The Challenges and Growth of Reading

Being able to read this semester has really changed me a lot, especially since it felt almost impossible to read over the summer. During those months, I had a pretty chaotic internship schedule that took over most of my free time. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and the thought of picking up a book just felt like another task on my to-do list. I had loved reading before, but at this point, I started to lose my spark. I ended up reading way less than I have in years past, which honestly really upset me. I went into the year with this huge goal of reading more books than I did last year and by July it was clear that wasn’t happening. It felt like I was letting myself down, not because of the number itself, but because reading has always been something that fuels me and I missed that version of myself.

But this semester completely flipped that feeling around. Reading became something I looked forward to again. It gave me a break from stress, a chance to breathe and a moment where I wasn’t thinking about deadlines, assignments or any of the noise that comes with being a college student. I started listening to audiobooks while I was in the car which honestly has become one of the best habits I’ve created and whenever I had a few extra minutes between classes or before bed, I’d pick up my current physical book. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t part of a challenge. It was just enjoyable.

I also finally jumped into series that have been sitting on my reading list for literally years. Some of them I had been saving for the right time, but then I realized there is no perfect time, so why not just start? I continued some of my favorite series too, the ones that feel like coming home when you open them. It reminded me why I fell in love with reading in the first place. The stories, the escape, the feeling of getting attached to characters who don’t even exist. Yes, sometimes I do get a little too attached to characters and have a hard time letting them go.

Somewhere in this process, I started slowing down in general. Not just in school, but in life. Taking that intentional time to enjoy something I love helped me understand my own boundaries better. I learned not to overload myself the way I did in the summer and I learned that it’s okay to step back and recharge. I even pushed myself to expand my taste in books, trying genres I normally would’ve ignored.

And the best part? I read more this semester than I have the entire rest of the year combined. It feels like I finally got a piece of myself back and honestly, I’m proud of that.

A Modern Mermaid Tale I Couldn’t Put Down

Now we all know the original story of The Little Mermaid. This book was another one of those where the story became more modern day. Ariel del Mar has been a singer who wants a different lifestyle and just so happens to meet her Prince Charming. I loved how much this romance story felt so real and how much it followed the tale it was based on. 

Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters—together, known as the band Siren Seven—have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she’s the girl who has everything. 

But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour and Ariel can’t wait to spend the summer just living a normal life—part of a world she’s only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show. 

The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It’s there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father—and goes with him. 

Caught between the world she longs for and the one she’s left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love and, somehow, find her own voice?

I love the idea that it was more transparent that Ariel ran away from her father. Not only because she had fallen in love, but also because she was sick of him sheltering her. It gave a spin in which her father is the bad guy of the story, which can also be interpreted in The Little Mermaid. Overall I really loved this book and its events and this series has been the best I've read in a while.

Managing Public Relations: The Class-Assigned Book I Didn’t Fully Read… But Still Liked Anyway

So, for one of my classes this semester, we were assigned Managing Public Relations: Business Principles and Tools for Strategic Communication by Peter M. Smudde. Obviously, it turned into more of a “look over what seems important and hope I don’t miss anything” situation. I think we can all agree we’ve done this at least once, so I don’t feel guilty at all.

Even though I didn’t read it word for word, I actually ended up liking it. Shocking, I know. But this book felt less like an academic text and more like a relaxed lecture in book form.

I enjoyed that Smudde gave real examples and breakdowns of strategies and plans we’ll use in the future. Instead of throwing a bunch of abstract PR concepts at us and expecting us to magically understand them, he ties almost everything back to an actual plan, campaign or communication strategy used by real organizations. That was perfect for me. I’m the type of student who learns best when I can see how something plays out in the real world, not just how it’s supposed to work.

Did I read it cover to cover for class? Absolutely not. Did I still walk away with a solid understanding of strategic communication and how PR operates behind the scenes? Yes, I did.

I also appreciated that we created our own examples in class. We used the company we’re working with for social media and applied these approaches to help them see what they need moving forward. Now, I not only have examples from the textbook, but I also have my own work, which has been critiqued and reviewed to show me what I can improve on in the future. It’s all going straight into my portfolio as something I can revisit whenever I need a refresher.

I’m excited to review this section of the textbook and all the notes left for me and my partner as we finish the final portion of the project we’ve been working on all semester.

