oracle_of_madness's reviews
1325 reviews

I mostly loved this.  

Part one deals with the mostly unnamed vampire.   She gives a fake name to a lover and uses it for a time, Maria.  She is in Buenos Aires during the yellow fever, which is an epic backdrop to the horror she creates.   When a man, a short-lived lover, finds out her true nature, he captures her and takes a picture which haunts her into the very century we are in now 

Part two follows a woman with a dying mother and a young son.  This seems to take place in the present .  This part was frustrating to me because I had all the earlier excitement with part one, and this just felt a bit too morose and was hard to get into.  Plus, I really wish there was more explanation with the ending because that was especially interesting to me.

Out March 5, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This is an intense and well-done read. Dealing with Islamaphobia in a kind of reimagining of post 9-11, this shows the big problems and the smallest sleights and how these things mix together and corrupt our world. 

This author makes some great points, but I will warn you that this can be tough to read at times. However, I also think it's a very important topic to understand. 

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc! 

This epic lgbtqia fantasy is absolutely everything I wanted! The descriptions, the politics, the characters, and the representation are incredible.  

Rosy is a shifter who winds up going to a very prestigious school.  For Rosy, this is a different experience than what she is used to, tending horses with her grandmother.   With this huge change, Rosy finds herself even getting attention from the princess.   This story takes some interesting twists and turns that leave me anticipating the next book bc yes (!!!!) This is a series!!! 

I'm so excited about this one and recommend it.

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc! 

This is a story featuring a character that is difficult to find any love for.  Her actions seem to make her the very thing she hates.  This story is a mystery that had me turning the pages and marveling at this author's talent. 

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc! 

I became an immediate fan of Tommy Orange when I read There There around the time it came out.  This brilliant sequel takes the reader on quite the journey to catch up to the climactic ending of There There.  A story that has always been about the Cheyenne people beginning with Sand Creek in a past that will never cease to amaze me seems not distant enough.  

This story begins with the end of the Native people's lives as they new them.  The beginning of Americanizing them into something that even generations later doesn't feel right.  This author is such a force through their words, giving me, the reader, a very clear picture and sentiments that no matter how eloquently shared I know can only touch on these feelings.   About halfway into the book, it goes back into the present and faces the aftermath of the horrifying event that ends There There.  

This book is nothing if not brutal in its honesty and also done with the utmost care, making this an unforgettable experience. 

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This is a fun, fast-paced romance that, for the most part (picture me tilting my hand side to side), I really enjoyed.

What I loved was that this is a Hollywood romance and a second-chance romance at that! This gave it the wonderful Hollywood cheese I love and (this is very important) some very fiery sex scenes.  Which, that's my perfect combo, enemies to lovers with the good spice!

What I didn't love was the lack of communication! I understand the need for friction  (especially if it's more than just one kind of friction, yum), but lack in communication is too irritating for me.

Otherwise,  I really loved this.  It's cute, it's spicy, and it has friction (okay! Stop dirty mind!).  Definitely check this out if you're looking for a fun and quick romcom! 

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc! 

This was so romantic! Rune, a witch who secretly helps other witches in need, is being hunted by Gideon.  Gideon's only job is to find her and capture her.... but let's just say she captures his heart instead!!! (Hello, that was such a cheesy line, and I'm not sorry!!).

Definitely check this one out! 

Out February 20, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

The perfect read in so many ways! Arthie owns a tea shop that often comes under fire.  It's tea for the rich and beautiful during the day, and then at night, it's a blood room for the vampires.  However, this is not her biggest crime in this place.  It's really  because she is an immigrant in a land of colonizers, the people who tore her land and family from her.  When Arthie meets a mysterious and handsome ally, she knows she must risk everything just for a chance to keep the life she has built. 

This book is about a grand heist, found family, and fighting for what is right.  I was right there rooting on Arthie and the others the whole time.  I think this will definitely be a favorite book of 2024! 

Out February 20, 2024! 

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc! 

Wow! What a story! This turned out to be so awesome.   I loved the ending.  Honestly, tell me about a woman overcoming, and I'm sold.  

Okay, I have to be really honest about the beginning of this book.  It's three points of view but just two people, and yes, it's as confusing as that sounds at first.  But I got in the swing of this story and enjoyed it immensely.   In other words, if you read this, please give it a chance!  It's really great when you get into it.  

Gus loved Catherine.   He loved Catherine so much that he killed her when she didn't return that love.  Her ghost kind of attaches to him, and she tells part of the story while Gus is telling his story in two different time periods.   

It's a wild story, and the way the author tells this story really makes Gus look as messed up as someone would have to be to do what he did to Catherine and then to others.   So, yeah, this is a cool read. 

Out February 13, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!