Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.
When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she's captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father鈥檚 murder.
But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas鈥� wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician's aide, Ven Kochin, she鈥檚 forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her...though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.
When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And -- if she's willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears -- to save herself and the ones she's vowed to protect.]]>
author: Vanessa Le
name: Rima
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:
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When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Caf茅 in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes鈥�
The Pumpkin Spice Caf茅 is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
Tropes:
鈥� grumpy x sunshine
鈥� small town
鈥� found family
鈥� spicy]]>
I'm not the biggest reader of insta-love romances so it did surprise me how quickly these two were down bad. But the turns in their relationship fueled by this desire for each other was always at the brink of giving me whiplash. One chapter they were smiling and in love. The next they were in their own heads, doubting the other and walking away. I wish someone would just make them sit for longer than five minutes to just talk and learn about each other.
This a cosy small town romance so expect all the cosy clich茅s that come with it. I ate that all up. Except for the twist at the end about who was targeting her cafe which was just asking too much from the reader to suspend their belief and not haul their ass to small town jail.
Laurie Gilmore has created such a darling little town in Dream Harbour with a really warm cast that I feel I've spent time with and I would possibly read more from the series.]]>
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Rima
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
Autumn in a book. The first was a whirlwind of small town cuteness and tender moments between Jeanie and Logan and it was so cosy to read that it made me wish the second half was as strong. For two leads who found confidence and security in the other, I wish they trusted each other and that we got more night time, warmly lit cafe stakeout conversations about their insecurities and fears.
I'm not the biggest reader of insta-love romances so it did surprise me how quickly these two were down bad. But the turns in their relationship fueled by this desire for each other was always at the brink of giving me whiplash. One chapter they were smiling and in love. The next they were in their own heads, doubting the other and walking away. I wish someone would just make them sit for longer than five minutes to just talk and learn about each other.
This a cosy small town romance so expect all the cosy clich茅s that come with it. I ate that all up. Except for the twist at the end about who was targeting her cafe which was just asking too much from the reader to suspend their belief and not haul their ass to small town jail.
Laurie Gilmore has created such a darling little town in Dream Harbour with a really warm cast that I feel I've spent time with and I would possibly read more from the series.
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Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...
The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.
At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.
Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.
And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.]]>
Series review to come but for now READ IT READ IT READ IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT. ]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
I'm still collating my thoughts because I binge read the entire Ember quartet this month and my head and heart are still in the Ember world. Heartbroken that this is the end and I have to say goodbye to Laia, Elias and Helene forever.
Series review to come but for now READ IT READ IT READ IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
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In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a caf茅 which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the caf茅鈥檚 time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the caf茅, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi鈥檚 beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]>
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Rima
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/13
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris鈥檚 best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
But when Iris鈥檚 letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands 鈥� that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper 鈥� an unlikely magical connection forms.
Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?
An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.]]>
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Rima
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are鈥攏ot a war, but a revolution鈥攁nd decide how she, too, will cry for Syria鈥檚 freedom.]]>
author: Zoulfa Katouh
name: Rima
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: sad-girl-books
review:
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Three hundred and sixty-four days.
Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania counts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her downfall, the boy she once loved鈥攁nd still can't forget. When she discovers a fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting that vengeance--a stolen djinn treasure--they execute a daring escape together and search for the hidden treasure.
Armed with dark magic and a new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family, even though Mazin stands in her way. But seeking revenge becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse, especially when an undeniable fire still burns between them, and the power to destroy her enemies has a price. As Dania falls deeper into her web of traps and lies, she risks losing her humanity to her fight for vengeance--and her heart to the only boy she's ever loved.]]>
author: Emily Varga
name: Rima
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.
Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.
Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up.
QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he鈥檚 loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.
Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives鈥昦nd their hearts. Literally.]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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For Penny, an enthusiastic new hire, working at the store is the opportunity of a lifetime. As she uncovers the workings of this whimsical world, she bonds with a cast of unforgettable characters, including DallerGut, the flamboyant and wise owner, Babynap Rockabye, a famous dream designer, Maxim, a nightmare producer, and the many customers who dream to heal, dream to grow, and dream to flourish.
A captivating story that will leave a lingering magical feeling in readers' minds, this is the first book in a bestselling duology for anyone exhausted from the reality of their daily life.]]>
author: Lee Mi-ye
name: Rima
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues鈥� she just need someone to help her out.
Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!
Hazel didn鈥檛 go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells鈥�
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!
Tropes:
鈥� opposites attract
鈥� small town
鈥� forced proximity
鈥� he falls first]]>
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Rima
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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author: Alina Khawaja
name: Rima
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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A series of drawings made by a young woman before her death.
A child's disturbing picture of his home.
A desperate sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments.
Each contains a chilling warning.
Each reveals a terrible secret, hidden in plain sight.
Uketsu's eerie mysteries have captivated millions of readers. Can you find the clues in these strange pictures and uncover the sinister truth that connects them all?]]>
author: Uketsu
name: Rima
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: books-for-work
review:
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A pregnant woman鈥檚 sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.
A child鈥檚 picture of his home contains a dark secret message.
A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbit hole that will reveal a horrifying reality.
Structured around these nine childlike drawings, every one holding a disturbing clue, this novel invites readers to piece together the harrowing truth behind each and the overarching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the bestselling international debut from mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu鈥攁n enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.]]>
author: Uketsu
name: Rima
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:
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Noem铆 is also an unlikely rescuer: She鈥檚 a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she鈥檚 also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin鈥檚 new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noem铆; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi鈥檚 dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family鈥檚 youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noem铆, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family鈥檚 past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family鈥檚 once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noem铆 digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noem铆, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]>
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Rima
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: to-read
review:
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An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.
What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran鈥檚 magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.
Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever鈥攊f it doesn鈥檛 get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?
A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)]]>
author: M.L. Wang
name: Rima
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: to-read
review:
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A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.
When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?
High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire鈥檚 enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name 鈥楾he Sword of Kaigen.鈥�
Born into Kusanagi鈥檚 legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family鈥檚 fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen鈥檚 alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.
Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.]]>
author: M.L. Wang
name: Rima
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: to-read
review:
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Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.
Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.
The billionaire CEO never planned to marry鈥攗ntil the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.
Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.
It doesn鈥檛 matter how beautiful or charming she is. He'll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.
There鈥檚 only one problem: Now that he has her...he can't bring himself to let her go.
***
Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.
Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family鈥檚 ticket into the highest echelons of high society.
Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.
While the rude, elusive Dante isn't her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.
Craving his touch was never part of the plan.
Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.
King of Wrath is a steamy arranged-marriage billionaire romance. It includes explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature listeners only.]]>
author: Ana Huang
name: Rima
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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When her sister doesn鈥檛 show up on her wedding day, Raven has no choice but to take her place 鈥� but marriage to Ares Windsor is nothing short of torture.
The elusive billionaire media mogul is the man she鈥檚 always loved鈥� yet he鈥檚 only ever had eyes for her sister.
Married to him at last, Raven is determined to win him over.
After all, everything is fair in love and war.
And this?
This is war.]]>
author: Catharina Maura
name: Rima
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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I鈥檓 out for revenge. He鈥檚 out to rule the world.
Kirill and I are as different as day and night.
We shouldn鈥檛 have been in the same frame or universe.
But we meet under the strangest circumstances.
He鈥檚 my superior in the military and the man who鈥檒l introduce me to carnage.
His charm and exterior perfection shouldn鈥檛 have tempted me.
Behind the smokescreen lurks a manipulative emotionless monster.
And that monster might find out all my secrets, including the reason why I鈥檓 pretending to be a man.
He might also lure me to the point of no return.
This book is part of a trilogy and is not a standalone.]]>
author: Rina Kent
name: Rima
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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The most notorious man in the city offers me a job.
Act as his dead wife.
Adrian Volkov isn't the type of person who takes no for an answer.
He commands with an iron fist and all his orders are met.
When he approaches me with the offer, I have two options.
Go to prison or put myself under his wrath.
I choose to have a roof over my head. What's so hard about acting, right?
Wrong.
The moment I step into his wife's shoes, everything spirals out of control.
My only way of survival is through Adrian.
Or is it?
This book is part of a trilogy and is not standalone.]]>
author: Rina Kent
name: Rima
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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My name is Rory Carter and I do bad things.
There鈥檚 a charred soul under this angelic exterior and sometimes, I wonder if my weekly confessions to the Sinners Anonymous hotline will be enough to heal it.
Marrying the seventy-something head of the Cosa Nostra to save my father is the only good deed I鈥檝e ever done.
I鈥檓 burning and bitter under the fake smile and tight dresses, but I was keeping it together.
Was.
Until my fianc茅鈥檚 nephew turns up to dinner uninvited.
Angelo 鈥榁icious' Visconti.
A beautiful monster with cheekbones as sharp as his tongue.
They say I shouldn鈥檛 be scared of him, because nine years ago, he went straight.
He鈥檚 barely a Made Man anymore.
But I say, he鈥檚 the most dangerous Visconti of all.
It鈥檚 not just because his cold sneer makes my pulse flutter.
Or the way his syrupy drawl trickles down my spine.
No. He holds all of my sins in his big, rough hands.
And the only sins darker than mine are his own.
DARK MAFIA ROMANCE - FORBIDDEN LOVE - AGE GAP - ENEMIES TO LOVERS]]>
author: Somme Sketcher
name: Rima
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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Her dresses are too tight, her heels too tall. She laughs too loudly, eats without decorum, and mixes up most sayings in the book. Little do most know it鈥檚 just a sparkly disguise, there to hide one panic attack at a time.
Nobody can crack Gianna鈥檚 facade . . . no one anyway, until he comes along.
Most see a paragon of morality; a special agent upholding the law. In the New York underworld, others know him as a hustler, a killer, his nature as cold as the heart of ice in his chest. Christian Allister has always followed the life plan he鈥檇 envisioned in his youth, beneath the harsh lights of a frigid, damp cell. With a proclivity for order and the number three, he鈥檚 never been tempted to veer off course. But perhaps one should never say never . . .
One winter night and their lives intertwine. She hates him鈥攈is stone-cold demeanor, his arrogance and too-perceptive eye鈥攂ut over the years, even as their games consist of insulting each other鈥檚 looks and intelligence, she begins to live to play with him.
Nowhere in Christian鈥檚 plans had he ever prepared for Gianna. She鈥檚 chaos embodied, not his type, and married, but none of that can stop his eyes from following her wherever she goes.
All along, she doesn鈥檛 even know that she鈥檚 his鈥攈is frustration, his fascination.
His maddest obsession.]]>
author: Danielle Lori
name: Rima
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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Delicate, titian-haired Theresa Noble has met her father鈥檚 associates in the past, but the gorgeous, Italian-born Sandro De Lucci leaves her speechless. Eighteen months into their marriage, however, Sandro has turned to ice. Desperate to escape a relationship that has proven to be as stubbornly passionate as it is cold and hateful, Theresa summons up the courage to ask for a divorce. But before he鈥檒l grant her request, Sandro demands something from Theresa: a son.
The stalemate sickens her. Never mind that Sandro has yet to introduce Theresa to the large family that means so much to him. Or that Theresa overhears her husband on the phone with a mystery woman. Most damning is that Theresa senses, in Sandro鈥檚 treatment of her, the behind-the-scenes machinations of Jackson Noble, her cruel father. From the depths of her anxiety, Theresa must seek an empowering truth about the husband who calls her, with such cold affection, his cara, his beloved.