Straight Back to the Library

Yes, it exists. A Disney book about my favorite childhood story that I hated reading. Straight on Till Morning was such a confusing book for me to get through and I never really knew what was going on. About halfway through, I just stopped paying attention because I was so lost in the storyline. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this one, but we can deep dive into it anyway.

Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling’s life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess — it all makes her wish things could be different.

Wendy’s only real escape is writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow.

So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn’t quite the place she imagined. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help.

When Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it’s up to the two of them to save Peter Pan — and his world.

Overall, this story started off similar to the original when Wendy is still in London and dreaming of Never Land. But once she arrived there, I got totally lost. She and many other characters acted as though she had been there before and that they already knew her, but she hadn’t.

I understand that the point of this series is to change the original stories we know so well. I think this book was the first in the series to change the story so drastically that it became more difficult to follow and harder to find the original within it.

A Beautiful Modern Twist on a Classic Tale

 Another Disney story but with a more realistic storyline to it. By The Book by Jasmine Guillory was one of these stories that just blew me away. Every single bit of this book truly told the Beauty and the Beast tale and I enjoyed this rendition. 

Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, she did not expect to be 25, living at home, still an editorial assistant and the only Black employee at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.

All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a quick pep talk or three. How hard could it be?

But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and—it turns out—just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before. 

Just like the Beast, Beau was a character that I hated in the beginning but grew to love the more he opened up. He made his mistakes and was able to come back from them twofold. His relationship with Izzy was just a typical relationship if life. It had its ups and its down but he loved her no matter the situation. Also, the notebook that he wrote in everyday about how much he loved her, even from the first day was just the most romantic thing.

Cannot Conceal a Change

 This twisted tale was an interesting concept, but unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. There were so many parts of the story that I did not like the way that it played out and the changes that were made. I loved the idea that Anna and Elsa were separated after the incident with them as children. But for Olaf to become a huge part in Elsa's life and for Han's to have loved Elsa, ruined a lot of the original ideas after the movie.

As the future Queen of Arendelle, Princess Elsa’s life is full of expectation and responsibility, not to mention, questions. What type of ruler will she be? When will she have to pick a suitor? And why has she always harbored the feeling that some critical piece of herself is missing?

Following the unexpected death of her parents, Elsa is forced to answer those questions sooner than she’d hoped, becoming the sole ruler of her kingdom and growing lonelier than ever. But when mysterious powers begin to reveal themselves, Elsa starts to remember fragments of her childhood that seem to have been erased, pieces that include a very familiar-looking girl. Determined to fill the void she has always felt, Elsa must take a harrowing journey across her icy kingdom to undo a terrible curse . . . and find the missing Princess of Arendelle.

In the original story, Elsa was deemed as a very independent person who did not need a love interest or man in her life. This version completely changed the idea when Elsa and Hans started having interest in each other. I understand the idea of this book being different than the original story, but this was a bit of a dramatic change. Hans ended up having the same exchange with Elsa as he did in the original and it was very similar to the betrayal that he gave to Anna.

Reflections of Power: Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror is a twisted tale of Snow White in which the Evil Queen poisons the Prince instead. How could this really make the story different you ask? Although the ending was very similar, the plot in the middle changed the entire storyline.

Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White's stepmother, commonly referred to as "the Evil Queen" by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.

But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she'd never see again and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?

The mirror in this story really plays a much larger role as the Evil Queen has used its power so much that she and the mirror have started to become one and the same. She uses the power to lock Snow White's father out of the kingdom and uses it to spy on anyone she wishes. The more the Queen uses its power, the more she loses her humanity until she becomes consumed by her own reflection.

This version of the story starts off as a retelling of the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but the best part is, you never know what is going to happen next. The twists and turns from the original storyline come out of nowhere and shock you before you can expect it.

The Shoe Fits on This Romance

"If the Shoe Fits" by Julie Murphy was revolutionary for me to read. This book took a classic fairy tale story, changed the whole thing and added a huge section of diversity. Written by a plus size author, we are introduced to the first ever plus sized Cinderella, who doesn't need a fairy godmother.

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn't expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's time to design your own.

This was a very interesting turn on the fairy tale. The step mother and sisters were very kind and Cindy already knew her prince. Also the fact that it all took place on a dating television show was even better to add to the drama. I thought this was a very cute adaptation because when you think about the ball that Cinderella goes to, isn't that pretty much just a dating game?

