My Murder Year by Kate Larkindale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My Murder Year is a YA novel that is surprisingly emotional. The characters are relatable and it takes everyone back to being seventeen. I wasn’t prepared for how emotional this book was going to make me feel. This was my first read by this author and I plan to try to read more by her.
My Murder Year by Kate Larkindale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
My Murder Year by Kate Larkindale is a LGBTQ YA mystery with emotion, love, loss, murder, whodunnit, drama, angst, family dynamics, and romance.
Things had been looking pretty rosy for a while, with a family wedding in the works and a cute new guy in the scene- when suddenly Stas’s world is turned upside down when her mother is murdered- and her father becomes the prime suspect. Things get tense, and rather complicated- and Stas will need to navigate it all if she’s to have any hope of finding some sort of ‘normal’ again.
This is a mystery with a bit of a journey of discovery mixed in which made for an interesting, angsty, and emotional read. I felt it was a little slow to get going, and at times I felt like the story lagged a little and I had to keep forcing myself to stay focused. I also had trouble connecting with Stas to begin with, but she won me over a bit by the end.
If you love YA coming of ages stories, LGBTQ, mystery, romance, and emotion- then you will want to add this to your TBR.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Kate Larkindale!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
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Seventeen-year-old Stas Nonu has nothing more to worry about than looking like an oversized pumpkin in the bridesmaid dress her mother picked out for her wedding to her long-time partner, Mama K. Her father’s newfound religious beliefs are annoying and starting to cramp her style, but nothing to be really concerned about. Besides, Zane, the new guy she met at that party is way more interesting.
When Stas finds her mother’s dead body in a pool of blood, and evidence points to her father as the murderer, she realizes how uncomplicated things were before.
Especially when two aunts she’s never met fly from her mother’s native Russia and start talking about her coming to live with them. Then her father’s brother shows up with his own reasons for why Stas should live with him.
Unable to face the tug of war between her relatives, or the devastating effect it’s having on her beloved Mama K, Stas turns to Zane for comfort. But their increasing closeness is not enough to allow Stas to escape the reality of her fractured family.
If Stas can’t figure out a way to prove Mama K is as much her mother as the woman who gave birth to her, she might find herself banished to Siberia. Or somewhere even worse.
Refrain by Madelynne Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
WOW, is all I can say. This book took me through it. It has drama, trauma, romance, steam, friendships, sizzle, and a great plot. The inner turmoil that the main character has, is the center for the book. How he reacts to everything being brought to light about his past and the way he deals with it, is what keeps you turning pages. I couldn’t put the book down. It is the 3 book in the series and there is even a prequel to this series. It would be helpful to read the other books first if you really want an understanding of everything. However, it is not necessarily needed and you will find yourself wanting to read the other books in the series after this if you haven’t already. The books builds and builds and you will get lost in the feelings of the characters. My mood even shifted while reading this book. So be advised that you might need to take a time out from other people while reading this. You won’t want to be disturbed. I can’t give this book high enough praises by the way it handled certain situations and the feelings that it provokes within you. You won’t be disappointed with this book.
Reviewed by: @bbohls
Secrets of the Sorcery War: An Epic YA Fantasy by Elise Carlson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Heir Ruarnon has just returned from brokering peace treaties with some of the kingdoms surrounding thier home of Tarlah, but just as they are settling in, they have a visit by an ambassador from a community which has not had much communication with them since the Sorcerer’s War. This is surprising to Ruarnon, especially when the discussion turns into an invitation to visit this estranged kingdom and it is one they readily accept.
As the party prepare to leave, Ruarnon converses with their new found friends from Australia to explain their reasons for leaving their palace and not taking the four adventurers along, however, they promise that of there is a next time, that they are more than welcome to join them and woth that says the party set off on their travels.
While they learn more about what is known of this reclusive community of the Urai, Ruarnon is keen to learn more about their traditions and the reasoning behind the estrangement, however, they are also careful not to offend their hosts at the same time. All is proceeding well during their visit, until a messenger arrives with urgent news of a sighting of the dreaded Damars off the coast of Urai and Ruarnon is all too familiar of the dangers this poses to them all, so they advise the Urai of this and agree to consult with their councils on what to do and to report back to each other on their decision.
After these debates have taken place, a course of action is decided upon and the Urai turn out to be unexpected allies, as do the Australian quartet who decide amongst themselves to travel with Ruarnon and if possible speak to their adversaries to gain knowledge of the possibility of returning home.
