Reviews
I am extremely fortunate to be able to sometimes receive ARC copies of books, and cannot thank the Publishers and Authors enough for their generosity.
I review books on Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, creating eye catching graphics, photos and videos. You can expect my reviews to be honest but never unkind. I’m striving to build my book reviewer profile alongside my journey as an author. 📚❤️🔥
See below my most recent reviews, along with links to those books on Goodreads. Add them to your shelves if they sound interesting to you!
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Last updated 13th July 2024
Melissa's Read Bookshelf
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*In order of newest to oldest*
A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So, I finished this book in 3 days! I couldn’t put it down!
Dragons are extinct, and witches have been exiled… Magic is all but a wisp on the wind, but it still lives.
Tamsyn is the Royal Whipping Girl, the one to take the punishments meant for her royal siblings so that they don’t have to. This concept was interesting, and thought I thought it’d make Tamsyn perhaps a little more damaged than she was, really it only seemed to embolden her. As an MC, Tamsyn was great, and I enjoyed reading her inner thoughts, especially when it came to Fell. She didn’t get out of the castle much so to discover the world along with her was entertaining.
Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, is a hardened barbarian with a family history of safeguarding their territory. I really liked his character, especially his harshness and fierceness. Despite all the deception by Tamsyn's family, I loved how he protected her through everything they endured. Their chemistry and banter were perfect. 👌🏻 His evolution as a husband to her was also great.
The pacing and world building was fantastic, the spice was perfect (instant attraction but not instant love) and the writing was easy to digest. I’ve become a fan, I’m going to have to read Sophie’s Firelight series!
Includes;
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Dragons and dragon shifters
- Witches
- Evil, cursed forests and landscapes
- Banter
- Betrayal
- Strong, barbarian MC
- Self discovery
- Dangerous, mysterious world
The only thing I will say is that I feel that the side characters (except for Stig) could have used a bit more fleshing out, but I’m eager to see more in the sequel.
This ends on a cliffhanger, and boy does it leave you wanting to grab the next in the series! I can’t wait 🔥🐉
I was generously provided a beautiful proof copy by HarperCollins and I am happily, and voluntarily, leaving my review! ❤️ Thank you SO much.
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A Wish of Ashes and Glass by Selina A. Fenech
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Living for the sake of living is worth nothing without love."
I was so lucky to receive a physical ARC, the cover drew me right in. I love retellings, so I had to snap this one up. My feedback is shared honestly and gratefully!
Selina crafts a fast-paced, wonderfully written narrative in her unique and engaging retelling of Cinderella. Ellasyn (Cinderella) is dreadfully mistreated by her evil stepfather, and what she endures was hard to read, but it also made me cheer her character on. I also liked that the step sisters weren't all terrible, that they show fragments of carefully concealed love towards El for fear of punishment by their father, which made me sympathise with them. I admired her magical ability and the fact that it cost her every time she used it showed the cons of such power. Despite that though, she continued to help others. The characters were really well written, and I loved the chemistry between Ara and El, it was a sweet slow burn with a nice ending. The silent nod to the original with the mention of the glass slipper was a really nice touch, too! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Selina's writing style, not to mention her amazing illustrations. Grab this one if you like a short, sweet sapphic fairy tale retelling.
This one will go down as one of my favourites! Thank you for this story, Selina! ❤️
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A Wish of Ashes and Glass by Selina A. Fenech
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Living for the sake of living is worth nothing without love."
I was so lucky to receive a physical ARC, the cover drew me right in. I love retellings, so I had to snap this one up. My feedback is shared honestly and gratefully!
Selina crafts a fast-paced, wonderfully written narrative in her unique and engaging retelling of Cinderella. Ellasyn (Cinderella) is dreadfully mistreated by her evil stepfather, and what she endures was hard to read, but it also made me cheer her character on. I also liked that the step sisters weren't all terrible, that they show fragments of carefully concealed love towards El for fear of punishment by their father, which made me sympathise with them. I admired her magical ability and the fact that it cost her every time she used it showed the cons of such power. Despite that though, she continued to help others. The characters were really well written, and I loved the chemistry between Ara and El, it was a sweet slow burn with a nice ending. The silent nod to the original with the mention of the glass slipper was a really nice touch, too! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Selina's writing style, not to mention her amazing illustrations. Grab this one if you like a short, sweet sapphic fairy tale retelling.
This one will go down as one of my favourites! Thank you for this story, Selina! ❤️
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Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
⭐Thank you Pan Macmillan, and Netgalley for generously providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.⭐
My Rating: 5 stars!
If you loved Legends & Lattes, then you're going to absolutely inhale this one! This was everything I could have hoped for in a prequel story. The story once again centres around Viv, a battle hungry orc, who sustains an injury and is forced to rest in a seaside town called Murk. There she meets an array of interesting characters, all of which are quirky and well rounded. I absolutely love Travis' writing style, and how he crafts his characters with care. I found myself invested in every single one, and often caught myself grinning at Fern’s hilariously foul mouth and her lovable pet, Potroast. I’m pretty sure I sat giggling over the name for a solid five minutes – so clever.
