ARC Review: Change of Heart by Kate Canterbary

Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Change of Heart
Publication Date: 25 June 2024
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Grey’s Anatomy meets a gender-swapped Wedding Crashers in this spicy rom-com about a one-night stand with The One, walking the tightrope of love and workplace ethics, and knowing which rules are worth breaking.

Every summer, superstar surgeon Whitney Aldritch crashes weddings with her best friend. The first one was an accident though after a decade of dropping in uninvited, they’re masters of their craft. They keep the rules simple and they never go to bed alone.

Then there’s Henry Hazlette, best man and the best one-night stand of Whit’s summer. She never imagined she’d see him again but now he’s one of her new surgical residents—and completely off-limits.

Whitney has staked her reputation on leading the hospital’s new ethics initiative. While Henry is under her supervision, they have to keep it professional. But it doesn’t help that she can’t turn around without running face-first into his offensively broad chest or rubbing up against him in crammed elevators. Also not helping: the way he smiles at her like he can hear her every not-safe-for-work thought.

All they have to do is survive this residency—and the accidental tarot card readings that hit too close to home, a few uninvited houseguests, and the hospital’s hyperactive rumor mill—but only if they’re prepared to bend some rules as the feelings go from just for tonight to get it out of our systems to mine.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental estrangement and abandonment; parental divorce; chronic illness (secondary character); brief mention of suicide (in the past, not detailed, not a central character); mention of infidelity (secondary characters); frequent medical, hospital, and surgical discussion (no blood, no gore); discussion of donor organ retrieval and organ transplant surgeries (no blood, no gore); brief discussion of mountain rescue situations (not detailed); discussion of workplace bullying (off-page)

TL;DR: I didn’t think I would feel a little weepy reading Change of Heart but that’s how much I loved these characters and their romance. Canterbary somehow manages to do this to me every time and let’s be real: I would willingly let her keep doing it, too! I adored Henry and Whitney and their relationship journey but as much as I loved Whitney and her boss energy, I LOVED Henry! Oh, my granola, this man had my heart ready to burst with his acts of service, loyalty and big golden retriever energy. Help, THE FEELINGS! Also, I’m 100% here for the Grey’s Anatomy vibes and I sincerely cannot wait until Canterbary gives us more of this hospital crew because they are amazing.

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Mini Series Review: Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews

If you’ve been on the blog lately you’ve seen that I developed a mild obsession with the Hidden Legacy Series by Ilona Andrews. I’ve finished the first three Nevada Baylor books in the series over the last two days and I’m already itching to read more! 😂 I do get wordy in these mini-reviews so… TL;DR: This series is amazing. With awesome world-building, a fascinating House magic system, and characters who are so easy to root for and who end up feeling like family, this is a series I would recommend to those who love their paranormal urban fantasies coupled with (a bit of) steamy romance!

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ARC Review: True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li

Special thanks to Rylee at SparkPoint Studio and Quill Tree Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

True Love and Other Impossible Odds
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Publication Date: 14 May 2024
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina’s swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister…all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Because one way or another, she’ll take Rui’s heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of parent (recounted), cancer (parent of main character), homophobia

TL;DR: True Love and Other Impossible Odds was a solid debut. I loved the concept of this story and while the writing may have suffered from too much telling and not enough showing, I think the author did a good job addressing the heavier themes and with the overall execution. It’s a relatable and down-to-earth story about discovering yourself and shedding peoples’ expectations of you, choosing your path, growing up and finding love. It’s a college story that many will probably relate to, young adults and adults alike. Although I often felt emotionally disconnected from Grace, seeing her grow and find peace with who she is and loves was a wonderful journey.

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Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

The Only One Left
Publisher: Hodder
Pub Date: 20 June 2023
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Everyone believes that Lenora Hope is a mass murderer.

When the Hope family was massacred decades ago, she was the only one left after that tragic night.

Mute, paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora has never been able to tell her side of the story.

Until her new live-in caregiver Kit brings her a typewriter.

And with one working finger Lenora begins to type:

I want to tell you everything.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental abandonment, infidelity, suicide by hanging, overdose, abortion mentioned, childbirth, teenage accidental pregnancy, blood, terminal illness, death of an infant discussed, death of parents (recounted), death of sister (recounted), death from a fall (recounted), death of a father, murder & attempted murder, knife violence

TL;DR: Long story short it was a good, good time. I know a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with Sager’s mysteries but it’s a genre I don’t read often and I find that I enjoy them quite a lot! This one was no different. THE TWISTS!! I loved it!!! 🤯

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Book Review: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

Voyage of the Damned
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Pub Date: 20 September 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.

Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, blood, bigotry, xenophobia, classism, fatphobic comments, suicidal thoughts, suicide ideation, attempted suicide (recounted)

TL;DR: Voyage of the Damned is an awesome debut and I didn’t want this story to end! While I can see that the mesh of snarky humour and slow-paced mystery might not work for everyone and our main character takes some getting used to. Luckily, I grew to love Dee and I found myself sucked into the slow-building murder mystery on a fantastical ship run by magic and amazing tiny sentient dragons. If you love your fantasy with a huge dose of corny comedy, secrets upon secrets, politicking, magic, murder (obvi), and found family then I would urge you to try this!

