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This review was originally posted on https://booksare42.com/
 

This is my third time reading Tessa Bailey and I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this novella.

While I found the story to be cute enough, it was not Christmasy. This story could have taken place any time of the year and it would not have changed the story. It wasn’t overly festive and when a Christmas tree was mentioned, it was pointed out that it didn’t have any decorations on it.

This is the spiciest novella in the Under the Mistletoe Collection so far, which isn’t necessarily surprising for Tessa Bailey. What was disappointing is I don’t enjoy how Tessa Bailey writes spicy scenes. I find some of the language she uses to be awkward and I found myself skimming a lot of the spicier scenes. This was a bit of an issue with this novella since so much of it was spice.

Taking the spice out of it, Merry Ever After was cute enough. The characters had some decent banter and I enjoyed the premise. I liked the female main character and I liked that she had hopes and goals. 

This review was originally posted on https://booksare42.com/.
 

I’ve been a fan of Ali Hazelwood since I read The Love Hypothesis, so I intentionally saved Cruel Winter With You for last. I am so glad that I did that because Cruel Winter With You was so cute!

I would gladly read a full-length novel featuring Jamie and Marc. I loved the flashbacks to their childhood and some of the other moments they had together. I loved learning about their history and I was rooting for them. I also really liked that this novella had flashbacks to their history together, it made the story feel more complete.

I loved the setting of Cruel Winter With You. I loved the idea of Jamie and Marc being stuck together in a snow storm and finally having the conversation that they desperately had to have. The snow storm and being trapped inside by the Christmas tree and near the fire also made this story feel more Christmasy, which I appreciated.

I liked getting to know Jamie and Marc and I thought Ali Hazelwood did a great job developing these two characters in such a short novella. This novella felt like it really could be a full length novel.

As far as spice goes, this novella does have spice. Nothing overly graphic though. It does have one of Ali Hazelwood’s favourite tropes though, the “he’s so big” and “she’s so small” trope.

Overall, Cruel Winter With You was adorable and my favourite one in the Under the Mistletoe Collection. 

This review was originally posted on https://booksare42.com/
 

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the third book featuring Ernest Cunningham, but it can be read as a standalone. There are a few minor references to the other books, but nothing spoilery. I read Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret before I picked up Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and nothing was spoiled for me.

This quick and festive murder mystery was clever and a lot of fun. One thing that stands out is that it has 24 chapters and the reader is given the option to treat the book like an advent calendar, reading one chapter a day until Christmas. I did not do this, but I thought the option was fun.

This was a mystery where all the suspects knew each other, which is something I love. I enjoyed learning about the dynamic between the characters and trying to figure out who was lying and why. I also liked that everyone worked together and piecing together company secrets.

I liked the main character in this book, I thought he was a good narrator and I loved the dramatic monologue at the end when he laid out all of the facts. I also appreciate that Ernest Cunningham loves and studies classic crime novels and appreciated the references to Christie and the format of these books. One thing to note though, this book does contain a major spoiler for Curtain by Agatha Christie.

I thought this book had a good balance of fun moments and tense moments, though I do wish it was a bit longer. 

This review was originally posted on https://booksare42.com/

Thank you to The Write Reads team for organizing and providing me with the material for this blog tour. Thank you to Neem Tree Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
 

The Red Tunic is a unique coming-of-age story set during World War One. Featuring a pair of twins with an incredibly strong bond, willing to make sacrifices for each other.

It was nice reading a book set during World War One because it seems like a lot of the popular historical fiction is set during World War Two. I thought the author did a good job showing the horrors of life in the trenches and gave a good glimpse at what soldiers were going through on the Front. There were some gruesome and disturbing moments, but that’s to be expected when part of the book is set on the Front.

I liked that The Red Tunic explored some of the issues going on in England at the time. There was a side character who was involved in the suffragette movement and people in the community were outraged by her behaviour. The Red Tunic also explores gender roles at the time and what society thought the role of a man and a woman should be and society’s views on same-sex relationships. It was neat to get a glimpse of what the viewpoints were during this time period.

I liked the bond between the two main characters, Nina and Alfie. Nina and Alfie are twins and they don’t fit into the roles that society thinks they should fit into. Alfie is gentle and caring and Nina is brash and headstrong. They make sacrifices for each other while also proving to themselves that the rigid gender roles of the time were wrong. It was very clear that they loved each other and that they supported each other, they had a very strong sibling bond. It was very easy to root for Nina and Alfie. I wanted them to succeed and to be happy. The bond between Nina and Alfie shone through the pages of The Red Tunic and made this a memorable story.

While there are some romantic elements in The Red Tunic, The Red Tunic is not a romance. That being said, I did enjoy the romantic storylines and I thought they added to the overall story and the journey that Nina and Alfie were on.

Overall, The Red Tunic was an enjoyable read. There were a few moments that I found a bit predictable, but the story itself was unique. It had some memorable characters and I think it’s a great book for a book club that reads a lot of historical fiction because it could lead to some great discussions. 

This review was originally posted on my blog https://booksare42.com/

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book through Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monster Movie! is a fun middle-grade horror story about a monster movie that comes to life and starts biting people’s heads off. It has some great characters that were easy to root for and some great messages about bravery and following your dreams.

The premise of Monster Movie! was a lot of fun. One of the most popular kids at school managed to get his hands on the scariest horror movie ever created. He invites everyone in the grade over to his house to watch it while all of the parents are at the school for parent night. The movie ends up putting everyone in a trance, coming to life, and starts biting people’s heads off. It’s kind of creepy, but it’s also kind of fun. That being said, this probably isn’t the best introduction to middle-grade horror and might be better for kids who are already fans of the genre.

The main character in Monster Movie! is Ethan Pitowski. Ethan has anxiety and is afraid of everything. He has a habit of spiraling and thinking of the worst case scenarios. He doesn’t want to watch the movie, but his two best friends, Olivia and Harvey, pressure him into going. He’s late and it ends up being up to him to save the town from the monster that’s terrorizing the town.

Ethan is a great main character who is easy to root for. He loves his friends and tries so hard to be brave. While some of his fears were a bit on the extreme side, I think some of his fears could be very relatable, especially the fear of losing his friends. I enjoyed reading about him working through his fears and being brave.

I also loved the friendship between Ethan, Olivia, and Harvey. I enjoyed their different personalities and how they balanced each other out. I also loved that they had a code phrase to use when it was time to be serious.

I liked the messages about following your dreams and standing up for what you believe in in Monster Movie! There were a few points where this came up, but I especially liked how it applied to Ethan and his artwork. I also liked how Ethan’s artwork helped show Ethan’s growth throughout the story.

I didn’t love the pacing of Monster Movie! I thought the first half of the book was a bit slow and that the second half flew by. This made it a bit more difficult to become invested in the story, but once I got into it, it was hard to put down.

Monster Movie! does touch upon some heavier topics. There’s mentions of divorce, a few instances of bullying, and depictions of a parent bullying their child. Monster Movie! also has some scary and violent moments. The head eating monster isn’t gory, but it is disturbing. There are other scenes that were fairly intense and on the frightening side. I don’t think there was anything unusual for a horror story, but as I mentioned above, this might not be the best introduction to the genre for kids.