Anticipated book releases of the first half of 2023

This type of blog post is always my favorite to write because I get so excited for the coming year knowing I have a bunch of fantastic books to look forward to. After going through my Goodreads shelf of 2023 releases, I chose the ones I’m most excited about that are coming out between January and June:

JANUARY

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix: I have become a fan of Hendrix in the last couple of years and while his last release wasn’t my favorite, I still enjoyed it and I’m excited to read his take on a haunted house story. The premise sounds interesting, two estranged siblings trying to sell their dad’s house after his death get a sinister surprise. (January 17)

Do I Know You? by Emely Wibberley and Austin Siegemund- Broka: I read this author duo’s first romance book and, while I had some issues with it, overall I really enjoyed it, so I’m looking forward to this book. The premise of two people in a marriage in trouble pretending to be strangers and falling back in love sounds so good. (January 24)

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano: I’m in my cozy mysteries era and I’m loving this series, it’s so fun and it has great characters. A story about an author and single mom who gets in the most ridiculous situations and this time she owes the mobe a favor. (January 31)

MARCH

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn: I’m equally excited and nervous about this book because while I loved the first three books in the series, the last three have definitely been less good. Still, it’s a fun series that I plan to continue because I love the story of Veronica and Stoker solving mysteries and falling in love in the Victorian era.

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher: I’m quickly becoming a fan of this author and a project for 2023 is reading more of their works. I’m a big fan of haunted house stories, so this sounds fun. A woman goes home to visit her mother and quickly realizes her home isn’t what it used to be. (March 28)

To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters: I’m not reading that much historical romance recently but Martha Waters’ books in The Regency Vows series are an exception. I love Waters writing and her characters. This is a marriage of convenience story between a viscount and a woman who hopes to chase her husband from their home.

APRIL

Happy Place by Emily Henry: I really like Emily Henry’s romances so I was reading this regardless of what it was about, but luckily the premise sounds so good: a couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. I want this now!

MAY

The Golden Frog Games by Claribel A. Ortega: the first book in this middle-grade fantasy series was one of the biggest surprises for me in 2022, I truly wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. I’m excited to see how the three witchy friends keep getting into trouble in this book.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren: I really liked The Soulmate Equation, so I’m excited for this companion novel to that book. This sounds like a fun story about a romance novelist who has never been in love starting in a dating reality show to find love and falling for the creator of the show instead.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron: I have read and loved Heron’s last two releases so I’m excited for this one. While I’m not the biggest fan of second-chance romances, this sounds like the type that I like, two people co-parenting together who still have feelings for each other. (May 2)

JUNE

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon: I loved Weather Girl and I’m so excited for Solomon’s next release. Her characters always have very specific and interesting professions and I really like that, this time is the romance between a ghostwriter and a struggling actor who have to work together on a book.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager: this list truly exposes my not-so-secret love for haunted house stories. This one sounds like it’s gonna be creepy and dark, it’s about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a massacre decades earlier.

What are some of your most anticipated releases of 2023?

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July 2022 Wrap Up: SFF reads, cozy mysteries and good romances

July was such a good reading month and I’m hoping that it’s a sign that my reading slump is finally going away. Not only did I read a lot in terms of the number of books, I also read a few really long ones and I discovered that reading long books – which is the opposite of what I have been doing- may be what I need to get out this reading slump because it makes me feel more invested in the characters and plot. It’s sonething i’ll take into account going forward.

But without further ado, let’s talk about the books:

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (4 stars): While I liked the first book more than this one, I think this sequel did a good job and continued the story successfully. This is such a thought-provoking sci-fi series, full of political maneuvering and intrigue, clever and interesting characters, and worldbuilding that is complex without being hard to understand. I really appreciated the addition of new pov characters in the second book, it added so much complexity to the story, it allowed an exploration of the different political factions within both the Teixcalaanli Empire and Lsel Station, and it expanded the world so much in comparison to the first book. This sequel includes some interesting discussions about empires and ethics, cultural assimilation vs cultural isolationism, the value of ancestral knowledge and collective memory, power dynamics in romantic relationships and so much more.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark (4 stars): I have been slowly making my way through the novellas and short stories in this series this year and while I have always recognized that the world and characters are fantastic, the short format wasn’t working for me. But this full-length novel was SO GOOD. I got to see more of the two elements that I liked from the novellas: the complex and fascinating world and the flawed but easy to root for characters, while getting a longer mystery plot that I could get invested in with more characters involved and with more moving pieces. Even if the reveal wasn’t that surprising, it was still fun to read.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree (3,5 stars): This was good, but I had heard so many amazing things about it that I went into it expecting too much. I loved the characters and the found family, there was interesting world-building, and I appreciated that it was a cozy fantasy book, but I think I needed a bit more plot-wise. Still, I would read more books set in this world and I will check out other books by this author.

