The final reviews to share before the wrap up! I always eventually get there.
November ended up having a lot of great books and I’m excited to see how the year will end in terms of books
Mini Reviews – November 2024:
WE USED TO LIVE HERE – Marcus Kliewer (Released June 18th, 2024 – Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy)
Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit—soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively—about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit.
As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.
As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars
When I see books compared to popular movies or other books, I’m always mildly skeptical. So, seeing this compared to Get Out and Parasite had me cautiously excited. I also saw that this was a massively popular little series in the NoSleep subreddit that won the scariest story of 2021. Reddit can be such a great place to find authors and stories.
I understand the hype for this book. So many bookstagrammers that I trust raved about this, and I see why! First of all, I’m not opening up my door to anyone when I’m home alone, BUT letting the entire family inside?? Absolutely not. The events that follow will make you go, “what the fuck” multiple times and I don’t want to give away any other details. Suspense and horror. I loved this so much! Talk about a phenomenal debut novel
THE SERPENT AND THE WOLF – Rebecca Robinson (Released November 19th, 2024 – Thanks to Saga Press for the gifted copy)
Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.
All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
My Thoughts: 3/5 stars
If you’re here looking for a new romantasy book, you may be disappointed. If you’re looking for some high fantasy with a slow burning romance subplot, then you’ve come to the right place!
Right off the bat, the world building in this was so lush and vibrant, and you got a really good feel for this new world the author has created. Now, I love me a good political thriller, so consider me pleasantly surprised when that came into play! It’s amazing how often political intrigue and sabotage are key points in fantasy novels.
I think the romance was there just enough to where it won’t be too much for those who aren’t huge fans of those subplots. There were a couple of parts with the pace that felt odd, and I have some questions that need answers, so possibly a book two coming?
A SOUL TO EMBRACE – Opal Reyne (Released November 12th, 2024)
All Zylah wanted was to heal.
Lost, alone, and nameless, she seeks out a companion. Someone to cherish amidst the chaos and the Demon attacks. When she stumbles across a broken and injured Jabez, she uses her healing hands to save him, never questioning his motives for staying.
As the emotions growing between them become tangled, her infatuation turns into dangerous passion. She longs to keep her claws in this handsome and enthralling male, whose chilling gaze has softened in the time they’ve spent together.
All Jabez wanted was revenge.
Not even his near death can shake Jabez’s determination to destroy the Elvish people. The hatred clinging to his heart is impossible to relinquish, and when faced with an unexpected opportunity to resurrect his war, Jabez eagerly takes it. His new companion is the answer, though she isn’t what she seems.
After gaining humanity, her personality shines, and she completely turns his life and thoughts upside down. The longer he remains at her side, the more he desires to protect her – even from himself.
Can he give up his revenge and risk losing everything… for someone who could come to hate him because of his cruel past?
** This book contains a side story at the end of it **
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars
The way this book series just has a hold on me. I’ll never say it enough, but thank you charmandareads (on Instagram) for introducing me to this series. I loved it. I love the Duskwalkers, and I never thought I’d enjoy some monster romance
This is the 8th installment, and I’m sad it’s coming to an end soon – there’s also a great novella at the end of this book. I think this is up there in my top 3 now for this series. I don’t know how Opal does it, but the world building gets better and more in-depth. The Duskwalkers and their clear and distinct personalities. I love coming across the other characters in each book. I never want to spoil the interactions, and while all the stories/love interests are self-contained, I think you should start at the beginning for the lore and interconnected stories. Once you get to book 5, it would really be beneficial to know the chain of events that got us there.
Jessicamap Reviews 