Rush by Samantha Towle (Gods #2) My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is such an amazing series and one which leaves you pining for more from the characters. Each and every character that we’ve met has swept me off my feet and have rewarded me with a fond and lasting memory.
Ares and Arianna’s story was definitely a turbulent and emotional one. Both characters made me frustrated a times, especially Ares, and I really just wanted to bang their heads together but then hug them - if you read the story you’ll see why!
Given the problems faced by the characters (alcoholism, mental health, family sagas) the story really pulls at your heartstrings. There are certainly plenty of highs and lows, that’s for sure.
As always, the author’s writing style is what made the story what is it. You can’t help but fall head first into her novels and this series has definitely left me wanting more.
We are proud to provide honest and unbiased reviews written from the heart.
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RUSH has a SPECIAL pre-order price of $0.99/£0.99! This is the only time it will be on sale. Price will rise to $3.99/£2.99 on release day.
FromSamantha Towle,New York Times bestselling author of Breaking HollywoodandRuin, comes a new powerful, passionate and dramatic contemporary romance.
“With the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select…”
It’s been three years since quarterback Ares Kincaid’s NFL dream came true, and he’s living the high life. The days of cleaning up after his drunk of a father are long gone, and he has no intention of going back.
A car crash and DUI charge meant a lengthy stint in rehab for Arianna Petrelli, and her dream of being a professional artist slips further away when she’s sacked from her position at a gallery. Her need for a job stronger even than her dislike of football, Ari goes to work for her father, the head coach of the New York Giants.
Ares hates alcoholics, which is fine with Ari because she thinks he’s a brainless jock. Yet when Ares rescues Ari from a situation with her ex-boyfriend, an unlikely friendship begins – one that quickly becomes more.
But messing around with the coach’s daughter can only lead to one thing…trouble.
‘A moving and fan-yourself-worthy love story’ USA Today’s Happy Ever AfteronRuin
A Change Of Pace by Freya Barker My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really enjoyable story!
As always with Freya Barker, you can rely on her storytelling ability to sell you an amazing story and this was another hit with me.
I wasn’t sure about a man named Newt but his actions soon won me over. With a daughter struggling after the loss of her mother and self-harming herself as a result, Newt and Millie pack up their belongings and head to the country for a more relaxed lifestyle. It’s not long before Newt notices that Millie is continuing to struggle but fortunately Freddy has just what Millie needs: compassion and enough pets to start a small petting farm! Little by little Millie starts to open up but when her school friend also starts having emotional problems, Millie steps in and offers her support and together they form an unlikely friendship.
All of the side characters were a perfect complement to this story, and where there is initially some reservations to the newcomers in town, they locals soon accept Newt and Millie as one of their own, especially when tragedy befalls Millie.
Not to be outdone, Freddy has her own fair share of demons to face and eventually turns to Newt and Millie for their support.
This was a great story with characters in their 40s, which I really appreciated. The heat factor may have been a little OTT at times and seemed slightly at odds with the characters ages IMO. That said, I really enjoyed the developing romance between Newt and Freddy.
Definitely a recommended read from me.
This ebook was kindly provided by the author prior to release in return for an honest and unbiased review.
We are proud to provide honest and unbiased reviews written from the heart.
The question slips from my lips before I can check it. It would appear that Freddy Marchand is a woman. Not just any woman, but the feisty vigilante with the gorgeous hair, who verbally crushed my balls in the Parry Sound Mall parking lot. The woman who about ran me over with her shopping cart at Canadian Tire the week after, and the same woman I could barely keep my eyes off of last night at the sports bar where Millie and I stopped for a bite. That woman is the therapist? And what kind of name is Freddy anyway? “I could say the same thing,” she fires back, composing herself after what clearly was shock at seeing me.
“Guess you could,” I agree, stepping into her office. “Maybe we should rewind and start with a proper introduction this time.” I hold out my hand. “My name is Newt Tobias, and I’m fairly new to the area.” Almost reluctantly, she grabs my hand and I can’t help noticing how nice her cool, slim fingers feel, sliding along my palm.
“Frederique Marchand, but everyone calls me Freddy, or Fred.”
