May Reading Wrap-up and Mini-Reviews

1) THE LOTUS EMPIRE BY TASHA SURI (Adult Fantasy) (494 pages) (3.75⭐️)

This is the conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms trilogy in which Malini and Priya, lovers turned enemies, must join forces to kill the yaksa – nature spirits/gods who are altering their world and sickening their people. This is the weakest link in the trilogy. It introduces new conflicts and plot devices so late into the story – and that leads to a lot of the conflicts being solved a little too conveniently. Even though the writing isn’t up to par with what I had come to expect from this author, I still thought the book was good. I’ve come to care deeply for these characters over the course of my time reading this series, so that definitely influenced my rating. The climax of the book managed to exceed my expectations and that upped my rating from a lower 3 stars as well. I was satisfied with the fates of all of the characters in the end.

FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8550815593

2) DO NOT DISTURB BY FREIDA MCFADDEN (Adult Thriller) (288 pages) (1.5⭐️)

Quinn Alexander murders her abusive husband and then goes on the run. She finds herself at a decrepit, remote motel with a violent history when a snowstorm hits. This was my second McFadden book after The Housemaid. At first, I thought it would be slightly better, but then things went sharply downhill. The characters are VERY similar to those of The Housemaid. The reveals may be shocking, but that’s not a good thing when the way we got there made no sense whatsoever.

FULL REVIEW: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/i-gave-freida-mcfadden-a-second-chance-do-not-disturb-book-review

3) WE BURNED SO BRIGHT BY TJ KLUNE (Adult Sci-fi) (163 pages) (5⭐️)

A black hole is approaching earth. Elderly couple Don and Rodney go on a road trip to find closure before the world ends. This novella is a harrowing read. It’s some of Klune’s best work. It’s not a grand story of a fight for survival or a desperate, final attempt to save humanity. Instead, it’s the story of a couple reflecting back on their life together. The other characters they meet along the way showcase the spectrum of human beliefs and behaviors. This is a tragically beautiful story that, despite its short length, is an emotional gut punch.

FULL REIVEW: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/we-burned-so-bright-may-be-tj-klune-s-best-book-yet-book-review

4) THE BOOK WITCH BY MEG SHAFER (Adult Fantasy) (297 pages) (4.25⭐️)

Rainy March is a Book Witch, a person capable of entering into novels and interacting with fictional characters. Their aim is to protect stories from villains known as Burners who seek to destroy them. When Rainy’s grandfather goes missing, she enlists the help of a fictional detective, the Duke of Chicago, to help her find him. The concept of this book is a book nerd’s dream. It’s a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery – my two favorite genres. As with Shafer’s other books, this story emphasizes the importance and magic of the art of storytelling – for both the writer and the reader.

FULL REVIEW: Coming soon to the blog!

5) FINLAY DONOVAN CROSSES THE LINE BY ELLE COSIMANO (Adult Cozy Thriller) (355 pages) (4.5⭐️)

This is the sixth installment in the Finlay Donovan series. In this book, Finlay travels to Maryland to help exonerate her best friend, Vero, who has been falsely accused of a crime. This is a comfort series for me. I always have such a fun time reading these books and joining Finlay and Vero on their fast paced, wild misadventures. If you haven’t read this series before then I highly recommend picking up book 1, Finlay Donovan is Killing It. This particular plot feels like it has been a long time coming, and I feel like I got to know Vero’s character a lot better.

FULL REVIEW: Coming soon to the blog!

6) THE WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE AND HER JUST OKAY ASSISTANT BY LIZA TULLY (Adult Cozy Mystery) (400 pages) (3.25⭐️)

Olivia Blunt is the new assistant to renowned private investigator Aubrey Merritt (referred to by her surname). They are hired to determine if the death of the wealthy Victoria Summersworth was murder or suicide. Merritt is one of the most unlikable characters I’ve come across in a long time. She’s condescending and cold. I would have quit on the first day if I were Olivia. The set up for the mystery isn’t anything super unique, but I think it was executed well and was enjoyable to read – more so scenes where Olivia was solo sleuthing than when Merritt was also present. I am unsure if I’ll continue this series given how Merritt’s character doesn’t seem like she’ll be changing.

FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8599699382

7) THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME BY ILONA ANDREWS (Adult Fantasy) (470 pages) (4.75⭐️)

Maggie wakes up one day to find herself in Kair Toren, the city from her favorite fantasy book series. She must survive and try and prevent the war she knows is coming. The novel’s world building has a tendency to be a bit info dumpy, but it is rescued from fully falling into this pitfall. Cleverly, a lot of it is told via Maggie using her knowledge of the books to gain alliances and take down the antagonists. The novel has the found family trope and a budding romance between Maggie and swordsman Reynald. The romance is PG 13, but that doesn’t stop their chemistry from rivaling that of couples from the most popular romantasy novels.

FULL REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8516775489

DNFS

1) THE HEARTBREAK HOTEL BY ELLEN O’CLOVER (read 127 pages) (36%)

This is a romance novel about a woman, Louisa, whose boyfriend breaks up with her. She is unable to afford the rent on her Colorado mountain home but doesn’t want to leave it. She gets the landlord, Henry, to agree to let her renovate it and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. There’s nothing wrong with this book that caused me to DNF it, I have simply found that I am not currently in the mood for contemporary romances. I’ve been trying to make myself read them this year, but I think it’s time for me to just listen to my heart and read what I want and not try and force myself to diversify my reading more.

2) THE FRAMED WOMEN OF ARDEMORE HOUSE BY BRANDY SCHILLACE (read 128 pages) (38%)

This is a cozy mystery about Jo Jones who inherits an abandoned English manor. A portrait goes missing and the groundskeeper is murdered, and she becomes a suspect. My favorite thing about the novel was that it features a neurodivergent main character – I don’t see a lot of such representation in cozy mysteries. I just really don’t like following cop characters in cozy mysteries, and that is present in this novel. The mystery also just failed to grip me.

TOTAL BOOKS READ (JAN-MAY): 29DNFS (JAN-MAY): 7

TOTAL PAGES READ (JAN-MAY): 11,556

AVG. BOOK LENGTH (JAN-MAY): 398.49 pages

AVG. RATING (JAN-MAY): 4.01⭐️