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (3 stars): I have so many conflicting feelings when it comes to this book. I still think this series is a fun, entertaining and easy-to-read series set in an interesting and complex world. At this point, I’m invested in the characters, so I like seeing how the different characters and relationships evolve. But after the way the last book ended, I thought we would see more of this world and Harry would be more involved with the bigger picture of what’s going on, but it didn’t really happen, there were again only glimpses of that. Because of that, this book feels at points formulaic and repetitive. Honestly, all the plots of the books in this series are starting to feel very similar to me. Lastly, I know these books have a lot of sexism passing for chivalry and hypersexualization of female characters. Nonetheless, this book took it to another level that made me really uncomfortable because there’s hypersexualization of a 17-year-old.

Everything for you by Chloe Liese (4 stars): This is a great grump/ sunshine romance between two professional soccer players who don’t like each other all that much but are forced to be co-captains of their team. I loved the pent-up sexual tension, the amazing chemistry between them and how slowly they started to open up to each other. They shared some very vulnerable moments and they were there for one another, which made their romance believable and realistic. Beyond the main couple, I loved the glimpses we got of the rest of the Bergman family.

I had two minor issues with this: It dragged a tiny little bit in some parts and the love declarations got a bit too cheesy for me at end. but nothing that was a big deal.

To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters (4 stars): This book cemented me as a big Martha Waters fan. I have enjoyed all three books in this series so much. This book is a funny, entertaining, and quick read. Both of the main characters were easy to root for, the romance was sweet, without unnecessary conflicts or miscommunication, and there were some good steamy scenes.

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (3,5 stars): Honestly, for the first 60%, I actually really enjoyed this and thought it was really entertaining. Nonetheless, this ended up being a lot darker and sadder than I thought it was going to be and the ending was so rushed, they resolved a big issue that was the source of conflict throughout the entire book off the page and that didn’t work for me. (full review)

Just Folking Around by Penny Reid (3,5 stars): This was a quick, fun, steamy read that worked perfectly as my palate cleanser after three long SFF books. I really liked both of the main characters and their dynamic and I can’t wait to read the full-length novel about them.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (4,5 stars): This book is not going to be for everyone, but it worked perfectly for me. It was a charming, quirky and quick read. Seeing a group of old people in a retirement home trying to solve a murder was fun, I liked all the characters, and I was interested in the mystery the entire time. Yes, a lot of convenient things happened but I didn’t care, I still enjoyed the story. The only reason it didn’t get 5 stars is that I didn’t love the ending, but I didn’t hate it either. Out of the three big reveals right at the end, I only liked one, the other two were kind of random and felt forced.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (4 stars): This was a quick and entertaining book. I continued with the series mostly to see the characters again, they are quirky, funny, sweet and clever and I have so much fun reading about their adventures. I didn’t find the mystery in this book nearly as interesting as the mystery in book 1, because the scope of the mystery was so big (spies, mafia, drug dealers, stolen diamonds) that the story, and especially the ending, felt incredibly unrealistic. But as I mentioned before, I read this for the characters, so I didn’t really mind that much.

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn (3,5 stars): This was better than book 5 but still not as good as the first 4 books in the series. The mystery plot was ok, the problem was that in the first 50% not a lot happened, Veronica and Stoker didn’t uncover too much, everything was left for the last half of the book, and particularly to the last 20%. So the pacing felt weird and the first half dragged a little. Also, I didn’t really guess who the villain was but that may have been because I wasn’t completely invested in the mystery plot. I still enjoyed this because I love Veronica and Stoker and there were some good moments between them. 

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (3,5 stars): The mystery in this was entertaining, and there were so many likely culprits which is always fun. Nonetheless, this is my third Miss Marple book and I was left with the same feeling that I had when I read the other two, I wish Miss Marple showed up more and not only occasionally and at the end when she appears with all the answers to everything, which she pulled out of thin air.

