Vale is a Victorian era romance about grief, fear, betrayal, and redemption. Following 36-year-old Vale as she is ripped from her modern life by magic to being her 18-year-old self in Victorian England, she must navigate the loss of her two children and adjusting being a young woman in the 19th century, as well as an old family curse tied to the man who has become her protector.

When I started the book I was expecting a lot more Outlander vibes as opposed to delving into the struggles of a woman being stripped from the life and children she knew. The rawness of Vale’s emotions and the growth that she shows throughout the book regarding her situation was refreshing. Some very heavy topics were main themes in the story and I felt that the portrayal of the internal struggle caused by Vale’s abuses and losses was presented in good depth and not brushed to the side. There was so much character development in the story, not just from the main characters but from minor characters as well. I enjoyed being taken into the mind of someone trying to reconcile what they have been taught about history versus what they were witnessing. The romance was tender and respectful yet also sultry.

I did find that halfway through the book there was quite a lull—in that way it felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel. I think that things slowed down a little too much in the middle before picking up briskly in the last portion. I was able to predict a lot of the events that unfolded which left me more wanting to get to the “action” rather than anticipating what was to come.

Overall, for a person who loves historical fiction set in Victorian times with a touch of gothic/witchiness, I think Vale is a great fit! Please do check trigger warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Content Warnings

The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

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adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

A good continuation! I enjoyed it better than the first as I think there was more depth shown in the characters. The back and forth of certain character’s feelings was annoying but I understand necessary

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Very enticing, but definitely a little frustrating with the back and forth between trusting and mistrusting. Lara is a great MC, badass but kind. I didn’t like the storm sounds between each chapter lol

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

I first avoided this book because of the hype, then because of the spice but I decided to take the plunge and (despite the spice that was much too explicit for me and I think highly unnecessary) I enjoyed the book! I do want to give it a lower star rating (3.75) for all the things I did not like, but because I can’t stop thinking about the book and the rest of the series, it clearly still captivated me.

I found Violet’s internal monologue eye rolling and obnoxious a lot of the time. I almost DNF’d 5 minutes in because of her whining. It was also often hard to figure out if she was talking to herself or other people in the audiobook. Likewise, I thought it was odd the way the romance was danced around a number of times as if their feelings had not already been outwardly expressed??

The magic system is fascinating and well developed, though not always fully explained. Of course the dragons were awesome; I loved their different personalities and relationships with their riders. I do think that the book would have had a better cliffhanger if it ended a bit early than it did, as I find the ending isn’t keeping me on the edge of my seat as alternative options would have. A lot of aspects of the book reminded me of the Red Queen series.

Something that I really appreciated was the disability representation with Violet. As someone with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (a less severe form of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) it was so nice to be able to relate to a character with similar physical struggles as me! And to also see the growth that she had in learning to overcome or compensate for her differences to the other riders. It also reminded me how I really do need to do my physio exercises😂

Content Warnings

Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena by Philomena Cunk

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funny informative reflective

5.0

Absolutely hilarious! Thankful for the time I lived in the UK so I could understand some of the references; wish I would have been able to understand more, but it definitely did not take away from the humour at all! Felt seen and called out with the bit about jell-o. I don’t know how Cunk comes up with the content but her delivery is spot on. Would love to know the process that went into selecting the topics because it was so amazingly chaotic. If you are considering this book I highly recommended listening to the audiobook as hearing Cunk’s narration is perfection.

Thank you NetGalley and Hackett Audio for the ARC

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

When I first started the book I was hesitant at the author’s choice of breaking the fourth wall-I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to read a book with that type of narrative. But honestly, it was so refreshing! I had a few moments where I had guessed towards the finally reveal but I never felt concrete in my assumptions. The creative presentation of the story was capturing and enticing

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.

I think I might have liked this if I started it in a different reading mood. But it’s sat unread for a while now and I don’t feel compelled to go back. I do hope to come back to it at a later time as I did really like the historical setting and the Jewish perspective/characters of the story. The magic/fantasy aspect was intriguing and definitely made me curious as to why the main characters had the attributes that they did, as well as wanting to find out more about the villain.

I believe this would be a great read for someone looking for a fantasy book written from a voice and representation not commonly found in Young Adult Fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an ARC

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jo_cbooks's reviews 253 reviews

jo_cbooks's reviews
253 reviews