Friday, July 29, 2022

Series Review: "Mindf*ck" by S.T. Abby

Series Title: Mindf*ck
Author: S.T. Abby
Genre: Dark Romance
Reading Order & Individual Ratings:
  1. The Risk - 5/5 stars
  2. Sidetracked - 5/5 stars
  3. Scarlet Angel - 5/5 stars
  4. All the Lies - 5/5 stars
  5. Paint It All Red - 5/5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 // 5 stars

TW: Please check trigger warnings for the book at the end of this post!

Oh boy was that a ride! I think my feelings can be best described as the phrase, "I support women's rights. But more importantly, I support women's wrongs." 

This series is like if Criminal Minds met Dexter with a splash of romance. It's dark, it's graphic, it's thrilling, it's obsessive, it's amazing. We follow Lana, a serial killer (but one who's side you're on), and Logan, an FBI agent working on her case (but who doesn't know who she is) and their romance over the course of five short books. Overall the series is only about 700 pages long and I read it in one night in one sitting. I stayed up until 8 AM to read this series when I was supposed to be getting up early the next day. 

I'd love to say that the romance was why I loved this book so much but that's not the case. The romance was great, don't get me wrong, but it's not as front and center as I thought it would be. This series truly thrives off the plot and the thriller vibes. There's plenty of mysteries to unravel, like why Lana is killing people, the other cases Logan works on, the true history of the town of Delaney Grove, and more. Then there's the consistent underlying thrill of wondering if or when Lana will be discovered. And, of course, the romance was enjoyable and added just enough lightness to keep the series from being too dark.

This series is not for the faint of heart. It is very graphic and holds nothing back. There's rape, sexual assault, pedophilia, graphic torture and graphic murder, amongst others (full trigger warnings at the end of this post). It can be sad and upsetting and rage-inducing. But it's also about getting justice for those wrongs. Lana is out for revenge and she will make sure vengeance is had. 

The writing was astounding. I've read other books by this author (under a different pen-name) and they were also just as addicting and well-written. I think this series far outshines the other I read, though. I was hooked and couldn't turn away, in part because of the writing style and in part because of how deep the plot and background goes. 

The characters were stunning. I loved Lana so much. My heart would break for her at times but I was cheering her on throughout the entire series because you're truly on her side for why she's killing people. She goes through immense character growth, both from flashbacks of who she previously was before to when the series started and throughout the series itself. She's phenomenal. Logan, our other main POV character, was enjoyable to read from. I think he was very well-written and I enjoyed getting to see him figure things out across a variety of cases. We also have Jake, Lana's best friend and partner in crime. He's a computer genius who helps Lana behind the scenes with her murder revenge. And I have to give a shoutout to Hadley, who was a surprising favorite by the end. If you'd asked at the beginning of the series if she was going to be a favorite I would have said no but now I would protect her with my life. 

This book series was amazing. It's full of heartbreaking and dark revelations on the world but there's also revenge and the desire for things to be made right and the sense that things are going to be better after the end. The relationships formed and grown across the five books drove the story hard, but the actual plot was phenomenally written that the characters could have been worse and I still would have loved it (which is rare as I'm a big character-driven person). 

Overall, I loved it. It was dark and unsettling but it was amazing and full of heart. I will definitely be picking up the paperback bind-up and rereading this series in the future. Originally I rated these four stars each but after truly thinking on it and writing this review I realized I loved these and have no faults with them that makes them deserving of anything less than five stars. And it truly is heartbreaking that the author passed away before seeing how popular her books got and how much love for the series there is. 

TW: abuse, assault, blood, castration, gore, kidnapping, murder, molestation, pedophilia, rape, torture, violence



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, July 8, 2022

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2022 Edition


This book tag is one that I've enjoyed doing over the years. Last year, due to my reading slump, I skipped doing it as I couldn't answer all of the questions. However, I have read a lot more this year so I'm actually able to finish this tag. I've read some great books this year but I've also reread a lot of books. So I realistically only have about half the books I've read overall to chose from. Anyway, without further ado, let's go ahead and dive into the tag!  



1. Best Book You've Read

When I originally drafted this tag, I had two books tied for first in this category: House of Sky and Breath and Foul Lady Fortune. While I loved both of those books, I read a book after I'd drafted this post that is my definite favorite of the year so far over both of those. And that book is City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards. 

CoGaM is truly a masterpiece. I loved every single moment of it. While I know it's objectively not perfect as no book can be, it was a perfect book for me. Everything from the characters to the romance to the plot to the magic and world building created such an amazing reading experience. I truly never wanted to put it down and I loved every second. This book reminded me why I love reading. How I felt reading it was exactly why I fell in love with reading in the first place. I cannot wait for the sequel, but even more so I cannot wait to reread this. I did post a full review with all of my gushing feelings if you'd like to read those as well. 



2. Best Sequel You've Read

I've decided to go with two for this one. The first is going to go to Namesake by Adrienne Young. I absolutely loved this duology with my entire heart. It was so much fun and I was engrossed from the beginning to end. I love nautical stories and this one felt so vivid. I felt like I was the one swimming below the surface, the one standing on the boat deck with the wind in my hair, the one sneaking through towns. It was amazing. I truly think this is some of Adrienne Young's best works and I can't wait to reread it in the future. 

The second is going to be House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. I truly couldn't put it down and, even though there were some complicated plot lines, I overall just loved reading it. The ending especially was absolutely insane and I'm so excited to see where the series goes in the next book. I just love the characters in Crescent City and it was a great time being back with them. Though I will say that there were some elements that could have been better, overall this was an excellent sequel from SJM. 



3. New Release You Haven't Read but Want To

There are so many but I think a recent one on my high-priority TBR is The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved the first three books in this series and I'm very much looking forward to continuing on with the series, though I have heard mixed things about this installment. I also know that I want to read A Shadow in the Ember, the first book in the spin-off/prequel series to From Blood and Ash first as that's what has been recommended. Either way, plenty of content to get through soon. 



4. Biggest Disappointment

My biggest disappointment so far would have to be Priest by Sierra Simone. I truly wanted to love this book, I'd heard such good things, and it was so hyped up. I was so bored, I hated the characters, I had zero connection to the story, and it was just overall a poor time. I think that was partly on me for not having the right expectations as to what type of story it was. But I think the way it was hyped and discussed led to that. It just...I hated it. But I think part of that feeling is just because I so badly thought I was going to love it. 



5. Biggest Surprise

On the other hand, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is one that really surprised me. I was hesitant about this but not because of the extreme hype. Well, I always take hype with a grain of salt. But the main reason I was hesitant is because this originally was a Star Wars fanfiction for a pairing I don't much care for. However, I was able to look past that fact and could picture the characters as their own person and not a fanfiction portrayal which meant I was able to enjoy it for what it was: a fun romcom. While there are certainly some aspects that aren't perfect, overall I just had an amazing time and loved reading it.  



6. Favorite New Author

A favorite new author I think is going to be Katee Robert. I've only read one book by her so far, Neon Gods, but I loved it. I am so excited to read the rest of the series and I cannot wait to see how it continues on. I'm even excited to read some more of her backlist that I've heard great things about. I don't think I will read every single thing she's written but I do think that I'll enjoy what I do. 



7. Newest Fictional Crush

I don't really do fictional crushes, which I guess sets me apart from a lot of readers. I can love a character but not be attracted to them in a crush way? I guess when I was younger (like elementary/middle school) that might have been different, but I've not really gotten fictional crushes in ages. However, I'll take this prompt to talk about one of my favorite new fictional relationships instead: Zetian, Li Shimin, and Gao Yizhi from Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. They are a polyamory trio and just a great set of characters to read about. They all just seem to fit really well together and I am so excited and nervous to see what happens in the next book. 



8. Newest Favorite Character

I think for this one I'm going to pick Fable from Fable by Adrienne Young. As I said earlier, I just absolutely loved this duology and I loved getting to read about Fable. She's such a fun protagonist to read from. I definitely will be revisiting the duology soon just so I can be reunited with this character. 



9. Book that Made You Cry

For this one, I'm going with Dragonwatch: Return of the Dragon Slayers by Brandon Mull. This is the fifth book in the Dragonwatch series and the tenth book overall within the Fablehaven world. I had a blast reading this series. For me, it was so nostalgic to return to the world and go on new adventures with characters I've been reading about for almost fifteen years. I loved every second of being back in it and getting to explore new magic and creatures. When I finished, I cried. Not because it was a sad ending but because this is now truly the end of these books. While Brandon Mull has said he might return to the world, it would be in books that focus on different characters or adventures. I would love that. But at the same time it was very emotional to truly be done going on new adventures with Kendra and Seth, who I felt I've grown up with. Anyway, a bit of a sappy answer there but it's true. 