I enjoyed that Cindy was very independent and did not need saving from any of the other girls or anyone else in the book. She was a fashion designer who knew what she loved and even in the end did it even if it meant she would have to move across the world. It felt like the perfect ending for someone who had learned that if the shoe doesn’t fit, you have every right to design your own.

Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale

Another Little Mermaid book? You bet. For some reason, I’ve been on a kick for retellings of The Little Mermaid. Part of Your World by Liz Braswell did not disappoint. Just like Hexed, it was fun to read a familiar story with a huge twist.

It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world — and a prince — she never imagined she would see again.

I’ve always been on the side of villains so it was interesting to see this version of what happens if they win. Ursula as Vanessa was one of my favorite villains and I’m not sure if that’s because of her incredible voice — Ariel’s voice — or because she really looks like me.

One of the reasons retellings like this are so fun to read is because we already know the plot of the story. We know Ariel, Eric, Ursula and Triton. We know their relationships, their struggles, their desires. But when you twist just one outcome, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re looking at these characters through a completely different lens.

For example, Eric isn’t just the charming prince anymore. He’s a man living under a villain’s control. His mentality has shifted and in many ways he’s lost himself.

And then there’s Ariel, who might be the most interesting character in this version. She’s not the naive teenager who dreams of being “part of your world.” She’s older, a queen still without her voice and haunted by her youthful mistake.

Throughout the story, you see the shell around both characters begin to crack. Slowly, they revert back to the bubbly, hopeful characters that felt so familiar in the classic movie.

Crying in H Mart: A Story of Grief, Love and Food

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish. I picked it up thinking it would be a thoughtful memoir, but I wasn’t prepared for how deeply it relates to me. I could relate to her story so much that it was so moving to read her story so recent to the death in mine.

With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.

It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language and history her mother had given her.

 

Now, as I said before, my story can closely relate to hers. I just lost my grandpa to a battle with cancer about a month ago. When Michelle wrote about the progress of her mother’s death, it was so real. It was just as I had experienced my grandpa’s. I think it was fate for me to read this book when I did. I have had it on my reading list since my junior year of high school and it was now that I decided to read it.

For Michelle, it wasn't just so much about losing her mother as it was about her heritage. She lost a part of herself but also started to realize how distant she was to the culture that had raised her. This memoir was really scattered throughout various parts of her life. 

Overall, this memoir was written very well. It was not the best memoir I have ever read, but it was for sure the first one I could relate to the closest. Our culture is a part of us, no matter how big or small that culture may be. It is important for us to remember our roots and to thrive with respect to them.

 

Falling for a Different Type of Relationship

The Never After series by Emily McIntire is one of the most interesting series that I have read before. Her concept with these, are that the main character falls in love with the villain. For example, the first book in the series is Hooked, where Wendy falls in love with Captain Hook. Now, these stories don't take place in the same setting or plot as the movie. Emily McIntire changes the narrative to be a more mafia style, dark romance that really changes how the story ends. 

Most recently, Emily McIntire wrote Hexed, in which Prince Eric falls in love with Ursula. This book ended up being one of my favorites in the series as I enjoyed the relationship between Venesa (Ursula) and Enzo (Eric). 

Venesa Andersen has never been good. She wasn’t good enough for her parents, and she isn’t good enough for the gangster uncle who took her in after they died. But she’s cunning. Beautiful. Dutiful to her uncle’s demands. And she doesn’t have time for a moral compass, anyway. When her runaway cousin returns to their coastal southern town, she brings a man with her…and Venesa soon realizes he’s the only one who’s ever seen her for her.

There’s just one problem: she can never have him.

Enzo “Loverboy” Marino is a wealthy businessman by day and prince of the underworld by night. Underboss to a notorious mafia man, he answers to no one except his father, the strongest don in the Northeast. When he’s tasked with marriage, Enzo doesn’t think twice.

Until he meets his fiancée’s cousin.

When plans unravel and temptation sings its siren song, they’ll both have to choose what’s more important: duty to their families, or a forbidden love that was never supposed to be.

This series is particularly fun because you can see each piece of the original story take its place. Such as characters, words, monumental moments and symbols. When it clicks as to what Emily McIntire has hidden each thing as, you feel very proud of yourself. 

