Review | Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

May 4, 2021May 3, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by debut author Joya Goffney is the story of an overly enthusiastic list maker who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. It’s a heartfelt, tortured, contemporary YA high school romance with epistolary elements. Fans of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Kristina Forest’s debut I Wanna Be Where You Are will love the juicy secrets, leap-off-the-page sexual tension and the enemy-to-lover romantic arc.

Quinn keeps lists of everything—from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud,” to all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing…

An anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal—in a race against time to track down the blackmailer.

Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.

As someone who to this day carries notebooks around with them (and would be in a panic if I lost any of them) the premise of this one really intrigued me from the start. Quinn’s notebook comes across more as a journal, so that would make losing it all the worse. It’s apparent pretty quickly that Quinn has lots of areas where she could grow, her notebook contains a lot of things she’s scared about, dreams about and more and without it she has to learn how to gain courage and sometimes take chances to face her fears.

There are definite themes of racism, blackmailing, general high school pressures (including those from parents) and more. With everything that was packed into this book I almost felt like the romance wasn’t needed since there was so much more to unpack, but it was still a nice addition. All in all I really enjoyed this debut and would look forward to reading more from Joya Goffney in the future. The writing style flowed really well and made it a fast paced read for me.

Happy reading!

Review | Lightfall: The Girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert

May 1, 2021May 1, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Deep in the heart of the planet Irpa stands the Salty Pig’s House of Tonics & Tinctures, home of the wise Pig Wizard and his adopted granddaughter, Bea. As keepers of the Endless Flame, they live a quiet and peaceful life, crafting medicines and potions for the people of their once-prosperous world.

All that changes one day when, while walking through the woods, Bea meets Cad, a member of the Galdurians, an ancient race thought to be long-extinct. Cad believes that if anyone can help him find his missing people, it’s the Pig Wizard.

But when the two arrive home, the Pig Wizard is nowhere to be found—all that’s left is the Jar of Endless Flame and a mysterious note. Fearing for the Pig Wizard’s safety, Bea and Cad set out across Irpa to find him, while danger fights its way out of the shadows and into the light.

Will these two unexpected friends find the beloved Pig Wizard and prevent eternal darkness from blanketing their world? Or has Irpa truly seen its last sunrise?

I had heard great things about this graphic novel, so I had to pick it up. The first thing that got me was the fact that the art style is so whimsical and colorful, it really sucks you into the world. Also, I LOVED the way Bea’s anxiety was portrayed, both in her explaining what she was feeling as well as the graphic representation. As someone who deals with pretty bad anxiety a lot of the time, it was such a perfect portrayal. I’m kind of sad that there’s no expected release date yet for the 2nd installment as by the end of it I was so invested in the story, characters and where their quest would take them.

Happy reading!

Review | The Crumrin Chronicles Vol. 1: The Charmed and the Cursed by Ted Naifeh

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

In this new spin-off from the New York Times bestselling Courtney Crumrin series the powerful young sorceress Courtney Crumrin has battled against all manner of evil forces, but helping her little brother Will navigate high school might be the death of her.

To help Will Crumrin adapt to the mortal world after a hundred years in the twilight realm of faeries, sis big sister Courtney makes him a glamor charm that renders him the most popular kid in school. But he eventually finds popularity a prison, in which he’s surrounded by people who neither know nor care about the real him. When football star Ross, jealous of Will’s friendship with outcast Tucker, bullies her relentlessly, Will decides to turn him in, give up the false popularity of the charm. But Ross retaliates against Will, prompting Courtney to take revenge using magic. But her activity draws the attention of Emil Gorka, an ancient, powerful vampire.

Once driven into hiding by Courtney’s former mentor, Uncle Aloysius, Gorka has reemerged under the guise of a corporate CEO. Everyone in town works for him, including Courtney and Will’s clueless parents. But he wants Courtney, a powerful but inexperienced young sorceress as his servant. And to save Will from his dreadful bite, she must surrender herself. Now only Will, with the help of his best friend Tucker, can save Courtney from eternal servitude to the undead monster and his unquenchable hunger for blood and power.

I haven’t previously read the series that this is a spin off from, so I’m not sure if that would add more to this story or not. That being said I really enjoyed this first volume and felt like for the most part the setup was done well. I did wish that a little more was revealed about Courtney’s background earlier on, because I was unsure at first how she factored into the story/characters. Still, if there are further adventures ahead for Will and Courtney in the future, I did feel it was a good set up for him and their interactions. It was also a great journey for Will to come to a number of realizations about himself, people and magic. The art style was dynamic and kept the story moving, and I felt the color saturation and tones suited the story really well as well.