10. Book that Made You Happy

On the flip side, to keep from repeating individual books in this tag, a book that made me happy is Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull. Well, the whole series really. Like I said in the previous question, this series is so nostalgic for me. I didn't realize how exciting it really was going to be getting to return to this world with characters I love so much. I just realized how much joy I felt while binging these books and I cannot wait to return to them in the future. 



11. Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation

I have to go with Heartstopper for this one. It was adapted by Netflix from the graphic novel/web comic series by Alice Oseman. I love this series so I was very interested to see how a show would be. I have to admit, I was nervous. But I loved every second of the show and I cannot wait to see more seasons and just more of these characters. I also am 100% going to finally finish reading the comics because I am a bit behind the published ones. 



12. Favorite Review You've Written

I think this is going to be my review of The Love Hypothesis. I just find, looking back, that it is a very well-rounded review. Sometimes I ramble on my reviews but I like the balance on this one quite a lot. 



13. Most Beautiful Book you Bought

Hands down this is going to be the Fairyloot edition of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. I got this in my February Fairyloot box and it is so spectacularly stunning. It features a redesigned cover in a blue and purple pallette (which are two of my favorite colors), embossing on the hardcover, artwork on the endpages, stunning stencil sprayed edges, and is signed. I haven't yet read this one, but I am obsessed with this gorgeous edition. It has to be one of the most beautiful books that I have on my shelves. 





14. What do you need to read by the end of the year? 

There are so many books that I need to read by the end of the year. I doubt I will get to all of them, but my hopes are to get through a good number of them. I just have to hope that I am able to make the time to read them and that I can get my current mood reading self to give them a go. The majority of this list is for books that will finish out series I've already started, but there are also some new books I'm hoping to get to as well. Here's a brief list of what I'm hoping to tackle (excluding any potential rereads): 
  • Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody
  • Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
  • The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
  • The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
  • Lightbringer by Claire Legrand
  • Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova
  • Husband Material by Alexis Hall
  • The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody
  • It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
  • Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
  • All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
  • Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
  • Electric Idol by Katee Robert
  • A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Chosen Ones" (June 2022)


Another month, another Fairyloot unboxing. I got my shipping notification for this box the same day it got delivered (just a couple hours between the two) and I am so happy with it. I was quite excited for this box and it didn't disappoint. I like or love every single item. We also got two exclusive books this month which is always exciting for me. So, without further ado, let's dive into Fairyloot's June 2022 box!



The first item in this box was the next in the trinket dish series. This one in particular featured Rin from The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang and was designed by @arz28. Once again, this artwork and dish are absolutely stunning. I still am not sure how I feel about getting a bunch of trinket dishes as I'm not sure what use I have for them right now but I still think it's a stunning item that's one of the better ones in Fairyloot's repertoire. I haven't yet read The Poppy War either but it's on my soon-ish TBR!

Up next we have a set of paper tabs inspired by the Sting dagger from Lord of the Rings designed by @jezhawk. I have to admit, I'm a casual fan of LOTR so these definitely hit their mark with me. Also, they're just beautiful and I will definitely be finding some use for them. I doubt I'll use them to annotate books but they will be used in some capacity, I expect. 

The next item was a book sleeve inspired by The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake designed by @chattynora. This is a faux-leather feeling sleeve and I wonder if it's potentially waterproof like their sleeves used to be. I like the design a lot and I thing that these sleeves were nicely made (especially with the inclusion of a zipper top). I always like book sleeves in boxes so this is another winner for me. 

Then we got an art print of the Adelina from The Young Elites by Marie Lu that was designed by @damian.in.the.den. I've not yet read this series, though it is on my TBR. However, I did let out a small gasp when I saw this print as I think it's absolutely stunning. Art prints, for me, can be hit or miss. Sometimes I don't see the value in a print over another item despite beautiful artwork. On the other hand, I do like art prints because I can store them easily and they don't take much space. 

