st martin press – Book Dust Magic

This book make me crave for more historical romance: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath @STMRomance #BookLovers #HistoricalRomance

Never Rescue a Rouge by Virginia Heath book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I am happy to bring you my review for a book that awoke my love for historical romances. I always loved to read that genre but for some time I didn’t pick it up for a while, but this book reminded me why I love it. I really needed this in my life and now, thanks to Never Rescue a Rouge I can’t wait to read more. I crave for it.

Never Rescue a Rogue is a second book in The Merriwell Sisters series and it has 368 pages. It will be published on November 8th 2022 by St. Martin’s Griffin. I want to thank their publicist Sara for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

About the book:

Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain—not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common—the secrets they can’t risk escaping.

When Giles’ father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son’s birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined—and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…

Review:

I wasn’t even aware how much I craved historical romance until I started reading this one. Never Rescue a Rogue reminded me how passionate and fun historical romances can be. For that, I am glad because now I crave even more.

This book was pure fun. It isn’t a comedy, don’t get me wrong. Still, Virginia Heath has the way of writing her words that everything, her descriptions, inner monologues and characters’ conversations are so entertaining.
I guess it isn’t a surprise that I flew through this book so fast.

I haven’t read the first book in the series (I would want to) but I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Never Rescue a Rogue can be read as a standalone.
However, all the characters Heath created were great to read about, so it would be a shame not to read their own books. Therefore, I will continue with the series.

My favourite character was Dalton who is the butler. It seems like every scene that had him in it made a book little bit better, brighter.
I also liked Vee who is Diana‘s (main character) younger sister. At times I hope the two of them would get together but I guess we won’t be seeing that movie since Vee is getting her own happily ever after in the next book, and Dalton isn’t the love interest.

As for our main characters in this book, Diana was the character one can look up to.
She loves her independence, her job and she is like a force that is not afraid of anything.
I have to admit I wasn’t head over hills for Giles at first, but I did enjoy seeing the chemistry between them and it was so obvious how Diana’s company does him good.

This is an example how enemies-to-lovers trope can be done, without unnecessarily drama, hate or going too far.
It was all tastsfully done.

4 stars from me and one big recommendation to you guys!

If you could call your loved ones: You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao #BookReview @WednesdayBooks

you've reached sam by Dustin Thao book cover

GIFTED / Today I am bringing you my review for a book I read several weeks ago. I was happy to see it was READ NOW on Netgalley.

You’ve reached Sam comes out tomorrow, on November 2nd and it has 304 pages. Thank you Wednesday Books for giving me an opportunity to read and review it.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

Review:

When I picked You’ve Reached Sam I was ready to be emotionally wracked. Just reading the premise I expected to be at least touched with the story, if not literally crying (because I don’t do that often).
Instead, most of the time, this book made me feel… confused.

It had original part: the phone calls between late boyfriend and alive girlfriend, and I do appreciate it’s uniqueness, but if I am being completely honest, after a while I just didn’t see the point.
I blame the execution for that part. The idea was good.

I also blame the main character who seriously lacked manners and empathy.

I also didn’t understand how she, and people around her, acted as if everyone should move on so quickly. She getting rid of all of her stuff, her mother advising her and people in school in general. One would say it’s been 6 months since Sam’s accident, not a week.

The book was written in first person, following Julie’s POV.
The author’s voice was good and I believe with time it will improve with time.

In my opinion this was a solid ya book with magical elements that made it unique, and it was good for entertainment purpose.

Sweet, fun and foody: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee (book review) @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

a sweet mess by jayci lee book cover us edition

GIFTED / Today I am so happy to bring you my review for the first book in the series I fell in love with. A Sweet Mess came out long ago (actually, it was last year, but when you are a reviewer who should review books prior their release, a year is like a decade), and although I do feel sorry for being late when it comes to reviewing it, I am also glad I waited (even though I can’t call it a choice) because I could read the sequel right away.

A Sweet Mess came out on July 14th 2020 and it has 306 pages. I want to thank St. Martin Griffin and Netgalley for my copy.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible…by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.

Review:

I think it’s a good thing to go into books with low expectations, because then you might end up really liking it.

Let me tell you a story about my reading experience with A Sweet Mess.
Months and months ago, I saw it on Netgalley as READ NOW. Then life got in a way and blablabla, and I picked it up a year after it’s release (feel free to judge me, I don’t mind) when the reviews were already out there, and many of them weren’t so generous.
I picked up the book with low expectations, thinking I would be bored most of the time, and boom, I was having an awesome time, fell in love with the writing style (especially with dialogues between characters which I found meaningful and deep at times, but more often just entertaining) and I got attached to characters whom stories made me understand where they came from.

This is a romance in which characters get together and then separate because if conflicts and miss communication (or lack of it to be fair) so I do understand why it wouldn’t be appealing to a part of romance audience. To me, it was done right and I enjoyed following their journey to each other.

There were some smut scenes but they weren’t too explicit. However, I wouldn’t recommend this to minors.

Right after finishing A Sweet Mess I went into The Dating Dare, and guess what: I loved that one even more!
I guess Jayci Lee should find her spot on my list of authors who’s work I am eagerly anticipating.

A book that melted my heart: When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting #romance #BookLovers @StMartinsPress @HelenaHunting

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting book cover 2021 US edition

GIFTED / I am so happy to bring you my review for ~~one of the best romances~~ the best romance I’ve read this year. When Sparks Fly won my heart and everytime I think about it, it’s like I visit a happy place, if just for a short period of time. It has been weeks since I finished this book, but my heart is still warm when I think about it.

