Short AF Book Review | Ketchup On Everything

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Ketchup On Everything" by Nathan Robinson. 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 to please keep that in mind!) 

"For the past twenty years, Elliott Tather has been living a life of mourning that almost destroyed him. After losing everything he held dear and bound by a consuming sorrow, Tather travels the country attempting to fix a wrong that haunts his every waking and dreaming moment. But one evening after pulling into a roadside diner to settle down with a simple cup of coffee, the door opens and everything changes. Whatever you do, make sure you order Ketchup On Everything. From the author of 'Starers', 'Midway' and the short story collection of 'Devil Let Me Go' comes a troubling, heart wrenching tale of despair, loss and what might come afterwards."

So honestly friends, this was a re read for me. (Last time I read it was 10 years ago and I honestly couldn't remember anything). The reason I decided to re read it was because I recommended it to my friend who loves horror/splatterpunk and she said she enjoyed it and my goal this year is to read more indie authors so I picked it up. Friends, I'm not going to lie, I'm a little 50/50 on this one. I would not say this is a bad story at all, the premise was there, the twists and turns were twisting, there were a lot of good moments that genuinely had me on the edge of my seat for this book. I loved that we got to learn more about the main character which made it easier to empathise with him in such a short amount of time.  My problem however, was how long it took to get to the point. To say this book is only 118 pages it consists of only 3 longer chapters, one in the present, one in the past, and then one back in the present, and for me, the length of the first chapter was unnecessary. I'm not a girly who loves when authors are overly descriptive in non - fantasy settings and honestly, this could have been a shorter novella and still have been great. I also will say, I wish that this was set somewhere other than England, the diner and the motorhome really threw me for a loop because we do not have a lot of these in England (If any). Overall, I would recommend this to those who enjoy a good horror story. I just feel unfortunately, even though this story was good, it just wasn't one of my favourites.

I gave this book a 3/5 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 | The Lost Sunday | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Lost Sunday" by Ileana Surducan. 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!)

"From creator Ileana Surducan (Nor's Holiday) comes The Lost Sunday - her Eisner Award - nominated, all - ages tale about the need for free time in the midst of our busy, everyday lives.

Nina lives in a dusty town haunted by the six angry wolves of the week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each day brings never - ending chores and drudgery. Legend speaks of a seventh day to rest - Sunday - but everybody knows an evil witch stole it and keeps it locked away. When Nina finally says enough is enough, she sets out on an ambitious quest for rest, but will she be able to vanquish the witch and bring back the lost Sunday?

Inspired by old folklore and fairy tales, this story shines a magical light on a present - day burnout and the importance of leisure. A great read for kids and adults alike!"

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

So the reason I wanted to read this is as y'all know I love graphic novels and I saw this one from one of my favourite publishers (Oni Press) so I decided to apply for it. Friends, I'm so happy I got to read this one. First of all this is such a cute quick little read, I ended up reading it in one sitting because of how short it is and most of the storytelling being the imagery. The artwork throughout this is adorable and nostalgic and definitely gives off that fairytailesque vibe it's trying to portray. I loved every minute of the story and really resonate with needing to take a break rather than pushing myself too hard (which I think every single disabled person has felt at some point) and even though this wasn't directed towards disabled people, just people in general, it was such a nice reminder to have. I can't get enough of retellings and this was such a perfect one to add to my collection. I would genuinely recommend this story to everyone and anyone because it is 1000% something that everyone can relate do and I genuinely believe everyone deserves that little reminder that the book is trying to portray. I will definitely be picking myself a copy of this book when it comes out and possibly a copy for my brother so he can have it for my niece and nephews. 

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

This book is being released 17th June 2025!

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 | The Honey Witch | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Honey Witch" by Sydney J. Shields. 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 to please keep that in mind!) 

"The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn't believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.

Twenty - one - year - old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who've tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree wit an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence comes with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.

When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy sceptic who doesn't believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can't resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home - at the risk of losing her magic and her heart."

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

So the reason I wanted to read this book is honestly because this has been on my TBR for over a year due to me loving all of the marketing towards it when it initially come out. When I saw that it was an ARC I was surprised because as far as I knew this book was already out but I didn't hesitate to apply for it. Friends this book was all I wanted it to be and more. I cannot tell you how much pure joy this book filled me with to see so much queer love portrayed the way that it was. I am not lying when I tell you this book made me sob both happy and sad tears at multiple points. I loved that we learned how the magic system worked along with Marigold and how it genuinely felt like we were on the Isle of Innisfree with everyone. I loved how we got to know so much more about not only Marigold but also the side characters because it made me fall in love with them all so much more and made it easier to emphasize with all of them. It was also so cool to see how strong and important Marigold's relationships were with all of the women in her life and I loved seeing the strong bonds between them. Hell, even the men in Marigold's life seemed to be perfect in every way. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a cute, mostly cozy queer romantasy to fall in love with and I will definitely be picking up the physical copy of this book as soon as I can.

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

This book is already out!

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 | Toxic Daughter: Chi - Chan | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Toxic Daughter: Chi - Chan" by Shuzo Oshimi. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Netgalley synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers to please keep that in mind!) 

"You can't hide your darkness from Chi

It's been years since Chi, a mysterious outcast and borderline dropout, and her childhood friend Yua last spoke. One day, Chi shows up to school with a handful of dead bugs and starts a commotion that gives Yua's classmate, golden boy Kodai, an idea: he's going to bring Chi back into the fold, and he needs Yua's help to do it. But good intentions can lead to bad places, and the darkness in Chi may be more dangerous than they ever imagined."

