Review: The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Title: The Prince and The Dressmaker

Author: Jen Wang

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Fantasy,

Pages: 277

Publisher: First Second

Year Published: 2018

Format: Paperback Copy (Library)

"Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride- or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia- the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian's secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances- his best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone's secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?

Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, are, and family. A fairy tale for any age."

My Rating: 5/5

This was a perfect refresher of a graphic novel for me. It was light, it was fun, but it also had a beautiful coming-of-age story. The way the artist tells the story is beautiful and the ending had me smiling. I would gladly read something else by the author. A perfect palate cleanser for an older audience or a coming-of-age story for young adults. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

Title: The London Seance Society

Author: Sarah Penner

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adult

Pages: 352

Publisher: Park Row

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.

1873. At an abandoned chateau on the outskirts of Paris, a dark seance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister's death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London's exclusive Seance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves..."

My Rating: 2/5

After reading The Lost Apothecary by this author I was quick to pick up this one once it was available at my library. Unfortunately, it didn't give me the same feelings as her debut. The characters didn't grab my attention as quickly and the concept wasn't what I expected it to be. It was fun, but I felt that I knew where we were going from fairly early on. If you are looking for a historical mystery with twists and turns everywhere this might not be for you. If you are in it for the historical ideas about seances I think it would be a great pick for you. I don't think this book was for me but I hope that others find enjoyment in Sarah Penner's writing. 

-Sidny

Book Review: My Sweet Audrina by VC Andrews

Title: My Sweet Audrina

Author: VC Andrews

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Horror, Adult Fiction

Pages: 403

Publisher: Pocket Books

Year Published: 1982

Format: Physical Copy

"VC Andrews, author of the phenomenally successful Dollanganger series, has created a fascinating new cast of characters in this haunting story of love and deceit, innocence and betrayal, and the suffocating power of parental love.

Audrina Adare wanted so to be as good as her sister. She knew her father could not love her as he loved her sister. Her sister was so special, so perfect- and dead.

Now she will come face with the dangerous, terrifying secret that everyone knows. Everyone except....

My Sweet Audrina."

DNF @ 60%

My Rating: 1/5

I bought this book after I read Flowers in the Attic when I was in high school and finally decided to pick it up. This book did NOT age well. While I understand that language choices have changed over the past 40 years, I'm curious how this book was reprinted in 2011. I'm also curious as to how people didn't see where the twist was. After reading the first chapter I was pretty sure I knew exactly what was going to happen and after reading the spark notes I was correct about the twist. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

Title: Secretly Yours

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series/Standalone: A Vine Mess Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Pages: 384

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn...

Hallie Wlech fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless- and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit. 

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt- and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

My Rating: 3.5/5

I think this is a really fun contemporary read with fantastic steamy scenes. Tessa Bailey does an excellent job of making unique characters that you can visualize with their own unique voice. I also appreciate that they have struggles that are relatable. The steamy scenes in this one were perfect, and I look forward to reading the next one! How can a marriage of convenience go wrong?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series/Standalone: Throne of Glass (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 576

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Year Published: 2014

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "God, it was boiling in this useless excuse for a kingdom."

"Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak- but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth... a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future- forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?"

My Rating: 4.75/5

This book really upped the ante from the last two. After taking a break from the novella, I was able to dive back into the world. I found that this book was able to bridge the gap between very YA vs. only a bit of YA. I loved the different plotlines we were following, I also found that some of the plot twists were able to surprise me which hadn't happened much if at all in previous books. I loved the new characters we met and I look forward to continuing the series soon. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny