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When Women Were Dragons: A Novel by Kelly Barnhill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am so so SO EMBARRASSED by how long it took me to pick up this book especially since I was drawn in from the second I opened it.
I received a review copy of “When Women Were Dragons” from Jonathan Ball Publishers. Unfortunately, I only got around to reading it now.
I have a really short attention span but this was the first book I tried not to put down (I say “tried” because I am old and eventually had to put it down to sleep…but I was up at 4AM the next morning to continue reading.

“When Women Were Dragons” tells the story of a mass “Dragoning”- an event where women started transforming into dragons. Society dealt with this in a very predictable way- they pretended it never happened.
The main character, Alex tells the story of her childhood and how the Dragoning affected her family and their lives.
What I really loved about this book was that it read like a coming-of-age book mixed with a documentary on how female problems were avoided simply because they were female problems.
This was a really well-written book that I enjoyed immensely. It brought out many intense emotions inside me. I was annoyed, I cried, I wanted to scream (but I didn’t- obedient females don’t do that after all).

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I LOVED THIS WORLDBUILDING! This book needs to be required reading in schools. I have never felt more seen in my life.

The Maid by Nita Prose

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’ve wanted to read this book for a while but it was nothing like I imagined.
Molly the Maid is a kind, cheerful lady who is always ready to help those around her. But when she finds a dead body in one of the rooms she’s cleaning, Molly doesn’t realize that she is in danger.
While this book made it clear that Molly is different, it annoyed me that she didn’t realize at first that she would be considered a suspect for murder.
There were a few times I had to put the book down and just scream.
Basically this is a story about a kind-hearted soul who is just too optimistic to realize that there are bad things and bad people in the world. (Kinda felt like I could relate).
This was a really heartwarming read once I got past being mad at Molly. I have never had a mystery novel leaving me feeling all warm and gooey but this one did. I especially enjoyed the little twist at the end. It seemed overdone but by that time I was craving a little drama.
This isn’t the book for you if you’re looking for a hardcore thriller or suspense novel. But if you have a few hours to kill and want to escape into a book, I definitely suggest this one.
I was not expecting to grow attached to Molly but I did.



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Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don’t know how but I keep forgetting how hilarious Mindy Kaling is. I have had this book on my shelf for a really long time and picked it up because I kept stumbling across quotes from it.
I am not usually a big nonfiction fan (especially if the book is written by a celebrity) but this was a really funny and well-written book.
Mindy shares bits and pieces of her life as well as relatable and sage advice. It was like sitting down to chat with a friend.
This was a great read that I strongly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Mindy Kaling. I will definitely be tracking down her other books next.



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Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Books South Africa. “Nothing More to Tell” is the story of aspiring journalist, Brynn. Brynn scores an internship at a true crime show. She is also moving back to her old high school, Saint Ambrose. While she isn’t thrilled to be returning, she uses the opportunity to solve the murder of her favourite teacher, Mr Larkin.
But as Brynn digs deeper into the mystery of Mr Larkin’s death, she starts to realize that everyone around her has secrets of their own.
I love Karen McManus books and this was no different. However this was difficult for me to read simply because my attention span isn’t what it used to be (which bummed me out). The book itself was enjoyable and I couldn’t stop reading. However towards the end the plot got a little twisted and it just seemed like everything was happening for shock value.
I had already figured out what happened to Mr Larkin earlier in the book. I just kept reading for the drama (and oh was there DRAMA!)
All in all I am giving this one 5 stars because it’s been a while since I pushed through my TikTok attention span for a book.



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Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love this series so much so obviously I had to get my hands on this book.
However what I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that friends to lovers isn’t a trope I usually enjoy.
Nonetheless this was a sweet read and as always, I loved seeing characters from previous books.
“Booked on a Feeling” follows ambitious lawyer Lizzy and her best friend Jack.
Jack and Lizzy have been friends since they were kids. What Lizzy doesn’t know is that Jack has always had a crush on her. When severe burnout leads to Lizzy running away to Jack’s hometown, Lizzy starts to see Jack in a completely new light and she starts to develop feelings for him as well.
This was a really cute small town romance that I enjoyed- just not as much as I enjoyed the other books in this series



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The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The American Roommate Experiment was everything I needed in a romance novel.
Elena Armas returns with another fake dating trope. But this one has a twist!
When the ceiling of her apartment collapses, Rosie Graham decides to move into her best friend, Lina’s apartment. Rosie has quit her job to focus on her writing career but she is struggling with writer’s block.
Overwhelmed, Rosie moves into Lina’s place without letting her know. However, Lina has already offered her apartment to her gorgeous cousin, Lucas.
Rosie has had a crush on Lucas for a while. Her crush is so bad that she regularly stalks his Instagram page.
When Lucas learns of Rosie’s housing issues, he offers to share the apartment with her. And when he learns about her writer’s block, he offers to take her out on fake dates to help kickstart her romance writing spark.
Naturally things get complicated because there are feelings on both ends.
Cliche? Yes. But this was a wonderfully cute read that I really enjoyed



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Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was in the middle of another book when BookTok suggested this to me.
I instantly had to go get myself a copy.
Abbie is a happy-go-lucky blonde who loves everything pink. Her boyfriend Richard is a douche who dumps her because she doesn’t fit his image.
However, during the course of their relationship, Abbie changed everything about herself in order to come off as more serious.
While plotting her revenge, Abbie comes across Richard’s boss, Damien, on a dating app.
Inspiration strikes and she decides she is going to start a relationship with Damien. The sole goal of this is for Damien to invite Abbie to the fancy office Christmas party that Richard never wanted to take her to.
Naturally once Abbie meets Damien, sparks fly and there are soon genuine feelings between them.
This book brought me so much joy because it was like a spicy version of “Legally Blonde”.
If you enjoyed “Legally Blonde” or if you like contemporary romance, you will definitely enjoy this book



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Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Full disclosure- the first 80 or so pages of this book were just painful for me to read. I wasn’t interested in Hook’s backstory.
However once Stella arrived, I was hooked (see what I did there?)
Stella has somehow ended up in Neverland but it isn’t the story we all know. Instead Pan is a malicious killer and Hook is a prisoner in his twisted games.
I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
The world-building was really fleshed out and so were the character’s.
However I am rating this four stars instead of five because the ending was not what I imagined and it was just sad.
This was a really well-written book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. This isn’t the story we know but it is definitely an intriguing must-read.



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Carrie by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I know the story of Carrie. I cannot remember ever NOT knowing the story of Carrie. I have watched the movie twice. However this was my first time reading the book and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!
I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. After all, I knew the story and how it ended. But I eagerly devoured this book. I started it to pass time before bed but I was sucked in and couldn’t stop reading.
My only issue was that I didn’t really care about the multiple points of view. I just wanted to see the high schoolers.
This was a very compelling read that spooked me.
A hundred stars!

(P.S If you can’t tell, this was my first Stephen King novel)



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