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro (4 stars): This wasn’t scary but it had creepy and gross moments and it was a very different take on possession. I appreciated how it discussed the stereotypes around and the dangers of being a young Latina, as well as the roles that religion, sexuality and female friendships play in the lives of young Latinas. My one issue with this book is that some of the dialogue involving the Goddess was kind of corny and that took me out of the story at times.

What are the best and worst books you read in July? Was July a good reading month for you?

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July 2022 TBR: fantasy, romance, sci-fi and more

Hi everyone! Before starting with this post, I wanted to mention that I posted my june wrap up on Sunday, which from my experience it’s not exactly the best day to post. So in case you missed it, check it out here.

Now, let’s talk about my July tbr. I know I don’t usually have tbrs since I’m a mood reader, but the last couple of months I have put together tbrs and I have managed to read most of the books on them and I feel like that’s helping a little to pull me out of the weird reading slump I’m in, so I will keep putting together tbrs for the time being and see if it works.

These are the books I’m planning to read in July:

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel: I read Station Eleven at the end of 2020 and I have been meaning to pick another book by this author since then and it’s finally time.

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine: I just finished the first book in this series, A Memory Called Empire, on June 30th and I loved it, so I can’t wait to continue with the sequel.

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher: It’s been a while since I read a book in this series and lately, I have been feeling curious about where the story goes after what happened in the last book, so I think it’s the perfect time to continue on with the next installment.

The Tower of the Shallows by Andrzej Sapkowski: I read the previous book in this series right before season 2 of the tv show came out and I really enjoyed it and I don’t want to let too much time pass before reading the two final books in the series.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: I watched The Hours as part of the film club I participate in, which made me really curious about this book, and I have owned it for a while, so I want to read it before I lose interest again.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley: I enjoyed The Guest List when I read it at the end of last year and I want to read more from this author.

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder: I added this recently to my tbr because it sounds exactly like the kind of romance I would enjoy. I hope this is as fun as the cover makes it look.

To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters: I have really enjoyed the previous 2 books in this series and I’m excited to continue reading more since I really enjoy Martha Waters’s writing.

What books are on your July tbr? What book are you most excited to read?

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Favorite Romance Books of 2021

Hi everyone! While I didn’t have the best reading year in 2021, I did find a few great books. So today I’m excited to share some amazing romance books that I read in 2021 and that I think you should read. I already shared a post with my favorite books of 2021, which includes all of the books that are not romances, so be sure to check out that post!

Without further ado, here are my favorite romance books of 2021:

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

I LOVED both of the main characters in Battle Royal, this book included the sunshine/grumpy trope in all its glory, they had so much chemistry but also from very early on the deeper connection was evident. In this book, the main characters are co-judges of a baking show and they are competing for the contract to make the royal wedding cake, which ends up being the perfect set-up for a “dislike to friends to love” romance. I love how mature the relationships in Lucy Parker’s books are, even when they are competing against each other like in this book, and how she manages to write books that don’t have too much drama and angst, but that are still interesting.

The writing in this was really good and the book as a whole was funny and entertaining. Obviously, the whole plot with the royals was a bit unbelievable and unrealistic, but it was fun and I didn’t really care if it was something that would never happen in real life.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Despite all the hype, I was not that excited to read this and I’m not sure why. But I’m really glad I decided to give it a chance because I LOVED it. I usually don’t find that many books funny, but this book actually made me laugh out loud a few times. I really liked both of the main characters, the romance was great, it was a slow burn (in that great way that has you screaming at the character to get together already) and the whole fake dating plotline put them in a bunch of slightly awkward but full of sexual tension situations. Also, it had some good steamy moments.

I also loved that it was set in the academic world, it address obstacles that women faced in academia, and, especially, the storyline about sexual harassment at the end was so frustrating and infuriating, but also so well handled.

To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters

I read so many mixed reviews of this book, so I didn’t even have it on my tbr. But then I decided to pick it up on a whim and I’m so glad I did. This is the type of second chance romance that works for me, the main characters grew distant from each other because of a misunderstanding but they still love each other, it’s just their pride standing in the way until a prank war breaks loose between them and brings them back together.

I think this book worked so well for me because the pranks weren’t mean or hurtful and they didn’t go too far. The pranks were actually fun and entertaining and this book actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times. I really liked the main characters, their chemistry, and banter. I do think they were a little bit immature but also they grew throughout the book, so I was ok with that.