The sound of her voice is deeper than I remember, but melodic and feminine. I’ll be damned if I call this woman Fred, not going to happen.
Blurb
Once a man who lived by the letter of the law.
Newt Tobias will do anything for his little girl. Even take early retirement, sell his city home, and move to cottage country, hoping that the simpler life will provide a better balance for his troubled teenage daughter.
Yet, not long after they’ve settled, he finds himself toe-to-toe with a stubborn, fiery tempered woman with pretty brown eyes.
Once a recluse preferring to live alone.
Working with troubled adolescents, Frederique Marchand doesn’t suffer fools and won’t put up with bullies. Especially handsome strangers like Newt who think they can run roughshod over her. She loves her work, but on her own time she much prefers the company of her menagerie of animals.
But with the welfare of a teenager at stake, she must put aside rocky first impressions and work with a man who needs her as much as she’ll come to need him.
Another enjoyable story from the Nothing but Trouble stable of rock stars and another reason why the band carries the name it does!
This time, it’s Landon Cox’s story waiting to be told. Landon, the effervescent drummer with Nothing but Trouble, is all about the partying and rock star lifestyle and believes in taking his excesses to an impossible height. The women he takes to his bed are there for one reason only and relationships are clearly not an option. That is until he sees the girl who stole his heart many years before he became a rock God.
Unbeknownst to Landon, Piper Hastings works for Travis Taggert the band’s agent. Keeping herself firmly away from Landon’s presence, Piper has successfully avoided a confrontation with him, that is until Delaney, lead singer Shane’s girlfriend drags her to one of the Nothing But Trouble gigs. With emotions running high, Piper flees backstage and into what she assumes is a safe area but unfortunately for her, she finds herself in Landon’s room.
Landon is stunned to see Piper again and it is clear that their chemistry and feelings for one another have not diminished with time. Piper knows starting anything with Landon would be asking for trouble but unfortunately, her heart and mind don’t see eye to eye.
As the story progresses, Landon and Piper continue to struggle with their feelings for one another but when their circumstances change so does their outlook on life. Can Landon put his demons to bed in order to settle down with Piper? You know what to do to find out!
Whilst I enjoyed this story, I wasn’t swept away by it as much as I was by Rock King. The story was steady and methodical until about 60% when suddenly the story suddenly starts to become all-consuming. From that point on I couldn’t put it down. The book is of course very well written and another reminder of why I fell for Tara Leigh’s writing style and her storytelling abilities. Definitely a book to recommend to romance readers with a penchant for rock stars, especially shirtless drummers!
This ebook was kindly provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley prior to release in return for an honest and unbiased review.
We are proud to provide honest and unbiased reviews written from the heart.
Blurb
I’m no Prince Charming.
Most people know me as the drummer for Nothing but Trouble. Depending who you ask, I’m also a playboy, a loner, the life of the party, a screw-up, or according to my fans, “The Sexiest Rock Star on the Planet.” Apparently, I’m a legend.
Am I surprised? Hell, no. It’s a reputation I’ve earned behind my drum kit and behind closed doors. No one thought foster kid Landon Cox would become famous. Infamous, maybe. Notorious, probably. But successful? Never. No one except Piper Hastings. But I had to make a choice: my woman or my career. I picked fame and fortune… and spent every damn day since pretending I don’t regret it.
Now fate’s dropped Piper back into my life. I want to believe it’s a second chance for me - for us. But while I can give her a few great nights, I can’t give Piper a future.
Because there’s a difference between a legend and a fairy tale… Only one of them ends happily ever after.
Atticus: A Woman’s Journey with the World’s Worst Behaved Dog by S. Bennett My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a beautiful love story!
Not all love stories are of a romantic type. This was by far the most heart warming story I’ve read in such a long time.
This was a book about love, redemption, inner growth, and family. Family in the most unlikely form. How one pup helped change the path of his unexpected owners life.
I loved each person that came into Hazel and Atticus’ life.
This is definitely a must read book. Thank you Sawyer for writing such a touching, emotional book.
A heart-warming and deliciously funny story about the world’s worst behaved dog and how he trained his human how to love herself again.