Happy reading!

Review | Small Cures by Della Hicks-Wilson

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

From the much-loved viral poet Della Hicks-Wilson, comes a powerful first dose of small interconnected poems about the heart, letting go and a healing love readers can carry and quote for a lifetime.

‘darling,
you feel heavy
because you are
too full of truth.

open your mouth more.
let the truth exist
somewhere other than
inside your body.’

In this beautifully tender and ambitious debut collection, Della Hicks-Wilson weaves together more than one hundred and fifty poems written over the course of seven years into a single one — to form a stirring and intimate meditation on love and recovery after heartbreak. Using the stages of pathology as an extended metaphor, this book-length poem skilfully takes the reader on a persuasively healing journey in three parts. In what reads like an effortlessly honest and lyrical conversation, Hicks-Wilson works through the complexities of pain, love, loss, self-love, acceptance, growth and repair with both sensitivity and confidence.

Featuring never-before-seen poems and follower favourites, Small Cures is the transformative and soothing bite-sized prescription every person craving to fall in love after love with themselves has been waiting for.

First and foremost, I really enjoyed the format of this collection as the poems were all interconnected and clearly portrayed a journey. While some of the poems were the super short tumblr style poetry that I don’t always love, the fact that there was variety made me not mind these types of poems interspersed in the collection. There were some poems that were really standouts, whether because of the emotion they portrayed or the imagery in them. While the collection dealt with some heavy topics it was an enjoyable and quick read.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | The Hate Project by Kris Ripper | Review

April 27, 2021April 27, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

This arrangement is either exactly what they need–or a total disaster

Oscar is a grouch.

That’s a well-established fact among his tight-knit friend group, and they love him anyway.

Jack is an ass.

Jack, who’s always ready with a sly insult, who can’t have a conversation without arguing, and who Oscar may or may not have hooked up with on a strict no-commitment, one-time-only basis. Even if it was extremely hot.

Together, they’re a bickering, combative mess.

When Oscar is fired (answering phones is not for the anxiety-ridden), he somehow ends up working for Jack. Maybe while cleaning out Jack’s grandmother’s house they can stop fighting long enough to turn a one-night stand into a frenemies-with-benefits situation.

The house is an archaeological dig of love and dysfunction, and while Oscar thought he was prepared, he wasn’t. It’s impossible to delve so deeply into someone’s past without coming to understand them at least a little, but Oscar has boundaries for a reason—even if sometimes Jack makes him want to break them all down.

After all, hating Jack is less of a risk than loving him…

After reading The Love Study I was definitely interested in reading the next book and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the fact that this book wasn’t necessarily following a formula or always going in the way you thought it might – it was a nice change. I also really appreciated the anxiety rep and direct way Oscar’s experiences are discussed and addressed. The writing style was both easy to read while being starkly honest with its portrayal of the characters and their interactions. So many of Oscar and Jack’s interactions ran the gamut, from maddening to hilarious at times and that was really heartening since that’s how real life can sometimes be. I’m excited to see what the third book is about after enjoying both this one and The Love Study.

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Happy release day to The Hate Project and thanks so much to Carina Adores for including me in the blog tour.

Happy reading!

Review | Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

In the wake of a tragedy,

the Tactical Crime Division is the first call.

When ironclad body armor inexplicably fails and soldiers perish, the Tactical Crime Division jumps into action. Agent and former ranger Davis Rogers asks to go undercover to find the traitor responsible for the death of one of his friends, and Petrov Armor CEO Leila Petrov is happy to provide access to her company…especially once she discovers she’s being framed. But will their joint efforts be enough to uncover the truth?

Having never read anything by Elizabeth Heiter I was interested in seeing what her writing style was like since the premise of this book (and the Tactical Crime Division series itself) interested me. I really enjoyed the pacing and the fact that while there was romance it was definitely not the main focus of the story. There were definitely some complex emotions wrapped up in these characters and I was kept guessing until it was revealed who was really causing problems with the body armor. If you want a read that is chock full of suspense and will keep you guessing with every page turn, this would definitely fit that bill.

Happy reading!