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

This is such a sweet, wonderful slow burn, sunshine/grumpy romance with a good dose of forced proximity, between two strangers that inherited a house and that have to work together to clean it and renovate it. I had a brief moment of thinking I wasn’t going to like the main characters, but it was a false alarm, I ended up loving both of them. And the same happens to them, they have a bad impression of each other at first, but then slowly that changed and it was beautiful to see.

Wesley was so precious, once he got over his shyness and exaggerated grumpiness, he was still grumpy but also kind and sweet. And Maybell is such a genuinely nice, caring character. Wesley and Maybell were wonderful together and once they got together, they approached every situation and misunderstanding with so much compassion and care, which was very refreshing, because there wasn’t some dramatic conflict at any point, they faced obstacles together and got through them. This is not an angsty romance at all, it’s just sweet

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

This book has a really fun premise, because the heroine’s dad rents the apartment next to hers to the hero because he wants her to marry him, and they end up becoming friends and fake dating to enter a baking competition and things get more complicated from there. I loved the romance in this, I liked seeing Reena and Nadim reluctantly become friends and then seeing that friendship evolve into something more. Nadim was really sweet and considerate, which I find so swoony.

Beyond that, this is really a story about Reena and her journey, she feels like a real person and I enjoyed seeing her work to improve different aspects of her life throughout this book. I always enjoy complicated family dynamics, so seeing her deal with and try to improve her relationship with different members of her family added an interesting layer to the book.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

I have loved all the books in the Brown Sisters Series, so it was not a surprise that I loved this one as well, and the fact that it was a dislike to love romance, which I love, didn’t hurt either. The tension between Eve and Jacob gave me life, their chemistry was so evident and their bickering, especially at the beginning, was so entertaining. And once they get together, the way they both accepted and made space for the needs of the other person was incredibly sweet. Talia Hibbert has a talent for writing healthy relationships, which is something I appreciate a lot. Also, this book has some really steamy scenes, but that’s to be expected from a Talia Hibbert book. Beyond that, I loved reading about Eve and seeing her grow throughout the book and figure out what she wanted from life.

What are your favorite romance books of 2021? If you had to choose one romance book that you read in 2021 for me to read, which one would it be?

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April 2021 Wrap Up: a lot of books that I really enjoyed

Hi everyone! I’m super excited for this wrap up because I read a lot of books that I enjoyed, I have been having a very good reading year in 2021 and I’m happy about it and happy to be able to share my thoughts about these books with all of you:

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (4 stars): This is a fun adventure full of Navajo mythology and lovable characters. This was really action-packed and easy to read. I really enjoyed that each one of the characters had different strengths and got to use them to help in their quest.

The Shadow Crosser by J.C. Cervantes (3,5 stars): The disbaility rep in this series left a lot to be desired (for more thoughts, here’s my full review). I still loved the characters, they were so fun to read about, always ready for adventure, funny, and easy to root for. The writing is really good, Cervantes manages to give Zane such a captivating and real voice. I also loved all the Mayan mythology and the adventure in this book was really fun. There were some pacng issues especially at the end.

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (4 stars): at the beginning of this book this is slow but it still interesting since there’s so much to learn about the world. Then close to the end, the action picks up and it doesn’t let up. This book introduces new bad guys, who are so much more interesting and easy to hate than the nebulous big bad guy of the series. My one complaint about this book, besides the uneven pacing, is that something happened right at the end in terms of the relationship between some of the characters that I didn’t understand and I think it points to a direction that I don’t like.

The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski (3,5 stars): This starts slow and there’s not enough Geralt. I love Yennefer and Ciri, so I enjoyed their parts of the story. But the author changed perspectives in a way that didn’t work for me, it felt clumsy and it felt like the characters I know and love weren’t in the book as much. After the slow first half, things picked up so much speed and I enjoyed the action-packed part of this book. The political intrigued, the different players, the different factions was really interesting. The main thing I didn’t like about this was the ending, this handled sexual assault badly.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (4 stars): This was a fun, quick read. Mercy is an amazing main character, strong, compassionate, a bit too reckless, flawed, she was captivating and easy to root for. The other characters and the dynamics between them are interesting and compelling. The plot was entertaining and fast-paced, and the writing was good.

