booksalacarte's reviews
735 reviews

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.25⭐️2.75🌶️

1st POV
New Adult Fantasy
High Romantasy
Witchcraft
Immortals
Magic
Insect/Animal Familiar
Orphan FMC
Family First
Magical Vows
Generational Magic
Secrets
Disease
Very Slow Burn
High stakes

The cover of The House of Blight is jaw-dropping, and the prologue sets the tone perfectly. After reading it, I knew I was going to enjoy this book.

The magic system is unique and intriguing. As the first book in a new series, there’s so much room for growth. Threadmending is only just beginning, and the FMC is learning her craft, which leaves plenty of space for development.

The Evers are an interesting take on Fae, with their immortal lifespans, glamour, magical vows, and self-centered personalities.

The setting moves from a small, isolated town to a mysterious gothic manor, adding an element of suspense where nothing is quite as it seems.

The writing is rich and fitting for the story, even if the middle dragged a bit.

The characters are well-developed with strong growth. The FMC is often frustrating in how she overlooks red flags, but the reclusive Evers are all independently fascinating, and their family dynamics and histories add layers to the plot.

Thank you  Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for gifting me the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. 
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Love to Hate You by Marina Adair

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

3.75⭐️3🌶️

Contemporary Romance
Dual POV
Age gap (6 yrs)
Rivals to lovers
Modern twist on You’ve got mail
Family Vacation


Love to hate you was a cute romcom! 

While this is marketed as an enemies to lovers, it isn’t. It’s a rivals to lovers with Summer owning an indie romance bookstore and Wes opening a big box book store a few shops over, A la You’ve Got Mail. Because it mentions this in the synopsis I don’t mind that it is mentioned so often throughout the book. But there are many cultural references that put a definite timestamp on the book, like the TS European tour. 

This book is as much about the feeling of being the overlooked sibling as it is about romance. The inner competition that the FMC feels for her twin sister is really heavily laid out. 

The FMC, Summer, was a great representation of a softer girl who romanticizes romance. It’s her complete focus in life. 

The dog is on the cover and was more of a peekaboo pet than a fixed character in the book. I was sad that it wasn’t in the story more.

The ending felt a little rushed and jumpy.


Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for gifting me the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

2⭐️1.5🌶️

Contemporary Romance
Christian Romance 
Dual POV
Wanderlust
Scottish Setting
Tall FMC
Historical 
Reflection

Tw: cancer, grief

Some Like it Scot promises humor, romance, and adventure, but it’s a mixed bag in its execution.

One of the standout features of this novel is the main character, a tall female protagonist who stands at an impressive 6’1”. It’s refreshing to see a heroine who doesn’t conform to the typical romance novel mold. Even better, her love interest is equally tall, which adds a nice layer of visual chemistry to their dynamic.

However, while the romance has its appealing moments, the Christian themes didn’t come into focus as I expected. Labeled a Christian Romance, I anticipated the faith-based aspects to be more integral to the narrative. Instead, these elements seemed to emerge late in the story and felt more like a checkbox rather than a natural, woven theme.

Another issue I encountered was the pacing. The story frequently backtracks when shifting between the different points of view (POVs). This disrupted the flow of the plot and slowed the momentum, making it hard to stay engaged at times. I found myself wanting to continue the story without interruptions, but the constant shifts broke that connection.

Even more frustrating was the author’s choice to cut scenes abruptly, either with a POV shift or at the end of a chapter. This approach left me feeling incomplete, as I often had to revisit events in reflection rather than experiencing them firsthand. It’s a narrative style that can be jarring, especially when you’re invested in the action of a scene.

The story has its charm, especially for readers who enjoy a lighthearted romance set against the backdrop of Scotland. However, the uneven pacing may not satisfy all readers looking for a more robust or consistent storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and  for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

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funny hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.75⭐️1.75🌶️

Fantasy 
Dark Academia
Gothic
Curse
Witchcraft
Class struggles


Tw: mysoginistic content, suicide contemplation, suicide attempt, murder, religious deconstruction, gender inequality, religious deconstruction, 

“Because good people can turn desperate when the horrors are upon them—especially people whose culture of plenty has left them with no systems to cope with scarcity or cataclysm. Good people will turn monstrous when it’s down to their survival or someone else’s.”

Blood Over Bright Haven is one of those books that really gets under your skin in the best way. M.L. Wang weaves a world that feels both magical and brutally real, tackling serious themes like gender inequality, class struggles, and environmental decay with a sharp, critical eye. The main character, Sciona, is so complex—her ambitions and flaws make her relatable even when she’s making tough choices. It’s refreshing to read a fantasy novel that doesn’t shy away from real-world issues.