Through the haze of vodka and self-loathing, Hazel Roundtree saw the poor creature lying in a ditch.
One brown eye. One blue. Covered in mud and crying from pain, the puppy was desperately trying to free itself from a hopeless situation.
She almost kept walking by. She had her own problems and besides… no one had ever stopped to help her.
Who we’re ultimately meant to be is a journey without end, but there’s always a defined start…
Hazel had no idea the dog would be her beginning, her second chance, the miracle she never saw coming. She named him Atticus. He grew up to be a very bad—and completely awesome—dog. He took Hazel on a life-changing journey filled with mischievous adventure and painful heartbreak. In the end, Hazel grew up to be completely awesome, too.
There is a scene early on in One Night in Miami that perfectly captures what the film is getting at. Visiting an old friend in the South of America, African-American NFL player Jim Brown (Aldi’s Hodge) is praised for all of his work on the field, but is then left speechless when the same man says he can’t have any black people in his house. This tension between celebrity and race relations is at the heart of Regina King’s powerful directorial debut, which presents a complex portrayal of both its subject and its larger-than-life black icons.
Drawing its story from its critically acclaimed stage play by Kemp Powers, the film quickly gets us acquainted with our main players - NFL star Jim Brown, who is considering a career change to acting, boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), later Muhammad Ali, celebrated jazz singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and political activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir). After the surprise boxing victory of Cassius over Sonny Liston in 1964, it imagines what might have gone down when the four men came together to celebrate in a motel in Miami, and ended up discussing their different levels of involvement in the civil rights movement.
For a film based on fiction, One Night in Miami feels incredibly authentic. As it was originally a play, the film is essentially one long dialogue set within one space, but the schisms between them are believable and engaging enough to convince you it actually happened. Much of this division comes down to Malcolm X, who encourages his commercially minded friends to use their celebrity to help fight the white man, while he wrestled with his on fateful decision to leave the Nation of Islam.
Given that there is a lot of talking, it helps that King has found a stunning cast - all relative newcomers - who prove more than up to the challenge of bringing these legends to life. Ben-Adir may have had to deal with the shadow of Washington’s Oscar-winning portrayal, but he manages to craft a performance that stands up in its own right. Nailing Malcolm’s speech pattern and sense of righteousness, he also communicates the paranoia, frustration and torment that the man was going through near the end of his life, delivering impassioned speeches that the man himself might have been proud of. As Clay, Goree effortlessly captures the arrogance and swagger of the man before he made his conversion to Islam, so much that at one point he is referred to as a “giant fucking baby”. They might not be as central to the plot, but Odom Jr. also leaves a lasting impression as the smooth-talking Cooke, while Hodge impressed with a quiet yet impactful performance as the more reserved Brown.
There isn’t much in the way of event, and if you are expecting any drama, you might leave feeling slightly short changed. However, as a moment in time that precedes major changes in social attitudes, One Night in Miami remains a truly fascinating watch. King, in her first film as director, shows a strong grasp of the themes of the play, using the differences between these four men to explore the nature of celebrity, and how much responsibility comes with it. It makes for some arresting arguments and squabbles - particularly that between Malcolm and Cooke, who finds himself accused of making music to please white people, rather than helping liberate his own people. However, it also finds time for moments of surprising levity, like when one character interjects a heated discussion with “Malcolm will you please have some damn ice cream?”. Lending a sense of levity to its thought-provoking subject matter, it is a perfect film for our dark times.
Exploring the difficult line between celebrity and social responsibility, King’s directorial debut is as assured as they come - thoughtful, funny and perfectly performed by its leading quartet.
If you’ve seen 12 Years a SlaveorHunger, you’ll know that the words joy and romance don’t really go hand in hand with the works of Steve McQueen. It comes as something of a surprise then, that both are in abundance in Lovers Rock, the latest short film in his Small Axe anthology on BBC, which proves a vibrant ode to Caribbean party culture, and shows that the director knows more than doom and gloom.
