Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday February 18, 2025

Check out the books I'm most anticipated releasing this week!

Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth #2) by Kristen Ciccarelli

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. Especially the ending which definitely left me wanting to read the next one. I did try to get an early copy to review, but it didn't happen. Can't wait to drop everything and read this one!

The Bookstore Keepers (Once Upon A Time Bookshop Stories #3) by Alice Hoffman

I really enjoy Hoffman's story telling. I haven't read the other two books in this series but they are on my list!

The Last Guy On Earth (Hockey Guys #3) by Sarina Bowen

I love how Bowen writes hockey. And she does M/M stories so well! I haven't started this series but it looks so good I cannot wait to start it.

Spiral (Off the Ice #2) by Bal Khabra

This was one of my most anticipate books to be released this year. I loved the first one. I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book and you can see my review HERE.

Which books are you looking forward to this week?

 

ARC Review: The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with another glittering dark fantasy about a deadly mystery that spans worlds and a teenage girl who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.

Title: The Otherwhere Post

Author: Emily J. Taylor

Publisher: Putnam Sons Books for Young Readers

Expected Publication Date: February 25, 2025

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for supplying me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

When the blurb says those loving Divine Rivals and A Study In Drowning will love this one, it could not have been more true. This book absolutely gives Divine Rivals vibes for me. I would venture to say you could also compare it to Curious Tides. I love dark academia. This one is a bit of a twist on most dark academia books I've read. The mix of mystery with a cool magic system layered with some nice world building really had me turning the pages.

Maeve is a main character you can definitely relate to. I love that she's not perfect. She has lived her life on the run since her father caused a terrible accident killing many people. She has no training in the magic system. She has no real money. And she's determined to keep her identity a secret. She does a lot of illegal things to get herself into the academic setting that will hopefully help her clear her father's name. While I loved the was the underdog, I will say all the things she gets away with are a bit over the top. She's never caught or found out. It just seems so impossible to me.

Tristan is a great character. I love that he is related to the man who runs the Otherwhere post and is in charge of the scribes. But he definitely is a rebel in his own right. I would have liked to see him use his magic more.

I enjoyed the romance that was built. It was light with a reliance on the chemistry and slow burn between the two characters.

I loved the layering of the worlds. How you have three different worlds lining up parallel. The one thing I would have liked to see is the background of these worlds. Taylor does a good job of building the world Maeve and Tristan reside in, but we don't know much about the other two worlds. I can easily understand not knowing the one which has been closed off, though Maeve lived there so I feel like flashbacks could have helped with that. But I didn't see much difference between the other two worlds.

The side characters were interesting. Lots of personalities were developed. I liked how Maeve was able to make friends, despite her secrecy with who she was. And especially since she didn't really have any friends prior to entering The Otherwhere Post.

I would have liked to see a bit more story revolved around the academia. We don't really see much of the students in class to get the sense of the academic setting outside of being told they are at a university. 

The pacing of this one was really good. I didn't want to put it down. The mystery had me totally intrigued and the world was different from other fantasy worlds I've read in the past. The writing flowed really well.

The story does wrap up in the end, though I see the potential for other stories within this world that she has built. And it did feel just a bit rushed with everything tying up in a neat bow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. There are a few kinks and some plot inconsistencies that bothered me, dropping my rating to 4.5/5 stars. But I really liked the author's prose, so much so I decided to download the other books by this author.

If you're looking for something to read after your Divine Rivals hangover, this one will definitely fill that gap.

Author:

Emily was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She's lived in four states and two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales.

Follow Emily on Instagram @emilycanwrite
https://www.instagram.com/emilycanwrite/

 

Fat Stack Friday February 14, 2025

 

Check out my haul this week! It's a good one!

NetGalley/Edelweiss Requests Approved:

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

DeWitt has become one of my new favorite romance authors. I really loved Savor It. Can't wait to see what she does with second chance romance.

Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe

I got an email about this one and went to check it out because I love me some Berkley romance. This one really does look cute. And it reminded me a bit of The X Files, which is one of my all time favorite shows.

Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws

This one just looks like it will be a really good read. I'm exited to dive in!

NetGalley/Edelweiss Publisher Invites:

Slipstream by Madge Maril

I've been on the hunt for a really good F1 book and have yet to find one that I fall in love with. I hope this one is it. The publisher sent me the widget for it and I'm going to give it a try.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox

The publisher pushed this one to me and I haven't read a good YA mystery/thriller in a while. I hope it's good!

Publisher Sent for Review:

Behooved by M. Stevenson

This was sent by Bramble. It looks good. I'm excited to have a book from them!

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew

I was just looking at this one on NetGalley the other day and put it on my potential request list. Looks like a good read!

Kindle:

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

I just finished The Otherwhere Post by this author. You can see my review of that title which releases February 25, 2025 HERE. I really enjoyed her writing so figured I'd give this one a try. I remember wanting to request this one before it was published but never did because I wasn't sure I'd like it.

My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher

This one just looks cute and I've seen it around a few times. I hope I enjoy it.

Scythe & Sparrow (The Ruinous Love Trilolgy #3) by Brynne Weaver

This is one of my most anticipated books this year. This series gives great Dexter Vibes and with the doctor element in this one, even more so! I'm all about seeing where this love story goes.

In the mail:

 

For Christmas my mother got my dad a gift certificate to Indigo. She didn't realize it was in Canadian dollars! So they gave it to me to place an order and these are all the pretties I got. Note the extra copy of The Scarlet Veil (hint hint, check my Insta for a giveaway in the future).

Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades #2) by Mai Corland

The Scarlet Veil (The Scarlet Veil #1) by Shelby Mahurin

This is the paperback version. I have the FL hardback SE which is gorgeous!

The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars #1) by Thea Guazon

I have many copies of this one. Including the original hard cover, the FL SE hard cover (as well as A Monsoon Rising FL SE hard cover), and now this pretty paperback. I love this series so much! If you're looking for something to read while waiting for the next Empyrean book, this series will fill the bill!

The Hunger Games SE paperbacks. They are so pretty and I'm so glad they sold them individually. I hope that means they will do the same with the 5th book when it releases in paperback.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

I already read the Kindle version and loved it. I don't think there's anything Hazelwood could write that I would not love. Unfortunately, Amazon sent this in an envelope so the very bottom right corner of the book is a little bent up.

Dream Girl Drama (Hot Shots #3) by Tessa Bailey

Love me some Bailey and this book is so pretty. I am hoping to find books#1 and #2 on some of the selling sites so I can complete the series.

What did you get this week?

Book Love Challenge

 

I saw this trending on Insta and thought it would be fun to do here!

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

Unloved (The Undone #2) by Peyton Corinne

Only In Your Dreams (Oakwood Bay #1) by Ellie K. Wilde

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

First Time Caller (Heartstrings #1) by B.K. Borison

The Starlight Heir (The Starlight Heir #1) by Amalie Howard

Can you complete this challenge?

Weigh In Wednesday

 

Sometimes it's hard to figure out what to read once you've finished a book you love, right. Let's have some fun! Here are some book comparisons for you to ponder

If you liked The Lost Book Shop by Evie Woods, give The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer a try!

If you liked The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center, give The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord a try!

If you liked The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley, give The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave a try.

If you like Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, give The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson a try!

If you liked The Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maher, give The Nightmare Before Christmas by Sarah Raasch a try!

If you liked Bride by Ali Hazelwood, give The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson a try!

If you liked Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, give Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine a try!

If you like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaaros, give The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon a try!

Have you read any of these books?