In this book Bastian references Sebastian, we still get the famous "but daddy, I love him" quote and Enzo gives Venesa a seashell necklace. Just like the one Ursula has in the movie. Overall, although it is a very smutty book, the plot is still to die for and I found myself not being able to get enough.

Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist Novellas That Melted My Heart

Ever since I read Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, I have been in love with her books. In this case, Loathe To Love You was no different. This book was made up of three separate stories that were all connected together. It was fun to read about each character and their relationships with one another as they faced a problem within their life.

Loathe to Love You is a collection of three connected STEMinist novellas by Ali Hazelwood, featuring three female friends who find love with their rivals through forced proximity scenarios like cohabitation, being stuck in an elevator or stranded in the Arctic. The stories follow Mara, a lawyer and environmental engineer, Sadie, a civil engineer and Hannah, a NASA aerospace engineer, as their initial friction evolves into romance within each story. The collection also includes a bonus chapter where the friends meet up, tying all their storylines together.  

Although I just gave an overall description of the collection, here is a more detailed version for each book.

Under One Roof

An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell, a detestable big-oil lawyer who will not leave the thermostat alone.

Stuck with You

A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry and love, to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.

Below Zero

A NASA aerospace engineer's frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Each one of these novellas was just as cute as the next! Out of all three, Below Zero was for sure my favorite. The relationship between Hannah and Ian was very intriguing to follow as it never was super steady. But, spoiler alert, Ian did the absolute most that he could to make sure that Hannah would be saved, even if it was not his project.

If that does not scream Prince Charming I do not know what does. Ian is the type of boyfriend that in every story I fall in love with first. Although he and Hannah had their rough patches, he was able to fix it all by saving her life.

Was It Really The Summer I Turned Pretty?

This year's hit TV show has been The Summer I Turned Pretty. Everywhere I turned, people were either talking about it, posting about it or recommending it. I decided that before I watch show for the first time, I would read the books to compare. So far I have been impressed with the series and understand why it has become so popular. I've been watching the series as well and have seen that there are a lot of differences so far!

Some summers are just destined to be pretty. Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer, they have been her brother figures, her crushes and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Now, one of the biggest questions fans always seem to debate is if each viewer/reader is team Conrad or Jeremiah. Honestly, if you were to ask me right now which team I’m on, I’d have to say neither. They both have had their moments where I like them, but they have often had rougher moments with Belly that make me change my mind.

I will say that I was not super in love with the book either, since it tends to skip a lot between the present and the past. It becomes very confusing as to when the section of the book is taking place. The TV Series has been really good and I find a lot easier to follow than the book. I have noticed plenty of differences such as Laurel finding her own love in the show. Some of the events of the book 

Overall, I have truly enjoyed reading this series, especially now that I am older because I feel like I can really relate with Belly. I am the middle cousin so all of my older cousins clicked well because there was a 3 year gap between me and the youngest of the oldest. The same thing applied to my younger cousins so I felt stuck in the middle with no where to go. I would try to fit in and impress my cousins to find where I belonged with my family, but just like Belly, I often made a large mistake that outcasted me even more.

I cannot wait to continue this roller coaster of a series and see what else lies ahead for Belly and who ultimately ends as her forever person.

The Twisted Tale of A Familiar Story

As a Disney girl from heart, this series has really taken hold of me! I love seeing how each story could have ended differently and this one was just as good as the rest. Growing up, Mulan was definitely a role model to me because of how she defied the norms to save her father and China. Reading how her story changed and her falling in love again with Shang was part of what made me enjoy this book so much.

What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang’s great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang’s spirit, face harrowing obstacles and leave by sunrise, or become King Yama’s prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it’s too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him and be lost in the Underworld forever?

As much as I truly enjoyed visiting a new side to Mulan, this book was not my favorite in the series. It felt really wrong for Shang to die so easily and for him to not want to return to finish the battle for China. There were some new characters that I did not enjoy so much either, as they continued to pop up and just drag the book on even more.

That said, the book still had plenty of moments of adventure, cultural mythology and that familiar spark between Mulan and Shang. I enjoyed the exploration of Diyu and the way the author wove Chinese culture into the tale. It gave the store a darker, more mature edge than the original Disney version, making this book even more fun for me now as a young adult.

