Like the Comet

Hello. Hello. Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

How’s 2024 treatin’ ya?

It’s been a pretty decent year for me so far. Between football and books anyway.

Football: Michigan won the CFP National Championship and the Lions made it to the NFC championship game for the first time in 30 years… I’m still mourning the results of that game, so we don’t need to go into details on it.

Books: I was flying through books for a majority of the month (thank you, audiobooks). Like I think I cranked out 5-6 books within the first two weeks of January? However, as the days closed in on January 30th - a.k.a. House of Flame and Shadow release date - I started to slow down substantially. Mainly because I knew that I wouldn’t have the attention span to focus on any other book after I received my copy of the third Crescent City. Like good luck getting me to do anything social once that beauty hits my Kindle at midnight and my doorstep via Amazon later that day (because I obvi need it in both formats lol).

Just to stay consistent, I set my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal to 100 books again this year. I feel like it’s a big enough number to be challenging for me, but also attainable enough that I can always increase it if I achieve it earlier than expected. :)

On that note, let’s get into everything I read in January!

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

HOUSE OF SKY AND BREATH by Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City #2)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds. The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

My Thoughts: Y’ALL. Y’aaaaaallllll. I reread the first book of the Crescent City series right before the New Year and immediately jumped into this one because I hadn’t read it before. Also, by some miracle, I had avoided all spoilers about it up to this point. However, I knew something WILD happens at the end, so I was ITCHING to dive in. Let me just say, this book did not disappoint. SO MUCH HAPPENS, and I don’t even know where to begin. The mystery of what Danika was looking into from the first book catches a second breath as more information surfaces. This time though, it feels a lot more dangerous because all eyes are on Bryce and Hunt both from a public perspective and the Asteri leaders. Plus, they’re getting involved in an aspect of the human rebellion which is the LAST place you want to be if you’re trying to lie low. True to Bryce’s character though, she can’t turn a blind eye to an innocent being in danger. Cue the whirlwind that is this book. I freaking LOVED that we got the POVs from multiple characters including Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn (Prince of the Fae), Cormac (also a Prince of the Fae), Ithan (wolf), Tharion (merman), and more. I swear my blood pressure was abnormally high while I tore through this thicc fantasy. It was almost like watching a car crash or something else that’s stressful but for some reason you can’t look away? AND LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THAT ENDING OMG. PEOPLE DID NOT LIE. WHAT A MF pLoT tWiST. January 30th honestly cannot come quick enough. I am SOOOO excited to dive into House of Flame and Shadow.

**Also side note: I do not think you have to read Throne of Glass before reading the Crescent City series, but I highly recommend reading A Court of Thorns and Roses beforehand. Like the whole series. Not just the first book. The ending of this book won’t make you hyperventilate to the full extent of which you definitely should if you don’t read ACOTAR in its entirety.

IRON GOLD by Pierce Brown (Red Rising Saga #4)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: They call him father, liberator, warlord, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the pale blue planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-second of his life. A decade ago, Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk everything he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself? And throughout the worlds, other destinies entwine with Darrow’s to change his fate forever: A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined. An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy—or pay with his life. And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.

My Thoughts: Okay I took a one audiobook break between the third book in the Red Rising Saga and this one just so that I wouldn’t get burned out on the series, and I’m really glad I did. This book takes place ten years after Morning Star and Darrow and those who rebelled with him have established a new government called the Republic. There are representatives from all different colors in the Senate and Virginia (Darrow’s wife) is the overseeing Sovereign. Due to a recent war decision Darrow made against the Senate’s wishes, people are calling for his arrest. It’s a tricky situation, but Darrow decides this war that has been going on for the last decade can only be ended if he kills the Ash Lord. So instead of following their new justice system, he decides to resist arrest and heads to the Outer Rim. This book follows more than Darrow though. You also get chapters from the perspectives of three other people - Lysander (the last Sovereign’s grandkid), a Red named Lyria, and a Gray named Ephraim. It’s unclear, at first, how they’re all connected, but eventually you begin to connect the dots. I will say, this book was a slow burn to start. It took a minute to get my footing with whether I was invested in the new generation of this plot and storyline. However, as time went on, it was easy to get emotionally invested in what each of these characters are going through. I regularly listen to audiobooks in the morning while I’m getting ready for work and there were multiple moments throughout this book where I looked in the mirror only to see my eyes wide and my jaw dropped. In my opinion, I would say this book started as a 3-star, quickly shifted to a 3.5-star, and then slid home to being a 4-star read. If you’re debating picking up the last three books in the Red Rising saga, I’d recommend giving this book a go as a temperature check.

WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS by Isabel Ibañez

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind. When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe. With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

My Thoughts: Oh my gosh. I did not know what to expect with this audiobook, but I could not stop listening to it! This story had adventure, mystery, magic, a touch of romance, and was everything I could have asked for. The writing was stunning and the vivid setting descriptions of Egypt were absolutely transportive. Especially as their archeological group started sorting through various tombs and treasures, and Inez had to record their findings by painting each artifact in her sketchbook. I appreciated how real all of the characters felt, specifically Inez and Whit. They were unapologetically imperfect and each was dealing with traumas from their past, yet they remained resilient and strong in the face of adversity. Additionally, their banter was top notch. I loved the verbal jousting matches they constantly fell into as they fought the clear chemistry between them. The pacing of this book was a great mix of slow emotional, reflective moments and fast action-packed scenes. Although I felt some parts were mildly predictable, the plot was definitely twisty and kept me guessing. THE ENDING HOWEVER?? I never saw it coming and cannot believe the author has the AUDACITY to leave me on such a cliffhanger. Needless to say, I cannot wait to see where book two takes us when it comes out in November and I highly recommend you add this to your “Need to Read” list for 2024.

BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades. On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

My Thoughts: This book is unlike any other I’ve ever read. It’s almost a retelling of sorts from the POVs of women who were friends with the victims of Ted Bundy back in the 70s. It does an amazing job of peeling back the curtain on famous serial killers to show that they are not brilliant, charismatic, good-looking men, and instead exposes them as insecure, unstable losers who got away with things due to their favorable image and incompetence within the courts. The writing is stunning and so raw and vulnerable. It took me a minute to get through just because I felt the characters’ distress so thoroughly throughout every chapter. The format bounces between two different characters as well as timelines. First it follows Pamela, who is the president at the FSU sorority house that was traumatized by Ted Bundy’s attack. She was the only eye-witness to see him as he was leaving through the front door. Her best friend Denise was one of the victims who didn’t survive that night. We get to see her perspective in the 70’s as a college student navigating the impossible situation of picking up the pieces after the brutal attack, and her perspective in the present as a lawyer who is still dealing with fallout from the case. The other perspective we follow is Ruth who disappeared in 1979 and her partner, Tina, has been fighting ever since to prove she was also a victim of this disgusting serial killer. Although I’m a big wuss and was worried this was going to be scary, it was totally palatable and hard to put down once I got into it. I highly recommend it and suggest Googling Kathy Kleiner whose personal story is what this book is based on before jumping in.

THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: She's got his back. He's got her heart. They've got a secret. What could possibly go wrong? Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with her bare hands. But the truth is, she's an elite bodyguard and she's just been hired to protect a superstar actor from his stalker. Jack Stapleton's a Hollywood heartthrob - captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, rising out of the waves in clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. When Jack's mom gets sick, he comes home to the family's Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn't want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah - against her will and her better judgment - finds herself pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover. Protecting Jack should be easy. But protecting her own heart? That's the hardest thing she's ever done...

My Thoughts: This book was so cute! Hannah is a huge workaholic and a 5’5” bodyguard. She lives to work and uses it as an escape from her personal life which is currently less than ideal. Her mother just died, her boyfriend just dumped her, and she’s ready to get TF out of Texas. Cue Hollywood heartthrob Jack Stapleton. He’s returning home to Texas to help out with his sick mom and Hannah has been assigned to be his primary bodyguard. This was such a fun rom-com. Hannah’s character is the epitome of quirky and imperfect, and I absolutely loved her. She breaks all of her own rules as a professional with Jack starting from the moment he challenges her by questioning whether or not she could actually take a guy his size down if they’re being attacked. She quite literally lays his ass out in the backyard to win his approval. Jack is also such a sweetheart and I loved how quickly his walls fell around Hannah even though he’s been keeping to himself over the last few years since his younger brother died. The chemistry between these two was undeniable and the friendship they developed first was so freaking enjoyable. Also, THE BANTER? You know I love some quality banter and this storyline had some 4K-high quality banter. The epilogue is everything I could’ve hoped for, and although this is definitely more of a PG-rated romance, there was still unavoidable sexual tension throughout. I definitely recommend giving this book a try if you’ve had it on your radar!