This month featured a bonus book instead of a fifth item: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber. I actually was going to pick up this book from Waterstones until I saw Fairyloot's announcement and realized this was going to be the second book. I absolutely love how they did this book. It features a new cover and has stencil sprayed edges. I think it's stunning and I'm so happy to add it to my bookshelf. 

The tarot cards this month were featured after From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout. As always, they were designed by @arz28. They feature Poppy and Hawke as The Lovers and Kieran as The Chariot. The artwork on these is stunning and I'm so thrilled with the level of design on them. While the previous deck had multiple artists, this deck (I believe) is all illustrated by @arz28 so will have a consistent look to them despite different characters/series. And I love the art style. I cannot wait to collect a full deck of these.

The book of the month was This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede. Per Fairyloot, it is a "swoon-worthy romantic comedy set in an Italian inspired fantasy world where a young girl's gift can either save...or kill." This edition has an exclusive cover, stenciled edges, foiled hardcover and artwork on the endpages designed by @gabrielleragusi, and is signed by the author. It comes with an art print of the main character with an author letter on the back. I do think such a bright yellow was a brave choice but I'm actually vibing with it a bit. I do love my purples and blues that Fairyloot often do but I also like other colors. It's particularly exciting to have a rainbow of colors to brighten my shelves up a bit, in my opinion. 




Overall, I really liked this box. I think the quality and usefulness of the items was fantastic. The books included are stunning and ones I'm incredibly excited to read. I think that fewer higher-quality items over numerous lower-quality items is definitely the way to go with me. What stands out for me with Fairyloot is that I could easily pay the same price for just the book if I were buying it secondhand (which is what I used to do before I just subscribed). But for the price of the box, the value is great. Even just looking at the two exclusive books this month and a large book sleeve, you're already at way more than the cost of the box itself when buying from Etsy or other sites. Then factor in all the other goodies you get as well. 

This box was definitely a hit with me and one that I think is on the higher list of my ranking of Fairyloot boxes I've gotten. I am even more excited for July, though, as we are apparently getting a new item they've never included before that's been highly requested and a book I'm quite looking forward to. Did you get this box? What did you think of it?



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Monday, July 4, 2022

Book Review: "City of Gods and Monsters" by Kayla Edwards

Title: City of Gods and Monsters
Author: Kayla Edwards
Series: "House of Devils" #1
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Romance
Page Length: 760 pages
Publication Date: January 25, 2022
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

This book is, without a doubt, the best book I've read in 2022 so far. We're halfway through the year and I've read some amazing books and new favorites. This book knocked them all out of the park. It sounds a bit dramatic but it's true. This book, truly, is my favorite book of the year so far. 

CoGaM follows Loren, a human, and Darien, a Darkslayer (a bounty hunter gifted with the Sight, an ability to track people's auras). Loren escapes an attempted kidnapping only for her best friend to be taken in her place. The ransom is simple: Loren gives herself up and her friend goes free. At the same time, Darien is hired to track Loren down. When he finds her, though, he realizes that she is human and decides to flip and protect her instead. He becomes her bodyguard as the two attempt to find her best friend and figure out what's behind a series of missing persons and murders in the city. 

I can honestly say that this book gave me everything I wanted and more. I had heard great things about it going in but the actual book itself blew every expectation out of the water. I expected to love it, but I didn't expect to be wholly obsessed with it like I currently am. 

Here's just a short list of what to expect with this book: bodyguard trope, slow-burn reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, found family vibes, strong female friendships, hurt/comfort (for those of us fanfic readers), magic, demons, mystery, badassery, and more. Honestly, just read it. 

But actually getting down into the nitty gritty of it all, this book was amazing. The writing was stellar, the world was fascinating, the characters were fleshed out (even the side characters), and the relationships were amazing. 

So let's start with the story itself. This book is long but I didn't feel like it was ever dragging because it felt well-balanced between the mystery plot and the relationships that were forming. I found the main plot to be quite interesting and fun to read. The ending was absolutely mind-blowing! I knew we were building up to a big ending like that and it was...wow. It was so different than what I expected and it truly blew me away.