Overall, this book was still a cute read and I will continue to finish the what if series of classic Disney tales. The next one is The Little Mermaid so I am beyond excited to delve into this story. The plot is, "what if Ariel never defeated Ursula?" Ursula was super creepy as a kid so I cannot wait to see how else she can be more villainous.

Falling for the Twisted Series Finale

Moving back onto campus a week early means that you have plenty of extra time to read. After being so busy, I finally finished the Twisted series by Ana Huang. When I tell you that the whole series did not bore me, I mean it. I can confidently say that with each book of the series, I continued to fall deeper into love with each character that I got to know and that she introduced. Ana Huang has been a popular TikTok author with her King of Wrath series being popular as well. She definitely is one of my top favorite authors and one that I could easily recommend to a dark romance reader.

The story follows Stella Alonso, a fashion influencer and aspiring designer, who finds herself in a difficult spot after being fired from her job at a fashion magazine. Desperate to secure a brand ambassadorship and fund her dream of launching her own fashion line, she reluctantly agrees to a fake-dating arrangement with Christian Harper, the enigmatic CEO of Harper Security and her apartment building’s landlord. Christian is known for his cold demeanor and morally gray actions, yet he is drawn to Stella. Their dynamic becomes even more intense when a stalker from Stella’s past resurfaces, forcing her to move into Christian’s penthouse for protection. Their relationship, built on convenience, slowly evolves into something far deeper and more complicated than either of them expected.

Twisted Lies was the fourth and final book in the series. This book was honestly just as satisfying as the first and the ending gave me all the conclusions I needed. Stella was such a fun character from the beginning and she had a lot of character development that was easy to pick up on. Christian was the same way and really started to grow on me, even though I liked him from the beginning.

Throughout this entire book, I never knew what was going to happen next in Stella and Christian's relationship. The plot got better and better and it was fun to see old characters returning and seeing their stories start to wrap up. It makes me very happy to read the first book in a series and see the development that those characters made by the end of the fourth book. Although you aren't directly reading their story anymore, you can still put all of the pieces together and watch them find their happy ending.

Overall, finishing the Twisted series was sort of disappointing because I did not want to put it down. I cannot wait to read the King of Wrath series and continue to support Ana Huang for her amazing work.

The Maiden, the Guard, and My Mixed Emotions

From Blood and Ash is a book that I believe I originally found recommended to me on TikTok, but a friend recently mentioned it so I thought I would dive into it soon. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet, as there are some parts I love and others not so much. As this is the first book in the series I'm going to do what I always do and see the whole series out.

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in and tempts her with the forbidden.

As the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

All of these characters are what is setting me on the line between loving and hating this book. The plot is good and I can follow it easily but I still need to figure out what I think of the characters. As much as I love the growing relationship between Poppy and Hawke, they can both be very annoying at times and that's something that can lead me to disliking the book.

In my opinion, the characters are just as important, if not more important than the plot and I still am very curious about how I will enjoy this series. As for now, its getting a middle rating, in hopes that when I read the other books in the Blood and Ash series they can have higher ratings.

Stars: 3

Spice: 2

My New Favorite Series: Falling Hard for Twisted Games

After reading the second book of the Twisted series by Ana Huang, Twisted Games, in only 3 days, its safe to say that it is for sure my new favorite series. If you see me reading at all this week, I am either finishing book 3 or in the process of reading book 4. I cannot put this series down because I am absolutely addicted.

Stoic, broody and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has 2 rules: 1) Protect his clients at all costs 2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever. He has never once been tempted to break those rules...until her.

Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She's nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed. Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he's faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to have her to himself.

Because she's his. His princess.

Regal, strong-willed and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses. But when her brother abdicates, she's suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted. And as she navigates the intricacies-and treacheries-of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can't have.

Her bodyguard.

Her protector.

Her ultimate ruin.

Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom...and doom them both.

Bridget and Rhys' love was one like no other as throughout it all they stuck together. They had very short moments of not being with each other but the book moved very fast through those moments which I appreciated. As much as I love getting more character development when the characters are far apart, they typically just have moments of dread or complaint during this time.