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Book Review: All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

All That’s Left in the World (All That’s Left in the World #1)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub Date:
8 March 2022
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Pandemic, pandemic related deaths, gun violence, violence, cult, homophobia, traumatic deaths of loved ones (recounted), murder

TL;DR: All That’s Left in the World is an emotional queer post-apocalyptic story about two boys trying to survive in the world following a world-ending pandemic. It won’t be for everyone as it’s hard to read about a pandemic after having lived through one IRL. However, despite the loss, deaths, and horrors that await our protagonists, there is so much hope and love within these pages. I grew to love Andrew and Jamie and I can’t wait to see where their story goes next! 

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Book Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date:
18 August 2022
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A KILLER. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A SUSPECT. BUT WHICH OF THEM IS A MURDERER?

I knew our family reunion wouldn’t end well. But I didn’t expect murder.

Maybe I should have known better. After all, everyone in my family is a killer. My parents, my siblings, my in-laws . . . even me. The deaths weren’t all deliberate, of course. Accidents happen.

So when a body is found in the snow, it’s clear it’s the work of a Cunningham. But which one? And why?

I’ll give you one it wasn’t me.

But a piece of advice? Never trust a Cunningham . . .

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murders, toxic relationships, infidelity, child kidnapping (recounted)

TL;DR: I think this book received a lot of hype towards the end of 2023 and when I started it, I was a bit worried it wouldn’t live up to it because it was told in first person to the audience. I’m so glad I was proven wrong by the end. This was such a unique and cleverly written book with an incredibly messed up family that served many incredulous laugh-out-loud moments alongside the murder mystery. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a different and interestingly murderous ride!

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Book Review: The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

The Kiss Countdown
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date:
4 April 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Discover the sizzling new fake-dating romance, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and The Hating Game

Three. Two. One…Romance?

Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to be evicted.
The last thing she needed was to run into her ex and his new girlfriend at her favourite coffee shop. Panicked, Amerie pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met. He plays along – for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house.

What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull.
While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life – or shoot for the stars.

TL;DR: I was pleasantly surprised by The Kiss Countdown and think it’s a great romance debut. This fake dating romance was a slow burn and honestly, the story felt like a warm hug with relatable characters and wonderful heartwarming family moments. I loved Mimi and Vincent together and how this also had a strong focus on friendship and character growth.

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Blog Tour Review: The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang

Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.

Thanks to Crown 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!

The Magic Paintbrush
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 21 May 2024
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Rep: Chinese, Asian American

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, a Chinese American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real—and sometimes dangerous. Perfect for fantasy readers who love Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Pearl series.

“Gorgeous and gripping, The Magic Paintbrush swoops readers off on rip-roaring fantasy adventure that unfurls like a magnificent scroll…Brimming with imagination and heart…” Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series


Amy has always loved art, but lately her drawings have been less than impressive. There’s no passion, nopersonality, no…magic. Until Amy visits her Lao Lao, her grandmother, and finds an ancient paintbrush that brings anything Amy creates to life!

Now her creation Luna has taken over her bedroom and is running through the streets of Flushing, Queens. What an international adventure filled with an ancient Chinese legend, a greedy adversary and ghastly beasts!

Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios, to create a captivating highly-illustrated middle grade series debut about finding your own path, the power of imagination, and the strength of family.

📚 BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: The Magic Paintbrush is an action-packed, adventure-filled, Chinese mythology-inspired middle-grade fantasy with wonderful illustrations to accompany a fun and creative story! Amy was a relatable main character who was easy to root for and I loved her relationship with her Lao Lao and Luna—who is unquestionably my favourite character in this book. The story doesn’t dive too deep into character development and neither does it go too hard with its themes, but I think that is also what would make this a great pick for young readers who simply want an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy story. Overall, while this wasn’t my favourite as an adult reader of MG, it was still a terrific read that I would recommend to the young readers in my life.

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Book Review: Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

Buried in a Good Book (By the Book #1)
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub Date:
24 May 2022
Genre: Cosy Mystery

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather’s rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess’s recent divorce, but they’ve barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it’s raining fish guts and…is that a human arm?

Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she’s thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they’ve spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales―something he’s less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter’s summer plans at stake, it’s up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, dismemberment (off page), animal endangerment, infidelity (off page, recounted)

TL;DR: I’m so glad that I finally read Buried in a Good Book! I had no idea what to expect going in but I didn’t think the writing would be so amusing, even with the murderous plot. I loved the humour and the cosy yet spooky atmosphere of this quaint and quirky small town surrounded by thick woods and nature near the Canadian border. Tess was a fantastic main character and I loved the role many of the side characters play, especially Sheriff Boyd, Gertie, and Nicki! It’s a wildly adventurous and murder-filled read and I can’t wait to continue this series.

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