Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

I had no idea how much I would end up loving this! Rebecca Ross has created such an enchanting and passionate story here.  (And, the romance is just out of this world!)

Iris Winnow is vying for the role of columnist at the Gazette. She is trying to win this title over her rival, Roman Kitt. (Yes!! Enemies to lovers!! And it is amazing!)

At this time, there is a war being fought between a god and goddess. Men and women are being called to fight for either side, including Iris’s brother, Forest.   After 6 months of him missing,  Iris makes it her goal to find him.  After her mother’s sudden death, she signs up to be a war correspondent and makes her way to the war zone.

This story has magical typewriters,  stories on the lore of the god and goddess,  and seamlessly throughout all of this, the most romantic couple I’ve read about in a while.  

Out April 4, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Wednesday Books, for this Arc!

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

This book has my heart right now. Being gay and living in a small conservative town, an Asian mc who must deal with racism, just the attention to several big problems for many, many Americans living in this country right now. And, not just mentioning these problems but speaking about them in this story in such an honest way.

Stevie and Nora are in love. They have a new life waiting for them in California. However, all of that changes when Stevie falls into a ravine and has permanent amnesia about the past two years after she wakes up from a coma.

So, this is a story of friendship and finding out who your true friends really are. About finding yourself. This is a story about falling in love, and then forgetting everything and falling back in love with a beautiful human who never gave up.

If you can’t tell… I loved every piece of this book. It lives up to the hype and more. It’s my new moody read for when I’m feeling cloudy.

Out April 4, 2023!

Some warnings for racism, homophobia, and domestic violence.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

A secret agent and a pop star work together to find evidence that could stop a world war. There is romance, action and a whole lot of danger. There is a big twist in the end and I loved reading this. (I’m fairly certain there will be a sequel and I can’t wait!)

Winter is the most famous pop star in the world while Sydney is one of the most talented secret agents at Panacea. Panacea is a large group that is separate from the CIA and works to keep the world safe. When Winter becomes an agent and Sydney is to work with him as a partner (pretending to be a body guard), things start getting intense very quickly.

Marie Lu has always been one of my favorite authors. I feel like it’s so easy for me to lose myself in her books. Her writing is very smooth with characters that I can’t help but fall in love with. Lu always keeps the plot moving fast, keeps it exciting, and, in few words, helps me visualize everything very clearly. I’m pretty sure this is Marie Lu’s first book without any fantasy, a NA thriller/romance.

Out March 28, 2023!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for this opportunity!

Lone Women by Victor Lavalle 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

This is a mesmerizing, dark, and unsettling story. Adelaide Henry leaves home in a rush. She may not be carrying much, but she is carrying a great amount of weight. The steamer trunk is literally very heavy, but what is even heavier are her secrets.

This story takes place mainly in Montana before it was completely settled. Adelaide travels to this huge, wide and open, freezing cold state as a homesteader. She makes it all the way there, leaving behind some secrets but still towing one with her, and faces this land on her own. Soon enough though, the steamer trunk is opened and what comes out reveals the horror of this tale.

But is this monstrous thing the true horror? Or, is true horror what lies behind a prettier, more perfect seeming facade?

I loved this! This gave me historical fiction, horror, supernatural, and thriller all at once. Not to mention the amazing attention to the lone women of that time. I loved every single thing about this book and highly recommend it!

Out March 28, 2023!

Play the Fool by Lina Chern 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

This was such a fun murder/mystery! Katie works at this kind of strange store in the mall, among the many odd stores that can be found in malls everywhere. When a man bleeding from a head wound comes in, Katie offers to give him a tarot reading partially just so she can figure out what is going on with him. What she doesn’t expect tho, is finding out her friend Marley is dead. And, this starts her on the case.

I loved the main character. Katie is relatable and an overall cool person. The cop that becomes involved, Jamie, is another favorite character. Really all the characters are great. This book was funny and enjoyable.

Out March 28, 2023!

In Nightfall by Suzanne Young 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

Yes! A Lost Boys retelling, except the ladies are the boss in this one?? What? Do you think I loved this? I want to stomp down in front of some kind of audience and just slam this book on the table… BOOM. This was so good!