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

So the reason I applied for this book is because believe it or not I used to really be into manga and wanted to start getting into it again so when I saw this I jumped at the chance. This could've honestly gone either way and honestly friends, I'm kind of in the middle about it. Firstly, what I loved about the manga is that it gave off that cute/creepy feel that I genuinely adore in a lot of horror manga. It was eerie in the perfect way whilst still maintaining that it seems to start off like a slice of life. The art was cute, the story was well executed, and I did enjoy most of the manga. However, the key word there is most. Unfortunately, this manga does take a twist that I did not expect it to take and there were absolutely no trigger warnings for it at all. Please note, I expected the horror, I expected the gruesomeness and goriness that could have happened. I did not expect what happened to happen and it really threw me for a loop as this is something I tend to avoid in manga if I'm able to. I do like that there's also a movie tie in to this manga however I'm unsure as to whether I'll be watching it or not after the manga's ending. If you want a good horror manga, I would possibly recommend this one, but only if you can read up the trigger warnings and only if you're willing to watch the movie.

I gave this book a 3/5 star rating on Goodreads!

This book comes out on the 22nd April 2025!

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 Girl Who Sold Time | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Girl Who Sold Time" by V.S. Nelson. 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 to please keep that in mind!) 

"A forest of rusting giants.

A girl who trades time itself.

A discovery that changes everything.

The space elevator was meant to be humanity's salvation, but now it stands abandoned, surrounded by a forest that is mutating into something deadly.

Trading the mysterious time marbles to survive, Violet and her robotic companion, Jackdaw, seek to find a cure to their dying home.

When she discovers a marble that can freeze time for an entire year, Violet embarks on a journey to unlock its secrets and save the forest. But some truths are buried for a reason - and Violet is about to find out why..."

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

So the reason I wanted to read this book was genuinely because the synopsis sounded super cool so I applied for an ARC. Friends, I'm really happy I got to read this one. I'm not going to lie, Sci Fi is not usually a genre I typically pick up so this could've gone either way for me. The start of this story is a little slow because of the world building and explaining the time marbles and how everything works as well as Violet's relationships with other people. However, the moment this book picked up it picked up. This book was so much fun and my favourite thing about it is it had one of my favourite tropes which is found family. Not only were the characters caring towards each other but they truly treat each other with the respect and love that I expect from these types of friendships. I loved how much this book highlighted good female friendships especially with such a badass main character such as Violet. I LOVED Jackdaw so much and I found it really hard to remember that he wasn't human (literally every time he was referenced to as a robot it was a little shock to the system). I really appreciated how much detail the author went into on how the time marbles worked and how they were used throughout the story. I feel like we got a very clear and concise vision of what the author was trying to portray. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone and everyone and think it's a perfect beginner book for getting into sci fi (for me personally anyway). I will 100% be reading more of V.S. Nelson's books.

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

This book is already out!

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 Tea Dragon Society

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Tea Dragon Society" by Kay O'Neill. 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!)

"From the award - winning author of Princess Princess Ever After comes The Tea Dragon Society, a charming all - ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care - taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives - and eventually her own."

So the reason I wanted to read this is because as y'all know I love graphic novels & queer storytelling. This one had been hyped up so much all over my booktok and I noticed it was on Libby (shoutout to the Queer Liberation Library) so I put it on my hold list. Friends when I tell you I read this book AS SOON as it came into my loans I am not lying. This graphic novel was quite frankly beautiful. First off, there was so much representation that I was not expecting, we got POC, disabled and queer rep. The storytelling was stunning and for such a short read I cannot believe how much I cried over this story. (Both happy and sad tears). This book really made me feel like I was experiencing a warm hug. The art style was gorgeous and just made this already beautiful story even more beautiful. I genuinely think this book is perfect for every age group (as it says) and it would've made me so happy to have a book like this growing up (heck, being a queer disabled girly it makes me so happy to see this representation as a 31 year old adult). I would 100% recommend this to everyone and I will definitely be picking up the next 2 books in the series and can't wait to see where these characters' stories take us.

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 | Leather & Lark

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Leather & Lark" by Brynne Weaver. 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 to please keep that in mind!)

"Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss's biggest client, Lachlan knows he'll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she'll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.

And they can't stand each other.

Indie singer - songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend's soulmate, Lachlan thinks she's just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend's happiness on the line, she's willing to make a vow to the man she's determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it's not just familiar dangers that haunt them. There's another phantom lurking on their doorstep.

And this one has come for blood."

So the reason I wanted to read this is obviously because I read Butcher & Blackbird and wanted to see if I loved this one as much. I'm not gonna lie friends, I didn't. That's not to say I didn't love it at all, I very much enjoyed this one for a lot of the reasons I enjoyed the first. The dual POV was incredible because it meant we got to see both sides of their relationship and how it developed. The banter was just as funny and witty as the first one (if not more because Lachlan is more of a sarcastic asshat than Rowan was). I loved reading another marriage of convenience story but in a more adult setting. I just feel like this did not have as much grit as the first one did. Don't get me wrong, there was a few moments where the story did get more gritty and gross and a little fucked up. I just wish there were more. I will say I am so happy to see that we got to see more of their friendship/brother group dynamic, and it has fully set me up for reading the 3rd and final book in this series, and regardless of how much I like this one and the next one, I'm so thankful to Brynne for introducing me to the realm of dark romance and showing me that not all of it is just 100% in your face spice (even though her books are still spicy). I would 100% recommend this series as an introduction into dark romance, but please as always, check the triggers!

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!