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (4 stars): I liked this one even more than the first one because the plot and the villain are more interesting, darker, and more twisted. I still love Mercy as the main character, she is just very likable, and all the other characters are pretty great too. I usually don’t like love triangles but I’m not disliking the relationships in this one, because I like both guys and their relationships with Mercy and also because it’s very clear who she is going to end up with.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (4 stars): I loved most of this book, it was fun getting to see more of the fae and finding out some of their secrets. As always all the characters were great and I enjoyed the way this resolves the love triangle storyline. Now, that ending was fucking brutal. I wish I had seen content warnings before reading, because what happened shocked me, left me reeling and absolutely devastated me. CW: rape

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle (4,5 stars): This is such a sweet slow burn, sunshine/grumpy romance with a good dose of forced proximity. It has great character and very low angst. (Full review)

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan (4 stars): the main characters are very compelling, likable and easy to root for, and their relationship is so sweet. It talks about religion in an intersting way. It’s a bit longer than it needs to be (full review).

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters (4 stars): the main characters have a lot of chemistry, the banter is great and the whole “teach me how to be good in bed” part of the story allows some great representation of communication during sex. The one thing I didn’t like about this book is that there’s a sapphic side character in this book and the portrayal is not great, also the main character outs her to her friends, which sucks.

Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher (4 stars): this is women’s fiction and not romance. It does a great job of ecploring the main character’s personal growth and her relationship with her sister. There’s a romance and it sweet, but I wish they had a bit more chemistry. The ending is heartbreaking and made me cry. (Full review)

Damaged Goods by Talia Hibbert (4 stars): Samir was so sweet!!! I loved him and Laura together. And Laura’s character development was incredible for such a short novella. this is a story about healing after an abusive relationship and it depicted that in a beautiful, painful, and very honest way.

Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden (4 stars): This was a quick, fun and sweet novella. I usually don’t like romances that take place in one day because they feel unrealistic, but this one I didn’t mind. The characters were great, their chemistry and connection worked really well. 

Dance All Night by Alexis Daria (3,5 stars): This was fun, but a bit too insta love-y for my taste. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the plot, which revolved around a deal they made to have three dates that will make her fall in love with him and with Christmas and both of the main characters (especially the hero) were likable and captivating, particularly when they were together.

Well Played by Jen DeLuca (3 stars): This is a weird book because it was easy to read, entertaining and I loved seeing more about the ren faire (even if I wish there was more of it). But I had big issues with it: The catfishing goes on for way too long and it’s treated like it’s not a big deal, the main characters get zero character development, the hero doesn’t grovel enough (or at all) at any point).

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young (4 stars): This was a sweet, low-angst romance. I really enjoyed the way the relationship slowly develops, how the main characters become friends but from the first moments, there’s this attraction and tension between them that they can’t deny. I loved the small English rural town setting and all the side characters were great. Once the characters get together, their relationship was sweet and there are quite a few steamy moments between them throughout the book. My one complaint is that the conflict at the end felt forced, even if it was foreshadowed.

One by One by Ruth Ware (4 stars): This was a very fun and satisfying read. I love how atmospheric it is, how the mystery slowly unravels, and the tension increases. The last part was very intense and I was very invested, but I do think it that the last chase took a bit too long.

What is your favorite and least favorite book of May? Was May a good reading month for you?

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April 2021 TBR: new releases, accidentally in love book club and fantasy books

Hi everyone! I haven’t making tbrs for the last few months becayse I was in a reading slump and mood reading seem like the best option, but I’m not in areading slump anymore and it’s time to catch up on some of my goals and some of the series that I put aside because of the slump. So that’s why the tbrs are starting again.

Here are some of the books I’m planning to read in April:

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The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan: It’s been over a year since I read the first book in this series, so it was time to continue with it. I’m almost done with this and I’m really enjoying it.

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang: I’m so intimidated by this book, Im pretty sure its going to hurt me. I read the first two books in the series in 2020 and I dont want to let too much time pass before finishing it, so it’s time to get to this book.

The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski: I have tried to read this before but I wans’t in the mood for it, hopefully now I can finish it and continue with the series.

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: One of my goals for this year is to read more books by Indigenous authors and I have been failing that goal, so it’s time to start working towards accomplishing it. I have heard great things about all of Roanhorse books and this was the first one to be available from my library..

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Oculta by Maya Motayne: I loved the first book in this series, Nocturna, and I have been waiting for this sequel for such a long time, I’m so glad I’m finally going to be able to continue with this story. Release date: April 6th.