With series opener Mangrove, McQueen provided a gripping story about civil unrest, with flashes of the joyful parties where black people could briefly escape the claws of racism in the 60s. Shifting focus to London in 1980, Lover’s Rock takes the concept of a party and runs with it, setting most of its short running time within the confines of a house party that runs into the early hours. The plot, such as there is one, follows the coming together of smooth-talker Franklyn (Top Boy’s Michael Ward) and headstrong Martha (impressive newcomer Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn), who brilliantly scales down her drainpipe to attend the party without alerting her parents. Mostly though, as with the best of parties, you are encouraged to go with the flow, and see where the night takes its characters.
There may have been doubts about whether McQueen’s style would suit this kind of material, but these are dispelled within the opening minutes. McQueen’s signature long takes create a sense of feverous anticipation from the start, lingering on the preparation of speakers, the cooking of curry goat, and the excited chatter of party guests. From the moment the music plays - kicked off by a hilarious rendition of Kung Fu Fighting - cinematographer Shabier Kirchner places you at the heart of the action, snaking around the waists of the dancers as they grind, link hands, and sing along to a range of reggae, soul and lovers rock. It feels so authentic and lived-in that it’s hard to feel like you aren’t there yourself.
This being a McQueen joint, there are flashes of drama, particularly concerning the arrival of the troubled Clifton (Sex Education’s Kedar Williams-Stirling) and the menacing Bammy (Daniel Francis-Swaby). For the most part though, this is a film that addresses issues like racial tension with a meaningful glance to a menacing mob, keeping the drama very much to the side of the dance floor. Thankfully, this lack of stakes doesn’t make the film any less engaging. As well as being McQueen’s funniest film yet - the sight of young men getting rebuffed on the dance floor never gets old - it also nails the romance at its heart, coasting on the easy chemistry of Ward and St. Aubyn, whose assured debut performance is the best of the film. You may not get many opportunities to party it up in 2020, but Lovers Rock comes pretty close to the real deal.
A joyous and soulful celebration of Caribbean music and culture, Lovers Rock is a party you won’t want to end.
As far as shock value comedy goes, the arrival of Borat in 2006 is hard to beat. Sacha Baron Cohen’s larger-than-life, jew-fearing persona had his unwitting guests stammering and uncomfortable, while his sayings – ‘wa wa wee wa’ - can still be heard in college dorms across the world. There may have been doubts about whether this out-of-the-blue sequel from Amazon Studios could retain the same element of surprise, but Borat Subsequent Moviefilm skimps on none of the outrageous comedy of the original, adapting to a changed and crazy world - new presidents, new viruses - in hilarious and yes, shocking, ways.
After his documentary-making exploits in the first film lead to national humiliation for Kazakhstan, Borat finds himself imprisoned for his crimes against his home country. Yet, when new president Donald Trump steps in, and Kazakhstan is presented with an opportunity to win favour with the United States, Borat is sent on a mission for his own survival - present his own daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) as a gift to ‘Vice Pussy Grabber’ Mike Pence, or be ‘execute’.
Borat needed a good excuse to return for a sequel, and luckily 2020 has been a year just waiting to be satirised. Like with the quest to marry Pamela Anderson, the plot here doesn’t make much sense, but Cohen and director Jason Woliner use it as a tool with which to expose alarming social attitudes in the US. As Borat ventures through the south – cleverly using disguises to elude discovery from fans of the movie - there are genuinely jaw dropping scenes with a pastor who takes his support of pro-life to extreme lengths, and a store owner who does his best to help Borat get the right materials needed to ‘gas gypsies’.
As before, much of the humour here comes from the awkward reactions of Borat’s targets, though you would hope that Cohen and regular collaborator Anthony Hines would’ve taken more risks with their material – a final act about the ‘coronavirus hoax’ ends up feeling slightly toothless. That being said, the film has a huge trump card in the form of Bakalova as Borat’s socially repressed daughter. Stepping in as Cohen’s new foil (the gruesome fate of Borat’s previous assistant Azamat is revealed early on), Bakalova is just as committed to the cause, willingly plunging herself into absurd stunts – a period-stained dance father-daughter dance, and an encounter with a certain former mayor – that somehow top the audacity of those in the first film. As Borat’s relationship with his daughter forces him to confront his outdated views on female rights – maybe they don’t belong in cages? – the resulting ending is both silly and weirdly sweet, with the most genius cameo of the year yet.