I want to thank publicist Sara from St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

When Sparks Fly comes out tomorrow, september 21st, and it has 320 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Running the Spark House, a hotel/event space that has been in her family for years, has been Avery Spark’s lifelong dream. After years of working hard and making personal sacrifices, Avery and her two younger sisters have turned the Spark House into the premier destination in Colorado Springs. Avery is living her best life—she works with her sisters and loves every minute of it, she has a great group of friends, and she lives in a fantastic condo with her best friend Declan. She might not have any love in her life, but she’s happy.

But everything comes to a screeching halt when Avery is in a car accident, leaving her immobile for weeks. After nearly losing Avery, Declan insists that he will be the one to take care of her while she recovers. However, as Declan becomes Avery’s caretaker, lines begin to blur.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and always had an attraction to one another, but when she ended up dating his best friend, Sam, they successfully stamped down any feelings they may have ever had for one another. Now, as Declan and Avery spend more time together, they each begin to wonder what would’ve happened if she’d dated him instead of Sam. What starts as a friend helping out another friend turns into foreplay and, before they realize it, they recognize how deeply they care for one another. But when things get serious their past threatens to destroy everything they have built.

Review:

How do you know the book you read was 5 stars worth?
Well, one of the signs is if it warmed your heart to the point you feel like you’re melting of pleasure.
Obviously, this is me figuratively speaking, but I am not far away from the truth, because this book really brought me so much joy. In other words, it reminded me why I fell in love with books in the first place.

The writing style was so addictive, I understand why Helena Hunting is popular in romance community.
She knows how to start a book to grab your attention, and she surely knows how to finish it.

The characters of the story were both likeable and relatable.
The story is written in first person, following Avery’s and Daclain’s POVs. If I am being completely honest, they did kind of sound the same, but I didn’t mind it.

This story is somewhat personal to me as I was in a car accident myself and I was also at one point in my life a carrier, so I could understand both of the characters to some point.
Of course, this being a romance fiction it was sugar coated to a certain degree.

My favourite part was the last fourth of the book, when the writer (or I should say characters) approached to problems in realistic and mature way. It is what made this book special and of course, when it sums with the end, it made perfect friends to lovers story.

So… This was boring: The Project by Courtney Summers #BookReview #Cults

The Project by Courtney Summers book cover US edition 2021

GIFTED / Hi guys, today I want to talk about a book I was excited about, but then I was left disappointed. It is unfortunately and I am not thrilled to post my negative review, but it is what it is: I didn’t like the book, and me being honest in my reviews, means I won’t always write the praising ones.

The Project came out on February 2nd 2021 and it has 352 pages. I want to thank St. Martin Press, Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read and review this book via Netgalley.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a tragic car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo has spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with radio silence.

When Lo’s given the perfect opportunity to gain access to Bea’s reclusive life, she thinks they’re finally going to be reunited. But it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she begins to realize that there’s more at risk than just her relationship with Bea: her very life might be in danger.

As she uncovers more questions than answers at each turn, everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended. One thing doesn’t change, though, and that’s what keeps her going: Bea needs her, and Lo will do anything to save her.

From Courtney Summers, the New York Times bestselling author of the 2019 Edgar Award Winner and breakout hit Sadie, comes her electrifying follow-up—a suspenseful, pulls-no-punches story about an aspiring young journalist determined to save her sister no matter the cost.

Review:

When I found out The Project was READ NOW on Netgalley, I was so happy and excited, as I’ve heard only good things about Courtney Summers’ work.
Her book Some Girls are is on my radar for some time now, and with Sadie being a huge hit last year, you can guess why I expected to be thrilled with her newest novel.

As time passed and life got in the way, unfortunately I picked up The Project after it’s release, with my expectations lower then before, as many negative reviews pop up on my feed and in the book community in general.

My first problem with the novel was that, although with the theme it followed it sounded promising, the execution was just boring.
In matter of fact, this is one of the most boring, if not THE most boring book that I have ever read.
I feel like in the whole story nothing actually happened, and often I felt like I was behind the doors of a cult, listening to their preaching.

I expected some action at least close to the end, but when “big thing” was revealed I don’t think anyone was shocked, as everyone and their mothers could have guessed it.
And if I am being honest, I didn’t even care at that point.

I don’t appreciate how this was marketed as horror, thriller, suspense, when in reality it is a drama about cult.

Publishers, please don’t wrap a dull drama story in shiny paper called horror, it is so misleading and not okay.

I also don’t understand why the author and publishers decided for The Project to be a ya book?
Was it because Sadie was that genre? Or maybe they thought it could potentially sell more copies?
Whatever the reason, I have strong opinion that if the book was aimed for adult audience, without restrictions it could have been better. Maybe not way better, but at least little better.

I feel like the story was inspired with Church of Wells. I could be wrong.
However, I just want to mention that I watched several videos about that cult, years ago, and I was more entertained and thrilled then I ever was while reading this novel.

The book is written in dual timelines, following two sisters, Bea and Lo.
Lo’s POV was written in first person, and Bea’s in third.
I also want to stress out that the prologue of the story has nothing to do with the story itself and it is misleading.

As for the characters… oh, Lo was so… unlikable, full of herself thinking her boss needs to promote her after she was there for a year, without right education in the first place, and she came off as the world owes her something.
It is still not clear to me who took care of her while she was left alone, while her selfish sister Bea ran off to cult while Lo was still in the hospital.
And where was the child service in this whole story??

Not to end this review on a negative note, I want to say I did enjoy some of the dialogues between characters.

After finishing The Project, I don’t think I will read Sadie. I lost the will.