Short AF Book Review | The Last Soul Among Wolves | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "The Last Soul Among Wolves" by Melissa Caruso. 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, especially with this being the second book in the series, so please keep that in mind!)

"The Last Soul Among Wolves is the brilliant second instalment in Melissa Caruso's Echo Archives series, a whip - smart adventure fantasy featuring cursed relics, sapphic romance, and a magical murder mystery.

All Kembral Thorne wants is to finish her maternity leave in peace. But when her best friend asks her for help, she can't say no, even if it means a visit to a run - down mansion on an isolated island for a will reading. She arrives to find an unexpected reunion of her childhood friends - plus her once - rival, now - girlfriend Rika Nonesuch, there on a mysterious job. Then the will is read, and everything goes sideways.

Eight potential heirs, half of them Kem's oldest friends.

Three cursed relics.

The rules: one by one, the heirs will die.

The prize for the lone survivor: a wish. And wishes are always bad business.

To save their friends, Kem and Rika must race against the clock and descend into other realities once more. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous - and more personal - than they could have imagined."

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

So the reason I wanted to read this is genuinely because I read the first book (also as an ARC) in January and I loved it, so I applied for the second one. Friends, I was genuinely so happy to get this sequel, however I feel a little 50/50 about this one compared to the first. Let's start off with the good. The storytelling in this book was just as fun, and magical as the first one. The author did such a good job at making us feel like we were there with Kem and Rika. The twists and turns were just as, if not more, twist and turny as the first book. I loved learning more about Kem and Rika and what their life was like. I loved that we got to know more about the villains and their lore. I was so happy to see that there was still that witty banter and yearning there was in the first. I genuinely feel like this series is like nothing I have ever read before. However, this book for some reason just slogged on for me. It's not that I wasn't enjoying all of the content, I just found it so difficult to want to pick it up and there was nothing really pulling me until the last 10 chapters. If I wasn't already so invested in this series, I may have DNF'd it at the start. Both of these books so far have had a slow start and a STRONG finish but for me, the slow start just lasted a little too long for my liking in this one. I'm definitely still going to be picking up the next book when it comes out, however the next book will also definitely determine whether or not I would still recommend this series to others.

I gave this book a 3/5 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 | Will It Hurt

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Will It Hurt" by Lily X. 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 wytch prone to chaos. A grieving, murderous vampyre. When hate turns to heat, can they work together to bring a loved one back from the dead?

A wytch and a vampyre walk into a bar - except they don't. It's a cafe. And they almost kill each other first.

But snap judgements never last. If only Jinn didn't desperately need a wytch to cast a retraction spell, and Aisla Lami wasn't the only one available for miles.

The hate is still there, but so is something else. Something that's way more complicated. As their forced partnership begins to feel a little less forced, the two start to believe they might actually have a chance to bring a loved one back from the other side... Or do they?

Four nights. Two powerful beings. One goal."

So the reason I wanted to read this is genuinely because 1: as you all know I love queer books, but 2: the author spoke about a "shadow strap" and I said SAY LESS. Friends, I LOVED this book. However, before I get into this review, please look up the trigger warnings before you read this book, this book deals with a lot of heavy topics and if those topics are something you can't read, I'm sure the author would rather you not. Now into the book review. This book was fucking incredible. This book hurt me, this book made me sob, this book made me cackle. I am not lying when I say I woke my partner up at 1 in the morning laughing my ass off at a singular line in the book. The author did such a good job at making sure there were so many points of light within this book using humour to get us through such dark topics. Yes this book is heavy, and heart  breakingly beautiful. However it truly touches everything with a softness that you could only get from a sapphic book. I loved how there was a familiar essence throughout the book with it being set in Scotland making it easy to imagine and feel like we were there with Jinn and Aisla. I loved that Lily used Aisla to speak about what it was like to be a POC in Scotland. I adored that this book was dual POV so we truly got to see the enemies to lovers trope play out through both their thoughts and feelings.  There was honestly just so much that I was not expecting to happen in this book and the twists and turns really got me. Also, as a girly who does not like spice in her books usually. The spice in this was... something else (let's just say, my partner enjoyed this book too and they did not read it). The way that it was integrated into the story made it much more enjoyable to read, and also had such a fun way of being added into the magic systems. I am hoping and praying that this book will become a series. I have so many questions that I need answered and I genuinely just need more of Aisla and Jinn in general. I love this book so much and would 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone who just wants a good sapphic enemies to lovers.

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 | Listen Closely | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Listen Closely" by Leon Egan. 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 heartwarming, cozy YA romance, perfect for fans of You've Got Mail, from the highly - acclaimed author of Lover Birds.

