Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

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Water Moon
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: 14 January 2025
Genre: Cosy Fantasy / Magical Realism

Panda Rating:

(3.75 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Abortion (mentioned), blood, death of a parent (recounted), murder & physical assault (mentioned)

TL;DR: Water Moon was a whimsical and magical read that evoked such vivid imagery that was strongly reminiscent of Ghibli movies. For what’s considered a cosy healing fiction fantasy, I thought this was fast-paced and action-packed. There were gorgeous moments that filled you with just as much awe and wonder that our MMC felt seeing this other-world unfold before him, but also heart-pounding moments being chased by soulless and sharp-taloned entities who were ready to rip our characters to shreds. The romance relies heavily on the “fated” trope, which was conveniently used to excuse away the instant love connection that forms between Hana and Kei in a matter of days. I can’t say that I was a fan, but Water Moon is one of the rare exception where the whimsy of the world-building was captivating enough for me to still be able to enjoy the overall story despite not enjoying the romance or feeling overly invested in the characters. If you’re looking for a cosy fantasy with some grittier elements set in a magnificently whimsical and magical world, I would recommend checking this out!

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Book Review: The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran

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The Midnight Shift
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 14 August 2025 (Original: 11 June 2021)
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, suicide, dementia, blood, drug abuse, debt, murder

TL;DR: I loved the premise The Midnight Shift more than I did the execution. I don’t actually have that much to say about the book—it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me in the way that I thought it could’ve. It’s an interesting take on a vampire story and one that I don’t recall having read before, but overall, I felt so little emotional connection to the story, that it just fell flat-ish.

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Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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Remarkably Bright Creatures
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 3 May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), cancer (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), grief, loss, childhood abandonment, substance abuse/addiction (of a secondary character, brief mentions), animal captivity

TL;DR: I knew this was a well-loved novel, but I didn’t know what to expect from it other than the fact that there’s a sentient octopus, and a woman who’s still trying to come to terms with the tragic and unexplained death of her teenage son three decades ago. I wasn’t expecting to fly through these pages, but it was compulsively readable, and I was keen to see how the storylines intersected. Van Pelt did not disappoint! Tova, Cameron and especially Marcellus were great characters, and the other members of the Sowell Bay community that we meet along the way were equally entertaining (and so cheeky)—especially Ethan and the Knit Wits! This was a wonderfully written and heartfelt reflection about loss, grief, love, connection, and above all, family in all its forms.

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Book Review: You, With A View by Jessica Joyce

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You, With A View
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 6 July 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Two high school enemies must reunite for a road trip inspired by their grandparents’ broken engagement in this electric debut romance.

Noelle Shepard is unemployed, living with her parents, and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos of Gram and a smitten man, tucked alongside a love letter. She creates a TikTok to search for the mystery man, which goes viral, and she’s shocked when his grandson responds—a man who happens to be her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer.

Noelle refuses to let Theo’s annoying accomplishments in adulthood—or his sexy smirk—stand in the way of meeting his grandfather and unlocking the secrets he knew about her gram as a young woman. When she learns that their plans to elope were thwarted, Noelle decides to take the honeymoon road trip they planned but never got to carry out. There’s a catch, though: Paul, Theo’s grandfather, asks to come with her, and he insists that Theo join them.

It’ll be a miracle if they make it through the trip without Noelle throwing Theo out of the moving car—or the bed they end up sharing. As the miles tick by, the tension simmers hotter between them…until she discovers that Theo’s hiding a secret that could cause their tenuous relationship to end before it can restart.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS FROM THE AUTHOR

-Death of MC’s grandmother, which is off page in the past, of natural causes in her 80s. No terminal illness involved.

-Grief is experienced, discussed, and described by the MC throughout the text.

-There are brief discussions of a strained parent/child relationship between the LI and his father. There is plenty of healthy family dynamic representation with the MC’s family.

-Given the overall themes of the book, I feel it’s also important to mention that everyone’s parents are alive and well in the book and remain so. This is true for everyone in the book.

