February 2023 Mini Reviews

 When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi #1

Published: 1st June 2017 by Hodder & Stoughton

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I'm ashamed to say I've only gotten around to reading this wonderful book now, more than 5 years after receiving it! I'm trying to make a point of getting through my backlog of books this year, and what better book to start with than this one? I really liked Menon's writing style straight away, and I can honestly see why it's such a beloved bok series. I always enjoy a dual narrative in romances, and this was no exception, especially because at times their opinions towards one another were so different. I really enjoyed the backdrop of this whole web development summer camp, as it was certainly something I'd not come across before! I honestly had a smile on my face so often when I was reaidng this, and I'm not ashamed to say I was a massive fan of the soppy, cliched happy ending. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series!

4 stars

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Published: 9th February 2017 by Pan Macmillan

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I really enjoyed Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, I think she's great at writing fairytale retellings, so I was excited to see how this Queen of Hearts origin story fared. As Alice in Wonderland inspired the name of this blog, it's safe to say that I am a massive fan of the classic, and while normally I'm wary of these stories being adapted by modern authors, I really liked this one. I found myself not wanting to leave the world that Meyer built, full of baked goods and the royal court, and the way in which classic characters like the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire cat were introduced in this story felt very respectful to the original tale. The romance between Cath and Jest honestly propelled me through the story, and I kept wanting to read more just to find out what happened to them! The main twist in the story did actually take me by surprise, which is always refreshing, and I have to say this is another great work from Meyer.

4 stars

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Published: 19th January 2023 by Random House

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I went into this book completely blind, not knowing hugely what it was about nor hearing anyone talk about it, which was actually very refreshing! I feel like I've been reading a lot of romances and more contemporary novels at the moment, so this was a nice change with the mystery and almost magical elements. I felt drawn into this world and its story straight away, and I really enjoyed it being set in the art and curating industry as it's something I'm a big fan of but don't come across often in books. I did find the story predictable at times, and I guessed most of the plot points and what would happen next, but I didn't necessarily mind that. I could enjoy the overall story without feeling that it had to be groundbreaking or covering something new. I did feel that Ann as a protagonist could have been more developed  but understand that it's not a priority in genre fiction. Overall I'm excited to see what Hays comes out with next, and it was a solid debut novel.

3.5 stars

Wishbones by Virginia Macgregor

Published: 18th May 2017 by HQ

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I have had this book for far too long but I've finally gotten round to reading it! I had no clue what this book would be about going into it, only that it was a YA Contemporary, and unfortunately it did read like that at times, in dealing with extremely sensitive topics with an attempt to be especially nuanced about it, but it just didn't seem like it brought anything particularly new to the conversation. I always think books surrounding a character's weight have to be handled carefully, but you could see Feather's love for her mother shining through every thought she had and every decision she made towards her. I did really admire her perseverance, especially when it seemed that she was the only one who hadn't given up on her mother. However, I found myself enjoying the secondary characters' storylines more than Feather's teenage struggles with her parents, and it did fall flat for me at times.

3 stars