Jude's smile is magnificent. Their sharp edges melted away into a rare and beautiful joy. The flash illuminates them as their photo is taken, and for just a second, they glow. It feels like lightning has struck.

When Jude and Aiden are paired up together for an internship at a local radio station, things are awkward. Jude is quiet, withdrawn, has one friend, and is suspicious of everyone. Aiden is charming, outgoing, and popular, with a seemingly easy confidence and golden retriever energy.

But after they discover a shared love of podcast dreams, Jude and Aiden realise that they have more in common than they first realised - especially after Aiden reveals that he is a huge fan of Jude's own podcast, The Night Merchant.

With a wonderful and original meet - cute premise, an adorable couple with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic and gorgeous chemistry, and themes of forced proximity, found family, and mistaken identity, Listen Closely is an irresistible, heartwarming, swoon - worthy romance and a beautiful coming - of - age story - perfect for fans of You've Got Mail, Heartstopper, and Rainbow Rowell."

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

So the reason I wanted to read this is because I. LOVE. QUEER. BOOKS. I think at this point we already know. What really did surprise me however is I did not realise that I'd already DNF'd "Lover Birds", Leon's other book. Why did this surprise me you ask? Well, one it's before they changed their name, but two I absolutely adored this book. Friends, I'm so glad I got another chance to read Leon's works. This book was SO good. It hit every single trope that I wanted from a queer book. For example, the found family in this book genuinely made my heart so happy. Was there bad communication at times? Yes. Was there times where I genuinely did not know what was going to happen between everyone? Absolutely. However it was executed so perfectly and genuinely felt like such a real and authentic friend group. I loved that this book was dual POV. Getting to see both Jude's and Aiden's side of the stories was incredible, and seeing what emotions they brought out in each other made it feel so much more real. This book had me cackling with the witty banter (I see you with the black mould joke), but also broke my heart at times whilst talking about real life queer issues, and just Aiden's and Jude's thoughts and feelings in general. If you're going to read this I definitely recommend grabbing a pack of tissues for both the happy and sad tears. I loved the grumpy x sunshine theme. I loved listening to Jude & Aiden talk about their separate experiences as trans people. And I especially loved that we have yet another beautiful story around queer love. I will 100% be grabbing myself a copy of this one when I ger paid.

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 | Florrie | ARC Received By Netgalley

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Florrie" by Anna Trench. 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 story of female footballer Florrie and the amazing hidden history of the women's game come to life in this debut graphic novel about football, friendship and falling in love.

'A really great graphic novel... beautifully drawn and very well written' ALISON BECHDEL

'If you put Alison Bechdel's Fun Home in football kit, you might come up with something like Florrie' ZING TSJENG

When Florrie's great - niece discovers she was a footballer in the early twentieth century, she unearths a secret history both on and off the pitch.

Boxes from the attic contain photos, objects and letters, revealing football games and love affairs in Norfolk, London and Paris. Florrie's adventures touch on both invented and real huge crowd matches in London and Preston, international fixtures, dances at lesbian club Le Monocle in Paris and the devastating consequences of the FA's 1921 ban on women's football.

This is a story of self - discovery, friendship and queer love, alongside huge (and little known) historical moments for the women's game. In Florrie, Anna Trench brings readers a beautifully drawn, evocative and warm - hearted love - song to an unforgettable woman and sport.

'Bright with the feeling of liberation, and the risks and joys of following your heart' SEAN HEWITT

'Charming and incredibly moving' RACHEL RAMSAY"

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 you all know I love queer graphic novels and genuinely thought this sounded like such an interesting read. Friends, I'm so glad I was granted to read this book. This book INSTANTLY had me in tears. The story was so beautifully written and illustrated and I genuinely read this in less than an hours sitting. This had everything I wanted from a queer graphic novel, such as strong female relationships and powerful women. To see the history of women's football in England was so interesting to read about as I had no idea before this. I genuinely loved the correlation between what was happening to Florrie in real life in regards to her queerness and relationships as well as what was happening to her with her passion of football. This book was honestly very bittersweet and I would 100% recommend reading this with a pack of tissues. I will definitely be getting a copy of this when it's out, and would absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone who just wants a good, bittersweet queer graphic novel.

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 | Amelia, If Only | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Amelia, If Only" by Becky Albertalli. 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!) 

"Amelia Applebaum isn't in love with Walter Holland. He just happens to be her favourite moderately famous, chaotically bisexual Youtuber. Who she just happened to invite to prom (But it's fine. No, for real. If you delete the post, it didn't happen)

Okay, maybe her friends are right: She's slightly parasocially infatuated. But Amelia just knows sparks would fly - if only she could connect with Walter for real.

If only he would host a meet and greet.

If only it were just a short road trip away.