The world-building is stellar, especially the way magic and society are intertwined. The pacing is a bit slow, but that’s actually a good thing because it allows the characters and plot to really develop. You’re not just following along with a magical adventure—you’re being challenged to think about deeper issues.

The ending sticks with you. It’s not necessarily happy, but it feels earned and leaves you reflecting long after you’ve finished the book. If you’re into complex, character-driven fantasy that doesn’t pull any punches, Blood Over Bright Haven is definitely worth checking out.
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Twisted Love by Ana Huang

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dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

2⭐️4🌶️

Contemporary Romance
22 FMC/26 MMC
Forbidden Romance
Brothers best friend
Grumpy/sunshine
Touch her and die
Millionaire tech guy
Trauma


Twisted Love tries to tackle popular tropes but ultimately falls short. They are rushed and underdeveloped. Instead of showing the progression of the relationship, we’re told about key moments off-page, which makes it hard to feel invested in the characters or their growth.

The characters are unrealistic, especially for college students. Alex is a 23-year-old tech billionaire, and Ava is a seemingly accomplished photographer—both feel more like caricatures than believable people. The friend group also feels overly perfect, with everyone being absurdly successful despite their age.

The pacing is uneven, with important emotional moments skipped over, leaving the story feeling shallow. While it has potential, the lack of depth and the reliance on telling rather than showing made the romance and character development fall flat.

I won’t be continuing with this series.
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Nightbane by Alex Aster

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emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

2.75⭐️2.75🌶️

Second Book
Ya Romantasy
Animal familiars
Island based magic system
Amnesia 
Love triangle
Secrets


I picked up the second book because people still rave about this series and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just being judgmental with the first book. I don’t think I was. 

The chapters are so choppy and disjointed I felt like I was always trying to catch up and figure out where I even was.

The non liniar storyline as an audiobook was a lot to get use to. It never seemed to be natural.

Ugh. Repetitive. The FMC keeps making the same mistakes expecting new outcomes. 

She loves both guys… but is going to kill one of them… but Oro has zero going for him. He was only a prop. A to hold up the FMC. I detest men like that.

This book was great background noise for doing chores when I couldn’t really oy attention full time. I got the gist of the story. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on much.
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.75⭐️3🌶️

Contemporary Romance
First person/Dual POv
Baltimore Setting
Retelling of Sleepless in Seattle
Single Mom
Found/Unconventional Family
Grumpy/sunshine
Matchmaking
🏳️‍🌈 Side Characters
Banter
Tension

3🌶️= 1-3 on page/open door spice scenes, 


Tw: parent in cancer remission mention, homophobia mention, toxic masculinity/misogynistic situation, pineapple on pizza

Retelling of Sleepless in Seattle? Say less. The premise was a great subtle nod to the 90’s classic romantic film. With a teen calling into a radio station, with a relationship segment headed up by a jaded host, about her seemingly happy, but lonely, mom. 

The structure of the storytelling is really nice with the radio/text transactions between each chapter. It kept the feel of the radio segment very fresh. 

The main characters were so beautifully done! Female mechanic! Yup. I liked it! I think that the single parent role was tastefully done. The feelings of missing out while absolutely adoring the family you made was perfection. The unrealistic male who actually listens was a dreamboat. I wish there was a little more depth  to both characters. I feel like we only got the tip of the ice burg.

I really like the side characters. There many that seemed like they weren’t going to be in the lineup for the series that stayed pretty ambiguous… I wanted a little more of their stories, but I’m excited to see which will get the focus in the next book/s since there will be interconnected standalones. 
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Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5⭐️3🌶️

Contemporary Fantasy 
Magical Realism
Stand-alone 
Multi POV
Sibling Story
🏳️‍🌈 Main Characters
Polyamory
Magic
Family Disfunction


Olivie Blake is known for her long, introspective paragraphs that dive deep into unlikable characters and complex plots.

The cover of this book immediately caught my attention. It gives off a disjointed vibe before you even open the book, and that feeling carries through in the writing. The prose mirrors the cover and the characters, with a fragmented quality that works surprisingly well. Blake shifts between writing styles and storytelling techniques, creating a dynamic reading experience that keeps the plot steady even while it challenges the reader’s expectations.

A sly nod to The Prince of Egypt had me laughing out loud—it’s a delightful touch of nostalgia. 

However, I did feel that the focus of the story shifted midway through the book. What started as a compelling tale about siblings eventually became more about the challenges of mothering a toddler. By this point, my interest had waned, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The plot wasn’t advancing as I had hoped, and I found it harder to pick up the book and finish it.

Despite the book’s compressed timeline, with so much happening in a short period, not much actually seemed to take place. There were moments of tension, but they often felt overshadowed by the complexity of the narrative itself, which at times made it harder to connect with the story.


Thank you Tor Publishing for the gift of an eARC of Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake. All opinions are my own.
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