When they all find themselves embroiled in a battle with the fearsome Damars and sorcerors, this both terrified and excited the four strangers, especially when after the Battle is won, they have the chance to speak to them and find out more about both the sorcerer Nartzeer, his plans and the reasons he attacked them. However, what they find out just leads to more questions than answers and more worries are heaped onto Ruarnon’s shoulders, but what do these new revelations mean and how will they affect the future of Uranimaris? This is an epic fantasy adventure across land and sea, to unravel the secrets which lie across the seas and untangle the webs surrounding the history of the many lands to reveal the future, or at least the many iterations of what it could be as this story hooks you in and keeps you guessing throughout.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s a good book but it took me a bit to get into it. It was a little slow moving but the characters were easy to fall for. I enjoyed the story I just had to commit so it is definitely worth it to ride the whole way to the end!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This author truly understands what it means to build a world you can get lost in, as well as characters you can fall in love with, or hate, if that’s what you’re into. The story is very well written. It flows wonderfully, You truly get pulled into this world and find yourself feeling a bit sad when it’s time to leave. If you’re looking for a fantasy book and MM/LGBTQ is okay for you, I absolutely recommend this book!
Review By @MandaKelly82
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was such a great love story. Ayo has always loved Prince Yi, yet he never told him. Their story is so beautiful. They overcome obstacles to save each other. The love they show each other is so strong. This book is filled with adventure, magic, friendship, and of course love. This MM romance fantasy is all about how love can overcome all things.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist. This is an M/M Paranormal Romance with a Friends to Lovers Trope. Our main characters Yi and Ayo have a beautiful love story. The story is well written. The characters have so much depth. The pacing is perfect. There is even humor sprinkled throughout. Yi is the crown Prince and Ayo grows up along side him. As they grow Ayo develops feelings for Yi as well as powers. When the King finds out he Exiles Ayo under false pretenses. When the kingdom falls under a Sleeping Curse Ayo comes back to save his Prince. If you like Fantasy/Paranormal Romance then this one is for you! 4 stars, definitely recommend.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed the premise of this book. A true loves kiss, is it enough? There was a good mix of adventure and romance that kept your attention. I felt like I really got to know the three main characters but the foreground characters were lost in the mix. All in all, a really interesting story that was a super quick read.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
YES! I absolutely LOVED this different view of Sleeping Beauty and how the author made it their own. I have enjoyed other books by Natalina Reis but was still unprepared for how much I was going to fall for this one. The flow of the story took me a little bit to get used to, but once I found the rhythm there was just no letting go. I love the characters and how deeply invested I became throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what our amazing author has in store for us next!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
New author for me and I wasn’t disappointed! I love a good friends to lover book. Book was full of twists and i loved the characters! Great retelling of sleeping beauty and I loved every single page! I’ll be reading more books by Natalina! Beautiful read and I highly recommend!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my third Reis book and I just love how she mixes her elements of fantasy with a whirlwind of romance! Love this book just as much! Part sleeping beauty aspects mixed in with dark magic overtaking a kingdom and it is up to Ayo and Yi to figure out how to help the situation. Along with a group of people that they meet and connect with throughout the story, the story takes the reader through secrets and betrayal, rediscovery, and fighting for what you love. If you’re a Reis fan or simply love fantasy type stories, give this one a try! It would be worth it!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once again we have a MM Romantasy by this author. A wonderful Sleeping Beauty retelling. And goodness do I love retellings. We have our leading man Ayo. He is banished from his kingdom. Along with being banished he has his magic taken. I love the plotline and world building even though it is a standalone. It’s truly an eccentric fun read.
Review by @michellerenee6590
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sleeping Love is a MM fantasy romance story that tells the story of the friendship turned love between Ayo and Yi. Ayo met Yi when orphaned at a young age and the two became best friends. As Ayo got older, he started to learn about his magical powers. When Yi’s father, the king feels that Ayo’s magic becomes a threat to him he strips him of his magic and banishes him to a desolate land. When a curse falls over the kingdom it turns out that Yi is the only one who may be able to break the curse. Ayo is able to wake Yi with a kiss and rekindle their romance, but danger lurks around each corner which puts their relationship at risk.
This book was a bit of an interesting twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty story that drew me in and compelled me to read to the end. The scenes were superbly written, detailed, and make you feel as though you are there at that time and place. The characters of Yi and Ayo were interesting, and it was refreshing to see that the two had forged a friendship and gotten to know one another before it turned to romance. I could not help but root for them to be together and overcome the obstacles that kept insisting on getting in their way. A great story with drama, action, suspense, magic, forbidden romance, curses, friendship, a prince, an evil king, and friends becoming lovers.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an interesting take on a well known fairy tale and it is one I have really enjoyed. I thought the story was well thought out and interesting. It caught my attention straight away. I lived thr characters in this.book. I felt their connection and was drawn to their journey.
This is an author that I have become very familiar with and I really love how all of her books are different. This one is nothing like any of her others but it is just as good. This is a great story that i would highly recommend.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sleeping Love is an MM Romance Fantasy story about a man named Ayo who is banished by his kingdom, but quickly finds himself on a quest to save his love, Prince Yi, and his magic. The Prince and Ayo grew up together as “brothers” but he quickly realized he loved him, but due to the prince’s cruel father, this is a path that could never be. Eventually, the king banishes Ayo, to an awful island that finds a way to kill many of its inhabitants, and steals his magic in hopes to use it for himself. Ayo comes to find out that the kingdom was put under a spell and his prince is in a deep sleep. This spell is hitting many of the realms so that the Mulluk can obtain more power, or that is at least the thought. Ayo is able to wake his prince with “a kiss”, and they begin their journey to save the kingdom and Ayo’s magic. We quickly learn that the prince feels the same way and is in love with Ayo, however, Ayo is questioning so many things because he knows Yi is hiding something. Ayo, Yi, and other comrades make their way to get Ayo’s magic back, learn about Ayo’s past, and try and save the realms.
I liked that the storyline seemed to move along quickly and is a standalone book. There were parts that I thought were odd or unnecessary due to the lack of information provided for it, but overall was a good story. It was full of humor, strength, romance, and adventure. I enjoyed the characters for the most part. Bai Qian, one of the comrades, is a female princess but wants to destroy the female persona for the time. She was a great character – she was badass, royal, strong, smart, and cunning. She was quite funny and enjoyable to read about. As for the main characters, Ayo and Yi, they too were great characters. There were times that Ayo got on my nerves because of his insecurities, but overall, he was a loving, devoted love interest. Yi was more my type of character. While he was royal, he was down-to-earth, loving, honest, and not shy about who he was. The love story uses old tales to show how powerful a kiss can be!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you want a read that fills your heart and has you believing in love again then this captivating Fairy tale retelling is for you. As other reviewers have mentioned it is a friends to lovers M/M romantic tale and in my opinion is has so much to offer the reader. This author writes such wonderful characters and creative storylines that I know I will be coming back time again to read her talented writing.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Retellings are stories I enjoy because I like to see how authors make a well known story their own. The main characters in this were names Ayo and Yi. They had a sweet MM romance that was very angsty more times than not and just an fyi this story isn’t written in the 1st person so it was a little harder to connect than my normal stories but you got more sides of the story besides just the thoughts of the two mc’s. I thought the characters were good and their overall story was interesting!
Happy Reading!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. It is a more modern take on Sleeping Beauty. When I say modern, I mean it in the form of the love interests in this book and the updated surroundings. The reason I wasn’t sure what to expect is because whether we want to admit it or not we all have preconceived notions when it comes to a retelling or even to using the same plot lines just enough to draw reference. There is magic, love, friendship, and fantasy. This version allows for you to take what you thought you knew about a Sleeping beauty story and have it recreated in your mind to the possibility of what it would have been like if the main characters were both males. This story builds and builds which shows character depth and world building scenarios. The magic that is involved isn’t done to where you need a glossary of terms to understand. This made the book enjoyable for me to read. It was classically done with an amazing twist. I highly suggest reading this book to allow yourself the opportunity to reimagine what Sleeping Beauty could be like. It is a quick read that you will find yourself falling in love with the story as it progresses. I highly recommend reading this if you like a twist on a classic.
