ARC Review: The Rival by Emma Lord

 

Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again.

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

Title: The Rival

Author: Emma Lord

Expected Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Publisher: St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books/Macmillan Audio

Edition: Kindle/Audio

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an egalley and audio galley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I've become a fan of Lord's work. She writes sweet, clean teen romance that is relatable with characters who are developed well and real. I was happy to be approved to read this most recent title from her.

Jesse Vilinsky, the narrator, is known to me. She has narrated quite a few Lynn Painter books. Her tone, inflection, and reactions to the part she speaks is spot on as long as they are teen parts. She has an easy cadence, as well. I cannot see that I would enjoy her for more mature narrations but she fits well as a voice for teens with some angst. I was fortunate to also get the kindle version of this book so I read along for the full immersion and it was surprisingly fun.

Sadie has always battled against her rival Sebastian. Their families have been friends since they were born, neighbors all their lives, and they have spent many vacations with each other. But it's always been a sticky type of relationship. Where they love the same things and compete to get them. Sadie is finally free as she starts her freshman year of college at Blue Ridge State and Seb is stuck at another school. But suddenly, Seb is on campus as his waitlisted spot has opened up. Now Sadie must once again worry he will be after the same coveted spot she is on the school new rag. But a twist of events where the funding for their paper is being pulled has Sadie and Seb researching the reasons together and forming an alliance. This only confuses their relationship even more as they are still competing for the same spot on the paper.

Sadie and Seb are really well done developmentally. I liked that Lord didn't leave out their flaws. It made them so much more real. You definitely get the sense they are freshmen in college who are trying to find their way. And it's obvious that they are more than just the friendly rivals Sadie makes them out to be. The book is told strictly from Sadie's POV. I kind of wish we would have had Seb's POV but I do understand the book is about Sadie's growth and her coming to terms with her feelings and with what she wants to do with her life as well as showing her breaking free of her family to try and become more independent. She's always been the rock that held her sisters and parents together and without her there, things fall apart a bit.. I really felt her struggle to try and keep Seb at a distance but at the same time be drawn to him and be confused by it all. It's hard to see your enemy as your lover. Though she does confess to having these same types of confusing feelings back in high school.

Lord writes great side characters who are diverse and fun. I enjoyed watching Sadie and Seb make friends as they managed their first year of college. It would be great to get some of the side character's stories in the future.

I will say, I expected a bit more academics for this book seeing as they are freshmen in college. There is a lot of emphasis put on the time they spend doing things for the paper and I found that a bit unrealistic. I needed to feel the pressure of classes, tests, papers, and all the other things that come along with learning to navigate academia as an 18 year old. 

This book was a great glance into university politics, becoming independent, and breaking away from family woes. If you're a fan of Lynn Painter's young adult works, you'll enjoy Lord's. If you're looking for a wholesome teen romance, this is a great choice!

Author:

Emma Lord is the NYT bestselling author of YOU HAVE A MATCH and TWEET CUTE, a BuzzFeed market editor, and dessert gremlin living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese.

Fat Stack Friday December 20, 2024

 

Happy Friday December 20th, 2024. I'm excited about all my goodies I got this week. Take a look!

For Review NetGalley/Edelweiss:

The Rival by Emma Lord

I had a Kindle copy of this but then the audio popped up and I wanted to give that a try. I finished it today and it's a sweet teen read!

For My Kindle:

The Sixty/Forty Rule (Sunset Landing #1) by Ellie K. Wilde

I got a copy of Wilde's newest book early, Only In Your Dreams (Oakwood Bay #1), and flew through it. Review of that book to come but it's one of my 5 star reads this year. I can't wait for the second book! I liked it so much I got her other books to read.

The No-Judgement Zone (Sunset Landing #2) by Ellie K. Wilde

As above, I want to read all things from Wilde. She's up there for me with Elsie Silver and Abby Jimenez!

Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows

I'm hoping to get this one in over the weekend as a Christmas read. I got to read Meadow's book that re-launches in January as traditionally published, Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1), and enjoyed it. You can see my review of that title HERE.

In The Mail:

The Night is Defying (Nytefall #2) by Chloe C. Penaranda

I won this on IG from the publisher. It's an early copy. I didn't read the first one but I'm hoping to get it for Christmas so then I can read it and dive into this one.

What did you get this week?

ARC Review: Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

 

She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature “taut, emotionally charged, and propulsive” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author) prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.

A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, and begins messaging him via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together.

As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she is next?

Title: Cross My Heart

Author: Megan Collins

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date: January 14, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria Books for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I don't read a lot of thrillers/mysteries. But I always find it fun to insert them in between my typical romance or fantasy books to break up my reads. I loved the idea of this one. Girl who receives a heart transplant connects with the donor's husband and forms a bond. What could possibly go wrong, right? Oh so much! This was my first Collins book and I enjoyed the ride.

Rosie Lachlan is set on finding the one, now that she is healthier than before with her new heart in place. She definitely has rose colored glasses when she connects with Morgan Thomas, a famous writer whose wife's heart Rosie believes she received. From the start there is something off about Rosie. She gave me creepy vibes, if I'm being honest. Almost a bit stalkerish in her interest in the author and her voiced admission she has a thing for him.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this story. Things I was not expecting and things I totally saw coming. I won't get into those things, as they will kill the mystery if I do, but just know the twists are going to leave you wondering just exactly what happened.

I loved how the author used the emails for the reader to connect to Morgan, since the story is told from Rosie's point of view. These emails are really what hooked me to the story. I will say they confused me a bit when things started to reveal themselves about 60-70% into the book, but I am sure that was intentional. Collins used those emails well to throw the reader off the trail of who actually committed the crimes you see. They also pain an unusual picture of Morgan. I absolutely got creeper vibes from him for the majority of the story. 

There were so many ways this story could have turned and I honestly wasn't sure how it would go until I got to that second crime and realized who the stalker was. Before that, I was convinced there was some kind of psychotic break happening that I must have missed. Collins made all the characters suspect with how unlikeable and unhinged they were. 

I will say the start of the story was better than the last 50%, finding out who the murderer was aside. It slowed down a lot at that point and I had to push myself a bit to care about what happened at the end. I lost interest though did push to finish it since I already felt invested.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but it is not my favorite of the mysteries/thrillers I have read. I do think fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware will enjoy this title.

Author:

Megan Collins is the author of CROSS MY HEART, THE FAMILY PLOT, THE WINTER SISTER, and more. She teaches creative writing and is the managing editor of 3Elements Review. She lives in Connecticut, where she obsesses over dogs, miniatures, and cake.

ARC Review: Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1) by Jilliam Meadows

 

A swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museum—a handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologist—realize they are the perfect match. Equal parts nerdy banter and fiery tension, it’s perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey.

Millie was never one to take the expected path. She's an entomologist who loves her job as a natural science curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It's her dream to take a larger role in the planning of her department, so when a director position opens up, she is determined not to let anything distract her from her goals. Especially her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and nerdy astronomy ties.

. . . Not that she’s spent much time noticing any of those things.

Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can't afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn't need anything more on his plate. Millie literally stumbling into him with her bright smile and sunny optimism, is the last thing he needs.

They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it's one thing when a job is on the line. It's quite another when it's her heart.

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager/Avon for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

There's something that draws me about books of women in STEM. It's the science, yes, but also the personalities you see from people who choose to make such areas of study their careers. I connect to it on a cellular level because of my medical occupation. When books come along and show strong women who make their way in science, it makes me truly happy. I feel not so alone in loving the geeky parts of my career.

Before I dive in, know there are trigger warnings that come with this book: abuse, loss of a loved one, grief, sexual content, anxiety.

The most interesting part of this story for me was the setting. I have not read STEM books that take place in a museum. And, at first, I wasn't so sure about how it truly fit in. But watching Millie do her thing and show her love of entomology was inspiring. My favorite museums to visit are science museums but I never truly thought about how this part of the science actually fits into that.

I enjoyed Millie's character. She was a bit timid and also at a point where she was more interested in who she was and how that fit into her career than love. But you never know when love will hit you from out of the blue, right? She's also a bit untrusting, understandable given her background with her ex (who I was ready to punch in the face, mind you). This also manifests as severe anxiety at times in the book and the author did a good job with showing this. There's one scene where is literally paralyzed by it and I think the author really understood how to relay this to the audience in a sensitive way.

Finn, oh Finn. I really liked his character so much. Even more than Millie. I love his loyalty to his nieces. How he revolves his world around them while still struggling to come to terms with his grief over his sister. He's so focused on them he doesn't think there is room for anything else. Or that he even deserves it. Of course, his background with his parents and their abusive behavior explains much of this. He doesn't want his sister's girls growing up in the environment he had to endure for so long. He and Ellie have much in common when it comes to having endured abuse and I think this is what gives them more of a connection than not. The only thing I had issue with was his instant attraction to Millie. It was a bit over the top for me since it happened right away. I do get that perhaps he had a thing for her to begin with but this wasn't shown as well as I would have liked considering they had been working together for a while. 