The looming threat of the necromancer added a sense of danger to the plot, which really balanced the story.
The epilogue was… just perfect. I literally sighed with happiness when I put down my reader.
I can't fault any part of this book; it was wonderful and an absolute delight to read. A heartwarming story that’s perfect for those looking for a cosy fantasy read. 😊
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When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
⭐️Thank you to Pan Macmillan AU & NetGalley for generously providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review⭐️
Firstly, I want to say that this book isn’t my usual genre, but WOW, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
When One Of Us Hurts is a murder mystery set in Tasmania, in the little town of Port Brighton, a place where nothing is as it seems.
I thought I knew where the story was going but my gosh, it twisted and turned so much that I was on the edge of my seat. The pacing was good, the timeline of events did confuse me a touch but by the last three chapters it all made sense, I really enjoyed Monica’s writing style, and the internal monologue was as Aussie as Vegemite toast. I found it relatable and refreshing. There were macabre moments and moments I was not expecting, and I think because I’m not usually a reader of crime fiction, those things caught me off guard. Having said that, it really churned up a riot of emotions in me, and that is a sign of a very well written book, I think.
Murder mystery readers are sure to devour this one, a bold and compelling debut that is a must read for Australian crime fiction fans!
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
⭐Thank you Pan Macmillan AU for generously providing me an eARC in return for an honest review. ⭐
'I dragged in a shallow breath, A woodsy, soft smell surrounded me. The scent of sandalwood. Of him. My Hyborn prince. My Salvation. And my doom.'
4.5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a sucker for anything JLA writes, and this was no exception. I enjoyed this book, finding myself swept up in the world building and the uniqueness of the characters. Lis is a moral woman, who has seer-like abilities that are heavily led by her intuition. Her abilities were unique and what I especially liked was that they were flawed, which made things interesting.
The notion of the Hyborn and their origins was really fascinating! They reminded me of golems, which were built from within the earth and given sentience. And the spice? A beautifully mouthwatering slow burn. It was fantastic.
My only reason I took half a star was only because I feel that the side characters weren't as deeply explored as what Jen usually does, I didn't feel particularly attached to them, but I feel that will be easily rectified in future books :)
I'm looking forward to having this spicy, dark and delicious book in my hands come publication day!
A Curse of Salt by Sarah Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
⭐Thank you Hachette Australia for the beautiful ARC copy!⭐
"I didn't love the cottage, for it wasn't our home, but I had books, and the sea. That had always been enough for me."
I loved this book! I was very lucky to get my hands on an ARC copy through work and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. This debut was an elegantly written Beauty and the Beast retelling mixed with Pirates of the Caribbean, filled with magic, romance, pirates and beautiful prose that kept me entwined in the story. The world building wasn't hard to follow or overly complicated and I really enjoyed each character. The author's love of the sea is woven into every page, and I found myself longing to sit on a beach and listen to the waves crash against the shore.
I'm looking forward to the next one, and I'm pretty sure I'll read everything Sarah produces in the future!
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thank you HarperCollins for generously sending me an ARC copy ❤️
Break the ice to free the curse, kill one twin to save the other...
I really enjoyed the second instalment of the Twin Crowns series, and like the first, I found myself giggling at the banter and light heartedness of the story. There were elements of dire straits, with the threat of an uprising against the witches, which kept the story interesting. The twist near the end with the return of Oonagh Starcrest was great, as I thought I knew where it was heading, but then I was pleasantly surprised.
I found myself to drawn Wren the most. Her battle to save her grandmother, dabbling in blood magic despite the warnings, and the reanimation of Prince Ansel - were probably the most interesting points. And the sexual tension between her and Alarik? Even when she was pining for Tor? Fantastic! I love a good love triangle.
Having said the above, I really liked the conflict between Rose and Shen. It got the emotions going!
I only gave it 4 stars simply because there were scenes where I felt the comedy could have been toned down a bit, especially during a serious scene. That’s just my opinion though!
A great book, a semi-cosy read. I'm really looking forward to the next one!
At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree by Alli Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
🌸Thank you Harper Collins for my beautiful ARC copy!🌸
I adored this book, so I have no hesitation giving it 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The writing was beautiful and so easy to read. I didn't feel like the story waned at any point, and the pacing was great. I felt all of the emotions during this one and was especially moved by Cherry's recounts of the Hiroshima bombing. The things she endured not only before meeting Don, and after, were just incredible, and she remained so strong. Both of them endured so much, and all they wanted was to be together in a world where this was almost impossible.
I visited Hiroshima as a teenager, and this book revived my passion for Japan. A real love story that I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to read. I applaud Alli for sharing this story with the world, and I am confident that everyone who reads it will love it and appreciate it.
This is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction based on true events.❤️
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed the brutal college setting and high stakes of this book. It gave me major Divergent vibes but that wasn't a bad thing! Violet is a strong female main character who is battling her chronic illness, all the while trying to stay alive in a school where almost everyone wants her dead. The ending had me reeling, and I can't wait to see where the series goes.
If you enjoyed Divergent, love grumpy dragons, action, spice and a female MC who battles against the odds, then this one if for you!
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