Book Review: "Foul Lady Fortune" by Chloe Gong

Title: Foul Lady Fortune

Author: Chloe Gong

Series: "Foul Lady Fortune" #1

Genre: YA Speculative Historical Thriller

Page Length: 528 pages

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Chloe Gong has done it again. She's written another novel I'm obsessed with and I don't know how I'm going to cope with the wait for book two. 

Foul Lady Fortune is the first in a spin-off duology set after the events of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. It follows Rosalind, an assassin who can't die, and Orion, a playboy spy, who must pose as a married couple on an undercover mission. This duology contains characters old and new. While it can be read on its own, it will spoil the events of Our Violent Ends so if you're interested in reading the original duology, I would read that first. 

This book has a completely different vibe than the These Violent Delights duology yet also felt like I was coming home. The plot in Foul Lady Fortune is about covert operations, sneaking around in the night, etc. It uses a lot of brain power to follow but it's quite exciting and feels very well-set in 1930s Shanghai. 

Of course, my favorite part of this book, like with the previous duology, are the characters. I am obsessed with all of them. I wasn't expecting all the different POV characters but came to enjoy each. I think my favorites are still currently Rosalind and Orion. Their dynamics were hilarious and the way their relationship progressed made me squeal the entire time.

I was expecting there to be plot twists, but I still was blown away when they came about. My mind is still reeling and I'm still wondering about how things will be resolved after the cliffhanger in this book. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next. I'm unsure how I'm going to survive the over one year wait but I think finally get my physical copies when this officially releases will help. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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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

Goodreads 

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

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: "The Inheritance Games" #1
Genre: YA Mystery

Page Length: 384 pages

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Rating: 4 // 5 stars 

Goodreads

*I was sent a free copy of this book by Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own. This review is spoiler-free*

Synopsis

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. 

I first want to give a big shoutout to Wunderkind PR for sending me a copy of this book! I had it on my wishlist and it was one that had intrigued me from the moment I read the synopsis so being sent a copy truly made my month!

I loved this book! I was intrigued from the moment I read the synopsis but I'd also seen some people say that it was good but not amazing. I'm glad that I tried not to let other people's opinions influence my expectations because I came out of this book wholly satisfied. 

Right off the bat I was sucked into this book. The pacing was quick, but not so fast that I was confused. I thought this worked really well because it didn't spend time focusing on places we weren't going to be revisiting or characters who wouldn't matter later on. The pacing is what kept me, to be honest. The story was fun and wonderful and full of mystery, but if it had been slower I might have struggled a little. However, the fact that this book took off right from the start and didn't slow down meant that I finished the majority of it in just one sitting. I was engrossed. I was obsessed. I still am obsessed, if we're being honest.

The story itself was interesting and well-balanced. There was mystery and there was humor. There were serious, heart pounding moments and then there were times I was laughing my head off. It was great. The mystery gripped me and I was actually nervous at times for our main character. As someone who doesn't like mystery thriller books that often (which is strange since I love crime and mystery TV shows), I've found that YA mysteries are more my speed than adult. This was one of those books that I adored the mystery in because I felt like it vibed well with my personal preferences. 

Our main storyline seemingly wrapped up while a few secondary threads set up the second book but, as the characters consistently pointed out in the book, I'm wondering if that's just a trick or a misdirect. I feel like Tobias Hawthorne, the person who engineered the whole mystery, would have a few more tricks up his sleeve. I just have so many questions about how the next book will go and I am eagerly anticipating it.  

In terms of characters, we have a pretty good sized cast. We only have one point of view which is our narrator, Avery, but there are a bunch of characters who play large roles throughout the book such as the Hawthorne brothers. I am definitely intrigued by all of the brothers and I'm interested to learn more about them in the next book and unravel some of their secrets. 

The romance, I think, was the least interesting part of this book. That's not to say it was bad, but I wasn't really invested in the romance plot as much. I felt like we didn't get enough character interactions on page between those characters to see them as more than friends at that point. It's also worth pointing out that this book was not marketed as romance, so this issue I had with the romance isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I am still interested to see where it goes in the next book.

Overall, I loved this book and it will most likely end up on my list of 2020 favorites. It's such a solid YA mystery with an interesting cast of characters and a main character you can't help but love. I am so incredibly excited to read the next book and highly recommend it to anyone who liked Knives Out or enjoys a good YA mystery! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Losers Reap Her" by Hayley Stumbo

Title: Losers Reap Her

Author: Hayley Stumbo

Series: "Hide and Seek Her" #1

Genre: Adult Romance Suspense/Thriller

Page Length: 318 pages

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads
Book 1 Review
Book 2 Review

This trilogy will always hold a special place on my bookshelf and I can't believe that it's finally complete. I started the first book over four years ago and, after the cliffhanger ending of book two, it's been a long wait for this final book. I have to say, it was worth it.