The side characters were great. I loved El and Ave, Finn's nieces. And Millie's parents, they were just amazing. They incorporated Finn and his nieces so easily into their lives, opening their hearts and doors without need of an explanation why and giving Finn the found family he needed. I do wish Kyle, the abusive ex, would have gotten more of a comeuppence in this story. He made me so very angry and, while I can understand not all characters can easily break out of the abuse cycle (which makes the story more relatable), I felt like there needed to be more of a confrontation with him. I feel like that would have made Millie's load much lighter in the long run.

The pacing of the story is well done. I didn't feel like it was slow. The author wove into the story things that helped to move the plot along well. I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine vibe this book had going for it which was well done with the dual POV. While Mille's character had endured some life changing stuff, she's still happy and loves what she does and the life she has created. Meanwhile, Finn puts off a grumpy vibe right from the start. Though you can also see he has moments of sunshine peeking through which only become more prominent the more time he spends with Millie. The banter between the characters made the story fun at many moments.

Overall, I was impressed with how the author tackled the serious topics in this book while still infusing romance and character growth. There was good depth to the story and it showed the author understood her audience and the topics she chose to use, approaching them in a realistic and healthy way. This was a great first novel for this author and I can see she will quickly become a favorite of mine in the future. Fans of Ali Hazelwood will enjoy this story very much. I'm excited to see the future books of this series as they explore Millie's sisters.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Author:

Jillian Meadows writes cozy love stories that make you swoon, smile, and squeal. She lives thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere with her husband, four wild daughters, two unruly dogs, and her sparkling water addiction. When she’s not writing, you can find her devouring a romance novel, playing board games, or enjoying the outdoors with her family.

Most Anticipated Releases Tuesday December 17, 2024

 

Happy Tuesday December 17, 2024 release day to these beauties!

Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson

I will say it is the theme of alcoholism that pulled me to this book. I grew up in that environment so I hope the author does it justice.

Power Play (Sinners on the Ice #4) by Anastasija White

I'm all over hockey romance. I haven't read any of the books in this series but you better bet they are now on my TBR!

What are you most anticipating this week?

Audio ARC Review: Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday

 

Summer camp just got a whole lot hotter in this enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for readers of Tessa Bailey and Lucy Score.

Teddy Knight’s band has just broken up in spectacular fashion after his longtime bandmate and—he’d thought—closest friend decides to go solo. So when he’s offered a last-minute gig to fill in as an artist-in-residence at a summer arts camp—which comes with a lake cabin and lots of free time to work on a revenge album—he takes it. No matter that he knows nothing about nature, dislikes kids, and is generally a grump.

Gretchen Miller is having a mid-life crisis. Luckily, her summer job as the dance teacher at Wild Arts summer camp will allow her to drop out of society for a while. Having sworn off dating, she decides she’ll go into the woods and become a crone. She might skip the “luring innocent children to their death” part of cronedom, but she’s all for the “curse men” aspect.

Teddy and Gretchen clash from the get-go when he mistakes her for a fan, and she relegates him to the “entitled jerk” ash heap. Despite their determination to dislike each other, a wary friendship blooms as the magic of the woods starts to unwind them, and they spend long hours by the campfire talking about art, being stuck, and the idea of starting over. But woods are often filled with monsters, and Teddy and Gretchen will have to face their fears if they want to start over together.

Title: Into the Woods

Author: Jenny Hoilday

Publisher: Forever (Hachette Audio)

Narrators: Teddy Hamilton; Kit Swann

Expected Publication Date: January 7, 2025

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for providing me with a copy of this audio book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will be honest and say the reason I requested this book was because Teddy Hamilton was narrating. He is one of my top two male narrators and I will listen to anything he puts his voice to. As I was expecting, I really loved his voice for his namesake character in this: Tennison "Teddy" Knight. Whenever he plays a character, it's easy to feel the emotions in his voice. And he makes the characters he narrates so likable. Even with whatever flaws the author might give them, Hamilton makes sure you see all their sides. This was my first time listening to Kit Swann narrate. I really liked her for Gretchen Miller's voice. One of the things that made me like her even more was her tone and inflection. You could tell she got into the character, feeling the emotions of the scenes, and portraying that with changes in her lilt and pitch. There were scenes where the character was very distraught and it was easy to feel that from her. I enjoyed that dual narration the most. I love when the characters voices are done by the male and female narrators to coincide with those genders. Sometimes when that is not done, I have a hard time liking the character as the voices are not quite what I would expect.

