Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023.
Hello friends, it’s been a hot minute since I did a Birthstone Book Covers post but today I finally mustered up some energy to take a picture of some books off my physical shelves! Now without further ado, let’s get to it!
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today!
I’ll be spending my Sunday night reading what I’m ashamed to admit is a very overdue ARC. We’re working through the list (there’s a list!) slowly… I’m about 57% through Down Comes the Night. Saft has been on my radar for a while but this is my first book by her and for the most part, I’m enjoying it! 😊
We Are Okay
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pub Date: 14 February 2017
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…. Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.
An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch , We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.
Death of parent, death of a grandfather from drowning, mental illness, grief
I put off reading this for years because it gave such sad read vibes that I knew I had to be emotionally prepared for it. But seeing as January 2024 seems to have me in my sad reads era, I finally picked it up and yep, we are not okay, Nina LaCour. 🥲 That is, this book was beautiful, sad, touching and healing and I’m so glad that I finally read it.
Read More » 
Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1)
Publisher: Magpie
Pub Date: 13 April 2023
Genre: Young Adult Romantasy
Panda Rating:
(5 pandas)
NO GOD
NO CREATURE
NO WAR
CAN COME BETWEEN THEM
The latest from the number one SUNDAY TIMES bestseller Rebecca Ross
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, their fate depends on their facing the depths of hell… together.
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again…
All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands – that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper – an unlikely magical connection forms.
Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?
An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
Death, death of a parent, war scenes, violence, explosions, serious injury, PTSD
TL;DR: This was every bit as amazing as everyone said it would be! The writing was exquisite, the world-building and magic were intriguing and the characters were so easy to love. The romance in particular was passionate, swoontastic, and had my heart soaring! Unsurprisingly, this had me sobbing big bad ugly tears and after that ending, I can’t wait to continue with the second book.
Read More » 
Forged by Magic (Falling for Fables #1)
Pub Date: 11 July 2023
Genre: Cosy Fantasy Romance
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
A heartwarming, feel-good fantasy romance…with a helping of spice and only a pinch of danger.
Trapped in a tower by the emperor who conquered her homeland, Daella yearns for an escape. But as one of the few half-orcs left in the world, she knows she’ll never be free, much less find her own happily ever after.
Destiny takes an unexpected turn when the emperor offers her a deal. To earn her freedom, she must journey to the mysterious Isles of Fable and track down wielders of outlawed dragon magic. Eager to seize her chance, Daella agrees.
When a brutal storm tosses her ship off course, she washes up on the wrong island—right at the feet of Rivelin, a gruff but handsome elven blacksmith, who seems more likely to stab her than help her. To her surprise, he offers her shelter until the next ship passes through in six weeks’ time.
Daella soon realizes he’s hiding something big. It could be the very magic she’s been tasked to hunt down—the key to her long-awaited freedom. But as they bicker over the flames of his forge, her heart kindles with something she’s never felt before.
When his secrets finally come to light, Daella must decide what’s more her freedom from the wicked crown or the desires of her heart.
Forged by Magic is a complete, stand-alone fantasy romance novel set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.
Captivity, moderate violence, death of family recounted, sex on page
TL;DR: It took me a minute to get into this story but once I was hooked, I didn’t want to put it down! This was action-packed and full of magical adventure and a somewhat literally steamy romance. 😉 Daella and Rivelin were fun characters to root for as you see them go from untrustworthy enemies, and tentative friends to eventual lovers. It was a nice slow burn! Overall, this was a great first cosy-ish fantasy romance at the start of a new series and I can’t wait to continue it soon!
Read More » Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books I Meant to Read in 2023 but Didn’t Get To.
Happy Monday, friends! I thought I would ease into the week with a book tag. I haven’t done one in a very long time and as I was browsing my saved tags, I came across the Characters of the Year Book Tag! I first saw this on Kerri’s blog and thought it looked fun and as it’s still January I thought it’d still be okay to do this post reflecting on characters from 2023. So let’s get to it!
After a bit of searching, I found out this tag was originally created by Amanda @ A Brighter Shade of Hope (although her blog doesn’t seem to be active anymore).
This guy. THIS GUY! I just… I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers but ach, everything that unfolded was just WILD. I loved and hated him and it was just a lot but in the best way? Yeah. Nezha!!!
I read so many amazing female characters this year but I fell head over foot for Kate Daniels. She has this wild chaotic magic slayer energy and she is such a freaking baddie! I loved seeing all her layers as the series progressed.
Again, there were so many relatable characters last year but I’m going to have to pick Maggie because she’s this grumpy, socially anxious introvert gamer who might not have her life sorted all the time but is getting by the best she can. I related to her so hard!
If you’ve been following my blog, this will not surprise you. I adore Lizzie & Rake so much! They remain one of my favourite one-night-to-oops-pregnancy romances to date.
This award goes to one of my all-time favourite morally grey villains. I liked Holland a lot on first read several years ago but over the years, I’ve come to really appreciate his fantastic character arc!
I already didn’t like him from the beginning but I very passionately disliked Tyrell in this book. I… I can’t see the “good” side of him or empathise with his character. Nope, not happening. I need him out of the picture, please!
I loved Princesses Beatriz, Sophronia and Daphne. They were so vastly different in personalities but they had such fierce determination and strength and I admired them so much! I can’t wait to finish this series in 2024 🙂
Okay, so I know Bambleby’s not really a sidekick or non-main character so I’m kinda cheating with this. But he does support Emily in this book and I loved the role he ends up playing in the story! 😍
I actually didn’t read a whole lot of books with siblings in 2023 but I did love Dorsey & Gigi in this modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice. I loved their interaction, love and support for each other and I wanted so much more of their interactions!
And that’s a wrap on 2023 characters! Did you read any of these books & feel the same way about the characters? Who were some of your favourite/least favourite characters in 2023?
dinipandareads 