annekawithane's reviews
75 reviews

Rachel Griffen once again creates a cozy story full witches this time with arranged engagements, teas, perfumes, and the moon. Griffen’s take of the fantastical consistently tied to the earth (from the two I’ve read) and from there she created a compelling magic system and world building. I did enjoy the relationship that bloomed in this book and also Tana’s character development. The few things that I wished were more flushed out were the current conflict (and it’s effect on people) and the beginning of the relationship as it felt initially rushed.

Ali Hazelwood, you got me. This was a surprisingly fun read! 

an audiobook read 🎧

My prior experience of werewolf books was the poorly edited chapter-length facebook ads (and then entire “book”)  I repeatedly got and read for sh*ts and giggles during 2020 so I came in with an open mind, and with this being my first Hazelwood book. 

I enjoyed the premise of this novel. The world-building was easy to understand and I liked that the plot was different than previous readings: Vampire vs Werewolf vs Human with a dash of mystery. (Everything Facebook showed me was fated mate/mate reject/pregnancy combinations.) I liked the tension and progression of Misery and Lowe’s misery relationship, but the sweet surprise was Misery and Anna’s relationship which was a fun dynamic. 

I do wish the 3rd act conflict had a bit more meat to it, but the story wrapped up nicely. And my only other wish was that despite the pack’s hesitancy to share its culture, I do wish we got to see more of its dynamic. 

So about that ending….does that mean we’ll get a continuation Ali?? Perfect opportunity to get to see more of the world-building 😉

This was such a fun read! Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for gifting me an e-arc for this honest review! 

Not Another Love Song tells the collision of Gwen, a violinist of the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, and Xander Thorne, cellist of rock band Thorne & Roses and the aforementioned orchestra. Julie Soto hits all the right notes in this quick read romance. 

As a classically-trained musician—albeit piano (one can dream about playing the cello) and whose day job is a music therapist—Gwen and Xander’s life and the world- building felt authentic. The character’s descriptions of music was evocative but didn’t come across cheesy or inaccurate. I rather liked how the main duo sometimes expressed themselves using musical terms occasionally. The proper use of music terms and real-life musicians I recognize showcases Soto’s research. 

The story had steady pacing for the majority with good chemistry and tension between Gwen and Xander. I wish the ending conflict and resolution was delved into more; it resolved quickly like a rubber band snap-back. I wanted more meat in the impact. 

Also I didn’t realize until after finishing that this story started off as a Reylo fanfiction. This read cleanly and understandably as a separate entity.