Reviewed by: @bbohls
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an interesting retelling of a fairytale sleeping beauty. I enjoyed meeting Ayo and Yi and getting to be along for their journey. Magic and Eastern kingdoms take center stage in this story. It was nice to see Asian main characters. Yi and Ayo are both strong characters and must fight hard to find their happy ever after. Their story is a sweet romance filled with a nice mix of cation and emotions. Not only do we get the main story but many of the supporting characters have their say. The plot is good but does drag in some places. The author does a nice job of bringing a new twist to an old tale.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sleeping Love is a fantasy, MM romance bringing a fresh take to the Cinderella fairy tale. I was wondering if I would fall for this book because it is difficult to bring a fresh take to a tried and true story. This author took the story and added so many unique elements to make it her own. One element I enjoyed was the Eastern influences on the characters, setting, and world-building. Ayo and Yi are a fascinating match. One is royalty, and the other a pauper. I was rooting for them to break barriers and become so much more than friends and not be torn apart by their circumstances. If you love fairy tales, Eastern mythology, fantasy, and more, this book will not be left on your to-be-read pile long. I look forward to reading more from this author soon.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a beautiful MM friends to lovers romance. It is also a twist on the story of Sleeping beauty where the spell is only broken my true loves kiss. The author does an amazing job of creating the world and it is full of magic, danger, and longing love. This story has characters that you want to succeed in the form of Ayo and then characters you can stand such as the king.
Ayo had grown up beside the Prince but once his magic start to show the king banished him to an island and took away his magic. Now Ayo is forced to live along and struggle to survive, he is also banned from seeing his friend Prince Yi. That is until a curse is placed over the kingdom and the only person who can save Prince Yi is Ayo.
But that is just the beginning. Once Yi is awoken from the curse the pair move forward looking to get Ayo’s powers back. Together they must overcome enemies old and new while fighting for each other. Bit as secrets and past actions start to come alight will the pair be able to hold on to their new found love or will the past destroy their only chance of happiness
I really enjoyed this story. I felt every struggle and fight that Ayo has had to endure from losing his parents, to being stripped of his magic and exiled away from the one person he loves. I do love how strong and determined his is to fight for his love no matter the consequences or the obstacles in front of them.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A wonderful fairytale retelling, filled with love, magic, fantasy and friendship. This queer take on Sleeping Beauty as a prince and commoner fall in love will really warm your heart. The author has a great storytelling ability with fantastic world building and character development.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Yo is a prince and Ayo is an orphan. The two became best friends over time fell in love. Yi’s father doesn’t like Ayo because he know of his feelings for Yi. Ayo is accused of treason and stripped of his magic. Meanwhile, Yi and everyone else is put under a sleeping spell. Ayo is the only one that can save everyone. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this remake of Sleeping Beauty, you’ll fall in love with the characters. Ayo and Yi are the perfect romantic couple. Is a kiss just a kiss or is it love? This story has action, adventure, friendships, and of course love. It takes a few chapters to get into the story and then you are hooked.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was an interesting take on a sleeping beauty retelling. This book has friends to lovers romance, forbidden love, fate, action, drama and more. Everything happens very quick in this books, you’re reading their journey and next thing you know they are there. This also happens with tasks, the author will mention something that needs happen for the story to continue but it’s not actually written about. We just know it happens and that’s it.
Outside of some of the details this was a good take on sleeping beauty!
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting retelling of the famous fairy tale. I found it to be a good read. It was well-written with the gay twist or POV. The characters all fit well into the story which helped it flow smooth. It’s an entertaining story if you’re into this genre.
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 Stars
“He woke him with a kiss. That was just the beginning.”
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis is another interesting paranormal MM romance with shifters, magic, action, adventure, danger, friendship, family, curses, forbidden love, friends-to-lovers, fate, angst, drama, agendas, and high stakes.
This had definite Sleeping Beauty vibes with a bit of a twist, as well as Eastern cultural influences, and shifters mingled in. Thes Asian influences definitely added an extra element of interest to the story, for me. This isn’t your ‘regular’ romance, though- but still tugs on the heart strings.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Natalina Reis!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sleeping Love is a beautiful friends to lovers M/M stand-alone paranormal romance tale. This story has a different twist and is not your normal romantic story. It is beautiful, intriguing and charming that is a quick and easy read.
This compelling Sleeping Beauty fairy-tale retelling is filled with adventure, action, magic, princes, an evil king, banishment and curses.
Natalina’s world building is well thought out and the characters are wonderfully written and well fleshed out. The cast of secondary characters are engaging and made me laugh. There is lots of sass, fun banter, love, angst, sadness, and friendship.
I enjoy Natalina’s stories as they are engaging and creative. This lovely story will touch your heart and make you believe in a love.
As always, I look forward to what comes next.
Reviewed by @jennadb