Review | Isola Vol 1 by Brenden Fletcher

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

An evil spell has been cast on the Queen of Maar and her Captain of the Guard will do anything to reverse it. Their only hope lies on an island half a world away–a place known in myth as Isola, land of the dead.

First and foremost I thought the art and coloration were amazing and that’s really what piqued my interest in this series. The way the story starts you do kind of get dropped in partway, but the backstory is built well through flashbacks so that you know what has lead to the state the main characters are currently in. I really loved how the coloration changed depending on the environment or character perspective. I definitely look forward to seeing where this series goes as the first volume definitely left some things as question marks.

Happy reading!

Review | A California Christmas by Brenda Novak

April 22, 2021April 22, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Up-and-coming TV anchor Emery Bliss can’t imagine anything more humiliating than the sex tape her ex revenge-posted online. That is, until it causes her to lose her job on top of her self-esteem. Seeking solace—and anonymity—in Silver Springs, Emery isn’t looking to get involved with another man anytime soon. But when she’s thrown back into contact with Dallas Turner, she sees something that his many detractors have missed.

Being home for the holidays and his adoptive mother’s wedding isn’t where mountain climber Dallas feels most comfortable. Thanks to his troubled childhood, he’d rather be on a rock face alone than trying to connect with people. Emery, however, makes him want to overcome his past…somehow.

Both Emery and Dallas had been planning on a quiet, solitary Christmas, but the sparks between them are lighting a fire strong enough to last—possibly forever.

I was excited to pick this one up as I do enjoy books set at Christmas time, or centered around holidays. While this one does have Christmas in the title, it isn’t necessarily a Christmas story and could be read any time of the year. I really enjoyed how the characters had to grow and face their own difficulties before figuring out if they could take the chance to be together. The chemistry between Emery and Dallas was incredibly crafted and really great to read. Their individual journeys and working through their own roadblocks really added to the story.

I would definitely want to pick up other books in the series to see how they connect, but I would say that you don’t have to have read the series to read this book. I’m not sure if having read the previous books would add anything, but this does work as a stand alone.

Happy reading!

Review | Ghosted in L.A. by Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan and Cathy Le

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles and finds that the only ones who can help her find love and live life to the fullest are the ghosts of her new home!

In Los Angeles, finding an apartment is killer—unless you live with the dead. Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles for her boyfriend Ronnie, ready to live her happily ever after. But when happily ever after turns into happily for a month, she’s stuck in a strange city with no friends, family, or prospects for fun. Desperate to escape the lingering ghost of Ronnie’s presence everywhere, Daphne sets out to explore the city—and ends up encountering ghosts of a more literal kind! Rycroft Manor is abandoned, beautiful, and haunted. Will the dead be able to help Daphne find the life she’s been missing in the big city? From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes a story about learning how to make friends, find love, and live life to the fullest with a little help from some friends whose lives didn’t end at death.

When I picked this one up I was pretty sure it would make me laugh and I was right. There definitely could have been more setup to the relationships that were already existing, but for the most part it is explained throughout the story. The end of the first volume definitely leaves a lot of things up in the air and questions unanswered, so it’s even more reason to pick up future volumes. I found the art style to also be very dynamic and easy to read, so it was a super fast read.

Happy reading!

Review | Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch

April 18, 2021April 18, 2021 DeAnneLeave a comment

Beautiful, spooky, and utterly enchanting, Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch’s Grimoire Noir is a charming graphic novel about coming to terms with your own flaws and working past them to protect those dear to you.

Bucky Orson is a bit gloomy, but who isn’t at fifteen?

His best friend left him to hang out with way cooler friends, his dad is the town sheriff, and wait for it―he lives in Blackwell, a town where all the girls are witches. But when his little sister is kidnapped because of her extraordinary power, Bucky has to get out of his own head and go on a strange journey to investigate the small town that gives him so much grief. And in the process he uncovers the town’s painful history and a conspiracy that will change it forever.

I was intrigued by the synopsis and my initial flip through of this book so I picked it up and flew through it immediately. I loved the art style and the way it really had that Noir feel, while also being mystical and spooky in some ways. I thought the way the story was woven and the characters that were featured really added to not only the main storyline, but also to the other secrets and mysteries that were revealed. The final twist was a total surprise and not something I suspected at all, so it was really well done. If you’re looking for something spooky and full of paranormal themes, with a touch of noir, check this one out.

Happy reading!