-Open door sex scenes.

TL;DR: You, With A View is a fun road trip romance that’s written so much heart. It’s more than just a romance between two people who have a long history of rivalry, it’s a story about coping with grief and loss, as well as accepting love. Noelle and Theo are realistic characters who are going through it, but over the trip, they come to accept change, believe in themselves, and learn that sometimes, it takes a while to find the right path for you, and that’s OK. I loved them so much, not to mention Paul and Noelle’s family too! Also, Joyce knows how to write sexual tension and chemistry so well because the slow-burn build up to the steamy scenes was chefs kiss! I adored Noelle and Theo’s banter and how satisfying it felt to see them together. 😍

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Book Review: A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman

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A Man Called Ove
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: 15 July 2024
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, bullying, deadly bus accident (recounted), pregnancy loss (recounted),

TL;DR: Oh my days, what can I say about this book that everyone else hasn’t already? I’m extremely late to the Ove party, but I’m more than thrilled to be joining the ranks of readers who fell in love with this book—as well as those who got seriously emotional while reading it. This is a story about loss, love, loneliness, friendship and family, and it’s undoubtedly a massive tearjerker! If you’re an emotional reader like me, I’d caution you to not read it in public because it’s liable to make you cry (big ugly tears) unless, of course, you don’t mind being a hot mess in front of everyone, lol. Ove is a wonderfully grumpy and messy character written with so much heart and complexity and while I was unsure at first, this curmudgeonly old man completely won me over in the end. All the stars!

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ARC Review: Temping Is Hell by Cathy Yardley

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Special thanks to Literary Media Tours and the author for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Temping Is Hell (Necessary Evil #1)
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

WORST. JOB. EVER. Kate O’Hara can’t wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic drama queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and it’s so boring and pointless it makes her skin crawl. Even working with temptation-on-legs CEO Thomas Kestrel won’t sway her — he’s a billionaire with a rep for being ruthless, and as far as she’s concerned, that’s a hard pass. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, she’s out of this corporate cube farm. Or so she thinks…

WHAT THE HELL? Next thing she knows, she’s accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And she’s discovered Thomas’s real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get his—now his and Kate’s—souls back.

IT’S NOT JUST A JOB. IT’S A MISADVENTURE. From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot boss and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her out—permanently!

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gaslighting, cancer, death (recounted, on-page), suicide, blood, violence, attempted murder

TL;DR: Temping Is Hell was a wild paranormal fantasy romcom romp! 🤣 It was definitely a bit bonkers but I mean that in a good way because it was so entertaining and I had a great time reading it! Kate, with her completely unfiltered chaos brain, and Thomas, the billionaire who needs to get his act together, were such an unlikely pairing, but I loved how her chaotic good energy grounded him. The ‘sold-my-soul-to-a-demon’ plot kept me completely engaged and it was fun learning about what happens when you do something like that—it’s not good, that’s for sure! I enjoyed the friendships, the banter, the sarcasm, and the chaos. Overall, this was a fun and humorous read that I would recommend if you’re looking for a paranormal romcom, especially for the spooky season~!

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Book Review: Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

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Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show
Publisher: Gallery UK
Pub Date: 24 October 2024
Genre: Memoir

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A deliciously witty and inspiring memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.

An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister – a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family ‘minders’ assigned to her on set, ‘Maoist struggle session’-inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counselling with ‘Leadership’ were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill super-fan), she finally managed to escape the family’s grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered the course of her life.

Written with powerful honesty and dark humour, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity, faith and independence.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Domestic abuse, sexual abuse, possible drugging, mentions of drugging and sexual abuse (character past), gaslighting, manipulation, racism, misogyny, toxic relationships

TL;DR: As someone who was a huge fan of One Tree Hill and whose favourite characters were Haley (and Nathan—Naley 4ever!), I was immediately intrigued when I saw that Lenz had published a book about her “cult” experience. I was shocked by the events that transpired in this and it’s difficult to imagine this was all happening behind-the-scenes as Lenz was on set playing her biggest role to date. It’s a heartbreaking and emotional read! It takes such strength and courage to tell a story like this and I hope that it brought Lenz a measure of peace for her future. I would definitely recommend the audiobook as it’s read by the author and there were several cameos from OTH stars, which was a pleasant surprise!