The world was fascinating. It's an urban fantasy setting in a modern world but with creatures like werewolves, vampires, witches, demons, and more. I never felt overwhelmed with what we were learning. Whenever there was world-building, it felt very natural within the context of where it was happening. Instead of big info-dumps, we got what we needed when we needed it. The magic especially was fascinating to read about. There's still so much I would love to know about this world and I cannot wait to explore it in future books. 

The main reason why I loved this book, though, was the cast of characters and the varying relationships between them. We have our two main POV characters, Loren and Darien, but we also have a whole cast of characters that play a big role in the series. I got major found family vibes and I cannot wait for those to be explored even more in the sequel. I also loved how despite Loren meeting a new group of characters and a love interest that she didn't stray from her strong female friendships she had at the beginning. I love a good girl group. 

The romance itself was great. It's pretty slow burn but I felt like that was most natural within the context of the story and characters themselves. Both main characters have a lot to deal with both mentally and with their overall situation. I liked the slow burn, I liked the pining, I liked the back and forth, I liked how they grew naturally together. I think I prefer slow burn to when they get together very early on. I just loved it. But, of course, we still had those passionate scenes and the will they/won't they going on. 

The side characters were elite. I love them. I cannot wait to know more about them. I know we're getting a third POV in the next book and I am extremely excited for that as they were one of my favorite side characters in this book. I also think this new POV will add a lot to learn about the different character dynamics and just general life in this world. 

Like I said, my favorite thing was the characters. I'm a huge character-driven reader. A book can be five stars for me even if the plot is not as great. This book, however, features such an amazing cast of characters and a well-written and compelling plot. It truly has it all, in my opinion. I loved every element and I don't think I would change a thing.

Now, I can definitely see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea. However, I knew going in what I wanted and I got that plus more. I know not everyone has said they like the main character but I found her to be quite realistic within the overall context of her life and age and experience. I liked that she needed to be protected and taken care of sometimes. I liked how, even though she had badass moments, she was not the biggest badass around. 

Anyway, I just loved it. I cannot stop thinking about. I don't want anything except the next book. I just want to live in this world with these characters forever. It's been a while since I've been this wholly obsessed with a book and I am so grateful that I am. I know that this will be a book I come back to over and over and love just as much each time. 

I cannot wait for the next book, which is hopefully coming later this year or at the beginning of next year. For now, though, I'll have to make do with going back and annotating the heck out of it and trying to shove it into as many readers' hands as possible. If you like urban fantasy romance do yourself a favor and read it! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Saturday, July 2, 2022

June 2022 Wrap-Up + Haul


Another month of 2022 gone, bringing us right to halfway through the year! I cannot believe we're already halfway. It seems like this year has flown by so far and June was gone in a blink of an eye. I was on-and-off busy this month and was fully engaged with some different TV shows, so I didn't get around to reading much. I only read two books this month, but I did love both of them. I also started another and got over 400 pages in, but didn't finish it until the first of July so I'm not able to count it here. Anyway, I'm also combining my book haul for June in this post as I read so little, so let's just dive right in! 


1. 
Title: Serpent & Dove
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

2. 
Title: Foul Lady Fortune 
Author: Chloe Gong
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars


I definitely hauled way more books than I read this month. I hauled twelve physical books and I'm excited about all of them. To be fair, four of these were ones I ordered months ago and finally came. The rest...I have no excuses. I just wanted them. Let's just dive in! 

The first book I got this month was One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake. I had just been scrolling around on TikTok one day and stumbled across a video about this. It's one of Olivie Blake's backlist titles (she wrote the much loved The Atlas Six that was originally self-published but has been traditionally published now). I was just very intrigued by this one and impulse bought it. I'm so glad I did as less than a week later it was announced this was another title being traditionally published and was then no longer available for purchase. So I swooped in and got that self-pupped edition before it was too late, wooo! 

The next books I got were from the Fairyloot Trove restock back in April? May? I think I ordered these in April. I got five books in the restock, though one was a new copy of a book I'd bought secondhand that was damaged so I'm not including it in this haul as I just swapped copies. There was some issues with queuing and website crashing but I somehow managed to get everything I wanted and more. 

The first book I got from this restock was Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. This was my main goal for this restock and I'm so glad I was able to get it. I order the UK cover for this series and this Fairyloot edition is even more stunning with the slight color changes, artwork, and edges. I also was able to get the second book preorder so I definitely wanted a matching copy. I waited out six months from when I first saw this edition to when it restocked and I'm so glad I got it now instead of paying insane resale prices.