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle: I really liked Sarah Hogle’s debut novel You Deserve Each Other, so I’m excited to pick up her new release especially since the premise sounds amazing. Release date: April 6th.

To Love and to Loath by Martha Waters: I loved the first book in this series and I’m really intrigued about the relationship between the characters that are the protagonists of the book. Release date: April 6th.

Damaged Goods by Talia Hibbert: I’m one of the co-host for the Accidentally in Love book club this month and this is the book that we are going to read . I’mreally excited since I have read two of the books in this series and I enjoyed them.

What books do you want to read in April? Have you read any of the books on my tbr?

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Historical Romance Reader Tag

Hi everyone! Today, I have a very exciting post. I started reading historical romance a year ago in april 2020 and since then I have read 18 books in this subgenre, while that’s not a lot of time or a lot of books, I have fallen in love with historical romance and I can’t wait to explore it more. That’s why I decided to do the historical romance reader tag created by Jess @ PeaceLoveBooks.

1. What was the first historical romance you ever read?

The first historical romance I read was The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare and I think it was an amazing book to get into the genre because Tessa Dare’s writing is .very accesible and her books work well for modern reader’s sensibilities.

2. What was the last historical romance you read?

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore, which was just ok, I didn’t enjoy as much as the first book in the series (Bringing Down the Duke) becuase the main characters were very unlikable at times and their chemistry wasn’t really there at the beginning, even if this does get better in the second half of the book. The part I enjoyed about this book was the feminst themes and the inclusion of the suffragette movement, which is the focus of the series and the reason I will keep reading it.

3. Who is an underrated historical romance author you wish more people read?

Lydia San Andres is a Caribbean author, who writes historical romance set in the Caribbean and full on Latinx characters, so I definitely wish that more people read their book. I read and really enjoyed The Infamous Miss Rodriguez and I would completely recommend it.

4. Who is a historical romance author you haven’t read yet but need to?

I think probably Courtney Milan, because of her role in the movement for diversiry in romance, and also Jennifer Ashley because everyone seems to love her book, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.

5. What historical romance would you recommend to people who are new to the genre?

I would recomend the Bareknuckle Bastards series by Sarah MacLean, the first book is Wicked and the Wallflower, or the Girls Meet Duke series by Tessa Dare, the first book is The Duchess Deal.

6. What is your favorite historical romance of all time?

My favorite historical romance is Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean. I really loved both of the main characters, but especially Hattie. I enjoyed reading her fight to be in control of her own life. She was witty, she was charming, she was smart. I LOVED Hattie. And her bantering and flirting with Whit was fantastic. I loved Whit too and the two of them together were perfection. Also, this book was really steamy!

7. Do you prefer new or old school historical romance?

Since I’m new to the genre, I have only read new school historical romance, because I’m a bit scared of the older tittles and the problematic elements that they may include.

8. What are your favorite historical romance tropes?

Some of my favorites are Marriage of convenience, Spinsters and the rake & the wallflower.

9. What are your favorite historical romance settings?

I like books set in England during the Regency era or the Victorian era

10. What is the oldest historical romance you own?

It’s Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, which was released in 1996. As I mentioned before, I’m a bit scared of reading old school historical romance, but the one exception is Beverly Jenkins. I have heard so many great things about her book and I can’t wait to read one. I want to read Indigo because it revolves around the Underground railroad and because it has the heroine taking care of the injured hero trope.

12. What historical romance releases that you are excited for?

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters because I really loved book one in the series (To Have and to Hoax) and The Bride Bet by Tessa Dare even if the relase date for this one is up in the air right now.

11. What is you favorite stepback you own?

I dont own physical copies of historical romances because you don’t find them in bookstores in Colombia and usually shipping is really expensive, so I don’t really have an answer to this.

13. What creators do you follow for historical romance recommendations?

I need recommendations for bloggers that talk about historical romance, I have seen a couple of the people I follow read the Bridgerton books because of the tv show but I don’t think I follow anyone that talks a lot about historical romances.

I do follow a lot of booktubers that talk about historical romance, some of them are: Jess, Crystal and Jenn.

I’m not tagging anyone, because as I mentioned I don’t follow that many bloggers who read historical romance, but if you like historical romance feel free to do this tag and if you want to tag me on the post because I would love to read it!

Do you read historical romance? what’s your favorite historical romance book, series or author?

