinely didn't know too much about what was going on in her life until the #FreeBritney movement started. I grew up in genuine awe of this woman yet had no idea who she was beyond her music. "The Woman In Me" gave us every heart-breaking little detail about Britney's story right up until the end of her conservatorship, and shows us what she had to endure throughout her teenage and adult life. I found out so much about the woman who's music I'd grown up with that I didn't expect to find out and as sad as this book is it really is worth a read. This book articulates everything that has happened to Britney beautifully, and definitely gave me a further understanding to everything that has happened to her in private, as well as publicly. The one downside I have with this book is I do wish Britney would've read it herself in the audiobook, however she does explain at the beginning why she doesn't and that's completely understandable. I'm so happy that Britney Spears got to tell her story and I cannot wait to see what's going to happen next for her.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe

Short AF Book Review | Go Lightly | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Go Lightly" by Brydie Lee Kennedy. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"WHO IS ADA?

With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.

With Stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.

With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.

But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be... right?

A funny and tender twenty - first century story of family, friendship, love - and how getting it wrong is sometimes the only way to get it right."

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.

How I read this book: eBook

So the reason I wanted to read this book is that it was described as LGBTQIA+ romance on Netgalley and I requested the book. I am so appreciative that I was able to get this book and read it before it officially comes out and I definitely will be buying this book in physical form when it does. Most of the book is really enjoyable and is just such an easy read. It was nice to see some queer representation which isn't just MLM or WLW specifically. As someone who's bi/ace I find it really difficult to find representation in books/movies and it just made me really happy to see it here. I did spend a couple days longer reading this book not because it was difficult to read but because it was so easy to just pick up when I had a couple of minutes spare! The chapters are mostly short so it's so easy to pick up where you left off! I also really enjoyed the chapters which were the characters sending messages to each other because it made the book feel more real. It was also great to see real life situations being handled very realistically as well and mostly not too overdramatized (although Ada does sometimes still have her moments). The only critique I have about the book is that there are two moments that involve drug use, and that put me off a little bit (not enough to stop me reading, but is worth noting if you're uncomfortable with reading that). I definitely would recommend this to anyone who just wants a nice little queer contemporary to read throughout the day!

My Favourite Characters:

- Mel: Mel is Ada's best friend and roommate and I absolutely adored her throughout the book. She very much tries to be Ada's moral compass but also lets her do her own thing with little judgment.

- Sadie: I loved Sadie from the very start. She very much matches Ada's energy and is so honest and communicative throughout the book.

- Hank: Hank is honestly such a sweetie and I wish we actually got more of him throughout the book but I enjoyed the time we did get with him.

My Least Favourite Characters:

- Stuart: I just didn't like him at all in the book. I understand that Ada can be a bit difficult sometimes throughout the book, but that did not excuse his behaviour. He was just so creepy and I really just hated him.

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads.

This book is going to be released 14th March 2024!

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | Too Sweet

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Too Sweet" by Monroe Wildrose. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"Ex - boyfriend is a vampire hunter, fake boyfriend is a vampire. What's a girl to do?

Briar makes a deal with her school's star basketball player, Darcy, to fake date in spite of their glaring differences. But when she finds out he drinks blood with his sack lunch, and that her ex wants his kind dead... she might be in over her head.

Darcy agreed to be Briar's 'boyfriend' until the end of the school year. Now, if he could just control his tottering teenage - vampire hormones, and be rid of the intrusive romantic thoughts about Briar (that are coming much more frequently than he would like.)

Juggling: Type 1 diabetes, teenage dramatics, and vampire stereotypes, they may not make it to graduation"

How I read this book: eBook

So I ended up getting this book on stuff your kindle day because it looked adorable and was a nice short read (under 250 pages). I am actually someone who really enjoys vampire stories and I'm so glad I picked this one up! I genuinely stayed up until 3am just so I could finish this book! The one downfall I will say, however, is that the book is very obviously a young adult and can be juvenile at times. Don't get me wrong, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book, there were just times that I cringed within but was easily fixed by reminding myself than the characters are just teenagers! This is the only fault I had with the book though! It made me laugh so much (there was a twilight quote used in there that made me audibly cackle) and I genuinely enjoyed reading between Briar's and Darcy's perspectives. It was nice to see the grumpy girl, gentle sweetheart of a boy dynamic and I found them both adorable. If you want a cute cheesy little vampire story, I would 100% recommend this!

My Favourite Characters

- Darcy: Darcy is one of the main characters and honestly he's just such a cutie! He's genuinely very kind throughout the book and I found him adorable.

- Crispin: Crispin is Darcy's brother and I honestly love him so much. He's a sarcastic little arsehole in the best way and very much reminds me of my friends when I was a teen.

- Maisie: Maisie is another character that reminds me of my friends from teenagehood, she very much says it how it is and gives as good as she gets. I love seeing her and Briar bouncing off of each other.

My Least Favourite Characters

- Morgan: Morgan is honestly such a spiteful arsehole throughout the book. The author made him very easy to hate.

- Morgan's Whole Ass Family

I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!

Short AF Book Review | History Is All You Left Me

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "History Is All You Left Me" by Adam Silvera. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)

"When Griffin's first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin's downward spiral continues. He's losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he's been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life."

How I read this book: eBook

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I first read "They Both Die At The End" by Adam Silvera and it instantly became one of my favourite books. I thought it would be the same with "History is all you left me" but honestly I didn't love it in the same way. Even so, I still loved it nonetheless. Adam Silvera has a really beautiful way of writing LGBTQIA+ fiction and I'm impressed with how he can encapsulate you in his writing and leave you wanting to know more and more about the characters within. I found that there is so much character development in what already felt like fully flushed out characters from the beginning. This book had me tearing up throughout and is genuinely such a heartbreaking read (I'm so glad I read this as an eBook otherwise I would've ruined this book by crying on it). This has also made me want to read even more Adam Silvera books due to how beautiful his writing is. I would definitely recommend this to everyone, even if they aren't part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

My Favourite Characters

- Griffin: Obviously he's the main character of this book, but I adore the way his written and how much he develops as a character throughout the book. He can be relatable at times with how geeky he can be and I loved seeing how he turned out by the end of the book.

- Jackson: Once again, one of the main characters but most of the story revolves around them. My heart broke for both Griffin and Jackson but ESPECIALLY for Jackson and all the weight he put on himself. I'm glad he found some peace and resolve by the end of the book.

My Least favourite Character

- Griffin's Cousin (I have genuinely forgotten his name and the internet won't tell me): When you read the book you'll know the one. Luckily he's only a small character of the book but I absolutely despised him.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating on Goodreads.

What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!