Revised edition: This edition of The Unwanted Wife includes editorial revisions.]]>
author: Natasha Anders
name: Rima
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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Nicknamed The Angel of Death for her lethal beauty, an ex-assassin cannot seem to escape her past.
DEADLY. COLD. STOICAL.
MARIA P脡REZ has survived the criminal underworld by following one simple rule: trust no one. Raising herself on the streets of New York City has taught her everything she knows, from believing the worst in people, to destroying anything and anybody standing in her way.
However, after escaping a world where the only way to leave safely is in a casket, she is constantly looking over her shoulder.
She is a heartless killer incapable of emotions. The last thing on her mind is love.
That is until she meets her match, The Devil, who sets her whole world on fire. He is the first to make her cold eyes burn. And she hates him for it.
RUTHLESS. FATAL. TEMPTING.
ZACHARY DI鈥橝BLO, a notorious yet faceless gangster, sees straight through the cracks of Maria鈥檚 icy heart.
After an unfortunate incident leaves him fixated for years on a pair of emerald eyes, he vows to avenge his honor by taking away their life. Though, once he realizes his grudge has been one-sided, his priorities shift.
Once they meet, their lives unwillingly intertwine.
Or so she thinks.
Maybe she was right about not trusting people, after all.]]>
author: Cristina Russo
name: Rima
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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It would have been simple 鈥� if he wasn鈥檛 also her new boss.
As they work together it soon becomes clear Silas knows more about her than he should.
He knows about the past she's forgotten and the memories that evade her... but some secrets are better left buried.]]>
author: Catharina Maura
name: Rima
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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Charming, captivating, and seductive,
And a cold-blooded killer.
But I married the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva anyway.
I had to. It was part of the deal.
Now, I鈥檓 faking marital bliss,
As I tremble with fear,
And I cannot wait to be out of the clutches of this ruthless man.
Roman
I get anything I desire.
And I want this perfectly imperfect little manipulator.
The way she can deceive anyone into believing she鈥檚 crazy in love with me,
Just makes me want her even more.
She doesn't know it yet,
But I am not letting her go.
The deal - is off.
*Painted Scars is a full-length novel with several open-door steamy scenes, no cheating and a guaranteed HEA.
This is the first book in Perfectly Imperfect dark mafia series. Each book in this series features a different couple and can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, follow the recommended reading order.]]>
author: Neva Altaj
name: Rima
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: dark-mafia-romance, to-read
review:
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THE EPIC AND SIZZLING YA ROMANTASY. SOON TO BE YOUR NEXT OBSESSION . . .
A brutal war between demons and humanity has raged across Europe for over a century. At its heart are two elite soldiers: Selene Alleva, a powerful exorcists trained at the prestigious Vatican Academy, and foot soldier, Jules Lacroix, unrivalled in battle.
When their paths cross, despite initial distrust 鈥� then unwelcome attraction 鈥� Jules and Selene discover a terrible secret at the heart of the holy Vatican City . . .
Soon Jules is forced to question everything he鈥檚 ever known 鈥� including himself. And Selene, unable to ignore her growing feelings for Jules, must make an impossible choice between love and duty.
Serpent and Dove meets Empire of the Vampire, with a star-crossed, enemies-to-lovers romance at its heart. Perfect for fans of Powerless, Fourth Wing and Divine Rivals.]]>
author: Sophie Clark
name: Rima
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: to-read
review:
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It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.
Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her鈥攖he very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.
To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University鈥攚here students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos鈥攅ven as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn鈥檛 matter that Susenyos鈥檚 wickedness speaks to Kidan鈥檚 own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.
When a murder mirroring June鈥檚 disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat鈥攁nd June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love鈥攁nd the blood it requires.]]>
author: Tigest Girma
name: Rima
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:
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The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.
Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all鈥攖he Crown Prince Aldrik鈥攕he finds herself enticed into his world.
Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she鈥檚 known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she鈥檚 always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla鈥檚 indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.]]>
author: Elise Kova
name: Rima
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: to-read
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Human.
In a world ruled by vampires.
As sole heir to the House of Raven, there is nothing Emelia can鈥檛 have. The only problem is, she doesn鈥檛 want it.
But when a new guard enters her closed-off existence, she sees a way out. As rebellion and dark forces swirl around her, Emelia has a choice to make 鈥� leave everyone she loves behind, or stay and accept her destiny鈥]>
author: Helen Glynn Jones
name: Rima
average rating: 2.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: to-read
review:
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Under the blazing sun, an elite troupe of dancers are trained to harness their magic. They are the queen鈥檚 most formidable assassins. Aasira has one of the rarest talents 鈥� for she is a flame-wielder. Feared by all and envied by some, she uses her power to execute enemies of the crown.
Aasira鈥檚 greatest wish is to serve her queen. But on the eve of her graduation, with tensions rising among the dancers and secrets stirring in the shifting sand dunes, she begins to question whether she was truly born to kill鈥�
An epic story about truth, loyalty and betrayal.]]>
author: Zulekh谩 Afzal
name: Rima
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: to-read
review:
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On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones鈥攖hose who are lost鈥攚ill find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop鈥檚 new owner to find it ransacked, the shop鈥檚 most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana鈥檚 father and the stolen choice鈥攂y way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own鈥攁nd risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]>
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: Rima
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: to-read
review:
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WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2022
Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature WINNER
An INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
'A gorgeous, star-crossed story . . . I read this in a single day' Jodi Picoult
'This book will stay with me for a long time to come' Nicola Yoon
'All My Rage is an unflinching, profound force that will rattle your heart and toughen your soul' Adam Silvera
Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.
Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.
Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah's health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing working at her wrathful uncle's liquor store while hiding the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him - and Juniper - forever.
When Sal's attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth - and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.
From one of today's most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness - one that's both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.
'All My Rage is a love story, a tragedy and an infectious teenage fever dream about what home means when you feel you don't fit in' New York Times Book Review
'Searing. Riveting. Beautiful. All My Rage takes the reader on an unforgettable journey into the heart of love. Exploring the painful truths of hidden traumas and the crush of broken dreams, Sabaa Tahir shows us the healing, redemptive power of forgiveness, of hope, of connection in her stunning contemporary debut' Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Internment
'This is the kind of book that positively climbs into your bones and steals your breath in the very best way' Buzzfeed Books
'The first-person prose vibrates with adolescent intensity - of grief, desire, and above all searing rage' Entertainment Weekly]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves:
review:
Everything hurts. That final Sal chapter knocked the wind out of me and I felt this massive weight crushing me, making me witness the most beautiful and heartbreaking ways we can forgive and heal and overcome our deepest demons. In pouring some of her childhood experiences into All My Rage, Sabaa created the most special brown book of love.
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A cat named Chobi sends silent messages of courage to a young woman, willing her to end a faltering relationship; a gifted artist fatally misunderstands her boss's enthusiasm for her paintings; a manga fan shuts herself away after the death of her friend, while her cat Cookie hatches a plan to persuade her outside; a woman who has dedicated her life to a distant husband learns a lesson in independence from her cat.
Against the urban backdrop of humming trains and private woes, SHE AND HER CAT explores the gentle magic of the everyday. Populated by both the friendly and the feral, it reveals - with heartstopping clarity and warmth - how even in our darkest moments, community and connection may lead us to a happier place.]]>
author: Makoto Shinkai
name: Rima
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:
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Taken from the poverty of her parents' home in Portsmouth, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with her cousin Edmund as her sole ally. During her uncle's absence in Antigua, the Crawford's arrive in the neighborhood bringing with them the glamour of London life and a reckless taste for flirtation. Mansfield Park is considered Jane Austen's first mature work and, with its quiet heroine and subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, one of her most profound.
This edition is part of the Penguin Classics Clothbound series designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.]]>
author: Jane Austen
name: Rima
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1814
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/23
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves:
review:
Much more detailed and longer but I love the Mansfield family. Involved in scandal, marriage, inheritance and financial problems. I feel like I've been living with the likes of Edmund and Fanny for a long time.
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What are you looking for?
This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo鈥檚 most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves鈥攂ut she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they鈥檙e looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.
Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine听editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi鈥攁nd the surprise book she lends each of them鈥攚ill have life-altering consequences.
With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.]]>
author: Michiko Aoyama
name: Rima
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: to-read
review:
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One of the monsters is me.
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends鈥攖he two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that鈥攂ut his devoted mother and grandmother aren鈥檛 fazed by his condition. Their little home above his mother鈥檚 used bookstore is decorated with colorful post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh. Yunjae grows up content, even happy, with his small family in this quiet, peaceful space.
Then on Christmas Eve鈥擸unjae鈥檚 sixteenth birthday鈥攅verything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school and begins to bully Yunjae.听
Against all odds, tormentor and victim learn they have more in common than they realized. Gon is stumped by Yunjae鈥檚 impassive calm, while Yunjae thinks if he gets to know the hotheaded Gon, he might learn how to experience true feelings. Drawn by curiosity, the two strike up a surprising friendship. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people鈥攊ncluding a girl at school鈥攕omething slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life in danger, it is Yunjae who will step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a most unlikely hero.听
The Emissary meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.]]>
author: Sohn Won-Pyung
name: Rima
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: to-read
review:
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But the Company District is not quite what she expected, it hides the darker underbelly of the magical industry that Penny thought she was a part of.
Penny discovers the Civil Complaint Center, full of people filing complaints about their dreams. She also learns about the regular customers who have stopped coming to the store. As she gets to the bottom of each complaint, she begins to expand her horizons, transforming from just selling dreams to understanding what lies in the hearts of their lost regulars.
Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store delves deeper into the dream industry and its customers. Why do some of them buy a dream and never return? Will Penny and her colleagues be able to bring their regulars back?]]>
author: Lee Mi-ye
name: Rima
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: to-read
review:
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There are not many old Korean love tales, but everyone knows the story of Chunhyang.
In 1892, the first Korean to visit Paris, Hong Jong-u, helped publish a French version of the story of Chunhyang.
Titled 鈥淔ragrant Springtime鈥� (the meaning of 鈥淐hunhyang鈥�), it is the first Korean story ever published in a western language.
A couple of years later, a second, more developed novel set in Korea was published, 鈥�
A Dead Tree Blossoms.鈥� It includes parts of the story of Sim Cheong and her blind father, but is very different in many unexpected ways.
In 1919 an English translation of it was published in the US, but nobody noticed it.
In this new book, the French version of 鈥淐hunhyang鈥� has been translated into English and is published with the 1919 English text of 鈥淎 Dead Tree Blossoms鈥� and a couple of other Korean love tales translated a hundred or more years ago.
Interestingly, the two main stories both express sharp criticism of corrupt officials and a strong concern for social justice.
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author: Anthony of Taiz茅
name: Rima
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: to-read
review:
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Two worlds are poised on the brink of a vicious war. By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera's rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her.
When the brutal angel emperor brings his army to the human world, Karou and Akiva are finally reunited鈥攏ot in love, but in a tentative alliance against their common enemy. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.
But with even bigger threats on the horizon, are Karou and Akiva strong enough to stand among the gods and monsters?