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January 2021 Wrap Up: a new favorite book and tons of fantasy and romance

Hi everyone! It’s time for the first wrap up of 2021. I was in a reading slump for a while during January, but I still managed to read 14 books, I enjoyed all of them and I even found a new favorite book. So overall it was a good reading month.

Before getting into the books, here are the posts I published this month, in case you missed any of them:

• December 2020 Wrap Up
• On My Radar #1: Books that Other People Loved
• What I’ve Been Watching #1: Bridgerton, Derry Girls, Vampires vs The Bronx and More
• February TBR: books I want to read for Black History Month
• Book Review: Ever After Always by Chloe Liese
• Book Review: The Gilded Wolves & The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
• Book Review: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Gendry Hendrix

Withouth further ado, let’s talk about the books I read this month:

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss (3,7 stars): after how much I loved the two previous books in the series, I was a bit disappointed. I still enjoyed this, because I love the characters and their relationships so much. But I felt like the resolution of the personal storylines of the characters wasn’t that satisfying. This book focused too much on the plot, which I found a bit boring. The author tried to tie the plot of this book to the overarching plot of the previous two installments, but it didn’t really work, this felt like a different story that came out of nowhere. 

White Hot by Ilona Andrews (4 stars): I loved the world and the magic system in this book, it’s so imaginative, cool, and unique. I liked the relationship between Nevada and Connor a lot more in this book than in the first one. I also liked them as individual characters more. I enjoyed seeing Nevada come into her power more and learn how to use it, and I’m not entirely sure why, but I liked Connor more in this book as well. The Baylor family was amazing as always and I think this book lets us get to know other secondary characters more, which I enjoyed.

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (4 stars): Again, I loved the world, the magic system, and the characters. I liked the way the romance wrapped up and the way the storyline revolving around the Baylor family developed and how so many of the members of the family came into their own in this book. My only issue with this is that despite the fact that the main characters solved a big part of the mystery in this book, the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be because they didn’t catch the main villain and they don’t even know who it is.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (4 stars): Nghi Vo wrote a beautiful story set in a very interesting and whimsical world and full of captivating characters. This book was bittersweet for me and made me emotional in a few parts.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi (4 stars): This was an angsty story full of complex relationships, longing and grief, but also a fun adventure with twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of your sit. (Full review)

Wayward Witch by Zoraida Córdova (4 stars): While I liked Rose, I didn’t like that her character was reduced to her fear of using her magic and to comparing herself to her sisters. But Adas, the world this is set in, was captivating and intriguing and the gods and the magical creatures were so cool and unique. My favorite part of the book was Rose’s relationship with the people she met in Adas. There was a romance, but it was barely there so I really didn’t care, and I would have liked the romance to be between Rose and another side character.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (3,7 stars): it took me a while to get into this story, because the beginning is slow. What I discovered in this book is that as much as I enjoy Murderbot as a character, I don’t find it as entertaining when it’s alone, I like seeing it interact with humans and be irritated by them. Since Murderbot spent a chuck of this book alone, that’s probably a reason why it took me a while to get into the story.

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (3,7 stars): This was highly entertaining and I liked seeing Murderbot start to question certain things and grow and change as it experiences new things. I liked seeing characters from book one, especially Mensah, and I liked the hopeful tone this ended in because I want Murderbot to be happy. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying a Vampire by Grady Hendrix (4,5 stars): I LOVED THIS and it’s a new favorite book. This book got me out of a reading slump, it was so captivating, I was completely invested and it made me feel so many different emotions. I think this book did a good job of including important conversations about feminism, race and privilege. Also, it’s a grusome and disgusting type of horror, which I hadn’t read before, but it was very well done. (Full review)

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn: The first half of this book was fun and entertatining, it had great banter and family dynamics. Julia Quinn’s writing is compulsively readable. But then the second half is  really angsty mainly because the characters don’t communicate with each other and then there is the non-consensual scene, which ruins the book. (If you want to know more of my thoughts, here’s my full goodreds review)

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (4 stars): I LOVED Kate! and I loved the banter and the whole relationship between Kate and Antony, this was a very entertaining hate to love romance. My main issue is that I didn’t love Antony. He wasn’t terrible, but definitely not the type of hero that makes me swoon. Also, the bee scene was very silly and not in a way that worked for me. I was cringing.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (4 stars): I really liked Anabelle as a protagonist and the relationship between Sebastian and Anabelle was so delightful. I enjoyed seeing them slowly go from dislike to love, the tension and chemistry between them were so captivating. I think this addressed how perilous Anabelle’s situation as a woman was before getting involved with Sebastian but also because of her involvement with him, and I really appreciated that. I also really liked the way this book included the women’s suffrage movement in the story.

