BOOKS | Review: The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton

Name: The Geographer's Map to Romance (Love's Academic #2)

Author: India Holton

Publisher: Penguin Books

Date published: April 2025

Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, fantasy, historical

Pages: 354

Rating: 5/5

 

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magical disasters. Nothing fazes her - except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.
Gabriel is also an expert in magical disasters. And nothing fazes him either - except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her.
When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they face perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed.
These geography professors are lost. But can they find their way into each other’s hearts - and save the day?

- From Goodreads. 

This book was as absolutely delightful as the first one. India Holton just has such a brilliant way of writing, the humour in this series has been so excellent, I laughed out loud at multiple scenes! She also just has such a wonderful way of writing romance, leaning into clichés and tropes, keeping it fun and lighthearted, but also letting you get swept away with lovely sweet romantic moments that really show you the connection and feelings between the characters.

I loved how the author continued the world building in this book, the magical creatures, specifically birds, were so creative in the last book, and the way the magic of the world was expanded in this book into the magic of the land and nature was so inventive too! I'm so curious to see how it's further explored in the next book.

Elodie and Gabriel were such wonderful characters, I thought the story of how they, amusingly, became inconveniently married was so unique and it was so interesting to see how they viewed things from their different perspectives and how they eventually realised how they'd both been seeing things differently, it was written so perfectly. They were so loveable and I really adored their relationship.

Of course I will be reading the next book, I cannot get enough of this world, the characters and how India Holton writes these romances, it's all such perfection. 

BOOKS | Review: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Name: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: February 2025

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, cosy, academia

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm - as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival - now fiancé - the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world - how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in - Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic - and Emily's knowledge of stories - to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

- From Goodreads.

This was another excellent book in the Emily Wilde series, I could honestly read an endless amount of stories about Emily and Wendell's adventures. They're never predictable, and have a wonderful amount of humour, romance and fascinating folklore. I think the way stories and legends of the faeries were used in this book was especially clever and it was exciting the way the stakes had raised over the series as we spent the majority of the story in faerie for the first time, but Emily and Wendell were still as endearing as ever. 

I think it was lovely how the author managed to include all the familiar and loveable characters from the previous books without it feeling forced, and also introduced us to other interesting new characters who were all very intriguing. I think this along with the creativity in the world building means that there would always be more to explore in the world and it wouldn't be possible to grow tired of new stories within it. Even though this book felt it wrapped up the story that was started in the first book well, there is plenty of room for more, and I would always be happy to come back to this world, especially if that meant seeing more of Emily and Wendell, who I just adore. Their relationship was just as heartwarming as in the previous two books, and I can't get enough of how devoted they are to each other.

I will definitely continue to read more of Heather Fawcett's books, I think she has a brilliant writing style and her books always have a wonderful imagination. I will be very excited to see what she comes out with next.

BOOKS | Review: Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

Name: Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch #1)

Author: Lyla Sage

Publisher: Quercus

Date published: June 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, contemporary, small town, cowboys

Pages: 340

Rating: 4/5

She’s off-limits, but he’s never been good at following the rules.
For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy” Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape.
Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her.
Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?

- From Goodreads.

This was such a fun and comforting book. It was very easy to read, had some great humourous moments and some really emotional ones too, it almost had me tearing up at one point!

The setting of Meadowlark was wonderful, it felt very real, I could picture it so clearly and you could really feel the strong sense of community there. The description of the nature and the landscape of the area were especially lovely.

The characters were great, Emmy was very likeable and it was wonderful to see her slowly recover from her riding accident and find the confidence to get back on a horse. I think I would even have liked for the book to spend more time on that part of her story, but it was still heartwarming. I also don't remember ever reading a main character with ADHD, at least not explicitly on page, and I liked that Emmy got to talk about her diagnosis, how it made her feel and how it was affecting her, and that the love interest Luke listened to her and made her feel safe and comfortable and calm and like she could talk about anything with him.

Luke was a great love interest, I liked that he was so surprised by his feelings for Emmy but was not afraid to be honest about them. I also liked that although he had his troubles in the past and had made mistakes, he was trying to do better and become a better person.

I think one of the only things that frustrated me was Emmy's oldest brother's behaviour, I know the protective older brother is a pretty classic romance trope, but it felt pretty old-fashioned the way it was done and some of the moments with him were difficult to read.

Overall though this was a very enjoyable book and I will definitely be continuing in the series. I am looking forward especially to learning more about Wes, Emmy's other brother, as he seemed very sweet and thoughtful. I would recommend this if you're looking for a fun cowboy romance!

BOOKS | Review: Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Name: Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)

Author: Stephanie Burgis

Publisher: Tor Bramble

Date published: February 2025

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, witches, cosy

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.
When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…
Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other? 

- From Goodreads.

This was just such a delightful book. The writing was perfect for the genre, with a humourous narrative voice that was really fun to read. The world building was just the right amount of detailed, with some fascinating backstory about the world, not too much that it would have bogged us down in exposition, but still enough to leave me curious enough to learn more about the world in future books in the series.

The characters were just brilliant, from the main characters right down to the crow companions that lived with Saskia in her castle, I loved everyone.

The romance between Saskia and Felix was truly wonderful. The build up of both their feelings and attraction growing for each other was done perfectly and you could really feel the tension between them. I really liked the dynamic of Saskia being the more confident, dominant and fearsome character, while Felix was more nervous, quiet and gentle. I think they really complimented each other and brought out the best in each other. 

Overall this was just a lovely romance that I sped through quickly as I enjoyed it so much. I will definitely continue to read more from Stephanie Burgis and continue on with this series.