The New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion as鈥攆rom the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond鈥攈umans, chimaera, and seraphim strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.]]>
author: Laini Taylor
name: Rima
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
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This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is鈥攁nd what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?]]>
author: Laini Taylor
name: Rima
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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In a dark and dusty shop, a devil鈥檚 supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she鈥檚 prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she鈥檚 about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?]]>
author: Laini Taylor
name: Rima
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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author: Adalyn Grace
name: Rima
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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Something strange is happening at Wisteria Gardens, the manor that Blythe and Aris call home. All they want is a peaceful holiday season with their family, but a group of restless spirits is determined to threaten their festivities. With a new mystery to solve, Signa, Death, Blythe, and Fate must uncover what happened to Wisteria鈥檚 ghostly inhabitants and help the spirits move on鈥efore it鈥檚 too late.]]>
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Rima
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do鈥攏ot society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she鈥檚 bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she鈥檚 determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she鈥檒l have to decide if she鈥檚 willing to let an unexpected spark ignite鈥nd to discover the truth about who she really is.]]>
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Rima
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.
A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.
Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games鈥攁ll with their destinies hanging in the balance.
Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death's story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.]]>
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Rima
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
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Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her wealth than her well-being鈥攁nd each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family鈥檚 waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother鈥檚 restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
听
However, Signa鈥檚 best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he鈥檚 made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful鈥攁nd more irresistible鈥攖han she ever dared imagine.]]>
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Rima
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:
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Coming 2024 from Quill Tree/HarperCollins (US) and Macmillan (UK)]]>
author: Sher Lee
name: Rima
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:
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author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Rima
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:
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author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Rima
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:
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Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean鈥檚 most notorious pirates, she鈥檚 survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she鈥檚 tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she鈥檚 offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade鈥檚 kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family鈥檚 future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God鈥檚 will.
Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there鈥檚 more to this job, and the girl鈥檚 disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there鈥檚 always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power鈥nd the price might be your very soul.]]>
author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Rima
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: to-read
review:
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鈥淲hat the gods did not give us, I would take.鈥�
As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom鈥檚 pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen鈥檚 grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.
Upon her grandfather鈥檚 death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom鈥檚 obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them鈥攐ne she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.
But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal鈥� even if it means losing her heart.]]>
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: Rima
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves: to-read
review:
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Return to the Immortal Realm, a world of gods, magic, and legendary creatures鈥攁nd embark upon new adventures of valor, danger, and love.
Tales from the Celestial Kingdom collects nine spellbinding stories鈥攖wo previously published, seven original, including the epilogue to the duology鈥攕et in the enchanting world of Sue Lynn Tan鈥檚 stunning debut. Filled with magic and mythology, friendship and love, these stories intertwine through the past, present, and future of the two novels, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, including Chang鈥檈, Shuxiao, Liwei, and Wenzhi.
With beautiful illustrations from Kelly Chong throughout, these wondrous tales make the perfect complement to Sue Lynn Tan鈥檚 breathtaking series.]]>
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: Rima
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves: to-read
review:
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Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation--to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love... even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.
The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin--the daughter of Chang'e and the mortal archer, Houyi--as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.]]>
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: Rima
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves: to-read
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Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem鈥攁fter a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. It鈥檚 as good as dead.
When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won鈥檛 give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call she never wanted to receive, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father.
For ten years, she鈥檚 run from the town that never understood her, and even though she misses the sound of a warm Southern night and her eccentric, loving family and their funeral parlor, she can鈥檛 bring herself to stay. Even with her father gone, it feels like nothing in this town has changed. And she hates it.
Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor鈥檚 front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he鈥檚 just as confused about why he鈥檚 there as she is.
Romance is most certainly dead... but so is her new editor, and his unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she鈥檚 ever known about love stories.
A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.]]>
author: Ashley Poston
name: Rima
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: to-read
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When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia鈥檚 sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma鈥攁 competition where most contestants don鈥檛 make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.
The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don鈥檛 overtake her first.
When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn鈥檛 trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister鈥檚 life on the line, Ophelia can鈥檛 afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.
Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.]]>
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Rima
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
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Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.
The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.
Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.
And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion--even at the cost of his humanity.]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves:
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I'm still in mourning.
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The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can鈥檛 think about how Nizahl鈥檚 armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people鈥攏ot if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.
In a moment of anger Sylvia鈥檚 magic is exposed, capturing Arin鈥檚 attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she鈥檒l escape persecution.
A deadly game begins. Sylvia can鈥檛 let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.
In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever. ]]>
author: Sara Hashem
name: Rima
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read
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Would you trade love for peace?
Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father鈥檚 arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth. Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology into Lower Earth will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.
Or is justice more urgent?
Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding. Convinced her cousin Lein鈥檚 alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.
When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada鈥檚 twin brother鈥攁 fugitive on the run. And when Nayf and Raisa meet, the long-simmering animosity they feel toward each other's worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.
But the Crown Prince wants his bride鈥攁nd future鈥攂ack. And he will go to the ends of the Earths to reclaim them.]]>
author: S.K. Ali
name: Rima
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: to-read
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author: June Hur
name: Rima
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
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Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.
1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.
Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom鈥檚 turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king鈥檚 latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king鈥檚 power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.
Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he鈥檒l need help to pull it off鈥攂ut there鈥檚 no way to know who he can trust.
When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul鈥檚 family connections and Daehyun鈥檚 royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever
Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.
Also by June
The Silence of Bones
The Forest of Stolen Girls
The Red Palace]]>
author: June Hur
name: Rima
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
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But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.
In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.]]>
author: June Hur
name: Rima
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
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But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.
For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?]]>
author: Mariana Zapata
name: Rima
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: currently-reading
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Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don鈥檛 leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she鈥檚 so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year鈥攕he needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures鈥攏o matter what.
But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it鈥檚 right out of a novel鈥�
Because it is.