I also picked up Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. This features an alternate cover, stenciled edges, and various artwork. I have to say, I think I prefer the original UK cover but I do like the rest of the customizations. However, the main reason I got this was because it resells for so high so I knew I should get it now at retail price for if I love this book when I eventually read it. I'm also comfortable with this because I will be able to easily resell it for what I paid or more, so either way I come out on top. 

Then I scored the restock of all restocks: Kingdom of the Wicked and Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco. These Fairyloot editions have stenciled edges, custom covers, and gorgeous artwork. I originally didn't get the box KOTW came in and, because I didn't want to pay insane amounts for the first book, I didn't get KOTC when it went on sale. However, when they announced these were being restocked, I was like...hmmmm. I put it on my list to get but only if I was able to get Six Crimson Cranes first. Somehow I lucked out and it was still in stock when I got in, so now I own these gorgeous editions. And I snagged the third book's preorder after this restock so I'll have the full set, which is insanely lucky. 

Then I picked up Masters of Death by Olivie Blake. This was announced, along with One For My Enemy, that it was being traditionally published. The moment I saw that announcement I raced online to see if I could still get a copy...and I could! I ordered it that moment and it arrived a couple days later and I'm quite happy. I've really lucked out on the timing with Olivie's books going out of print and I'm hoping to slowly get the rest before they potentially go out of print too. 

Up next is the hardcover of The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The book actually came out a few months ago but the hardcover wasn't released until recently. I actually think I got this in May but I forgot to include it in my haul and I forgot to even catalogue it in my book collection spreadsheet. I wasn't originally going to get the hardcover so fast but they printed it with special embossing, artwork, etc and I knew I'd want that. I'm hoping that they continue this with the rest of the books and maybe go back to the previous books so they're all uniform. 

Then I got my June Fairyloot box (unboxing soon!) so spoilers if you haven't gotten it yet and don't want to know. This month there were two books and I'm excited about both of them. The first is Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber. This was a bonus paperback this month and I'm so glad it was included. I originally was going to get the Waterstones edition but when this was announced I held off, hoping for a beautiful edition. Luckily, it's stunning. There's an alternate cover, stenciled edges, and is digitally signed. I probably won't read this edition, though, as it's quite a stiff paperback and I don't want to ruin it. However, I am looking forward to this book so much.

The main book of the June box was This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede. This edition has a custom cover, stenciled edges, art on the endpages, embossing on the cover, and is signed. I will say, this edition is quite yellow. I do prefer the original UK cover, but I also like that I will be able to have a very colorful bookshelf with all the colorful books Fairyloot has been doing. I actually haven't heard much about this book but I'm hopeful it'll be great.

Then I picked up It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey because it was on sale by more than 50% off. I've heard great things about this and recently it was announced it's being adapted for screen. I have to say, I'm not happy with this edition. The ISBN and publisher match the USA edition. And it is that edition, but printed in the UK. So it's very stiff and will not match my other Tessa Bailey books. I'm a bit upset as I hate how stiff this is but I've decided I will read it before attempting to get the actual US edition printed in the US to make sure I like the book itself. 

Up next I grabbed Foxy Tales by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. This is a collection of bonus content (mainly from the Zodiac Academy series) that was published as a fundraiser for charity. It was only offered in print for the month of June. I haven't yet read the series (I'm waiting for the last book to release in December before I start it) but I knew that if I like the series I'll want this collection of bonus content. And if I don't like the series, I'm sure there will be a series lover who missed out on it and will want it.

The last book I got in June was City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards. I first heard of this book on TikTok and immediately put it on my wishlist. I ended up getting the ebook, but as the weeks progressed I started to want the physical copy more and more. At the end of the month I ended up just impulse buying it after it had sat in my cart for ages because I wanted to read it and annotate it as I did. I actually have also already finished it and it is, for sure, my favorite book of 2022 so far. I absolutely loved it (though I finished it the first day of July, aka the day I'm writing this, so I can't include it in my June wrap-up. It's an urban romance-fantasy and it was just everything I wanted and more. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

Well, those are the twelve books I got in June. Did you see any that looked interesting to you? Did you see any favorites? I cannot wait to dive into the ones I haven't read yet! 





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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