A Borat sequel purely for fans of the original, this delivers more of the same, boosted by a father-daughter subplot that provides some of the most uncomfortably funny moments yet. For the most part, it’s very nice!
In the opening scene of Waves, the camera pirouettes around two lovers as they belt out a car sing-along, all the while hinting at the possibility of an incoming collision. From Trey Edward Shults, writer-director of tense thriller It Comes At Night, it’s a sequence that perfectly captures the sensibilities of his compelling new drama, which feels alive with the giddy excitement of youth, but looms with the threat of imminent disaster.
Shot with an intimate camera style that effortlessly places us in the headspace of its protagonist, we follow Tyler (a brilliant Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an American teenager who seemingly has it all: high-school popularity, a promising gift for competitive wrestling, and a dreamy girlfriend (Mid-90s’ Alexa Demie). Yet, this lifestyle is accompanied by great pressure on the part of his well-meaning but overbearing father (Sterling K. Brown), whose enormous expectations threaten to push Tyler to breaking point.
You never quite know where this is heading, but this probably makes it more difficult to tear your eyes away. The best thing you can say about Waves is that it feels reminiscent of Moonlight, offering a sensual and poetic look at the social pressures and expectations attributed to black males, who have to work harder to match the achievements of their white peers.
If this doesn’t quite reach those heights, it still convincingly carves out a world of its own. Shults’ vision of adolescence is one that will be entirely recognizable to teenagers today (right up to its hip hop soundtrack), whether it’s taking a moment to ‘flex for the gram’ or angrily reciting rap lyrics when things don’t go your way. Told with enough authenticity to suggest a basis on real-life experiences, it’s also strengthened by a charismatic performance from newcomer Harrison Jr., whose struggles to balance different responsibilities feel instantly empathetic. Ably communicating his frustrations and feelings of powerlessness, Tyler’s character arc is perfectly played, building up the tension before a devastating crescendo.
Where the film falls short is in balancing Tyler’s story with that of his sister, Emily (Taylor Russell). While it makes sense to the story and its themes of forgiveness and restoring broken bonds, it too often feels like a dissatisfying detour, never matching the energy of everything that goes before it. Still, even this segment has interesting material, like a warm romance with the likeable Lucas Hedges, and reveals a more human side to Tyler’s father, brilliantly played by Brown. It helps that everything is masterfully shot by cinematographer Drew Daniels (also responsible for the trippy visuals of Euphoria), whose beautiful images of the Florida Sea are brimming with positivity and hope.
Though slightly let down by an overlong final act, this is an impactful, thoughtful film about the healing power of forgiveness, with arresting visuals and immersive direction that immediately connects you to its world.
Ah, peppermint. My first tea love. Adagio’s peppermint captures all the refreshing minty goodness for a truly thirst-quenching cup.
The first sip is smooth and fresh, with a strong minty aftertaste that delightfully tingles your whole mouth and lips. The mint flavor has a plush taste, a roundness more reminiscent of a refreshing dessert mint (as opposed to the harshness of squirting toothpaste directly onto your tongue).
Even as it tingles and freshens, the taste is still warm and balanced. Sometimes mint teas can tip over into a bitter, sharp taste, but this peppermint absolutely hits the mark. The mint has the bright, zingy freshness that characterizes everything there is to love about peppermint, but the overall taste is still round and smooth. With a plush taste followed by smooth mint tingles, this is a sweet, refreshing cup and a fine example of peppermint tea.
Prep: 185° water, 3 ½ minutes steep, honey Verdict: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Very Good!
If you’re feeling the itch of spring fever already, this bright tea is sunshine in a cup. The base green tea is filled with generous chunks of candied pineapple and currants, plus pineapple and mango flavoring. Cornflower and marigold petals sprinkled in make this tea visually beautiful. With an intoxicatingly tropical fruity aroma that evokes a summer breeze, green passionfruit is a sweet, sunny blend you’ll want to drink down in one gulp.