This place can鈥檛 be real, and yet鈥� she鈥檚 here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store鈥檚 honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar鈥檚 burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It鈥檚 perfect鈥攁nd perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author鈥檚 last unfinished story.
Elsy is sure that鈥檚 why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.
Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can鈥檛 place鈥攁 grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.
Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town鈥檚 happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.]]>
author: Ashley Poston
name: Rima
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom鈥檚 dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she鈥檚 loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There鈥檚 just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only鈥here is no boyfriend.
Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he鈥檚 ever received.]]>
author: B.K. Borison
name: Rima
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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As she makes her way back to the revolution, her journey takes her to Venice, where she learns a dangerous secret 鈥� one that could change the face of the war between humans and immortals. Before she can return to London, she must help the Domino Programme unravel the sinister Operation Ventriloquist.
And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories 鈥� Arcturus Mesarthim 鈥� might also hold the key to saving Italy.
Lyrical and action-packed, The Dark Mirror drives the Bone Season series forward, showing Samantha Shannon at the height of her powers.]]>
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Rima
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles.
As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them--and could end with them . . .]]>
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Rima
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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Following a fierce battle for the Rose Crown, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over the clairvoyant syndicate of London. But with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilizing the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.
As Paige rallies her army of criminals, she continues to meet in secret with her former enemy, Arcturus Mesarthim. Should they be discovered, the fragile alliance with the Ranthen will fail.
But all bets are off when Scion introduces Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for clairvoyants. Now Paige must race against the clock to stop her reign ending in blood.]]>
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Rima
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.
In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.
When Paige is arrested for murder, she meets the mysterious founders of Scion, who have designs on her uncommon abilities. If she is to survive and escape, Paige must use every skill at her disposal 鈥� and put her trust in someone who ought to be her enemy.]]>
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Rima
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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Paige Mahoney has escaped the clandestine prison city of Oxford. Now a fugitive in London, she nurtures a new taste for revolution.
Oxford may be behind her, but the Republic of Scion is undefeated. As it turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, she is forced to return to Jaxon Hall, her charismatic and brutal employer, to keep her foothold in the underworld.
But Paige will bow to one now, and not even Jaxon will stop her exposing the corruption in the syndicate. As she plots to win the fabled Rose Crown, both sides of an ancient conflict seek her talents for themselves.]]>
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Rima
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
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author: Agustina Bazterrica
name: Rima
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: to-read
review:
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David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would be credited with discovering nearly a fifth of the fish known to humans in his day. But the more of the hidden blueprint of life he uncovered, the harder the universe seemed to try to thwart him. His specimen collections were demolished by lightning, by fire, and eventually by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake鈥攚hich sent more than a thousand of his discoveries, housed in fragile glass jars, plummeting to the floor. In an instant, his life鈥檚 work was shattered.
Many might have given up, given in to despair. But Jordan? He surveyed the wreckage at his feet, found the first fish he recognized, and confidently began to rebuild his collection. And this time, he introduced one clever innovation that he believed would at last protect his work against the chaos of the world.
When NPR reporter Lulu Miller first heard this anecdote in passing, she took Jordan for a fool鈥�a cautionary tale in hubris, or denial. But as her own life slowly unraveled, she began to wonder about him. Perhaps instead he was a model for how to go on when all seemed lost. What she would unearth about his life would transform her understanding of history, morality, and the world beneath her feet.
Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don鈥檛 Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.]]>
author: Lulu Miller
name: Rima
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/09/30
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The children of the four Collins sisters - Cassandra, Lela, Suzette and Felice - have a complicated inheritance. It includes unbreakable rules for navigating society, contested stories about their grandparents' early lives, capacious musical talents, and an opal necklace of uncertain origin. In this sparkling debut, Shannon Sanders brings us into the company of this majestically complicated multigenerational family as they meet, bicker, celebrate, worry, keep and reveal secrets, build lives and careers, and endure.
With deceptive ease, Sanders captures the nuanced performances of the most intimate and most estranged family relationships. From a pair of brothers reuniting to oust a deadbeat boyfriend from their mother's home to a quartet of nieces roped into attending a party in their aunt's honour, from unexpected visitors to ghostly presences and unwelcome memories, each gathering in this collection is filled with buoyancy and affection, with solemnity and sadness.
The family stories that comprise Company lead to a deeper, more compelling truth about the rules by which we live - those that we inherit, and those that we make for ourselves.]]>
author: Shannon Sanders
name: Rima
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/07
date added: 2024/09/30
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author: Baek Se-hee
name: Rima
average rating: 3.19
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/07
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
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Laia and Elias are determined to break into the Empire鈥檚 most secure and dangerous prison to save Laia鈥檚 brother, even if for Elias it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
They will have to fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene, Elias鈥檚 former friend and the Empire鈥檚 newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus鈥檚 will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own, one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape... and kill them both.
This is an Alternative Cover Edition for ISBN-13 9780008160371.]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
Gosh, it was amazing.
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When Laia's grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels.
But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand that Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire's greatest military academy. Should she fail it's more than her brother's freedom at risk . . . Laia's very life is at stake.
There, she meets Elias, the academy's finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined 鈥� and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
Alternative cover edition for ISBN-13: 9780008108427.]]>
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Rima
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
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So Jina returns to Anjin University, and to the toxic culture that destroyed the lives of many female students including one, Ha Yuri, who died tragically and mysteriously not long before Jina left. Somewhere within Jina's memories is the truth about what happened to Yuri all those years ago. Told in alternative viewpoints, in sharp, intelligent and multi-layered prose, this powerful and necessary novel confronts issues of sexism and abuse on university campuses.]]>
author: Kang Hwagil
name: Rima
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
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How hard could it be ...?
