Midnight Crown by Rebecca L. Garcia

In order to save Sebastian from a death sentence at the end of Shadow Kissed, she announced her intention to marry him and then take her place as princess by becoming one of the very monsters she hates. Now, in this sequel, it's three days before the wedding, the people dislike and mistrust her, her uncle is still plotting to kill her, and Sebastian refuses to speak to her. She's worried that he hates her for taking his last hope of regaining his mortal life. But a shocking twist happens after she's reborn that changes everything. 

After the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I devoured this book in one day. I love that the book is told from three points of view as it gives more depth to the story. Influenced by the evil scheming of their enemies, Olivia and Sebastian's characters have each taken a darker more violent turn. It will be interesting to see how the third character impacts things in the next book. I think he's supposed to be a devious evil character, but I kind of like him! I can't believe this author dropped a huge cliffhanger again!! It's killing me lol!

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

This book is a continuation of the story of Lucy Barton, but it can be read as a standalone. Lucy's first husband William is a scientist and has been closely following the spread of the Covid pandemic in Europe. When it starts in America, he takes Lucy out of New York to a cabin in a small town on the coast of Maine. They also urge their two grown daughters to leave, but only one does. Lucy spends her isolation reflecting on her pre-pandemic life in New York, her relationships with her parents, her concern for her family, and her grief over her second husband's death. Spending this much time with her ex brings back the odd irritations of the past, but also the comfort of the familiar. This story brings a comforting yet refreshing voice to familiar feelings that most of America shared during the lockdown.

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Gwyn has disliked Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow since their days at magic school together, and now that dislike has turned to utter loathing when he couldn't even be bothered to come to her cousin Vivi's wedding to his brother. But now, he's coming to Graves Glen to stay, mocking everything important to her: her beloved shop, Something Wicked, her talking cat Purrcival, even the"baby witches" she's been mentoring. And it's the last straw when he opens a rival shop across the street and a magical item somehow ends up in the hands of a human. The confrontation is epic, only ending when they accidentally get hit by a love spell... and suddenly can't keep their hands off each other. Gwyn has been left in charge of the town's magic while Vivi is away on honeymoon, but when a powerful band of witches come to town for the festival and Gwyn mysteriously starts to lose her magic, she and Wells must work together to figure out why before it's too late. I think I liked this book even better than the first. Gwyn is so quirky and fun and her shop sounds like a place I'd love to go to hang out. Wells is seemingly stuffy and uptight, but that just masks the awkward and shy character underneath. Their personalities just clicked and I loved the teasing banter between them. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next! I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

Colby Mills dreamed of a life as a musician ever since his uncle first placed his old guitar in his hands and taught him to play. But fate has a way of changing things and Colby was forced to take over the family farm after his uncle's death. Farm life doesn't leave much free time, but he jumps at the chance when his friend offers him a three week gig in St. Pete's beach, Florida to play and sing, leaving the farm in his aunt's and manager's capable hands. He never expected to meet Morgan Lee and she has a way of making him believe his dreams are still possible.

Beverly is on the run from an abusive husband along with her six-year-old son Tommie. With very little money, no car, no phone, and afraid to trust anyone, she's hoping that this time they'll finally escape, finally be safe. But when Tommie goes missing, she'll make a choice that changes things forever. 

I love Nicholas Sparks writing style. He has a way of writing the character's emotions that makes the story so real. Both story lines were so totally different, leaving me wondering until the very end how everything tied together. As always the love story was sweet and inspiring, the two just so perfect together. I loved the parts where they collaborate together to create the perfect music. And Beverly's story was truly heartbreaking, the desperation of a young mother trying to keep her child safe. And when you find out the truth... grab the tissues. 

Daughter of Darkness by Terry Brooks

I had never read Terry Brooks before when I received a copy of Child of Light, the first book in this wonderful new series. I was immediately captured by the magical storytelling, descriptive world-building, and the exciting conclusion and instantly became a fan. Now, I'm honored to be able to review this second book, Daughter of Darkness. It's even more exciting, picking up two years after Auris learns the truth about her heritage and finds a home and partnership with Harrow. She is slowly taking her true form as a fae and becoming more familiar with her innish powers. But someone in her past life refuses to let her go she still has no memories of her life before the goblin prison. In trying to solve this mystery, she finds a new formidable enemy that threatens everything she lives for. She must rely on her friends, both old and new and DRAGONS!!! (Excuse my little dance of joy over here... just a girl that loves stories with dragons, lol) if she ever wants to see Harrow alive again. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

Zoey arrives on Mallow Island, South Carolina ready to take over her late mother's condo at the Dellawisp. Named after the tiny turquoise birds that inhabit and guard the garden, the building is built in a u-shape with 5 separate condos. The residents are all quirky in their own way, each holding on to the secrets of their past. Lizbeth Lime was the strangest of them all, hoarding boxes on boxes of papers, yelling at the neighbors for the slightest noise. But when she dies in a freak accident, the property manager hires Zoey to sort through all the boxes. But when she contacts the woman's son to collect what's left, he doesn't want anything to do with it and neither does her sister Lucy, who also lives in the Dellawisp, living like a recluse with no contact with anyone. But with Lizbeth gone, the rest of the neighbors become closer and start to heal from their pasts. 

I absolutely love this author's writing. The aura of magic and mystery, the development of relationships between the characters, the way she reveals their secrets a little bit at a time, even the "ghost story" chapters just fit seamlessly into a beautiful story. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates

I'm a third shifter with a night off, so I decided to delve into this book. Right from the start, there's an ominous feel to the book what with the closed casket funeral of both Margot's parents and subsequent inheritance of her family's winery. She was sent away as a young child to live with grandparents and still has bitter feelings and no memory of the house. The winery, built on the hill where the town would hang their criminals, has the infamous old hanging oak as their logo and the land is believed to be cursed. Left alone for her first night, she's nervous of the creaks and groans of an old house. And then the bells start to ring and you're just flat out terrified, not knowing what's going on... just like poor Margot! As more information was explained and the threats kept increasing, I found myself sneaking over to close my doors and windows left open to the summer night and jumping at the creaking in my own house! Just so deliciously scared! I can't believe I raced through this book in one night! This is only my second book by this author and I'm excited to see how many more she's written... bring on the terror, lol!