Ana Huang has deemed this book a stand alone from the first but I believe it is very vital to read the first book before this one to truly understand the repeat faces as well as the background information. Unlike A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first book in this series is not a bore and is very easy to read if you enjoy the characters like I did.

Stars: 5

Spice: 4

A New Favorite Series? Twisted Love Review

I have seen the Twisted series by Ana Huang all over stores and TikTok. It has been on my reading list for forever but this week I finally indulged and read it thanks to getting a hard copy at the ONU Thrift Club's Blind Date with a Book event. I recommend this book to people who have enjoyed their TikTok romance reads as well as steamy brothers best friend romances. 

He has a heart of ice…but for her, he'd burn the world. Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can't escape. Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. But when he's forced to look after his best friend's sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:

A crack.

A melt.

A fire that could end his world as he knew it.

Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can't remember. But despite her broken past, she's never stopped seeing the beauty in the world...including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn't want.

Her brother's best friend.

Her neighbor.

Her savior and her downfall.

Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen-but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both...and everything they hold dear.

Ava and Alex's relationship was never one that was ideal throughout the entirety of the book. But that's the sort of romance books I tend to enjoy since I can see how they play out in the end. It did not take me very long to fall in love with both of the characters even though Alex was very standoffish in the beginning. I felt that Ava and I were very similar as we are both bright people who look for the positive in everything and tend to keep a cheerful demeanor.

Typically I will just rent out books from my library at home to read but due to me loving this series so much and having three weeks before I even go home, I bought Kindle Unlimited just so I can finish the series. Safe to say I am really looking forward to the rest of this series and I hope that it is just as good as the first.

Stars: 5

Spice: 4

The Final Nail in the Hot and Hammered Series

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Baily is the final book in the Hot and Hammered series. It still continues down the path of home renovations but this time focuses on the final Castle family member's life drama. This final book shows us just how one uncle trying to raise his sister's daughter alone can grab hold of your heart at the wrong time.

Everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned and styled to perfection. That is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most sought-after in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. But her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on a new show, Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters and banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.

Wes was a character that I did not prefer in the second book of the series, but this book has definitely changed my mind about him. I always love reading about single men trying to navigate the world of raising a sassy elementary-level girl. Bethany also not knowing how to deal with children also elevated the comedy of the situation

Like I have said in the other reviews of the first two books of the series, if you like a cute romance and house flipping like HGTV, this series is absolutely perfect for you. Hot and Hammered is a series unlike any other thanks to Tessa Bailey. I feel that if houses are not quite your thing, you should still check out any other book that she has made because they are all fantastic!

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 4/5

When Happily Ever After Needs a Renovation

Love Her or Lose Her is the second book in Tessa Bailey’s Hot and Hammered series and while it didn’t completely match the magic of the first book for me, it still delivered an engaging story. I genuinely enjoyed reading it, even if I didn’t connect with the characters quite as deeply. Rosie and Dominic’s personalities were a bit harder to love, but they’re flawed in a very raw and human way, which sometimes made it difficult to support them, but also made their journey feel more real.

The story follows Rosie and Dominic Vega, a seemingly perfect couple who’ve lost their spark over the years. Once high school sweethearts, best friends and completely obsessed with each other, they’ve now fallen into a routine that feels more like strangers sharing a space than partners in love. Dominic, a former soldier, has retreated emotionally, giving Rosie little more than grunts and blank stares, even though he’s still a loyal husband and a reliable provider. But Rosie wants more. More passion, more communication, more connection and she’s finally ready to stop settling.

Encouraged by her fiercely supportive group of girlfriends, Rosie makes two big decisions: she’s going to chase her lifelong dream of opening a restaurant and she’s going to fight for her marriage, starting with marriage boot camp. And not just any marriage boot camp, this one’s led by a laid-back, eccentric therapist who’s all about feelings, incense and emotional vulnerability. But just when it seems like everything is finally falling into place, Rosie uncovers a secret Dominic’s been keeping.

Overall, Love Her or Lose Her is a heartfelt second-chance romance that explores what happens after the honeymoon phase ends. While I personally didn’t adore the characters as much as in the first book, I appreciated their growth and the emotional weight of their story. I enjoyed how Tessa Bailey wrote a story based on real-life problems that aren't typically read about or talked about overall. Rosie and Dom’s journey isn’t perfect, but it’s honest, messy and ultimately hopeful.

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 4/5