When aspiring actress Farah Sheikh accidentally goes viral for exposing a prejudiced theatre company, she decides to put on her own production with the Tragedies - a group of theatre kids who are similarly desperate to break into the industry.
They have the crew, all they need now is a stage ... and money.
Enter former superstar Zayan Amin.
The deal? Zayan will star in and fund the Tragedies鈥� play, in exchange for a publicity boost generated by a new and (fake) romance with Farah.
There鈥檚 just one problem: they can鈥檛 stand each other...]]>
author: Safa Ahmed
name: Rima
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/14
date added: 2024/09/30
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author: Sarwat Chadda
name: Rima
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
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Written from a feminist perspective, often focusing on the inferior status accorded to women by society, the tales include "turned," an ironic story with a startling twist, in which a husband seduces and impregnates a na茂ve servant; "Cottagette," concerning the romance of a young artist and a man who's apparently too good to be true; "Mr. Peebles' Heart," a liberating tale of a fiftyish shopkeeper whose sister-in-law, a doctor, persuades him to take a solo trip to Europe, with revivifying results; "The Yellow Wallpaper"; and three other outstanding stories.
These charming tales are not only highly readable and full of humor and invention, but also offer ample food for thought about the social, economic, and personal relationship of men and women 鈥� and how they might be improved.
Collects:
鈥擳he Yellow Wallpaper
鈥擳hree Thanksgivings
鈥擳he Cottagette
鈥擳耻谤苍别诲
鈥擬aking a Change
鈥擨f I Were a Man
鈥擬r. Peebles' Heart]]>
author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: Rima
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1892
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
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The Sword in the Stone
The Witch in the Wood
The Ill-Made Knight
The Candle in the Wind
The Book of Merlyn
Exquisite comedy offsets the tradegy of Arthur鈥檚 personal doom as White brings to life the major British epic of all time with brilliance, grandeur, warmth and charm.]]>
author: T.H. White
name: Rima
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2016/05/15
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
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author: Gayle Forman
name: Rima
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: to-read
review:
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A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett鈥檚 father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval鈥攖he faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show鈥攁re over.
But this year, Scarlett鈥檚 long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval鈥檚 mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season鈥檚 Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.]]>
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Rima
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves: currently-reading
review:
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But what if you鈥檝e sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince鈥檚 Council of 11. If she鈥檚 picked, she鈥檒l be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won鈥檛 stand by and become someone鈥檚 pawn鈥攂ut is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?
With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we鈥檙e willing to go for the ones we love.]]>
author: Jordan Ifueko
name: Rima
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/18
shelves: currently-reading, fantasy
review:
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Wanderer, the invading 'soul' who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too-vivid memories. But she did not expect that Melanie would refuse to relinquish possession of her mind.
Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man she loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.]]>
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Rima
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/01/06
shelves:
review:
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Born in Acre (northern Palestine) in 1936, Ghassan Kanafani was a major spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and founding editor of its weekly magazine Al-Hadaf. His novels, short stories, and plays have been published in sixteen languages. He was assassinated in a car-bomb explosion in Beirut in 1972.]]>
author: Ghassan Kanafani
name: Rima
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/17
shelves: to-read
review:
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Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.
Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents鈥� Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she's made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy鈥攚ho is a total Harvard-bound mama鈥檚 boy鈥攖o pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer.
When Samir鈥檚 internship falls through, leaving him with an unplanned summer, he gets a text from Pinky asking if he鈥檒l be her fake boyfriend in exchange for a new internship. He jumps at the opportunity; Pinky鈥檚 a freak, but he can survive a summer with her if there鈥檚 light at the end of the tunnel.
As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget.]]>
author: Sandhya Menon
name: Rima
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:
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I liked it but felt it was short. It was funny in some parts (like Jane Austen funny) but not as amazing as I'd hoped it to be. Interesting to note that Sanditon in Shapiro's version doesn't just focus on the budding romance between Sydney and Charlotte but also around the lives of the other tourists and residents in the beachy town of Sanditon. In that respect, it's more like Emma -just not as humorous.
To dear Austenites, are there other versions of Sanditon you would recommend reading?]]>
author: Jane Austen
name: Rima
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/02/28
date added: 2023/09/19
shelves:
review:
First time reading Sanditon! This version was completed by Juliette Shapiro.
I liked it but felt it was short. It was funny in some parts (like Jane Austen funny) but not as amazing as I'd hoped it to be. Interesting to note that Sanditon in Shapiro's version doesn't just focus on the budding romance between Sydney and Charlotte but also around the lives of the other tourists and residents in the beachy town of Sanditon. In that respect, it's more like Emma -just not as humorous.
To dear Austenites, are there other versions of Sanditon you would recommend reading?
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Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general鈥攁lso known as her tough-as-talons mother鈥攈as ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you鈥檙e smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don鈥檛 bond to 鈥渇ragile鈥� humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother鈥檚 daughter鈥攍ike Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She鈥檒l need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda鈥攂ecause once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]>
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Rima
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:
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I鈥檓 the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.
Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.
No one knows the real me but her.
Lana Castillo鈥攎y childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.
When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.
I kept my word until my grandfather鈥檚 will changed everything.
To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.
The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.
Turns out Lana doesn鈥檛 just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.
Alana
Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.
He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.
When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.
But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather鈥檚 lake house.
The biggest flaw in his plan?
My name is on the deed.]]>
author: Lauren Asher
name: Rima
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves: to-read
review:
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Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except... he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.
an alternate cover edition can be found here]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/03
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
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Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/15
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
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Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball鈥攐r that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.
Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other鈥攅xcept, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?
Alternate cover for ISBN 0380815583 / 9780380815586]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/10
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
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Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren鈥檛 affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there鈥檚 an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.
Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn鈥檛 mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781501128035.]]>
author: Christina Lauren
name: Rima
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2023/06/02
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
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Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?鈥擫ady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813
By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister鈥攖he lovely and almost-on-the-shelf鈥擠aphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth鈥攊t's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her . . . but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke . . . for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love.]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/24
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
Book review of The Duke and I and comparisons with the @bridgertonnetflix TV series!
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1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better... --Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814
Anthony Bridgerton needs a wife.
Having spent his twenties in a rakish pursuit of pleasure (whilst taking care to ensure the financial security of his mother and seven younger siblings and mother) he knows it's high time he settled down and ensured the continuation of the Bridgerton line.
Edwina Sheffield is considered the most beautiful debutante of the current season. She is also sweet, innocent and eminently biddable - Anthony is sure she'll make a perfectly acceptable wife and vows to make her his.
The only obstacle in his way is Edwina's older sister, Kate. Kate is determined to do all she can to allow her sister the chance to marry for love rather than convenience. And the roguish viscount is beginning to think he may have met his match in Kate's keen wit and sharp tongue. Until, that is, he makes the mistake of kissing her...]]>
SYNOPSIS: The Viscount who Loved Me is book 2 in the Bridgerton series and it follows the romance of the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony, as he sets to find the perfect wife in Edwina. Except her sister Kate knowing Anthony as society's biggest rake vows to stop the match to protect her sister.
Here are my favourite moments from the book:
1. A fabulous foe turned lovers romance:
Reading Anthony and Kate's dialogue scene is like watching two children pick on each other in the playground. There鈥檚 a scary amount of elbowing, stamping on foot and biting that had me howling. I can鈥檛 wait to see which scenes the netflix show includes as well as the introduction of Kate, Edwina, their mama Mary and Newton the corgi!
2. Deeper look into Anthony鈥檚 story and relationship with Daddy Bridgerton
This took me by surprise. TV Anthony's patriarchal relationship with his mother and sisters annoyed me but reading how devoted he was to his dad has shown me what a softie he is deep down. I loved learning how his father devoted more time to his wife and family than society expected of him. I hope we get to explore this in the show and the pressure of being the heir of the Bridgerton estate.
3. Return of Simon & Daphne
With the announcement of Simone Asshley as Kate Sheffield (Sharma) you may be missing our favourite Duke and Duchess. They make a small appearance in the book and it's one of my favourite scenes during a game of Pall Mall - you can tell through Kate's eyes how loved up the Hastings still are. *swoon*
Leaving you with my fave Anthony-Kate scene:
鈥樷€淭hey are not so very different from women. Both breed hang on my every word.鈥� 鉅€
Kate stepped on his hand as he knelt to fasten the lead to Newton鈥檚 collar. 鈥淥ops,鈥� she said, rather insincerely. 鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry.鈥�
鈥淵our tender solicitude quite unmans me,鈥� he returned, standing back up. 鈥淚 might break into tears.鈥溾€� ]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2021/02/13
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
I'm so excited for season 2 Bridgerton because of The Viscount who Loved Me!
SYNOPSIS: The Viscount who Loved Me is book 2 in the Bridgerton series and it follows the romance of the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony, as he sets to find the perfect wife in Edwina. Except her sister Kate knowing Anthony as society's biggest rake vows to stop the match to protect her sister.
Here are my favourite moments from the book:
1. A fabulous foe turned lovers romance:
Reading Anthony and Kate's dialogue scene is like watching two children pick on each other in the playground. There鈥檚 a scary amount of elbowing, stamping on foot and biting that had me howling. I can鈥檛 wait to see which scenes the netflix show includes as well as the introduction of Kate, Edwina, their mama Mary and Newton the corgi!
2. Deeper look into Anthony鈥檚 story and relationship with Daddy Bridgerton
This took me by surprise. TV Anthony's patriarchal relationship with his mother and sisters annoyed me but reading how devoted he was to his dad has shown me what a softie he is deep down. I loved learning how his father devoted more time to his wife and family than society expected of him. I hope we get to explore this in the show and the pressure of being the heir of the Bridgerton estate.
3. Return of Simon & Daphne
With the announcement of Simone Asshley as Kate Sheffield (Sharma) you may be missing our favourite Duke and Duchess. They make a small appearance in the book and it's one of my favourite scenes during a game of Pall Mall - you can tell through Kate's eyes how loved up the Hastings still are. *swoon*
Leaving you with my fave Anthony-Kate scene:
鈥樷€淭hey are not so very different from women. Both breed hang on my every word.鈥� 鉅€
Kate stepped on his hand as he knelt to fasten the lead to Newton鈥檚 collar. 鈥淥ops,鈥� she said, rather insincerely. 鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry.鈥�
鈥淵our tender solicitude quite unmans me,鈥� he returned, standing back up. 鈥淚 might break into tears.鈥溾€�
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author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves: to-read
review:
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鈥淲e are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his鈥︹€�
In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.
Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent鈥� not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets鈥� secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.
Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court鈥� all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight鈥攆or herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny鈥� as Queen.]]>
author: Julia Quinn
name: Rima
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves: to-read
review:
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Just fifteen in 1945, Christine tells a moving story of fear and death, hunger and thirst as she hides in a cellar with her family from the marching tides of the German and Russian armies during the siege of Budapest.
Praying she would survive, asking herself whether her terrifying experiences will ever be over and mourning the loss of some of her fellow refugees, Christine found solace in her imagination and dreamt of having a life of her own.
Her account is a powerful and courageous chronicle of the horrors of war.]]>
author: Christine Arnothy
name: Rima
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1955
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/07
shelves:
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How do you move forward when everything you love in on the line?
Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out: move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam鈥檚 cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone.
What would you do if you had a second chance at goodbye?]]>
author: Dustin Thao
name: Rima
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2023/03/23
date added: 2023/03/23
shelves:
review:
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