I enjoyed the story Holiday created for these characters. I feel like it could have been a little tighter in its execution. I think there was a lot of fluff woven into the story that did not necessarily lend to the plot and didn't push it along as I would have liked. Actually, it often times slowed the pace a bit for me. But it was worth it to push through and see where the characters landed on the other side of it all.

I loved the setting. This is not the first book I've read this year with a camp setting and, even though the main characters were adults, it really brought me back to my times at sleep away camp. Especially this camp being specialized as I attended a specialized gymnastics sleep away camp when I was young. The author made it easy for me to connect with the story in this way.

I also loved that the characters were a bit older (FMC 40, MMC 35). So they've lived some life and have some experience to go on. It was refreshing to hear their perspectives in that way. I will say I didn't quite believe the FMC to be the age stated, she seemed a bit younger. But that could have been due to the narrators voice and may come across differently if I were to read this in a print version. I definitely got the midlife crisis vibe Holiday was going for, though. There is a ton of growth with the two main characters in this book, as well. They truly come into who they are. They find out things about themselves they didn't know and then lean into that part of themselves.

There's some great banter surrounding the more serious topics hit on with this book (poverty, child abandonment, fear of love). I thought they were done very well and I could really understand the characters related to their backgrounds. I advise you check the trigger warnings in case you have any. The story also explores the power of friendships, old and new and the realization that those friends can also be family. There's also some spice in it, though it's not explicit (at least not for me, but check those triggers, as I said before). 

This was my second holiday book, I recently listened to Canadian Boyfriend (mostly because Joshua Jackson narrated the male character and who can resist him) but also because the story line seemed interesting. Holiday appears to be an up and coming romance writer and I can see she is has honed her craft a bit with this new story. I love how she writes characters who have relatable and understandable flaws. 

Overall, this was a pleasant read and I would definitely recommend it to my audience. Especially those who enjoy a good audio book!

Author:

Jenny Holiday is a USA Today-bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose books have been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Buzzfeed. She grew up in Minnesota and started writing at age nine when her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she's not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

Fat Stack Friday December 13, 2024

 

It's FAT STACK FRIDAY! Time to show you all the goodies I got this week.

From NetGalley/Edelweiss

Not So Fast by Karen Booth

From the library (Libby/Hoopla)

The Friend Zone (Game On #2) by Kristen Callihan

Second book in this series and I am once again hooked as I was all those years ago. I just love me some Gray Grayson!

In the mail:

The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

I'm in my re-read phase for this series and there was not way I was marking up my hard cover first editions so I decided to invest in the paperbacks to be able to annotate. I've already finished this one!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

I started this one this week and plan to be done soon so I can move on to the second one!

For my Kindle:

I saw the 5th book in this series and it looked really good. I didnt know it was book #5 so I'm glad I checked. Now I have the entire series!

The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission (Boots and Bouquets #.0.5) by Jaci Burton

The Best Man Plan (Boots and Bouquets #1) by Jaci Burton

The Engagement Arrangement (Boots and Bouquets #2) by Jaci Burton

The Accidental Game (Boots and Bouquets #3) by Jaci Burton

The Backup Bride Proposal (Boots and Bouquets #4) by Jaci Burton

Designs on You (Boots and Bouquets #5) by Jaci Burton

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

I saw this on NetGalley but knew I would not have time to read it before it was published. Now I have it and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope it's as good as it seems.

What did you get this week?

ARC Review: She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

 

With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen―from murder to a second chance at love―in Jenny Elder Moke's half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.

A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.

Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.

As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.

Title: She Doesn't have a Clue

Author: Jenny Elder Moke

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an audio galley of this book to listen to and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is my first title I've read by Jenny Elder Moke and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by what I was given. It's a quirky, run, romantic, and mysterious read that had me drawn in from the first chapter.

I've not listened to any narrations from Sarah Mollo-Chirstensen before. I loved her cadence throughout the book. She easily switched between character voices and made them completely their own. She also easily infused the emotions in her voice which made me like the characters even more. She does a great male Australian accent, in case you were wondering! Her transitions are smooth and I would definitely add her to the list of narrators I will be looking out for.

Kate Valentine has agreed to attend her ex's wedding. What she isn't expecting is to find the guy she has been pining over for two years to also be in attendance. Or for there to be murders taking place that almost exactly replicate her own murder stories she writes!