It’s witty, charming, fast-paced, and exciting. And, there were some real thrills and chills in this story! Theo and her brother Marco find themselves in Nightfall, Oregon, for the summer with their dad. They are staying with their grandma, who definitely comes across as a strange character. But, what’s even stranger are the locals. Theo and Marco are both immediately picked up by some very attractive people. Somehow supermodel stage ready in this small rainy town.

One of the things I really loved were the podcasters. Two horror/reality podcasters were visiting and luckily Theo quickly befriended them. Theo is a great character. Her reaction to everything is super on par with how I would react, lol. She felt very real to me. So, I loved reading her perspective.

This was an absolute blast and I completely enjoyed this!

Out March 28, 2023!

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Tor Nightfire, for this Arc!!!

This is it! This made my life better! I swear it did.  Sam (Samantha) goes home on a break from an archeological dig.  She’s an entomologist (studies bugs) and an archeologist (studies OLD bugs).  Her scientific mind is put to the test when she enters her childhood home and finds it completely changed.   Her mother seems to have a new obsession with Sam’s grandmother,  Grand Mae, and this has resulted in mom recreating the house in Grand Mae’s original style.  Not good.  Especially because Grand Mae was a very mean, cruel lady. 

I am so into this horror! I loved the main character.  Honestly,  I loved every character in this book. They each had a purpose and were hilarious and interesting to read about.  Sam, especially because her sense of humor was absolutely on par with every single weird thing that happened.   And, trust me,  things get really weird.   Sam is the guiding light through this whole story, keeping me thoroughly invested. 

Obviously, I loved this.  Of course I recommend it.  Just read it, you fools!! (Gandalf voice). 

Out March 28, 2023!

Whit Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link 🌟 Arc Review🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

Kelly Link is now right up there with my favorite authors. This was a masterpiece in storytelling. A retelling of seven grimdark fairytales that kept me completely spellbound.

I love the cats. I love the connection I felt throughout all these stories. I loved the imagery, the dark and beautiful pictures this author painted. I loved everything! I literally have zero complaints. This was brilliant, and I know I’m going to be thinking back on these tales.

I cannot recommend this enough!

Out March 28, 2023!

Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

I loved this!!! I loved the dark and twisty ancient mushroom magic, the god and goddess lore, latinx sapphic romance… just, yes!!!

Lucha is a great character. She is completely devoted to her little sister, which is a trait I automatically admire in any siblings’ relationships. She makes mistakes on who to trust and what to do throughout this story, which made her feel very real to me. All in all, I thought this was really well done.

Lucha’s mother is one of the many who are addicted to a drug, Olvida, that seems to basically slowly pull away a person’s memories, causing them to sleep and forget life. Lucha takes care of her little sis, Lisa, but when her mother gets fired and they are kicked out of their home, she faces some major challenges. The fact that this is really relatable to what happens to many young adults irl just made me love this story. Lending hope to an incredibly hopeless situation.

Lucha finds herself connected to a god, and soon, she is fighting a battle larger than her own existence.

I want to add some basic warnings for drug use, poverty, and, violence and assault.

Out March 21, 2023!

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

OracleLeave a comment

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I love this cover! However,  I could not get into this book!

Ava is a root witch turned vampire that has been trapped in her mother’s tower for two years.  Kaye is a fire witch that was friends with Ava until the night her mother was murdered, believing that ava was the murderer.  
When all hell breaks loose in their town, Ava escapes only to be captured by Kaye.

So my issue with this book is the constant back and forth between, do they have any feelings for one another at all or are they reverting back to this plain “kill em” vibe.  Not complex, just black and white.  I had no way of understanding their prior relationship and the introduction to the story didn’t give me what I needed to understand this relationship as more than 1 dimensional.  And, then half-way through the book, Tristan, the third wheel to their supposed past friendship,  suddenly goes from a nobody to an important meaningful character?

Ya’ll know I don’t write a lot of negative reviews, but this book really let me down.  The synopsis as a Repunzel retelling really gave me high expectations.   This just didn’t show me anything in a real enough way for me to even slightly feel connected, so I’m disappointed.

Out March 21, 2023