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Book Review: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles

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The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #1)
Publisher: Orion
Pub Date: 25 January 2024
Genre: Historical Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.

Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud – and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes.

Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care – more than either of them thought possible.

But Robin’s cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Previously enslaved character and mention of enslavement, references to emotional and financial abuse of spouses and children, vomiting

TL;DR: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting is a great historical queer romance! I forgot how much I enjoy KJ Charles’ books, but I’m glad that this one reminded me. If you enjoy historical romances with great social commentary, explorations of what it means to be family, snarky swoony banter, and delightfully charged yet playfully sensual moments, I would recommend checking this out. Robin and Hart were wonderful MCs and I highly enjoyed their POVs. These two quickly wormed their way into my heart and I rooted so hard for them to get their HEA because they’re so deserving of the good things! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

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Book Review: Whispers of the Deep by Emma Hamm

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Whispers of the Deep
Pub Date: 7 January 2024
Genre: Adult Paranormal/Monster Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas!)

📖 SYNOPSIS

One of the many engineers that keeps Beta, the city under the sea, running, Mira only wants to make her family proud and to prove herself worthy. She knows the mysterious city better than anyone and it’s her dream to help it flourish.

But then, on a solo job in an abandoned section of the city, she encounters a monster of legend. An undine. A dangerous merman from an ancient civilization, long forgotten.

Arges has fought his entire life for his people. With deadly creatures under his control, he plans to eradicate Beta once and for all to protect his kind and their peaceful way of life. But when a human woman saves him, she unknowingly creates a bond between them, one he can’t ignore. Even though her flaming red hair haunts his dreams, he needs her for information on the undine’s enemies.

So he steals her. Keeps her. Feeds her. Only to realize their bond is far deeper than captor and captive. He cannot let her go—but he cannot keep her under the sea. In a battle to determine if love can survive a war beneath the waves, it will be their decision that changes the tides.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Xenophobia, attempted murder, gun violence, knife violence, stabbing, blood, death

TL;DR: Am I kicking off the 2025 spooky season with a monster romance? I sure am and I’m 100% here for it! 🤭 While it did take me longer than expected to finish due to some pacing issues, I overall really enjoyed it and I’m keen to continue the series. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a (very) slow-burn, enemies to lovers, mainly character driven monster romance set in a futuristic world where humans live in underwater cities.

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ARC Review: Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey

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Special thanks to the Rachel Quin for providing me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4)
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: 9 September 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating sports romance about a playboy hockey rookie and the disciplined softball pitcher completely immune to his charms.

Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor” is his roomie—and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher, girl least likely to take anyone’s bull…and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie might be dazzled by the badass pitcher, but Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him.

When he discovers she’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend/love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?

Through a series of contests that require them to trust each other, Robbie and Skylar grow closer and closer until their fake relationship starts to feel like the realest thing they’ve ever known and the sizzling lessons in sensuality burn out of control.

But it’s all just pretend…right?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Near drowning incident (on-page)

TL;DR: Pitcher Perfect wound up being a surprisingly fun fake-dating time?! I really enjoyed the banter between Robbie and Skylar but I also loved the sweeter, quieter, and more intimate (non sexual) moments between them. Skylar didn’t need anyone to rescue her, but she could’ve used someone vocal in her corner, and that’s exactly what she got from him. He was a surprisingly great cheerleader and I loved how hard he believed in her and how quickly he recognized how amazing she is and how lucky he got. While some of the steamy scenes had me cringing a fair bit, and I wish that we got to see more interactions with side characters, this gave me a giggle, made me blush, and I had a fun time with it!

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