ARC Review: Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland

Special thanks to Grace Fell at Spark Point Studio and Balzer + Bray for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Rust in the Root
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub Date: 20 September 2022
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The author of the visionary New York Times bestseller Dread Nation returns with another spellbinding historical fantasy set at the crossroads of race and power in America.

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker.

But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Racism, use of racial slurs, slavery (historical), genocide (historical), violent death (on-page)

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Blog Tour Review: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Hello, friends! I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes today for Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto on the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

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Blog Tour Review: Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza by Laekan Zea Kemp

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza by Laekan Zea Kemp and I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

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Blog Tour Review: Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen, the second and final book in the Skin of the Sea duology and I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to Random House Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

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ARC Review: In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

✨ HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO IN A JAM! ✨

Hi friends, I’m so excited to share my review for In a Jam by Kate Canterbary today! When I learned that I was approved for an ARC of In a Jam I literally squealed because I am a big fan of Canterbary’s romances and I’m so happy to say that this one didn’t disappoint!

Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC via Grey’s Promo in exchange for an honest review!

In a Jam
Pub Date:
20 September 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 stars)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm—under two conditions.

First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.

Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.

Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.

A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.

Until Shay returns to their hometown.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child

📚 BUY A COPY
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Blog Tour Review: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh and I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Reads for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

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ARC Review: Dyer Street Punk Witches by Phil Williams

✨ HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO DYER STREET PUNK WITCHES! ✨

When Phil Williams reached out a couple of months ago asking if I wanted to read his latest book Dyer Street Punk Witches, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Williams’ books are typically a little out of my comfort zone and although I’ve only read his Ikiri Duology, I had such a good time reading them that I’m keen to keep reading more of his books. Check out my reviews for Kept from Cages and Given to Darkness.

On that note, today I’m excited to share my thoughts, a few favourite quotes, plus, one of (several) collectable character trading cards as provided by the author.
Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Blog Tour Review: The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for The Decoy Girlfriend by Lilli Vale and I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

The Decoy Girlfriend
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: 06 September 2022
Genre: Contemporary (Adult) Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A laugh-out-loud funny and whip-smart romantic comedy from the author of The Shaadi Set-Up, about a young woman who takes the place of her celebrity doppelgänger, and must fake-date the actress’s sexy costar boyfriend.

Writer Freya Lal has a huge secret: she’s a dead ringer for It-girl actress Mandi Roy. Her second novel is due in a month, but inspiration is nowhere to be found. Desperate to shake off her writer’s block, Freya leans into her look-alike abilities and indulges in some mistaken identity for simple perks, like scoring a free mimosa or getting into a trendy nightclub.

Actor Taft Bamber appears to have it all: gorgeous, talented, and Mandi’s love interest both on- and off-screen. But what nobody knows is that their relationship is a PR stunt, and after years of playing make-believe, he’s yearning for something real.

When Freya’s latest impersonation of Mandi goes viral thanks to Taft’s accidental interference, rumors of a breakup threaten Hollywood’s golden couple. To make amends, Freya is forced to give Mandi a little time off: she’ll pretend to be the actress for a month, move in with Taft, and squash the rumors by acting completely in love. But as Freya and Taft play house, it becomes impossible to ignore that their instant chemistry isn’t just for the cameras. While faking it, they might have just found the real thing. 

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Please be aware that through the course of the novel, Freya recounts fond memories of her mother, who passed away before the book begins (off-page), and the ways in which that love is intertwined with her writing. Taft stands firm against toxic masculinity and learns to let go of toxic friendships. There is also explicit on-page sex between two consenting adults.

📚 BUY A COPY
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Blog Tour Review: The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim. After the cliffhanger ending in SCC, I’ve been super excited to continue Shiori’s story so I’m happy to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!

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Blog Tour Review: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Hello, friends! It’s my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for Belladona by Adalyn Grace and I’m excited to share my thoughts and favourite quotes with you today!

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

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