The taste is juicy and sweet, especially enhanced with a dollop of honey. As the tea cools to just-warmer-than-room-temp, the fruit flavors really start to pop and dance. I tried sipping a little too soon and planned to give this 3 stars for lack of juicy goodness, but “accidentally procrastinating on drinking your tea” did me a favor this time. The juicy goodness arrived!
The pineapple and mango are very present without being overbearing (I also taste the ghost of non-present coconut, which I guess shows the strength of the association between the pineapple, mango, coconut trifecta). Typically, I’m neither the biggest green tea lover nor overly fond of tropical fruit flavors, but this tea truly is a stand-out. Sweet, juicy, and fruity, it’s chasing my winter blues away. What can I say? I like this tea and gettin’ caught in the rain.
It seems fitting to mark the theoretical end of winter with a warm cup of pomegranate tea. This black tea is flavored with both pomegranate and raspberry, with raspberry leaves sprinkled throughout, for a hybrid pom-ras party. Bright, fruity, and sweet, this is a pleasant cup with juicy flavor.
The #1 word I would use to describe this tea is actually cheeky. The fruity flavors are sweet with tart notes that add a playfulness to the overall taste. The lingering notes are reminiscent of a sour-candy buzz, while the first sip is smooth and sweet.
This tea is a lot less messy to prepare than an actual pomegranate—though unfortunately you also don’t get the fun satisfaction of pulling out all those little seeds. Still, this is a bright sweet-tart tea bursting with juicy flavor that will invigorate you with fruity flavor. If you’re feeling the winter doldrums, a cup of pomegranate tea is a good reminder than warmer weather is on the way (unless of course you’re Persephone, in which case, it might bring six more weeks of winter for you).
I would describe this one as more lemon than cayenne, but it sure is tasty. The aroma is bright and citrusy, without being overpowering. The aroma is absolutely lovely. A dash of honey makes all of the flavors pop and adds a sweet-tart undertone.
With a light base of white tea, the lemon peel, rosehip peel, and lime pieces give this a bright, citrus flavor. This tea contains chili peppers but in a way that adds warmth to the flavor more than heat. Though the website touts this as a blend of sour and spicy, to me it tastes more like a fabulous blend of sour citrus and sweet warmth.
This is one of the more unique teas in my collection and I love it for that. The harmony between the citrus flavors and the chili notes creates a bright, warm blend that’s sunny and full of life. If you’re shy about spicy, you’ve nothing to fear from this one. But if you’re looking for something with citrusy sweetness and invigorating warmth, this one hits on that special something.
Prep: 165°, 4 spoonfuls of matcha, whisk, plain, fill half with frothed milk over ice Verdict: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Very Good!
As an iced latte, the vanilla matcha makes for a smooth, creamy treat. The tastes are subtle, but still decidedly sweet, even with nothing added but milk. The vanilla taste itself is not pronounced, but the effect that it has on smoothing and sweetening the base matcha is noticeable.
As I noted in my original review, this vanilla is sweet in a mild, gentle way. While the flavor itself is less pronounced with the added milk, I’m still pleased by the rich creaminess this offers, the gentle sweetness of subtle vanilla.
If you don’t love plain matcha, but you don’t want something too distinctly flavored, this is a perfect bridge. It tempers the matcha with a rounded, gentle taste, for an overall smooth and subtle drinking experience.
Oh, this is cinnamon-y. Yet, the distinctive sweetness sets this tea apart from your usual chai, for a rich, playful cinnamon taste that’s bright and warm and full of zing.
Cinnamon is the star attraction—and star ingredient—of this tea. However, while not distinct in and of themselves, the rosehip, apple, and pumpkin are working hard in the background. These other elements add a layer of sweetness that plain cinnamon would not have on its own, tempering that spicy sharpness with brighter, sweeter notes.
The result is a warm, juicy cinnamon flavor with a zingy sweetness. It’s reminiscent of cinnamon candies (though it’s neither as eye-wateringly sharp nor as artificially sweet, achieving cinnamon sweetness in a more natural way).
This tea is cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon, but the full sweetness keeps the taste from being too sharp or too much. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, for a contrast that is truly delicious.