And if only Amelia could talk her best friends into making it the perfect last hurrah before graduation - even her newly single, always - cynical, guitar - toting best friend Natalie.

One thing's for sure: All roads lead to butterflies.

But what if Amelia's butterflies aren't for Walter at all?"

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

So the reason I wanted to read this is genuinely because I loved "Simon Vs. The Homosapien's Agenda" by Becky Albertalli so the moment I saw this on Netgalley I knew I wanted to read it. Friends, I'm ecstatic that I got to read this. This book had EVERYTHING I wanted from a queer YA romance. Firstly, the female friendship within this book (heck the friendship group in general) was beautiful. I loved how they were all supportive of each other, and mostly good at communication. I loved the witty banter between them all and this book genuinely had me cackling in the middle of the night because of how funny some of it's moments were. The romance in this book was so obvious but such a nice slow burn which had me giggling and kicking my feet throughout most of it. The pages when it came to the reddit/twitter threads as well as interviews were so fun and I loved how they added to the story so it felt like we could become part of the "fanbase", and as someone who's been in multiple fandoms in her lifetime, was very realistic. This definitely gave me 2010 queer discourse vibes at times but in the best way. All in all, I loved this book so much, It was such a nice fresh breath of air to read a cute little gay YA and I would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone. Also, I did not know this was a second in a series, but by the looks of it they're interconnected standalones so I will definitely be picking up the first in this series as soon as possible.

I gave this book a 5/5 star rating!

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 | Spoops: The Little Spirits Of Halloween | ARC Received By Netgalley

 Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Spoops: The Little Spirits Of Halloween" by A.J. Locascio. 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!) 

"Young Holly Hollowell loves Halloween more than anything, but her dentist parents are totally against any event that promotes tooth - rotting sweets. While other kids trick - or - treat, Holly watches sadly from her window... until the Spoops arrive to turn things around! With their magical help, Holly can finally show her parents the true spirit of Halloween: not the candy, but the joy of expressing yourself, unleashing your imagination, and letting your spooky side soar!

Presented in rhyming verse that recalls Dr. Seuss and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' along with nostalgic illustrations in black, white, and orange, Spoops is an instantly timeless classic that places Halloween right alongside other beloved holidays."

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

So the reason I wanted to read this is honestly because I saw it on Netgalley and thought it looked super cute, plus I love Halloween, so I thought I would apply for it. Friends, I'm so happy I got to read this one. First of all the artwork throughout this story is super cute and really gives me the nostalgia of childhood books I read as a kid. As a 31 year old woman reading this book, I adored it and loved that it showed that Holly's uniqueness is what made her special and that her love for spooky/halloween things as a child was not weird and in fact should be encouraged. This book would've been so perfect for me as the odd one out Halloween loving girly growing up. For such a short story with a LOT of illustrations it sure does pack a mighty punch. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a cute little halloween read, even if you're not a child. And I will FOR SURE be picking up a copy of this for my niece when it comes out.

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

This book comes out on the 12th August 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 | Uncover

Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "Uncover" by Faith Fawcett. 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!)

"Faith Fawcett's latest YA release! The perfect coming - of - age with a sapphic twist!

"It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. What matters is that I love you and you love me" Ellie - Mae, sixteen and nervous after moving schools in exam year, becomes fast friends with boy - obsessed Sasha. She can be a little bit crazy and hectic but there's just something about her... Something different.

As the two girls become closer, caught up in a three - hundred year old mystery, feelings begin to blossom. But 'hanging out' doesn't feel so simple anymore, not when mere touches sends flickers of butterflies into Ellie's stomach.

But she's never liked a girl before, let alone been in love."

So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I follow Faith on tiktok and saw her advertise this story and thought this would absolutely be right up my alley. Friends, I'm not going to lie, I'm a little 50/50 with this book. First let's talk about the good. This book is incredibly stinking cute. As y'all know I love a queer book with good female friendship, and the friendship dynamic between these characters is so good most of the time. The mystery that they were trying to solve really kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book, and I was rooting for them to get the answers that they deserved. The characters were very fun and relatable, and were so easy to empathise with. Now for the downside, as much as the friendship dynamic between the characters was good most of the time, the lack of communication in some chapters did not make sense considering they were actually so good at communicating with each other in other chapters. I left the book feeling slightly disappointed that we didn't have all the answers and truly felt like the girls would not have stopped there considering the momentum of the rest of the book. Do I think this was a cute light queer YA mystery to get into? Yes. Do I also wish there was more answers and depth to the story than there was? Also yes. Will this stop me reading any more of Faith's books? Absolutely not, I will be picking up another the moment I'm back up to date with my ARCs. I just think I went into this book expecting more than I should have, and that's honestly on me.

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!