Title: One & Only I really enjoyed reading ONE & ONLY. It was a fun romance with a little bit of magic. I liked the Korean American culture and the characters. At first, I wasn’t too fond of Cassia’s choice, but he grew on me and I’m happy they ended up together. I liked the aspect of still having a choice even when “fate” is involved.
Title: A Song to Drown Rivers A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is a story that’ll stay will me for a long time. It’s a beautifully tragic story about love, loss, betrayal, politics, and war. I’ve loved Asian folktales since I was a child and this one did not disappoint. Xishi, Fanli, Zhengdan, and Fanli’s friend (I don’t know how to spell his name since I listened to the audiobook and I can’t find it on Google). The ending felt a bit rushed and the end end reminded me of the movie Eternity. It made me wonder if it was really hopeful or actually more tragic. So much to think about.
Title: Darling Girl DARLING GIRL was a very interesting, dark twist on Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. I really enjoyed the topsy turvy nature of this story and flipping everything on its head. I thought the idea of Holly Darling looking for her daughter while trying to keep her son safe from what lurks in the shadows, windows, and wind was a fun concept.
At first, I thought Holly was selfish but as I learned more and more about the truth and what happened to her and her family, I realized that even though many of her decisions and actions were questionable, she did what she thought was best for her family. I liked her arc of character growth. I wish, however, she had done more in the story instead of relying on other people. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because of it. I also didn’t think she spent enough time with Christopher Cooke to warrant him being the love interest. I loved that he was, but I thought he needed more time and pages in the story.
Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe I really enjoyed INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE. I thought the concept and magic system were very intriguing. I also thought the mystery aspect of the story was fun. I guessed a lot of what was going on but I still enjoyed reading the story as everything came to fruition.
I loved both Esther and Joanna. I felt for them as they learned the truth that had been hidden from them for most of their lives. Even though I liked Nicholas, I thought he was really naïve and needed to ask more questions. I also liked Collins, just not as a romantic interest for Joanna. I would’ve rather seen her with Nicholas.
Title: Boss Witch I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy BOSS WITCH as much as WITCH PLEASE because I didn’t like Clem very much in Danica’s story. However, once I was in Clem’s head and understood why she did the things she did, I couldn’t help liking her and even empathizing with her. I also really liked Gavin and I loved the chemistry between him and Clem. (I didn’t like how the narrator voiced Gavin. The voice was too gravelly.)
I loved seeing more of the witch world and their politics. It made for an interesting, spicy, fun read. I’m glad I decided to give this a chance. I’ll probably read the next installment as well some time.