BOOKS | Review: A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience by Stephanie Burgis

Name: A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience (The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #1)

Author: Stephanie Burgis

Publisher: Five Fathoms Press

Date published: August 2024

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, vampires, historical

Pages: 72

Rating: 4/5

Margaret Dunhaven may have been forced into marriage with the sinister vampire lord of Shadowcroft Manor in order to fulfill a family obligation, but she's not about to stay trapped there for long. The beastly man doesn't even have any decent tea leaves in his kitchen!
However, when she realizes that she's not the only one who's been forced into this marital union, it's time to join forces with her unwanted new husband. If they can combine her scholarly skills with his ancient history, then, working together, they might just manage to reclaim her inheritance, break his curse, and find their freedom.
...Just so long as they don't fall in love along the way.

- From Goodreads.

This was very delightful and fun to read. The narration had a great, entertaining voice and the world was explained quickly in an understandable way which was good considering it was such a short story.

The author also did a good job of introducing us to the characters and giving us a good picture of who they were in a short amount of time. Margaret and Lord Riven were both very loveable characters and the romance that developed between them was very charming.

The only fault I did find with the story was that it could have been just a little longer to immerse us in the world a little bit more and to give us a bit more time to see the characters getting to know each other, I think just a little more could have been added while still staying within the constraints of a novella and it would have been perfect.

I would definitely recommend this if you love a fun vampire fantasy romance and want something quick to read, and if you like books like the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett and Elise Kova's Married to Magic series, I think you'd like this too. I'll certainly be going on to read more from Stephanie Burgis, and I will be curious to see what her longer books are like.

BOOKS | Review: The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon

Name: The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season series #5)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: February 2025

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, dystopian  

Pages: 576

Rating: 5/5

This review contains minor spoilers.

Paige Mahoney is outside the Republic of Scion for the first time in more than a decade - but she has no idea how she got to the free world. Half a year has been wiped from her memory.
As she makes her way back to the revolution, her journey takes her to Venice, where she learns a dangerous secret - one that could change the face of the war between humans and immortals. Before she can return to London, she must help the Domino Programme unravel the sinister Operation Ventriloquist.
And it soon becomes clear that the one person who could recover her memories - Arcturus Mesarthim - might also hold the key to saving Italy. 

- From Goodreads.

This was an incredibly thrilling new installment in The Bone Season series. I was very nervous but excited to find out what would happen next and it definitely did not let me down with all the action and unexpected reveals! There really were so many plot twists I did not expect, and answers that I had not predicted at all, but plenty happened that left a lot of questions to be answered for the last two books. I can't believe we're moving towards the end of the series but I am looking forward to seeing how the different threads wrap up!

The world-building was still brilliant in this book, it was exciting to see more of the world and learn what it was like outside Scion. Samantha Shannon is amazing at detail and really immersing you in the setting. It is still such a fascinating concept for a dystopian story and it's always fascinating to see what will happen with Scion next.

Samantha Shannon is also always brilliant at characters. Paige is still such a wonderful character to follow and it's always incredible how she has to face so many scary and terrible things and manages to be brave and keep going through it all. The rest of the Seven Seals are all very interesting characters too and it was exciting (and surprising) to be reunited with so many previously seen characters in this book when in the last book we got to meet a lot of new characters. Cade is a very fascinating character, even if he can be quite terrible! So I'm curious if we'll see any more of him. I think one of my favourites in the series is definitely Jaxon though, you can never quite tell what he's up to and what he has up his sleeve, but it's always fun trying to understand him and his motivations, even when Paige is furious with him!

There's so much to think about and theorise with this book, so it will certainly be on my mind until the next book comes out. I'm attached to a lot of the characters so of course I am anxious to see what will be in store for them, but I will be intrigued to have more answers for all the mysteries still unresolved! This really was another great book in a very epic and page-turning adventure and I am always impressed with how Samantha Shannon creates it all.

BOOKS | Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Name: Starling House

Author: Alix. E. Harrow

Publisher: Tor

Date published: October 2023 

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, horror, gothic

Pages: 308

Rating: 5/5

Nobody in the town of Eden, Kentucky is old enough to remember the building of Starling House, but the stories have been passed down through the generations like good china. The hairdresser says it was the beginning of Eden’s bad luck - the river water they can’t drink, the coal dust they can’t breathe, the cemetery that fills too fast.
Opal has spent her life collecting stories about the house. One night, she meets its reclusive heir, Arthur Starling, and receives an invitation she can't refuse. But there are secrets and stories buried beneath Starling House, clamoring to escape and wreak havoc on the town. And even they might not be the biggest threat...

- Goodreads.

This had a perfect sinister atmosphere, the setting really felt like a living, dangerous thing. The house was a character itself and I loved how you could feel its personality without it actually speaking and you could see why the characters became attached to it and it became attached to them.

The mystery was very intriguing and I was excited the whole way through to uncover all the answers and surprises. I thought it was very well written and everything was revealed in a compelling way.

Opal and Arthur were wonderful main characters, I loved them both pretty much immediately and really wanted a happy ending for both of them. Opal had been through so much and had to make some tough choices but she never gave up on her determination to look after her brother and I loved that she still managed to be fierce and passionate, despite what she was going through. Arthur had been through a lot too, and had lost hope in some ways, but was also still determined to do what he needed to do, no matter what he had to sacrifice himself, and he did everything he could for Opal, not wanting her to suffer. It was just perfectly done how they came to care for each other and wanted to help each other, and how being together made them realise they could want things for themselves and not just other people.

I adored the writing style, the voices of the characters really had distinct personalities and I loved the addition of footnotes and illustrations, it made the story even more immersive.

I would definitely recommend this if you like Holly Black and the way she creates stories that feel like modern dark fairy tales. I would also recommend if you like gothic fantasies about sentient houses and curses, like Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek.