stitchesandpages811's reviews
657 reviews

Format: Audio 

This was a nice addition to the ‘The Language of Magic’ world. Dare I say it that I enjoyed it more than Threadneedle?! 

I loved Rowan as a character – she was such a typical teenager that it was a really nice portrayal. It was also great to learn more about magic in this world. We know from Threadneedle that Rowan has grown up around magic and it made a lot of sense that we learn more about it through her. 

Ok, we maybe didn’t need the novella but I’m glad I had the chance to listen to it. 

Format: Print 

Ok, I have joined the hype train for this one! 

I will admit that I initially struggled. I think that first kind of prologue where we are introduced to the world can be slightly confusing and a combination of feeling ill and tired meant I just didn't get it. I ended up putting the book down 35 pages on and picking it up a few weeks later. This time I really took my time over the prologue section and also spent some time with the glossary and it made so much more sense. I got a much better grounding in the world and felt a lot happier going into the main part of the book. 

And I loved it. 

I loved how complex a character Raeve was. She was flawed and kept secrets and I thought it was really clever how the author kept us guessing throughout the whole book both at what those secrets were, and when/how they'd be revealed. 

I did have some initial concerns when we met Kaan that their relationship would be based solely on past events and feelings but it was really reassuring to see the relationship develop. There was tension and a bit of banter and you could see how Kaan's feelings developed throughout the book, moving from that past history to the present day. While yes, there was clearly an influence from before, it wasn’t the sole influence. 

The book is multi POV which doesn't always work for me but these other perspectives weren't introduced until it made sense for the story to have them and this worked so much better for me than having a load of unnecessary perspectives throughout. 

Overall, I just really fell for this book. In fact, I fell so hard I treated myself to several special editions. Oops! Can't believe I have to wait until October 2025 for the next book, though at least this means I will definitely have a reread coming next year. 

Format: Audio 

This book spoke to me so much, and I’ve thought about it so many times since I finished it that I’ve come back and bumped it up to five stars three months after listening to it. I will be buying myself a physical copy too I think. 

I felt so seen in this book. While interspersed with the humour typical in a Sophie Kinsella book, it also gave a relatable portrayal of burnout. So many times I found myself nodding along. I mean straight from the first line: “It’s not the emails that make me panic.” (Ok, it is a bit but those ‘chasing-the-chasing’ emails really are anxiety-inducing.) 

I will say I’m not sure how realistic the setting was

(surely that hotel should have been closed?)

but I loved the quirky cast of characters – yes, at times their interactions did seem a bit ridiculous but again, I wouldn’t say they were unrealistic (how many times have we continued to go along with things for days, weeks, months when it’s become too long to correct them?). 

The audiobook was also fantastic and I don’t think it will be long before I’m returning to this story. 

Format: Audio 

Yet again, I had a great time with this. I really enjoy our Mr Darcey and Miss Tilney mysteries. 

Someone is trying to kill Lady Catherine and Jonathan and Juliet are called in to find their identify before they succeed. This is the first time our characters begin an investigation before a murder, and it was really interesting to see how this affected their activities. And of course having Lady Catherine breathing down your neck doesn’t make for an easy investigation. 

I really enjoy these. They’re fun (or as fun as murder and attempted murder can be) and it’s nice to see Jane Austen’s characters in a different light. Although, this is also one of the aspects of the book I struggle with the most. I don’t think they always stay true to the characters we grew to know and love in Jane’s novels. I wouldn’t say this is a criticism – time has passed and of course we all interpret characters differently but sometimes it was just hard to really picture the characters behaving in this way when it felt so different. Mr Darcy (the elder) for instance is one I struggle with quite a lot in this series. His growth is one of the biggest in Pride and Prejudice but it does feel like there’s a lot of regress in Mr Darcy as he is now – that pride and snootiness (for lack of a better word) have made a return! And yet in contrast, I was much more interested in just what was going on with the Collinses in this novel than I ever was in P&P. So swings and roundabouts I guess! 

Ultimately though, I had another great time with this. I really like how threads of Juliet and Jonathan’s story move from one book to the next and look forward to seeing what’s in store for them in book four. 

Format: Print 

I was really intrigued by the plot of this and I thought the meeting of our two MCs worked really well. The romance between our characters was very sweet and I do like a slow burn, but I just couldn’t fully fall in love with the story. I think I’d have liked more on the historical elements. I’d agree with the reviewers who have said that it almost felt more fantastical than historical, and for me it didn’t lean enough into that to make up for what I felt was missing in historical context. 

Format: Audio 

On the face of it, this should have been right up my street – Tudor setting, strong female characters, and a fantasy twist. But something just didn’t quite work as much as I had hoped it would. 

Going back in time to when Her Majesty’s Royal Coven was first formed, we are introduced to a whole host of new characters. While I enjoyed the twist on historical events, I just didn’t find myself feeling for the characters as much as I have in the books set in the present day. This might have been different with a full-length novel where I’d have had chance to get to know them more, but the author did well with the space they used. 

Overall, a great blend of history and fantasy but I missed the characters we’ve met in the present and I’ll be glad to return to them soon. 

Format: Print 

This isn’t my typical read but I got it as part of a subscription box and was grateful for the chance to give it a go. I enjoyed it although I didn’t love it. I really liked that we got Ganga’s perspective throughout and the way the story is written was like someone was telling me what had happened. But it did get quite confusing as it went on as the timeline of the story jumped around quite a bit and I really had to concentrate to be clear on what had happened and when in relation to other events. A solid read but I’m probably not quite the right reader for it. 

Format: Ebook 

A great conclusion to this duology within the Crowns of Nyaxia world. The characters and the storyline felt very real and it kept its perfect blend of fantasy and romance. Looking forward to seeing what comes next! 

Format: Audio 

I’m so glad that in this book we got to learn more about events that were mentioned/hinted at in the first but never explained – I came out of this feeling satisfied that I had a full picture of the story. 

I’m not sure I liked it quite as much as the first but it was a very solid sequel and I enjoyed it.

Format: Print 

Yes, I did get drawn to this because of the hype surrounding it and yes, the hype is deserved. 

Honestly, this did start a bit slow for me so I didn’t love it straight away, but that slowness worked as it allowed us to meet our protagonist without immediately being thrown into a romantic storyline. The author really did a great job of blending fantasy and romance. 

Once we got into the challenges, this really picked it up and I fell for the storyline, the characters (who felt very real) and the relationships (and not just the romantic relationships, but the friendships and the familial relationships too). 

By the ending I was absolutely hooked and asking myself why I had waited so long to pick this up.