Moke does a nice job developing Kate's character. She loves writing her character Loretta, but she often times looks to Loretta for advice, rather than taking hold of her own life and leading it. Throughout the book, she falls back on Loretta for advice while slowly realizing she needs to be able to let go of this character in order to move on with her life from all the things that have happened in the past. With Jake unexpectedly thrown in her path, she's not sure how to act or what to do. Her attraction to him hasn't lessened but she is sure he does not feel the same way. And given things that have happened between them in the past, she knows she must adore him from a far. 

Jake's character was great. I love supportive he was of Kate. He's definitely a golden retriever in this story. The cast of side characters is diverse and fun to get to know, as well. And Moke gives us so many motives during the story to keep the reader on their toes.

Moke does a great job keeping you off the path of the "murderer" (this is in quotes because of how things happen in the book and once you read it you'll understand why).  I never guessed who it was. I was actually a bit surprised by it, to be honest. There are so many unlikable characters with motive you really just don't know who done it! Plus she infuses quite a bit of banter between the characters. And the sexy times are quite steamy!

I will say some of the story is quite unrealistic. Who would not call the police when they find a dead body? If Kate or Jake were private investigators, then it would be more understandable. But so much happens at this wedding, one disaster after another, that I cannot imagine the authorities would not be called to solve the mystery, especially since it takes place over a few days.

Overall this book really was so much fun to listen to: forced proximity, murder mystery, slow burn and second chance romance! It's a cozy mystery read that readers of Lucy Score's Riley Thorn series will love.

Author:

Jenny Elder Moke is the award-winning author of children's and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. Her adult mystery rom-com mashup debut, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE, comes out January 21, 2025.

Jenny lives in Denver, CO.

To contact Jenny, sign up for her newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/jemnewslette... or visit Jenny on Instagram @jennyeldermoke.

ARC Review: Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow #2) by Kate Pearsall

 

A beautifully dark YA set in Appalachia tinged with magic, mystery, murder, and romance. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.        18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.       Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?

Title: Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow #2)

Author: Kate Pearsall

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Expected Publication Date: January 7, 2025

Review:

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

When this popped up for request I was super excited. The publisher had sent me the first book to read and review and I really enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. So when I saw this I jumped on the chance to get a copy. And then a finished copy showed up in the mail for me and I knew it was meant to be.

If you haven't read the first book in this series, stop here as there may be spoilers in this review with regards to that book. And this book picks up right after the first one ends, so you'd be lost if you didn't read that one first! The world that is established in that book as well as the developed characters can only be understood if you have read these books in order.

After the tumultuous summer the James girls had, things are finally settling down. But the Moth Winged Man, always a myth in Caball Hollow but now made real, is still haunting the area. The myth is definitely a reality. While the first book focuses on Linden and Cole, this book focuses on Rowan and Hadrian.

Rowan James continues to scent lies on people tongues as they tell them. And things are not what they seem when she takes a job to help the forest rangers be on the look out for poachers. She isn't expecting to ever see Hadrian Fitch again but he ends up in her path anyway, flitting between her world and the Otherworld. Together they try to solve the mystery of the slowly dying Bone Tree while navigating their attraction to each other.

It's nice that Pearsall does not simply focus on a romance between Rowan and Hadrian. She builds the world out more than what we saw in the first book and gives the characters the space they ned to grow and develope. At the same time, I do wish there was just a bit more of them in that capacity in this book. You can feel their pull to each other but the scenes aren't really there to back it up.

Pearsall does a great job continuing to build the fantasy world that is within the boundaries of Caball Hollow. I feel like the pacing of this one is a bit slower than the first. There were areas where things dragged for me a bit. But the tension, banter, and mystery made up for it and kept me wanting to turn the pages to find out what happens. One of the things that prevented me from giving this book 5 stars was the fact that at some points the story line almost felt disjointed and confusing. I had to turn back pages a few times in order to truly understand what was going on or what had just happened.

Pearsall does a great job with describing the area, though. I've not spent time in this part of the country and I really felt as though I was right there. It was easy to picture the area in my mind.

The ending leaves you seeing there could definitely be a third book if the author chooses, though it does wrap up fairly well. I'm hoping we get to see the stories from the other sisters!

This series would be perfect for people looking for a bit of a spooky read during Halloween season!

Author:

Kate Pearsall developed a love for storytelling at a young age, often spinning tales of magical worlds and exciting adventures with her sisters. When she’s not writing, she can be found willfully indulging her curiosity by disappearing into museums, exploring new places, and becoming deeply submerged into obscure topics that inevitably make their way into future work.