ALL MY RAGE by Sabaa Tahir

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start. Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever. When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

My Thoughts: OOoo wee. Sabaa Tahir has a gift for writing and that could not be any clearer after reading this book. The emotions I felt while listening to the audiobook were absolutely visceral. It was gut-wrenching to see these characters go through some of the hardest moments of their lives while feeling like nobody truly sees them. Sal just lost his mom to a kidney disease and is trying to keep the family business afloat while his dad drinks his grief away to the point of being absent. To cover the growing expenses and overdue bills, he turns to a side hustle he knows his mother wouldn’t be proud of but has to to keep her dream alive. Noor lives with her uncle who quit college over a decade ago in order to raise her after her family was tragically killed in an earthquake back in Pakistan. She’s at the top of her class and yet is struggling hard when it comes to college admissions. Her hope to escape the podunk, racist town of Juniper, California dims a little more with every rejection letter she receives. The friendship between Sal and Noor had ruptured a few months back, but as they struggle through their current situations, it was impossible not to root for their undeniable connection. I was so wholeheartedly invested in these characters that the plot definitely took me by surprise towards the end. I did not see any of it coming, but it was wrapped up so well. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, I highly recommend giving it a read.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion: "Ten little boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine. Nine little boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight. Eight little boys traveling in Devon; One said he'd stay there then there were seven. Seven little boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in half and then there were six. Six little boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five. Five little boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four. Four little boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three. Three little boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two. Two little boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one. One little boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none." When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.

My Thoughts: Okay so I started this audiobook on a drive home one morning. A drive that usually takes me 55 minutes, but thanks to unexpected snow the night before, it ended up pushing my ETA back to 2.5 hours. Needless to say, I binge listened to this mystery and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is only my second Agatha Christie novel, but her writing style was easy to jump into. I loved all of the quirky characters that were rounded up on Soldier Island and hearing their internal dialogue about the current drama was incredibly entertaining. I don’t know if I’m just really bad at guessing the outcomes of mysteries like this one, but I had no idea who the killer was until it was explained at the end lol. I understand why this book is considered a classic and although I probably won’t ever read it again, I’m glad I finally did.

THE GRAHAM EFFECT by Elle Kennedy

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder. Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy. | Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad. The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

My Thoughts: Okay, so y’all know I am an absolute SIMP for a hockey romance, and I was obsessed with Elle Kennedy’s OG Off-Campus series back in 2022. Well, The Graham Effect follows the kids of the characters in the Off-Campus series. I won’t lie, I was kind of hesitant going into this one. Mainly because I’ve found that the next generation of a series can be either a hit or miss, and I didn’t want to taint my experience with those characters if this absolutely bombed. However, I am THRILLED to announce that it did not disappoint. I was an ooey gooey swoony mess over this next-gen romance. Gigi is one of the best rom-com main characters I’ve come across in a while. She felt so down to earth and really relatable in the sense that she wasn’t over the top, was quirky yet endearing, had a sweet personality, and overall was just someone I’d want to be friends with. Ryder was my favorite type of main character love interest. He was broody, self aware, patient, and had the perfect amount of flaws to make him even more attractive. Their story was absolutely addicting and I couldn’t get enough of their enemies-to-lovers story arc. There are some really deep topics woven into this story that made their relationship feel so much more real. Also, true to Elle Kennedy’s writing style, the salacious scenes were everything I could’ve wanted lol. Needless to say, I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

HELL BENT by Leigh Bardugo (Alex Stern #2)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

My Thoughts: UGH. I REALLY wanted to rate this book higher because I truly did enjoy it, but it just fell short for me in some places. I am still obsessed with the dark academia meets urban fantasy aesthetics of this series. Alex and Dawes are still looking for a way to save Darlington from purgatory while remaining inconspicuous from the board of Lethe. For a good chunk of this book, I kept hoping the plot wasn’t going to be “more of the same.” The cadence of the story and the mischief Alex gets herself into felt like mild whiplash from Ninth House. However, as time went on, things started taking various turns and I could confidently let out a sigh of relief that this book has its own independent legs to stand on. Alex and Dawes uncover some shocking discoveries about Yale’s past and realize they’re up against something much worse than they initially anticipated. Between appeasing new leadership so that they wouldn’t look into what these two girls were planning (aka opening the gates of hell) and dealing with some demons from the past, it constantly felt like they were in over their heads. I never knew what was going to happen next or what hurdle they’d need to jump. What was done absolutely perfectly in this story was the character development. Specifically, Dawes. She goes from being the timid bookkeeper to a confident badass who never questions fighting alongside Alex. Although I didn’t love this book as much as the first one, I will definitely continue the series once the third installment comes out. If you haven’t read this yet, I highly recommend the audiobook!