I flew through this book. One thing I've always loved about Hayley's books is her writing because it sucks me in and I read so fast. Not only that, but the story itself was addicting too. I hadn't yet read the synopsis until right before I started it and the plot itself went a completely different direction than I expected. But I liked it.

One thing that I really liked was the flipping between timelines. It's sometimes not done well but I thought the way Hayley wove them together was quite well done. And the more I look back, the more I'm glad it was done this way because we get to see a lot more of these characters and their growth.

I really loved reading more of these characters, though there was a new POV that, while I enjoyed reading from him, I thought my connection to some of the other characters was lessened because of it. Still, I enjoyed the characters and seeing their growth and how they've come out of the events of the previous books.

And that ending! I don't know why I expected Mrs. Stumbo to have anything other than a shocking ending considering all of the other books I've read of hers! I did not see it coming but it does make a lot of sense and, the more I think about it, the more I actually like how things ended. Obviously I don't want to go into too much depth because of spoilers but I really liked the ending.

Overall, I thought this was a fitting conclusion to this trilogy and well worth the wait. Everything has been wrapped up and it's over but I also wouldn't mind if there were spin-offs or more sequels set in the future. But, in the end, I really enjoy this trilogy, it holds a special place in my heart, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Finally Fall Book Tag!

Hello everyone! I realize it's been a while since I've posted a book tag and we're about to remedy that! Fall is my favorite time of year and I'm beyond excited that it's finally upon us. The crisp cool air, beautiful colors all around, and perfect sweater weather! Spring just doesn't do it for me like fall does. And where I got to college at, there's so many trees and beautiful spots that I feel like I could live here forever. 

I figured that since I hadn't done a book tag in a while and I was running out of ideas for what to post this month, I would do the Finally Fall Book Tag. I first saw this tag around last year and it recently resurfaced again this year! I wasn't tagged by anybody, but I just wanted to do it so let's go ahead and jump on in! This was originally created by Alina at Tall Tales on Youtube!

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!

I'm going to go with Caraval by Stephanie Garber for this one. Stephanie paints such a brilliant beautiful picture with her words and I am seriously dying to visit Caraval after hearing her describe it. I can picture it so easily and it gives me such fantastical vibes. 

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

For me, this book is one that came out at the beginning of September and continues to impact me: Sadie by Courtney Summers. For my full thoughts, you can find my review here, but overall this book just hit me really hard. It was so impactful and eye-opening as well as being an interesting thriller. 

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.

I don't particularly read any non-fiction books. I suppose that the books I read for school have taught me something new? 

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.

I would love to be a part of the Covey family from the To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy. They seem like such a supporting and fun family that I would be honored to be with. But I also love the Court of Terrasen from Throne of Glass and the Court of Dreams from A Court of Mist and Fury! 

5. The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines!

I actually don't have a picture for this, but if you want to go check out all of the other book piles I've taken pictures of, you can check out my book-themed instagram here :) 

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

I haven't read this book yet, but I know that in it the main character is retelling his story for someone to write down I believe. That is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I still have yet to read it but I am excited to when I finally get to it. I feel like just with college I'm having a hard time reading longer books because of how long it takes me to get through them but hopefully over winter break! 

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read.

For this, I'm choosing Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Mansicalco. It's about a girl interested in forensic science who begins trying to catch Jack the Ripper. It was a deliciously dark and amazing ride that I can't wait to reread soon!

8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han definitely falls into this category. I'm also a fan of Check, Please!, a graphic novel by Ngozi Ukazu. It is also super cute and heartwarming and such a quick read. 

9. Fall (luckily, it’s my favourite season) returns every year: name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon.

There's so many of them. I'm currently rereading the Throne of Glass series in preparation for the final book coming out this month and I have to reread Six of Crows for class. But otherwise I do want to reread Twilight simply to get back some of my childhood nostalgia. 

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favourite cozy reading “accessories”!

I always read in my cozy papasan chair when I'm at college. Sometimes I'll read in my bed but that usually leads to Netflix or napping so my chair is the place to be. I also use my super big tie blanket and I end up just in one big pile of cuddle. It's quite nice. 

11. Spread the autumn appreciation and tag some people!

I tag @lexisbooktalks, @starlight.reads, and @dontgobrekkarmyheart on Instagram.

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Thanks for reading! Happy Fall everybody! I can't wait to bust out tea and sweaters and cosy blankets in my dorm room!
xoxo
Lauren

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