Prep: 212°, 4 ½ minutes steeping, honey Verdict: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Very Good!
This is delectably sweet! Like licking the frosting off a cupcake, the taste is bright without crossing into cloying or overkill. The buttercream flavor is absolutely spot-on, a smooth replication of its namesake. Normally, I like a little sweet treat with my tea, but this is a dessert all on its own!
The caffeine-free rooibos is enhanced by vanilla flavoring and lavender. I prefer to add a little honey to make those bright, sweet flavors really shine. If you’ve got a sweet-tooth and love a desserty treat, this is one a winner! A lot of teas that purport to mimic different desserts are often more abstract, but I really can’t get over how much this one reminds me of the taste of frosting.
I would describe this as more buttercream than lavender, though both tastes are present. But the lavender is much more subtle than the bright cupcake frosting taste. That said, the lavender is most present in the aftertaste, with those earthy-smooth lavender notes lingering behind that more vivid sweetness.
Overall, if you love sweet, this tea is downright delectable!
It’s October 31st, and in my family, that means more than just Halloween. It’s my mom’s birthday. So while I’ve spent most of October celebrating the spookiest month of the year, today I’m reserving space for something more important.
That’s how I ended up reading Standing Tall, a choice I never would have picked for myself, simply because I’m not usually interested in sports. My mom, however,…
A charming magical adventure set in the early 1900s. When Robin Blyth reluctantly accepts a new government position he finds himself unexpectedly swept up in magical conspiracies, deadly curses and a passionate whirlwind romance.
I chose to read A Marvellous Light on a whim, knowing very little about it other than the fact that it had a beautiful cover and had been blurbed by the author of The House In the Cerulean Sea. I’m pleased to report that it was everything I could have hoped for: a beautifully written queer romance wrapped up in the complications of magical intrigue and Edwardian sensibilities.
Told from the dual third-person perspectives of ordinary civil servant Robin Blyth and Edwin Courcey, the haughty magician forced to take Robin into his protection, A Marvellous Light centres around the mysterious disappearance of a liason between the ordinary and magical worlds. Robin and Edwin have a classic mutual-annoyance-to-friends-to-lovers relationship and their burgeoning feelings are definitely the heart of the book. The pace of the mystery slowed considerably after the first few chapters, but I didn’t really mind since this gave us more time to focus on Robin and Edwin getting to know each other.
One thing that definitely stood out to me in this novel is the worldbuiding. It’s a testament to debut author Marske’s skill that the magic of her world feels refreshingly original. Magicians in A Marvellous Light use gestures called cradles to weave together the requirements of their spells. It’s an entirely new way of approaching magic, but there’s a logic to the rules and regulations of Marske’s secret magical society that keeps it from becoming confusing.
All in all, there’s a lot to love about this novel and I’m excited to read more from Marske in the future!
Many thanks to Tor Books for providing a copy of A Marvellous Light. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Tor Books Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰ Review cross-posted to Goodreads
A decadently Gothic examination of intergenerational trauma, self-control and what it means to be monstrous. I read What Big Teeth in just two sittings - both of which were late at night, bundled up in a blanket with a steaming mug of tea, listening to the wind and rain battering against my windows. It was the perfect atmosphere in which to read a creepy, surreal fairytale like this one.
InWhat Big Teeth, Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
If I had to describe What Big Teeth in one word it would be: disjointed. That might sound like a critique, but it’s not - what I enjoyed most about this book was that everything - the dysfunctional relationships between characters, the protagonist’s frustratingly vague memories, the eerie setting - felt off-kilter. Even the pacing was jarring, veering from lengthy descriptions of a single afternoon to weeks flashing by in just a few lines. The overall effect was a pervading sense of uneasiness and the feeling that something terrible could happen at any moment.
If I had one wish, it would be that the ending was fleshed out a little more. Once we, the readers, are finally made aware of exactly what is happening, everything happens very quickly. I would have liked to have spent more time with Eleanor and her family after everything had been revealed.
One final thought: can we just appreciate that cover? It’s STUNNING.
Many thanks to Farrar, Straus & Giroux for providing a copy of What Big Teeth. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