THE FAKE OUT by Stephanie Archer

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: The best way to get back at my horrible ex? Fake date Rory Miller--my ex's rival, the top scorer in pro hockey, and the arrogant, flirtatious hockey player I tutored in high school. Faking it is fun and addictive, though, and beneath the bad boy swagger, Rory’s sweet, funny, and protective. He teaches me to skate and spends way too much money on me. He sleeps in my bed and convinces me to break my just-one-time hookup rule. He kisses me like it’s real. And now I wonder if Rory was ever faking it to begin with.

My Thoughts: Because I was in a hockey romance mood, I decided to continue down that Kindle Unlimited path and landed on this gem. I actually read the first book in the Vancouver Storm series last September and remembered enjoying it. So I figured I’d give the sequel a try. Listen, Rory is described as a golden retriever type of guy by other characters, but I honestly disagree. He is literally the sweetest guy ever with quick quips and unrelenting flirting, and I couldn’t get enough of him. Hazel was his perfect counterpart. She was self reliant, also quick witted, intelligent, and so incredibly patient. Although their relationship started as a fake-dating agreement to get back at her ex, the line between real and fake got blurry V quickly. I absolutely loved how much fun these two had together. The foundation of their romantic relationship was so clearly balanced on a solid friendship, and that only made me buy into them as a couple even more. I must note, this book is SPICY lol. It starts off with just a dash of heat and ends with a rating of at least 4 chili peppers. I also felt like it was just a TOUCH longer than it needed to be, but loved it all the same. Definitely give it a shot if you’re in your hockey romance era too lol.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING by Nicola Yoon

Rating: 3.8/5 stars

Summary: Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually. As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything--including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he's only just met. Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it's that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?

My Thoughts: Don’t let this bright, colorful, upbeat cover fool you into thinking this is a sweet, innocent YA rom-com! This book is thought provoking, heart wrenching, magical, and more. Evie is doubting the concept of true, happy love after her parents’ divorce. She caught her father cheating on her mother and has had a cynical outlook on the core emotion ever since. While unloading her collection of romance novels into a Little Free Library, the woman who owns the LFL tells her she can’t just leave a book. She has to take one too. The only other book available is “Instructions for Dancing” which gives her the power to see the demise of any kissing couple’s relationship. There’s a return address on the book to a local dance studio and when she goes to drop it off to its rightful owner, she enters the world of ballroom dancing and meets a dapper young guy, X. I loved that this book didn’t just hone in on romantic relationships. It touched on how friendships can shift and change, familial relations can ebb and flow, and how grief can affect people’s belief in the concept of love. It also reflected on the fact that no love is perfect, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. Evie was a very likable main character and her character arc is really beautiful. I can’t say this book blew me away, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely think it’s worth the read if it’s been on your radar.

THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS by Micaiah Johnson

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total. On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security. But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

My Thoughts: Ugh okay. This is an OBJECTIVELY good book. It’s written really well, I liked the premise a lot, and it touched on some impactful topics that were depicted in a meaningful way, including privilege between races, classism, etc. That said, I just never fully connected to the story. I mainly listened to it on audiobook and although it was easy enough to follow along, there was never a burning need to get back into it. It was more like “oh yeah, that’s the audiobook I’m listening to right now” any time I grabbed my AirPods. Cara is a kick ass main character and I truly admired how resilient she remained whilst facing multiple adversities across multiple worlds. For whatever reason though, I never felt fully emotionally invested in her. This sci-fi also serves up the science part very mildly. Although there is some parallel world traveling, most of the content was related to politics amongst leaders and philosophical debates related to the ethics of traversing other worlds. I liked this book overall and think it’s worth the read if you’ve had it on your radar. I just don’t think I’ll continue on to the sequel (which comes out in March) nor will I ever really think about this book again. :/

All righty folks!

That’s it for January!

I hope you found at least one book to add to your TBR list for this year.

As I mentioned in my review, but just to reemphasize: for anyone interested in reading the Crescent City series, I highly recommend reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series first and foremost. THEN you can dive into Crescent City. Just trust me on this. You won’t regret it.

2024 Book Count: 12

Add me on Goodreads if you haven’t already.

YOUR TURN! What book are you looking forward to most in 2024?