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters (4 stars): I think this book worked so well for me because the pranks weren’t mean, they were fun and entertaining. This book actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Also, I really liked the main characters, their chemistry, and banter. I do think they were a little bit immature but also they grew throughout the book, so I was ok with that. The side characters were amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Shipped by Angie Hockman (3,5 stars): This was a fast, engaging read. But the characters lacked depth. I wish we could have read from his perspective and not only hers, because she was so self-centered and a bit annoying. The banter between the main characters was good and they did have chemistry, but most of the time, when they had conversations with any emotional depth, those conversations were stilted and a bit cringy.

What is your favorite book that you have read in 2021? Was january a good reading month for you?

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Hyped 2020 Releases: Will I read them? should I read them?

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to talk about some hyped 2020 releases that either came out recently or are coming out in the next couple of months. Also, I focused on genres that I read so fantasy and romance, and some horror and mystery. The idea is that I’ll tell you wheter I’m planning to read the books or not and I’m hoping you’ll tell me if maybe there’s a book that I’m not planning to read but that you think I should. Also, I would love to know if you enjoyed or didn’t enjoy one of the book I’m planning to read.

Before starting, I wanted to mention that these are books that I have seen people talk about a lot in the bookish community (blogs, twitter, booktube), which I know doesn’t always reflect the books that are hyped for the general public that isn’t involved in the community.

Without further ado, here are the books:

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Release date: March 24th 2020

I don’t think I’m gonna read this. Honestly, I keep adding the new Christina Lauren books to my tbr when they are annaounced but I haven’t read any of them since The Unhoneymooners because the reviews for their newer books have consistenly being bad and everyone seems to agree that their books are not as good as before.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Release date: April 7th 2020

I will be reading this, hopefully soon! I don’t read much horror, but the few books I have read from that genre I have really enjoyed, so I want to read more and I have been seeing this book everywhere and everyone seems to have great things to say about it, so I think it’s a good place to start.

To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters

Release date: April 7th 2020

I don’t think I’ll read this one. I started to read historical romance recently and this book is one that I have seen mentioned often and it sounds really good. Unfortunetely, everyone mentions in the review that the conflicts in this book are all because of miscomunications and that’s a trope that I hate, so that’s why I have stayed away from this one.

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Release date: May 5th 2020

I don’t think I’ll read this. This was on my May tbr, I was so excited for it but this has gotten a lot of bad reviews and rating, and because of that, I stopped feeling wanting to read it. I’m open to maybe reading this, so if you think I should read it, let me know!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Release date: May 19th 2020

Nope, I won’t be reading this and I don’t think there’s anything anyone can say to make me change my mind. I wasn’t interesting when they announced this, I was less interested when they said it was a Snow book and after reading reviews I’m even interested.

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

Release date: May 19th 2020 

I’m not reading this one. This book used to be on my tbr because I thought it was a romance, but after people started to post their reviews, I realized that this is chick lit that includes a romance but the romance is not a big part of the story and I’m not really interested in reading that.

The Guet List by Lucy Foley

Release date: June 2nd 2020

I’m reading this! This sounds like an Agatha Christie novel and I’m a massive Agatha Christie fan and I love to read novels that remind me of her books, because I feel there’s a big chance I’ll love them. Also, my friends who have read this have giving it really high rating, so I’m excited!

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Release date: June 30th 2020

Yes, I’ll read it! After loving Gods of Jade and Shadow, I can’t wait to read another of her books. This is a horror/ historical ficiton book, which is not what I usually read at all, but I’m curious and some of my friends have loved this one, so I’m going into it cautiously optimistic.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Release date: July 7th 2020 

I will definitely read this one! I have been seeing this book around a lot and I hadn’t pay any attention to it because I thought it was YA, but actually is adult romance. This is an m/m romance written by a man, which I have had trouble finding in the past, so I’m excted to give this one a chance.

From the books I’m not planning to read, is there any that I definitely should read? From the books I’m planning on reading, is there any that I should prioritize or maybe one you wouldn’t recommend?

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