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under_the_silk_treeThis week I am thankfully writing surrounded by light and I also have running water again! So that is at least better than last week. Thank you for all of the well wishes! This week was so much better even though we have had one storm after another, but so far, no more blackouts. *fingers crossed* We are supposed to have actual sun and few days with no rain coming up and I am really looking forward to everything getting a chance to dry out. School has started up again for the kiddos although one day was a no go because their school had no power. School time always adds various layers of stress to each week depending on how well the kids are doing. With tomorrow being a holiday, I am looking forward to sleeping in and just relaxing before another week begins.
This week I read: 1 historical mystery, 1 contemporary romance, 1 historical romance, and 1 YA fantasy.
Harbinger of the Storm by Aliette De Bodard
This week I read: 1 historical mystery, 1 contemporary romance, 1 historical romance, and 1 YA fantasy.
Harbinger of the Storm by Aliette De Bodard
I am growing more and more interested in this series as it continues. The main character Acatl is so well-written you can't help but root for him as he tries to navigate the Aztec court. He is not a politician or a nobleman he is the high priest for the God of the Dead and tries to stay out of court politics unfortunately for him he keeps getting dragged into them because of the murder of high-ranking officials. I am not very familiar with Aztec culture or history, but the author does a good job of giving you the details of both throughout the story. Sometimes too many details if I am being completely honest which can start to bog down the story. Other than that, it is a great historical mystery series, and I can't wait to read the next one.
(Warnings for human and animal sacrifice. Also, self-harm for religious reasons)
Abandoned for Love by Caroline Courtney
I was in a mood when I found this book at my local used bookstore. When I was a teen, I used to read old historical romance books like this one a lot, so I decided to buy it and see if I still liked the genre. I have to say this was an enjoyable popcorn read. Antoinette gets herself into a fair number of predicaments that could have been avoided if she was a little less naive or didn't happen to be the main character of an early 80's historical romance novel. I liked Antoinette and her romance with the Duke was good. I was really enjoying myself until Antoinette did that one trope where person A pushes away person B for their own good rather than actually communicating with them and letting them make their own decisions. I've hated that trope since Peter Parker did it to Mary Jane in the Spider-Man movie. Other than that, I had fun with this book and would be willing to read more.
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Probably closer to a 2.5 but I rounded up to a three. I really really wanted to like this more than I ultimately did. It had a lot of the tropes I like (fake dating, marriage of convenience) but, in the end, it didn't work for me. For starters, everyone was too flippant and both Daisy, Liam, and their friends and family almost seemed like caricatures of themselves rather than real people. I would like some scenes but not others. All in all, it was just okay.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily Taylor
All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.
The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets. ~Goodreads Description
This is another book that I wanted to like more than I actually did. The description sounded magical and right up my alley. Jani is the pov character and at the beginning, all she seems to do is blunder from one situation to another making things worse and worse for herself and those around her. It kind of got annoying. I was intrigued by the different magical rooms and scenes that Jani discovers but the author seemed to just skim over the majority of them and they were the best part. I think there was just an emotional disconnect between what the story wanted me to feel and what I was actually feeling as the reader. Take Jani and Zosa (her sister), we were told over and over how close they were and how much they loved each other but it never felt real. It was all tell and no show. About 60% into the book, I was ready for it to be over. I do have to say A LOT of people seem to have really enjoyed this book, so take my critique with a grain of salt I think I am in the minority.
Reading Challenges 2023:
Mount TBR: Harbinger of the Storm, Abandoned for Love
Cloak & Dagger Challenge: Harbinger of the Storm
50 States Challenge: N/A
Jellybean Challenge: Hotel Magnifique, Abandoned for Love, The Dating Plan, Harbinger of the Storm
How was your week? 
Abandoned for Love by Caroline Courtney
I was in a mood when I found this book at my local used bookstore. When I was a teen, I used to read old historical romance books like this one a lot, so I decided to buy it and see if I still liked the genre. I have to say this was an enjoyable popcorn read. Antoinette gets herself into a fair number of predicaments that could have been avoided if she was a little less naive or didn't happen to be the main character of an early 80's historical romance novel. I liked Antoinette and her romance with the Duke was good. I was really enjoying myself until Antoinette did that one trope where person A pushes away person B for their own good rather than actually communicating with them and letting them make their own decisions. I've hated that trope since Peter Parker did it to Mary Jane in the Spider-Man movie. Other than that, I had fun with this book and would be willing to read more.
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Probably closer to a 2.5 but I rounded up to a three. I really really wanted to like this more than I ultimately did. It had a lot of the tropes I like (fake dating, marriage of convenience) but, in the end, it didn't work for me. For starters, everyone was too flippant and both Daisy, Liam, and their friends and family almost seemed like caricatures of themselves rather than real people. I would like some scenes but not others. All in all, it was just okay.
Hotel Magnifique by Emily Taylor
All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.
The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets. ~Goodreads Description
This is another book that I wanted to like more than I actually did. The description sounded magical and right up my alley. Jani is the pov character and at the beginning, all she seems to do is blunder from one situation to another making things worse and worse for herself and those around her. It kind of got annoying. I was intrigued by the different magical rooms and scenes that Jani discovers but the author seemed to just skim over the majority of them and they were the best part. I think there was just an emotional disconnect between what the story wanted me to feel and what I was actually feeling as the reader. Take Jani and Zosa (her sister), we were told over and over how close they were and how much they loved each other but it never felt real. It was all tell and no show. About 60% into the book, I was ready for it to be over. I do have to say A LOT of people seem to have really enjoyed this book, so take my critique with a grain of salt I think I am in the minority.
Reading Challenges 2023:
Mount TBR: Harbinger of the Storm, Abandoned for Love
Cloak & Dagger Challenge: Harbinger of the Storm
50 States Challenge: N/A
Jellybean Challenge: Hotel Magnifique, Abandoned for Love, The Dating Plan, Harbinger of the Storm
